Gone are the days of starting a job out of school, building it into a career, and finishing off one’s working life with the same company or organization only to ride off into the sunset of retirement. That all seems like a pipedream anymore, and with good reason. Companies, in general, seem more willing to hire a youngster in at lower pay and then try to keep them at arm’s length when it comes to raises or promotions. Why would someone want to stay in an environment like ...

When getting started in a new job a lot of people take the route of just wanting to learn the role they were hired for. If you’re hired to answer phones, you’d make sure to learn that role and then that’s it. If you’re brought into a company to process paperwork, or maybe you’re a sales or tech specialist, then that’s what you do. Focus on the task at hand. But some folks out there excel at more than just one thing, which makes them more indispensable than the on...

Recently, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced plans to use $7.3 billion to help prepare the nation’s infrastructure for the continuing assault of climate change. While this is just the beginning of some semblance of infrastructure assistance and addressing the needs of our transportation systems, the hope is that there will be more to come in terms of infrastructure attention. What is the Purpose? The FHWA has re...

Now, you can add military veterans to the list of potential truck driving hopefuls thanks to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant program. The CMVOST grant program is being funded by a $3.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the grants are part of the Biden-Harris administration’s trillion-dollar Trucking Action Plan (TAP), which had been announ...

With recent renewed efforts by the United States government and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to address the shortage of over 80,000 drivers in this country, something came to mind during my readings and research. Why would it be such a great idea for newly minted commercial truck drivers to get their start in the world of expedite freight? I mean, seriously. In an industry that prides itself on quick turnaround and fast progression, someone who may be new to ...

A common theme coming from drivers and other like-minded individuals from this year’s Expedite Expo was the idea of no longer driving for someone else, but rather to follow a dream of becoming an independent contractor and thus one’s own boss. Workshops discussed this idea, roundtables elaborated on it, and individual one-on-one conversations permeated the Expo with thoughts and dreams about working for none other than oneself. How It Started Most folks begin their workin...

Recently, legislation was introduced by House Representatives Mike Bost (R-Illinois) and Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) to fund the creation of additional truck parking for the nation’s commercial truck driving community. The legislation has been approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure panel, and it’ll soon make its way to the House floor for a vote. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved the amended version of the Truck Parking Safet...

Recently, some truck insurance and safety groups have begun questioning the merits of the federal under-21 commercial driver apprenticeship program. However, certain factions of the trucking industry are continuing to back the pilot program. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program As it’s currently devised, the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program would allow drivers between the ages of 18-20 years to operate a commercial vehicle in trucking interstate commerce while t...

As the ongoing driver shortage continues, unceremoniously hitting a record high in 2021, many companies and carriers are attempting to turn their attention toward a somewhat untapped resource of trucking talent in the transportation industry. A trucking youth movement if you will, and below are just a handful of suggestions for companies to consider when they're actively trying to inject the industry with new blood. Make Trucking Look Glamorous! Not to say that Instagram is n...

Whether you’ve attended the Expedite Expo in the past or perhaps this was your first foray into expediting exhibitionism, the eternal hope remains that you got what you expected to attain from this year’s forums, and workshops, and exhibits, and Casino Night, and all the other myriad ways you could possibly experience such an event. Kudos to Kristy Lohre, the Expo’s prime planner and overseer, for once again constructing and executing such a tremendous affair. She’s a...