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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.03.18

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.03.18 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending March 18, 2023, written by Vicki Simons.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding bans, weather, accidents, fatalities, and death:

Bans

When you drive a commercial motor vehicle — especially in snow-prone areas where travel bans have been issued in the past — you must be watching out for the possibility of roads being closed due to bad weather.

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I speculate that those who refuse to stop driving during a travel ban may be forced to stop through:

  • steep fines,
  • the incapacitation of one’s truck (such as through a “boot”), or
  • other violent actions being taken by law enforcement (such as the one described under item #11 below).

If you know what happens in such circumstances, would you please comment through the form below?

Thanks.

Meanwhile here are some of the most recent articles about travel bans in the USA:

Weather

Even though in the Northern Hemisphere we’re close to the beginning of spring, cold precipitation can still get downright nasty in some areas.

Please prepare yourself for needing to shut down your truck for days until the weather improves.

Having an emergency fund, emergency kit, and a supply of drinking water and food in-truck will help you prepare.

Accidents

Please familiarize yourself on the types of accidents that are taking place, what might have triggered them, and seek never to be involved in a similar set-up yourself.

Fatalities

We extend our deepest sympathy and offer our condolences to the families of those who passed away.

Death

2. Regarding economy, banking, and pay:

Economy

These are some of the most recent articles about the economy from the trucking industry’s perspective:

Banking

From the article Sound Money Solutions to Fix Banking Crisis (link removed), here are the 7 steps proposed by one organization back in 2009, after the “bailout mania of the biggest banks”:

1. Restate the only legal definition of the “dollar” ever provided by the U.S. government.

2. Allow private mints to compete with the U.S. Mint.

3. Abolish all legal tender laws that currently provide legitimacy only for Federal Reserve Notes.

4. Prohibit government issuance of “bills of credit.”

5. Abolish the Federal Reserve.

6. Support bills in Congress to abolish the Fed, audit the Fed, and cancel legal-tender laws.

7. End deficit spending and unconstitutional programs.

Other articles online are predicting very bad outcomes for the U.S. dollar, so please prepare accordingly.

Pay

Quoting the article:

Mileage, hourly and annual earnings for professional truck drivers continued to grow in the first quarter of 2023, according to the National Transportation Institute’s (NTI) National Survey of Driver Wages and National Driver Wage Index.

Back in 2014, I wrote a page on our website entitled “26 Percent” that you may wish to review.

3. Regarding cost-cut, inflation, rates, taxes, tolls, and UCR:

Cost-cut

Inflation

Rates

Taxes

Tolls

UCR

4. Regarding fuel, fuel economy, emissions, electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles:

Fuel

Fuel economy

Emissions

Electric vehicles

Autonomous vehicles

With every fiber of my being, I resist the operation of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public.

However, I share these articles to help you stay current on the topic.

5. Regarding inspections, safety, Safety Measurement System, and recalls:

Inspections

Safety

Safety Measurement System

Recalls

6. Regarding testing, drugs, fleets: best, and fleets: green:

Testing

Drugs

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

Fleets: best

We do not endorse or recommend any of the companies in such lists.

Fleets: green

Please understand that “green” fleets may be more dedicated to “saving the planet” than helping human beings.

We do not endorse or recommend any of the companies in such lists.

7. Regarding maintenance, million mile, parts, politics, purchase, and technology:

Maintenance

Million mile

Parts

Politics

Purchase

Technology

Some of the ideas described in the article include:

  • Interaction with drivers;
  • Maintenance;
  • Breakdowns;
  • Re-routing for weather; and
  • Driver monitoring.

8. Regarding double broker, containers, and parking:

Double broker

According to this December 20, 2022, article:

Double brokering occurs when a freight broker books a load with a carrier, only to learn later that the “trucking company” is actually another broker. The secondary broker changes prices when they book the shipment with another carrier. Sometimes, the secondary broker will disappear and never pay the carrier.

An illicit double broker leaves a load without insurance, clouds the transparency of cargo’s movement, and potentially defrauds the shipper and freight hauler, causing severe reputational damage to the initial broker and shipper.

For more articles about double brokering in the news please see:

Containers

Parking

9. Regarding supply chain and trailers:

Supply chain

Trailers

10. Regarding truckers, essentials, training, and overcomer:

Truckers

Essentials

I have added a link to this article on our packing list page.

Training

Overcomer

11. Regarding violation and violence:

Violation

Violence

12. Regarding awards and recognition:

Awards

We extend our hearty congratulations to those professional truck drivers who have achieved an award based upon their truck driving skill and competency.

Recognition

If you’re good at what you do as a trucker, how would you like to be recognized by your company?

Please share through the form below.

Thanks.

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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