Sep 17, 2018 • Community

Brake Safety Week is almost here. Are you ready?

Brake Safety Week is almost here. Are you ready?

Are you ready for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week happening later this month? From September 16-22, CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct a weeklong inspection blitz throughout the U.S. and Canada focusing on brake systems. CVSA reported that 14 percent of truck drivers were placed out-of-service for brake-related violations during last year’s Brake Safety Day. Getting placed out-of-service costs drivers valuable time and money, so it’s important that you don’t find yourself in the same situation. Making sure you’re prepared will not only help you pass an inspection and keep you moving, but it will also make our roadways a safer place.

Most inspections during the blitz will be full Level I inspections. This comprehensive 37-step procedure examines driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness, and will also focus on the inspection of:

Brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts
air or hydraulic fluid leaks
defective rotor conditions
measurement of pushrod travel
mismatched air chamber sizes across axles
air reservoir integrity and mounting
worn linings, pads, drums or rotors
required brake-system warning devices
other brake-system components

There will also be 12 jurisdictions using performance-based brake testing equipment to measure vehicle braking efficiency.

So, what can you do to be ready for your inspection?

Have your driver’s license and registration easily available.
Perform your regular preventative maintenance procedures.
Conduct your pre-trip visual inspection. Make sure to look for loose hoses, leaks and any damage; check air disc brakes for cracks and grooving; and ensure air chambers are intact and in the correct position.
Inspect brakes more in-depth looking for leaks, checking brake linings for cracks and wear, and measuring the brake stroke, etc.
Utilize the Trucker Path app to see inspection facilities and get an idea of when you might expect to receive an inspection during the blitz.

We hope these tips will help make your inspection go smoothly. It’s also important to remember that it’s a best practice to always keep your truck well-maintained, inspect your brake systems regularly, and perform a thorough pre-trip inspection before every trip. You still have time to address any issues and get yourself and your truck ready for the 2018 CVSA Brake Safety Week!

Tagsdrivers truck drivers brakes brake safety brake safety week inspections

Truck Parking Prediction [p] Find truck parking near you with the new Trucker Path Truck Parking feature. [/p] [h2] Truck Parking Prediction [/h2] [p] If you're a truck driver, then you're well aware of the <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/truck-parking-issue-can-cost-the-industry-5-billion-annually/">lack of available truck parking</a> in America. It's one of the top issues plaguing the trucking industry and is both a safety risk for drivers and costs trucking companies billions. [/p] [p] We discovered that almost half of the truck drivers spend an hour or more searching for available truck parking. Between the ELD mandate and overcrowded truck stops, it's no surprise. Still, the burden shouldn't be left on the drivers. They have enough to worry about, after all, being a truck driver is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. [/p] [h2]Take The Guesswork Out of Finding Truck Parking[/h2] [p] Now there's a solution to finding truck parking with our new <strong>Parking Predictor!</strong>[/p] [p] This new parking feature compiles several years of data to forecast the availability of parking at truck stops and other locations. Now you can compare specific times of day at over 8,000 locations to see when parking is either full or has spots for trucks. [/p] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/truck-parking-near-me/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=parkingprediction"]Try Trucker Path Today[/button-green] [p] <strong>How To Use It:</strong> [/p] [p]1. Open the Trucker Path app [/p] [p]2. Click on a Location found on the map[/p] [android-img src="/uploads/2017/10/click-a-location.png"] [p]3. Click <strong> PREDICTION</strong> [/p] [android-img src="/uploads/2017/10/5a.-parking-prediction-details-card-new-with-arrow.png" alt="trip planner"] [p]4. View the <strong>Parking Predictions</strong> to verify when the best (and worst) times to park at the location will be. [/p] [android-img src="/uploads/2017/10/7.-parking-prediction-actual-screen-new.png"] [p] Truck Parking looks limited at this place Wednesday mornings, you might want to find an alternative location. [/p] [p] It's as easy as that! Now you can eliminate wasted time searching for a spot and find nearby truck parking with confidence. A little peace of mind goes a long way and you won't have to worry about violating your HOS with this new feature. [/p]

Dec 05, 2017 • Community

Trucker Spotlight - Natasha <em>The Trucker Spotlight series explores the lives of truckers and their journey to make a difference in their industry. We interview different truck drivers to understand some life lessons that make them who they are today. We also learn more about their motivations, and the problems that they encounter on the job. We also tackle how Trucker Path's solutions helped them with what they do. The information that they provide helps inform other people who are looking to delve into the trucking world.</em> <h2></h2> [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/ts-natasha-blog-2.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> Today we are putting the spotlight on <strong>Natasha</strong>, who's a 27 year-old trucker/Youtuber and was born and raised in Hawaii. She's been driving for 1.5 years as a team owner operator together with her husband. She likes to make people laugh and smile through her Youtube videos. She and her husband are team owner operators. Let's get to know more about Natasha and her trucking adventures. <h2></h2> <h3></h3> <h3><strong>What made you decide to be a trucker?</strong></h3> From watching other Youtuber truckers on youtube actually! At that time, me and my husband had nothing to lose but sell everything we owned and join the trucking world. <h2></h2> [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/ts-natasha-blog-1.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> <h3><strong>In the years that you have been driving, what are the significant changes that you've noticed in the trucking industry?</strong></h3> Since I haven't been driving long enough, the one thing I have noticed is that the trucking industry is getting bigger by the day! Theres so many diverse truckers, you have to stay open minded dealing with everyone across the country on a daily basis. <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What made you decide to put up your Youtube channel?</strong></h3> I've always filmed random Youtube videos since I was 16 on old channels. I was bored one day trucking and uploaded one for fun, and slowly more people watched and asked me to post more. So thats how it snowballed into me uploading videos full time now! I wanted to post videos to help other truckers with owner operator questions I had when I first started. <h2></h2> <h3><strong>Any times when you get lonely while driving? How do you deal with it?</strong></h3> Since I'm always with my husband, I'd appreciate some alone time, but I'm always grateful that we have each other. Sometimes, i miss my family and friends since it can be hard to see them. Having my little toy fox terrier dog with me has really made trucking it best! <h2></h2> [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/ts-natasha-blog-3.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <h3><strong>As a trucker, what are the current struggles in this COVID19 pandemic?</strong></h3> The hardest thing so far for us during COVID is food. Most fast food places did and still are closing the lobby and only opening drive through which we definitely cant go through. Also many restaurants closed all together, in the beginning especially we ended up eating canned soups, ramen, TV dinners, etc a lot. <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What's your favorite Truck Brand / Model?</strong></h3> I like the newest Freightliner Cascadia's interior features the best, the outside is slick too, but my favorite thing is they made every tiny thing very user friendly and more livable. We had an older Freightliner before. It's WAY different in their new ones. <h2></h2> [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/ts-natasha-blog-4.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> <h3><strong>Aside from being a trucker, any other things you dream of doing?</strong></h3> I started investing in real estate a few years ago. I only own 1 house so far, but plan on continuing to build my portfolio over the years to come. Also, I dream of being a mom one day to a lot of kids and dogs! <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What's the best truck stop for you?</strong></h3> Russells in NM is one of the coolest - it has a car museum inside. We like Quicktrips, and Mavericks, their fuel is usually the lowest in their area, and they're clean and have good food. Many Jack Flashes are brand new and have tons of food options and a shop inside. Of course we found all these stops on Trucker Path! <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What are the common troubles or problems you encounter while trucking?</strong></h3> For us it's learning the different trucking seasons of the year and how it affects our rates, each season we have to adjust the routes we do in order to do well. Also, since I drive night shift, finding a place to stop for a break or sleep is the most difficult thing sometimes, it's crowded out here for trucks! The other thing is finding a decent bathroom/shower or any at all, sometimes I have to just toughen up! <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What are your pet peeves while driving/trucking?</strong></h3> Regular car drivers! They're always chillin in your blind spots not paying attention, and of course they like to cut in front of trucks really fast which is always a dangerous situation. We have to drive and break so differently than regular cars, so driving around a lot of cars can be stressful. <h2></h2> <h3><strong>What are your trucker essentials?</strong></h3> My morning travel bag I found on Amazon, it's big and I need it 2x per day so it has everything I need when I first wake up to right before I go to sleep. Another trucker essential is having everything in the truck as mini sized as possible since our space is limited. <h2></h2> <h3><strong>We're glad that you use the Trucker Path app on your day to day trucking. What features do you enjoy the most?</strong></h3> As owner ops, we use the <a href="http://www.truckerpath.com">Trucker Path</a>'s fuel prices the most! Secondary to that would be the restaurant tab to see what food is at each stop. Then, the trip planner to find stops along your route is very cool, especially when going cross country twice a week like we usually do, its a long trip to plan! [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/ts-natasha-blog-5.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> <h3><strongWhat are some tips that you would like to share for aspiring truckers?</strong></h3> Be patient and stick with it, everything will be 200% harder at first, but eventually even the smallest things will get easier and better almost without trying. You will feel very rewarded after some time, and it all will be worth it! <h2></h2> <h3><strong>Where can people watch your videos on Youtube?</strong></h3> They can view my videos on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXtbBerWrhRFN7E-aJ-5M7g">Youtube Channel, Natasha Trucking</a>. <h2></h2> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vY6NQ5-x6Qo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> <h2></h2> Hope you guys enjoy! <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <h4>By Aldous Aldwin</h4> <h3></h3> <h3></h3>

Dec 11, 2020 • Carriers

Trucker Path Releases 2018 Truck Parking Report <em>[p]Informative white paper provides an in-depth look at the most pressing problems and viable solutions for the widespread issue of truck parking</em> [p]Trucker Path, the most popular app for truckers in the U.S., released the 2018 Truck Parking Report today, an annual white paper that explores the issue of truck parking in the U.S. and possible solutions. Failure to find truck parking is a significant problem with serious social and economic consequences. This comprehensive and detailed report equips trucking companies and industry leaders with the information they need to navigate the challenges of truck parking, optimize their business, and work towards a stronger, more efficient trucking industry overall. [p]“We realized that we have a vast amount of truck parking data in our app as well access to a large trucker community, so we explored the problem in depth. By surveying over 5,500 drivers and analyzing millions of data points, we have come to some useful conclusions that we wanted to share with the industry,” says Chris Oliver, Chief Business Officer for Trucker Path. [p]The white paper was crafted drawing on existing data and research, as well as internal Trucker Path survey data. Between May 8-15, 2018, over 5,500 truck drivers participated in a survey about the truck parking issue in the U.S. The questionnaire consisted of 26 questions and was distributed via Trucker Path apps. The report includes an in-depth look at: <strong>[p]Social, safety and economic implications</strong> [p]Failure to find a spot within the hours of service (HOS) limit puts many drivers at risk of parking in unauthorized areas, thus making the job more stressful with 85% of drivers citing parking as the number one cause of stress at work. Due to failure to find a spot, 70% of truckers have had to violate HOS, and 96% have parked in areas not designated for trucks. In addition, 48% of drivers spend an hour or more to find safe truck parking, which is essentially driving time that does not translate into fleet revenues. The annual loss per driver is estimated at $6,000. [p]While Trucker Path parking data suggests that average truck parking availability improved in almost every U.S. state between 2016 and 2017, there are still areas in the Eastern United States, especially around urban centers, that have a severe lack of capacity. [p]<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4488 aligncenter" src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2018/09/truck-parking.jpg" alt="" width="468" height="288" /> <strong>[p]Solutions</strong> [p]Today, the largest impact could be achieved via spreading out the need for capacity throughout the day as the vast majority of drivers park at the same time. FMCSA is already making positive changes by revising personal conveyance rules allowing truckers extra time after the HOS limit to find parking. If that doesn’t work, capacity could be expanded by utilizing weigh stations and shipper facilities as truck parking locations. Our survey shows that truck drivers find shipper facilities almost as safe as truck stops. Building new capacity is expensive, but may be needed in some areas, as shown in our truck parking heatmap. [p]<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4489 aligncenter" src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2018/09/truck-parking-2.jpg" alt="" width="376" height="232" /> [p]The issue of truck parking is widely recognized, and considerable effort has been applied to resolve it. This white paper contributes to that conversation with insights into where the industry is now and where it needs to go. To read the full report, visit: <a href="http://files.truckerpath.com/web/trucker-path-parking-white-paper-2018.pdf">http://files.truckerpath.com/web/trucker-path-parking-white-paper-2018.pdf</a> <strong>[p]About Trucker Path </strong> [p]Trucker Path is America's largest trucking community with over 750,000 individual truck drivers as monthly active users, equating to roughly 35 percent of all long-haul truckers. The exponential growth of the Trucker Path app led to the release of Truckloads, an online marketplace connecting freight brokers with hundreds of thousands of members truckers via the web and mobile devices. In early 2018 the company was acquired by Renren, Inc. (NYSE: <u><a href="http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=RENN">RENN</a></u>) followed closely by the launch of the Trucker Path ELD solution in March of 2018. The Trucker Path team strives to bring efficiencies to the freight transportation industry while making life on the road easier, more enjoyable, and more profitable for truck drivers.

Sep 28, 2018