Is it us, or is Halloween just not as scary as it used to be?
Somehow witches, ghosts and ghouls just aren't as frightening as war, drought and famine. Vampires and werewolves don't make us nearly as nervous as E. coli and staph infection. And, is there anyone among us who would be shocked to learn that a modern day Frankenstein is being built in a secret laboratory somewhere?
If you remember when Halloween meant soaping your neighbor's car windows, egging your teacher's house and drinking hot apple cider in your grandma and grandpa's barn, then you remember Halloween the same way we do. The only thing that made you sick was eating too much candy.
We sure miss that Halloween.
We tend to google around quite a bit, but then we get paid to google around, not really, but it was fun to think that for a minute. Anyway, we'll be sitting around talking about the e-Report and somebody will invariably say, why don't we google 'fifth wheel' and see what comes up.
So, we will. And, the first entry on the google search results list for fifth wheel is from wikipedia, which is a whole other search deal, anyway, the point is we can google just about anything and then comment on it for the e-Report and that's why we tend to google around a lot. It's not that we're inquisitive; we just need something to write about for the e-Report.
Anyway, this week somebody said, 'Let's google 'truck drivers'.
So, we did. And, the second entry on the list of search results was from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Here's what the BLS had to say about the ‘Nature of the Work’ of a truck driver.
Truck drivers are a constant presence on the Nation’s highways and interstates. They deliver everything from automobiles to canned food. Firms of all kinds rely on trucks to pick up and deliver goods because no other form of transportation can deliver goods door-to-door. Even if some goods travel most of the way by ship, train, or airplane, almost everything is carried by trucks at some point in its journey.
Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers check the fuel level and oil in their trucks. They also inspect the trucks to make sure that the brakes, windshield wipers, and lights are working and that a fire extinguisher, flares, and other safety equipment are aboard and in working order. Drivers make sure their cargo is secure and adjust the mirrors so that both sides of the truck are visible from the driver’s seat. Drivers report equipment that is inoperable, missing, or loaded improperly to the dispatcher.
Once under way, drivers must be alert in order to prevent accidents. Drivers can see farther down the road because large trucks seat them higher off the ground than other vehicles. This allows them to see the road ahead and select lanes that are moving more smoothly as well as giving them warning of any dangerous road conditions ahead of them.
The duration of runs vary according to the types of cargo and the destinations. Local drivers may provide daily service for a specific route or region, while other drivers make longer, intercity and interstate deliveries. Interstate and intercity cargo tends to vary from job to job more than local cargo. A driver’s responsibilities and assignments change according to the type of loads transported and their vehicle’s size.
New technologies are changing the way truck drivers work, especially long-distance truck drivers. Satellites and the Global Positioning System link many trucks with their company’s headquarters. Troubleshooting information, directions, weather reports, and other important communications can be instantly relayed to the truck. Drivers can easily communicate with the dispatcher to discuss delivery schedules and courses of action in the event of mechanical problems. The satellite link also allows the dispatcher to track the truck’s location, fuel consumption, and engine performance. Some drivers also work with computerized inventory tracking equipment. It is important for the producer, warehouse, and customer to know their product’s location at all times so they can maintain a high quality of service.
Heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers operate trucks or vans with a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). They transport goods including cars, livestock, and other materials in liquid, loose, or packaged form. Many routes are from city to city and cover long distances. Some companies use two drivers on very long runs—one drives while the other sleeps in a berth behind the cab. These “sleeper” runs can last for days, or even weeks. Trucks on sleeper runs typically stop only for fuel, food, loading, and unloading.
Some heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers who have regular runs transport freight to the same city on a regular basis. Other drivers perform ad hoc runs because shippers request varying service to different cities every day.
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that drivers keep a log of their activities, the condition of the truck, and the circumstances of any accidents.
Long-distance heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers spend most of their working time behind the wheel, but also may have to load or unload their cargo. This is especially common when drivers haul specialty cargo, because they may be the only ones at the destination familiar with procedures or certified to handle the materials. Auto-transport drivers, for example, position cars on the trailers at the manufacturing plant and remove them at the dealerships. When picking up or delivering furniture, drivers of long-distance moving vans hire local workers to help them load or unload.
Light or delivery services truck drivers operate vans and trucks weighing less than 26,000 pounds GVW. They pick up or deliver merchandise and packages within a specific area. This may include short “turnarounds” to deliver a shipment to a nearby city, pick up another loaded truck or van, and drive it back to their home base the same day. These services may require use of electronic delivery tracking systems to track the whereabouts of the merchandise or packages. Light or delivery services truck drivers usually load or unload the merchandise at the customer’s place of business. They may have helpers if there are many deliveries to make during the day, or if the load requires heavy moving. Typically, before the driver arrives for work, material handlers load the trucks and arrange items for ease of delivery. Customers must sign receipts for goods and pay drivers the balance due on the merchandise if there is a cash-on-delivery arrangement. At the end of the day drivers turn in receipts, payments, records of deliveries made, and any reports on mechanical problems with their trucks.
Some local truck drivers have sales and customer service responsibilities. The primary responsibility of driver/sales workers, or route drivers, is to deliver and sell their firm’s products over established routes or within an established territory. They sell goods such as food products, including restaurant takeout items, or pick up and deliver items such as laundry. Their response to customer complaints and requests can make the difference between a large order and a lost customer. Route drivers may also take orders and collect payments.
The duties of driver/sales workers vary according to their industry, the policies of their employer, and the emphasis placed on their sales responsibility. Most have wholesale routes that deliver to businesses and stores, rather than to homes. For example, wholesale bakery driver/sales workers deliver and arrange bread, cakes, rolls, and other baked goods on display racks in grocery stores. They estimate how many of each item to stock by paying close attention to what is selling. They may recommend changes in a store’s order or encourage the manager to stock new bakery products. Laundries that rent linens, towels, work clothes, and other items employ driver/sales workers to visit businesses regularly to replace soiled laundry. Their duties also may include soliciting new customers along their sales route.
After completing their route, driver/sales workers place orders for their next deliveries based on product sales and customer requests.
ACS MultiMedia
Trucker Buddy of the Month
Clayton James
Trucker Buddy Clayton James was so inspiring to Dian Curtis’s fifth-grade classes each school year that she was inspired to continue nominating him as Driver of the Month over and over. In September, he was named the ACS MultiMedia Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month.
“Every year it gets better and better,” Curtis said of Clayton, who joined the program as a volunteer in 2003 corresponding with Curtis’s students at Ellisville Elementary School in Ellisville, Mo. “He is so awesome. All of the students have really enjoyed this activity.”
James sent three to four postcards every week.
This information enhances our curriculum: historical sites with interesting facts about the country for social studies, math for computing word problems such as distances from city to city or truck weight, reading to improve our factual comprehension, language arts for incorporating writing and language skills,” Curtis related. “Mr. James offers encouragement to the class in every letter and post card by reminding them to keep reading throughout their lives.”
Often, the nomination letters from the students tell the story the best: “The most important thing is he inspires us to read,” said student Jerrick, who noted that James provided books for the school library.
All of the students were touched by James’s generous nature, evidenced by the fact all 18 of the students’ letters noted his gift of books to the school library and the $15 gift certificates to Barnes and Noble he gave all 24 students to encourage reading. Student Jacob made a list to make sure the nominating committee did not overlook anything:
1. Personal Letters
2. Sent postcards about states–added to Social Studies
3. Encourages us to read
4. Gave $15.00 g.c. for all 24 students
5. Gave us books for the school library
6. Pizza coupons so we can have pizza parties
7. And most of all he came to visit us and gave us safety tips about semi-trucks.
These lessons about trucking and safety also had a big impact on the students: “When he came to our school he gave us a truck safety highway driving lesson to share with our parents,” said student Katelyn.
James, a retired lieutenant colonel from the Army, was a company driver for Seward Motor Freight, Seward, Neb., while he was paired with Curtis’s class. Now retired from trucking, he lives in Kansas City, Mo.
“Having Mr. James as a Trucker Buddy is part of what made fifth grade so fun,” said student Amy.
Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month receives a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of program sponsor ACS MultiMedia Advertising ( www.tmi-multimedia.com), the advertising agency of choice for the trucking industry. They also receive an IdleAire adaptor ( www.IdleAire.com), a Koolatron cooler and a complete set of Airtabs for their tractor or trailer ( www.airtab.com). Five owner operators have received a set of steer tires from Continental Tire. The class will receive a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works ( www.ingenuityworks.com), which will help them learn more about how trucks move freight across the continent.
James is among some 3,500 other professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. The only criteria to be a Trucker Buddy is to be a professional truck driver with a CDL who is willing to send a postcard each week to a class in grades two through eight. Drivers and teachers can find out more about the program by visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY-BUDDY.
Trucker Buddy is dependent on corporate sponsors such as ACS MultiMedia Advertising
and TruckDriver.com to fund the program.
The results of the I Miss Don Survey were a little surprising, we thought there would be a larger split, but the vote was nearly fifty-fifty. 46% of you reported you would tune in if Don Imus returns to the airwaves while 54% said you wouldn't. We told you it was nearly fifty-fifty, now you know what we mean by nearly!
Anyway, there's only one right answer, to our next survey question, but you'll have to wait until the next time to find out what it is, but you can guess by taking The TruckDriver.com Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Survey.
No googling please.
Until next time, keep on truckin' and please drive safely.
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