truck drivers fight boredom on road

Truckers – How to Fight Boredom On the Road?

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truckers fight boredom on road

How truck drivers fight boredom on road

All truckers know how boring a long drive can be. When you don’t have to be alert all the time due to bad weather conditions or heavy traffic, driving is easy and, well, dull. Music and audio books are the obvious solutions, but even they become boring over time. Here are a few innovative things you can do to enjoy your time on the road.

  1. Learn a New Language

Don’t roll your eyes and say that you always hated school. Learning something new is essential to the drivers since their work is often monotonous. Did you know that people who don’t flex their brains on a regular basis have memory problems when they get older and suffer from depression?  Learning something new is a great way to exercise your brain power. Download some lessons and listen to them for at least an hour a day. You’ll start speaking a new language in just a few months.

  1. Exercise

Did you know you could exercise when you are in the driver’s seat? All you have to do is flex your muscles. This is a great way to get a flat stomach or stronger arms. Besides being a great approach to keeping yourself in shape, exercising while driving can help you avoid drowsiness. So pump up your muscles and keep yourself from falling asleep at the same time.

Warning: While most exercises designed for drivers don’t take up much of your attention, make sure to practice them before going out on the road, so you can get a hang of them.

  1. Become a Storyteller

Truckers spend a lot of time on their own. What’s a better opportunity to tell a story? Practice your declamatory skills while on the road. You can either come up with something new or tell stories from your life. Who knows, maybe you’ll come up with real masterpieces that will be worth publishing. But most likely you’ll just have a lot of fun and won’t notice the time passing.

  1. Quiz Yourself

Another great way to flex your brain muscle while staying alert on the road is to test yourself. Download audio quizzes or trivia with more or less simple questions and spend the time guessing the answers. Don’t go for anything too complicated since it might divert your attention from the road.

  1. Call Someone

A great way to pass the time is to give someone a call (if you have a hands-free system, of course). A long road is a wonderful time not to just call your parents, kids or your partner but to remember some friends or acquaintances whom you should have called long ago just to say “hi”.

  1. Pull Over

If you feel like you are going out of your mind with boredom, pull over and get out of the truck. Perhaps your brain just needs a bit of fresh air to keep functioning normally. Walk around your truck a couple of times and start from the top of the list.

TransIT small trucking-company software

6 serious issues that a small trucking company face today

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If you are an owner of a small trucking company, you know how many challenges the trucking businesses face on a daily basis. When you are making plans for the new year, you want to avoid as many problems as possible while maximizing your profits. TransIT small trucking company software can help you become a winner even in the hardest situations. Here are the 6 serious issues the trucking business owners face today and how to avoid them.

TransIT small trucking company software

TransIT small trucking company software

 

  1. The Law

While the lawmakers seem to try to make the business easier and the trucker’s job safer, they often pass such regulations as trucking speed limiters or fuel emission requirements that are usually taking the toll on the owner’s pocket. New limitations and requirements are often expensive and slow down the business.

  1. Fuel Costs

Fuel prices go up and down and you never know what to expect. The fuel costs directly influence the profits of a small trucking company. High fuel prices can either make or destroy a small business. Since the fuel costs are unpredictable, the only thing the owners can do is track their fuel expenses and do a lot of planning. TransIT small trucking company software offers a useful fuel management system free of charge.

  1. Cash Turnover

Sometimes it takes up to 3 months for the trucking company to get paid by the shippers and the brokers. While such cycle might not be a problem for large companies, small trucking businesses can suffer significantly. The accounts receivable/accounts payable option offered by the TransIT small trucking company software can help you receive the payments on time.

  1. Lack of Drivers

The trucking industry is on the rise and many companies are suffering from the lack of truck drivers. The shortage of truck drivers in the USA is close to 50,000. Finding a good driver and keeping him is a challenge for small trucking companies that can’t always up the salaries. An “integrated HR” feature in the TransIT small trucking company software assists you with recruiting truckers through an integrated job portal.

  1. Congested Roads

Congested roads are an issue that can only be dealt with by the government. While the authorities plan for new roads, truckers suffer from heavy traffic. Long hours on the congested roads lead to boosted fuel consumption, delivery delays, health problems, and etc. The Truck routing feature in the TransIT small trucking company software can help you generate routes and calculate miles in order to avoid congested roads.

  1. Breakdowns

One of the most common causes of the truck driver’s injuries is the equipment breakdown. Bad-quality or missed vehicle inspections are becoming more and more common. The Service/Vehicle Maintenance feature in the TransIT small trucking company software keeps all the service records of your vehicle and helps schedule periodic maintenance.

Unfortunately, small trucking companies are the first to suffer from the above problems. But thanks to the modern technologies, most of these issues can be avoided with the help of proper trucking software.

 

truck drivers stay fit on the road

Truck drivers can stay fit on the road?

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Truck drivers can stay fit on the road. The road, the freedom, the independence – these are the advantages that come with driving a truck. But when a trucker first gets into the driver’s seat, he doesn’t suspect that an accident is by far not the only hazard waiting for him down the road.

truck drivers stay fit on the road

truck drivers stay fit on the road

 

At one point or another, most truckers develop certain health problems that could have been avoided with the right approach. According to the 2014 survey conducted by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 69 % of the surveyed truckers suffered from obesity (BMI – 30 or higher) and 17 % of them were morbidly obese (BMI – 40 or higher). In comparison, only 7 % of Americans report that they are morbidly obese which means that obesity is a serious health hazard for truckers.

Being overweight can cause severe health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, joint pain, and more. Meanwhile, obesity is easy to avoid. While it’s might be complicated to always maintain healthy eating habits when you are on the road, you can set up a simple exercising routine that will be available to you anytime you make a stop.

  1. Jogging

This is the easiest exercise since all it requires is some space. Spending 15 minutes every day running around your truck or the parking lot can significantly improve your health while helping you lose weight. If running seems like too much at first, you can start with fast walking.

  1. Stretching

Stretching is absolutely vital to truckers who spend whole days behind the wheel without a chance to move some muscles. One of the most effective stretching exercises is a plank. It can easily be performed at the sleeping cabin. Start with 4 sets of 30 seconds and go from there.

  1. Squeezes

You can pump up your muscles without getting out of the driver’s seat and even stopping at a red light. Squeezing muscles on your abdomen and buttocks is an easy but very effective exercise. Squeeze the muscles and hold them for 30 seconds. Then take a break and repeat.

  1. Rope Skipping

Jumping rope is the simplest and the most lightweight piece of exercising equipment you can carry with you. Start by jumping up and down and then try to move forward and backward. Alternate single leg jumps and 2-leg jumps. Do at least 30 jumps per day.

  1. Pushups

This is another exercise that can be done in the comfort of a truck cabin. On the warm days, you can do them outside. Consider carrying around an exercise mat that you can use for exercising on the ground. Start with 10 pushups per day and go on to make 3 reps of 10 pushups daily.

One of the main problems that truckers have when exercising near their trucks is the surprised glances from the people around them. Any time this bothers you, visualize the sympathetic looks you’ll be getting when you try to get your 400-pound body out of a truck.

web based dispatch software

Web Based Dispatch Software

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Web Based Dispatch Software helps trucking companies cope with huge overhead and save money. In the modern world of high-level technologies and constant lack of time, web based software is an absolute must-have for any business owner. Being always on the run is a way of life for many people. That’s why software

web based dispatch software

web based dispatch software

developers are coming up with efficient solutions to keep the business going regardless of the time constraints.

TransIT Web Based Dispatch Software is created to cater to all types of trucking companies regardless of the fleet size. TransIT follows the highest efficiency standard by optimizing the trucking business process. The services offered by TransIT take care of the needs of truckers who are ready to work with software to make their lives easier while maximizing the profits. The TransIT web based dispatch software is designed for first-time users. The intuitive interface allows truckers who never used trucking software before to start working immediately.

Free updates and lifetime support give even the busiest companies a chance to have the most useful features available at their fingertips without worrying about keeping their programs upgraded. The TransIT Web Based Dispatch Software offers easy access to all options absolutely anywhere you have an Internet connection, including your mobile devices. In fact, the program is designed especially for the needs of people who are always on the road and do not have everyday access to a home or office computer.

TransIT web based dispatch software offers a wide array of services, including vehicle and fuel management, document management, billing, load planning and dispatch, LTL order processing, fully integrated trucking website, service maintenance records, and many more. By taking full advantage of the options provided by the software, even large carriers can manage their business in a matter of minutes.

TransIT web based dispatch software is absolutely free for owners-operators who work with one or two trucks. Most of the important features are included in the free package. This is a great opportunity to cut costs when the business is in the initial stages of development. As the fleet grows larger and so do the profits, the owners can go on to purchase advanced packages with a greater number of useful features.

Any trucking business is a complicated entity even if the fleet is very small. There are still many details to take care of. Instead of struggling to keep the business going by using programs not adapted to the needs of the company, it makes sense to take advantage of versatile software designed especially for truckers by truckers.

The advantages of choosing TransIT Web Based Dispatch Software:

  • Free starting package for owner-operators
  • Free software upgrades
  • Free support through live-chat, email or by phone
  • Competitive rates
  • Easy to access from anywhere in the world
  • Easy to work with for people with any skill level
  • Personal trucking website

You do not have to search for special trucking software to cater to the growing needs of your business. TransIT has all your requirements covered. Besides saving you precious time and money, it offers your company an opportunity to grow.

 

Stay warm in truck in winter

Stay warm in your truck this winter

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Stay Warm in Your Truck This Winter

Freeway Snow

Stay warm in your truck this winter.

If you are not one of those lucky guys who work in states with mild climates, you need to find a good way to stay warm in your bunk during the cold winter nights. Read below for some tips fo stay warm in your truck this winter

  1. A sleeping bag

One of the best choices to keep yourself warm at night is a heavy duty sleeping bag. The stores selling camping gear offer sleeping bags that can help you stay warm even when the temperatures are well below freezing.

  1. A Down Comforter

While a sleeping bag might be a good solution, it can be rather cold when you just get into it. Some truckers don’t appreciate such bags since it takes long to get in an out. A simple down comforter can provide the heat you need to get initially warm. You can either use it separately or with a sleeping bag.

  1. Fleece blankets and clothes

Fleece is the perfect material to keep yourself warm. The main advantage of fleece is that it warms you up immediately and keeps the heat inside. So your best bet would be to stock up on fleece pants, jackets, and socks.

  1. A 12V Mattress Pad

These mattress pads are popular among the truckers who spend cold winter nights in their vehicles. They are plugged into a lighter socket and keep you warm all night without idling the engine. The 12V mattress pad shouldn’t deplete the batteries if they are in good condition. Old batteries might not last all night so you would need to run the engine at least once.

  1. Know Your Company Rules

If you are working in extreme temperatures, check your company’s idling requirements. Most of them allow the engine to run whenever the temperature drops below 20°F. If such is the case, you can purchase a small heater.

Important: If you are using a heater in your truck, get a carbon monoxide detector. It’s not expensive but it can save your life. Don’t place the heater near flammable items.

Other winter tips:

  • Keep hand and foot warmers in your truck for emergencies. If your vehicle breaks down, you’ll appreciate the way they help you stay warm.
  • Keep some food in your truck. You might get stuck at a full truck stop during a blizzard without a chance to restock. Canned food, chocolate bars, bread, water, and soda can be a great help when you are forced to stay in the middle of nowhere for days.
  • If you take any medication, make sure to carry at least a week’s supply with you for the same reasons as you would stock up on food.
  • Buy good boots. They should be water-resistant and very warm. Pay special attention to the soles. They must be thick and provide good traction. One fall can leave you out of work for months.

Before spending the first winter night in the truck, make sure you are fully equipped. However, if you are freezing, there is no need to save idling time. Turn the engine on. Your health is priceless. Hope you had some idea now to stay warm in your truck this winter

 

Cargo Theft

5 Useful Tips to Help You Avoid Cargo Theft

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Cargo Theft

Cargo Theft

Cargo theft is a common problem of the trucking industry in the United States. During the third quarter of 2016, the total cargo theft incidents went up significantly. In July, August, and September there were 193 cargo thefts. The average loss of value was equal to $120,536.

According to FreightWatch International, in the third quarter of 2016, California got the first place in the cargo theft ranking. It accounts for 38 % of all incidents. Texas got the second place with 16 % of the thefts. About 75 percent of all thefts took place at the unsecured parking locations. 13 % of the thefts occurred at the secured parking lots and 11 percent at the warehouses/distributions centers.

It’s impossible to completely protect yourself from cargo theft. However, by following a few simple rules, you can significantly reduce the chances of being robbed.

  1. Find Secure Parking Spaces

As you can see from the statistics, most of the thefts occur in the unsecured parking lots. Since there is a certain shortage of secure truck parking in the country, finding a good location can be complicated. You can opt for trying to find a well-lit area that’s not isolated. Look for parking lots or spaces where you can back you truck against a fence or a wall to prevent easy access to the cargo. You can also park you truck tail to tail with another cargo vehicle.

  1. Keep Your Mouth Shut

This might seem rude but it’s one of the best ways to protect your cargo, especially when it’s valuable. Chatting with the guys at truck stops and discussing cargo details over the phone in a crowded area is the best way to give thieves a good idea of what you are transporting. Another simple way to reveal information is to create detailed social media posts. They are often easy to track.

  1. Lock Up

While this is an obvious advice, for some reason, many truckers believe that if they leave for “just a minute”, nothing bad will happen. Experienced thieves can leave you without your cargo in a matter of seconds. So even if you are going out for a quick bathroom break, make sure all your windows are rolled up and the doors are locked.

  1. Listen to Your Gut

When you are carrying expensive cargo, being paranoid is a good quality. If you feel as if someone is paying too much attention to your truck or following you for a long time, don’t hesitate to call for help. At least let the dispatcher know that there might be a problem, so you can avoid the responsibility in case such circumstances lead to theft.

  1. Know the Hot Spots

Most of the thefts happen during the first stop after loading. So you must be extra careful about your cargo when you first stop for refueling, resting, restroom breaks, etc. Plan your trip to make the first stop at least 200 miles away from the shipper’s location. Not many thieves are ready to follow your truck this long. Also be extra careful when traveling in California, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, and Texas. These states are the kings of cargo theft.

Dash Cam for truckers

Don’t Have a Dashcam? Time to Get One!

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Dash Cam for truckers

Dash Cam for truckers

Don’t Have a Dashcam? Time to Get One!

Dashboard cameras have been around for a while. But for some reason, not everyone is taking advantage of them. A dashcam is a small camera, installed on the dashboard and facing the traffic. Basically, it records everything a truck driver sees when he is on the road. A dashcam is not a very expensive piece of equipment that can save you some serious money and protect you against unfair tickets or unnecessary inspections.

Evidence

Dashcam records whatever you see with your eyes and can become your lawyer in situations when your innocence is far from being obvious.

If you’ve been on the road long enough, you know that accidents are impossible to avoid. Even if you are the perfect driver, who never breaks any rules, there are plenty of other people who are much less law-abiding than you are.

One of the most frequent situations is a car hurrying up to get in front of a truck and cutting it off. Then for some reason, the car driver slams on the breaks and the truck can’t stop soon enough. A rear-ending accident is an obvious fault of the driver who’s behind, right? And no matter how convincing you may sound, in 90 % of the cases, a police officer will decide that the accident is your fault. However, if you have a dashcam, you can easily prove who really is responsible.

Security

If you buy a dashcam with a motion-detection sensor, it will activate the recording as soon as it senses any movement around your vehicle. This feature allows you to find out if someone was tampering with your truck and catch fuel thieves at rest stops. You can also get information about vandals and hit-and-run drivers.

Protection

A dashcam offers you a good protection against fraud. If someone claims that you caused an accident when you really didn’t, one of the easiest ways to prove it is a dashcam. It can be your best protector against brake-checking too. While these situations might seem rare, there are plenty of conmen on the road trying to set up accidents to get insurance and truckers often become their targets.

Disadvantages

It’s hard to find a disadvantage of owning a dashcam if you are a safe driver. Some companies might be against installing such a camera but it’s a rare occasion. However, you must remember that if you get into an accident that’s YOUR fault, the footage from the camera can be subpoenaed.

Any truck driver with experience will tell you that a dashboard camera is a good idea and if you haven’t gotten one yet, it’s time to do it. There are plenty of them on the market today, so you are in for some serious research. Make sure to read the reviews before buying one since there is plenty of cheap trash out there. A dashcam is a great way to protect yourself so the time and money you spend on it is definitely worth it.

truck speed limiter coming

Truck Speed Limiter: Is the Government About to Make a Mistake?

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Truck Speed Limiter is a huge concern for the government. The government is actively pushing through a law that will require installing electronic truck speed limiters on all trucks over 26,000 pounds. The rule will work only for the vehicles manufactured after the law goes into effect. The regulation can be finalized after the comment period that will end on November 7th. The speed might be limited to 60, 65 or 68 miles per hour.

Truck Speed Limiter

truck speed limiter coming

The supporters of the new rule are turning to physics and saying that the slower the truck is; the less damage will occur upon crashing. A study done by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that 1044 people die every year as a result of an accident involving heavy trucks on the roads, where the speed limits are at least 55 mph.

They point out that if the speed was limited to 60 mph then about 500 lives per year would be saved since the crashes would be less serious. If the speed limit would be set at 65 mph, then over 214 lives would be saved.

The agency seemed to have done a thorough job collecting and analyzing the statistics, but did they ask the truckers? People with many years of truck driving experience believe that the government could be making a huge mistake by limiting the driving speed.  Will the new speed limit for truckers make the matters on the roads worse?

The traffic jams

Now the time has come to forget the physics and turn to logic. What will happen when one truck will try to pass another at a similar speed? The traffic jams will be unavoidable, the car drivers will be frustrated, and eventually some rules are bound to be broken.

The advantage of owning an old Truck

Truck owners will try to do their best to extend the lives of the old vehicles that don’t have an electronic truck speed limiter installed. Can it boost the cost of the used vehicles? It most certainly can. Accordingly, the sales of the new ones will go down. This approach can be rather dangerous since older and ill-conditioned trucks will be filling the roads.

The same speed limit for everyone?

While limiting the speed of trucks, the government is not even considering the same limitations for other vehicles. This can result in a reversed effect. If the truck is running slower than the rest of the vehicles on the road, it can cause a crash situation. A car with a higher speed that’s coming up behind a truck will run into its back every other time. More than 50 % of the truck-car accidents are caused by the cars, not the trucks. So will limiting the trucks really work?

The discussion is underway and the new regulation has plenty of supporters. Chris Spear, CEO of the American Trucking Associations, is fighting against the new rule.

“The various differentials in speed from what this rule proposes and what state speed limits are dangerous,” he said. ““We cannot afford to elevate risks for the motoring public with a rule that does not take into account the danger of differential speeds for cars and trucks.”

But will his efforts be enough to stop the government from making a mistake?

free trucking software

TransIT offering Free Trucking Software

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free trucking software

free trucking software

Irving, TX: TransIT TMS is offering free trucking software for owner operators and small trucking companies operating two trucks or less in their fleet. Interested owner operators and small trucking companies can sign up at the website selecting the package and following through the sign up process. Once you have signed up, you will be provided with the username and password to access the software within 24 – 48 hours (currently there is a delay). TransIT is the only software provider offering free web based trucking software in the trucking industry.

TransIT TMS helps you manage trucking operation efficiently by offering complete truck management system. Set up and dispatch easily from anywhere.

As always, we will be here when you need support.

Thank you for your continued support.

Operations Manager

TransIT

news@transittms.com

Uber Acquired Otto 90+ team of Self driving Truck Company

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Uber Acquired Otto

Uber Acquired Otto

Uber Acquired Otto

I’m excited to announce that Uber has acquired Otto, a 90-plus person technology startup whose mission is to rethink transportation, starting with self-driving trucks. Anthony Levandowski, Otto’s co-founder, will now lead our combined self-driving efforts reporting directly to me—across personal transportation, delivery and trucking—in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Pittsburgh.

If that sounds like a big deal—well, it is. More and more the world of atoms is interacting with bits. In order to provide digital services in the physical world, we must build sophisticated logistics, artificial intelligence and robotics systems that serve and elevate humanity.

Screen Shot 2016-08-18 at 10.39.10 AM

When it comes to this advanced technology stack, Otto plus Uber is a dream team. Anthony is one of the world’s leading autonomous engineers: his first invention, a self-driving motorcycle called Ghostrider, is now in the Smithsonian. Just as important, Anthony is a prolific entrepreneur with a real sense of urgency.

Together, we now have one of the strongest autonomous engineering groups in the world; self-driving trucks and cars that are already on the road thanks to Otto and Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh; the practical experience that comes from running ridesharing and delivery services in hundreds of cities; with the data and intelligence that comes from doing 1.2 billion miles on the road every month.

In the last six years we’ve seen the profound impact that smartphone technology has had on transportation, as well as the delivery business. When people can push a button and reliably get an affordable ride across town, things change for the better—and quickly. Ridesharing helps cut drunk driving. It complements public transit, getting people to places that other means of transportation don’t reach, replacing the need to own a car over time. Most important of all, the smartphone has made mass carpooling a reality. By getting more people into fewer cars, we can reduce congestion and pollution in our cities.

Otto truck Driverless

Otto Truck Driver less

Of course, this is just the start, especially when it comes to safety. Over one million people die on the world’s roads every year and 90 percent of these accidents are due to human error. In the US, traffic accidents are a leading cause of death for people under 25. This is a tragedy that self-driving technology can help solve. That’s why our partnership with Swedish car maker Volvo, which we’re also announcing today, is so important. Volvo has consistently been a leader when it comes to safety. And partnership is crucial to our self-driving strategy because Uber has no experience making cars. To do it well is incredibly hard, as I realized on my first visit to a car manufacturing plant several years ago. By combining Uber’s self-driving technology with Volvo’s state-of-the art vehicles and safety technology, we’ll get to the future faster than going it alone.

Here’s to a great partnership with Volvo. And to Anthony, Lior and the Otto team—welcome to Uber. We’re pumped to have you on board. It’s time to move.

–Travis Kalanick, CEO and Co-Founder, Uber

www.uber.com