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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2022.11.05

This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending November 5, 2022.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding Election Day, Low Clearance Awareness Day, Veterans Day, Daylight Saving Time:

Election Day

Tuesday, November 8, 2022, is Election Day in the United States.

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If you work locally, please make your voice heard at the ballot box.

If you’ll be out of town, we hope that you’ve already voted early or submitted an absentee ballot that follows the law in your state.

Please remember that no matter who wins the election, according to The Declaration of Independence (quote below), it is our duty as constituents to keep our elected officials advised about what passes what I call the test of the “3 C’s” (explained below quote).

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

So, realizing that

  • each of us has been created;
  • we have all been created equal;
  • each of us has been endowed with unalienable rights by our Creator; and
  • every elected official in the USA takes an oath of office to uphold The Constitution of the United States;

the 3 C’s that elected officials must adhere to, in this order, are:

  • Creator,
  • Constitution, and
  • Constituents.

If a bill or resolution doesn’t pass the Creator test, it goes no farther.

Once past the Creator test, if a bill or resolution doesn’t pass the Constitution test, it goes no farther.

Once past the Creator and Constitution tests, if a bill or resolution doesn’t pass the constituent test, it goes no farther.

Just sharing.

Low Clearance Awareness Day

Back in 2016, I named November 8 “Low Clearance Awareness Day.”

According to the news release on the page linked just above:

I named that day “for the purpose of helping professional truck drivers avoid driving commercial motor vehicles under or into structures that are shorter that their vehicles.”

The date November 8 (11/8) was selected in honor of the “11 foot 8″ (11’8”) railroad trestle in Durham, North Carolina, where many low clearance crashes have happened despite the installation of numerous warning devices. Many videos have been made of large and straight trucks — and recreational vehicles — that have been damaged by the “can opener” bridge, which can be seen on the website 11foot8.com or the site’s YouTube channel.

To this day, no one has even attempted to claim the reward that is listed on our page.

However, there have been many, many low clearance accidents reported since 2016.

I personally believe that this is because many truckers rely upon GPS units that are not geared for commercial motor vehicles.

See our other page here:

On GPS for Truckers: When GPS Routing Leads to Truck Accidents

Veterans Day

Friday, November 11, is Veterans Day in the USA.

While we give honor to those who have honorably obeyed their oaths of office, please bear in mind that some trucking-related businesses may have special offers on or around that day.

Also feel free to see the “Freebies” section below for what’s going on this year.

Daylight Saving Time

Early on Sunday morning, November 6, Daylight Saving Time (DST) comes to an end in many parts of the USA.

Personally, I feel that there is no longer any justification for this “time change” and that it needs to be abolished.

I was always concerned as a trucker that the time change on my log books would give rise to problems from law enforcement.

That never happened, but I wonder if it has happened to other truckers.

What has been your experience with DST as a trucker?

Good or bad, please comment through the form below.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of articles on this topic:

 

2. Regarding fuel, fuel tax holiday, fuel prices, fuel shortage:

Fuel

Fuel tax holiday

Fuel prices

Fuel shortage (diesel shortage)

I wrote about this issue in last week’s trucking commentary, but there are other perspectives on this issue.

 

3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions:

Autonomous vehicles

I totally oppose the operation of self-driving, driverless, and autonomous commercial motor vehicles on the public roads with the motoring public, but share these articles as a courtesy to keep you informed on the topic.

Electric vehicles

Emissions

 

4. Regarding economy, employment, rates, fees, congestion pricing, tolls, auction:

Economy

The following are articles regarding some aspect of the economy from the trucking industry’s perspective.

Employment

Rates

Fees

Congestion pricing

Tolls

Auction

 

5. Regarding accidents, wheel off, drugs:

Accidents

Please learn what you can from the articles about accidents, so that you can avoid them in the future.

Regarding the last article/video in the bullet list just above, the trucker was traveling too fast for the turn/curve.

With the combined center of gravity and momentum, it was predictable that the trucker would flip the truck and load on its side.

This accident was totally preventable.

Wheel off

“Wheel off” accidents are a specific kind of accident involving the loss of one or more wheels, perhaps a set of tandem tires/wheels.

Generally, the accident involving a wheel off is due to the wheel(s) striking an object (fixed or moving) or one or more persons.

Can these types of accidents always be prevented by a trucker’s pre-trip inspection or can any of them only be detected by mechanics working under a truck who can spot things that truckers can’t generally see?

Please comment through the form below.

Meanwhile, the video in the article linked just below was taken in Australia.

Drugs

Never ever haul illegal drugs, no matter how big of an incentive you’re offered.

 

6. Regarding brakes, CB radio, ELDs, tires:

Brakes

CB radio

ELDs

Tires

 

7. Regarding future, retirement, inspections, insurance:

Future

As typically happens when we near the end of one year and get ready to start a new one, those in various sectors predict what may happen in the future, sometimes based upon:

  • trends that have happened in the past;
  • various circumstances;
  • or a combination of the two.

Here is a list of some of the most recent articles about the future from the trucking industry’s perspective:

Retirement

You may also want to see this article on our site:

The Future of Social Security: Considerations for Trucker Retirement

Inspections

Insurance

 

8. Regarding technology, electronic IDs, roads, routing:

Technology

Electronic IDs

Roads

Routing

 

9. Regarding business, HOS, parking, snow removal:

Business

HOS

Parking

Snow removal

You may also like to see these articles on our site:

 

10. Regarding health, reputation, new driver, winter:

Health

Reputation

New driver

Winter

 

11. Regarding supply chain, ports, and AB5:

Supply chain

Ports

AB5

 

12. Regarding recognition, awards, and freebies:

Recognition

We recognize those who have helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.

Awards

All of the articles in this section this week focus on nominations or voting for a future award.

Freebies

If you qualify for a free gift, please enjoy it!

 

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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