TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.04.01

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.04.01 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending April 1, 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 inspections, road rage, safety, staged, violations, and violence:

Inspections

If you keep yourself and your truck ready for an inspection at any time, you’ll never be caught off-guard.

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For more on this subject, please see:

Now, the articles for this week…

Road rage

Seek to diffuse potential road rage situations before they erupt.

It is not always be the case, but don’t let pride get the best of you when you’re driving.

Remember that professional truck drivers used to be considered the “white knights of the highway.”

Safety

One way to help you practice safety is to think in concentric circles about what is around you, starting from the nearest and working outward

Sometimes, people are so caught up with what is on their phones that they don’t even pay attention to what is happening around them.

Also, don’t “flash cash,” but rather be prudent.

Staged

Violations

Violence

2. Regarding batteries, charging, and electric vehicles:

If you are looking to buy a new electric truck, please do your own due diligence first.

Batteries

Charging

Electric

3. Regarding fuel, emissions, and autonomous vehicles:

Fuel

Emissions

Autonomous vehicles

I most definitely oppose the operation of self-driving, driverless, and autonomous commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public, but share these articles to help you stay current on the topic.

4. Regarding accidents, death, fatalities, fraud, and health:

Accident

Death

Fatalities

We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families whose loved ones passed away.

Please scan the articles to see if there are any clues that led up to the fatalities so that you not repeat those actions.

Fraud

Health

5. Regarding AB5, business, ELDs, HOS, insurance, and training:

AB5

If there were wins against AB5 from the gig economy — and there have been — then the same rules need to apply to professional truck drivers.

Regarding the “Commerce Clause” in The Constitution of the United States, back in the day when Chief Justice John Marshall was on the bench, he said regarding the power of regulation of commerce, that it must carry the same meaning throughout the sentence.

That being said, if AB5 has been exempted in one aspect, it should be exempted in all aspects.

Personally, I just wish that the state lawmakers in California would mind their own business and leave workers alone to earn an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work.

Business

ELDs

Some of us have been shouting about the problems associated with forced ELD usage since 2017.

My comments are here:

Meanwhile, here are the articles on this topic this week:

HOS

I’ve been warning drivers about exemptions from the HOS for a long time.

Never drive tired. Take needed breaks.

Don’t let the lure of more money override your body’s need for sleep.

Insurance

6. Regarding brakes, brokers, recalls, and roads:

Brakes

Keep your brakes properly adjusted.

Don’t overestimate your truck’s braking power when descending a mountain grade; rather, keep things steady and slow enough to stay safe.

Brokers

Recalls

If your tractor or trailer has an open recall, please have the needed work attended to as soon as possible.

Roads

7. Regarding clean, tankers, training, and trucks:

Clean

There are lots of things — like cell phones and GPS units mounted on the windshield — that can reduce one’s “field of vision,” so determine what is necessary to stay safe.

Tankers

Training

Trucks

8. Regarding economy, consumers, employment, pay, rates, strike:

Economy

The following list includes some of the most recent articles about the economy from the trucking industry’s perspective.

Consumers

Employment

In my opinion, people who live within a state should be given first priority for employment over those from out-of-state and out-of-the-country.

Pay

Truckers are notoriously underpaid for the work they do.

Please stay current with various models of being paid as a professional truck driver so that you are compensated appropriately.

Rates

Strike

9. Regarding drugs, smuggling, price gouging, taxes, and theft:

Drugs

Never ever haul illegal drugs, no matter how big of a payout or “cut of the pie” you’ve been promised.

It’s not worth it legally or with respect to your trucking career.

Smuggling

Never ever haul illegal aliens like they are cattle or cargo, no matter how big of an incentive has been dangled in front of you.

It’s not worth it legally or with respect to your trucking career.

Plus, if any of the people on-board die as a result of being transported by you, you could be found guilty of murder.

Price gouging

Taxes

Theft

10. Regarding forfeiture, legal, politics, and weights:

Forfeiture

Legal

Politics

Weights

11. Regarding MATS and parking:

MATS

Parking

12. Regarding recognition and awards:

We recognize and applaud all truckers who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need.

Also, if you know of someone who needs to be recognized, please feel free to nominate him/her for an award.

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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