Truckers are subject to Hours of Service regulations that specify maximum driving hours and minimum break times. Exceeding Hours of Service is a critical DOT violation. These hours are set in place to ensure your safety and the safety of others on the road.
How it’s measured in BT Scorecard
Infringement Score
Any HOS violation
14 hr violation
11 hr violation
8 hr violation
70 hr violation
Allowed up to 1 infringement per month
Keys to avoid infringements
Trip Plan
Plan your route and alternative routes prior to starting to drive for the day
Use all trip planning tools available to you (DriveMK app, GPS, Atlas, Weather apps, Google Earth, etc.)
Take into account the time of day, high-congestion areas i.e. major cities, weather conditions, fueling time, pre & post-trips, breaks, drop and hook or live load/unload times, parking availability, and locations.
Did you know we do not receive payment until 30 to 40 days after we bill our customers?
A part of a truck driver’s duty is keeping track of bills of lading (BOLs). These freight documents are essentially a contract between the shipper and carrier that outlines important shipment details. Having a signed BOL from all parties shows proof of delivery.
After receiving a signed BOL, you must scan the paperwork through Mobile Capture to us making sure you get the full page and it’s clear. The sooner you do this, the better. That way, we can bill our Customers without delay to receive a quicker payment and have better cash flow. We also ask that you keep a copy of the signed BOL for 30 days in case the Customer asks for a new copy.
Importance of Turning in Paperwork ASAP
After we bill a customer for a single load, it takes 30 to 40 days to receive payment. Therefore, not scanning your paperwork creates a huge financial impact.
As of 4/18/2023, we have a total of 68 loads with missing paperwork coming to a total of $97,892.87 in potential revenue. That’s why scanning in your BOLs as soon as possible is so important so we can get paid timely.
If you have any questions about freight documentation, please talk to your DM. We’re here to help!
Below are the steps for connecting your phone to the Bluetooth in your truck:
First, when you turn on your truck, make sure your radio is also turned on by holding the “power” button and that your Bluetooth is turned on within your smart phone.
Next, hold down the “Bluetooth” button found in the top left corner and it will say “Add Phone”
Then press on the “Volume Knob” to activate the Bluetooth (it will search for your device)
In your phone’s Bluetooth settings, select your vehicle from the list of options.
Confirm the pin code shown on the phone matches the code on the truck radio.
Then you should be paired and ready to roll handsfree.
This information can also be found in the Resource Library whenever you may need it. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Did you know that harsh braking has other effects than just damaging your brakes?
Harsh braking occurs when a driver uses more force than necessary to stop a vehicle. This action can indicate distracted or aggressive driving which leads to increased tire wear, a variety of maintenance issues, and sometimes, costly insurance claims.
Harsh braking is a common result of drivers not maintaining a safe following distance, increasing their risk of rear-end collisions. It can also happen when a driver is distracted and not driving mindfully or defensively when another vehicle, person, or object appears on the road ahead unexpectedly.
Effects of harsh braking:
Wear & tear on brakes: Those who find themselves hard braking often may notice significant wear and tear on the brakes. It can also cause them to overheat. While the heat won’t spread, it can damage and warp the braking system and rotors, which will lead to expensive repairs down the line.
Reduces the lifespan of the braking system: Average lifespan on brakes: about 250,000 miles. Hard braking all the time reduces the brake’s lifespan by half.
Wear & tear on tires: The strain on your tires from quickly braking can cause the treads to wear out more rapidly than usual.
Can necessitate vehicle downtime
Contributes to fuel spend and wastage
How Harsh Braking is Measured in the BlueTree Scorecard:
Harsh Braking: Deceleration of 7 mph per second
For example, traveling at 40 mph and suddenly slowing down by 7 mph to 33 mph in one second will trigger a harsh braking event.
Financial Case for Better Braking
Safety is the primary reason to eliminate harsh braking, however, there are financial benefits that cannot be ignored.
Fewer crashes lead to less money spent on insurance claims and equipment repairs.
Better fuel economy – Each act of aggressive braking and acceleration increases fuel consumption by as much as a half-gallon.
Lower operation and maintenance cost – A new set of brakes can cost anywhere from $540 – $900.
Better MK PRO Formance Scores lead to more MK PRO Points awarded to the driver.
Safer Braking
According to industry studies, hard braking was one of the most predictive behaviors for the likelihood of future crashes. Most rear-end collisions and hard-braking incidents are caused by tailgating.
Key 4 – Leave Yourself An Out
The safest position in traffic is with few or no vehicles around you.
Build and maintain a space cushion around your vehicle.
If you lose part of the cushion, work to keep at least the front and one side open.
Anticipate the actions of others around you.
In some cases, harsh braking and acceleration are the results of driver frustration, developing appropriate coping skills needed to ease that frustration can keep a driver safer behind the wheel.
Reporting detention has never been easier! Now you’re able to send in a detention notice to your Driver Manager right from your phone on the Drive MK App.
Follow the steps below to report detention notices:
1. Once your in the Drive MK app, go to the “Stops” page and click “Send a Detention Notice”
2. Once clicked, you will see the option to pick a stop and add any comments to explain your detention reasoning.
3. When you’re finished, click submit and it will notify your DM by sending an email and a chat in the Drive MK app.
In regards of this new app feature, we would like to reiterate the following policies for detainment:
From the Drive MK App, inform your DM if you have been checked in at a shipper/receiver for an hour. This lets us know that you’re being delayed.
If a broker is involved, you must also notify them of detention. They must be told beforehand, or there will be no compensation.
Once you have done this, keep us posted on your progress. (In a door, unloading, empty, etc.)
All Bill of Ladings must have in/out times on them, whether or not you were detained. This is our only way to get detention, and our only way to verify what we have in the system.
We want to help reduce your time in a dock, but we cannot improve this process without your help. The more information we have, the better the process will get! If you have any questions, please ask your DM.
Mars – Mattoon, IL new truck entrance is now open. Drivers will pull up in the middle lane and follow instructions to contact the shipping office. We also have new signs placed by the road to help direct traffic.
If you have any questions, please contact your driver manager!
Did you know having good anticipation skills can reduce your chance of getting into an accident?
Anticipation is all about reading your surroundings and remaining aware by being alert. Becoming more aware of the road activity ahead will help you have more reaction time and additional space for safety.
How is Anticipation Measured in BlueTree Scorecard:
Anticipation: time between acceleration and braking – the goal is 1.5 seconds or more.
Anticipation measures the time taken before the brake is pressed after a driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. Large numbers of events of short duration (e.g. less than one second) show that the driver has to react too rapidly to events instead of the opposite, a controlled braking event.
In other words, slamming on the brakes would be given a high anticipation score and, if this happens repeatedly, could be a sign of unsafe driving or poor awareness of the road. However, easing off the acceleration and waiting for a period of time before braking afterward shows that the driver is coasting to a stop and is in complete control.
This driver is demonstrating poor anticipation behavior. The image suggests the driver spends a lot of time moving quickly between brake and accelerator and is reacting to the road ahead.This driver is demonstrating excellent anticipation skills. They are managing their braking activity well in respect of the road ahead.
What Poor Anticipation Behavior Can Cause:
Wear and tear on brakes & tires: Not only does this impact driver safety but it can also negatively impact equipment longevity, increasing operational costs.
Poor fuel efficiency: When drivers are aggressively braking, it’s often because they don’t have enough time to ease off the acceleration and coast to a natural stop without wasting fuel. While improving road awareness can help to improve reaction time, Anticipation scores can show which drivers need to prioritize fuel economy.
Potential accidents: With long days, drivers are bound to lose focus from time to time. Anticipation is a way to assist drivers in identifying the habits that could be risky so they can work on changing them before an accident occurs.
Tips to improve anticipation behavior:
Key 1 Aim High In Steering
Look ahead to where you will be at least 15 seconds (or more) into your future.
A 15 second eye lead time provides advance warning and gives you an additional margin for safety.
Use improved eye lead time for more efficient and economical driving.
Key 2 Get The Big Picture
Position your vehicle in the lane of least resistance.
Stay alert to the relevant information that can assist you in making well-informed decisions.
Eliminate vision barriers by establishing proper following distance.
Stay far enough behind other vehicles to obtain the visibility necessary to make your own decisions.
A new maintenance campaign means an opportunity to learn and earn Pro-Points! This campaign focuses on the importance of Pre & Post Trip Inspections from a maintenance and safety standpoint.
Those who complete the campaign activities by June 30th, 2023, will receive 200 Pro-Points!
