Whatever type of truck you drive, you know that there are tons of risks involved. Handling more heavy-duty vehicles means being more responsible and cautious of every other driver on the road. So, it’s important to learn proper safety and how to protect your drivers if something happens. These preventative measures can range anywhere from proper training to truck monitoring.
Protecting your drivers from risks also includes truck insurance. However, it’s not enough to know the basics of coverage. Fleet owners must know the best types of insurance to protect their unique company. For instance, an insurance plan for a towing company in one region can be completely different from a reefer truck fleet’s in another location. Therefore, shopping for trucking insurance means knowing your company and all of the specific risks you face.
Here, we’ll go over all you need to know about trucking. We’ll walk you through what types of risks commercial trucks face and trucking news. We’ll also cover what types of trucking insurance you’ll need and how to save on the best coverage for your business.
When driving a personal vehicle for everyday use, most drivers simply jump in and go. However, for commercial motor vehicles used to transport cargo or passengers, extra consideration should be taken to ensure that they’re safe and ready for the road.
Performing pre-trip inspections on your commercial truck can catch potential problems before they have a chance to endanger the safety of you and others on the road. Take care of problems right away to prevent future costs and delays.
Box trucks are a game changer in the short-haul transportation industry. This is how it works, a box truck will pick up loads from warehouses, distributors, and depots and deliver them to their specified drop-off location.
Since these trucks typically haul expensive materials and equipment, they need to be adequately insured in case of an accident or collision. In the event of a loss, being underinsured can put you in a difficult situation where you end up in deep financial trouble.
Additionally, the insurance sector is regulated by the government and some form of liability coverage is required for transportation businesses. This is because truck drivers experience more risk due to the nature of the job and the size of their vehicle. Not to mention, it’s difficult navigating a commercial motor vehicle on congested highways with reckless drivers present.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires commercial drivers to apply for an identification number with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as an operating authority (MC number) in some cases.
To obtain your identification number via the USDOT, you must complete an online registration form at the FMCSA Unified Registration System (URS). You’ll have to access the URS directly since the FMCSA stopped accepting paper registrations for first-time applicants in December 2015. You won’t need to pay a fee to complete your registration.
In this article, we’ll discuss the process of applying for your MC number and DOT number. Let’s get started!
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires a Department of Transportation (DOT) number for trucks and other carrier vehicles that meet certain criteria. These typically pertain to GVWR, whether you transport paying customers, and whether you operate across state lines. In addition to the federal regulations, 37 of the 50 states require a DOT number.
It can be confusing, especially if you’re new to the business, to understand if this regulation pertains to you or not. Therefore, in this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about DOT numbers. Let’s get started!
Along with being an important way of transporting different types of perishable cargo, reefer units also require a lot of maintenance. If you fail to properly maintain your reefer truck then you’ll likely run into many issues. These mechanical failures can result in spoiled cargo and wasted time and money.
Truck drivers are responsible for inspecting their reefer units and scheduling regular maintenance. So, if you wish to arrive at your destination with your cargo intact you should keep an eye out for the following reefer unit failures.
Truckers have spent years and years complaining about the number of parking spaces available for trucks. Unfortunately, this dilemma is rather common among the nearly 4 million American truckers. Its become extremely challenging for truckers to find an authorized parking spot, especially in densely populated areas.
Although many trucking companies and organizations have advocated for more spaces available, they have yet to be successful. Moreover, the problem is only getting worse with time.
In this article, we’ll discuss the truck parking shortage happening now in the US. Also, we’ll touch on how its affecting the stress and safety of drivers.
The rising gas prices have affected the trucking industry tremendously. Also, let’s not forget that they’re still struggling with labor shortages and supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing pandemic.
This recent surge in fuel prices is costing fleets tens of thousands of dollars in just a matter of a week. Even when diesel prices increase by 5 cents truckers feel the impact, so imagine it going up a whole dollar.
The CEO of Swint Logistics Group fears these costs will ultimately end up on the consumer. If you think about it, every product we use is transported by truck. If it’s costing more money to transport goods then the price for these items will climb.
In this article, we’ll discuss how trucking companies are being hit hard by the surging gas prices and how it’s impacting fleets’ overall costs.
While backing up a tractor-trailer may seem no different than any other vehicle, it’s not. It’s quite challenging due to the size and complexity of a commercial vehicle. A large number of truck drivers struggle with this task since it’s one of the hardest maneuvers.
Putting your tractor-trailer in reverse is one of the biggest causes of truck damage. A high number of claims filed in the trucking industry involve a driver backing up a tractor-trailer. Therefore, backing up a semi is a crucial skill and needs to be taken seriously!
In this article, we will give some suggestions on how to safely back up your big rig.
Transporting perishable cargo requires extra care and consideration. Most of these products include: produce, frozen food, pharmaceuticals, meat, plants, etc. Therefore, to comply with FDA guidelines you’ll need a well-equipped reefer truck. A refrigerated truck can keep goods at their required temperature for the duration of the trip. Proper procedures and guidelines need to be followed to a tee.
Therefore, we have compiled some tips in this article for your guidance. These reefer truck safety tips will help you ensure that your perishable items are delivered to their designated location. Let’s begin.