truck driving

Day in the Life of a CDL Driver

The trucking job imposes excellent challenges but also opens a new perspective. Truck drivers operate vehicles on domestic and international routes taking them to various destinations. A truck driver’s job is never monotonous. If you’re considering applying for a CDL driver job and want to know about the day in the life of a driver, here are some highlights, obstacles and recommendations. Planning An average workday includes thorough planning, navigating the roads and maintaining safety. The day starts with planning the route to meet the requirements. Drivers usually have booked time slots with the warehouse to take the cargo. Also, they might have various stops to deliver goods to adjacent distribution centers. Lastly, drivers have a specific delivery time they

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How to become a better truck driver

Many risks and dangers can put truck drivers in peril, so becoming a better truck driver should is a priority to stay safe on the road. Here are some recommended tips and tricks to help improve truck-driving skills, instill more confidence and become a better truck driver: Getting To Know Your Vehicle Every truck is different, so getting to know your vehicle will  help you to become a better trucker. Since each truck is unique, familiarity builds expertise. And since every truck is different, taking time to understand the nuances and the personalities of individual trucks will help develop truck driving skills, including learning its strengths and weaknesses. For example, to what degree can a truck’s limits be tested? What

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Stuck in a rut? How about driving a Walmart truck for $110,000

No one has ever said making a living as a truck driver was easy. But starting pay of $110,000 a year might be the enough incentive to attract more workers to a long-hauler career. Walmart hopes so. The country’s largest retailer is trying to alleviate the country’s truck driver shortage by increasing the starting salary to $110,000 for those interesting in long-distance hauling the company’s vehicles. Driver with previous work experience working for with Walmart can earn more based on their tenure and location. Walmart, which currently has about 12,000 workers who drive its company-owned trucks, said the average company driver’s pay was $87,500. It hired 4,500 new drivers in 2021, the most in Walmart’s history. The median pay for

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Wisconsin pickup truck driver plunges 70 feet, lives (video)

How scary is winter driving? A melting snowbank and freezing conditions on Wisconsin on a freeway ramp could have cost a pickup truck driver his life. A camera operated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation captured the truck’s crash film, just after the driver, Richard Lee Oliver, lost control. The dramatic footage also documented a miracle. The red pickup truck plunged 70 feet after plowing into the snowbank and tumbling over the barrier. Pickup truck driver loses control Two drivers came to the man’s aid following the wreck on west I-94 just east of Interstate 41 in the Zoo Interchange. The single-car accident victim was transported to a Milwaukee hospital by firefighters with non-life-threatening injuries. A preliminary investigation reportedly revealed

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National Truck Driving Championship Challenges Best of the Best

SPONSORED CONTENT The annual three-day National Truck Driving Championship is held in August and features competitors from every state competing head-to-head in eight classes. They vie for the honor as the Bendix Grand Champion. One component of the competition stands out — knowledge is valued as much as driving skills. Competitors have to demonstrate skill, knowledge and capability but not just on the obstacle course. Drivers must also complete a written test to show their knowledge of rules and procedures. And they inspect a vehicle to show their knowledge of vehicles and their ability to detect malfunctions. Given the sometimes bad press the industry receives in situations involving accidents or ill-prepared drivers, this demonstrates the industry’s commitment to safe driving.

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Tracy Morgan wreck spotlights long-haul trucking woes

The crash last Saturday involving comedian Tracy Morgan, his entourage and a Walmart truck driver accused of overt fatigue, has again brought to the forefront the inherent potential dangers of long-haul trucking. Bill Briggs, writing for the website of NBC news, has filed a lengthy and compression article titled: “Tracy Morgan Crash: Why Are Some Long-Haul Truckers So Tired?” In the article, Briggs writes in part: “One year ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) installed several rules to try to keep weary truckers off highways, including mandating a 30-minute break during the first eight hours of their shift and reducing maximum workweeks to 70 hours over eight days — including a 34-hour break once per week.” “But federal transportation

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