The Onspot Blog

Guest Blog

In this week's post we'll get a glimps of how it is to work in the expedite industry as a team truck driver. A way of working that is quite common in the USA, but not so familiar to us outside the USA. A team truck driver drives with another driver. While one driver operates the truck, the other rests or sleeps. Drivers on a team can work out their own schedule and hours. Using a driving team allows a truck to be on the road continuously, resulting in faster delivery of the products on board. This week's writer, Linda Caffee, is an industry leader and a well known team truck driver in the USA. She will share her experience from the roads on the Onspot blog. We think that Linda's experience is of great value for all of us in the haulage industry.

/The Onspot team.

Why a truck driver?

Getting started as truck drivers was not as easy as it sounds. After twenty years as a diesel mechanic Bob decided he wanted to start driving trucks instead of working on them. I, Linda at the time worked at our local county courthouse and we were facing the “empty nest syndrome” as our youngest daughter was heading off to college. The idea sounded appealing and we started our research. 

Whether driving a small go-kart or a heavy hauler, you must have traction to move forward. Actually, you can’t even walk without it. Traction is a commonly used word and many believe it’s just another word for friction. But is it really? Let’s have a closer look at friction and traction – what it is and why it’s so fundamental to safe driving.

We all know the feeling when tyres lose grip and the vehicle starts skidding. Controlled skidding in a go-kart could be fun, but a heavy vehicle unexpectedly skidding on a road could cause a very dangerous situation. The skidding is due to the vehicle losing road grip and obviously, this has to do with tyres and road surface.

Early November, just a few degrees below the freezing point. Strong wind and the first snow has been fallen since the night and it has started piling up. It´s time to go to work and start your scheduled route throughout the city.

These first days with ice, snow and slippery conditions are always interesting. Everyone seems surprised about the rough conditions and you have to be prepared and drive more intelligent. Watch out for the extra slippery junctions and roundabouts where the thin layer of ice is polished by other vehicles to an even more slippery surface. Be sure to have enough space in front of you to be able to stop before hitting someone or something.

Get a grip – one way or another

Yes, you need traction when driving. Losing traction and getting stuck could cause stressful delays, possibly with serious consequences. Find out what different methods there are to increase traction below.

Drivers ruling under the laws of nature

We live in the era of automation. Have you ever thought of all these things that used to need a lot of human involvement, but today are seemingly automatic? Buying things for example. We have access to a global supply of products and services that are just a few clicks away, and we get our deliveries with very little human involvement. It’s different systems that communicate and automate that provide this convenience.

Also today’s vehicles are stuffed with systems to make usage safer and more convenient. Actually, automation technology develops at such a pace that self-driving vehicles are no longer a futuristic dream. They are here soon…

When the going gets tough and harsh winter conditions strike, the interaction between the driver and the vehicle is put to the test. In such conditions, good driving performance is not to just rely on the vehicle or driving assistance tools. Rather, it’s about instantly adapting your mindset and behavior in order to do the job effectively – in the safest way possible. Here you will get some good tips on how to deal with icy roads!