I mentioned the death of Jason Rivenburg in a previous article concerning cargo theft. Issues this important should be kept on the front lines until a victory is accomplished making our parking areas safe. Arriving early for a drop at a Food Lion distribution center, Rivenburg was asked to return the following morning for his [...]
Are truck drivers and carriers overruled or over-regulated? Many feel targeted by the U.S. Department of Transportation when fined for being in violation of regulations that seem to exist to create revenue for state and federal agencies, rather than to promote highway safety. Most drivers and carriers strive for safety and attempt to follow the [...]
Here’s an interesting question that was asked during a recent Senate subcommittee hearing: Would drivers’ being paid by the hour rather than by the mile affect safety? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the American Trucking Association believe the answer is yes. Their opinion seems to be that drivers would be less inclined to [...]
If you have a truck-driving job, keep it. The trucking industry’s downward spiral over recent times is perhaps slowing down and headed for a reversal of fortunes. But there are a still lot of unemployed drivers who will be searching for positions as the industry looks to regain lost momentum. Don’t give up your present [...]
Innovation never ends. ATDynamics, Navistar Truck Group and the federally funded Department of Energy have embarked on a “super truck” project with a goal of increasing freight efficiency by 50 percent on highway class 8 trucks. You have to give a lot of credit and thanks to all of the hard-working, studious engineers who constantly [...]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been holding “listening sessions” concerning the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. The debate over HOS has been ongoing for years, yet there has been little resolved. Does the problem pose a revenue issue, or is it a safety issue? All drivers have faced the unnerving situation of running out [...]
Today’s trucks are safer, more fuel efficient and more environmentally friendly than ever before. Due to improvements in truck and trailer engineering, it only makes sense to allow carriers to haul heavier freight by adding an additional axle. Trucks throughout the United States can legally have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 80,000 pounds without [...]
No driver wants to waste time while he or she is on the road. It’s pretty simple, time means money. DOT regulations permit a driver to drive 11 hours in a 14-hour period during a 24-hour day. That leaves three hours for on-duty not driving, and 10 hours in the sleeper berth and/or off duty. [...]
Rolling along the highway, your mind is blurred because you have been running like a dog for 10 or 12 days, you miss your family and friends, and your nerves are about shattered. When a driver is on the verge of insanity, to whom can he or she turn? What’s going to inspire a driver [...]
As a kid growing up in upstate New York, I had few concerns when I was in the fourth grade: What Mom made me for lunch, whom I would play with after school, etc. Having a contagious disease was the furthest thought from my mind. Being quarantined in my bedroom for about two months caused [...]
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