Voices: Page 74

Behind-the-wheel training: ‘Arbitrary’ nature of hours minimum doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be one

From Alaska-based driver and trainer Dan Tucker: “Thirty hours of behind-the-wheel training, even for the most intuitive student, is marginal if for no other reason than they can’t possibly encounter and learn from enough varied situations to be adept at handling the next one.”

March 1, 2017

Alaska-based driver and trainer Dan Tucker, the author of this editorial, was responding to recent coverage of the lack of a behind-the-wheel minimum number of hours in FMCSA’s driver-training rule, also featured in this month’s print issue of Overdrive.

Build the wall? Majority of readers favor Trump’s border plan

More than half of Overdrive readers supported efforts to build a wall across the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico. The most vocal among responding commenters, however, were those among the 27 percent who did not support the wall effort in any way.

February 28, 2017

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America’s Road Team captains to carrier recruiters: ‘Respect your drivers’

“Be honest with the driver. You won’t lost a driver any quicker than to tell him something and then he finds out 30 days later that it’s just not true.” –Walmart driver Allen Boyd, to recruiting specialists at a recent panel discussion in Nashville.

February 27, 2017

“At YRC, we get paid for downtime – if I’m at work, I want to be paid.” —Steve Fields on what he views as perhaps the biggest issue in retaining drivers for fleets — “Biggest problem in retaining drivers: shippers abusing them.” Fields drives for YRC Freight and is based in Kansas City, Mo. He’s got 3.1 million safe miles behind him and was named to the road team in 2007.

Reader: ELDs set to exacerbate existing parking, detention issues

“I don’t think anyone has really considered what making all trucks go ELD will do and all the problems it will cause. There isn’t enough parking now.” –reader Josiah Gonzalez, via email. And: A little personal conveyance wiggle room.

February 21, 2017

A night in jail on account of an unloaded pistol in the truck

Fred Afflerbach recalls the state of Massachusetts’ treatment of carrying out-of-state firearms round about 1980 — and more voices on issues of parking and personal protection on the road.

February 21, 2017

Read the February Danger Zone cover story via this link or by clicking through the photo.

Berlin/Nice-style terrorist attack likely in U.S., readers say

8 in 10 Overdrive readers believe such an attack is at least somewhat likely, lending new importance to personal security/safety measures on the road.

February 15, 2017

Hot buttons terrorism bug

Negotiating the brokerage contract: Back solicitation, detention and more

Leander Richmond of Mich.-based eight-truck Eagle Express Inc. learned the hard way of one broker’s no-detention-pay standard policy at first-come first-served shipper/receiver facilities — likewise the “insulting” offer when he objected.

February 14, 2017

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POLL: Your first contact with your current leasing/employing carrier?

Leased/company drivers, where did your first awareness/contact of the company you’re leased to or work for today come? Were you referred by a friend or a fellow driver with the company, catch an online advertisement that spurred further action, or something else?

February 14, 2017

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8 in 10 readers view behind-the-wheel minimum hours crucial for training rule

Recent Overdrive polling makes clear: Most owner-operators believe the 30 hours originally proposed for, though not included in, FMCSA’s final training is insufficient as a minimum, and overall 78 percent believe a minimum of 30 or more is necessary.

February 13, 2017

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Kenworth auctioning off custom T680 to benefit Truckers Against Trafficking

The proceeds from the auction will go directly to TAT, which works to “educate, mobilize and empower” truckers and rest stop employees to look for signs of human trafficking and teach them how to respond. The truck has a retail value of $157,000, according to Kenworth.

February 10, 2017

Inland Kenworth put together the “Everyday Heroes” Kenworth T680 and its unique paint scheme to combat human trafficking.

Ali Cetin presents ‘Why I have a dash camera’

Toronto, Ontario-based local trucker Ali Cetin compiled this collection of evidence of just why the operator runs with a dashcam in all his company’s trucks.

February 7, 2017

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North Dakota contemplating 80-mph speed limit

How fast is fast enough? Revisiting the question in light of a potential boost in speed limits to 80 mph in North Dakota, and more on Trump’s two-for-one out/in regulatory order …

February 6, 2017

POLL: Does the Entry Level Driver Training rule need a behind-the-wheel minimum?

FMCSA’s removal of the behind-the-wheel minimum number of hours in their proposed pre-CDL training rule has caused a stir among drivers, training organizations and others. What’s your view on the rule and whether that minimum (or another) should be included?

February 2, 2017

driver training cones

Overdrive Radio

If it means more parking options, readers say, rest-area commercialization A-OK

In this mailbag podcast and other commentary, readers believed in large part that NATSO’s concern over recent FHWA ideas for rest-area commercialization was misplaced, particularly if services allowed at state-facilitated rest areas are limited to an extent they aren’t at truck stops.

January 31, 2017

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‘When a truck was a truck…’

Steve Hearne’s grandfather’s old Ford AA “had a hand throttle like a tractor, and another lever on the column to retard the timing for hand starting.” Hearne, who still lives on a portion of his family’s old 120-acre farm in Vermont, remembers the unit well…

January 30, 2017

Just who is that reflected in the awfully-shiny-for-this-time-of-year (particularly up North) steer hub, anyway? Why, Joe Bielucki, who else? Bielucki was in the midst of something of a “mid-Winter clean-up” and thought he’d check in. Looking good, Joe. As for me, the knee’s doing better, but there’s still a ways to go.

Dry bulk for the long haul: Reserves staff sergeant John Moore and his leased operation

Until the last year, John Moore had been leased to Landstar, and his decision to come back to Oakley Transportation to pull a hopper had as much to with where home was as profitability. In this case, the two went hand in hand,

January 27, 2017

Moore’s 2007 Century Class and hopper trailer.

POLL: Should the United States in fact follow through on Trump’s ‘build the wall’ campaign message?

Though a reported 700 miles of barrier exists on the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border today, with Donald Trump hammering away at his campaign pledge to build a barrier and get Mexico to pay for it, what’s your view of the idea?

January 26, 2017

POLL: Should hair testing be allowed in lieu of urine-based drug tests?

With some larger carriers pushing the federal government to allow hair-sample testing as a substitute for required urine testing of drivers, what’s your view on the practice? Should it be allowed, or not?

January 24, 2017

Page 74 of 122

MRL Transport owner Mark Ledford today hauls direct freight outbound for customers in part built from his years of ownership of another fleet, since sold after years of growth. MRL in some ways is Ledford's effort to right-size a business for his life today.

Right-sizing for management: MRL Transport owner Mark Ledford hits five trucks

Ledford got his start trucking after working a dock where his manager said Ledford would never drive truck. Not only would he drive, he'd grow a fleet well beyond 30 trucks before selling out. MRL Transport is his second turn in the barrel, and Ledford's hit a profitability sweet spot.

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Small-biz trucking success, with family assist: The woman behind owner-operator Jason Shelly

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FMCSA, other agencies update timelines for bevy of in-progress regs

The Small Fleet Championship's title belts are on the line for this year's competition, both to be delivered to a final winner in two categories after the final round October 23 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Meet Overdrive's 2025 Small Fleet Champ semi-finalists

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.

Small-biz trucking success, with family assist: The woman behind owner-operator Jason Shelly

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