Planned hiring is in line with 2011 hiring, which exceeded internal expectations by 74 percent over 2010 due to industry demand. “We’re pleased to continue this positive hiring trend at our North American operations in 2012,” says Ken Hurley, senior vice president of human resources for Penske Truck Leasing. “We look forward to adding new associates to our talented diverse team.”

Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Logistics anticipate finding qualified candidates for the following positions: vehicle maintenance supervisors, technicians, customer service, sales, drivers and logistics and supply chain positions. Penske plans to promote open positions through various online hiring and social media sites, career fairs at diesel technical/trade schools and colleges and universities, diversity career fairs and military job fairs.

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For a complete solution, customers can choose the Kenworth NavPlus system. For those that don’t want all the bells and whistles of the NavPlus, factory-installed radios are now Bluetooth capable, Kenworth said.

“While Kenworth NavPlus is the ultimate do-all, hands-free cell phone system married to true-truck navigation, iPod and MP3 integration, diagnostics, gauges and a host of other features, some drivers just want basic Bluetooth capability, and that’s what we now offer with our two high-quality radios,” said Michelle Harry, Kenworth’s special projects marketing manager.

The factory-installed AM/FM/CD radios are available with or without satellite radio capability. A small Bluetooth microphone is mounted in the A-pillar trim above the driver. Up to eight cell phones can be synchronized to the radios and contacts can be automatically loaded, the company said. A contact screen makes calling easy while parked, but drivers can also take advantage of voice command mode to make calls while on the move.

When incoming calls are received, the radio displays the name of the caller and phone number. Pushing the OK button accepts the call, while the ESC button rejects the call.

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According to TCP’s fourth quarter Business Expectations Survey, over 80% of carriers the firm polled report that recent health care changes will adversely affect them. As a result, more carriers (43%) are shifting additional costs to employees and are asking employees to pay more for family coverage (37%). Some 29% report that while they are affected by increased costs, they still haven’t developed an alternative plan.

“With two-thirds of carriers telling us that driver wages must go up above $60,000 to attract and retain drivers, it is likely that drivers will also put more emphasis on shopping for fringe benefit packages as a part of the compensation mix in the future, especially as the effects of health care change reverberate through the economy,” noted Richard Mikes, a TCP partner and survey leader.

“The cost pressure for driver health care and other employees’ health care is just another balancing act challenging carriers this year during rate negotiations and amidst uncertainty in the general overall economy,” he added.

The problem posed by the rising cost of health care is not just an issue for trucking alone. According to a study published last October by global human resources consulting firm Aon Hewitt – a division of insurance provider Aon Corp. – the average health care premium rate increase for 2012 is expected to be around 7%, which is slightly lower than the 7.5% mark in 2011 but on par with the 6.9% increase experienced by businesses in 2010.

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The online forum, womenintruckingblog.com, was created with the support of national trucking and logistics company Con-Way Inc. It’s open to anyone, regardless of gender, position or driving experience.

WIT hopes that the blog will serve to continue the organization’s mission of encouraging women to pursue trucking careers and supporting them as they grow and develop in the industry.

“Drivers are some of the most technologically advanced people I know and many of them interact via social media each day,” said Ellen Voie, WIT’s President/CEO. “By offering this forum we can give our members the opportunity to connect with others who share their involvement in trucking and to learn more about our organization in the process.”

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Compared to December 2010, trucking employment is up by 40,100 jobs, or 3.2 percent. Payroll employment is up by 68,800 jobs, or 5.6 percent, since the bottom of trucking employment in March 2010. The number of trucking jobs — just under 1.3 million — remains 157,200 jobs, or 10.8 percent, below peak employment in January 2007.

The BLS numbers for trucking reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet. Nor do the numbers reflect the total amount of hiring since they only include new jobs, not replacements for existing positions.

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“We took the initiative to collaborate with our business partners to develop the rollover warning device because we want to do all we can to reduce the risk of road tanker rollover,” said Jack Eggels, general manager for global land logistics. “We did not do this just for ourselves, but also to help customers and other transport operators across the globe make roads safer. Safety is a top priority for Shell and we recognize it has a direct impact on our customer service. We want our drivers to deliver products safely and return home to their loved ones.”

According to Riccardo Magliocchi, HSSE (health, safety, security and environment) advisor, excessive speed while cornering can affect the stability of a trailer.

“Sudden or severe changes in direction or speed can create inertia in the load being carried which, in certain situations such as on roundabouts, is sufficient to tip the trailer over,” said Magliocchi.

He says drivers of tankers are usually unaware of an impending rollover.

“By the time they see or feel something wrong, it’s usually too late,” Magliocchi added.

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Compared to November 2010, trucking employment is up by 33,800 jobs, or 2.7 percent. Payroll employment is up by 62,600 jobs, or 5.1 percent, since the bottom of trucking employment in March 2010. The number of trucking jobs — nearly 1.29 million — remains 163,400 jobs below peak employment in January 2007.

The BLS numbers for trucking reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet. Nor do the numbers reflect the total amount of hiring since they only include new jobs, not replacements for existing positions.

The entire U.S. economy added 120,000 jobs in November, according to preliminary BLS estimates. In addition, BLS revised its initial estimates to show that the economy added 72,000 more jobs in October than initally reported. The unemployment rate dropped 4 points to 8.6 percent — its lowest level in about two-and-one-half years.

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SOMERVILLE, Mass. — A simple test that measures attention, alertness and reaction time could one day be administered to drivers when they renew their licence to determine if they are likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a Harvard study has suggested.

A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, explored the usefulness of a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) as a way to screen drivers for sleep apnea.

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ATRI Study Finds Many Drivers Worried CSA Will Affect Job Security

More than 77% of drivers incorrectly believe that a trucking company inherits past CSA violations from new hires, according to a recently released report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).

Job security concerns still exist, with nearly two-thirds of drivers somewhat or extremely concerned that they will lose their jobs as a result of CSA.

“ATRI’s study clearly points out that motor carriers, state trucking associations and FMCSA collectively need to do more to educate drivers about CSA and what it does and doesn’t mean for their jobs,” Ed Crowell, Georgia Motor Trucking Assn. president & CEO noted.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Forty percent of fleets are currently affected by a shortage of drivers and another 25% indicate they believe the shortage of good drivers will impact their ability to grow in the future, according to a report from CK Commercial Vehicle Research for its Q3 2011 Fleet Sentiment Report.

Of those reporting an immediate concern, three-quarters need drivers to fill current vacant seats, 63% say it is limiting their ability to add capacity and 42% are changing the way they deploy their fleet such as targeting more regional and local freight opportunities instead of long haul loads.

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