In the eighth annual King of the Road Survey by Atlas Van Lines, 57 percent of drivers said eating right is the top road challenge. Thirty-two percent said coping with hours-of-service regulations is the biggest hurdle, while 30 percent said exercise.
Truckers cited more use of technology, with smartphone use increasing from 14 to 60 percent in the past three years; 65 percent of respondents used a computer daily, double the 2009 response, and 56 percent make daily visits to social networking sites such as Facebook.
Kenworth was the best truck for 30 percent of respondents, while Peterbilt and Freightliner tied for second at 27 percent, and 26 percent voted for Volvo. Among tire makers, Bridgestone received the most votes with 44 percent, followed by Michelin with 41 percent and Goodyear with 16 percent.
The motor oil most often used was Shell Rotella at 47 percent, followed by Mobil Delvac with 33 percent and Chevron Delo with 13 percent.
Thirty-seven percent of drivers indicated their favorite fast-food chain was Subway, 32 percent said Wendy’s, and 20 percent picked Taco Bell; 39 percent of the 167 respondents selected Petro as their favorite truckstop, while 36 percent chose Flying J and 32 percent said Pilot.
Respondents picked Petro’s Iron Skillet as their favorite restaurant. Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, Longhorn Steakhouse and Outback Steakhouse tied for second, and Red Lobster came in third. The company did not provide percentages of votes in this category.
