Decker Podcast10 Violation Free Inspections last week. Congrats!
Congratulations to our August Professional Drivers of the Month! Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to safety!
10 Violation Free Inspections last week. Congrats!
Congratulations to our September Professional Drivers of the Month! Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to safety!
#DeckerTruckLine #DriventobetheBest#redandyellow #DriveroftheMonth #iloveit
It can be difficult to stay healthy on the road. Let’s be honest, it can be difficult to stay in shape no matter where you are. Having the right equipment and knowledge to live a healthy life could make the difference between wanting to change and actually changing. Here are a few “tools” for you to borrow from our toolbox.
Resistance Bands – Heavy duty pull up assist bands, resistance bands, these bands are great to improve mobility & test your strength as weight lifting bands.
GymBoss – This is a free phone app. It makes it easy to change the number of intervals, sets and time.
Yoga Mat – Offers support in stretching, core and mobility exercises.
We are here to support you on a path to health and fitness. Feel free to download this free workout routine designed for drivers out on the road.
Improve your health even further by cleaning up your diet. Track your diet to see ultimate results.
The amount of exercise will vary from individual but recommendations from American College of Sports Medicine is atleast 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. That being said, HIIT intervals are proven to be as effective if not more effective then aerobic exercises because of the intensity level.
Driven To Be The Best! The best YOU… Click here for tools to get you there.
If you are interested in a position with Decker Truck Line, contact a recruiter now, 888.668.0698 or apply online at www.DriveDecker.com.
Written By: Jesse Butler
Jesse Butler is a driver recruiter for Decker Truck Line. She has worked within the trucking industry for over a decade. You can contact her at 406.203.4413.
Apply directly to Decker Truck Line at www.DriveDecker.com
You may think saving money is impossible in your situation, but like most of us, once you take time to really evaluate where you are spending your money and what you are spending your money on, you’d be amazed by how much money you can really save.
In both of this week’s LIVE events, Facebook and YouTube, we discussed ways drivers are currently saving their money on the road. Take some suggestions from some of these truck drivers and use your rewards cards along with the truck stop’s associated apps to get free meals, laundry services, maintenance, parking and more at designated truck stops. Think smart, when planning your day. Know when and where to fuel to get maximum savings. Plan your meals in advance so you can not only save by buying in bulk or at expensive quick stops but also maximize your clock and choose healthier options. You can use last week’s meal planner to help you with that.
Review your purchases and create a budget. You may be amazed by how well that can help you manage your money. Saving money on the road is possible. But remember, be good on your home time as well and don’t go wild with your spending.
Here are helpful resources that were provided by ATBS and others. ATBS provides tax, bookkeeping, and accounting services specifically for truck drivers! They also have some great FREE resources available on their website, www.atbs.com.
Good luck! You’ve Got this!
Written By: Jesse Butler
Jesse Butler is a driver recruiter for Decker Truck Line. She has worked within the trucking industry for over a decade. You can contact her at 406.203.4413.
Apply directly to Decker Truck Line at www.DriveDecker.com
We know life on the road can be tough, I mean, even trying to plan meals can be difficult. You want to eat healthier, because you want to feel good, but…it can be expensive and time consuming tracking down the right ingredients for the right price. Plus, once you have purchased the basics, where are you going to store them.
We’d like to help. Here are a couple of recipes that are not only delicious, but they don’t take a lot of time to prepare, it won’t cost you a fortune AND it will feed you for several meals. Finding convenient food for truckers, can be a pain, we are making it easy by showing you what you can cook in your semi truck and with Decker we have the equipment to make easy meals for truck drivers.
Here at Decker Truck Line, all of our trucks are equipped with APUs and refrigerators and plenty of storage space. Check it out for yourself, Decker Equipment – Truck Video. This is to provide you some comforts of home while out on the road.
For these meals, you will need a crock pot. Below are the videos and the recipes. They are pretty simple, so if you don’t have time or don’t want to watch the video, no problem. You can figure it out. If you want to join in and hear of substitutes for several of the ingredients, then watch the videos for each of the easy meals. Enjoy!
Monday’s Facebook Live –
Crock Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos
1 – 50 oz Canned cooked Chicken Breasts (4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 Cup Water or Chicken Broth
1 Packet of Taco Seasoning
1 Packet of dry Ranch Seasoning
1 diced onion
1 oz Can of diced Green Chiles
Salsa, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Toppings (optional)
Line your crock pot with a handy crock pot liner and then dump all the ingredients into the lined crock pot. Stir. Set on Low for 4-6 hours. Enjoy over your choice of salad or in a soft or hard taco shell.
Tuesday’s YouTube Live
1/2 Pound of chopped Bacon
1 Pound Beef, Venison or Chicken cut to your liking (I do 1 inch chunks)
1 Packet of Frozen Stir Fry Veggies or Broccoli
1 Cup Mr. Yoshidas Original Gormet Sweet & Savory Marinade Cooking Sauce
3 Tablespoons Franks Red Hot Sriracha (optional)
1 Packet Seeds of Change Microwavable Quinoa & Brown Rice
Line your crock pot with a handy crock pot liner and then dump meat, Cooking sauce and Franks Red Hot Sriracha into the lined crock pot. Stir. Set on Low for 4-6 hours. About 2 hours prior to eating, empty frozen veggies or broccoli into the crock pot. Stir, again. Enjoy over Seeds of Change Microwavable (90 seconds) Quinoa & Brown Rice.
Let me know what you think. For more meal ideas on the road along with other helpful tips and information on available positions here with Decker Truck Line, follow us on Facebook and YouTube.
Interested in driving for Decker? Apply at www.DriveDecker.com or call a recruiter at 888.668.0698.
Written By: Jesse Butler
Jesse Butler is a driver recruiter for Decker Truck Line. She has worked within the trucking industry for over a decade. You can contact her at 406.203.4413.
Apply directly to Decker Truck Line at www.DriveDecker.com
Depending on where you live in the lower 48, fall weather can bring hurricanes, floods, snow, ice etc and if you are an over the road truck driver, you need to be prepared for them all.
Preparation starts BEFORE you are even out on the road. You know once September hits, you just never know what kind of weather will be around the corner. The best way to prepare yourself is to stay tuned into the weather forecasts, local stations and keep your equipment in check.
A proper pre-trip is not only in place to prevent DOT CSA violations and equipment breakdowns but most importantly to protect you and others on the road.
Top drivers always do a complete pre-trip inspections. It helps to prevent added unforeseen delays and improves safety but reducing the risk of out-of-control circumstances due to poor vehicle maintenance and wear and tear on the truck and trailer.
When I think of fall, I think of leaves. Keep your eyes open for piles on the road and be sure to slow down, avoid sudden braking or swerving. Piles can hide other debris which can be dangerous. Plus, if it recently rained, they can cause hydroplaning or get you spinning. So, be cautious in slippery conditions. A good rule of thumb is if the road looks wet and there is very little spray coming off your tires, you are more likely to be on black ice. This is more common when the temperature is between 22 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
The more water coming off your tires, the less likely the roads are icy, but clearly still wet. Be cautious.
If visibility becomes poor, slow down, turn/keep your lights on, put your hazards on and pull off the road. DO NOT pull onto the shoulder. As other drivers come up on your tail, they may think you are slowing down and still on the road. They WILL run into you. Get completely off the road into safety.
“In the winter, drive your truck based on your skills. Don’t try to keep up with another truck if it is not safe for you,” Nathan, veteran OTR driver and current DTL recruiter.
Know how to chain. Chain to get yourself out of trouble, not into trouble. Make sure you have chains on your trucks at all times, especially if you run in areas subject to inclement weather. North Western states have the chain law into effect as of Sept 1st.
Always check your chains for damage and do NOT go further on your chains than absolutely necessary. A Decker Truck Line lease purchase driver reminds us to “make sure your chains fit before the snow flies”. Don’t put yourself in the, “wish I would’ve” category.
The faster and further you drive on chains, the more likely damage to the chain or tires may occur. Do NOT drive on dry pavement with chains.
Your Windshield should be free of ice, snow, rain and cracks. Inspect your windshield wiper fluids and windshield wipers when you do your pre-trip so you are not adding on to possible visibility issues.
Vehicles that have slowed down because of visibility can be very dangerous. Be sure to give yourself enough room to pass. If you cannot see far enough to determine if you have enough room, you do NOT have enough room. The risk is not worth it.
Also, this time of year it’s more likely to see farm equipment on the road. They are slowing moving and can also create visibility barriers. Pass with caution.
Do not drive in groups. You may not be allowing yourself enough time to react. If the vehicle in front of you spins out and wrecks, the likelihood of you doing the same increases with the number of vehicles traveling together. Suggested: ¼ mile distance between you and other vehicles when traveling this season.
Additional helpful tips and suggestions from some of our Decker drivers:
“The best winter survival skill is prevention. A full truck stop is still better than a ditch.”
“when you stop for the night wait ten minutes and then pull forward. Cause your warm tires will make a groove in the snow and you’ll get stuck”
“Don’t pull your trailer break, they’ll freeze up when you wake up”
“Biggest thing…You’re not Superman slow down”
“And watch the road if there isn’t spray off the tires it’s frozen”
“if your pulling a pass don’t slow down going up just going down, keep your RPMs up”
Written By: Jesse Butler
Jesse Butler is a driver recruiter for Decker Truck Line. She has worked within the trucking industry for over a decade. You can contact her at 406.203.4413.
Apply directly to Decker Truck Line at www.DriveDecker.com
Congratulations to our August Professional Drivers of the Month! Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to safety!
