Safety Archives - U.S. Xpress Inc.

What to expect at orientation

Katie Dyson — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:42:08 +0000

Author: Vismari Cruz, driver development specialist

As a driver, we know you have many options to choose from when it comes to employment, and we want to make sure our drivers have the best experience starting on day one.

Watch the video below to hear more about what you can expect at orientation if you decide to drive at U.S. Xpress.

Ready to take on the road with U.S. Xpress? Click here to fill out an application today.

More about Vismari Cruz, driver development specialist

Tackle chain season like a pro

Katie Dyson — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:59:15 +0000

Author: Brenna Powers, Communications Specialist

Use these four tips to install chains so you can reach your safe haven during winter weather.

As winter rolls in, so do the joys of the season—snowball fights, hot cocoa, and holiday fun. Families gather, friends reconnect, and many of us hit the road to see loved ones. But while we look forward to these moments, it’s important to remember that winter also brings challenges, like slick and dangerous roads.

For truckers out on the road working hard to deliver the goods that keep America moving, navigating snow and ice is a real challenge. Staying safe on the road is always a priority, and sometimes, the best decision is to shut down and wait out the dangerous weather. But when conditions require pressing on to get to a safe haven, tire chains can be a crucial tool to keep your truck moving safely.

A tire chain is a device that fits around the tires of vehicles to improve traction on snowy or icy roads. They are typically made of interlocking metal links and wrap around the tire treads, providing a better grip on slippery surfaces. Proper installation and maintenance are key to ensuring safety and maximizing the effectiveness of tire chains.

Whether it’s your first winter using chains or you’re an experienced driver looking for a refresher, here are four tips to help you tackle tire chain season like a pro.

Know where to get your chains from. If you don’t know where to pick up tire chains, you might find yourself procrastinating—and that’s the last thing you want when you hit snowy conditions. U.S. Xpress drivers can conveniently pick up chains at any of the following terminals: Tunnel Hill, Dallas, Springfield, Markham, Indy, Shippensburg, Allentown, and Ellenwood. Stock up before heading into areas where they might be required. If you’re not sure where to pick up tire chains, ask your supervisor for guidance.
Keep at least four sets of chains with you. This is crucial, especially when driving through certain states west of the Mississippi and in parts of the northeast.Having four sets ensures you’re prepared for the toughest conditions and can cover all your drive wheels.
Have the right tools for installation. You’ll need serviceable chains that aren’t rusty or worn out, a tension tool for tightening the cam locks, and at least four rubber bungee cords (12-18 inches long) for extra security. With the right equipment, you can install your chains efficiently and safely.
Inspect your chains regularly. Before winter hits and throughout the season, take time to inspect your chains. Look for any signs of wear and tear, such as broken links, rust, or damage that could compromise their effectiveness. If you spot any issues, replace the chains immediately to avoid potential problems on the road. When you find yourself in a situation that requires chains, remember to test drive and retighten the chains as needed, checking every 5 miles to ensure that they don’t become damaged or loose while you’re driving.

Winter weather can be tough, but with the right preparation and tools, you can navigate the roads safely and become a pro this season. As always, remember to find a safe place to shut down if the road and / or weather conditions are unsafe, and it is too dangerous to press forward.

Ready to take on the road with U.S. Xpress? Click here to fill out an application today.

More about Brenna Powers, Communications Specialist

Four tips to ace your brake inspection

Katie Dyson — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:42:33 +0000

Author: Katie Dyson, Senior Brand Manager

Do your part to make America’s roadways safer, one brake check at a time.

We all know a child with a need for speed. They want to go fast, floor it every time they’re in a car, “shake and bake.” The gas pedal is the magic wand that makes their dreams come true.

But in the world of trucking, we know that brakes are even more important than the thing that makes the truck go “vroom.” While the gas pedal is a child’s adrenaline, brakes are the safety net that offers them a tomorrow.

Brake Safety Week, Aug. 25-31, is an annual campaign hosted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. It’s a time to reiterate the importance of checking your brakes before hitting the road. Law enforcement will be hyper-focused on the condition of brake linings and pads.

“Brake related violations make up a large percentage of all out-of-service vehicle violations cited during roadside inspections,” said Ian Sanford, director of safety analytics and improvements at U.S. Xpress. “Don’t be part of that statistic.”

Here are some things you can do to ensure your brakes are road-ready before you get behind the wheel.

Visually check your brakes. Locate your disc or drum brakes and look for signs of wear, loose equipment, or missing hardware. Contact your supervisor if you see anything that needs to be addressed.
Pay attention to the lights on your dash. If an inspector sees an anti-lock brake system (ABS) indicator light on your dashboard, that’s an immediate citation. Make sure you get that checked out before you hit the road.
Listen for leaks. Take a lap around your rig and listen for air escaping the truck. That could be an indicator of air or hydraulic leaking from your equipment.
Always do a pre-trip inspection. This will help identify any component, brakes and beyond, that may need attention prior to leaving your lot.

Let’s all do our part to make America’s roadways safer every day.

Have a safe and successful Brake Safety Week, drivers.

More about Katie Dyson, Senior Brand Manager

U.S. Xpress celebrates drivers who go the distance

Seth Alley — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 13:06:00 +0000

Class of 2021 includes first-ever 4 Million Miler

When it comes to moving goods better, these folks are in it for the (extremely) long haul.

We recently honored 181 elite professional truck drivers for more than 241 million combined miles of safe driving. Every one of these drivers for U.S. Xpress and Variant has hit 1 million safe miles behind the wheel, and many of them have topped the 2 million and even 3 million mark.

Jim Davis, a 35-year U.S. Xpress Dedicated driver, became the first driver in company history to reach 4 million safe miles. Also recognized were seven drivers reaching their 3 million safe driving milestones, 10 Drivers of the Year, and one Trainer of the Year.

“Professional truck driving is an often thankless job, so it’s always exciting to bring our most seasoned professionals to town for a few days of recognition and celebration,” said Eric Fuller, president and CEO of U.S. Xpress.

This group of elite drivers hit these safe driving milestones during the 2021 calendar year and were honored during an awards ceremony at our Chattanooga, Tennessee, headquarters. The awards ceremony is part of a two-day event we host for drivers and their guests, which has been a company tradition since 1995.

In addition to the awards, drivers were celebrated by our office employees in an Honored Driver Walk of Fame and breakfast at headquarters followed by an afternoon of activities and socializing with office staff and company leadership. Each driver also received a personalized award and company merchandise, including coveted Million Miler jackets.

The event for the class of 2021 in June followed a similar event in April that brought together the classes of 2019 and 2020 after the in-person event was paused during the pandemic.

It takes about a decade of moving goods safely on America’s roads to earn Million Miler status. Other ways of calculating what 1 million miles really means? Try 40 trips around the circumference of the Earth, or twice to the moon and back.

How long would it take the average driver to cover a million miles? Consider the average driver in the U.S. covers 14,263 miles each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. At that rate, it would take an ordinary driver 70 years to cover 1 million miles.

Helping drivers stay healthy keeps Jared McNealy running

Seth Alley — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 15:09:58 +0000

Preventing injury, incorporating exercise, eating better on the go benefit drivers and shippers.

The road can be a tough place to stay healthy with long hours behind the wheel, limited food options along the highway, and heavy lifting for professional truck drivers who deliver and unload freight. But there are ways to add more good habits to the mix that benefit both drivers and the customers whose goods they move every day.

“Doing a few small things differently really adds up,” said Jared McNealy, the driver health manager for U.S. Xpress.

Preventing injury, fatigue, and helping professional drivers stay productive means shippers have reliable partners to keep their businesses moving, and it supports drivers in building fulfilling careers.

“There are lots of drivers coming into the profession, and lots of drivers who have been around for years, and they’re open to learning how they can stay around and stay healthy for the long term,” Jared said.

In his role, Jared spends about half his time traveling, meeting with drivers and operations teams all over the country to show them everything from how to choose the healthiest snacks at gas stations (he suggests baked chips, fruit, granola, low-sodium jerky, seeds, or nuts), to teaching drivers proper body mechanics to help them perform tasks safely and efficiently. Finding creative ways to stay fit on the go is also a priority.

“I’ve met a fair number of drivers that have dumbbells and fitness bands and get out at truck stops and gas stations and do a little exercise when they stop for breaks,” Jared said. “We’re developing travel workouts that are easy to do with minimal equipment.”

Before joining U.S. Xpress, Jared spent part of his career doing similar work for one of the nation’s largest rail companies. The challenges of helping professional drivers and railroaders stay healthy have plenty of parallels.

“A railroader and a trucker are more similar than they are different,” he said. “These are hard-working professionals who spend hours and hours moving freight for shippers who rely on them to be ready to go.”

As a member of the Safety team at U.S. Xpress, Jared works with a crew entirely focused on ensuring professional drivers are the safest and healthiest they can be.

“We’re all focused on different aspects of safety, but we all have the same goal – to protect the drivers who are the backbone of the company and ensure our shippers have professional partners they can count on.”

Improving Driver Efficiency with MIT

USXpress — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 16:54:30 +0000

In a perfect world, drivers and carriers would be able to take advantage of every minute of their hours-of-service clocks. They’d enjoy day after day of clear skies, unclogged roads, and smooth sailing at pick-up and drop-off appointments.

Racking up miles daily shouldn’t be such a hassle. But the trouble is that moving freight from “Point A” to “Point B” isn’t that simple. A lot can happen while out on the road. Delays can occur at shippers and receivers as well. Keeping the wheels rolling requires a special kind of choreography between shippers and carriers. It also necessitates the ability to gather and analyze the right data. Fortunately, data has never been more abundant than it is today.

As part of our ongoing Supply Chain Exchange partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation and Logistics, we sponsored a capstone project for graduate students in MIT’s Masters in Supply Chain Management Program. These research projects are a great opportunity for graduate students to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into practice solving real-world problems.

Here’s the real-world problem we gave them: help us understand the most common determinants of dwell at shipper and receiver sites. For two semesters, our project team of two graduate students utilized our ELD and tractor GPS data to isolate the factors contributing to dwell. They explored possible dimensions ranging from a shipper or receiver’s proximity to major highway bottlenecks to the number of times a given driver has visited the same site. They even analyzed whether a truck driver’s years of experience behind the wheel is a factor in dwell time.

After several months of cleaning, structuring, and analyzing the data, they presented their findings at a day-long virtual research summit broadcast from the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We’re impressed with how much they’ve learned about the trucking industry throughout this entire process. Moreover, we’re thrilled with what we’ve learned from their analysis.

Here are two quick revelations from their research that we’ll dig into with our shippers and other stakeholders in the near future:

The conventional assumption that a drop-and-hook load takes an average of 45 minutes might be a bit ambitious. On most occasions, one hour is a more reasonable estimate.

The more a given driver visits a shipper or receiver location, the less likely they’ll experience dwell at that site. The relationship between the number of visits and the probability of dwell becomes particularly powerful after ten visits.

Those are just a few of the takeaways from the capstone project. We’re looking forward to incorporating what we’ve learned into how we collaborate with shippers and move freight over the coming months.

Driving Safety with Technology

USXpress — Wed, 19 May 2021 14:19:21 +0000

As a major truckload carrier, there’s one thing that matters more than anything to us – safety. That not only includes the safe delivery of our customers’ freight, but also the safety of our drivers, friends, families, and neighbors who share the road every day. It’s a huge responsibility, but using the following technologies, it’s one we’re able to take on.

Hair Drug Testing:

In 2019, we began using an advanced drug testing procedure as part of our pre-employment screening – hair testing. Many hard drugs (like cocaine, opioids, and heroin) can exit the body within 48 hours, becoming undetectable in a urinalysis. Hair testing can detect drug use going back 90 days.

“When we began using pre-employment hair testing in 2019, around 14% of driver candidates tested positive for banned substances,” said Greg McQuagge, Vice President of Safety and Compliance at U.S. Xpress. “Even today, most carriers are still using urine testing, and when doing the math, you can easily see a concerning number of drivers are slipping through the cracks at those carriers.”

External Event Recorder:

Installed in every truck as of 2018, our external event recorders are small cameras that take 12 seconds of video whenever a triggering event, like sudden stops, following too closely, significant speeding, or swerving, occurs. It’s primarily a tool to help us coach drivers at orientation and through continuing safety education. Watching real-world examples of these events — and how drivers react — helps modify behavior.

The two triggering events we tend to coach on most heavily are following distance and speeding. Since we began coaching based on the video footage, we’ve seen significant improvements in accident rates.

“Though it’s a significant expense for our 6,500-tractor fleet, the value event recorders provide to our company, our drivers and our shippers is immense,” said McQuagge.

Speed Limiters:

With slower speeds come fewer accidents. So, we have equipped all our trucks with speed limiters – a WiFi-enabled technology that allows operations to set maximum tractor speeds for use of the pedal and for cruise control to help reduce accidents and improve fuel efficiency.

Part of that technology includes a collision mitigation system that monitors various safety metrics when a driver uses cruise control. It allows us to gauge following distance, safely adjust speed, and reduce driver fatigue.

PassSmart:

Often, drivers need to exceed the maximum speed set by our speed limiters to safely pass another vehicle. That’s why we have begun rolling out PassSmart to the entire fleet. The technology allows our drivers to determine their own maximum speed for 30 minutes every 24 hours, not only giving them some autonomy, but also improving safety numbers around passing vehicles and lane changes.

Air Disc Brakes:

In 2016 we were one of the first carriers in the nation to begin installing air disc brakes on our tractors.

“It’s a technology that most of us take for granted – most passenger vehicles have had disc brakes for decades, but many trucking companies have been slow to adopt,” said Shaun Sadler, Senior Vice President of Equipment. “We’ve invested in air disc brakes on all tractor and trailer axels to shorten stopping distances and reduce accidents across our entire fleet.”

We plan to continue updating our systems and finding new solutions to help keep everyone on the roads safe, but our most crucial safety tool is our drivers. So, we’re proud to have recently celebrated some of the best – our 2020 Million Milers – those who have reached one, two, or even three million miles without a preventable accident. We’re so grateful to have them on our team.

Want to learn more about the safety initiatives we’re working on here at U.S. Xpress? Just visit www.usxpress.com/safety.

Working to Help Create a Sustainable Future

USXpress — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:03:17 +0000

Both on the road and in our offices and shops, we know our responsibility to the environment. In celebration of Earth Day, we’re spotlighting a few steps we’re taking to help minimize our environmental impact.

Our Fleet:

We’re testing and implementing a wide range of innovative solutions across our entire fleet including:

Applications like parking locators reduce wasted miles driven finding different locations, increasing the efficiency of available driving hours.
Reduced maximum speeds of our tractors by two miles per hour to lower wind resistance and emissions output.
Field testing of new axle technology that disengages one of the two drive axles at highway speeds. This results in lower torque and power requirements, allowing the engine to burn less fuel.
Collaboration with our existing tire manufacturer to use a new design that extends tread wear, increasing the life of the tires and reducing manufacturing related carbon greenhouse gases.
Purchase and distribution of driving simulators as part of continuous driver training, so drivers get a simulation of a driving environment without creating pollution on the road.

Our Shops:

Meanwhile, in our terminals where trucks are serviced, we’ve implemented a range of environmental initiatives including:

Lighting upgrades throughout our terminal network replacing inefficient fixtures with a combination of new energy efficient lighting.
Waste coolant and oil pickups by a certified company that protects our “cradle to grave” responsibility. The oil is then refined and sold as heating oil, fuel blend, or other solutions.
Factory-certified refrigerant machines that properly capture, clean, and store the refrigerant for reuse.

Our Offices:

Approximately 2,000 office team members are based out of our company headquarters (approximately 155,000 square feet) in Chattanooga, TN. With the spread of the global pandemic, we moved 99% of them to remote work, significantly reducing our environmental footprint through reduced facilities use.

As we begin to return employees to the office, we’ll continue measuring and benchmarking these numbers in addition to ongoing programs we have in place, including:

A partnership with Iron Mountain to implement a complete paper recycling program. In 2019, we recycled approximately 74 tons of paper, lowering CO2 emissions by 108,000 pounds, reducing landfill space by 372 cubic yards, and saving over 2 million gallons of water.
Installation of a “white roof,” saves energy related to the reflection of the sun and general cooling of the building shell.
Daylight harvesting in which photocells measure the quality of light and turn off unnecessary lamps when daylight is sufficient.

What’s next? We plan to keep pushing. And by 2035 reduce our carbon footprint 60%. It’s no small goal, but the way we see it, it’s our duty, today and every day, to our planet and to our future.

Check out our Corporate Responsibility Report to learn more.

Safe Trucking Report

USXpress — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:05:59 +0000

At U.S. Xpress, we understand the huge responsibility we have in safely transporting goods across America’s highways. As one of the nation’s largest asset-based carriers, we have the experience and resources in safety and training that many smaller trucking companies simply don’t.

We’re spotlighting a few of our industry-leading road safety practices in our new Safe Trucking Report. This report incorporates industry best practices, commentary from safety and legal experts, and consumer sentiment on topics like liability insurance minimums, hair testing for drugs, event recorders, and speed limiters.

Some highlights from the report include:

Insurance Minimums – U.S. Xpress has maintained insurance above the Department of Transportation (DOT)-required minimums for years to assure its drivers and those sharing the road are protected. But in such a large and fragmented industry, there are thousands of small carriers who are insuring the bare minimum.
Hair Testing – The gold standard for drug testing is using a hair sample to analyze prohibited substances metabolized in the body over a longer period and across a wider range of substances. U.S. Xpress requires a negative hair test result for all drivers upon hire.
Event Recorders – U.S. Xpress installed these small video cameras fleet-wide in 2018, which begin recording when triggered by following too closely, a hard brake, speeding, roll stability, or lane departure. Footage can help determine accident causation and assist in the training of new drivers.
Speed Limiters – The company’s entire fleet is equipped with this technology, which manages the speed of tractors, helping to reduce accidents and improve fuel efficiency.
Air Disc Brakes – U.S. Xpress was one of the first carriers in the nation to install air disc brakes on its tractors and trailers fleet-wide starting in 2016.

“Shippers entrust us with a huge responsibility and want to work with safety-conscious carriers who are true partners in their business,” said Nathan Harwell, Chief Legal Officer for U.S. Xpress. “Our customers are increasingly sophisticated and want a similarly sophisticated carrier partner.”

Click HERE to download the Safe Trucking Report. Contact us if you have questions or would like to speak to one of our safety experts on any of these important topics.

Electrodiagnostic Functional Assessment: Technology That’s Changing the Trucking Industry

USXpress — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:00:43 +0000

When it comes to safety, there’s no length a trucking company shouldn’t go. Whether it’s the safety of trucks and trailers, the safety of a customer’s freight, or the safety of drivers themselves, it should be a priority to every carrier.

But what exactly does it mean to help ensure the safety of drivers? It’s more than providing sufficient training and in-cab technology. It’s ensuring if someone does get hurt on the job, they’re able to make a full recovery before returning, preventing the injury from becoming worse.

One way to do that is through implementing a new piece of next-generation technology that’s helping change the trucking industry: Electrodiagnostic Functional Assessments (EFA).

What is EFA?
The Electrodiagnostic Functional Assessment (EFA) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool used to record muscle function.

What is the purpose of the assessment?
The purpose of the assessment is to determine baseline strength. If a driver is ever hurt on the job, a carrier can use the baseline measurements to help determine both the best course of treatment and the most appropriate time for the driver to return to work.

Why should carriers use EFA?
This new technology allows a third-party partner to record drivers’ muscle function at rest and during simple movements without requiring them to potentially risk injury by physically lifting anything. In the event the driver later experiences a work-related strain or muscle injury, the EFA can show the location and extent of the injury, as well as help determine proper treatment.

How can EFA help drivers?
In the case of a work-related injury, comparisons can be made to a driver’s EFA baseline to help determine what soft tissue/muscles are involved, and aid in identifying the most appropriate treatment. For their safety and to help prevent further injury, drivers should never be asked to return to work after an injury until they are able to match their original baseline measurements.

What does the assessment consist of?
The 30 to 45-minute non-invasive assessment is simple. Drivers are hooked up to sensors, much like an EKG at the doctor’s office. They are then asked to perform simple tasks like lifting their arms, turning their neck, etc. There should be no pain or discomfort during the test. This is what the assessment looks like.

“With the rollout of EFA, we’re looking at the physical nature of driving a truck and working on freight-handling lanes in a new way,” said U.S. Xpress Vice President of Safety Greg McQuagge. “We’re excited to see the benefits come in, both for our drivers and the company.”

A trucking company is nothing without its drivers. They’re the heart and soul of the services carriers provide, and their safety is paramount whether they’re on the road, at a customer location, or even at home. If investing in EFA technology is one way to protect them there’s only one question: why wouldn’t you start implementing it?