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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.03.23

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.03.23 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending March 23, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.

We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding AB5, Congress spending, and MATS:

AB5

Will this be the final legal decision regarding AB5 and other laws, regulations, and ordinances like it — or will there be others?

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While it is commendable for elected officials to want to “protect” independent workers — such as those in the “gig economy” — the reason why those workers are independent is because they want to be free of government intrusion in their lives!

I hope that eventually, intrusive laws like this will be completely struck down and made of no effect.

Congress spending

According to this March 7, 2024, article (with formatting changes added for ease of reading and emphasis):

Has the U.S. dollar entered a death spiral?

A growing number of prominent observers seem to think so.

The U.S. national debt, now at more than $34 trillion, is now growing at a breakneck pace, adding an additional $1 trillion every 100 days or so.

This prompted Moody’s Investors Service, one of the world’s three premier credit-rating agencies, to downgrade U.S. government creditworthiness last November from “stable” to “negative.”

At the time, Moody’s wrote, “In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase revenues, Moody’s expects that the US’ fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly weakening debt affordability.”

This means that, as the U.S. debt continues to balloon out of control, would-be creditors will not be enticed into purchasing more U.S. debt unless interest rates are jacked up.

Furthermore, we read this quote:

The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency.
— Vladimir Lenin

Please prepare as best you can for an eventual financial collapse of the U.S. dollar.

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One writer opined that mass panic take place during the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8.

MATS

I’m glad that the Mid America Trucking Show is back on a regular schedule.

Look for more information on this event to be reported over time.

2. Regarding alcohol, drugs, fraud, theft, and violence:

Alcohol

Never ever drink alcohol before operating a vehicle of any kind, especially a commercial motor vehicle!

Drugs

Never ever haul illegal drugs as a professional truck driver, no matter how much of an incentive you’ve been offered!

Fraud

Theft

Never ever take anything that doesn’t belong to you without first asking for permission ahead of time.

Violence

Prepare as best as you can to defend yourself, your possessions, your tractor, trailer, and the cargo on board.

3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, electric vehicles – trillion, emissions, fuel, and solar:

Autonomous vehicles

I strongly disagree with the operation of self-driving, driverless, or autonomous commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public — but I share articles on this topic with our readers to help us stay current on the topic.

Electric vehicles

Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence.

Electric vehicles – trillion

According to the fourth article in this section:

Companies representing all segments of the trucking industry are warning of a staggering $1 trillion price tag that they claim sets up a roadblock to the Biden administration’s push to decarbonize the industry.

A study released on Tuesday commissioned by the Clean Freight Coalition (CFC), whose members include the American Trucking Associations, LTL carriers, truck dealers and truck stop operators, concluded that commercial trucking would have to invest more than $620 billion in charging infrastructure, with another $370 billion coming from utility companies to upgrade their grid networks to meet the demand.

“This nearly $1 trillion expenditure does not account for the cost of new battery-electric trucks, which according to market research can be two to three times more expensive than their diesel-powered equivalents,” the CFC asserted, adding that a diesel Class 8 truck costs roughly $180,000, while a comparable battery-electric truck costs over $400,000.

Please note that I have done research about “carbon” on this website in the past and not everything is as rosy about electric-only vehicles or “green energy” as the powers-that-be want for people to believe.

My opinion is that the Lord gave us oil to use for fuel and conversion to electric-only vehicles is a method of control.

Emissions

Fuel

Solar

4. Regarding border, contractor, inspections, ports, and towing:

Border

Contractor

Inspections

If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.

Ports

Towing

In my opinion, the reason why “predatory towing” should be outlawed is to fulfill the idea of “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

5. Regarding drones, GPS, and technology:

Drones

GPS

Check out what we have on our website about low clearance and reporting a low clearance to which you’ve been directed to a CMV-specific vehicle.

Technology

6. Regarding economy, rates, and taxes:

Economy

Rates

Taxes

7. Regarding crashes, death, and fatalities:

Crashes

Please look through these articles to see if there is anything you can learn to help you prevent being involved in a similar crash.

Death

We express our deep sympathy — and offer our condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died.

Fatalities

We express our deep sympathy — and offer our condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died in these crashes.

Can you learn anything from the articles below that would help prevent being involved in a fatal large truck crash?

8. Regarding business, leasing, legal, recalls, and repair:

Business

Leasing

According to the article in this section:

The Truck Leasing Task Force was established by Congress with the goal of ending predatory lease-purchase agreements. In these arrangements, a carrier leases a truck to a driver but still possesses control for the majority of the operation. In fact, the carrier is in control of the trucker’s ability to pay off the loan. It is common for drivers to report owing money to the carrier at the end of a pay period.

This situation is a great deal like the situation in which prospective truck drivers or student drivers can be exploited by unscrupulous truck driver training schools, especially those that are part of a trucking company.

Let the buyer beware.

Legal

Recalls

If you have a tractor or trailer under a recall, please have the work done as soon as possible.

Repair

9. Regarding politics, regulations, and supply chain:

Politics

Regulations

Supply chain

10. Regarding recruitment and parking:

Recruitment

Parking

11. Regarding roads and safety:

Roads

Safety

12. Regarding awards, Howes Hall of Fame, recognition, and sweepstakes:

We recognize all professional truck drivers who have achieved milestones and list here also other ways to be recognized and/or rewarded.

Awards

Howes Hall of Fame

Recognition

Sweepstakes

My husband Mike and I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.









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