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Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Truck Tonnage Forecast thru 2016
The forecast for truck tonnage and percent of revenue gained from truck freight services is projected to increase through the year 2016.

How much is the total truck tonnage and total truck freight revenue projected to be?

Truckers and trucking companies will receive roughly 88% of total freight revenue across this nation by the year 2016 and will haul nearly 70% of all freight tonnage in the nation.

In a time of down sizing in multiple industries, there is little doubt that jobs will be long-lasting in the trucking industry.

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Monday, May 23, 2005

Age of Average truck today
What is the average age of trucks on the road in the USA today?

According to a report by a California government official on the age of trucks in America, 35% of all trucks on the road today are more than 10-years old.

As such, the government will be offering up to $100 million in incentives (for a period of 2-years beginning in 2006) for truck owners to upgrade their equipment (or replacement/retrofit programs with tax-exempt incentive payments).

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Thursday, May 05, 2005

Learn to Drive a Truck in 10-Hours
True or False: It's legal for an entry level truck driver to receive 10-hours of training in order to handle a tractor-trailer combination vehicle.

Apparently it's...true!

The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association) in the last "Rules-of-Service" overhaul told Congress that entry level truck driver training should contain:
- a minimum of 320 instructional hours
   - which includes 92-hours of protected off-street driving (driving range)
   - which includes 116-hours of street-driving

However, the FMCSA recently issued their "Final" ruling on the matter and said that all that is required is:
- 10-hours of training
   - which includes instruction in hours-of-service
   - which includes wellness and whistleblower protection
   - which includes driving

Somehow I think that the FMCSA needs to revisit this area. Seems to me that learning how to drive a big rig involves a wee bit more training than 10-hours.

Three organizations have filed a federal lawsuit over this matter:
- OOIDA (Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association)
- The United Motorcoach Association
- Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (non-profit)

Stay tuned. This will be interesting to watch!

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Thursday, April 28, 2005

Driver Shortage Shrinking for Now
According to one transportation analyst firm, by the end of 2005, the shortage of truck drivers will shrink from 300,000 (total for the years of 2003 and 2004) to:

A. 250,000

B. 150,000

C. 50,000

D. 33,000

The answer is "D" -- 33,000. This assumes that the pace of freight growth will continue to slow. Hmm...I wonder how escalating diesel prices will factor into the mix?!

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Commercial Cargo Theft -- What a Rip-off!
How much money is lost every year due to cargo theft?

A. Millions

B. Billions

In 1994, statistics revealed between $12-15 Billion Dollars.

Now it's estimated to be approaching $45 Billion Dollars!

That's insane.

Read more about this highly lucrative, yet very criminal, commercial cargo theft story.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005

What's Your Favorite Truck Stop?
What truck stops do you prefer? Everybody tends to have preferences when it comes to various things. Truckers can be particular when it comes to dining and/or staying overnight at your "home away from home." I like the following truck stops. Granted, they are national chains. However, it is the system or aspects of each truck stop's system that I like. In other words, the systems is duplicated (more or less) across each truck stop chain nationwide.

TA (Travel Centers of America)
Their wireless Internet Connection logon options are the best amongst all truck stops. You can sign up for the hour, day, month, quarter, or year. In addition, you can use your Road Star accumulated card points to logon to the Internet. That just rocks!

Pilot (Pilot Travel Centers)
They've got some good "regular" coffee. I'm particular to their Arabica roast. In addition, many of the Pilots have a fast food establishment on site so that you can fuel up as well as grab a quick meal to go.

Flying J (Flying J Travel Plaza)
On average, their showers are great--more shower space and 2 towels! I like their bathroom layouts better as well.

Petro (Petro Shopping Centers)
You can't go wrong when eating at Petro/Petro2 restaurant. I've yet to walk away disappointed.

Love's (Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores)
Most Love's have a popular fast food shop on location when you want to fuel and grab a quick bite for the road. Nothing better to see a Love's truck stop with an A&W store on location!

Honorable Mention:
Any fast food restaurant that has truck parking. Often I want to grab something quick rather than cruise into a truck stop, park the rig, and then maneuver around the facility to get what I need. That can take up to 15-minutes or longer! Many fast food places can handle my needs in under 10-minutes or less.

Special Mention:
All small "mom and pop" home-cooked dining spot that accommodates truckers. Often, you will find the best meals here for a very reasonable price. When you're in the mood for a good home-cooked meal, these establishments can't be beat! To find the best, you'll have to ask a fellow trucker which ones are their favorites.

In closing, the best truck stop at times is the one at the end-of-the-day that has one parking spot left for you! Now you can breathe a sigh of relief that you're off the road safely and can now take some well deserved rest!

So...what truck stop do you prefer (in general) and why?

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Monday, March 14, 2005

Doze or No-Doze?
A new study says that under the new(er) hours-of-service rule, more truckers are getting more sleep, driving more, and dozing while driving more. Huh?

Actually there are two new studies that reveal that truckers are getting more sleep as well as getting more driving time. But they are also becoming a bit more fatigued while doing so.

Read the whole story here.

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