Sep 21, 2022

Highest and Lowest Rated Major US Trucking Corridors based on Points of Interest (POI) Ratings

Trucker Path and SASid Partner to Offer Reduced Rate Insurance App users now have easy access to affordable health and life coverage PHOENIX – September 21, 2022 – Trucker Path, the most comprehensive and most used mobile app for North American truckers, and Smart and Simple Insurance Development, a nationally licensed insurance agency, today announced a partnership that makes getting reduced rate health and life insurance easier than ever for Trucker Path’s community of users “Our partnership with SASid is another way that Trucker Path is focusing on making the lives of the nation’s truck drivers easier,” said Chris Oliver, CMO at Trucker Path. “These new insurance and health service offerings for Trucker Path app users continue our commitment to looking at things from a driver’s perspective and finding new ways to help enhance their quality of life.” Through its partnership with SASid, Trucker Path is offering app users access to a <a href= "https://www.smartandsimple.com/partners/trucker-path/"> range of insurance options</a> at reduced rates. The programs from major insurance carriers include Short Term Health, Major Medical, Accident, Dental, Vision, Telehealth, Prescription Drugs and Life Insurance. Support is available through a call center dedicated to Trucker Path users. Those participating in any of the health plans receive a free drug discount card. Users receive the first two months of Telehealth service free of charge. Using a smartphone, tablet or computer, participants can easily attend appointments with a health care practitioner, a significant benefit for truck drivers who are often on the road and away from home for long periods of time. “As truck drivers continue to support our economy, having the ideal health, life and other types of insurance at an affordable price is essential,” said Greg Hellmich, vice president of insurance at SASid. “In addition to offering Trucker Path users a complete line of products and services, we will provide access to efficient, user-friendly tools so they can build insurance plans that are specific to their needs. We are pleased to partner with Trucker Path and make highly affordable insurance available for their community of truck drivers.” Drivers can visit <a href= "https://www.smartandsimple.com/partners/trucker-path/">https://www.smartandsimple.com/partners/trucker-path/</a> to learn more and sign up for the free Telehealth offer. About SASid, Inc. Smart and Simple Insurance Development (SASid) is a nationally licensed and recognized insurance agency and the provider of proprietary insurance marketing and administration software. Founded in 1999 by brothers Shannon Kennedy (President) and Shawn Kennedy (Vice President),for over 20 years SASid has made a name for itself helping over four million people access and enroll in health insurance plans. Today, its innovative, efficient, user-friendly tools help insurance company, broker and association partners provide obtainable and affordable insurance through enrollment portals. About Trucker Path Phoenix-based Trucker Path is the provider of a wide range of truck driver-centric mobility products. Its Trucker Path app is currently in use by over 1 million professional truck drivers. Offering best-in-class navigation with truck optimized routing, the Trucker Path app also provides access to vital up-to-date information about truck stops, real-time available parking, fuel prices, weigh station status, and truck scales and wash locations. The company also offers TruckLoads, a digital freight exchange that connects drivers, carriers and brokers; COMMAND™, the industry’s first and only Operations & Driver Relationship (ODR) platform that provides small to mid-size fleets with the necessary driver and TMS technologies to successfully run a fleet; and DISPATCH, a full-service dispatch service designed specifically to serve the back-office needs of small carriers and owner-operators. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.truckerpath.com">www.truckerpath.com</a>. Media Contact: Susan Fall LaunchIt Public Relations <a href="tel:8584901050">858-490-1050</a> <a href="mailto:susan@launchitpr.com">susan@launchitpr.com</a>

Sep 22, 2022

Best Places to Celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day if You’re a Truck Driver <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2022/06/Picture1.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-6687 size-medium" src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2022/06/Picture1-300x34.png" alt="" width="300" height="34" /></a> Just so you don’t find yourself wondering who let the dogs out, this Friday, June 24th is National Take Your Dog To Work Day. It’s a great idea for dogs and their owners…just not great for every workplace. Images of dogs fighting, ripping up the boss’s sofa or relieving themselves in office lobbies everywhere come to mind. Certain workplaces not being exactly conducive to canines do as well. Bone clinics, ball factories, nuclear facilities and operating rooms should be avoided. The worst workplaces to bring a dog to work could fuel an entire season of Seinfeld. And the best ones, could quite possibly transform an industry. Trucking for starters. In an industry defined by long hours, solitary work, depressive downtime and a need for healthy physical activity, bringing your dog to work is a big idea. <h3>Dogs were made for truck driving.</h3> As the commercial says, “Dogs love trucks.” They love being with their owners, too. And the benefits are far, far from one-sided. Over work, loneliness, stress, and an often-hostile work environment are downsides of trucking that dogs are uniquely qualified to alleviate by providing comfort and companionship. <h3>The Big Benefits of Having a Dog as a Copilot</h3> <ul> <li>If you drive with a dog, you’re not alone. (How’s that for alleviating loneliness?)</li> <li>Petting a dog or even gazing into a dog’s eyes releases oxytocin, a stress-reducing hormone.</li> <li>When you have a dog, you have to walk them. (A dog can make you exercise when no one else can.)</li> <li>Who needs an alarm when you have a security guard with hearing that’s four-times as sensitive as a human’s protecting your truck?</li> <li>When motorists see a trucker with a dog, it makes them feel good.</li> </ul> <h4>Key Considerations for Bringing a Dog to Work on the Road</h4> So what do you need to know if you’re a trucker with dog or a trucking company that wants to bring the quality-of-work benefits of canine copilots to their workforce? For starters, some lanes, states and regions are more dog-and-truck friendly than others. Good thing to know, because for all the big benefits of having a pup in your big rig, there are challenges. Driving with a dog can be a drag when truck stops aren’t good for a walk and a pee—or when hotel owners are downright anti-dog. It can be hard enough finding a safe place to pull over and rest—and even harder to find a dog-friendly one. We at Trucker Path crowdsourced our driver pool to find the sweetest spots in the country for drivers with dogs based on two simple criteria: the presence of pet-friendly truck stops and hotels. Here is what we found. <h4>Connecticut is the most pet-friendly state for truck drivers.</h4> Trucks may be banned from its beautiful parkways, but drivers still rank Connecticut the most pet-friendly state. Also, there appears to be no correlation between the quality of a state’s roadways and the attractiveness of its offerings for truck dogs. Connecticut ranks an abysmal 33rd overall according to the <a href="https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/26th-annual-highway-report-state-by-state-summaries.pdf">Reason Foundation’s 2021 ranking</a> of states’ road quality. According to Trucker Path data, the other pet-friendliest states for truckers are: 2) California, 3) Montana, 4) Virginia and 5) Oregon. No surprise that dogs favor California’s beaches and Montana’s big skies. In a testament to dogs’ easy-going nature, they don’t seem to care that California and Oregon’s rough roads are ranked down there at 45th and 25th respectively in Reason Foundation’s rankings. The places to live the dog’s life for truckers who like good roads and canines who like good hotels and truck stops appears to be Virginia and Montana, ranked 2nd and 11th respectively in Reason Foundation’s findings. <h4>Who would have thought the Northeast was the pet-friendliest region?</h4> Long haul truckers don’t tend to limit themselves to single states, so looking at the regions by pet-friendliness, is significant…and surprising. Congested, with a reputation for being a little prickly at times, the Northeast nevertheless warms to pets better than any other region in the U.S. Tri-state roadways are dog-eat-dog, but their hotels and rest stops make up for the traffic and trauma they bring on truckers through their pet-hospitality. Whether you have a layover while you search for a <a href="https://www.tafs.com/tafs-360-benefits/prodispatch/">decent-paying backhaul</a>, or want to take find out while you refuel, the Northeast is the North Star of pet-loving amenities and accommodations. Other regions ranked in this order: 2) Southeast, 3) Midwest, 4) Southwest and 5) West. Why is the West so passive toward pets while the Northeast is so welcoming and attentive? Maybe the East just needs the calming influence of pets more than the laid-back West? <h4>Experience life in the pet-friendly lane on I-95.</h4> It sort of makes sense that the interstate that defines Northeast driving would also be the number one most pet-friendly lane. If there’s any interstate in America where truckers could benefit from the calming influence of a dog, it’s the I-95. Only the therapeutic gaze of a pup has the power to neutralize this interstate’s road-ragers and the corridor’s constant congestion. It’s a drive that man’s best friend was made for. And maybe not-so-coincidentally a roadway with truck stops and hotel accommodations that were made for trucker-dogs. Trucker Path users ranked the second most pet-friendly lane being the I-10 spanning from sultry Florida to sunny California with miles and miles of desert landscape and pet-friendly accommodations in between. A furry companion has always been a welcome friend on this stretch going back to wagon train days. I-10’s truck stops and hotels seem to understand and open their dog doors wide for pet-owning truckers. If you’re a driver who wants to take their dog to work every day, there are other pet-friendly lanes to consider. Coming in at #3 in pet-centricity is the I-15 (San Diego to Montana and the Canadian border). #4 is the I-90 (Massachusetts to Montana by way of Chicago and South Dakota). And #5 is the I-75 (North-South from Florida through the Great Lakes). <h4>Appreciate drivers by appreciating their dogs.</h4> They say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their dog. The same goes for the way states, trucking companies, communities and hotels treat their trucker dogs. Companies and communities continue to look for ways to show appreciation to the heroes who move our goods. Showing love to truckers with dogs seems like a good way to reach the 40% of drivers who already bring their dogs to work—and the many more who would bark at the chance.

Jun 24, 2022

The Pros and Cons of Fuel Optimization Tools for Trucking With diesel prices up more than $2.30 a gallon from this time last year, finding the best prices at the pump is about more than bragging rights these days. It’s survival for owner operators and serious impact to the bottom line of fleets. Fuel optimization tools, like the one in our Trucker Path COMMAND platform, hold huge promise. But that promise comes with a few “ifs” that truckers, fleet managers and fleet owners need to give heavy consideration to. Everyone who’s ever hunted best fuel prices knows the thrill of bagging the lowest price on the lane—as well as that empty feeling that comes from wondering whether the miles and time you spent finding 5-cents a gallon in savings was a wash. Or worse yet, ended up costing you more. Let’s lay bare the pros and cons of fuel optimization tools and present five real-lane examples of when a fuel optimization app would be a winner or an occasion for whining. Pros of Fuel Optimization Tools <li>Thousands of dollars in fuel savings, depending on the lane</li> <li>Removes decision-making. Dispatchers provide specific fuel stops in addition to the navigation for the route</li> <li>Tools stipulate everything: the where, when and how much fuel to purchase</li> <li>Out-of-route miles accounted for in fuel stop recommendations</li> <li>Every detail considered. Fuel plan accounts for equipment mpg, existing fuel levels and load weight </li> Cons of Fuel Optimization Tools <li>Out-of-route miles, while generally limited to less than a few miles per stop, can negate some or all of the savings achieved through lower fuel prices</li> <li>Tools often prescribe more fuel stops. More time spent fueling eats into HOS and increases operating costs</li> <li>Added time. Driving further to low-cost pumps and adding stops can threaten tight delivery windows</li> <li>Drivers don’t get to choose their favorite stops for food and amenities</li> <li>High cost of technology as many optimization tools are designed for larger fleets</li> Success Depends on Number of Stops An analysis of results from a sample of lanes compiled through our Trucker Path COMMAND platform and the Smart Fuel Planner revealed that the true value of a fuel optimization tool comes down to the number of stops prescribed. With a fuel optimized route, drivers often make more stops than they would with a “drive-til-near-empty” strategy. When the cost of making those extra stops outweighs the savings benefits, it’s best to opt out. The good news is that in most cases and most lanes throughout the U.S. using a fuel optimization tool is well worth it, even when you consider the additional stops. Background Into Our Analysis In our analysis, we quantified the fuel savings that could be garnered at today’s diesel prices using our Smart Fuel Planner for five sample lanes. Then we determined the number of stops a driver would make filling up whenever they were near empty on long-haul runs—about every 945 miles by our estimate. We compared those numbers with the number of stops a fuel-optimized route would require. Most of the time there were more stops required on fuel optimized routes. To estimate the cost associated with the downtime that comes from these extra stops, we determined the average fuel stop is a half hour. What’s that half hour translate to in dollars? We used the American Transportation Research Institute’s 2021 estimate for the operational costs of trucking. They put the number at $66.87 per hour, which we increased to $70 per hour to adjust for inflation. All the results are based on lanes input into Trucker Path COMMAND Smart Fuel Planner, assuming a 100-gallon starting fill, 135-gallon tank, and 7 mpg for an 80,000-pound truck. We captured the fuel price data one day in June 2022. While data for the sample routes below were all gathered at the same time, it's important to note that fuel savings vary day-to-day and by lane. One day a stop may be lowest, and the next day, not so much. Savings Analysis for 5 Common Lanes Chicago to San Francisco: 6 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $7,909 On a single roundtrip that would mean $659 in savings and 6 extra fuel stops. <img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2022/07/Picture2.jpg" alt="" Width=600 /> <center>Exhibit 1. Trucker Path COMMAND Smart Fuel Planner for one-way Chicago to San Francisco trip. </center> Seattle to Washington D.C.: 5 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $3,132 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $261 in net savings and 5 extra fuel stops. Looks like fuel optimizer is paying for dinners. New Orleans to Denver: 1 Additional Stop Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $492 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $41 in net savings and 1 extra fuel stop. Worth it? Sure. Especially at a fleet scale. Los Angeles to Dallas: 1 Additional Stop Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $9,768 On a fuel-optimized roundtrip that would mean $814 in net savings and 1 extra fuel stop. Clearly this lane was the optimization of the nation. Miami to NYC: 3 Additional Stops Roundtrip - Annual Savings of $0 In this case, fuel optimization netted no savings when you figured in the 3 additional stops. It’s a good example of how some days, on some lanes the extra stops make fuel optimization not worth it. A Key Solution for Today’s Fuel Crunch Our analysis showed that in almost all cases fuel optimization tools can save money on fuel. The exception is that many times it may require more fuel stops than driving until the driver is near empty. In our analysis, this case was an outlier and didn’t result in a loss. That makes fuel optimization tools, like what’s in Trucker Path COMMAND, a key tool in today’s economy. Diesel prices are higher than they’ve ever been and the chances are slim of the federal government rolling back taxes like they did for gas. The time to optimize is now. There is real money to be saved out there with smart and dynamic fuel-finding solutions—especially for ones that make it easy for drivers by considering all the variables and curating fuel-friendly routes for them.

Jul 20, 2022