Tag: owner operator

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Trucker News

Vehicle Maintenance – A Necessity for Truck Drivers

As per the new safety program introduced under CSA 2010 by FMCSA, the vehicle maintenance is a must and the most important risk factor associated with the fleets. In this line Rair, a carrier risk safety management company has issued a report to compare the safety measures introduced by CSA and the older SafeStat reports. As per the information released by CSA the larger fleets that are under the maintenance violation risk are 10-15%. The smaller fleet sizes are comparatively very high in ratio for the violation of maintenance regulations. Now with the open CSA reports, the fleet owners can simply see the scores to find out where they are lacking. Despite of all the sources and information available there is BASIC’s violation.

What steps should be taken to get the bare minimum maintenance level for the fleets:
Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR): According to the Rair president, DVIR should performed everyday and recorded on the form by the truck drivers, may it be a hotshot, reefer or flatbed drivers. To carry out the task effectively and to tackle the issue in case any problem is identified the driver should be trained to do so. In present day scenario DVIR reporting is thought of as another paper work on which the driver and trucking company manages simply put their signature. In such cases, when the vehicle is inspected on the road many maintenance problems come into picture which then become the maintenance violation and are penalized .
The maintenance does not only mean the repair of any non-performing part but it should be done before and after every shipment is done by the fleet. The details of the regulations are specified in CFR title no 49 under the parts 393 and 396. The DWS Fleet Services president Darry Stuart lays emphasis on the importance of CSA 2010 maintenance BASIC.
Check our load board blog posts for more articles on CSA2010 regulations.
Before the driver starts for the shipment of loads available the driver vehicle inspection report (DVIR) and the vehicle condition report (VCR) should be carefully made. The report should cover the crucial aspects of the fleet maintenance such as the checking of steering, parking brake, lights and reflectors, service brakes, trailer brakes, horn, mirrors, windshield wipers, tires, rims, wheels and emergency tool kit.
If the truck driver job regarding the correct reporting of DVIR is performed well then their CSA rating will improve and the regular maintenance will not pose them any big maintenance issue. However if they do not follow the regulations then their business is likely to get affected both due to the bad rating as well as the delay in delivery as the under maintained truck will be first sent back to cover up all the maintenance required. The best solution to this situation is to perform a detailed post trip evaluation and make the truck ready for next dispatch then to do a pre-trip evaluation and postpone the dispatch in case of any fault.

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Owner Operators Trucker News

Owner Operator Jobs Affected by Fuel Price Rise

The rate of diesel fuel is rising constantly and they are at their highest with almost dollar 3.25 per gallon. But according to the department of energy the situation is not that bad yet. The prices could be as high as almost 5 dollars per gallon as they were in summer of 08. But still the price is highest of last one year.
The lowermost price for diesel oil charges in 10 was Jan, 4 at $2.7, thus there was almost 18% increase in consumption. In my point of assessment, we’re beholding for equal mechanism to take place in diesel oil rates in 11. That will provide all of us rate of $3.9. I do not see whether it would become that much problem, but still let us stare what’s fronting all of us in diesel oil rates in 11.

* China’s boom continues
* Account ranks goes down continuously
* Economy lingers to improve mist, which would upsurge trucking claim
* Congress is about to make increase in tax over the fuel prices
* Increase in the consumption of oil all over the world

Let us yield a stare at every of such problems, and you will soon realize the base of the problem which empowers everything. Considering all these issues it is sure that the prices will go high in 11. The only thing to look is this that wills the prices go as high as summer of 08 or not. The only thing that can save us from that is the strong govt. policies and that are already going against the prices, which makes sure that the prices will go high, making it difficult to truck diving jobs.

Reasons of high diesel oil price
China and India are such a topic which is going to affect this issue very much. All the people in these countries are going to ride in motorizes bikes and cars leaving the bullock carts and pulling carts behind. The high population of almost 2.5 billion is certain to take a huge amount of oil which makes the consumption high making the demand high and thus making the prices in here very much high. Check our load board for more articles affecting the available loads and owner operator jobs.
Apart from this the fuel needs of the army are also increasing and a lot of oil is going into reserves making the demand even high which makes the prices more up surging. So you must be sure about the increase in price of the oil in America.
The only thing which can stop this from happening is the govt. policies and that too are going against the common people. Certainly the govt. is going to raise the taxes and this will increase the already high prices of the diesel fuel. The only thing that can save this from happening is tax cut and that is not going to happen.

Planning for fuel management
Now a fuel management plan is a very good idea. This can save the waste of a lot of fuel. Making us enable with more availability of fuel. This can positively affect drivers’ employment.

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Lifestyle Newbies Trucker News

Changing Times for Trucking Transportation

Transportation via trucks in the United States is the primary source of goods and materials transportation means over land. This can be marked as the most interesting and revolutionary period for the trucking sector seen so far. Competition is tougher than ever, quality and services are better than ever. The benefits are equally reaped by big and small fishes in the business owing to the technology advancements and industry awareness. Truck driver employment requires a relatively higher qualification now. Regulations by the highway and other national authorities are getting harder to meet.

The business had very few competitors in the past. Now the things are changing and the trucking industry is facing increased challenges everyday. The train cargo services are expanding their network and reach. Trucking is also the obvious choice for medium to small businesses but some large chains and companies are shifting their trend toward the train cargo services due to decreased time of transportation. Innovative designs of carriages allow the shipping company to carry more loads in a single journey. However the trains have a drawback that they can never overcome, that is they need rail roads to carry goods around. So, quite simply trucks have access to some areas where trains cannot go, yet. To beat the competition the truckers have also implemented their market strategies and provide an easy and convenient option to haul available loads.

In the present tough and turbulent economic times when clients demand more loads to be transferred in less time and with cheaper price, trucking sector is experiencing some down trends. Individuals and their families associated with the business are also affected. Truck driving jobs get reduced when there is comparatively low freight and cargo to be carried.
Many reasons are behind the scene to the present day situation of the trucking section in United States. Cost of fuel in local and international market is attributed as the main cause of the problem. The uncertainty in the fuel pricing makes the business somewhat more risky than usual overall.

Truck driving jobs have become more and more demanding. Authorities and individual carrier companies of goods transportation are imposing tougher regulations and rules for their drivers. In this situation the freight forwarding companies and the freight broker wants to survive and thus their demands for load transporters are getting higher and higher every day. Even if the owner operator uses the truck load boards, the one who bids lowest gets the deal

The most important change in the truck load carrying sector is that now the loads are available online. All truckers are free to bid on their desired load. The competition in the Industry is causing lower transportation rates and also choice to truckers whenever and whatever load they want to transport.

With access to internet in their vehicles the truckers are now available to plan their route to maximize the loads. They have also increased their capacity of load per truck; this affects cost of transportation and gives truckers an edge. Some larger trucking companies have online load tracking facility for their clients. This increases confidence and reliability of the trucking company and of the sector overall.

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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.

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Newbies

Choosing The Right Load Board

There are many load boards to choose from so when making the hard decision if a load board is good or not, an owner operator can evaluate how long the load board keeps expired loads in its system to start with. Knowing this information will really allow you to gauge whether or not the board is one that they should frequent or not. Most load boards will have its inventory of loads daily meaning no load stays on the board for more than 24 hours. When the load board has a good relationship with its customers, a customer will find that the shippers and brokers will actively manage the loads they have posted not only daily but throughout the day. This works both ways, because the load board owners should also work actively to manage the board to keep all of the data as fresh as possible. The more recent the information the better because if it is recent that means that it is good for the taking…and that a deal can be made!


Owner Operators search for Freight loads placed on the load board, shippers or brokers typically post loads that are meant for full size trailers. However, there should be no surprise that on load boards a customer will find partial or Less Than Truck Load (LTL) loads posted by shippers or freight brokers. a driver can definitely expect to see posted load sizes to vary from very small up to full loads with many different trailer types such as flatbed, dry van, reefer, box truck, straight truck and bobtails. This allows for each trucking company to pick and choose the loads that fit their needs or capabilities best and it is all done quickly and accurately because it is done through the internet.

load boards or good for both owner operators finding jobs and shippers or brokers finding drivers and will help get more truck loads. Not only will it help get more truck loads, it will help to streamline the process of getting more truck loads. In the past trucking companies and those companies that had the loads that needed hauling were paying fees that were making it difficult to stay afloat. Today, with an ever changing economy, it is nice that everyone is able to access the information in an affordable way.

Today those who take the loads and those who need the loads taken from point A to point B can easily meet up and decide for themselves if theirs is a business deal that they would like to enter into. Who would have ever guessed that getting loads from one area to the next would really would be this easy? Load boards really have revolutionized the trucking business and there is no doubt that the load board technology will continue to grow and expand with technology, making it easier than ever as time goes along.

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Freight Brokers

How to Become a Freight Broker?

A successful freight broker is a highly paid job; however a little cost incurs from your pocket to establish yourself as a freight broker. As a freight broker the job responsibilities will to match the shipper’s requirement with the carrier company. The person looking for owner operator jobs can get the assignments from the freight brokers to start of their business.
To become a freight broker you need to undergo following steps:
1. Legal Procedures to become a registered Freight Broker:
• Broker’s Authority: In United States Broker Authority is given by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). FMCSA is the division of Department of Transportation here and is an authorized body to issue broker license. In order to get the license one has to fill the form OP-1 which is an essential step to own a broker license. This step costs $300 to an individual.
• Surety Bonds: Any prospective Freight broker will have to purchase these financial instruments worth $10,000. This trust fund or bonds acts a security deposit which can be put to use in case you brokerage services incur any losses to the parties involved.
• Processing agent: This procedure requires you to select one processing agent in the country of your business operation. This role of the processing agent arises in case of any legal disputes. To appoint one such agent you need to fill in the form BOC-3. The form fee is $50.
2. Freight Broker Training:
• To become a successful freight broker you should know the trucking industry and its requirements well. You should be well versed how the trucking companies work. What are the different trucks types and when should one use the specific trucks meant for the purpose? The broker should work in the close liaison with different truck drivers such as flatbed drivers, reefer drivers and hotshot drivers so that the loads available are efficiently trucked.
• If a person is new to the industry and want to start his business as a freight broker then he can enroll himself with many freight broker programs run throughout. The programs will help you build the necessary skills and knowledge required to start off as a freight broker
3. Business Setup:
Now that you have undergone the legal procedures and have got enough information on the industry, you will require a business setup to start off. For this the minimum requirement will be one computer with internet connection as most of the deals these days are finalized online by using the latest innovation in the field freight load boards. Then, you need a telephone and fax lines to fasten up the deals and fast communication with the clients and the truck drivers. To accomplish smooth and controlled processing you need to buy efficient broker software.
Here you are completely ready to start off with your profitable freight brokering business. For people who do not have sufficient funds at hand to make initial investments, they can start their work under any registered freight broker as an agent. In this case no start up cost will be incurred and you will get the exposure in the industry before you have enough funds to start on your own.

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Lifestyle Newbies Trucker News

Truck Driver Jobs – Importance in the Industry

Importance of Freight Brokers in Trucking Industry!

Freight in general terms is referred to as goods that need to be transported from the place of production to the place where it can be utilized as a commodity. For freight shipment various modes of transport can be availed depending on the requirements. Airlines, ships and trucks are the three main modes that are used globally for shipping of goods. These days intermodal freight transport has gained its importance when the cargo safety is of utmost importance. Freight brokers helps create new owner operator jobs when any such requirements arise.

Now the question is how the manufacturers or producer companies can avail an efficient freight transport system to distribute their goods safely and on time? Here comes the role played by Freight Brokers. Freight broker acts as a link between the companies or individuals that need shipping service and the truckers and owner operators that provide shipping service. The shipment price is decided keeping in mind the rate which is beneficial to all the three parties involved for the goods shipped. By paying a little commission to the broker the shipper can get the required reliable shipping service without putting in efforts to find one themselves. Some companies hire fright broker to take care of the complete shipment procedures of theirs.

Freight brokers avail the services of efficient load boards. They can track all the trucking industry information and updates from the load boards. They would come know of any available loads or if any company is in need of the broker service. Simple bidding by a few clicks of your mouse button and the job will be yours. The broker in turn will contact the shipper and the trucker to accomplish the task. This is both economical and reliable for both parties. With the professional service by the broker the shipper can track the real time location of the shipped goods whereas the carrier companies and individual trucker can get the quick payments for the goods delivered by them with fright brokers in between to smoothen up the process.

The expert service of freight brokers are really important when the goods to be delivered require special shipment process, such as LTL hauls, long hauls. In case of the goods being hazardous they wood require exceptional freight transfer techniques. As the brokers know the trucking industry inside out they can provide with such special services efficiently.

Many of the freight brokers are the ones who themselves have worked with some trucking companies. They have gained the technical skills and experience and now use their knowledge in a more rewarding job of the fright broker. There are many freight broking programs running across the world which can make you a professional freight broker in the trucking industry.

Thus we see the freight brokers are playing a vital role in trucking industry. They provide fast and efficient trucking solutions to the shipper and provide with valuable jobs to the shipping company. They widely use their personal contacts to keep climbing the success ladder in the industry. For information on How to start the freight broker business check out other posts by us.