Professional Truck Drivers have a large amount of time to think and contemplate life on the road. Not many individuals, however, demonstrate the insightfulness and mindfulness of Terry Hodges, a flatbed, OTR truck driver for the Roane Transportation family who has a great outlook on life. We talked with Terry as he stopped for the night just outside the port of Baltimore to ask some questions about what it’s like to be a truck driver, what he likes about his current truck driving company, and to get to know him in greater detail.
Interview with a Driver: Kevin McCulley
America’s economy relies heavily on truck drivers. With professional drivers in high demand, many individuals wonder what the truck driver lifestyle is like and what it’s like to drive a semi-truck for a living. We took some time to talk with Kevin McCulley, a veteran truck driver with Roane Transportation, to find out more about this talent deprived industry.
What It’s like to be a Truck Driver with Taylor Kindred
Truck drivers are the backbone of Roane Transportation and the modern US economy alike. Tractor trailers haul nearly 70% of all the freight that is shipped in our country and so without truck drivers, America would come to a screeching halt. Still, it’s easy to overlook some 7 million drivers out there on the highways and byways that help deliver the critical goods that keep the country running. Today we sat down with a regional truck driver, Taylor Kindred, to get a better sense of what it’s like to be a career driver and what attracted him to Roane Transportation.
Health Suggestions for Truckers: Back Posture
In our previous health-focused post here, we offered suggestions to assist truck drivers with staying hydrated while on the road. In this post, we want to tackle a common problem within modern society: posture and back pain. At Roane, we believe healthy, happy truckers make the best and most alert drivers on the road. How do you work to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you are on the road for 8+ hours a day? Hours of sitting and being on the road make it more than easy to establish unhealthy posture. Instead of being another unhealthy statistic, wellness can be maintained while on the road. Finding a balance to offset the hours of sitting does not have to be impossible, nor expensive.
Steps to Obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License
From our post in June, you may have learned that the American Trucking Association has predicted a shortage of employees within the transportation sector. Over the next several years, it is expected that 175,000 jobs could be available in the transportation and warehousing sectors. It is optimal time to pursue your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The first step to becoming a truck driver is to earn your Class A CDL, which is a requirement for all tractor trailer driving jobs. Learn what else is needed to receive your CDL below.
Health Suggestions for Truckers: Hydration
There is so much advice about being healthy. Eat this, not that. Eat meat, don’t eat meat, add fats but only a certain kind. Eggs are good, eggs are bad. Coffee is good, coffee is bad. Drink this amount of water, walk this number of steps. It is exhausting to know what is best, and each individual is different. At Roane, we believe healthy, happy truckers make the best drivers on the road. Yet, how do you weed through insurmountable piles of wellness advice? How do you work to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you are on the road for 8+ hours a day? We have some suggestions and we want to bring each of these to you. Starting with hydration.
Staying Safe Around Oversized Loads on the Interstate
Moving prefabricated buildings, ships and boats, roof trusses, generators, and other oversized, overweight, or over-length objects and machines is a job requiring many logistics and analysis to ensure everything goes according to plan. Alternatively, driving near an oversized load on the interstate or highway can be a nerve-racking encounter, with some individuals concerned about safely maneuvering around these enormous loads, while still others might be impatient with getting stuck behind an oversized load. Staying safe around oversized loads is as simple as being cautious, courteous, and considerate.
Transportation Jobs at an All-Time High
As of June 2018, the unemployment rate hit a record low of 4.9%, leaving many to believe that the US economy is on a proverbial heater. While some industries have remained sluggish, the transportation and warehousing sectors have been steadily adding job openings causing a strong demand for new workers. Roughly 1 in 5 jobs in the transportation and warehousing sector are truck driving jobs, however, other jobs such as freight agents, warehouse associates, and logistic analysts are in need of qualified applicants as well. According to the American Trucking Association, the industry is short some 48,000 drivers, but this number could rise to 175,000 over the next six years.
History of Roane Transportation
Roane Transportation was created in 1996 by four operators of a scrap metal processor who were experiencing difficulty accessing enough outsourced trucking to assist their operations. Operations of the newly created transportation firm started out with two semi-trucks and dump trailers. In the beginning, Roane Transportation only hauled end dump material, but as the market began to change, so did our opportunities. We continued to respond to new opportunities by adding qualified personnel, additional equipment, and updating our facilities. As our customer base grew and their need for flatbed and van services did as well, Roane Transportation added flatbed and van equipment to our fleet and services. By 1999, a fifth partner had been onboarded to oversee and expand Roane Transportation’s operations. Our services continued to expand with each new opportunity. In 2001, we added Pneumatic Tankers for Dry Bulk commodities, and our fleet size was up to 30 units. By 2003, we had purchased an 18 acre site in the Roane County Industrial Park with 70,000 square feet of warehousing space and a 10 car NS rail siding to move operations to. Seeing a need for our customers, we added warehousing and transloading to-and-from the railroad. This opportunity proved challenging, but by the end of 2003 we had become successful in both industries. Now in 2018, we have continued to diversify our fleet and services. Our fleet is now 100+ units, and we continue to strive for excellent, personal services, at competitive rates with a broad range of customers. We have been very fortunate for each opportunity that has crossed our past thus far. Through our most valuable asset, our dedicated workforce, Roane Transportation is a successful transportation, warehousing, and logistics provider. For more information about any of our services, give us a call today at 865-354-3288 or contact us online HERE.