Prepare for the Unexpected
No one plans to have an emergency – that’s what makes it an emergency. However, professional truck drivers can and should be prepared for emergencies. With the onset of winter, the possibility of getting stuck in inclement weather means all drivers should take steps to be ready, whether they hit bad weather, have an accident or experience a mechanical issue. Whatever the reason, getting stranded in extreme weather can quickly become a matter of life and death.
Veteran drivers know they must be ready before they hit the road. To the extent possible, they keep their fuel tanks at least half full so their trucks don’t run out of fuel if they get stranded. Beyond that, ICSA recommends preparing a kit with useful items that can help you be more comfortable and can even help you survive. You can buy a premade kit from Amazon or other vendors or can prepare one yourself. Whether you buy it or make it, make sure it has what you need. What should the kit include? That is individual for everyone but consider the following:
Make sure that your kit is easily accessible in the cab of the truck and that you replace items as necessary - for example, if food or medicine expires or flashlight batteries need to be replaced.
Consider a possible scenario – you jackknife your truck on a slippery road and end up in a ditch on the side of the road. Because the weather is getting bad, emergency assistance is not able to reach you until the next day. Will you be comfortable while you wait? Will you be safe while you wait? Will you be alive when help arrives? The answers depend on the preparations you make ahead of time.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.