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Big Safety Changes in 2010: A Primer -- part 2 of 4

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:02:53 PST

In the first installment of this series, we offered a somewhat broad overview of what CSA 2010 proposes to do in terms of changing the overall safety standards. In this installment, we’re going to look at what those changes mean for drivers.

CSA 2010’s changes will be significant and somewhat sweeping for drivers, especially in that many of these changes are things that drivers haven’t had to deal with before. Specifically, for the first time, drivers will be assigned and expect- ed to maintain a safety record that will follow them no matter what company they work for, how many companies they work for, and for how long they work. The safety record is dictated by how the driver drives--accidents, tickets, roadside inspections, and maybe warning tickets will impact the driver’s record. One feature of CSA 2010 is that driver pay could be affected with positive or negative safety records, though I haven’t seen much detail about this feature and its rules.

If You Want to Know the State of the Expedited Trucking Industry You Need to be at Expedite Expo 2010

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:46:48 PST

If you’re in the trucking industry in any capacity, then it’s likely you’re aware that the end of July marks the 10th Anniversary of the Expedite Expo. For ten years now, owner operators, drivers, carriers and suppliers have been flocking to Ohio to get together for one of the few expediting-specific events offered in the United States. It’s been quite a ride, too -- boasting growth and advancement year in and year out, Expedite Expo 2010 will surely prove to be one for the ages.

“Expedite Expo is very fortunate to have weathered not one but two major recessions,” says Lawrence McCord, General Manager of the Expo. “The Expo has proven to be a valuable market- place to the Expedite Trucking Industry.”

2010 Trucking Show Survey

Wed, 12 May 2010 13:39:28 PST

ExpeditersOnline.com took a survey of our readers to see what truck shows they would be visiting in 2010. Participants were able to select multiple choices.

The Insurance Zone - CSA 2010

Wed, 12 May 2010 13:04:15 PST

CSA 2010 ...What is it and how will it affect me?

This is important to you because it's a game-changer in how FMCSA regulates both Motor Carriers & Owner Operators. Starting July 1st, it will affect everyone with a CSL and/or a unit over 10,001 GVW.

CSA 2010 stands for "Comprehensive Safety Analysis", designed by FMCSA to ostensibly improve safety with an estimated elimination of 30% of 175,000 o the road today.

"The Safety Measurement System" is how they'll track everyone in reviewing on-road safety performance of carriers & drivers to identify those they believe need interventions, resolve specific safety problems & to see what problems are improving or getting worse.

Big Safety Changes in 2010: A Primer--Part 1 of 4

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:36:12 PST

The chances are reasonably close to 100% that you've heard about the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (otherwise known as CSA 2010) and that it will be bringing some pretty drastic changes to the trucking industry in terms of on-the-road safety and how both drivers and carriers will be looked at for the foreseeable future. The official document is roughly 100 pages, give or take, so we thought it a good idea to try to break its elements down into somewhat easily digestible pieces so that you've got a good primer on what's going to be required beginning in June of this year.

We'll be breaking this down into four parts. The first, represented here, will be a brief, general overview of the CSA and how it's set up, as well as a little information about how it differs from the current safety measurement standards, which are known as SafeStat. The second part will deal specifically with how the standards are applied to drivers, the third will cover how they're applied to carriers, and the fourth will be dedicated to carrier and driver reactions to the differences between SafeStat and CSA, as well as some talk from them on how they'll balance following the standards with maintaining their earnings, profits, and productivity.

What's it Worth to You? How to Get the Most out of Selling Your Truck

Wed, 12 May 2010 12:25:26 PST

Every now and again, the time comes when you have to sell your van and/or truck. Sure, it's easy to list, and easy to find folks who are interested, and generally speaking, it's easy to figure out your vehicle's estimated worth. But what's its real worth, meaning how much will someone pay you for it--and how do you maximize the cash you can get for your sale?

All this goes beyond mere negotiation and/or listing "Or best offer" in your listing. In order to get the most out of selling your vehicle, you have to be prepared--as does the vehicle itself. Here's how to get it done.

How Much to Charge?

The first thing you should do is to do a little comparison shopping. Take a look around at as many places you can think of (starting at ExpeditersOnline.com is a pretty good idea, if we do say so ourselves) for folks selling the same make, model, and year of the vehicle you're looking to sell. This will give you a good idea as to where to "start the bidding," so to speak, and it'll give you a good idea of what buyers might be willing to pay. Too, you might check the various blue book websites out there to estimate the current worth of your van or truck, and maybe set your listing price somewhere in that neighborhood.

Trucking USA

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:21:35 PST

Layovers can be something of a chore--it’s not uncommon for it to be a “hurry up and wait” sort of situation. The result of this, of course, is a deep need to see the things that the countryside has to offer. After a few trips around the country, or to one particular place, the chances are pretty good that you’ve seen the obvious sights--aside, of course, from the countless truck stops our highways have to offer. But what of the hidden gems out there? There are countless landmarks, museums and oddities all over the country that you probably haven’t seen but are definitely worth a closer look. Here are quick glances at a few of those.

Northeast

7 Wonders of God Creatures

We begin in Houlton, Maine, home of Jerry Cardone and his “7 Wonders of God Creatures.” On his 7-acre property, Mr. Cardone maintains a virtual cornucopia of weirdness--from Bigfoot and Santa statues, to UFO’s (he claims to have been abducted by aliens on more than one occasion himself) and largescale dinosaur models.
Address: 314 Military St., Houlton, ME. Directions: I-95 exit 304 onto Airport Drive. Drive south, then take the first right onto US 2/Military St. Drive approximately one mile. Your destination will be on the right; park across the street on the left.

T&K Nationwide Trucking, Inc.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:59:59 PST

T & K Nationwide Trucking Inc. was established in August of 2004 by Timothy Allen and Peter Haljean. They had many ideas and goals and started very small.

Two vehicles have now become 150. Zero employees now equal seven . Bedroom office has now developed in two Buildings and now construction on the third. Owners working 24 hours now work 12 to 14 hours with dispatch open 24 hours a day.

T&K Nationwide Inc. is a full service Expedited Trucking company Servicing all of the United States and Canada .

T&K provides all sizes of vehicles to manage your transportation needs including Air Charter Services for your Critical Needs. From 1 mile to 3000 miles we provide direct transit for Expedited needs.

http://www.tknationwide.com

The Insurance Zone - Loss of Use

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:38:50 PST

Have you ever suffered from loss of use?

Too many Expediters and Truckers get the short end of the deal when they’re in a not-at-fault accident. Let’s say you’ve been hit by a car causing damage to your unit & thankfully everyone is ok… but

The at-fault driver has insurance which is great, because you never know! So the insurer pays for the towing & the repair costs & you’re just happy they didn’t chisel the estimate. Back on the road you go.

It's Not a Van, It's a Tank

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:50:54 PST

Lima, Ohio's Bert Lambert has been expediting for quite some time, so it's no surprise that he's driven many, many miles over the years. His relationship with one particular van, however, is a bit special. Specifically, he put 1.2 million miles on a 2002 Ford E-350. To put that in perspective, in the space of almost eight years, Mr. Lambert could have driven around the equator just over 48 times.

At 60 miles per hour, that's 20,000 hours. By any measurement, that's a lot of driving, especially in one vehicle.

It doesn't seem to faze Mr. Lambert, however. That's where his experience comes in. "I bought the van from a fella who'd made one trip with it. He'd bought it new. He wanted to try out expediting and it didn't work out for him, and he sold it to me by just taking over the payments. It had about 2000 miles on it at the time, and I put the rest of them on."

The Insurance Zone - Looking Ahead

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:25:17 PST

The recession has been difficult for everyone. Staying profitable is the key to survival and true success in Expediting obviously takes hard work, but it also takes REAL planning.

I can’t think of a better time of the year to sit down and review operations as small business owners. It’s no secret that Owner Operators who have their business plans and objectives in place have a much better chance at success than the Owner Operator that relies on their Motor Carrier Company to handle everything for them.

Light Van Guide

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:09:16 PST

Looking for new trucks in the coming year? Want to know what’s new in the major 2010 models? Expedite Now has your back.

Freightliner/Mercedes Benz/Dodge Sprinter

Perhaps the most interesting storyline in the Light Van category lies in the tangled web of the Sprinter’s North American nameplate changes. The Sprinter was branded under its original Freightliner label (as well as the Mercedes label) in 2001, when it was introduced. In 2003, DaimlerChrysler chose to expand the availability of the Sprinter by adding a Dodge nameplate to it. This agreement continued until Fiat bought Chrysler and all involved parties have chosen to let the agreement lapse at the beginning of this year. Confused yet?

TravelCenters of America

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:44:32 PST

TravelCenters of America is the largest full-service travel center company in the United States, serving professional drivers and motorists alike.

Our mission is to take care of all highway travelers in the finest full-service facilities on the road. And, with over 30 years of experience, TravelCenters of America has established itself as a leader in serving travelers.

TA locations are designed to fit the needs of all travelers. From diesel fuel and gasoline to our comfortable full-service restaurants, branded lodging and nationally known fast food restaurants, you'll find exactly what you need while you are on the road.

TA technology makes your stops quicker, easier, and more enjoyable. From automated fueling systems such as Pronto! Pass; to our Network-Wide Maintenance Database for truck repairs, we are 100% committed to serving drivers' needs.

TA accepts these major credit cards: Mastercard, VISA, American Express, and Discover.

http://www.tatravelcenters.com/

TranStewart Trucking, Inc.

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:54:48 PST

TranStewart Trucking, Inc. was formed in 1996 by a father and son partnership. Prior to the company's incorporation, Jerry Sr. and Jr., along with several driver/ employees personally operated expedite trucks throughout the eastern United States.

These years of extensive owner/operator experience acquired by both Jerry Sr. and Jr. give them a unique outlook in the current operations of TranStewart. As a result, their emphasis has been and will remain in the "dispatch" operation of the company.

For this reason, our operators appreciate the fact that "double loading" is fairly common (with full pay). Also due to our "pre booking" philosophy, backhauls are rarely a problem and deadhead is minimized.

https://www.expeditersonline.com/sub/transtewart/

Landstar Express America

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:57:40 PST

The promise of freedom. It’s why you became an owner-operator. Since then, you’ve heard a lot of promises, but haven’t found the freedom. At Landstar, freedom is how we do business.

Freedom is the ability to choose where and when you run using your own personal criteria. Freedom is having access to a large, diverse non-expedited freight base twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to help you reposition your truck when necessary. Freedom is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that support will be there when you need it.

This isn’t a promise. This isn’t a pledge. This is how we do business.
This is freedom. This is Landstar.

https://www.expeditersonline.com/sub/landstar/

Airtab

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:17:58 PST

Airtabs^TM are unique, Vortex Generators (VG) that have been specially designed for trucks. They work by creating a controlled swirl of air, or vortex, which actually reduces wind resistance (or aerodynamic drag). Aerodynamic drag has long been a target for fuel economy on trucks.

Airtabs^TM Dramatically reduce the 'fish tailing' on trailers and have made tremendous impact on the handling of double trailers in Australia and North America.

Airtab® is a registered trademark of Aeroserve Technologies Ltd. US and Canadian Patents.

http://www.airtab.com/en/

Expedited Freight Volumes Suddenly Rise

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:36:47 PST

While economic optimists proclaim the recession is over and pessimists warn of more trouble ahead, expedited freight executives are sounding more cheery than they have in a long time. In telephone interviews and information shared with Expedite NOW, they said expedited freight volume has sharply increased in recent weeks. While volume remains below year-ago levels and rates are moving only slightly higher, if at all, cautious optimism is their common theme.

FedEx Custom Critical managing director of operations, Jason Frederick, said, “We've seen an increase in freight levels over the past few weeks. This is the time of year when you typically see an increase in expedited business, however, so we're cautiously optimistic about it.”

Business Planning for Expediters Part XVII

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:27:09 PST

Picking up where we left off in this Business Planning for Successful Expediters series, the next item in our suggested business plan outline is business type.

You may notice that we just talked about business form. What is the difference between your business form and business type? Business form refers to how the business is legally structured — as in sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC. The business type section of your business plan is where you explain how you earn your money.

By reading your business plan up to this point, people will know you are in the expediting business. In the business type section, you spell out exactly the type of expediting business you are running, and you present it in the best possible light.

What 3 things have you done in 2009 to survive the Recession?

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:55:15 PST

Shawn Fallis
Panther Expedited Services INC.
Cargo Van
1. Reduced deadheading.
2. Kept in touch constantly with dispatch.
3. Stayed available 100% of last year.

Bob & Linda Caffee
FedEx Custom Critical
D Straight Truck
1. Be prepared before the recession with no debt.
2. Watch your spending on luxury items.
3. Check and recheck your numbers and figure out how low can you go per mile to stay profitable.

Frank & India Hamner
FedEx Custom Critical
D Unit
1. Refinance our home for lower interest rate and lower payments.
2. Fuel up, when possible, at the truck stop where our company gets a good discount even if it means going a little farther between fueling.
3. Food savings - eating more in the truck or when we eat in a restaurant try to get meals that will be more than one meal to take with us and re-heat.

Tom & Tina Evans
Arrow Critical Supply Solutions
Team Str. truck
1. Cut our expenses on the business side as well as personal expenditures.
2. Maximized our profit on our runs by reducing non payed miles, increasing fuel mileage, and working with our carrier to educate them on how just a few cents here and there effect the profitability of a run and can make us lose money.
3. Staying out just a little longer between hometime than we have in the past to add a few weeks of earning potential to the year.

Leo
FedEx / Panther
Straight Truck
1. Removed visor and switched to flow through mud flaps to gain ~ .4 mpg.
2. Buy fuel using TCH /Comdata card at T/A to take advantage of discounts ranging from good to HUGE.
3. Try to spend wisely which includes shopping where cost is lowest - not in truckstops etc. - and not buying toys/gadgets/etc. that aren't mandatory purchases.

Steve Gilbert
FedEx Custom Critical
Tractor Trailer
1. Cut down on useless spending.
2. More selective with loads.
3. Cut down on the dead heading to home miles.

George McDonald
Ceva
Sprinter Van
1. Watch route I take and take shortest and fastest way.
2. If waiting for bridge opening or closing, or stuck in traffic, shut engine off and roll windows down.
3. Don't idle while waiting to load and unload.

Michael Theveny
Ceva
26' Hino straight truck non-sleeper
1. Keep my speed down to increase M.P.G. as well as shutting engine down at stops.
2. Signed up for Corporate Lodging Card to save money on Motels.
3. Fill up both tanks when I find cheaper Diesel.
4. stopped buying sodas at convience stores(1.20 a pop) now keep water from home in the truck.

Steve and Judy Avery
Panther
Straight Truck
1. We drive for a fleet owner, so the expenses to the truck are not "our dime". That said, we still do everything possible to lower those expenses. Slow down to get better mileage, and turn the truck off when loading, unloading, or sitting for any length of time. We limit our deadhead miles, and stay in service longer now.
2. We created a profit margin calculator spreadsheet using the cost amounts provided by our owner. We punch in the numbers for each load before accepting it. If the load pays enough to cover those numbers we take it; if not, we don't.
3. Any maintenance that can be done by us, for example, generator oil / filter changes can be done for a minimal amount, saving quite a bit of money.

Rob
DJA Logistics
Sprinter & Flatdeck S/T
1. Cut useless travel, idling.
2. Cut lunch spending and other minor expenses
3. Added the flatdeck to increase business

Keith & Sheila
Tri-State Expedited Service
Straight Truck
1. We eat in the truck.
2. We no longer take 'off' time. Stay in service - available for taking loads.
3. Purchase only necessary items and count pennies.

An Expediter and his AirTabs

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:41:06 PST

Wind resistance and aerodynamic drag is the MPG killer. All other things being equal, like weight of the vehicle, driving speeds, even driving habits, it is wind resistance that affects everything. Driving slower, no jack rabbit starts, using the brakes less, and discarding unnecessary items to reduce weight are all things you can do to help increase your fuel mileage. But whether you do any or all of these things, the one constant is wind resistance. You can’t eliminate wind resistance and drag, but you can reduce it, in some cases dramatically, to mitigate its effects on everything you do.

When you drive down the road you must push the air in front of you out of the way. The mathematics of what happens as you do this can get very complicated, but what it all means is, when you push the air in front of you out of the way, it causes the air pressure in front of you, as well as around you to increase, and the area directly behind you will have reduced air pressure. This area of reduced air pressure is called “aerodynamic drag” because the reduced air pressure wants to “drag” you back into it.