Consider what it may feel like to be, in some cases, thousands of miles away from the ones you love, especially during the holiday season. With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, there’s still at least another month or so when a lot of our favorite truckers will be spending a considerable amount of time away from home. So, for those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to stay close and near to family during the holidays, let’s pause to think about what those who ar...

An undeniable dearth of safe and available truck parking has sat perched atop the highest ranking of concerns for truck drivers, and the overall trucking community, for years now. Only recently has the Department of Transportation (DOT) been the recipient of some much-needed federal assistance to help in creating a surplus of such parking spaces and rest areas. The Department of Transportation has recently been awarded over $30 million to go toward transportation projects for...

Over the years, I’ve learned some valuable lessons from the multitude of drivers, fleet owners, and carrier professionals that I’ve worked or connected with. One of those lessons, is to always be prepared for potential happenings on the road. From a driver’s perspective, that can offer many different meanings. From keeping the truck in prime working condition or prepping for the winter months and icy travel that lies just ahead, the overarching focus is to be ready for ...

Preparing your truck for the upcoming winter season can be a daunting and discouraging task, but it’s also something that is extremely beneficial for those who care to use their prep time wisely. Doing so can mean the difference between a major incident on a slippery road or avoiding a major shutdown because of lacking certain winter weather equipment. It would be a smart move to get out ahead of the season now, while there’s still decent weather to work with. And unless ...

Let’s be honest. I don’t know that most kids, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, would respond by saying they want to be a truck driver. Please, don’t take that as a slight to the profession, or to the men and women who perform such jobs. But I mean, I can remember when I was a child most of the other kids would say they wanted to be a firefighter or a doctor, or even an astronaut. Me? I wanted to be a stand-up comedian, an actor, or a professional baseb...

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? Well, let’s answer some of those questions as you reach to make the right call on your next adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned owner-operator or an independent contractor looking for your first (or next) opportunity to get into the expedite industry, choosing the right carrier to run for makes all the difference in the world. And s...

Recently, the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) held its Brake Safety Week. It’s the annual commercial motor vehicle brake-safety inspection, enforcement and education initiative conducted by law enforcement agencies across North America. During Brake Safety Week, inspectors conduct their usual Level I and V inspections and report all brake-related data to the CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance). Brake-related violations typically relate to the large...

A simple “thank you” will never be enough. What can really be said to the men and women who spend hours, days, weeks, and months away from their families while keeping America’s gears grinding in a forward motion? This is Driver Appreciation Week, September 15th through the 21st. It’s a week where we, as the transportation industry, recognize the collective trucking and driving community as a way of saying thank you for the jobs they perform on our behalf every single...

Over twenty years ago, I began a career in television as a sports producer - a far cry from where I’ve found myself in recent years, working in the trucking industry in several different capacities. One of those capacities, and most recently, as the host of two different podcasts available on ExpeditersOnline.com (Industry Outlook and State of the Industry with John Elliott). In each of these instances, however, I’ve enjoyed both ventures and have garnered a good amount o...

I have daily conversations with drivers who are looking for ways to get into the trucking or expedite industry, and those discussions can sometimes be frustrating on both ends when the prospective drivers just don’t have what it takes to get started. And what it takes is often just the simple desire, or financial backing, to step into a classroom and obtain the driver training that is currently required by the transportation industry. Well, help is on the way as the federal...