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Considering changing careersI am considering changing careers. I am a teacher in Florida. I don't think I need to say anymore about that. I have always been interested in trucking Permalink -- click for full blog post "Considering changing careers" TWIC discount: TSA lowers TWIC card cost by $2.75Truck drivers who need a TWIC card to drive onto U.S. ports and certain warehouses will see a modest price drop. TWIC, or the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, is a biometric-capable identity card that can be read by remote devices to check fingerprints, residency documents and other information. The Transportation Security Administration has announced TWIC enrollment will drop from $132.50 to $129.75 on March 19. ... [Click link for rest of article] FMCSA adds phone use violations to CSAThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has enhanced the Safety Measurement System methodology of Compliance, Safety, Accountability to include violations based on new cell phone use regulations. Five texting and cell phone use violations will now contribute the highest (10 points) weighted severity to carriers' numerical rankings in the Unsafe Driving Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). ... [Click link for rest of article] Tennessee plans to open rockslide-shut road MondayTennessee expects to reopen sooner-than-expected a one-mile section of westbound Interstate 40 closed Tuesday by a rockslide that has forced a 53-mile detour, transportation officials said on Thursday. ... [Click link for rest of article] I-40 Rockslide at NC/TN line and Driver Pay[Overview] According to information on the TruckingBoards.com, I-40 Westbound is closed at the North Carolina line. At least one trucking company will not pay drivers for the additional miles to circumvent the closure. Make sure that you keep your paperwork straight regarding routes, fuel usage, etc. for tax purposes. [Click link for source] Rising Costs Reality of Doing Business, says Marine Atlantic to Eastern Truckers... the one increase that has APTA member's jaws hitting the floor is the $50 hike in the drop-trailer management fee. ... [Click link for rest of article] Wheel Cavity Covers Compatible with All Wheel Types Combined 8% Fuel Savings... SOLUS' Wheel Cavity Covers are priced at $200.00 per set of four for use on both tractor and trailer. They are EPA verified at 1.3% per set with a conservative estimated savings of $60.00 per 10,000 miles of use. They can be combined with one of the 14 different configurations of the SOLUS Split Skirt, which are EPA verified at 4.2% to 5.9%. To gain the greatest fuel savings The Wheel Cavity Covers can be utilized on both the tractor and trailer along with a Split Side Skirt for an estimated savings greater than 8%. All SOLUS products are able to be color matched to suite the needs our customers. ... [Click link for rest of article] Highway 407 transponder, toll fees increasingMany drivers will be paying more to travel on Highway 407 starting Wednesday. The monthly transponder fee is increasing to $3 from $2.75, while the annual rate will hold at $21.50. For drivers without a transponder, the video toll charge will move up to $3.80 from the current $3.65. ... [Note: article does not specify vehicle type. Note: currency is probably in Canadian dollars.] [Click for rest of article] Trucks on federal highways could soon be heavier... The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act would raise the maximum weight for commercial trucks that routinely travel on highways to 97,000 pounds in most states. The current threshold in most places is 80,000 pounds unless the truck has a permit to be overweight. ... Critics say heavier trucks would severely damage roads and especially bridges, many of which are crumbling and need repairs that the nation can't afford. In Texas' Tarrant County, 29 bridges had poor scores on their most recent inspections, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported this month after reviewing the National Bridge Inventory. The review also concluded that, nearly five years after a Minneapolis bridge collapse killed 13 people and injured 145, bridge conditions are arguably worse. Driving safety is also a concern. Bill opponents say a heavier truck needs 25 percent more room to stop. In 2010, crashes involving large trucks killed 3,675 people, up about 9 percent from the year before, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's annual report. Supporters of the bill, however, say the increased limit would apply only to trucks that have a sixth axle. They say such extra equipment gives the heavier trucks essentially the same braking capacity as an 80,000-pound truck with five axles. While the safety effects can be debated, there is no denying the lack of funds for repairing the nation's aging bridges. The U.S. has a $70.9 billion backlog of bridge work, and heavier trucks could make the situation much worse, said Andrew Herrmann, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. ... [Click link for rest of article] Trucking industry mulls natural gas conversionRising diesel prices and a federal mandate to reduce fuel consumption is causing trucking firms - private and public - to consider the benefits of a natural gas fleet conversion. Equipment costs and access to fueling stations have long been considered the biggest obstacles for natural gas. But that hasn't stopped Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one the nation's largest private carriers, and United Parcel Services from tiptoeing toward conversion. ... [Click link for rest of article] Cameras Cut Supervalu's Trucking CostsMinneapolis-based Supervalu saved almost $66,000 on annual repair, liability and workers' compensation costs in the trucking operation at one of its distribution centers as a result of installing an onboard camera system. The system, installed in 100 tractors at the DC beginning in December 2010, helped to reduce "risky driver maneuvers," as well as ill-advised habits like cell-phone use and eating while driving, said Supervalu's Dale Peleski, regional director, risk control, during a session this week at the Supply Chain Conference here, sponsored by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. Supplied by DriveCam, San Diego, the system offered a payback in eight months, he said. ... [Click link for rest of article] Natural gas truckin' along... Much of the reduced levels of oversea imports will be offset by increased Canadian imports and domestic production, as well as by continuing improvements in efficiency. However, much of the rest of the difference will have to be made up from substitution fuel sources. In my last article I discussed that passenger cars and SUVs which account for 63[percent] of transportation energy usage appeared headed for a hybrid future . Trucking, which accounts for about 20[percent] of transportation energy usage, seems headed in another direction, natural gas. ... [Click link for rest of article] Truck Parts Reviews for Best Value, Written by Professional DriversDo you drive a truck or manage a fleet? This page is dedicated to professional drivers' reviews of heavy duty truck parts for best value, to help drivers save money. Like our content?Nominate @TruckersSavings for a Shorty Award in #travel because... Women sue trucking company after tractor-trailer rear-ends vehicleThree Dallas County mothers have filed a lawsuit against a trucking company claiming that the company hired a reckless driver who rear-ended their vehicle. ... The incident occurred on Jan. 31, 2011, while defendant Triplett was driving an 18-wheeler westbound on Interstate 30 in Titus County. The 18-wheeler collided with the vehicle being towed by Jones. The force of the collision caused the towed vehicle to run into the vehicle driven by Jones. Triplett is accused of failing to maintain a safe rate of speed, failing to apply its brakes, failing to maintain an assured clear distance and for failing to change lanes to pass. ... [Click link for rest of article] 2 Truck Drivers Robbed at Stop on I-4 Near Polk CityTwo truck drivers reported having money stolen at the westbound rest stop on Interstate 4 near Polk City, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. The first incident occurred Thursday afternoon when a group of men approached a truck driver and asked him to participate in a card game that involved cash. As the driver pulled out his wallet ... ... [Click link for rest of article] Save Money on Pet Travel in a Big Truck? How Do Professional Truck Drivers Do It?Some professional truck drivers of commercial motor vehicles take pets with them on the road. How do they save money on pet travel? On Riding a Trucker Bike for Fitness and Exercise on the RoadSome professional truck drivers might ride a trucker bike for fitness and exercise. What should you know before you invest in one? Retread Tires for Big Trucks: Cost Savings and Other ConsiderationsBrand new truck tires are expensive. What should you know about retread tires? You can save money but what else is at stake? Toyota launches new tools and app to measure fuel savingsToyota Material Handling U.S.A., has launched its Toyota Forklift Fuel Efficiency Calculator application (app) to help users estimate fuel efficiency savings and performance for their forklift fleet. ... [Click link for rest of article] Missouri DOT may toll I-70 against voters' wishesMissouri Dept. of Transportation director Kevin Keith said that although Missouri voters have twice rejected amendments to permit state toll roads and bridges, a public vote would not be required to establish Interstate 70 as a toll road funded by private sector companies, according to a Kansas City Star report. ... Keith has estimated that the cost of driving across Missouri on the toll road would likely be $25 each way for car drivers and $50 to $75 for truck drivers. ... [Click link for rest of article] OOIDA urges truckers to speak out against I-95 toll planThe Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. is asking truckers in North Carolina to speak out against a plan by the state DOT to rebuild Interstate 95 and convert it into a toll road. The plan will cost billions and be done in phases, according to a Land Line report. ... OOIDA leadership is urging members to let officials know truckers and their customers reject double taxation on I-95. Truckers can make their opinion known to officials at a series of public meetings scheduled in February. ... Pointing out that truckers pay their fair share to use federal Interstates - trucking accounts for 30-40[percent] of the federal Highway Trust Fund - Browley said it's unfair to the ask them to pay more in tolls. "I think it's important that officials understand that their decision to toll an Interstate doesn't just affect that state alone. It's called an Interstate for a reason," Bowley said. "If the federal government, when they first implemented the system, wanted that system of roads, they would have set it up that way. But they didn't. They set it up to be funded by the fuel tax." ... [Click link for rest of article] hurt on the job! help!i'm an experienced flatbed driver who was hurt on the job. i use a buck bar to tighten the straps on my loads. i was tightening my straps recently when Permalink -- click for full blog post "hurt on the job! help!" Free CDL: What Prospective Truck Drivers Must Know About Getting a CDL for FreeIf you're looking to become a truck driver by going through a free CDL training program, here's what you must know -- in advance. Size of Bills We Carry Affects Our Consumer Spending, Says New Research... the theory goes, once you break a big bill into smaller denominations; they're just "easier" to spend. ... Turns out, people really are less likely to spend money when the cash they have is in the form of larger bills; and more likely if they're carrying smaller denominations. ... ... Small bills tend to get assigned to something like a mental petty cash account, and so we're willing to spend them on petty things. Larger bills, in contrast, are naturally thought of more as "real money" and so we're reluctant to spend them on things that aren't of real importance. So, if you want to save, ... ... [Click link for rest of article] The Impact of Small Hydrogen Compressors on Private Filling StationsThe twitterverse is all abuzz about the potential for home hydrogen refueling based on RE Hydrogen technologies. Some very serious people see home hydrogen refueling as an opportunity to counter the home charging facility that battery electric vehicle enthusiasts like to talk about. Economic developers on the other hand should think about the impact of small hydrogen compressors on private hydrogen filling stations. At the ebTDesign Forum, we propose a scenario in which hydrogen convergence will first take hold in the trucking industry. The reason is that fleet owners constantly buy new trucks because of the maintenance costs associated with aging trucks. Also original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are changing their system designs so that fleet owners will pay a little more upfront but save on maintenance and operating costs over time. ... This pricing strategy is very beneficial to the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell trucking because fuel cell trucks cost a little more. But they make up for it by costing half as much to operate and fraction to maintain. ... ... [Click link for rest of article] Truckers speak up for lower tolls in AustinWith a reduced toll rate set to expire Wednesday, Jan. 25, truckers that travel the Interstate 35 corridor in Austin are hoping to persuade the Texas DOT to make the lower toll rates permanent on State Highway 130. Since mid-December, truckers have paid $9 to use the roadway compared to a rate of $25 to $30. The reduction had the desired effect on traffic, a TxDOT spokeswoman said, but the agency has not yet committed to longer-term measures to keep trucks on the bypass and off the congested Interstate 35. "I-35 is the fourth most highly congested road in Texas, and so any little bit of traffic relief we can offer that roadway is going to be a great help," TxDOT spokeswoman Kelli Petras told "Land Line Now" on Sirius XM. "We did see a lot of trucks transfer from I-35 to State Highway 130 and SH 45 Southeast." ... [Click link for rest of article] Fuel Price Effects on the Trucking Industry and CitizensDiesel fuel is by far and away the "life blood" of the motor carrier industry. On average, motor carriers consume over 38 billion gallons of diesel fuel to move over 10 billion tons of freight annually. Diesel fuel represents the highest expense of a trucking company other than labor costs and can account for up to 25[percent] of the total operating costs of a single business. There are not many industries that feel the direct effects of an ever changing fuel market more than the trucking industry. Due to the fact that over 80[percent] of cities in the US receive their goods exclusively by truck, any spike in diesel fuel prices can translate to higher costs for all product delivered by trucks. ... [Click link for rest of article] TCP: Health care costs eating carriers aliveA quarterly survey of fleets conducted by Transport Capital Partners (TCP) indicates that rising health care costs are increasing fiscal pressure on their bottom lines as well as complicating efforts to recruit drivers and independent contractors. According to TCP's fourth quarter Business Expectations Survey, over 80[percent] of carriers the firm polled report that recent health care changes will adversely affect them. As a result, more carriers (43[percent]) are shifting additional costs to employees and are asking employees to pay more for family coverage (37[percent]). Some 29[percent] report that while they are affected by increased costs, they still haven't developed an alternative plan. ... ... the average total health care premium per employee for large companies is projected to be $10,475 in 2012 - up from $9,792 in 2011 and $9,111 in 2010. Aon predicts the average amount employees will be asked to contribute toward this premium cost this year is $2,306 - some 22[percent] of total health care premiums - compared to $2,084 in 2011 (21.3[percent]) and $1,952 in 2010 (21.4[percent]). ... [Click link for rest of article] Volvo adds 30 hp. to fuel economy modelVolvo Trucks North America is now offering its XE fuel-economy integrated powertrain with a 455 hp. rating. ... Both XE ratings provide peak torque of 1,750 lbs.-ft. and are designed to keep the D13 diesel within its most fuel efficient operating sweet spot up to 70[percent] of the time, according to Ed Saxman, Volvo Trucks product manager for powertrain. Intended for on-highway long-haul applications, the new higher horsepower option is aimed at those fleets that need higher performance without sacrificing fuel economy, he said. ... [Click link for rest of article] Commercial Truck Drivers are Safest on the RoadSafety advocate groups continue to argue that commercial motor vehicle drivers contribute a major danger to road safety. Organizations and political leaders tend to bow to their suggestions in relationship to their own agendas. ... Today, the truth is that commercial trucks are involved in 2.4[percent] of all car accidents and more than 80[percent] of those accidents are the fault of the non-commercial driver. Furthermore, only 16[percent] of all truck driving accidents are due to the truck driver's fault and of those death related accidents, only 4{percent] of trucks are fatigue related. (Ref: Source 1). In fact, Anne Ferro, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finally stated that "fatigue" is low on the list for the causes of truck accidents. According to the FMCSA, truck driver fatigue was a factor in just 1.4[percent] of all fatal truck accidents, this coming from the FMCSA's own Analysis Division in their report: "2009: Historic Truck Crash Declines." ... [Click link for rest of article] Free IdleAir & Free Cookout 1/26 at IdleAir at White Pine TNFREE Cook-Out at IdleAir! Thur. January 26, 2012 2pm – 7pm ET IdleAir at Pilot #412 White Pine, TN I-81, Exit 4 3624 Roy Messer Hwy White Pine, TN 37890 Permalink -- click for full blog post "Free IdleAir & Free Cookout 1/26 at IdleAir at White Pine TN" Crock Pot Slow Cooker Cooking Allows Truckers to Save Time and Money on the RoadProfessional drivers can use a crock pot slow cooker to cook or reheat a wide variety of nutritious and tasty meals. Before you invest in one to use in your truck, read our tips... Check paystubs closelyMine had an extra 100 taken for FICA... [Click link for rest of post and replies] 3 Simple Tips to Prevent Cargo TheftCargo theft incidents increased 8.4 percent in 2011 compared to 2010, according to the 2011 US Cargo Theft Report published last week by FreightWatch International. The 974 cargo thefts recorded last year was the highest on record. Here are some interesting statistics from the report: ... So, what can you do to prevent cargo theft - or at least minimize the risk? Listen to what the statistics above are telling you: 1. Keep the cargo ... ... [Click link for rest of article] Homeless Truckers: Considerations and Preparations for Life Without a ResidenceProfessional drivers who spend a lot of time away from home might consider giving up their residences and living in their trucks full-time, becoming 'homeless.' Before you do, consider these things... Railroad Crossing Accident Prevention for Semi Tractor TrailersDrivers of semi tractor trailers can prevent being involved in a railroad crossing accident. Here's how... Texting Truckers: The Costs of Text Messaging from Your 18-Wheel Tractor TrailerProfessional truck drivers who engage in texting need to be aware of all of the costs involved. Beyond the price of text messaging plans, what else is at stake? Read our tips to help you save money... 5-Hour Energy: Reviews from Professional Truck Drivers5-Hour Energy is an 2-ounce energy shot designed to help users feel alert for 5 hours after consumption. How do professional truck drivers review it? Permalink -- click for full blog post "5-Hour Energy: Reviews from Professional Truck Drivers" Oral arguments set for Friday in drivers' short mile case against SwiftOral arguments are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 27, in the class action lawsuit filed by truck drivers against Swift Transportation. The drivers allege they were underpaid based on a "dispatched mile" system, instead of being compensated for actual miles they drove for Swift. ... The case, Leonel Garza v. Swift Transportation Co., was originally filed in 2004, after Garza filed a class action complaint against Swift, stating he was paid "per dispatched mile," and was shorted on his pay. The lawsuit claims that Swift's use of a mileage calculation software program, the Household Mover's Guide, shorted drivers' pay by 7 to 10 percent. ... [Click link for rest of article] gander mtn. camping freeze dried foodgander mtn. has a lot of freeze dried foods in the camping/grill area. all you need is something to fix hot water in, an old school electric coffee pot Permalink -- click for full blog post "gander mtn. camping freeze dried food" Thank You for Contacting UsThank you for contacting us. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Thank You for Contacting Us" Contact Us at Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.comContact Us at Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com Permalink -- click for full blog post "Contact Us at Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com" About Us: Our Passion and Trucking ExperienceLearn about us, our passion and why our trucking experience makes us uniquely qualified to write content for Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com. Permalink -- click for full blog post "About Us: Our Passion and Trucking Experience" Cargo theft hits recordFreightWatch International Jan. 19 said the number of U.S. cargo theft incidents reported last year increased 8.8 percent from the year before. FreightWatch said 974 cargo theft incidents were recorded last year, with an average value of $319,000 per theft incident. Many other thefts aren't reported. ... [Click link for rest of article] Please contact us if you sell semi truck air filtersNeed documentation of specifications and prices by January 25. A Tweet A Day: Sending A Truck Drivers Money Saving Tip or Inquiry on TwitterUsing the social networking site Twitter, we are sending out a tweet containing a truck drivers money saving tip or inquiry each non-weekend and non-holiday weekday. Here's the list... Tweets from 2011 from Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.comOur tweets from 2011 sent out through Twitter captured truck drivers money saving tips or inquiries throughout the year. Here's the list... Permalink -- click for full blog post "Tweets from 2011 from Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com" Truckers ask feds to halt ferry fee hikes: Group: Increase adds $50 to previous $210 costThe Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association called on the federal government to put the brakes on Marine Atlantic ferry fee increases that hit commercial carriers to the tune of about 11 per cent per crossing. "Instead of passing along to us irrational and unjustified fee increases they should examine their own operations and find efficiencies," Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the association, said in an interview Thursday. An increase in trailer drop fees of about 24 per cent was singled out for criticism. Picard said the new drop fee adds $50 to the previous $210 charge for a total of $260 per crossing. ... [Click link for rest of article] |
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