FMCSA (tries to) Defends Hours Rule

Article thanks to truckinginginfo.com Link to their site follows:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration defended its hours-of-service rule in a court filing, arguing that limits on the 34-hour restart are reasonable.

The agency also told a federal appeals court that the risks of the 11-hour limit on driving are outweighed by the productivity savings, and the 30-minute rest break improves safety.

The agency was responding to a petition from American Trucking Associations objecting to a change in which the 34-hour restart will be limited to once a week, with each restart including two rest periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. 

ATA also objects to the requirement that a driver must take a half-hour off if it's been more than eight hours since he took an off-duty or sleeper berth break.

The agency told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that ATA's objection to the break requirement is based on a misreading of the scientific evidence, which shows that off-duty breaks provide the greatest safety benefit.

The agency's position on the 11-hour rule is in response to objections from the safety advocacy community, which holds that the limit should never have been increased from the former 10-hour restriction.

The agency said its analysis shows that even if there is small increased risk of more crashes associated with 11 hours of driving, the cost of the those crashes will be outweighed by the productivity savings of having the extra hour.

Final briefs in this case are due Nove. 21. Oral arguments have not been scheduled. The outcome of the case could change the effective date of the hours-of-service changes, now scheduled for next July. 
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=78392&news_category_id=3&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Houston trucker singing the booze after beer scheme unravels

file photo-chronicle

Article thanks to Robert Stanton of the Houston Chronicle. A link to their site is provided below:

A 222-mile trip from Houston to Corpus Christi to deliver 1,512 cases of beer began innocently enough.

The problem, Harris County prosecutors said, is that the beer never got to its destination, and now the 52-year-old truck driver is facing a felony theft charge.

Sundiata Bilal Simba, a driver at Nuks Trucking in Houston, left Sept. 21 in an orange Freightliner to deliver the beer for Anheuser-Busch, but the folks in Corpus Christi told Nuks officials that the shipment never arrived, according to an arrest warrant filed in the case.

Reached by telephone, Simba told his boss, Robert Riles, that the Freightliner broke down in Mathis, "and that it was going to cost $2,000 to tow the Freightliner and he didn't have that kind of money," the arrest warrant states.

Riles told Simba that he was on the way to Mathis to help him, but when he arrived there the driver, the truck and the load of beer were nowhere to be found. So Riles headed back toward Houston.

When he reached Victoria, Riles flagged down a Department of Public Safety trooper and asked if he knew of a stalled Freightliner on the freeway in or near Mathis. The trooper replied that he had heard of no such reports, the arrest warrant states.

As Riles continued on the trek back to Houston, his phone rang. It was Simba. Riles asked about the beer.

"Simba told him that he sold the load because he needed the money," according to the arrest warrant. Simba had worked at the company for about a month, Riles said.

Four days later, on Sept. 25, Houston police received a tip that beer was being sold from rental trailers in the front yard of a residence in northeast Houston.

A witness told police that he had purchased beer the day before from a man on Parker Road near a place called Bruno's Horse Arena, and they unloaded the beer from an orange Freightliner onto the rental trailers.

On Oct. 2, Houston police went to the 8000 block of Parker Road near the horse arena and found numerous wooden pallets marked "AB," along with plastic wrappings marked with bar codes and several damagedBudweiser cardboard boxes.

One of the bar codes matched the order picked up by Simba, investigators said.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-trucker-singing-the-booze-after-beer-3978234.php

Rest Area Shortage Leads to Paid Reservations

thetruckersreport.com

Another “you’ve got to be kidding” story!

Article thanks to thetruckersreport.com  A link to their site is provided below:

The nation’s highways are crowded, but not nearly as crowded as the nation’s rest areas. Drivers often cannot find safe places to park for the night within their allotted legal driving hours and are then faced with the choice of risking their safety and the safety of their vehicle and cargo, or driving on a few extra miles and risking getting caught in violation of their HOS.
TravelCenters of America which operates TA and Petro Shopping Centers across the country is taking advantage of the drivers’ predicament. If drivers want to guarantee themselves a spot for the night, they must call in and, using a credit card, pay a non-refundable fee of anywhere from $7-$12.
The problem is that this service isn’t actually helping the issue of overcrowding at all. It doesn’t create any new spaces, and it doesn’t make any existing spaces safer. This is just one more way corporate America has their hand in the driver’s back pocket.
While they make this out to be a convenient innovation for drivers, the only real winner in this situation is going to be TravelCenters. Instead of cashing in on the parking shortage under the pretence of helping drivers, own up to the fact that you’re taking advantage of a problem that’s affecting driver safety.
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/rest-area-shortage-leads-to-paid-reservations/

Out of the past, the truth surfaced

theinsiprationroom.com

This is a guest post from my brother Russ, which contains a letter sent by him to the Readers Digest in response to an article he read. Embarrassing to admit, but I was the older brother he was referring to and should have known better!

Dear Readers Digest,
        I recently read "The 39-Year-Old Apology" in your October issue, and was reminded of a family confession, and resulting story, that may interest your readers.
        In the late 1950's, my older brother Dan, then age 6 or 7, stole a $20 bill from the
top of our refrigerator. He and I had a grand time buying and eating a cake from a neighborhood store using the pilfered money.
        Forty-some years later I brought up this episode of youthful thievery to my parents at a family gathering, not knowing how affected my mother had been for all those years.
        It turned out that my mother had accused a neighborhood friend of the theft, and their relationship had abruptly ended. This, after they both had had a baby about five years earlier, on the same day, in the same hospital, and recovered in the same room; eventually becoming close neighbors. (strange but true)
        Upon this confession by her children in the 1990's, my mother knew that an apology was long overdue, but had no way to attempt contact until a few years later when she bought a computer and discovered the internet. She eventually found an address for her friend's son Steve, and reached out.     
        Unfortunately, it was too late for an apology. His parents were deceased. But Steve chose to comfort my mom by sending her five beautiful e-mail letters within three weeks, but then stopped contact for no apparent reason. My mother assumed he no longer wanted to stay in touch.
        Weeks later, Steve's sister Julie then informed my mother that Steve had passed away from a massive stroke at the age of forty-one.
        Eventually my mother wrote her own story about this called "Out of the Past, The Truth Surfaced", and included it in her own published book "Life's Memories" available at www.LULU.com by Agnes (Konitzer) Bridger Bast.

Trucking "Down Under" in Australia

infotruck.blogspot.com

Ever wonder what trucking is like in the world “down under”? This is an interesting guest post written by and thanks to Ellen Voie - President & CEO - Women In Trucking Association. A link to her site is provided below:

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive one of those massive big rigs like those in Australia? Some of the trucks pull as many as four trailers behind them, looking more like a train than a tractor-trailer. The Australians refer to them as "B doubles" or articulated vehicles, which can weigh as much as 62.5 metric tons (137,800 pounds).
These vehicles are equipped with large capacity fuel tanks to handle the long stretches of road in the outback. Add a "kangaroo rack" to the front to avoid any damages from hitting one of those cute marsupials, and you've got a huge amount of machinery that can deliver a lot of freight over great distances.
Recently, I visited the land down under to participate in the Transport Women Australia conference held in Melbourne. Their goals are similar to those of Women In Trucking Association, but they represent all modes of transportation, such as bus, rail and maritime, not just women in the trucking industry.
While they were very interested in hearing about the environment for women in the United States, I was just as curious to learn about the challenges women face in a country with large, sparsely populated areas and an expanding mining industry.
Professional drivers suffer from an extremely negative image in Australia, worse than ours in the US. When I asked if they had any activities to elevate the impression four wheelers had of their drivers, they said they did not. However, they were very interested in hearing about the Trucker Buddy Program, Highway Angels, and America's Road Team.
Since nearly all (more than 99 percent) of the B Train drivers are men, they are often referred to as "Blokes." This isn't really a derogatory term; it's more like our version of "Dudes."
The trucking industry in Victoria, Australia, is governed by VicRoads, and I had the pleasure to meet with some of their representatives to discuss common issues. I also had the opportunity to meet with the folks from DECA, the driver's educational center of Australia, where they qualify drivers to operate trucks, motorcycles and taxicabs.
I had the opportunity to visit a new, state-of-the art truck stop near Melbourne. Oil companies, such as BP and Shell, operate the truck stops in Australia. This facility was touted as the most modern truck stop in the area, but the stark white walls, limited (and very slow) meal service and the basic shower and laundry equipment was not very inviting. There was no drivers’ lounge other than some hard plastic chairs near the small convenience store area. I didn't see any place where drivers were given preference over the four wheelers in the truck stop.
It takes years for a driver to be qualified to operate an articulated truck (tractor-trailer) and drivers are expected to start with smaller vehicles, such as the "rigids," or what we call straight trucks. For women, this is an entry-level job, but often follows a local, delivery position, or "tugs."
I met two female drivers who worked for Toll Trucking, the largest carrier in Australia, and a presence in Asia as well as the US. They have numerous divisions that transport everything from parcels to truckloads. One of their female drivers delivers parts for Ford motor company and stays within a small area between the Toll facility and the nearby Ford plant. She wanted to move into a larger truck (rigid) but was required to learn how to operate a forklift first so she could assist in loading and unloading the freight.
The Australians share another challenge we are experiencing in the US...an aging work force. Most of their drivers are over age 50 and they cannot attract younger generations to become drivers. While they are not under the same rules governing a driver's health as we have under FMCSA, an older work force means a decrease in fitness levels for the population.
Driving a truck in Australia is like stepping back in time. The industry is suffering from a driver shortage, an aging work force and a physically demanding career that is not well valued by the very people who it serves, the consumer. Oh, and they all drive on the wrong side of the road!
In the United States, one out of twenty drivers is a woman. Our goal, at Women In Trucking Association, is to increase that level considerably. While five percent is still dismal, the trucking industry in Australia has a long way to go to catch us.
Link to http://blog.bigtrucktv.com/ellenvoie/trucking-down-under

"Grade Gap" Widens as consumption of premium gas drops

blog.gasbuddy.com

If you are thinking of buying a performance vehicle that requires premium fuel, you might want to think twice. Another way for the oil companies to raid your wallet!

Thanks to and by Patrick DeHaan on Oct 23, 2012 12:35 PM Link to his piece below:

"Grade Gap" is the term I've dubbed to explain the gap in price between regular gasoline and other higher octane gasoline- mid-grade and premium. A decade or so ago, the "grade gap" might have been 7-8 cents per gallon (mid-grade 7-8c/gal more than regular, and premium 7-8c/gal more than mid-grade), but my oh my how things have changed.

If you've been driving a car that requires premium fuel, you've likely noticed- I know I have. Only a few stations now sell premium for 20c/gal more than regular. If you're lucky, you might find the grade gap single digits (premium 9c/gal higher than mid-grade, etc.) but nowadays its becoming very hard to find it. Generally, higher end or performance vehicles require premium to function as intended (my car, equipped with a turbocharger, requires premium). Most cars don't need or benefit from premium.

On the way to Chicago this past weekend, a Love's Travel Center had the old "standard" 10c/gal gap: regular for $3.29, mid-grade for $3.39, and premium for $3.49, a rarity. A competing travel center, Pilot, just down the road had a much higher grade gap: 13c/gal, or regular for $3.29, mid-grade for $3.42, and premium for $3.55. In some situations I've even seen stations selling premium for 40c/gal more than regular, when I'm used to seeing it for 20c/gal!

Now not all stations have 10c/gal grade gap, but I've noticed a local chain has stayed at 10c/gal grade gap, and I routinely fill there, because all of their hundreds of stations have the same grade gap. I regularly skip stations where I know the grade gap is higher.

So- the big question- why has this been happening? I surmise much of it has to do with declining consumption of premium gasoline, and accordingly, refineries aren't making as many batches. When inventories of premium is very tight, the grade gap soars. It's not the stations that are raising prices, but its because of refineries and the tight supply. At one point this summer, I saw the wholesale price of premium 90c/gal higher than regular. I was so happy that stations didn't pass that along- because many of them didn't need to since they don't sell much premium fuel anymore. In July 2012, the last month data is available for, the EIA says refiners sold 2.85 million gallons of premium gasoline per day, down from 4.94 million gallons in July 2006, and down from 10.8 million gallons per day in July 1992.

Things will only get worse as premium fuel use drops, and refineries continue to make less of it, leading to significant price volatility. You can bet that one day stations will stop absorbing the hit or not passing it along, and that's a day I dread.
Read more at http://blog.gasbuddy.com/posts/-Grade-Gap-widens-as-consumption-of-premium-drops/1715-516615-1407.aspx#SDmF1OyJgDrx1PRe.99 

Winterize Wiring Against Rocks, Ice and Corrosion

4wdmechanix.com

Thanks to and by Bob Phillips, Contributor of Truckinginginfo.com Link to their site follows:

Today's wire harnesses are pretty darn good compared to systems of the past. Fleets have options they have never had before, from sealed male 7-way connectors to sealed cable systems to sealed nose boxes.

However, no matter how good the harness system is, it must be protected at the front end. Without a sealed front end, corrosion and contamination will wick its way in, clogging the arteries of the harness and rendering the sealed harness virtually useless.

All metal sockets leak. So start by converting metal sockets to glass-filled nylon, and make sure they are insert molded. Insert molding seals the pins to the housing, preventing contamination from entering the harness system. 

Next, use a molded plug-in socket so contaminants cannot work around the socket pins. It's amazing the turbulence created behind the cab driving at 60 mph in the rain. Now add snow and sleet, and the magnesium chloride on the highways has a way to work its way into every crack and crevasse on the vehicle. 

Phillips has addressed this in a number of products, and so have competitors. However, when the fleet does not have these products in its trucks, what is the best way to maintain electrical systems before winter hits hardest?

First, get yourself a healthy handful of small packets of dielectric grease, and start your rounds of disconnecting all pigtails near the ground and insert new corrosion protective grease. Check where any rocks or debris may have damaged the insulation. Cut the wire and using a solder and seal or heat shrink, seal terminal and make a new connection. Consider new clear heat shrink terminals that are now available, as well as small to mid-sized torches that assure the technician has made a perfect connection.

Cable-tie or secure all dangling pigtails as close to the lamp as possible. You don't want to give road ice a place to start building up, inadvertently disconnecting pigtails from the lamps. Another neat trick is to use one of the gladhand seals with a dust flap on all entry holes going to the stop tail directional lamps. Where small wire entry holes are used through the metal frames, find yourself small grommets, cut a side, then insert the wire through the grommet and attach the grommet to the frame.

Where heat shrink terminals are not available, heat shrink tape is another option. Simply cut a short strip and wrap around the defective wire. This tape cures in the air after a short time and will give a great seal.

Now that you have protected the lighting and wiring system, apply a healthy amount of dielectric grease on all 7-way sockets and plugs. Of course do this after you have brushed and cleaned all contacts with brush devices made for cleaning contacts.

While you're at it, check the battery cables. See-through battery cables are available in clear, translucent red and light grey. These help spot corrosion before it gets to the point where alternators and starters are adversely affected. It's an easy and inexpensive maintenance fix.

Bob Phillips is President and CEO of Phillips Industries. Phillips also offers a library of tech tips on its website at www.phillipsind.com.
Link to truckinginfo.com

Followup - The Red Light Camera Story

blog.motorists.org

Excellent comment from James C. Walker of the National Motorists Association on my blog post City Red Light Camera Under Scrutiny - Chicago Corruption!  It is so well written that I think it deserves it’s own post! I have also discovered and joined his association, which, if you support, can do for free! See the link below.

Once in a blue moon, integrity matters in government - EVEN in notorious Chicago. At least the graft by Redflex over the years takes them out of the bidding for the predatory money-grab speed camera cash register project.

What is hard to understand is WHY Chicago residents don't rise up and demand the predatory ticket cameras be entirely removed and replaced with better engineering that would make the city safer. WHY do Chicago residents accept lower safety and massive amounts of camera fines? I know why the city government wants lower safety and more fines -- $$$$$$. But why don't the residents vote the camera supporters out of office - and replace them with officials that believe real traffic safety is more important morally than ticket revenue.

Adding one second to the yellow intervals on the traffic lights would almost ...

certainly reduce violations by more than the red light camera cash registers. Setting main road speed limits at the 85th percentile speed of free flowing traffic under good conditions would result in smoother and safer traffic flow with fewer accidents. See the science of these issues on our website.

AND, in these tough economic times, WHY do Chicago officials and residents tolerate sending millions of dollars to Arizona and Australia (Redflex corporate homes), dollars that leave the Chicago economy forever? Wouldn't it be better for Chicago to keep these dollars circulating in the local economy to be spent in Chicago stores, malls, restaurants, entertainment businesses, service businesses, etc.

James C. Walker
Life Member - National Motorists Association
Board Member and Executive Director - National Motorists Association Foundation
www.motorists.org
Ann Arbor, MI
About the National Motorists Association:Who We Are We are not unlike you or most other people; we want to drive what we want to drive, go where we want to go and in the process not be unwitting cannon fodder for self-serving government programs, over-bearing police departments or greedy courts.

We have come to understand that we must join together to fight for our rights and protect our freedoms. The National Motorists Association is our chosen vehicle for this journey. YOU can join for FREE at http://www.motorists.org/about/

Click here to link to my original blog post!

PROPANE - A Cheap and Ready Alternative Fuel

jalopnik.com

Nice piece with good info thanks to Ton Berg at Truckinginfo.com Seems like a good alternative to gas and diesel. I wish they could come up with an affordable way for propane induction into a diesel engine (Duramax). A link to his site and other related sites follows:

By Tom Berg, Senior Editor  10/17/2012
Propane is no longer just for your backyard barbeque or the furnace and water heater in your rural home. It's an efficient and economical fuel that powers millions of vehicles overseas, and proponents in the United States say it deserves to catch on in a big way here.

Among the backers are executives at Roush CleanTech in Livonia, Mich., near Detroit, which offers propane conversion packages for Ford-powered trucks and buses. One of them is the F-250 pickup that Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing, and Brian Carney, director of marketing, let me drive during a recent visit - but not before they delivered a pep talk on propane's low price and wide availability.

Propane typically costs $1.50 to $2 per gallon less than gasoline or diesel, they say, and is sold at 3,000 locations in the U.S. That's many more than the number of locations currently available for fueling with natural gas, which many Americans believe is the fuel of the future.

Experts say we have more than 100 years' supply of natural gas, and we're seeing a widely reported drilling boom in several states. But more than half of all propane here is made from natural gas. Historically, propane was produced as a byproduct of oil refining, so it is also called liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG.

Users of propane-fueled vehicles fill up at outlets that sell "autogas," which is what propane's called elsewhere in the world. About 17 million cars and trucks overseas burn it, according to the Propane Education & Research Council. Only 270,000 vehicles use it here. Mouw and Carney want to boost that number, which is why the Roush F-250 and other demonstration vehicles exist.

Autogas is sold with road taxes attached, and it is best obtained in bulk from a special station. Roush has a 5,000-gallon tank outside its shop a mile or so west of its headquarters. It paid $1.99 a gallon for a recent replenishing. The tank and its pump might cost $10,000 for a fleet to obtain, Mouw said. That's a small fraction of a fleet-size natural gas facility; prices depend on storage and pumping capacity, but prices can range from $500,000 to $1.5 million or more.

The cost of converting a light truck such as the F-250 to compressed natural gas has been about $25,000, Mouw said. However, Detroit's Big Three recently announced bi-fuel gasoline-natural gas pickups that carry premiums of $10,000 to $ 12,000, about what a Roush propane conversion costs.

The Roush system is simpler because it's propane-only. Its steel tank is pressurized to a modest 250 to 300 pounds per square inch when full, compared to 3,600 psi for compressed natural gas (CNG), which means CNG tanks must be much stronger. A cryogenic tank for liquefied natural gas is rather complex.

Government incentives are available in some places to offset conversion costs, but, partly because of much lower costs for filling stations, propane can make a decent business case on its own, Mouw and Carney said.

Propane only

In a Roush conversion, the stock Ford gasoline system is discarded and the propane fuel system installed. It consists of a special 55-gallon steel tank in the bed behind the cab, plus fuel lines, fuel rack, pump and controls, as well as injectors on the engine's heads. The tank is obvious. Everything else is beneath the truck's skin. Unlike old dual-fuel systems, the Roush system uses only propane and handles it as a liquid, not as a vapor.

An engine's electronic controls are modified to consume propane, which has an octane rating of 105 instead of regular gasoline's 87, Carney explained. Propane contains 10% to 15% less energy as measured in British thermal units, so if a truck's getting 15 mpg on gasoline, it'll get about 12.5 mpg on propane. However, propane's cheaper, so the total fuel cost is still considerably less.

At the Roush filling station, Carney showed me how the Ford's tank is topped off. It's a lot like filling a propane bottle for your grill. The stout nozzle has a sleeve that you screw onto the truck's special filler neck. Then you trigger it, and the tank fills in a few minutes, about the same time as with gasoline. There's a faint pop as you pull off the nozzle; you might get a whiff of the gas. Propane is safer than gasoline if there's a leak because it quickly evaporates and dissipates, he said.

Now we were set to go. The Roush truck's starting sequence is a bit different. Insert the key into the column-mounted ignition switch and twist it like you're cranking over the engine. Then release it, and after two or three seconds, the engine starts. During that pause, propane vapors are purged from the fuel lines and replaced with liquid fuel. Pop the transmission lever into D and drive away.

The truck's behavior is "remarkably unremarkable," Mouwsaid, and he was right. The Ford 300-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8 was smooth and gutsy, and it ran like it was using gasoline. Its 5-speed TorqShift automatic transmission shifted just like it's supposed to. After all, it had no idea what the engine was burning. My drive over Livonia's sometimes rough concrete streets had me aware of the empty F-250's stiff ride, which I expected from a 3/4 ton 4x4's suspension.

Clean burning

I couldn't smell any fumes from the engine. Propane burns cleaner than gasoline, so it emits fewer pollutants. Propane-powered vehicles emit 12% less carbon dioxide, about 20% less nitrogen oxide and up to 60% less carbon monoxide than gasoline-powered vehicles, says the Propane Education and Research Council.

There are stories of engines running twice as long as usual because the cylinders stay clean. Roush makes no claims about engine life, but it does note that some users extend oil drain intervals because the crankcase oil stays cleaner.

Propane work is an offshoot of Roush's work on Ford Mustangs, which it upgrades for high-performance street and race use, Carney explained. Years before, the company's founder, Jack Roush, worked as a Ford engineer, which led him into specialty engine work when he went out on his own.

Installation of the systems is done by Roush technicians at its own facilities and by authorized upfitters such as Knapheide and Adrian Steel.

Roush currently does custom engineering for other automakers, so it might have propane products for them some day.
Some ups and downs of propane

What are propane's downsides? Aside from the conversion cost, it's different than what most users are accustomed to, and a user has to have a fuel source. These can be found through online locators, but propane is currently a better choice for vehicles that stay local. Price varies with locale and might be more volatile than natural gas.

As for safety, a few days after visiting Roush, I attended a Cummins event where an engineer disagreed with my casual description of a propane vehicle's tank as "a big barbeque bottle."

"No!" he barked. "They're more than that." They have to be - and Roush ensures that they are - because in everyday use, propane expands when exposed to high heat. In extreme cases, tanks can and have exploded.

Until recent years, Cummins made and sold a propane-fueled ISB for yard tractors, but the market dwindled, and the builder has instead embraced natural gas with the ISL-G medium/heavy-duty engine and ISX12-G for heavy trucks and tractors. The propane ISB experience taught Cummins people that, with safeguards, it's a decent fuel for cars and light trucks but not for heavier trucks, the engineer said.

The dollar figures indicate that propane autogas seems a good idea where the fuel and engines that efficiently burn it are available.

Information is available online from:

www.roushcleantech.com
www.autogasusa.org/fueling-with-propane/

Click here to link to truckinginfo.com

Bret Baier Special On Libya: "Death And Deceit In Benghazi"

I try and stay away from politics writing this blog. However, if you can stomach watching this 41 minute special report from Fox News, it will make you so angry. Listening to these politicians stand in front of cameras lying through their teeth is just astounding! They have no conscience. How can these bastards sleep at night? What the heck does the future hold for our children?

Road Rage: Off Duty Cop Goes Crazy

ken skaggs

Very entertaining, true story written by Ken Skaggs about his Chicagoland trucking adventures back in the 80’s & 90's. If you have driven truck long enough, you've certainly ran up against some wacky cops! I remember my own encounter with a Chicago patrol cop. Thanks Ken and a link is provided to his blog below. You can also link to his “Driver Story Magazine” site in my sidebar:

December 2, 2010 by Ken Skaggs -  This is probably one of the weirdest things that ever happened to me. This is coming from a guy who was an ambulance chaser in Chicago for several years. I’ve seen a lot of crooked cops in my chasing days, but this guy really made an impression on me- He had absolutely no self-control, and his badge was his power.

It’s kind of hard to talk when you have your foot in your mouth, but I can still type! I once said “I simply don’t get tickets”. And I really meant it. I figured if I always did everything according to the law, I would never get another ticket. But I was wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I still did something illegal every once in a while. Sometimes a traffic light will turn red faster than expected and I would wind up going through a red light. Or someone parks in the street and I have to cross a solid yellow line to pass them. I like to think that common sense says that you have to bend the rules sometimes. I mean, what would you do if you stopped at a red light and it never turned green? Eventually you would have to go through that red light.

Well anyway, this is what happened- One sunny day, during heavy afternoon traffic, I was waiting to turn left in a left turn only lane, on a four lane divided highway. The two oncoming lanes of traffic were stopped for a long time, blocking the intersection so that I couldn’t go. Every time a few cars would inch forward, the next cars would pull forward and block the intersection so that I still couldn’t go.

I sat there for about four minutes and then I realized that if I was going to get across, I would have to just pull out and make someone stop. It was the only way, so I did. The car that I cut in front of had plenty of room to stop and so he did. But, as I went across the intersection, I could see a lot of activity in that car, so I looked closer. The driver was punching his dashboard and shaking his fist at me with a red face that looked about to explode! He was screaming some obscenities at me, but I couldn’t hear him because my truck was loud. I thought to myself- he actually thinks that I slowed him down, when in reality he had to stop anyway.

So, as I continued, I looked in my mirror and saw him following me! He made a right turn from the left lane! And he was driving to his left, over the yellow line about a foot, where I could see him in my mirror. He was still wagging a finger at me and talking as though I could hear him. And he stayed right on my bumper.

I didn’t know what he was going to try to do. Maybe he just wanted to talk to me, or maybe he was really going to do something crazy. I didn’t know. I wanted to call the police, but my cell phone was out of reach. So I started taking mental notes of some details- He was by himself. An older guy with white hair, driving a green Ford Escort, two door hatchback. I wrote his license plate number down.

Well, I wasn’t too scared of a Ford Escort while I was driving a Kenworth T-600, but at the same time, I didn’t want him to find out where I was really going. So, I pulled into a big parking lot with a few truck drivers standing around. If he was going to try to start some trouble, I wanted some witnesses. I turned my truck around so that I was facing the road. I wanted to be sure I had a way out. I grabbed my cell phone and tried to continue driving forward and out of the parking lot.

Then, he got out of his car and ran in front of my truck with arms flailing, stopping me. What if he would have pulled out a gun right then? I might have run him over, I really thought my life was in danger. He ran up to my door on the drivers side, so I quickly locked it. He stepped up on my gas tank and screamed at me to “get the f&*$ out of that truck right now!” I let the clutch out and started driving. I slammed on my brakes to try to shake him off the side of my truck, which it did. I let the clutch out again and dialed 9-1… Just then, two police cars pulled up very quickly. I was so relieved!

I stepped out of my truck in time to hear him yelling at the officers, “give this S.O.B. a ticket for failure to yield, I’ll sign it”! And the officer replied, “Yes, sir.” This guy was the police officer’s boss! It turns out that he is not only a cop, he is the traffic supervisor!

He then proceeded to lecture me on failing to yield, his loud red face in mine, with spit popping out on every “p” he popped! I tried to tell him that he would have blocked my way if he continued. And that blocking the intersection is the real problem, if you look at the big picture. But, every time I opened my mouth, his mouth made a louder sound than mine. I was not able to get a word in, at all. He signed the ticket in the officer’s book and then he was gone.

His subordinate was a nice enough guy though. I explained to him that his boss was going to block the intersection. And he could plainly see that the intersection was still being blocked and other cars were cutting in front of people so that they could get across, just like I did. The officer agreed with me that the real problem with this intersection is the fact that cars always block it. And he vowed to start enforcing it! I hope he really meant that. His professionalism restored my faith in mankind, despite his boss.

I was soon on my way with a ticket in my hand and a court date on my calender. I went back to the intersection a few days later and took some pictures for court. I wanted to be able to show the judge that the real problem was the cars that block the intersection.

The judge dropped the charges when I explained it to him. (Whew!) And “road rage with a badge” never showed up. I was afraid he would be there and the judge would take his side. But I got lucky.

I can’t imagine how someone like that got to be a traffic supervisor. They should demote him to traffic school student, and promote his subordinate to traffic supervisor. He must have received his promotion based solely on his years of service because he surely didn’t have the knowledge or the self control to be a police officer, or especially a traffic supervisor. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Or maybe he really just hates trucks. I guess I’ll never know unless I meet him again. And I hope I never do.

I wonder if he woke up the next day realizing that he was wrong? I doubt it.

He probably thinks he taught me a lesson. Actually he did. But not the lesson he was thinking. What I did learn from this incident is that just because someone is a traffic supervisor, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he understands traffic.

CLICK here to link to Ken Skagg's Driver Story Magazine

This is a guest post by Dale Jackson of Capital Solutions, a commercial truck financing firm out of Tuscon, Az. He has some good tips below if you are looking to finance a truck. I would certainly include them when comparing financing options. A link to their site follows below. I also wasn't aware that they had a referral program where you can earn fees by referring other drivers if you are a satisfied customer!

In today’s economy getting a business started can be a nightmare for anyone. This is especially true for truckers and those hoping to become Owner-Operators so that they can enjoy the benefits of being their own boss. Getting that first truck financed is sometimes the biggest road block in getting your business off the ground. Here are some tips that will help you to get that first rig on the road:

Know Where You Currently Stand

Before you even think about buying a truck you MUST have some sort of collateral, credit history, and at least some spare cash. A Truck can cost anywhere from $15,000 used to $150,000 new. There are companies that will work with you if you have little or bad credit history but you’ll have to offer some sort of collateral such as another vehicle, house, etc. Use credit bureaus like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion to get a free credit report. If there are any red flags get them squared away before you try to get a loan.

Business Plan

If you go to a bank, credit union, or anywhere legitimate to get a loan you need to have a mapped out business plan. Lenders are going to want to know how exactly you plan to pay them back. Here it is best to have a few jobs line up right out of the gate so that you can assure them you’re good for it.

Mishaps

Every trucker has setbacks. If you are buying a used truck odds are you will have to put in some money for maintenance and repairs into it before long. Then there is always the possibility of a blown tire, blown engine, auto accident, you name it. It is very important that you have some sort of safety net in case these things happen because if your truck’s in the shop, it’s not on the road, and if it isn’t on the road you are making money for payments.

Referral Programs

A clever way to make extra cash, especially if your still working with a leased truck is referring fellow truckers looking to get their own trucks to finance companies. Some finance companies will offer you 3% of the financed amount for every customer you refer. That’s $600 on a $20,000 deal, $900 on a $30,000 deal. This amount can really add up while still driving for your current company and overtime can put you on steady ground to finance a truck of your own.

Get A Partner

Now obviously you are trying to get your own truck so you can get in business for yourself but with times the way they are today any financial deal you make is easier with a reliable co-signer. This could be an even better idea for truckers because you may know somebody that either has collateral or credit history you don’t. Or even better, a fellow trucker. Another mishap that can occur is to your own health. If you get injured or fall ill and can’t drive it would definitely be nice to have someone who can still get out on the road and ensure the next payment on the truck gets made. Lenders will take this into consideration as well.

I hope this information is useful to both beginning truckers and veterans trying to make that transition to Owner-Operator. Good luck and God Bless!

Dale Jackson is the son of a former trucker and has always been passionate about the open road. In order to help other people realize their dreams, he writes for Capital Solutions, who specialize in Commercial Truck financing.

Push for Healthier Truckers Gains Momentum

well.blogs.nytimes.com

Article by and thanks to JAMIE STENGLE of the Associated Press. A link to their site is provided below. They have some great new fold-up bicycles now that you can easily carry on or in your tractor! Camping World is one place to check out for them also.

DALLAS (AP) - In the months after Doug Robinson started driving a truck, he noticed his clothes were increasingly more snug-fitting. He was already overweight but soon realized that spending up to 11 hours behind the wheel, frequently eating fast food and not exercising was a poor combination.
When his employer, U.S. Xpress, took part in a weight-loss challenge sponsored by the Truckload Carriers Association, the 321-pound, 6-foot-1-inch Robinson signed up.
So far, he's about 40 pounds into his goal of dropping 100. His truck's refrigerator is stocked with chicken, tuna and vegetables. And after his day's drive, he walks - either on trails near rest stops or just circling his truck.
"I have asthma, so with the extra weight on there, it isn't good for me," said Robinson, a 30-year-old from Philadelphia. "When I started losing weight, instantly I was breathing better. I was sleeping better at night."
From trucking companies embracing wellness and weight-loss programs to gyms being installed at truck stops, momentum has picked up in recent years to help those who make their living driving big rigs get into shape.
"I think a lot of trucking companies are coming around to the idea that their drivers are their assets," said Boyd Stephenson of the American Trucking Associations, the industry's largest national trade association. He added that healthier employees help a company's bottom line.
There's an additional incentive for truckers to stay in shape - their job might depend on their health.
Every two years, they must pass a physical exam required by U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They're checked for conditions that might cause them to become incapacitated - suddenly or gradually - while driving, including severe heart conditions, high blood pressure and respiratory disorders.
While there are no weight restrictions, a commercial driver who has been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and isn't undergoing treatment will not get a medical certificate. Sleep apnea, more common among those who are overweight, leads to daytime sleepiness, a danger on long drives.
But there are obstacles for truck drivers who are mindful of their health. In addition to being seated for many hours at a time, eating options are usually limited to places with parking lots big enough to accommodate their tractor-trailers - most often truck stops, which historically have not been known for wholesome food or workout equipment.
That's something truck stop chains have been trying to change.
TravelCenters of America, which operates under the TA and Petro Stopping Centers brands, launched a program two years ago called StayFit that includes placing small, free gyms in truck stops, offering healthier eating options and half portions, mapping walking routes near truck stops and building basketball courts in some locations.
"We wanted to remove as many barriers to drivers' health as possible," said TravelCenters spokesman Tom Liutkus, who said the company has gyms at 42 of its more than 240 locations, with plans to outfit them all by the end of next year. He added that the gyms have had more than 30,000 users.
Gym franchiser Snap Fitness has partnered with Rolling Strong, which provides wellness programs aimed at truckers, to open gyms at Pilot Flying J locations. The first one opened south of Dallas in June: A nearly 1,000-square-foot stand-alone building filled with weights and a dozen or so machines. So far, more than 120 memberships have been sold for that gym.
"We know that we have an audience out there that needs help," said Snap Fitness chief executive officer and founder Peter Taunton. By the end of the year, they also plan to install gyms inside Pilot Flying J truck stops in Georgia and Tennessee.
A monthly membership of about $30 also gives truckers access to Snap Fitness' more than 1,300 gyms, Taunton said, 60 of which have tractor trailer-friendly parking.
Pilot Flying J plans to add a function to their smartphone app to help truckers identify healthy food choices at their locations and fast food restaurants. David Parmly, the company's employee services manager, says their truck stops have adjusted recipes to make them healthier and offer oatmeal for breakfast.
Bob Perry, president of Rolling Strong, said truckers flock to daylong wellness screenings that his company sets up at truck stops nationwide.
"We never have to recruit anyone over. We are packed from the time we open till the time we leave," Perry said.
Robinson, the U.S. Xpress driver trying to lose weight, said that before joining the weight-loss program, he spent his evenings on the road watching television, checking Facebook and talking on the phone.
"At first I was like, 'I don't know how I'm going to exercise.' At the end of the day, I don't want to walk. It's all about planning," he said. "I just had the willpower to do it."
Bruce Moss, vice president of human relations for Con-way Freight, said they've found that their wellness program reduces the number of people who call in sick, lowers workplace injuries and controls health care costs. The program gives truckers access to wellness coaches and has them stretch before starting a shift.
Last year, more than 11,500 of Con-way Freight's 21,000 employees, the majority of them drivers, consulted with wellness coaches.
Eleven carriers participated in the Truckload Carriers Association's inaugural Trucking's Weight Loss Showdown this spring, with each carrier signing up 12 employees - half drivers, half office staff. A second showdown, which, like the first, offers the individual winner $2,500, is happening this fall.
Besides taking part in association's spring weight-loss challenge, U.S. Xpress has a points system that rewards healthy behaviors with cash. They also hold health fairs and have placed blood pressure machines in their main terminals.
"All you can do is put the options out there, educate your people and show them the benefit of what happens if you take these steps," U.S. Xpress spokesman Greg Thompson said.
Click here to link to the Associated Press