Trucking Blog

Makin Moonshine - Latest Run Pics

2011-07-17T09:57:00.001-04:00

This is my latest run. Yielded 3 quarts proofed 92. Will be flavoring apple pie.

How to Change you IP Address Using your Netgear Router

2011-07-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

How to Find Trucking Jobs Online

2011-05-29T23:29:00.000-04:00

Trucking Jobs - How to Locate?

Author: Truck Guy
Trucking jobs are a good way to make a decent income and to provide your family needs. USA people rely deeply on the trucking business to convey and transport the merchandises that make every day existence reachable, making truck drivers the fortitude of the present American economic system.

As result, there has by no means been a top occasion to chase an occupation in the transportation business. Truck driving businesses are presenting record incomes, competitive reimbursements, and more flexible programs for truck drivers. In addition, abundant businesses propose rent plans, which enable the truck drivers to improve into self-governing service providers and rent out their driving services to the corporations that could hire them.

No matter if you are a trucking skilled person probing for a new occupation or concerned in participating in a truck driving education to be given CDL training, there are companies that can be of assistance to you in result the correct profession chances. They have established relations with a large selection of nationwide and local truck driving companionships to facilitate drivers come across a pleasing occupation that meets their job requirements.

At the most of the places in internet, the system works in this way: If you are poised in some state or area that you would have a preference to work in, you have to just write it on your application documents. After that, every candidate is matched with a skilled manager explicitly allocated to lend them a hand in the job investigates process. Starting with regional and passing through nationwide trails, these companies match you with the most excellent truck driving occupations in your region.

There are a lot of trucking companies that can impart you with the complete information regarding the kinds of truck driving jobs available in the present moment. The system works in a very parallel way: the truck driving companies take your private data and counterpart it with all possible truck driving jobs obtainable in the list.
In the course of this process they can facilitate expert truck drivers come across some the finest trucking occupations presented. Internet is a place, where you can discover lots of information about truck driving, the tests that you need to hold, if you want to be a truck driver and all the information that you need. Simply type truck driving in Google and you will reach all the present companies and their offers.

There are currently millions truck driver jobs in the world. If you want to learn more about their profession and about truck driving, this article has many things to tell and present to you. For more information about trucking jobs you can also visit us at http://www.bestdriverjobs.com/.

About the Author
I'm an enthusiastic internet marketer with over five years experience and an active SEO specialist/consultant, fueled by the aspiration of helping quality websites getting the popularity they deserve. I enjoy the process of setting goals for my own career and for each project I work on – and a person who relishes planning and attention to detail.

I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge with clients and colleagues, and combine a dedication to online research and expertise with a keen interest in all aspects of life – understanding that variety really is the spice.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/trucking-jobs-how-to-locate-3382019.html

Problem Trucking Students Fall Prey to CDL School Greed - Truck Driving Schools

2011-04-10T16:42:00.001-04:00

By: Allen Smith
Many CDL

truck driving schools

continue to lure prospective students into class through the promises of big money and guaranteed employment. The fact is, many trucking companies are hiring new CDL school graduates and getting those unemployed from the recession back to work. That is a good thing.
The problem is that too many of these truck driver training schools are still taking anyone who walks through their door willing to pay the price . . . even when the school knows that their chances of being hired by any motor carrier is next to zero.

CDL students are going into debt for thousands of dollars for the prized Class A Commercial Driver License with the understanding that within a few weeks, they will be fully employed and on the road to earning $50,000 plus per year. Many are told the more realistic figure of $32,000 annual income, unaware of the dead end that lies ahead. Accepted by the CDL school, these are the students who have speeding tickets, DUI’s, accidents and even felonies on their records.

I recently received an email from a CDL graduate who has been unable to obtain employment from any trucking company throughout the United States. Having paid $6,000 for the commercial license, the school had informed him that the two DUI’s and the one felony on his record would be something that they could “work through.” Now, back in reality, his $6,000 CDL is totally useless.

Many of these CDL training schools are receiving governments grants, accepting students that most likely will not be candidates for the trucking industry. The National Commercial Drivers License Program Improvement Grant awards 25 million dollars to these schools.

Reference : Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) , Public Law 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144, 49 U.S.C 31311 and 31313.
If you are considering becoming a professional truck driver and attending the required CDL truck driver training school, remember one thing before you sign on the dotted line and hand over your money or sign the loan papers . . . the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) has changed the hiring standards of the U. S. trucking industry. Too many CDL students are learning the hard way that the CSA has added serious complications in regards to their hiring chances.

Through the implementation of the CSA, motor carriers are practicing a much stricter hiring process, looking for drivers with the best and most flawless driving and history background. The Pre-Screen Employment Program (PSP) will provide the trucking company with a three year look-back of the driving record, showing any driving violations; furthermore, it will show a five year look-back of any motor vehicle crashes, relating to those drivers’ with experience. Independently, there will be a background check performed for other violations such as DWI, felonies or other such criminal convictions.

As a newcomer to the trucking industry, these students have no experience, therefore they will not have a three or five year history, but the company and their insurance carrier will still perform a background check. Any driving violations, along with any criminal data will be discovered. CDL schools know this, yet many will still accept these students in their training program. It is all about the money, regardless that the students will find themselves still unemployed with a worthless commercial driver license.

As motor carriers concern themselves with maintaining the best safety record and safety score possible, they also want to hire those drivers with excellent background checks . It is all about the CSA and the new age of trucking. A recent CDL graduate with an excellent MVR record etc., is just what the company is looking for; this type of new-hire will only add to the motor carrier’s safety rating because the graduate has no “history.”

Another problem many CDL graduates face, which I have discussed many times, is when they complete CDL training and fail to get started in a job immediately. Once CDL training is completed, there is no time to sit back with a “wait and see” attitude of which trucking company you want to work for.
James McCormack of Trucking Careers of America, a career advisory and job placement company, offers the following advise:

“When you graduate from a trucking school you have a short window to go into trucking. If you exceed that window you have to take a 40 hour refresher course . On the other hand, if you are out of school for 3 years and have never used your CDL, you will most likely be required to take the course all over again. If that’s the case, you have two options: go back to a school or go with a company sponsored program. If you choose to go with a company sponsored program there will be a contract involved.”
Major problems I am seeing from recent CDL graduates who are still jobless months after completing training, are (1) they have waited too long after graduating before accepting a job offer; (2) they failed to understand the complications and stricter hiring standards due to the CSA and (3) they have a poor driving record and/or criminal background and fell victim to a CDL training school that took their money anyway, knowing they would be non-hireable.

The U. S. trucking industry has changed. This is the first thing you must understand. The days of moving from job to job or buying a CDL from a CDL school mill and hitting the open road in the big rig are over, and they have been over for some time now. Experienced drivers, along with CDL recent graduates can no longer easily land a truck driving job with violations, accidents and felonies on their records. Even veteran truck drivers are falling prey to the money-making institution that the trucking industry has become.
Mr. McCormack recites another story in regards to a seasoned, experienced trucker:

“Here is an example of the mentality of the trucking industry – I talked to a CDL holder a while back that had 20 years OTR experience. In that 20 year period he worked for only 3 companies. He was an instructor at times, never had a ticket, accident, etc.   He was also voted employee of the year on numerous occasions. It doesn’t get any better. The problem was it had been 5 years since he drove. Every company he tried to get hired by said no. He would have to go through full training again before they would consider him. As it turned out, I sent him to a company sponsored program, he fulfilled his contract and afterwards I sent him to (an area company). He’s now making the income he wanted with good home time.”

If a 20 year OTR trucking veteran has to go through this, then as a newcomer to the industry, imagine what kind of record and background history that the motor carrier will want from you.   When the CDL school tells a student that prior violations will not be a factor in their hiring ability, they are not being honest and are only looking at pocketing the huge CDL training fee.

Stories of CDL school graduates having been victimized by truck driving schools are endless, and it appears to be getting worse; another recent graduate experienced the pitfall of choosing the wrong truck driving school . . . James McCormack explains:

“I just talked to a recent graduate from a school in New York. This graduate paid $9,800 for CDL training. He financed the loan with his mother as a co-signer. He and his mother were told they guaranteed job placement even though he had a criminal record. He’s now paying $112 a month for 10 years. He received his CDL, however there is one big problem!”

“He was charged with felony possession of cocaine in 5/08 and was convicted on 5/5/09. One year in jail, a drug rehab program and probation. He just finished his probation. Of course he can’t get a job, in addition, the school guarantees in writing they will find them a job - SURE ! This is another example of abuse in this industry. There is no way this school should have taken this student. In my opinion, this is financial greed.”
Use common sense. Trucking companies require professional, safe drivers and with the CSA, that statement has never been more true. If you have recent DUI’s, felonies, speeding tickets, accidents and simply a poor driving and safety record, even within the last several years, do yourself a favor . . . keep your money and look for another career.

© 2011, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved. Share and Enjoy:

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Stick that on your power cord!

What is Corperate Management and What Are the Responsibilities?

2011-04-09T12:00:00.005-04:00

The Responsibilities Of Corporate Management

Author:Casey Trillbar

It is very well known that in any business, setting up goals and achieving them is very important as it motivates employees and it increases their performance and work flow. This is the reason why corporate management is so important in any company, and why any business manager will tell you that you won\'t be able to achieve anything without setting up goals and determining what is the best way to achieve them. Management teams have a very important job in any company, as they are the ones who not only recruit and train employees but also who monitor the production process, scrutinizing the final output, setting targets, quality standards etc.

A corporate management team is usually made out of 3 executives who have very big responsibilities and who take most of the decisions regarding the future of the company. They are the CEO-Chief Executive Officer, the COO- Chief Operating Officer and also the CFO- the Chief Financial Officer. They usually have lots of experience and are very good leaders in order to motivate their employees and determine them to work harder.

There are many ways of making decisions within a company. Nowadays, decentralized corporate management is very popular as it reduces the time it takes to make decisions, increasing the work flow and productivity. The junior managers and supervisors at each level are the ones responsible for making decisions and monitoring the production. Still, this type of corporate management requires many skilled employees as their decisions influence the company directly.

The recruitment process is very complicated and that is why corporations need someone who not only knows all about the straights and weaknesses of the company, but also has people skills and is able to determine which candidate is suited for the job. In order to set the goals for the company, the corporate management has to determine the needs of the company which can be a very difficult task. Also, in order to ensure the achievement of the goals it is very important that business managers have leadership skills as they will need to motivate the workers.

Motivation is a vital task that needs to be performed by the corporate management team. Employees who are motivated work harder than others and that is why it is crucial that managers create a cheerful work environment, encouraging their workers to give their best. This can be done by celebrating major events within the company or by encouraging workers to get to know each other with the help of team building activities.

One of the most popular business management techniques is the six sigma. The six sigma methodology helps companies by reducing deviations from goals and by cutting costs within the company. It also increases the communication between the workforce and the management. It is needles to say that a feedback system will also benefit companies who are trying to keep their workers happy.

A corporate management team is extremely crucial to any business as with the help of professional managers companies will be able to adapt easier to any changes in the business environment, making the company more successful.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/the-responsibilities-of-corporate-management-4549513.html

About the Author
Casey Trillbar is the editor of SixSigmaTrainingGuide.com, which is a website aimed at supplying articles, information and resources to people considering undergoing Six Sigma Certification. http://www.sixsigmatrainingguide.com

Types of diet pills and What do diet pills do.

2011-04-09T07:11:00.000-04:00

Buy Diet Pills and get rid of obesity

Author:diet dietpills
The problem of obesity and gaining excessive weight bother many of us because these cause several other critical health issues such as high blood pressure, etc. due to which all of us feel an urgency to adopt one of the best and effective ways to get rid of excessive weight. Although, regular exercise and dieting are the best ways to lose weight but the recent trend has shown greater use of Diet Pills which are proving themselves a most convenient and effective means of losing weight. Hence, proving to be a quickest and easiest means of reducing weight, Diet Pills have gained a strong reputation among those who are suffering from the health problems associated with extra weight.

There are a variety of Diet Pills available in the market, creating confusion in the mind of weight loss seekers which Diet Pills are best to buy.

Types of Diet Pills

Usually, Diet Pills are categorized as Prescription Diet Pills and Non-Prescription Diet Pills.

Prescription Diet Pills

As the name suggests, Prescription Diet Pills are those which can be consumed under the complete supervision of doctor only .Prescription Diet Pills are meant for
Individuals who have Body Mass Index of 3o and more
People with BMI of 27 and obesity conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
Those who wish to lose a few pounds are not supposed to consume Prescription Diet Pills.

Types of Prescription Diet Pills

Appetite Suppressants
These Diet Pills control the appetite by creating a feeling of fullness whereby the individual consuming these drugs doesn\'t feel hungry and gets successful in reducing weight in this way. These pills target appetite-affecting brain chemicals of serotonin and norepinephrine. These chemicals work in a way that user feels full thus leading him to eat less. Some of the most popular Anti -Suppressants are Adipex, Phentermine, etc.

Fat Blockers
These pills work by blocking the fat from being observed into the body. By restraining fat absorption and helping it to be removed from the body undigested, Fat Blockers lead to weight loss very effectively.

Non-Prescription Diet Pills
These Pills do not require any kind of consultation and can easily bought from any medical store. They are also referred as over the counter pills and are treated as weight loss supplements. These types of diet pills work in one of following ways
• Increasing metabolism
• Lowering fat production
• Suppressing appetite
• Reducing fat absorption
Non-Prescription Diet Pills are further classified as Fat Burners, Carb Blockers and Fat Binders.
Are you still wondering whether you should buy diet pills or not to lose weight? Then, here are some of the benefits that can help you decide better
• Diet Pills can produce fastest results
• They are the painless means to lose weight as no physical efforts are involved
• Can be made a part of your daily routine
• Offer a time saving solution for people who can\'t afford to devote time in regular exercises and have busy schedules
• Present a most economical and effective way of losing weight in the sharp comparison of other means of losing weight

Thus you can definitely rely on diet pills to reduce weight but don\'t forget to consult your family doctor as diet pills pose some side effects as well; also, you should go through Diet Pills Reviews to get a clear idea about all types of diet pills and important facts pertaining to them. So buy diet pills that can suit you best but after consulting doctor and reading diet pills reviews.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/buy-diet-pills-and-get-rid-of-obesity-4531992.html

About the Author
Diet Pill Reviews will help to find best diet pills that work and avoid the ones that don\'t. To know more about Diet Pills reviews, Fat Blockers,Prescription Diet Pills and appetite-suppressants, visit www.diet-pills.cc

Using Baby Strollers for Excercising - Being Active Wiith Strollers

2011-04-08T17:02:00.000-04:00

Being Active With Strollers

Author:Keyword Performance
Parents, are you looking for ways to stay active with a new baby? Although having a child drastically changes your lifestyle, you don\'t always need to give up your old routines, such as going for a jog. Your routines may change, however. More specifically, instead of going to the jogging path on your own, you will likely need to bring your baby and a stroller.

Sitters aren\'t always available every time you want to go out and run. Jogging strollers, instead, allow you to get back into your physical routine and to bring your child along. A newer model, a jogging stroller has a three-wheeled, streamlined design that provides better maneuverability around curves and corners. Built with a suspension, the jogging stroller can also be taken on uneven surfaces. As you push the stroller while you run, your child inside is secure and comfortable.

Not everyone\'s a jogger, and some exercise routines involve a track or similar surface for running. If you plan to take your child with you, jogging strollers with fixed wheels are built for this use. Fixed wheels are less likely to turn and allow you to stay in direction as you run.
Aside from running and jogging, a stroller can be brought along to an exercise class – but not your typical aerobics session. Instead, stroller exercise classes for mothers are becoming popular. You can\'t just leave your baby sitting in a car seat, but you can keep him or her inside the stroller as you use it to sweat and burn calories.

In these classes, a stroller is a tool for exercising. Running and toning are often part of these classes, and the stroller is used in place of weights or other equipment.
Although strollers allow you to bring a child along, make sure your baby is safe inside. In general, newborns should not be placed in a stroller, and infants six months or older need to be placed in a reclining position with head support. The stroller, as well, needs to keep the child secure and comfortable inside. A jogging stroller may smooth the ride on rough areas, but the child needs to be secured with a five-point harness.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/being-active-with-strollers-4563863.html

Commercial Truck Insurance - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

2011-04-07T01:00:00.000-04:00

Commercial Truck Insurance Varieties To Be Aware Of

Author: Patrick Winchester

Commercial truck insurance can seem overly complicated at first glance, but it's only because the truck industry itself is so diverse. It's not so complicated; there are just many specific types of insurance to meet the needs of various types of drivers (i.e. full-time, part-time, independent, salaried, and small business truck drivers).

Anyone considering purchasing commercial truck insurance coverage has to be sure that they are getting the coverage that best suits their needs, and meets legal requirements. State and federal regulations require different, various types of insurance in different regions of the country. It is important to cover your bases and make sure you have the coverage needed to protect you and your assets.

To start out, your needs will differ if you own a business with a fleet of trucks and drivers or are an independent driver that contracts out to these larger businesses from time to time. A business owner usually will have far more assets to protect and need a greater amount of coverage. Independent drivers need less extensive coverage, but that coverage must be both affordable and able to meet their needs to keep them working.

The average cost of an accident involving a semi-truck is close to $100,000. Independent truck drivers don't usually have the assets lying around to pay damages in that kind of accident. It is important to understand that just one accident, even with the best intentions, can financially wreck your life. Independent truck drivers need to make sure they are adequately protected if they want to ensure their livelihood.

Below are some of the most common and best types of commercial truck insurance to have. Feel free to read them over. This is not an all-inclusive list, but instead it's a starting point to figure out what kind of insurance you specifically need:

General Freight

Companies with large fleets of trucks all under their command need a policy like this to cover the costs associated with lost, damaged, or stolen cargo. This is a broad, general policy that is usually meant to protect a company as a whole. This isn't usually a personal policy.

Primary Liability

Primary liability insurance is a type of commercial truck insurance designed to cover the costs of damages and bodily injury sustained in an accident involving a commercial vehicle. This coverage does cover personal damages if you are the driver at fault.

Comprehensive Coverage

As opposed to primary liability coverage, comprehensive coverage ensures compensation for your own losses. In short, it covers damage to your vehicle regardless of fault, which would not be covered under your primary liability policy and keeps you from incurring the total cost of repairs.

Other Truck Insurance Coverage Options

Carriers of hazardous or extremely perishable cargo should consider separate cargo insurance. Trailers can be covered in the event of trailer interchange agreements in which haulers trade cargo and finish each other's job. Independent owner/operators should also consider non-trucking liability to provide liability coverage when they are not under contract.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/commercial-truck-insurance-varieties-to-be-aware-of-4344095.html

About the Author

Patrick Winchester is a freelance writer with commercial truck insurance expertise. Need to save on truck insurance while keeping legit coverage? Visit http://royaltytruckinsurance.com

What is the Price of Oil?

2011-04-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

What is the price of Oil?

Oil rose 49 cents Wednesday to a new 30-month high, closing the trading day at $108.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Bloomberg reported.

The gain came amid concerns over the ongoing NATO air campaign and civil war in Libya, an OPEC oil producer, and followed a Department of Energy report that showed crude inventories rose almost 2 million barrels last week.

DOE said gasoline inventories dropped by 350,000 last week, less than the 1.9 million-barrel decline forecast by economists, Bloomberg said.Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel, rose 200,000 barrels for the week ended Saturday, DOE said in its weekly report.

Wednesday’s closing price was the highest since oil had topped $120 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Sept. 22, 2008, according to Bloomberg figures.The all-time closing Nymex record was $145.29 a barrel, set on July 3, 2008.

I love My Zippo Lighter

2011-03-06T14:04:00.000-05:00

I had my zippo for 13 years and never had an issue with it. I probably dropped the thing a thousand times in those years and still, no problems. The other day I was walking from my car to go inside a store when I dropped my zippo for the last time. MY lighter wasn't so lucky after this one. I broke the top part of the lighter where the striker is and rendered it useless.

So, I started looking for a new zippo and was having a hard time finding one that appealed to me. I think it was because all the zippo lighters that are found in retail stores are all the same. So I looked online and found a really cool retro looking zippo and decided to buy it. I love it. It looks cool and it works as good as my old zippo. The picture to the left is exactly the one I bought.

Anyway, if you are looking for a new zippo or any other smoking products, then I recommend visiting the site that I purchased this lighter from. Go to http://www.dotcombong.com and check them out.

Truckers Reduce Roadside Repairs By Owning This Simple Miracle Tool.

2011-02-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

Truck Drivers are always looking for ways to repair their trucks fast and easy. Most emergency repairs are done by the drivers themselves using things like Duct Tape, Electrical Tape, Dimes, Nickles, Cloths Hangers and things like that.

What if I told you to throw away your Duct Tape? You would laugh at me I am sure. But, I have found something better than your duct tape. Yea, that's right! Better than Duct Tape! And by comparison, your duct tape looks like an amateur. This Miracle Tool can do everything that your Duct Tape can do, Your Electrical Tape can do and whatever else you use to make fast, on the go repairs.

Is Your Mouth Watering Yet?

Well it should be, because I am about to share with you the best kept secret to making emergency repairs that will save truck drivers a load of time, frustration and a whole lot of money from roadside repairs. This awesome product is going to be the Go To Guy when you need a quick fix.

So What Is It?

It's called Silicon Rescue Tape. This tape puts duct tape to shame! You can use this product to repair just about anything you may think of, like Hydraulic Hoses, Tubes, Pipes and Fittings. Silicone Rescue Tape can also be used as an Emergency Fan Belt or O-Ring! And with all the fuel, oil and different type of solvents in big trucks, you need a product like this that will resist it. Also, there will be no more gummy residue left over like with Duct or Electrical tape.

So Where Is It? I Gotta Have It!

Don't bother going to a Truck Stop to find this product, Truck Stops aren't clever enough to stock this in their stores. However, http://www.kirkscubagear.com is. This Scuba Diver super site has all sorts of items related to Scuba Diving and they carry the Silicon Rescue Tape as well, at a cheap price too! To learn more about this multipurpose Silicon Tape, visit kirkscubagear.com.

Fitness Coaching, Meal Plans and More for Truck Drivers

2011-02-11T22:11:00.001-05:00

Truck Drivers are hard working people whose job is very demanding and can deteriorate driver's health and well being. For the most part exercise and eating right are not common among truckers simply because of the lack of availability of healthy foods and places to work out while on the road. Not to mention most truck drivers are unsure how to exercise correctly and what foods are the best for keeping a healthy, slim body.

Drivers simply need something they can use to get Meal Plans, Fitness Coaching and advise on staying healthy while one the road and when they are home. Most drivers lack the motivation needed to make life changes to keep them healthy and to live a long life. So, having a place where they can learn how to take care of themselves is essential to their Healthy Living.

Team Beach Body offers all of the tools that truck drivers need to become healthier and happier. Drivers will receive advise, coaching, meal plans, access to celebrity trainers and much more. There has never been a more adequate and practical way for truckers to gain access to the tools they need to lose weight, eat right and gain confidence in their ability to stay healthy until Team Beach Body came into fruition.

Drivers, I cannot express enough how important it is to stay healthy while on the road. You have people who care about you and want to see you live a long and happy life. Getting healthy is easier than most people realize and the only thing that needs to be done, is just do it. Make the decision today to become healthier and happier by visiting this website, http://sharepl.us/freecoaching-trucking. You will look better, feel better and live happier knowing that you are taking care of yourself. Check these guys out and get fit.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Review.

2011-02-10T12:12:00.000-05:00

SiriusXM Radio Review

Author: Jason Hilton

I am a Truck Driver and I have been using SiriusXM Radio for 6 years. I was originally only with Sirius until they merged with XM radio. Being on the road a lot can get boring to say the least if I don't not have some type of entertainment.

I purchased my first sirius radio in 2005 mainly because I found out that Howard Stern had moved from FM radio to sirius. I had no idea what all was on the radio until I purchased it. It's mind blowing how many channels there are and the variety of categories. I mainly stay on the entertainment channels but sometimes venture over to the talk channels like the patriot channel which is my favorite conservative talk radio channel. SiriusXM also has the left channel which is liberal talk radio for you lefty's out there.

Now that I have had ample time to use the SiriusXM radio I can tell you that I love it. There are so many channels to choose from that I never get bored anymore. I can listen to any kind of music uninterrupted for as long as I want. I can listen to celebrities talk about stuff. I get to hear Howard Stern every day. I just love it.

I Highly recommend getting into the SiriusXM Radio family. There is alot you can learn about them just by going to their site. Here is the link: SiriusXM Satellite Radio

As you probably already know, there is a small subscription fee to get the service. It is well worth the money they charge because of how much you get for the price. By the way, did I mention that the SIriusXM service is uncensored? It is nothing like regular radio where they have to bleep or cut things out of the dialogue because of FCC regulations. Satellite Radio is not regulated by the FCC so SiriusXM can do or say just about anything they want to.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/satellite-radio-articles/siriusxm-radio-review-4200056.html

What are the Requirements and Truck Driving Training needed to Become a Trucker?

2011-02-08T03:43:00.000-05:00

Choosing Truck Driving as a career has become more popular over the last decade or so, mainly because of the novelty of being a truck driver. Being on the open road, seeing sights that would not be seen otherwise, not having a boss looking over your shoulder all the time are common interested when choosing to become a new truck driver.

But these questions have to be asked and answered before taking truck driving on as a career:

How do I become a Truck Driver?
Where do I get Truck Driving Training?
How much Income can I make as a Trucker?
Where do I find Truck Driving Employment?
What is the Truck Driving Lifestyle like?
What types of Truck Driving Training Programs are there?
Where is the best place to find Truck Driving Employment Opportunities?

These are among the most important questions that should be answered before seriously considering the Trucking Industry. Trucking is not for everyone and it may seem like a good way to make a living for yourself and your family, but being on the inside of trucking may not be all that it seems when looking from the outside.

Taking the time to diligently research the Trucking Industry, or any industry, and making an informed decision is the best approach when trying to become a new driver. Truck Driving Training is especially important because you want to make sure you have the proper knowledge and tools you need before jumping into a 40 ton vehicle operating around the general motoring public.

Trucking is a great lifestyle and also can be a financially rewarding career. But if you do not possess the correct knowledge, safety etiquette and driving ability you will not succeed as a trucker. Ask dozens of questions from people that know the answers. Get the Proper Truck Driving Training and choose the Trucking Company that you want to work for wisely and you will go a long way in trucking.

The following site is recommended to new truckers to research before joining the industry. The site has valuable information and insight to trucking and is an awesome tool to use when considering this career. Visit http://truckdrivingtraininghq.com for more information.

Free Cell Phone Service, and Make Money Too? Truckers can Really Use This Service.

2011-02-05T08:28:00.001-05:00

How many of you are tired of paying those High Cell Phone Bills? What if I told you that you can get Free Cell Phone Service, and Make Money by telling your Friends and Family about it? Well, that's what I am telling you here. I have found a website that offers free cell phone service as well as a way to earn by telling others about it.

I don't know about you, but as a Truck Driver I sometimes go over my limit on minutes and have to pay high amounts of overage fees as well as the normal bill for having the service. I am livid every time I see a huge bill from my cell provider. With this new service I found, I can eliminate those large cell phone bills and make money doing it in the process. So instead of losing money on my cell phone, My cell phone will be paying me.

By you and I, as drivers, having access to so many people on the road, this can be a huge opportunity to earn extra money. Personally I sometimes see hundreds of people a day that can use free cell phone service. I know many people friends and family members that will jump at this opportunity because it is something that they do on a daily basis anyway, so why not do it for free and get paid?

Get in on this awesome opportunity before it becomes super saturated, and you know it will because it is a great service. Visit http://talk4less.mylightyear.net/free_wireless.html for more information.

Thought of the day: The agreed supreme walks before the pretended governor.

Guitar Reviews, Amplifier Reviews and More Oh My! I Hit a Goldmine of Guitar and Amp Reviews.

2011-02-04T07:12:00.001-05:00

Guitarists are going to love this one!

I have been playing guitar for about 15 years and am always on the lookout for new guitars and amplifier equipment. Lately I have been thinking about replacing my old Yamaha acoustic, but I have been out of the loop when it comes to new music equipment that I wasn't sure what I wanted.

I searched google for New and Used Guitars, Guitar Reviews, Amplifiers Reviews Etc, and found some decent material in regards to my searches. But the best out of the dozens of websites I visited was www.Guitar-and-Amplifier-Reviews.Com. This site had everything I needed to know about all makes and models of Guitars, Amps and other music gear.

I read dozens of reviews on Martin, Les Paul, Gibson and Taylor all of which are great guitars. I found one guitar in particular made by Taylor Guitar that I think I am going to purchase in the next few weeks. It fits my playing style and looks like it is built strong and the finish is what I was looking for. The reviews on it are all positive too. I have bookmarked this site for future use as I will be looking for an amplifier soon to go with my new guitar.

If you are in the Market for a New Guitar and/or Amplifier I strongly recommend vising Guitar-and-Amplifier-Reviews.Com before you buy. It will give you a heads up on the latest guitars and amps and you can make an informed decision.

Build Business Credit the Easy Way with Gboogie.Net

2011-02-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

Building Business Credit is an essential part of any business that is new or is already established. It is the lifeline of your business and is a key part to building and maintaining a reputable company. Without good business credit you would most likely not be able to afford certain components that are very important to your establishment like research and development, expansions, company expenses etc.

Business Owners need to realize that business credit will keep their companies thriving. When searching for a company that offers Business Credit Services it is imperative to select a company with experience, professionalism, excellent service, affording prices and a reputation that exceeds the business owner's expectations. That is why Gboogie.Net is the choice of many business owners for helping with building their business credit.

Gboogie.Net is a viable and recommended company to help new and established business owners build their credit in order to afford those expected and unexpected expenditures. They strive to be the best at business credit services and are ready to serve you and your company.Get ready to get your business credit established by visiting Gboogie.Net today!

About Gboogie.Net
Established in 2008. Gboogie has been helping Business Owners Build the business credit they need and are professionals at their services. Known to be honest, timely and courteous to all of their clients and are more than willing to help business owners with anything they need relating to business credit. Highly recommended to all business owners looking for a great Business Credit Service.

Birthday eCards are now My Favorite Way to Wish someone a Happy Birthday.

2011-01-29T01:04:00.005-05:00

I started sending Birthday eCards around a year ago to all the people I care about. I use to send cards in the mail, but it became cumbersome to find a birthday card that actually got my attention so to speak, not to mention having to put it in an envelope and "Hope" it makes it to it's destination. I wanted something that popped when people opened it, and traditional birthday cards that I found at the store just didn't cut it.

I had heard from friends of mine about online birthday cards and decided to do some research about it on Google. Before I chose a website to buy my ecards from I diligently browsed dozens of websites and searched through their birthday ecards sections to get an idea of what I could expect. I did this for a few days and I have to tell you, that there are a lot of sites with not so good choices of ecards. I was getting disappointed until I received a message from a friend of mine of Facebook recommending a site I had not went to yet.

I clicked the link and I was impressed right from the beginning. The site was easy to navigate and their ecards were great. I found a card I liked and placed my order. Here is the card I bought to send to my mother in law for her birthday: Click to Preview the eCard. I wrote a personal message to her and sent it. She received it the same day and called me laughing and crying at the same time. The ecard was perfect for her. At that moment I became hooked to ojolie.com and have been buying their ecards ever since.

Save More Money on Shopping than Ever. Get this Free App and Start Saving Today.

2011-01-29T00:38:00.006-05:00

I was surfing the web a few weeks ago and ran across something that I think in valuable to everyone, and it works great. I was searching for ways to save money when my wife and I were shopping. We downloaded free coupons for groceries, shoe coupons, clothing coupons etc. But it seemed to use that the savings weren't as much as we had hoped.

Anyway, after realizing this we searched even more for free money saving tips and tricks. I found this incredible website advertising a free money saving app that could be used from my computer or laptop. It was free, so I figured I had nothing to lose. After I installed it, it was clear to me that I had found what my wife and I were looking for when trying to save money.

What the MyShoppingGenie App does is priceless when searching for bargains online. It's the simplest was to find the best deals on millions of products. After you install this free software, all you need to do is use your favorite search engine like Google, Yahoo, Bing etc. Type in the engine what you are looking for and this free app takes over and finds the cheapest prices of what you are looking for. This app searches even the major retailers like Wal-Mart, Ebay, Amazon and more, guaranteeing that you will find the lowest price for anything you are searching for.

I highly recommend downloading and installing MyShoppingGenie. There is absolutely no cost and it will save you a lot of money.

The Old West as it Should Be. An Old West Lawman's Memoir.

2011-01-26T13:45:00.003-05:00

An Extremely Rare memoir of an Old West lawman has sparked my interest in the Old Wild West again. I have been thumbing through search engines for all the information I could find on the subject of the old west, but everything that peaked my interest was always related to how Hollywood portrayed the west to be like in the old days. I wasn't interested in that. I wanted to know what it was "Really" like.

I was listening to a lecture by Leon Metz and searching for information on Google about the old west, when I stumbled upon http://www.oldwestlawmansforgottenmemoir.com. After reading the website I decided it was something I had to read. Now, I consider myself a connoisseur of the old wild west, but I felt dumber then a box of rocks after reading this. It blew my mind that I had finally found something that gave me an idea of what the real wild west was all about.

All the information on any of the search engines could not shake a stick at this memoir. It is about a real wild west lawman and his life. I am tempted to type about it here, but I do not want to give it away so to speak, because you are not going to feel it like I did until you read it. Go to http://www.oldwestlawmansforgottenmemoir.com to learn more about this book and to have your taste for the old west satisfied with the real story.

Stop Smoking. You Can Quit Now.

2011-01-24T15:21:00.003-05:00

Quit Now! That's what you have to tell yourself when you decide to stop smoking. Cigarettes are a $12billion dollar industry per year. The Cigarette companies are making loads of money providing a product that literally kills thousands of people each and every year. But, you can quit! Yes you can. How do I know? Because I smoked for 17 years and quit smoking. But like any kind of addiction, it was not easy.

After I decided to put down cigarettes I spent most of my time thinking about smoking one. Day in, day out it was always on my mind. Every time I passed by someone sucking on one I would deliberately stand close to them just to be able to smell the second hand smoke from it. Off and on I tried to quit cold turkey but the pressure was to much for me to handle. After I realized this I made the decision to get some help to quit smoking permanently!

I am on the road a lot and started noticing these electronic cigarettes on the counters of convenient stores. I read the packages and was tempted to by them on occasion, but I opted to buy a pack of smokes instead. But the day I decided to get help I remembered the electronic stogies and decided to pull them up on the Internet and learn more about them. After I learned what they could do, I purchased a Stop Smoking Starter Kit from The Safe Cig.

Every since the day I received my shipment, I have been smoke free. That was 2 years ago. I know that if I can quit smoking by using these electronic cigarettes then anybody can. Go take a look at what they can do for you and see if it is something that may help. I know it will. Click Here to Follow the Link to The Safe Cig.

Micfo Review. Web Hosting Provider

2011-01-23T14:59:00.000-05:00

Searching for web hosting has been more than a hassle for me. I have spent countless time with hosts that didn't live up to my standards and have spent hundreds of dollars trying to get ahead with the right web host. But none of the hosting services I tried were compatible with the needs of my website.

I used all the "well known" hosts like yahoo, hostgator, godaddy et cetera. All of which had terrible down time on my site. Contacting customer service usually took 2 - 3 days for godaddy and longer for yahoo. Hostgator was working great for about 3 weeks, and then I don't know what happened. I launched a major campaign advertising my site and when the traffic started pouring in, hostgator failed to keep the server working to host my site. So I wasted several hundred dollars in advertising to send people to a dead site.

Which brings me to my new found web hosting service. I signed up for Micfo 2 months ago. I chose their Infinity package and then installed my site to their server. I have received over 700,000 visitors per month since I joined their service and have had 0 downtime. My sales have went through the roof since I have more people actually being able to see my site and I couldn't be happier with the price and service.

If you are looking for a reliable, affordable and convenient web hosting service, then I highly recommend Micfo. You can visit their site by following this link: Micfo.com I am greatly pleased with these folks and plan to be with them for the life of my business.

Become a Money Saving Expert and Get Free Groceries.

2011-01-23T11:39:00.005-05:00

Let's face it, we could all use a little savings when it comes to our grocery bills. I am going to show you how you can become a saving money expert and get your groceries for Free! That's right, Free Groceries!

Do you remember when groceries were not so expensive? With everything happening in our economy, grocery prices are continually sky rocketing to meet demand and for the grocery stores to make a small profit on each sale. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that can shop at a small community store that is "customer friendly" when it comes to prices. But, presumably, most likely you are like almost all of us. Having to shop at one of the chain stores like Wal-Mart, Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, Bi-Lo, Ingles, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter an the like. These stores have some of the highest priced food in the industry and they constantly raise prices to meet their economical needs.

Right now, there are over 50,000 people just like you already getting their free groceries. And, like you, they read a similar article like this one that showed them where to go in order to learn how to do it and then they took action. But before I tell you where to find this free report, I have one more exciting thing to tell you.

Not only are you going to receive free groceries, you can also participate in the business opportunity of helping others get free groceries as well. I bet there are folks that you know who would love to save on their grocery bill. So why not benefit from showing them how to do it? And, it becomes residual income for you and your family. So, in short, you are about to learn how to receive free groceries and how to earn a nice income from showing others how to do it as well.

All you have to do is take action. For the free report about receiving free groceries, Click Here.
To learn about this amazing business opportunity, Click Here.

Account Receivable Turnover. Using a Dept Recovery service to Get Results.

2011-01-22T06:53:00.007-05:00

As everyone in the trucking industry knows, collecting debt from customers can be cumbersome at times to say the least. Using a collection service to complete this task is by far the most cost effective way to go when trying to collect dept from customers. It also takes the pressure off of you when you have more productive things to do with your time.

By using the "right" collection agency for your business you can rest assure that they will diligently work to collect your earnings from clients because that is what they specialize in. Your account receivable turnover rate will improve by using a collections firm which will, in turn, cause your company to be more profitable.

There is one company in particular that I recommend for your business. WCG is an industry leader in Accounts Receivable Management and provides a professional approach while collecting debt for you from your customers. They provide many outstanding services such as Commercial Debt recovery, Legal Dept recovery, Business Services, Customer Services, Fast Track Remit and more! WCG has a global presence and can design a program that specifically fits your needs whether it be domestic collections or collections abroad. They also have a network service that may be utilized to meet with your debtors Face to Face anywhere in the United States.

WCG (Williams, Cohen and Gray Inc.) has a professional staff of accounts receivable professional experts ready to work for you. Visit http://www.wcgcollects.com and find out more about this outstanding service or you may call them toll free at 800-398-0830.

Surveys online for Cash. Is it really possible?

2011-01-19T19:46:00.004-05:00

Author:

Jason Hilton

Taking surveys and earning cash and/or rewards has become an awesome supplement for my wife and me. My name is Jason and I take surveys online for cash and for items like TV\'s, trips, cars, laptops. You name it, I have earned it through surveys. But it didn\'t come free to us.

A few years ago, my family and me were seeing some hard times with money and such. I was the only one working and barely making enough money to pay the bills. My wife had suggested we try to do something at home to make extra money on the weekends. So we started out doing yard sales and flee markets, but those took up a lot of our time and got cumbersome after a few months. Not to mention we weren\'t making enough money to amount to anything really.

I began searching online for ways to make quick cash from home using the computer. I bought a couple of programs costing me a total of $249 after all was said and done. I read all the material, did all the steps (at least I think I did it right) and did not even make my money back. I was torn about making money from home and convinced that it couldn\'t be done.

My wife, however, took a different approach. She called me on my phone one day and asked me what do I think about taking surveys for cash and for rewards like the items I mentioned above. I asked her how much did it cost and she said, nothing but a few minutes of time. I told her to go for it since we didn\'t have anything to lose on the deal.

I came home from work after being gone for 4 days (I am a truck driver) after that phone call. My wife, Janee\', was waiting for me with a huge smile on her face. She said, 'Guess what?'. That usually means she bought something she shouldn\'t have. I asked her what was up and she took me to the computer and showed me that she had earned $115 for doing surveys over that past 4 days.

When she asked for payout and we received the money she had earned, I was then convinced that it can be done. I was also stoked enough to get it on it myself. That was 4 years ago.

My wife and I have made, with rewards and cash total, an additional $18,332 in the past 4 years. Now I know that\'s not breaking the bank, but we only do the surveys 3 times per week on an average of 2 hours per day. That is equivalent to $14 per hour from home. And it can be ramped up if we choose to, but we like spending most of our free time with the children.

If this is something that you think would be good for you and your family, then my wife and I recommend beginning with Survey Adventure. There is absolutely no cost and they are a fun research company to work with. So, have fun an good luck!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/surveys-online-for-cash-is-it-really-possible-4062363.html

About the Author

I'm sometimes intense, sometimes not. Always patriotic. Very passionate about what I believe in, ferociously loyal and protective to those I care about...completely firm in my faith.

DOT revises proposed Mexico cross border program.

2011-01-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

The Obama administration Thursday released an outline of what the resumption of a cross-border trucking program with Mexico would look like, in an effort to stem the ongoing dispute that has led to Mexico putting tariffs on some U.S. goods.

The principles are similiar to the program established by the Bush administration but was shuttered by Congress in 2009.

While the Department of Transportation said more details would be coming in the next few months, “concept document” is available on DOT’s website (PDF).

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood presented the outline — which calls for safety audits of Mexican carriers wishing to enter the United States and enhanced monitoring of trucks taking part in the program — to Congress and to Mexico for consideration.

Rod Nofziger, director of government affairs for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told Transport Topics that the driver group “appreciated” DOT allowing for review and comment of its proposal, but said “they seem to be missing our primary objections,” which include potential safety issues of Mexican trucks.

In an effort to reopen the border, Mexico has imposed tariffs on dozens of goods accounting for billions of dollars of trade between the two countries.

Mexico Trucking is in the News again.

2011-01-12T16:17:00.004-05:00

Here is the link to the original article: http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-national.php?Id=76&yr=2011

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week announced an initial concept document for a long haul cross-border Mexican trucking program that prioritizes safety, while satisfying the United States' international obligations. The initial concept document, which has been shared with Congress and the government of Mexico, will serve as a starting point in the renewed negotiations with Mexico.

Initial response to the Obama Administration's announcement has been one of optimism in the hopes that it will lead to an agreement with the Government of Mexico to end the retaliatory tariffs U.S. manufactured and agricultural exports.

Since 2009, the tariffs imposed by Mexico have significantly impacted U.S. agricultural exports.

On Monday, however, the Mexican government said at a meeting in Mexico City of the North American Free Trade Agreement ministers that while it will not add more goods or change the tariff list, it will continue levying a tariff on all products currently on the list.

This Week's Average PPG of Diesel Fuel

2010-01-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

By Truck Parts & Service Staff

The average retail price of a gallon of diesel slid for the second consecutive week, this time falling 3.7 cents to $2.833 for the week ending Monday, Jan. 25. The price, which had climbed 15.3 cents in the three weeks prior to last week’s 0.9-cent decline, is still 56.5 cents higher than the same week last year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

All regions tracked by the DOE saw prices decreases. The biggest decrease, 4.4 cents, was found in both the Lower Atlantic ($2.823) and Midwest ($2.790, the nation’s least expensive diesel by region). The smallest decrease, 1.0 cent, was found in both the New England ($3.055, the nation’s most expensive diesel by region) and Rocky Mountain ($2.817) regions.

California, which the DOE tracks separately for its weekly update, saw a price decrease of 2.1 cents to $2.987; that price is 69.1 cents higher than last year.

JB Hunt's 4th Quarter Earnings Report

2010-01-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

Reps for J.B. Hunt Transport Services said their fourth-quarter profit fell to $41.7 million. That is equivalent to 32 cents per share. That number is also down from $55.3 million a year earlier. (41 cents per share)

The Arkansas based carrier lost near $3 million dollars in comparison to revenue from a year earlier.

Their Intermodal activity rose 15% by volume and 1% by income, but the gain was demolished by lower fuel surcharges and sharply lower freight rates across the company’s businesses, reported the Associated Press.

Their Truckload operation's income loss was $1.3 million, compared with a $4.4 million loss a year prior, while income fell 9% to $118 million.

All of the operations under the JB Hunt name has had a loss of revenue in comparison with the year prior.

J.B. Hunt has a ranking of No.8 on the Transport Topics listing of 100 U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

2010-01-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

"BUFFALO, N.Y. -- State police say a trucker was watching porno movies on his laptop computer when his truck struck a disabled car on the New York State Thruway near Buffalo, killing the car driver.

Thomas Wallace, of Brook Park Ohio, was put in jail. He's been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of 33 year old Julie Stratton from the Buffalo suburb of Snyder. She had 3 children.

Wallace was being held in Genesee County Jail on Wednesday. It was unknown whether he had an attorney to represent him.

Detectives say Wallace also violated federal trucking rules by sleeping no more than 4 of 27 hours before the accident. Stratton's car was hit soon after she called 911 to report she'd hit a deer east of Buffalo."

I found this article on the web and I have to say that there is no more of a loser than this guy. No concern for anyone but his own needs/wants. To kill someone in this manner because of your own sexual fetish. Mr Wallace just HAD to watch that filth while driving his truck to get his rocks off, and now there are 3 children that have to grow up without their mother because of this a**hole.

Life teaches us lessons everyday doesn't it?

Down Comes the Ban Hammer for Texting Truckers

2010-01-28T10:27:00.000-05:00

I find this hilarious how local governments are trying to figure out how to enforce the new "No Texting while Driving" law that has been imposed on truckers and commercial operators. You cannot tell me that the local law enforcement hasn't figured out the psychology that is behind setting laws like this.

What DOT and federal government are attempting to do here is set the law into place that will effect the thinking of %80 of all motorists. You see, they know that there is no real way to enforce this because there is really no way of depicting what someone is doing on their cell phone or texting device unless you are in the same vehicle with that person.

Statistically, 81% of people will naturally follow the law as it is written so says lawmakers. If they can get 81% of motorists to stop texting while driving then they will have successfully enforced the law without actually doing the leg work. In my opinion, if the stats are correct, then this will be a tremendous victory for lawmakers and the accident/death toll will significantly decline among the trucking and general motorists community. I say truckers should endorse this and not condemn it. It might just save your or someone in family's life.

Text Messaging Banned In Commercial Vehicles While in Operation.

2010-01-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

Driving along today I heard a news clip on the radio stating that texting while operating a commercial vehicle has been banned by the DOT. I really couldn't believe my ears that the government had to actually pass a law stating truckers and commercial operators are not to text or email while driving.

Was this really necessary? What real truck driver would be ignorant enough to even attempt to text while operating an 80,000 lb vehicle? That is ludicrous to say the least. I have to come to expect this type of behavior from young motorists, but not from truck drivers. How to truckers explain themselves when they have been involved in an accident because they were distracted by texting? Probably something like this, "Umm, I am sorry your wife/son/daughter/husband/brother/sister/aunt/grandmother (et cetera) was killed by my negligence to operate safely due to me texting my friend about last nights football game. I am sorry I felt it was more important to talk trash about my team winning the game instead of operationg this 40 ton vehicle safely around your family. It won't happen again, I promise."

Let's face it, if fatal crashed have not happened because of trucker texting while driving, then this law would not be needed in the first place. I am still looking for the professional drivers out there. I know they exist.

Cracking down on Distracted Driving.

2010-01-25T21:20:00.000-05:00

As of today there are 19 states that prohibit the practice of text messaging while driving and there are currently 23 more states in the process of passing similar legislation. This is a sign that other states are starting to keep up with the neighbors so to speak.

Again I think that this is a move in the right direction to have safer operations on the highway. We should not have to worry about being slammed by someone who was distracted because if text messaging. The more I think about it, the more I realize how ignorant this practice really is. I mean let's face it, how dumb can people really get? Texting while driving?? It's moronic to say the least and I am being nice about it.

Oh, and Senator Charles Schumer of New York has introduced federal legislation to ban all texting and/or emailing while driving. And for the states that do not take part in this will risk losing up to 25% of their federal highway funding! Way to go senator.

Truckers Rules are Changing, New Accountability.

2010-01-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

Last week I was made aware that starting this summer (2010) Truck drivers will now be labeled with a safety score much like the score that is given to Trucking Companies. Not only will the score reflect the driver, but will also have bearing on the company he/she drives for. Speeding, weight tickets, log violations and even warnings will be recorded and reported to reflect the individual score of a truck driver. Anything that happens in or out of the truck that can be called a violation will be added to the drivers score card.

What do I think about this????

I love it. The idea is exactly what the federal gov should have been doing all along. Of course we will hear all the negativity that the driver community will have in regards to being "marked" for destruction. But think about it, drivers will not only be effecting their records as a professional driver, but they will be effecting everyone that is involved in their career. That is a HUGE burden to carry around thus making me believe that the not so safe drivers will become safe and the already safe drivers will become phenomenally safe.

I mean let's face it, in recent years the number of under qualified truckers has sky rocketed (meaning drivers that have only a few weeks in the truck) and bad habits are being developed quicker than ever because those newbies were simply turned loose into a truck to soon. The "Old Timers" have set ways that would make the DOT throw them under the jail if given the chance and then there is the middle driver. The one that does things correctly and thinks he/she is better than every other driver out there. The new law will make it FAIR and EQUAL to everyone no matter what their experience.

Making the drivers accountable for every violation by marking them with a score that ALL DOT officers can see on their computers is not only smart, it's practical and should have already been implemented years ago. Trucking companies will be more selective when choosing their drivers because of the drivers safety score and the drivers will be more aware of what they doing due to the fact of how easy of a target they will become if they foul up. Not to mention truck drivers will be aware of their hire-ability if they screw up their score with unsafe operation.

What do you think? Comment or vote on the pole in the right column!

2010-01-24T20:37:00.001-05:00

About 45 people who work at Sunbury Transport's head office in Fredericton have been told the office is being merged with RST Industries in Saint John.

"We're going to combine them and operate them out of McAllister Drive, which is where RST is located in Saint John," said J.D. Irving Ltd. spokeswoman Mary Keith.

She said the decision to close Sunbury's Alison Boulevard offices and consolidate with RST was a business decision.

Sunbury's main customers are in the industrial area of Saint John and at the port.

"It makes more sense to have them redeployed closer to the customer base," Keith said.

Company officials met with the Fredericton-based employees Tuesday to inform them of the decision.

The transition is going to occur over a six-month period, Keith said.

She said the company will work with employees to find out who would like to relocate to Saint John.

"For those who choose to remain, we will also be working with those folks to find other assignments based on their qualifications at other JDI locations or other possible placements they may wish to pursue."

Asked whether jobs will be lost through the consolidation, Keith said: "The first step obviously is to see who would move to Saint John."

The employees work in the company's operations, fleet management and dispatch areas.

"People are obviously taking the opportunity to think about what this means for themselves and their families,'' she said. "We wanted to provide people with enough advance notice of the intended change.

"We will be working with the employees as this transition continues through the next six months."

Mayor Brad Woodside said he got a call from Keith on Thursday afternoon, informing him of the decision.

"I was very disappointed," he said. "They told me this was a business decision, these were difficult times.

"I expressed my disappointment, (and I) feel badly for people affected."

Keith said the company will be looking for a new tenant for the Alison Boulevard building in Fredericton come summer.

Obama Nobel Peace Prize? How the?

2009-10-09T10:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I may not be the most intellegent man in the world, but did President Obama just receive the peace prize "before" he was able to establish any peace in the world? I mean, c'mon people. Nothing that he has promised, as far as peace goes, has any merrit nor has it bore any fruit. There has certainly been no evidence to warrant Barrak Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Giving Obama the Peace Prize is like giving a School Teacher the Navy Cross when he/she has never been in the military, it simply makes no sense.

New FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro

2009-06-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

Obama's administration nominated Anne Ferro late Thursday to lead the FMCSA and she is no stranger to the transportation industry. She is currently the President and CEO
of the Maryland Motor Truck Association and has a long history as a truckers advocate.

Her track record with the MMTA clearly shows that she is by far one of the best candidates to fill the FMCSA head position. She has fought for more truck parking along interstates in Maryland, disputed toll increases and supported truck driver training just to mention a few.

Given Farro's reputation as "trucker friendly" will make the trucking community step with better posture and maybe create a few more trucker smiles along the way.

Trucking taking new Routes due to Recession

2009-05-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

Sometime in the past quarter, the wheels came off the less-than-truckload industry.

LTL carriers face their biggest economic challenge since deregulation in 1980, and companies are having to adapt to a changing LTL landscape and changing shipper distribution patterns to survive the recession.

Unlike truckload carriers, LTL operators’ heavy reliance on a network of cross-dock terminals and a large fleet of trucks requires a steady volume of freight to soak up fixed costs. That business model has collapsed under its own weight in this recession without the consumer demand to prop it up.

A new model is rising from the rubble, and it includes some different and unusual faces: Third-party logistics operators, brokers and even truckload carriers looking for new sources of freight are quite willing to dip into the LTL pool for market share.

“We’re getting a lot of LTL opportunities from truckload type customers where we can manage the relationship pretty effectively because we already know them and are doing business with them,” said John P. Wiehoff, chairman and CEO of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, a third-party logistics company and transportation broker.

The $8.5 billion company is still expanding its LTL traffic, although at a slower pace. It increased its LTL volume percent in 2008 and 5 percent in the first quarter, even as volumes plunged at asset-based LTL carriers.

It’s not just large multimodal companies that are after LTL shippers’ freight. Oklahoma City-based Smart Lines, a truckload broker, recently launched an LTL division to capture smaller shipments that could be aggregated into truckload shipments.

“Ultimately, the cost differential is huge if you can do it,” said Greg Roush, president of the company and whose grandfather, Carroll Roush, founded onetime national LTL giant Roadway.

But truckload carriers facing falling volumes also are putting more of their gaping capacity onto spot markets looking for even smaller LTL shipments to get revenue out of their trucks, and that’s helping pull down pricing.

“The truckload carriers are eating into the LTL business,” said Satish Jindel, principal at SJ Consulting. “And you have more 3PLs working with shippers looking for ways to optimize their transportation. Where do the savings come from? It comes from the skin of the carrier.”

And those LTL carriers are operating with plentiful trucking capacity chasing business. A report by investment research firm Avondale Partners released last week said 480 trucking companies went out of business in the first quarter. They were mostly small companies, however, holding only about 1 percent of the market.

Avondale analyst Donald Broughton said the failure rate for trucking companies in the first quarter was only about half what it was in the same period last year. Falling fuel prices, he said, likely have helped some financially troubled companies survive after some stepped to the precipice last year.

“The industry has not seen the bankruptcies that took capacity out after 2001,” Jindel said. “Instead, you have had a couple of new players, UPS and FedEx, coming in and bringing a new approach in dealing with pricing and service. They have brought brand names, new technology and a new value proposition to the market. Many LTL carriers haven’t known how to respond.”

YRC Worldwide, the nation’s third-largest trucking operation by revenue, has come to symbolize the LTL industry’s dilemma.
YRC racked up a $257.4 million loss in the first quarter. That followed a $244.4 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 and a $974.4 million loss for the full year.

YRC merged its two national long-haul carriers, Yellow Transportation and Roadway, on March 1, to create YRC National Transportation, a move most financial analysts and industry experts believed overdue. But that integration — accelerated in a rapidly weakening competitive landscape — led to service disruptions that YRC admits cost the carrier customers, at least temporarily. It also led to more price-slashing by competitors, led by nonunion carriers FedEx Freight and Con-way Freight.

So far, the $9 billion LTL giant has survived the storm. It still controls more than 20 percent of the LTL market, even after seeing average tons per day fall 29.5 percent at YRC National and 27.7 percent at its YRC Regional business in the first quarter compared to the first three months of 2008.

And the storm is still rising, as LTL carriers of all stripes chase rapidly declining tonnage with intense price cuts.

Aggressive bidding by shippers and carrier discounting led to a 6.8 percent year-over-year decline in pricing in the first quarter among the publicly traded LTL carriers. Yield among the major LTLs was down 6.7 percent for the quarter compared to the same period last year as tonnage for the carriers plunged 17.3 percent.

The battle to the bottom is showing little sign of slowing down. “We’re seeing LTL carriers get very aggressive on spot volume quotes,” said Jeffrey G. Tucker, CEO of Tucker Co., a Cherry Hill, N.J.-based freight broker. “They’re using their smaller 28-foot (trailers) to take freight at rock-bottom prices.” Tucker estimates those prices to be 40 to 50 percent below what they were before freight volumes began a steady decline two years ago.

Con-way, the country’s sixth-largest trucking company last year with $3.5 billion in trucking revenue, had an operating loss of $150.3 million in the first quarter, including a massive goodwill write-down charge. That compares with a profit of $54 million in last year’s first quarter. Although Con-way lost money in the first two months of the quarter, the company said it returned to profitability in March, thanks to a seasonal upturn in business and market share gains.

“There are some signs that our freight volumes may be nearing a bottom,” Con-way President and CEO Douglas W. Stotlar said. “However, feedback from our customers as well as trend data for industrial output and inventory levels indicate that shipping volumes are likely to remain restrained, certainly for the short term.”

Arkansas Best, which like YRC manages unionized labor force across a sprawling LTL network, lost $29 million in the quarter as revenue fell 23.3 percent to $323.1 million. Tonnage per day decreased 15.7 percent in the same period, and its operating ratio, a key measure of operating efficiency, worsened to 108.3 percent from 97 percent in first-quarter 2008.

Arkansas Best and its ABF Freight System business says a new round of cutbacks mean the trucker will be about 20 percent smaller than it was only three years ago.

Even UPS Freight, which has been reaping significant cross-selling benefits from parcel shippers using its express delivery parent, conceded it fell into the red starting in the second quarter.

Still, UPS Freight spokesman Ira Rosenfeld, pointing to recent service enhancements and the rollout of the company’s Quantum View visibility tool, said the carrier remains focused on growth beyond the downturn.

“We are not pulling back, we are expanding,” he said.

“Yes, the pie is getting smaller. But that business is moving to better companies that are adding services and expanding their networks,” Rosenfeld said. “We are focused on expanding our share of the market and positioning ourselves for the recovery.”

Some of UPS’s customers are positioning themselves for the recovery as well, but not by expanding. Specialty food manufacturer and retailer Hickory Farms is paring down its rail and truck networks and building stronger relationships with fewer carriers. The move is designed not only to shave costs but also to prepare for a stronger economy with the potential of stronger but fewer carriers from which to choose.

“We’re not going to take the easy dollars now,” said Ty Hanline, director of logistics for Hickory Farms. “A lot of carriers are throwing up whatever rates they can to keep trucks moving on both the LTL and truckload side. We want to build partnerships for the longer term. My style is to build relationships and do systemic things, not just beat up carriers on price.”

Mark Whittaker, vice president of transportation at Pepsico, which uses LTL and truckload for moving freight from manufacturers to distribution facilities, is also strengthening relationships in anticipation of tighter capacity and fewer players.

“We’re trying to keep these guys viable by giving them a good book of business to help reduce the inefficiencies in their business,” Whittaker said. “If I have a location that’s delaying our carriers, I have it fixed so trucks aren’t sitting there idling just because we don’t have our act together. You can’t take your eye off the fact these guys have to be there for you whether the environment favors shippers or carriers. No short-term plays are going to help you in long run.”

Tighter relationships among carriers and shippers will help each secure freight and capacity when the economy bounces back, but a turnaround could take longer than predicted.

Debra Pluchino, vice president of freight broker and logistics company GMG Transportation, estimates trucking rates have dropped to the lowest levels in 10 years.

“I think it will take the industry several years to recoup that,” she said. “But there has to be a turnaround if we want to maintain quality transportation.”
If YRC survives long enough to boost service and rebuild its profit, the carrier could act as a further check on rates once the economy turns around, with shippers as the beneficiaries.

“I feel good about our national integration, and I think it will improve our position as a market leader,” said William D. Zollars, YRC chairman, president and CEO.

But Zollars can’t control the recession, which places more pressure on YRC to perform every day. The carrier is in danger of breaching covenants on its senior loans if it doesn’t have minimum earnings of $45 million in the second quarter or meet other minimums later in the year.

Zollars also can’t control the credit agencies, which on April 27 revised YRC’s credit standing from positive to negative because of the company’s poor quarterly results and the state of the LTL market.

“YRC is hard to predict,” Jindel said. “It depends on what happens with (pro-labor legislation), the economy and the competition — too many variables, not to mention what they do to manage the business model that they have in front of them.

http://www.joc.com/node/411226

More and More Applications Flood Trucking Companies

2009-03-07T11:39:00.001-05:00

The recession is clearly harmful for most companies these days, but for the transport industry, is, in fact, gives them the momentum.

Truck companies reported a significant increase in the number of applications, which allows them to be more selective in whom to hire. Last year, 50 percent reported an increase in the number of applications.

In addition, you will not be looking for workers. D.M. Bowman reduce its expenditure on advertising by 60 percent.

While many businesses will be forced out of service, DM Bowman will still be around. In addition, the company, other than in the engine business, and Lay on holiday, and they are currently working in the automotive industry a stable career.

"In the 32 years that Ive hire truck drivers, a very unusual time, said Gary Kelly, Vice-President of Driver Services DM Bowman. This is a time when we have company in his own driver's seat on the provision of people."

Mike Whitcomb, a truck driver at DM Bowman, said: "You show me every week when the house of my salary, and his hands and thank you for what you do for me."

Congress to Cut Funds for Mexico Pilot Program

2009-03-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

U. S. Congress is preparing to cut off money for the pilot program, which paved the way for more than 500 vehicles from 100 Mexican operators to drive deep into the U.S.. U.S. allowed only a handful of Mexican trucks to travel abroad in the southern region, while it agreed when it signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, that the Mexican trucks full access to U.S. roads since 1995. If the U.S. is not in accordance with the agreement of NAFTA, Mexico could retaliate, for example, targeted placement, or to raise tariffs on American goods. If funding for this program was finally terminated by Congress, Mexico will keep open its options, said Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, including revenge. "

Gay Marriage in the United States? How can that be?

2009-03-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

Reading over Yahoo news today I noticed the headline, "Gay-marriage battle reignites", and for some reason it struck me hard in the gut. So I thought I would rant a little about the whole gay marriage thing and how it should not be allowed in the United States no matter who supports it or not.

First of all, if you are gay then you are lost..period. According to the Holy Bible you will be burned for eternity and not allowed into the kingdom of heaven because of your homosexuality. That is unless you repent and ask our Lord for forgiveness and change you wicked ways. But you aren't going to do that are you? You think you have the "Human" right to choose your sexuality no matter what the ultimate supreme being says about it. Or you just do not believe GOD exists because if you did then you would not be gay. Or maybe you do believe in GOD and you even worship with a church and still go through life in front of him being gay and thinking that he is going to except you anyway. Or maybe you just do not care?

Whatever the case may be I can tell you this much, even if you do not think homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes then you need to look into the political history of the country you are tarnishing with this evil parade. The morals of which this country was founded on and governed by does NOT ALLOW homosexuality to be publicly displayed. The covenant between a man and a woman is HOLY... Not between a Man and a Man or Woman and a Woman. And our country believes in this and willingly displays it for all to see. You are trying to force a country that has honored this covenant to change it's ways for your selfishness. It's not the other way around because we have believed in a man and a woman ONLY are to be married since the beginning.

You are telling the government that "You HAVE to allow us to be married" when is fact they do not. In fact, the US government has a Biblical right to stone you to death just for being gay. So why do you think that your government should allow Gay's to be married considering the very structure was founded on Biblical morals? Should we bow down to you and change what cannot be changed? Or should we banish you for not living as God intended in the very country he influenced the government of and still does to this day?

Look, I am not one to judge you for your actions or the way you willingly choose, which is a God given talent, to live sexually. But I will tell you this, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you push or advertise your beliefs, you will never change the heart and soul of this Jesus following country. And also you need to be aware that Jesus followers are growing in numbers exponentially thanks to our recessive economy. Your life as a homosexual is going to be much harder in the future as generations are being lead to Christ and some people have even predicted a revolution lead by christians to rid this country of all sin against God.

I think God everyday for the breath in my body and for the treasures he has allowed me to have in my life like my Wife and my 3 children. I am by no means wealthy financially but I am rich with God. He fills my heart with love and my mind with peace. He is the filler of the empty spaces in my life and I can always look to him for guidance when I am off track. He is my provider and my salvation, my love and my joy. Without him my life would be empty and meaningless. I give him all the credit because that is where the credit is due. And the least I can do to show him how much I love him and thank him is to live by his word. Forsaking God is not an option for me and I guess I find it hard to believe that anyone could forsake God.

I hope I have offended some and encouraged others. Once you are a believer in God you will see what I see and follow him with me. Repent and come to Christ before your time runs out. Until then I and many others will pray for the lost souls in hopes that christ will enter their hearts. We already know he is in your mind. All you have to do is act on your feelings and give yourself away to him. It is not to late for you and the time is now.

The Trucking Industry still seeing Many applicants

2009-03-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

El Paso, TX - It was about five years ago, when the license heavyweights have only a handful of people willing to work as a driver.

Well, that's another story.

Truck Driving School in El Paso Community College, a local Mesilla Valley Transportation, said that the class almost doubled in recent months.

While classes are usually 10 students, he is now about 18

"We are twice as likely to recover, but people can not find the money for training, and it is difficult for a Bank loan," said Royal Jones, president of transportation costs for students.

Jones said he believes that the influx of applications in the context of the economic downturn - including housing bust.

"The building was almost a lot of people as drivers, because every night at home ..." Said Jones.

"Now that everything that you, many people have circulation figures."

Jones said, driving, even at the local or national companies with good wages and benefits for travel throughout the country.

But a big advantage of this decline is that graduates of the class start time is still a work guaranteed.

"We have 100% of the procedure. Everyone, graduates of this school, my work," says Jones.

Trucking Industry is More Competitive

2009-03-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

There has been a layoff at a time when people are looking for work, thinking of going on the road to open.

The Illinois Trucking Association, in the past 12 months, 106,000 truck driving jobs nationwide dropped. More than 25,000 pieces were made in January alone.

Right now it is 8.5% unemployment rate in the truck driving industry.

However, some say there is no job - it is a competitive field.

Don Hill's return to a new page in the career.

"I am determined to graduate in the middle."

This fracture Lake College truck driving students to enter the labor force. It will be a major change from his last job as a priest.

"I was a priest in a small church in Sturgis, Kentucky for 2 years, but finances are melted. Foreign trip and return Zeigler - it's 80 miles one way," says Hill.

He is not the only one who threw the truck driver as a reliable solution.

"We have re-trained miners and factory workers," says instructor Rodney college summers.

Summers says is needed for truck drivers, but the industry is changing as truck driving companies engaged in the economy weakened.

"Some companies have short-term freeze on hiring. Some have cut their fleets."

Plus, it is a pool of candidates larger so that businesses can be more selective.

"At one point, you must employ many speed tickets."

Are now looking for better and better.

Summers, said he does not rip Lake students in good position, because the truck driving program has a strong reputation.

"We still have students work, but should apply to some companies," says summers.

Don Hill is optimistic.

"I have a feeling that there will always be needed. America is going in the car."

Given that people turn to focus on green energy, can have a positive impact on the functioning of the truck. Will be a truck to haul drivers for products such as grains for ethanol and equipment for solar and wind technologies.

State to Ban Diesel idling - Another one :/

2009-03-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

The roar of diesel trucks idling in a rest stop is a sound familiar to many travelers. Drivers of trucks and buses, motorcycles routine at the time of the interruption of the supply of heat or air conditioning in the cabin and electricity to the radio and refrigerator. Persistence engine also eliminates the need for a "cold start" that is very difficult to bearings, seals and other engine parts.

But growing concerns about air pollution - not to mention the cost of fuel - on the basis of the 21 states laws that the idle time their operators diesel platform. In stand-by oil can burn through half liters of fuel per hour, while spewing pound of soot, ozone and carbon dioxide.

Large platforms do not have much gas to the start of the course - eight miles per gallon on a good day.

"The price of fuel is only number one concern of all in the field now," said Patrick George, Account Manager of Transport Refrigeration Inc. in Madison.

A wealth of new technologies to minimize or IRTs hours truck drivers can turn off the engines, without great loss of heat, air conditioning or power in the cabin. Device, basically a small diesel engine and to prevent the main engine heat, while you are disabled.

Wisconsin does not have a diesel engine idle codes, but probably at the next meeting of the legislature.

A bottleneck was the development of the principles that everyone can try to bus companies and lorries pay for the addition of units to minimize their fleet. The devices may be the price of $ 1,000 to $ 10,000, while the producers claim that the units pay for themselves within a year.

"Any company can save on fuel, it can reinvest in the company, and not people," said Dawn Fenton, the political director of the Diesel Technology Forum Frederick, Md.

For the last two years, Wisconsin has a program that the Ministry of Commerce, which has matching grants to help truckers buy diesel equipment to a minimum. Nearly 1,100 units were installed by about 4 million dollars for grants.

The estimates are the new technologies have helped to save 2.7 million liters of diesel fuel, reducing air pollution, especially particulates, also known as soot.

But the program is not included in Gov. Jim Doyle, the new budget, this horse Flak interests and environmentalists. Spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce said Tony Hozeny minimize program is designed to expire after the call begins.

"We have tried to pump on the main new technologies can not pump," said Hozeny.

Hozeny possible, said a number of federal funds may be used in Wisconsin, it is possible for 1.7 million dollars, that would help truckers buy more equipment to minimize forward.

"It's not that they do not like the program, but the budget was already under the microscope," he said.

Last year, Dane County Supervisor Brett Hulsey called for a ban on diesel idling Dane County, says that the protection of air quality, while helping to save fuel.

But the regulation is not very dynamic. So Hulsey worked with the State Wide industry standards eliminates the problem of truck drivers to prevent petrol station stops in areas where the engine is prohibited.

Hulsey said at least to the rule of law should include the school, which usually line up the rear for loading and unloading of students.

"I saw that the investigation in line for three or four carriages, ending with the same quality of air in the bar and smoke," he said.

According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, diesel exhaust contains significant levels of small particles, known as fine particles.

The fine particles are a serious threat to health because they are through the nose and throat and lodge in the lungs, making lung damage and death. They can also aggravate conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Trucking big companies in Wisconsin, the transport of about 83 percent of all goods produced in the state last year. Green Bay-based Schneider National the largest haul road nation. A Chicago to Minneapolis corridor along Interstate 94 is regarded as one of the best driving roads in the country.

Wisconsin but also as a leader in the manufacture of equipment that helps to eliminate air pollution from diesel engines.

Last year, based on Universal Silencer Stoughton has sold about 300 systems, emission control systems for use on diesel generators as a permanent backup or extract. The company - which also muffler for large diesel engines - Cummins was taken by the former Nelson Industries Inc. of Stoughton, about a year ago.

"We are in green technology," says Brian Kahl, CEO of Universal Emission Technologies. "First, remove the noise (Diesel), and now part of the emissions."

Transport Refrigeration in Madison East in the area to install equipment to the minimum has helped the company by the economic downturn. Company trucks costumes "TriPac system built by Thermo King.

"This is about 80 percent of our business, but that is due to the fact that the shipment is dropped off so much," said George.

Indeed. Recent data from the American Trucking Association in the United States shows that the truck tonnage fell by nearly 15 percent in December - an indication of strong economic slowdown.

For its part, Wisconsin Hulsey believes has a future in the production of biodiesel from agricultural crops and production of trucks and buses cleaner technologies.

"Wisconsin is the Saudi Arabia of clean diesel engines," he said.

Trucking Freight Still Going South.

2009-03-01T00:29:00.000-05:00

2/26/2009
To call it "the worst market in the next generation," the contract of carriage is a methodology for estimating the firm FTR Associates released its mid-month North American Commercial Truck and Trailer Outlook report flash this week, in a further weakening of demand of goods and equipment.

The level of economic activity has dramatically deteriorated in the first quarter of deep cuts already registered in the fourth quarter of 2008, the industry experienced a sharp decrease in the volume of freight transport is the same with very low levels of a recession in 1982.

Download fell 7 percent year over year in January after a decline of 10 percent in December. For years, you can download now expected to fall 7.3 percent in 2009, which is much worse than expected drop of 3.5 percent from nearly two months ago.

FTR expected annual tonnage cargo drops to -10.3 percent in the second quarter before the beginning of a slow rise to the increasingly stressful -6.6 percent in the fourth quarter of this year.

FTR requests amount of overcapacity in the market, "disturbing". The latest forecasts show utilization remains below 70 percent in the third quarter of this year. "Many drivers are losing money at those levels."

For Truckers that promises ever-increasing pressure on prices during the summer months. In combination with access to credit tightening that last number is translated into a very low production numbers of trucks. Already low level in January, which is the highest in the year.

The North American Class 8 demand weakens with the activity in January are running at an annual rate of just 93,500 pieces. FTR is a methodology for estimating production of North American shipments of Class 8 trucks of less than 125,000 in 2009.

Eric Stark, president of FTR, also shows how the negative thing, see: "The economic slowdown puts us on the way to -10 per cent of freight years. The worst market for generation."

The full report is available to participants at the beginning of March, an overview of some key indicators, FTR is a tracking software to understand the potential economic bottom has been reached.

Prices of Diesel Fuel are Still getting Lower

2009-02-28T12:52:00.001-05:00

2/24/2009
Diesel prices continue their downward trend in the average selling price of 5.6 cents lower this week at $ 2.13, depending on the number of weekly U. S. Energy Information Administration.

That is $ 1422 less than the price a year ago. The highest rates were observed in the region of New England, $ 2514. The lowest prices were in the Midwest, at $ 2071, closely followed by the Gulf Coast to $ 2074.

Tips OPEC production next month has little effect on crude oil prices Monday on the New York futures contract fell to $ 38.44 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But this is higher than they were earlier this month, 12 February crude closed at $ 33.98.

Expanison of Truck Driving School to include 3 Midwest Schools

2009-02-28T12:48:00.001-05:00

Roadmaster Drivers School has a contract for the purchase of three schools that constitute the American Truck Training Academy and American Truck Training, located in Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.

The agreement brings the number of driving schools nationally Roadmaster truck to 12. After government approval, the three U.S. locations Roadmaster Drivers School.

"The school of the three places to give us the details with a strong Midwest presence in major transport corridors of goods, which will add value to the list of suppliers depend on the Roadmaster graduates," said President and Chief directed by John Kearney Sr. Roadmaster

Roadmaster Drivers Schools Leads Book also includes: Dunn, NC, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando, Florida, West Memphis, Ark., San Antonio, Texas, and Salt Lake City.

Department of Transportaion Chief Commends Trucking Industry on Safety and Technology

2009-02-27T22:02:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON - Noting that the truck is "critical to the health of our national economy" Transport Secretary Ray LaHood praised the industry for its efforts in the field of security and technology, and urged that the government and private companies to consider "all options and develop a plan to finance the improvement of infrastructure .

LaHood comments came in a speech to the American Trucking Associations' Board of February 24 here.

He said that the management of the driver's truck industry has long been working with the government to solve the problems of transport.

"I can think of no better example than in vehicle safety," said LaHood, noting that the government had reason to promote the commercial transportation will be more secure.

"In each of the last three years, our nation has achieved a significant reduction in the number of deaths related to the truck," he said, adding that at the same time, more and more truck drivers had a safety belt.

In 2004, less than 50 percent of truck drivers had a safety belt, and now the figure is 72 percent, he said.

The Secretary said that he expects the industry to continue to invest in "smart" that new technologies, such as increasing the security front and side collision warning systems, that the alley exit and electronic stability, the factors that the industry is also listed as a contribution to reducing the number of deaths related to the truck.

Security is one of the four areas of emphasis LaHood said that together with the Congress during his confirmation hearings.

The other was the economic, livability and sustainability.

Quality of life includes improving the quality of life for drivers of trucks, LaHood.

"I fear that last year nearly 73,000 jobs have been lost trucks," said LaHood. "In the third quarter of 2008, only 785 trucks running a business with approximately 39,000 truck fleet out of business."

As for the financing of roads, LaHood said the country must be "innovative".

"The charges for me, and privatization is part of the solution, but above all to support this new building," he said. "Taxes on fuel could also be part of the range, but we have to consider all the options and develop a comprehensive, viable plan."

He said:

• medicine, which combines the rules for the certification of medical and commercial licenses came into force on 30 January, as planned

• New sections on the revision was authorized to proceed as planned and entered into force on 17 February. LaHood, he said that many on board were interested in strengthening the knowledge aspect of the principle of federal safety standards for new airlines to operate, and the body, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering the frequency of issue

• Intermodal chassis section is progressing and will be effective June 17,

• Electronic Recorder board principle that was at the Office of Management and Budget in the direction of the White House, was referred to, is still under review.

"We want to ensure that (EOBR rule) is the best rule we can close," said LaHood, promising that the Board will hear more in the country after being informed of the policy options.

LaHood said that the national government drug and alcohol test database is moving forward and to give notice of proposed regulations this year.

He said that the project was also in the upcoming reauthorization debate.

New Bill could Stop the Trucking program with Mexico

2009-02-27T21:54:00.001-05:00

MOSCOW-2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, introduced earlier this week, would eliminate the State Department of Transportation cross-border trucking program with Mexico.

The law, which was released on Monday, ending the pilot program in 2007, which allows each of the trucking companies in Mexico to deliver goods to the limited commercial zone, in the United States of America established the Free Trade Agreement North.

Section 136 of the Act provides that funds appropriated for this bill can be used to "directly or indirectly, to establish, implement and continue to contribute, or in any other way to resolve cross-border road transport demonstration program for Mexicans - motor carriers to operate their home beyond the commercial zones along the international border between the U.S. and Mexico. "

Border Program must be completed in September 2008 but was extended for two years in the Bush administration's Department of Transportation to collect more data.

Last September, the House of U. S. Voted 395-18 to close the program, despite the Bush administration's threats to veto the bill.

The House bill was passed in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which has not acted to the best.

Fuel prices effecting Company Drivers

2008-06-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

I am now starting to notice that the company I drive for is having major problems keeping freight, or finding new freight, due to the freight rates and under bidding. Slowly I have been getting less and less work every week and it looks like it is only going to get worse for my family and me financially.

To make sure I am not the only one noticing this change, I talked to several drivers from different companies to see if they were having similar problems. One driver stated that this time last year she was averaging 2800 miles per week. Now she is averaging 1950 miles per week since January of 2008. Another driver from a different company said that since March of this year Big companies like JB Hunt and Werner Enterprises has taken over some of their major accounts. This caused half of this driver's company to be laid off. He said they have even started hearing rumors that his home terminal is going to be shut down, so his job is in jeopardy.

My wife and I have discussed these issues and how the fuel price is starting to hurt us too. I am even thinking about leaving truck driving and doing some other job until the government figures out that they can't keep relying on foreign oil because it is slowly killing everyone in this country. I have almost decided to quit driving for now. But I do know that I will come back to Trucking once the fuel situation is back under control.

I have "stuck it out" to long, and now it has hurt my family and me. So, for now, I am signing off as a Truck driver. I still love trucking and it pains me to leave the industry, but I have little choice now considering my family situation. And for all you politicians that control where we get our oil from... Shame on you! You have the ability to bring our country back to independence and for some reason you are too chicken shit to change. So as far as I am concerned, you can take you million dollar houses, boats and other things that myself and 300 million other americans have provided for you and stick them where the sun doesn't shine. You are not working for the people anymore and that makes you a peice of _ _ _ _ in my opinion. So keep drawing your checks for sitting on your asses to accomplish nothing and my family and I, like millions of others, will continue to struggle until you wake up and smell reality.

Truckers Call for Help on Diesel Prices

2008-04-26T20:52:00.000-04:00

April 25, 2008 03:32 PM ET Marianne Lavelle

How would you like to pay $1,000 for a fill-up at the gas station? If you drive a truck, you could well be forking over that kind of money a few times a week. The nation's average price of diesel fuel has ratcheted up 24 percent since the start of the year to $4.14 per gallon—that's up 45 percent over a year ago.

The price of oil may be annoyance or hardship for most of us, but it is an outright threat to the livelihoods of many of the people who bring us our food, clothing, electronics, and toys. If you find yourself behind slow-moving trucks on the interstate, flying the American flag, or if you see a convoy of rigs making their way around the streets of Washington, D.C., on Monday, it's the truck drivers' call for help.

Driver Michael "J.B." Schaffner, one of the organizers of a rally planned at the Capitol on April 28, says he's looking for one thing from lawmakers: "To care about the people that employ them. To start listening more than they have been, and start reacting." Schaffner, who was forced by fuel prices to give up driving his own rig last year and now drives for a small company, has heard it said that the market sets the price of oil, and that there's little Congress can do. "They can hide behind that all they want," he says. But he thinks there's plenty that they can do, including such things as taking away Big Oil tax breaks, opening up more U.S. areas for drilling, and getting petroleum alternatives to market.

Schaffner and his brother are getting the word out about the rally through their website, The American Driver, which had 2 million visitors in just the past month (compared with about 1 million visitors all last year.) Another truck driver and rally organizer, Mark Kirsch, says that many of the site visitors are not other drivers, but just other citizens and consumers like them, who are also feeling the pinch. "My paycheck hasn't doubled or tripled in the last year, but with food, fuel, heating oil—everything else has," he says.

While small truckers like Schaffner and Kirsch try to make their voices heard in their way, the big trucking companies also are asking the federal government to act. The American Trucking Association was on Capitol Hill this week asking for a release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Swift Transportation Vice President Dave Berry said that although the SPR doesn't have enough oil to permanently alter supplies, "We believe strategic releases...could temporarily increase the supply of crude oil and hopefully help restore rational behavior to the petroleum markets. This type of government intervention could drive speculators out of the market and help ensure that petroleum prices are once again driven by supply and demand."

Whether we know it or not, we all are paying for that $1,000 fill-up at the gas station. From the first quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, the price that trucking companies charge to haul freight increased 4.8 percent, the American Trucking Association says. That's just about what the increase in food prices were in the first quarter of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "We are very concerned that out-of-control energy prices will greatly magnify our current economic slowdown and delay our economic recovery," Berry testified.

Schaffner puts it another way, "It's the biggest vicious cycle I've ever seen in my life."

Truckers Find Water in Tanks, TCEQ Investigates

2008-04-25T09:43:00.000-04:00

by Sara Talbert - April 24, 2008. See Article Here

ROSS- Broken down and stranded. Some truckers say that is what happened to them after pumping gas at a Central Texas truck stop. They say their engines won't run now and they tell News Channel 25 it's because water is in their tanks.

Those truckers say the company, Exxon, isn't helping them fix their trucks.

"Sounded like it wasn't getting any fuel; which it wasn't. It was getting whatever is in here. It's just messed up the whole truck. It won't run," said Evelyn Gooden, a trucker now stranded because her truck's engine won't start.

She and fellow trucker Danny Haynes fueled their semi's around five Wednesday afternoon and didn't even make it out of the parking lot of the Gator Truck Stop in Ross before their engines shut down.

Thursday, barrels of the fuel, $700 worth, were drained out of Gooden's tanks.

"I was running fine when I came in here; he was fine when he came in here. Kind of funny as soon as we both fuel, we die," said Gooden.

News Channel 25 spoke with Shakil Ali who runs the Exxon station.

"We checked the water, not water in there," Ali said.

Ali showed News Channel 25 of a test result from Wednesday night around 10:30 and Thursday around noon. Wednesday night, no water showed in the underground tank. Thursday, 6.78 inches or 569 gallons were there.

"Heavy rains, then it's a problem. Last night was heavy rains; that's why we have problems that the water is in the tank," said Ali.

In fact, Ali checked the tank for News Channel 25 and sure enough, water was in the tank.

"It's normal. Every people has this problem. Every gas station has problems," said Ali.

News Channel 25 spoke with the Texas Commission on Environmental Equality who said not everyone has this problem. Anna Dunbar with TCEQ said, "Water in the fuel may indicate a problem at the facility. The TCEQ will investigate."

The last time the Gator Truck Stop was inspected was in 2005, but was closed down at the time. TCEQ says there are no complaints on record about the facility.

Truckers Rev Up Diesel Protest

2008-04-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

Friday, April 25, 2008
BY TOM DOCHAT View Article Here
Of The Patriot-News

As fuel prices continued hitting record highs this week, frustrations among motorists escalated.

That has motivated thousands of people from across the country to rally Monday in Washington, D.C., to protest oil prices that are ravaging the national economy and running some independent truckers out of business.

"We're going to let them know that, somewhere along the line, they forgot they work for us," said Myerstown trucker Mark Kirsch, referring to the protesters' intention to demand a meeting with congressional leaders.

The truckers want to meet with Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, who has proposed a federal gas tax moratorium for this summer.

They also hope to meet with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has indicated she might support a temporary moratorium if a windfall profits tax on oil companies put money back into the highway trust funds.

Sen. Barack Obama, who is competing with Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, has opposed McCain's idea. Obama said it's a bad policy because that tax money is needed to maintain the nation's roads and bridges.

Other observers have said McCain's proposal would not do much to help people while taking away valuable support for highway maintenance.

"It is less a quick fix than an oversimplified play to voter concerns over the rising cost of oil," said a statement released last week by Americans for

Transportation Mobility, which represents more than 400 transportation users and providers. "Suspending the fuel surcharge might make a good sound bite, but it is bad public policy."

Clayton Boyce, a spokesman for the American Trucking Association, said his organization is not opposed to the idea, "but we really need to wait and see."

If the federal taxes were suspended, the Highway Trust Fund would need some other revenue source, he said. The trust fund is expected to go broke in 2009, he said.
Without continued funding, the nation faces more highway congestion, and "we'll be wasting more fuel," Boyce said.

Gasoline prices continued to increase this week, and diesel fuel hit a record high of $4.433 Thursday in AAA's Harrisburg/Lebanon/Carlisle market. Suspending the federal tax would cut that per-gallon price to $4.189.

"Like I've said before, it would be a good start," Kirsch said Wednesday. "But they have to do something else. They have to get those speculators off Wall Street. There's a lot of things that can be done."

Diesel Fuel Prices and Trucker Complaints.

2008-04-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

I understand that the fuel prices are affecting the independent truckers in more ways than most people can imagine. However, it pisses me off on how many truckers I hear complaining about the fuel prices, but still they keep driving their trucks! As long as there is a demand for the fuel, then the supply will keep coming and the prices will keep rising. I mean. it's like the truckers are saying, "These damn fuel prices are rediculous and I am tired of it....But I am going to continue to keep paying for the high fuel". Read that quote over and over again until you hear how stupid it sounds in your head.

My point here is, if you are going to keep enabling the oil industry by purchasing their fuels at the prices they are asking, then STOP complaining because it's YOU who are keeping them in business. So in essence, it's YOUR responsibility to put a stop to it. Complainers who enable the subject of the complaint are hypocrites in my opinion. If truckers really want the fuel prices to come down, then Stop driving, grab a pickett sign and head to Washington DC. Be sure to bring boxes of food and coolers of drinks to last a very, very long time. I'd say 4 - 6 months at least. And be prepared to bathe in fountains and public water sources such as lakes and ponds. Oh yea, and bring a tent to park on the capital buidings lawn so you can have somewhere to seek shelter. The government doesn't listen to the CB Radio, drivers. You have to be seen to be heard. So stressing yourself with complaints to other drivers is only going to make you feel miserable. Do something, and stop saying so much and not acting.

Irag truck Driving Jobs start at $100,000 Per Year

2008-01-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate upon the Iraq truck driving jobs. It is a subject of high interest and of much speculation - yet somehow, there are still many US citizens that are looking forward to find jobs like this in Iraq. Without doubt, we are all aware of the risks they involve and the fact that the media covers this subject and then some gives us a large and complex perspective on the matter. But the question is: just how many dangers and risks come along with these Iraq truck driving jobs?

The most significant risk that every truck driver in Iraq is exposed to is represented by the terrorist attacks. And for sure, these should be taken very seriously and one must definitely be aware of these major dangers before applying for the Iraq truck driving jobs. Even worse, the fact is that these attacks can be under various forms, ranging from unexpected bombs on the road to shootings and so on.

We have heard many stories about kidnapping and deaths of truck drivers that had Iraq truck driving jobs. Many of such stories have been brought in the attention of the public as real hero-stories that show just how much individuals are willing to sacrifice in order to get honest work.

Things can get even worse, sadly. The reality is that the terrorists are not the only dangers that are associated with the Iraq truck driving jobs. The truck drivers in Iraq have to deal with very unfortunate living conditions, from lack of accommodation and food to hot temperatures, scorpions in the dessert, dirt and dust everywhere. This can not be a pretty sight, or a good place to work in - yet somehow, some people are still willing to send their curriculum vitae for Iraq truck drivers jobs.

Considering all the above facts, we can only ask ourselves: what exactly determines people to apply for Iraq truck driving jobs? The reasons are numerous and the financial grounds can not be ignored. There are numerous tax facilities in Iraq, in addition to the very high salaries, that can reach even $100,000 per year.

Money is always an important aspect, no one can neglect that. But is it worth it? Basically, there are more reasons that determine so many men to leave their country for these Iraq truck driving jobs. Even though it may be hard to understand or to believe, some of these men want to be near the war action, due to their adventurous and dynamic spirit that embraces danger and risky situations.

The Iraq truck driving jobs are not the only positions available for foreigners. There are wide ranges of jobs that are very well paid and dangerous, at the same time and that still manage to get many applicants. However, the past year especially has shown the fact that the truck drivers are the people that are usually exposed to a variety of terrorist attacks.

The Iraq truck driving jobs are covering a substantial amount of space in the media these days. And considering the number of victims from last year, there is no surprise. Today, there are still numerous candidates for these Iraq truck driving jobs. We can only wish that they come back home to their countries save.

To Become a Trucker

2008-01-19T00:28:00.000-05:00

In order to become a trucker, you need to know your options and weigh which options better fit you and your situation. I have written another article about CDL Training Schools and Trucking Compnaies that offer Free training. Here are some of the companies that I recommend to help you get your trucking career on the fast track.

CDL Schools I recommend and their locations.
American Truck training - This is by far my favorite CDL training school around. They have 4 locations in the US and offer extensive and professional traning for new students. They also have job placement assistance and the people seem to be down to earth and very knowledgale of the trucking profession.

Locations are:
Kansas City, MO - Phone: 888-235-7481 M-F 7:30am to 5pm. Classes start weekly and they also have classes on weekends for those who want to train part time.

Oklamhoma City, OK - Phone: same as above

Tulsa, OK - Phone: same as above

West Burlington, IA - Phone: same as above
If you live near one of these campuses, I highly recommend you train with them. They have financial aid available and many more options than most schools.

If you would like to jump start your career and find the best jobs and schools in your area, then sign up for free at Climber.Com

A Truckers Life!

2007-10-01T12:04:00.000-04:00

A Truckers life is more complicated than most people think. It consists of persitance, consitancy, and sacrifice. Truckers are a special breed of people whom are second to none. The love for the road is great to truckers and the freedom is addictive.

Persistance - Truckers have to deal with adversity everyday in an ever changing environment. The pressures and stress of the road can be compared to being a Judge or a Lawyer. We have to constantly make last second decisions, sometimes effecting life or death. Truckers have to be persistant enough to keep their minds on their jobs in order to keep safety prevelant on the road not just for themselves, but even more so for other motorists. If truckers let their guard down, then bad things can happen.

Consistancy - Drivers are constantly scanning their surroundings. There are so many things that can change in an instant. Dealing with ignorant motorists is one example of change. You never know what people are going to do on the road so drivers have to be consistant with how they operate and deal with changing conditions.

Sacrifice - Drivers sacrifice a lot to be a trucker. Most drivers on the road today have dealt with home time issues, spouse problems due to being gone from home, their kids treating them like strangers when they do come home and also, drivers sacrifice public respect. Most people have no idea what it is like to be a trucker and could care less about trucking. If only they knew! We deliver american commidities to make life easier for those who don't know. We touch Everyone's lives in this country and deal with the fact that people don't care about us. We are treated like trash at most places and the public opinion about truckers is most always negative.

Being a trucker is about true survival in a society that despises trucks and drivers.
We must maintain our respect amongst each other and ignore the idiots who scar our names.

I am thinking about starting a Podcast!

2007-09-30T22:57:00.000-04:00

I have been researching about podcasts over the weekend and I think that I may begin a podcast for truckers. I wonder how many of you would listen to it online?

California to Ban Owner Operators from Ports.

2007-09-29T19:45:00.000-04:00

I only caught a small fraction of the story on my Sirius Radio this week. The part that I heard, and probably all I needed to hear, was that some part of the government is trying to ban owner operators from shuttling containers in and out of the California ports. They claim they are trying to get Old trucks off the road and cut down on polution.

Let me ask you something.. Is banning owner operators the best way to accomplish a better and safer environment? Let me give you the short answer.

Hell No It is Not! All this policy is going to accomplish, and I have said it before, is help people realize how much our government acutally does despise this industry. Why would you try to take the bread and butter off of the plate that feeds you when, if all you want is lower polution and newer trucks, the only thing that need to be done is put in place more strict guidlines on the type of tractors these owner opps are using. Why can't the independent contractors be given a choice to either upgrage their equiptment and use later model trucks?

STOP THIS BULLSHIT! It's not fair to the small business owners. Basically what the government is doing is much like a communist application. They are not saying we will give these drivers a chance to purchase newer model equiptment...no...they are saying we want the independent contractors OUT of our ports and Commercial Trucking companies are In! In my opinion it has nothing to do with Polution or the older model trucks.. This is some politcal bs to help push our industry into more of a mechanism than an out right free to work entity.

And, do you NOT find it funny how close the California ports are to Mexico? This stupid plan is going to ruin the west coast and riddle our highways with Mexican, Old model, Non maintained, High polution trucks! The government is doing this because of their bottom dollar. They will MAKE MORE MONEY for CHEAPER FREIGHT HAULERS!

I think this is a landmark for an upcoming revolution with American Truckers. If drivers do not stand together to fight this type of polical polution, then we are doomed for sure and Mexico may as well just take our trucks too.

Trucking is not for the Weak

2007-09-17T12:41:00.000-04:00

Here is one last gas before I head back onto the road.

Trucking is not for the weak. You have to have a certain mind set to be able to be a truck operator. Here are the dos and don'ts of trucking to help you decide if it is the right industry for you to begin or maintain a carrer in:

Do's:
Be Curteous: You always have to realize that most citizens driving cars, SUVs and Pick-Ups are ignorant to Trucks. For the most part they are not stupid, just uneducated and they think that trucks can operate on the highways the same way their vehicles can.

Keep your Distance: Always maintain a good distance from all other vehicles. This should be on your mind at ALL times. If you need to slow down to get away from others, then do it. Don't think you have the right of way, because no body else thinks you do.

Pull Over: If you get sleepy, Angry, frustrated, or just plain don't care... Then pull over and park so no one else is affected by your potential mistakes. Don't make other motorists pay for your attitude problem or your neglect for safe operation.

Enjoy your Job: Overall, have a good time. Listen to your Sirius Radio or talk to other Truckers on the CB. Sing to yourself, do whatever it takes to have fun. Hell, sometimes I'll make up silly songs just to keep myself laughing. I know it seems strange, but everyone should have their own litle niche to keep them going.

Take Pride in what you do!: This is possibly the most important part of your mind set. Have pride in Trucking. You, after all, are the backbone of this country. Whether or not people realize it, you deliver their lives. We make normal living possible for everyone in the USA. I know we are under a lot of pressure and it seems no one cares for what we do for them, but what if 1 in 1000 people actually do care? To me, that is enough to feel a since of accomplishment in Trucking.

Here are some don'ts:
You are NOT the king of the Road Anymore!: This use to be true back in the days where there were hardly any motorists on the road except for trucks. Now, however, Cars, SUVs and other vehicles out number us 10 to 1. Stop thinking every else should be watching out for you, because they are NOT. You have to be the professional on the road and back down when necessary.

Don't React before you Think: Always think about what you are doing or what you are going to do. Alot of people react and talk before they think about it first. It only takes a split second to devise a thought in your brain, so take that second to stay out of harms way.

Don't get into an Argument with another Trucker over the CB: I know this seems corny, but it is a growing problem on the air ways. Everyday I hear truckers fighting and cursing each other over the radio. Who invented this childsplay? Truckers are supposed to be friendly to each other and stick by each other. If someone is trying to provoke and altercation with you, just turn that knob to the left and shut it off. If you can't find enough self control to turn your CB off, then maybe you should seek out other career opportunities.

I hope my two cents can help some of you get through the everyday tasks invloved with trucking. Be safe ladies and gentlemen, and have a great week on the road!

Danger on the Highways

2007-09-15T19:18:00.000-04:00

Written by Jack Krohn

How many times have you been driving on a highway and the large truck in front of you slowly crosses the yellow line and then, with a jerk, the driver corrects himself and pulls the truck over to the right. That happened to me just two days ago on my way to New Mexico on I25 in Colorado. It can happen anywhere, anytime.

The annual report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that "fatal highway incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal workplace event, accounting for one in every four fatalities nationally in 2005" the latest year they have the figures. Fatal highway incidents rose by 2 percent in 2005, accounting for 1,428 worker deaths.

ONE IN FOUR!

Since 2002 thru 2005 there has been a nearly 25% increase in fatal and non fatal crashes
to 144,742 and the trend continues upward.

All manner of goods from produce to pool tables from tires to textiles are moved around the country by means of the trucking industry. Truckers moreover are the salt of the earth.

Truck drivers, men and women , across the country are a vital cog in the wheel of the economy. Interstate and intrastate commerce largely depends on the trucking industry to get goods from point A to point B. But they are jeopardizing their own lives and the lives of all on the roads with them.

Their profession and resultant way of life leads to some very unhealthy eating habits, sedentary lifestyles-sitting most of the day while driving, and long hours resulting in poor sleeping patterns. They tend to be overweight just like most of their brethren in the rest of the country maybe even more so.

All of these factors lead to pre diabetes, Syndrome X and sleep apnea and eventually to diabetes.

The threat they pose of "sleep driving" or just falling asleep at the wheel is every bit as serious as an intoxicated driver and maybe more so. A study showed that people with sleep apnea were seven times more likely to have multiple car accidents.

There are a variety of devices that can keep drivers awake if they are suspect. The 'nap zapper' is the most popular and effective. You attach it to your ear. When it detects a nodding motion of your head as though you are dozing off an alarm goes off waking you and the occupants of the vehicle.

Truck Stops - Trick or Treat

2007-09-15T19:15:00.001-04:00

Written By - Suzanne At Coops

Any trucker will tell you that a truck stop that treats truckers like kings and queens is a good place to stop. In recent years, many of the old time trucking hang outs have closed their doors, leaving mainly the big boys of truck stops- Travel Centers of America (TA), Petro Truck Stops, Loves Travel Centers, Pilot Truck stops and the like. The old timers recall truck stops from the 76 chain, Ted’s of Ashfork and Quartzite, Arizona, and others- including more recently the Bosselman Truck Stops and the Rip Griffins. The new timers won’t even know what you’re talking about.
Gone are the days of high service diners with personal service. Here are the days of the standardized trucker themed menu with more concern for corporate methods than merit. And, though truckers appreciate standardization in some areas, they don’t like the way standardization seems to squeeze out that personal touch at the truck stops.
Some truck stops and truck service locations that stand out as “unique” these days are:
Danny’s a Big Rig Resort
I 10, exit 136, 67th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 602-484-7046 Truck wash. Chrome shop. CB shop. Alignments. Repair shop. Tire shop. Polishing. Laundry. Deli/grille.
Jubitz Truck Stop
I 5, exit 307, East Marine Drive,Portland, Oregon 800-523-1193 Truck wash (Blue Beacon), The Portlander Inn hotel. Large laundry- full service and do-it-yourself. The Cascade Grill restaurant. The Ponderosa Lounge, a county and western bar. Tire shop. Cinema. Nearby repair facilities and truck dealerships.
75 Chrome Shop
I 75, exit 329, route 44, Wildwood, Florida. 866-255-6206 Chrome shop. Laundry.
Dysart’s Truck Stop
I 90, exit 180, Colbert Road, Bangor, Maine Truck stop restaurant featuring a “truckers only” table.
Little Sisters Truck Wash
I 10, Raymond Road exit, Thousand Palms, California 760-343-3448 Truck Wash. Showers. Laundry
Little Sisters Truck Wash
I 15, Lenwood Road exit, Barstow, California 760-253-2277 Truck Wash. Showers. Laundry.
Little Sisters Truck Wash
I 10, exit, Eloy, Arizona 520-466-3014 Truck wash. Showers. Laundry.

Oil Closes at over $80 per Barrel for the First Time!

2007-09-15T18:55:00.000-04:00

By Transport Topics

I found this article online today and I thought that I should share this with everyone. Here goes it...

Crude oil futures rose to a third record in three days Thursday, closing the trading day at more than $80 a barrel for the first time ever, Bloomberg reported.

Light sweet crude futures closed the trading day on the New York Mercantile Exchange at $80.09 a barrel, and hit $80.20 in intraday trading, also a record, Bloomberg reported.

The price surge was pegged to Hurricane Humberto, which came ashore on the Texas side of the Texas-Louisiana border, knocking out power to some refineries in that area, Bloomberg said.

The Category 1 storm was not nearly as big as higher-level Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that pointed the Gulf Coast two years ago.

Early to mid-September is generally the peak time of hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 through Nov. 30.

That's funny! Blame it on a power outage due to storm activity!

I was involved in an Accident on Wednesday!

2007-09-14T21:55:00.000-04:00

Here I was, just leaving the TA Travel plaza in Manning, SC headed to Georgetown, SC to pick up my next load when, while making a left turn on a green light, I was struck on my drivers side by a 16 year old kid going home from his work. I started my turn when the light changed and I heard a sliding sound. I looked over my left shoulder to see this car sliding on the wet pavement. I had noticed the same car traveling toward the intersection with his right turn signal on.

What happened was he began to break to late for his turn and locked his wheels up causing him to slide into my battery box. It had just finished raining in manning for the first time in weeks. This made for a very slippery surface from all the exhaust and fuel mist that gets on the roadways. It had not rained enough to wash all of that stuff off the road. It was almost like driving on ice.

Anyway, the kid and I are fine. There was no harm to us. My truck, however, is in the shop now getting the battery box, Cross member and Mud guard replaced. His car, which was a Dodge Neon, was T-Boned and Totalled. Both of his air bags deployed and luckly he was wearing his seatbelt or this accident could have been a lot worse.

When he hit me, my first reaction was to set my breaks and jump out of the truck to check on him, I knew he had hit me at a moderate rate of speed and I was concerned about him even more so then myself. When I realized he was ok, I called 911 and he called his Mom to come out there to him. They were very greatful that I had not been a jerk about the situation and I told them "If everyone was perfect, then the world would be a dull place to live". I also told them the story about me hitting another car when I was 17 years old so hopefully he doesn't feel so bad.

I told him that if anything at all comes out of this, I hope it helps him to be a better driver in the future. All vehicles can be replaced but human life is a one time deal. Aftr it was all said and done, I had to limp my truck back to the TA and camp out for a wrecker. Now I am in a Ryder Rental Truck, which sucks compared to my 2006 T600 K-Whopper! These damn vinyl seeks are making my ass and legs Hurt!!!

I'm just happy that no one is hurt, and another lesson has been learned.

Public Motorists Are Still Ignorant to Trucks.

2007-09-08T19:51:00.001-04:00

In a perfect world, this would be the order of importance on our interstates:
#1 = Trucks (All commercial vehicles) because they are the largest on the road and need the most room to maneuver and take the most amount of distance to stop and start.
#2 = Motorcycles because they are the smallest and most helpless vehicle on the road and the hardest to see.
#3 = RVs because they are, a lot of times, driven by seniors and/or have 2 or more kids riding in them. They are generally the slowest vehicles on the road.
#4 = Cars, Pickups, SUV because they are the most maneuverable and have the least amount of blind spots. They can stop suddenly and accelerate suddenly making them very versatile. People whom are driving these types of vehicles should be on high awareness for the other 3 types listed above.

Now, some of you may not agree with this in the order I have them submitted. But have you really thought about it? Let's do it together and see what makes the most since.

Post your replies and let's debate.

Trucking Hours of Service

2007-09-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

I have been talking to Drivers all week about the new hours of service that is being implemented on Setember 14, 2007. The majority of the drivers that had this discussion with me are making the mistake of thinking we are going back to our old hours before the 34 hour restart rule began. This is not true folks. Let me explain.

The new rule is as follows: 10 hours of driving per 14 hours on duty. The driver must take a consecutive 10 hour break after 14 hours on duty. There is going to be NO 34 hour restart. And you MUST take a consecutive 10 hour break before beginning another 14 hours of on duty status. Drivers are restricted to working only 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on which rule applies to you and your company. After you have depleted your 60 or 70 hour rule, you must recap to see when you gain hours.

Ok, now alot of you are saying "That's the old Rule". Well, it is....kind of. What some drivers don't remember is that in the old rule we could split our driving time. This is not the case anymore. Now, you MUST stop working after 14 consecutive hours, period. It doesn't matter if you were off duty or on duty. Once you start your 14 hours, you MUST take a 10 hour break 14 hours from the beginning of your day. I remember in the old rule, for example, I could start my day at 6am. I would drive for 5 hours to my destination. Then I would have to wait 5 hours to get loaded. That's 10 hours putting me at 4pm on my log book. So far I had worked a total of 5 hours because I could log off duty while I was getting loaded. Now, the difference is in the old rule I could continue driving for 5 more hours after the 5 hour load time. In the new rule, I could only drive 4 more hours because my 14 hour rule would have been over at 8pm then I have to take 10 hours off.

Also, the old rule only had an 8 hour break before you start another 15 hour work day. And you could split EVERYTHING if you needed to. I hope this helps a few of you realise that this new rule is NOT like our old ways. We have to take 2 more hours on a break and we MUST finish our day in a 14 hour consecutive time frame. If we drive for 6 hours and have to wait for 6 hours to get loaded, then we only have 2 more hours of driving, thus losing 2 hours of driving because of the 14 hour rule. The old rule would have allowed us to drive the remaining 4 hours before taking 8 hours off.

I know I am not the best at explaining this, but I hope I have helped a little bit with some of you to understand how this new rule differs from our old 10 hours on, 8 hours off rule.

Mexican Truck Drivers are Coming.

2007-09-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

While on the road this week, I was listening to channel 147, the road dog, on my Sirius Radio when I heard that legislation passed for the Mexican trucker pilot program to begin. This was not a shock to me because I have been hearing about this since June. We knew it was coming and now it's here.

I can't say that I am happy about it, nor am I alone in feeling this way. We all know that Mexicans will work for lower wages. I believe that when Mexicans get established as US carriers then the American truck driver will start to lose money, and lots of it. When the customers we currently haul freight for realize the money they can save by using Mexican trucks, then US truckers will lose a lot of miles and loads.

For years the US government has appeared not to care about the truckers in this industry. It's all about that bottom dollar and how much they can earn from us. Now that this pilot program has begun, it just proves the theory that our government does not care about us. If they gave a rat's ass about US truckers, then they would have asked our opinion on this matter. They say it will be great for the economy. I beg to differ. It's going to cause MORE illegal immigration and there will soon start to be violence between US Truckers and Mexican Truckers.

I have said this before and I will say it again, I think that Mexico has a greater plan in mind. I think they are wanting to control our life line. And what is our life line? Trucking. Without trucks we would not be able to live like we do now. If Mexico, indeed, can control our trucking industry, then they control our country in essence. And it's not just Mexican Trucking companies. Did you know that almost all of our major carriers OWN trucking companies in Mexico? That's right. I hate to say it, but you owner operators are in trouble whether you believe me or not.

In Summary, this plan is a disaster waiting to happen. The answer to our problems are NOT opening our borders to other countries to haul our freight. I propose that we STOP letting these customers get away with these ALREADY low rates and the truckers should stand together to get better pay for themselves. That's why we are low on drivers now, because the pay structure has not changed in 40 years. Better pay equals more drivers. More drivers equals no open border policy neccesary. Let us utlize what we have to make this industry better and STOP bringing in foreigners to screw up our lives.

I am gearing up to leave again today!

2007-08-26T05:00:00.001-04:00

Well, I will be leaving for another week on the road tonight. I am going to take my wife and kids fishing before I go though. I am noticing that I am having a hard time getting motivated to leave now a days. I love trucking, don't get me wrong, but I think I am missing out on too much family things. I guess that comes with the lifestyle eh?

Anywho, I am thinking of buying me a laptop to keep in the truck so I can update this blog more frequently. Right now I can only update when I get home on the weekends. If anyone has a decent laptop for sale, contact me and lets discuss it.

Til next time, keep yourself between the ditches and your hands outta your britches, I'll catch yall on the flip side!

Why do a lot of New Drivers Fail in the Trucking Industry?

2007-08-24T20:04:00.001-04:00

This is a loaded question if you ask me. There are hundreds of reasons that can cause new generation drivers to fail at trucking. However, I will only give what I think is the number one reason so you don't have to read for 10 days, okay?

I have been trucking for over 10 years and have seen a lot of truckers come and go. Not just new drivers, but seasoned veterans as well. At first, I thought that some new drivers were failing because they were too hot headed and learned quickly that they didn't know anything when they "Thought" they new everything in the beginning. In fact, that is just part of the equation. What I think is the main reason why so many drivers fail is False Hope.

Let me clarify by example:
I was reading a trucking magazine that had LOTS of job opportunities posted inside and I realized that about %75 of them had one thing in common. What is that? you ask... Well, the companies in that %75 percentile were advertising $50+ earnings "POTENTIAL" per year for their drivers! AH HA! There is that magical word, Potential! That word has been the demise of Many old and new drivers. Most new drivers that see that word think of one thing, $50,000 per year. What they fail to to realize is, the "POTENTIAL" depends on several factors which include:

Driver Performance
Driver and Dispatcher Relationship
Company Assets (Customers)
Equipment reliability
Economical Growth and Stability
DOT regulations and more.....

I am not saying that the "potential" to make $50k per year isn't viable, because it is and there are tens of thousands of drivers that make that kind of money. But let's face it, The potential vs. the realistic in a not so perfect world can be very different. When a new driver works for a company who lured him/her in by the $50k potential earnings jumbo, and that company fails to deliver on that promise, the word potential falls out of the drivers mind. And, it doesn't matter who's fault it is why the driver didn't make that money, the driver is going to blame the company because in his/her mind the company said the driver would make $50k per year.

Look, everyone in this industry knows the money potential for the drivers. However, I propose that trucking companies that recruit to STOP writing these 50k potential ads, no matter how true it is, and advertise the "realistic" earnings instead. "Realistically", drivers can earn as much as they are worth. The driver themselves may not know it, but what if one driver is worth 30k and the next driver is worth 50k? Then the driver, who is only worth 30k, will be disappointed when he/she only makes 30k after reading the ad that ever so cleverly made him/her feel that he/she is worth 50k.

It's a psychology thing in my opinion. The companies are not false advertising, but I do think they are contributing to false hopes. They are trying to make ALL drivers feel like 50k (How Sweet!!!!) But making a driver feel like $50k when he/she is only worth $30k is a recipe for failure. I think these ads should read: "Big Money for Self Motivated Drivers Who Want to Make a Career Out of Trucking!" This puts drivers in the right mindset before they get behind the wheel and they will know that their income depends on them and the company as a team.

So, to summarize, new drivers are failing because they are not willing to work as much as it takes to make the "Big Bucks" in trucking and in turn are blaming the companies for not receiving the income "Potential" because and I quote, "But that's what the ad said".

You are only worth what you make yourself to be.

Truck Driver Arrested in Road Rage Incident

2007-08-19T16:34:00.000-04:00

A tip from a driver led to the arrest of a truck driver accused in a road rage incident in Volusia County. Troopers got a call Saturday that a semi driver had forced a car off Interstate 4 between DeLand and Daytona Beach.
The caller said the semi drove recklessly to get in front of a car and then slammed on his brakes. The driver got out of the truck and approached the car, but the driver was able to drive off. Troopers caught the truck on Interstate 95 north of Daytona Beach and arrested the driver, Juan Garcia of New York. Florida Highway Patrol wanted to remind drivers that they can call Star-FHP if they witness any type of crime on the road.

Truck Drivers Welcome! If your Not a Driver, Your Welcome Too! :)

2007-08-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

First of all, I am happy that you have decided to visit my blog. I am an OTR truck driver whom is very opinionated about anything related to trucking. I drive about 5 to 6 days at a time before I come home and I will be posting my thoughts and occurencies about my weekly traveling. All driver feel free to participate in any discussion. I want this blog to be a place full of helpful information and also a place where drivers can come to "vent" their feelings about anything!