As we welcome the new year, it’s a great time for OTR truck drivers to prioritize their health, wellness, and safety on the road. At Cooper Freight, we value the well-being of our drivers and want to provide them with the support and resources they need to thrive in their careers. In this blog post, we will share some tips and insights to help OTR truck drivers start the new year strong and stay healthy, safe, and happy on the road.

New Year, New You: Prioritizing Health and Wellness

As an OTR truck driver, maintaining good health and wellness is crucial for your overall well-being and performance on the road. Here are some tips to prioritize your health and wellness in the new year:

Stay Active: Truck driving can be a sedentary job, so it’s important to make time for regular physical activity. Take short walks, do simple exercises, or stretch whenever you have the opportunity during rest stops or breaks. Consider bringing resistance bands or small exercise equipment with you on the road.

Eat Nutritious Meals: Eating well-balanced meals can help you stay energized and focused on the road. Pack healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, to avoid relying on unhealthy fast food options. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and limit your consumption of sugary beverages. Check out our blog post on top snacks for Truckers.

Get Enough Sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for your physical and mental well-being. Create a relaxing bedtime routine, invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows for your sleeper berth, and try to stick to a regular sleep schedule as much as possible.

Take Breaks: Long hours on the road can be physically and mentally draining. Take regular breaks to rest, stretch, and relax. This will help you stay alert and focused while driving, reducing the risk of accidents due to fatigue.

Prioritize Mental Health: Truck driving can be a demanding job, and it’s important to prioritize your mental health. Practice stress-management techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or talking to a trusted friend or family member. Seek professional help if needed.

Join the Cooper Freight Family

We are accepting applications for OTR, Team, and Local Company Drivers. Click here to learn more about our driver benefits, pay, and company culture.

For more information on our hiring process and qualifications, please call the Recruitment Office at (901) 215-9100 Or email to drive4us@cooperfreight.com

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:

• Keep Your Fuel Tank Full
This is a very important safety measure for truck drivers transporting goods through rural areas. If your truck runs out of fuel while you are stuck in road traffic, you will be blocking the road which will affect other travelers.
However, if your fuel tank is full, your mind will be at peace that you won’t have to worry about the nearest fuel station amidst traffic congestion.

• Be Careful and Vigilant
Always maintain 100% concentration while driving to avoid accidents. One of the factors that are accounted for by road accidents is a distraction. According to Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July are some of the riskiest times of the year to get into a fatal accident.
Therefore, you need to be extra careful during the holiday rush. From the statistics of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40% of road accidents during holiday periods involve people who are under alcohol influence.

• Maintain Visibility
Maintaining visibility is important while driving. Before you start driving, you need to ensure that your headlights, mirror, and windshield wipers are inspected. There are many problems that may arise while driving. For instance, patches of thick fog may probably block your vision, preventing you from seeing the vehicles in front.
In such a case, you may need to put on your hazard lights as a signal so that there won’t be accidents. Most importantly, you have to wait till everything gets cleared before you continue with the journey. Remember that when there is thick fog, you may need to clear the following items to maintain visibility:

•  Clear the windshield properly.
• Ice and snow may pile up on your truck mirrors. Get rid of the ice from the mirrors to maintain visibility.
• Clear your headlights or brake lights. This will help other travelers behind you to notice when you step on your brake or are about to stop.
• You may need to clear off the ice that builds up on your license plate too.

• Avoid Dangerous Overtaking
As a result of the holiday rush which may lead to increased road traffic, you may be tempted to overtake some vehicles or other large trucks. However, this may be too costly and it may eventually cause accidents. While on the road during the holiday period, you have to exercise some restraint. Don’t cut in front or overtake another truck in a very dangerous position.

• Full Compliance with Hours of Service
“Hours of service” refers to the maximum amount of time drivers are permitted to be on duty including driving time, and specifies number and length of rest periods, to help ensure that drivers stay awake and alert. In general, all carriers and drivers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) must comply with HOS regulations.

If you are looking for a company that ALWAYS puts Safety 1st call us today!!!

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.

In fact, studies have shown that truck accidents are common during winter. From the data of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA), 17% of all vehicle accidents are during the winter months. However, this article shall discuss ice and snow weather tips to keep you safe during the winter period.

Let’s get started.

Check Your Truck Properly

One of the easiest protective measures is to ensure that you inspect your vehicle before you start your journey. You don’t want to be stuck amidst great piles of snow only to discover that your vehicle is faulty. Therefore, you may need to check the following items before your journey:

• Tires: Check tire pressure.
• Brakes: Check your brakes if they are in good condition. You need brakes to maintain control while driving on a snowy and slippery road.
• Wipers: Ensure that your windshield wipers can withstand the pressure of the winter period before starting your journey.

Other items to be checked include the truck’s fluids, lights, battery, and other important items in your vehicle.

Be Prepared

Apart from your vehicle inspection, it is equally important you take along with you some items to protect you against winter climate. These items are outlined below:

• warm jacket/ blankets
• Jump Cables
• A bag of sand and salt
• A flashlight 
• Ice scraper
• Food and water, etc.

Suit Your Driving Style According to the Weather Conditions

As an experienced truck driver, you need to know that you have to be more careful with your driving during the winter months. Studies have revealed that truck driving in the winter period is very dangerous. It is therefore important you maintain caution while on the highway during the season. Before you bother your mind about how to adjust your driving style, you can:

• Avoid hard acceleration. Driving too fast may make you lose control. Remember you’re driving on a slippery road and swift movement on such a road may be costly.
• Don’t slam on the brakes. Be careful when you want to brake the car to a halt.
• Drive slowly. Most importantly, there should be a distance between you and the vehicle in front. Don’t forget that trucks, unlike cars, need more space to brake to a halt.
• If you can avoid driving through mountainous roads, you should. It can be very risky to drive through such roads in harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, protect yourself by avoiding driving on such roads. But, if you need to drive through them, be gentle with your speed limit and ensure you put your hazard lights on.

Protect Yourself

Irrespective of your experience or great skill in tick driving, you are vulnerable when you face bad weather conditions. It doesn’t matter if you have been driving for years. The truth is that you may have no tactical measure to sail through bad weather conditions when they become extremely unfavorable for driving. Therefore, another driving tip during the winter season is protection. Don’t put your life at stake while taking the risk of driving through poor climatic conditions.

Look out for Hazards

As it is said in the first paragraph, driving in the winter period can be very difficult as a result of different forms of hazards that accompany the period. Therefore, when you are driving in ice and cold weather, your eyes should be on the lookout for these hazards:

• Black Ice: It may seem very difficult to identify black ice, but you must watch out for it. Patches of black ice are dangerous because they are slippery and they may cause your truck to lose control. If ice builds up on your truck’s mirror arms, the antenna, or the top corners of the windshield, there is a possibility of black ice.
• Fog: Thick fog has the chance to block your visibility while driving in bad weather conditions. When the visibility is low, you may need to drive slowly. Clear your windscreen, and put your hazard lights on.

Take Extra Caution When Stepping on Your Truck

Your truck steps can be slippery when you drive through a snowy road. This is why you have to be very careful when you want to enter or get off your truck. When the steps are being covered by ice, you may likely fall from the steps if you are not careful while stepping on them. For extra caution, you may have to wear sturdy shoes to reduce slipping.

Above all, harsh climatic conditions such as ice and snow weather can be unfavorable to truck drivers. However, you can incorporate the above tips into your driving style so that you can be safe during winter. You can be one of the beneficiaries of our truckload services. Reach out to us to enjoy our offers.

It’s tough to be a trucker – you’re always on the road and don’t have that many options when it comes to Healthy Snacks for the Road. It’s tough to be selective when you have very limited choices when it comes to grab-n-go snacks. But don’t you worry, we’ve got a whole list of snacks for all you truckers out there. Let’s begin shall we.

Granola Bars

Let’s start with the basic. Granola bars are amazing Healthy Snacks for Truckers and you can just buy them at any nearby store and just eat them. Granola bars are filled with a lot of protein, calories, micronutrients and fiber – all essential components to keep you going

Popcorn

Number two on our list is perhaps the king of all Grab-n-Go snacks – popcorn. Available at almost every other store in the locality, and they are delicious. If you want to take things to the next level, get the cheesy popcorns. Don’t freak out – it’s a thin layer of cheese on something that is a great fiber source. Popcorns are also low calories. There are also some vegan options available to if you want.

Fresh and Dried Fruits

Fruits are the Best Grab-n-Go Snacks and perhaps the most underrated snacks of all time. Just think about it, you don’t have deal with any wrappers, they don’t create any mess and easily available. All Truck Drivers should have at least some fruits on the road.

Yogurt

When you’re on the road constantly, digestion is important especially if you’re a truck driver. Yogurt is an incredible grab-n-go snack as it promotes bone health and has high concentration of calcium and probiotics.

Summing It Up

Hope you like our list and make sure you have at least a couple of these items on your next road trip.

Join the Cooper Freight Family

We are accepting applications for OTR, Team, and Local Company Drivers. Click here to learn more about our driver benefits, pay, and company culture.

For more information on our hiring process and qualifications, please call the Recruitment Office at (901) 215-9100 Or email to drive4us@cooperfreight.com