While much has been written about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program there is still a great deal of information that fleet owners, fleet managers and commercial drivers need to know and understand. Fortunately, the CSA website provides some very robust information that can help you.
<p>One area of the CSA website that is particularly helpful is the <a href="http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/FAQs.aspx">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)</a> section. Here you will currently find a growing list of 152 of the program’s most asked questions.</p><p>In addition, be sure to also check out CSA’s brand new <a href="http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/resources.aspx">Resources</a> section, which provides a number of informative background resources, truck driver tool kits, presentations, program fact sheets, and other useful information to get you informed about the program and its impact on your fleet or drivers.</p><p>Further, <a href="https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/">Penske Truck Leasing</a> has its own team of safety specialists that can also help your fleet and drivers better understand different aspects of the program. We also have some free online resources available for <a href="http://blog.gopenske.com/lease/are-you-ready-for-csa/" title="Are You Ready for CSA?">download here.</a></p><p>Be sure to <a href="https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/request_info/index.html">contact your local Penske Truck Leasing representative</a> should you need assistance in better understanding the program, and how our programs and services can improve safety, and help you and your fleet better comply with various new regulations related to fleet maintenance programs and your drivers.</p><p><strong>About the CSA Program</strong></p><p><a href="http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/">Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA)</a> is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicles. The program introduces a new enforcement and compliance model that allows FMCSA and its State Partners to contact a larger number of carriers earlier in order to address safety problems before crashes occur. Launched in December 2010, the program establishes a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike.</p><p><em>By Randy Ryerson</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Need Moving Supplies? Penske Offers One-Stop Shop
May 24, 2011
Penske offers convenient access to the moving boxes, moving supplies and equipment you’ll need to pack, protect and transport your possessions during your big move.
<p>Packing is easier with the right supplies. You can <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/">order</a> them online with free shipping or pick them up at the nearest Penske <a href="https://www.gopenske.com/locations/">location</a>.</p><p>1. <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/boxes-and-supplies/">Moving Boxes and Supplies</a> – Penske’s durable boxes are specially designed to keep your items safe and secure during a move. Plus, their uniform sizes ensure an easy, organized fit into the back of your Penske truck. Penske offers a wide variety of box sizes to match your needs:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Small boxes for books, tools and canned goods</li> <li>Medium boxes for small appliances, electronics and kitchen accessories</li> <li>Large boxes for fragile items such as stereos, laptops, computer monitors and speakers</li> <li>Wardrobe boxes for maintaining clothes on hangers or transporting household plants and draperies</li> <li>Packing tape and packing tape dispenser for assembling boxes</li></ul><p>2. <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/boxes-and-supplies/">Packing materials and supplies</a> – Avoid damage to your precious cargo by properly wrapping items with any or all of these materials:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Bubble Wrap® for protecting small, fragile items</li> <li>Packing paper to keep items clean and secure</li> <li>Reusable 54 in. x 72 in. moving blankets to cover, wrap, cushion and protect furniture, appliances and fragile items from scratches and dents</li> <li>Mattress covers to keep mattresses and other large items clean from dust and dirt</li></ul><p>3. <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/boxes-and-supplies/">Packing kits</a> – Eliminate the guesswork of the amount of materials you’ll need to complete your move. Through one click, get all the boxes, tape, Bubble Wrap® and other moving supplies you need with Penske’s preconfigured packing kits.</p><p>Thanks to Penske’s hassle-free <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/">online ordering options</a>, you’ll have one less task to worry about before moving day.</p><p>Still need a moving truck? <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">Visit PenskeTruckRental.com</a>.</p><p><em>By “Move Ahead” Staff</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
While Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial “start of summer” for most people, the associates at Penske Truck Rental consider it the official start of the do-it-yourself moving season.
<p>Don Mikes, vice president of rental, has overseen 13 previous season openers. “We’re excited for the start of the busy season – the energy level rises across the company,” Mikes explained. “There is a sense of anticipation leading up to this, after getting through all the planning during the winter months. Our seasonal part-time associates are trained and ready to provide an excellent customer experience, our hours are expanded, new <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/moving-trucks/">trucks</a> are ready, and the<a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/"> accessories</a> are in place.”</p><p>Last year, customers booked rental trucks and accessories during one of the busiest weekends of the year through <a href="https://www.gopenske.com/locations/">Penske locations and agents</a> via <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">PenskeTruckRental.com</a> and through dedicated call centers in Reading, Pa.</p><p>For Penske, the busy period stretches across four months, through Labor Day weekend.</p><p>The company restocks its fleet annually with new rental trucks to ensure the maximum number of trucks are available and running during the summer.</p><p>“We have to ensure that we’re setting our fleet in the right places, where there is a demand,” Mikes continued. “It is vital to have enough trucks in the New York metropolitan area, and in the Chicago and Detroit markets. Over the last few years, the most popular destinations for those movers were to the Sun Belt states.”</p><p>Mikes noted the best deals to be had are for do-it-yourself movers departing the Sun Belt, to other points across the United States. Here’s a list of <a href="http://blog.gopenske.com/news/penske-truck-rental%e2%80%99s-top-10-moving-destinations-for-2010/" title="Penske Truck Rental’s Top 10 Moving Destinations for 2010">top moving destinations</a>.</p><p>A special new wrinkle in this moving season is Penske’s rental trucks are now also available from select Home Depot stores. To find a participating Home Depot location near you, simply use Penske’s <a href="https://www.gopenske.com/locations/">rental location finder</a> and look for the bright orange icon.</p><p>There are <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/">discounts available</a> for members of both AAA and CAA, and for members of the U.S. military, and college students. Penske works with industry leaders to offer <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/">do-it-yourself movers with great discounts</a>. Visit <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">PenskeTruckRental.com</a> today or call 1-888-236-3560 to make your reservation.</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p> </div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Vote for Penske Logistics as a Top 3PL
May 22, 2011
Be sure to cast your vote for Penske Logistics as a Top 3PL inInbound Logistics magazine's annual voting. To vote click here and fill in the form. Thanks for your support and consideration.
Moving on a Budget? Penske Truck Rental Can Help
May 19, 2011
These days everyone is looking to save money. If your budget is tight and you have a do-it-yourself move coming up, Penske Truck Rental and our partners can really help stretch your dollar. Here’s how:
<ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Save Big with <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/home-depot/">The Home Depot</a>. Penske Truck Rental has teamed up with <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/home-depot/">The Home Depot</a> to provide our yellow rental moving trucks at select locations.</li> <li>Penske Truck Rental provides a host of discount programs <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/aaa/">including AAA members</a>, active military families, college students, and senior citizens.</li> <li>Penske Truck Rental’s <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/">moving partners have all you</a> need to keep you within your moving and truck rental budget. Need storage? No problem. A discounted hotel while moving across country -- we have it. Rental car? Check. Need help packing and unloading your truck? Can do.</li></ul><p><strong>Savings Tips</strong></p><p>Penske provides <strong>free unlimited mileage</strong> on one-way moving truck rentals anywhere in the United States. Other companies charge for miles over a certain amount. We don't.</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Reserve your truck online at <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">http://www.pensketruckrental.com/</a> and you save 10% automatically.</li> <li>Move mid-week to save time and money. Weekends, and end of month, tend to have the most demand for rental trucks.</li></ul><p>If you’re ready to book your next move, please visit <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">PenskeTruckRental.com</a> today.</p><p><em>By “Move Ahead” Staff</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
USDA Seeks Your Help to Stop Gypsy Moths
May 18, 2011
Did you know May is National Moving Month? If you are one of the estimated 40 million people, who move in a given year or if you work for a moving company that rentscommercial Penske trucks or leases their trucks from us to move others – there is one critical thing to do before you move – check for the gypsy moth! It’s pretty easy, too.
<p>The federal government is urging those planning to relocate to help stop the spread of this invasive culprit that threatens our nation's landscape. The European gypsy moth has dramatically changed the landscape in 19 states and Washington, D.C. since it was introduced in the late 1860s.</p><p>Without the public's help, the gypsy moth threatens many more states. Since 1970, 75 million acres in the United States have been defoliated by the gypsy moth. An infestation of gypsy moth can defoliate up to 13 million acres of trees in one season if left untreated.</p><p>"To those planning a move, don't give this invasive pest a free ride to a non-infested area," says Scott Pfister, director of forest pests for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "The results could spell disaster for the trees and shrubs of your new community."</p><p>A few simple tips from the experts at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Inspect outdoor household goods — lawn furniture, grills, outdoor toys, camping equipment, etc. for gypsy moth egg masses. Female moths lay their eggs and the caterpillars spread during the spring and summer months.</li> <li>The removal of the egg masses from their locations can be performed easily with a putty knife, stiff brush or similar hand tool. Simply dispose of the egg masses in a container of hot, soapy water, or place them in a plastic bag, seal it and set it in the sun.</li> <li>Visit <a href="http://www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com/">http://www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com/</a> for more tips and information.</li></ul><p>Moving companies that use either <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/commercial-truck-rental/">Penske’s commercial rental trucks</a> or <a href="https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/vehicles//">lease trucks</a> to move others should know the USDA requires anyone moving from an area infested with the gypsy moth to a non-infested area to provide an official certificate of inspection of all common outdoor household articles that could carry the gypsy moth. To meet this requirement, one can perform a self-inspection of household goods or hire a state-certified pesticide applicator. The official USDA checklist and additional information can be found at <a href="http://www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com/">http://www.yourmovegypsymothfree.com/</a>.</p><p><em>This information was supplied to <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">Penske </a> by The <a href="http://www.aphis.usda.gov/">USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service</a>. </em></p><p><em>By Move Ahead Staff</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Penske and The Home Depot Make DIY Moving Easier
May 13, 2011
As do-it-yourselfers know, it’s the busy time of year for moving and sprucing up. To save you time and money, Penske Truck Rental and The Home Depot areteaming up to help you move out hassles and move in convenience.
<p>Now you can rent Penske trucks directly from select Home Depot stores. To find a participating Home Depot location near you, simply use Penske’s <a href="https://www.gopenske.com/locations/">rental location finder</a> and look for the bright orange icon.</p><p>And, we’re adding more Home Depot locations to <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">Penske Truck Rental’s</a> network across the country all the time.</p><p><strong>The Home Depot Has Everything You’ll Need.</strong></p><p>At The Home Depot, everything you need for <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/moving">moving</a> and more is under one roof. The Home Depot has you covered from beginning to end.</p><p>If it’s pre-move, they provide knowledgeable DIY advice, tools, building materials, and cleaning products to spruce up your home for sale. If it’s post-move, they’ve got everything from new appliances to area rugs, enabling you to put the finishing touches on your new place. Paint it. Clean it. Box it up. It’s all right there.</p><p>Be sure to visit <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/moving">http://www.homedepot.com/moving</a> for more information. More Saving. More Doing. That’s the power of The Home Depot.</p><p><em>By Randy Ryerson</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Penske Truck Leasing held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier today to commemorate the opening of a new location in the Buffalo, N.Y. suburb of Cheektowaga.
<p>Pictured in the photo are Penske executives, from left: district manager Dwight Kruep; Dan O’Boyle, senior vice president for North Central region; and Great Lakes area vice president Jeff Schoen. </p><p>The $7 million state-of-the-art facility is a 14,000 square-foot building housed on eight acres and offers <a href="https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/">full-service truck leasing</a>, <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">consumer</a> and <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/commercial-truck-rental/">commercial</a> truck rental and <a href="https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/">contract maintenance</a> services. It contains four service bays, a two-lane fuel island and an automated wash bay.</p><p><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76a220514855de1d41ee95fdf51e2e3d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="66166" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEyNjg3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjUxNDIyM30.25C7cJDUCL9Tfsmha3xPnM-npD09_ViBOhBqQ7wIZPs/img.jpg?width=980"/>The rental office can be reached at 716-681-4106. For all other inquiries, please call 716-824-2244.</p><p>The facility was profiled in the <a href="http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article418405.ece">Buffalo News</a>, and by various local television stations, including <a href="http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/erie/Penske-moves-operations-to-Cheektowaga">WIVB</a>. <a href="https://www.gopenske.com/newsroom/2011_5_11_cheektowaga.html">Click here</a> to view the complete news release.</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
CVSA Roadcheck Coming in June
May 09, 2011
Roadcheck 2011, theCommercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 72-hour safety blitz, is scheduled for June 7 - 9, 2011. CVSA sponsors Roadcheck with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).
<p>Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world, with approximately 14 trucks or buses being inspected, on average, every minute from Canada to Mexico during a 72-hour period.</p><p>Each year, approximately 10,000 CVSA-certified local, state, provincial and federal inspectors at 1,500 locations across North America perform the truck and bus inspections.</p><p>During the 2010 Roadcheck event, CMV enforcement conducted more than 65,000 inspections across the U.S. Vehicle compliance rates were about 80 percent and drivers had a 95.6 percent pass rate. Driver compliance rates in 2009 set a record at 95.7 percent.</p><p>The primary reasons cited by inspectors for placing vehicles and drivers out of service continue to be brakes and logbooks, respectively.</p><p>CVSA is made up of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor-carrier safety officials and industry representatives in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.</p><p>Since its inception in 1988, the roadside inspections conducted during Roadcheck have numbered more than one million.</p><p>Penske Truck Leasing supports the CVSA in its efforts to increase fleet safety. For more information about Roadcheck 2011 visit <a href="http://www.cvsa.org/home.aspx">cvsa.org.</a></p><p><em>By Kathleen Walter</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Updated on June 1st -- CSCMP announced that U.S. deputy secretary of transportation John Porcari has been added to the panel.
<p>An industry-leading report in the U.S. logistics sector will once again be released in June.</p><p>The 22<sup>nd</sup> Annual State of Logistics Report®, introduced by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (<a href="http://www.cscmp.org/">CSCMP</a>) and presented by <a href="https://www.penskelogistics.com/">Penske Logistics</a>, will be unveiled on June 15, 2011 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.</p><p>The report is authored by <a href="http://www.delcan.com/">Delcan Corporation</a> transportation analyst Rosalyn Wilson.</p><p>“We still have not reached the surface,” Wilson explained. “While significantly better than last year, the U.S. logistics system did not fully recover in 2010. Carriers still had abundant capacity, downward rate pressures were still strong, and freight shipment volume did not grow as much as we hoped it would.”</p><p>Here are the 2011 State of Logistics Report panelists:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Joe Gallick</strong>, senior vice president of sales, Penske Logistics</li> <li><strong>Adrian Gonzalez (panel moderator),</strong> president of Adelante SCM Corporation</li> <li><strong>John Lanigan</strong>, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, BNSF Railway</li> <li><strong>Jeffrey Pilof</strong>, group vice president, Macy’s logistics and operations</li> <li><strong>John Porcari</strong>, deputy secretary of transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation</li> <li><strong>John White</strong>, president of Fortna, Inc.</li></ul><p>To read more about each of the panelists, please <a href="http://cscmp.org/memberonly/sol-panel.asp">click here</a>. This is the second year that Penske has sponsored this report.</p><p>“In today’s business environment, it’s critical to get the statistics and industry insight you need to help your organization prepare for the future,” stated Rick Blasgen, CSCMP president and CEO. “This report provides you with the information you need to forecast upcoming trends and implement strategies to offset global challenges, such as escalating oil prices and political instability.”</p><p><a href="https://www.penskelogistics.com/newsroom/2010_6_9_logistics_report.html">Last year’s report</a> uncovered several key facts, noting that business logistics costs fell to 7.7 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); it was 9.3 percent the prior year.</p><p>The State of Logistics Report® has tracked and measured all costs associated with moving goods through the U.S. supply chain since 1988. Please <a href="https://cscmp.org/wp/Products/ShowItem.asp?prd_ID=10539">click here</a> to purchase the 2010 report.</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p><p><em> </em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
The checklist for that do-it-yourself move onlyappears to be a mile along. Now that you’re in the home stretch and moving day is here, Penske Truck Rental offers a few healthy moving tips for you, and the family and friends gracious enough to get boxes and furniture into the yellow Penske truck.
<p>“When it’s time for you to move, make sure your body is ready,” explained Jason Kelly, a <a href="http://sunshinewellnessresources.com/">personal trainer</a> in West Reading, Pa. “Start with the lighter stuff to get your body warmed up. Make sure to keep your back straight, and use your legs to lift, since the legs are the strongest muscles we have.</p><p>“Make sure you get plenty of water when the weather is hot, and make sure you eat before you move as well,” Kelly noted.</p><p>Jill Zelinsky, RD, LDN, the assistant director of nutrition services at <a href="http://www.readinghospital.org/">The Reading Hospital and Medical Center</a> in Pennsylvania, has smart eating tips for the moving party.</p><p>“Plan to eat every three or four hours,” she said. “Our bodies start to run out of energy, and we need to have a plan to refuel.” Zelinsky also has several great ideas:</p><ul class="ee-ul"> <li>Pack a cooler with healthy drinks, containing water, flavored water and sports nutrition drinks</li> <li>If it is a local move, it’s a good idea to have food and drink available at both your new and old home</li> <li>Pre-make healthy portable meals, such as peanut butter and jelly and turkey sandwiches, on whole grain bread</li> <li>Visit the grocery store and grab a pre-cooked roasted chicken, load up at the salad bar, and pick up fresh items (apples, bananas, oranges and grapes)</li> <li>Zelinsky had the idea to utilize a crock pot to make items such as boneless and skinless chicken, steamed vegetables and turkey chili, with whole wheat rolls</li> <li>Protein and cereal bars are good for those unable to sit for 15 minutes; salty snacks such as baked potato chips and salsa (low in fat and calories, and high in nutrients) are also healthy</li> <li>For those <a href="http://blog.gopenske.com/rental/tips-for-moving-with-kids/" title="Tips for Moving with Kids">moving with kids</a>, the licensed nutritionist advised parents to pack a kid’s lunch, as if the child were attending school or a field trip, and include the normal healthy staples: turkey and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, raw veggies and yogurt</li></ul><p>Now that you have some healthy moving tips, good luck with your move!</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less
Penske Truck Rental will have a presence at the workforce mobility industry’s premier event. TheNational Relocation Conference will be held from May 18-20 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
<p>As an exhibitor, <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/">Penske</a> will be located in booth 603. Representatives will advise <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/renting-from-penske/">do-it-yourself movers</a> about one of the industry’s newest fleets, and its clean, well-maintained and reliable trucks, 24/7 roadside assistance as well as <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/supplies-and-services/">moving equipment, packing supplies and accessories</a>.</p><p>Renting from Penske has its <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/">advantages</a>, namely 20 percent discounts for AAA and CAA members, and 10 percent discounts for those with U.S. military ID, and for college students. Penske recommends that all rentals come with <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/renting-from-penske/coverage/">rental and cargo insurance</a>, to protect against the unexpected.</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin </em></p></div>
[Read more...]
Show less