Penske Truck Leasing

Data-Driven Decisions Depend on Reliable Data

Strategic decision-making relies on data, and business leaders want to know they can trust the information they receive. Data reliability is becoming even more important as use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) increases. In the 2024 KPMG Infrastructure and Transport CEO Study by KPMG, only 40% of sector CEOs say they are confident they have their data ready to safely and effectively integrate generative AI.

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4 Must-Know Back-To-School Safety Tips for Truck Drivers

Class is back in session. As kids return to school, it’s time for truck drivers to share the road with an estimated 480,000 school buses nationwide. Expect heavier traffic and unpredictable behavior from drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Stay alert with these four must-know back-to-school safety tips:

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CVSA Safe Driver Week 2025: How To Avoid a Citation

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week 2025 is July 13-19. During these seven days, traffic officers across the United States, Canada and Mexico will step up their patrols and look for signs of unsafe driving behaviors.

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Top 5 Dangerous Driving Behaviors To Avoid

Summertime doesn’t just make the temperature soar. Other drivers on the road get short-tempered in hot weather, too, increasing the risk for dangerous and aggressive driving behaviors.

The best way to keep your cool is to avoid aggressive driving at all costs by being a defensive driver and avoid reckless, careless and otherwise dangerous driving. What does that mean?

Reckless driving is driving with willful or blatant disregard for the safety of people or property.

Careless or dangerous driving is driving without reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road or otherwise driving in an unsafe manner placing yourself and others at risk of injury.

Whenever law enforcement personnel see the signs of reckless, careless or dangerous driving, they’ll pull you over. Last year, a total of 5,756 warnings and 4,494 citations were issued during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Operation Safe Driver Week.

Don’t run the risk of a citation or accident. Avoid these top 5 dangerous driving behaviors:

1. Speeding: Always drive at or below the posted speed limit. Slow down even further during storms or while driving on rain-soaked roads.

Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2022, killing 12,151 people. (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NHTSA)

2. Distracted driving: Avoid anything that takes your eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel, even for a second! This includes talking or texting on a phone, using dispatch devices, eating, reading, adjusting the radio, or looking at passing billboards, buildings or people.

Distracted driving claimed 3,275 lives in 2023. (NHTSA)

3. Drunk or drugged driving: Never operate any vehicle, including CMV’s, while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or other banned substances. When you get caught, you will be disqualified from driving.

Drunk driving claims the lives of 1 person every 39 minutes in the United States. (NHTSA)

4. Following too closely: Maintain a following distance of one second for each 10 feet of vehicle length. Add a second if you’re driving over 40 mph.

Rear-end crashes account for 29% of all crashes. (NHTSA)

5. Not wearing a seat belt: Federal law requires CMV drivers to always wear seat belts. They remain one of the cheapest, easiest ways to protect yourself behind the wheel.

More than 12,000 people killed in 2022 crashes were not wearing seat belts. (NHTSA)

A few other risky driving behaviors to avoid: Changing lanes frequently, not using turn signals while changing lanes, disobeying traffic signs, cutting off other motorists and falling asleep while driving.

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Driver Comfort Aids in Safety and Satisfaction

The driver shortage remains a top industry concern. Comfort and convenience features on late-model equipment can help improve drivers’ experience on the road, which can boost recruitment and retention efforts.

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New Year's Resolution: Defensive Driving in 2025

New year, new SAFE habits. Make 2025 your safest year yet behind the wheel by sharpening your defensive driving skills. When you drive defensively, you can protect yourself, others, your rig and your cargo, no matter how badly other motorists behave.

Expect the unexpected, react calmly and confidently, and steer clear of accidents with these eight tips.

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Drivers: Start Living Heart-Healthy Today

With long hours spent sitting in a cab, little opportunity to exercise, few healthy food choices and large amounts of stress, driving a truck brings many challenges. Staying heart healthy may be one of the biggest ones.

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7 Wellness Tips for Truck Drivers

Professional drivers, it’s time to put your health first. While it’s not always easy to eat right, exercise and sleep well on the road, you can improve your well-being by taking a few simple steps. If you’re ready to keep fit and embrace health, put these seven top truck driver wellness tips into motion now.

1. Stretch and move

Stay flexible by performing shoulder shrugs or arm stretches at stop lights. Ease back pain by adjusting your mirrors, keeping your arms comfortable and avoiding leaning over the wheel while driving. Get out and walk around your truck whenever you can. Do equipment-free exercises like pushups, lunges and squats. Or use inexpensive, portable equipment — like a jump rope, small dumbbells or resistance bands — and incorporate some cardio and strength training into your day.

2. Find the time

Take your 30-minute breaks, 10-hour breaks and 34-hour reset. Build fitness into your pre-trip or post-trip routine. Consider a short workout while you do laundry.

3. Pack healthy meals and snacks

Resist the urge to grab fast food and truck stop fare. Prepare your meals for the week at home, pack them in reusable containers, and put them in your truck’s fridge so they’re with you on the road. Swap out empty-calorie snack foods for healthier options like apple slices, nuts, fruits or veggies. Avoid sugary sodas and stay hydrated with low-calorie or zero-calorie electrolyte drinks or water.

4. Get more mindful

Improve your focus with activities like deep breathing and meditation. Keep in touch with family and friends. Listen to your favorite podcasts or music to boost your mood.

5. Make sleep a priority

Set the right mood for sleep. Use blackout curtains, an eye mask, a comfortable mattress, or earplugs. Keep the inside of the cab cool and quiet. Avoid electronic devices and heavy meals two hours before sleep. Aim for seven hours’ sleep a night whenever possible. Working out and doing physical activities an hour before you intend to sleep will help you fall asleep faster and get a better quality of sleep.

6. Keep a wellness log

You already keep a driving log, so why not keep a wellness log, too? Write down how much you exercise and sleep. Give yourself a star each time you choose a healthier snack or meal. When you track your progress, you’re more likely to keep making better choices.

7. See a doctor

Improve your long-term health by getting your annual physical. Avoid chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes by keeping track of your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

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Safe Rules of the Road: Rural, Urban & Highway

As a professional driver, you might travel new routes every day. But the rules of the road can change depending on the landscape and road conditions around you.

Urban routes require lots of starting and stopping. Rural roads can get isolated and tricky. Highways offer their own unique challenges. And if you haven’t driven on one of these types of routes for a little while, adjusting can be tricky.

Prepare yourself by knowing the biggest risks and following these top safety tips for each type of road.

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Oh Deer: 9 Ways to Avoid Animal Strikes

Did you know November is deer mating season? That means drivers run a high risk for collisions with deer and other wildlife. Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that animal-vehicle collisions are two times more likely in November than in any other month of the year.

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Brake for the Bus: Back-To-School Safety Tips for CMV Drivers

Summer is winding down, which means school will be back in session soon. As school buses and their precious cargo – children and teenagers – return to the roads, professional drivers should proceed with extra caution. These five areas bring the biggest challenges and require your utmost attention:

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GoPenske Truck Rental Truck Leasing Logistics

If your blood pressure is:	You can:
Under 140/90 mmHg	Receive a 2-year certification
140-159/90-99 mmHg	Receive a 1-year certification
160-179/100-109 mmHg	Receive a 3-month certification; must initiate treatment
180/110 mmHg or higher	Disqualified until blood pressure is down to 140/90

safety

Improve Fuel Economy

Reduce Idling

Improve Safety

Spec the Right Vehicle

Improve Utilization

Schedule Maintenance

1. Know what to expect and plan accordingly

2. Slow down in school zones

3. Watch for bikes and walkers

4. Plan your route — and your time

Some of the Most Common ADAS Devices Include:

3 Ways to Make ADAS Tools Work for You

Use the Three Points of Contact

Wear Proper Footwear

Increased Comfort

Improved Safety

Added Convenience

Why the Focus on High Blood Pressure?

How To Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check

1. Move more often.

2. Watch what you eat.

3. Cut the nicotine.

4. Ease your mind.

5. Get enough sleep.

6. See a doctor.

1. Scan the Road Ahead

2. Give Yourself Some Space

3. Watch Your Blind Spots

4. Look for a Way Out

5. Make Your Rig Visible to Others

6. Expect Other Drivers To Be Aggressive

7. Avoid Distractions

8. Slow Down and Buckle Up

Follow this two-step process to get heart-healthy:

Mandatory Items

Other Basic Items

Items Specifically for Cold Weather Driving

Over-The-Road Breakdowns & Accidents

Medical Emergencies

1. Stretch and move

2. Find the time

3. Pack healthy meals and snacks

4. Get more mindful

5. Make sleep a priority

6. Keep a wellness log

7. See a doctor

Urban Roads

Rural Roads

Highways

1. School Zones

2. Bus Stops

3. Residential Areas

4. Intersections

5. Right in Front of You