Drivers Info
Understanding what is expected of the professional truck driver, then getting your commercial driver license and trying out the trucking job for about a year is the only way to find out if this job is for you. A trucking career is demanding and has its challenges, positive and negative side, and as with any other occupation, you will have to decide if trucking is a long term career for you.
COMMERCIAL DRIVERS - Transportation companies power our countries. The drivers, who perform the duties for these companies, in my opinion, have the best job in the world. Much like other jobs out there, there is the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with them. From having the best seat in the house, having an amazing view of what the scenery on the horizon offers, to sacrificing their times with their families, to health risk, it can be the best job to the absolute worst. Click here to read more...
YOUR FIRST JOB - Congratulations! You made it. You're out of school with a fresh license, got yourself a new job with a company willing to train you. It is exciting time of your life...
Most companies will have a trainer train you for a solid period of time, others, not so much. Your first day on the job, you've found out the in-school eight or more week training you've received, and worked hard for, only did one thing for you, got you your truck driver license. All the training received in that time will keep you safe, but you don't know hardly anything about the industry you're about to be submerged in. Read more...
PROPER DRIVER ORIENTATION - PART 1 - Standardizing the industry paperwork is next to impossible, as every shipper and consignee also has different paperwork. Bill of Lading paperwork only shares the same name across the board, however, every company has their own style of invoicing, causing confusion at the driver level with something as simple as locating the bill of lading number, which paperwork to sign, or in case of international drivers, what paperwork to send to customs. Faxing industry thrives on this matter, as most companies just say: "Send it all in!", as any piece of paper may stop you from getting paid for your load, or may cause delays at customs. Click here to read more...
TRUCK DRIVERS AND GPS - While all these things are amazing, so is the accuracy of our global position, often being able to pin down the truck within 3 feet from where the sensor is located, or closer. It is meant to help drivers find their way to customers, truck stops, scales, warn of traffic, etc. without having to listen to the local radio or purchase maps. All great things, however, there is a large scale problem with all this. Like all other electronics out there, they can sometimes misbehave, or can route you 300 miles out of route, point you at a wrong border crossing, etc. All of which costs money and extra time. Read more...
DRIVERS DAILY LOG - Out of the entire transportation industry, one of the most common issues is regarding this particular form. For most drivers, from the driver's perspective, hours of service regulations can be your best friend or your worst enemy. They direct how many hours you can work, how much time you have to spend resting, how much time you spend on the road, whether you can make your delivery on time all while balancing the safety of drivers and public on the roadways. Click here to read more...
LIFESAVING TIPS FOR DRIVERS - Commercial driving is demanding job! A commercial driver must not be tired or drowsy while operating a motor vehicle. Falling asleep at the wheel is clearly dangerous, but being sleepy affects your ability to drive safely even if you don't fall asleep. Drowsiness makes drivers less able to pay attention to the road; slows their reaction time if they have to brake or steer suddenly; affects a driver's ability to make good decisions. Unfortunately, many accidents occur because drivers are not alert or fall asleep at the wheel. It is absolutely vital that drivers remain awake and alert when behind the wheel in order to drive safely and avoid accidents. Read more...