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2013 Internationals
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thanks and Giving
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Fall, early winter post.
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Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Keep it Cool
Some quick tips for avoiding off-temperature loads....
- Check fuel level of the trailer
- Inspect cargo box inside and out, inspect door seals, including vent doors, for condition and tight seal
- Inspect air ducts for damage
- Pre-cool to the recommended product temperature at least one hour before loading
- If possible check pulp temperature of product being loaded. Any variance above or below should be noted on the bills.
- Make sure the air space between the product and moveable bulkheads is adequate.
- Ensure adequate space is provided for air circulation between cargo and rear doors
- Be certain that the doors close and lock securely
- Check the bills for temperature requirements and whether or not the shipper requires the load to be transported in stop-start mode or continuous. Some loads are very sensitive and have a tight range that is acceptable
- When taking breaks, don't forget to check the unit setpoint to be certain nobody has altered it
- Remember to again check the reefer fuel tank in route
- and look for any unusual vibration or noise coming from the unit
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Stress -- And Coping With It
Stress and How to Cope With It
Professional
drivers deal with stress every day. Traffic, schdules, and enforcement are all
stressors. Too much stress can cause high blood pressure, ulcers, heart
disease, and other medical conditions not to mention what effects is has on
your mental health. Ways to help you deal with stress include but are not
limited to:
1) Take care of yourself – get sufficient rest
and eat right every day.
2) Relieve tension – take a walk or do some
other physical activity.
3) Share information about your stressful
situations with others – speak with family members, your supervisor, or a
friend.
4) Deal with what you can change and don’t be
stressed by things you have no control over.
5) Try to stay calm in stressful situations –
work on seeing things in a positive, optimistic way before attempting to
identify solutions.
6) Learn how to relax – forget your worries,
even for a short period of time. Enjoy life. Take time to do the things you
enjoy.
7) Get professional help if you need it – seek
help and learn how to deal with stress.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea
There have been a lot of
changes that have taken effect this year with respect for screening for sleep
apnea, and some of you have personally seen it. So I am going to take this
opportunity to talk about the changes and the options moving forward.
First, the new requirements
for DOT physicals. There are 3 things that are looked at for sleep apnea, blood
pressure, neck size, and BMI.
Blood pressure is the first and it is the same standard to pass a physical, so
no real changes or surprises there. Neck size is new, and for males a neck size
of 17 or females size 16 is a trigger. BMI,
or body mass index, is a measure of relative weight based on the individual’s
mass and height. BMI 35 or greater
is also a trigger. If two of the three triggers are above the tolerance, the
doctors are only allowed to give you 3 months of medical clearance. I also want
you to understand if one doctor does this it is now going into a database and
every other doctor will have access to this and won’t pass you without taking
the required action. So there is no way to circumvent the system.
The required actions can be
to do a sleep study or obtain an AHI
score. The AHI score is the first
step and could possibly be the only step needed. The score is calculated with a
one night sleep study. If that score is within range you can get your year long
physical, but if it is not you will then be required to take a full sleep
study.
To obtain your one night
score, you will have to have your primary care physician refer you to Sleep
Med, and the test runs about $300. 90% of insurance coverage covers this test
and your out of pocket cost could be almost nothing. If you don’t have a
primary care, State Avenue
has one that will act as your primary care for an $80 office visit, and then
refer you. This one night sleep study will get you results within 48 hours and
indicate whether you need a full sleep study or not.
Hours of Service
Hours of Service
I
want to review hours of service and the violations that can happen within this
category. From this point forward, any hours of service violation will result
in a meeting with me to discuss the issue. If there is a pattern, meaning
multiple violations for you in the past, we will address all of those and come
up with an action plan to avoid any future violations.
14
hour rule – you can only reset your 14 hour rule by taking a 10 hour break.
8
hour max – this is any combination of driving or on duty. You can not work for
more than 8 hours straight without getting a 30 minute break in. They are
writing people up for this so please be sure you are following the regulation.
11
hour rule – You can not drive for more than 11 hours, and you only can drive
again after a 10 hour break.
70
hour rule – please do your recap because this is the only way to track this.
Your computer work is always important so planning and dispatch know how many
hours you have for a given day or period of time.
Log
book not current – keep your log book current, no excuse for this one. Do your
logs as you go and you won’t have any problems.
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