Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
Freight Brokers Freight Loads

Freight Broker Training Course – How to Become A Freight Broker

The freight broker training program by FreightBrokersCourse.com is a meticulously designed and planned training program by the industry experts. If you are aspiring to become a successful freight broker then, you can lay the foundation of this reaping freight broker business with FreightBrokersCourse.com. The Freight broker course offered here is exceptional when compared to other similar training programs. Our program targets at the comprehensive assistance that is required by new candidates especially when they are new to the industry itself.

Freight Broker Training
Freight Broker Training
The FreightBrokersCourse comes at half the price and double the features of other online broker courses. Moreover, we don’t only sell the course and leave you wandering in the industry. We back you up with our strong transportation network which we have developed in last so many years being in the industry.
The training manual is very easy to understand and outlines all the minute details which you might want to know before you start the freight broker business. This handy manual is a must have as it will resolve many of your queries at different stages while you are in the business. It comes along with the purchase of the course or can be purchased separately. The topics covered in the manual are:
• Freight Broker/Agent job description
• Setting up your business
• Becoming a freight broker
• Members involved in a freight movement transaction & their roles How to find shippers (customers)
• Contacting Shippers
• Shipper Cold Call Script
• Paperwork between broker & shipper
• Approve a shipper for business
• Calculate a freight shipment rate
• Locate trucks to move your loads using load boards
• Make sure a truck is legal & reputable
• Calculate the rate for the truck
• Paperwork between broker & carrier
• Load Tracking
• Billing & Payment
• Step by step guide to freight movement
• Factoring
The most amazing part of the FreightBrokersCourse.com is if you purchase the comprehensive course then we will offer you one year free membership of our leading load board FindFreightLoads.com. The value of this deal is $360 which you get absolutely free. This is the deal which you can get nowhere. This exclusive load board team up will provide you with immediate and effective loads and shipper matching.
Our service not just stops after providing you the required training. We at FreightBrokersCourse.com provide extensive license filing service. We assist in BOC-3 form filing, receiving the Motor Carrier Number (MC#), completing formalities for $10,000 surety bond, searching appropriate insurance agent in all 48 states. This license filing package is included when you purchase the comprehensive course or you can even buy this package separately.
At FreightBrokersCourse.com we will provide you with the needed factoring service to secure your business in any time of financial upheaval. We also offer website designing service to start your full-fledged freight broker business without a loop hole.
With our passion to serve you the best, we have arranged this all inclusive package at an unbelievable price. To know more about our service and products and to learn about our package price do visit the website: http://www.freightbrokerscourse.com. Who knows you are just a step away from your dream career.

Categories
Carriers

Regulation Room

We see that you have recently blogged about EOBRs and their impact on CMV drivers. Now that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed to require EOBRs for all long haulers and many short haulers, we hope you’ll ask your readers to tell FMSCA what they should do to get this rule right. There’s an easy way to learn about the proposal and lend your expertise to the rulemaking process at http://regulationroom.org/

Regulation Room is an online public participation website where individuals and groups can learn about and discuss proposed new federal regulations. Most important, unlike other blogs and discussion forums, Regulation Room discussion actually gets read by agency decision-makers because we submit a detailed summary of all the comments directly to FMCSA. The Department of Transportation’s open government flagship initiative, Regulation Room is designed and operated by the Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative (CeRI).

The EOBR rule will affect truckers more directly than anyone else, and Regulation Room offers an innovative way for them to have their voices heard effectively by FMCSA. We hope you will consider spreading the word to your audience about Regulation Room and the unique opportunity it offers them to get their on-the-job expertise into the final rule. The more input we receive, the better the chance that the final regulation will reflect the concerns of all stakeholders. For more information, visit http://regulationroom.org or email us at [email protected]

Sincerely,
The Regulation Room Team

Categories
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

Categories
Carriers

How to Improve the Truck’s Performance

The performance of any vehicle is very important to ensure its proper functioning and a longer life. The trucks are most of the times moving on the roads or on the highways. They require a lot of maintenance and the trucking companies keep a check on truck’s performance and the maintenance required by it. If the truck is in a good condition, it will require low repair costs and its functioning will also continue in a proper manner. The advancement of technology has launched many products in the market which can improve a truck’s performance.

Most of the trucking companies are opting for employing the services of these products as they can help in the efficiency of their vehicles. The word performance is linked with many parts of the truck like the mileage, fuel efficiency, condition of the tires and above all the working of the engines. There are truck driver jobs and the trucking companies also go for the drivers who can also handle the minor repairs in the truck. This will be especially helpful for the drivers if they are stuck on a highway or a place where there is no repairing shop.

The basic things which will make sure that the truck is performing in a proper way are its speed which is often referred as horse power of trucks. Different kinds of trucks have different speed capacity and horsepower depending on its size and capacity. Pick up truckers or flatbed trucks have a higher loading capacity compared to the medium sized trucks or normal truck carriers. The trucking companies often hire the flatbed drivers who can handle the high pick up power and speed.

Freight load boards are widely used for hiring any truck, however the shipper sees whether the truck is in a good condition and will be able to make an on time delivery of the loads. Torque is an essential component in the trucks which generates the pick up. It helps the truck to roll and also in the towing and picking up the materials. If the towing capacity in the trucks will not be in a proper place, it won’t be able to handle the weight of the loads available. The crux of the truck’s life lies in the proper functioning of the engine. If the air intake and exhaust facility in the engine is in the right way, it will surely improve the truck’s performance. There are many kits available in the market which can improve the efficiency of the engine by doing some modifications in it. A slight change in the programming of the trucks will improve the speed and torque of the trucks and it won’t harm the trucks as well.

There is a filter in the air intake of the trucks made of paper which may congest the air flow. The trucking companies can install the filter made of cotton or engineering foam which won’t obstruct the air flow. It is very easy to install these filters by replacing them with the older one. The rising fuel prices are also an issue of concern. The fuel addictive can be really helpful in this problem as it will reduce the fuel usage. These are some simple ways to improve the performance of the trucks.

Categories
Owner Operators

CDL: A Key to Successful Truck Driving Jobs

There is a wide scope of career in the trucking industries and the trucking companies are looking forward for hiring new professionals in the industry. The doors are opened for truck driver jobs but the most important thing is to make the right career decisions. The CDL or the commercial driving license can be an effective move and first step to get your dream job. The trucking companies are looking towards hiring of the professionals who are properly trained and it saves the cost of the company on training the new drivers. Driving a flatbed truck or other such heavy vehicles involves a lot of risk and it is good if the flatbed drivers have a certified training.

There are many job searches companies in the market which will help in boosting the driver’s employment in its right way. There are many safety measures and precautions required to drive the trucks especially the heavy ones. It is not like driving a car and the driver needs to be very careful. The trucking company is going through a tough phase of shortage of drivers and there is a huge demand for the trained and professional ones. The drivers who are the holders of the CDL or the commercial driving license have an extra advantage as this will make them eligible for the driving of the heavy trucks like flatbed or tankers.

There are truck driver jobs available but the choice is limited for the drivers who are new to the industry. They are not allowed to drive the load which is fragile in nature and other materials which have a high tendency of risks involved. The freight load boards also ought to believe in the drivers which have a long term experience as they want the on time delivery of their loads. In such situation a driver who enters the trucking company with a CDL license will be given preference over the other untrained drivers. Most of the companies try to save the money on the pays of the truckers in order to increase their profit margin.

There are many recruitment and marketing firms which can help the truck drivers get the right job so that they don’t regret their career decisions. But these firms also look for the trained persons who hold a CDL license so that they can do the right justice to the jobs they are given. The loads available may be of various kinds and there are materials which require special handling and caring. In such circumstances it becomes the responsibility of the trucking company to select the right kind of drivers. The truckers should also try to get a job in the company which provides good compensation facilities to the truckers as well as their families to make there future secure. The job firms take care of all these issues on behalf of the drivers who might be misguided by the company and are not able to decide. If you are CDL holder, then there are chances of good career options in trucking industry

Categories
Carriers

Is Hybrid Truck an Answer to Trucking Industry Challenges

There is a continuous hike in the oil prices and the hybrid trucks are looked as a new alternative by the trucking companies. There are many companies which have launched their hybrid trucks in the market and they are very fuel efficient as compared to the normal trucks. The trucking companies are facing the challenges on the fuel front and they are forced to cut the costs by reducing the number of truck driver jobs. Hybrid trucks are becoming more and more popular these days as it is very environmental friendly and the amount of pollutants emitted is also very less.

The basic reason behind the launch of the hybrid trucks is to reduce the cost. There is still a doubt in the minds of the truckers about how these hybrid trucks are operated. The trucking companies are also looking forward to train the drivers about the operation of the hybrid trucks. Most of these trucks run on two kinds of fuels: electric motor and gasoline motor. There are only one or two companies which have come up with the idea of the hybrid trucks and have launched selected models in the market.

The government is putting strict laws regarding the pollutants emission by the trucks and hybrid trucks can be considered to be a big step to solve this serious problem. There is much less noise produced by the engine of these trucks and are very silent in its functioning. Mostly the hybrid vehicles run on the gasoline motors but when extra power is needed, the electric motor is also started. The trucking companies can also look for the truck drivers’ employment that is well trained in driving the hybrid trucks. It is very economical for the trucking industry which was coping hard to survive the hard market conditions especially the overhead costs due to the fuel hikes.

The gasoline motor is installed in the hybrid trucks to save the energy. It will stop the engine automatically as soon as the truck will come to a halt and will result in preserving the energy. The researches show that the fuel consumed by the hybrid trucks is almost half in cost to that of any normal truck. Most of the hybrid trucks available in the market today have the limited capacity of loading the materials as there are batteries and electric motor also employed in it. The load boards have a huge supply of materials and they look for the vehicles which have a huge capacity of loading. They do not want the loads available to be kept like that and this is a huge disadvantage for the hybrid trucks. The motor companies are planning to launch heavy hybrid trucks in the market but it may take some time.

The costs of the hybrid trucks are also more as compared to the normal trucks. The trucking companies may be reluctant to go for the hybrid trucks looking at the initial costs but they should not overlook the advantages of the hybrid trucks.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.