Jun 22, 2015

Healthy, happy, connected. Meet Sierra Sugar

We recently caught-up with Sierra Sugar (the pen name she’s used since 2007 for her blog, The Sweet Life Of Sierra Sugar) while she was preparing dinner in the truck. “I’m marinating chicken breasts in salsa, ginger and garlic – which I’ll serve over steamed spaghetti squash. For our side dish, I’m thinking about sautéed Brussels sprouts.”

Here’s a Trucker Path fan who can teach us all a thing or two

[images src=”https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2015/06/sierrasugarface-1.jpg” alt=”Cost of parking” width=”200px” align=”left” ]

Hardly what comes to mind when most of us think of Road Food – but nothing out of the ordinary for this retired nurse. Sierra recently left her 20+-year career in healthcare for life on the road with fiancée Allen, and is now a member of no less than half a dozen different Facebook groups dedicated to healthy cooking and eating.

Which brings us to one of the things Sierra loves most about the Trucker Path App: She and Allen were tired of eating what’s served in most truck stops today.

We love the Mom & Pop truck stops

For the occasional meal she doesn’t prepare herself, Sierra enjoys visiting the kind of truck stops that still offer healthy, thoughtful alternatives to fast food. “I’ve been using the Trucker Path App since Day One. Allen tells me where we’re headed for the day, and I’ll start looking for the best truck stops.”

She’s got questions. Trucker Path has answers

“We read the reviews for all kinds of answers about the places we might stop, like: How many showers do they have, and are they clean? Do they have parking available, and is it safe? Do they have regular diesel or bio-diesel? We try to avoid bio-diesel because our engine always needs a burn off when we use it.”

A handy navigation aid, of sorts

“We even use Trucker Path for backup to our GPS, because GPS can’t tell us which side of the road a truck stop or rest area is on – and we like to pick spots that are convenient to the places we’ll be dropping-off or picking-up loads.”

You’re never too old to learn something new

When Sierra told her brother she’d decided to go on the road with Allen, he tried to convince her she wasn’t cut-out for the life. Needless to say, he failed. “I was really excited to do it. And so was Allen. Especially since I’m the one who found the Trucker Path App! Now we use it every day.”

A new calling on the road

Sierra’s also one of the Missing Truck Driver Alert Network’s most active supporters. She and four other like-minded volunteers comprise a group the network’s founder, Kari Fisher, calls The Fab Five – for their tireless efforts to locate missing drivers on the road.

Between the locations of their companies’ terminals and corporate headquarters – not to mention the place they call Home when they’re not on the road, Sierra explains, “when it comes to finding drivers who’ve gone missing, there are a lot of jurisdictional issues to deal with. It’s easy for them to get lost between the cracks.”

The network helps fill-in those cracks by gathering relevant information from family members, employers and police departments – then posting Digital Alert flyers on their Social Media networks.

And yes, it works

Asked for a recent success story, Sierra mentions an older gentleman who went missing. “Here was a man who is always punctual, and who always checks-in with his family.” So when he didn’t call-in one day, it was clear something was wrong.

Thanks to the network’s efforts, he was found in his truck, says Sierra. “But he was very sick. They were able to rush him to the hospital, and he survived.” Without the network’s help, who knows what might have happened?

Look for her in Dallas this August

Sierra’s been asked to host a cooking demo in the Health Pavilion at GATS this August – although she admits she hasn’t yet decided on a dish. Until then, she’ll have lots of time on the road – to try new recipes, follow her new calling, and keep connected with her new friends and family.

SUMMARY: Meet Sierra Sugar, a well-connected fan of Trucker Path – the App she and her fiancée, an Owner Operator, use every day to find the best truck stops, rest areas and overnight parking lots.

What is crowdsourcing, and how can it make your life easier? [p]Imagine if there was an App that could tell you whether or not there’s parking available at the truck stop just up the road from where you are right now. Well there is, but more on that later.[/p] [h2]Our App for truckers does just that[/h2] [p][b]First, what is Crowdsourcing?[/b][/p] [p]According to [a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing"]Wikipedia[/a], Crowdsourcing is the process of obtaining information or services from an online community. It’s an increasingly powerful tool for solving problems and saving time and money.[/p] [p]For instance, Waze – which has been downloaded nearly 100 million times from the Google Play store alone – uses data gathered by crowdsourcing to give its users up-to-the-minute traffic information. And when there’s trouble reported ahead, Waze offers you alternate-route suggestions.[/p] [p][b]Other current and future benefits of crowdsourcing[/b][/p] [p][i]Helping you find better roadside restaurants.[/i] These days, [i]way[/i] too many truck stops offer only fast food as an option – and that’s no way to eat on a daily basis. Using a crowdsource app like Yelp in conjunction with a trip planner, you’ll find endless suggestions for eating healthier, better and cheaper.[/p] [p][i]Helping you finding more quality load opportunities.[/i] Imagine an online “marketplace” that does a lot of things Load Boards [i]should[/i] have been doing for years. Like providing more, and better, info on drivers and brokers. And includes a User Ratings option – to help you avoid brokers (or drivers) you don’t want to work-with.[/p] [p][b]Too many trucks, too little parking[/b][/p] [p]As the [a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/truck-drivers-face-shortage-of-legal-safe-places-to-park-1421799404"]Wall Street Journal[/a] reported in early 2015, the parking shortage for truckers is getting worse. A recent FHA study, for instance, identified a stretch of I-40 through Arizona and New Mexico with barely 300 parking spots for the more than 10,000 trucks that passed-through daily. In a 2013 web survey of some 4,000 truck drivers, nearly 40 % said it typically takes them an hour or more to find parking at night.[/p] [p][b]So how does that crowdsourcing app work for parking?[/b][/p] [p]The first question you’re probably asking is: Who would take the time to grab their phone, when they’re pulling-into a truck stop or rest stop, and type-in detailed parking information? Lots of people, as it turns-out. The [a href="https://truckerpath.com/"]Trucker Path[/a] app has over 220,000 users, and its developers have made the sharing of parking info as easy as tapping your phone a couple times.[/p] [p]Using your phone’s GPS, the app sends you a quick message, when you pull-into a truck stop or rest area – asking if there is any available parking. If you answer Yes, it offers you three choices:[/p] [ul] [li]Lots Of Parking[/li] [li]Some Parking Spots[/li] [li]Lot Is Full. Which, of course, takes just one more tap to enter[/li] [/ul] [p]Oh, and incidentally, that “marketplace” app mentioned above? That’s another service Trucker Path will be offering soon. Now ask yourself: How much easier would an app like [i]that[/i] make your life?[/p] [br][p][i]SUMMARY: An overview of how carriers can use crowdsourcing technology to find parking at truck stops, rest areas and overnight parking lots. With the Trucker Path App, truckers can also find open weigh stations and nearby TRANSFLO.[/i][/p]

Mar 31, 2015

How to find better freight brokers. And carriers [p]There’s a reason most Independent Owner Operators have relationships with freight brokers: They don’t have the time and resources it takes to find a steady stream of loads, in addition to time and resources it takes to haul a steady stream of loads. That’s not even counting the time and resources it takes to [i]manage[/i] loads from point to point.[/p] [h2]There’s a better way than Load Boards to get the information you need[/h2] [p][b]How many drivers have time for [i]that[/i]?[/b][/p] [p]Lisa Lowery with Birmingham, Alabama-based [a href="http://www.baggettservicesinc.com/"]Baggett Services[/a] – where revenues today are more than ten times what they were before 2010 – points to the sheer volume of busy-work she handles for drivers.[/p] [p]“Number one would be cold calling,” she says. In other words, building a strong network of quality customers who need the kind of freight shipped that pays well. One of Baggett’s main sources for quality loads over the past few years has been the commercial Aerospace industry. Not the easiest market to crack, but certainly a very good one, once you’ve proven yourself.[/p] [p]Another time-consuming task would be building and maintaining a Rate Matrix. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, a Rate Matrix is a hauler’s per-mile price on a state-by-state basis. It’s a relatively new concept to the industry, but one that more and more shippers require from brokers as a reference point when comparing prices for loads. And naturally, the more brokers have to compete on price, the less time and energy they can afford to dedicate to service – and the more valuable a broker’s computer-automated support becomes.[/p] [p][b]We have the technology...[/b][/p] [p]“In just the past year alone, our business has become a lot more computer-driven,” says Lowery. And while the percentage of truckers with smartphones and tablets rose, according to [a href="http://www.ccjdigital.com/"]CCJ[/a], from 30 % in 2011 to 80 % by the end of 2014, “most drivers still aren’t that interested in using technology to manage the kind of work we do for them every day.”[/p] [p][b]... so what’s wrong with the technology?[/b][/p] [p]One big reason drivers may be reluctant to rely more on technology for their business is the number of bad stories connected to Load Boards. The main reason for that? Lack of reliable information, through Load Boards, about Brokers. And, for that matter, about Carriers.[/p] [p][b]The future? Better information for everyone.[/b][/p] [p]Charlie Myers – a 35+ year industry veteran and President, from 2002 to 2008 of Getloaded.com – believes the industry’s future is in the Marketplace concept, where quality information is freely available to everyone interested in connecting online. “Trust is a huge issue in our business, and information is the key to building trust.[/p] [p][b]Trust, but verify![/b][/p] [p]“In the ideal online marketplace, both parties benefit. Carriers should be able to see what loads a broker has, and brokers should have easy access to critical background info on carriers that’s published by the government – from their CSA scores to their safety ratings and insurance coverage. Most importantly, in that marketplace, [i]everyone[/i] has the opportunity to offer candid ratings and feedback about their working experiences.[/p] [p]“That kind of Open Information environment has a great way of attracting quality partners, and driving out the people who give our industry a bad name,” Myers continues. And while the overwhelming majority of brokers and carriers are honest business people, just about anyone in the business has been burned at least once.[/p] [p]How long before the marketplace concept takes hold? Stay tuned.[/p] [br][p][i]SUMMARY: Advice for independent carriers looking to expand their network of quality brokers and shippers, from the developers of Trucker Path – an App which is now accepting members to its Truckloads trucking marketplace.[/i][/p]

May 18, 2015

“I can see 15 truck stops near where I am right now.” [p]“I’ve been driving a truck for about 30 years,” says Florida native Allen Wilcher, “ever since I was old enough to get behind the wheel.” He still remembers learning to drive his father’s International Transtar 2, hauling ammonium nitrate.[/p] [h2]Trucker Path gave veteran trucker Allen Wilcher a whole new perspective[/h2] [p]“I learned real quick, you didn’t want to grind gears with him in the truck,” Allen laughs. “Working with my father, you were going to learn [i]something[/i]. By the time I was 14, I was helping him change brakes.”[/p] [p][b]On the road again[/b][/p] [p]Allen recently returned to long-haul trucking, and his home state, after 16 years hauling trash locally in Missouri, while his son grew-up. “That’s a lot of trash!” says Allen. “After my son graduated high school and moved-out on his own, I was ready to get back out there.”[/p] [p][b]And the best part is[/b][/p] [p]Allen’s now an Owner Operator with Roadrunner Expedite, and he couldn’t be happier with his decision to get back on the road. In large part, because his fiancée [Sierra Sugar, whose Trucker Path profile you can read [a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/sierra-sugar/"]here[/a] decided she wanted to join him. “She’s smarter than me!” Allen says. “She’s the one who found Trucker Path, and now we use it for everything from planning our routes to the places we stop for the night.”[/p] [p][b]Another day, another roadside gem[/b][/p] [p]Tonight, Allen and Sierra are at the Little Nashville Truck Stop in Nashville, Illinois. “We looked at all the reviews for this place, and there wasn’t a single bad one.” And while Sierra is well-known for her cooking skills, “we’re not cooking tonight.” It’s why the two of them prefer the small Mom & Pops to the larger truck stops – where the menu is often limited to fast food fare.[/p] [p][b]Well, what do we have here?[/b][/p] [p]“When we know where we’re going, we program our route into Trucker Path. Then we’ll switch to the Satellite setting – which gives us an overhead view of the places we stop. Right now, I’m zoomed-into the area where we’re parked. I can see our parking lot, the gas station across the street, and the pool next door.”[/p] [p]Allen can also see the nearby field where he and Sierra plan to enjoy a long walk before dinner. “It’s important to both of us that we get exercise out on the road,” which factors into most of their daily parking-site selections, says Allen. “The satellite view really helps us with that. And we geo-cache just about every place we go, for future reference.[/p] [p][b]Download the App. Discover America[/b][/p] [p]With Trucker Path, Sierra’s helped Allen find spots he never even knew existed. And what would he consider his best new discovery? “There’s a rest area Sierra found along 191 in Moab, Utah – which is already one of my favorite places. When she zoomed-in on it, we saw that it was surrounded by huge climbing rocks. We walked all around them. It’s amazing.[/p] [p]“I bet I’ve been up and down that road fifty times, and here she finds this place the first time we passed through.”[/p] [p][b]Better still, earn extra money while you play![/b][/p] [p]Allen even credits Trucker Path with a recent cash windfall. “Sierra found a truck stop with a casino in Las Vegas, and we stayed there for three days. Our last night, I was playing a slot machine when Sierra figured she wanted to ‘help out’. So she pushed my hand down and the machine paid $600.” Being a wise money manager, Sierra looked Allen right in the eyes, and said, “Time to go!” Wherever they went next, you can be sure Trucker Path had a hand in it.[/p] [br][p][i]SUMMARY: Our profile of Owner Operator Allen Wilchire, a fan of Trucker Path – the App he and his fiancée Sierra Sugar use every day to find the best truck stops, rest areas and overnight parking lots. Allen particularly appreciates the App’s Satellite view, which helps the two of them scout the areas where they’ll be staying for the night.[/i][/p]

Jun 29, 2015