Fuel Efficiency for your Fleet

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.

DRIVING FOR WINTER CONDITIONS

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.

Dangers of Distracted Driving

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.

Automation and the Future of the Trucking Industry

MAKE CLEANLINESS A PRIORITY ON THE ROAD

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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!

Safe Trucking with Wildlife on the Road

This time of the year there is a lot of wildlife traveling. This means you are sharing the road with them. They don’t understand what a crosswalk is or ‘waiting till it is clear’ to cross the road. That means more caution needs to be used. Especially in ‘high traffic’ areas. Most highways do a good job of marking the more common areas but animals can come out anytime from anywhere. In Canada, an average of 20 people are killed each year because of this type of collision. Almost 2000 humans are injured and over 30,000 animals are killed each year.

It is important to know that animals are the most active at dawn and dusk or about 7pm to midnight. Although running into animals is not completely unavoidable there are steps you can take to decrease your chances of running into them and causing damage to yourself, others and your truck.

If you are out on the road and an animal comes out without you seeing it be sure you know what to do, being prepared mentally can go a long way for your safety and the safety of the ones around you. First of all, do your best not to panic. If you have time, flash your lights and hit the horn this might scare the animal enough to get out of your way. If you cannot avoid hitting the animal, do not swerve suddenly, hit the animal head on if you have to hit it. Swerving suddenly while going a high speed could cause you to roll your vehicle or hit another vehicle around you. Hit the brakes as hard as you can and release them just before you make contact with the animal. This method could help to be sure the animal does not roll up your hood and through your windshield.

Although hitting on the animals is not completely unavoidable, there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk. Slow down and pay attention to the signs on the road.

RESOURCES
https://www.nsds.ca/b/tips-for-safe-trucking-in-wildlife-areas

https://www.wildlifecollisions.ca/hints.htm

https://blog.bisontransport.com/2014/12/6-must-know-winter-wildlife-driving-tips/

Starting a Successful Trucking Business

The trucking industry is continuously growing. If you are thinking about starting your own trucking business, look no further as we have some great tips and hints below to get you started on a path to success.

Do the Research

The trucking industry has profitable potential, but making smart business decisions is different than deciding where to stop for fuel when you are on the road. When starting your business, you must think about the practical trucking part but also the business side of your company. Some great questions to ask yourself before you get started might be:

1. Where is there an industry gap, how can I fill it? Hypothetically, if there were apples that needed to be transported and no one was delivering them, that might be the niche part of the industry to consider.
2. Once you have decided which niche to fill you should ask, will I need any special equipment? What rate is the industry standard? What kind of risk is associated with this niche?
3. Do you have a network that will support your business? If not, how can you develop it?

Funding your Business

On average, to start an owner-operator trucking business it will take somewhere between $10,000 – $30,000. There are many variables that can contribute to start up costs such as where you live and what equipment is needed. Take time to consider how much money you will need to get started and where it will come from. You must also think about operating costs, in the beginning, cash flow could be an issue. It will take a large amount of upfront money to keep your truck running successfully. Fuel, truck, license and insurance payments are some of the biggest financial burdens. Keep in mind, most invoices will not be paid for at least 15 days but could take up to 45 days. Plan ahead to ensure you have proper cash flow to meet all of your needs and have a profitable business.

Growing your Network and Hiring Drivers

One of the key ways to grow your network is by fulfilling shipments on time and in good condition. Word travels fast in this business, so as you satisfy your clients, they will tell their friends and more opportunity will come. In the beginning you may consider using load boards and brokers but keep in mind they do keep a piece of your profit at the end of the day.

As your business grows, you may want to look at hiring other drivers to expand what needs you can meet within the industry. This can be risky but also profitable. When you are hiring someone, it is best to go with someone you know or a colleague has recommended. If that is not possible, it is important to understand their history and have proof of it. Once you have a thriving employee, be sure they are satisfied with their job. Plan to be able to provide them with competitive compensation and keep the lines of communication open so that you know they are happy and fulfilled with the position.

In the end, spending time planning the future of your business and understanding industry needs will help you to grow a thriving trucking company.

Please note: This article has a lot of information in it. These are guidelines only. If you need help starting your own business, please seek professional help. 

RESOURCES
https://www.comcapfactoring.com/blog/how-to-make-a-successful-trucking-company-one-important-tip/

https://blog.keeptruckin.com/cheat-sheet-starting-trucking-business/

Why COVID-19 is Affecting Wildlife Activity

There is no doubt the effects of COVID-19 are vast and will be felt for a long time to come in a variety of ways. Believe it or not, this virus is also affecting animals. You might be asking yourself how COVID-19 could do that.

With some cities in Canada reporting up to a 50% decrease in perimeter traffic, animals are feeling less restricted. They are feeling brave enough to roam into cities and cross roads with less risk. With less traffic and noise, animals have less fear. The combination of these two things are increasing the risk of animal collisions for the people that are still on the road, including trucker drivers.

Outside of major cities, the same thing is happening. People are traveling less which means there is less traffic resulting in animals quickly adapting to new migration patterns and seeing the road as their road and not a thing to fear.

Lytx has reported a 64% increase in animal strikes from the same time period in 2019. Which increases trucker driver’s possibility of hitting wildlife 2.5 times. The majority of animal strikes have always happened early morning hours, from about 3AM – 7AM.

In the United States, Lytx reports that in the past six weeks there has been a 19% increase in speed and a 10% decrease in travel time on frequently travelled routes. And ultimately, for the bottom line this is great for the trucking industry but with higher speeds and more frequent animal sightings and strikes it could result in injury, downtime and repair expenses.

Wildlife will never be completely avoided while on the road, so it is the responsibility of the driver to take precautions such as staying alert, maintaining a reasonable speed and slowing down during peak hours. Truck drivers should consider getting a bumper which will help to avoid downtime and damage to their truck if an animal is hit.

Ali Arc bumpers have proved, over the past 30 years, that they prevent downtime and damage to your truck.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at sales@aliarc.com or call 1-877-725-4272.

Technology on the Road

Today, technology can be overwhelming. There are many options on the market, it can be a difficult decision figuring out what type of technology your fleet or truck could use and whether the return on investment will be worth it.

The other tricky thing about technology is that it is constantly changing. You always risk adding something to your truck and finding out a couple years or even months later that it is obsolete or needs constant updates that can be money or time consuming.

That all being said, technology has major advantages on the road. It can be time-saving, accident preventing and can save money if used properly.

Electronic logging devices are now mandatory in Canada and the United States. These devices electronically log commercial trucks hours of service to ensure drivers operating these vehicles are within the legal requirements of driving and resting. Some people who own smaller owner-operator businesses believe that e-logs make them less competitive, that the only way for them to keep up is to ‘stretch the truth’ when they log their hours of service. But owners who have been in the business for years can see the advantage of using them. One owner said that it took nearly two years to change over the whole fleet but once he did, he found that it contributed to his fleet doubling and it improved the drivers work life drastically.

A technology that has been evolving in the past 15 years or so is driver’s scorecards. When they were first introduced, they got a bad reputation for being the tool that could help ‘shame’ drivers into doing better on the road. They have since evolved into a great tool on the road that is more accurate and takes into considerations far more factors such as load type and transmission shifting data. The information is now a great tool for driver coaches to share with trainees and is a valuable training tool.

A forward-looking camera system more familiarly known as a ‘dash cam’ have been around for years but like most technology has improved immensely in quality. They are getting smaller in size and larger in functionality such as storage space, nighttime vision and high-definition imagery. These camera systems are a great way to protect the driver of the truck. It can be a way to defend the driver in a false insurance claim, for example, if someone is looking for an easy way to cash in on their vehicle by making a false claim the camera can capture the accident to prove the innocence of the driver.

There are many different ways to let technology help you on the road that we have not listed here. You have to find what suits your operation best. Whether you are an owner-operator or own a large fleet technology is something to consider. It will be an investment and take time to install and learn but at the end of the day it could be a real positive factor on your bottom line, safety of your drivers and efficiency on the road.

RESOURCES

https://www.fleetowner.com/technology/article/21701619/7-truck-technologies-you-need-and-why

https://haulhound.com/blog/best-tech-truck-drivers/

How to Stay Alert on the Road as a Truck Driver

It’s no secret that truck drivers spend a lot of time on the road. Hours delivering important goods can add up quickly, but what happens when a truck driver does not get enough proper rest? It can be life-threating for the driver and other people on the road. It is crucial that drivers, especially truck drivers stay alert on the road. We have gathered up some tips to help when sleepiness sets in on the road.

Don’t Fight It

If you can, start your journey well rested. When you are on the road and are feeling drowsy, find a safe place to pull over and take a short rest. Research shows a power nap of less than an hour will provide your body with plenty of energy to keep moving forward for hours.

Eating Right

Sugar can provide you with temporary energy but what happens when the crash comes? Eating healthy food on the road can help you to continue moving and meeting those critical deadlines. Maybe instead of candy or a donut consider easy finger food that will keep you chewing and alert and provide you with last energy. Some of examples of that would be carrots, celery, trail mix or almonds. Some other options that won’t keep your stomach full but will keep you busy are sunflower seeds or gum.

What to Drink?

We all know that coffee is sold as an energy burst, which is true but too much coffee can cause a caffeine crash. When you are on the road it is best to drink small amounts of coffee with larger amounts of water. Avoid sugary drinks that could cause an upset stomach or a sugar crash.

Phone a friend

If you have cell service and can safely make a handsfree phone call then the perfect time to catch up with loved ones is on the road. If your mouth is moving then you will be alert, keep that in mind. Try to schedule calls while you are on the road so that you can keep your mind active while driving. The plus to this is, it’s good for the soul to talk to loved ones!

Temperature Settings

For a short amount of time, cranking the AC or cracking a window can help you to stay alert. But please note, this is not a long-term solution. If you are feeling drowsy enough to open a window or crank the AC it might be time to start looking for a safe place to pull over and take one of those power naps.

Plan Ahead

Before you start out on your trip, know where you are going, how long it is going to take, where you are going to stop for bathroom breaks, food breaks and overnight stops. This may help with avoid driving into awkward lighting like sunrise or sunsets which will make for a much easier and safer drive.

Take ‘Energy’ Breaks

If anyone sat in the same spot for too long, they would become tired and not as alert as they could be. When you are ready to stop, think about doing some jumping jacks or quickly walk around your truck 10 times. This can help to kick start your energy levels and keep you alert for hours.

We know there are many other ways to keep alert on the road. Some of it is trial and error when you are on the road since every individual is different. The main thing is to find out what works best for you.

Is there any advice you would pass on to fellow truck drivers or travelers?

RESOURCES
https://semitruckdriver.com/awake/2/

https://www.alltrucking.com/faq/tips-staying-awake-truck-drivers/

https://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/Article-3823/12-tips-to-help-drivers-stay-awake-longer

8 Top Apps for Truck Drivers

In the fast-paced world of trucking, having easy access to helpful apps for truck drivers can make all the difference when you’re on the road. With the rise of technology, there are so many apps designed for truck drivers that can help enhance efficiency, safety, and convenience while on the road. Here’s a look at some of the top apps for truck drivers that you should consider downloading.

Top Apps for Truck Drivers

Google Maps

While it may seem like a basic app, Google Maps is essential for any truck driver. It provides real-time traffic updates, route planning, and alternative routes to avoid delays. The app also allows users to search for truck-specific routes, ensuring that drivers avoid low bridges and restricted areas. With the added feature of finding nearby gas stations and rest areas, Google Maps is a must-have on every trucker’s phone. 

• Download on Google Play (for Android)
• Download in App Store (for iOS)

TruckerPath

TruckerPath is a comprehensive app tailored for truck drivers. It offers a wealth of information, including truck stop locations, parking availability, and fuel prices. One of its standout features is its community-driven aspect, where drivers can leave reviews and updates about specific locations. This helps fellow truckers find safe and convenient places to stop along their routes.

• Download on Google Play (for Android)
• Download in App Store (for iOS)

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Spring Maintenance for Trucks: Complete Checklist to Get Your Rig Road-Ready

As winter gives way to Spring, now is the perfect time to give your truck a thorough once-over.

Spring maintenance for trucks is critical after months of battling snow, ice, road salt, and freezing temperatures. Harsh winter weather can take a serious toll on various components, so a thorough Spring checkup can help you avoid costly repairs down the road and keep your rig running strong throughout the warmer months ahead.

Here’s your essential checklist for spring maintenance for trucks to help keep your rig in peak condition:

Wash & Undercarriage Cleaning

A good place to start is by giving your truck a complete wash from top to bottom. 

• Use a high-pressure wash, including underside, axles, and behind guards
• Remove all dirt and road salt to prevent corrosion

Overall Inspection

Now that the dirt and grime has been removed, conduct an overall inspection on your truck. 

• Look for any rust/corrosion, especially around joints, undercarriage, air lines and electrical connectors
• Inspect for cracks or fatigue, especially in your frame, cross members, kingpin area, and suspension mounts
• Check for any leaks of air, oil, grease or water intrusions
• Don’t overlook your windshield wiper blades, which can take a beating during the winter
• Check your air filter and replace if necessary
• Clean debris from the radiator and air intakes to prevent overheating
• Check your cooling system to ensure proper concentration of coolant

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