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How to Stay Fit on the Road

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Being on the road can be hard, especially sitting for a longer period with little to no activity. Truck drivers normally get a 30-minute break for every 5½ hours worked, and are also entitled to at least two 15-minute breaks. On average they work 10–11 hours a day, on both night and day shifts.

Being seated for 11 hours can cause bad posture (a forward neck, rounded shoulders, and a rounded upper and lower back, which may be due to a tight chest from leaning forward). Sitting for long hours also affects the gluteal muscles and leads to tight hip flexors and weak abdominal muscles.
For most of those 11 hours drivers are seated on the road with little activity, so it is important that they do at least some stretching or exercise to keep their body active and in shape.

Here are some activities that truck drivers could do to improve posture and a healthy lifestyle while on the road:
A 15-minute stretch is all it takes to make a change in their everyday routine.
Truck drivers can do these stretches while sitting in the truck:
-Chin tuck stretch (helps prevent neck pain that causes headaches)
-Chair twists stretch (stretches the spine, shoulders and hips)
-Overhead chest stretch (good for loosening a tight chest; can be done sitting or standing)
-Scapula retraction (squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 15 seconds)
-Wall/Car door stretch (hold for at least 30 seconds on each side; this stretches each side of your chest separately)
Walk around the truck and do various stretches to improve posture during your 30- or 15-minute breaks.

For truck drivers with access to a gym or gym equipment, here are some workouts they could do:
-bench press (BB or DB)
-push-ups
-assisted pull ups
-barbell bent over row
-seated shoulder press (BB or DB)
-bicep curls (BB or DB)
-leg press
-hip thrust
-Squat
-plank
-sit ups

*We recommend 3 sets of 10–12 reps each, with 60–90 seconds of rest in between. Try adding 15 minutes of HIIT cardio.
Advantages of HIIT:
• Increases metabolism, which means you burn calories faster even after your workout is done
• You can do it at home without any equipment
• Increases speed and endurance
Cycling is another good form of cardio to burn calories and help improve posture.
Have something to eat within 30 minutes of your workout, or a snack 15 minutes after, otherwise you may get hungry and start binge eating.

Written by Hugo Phillipps

Recruiting Good Truck Drivers Who Will Stay

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At a 2012 conference organised by the Truckload Carriers Association and ACS Advertising, truck owners identified key ways to maintain a high fleet standard and good relationships with their drivers. The conference covered how to manage and run a fleet in the digital era, as well as tips on hiring truck drivers and operating strategies. Let’s look at the key points for growing sustainably in the logistics and transport industry.

1. Drivers are people, not just steering-wheel holders
Throughout many of the sessions, there was a message of “drivers are people, too.”

Compensation is one of the first things people ask about when looking for a job. Mark Murrell is president of CarriersEdge, which runs the Best Fleets to Drive For program for the TCA. He reported that company drivers working for carriers in the Best Fleets program averaged $53,673 annually, on an average of 111,851 miles, while owner-operators averaged revenue of $162,985 a year on 116,021 miles.

According to him, there is a strong belief that a supportive company will make people stay, even if their salary is average and does not increase much over the years.

2. Communication for sustainable relationships
The rise of social media and smart devices encourages conversation between people, and the same applies to the relationship between owners and their employees. To retain good drivers and make them feel at home, a seamless connection between the operator and their drivers should be maintained. “Retention starts with the very first call the recruiter gets from a driver,” Chappell – safety and recruiting coordinator for Fikes Truck Line – said, “but it’s everybody’s responsibility, right down to the operator who answers the telephone. Every conversation can make a difference.”

Drivers can call to talk about problems at work, and the first 3 months are the perfect time to build a healthy, long-term working relationship. Operators need to take these matters seriously and make the right decisions to improve the work experience.

3. How to achieve good driver retention
So you know the importance of prompt communication. It is also worth knowing that a smart operating strategy can save a company thousands of dollars in recruiting new people and keeping them.

The issue resolution process is important, said Rim Yurkis, president and CEO for employment consulting firm Strategic Programs Inc. Some companies have even created buddy programmes that give new drivers safe, informative support, with time for questions and trial runs when they start. In the long term, this creates a sense of belonging as employees commit their time to the company, gaining valuable experience and close-knit relationships with their colleagues.

It’s important for driver managers, dispatchers, whatever the fleet calls them, to have a one-on-one relationship with their drivers. Understanding the different backgrounds, skills, experience and motivations of drivers helps the company build a healthy model to support working conditions. From there, the company can maintain its service standards and earn more profit from a professional and productive fleet.

Written by Hugo Phillipps

Speed limit around Auckland’s Waterview Tunnel to return to 100km/h from July

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The speed limit on Auckland motorways around the Waterview Tunnel will increase to 100km/h from July.

The NZ Transport Agency said the proposed changes on State Highways 20 and 16 will allow maximum speeds of 100km/h in certain driving conditions.

Public feedback was open for a four-week period with more than 3000 responses provided during that time, with the significant majority in favour of increasing the maximum speed limit.

The changes to increase the variable speed limit from 30–80km/h to 30–100km/h will be introduced in two phases.

 

The first phase is planned in the following locations:

• SH20 northbound – 25m south of Dominion Rd to 440m south of Maioro St

• SH20 southbound – 650m north of Maioro St to 5m north of Dominion Rd

• SH16 westbound – 255m east of St Lukes Rd to 880m west of the eastern abutment of the Rosebank Bridges

• SH16 eastbound – 880m west of the eastern abutment of the Rosebank Bridges to 235m east of St Lukes Rd

• Including all on- and off-ramps connecting to local roads.

Source / NZTA

 

These changes are expected to follow shortly after investigations into the signage and system requirements have been completed.

Speed limits are likely to be reduced during peak periods when there are typically high traffic volumes and in the event of incidents, crashes, maintenance work or extreme weather conditions.

Source / NZ Herald

Auckland Traffic and Congestion Effects on Truck Drivers

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It is no secret that Auckland has a traffic problem. During the peak hours of 6am-8am and 4pm-6pm during the working/school week the congestion along motorways, state highways and roads is ridiculous. Not only is there stop-start traffic during peak hours, but traffic may also occur due to other factors including natural disasters and roadwork, closing busy motorways and main roads. According to the New Zealand Herald, the average Aucklander spends up to 12 working days per year stuck in traffic. The government has encouraged the use of public transport with the updated train services, increased bus stops, discounts and automated payments including the Hop Card, but what effect are traffic and congestion having on our truck drivers – those who earn a living sitting behind the wheel of a heavy vehicle.

The North-Western Motorway is currently undergoing structural and infrastructural change due to increased housing opportunities in areas including Riverhead, Hobsonville Point and Helensville. Eastbound lanes between Lincoln Road off-ramp and Te Atatu Peninsula off-ramp are usually closed between 10pm-5am, and Westbound lanes between St Lukes Road off-ramp and Great North Road on-ramp are closed between 11pm-5am. Closures similar to this are frequently occurring all over Auckland, adding to the poor road layouts and detours. The government and New Zealand Transport Agency have chosen to work on the roads at night to benefit the majority of the Auckland community with day jobs, but on the other hand, this notion negatively affects those who work night shifts. Truck drivers working night shifts are forced to take elongated routes, ultimately using more petrol and working longer hours trying to make deadlines. These sacrifices are for future benefits, which will include extra motorway lanes and a tunnel to South Auckland which will knock a considerable amount of time off Airport round trips from West Auckland. But how can we change the current structure to accommodate those transporting the goods and products we consume daily?

On the 20th December 2016, a truck crash caused major traffic congestion on SH20, the main route to Auckland Airport, spilling gravel all over the road. Travellers rushing to catch flights abandoned their cars and made their way to the airport on foot, adding to the traffic problems. Auckland Airport tried to control the damage with the use of their social media accounts, tweeting travellers to stay in their cars, but this fell on deaf ears, even though there were no delays in flights due to the incident. The lanes on SH20 were closed at approximately 4.20pm and were re-opened at about 6pm that same day, with southbound lanes cleared around 5.30pm. The almost 2-hour ordeal could have been avoided with the conditions taken into consideration, including speed, vehicle size and weight, time, route and most importantly (for truck drivers) job urgency.

The use of technology and the internet can help each trucker plan for their individual journeys before taking off. When planning each route, considerations in areas including natural disasters/weather, current events, time frames, public holidays and school holidays will impact traffic and congestion throughout Auckland and New Zealand. The Trucker App available on PlayStore for Android and iTunes for Apple makes planning your route as a truck driver simple, with trucker stops located around New Zealand incorporated on the maps and routes.