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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.11.02

TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2024.11.02

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.11.02 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending November 2, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

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1. Regarding California, collapse, and Daylight Saving Time:

California

Collapse

These articles are about the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, MD:

Daylight Saving Time

I am going to keep harping on this until the twice-a-year practice of changing the clocks for “Daylight Saving Time” is abolished in the USA.

Per my infographic/image/meme below (a larger version of which is available if you click on the image):

What impact does Daylight Saving Time have on the length of day (amount of daylight)? None! What imact does Daylight Saving Time have on human health? Negative, in multiple ways! Leave the clocks alone!

What impact does Daylight Saving Time have on the length of day (amount of daylight)?
None!

What impact does Daylight Saving Time have on human health?
Negative, in multiple ways! Leave the clocks alone!

The act of moving the clock ahead and back an hour doesn’t “lengthen” or “shorten” a day by any amount of daylight.

In my opinion, since the USA is no longer an agricultural-based society, this practice is antiquated and needs to be eliminated.

Have you as a trucker ever had problems with the change of time, especially when it comes to your logs?

Please comment through the form below.

2. Regarding autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles:

Autonomous vehicles

I am most assuredly in opposition to the operation of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless 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 by asking some questions and getting answers.

3. Regarding bridges, border, brokers, parking, politics, ports, and roads:

Bridges

Border

Brokers

Parking

Politics

Ports

Roads

4. Regarding business, economy, future, leasing, legal, and tolls:

Business

Economy

Future

Having one trucking leader be vocally optimistic is nice!

Leasing

If you have been the victim of a predatory leasing situation within trucking, these articles may make you feel better that the situation seems to be being resolved.

Legal

Tolls

5. Regarding crashes, downgrade, drugs, fatalities, fire, road rage, theft, and violence:

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.

Downgrade

With all of the concerns about a trucker “shortage,” I wonder how this situation is going to be resolved.

The first article in this section states:

Regarding “[enforcing] the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse[, it will]…”:

  • “downgrade a large number of CDLs on Nov. 18”;
  • “[make] our roads safer”; and
  • “[lead] truckload rates higher.”

Do you agree or disagree with this?

Please comment through the form below.

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Fatalities

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my 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?

Fire

It seems to me that there are a lot more truck fires than their used to be and I wonder if that is because more electric trucks with lithium batteries are in use.

Road rage

Theft

Never take something that doesn’t belong to you unless you have permission from the owner.

With as much surveillance equipment in place in the 21st century, it’s only a matter of time before the thieves are apprehended.

Violence

It is never right to perpetrate violence upon someone in an unprovoked manner.

All perpetrators of violence must be dealt with in a just legal manner.

6. Regarding drowsy driving, inspections, and regulations :

Drowsy driving

I address this topic on my website here:

Drowsy Driving: Dangers, Statistics, and No Substitutes

Now for the article:

Inspections

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

Regulations

7. Regarding guaranteed, maintenance, recalls, and semiconductors:

Guaranteed

According to the article linked in this section, Averitt Express launched a new “Guaranteed by Noon LTL delivery service … in select zip code areas [that] ensures that less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments will be delivered by 12 p.m. on the published standard transit date.”

I hope this doesn’t land the trucking company in hot water legally.

I say that because this September 10, 2024, article opened with:

According to a 1993 lawsuit, Domino’s “30 minutes or less” guarantee has cost people their lives. In order to deliver pizzas on time, delivery drivers drove recklessly and caused dozens of accidents – and over 20 fatalities – in the 1980s. In the Domino’s 30 minutes or less lawsuit, a St. Louis woman won a $78 million verdict against the company. In response, Domino’s eliminated the guarantee.

I’ll be interested in learning how this has worked out for them.

Maintenance

Recalls

If your tractor or trailer is under a recall, please have the work attended to as soon as possible.

Semiconductors

As I wrote in my TDMST Weekly Round-Up for July 30, 2022:

I emphatically disagree with federal level elected officials taking action on this — and especially putting any taxpayer money toward it — because it is unconstitutional to do so.

In my opinion, this situation should be left up to the free market, the states, and the people (the last two courtesy of the Tenth Amendment).

8. Regarding retention, supply chain, survival, truckers, and trucking:

Retention

Supply chain

Survival

Truckers

Trucking

9. Regarding sustainable, technology, and weather:

Sustainable

The terms “sustainable” and “sustainable development” sound reasonable, but what they really stand for is insidious.

For more information, please read this October 21, 2020, article::

How to Fight Back Against Sustainable Development

Now for the articles…

Technology

Weather

Please be aware that weather can change in an instant and that you will be required to adjust your driving to match.

10. Regarding employment, shortage, and shut down:

Employment

Shortage

Shut down

Sudden shutdowns of trucking companies — especially around the end of a calendar year — are eerily reminiscent of what happened on December 22, 2009, when Arrow Trucking suddenly shut down and left approximately 1,400 drivers stranded in various places around the country.

I hope that other trucking companies that close permanently treat their truckers with more respect and dignity!

11. Regarding fuel and hydrogen:

Fuel

Hydrogen

12. Regarding awards and recognition:

Awards

Road Warriors

According to the last article in this section:

Pilot has unveiled the winners of its annual Road Warrior contest, which recognizes the heart, tireless dedication and unwavering commitment of professional truck drivers who go beyond the call of duty to keep North America moving.

I congratulate truckers who were nominated for — or won — this designation.

I also congratulate other professional truck drivers who were given special designations or who won a truck driving championship!

Recognition

I also recognize those folks who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need, whether the trucker was the one helping or the one being helped.

It’s good to know that the adage “love your neighbor as yourself” still applies in some places today!

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






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