Jun 16, 2017 • Carriers

HAZMAT Transportation

HAZMAT Transportation

Understand the requirements of HAZMAT transportation and how truck drivers can avoid violations.

HAZMAT Transportation

HAZMAT transportation can be lucrative for carriers but it requires understanding common Department of Transportation violations and how to avoid them in regards to hazardous materials.

HAZMAT transportation can be extremely dangerous for truck drivers which is why it typically pays at a higher rate. To enforce regulations and promote the safety of HAZMAT transportation, the FMCSA conducts over 154,000 annual roadside inspections, with an estimated 35,000 DOT HAZMAT violations reported. That’s nearly 23 percent of inspections resulting in a violation!

Most Common Violations of HAZMAT Regulations

No Copy of USDOT hazardous materials registration number (8.1 %)
Package not secure in vehicle (7.6 %)
Placard damaged, deteriorated or obscured (6.9 %)
Vehicle not placarded as required (5.9 %)
No Shipping papers (5.1 %)
Shipping paper accessibility (4.7 %)
Emergency response information missing (4.5 %)
Failure to provide carrier required placards (4.4 %)
Offering a hazardous material without preparing a shipping paper (3.0 %)
No placards or marking when required (2.9 %)

Want to obtain a HAZMAT endorsement on your CDL and potentially earn more with HAZMAT transportation?

GHS Transport Pictograms Cheat Sheet for hazardous materials from Global Chemical Resources.

TagsOwner Operator

Valentines Day for Truckers [p]The 14th of February has long been celebrated as the day of love. Its history can be traced back to ancient Rome when Christianity was still in its adolescence. The day was used to commemorate St. Valentine’s death/burial, but there are doubts on the authenticity of this claim. Some believe that the special day was put in place to downplay the pagan Roman festival of Lupercalia. We don’t know anything for sure, but what we do know is that there should be a day to honor your loved ones. If 14th February is that day, then so be it![/p] [p]After all, who can reject candies, gifts, and flowers? If you are a trucker, both receiving and giving presents has a lot more meaning. It shows that you are thinking about your dearest and they are thinking about you.[/p] [p]What are some ways you can show your love as a trucker? Let’s find out! [/p] <h2></h2> [p][b]Send Flowers[/b][/p] [p]One of the best ways to make someone's day is by sending them a bouquet. There are plenty of resources online that allow you to send flowers right to someone's doorstep. If you want, you can add some chocolates and even balloons to make things interesting. The good thing is flowers are gender-neutral, you can send them to your man or your woman and they would make an impact.[/p] [p]Sending flowers might be a cliché, but you can never go wrong with it, especially on Valentine's Day.[/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2021/02/202102-BLOG-TP-Valentines-1.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> [p][b]Personalized Note[/b][/p] [p]Nothing beats a hand-written letter where you pour your heart out to your significant other. It adds a personal touch, and it shows that even though you are busy, you have your dearest in mind. If your partner is out there trucking, send them an emotion-filled letter. If you are a trucker, then try sending one back home. It is the little things that make the most impact. [/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2021/02/202102-BLOG-TP-Valentines-2.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> [p][b]Video-call Your Lover[/b][/p] [p]Modern technology has made possible many things that were previously thought to be impossible. One such thing is having a conversation with another person who is not present at your location. You can now talk to your significant other on Valentine’s Day using video call applications, like Skype or FaceTime. No one deserves to feel lonely on a day that celebrates love, which is why you should make extra efforts to schedule a video call. Perhaps, make it an online date where you have dinner together and talk about your feelings for each other. [/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2021/02/202102-BLOG-TP-Valentines-3.jpg" alt=""] <h2></h2> [p][b]Celebrate When You Can[/b][/p] [p]As a trucker, it can be hard for you to skip work on special occasions like Valentine's Day. Therefore, you can celebrate before or after you are done with your work. Loving someone involves putting in constant effort, meaning you can't restrict all your feelings for one day. Show your appreciation on other days as well, so that 14th February feels like any other day of the year.[/p] [p]How will you celebrate Valentines Day? Let us know in the comments below. [/p] <h2></h2> <h2></h2> [p][b]By Aldous Aldwin[/b][/p]

Feb 13, 2021 • Carriers

Truck Driver Turnover Rate Rapidly Increased [p]The truck driver turnover rate rapidly increased to its highest mark in the last seven years in the second quarter of 2017. [/p] [h2] Truck Driver Turnover Rate [/h2] [p]According to American Trucking Associations' quarterly report, the turnover rate at large truckload carriers in the second quarter of 2017<strong> jumped 16 percentage points to 90 percent</strong> – the highest it has been since the final quarter of 2015. [/p] [p]The 16-point increase is the largest quarterly jump in truck driver turnover rate since the fourth quarter of 2010. [/p] [quote]"We saw double-digit gains in the annualized turnover rate for both small and large truckload fleets,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “After a period of relatively low turnover, it appears the driver market is tightening again, which coupled with increased demand for freight movement, could rapidly exacerbate the driver shortage.”[/quote] [p]The ATA report also revealed turnover numbers for smaller fleets. Smaller carrier companies with $30 million in annual revenue or less saw aneven higher turnover rate increase. For them, the turnover rate increased by 19 percentage points to 85 percent, the highest it has been since the first quarter of 2016. [/p] [p]The turnover picture at less-than-truckload fleets was more muddled, with over-the-road LTL turnover dipping one point to 9 percent, says the ATA. [/p] [quote]“We predicted that last year’s period of relatively low and stable turnover could be short-lived if the freight economy recovered from 2016’s freight recession,” Costello said. “It appears those predictions were correct and we may be seeing the beginnings of a significant tightening of the driver market and acceleration of the driver shortage.”[/quote] [h2]Truck Tonnage Trending Up [/h2] [p] Despite the high truck driver turnover rate and impeding driver shortage, <strong>Truck Tonnage Index jumped 7.1 percent in August</strong> and year-to-date, compared with the same eight months in 2016, the index is up 2.1 percent, says the ATA. Costello partially correlates the increases in August to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. [/p] [p] The <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/trucking-industry-trends/">trucking industry is trending</a> up still, with 2016 truck freight tonnage up 1 percent or 500 million tons from 2015. [/p] [p] If you're a truck driver and are ready to make the jump to start your own trucking company, the timing might be right. [/p] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/how-to-start-a-trucking-company/"]How to Start a Trucking Company[/button-green]

Sep 19, 2017 • Carriers

Worst Roads in America [p]America, land of the free, home of the brave, potholes and faulty bridges. [b][a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Truck drivers[/a][/b] take to the roads of America each and every day, hauling freight and delivering the things we desire most while others drive to work, visit loved ones or travel for vacation. In honor of National Infrastructure Week here are the worst roads in America ranked by state.[/p] [h2] Worst Roads in America [/h2] [p]Rankings for the worst roads in America are broken down by state and based on the percentage of roads in poor or mediocre condition with data sourced from the Federal Highway Administration.[/p] [ol-2] [li]Connecticut – 73 % (tie)[/li] [li]Illinois – 73 % (tie)[/li] [li]Wisconsin – 71 %[/li] [li]Colorado – 70 % (tie)[/li] [li]Road Island – 70 % (tie)[/li] [li]Oklahoma – 70 % (tie)[/li] [li]California – 68 %[/li] [li]Washington – 67 %[/li] [li]New Jersey – 66 %[/li] [li]Oregon – 65 %[/li] [li]Louisiana – 62 % (tie)[/li] [li]Kansas – 62 % (tie)[/li] [li]South Dakota – 61%[/li] [li]New York – 60 %[/li] [li]Nebraska – 59 %[/li] [li]Pennsylvania – 57 %[/li] [li]Maryland – 55 %[/li] [li]Maine – 53 %[/li] [li]Minnesota – 52 % (tie)[/li] [li]Montana – 52 % (tie)[/li] [li]Arizona – 52 % (tie)[/li] [/ol-2] [h2] Best Roads in America[/h2] [p]These states have the least percentage of roads in poor or mediocre condition, making them the best roads in America.[/p] [ol] [li]Indiana – 17 %[/li] [li]Georgia – 19 %[/li] [li]Nevada – 20 %[/li] [li]Alabama – 25 % (tie)[/li] [li]Utah – 25 % (tie)[/li] [/ol] [h2]States with the Worst Bridge Conditions in America[/h2] [p]Rankings are based on bridges considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete with data sourced from the Federal Highway Administration. (Hawaii and Alaska excluded)[/p] [ol-2] [li]Road Island – 57 %[/li] [li]Massachusetts – 53 %[/li] [li]Pennsylvania – 42 %[/li] [li]New York – 39 %[/li] [li]New Jersey – 36 %[/li] [li]Connecticut – 35 % (tie)[/li] [li]West Virginia – 35 % (tie)[/li] [li]Maine – 33 % (tie)[/li] [li]Vermont – 33 % (tie)[/li] [li]New Hampshire – 32 %[/li] [li]Kentucky – 31 %[/li] [li]North Carolina – 30.5 %[/li] [li]Louisiana – 29 %[/li] [li]California – 28 %[/li] [li]Michigan – 27.4 %[/li] [li]Missouri – 27.2 %[/li] [li]Maryland – 26.8 %[/li] [li]Virgina – 26 % (tie)[/li] [li]Washington – 26 % (tie)[/li] [li]Iowa – 25.7 %[/li] [/ol-2] [h2]States with the Best Bridges in America[/h2] [p]These states have the least percentage of bridges not considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.[/p] [ol] [li]Minnesota – 11.5 %[/li] [li]Arizona – 12 %[/li] [li]Nevada – 13.7 %[/li] [li]Wisconsin – 14 %[/li] [li]Utah – 15 %[/li] [/ol] [button-white href="https://www.transportation.gov/policy-initiatives/grow-america/road-and-bridge-data-state"]Full List Here[/button-white] [h2]Infrastructure Week[/h2] [p]May 15–19 is National Infrastructure Week, a time to educate, plan and generate opportunities to rebuild our nation's roads, bridges and more. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates $3.6 trillion is necessary to raise the standard of infrastructure level. Meanwhile, President Trump has proposed a $1 trillion infrastructure plan with details to be revealed soon says Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao.[/p] [quote]“We’ve been hard at work at this, and so we’ll be releasing principles in about two to three weeks and then the legislative proposal will probably be tackled by the Congress in the third quarter,” Chao said.[/quote] [video id="93AYEnehOa4"] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=worstroads2015&utm_campaign=aug"]Try Trucker Path For Free![/button-green]

May 16, 2017 • Community