FirstFleet’s 2012 driver trainer meeting, was held in Murfreesboro, Tn. on April 13-14. Driver trainers from FirstFleet locations around the country were welcomed by FirstFleet President Gary Wilson, and Vice Presidents David Beeny and Daniel Piper .  This year marked FirstFleet’s 16th annual trainer meeting. In depth discussions were held on the federal governments CSA program, and where FirstFleet stands in comparison to other carriers with 500 or more trucks. Fuel buying habits and MPG were discussed in detail from industry and company representatives with re...

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FirstFleet is proud to announce, the Three Million Mile safe driving accomplishment of Ronnie May. Mr. May drives out of Cleveland, TN delivering multi-stop grocery deliveries and has been with us since 1987. Thadd Wells, Ronnie’s Terminal Manager, says Ronnie is a model employee, professional, courteous, and now a 24 year, three million mile safe driver Mr. May says staying alert all the time, and expecting the unexpected are keys to his success, along with caring about the others he shares the road with. Everyone wants to return home safely, and professional ...

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  A few quick updates for you with regard to changing DOT rules and regulations. Under the new hours of service rules effective Feb. 27 2012, a driver parked in a commercial vehicle can be considered off duty, even in a day cab. However, if not parked for 10 consecutive hours, the time would count towards the drivers 14 hour on duty time. For team operations, two hours following or proceeding 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper can be logged as off duty, and the team driver can be in the passenger seat. One additi...

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As a professional driver there are certain requirements one must be able to produce in the event of a traffic or DOT stop. If the necessary items cannot be produced the driver will be found in violation and issued a citation for this offense. This citation will carry driver and company CSA points that can easily be avoided by ensuring you have the proper documentation on your person at all times. Valid CDL  Valid Medical Card  Valid Vehicle Registration  Current Insurance Card  ...

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  A few quick updates for you with regard to changing DOT rules and regulations. Schedule one prescription drugs, even when prescribed by a doctor, that are in violation of federal prohibited substances will not be acceptable for a commercial driver to have in his or her system, and will result in enforcement action taken. A conviction for violation of the hands-free cell phone law is considered a serious violation, just as following too close or 15 or more miles per hour over the speed limit, and will be subject to the dot penalty where t...

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As professionals in the transportation industry it is important that we stay informed of the changes and discussions that our facing our industry today.  I would like to share with you a few updates with regards to current topics of discussion from the perspective of the DOT and FMCSA. In 2011 the DOT issued over 1400 citations to commercial drivers for texting. CDL suspensions for things other than traffic violations, such as failure to pay child support, will not count against a CSA record. Off-site reviews by the DOT will...

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Mr. Laverne Strange of Ft. Wayne, IN was recently recognized by his employer FirstFleet, Inc, for Two Million Safe Miles driven. Mr. Strange drives for FirstFleet out of our Bluffton, IN facility. Mr. Strange has been with FirstFleet since 1989 and says that keeping a safe distance around him, watching out for the other drivers and expecting the unexpected are keys to his safe driving success. Perry Glancy, Laverne’s Fleet Manager at FirstFleet says that Laverne is always at work, has good relationships with fellow drivers and management an...

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Beginning January 30, 2012 all commercial drivers, will be required to provide copies of their current medical certificate (if issued after January 30, 2012) to their respective state drivers licensing agency when renewing their license. Individual states will then have two years to incorporate medical certificate information into their state commercial driver's license system. You will get more information on this requirement from your home state very soon, if you haven't already.  This policy change is an enactment of the federal program to combine C...

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STOPPING DISTANCE – Are you feeling some anxiety about getting that load delivered or getting back home for some rest?  Don’t let that feeling keep you from maintaining a 6-7 second following distance from the vehicle in front of you.  At 30 mph, a commercial vehicle needs 148 feet to stop safely.  Avoid that rear-end accident by not following too close! A printer friendly version of this information can be found here.  

Did you know 3 out of every 5 accidents in the trucking industry are backing related? It's true, seeing what's behind you with a 53 ' trailer is very difficult, but these accidents are almost always judged as preventable - why is this? - because they can be avoided if we practice the following safe methods when backing. When approaching an area where a backing maneuver is required, survey the area you are about to back into. Look for obstructions in your way, such as wheel chocks, loading stands, dock plate handles left sticking out, dumpsters, cars, etc. that may b...

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The federal motor carrier regulation, section 391.27, requires all commercial drivers to complete an annual violation and review record. The driver is to disclose all moving violations for the past 12 months or note none if there were none, sign, date and return to their employer when requested. All moving violation are to be disclosed whether in commercial vehicle or personal vehicle. Attached below you will find the FirstFleet Violation and Review form. Every FirstFleet employee that is a CDL holder is required to complete this form and return it to their loca...

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently passed a law that bans the use of cell phones by commercial drivers without a hands free phone device. This law goes into effect December 30, 2011.  The penalty for violating this federal law is $2750 per occurrence. In addition to the hefty fines that are associated with this infraction it has been proven to be a very unsafe practice. In effort to sponsor safety it is the company policy of FirstFleet to require the use of a hands free device while operating a company owned vehicle. Please help us make the roads a safer place ...

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We have recently made some additions to our online video library by posting a few targeted safety training videos that are quick and to the point. If you haven't checked them out I would like to encourage you to have a look at the material and give us your feedback. The secured video library is located here for FirstFleet employees (login required), but this material has also been made available to the general public on our YouTube channel.  Video Topic - Load Securement Load Securement is a very important aspect of safe dri...

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Stale Green Light : A term referring to intersection safety. A stale green light is a traffic light that is green when you first see it, thus you do not know how long it has been green - so we have to assume it will change at any moment . When you encounter a stale green light be prepared to stop, the light may change and you will need to stop in a safe, controled manner. Running a red light is an extremely dangerous decision. Safe, profession, drivers are always on the lookout of stale green lights and make...

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The 6th CSA Basic is Cargo – Related (Securement)   Did you know that this CSA basic requirement includes areas on a commercial vehicle other than freight securement? Many professional drivers are unaware that in fact this measurement DOES include things other than basic freight securement. Some examples to consider include the spare tire, dolly crank handle, fuel cap, tarps and debris on landing gear plates. With winter quickly approaching the focus will broaden to include snow and ice that may build up on trailer roofs during sno...

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