Monthly Archives: June 2010

Success in His Twenties

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Success stories are always an inspiration when times are hard for others.  Reading there stories inspire people and give them hope that life will get better.  For Truck Drivers, an example of reaching personal career goals in today’s economy may be the best prescription for some drivers.

Ion Saluru was born in Moldova, Europe and is currently living in Vancouver, WA where he enjoys snowboarding, jet skiing, and fishing.  At age 26, he is a success story.

Ion is a truck driver and believes that to be successful, one must be professional and brave.  But most of all, he knows that he must be patient.  This driver gets up at 4 AM every morning to achieve his ambitions of becoming a successful Lease Owner.  He sets his goals and works hard to attain them.

Ion has been with C.R. England for 2 ½ years and has recently purchased his first truck and states that he achieved this by working hard.

Patience has brought him more success than he feels he deserves.  His truck is paid off and he is now an Owner Operator as of June of this year!

This humble driver is a great inspiration to other drivers through showing perseverance, professionalism, and doing what it takes to succeed.  He knows that this is what it takes to succeed in this economy as well as when the economy improves.

Trucking Website Comparisons

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In reviewing nine major Trucking Company web pages* many creative ideas were discovered.  Some ideas are the same and some ideas are not.  To begin with, Con-Way, CR England, and Swift Trucking were the only three companies reviewed that had video.  And Heartland Express, JB Hunt, and Schneider National were the only three companies that had live chat.  CR England Trucking is the only web page that gave information on their truck driving school.  And, no companies reviewed had blogging, a new idea that has not been utilized by the trucking companies as of yet.

Great ideas discovered are the following:

  • Con-Way – Images were the most modern of all others.  Fewer pictures of trucks and more pictures of lifestyles. I would have liked to see a few more advertisements for their trucking jobs with training.
  • Covenant Transport – is the only web page with Facebook and Twitter links.
  • CR England – the only web page that showed they have a trucking school.
  • Heartland Express – has “Live Apply Now/Chat with a Recruiter” button on all links, making it easier and more tempting for the job applicant to apply.
  • JB Hunt – when clicking on links, it changes images to match the link.  That was really eye catching for me.
  • Landstar – Kept the same theme on each link from the home page, creating a smooth transition between each page.
  • Prime Trucking – Has a cleaner look than other web pages with a big font that makes it easier reading.
  • Schneider National – Had a great idea under the Drivers tab.  Drivers talk to you on a white background.  Very creative!
  • Swift Transportation – Has a Spanish link, which is great to draw in more drivers.

Great ideas out there!

*Analyzed:

Con-Way Trucking

http://www.con-way.com/en/

Covenant Transport

http://www.covenanttransport.com/

CR England

http://crengland.com/

Heartland Express

http://www.heartlandexpress.com/

JB Hunt

http://www.jbhunt.com/

Landstar

http://www.landstar.com/

Prime

http://ww2.primeinc.com/index.html

Schneider National

http://www.schneider.com/index.htm

Swift Transportation

http://www.swifttruckingjobs.com/

Why Do Women Want to Drive Trucks?

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A lot of people ask “Why do women want to drive trucks?”  Today, there are over 200,000 women truck drivers out of 3.2 million drivers in the United States.  That’s a small number in some ways and a large number in others.  200,000 is not a small number.  If you average that out by our 50 states, that’s 4,000 women drivers per state.  Wow!  That’s a lot of women drivers!!!

Many women become Truck Drivers to become a team with their husband.  This way they can travel and spend time together.  California Job Journal actually once wrote an article that stated that team drivers have the best chance of earning higher income just because they could drive more miles daily.  Think about it; you help your family income go up, you get to spend your days with the one you love, and you get to see the country while making money.  Excellent decision to me.

One of the best things about being a truck driver is that men and women make the same wages.  That’s not always the case in other jobs.  Another reason women become truck drivers is that there it has more flexibility than other jobs.

It is a isolated life for Solo Women Drivers, which many drivers prefer.  If the personality fits, a woman can be very happy driving for a living.  And those who can’t sit at a desk every day, this is a great option out of the corporate world.  If you are a woman who likes hard work and travel, it is a great fit.

http://www.layover.com/driverscorner/womenintrucking/

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos246.htm#emply

http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=497

Truck Drivers Helping in Making History

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Truck Drivers in the Vancouver, British Columbia area have the chance of helping in the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Because Cypress Mountain had had such a warm winter this year, snow needs to be brought in by trucks and helicopters for the snow events.  What a great opportunity to tell your grand children what you did for the Olympics!

These drivers haul the snow in dump trucks from about 100 miles north of the Olympic events.  In fact, it looks like when it is said and done, there will be about 300 truckloads of snow that will be moved.  Cool, don’t you think?

It reminds me of stories of my grandfather who, as a truck driver, hauled dirt to help build the Golden Gate Bridge during the depression.  He felt fortunate to have the job to help feed his family and plus, he was involved with something greater than himself.  I’m sure that’s how these dump truck drivers in Vancouver feel, having this great opportunity.

And think about the military truck drivers.  They risk their lives for us through hauling food and ammunition to our troops.  That is something to be proud of.

Truck driving has been a huge part of key moments in history for the past 100 years.  I mentioned the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the Building of the Golden Gate Bridge in.  Vital transportation of the food we eat and the products we need to live are just as important.

So hats off to those drivers making our lives better.  And hats off to those truck drivers risking their lives to protect ours.  And hats off to truck drivers helping in momentous moments in our history.  Your grandchildren will be proud.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/12/are-the-vancouver-olympics-still-green-after-trucking-in-snow/

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ipuYUcmTH91-5KghTwjilb-MhofA

Tips for Safety on The Road

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Women, just like men, need to use common sense when thinking about safety on the road and driving alone.  Women, however, have more to worry about.  It isn’t biased to say that women do not have the strength that men do.  We have to be careful.  With this stated, trucking is a great career for women and we should never be steered away from what we love. Not even because we are not as strong as our counterpart.  We just need to be realistic and be smart in driving across the country.

I found a great list of “do’s” for precaution from an article on jobmonkey.com.  Check it out!

  • “Stay away from remote rest areas, especially at night
  • Keep the doors of your rig locked at all times
  • Never advertise that you’re traveling alone, even on the radio
  • Stay off back roads or short cuts
  • Try parking close to the main door of any truck stops you’re at
  • ALWAYS carry a cell phone with you”

Another great idea found is to put a flannel shirt on the backrest of the passenger seat, making the thought that you have a big husky (and mean looking) passenger with you.  I thought that was a very creative idea.  Keep your head up and be aware of your surroundings is another wonderful thought.

Trucking is a wonderful lifestyle for people who love to travel and see the country.  Just be careful so that you don’t need to have anything bad happen to you.

http://www.jobmonkey.com/truckdriving/women-in-trucking.html

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=65490461&blogId=416202996