Chances are you have noticed the unusually shaped pieces extending out from the back end of a semitruck while driving down the road. These sections of metal, along with the thin flaps hanging between the tires, work together to foster increased efficiency in tractor trailers. Without these things, life on the road would be a total drag—literally.
Employee Interview: Sandy Boles, Office Manager
As you can imagine, a transportation and logistics company is made of many moving parts—literally and figuratively! A great company is run by many skilled individuals, including an experienced office manager behind the wheel. While she may communicate with most people through phone calls or email, Sandy Boles has a personality to match her cheery voice. We asked Sandy to share some of her experiences with us, from the office and beyond, to help us understand the important role she plays for her company.
What is LTL Trucking?
When it comes to freight shipping options in the US, the possibilities are plentiful. You can ship the traditional Full Truck Load (FTL), air freight, van move, air ride, partial truckload, or Less than Truckload (LTL). Wading through these numerous shipping options can be difficult. Depending on what you are shipping and where it’s going, there is usually a “best option” when choosing the correct shipping method for you.
FMCSA Proposes Changes in Drive Time for OTR Drivers
Two organizations regulate the trucking industry and professional drivers in America: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Among the directives of these two governing bodies lies the setting of drive-time rules for short-haul and long-haul drivers. Drive-time rules determine how many hours a driver can drive legally before being required to take time off to rest and recharge prior to getting back on the road. The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s published a 129-page proposal on August 14th, 2019, which poses changes in drive time rules for short-haul and long-haul truckers. This proposal represents one of the largest over-hauls of truck driver rules since the ELD mandate of 2017.
Interview with Roane Transportation Employee: Jennifer Webb
Our interviews with Roane Transportation employees have meant so much to their family, friends, and to others who genuinely want to know about life as a trucker or a part of the transportation industry. With these interviews, we have decided to take you even deeper into the workings of our company, with those who are truly behind the scenes ensuring our daily activities are maintained. For this interview, we talked with Jennifer Webb, who is the head of Customer Service and Brokerage at Roane Transportation.
Healthy Truckers: Maintaining a Healthy Diet on the Road
Gas station food. Just yesterday someone mentioned how amazing food is from the convenience store when on a road trip. Chips and soda are often the go-to items when selecting food at a convenience store. While we all may agree that a bag of chips and a soda taste better while road tripping, we agreed that we would not want to eat this way all the time. As a truck driver, traveling the road and wanting to make healthier food choices, there seems like there are limits to healthy food choices. Looking closer, however, there are many ways to bypass the candy aisle and choose options that are lower in sodium and fuller in fiber, leaving you feeling better, longer.
A Conversation with Truck Driving Recruiter Samantha Woody
Behind every excellent trucking company, there is a full cast of support staff helping truck drivers deliver customer freight on-time and to achieve company objectives. We sat down to talk with one such vital cast member, Samantha Woody, who holds the important responsibility of making sure that the company has exceptional employees driving Roane Transportation trucks. As a professional recruiter, Samantha is likely to be the first person you speak with on your journey to becoming a Roane Transportation driver.
Top Things You Didn’t Know About Tractor Trailers
The trucking industry boasts a massive percentage of the goods we have in our possession, 71% to be exact, and there are over 8.5 million drivers using 39 billion gallons of diesel fuel! The trucking industry truly runs America, pun intended. Here is a top ten list, Late Night with David Letterman style, of things you may have wondered about tractor trailers.
Truck Driving Careers for the Next Generation
The term Millennial gets thrown around a lot in current industries and career forecasting. Defining characteristics of a Millennial is that the generation is often considered to be open-minded do-gooders who desire to hold onto some conventional notions while embracing technological advancements. This combination is the for a perfect recipe for a Millennial to enter a career in truck driving.
Professional Truck Driver Interview: Tim Larue
In continuing our professional truck driver interview series, we spoke with Tim Larue to talk about landing your first truck driving job, what it’s like to drive, the differences between driving a flatbed and doing LTL driving, and life in general. Tim is one of several local drivers for Roane Transportation, and so he only delivers loads in the Greater Knoxville area. Still, Tim has a wealth of information about driving a truck professionally.