Month: February 2011

Categories
Carriers

What is the Importance of a DAC Report to Truck Drivers in the Industry?

This article will be really helpful to truck drivers who are looking for a job change. Whenever you would move to a new trucking company for work, the company will ask you for your DAC report. Let us see what is this so called DAC report is?
The DAC report is a record and summary of the truckers past work related activities pertaining to the trucking industry. The report is shared among the trucking companies so that they all get benefited in due course of time. Usually a DAC employment report contains accident history, any traffic violations and types of violations, why the truck driver wants to change the job or in case if he is fired, what is the reason? It also reports the type of driving done, the types of trailers hauled, is he a reefer driver, flatbed driver or dry van driver? It throws a light on the types loads available dispatched by the drivers. Therefore, the potential employer can come to know the drivers work habits, the companies worked for, training and orientation programs attended.
The DAC report can also be used to verify driving license number, criminal reports, social security number and work pay. All these reports play an important role for the trucking companies in pre hiring process to decide whether the trucker is qualified for the job or not.
To maintain the clarity in reports the reports are regulated by Fair Credit Reporting Act. According to this act each driver is eligible to acquire a free copy of this report each year. This will help them know the information that has been collected against their driving.
Earlier the report was distributed by USIS, but this procedure is now handled by a company called HireRight. A consumer report request from can be filled and send to the company in order to get your free report copy or the request can be sent online on the HireRight website. The request for the report can be submitted online but the report is not delivered in the digital form. It takes 15 days for the hard copy of the report to be delivered to you through US mail delivery system. If in case you find the there are incorrect charges on the report you can file a dispute with the dispute section of the website.
With the growing popularity of the DAC reports, nearly 90% of the commercial long hauls trucking companies are utilizing these reports to play safe while hiring new driver onboard. Since, the DAC report is a very crucial document for your truck driving career, you should read carefully the report and make sure to file any dispute for the wrong charges. The HireRight will look into the matter and make sure that inappropriate charges are removed from your report.
Keep checking our load board blog page for more trucking article. We will see in the next article, how to avoid negative DAC reports and what you should do in the case if the report stands negative for you.

Categories
Carriers

Make your Semi-Truck more Efficient!!!


Check our load board blog page for more interesting trucking articles.

Categories
Business Trucker News

Idle Air

Convoy Solutions, LLC is the current owner of the idleAir idle-reduction system and began re-opening sites in the summer of 2010.

The idleAir system, previously named IdleAire, was invented about 10 years ago as the outgrowth of a challenge originally issued to A.C. Wilson, a Tellico Plains, Tennessee, contractor, by his brother-in-law, a long haul truck driver fresh off a New Jersey run.

How could a driver park, shut off the engine (along with its noise, fumes and vibration) and still stay warm or cool while having access to the comforts of home?

It so happened that the challenge came during a vacation stay at an RV park. During the night, A.C. tackled the challenge, sketching the first design for an independent, external system that would deliver to a truck cab the same sorts of services inherent in an RV.

The next morning he presented his sketches to his brother-in-law. A.C. and his partners located an experienced management team who could form a company and take his idea to market.

For the past ten years, IdleAir has further refined Wilson’s original design and made significant strides with truck fleets and travel plazas, as well as the federal and state environmental and highway safety entities.

IdleAir offers long-haul truck drivers an alternative to idling their engines and APU’s during rest periods. IdleAir reopened in Spring 2010 under new management, and currently operates 21 sites in 9 states (see www.idleair.com/locations.asp).

“WHAT DO I GET?” IdleAir service is $1.99/hour and includes powerful HVAC, standard AC electric inside and outside the cab, 60+ channels of Satellite TV (including Fox News and The Weather Channel), and basic internet.

“THERE’S MONEY ON MY OLD CARD.” Customers who had money on old IdleAire cards still have their balances available, even if they tossed the card. Just call IdleAir Customer Support at (877) 738-7024 to get set up.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONS: Idling uses 1 gallon of diesel per hour, and with diesel costing over $3.30/gallon, drivers can use IdleAir and save $1.30/hr — while you’re sleeping! There are 9 IdleAir sites that have a special $1.25/hr rate through 3/30/11, and registered fleets get a special discounted rate of $1.50/hr at ALL locations through 4/30/11.

For Drivers:

DRIVERS GET HVAC. IdleAir gives you a powerful heating and cooling air system, just like at home. Now you can shut off your engine and sleep better without
the noise, vibration, and stack gases from idling.

DRIVERS GET ELECTRICITY. IdleAir gives you standard AC electric service both inside and outside your cab. You can plug in block heaters, phone and laptop chargers, and any other accessories.

DRIVERS GET SATELLITE TV. IdleAir gives you satellite TV and free basic internet. Stay connected with friends and family, and enjoy your favorite sports, news, and Weather Channel programs.

BUY AMERICAN: ENGINE OFF, IDLEAIR ON. IdleAir is good for America. The energy that IdleAir uses comes from American resources, like coal, gas, wind, and more. You can help Buy American with IdleAir, and avoid idling engines and APU’s that burn foreign oil.

LOCATIONS: IdleAir operates 21 locations nationwide. See the complete list at http://www.idleaire.com/Locations.asp
GOT QUESTIONS? Call IdleAir Customer Support at (877) 738-7024
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/idleaire

[button link=”http://www.idleair.com/”]Visit Idle Air[/button]

Categories
Trucker News

Latest Industry News:

Flatbed Loads Rises whereas Reefers and Dry Van remains same reported by TransCore
With the week that ended on Jan 29, the nationwide flatbed freight loads showed an increase as per the loadboards of Transcore DAT network. The freight loads for reefer and dry van remained the same with the same number of loads as previous week.
The capacity to take the loads and the loads available for flatbed trucks have made up for the total number of load postings done for loads and truck available. This is the third week that both the volume and capacity is showing a weekly increase. This week thought the increase in demand for the loads available did not match the equipment capacity. The individual flatbed capacity stayed same and there was a 2.3 percent growth in van and reefer capacity.
The weekly newsletter issued by TransCore called Transcore Trendlines suggested that the there was in increase in the truck loads by 3.1 percent and the postings fir trucks rose by 2.4 percent. This rising trend as per the market indicators can be seen week over week. The main business indicator if the trucking industry id Load-to-Truck ratio, it remained stable and stated that there were approximately 4.9 loads available for each empty truck. Thus, the industry is seen giving lucrative offers to the truck driving jobs especially the flatbed drivers. This ratio is calculated by covering the data available nationwide.
The week showed an increase in the ratio for flatbed trucks to 6.7 percent and a decrease in the load to truck ratios for vans and refrigerated trucks. These key indicators suggest increased activity in the trucking industry as the US and worldwide economy revives.

Categories
Lifestyle

Successful Drive through the First Year Leads to a Promising Truck Driving Career Ahead

Recently there has been much news about the shortage of drivers in the trucking industry. Planning a career and following it in the same way are two different things. There are bundle of truck driver jobs but there are some hindrances which seem to dissuade the youth for going for this career option. There are always challenges posed by the new job and it takes some time to accommodate with the environment of the working place. The trucking career is no exception to it. Although it is different from the routine job of 9 to 5 but this job has its own demand.

The life of the driving school is totally different from that of the real truck driver job. It is very difficult for the new drivers to adjust to the new life style of the truck driver. It is not a fixed routine job and the drivers tend to be away from their families for days and sometimes weeks as well. One needs to be mentally prepared before taking up the job. It may sound to be a thrill and adventurous before taking up the job but it is not so easy. Trucking career can turn into a very fruitful one if a new truck driver is through the job in the first year. Many of the drivers who have spent their many years as a truck driver in the trucking industry have a great liking for the job.

The company will always try to test the new drivers. All the new jobs try to take extra advantage of the new comers in the various fields and the trucking company is no exception to it. There are all kinds of load boards and all these have different loads available on it. The freight companies have many kinds of various requirements which the trucking companies have to follow. Trucking companies can’t place their orders on the old drivers as they can do to the ones who have started their career and spending the first year in the logistics industry.

All the loads available have their different demands as some are fragile, valuable, or very delicate to carry. No company will blindly give the responsibility of delicate stuff to the new drivers. Sometimes the location where the load is to be carried is in a desolate area and old drivers tend to argue going to such places. These all things are the testing situations for the owner operators and if you give a consistent performance then there are no obstacles in your success. There are many trucking companies who offer proper assistance to the new drivers and help them teaching the rules of the company.

The truck driver jobs are similar to any other job as far as work is concerned. Initially you need to give your best performance to prove your worth and the success is just a road away. Do not expect any spoon feeding as no one is going to tolerate mistakes and so the drivers need to do the work very carefully. Once you adjust yourself in the new situation and then there will be no looking back.