Heart Healthy Trucking

In the trucking industry, a healthy heart can be difficult to come by. We all know what to do to keep your hearth healthy; exercise, eat foods such as fish, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. However, in a truck driving job you are driving all day and away from home for months at a time. With that lifestyle, it’s hard to find ways to exercise and keep a balanced diet.

Well, it may be hard, but it is not impossible. There are little things you can do in your truck to maintain a healthy heart. With small tricks to boost your cardio and help you eat right, you can begin a healthier lifestyle right away.

To boost your cardio you can try doing simple things such as jumping jacks or walking in place. Each of these exercises is small, but if done repeatedly enough will get your heart beating and will get you on your way to better health. If you want to think bigger than jumping jacks or walking in place, you can try finding a track or a trail somewhere where you can go running. Heavier activities will boost your cardio even more, but remember not to push yourself too hard. Know your limits.

Along with exercise, you need the right type of foods and to do this, first you have to know what those foods are. Some samples of healthy foods that are great for your heart are salmon and tuna, flaxseed, almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes, berries, tofu, and much, much more. Now, knowing the proper foods is only the first step. Next, you have to know how to get them while driving your truck.

If you have a small refrigerator in your truck the number of foods you can have is more varied. This is because you can purchase perishable items and store them in your fridge to keep them fresh. Although, if you don’t have one you can still make healthy eating choices, all you need to do is find some foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. You can have things like nuts, oranges, apples and even dark chocolate. Yes, dark chocolate. A truffle a day actually helps lower blood pressure; however it needs to have 70% or higher cocoa content.

A lot of heart healthy foods are perfect for snacking during the day. Carrots especially are great for eating as you go. When you stop to eat one of your main meals just remember you do not have to eat a hamburger. Most fast food places these days have salad choices as well. For your breakfast, order oatmeal instead of pancakes. With the natural grains, oatmeal is filling and a great start for a healthy heart. Also, instead of ordering fries or a loaded baked potato for your side, try the vegetables. They may not always taste as good, but your heart will thank you for it.

Remember that you don’t always have to limit yourself to the truck stop restaurants that seem to serve grease on top of grease. Look for someplace that might be a little healthier. If you have a smart phone you can search the web and find new places and if you don’t have one, ask around. Surly someone will be able to tell you something about the area.

Having a truck driving job doesn’t have to mean you are risking the health of your heart. There is always a way to get your blood pumping and find foods that will make you feel good. It’s always harder to get up and move than it is to sit down and say you will do it tomorrow, but it is worth it.

Understanding Cell Phone Providers: Verizon Wireless

There is more to choosing a cell phone service provider than which service has the best phones. There are numerous aspects that have to be considered and in the trucking industry, one of the most important aspects is coverage.

With an over the road truck driving job, you constantly travel from one end of the continent to the other. In OTR trucking, you are also away from your family for days, weeks, even months at a time. Being gone this long, you want to be able to at least be able to talk to your family when you want.

As part of an ongoing investigation, we are reviewing the top cell phone providers in the U.S. beginning with Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless is said to be the service provider if you are looking for coverage. Whether you are looking for data or voice coverage, Verizon’s “Can you hear me?”  slogan covers the nation.

Verizon wireless has multiple plans available and each plan has multiple options such as data and text. For those truck drivers with families, you may want to select a family plan as it is usually less expensive than multiple individual plans. Verizon family plans range from 700 shared minutes to unlimited minutes.

However, if you don’t have anyone who you would like to share a plan with, Verizon Wireless does have single-line plans. For those truck drivers who travel both the U.S. and Canada, Verizon had a Nationwide Plus Canada plan. With this plan you won’t receive roaming fees for calling internationally. There is also a Nationwide Plus Mexico plan.

If, however, you are not an international driver and are simply driving the U.S. the Nationwide Single-Line plan would be for you. You can select a number of anytime minutes ranging from 450 to unlimited. Like the family plans, you can also select multiple messaging and data plans.

Along with their numerous phone plans, Verizon Wireless also has a number of mobile devices you can choose from. These devices range from smartphones and basic phones. A basic phone will not have all the bells and whistles of a smartphone, but with the correct plan, you will still be able to make phone calls. If that’s all you want to do, then a basic phone would be something you might want to consider.

If, however, you are more of a techy and you want all the bells and whistles, Verizon has a smartphone for you. Verizon has smartphones such as the DROID, iPhone, Spectrum and many, many more.

If you are looking for a service plan with top-ranking coverage and plenty of options, Verizon Wireless might be one phone service provider you want to consider.

However, if Verizon Wireless doesn’t seem like the type of provider you are looking for, then there are plenty more.

To read more about choosing a service provider, see our article on Understanding Cell Phone Providers.

CR England offers Zero Tuition for March 5, 2012

Have you ever thought that you would really love to drive a truck, but simply can’t afford the training? After all, truck driving school nowadays usually costs about $3,000. Who can afford that when you don’t have a job.

CR England understands how difficult this can be, which is why we are currently running a promotion that will help you out. If you start truck driving school on President’s Day, March 5, 2012, you can go to school for ZERO TUITION! Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

We understand that sometimes finding the money to pay for truck driving school is difficult and we want to help out. Now, you might ask how can we afford to give away some of the best training in the industry? The answer is that the trucking industry is booming and the freight demand is higher than ever. Simply put, we need drivers. We need drivers and you need a job, so let’s help each other out.

CR England’s Premier truck driving school is a world-class program and is considered to be the best in the trucking industry. Our truck driving school puts a special emphasis on driver safety and efficiency. This three to four week program is a great start to a great career in trucking.

Upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school, you are guaranteed a job with C.R. England and you will set out for your on-the-job training with a certified trainer.

To qualify to receive zero tuition, you must agree to a 6 month employment commitment with C.R. England. Upon arrival to CR England’s Premier truck driving school, a $50 administration fee is required.

C.R. England is pleased to offer this special of ZERO TUITION and to do our part in stimulating the employment market by providing training and guaranteeing job placement upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school.

Don’t wait any longer. This offer is ONLY for classes starting March 5, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To apply visit www.crengland.com

School begins in Richmond, IN

To begin a career in truck driving, the most important thing to have is your CDL. Without it you can’t drive a truck, so it is definitely the place to start. To get a CDL, you need to go to truck driving school. So, where should you go? Why not try a school that is considered to be the best in the trucking industry?

CR England has always been very proud of their Premier Truck Driving School, and it truly is considered to be the best truck driving school in the industry. With 4 locations throughout the U.S., England has helped place many great drivers on the road. And now, CR England is going to ramp up their numbers even more by opening up a new school in Richmond, Indiana.

The school in Richmond will make the total number of Premier Truck Driving Schools to 5, enabling more drivers to get their CDL and start a career in trucking. England’s Premier Truck Driving School is a three to four week program where students receive a mix of both classroom and hands-on training. With this trucking school, students receive the training they need with a special emphasis on driver safety.

CR England’s Premier Truck Driving School is dedicated to training drivers with the skills they need for a life on the road. With the guarantee of employment upon successful completion of the school, students are urged to drive even better and likewise, the instructors train even better.

Also, when attending Premier Truck Driving School, transportation to the school and lodging are provided during your stay. At the new Richmond location, the school is conveniently close to the Greyhound bus station. In fact, once students arrive at the station they will be able to see the school and a short walk will take them directly to the Richmond location.

With the ability to receive training both in the classroom and on a truck CR England’s Premier Truck Driving School is the way to go. Each of C.R. England’s schools are set up to provide the best training a trucker could ask for. By attending a C.R. England truck driving school you will know that you are receiving the best truck driver training available.

To learn more about CR England’s Premier Truck Driving School and to see how you can get started on your truck driving career, visit www.crengland.com.

Understanding Cell Phone Providers

With a truck driving job you are always on the go. While it is fun to see all the different places while, being on the road so often means you are frequently away from home and your friends and family. A number of years ago this meant you didn’t see or talk to your family for weeks on end, but today things are a lot easier. 

Nowadays there are computers and cell phones that make contacting each other as easy as pressing a button. One of the most common ways of contacting people is through cell phone. There are many different kinds of cellphones, and whether you are talking, texting, or sending video, cell phones are here to stay.

Along with the large number of cell phones, there are a lot of different cell phone services out there. Each provider has specific features which set them apart from the other such as faster service, or more coverage. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to understand exactly which cell phone provider is the best for you. Well, we can’t answer that, but what we can do is show you a few different options to help you understand what your options are.

When trying to choose a cell phone provider, there are a few things you need to look at. One of the most important things is coverage. A cell phone that never gets service is just as good as not having a cell phone at all. So, you need to know where a provider has service and where it doesn’t. Keep in mind that no provider has coverage that blankets the nation, but there are some with more areas than others.

As a truck driver, you may want to compare the coverage of a provider with your driving route. There are some providers that have problems in mountainous areas, so if you are constantly driving through canyons you would not want to go with them.

Another feature that appeals to the trucking industry is GPS. Many smartphones today either have a GPS already or have the capability to download a GPS app. However, to work most of the applications on a smartphone you will need a data plan. Each carrier has different data plans, depending on how much data you want to use and how fast you want it. 

Another thing you want to keep in mind is price. Unless you have an endless supply of money, you need to be aware of how much a certain plan costs and how it compares with other services. When considering the price of your cell phone plan, remember that most applications such as texting and data plans will cost extra. If all you want to use your phone for is plain and simple phone calls, your phone bill is generally going to be cheaper.

You also need to consider how many phones you will be getting. If you are getting a phone for others in your family as well, most services have family plans that allow you to have multiple lines at a discounted rate. The nice thing about a family plan is that with many cell phone providers calls within the family are free, but you will have to double check that with your service.

There are a lot of options out there and with so many options, there is a lot to consider before choosing a cell phone service. To help you understand what some of the top cell phone carriers have to offer, we will be following this article with a series of articles each breaking down cell phone providers and how they can work with your truck driving job.

Look for the next article about Verizon Wireless.

CR England offers Zero Tuition for February 27, 2012

Have you ever thought that you would really love to drive a truck, but simply can’t afford the training? After all, truck driving school nowadays usually costs about $3,000. Who can afford that when you don’t have a job.

CR England understands how difficult this can be, which is why we are currently running a promotion that will help you out. If you start truck driving school on President’s Day, February 27, 2012, you can go to school for ZERO TUITION! Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

We understand that sometimes finding the money to pay for truck driving school is difficult and we want to help out. Now, you might ask how can we afford to give away some of the best training in the industry? The answer is that the trucking industry is booming and the freight demand is higher than ever. Simply put, we need drivers. We need drivers and you need a job, so let’s help each other out.

CR England’s Premier truck driving school is a world-class program and is considered to be the best in the trucking industry. Our truck driving school puts a special emphasis on driver safety and efficiency. This three to four week program is a great start to a great career in trucking.

Upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school, you are guaranteed a job with C.R. England and you will set out for your on-the-job training with a certified trainer.

To qualify to receive zero tuition, you must agree to a 6 month employment commitment with C.R. England. Upon arrival to CR England’s Premier truck driving school, a $50 administration fee is required.

C.R. England is pleased to offer this special of ZERO TUITION and to do our part in stimulating the employment market by providing training and guaranteeing job placement upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school.

Don’t wait any longer. This offer is ONLY for classes starting February 27, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To apply visit www.crengland.com

Drive Dedicated in Northern California.

Over the last few years CR England’s Dedicated Trucking Division has begun to play a more prominent role in the company’s growth.  With new lanes popping up at a rapid pace, the Dedicated Division is quickly creating a name for itself. To spur the growth of this division even more, CR England is pleased to announce a new lane opening up in northern California.

This lane will create a series of Dedicated opportunities for both CR England and those in the northern California area who are looking for employment. In the trucking industry, a Dedicated lane is a great way to enjoy a truck driving job without having to sacrifice your home life. With consistent weekly home time, you are able to find a happy balance between your life at home and life over the road.

CR England’s new lane in northern California offers predictable miles and great Regional opportunities. This lane will keep you close to home by focusing solely on the west coast. Driving Dedicated or Regional with England is a great way to have the career you’ve always wanted, and with so many new lanes appearing on the map, it is possible that one will appear in your area.

England is widely known for their OTR opportunities, but there is more to the company than national transportation. England’s Regional and Dedicated opportunities are premium and provide drivers with a quality of life that is unmatched in the trucking industry.

Over the Road trucking is a great way to make a living. Through OTR trucking, you are provided the opportunity to see the country, but there are also sacrifices with OTR. With OTR, you have a higher possibility of being sent somewhere new which means new roads and new rules. With Regional and Dedicated, the possibility is higher that you will be able to drive familiar routes and get to know each and every mile.

C.R. England is delighted with our new lane in northern California and we are excited to see where we will go next. To learn more about C.R. England and how you can get started on your career in truck driving, visit www.crengland.com

Drive Dedicated in Reno

Over the last few years CR England’s Dedicated Trucking Division has begun to play a more prominent role in the company’s growth.  With new lanes popping up at a rapid pace, the Dedicated Division is quickly creating a name for itself. To spur the growth of this division even more, CR England is pleased to announce a new lane opening up in the Reno, NV area.

This lane will create a series of Dedicated opportunities for both CR England and those in the Reno area who are looking for employment. In the trucking industry, a Dedicated lane is a great way to enjoy a truck driving job without having to sacrifice your home life. With consistent weekly home time, you are able to find a happy balance between your life at home and life over the road.

CR England’s new lane in the Reno area offers predictable miles and great Regional opportunities. This lane will keep you close to home by focusing solely on the west coast. Driving Dedicated or Regional with England is a great way to have the career you’ve always wanted, and with so many new lanes appearing on the map, it is possible that one will appear in your area.

England is widely known for their OTR opportunities, but there is more to the company than national transportation. England’s Regional and Dedicated opportunities are premium and provide drivers with a quality of life that is unmatched in the trucking industry.

Over the Road trucking is a great way to make a living. Through OTR trucking, you are provided the opportunity to see the country, but there are also sacrifices with OTR. With OTR, you have a higher possibility of being sent somewhere new which means new roads and new rules. With Regional and Dedicated, the possibility is higher that you will be able to drive familiar routes and get to know each and every mile.

C.R. England is delighted with our new lane in the Reno, NV area and we are excited to see where we will go next. To learn more about C.R. England and how you can get started on your career in truck driving, visit www.crengland.com

How low can you go?

When you have a truck driving job, it can often times seem that you don’t have one second to spare. Those times when you are running late to drop a load and are so close to the yard you can almost see it, one of the last things you want to have to do is stop for fuel. So, you run a quick assessment in your head- is the tank really that empty? How empty can it go before it dies? How low have I been able to make it before?

Based on these questions, you make a decision. Do you take the time to stop and get fuel or do you push it? To help you make the right decision, here are some facts that you may not know about driving with low fuel.
The most obvious fact is that by pushing your fuel levels you are setting yourself up to stall. You need fuel to keep your truck running the way it needs to. Your engine needs to be able to burn fuel and without it, all the engine gets is air. With nothing but air running through your engine, it is easy for your filters and valves to get clogged.

Your breaks will also feel heavier when you are low on fuel. This is definitely a big problem when you are driving a small vehicle, let alone a huge diesel truck. Depending on your momentum and the size and weight of your truck, you might find it impossible to stop when you need to.

You can also lose power steering if you run out of fuel. If you do this, you might find yourself strong-arming your truck’s movements. By running too low on fuel, you can also damage your fuel injectors. The fuel injectors need fuel for lubrication and cooling. If there is no fuel to inject, you may find that your injector overheats.

As you can see, running low on fuel is not a laughing matter and doing it too often can cost you some serious money. You may think that you know how far your truck can go, but do not take the risk. It is too easy to stall when low on fuel, especially if you go up or down a hill and your fuel shifts from one end of the tank to the other.

Running low on fuel is serious, particularly in the trucking industry. With a truck driving job, you are responsible for your load and if you are late to drop a load because you tried to push it and ran out of fuel, you can be sure that your superiors will not be happy.

Do not risk it. Running out of fuel can be dangerous and expensive. If you notice your truck is low, take the time to fill it up. After all, stopping for a few minutes to fill your tank is better than stopping for an hour because you ran out of fuel. Don’t wait to see how low you can go. Instead ask yourself, do you really want to know?

CR England offers Zero Tuition for February 20, 2012

Have you ever thought that you would really love to drive a truck, but simply can’t afford the training? After all, truck driving school nowadays usually costs about $3,000. Who can afford that when you don’t have a job.

CR England understands how difficult this can be, which is why we are currently running a promotion that will help you out. If you start truck driving school on President’s Day, February 20, 2012, you can go to school for ZERO TUITION! Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

We understand that sometimes finding the money to pay for truck driving school is difficult and we want to help out. Now, you might ask how can we afford to give away some of the best training in the industry? The answer is that the trucking industry is booming and the freight demand is higher than ever. Simply put, we need drivers. We need drivers and you need a job, so let’s help each other out.

CR England’s Premier truck driving school is a world-class program and is considered to be the best in the trucking industry. Our truck driving school puts a special emphasis on driver safety and efficiency. This three to four week program is a great start to a great career in trucking.

Upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school, you are guaranteed a job with C.R. England and you will set out for your on-the-job training with a certified trainer.

To qualify to receive zero tuition, you must agree to a 6 month employment commitment with C.R. England. Upon arrival to CR England’s Premier truck driving school, a $50 administration fee is required.

C.R. England is pleased to offer this special of ZERO TUITION on President’s Day to celebrate the lives of the leaders of this great country. We appreciate all the hard work our presidents have done to make the United States the country that it is today. During the current economic troubles, we are proud to do our part in stimulating the employment market by providing training for zero tuition and guaranteeing job placement upon successful completion of CR England’s Premier truck driving school.

Don’t wait any longer. This offer is ONLY for classes starting February 20, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To apply visit www.crengland.com

Trucking along with video chat

In a time where technology is rampant and staying in touch with your friends and family is easier than ever before, the need for face-to-face interaction is more important than ever. With cell phones, it is easy to talk you your mother who lives on the other side of the country, but can it be equally as easy to be able to actually see her? Well, yes it can, through online video chat.

Online video chat places a camera in or on your computer and enables you to stream live video to and from two or more different computers. The feed is usually instantaneous and allows you to carry on a conversation with someone as if they were sitting right next to you. As human beings, we only communicate so much with our voice, the rest is with gestures and facial expressions. When you are talking to someone over a cell phone these important aspects are absent.

In the trucking industry, life on the road can be lonesome sometimes. Sure, you can talk to your family by using your cell phone, but sometimes you just want to see their smiling faces. With video chat, you can.

To do video chat, in most cases you do need the internet. There are multiple online video chat service providers that offer the capability to chat over video. There are even some computers out there that have the software pre-built into them. If your computer doesn’t have the software though, it is easy to set up and you can purchase what you need at just about any electronics store.

Imagine being able to sit in the bunk of your truck speaking with your family and friends while seeing them at the same time! Now being an over the road truck driver doesn’t have to mean you don’t get to see your new baby, or your best buddy. Just hop on the internet and start talking!

A truck driving job has many great benefits and now those don’t have to be clouded by the fact that you can’t see your family while over the road. With video chat, you can see them every night. Video chat is the way for truck drivers to have the face-to-face interaction they want while still being able to enjoy the truck driving job they love.

CR England Harley Giveaway

CR England has always valued fuel efficiency in their drivers as a way to keep the ever-increasing rise of fuel prices from breaking the bank of both the company and the drivers. As a show of appreciation to those drivers who have display fuel efficiency and to encourage others to improve, last year England began a Harley Giveaway. 

Each quarter C.R. England has a competition for their drivers. The competition gauges a driver’s fuel efficiency and based on it, the drivers are entered in a raffle to win a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Once the raffle entries are all submitted, five finalists are drawn and brought to England headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Once at the corporate headquarters, the finalists are presented to the company and an introduction of their fuel accomplishments are read. Then the big moment, each of the finalists are given a key, only one of which will start the engine of the Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Last month England had the opportunity to hold the competition and award those drivers who showed true pride in their work and kept their fuel efficiency in line. This year’s five finalists were Christopher Mickels, Patricia Kingrey, James Watt, Michael Greenhalgh, and John Cavuoto.  As part of the giveaway ceremony, each of the drivers shared highlights with C.R. England about their driving career and their fuel efficiency techniques.

Though not all finalists receive a motorcycle, all finalist are awarded other great prized averaging in value of $500. This quarter, the lucky winner of CR England’s Harley Giveaway was Patricia Kingrey. Patricia won a Harley Davidson XL1200 Nightster.

CR England plans on continuing the fuel competition and Harley Giveaway each quarter and looks forward to the progress it will spur in the company. The next quarter’s prize will be a 2012 Harley Iron 883. For information on how to enter the CR England Harley Giveaway visit http://www.crengland.com/saltlakecity/fuelpromo/

Congratulations to Patricia Kingrey and all other C.R. England drivers who were able to improve their fuel efficiency.

To read about each of the five finalists and their techniques to maintain fuel efficiency, see below:

Christopher Mickels has been with CR England since August of 2010 and currently drives for England’s Intermodal division. He currently runs a 2011 Freightliner M2 and averaged 7.31 mpg, which was over 5/10ths greater than his fleet and just shy of 7/10th greater than the Intermodal Division average for the 4th quarter. Chris claims to attribute his success to following what he has been taught at CR England, including checking tire pressure regularly and driving well below the posted speed limit.  He also works hard to be in the right gear for the situation and says proper trip planning is a must.

Patricia Kingrey Pat currently runs 2nd seat with her son James who owns a 2005 Volvo. They mother and son team drive for a Dedicated fleet based out of Nevada.  Pat has been with CR England since May of 2011 and was able to average a 7.39 mpg with a 4.7% idle time.  Pat attributes her success to great training from her son.  He has taught her progressive and smooth shifting and how to trip plan.  Pat is very proud to be in a 2005 Volvo driving over Donner’s Pass twice a day and still keeping a high MPG. 

 

James Watt currently leases a 2009 Freightliner Cascadia, and runs for England’s National Division.  James has been with CR England since April of 2011 and was able to average 7.66 mpg with an average idle time of 6% for 4th Quarter.   James is also a trainer and his truck average, which includes his students driving, was at 7.02 mpg.  Both of those numbers are well above his peers in his fleet and division.  James attributes his success to proper shifting, using cruise control as much as possible when it is safe, and checking the tire pressure on truck and trailer.  James also runs full strength synthetic oil and greases his 5th wheel often.

   

Michael Greenhalgh has been with CR England since August of 2011 and is a Company Driver.   He currently works in a recovery fleet and resides in Utah.  Michael was able to average a 7.32 mpg and keep his average idle to 3.5%.  One thing that is amazing is this was done while recovering several different trucks that Michael had no direct experience with that piece of equipment.   His average is also 5/10th greater than the average of his peers in the recovery fleet.  Michael attributes his success to keeping a steady pace and using cruise control as much as possible.  He also mentioned that he strives to be in the correct gear on hills and other situations where shifting may be tricky.

John Cavuoto currently owns a 2011 Kenworth, and drives for CR England’s National division.  He has been with CR England since January of 2011 and is also a Phase 1 Trainer and has great success with his students. John averaged 7.4 mpg and his idle percentage was only 1.2%.  His MPG was close to 5/10ths greater then both his fleet and division.  John mentioned to England that he is the ultimate miser when it comes to fuel.  A few things he that he attributed to his success was making sure to always turn off the truck, even if you think you will only be idling for 30 seconds.  He runs his truck at 55-56 mph and tries to teach his students to do the same.  With careful trip planning, he is able to run 600 miles in a shift and he does that most days.  John believes if you take care of the little things, the big picture will also come into focus by itself.