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Since the Supreme Court said that Bush doesn’t have to have EPA approval to allow Mexican trucks into the country, California is using the ‘clean air’ argument to keep them out of their state.

The Sacramento Bee — sacbee.com — Rivals ahead for U.S. truckers

“I will probably end up replacing a number of my U.S. drivers with Mexican operators,” said Armando Freire, owner of a 30-vehicle trucking firm in San Diego and treasurer of the California Trucking Association.

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Originally posted 2008-06-08 20:36:42.

The last few posts have been more personal then business, but at the moment I don’t care about toll roads sprouting up everywhere, higher fuel prices or the new 2007 low sulfur diesel. The company headquarters is moving to Las Vegas and they are now leasing a warehouse along with the new HQ. It happens to be the same warehouse and office that the Graebel Van Lines occupied before they closed it down. Now there is a warehouse foreman, dispatcher and drivers (us!) that used to be with Graebel in the exact same building. There’s probably a moral or a message in there somewhere.

Since we live in Vegas and were on the road, our house was empty and we offered it to the boss and his family. When we came home we still shared our house with them. We had stayed with them when we were in town (in the old HQ) so it was only right we open our home to them since it was empty or we had the space even when we were home.

It’s a small but growing company. A few trucks has turned into about 25 with a brokerage and now a warehouse. It’s been a lot of work and he has been very open about everything. A HUGE education for myself. I’m definitely happy with what we are doing and am positive we made the right choice in who to drive for.

I’m sure all CEO’s start out with the same vision and intentions of treating everyone right. If that changes I’ll be the first one in his office to let him know.

Originally posted 2006-06-02 21:27:00.

This sounds really bad at first -

News::Disturbing Toll Road Accident Statistics.

Just 24-hours after this latest crash, Indiana
State Police release disturbing statistics about the number of deadly
accidents between cars and semis on the Toll Road.

In the last 2-1/2 years, there have been thirty fatal accidents on the
Indiana Toll Road. State Police statistics show 23 of them involved
semis.

But lets skip past the interviews with troopers that say they are going to crack down on truckers and past the interview with the trucker that says the few bad apples need to be taken off the road (which they do).

Tackett says, “It’s frustrating but we’ll deal with it and we’re going
to get it under control. It’s not like I’m picking on them. It’s right
there in black and white.”

It’s right here in “black and white“. Okay, here it is (from the same article) –

Of the 23 fatal accidents involving semis, state police say 13 of the drivers were cited for causing the accident.

More than 10-million semi trucks travel the 156-mile stretch of the Indiana Toll Road every year.

In the last 2-1/2 years 13 truckers caused less then half of the fatal wrecks. So, that means – in 2-1/2 years, 24,999,987 truckers DIDN’T cause a fatal wreck. Pretty disturbing statistic indeed!!! If the media can’t report bad news, they make the good news sound bad. Even one fatality is too many, but is 13 caused by truckers in 2 1/2 years reason to sound the alarm???

Originally posted 2006-08-14 04:01:00.

I imagine that big yellow tube sucking money right out of my pocket.

Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/21/2004 | Trucks hook up and keep emissions down

For 30 years, truck driver Douglas Musgrove has been rolling into the Travel Centers of America off Interstate 295 in Paulsboro for a shower, a good meal, and a little rest from the road.

Yesterday, the trucker, 54, of Indianapolis, was able to heat his cab, surf the Internet, and watch television, all from behind the wheel. And he did not have to leave his engine running.

Welcome to New Jersey’s first electrified truck stop, hailed yesterday by officials as a big step in reducing diesel emissions.

I’ve never hooked up to one of these. I’m sure it’s a great idea and their marketing to an industry that has a public relations problem because of idling trucks. But…
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Originally posted 2004-10-27 04:00:00.

Museum of Science & Industry,
originally uploaded by Adventures In Trucking.

Have I ever mentioned how cool my job is? Hauling lettuce and groceries is a vital part of trucking and the economy, but I like hauling fun stuff and for some odd reason it tends to pay more too. This was for an exhibit we moved from the LA Science Center Museum to Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, in two weeks we load it and move it to Boston.

I’ve been slacking, I need to post my solutions to the driver shortage. I have some good ideas to keep new drivers and for companies to keep the drivers they have, but with fuel prices going through the roof, you don’t hear so much about driver shortages, besides, we’ve been working hard this month. And I could comment about all the strike mail I’ve been getting, but they’re mostly like this comment. Drivers that want to strike to “show” America how important they are. We are important, but why get an attitude about it? Want to strike for fuel prices? Start with YOUR company and strike for a fuel surcharge??? How about becoming a company driver? I’ve heard rumors of a driver shortage.

trucking

Originally posted 2006-04-22 18:27:56.

The HOS Monkey Wrench

Herb Schmidt, president of Contract Freighters, Inc. (CFI), told Fleet Owner that if the old rules were reinstated, the bill would eventually get passed along to the consumer— especially now that capacity is so tight. “Whatever the cost ends up being, we’re not having the drivers bear the brunt of that, and nor will we,” Schmidt said. “Ultimately, you and I pay for it in the stores— that’s what it all boils down to.”

PATT, CRASH and Public Citizen don’t care. Quote from an email I got from PATT – “PATT and CRASH want shippers and receivers (and therefore consumers) to pay the true cost of shipping goods across this country.” So, be it. Prices will raise anyway and not because of HOS, fuel and the tight capacity are raising shipping rates. “Tight Capacity” is not the same as “Driver Shortage”.
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Originally posted 2004-10-01 04:00:00.