Life

Overdrive Extra
This could be the year: Recollections of Great Recession trucking side gigs, successes and failures
With recessionary fears rising, "Long Haul Paul" Marhoefer looks back to his early-'08 brush with a small farming operation -- with mixed results. Here, read the tale of his wife's bottle-calf-rearing success, and his own side gig's ultimate failure.
May 23, 2022
weeds where a garden once stood
Life
Traffic deaths reach 16-year high, NHTSA estimates
NHTSA estimates that 5,601 people died last year in accidents that involved a large truck.
May 17, 2022
semi rolled over on the highway
Regulations
Two more states join 'e-inspection' program | Shop manager gets prison for illegal tanker repairs
Drivewyze 'e-Inspection' automation pilot expands to inspection-heavy California, Nevada. Also: Shop manager for a carrier conducted welding repairs on hazardous material tankers without certs; PrePass available on more devices; latest Highway Angel.
May 11, 2022
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Overdrive Extra
How William 'Porkchop' Honey and his dump truck saved dozens
The latest in "Long Haul Paul" Marhoefer's "Faces of the Road" series chronicles what's now the stuff of blue-collar lore around Indianapolis -- operator Honey's act of heroism to cut off a high-speed chase headed straight for a late-night paving crew.
May 10, 2022
William Honey
Life
Mother's Day Convoy back fully; truckers raise money for Make-A-Wish
“I am humbled by the passionate truck drivers who raise funds for Make-A-Wish through the Convoy."
May 9, 2022
Spectators lined the convoy route of Sunday's Mother's Day Convoy in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
Life
'People's Convoy' members sue D.C. for alleged free speech violations
Members of the convoy allege that the D.C. Metro Police Department blocked them from entering D.C., violating their First Amendment rights to free speech. Also: Penske now leasing Orange EV electric terminal trucks; new Trillium, Cummins partnership.
May 4, 2022
Peoples Convoy Staging
Overdrive Extra
Ask 'why': On taking control of your trucking business' future
As a trucking business owner, if "you do not ask 'why' when the question arises, I guarantee you will be taken advantage of, charged something outrageous, or pressured to take unsafe risks. ... Step out of the herd and blaze your own path."
May 3, 2022
car hauler on highway
Overdrive Radio
'All drivers': Support, recruiting inclusivity highlight mission of LGBTQ+ Truck Driver Network
In this edition of Overdrive Radio, find insight from a conversation with network cofounder Bobby Coffey-Loy about the org's truck-show debut at MATS last month. Also: Extra from Long Haul Paul, remembering one among the very best in heavy haul.
April 29, 2022
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Custom Rigs
Registration open for annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs truck show
The show is open to working trucks and will be held in Branson, Missouri. For owners who cannot attend in person, there is also a virtual People's Choice category that will be voted on by the public during the June event.
April 28, 2022
2022 Shell Rotella SuperRigs logo
Overdrive Extra
A hard year on heroes: Remembering longtime specialized owner-operator Randy Cunha
"So long, faithful friend. You were a good hand" -- words for a true friend from Long Haul Paul, who offers a tribute to the longtime heavy-specialized independent in the wake of his passing last week. Cunha had retired from the road in 2020.
April 26, 2022
randy cunha
Overdrive Radio
The COVID-survival tale of a hauler for some of the biggest acts in music
In this Overdrive Radio podcast, concert-tour-trucking veteran Chip Warterfield tells the story of what happened to Upstaging, Inc., when COVID in 2020 essentially brought every single one of its touring clients to an abrupt and complete halt.
April 22, 2022
Chip Warterfield Upstaging
Regulations
Michigan weight restrictions removed up to Upper Peninsula
The Michigan Department of Transportation has rolled back its spring weight restrictions from the state's southern border north to the Upper Peninsula. Also: Two new Love's in South Carolina, Washington; latest Highway Angel.
April 22, 2022
Only Michigan's Upper Peninsula and part of the southern part of the state still have spring weight restrictions in place.
Truck Stops
Longtime owner of White's Travel Center, Lee Hi Travel Plaza passes at 71
Robert "Bobby" Berkstresser recently sold the two I-81 truck stop institutions to TravelCenters of America. He passed away April 14. Also: Two people sentenced in New Orleans staged-accident fraud scheme; cross-border freight movement on the rise in '22.
April 21, 2022
Bobby Berkstresser
Life
Four more plead guilty in Louisiana staged-accident fraud scheme | I-10 closures through next week
There have now been 36 guilty pleas in the scheme targeting trucking companies and their insurers. Also: Rolling overnight I-10 closures planned through next week; Kinedyne debuts "Demo Truck" showcasing curtainside systems; latest Highway Angel.
April 20, 2022
Fraud Photo
Overdrive Extra
Giving back: Dakota McDaniel is one among myriad operators blending grassroots events with philanthropy
McDaniel's Shine in the Pines truck show in Dublin, Georgia, May 20-21 will benefit the family of a young girl in treatment for neuroblastoma, one among many shows that have cropped up around the nation as benefits for a variety of worthy causes.
April 18, 2022
Dakota McDaniel standing beside his Kenworth truck
Regulations
Drug-testing-related violation numbers trending up in early 2022
FMCSA notes that while violations reported to the agency's CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse are increasing, it's unclear whether the rate of actual positive drug tests is increasing, given the total number of tests being conducted is unclear.
April 15, 2022
drug test failed stamped on paper
Life
Video: Gator lunges at Florida man's truck on busy boulevard
A South Florida man recorded a large alligator crossing a busy street and rocking his truck. Gator experts in Florida warn that males will become more active and aggressive during spring and early summer. Some encounters on Florida roads can prove fatal.
April 13, 2022
Florida map alligator video
Overdrive Extra
Long before 'influencers' were a thing: A trucking tribute to an invaluable mentor
“Son, the trailer won’t go where it's not pointed!" Chip Warterfield, in safety with Upstaging, Inc., tells the early-1980s story of his driving start with the colloquial wisdom of professional Kenny Jones' decades of experience as guiding hand.
April 12, 2022
Chip Waterfield
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Truck on highway with California flag
Regulations
Solicitor General recommends Supreme Court deny review of AB 5 independent contractor law
While the Solicitor General's recommendation “is very influential and often tracks the Court’s ultimate determination,” said transportation legal firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, the ultimate decision lies with the Supreme Court.
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Regulations
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