The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that there were changes in the drug testing program effective January 1, 2018. Opioids are a class of drugs that are useful as pain relievers and are generally safe when taken for a short time as prescribed by a doctor. However, due to the euphoric effects of the drug, it can become an addiction very quickly. The new DOT testing program now requires that testing for four semi-synthetic opioids.

• Hydrocodone
• Oxycodone
• Hydromorphone
• Oxymorphone

President Trump recently declared a national opioid crisis. These highly addictive drugs cause a euphoric state and are dangerous. The DOT’s new drug testing rule is part of an effort to reduce the nation’s dependence on these prescription painkillers. In 2016, more than two million Americans had an addiction to prescription or illicit opioids.

“The best way to prevent drug addiction and overdose is to prevent people from abusing drugs in the first place. If they don’t start, they won’t have a problem.” –
President Trump

If you are on prescribed medication, it is important to let your employer know. There may be further notifications that you need to make for approval to work. You should also discuss your

prescription medication use with your prescribing physician to talk about any safety issues that may arise with regard to your truck driving work. Let your doctor know what functions you provide for your work to ensure the prescription you receive is safe for you and will not impact the effectiveness and safety of your job.

Bulldog Truck Sales wants to see you safely in the truck and job of your dreams! Contact us to get you behind the wheel.

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

Trucking has so much to do with GO, GO, GO! Go the distance, clock is running and miles are covered. All of this “going” happens while you’re sitting. Your body is doing more sitting than going. The contrast between the movements of your truck and lack of movements in your body is vast.

While you’re working your job, your body may be suffering from muscle pain, back pain, weight gain or fatigue. The best way to combat the lack of movement is by turning your pit stop into a pit go! Here are a few ways to get moving during your pit stop.

Pump Iron While You Pump Gas

While your gas is pumping, pump your muscles as well! Don’t hop out of your truck empty-handed when you go to pump your gas. Grab a 10-pound weight or two as you hop out of your truck. Do some reps while waiting for your tank to fill. Fill your muscles with strength while filling your tank. Here are a few strength-building exercises to do with your weight or weights.

Catch Some Air (possibly while you check the air in your tires)

You’ve spent so much of your day with your foot to the petal, why not practice giving your feet a little airtime at your next pit stop? Jump rope, long jump or improve how high you can jump using this method.

Stretch It Out

Your psoas muscles are the main connectors between your legs and torso and can cause truckers a great deal of back and hip flexor pain. It’s a hard muscle to stretch, but vital for pain-free driving. Here are a few stretches to keep your psoas loose.

Bulldog Truck Sales cares about keeping you on the road. Call us today to help you get and stay in your truck for years to come!

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

There’s no better way to avoid highway hypnosis than to keep up with your favorite Olympic athletes and sports this month. Highway Hypnosis, also known as White Line Fever, happens when a driver spaces out or loses focus while driving. The moments can last briefly, but can also last over the course of many miles without even realizing it and jeopardizing safety.

Highway hypnosis does not discriminate. It can happen to new drivers and seasoned drivers as well. With this in mind, every driver needs to take steps to avoid the harmful potential effects.

One way to avoid highway hypnosis is to keep your mind engaged. During the month of February, there’s no better way to stay engaged than to keep up with what’s happening in Pyeongchang, South Korea. You can follow the Olympics here for a list of all the events, athletes and schedule. Which sport will you be following closely this year? The bobsledding is always exciting.

Opening your window to get fresh air like an Olympic bobsledder will help you feel fresh and keep a clear mind. Fresh air gives you a feeling of invigoration and awakes your mind to avoid highway hypnosis.

Your smartphone can help you keep up with updates at your stops. You can also engage with other drivers or family members who are keeping up with Olympic results as well.

The Winter Olympics are the perfect way to avoid Highway Hypnosis this winter. Nobody ever said truck driving needed to be boring. Come see us at Bulldog Truck Sales today.

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

Happy New Year from our entire team at Bulldog Truck Sales. We’re honored to serve you and all our clients with the best product at the highest level of customer service. We are dedicated to getting you in the right truck for your specifics needs and wants.

Getting you in a truck can have hurdles. Bad credit is one hurdle that often holds potential buyers back from getting the truck they want.

As 2018 begins, there are habits and changes you can make to maintain good credit and avoid bad credit.

1. Time management – Pay your bills on time. Set reminders on your calendar or phone to pay your bills on their due date. Paying your bills on time is the first and best way to maintain good credit.
2. Watch your limits – Know your credit card limit. Watch that limit and make sure you don’t get too close to it. As a general rule, try to use 30% or less of the credit available to you.
3. Make full payments – Don’t get into the habit of paying the minimum amount due month after month. This has a terrible result and can such you into a cycle of increasing your debt. Only purchase things that you can pay for at the end of the month.
4. Limit your credit applications – Your credit score goes up if you apply for several different types of credit in a short amount of time. This is a red flag that you are too deep into debt.

The good news for you is that Bulldog Truck Sales specializes in providing trucks and financing to owner operators and small fleets. We are less concerned about your credit history and more focused on your driving history. Even if you have bad credit, come and see us. Apply now and we may get you same day approval!

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

You’re walking around the lot of trucks, and your eye is constantly drawn to the red one. Why is that? Have you added the new red truck to your holiday wish list yet? Is Santa aware that the color of the truck is important to you?

There’s a potential reason you could want a specific colored truck. One reason might be due to the fact that you have memories linked to a specific colored truck. Perhaps your grandfather drove a metallic blue truck back in the day, and you’d like to carry on that tradition.

Another possible reason for your choice in truck color could have to do with your personality type. Colors, generally speaking, mean something.

1. Black Truck – you are more sensitive and creative. You are probably a more private person.
2. Yellow Truck – you may enjoy academia. You love learning and teaching others what you know. People are drawn to your joy and happiness.
3. Red Truck – you are most likely a determined and tenacious person. You live each day to its fullest and give your all to every endeavor.
4. White Truck – you’ve probably taken a great deal of time to logically choose this color. You are most likely organized and thoughtful in your life. Everything has its place and every decision is made with a great deal of logic and attention.
5. Blue Truck – you are most likely harmonious and reliable and consider others.

If a new or leased truck is on you holiday wish list, why not browse our colorful selection of trucks at Bulldog Truck Sales today! Happy Holidays from our entire team at Bulldog Truck Sales.

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

November is a time to stop and reflect on all that we’re thankful for. At Bulldog Truck Sales, we’re thankful that we get to work with a staff dedicated to helping men and women drive safely and in style on the road and during their jobs. We’re also thankful for the truckers that we get to work with day in and day out. We think truckers are some of the hardest working and most dedicated people around.

There are many reasons a person may enter the field of trucking. Here are the top three reasons we think you’re probably most grateful for your job too!

• Freedom – You get to explore! The places you go in your truck are places people in other jobs can only dream of going! You get to ride on the open road and travel! Your ability to choose which jobs you’d like offer you the freedom to customize your work schedule to what works best for you and your family.
• Finances – Truck driving is a competitive career. You can earn a good living doing what you love. Starting salaries range around $40,000 a year and can increase with experience. There seems to always be a shortage of good drivers, so most companies will give great benefits to retain good drivers.
• Fun – You get to drive a vehicle with more than four wheels! If that’s not fun, then you need to realize it’s every little boy’s dream to do this. You are fulfilling your boyhood playtime with trucks to a real life ability to drive a big rig as your job!

If you’re considering a career in trucking, come and see us at Bulldog Truck Sales, we’ll get you on the road!

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

Truck drivers sit a lot. That’s part of the job. In order to meet the FMCSA requirements you must be compliant with the regulations. If you work up to 70 hours in 8 days you can’t drive again until you have a full 34 hours off duty. This 70-hour limit can be achieved by working 14-hour days, however you can’t drive for more than 11 hours per day. A 10-hour break is required at the conclusion of your “Hours of Service.”

Driving equals sitting and sitting equals physical pain for some drivers. Most people (who don’t drive for a living) would consider sitting in a truck and driving a physically easy job. However, all drivers know that this sitting can take its toll on your body. One culprit that can cause you pain while driving is your psoas muscle.

Your psoas (“so-as”) are the main connectors between your legs and torso. The location and function of the psoas make it a possible reason why your back and hips may be hurting. The psoas affects both your posture and your spine.

Behaviors such as sitting for long periods of time and sleeping in a fetal position are common causes of back and hip flexor pain related to your psoas muscle. If you’re experiencing pain related to your psoas muscle there are a few things you can do to help alleviate and avoid the discomfort.

• Lay flat when sleeping
• Keep your feet on the floor when sitting
• Keep your jaw loose
• Try sitting with your hip sockets higher than your knees
• Maintain good posture

At Bulldog Truck Sales, we want to keep you on the road! Call us today to see how our experts can help you with all of your trucking needs.

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

Have you heard of a speed limiter yet? If not, you most likely will be hearing more about these devices if you’re in the trucking industry. Another name for a speed limiter is “governor.” These devices actually limit your vehicle’s speed using the engine’s computer and electronic sensors. When the designated top speed of the vehicle is reached a sensor detects it and a computer will prevent your vehicle from exceeding that top speed. It accomplishes this by regulating the airflow, gas and sparks necessary for combustion. Trucking companies use these devices for safety, fuel efficiency, insurance liability and pollution control.

There have been proposed rules that will affect you with regards to the speed limiters. The initial rule came in 2006. The NHTSA was considering implementing a mandatory law that heavy trucks must use them. Again in 2011 it was introduced, but most likely these will not be required until some time in 2018. There is a debate about what the top speed should be for trucks weighing 26,000 pounds or more. Some top speed considerations include: 60, 65 and 68 miles per hour.

Speed limiters placed on trucks will help save lives and help with safety on the roads. Regulating and lowering truck speed will help with this. Trucks need increased time to come to a complete stop. When traveling at high speeds, a stop is more difficult for larger vehicles. Lower speeds of larger vehicles will decrease the chances of a collision. The lower speeds also aid in fuel consumption, which benefits you and trucking companies.

Call us at Bulldog Truck Sales to discuss our leasing programs or purchasing a truck that is just right for your needs. We will help you keep informed and current on future trucking regulations that will affect your trucking business.

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales

At Bulldog Truck Sales, we celebrate with you when you buy or lease one of our trucks. We know the pride that you take in your truck, and we’re happy to help you find the one that is just right for you and your needs. We know your truck can be a personal reflection of who you are as well. The different colors and styles of trucks usually reflect you, the owner.

Bulldog Truck Sales will take care of getting you safely on the road with all of our trucks being DOT ready and a one-year warranty that is included in the price of your truck. This gives you a peace of mind when you purchase or lease your truck with us.

After you decide which truck is right for you, it’s time to make it just right for you. The art of personalizing your truck takes time. Here are a few ways you can make your truck a great reflection of YOU!

• If your truck does not have a navigation, audio, or Bluetooth system, you may consider getting one of those installed if you own your truck.
• If you lease your truck you’ll need to consider personalizing with items that are not permanent such as fuzzy dice. If you have a sleeper, you can make your bed area your place to retreat at night after a long day on the road. Choose bedding that makes you feel comfortable and gives you a sense of home.
• Make your entry into your truck a clean one. Customize your floor mats, so your first step into your truck is a clean one!

Come in and see us at Bulldog Truck Sales to find the truck that is just right for you!

Posted on behalf of Bulldog Truck Sales