Why You Should Watch Your Speed Now More Than Ever

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Image via Pixabay

Increasing fuel prices are leaving many smaller fleets and owner-operators more financially challenged. Many between tractor-trailer speed and gas consumption to save some serious cash.

In March, diesel prices were at a moderate $2.99 per gallon. The price peaked at $3.24 per gallon in June, and, though it has fallen a few cents these past few weeks, is still expected to throughout the summer months. Heavier freight volumes and the new ELD , are pushing trucks’ capacities. The flatbed load-to-truck ratio has risen a stunning 171% from last year. In addition, the load-to-truck ratio has risen 34%.

What does all of this mean for drivers? It’s time to slow down. According to the American Trucking Association, a tractor-trailer traveling at 65 mph saves 27% more fuel than one going 75 mph. Though the recent drivers to increase their speed, now it is more important than ever to slow down to improve gas mileage.

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Are Your Brakes Working? Inspectors Want to Check

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The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will increase brakes inspections during Brake Safety Week.

Image via Pixabay

Brakes Safety Week is September 16-22, 2018. Enforcement personnel plan on doing everything in their power to ensure the safety and well-being of all highway travelers.

Overall, North American Standard Level 1 inspections assess everything from hydraulic fluid leaks and loose parts to defective rotor conditions. Also, vehicles that fall short of the minimum standards leave the road immediately.

In 2017, 14% of inspected trucks were put out of service. “Properly functioning brake systems remain crucial to safe CMV operation,” the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance wrote in a release. “Also, improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems reduce braking efficiency. Therefore, this poses serious risk to public safety on our roadways.”

In addition, CVSA’s 2017 International Roadcheck inspections revealed the majority of violations involved brakes.

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Job of the Day: Uncommon Carrier Inc.

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Today’s Job of the Day comes from Uncommon Carrier Inc.

Uncommon is a local drayage carrier that hauls non-perishable goods and materials. Centrally located close to all NY / NJ Metro ports, the team of transportation, warehousing and distribution professionals is ready to move your products safely and expediently.

Currently, Uncommon hires CDL A Local Drivers in the South Kearny, New Jersey area. This is a drop and hook drayage position that runs from the Port of NY/NJ to local warehouses that are within a 200 miles.

In addition, the position requires Hazmat, TWIC, and Tanker endorsements. Also, the position offers great pay and benefits, and you’ll be home daily!

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Big Oil Enters the Electric Trucking Game

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Tesla has some new competition in the realm of Electric Trucking: electric tractor trailers.

Image via CNBC

Shell Global sent its new electric-engine AirFlow Starship on its first journey across the country. It traveled from Atlanta to Long Beach, Calif. The unveiling of the new tractor-trailer this year spiked both interest and concerns throughout the industry.

As the first major heavy-duty truck to come out since Tesla’s electric long-haul trailer, Shell thinks more companies will follow suit in choosing electric trailers, which decrease 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions a truck creates. Shell’s Bob Mainwaring tells CNBC, “Shell is an energy company … It’s always good to conserve energy.”

Industry experts say they expected Shell to design a cab for years.

The Airflow Starship is modeled after the Airflow Truck built by Robert Sliwa, who has been working to design the most fuel-efficient trucks possible since 1983. In addition, the Starship has an aerodynamic design. Therefore, this helps in reducing drag, and solar panels to power smaller features, such as windshield wipers. Also, a “hybrid electric axle system and custom automatic tire inflation” allow for better fuel efficiency.

The new trailer is completing its maiden voyage across the country through Shell’s Rotella Starship Initiative. Sliwa has said he hopes his new trailer design will beat his last model’s previous record of 13.4 miles per gallon. That record was set by Tesla’s Bullet Truck, which can travel 500 miles without needing to be recharged. Though production of these trailers isn’t set to begin until May 2019, both Walmart and UPS have ordered mass quantities.

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Job of the Day – Volpe Dedicated

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The Drive My Way job of the day comes from Volpe Dedicated. Volpe began in 1922 when Carlo Volpe began a small business fulfilling a need for a delivery service between his hometown of Norristown, Pa. and Philadelphia. Throughout the years, the company grew to its current size due to the family’s commitment to Carlo’s business motto, “service with a smile that satisfies”. Four generations later Volpe Dedicated remains family owned and dedicated to serving your need for a quality, dependable, & safe carrier.

Volpe has openings right now for Dedicated CDL A Local Delivery Drivers out of their Fairless Hills location.

This is a dedicated position where drivers complete retail deliveries to the following cities: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, DC. This Volpe Dedicated position is home daily.

In addition, openings available on both the Mon- Fri and Tue-Sat schedules in the morning, midday or night shifts. Also, they offer great pay and benefits!

We run 50 single axle day cab tractors with either 45, 48 or on occasion 28 foot trailers…all standard shift. We have two box trucks one 24 foot and one 26 foot…both automatics. These only do deliveries in very tight spots that a trailer will not fit.

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Job of the Day – Justman Freight Lines

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The Drive My Way job of the day comes from Justman Freight Lines. Justman is a USPS Mail contractor that also hauls general freight with vans and flatbeds.

Justman Freight Lines has openings right now for CDL A Local Drivers out of the Twin Cities Metro Area. The is a flatbed position which runs from Spring to late Fall, but year round you will also be pulling dry vans, either freight or postal work.

This position offers great pay and benefits, newer equipment, plus you’ll be home daily!

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Job of the Day – Highways & Skyways of NC

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The Drive My Way job of the day comes from Highways & Skyways of NC. Highways & Skyways has uniquely positioned itself to become a leading provider of lead logistic services in the Midwest and South.

They have openings right now for CDL A OTR Drivers out of their Greensboro, NC location to run the east coast with some opportunities to run to the west coast.

This position is great for the OTR driver who wants a home weekly schedule and great pay and benefits. Plus, there is a $5,000 sign-on bonus!

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Job of the Day – Standard Transportation Services

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The Drive My Way job of the day comes from Standard Transportation Services. Established in 1984 as one of the first transportation brokers in the Joplin, Missouri area, Standard has set the pace in their industry. Centrally located in extreme Southwest Missouri, Joplin is at the crossroads of U. S. Highway 71 and Interstate Route 44.

Standard Transportation Services has openings right now for CDL A OTR Drivers out of their Joplin, Missouri location. This position is no touch dry van freight with weekly home time! It also boasts a $500 sign-on bonus, a new pay scale that increases after 12 months continuous employment, and great benefits.

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Lifetime Trucker Paving the Way for Self-Driving Trucks

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Photo via NPR.org

Step aside, Uber and Google, a career trucker is making history for self-driving tractor trailers.

Jeff Runions, autonomous-truck test driver, prepares the future of the trucking industry. As he told NPR, Runions works for Starsky Robotics. They are a small company developing fully autonomous trucks for the highway. The trucks are driven by professionals once the trucks got off at the exit.

As truck drivers continue to decrease in numbers, Runions hopes autonomous trucks will be a huge opportunity for the industry to keep up with demand. In his interview with NPR, he says automated vehicles would allow drivers to spend less time on the road and more time at home with their families.

This would be a drastic change from the three weeks of on-road time he remembers from working on his own and with a commercial trucking company. In fact, Runions would like to see drivers having a “regular life” with a 40-hour work week. By making drivers’ lives more enjoyable, he hopes to spike interest in the industry from potential drivers.

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A Handy Guide to State-By-State APU Regulations

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Auxiliary power units (APU) are one of the best weapons truck drivers can have against wasting fuel.

They make it possible to power a truck’s heating, air conditioning and other comfort systems without the need to keep the engine idling during rest stops. While they are very beneficial by not wasting fuel, the additional weight can cause problems. With an APU weighing several hundred pounds, they can push a truck hauling its maximum weight limit over the line into non-compliance, depending on where truckers are driving.

When former President Obama signed the 2012 MAP-21 bill into legislation, many states began to rethink their policies regarding trailer weight limits. While some states have specific laws outlining their exact tolerance policies, others do not. Because of this, it can be difficult to keep each state’s policies straight.

The following table displays state-by-state APU Weight Exemptions.

APU Exemption Guide

APU Exemption Guide by Track Your Truck

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