http://www.overdriveonline.com Overdrive Magazine - Owner Operators and Independent Contractors Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:18:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en http://www.overdriveonline.com/power-of-good-roads-indian-truckers-savvy-in-the-sleeper/ And, most importantly, small fleet owner Wike’s lead mechanic Frank Phipps (pictured), who did the vast majority of the heavy lifting with a blow torch and drill, Wike himself with the plasma cutter, at Wike’s place of business in Lincolnton, N.C., on Saturday. As with many such endeavors, the process of it all was much [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/cracking-evels-safe-with-robb-mariani-brad-wike/ If all goes well, says American Trucker host Robb Mariani, tomorrow he, North Carolina-based Brad Wike and the rig’s owner will at least attempt to crack a gallon-size safe found under a cabinet in the floor of the Evel Knievel haul rig Mariani located and featured on his show last year (check out the “Finding [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/safe-cracking-time-the-evel-knievel-haul-rig-restore-in-progress/ This morning I’m headed out to Brad Wike’s “Brad’s Classic Trucks” shop and home of his BPW Transport company, both of which have gotten the feature treatment on the Speed Channel’s American Trucker show, hosted by Robb Mariani. Mariani helped engineer part of the reason I’m headed to Wike’s shop: Wike’s doing a partial restoration [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/visiting-with-evel-knievel-in-n-c/   Any time a driver goes missing out on the road it’s a nightmare for back-office personnel, friends and, of course, the family back home. A recent case spawned a Facebook group dedicated to resolving disappearances more quickly through the crowd-sourcing that online social networks have made easy. The Missing Truck Driver Alert Network was launched by [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/alert-network-for-missing-drivers-formed/ Company drivers, be careful who you leave your dog with. Today’s “grizzly tale” come by way of Jenni Reynolds-Kebler, one half of a Washington State-based team with Robert Kebler and past-featured photographer in Truckers News. The Keblers recently switched carriers, signing on as company drivers with a carrier that had a no-pet policy. Too bad for [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/virtues-of-owner-operator-status-pet-boarding-problems-avoided/ Estacada News reporter Jeff Spiegel spells out the recipe that led to the end of a dramatic on-highway incident in Clackamas County, Ore., last week: “A thrown champagne bottle, a suicide threat, a drawn gun, countless incidents of dangerous driving” and, finally, a few good samaritans hauling logs up ahead. Check out Spiegel’s dramatic account of the incident here, [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/log-truck-drivers-to-the-rescue-in-oregon/ When Loren Lowry got his CDL in 1990 to take work hauling for Washington, D.C.-area beer distributors, he couldn’t have predicted his ultimate destiny in trucking lay on the long-haul highway. What could have been more predictable, however, was that that long-haul work would be of a piece with one of the now 46-year-old’s passions [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/a-ride-with-supercross-transporter-driver-loren-lowry/ Since I wrote briefly last Friday about this TV show, one in a long line of trucking shows to have debuted over the last year, I’ve garnered a little more info. Not least among it is the fact that Overdrive‘s own new blogging owner-operator, Landstar expediter Phil Madsen, was himself approached last year by the [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/worlds-toughest-trucker-premiering-on-discovery-monday/ Carriers utilizing the Load Delivered Logistics provider for loads now have access to the company’s freight pool via an iPhone and iPad app that the company says provides not only the ability to view and bid on available freight but includes robust filtering tools. Carriers can search for shipments by using a variety of criteria, [...]]]> http://www.overdriveonline.com/new-iphone-app-from-load-delivered-logistics-3pl/