Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

Surfing the web on a cellphone isn’t always a good experience.  Certain sites can be set up to look pretty good and be very readable on a cell phone’s small screen, Life on the Road is now one of them.

Keep up with the latest Life on the Road news no matter where you are. Using the same URL of http://lifeontheroad.com your cell phone’s browser is automatically detected and you see a version of Life on the Road that fits pretty nicely on a small  screen.

As an added bonus and to save a few keystrokes on your cellphone, we also have a shorter URL - http://lotrtnb.com  Life on the Road Trucking News Blog. Lotr was taken, Lord of the Rings, who would have thought?

Read the latest posts and comments, even leave your comments from your cellphone. Enjoy.

Coming soon, Life on the Road podcasts.

Popularity: 13% [?]

I’ve been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the debut of this great new piece of software written for truckers by truckers.

Over the years, I’ve used just about all the software which advertises itself to be the best of the best and promises to make our life easier. From Hammerlane to Truckers Helper, they all done too little, were too complicated or simply wasn’t suited for the application.

Introducing Nautilus In Cab!

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Popularity: 28% [?]

I read a LOT, like some people like to watch TV , I like to read. If I’m not doing something that I can NOT be reading while doing it (like driving, sleeping or taking a shower) and I’m alone (sitting by myself at a table in a crowded restaurant is “alone”) , then I’m reading. I usually read while I eat. I read on my computer(s). A PDA (Palm Tungsten) is a computer as is a SmartPhone (Blackberry Curve) It’s easier to carry a hundred or so e-books on a SDCard for a PDA or smartphone or even on a hard drive on the laptop than it is in the paper version. Can you imagine how much room a thousand books, even paperbacks, would take up?

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Popularity: 17% [?]

Howdy, guys and gals on the Interstate and points in between - hope your road’s smooth and the load aboard pays twice what you thought it was goin’ to! This here’s Nadine again, the Oldest Right Seat Cover in the world, with a thought or two.

Seems I hear people complainin’ that the driving is getting worse and worse all the time. Well, I kinda thought it was myself, but then, I don’t have a CDL so I figured it wasn’t up to me to say anything. Traffic sure has gotten thicker - why, when Miles was first in a truck, we’d honk and wave like crazy whenever we saw anyone on the road with us, because another vehicle was such a rare sight. Now we’ve got millions of folks on the road with us, an’ everbody’s in a flurry of hurry. I guess I could say that bein’ polite will help ease the road situation some, but I know at times you get cut off or someone salutes you with just one finger, an’ it’s real hard to keep your temper. Yep, we’ve been there, too. Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t call Miles an old coot. Now, that makes me mad. He may be an older driver, but nobody calls my Miles an old coot except me.

So I guess today Nadine doesn’t have any answers for you, except to say that I am so proud of all of you who are professional drivers, an’ you just let insults, idiots and imbeciles go on by. Road rage has no place in a trucker’s tool box or even his belly box. An’ that’s what I say. So long from Nadine for now, an’ remember to turn off your turn signal after you’ve made your lane change.

Popularity: 24% [?]

The last couple of videos showed big rigs smoking. These are just smokin’ hot!

Popularity: 22% [?]

This little item just came across my news feed followed by a notice from Melissa at FMCSA, and boys and girls, they done slipped one past us!

FMCSA to Initiate Real-Time Tracking for Mexican and U.S. Trucks Participating in the Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration Project
Tracking system would monitor hours of service, cabotage and vehicle position

Ya’ll know what this means don’t you? They kill two or three canaries with one stone.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 44% [?]

The “Driver Shortage” has been around for a long, long time. Freight always gets to where it’s supposed to be, but there’s always a shortage of drivers. What they really mean is there is a shortage of drivers that will work cheap. And even with all the raises, if there’s still a problem recruiting, raise the wages / rates more.

Usually these “news stories” are only press releases from major trucking companies looking for free advertising for new recruits, which this one is. But, at least this story has some truth in it.

Trucking industry always on the lookout for drivers
Sun News Report Article Launched: 09/21/2007 05:10:59 PM MDT
By Brook Stockberger Sun-News Business Editor
LAS CRUCES — Lori Rand and her husband both have college degrees but have recently taken some more classes. In fact, Rand and her husband, Mike Merriwether, plan to start their new career soon — as truck drivers. “We’re going to be a team,” she said. “We think this is a great way to make a living and see the country.”

That’s how we all start out.     Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 37% [?]

Given the controversy surrounding the Mexican Truck Issue and the recent strike by GM workers I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the Abundance vs. Scarcity Mentality Model as I was introduced to it by Stephen Covey; the author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“. I think it’s best to let him explain in his own words:

“Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.
“The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. They also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.
“The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.”

Now, I’m quite sure it’ll take me quite awhile, if ever, to completely reconcile this concept with the trucking industry but I do have a few thoughts on the subject; open to criticism. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 37% [?]

Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed that biofuels have come under fire from several fronts; even environmentalists. Personally, I think that’s a good thing ’cause its never a good idea to jump on a bandwagon before giving some critical thought to the wagon’s destination (or its origination; for that matter). I’ve also noticed, though, that the two primary biofuels, ethanol and biodiesel, are frequently lumped together with the arguments against ethanol applied equally to biodiesel by implication. And that’s a mistake. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 20% [?]

Carl Edwards Showed what it takes to win at Dover. The “King of Concrete” proved that he still had the stuff to win on concrete tracks this season. There was a bit of controversy though, Carl’s number 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion failed post race inspection. The car was found to be too low on the right rear. Edwards will still be credited with the win but there will be penalties handed down by Nascar as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Lets recap for you -

• The average speed of the race was 101.846 MPH.
• Carl Edwards won by .617 seconds.
• There were 14 lead changes and a boat load of cautions.
• A race record 13 cautions in Sundays race.
• The “Bud Pole Award” went to Jimmy Johnson
• The “Direct T.V. Crew Chief Of The Race” went to Bob Osborn, Crew Chief Of Carl Edward’s Office Depot Ford.
• The “Raybestos Rookie Of The Race” went to Juan Pablo Montoya.

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Popularity: 10% [?]