ETrucker.com has a great article on a report released this week by the American Trucking Associations concludes that many more times than not, car drivers are at fault when cars and trucks crash with one another, which is just more reason to be a safe, defensive driver. ATA’s report rounded up reports from several large studies for its findings, including from agencies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and groups like the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute.
The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute — a leader in truck-related crash research, says ATA — studied 8,309 fatal car-truck crashes to determine fault. 81 percent of the time, car drivers were assigned at fault, says the study, versus 27 percent for truck drivers. (more…)
WCCO had a story on recently about truck driving and safety that is worth watching. And you might notice that Interstate Truck Driving School makes a very short appearance with the story.
When the Minnesota Trucking Association picks its top driver every year, safety is a big consideration.
On Thursday night, Nathan Wick was honored as Minnesota’s 2012 Truck Driver of the Year. The UPS driver was chosen, because of his safety record, job performance, and community service.
He’s also driven more than 25,000 hours without an accident. (more…)
A representative from TMC Trucking Company will be at our South St. Paul location to visit with our students and prospective students. Several of our students have gone to TMC and they like the high pay based on performance.
This is a great opportunity to get all of your questions about TMC answered. They are the largest flat bed carrier in the country and they are based out of Des Moines Iowa.
Here is a picture of one of our students with his TMC truck. Notice the big smile! If you want to driving one of the nicest rigs on the road, check out TMC.
Minnesota got slammed all day yesterday with snow. Up to 16 inches fell in some Twin City area’s and that means slippery roadways for everyone., especially truck drivers. Use caution on days like today (Dec 10th) and give yourself plenty of room on the roadways. Here is a video from KSTP in St. Paul about the snow and driving in the Twin Cities.
Overdrive Online is such a great resource for drivers. They have recently released an article on how to get more from your tires. While these tips are pretty standard in the truck driving industry, they are also very useful and should be taken seriously. Here are the three tips.
Maintain Proper Inflation
Perform Routine Maintanence
Employ Good Driving Habits
To see the full article and the full description of each tip, CLICK HERE.
Schneider National is one of the countries largest trucking companies. Bryan Schafer from Schneider will be at our south St Paul. For more information call Darrell at 651-707-4672.
“At Schneider, we’re all about doing right by our people. Ask any of them and they’ll tell you, we’re big where it matters and small where it counts. Everyday, our sales force is winning new business, our drivers are impressing our customers with record service levels and we’re keeping our promise to deliver great careers to the best people in the industry.”
For 74 years, we have remained true to our core values and have made decisions that lead both our business as a whole and our individual associates forward.
When you have the best people, you get the best results. That’s what Schneider is all about.
There is no truck driver on the road today more recognizable than the one behind the wheel of a Schneider tractor-trailer. For the last 75 years, we’ve employed the best the industry has to offer, hands down – the safest, most respected and seasoned group of truck drivers out there.
95% of our fleet are experienced truck driving professionals — 1,807 with a million or more accident-free miles under their belts. Another 2,324 experienced truck drivers joined us this year — and nearly a thousand of them came back after trying other companies.
Whatever you’re looking for, Schneider delivers.
All drivers are not created equal. By being big where it matters and small where it counts, Schneider is able to offer several types of driving careers to suit your needs and exceed your expectations. This year 75% of our drivers will get home weekly. That’s huge. It means you’ll get the miles you need and get home more often.
Sleep Apnea is a very tough disease to deal with, especially when it comes to truck drivers. New action is being proposed in the constant battle to hone in on ways to diagnose and treat workers suffering from sleep apnea. Schneider National has been very proactive in the fight against sleep apnea. A recent study conducted by the carrier shows that sleep apnea is still prevalent in trucking and that the research indicates 30% of all truck crashes are related to fatigue. Schneider screened 19,371 of its drivers and found that 31% suffered from severe sleep apnea, while 79.7% suffered from some degree of apnea.
Edward Grandi, executive director of the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASPA) recently spoke with Fleet Owner Magazine about this very topic.
“What we’re trying to do now is get companies to look at treating OSA [obstructive sleep apnea] as an investment rather than a cost, because research indicates it costs far more in health care expenditures and lost productivity for starters to leave OSA untreated.”
There is such a thing as going too fast. And a new stretch of road along I-35 between San Antonio and Austin which was built to relieve traffic congestion maybe where truck drivers draw the line.
The Texas DOT plans to set the speed limit at 85 mph on SH 130, which would make it the fastest posted speed limit in the country. The American Trucking Association has urged the Texas DOT to drop the speed limit to 65, but some worry a slower speed limit will discourage other drivers from taking the new road.
After two truck crashes caused major backups on I-75, one of Florida’s most popular roads, the Florida DOT has decided to lower the speed limit from 70 mph to 60 mph. ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral
Debbie Tower, a spokesperson with the Florida DOT spoke with ABC News about the new speed limit. “Drivers are making dangerous decisions. “They need to slow down and pay attention,”. She also claims poor driving habits and bad weather are to blame for the wrecks.
I-75 stretches from upper Michigan to lower Florida and usually has a speed limit of 70-75 mph. But after the two crashes that occured in construction zones, and sent three people to the hospital, Florida will have one of the slowest sections on I-75.
TruckFlix has posted an article about a Kansas carrier that has been forced to shut down due to a massive amount of Hours of Service violations.
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered a Kansas-based carrier to “immediately cease all transportation services” for serious safety violations.
FMCSA stated in a news release that drivers had extensive hours-of-service violations and “posed an imminent hazard to public safety”.
