auxiliary power units Archives - Page 4 of 4

10 Aug

How to Find a Trucking Job

The key to landing a trucking job is being prepared and knowing what to expect. Most often, truckers start the hiring process by speaking to a trucking recruiter. Recruiters frequently hire only for one company (the company they work for themselves), so it may be to your advantage to shop around and talk to a number of different recruiters to find the best company for you.

Next, never lie to a recruiter when seeking a trucking job. The truth will eventually come out any way. This may or may not involve disclosing information that may seem to work against you but truth is always the best policy. Also, recruiters will ask you for a variety of information, so be sure to have the following on hand:

A current, non-expired CDL with an accurate home address
Your work history for at least the last 3 years (some recruiters may want 5 or 10 years of history).
The names and contact information for all of your former employers.
Proof of your work history including old W2 tax forms, reference letters, or DOT numbers. This information will be especially helpful if any of the companies you worked for previously have since gone out of business.
A copy of your driving record or MVR
Proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

Homeland Security regulations require that all commercial truckers undergo a background check prior to being hired. This simply reflects the times in which we are living. Companies will be able to see a copy of your DAC report which will reveal previous driving jobs, any accidents in which you were involved, and notes of any problems with former employers.

If there is anything on your record that might be questionable, it is very important that you talk about this with the recruiter right away. It is much better to be professional and proactive upfront when discussing information that might be detrimental to you. Also, a potential employer is going to need to know about any incidents, or accidents, for at least the previous three years.

The demand for truckers is at times very high, and it is relatively easy for most qualified truckers to find steady work. Nevertheless, some researchers estimate that as many of 15% of drivers, even those with extensive experience fail to qualify when applying for a trucking position. Work hard towards your goal of driving for one of the big companies and you may find the payoff to be huge. If you are a truck driver you will find that your trips will be much more fuel efficient with an auxiliary power unit. We sell these and we offer auxiliary power maintenance too.

By APU APU Electronic Logging Device apu, apu center, APU maintenance and care, auxiliary power maintenance, auxiliary power units, defensive driving, fleets, truck driving, truckers Comments Off

Are Defensive Driving Courses Right for Your Fleet?

Generally, defensive driving courses help individuals hone their driving skills when they already have their license and are experienced drivers. The basic concept behind such a course is to train an individual so that they can react to the mistakes made by other drivers on the road and avoid an accident. When this idea is extended to a fleet of drivers, this can increase the efficiency and safety record of the entire company.

Defensive driving courses assume that even if you drive carefully, there are always those rash drivers who will either jump the red light or will take a sudden u-turn without making any signal, etc. In these instances your drivers must be ready to react. Companies that enroll their drivers in defensive driving courses are often entitled to certain privileges by their insurance company. The company can sometimes even get discounts on their insurance premiums.

There are a lot of rules that drivers are taught to follow in a defensive driving course. The first thing that one needs to remember is to pay attention. The most common explanation that most people give after an accident is that they did not see the other driver approaching. The only way out is to always remain alert. Another important rule to follow is not to trust other drivers to do the right thing on the road.

Next, it is always better to maintain a safe distance from the car or truck in front of you. One should also remember that even if they obey the traffic lights, someone else might not. It is also advised that drivers should always wear their seat belt. Many an accident injury could have been averted had the persons inside the cars strapped themselves in properly.

A defensive driving course also emphasizes that a person should drive only if they are sober. It also instructs its participants to observe all speed limits. Drivers are also advised to avoid all sorts of distractions while driving such as listening to the radio or talking on the phone.

One should also slow down in case of rain or snow. It is recommended that an eye be kept on pedestrians. The list of such laws goes on. One needs to go through them thoroughly and put them to practice on the road. Once one does he can become a much safer and secure driver.

Your company invests in all kinds of quality equipment to ensure that its fleet stays safe on the road. Why not invest in courses to make your drivers better? Our product line includes auxiliary power units from some of the world’s leading manufacturers. We also perform auxiliary power maintenance for our clients.

By APU APU Electronic Logging Device apu, apu center, APU maintenance and care, auxiliary power maintenance, auxiliary power units, defensive driving, fleets Comments Off

Ways to Increase your Fuel Mileage in a Semi Truck

6 Steps to Ensure the Safety of Your Fleet

Safety should always be top of mind for fleet managers and truck operators. But with the pressure to make deadlines and commitments, how do you ensure drivers are staying safe on the roads? Well, one way to accomplish this is to have a driver safety plan in place that stresses several common sense measures to make drivers, cargo and other motorists safe. Here are six steps you need to consider when putting together or tweaking a fleet safety program.

Screen and select drivers carefully: The first part of any effective fleet safety program is to hire the right people. Thus, you should establish clear hiring standards and a thorough screening process for anyone who drives for your company.
Encourage your drivers to take scheduled breaks: Hundreds of thousands of vehicle collisions happen every year due to drowsy driving. Thus, you should encourage your drivers to take a rest along their route and to map out those breaks. Studies show that rest stops helps drivers improve their reaction time and increases their overall level of alertness.
Keep the lines of communications open: By this we mean that management should communicate with drivers on a frequent basis about their driving and any problems they may be encountering. After all, your drivers won’t know something is wrong with their driving unless you tell them.
Learn from accidents and mistakes: When accidents do occur take the opportunity to learn from them. Use what you find to improve policies, enhance training, etc.
Embrace technology: The right technology has the ability to drastically improve fleet safety. Telematics in particular provides visibility to aggressive driving behavior like harsh acceleration and deceleration events, idle time, and speeding. This information can then be used to either train, discipline or replace drivers.
Formalize a plan for vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance: This can help reduce unexpected breakdowns, and can assist in avoiding accidents that are caused by faulty equipment.

These are just a few ways to increase fleet safety. It is also important to maximize the efficiency of your fleet. You can do so with an auxiliary power unit which will save on idling costs. You can also improve fleet performance for the unit you already have. We sell and service APU units and stand behind our products.

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