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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.05.11

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.05.11 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending May 11, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding distracted driving, inspections, Our Roads Our Safety Week, safety, and predictions:

Distracted driving

One of the things that I dislike about designating only one month out of the year to focus on a particular bad behavior is that as soon as the month is over, the focus seems to fade away.

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In your opinion, what needs to be done to help truckers and their companies to help keep “good operations” top-of-mind?

Please share through the form below.

Inspections

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

If you need it, please look at our Free Downloads for a “Pre-Trip Inspection Combo (.pdf)”.

Our Roads Our Safety Week

Here we go again!

It seems to me that the powers-that-be keep inventing new programs and new names, but not really doing anything substantial to help “make roads safer.”

Do you agree or disagree?

Please comment through the form below.

Safety

Really?

From the article linked below, we read:

If truck drivers are safe at work, the nation’s roadways will be safer, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless.

What about the other drivers on the road?

Predictions

All of these articles point to better times for the trucking industry. Yay!

2. Regarding cashless, detention, economy, FET, insurance, and lottery:

Cashless

I have been trying to use cash as much as possible on personal transactions like food — and I encourage truckers to do the same.

There’s a reason why “cash is king.”

For a much more authoritative resource, please see:

Solari Financial Transaction Freedom and CBDC Video Shorts

To the greatest extent possible, please see if you can wean yourself off using credit and debit cards.

Detention

I hope that this won’t have an undue impact on truckers being paid for all of their time when sitting in load and unloading docks!

Economy

FET

Please see my glossary for definitions of many acronyms — including FET — that are used in the trucking industry.

Insurance

Lottery

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

Autonomous vehicles

I am totally opposed to 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 by asking some questions and getting answers.

Emissions

Fuel

Fuel economy

4. Regarding EPA, events, HOS, legal, nice try, and politics:

EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency is an unconstitutional entity within the federal government.

According to the Tenth Amendment, the jurisdiction for “the environment” is the responsibility of the states and the people.

Events

HOS

Legal

Nice try

In the 16.5 years that Mike worked as a professional truck driver, he recalled only once when he got through a terminal at the time when his trucking company held a special event (an outdoor meal) that supposedly celebrated truckers’ achievements.

I recall that at the end of the first year that I was a trucker, I received an award for safe driving that was absolutely worthless to me.

So, these trucking companies who congratulate themselves for putting something out there for truckers to benefit from in-person — when the truckers can’t be there in person — are only fooling themselves.

Nice try, guys.

Idea: Why don’t they make these personal trainer videos virtual so that truckers can watch them after they are safely parked?

Politics

5. Regarding crashes, death, drugs, fatalities, fraud, and theft:

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

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the family of the law enforcement officer who died.

Drugs

Never ever agree to haul illegal drugs anywhere on your rig’s tractor or trailer, no matter how large of an incentive you’ve been offered.

Also, never use 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?

Fraud

If something seems shady or not quite right in your gut about some load or procedure, investigate and protect yourself.

Theft

Do not take something that isn’t yours without first asking for permission.

6. Regarding history, maintenance, Mother’s Day, and pulse:

History

Quote from the article linked below:

When freight demand is high and truck capacity is in short supply, pricing goes up. When it is the other way, pricing goes down. It’s like a pendulum swinging back and forth as the market adjusts. The trucking industry is on the bad side of supply and demand right now and times are tough. Rates are down and costs are up.

We can’t control the economy, so we must focus on things we can control and work as efficiently and cost effectively as we can until the market gets better.

The rest of the article…

Maintenance

The article linked below lists 3 bullet points under an “efficient Preventive Maintenance (PM) program”

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day > Flowers > Transport Flowers > Refrigerated vans

Pulse

The article linked below opens with this:

According to the latest Bloomberg | Truckstop survey, which polled owner-operators and small fleets, sentiment among North American carriers operating in the truckload spot market has improved over the past three months, but some concerns still linger.

7. Regarding border, collapse, and sustainability:

Border

Collapse

Sustainability

8. Regarding ports, Postal Service, roads, staged, and technology:

Ports

Postal Service

Roads

Staged

This whole “staged accident” scam has grown even worse!

Technology

9. Regarding CDL downgrades, ELDs, idling, parking, and personal conveyance:

CDL downgrades

ELDs

Please see the resources on our site about Electronic Logging Devices.

Idling

I wrote a 9-post series of articles about idling on our site.

Parking

Personal conveyance

10. Regarding escape ramps, motorcycles, operations, routing, and weather:

Escape ramps

Motorcycles

Earlier today, I was driving back home from doing errands and I realized how much “better” I would have been able to see a vehicle almost entirely in my left rear blind spot.

You may want to evaluate the placement of mirrors or other visibility equipment on your tractor and/or trailer to help you see other vehicles around you.

For more info, look at the “Safe Driving: Blind Spots and the ‘No Zone'” section on my Safe Driving post.

Operations

The video embedded in the article Is it that obvious who is at fault here? clearly shows that the trucker swung way too wide to make his/her turn.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Routing

Always know how to route your truck on truck routes according to a Motor Carrier’s Road Atlas (aka trucker’s atlas).

Weather

11. Regarding taxes, timing, and tolls:

Taxes

Timing

This might be about as popular as the “congestion pricing” initiative.

Tolls

12. Regarding awards and recognition:

Awards

I congratulate all professional truck drivers who have been honored for their safe driving accomplishments and truck driving skill!

Recognition

I also recognize those who help their fellow human beings in a time of need.

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









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