Friday, March 30, 2012

Refrigerated trucking?

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In a truck driving job there are many different kinds of freight. You can haul furniture, chips, meat, fruit and vegetables and more. Along with the many types of freight are the many trucking companies that haul it. In the trucking industry, there are some companies that focus on one specific type of freight, such as refrigerated or dry. C.R. England is one of these.

Focusing on, but not limited to, hauling refrigerated or temperature controlled freight, CR England is the nation’s largest refrigerated trucking company. They haul freight from coast to coast and even across the border.

When choosing a truck driving job, you may ask yourself what the difference between a refrigerated carrier and a dry carrier is and why you would want to choose one over the other. What is it that sets refrigerated trucking apart from other types of trucking and what exactly is refrigerated trucking? We have answers for you right here.

Refrigerated freight includes items such as cool whip, meat and fruits and vegetables. Basically, refrigerated items are things that can be damaged if they are not kept at a certain temperature. To control the temperature in you trailer, a reefer unit is attached to it. The reefer will allow you to program a set temperature for your trailer so you can keep your cargo at the proper temperature.

It’s true that temperature controlled freight is a little more complicated than dry freight. When hauling refrigerated, you need to know which temperature your cargo needs to be at all times. With some items, if you get them too cold you can ruin them and at the same time you can’t let them get spoiled by heat. If you do have something that melts or leaks in your trailer it can be messy, but refrigerated trucking is still definitely worth it.

Think about it for a second, with a reefer trailer you can set the temperature to be as cold as you need it, or you can simply turn it off. What this means is that you can haul either refrigerated or dry freight. If you have a dry trailer you cannot haul refrigerated goods. If refrigerated freight is not available, turn off your reefer and take a dry load. The more options you have in what you can haul, the more often you will get to do it.

As said before, there are some negatives about refrigerated trucking, but there are downsides to dry trucking as well. The idea of trucking is to drive as often as you can so you can make more money and a truck driving job with a refrigerated truck driving company will help you do exactly that.

To learn more about the nation’s largest refrigerated trucking company, visit CR England’s webpage and learn how you can start your career in trucking today.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Trucking with Natural Gas

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In October of 2011, CR England unveiled a new fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks for their California Dedicated division. With these trucks, CR England has marked a new era in the trucking industry. Since the unveiling, C.R. England has continued to look for ways to improve their “green” image in the transportation industry.

According to CR England’s President, Dean England, "C.R. England continually strives to find and implement greener transportation options. LNG tractors use natural gas and are one of the best alternative fuels currently available.”

When the fleet was unveiled, CR England was the largest refrigerated carrier to incorporate LNG tractors into their fleet and by doing so, England was able to enjoy the many great benefits of “going green”. Some benefits of the LNG tractors are that the natural gas is nontoxic and disperses quickly. It is also the cleanest of all fossil fuels and emits up to 30 percent less greenhouse gas than gasoline or diesel vehicles.

As stated at the beginning of this article, CR England started using these tractors in October of 2011. Today there are more and more fleet owners who are joining England and turning to natural gas power. With increasing demands for freight, carriers are having to find a better way to fuel their trucks. By using natural gas such as LNG or CNG (compressed natural gas), carriers are not only lowering their fuel expenses but they are also reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and are helping to build an environmentally cleaner future.

Many companies who are making the switch to natural gas are working hand in hand with North America’s leading supplier of natural gas fuel for transportation, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. In a recent statement, Clean Energy’s Chief Marketing Officer James Harger commended those fleet owners who have made the switch to greener equipment. With fueling stations located across the country, Clean Energy provides fuel for more than 530 fleets and over 25,000 vehicles.

Never before has the option to “go green” been so available to the trucking industry. Many companies, CR England included, are not only incorporating natural gasses into their fleets, but are also buying more energy efficient equipment. With more and more fleet operators turning to natural gas power, the trucking industry is doing its part to lessen their impact on the environment.

Monday, March 26, 2012

CR England provides Zero Tuition for April 2, 2012

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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 April 2, 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 April 2, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To apply visit www.crengland.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Understanding Cell Phone Providers: AT&T

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In a truck driving job you are on the road for weeks at a time, which means you need a reliable way to stay in contact with your friends and family. In the past, that meant knowing where the pay phones were and making sure you had enough change in your pocket. Now, however, it means having a cell phone and cell phone provider you can rely on.

There are a lot of cell phone providers out there, each one claiming to be the best. So the question to ask is which one really is the best? Well, I can’t answer that. Knowing which provider is the best is very subjective, it depends on what you want. Do you want the fastest data, the most coverage, or the fanciest phone? Each provider is different and has different positives and negatives, so I really can’t tell you which provider to choose.

What I can do, however, is tell you about some of the more prominent cell phone providers to help you be better prepared to make the choice yourself. Last month I covered the cell phone provider Verizon Wireless. Today, I will discuss AT&T.

AT&T is one of the most popular cell phone providers in America, but why is that? One reason might be that AT&T was the first carrier to provide the iPhone and in many cases still seems to have some of the most technologically advanced phones. Indeed, AT&T has phones such as the Sony Ericsson Xperia which allows users to play PlayStation games on their phone and even comes with 7 different PlayStation games.

One downside to having such advanced phones, however, is the price you pay. AT&T certainly is not the cheapest cell provider, nor are they very close to being so. Especially if you are looking at purchasing one of their smart phones, you are looking at spending at the very least about $60 per month for minimal voice and data plans, not including any messaging features which would raise the price.

AT&T has the availability for both single and family plans. A family plan, of course, is more expensive than an individual plan, but if you look at it as paying for more than one phone (which is what a family plan is) it is a cheaper option.

The price of your plan also depends on what options you select. On their website for individual plans AT&T has options for unlimited minutes or 900 of 450. Unlimited is the more expensive choice with 450 being the lowest. One benefit of going with AT&T is that they have Rollover Minutes. What that means, is that if you don’t use one month’s minutes they will carry over to the next month. AT&T also has a selection of data plans which you can select depending on how much data you use.

AT&T is a very large cell phone provider and they have many great features that make them one of the top providers in the nation. They of course have positives and negatives, but so do all providers. AT&T has great data plans and many high-tech features and would be a great provider for someone who is looking for more than just a phone.

Want to know about more cell phone providers? Take a look at our Verizon Wireless article where you can find highlights about Verizon Wireless.

Monday, March 19, 2012

CR England offers Zero Tuition for March 26, 2012

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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 March 26, 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.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Don’t let the tank break the bank

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Driving a truck is a fun and rewarding job but it can also be stressful, especially when fuel prices are high and just keep going higher. Filling up a 20 gallon or more tank is no joke and when you have to do it a couple times a day… well, let’s just say that it really hurts. But what can you do? You have to keep moving in order to get paid. So the real question is how can you get the most fuel out of your hard earned money?

To help drivers answer this question, CR England has compiled some fuel management tips. Good fuel management means not only do you have to stop less, but you pay less. Who doesn’t want more money? You may be surprised and what simply managing your fuel efficiency can do.

The first fuel management tip deals with shift optimization. Did you know that newer engines actually run better at a lower RPM? Shifting as soon as the engine speed is high enough will allow you to keep your RPM down. Try to stay below 1300 RPM, as this significantly improves fuel economy. Torque is higher at lower RPM and is more effective.

One aspect of fuel management you might not have considered before is tire tread and brand. Your tires actually can have quite an effect on your mpg. In fact, if you are driving below 50 mph, tires make the biggest difference in your fuel efficiency. Here are some facts for you to think about: half tread tires are 6% better on mpg than full tread tires and ribbed tires are 2-4% better on fuel economy than lugged tires.

Did you ever think that the type of tire you have could make that big of a difference? Even the brand of tire makes a difference of up to .5 mpg. Tire condition and inflation is also important when trying to maintain your mpg.

Another thing to think about when monitoring your fuel efficiency is your driving behavior. Do you speed up quickly or stop abruptly? Smooth acceleration and breaking will marginally help raise your fuel efficiency. Also, how often do you stop during the day? Not simply stopping at a red light or stop sign, but stopping for food, showers, or fuel?

If you can, consolidate the number of times you stop. If you are going to a truck stop to take a shower, are there restaurants or stores within walking distance where you can get food? This will also greatly increase your fuel efficiency as each stop costs approximately one third of a gallon to get back up to speed.

Also keep in mind that each time you deviate from your designated route, you are costing yourself money. Keep up on your maintenance, some fuel efficiency problems can be because of malfunctioning parts.

Fuel prices go up. There really isn’t anything you can do about that. But there is something you can do to make sure you are making the best of it.

Want even more incentives to increase your fuel efficiency? Each quarter CR England holds a competition for drivers who raise their fuel efficiency. Winners of the competition will receive a raffle ticket and be entered to win a Harley Davidson motorcycle. To learn more about this promotion and what you need to do to enter, read about CR England’s “Win a Harley Program.”

Monday, March 12, 2012

Zeor Tuition for March 19!!

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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 March 19, 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 19, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To take advantage of this incredible offer, apply now at www.crengland.com

Friday, March 9, 2012

CR England urges drivers to Drive Smart

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Drive smart. These two simple words have a lot of meaning. They mean drive attentively, drive accordingly, and drive safe. When you are behind the wheel of any vehicle, especially a large truck, you need to be completely aware of what you are doing.

In the trucking industry, driving smart is a very important aspect that unfortunately gets overlooked more often than it should. Some truck drivers may think they are great drivers, they think they can do just about anything while they are driving, even if it includes talking on the phone, reading a map or even texting. All three of these activities are distractions and do exactly that, they distract you from your driving.

Driving smart isn’t just about your trucking company breathing down your neck. Not at all, it’s about you being safe. Safety should be your top priority in a truck driving job. You should always be aware of the safety of yourself and those around you. When you don’t drive smart, it’s not just you whom you are risking.

To help you do your best to drive smart, CR England has compiled some keys to keep in mind while on the road.

The first key is Sight Management. This doesn’t mean simply wearing glasses. It means actually seeing your surrounding and in return, making sure you are seen as well. The second key to driving smart is Focus on Your Future. Plan your trips before you take them. Program your GPS before you set out, find the best routes and the safest stops.

The next two keys really go hand in hand; Speed Management and Adjusting for Conditions. Managing your speed means knowing your limits and maintaining a safe pace. Maintaining a safe speed also means being aware of road conditions and driving accordingly. If the road is wet and icy, don’t put the pedal to the metal and see how fast you can make it. Take it slow and easy.

The last key to driving smart is Space Management. Keep your distances manageable. You need to know how much space you need to come to a complete stop and make sure you always have that room. You never know when the car ahead of you is going to slam on their breaks. You need to be ready. 

Another part of driving smart is making sure that you do not practice distracted driving. The U.S. DOT had identified three main types of distracted driving; visual, manual and cognitive.

Visual distracted driving means you take your eyes off the road. If you take your eyes off the road how can you see when a car pulls in front of you? Manual distracted driving is actively taking your hands off the steering wheel. The last form of distractive driving is cognitive, and means taking your mind off of driving, simply going through the motions.

Each form of distractive driving is very dangerous and when it comes down to it, it is simply not worth it. CR England’s goal for each and every one of their drivers is to get them home safely. We can only do this if you cooperate.

Remember that anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the steering wheel or mind off of driving is dangerous. To avoid dangerous or distracted driving, remember the keys to driving smart. Be smart, be safe and be alive.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Top three tips for driving a truck

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When starting a truck driving career, being out on your own for the first time is a daunting experience. Your trainer is no longer in the cab with you and you are now solely responsible for your truck and your load. As a beginning truck driver, there are many tricks of the trade you do not know yet, things that could really help you be a safe driver and make your truck driving career a long and rewarding experience.

To get a better understanding of what life on the road is really like, experienced truck drivers were asked to provide some tips for those just starting out. The drivers, some with over twenty years experience, provided a list of what the most important things to look out for are. The list was then broken down into the top three.

The first tip for truck drivers concerns one of the scariest aspects of driving a big rig: driving on the ice. When driving in winter conditions, the most important thing to remember is do not step on the brakes while driving on black ice. If you do, you will find that instead of slowing down, your rig will spin, potentially into oncoming traffic. 

Instead of slamming on the breaks when you start to feel yourself slide, simply take your foot off the throttle and let gravity slow you down. Be sure to watch the road ahead and steer in the direction your trailer is drifting, following with a counter steer. This will help you keep control until you pass the ice and are able to pull over.

The second tip from the experienced drivers is to say focused. When starting your day, tell yourself things are going to happen. People are going to cut you off, slam on their breaks and follow too closely. However, it is very important to remind yourself that you can’t control their driving, but you can control yours. Don’t let yourself become upset at the actions of others. Doing this will only make you become a part of the problem instead of a solution.

The third tip is for recent graduates, or those about to graduate: learn and remember how to slide your fifth wheel and tandems to balance your load. This is very important because it is one of the top reasons why truckers get tickets. Remember to always inspect your truck before any trip. New truckers often make the mistake of thinking that the pre-trip inspection is simply something unnecessary taught in school, but this is not so. There are many states doing random inspections, and if your rig is not up to the standard, you will pay for it.

With these top three tips from experienced drivers, you are now ready to hit the road after school as a CDL carrying truck driver. For more information about the trucking industry and to learn how to obtain your CDL visit www.crengland.com.

Monday, March 5, 2012

CR England offers Zero Tuition for March 12, 2012

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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 12, 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 12, 2012. Apply now and get started on your truck driving career.

To apply visit www.crengland.com

Friday, March 2, 2012

Why do fuel prices go up?

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In a truck driving job a little difference in fuel prices goes a long way. A few more cents per gallon really adds up when you are filling about 130 gallons! It’s a sad fact, but gas prices go up. In fact, just this past week the national diesel fuel price climbed 9.1 cents. Have you ever wondered why the prices can’t just stay the same?

A lot of times, it seems that fuel prices go up as temperatures go up. Surly when summer arrives there always seems to be a peak in gas prices. But why is this and why do prices increase at other times throughout the year? In this article, you will find answers to these questions and more.

Gas prices fluctuate for a number of reasons. It is true that often in the summer gas prices go up. The reason for this is because more people are driving. Summer is the season for vacations and road trips. With an increased number of people driving, the value of fuel is higher. Therefore, the prices go up.

In fact, each time the value of fuel goes up, the prices do too. According to the Motor and Equipment Manufacturer's Association, the people of America drive almost 3 trillion miles per year. That's about 820 trips from the sun to Pluto and back! Fuel is always in high demand and as the demand goes up, prices go up.

Another reason why fuel prices might rise is complications. Whether these complications come from natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes or from man made errors, complications at a refinery mean complications in your wallet. There are also maintenance matters. All refineries have to perform regular maintenance and, as all truck drivers know, maintenance slows performance. When performance slows, product quantity is less. Therefore, the demand and value go up and so do the prices.

Prices also go up when the world crude-oil market tightens and lowers inventories. These markets can tighten for any number of reasons such as war and threats or war, economic stress, setbacks in price negotiations, and overall appearance of need.

There are many reasons why fuel prices go up. Some of them are even things you never would have considered. The exact reason may not always be known, and we may not know how long they will stay up or if they will ever go back down. All we can really do is try to make the best out of what we have, although that may be easier said than done.

So, what can you do when fuel prices go up? Some people try to keep their driving down to a minimum when prices are too high, but a truck driver this is really not an option. But don’t worry, there are still plenty of things you can do to increase your fuel efficiency.

Look forward to our next article on fuel management which will include tips and advice from veteran truck drivers on how to keep the fuel expenses in your truck driving job manageable.

Do you want to be a truck driver, or learn more about the truck driving profession? Visit www.crengland.com.