Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

Today’s economy is hitting everyone hard - from the store shelves to filling up the family car. Let’s face it, even manufacturers are cutting back – does this mean the trucking industry is in trouble as well? Freight is said to be down and rumor is carriers are beginning to pit one against the other. A domino effect is upon trucking that is hurting the truck driver.

Even with these troubling times, I wonder why many continue to stay in the business of trucking, why not become company drivers and forget the hassles of being an independent contractor?

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Popularity: 14% [?]

What is a “profile”? A definition describing a trucker could be “degree of exposure to public notice; visibility.” Simply, fitting certain characteristic such as looks or appearance and that is what we can change in this industry. It amazes me what I see come out of trucks or walking around a truck stop and no I’m not talking about lot-lizards.

I believe, the D.O.T. has its own set of “profile” on the looks of the driver and how the “truck” profiles us we drive. You drive through a scale, they look up in that truck at you and lo’ and behold you are asked to come “behind the scale.” Of course, they invite you in to discuss some things; usually, a cup of coffee is not served and forget the donuts!

Dang, you should have combed your hair this morning, even a washcloth shower would have been nice. Yes, there are costs of keeping the exterior of the rig clean however, keeping the mirrors and windows cleans, things of that sort, are low costs not to mention a safety factor. I have seen both owner operators and company drivers out there cleaning window and mirrors, polishing chrome to a shine of new. These are the drivers who are trying to set a different profile for others to view – drivers who are not only proud of themselves but their rigs as well.

Look at the truck, things broken, duct taped together. Look at the dashboard - if you can find it. Some have theirs covered with garbage, papers, cigarette packs/cartons, food wrappers, etc. It’s just unbelievable - sometimes I wonder how the hell some can even see out their front window. Don’t you think these men and women in the scale houses profile these drivers in some way? What about the passenger side lower window? Ever look inside other trucks and just shake your head? Is this not the same window that faces the scale house?

What we do out here is the greatest stage of life - the whole world can and does see us; we can’t hide from the audience. We have control of our own profile. Look around, you’ll find the profile of “us.”

Popularity: 12% [?]

So you’re ready to take the big step into becoming an owner operator. Of course you’ve done your homework on planning, financial, insurance, etc. If you haven’t, you’re being a fool and need to go back to square one – being prepared for the worst situation that could arise. Is your family agreeable, are you willing to run the rig like a business and not a cruise ship?

Now it’s time to turn in your company rig – just exactly how should you do it? Remember, never to burn any bridges as you won’t know if you’ll have to cross them later in life. It matters not how crappy a dispatcher treated you, it matters not how bad the loads were, what matters is you’re ready to move on to the world of owning your own business! You can’t change the past but you can change your future.

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Popularity: 13% [?]

By Kathy Harders

We all know that exercise, eating right and getting enough sleep is vital to maintain our health. However, we also know that some things are easier said than done especially for truckers. Here are a few easy tips that can help you to stay healthy on the road

Exercise - Enough excuses! Use your rig to do standing push-ups, lean on the stairs to do squats, park far enough away so you have to walk to the truck stop – walking will increase your heart rate making you a healthy person as the pounds drop off. How about a few laps around the rig?

Eating Right - Instead of eliminating certain foods from your diet, why not eat more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff? Raw veggies are great to munch on (just make sure you wash them first). Fruits are also great in vitamin and fiber, keeping your system healthy.

Eat a handful of nuts (about 10) daily. Nuts have more calories but they keep you satisfied longer and you may eat less the rest of the day and don’t forget a healthy breakfast.

Sleep - Ah, what we wouldn’t do to more sleep every night (or day depending on your schedule). Did you know that women are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia as men. Avoid caffeine (coffee and soda’s) during the evening. Try to eat dinner at least 2 hours before you go down for the night – cut out snacking (see eating right above).

How do you keep fit and healthy in your busy life? We want to know…

Popularity: 18% [?]