Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

Mom doesn’t like to fly alone so I went with her to Ft Worth last weekend to visit my sister. As GATS was going on, and I cant handle the walking around an event like that requires right now, I sent my brother-in-law out to wrangle me a ticket to the “Drive and Deliver” premier. He and I went down to see the movie.

I have to say, its pretty hard to impress a couple of old company drivers with a truck, but this documentary is well-put together and accurately reflects the long-haul lifestyle in several realistic yet sensitive vignettes. People may call this “branded entertainment”, but International has done a really good job with this documentary. The camera work is excellent and the road scenery makes every driver start looking for familiar landmarks (we all know you cant watch a movie with a highway in it that doesnt make you automatically try to identify your location). The editing is a credit to a talented director. No special effects needed, plenty of scenery and excellent selection of strategic shots.

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This country’s fuel prices has gotten so out of hand, that our “American” truckers are going to “Mexico” fuel stops to fill up. It’s approximately $2.00 cheaper in Mexico per gallon than it is here in the USA. I do not know about you all, but this is making me sick to my stomach. What kind of country do we live in where the Government is pushing our Transportation industry to such an extreme as to fuel their vehicles in another country? It’s cheaper for owner ops to purchase the permits for Mexico, then drive to Mexico to fill up.

 

 Truckers Fuel in Mexico: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (553)

Since there hasn’t been anything interesting in the trucking news world, (I read the boring stuff, so you don’t have to) I’m putting up some Lonestar Videos. We’ve got pictures, but to see this truck in motion, is something to see! In case you missed our other Lonestar posts - go here.

Lonestar Unveiling

Turn up the audio!

More Videos after the jump.
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Remember CW McCall and the song Convoy? The state of Colorado recruited Mr. Fries (CW’s real name) to narrate Crossing The Colorado Rockies On I-70 With C.W. McCall. Downloadable MP3’s, one for westbound and another for eastbound. Great information for driving the stretch between Denver and Vail, a lot of safety information, warnings of steep grades and sharp curves by mile marker and some really interesting stories about the towns and sights along the way. A really cool driving tour specifically made for truckers, there’s some good information for four-wheelers as well. There’s even information for four-wheelers when they’re driving around big trucks, like -

If you see an eighteen wheeler coming up real fast behind you blowing his horn, he may want to use the runaway truck ramp, you might want to move into the left lane.

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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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Want to know what trucking is all about? The author mentions this was done a few years ago for a class project, not much has changed. This video is really well done and guides the viewer from the history of trucking regulations to the present day problems with good how and why explanations. And compares truckers to some other workers. It’s 18 minutes, but worth the time. By a college student / trucker.

Sleep When You Can, Drive When You Have To

It’s almost that time of year again. Some have already run into snow and the states that have chain laws are requiring you to at least carry them.

Here’s Aaron’s adventure when he had to throw some iron.

This is in two parts.

Here’s Part II of Aaron trying to get over the hill in Oregon.
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The last couple of videos showed big rigs smoking. These are just smokin’ hot!

I know we imagine ourselves doing this at every red light downtown. Racing to the next light.

Now this is a cool job! Getting paid to burn rubber in a big rig!