As the Colorado weather changes and drivers gear up for the busy holiday season, remember these tips for transporting freight.
Weather
Weather is an issue, especially for those with routes through high altitude, mountainous terrain. For these drivers, special skills are put to the test in handling a big rig over ice- and snow-covered roads. This includes knowing how to properly chain up your rig and adhering to specific driving techniques, critical in successfully negotiating driving on highways full of other vehicles that may not be so well prepared for winter driving dangers.
Holiday Scheduling Requires Adjustments
This is the busiest time of the year for most retailers in the country who are trying to keep up with customer demand on their end, and as a result, require additional support in their supply chains. Truck carriers are an important link in the chain and will be most likely called on to go “above and beyond” in ensuring that deliveries are made in a dependable and timely manner.
Drivers may be required to work additional hours and to remain flexible to scheduling demands specific to the holiday rush. Even regional carriers, whose drivers are normally home sleeping in their own beds at night, may require their people to adhere to slightly altered schedules.
3 tips for drivers to help smooth out the work routine during the holiday season:
- Come to work prepared. Enjoy your days off but also get plenty of rest so that when you get behind the wheel you’re in top form.
- Make sure to bring your overnight bag with the expectation of having to spend at least one night in your truck.
- When you take your 10-hour breaks make sure they’re 10 and not 12. The time saved will be used to get you back home as soon as possible, so that one night spent in the truck doesn’t have to be turned into two.
For regional transporters, whose clients have come to rely on dependable and timely product deliveries regardless of weather or other conditions, this is the time to really show the company’s capabilities. Drivers who are ready to perform and equal to the task are a major part of successfully meeting these expectations.