MAKE CLEANLINESS A PRIORITY ON THE ROAD
April 24, 2020
Maintaining a clean truck is always important, it keeps you
productive and healthy, both mentally and physically, as you live your life in
a small space. Along with having a clean truck, keeping up with your personal
hygiene should always be a priority on the road. Now, more than ever, it is a
critical key to sustaining life on the road.
Interior of your truck
There are obvious steps you can take to keep the interior of
your truck clean but here we thought we would break down small steps you can
take so that it doesn’t become a time consuming and overwhelming job.
- Clean out the garbage daily. Take any coffee cups, food wrappers or bottles out before you sleep every night. When you do this, you will avoid it piling up. After all, this is your workspace and home for the next number of weeks.
- About once a week spend 15 minutes vacuuming out the dirtiest spots of your truck. You can use your vacuum for the dashboards and any curtains you have in the truck.
- Depending on the weather, it is important to wash your windows at once a week. Most of the time the exterior of your front windshield will need to be cleaned at least once a day, if not more.
- Once a week, take your mats out of your truck and give them a good wipe down. Also, when you are getting into your truck, take a few seconds and get rid of any visible dirt on your footwear.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic happening, it would be
wise to keep an alcohol spray (at least 70%) in the cab of your truck. Spraying
the surfaces of your truck frequently will help to protect you and anyone else
you may come in contact with on the road.
Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene while you are on the road can help you in
many ways. It will help with first impressions, mental health and overall
physical health. When you are packing to hit the road keep these tips in mind.
- You don’t know when you will have access to a shower. Pack everything you might need to keep you clean and feeling fresh. This includes items such as: a towel, facecloth, shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, razor and shaving cream
- Don’t forget to wash your clothes! There is no sense spending time keeping your body clean if your clothes are dirty. If you know you will not have access to a washing machine you could pack enough clean clothes to get you through your entire tour.
- If you will not have access to running water, alternatively, you could use baby wipes to replace a shower and hand sanitizer to ‘wash your hands.’ But it is important to remember that nothing will replace a warm shower with soap and clean running water and soap to wash your hands.
Making sure you and your truck clean on the road can help in
so many ways. Feeling your best will allow you to stay alert on the road and
sleep better at night. Keeping your truck clean will keep you healthy on the
road. Be sure to make cleanliness a priority when you are on the road!
Automation and the Future of the Trucking Industry
March 25, 2020
While no one knows the future of the trucking industry for sure, there is a lot of information that shows that the trucking industry will continue to grow in North America.
One of the biggest subjects industry members talk about is the automation of drivers. There are large corporations who have already been testing this, most industry experts do not think a truck will be on the road with no human inside. The title and tasks may just change. According to truckingnews.com, new possible titles could include logistics manager or freight engineer. The person’s role may not be to drive the truck but to oversee the systems that control the truck and load. The same blog proposes that the update in systems may make a career in the trucking industry more appealing to younger people due to the technical aspect of the updated position. The new tasks are being compared to what a pilot does for a plane.
As said by the American Trucking Association, an estimated 160,000 trucking positions will go unfilled in the next decade. That is why the industry is looking to automation to fill those positions. With increased demands for quick delivery from the likes of retail giants Amazon, the pressure has never been higher in the trucking industry. If there are no drivers to move freight then a more cost-effective way has to be found. This is why now, more than ever automation is in the near future.
In 2015, a company called Tu-Simple, started testing and driving autonomous trucks. They have been hauling day and night for companies like UPS and the United States Postal Service. By late 2019, there were 37 trucks running in the state of Arizona. As said by Tu-Simple’s Director of Public Affairs, ‘it’s been nothing but positives, productivity and efficiency on the road have significantly increased.’
In late 2019, Uber announced Uber Frieght would launch in Canada. The service has been available in the United States for the past couple years. Uber Frieght has the same concept as Uber for passengers; it connects users with service providers but will transport goods instead of people. Uber Frieght facilitates both domestic and cross-border loads. Uber is not the only service provider, Covey also offers a digital marketplace for matching carriers to shippers as well as C.H. Robinson who are still working on digitalizing their process.
With over 181,000 tractor-trailer drivers in Canada alone,
there is no doubt that the trucking industry will not be going anywhere soon.
In fact, it is believed that the automation of trucks will create more jobs
within the trucking industry. It is not a matter of if the trucking industry
becomes automated anymore it is a matter of when.
RESOURCES:
https://www.abc57.com/news/the-future-of-trucking-how-self-driving-trucks-will-change-the-industry
https://www.gigabitmagazine.com/cloud-computing/future-trucking-uber-freight-expands-canada
Dangers of Distracted Driving
February 20, 2020
What Does Distracted Driving Look Like?
Distracted driving can look so different depending on the situation. There are times that drivers may not even realize they are putting themselves and other people on the road in danger. Distracted driving can be as little as looking at the temperature control. Other driving distractions include someone or something happening outside the vehicle, passengers, eating, drinking, smoking or a mobile device.
It is a known fact that truck drivers can spend countless hours in their trucks. With long days and nights on the road, there is no doubt being stuck in the truck can get boring. When boredom sets in it is easy to get distracted. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous and, in most cases, avoidable.
What is the Risk of Distracted Driving?
There are obvious risks when it comes to distracted driving. You are putting yourself and everyone else on the road in danger. This is especially apparent when you are one of the largest machines, if not the largest machine, on the road. This paired with heavy loads and busy roads can be fatal. The worse-case scenario of distracted driving can be fatal. If not fatal, distracted driving can cause damage to your truck, other vehicles, bodily harm or downtime and loss of income.
In the United States, according to the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, truck drivers who text and drive are 23 times more
likely to be involved in a serious incident while drivers who talk on a
handheld device are 6 times more likely to be involved in a serious incident.
How can Distracted Driving be Prevented?
Being prepared can go a long way in preventing distracted
driving while on the road. Before you hit the road think ahead. Get comfortable
in your seat, have something to eat and put your cell phone away. While you are
driving, keep your mind focused on the road so that if something comes up you
can react as quickly as possible. If you do need to make a call or send a
message, pull over in a safe area and use your mobile device.
Testing in a Safe Environment
If you had a chance to see how well you can handle
distracted driving would you? How well do you think you would do? Most truck
drivers believe they are able to handle being distracted while driving. Our
friends over at Bison Transport, put that to the test and ended up with an
interesting simulated video. The skilled truck drivers were surprised with the
results. Take a look at the video here.
DRIVING FOR WINTER CONDITIONS
November 28, 2019
There is no doubt that winter is the most difficult
season to drive in. Driving in snowy and icy conditions is unavoidable as a
truck driver at times. Since winter is not going anywhere, we thought we would
provide some tips and tricks to help avoid any accidents or downtime in the
cold winter months.
Relax and slow down
When road conditions start to get wet, slippery and
snowy it is important to adjust your speed accordingly. If the road conditions
start to worsen as you are driving remember to relax and do not panic. Do not
follow other drivers to close be sure that you give yourself enough reaction
time to avoid accidents. If you get to the point that you feel like you cannot
drive anymore find a safe place to pull over and wait until conditions get
better.
Winter Operation Training
As a responsible driver, it is important that you take the time to have proper safe winter operation training. Learning maneuvering and skid control skills are essential in having a safe and successful winter. Be sure that you understand where your tire pressure should be in different climates. A set of chains can always be helpful and in some states and provinces is actually mandated by law. Proper tire pressure can make a big difference on the road when there is snow or ice.
Circle Check
A complete and proper check is critical when weather conditions are less than perfect. Be sure that your defroster and heater are functioning at 100%. Be sure your wipers are working well and all of your fluids are topped up. It is also important that your mirrors and windows are clean before setting off for the day. Keep your lights cleans so you can be seen and take every opportunity to fill your fuel tank.
Know Before You Go – Be Prepared
Check the road conditions before you set off. Check with other drivers who may have just come off the roads that you are heading to. Be sure you check in with someone so they know where you are when possible. Keep your truck supplied with food, drinks, and proper winter clothing so that in the event you get stranded you will have your basic needs. Do not leave your truck if you become stranded or stuck.
Remember, there is no load that is worth risking your life or the life of others on the road. Even the most experienced drivers need to pull over in a safe location and wait for the road conditions to get better.
Fuel Efficiency for your Fleet
November 14, 2019
With fuel prices fluctuating these days, increasing your fleet’s fuel efficiency is one important strategy to increase your bottom line. Here we will explore steps you can take, to do just that, increase fuel efficiency for your truck.
Slow Down
Although it may feel more efficient to drive faster because you will get there faster, slowing down is a good option not only for fuel efficiency but also for your safety and the safety of others on the road. Studies show for drivers in the United States, every 1 MPH you drive faster than 55 MPH there will be a 0.01 decrease in your miles per gallon (MPG). In Canada, for every kilometer you drive over 88 KMH, you will decrease your kilometers per litre by 0.004. This may not seem like much but when you are driving thousands of kilometers or miles a week this can add up quickly.
Tires
Tires play an important role in fuel consumption. It is recommended to choose tires that have low rolling resistance and that they are always properly inflated. It takes approximately 35,000 to 50,000 miles for tires to be properly broken in and at their prime fuel efficiency. Broken in tires that are properly inflated can increase your fuel efficiency by 7%.
Reduce Air Conditioner Use
These small steps can make a large impact on the amount of fuel you are using and the amount of money that is being spent on your biggest expense, fuel.
Reduce Idle Time
In the trucking world, there are times that it is not possible to avoid idling but when you can you should. For each hour your motor is running and you are not moving it will decrease your fuel efficiency by 1%.
