July 29, 2014
A Chicago-area truck crash that killed four has led to local attention to federal hours-of-service rules, the mandatory electronic logs proposal, and federal efforts to address coercion of drivers to break the law. Deborah Lockridge has more in her On the Road blog.
Tags: Accidents, Safety, Hours of Service, Illinois, In the Media
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, July 29, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
July 22, 2014
Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge says her inbox delivered a sure sign that there's a capacity crunch -- advice to help shippers get "preferred" status at motor carriers.
Tags: Transplace, Shippers
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, July 22, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
July 16, 2014
Tuesday, President Obama took a quick trip across the Potomac to visit the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, a facility in McLean, Virginia, that focuses on highway technologies that help make driving safer and smarter.
Tags: Infrastructure, Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communications, Highway Funding, Self-Driving Vehicles, President Obama
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, July 16, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
July 9, 2014
An article in DC Velocity says domestic intermodal "appears to have come of age." Deborah Lockridge looks at the issue in her "All That's Trucking" blog.
Tags: Intermodal, Shippers
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, July 9, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
July 7, 2014
Chinese truckers talk about how trucks have changed in their country over the past two decades during Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge's visit to a "truck park" near Shanghai.
Tags: Drivers, China, Truckstops, Global
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, July 7, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(1)
One fleet manager is reporting signs of an extreme driver shortage in his area.
July 1, 2014
One fleet manager says the driver shortage is even worse than is publicly being reported, with rates going through the roof on some lanes, because both fleets and shippers want to maintain a competitive advantage.
Tags: Drivers, Recruiting, Driver Shortage, Freight Rates
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, July 1, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(4)
June 13, 2014
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says it's time to raise motor carrier insurance minimums. This week the House of Representatives said, not so fast. Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge looks at some of the pros and cons in her All That's Trucking Blog.
Tags: FMCSA, Insurance, U.S. Congress
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Friday, June 13, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(2)
June 11, 2014
The crash that critically injured comedian Tracy Morgan and killed another passenger in his vehicle has generated a media frenzy about last week's move to suspend a controversial portion of the new hours of service regulations. Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge looks at the situation in her All That's Trucking blog.
Tags: Congress, Hours of Service, Fatigue, In the Media, Image, 34 Hour Restart
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, June 11, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
May 14, 2014
So what do engine oil and competition pit barbecue have in common? Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge finds out for her All That's Trucking blog.
Tags: Shell Rotella, Engines, Engine Oil
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, May 14, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
A peek at the strategy behind Mesilla Valley Transportation's high mpg numbers
May 9, 2014
Royal Jones was an 18-year-old truck driver when he founded a trucking company in 1981 with truck mechanic Jimmy Ray. The two, who also were race car drivers, Webb said, "were early on obsessed with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency."
Tags: Fuel Economy, Fleets, Aerodynamics, Mesilla Valley Transportation
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Friday, May 9, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
And we're not talking about flaming water faucets.
May 6, 2014
Fracking may be a boom opportunity for trucking fleets carrying water, sand, chemicals and other supplies to the oil and natural gas fields, but all those trucks cause problems on area roads.
Tags: Accidents, Safety, Image, Fracking
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, May 6, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
May 1, 2014
Remember the "fiscal cliff" and what a political fiasco that was? Well, a major political news and analysis website is predicting that dealing with the highway funding crisis in an election year is going to be just as bad.
Tags: Congress, Highway Trust Fund, Politics, Infrastructure Funding
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Thursday, May 1, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
April 28, 2014
In the weeks before the Mid-America Trucking Show, our email is awash with invitations from companies who are introducing new products and want to set up an appointment to talk about it. One such invitation got Deborah Lockridge hot under the collar.
Tags: Regulations, Safety & Compliance, Speeding
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, April 28, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(9)
April 22, 2014
Are you concerned about the accuracy of your fuel invoices? If you are, you have plenty of company, according to one recent survey.
Tags: Fuel Cards, FuelQuest, Fuel and Oil, Truckstops
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, April 22, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
I bet this is one question you never saw on "Hints from Heloise."
April 16, 2014
Here's one question you probably never saw answered in the syndicated newspaper column "Hints from Heloise."
Tags: Drivers
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, April 16, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
April 10, 2014
Deborah Lockridge follows up on a special event at the Mid-America Trucking Show, where more than 200 Boy Scouts earned a badge about truck transportation.
Tags: Trucker Buddy, Image, Mid-America Trucking Show, Boy Scouts
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Thursday, April 10, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
April 7, 2014
Where in the same exhibit hall could you see a stagecoach, a 1964 White Freightliner cabover, an '85 Dodge Ram and a sleek Jetsons-like tractor-trailer with a carbon fiber trailer? Deborah Lockridge explains in her "All That's Trucking" blog.
Tags: Cummins, Western Star, Fuel Economy, Bendix, Walmart, Mid-America Trucking Show
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, April 7, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
March 24, 2014
If you are at the Mid-America Trucking Show on Saturday, you may see a lot of Boy Scout uniforms. Find out why in Deborah Lockridge's "All That's Trucking" blog.
Tags: Trucker Buddy, Image, Mid-America Trucking Show, Boy Scouts
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, March 24, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(1)
March 21, 2014
The Mid-America Trucking Show is next week, says Deborah Lockridge in her "All That's Trucking" blog, which means lots of invitations to visit various booths at the Louisville show. One of the most unusual has been the opportunity to meet with a "celebrity in the making," Brad James.
Tags: Drivers, Mid-America Trucking Show
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Friday, March 21, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(4)
March 19, 2014
Dealers and fleets share a common problem -- finding and keeping qualified technicians. One dealer has developed a series of online videos, or webisodes, designed to showcase diesel technician as a career opportunity.
Tags: Dealers, Technicians
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Wednesday, March 19, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
March 17, 2014
As the federal government struggles to figure out how to fund the nation's infrastructure, states are increasingly taking matters into their own hands. One group in Iowa is pushing state legislators to act.
Tags: Taxes, Iowa, Highway Funding, Infrastructure Funding, Bridges
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Monday, March 17, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
March 4, 2014
While some trucking companies have added short-haul rail intermodal dray services to their mix of options, some shippers are looking to cut down the amount they spend on drayage by building distribution centers right alongside rail facilities.
Tags: Intermodal, Shippers, Railroads
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, March 4, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(1)
February 28, 2014
At our company, it’s annual review time. Part of the process involves setting goals for the coming year, which are supposed to be “attainable with a stretch” – challenging, but reachable.
Tags: DOT, FMCSA, ATA, HOS
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Friday, February 28, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(1)
February 20, 2014
Corporate anniversaries are often marked with special parties for employees, customers and communities. But Love's celebrated its 50th anniversary on Valentine's day with hundreds of employees volunteering in the community.
Tags: Charity, Love's Travel Stops, Truckstops, Image, Community Outreach
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Thursday, February 20, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(0)
February 11, 2014
The under-representation of women in the trucking industry is a special interest of Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge, whether it's behind the wheel or in the board room. Her "All That's Trucking" blog post highlights three companies who are actively recruiting women drivers.
Tags: Drivers, Recruiting, Mid-America Trucking Show, Women in Trucking
Author: Deborah Lockridge | Posted @ Tuesday, February 11, 2014 12:00 AM | » Comments(5)