We know you marked your calendar for the Mid America Trucking Show -  March 21 -23, 2013 so why not add another little note to visit us at Booth 63004 next week. See ya there!

Truckload Driver Turnover Slips in Fourth Quarter
American Trucking Associations

The turnover rate for drivers in the truckload sector took a surprising dip in the fourth quarter, according to the American Trucking Associations’ Trucking Activity Report, the likely result of a weakened economy and overall freight volumes.

Turnover at large truckload carriers dropped from an annualized rate of 104% in the third quarter to 90%, its lowest point since the first quarter of the year. For all of 2012, turnover averaged 98%, the highest since 2007 when the churn rate averaged 117%.

At smaller truckload fleets, the turnover rate dipped to 76% from 94% in the previous quarter. Small fleet turnover averaged 82% in 2012 – the highest since 2007’s average of 90%.

“As freight volumes slid a bit at the end of 2012, we saw turnover follow suit,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. “However, this is just a respite from the long-term trend and driver shortage storm that’s coming when the freight economy accelerates; and even then, these relaxed levels are still quite high relative to recent years.”

Costello said as it stands now, the industry is still short between 20,000 and 25,000 drivers in the truckload sector – a figure that a healthier economy will only force to grow.

Latest Forum Topics
Canadian Forum
How old is your truck?

Commercial Drivers, Decision Making and Sleep
Derek Hinton - DOTJobHistory

As a commercial driver, your career is based on daily decision making. And of course this is true for most careers, but the decisions you make on a daily basis are more consequential than most. If I make a poor decision it may mean using the wrong word, misspelling a word or just being dumb. You’ll laugh at me and go along your way. If you make a bad decision when I’m driving next to you I probably won’t laugh and I may not go along my way.

And one of the things that greatly negatively affects decision making is a lack of sleep. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are around 100,000 traffic accidents a year due to sleep deprivation and 1,550 fatalities. Sleep deprivation affects your concentration, your vision and memory. You may also get headaches, become agitated at things that otherwise would not bother you and in general make (as a college professor might say) “sub-optimal” decisions. You cuss your dispatcher, get impatient on the road or quit your company on bad terms when you otherwise would not have.

So you need to get good sleep. I’ll list some of the proven strategies to get better sleep. And while I’m listing, see if anything jumps out at you when considering these strategies and the life of an over the road driver.

● Keep a sleep schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. You have to be consistent.

● Watch what you eat.
Eat healthy and again, be consistent.

● Have a stress-free relaxation time prior to trying to sleep.

● Create a good sleep environment
Your sleeping environment should be quiet, dark, a consistent, comfortable temperature and your bed should be clean and comfortable.

● Exercise is Critical
Consistent, regular exercise directly contributes to better sleep. Aerobic and weight bearing exercises are important. However, timing is important. You should not exercise to close to when you are going to sleep.

● Manage your stress
Stress is often caused by a feeling that things are out of your control—that you are not in charge of what you will be doing, where you will be in the short and long term.

So. Did anything jump out at you regarding these suggestions as a commercial truck driver? What jumps out is that the life of an OTR driver is almost uniformly unsuited to these standards. You don’t get to keep a schedule. It’s tough to eat right on the road. Sometimes after bad weather, heavy traffic or an otherwise frustrating stint of driving, you don’t have the luxury to decompress before needing to sleep. You do stop by the exercise spa on a daily basis though, right? And regarding stress: that idiot driver in the $65K car on the cell phone that did their best kamikaze impersonation, you saved their bacon—and they never even noticed what happened.

Forget it, manage your stress, go to sleep.

So what’s the point you’re asking? Why point out that OTR drivers make consequential decisions every day, describe how bad lack of sleep can negatively affect decision making, and then show how the life of an OTR driver is almost uniquely qualified to break every sleep rule?

No, I’m not a masochist. My point is that because decision making is so important to you, because lack of sleep messes with your decision making, because the life of an OTR driver is so non-conducive to good sleep---you’ve got to get when the getting is good. Sleep Apnea can prevent you from getting good sleep even in ideal conditions. I’ll explain next time-- I’ve now got some first-hand experience with this.

TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month
Eastern Freight Ways, Inc.

Established in 1994, Eastern Freight Ways is the premium service truckload carrier in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Their  "on the ball" motto exemplifies their service record of excellent response time, guaranteed equipment availability and outstanding on-time performance.

Every aspect of their organization is positioned to satisfy the customer, from dispatch. . . to customer service. . . to account management. Their team of professional drivers is trained for safety and performance. Each Eastern vehicle is equipped with the latest in satellite technology for enhanced communication, shipment tracking and increased efficiency.

Through their superior service with maximum integrity, and their position as a single resource for all of their clients' total truckload shipping needs, Eastern Freight Ways aims to be the highest performing truckload carrier in the Northeast. They routinely exceed their customers' requirements while providing excellent value at competitive prices.

Eastern needs to grow their fleet 75% to meet customer demand!

Call Driver Recruiting - 800.428.6193
EasternFreightways.com

Eastern Freight Ways is a proud member of the Shevell Group, (NEMF, Eastern Freight Ways, Carrier Industries Inc. and Apex Logistics), with over 5,000 trucks and trailers, one of the largest privately held transportation companies in the industry.

Here are the results of the TruckDriver.com the DOT and Me Survey. Looks like about 4% of you are in big trouble!

Outside of a weigh station or an official check point, have you ever been stopped by a DOT agent?

Yes - 58%
No - 38%
I decline to answer due to an ongoing federal investigation - 4%

There shouldn’t be any trouble with the TruckDriver.com Truck Show Survey though. A simple yes or no will do!

Until next time, 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

Featured Jobs

Flatbed & Specialized Heavy Haul Drivers
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance + 401k
Laredo Lanes Available!! Singles or Teams
West Coast to Ohio Valley & Texas