Tag: Owner Operators

Categories
Trucker News

Department of Transportation Works to Re-establish Bonds between Mexican and U.S. Trucking Industry

There has been a conflict for quite some time between the two countries regarding the transportation issue. Since there has been a release of new proposal under the current administration which has lead to the new start and a series of negotiations involving the use of U.S. roads by Mexican trucking companies.
The US Department of Transportation has laid down the guidelines for Mexican long-haul carriers and truck drivers to abide by the US transportation rules and regulations. These include vehicle emissions standards, drivers portfolio and safety compliance. These checks will be conducted and the carriers will be permitted only after the complete satisfaction of the authorities.
There will be a selective quota and time for the number of trucks that will be permitted to drive on the U.S. roads from Mexico. The work on calculating and negotiating on these terms will start soon. Earlier the Mexican truck driver were opposed by the US truck drivers on the ground that the Mexican carrier companies and truck driver don’t have set standards of safety and fleet operations as they have, they follow the US truck drivers regulations. These way Mexican truck drivers enjoy flexible rules and make more profit.
This proposal is also taken negatively by some trucking associations. They are saying when the unemployment within the country is already so high then Why DOT is making this proposal to endanger the existing trucking jobs in the country. This way the good truck driving jobs will become harder to find. Also taking into account the cross border violence this proposal seems simply out of question.
Check our loadboard blog page for more interesting trucker news and topics.
On the other hand Mexico is protesting to get free access in the U.S, as per the North American Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries in 1994. In 2009, when the program to allow limited number of Mexican carrier companies to indulge in transportation beyond the U.S. commercial zone failed, Mexico increased the tariff charges on the U.S. products. This move adversely affected people connected with the produce of fresh fruits and vegetables.
This way the pressure mounted on the administrative authorities to implement new methods and release new proposals so that Mexico changes the barriers it has imposed on the U.S. agricultural products. Therefore this truck industry proposal got an overwhelming response from various other U.S. industries whose business largely depended on the exports made to Mexico.
U.S. truck drivers feel that this proposal will be an unfair deal for them as with the drug violence running in Mexico they will not be allowed to cross the Southern border. Thus Mexican driver will have the access in the U.S. but not vice versa. The president of Owner-Operator Independent Truck Drivers Association expressed his worries that the Mexican truck driver will have the economic benefit as they will not have to follow the stringent rules to run their trucks for loads available on the US lanes as their U.S. counterpart will have to.

Categories
Trucker News

Congestion Increases as Economy Revives

With the two years of economic slump and increased fuel prices, the traffic running on the road reduced considerably leading to less congestion and easy commuting. Now with the improvement in the US and the world economy, the traffic problem has again started to rise. The least congestion was seen in the year 2008 and it started to increase back from 2009. This has made great impact on the truck driver jobs.

The Urban mobility report of 2010 produced by Texas Transportation Institute cover the congestion reports of 439 US areas which fall under urban areas. INRIX data also throws light on the traffic which covers every city and gives the descriptive information of the commuting problems faced by the people living in the urban areas. Traffic speed data of INRIX has been combined with state’s traffic volume data to give a broader increased traffic view.

Due to congestion on the road there are different problems arising: the main one being the cost associated with the increased traffic. The main reason of increased cost is the fuel burnt in traffic congestion and the delay in commuting because of which the commuters face pay cuts.

Below are some of the facts and figures which appear form the findings indicating the traffic problems nationwide:
The cost associated with the congestion is showing a continuous rise. It was $115 billion in 2009. In 2009 the fuel wasted due to traffic problems amounted to 3.9 billion gallons making it a big problem for trucking companies whose hundreds of trucks are on the road each day. This increased fuel consumption did cost $808 to an average commuter. The delay that the traveler faced in one year of 2009 was 34 hours, which laid adverse impact on his performance in the company.

The data collected is based on using the latest technologies available thus experts have a big reason to believe the data and plan their next course of action. There is a vast difference in accuracy of the data since the Urban Mobility report was first generated in 1982. The report generated this year is the most advanced in its type which reports the delay and congestion of each day of the year. It took into account the congestion due to any accidents, weather changes, holidays and national events.

Check our load board blogs for more trucker news.

The researchers have come up with some of the methods to help reducing the traffic problems. The first way is to use of the public transport system for commuting as much possible. The second way is the addition of new network of roads and means of communication in the areas where the congestion is the most. Car sharing and pool cars can be another alternative which will save money for the commuters as well as decrease vehicles on the road. The company should make available flexible shifts so as to avoid rush hours. Telecommuting is another way out in which both the employee and the employer are benefited. There are many jobs which does not require physical presence, thus the employees should be given an alternative to work as a telecommuter.

The state and national government should take measures to provide alternative routes and introduce toll routes for fast and efficient available loads delivery by the owner operators and carrier companies. The solution to the traffic congestion is not the responsibility of just the officials or the commuters. The businesses, organizations, travelers all have to work towards getting the things right.

Categories
Lifestyle

Pros and Cons of a Truck Driver Job

Life is a journey and it begins on the day a man is born and reaches its commencement on the day of his death. Truck driver job is a job in which the driver is most of the time traveling and his life can literally be said on wheels.
There are various contradictions about a truck driver job and carry some positives as well as some negatives. There are adventures in a truck driver job as he gets the chance to travel a lot and is often on the roads meeting varying kinds of people. It isn’t a routine job of 9 to 5 leading to boredom. And this job makes one taste the various experiences of job.
But like any other job a truck driver job also has its own fall-outs.
There have been various researches done which show that truck drivers employed with some trucking company or an owner operator are vulnerable to shorter life span as compared to any other job. This alarming research throws light on various factors responsible for this problem. The behavioral patterns of the drivers lead to problems such as cigarette smoking resulting putting a negative effect on their health. Some researchers, doctors and truckers expert discussed this problem that the life expectancy of a truck driver is 16 years shorter to a person working in some other field. The study said that there were several other issues contributing to this problem but health problem could be considered to be at the core of it.
There are more chances of fatalities and accidents in a driving job as compared to any other employment increasing a risk to a truck driver’s life. The report provided is shocking indeed and raises a big question mark on this occupation. Cigarette smoking is not the single issue but there are other health concerns as well. The truck drivers are continuously exposed to smoke emitted be fuels and so are more prone to heart disease and other respiratory problems.
It has been observed that there is an acute shortage of drivers in the trucking industry. The majority of the drivers are on the verge of retirement and the industry has observed a very few hire in the past times. Many of the experts consider various reasons for the people dissuading from the job. Trucking industry demands long working hours and also away from the family for a long time if you tend to drive on the highways. The lower wages also doesn’t seem to lure the drivers for this job.
The truck load boards help the truckers get the material and there are heaps of loads available to the trucking industry. But due to the shortage of drivers, the truck drivers have to give to more hours to their work and therefore feel tired and get less time of rest.
These are some of the very serious issues raised in the various studies and some steps need to be taken to improve the health conditions of the truck drivers and create awareness among them.

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
Lifestyle Owner Operators

Social Media Serving Freight and Owner Operator Businesses

The world has turned into a small globe and it owes its debt to the technological advances that have taken place. It has made dynamic changes and no industry or field can be said to be have remain untouched by it. No century saw as much growth and development as the 21st century. Transportation and communication in one way go hand in hand.

Cargo business could not be also put into a different place from this as this industry has very much to do with transportation. Social networking is no more a new thing and it has become a chain linking many people to it. Most of the people are associated with the social networking sites like twitter, face book or Orkut in some way or the other. These sites have been proven really fruitful in giving its results and have helped giving a boom to many businesses linked to it.
There was a time when the companies had to go for the newspaper classifieds to promote their business and plan a market strategy making it a costly issue. But now the things have changed entirely giving a new shape to the whole scenario.

The trucking companies can simply post their ads on the internet using loadboards and also give their links on the various social networking sites as well. These companies can create their groups and also make associates with whom they can be in a constant link. The freight business basically thrives on supply chain management and proper communication can prove a boom to it. The world is no longer isolated and anyone from any part of the globe can correspond with the trucking companies. This will definitely help them groom their business. There are bundle of trucking companies who have registered on the social networking sites and are a part of it.

Not only businesses can receive a boom by these sites but also other purposes can be served by it. Truck driver jobs can be placed on the Facebook community or on your twitter page. The area of choice increases and one can choose the right person for the job. There are also communities of truck drivers by which they remain in touch with other and also help them communicate. They are also aware of the job listings and the credit can be given to these social network groups.
The information of the loads available could be placed on the website or any other source of the social network and one can go picking up the load. These things are surely going to give a boost to the business and will help flourish it.

Many freight companies agree that their businesses have seen a remarkable change after having a link up with the social network. One can use twitter for posting contents while photos and other similar links can be placed on Facebook.

It cannot be denied that in this competitive world social networking sites have given a huge platform to businesses as well helping them grow.

Categories
Owner Operators

Commercial Truck Finance a Feasible Option for Owner Operators

An owner operator or truck driver wanting an independent trucking business is a costly affair. The big rigs often cost too much for the truck driver job to realize their big dreams. A new rig and a trailer would require a big sum of investment ranging from one fifty thousand to two hundred thousand dollars. In this situation the truck driver turns towards commercial truck finance option. The finance companies are more than happy to offer commercial truck finance as this loan is far less risky. This is because of the reason that truck drivers make good money and has the potential to earn over one hundred thousand dollars in one year by running their trucks for approximately 70 hours a week. If they start the business in partnership with two drivers on the road then the amount earned is even more.

The types of finances covered not just include the big rigs which makes interstate trips but all other truck types used for different loads available as well. The other truck purchases that might require commercial truck finance are flat bed, dump truck, reefers, dry vans, hazmat trucks and many more. The area includes all those trucks and trailers that are commercially used to raise income. At this point of time many new owner operators and truck driver feel hesitated to take up such a huge amount of loan. Therefore, many starters go for another option which is more economic and practical i.e. of Truck leasing. In this case they take the required truck on lease for a certain period of time. This option does not require a big initial investment so the truckers can focus on other financial requirements until the business is perfectly set.

Rising fuel price is another challenge faced by both the owner operators and the truck finance companies. Where the fuel was costing 500 dollars some four years back now costs 1000 dollars. The investors are now looking for low cost finance options. The overall economy of the country depends on its fuel prices and trucking industry. According to estimation the trucking industry will face a shortage of 20,000 drivers by 2014. There are a few reasons why the truckers these days want to have their own commercial truck. The first one off course is the freedom to drive the big rig on your own terms and conditions. Many truckers don’t find the scheduled 10 or 14 hours a day job offered by trucking companies much fascinating. Moreover these days the new semi trucks are coming loaded with features like beds, microwaves, toilets, satellite televisions, and much more. So the aspiring trucker wants to get all such facilities with their own trucks.

Commercial Truck Finance options are not only limited to new trucks but are also available on used trucks and trailers for those who do not want much financial load on themselves. Many companies are coming into picture offering truck finances for new and used trucks. With the start up of the owner operator business you have the potential towards increased earnings. You can use the facilities of load boards to keep your truck always loaded. Thus taking commercial truck finance is a good idea for those truck drivers who cannot afford to buy a truck on their own but want to start up the o/o business.

Categories
Carriers

EOBR Use – A Problem or Relief? for Owner Operators

Electronic On Board Recorder is an instrument which can be installed in the semi-truck. This device is used to record the exact running time of the truck. This will in turn keep the track of the driving hours of the driver. There is a never ending debate on its application to the US trucking industry. This article will discuss some of the advantages of having this EOBR also known as the black box to your truck.
The EOBR regulation will come into effect from 1st June 2012. According to this rule the owner operators and trucking companies who violates the hours of service rule for drivers in the 10 percent of cases will have to install this Electronic on Board Recorder to keep control over there driving activities. The functions of an EOBR will be to record the location where the duty is changed and where the truck is moving. The driver will have the options to maintain the information on the recorder but the recorder will be programmed to keep the original as well as fed information intact for future use. The information will be digitally recorded so that in case of any mishap the safety officials can retrieve the data. EOBR is used in same way as the paper log books are used. It will keep track of all operational and functional processes; record the truck loading and unloading time with location. It will also store the time a driver spends in his sleeping berth.
The Owner-Operator Independent Truck Drivers Association is highly opposing the imposition of this rule. As they say that the paper logs are as effective as the recorder and that the recorder will hinder in the day to day life of a driver and affect his privacy. However the FMCSA is adamant of taking this regulation into effect from 2012. The target will be first only on the hour of service rule violators that will count to some 6000 fleets. Then the rule will be a mandate for more number of carriers.
The trucker who have voluntarily adopted the Electronic On Board Recorder or their carrier company have installed them on their truck find it useful and easy to use. The truck driver can now manage their work time more efficiently. They know how long they have to work .They will drive the truck for 14 hours and sleep for 10 hours, thus driving the truck for no more than 70 hours a week. This way they can plan which available loads they should select. They will also not sit idle and waste their time on the truck stops. After they finish the unloading they can look for more loads by making use of the loadboards.
In case of accidents the recording of the EOBR will tell whether the driver was guilty or not. It will tell precisely the trucker was out of service hours at the time of incident or not. When you first place it in your semi-truck you might face some difficulty to operate in the start. But in long run you would see that it becomes a necessity and also helps you earn more money by following a scheduled work culture.

Categories
Owner Operators

Truck Driving Schools – An Insight

Nothing comes free these days. This also implies to truck driving schools. There are options available where you will have to pay out less comparatively or sometimes no upfront fees to enroll to the truck driving school classes. There are many ways in which you can attend discounted or almost free truck driving schools. Let us discuss in this article some.
Since the economy is facing challenges and people are suffering job losses and layoffs. Trucking industry remains the number one option for the jobless people to secure a truck driving job. However, you need to attend a truck driving school before you establish yourself in this industry. One most straight forward way is that you attend any independent truck driving school. This will cost you more somewhere around $3000- $7000. If you do not have enough money to pay for the fees you can take a government loan to pay for the fees. The loans are easily approved keeping in mind the trucking industry is ever blooming and they get there loans paid back easily. The pay back period usually starts 6 months after you complete the course.
Second option is to join a truck driving school run by any trucking company. These schools offer you free truck driving courses but they usually make you sign one year contract that you will work for the company. At this duration they will pay a little lower wage as they try and compensate what they spent for your truck driver graduation. The disadvantage of this option is that you get stuck for one year with one company and in case you intend to leave they will charge you what they have spent on your course. The advantage is you have the job security as soon as you complete your truck driving lessons and you do not have to pay any upfront fees from your side.
If we check out the technical points related to the two type of schooling then the independent school will teach you trucking lessons from scratch. They will teach you every lesson to become a successful truck driver and fit into any truck driving company easily. The learning approach followed is general so that you can apply them wherever applicable. Whereas when you take the course from the trucking company school they will follow a customized learning pattern which is used in their trucking company to dispatch available loads. Thus you may lack the competing knowledge when compared with the independent school truck driving course.
Check our load board for more such interesting trucking articles.
Now the selection of CDL training depends on your needs and requirements. Drivers and owner operators getting educated from both ways do well once they are on the road. The choice will depend on your initial investment capabilities.

Categories
Business

Insurance and Trucking Industry

Insurance is the thing which is necessary in every field, whatever the case; it may be your personal insurance, car insurance, family insurance and house insurance. Insurance may be look burden in the initial time when you are paying its installments but at the time you have some problem in insurance thing then in that case you will feel that how important role insurance can play. Suppose you are paying installments for your truck from last one year than in that case you will feel burden of insurance over you but let your car is stolen by someone or accident then you can claim your whole loss and in that case you will feel importance of insurance.
Importance of the insurance increases if you are in the industry of something which involve high risk and one of the common examples of this type is trucking industry with high truck loads available. As generally covers large distance or loaded by tones of goods so it may have problem anytime and if you have its right type of insurance then you can claim whole money every time you have problem. As truck travels in the night time generally so chances of the accidents increases, in that case also if you have third party insurance then you will have full claim.

Legal issues related to trucking insurance:
Now a day insurance of the truck and other vehicle is must just after you purchase your new vehicle or truck otherwise you can be thttp://findfreightloads.com/blog/wp-admin/post-new.phphe victim of laws. You can take help of any insurance company for your insurance but before that always check the background of that company. Does it pay a full claim to its customers or not, how much time it takes to pay your claim, otherwise once you have insurance then you can do nothing. Use an advice of the industry expert to be safe. Many load boards feature different insurance companies and their covers.

Primary Liability Insurance:
This type of insurance is must for the owner operator job; this insurance covers all types of accidents and takes care of the claims related to the injuries of your driver or other related person on the truck at the time of accident. The insurance cost varies and depends on the type of the truck means size and initial cost of the truck. It should be in the range of $70000 to $80000. Always keep in mind that your insurance should always be legal otherwise the other party lawyer may file sue against you. It is really going to affect drivers’ employment.

General Liability Insurance:
This type of insurance take care of the trucking companies, whatever loss you will have to your truck in the accidents, you can claim for that. It care about all types of accidents whether it is on the road, parking lots, some halt during the journey and such type of accidents. The cost of this type of insurance is generally higher than the previous one as the money involved in the claim may be very large and sometimes it may be equal to the cost of the 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