Category: Trucker News

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Trucker News

Compromise reached in US/Mexico cross-border trucking

U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexico President Felipe Calderon announced yesterday that they have come up with a solution that will “allow for the establishment of a reciprocal, phased-in program built on the highest safety standards that will authorize both Mexican and United States long-haul carriers to engage in cross-border operations under NAFTA.” Mexico will suspend 50% of its retaliatory tariffs when the new agreement is signed (60 day estimate) and the other 50% when the first Mexican carrier is granted operating authority under the program. President Calderon is wise to make sure we hold up our end of the bargain before taking down the tariffs. Negotiators from both sides are working on a draft agreement that the DOT will review with Congress and put out for public comment. It is unlikely that we will be seeing the benefits of this new compromise any time soon. While details are still being worked out, at least some components of the proposal are known. Mexican truckers will be required to operate with Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) that ensure compliance with U.S. hours of service regulations and to ensure that the trucks only haul freight to and from Mexico, not U.S. domestic freight.

Trucking Business
Compromise Border trucking

Under the agreement, Mexico would eventually lift tariffs it placed on dozens of U.S. products in response to the banning of its trucks from U.S. roads, AP said.Leaders from both countries will negotiate further details of the plan, which will be phased in, and the deal will require approval from the U.S. Congress before it takes effect, Bloomberg reported.American Trucking Associations is “pleased” that the leaders have come to an agreement, President Bill Graves said in a statement.“When properly implemented, NAFTA’s trucking provisions should evolve to allow for a more efficient, safe and secure environment for cross-border operations between the U.S. and Mexico,” Graves said.The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which has consistently opposed the plan, said in a statement it was “outraged” by the proposed agreement.“For all the president’s talk of helping small businesses survive, his administration is sure doing their best to destroy small trucking companies and the drivers they employ,” OOIDA said.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Diesel Increase! And shortage in Colorado

U.S. gasoline demand is projected to average 9.12 million barrels per day in 2011. Americans are expected to travel 8.27 billion miles per day in 2011. This equates to an average of 33 miles per vehicle per day. The markup on gasoline in 2010 was 16.3 cents/gallon, or 5.6 percent, and the federal excise tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.

Freight Broker Training
Shortage and Increase
Truck stops in Colorado are rationing diesel fuel because of a shortage plaguing the state this summer.
Colorado motor carriers are telling their drivers to top off with fuel outside the state and to fill up their tanks anytime they see diesel available.To help alleviate the shortage, the Colorado State Patrol has granted a waiver to diesel fuel transporters to provide them with greater flexibility in moving intrastate. It is effective through Aug. 18, Fulton said. The association also has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a waiver for interstate commerce, much like the ones that were issued for states affected by Hurricane Katrina.In January 2011, motor gasoline taxes averaged 48.1 cents per gallon and diesel fuel taxes averaged 53.1 cents per gallon. Factoring in all gasoline sales in 2009 transactions whether the customer paid by cash, check or by either debit or credit card ,credit and debit card fees averaged 4.7 cents per gallon.I am sure you have all been reading or hearing about the price of crude oil on its way to $100 and above and diesel fuel and gas prices headed to over $4 a gallon.

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Business Trucker News

How Does a Trucking Business Work?

A trucking business can be one truck with one owner, or thousands of trucks owned by one company but driven by many different drivers. It’s estimated by the United States Labor Department that a truck hauls about 70% of everything you wear, eat, use or enjoy around your home, in your school or at your job. It’s also usually a truck which takes the pieces or rare materials to make those things from suppliers to a manufacturer to a store where you buy it. So just from this brief description, you can see that making a trucking business work smoothly is quite a challenge.

Trucking Business
Trucking Business Industry
A trucking company has to pay special taxes and have special permits from the federal and state governments to operate, as well as the truck drivers having their CDLs (Commercial Driver’s License) and also any permits he or she needs, like a HazMat (Hazardous Materials) certification. Drivers who haul corrosives or other dangerous substances have to go through special classes and have that certification on their CDL before they are permitted to pull out of the trucking company yard. A trucking business may specialize in what it hauls. Some trucking businesses move people’s households, tanks and weapons for the military or heavy equipment like gigantic bulldozers and cranes. Some have armed guards aboard their trucks while taking irreplaceable art and sculptures to museums. But whether the trucking business hauls whales and porpoises or brittle china teacups, the same basic steps are always followed. Every person at a trucking business is necessary to get each load from pick-up to its destination, whether it’s the company mechanic who looks after the trucks’ engines; the dispatcher, the safety director who makes sure Hours of Service rules are followed, salespeople who find new shippers, or the file clerk who keeps track of all the paperwork for every truck and driver working for the business.

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Business Trucker News

Totally Freight – Freight Directory

Welcome to totallyfreight.com, the new directory of international freight forwarders and related companies involved in the transport industry. Unlike other directories, totallyfreight.com aims to provide the most detailed listings so users find a company that meets their requirements.

Covering air, sea, road and rail transport, the directory features a range of companies across the globe. They also have a freight exchange directory for load boards.

Freight forwarders and related companies can use the directory to find new overseas partners, agents and suppliers as well as being able to post news stories about their business.

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Trucker News

Proof – DOT not concerned about Trucking Safety

The Department of Transportation’s mission statement: Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.
Professional truck drivers have many “distractions” that we must focus on while driving. Distracted driving according to the “official distracted driving” government website is – taking your eyes off the road – taking your hands off the wheel – taking your mind off what you’re doing. Professional truck drivers while driving need to keep their eyes constantly moving by checking their mirrors, and keeping a visual check on the instrument panel gauges for problems and listening for uncommon noises that might save thousands of dollars in repairs if caught soon enough. This of course – takes our eyes off the road – and our focus off driving. So how might I ask are truckers supposed to not “drive distracted and still do their jobs safely?”

USDOT wants to see electronic onboard recorders on all commercial vehicles. They “claim” this will help to reduce crashes and over hours of service violations and all around just make the trucking industry safer. But add to an already prodigious problem of available safe parking by allowing the closing of numerous rest areas for lack of funding – but give millions of dollars away to upgrade and build roads in and out of state parks and call this part of the “Recovery Act.”

The U.S. health care system contributes to more deaths than truck drivers. According to Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, 250,000 deaths per year are caused by medical errors. A surgical resident reported that in two-and-a-half years into a seven-year program at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, she was routinely working 110-130 hours per week, and sometimes worked 60-hour shifts. And truck drivers are the bad people here? Who needs to be regulated?
Top 10 Most Dangerous Drivers by Profession:
Truck drivers didn’t even make the top ten list.
• Attorney/Judge
• Financial professionals
• Government worker
• Bartender or Waiter
• Business Professionals
• Dog Groomer
• Marketing/Advertising professionals
• Barber/Stylist
• Coach
• Nurse
Parking – the lack of places to park has been a problem in trucking for years, and it only will get worse. If the USDOT were concerned about safety, then they would give some of that money towards safer truck parking, and keep these rest areas open and build more of them. But out of 10,000 road construction projects and billions of dollars spent, not any rest areas or places to park a tractor trailer have even been considered.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Texting while Driving

The American Trucking Associations supports the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed prohibition on the use of handheld mobile phones by commercial drivers, though it urged the agency to allow the use of hands-free devices, citing agency research demonstrating safety benefits of such devices.

At the same time the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is opposed to FMCSA’s proposed ban of handheld cell phones. OOIDA filed comments with the agency Feb. 22.

The FMCSA placed its cell-phone proposal in the Federal Register, after a ban on texting while driving went into effect. Reply comments are due by March 21.

ATA has supported laws and regulations banning handheld phone use for all motorists at the state and federal levels. ATA reiterated this position in comments filed Feb. 22 on FMCSA’s proposed ban for truck drivers. Last year, ATA also supported DOT’s ban on texting by drivers of commercial vehicles while their vehicles are in motion.

However, while ATA agreed with FMCSA that “drivers should be prohibited from dialing a telephone number while driving,” it urged the agency not to limit drivers from pushing “a limited number of buttons in order to initiate a hands-free call.” ATA also objected to the proposed prohibition on reaching for a mobile phone while driving.

Doing so, ATA argued, would prevent drivers from initiating hands-free calls, which, as the agency’s research demonstrates, can have a net safety benefit. Further, ATA claimed, it is inconsistent to permit drivers to reach for other objects but prohibit reaching for a cell phone.

OOIDA President and CEO Jim Johnston said in comments filed Feb. 22, “Indeed, cell phone use is no more distracting than other types of communications and electronic equipment used regularly by truck drivers such as in-cab fleet management devices, global positioning and other navigation systems, and Citizens Band (CB) radios that have not received the same level of scrutiny by FMCSA.”

OOIDA said the potential penalty of $2,750 for a driver and up to $11,000 for the driver’s employer are the same as for the texting final rule. “These penalties are clearly excessive when compared to the significantly lower fines for egregious traffic violations such as DUI/DWI or excessive speeding,” Johnston said.

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Business Trucker News

Optima Transport

Optima Transport – better performance, less fuel consumption.

Many transport companies call fuel costs their biggest threat, they seek new methods for efficiency and cost savings. Optima Transport has the solution for fuel problems. By remapping the computer of the truck, the engine will safe fuel up to 8 percent.

To create clarity and give the best service Optima is divided in two sectors: Optima chiptuning is the best partner in performance tuning for cars and Optima Transport is specialised in fuel reduction for trucks. Optima Transport provides the highest quality software and stands for integrity, excellence and innovation. Our research department is always researching new developments in the market. The manufacturing department develops the new software for each truck specific. Besides fuel saving, the power will increase and the drivability will improve.

Why choose Optima Transport?
– Every truck we program is custom remapped
– We provide a 30-day money back guarantee
– Our software has five years overall warranty
– We provide safe optimalisation with great results

Optima works with the most experienced and talented people in the transport industry. We are part of an enthusiastic and skilled national dealer team. Together with the division Optima chiptuning we are one of the leading chiptuning businesses in the Netherlands.

When you want so reduce fuel consumption choose only the best. That’s what your truck deserves; Optima Transport.

Reagards,

Harry Musch
Optima Transport
050-8222958

Correspondentie

Afdeling Research & Development
Van Driestlaan 6 9744 EP Groningen
www.optimatransport.nl

Inbouwstation

Afdeling Techniek
Zuiderstraat 28 A 9635 AM Noordbroek
www.optimatransport.nl
Partners Optima Transport

Optima Chiptuning
Spierballen voor uw auto
www.optima-chiptuning.nl

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Trucker News

Fuel Price on a Road to Constant Increase: Truckers Worry

The recent political upheavals in many of the Arab nations have raised an issue of worry among different governments. Its impact is likely to be seen on the economies of various countries and the worst affected area which is likely to suffer is the crude industry. There has been a considerable hike in the prices of the fuel pertaining to the uncertainty of the crude supply. The unstable political scenario in the Middle East has sent a wave of worry among the energy traders and they are looking out for alternatives to cope with this challenging problem. The trucking industry will be affected by this crisis and the trucking companies are also worried about the same.

The benchmark crude prices have witnessed a hike of 87 cents last week over the continued reports of disturbing situation in the Middle East regions. The oil traders are expecting a completely different market situation ahead of the weekend. The first thing to be affected after the reported fuel hike is the transportation costs. This is one of the major industries which are directly linked to the fuel cost. The truck driver jobs will also be affected by this situation as the overhead transportation costs will increase and the trucking industry will try to minimize the cost on other level to match the fuel costs. This is especially a threat to those truckers who have joined recently and they may be the first ones to face the job cuts.

The owner operator jobs are likely to suffer as this will minimize the profits of the owner operators who work on a percent basis with the trucking companies. All the industries are connected in a chain and the increase in the transportation costs will put its impact on other industries as well. Second in queue are the freight companies which take the services of the truck drivers to make their loads deliver. The trucking companies are likely to charge more from the load board and it will create an imbalance in all the sectors. There is already a shortage of truckers and the trucking industry is providing new truck driver jobs. If the driver job cuts are done, it will hamper the delivery of loads available. In the present situation, the price rise is undoubtedly a big blow and it has come at a very wrong time when the trucking companies are facing many other challenges.

If the political crisis in these nations continues, it will disrupt the chain of demand and supply and the fuel prices may go higher. The economy is already undergoing a difficult phase and managing the businesses is a challenging job. If the fuel hikes persistently goes on, it will affect the functioning of many of the trucking companies and the costs are likely to be adjusted by the cuts in truck driver jobs. The trucking industry will try hard to cope with the tough market conditions but it is a big threat to the drivers’ employment.

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Trucker News

New Law Framed for the Repair of the Vehicle for Truck Drivers

The Massachusetts federal law body has put forth the new law of Right to Repair Act which is brought into form in the present legislative year of 2011-12. The chief legislative representatives who have put this idea in form are Rep. Garrett Hadley (D-Hingham) and Senator John Hart. There are sixty other representatives who have come in support of this bill. The new repair act will put forward a wide array of choices for the consumers because previously the repair codes which were limited only for the dealers of new cars will now also be provided to retail stores.

The main reason behind bringing the bill back into the present shape is that the customers have an availability of better choice before them and they can take the services of the shops which they want to. There is no compulsion of sticking to a particular dealer. The trucking companies seem to have a double opinion on this act. It is good for those owner operator jobs who are bound to go to a big dealer. The data and codes will be bought by the individual shops and they will have to give the prior and correct information to the customers. It will be an additional benefit for the small retailers to expand their businesses and the customers may also go for a better deal.

More and more senators are coming in support of this bill and it is gaining a high approval among the legislative members. The economy is undoubtedly going through a tough phase and it is important for the government to understand the problems of the masses. Repairing a truck is often done by a trucker and it is important that he has a wide variety of choice where he can go for his truck repair which will add some extra pennies to his pocket. The technological advances have made a great improvement in the efficiency of the vehicles but the loads available demands, services and maintenance of the vehicles have also increased. This thought has also motivated the right to repair act to come in form.

The trucks and other motors have many options of safety and more and more researches are done to make the vehicle fuel efficient. This has also opened the doors for the dealers to take the advantage of the present situation. So it has become all the more necessary that the truckers have an access to all the repair shops and their choices are not limited. The guidelines and directions are meant to be given to the vehicle manufacturing companies that the repair access is not confined to the dealers of these companies and the repair rights are also scattered among the different individual repair shops and the motorists.

Check our truck loadboard blog page for more articles related to trucking industry.

It will also be useful for the truckers who are driving on the highway and have no choice to go for when the truck breaks up. They will not have to hunt for the dealers and simply repair at the shop which is easily accessible to them.

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Business Freight Brokers Trucker News

JR’s Freight Directory – Freight Finders

Allow me to explain a little further. I was working as a freight broker and decided that I wanted to be of more service to the carrier, so I went out on my own and JR’s Freight Finders was born. I was representing 50+ carriers and would find freight directly through a shipper for them at a small finders fee. They would then bill the shipper directly for 100% payment. This service allowed them a great increase in their income. As you can imagine, it became much to difficult to help them all and still have time to hunt new shippers. So…I put together a directory of shippers that work directly with carriers and distributed it out to these carriers at a very nominal fee. This way the carriers would have the shippers at there finger tips and could then contact shippers before hitting the load boards.

After these carriers started using their directories and seeing how beneficial it was to them, some of them started suggesting that I figure out a way to offer this directory to all carriers. So that is what I am doing. I am reaching out to all the carriers that I can to offer my freight directory. This directory is categorized by state in which the shipper ships from and includes company name, trailer type, phone and fax #’s, email address’, contact names and lanes that they run. This does not mean that the lanes listed are the only lanes they run, they are the lanes that I know of at this time. The use of this directory will show a great increase in your income because you will be dealing with the shipper directly. You work with shippers in the same manner as you do a broker.

Face it, carriers just don’t have the time to carry on the task of hunting shippers. That is why they have to use the load boards and work through a broker who then takes a large cut from what the shipper is actually paying to have the load moved. If you work directly with the shipper, that leaves 100% payment to you. It is no more trouble to work with the shipper than it is to work with a broker. The steps are all the same. Here at JR’s we have the time, knowledge and experience to hunt these shippers. Allow us to be of service to you. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

With all understood, I am offering my directory at the extremely low, one time purchase price of $59.95. This directory is guaranteed to be fresh and use outside carriers. If you find a shipper in this directory that does not work with outside carriers, I will gladly refund 100% of your purchase price. The use of this directory just one time will easily cover the purchase price.

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