The truck driver lifestyle is full of one-of-a-kind perks and excitement you won’t find anywhere else. The self-driven structure of your day-to-day schedule, the picturesque views you’ll see on the road each day; these are things you just can’t find behind a desk.
However, with all the time you’ll spend behind the wheel of your truck, it’s important to make sure that you’re comfortable. With that in mind, here are some of the best trucking accessories to help you make truck driver comfort a priority:
Truck Seat Cushions
No matter how much someone loves traveling (and honestly, what’s not to love?), spending most of the day driving can be physically taxing. And even the most ergonomic chairs can lose their luster after enough time. So what can you do to maximize truck driver comfort on even the longest of drives? Pick up a truck seat cushion.
These cushions come in just about every shape and size, so take some time to find one that supports you the way you want to be supported. Does your back get stiff? Find a cushion that offers extra support along the back. Is your tailbone sore at the end of the day? Then a cushion with extra padding can help improve your posture and lower the stress on your tailbone.
Trucking accessories like these come in a variety of materials (like memory foam, for example), so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one that’ll fit your needs.
Truck Seat Organizer
Your truck cabin is your home base, in a way, so it makes sense that you outfit it with the kind of gadgets and trucking accessories that you’ll want within reaching distance. But what happens if you start running out of space for your things? Or, more accurately, you don’t have the storage space for your things?
It’s possible to keep things in a glovebox, of course, but then it’s not easily accessible, so that’s not an ideal solution. This is where a truck seat organizer comes onto the scene. This trucking accessory will easily hang off the back of the passenger or driver’s chair and hold all of your loose items in a single location. Things like sunglasses, books, pens, headphones, maps, paperwork, gloves, and more can be consolidated together in a way that keeps them close by without cluttering your cabin.
Mini-Fridge
The truck driver lifestyle means you’re spending a good chunk of your day on the road. And when you spend the better part of your day behind the wheel, you’re going to want access to some food. Sure, fast food is always an option, but not the best one, especially when you’re trying to stick to a healthy trucker lifestyle.
A mini-fridge is one of the best truck accessories, hands down, and all of Lily’s over-the-road drivers have one in their truck. We want our drivers to have a comfortable and healthy lifestyle while in the truck, and having a fridge supports healthy eating habits by allowing drivers to keep lunches, snacks (like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc.), and water bottles fresh and cool all day long.
Dashboard Mounts
Whether it’s for your phone, tablet, or GPS, having a dashboard mount for your cab can go a long way toward improving truck driver comfort. These simple trucking accessories help you keep your hands and attention focused on driving, but also make it easy to keep an eye on what’s happening, so you always know if there’s traffic or bad weather on the horizon.
Jackets
It’s cold in the winter, and even with the heater in your truck cabin, you’ll inevitably have to spend at least a little bit of time outside. Instead of dealing with the elements on your own, it’s always a good idea to have a nice, comfortable jacket with you.
This is as much a trucking accessory as it is one of the most essential truck driver must-haves, which is why Lily Transportation provides winter coats with reflective materials on them to our drivers. We want you to be safe, warm, and as comfortable as possible when you’re on the road, and we’re always looking for new ways to promote truck driver comfort and wellness.
If you want to learn more about what the truck driver lifestyle looks like at Lily Transportation, or simply have questions you would like to ask, then get in touch with us today! We would love to hear from you.
Creating and sticking to a healthy diet is hard enough as it is, but when you’re a truck driver who spends the majority of their day on the road, then eating healthy can feel extra challenging. If you’re looking to improve your diet, then these health tips for truck drivers can help you get started!
Make Meal Prep a Part of Your Truck Driving Lifestyle
Eating healthy while traveling is tricky. Most dining options are heavily focused on fast food, and even the snacks you’ll find at truck stops tend to be focused on candy, chips, and other less-than-healthy items.
But when you’re always on the move, you might not have time to seek out healthier options, which can leave you feeling stuck with the same old trucker diet you’ve always had.
There is a solution, though! Instead of relying on fast food joints or truck stop snacks to keep you going, look into the benefits that meal prep for truck drivers can offer.
Like a trucker told TruckingInfo.com, you can save time (and money) by meal prepping for yourself. This way, you won’t be tempted by the less-than-healthy foods offered at the truck stop. And since you’ll be making the food yourself, you’ll not only be able to keep it healthy, but you’ll also be able to make sure it’s something you actually enjoy eating.
You can even buy a mini-oven for yourself and use it at truck stops. With one of these at your disposal, you can make meal prep a part of your truck driving lifestyle, cook (and freeze) meals before you leave for the day, and then cook them when you’re waiting for your cargo to be loaded or unloaded.
Create a Healthy Trucker Diet that Works for You
One of the great things about a truck driving career is that it provides you with a lot of flexibility. The truck driving lifestyle looks a little different for each driver, and with that flexibility comes the ability to make a trucker diet that fits your schedule and your preferences.
“Instead of drinking caffeinated sodas, energy drinks, or coffee,” CDL.com says, “drink water!” Or, if you don’t enjoy drinking water, then you try sprucing it up with fruit or other additional flavors. Even carbonated water can be a great way to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day without all the extra calories energy drinks or sodas come with.
You should also find some healthy snacks to add to your trucker food list. Things like nuts, granola, smoothies, fruits, veggies, and some energy bars (although be careful with those; some of them have a lot of excess sugar in them) can be a great way to maintain a healthy trucker diet.
When it comes down to it, the “secret ingredient” to a healthy trucker diet isn’t a single ingredient but a collection of them. Staying healthy in any line of work requires dedication and at least a little effort. But when you make these tips a part of your truck driving lifestyle, then you’ll be in a great place to kickstart a whole new trucker diet for yourself.
Technology is advancing at a faster rate than it’s ever been before. Whether it’s the newest upgrades to our mobile devices or the latest trucking technology that’s being set up in our trucks, the future of trucking is shaping up to be a brave new world for carriers and drivers alike.
As exciting as these technology-centric trucking industry trends are, we’re still far away from the kind of future we’re used to seeing in science fiction. Instead, truck technology is being developed to improve the truck driving lifestyle and make the lives of everyone in the industry a little bit easier.
Here are a few of the trucking technology trends and developments that we’re most excited about:
Dynamic Routing Advancements
Dynamic routing isn’t a new development in the trucking industry, but it is one of the most impressive. Not only is it constantly being iterated on and further developed, but these advancements have also made it possible for more and more trucks to start implementing this exciting technology.
According to Fleet Owner, “Dynamic routing can add in adjustability and data to inform the paths taken, especially with traffic and weather information that today truly can get close to that often-made promise of ‘real-time.’” This means that carriers and their drivers can more efficiently plot a course from Point A to Point B and make sure that the route a driver takes is as safe and clear as possible.
As if increased safety and efficiency weren’t enough, dynamic routing can also help drivers get to their final destination faster, cut down on the amount of fuel their trucks consume per trip, better control costs, and make customers happier. And as a result of all this, carriers will be able to save money and find new ways to promote better truck driver health and safety.
This kind of trucking technology is still in various stages of development, but more than a couple carriers have begun experimenting with it, and we’re very excited to see it continue to advance and improve in the coming years.
Trucking Automation Features
It’s hard to talk about the future of trucking technology without mentioning automation. While there are plenty of people claiming that fully-automated trucks are inevitable, reality paints a very different picture.
“Truck drivers perform all kinds of tasks,” Harvard Business Review says. “From checking vehicles and securing cargo, to maintaining logs and providing customer service. Many of these tasks are nowhere close to being automatable.” Even if an automated sensor can tell a driver that there’s a flat tire, it’s still up to the driver to get out and fix the tire.
Truck drivers aren’t going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to be found in trucking automation. Some carriers have already started automating things like logbook updates, invoices, and other paperwork, but those are tasks that don’t require a human touch, just time. By implementing trucking automation features that streamline a driver’s workload, you can help them be better equipped to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Adapting to the Internet of Things (IoT)
In the same way that trucking automation can help streamline the truck driving lifestyle, embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) can also remove some of the busywork that keeps drivers from the things they’re best at.
The “IoT forms a network of devices, vehicles and appliances which can actively share data. For example,” TransMetrics says, “networks of sensors mounted throughout the truck can monitor everything from tire pressure to load stability.” This is an excellent example of how trucking technology can improve the future of trucking, as it’ll help each driver operate their truck better than they’ve ever been able to before.
As new and exciting software for truckers comes into the market, we can start to see our first look into what the future of trucking might look like.
Lily Transportation is excited to find and adopt new ways to take better care of our drivers and equip them with all the tools they need to succeed. If you’re interested in hearing more about the cutting edge and meticulously maintained equipment we offer, then get in touch with us today! We would love to hear from you.
Getting started in any new career can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s your first career after serving in the military. If a laid-back office job sounds like the last thing you want to be doing, then you should look into the trucking lifestyle as a possible alternative.
Not only do trucking jobs for veterans offer tremendous potential for competitive pay, flexible schedules, and a low barrier for entry, but your experience in the military will make you a top candidate for any company looking to add to their team. To help you decide whether the trucking lifestyle is for you, here are a few things you can expect to find in a truck driving career:
The Trucking Lifestyle is Full of Unique Benefits for Veterans
“The trucking industry is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy,” Trucking.com says. “Nearly 71% of all the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. goes on trucks. Without the industry and our truck drivers, the economy would come to a standstill.”
If you’re interested in the trucking lifestyle, then you’re bound to discover a world full of opportunity. Trucking and transportation are some of the most crucial industries in the country, and as a result, truck driving careers are in constant high demand. Here’s a glimpse into just some of the benefits the truck driver lifestyle at Lily Transportation offers:
Annual compensation in the $70,000 range.
Training curriculum that’s fully paid for by Lily (and won’t deplete your GI Bill benefits!).
Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical and Dental Insurance
Paid holiday and vacation time
Matching 401K safety bonuses
Health and wellness programs
Cell phone allowance
A flexible truck driver schedule
24-hour dispatch
On top of that, the trucking lifestyle can change on a day-to-day basis, so you never know what kind of adventure could be waiting for you. One day you could be driving over long stretches of the countryside, and then you could be enjoying the stunning vistas from the winding roads of a mountain pass.
It’s Easy to Get Started
Whether you know it or not, you’re already very qualified for a career in the trucking industry! Your experiences in the military have equipped you with the kind of perseverance, adaptability, and leadership skills that will serve you very well in the trucking lifestyle.
The simple truth is that carriers are excited by the idea of working with you. Not only are companies like Lily Transportation actively offering truck driving jobs for veterans, but there are even programs that can dramatically streamline the training and certification processes. For example, if you operated heavy vehicles as part of your service, then you may qualify for the Military CDL Waiver.
Transitioning back into the civilian lifestyle can be tricky, especially for veterans who are looking for a new career path. With veteran trucking jobs, however, you’ll be able to make a great income while also enjoying the flexibility and adventure the trucking industry is known for. If you’re interested in learning more about the Lily Veteran’s Network and their unique programs, contact our team today!
There are plenty of civilian jobs for veterans out there, but finding the right one for you and your skills is easier said than done. With the flexible work schedules, competitive pay, incredible opportunities for growth and adventure, and the countless companies excited by the prospect of hiring veterans, a trucking job may be the solution you’re looking for.
Lily Transportation is excited to help you find a new career path after your time in the military, and we’re committed to making hiring veterans a core piece of our company’s business strategy. Here are just a few of the ways that we do that:
We Offer Training Programs for Veteran Truck Drivers
Before you get behind the wheel, you’re going to need a commercial driver’s license (CDL). If you drove heavy machinery during your time in the military, then you may be eligible for the military CDL waiver, which will expedite the certification process and get you behind the wheel faster. But even if you don’t qualify, the FMCSA makes it easy to get started.
Once you get your CDL, you can enroll in the Lily Veterans Network, where we will work with you to fine-tune your skills so you’re fully prepared for whatever the open road has in store. Additionally, the eight-week training course is fully paid for by Lily and will not deplete your GI Bill benefits.
We want to make sure you’re not only equipped with all the expertise you need to thrive as a military CDL driver but also that you’re well-compensated. This is why the training curriculum comes with a paid salary of $800 a week plus company benefits. Upon graduation from the program, you’ll be placed in an over-the-road assignment and will receive annual compensation in the $70,000 range.
We’re Actively Hiring Veterans!
Lily Transportation is always excited about hiring veterans, and we’re eager to get in touch with anyone who is:
Interested in a career as a commercial trucker but doesn’t have any experience
A current commercial driver or someone who operated a heavy truck in the military
Experienced in leadership roles and wants to apply the skills they’ve earned in the military to the transportation industry
The characteristics and skills military veterans possess are incredibly dynamic and valuable, and Lily is actively looking to hire veterans in military CDL jobs. No matter how much experience you have (or don’t have), we want to hear from you! Get in touch with us today to learn more about the kinds of trucking jobs for veterans we have available and what the Lily family can offer you! We can’t wait to get to know you.
Truck driving is one of the best jobs for veterans looking for a new career path after their time in the military has come to an end. Whether it’s the competitive pay, flexible schedules, or the (many) employers who are excited to work with you, veteran truck drivers have a lot of reasons to get behind the wheel.
Hiring (and retaining) veteran truck drivers is one of the most important things Lily Transportation does. We’re committed to increasing the percentage of veteran truckers in our ranks by 10% each year and are always on the lookout for new opportunities to work with veterans looking to get a fresh start in the civilian workforce.
Here are a few of the many benefits Lily’s unique Veterans Network has to offer veteran truck drivers:
We Accept Drivers with All Levels of Experience
Regardless of the amount of experience you have operating heavy vehicles, Lily Transportation wants to work with you!
If you’re a veteran who drove heavy trucks as part of your service, then we’d love to help you get your commercial driver’s license (CDL) through the Military Skills Test Waiver Program. If you’re a veteran who’s interested in a truck driving career but doesn’t have any experience, then Lily wants to help equip you with the skills you need to thrive in the industry.
We need your knowledge and skills on our team, and no matter what kind of experience you bring with you, there’s a place for you in the Lily Family!
We’ll Help You Fine-Tune Your Skills Behind the Wheel
Once you have your CDL, either by passing the written and skills-based tests or by taking advantage of the FMCSA’s various programs for military veterans, you’ll be enrolled in a Lily training program that will help you fine-tune your truck driving skills. This three-to-six week training course is fully paid for by Lily and will not drain any of your GI Bill benefits.
While you’re training, we’ll also provide you with $800 a week (plus company benefits!), so you can continue to care for yourself and your family while you sharpen your skills behind the wheel. And upon graduation, your annual compensation will be in the $70,000 range.
We Take Care of Our Own
We know that adjusting to the civilian lifestyle isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. With our unique program for veteran truck drivers, Lily strives to get you plugged into a community of driven professionals who will rally around you to make your transition into a new job role as seamlessly as possible.
If you’re looking for a fresh start, then Lily can provide you with the kind of education veteran truck driving schools offer while also helping you settle into your new role as a veteran truck driver. We’re here to help you thrive, so if you have any questions about the veteran trucking jobs available to you, please get in touch with us today!
Military veterans are some of the most qualified people out there, and there are few industries as aware of that fact as the trucking and transportation industry. Your experiences in the military have equipped you with the kind of steadfast commitment, expertise, and skillset that define the best truck drivers on the road.
Here at Lily Transportation, we’re always looking for new ways to support veterans. In everything we do, we strive to be one of the most veteran-friendly employers in the industry. Here are just four of the things that Lily does to support veterans reacclimate to the civilian workforce:
1) We’re Actively Hiring Military Veterans
Currently, 15% of Lily’s current employee-base is made up of veterans, and we’re always working to make sure that the number continues to grow by at least 10% each year. Lily Transportation is uniquely aware of the value veteran truck drivers can bring to the job, and your discipline and mission-focus will make you an excellent fit for the Lily Family!
We hope to see the number of veteran truck driving jobs skyrocket as high as possible, and we’re always on the lookout for new and effective ways to support veterans.
2) We’ll Help You Get CDL-Certified
Every professional truck driver needs to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) before they can get behind the wheel. The first step toward this is simple: walk into your local DMV and pick-up one of their CDL manuals. This handbook will act as your roadmap and textbook, as it provides you with all of the information you’ll need for the first part of your CDL-certification: the written test.
Once you’ve passed the written test, you’ll be given your commercial learner’s permit (CLP). Use this permit to practice the various inspection tests and driving maneuvers your CDL manual outlines, as these will be crucial elements of the skills-based part of the CDL test. To help make this process as easy as possible, Lily Transportation will assign you to one of our CDL-certified drivers to help you practice and perfect your commercial motor vehicle (CMV) skills.
However, if you operated a heavy vehicle as part of your military experience, then you may be eligible for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Military Skills Test Waiver Program, which will excuse you from the skills-test. This means that you’ll only have to take the written portion of the test before being awarded your CDL training and certification.
3) We’ll Sponsor Your Truck Driving Education
Regardless of whether you have any driving experience from your time in the military, Lily Transportation will get you started in a specialized ten-week training program that’s designed to help you fine-tune your CMV driving skills in the real world.
This training curriculum is fully paid for by Lily, and as such, will not deplete your GI Bill. And once you graduate from the program, we’ll get you set-up in the world of veteran trucking, and you’ll be looking at annual compensation in the $70,000 range.
4) Job Security and Financial Stability
In exchange for your full scholarship to Lily’s training program, we ask for a minimum one-year commitment to n over-the-road (OTR) driving assignment. This will help you put all of your skills to practice and give you a wealth of opportunity to get comfortable in your new career.
As a veteran truck driver, you’ll be a part of one of the country’s most vital industries. You’ll experience a tremendous amount of opportunity, see the country in ways you never thought possible, and have a degree of job security and compensation that few industries can match.
If you have any questions about Lily Transportation’s Veterans Network or want to learn more about how we support veterans both on-and-off the job, then please get in touch with us today! We’d love to connect with you and help you find your place in the exciting world of commercial truck driving.
Are you transitioning out of a military career and into a civilian one? Maybe you’re looking for a new adventure, something that can pay the bills, of course, but also something that can keep you from spending long days behind a desk. Luckily, the transportation industry not only has a vast array of job offerings for you, but you might qualify for a veteran CDL waiver, which can get you into a truck driving career in record time.
Obtaining your commercial driver’s license (CDL) will be your first step into the truck driving lifestyle. But to get there, you have to take a written and skills-based test first. If you drove heavy vehicles while serving in the military, however, then you may be able to skip the skills-based portion of the test. Here’s how to find out if you’re eligible for the military veteran CDL waiver:
How (and When) to Apply for a Military CDL Waiver
According to the FMCSA, military veterans who have “two years of experience safely operating trucks or buses” will be eligible for a veteran CDL waiver if they apply within one year of leaving the military position that required them to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).
To get started, all you have to do is complete the Application for Military Skills Test Waiver (which includes a section that your Commanding Officer will need to fill out) and then make an appointment at the CDL licensing office that’s closest to you. Then you’ll complete your state’s CDL application form (which you can find on DMV.org) and provide all of the required paperwork, a copy of your military driver’s license, and other proofs of identity.
Veteran CDL Waiver Requirements
Military veteran CDL waivers are currently available in every state. As of February 2017, almost 20,000 current and former military members have taken advantage of the waiver, making them eligible for employment by transportation companies.
Before you get your CDL, though, the FMCSA says that you have to certify to your State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA) that you have:
A history of safe driving
Not held more than one license (the exception being your military driver’s license) in the past two years
Not had your State-issued license suspended, revoked, or canceled
Not been convicted in any motor vehicle offenses
If you meet those requirements (and the ones listed in the previous section), then you’re in a perfect position to get your veteran CDL waiver, take the written test, and get plugged into one of the many civilian-military truck driving jobs waiting for you!
Some carriers, like Lily Transportation, will even offer you a training course to help you fine-tune your CMV driving skills. The Lily Veterans Network, for example, provides a ten-week training curriculum that’s completely paid for by Lily and won’t drain any of your GI Bill benefits. You’ll also receive a paid salary of $800 a week (and company benefits!) while you’re enrolled in the training course.
Upon graduation, you’ll be able to get plugged into a one-year over-the-road driving assignment and receive annual compensation in the $60-70,000 range. Reach out to us today to learn more about how you can get your military veteran CDL waiver, enroll in the Lily Veterans Network, and kickstart your new career off on a high note!
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is also committed to making it as easy as possible for military veterans from all walks of life to get settled in a career as a professional truck driver.
To help them achieve this goal, the Under 21 Military CDL Pilot Program is one of the more recent ways the FMCSA is pursuing new ways to recruit and support military veterans in a truck driving capacity. But what is this pilot program, and how can it help younger truckers with military experience find a place in the transportation industry?
To qualify for this pilot program, however, you’re going to have to meet a set of criteria. According to the FMCSA, the requirements include:
Being 18, 19, or 20 years of age when approved for participation in the pilot program
Having certification (or relevant training and experience) operating heavy vehicles from your time in the military
Agreeing to the release of specific information to the FMCSA, who will use it to assess your eligibility for the program
Meeting all the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) requirements (not including age) for operating a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce
Understanding that drivers who participate in this program cannot transport passengers or hazardous materials
Upon turning 21, any drivers participating in the Under 21 Military CDL Pilot Program will be unenrolled. They will, however, be eligible to continue driving in an interstate capacity for their current motor carrier (or another company).
How to Participate in the Under 21 Military CDL Pilot Program
If you qualify for an Under 21 Military CDL, then you can get your trucking career started by applying to any participating carrier (like Lily Transportation!). Once hired, your information and driving history will be submitted to the FMCSA.
From there, as long as there are no disqualifying offenses, suspensions, or license revocations on your record, you’ll be approved to participate in the study and can start your trucking career right away!
With this program, the FMCSA is making veteran trucking jobs more accessible than ever. There are plenty of people under the age of 21 with experience in the military who are now looking for a new career, and the Under 21 Military CDL Pilot Program is a way for military drivers to find a job that will help them readjust to the civilian lifestyle.
Lily Transportation is proud to be one of the nine companies in the country participating in the military CDL pilot program and would love to talk with you about our veteran trucking jobs, training programs, or the truck driving lifestyle as a whole!
The truck driving lifestyle is as unique as they come. Whether you’re driving solo, in a team, locally, regionally, or in an OTR role, your time behind the wheel will look a bit different on a day-to-day basis. However, the trucking industry is changing and has been for quite some time.
With new technology, increased demand, and more new truck drivers than ever, the trucking lifestyle is transforming. While the pillars of this age-old industry remain firm—adventure on the open road, camaraderie amongst drivers, competitive pay, unique schedule, and much more—new trucking industry trends have begun to take root.
But with our decades of experience, Lily Transportation is no stranger to change. While the industry around us evolves, as a privately held, professionally managed organization, our principles remain unchanged. Since our inception in 1958, Lily has provided its drivers and customers with stability, industry expertise, and a fierce commitment to the job at hand.
If you’re interested in learning how to become a truck driver or are curious about what a career in truck driving looks like, then you’ve come to the right place. The truck driving lifestyle is unlike any other, and Lily Transportation is proud to contribute to its ongoing evolution in as many ways as we can.
Table of Contents:
A “Driver First” Mentality
Promoting Truck Driver Health and Wellness
Making Safety a Top Priority
Embracing Modern Trucking Industry Trends
Hiring Younger, More Diverse Drivers
Adopting Trucking Technology
How to Become a Truck Driver with Lily Transportation
A “Driver First” Mentality
Every company’s success is based on mutual trust. At Lily Transportation, our drivers aren’t only our greatest asset; they’re family. Promoting the continued health, wellness, and success of our driver is essential to the positive company culture we’ve built for ourselves.
Whether it’s the highest quality equipment, competitive pay, or a diverse range of employee benefits, Lily Transportation is committed to making sure the truck driving lifestyle is productive and satisfying. Here are just a couple of the ways we do that:
Promoting Truck Driver Health and Wellness
Truck drivers are one of the foundational pillars of our country. Without them, the ever-growing e-commerce industry could collapse, and the way-of-life online shoppers across the world rely on could be a thing of the past. This is why, among countless other reasons, promoting the health and wellness of our drivers is so crucial to Lily Transportation.
To ensure our drivers are the best they can be, whenever we take on new truck drivers, we have them take a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical. While the DOT requires drivers to undergo a physical as part of their CDL-certification, we want to ensure that our drivers are healthy from the very beginning of their time with us.
Health and wellness isn’t a one-and-done affair, though. It’s an ongoing process. Which is why we offer all our drivers plenty of benefits to keep them at peak health. Some of these benefits include:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical and Dental Insurance
Paid Holiday and Vacation Time
Matching 401K
Safety Bonuses
Health and Wellness Program
Cell Phone Allowance
24 Hours Dispatch
Staying healthy while spending the day behind the wheel of a truck may sound difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! With the right truck driver accessories (like a seat cushion, dashcam, or a GPS), some healthy snacks (pre-washed fruits and veggies, nuts, greek yogurt), and a regular exercise routine, you can create a truck driving lifestyle that’s both productive and healthy.
Making Safety a Top Priority
When you spend most of your day on the road and behind the wheel of a big rig, there are few things more important than truck driver safety. Which is why Lily Transportation prioritizes safety in everything we do. Whether we’re hiring new truck drivers, acquiring or maintaining equipment, or educating our existing staff, Lily promotes and adheres to an extensive list of “safety-first” principles.
Here are just a few of the ways Lily emphasizes the safety of its drivers:
Requiring each driver to be fully CDL-certified
Driver physicals
Drug and alcohol testing (as required by the DOT)
Requiring drivers to pass a road test before hiring
Maintaining a fleet of brand new or late model trucks—including Kenworth, Volvo, and Freightliner
A Driver Safety Program that rewards drivers with bonuses for their safe operating practices
And much more!
There isn’t a single, one-size-fits-all approach to truck driver safety. But Lily Transportation has a detailed list of standards and regulations to help keep our drivers, and everyone they share the road with, safe. For example, part of the truck driving lifestyle we promote involves walking our truck fleet daily, training drivers to identify potential hazards, and prioritizing the repair of any hazards they find.
Embracing Modern Trucking Industry Trends
The trucking and logistics industry has been a staple in our country since gasoline-powered internal combustion engines first entered the scene in the early 1900s. It’s no understatement to say that the industry has grown a lot since then. With more demand than ever before, the transportation industry has become indispensable to the way modern business is conducted.
Statista reported that “796.7 billion U.S. dollars in revenue was generated by the U.S. freight trucking industry” in 2018. For an industry as lucrative and necessary as this one, it’s not surprising that jobs in the trucking industry have become more accessible (and needed) than ever.
Companies across the country are eager to work with new truck drivers who can bring new perspectives and skillsets behind the wheel. To accomplish this, carriers are making an active effort to adopt modern trucking industry trends and ideals. Here are two of the many trends companies like Lily Transportation are adopting:
Hiring Younger, More Diverse Drivers
With a large percentage of the truck driving population rapidly approaching retirement, the trucking and transportation industries are actively looking for and excited about opportunities to recruit new truck drivers. And like every industry, trucking is also in need of new and more diverse perspectives if it hopes to continue to grow and evolve alongside demand.
In the past, many trucking jobs were occupied by men. Thankfully, this stereotype is no longer as widespread as it used to be. As companies like Lily actively pursue women truckers, the needle is beginning to move toward progress. But there’s still work to be done, as Women in Trucking (WIT) reported in 2017 that “women comprise over seven percent of female over-the-road drivers and 23 percent of management.”
Those percentages are low, but in that same report from WIT, it’s explained how there’s “been a 19 percent improvement in those companies tracking the percentage of female drivers and managers. This means that more companies are actually monitoring these figures and can benchmark with other carriers in the industry.”
Additionally, Lily Transportation offers a unique training program for military veterans who are interested in a truck driving career. Unlike most companies, however, our Veteran’s Program will not deplete your GI Bill; it’s fully paid for by Lily. And if you have experience driving heavy vehicles, you may be eligible for a military CDL waiver. These are just a few of the ways Lily, and the industry as a whole, is reaching out to new demographics.
Adopting Trucking Technology
Technology in logistics and trucking is one of the most recent and fastest-growing trucking industry trends. According to Sandeep Kar—an expert in heavy truck systems and technologies—the trucks of the future will be “connected to the world outside, and the world outside will be connected” to our trucks. What does this look like, though? How will the technologies usually associated with smartphones apply to the trucking industry?
The better question to ask is, how will these technologies not apply to the trucking industry? Not only are today’s trucks more connected to the outside world than ever, but NPR says that many of the newer models “have automatic transmissions and the type of safety features you might expect on a new car: cameras and computers that watch lanes, look out for obstacles and even hit the brakes automatically.”
And since Lily Transportation only uses brand new or late model trucks, our fleet is always equipped with many of the latest and most exciting technological developments. Our drivers are the backbone of our success, which is why we’re committed to providing them with the best equipment, support, technology, and training they need to succeed on (and off) the job.
How to Become a Truck Driver with Lily Transportation
A career in truck driving can be an exciting and lucrative path for anyone looking to experience something new. There’s an inherent sense of adventure in the truck driving lifestyle, and as the industry continues to grow and adapt to the world around it, the benefits of getting on-board just keep growing.
When you drive with Lily Transportation, you’re not only joining a team of passionate professionals who love what they do; you’re joining a family. We’re always looking for new truck drivers, and even offer training programs for veterans who are looking for new challenges and experiences.
Lily Transportation has been a staple of the transportation industry since it was first founded in 1958. We’re committed to our drivers and are continually looking for new and dynamic ways to make the truck driving lifestyle as fulfilling and productive as possible.
If you’re interested in hearing more about how this lifestyle can work for you, then get in touch with us today! We would love to answer any questions you may have and help you kickstart your truck driving career on the right foot.
