CAREER TRAINING RESOURCES

Because the trucking industry is something of a unique profession to get into, truck drivers tend to go their own way and may ignore or neglect some of the skills and strategies for success that other professionals swear by. One of those skills and strategies is a rather important one: networking. For most professionals, “networking” more or less means “making friends in your industry,” keeping in contact with people you know and meet in order to (hopefully) forge professional connections that help you both succeed in your field of endeavor. The logic here is simple: the old adage “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” If you know key people at trucking companies around your area, you’ll be privy to job openings, perhaps sooner than the general public. As people get promoted, friends can hire you and become supervisors (and vice versa, of course). In the trucking industry this is as important as it is anywhere else, though it may seem kind of hard to come by. After all, truck drivers aren’t necessarily attending bi-monthly seminars, coffee klatches and speed networking events like other professionals, because they are typically too busy actually hitting the road and getting somewhere. But as a professional truck driver, you still have some vital networking resources that you would be wise to consider keeping up with. Trucking industry sites: You want to stay on the cutting edge of information in your industry, which is why you visit trucking industry sites daily to keep up with the latest innovations, law changes, and other occurrences in the biz. You can then circulate these articles around social media, and speak a little more intelligently about topics that come up elsewhere. Message boards: Many drivers tool around on message boards, seeking advice, posting and looking for job openings, and just generally horsing around with other drivers, virtually speaking. There are many truck driving message boards, but Truckers Forum, Truckers Report, and Trucking Boards are three popular ones. Find a couple you are most comfortable with and join. Post with regularity and engage other truck drivers. Social Media: Of course you should start with the essentials—that is, LinkedIn and Facebook—to establish connections. Pay particular attention to LinkedIn by keeping your profile fully updated, and join a couple of truck driving groups and make frequent posts and connections. Post articles and videos important to the trucking industry, and stay active (check and comment or post at least twice a day if possible). Of course, there are trucking social media sites like this and this that can also help you make connections on a larger scale. Union meetings: If you’re a union employee, meetings are your chance to put your expertise to work for you. If you have followed these other bits of advice, you’ll likely find yourself a more informed voter, able to make a better decision on your union vote, and you’ll also perhaps hold more sway with your co-workers and friends as well. Plus it gives you opportunity to meet union employees from other companies, giving you the chance to mention if you are interested in new opportunities. Truck stops: Ah yes, your everyday bastion of trucker activity. If you find yourself meeting the same people at multiple truck stops, why not make friends? Being sociable is the biggest way to network, so merely chatting with a colleague and maybe having breakfast or coffee together could be a good way to establish new contacts. Conventions, conferences, and seminars: You may not be all that jazzed about the idea of going to a trucking convention or conference, but why not give it a shot? You get to hobnob with your industry’s leadership, get some good advice, and meet some colleagues along the way. Trucking Groups and Organizations: Perhaps the best way to network is to join a group whose primary mission is to introduce truck drivers to each other for professional development. Groups like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), National Truckers Association, and America’s Independent Trucking Association

A lot of truck drivers, even those who are just starting out, recognize the potential benefits of becoming an owner-operator. Who doesn’t want the freedom associated with working for yourself, being a business owner and finding the potential to hit it big and turn your little one-person operation into a fleet of your own? It’s more than a possibility for many people getting into the industry: it’s a dream. But it’s also a journey fraught with peril, something you should consider carefully and prepare for meticulously if you want to find real success as a trucking owner-operator. It’s important to keep in mind that embarking upon this path means leaving the safety and relative security of your regular trucking job. You’ll be on your own for things like insurance, and you won’t have the big trucking company backing you up if you get into trouble. So if you’re keen to strike out on your own, you should make the proper preparations. While you can find success, and yes, perhaps even find real success that you can build into something lasting, you should follow these steps (at least to some degree). Get some experience working for trucking companies. You don’t want to jump into the deep end before you learn to swim, and neither do you want to be a rookie truck driver expecting fame and fortune right out of the gate. Give yourself a few years working for “the man” to learn how the business works, from the driving to keeping costs down on the road to working the logbooks. Get in with someone in the office and take notes on how to properly run a business of your own. Save some money. Be sure you can afford to buy or lease your truck, and beware of companies willing to throw a truck to you under suspicious circumstances. Barr-Nunn truck driver David Casanova cautions against working with companies. “Plenty of companies out there will be willing to lease you a $150,000 truck with as little as 6 months experience and no money down,” he said. “They know you don’t know the numbers involved, they don’t give title to the truck unless you’ve paid it off, and while you are a contractor they don’t have to pay for certain benefits an employee would get.” Instead of this shortcut, save up for a healthy down payment on your truck and buy through legitimate channels only. Consider your private life. Families and private lives complicate the work of an owner-operator, who is often on the road an even longer time than other truck drivers. If you want to be home to see your family, it may not be feasible to do so as a successful owner-operator, especially initially. The decision between making that extra money and spending some time with your children can be a difficult one. Becoming an owner-operator is a huge step in the life of a truck driver. Don’t approach it lightly, and certainly don’t jump in without the proper experience, finances, and having your private life in order. Having your life in order and being fully prepared to take on this responsibility and privilege is a key step in doing it successfully versus getting yourself into strangling debt and a bad situation.

Getting into the trucking industry, you’re going to be driving many different types of trucks and towing different trailers carrying cargo of all types. Truck drivers can find themselves towing everything from food and any sort of goods, to auto parts to entire vehicles to even houses. The trailers required to properly transport those goods vary widely, as you may imagine. Trailers may vary significantly in terms of size and have different requirements and state roadway regulations, giving a wildly different driving experience for the driver. It’s important to know, then, what kind of trailer you’re hitching to your rig. Here are 8 common types of truck trailers that you may, in your time as a truck driver, find yourself driving. The most common trailer is the Standard Freight Trailer. They are used to carry most boxed, crated, and palletized freight. They are the rectangular-shaped trailers that most people associate with semi trucks. Coming in lengths varying from 28’ to 53’ and widths from 96” to 102” and generally are between 12.5’ and 13.5’ in height. While most Standard Freight Trailers have an axle-to-wheel ratio of 2:8, heavy loads use a 3:12 or 4:16 ratio. Refrigerated Truck Trailers (commonly known as “Reefer” trailers) have a cooling unit installed in the trailer, commonly toward the front, and are insulated to transport perishable, refrigerated, or frozen goods. In general, Reefer Truck Trailers come in the same dimensions as a Standard Trailer, with the only real difference being the refrigeration attached to the front, and the fuel tank stored beneath the trailer. Container Skeletal Carriers are designed to transport international cargo containers that can range from 20’ and 45’ in length. Some come in adjustable configurations to accommodate containers of varying sizes. They carry the standard 2:8, 3:12 and 4:16 axle/wheel configurations depending on load weights. Platform, or Flat Bed, Trailers consist of a flatbed trailer with no roof or sides. They are designed to haul oversize cargo that won’t fit inside a standard freight trailer, or for materials that need to be loaded or unloaded from the top or side of the trailer. They run up to 48’ in length and carry a variety of materials. If you are carrying oversized or special cargo similar to a flat bed, you may also use a Platform Drop deck/Gooseneck Trailer. They are used for cargo with special needs with minor differences to flatbed trailers. They have a similar feel to a standard platform trailer, but also include a raised bed, or gooseneck. Car Carrier Trailers are designed to transport cars, trucks, and similar vehicles. They generally have two levels, and a series or ramps designed for the loading and unloading of vehicles. For relatively large, bulky, and light cargo, Deep Drop Furniture/Electronics Trailers are often employed. They feature a lower rear deck to allow a greater cargo capacity capability. As the name suggests, furniture and electronics are often transported in these types of trailers. If you’re working in the logging industry you may find yourself towing a Timber Trailer. Essentially a flatbed trailer equipped with vertical stakes designed to hold logs into place, Timber Trailers are sometimes called “Loggers.”

Loneliness can be a big drawback to the trucker’s life. The days and even weeks of continuous solitude (outside of short stints at the truck stop, anyway) can get to even the most hardened of loners out on the road. But there is a solution. What about team driving? After all, two bodies are better than one, right? As with any too-good-to-be-true scenario, though, it often IS a little too good to be true. There are certainly many positive and negative aspects to tandem driving, and quelling the loneliness factor is but one of them. PRO: You can drive longer. While there are rules limiting how much team drivers can stay in the truck at any one time without a rest, In general team driving gives a primary advantage of being able to drive for longer periods of time. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules dictate a single driver may only run a certain amount of time without rest. Team drivers can switch off driving duties, allowing the truck to continue rolling down the pike to its destination with fewer stops and breaks. However, beware that this does not mean you get twice as much road time if you have a partner. FMCSA rules have recently been changed, requiring 10 consecutive hours off-duty, and only two of those hours may be spent in the passenger seat of the truck. That means that driver must spend time either out of the truck or in the sleeper berth. However, your driving partner still affords you a significant amount of potentially additional time in the truck. CON: You have to share the truck with someone else. Probably the single biggest hangup to the team driving setup is the fact that you are sharing your already tight cab with another person. That means you are essentially married to that person: sharing a sleeping space (though hopefully not at the same time) and a living area in a home where neither person can stand up and leave the room. Tiffs and squabbles can become really awkward really quickly, and you have to also be aware of the other person’s feelings and needs as well as your own. PRO: Team incentives are great. Large trucking companies many times offer team driving incentives such as a sign-on bonus or a 5,000 mile-per-week guarantee, even if the team doesn’t log that many miles. They also frequently enjoy higher per-mile and safety bonus rates, and often get priority dispatch.   CON: You’re still splitting the check. Keep in mind that even though you get more money, you’re still splitting the money you earn, so you will need to calculate how many miles you need to run, and whether that number is realistic and feasible, in order to operate at a profit for both of you.   PRO: You can take your spouse. Husband and wife teams, (or simply spousal pairings, depending on your situation) are relatively common in truck driving tandems. If you don’t have children it can make for a fun and rewarding experience with your significant other, seeing the world and working together…if that is a situation you can live with.   CON: You may be paired up with a stranger. If you don’t have a dedicated partner, you could be assigned on, and who knows how that will work? Being stuck on the road with someone you don’t trust can be a harrowing experience, so partnering with someone you don’t know is a high-risk, high-reward scenario. Approach it with caution.   The bottom line is, if you think you are interested in a team driving setup, do your research first. It can be a highly rewarding situation for you and for your partner, but so too can it very easily fall apart, leaving you potentially holding a very expensive bag.

Trip planning may just be the trucker’s best friend. Planning out your route involves more than simply which roads to take; you also have to take into account when and where to stop to eat, refuel, and rest. This is more than simply out of necessity for the hungry, tired driver. It’s a regulation, a government-mandated requirement that must be done at given intervals according to the rules governing hours of service, the trucking company, and it must be tracked by the electronic logbook. Beyond that, poor trip planning can have all sorts of nasty and undesirable consequences. Of course, you can run out of fuel, or fuel at the wrong time (leading to issues with your vehicle weight and negatively affecting your schedule), or end up in a strange or even dangerous place. These things can end up costing you valuable time and money (keeping in mind, for example, that there can be a price difference of up to 10 cents per gallon between states, so be mindful of stopping where fuel prices are cheaper). Remember the inefficiency is the enemy of the truck driver. As you begin planning your route, consider a few things:

• Are you tied to your assigned route, or can you seek faster routes? Sometime carriers insist you keep to their routes, while some encourage you to seek out faster routes. However, take caution, though, on finding “shortcuts.” Often they end up more trouble than they’re worth.
• Don’t use 55 mph as your benchmark for travel, even if most of your miles are logged on the freeway. In fact, a blog posted at Smart Trucking suggests calculating trips at 38 mph, which often allows you to integrate stops into your trips. “If stopping for bathroom breaks, eating, fueling, border time crossing, traffic, [and] weather are taken into consideration, you’ll find it fairly accurate,” the blog states.

Beginning the Plan: the Route First, gather your tools. In the age of cell phones, GPS, truck routing software, and online resources that can help you plot out truck stops, rest areas, groceries and services, route planning is easier than ever. However, don’t discount the value of a good atlas, and make sure you have one for reference. Consult your GPS software and plot out your stops carefully, taking into account when you will need to stop to refuel, eat, and rest as mandated by regulations. Before you leave, be sure you have items like food, emergency supplies and extra clothes in the truck in case you break down in a remote area. Packing for an emergency is essential, especially in the winter, when the supplies you have can literally be life-saving. Know throughout your trip where you can stop along the way. Take note of the truck stops, restaurants, department and grocery stores, and rest stops, and always know how far you away you are from one as you drive. Finally, always leave yourself plenty of time, which means to allow more time than you think you will need. Under promise, over deliver. Give yourself plenty of time in case you run into weather or traffic delays. Sticking to the Route It’s important to try to stay as close to the route as possible. Again, giving yourself additional time to account for traffic delays, small breakdowns, or other issues that can crop up is paramount. Getting a little ahead of schedule is great, both for the possibility of arriving to your destination early and to account for slowdowns down the road. And for crying out loud, don’t be your own worst enemy. Delaying yourself by savoring that cup of coffee, showering, or oversleeping will only hurt you in the long run. You will have enough external issues trying to delay you on the road; don’t make things more difficult on yourself. It’s important to always know where you are going. You don’t want to find yourself stuck in severe weather, or lost in a bad neighborhood at night, or having to stop to rest on the side of the interstate. Becoming stranded in a winter storm, for instance, can be deadly. Again, always having emergency supplies on hand can save your life. All in all, good trip planning can mean the difference between success and failure on a single run. Good planning can mean arriving on time, but hitting the road blind can end with you arriving late, or worse yet, not at all. Do yourself a favor; plan ahead.

The trucking industry news site Trucking Info has a video feature on their visit to the Goodyear Tires proving grounds in San Angelo, Texas, where they conduct testing on tires, including those designed for tractor trailers. The testing facility sits on 7.000 acres of land, where the company conducts testing on such areas as traction control, fuel economy, and durability. The company provides and quality control on both their own tires and those of competitors. The video breaks down several control tests Goodyear conducts as they continue to develop and improve on their product and develop tires that offer peak performance in a variety of areas, doing their part to make life on the road safer for truck drivers. To view the video and more trucking industry news, visit Trucking Info at this link.