The Official Blog for Penske Truck Leasing, Truck Rental and Logistics

With under a month until the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season, now is the time to get ready for potential storms, as preparation is key to keeping you and your property safe.

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As one of North America's largest commercial vehicle resellers, Penske sells more than 30,000 used trucks each year. The company's reputation for quality equipment and detailed fleet maintenance helps drive online sales with many buyers purchasing equipment sight unseen.

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Penske has rolled out a new and improved version of PenskeUsedTrucks.com. The upgraded website includes an enhanced online experience featuring responsive, adaptive design using a state-of-the-art digital platform that makes shopping, buying and financing a used truck online easy.

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The days and hours before a hurricane arrives are vital for making preparations, including knowing what to do in the event of an evacuation and how to remain safe once the storm hits.

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Summer is a popular time for household and business moves, and with Fourth of July rapidly approaching, it’s important to note that Penske prohibits carrying or hauling hazardous cargo, like fireworks, into any of their rental trucks.

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Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced today that Penske Truck Leasing and NFI have agreed to partner in operating the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet of eCascadia™ heavy-duty trucks and eM2 106 medium-duty trucks. The move is the next phase of a co-creation process that DTNA is utilizing to actively involve customers in the development of commercial electric vehicles to meet the most valid target applications.

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North Houston is home to a new Penske Truck Leasing facility offering full-service truck leasing, consumer and commercial truck rental, contract truck fleet maintenance and connected fleet solutions, a value-added resource to help customers address issues and options related to onboard technology systems (ELDs, telematics, on-board cameras, etc.). It’s Penske’s largest facility in the Houston area.

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Earlier today, the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) was notified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that it had granted TRALA's request for a 90-Day waiver from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate for short-term rental trucks(defined as 30 days or less).

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Simple pleasures, such as sharing a meal around a dinner table or crawling into a warm bed after a long day, become difficult for those struggling to get by without furniture and other staples of everyday life.

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Hurricane Advisory

Penske advises its business and consumer customers to take the following measures before the storm arrives:

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As tales of trucking life leapt from the small screen, in such 1970s and ‘80s television programs as “Movin’ On” and “BJ and The Bear,” a teenaged Brian Tolle found himself drawn to the freedom of a life lived on the road.

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Truckers and carriers are always seeking ways to maximize fuel economy, and spec’ing your vehicle properly for the application it will run in 80% of the time is a great way to start. However, once you do so, proper maintenance plays a big role in maintaining that fuel economy.

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Shawn Teal goes to work each day not knowing what puzzle he'll need to solve. As lead technician at Penske Truck Leasing's location in Fargo, North Dakota, he needs to be ready to determine issues that may affect trucks to get them back into service and keep them on the road as efficiently as possible.

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Beginning June 7 and continuing through June 9, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will be conducting its annual International Roadcheck. The Roadcheck will see over 10,000 CVSA-certified inspectors in jurisdictions across North America perform large truck and bus safety inspections.

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During the six years that we’ve published the Penske Truck Rental Top Moving Destinations list, there have been two constants: our customers continue relocating en masse to the Sun Belt region of the United States and Atlanta winds up as the premier destination.

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During the Commercial Vehicle Alliance’s 2015 annual Roadcheck inspection event, out-of-service (OOS) rates for commercial vehicles and drivers dropped to record lows. As part of the safety blitz, enforcement officers conducted 69,472 total inspections, 44,989 of which were North American Standard Level 1 Inspections.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has removed the majority of information on motor carriers’ Compliance, Safety, Accountability scores from public view as a result of the latest highway bill—Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.

“As of Dec. 4, 2015, pursuant to the FAST Act of 2015, much of the information previously available on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) website related to property carrier’s compliance and safety performance will no longer be displayed publicly,” FMCSA said in a statement.

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Offering Wellness Programs Can Encourage Improved Health

During the recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and Medical Review Board meeting, Brian Morris, associate corporate medical director at AllOne Health, said professional drivers are less healthy than the average person, with 61 percent of drivers having two or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol or a lack of physical activity. Morris also noted that only 8 percent of drivers exercise regularly and 80 percent have poor eating habits.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is looking for new ways to improve driver health, but is hoping to do so without issuing new regulations. Instead, the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) and Medical Review Board are working together with industry stakeholders to create a number of resources drivers can turn to for health information and healthy living suggestions.

Recently, advisory committee members met to discuss the health issues drivers face and non-regulatory ways the private medical sector can help drivers improve their health.

During the meeting, Martin Walker, chief of FMCSA’s Research Division, presented findings from a national study on driver health. Walker said that compared to the national working population, long-haul truck drivers are twice as likely to be obese and smoke cigarettes. Drivers also have a higher prevalence of self-reported diabetes. In addition, more than twice as many drivers are not covered by health insurance or a health care plan — 38 percent vs. 17 percent.

The group said part of the solution to improve driver health may simply be to provide more, and better, information. John Lannen, an MCSAC member and executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition, said that although there is a lot of health information available, it isn’t always easily accessible to drivers.

The groups discussed information that could be placed on FMCSA’s Wellness page, including healthy eating tips, a truck cab-friendly recipe of the month and exercise opportunities for drivers. The page would serve as a comprehensive wellness initiative, pull together some of the industry wellness programs, and invite multiple stakeholders to join in the information sharing, said Pamela Perry, a nurse consultant with FMCSA’s Medical Programs Division.

Other ideas to improve driver health included paying drivers by the hour rather than by the mile to reduce stress; making ergonomic cab modifications to prevent pain, vibration and associated fatigue; and encouraging companies to subsidize weight-loss programs and gym memberships.

The groups plan to issue a report to FMCSA detailing behaviors that could improve work conditions, diet and exercise, sleep and lifestyle choices.

Martin Walker, chief of FMCSA’s Research Division, released initial survey findings on driver health at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee recent meeting.

DRIVER HEALTH FINDINGS
The findings are based on information collected from:
Risk Factor ReportedTruck Driver National Prevalence2010 NHIS National Prevalence
Obesity69%31%
Morbid Obesity27%7%
Prevalence of current cigarette smoking51%19%
Diabetes14%7%
Hypertension26%24%
Results were compared to those from working adults included in the 2010 National Health Interview Survey.
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