Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

What you carry with you during the warm spring and summer months may not be of much use during the late fall and winter months. An item as small as a bic lighter could be the turning point between survival and the long trip home in the back of the long black car. Are you prepared for the winter months ahead? Here are some things that you should have with you as you move freight this winter.

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Popularity: 25% [?]

Hauling freight and general shipments is a starting point for a true trucking “career”. Most drivers stay in the largest segment of the industry for too many years. We have to accept that this area of trucking will never be a good job. It always has the same problems that ruin drivers’ lives. It is so profitable for the trucking companies and their customers, that they have the money and power to keep the law in their favor. There are ways out of it.

Are many years of good experience worth anything. Of course! It’s just not worth much to general freight hauling companies. They receive a break on their insurance for your good record, but only up to a point. Past that, they could care less. The freight does not pay any better to have a better driver hauling it.

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Popularity: 25% [?]

Last year there were 4732 class 8 trucks reported in fatal accidents across this country. More than half of those were during either the winter months or during inclement weather. There were 1629 non fatal accidents involving class 8 trucks in Oklahoma alone last year. The major east west route of Interstate 40 and the north south route of I-35 contributing about equally. Ice, snow and freezing precipitation can turn an otherwise boring day, into the nightmare of your lifetime. Being prepared is only half the battle. Knowing what to do in an instant can save the lives of many.

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Popularity: 22% [?]

or…..How to Bake a Truck Driver

Heads-up for drivers that actually still go to California, starting in the New Year, California is changing its rules on idling. Drivers will no longer be allowed to idle their trucks while in sleeper, use of that expensive APU is prohibited if you have a 2007+ engine, and fines are going up. More can be found on the CARB website.

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Popularity: 36% [?]

Every Driver at some point in his or her professional driving career ask themselves this very question that I recently asked of myself. “how long are you going to do this?” For some the answer comes easy, their life is trucking, they know nothing else, or don’t want to do anything else. For others, myself included, trucking was a way to a means, It was a way to pay the bills when going to college to achieve the same money was not feasible. I knew that when I started driving eleven years ago, that it was not going to be my last career. But what do you do after Trucking?

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Popularity: 34% [?]

President Bush signed the $555 Omnibus Spending bill despite misgivings about the record 9000 special earmarks included. Included in the bill was a small paragraph that opponents of the program celebrated as the end to the cross border program.

Moments later, FMCSA issued a press release making known their intent to carry forward with program.

FMCSA made it clear they were following the wording of the amendment which stated:

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Popularity: 43% [?]

I thought that this day would never come. In all the years that I have followed Nascar Racing, I have heard time and time again, ” Petty Enterprises is staying in Level Cross North Carolina, PERIOD!” that was always the answer anytime someone in the press asked either Richard or Kyle Petty about possibly moving the entire racing organization south to Mooresville, the home of Nascar Racing. So what is different now? Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 25% [?]

PATT (Parents Against Tired Truckers) probably have their hearts in the right place, trying to protect the ultra safe four wheeler drivers from the big, bad killer truckers.

Founder of P.A.T.T. issues scathing testimony against FMCSA over HOS
The Trucker Staff  12/19/2007
WASHINGTON — Attempting to address fatigue on the highways by allowing truckers to drive more hours is like allowing motorists to consume more alcohol in order to alleviate drunk driving, the founder of Parents against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.), told a U.S. Senate subcommittee on Hours of Service today.

It goes on with a lot of statistics. They’ve got their stats and we’ve got our stats to counter their stats. The problem with driving 11 hours isn’t driving, it’s working or even waiting without being able to sleep, then driving for 11 hours.

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Popularity: 28% [?]

Who would have thought?

DOT proposes truck driving training rule
WASHINGTON (AP) - Truckers and other drivers seeking commercial-vehicle licenses would need to complete classroom and behind-the-wheel training under rules federal regulators proposed Wednesday.
The rule would not affect current holders of a commercial driver’s license.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is seeking public comment on the proposal through March 25, said it would not implement the standard until three years after a final ruling on the matter.

The rule would require truckers to provide a valid certificate from a truck driving program or institution accredited by the U.S. Education Department or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Just because I’ve never heard of a school that doesn’t give any time behind the wheel doesn’t mean they don’t exist. If that’s the case, maybe the problem is allowing the school instructors to pose as State Driving examiners. If the State performed CDL tests instead of contracting the job to the same school that is getting rich off of teaching their students, CDL holders might actually be able to drive instead of being shipped off to be another company’s problem.

And if you absolutely have to put in your two cents, the FMCSA is taking comments.

Popularity: 18% [?]

At least that’s what Andy Jordan of the Wall Street Journal kept asking. He mainly shows how drivers use GPS and some of the drivers mention the problems of a GPS and Mapquest programs in trucks.

I talked to Andy a few times and he only wanted somebody around NYC and since I don’t do NYC hardly at all anymore I pointed him to the Bordentown, NJ truck stop. It’s got a computer center, wifi, idleaire and plenty of trucks and drivers walking around with Bluetooth in their ears and he finishes in the last full minute of a 3:20 minute piece about technology and trucking, a driver that doesn’t use any technology and has no teeth. Thanks for that brilliant piece of journalism.

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Popularity: 33% [?]