Average Annual Salary
Over the road truck drivers earn average hourly wages between $14.57 and $19.91, according to 2011 Payscale data. These truck driver hourly wages equate to annual salaries of $30,306 to $41,413, based on a 40-hour work week. Additionally, 2008 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median salary for heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers at $17.92 per hour or $37,244 per year. The middle 50 percent of over the road truck drivers earn $14.21 to $22.56 per hour, which equals annual salaries of $29,557 to $46,925. The top 10 percent of over the road truck drivers earn $27.07 per hour or $56,306 per year.

Salary by Industry
An over the road truck driver’s salary can vary depending on the industry in which he works. For example, truck drivers who work in the freight forwarding industry earn annual salaries of $34,644 to $61,319, per Payscale.com. Truck drivers working in the food service industry typically earn salaries of $44,923 to $60,137. Additionally, truck drivers in the transportation and logistics technology industry earn annual salaries of $30,252 to $58,405. Over the road truck drivers who work in the shipping and delivery industry earn between $36,506 and $55,531 per year.

Salary by Gender
Male over the road truck drivers tend to earn more than their female counterparts. Men truck drivers earn hourly rates of $14.55 to $19.81 or annual salaries of $35,349 to $56,590, according to Payscale.com. Women over the road truck drivers earn hourly wages of $13.53 to $18.46. Hence, the average salary for a women truck driver is usually between $28,362 and $47,971 per year.

Salary by City
An over the road truck driver’s annual salary can also vary significantly by city. For example, over the road truck drivers earn the highest annual salaries in Los Angeles at $37,600 to $72,245, per Payscale.com. Truck drivers can expect to earn salaries of $33,910 to $60,402 per year in Houston. Additionally, the average annual salaries for truck drivers in Chicago are between $37,586 and $59,735. In Atlanta, truck drivers earn salaries of $37,250 to $59,341 per year. And over the road truck drivers can expect annual salaries between $31,153 and $54,711 in Phoenix.

Dumbbells
Dumbbells are hand weights that can fit comfortably in any semi-truck cab. Dumbbells are small enough to fit on the passenger seat or floorboard of your truck, and can can also fit comfortably in your sleeper. Dumbbells come in many different weight sizes. Typically, they range from about one pound to 100 pounds. If you are starting out, you may want to work with a five to 10 pound weight. Hold one barbell in one hand while driving with the other. Perform as many reps as you find comfortable. Lifting too much weight can damage your muscles.

Hand Grips
Another small but handy exercise tool is the hand grip. These small grips fit in your hand and use spring resistance to work your hands. Simply squeeze the two ends together in your hands. While dumbbells work the muscles in your mid to upper arms, the hand grips work the lower and the hand area. Perform as many repetitions as you can handle. As you work your arms, you will find that you can perform more repetitions with your hand grips. Continually increase your repetitions as you feel comfortable.

Soft Ball
Soft balls, not to be confused with the balls used in softball, are similar to hand grips in that they work the muscles in your hands and in your lower arms. Because it is soft, however, a soft ball is much gentler for many people to use. They make excellent tools for truck drivers who are just beginning an exercise routine. But working your muscles too strongly every day can cause strain and damage. A squeeze ball makes an excellent exercise for those days you don’t feel like working your muscles too strongly.

Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are excellent and versatile exercise tools. A trucker can tie one end of the resistance band to the passenger door handle to exercise his chest muscles. He can tie it to his foot to work his upper arms. Resistance bands come in many different weight groups. While they can be used on the road, they make excellent all-purpose exercise tools. For example, a trucker can tie one end to his feet and the other to his arms and to create extra challenging sit-ups. He can also tie them to both of his arms, lift them above his head outside the truck and pull them down parallel to the ground to work his shoulders.

Entrustment Issues
You are entrusting your products to a stranger when contracting a freight forwarding company. Even though you picked a company that appears stable and competent, you can never really be sure until the shipment actually arrives at your customer’s dock. It’s difficult to discern which is truly a good freight forwarder, since all claim their service is the best.

Data Deficiency Issues
Michael Comerford and Peter Denno of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) pointed out that data deficiencies affects freight forwarders. Writing about the automotive industry,Cornerford and Denno reported that data deficiencies can delay 15 percent of all ocean shipments. Some common examples of data deficiencies would be data and documentation lost in translation between languages, or data simply lost by incompetence. A good freight forwarding company has few data deficiency issues. A mismanaged freight forwarder, however, has a great deal of deficiency.

Price Gouging
If you do all the freight forwarding and documentation filing, costs can be controlled. With a freight forwarder, you never really know how much of a markup in services the forwarder is adding on. For example, a trucking company may charge you $3,000 to deliver a shipment. If you contracted an unethical freight fowarder, he may state the trucking company is charging $5,000.

Product Loss
The Musson Freight Fowarding Company states that loss is sometimes an inevitable part of shipping. If you entrust a freight forwarding company to do all the packing and shipping, you do not have control of how the items were packaged in the container. If the freight forwarding is good, no problems develop. If the freight forwarder is inept, losses become excessive.

Background
Doctors advise travelers who have to sit for long periods of time to frequently stop to walk around. This gets the blood flowing and reduces the risk of DVT, according to the Dallas Business Journal. Unfortunately, truck drivers cannot always afford to make frequent stops.

Features
The condition usually occurs in the calves, where DVT blocks blood flow. If the clot moves through the bloodstream to the heart or lungs areas, it can be fatal.

Symptoms
Dallas truck driver Glen Kordisch explains that deep vein thrombosis feels like a sharp, stabbing pain. Pain often worsens when standing or walking, as the blood pours to the affected area. Other symptoms include swelling, redness and warmth in the affected leg, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Treatment
Truck drivers should walk around every hour, if possible. They can also wear compression stockings that increase blood circulation. When DVT is diagnosed, heparin and warfarin are administered for several months until the clot dissolves.

Government Regulations
The Motor Carrier Act of 1935 marks the federal government’s first enactment of regulations concerning the trucking industry. While road safety remains the primary purpose for regulating the industry, these regulations provide a basis for litigation proceedings and their resulting penalties. Ultimately, litigation involves determining whether the driver or the driver’s employer holds the blame for an accident and then identifying the specific cause of an accident. Determining driver negligence versus employer negligence requires attorneys to examine the evidence surrounding the accident. Because of the regulatory requirements placed on drivers and trucking companies, attorneys have easy access to information and records kept by the drivers and their employers.

Driver Logs
Federal regulations require commercial truck drivers to keep daily logs of their activities. These logs contain information regarding the number of driving hours, rest periods and total miles driven, as well as identifying information such as the names of the driver and employer. Federal regulations also limit the number of hours a driver can work without taking a rest period. When an accident occurs, these logs may provide key information for attorneys in cases where a driver has exceeded the limit for number of hours spent driving versus resting. While, in this instance, driver negligence becomes the primary cause of the accident, the driver’s employer may still come under scrutiny for failing to properly monitor the driver’s activities.

Black Box Evidence
Within the trucking industry, many commercial carriers equip their trucks with event data recorders, also known as black boxes. These devices record all of a truck’s activities on the road and provide ample data for events that take place before, during and after an accident. Not surprisingly, attorneys often use available black box data to confirm other evidence gathered, such as drivers’ logs, photographs, witness statements and police reports. In cases where the trucking company or driver destroys or conceals the black box unit after an accident, court-imposed penalties may apply for both the trucking company and its lawyer.

Penalties
Safety ratings for trucking companies have a significant impact on a company’s ability to take on new business and transport certain types of freight. A company’s safety ratings appears as public information, available online and in print. Companies with a history of accidents that show “at fault” court rulings receive penalties in the form of lowered safety ratings. Depending on the circumstances of a case, companies may also receive fines and suspensions on business operations. In cases where the court finds the driver at fault, drivers can also receive suspensions from driving and even lifetime suspensions for multiple occurrences.

Company Drivers vs. Independent Contractors
Within the commercial trucking industry, drivers can work for trucking companies or they can work as independent contractors. While independent contractors may actually own as well as operate their trucks, contractors actually enter into lease contracts when working for other companies. Under federal guidelines, contractors work as statutory employees, meaning that the companies they work for have authorized them to operate on the company’s behalf. As a result, litigation penalties may apply for both the company and the driver, even in cases where driver negligence causes an accident. Much like trucking companies that hire their own drivers, a lease contract makes the company responsible for ensuring a contracted driver follows federal guidelines while on the road.

Characteristics
Hydrogen is a lightweight element that consists of a high energy content. It requires four times the amount of hydrogen to produce the same energy as gasoline. Hydrogen must be in a liquid form when using this fuel source for transportation needs.

Vehicles
Liquid hydrogen can be used in hydrogen combustion engines. Since hydrogen infrastructure is not widely available, this could create problems for refueling hydrogen vehicles that have large engines that consume a lot of fuel. The hybrid engine would allow gasoline to operate the vehicle if hydrogen is not available.

Modification
Gasoline-based engines can be modified and not necessarily redesigned to be used with with hydrogen fuel.

Fuel Cells
Hydrogen and oxygen are the elements used in fuel cells to create electricity to power a vehicle. This form of fueling power is available for transport vehicles and the only byproducts that this type of fuel creates is water and heat.

History
The earliest vehicles to run on hydrogen were German autos in the late 19th century. By World War II, Germany was using thousands of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. After the oil embargo of 1973, the U.S., Europe and Japan started to develop hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles were first tested in 1993 and hydrogen technology is still being developed.

How to Transport a Vehicle Yourself

1.) Tow your vehicle behind a rented moving truck. Rental companies can provide dollies or trailers for car transport.

2.) Hook the trailer or dolly to the hitch on the back of the truck. Wrap the chains from the trailer around the truck frame and latch them by the hooks. Plug in the taillight connector.

3.) Lower the ramps and drive the car into position. A dolly will only hold the front tires, but a trailer will support the whole car. Secure the wheels and tighten the belts. Fold the ramps into place, and you’re ready to roll.

How to Transport a Vehicle With a Shipping Service

1.) Use road transport service for domestic moves. Car shipping services load your car on carrier trucks. Some companies manage their own carrier fleets like direct Direct Express Auto Transport. Trust and Transport Company will quote rates from several different shippers to help you find service in the area of your move and the best rate. Web addresses for these companies are listed in the resources section below.

2.) Ship your vehicle by train. Rail transport can be arranged through MoveMyCar.com. A car can be sent to a number of rail stations throughout the US. Amtrak runs an auto train for passengers and their cars, but it only makes direct runs between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida. Website addresses are provided in the resources section.

3.) Use international shipping services to send a vehicle overseas. ShipMyVehicle.com arranges domestic and international car transport. Services include listing the necessary documents for import location, a choice in overseas freight liners and carrier transport to shipping dock. The web address is listed in the resources section.

Basic EMT
A basic emergency medical technician (or an EMT) is a licensed health professional who works as a first responder at scenes of trauma, accidents and sudden illness. A basic emergency medical technician will ride in an ambulance and perform lifesaving techniques in an effort to stabilize a patient en route to the hospital.

Intermediate EMT
An Intermediate EMT has additional training and more responsibilities than a basic EMT, with specific abilities that vary from state to state.

Paramedics
Paramedics work along basic emergency medical technicians and have additional education, usually in the form of a bachelor’s or graduate degree. Paramedics are licensed to administer medication, perform certain emergency surgeries and procedures, and operate advanced equipment. They may work on Medevac helicopters as well as ambulances.

Ambulance Driver
Ambulance drivers may not be licensed to perform any medical treatments, but instead have received training in the safe operation of ambulances. Some drivers work for non-emergency ambulance servers that transport patients for routine doctor’s visits or medical testing.

Medevac Nurses and Pilots
Medevac nurses and pilots work on medical helicopters that are used to transport patients by air. Pilots must have specialized commercial licenses, while Medevac nurses typically have specialized certification in emergency and trauma care.

1.) Measure the length, width and height of the object in inches with a measuring tape.

2.) Multiply the length times the width times the height to calculate the volume of the package. For example, if the package measures 20 inches by 26 inches by 30 inches, multiply 20 by 26 by 30 to find the volume equals 15,600 cubic inches. If you need the volume in cubic feet, divide the number of cubic inches by 1,728. For example, divide 15,600 by 1,728 to get approximately 9.03 cubic feet.

3.) Weigh the freight in pounds on a scale.

4.) Divide the weight of the package by the volume of the package to find the freight density. Completing the example, if the package weights 120 pounds, divide 120 by 9.03 to get a freight density of 13.29 lbs. per cubic feet.

2.) Set your own parameters. Before meeting with the freight company, determine what your limits are. Find out how much your company budgeted for freight costs. This represents your starting negotiation point. Determine the maximum amount your company can afford for freight charges. This represents the ceiling parameter for your negotiation.

3.) Ask questions during your meeting with the freight company to determine its high and low parameters. These questions include asking what the company’s best price is and what it includes at that price. Ask about the difference between shipping a full truck of product versus a smaller shipment. Inquire about handling fees if the driver helps unload the truck.

4.) Wait for the provider’s offer. Ask about specific services provided by the freight company. Ask the freight company how these services impact the price.

5.) Counter with your offer. Consider the services offered by the freight company and the price offered. Create a revised offer with a lower price. Drop any services that you don’t need.

6.) Repeat the offer and counteroffer process until you reach an agreement.

7.) Request the freight company to draft a contract and send it to your attention. Sign the contract. Make a copy. Send the original back to the freight company.