Posted: Sunday, February 5th, in News, Trucking News
As a small commercial trucking company owner, you have many important responsibilities, not only to your own company, but to public safety concerns as well. When hiring drivers, you must make sure that you select those who are qualified for the job demands and whose backgrounds do not offer any reason why they should not be employed by you. Beyond this, you must ensure that your trucks are properly maintained and that your vehicles and their uses are in compliance
Posted: Wednesday, January 18th, in News
Everywhere I look I read that there is a shortage of truck drivers, even as joblessness surpasses 9 percent. The latest numbers show a deficiency of 20,000, and if this trend continues, which studies predict will be the case; we will need to hire a total of 114,000 new drivers by the year 2014.
The large gap between driver supply and cargo demand adds to evidence that the freight industry is recovering and many are optimistic that there will be continued
Posted: Friday, January 6th, in News
Let’s start the New Year on a positive note. Tonnage rose 6% in November for the 24th consecutive month showing signs of growth, not a recession. This is good news for the economy and great news for truckers.
What has fueled this spark of growth is the demand for manufacturing and retailers have lean inventories which need to be replenished. I ran into this late in October when I was trying to purchase mulch for my garden. Wal-Mart didn’t stock it
Posted: Friday, December 30th, in News
It’s time to say good-bye to 2011 and usher in 2012 with open arms! Talk to most anyone and they’ll say 2011 was a bad year. I too had a rough one. Unemployed for four months, I am extremely grateful to be working again.
It’s your choice whether to be optimistic or pessimistic when the calendar rolls forward into the New Year.
A pessimist has many reasons to doubt that 2012 will be a better year. With Europe slipping into a recession,
Posted: Thursday, December 29th, in News
The purpose of Jason’s Law is to amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to improve truck parking facilities.
What happens when we lack safe truck parking?
1) It forces drivers to continue to drive while in a fatigued state searching for parking
2) It forces drivers to drive in excess of HOS ( Hours of Service) breaking Federal Law
3) It forces drivers to park in isolated and dangerous areas (as was the case of Jason Rivenburg
Posted: Wednesday, December 28th, in News
My blog this week is about a cause that I care deeply about. What is so sad is that it’s happening every single day and right under our noses. I’m talking about Human Trafficking, the 21st Century form of Slavery.
Conservative estimates state that 17,000 to 17,500 people are trafficked into this county every year. These are staggering numbers and the greater majority is women and children. The United States Department of Justice approximates that between 100,000 to 300,000 American kids
Posted: Thursday, December 22nd, in News
This blog is dedicated to those hard-working truckers out there still on the road when Christmas Eve and Christmas morning rolls around. And I’m not talking about the drivers, accompanied by family, on a road trip that seems to take forever, eagerly looking forward to seeing family and friends on the other side, who upon arrival will find a warm embrace, a hot meal, laughter, and maybe even a present or two.
I’m talking about the truckers who are out there
Posted: Wednesday, December 21st, in News
January 3, 2012 is right around the corner. How will the new federal rule prohibiting commercial truck drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving affect you? With a hefty $2,750 fine for interstate truck drivers caught using hand-held cellphones, and $11,000 for employers that do not require their drivers to use hands-free devices, will it make you change your ways?
Of course, there are mixed opinions on the merits and potential impact this new ruling will have. I eventually believe the
Posted: Tuesday, December 20th, in News
First, let me say congratulations! Your article Million Dollar Baby, contest winner of Trucker’s New Mark Twain Essay Contest, (originally published in Truckers New, June 2008), really gave me an insight to what it’s like out there on the road. New to the transportation industry, stumbling upon your story of growing up on the road, learning how to treat your truck right, whether it was your own truck or one belonging to a company, lessons handed-down from your
Posted: Tuesday, December 6th, in Trucking News
National average prices for diesel are running at $3.801 a gallon as of October 20th. They rose 8 cents alone in the week ending on October 17th. This is the fatest pace they have risen in 28 weeks as crude oil prices have dropped due to concerns over the European debt crisis. Who knew! The Euro debt crisis' tentacles reach all the way across the Atlantic and hit our freight factoring clients.
The Northeast US is somehow weathering this storm.
