Tag: Truck Driver Jobs

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Trucker News

A new scope for Canadian-American Border

Leaders of the two nations, the US President Mr. Barack Obama and the Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Stephen Harper conducted a meeting last week. The main issue was the long-term co-operation relating to the borders. The negotiations lead to signing a pact Friday calling dealing with the increased trade and security tie ups between the U.S. and Canada. This will facilitate quicker and hassle free transport between the countries and a good source of business generation for the trucking companies of both the countries.
The cross-border relations regarding the trade between the two nations were in turmoil since the 9/11 terrorists attack in the U.S. The meeting was focused to “intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security”. The loads available and people should be allowed to travel with more flexibility making the transport much easier for them.

The joint declaration stated that they will work to develop an integrated security policy which will ensure that the cargo and other goods undergo compatible screening tests, before they move out of the Canadian and U.S. ports. This will enhance the quick crossings at either port enabling the subsequent crossings much more fast.

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The leaders directed to create a Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) between the United States and Canada which will be formed by combining the foreign affairs officials and senior trade regulatory from both the countries.

The other aspect they looked towards jointly is an approach to increase and modify the available infrastructure at major public ports at the point of entry. The target is 10 major public ports.
The pact is welcomed by the Canadian Trucking Alliance. CTA expressed, this will help recreate the cross border relations which were much strained in the last decade after the terrorists attack. There is at least one truck crossing the U.S. – Canada border in every three seconds. Thus the pact will have a direct impact on truck driver employment.

We were looking towards this border agreement to be initiated by the government of both the countries from a long time. David Bradley CTA president said this agreement is the start point to achieve a more stable trade and security measures. This will help achieve more reliable risk-management and yield profits in trading programs between the countries.

It might take some time to finalize the things and start the real action; however a work group will be formed to work across the borders and look after the proceedings in this matter. The same will be reported to Obama and Harper by this work group.

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Business

Time to Review the Challenges Faced by the Country’s Transportation

We have included this crucial article on our load board blog page as the nation’s transport system is the lifeline for the complete trucking industry, thousands of trucking companies and millions of owner operators and truck drivers who earn their bread through driving big rigs, using the transportation system every day of their lives.
The much heated debate revolving around the Transportation bill has raised many campaigns nation wide. They want the all the facts that the transportation industry and the road networks of the US are facing to be reported to the leaders. The infrastructure and road networks of the 20th century are a much cause of concern for the economic growth leading to the 21st century. Below are listed the facts and figure of the US transportation that is hampering overall economic growth of the country and off-course the individual as well.

Costs and losses incurred due to incompetent Transportation system:
If the transportation system is not perfect then both the individual as well as the economy gets a setback. The loss is in terms of time consumed, accidents and fuel wasted. The improper transportation costs $78 billion to the nation’s expenses annually. $230 billion are lost over annual crashes owing to poor road networks. The loads available as freight tonnage are always increasing with the multifaceted growth; therefore it is a high time to increase the transport capacity too. The congestion on the roads is already costing $200 billion annually and it would cost 14% of the annual GDP by 2050.

The Gap in Transportation Used and Investment made over it:
As per the Transportation Research Board, there is $50 billion gap in the maintenance, capital and operations funds that require for the US highway maintenance. For the improvisation of the existing system the gap is even more around $100 billion. According to the Road Information Program one third of the US roads need immediate to light maintenance. American Society of Civil Engineers has rated the U.S. transit system D+ rating. The funds for transit system are declining as people seeking public transport facilities has increased to a great level. The federal and GDP share that the government was spending earlier has shown decrease from 11.2 percent in 1960 to just 3.5 % currently.

Benefits form the Transport Infrastructure Developments:
For every dollar invested in the Highway maintenance and infrastructure generates large number of employment opportunities, the main one being the truck driver’s employment. The increased GDP percentage is generated with each dollar invested on federal highways in a very short time.
Other than growth and benefits the improved highways are very essential to decrease the number of crashes that are taking place. The loss of life each year is around 42,000, out of which 15,000 lives are lost due to bad road conditions and other road related safety hazards.
Thus, we see there are alarming facts related to the current transportation system which would pose threat to the country’s growth both in short and long term. Already there are many campaigns running to ring the bell so that some effective measures are taken well in time.

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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.

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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.

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Lifestyle

Truck Driver Jobs: Safety on Roads

Driving the big rig on national highways has never been an easy task. The truck driver job responsibility is conglomerated with many risks such as long driving hours, incomplete sleep, fatigue, home-sickness, lack of concentration, improper road networks or sudden malfunctioning of any part of the vehicle. Keeping these factors in mind, the driver safety on the road is a crucial factor and need to be studied and researched in detail to devise new mechanism and ways which will ensure your increase the safety of the drivers on the road.
There are many innovations taking up in this field and they work in two ways: Firstly, they considerably reduce the chances of accidents and secondly, in case the accident occur the vehicle body is designed in such a way to lessen the impact of the accident as much as possible. One such mechanism is Collision Mitigation Control System.
Many carrier companies these days are installing collision mitigation system on to their fleet to ensure driver safety and avoid the loss of lives as well as goods. This ensures more reliable dispatch service of the loads available. The front end collision can be avoided with the help of such control units. The use of radars and laser sensors helps to detect the possibility of crash by analyzing the relative distance the speed of vehicles. These system after detecting the danger releases warnings to the driver and in turn automates the safety processes like seat inflation, changing passenger and driver seat inclination to the safer one, pre-charging the brakes, application of brakes to full or partial thus decreasing the accident impact.
The radar that is used in the mitigation control system is installed on the front bumper of the fleet. It uses radio waves of high frequency to receive and transfer the signals and activate the control system to make the truck ready to avoid or reduce the collision intensity. The mitigation system in turn makes an interface with the cruise control thereby reducing the speed of the vehicle. It also sends the driver audio and visual warning signals when any mishap is foreseen so that the driver can manually slow down the speed of the vehicle and avoid the collision.
Along with the installation of such safety systems by the owner operators and trucking companies on their truck, the drivers need to be more careful and attentive while driving to avoid major accidents. Simple changes in the behavior pattern of the drivers will go a long way to make the US roads a safer place to drive. Check our laodboard blogs to find more articles on truck driver jobs, their importance and various other factors that rule the trucking industry.

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Carriers

Trucking Industry – Going Green!!

In all fields of business and life, everybody these days is concerned about the environment and saving our planet by adopting greener ways of doing things. Going green is a tough job in almost all spheres and it is even tougher in the case of trucking industry. This is because diesel fueling is the lifeline of the trucking industry and every truck runs on the road delivering goods world over with the billions of gallons of diesel consumption. However, many carrier and trucking companies have come up with greener solutions to manage the increasing carbon emissions causing environmental hazards.
The heavy duty 18 wheeler truck manufactured are highly competent these days. Their efficiency has improved manifolds, thus attaining more loads available being delivered with lesser fuel being consumed. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is setting up standards to make this move more successful and to ensure that there is a governing body to keep a check on the trucking activities that are harmful for the environment. Trucking industry is the backbone of US economy therefore more planned and smaller operational changes would be largely beneficial.
Some of the ways that will help control the carbon emissions are:
Slow Down: Speed Reduction is the most simple and effective way. If the speed limit is set to 65 mph, then the fuel mileage can be improved as well as fuel can be saved. This move can save up to 27 percent of fuel as against with the speed limit of 75 mph and the carbon emission around 31.5 million tons could be reduced.
Engine Maintenance: The long hail drivers who use their trucks to sleep through the nights and resting hours can make use of the Truck auxiliary units or truck stop electrification systems to heat or cool their trucks. This way they will save the diesel consumption which they otherwise used while idling the truck.
Driving Behavior: A little change in the driving habits of a driver can save up to 5-10% of the fuel consumed. Soft and timely shifting of gears, avoiding sudden break and sharp starts proves helpful in this regard. These steps make truck driver jobs more responsible towards nature.
Accessories and Equipments: Low viscosity lubricants can be used to reduce friction and thus use lesser fuel energy. Monitoring tire pressure regularly is yet another efficient step towards fuel-economy. Many companies who can afford a little expenditure have installed aerodynamic panels on their trailers and have replaced the old polluting engines with new more environment friendly engines.
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Many trucking companies have joined the move already and others plan to do so very soon. EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership is also becoming hugely popular among the transportation industry. This is a joint initiative by EPA and Freight Industry experts to combat the environmental risks associated with trucking jobs. SmartWay assists companies in measuring the carbon emission by their fleets and to track the steps to achieve long term results.

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Owner Operators

Trucking Industry facing Truck Driver Shortages

The global downturn has seen a sharp decline in the employment graph and there has been an acute shortage of jobs in the past two to three years. Unemployment has emerged as the most acute problems of the present time and is posing challenges to the system. But still in this crisis situation there is an industry which is facing shortage of manpower in the jobs and is seriously looking out for options in recruitment.

There are bundle of truck driver jobs available but the challenge before the trucking companies is to get the right personnel for the job. It is presumed that by the year 2012 there will be an acute shortage of around 40000 driver jobs faced by the trucking companies. There are many reasons for the decline in the number of truck driver jobs including many regulatory laws imposed by the government which gives permission to very few drivers who can actually get a valid trade license.

There is also an option of owner operator job in which an owner of the truck can be hired by a trucking company. It is an advance for the driver also as he can choose the location where he wants to go on his own discretion and work according to the convenience of his time. This way he will get the job also by the trucking company and he will work on his own terms.

Recession has undoubtedly taken most of the industries in its claws and there is an uncertainty looming over the various freight companies as well. There is a growing worry of the business remaining the same as the past times. But this fact can’t affect the matter of the job shortage which is faced by the trucking companies.

The recession hugely cut the jobs of the drivers and the various freight companies also stooped the hiring process. This affected the whole cycle in the chain like the closing of driving schools, people getting less licenses and so on. But the thing which is overlooked is that there will be a huge gap in the demand and supply chain in the coming quarters and times to come. According to federal motor carrier safety administration new law, there will be a cut in the daily working hours of a driver and they will work for 10 hours instead of 11.

There are many load boards in the industry and they have heaps of loads available for the trucking companies. But if the job hours are cut then there will be an overwhelming need of 150000 trucks overnight to lift the loads available on the fleet.

This situation can evolve as a golden opportunity to the qualified and professional truck drivers. There are also owner operator jobs and they will have a greater chance of being recruited by the trucking companies. Looking at the drastic graph of the truck drivers going down, the companies have also tried to catch and have rigorously initiated the process of employing the drivers in the industry.

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Trucker News

Department of Transportation Works to Re-establish Bonds between Mexican and U.S. Trucking Industry

There has been a conflict for quite some time between the two countries regarding the transportation issue. Since there has been a release of new proposal under the current administration which has lead to the new start and a series of negotiations involving the use of U.S. roads by Mexican trucking companies.
The US Department of Transportation has laid down the guidelines for Mexican long-haul carriers and truck drivers to abide by the US transportation rules and regulations. These include vehicle emissions standards, drivers portfolio and safety compliance. These checks will be conducted and the carriers will be permitted only after the complete satisfaction of the authorities.
There will be a selective quota and time for the number of trucks that will be permitted to drive on the U.S. roads from Mexico. The work on calculating and negotiating on these terms will start soon. Earlier the Mexican truck driver were opposed by the US truck drivers on the ground that the Mexican carrier companies and truck driver don’t have set standards of safety and fleet operations as they have, they follow the US truck drivers regulations. These way Mexican truck drivers enjoy flexible rules and make more profit.
This proposal is also taken negatively by some trucking associations. They are saying when the unemployment within the country is already so high then Why DOT is making this proposal to endanger the existing trucking jobs in the country. This way the good truck driving jobs will become harder to find. Also taking into account the cross border violence this proposal seems simply out of question.
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On the other hand Mexico is protesting to get free access in the U.S, as per the North American Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries in 1994. In 2009, when the program to allow limited number of Mexican carrier companies to indulge in transportation beyond the U.S. commercial zone failed, Mexico increased the tariff charges on the U.S. products. This move adversely affected people connected with the produce of fresh fruits and vegetables.
This way the pressure mounted on the administrative authorities to implement new methods and release new proposals so that Mexico changes the barriers it has imposed on the U.S. agricultural products. Therefore this truck industry proposal got an overwhelming response from various other U.S. industries whose business largely depended on the exports made to Mexico.
U.S. truck drivers feel that this proposal will be an unfair deal for them as with the drug violence running in Mexico they will not be allowed to cross the Southern border. Thus Mexican driver will have the access in the U.S. but not vice versa. The president of Owner-Operator Independent Truck Drivers Association expressed his worries that the Mexican truck driver will have the economic benefit as they will not have to follow the stringent rules to run their trucks for loads available on the US lanes as their U.S. counterpart will have to.

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Trucker News

Congestion Increases as Economy Revives

With the two years of economic slump and increased fuel prices, the traffic running on the road reduced considerably leading to less congestion and easy commuting. Now with the improvement in the US and the world economy, the traffic problem has again started to rise. The least congestion was seen in the year 2008 and it started to increase back from 2009. This has made great impact on the truck driver jobs.

The Urban mobility report of 2010 produced by Texas Transportation Institute cover the congestion reports of 439 US areas which fall under urban areas. INRIX data also throws light on the traffic which covers every city and gives the descriptive information of the commuting problems faced by the people living in the urban areas. Traffic speed data of INRIX has been combined with state’s traffic volume data to give a broader increased traffic view.

Due to congestion on the road there are different problems arising: the main one being the cost associated with the increased traffic. The main reason of increased cost is the fuel burnt in traffic congestion and the delay in commuting because of which the commuters face pay cuts.

Below are some of the facts and figures which appear form the findings indicating the traffic problems nationwide:
The cost associated with the congestion is showing a continuous rise. It was $115 billion in 2009. In 2009 the fuel wasted due to traffic problems amounted to 3.9 billion gallons making it a big problem for trucking companies whose hundreds of trucks are on the road each day. This increased fuel consumption did cost $808 to an average commuter. The delay that the traveler faced in one year of 2009 was 34 hours, which laid adverse impact on his performance in the company.

The data collected is based on using the latest technologies available thus experts have a big reason to believe the data and plan their next course of action. There is a vast difference in accuracy of the data since the Urban Mobility report was first generated in 1982. The report generated this year is the most advanced in its type which reports the delay and congestion of each day of the year. It took into account the congestion due to any accidents, weather changes, holidays and national events.

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The researchers have come up with some of the methods to help reducing the traffic problems. The first way is to use of the public transport system for commuting as much possible. The second way is the addition of new network of roads and means of communication in the areas where the congestion is the most. Car sharing and pool cars can be another alternative which will save money for the commuters as well as decrease vehicles on the road. The company should make available flexible shifts so as to avoid rush hours. Telecommuting is another way out in which both the employee and the employer are benefited. There are many jobs which does not require physical presence, thus the employees should be given an alternative to work as a telecommuter.

The state and national government should take measures to provide alternative routes and introduce toll routes for fast and efficient available loads delivery by the owner operators and carrier companies. The solution to the traffic congestion is not the responsibility of just the officials or the commuters. The businesses, organizations, travelers all have to work towards getting the things right.

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Owner Operators

Tips for Truck Drivers to Increase their Mileage

This article will discuss about how you can make your truck run more miles with one gallon of fuel and get more out of your truck driving job. Changing some driving and maintenance methods can be of great help in this regard. Let us take a look what can be done to increase your mpg.

First thing goes with the maintenance of your truck before you plan for your next journey: Maintenance can be of two types required maintenance and preventive maintenance. If you make the habit of preventive maintenance than in maximum number of cases there is no need of required maintenance. This measure helps you to carry out your task more quickly as the maintained trucks performs at its best. The fuel required is less and there are very less chances of you truck breaking down on the road. This will enable making all the deliveries according to your schedules.

If you are a driver of the 18 wheeler, then it is a must that you regularly check the pressure of the tires. Before and in between the journey make this a habit. Since these big trucks carry voluminous loads available therefore the tire pressure plays a vital role in its efficiency. Also make the use of standard gauging equipment for this purpose to make sure that readings are correct.

Now that the maintenance part is covered let us see what components you can add to your truck to make it give more mileage per gallon.Check our loadboard blog page for more owner operator business solutions.Adding an Auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide power for your electrical appliances in the truck can go a long way in saving fuel. When the truck is not running and you need the power to run air-conditioner or an electric kettle then with the use of an APU you do not require your truck engine to run all the time. This one time cost incurred will save your daily maintenance and fuel expenses.Adding fuel additives and lubricating engine from time to time will also make the overall running of the truck smooth thus saving fuel in turn.

The next important step comes is bringing some changes in your driving style. The first thing here is reducing or cutting of the time your engine is idling. This is the most effective way of reducing fuel burn. You can stop your engine at many times when your truck is parked for loading and unloading, talking the dispatch requirements with trucking companies or at times when you are in some queue waiting for your turn. This can be at places like petrol stations, service stations, truck terminals etc.

Other tips include running your vehicle at a constant speed a little below the stated speed limit so that you need not apply excessive brakes to control the truck. Next tips is on the use of gears, practicing correct use of gears and its shifting makes the driving more smooth and thus achieving more fuel efficiency. The gears should be correctly placed as per the required conditions. Use of truck cruise control is yet another strong method to make your truck run effortlessly on the road.Taking this few measures into account and you can easily add a mile or two to your per gallon mileage.