There continues to be projected growth in the freight trucking industry, with an increase of 28.6% in freight tonnage and 74.5% in freight revenues expected in the next ten years, according to a report called U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast to 2026 released, in part, by the American Trucking Associations. Why the increase? Well, for starters,… Read more »
Category: Truck Driving Industry
The Importance of Staying Hydrated While on the Road
Truck drivers need to stay hydrated, especially during the summer months when outside temperatures can climb above 90, and in some locales 100 or 110. Our bodies thrive on water. Without it, we die. Our cells, tissues and organs must have water to function properly, so it’s no wonder that water makes up more than… Read more »
A Safety Initiative to Help Drivers Park Their Trucks
One of the challenges of being a trucker is finding a place to park the big rig. There’s good news, though, and it comes in the form of a free mobile app called “Park My Truck.” The development of this handy app came about because trucking and travel plaza leaders wanted to improve highway safety… Read more »
Are Automated Vehicles the Future?
The idea of self-driving cars has been in the news for some time now, and the public pretty much thinks, “Yeah, but what about when they mess up and crash?” Still, companies like Google seem pretty set on making self-driving vehicles the new normal. Well, it’s not only self-driving cars that could change the way… Read more »
Why the Truck Driving Industry is Experiencing Growth
When demand is high but supply is low, what happens? In the case of truck drivers, salaries rise. Because there’s a shortage of truck drivers in the U.S., the pay for the average long-haul trucker keeps rising each year. In fact, it hit $57,000 in 2015. It’s a good time to be a truck driver,… Read more »
The Trucking Industry Has Been Under the Political Microscope Lately
If only it were as simple as the trucking industry not having to comply with governmental regulations, right? The Senate is going to help figure out both the Department of Transportation budget and a highway bill whereas certain trucking interests are trying to make more money while sacrificing the safety of drivers. Therefore, a large… Read more »
Research Concerning Sleep Apnea and the Trucking Industry
The online edition of the journal Sleep has something of particular interest to truckers in its March 21st edition. Turns out that a new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has found that truckers with obstructive sleep apnea who aren’t being treated/complying with treatment have a fivefold increase in the risk of a severe… Read more »
New Commercial Driving Rule Aims To Improve Roadway Safety
A new federal rule affecting commercial truck and bus drivers will change the way drivers’ hours-of-service are recorded and verified. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) adopted a Final Rule requiring drivers to use electronic logging devices (ELD) to replace paper and pencil records of on-duty/off-duty time. Approximately three million… Read more »
Things for Truck Drivers to Pack While on the Road
Truck drivers need to pack certain things for their trips. Of course, it helps to have a Trucker’s Atlas handy for navigation purposes, as well as a working CB to stay in contact with other truckers along the way. A box of tools for minor repairs to the truck is always a good thing to… Read more »