Life on the Road

Staying healthy is the biggest challenge for van operators

Over-the-road truck drivers take comfort in the small things: Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, Subway restaurants, and, for a good night’s sleep, Super 8 motels.
     These opinions, and many more insights into the lives of today’s van operators, can be found in Atlas’ annual King of the Road survey.
     “Who better than a national network of professional van operators to say which truck stop, motor oil, or brand of tire is best?” says Glen Dunkerson, Atlas World Group chairman and CEO. “These are the things they live with every day, and the King of the Road survey lets them share their knowledge and experience with the rest of us.”
     Survey highlights include:

Staying healthy on the road
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the biggest challenge of life on the road (56 percent said eating right and 24 percent said getting enough exercise were their greatest hurdles). However, results indicate many van operators are doing what they can to stay fit by walking/running at truck stops (37 percent) and choosing water (71 percent) and fresh fruit (36 percent) as their No. 1 drink and snack. They’re also eating healthier. Subway, which is promoted as a healthy fast-food alternative, was the most popular restaurant by far, besting runners-up KFC and Wendy’s.

Going green
As more and more Americans go green, Atlas professional van operators, too, are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprints. Nearly all respondents (94 percent) reported doing more to protect the environment, including recycling whenever possible (38 percent), drinking from reusable containers (28 percent) and using biodiesel fuel (12 percent). One-third of respondents use systems designed to reduce engine idling time.

The modern, tech-savvy van operator
The days of the CB radio are fading, replaced by cell phones, which nearly all (95 percent) respondents reported as their preferred method of communication. Over one-third of van operators have daily access to a computer, and more than half use a computer once a week or more. Blackberries and other mobile devices, a staple of the modern boardroom, are gaining popularity on the highways, too – 14 percent of van operators said they use these devices, up from 7 percent a year ago.

Other survey findings:
Most scenic highway: I-70
Most boring highway: I-10
State with the best rest stops: Florida
Favorite hotel chain: Super 8
Best coffee: Dunkin’ Donuts
Favorite fast-food restaurant: Subway
Most effective antacid: Tums
Best tractor: Kenworth
Favorite motor oil: Shell Rotella
Best tires: Bridgestone
     This year’s survey includes responses from 340 professional van operators representing 43 states. For complete survey results, visit atlasworldgroup.com/survey.