Video Series Helps Drivers Better Prepare Their Trucks for the Road

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Safety in CDL trucking jobsAfter a long day or night on the road, maintenance might be the last thing on your mind. But as little as 20 minutes could make the difference between a safe journey and truck troubles when you get back on the road.

For new and experienced drivers alike, Accuride’s video series simplifies truck component installation and maintenance. So, you get on the road faster and make it safely to your next stop.

The videos include Wheel Service, Brake Drum Service and Automatic Slack Adjuster Service.

They run between 15 and 30 minutes and include step-by-step instructions. In addition, they include animation and technical diagrams for each component.

Accuride says one video “demonstrates how to establish a periodic brake drum maintenance program that will help users recognize common symptoms and make necessary corrections.”

Did you know that truckinginfo.net found over half of emergency road calls are related to tire problems?

A simple check will help you avoid having to be one of those calls.

Accuride’s Wheel Service video, “covers single-piece rims and wheels and includes steps for performing wheel removal by hand and machine, complete visual inspection, wheel end cleaning and preparation, tubeless tire installation and proper mounting of the tire/wheel assembly.”

The Automatic Slack Adjuster Service clarifies how to “to properly install, remove, inspect, adjust and maintain the Automatic Slack Adjusters on vehicle[s].”

These videos are your roadside assistance without any phone calls when you need a quick refresher on rig repair.

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One Driver’s Special Journey with the Vince Lombardi Trophy

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Driver Clyde Bishop, left, assists with the delivery of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Houston, Texas, with two-time Super Bowl winner Vince Wilfork.
(Michael Stravato/AP Images for FedEx)

FedEx driver Clyde Bishop has a connection to the Super Bowl that most drivers only dream of. The longtime truck driver, a 16-year veteran of FedEx, hails from Houston, Texas. This year he had the very special honor of delivering the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Houston before Super Bowl LI is played there this weekend.

For Bishop, driving the Vince Lombardi Trophy into his hometown was the experience of a lifetime.

After all, it’s not just any trophy. The iconic sterling silver award is handcrafted by artisans at Tiffany & Co. It received special treatment worthy of champions along its route from NFL headquarters in New York to the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where it will be on display until Super Bowl Sunday.

Throughout its journey to Houston, the Lombardi Trophy remained under tight security.

A high-tech sensor tracked its journey and monitored temperature, humidity and light to show if the package opened before arriving in Houston.

Two-time Super Bowl winner Vince Wilfork delivers the Vince Lombardi Trophy via FedEx to the NFL Experience in Houston on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017.
(Michael Stravato/AP Images for FedEx)

Helping Bishop make the final delivery of the trophy into Houston was none other than two-time Super Bowl champ and current Houston Texans nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who signed for the Lombardi Trophy and held it above his head like a champ (see a great video of the delivery here).

While Wilfork won his rings with the New England Patriots, his heart lies in Houston now.

“FedEx proudly delivered the iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Super Bowl for the last 17 years,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president, Integrated Marketing and Communications for FedEx.

“There are more than 400,000 FedEx team members working to connect people and businesses around the world, and we’re excited to continue this 17-year tradition of delivering the Lombardi Trophy to football fans before the big game.”

Is there a special journey your CDL trucking job has taken you on? Connect with us here to share your experience.

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New Group Seeks to Motivate Millennials to Trucking Industry

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 Today’s Trucking offers interesting thoughts about millennials in the trucking industry. The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada relaunched its Young Leaders group to engage more people ages 25 to 45 in the industry. Director Mike Colwell and fellow PMTC panelist Elias Demangos lead the program. “Young people are not afraid to work. They just want to work for something more meaningful,” says 32-year- old Demangos.

As Today’s Trucking reports:

“Demangos said the younger smartphone generation moves at a clip. They keep things short and simple in the aim of moving forward. For example, he mentioned the use of smartphone apps like Waze. This allows drivers to navigate and adapt to congested traffic congestions. The app serves as a metaphor for the millennial worker. They navigate and adapt to the modern work environment with baby boomers at the reins.”

The Young Leaders group believes in integrating more technology into training programs and day-to-day operations.

Overall, this approach aims to make the field more accessible to a large portion of the population. In turn, it changes young people’s perspectives about the truck-driving profession.

“Making the workplace more suited to younger generations also means having it furnished with technology. For Young Leaders Group panelist Matt Richardson, this serves as the only way he can get youth through the doors to his training facility. Then, they teach the next generations of drivers and dispatchers. Whether students interact with a large screen or GoPro cameras, the purpose serves beyond appeal and more of a necessity, said Richardson.”

Richardson aims to eliminate boring jobs and brings back a sense of purpose and adventure.

“Youth may get to the finish line differently. But, I think if you provide them a chance, you experience happiness with the finished product,” he says.

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With Republican Congress, Trucking Lobbyists Target Driver Time and Pay

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Trucking Lobbyists

Citing major settlements in recent years, trucking lobbyists say they plan to capitalize on new Republican control in Congress to pass an amendment that would prevent enforcement of state laws dictating truck drivers’ time and pay and shield carriers from such court orders. So writes CCJ magazine in an informative article on the issue and how it could impact those with CDL driver jobs.

Major proponents of the Denham Amendment include the American Trucking Associations and the Western States Trucking Association.

Both stated legislation to assert federal authority over break and pay laws for truckers serves as a top-level agenda item in the coming years.

“This serves as our No. 1 priority,” says Western States’ head of government affairs Joe Rajkovacz. “Prohibiting states from involving themselves in the compensation methods in which drivers are paid. Once litigation of one of the cases succeeds, the ‘me-too’ lawsuits focus on much smaller motor carriers downstream. It becomes legal blackmail against a small business: ‘Pay us or get sued and taken into court.’”

Opponents of the provision argue that the Denham Amendment wipes out efforts to reform driver pay.

Donna Smith, co-producer of the online radio show and website Truth About Trucking, says the driver pay/break provision would slam the door on hopes for driver pay reform. State-level action on the issue of driver pay and breaks, even with creating an often-deemed “patchwork” of varying regulations, is better than no action at all.

“If there’s going to be any law for driver wages, ideally it would be at a national level,” she said. “I think it would be more confusing to have state-by-state laws. But, before you look down that road, you put to rest the Denham language. It puts to rest any of the recent efforts that the truck driving community puts forth to increase their wages.”

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The Top 10 Cities for Truck Drivers to Live In

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The Best Cities for People With CDL Trucking JobsWhile drivers often live on the road, they also have a home base. So what are the top 10 cities for truck drivers to live in?

Sparefoot and Indeed.com recently released a survey with the answers as reported by Forbes. They looked into the average salary for drivers, median household pricing and median cost to rent in that city. They also looked at which cities had the largest percentage of driving jobs.

Atlanta ranked No. 1, followed by Charlotte, N.C., and Columbus Ohio. Atlanta’s average salary was $64,000 and it had the lowest rent as a percentage of salary (24.3%).

What seems to be the most beneficial part of the survey is that the top 10 was built around multiple factors, not one or two.

Dallas, for example, ranks in the top five for both percent share of job listings and average annual salary, but it falls to No. 8 on the overall list because of its higher prices of living.

Where you live doesn’t have to determine where you stand economically, but it certainly helps.

What other cities made the top 10? Indianapolis (4th) Chicago (5th), Houston (6th), Kansas City, Mo. (7th), Louisville, Ky. (9th), Nashville (10th).

To learn more about how each city fared in the evaluation categories, view Forbes top 10 cities for truck drivers slideshow here.

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Truckers Who Drive Distracted Face Significant Penalties

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Everyone is generally aware that texting while driving isn’t a wise decision, but studies show even more shocking results. Truckers who drive distracted are over 23 times more likely to be involved in a critical accident.

The Trucking Truth blog recently shared that stat along with the new distracted driving regulations (and penalties) released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

As Brett Aquila writes, the FMCSA defines “distracted driving” very simply: no dialing, no texting, no reading, even no holding or reaching.

Use of any device (including dispatcher radios) must be hands-free. Penalties for truckers who drive distracted exist not only for the driver, but for the employer as well. Employers who know or allow a driver to use a device that requires hands receive a fine over $10,000. Drivers receive a fined for thousands, and disqualified for a time.

While the financial penalties are significant, hurting yourself or another person is much worse. So as hard as it can be to keep the phone down, it’s safe to say it’s an all-around better decision for everyone on the road.

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What the Future Holds for Refrigerated Trailers

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truckinginfo.comThere’s plenty of news centered on CDL trucking jobs and trends, but news about refrigerated truck design is not so common. So, we were pleased to see a story on refrigerated truck design come up.

What will the refrigerated trailer of the future be made of? Chances are it will be economical, strong and feature an aluminum sheet-and-post design, says a Truckinginfo.com article on the subject.

The thicker the walls and the amount of foam inside, the greater the vehicle’s ability to help the unit maintain a desired temperature.

But, thicker walls also add tare weight and reduce payload capacity. “I see more use of non-metallic materials,” says Charlie Fetz, recently retired research and development engineer at Great Dane Trailer and author of a Future Truck paper on temperature controlled trailers for ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council. “Aluminum serves as a great material, but it conducts heat. If inside the wall cavity, the aluminum posts contribute to heat conduction. However, manufacturers minimize that with careful design.”

One way to improve efficiency is through aerospace-like composites like those from Wabash National.

The material gives the 53-foot trailer up to 25 percent improvement in thermal performance. In addition, it is up to 20 percent lighter compared to conventional designs. Interior puncture resistance is 25 percent better.

“The composite includes a mixture of fiberglass, carbon fiber and resin,” says Larry Adkins,truckinginfo.com applications engineer for Wabash. “Carbon provides strength. It’s used only in areas where strength is needed, and some areas don’t have any. The center of a trailer needs carbon,” which supports the load like a bridge span. Another advantage: “Composites are more corrosion resistant (than metals). Chemicals have no effect on the materials.”

The first trailer prototype units beyond the initial vehicle produced later this year

Five “launch partners” begin testing in normal fleet operations, Adkins says. “First, we get some miles on them. Miles show what can’t be done in labs. Then, we alter the design if we have to.”

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How Truck Drivers Can Get The Most From LinkedIn

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In the game of life, you play to win, but a lazy LinkedIn strategy could hurt your personal brand—and your overall career success. Without knowing it, you could be scaring away valuable connections. So writes Ariella Coombs in a great article for Work It Daily that shows how to get the most from LinkedIn. Follow the below tips and you’ll be on your way to acing your next trucking job interview, or at least landing one.

1. Give your profile a facelift

Kick the dust off of your old, stale LinkedIn profile and give it an update. How old is that photo? When was the last time you updated your accomplishments?

2. Search for professionals working in your field or at your target company

I’m constantly on the look out for people who work in my field or work at companies I admire. Many times, they’re just sitting in my “People You May Know” list. So, I try to casually browse through it at least once a week.

 

Another way you can do this is to search the company or industry you’re interested in. LinkedIn has a great search function that allows you to find people, companies, groups, and more.

3. Connect with people the RIGHT way

Nothing bothers me more about LinkedIn than when someone tries to connect with me using that generic, vague message, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

(Or my least favorite, most creepy invitation, “Since you’re a person I trust, I’d like to add you to my LinkedIn network.”)

C’mon guys. If you really want to connect with someone, don’t be lazy – it shows. Be specific. Tell him or her WHO you are and WHY you want to connect with them. You will have a better chance of getting accepted and building a valuable connection that way.

4. Nurture your connections

Don’t just connect with people and forget about them. What’s the point in that?

Check in with them once and a while. Share relevant articles with them. Endorse them. Give them a recommendation. Doing these things will help you stay relevant to your connections and increases the chance that they’ll think of you when an opportunity presents itself.

5. Keep a “fit” LinkedIn presence

Stay active. Share articles in your feed. Write a blog post on LinkedIn’s platform once and awhile. Update your profile on a regular basis – whether that’s every week, two weeks or month. Just stay on top of things! It will be easier to keep up with that way.

Are you looking for a CDL driver job? You have another great option: Connect with Drive My Way here and get one step closer to your goal today!

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5 Easy Ways To Sharpen Your Networking Skills In 2017

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If you’re on the market for a new CDL trucking job in 2017, now is a good time to brush up on your networking skills. Several avenues exist to help you take control of your next career move, like these touted by Mary Sherwood Sevinsky of the noted career site Work It Daily.

1. Use LinkedIn

I can’t say enough about LinkedIn. Many professionals are coming to have a better understanding of the platform and how it can benefit them. But most don’t recognize what a powerful skill and knowledge building tool it can be.

By following influencers, channels and individuals as well as engaging themselves in groups, members can keep current in their industry and sharp on business in general. Discussions with those from similar and dissimilar backgrounds can broaden your horizon and give you a different perspective.

2. Join Professional Groups

Sometimes you need to see like-minded people in a different venue and in person. Online groups are fine, but nothing can replace the impact of a smiling face, warm handshake, or appreciative nod. Find or create a group near you. Meetup is becoming a great way to create and manage in-person groups.

Chamber of Commerce or industry groups in your area are likely to be accessible to you and can be a good way to learn and build your network. Networks can help you by allowing you to feel connected, but they can also help ensure you find out about opportunities in a timely way.

3. Volunteer

Yes, you can learn a lot through volunteering for charity or civic groups. Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary, your local hospital or church can all be great places to learn and grow. Sometimes, you learn how well-off you are. Sometimes you find that you have the best social media skills (even if you consider yourself technologically challenged). Before you know it, you might be improving a skill you never knew you needed and that will benefit others as well as yourself.

4. Get Additional Education

You can take a class or go back to school to pursue a degree or certification. There are plenty of online options for formal training, but don’t forget about the brick and mortar facilities as well.

5. Schedule Downtime

You may miss learning opportunities, or at least insights, if you don’t set aside time to process your work day. Make sure you allow enough time to think about what you did and how you did it. What did you learn? Whom did you help? What did you accomplish? What could you have done better?

Think about these things – keep a work journal to capture even further opportunities to learn.

Are you looking for a CDL trucking job in 2017? Follow Drive My Way on social media here and stay up to date on the trucking companies hiring!

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CDL Trucking Jobs Among the Deadliest in the U.S., Study Finds

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trucks.comThis fact won’t come as much of a surprise to people with CDL trucking jobs. But, the data is out and it shows that truck driver remains one of the deadliest occupations in the country. 745 drivers died in 2015. Trucks.com wrote about the report put out by the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Work-related fatalities for trucking jobs dropped slightly in 2015 from 2014, when 761 drivers died on the nation’s streets. Despite the drop, trucking transportation occupations accounted for slightly more than a quarter of all work-related fatalities last year.

What’s more, the Trucks.com article says, CDL trucking job fatalities rise.

Over the past five years, truck driver fatalities rose 11.2 percent. Increased reliance on trucking to transport goods. This includes demand for rapid delivery created by the rise of online shopping, putting more truck drivers on the road. This contributed to higher incident rates for accidents and driver deaths, according to trucking industry experts.

Unlike many occupations, drivers don’t have total control of their work environment – public roads and highways – so there’s always danger, said Steve Viscelli, an economics sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream.”

But because of the way drivers’ compensation is structured, they’re often asked to choose between productivity and safety, a tug of war that leads some to keep driving when they should be taking a rest break, Viscelli said.

Long hours, low pay and tough working conditions also play into annual turnover that “hovers around 100 percent and puts inexperienced drivers on the road,” the article states.

Michael Belzer, a transportation economist and associate professor at Wayne State University, said he blames carriers for creating pay issues that lead to chronic turnover and driver shortages. And the lack of National Highway Transportation Safety Administration standards for crashworthiness of heavy-duty trucks plays a role in fatality rates, said Norita Taylor, director of marketing and public relations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, in the Trucks.com article.

Thanks, truck drivers, for the sacrifices you make for others. Does the fatality rate in CDL trucking jobs concern you? Join our community here and share your thoughts.

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