Sep 01, 2017 • Community

CVSA Brake Safety Day

CVSA Brake Safety Day

CVSA Brake Safety Day

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has set September 7, 2017, as Brake Safety Day where inspections of trucks will occur throughout North America.

According to the CVSA, Brake Safety Day inspectors will primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of both driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness.

Brake inspections will look for things like (but are not limited to):

Potential loose or missing parts
Air or hydraulic fluid leaks
Worn linings or rotors
Worn pads or drums
ABS malfunctioning indicator and more

In the 10 jurisdictions using performance-based brake testing (PBBT) equipment, vehicle braking efficiency will be measured. PBBT systems include a slow speed roller dynamometer that measures total vehicle weight and total brake force from which braking efficiency is determined, says the CVSA.

The minimum braking efficiency for trucks is 43.5 percent, required by U.S. federal regulation and the CVSA out-of-service criteria.

From September 11-17 2016, the CVSA conducted a Brake Safety Week with inspectors reporting 13.2 percent of inspections resulting in out-of-service brake violations and 14.8 percent of inspections with non-brake related out-of-service violations.

During the 2016 International Roadcheck brake-related violations were responsible for 45.7 percent of all out-of-service violations, the largest percentage of any violation.

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7 Tips on Healthy Eating For Truck Drivers [h2] Healthy Eating for Truck Drivers [/h2] [p]It's never too late to rediscover healthy eating habits especially healthy eating for truck drivers. Here are seven tips to help promote better nutrition and healthy eating for truck drivers.[/p] [p]Sure, it's easy to swing by a [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]truck stop near you[/a] and grab a few cheese-smothered chili dogs, but that offers no nutritional benefits to healthy eating for truck drivers. The goal should be to create healthy habits and make it a lifestyle. These habits should be deeper than just what you eat, but also when you eat and how your shop for your food.[/p] [h2]1. How Often Should I Eat?[/h2] [p]Before we talk about shopping and cooking we should talk about something extremely important: eating. Our society and the trucking industry has been organized around the idea that people should only eat about 3 times a day. For healthy eating for truck drivers, this is not necessarily the best choice. [/p] [p]While this might be more efficient in terms of consuming maximum calories in minimum time and getting back on the road, it is not always the best plan for your health. Instead, aim for around five smaller meals each day. This might seem crazy but it is necessary to metabolize food more efficiently.[/p] [h2]2. How Our Body Processes Food[/h2] [p]Your body is designed to absorb calories, use them for energy and then burn them off. In order for your body to make use of the food, what you eat has to be broken down into a form of sugar called glucose. This is a natural process and for most, the human body does this quite well. You have probably heard people talking about their “blood sugar level”, and what they are referring to is the amount of glucose in their blood.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/kVVEP6SmfEXvy" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]3. Why Should I Care About My Blood Sugar Levels?[/h2] [p]Your body has a normal range for the amount of [a href="https://thehungryhauler.com/"]glucose in your blood[/a] (between 4.0 and 11.0) and it has a beautiful system for managing that level. Hormones like insulin keep your blood sugar from getting too high and becoming toxic, and another awesome compound, glucagon keeps your sugar from getting too low and making you pass out. It is something like a highway with really good guard rails that keep a truck from running off the road.[/p] [p]The only problem is that it is possible to overwhelm this excellent system and cause a wreck. Actually, many people are overwhelming it every day and causing small “fender benders” that lead to a total cataclysm later in life called diabetes.[/p] [p]So why does this make eating only three times per day (or fewer) a bad idea? Because you can end up constantly overwhelming the system with extreme blood sugar highs and lows. If you wait to eat until you are extremely hungry and have very low blood sugar, your body will send the signal that you are starving, and when you do eat it is often much easier to overeat unhealthy and convenient food. Healthy eating for truck drivers requires you to eat when you're hungry and avoid a severe dip in blood sugar.[/p] [h2]4. How Much Should I Be Eating?[/h2] [p]Some people conclude that the solution is to simply eat drastically less overall and there is a grain of truth to this. While dramatically reducing your caloric intake does cause the body to burn stored fat to stay alive, it can signal your body to store everything you do eat, which results in rebound weight gain when you do return to a more normal diet. Starving yourself is not the answer.[/p] [p]Thankfully there is a much better way. Simply, eat a reasonable amount of food more often. Eating five or six smaller and healthier meals per day is like steering down the middle of your lane instead of bouncing your truck off the guard rails all day. This practice will help you feel more content and stop your body from deciding to store fat for hibernation. Of course, if you eat more often and end up eating more food overall you will still have trouble being healthy. The objective is to eat an appropriate amount of food, in a more sustainable way. Typically, 2,000–2,500 daily calories are suggested; however, consulting a healthcare professional is the best way to understand what an appropriate daily caloric intake means for your individual health needs.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xtgZt3jZelFqU" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]5. What Are the Benefits to Eating More Often?[/h2] [p]There is also an enormous safety benefit to eating more often and avoiding the blood sugar spikes: you are less likely to feel drowsy at the wheel. Most people have experienced the after dinner slump that makes it all but impossible to keep your eyes open after a big meal. That might be fine after Christmas dinner when you are lounging on the couch at home, but at work, behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound-plus rig, it can be a disaster.[/p] [h2]6. How Do I Plan My Meals?[/h2] [p]You might be wondering: how on earth is it possible to eat five or more meals per day? Who has the time to stop for food that often? There is a way to make your diet much simpler, more healthy, easier to sustain over the long term, and much less expensive! The key is to learn to shop for your own food and cook for yourself on the road. It is much easier than it may sound, and the rewards for your health and happiness are amazing! It will even allow you to have more freedom to implement your doctor's specific recommendations.[/p] [h2]7. Eat What You Want. Sort of[/h2] [p]Anyone who has dealt with eating healthier has heard the term portion control. Controlling what, how much, how often you eat and making sensible, sustainable choices is the path to solving many of the health risks of the trucking lifestyle. To eat healthier you don't have to give up all of your favorite foods and consume a spinach and carrot based diet like a rabbit. Instead of going to the extreme, eating a balanced diet will keep you “between the lines” and on the road to better health. Extremes are by nature quite unsustainable and will not help you. Just like over-steering on the highway to avoid a crash can actually end up killing you, bouncing from one diet extreme to another, like chili-dogs to rabbit food, will just leave your lifestyle in a bewildering wreck.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/n2v0V9cSmTQnS" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [p]The cornerstone of a healthy life is healthy eating for truck drivers. Eating healthy is difficult for truck drivers who are on the road for weeks at a time. Most trucks aren’t designed with a fully equipped kitchen or proper food storage. Even if you can manage to find space for some cooking gear, it is often difficult to consistently find time in a busy schedule to prepare a good meal. We all want to be around long enough to enjoy time with our families and loved ones. The best way to ensure this is to focus on eating healthier as a truck driver.[/p] [p]By: [a href="https://thehungryhauler.com/"]John Heslop[/a][/p]

Jan 10, 2017 • Community

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Nov 03, 2017 • Community

What is a Freight Agent? [p] Find out what is a freight agent and how they are different from freight brokers.[/p] [h2] What is a Freight Agent? [/h2] [p] A freight agent is an independent contractor who helps connect shippers with carriers willing to haul the freight. A freight agent works for a freight broker and plays a crucial role in the movement of freight, as a customer-facing salesperson of sorts who has to find available carriers to ship a client's freight. [/p] [h2] Freight Broker vs Freight Agent [/h2] [p] The difference between a freight broker vs freight agent is that a freight broker has a <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/freight-broker-license/">freight broker license</a> through the FMCSA and is liable for the transportation of the load. A freight agent does not require a license, does not assume the risk of client's creditworthiness in terms of invoice collections and does not require a freight broker bond. [/p] [h2] Freight Agent Salary [/h2] [p] A freight agent salary can be paid as hourly or annual salary and they can also earn a commission percentage based on the profit they are able to bring in for the freight broker. According to the national average freight agent salary is $58,661 (based on 197 freight agent employee reports). Some freight agent salaries are only commission based so there are endless possibilities for earnings. [/p] [p]Let's say that you're a freight agent and you work for a freight broker who is willing to pay you 50 percent commission on the profit of moving a truck load. You found a shipper who is willing to pay up to $2,500 to move a load from Los Angeles to Denver as truck freight. [/p] [p]Using a load board you found a qualified carrier that will move haul the freight for $2,000. The $500 difference is the profit earned for the brokerage and your cut of 50 percent of $500 is a commission payment of $250. It's no surprise to see that a freight agent can have tremendous earning opportunity. [/p] [p] If being a freight agent doesn't seem as lucrative, you can <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/how-to-become-a-freight-broker/">learn how to become a freight broker</a> and even start your own freight broker company. [/p] [h2] How Freight Agents Find Carriers [/h2] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/truckloads/broker-load-board/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=freightagent&utm_campaign=aug23"]Try Truckloads for Free[/button-green] [video id="o_tsuJHWayo"] [p] The best way for a freight agent to find a carrier is by using load boards. Load boards provide freight agents with a marketplace where they can post their client's freight for potential carriers to agree to haul. [/p] [p] There is a certain level of trust a freight agent must have in a carrier they choose to do business with. Without the trust that a carrier is qualified to haul the load and will see the job through, a freight carrier puts the freight broker they are working for at risk and can lead to complications and the inability to earn. [/p] [h2] Importance of Networking and Negotiating for a Freight Agent [/h2] [p]From the use of load boards like Truckloads, freight agents can network with qualified carriers and work to develop trusted business relationships that last. Keep in mind that negotiations between the freight agent or broker and the carrier is a huge determinant of potential success. [/p] [p] Although you want to earn the maximum amount, you also need to consider the carrier's needs and the need for knowing when to do a little give-and-take will go a long way in establishing a rapport with carriers. At the end of the day, a freight agent can't make a living if they can't find willing carriers to haul the load. [/p]

Aug 23, 2017 • Brokers