Life: Page 222

Holy trendsetter, Batman!

In which Wendy has crocheted a scarf to keep her hands busy after quitting smoking and is “vaping on with the rest of the Borg… Somebody save me from the trendiness…”

January 19, 2014

Wendy vaping edit

A fine ’99: Freightliner hauls equipment for ‘American Idol’, ESPN

Owner-operator Matt Purtee of Omah, Wis., says his 1999 Freightliner Classic has driven 1.8 million miles and still is going strong.

January 18, 2014

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Driver Bettina Cameron ‘Losing It’, New Entrant test backgrounder

Driver Cameron’s new Facebook page is dedicated to sharing her story — she’s lost 75 pounds while driving over-the-road in just a year — to inspire others. Also: More on the New Entrant testing rulemaking under way.

January 18, 2014

Bettina Cameron, before and after her lifestyle change. I’d last spoke with Cameron as part of reporting of the 9/11 10th anniversary story, which you can read via this link.

Study of truck driver health shows cluster of high-risk factors for chronic diseases

A survey of nearly 1,700 long-haul truck drivers showed a “constellation of chronic disease risk factors” in long-haul drivers, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity and sleep duration.

January 17, 2014

Truck drivers, according to a survey from NIOSH, are more likely to smoke and have other high-risk factors — like hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity — for chronic diseases.

Under the gun on the road

Wendy and George contemplate interior truck modifications: “We at least need dart guns for potential Sasquatch sightings, right?”

January 17, 2014

Virginia gem: Smitty’s Better Burger

Best chili-cheese footlong around, says Wendy Parker in this review of Smitty’s Better Burger, a truly old-fashioned drive-in that hasn’t changed much since the Smith family opened it in 1956.

January 16, 2014

Synthetic marijuana to be classified as controlled drug, illegal for drivers to possess

The DEA announced it will classify synthetic marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, thereby making truck operators who use synthetic marijuana and fail a drug test as no longer disqualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle.

January 15, 2014

Get your load on! (Edition 6)

From space capsules to new cars, cattle and more garden variety loads dressed up behind spectacular tractors, this occasional series delivers more great photos of readers’ loads. Find out how to send in your own here, too.

January 15, 2014

Russia to Houston edit

Trucking with toaster ovens

“How awesome will it be to ride down the road with the delicious aroma of crock-pot roast wafting around?” If you have recommendations for Wendy for recipes/logistics of in-cab cooking, send them in!

January 15, 2014

Find more pictures of George and Wendy Parker’s 2004 Freightliner Coronado via this gallery at their website.

On the road again…

The George & Wendy Show back on the road: “Oh my gosh, it’s better than Christmas. We’re actually leaving the house this week!”

January 14, 2014

George and Wendy Parker will be running in this 2004 Freightliner Coronado leased to Landstar when they hit the road again this week. Find more about the rig in this post.

Quack attack: Oregon fan’s 2010 Freightliner Cascadia

Owner-operator and Oregon Ducks fan John Starr of Roseburg, Ore., says team pride dominates his 2010 Freightliner Cascadia.

January 13, 2014

Wonders of technology: Saving a life

Driver Tim Rutledge owes particular features — vibration, voice-dial — on his cell phone for his survival after being trapped under his rig in below-zero temps this past week.

January 11, 2014

FMCSA makes med card retention extension official: Drivers must carry paper copy until 2015

Drivers must continue to carry paper copies of their medical examiner’s certificate until Jan. 30, 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Jan. 10.

January 10, 2014

Colder than [fill in the blank], or Pipes bursting on the home front

“Here’s to the spouses and families of the drivers – Salute!!”

January 10, 2014

“I don’t always fix plumbing, but when I do I wish I was trucking instead.”

Rolling Strong launches “Give Me Ten” driver health initiative

Rolling Strong, a driver wellness program, announced it will offer a free weight loss initiative, “Give Me Ten,” during the month of January. Professional drivers who lose 10 pounds in January will receive a $10 gift card to Rolling Strong’s online store. This promotion is for any professional driver. Drivers already enrolled as a Rolling […]

January 9, 2014

Rand McNally signs on for Pilot’s Truck Driver Challenge

Rand McNally has signed on to be a sponsor of the Pilot Flying J Truck Driver Challenge. During the season, professional hauler drivers from IndyCar, NASCAR and the NHRA series will navigate road courses modeled after real-world obstacles, testing their safe driving abilities. When the safest and most skilled drivers are announced at the end […]

January 9, 2014

CARB diesel regs’ human toll: Family uprooted, split by move’s necessity

Checking in Martin and Alice Jez — formerly of Galt, Calif. The pair have moved to Michigan anticipating CARB’s regs relative to their 2000 Freightliner, splitting them from a six-year-old son.

January 9, 2014

Martin Jez, with a 1980s Peterbilt he owned for a time before moving on with the 2000 Freightliner he owns today. The Freightliner falls this year under the prohibition on 1996-2006 model-year diesel engines operating in the state that is the CARB Statewide Truck and Bus Rule.

Medical certification deadline update: Extension to 2015 in the works

As the Jan. 30 deadline looms for CDL holders to self-certify their operating and medical credentials with their license-issuing state, drivers may still need to carry paper cards.

January 9, 2014

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Custom 2005 Peterbilt 379 a trucker's surprise, with intricate hand-pinstriping

Kimball Transportation driver Zach Held may not be an owner-operator, but he drives an owner-operator-spec'd truck that delivered on a promise made by the small fleet owner Held pulls flatbed freight for. The custom '05 379 features a bevy of custom touches throughout, including immaculate pinstriping all around.

LTL furniture specialist TFX lays solid ground for growth, profit, support

FMCSA's new National Consumer Complaint Database page has nine categories of complaints to file, including one for freight brokers.

FMCSA makes it easier to call out bad brokers with National Consumer Complaint Database update

Oberman Logistics owner Wes Oberman's personal truck is this Kenworth T680 -- purchased to replace a lower-fuel-mileage 2020 389 that powered his maiden voyage in trucking as an owner-operator. He's getting 10 mpg now, and providing a reliable home for leased owners has the fleet up to 11 trucks as of August.

Skin in the leased owner's game: Oberman Logistics' simple, transparent plan for expansion

Garmin Dash Cams - Powerful & Discreet - Capture every detail with Garmin Clarity HDR optics, premium HD, and wide 140 degree view.

Garmin Dash Cams - Powerful & Discreet - Capture every detail with Garmin Clarity HDR optics, premium HD, and wide 140 degree view.

Sleeper berth: Will truckers be able to split as they see fit?

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