Category: Truck Driving News

If you’re considering a career in trucking but aren’t sure if long, solo road trips are right for you, then team driving could be the answer. Team driving has many advantages, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Here’s what you need to know about team driving so you can decide if you should pursue it as your career.

Team drivers get more jobs—and more money.
Team drivers are in high demand, because they are able to make deliveries faster than drivers who go on the road alone. When you drive as a team, you can split the duties, allowing one driver to sleep while the other does a shift. The speedy delivery team means companies want to work with teams and are willing to pay. Likewise, team drivers have the time to make more runs, which means they can earn more money. Although some team drivers choose not to drive much more than solo drivers, they do have the ability to earn more if they choose.

Husband and wife teams can drive together.
One of the things that attracts many people to team driving is that they can drive with their spouses. Husband and wife driving teams get to pool their resources and avoid the separation that often nags at trucking families. For many team drivers, going out on the road with a spouse is a smooth transition and can lead to some great memories and time spent together.

Team drivers spend a lot of time together.
For some people, the amount of time drivers have to spend together when driving as a team is just too much. You’re stuck in a small space together and have to make all of your stops together, which can get overwhelming. Some drivers appreciate the companionship while others find it grating.

At DSW Drivers, you’ll get the support you need to build the right trucking career for you, whether you crave solo runs or the team experience. Find out more about employment opportunities at our Tucson trucking company by calling (888) 266-7534.

Just because you work for a trucking company doesn’t mean you have to spend days or weeks away from your family. In some cases, you can even take your significant other with you. Keep reading and find out how you can make team trucking work for your family.

Being Present

When you live your life on the road, you might have trouble transitioning back into regular society when you’re back home. To have a positive relationship with your family, you should be present when you’re around them. Team trucking helps take some of the load off your shoulders and lets you come home more rejuvenated and ready to enjoy your time with your loved ones.

Completing the Job

Switching off with another driver makes it easier to get the job done in a shorter period. This means you’ll make more money per hour, so you’ll have more to bring home to the rest of the family.

Getting Along

If all the pieces fall into place in the right way, you might find yourself teaming up with one of your family members or even your significant other while you’re on the road. Even though this is the opposite of the distance problem that many truck drivers experiences, you still need to communicate effectively to make sure the trip is a success. Just like spending too much time apart from your loved ones can be stressful, spending every second together can bring up problems as well. Have a plan in place so you can work well together and get the job done properly without any unnecessary stress.

Teaming up with your partner and working for a Tucson trucking company can be a great idea if you plan it out the right way, and DSW Drivers can give you the opportunity of a lifetime. Just give us a call at (888) 266-7534 or look through our website to learn about our job openings today.

You’ll see some wonderful sights while you’re on the road, and you’ll want to remember some of them for the rest of your life. You can choose to document your experiences however you want, but sometimes it’s nice to do something special for a memory you’d like to preserve. Here’s a look at a few creative ways to remember your trucking journeys.

Keep a Journal

There’s nothing like documenting your feelings about an event as you’re feeling them. As a professional truck driver, it’s nice to have a journal that you can add to whenever you have a little bit of down time. If you spend days at a time out on the road, this can be a nice way to summarize your trip from a human perspective, rather than just logging your hours for the company.

Take Pictures

In this day and age, just about everyone with a phone can take pictures. Even if you don’t have a camera on your phone, you can always bring along a small digital or even disposable camera during your trucking journeys. This way you can take a quick snapshot of any scenery that you would like to share with your loved ones back home.

Tell Your Family

No matter how good your memory is, it’s never 100% reliable. Our memories continue to morph as we access them repeatedly, so telling your family about your journeys might be a good way to keep the memories intact. Tell your family and close friends about the exciting things you’ve seen while on the road, and let them tell the stories back to you.

If you want to have trucking experiences that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, you should call DSW Drivers at (888) 266-7534 and try your hand at being a professional truck driver. You can also look at our website to see what we have to offer.

Before you can get on the road, you need to make sure your rig is safe. It’s easy to skip over small details when you’re in a hurry, so it helps to have a checklist to refer to. Keep reading and ask yourself if you follow this checklist every time you drive your rig.

Check Doors, Windows, Wipers

If you are new to truck driving, you might not have the routine down yet. A checklist helps you keep yourself organized, and soon enough it will become second nature. Check your doors, handles, and alarm to make sure they’re all operational, and do the same for your windows. A long drive in the summer can be tough if your windows don’t work. Also, check your windshield wipers in case you run into inclement weather.

Check Wheels and Tires

Your wheels keep you attached to the road. Inspect each wheel and its hardware, and then look at the tires. Inspect the tread depth of the tires, as well as their inflation and wear, to make sure you’ll have a good grip on the road as you drive. Like your windshield wipers, your wheels and tires become even more important when inclement weather strikes. Inflate your tires if necessary, and replace them if the tread depth is too low.

Check Lights and Reflectors

Truck drivers tend to drive at all hours, especially those who make long hauls. The interior and exterior lights should be in working order before the truck takes off. This means headlights, taillights, hazards, indicators, and any other lights your truck might have. You should also check on your reflectors to make sure they’re still attached and functioning.

You must be thorough if you want to work for a Tucson trucking company. At DSW Drivers, we take safety extremely seriously. Check out our website or give us a call at (888) 266-7534 to see what we’re all about.

If you’re in the trucking industry and your job sends you across the region, you’ll probably do some of the driving at night. Do your best to get quality rest when you can, eat healthy meals that will give you energy, and take breaks when you need to stay safe. Here’s more on how to combat driver fatigue when driving at night.

Rest Up Beforehand

Truck driving is a unique profession, and it presents challenges that many other industries don’t have to deal with. If you know you’ve got a long night of driving ahead of you, it’s essential that you operate on enough sleep to make it through the night. Truck driving involves careful planning, and you need to prepare in advance and think about the trip. Some drivers set up sleeping areas in their trucks, while others try to get a good rest in a hotel before a long night of driving.

Eat Healthily

Drivers need to eat right on the road to maintain their physical and mental health. If you don’t eat properly, you may run out of energy sooner rather than later. Trade-in chips and cookies for fruits and vegetables, and give yourself the energy you need to get through the night.

Take Regular Breaks

Darkness can play tricks on your eyes whether you’re tired or not, but it’s more likely to happen if you are fatigued. As a driver, your safety and the safety of those around you depend on your alertness. If you notice your eyes shut as you’re driving, pull over as soon as you can and take a break. This might put a slight pause on your trip, but an accident would lead to a much longer delay.

Spending long hours on the road can be tough if you don’t know how to pace yourself. Call DSW Drivers at (888) 266-7534 or visit our website if you’d like to learn about our Tucson trucking company in detail.

After a trucking company hires you for your very first commercial trucking job, you will have an opportunity to make a fantastic impression on your employers. Like any other industry, the truck driving profession rewards workers who are responsible, respectful, and dedicated to their positions. To help you assess your own level of commitment and responsibility on the job, take a look at this personal checklist for professional truck driving.

Are you safe and skilled?

In order to obtain your CDL and become a professional truck driver, you will need to demonstrate a complete knowledge of truck driving safety and maintenance protocols. From time to time during your career as a truck driver, it is a great idea to reflect on your own safety and skills. If you are continually maintaining your truck and practicing safe driving habits, these behaviors will reflect a high level of professionalism.

Do you seek out additional knowledge?

A professional truck driver is a worker who is always seeking to enhance his or her knowledge about the trucking industry. After your time in a truck driving school is over, there will still be a lot that you can learn about commercial trucking. Seeking out ongoing education will make you seem very professional.

Are you dependable and honest?

When you head out on the road on a delivery, you should make sure that you communicate clearly and honestly with your employers. Clear and honest communication is a trait that is critical for professional truck driving. Your bosses are also sure to appreciate your honesty on the job.

For answers to your questions about how to get a great job at a Tucson trucking company, contact DSW Drivers. Our Tucson trucking company hires both experienced and new truckers, and we will be pleased to provide you with opportunities to advance your career. Call us at (888) 266-7534 to receive more information about the positions that we currently have available.

As a commercial truck driver, many of your jobs may require you to travel across long distances. If your trucking company has recently set you up with an OTR, or Over The Road, position, you can expect a steady salary and benefits. To stretch your salary even further when you are on the job, you may want to follow some money-saving tips. Here is a look at some ways that you can save money when you are OTR.

Set a Budget

One of the most important ways that you can help to cut back on your expenses when you are driving OTR is to set a budget for your journey. With a clear budget in mind, you can avoid overspending when you visit restaurants, truck stops, and other businesses along the road. As you are creating your budget, you may want to make categories for food, business expenses, and entertainment.

Pack Your Meals

Dining out at restaurants can start to get expensive, especially if you spend many of the days out of each month on the road. Rather than eating out at every meal, you can save money when you are OTR by packing the majority of your food. Trail mix, healthy sandwiches, and protein bars are all examples of healthy food items that you can prepare or purchase before your journey.

Maintain Your Truck

Proper truck maintenance is also key to saving money when you are OTR. If your truck is poorly maintained, you may wind up spending some of your budgets on unexpected parts or repairs. Keeping your truck maintained can also help to improve its fuel efficiency, which will help you to save further money.

If you have questions about what to expect during your career as a truck driver, contact DSW Drivers. Our top-rated Tucson trucking company can provide you with all of the information that you need to get hired for your very first trucking job. Give us a call at (888) 266-7534 to learn more about the advantages of working for our company.

While the truck driving world used to be a primarily male-dominated profession, more and more women are joining today’s truck driving force. If you are a woman who is seeking a fulfilling career opportunity, you may want to explore the trucking positions that are open at your local trucking company. Each year, more women are stepping into professional truck driving roles and helping to reduce our country’s trucking shortage. Here is a look at why women drivers could save the trucking industry.

Identifying the Trucking Industry Driver Shortage

For the past decade or so, the trucking industry has seen a decline in qualified drivers. With fewer drivers applying for trucking positions, trucking companies are having a hard time filling their available job openings. By encouraging women to move into professional truck driving roles, the trucking industry may be able to reduce the shortage.

Encouraging Women to Train as Truck Drivers

There is a common misconception that driving a commercial truck requires male strength and stature. While being strong and in shape can be helpful in the commercial trucking world, women are just as capable as men when it comes to driving commercial trucks. With the proper training, workers of either gender can become successful truck drivers.

Adapting Commercial Trucks for Female Drivers

In order to make commercial truck driving more appealing to women, truck manufacturers have started creating commercial vehicles that are designed with the proportions of women in mind. By raising seats and making pedals more accessible, trucking companies are helping even the playing field for female drivers. Ideally, women will be able to fill the empty positions that are currently available throughout the trucking industry.

For more information about how you can get started on your truck driving career, contact DSW drivers by calling (888) 266-7534. As a premier Tucson trucking company, we are proud to provide local residents with fabulous career opportunities. Visit our website to download an application and learn more about our programs for recent CDL graduates.