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8 • January 15-31, 2021 Nation
THETRUCKER.COM
Flexibility is key for drivers looking
to start a daily exercise routine
Bob Perry
The Trucker
Trainer
What is the best time of day for a workout?
That’s a good question asked by many professional
truck drivers.
Personally, I’ve always preferred morning
workouts, but as I’ve gotten older, I find that
exercising later in the day actually provides the
best outcome.
Some experts recommend working out during
the morning hours, while others say your
body temperature is at its highest between
2 p.m. and 6 p.m., making the afternoon the best
time to maximize your workouts.
Experience has taught me that the best time
to exercise really depends on the individual. Often,
your body rhythm has a lot to do with optimizing
your workouts when it comes to choosing
the best time of day for your workout. However,
we all know that as a professional driver
it usually comes down to fitting a workout into
your day whenever you can find the time.
Flexibility is key for drivers when scheduling
workouts because most drivers’ schedules
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change daily — not to mention weather delays.
So, whenever you have 15 minutes do something
instead of nothing, it could be the only
chance you have that day to exercise.
A morning workout might jump-start your
day, help kick in your metabolism and allow
you to get your workout in before other issues
come into play that could disrupt your plans to
work out. Many people find it hard to fall asleep
after a workout, so late afternoon or evening
might not be the best option.
It’s easy to find excuses for missing workouts.
You’ve heard me say before if you do miss
a workout, try not to miss more than two days
— after that, skipping the workout starts to become
a habit. You might struggle with feeling
bored doing the same series of movements in
your workout. Not only will you start to feel
bored, but your body will also hit a plateau.
To combat this, be sure to change up or adjust
your exercise routine every 30 days. Here
are some suggestions for “shaking things up”:
• Change up the sets and repetitions.
• Modify the length of the workout.
• Pick up the pace of your routines.
• Add in super sets.
• Combine cardio with weights and interval
walking.
By periodically making just one of these
See Trainer on p10 m
Courtesy: South Dakota Department of Transportation
The South Dakota Department of Transportation plans to equip 25 of the state’s snowplows
with flashing blue lights in an effort to increase safety for motorists and snowplow operators.
South Dakota DOT adds blue
lights to 25 snowplows across state
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Department
of Transportation (SDDOT) is launching
a pilot program designed to improve safety for
motorists and snowplow operators, the agency
announced Dec. 22. The pilot program will equip
25 trucks, spread across the state, with flashing
blue lights.
“Snowplow drivers provide an essential service
to our communities,” said Joel Jundt, the
state’s interim transportation secretary. “The blue
lights will add more visibility to our snowplow
fleet to ensure they can continue to clear roads
and keep drivers safe.”
According to a statement released by
SDDOT, studies show that drivers have become
desensitized to flashing amber lights. Blue lights
have greater visibility in certain situations, and
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
GREENBELT, Md. — During the Commercial
Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA)
2020 International Roadcheck, more than
50,000 inspections were conducted throughout
the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The combined
vehicle out-of-service rate for Level I,
II and V inspections was 20.9%, or 12,524
vehicles.
This year’s International Roadcheck took
place Sept. 9-11; the event was rescheduled
from May 5-7 because of the COVID-19
pandemic. Law-enforcement personnel in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico conducted
inspections following their departments’
health and safety protocols to protect both
the inspectors and the drivers with whom
they came into contact.
International Roadcheck is an annual
72-hour inspection and enforcement event
that identifies and removes unsafe commercial
motor vehicles and drivers from
roadways. It highlights the daily work of
because blue lights have a higher frequency and
shorter wavelength of light, they appear to be
moving closer rather than farther away, allowing
drivers to react more quickly.
The most common crash statistic for
snowplows is being hit from behind. When a
snowplow’s blades are down, the machinery
travels at 25 mph or less. Motorists are asked
to slow down and stay eight car lengths behind
the plow — and to never pass one in a
snow cloud.
“Keeping drivers, workers and emergency
personnel safe is the department’s number
one priority,” Jundt said. “We appreciate Gov.
Kristi Noem and the state’s legislature for
working with us and adding new safety provisions
to strengthen the current law and keep us
on the road.” 8
More than 12,000 vehicles placed out of service
during CVSA’s 2020 International Roadcheck
the more than 13,000 commercial motor vehicle
inspectors throughout North America and
acknowledges the safety compliance of motor
carriers and professional drivers through the issuance
of the CVSA decal on eligible vehicles.
During 2020 International Roadcheck,
CVSA-certified inspectors primarily conducted
the 37-step North American Standard
Level I Inspection; however, the Level
II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection,
Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative
Inspection and Level V Vehicle-Only
Inspection were also acceptable. This year,
26,451 Level I Inspections, 11,224 Level II
Inspections, 11,364 Level III Inspections and
1,112 Level V Inspections were conducted.
In total, 50,151 inspections were conducted
throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S.
When such inspections are conducted,
if the inspector identifies critical vehicle
inspection item out-of-service violations,
using the North American Standard
See CVSA on p9 m
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