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10 Safety Tips For Overnight Travel

 

Overnight drives can be a blessing or a curse. On the plus side, you have the whole road to yourself. You don’t have to worry about traffic holding you up as you pass through cities, and you can go at whatever pace you please. However, overnight drives also mean staying up all night, which could potentially be a shock to your system. It’s easy to become sleepy with nothing but a dark road ahead, but it is important to your safety, and to those around you, that you stay awake and alert while driving. Additionally, if you are not used to night drives, you could be at a higher risk of drifting off. According to Instructional Technologies, if you do not typically drive at night, you are more likely to experience fatigue than frequent night drivers.

Whether you are a seasoned night driver or are about to venture on your first overnight assignment, here are 10 tips to help you stay sharp during those late night trips. 

1. Avoid High Contrast Light

According to Trucking Truth, bright lights in the cab can create a harsh contrast to the dark road outside. This can cause your eyes to struggle to adjust and become tired quickly. It may seem like the opposite of what you should do to stay awake, but be sure to turn down the light in your truck. Even turning down the lights in your dashboard can help your eyes stay wide awake during a late night drive. It is also important not to stare into the lights of oncoming vehicles as they pass. Be sure to always keep your eyes in your own lane.

2. Maintain a Level Head

Before you get behind the wheel for a long journey ahead, be sure your emotions are in check. If you’ve had a stressful day or are upset about something, be sure to put it all behind you before putting the truck in drive. It may be easier said than done, but if you spend the entire night fuming about past events, you are likely to wear yourself out. Emotions can drain your energy and leave you feeling exhausted; this is even true of positive emotions. If you had a great day or have something to celebrate, be sure to keep your excitement in check as well. Try to keep your radio singing to a minimum and focus your attention on the road.

3. Watch What You Eat

Eating on the road can be tricky. It’s tempting to grab a quick burger or a bag of chips at the gas station. However, if you choose to eat something heavy in carbs or sugar, it will make you feel sluggish and sleepy later on. Obviously your options on the road are limited, so plan ahead with a cooler full of your own healthy foods. If fast food is your only choice, avoid the greasy burgers and fried chicken. Mix it up with a salad, fruit cup or grilled meat. Most fast food chains have added healthier options like these to their menus, which will help you feel more energized and ready to stay up late.

4. Grab a Coffee

This one may seem obvious, but don’t forget the coffee! Coffee will help boost your energy and keep you fresh throughout the night.

5. But Don’t Overdo the Caffeine…

That being said, be sure to keep your coffee consumption in check. Too many coffees or energy drinks can make you jittery and will eventually make your energy crash. This is also true of drinks full of sugar and artificial flavorings. Large amounts of soda and sugar-loaded juices can make your blood sugar spike and crash, which could lead to you falling asleep behind the wheel.

6. Drink Lots of Water

Coffee is important to sip on while driving overnight, but nothing is more important than water. Staying hydrated is the easiest way to remain awake and feel alert. You may think it is a better idea to skip the water to avoid constant bathroom breaks, but drinking coffee without water can actually create more of an urge to urinate, and can lead to headaches and other health issues.

7. Check Your Truck’s Temperature

The temperature in your truck can also affect your energy levels. If you keep it nice and toasty in your truck, you may find yourself becoming drowsy on long drives. Instead, be sure to keep your air a little cooler than comfortable to keep your body attentive.

8. Take Your Vitamins

Vitamins are another great way to boost your energy. Taking some Vitamin B and Vitamin D after a healthy meal can help you feel more energized and stay awake longer without an energy crash later. 

9. Take a Walk

If you start to feel sleepy, try getting out of your truck in a safe area for a nice, brisk walk to help revitalize your system. Going for a walk will get your blood pumping and muscles moving again, which will not only wake you up, but it will help your body stretch out after being cramped in the same position for hours. It is important for anyone who remains stationary for long periods of time to contract their muscles and move around frequently; these are the best ways to avoid blood clots.

10. When All Else Fails, Take a Nap

Sometimes, no amount of caffeine or vitamins can replace a quick power nap. If you are feeling too tired to go on, don’t be afraid to park your truck in a safe place and take a nap. Just be sure to set a timer to avoid oversleeping. A 20-minute nap can do wonders for your energy, but if you accidentally sleep for a few hours, you could wake up feeling even more groggy, and your shipment could be running late.

 

Overnight drives can be relaxing, but it is important that you stay perceptive and safe. If you think you have what it takes to be a commercial truck driver, visit our website and get started with a loan today.

Trucking: No Longer a Man’s World

How Women are Changing the Trucking Industry

 

Trucking is no easy job. With late nights and operating heavy machinery, truck driving is a demanding career that often has its employees far from home. It has been a male-dominated profession since it began, however, that is beginning to change. Over the past few years, women have started getting behind the wheel and becoming truckers themselves. This rise in women truck drivers is dramatically changing the trucking industry for the better. It has been the perfect solution to the shortage in truck drivers across the country, and it is empowering women to be more independent. However, while there are many positives to women entering the trucking industry, the change does not come without its challenges.

Women Truck Drivers Met with Skepticism

The gender gap is closing in the trucking industry, but women still have to prove their place at transportation companies. In an interview about her journey from truck driver to VP of environmental affairs and domestic plant engineering at UPS, Tamara Barker recounts her size coming into question when applying for a driving position. Referring to the human resources recruiter, Barker states, “She explained that the job of a UPS package delivery driver was a very difficult one, where candidates would be required to drive large vehicles safely and deliver 300 to 400 packages a day. She questioned my stature and ability to do that.” Despite the recruiter’s apprehension, Barker became a UPS driver and then worked her way to the top of the company.

Other women truck drivers have experienced similar skepticism and even recount male truck drivers closely watching as they back their rigs into decks. One driver with 15 years of experience states, “I’ve had men tell me, ‘Why aren’t you home having babies?’” However, it is these same women who encourage others to pursue their passions despite any challenges that may come their way.

Barker says in her interview. “I encourage women to know who they are, know what they want, and have a plan to get there. Find your style of management and be confident.”

How Women are Improving the Trucking Industry

While there may be growing pains, the influx in women truck drivers is doing a lot of good for the trucking industry as well as communities all over the country. Most importantly, women are helping end the trucker shortage. Trucking isn’t an easy job, and since it requires long hours and oftentimes dangerous weather conditions, the industry has suffered a deficit in interested candidates. However, thanks to the increase in women, the trucker shortage is ending. This means that less stress is being put on current truck drivers and trucking businesses, and communities are able to get their goods delivered more effectively.

New truck driver Faye Clark discusses why she enjoys her job as a truck driver saying, “My favorite thing is knowing I can handle something that big on the road, and be able to transport the merchandise people need these days.”

Looking to the Future

As of 2018, only 6% of the US’s truck drivers are women. However, there are many initiatives working to raise that number by showing women and girls that truck driving could be a good choice for their futures. The CDS Tractor Trailer Training program recently worked with Virginia Western to create a billboard ad on the back of a tractor trailer to help recruit women to their training program in Roanoke, Virginia. The ad has proven to be a success, and many women have said the billboard allowed them to see themselves behind the wheel of the tractor trailer for the first time. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in the number of women who have come into our program,” said Crystal Kennedy, of CDS Tractor Trailer Training. “We’re up to about 10 percent of our student population being women.”

As a way to introduce trucking as a career option to young girls, the Women in Trucking Associating worked with the Girl Scouts of America to create a Girl Scout Transportation Patch.

These initiatives, along with other recruitment tactics, will not only ensure that more and more women choose truck driving as a career, but they will also allow women to be educated about their career options at every age.

Overall, the rise of women in trucking is doing a lot of good for the industry. Not only is it filling job positions and helping end a trucking shortage across the country, but it is putting a stop to workforce stereotypes. Encouraging diversity in any industry allows new voices to be heard, which will lead to new ideas and progress in all areas of business. On the subject, Tamara Barker says, “While I have seen more women in leadership roles over the years and it’s important to be at the table, it is far more important to have a voice that is heard. Once the voices and opinions of all are equally considered, regardless of gender, we will see changes in the industry.”

 

Looking to start your trucking career? Mission Financial Services can help with all of your financing needs and get you behind the wheel in no time.

Hurricane Season: What Does it Mean for the Freight Industry?

 

 

This year, hurricane season rocked the coast as we’ve grown to expect. This September, Hurricane Florence swept the Carolinas at a category 4, leaving destruction in its wake. When natural disasters arise, our focus shifts to families in need. When survivors need supplies, semi trucks are pulled from regular circulation to deliver aid to those in need. Many truck drivers and members of the commercial vehicle workforce may be wondering what this means—and how hurricane season influences the freight industry.

FEMA and Freight Load Demand

Mandatory evacuation is closely linked to the commercial transportation industry during a hurricane. In order to support the traffic flow associated with mandatory evacuation, some major highways usually need to be reversed. Simultaneously, September begins a busy season for the commercial transportation industry in preparation for higher consumer spending during the holidays. During emergencies, FEMA pulls trucking capacity from all over the country for help delivering supplies. Tight seasonal capacity compounded by the demand for capacity in an emergency has the power to affect the flow of goods nationwide. FEMA can even pay truckers competitive rates to incentivize help to affected areas quickly.

Considering that truck drivers today are already in great demand, it’s easy to see that a large storm carries implications for the efficacy of the freight industry. According to Dial-A-Truck, or DAT, the freight market is affected in three key stages during a natural disaster: before, during and after.

Before the storm hits, FEMA might increase demand for loads to be transported out of the storm’s path of destruction. During the storm volume will drastically decrease due to unsafe road conditions and closed roads. After the hurricane, FEMA will call for emergency freight, often posted on the DAT Load Boards.

The aftermath of a hurricane prevents trucks from safely returning to the road. Practically speaking, flooded roads, downed trees, and damaged infrastructure slow drivers ability to meet the demands waiting for them. For example, in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey, the number of freight loads nationally dropped 10%. Because Houston is a major city and transportation/freight hub, the potential effects on the industry were amplified. Freight loads out of Houston immediately following the storm fell 72%.

What This Means Today

Hurricane Florence affected the Carolinas including Charleston this September with winds strong enough to cause widespread power outages and uprooted trees. Large sections of I-95 and US Route 70 were flooded for days following the storm, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation instructed all drivers to avoid driving in the state completely. Recommended detours included routes through Tennessee and Virginia. While parts of major highways were cleared for use just ten days later, hundreds of other roads in North Carolina stayed down.

After a hurricane, floods can also damage warehouses and fulfillment centers, preventing drivers from returning to work. Days can translate into weeks when goods start to back up and overflow other centers. For some time after the storm, many shipments in and out of the area could be allocated to rebuilding damage. So how does the backup influence market prices?

Price Increases

Price increases are normal after a natural disaster. This has to do with the relationship between supply and demand. After an initial dip, demand increases following hurricane season, but supply can still be stifled. For example, according to the DAT Trendlines, load to truck ratios increased for van, reefer and flatbed equipment types in the week following Hurricane Florence. National average rates slipped in the week following the hurricane as well. Spot market loads have increased 2.9%  and spot market capacity has increased 1.4%. Following Hurricane Katrina, for example, spot rates rose 7 percentage points for a solid five month stretch.

After a hurricane, it’s also common for gas and food prices to increase. Following hurricane Florence in September, fuel prices are up .3%. This is mild compared to the influence of Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall in Texas last year. Because Texas is a major U.S. petroleum production site, the impact was significant. 14 refineries shut down as a result of hurricane damage. Gas prices nationally after Hurricane Harvey rose a whopping 15% according to CNN. Luckily, Hurricane Florence has made less impact on gas prices. This translates to good news for the trucking industry.

Positive Outlook

Ultimately, the commercial transportation industry is resilient. Following a hurricane or natural disaster, supplying relief and supplies to those in need takes priority.Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Florence this September. To keep you on the road, remember that a semi truck repair loan could help you cover the cost of damages caused to your truck in the event of an emergency. To learn more about your options, visit https://www.missionfinancialservices.net today.

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