2024 State of Trucking Research Report Available Now. Learn More.
Part of being a responsible driver is making sure your truck is safe for the road. It’s also important to stay updated on the latest driving laws. But one responsibility you may not be thinking about as a person who drives for a living is more health-related, and it is your eyesight.
If you want more driving safety tips, check out our safety content library here.
Recruiting is not easy for any industry right now, including trucking.
Our State of Trucking 2022 Survey showed 72% of employers say they are having a hard time recruiting drivers. This is a significant increase from 2021 where only 57% said they were having a hard time.
However, the problem may lie in a lack of outside-the-box thinking. Less than 25% of those surveyed reported doing anything creative to recruit drivers.
And sadly, even of those 25%, most seem to be doing the same old tricks with more money, i.e more ads, social media and bonuses or wage increases.
But as the pandemic rages on and the driver shortage stretches into its umpteenth year, companies are going to have to do something more drastic.
We’ve put together a guide of recruitment tips and tricks to help you navigate this new recruitment landscape. From increasing diversity to adjusting your candidate focus, there are a wide range of suggestions that can help you amp up your recruitment game.
When you drive for a living, finding a good truck stop is like finding a restaurant that offers both great food and amazing service. You cannot wait to come back again. What U.S.-based truck stops can help inspire this type of feeling in professional drivers? It depends on what you’re looking for.
There are a few chain truck stops that have multiple locations with numerous amenities at each one. This can be beneficial if you get comfort from knowing what to expect whether you are stopping for a quick break or want to rest for several hours. Two chains to consider are Pilot Flying J and Love’s Travel Stops.
Pilot Flying J offers more than 750 locations across 44 states. So, no matter where your routes take you, you’re likely to see one of these stops somewhere along the way.
In addition to getting more fuel or picking up some food and drink, many Pilot Flying J stops offer access to CAT-certified scales, ATMs, check cashing services, WiFi (subscriptions start at $19.99 per month), game rooms, public laundry facilities, showers and restrooms. Some locations have truck wash and Western Union services as well. You can also turn off your engine and still enjoy heat, air and standard electric in your cab with this stop’s Idle Air service.
If you’ve ever pulled into a truck stop to park for a while only to find that there isn’t room for your rig, Pilot Flying J helps prevent this by enabling you to reserve a parking spot in advance. You can also download the myRewards Plus app and earn free food, drinks and merchandise. The app also allows you to start the fueling process without leaving your cab.
There are 590 Love’s Travel Stops spanning 41 U.S. states. Each location provides drivers access to fuel, food and drinks, electronics, WiFi (basic is free for rewards members with premium internet available at a cost) and a variety of travel items.
This truck stop chain also has an app you can use to find the nearest location, reserve a shower and save money on many of its products and services. The Love’s Connect App also enables you to activate the fuel pump from your cab.
Each Love’s location has technicians on hand for servicing your truck. They can provide a variety of preventative maintenance services, some of which include changing the oil, changing oil and fuel filters, testing the nitrite level in the truck’s coolant and inspecting the brakes.
In addition to Pilot Flying J and Love’s Travel Stops, there are a few other truck stops in America that have earned a spot on the most sought-after or most popular places to visit when looking for a truck stop due to their individuality, uniqueness, and available services. Among them are:
If your route goes through any of these cities or towns, you might want to try one of these truck stops out!
At Centerline, our drivers are like our family and the focus of everything we do.
Our program, Respect the Drive, was built to celebrate our amazing drivers. It’s all about you and honoring the work you do day in and day out.
Each month, our team picks a driver to spotlight for going above and beyond in some way. In addition to a spotlight, they receive an exclusive Respect the Drive jacket.
This month, our RTD Driver of the Month is Ignacio Ornelas, a Mobile Driver for Centerline.
Our client reached out to our team to tell us what an amazing job Ignacio does every single day. “Ignacio pushes for 100 percent and not a penny less. He understands the operation and goes above and beyond with anyone that comes across him.” said Paul from LB&B Associates.
But it doesn’t stop there. The client also said that Ignacio often does kind gestures for those around him and shared a recent story about his generosity.
On his route, there is an employee at a local store who he frequently sees when he delivers. One day he noticed the man had duct tape around his shoes. He asked about it and the man replied that he was saving up for a new pair of shoes. Ignacio proceeded on his route and then went back to pick the man up.
He bought him 3 new outfits, a new pair of shoes and took him to dinner.
The man was so thankful and touched by what Ignacio had done that he got in touch with the client to let him know what an outstanding driver they had.
We are so honored to have such an amazing driver like Ignacio working for Centerline. He exemplifies our values and goes above and beyond every single day.
Thank you, Ignacio, for all your hard work and for Respecting the Drive.
Learn more about the Respect the Drive Program here.
Summer presents its fair share of driving challenges. With longer daylight hours and outdoor activities competing for our attention, it can be more difficult to get appropriate rest before each driving cycle. Combine that with more highway construction, soaring heat indexes and the increased number of motorists on vacation – driving in unfamiliar locations who are often fatigued or distracted – and you have a recipe for disaster. Now is the time to be aware of these issues and to keep your guard up. Here are some tips for driving safely in the summer.
If you want more driving safety tips, check out our safety content library here.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will hold its annual International Roadcheck from May 17-19.
International Roadcheck is a 72-hour, high-visibility, high-volume commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative. Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct North American Standard Inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh and inspection stations, on roving patrols and at temporary inspection sites.
If you want more driving safety tips, check out our safety content library here.
Part of being a responsible driver is making sure your truck is safe for the road. It’s also important to stay updated on the latest driving laws.
But one responsibility you may not be thinking about as a person who drives for a living is more health-related, and it is your eyesight.
To obtain a regular driver’s license, you must have at least 20/40 vision to be able to operate a vehicle without contacts or glasses. This means that if the average person can see a certain amount of detail at 20 feet away, you need to be able to see that same level of detail at 40 feet away.
The U.S. Department of Transportation shares that 20/40 vision is also a requirement for drivers of commercial motor vehicles. This is especially important as commercial vehicles are often bigger and heavier than other vehicles on the road. Being able to see any hazards or other safety issues in advance allows you, the driver, to take action early enough to potentially avoid an accident.
Other factors can impact your ability to safely navigate your driving routes. Research reveals that visual constrictions of 10 to 15 degrees can increase your accident risk, for instance, making it harder to see and quickly react to a person or animal that suddenly jumps on the road.
Individuals with color blindness may find it more difficult to know whether a traffic light is red, yellow, or green. Peripheral vision, depth perception, and night vision can also all impact driving safety.
After obtaining your commercial driver’s license (CDL), you might not give your eyesight another thought. However, a vision test is required to keep your CDL active. So, be prepared to take and pass this test every two years or your license may not be renewed.
Seeing the eye doctor regularly helps you know whether your eyesight is good enough to pass the vision test. It also gives you the opportunity to resolve any issues that may prevent you from securing or updating your driver’s license or CDL. You might need glasses or contacts, for example, to get your vision to the required standards.
Having your vision checked regularly isn’t just important to your safety while on the road or for meeting licensing requirements. It can also potentially prevent your eyesight issues from getting worse. The sooner you can tend to a problem, the better your ability to treat it effectively. Let it go too long and you may not be able to recover.
Plus, an eye exam does more than just test your ability to see. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares that it can also help detect whether an eye disease appears to be developing that could ultimately cause permanent vision loss. This includes looking for cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.
If you have diabetes, this disease can also impact your ability to see by damaging the blood vessels found in the back of the eye. This is referred to as diabetic retinopathy and is the leading cause of blindness in adults in the U.S. according to the CDC.
If you drive for a living, take a few moments and make your next eye appointment today. This ensures that you meet the requirements as set forth by your employer and the regulatory driving agencies.
It also helps recognize any vision issues when in their initial stages, potentially preventing you from losing your eyesight altogether.
Want more wellness content? Download our wellness drivers guide.
If you’re considering a career driving truck, you have a couple of different options to consider. You can either be a local route driver, which generally involves delivering loads within roughly 150 miles from home base, or you can do long hauls.
The latter can mean going across the country, if not going out of the country, such as when doing deliveries to Canada or Mexico. If you’re not sure which option is best for you, here are seven benefits of staying local.
Typically, as a local route truck driver, you are home every night. This provides a better work-life balance than being on the road for several days or weeks at a time. You get to enjoy time with family and friends that you wouldn’t necessarily get as a long-haul driver. You also get to sleep in your own bed as opposed to sleeping in a hotel or the cab of your truck.
Since you’re delivering within your general area, your drive times are shorter. You can likely get to your destination within a few hours (or less) before you’re on to the next delivery location. As a long-distance driver, it’s not uncommon to spend entire workdays on the road with no stops other than for food, gas, and a quick bathroom break. This is something to consider if you’re prone to driving fatigue when behind the wheel for several hours at a time.
While long-haul drivers may want a big cab for sleeping, local drivers don’t need all this space. Local drivers also usually have smaller loads, so they’re able to get around with a smaller truck. If you’re intimidated by long tractor-trailers, you may find it easier to maneuver something a bit smaller. You can also get through traffic easier in a smaller vehicle, in addition to having less trouble getting into and out of restaurant parking lots.
Another truck-related benefit of driving locally is that most times, the company provides the truck for you. This isn’t always the case when driving over the road as many long-haul drivers have their own truck and just transport the company’s trailers from one location to another. This cuts your start-up costs when first entering the field, also reducing the continued costs related to truck maintenance and repairs.
As a local driver, you will likely go to the same destinations over and over again. With repetition comes mastery. You learn the nuances and best practices of each place you deliver. This enables you to get in and out faster because you know what to expect and how to work with that particular customer. This isn’t always the case when driving long distances.
When you drive to far-away destinations, you don’t generally know the roads, nor do you know where to find the best restaurants, gas stations, or rest stops. That’s not the case as a local driver. You are already familiar with what’s available within your community, so you know which routes will likely be best, as well as where to target your stops along the way.
Driving locally means you have more flexibility with your work schedule. Since you aren’t trying to drive cross-country on a tight timeline, you generally have more wiggle room in your days. This can mean a better work-life balance or just less stress in your day-day.
These are just a few of the benefits of being a local route driver versus driving long distances. If this sounds like a career you’d be interested in pursuing, Centerline can help connect you to your perfect driving position. Click here to see available trucking driving jobs
At its recently concluded Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition, NPTC inducted four drivers into the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame, sponsored by Navistar NEXT eMobility Solutions. These drivers have collectively driven for more than 165 years and racked up nearly 15 million miles of service without a chargeable accident or a moving violation.
What can we learn from these award-winning drivers? What characteristics do they display that we can put into our daily routines? And what attitudes are worthy of emulation?
If you want more driving safety tips, check out our safety content library here.
As much as we’d hoped the pandemic would be in the rearview mirror by now, it has continued to take its toll on the world and on trucking this year.
So many headlines and news conversation throughout these past few years have centered around trucking being a critical part of the supply chain equation.
The attention has been great for elevating trucking as a profession to be looked at with respect, stability, and growth for those wishing to be a driver. However, the pandemic has also begun to weigh heavy on drivers who are becoming even more exhausted and overworked.
Our third annual State of Trucking survey hoped to gather how drivers were feeling after another year of the pandemic.
See how you measure up against your peers, where the industry stands as a whole and what the future may bring.
One of the challenges of being a driver is that your time behind the wheel can sometimes feel long. You can only listen to the same songs or radio commentary for so long before you start to feel stuck in a time loop. And if you turn the radio off, the silence can be deafening. The solution? Audiobooks.
Audiobooks help pass the time by providing the opportunity to become engrossed in a great story, listen to the life events that shaped someone of interest or learn about a topic you’d love to know more about. But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to know which ones to pick.
To help with that, here are the winners of the 2022 Audie Awards—awards issued by the Audio Publishers Association—which were released Friday, March 4, 2022, giving you a good place to start.
Pick a title or two that sound interesting to you or a genre that you would normally read and you may notice that your time on the road goes by quicker. You might even find yourself excited to start the workday because you’re at a good chapter in the book!
If you haven’t already downloaded an audiobook app, you may also be wondering which one to use. Your options include Audible (provided by Amazon), Audiobooks.com, Google Play Books, B&N Audiobooks (provided by Barnes & Noble), and Scribd. All of these apps charge a subscription fee, though Google Play Books does offer some selections for free.
Want more to listen to while driving? Check out our playlist library.
Staying healthy on the road can be tough. With long hours, lack of exercise and eating meals away from home, it can be difficult to stay in shape and manage your stress. However, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle by watching what you eat and increasing your activity. It takes hard work, planning and discipline.
To learn more healthy habits, click here for our lifestyle content library.
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