In today’s employment economy, it’s not completely unfounded that we all have experienced similar plights and pitfalls to what our nation’s drivers are frequently facing day-in and day-out. Driver treatment is something that we should all be more aware of, especially when you consider there are increasingly less drivers to pluck from the trucking pool. Driver Recruitment When launching into initial discussions with drivers or individual owner operators, it should never ...

Something you probably do not think about is lock maintenance on your truck.  Well years ago, Stephen did not think about it and ran into a problem at a shipper.  He was running our previous truck as a solo and the lock on one of the barn doors rusted.  It would not open no matter what.  Luckly the shipper was a machine shop and was able to cut the lock off for me.  But it was a lesson learned. Every spring, summer, fall, and winter Stephen does lock maintenance on every...

Navigating the world of insurance claims can be daunting, even for experienced claimants. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, there are plenty of opportunities to make missteps that can harm your chances of receiving a full settlement....

Here is to another successful Mid America Tuck Show.  It feels like we walked a million miles each day and our bodies let us know that and we probably did.  We arrived in the parking area on Phillips Lane that was free parking for trucks (provided by TA/Petro) on Wednesday around 1230 to meet up with our group.  We were next to last of our group to arrive.  We started to meet with our new neighbors and invite them to our cook out which started at 1700.  It was great this...

As of press time, the national average price of gasoline is $3.14 a gallon, which is down from $3.50 a year ago, according to the AAA, as the United States continues to exhaust multiple efforts to stabilize the constant flux in pricing ever since the covid pandemic in 2020. Diesel is $3.93, which is considerably down from the $4.68 average of this time last year. Gas prices are seemingly in a constant state of volatility, thanks in-part to the continuing war in Ukraine. Cali...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is looking for input from the public on how best to conduct a study.  This study will be to understand and prevalence and severity of sexual assault and harassment (SASH) over the trucking industry.  The main focus of the study will be on drivers of Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs). FMCSA seeks information on how best to design and conduct a study to identify, categorize, and assess context and trends of SASH in the CM...

“I will do today what others won’t so I can do tomorrow what others can’t.” This quote by the all-time great, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice captures the essence of just what it takes to become successful as an expediter. How? Well, just think about it for a moment. Whether you’re an owner-operator or a 1099 contract driver, you are a business owner. YOU are the boss. Sure, you may have clear instructions from the carrier, broker, or shipper, on...

The Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that just over $332 million of the close to $5 billion in funds from the infrastructure money will be going toward truck parking.  These funds will be used on 5 projects.  “I often hear directly from truck drivers on the serious challenge of finding safe parking, and today, we are answering those concerns with more action," said Buttigieg. "This major investment from President Biden’s infrastruc...

If the secret to success is value. What is value? Who defines it? How do you get it?...

If you are considering transitioning from a company driver to an owner operator, or if you have already taken the leap to ownership, please do your due diligence and research the new role you are undertaking. Sure, you can learn a lot about driving a truck as a company driver, but did you consider all the new hats you will be wearing as an owner operator?...