Manitoba Driver Hurled by Tornado Thankful to Be Alive

Thanks to our friends north of the border at www.todaystrucking.com

TRUCKING LIFE: PEOPLE
Manitoba Driver Hurled by Tornado Thankful to Be Alive
Posted: Apr 30, 2012 01:12 AM | Last Updated: Apr 30, 2012 01:20 AM
THURMAN, IOWA — On Saturday, April 14 at about 5:45 p.m., Penner International driver Klaus Burkert was on a regular run to Texas from his home in Steinbach MB., when a tornado blew in from the west. It hoisted Burkert’s 2009 Volvo 780 into the air, dropped the tractor-trailer on its side and blew the 80,000 lbs of steel, glass, rubber and iron across the interstate until it came to rest on the grassy median.
Burkert, who had pulled over to the shoulder because of the driving rain, walked away from the wreck unscathed.
And that, according to Iowa State Trooper Seargent Dave Rosenberg who was on duty that afternoon, makes Burkert luckier than several of his colleagues. In all, the tornado knocked over seven tractor trailers along that short stretch of I-29 and some of the drivers wound up in the hospital.
There had been tornado warnings in the neighborhood that weekend, Sgt. Rosenberg says, but in southern Iowa, twisters are common and very seldom worrisome enough to cause a trucker to change a schedule.
So there was no predicting the emergency.
However, seconds before the tornado struck, Burkert pulled to the shoulder and noticed that the driver in front of him did the same.
“The windshield wipers simply didn’t do any good any more so we couldn’t see,” he said.
Parked, the truck started shaking as if in an earthquake and then the rainstorm turned brown, so the cab grew completely dark.
“I was holding the steering wheel like a baby grabbing a bottle. The wind was sucking the windshield wipers up from the glass so they were standing straight up.”
“Hail and stones were hammering on the windshield and I thought if that windshield breaks, I would be screwed. Next thing I remember is that the truck started lifting and slowly lifted up and then there was a big bang.
“It threw me on to the left side and then I felt the wind push me across the road. Thank God I was heavy or else I’d have blown further and thank God I was wearing my seatbelt.”
As soon as his truck stopped scraping along the pavement, Burkert climbed out (wearing just a t-shirt, jeans and sandals) and saw trucks strewn along the highway.

His first move was to run to the truck ahead of his to find the driver, trapped in the wreck. Burkhert asked if the driver was okay and he responded positively and within moments, several motorists stopped and then the first responders arrived, and the driver was helped to safety.
Not only does Burkert say he’s happy to be alive and able-bodied, he called todaystrucking.com to get a message of gratitude out to the local first responders who were so quick to help.
“Everyone who was out there to help deserves a big thanks, all those people who stopped to help, the volunteer fire-rescue people, the medics, paramedics and the state troopers, especially Trooper Tim Sieleman,” Burkert says.
Sieleman went above and beyond by driving the soaking and shaken Burkert to a nearby hotel and ensured that the Canadian driver got a room where he could relax after the dramatic near tragedy. From there, he phoned his girlfriend back home in Steinbach.
“I'm thankful that nobody was hurt too badly,” Burkert told todaystrucking.com “I believe we were blessed by our Lord otherwise I wouldn't be here to talk to you.
Burkert added that his managers at Penner were very helpful and ensured he got a ride home Monday, after a few days of rest in the hotel.
Sgt. Rosenberg, who grew up in the area, says this Spring saw a record number of tornados blow through. And even though the twister that overturned Burkert’s truck proceeded to hit the nearby town of Thurman, Iowa, Rosenberg says nobody suffered severe injuries.
Burkert has the same approach. “It’s only material things that got broken. They can be replaced.”
The German-born Burkert has yet to hit the road again but he’s anxious to start.
“I love truck driving,” he said, adding, “but I still have funny feelings when the wind is blowing.”

Why Airport Security Is Broken—And How To Fix It

A little off the trucking subject, but thanks to Kip Hawley and the Wall Street Journal for a great article.  Written by the former head of the TSA under President George Bush.  It's nice to hear from someone with a little "common sense"!  I have been on five round trip flights from Salt Lake City to Phoenix in the last couple months.  My 7.5 ounce bottle of hair spray was confiscated on one flight and a nail clipper on another, as it had a cuticle blade half inch cleaner protrusion on it.  Geese!  If we could only get rid of the politicians. Link to the Wall Street Journal Saturday Essay is below. Dan   Pucker up when you fly!


AIR TRAVEL WOULD BE SAFER IF WE ALLOWED KNIVES, LIGHTERS AND LIQUIDS AND FOCUSED ON DISRUPTING NEW TERROR PLOTS. A FORMER HEAD OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, KIP HAWLEY, ON EMBRACING RISK.
Airport security in America is broken. I should know. For 3½ years—from my confirmation in July 2005 to President Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009—I served as the head of the Transportation Security Administration.

Previous Saturday Essays

Selling You on Facebook (April 7)

Stop Panicking About Bullies (March 31)

Has the Sexual Revolution Been Good for Women? No, by Mary Eberstadt (March 24)

Has the Sexual Revolution Been Good for Women? Yes, by Ann Patchett (March 24)

You know the TSA. We're the ones who make you take off your shoes before padding through a metal detector in your socks (hopefully without holes in them). We're the ones who make you throw out your water bottles. We're the ones who end up on the evening news when someone's grandma gets patted down or a child's toy gets confiscated as a security risk. If you're a frequent traveler, you probably hate us.

More than a decade after 9/11, it is a national embarrassment that our airport security system remains so hopelessly bureaucratic and disconnected from the people whom it is meant to protect. Preventing terrorist attacks on air travel demands flexibility and the constant reassessment of threats. It also demands strong public support, which the current system has plainly failed to achieve.

The crux of the problem, as I learned in my years at the helm, is our wrongheaded approach to risk. In attempting to eliminate all risk from flying, we have made air travel an unending nightmare for U.S. passengers and visitors from overseas, while at the same time creating a security system that is brittle where it needs to be supple.

Reuters

A TSA agent watches as a traveler undergoes a millimeter-wave scan.

Any effort to rebuild TSA and get airport security right in the U.S. has to start with two basic principles:

First, the TSA's mission is to prevent a catastrophic attack on the transportation system, not to ensure that every single passenger can avoid harm while traveling. Much of the friction in the system today results from rules that are direct responses to how we were attacked on 9/11. But it's simply no longer the case that killing a few people on board a plane could lead to a hijacking. Never again will a terrorist be able to breach the cockpit simply with a box cutter or a knife. The cockpit doors have been reinforced, and passengers, flight crews and air marshals would intervene.

Second, the TSA's job is to manage risk, not to enforce regulations. Terrorists are adaptive, and we need to be adaptive, too. Regulations are always playing catch-up, because terrorists design their plots around the loopholes.

I tried to follow these principles as the head of the TSA, and I believe that the agency made strides during my tenure. But I readily acknowledge my share of failures as well. I arrived in 2005 with naive notions of wrangling the organization into shape, only to discover the power of the TSA's bureaucratic momentum and political pressures.

There is a way out of this mess—below, I'll set out five specific ideas for reform—but it helps to understand how we got here in the first place.

Tribute to Junkyard Larry - Life Changing Lessons

Tribute To Junkyard Larry

As written in a previous post, after graduating from High School in 1970, I was able to purchase my first “muscle car”.  It was a 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS with a 300 HP 327 V-8 and a factory 4-speed.  Not having much of any experience working on cars, I had a friend named Rich who kind of took me under his wing and trained me in the mechanical automotive world.  He showed me some tricks like advancing the timing on that 327 V-8, and getting amazing power gains from it.  He and his dad had worked on cars throughout his teen years and he was a very talented Chevy guy (he had a great looking black 1965 Nova with a big V-8 & 4-speed in it) and actually became a auto mechanic.

Rich's Nova

After I started “breaking” my car, I needed his help in showing me how to fix it, as my job was pumping gas and I certainly could not afford to pay someone to do it for me!  The first thing I broke was the differential and it was one of at least three or four that I blew up.  Rich told me that there was no use trying to rebuild the old one, we needed to go to a junkyard and buy a decent one out of a wreck.  There happened to be a junkyard that was within 2 miles of our house, in Butler, Wi (I wish I could remember the name) and Rich decided that I needed lessons on how to deal with the feisty older German immigrant who owned the place!

Being kind of quiet and introverted with strangers in my teen years, I certainly did need help with this guy!  He was a short, very stocky with muscular forearms, scary man with a thick German accent and you had to listen carefully to his every word in order to understand him.  And most of his spoken words were “cuss” words!  Rich told me that the number one rule was to never, ever pay him the first price he wanted for any part.  You had to stand up and negotiate!  He told me not to pay more than 50 or 60 percent of his original asking price.  “And don’t be afraid to turn and walk away, because he will always call you back over”.

My Impala

 Well, Rich went with me the first time, we approached him and I asked if he had any “good” rear-ends that would fit a  ‘62 Impala.  He said sure and took us over to them.  We looked them over and Rich found a nice “posi-traction” unit.  It was an extra cost option on the Impala of that model year and was an upgrade from what I had blown up.  After telling him I wanted that one and asking the price, he replied “65 dollar”.  Being absolutely scared to death, I tried to act disgusted, blurting out with a shaky voice “that’s too much, I’ll give you 20 dollars”.  Well, Holy Cow, old Larry came unleashed, yelling a series of cuss words mixed with German language that I couldn't understand and he totally freaked me out!  I then heard the words “55 dollar”!  So, I’m sure I was trying to keep from shaking and said “No, I don’t have that much” and offered $30.  Out came another torrent of cuss words and gibberish until I heard the words “45 dollar”.  I then said “ all I have is 35 dollars” and got still another round of gibberish until I heard “$40”.  I held up my hand and said “Nope” and said to Rich “Let’s go” and turned to walk away.  Just as Rich told me, we didn't get more than a few steps and he hollered out for me to give him $35.00!  I handed him the money and nervously watched as he yanked an extra-large screwdriver from his pocket, and proceeded to scratch his “mark” on the differential.  I learned later, he did that so he would know if you went home, got the old piece and tried to return it, saying that he sold you a broken part!  Well, that was my first very scary experience with Junkyard Larry and I’m sure I was sweating profusely!

 

After we got out of that place and I calmed down, Rich told me that I had done a good job.  As time went on, having to go back so many times to buy parts, I actually started to enjoy the banter with Junkyard Larry!  He was a crafty old guy and I’m sure he was enjoying putting on a show, I think he took pleasure in seeing the young guys growing up and losing their fear of him.  Every once in awhile, I would see a hint of a little smirk on his face!  It’s funny how some people can change your life,  I really did learn some valuable lessons in how to deal with people from that old German immigrant!  Wish I knew his last name and what happened to him, he went out of business decades ago and probably sold his land to developers. This is my tribute to Old Junkyard Larry, who helped me to grow up and become a man!  Dan

My Amazon Author Link

"My Gallery" by Wendy M. Mikulec

Some truckers like poetry!

If you love great poetry, this is a compilation of fantastic poems about family. They will bring tears to your eyes, and make you appreciate what you have. The author is Wendy (Delveaux) Mikulec, my 1st cousin once removed. The book is published by my brother at Russ Bridger's Book Publishing. $8.99 for eBook or $24.95 softcover. The author's background and links to the store are below, Dan

My Gallery Color Softcover version link

My Gallery color eBook version

Tender, wistful, imaginative, glimpses of the sunny side of life spill, as colorful words, as though brushed on to a canvas in a delightful form of artistry.   They appear on, one carefully mastered page after another, by artist/author, Wendy M. Mikulec.  The author draws from her own unique life experiences.

Born in the small city of Oconto Falls , in Northeast Wisconsin, Wendy now resides in the Florida Panhandle with her husband, John.  Writing is a natural talent, for Wendy, and she now takes the time to reflect on the simplicity of childhood memories; her own; her children’s; andher grandchildren’s.  
Not one to be idle, Wendy began her working career, at the age of fifteen, when she was hired to work in a Boarding House.  Shortly after finishing high school, she married and continued to work.  Over the years, there were a variety of jobs as children were added to the family and relocations occurred.  From the Boarding House days, as a teen ager, in Wisconsin, 

to the Manager of an Apartment Complex, in Florida, life seemed to have come full circle.  

Searching for a career change led Wendy back to student life as she undertook the

daunting task of college studies, choosing to earn her degree in Medical Billing and Coding.

Her previous studies had been in Para-legal work and were unrelated to this new course.

However, she was successful in graduating from the program earning a magna cum laude and hopes to continue in this field while she quietly creates more canvases.
The “Dear John” stories are true. They have been included because they afford an

opportunity for the readers to have a good laugh at some circumstances that they may, at times,

find themselves in.  Here, the writer describes  the many humorous ways she was able  to 

interpret and magnify a few things that her Dear John had done that were a little above and

beyond.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/wendy-m-mikulec/my-gallery-ebook-version/ebook/product-20088422.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/wendy-m-mikulec/my-gallery-softcover-version/paperback/product-20090942.html

Schneider National, Covenant Offer Team Bonuses

I am certainly not recruiting for Schneider or Covenant, but these are big sign-on bonuses!

News, thanks to Truckinginfo.com

4/27/2012
Schneider National, Covenant Offer Team Bonuses

Two major carriers, Schneider National and Covenant Transport, have announced large bonuses to help attract teams.

Schneider National is now offering sign-on bonuses of $12,000 ($6,000 per driver) for those with prior driving experience when joining Schneider's Van Truckload division. Recent driving school graduates will earn $7,000 ($3,500 per driver). These bonuses apply to both company and owner-operator teams hired before June 30, 2012. 

"As our expedited freight business continues to grow, so does our need to hire more team drivers," says Paul Simmons, vice president at Schneider National. "New and existing customer demand provides a tremendous opportunity for great, consistent miles each week."

Although not eligible for the sign-on bonus, Schneider will also help match solo drivers looking for a team partner.

Covenant Transport is offering a new Owner-Operator Hazmat Team Equity Bonus, which is an extra $10,000 per year to assist Hazmat team owner-operators in replacing equipment.

"Our company has decided that owner operators shouldn't be in it all alone when it comes to paying to replace their tractors," says Covenant Transport's John Arthur Daniel, vice president for capacity development. "The $80,000 truck expenditure from just a few years ago has suddenly turned into a $120,000 expenditure and that hits owner-operators hard. So we want to step up and help them out when it's time for them to replace their equipment." 

All hazmat owner operator teams who run at least 35 loads per quarter will now be eligible for a $2,500 per quarter bonus payout on an ongoing basis.

"This is not a one-time payout," he said. "Those who qualify will continue to receive the bonus for as long as they drive for Covenant." Lease purchase drivers will be eligible for the bonus after their trucks are paid out.

For more information about Schneider and Covenant employment, go to www.schneiderjobs.com orwww.covenantdrivers.com. 

Jumping Cholla- host Kim Stone (Fact or Fiction?)

tusconhappenings.blogspot.com

I'm down in Phoenix again this week training a couple new drivers.  As we were returning from Safford, AZ to Phoenix, the driver pointed out some Jumping Cholla Cactus plants on the side of the road.  He said "don't ever walk near those, the needles will jump out and stick you!"  I laughed and told him that I did not believe him.  He then said I should look it up on the internet.  OK, watch this!  Now, would you walk up near one? Dan

Brandt: How Packers angered Favre

http://bensbiz.mlblogs.com/2008/07/17/from-the-it-was-only-a-matter-of-time-department-2/

Thanks to the Green Bay Press Gazette!

Andrew Brandt, the former Packers vice president of player finance/general counsel, offers some keen behind-the-scenes insight about how the Packers angered Brett Favre, passed on a trade for Randy Moss, and might not have drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005.

Writing for ESPN.com, Brandt offers some juicy information about the Packers, including the following:

*Favre was upset when a trade for Raiders receiver Randy Moss fell through during the 2007 draft. The Packers wanted to sign Moss to a two-year contract and wouldn’t budge, while the New England Patriots relented to a one-year deal. Brandt said he spent the rest of the draft listening to Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, express his client’s anger along with threats to not show up. Favre, through Cook, said he didn’t have time to wait for Greg Jennings to become a star. According to Brandt, the incident deepened Favre’s resentment for Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, who did not welcome input from Favre the way previous Packers regimes had.

*In 2005 the Packers targeted defensive players DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, who were both drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. When the Packers’ turn to draft at No. 24 arrived, Rodgers was the only player left with a first-round grade. Brandt said the Packers would have entertained trade offers, but none came. “I think about how things would be different had Ware or Spears been available or if we had received an offer for that pick,” writes Brandt.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN

• Packers pre-draft roster analysis: Defensive backs(Insiders Blog)
• Packers pass on throwback uniform; Steelers unveil theirs (Green Bay Press Gazette)
• McCarthy identifies defensive problems, talks about Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson futures (Green Bay Press-Gazette)
• Packers pre-draft breakdown: Specialists lineup is solid (Green Bay Press Gazette)
• Packers' fans: Who is Justin Harrell? (Green Bay Press-Gazette)
• Fans’ mock NFL draft: How they picked 1st round(Insiders Blog)

DEF Tips and Tricks - Truckinginfo.com

oreillyauto.com

Great Info on DEF, Thanks to Glen Sokolis of HDT's Headline News!
4/24/2012
DEF Tips and Tricks
By Glen Sokolis, Contributor

Fleet companies are facing all kinds of new decisions with diesel exhaust fluid, which came into play with the Environmental Protection Agency's 2010 emissions standards. DEF is used to treat the exhaust of the engines running selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet the requirements. All but one engine maker use SCR.

This created a new industry, the DEF market. It started off slow, but today experts believe industry growth will double from last year, to 150 million gallons in 2012. Major truckstops are installing tanks and pumps like there's no tomorrow, because as every old truck is retired to the truck graveyard, a new truck is put into use that most likely needs DEF.

So now fleets might have one truck out of 40 that needs DEF, but that one truck might not get anywhere close to a truckstop that sells DEF. So they are faced with buying it in 2-1/2 gallon jugs, 55-gallon drums, 330-gallon totes or even putting in their own tank system. 

Here are a few areas where we've seen questions and concerns with our clients:

DEF Creep

If your drum or tote pumps or fittings look like they were snowed on last night, you're experiencing "DEF creep." The white, powdery substance is the crystallization of urea left behind from DEF evaporation.

For example, after dispensing DEF out of your tote, the hose is left with a residual coating of product. The air will evaporate the water, and urea crystals will begin to build a chain. This will typically happen in about 30 minutes. The crystals will find even the smallest path through connections, especially threaded connections and seal areas.

How do you prevent "DEF creep"? Make sure all fittings that come in contact with DEF are tight and proper seals are used. Try minimizing breaking connections and wipe down any urea crystallization as soon as it forms.

Water can be used to easily wash off urea that has crept onto the truck, tank or dispensing equipment.

Misconceptions

DEF is a whole new frontier, creating lots of questions for fleet owners. I had one CFO ask me if his fuel company was trying to pull a fast one on him about needing DEF. I had to explain to him that they weren't and, like it or not, all of his trucks likely would soon be running DEF. 

We have found fleet owners are concerned with their drivers pumping the wrong product into the wrong tank. It appears, for the most part, that DEF tanks have a magnetic interface with the spout of DEF nozzles. What this means is if a driver tries to put the DEF nozzle in the diesel fuel tank, which does not have a magnetic mis-filling adapter, then no DEF will be released. 

A few things to consider for extra precaution when using DEF:

- Use dedicated equipment for DEF for dispensing and storing. Don't use funnels or bottles from other products.
- Protect the DEF from fuel, oil, water, grease or anything else except DEF.
- Store DEF between something above 32 degrees and 86 degrees and not in direct sunlight. With this your shelf life should be a solid 12 months.

Before you install a tank, I would strongly recommend to any company to get a solid feel of how much DEF you need today on a daily basis and what you will need in a few years. You don't want to install a 2,000-gallon DEF tank today to realize two years from now you need that tank filled up daily or more often. 

Demand and pricing

The pricing for DEF has been all over the board, from $1.80 in bulk to $10 in packages per gallon. The demand has not yet caught up with supply, and that is about to change as the industry doubles in volume this year and I would assume double in volume again next year as new trucks are brought onto market. Since DEF is made from 32.5% urea and the rest purified water, I would not expect any major shortages or price gouging anytime soon, although urea is a product used worldwide and can at times get caught in some volatility. 

As a fleet manager all of this extra work could drive you nuts, but look at the bright side: Most fleets find SCR has a performance advantage and has shown an increase of 3-5% in fuel efficiency. At $4 to $5 a gallon for diesel, that's a pretty good deal.

Glen Sokolis is founder and president of Sokolis Group, Warrington, Pa., a fuel management and consulting company.

Canada's Love For Truckers!

Thanks, Jennifer B!

Thanks, Shaun H!

Accident at Turtle Creek - Big Truck TV.com

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/truck_accidents.html

Great piece written by and thanks to Tom Kretsinger Jr. at Big Truck TV.com

Tom Kretsinger, Jr. posted on 2011/10/26 | 2 Comments | Share

It's about time to shut her down, Joe thought as he leaned forward to peer through the rain. The rhythm of the windshield wipers slapped the water away. His crow's feet became more pronounced as his green eyes stared into the night. The storm intensified. He knew after 3 million accident free miles, that sometimes it was just safer to get off the road. He would be in a truck stop by now, but this gale came on so fast he was in a bad situation before he had time to realize it.

Suddenly, a four-wheeler came up on his blind side from the right on the on ramp, cut in front of him and started spinning out. There was no time to react. His horn blared through the dark as Joe slammed on his brakes. He tried to veer to the right to miss the car, but the trailer was coming around on the left…faster than the truck.  All his skills from years of driving could not stop the trailer or miss the four-wheeler. He desperately tried all the tricks he could summon but nothing could avert the pending disaster. "Stop!" he screamed, but the wheel would not respond as the load of 40,000 pounds of lead shifted and the force of the careening trailer took over. Headlights swirled in crazy directions making a light show in the driving rain.

As he accepted the grim fact that he was no longer in control of his rig, time seemed to slow to a crawl. "God, let this be a dream," he prayed out loud as the semi skidded sideways down the interstate. He could see the wide eyed look of the driver of the SUV out his left window as the rig unwillingly closed the small gap. He thought of missed love, he thought about Lisa. Then it happened. The side of the trailer slammed into the SUV, exploding it in a ball of fire. The tractor detached, flew off a bridge and rolled down into Turtle Creek below with a loud splash. The tractor lay on its side in the creek, while smoke rose ominously from the hood and the wheels span slower and slower.

Then, all was quiet. When Joe regained consciousness, all he heard was the trickle of the creek and the rain banging on the passenger side door of the broken truck. Glass had shattered all around him and he felt a pain deep within the back of his neck. He couldn't move. His legs were limp despite the commands his brain gave them.

The years of loneliness on the road engulfed him in the darkness as he lay bleeding in the cab of his broken truck. Being alone was not new. Thirty years on the road as a bachelor. No wife, no kids, no one to hold him at night or take care of him when he was sick.

It could have been different. His mind drifted back to Lisa. He thought about the long walk along the river that crisp fall day years ago. Lisa was the love of his life. He could picture her as if it was yesterday, her blonde hair, sky blue eyes and funny smile. He knew from the minute he saw her, that he could never be in love with another woman. Their conversations were so easy, so natural. Time ceased when they were together. She lit up his world when she would kiss him and laughingly say, "To the world you may be one person...but to one person you may be the world."

Fate had dealt them a bad hand. Joe ended up in the motor pool in the Army and Lisa ended up in a fancy house in Tampa. He refused to think about the circumstances for years and wasn't going to think about it now. As the rain began to subside to a drizzle, he realized that he was given a second chance at life. There was only one thing left to do. He decided that come what may, he was getting off the road and was going to find Lisa. Nothing else was important; nothing else was worth living for. He suddenly felt very warm as the feeling slowly came back into his battered body. He climbed out of the truck and stood up in the rain.   The sounds of sirens wailed. The red lights from the ambulance lit up the night. Yes, Joe was certain he and Lisa would be reunited again. He smiled. Joe couldn't remember being this happy in years.

It was a closed casket funeral. Only a few people from the truck line and an army honor guard were there. The old preacher stood at the head of the flag draped casket. "I didn't know Joe. But Joe was a humble man and few people knew him. Joe spent his time on earth quietly helping others delivering goods throughout the county without ever seeking praise or thanks. He did his job safely and professionally. Joe never complained. The accident was not his fault. I pray that people learn how to drive around trucks. They just don't stop like cars because they're heavy. They have large blind spots. In God's kindness, Joe had died on impact. He felt no pain. He is now in a better place. The meek shall inherit the earth. Amen."

After the service, only the grave digger and a well-dressed 50 year old lady with blonde hair and striking blue eyes remained. The sad, quiet grave digger approached her by the grave and asked, "Did you know him?" She looked up with moist eyes and a curious smile and replied softly, "My name is Lisa. To the world Joe may have been one person... but to one person he was the world.

"http://www.bigtrucktv.com/tomkretsinger/accident-turtle-creek

• owner operator
 
• safety and regulations

Classic Car Stories - Mopar Man to Chevrolet

All during my teenage years, I was a big fan of Chrysler products. My dad bought a used 1957 Chrysler New Yorker with a 392 cubic inch hemi motor in it, so I naturally was really into the Mopar stuff! It was the family car for several years and I kind of inherited it when I got my drivers license at 16. Unfortunately, the New Yorker was pink with a white top! But, I didn’t care, that big car had a lot of torque and horsepower, it could bury that 120 MPH speedometer with no problem! It had dual exhausts on it and I bought some chrome tips to put on as well as “Hemi Powered” stickers to put on the sides. My dad was pretty amused and just shook his head!

This is the actual car!

He lost his sense of humor though, after I discovered how to do "powerstands". That is when you brake with your left foot while flooring the throttle, thereby doing a very smokey burnout of the rear wheels. I was doing this in front of our high school one day, showing off and broke a u-joint! My dad came and we towed it to our neighbor's house, who was a mechanic. I had told my dad that the u-joint had just "come apart". Well after the mechanic inspected it, he set my dad right on what actually happened and I thereafter had to make payments to my dad for the repair bill!  You wouldn't believe how many times I had to open the hood to prove to someone that there really was a hemi under there!  I happily drove that car for quite a while, until a short under the dash burned all the wiring up. That was the end, we had to tow it out to the junkyard.

http://mopar.org/Charger/

So, after the New Yorker died, I was seriously in need of a car, as I only had a 160cc Honda for transportation.  And my parents were certainly not going to buy me one.  I had a job pumping gas at a Clark station and one of the regular customers was a young guy with a beautiful 1968 Dodge Charger RT. It had the 440 big block with a 4-speed manual and was in perfect condition.  With aftermarket wheels and tires, it was a dream car.  The guy treated that car like it was his baby and I never so much as saw him get on the throttle with it.  One day, he told me that he could no longer afford to pay the insurance and was being forced to get rid of it.  He said he would sell it to me for $1200 cash.  This was in 1970 for a showroom condition ‘68 Charger RT!  Being as I only had $400 to my name, I went home, told my dad about it and practically begged him to lend me the difference or cosign a loan.  He thought about it for a bit, but told me “no”.  At the time I was pretty upset but looking back now, I know it was the correct answer.  I would have just tore that car up and been broke all the time trying to pay the insurance.

The actual car

So, a few days later, my buddy, Ross told me he had seen a nice 1962 Chevy Impala SS in a parking lot with a “For Sale” sign on it.  I asked how much and he replied “$400”.  Exactly how much I had!  Well, I wasn’t a Chevy guy, but figured I’d go take a look at it.  We went over and it was in great shape, had a 300HP 327 V-8 and factory 4-speed.  I drove it around the block and the guy said he would take $375 for it.  I went home and got my dad to come take a look at it.  He looked it over and said “It’s your money, buy it if you want it” So that

was the first Chevrolet that I ever owned and have had quite a few of them since!  First thing I did was install glass pack mufflers, big tires and sure had a lot of fun “breaking” it.  I was drag racing it out at the strip, blew the transmission twice, at least three rear ends and countless u-joints!  I remember laying under that car in back of the gas station in January.  It was about 5 degrees and I was freezing my butt off putting a differential in it.  Having blown it up, all I had to get back and forth to work on was my motorcycle!

By the time I went to boot camp, there wasn’t much life remaining in it and my dad sold it for $20 after I left.  Having blown the 4-speed twice, I couldn't afford another, so I had replaced it with a junkyard 3-speed with bad syncros in second gear! That's how I first learned to double clutch!  

I could only imagine what I would have done to that Dodge Charger RT.  It would have been a shame, but a good classic car story!  Dan

Other of my car story posts:
Classic Car Stories:1970 Pontiac GTO - Dick Hands me the Keys!
Classic Car Stories: My Buddy's 1968 Plymouth GTX
Classic Car Stories: My Hemi Chrysler
Classic Car Stories: My 1965 Buick GS400
Classic Car Stories: Mopar Man to Chevrolet
Classic Car Stories: My Second Corvette
Classic Car Stories: My First Corvette
Classic Car Stories: My 1993 Camaro Z28
Classic car Stories: My Three Camaros - One Good, One Bad and One Great!
Classic Car Stories: Mom's 1961 Plymouth Valient

Funny Pic

I'll leave the comment up to you!
Thanks to Stephane C.

Owner-Operators: Empty Nesters - Truckinginfo.com

http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/travel_and_local/owner-operator_bxdve.html

Article, thanks to Jim Park of HDT
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/neOwner-Operatorsws-detail.asp?news_id=76649&news_category_id=157


4/17/2012
Owner-Operators: Empty Nesters
By Jim Park, Equipment Editor

Bob and Linda Caffee were living a comfortable life in southwest Kansas. They had a nice house on a 7-acre spread. He was a diesel mechanic, and she worked in administration at the local courthouse. During the winter months when his farm-based business slowed, Bob drove part-time for an over-the-road carrier. When the couple's daughters left for college in 2000, Linda began riding along.

Bitten by the driving bug but not keen on dragging 53-foot trailers around big cities, Linda suggested they look at expediting. The couple attended Expedite Expo in 2004, and before long, they had sold the house in Kansas, moved in with one of their daughters in St. Louis and bought their first truck. Bob and Linda are now on their second truck and are successfully partnered with FedEx Custom Critical.

"Expediting clicked for us," Linda says. "It gave us the opportunity to travel and, with a bit of time between runs, to see a little of the country. But it can be a tricky business. You have to be exceptionally good at managing money and saving through the busy weeks to get through the slower weeks."

They have seen weeks of 7,000 miles and weeks of 200. They had to learn to manage the business month by month, rather than worry about the trip-by-trip swings. 

"We are really budget-focused and make sure all the expenses are covered every month," she says. "When we come in over budget, we make extra payments and put something away for the slower months."

When they were new at the business, Linda networked her way through many of trucking's traditional minefields. She relied on blogs and social media to expand her group of mentors, advisors and experts. 

Today she maintains a few blogs of her own. She sits on the board of Women in Trucking, and she is a core member of the Trucking Solutions Group, an owner-operator networking organization that convenes conference calls to discuss issues related to the business.

"There has got to be constant improvement if you're going to stay ahead of the curve in this business," Linda says. "Through TSG, we learn about new products and techniques from other owner-operators, and that keeps us on top of the game."

These days, the big issue is fuel economy. Their Cascadia expeditor makes better than 12 mpg at 58 mph, but they have been experimenting with different road speeds. Running at 65 mpg lowered fuel economy to 10.5 mpg.

Linda will tell you that expediting is a very different business model from a typical over-the-road operation, but the fundamentals are the same: "It's a truck, and it's a business. That's means you have to manage the money.

"Because Bob and I are a team - in more ways than one - we've got a pair of skill sets that lend themselves well to what we do," she says. "And we've certainly made the best of our networking connections over the years. You have to stay involved and stay engaged, because things happen so fast today, if you're out of the loop, you'll be lost in no time."

To read more about the new breed of owner-operator, click here.

From the April 2012 issue of HDT. 

Owner-Operators: Selecting for Success - HDT Headline News

http://askthetrucker.com/trucking-company-owner-operator-lease-is-wrong-road-for-drivers/

Thinking about becoming an owner-operator?  It's a field littered with a lot of failures, so be careful. I've seen way too many drivers buy trucks and then proceed to slowly go broke.  There are successful operators out there, but it is not easy and you have to use good business practices.  My advice, before you take the plunge, take your time, research and study.  You can't do too much research, Dan


The following article, Thanks to Oliver B. Patton of HDT's Headline News!  Link to their site below.


4/17/2012
Owner-Operators: Selecting for Success
By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor

When we caught up with Miles Verhoef, he'd spent the day in Fargo, N.D., looking for - and not finding - the right load for his drop-deck flatbed.

"I'm a little picky about what I haul," he says. 

There's plenty of freight, but much of it doesn't pay enough to cover his costs, much less his profit. "Obviously I'm not going to want to go for a rate that's not going to cover my cost of operation."

It's astonishing to Verhoef how many wanna-be owner-operators don't understand this fundamental or even cost of operation.

This means he spends time sitting, or "bouncing" empty to somewhere he can pick up a good load, but he still sees it as good business.

"It just doesn't make sense to take the profits from one load to basically pay to haul somebody else's load."

Verhoef, 46, learned the trade working as a company driver for 16 years then as a lease driver for five. The leasing gig was sweet, he says. He was the number one outside contractor to a carrier that delivered to mom-and-pop drug stores and Ben Franklin stores in the Great Lakes region. 
"The money was good, and I was home every weekend." 

Then management decided to get rid of the fleet and instead go with the cheapest transportation they could get. 

"They ended up losing about 20% of their customer base," Verhoef says. 

The lesson - that you get what you pay for - was a good one to take into the next stage of his career. 

In 2003 Verhoef got DOT authority and went out on his own with a 1999 Peterbilt 379. 

For a number of years, he hauled refrigerated foodstuffs, at one point adding another tractor and a couple more trailers. 

He didn't mind the deliveries in the wee hours of the morning and multiple stops, but he did not like the way he was treated. "You're basically lower than dirt at most of these grocery warehouses."

About a year ago, he bought a flatbed and now hauls a wide mix of cargo, from the occasional steel coil to construction equipment, locomotive parts and, most recently, hay from the upper plains to drought-stricken Texas and Oklahoma.

He keeps his costs down with an APU to limit idling, and he eats most of his meals in the truck. He manages his fuel economy the old-fashioned way: He slows down. 

"If I run 70 mph, my mileage is around 5.75 mpg. If I slow down to 60 mph I can increase that to 6.75 mpg. That makes a significant difference, especially when fuel prices go up."

It's hard to manage a surcharge when you're working load-to-load through brokers, he says. "You base your quote on your costs."

His truck is paid for. Although the maintenance costs are slightly higher than a new rig, if he stays on top of them, they're manageable - and there's a big difference in insurance costs. 

Verhoef is on the road up to seven weeks in between time home at the family farm about 250 miles north of Billings, Mont. "Between the North Pole and nowhere."

An alternate board member of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, he keeps up on the rules, maintains his truck and operates safely.

Safety is a lesson he learned early. At 18, he rolled his father's tractor-trailer loaded with 65 head of cattle. "I was going too fast, I didn't have any brakes and I was inexperienced. I totaled Dad's truck and killed 10 cows. It wasn't a good thing.

"But by golly, I've learned a lot since then."

To read more about the new breed of owner-operator, click here.

From the April 2012 issue of HDT.
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76650&news_category_id=157