Category: Carriers

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Carriers Freight Loads Newbies

Available Truck Drivers by State

Right Now Loads.com (RNL) has the most features to offer on one website for 1 low monthly fee. “Right Now” means connecting you instantly with thousands of trucking companies, freight loads, truck drivers and Owner Operators nationwide. Freight Brokers, Freight Forwarders, Carriers, Shippers and anyone trying to get into the transportation industry for the first time can benefit from this powerful and easy to use website. Our special features are unmatched on the internet and are the backend that drives RNL to the top of the internet freight matching industry.

There are tens of thousands of carriers operating in the United States alone. As well as tens of thousands of truck drivers and Owner Operators looking for work. RNL provides an internet link between the two with over 45,000 transportation contacts in our database. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers direct contact with trucking companies, freight forwarders, freight carriers and shippers nationwide via email, phone or fax, with our online load matching service. Our real time freight load database is easy to use for Freight Brokers. It is a requirement for Freight Brokers to have an online freight matching service software to find carriers for their customers. Freight Brokers get the best of both worlds, because they have access to trucking companies nationwide as well as a huge database of truck drivers and owner operators looking for available freight loads. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers an easy way to obtain cargo insurance with nationwide cargo insurance affiliates ready to provide liability and cargo insurance certificates. Our online advertisement specials are the best offer on the internet, with customizable banner ads displayed to thousands of monthly visitors. All of these features are included with your monthly membership.

Most importantly our online load matching system is extremely easy to use. Our website is designed for owner-operators to find work fast and get on the road. Our user-friendly web interface makes it fast to find exactly what you are looking for whether your a freight broker, owner operator, truck driver, shipper, freight forwarder or carrier. Some of our special features include cell phone text messaging of an available truckload or requesting a truck lane to be filled. All searches can be printed in a print-friendly format, and all searches can be downloaded into an excel format. All listings are integrated into mapquest for easy pin-point directions and mileage calculations. This is extremely important for owner-operators budgeting their trip. We supply owner operators with WiFi Hot Spots and Gas Stations and Truck Stops that are equipped with internet access so you can find loads anywhere and avoid having deadhead miles.

We acquire loads from freight brokers, freight forwarders and our affiliates with major trucking companies nationwide. We are an internet source of transportation information and our main goal is to make a user-friendly, knowledgeable, and safe network of members sharing trucking information, loads, freight questions and answers and expand your business off one another. Best of all, this information is available to users 24/7/365 for the lowest monthly fee on the internet! You can’t go wrong. Join us today and experience the power of Right Now Loads.com

Rightnowloads.com
 24/7 Dispatching Service 888-852-4238
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Carriers Owner Operators

Players in shipping industry awarded at 2nd Ghana Shipping Awards

Players in the shipping industry have been awarded for their immense contribution to the growth and development of the industry at the second edition of the Ghana Shipping Awards. The award was aimed at recognizing the contribution of companies in the export trade for their contribution to national development in line with government’s vision of transforming the economy into an export driven one. The CEO of Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck said the award ceremony will instill in industry players a sense of fulfilment and encourage transparency and compliance with laid down procedures in the trade and transport industry.

“This year’s awards which cut across varied sectors including road, ocean and air transportation, freight forwarding, shipping lines and agents, government agencies, insurance and financial institutions is an improvement of last year’s categorization,” she said. West Blue consulting won the excellence in innovation and technology award. GC-Net won the trade facilitation organization of the year and consultancy service provider of the year, sea port terminal of the year went to Amaris Terminal. Exporter of the year went to Kingdom Exim Ghana ltd. Star Assurance won maritime and logistics insurer of the year. Sea and shore services Ghana limited won Marine Service Provider of the year.

Seven log won shipping agent of the year. Promising shipping company of the year is Axiss shipping. Mcdan shipping company won shipping company of the year. Baj freight won freight forwarder of the year and Liner importer of the year went to ECG. B5 plus won dry bulk exporter of the year. Conship won logistics service provider of the year, Delta Ghana limited won Handicraft exporter of the year.

Source: https://www.ghanaweb.com/

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Carriers

Driving Safety Tips

Car accidents have killed more people in the United States than all the nation’s wars, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Improvements in vehicle design, road design and seat belt use have reduced accident fatalities, but motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for people aged four to 34. Educating people on driving safety topics helps reduce the risk of dangerous car accidents.

Distracted Driving
Distracted driving means you are visually, manually or cognitively distracted from driving. Examples of distractions include reading maps, using a cell phone, daydreaming, eating and drinking, changing the radio station, using a GPS or performing personal grooming. Driver distraction contributed to almost 20 percent of accidents in 2008.

Seat Belts
Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to protect yourself in a motor vehicle accident. Seat belts saved more than 13,000 lives in 2008. Children and pregnant women should also wear seat belts. Don’t count on air bags to save you–seat belts are designed to work with air bags.

Impaired Driving
Impaired drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol was involved in nearly a third of traffic-related deaths in 2008, while other drugs were present in about 18 percent of deaths. Young people, motorcyclists and people who have previously received convictions for driving while impaired are most likely to drive while intoxicated or on drugs.

Speeding
Speeding contributes to nearly a third of all fatal crashes. Most speed-related crashes involve a single vehicle, and 60 percent occur at night. Driving too fast also uses more fuel.

Child Safety Seats
Children should use child safety seats placed in the backseat until they are tall enough to properly use seat belts, which usually occurs around age eight. Children under 13 should always ride in the backseat, since deployed air bags can endanger young children.

Teen Driving
Car accidents cause more than one of three teen deaths. Males, teens who have recently gotten their licenses and teens driving with teenage passengers are at highest risk for motor vehicle crashes. Teenage drivers are less likely to recognize hazardous situations, less likely to wear seatbelts and more likely to speed than other groups of drivers.

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Business Carriers Owner Operators

Highway Truck Fatalities Rose 8.9% Last Year

A new report from the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that the number of large truck occupant fatalities increased by 8.9% between 2011 and 2012 up to 697. In 2011, the number of deaths was 20% higher than in 2010.

Despite the increase in the past few years, deaths among occupants of large trucks are the lowest they’ve been since 1950.

These numbers are also reflected in the total number of highway fatalities. In 2012, there were 33,561 highway fatalities. The NHTSA says that the number of highway deaths are at “historic lows.”

The ATA commented on the report saying that the NHTSA is not using specific enough categories to accurately portray the data. They note that the NHTSA counts non-freight-hauling vehicles as “large trucks” which is causing people to incorrectly believe that freight-hauling trucks are more prone to fatal accidents than they actually are. According to the ATA, the report “paints an incomplete and misleading picture of the nation’s trucking industry.”

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Business Carriers Freight Brokers Freight Factors

Illegal Brokerage Among Carriers Still Gray Area

On October 1, the FMCSA issued a Final Rule that adopts regulations required by MAP-21. The rule includes the provision which sets a minimum financial security of $75,000 for brokers and freight forwarders, including carriers that occasionally broker loads.

In the Final Rule, the FMCSA states that compliance with the new rule will cost the industry $15.9 million initially. It has identified 2,212 freight forwarders that are impacted and estimates that the financial impact will be $1.69 million in the first year. For the 21,565 brokers on record the initial cost will be $14.21 million.

You’ll notice that there is no estimate for the carriers that need to obtain a $75K bond and broker authority to comply. That’s because the FMCSA admits that it has little information as to the extent of the unlicensed broker population within the motor carrier industry, which makes estimating the costs to this group difficult, if not impossible.

Since this population is difficult to identify, the FMCSA will initially work with industry groups to get complaint information on motor carriers that are acting as brokers illegally through its National Consumer Complaint Database.

The FMCSA also warns that carriers that act as unlicensed brokers may be subject to private civil actions.

So, unless you are moving every load on your own equipment and under your own carrier authority (for at least one leg of the journey), you need to obtain broker authority and the $75,000 bond that goes with it.

If you’re a DAT customer, learn more about a special bond offering for DAT customers through preferred solutions provider Integro.

As we’ve noted before, you must have active operating authority as a broker if you want to post your loads to DAT Load Boards.

For more information on how MAP-21 impacts carriers, read: Surprise! The Broker Bond Affects Carriers.

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Carriers Trucker News

CSA and improving driver respect are priorities in 2014

During his luncheon address to fleet executives at the 2013 CCJ Fall Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz., American Trucking Associations chairman and president of Bullog Hiway Express Phil Byrd, Sr., said three key legislative focuses for ATA in 2014 are electronic logging devices, rolling back the changes to hours-of-service rules, improving components of the Compliance Safety Accountability program.

ATA is working with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Anne Ferro to work out some of the “fundamental flaws” with the program, including “having no-fault crashes removed from CSA,” said Byrd.

ATA has been a strong supporter in recently introduced H.R. bill 3413 that would revert to hours-of-service rules that existed prior to the current rules that took effect in July. “I would submit that current HOS rules impede the free-flow movement of goods along U.S. highways an exacerbates congestion in metropolitan areas and will make the driver shortage worse,” said Byrd, who added that he anticipates a hearing at the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in the near future.

Byrd says early statistics show a 3 to 4 percent loss in productivity among large fleets, but says the impact on his own business has been greater.

Highway infrastructure funding is also a priority for ATA, but Byrd said until the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats is broken, nothing is likely to change.

“Highways are literally crumbling beneath our trucks and cars,” said Byrd. “[Congress] knows how to fix the problem, but doesn’t have the will to do it.”

Finally, Byrd said improving driver respect is a cause he plans to champion during his tenure as ATA chairman. “These incredible men and women — US trucking fleet drivers — they brave the dark of night, the ice and snow of the mountain peaks, the heat of the desert, the congestion of America’s highways everyday to deliver America’s goods,” he said. “Everything we need, want and desire comes to you by truck. These brave men and women, these incredible individuals, are disrespected at every turn. When they go to our shippers’ door to pick up, their time is disrespected, they don’t have adequate facilities. Then they get that load secured and get that bill of lading in-hand and go out on the public highway system. And because the motoring public doesn’t understand how we operate as an industry, they are disrespected by the people we share the roads with…when they arrive at our consignees to deliver the goods they receive much of the same disrespect when they loaded the freight. We have to change that. They deserve better. I believe that until we restore the respect that our drivers deserve we can’t expect people to come into our industry to be mistreated and misunderstood.”

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Carriers

Define an OTR Driver

An over-the-road driver, or OTR driver, can be defined as a person with a transportation job which involves driving a semi-trailer truck long distances. These long-haul drivers might work regionally, or they may travel to any of the 48 states and to parts of Canada.

Function
OTR drivers pick up and deliver freight, some on dedicated routes which have the same trips each week. Others drive different routes with each new transport order.

Life on the Road
These drivers live in their truck cabs when they’re on the road, which may be for many days or even weeks at a time. During their breaks, outside of sleeping, they might eat at a cafe, chat with other drivers, or get some exercise.

Licensing
Driving a semi-trailer truck requires a class A commercial driver’s license (CDL). Training to obtain the license can be acquired at driver training schools, and some employers provide paid training for new hires.

Payment
OTR drivers usually are paid by the mile. They are legally allowed to drive 70 hours in 8 days, with an 8-hour break required after 10 consecutive driving hours.

Considerations
Because of the payment structure, most OTR drivers prefer jobs in which they can drop off a trailer and pick up a new loaded one, rather than being involved in the loading and unloading process.

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Carriers Owner Operators

How Much Do Car Insurance Rates Drop After Age 25?

Several factors contribute to the car insurance rates you pay. Insurance companies generally consider your age, gender, driving history, occupation, the make and model of the vehicle you drive and where you live when determining the cost of the premium it will charge you. Drivers under the age of 25 typically pay higher insurance rates. Although the lowest auto insurance rates kick in at about age 40, once you reach age 25, the cost of insurance begins to decrease.

Average Rate Decrease

Male drivers can expect an average decrease in car insurance rates of 20 percent after they reach the age of 25. That is if you have a safe driving record and haven’t been involved in any automobile accidents. Rates for female drivers drop about 15 percent. Rates don’t decrease as much for female drivers who, in most cases, already pay less car insurance. Before age 25, insurance companies consider younger drivers inexperienced and more careless, which makes them a higher accident risk. After that age, individuals have graduated from college and are working a regular job. By that time, some individuals have married and started their families. These things make them more responsible adults in the eyes of insurance companies.

Risk Factor

Although teen drivers account for only about 7 percent of the licensed drivers in the U.S., young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 are involved in almost 15 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents, according to the American Safety Council. Driving at unsafe speeds is a common cause of accidents involving teens. Statistics show that more than one in five teenage drivers is involved in an accident during the first year of being a licensed driver. Inexperience driving in combination with indulging in reckless driving behaviors like speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and having other teens as passengers in the vehicle place this age group at higher risk for auto accidents.

Driver Behaviors

Insurance companies generally classify males under the age of 25 as high-risk drivers pushing up the price of their auto insurance. Young men in this age category receive the highest number of tickets for speeding and reckless driving. They are less likely to wear seatbelts increasing their risk of suffering serious injury if involved in an auto accident. This group of drivers also accounts for the highest percentage of DUIs, reports the CDC. Male drivers younger than age 25 cost insurance companies money by filing more insurance claims than other categories of drivers.

Premiums Decrease Over Time

Car insurance premiums typically go down at ages 21, 25, 30 and 35. Unless you have an accident or get a traffic ticket, rates usually remain stable for a time. Check your policy soon after you reach each of these age categories, as you should be able to save money on your premium. If it has been five years since you were last involved in a motor vehicle accident, or if you’ve had no accidents, you may qualify for a good driver discount. Auto insurance companies often offer discounts to policyholders with credit scores of 720 and above. While younger consumers tend to have lower credit scores, maintaining a good payment history over time will continue to boost your score.

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Carriers Trucker News

Techniques for Transportation

Transportation is physically moving goods from one location to another. Selling transportation means providing customers with optimum service for an agreed-upon price. Although some customers may enjoy knowing the details of how a package moves by air, ground or overseas cargo container, most are not interested in how transportation works. What customers want to know is, “When and how much?” Transportation sales will try to answer this quickly, accurately and, most important, more competitively than the competition.

Price
Transportation pricing is based on weight and distance. As weight and distance increase, prices go up. The transportation salesperson will provide quotes for shipping to the customer. As with all sales, the salesperson’s job involves name recognition and response as much as the actual product or service delivered. Promptly providing pricing for cargo will lead to customers preferring the salesperson’s company over others that may be slightly less expensive but that are slow on returning needed information. Moving cargo is definitely not suited to waiting for someone to get back with a quote.

Transportation salespersons will know the bottom line for the company to make a profit, and possibly to insure a minimum commission for themselves. The salesperson will then take the base amount and, knowing the customer and the customer’s expectations, add an additional markup that is best for the company but low enough to ensure the order.

Scheduling
A pickup and delivery schedule tells the customer when the cargo will leave and when it will arrive at its destination. Not every transportation company will be able to meet all schedule demands. The salesperson’s job is to coordinate the service availability with the customer’s need to move a shipment in a specific time frame. When regularly scheduled air transport will not meet the deadline, then the salesperson will look at over-the-road transport.

Overseas transport can be the most exasperating to schedule because of ship traffic and intervening ports of call before arriving at a destination. If the cargo is the right size and weight, then airfreight may work much faster. If weight, size and total costs prevent using expensive airfreight, then the salesperson will have to use pervasive people skills to convince the customer that the shipping order will have to be changed. For the successful transportation salesperson, part of the job is explaining to customers that not all their demands are feasible while still getting the orders from the customers.

Packaging
Transportation salespersons also sell packaging and shipping readiness services. These can include crating, pallet loading, strapping, loading and the like. Although many large companies have their own departments preparing cargo for shipping, some smaller companies will need such services from outside. The transportation salesperson will again price for maximum profit while keeping the cost low enough to insure the customer’s order.

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Carriers Freight Loads

Test a Load Board

A load board is an interface device that works in between the IC under-test and the test head of the automated test equipment. The purpose of the load board is to provide mechanical and electrical interface between these two devices. It is extremely important that a load board be tested to see if there are any problems in its connections. There are three main methods to test the devices, which vary in effort, time, and money put into the test. Choose the one that is best for you and your situation.

Perform a manual verification test. To do this, you will need to use an ohmmeter to check for any shorts or opens between the test socket-to-IC contacts and the PCB to ATE connections. This method is, however, very limited. It will save you some money if your load board deals with a low amount of contacts (under 50); it is on the flip side not very practical for load boards that happen to feature a large amount of contacts (100 or more).

Use the same expensive device that you employ when testing your ATE to test the load board, whatever that may be. This method is the least desirable out of all the options as it is very expensive and inefficient. It can also waste a large amount of your test resources, which will then consequently impair your ability to test your ATE. You may also need to write some special software to test the board. Avoid this method if possible.

Take the test out of your hands. Employ a dedicated load board testing system. This method is your best bet as it will save you the greatest amount of money and time. It is also much more reliable than any form of manual testing that you undertake. This test measures leakage currents and resistance to confirm that the load board does not have any shorts or opens in its circuitry. One system that is especially noted for its abilities is the Cerprobe BOSS Load Board Test System, which measures not only for the shorts and opens but also a variety of other factors. Find a group in your own town that can perform this test for you and let them take care of it.