Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

It’s been a long time coming, roughly twice as long as the FCC normally takes to perform a merger review, but it looks like a decision is finally on the horizon.

The primary factor in prolonging the review has been the fact that the FCC originally granted licenses to XM and Sirius on the condition the companies never merge; and government regulatory bodies are loathe to make 180 degree reversals. Their thought, back in 1997, was that a merger would stifle competition and result in a condition in which satellite radio consumers weren’t well served.

But the Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division, the folks charged with reviewing proposed mergers, so as to prevent potential monopolies, issued a statement that begins with the following statement:

“Evidence Does Not Establish that Combination of Satellite Radio Providers Would Substantially Reduce Competition”

I’m not entirely sure, with a decision by the DOJ (issued March 28, 2008) indicating a lack of anti-trust issues, why it’s taken so long for the FCC to bring this matter to a head but it may be that they had additional concerns. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said, on June 15th,

“As I have indicated before, this is an unusual situation. I am recommending that with the voluntary commitments they (Sirius and XM) have offered, on balance, this transaction would be in the public interest.”

Soooo…just what might those voluntary commitments be?

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Popularity: 25% [?]

When my oldest son turned 15 I knew I was in trouble because it meant time for Driver’s Ed. Well my youngest son just turned 15 in April so here we go again. Why am I discussing Driver’s Ed? Because I think there is something very important that all high schools AND driving schools should include in their courses. Safety awareness around big trucks!

I was very curious when I took my oldest to school on a summer morning when he had Driver’s Ed. Why? Because there was a Wal-Mart truck parked in the middle of the parking lot with all these signs, arrows, cars, people, and even measurements marked off. I thought maybe there was some sort of big truck training going on and didn’t give it a second thought.

By this time, my boys had already known all about blind spots because believe it or not we have literally made them sit in the seat of our truck and look in the mirrors so they could see or not see things. So when my son got home that day he was very excited to share that Wal-Mart was actually there teaching the kids to be safe around big trucks! Can you imagine that? I thought it was so cool!
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Popularity: 26% [?]

When did the trucking bug bite you? I remember exactly when it bit me. It was the summer I was 12 years old. My dad was a mechanic for a very small trucking company (I’m talking maybe eight trucks at the most!) when he gave me my first ride in a truck. It was a cabover Kenworth, with NO air ride seats. I could deal with the “nice” body jerking, stomach hitting your back, jarring of the seat, but seeing the road that close - no thank you! Then I got my second ride in a big truck a few days later. Another Kenworth. I do not remember exactly what model it was - but I do remember it was red, it had air-ride seats (YES!), a stove, fridge, TV, bed, wow - that was a truck!! I vowed that day I would drive one!

Do I drive one? No - not yet. But Lord knows someday I will as my husband has been teaching me slowly but surely how to. Heck, I couldn’t drive a stick shift until a year ago! I do know how to hook and unhook a trailer - I like to help with that, even cranking the dollies.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

We hear and see all types of advertisements for being healthy on the road. The most prominent being about high blood pressure. But what about the drivers that are out there that have diabetes? How do they control them while driving?

Though some people may think “Well, if you have diabetes you cannot drive.” This is not true. Subpart E — Physical Qualifications and Examinations

My husband has Type 2 diabetes, his mother has it, my step-mother has it,and my own father is currently undergoing testing for it as well. My youngest son has low blood sugar. So trying to balance diets in our home for one person who has high blood sugar and one that has low blood sugar can be quite a task.

Being on the road deciding to eat is even a bigger task at hand. The best thing to handle eating is by going to the store and stocking up on sugar-free items before my husband goes anywhere. We have found sugar-free items such as: cookies, wafers, pudding, jelly, and Jell-O. There are also natural fruits and drinks that are packaged with or in Splenda. Splenda has become a well known product for use in our house, as it even comes in convenient sizes for take along or for baking with (they even have brown sugar!).

When it comes to eating out, carbohydrates are the big enemy, then comes corn, potato chips, and of course anything with “real” sugar in it. The best bet is to order something grilled and put it on a low carb bread that is bought and kept in the truck. There are also very informative books out there that have a list of “good” foods to eat at fast food places for diabetics as well as some really good cookbooks.

So - pack your lunch! It seems to be healthier!! (And less costly!!)

Popularity: 20% [?]

Last week was the MATS in Louisville, Kentucky. Our family was lucky enough to get VIP tickets to the show. It was pretty awesome, seeing all the new trucks, checking out trailers I had never given thought to even look at (I really inspected a grain trailer for the first time this year those things are pretty neat inside!). Yes, I was excited like a little kid. My teenage boys enjoyed the pretty gals at the Western Star exhibit and had their pictures taken with them.

Despite the rain and the fact that I now have bronchitis from looking at trucks in the rain - the trip was worth it for us. So much so we went back on Saturday when my husband came home because he was out on the road (of course) when we went down on Thursday.I have a few little complaints. I don’t know if it is because I am getting older or what. But here it goes anyway -

1. VIP passes are given out for a reason - yet there were a TON of people getting in without them. People - enforce the rule!!!
2. I realize people are curious about trucks - but since it IS a trucking industry show - you would think only trucking people would be allowed in - not true. I think there were more spectators there than anything (getting the free stuff no doubt because you would see them grab the free stuff and basically run to the next booth to get more free stuff).
3. And my last gripe is - those who do not belong to the transportation industry that have a string of little kids behind them.

Why does this bother me? Um, maybe because it seemed like EVERY truck we went to look at had some little kid literally sitting behind the wheel of the truck “playing” and then there were the kids where the parents were literally letting them run back and forth inside a dry van that was on display until the representative from the company came along and asked them to stop.

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Popularity: 20% [?]

Some time ago (years) I was asked. “Why do you drive a truck?”

My reply was “There’s no money in Beaver trapping any more and they haven’t worked the kinks out of asteroid mining”.

Needless to say that reply didn’t elucidate a reasoned response. Actually it confused.

Was true though. And I’m not the only one.

I used to say that “Trucking was for the Social misfits” I quit saying that because folks got all upset. I think it’s true though (not excluding myself). Trucking is an odd life. It attracts odd folks. It’s certainly not because of the money.

In my decade and a half of trucking I’ve met some strange ducks.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

Have you ever been to the truck stop at exit 193 on I-70, in Ohio? If you have, you’ll know what I mean when I tell you it’s the average dive truck stop. I stop there occasionally because it’s rarely crowded and I can get in and out quickly. The employees will actually return a “Hello” when you speak to them too, unlike the Pilot down the road.

I admit to not caring much for some truck stop employees, but after last night, I will always keep an eye out to help them.

There was a lunatic that came up to my truck asking for a cigarette. Odd looking character and he was dancing around a lot. He hissed at me when I told him to get away from the truck. There was something clearly wrong with this guy.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

I couldn’t resist, this is too funny.

Inexperienced driver uses bad judgment; crashes on day two

…on his second day on the job, he attempted to make a narrow right turn, but didn’t have enough space. He wound up taking out a Dunkin’ Donut sign, which then fell on a parked car.

Stoughton, MA, Police Sgt. Paul McCallum said a pickup truck with a trailer, much less a semi, could even have had a tough time with the turn,. “It’s hard to believe this guy tried to pull this off,” McCallum told the Stoughton Journal. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 24% [?]

There are several ways to take your favorite TV shows in the cab with you. From VCR tapes to creating DVD’s from your TiVo. If you have a good wifi connection you can view shows online at most of the major network websites ( nbc.com cbs.com etc…) Not every show is a full episode and only a limited number of shows are available. Hit the “jump” for your Christmas gift!
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Popularity: 24% [?]

The Tappan Zee Bridge crossing the Hudson River in New York State on InterState 287 also known as the New York ThruWay. It’s being rebuilt, not just resurfaced, it’s being replaced a piece at a time. With what we call “Bridge panels”, there are two types of bridge panels, the “C” section is just a straight piece lane (including the white stripes) of reinforced concrete with the underlaying structural steel, it’s next to the outside lane. The other piece, the “D” section is the outside lane complete with guard rail. Each piece is fifty feet long and about twelve wide, sometimes up to sixteen wide if there’s a lamp post and four to eight foot tall. And heavy, call it a hundred thousand pounds each give or take a few thousand.

Oh, did I mention we’re doing it at night? There’s eight of us doing the job. Eight truck and drivers and quite a few more trailers.

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Popularity: 60% [?]