Preparing your truck for the upcoming winter season can feel like a daunting task, but for those who use their prep time wisely, it can make all the difference once the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall. Taking the time now, while the weather is still manageable, can be the key to avoiding a major incident on icy roads or a costly shutdown because of missing or malfunctioning winter equipment. Unless you've got a red coat, a white beard, and eight tiny reindeer, y...

What are you really looking for in your next driving job? Better yet, what should you be looking for in a potential expedite driving career? Whether you're a seasoned owner-operator or just entering the world of expedite trucking as an independent contractor, choosing the right carrier makes all the difference. Expedite may be a niche within the trucking industry, but it's one that requires careful consideration before you even get behind the wheel. Here are a few rules of th...

The trucking industry is the backbone of America's supply chain, but with that vital role comes a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of safety. Recent events have underscored just how dangerous lapses in enforcement and compliance can be. A devastating crash that occurred on the Florida Turnpike on August 12th claimed three lives when truck driver Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn and crushed a minivan beneath his trailer. Federal regulators have since r...

When starting at a new job, many people simply want to learn their role and focus on only what they were hired for. You know, the not my job, not my problem mentality. If they're hired to pick up a phone to answer and make calls, then they'd make sure to just learn that job. Anything else is considered above or below their paygrade. So that's it. If they're brought into a company to process paperwork, or maybe they're a sales or tech specialist, then that's what they do. That...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and state agencies will begin enforcing stricter English-language proficiency standards for commercial drivers operating in the U.S. Under the updated enforcement rules, drivers who cannot adequately speak and understand English may face out-of-service violations on the spot. The changes follow a new enforcement policy distributed by the FMCSA on May 20, which mandates that all roadside inspections begin in English. If t...

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has officially announced that this year's Operation Safe Driver Week will take place from July 13 to July 19, 2025. This annual initiative focuses on improving driving behaviors across North America through a coordinated effort of law enforcement, public education, and industry outreach. Operation Safe Driver Week is a collaborative campaign conducted in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, targeting both commercial motor vehicl...

Each May, the nation observes Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to shine a spotlight on the importance of mental well-being for everyone. For those in the trucking industry, this month carries added significance. Driving a commercial vehicle isn't just a job - it's a lifestyle, one that often comes with extended isolation, long hours, and high stress. These factors can create a perfect storm for mental health challenges, which are too often overlooked or silently endured ...

U.S. Representative Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma is once again challenging federal regulators over proposed speed limiter mandates on heavy commercial vehicles. His latest legislative effort, the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers (DRIVE) Act, seeks to prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from requiring that trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds be equipped with speed limiting devices. "I'm Just a Bill" The now reintro...

Year-in and year-out, I try to set goals (not resolutions) as I shift into each and every new phase of life. And as we're already closing the book on the first two months of 2025, it seems a good time to assess just where we each reside in terms of our own personal goals and the sights we might set on our future. We all have responsibilities. We all have hopes and dreams of our own. But sometimes, the outside world can beat us down and, unfortunately, it often seems like the ...

Over the years, I've engaged with many truck drivers attempting to make the jump from company driver to independent contractor. And if you didn't already know, the world of expedite trucking is vastly different from your typical truck driving career. Instead of a driver's income being determined by the number of miles run, such as in truckload, expedite is based on more of a pay-per-load structure and mentality. Also, in such cases with expedite, most drivers are considered a...