Why do we feel it’s worth an announcement to dedicate one week a year to safe driving habits? Seriously, why isn’t this a daily thing? This year, Operation: Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 7th through the 13th. During Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in risky driving practices. This program focuses specifically on drivers, because a driver’s actions are ...

With no Expedite Expo this year that means we do not need to do a pre-show and post-show article.  That got us to thinking how about looking back over the years we have been to the show and do some reminiscing.  We thought it would be best to break this up into two articles.  This one will be from 2018 to 2023. If you missed part 1 years 2012 through 2017 you can find it here: Expedite Expo Revisit From Years Past Part 1 Expedite Expo 2018 (Lexington, KY)  We spent both d...

With no Expedite Expo this year that means we do not need to do a pre-show and post-show article.  That got us to thinking how about looking back over the years we have been to the show and do some reminiscing.  We thought it would be best to break this up into three articles.  This one will be from 2012 to 2017. Our first show we attended was in 2012 and have been to everyone since then. Expedite Expo 2012 (Wilmington, OH)  This show was a really whirlwind two days for u...

The State of Georgia Department of Transportation is asking for input to truck parking in their state.  The have put together a survey to ask the public for input.  They want to identify: Challenges faced by truckers in Georgia. Areas where truck parking is limited or non-existent. How frequently truck parking challenges occur. The survey has 21 questions and should only take about eight minutes to complete. GDOT Truck Parking Survey:  GA Truck Parking Survey   Sandy &a...

Hotshot trucking is a demanding and unpredictable profession, requiring resilience and adaptability, as well as expedited delivery of smaller loads. What are hotshots supposed to do when facing downtime?...

MAINTAINING MAINTENANCE Recently, we took our truck in for preventative maintenance. That got me to thinking about how many follow a set maintenance schedule. In the last year or so the trucking industry has seen less freight and lower rates. Does that cause truck owners to have an “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” way of thinking? While our revenue is lower than in years past, we still believe that it is important to maintain the suggested maintenance schedule that t...

What happens if you are in an accident? What happens if you are hauling freight? What happens if you are injured? What happens if you have pets? What happens? And more importantly, are you prepared? It seems that this year I am seeing more accidents than ever before. For this reason, I have been asking myself “am I prepared if I am in a serious accident?” The answer is, “I’m not sure!” A couple of years ago our truck was hit while we were parked at a truck stop. We ...

This past Monday June 17, 2024 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published the new Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) fees for 2025.  Unlike the past couple of years, the fees have gone up right at 25 percent.  The FMCSA believes this is the first raise in fees since 2010.  You might ask what is the UCR and what are the fees used for. The UCR Act was first passed 2005 and enacted that same year.  It was a section of a larger bill called the Safe, Acc...

Of course, most drivers would indeed prefer the solitude of the open road. Who wouldn’t? You get to take your work with you and make money wherever you go. No boss or supervisors to answer to (other than perhaps dispatch and the Department of Transportation), and you’re touring the countryside over the wide-open road. What’s not to like about that? As appealing as driving solo can be, it’s often accompanied by the risk of losing out on extra cash by limiting oneself i...

My first nearly 25 years as an owner operator was spent filling out paper logbooks. It was almost second nature to fill out the pages. I became very familiar with them, even though they had changed a little over the years. It only took a minute or two out each day (combined time) to fill in all the day’s events and calculate available hours....