Not all trucks on the road have some type of APU (Auxiliary Power Unit). Those that do have an APU on their trucks use them to power appliances in the sleeper like microwave ovens or refrigerators. They also use them to charge devices such as laptops, tablets and cell phones or truck batteries. They are mainly used for creature comforts like climate control when taking a break. Having heat or air conditioning available when trying to rest is a definite bonus to having some so...

We all have somewhere to go. All of the vehicles on the road have a destination as their goal. Some of us may be on long journeys, across several states, while others may be on a short trip to the store down the street from their home....

 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 neve...

We’re trying to fix it, and the best way to start is by talking about it....

We’re five episodes deep into the “State of the Industry Podcast, with John Elliott” and the sixth installment is already on the table and waiting to be visually or audibly devoured. So, take a seat, and bon appetit! Hopefully, there are many of you who have already been tuning in and making this podcast part of your listening, or viewing, routine. If not, why?! Obviously, John and I want you to listen to or watch this monthly podcast, which you can quickly get your fix...

When starting in a new job, many folks take just want to learn and focus on the role they were hired for. If they’re hired to just answer phones, then they’d make sure to learn just that role. That’s it. If they’re brought into a company to simply process paperwork, or maybe they’re a sales or tech specialist, then that’s what they do. Focus on the task at hand. But some folks out there excel at more than just one thing, which makes them more indispensable than th...

Commercial truck drivers, by regulatory standards, are required to physically inspect their tires at the beginning and end of a driving shift. Not only the drivers, but fleet owners and managers alike, certainly share some obligation to look after these rubber appendages. Yet somehow, tires continue to come apart when out on the highway. Blowouts can not only cause mayhem when they burst, but now there’s a dangerous chunk of debris blocking the roadway. Now down about a th...

Anyone that has been in a boat on a lake or river has no doubt seen the No Wake Zone signs and buoys when approaching a docking area. These are there to let boaters know to slowly ease into the dock area so as to not create a wake that would otherwise rock all the other already docked vessels violently against the dock....

We have seen a few new pieces of Federal Legislation introduced in February that affect the trucking industry.  Both in the US House and the US Senate.   In the House bipartisan reintroduction of the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act was introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) with Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) signing on as co-sponsors. The REPAIR act would maintain the quality and aff...

In transportation, honesty is a door that swings both ways. Not only do drivers seeking employment expect a straight-up recruiter to give them the scoop on what to anticipate with a potential company. But to be fair, there is a certain level of honesty and forthright-ness that recruiters require out of potential driver candidates as well. And if we’re all being honest here, both sides could learn a thing or two from the other. Don’t Tell Me What I Want To Hear A recruiter...