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Lifestyle

Long Haul History

The trucking industry in the United States has a affected the political and economic history of the United States in the 20th century. Before the invention of automobiles, most freight was moved by train or horse-drawn vehicle.Trucks of all kinds occupy the roads, from semi-trucks carrying mega payloads across major highways to stylish Studebaker personal truck models from the middle of the twentieth century being carefully maintained by classic truck enthusiasts.People have long used truck-like vehicles to transport goods, though before mechanical engines they were often drawn by pack animals or humans. But as civilizations have advanced, the need for better, more powerful methods of transportation has evolved alongside the evolution of society.The trucks of today fulfill many job descriptions, but their usage is solidly defined in the human consciousness: a truck is not mistaken for any other type of vehicle. From its early use as “a cart for carrying heavy loads” to the modern “motor vehicle for carrying heavy loads,” the word “truck” definitively embodies the idea of moving goods—but the idea has come a long way.
Beautiful Sunset
Before motor trucks, railroads controlled inland transport of goods and services in the nineteenth century. The powerful railroad industry was the focus of technological innovation in an era when intermediate transportation needs were largely met by vehicles drawn by pack animals.The “flexibility of the horse” in transportation had no equal until self-propelled steam-powered vehicles began emerging, first in Europe and then in America, in the late eighteenth century.
Trucks are not just commercial motor vehicles. They have profound importance in the freight business, specifically in the trucking industry. For practical reason, there is no individual who wants to purchase trucks and trailers if he or she does not engage in a trucking business. A multibillion-dollar industry, the trucking business has a huge impact in the supply chain, in the economy, road transformation and in the employment aspect. It contributes a great portion in the US economy and is a very important link in the supply and demand activities.

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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.

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Carriers

Zurich Reported Truck Crashes can be reduced by Telematics

The cost involved in the crashes can be reduced considerably with use of the technological advancements, said the Zurich Financial Services Group. This will be very advantageous to the trucking companies.

Telematics and Fleet Risk Management Zurich has evaluated the use of this strong technology. This along with the driver development programs can ensure high level of safety to the owner operator jobs and other risky jobs like flatbed drivers, reefer drivers and straight truck drivers

Telematics will also help reduce the operational cost of the fleet and help save the environment too.

How does Telematics Work:

The telematics devices are installed in the trucks. The data is regularly captured by the device and is transmitted to the centrally located server. The fleet managers, owners and dispatchers can derive the data captured over the internet.
It includes the vital driving information of the truck driver activities like the speed of the vehicle, location of the vehicle and other diagnostic statistics. There are sensors on the vehicle which detects and reports the wide range of trucking activities. There is a secure link linked with this to the data center therefore, the fleet manager can view and manage real time reports.

This ensures the trucking companies and shippers that the available loads are on their correct route and safe to be delivered on time.

Telematics are mostly seen in connection with other vehicle systems. This is nothing but the GPS sensors are connected with the wireless communication servers and are utilized with computer resources. With the critical data supplied to the fleet managers, it can help reduce the collision risk associated with the driving jobs. It guarantees regulation compliance and enhance fleet performance. The application of telematics will offer 10% reduction in operation cost and 11% reduction in fuel cost.
Check our load board blog page for more articles on driver safety.
There are a range of products available which depends on the fleet size and the characteristic of the carrier type and loads hauled by it.

The fleet managers usually start with the basic fleet safety solution offered by telematics. Then getting the required solution and gaining experience, they move upward to more comprehensive and competent management capability mobile resourcing.

Categories
Owner Operators

Semi Truck Leasing: An Alternative to Owner Operator Jobs

There are bundle of truck drivers jobs available and the trucking companies are trying hard to lure the drivers to get into the trucking business. Looking at the profits in the business, many individuals seems to be dissuaded from the driver jobs and are looking at the option of owner operator jobs. The owner operator job will allow them to own their vehicles and work on the term and conditions they wish to. But the owner operated jobs have their own limitations. Owning a truck requires many formalities like the credit, balances and down payments may not be possible for the drivers who are new in the industry.

With the present perspective, the trucking companies have put forth the alternative of leasing trucks to the drivers who have a dream of owning the trucks. There are many feasible options available for the drivers like easy installments, low down payments and many other facilities pertaining to finances. From the point of view of carriers, it is good for the drivers who are challenged with the start up costs or stuck in some credit situation.

There are a number of truck driver jobs which have been switched on with the leasing of the carriers by the drivers. They can always make use of the trucking load boards to keep their truck moving. It is a short cut to the otherwise seeming difficult path of owning the carrier. Different trucking companies have their own terms and conditions but it is surely a benefit for the drivers. Even they help the driver to get the loads available to be hauled.

There is a lack of financial risks in the leasing operating jobs as compared to the owner operator jobs. The trucking companies don’t give fragile freights to the new drivers. If you have leased the carrier, there is an added advantage of carrying the materials you want to. But there are some questions raised on the leasing process by the trucking companies and many drivers have been cheated. The driver advocacy groups have been formulated to fight for the rights of the drivers who have been victimized in the name of leasing opportunities. Owner operated independent drivers association (OOIDA) has stood for the rights of many such drivers and law petitions have been filed in the court.

The issues which have been in the limelight and filed in the lawsuits are like violating the government rules in leasing papers, inability to return the amount kept as a security while leasing and in some serious cases fraud have also been seen. For most of the drivers, the leasing of trucks has much been like a nightmare and they have lost more rather then earning. The lease contracts are often prepared in such a complex manner that they are meant to benefit the carriers rather than the drivers.

But every coin has two facets and the decision cannot be taken only looking at one perspective. There are some drivers who are doing really well while taking up the leasing of the vehicles. There is no database or statistics available which can show the list of successful or unsuccessful drivers. It is totally the discretion of the drivers the way they want to choose.

Categories
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.

[button link=”http://jrsfreightfinders.com/”]Visit Site[/button]

Categories
Owner Operators

Owner Operators Add Life to your Semi Truck with Truck Accessories

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

Categories
Business

Find a Loadboard for Trucking Jobs

When an owner operator is running his truck to carry the load from one location to another he is more often worried about the returning of an empty truck. The area covered by the truck without any load is termed as dead head miles. Since the trucker or the owner operator might not know the area he is heading to dispatch the load, it is hard for him to personally find any loads that he would carry in his return journey on the empty truck. To combat this situation load boards are becoming very popular these days.
Now with the use of the online load boards the drivers can search for the loads available for their return journey too. All they need is to place the availability of their truck on the particular date with the start and end destination. Load boards are also highly effective for independent truck drivers for example hotshot drivers looking for loads when there truck is not on the road.
Similarly the load board is acting fruitful for the freight brokers and shippers who are looking for the truck drivers to carry their available loads. The shippers can specify the need of the type of trailers and the journey details. Load boards act as a meeting place for the truck drivers and shippers.
Now the question is How to find an efficient load board which works as best load board for you?
Do online research about any load boards and read the testimonials to know about its services. Review the terms and conditions of the load board so that you are in a profitable situation at the end of it all. An efficient load board should be easy to use so that the searches are made quickly and you can go back to the roads in no time. The requirements placed on the load

Categories
Carriers Trucker News

Tarp Use to Secure Flatbed Freight Loads

Tarpaulin or Tarp as more generally referred to is used to secure the freight and cargo during the journey. With the use of the tarp the cargo is held in place providing the safety for the cargo, the trucker and others on the road. There are many different types of tarps available for different purposes. The fabric with the required traits is weaved to form a tarp of varied qualities. Some of the tarps used to secure trucks by the trucking companies are waterproof tarps, Vinyl tarps and Mesh tarps. Waterproof tarps are a requisite especially for flatbed trucks during rain and snow fall. Mesh Tarp is used at the rear of the truck to secure the perishable goods. The types of trucks that use tarps are Trailers, Pick-up trucks, Camper trucks, Dump trucks and Flatbed trucks.
The uses of tarp are many they will be as effective in heat as they are in the cold. They will prevent the damage of the goods from the debris floating in the air and also prevents the loose and light weighted cargo to fly off. Such flying off goods causes cargo loss as well is unsafe. It is very easy to use the tarp and with wide range of options available it is very economic too. The tarp with grommets of high quality will be very useful in effectively tying the tarp and keeping it in place during the long journey hours. If the grommet selected is rust resistant then it will increase the life of your tarp with one time extra investment. There are specially treated tarps available to increase its toughness and resistivity. The common protection they provide is from water other than this they are very effective in protection from mildew, mold, and rip. They also guard the goods carried against harmful UV rays.
Easy to handle tarps can be effectively put to use and does not cause damage in case if the available loads for hauling are fragile. Traditional rope knotting sometimes caused damage to the goods. However in the case of tarps since they are held in place with the use of hooks and straps, they are a much safer and convenient option. To tie a tarp the cables are used which easily passes through the tarp grommets for support and perfect fit.
Since Flatbed trucks are completely open the flatbed drivers need a very high quality industrial tarp to secure the goods hauled by them. The tarps which are available for commercial purposes have a rubber coating outside which makes it more strong and durable. Make sure you take the correct measurements into account before buying the tarp else the whole purpose of getting the tarp will remain unsolved if it does not cover the goods properly. In case of dump trucks the tarp is attached as a roller near to the back of the cab. The rolled tarp can be unrolled and brought back till the end of the truck body to cover the freight as required.
There are a plenty of online retailers available from where you can get good deal in buying a tarp for your truck. As an owner operator you can make the use of the advertisements placed on several load boards to find one for yourself.

Categories
Trucker News

CSA 2010: Resentment by the Trucking Associations

The United States three main Trucking Association: the Expedited Alliance of North America (TEANA), the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) and the Air and Expedited Motor Carrier Association (AEMCA), who own fleets more than 3,000 in number has filed a lawsuit in the court to review the rules and regulations as imposed and stated in the FMCSA’s CSA2010 legislation. The suit has been filed in the United States Court of Appeals. The association wants that the FMCSA release of these safety regulations should be permanently rejected by the court as they do not approve of the safety methods laid down by the FMCSA’s CSA 2010 release.
The court has previously rejected the Trucking Association’s plea to release a temporary hold order so that they could avoid the release of the CSA2010 safety regulations before time. This injunction was filed by the association earlier this month. Due to the fast movement of actions the Federal Court has agreed to hear both parties on the issue to release an order against FMCSA’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis initiatives. In their appeal the trucking associations emphasized that the FMCSA fails to understand the impact that this legislation will have on the small trucking companies and owner operator jobs.
The monitoring and the records will be open to public on the CSA website. This will enable all the reports for any carrier or truck driver available for the public to ponder on it. All warnings, accidents, safety implications and others will be updated online for every incident. This measure is beneficial for shipping company as they can use the data to judge on who should be employed to carry their available loads. The FMCSA and other government authorities would work in close compliance to report the statistics on Behavioral Analysis and the Safety Improvement Categories.
The trucking companies who are renting over their trucks to other carries and freight brokers were worrying on the issue of the secondary liability for past so many years The FMCSA regulates the actions of the logistics and trucking company’s so as to check their vicarious liability and the rules are set so that the freight brokers and the shippers do correct hiring of the truck driver or the freight carrier company. Now the selection of the service provider will have to be very accurate. This is one of the major causes of resentment among the Trucking association as they will be obligated to select the freight brokers, intermodal drivers, logistics and trucking companies with a high score on CSA safety rules. They are bound to implement this measure as they would not want any extra liability on them because of the poor scores of the service providers. To avoid the liability as a third party logistics the rules set by the FMCSA has to be taken into consideration. You can obviously find a pool of competent truck drivers and related companies on the load boards meant for finding the perfect load and driver match.
For the meantime the court has overruled the trucking association plea as being ‘forecasted’ and ‘predicted’ damages by the CSA 2010 legislation by FMCSA.

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Freight Loads Newbies Trucker News

Load Board 2011 New Features

New Features in admin load board

How to video on how to search for available truck loads.