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Owner Operators

Trucking Industry facing Truck Driver Shortages

The global downturn has seen a sharp decline in the employment graph and there has been an acute shortage of jobs in the past two to three years. Unemployment has emerged as the most acute problems of the present time and is posing challenges to the system. But still in this crisis situation there is an industry which is facing shortage of manpower in the jobs and is seriously looking out for options in recruitment.

There are bundle of truck driver jobs available but the challenge before the trucking companies is to get the right personnel for the job. It is presumed that by the year 2012 there will be an acute shortage of around 40000 driver jobs faced by the trucking companies. There are many reasons for the decline in the number of truck driver jobs including many regulatory laws imposed by the government which gives permission to very few drivers who can actually get a valid trade license.

There is also an option of owner operator job in which an owner of the truck can be hired by a trucking company. It is an advance for the driver also as he can choose the location where he wants to go on his own discretion and work according to the convenience of his time. This way he will get the job also by the trucking company and he will work on his own terms.

Recession has undoubtedly taken most of the industries in its claws and there is an uncertainty looming over the various freight companies as well. There is a growing worry of the business remaining the same as the past times. But this fact can’t affect the matter of the job shortage which is faced by the trucking companies.

The recession hugely cut the jobs of the drivers and the various freight companies also stooped the hiring process. This affected the whole cycle in the chain like the closing of driving schools, people getting less licenses and so on. But the thing which is overlooked is that there will be a huge gap in the demand and supply chain in the coming quarters and times to come. According to federal motor carrier safety administration new law, there will be a cut in the daily working hours of a driver and they will work for 10 hours instead of 11.

There are many load boards in the industry and they have heaps of loads available for the trucking companies. But if the job hours are cut then there will be an overwhelming need of 150000 trucks overnight to lift the loads available on the fleet.

This situation can evolve as a golden opportunity to the qualified and professional truck drivers. There are also owner operator jobs and they will have a greater chance of being recruited by the trucking companies. Looking at the drastic graph of the truck drivers going down, the companies have also tried to catch and have rigorously initiated the process of employing the drivers in the industry.

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Trucker News

Department of Transportation Works to Re-establish Bonds between Mexican and U.S. Trucking Industry

There has been a conflict for quite some time between the two countries regarding the transportation issue. Since there has been a release of new proposal under the current administration which has lead to the new start and a series of negotiations involving the use of U.S. roads by Mexican trucking companies.
The US Department of Transportation has laid down the guidelines for Mexican long-haul carriers and truck drivers to abide by the US transportation rules and regulations. These include vehicle emissions standards, drivers portfolio and safety compliance. These checks will be conducted and the carriers will be permitted only after the complete satisfaction of the authorities.
There will be a selective quota and time for the number of trucks that will be permitted to drive on the U.S. roads from Mexico. The work on calculating and negotiating on these terms will start soon. Earlier the Mexican truck driver were opposed by the US truck drivers on the ground that the Mexican carrier companies and truck driver don’t have set standards of safety and fleet operations as they have, they follow the US truck drivers regulations. These way Mexican truck drivers enjoy flexible rules and make more profit.
This proposal is also taken negatively by some trucking associations. They are saying when the unemployment within the country is already so high then Why DOT is making this proposal to endanger the existing trucking jobs in the country. This way the good truck driving jobs will become harder to find. Also taking into account the cross border violence this proposal seems simply out of question.
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On the other hand Mexico is protesting to get free access in the U.S, as per the North American Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries in 1994. In 2009, when the program to allow limited number of Mexican carrier companies to indulge in transportation beyond the U.S. commercial zone failed, Mexico increased the tariff charges on the U.S. products. This move adversely affected people connected with the produce of fresh fruits and vegetables.
This way the pressure mounted on the administrative authorities to implement new methods and release new proposals so that Mexico changes the barriers it has imposed on the U.S. agricultural products. Therefore this truck industry proposal got an overwhelming response from various other U.S. industries whose business largely depended on the exports made to Mexico.
U.S. truck drivers feel that this proposal will be an unfair deal for them as with the drug violence running in Mexico they will not be allowed to cross the Southern border. Thus Mexican driver will have the access in the U.S. but not vice versa. The president of Owner-Operator Independent Truck Drivers Association expressed his worries that the Mexican truck driver will have the economic benefit as they will not have to follow the stringent rules to run their trucks for loads available on the US lanes as their U.S. counterpart will have to.

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Trucker News

Congestion Increases as Economy Revives

With the two years of economic slump and increased fuel prices, the traffic running on the road reduced considerably leading to less congestion and easy commuting. Now with the improvement in the US and the world economy, the traffic problem has again started to rise. The least congestion was seen in the year 2008 and it started to increase back from 2009. This has made great impact on the truck driver jobs.

The Urban mobility report of 2010 produced by Texas Transportation Institute cover the congestion reports of 439 US areas which fall under urban areas. INRIX data also throws light on the traffic which covers every city and gives the descriptive information of the commuting problems faced by the people living in the urban areas. Traffic speed data of INRIX has been combined with state’s traffic volume data to give a broader increased traffic view.

Due to congestion on the road there are different problems arising: the main one being the cost associated with the increased traffic. The main reason of increased cost is the fuel burnt in traffic congestion and the delay in commuting because of which the commuters face pay cuts.

Below are some of the facts and figures which appear form the findings indicating the traffic problems nationwide:
The cost associated with the congestion is showing a continuous rise. It was $115 billion in 2009. In 2009 the fuel wasted due to traffic problems amounted to 3.9 billion gallons making it a big problem for trucking companies whose hundreds of trucks are on the road each day. This increased fuel consumption did cost $808 to an average commuter. The delay that the traveler faced in one year of 2009 was 34 hours, which laid adverse impact on his performance in the company.

The data collected is based on using the latest technologies available thus experts have a big reason to believe the data and plan their next course of action. There is a vast difference in accuracy of the data since the Urban Mobility report was first generated in 1982. The report generated this year is the most advanced in its type which reports the delay and congestion of each day of the year. It took into account the congestion due to any accidents, weather changes, holidays and national events.

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The researchers have come up with some of the methods to help reducing the traffic problems. The first way is to use of the public transport system for commuting as much possible. The second way is the addition of new network of roads and means of communication in the areas where the congestion is the most. Car sharing and pool cars can be another alternative which will save money for the commuters as well as decrease vehicles on the road. The company should make available flexible shifts so as to avoid rush hours. Telecommuting is another way out in which both the employee and the employer are benefited. There are many jobs which does not require physical presence, thus the employees should be given an alternative to work as a telecommuter.

The state and national government should take measures to provide alternative routes and introduce toll routes for fast and efficient available loads delivery by the owner operators and carrier companies. The solution to the traffic congestion is not the responsibility of just the officials or the commuters. The businesses, organizations, travelers all have to work towards getting the things right.

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Owner Operators

Tips for Truck Drivers to Increase their Mileage

This article will discuss about how you can make your truck run more miles with one gallon of fuel and get more out of your truck driving job. Changing some driving and maintenance methods can be of great help in this regard. Let us take a look what can be done to increase your mpg.

First thing goes with the maintenance of your truck before you plan for your next journey: Maintenance can be of two types required maintenance and preventive maintenance. If you make the habit of preventive maintenance than in maximum number of cases there is no need of required maintenance. This measure helps you to carry out your task more quickly as the maintained trucks performs at its best. The fuel required is less and there are very less chances of you truck breaking down on the road. This will enable making all the deliveries according to your schedules.

If you are a driver of the 18 wheeler, then it is a must that you regularly check the pressure of the tires. Before and in between the journey make this a habit. Since these big trucks carry voluminous loads available therefore the tire pressure plays a vital role in its efficiency. Also make the use of standard gauging equipment for this purpose to make sure that readings are correct.

Now that the maintenance part is covered let us see what components you can add to your truck to make it give more mileage per gallon.Check our loadboard blog page for more owner operator business solutions.Adding an Auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide power for your electrical appliances in the truck can go a long way in saving fuel. When the truck is not running and you need the power to run air-conditioner or an electric kettle then with the use of an APU you do not require your truck engine to run all the time. This one time cost incurred will save your daily maintenance and fuel expenses.Adding fuel additives and lubricating engine from time to time will also make the overall running of the truck smooth thus saving fuel in turn.

The next important step comes is bringing some changes in your driving style. The first thing here is reducing or cutting of the time your engine is idling. This is the most effective way of reducing fuel burn. You can stop your engine at many times when your truck is parked for loading and unloading, talking the dispatch requirements with trucking companies or at times when you are in some queue waiting for your turn. This can be at places like petrol stations, service stations, truck terminals etc.

Other tips include running your vehicle at a constant speed a little below the stated speed limit so that you need not apply excessive brakes to control the truck. Next tips is on the use of gears, practicing correct use of gears and its shifting makes the driving more smooth and thus achieving more fuel efficiency. The gears should be correctly placed as per the required conditions. Use of truck cruise control is yet another strong method to make your truck run effortlessly on the road.Taking this few measures into account and you can easily add a mile or two to your per gallon mileage.

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Lifestyle

Sleep Apnea Disorder-A major concern in the US Trucking Industry

Sleep apnea is a kind of breathing disorder which does not allow the person to sleep properly. Improper sleep pattern due to sleep apnea in turn causes fatigue. The safety issues related with this situation is becoming a major concern in the trucking industry. This is one of the prominent illness that the truckers are facing these days due to their lifestyle and challenges of the job. The life expectancy of a truck driver is 16 to 61 years less than the average life expectancy of an individual in the country. As per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association chief Anne Ferro 30% of the truck drivers are facing this health hazard.
Since the disease promotes fatigue and fatigue is the cause of 13% of truck accidents on the roads. Therefore sleep apnea will soon face legal complications for trucking companies and owner operators considering the risk factor associated with it. The number of truck drivers facing this problem can be known by the carrier company. Therefore these fatigue related accidents are causing legal problems for the carriers and serving as the easy ground to play and earn for attorneys.
Keeping the increased danger associated with this disorder now the regulations will be implemented with the guidance of FMCSA to regulate and monitor the symptoms of sleep apnea in drivers. Earlier regulations that were implemented more than 10 years before stated that: the driver should not have any respiratory problems that might affect his driving performance. The DOT officials were responsible to screen the drivers who showed symptoms of sleep apnea. This does not mean that any driver who is diagnosed with this impairment will not be certified as a professional driver. His certification will depend on the severity of the apnea and its impact on his driving capabilities.
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Medical review Board suggestion will be sought for various disorders related to the driver health. As it the question of one’s livelihood and they should be rejected certificate only on strong scientific study and evidences. Now with tightening of the sleep apnea regulations and its legal action the trucking companies are working hard in this respect. They are providing treatments to their drivers suffering from sleep apnea. The study suggests there has been 30 % less crashes reported by the drivers who were treated for this. Also the driver retention rate has drastically increase. after they were provided treatment by the trucking companies.
The cost of treatment is coming out to be high. The screening test costs around $200 and the follow up course which can go up to 90 days costs around $3500. This investment has proved out to be beneficial as it decreases the overall health care cost of the driver and increases the safety factor when the driver is on its way to dispatch available loads.
The truck drivers and carrier companies need to understand that this is a very challenging situation and a planned approach towards it will remove the complications involved. These days there are many third party organizations who can collaborate with trucking companies and can provide there services on this matter. Things will be resolved only when one takes action towards it.

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Business Trucker News

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Trucker News

Trucking Speed Limits proposal by NHTSA under Consideration

Keeping in mind the trucker safety and there requests National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said it will work towards the rule proposal through which the truck manufacturer companies will have to install a mechanism or device which will limit the driving speed of the heavy trucks to 68 mph. This will be brought to effect by 2012.
American Trucking Association and Road Safe America has made a petition to give this rule a way so that the truck accidents which are caused by the speeding factors could be limited and the truck drivers job could be made more safe. These petitions were granted by NHTSA in the Federal Register posting which was conducted last week. Though the NHTSA has granted ATA and Road Safe America petitions that does not mean the final rule regarding the speed limit is issued. NHTSA further laid emphasis on two studies conducted which suggests that these speed limiting device has the potential to decrease the severity of crash.
Bill Graves, ATA president said they are happy that there petition will be soon considered and a rule will be implemented. The petition was first filed by ATA to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in October 2006. The safety on the road can be increased when the traffic on the road is slowed down the ATA president said we tried to do this on our part for the sake of the trucking industry.
Check our load board blog page for more articles on FMCSA and ATA.
Now everybody knows that with the restrictions on the trucking speed limit the number of speed related crash will be reduced. However the rule is not implemented yet as the FMCSA is conducting studies on the economic effects of the introduction of this speed limiting rule. The reports from this study will be open to public in 90 days.
The fuel efficiency will surely be affected when the truck speed is less than 68mph. But one can obviously compromise on fuel efficiency where the truck driver life and safety is concerned. Many other industrialized countries have already implemented this rule and there can be noticed a drastic reduction in the accidents caused due to speeding. From the Schneider carrier company’s internal crash reports it is evident that the trucks with no speed limiters accounts for 40% of the total serious collisions. So there is a great need of this rule to be implemented in United States also.
Where this proposal is welcomed by many, there are some trucking companies and owner operators who say such decision is more likely to increase the risk as all the vehicles on the highway should run on the same speed and the varied speed causes more accidents. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says setting the speed limit will not reduce the number of accidents on the highways. Other aspect against the speed limiters is that with slow moving trucks there will be increased congestion on the US highways thus affecting the overall productivity of the trucking companies. This will in turn delay the dispatch service of the available loads.
With the mixed views and suggestions NHTSA is strong in making way to the proposal to set speed limiters for trucks.

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Lifestyle

Pros and Cons of a Truck Driver Job

Life is a journey and it begins on the day a man is born and reaches its commencement on the day of his death. Truck driver job is a job in which the driver is most of the time traveling and his life can literally be said on wheels.
There are various contradictions about a truck driver job and carry some positives as well as some negatives. There are adventures in a truck driver job as he gets the chance to travel a lot and is often on the roads meeting varying kinds of people. It isn’t a routine job of 9 to 5 leading to boredom. And this job makes one taste the various experiences of job.
But like any other job a truck driver job also has its own fall-outs.
There have been various researches done which show that truck drivers employed with some trucking company or an owner operator are vulnerable to shorter life span as compared to any other job. This alarming research throws light on various factors responsible for this problem. The behavioral patterns of the drivers lead to problems such as cigarette smoking resulting putting a negative effect on their health. Some researchers, doctors and truckers expert discussed this problem that the life expectancy of a truck driver is 16 years shorter to a person working in some other field. The study said that there were several other issues contributing to this problem but health problem could be considered to be at the core of it.
There are more chances of fatalities and accidents in a driving job as compared to any other employment increasing a risk to a truck driver’s life. The report provided is shocking indeed and raises a big question mark on this occupation. Cigarette smoking is not the single issue but there are other health concerns as well. The truck drivers are continuously exposed to smoke emitted be fuels and so are more prone to heart disease and other respiratory problems.
It has been observed that there is an acute shortage of drivers in the trucking industry. The majority of the drivers are on the verge of retirement and the industry has observed a very few hire in the past times. Many of the experts consider various reasons for the people dissuading from the job. Trucking industry demands long working hours and also away from the family for a long time if you tend to drive on the highways. The lower wages also doesn’t seem to lure the drivers for this job.
The truck load boards help the truckers get the material and there are heaps of loads available to the trucking industry. But due to the shortage of drivers, the truck drivers have to give to more hours to their work and therefore feel tired and get less time of rest.
These are some of the very serious issues raised in the various studies and some steps need to be taken to improve the health conditions of the truck drivers and create awareness among them.

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Business Truck Leasing

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Owner Operators

Owner Operators Add Life to your Semi Truck with Truck Accessories

Truck accessories are the means which will add comfort and luxury to your routine trucking life. Not only accessorizing your truck will make you feel good and proud of your truck but gives an overall positive outlook to the shipping company and your customers related to your owner operator job. It will demonstrate that your truck is well kept and maintained to take and deliver the job responsibly. This would not require many efforts from your side. The basic décor includes truck painting, chrome accessories and lighting.
Why to Accessorize your Truck:
1. Some of the decoration such as adding LED light to your truck enhances the look of the truck as well as provides safety feature on the road. It takes less power from the battery and gives out bright light. LED lights come in different varieties and can be used anywhere on the truck.
2. The chrome and stainless steel bumpers, exhaust pipes, mirrors etc gives the truck an exciting look and invite more customers who get attracted by its external looks.
3. Inside décor which is not visible from outside such as dashboard, steering, gear knobs etc, will give you a relaxed and happy driving experience.
4. All these are general accessories, these days the semi trucks are coming more customized with the installation of toilets, shower, king size beds and a small kitchenette and appliances like heaters, fans, microwave etc. As the development is taking place in every sphere then why the trucking industry should be left aloof.
5. Not only the new truck but old truck too needs to be accessorized.
Where the truck driver job schedule is so very busy with picking up and delivery of loads, they hardly have time to search the market for the accessory that will fit and suit there truck. Below mentioned are some of the tips on how and where to find the accessories for their truck.
There are companies manufacturing exclusive semi-truck accessories and if you wish to take theirs service to get the chromes suited for your semi-truck then just call them up and give them your VIN number. They can locate your truck and will provide you with the best fit accessories for your truck. Do some online search and see the catalogs of advertisement produced by the chrome companies. One more thing you can do is call up the company and ask to send his customer support people to find out what will be best suitable to give your truck that exciting new look. You can also make use of the chrome company information available on various load boards these days.
An accessorized truck not only makes its own statement but reflects your style class and your passion towards your work. A fashionable touch to the bumper or adding air horn will give new definition to your old truck.