Month: November 2012

Categories
Trucker News

Trucking Terms

The trucking industry uses its own specific terms to communicate within the industry and to the freight industry at large. There are terms for all of the tools, gear, drivers and other workers who are associated with trucking. Just like any other industry, the trucking industry has borrowed terms from other places, like calling the legs that support the front of a semi-trailer the “landing gear,” which is a common term in the airplane industry.

Back-Haul
A back-haul is moving freight from the destination point back to point of origin. If a trucker takes a load from point A to point B, the back haul is a load going from point B back to point A.

Bill of Lading
A bill of lading is the shipping document that transfers the title, or ownership, of the freight from one party to another.

Bobtail
A bobtail is a tractor that operates without a trailer. This also refers to a straight truck or “a two axle truck with the van permanently attached to the chassis,” according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Chassis and Chassis Weight
The chassis of a truck is long, thin steel frame on wheels, according to the IRS. This attaches to the truck in order to haul containers. The chassis weight is the weight of the truck without a load on it or occupants in it. The chassis weight is also known as the tare weight.

Yardgoat
A yardgoat is a tractor, according to the IRS, with a short turning radius. It is used to pull trailers or containers for hauling in the freight yard. It doesn’t pull them on roads.

Cargo Handler
A cargo handler is a person who loads freight into trailers. Other terms for a cargo handler are: a lumper, swamper, stevedore or longshoreman. Lumpers usually load agricultural freight like fruits and vegetables whereas a longshoreman or stevedore loads ocean freight. A swamper is truck driver’s assistant who helps load and unload whatever freight the trucker is carrying.

Common Carrier
A common carrier is a freight transportation company or sole driver acting as his own company who serves the general public for transport jobs. He may offer a regular route or take unscheduled trips on irregular routes, depending on where he is authorized to serve.

Deadhead
A deadhead is a truck driving without a trailer.

RFID
Radio Frquency Identification or RFID is used to locate a product in transit anywhere in the world, according to the IRS. RFID tags can be very small, as small as a grain of rice, notes the IRS.

Reefer
This is a nickname, or trucking term, for a refrigerated truck.

Categories
Trucker News

Driving Jobs

Jobs that pay you in cash or allow you to make extra money in cash tips can provide you with a sense of freedom. Walking away from a job each and every day with cash in your pocket gives you immediate access to your money if you need it. Driving jobs that pay cash typically allow you to make most of your cash through tips, although some jobs may require you to become an independent contractor.

Driving Jobs

Pizza Delivery
Pizza delivery is a popular job choice among many high school students because it allows them to make some extra spending cash on a daily basis. Many adults have likewise realized the benefits of pizza delivery as a way to generate regular cash. Pizza delivery drivers typically make an hourly wage and obtain the rest of their money through cash tips. Some companies will reimburse you for mileage also. According to Payscale.com, pizza delivery drivers made an hourly wage of between $6.31 and $7.76 in October 2010, while taking home an additional $2.45 to $6.00 per hour in cash tips.

Chauffeurs and Taxi Drivers
Chauffeurs also make cash tips as part of their compensation. Most chauffeurs work for limousine companies and are hired to drive others around to their chosen destinations. Chauffeurs often work during special events like concerts and may find themselves driving around celebrities or other well-to-do individuals. They also work other events like high school proms. Taxi drivers do much of the same in their jobs, except they typically drive sedans or minivans instead of limousines. Taxi drivers pick up passengers from places like airports or hotels and usually transport them a short distance. Taxi drivers tend to be more common in large urban areas where public transportation is commonly used as an alternative to private transportation. According to Payscale.com, chauffeurs and taxi drivers made an hourly wage of $9.28 to $14.45 in October 2010, while pulling in an additional $2.46 to $6.36 per hour in cash tips.

Urban Paper Route
Another cash-paying job involves delivering newspapers. In large cities, many people buy the morning newspaper on their way to work each morning from newspaper dispensing machines in which they deposit coins in exchange for the newspaper. Some newspaper delivery drivers have routes that consist almost exclusively of these types of machines. Some may also deliver to businesses like convenience stores. Depending on the newspaper’s circulation, these newspaper delivery drivers may collect cash in the form of coins from their dispensers each day. In some cases, collection may occur less frequently. It is difficult to estimate what percentage of pay received by newspaper delivery drivers is in the form of cash since each paper route is different. Payscale.com reports that the total average annual compensation for delivery drivers was $18,322 to $31,074 in October 2010.

Categories
Trucker News

Trucking Industry Problems

Shipping goods by truck has always been a vital method of distribution in America. However, the trucking industry has been facing new threats and problems making its distribution method harder to maintain. The cost of fuel, highway congestion, competition, lack of new drivers and problems with long-hauling are factors contributing to the industry’s demise.

Fuel
As economic crises loom and the tension of world affairs increases, the cost of fuel suffers. In February of 1999, the price per gallon was $1.18, compared to February of 2009 at $2.13 a gallon.

Highway Congestion
As more and more cars make it onto the highways, the ability for a trucker to make his trip in a timely manner decreases. Accidents, traffic congestion and highway construction can all lead to a loss of profit.

Competition
Some truckers have found work harder to come by in recessions. Oftentimes another trucker will offer to move the goods at a lower price.

Decline in Drivers
A decline in the number of drivers is another threat to the trucking industry. Because trucking has a high turnover, the industry is losing more drivers than it’s employing.

Long-Haul Shipping
One of the methods of shipping is the long-haul, moving a shipment of goods across the country in very little time. It’s stressing work because of the lack of sleep. Fewer drivers are willing to perform this task.

Hours-of-Services
The long-term status of HOS requirements remains uncertain as legal challenges and appeals are likely to continue. Respondents indicate a need to retain several elements of previous HOS regulations and that HOS regulations should be made more flexible in certain areas

Onboard Truck Technology
The industry understands and supports many of the potential benefits of these technologies, even though many questions remain. The most prolific technology topic is electronic onboard recorders, most often cited as a potentially effective tool for monitoring HOS compliance.

Categories
Carriers Newbies

Used Fleet Truck Sales Launched by Schneider

Schneider National recently expanded its tractor purchase offerings for owner-operators, fleets and wholesalers.

In addition to its Schneider Finance division, which provides options to current and prospective Schneider National owner-operators on new and used trucks, Schneider also now offers used fleet trucks. Owner-operators and fleets who purchase used fleet trucks are not required to lease the units with Schneider National.

Most trucks are 2005 to 2007 model years and range from $20,000-$35,000. All trucks for sale have been serviced and maintained to Schneider’s standards for preventive maintenance and have a history of excellent fuel mileage.

Schneider’s Used Fleet Truck Sales offers trucks just coming off of the road and has a current inventory of more than 800 units available at 18 Schneider locations across the U.S. and Canada. More than 100 trucks are available in the Northeast as replacement units for those impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

In addition to standard over-the-road truckload units, Schneider Used Fleet Truck Sales also has more than 60 bulk, flatbed, agricultural and oil field trucks for sale; more than 50 day-cab units and more than 100 UltraShift automatic transmission trucks. More than 300 used trailers are also available.

Looking for loads to haul? http://findfreightloads.com/

Categories
CDL Owner Operators

Penalty for Driving Uninsured

Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry automobile insurance, but this does not mean every driver does. According to the Insurance Information Institute, all states have a percentage of uninsured motorists among their drivers, from New Mexico’s high of 29 percent to Massachusetts’ low of 1 percent. To put teeth into the law, most states have imposed penalties for driving without insurance, as have many countries around the world.

Reasons
As unemployment rises, so does the rate of uninsured motorists. Most people who drive without insurance do so for financial reasons. In an economic crisis, more people can be expected to get rid of their insurance payments by getting rid of their car insurance. Other drivers believe that they do not need insurance because they have never had an accident. Still others cannot get insurance because of their past driving record or immigration status.

Monetary Penalties
Many states and foreign governments punish uninsured motorists by imposing fines. In the United States, fines can range as high as $5,000 for a repeat offender, with the specific dollar amount varying from state to state. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, large fines for first-time offenders is the best way to enforce insurance requirements.

License or Registration Suspension
Many jurisdiction impose additional penalties for driving without insurance, including taking points from a driver’s license, suspending the driver’s license, suspending the uninsured’s vehicle registration and/or impounding the vehicle.

Jail
Some drivers can be jailed for repeatedly not carrying car insurance.
Driving without insurance can send you to jail. While no state mandates jail time for a first offense, many give the court the option of jail time for repeat offenders. However, while high fines were found to be an effective deterrent, jail time for noncompliance was not. This is probably because motorists do not believe that the penalty will be enforced.

Other Penalties
A relatively new penalty imposed on uninsured motorists is depriving them of the right to sue for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. These so-called “no pay, no play” laws have been proposed in more than 20 states, and enacted in eight, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.

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Categories
Business CDL

Trucking Company hiring process

Although from the outside looking in most people would make the mistake of thinking of Trucking as something anybody can do, this is one of the reasons so many get into trucking and fail miserably. And while those that do succeed at it may look ordinary from the outside there are some very unique things going on inside that make the Trucker a real success. I want to talk about this a little here as you may be considering getting a CDL in Trucking, and branching out further into the Trucking waters, such as becoming an owner operator O/O.

Define your needs. By determining exactly what you need from a transportation service, it is much easier to look for companies that can accommodate those requirements. Along with defining the sizes and quantities of the goods that must be transported to buyers, also think in terms of the frequency of the shipments, the delivery dates that are routinely required, and the shipping hours at your warehouses. Don’t forget to consider the distance involved in transporting goods to all your current customers, as well as to areas where you hope to establish a presence.

Develop a listing of trucking companies in the area. Step 1, compile a list of all transportation companies in the local area that potentially could fill your needs. Omit any transportation companies that do not fit your requirements. For example, if you routinely ship out amounts that will not take up a whole trailer, don’t spend a lot of time dealing with trucking firms that only deal with truckload orders; focus on companies that specialize in LTL or less than load business.

Contact each trucking company on the list. Talk with them about your needs and verify they can provide the care you require. Make arrangements for a representative or salesperson to visit you on site for a more in depth discussion and to submit a bid or proposal for your business.

Meet with representatives of each company. Ask them hard questions about how they handle situations such as rush shipments, or how they track shipments that get lost in the shuffle. Ask for a quote on pricing in writing, as well as the terms and conditions that will be in force if the two of you decide to do business. Also ask about discounts and price breaks if you commit to using the trucking company for a certain amount of time, or generate a certain level of business volume.

Narrow your options to three or four of the best candidates. At this point, invite each of these final candidates to review their bids and see if they might be willing to adjust the pricing to make the offer more attractive.

Make your final selection. After reviewing all relevant factors, choose the trucking firm that provides the best balance between service and price. However, hang on to the other bids just in case the final selection does not perform up to expectations.

Categories
Carriers Owner Operators

Truck Driving

Significance
Without the trucking industry, the U.S. economy would nearly come to a grinding halt. Trucks transport everything that we consume and use on a daily basis, from manufactured goods to food. Trucks transport our mail all over the country. Trucks bring the fuel we put into our cars. Trucks support the way of life that we have become accustomed to in the United States.

Types
There are many types of trucks used in the transportation industry, including box trucks, straight trucks, flat-bed trucks, reefers (refrigerated units), tankers and carriers. However, there are basically only two types of truck drivers: owner/operators and company drivers. Owner/operators own or lease their own truck, and sometimes one or more trailers. Company drivers are employees of a trucking company, and do not own or maintain the equipment.

Benefits
Although truck driving is a dangerous and difficult profession, it offers some benefits that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any other industry. These include:
-Freedom from a 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. job
-Front-row views of some of the nation’s most beautiful territories
-For owner/operators, independence and the ability to control your own success
-Job security.

Misconceptions
Recruiters often use misleading sales pitches to lure new, inexperienced drivers. Since they are salespeople, recruiters often inflate the benefits of working for their companies. Benefits such as lots of sightseeing, lots of family time and above-average compensation will be high on their list of selling points. While you do get to see lots of places, the one place you probably won’t see much is your home, unless you drive local routes.

Also, companies may promise to ensure that their drivers are always driving legally, within the federal regulations for driving-time limits and allowable load weights. The reality, however, is that unscrupulous companies often set up loads and time limits that cannot be humanly accomplished unless a driver does drive illegally. Furthermore, if you are that unfortunate driver and you get caught, these companies will take no responsibility for making you break the law. In most instances, you can be stuck with huge fines to pay out of your own pocket.

Warning
The truck-driving industry holds the highest rate of roadway fatalities of any profession. Several driver-related factors contribute to the level of danger, including inexperience, road rage, distractions (radios, cell phones, computers), fatigue and poor health (obesity, age, complications from abuse of stimulants ranging from caffeine to cocaine).

While a number of accidents involving trucks and automobiles are caused by the truck driver, the operators of passenger vehicles can also contribute to the dangers on the roadway. However, as a truck driver responsible for carrying thousands of pounds of weight in a load, you must be proactive. You must constantly anticipate automobile drivers’ errors in order to keep your load safe, your equipment free from damage and most importantly to save lives, including your own!

In addition to the dangers of truck driving, this career can also have detrimental effects on your emotional well-being. The lonely lifestyle of a truck driver can cause emotional fatigue and depression. The divorce rate among truck drivers is substantially higher than in any other industry, due to long periods of separation and pressure on the spouse who remains behind to manage the family in the driver’s absence. It’s crucial to consider the long-term effects that truck driving can have on you and your family.

Potential
A career in the truck-driving industry holds a high degree of potential for many who enter this challenging and difficult line of work. With a lot of personal sacrifice, it can be a lucrative career, especially for those who have the determination and business sense to enter into the realm of owner operator driving. Even without owning your own truck, there are many transportation companies that offer above-average pay, incentives and benefits for drivers with several years of driving experience, stellar safety and driving records and the dedication to meet and exceed customer and company expectations.

Categories
Carriers CDL Owner Operators

Driving Tips for Beginner

A driving school will help you improve your driving skills but it takes time to get lots of experience under your belt. So what can you do in the interim to make sure you’re on the right track? If you continue to implement these tips into your driving routine, you will become a skilled individual behind the wheel of a car.

New drivers acquiring their license are eager to grab the keys and hit the road for their first legal cruise. Often these drivers are teenagers with minimal first-hand experience with the rules of the road. While driver’s safety courses are a great help to beginning motorists, remembering a few tips for driving a car will help keep these novices safe as well as protect their passengers and those who share the road with them.

Prepare Before Starting
Some drivers are in such a hurry that putting on a seat belt and adjusting the various settings on the car doesn’t happen until they are driving down the street.
Once seated in the car, the next step should be to put on the seatbelt, adjust mirrors, seats, steering wheel tilt and other personalized settings within the car, according to the Unofficial DMV Guide website. Preferably, these actions should be completed prior to starting the engine.

Learn the Signs
Most likely a beginning driver has learned many of the basic traffic signs and the meanings associated with them. However, there are many of these signs that are regularly encountered on the roads and highways that may not be clear for beginners. Take the time to memorize what these symbols mean and how they can affect everyday driving.

Signals
Turn signals should be used on all occasions in which the driver’s intentions may not be clear. Just because the driver knows where he is going doesn’t necessarily mean anyone else does. Turn signals should also be used to indicate lane changes. In addition, beginning drivers should become accustomed to checking over their shoulders to make sure people are out of the way for turns and lane changes. Remember that other drivers may not be paying attention and it is up to you to keep yourself safe from a collision.

Passengers and Seatbelts
Beginning drivers often like to take friends on a ride to show off their newly found freedom. Count the available seat belts in the car, and do not allow more people in the car than there are belts, according to Teen Driving. It is illegal to drive or ride in a car without seat belts fastened. It is also unsafe.

Volume Level
Teenagers tend to love listening to music. Often they listen to music at louder volumes than other people do, especially when driving. This is a bad idea that can lead to dangerous situations. Cars have horns and emergency vehicles have sirens to warn other drivers of imminent danger or to alert them to move out of the way. If a radio is set at a high volume, it may drown out the horns or sirens and the driver may be caught unaware

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