Celebrating Spring on the Road
Trucker's Corner
At Trucker’s Corner, you can navigate to topics regarding the trucking industry, lifestyle while on the road, and truck health. International Used Trucks has the information you need to keep you on the Road to Revenue
Spring is upon us — that means green milkshakes for St. Patrick’s Day, colored eggs for Easter, and plants in bloom as far as the eye can see. But for truckers, could it mean it a bit more? International Used Truck Centers has taken inspiration from the Spring’s signature color: shamrock green. We’ve put together a guide to help you make your truck greener and more eco-friendly, as well as a few recipes you can take on the road.
Tips for Making Your Truck More “Green”
- Make Your Own Meals: Start making your own snacks and meals and storing them in Tupperware containers, rather than buying more throw-away plastic containers and wrappers from restaurants and grocery stores. Check out a few St. Patrick’s Day-themed recipes below!
- Recycle: You can find recycling stations at gas stations and truck stops, so why not take advantage? Store a recycling bag or bin in your truck for plastic and paper products and drop it off during your downtime.
- Go Paperless: The electronic logging device mandate doesn’t just reduce driver error; it also cuts back on paper usage. Even if the mandate doesn’t apply to you, try keeping track of your hours on a device like a phone or a tablet. You’ll save time, money, and trees in the process.
- Reduce Truck Weight: The heavier your truck the more fuel it requires. Remove as much as you can while keeping the essentials. Are you carting around extra tools, winter tire chains, and equipment? Figure out what you need and what you can afford to put in storage. Also, when loading your flatbed trailer, position it as close to the cab as you can to help make your truck more aerodynamic.
- Keep Up with Maintenance: Always make sure your truck is in the best possible condition before hitting the highways. This means performing regular oil changes and air filter changes. Fresh oil ensures your engine doesn’t have to work harder, and in turn, use more fuel. Air filter changes prevent excess fuel usage caused by a clogged filter.
- Plan Ahead: One of the easiest ways to go green is to simply plan your driving routes and use a GPS. Try to plan a route that’s steady and doesn’t involve a lot of stopping and going. If you’re traveling through an unfamiliar city, you can use apps like Waze to navigate around traffic and avoid delays.
Five Make-Ahead Recipes for St. Patricks Day or Spring Months
1.) Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-Rolls
Perfect as a light snack, these corned-beef-and-cabbage rolls are easy to make and are full of flavor.
Ingredients:
- 6 Savoy cabbage leaves
- ¼ cups of mayonnaise
- ¼ cups of chopped parsley (or dill — or both)
- 2 slices of rye bread (cut into strips)
- ½ pound of corned beef (cut into strips)
- 1 teaspoon of whole-grain mustard
2.) Soda-Bread Biscuits
These biscuits take about 30 mins to prepare and bake and will pair nicely with the stew listed below.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- ¾ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons of cold butter (diced)
- ½ cups of raisins
- 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
- ¾ cups of buttermilk
3.) Irish Stew
Great for chilly weather, this is a hearty stew you’ll want to make again and again — not just in honor of St. Patty’s day.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-size onions (chopped)
- Oil for frying
- 1 ounce of butter
- 1 sprig of dried thyme
- 2 ½ pounds of best end of lamb neck (cut into large pieces)
- 7 carrots (cut lengthways into 2-inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons of pearl barley
- 5 cups of chicken stock
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 medium potatoes
- 1 bunch of parsley leaves (chopped)
- 1 bunch of chives
- 1 bouquet of parsley, thyme, or bay leaf (for garnish)
Stock:
- Chicken carcass
- 1 onion
- 4 cups of water
- 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
- Bay leaf
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Herb Butter:
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 small bunch of parsley (chopped)
- 1 small bunch of chives (chopped)
- 1 sprig of thyme
4.) Colcannon
Colcannon is a flavorful dish of potatoes and shredded cabbage you can enjoy as a side or on its own.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of washed potatoes
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1 ¼ cups of hot milk
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head of cabbage (cored and shredded)
- 1 pound of ham or bacon (pre-cooked)
- 4 finely chopped scallions
- Chopped parsley (for garnish)
5.) Irish Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins
Cheddar, bacon, and potatoes — these are a few of our favorite things. The best part about these muffins? You can enjoy them anywhere!
Ingredients:
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato
- ¼ teaspoon plus 2 pinches of salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 slices of bacon (chopped)
- 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons of salted butter (melted)
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cups of diced Irish cheddar cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
- ¼ cups of chopped fresh chives
Learn More from International Used Truck Centers!
From brake maintenance to ideas for truck parts and audio systems, International Used Truck Centers be your guide to smarter and more efficient trucking! Contact us to learn more about our 13 locations or a new hobby you could try out while on the road!
