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Road trains, kangaroos, wombats, oh my: Trucking down-under
Australian truckers are a world apart from U.S. counterparts (they do haul on the left side of the road, after all), yet this conversation with father and son trucking vets Kevin and Mitch Forbes shows plenty in common, including regs, training issues.
December 6, 2022
In Australia, road hazards from wild animals are common -- you’ll notice guards on the fronts of most trucks. Plentiful numbers of kangaroos, wild pigs and wombats can be an ever-present problem in Australia.
'Why won't an insurance company give me a quote?'
Why some insurance companies will provide a quote, while others won’t -- it could depend on the freight you haul, your region of operation and (sometimes frustrating for new trucking businesses) your longevity in trucking with a motor carrier authority.
November 28, 2022
Tanker On Highway
Navigating insurance claims: Patience is in our best interest
Though the desire for speed in a claims investigation is certainly understandable, insurance agent W. Joel Baker here offers two examples in which extended claims investigations yielded desirable outcomes, mitigating damage from attempted fraud.
November 15, 2022
bumper damage to truck
Rewind: How trucking changed this military vet's life
How W. Joel Baker caught the trucking bug in the late 1980s thanks to military veterans he shared the road with during his own military training and service in the Gulf War. "To all among you who have served," Baker added to cap this tale, "thank you."
November 11, 2021
Gulf War Joel 1991
Lesson learned finding a new home: How some recruiters blow it when bringing on new operators
Clifford Petersen returns to the road, and spots some carrier recruiting missteps: "If I was the company owner and my recruiter had just cost me a good deal of money to bring someone on board that was not going to be a fit, I'd fire that recruiter..."
November 8, 2022
Texas Truck From Overpass On Highway
Axe double-brokering schemes: Know your broker/carrier
Broker/carrier owner Jon Asiala shares lessons learned after falling prey to crooks with a double-brokered load that, ultimately, found its way back to him when the final carrier didn't get paid. More carriers/brokers would do well to heed his message.
November 3, 2022
tanker and hay wagon on highway
Insurance premium refunds: Know your rights -- update
Owner-operator and insurance agent W. Joel Baker on "unearned premium" refunds due to those who cancel an insurance policy. Above all, he notes, don’t let any unethical insurance company bully or intimidate you out of what is legally owed to you.
October 17, 2022
semi-trucks driving in traffic on highway
Health care horror stories and how to avoid catastrophe
With this year's open enrollment period for the ACA's exchanges starting Nov. 1, Gary Buchs lays out the stories of three owner-ops' approaches to health insurance coverage, and the sometimes catastrophic business consequences of going uninsured.
October 31, 2022
Bo Henry and his wife with their motorcycle and semi-truck
Getting close to 65? Now's the time to understand the realities around Medicare for health care needs
Contrary to road rumors, the health insurance available to those 65-plus isn't a totally free ride. An open enrollment period from October 15 through December 7 is under way -- new and longtime enrollees can examine the changes for the following year.
October 25, 2022
medicare card
Faces of the Road: Betting on the 'highest common denominator' with Road Dog's Jimmy Mac
Long Haul Paul Marhoefer guest-hosts, in part, this edition of Overdrive Radio, featuring one among his Faces of the Road oral histories with none other than Dave Nemo Weekends host Jimmy Mac about his elevation of trucking talk radio.
October 21, 2022
Overdrive Radio sponsored by Howes logos and jimmy mac
The joy of being lost
Sometimes the wrong road turns out to be the right one, notes Long Haul Paul in this tale of grace found. "Do people still even get lost? You remember the things that happen to you when you take the wrong road. Sometimes there's a grace that emerges."
October 11, 2022
Denise and Paul Marhoefer.
While many support owner-op's HOS exemption request, opponents mount challenge
Lee Schmitt's request for relief from several parts of the HOS regs in June raised the old debate over the one-size-fits-all approach to the basic interstate rules. Schmitt's request has drawn support, and opposition, for a variety of reasons.
September 30, 2022
Lee and Lisa Schmitt
Want to improve retention in trucking? Define 'professionalism' to set the standard, build value
While "any truck operator can develop skill over time to effectively back into tight places ... the professional always acts with integrity, with bedrock safety in mind," notes Clifford Petersen. Yet he's "never known a carrier" to define professionalism.
September 27, 2022
trucks on highway
Titans of the Road: Reflections of the son of an American truck driver
Omari Faulkner pays tribute to his father, Arthur Faulkner Sr., and more: "Today, and every day, let’s salute those who transport goods around our country and remain a backbone to supporting our economy and supply chains day in and day out."
September 21, 2022
Arthur Faulkner Sr.
'Sisters of the Road' a haunting, iconographic portrait of professional truckers
What began as just a photo shoot of a few female U.S. truckers for Britain-based Anne-Marie Michel grew into a passion, then a book, one she'd not originally contemplated. "Sisters of the Road" is the result, out now.
September 19, 2022
Carol Nixon
How to make sure your vote gets counted
With absentee-ballot and other deadlines approaching ahead of this November's midterm elections, it's now more important than ever to make sure you're registered and able to vote. Access state rules and more via this quick-glance guide.
September 6, 2022
Absentee voting map
How to find the best BBQ where you can park a tractor-trailer
Amid the news of meat packers shuttered with COVID outbreaks in early pandemic days, Long Haul Paul trucked on an informal quest to find the best barbecue around. Long overdue, here are his four favorites, with special respect for the state of Georgia.
August 31, 2022
Four-pound pigzilla challenge pork sandwich
How to do more than just live with the horror of high fuel
We all gawked earlier this year at fuel-pump pictures shared to social media that showed high costs to fill our tractors’ big tanks. Yet continuing shock over gross cost begs bigger questions for owners about what really matters: profit.
August 24, 2022
$5.999 price per gallon, all taxes included diesel
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In Australia, road hazards from wild animals are common -- you’ll notice guards on the fronts of most trucks. Plentiful numbers of kangaroos, wild pigs and wombats can be an ever-present problem in Australia.
Overdrive Extra
Road trains, kangaroos, wombats, oh my: Trucking down-under
Australian truckers are a world apart from U.S. counterparts (they do haul on the left side of the road, after all), yet this conversation with father and son trucking vets Kevin and Mitch Forbes shows plenty in common, including regs, training issues.
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