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Owner Operators

Work of a Truck Driver

Truck drivers are a constant presence on the Nation’s highways and interstates. They deliver everything from automobiles to canned food. Firms of all kinds rely on trucks to pick up and deliver goods because no other form of transportation can deliver goods door-to-door. Even if some goods travel most of the way by ship, train, or airplane, almost everything is carried by trucks at some point in its journey.

Before leaving the terminal or warehouse, truck drivers check the fuel level and oil in their trucks. They also inspect the trucks to make sure that the brakes, windshield wipers, and lights are working and that a fire extinguisher, flares, and other safety equipment are aboard and in working order. Drivers make sure their cargo is secure and adjust the mirrors so that both sides of the truck are visible from the driver’s seat. Drivers report equipment that is inoperable, missing, or loaded improperly to the dispatcher.

Once underway, drivers must be alert in order to prevent accidents. Drivers can see farther down the road because large trucks seat them higher off the ground than other vehicles. This allows them to see the road ahead and select lanes that are moving more smoothly as well as giving them warning of any dangerous road conditions ahead of them.

The duration of runs varies according to the types of cargo and the destinations. Local drivers may provide daily service for a specific route or region, while other drivers make longer, intercity and interstate deliveries. Interstate and intercity cargo tend to vary from job to job more than local cargo. A driver’s responsibilities and assignments change according to the type of loads transported and their vehicle’s size.

New technologies are changing the way truck drivers work, especially long-distance truck drivers. Satellites and the Global Positioning System link many trucks with their company’s headquarters. Troubleshooting information, directions, weather reports, and other important communications can be instantly relayed to the truck. Drivers can easily communicate with the dispatcher to discuss delivery schedules and courses of action in the event of mechanical problems. The satellite link also allows the dispatcher to track the truck’s location, fuel consumption, and engine performance. Some drivers also work with computerized inventory tracking equipment. It is important for the producer, warehouse, and customer to know their product’s location at all times so they can maintain a high quality of service.

Heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers operate trucks or vans with a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). They transport goods including cars, livestock, and other materials in liquid, loose, or packaged form. Many routes are from city to city and cover long distances. Some companies use two drivers on very long runs—one drive while the other sleeps in a berth behind the cab. These “sleeper” runs can last for days or even weeks. Trucks on sleeper run typically stop only for fuel, food, loading, and unloading.

Some heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers who have regular runs transport freight to the same city on a regular basis. Other drivers perform ad-hoc runs because shippers request varying service to different cities every day.

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that drivers keep a log of their activities, the condition of the truck, and the circumstances of any accidents.

Long-distance heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers spend most of their working time behind the wheel, but also may have to load or unload their cargo. This is especially common when drivers haul speciality cargo because they may be the only ones at the destination familiar with procedures or certified to handle the materials. Auto-transport drivers, for example, position cars on the trailers at the manufacturing plant and remove them at the dealerships. When picking up or delivering furniture, drivers of long-distance moving vans hire local workers to help them load or unload.

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Owner Operators Trucker News

How To Find Available Truck Loads

The first step for owner-operators and truck drivers to find high paying available truck loads is to choose their state of interest. Once a truck driver or owner operator selects a state you will be able to find all available FTL, LTL, Flatbed, reefer and Van truckloads that are available for pick up or delivery in that state. You do not have to be a registered member to view available freight loads, however, you do have to register to view contact information and post your available truck loads for pick up or delivery.

Find Truck Loads For All Truck Types

If you are a truck driver or owner operators you will be able to Find Available Truck Loads nationwide that are LTL FTL Flatbed Van Expedited or Reefer loads. Truck Drivers and Owner operators can also post their availability to delivery freight nationwide by Posting Their Dead Head Truck Availability into Find Freight Loads site and having freight brokers and Carriers contact you OR Owner Operators and Truck Drivers can contact Freight Brokers and Freight Shippers/Carriers that have Posted Shipments on the website. Freight Shippers can be reached by phone, email, and fax where provided.

Toll-FREE 24/7 Dispatch Number

We know you are not on the internet the majority of the time looking for loads. How else could you make money if you are not on the road delivering loads? Call our Toll Free number 24/7 and we will gladly dispatch available truck loads and drivers contact information so you can keep your truck moving. This service is available to our members for FREE we do not accept any commissions for booking available loads for you!

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Freight Loads Lifestyle Owner Operators Trucker News

How To Find Truck Loads for Owner Operators

Find freight loads and truck lanes online. RightNowLoads.com is designed to provide instant communication between truck driver recruiters and owner operators seeking trucking jobs. In addition, RNL.com provides online freight matching service so freight brokers and Owner Operators will never travel with deadhead miles. Together provide an efficient low cost way to increase sales, and revenue. Making Right Now Loads the only webiste in it’s class

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, Load Brokers 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 weather 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 truck load 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 toady and experience the power of Right Now Loads.com

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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/

Categories
Trucker News

Freight Railroads Get Boost from Tight Trucking Markets

U.S. railroads posted a 6.5% increase in intermodal traffic in March, according a report from the Association of American Railroads, making the month “Easily the best” March in history. The trade group said intermodal volume is tracking to top records set last year, with growth accelerating in April. The AAR said the number of truck trailers moving on major railroad networks expanded 15.3% in the first quarter from the same period a year ago.

The major freight railroads have captured the higher volume despite pockets of service issues in parts of the country where the carriers are dealing with hiring shortfalls and higher demand. The railway has been picking up cargo from trucks, with intermodal revenue up 19% in the first quarter. Volume rose 8% while revenue per unit rose 10%, a sign that shipping customers were paying more to get their goods on trains. “So we’re very confident that as the year progresses, we’ll be able to continue to lean into price reflecting the value of our service.” , which reported first-quarter results Thursday, domestic intermodal volume increased 5% on strength in parcel shipments and tight truck capacity.


Other lines of business, including the railroad’s refrigerated boxcar business, have also gotten a bounce from the tight truck market. Railroads tend to have longer term contracts with shippers, so changes in the trucking market may not allow them to adjust prices or go after new contracts quickly. I don’t win any awards for how many truck trailers I move on our railroad. Freight brokers who arrange transportation are also feeling the effects as customers switch some shipments over to rail.

Hub Group one of the largest brokers in the U.S. focused on rail shipping, said a 14% increase in intermodal revenue in the first quarter to $482.5 million, helped boost the company’s net profit 56% to $16.1 million. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad it dismantled a hub-and-spoke model in favor of longer-haul routes that are more profitable. In the first quarter, CSX didn’t expand its intermodal volume compared with the year before, but revenue rose 3% on higher rates. CSX Chief Executive James Foote said the company is focusing on converting truck volume only if it can do so profitably. “I don’t win any awards for how many truck trailers I move on our railroad,” Mr. Foote said in an interview this month.

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Trucker News

New smart steering wheels monitor heart rate to target truck driver fatigue

Fourteen-hour days and middle-of-the-night starts are not unusual for Goulburn truck driver Adam Craig.Long and erratic shifts aside, he loves his job.But they can take their toll.”Some days you could be happy as Larry for fourteen hours and not get tired at all, but then some days you could do two hours and want to pull up for a sleep,” he said.”You do have to stop and have a break, otherwise, things do go wrong.”But the 25-year-old said finding a safe place to pull over is far from easy, with parking bays often overflowing with cars and caravans.”Then we have to go even further to pull up, so it does get tiring,” he said.

Truck drivers are fifteen times more likely to die of fatigue than other workers.Last year alone, 185 people died in crashes involving heavy trucks on Australian roads.And fatigue, which raises the crash or near-crash risk between four to six times, is often the first factor looked at when a truck driver dies behind the wheel.That’s why Mr. Craig welcomes a pilot “smart steering wheel” that monitors a driver’s heart rate and fatigue, while also predicting the onset of tiredness.The idea was the focus of a truck driver fatigue hackathon in Canberra this week.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/

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Trucker News

Lanier Tech expands CDL program to meet trucking demand

Truckers aren’t always looked upon endearingly on the road, Edwards said,“Everyone wants to blame a trucker,” he added.Learning these things and more will be the challenge for the eight to 10 expected in the upcoming eight-week summer course the college is offering.The Lanier Tech program presents a few options that other private trainers do not typically provide, Edwards said.
For example, training can be expensive, but some Lanier Tech students can offset costs with the HOPE Career Grant, which is available to qualified students who enroll in majors specifically aligned with industries in which there are more jobs available in Georgia than there are skilled workers to fill them.
And if a student fails the state certification test, they will be retrained by the school free of charge until they get it right.But the biggest aspect is more time spent behind the wheel. Many training programs last just three weeks, Pierce said.“Everybody doesn’t get to start out in a truck like this,” Pierce said.

Source:https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/

Categories
Trucker News

Law enforcement agencies begin safety crackdown on trucks, trucking companies

“Our ordinary day was destroyed in a split second due to truck negligence,” said Joleen Tichelaar, whose husband was killed by a big truck’s corroded brake drum that dislodged from the truck.Jay Tichelaar was driving on Interstate-94 in Johnson Creek in May 2017. Jay Tichelaar, 51, died instantly.That’s why Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt said he started a Joint Truck Enforcement Task Force Monday, promising tickets for truck drivers who violate the law and fines for trucking companies that don’t maintain their trucks properly.
“Suddenly, the brake drum broke apart and threw heavy pieces of metal into the air with intense force and crashed through my loving husband’s windshield, hitting him directly in the face and neck,” Joleen Tichelaar said. “I can’t even put into words the gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching emotions that our children and I have endured since that day.” The truck that ended Jay Tichelaar’s life kept going and officers have not been able to find the driver or company responsible.

Source:http://www.wisn.com/

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Trucker News

Busia one-stop border post renders hundreds jobless

There was hope for better trade when President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, opened the Sh1.3 billion Busia One Stop Border Post in February this year. What was meant to streamline processes by marking the end of a manual system has come with pain. As much as the government appears to have sealed leakages through which tax used to leak to corrupt revenue collectors, individuals who worked in the clearing and forwarding sector are crying over job losses.
Uganda to widen relief fraud probe to U.N. staff vows reforms Initially, the border was a hive of activity as clearing and forwarding agents moved up and down pursuing clearance of trucks with cargo crossing to Uganda. Clearing agents at Busia and Malaba customs say the introduction of the post has taken away their jobs. Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association Busia Chapter Chairman Joseph Ouma paints a gloomy picture of a people deprived of livelihood. An agent can go for two weeks without getting a job because the truck driver comes furnished with an Exit Note and he can do the remaining work himself, says Ouma. Everything is now done electronically and only KRA officers can access the system. Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840 Initially, agents would be assisted to fill forms from the Immigration office before gaining entry. Once they disembark, they go straight to the Immigration officer who keys in their details in the system; this takes a very short time and they are allowed to proceed to Kenya, says Ouma.
There are more than 1,000 clearing and forwarding companies at the Busia and Malaba borders and according to the Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association Busia chapter chairman, some have closed. Moses Okendo, of Johen, says the introduction of the one-stop border point has denied him an income. This is the only place we could get money to take care of our families, but there is nothing we do at the border nowadays. Dominic Mburu, also a clearing agent, says there is no balance of trade between Kenya and Uganda. Our colleagues in Uganda are reaping big from the two borders, says Chief of Staff Robert Papa.
Categories
Trucker News

Pilot Freight Services and RCL Global Logistics Solutions announce transportation alliance

LIMA, PA – Pilot Freight Services (Pilot) and RCL Global Logistics Solutions are pleased to announce an alliance between both companies. The pilot, headquartered in Lima, PA, is a worldwide provider of transportation and logistics services. The company began in 1970 as a domestic freight forwarder and has had exceptional growth in many different verticals including global transportation, contract logistics, supply chain management, customs brokerage, e-commerce, automotive, government and more while maintaining their reputation as a leading forwarder. With a domestic footprint covering the entire United States through 75 North American locations, and global coverage in 190 markets, Pilot truly can move freight anywhere in the world.
Pilot prides itself on being a technology-based forward-thinking transportation and logistics company with an unprecedented standard of customer service. The alliance between Pilot and RCL is a natural fit and an opportunity to provide a wider range of services to customers of both companies. “We are excited to enter this agreement because of the synergies between the two companies and the fact that we have similar cultures,” said John Hill, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Pilot Freight Services. “RCL views this new relationship as a way to leverage our core services with Pilot, building an even stronger offering to our clients,” adds Patrick Costin, President, RCL Global Logistics Solutions…

Source: https://www.ajot.com/