While 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness annually, a recent study by Deloitte revealed that less than half receive treatment. A study from the Mental Health in the Workplace Summit also found that mental illness is the leading cause of disability for U.S. adults aged 15 to 44 and that more workdays are lost to mental health-related absenteeism than any other injury or illness. Being an OTR Truck Driver increases your chance of behavioral health implications due to the solo-traveling nature of the career. That’s why Cooper Freight has many programs and resources in place to help their OTR Drivers keep a positive mindset both on the road and at home.

While employers must provide training and guidance to prevent distracted driving, ensuring road safety is ultimately up to individual drivers. Here are some tips drivers should keep in mind to limit distractions behind the wheel:

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Q & A with Douglas Davis

 

This month we’re honored to spotlight one of our drivers who has driven for Cooper Freight for three years now, Douglas Davis.

Why do you like working at Cooper Freight?
The atmosphere, people are easy to work with, equipment is new and always serviced, and there is an emphasis put on family. Things get done, the work moves, pay is great, and being on time is easy with the lead time we’re given.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Q & A with Jamie Tallman

 

This month we’re honored to spotlight one of our drivers who has driven for Cooper Freight for a decade now, Jamie Tallman.

Why do you like working at Cooper Freight?
It is family oriented and they know your name. All of the employees are friendly and accessible. The equipment is kept in fantastic condition. You get plenty of miles with excellent pay. Decent home time. We have lots of one, two and even three million mile drivers for a reason. Best job I’ve ever had. I’m here to stay!

A Winter State of Mind

One of the joys of the trucking business is the ability to travel across the country and experience the beauty of different roads from coast to coast. However, this also means you must prepare for various types of driving conditions. The winter months make for treacherous road conditions across much of the country; the best thing you can do to make sure you stay safe when the temperature drops is to be ready.

The AAA predicts, “That more than one-third of Americans will travel this holiday season. The record-breaking 112.5 million travelers taking to the nation’s runways, roads and rails for the year-end holidays represent a 4.4 percent increase over last year.” This means possible delays, traffic congestion, and impaired or distracted drivers, all combined with the unpredictable winter weather. Here are a few ways for truck drivers to stay safe during these hectic holiday travels:

Driving is a challenging task. Whether you are an experienced driver or an amateur, driving on snowy roads can be very dangerous and difficult for truck drivers. Since a truck is a big vehicle that requires certain strength to control, the job of driving on slippery roads in the winter goes beyond a challenging task for truck drivers—it is a dangerous mission.

Truck drivers are the reason that our moveable properties, raw materials and finished goods get delivered from one location to the other. Without truck drivers, it would not be possible to move our stuff around.

We at Cooper Freight especially prioritize making truck drivers feel appreciated beyond the fact that we are freight shipping and trucking company. We consider the hard work that these heroes put into planning routes and meeting schedules for delivery.