Become A Truck Stop Maven Posted by DC Cargo Mall on January 02, 2014

Things to consider at every Truck stop visit:

Sanitation levels:  It can really be worth it in the long run to drive a few extra miles to choose a truck stop that is newer and more stringent in their maintenance of enough toilet paper, regularly scrubbed wash rooms, and even a better room fume.

Why is this worth it? You may want to inquire. Well, firstly, everyone knows that germs leads to you getting run down with the latest flu, and that is never cool when you’d rather rake in the bucks and not miss work on the road. Plus, people’s grimy hands touch some of the food and they haven’t washed their hands, so take from the back of the pans at a buffet. You can do your part too and keep your hands washed after every go. Carrying around a tiny hand sanitizer will always delight you whenever the bathroom has run out of soap.

Food Menu: Let’s face it, we all have different tastes.  It’s always good to experience a place and brave their food once, so that you can judge for yourself whether you’ll be back there in the future when your stomach needs a refill.

Your best bet though, is to pack your own food and munch it on the road. That way, choosing healthier options can always be bought in bulk and money, (and weight!) is saved. For example, chocking up on a whole wheat loaf and small tub of peanut butter will last you for at least a week (the PB for a year!) as opposed to spending $5 on a tiny sandwich that will last you for less than one meal for one day. The only one losing weight then is your poor wallet. 

Side point: Convenience stores at truck stops will charge more because they simply fit their description: they are convenient. If you really want to save yourself on spending, go to a discount store nearby and lose the guilt.

Laundry Available: Not all stops have laundry machines, although most of them do. If you won’t need your laundry done at a particular time, you may want to opt for a stop that although missing the laundry aspect, will be offering other extra amenities that you may need at that time, like a barber, better entertainment, or better window washing…

Window washing quality: This window washing thing might sound quite specific or silly. But here’s the deal: You don’t want to waste your precious time on a cleaning, and get less done in more time. That’s why it’s good to take note of which places pour more washing fluid into their buckets of water, and which ones additionally have longer brushes.  You may need to get your windows washed, but the last time you spend on it, the better.

Recreational: This is your TV Room, Game Room, and Wifi options. 

The wifi will always cost you money, but some stops have on sight computers for public usage.

  If you’re a gamer, see all your options and get familiar with the stops that provide your favorites. But be sure not to choose a great gaming stop with no laundry option when you’ve been wearing the same socks for three days in a row.

Choosing between TV rooms depends on whether you like a small, cozier atmosphere, or get easily claustrophobic and would rather an airy space or are more social and want to converse with a bigger crowd.

Safety: Even if your truck is locked securely, be sure your items are too. The more they are safe-locked, the better the chance that it will the stall you for time to discover the culprit red-handed, or better yet, that he will give up at the start from how difficult you have made it to steal from you.

Keep your smallest valuables on you like your cell phone, wallet and keys of course. Keep other small items that you don't need on you, like the gold necklace you just bought your wife, your $200 running shoes, and your quality tools, inside a lock box with fingerprint or coding technology. 

When carrying boxes of expensive equipment like iPods or jewelry in your interior van, double check if you have to: ensure that all your straps, bars, rings, hooks, or whatever is keeping it together is in a true tight-hold. Trust us, you don't want responsibility or blame for someone else stealing someone else's possessions!

 

Last but not least, park yourself next to a curb, whenever possible. That way you have at least one side of you protected against another driver snagging you on his way out.

(Write down your list of favorites and perks for later reference! Everyone's list will be different, so write it based on your own experiences.)

Happy stopping!

Generational Prejudices: Benji's Response Posted by DC Cargo Mall on October 14, 2013

My name is Benji.

I read your last blog article, about breaking generational prejudices in the trucking world and it struck a cord with me.

I grew up in Boise, Idaho on a farm until the age of 16. But by then, I had already learnt to maneuver the tractor and horses and lawn trimming tools and everything else, and familiarity was a huge part of my cozy bubbled in lifestyle. Except that although I don’t remember why, whatever children did know me, were not exactly friends with me. They said it was because I looked scary and big but all I wanted was to have a friend and I couldn't help the way I’d been built.

The bullying only worsened after we’d moved to LA. We called a small 2 bedroom on the 8^th floor of a tall building overlooking the highways home. I used to stare out the windows in wonder all summer long when my parents couldn't afford summer camp. I’ll never forget the moment I made a life changing decision.

It was a Tuesday, I was on my usual perch at the window. The light was green. Then I noticed something. There were two large interior van trucks driving side by side and after rolling down their windows and exchanging a laugh, they slapped five, ignoring the honks around them, and then proceeded on each with their respective duties and zoomed off.

That was when I decided I was going to become a Truck driver. The more I thought about it, the more realistic, and the more exciting it sounded. I did know how to run our tractor after all back in Boise. The Trucker that always came to pick up our potatoes let me have a ride around the farm once also. So I had experience, I reasoned.

Then, this moment of camaraderie between two truckers set it in stone in my mind. Truckers are friends with other truckers, so truckers have the magical key I’d always wished for: FRIENDS. My dreams weren't a phase and by the time I was 18, I was enrolled in the local CDL training course. It was much harder than I thought. Firstly, my parents were unsupportive, so I worked lugging equipment for a store and helped them load trucks to earn the money myself. I convinced myself it was an internship. When I’d finally earned enough to start school, I did. But then lessons were difficult and I failed. I didn't want to give up. So I did it all over again. Then I passed. It was the proudest moment of my life at that point.

I didn't know if I was going to have any friends to slap five down the road, or if any of the truckers would like me because I was younger but towering over them. But I wanted to be a trucker and it didn't matter because I’d gotten my wish. I showed all the older drivers that I was friendly and open to the sage advice they had to offer. I broke prejudices in my own world at least.

Eight years have passed since graduation. I’m almost thirty. I have a couple of close truck buddies and sometimes I drive to Idaho just to give a hitch to bored little farm boys, the kind I used to be. I was able to give lots of advice to a friend who’d been hauling around a tractor and he never forgot it. 

My ‘internship’ turned out to be the biggest advantage of my pre-career in my life. All that time spent pumping ratchets, affixing winches, tightening chains, bolting safety hardware and hooking up rings, not to mention all that muscle building exercise in lugging freight, brought me to the point I am today. That point? I have the safest truck in all of LA, or so I believe. I want to thank DCCargoMall.com. Because if it weren't for your specialty discounts and personal advisory phone calls where you took the time to help me out, I would not have been able to afford, or understand true safe-loading.

Oh, and my parents support me now.

Thank you. 

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Upon the Purchase of A New Truck Posted by DC Cargo Mall on July 22, 2013

When buying a new truck, a host of considerations must be thought-out and complexity is at a different level in the intellectual decision than when purchasing a regular vehicle.

One might assume that as an expert in the general vehicle industry, or even simply just as one equipped with general vehicle experience, the purchase of the truck should be a cinch. But while these backgrounds may offer you a couple steps ahead, there is a lot more to learn when it comes to making an informed decision on these enormous, commercial purposed trucks.

There are several things to deliberate before setting out on the search. Composing a list of what to consider for your truck needs is essential. Instead of dwelling on the look, concentrating on practicalities can get you where you want to go.

Ask yourself these things:

• What type of weather/environment will I be putting my truck through? If it is mostly scorching hot sun, or biting cold winds, your load may benefit from a truck with an utmost in insulation properties.

• This of course, depends on another factor, which leads you to ask yourself this: What weather type does my freight require? If it is animals, temperatures must be kept at a comfortable balance.  Say it is food, and perhaps a cooling would do it well. Be it metal, and heat would make your freight so hot that it is untouchable. All loads vary and recording the best temperature for yours can help to inspire the right decision in purchasing.

• Do you know your routes? Are they filled with bumps and swerves or mostly straight planes or dirt roads? This will help you determine how much the truck's stability will need to be considered. Trucks with built-in logistic tracks or flatbeds already affixed with winches, holes, rings, or hooks, may be a fine way to start, so that secure loading can be done immediately.

• This will also help you decide upon whether a lower level truck is in danger of road skidding due to your heavy load on an extremely hilly area, and if higher tires are the way to go. Which begs the additional question: How heavy will your load be?

• Another thing to ask yourself, a question that may not be as often considered, but must rightfully be, is how crime-ridden your route is. Trucks carry many valuables and there are those eyeing past not to be trusted. In this case, multiple and specialized locks, as well as stronger doors are advised.

If the truck that strikes your fancy can check these all off the list, then a good paint job and less rust should be checked out for approval. An older truck might also be a bigger gas-guzzler and have clocked up more miles, so while you want to save on not investing in brand new prime trucks, going a bit newer then planned can help you save later down the line when filling ‘er up, and depending on a lasting performance.

Not committing on a deal before conducting a real-life tour of your new possible truck is a definite must. Even if your seller is honest and means well, pictures, lighting, and shadows off a screen can twist reality. Keep those eyes open and your mind aware. 

With this kind of planning, we hope you meet the truck that serves you best.

                                                     Good Luck Truckers!