What Does the Trucking Lifestyle Look Like for Veterans at Lily?

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.”

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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!

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5 Tips for Staying Hydrated on the Road (and Why It’s Important)

Whether you’re sitting in an office all day or working construction, it’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of staying hydrated. However, when you’re a truck driver, it can be tricky to keep yourself hydrated while also staying energized and on schedule. 

But it’s not impossible and is probably far easier than you think. Truck driver safety and health are essential, so here are some tips for staying hydrated on the road that we hope will help you take care of yourself.

What’s the Importance of Staying Hydrated?

Before we get started, let’s talk about why it’s so important to stay hydrated, especially when you’re behind the wheel.

According to a study published in 2015, driving while dehydrated can lead to a “significant increase in minor driving errors.” For comparison’s sake, the study goes on to explain how drivers who aren’t properly hydrated are prone to the same kind (and number) of errors as people who are overly fatigued or have a blood alcohol content of approximately 0.08%. If you’re looking for a way to promote truck driver health and wellness, then you should start by looking at the following tips for staying hydrated.

Get a Reusable Water Bottle

One of the easiest ways to stay hydrated while driving is to keep water close by. If you have something within reach (snacks, drinks, etc.), then the odds are pretty high that you’ll reach for it. So, instead of cluttering your truck with plastic bottles (and paying for them individually), keep a good-sized water bottle with you. And whenever you empty the bottle, which should be at least a couple of times a day, make sure you fill it back up again!

Eat Food that Contains Water

If you don’t enjoy drinking water, then there are other tips for staying hydrated that you can take advantage of. For example, try eating foods that are rich in water. These include fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, celery, watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, and the like. These make for great snacks, too, so you can stay hydrated and energized at the same time.

Don’t Rely on Energy Drinks or Caffeine

It’s not uncommon to hear that caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, or energy drinks don’t contribute to hydration, but that’s not the whole story. While these beverages can help you stay hydrated, to a degree, they can’t replace water entirely. 

There are also plenty of ways to spruce up your water with lemons, limes, berries, or even cucumber slices. Carbonated waters are another great solution, so don’t feel confined to plain old water if you don’t want to.

Make it a Habit

There are plenty of helpful tips for staying hydrated while driving, but ultimately, they all come down to one thing: making it a habit. When you make hydration a part of your daily routine, you’ll not only be prioritizing truck driver health and wellness, but you’ll feel healthier, more energized, and better equipped to tackle whatever comes your way on the open road.

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily

5 Winter Trucking Tips to Keep You Safe on the Road

The driving conditions during the winter months are as unpredictable as they come. One day might be blue skies and clear roads, while the next is an absolute whiteout where visibility is almost nonexistent. Knowing how to handle winter driving is a must for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for truck drivers. Here are some winter trucking tips to help you stay safe on the road this season:

1) Always Check the Weather Conditions

You may not be able to predict winter weather and driving conditions (not even the meteorologists can get it right all the time!), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take some time to look ahead and see what could be on its way.

The more warning you have that inclement weather is coming, the more time you’ll have to prepare yourself and your truck to face it. Or, if it’s going to be really bad, then you’ll have enough time to prioritize winter driving safety and make other plans.  

2) Wear the Appropriate Clothing

Trucking may not have a universal dress code, but winter trucking does have a recommended dress code. If you’re going to be participating in winter truck driving, then you’re going to need to dress for the part. This means keeping a coat and extra sets of mittens, socks, hats, gloves, and boots easily accessible in the truck.

3) Keep Your Truck in Tip-Top Shape

Before hitting the road, one of the best winter truck driving tips to follow is simply keeping your vehicle in prime condition. This means having a full tank, regularly checking your tire pressure, using chains when needed, and keeping the truck clean and visible. 

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It might be a pain to clean the snow off your truck, but it will make the drive easier and safer for you and everyone you share the road with.

4) Make Sure You Have a Fully-Stocked Winter Driving Kit

When it comes to the best winter driving tips for truck drivers, there are few things more essential than having a well-stocked winter driving kit with you on the road. This “kit” can (and should!) be customized to the needs of each trip and individual driver, but should include things like:

  • Blankets
  • Batteries
  • Chargers
  • First aid kit (and pocket knife)
  • Small shovel(s)
  • Truck maintenance equipment (jumper cables, windshield scraper, extra washer fluid)
  • Bottled water
  • Some healthy snacks for truck drivers (fruits, nuts, granola, etc.)

5) Practice Winter Trucking Safety Best Practices

Winter trucking is unavoidable—especially when driving in an OTR capacity, where you’ll likely cross into all four seasons at one point or another. But with the right winter trucking tips and best practices, you can ensure that you, your truck, and everyone else on the road remains safe and well-equipped for the weather ahead of them.

For example, before hitting the road, you should check your tire tread depth, air pressure, inflation, and, when necessary, add on your trusty tire chains. And when the day comes to an end, plug in the engine block heater (if you’re driving a diesel truck) so your vehicle will be able to start back up again when morning rolls around. 

Winter driving safety isn’t just about knowing how to drive a truck in snow, though. It also means exercising these tips on a daily basis and always prioritizing safe driving practices. This means knowing the kind of environment and conditions you’ll be driving in and using the techniques that will keep you safe in them. 

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

How Lily Transportation Prepares its Drivers for Winter Truck Driving

Winter truck driving is just about impossible to avoid entirely. Even if you’re located in warmer weather, the odds of you encountering some level of winter weather are pretty high. This is why Lily Transportation is committed to equipping its drivers with all the skills, winter driving tips, and equipment they’ll need to thrive behind the wheel, no matter what weather they face.

Here are several of the ways we help prepare our driver for winter trucking conditions:

1) Skid Prevention

Winter is well-known for its unpredictable weather. You can have sunshine in the morning and then be in a blizzard by lunch-time. Which, as you can imagine, makes it difficult to plan ahead for the day when even the weather forecast can’t be trusted all the time. 

When you’re driving in winter weather, you must know how to handle your truck in the case of icy road conditions. Skidding is dangerous in any context and can occur as a result of wet or slippery roads, high speeds, worn tires, or heavy braking. To ensure that our drivers are prepared for anything—even skidding—as part of our truck driver safety checklist, we have a few winter truck driving tips to help them stay safe:

  • Ease off on the accelerator when encountering tight turns or slick roads
  • If you start to skid, turn your front wheel in the same direction the rear wheels are sliding
  • Slow down gradually
  • Give yourself plenty of time to brake when approaching intersections or stop signs/lights
  • Keep the truck trailer straight before braking

If you ever find yourself actively skidding, then you should depress the clutch as soon as possible, look at the left mirror only, and focus on steering (and counter-steering) so you can get yourself back in front of the trailer. 

Winter truck driving can be tricky, and Lily Transportation is committed to ensuring each of our drivers is more than well-equipped for anything and everything the winter roads could throw their way.

2) Regular Winter Driving Tips

While Lily Transportation commits a lot of time and resources to fully training our drivers, we also acknowledge that there will always be new things to learn. This is why we regularly hold driver training sessions and provide literature with any new tips and tricks to keep them informed current.

Whether it’s a live broadcast on our communication television at the Lily distribution center, posted as a  simple flyer in a common area, on one of our social media accounts, handed out in a driver training meeting, or word-of-mouth shared around the watercooler, everyone at Lily is devoted to learning whatever we can whenever we can. 

Winter driving tips, in particular, are always relevant, and we never pass up an opportunity to let our team know when there’s a new tip or development they can benefit from.   

3) Providing Drivers with the Highest Quality Equipment

There are countless winter truck driving tips we can (and do) share with our drivers, but arguably the best thing anyone can do during the winter months is to have the best equipment on their side. For example, Lily’s entire fleet of vehicles is comprised of brand new and late model trucks that we continuously and meticulously maintained for maximum safety, efficiency, and comfort.

This way, we know that all of our drivers are operating vehicles that are capable of handling anything the winter season could come up with.

If you want to learn more about how Lily Transportation prepares its driver for winter driving conditions, get in touch with us today! We’d love to talk to you about our job openings, the benefits we offer, and the many ways we provide for our drivers all year long.

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

What Does Lily’s Truck Driver Safety Checklist Look Like?

Safety is, and always will be, the highest priority for Lily Transportation. Whether it’s our comprehensive Driver Safety Program—which includes bonuses for drivers who demonstrate exemplary safety on the road—or our meticulously maintained equipment, everything we do is based around safety.

To help our drivers keep themselves and the people they share the road with, as safe as possible, Lily Transportation has curated a truck driver safety checklist. This ever-evolving truck driver checklist is designed with the sole goal of ensuring that safety is of the utmost importance every single day. Here are some of the truck driving safety tips and practices our truck driver safety checklist focuses on:

1) Check the Weather Conditions

Whether you’re driving a 16-wheeler cross-country or simply visiting your parents in the next town over, you should always check the weather conditions before hitting the road. Weather is infamously unpredictable, so even the most prepared drivers aren’t immune to surprise, but looking ahead is a crucial first step for any trip.

This rings especially true in the winter months, where the weather conditions can be difficult and unruly. Lily Transportation knows how tricky winter trucking can be, which is why our truck driver safety checklist and processes include safe operating practices (and training) as well as onboard safety equipment in all of our vehicles.

2) Inspect (and Clean) Your Truck

Another thing every driver should do before getting on the road is to inspect their truck. This means checking your tires (especially during the winter, where freezing temperatures can cause problems for tires that aren’t adequately inflated) and checking the truck for anything out of the ordinary. 

Are all the doors closed and latched securely? Is your battery fully charged? How does your radiator look? How about the truck’s belts and hoses? Do you have an engine block heater on hand to make sure the truck doesn’t get too cold overnight?

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

Every truck driver safety checklist should also involve assessing how clean your truck is. If it snowed recently, for example, then you may need to remove snow from the top of the truck, so it doesn’t come flying off on the road, causing a safety hazard for other drivers.

3) Double-Check Your Fuel

Regardless of how long (or not) your upcoming trip is, it’s always crucial to check (and then double-check) your fuel levels as part of your truck driver safety checklist. And if you’re driving into cold weather, then you’ll want to consider using blended fuel, especially when your truck uses diesel fuel, which can turn into a frozen “slush” in freezing temperatures.

To counteract this, American Trucker says, “to use winter blend fuel with a high cetane rating and add anti-gel additives at each fill-up.” 

4) Stock Up on Supplies

Making sure your truck is operating at peak efficiency and safety is one thing, but making sure that you as the driver are also being taken care of is another, equally important, thing altogether. You can have the safest truck ever, but if the driver behind the wheel isn’t prepared for the open road, then safety can take a nosedive.

This is why Lily Transportation makes it a priority to educate our drivers on the kind of supplies they’ll need to stock up on. Whether it’s snacks like fruit, nuts, and other healthy meal options, or an emergency safety kit with all the tools they’ll need, “just in case,” we’re firm believers in the age-old saying, “you can never be too careful.”

Lily not only follows safe hiring practices by running the appropriate background checks and testing, but we also take it a step further by providing consistent hands-on training to make sure all our drivers are fully-equipped with the skillsets they’ll need.

In addition, our trucks are either new or late-model vehicles (typically less than 2 years old) that are equipped with the latest safety technology in the industry including crash avoidance and lane departure in addition to Lytx Dash Cams for our entire fleet.

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

How Lily Transportation is Revitalizing the Truck Driving Lifestyle

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

  1. Promoting Truck Driver Health and Wellness
  2. Making Safety a Top Priority

Embracing Modern Trucking Industry Trends

  1. Hiring Younger, More Diverse Drivers
  2. 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. 

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily

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.” 

The trucking industry is paying attention and making great strides toward a fuller, more developed truck driving lifestyle. For example, truck stops are safer than they’ve ever been and manufacturers are designing trucks that can meet the needs of different kinds of drivers. As a result of the industry’s efforts, “more than 28,000 women have joined the trucking industry since 2014,” and that number continues to climb higher.  

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.

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily

The 3 Things You Need to Become a Healthy Trucker

Any career where you spend most of the day sitting can feel counterintuitive to a healthy lifestyle. This is as true for truckers as it is for 9-to-5 office jobs. Just because you spend the majority of your day sitting behind the wheel of a truck doesn’t mean you can’t still be a healthy trucker. 

When you’re a professional truck driver, you have a lot of miles to cover and a specific length of time within which you have to cover them. This can mean long days, but just because a day is long doesn’t mean you won’t have time to take care of yourself. Like Small Business says, OTR “Drivers may be on duty for up to 14 hours following 10 hours off duty, but they are limited to 11 hours of driving time.” 

However, those ten hours of off-duty time have to include a full night’s sleep. This is true for local drivers as well. Even though they may not have as many miles to cover, they still spend most of the day behind the wheel and will benefit from some self-care routines. With these three healthy trucker lifestyle choices, you can strike a pitch-perfect balance between productivity, rest, exercise, and a balanced trucker food list.

1) A Well-Rounded Trucker Food List

Eating on the road is never easy. You’re often stuck with whatever restaurants are just off the highway or whatever offerings the nearest truck stop has. While there’s plenty of healthier options for eating on the road, eating out is never cheap and can place an unnecessary toll on the driver’s wallet. 

There’s nothing wrong with eating out—it’s often a great way to experience the best of the local cuisine, after all—but it shouldn’t be the only option when it comes to available food for truckers. If you’re trying to find better, more nutritious meals to keep you going, then why not make them yourself? 

Not only is cooking a productive and enjoyable pastime but thanks to the wealth of portable cooking appliances available to truckers, it’s easier than ever to prepare meals on-the-go. To help you build a better trucker food list for yourself, consider investing in some of the truck driver cooking equipment All Trucking outlines

  • Portable Stoves
  • Microwave 
  • Freezer/Refrigerator 
  • Blender
  • Electric Skillets
  • Crockpot

“By cooking your own food on the road, you can control the ingredients that go into your meals,” Roadmaster.com says. Putting together your own meals entails an ever-rotating menu that’ll help you “cut down on salt, fat and other unhealthy additives.”  

2) Truck Driver Exercises

Perhaps the most important part of being a healthy trucker is staying active. Staying active is easier said than done, though, especially when you spend most of the day behind the wheel of a truck. But thanks to recent initiatives like “truck stop gyms and in-cab workout systems,” staying active while on the road is easier than ever. 

For example, Justin Boschee—a truck driver interviewed by Men’s Health in 2014—has learned to embrace a spontaneous approach to exercise while on the road. With an understandably limited amount of free time, Boshee makes sure to get a quick workout in whenever he’s not driving. And since he keeps a handful of fitness gear with him, he’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“‘The unpredictability of my job is an advantage,’” he says. “‘It keeps things fresh.’” 

3) Embrace the Healthy Trucker Lifestyle

Living the lifestyle of a healthy trucker doesn’t have to be a challenge. With trucking companies doubling-down on trucker health and wellness, and new technologies improve the comfort of the trucks themselves, drivers have more resources to live healthier lives than ever. 

If you want to learn more about the truck driving life and hear how Lily Transportation emphasizes the health and wellness of its drivers, then get in touch \with us today

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily

How Lily Prioritizes Truck Maintenance and Safety

There are few things more important in the transportation industry than proper truck maintenance and safety programs. To ensure truck driver safety (and efficiency), carriers need to prioritize the continued maintenance of their truck equipment. 

Here at Lily Transportation, safety is a top priority. Not only do we offer comprehensive safety programs, but we also equip our drivers with meticulously maintained truck equipment, so they always have the best tools at their disposal. 

Our commitment to trucking safety doesn’t stop there.  Here are just a few of the other ways Lily Transportation prioritizes truck maintenance and truck safety:

A “Safety First” Mentality

When it comes to hiring drivers, acquiring equipment, or educating staff, Lily Transportation operates off of a “safety first” mentality. For example, when we’re looking for a new driver to welcome into the Lily Family, we abide by “safe hiring” principles such as:

  • Driver physicals and drug and alcohol testing (as required by the D.O.T.)
  • CDL-certification
  • A required two-years of verifiable industry experience
  • Passing a driver road test before hiring

We also equip our drivers and their trucks with wireless, real-time vehicle locators, and electronic on-board records. By bridging the distance between drivers and dispatch, we always know how our drivers are doing, and our drivers always know help is only a call away. 

Lily is also committed to the continued health and wellness of its drivers. Our drivers are the beating heart of our company. This is why we’re devoted to offering our drivers a wealth of benefits—such as safety bonuses, insurance, matching 401k, 24-hour dispatch, and more.

The Highest Quality Truck Fleet

Lily’s fleet of vehicles is made up of either brand new or late model trucks—you won’t find any outdated truck driving equipment here. Truck maintenance is of the utmost importance, which is why each of our truck models is continuously maintained for optimal levels of safety, efficiency, and driver comfort. Some of the models we use include:

  • Volvo VNL
  • Kenworth T680
  • Peterbilt Trucks
  • Freightliner Trucks

We also ensure our entire truck fleet is equipped with the tools and features it needs to guarantee the safety of our drivers (and the drivers they share the road with).

For example, our vehicles are equipped with truck safety aids like:

  • 65mph limit for local and regional limits
  • Speed gauge reports 
  • Mobil Eye lane departure and forward warning systems (so drivers can be better aware of their surroundings)
  • Regular reports from the Corporate Safety Department are sent directly to Lily’s President and CEO
  • Safety bonuses and incentives to proactively manage Lily’s Driver Safety Program

If you’re interested in learning more about how Lily Transportation works for and with its drivers to promote truck maintenance and truck driver safety, then check out our website today! And if you want to talk to a recruiter and learn about what a career with Lily looks like, then give us a call! We can’t wait to hear from you!

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

The Truck Driver Accessories Every Trucker Needs

Truck drivers spend most of their time on the job in the cab of their trucks. Whether they’re traveling cross-country or staying local, their cabs can become both a cockpit and an office of sorts. And as such, many truckers stock up on some truck driver accessories to keep themselves (and their trucks) in tip-top shape. 

Truck Driver Comfort Items

With drivers spending so much time in their trucks, they should invest in a few truck driver accessories to help them stay comfortable and alert. With these truck driver comfort items, you can keep your mind and body relaxed and ready for every new day on the road.

Electric Blanket

Nights can get chilly on the open road. Regardless of whether you’re driving cross-country or not, keeping warm is essential. If you’re sleeping in your truck for the night on an OTR assignment, for example, then an electric blanket will keep you warm and comfy the whole night through. 

Seat Cushion

Even the comfiest seats can start to feel stiff after enough time. Instead of settling for a less-than-comfortable seat, or buying an expensive replacement, treat yourself to a seat cushion. There are plenty of variations to choose from, so be picky and find a pillow that meets your needs and makes you as comfortable as possible.

Mini-Fridge

No matter where you’re driving, a mini-fridge is always going to be a worthwhile investment. Not only does it make it easy to bring leftovers from home, but it also allows you to keep your beverages cold in any weather.  

Truck Driver Safety and Productivity Items

Professional truck drivers need to be alert and prepared for anything the open road can present them with. With these three trucker accessories, you can ensure that you’re always prioritizing your safety and productivity.

Cell Phone Mount

You should never be on your phone while behind the wheel, but if your phone is also used as your GPS, then you’ll need a way to keep it visible. There are many windshield mounts you can use for your phone, so take some time to find one that can keep your phone securely in your line of sight.

Semi-Truck Gauges

When you’re on the road for hours at a time, you must always be aware of how your truck is operating. Your truck gauges are the tools that allow you to do this. These high-tech tools mount under your dash and seamlessly track fuel economy, coolant temperatures, battery voltage, and more. They make it easy to maintain your truck when you’re on (and off) the road.

Dashcams

When you fix a dashcam to the front of your truck’s dashboard, you’ll be able to record your routes (which can be vital in the rare case of an accident) and keep track of everything you see on the road. Dashcams broaden your vision on the road and provide you with another tool to ensure your trip is as smooth and safe as possible.

Truck Driver Accessories For Every Situation

If you’re looking for a few more trucker accessories to add to your truck driver lifestyle, then be sure to pick up:

  • Sunglasses: An obvious, but essential, tool to keep you focused on the road in every kind of weather.
  • Gloves: You’ll be gripping the wheel for most of the day, so it’s important to keep your hands comfortable. A pair of gloves, especially leather gloves, will keep your hands dry and comfortable.
  • 12-Volt USB Charger: Make sure all of your various devices are fully-charged with a portable USB charger. These usually come with a fuse as well, so you never have to worry about blowing a fuse.

With the right truck driver accessories by your side, you can maximize comfort, safety, and productivity on the road. This is why Lily Transportation makes sure every truck driver at Lily is equipped with well-maintained equipment and 24-hour dispatch so we can always stay in touch with our drivers, no matter where they are.

The Benefits of a Career at Lily

Health and Wellness Tips for Truck Drivers

Prioritizing truck driver health and wellness is one of the most important things we do here at Lily Transportation. Our drivers are the backbone of our company, and ensuring their consistent health, wellness, and contentment is paramount to the positive company culture we’ve built for ourselves. 

Here are a few of Lily’s tips for truck drivers to help the time you spend on the road be as healthy and productive as possible:

Lily Transportation’s Health Tips for Truck Drivers

Since our inception in 1958, Lily Transportation has been devoted to the continued support of everyone in our company. It’s the people Lily employs that enable us to maintain our position in the industry year after year, and we want to help make sure those people are as healthy and content as can be.

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily

Stock Up on the Right Kinds of Snacks

There are plenty of snacks to stock up on for your time on the road. Gas stations across the country offer a litany of chips, candy, and carbonated beverages that can provide you with a sometimes necessary jolt of energy. However, these aren’t the kinds of snacks to keep you feeling your best. 

Unlike any other job, trucking requires you to be extremely alert and energized at all times. You can’t be 100% on your game if you’re tired, hungry or not feeling well. Often times a snack can be a great pick-me-up if chosen wisely. However, the empty calories and excessive sugar found in most “traditional” snack foods are tragically incapable of promoting truck driver health and giving you the energy you need. Instead, try some of these healthy snacks for truck drivers:

  • Pre-washed fruits and vegetables
  • Mixed nuts
  • Greek yogurt
  • Protein shakes
  • Grilled meat

These healthy snacks for truck drivers will keep your energy levels high and avoid the “crash” that sugars and carbs can cause. 

Don’t Skimp on Sleep

Regardless of the hours you work, driving a truck (like any job) can be tiring. Whether you’re driving in an OTR or local capacity, you’re going to want to develop and stick to a routine sleeping schedule. 

“You need to get as much sleep as possible,” The Balance Careers says. “To do that, your sleeping conditions must be as comfortable and as quiet as possible.” This might mean utilizing earplugs while you sleep, or maybe playing some restful background noise to help you fall asleep and stay asleep for longer. 

Getting a good night’s sleep is easily one of the most common health and wellness tips for truck drivers you’re likely to encounter. Take some time to figure out what you need to get the best sleep you can and then implement a plan to make sure you follow through.

Start Exercising

When it comes to improving health and wellness, there are few tips for truck drivers more effective than exercise. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways a truck driver can keep themselves active and healthy even while on the road. 

You can keep some weights or a resistance band in the truck with you and use them at truck stops or gas stations. You can invest in a good pair of running shoes and do a few laps around a parking lot (or even your truck!). Or you can get a gym membership and use it before or after you start your days. Whatever you can do to keep yourself active will go a long way toward promoting a healthier truck driver lifestyle for yourself. 

What To Expect inYour First Year of Over the Road Trucking at Lily