Blog

Truck drivers face numerous challenges on the road. The unforgiving schedules, the physical demands of the job, and the rigors of the road, place enormous pressure on the drivers as they work to deliver product timely and often....

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The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced the dates for the annual Operation Safe Driver Week. This year, from July 9th-15th, law enforcement officers throughout North America will be looking out for commercial motor vehicle drivers that are engaging in unsafe driving behavior....

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The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck will be conducted from May 16-18th with an emphasis on Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) and Cargo Securement. The International Roadcheck is the largest annual commercial vehicle safety event in North America. During this year's International Roadcheck, more than 18,000 vehicles will be inspected at 1,000 locations across the country. The event also helps ensure that drivers are getting the training they need by checking their licenses, permits, registrations and compliance with hours-of-service regulations....

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This year’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week is quickly approaching. From August 21st to 27th, inspectors will conduct North American Standard Level I and V Inspections on commercial motor vehicles throughout North America. The focus of this year’s Brake Safety Week is on brake hose/tubing chafing violations. In order to prepare, here’s what you need to know....

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With an average of 300 billion miles logged every year, Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers must pass stringent skills and knowledge testing by the State governments responsible for issuing Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs). Once a CDL is obtained, a driver must continue to maintain it. A serious traffic violation can affect a CDL holder’s ability to maintain their CDL certification, in addition to disruption of business operations. Nonetheless, Commercial Driving remains a lucrative and in-demand occupation....

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April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month. Distracted driving is anything that takes the driver’s attention away from focusing on driving. Are your practices helping to keep your fleet and others on the roads safe? Distracted driving impacts thousands of Americans each year. Every driver has the responsibility to avoid distractions while operating a vehicle....

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The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 17-19th. With the date quickly approaching are your drivers prepared? The CVSA International Roadcheck is one of the world’s largest target enforced programs for commercial motor vehicles. On average, nearly 15 trucks or buses are inspected every minute during this event. This year’s CVSA International Roadcheck will have an emphasis on wheel ends, which include wheels, tires, rims and hubs....

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Summer is here and construction is in full swing, from road construction to new building construction and everything in between. It is important to pay attention and stay safe while traveling through work zones for both you and the crew working these jobs. Protect workers in constructions zones by giving workers extra room, slow down, and be prepared to stop. Avoid all distractions including but not limited to cellphones, CB radio, eating, drinking, GPS, chatting with passengers or playing with the radio. Keep your eyes on the road and be alert to work zone signage and work zone crews. According to Work Zone Safety, 115,000 total crashes happened in work zones in 2019, and 22,000 crashes in work zones were truck-involved....

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As summer is passing and fall is around the corner, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week is quickly approaching. Brake Safety Week is set for the week of August 22-28. In order to help your fleet and drivers prepare, here’s what you should know first: During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America inform motor carriers about the importance of proper brake maintenance and the risks of receiving brake system violations. The CVSA will conduct North American Standard Inspections focusing on brake systems and components with particular attention to hoses/tubing of commercial vehicles identifying vehicles with violations. If any vehicle inspected has a violation identified as an Out-of-Service brake violation, it will be removed off the road until the violation is corrected....

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Are your drivers prepared for the CVSA Operation Safe Driver Week to be held July 11th -17th, with an emphasis on speeding? In spite of the miles driven dropping 13% over the last year, it is estimated that about 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020 according to the National Safety Council. This is a 24% increase over the previous year, and the highest estimated year-over-year spike since 1924, with an estimated 4.8 million serious injuries caused by motor vehicles. The CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Program was created to reduce the number of crashes that involve commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicles due to unsafe driver behavior....

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When your trip doesn’t go as planned, PacCentral is here for you. Established in May of 1999, PACCAR Parts opened the PACCAR Customer Center, also known as PacCentral, to PacLease customers. Located in Renton, Washington, the Customer Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Offering roadside assistance for all PACCAR customers – including Kenworth, Peterbilt and PacLease. The PACCAR Customer Center has the ability to assist with jump starts, tires, trailers, towing, out of fuel (roadside), mechanical repairs, preventive maintenance services and most other services to drive uptime for our customers....

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Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck is quickly approaching. CVSA International Roadcheck will have an emphasis on lighting and hours of service. Are your fleet and drivers prepared?...

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Help stop the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for cold and flu season by regularly disinfecting your truck cab. PacLease locations disinfect truck cabs after every service to help reduce the spread of germs. Protect your interior components by following the research of the PACCAR Technical Center (PTC)....

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Brake Safety Week is coming up. To help your fleet prepare, here are a few points on brake system safety. Starting August 23rd, law enforcement agencies across North America will be conducting focused Brake System Inspections for Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week....

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Is tire management a surprise in the transportation industry? Unfortunately, some fleets have a reactive, rather than proactive, approach when it comes to their tires. Their focus is on their core business, until they find themselves on the side of the road deflated with a breakdown. With the cost of tires being around $0.035 to $0.04 per mile, tire management is a must! And the five major components of an effective Tire Management Program are tire analytics, selection of a tire vendor, tire standardization, tire maintenance, and management of the casing program....

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The CVSA has confirmed that Operation Safe Driver Week will be held July 12-18th. This year’s point of emphasis is the driver requirements category of a roadside inspection. Anytime your truck is pulled off the road for inspection violations, those are lost dollars that may have been prevented. We know how important it is to minimize downtime, and that drives us to keep your PacLease trucks in proper condition so that you pass roadside inspections with flying colors....

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There's a new “Clearinghouse” you need to know about. And, it’s not magazines or million dollar sweepstakes. This one is specific to the trucking industry, and it’s huge. It’s the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and it will support the DOT Strategic Goal of Safety when it goes live this January by ensuring drivers are qualified to operate trucks and buses. The new database, established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will contain information pertaining to violations of the DOT’s controlled substances drug and alcohol testing program for holders of CDLs....

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Summer is upon us in full force. It’s that time of the year when many people are out enjoying summer BBQ’s, weekend outings, and outdoor family fun. As the roadways significantly warm up over the summer months and become busier with summer travelers and road construction projects, it’s just as important to prepare and maintain your fleet equipment for summer driving as it is to winterize your fleet in the winter....

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As we enter into summer, it is time to prepare for the CVSA International Roadchecks being held June 4th - 6th that is if you have not already been busy preparing your fleet. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the roadside inspection program will inspect 17 commercial vehicles a minute over the 72-hour period across North America, which will equate to over 73,000 commercial vehicles. Will your truck be one of them? This international roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world and covers the United States, Canada, and Mexico....

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When the brutal temps hit, our company store in Hickory Hills sent out warnings to all of our customers about the dangers of operating equipment in this extreme cold. We knew that if they experienced any issues on the road, the tow companies would all be extremely busy trying to keep up with the volume of calls and stranded motorists. We informed them that at these temperatures, even treating your fuel with additive would not be sufficient and having a truck stall out and not re-start could be life threating for the driver....

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Whether we like it or hate it, insurance coverage is a crucial component of operating a commercial fleet of trucks. Insurance regulations exist to protect you, your business, your assets, your customers, your drivers, and anyone else involved in any potential incident. PacLease knows that having proper insurance coverage is a measure of security for your fleet and a small part of the cost of keeping your business running....

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It’s one of those things that you think to yourself “it’ll never happen to us,” and when it does, it causes all sorts of headaches. Properly securing your trailer’s load, whether it’s a dry van, reefer or flatbed, is a bigger issue than most people think....

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The longest days of the year are here. And so are the toughest driving conditions – brought to you by inclement and below freezing weather. Are your drivers and trucks ready for the elements? Here are my top tips to keep your drivers and trucks running safely....

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The focus of CVSA’s Brake Safety Week will be to conduct brake system inspections on large trucks and buses throughout North America to identify out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations. Inspectors will primarily conduct the North American Standard Level IV Inspection, a Special Inspection focusing on large bus and truck brakes....

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There was a time when you weren’t a real truck driver unless you manually shifted gears. Well, times are changing, and drivers and fleets are embracing automated transmissions more willingly than ever before....

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