| Dear {FName}, |
January 1 , 2012 |
The page has been turned, 2011 is behind us and a new chapter called 2012 begins. We sincerely hope it’s the best chapter ever in your book of life!
Happy New Year!
from
TruckDriver.com
Wanna make a little extra cash in 2012?
If the experts are right, 2012 will be a rebound year for the trucking industry. Freight is expected to increase in the coming year which means the need for qualified, professional truck drivers will increase as well.
That’s good news for those of you working for carriers offering a Driver Referral Bonus.
Most carriers offer some type of Referral Bonus to their drivers and the best part is, it's easy to make. All you have to do is refer another driver to your company and if he or she gets hired, you get paid. It's that simple.
From what we've seen, carriers are offering anywhere from $500.00 to $1,000.00 in Driver Referral Bonus payments. If you only bring in one driver a month that could mean an extra twelve grand a year in your pocket - and with that you could get a couple of really nice pockets!
Here are a few tips that will give you an inside track on how to take full advantage of your company's driver referral program:
- Always carry a handful of your company's driver applications in the truck with you. You never know when another driver might ask about applying. Make sure you put your full name and truck number in the "Referred by" space on every application.
- Memorize the toll free recruiting number. If another driver seems genuinely interested in hiring on, tell him or her to call and mention your name. Also, it's a good idea to get the full name of the driver you are referring, that way you can follow up with the recruiting department to see if he or she has been hired.
- If you carry a laptop or smartphone, bookmark your company’s website so you can easily access the driver recruiting page when talking with an interested driver.
- Develop a relationship with one of the recruiters inside, perhaps the recruiter who hired you. Make them your point of contact for referring drivers and following up on applicants. They can also keep you abreast of any changes taking place in the company.
Recruiters really are interested in helping you recruit other drivers; it makes their job that much easier.
If your company offers a Driver Referral Bonus and you're not taking advantage of it, then you're missing out on a very real source of extra income.
Next time you're by the terminal, stop in and visit with the Recruiting Manager, get the details on the Referral Bonus and pick up some applications, you'll be glad you did.
The Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a final rule that employs the latest research in driver fatigue to make sure truck drivers can get the rest they need to operate safely when on the road. The new rule by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revises the hours-of-service (HOS) safety requirements for commercial truck drivers.
"Trucking is a difficult job, and a big rig can be deadly when a driver is tired and overworked," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This final rule will help prevent fatigue-related truck crashes and save lives. Truck drivers deserve a work environment that allows them to perform their jobs safely."
As part of the HOS rulemaking process, FMCSA held six public listening sessions across the country and encouraged safety advocates, drivers, truck company owners, law enforcement and the public to share their input on HOS requirements. The listening sessions were live webcast on the FMCSA Web site, allowing a broad cross-section of individuals to participate in the development of this safety-critical rule.
"This final rule is the culmination of the most extensive and transparent public outreach effort in our agency's history," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "With robust input from all areas of the trucking community, coupled with the latest scientific research, we carefully crafted a rule acknowledging that when truckers are rested, alert and focused on safety, it makes our roadways safer."
FMCSA's new HOS final rule reduces by 12 hours the maximum number of hours a truck driver can work within a week. Under the old rule, truck drivers could work on average up to 82 hours within a seven-day period. The new HOS final rule limits a driver's work week to 70 hours.
In addition, truck drivers cannot drive after working eight hours without first taking a break of at least 30 minutes. Drivers can take the 30-minute break whenever they need rest during the eight-hour window.
The final rule retains the current 11-hour daily driving limit. FMCSA will continue to conduct data analysis and research to further examine any risks associated with the 11 hours of driving time.
The rule requires truck drivers who maximize their weekly work hours to take at least two nights' rest when their 24-hour body clock demands sleep the most - from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. This rest requirement is part of the rule's "34-hour restart" provision that allows drivers to restart the clock on their work week by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. The final rule allows drivers to use the restart provision only once during a seven-day period.
Companies and drivers that commit egregious violations of the rule could face the maximum penalties for each offense. Trucking companies that allow drivers to exceed the 11-hour driving limit by 3 or more hours could be fined $11,000 per offense, and the drivers themselves could face civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense.
Commercial truck drivers and companies must comply with the HOS final rule by July 1, 2013. The rule is being sent to the Federal Register today and is currently available on FMCSA's Web site at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/HOSFinalRule.
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need advise on the best or a good truck driver training school
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Joseph Rich Awarded Trucker Buddy of the Month for August 2011
Joseph Rich, a driver for Wayne Dalton Transportation, has been named Trucker Buddy of the Month for August 2011 after being nominated by Donna O’Connell, a fifth grade teacher at Wadding River Elementary School in Wading River, N.Y.
O’Connell explains why she nominated Rich saying, “he has been extremely thoughtful, generous and kind to each and every one of my students. At least once a month, he individually writes to each child in my class. My students enjoy receiving the ‘class envelope’ filled with letters. Everyone waits patiently for his/her letter to be passed out.”
“Mr. Joe”, as the class calls him, sends weekly traveling reports, where the students track him on a United States map. “We calculate the distance and time he travels,” says O’Connell. “My class has learned so much in geography and math with the help of Mr. Joe and the Trucker Buddy Program.”
Rich took some time out of his busy schedule this year to make a class visit. The students were so excited to finally meet him and enjoyed his speech about truck safety to each fifth-grade class. Also, Rich allowed the students to climb aboard his truck and take a look inside the truck's cabin. They were surprised to see a bed, refrigerator and even a television. O’Connell and her class were extremely grateful for the thoughtfulness Rich demonstrates to the class. “He traveled all the way from Canton, Ohio, just to meet my class and they were very impressed. Something they never expected to happen,” says O’Connell. “I have been involved in the Trucker Buddy Program for three years now working with Mr. Joe and I look forward to a fourth. Because of his kind and thoughtful ways, I recommend that Mr. Joseph Rich be chosen as your next Trucker Buddy of the Month.”
Some students wrote to express their appreciation for their “Mr. Joe.”
“I would like to recommend Mr. Joe for the Trucker Buddy of the Month because he sends us gifts and answers all our questions. He always writes us back too. I think he would make a perfect winner.”
“I would like to recommend Mr. Joe as the Trucker Buddy of the Month. He is very kind in his letters that he sends us and he is very cool.”“Mr. Joe is very nice and he writes to everyone in the class and gives us gifts for no reason at all. I think Mr. Joe is the best Trucker Buddy and should be the Trucker Buddy of the Month.”
“I would like to recommend Mr. Joe because he always writes back to everybody individually through our teacher. In my opinion he is very generous and gives us gifts from his company.”
The TruckDriver.com Job Search Survey results are in and once again the sales guys are high-fiving everyone they see.
Here’s why:
How will you go about looking for your next driving job?
Online Search - 36%
Newspapers/Employment Guides - 7%
Driver Recruiting Magazines - 2%
Call Company Recruiters - 8%
Attend Truck Shows/Job Fairs - 0%
All of the Above - 20%
Use TruckDriver.com - 27%
Sales guys - go figure!
If you’ll scroll back up, you’ll remember that we started off this edition of the e-Report with an article on the Driver Referral Bonus and with that being said, we offer up the TruckDriver.com Driver Referral Bonus Survey.
Until next time, have a safe and prosperous New Year!
Keep on truckin’ and please drive safely.
* * * * *
Your Comments Are Always Welcome
We do like to hear from you and invite you to let us know how we can improve the e-Report. Please send your ideas and suggestions to: jobs@truckdriver.com
“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions.”
~ Joey Adams ~
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