Competition I recently had a conversation with a team that drives for a trucking company other than the company that we are leased on to. They are considering switching companies. They were concerned about some negative comments about the company that they had read in another forum. I reassured them that what they had read was nothing that I had heard before. Everyone thinks that the company for which they drive is the best on the road. That is a good thing because they take ...

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 you ...

Are You Ready? While driving along the interstate, the changing colors of the trees caught my eye. The yellows, oranges and reds popped between the green of the trees that have not changed yet. This got me to thinking about whether or not we are ready for the final season of the year. Winter: a season which is beautiful in its own way. Still a season that many drivers dread, if not fear. Even in the states where snow is common it seems that drivers need to relearn how to driv...

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 baseball pl...

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 day. I'...

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 of wo...

As with anything in life, there are always going to be ups and downs. Many folks resort to the notion of rising and falling tides, you know, life's ebb and flow. Personally, and as I've learned through years of my own rising and falling, I now have a better understanding of what this mindset means. As we experience the highs in our lives, we also should be preparing for the moment when the bottom inevitably drops out from underneath us. Likewise, when we are in the midst of d...

Wanna know what's going on within the expedite industry, or with trucking overall? Then tune in to Industry Outlook, presented by Expediters Online and Jung Express. Join our host, Brandon Baxter, as he engages with folks-in-the-know who will bring their knowledge, ideas, and expertise to the forefront of the trucking industry in 2024 and beyond. In today's installment??, Brandon Baxter and Rob Podeszwa of Jung Express discuss the Sprinter Van aspect of the expedite industry....

The transportation industry, including expedite, was a front row witness to a rather quick infusion of renewed interest in driving opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Something that materialized from this world-changing event was a glaring light that shined on the roles of truckers and their importance to the daily American landscape. This sudden interest in expedite and commercial driving could be attributed to pay raises across the transportation spectrum, including...

When a commercial trucker gets into an accident, it can be a major disruption. Dealing with insurance claims while trying to get a truck back on the road can be overwhelming. Many truckers, however, are unaware of the duty to mitigate their losses. Mitigation is an important concept that applies to single truck owner-operators, expediters, fleets, and other types of commercial vehicles. Even if you're not the at-fault driver, you must make reasonable efforts to reduce your da...