Official Truckers America “Winter” Photo contest entry rules
Sponsor: Sponsor is TruckersAmerica.com a division of Truckers America LLC
Term: The Photo Contest begins January 1st, 2012, at midnight (12 a.m.) U.S. Eastern Time and ends February 29, 2012 11:59:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time ("ET") (the "Contest"). Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these official rules ("Official Rules"). By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that his or her entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest, and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.
Who May Enter: Contest is open to residents from anywhere provided it is not prohibited by local laws and jurisdictions. Employees of Truckers America LLC, and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related are not eligible.
How to Enter: Each entry consists of an entry form and a single image. Including your name, address, telephone number, email address, and photo caption; and submit along with your photograph. Sponsor may at its absolute discretion either disqualify all the entrant's entries or select at its absolute discretion entries to go forward for judging and reject the remainder.
Each entry must comply with the following requirements (the "Photograph Requirements"):
Photographs must be in digital format. Only online entries will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this Contest. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera; scanned photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be 5 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or JPG format.
High dynamic range images (HDR) and stitched panoramas are acceptable only if the combined parts are all made around the same time. Any changes to the original photograph not itemized here are unacceptable and will render the photograph ineligible for a prize.
The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph.
The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
The entries will be judged via an online poll, in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined below. All entries must be submitted and received by February 29, 2012 at 11:59:00 p.m. EST. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt. Entries must be made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Sponsor reserves the right to examine the original photograph/source material in order to confirm compliance with these rules.
Release: If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.
Upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed release from all persons who appear in the photograph submitted, and/or from the owner of any material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing Sponsor and its licensees ("Authorized Parties") to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification at any time during the Contest and selection of an alternate winner.
Similarly, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the copyright owner of any copyrighted material that appears in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor.
Finally, upon Sponsor's request, each entrant must be prepared to provide (within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of Sponsor's request) a signed written license from the owner of any private property included in the photograph entry, authorizing any Authorized Party to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known. All releases must be in the form provided by Sponsor. Failure to provide such releases upon request may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner.
For the purposes of these Official Rules, the entrant will be deemed to be in receipt of Sponsor's request or notification, (a) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by postal mail, five business days after the request was sent by Sponsor, or (b) in the event that Sponsor sends the request by email, on the day that the email was sent by Sponsor.
Contest Prizes: The first-place winner prize is $400.00 U.S. Funds and a new digital camera. The second-place winner prize is $250.00 U.S. Funds. The third-place winner prize is $150.00 U.S. funds. Four random prize drawings will receive $50.00 U.S Funds.
Potential winners shall be required to sign and return within ten (10) days following an attempted notification, an Affidavit, Declaration or Certificate of Eligibility, Liability Release, and where legally permissible, a Publicity Release and Warranty of Ownership and License in which the entrant warrants that he/she is the owner of the photograph (and all the intellectual property rights in the photograph submitted) and grants to Sponsor and its licensees the irrevocable perpetual, nonexclusive license to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest without additional compensation. Failure to execute and deliver any required documents to Sponsor by the specified deadline may result in disqualification from the Contest, and selection of an alternate potential winner.
No prize transfer, assignment, or substitution by winners permitted. If a prize (or part of a prize) is unavailable, the Sponsor, in its discretion, reserves the right to substitute the original prize (or that part of the prize) with an alternative prize to the equal monetary value and/or specification, unless to do so would be prohibited by law. NONCOMPLIANCE OR RETURN OF PRIZE NOTIFICATION AS UNDELIVERABLE, WHETHER BY REGULAR MAIL OR BY EMAIL, MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION AND SELECTION OF AN ALTERNATE POTENTIAL WINNER.
Judging: Contest consists of a public opinion poll on www.truckersamerica.com website. Participants are encouraged to vote and list the picture they like best. Judging Criteria should be based on (1) Creativity 50%; (2) Photographic quality 50% if and whenever possible. The entries that receive the most votes by the close of the contest will be the final winners. In the event of a tie, entries will be judged by a panel of three Truckers America LLC judges to break that tie.
License: By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable perpetual, nonexclusive license to Authorized Parties, to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to: display at a potential exhibition of winners. Entrants consent to the Sponsor doing or omitting to do any act that would otherwise infringe the entrant's "moral rights" in their entries. Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party's website does not indicate the entrant will be selected as a winner. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use. Additionally, by entering, each entrant grants to Authorized Parties the unrestricted right to use all statements made in connection with the Contest, and pictures or likenesses of Contest entrants, or choose not to do so, at their sole discretion. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.
Limitation of Liability: By entering this Contest, all entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless Truckers America LLC and ts partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.
Truckers America LLC assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Truckers America LLC is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this Contest.
Conditions: THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or on connection with this Contest are hereby excluded and any entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries void if the Sponsor determines the photograph to not be an original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.
By entering, entrants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the poll and Judges are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if the entrant wins that Sponsor may use the winning photographs and each winner's name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Contest or future promotions without compensation or approval (except where prohibited by law). All federal, state/provincial/territorial, and local taxes, fees and surcharges and taxes (whether foreign or domestic, and including income, sales, and import taxes) on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prize winners. In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize is/are ineligible, cannot be traced or does/do not respond within ten (10) days to a winner notification as required by the "Contest Prizes" Rules above, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant.
The Sponsor reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant's identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.
Right to Cancel or Suspend Contest: If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Truckers America LLC that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Truckers America LLC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsor elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsor will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs.
Winners List: Entrants are responsible for complying with these Official Rules. Winners' names will be available online at after March 12, 2012.
Data Privacy: Entrants agree that personal data, especially name and address, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used for the purposes and within the context of the Contest and any other purposes outlined in these Official Rules. The data may also be used by the Sponsor in order to verify the participant's identity, postal address, and telephone number or to otherwise verify the participant's eligibility to participate in the Contest. Participants have the right to access, review, rectify, or cancel any personal data held by sponsor by writing to Sponsor.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Happy Holidays
Truckers America would like to wish you and yours a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season. Please remember how important it is this time of year to spend time with the ones you love. Remember to appreciate life and to give back when you can.
This holiday season is a time for giving. Give your time, give your love or give a gift. Remember the spirit of the season. We wish you a very prosperous new year but mostly a very SAFE holiday season.
Happy Holidays
~ The Truckers America Team ~
Thursday, November 17, 2011
FATAL CRASHES INVOLVING LARGE TRUCKS CONTINUE TO DECLINE
The American Trucking Associations on Wednesday, Nov. 16, praised the efforts of the nation’s truck drivers, safety directors and law enforcement officers for their contribution to the continued progress in the industry’s safety record following a review of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s recently released 2009 Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report.
Based on the report, fatal crashes involving a large truck have fallen 31 percent from 2007 to 2009, and crashes resulting in injury have fallen 30 percent. The large truck fatal crash rate fell to 1.0 crash per 100 million miles in 2009 from 1.1 crashes per 100 million miles traveled in 2008. Since 2000, the fatal crash rate for large trucks has fallen 54.5 percent – more than twice as much as the passenger vehicle fatal crash rate, which dropped 25 percent in the same time period.
“These safety gains are the result of many things – sensible regulation, improvements in technology, slower fuel-efficient driving, the dedication of professional drivers and safety directors, as well as more effective enforcement techniques that look at all the factors involved in crashes, not just a select few,” says Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer.
Among the highlights of FMCSA’s report:
• From 2007 to 2009, the number of fatal truck-involved crashes fell 31 percent to 3,215 from 4,633;
• Over that same timeframe, the fatal crash rate for large trucks fell 27 percent;
• Since 2000, the fatal crash rate has fallen from 2.2 crashes per 100 million miles to 1 crash per 100 million miles. Due to undisclosed changes for the formulas used to calculate miles traveled, the bulk of that decline appears to occur after 2007;
• The majority of fatal multivehicle crashes (59 percent) recorded were the result of a passenger vehicle rear-ending a truck, crossing the median to hit a truck head-on or hitting a truck in some other way, as coded in the government’s database. In less than 40 percent of cases, the crash was the result of the truck striking the car;
• In fatal crashes where the database records a “driver-related” factor, 80.5 percent of the time the factor was assigned to driver of a passenger vehicle compared with 22 percent of factors being assigned to the commercial driver;
• The most common driver-related factors for commercial drivers are speed (7.3 percent), failure to maintain lane (6.5 percent) and inattentiveness (5.7 percent). Being drowsy, asleep or fatigued was the seventh-most common factor at 1.4 percent; and
• The plurality of fatal crashes – 31.3 percent – occurs between 6 a.m. and noon. By comparison, 17.2 percent of crashes occur between midnight and 6 a.m.
Based on the report, fatal crashes involving a large truck have fallen 31 percent from 2007 to 2009, and crashes resulting in injury have fallen 30 percent. The large truck fatal crash rate fell to 1.0 crash per 100 million miles in 2009 from 1.1 crashes per 100 million miles traveled in 2008. Since 2000, the fatal crash rate for large trucks has fallen 54.5 percent – more than twice as much as the passenger vehicle fatal crash rate, which dropped 25 percent in the same time period.
“These safety gains are the result of many things – sensible regulation, improvements in technology, slower fuel-efficient driving, the dedication of professional drivers and safety directors, as well as more effective enforcement techniques that look at all the factors involved in crashes, not just a select few,” says Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer.
Among the highlights of FMCSA’s report:
• From 2007 to 2009, the number of fatal truck-involved crashes fell 31 percent to 3,215 from 4,633;
• Over that same timeframe, the fatal crash rate for large trucks fell 27 percent;
• Since 2000, the fatal crash rate has fallen from 2.2 crashes per 100 million miles to 1 crash per 100 million miles. Due to undisclosed changes for the formulas used to calculate miles traveled, the bulk of that decline appears to occur after 2007;
• The majority of fatal multivehicle crashes (59 percent) recorded were the result of a passenger vehicle rear-ending a truck, crossing the median to hit a truck head-on or hitting a truck in some other way, as coded in the government’s database. In less than 40 percent of cases, the crash was the result of the truck striking the car;
• In fatal crashes where the database records a “driver-related” factor, 80.5 percent of the time the factor was assigned to driver of a passenger vehicle compared with 22 percent of factors being assigned to the commercial driver;
• The most common driver-related factors for commercial drivers are speed (7.3 percent), failure to maintain lane (6.5 percent) and inattentiveness (5.7 percent). Being drowsy, asleep or fatigued was the seventh-most common factor at 1.4 percent; and
• The plurality of fatal crashes – 31.3 percent – occurs between 6 a.m. and noon. By comparison, 17.2 percent of crashes occur between midnight and 6 a.m.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Driver Interviewing Tips and Techniques
How to Dress for an Interview:
Men's Interview Attire
• Pants (solid color )
• Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Tie, if applicable
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Limit the cologne
• Trim your nails
• Portfolio or briefcase (to write down questions or items to follow through on)
Women's Interview Attire
• Coordinate Blouse, Pants or Skirt. (skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably)
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewelry (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio or briefcase (to write down questions or items to follow through on)
What Not to Bring to the Interview
• Gum – Under no circumstances should you be chewing gum in an interview
• Cell phone, Ipad, Ipod etc… I assure you, YOU will not need these in an interview
• Food or Drink
• If you have lots of piercings, leave some of them at home.
• Cover tattoos
Interview Tips
• Before you even think about going on an interview, make sure you have appropriate interview attire and everything fits correctly.
• Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don't have to spend time getting them ready on the day of the interview.
• Take a drive by the day before to make yourself familiar with the area
• Rule of thumb – Arrive 15 minutes early
• Bring a breath mint and use it before you enter the building.
Sample Interview Questions you should be prepared to answer
Tell me a little about yourself?
What made you pick Truck Driving as a Profession?
What did you learn from your previous driving positions?
Why did you leave your last job?
Tell me about your last position and what you did?
What are key tasks for Truck driver?
How knowledgeable or familiar are you with CSA 2010
How do you know you are being successful in your role?
What do you know about this company?
Describe two or three major trends in your field or career.
What qualifications or certifications have you attained as a Truck driver?
What is your opinion on paper logs versus e-logs?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Sample Character Questions:
What would your previous employer say about your timeliness of deliveries?
Explain your driving record in detail.
What does being responsible mean to you?
If someone cuts you off on the freeway how do you handle it?
Your customer says you brought the wrong order and you think it is the right one. How would you handle this?
What would you say are your strengths as a truck driver?
What techniques do you use to stay focused on the job?
What experiences have you had, such as a near-miss accident? How did you avoid it?
Men's Interview Attire
• Pants (solid color )
• Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Tie, if applicable
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Limit the cologne
• Trim your nails
• Portfolio or briefcase (to write down questions or items to follow through on)
Women's Interview Attire
• Coordinate Blouse, Pants or Skirt. (skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably)
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewelry (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio or briefcase (to write down questions or items to follow through on)
What Not to Bring to the Interview
• Gum – Under no circumstances should you be chewing gum in an interview
• Cell phone, Ipad, Ipod etc… I assure you, YOU will not need these in an interview
• Food or Drink
• If you have lots of piercings, leave some of them at home.
• Cover tattoos
Interview Tips
• Before you even think about going on an interview, make sure you have appropriate interview attire and everything fits correctly.
• Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don't have to spend time getting them ready on the day of the interview.
• Take a drive by the day before to make yourself familiar with the area
• Rule of thumb – Arrive 15 minutes early
• Bring a breath mint and use it before you enter the building.
Sample Interview Questions you should be prepared to answer
Tell me a little about yourself?
What made you pick Truck Driving as a Profession?
What did you learn from your previous driving positions?
Why did you leave your last job?
Tell me about your last position and what you did?
What are key tasks for Truck driver?
How knowledgeable or familiar are you with CSA 2010
How do you know you are being successful in your role?
What do you know about this company?
Describe two or three major trends in your field or career.
What qualifications or certifications have you attained as a Truck driver?
What is your opinion on paper logs versus e-logs?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Sample Character Questions:
What would your previous employer say about your timeliness of deliveries?
Explain your driving record in detail.
What does being responsible mean to you?
If someone cuts you off on the freeway how do you handle it?
Your customer says you brought the wrong order and you think it is the right one. How would you handle this?
What would you say are your strengths as a truck driver?
What techniques do you use to stay focused on the job?
What experiences have you had, such as a near-miss accident? How did you avoid it?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Truck Driver Safety - Five Important Areas to Focus On 09/03 by Truckers America | Blog Talk Radio
Truck Driver Safety - Five Important Areas to Focus On 09/03 by Truckers America | Blog Talk Radio
Trucking Safety
Commercial Truck Driving is a high-risk profession. Many drivers are killed on the job every year. The fatalities and injuries involved with trucking stem from vehicle collisions and fuel fires. Long term health problems and circulation problems are also a major contributing factor to driver deaths. Below are a few tips to keep truckers and other motorists safe.
SIGNALING: Let the general public see you early and often.
When entering an intersection be sure to signal early and often to ensure that other motorists know what your intentions are and which way your truck is turning.
Slow down long before a complete stop is necessary. Motorists do not always realize how long it takes for a truck to come to a full stop. If they see your brake lights early it could help to avoid a collision.
Avoid erratic lane changing. This reduces the amount of time you need to be worried about your blind spots. Be sure to check mirrors every 7 or 8 seconds or more depending on traffic congestion.
When doing your pre and post trip inspections make sure to check the headlights, brake lights, and turn signal lights to avoid accidents.
Reduce speed during bad weather conditions and use flashers to help communicate your speed to the general public.
PARKING
Use dedicated and specified parking set aside for trucks. They are larger and need much more space than an average passenger car.
Trucks should never be parked on roadways with speed limits over 30 mph unless disabled.
If you have to pull off to the side of the road or highway, always use precaution. Make sure during your pre-trip you have the necessary flares, flashers, and safety triangles to alert other motorists.
Pay very close attention to where you park as the tractor trailer can obstruct a motorist’s view of oncoming traffic.
Never park facing oncoming traffic.
Support Jason’s Law
IDLING
Do the math, fuel is not getting cheaper. Do not let your truck idle for more than 5 minutes at a time as it is a waste of fuel.
Do not idle your truck while sleeping, loading or unloading. Not only does it burn fuel, it may cause serious health problems with repeated exposure to fumes.
Do not leave an idling vehicle unattended. If you do you have nobody to blame but yourself when you return and find your truck missing.
If idling is necessary, keep windows closed to avoid exposure to harmful fumes.
Idling may be necessary in extreme weather conditions to avoid fuel-gelling. Avoid and excessive amount of time and keep idling to a minimum.
WEATHER
In rain or snow conditions make sure to keep substantial space between your truck and the vehicle in front of you. Trucks require space to stop and do not come to a stop as fast as cars.
In bad weather, reduce speed and do not feel pressured to do the speed limit. Slower speeds are necessary to avoid rollovers, jackknifes, and collisions.
Depending on your type of drivers, try to keep tire chains on hand in case of snow or ice.
Keep the fuel tank full during the colder seasons as water condensation can build up in the fuel line.
Remember to take extra precautions on bridges as they freeze before roads do. Also wind is a major factor on bridges with wider loads and trailers
LONG HAUL DRIVING
Do not tailgate. Do not tailgate. Do not tailgate. A professional driver needs to keep their emotions in check.
Take sufficient breaks and actually get out of the truck in order to stay fresh and alert on long hauls. This promotes exercise and better circulation.
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing as sitting for long periods of time can cut off circulation and cause serious health problems over time. Avoid items or articles in your pockets as this causes pressure and stress on certain body parts
Get rest. Make to take 10 hours off and to take your 34 hour resets. Driving while fatigued can be more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Don’t put the general public at risk.
Remember that DOT prohibit more than 11 hours of continuous drive time. Please pay very close attention to your body’s fatigue levels.
Trucking Safety
Commercial Truck Driving is a high-risk profession. Many drivers are killed on the job every year. The fatalities and injuries involved with trucking stem from vehicle collisions and fuel fires. Long term health problems and circulation problems are also a major contributing factor to driver deaths. Below are a few tips to keep truckers and other motorists safe.
SIGNALING: Let the general public see you early and often.
When entering an intersection be sure to signal early and often to ensure that other motorists know what your intentions are and which way your truck is turning.
Slow down long before a complete stop is necessary. Motorists do not always realize how long it takes for a truck to come to a full stop. If they see your brake lights early it could help to avoid a collision.
Avoid erratic lane changing. This reduces the amount of time you need to be worried about your blind spots. Be sure to check mirrors every 7 or 8 seconds or more depending on traffic congestion.
When doing your pre and post trip inspections make sure to check the headlights, brake lights, and turn signal lights to avoid accidents.
Reduce speed during bad weather conditions and use flashers to help communicate your speed to the general public.
PARKING
Use dedicated and specified parking set aside for trucks. They are larger and need much more space than an average passenger car.
Trucks should never be parked on roadways with speed limits over 30 mph unless disabled.
If you have to pull off to the side of the road or highway, always use precaution. Make sure during your pre-trip you have the necessary flares, flashers, and safety triangles to alert other motorists.
Pay very close attention to where you park as the tractor trailer can obstruct a motorist’s view of oncoming traffic.
Never park facing oncoming traffic.
Support Jason’s Law
IDLING
Do the math, fuel is not getting cheaper. Do not let your truck idle for more than 5 minutes at a time as it is a waste of fuel.
Do not idle your truck while sleeping, loading or unloading. Not only does it burn fuel, it may cause serious health problems with repeated exposure to fumes.
Do not leave an idling vehicle unattended. If you do you have nobody to blame but yourself when you return and find your truck missing.
If idling is necessary, keep windows closed to avoid exposure to harmful fumes.
Idling may be necessary in extreme weather conditions to avoid fuel-gelling. Avoid and excessive amount of time and keep idling to a minimum.
WEATHER
In rain or snow conditions make sure to keep substantial space between your truck and the vehicle in front of you. Trucks require space to stop and do not come to a stop as fast as cars.
In bad weather, reduce speed and do not feel pressured to do the speed limit. Slower speeds are necessary to avoid rollovers, jackknifes, and collisions.
Depending on your type of drivers, try to keep tire chains on hand in case of snow or ice.
Keep the fuel tank full during the colder seasons as water condensation can build up in the fuel line.
Remember to take extra precautions on bridges as they freeze before roads do. Also wind is a major factor on bridges with wider loads and trailers
LONG HAUL DRIVING
Do not tailgate. Do not tailgate. Do not tailgate. A professional driver needs to keep their emotions in check.
Take sufficient breaks and actually get out of the truck in order to stay fresh and alert on long hauls. This promotes exercise and better circulation.
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing as sitting for long periods of time can cut off circulation and cause serious health problems over time. Avoid items or articles in your pockets as this causes pressure and stress on certain body parts
Get rest. Make to take 10 hours off and to take your 34 hour resets. Driving while fatigued can be more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Don’t put the general public at risk.
Remember that DOT prohibit more than 11 hours of continuous drive time. Please pay very close attention to your body’s fatigue levels.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Share the Road and Lets have some RESPECT
This is a repost but something I felt was well worth reading and sharing.
Let me tell you a little about the truck driver you just flipped off because he was passing another truck, and you had to cancel the cruise control and slow down until he completed the pass and moved back over.
His truck is governed to 68 miles an hour, because the company he leases it from believes it keeps him and the public and the equipment safer.
The truck he passed was probably running under 65 mph to conserve fuel. You see, the best these trucks do for fuel economy is about 8 miles per gallon. With fuel at almost $4 per gallon -- well, you do the math. And, yes, that driver pays for his own fuel.
He needs to be 1,014 miles from where he loaded in two days. And he can't fudge his federally mandated driver log, because he no longer does it on paper; he is logged electronically.
He can drive 11 hours in a 14-hour period; then he must take a 10-hour break. And considering that the shipper where he loaded held him up for five hours because it is understaffed, he now needs to run without stopping for lunch and dinner breaks.
If he misses his delivery appointment, he will be rescheduled for the next day, because the receiver has booked its docks solid (and has cut staff to a minimum). That means the driver sits, losing 500-plus miles for the week.
Which means his profit will be cut, and he will take less money home to his family. Most of these guys are gone 10 days, and home for a day and a half, and take home an average of $500 a week if everything goes well.
You can't tell by looking at him, but two hours ago he took a call informing him that his only sister was involved in a car accident, and though everything possible was done to save her, she died. They had flown her to a trauma hospital in Detroit, but it was too late.
He hadn't seen her since last Christmas, but they talked on the phone every week. The load he is pulling is going to Atlanta, and he will probably not be able to get to the funeral.
His dispatcher will do everything possible to get him there, but the chances are slim. So he has hardly noticed your displeasure at having to slow down for him. It's not that he doesn't care; he's just numb.
Everything you buy at the store and everything you order online moves by truck. Planes and trains can't get it to your house or grocery store. We are dependent on trucks to move product from the airport and the rail yards to the stores and our homes.
Every day, experienced and qualified drivers give it up because the government, the traffic and the greedy companies involved in trucking have drained their enthusiasm for this life.
They take a job at a factory if they can find it, and are replaced by an inexperienced youngster dreaming of the open road. This inexperience leads to late deliveries, causing shortages and higher prices at the store, and crashes that lead to unnecessary deaths.
It is even possible that is what led to the death of this driver's sister.
This is a true story; it happened last week. The driver's name is Harold, and I am his dispatcher.
Dan Hanson, of Belle Plaine, Minn., is a fleet manager.
Let me tell you a little about the truck driver you just flipped off because he was passing another truck, and you had to cancel the cruise control and slow down until he completed the pass and moved back over.
His truck is governed to 68 miles an hour, because the company he leases it from believes it keeps him and the public and the equipment safer.
The truck he passed was probably running under 65 mph to conserve fuel. You see, the best these trucks do for fuel economy is about 8 miles per gallon. With fuel at almost $4 per gallon -- well, you do the math. And, yes, that driver pays for his own fuel.
He needs to be 1,014 miles from where he loaded in two days. And he can't fudge his federally mandated driver log, because he no longer does it on paper; he is logged electronically.
He can drive 11 hours in a 14-hour period; then he must take a 10-hour break. And considering that the shipper where he loaded held him up for five hours because it is understaffed, he now needs to run without stopping for lunch and dinner breaks.
If he misses his delivery appointment, he will be rescheduled for the next day, because the receiver has booked its docks solid (and has cut staff to a minimum). That means the driver sits, losing 500-plus miles for the week.
Which means his profit will be cut, and he will take less money home to his family. Most of these guys are gone 10 days, and home for a day and a half, and take home an average of $500 a week if everything goes well.
You can't tell by looking at him, but two hours ago he took a call informing him that his only sister was involved in a car accident, and though everything possible was done to save her, she died. They had flown her to a trauma hospital in Detroit, but it was too late.
He hadn't seen her since last Christmas, but they talked on the phone every week. The load he is pulling is going to Atlanta, and he will probably not be able to get to the funeral.
His dispatcher will do everything possible to get him there, but the chances are slim. So he has hardly noticed your displeasure at having to slow down for him. It's not that he doesn't care; he's just numb.
Everything you buy at the store and everything you order online moves by truck. Planes and trains can't get it to your house or grocery store. We are dependent on trucks to move product from the airport and the rail yards to the stores and our homes.
Every day, experienced and qualified drivers give it up because the government, the traffic and the greedy companies involved in trucking have drained their enthusiasm for this life.
They take a job at a factory if they can find it, and are replaced by an inexperienced youngster dreaming of the open road. This inexperience leads to late deliveries, causing shortages and higher prices at the store, and crashes that lead to unnecessary deaths.
It is even possible that is what led to the death of this driver's sister.
This is a true story; it happened last week. The driver's name is Harold, and I am his dispatcher.
Dan Hanson, of Belle Plaine, Minn., is a fleet manager.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Drivers Wanted
We have hundreds of positions available. We are working with some of the best carriers in the industry. We have local, regional, dedicated and over the road opportunities.
We are dedicated to putting America back to work, one driver at a time.Also inquire about mechanic and engineer positions in Australia. We also have management & executive level roles in the transportation and logistics industry.
We are a growing firm and have the dedicated staff available to work with you. Check us out and visit us at
www.truckersamerica.com
Saturday, June 25, 2011
What it takes to be an Owner Operator
Working as an Owner Operator/Settlement Carrier/Independent
Owner-operators buy their own equipment and hire out their services to customers. As an owner-operator, you are your own boss and you can pick your own jobs. The owner-operator is a manager, salesman, accountant and driver all rolled into one. Although many people enjoy the freedom of this job, successful self-employment requires self-discipline, determination and drive.
Advantages
The great lure of self-employment is the idea that you won't be out there making money for someone else. Every penny you earn is yours, and you can decide how to spend it. Many people think they will never again have a boss, and they can finally say and do whatever they want. To a certain extent, that's true. You can schedule your loads however you like. You can develop your client base around the type of work you like to do. For example, if you really like hauling gravel, then you can specialize in gravel and carry nothing else. If you find a customer you just can't tolerate, you can simply choose not to work with them anymore.
Disadvantages
The reality of self-employment is that it's actually several times more work than working for someone else, because you take on all the management jobs in addition to your driving role. Instead of being told where to go, as an owner-operator, you have to find your own work. You will have to let freight companies know you're out there, build relationships, and find ways to stay busy when times get slow.
Owning your own equipment can be very expensive: there is the initial cost of buying or leasing the equipment, plus the expense of maintaining your tractor and trailer. You also have to pay for liability and health insurance and set aside money for taxes.
Rather than having no boss, the owner-operator's boss is the customer. If you are continuously late or unreliable, you probably won't have work for very long. Although you can pick and choose your loads, there are plenty of times when there is very little freight and you may need to take whatever you can get, which could be a schedule or a type of freight you don't like. Often, new work comes from the type of work you already have, so the few jobs you take on out of desperation can become the mainstay of your business, because you need work and that's what's there.
Although you can stop working for customers you don't like, at some point you will run out of customers.
Did you know:
•Some owner operators use computer-based systems to find loads to carry that match their desired schedule.
•Some large national freight carriers only work with independent owner-operators and maintain no fleet of their own.
Personality Traits
Successful owner-operators are usually good at working with people. If you have strong organizational skills, are good at planning, and are able to manage money well, then you may have the right personality type to work as an owner-operator.
Getting Equipment
In order to start working as an owner-operator, you'll need to acquire a rig. Many owners start off with just a tractor and eventually build up to a fleet that may include several tractors, trailers and flatbeds.
Buying a tractor is a bigger investment than a car, and almost as expensive as a house, depending on where you live. If you plan to become an owner-operator at some point in the future, now is a good time to start planning.
Start saving money out of each paycheck so you'll have a down-payment on your vehicle. Most people need to finance at least a part of the investment, which means potential lenders will be examining your credit history. The better your credit rating, the better your chances of getting a low-interest loan. As you plan for the future, keep your debt load manageable, pay your bills on time and keep creditors from filing judgments against you.
Many owner-operators choose to lease their semi-truck and other equipment instead of buying it directly. Leasing a tractor is like leasing a car or an apartment - you only pay for the property during the time you need to use it. Leasing might allow you to upgrade your equipment more often and get better equipment with less money up-front. There are tax and operating advantages to both leasing and buying - that's the kind of decision an accountant or another experienced owner-operator can help you make.
Owner-Operator Companies
When choosing a company to work for as an owner-operator, be sure you understand the work arrangement before you sign on. There are a handful of companies out there who make it extremely hard for their owner-operators to succeed. For example, an employer might require you to lease a truck from their fleet, and they might give you an older truck in terrible condition. Then you will be responsible for maintaining it, and while it is being repaired, you will not be driving or earning money. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association does not recommend leasing equipment from your employer. When you lease through a third-party equipment provider, you can work for different freight companies to balance your workload.
The term "forced dispatch" means that, even as an owner operator, if you get a call from a dispatcher requesting you to pick up a load, you have to pick it up. Even if it's your son's birthday party and you promised to spend the weekend at home, turning down a forced dispatch load would mean your stock would drop to nearly nothing at the freight company, and you may spend the next few weeks waiting for a decent load. Although drivers do better when they are flexible and eager to work, you should steer clear of forced-dispatch employers.
This section focused on long-haul owner-operators, but there are independent drivers in every type of trucking, including regional, local and delivery. Which we can and will discuss in further blogs.
Key Points:
•Working as an owner-operator gives you the freedom of self-employment.
•Owner-operators set their own schedules.
•Having good credit will help you get a good deal on equipment loans.
•Leasing from a third-party equipment provider will offer more options for work.
Author Unknown
Owner-operators buy their own equipment and hire out their services to customers. As an owner-operator, you are your own boss and you can pick your own jobs. The owner-operator is a manager, salesman, accountant and driver all rolled into one. Although many people enjoy the freedom of this job, successful self-employment requires self-discipline, determination and drive.
Advantages
The great lure of self-employment is the idea that you won't be out there making money for someone else. Every penny you earn is yours, and you can decide how to spend it. Many people think they will never again have a boss, and they can finally say and do whatever they want. To a certain extent, that's true. You can schedule your loads however you like. You can develop your client base around the type of work you like to do. For example, if you really like hauling gravel, then you can specialize in gravel and carry nothing else. If you find a customer you just can't tolerate, you can simply choose not to work with them anymore.
Disadvantages
The reality of self-employment is that it's actually several times more work than working for someone else, because you take on all the management jobs in addition to your driving role. Instead of being told where to go, as an owner-operator, you have to find your own work. You will have to let freight companies know you're out there, build relationships, and find ways to stay busy when times get slow.
Owning your own equipment can be very expensive: there is the initial cost of buying or leasing the equipment, plus the expense of maintaining your tractor and trailer. You also have to pay for liability and health insurance and set aside money for taxes.
Rather than having no boss, the owner-operator's boss is the customer. If you are continuously late or unreliable, you probably won't have work for very long. Although you can pick and choose your loads, there are plenty of times when there is very little freight and you may need to take whatever you can get, which could be a schedule or a type of freight you don't like. Often, new work comes from the type of work you already have, so the few jobs you take on out of desperation can become the mainstay of your business, because you need work and that's what's there.
Although you can stop working for customers you don't like, at some point you will run out of customers.
Did you know:
•Some owner operators use computer-based systems to find loads to carry that match their desired schedule.
•Some large national freight carriers only work with independent owner-operators and maintain no fleet of their own.
Personality Traits
Successful owner-operators are usually good at working with people. If you have strong organizational skills, are good at planning, and are able to manage money well, then you may have the right personality type to work as an owner-operator.
Getting Equipment
In order to start working as an owner-operator, you'll need to acquire a rig. Many owners start off with just a tractor and eventually build up to a fleet that may include several tractors, trailers and flatbeds.
Buying a tractor is a bigger investment than a car, and almost as expensive as a house, depending on where you live. If you plan to become an owner-operator at some point in the future, now is a good time to start planning.
Start saving money out of each paycheck so you'll have a down-payment on your vehicle. Most people need to finance at least a part of the investment, which means potential lenders will be examining your credit history. The better your credit rating, the better your chances of getting a low-interest loan. As you plan for the future, keep your debt load manageable, pay your bills on time and keep creditors from filing judgments against you.
Many owner-operators choose to lease their semi-truck and other equipment instead of buying it directly. Leasing a tractor is like leasing a car or an apartment - you only pay for the property during the time you need to use it. Leasing might allow you to upgrade your equipment more often and get better equipment with less money up-front. There are tax and operating advantages to both leasing and buying - that's the kind of decision an accountant or another experienced owner-operator can help you make.
Owner-Operator Companies
When choosing a company to work for as an owner-operator, be sure you understand the work arrangement before you sign on. There are a handful of companies out there who make it extremely hard for their owner-operators to succeed. For example, an employer might require you to lease a truck from their fleet, and they might give you an older truck in terrible condition. Then you will be responsible for maintaining it, and while it is being repaired, you will not be driving or earning money. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association does not recommend leasing equipment from your employer. When you lease through a third-party equipment provider, you can work for different freight companies to balance your workload.
The term "forced dispatch" means that, even as an owner operator, if you get a call from a dispatcher requesting you to pick up a load, you have to pick it up. Even if it's your son's birthday party and you promised to spend the weekend at home, turning down a forced dispatch load would mean your stock would drop to nearly nothing at the freight company, and you may spend the next few weeks waiting for a decent load. Although drivers do better when they are flexible and eager to work, you should steer clear of forced-dispatch employers.
This section focused on long-haul owner-operators, but there are independent drivers in every type of trucking, including regional, local and delivery. Which we can and will discuss in further blogs.
Key Points:
•Working as an owner-operator gives you the freedom of self-employment.
•Owner-operators set their own schedules.
•Having good credit will help you get a good deal on equipment loans.
•Leasing from a third-party equipment provider will offer more options for work.
Author Unknown
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
CSA 2010 and Its Affect on Drivers and Companies
Recently an interview took place with the safety director of a large owner operator carrier in one of the CSA 2010 test states.
The carrier has had one intervention under the new CSA 2010 rules. The intervention was an on-site investigation and lasted approximately 3 days. The intervention was triggered by violations regarding speeding and cargo securement.
The safety director indicated his biggest concern with CSA 2010 had to do with unsafe driving, especially as it relates to speeding. The big problem is some drivers that had been considered safe drivers are now ending up with poor safety scores. The reason is that under CSA 2010 the same number of points will be deducted for a WARNING for speeding as they would have been if a CITATION had been issued. So some drivers that had been lucky enough to just a get a warning are now being hit with point deductions, which in the end led to an intervention. My comment here is that safety training is the key to prevent this from occurring. Drivers can’t rely on being lucky or getting by with a warning. They simply can not speed or do anything that will result in a roadside inspection and continuous safe driving messages are the only way to change a driver’s behavior.
The other area of concern for the safety director is the confusion created by some states having slightly different regulations than other states. Making it very difficult for their owner operators to understand what rules are applied where. Once again, confusion seems to be prevalent in the CSA 2010 test states.
The safety director said they have been using the company newsletter to inform their owner operators of CSA 2010 and the fact that they (the owner operators) are in charge of their own safety rating.
Finally, the safety director said his overall impression of CSA 2010 is that it has some really solid safety potential but with some built in problems.
Author Unknown
The carrier has had one intervention under the new CSA 2010 rules. The intervention was an on-site investigation and lasted approximately 3 days. The intervention was triggered by violations regarding speeding and cargo securement.
The safety director indicated his biggest concern with CSA 2010 had to do with unsafe driving, especially as it relates to speeding. The big problem is some drivers that had been considered safe drivers are now ending up with poor safety scores. The reason is that under CSA 2010 the same number of points will be deducted for a WARNING for speeding as they would have been if a CITATION had been issued. So some drivers that had been lucky enough to just a get a warning are now being hit with point deductions, which in the end led to an intervention. My comment here is that safety training is the key to prevent this from occurring. Drivers can’t rely on being lucky or getting by with a warning. They simply can not speed or do anything that will result in a roadside inspection and continuous safe driving messages are the only way to change a driver’s behavior.
The other area of concern for the safety director is the confusion created by some states having slightly different regulations than other states. Making it very difficult for their owner operators to understand what rules are applied where. Once again, confusion seems to be prevalent in the CSA 2010 test states.
The safety director said they have been using the company newsletter to inform their owner operators of CSA 2010 and the fact that they (the owner operators) are in charge of their own safety rating.
Finally, the safety director said his overall impression of CSA 2010 is that it has some really solid safety potential but with some built in problems.
Author Unknown
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Driver Shortage or Shortage of Good Drivers
All to often I hear in the industry that we have a driver shortage. We have been watching drivers retire and leave the industry for years and we are not replacing them fast enough with capable experienced drivers. I have seen companies that never used student drivers now begin to rethink that concept and thought process. I have also watched while other companies have raised their criteria while some have relaxed their criteria.
CSA 2010 adds a whole new dimension to the equation. And lets not forget what the insurance companies do for the industry either. Recent data can be found that discusses how vehicular accidents caused by larger commercial trucks is down. I have seen in this recruiting business, that there really isnt a shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of the drivers that the insurance companies and CSA 2010 allows us to draw from.
I would like to hear from anyone who would like to weigh in on this topic and discuss the pro's or cons. Hope to hear from you and to create some intellectual and stimulating discussions
CSA 2010 adds a whole new dimension to the equation. And lets not forget what the insurance companies do for the industry either. Recent data can be found that discusses how vehicular accidents caused by larger commercial trucks is down. I have seen in this recruiting business, that there really isnt a shortage of drivers. Just a shortage of the drivers that the insurance companies and CSA 2010 allows us to draw from.
I would like to hear from anyone who would like to weigh in on this topic and discuss the pro's or cons. Hope to hear from you and to create some intellectual and stimulating discussions
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Truckers America takes it to Radio
Join us on 5/21/2011 at 11:00 am EST as we discuss current openings we are trying to fill. We have over 400 driving positions to fill and need interested company drivers and owner operators. Check out our site at http://www.truckersamerica.com/. See our current openings tab and our quick apply online page.
Don't forget to mark your calendar and listen in or call in to discuss our positions. I look forward to hearing from you and taking your calls.
Don't forget to mark your calendar and listen in or call in to discuss our positions. I look forward to hearing from you and taking your calls.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Putting America Back to work ONE Driver at a Time
Truckers America is a full service driver recruiting firm. Our goal is to create long lasting careers and relationships with truck drivers and carriers. Our Vision is to be the most trusted and valued resource in the recruiting industry as determined by our customers. We look forward to changing the way recruiting is viewed and promise that we will not make you feel like you are just another number.
Come back and view our page often for updates. WE look forward to your comments and feedback and hope to build a large network of friends and followers.
Truckers America
Come back and view our page often for updates. WE look forward to your comments and feedback and hope to build a large network of friends and followers.
Truckers America
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