Our very own Kimberly B talks about life on the road before joining Trinity.

On International Women’s Day, Trinity Logistics would like to share a personal account of life on the road, as told by one of our Team Members who was previously an OTR driver.
Ginger Rogers once said, “I do everything the man does, but backwards and in high heels.”  As a woman who has chosen various roles in predominantly male-dominated professions, this quote always stuck with me.  She obviously wasn’t talking about driving big trucks, but as many skilled women drivers can attest to, there is the added pressure that you put on yourself to strive to be a little better than your male counterparts.  Not because you feel you must compete with them, but because you feel that you must compete with the general perception and commonly held old-fashioned beliefs that women still have to prove themselves in the industry.
I would like to think that this has changed considerably since I graduated college in 2000 and decided to go to work with a major beverage company at an entry-level merchandising position in, what was at the time, a completely male work environment.  After enduring the various tests from the peers on my team, and with the support of a few great leaders, I quickly proved myself and was offered the opportunity to obtain my CDL license through on-the job training.  It was unheard of at the time, although it really wasn’t that long ago.  This had not been part of my intended career path, but I thought it would be an exciting personal and professional challenge and a great “tool” to add to my arsenal.  To my knowledge, I was the only female soda-slinging driver that they had in the entire region.  I also found that once I had proven myself, the men with whom I worked quickly became some of my biggest advocates. I felt they treated me like the “little sister” of the team, defending me and helping me whenever I did occasionally find myself in a precarious position.
The physical and mental challenge of learning and excelling in this trade, working independent of four walls, not constantly having someone looking over my shoulder, and earning the respect of the people with whom I worked made me feel confident and independent.  This decision later proved to open doors for me, offering advantages because it differentiated me in my future professional endeavors. I eventually advanced into a management position, but several years later, I found myself ready to move on. I decided that over-the-road (OTR) driving offered some opportunities and solutions that I found appealing.
I spent some time driving on a team for a small local OTR company. It was both exciting and challenging in many ways.  Just like the experience of every other driver out there, there are long hours, days and weeks away from home, no home-cooked meals, public restrooms and truck-stop showers.  But for me at the time, the advantages far outweighed the drawbacks. It was a great financial opportunity and everyday was something new!  New towns, beautiful scenery, and a front-row seat to every state in the continental United States – something not many people get to experience in their lifetime.  I vividly remember the vast open skies of the Midwest, where you can see enormous storms blowing in from a hundred miles away; stopping the truck at 2 a.m. to “stretch” in the middle of the Arizona desert, so far away from the nearest exit that the absence of man-made light gave the illusion that you could just reach out and touch one of the many millions of stars that seem to hang just over your head; being chased by tornados driving up Tornado Alley (which I know for many would not be a positive, but it was definitely thrilling!); hundreds of miles of golden rolling wheat fields in South Dakota; and the magnificent snow-covered mountains of the North West. It was all more beautiful than I would ever have imagined.
But there were drawbacks, mostly when you stepped out of the truck.  Particularly as a woman, you always must be cautious and aware of your surroundings.  It was very important to plan to make sure that you could schedule stops and breaks in familiar and preferred areas that offered lower risk of crime and undesired company. Showering in public showers was never fun, and often uncomfortable.  As a woman in a truck stop, trying to fuel up, take a break and get something to eat, I sometimes felt like I was being judged or looked at funny. At a truck stop one night in Atlanta, I specifically remember store personnel approaching to confront me about possibly trying to solicit “business’”. I never went back there. You learned quickly that some places were better than others.
It has been a few years now since I have been behind the wheel of Big Red Kenworth T660, driving cross-country every week, eating and bathing in truck stops, and falling asleep to the sway of a moving bunk every day, but I can still appreciate both the struggles and the joys of living on the “open road”.  Now farther down the road in my career path, I have found myself still working in the industry, with Trinity Logistics.  From where I sit now, things seem to be changing, but there are still opportunities.  There is more of a focus on welcoming women into this industry, and through their Guiding Values and company culture, Trinity is setting a great example for other companies to follow.
In 2018, Trinity was awarded the Women in Trucking organization’s “Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation”.  I can attest that the Guiding Values, culture, programs and benefits reflect their commitment to women in the industry.  In an effort to honor women in the trucking industry, Trinity Logistics has implemented a “Woman Truck Driver of the Month” award. If you are or know a woman carrier who works with Trinity Logistics, we would love to extend our gratitude to you and invite you to contact us to share your story. Send your stories to [email protected].

Life on the road is tough; long hours on the highway, tight quarters in the cab, no bathroom readily available, and more. These are just a small chunk of things that truck drivers face day in and day out. Many people take for granted the ability to use a clean bathroom, take a hot shower, eat a hot meal, and banter with friends and family.
Around the country, truck stops and travel centers have worked hard to bring the basic necessities to drivers, such as good diesel prices and a spot to park their truck for the night. But others have gone above and beyond to keep them entertained and well fed. So, what are some of the necessities and amenities drivers look for when pulling their rig into their favorite truck stop or trying out a new one? Big focuses tend to be diesel prices, ample parking, security, and cleanliness of amenities.
Fuel up – With diesel prices constantly fluctuating, finding the best price can make a difference, especially to drivers who are owner-operators. However, some carrier companies keep an eye on diesel prices around the areas their drivers are in and recommend fueling up at cheaper locations.
Lots of spots– Parking and size of parking spaces are important when long-haul drivers are stopping to rest. Some phone apps, like myPilot and Trucker Path, will even show the availability of parking spots at a location.
Safety first – Adequate lighting, cameras, and/or security guards all help keep parking lots safer for drivers,especially at locations with a lot of parking.
Clean commode and more – Clean parking lots, bathrooms, showers, etc. Truck stops are a home away from home for drivers so a clean commode, among other things, is of importance.
Here are a few truck stops that have some out-of-this-world amenities for their customers.

Truck Stops with Awesome Amenities

Iowa 80 Truckstop: Walcott, IA

Iowa 80 Truckstop touts over 900 truck parking spots, 24/7 access to food including the family-owned Iowa 80 kitchen with homestyle cooking, 24 private showers, a laundry facility, and a truck wash and service center. But the goods don’t stop there. A barber shop, dog wash, library, movie theater, workout room, dental office, and on-site chiropractor who can also execute DOT physicals, are all features on the property. And we can’t forget about the museum with over 100 antique trucks for drivers to explore during downtime.

Jubitz Travel Center: Portland, OR

Family-owned and operated for over 65 years, Jubitz Travel Center provides a 24/7 full-service restaurant, live entertainment every weekend, 15 acres of fully-lighted, paved, and striped truck parking, 11 private showers and two Jacuzzis, and a driver lounge. Some additional amenities include shoe/boot repair, postal service, a barber shop, an outpatient medical clinic and chiropractor services, and a movie theater.

Creek Travel Plaza: Atmore, AL

Owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Creek Travel Plaza was ranked the #1 Independent U.S. Truck Stop by Truck Path users. This facility has tons of free truck parking, fantastic customer service, clean and spacious travel bathrooms, laundry facilities with efficient equipment, and a large driver lounge with leather seats and a flat-screen TV. Oh, and let’s not leave out the mouth-watering southern dishes served in the on-site diner. Chicken and waffles, anyone?

Chains and Franchises

Chains and franchise truck stops are usually competitive in fuel prices but likely don’t provide the extra amenities such as access to health care check-ups and barber shops like some of the facilities mentioned above. But it’s still worth calling out some:

Truck drivers keep America moving. Without the men and women in the trucking industry, grocery stores would be empty, gas stations would close, and the everyday items at our disposal would cease to exist at our fingertips.
Here at Trinity Logistics, we want to take time to pay respect to the millions of carriers and truck drivers who log countless hours to deliver freight in a timely and safe manner.
From Sept. 9th through the 15th, time is dedicated to “National Truck Driver Appreciation Week”, when the American Trucking Association and the entire trucking industry say “thank you” to over 3.5 million professional truck drivers.
The millions of professional truck drivers in our country move around 71 percent of the nation’s freight, and log around 450 billion miles every year! Talk about some Road Warriors. Remember to take some time in the coming week to say “thank you” to these hardworking and dedicated individuals who work around the clock to deliver all the goods we need to make our everyday lives function (we’re especially thankful for the coffee that gets delivered).
Be sure to check out our video where we send out some special shout outs and extra praise that truck drivers deserve.

The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) latest numbers on driver turnover rate show an alarming trend, that carriers are struggling to recruit and retain quality drivers. According to ATA’s report, the turnover rate at large truckload carriers climbed to 94 percent in the first quarter, six percentage points higher than the last quarter of 2017. The stark climb supports a 2017 fleet panel’s observation that the target driver demographic is changing tides, away from primarily white males reaching retirement age, to a younger, less experienced, woman and minority-prominent market.
According to ATA data, nearly 67 percent of the current 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States are white males. Following, are 14.6 percent Hispanic men, men of other nationalities at 14.8 percent, and women at 6 percent of the driver population.
Encouraging Diversity in Trucking
Groups like the Women in Trucking Association are looking for ways to “encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry.” For the last decade, this non-profit group has worked to promote the employment of women in the transportation industry, increase the number of female drivers, and increase the number of women in leadership positions in the industry. The National Minority Trucking Association (NMTA) is another nonprofit geared toward assisting minorities “with establishing and growing careers and businesses in the trucking and logistics industry.”
It’s a Driver’s Market
According to ATA’s Chief Economist Bob Costello, the driver shortage should continue, meaning wages will continue to increase and turnover rate should continue to rise. Since there’s such a demand for drivers and not nearly enough of them to take available jobs, there’s not much holding drivers back from choosing a “better” opportunity. Since it’s really a market for drivers, carriers are finding a need to tailor their recruiting and retention processes to a different crowd.
Truck Driver Recruiting
The old school word of mouth, flyers, job boards, and printed advertisements aren’t the best way to reach this “Millennial” truck driver population. According to trucks.com, carriers are turning to more digital recruiting tactics, such as social networking, over more traditional methods like print publications, job fairs, recruiting at truck schools, using outside recruiters, etc.
According to data from marketing firm Randall-Reilly, 79.9 percent of company drivers and 69.7 percent of owner-operators are using social media, with Facebook and YouTube serving as the primary platforms of choice. Creating compelling posts and videos can reach a new driver demographic in the space that they frequent, with the average person checking social media 17 times a day (Digital Trends).
Driver Retention
As prominently displayed in the current driver turnover rate, recruiting drivers isn’t the whole problem, it’s recruiting drivers that will stay for the long haul. Since truck drivers can take their pick so to speak in the current market, perks of the job are more than or just as much of an appeal as the paycheck itself.
According to Inc.com, employees are looking to break the cycle of a “job” and find an employer that will help them have purpose, responsibility, attention, open-mindedness, transparency, to be appreciated, and of course, to be compensated. Drivers, like the rest of today’s workforce, are tired of feeling like they are overworked and underpaid.
It boils down to one overarching theme: employees want to feel appreciated and respected in the workplace. There are hundreds of articles about best driver retention techniques, and it may take some research and surveying your drivers to find out exactly what they’re looking for when developing your retention strategy. FleetOwner stresses the importance of keeping drivers engaged, implementing an orientation survey, an attitude survey that is either yearly or ongoing, and if a driver leaves, an exit interview to determine what caused them to make that choice.
Future of Trucking
The driver shortage and driver turnover rates show the great need to adjust recruitment and retention strategies to fit the changing truck driver demographic. Demand for trucking services is greater than the available drivers, directly increasing freight cost. Analysts at Morgan Stanley say rising costs in the freight industry won’t resolve any time soon, potentially bringing shippers to explore other options like self-driving trucks. Automated trucks of course have been a hotly-debated topic in the industry for years, as you can read in our Shaping the Industry blog post.

Women involvement in the transportation industry is not something new. Luella Bates drove a Class B truck from 1918 to 1922. Lillie Elizabeth McGee Drennan is credited as the first commercial licensed female truck driver in 1929. Elizabeth Dole became the first woman to hold the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in 1983. Mary Barra became the first woman to lead a major auto manufacturer (GM) in 2014. At Trinity, 61 percent of our employees are women, with 11 percent of those women in management roles. Even though it’s not something new, women in certain sectors of the transportation industry is considered “non-traditional”.
Right now, women comprise about 7 percent of the overall trucking population. This number is on the rise and so are the organizations that focus on women in the trucking industry. REAL Women in Trucking and the Women in Trucking Association have taken initiatives of encouraging the employment of more women in the trucking industry, promoting accomplishments, helping to overcome obstacles, and serve as a mentor and support network. In this blog we’ll be looking at what is motivating more women to get into trucking, some challenges that they are faced with, and how women truck drivers may play a role in driver retention.

Attraction to the trucking industry

Attraction to the trucking industry varies widely for both men and women. Over 80 percent of women truck drivers came into the industry because of a family member or friend, finding employment as part of a team. Other aspiring women truckers are driven to the industry by the salary that can aid in overcoming personal struggles and the want to become more self-sufficient.
We reached out to some of our female carriers to see what attracted them to the trucking industry. One of our owner-operators said that she was attracted to the freedom that being a truck driver brought while another said that being able to be her own boss was a huge motivator. And let’s not forget, the opportunity to see much of the country. While money, freedom, and travel are great motivators, challenges for women in the industry exist.

Challenges and Safety

Safety is a major concern among many female truck drivers. According to a Women in Trucking’s Best Practices Survey, women truck drivers rated how safe they felt in their job a 4.4 on a scale of 1 to 10. This included all aspects of safety on the job; personal, while driving and stopped, weather, equipment, infrastructure, and other drivers on the road.
To help lessen some equipment concerns and challenges, some companies are beginning to offer vehicle packages that include ergonomic details such as adjusted height, better placement of cab grab handles and dash cluster gauges, a cab security system and more accessible oil and coolant checks.
Others are tackling personal safety concerns head on. Real Women in Trucking will be hosting a self-defense course for women drivers that attend the Queen of the Road on the High Seas cruise this year. The course is intended to bring awareness to the dangers female drivers face while on the road and educate attendees on effective defense techniques.
These and many other advances in the industry are helping to retain women drivers.

Retention and recruiting

Two main factors come into play when trying to battle the increasing driver shortage; retention and recruiting. One study found that women and men truck drivers leave the industry for different reasons and carriers who understand the differences will be more successful in driver retention.
Women tend to be more concerned about the quality of their equipment and relationships with dispatchers, and are more likely to part ways with a carrier if they feel their equipment is unsafe and dispatcher relationships go south. Based on data from Omnitracs’, women drivers are more likely to stay at the same job longer, drive more miles, and have fewer severe accidents than the average truck driver.
On the recruiting side, many companies are pushing for more out of the box solutions that include “non-traditional” truck driver recruits, such as women. To attract more women drivers, carriers that shift recruiting efforts and address women driver concerns are more likely to have a competitive edge over companies that are resistant to change. Women make up half of the American workforce and it’s time to bring that force further into the trucking world.

We are now approximately one month away from the ELD mandate going into effect on December 18th, 2017. (If you are unsure exactly what that means or want more general information about the ELD mandate, you can check out our other post here.)

Surveys are showing that up to 50% of carriers have been waiting until the last minute to implement ELDs because they wanted to be sure that the mandate would not be overturned or delayed. Since we can now be certain that it’s indeed going into effect on December 18th, the time to implement ELDs is now. There is going to be a huge rush to order ELDs as the deadline gets closer, and there have been rumors circulating that ELD providers may not be able to meet the last-minute demand – at the bare minimum, a multi-week backlog is expected. That means if you intend to legally operate after December 18th, it’s time to research and purchase your ELD of choice.

With ELD providers being able to self-certify as FMCSA compliant, the list of certified providers is growing every single day, and it can be very difficult to determine which ELD providers are legitimate. At the time of publishing, there are 127 ELD providers who have self-registered with the FMCSA. That’s 50% more than were listed just one month ago!

Choosing an ELD provider is a critical business decision, and not one to be taken lightly. That’s why we want to help. While we cannot endorse any one particular ELD provider, we want to provide you with some links and resources you can use to learn more about ELDs and determine which provider is best for you. There are so many different aspects to consider: the price, monthly vs. annual vs. one-time fees, user interface, how the data is stored, accessibility to correct mistakes in the log, how the hardware works, and more. These resources will help you look at these aspects and determine which ELD is the best fit for your needs.

The Official FMCSA List
https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/ELD/List

Before you do too much research into one particular ELD provider, make sure you aren’t wasting your time by first confirming they are indeed listed as compliant on the FMCSA website. There are plenty of providers out there who market themselves as FMCSA compliant, but aren’t actually on this list – so tread carefully! Before you get too committed to one provider, make sure they are legit.

Truckstop.com ELD Marketplace
https://truckstop.com/product/eld-marketplace/

Those of you in the trucking industry are likely familiar with Truckstop.com, as they run one of the most popular load boards available online. Truckstop recently launched their own list of vetted ELD providers to help carriers weed through all the different options. “Each ELD provider has been carefully researched and vetted by Truckstop.com to ensure customers receive customizable options, competitive price and overall quality service,” they said. Right now, there are six ELD providers officially endorsed by Truckstop.

ELD Ratings
http://eldratings.com/reviews/

This neutral, third-party site is a platform where ELDs are reviewed and rated by actual carriers who have used them. While the site only contains reviews for about 23 ELD providers (at the time of publishing), it offers a lot of valuable information about pricing and user experience. Each provider has an “official” review published on the site that’s been put together based on overall carrier feedback and experience, and you can also view the reviews and scores provided by carriers.

App Store Reviews

Many ELDs actually run as an app on your phone that you can download right from the app store (either Google Play or iTunes, depending on if you have an Android or Apple phone). Like any other app in the app store, these apps will have valuable reviews and ratings that you can check out to see how other carriers are liking them. Definitely check out those ratings before making a commitment.

FMCSA Features Checklist
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/choosing-electronic-logging-device-checklist

The FMCSA has provided a checklist of bare minimum features that are required from ELD software in order for it to meet their compliance specifications. Because providers are self-certifying, anyone can technically claim that they meet the requirements, even if they don’t. That’s why it’s important to do your own research and make sure the vendor you choose does indeed meet FMCSA specifications, and this checklist is a great start.

CCJ ELD Buyers’ Guide
http://www.ccjdigital.com/eld-buyers-guide/

The Commercial Carrier Journal has published an extensive ELD buyers’ guide outlining all the different aspects you need to think about and consider when shopping for an ELD provider. Another great, neutral resource, this is an invaluable read that we highly recommend so that you can be thoroughly educated before you start shopping around for providers.

TruckersReport.com ELD Forum
https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/forums/eld-forum-questions-answers-and-reviews.413/

For a much more colorful and candid look at different ELD options, check out one of the most popular online trucker forums, TruckersReport.com. There is a specific section of the forum exclusively dedicated to ELD discussion, where you’ll find all kinds of information ranging from reviews of certain ELDs, to answers on questions about how the ELD mandate will affect the way you operate your business.

We understand it can be overwhelming to navigate the maze of ELD information out there, and we hope these resources will be helpful to you! Make sure to subscribe to our blog so that you will continue to receive updates on the ELD mandate.

If you search for the latest in autonomous trucks, you’ll find headlines like “Driverless Vehicles and the End of the Trucker,” “Will Technology Make Truck Drivers Obsolete in 10 Years?,” and “Robots could replace 1.7 million American Truckers in the next decade.” You’ll also find articles titled “Driverless trucks will be (mostly) great,” “Automation won’t wipe out all of the jobs in the trucking industry,” and “Saying that Autonomous cars will kill millions of jobs by 2025 is crap.”

So, what is it? Is the threat of autonomous trucks as major as it sounds to the trucking industry? We’ve weighed some of the latest big thoughts on the topic for you to decide.

End of the Road: Will Automation Put an End to the American Trucker? by The Guardian

The number of Americans who drive heavy trucks, taxis, buses, and delivery vehicles surpasses 3.5 million. In this article by The Guardian, many of those drivers believe that autonomous technology could threaten their livelihood, but not in the near future.

Google, Uber, and Tesla are among the more than 260 companies working to develop their own forms of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles would either eliminate driver jobs or downgrade them to co-pilots.

Many agencies quoted 10 years before autonomous trucks are fully operational in the industry. Most drivers don’t see their jobs changing anytime soon. Drivers interviewed by The Guardian said people, in general, are not ready for autonomous trucks, combined with the lack of current infrastructure to support them widespread.

Since 2014, at least 41 states and Washington D.C. have considered legislation regarding autonomous vehicles, with 21 states actually passing legislation.

Robots Could Replace 1.7 Million American Truckers in the Next Decade by LA Times

Analysts and industry experts cited in this article agree that autonomous truck technology could replace drivers within a decade.

Federal agencies insist that autonomous trucks will save lives, and autonomous vehicle makers promise that the cost of travel and transporting goods will be lowered in the process as well.

This article includes quotes from several lecturers about autonomous vehicles’ and other automation’s impact on the work force.

Jerry Kaplan, a Stanford lecturer, said, “We are going to see a wave and an acceleration in automation, and it will affect job markets.”

James Bensen, a lecturer at the Boston University School of Law was quoted saying, “The people whose skills become obsolete are low-wage workers, and to the extent that it’s difficult for them to acquire new skills, it affects inequality.”

Will Technology Make Truck Drivers Obsolete in 10 Years? by Forbes

This article, from 2015, cites a report “On the road towards the autonomous truck” done by consulting company Roland Berger. According to the report’s analysts, the final stage of fully autonomous vehicles would begin in 2025 onward where the “driver is practically no longer required.”

Safety and cost are again named as two major factors why autonomous truck technology would replace or reduce truck drivers. Adaptive cruise-control and other vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication will decrease human error. Less fuel consumption, lower cost for driver wages, and platooning would also save costs.

Driverless Trucks Will Be (Mostly) Great by Bloomberg

While the idea of self-driving trucks hitting the roads within the next decade seems daunting, this article points out that trucks with some degree of automation are already present in ore mines and hauling freight.

The Editors of Bloomberg who penned this article believes that automation won’t cut jobs, but will instead lead to faster employment growth as the combination of human and robot labor improves productivity. Writers believe trucking jobs wouldn’t disappear but would morph into tech and logistics jobs that would require different skills, but offer better pay and working conditions.

Truckers Do a lot of Stuff Besides Driving that Automated Vehicles Don’t by Quartz

According to Quartz, driving a truck is the most common occupation in 29 states. About 40% of people in the trucking industry aren’t even driving a truck at all.

According to Quartz, driving a truck is the most common occupation in 29 states. About 40% of people in the trucking industry aren’t even driving a truck at all.

Joseph Kane, a senior research analyst at the Brookings Institute was cited in the article.

“Many truck drivers and many support workers, mechanics and other administrative workers, they will continue to play an enormous role in this industry,” said Kane.

In a report by Joseph Kane and Adie Tomer titled “Automated trucking’s rapid rise overlooks the need for skilled labor,” the authors pointed out that many of the nation’s truck drivers aren’t just sitting behind the wheel on auto drive. Drivers are necessary to inspect freight, fix their equipment, unload and deliver freight, among other tasks.

The authors of this article believe automation won’t wipe out all of the jobs in the trucking industry because there will still be plenty of jobs that a human can do that a robot cannot.

Saying that Autonomous Cars Will Kill Millions of Jobs By 2025 Is Crap by Jalopnik

This article author’s opinion on autonomous cars and trucks is apparent by the title alone.

There’s no denial that autonomous vehicles are coming. It’s the idea that driverless vehicles will eliminate millions of jobs within the next decade that the author is calling “crap.”

The author, Michael Ballaban, is quote “boldly dismissing” the prediction that autonomous cars will change our world in a decade, calling that notion “hooey.”

The article’s main points include that just because autonomous trucks and cars are available to the general public by 2025, doesn’t mean that every person will own one or find one to be the best fit for them at the time.

“There are massive upfront costs associated with replacing entire fleets, upfront costs that large business like trucking companies and large bus buyers like cities don’t exactly like.”

These articles laid out many of the facts behind the race to automation, researched timeline estimations for the rollout, and reasonings on both sides of the coin. Beyond the facts, there are many opinions (some more strongly worded than others) about whether autonomous trucks will really replace driver jobs, especially within the decade as many industry experts suggest.

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Extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme rain, extreme wind…any extreme weather condition can make for difficult driving conditions for the men and women who spend their days behind the wheel.Hot weather trucking can be particularly taxing.

In the summertime, many parts of the United States experience temperatures in the 80s, 90s, and 100s, making travel a little more difficult. Summer 2016 was the fifth warmest summer on record in the United States.

Combine sweltering heat with the potential for severe weather and other factors like roadwork and more drivers on the road, and you could end up with a headache.

If you’re a driver, you may have your own hacks to make hot weather trucking more bearable. We’ll share a few that we’ve put together to help drivers of all trucks from big rigs to pickups survive the hot hot heat.

Hot Sun, Hot Cab

The Department of Earth and Crime Sciences of San Francisco University did a study of the average rise in interior temperature of an enclosed vehicle over time. They took measurements every 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, the temperature rose 19 degrees. By 20 minutes, there was a 29-degree rise. By 60 minutes, the temperature in the vehicle rose 43 degrees.

If you have to remain in a parked vehicle for any amount of time, whether it’s on break or waiting to unload, it’s important to use air conditioning to regulate the temperature.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it only takes a few minutes for an enclosed vehicle’s temperature to reach deadly levels.

Hot Weather Trucking and Truck Function

Rising temperatures can also wreak havoc on your truck. From your brakes, to tires, to engine oil and engine coolant, there are a few precautions you can take before heading out on your journey to make sure it’s a smooth one.

Brakes

When temperatures get too hot, brakes can fade, or the components can reach a point where no additional heat can be absorbed, causing lost friction.

When you apply the brakes, heat is transferred to the brake fluid. If you don’t give the brakes adequate time to cool, the brake fluid can actually boil, causing the brake pedal to reach the floor with no braking power.

Check your brakes frequently during a trip in hot weather. If you have a heavy load and have a long descent downhill, consider shifting down a gear or two to take some of the stress off the brakes.

Check brake pads to make sure they are in good shape and check brake fluid to make sure it isn’t old or contains contaminants.

Engine Oil & Coolant

Before a long, hot trip, check your coolant level. A low level could lead to engine overheating which could add more rest time to your trip than wanted.

It may also be smart to replace engine oil in the hot weather. Switching to a higher viscosity oil could also help protect your engine during high temperatures.

Tires

Hot weather trucking can cause tires to wear out faster. You may experience more flat tires due to air loss, or tire blowouts because heat wears down on the integrity of the tire.

To prevent tire troubles and overheating, make sure you have the proper air pressure in tires to help regulate the tires’ temperature.

Protect Yourself from the Sun

The sun can be deadly, but it can also cause some unwanted side effects. If you’re traveling for long bouts of time, be sure to wear sunscreen to prevent burns (especially on nice days when their windows are down).

Keep plenty of water around to keep you hydrated and to help you stay cool during long trips.

Expect more traffic, Longer Trips

In the summertime, many children and teachers are out of school, families are taking off work for vacations, and more road construction is taking place.

All of these factors can lead to increased traffic and congestion. Traffic isn’t just annoying, it’s costly.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), traffic congestion in America creates a $78 billion annual drain on the U.S. economy, in the form of 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel.

That means shippers, receivers, and drivers alike can expect longer transit times in the hot weather months, especially routes to the beach or toward recreational areas.

Severe Weather

It’s not just winter that brings harsh weather conditions. Another major factor that affects drivers in the hot weather months is severe weather.

Along with high temperatures come thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and dry spells. Heavy rain, lightning, and wind can slow transit time significantly. Rain brings flooding and decreased visibility, lightning and wind can mean downed trees and power lines, and many bridges impose wind restrictions to keep tractor trailers and other large vehicles safe.

Radar weather apps and real-time weather alerts can help you plan your routes around potential severe weather threats.

Staying Cool While Hot Weather Trucking

Staying cool and safe is a top priority when hauling in hot, hot heat. We hope our tips were useful and help those that aren’t behind the wheel day to day to understand the process of hot weather trucking.

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The U.S. Oil Boom. We aren’t talking about the 19th century when railroads were creating new ways to transport goods and oil was discovered as an additional fuel option- but the current rising oil production in 2017.

It sounds a little strange, growth in the oil and gas industry in today’s economy, but it’s happening. The United States is pumping more oil than ever before according to oil industry service provider, Baker Hughes.

The resurgence of shale oil drilling in North America has helped keep gas and diesel prices low for the most part in 2017. Even though the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is experiencing oil production cuts, the United States is seeing more oil production than ever before, which is creating a unique situation for the trucking and logistics industries.

Rising Oil Production= More Hauls

Higher oil production means more trucks on the road hauling oil. Makes sense, but that’s not the only impact on the industry. Rising oil production also means the need for more drilling equipment, pipe, drill bits, chemicals, and other materials at all drilling sites, at all corners of the nation.

By the Numbers

In the last year, the number of Land Oil Rigs currently in use in the United States is up by 118 percent, (885 as compared to 479) in May 2016, according to Freight Waves.

The output of oil production in the United States has surged nine percent to above nine million barrels a day in the last eight months, according to CNBC.

Using a two-rig, eight-well land oil rig design as the base, it is estimated that every new land drilling rig adds over one million miles of truckload hauling. (See Freight Wave’s infographic here.)

The Future of U.S. Oil Drilling

Oil production in the United States is expected to keep growing to 10 million barrels a day by next year, shattering the previous record of 9.6 million barrels a day in 1970, according to CNBC.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) suggests that U.S. drillers might have to live with a smaller profit margin next year, with the West Texas Intermediate Crude, the benchmark in pricing oil, trading at about $53.61 a barrel, down 2.7 percent from the forecast announced last month.

How is Oil and Oil Rig Equipment Transported?

If you’re not familiar with the oil industry, you may be unfamiliar with the methods (sometimes unique) used to transport oil and the materials needed for oil drilling.

Oil is typically transported one of four ways: pipelines, intermodal (rail), ocean, and truckload. These methods are used to transport the oil from the drilling sites to refineries, after which where the crude is refined into end-user products like gasoline, diesel fuel, and asphalt. It is then shipped to gas stations and other distributors and retailers for consumption.

Pipelines are one of the more common transport methods for oil since they require less energy and don’t create capacity issues over the road or rail. Intermodal oil shipments via the rail are also becoming more popular since rail is an environmentally-friendly alternative to truckload shipping and can carry more capacity.

There are challenges with truckload capacity in general, so it isn’t the most common mode when it comes to transporting oil. While pipelines and rail have mostly fixed destinations, trucks have more freedom. You’ll typically see trucks coming into play in the last portion of oil delivery – from the refineries to gas stations or storage locations.

Oil is also transported from more remote locations where pipelines or rail are not available. Typical barges can carry 30,000 barrels of oil and are a little more economical, where appropriate, versus rail.

Drilling equipment and pipe needed at Land-based Oil Rig sites will most likely be transported via flatbed, a truck with a flat area for carrying freight that can either be open or covered. See our flatbed anatomy blog with infographics here.

Capacity Challenges

According to Forbes, some of the 10-fastest growing industries in the U.S. include services to buildings and dwellings; building finishing contractors; residential building construction; foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; building equipment contractors; nonresidential building construction; and other heavy and civil engineering construction. Basically, a lot of building materials (including those needed for oil drilling) are hitting the highways and bringing a need for truckload capacity in an already tough market.

Driver shortages due to increased volume and driver retirements, governmental regulations, and fleets choosing to scale back operations are all contributing factors to the capacity decline. Mix these issues with suppliers facing increased demand to get their products to land oil rigs and it’s the perfect equation for capacity challenges and potential rate hikes.

Future of the Oil Industry and Trucking

It’s no doubt to industry experts that oil production will break records in 2018, with projected growth of 7.5 percent. The supply is expected to outpace consumption, with the need to transport oil to storage facilities in high demand.

One of the factors to watch will be tighter capacity issues with the implementation of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in December 2017.

As capacity tightens, having a proven, experienced Logistics partner will help keep oil producers and distributors product’s rolling- a Logistics company that can access the need and commodity, and select the best carrier in the most appropriate mode to move the petroleum products and equipment to its destination.

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If you’re employed by a freight carrier, either as a truck driver or in a “desk job” role, you’ve probably heard about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance reviews. Regardless of whether or not a trucking company is actually in compliance with FMCSA regulations, these audits tend to instill fear in the hearts of even the bravest men.

It’s definitely intimidating to have the FMCSA come to your facility in person, specifically looking for the tiniest of things that may be out of order. The good news is that if you’re prepared and doing everything by the book, you shouldn’t have any reason to worry. Read further to learn a little more about how these compliance reviews work, how you can prepare, and some recent changes to the process.

What is the purpose of a compliance review?

During their compliance review, the FMCSA is looking at two main areas: regulatory compliance and safety performance. While they are, of course, looking for all of your policies, procedures, and paperwork to be in order, they also want to see that your drivers and employees are all on board with these policies and actually put them into practice. (Basically, they want your company to be walking the walk, not just talking the talk.)

If you are found to not be in compliance in regards to hours of service, safety, or other regulatory matters, it could impact your safety fitness rating, penalty fines could be assessed, or worse – you could be placed out of service.

How to prepare and what to expect

If you are going to be audited on-site by the FMCSA, you will receive at least 48 hours advance notice. According to Cottingham & Butler, these are the documents you should have prepared for the visit:

Obviously, if you are out of compliance or not following FMCSA regulations in some way, 48 hours is not going to be enough time to fix that. You should ensure that your business is always 100 percent up to compliance with the FMCSA at all times so that if you do get a visit from them, everything will go smoothly and you won’t be scrambling. (Also, you are required by law to follow these regulations…  so the potential of an audit shouldn’t be your only motivation to keep everything in order!)

The FMCSA will spend 1-2 days at your facility, speaking to your employees and reviewing all your documentation and paperwork to ensure everything is up to standard.

Recent trends in compliance reviews

Recently, the FMCSA announced a change in their compliance review process. Previously, while on site, they would focus on speaking to the few employees most heavily involved in the regulatory and safety procedures (like safety directors). Now, according to CCJ Digital, they have expanded this to include discussions with nearly everyone on-site, including people you may not expect – like accounting and sales. The FMCSA wants to see that safety and regulatory compliance is truly a part of your company culture.

Another recent trend, according to Trucking Info, is the occurrence of reviews due to complaints rather than CSA scores. Previously, CSA scores were the #1 trigger for a review, with complaints taking a lower priority. However, due to the new driver coercion legislation that went into effect in 2016, complaints are being taken far more seriously and triggering reviews much more frequently. The FMCSA has also made it easier to file complaints (previously, they had to be mailed in – now, they can be submitted through the website).

Also from Trucking Info, here are a few hot items to pay attention to that have been causing problems for some carriers:

In conclusion

We can’t provide you with legal advice or guarantee that any of these tips will actually save you from a penalty or fine, but we like to keep our carrier network in the loop, so we hope this information helps keep you up-to-date on what’s going on in the world of compliance reviews. If you have unanswered questions, we recommend you contact the FMCSA directly. Thanks for reading!