http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/blog.php?u=19365 Join the largest trucking community online. Get advice, find out how to become a trucker, and which trucking companies to work for. Discuss trucking issues and news, and find solutions to your problems. en Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:07:30 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/images/truckers/misc/rss.jpg http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/blog.php?u=19365 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=453 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:42:35 GMT Well, I decided not to go on as an agent for another broker. I couldn't find one that had the same ideas and principles that I have. I have been researching the things necessary to start my own brokerage from scratch, putting together figures, writing a business plan. It's been interesting to say the least, and I think it would be easier to buy a truck and go owner-operator than it is to start a brokerage!

The nice thing is I won't have to pay someone to design forms, create a website, or do any of the graphics related stuff for me.

I have been researching transportation software, insurance and bonds, lawyers, and several other things. I already have an accountant that is a good friend and very knowledgeable. What an asset! He was my accountant for my cleaning business years ago, so I am familiar with his work. He is also familiar with the trucking industry.

The lawyer I found has pretty much specialized in the transportation industry, which is really cool. That will be very helpful when it comes to creating contracts.

It's been an interesting journey so far, and is nowhere near done yet! I forget the hassles of starting a business at times, but this process has brought them all back. ]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=453 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=188 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:07:10 GMT The industry, along with the government, have worked together to create the Hours of Service rules and drug testing requirements, which is required... The industry, along with the government, have worked together to create the Hours of Service rules and drug testing requirements, which is required before a company can send a newly hired driver out in a truck, in the event of an accident, and random throughout the year. Vehicle inspections preformed by the DOT and state troopers are another way to locate and correct improper behavior and vehicle maintenance. Scale Houses, also known as weigh stations and chicken coops, are one of the main methods for the DOT and state patrol to monitor vehicle safety and driver behavior. The officials can pull any truck driver into the parking/inspection area, and have them provide their log book, freight bills, etc, and can also inspect the trucks, trailers, and loads at the weigh stations. These weigh stations are located along interstate highways in each state.


There are many requirements and laws governing truck drivers. One of the most important includes medical examinations that are required before a person can obtain a CDL (commercial driver’s license) permit and license, and must be repeated every two years. Certain medical conditions, including epilepsy, certain diabetic conditions requiring insulin, and certain high-blood pressure conditions, prevent a candidate from obtaining a CDL. A person under the age of twenty-one years old is not allowed to operate a tractor-trailer outside of their state of residence. A driver must fully inspect their truck and trailer on a daily basis, and inspect specific items throughout the day. (“Wisconsin Commercial”, 2005)


The amount of time a truck driver is allowed to operate the vehicle is regulated through the Hours of Service rules. A driver is allowed no more than eleven hours of driving time during the day, with an additional three hours allowed for duties such as fueling the truck, vehicle inspections, and various other tasks. The remaining ten hours of the day are reserved for resting, sleeping, and eating. The only split of the ten hour time period allowed is an eight hour-two hour split. (“Hours of Service”)


To obtain a CDL, a driver must pass a written knowledge test and a road skills test. There are additional written tests for vehicles with air brakes, tanker trucks, double and triple trailers, and hazardous materials. The hazardous materials endorsement also requires a finger-print based background check (“Wisconsin Commercial”, 2005). This went into effect with the inception of the Patriot Act.



Wisconsin Commercial Driver’s Manual: Volume 1. (2005). Wisconsin Department of
Transportation. Division of Motor Vehicles.



Hours of Service Regulations. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Part 395.

There will be one more part of this next week, and that is the last of it.
]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=188 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=176 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:25:43 GMT Trucking companies promote safety among their drivers in a variety of ways. New graduates from driving schools are placed into a driver training... Trucking companies promote safety among their drivers in a variety of ways. New graduates from driving schools are placed into a driver training program in which the new driver is paired with a more experienced driver-trainer for six to eight weeks. The driver trainer continues the education the new driver started at driving school. The amount of experience the driver-trainer is required to have varies by company, with the lowest amount of experience being six months. Other company programs include safety bonuses for accident free miles, ‘Driver of the Month’ awards, ‘Million Mile Clubs’, and other incentives for safe driving practices. Werner Enterprises even enters their safe drivers into a drawing for a custom motorcycle and cash prizes on a quarterly basis (Werner.com, 2007).

Satellite communications systems in the trucks enable the companies to verify that their drivers are not “fudging” their log books, which are used to track driving time, on-duty time, and off-duty time. The system allows the company to track the location of the truck, and even shut the truck down if need be. This is useful in the event that a driver is in violation of the Hours of Service rules, and also in the case of hijacked trucks. Along with this system is the paperless/electronic log system, which eliminates the need for paper log books, and eliminates ‘creative writing’ on the part of truck drivers (E. Paulson, 2007).


Vehicle maintenance programs for the company vehicles allow the companies to keep vehicles in good mechanical condition. Along with prolonging the life of the trucks, these maintenance programs allow for safety issues to be detected and fixed before they become problems. The addition of speed governor systems, which limits the top speed a big truck can travel at, trucks with airbags, better technology for brake systems and engines, and brighter, LED lights on the trailers are other changes that are improving the safety of big trucks (E. Paulson, 2007). Many larger trucking companies only keep their trucks until they are two or three years old.

During an interview, a driver-instructor with 19 years and two million miles on record stated that drivers can help educate the general public about what it takes to safely operate a semi, and the appropriate behavior on the road with semis. Helping people understand the training, regulations, and laws that apply to truck drivers and the trucking industry would go a long way towards improving the public perception of the truck driver’s job. The skills involved include more than knowing the rules and regulations. Truck drivers regularly employ math skills, time management, map reading, and problem solving skills throughout their work day, along with utilizing multiple forms of communication (“Message from the”).



Message from the Top. (n.d.) OTR Protrucker.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from http://www.otrprotrucker.com/OTR/mes...-top060305.cfm ]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=176 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=160 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:16:09 GMT Here is part one of the paper. Motorists are at fault in the majority of crashes between passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers; however, the... Here is part one of the paper.

Motorists are at fault in the majority of crashes between passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers; however, the public perception and media portrayal puts the blame on the truck drivers and trucking companies (O’Liddy, 2006). There is much information that the public and the media are not aware of regarding the requirements and regulations for truck drivers, the proper behavior around big trucks on the road, and what the truck driver goes through on a daily basis in the effort to do a job. While there are truck drivers who do violate the rules and regulations, the majority of truck drivers are safe, courteous and professional. For a motorist to show a little courtesy and respect to a big truck on the road not only makes driving safer for everyone, it makes a sometimes lonely existence a bit more bearable.

The public perception that truck drivers are “dumb, lazy, drug addicts, outlaws, lawbreakers, and road hogs” (E. ‘Last Call’ Paulson, personal interview, October 10, 2007) is inaccurate. Truck drivers are referred to as cowboys, pirates, and a variety of other terms, some nice or romantic, other terms not so pleasant. Common public perceptions about truck drivers vary. Some of the perceptions about truck drivers are that they are rude, uneducated, think they own the road, get in the way, and are constantly in violation of the law. Some of these perceptions are based on media representation, while some are based on personal prejudice. The inaccuracy of the negative perceptions can be countered and eliminated with an understanding of the laws and regulations, the skills required to safely operate big trucks, and a realization that a driver that fits the negative perceptions is not going to be driving a truck for long.

One factor that affects many motorists’ perception of trucks and truck drivers is the lack of understanding of what it takes to safely operate tractor-trailers, including the fact that it takes more time and distance to start, stop, turn, and make other maneuvers with big trucks. One thing that motorists really need to understand is that with good tires, good brakes, good roads, a fully loaded big truck requires the distance of the length of a football field to stop safely (“Wisconsin Commercial”, 2005).

Media portrayal, especially in the case of crashes involving big trucks and passenger cars, tends to leave out information regarding who was at fault in the accident. Reports on fatalities and statistics relating to fatalities in crashes between big trucks and passenger cars usually only point out how many fatalities occur in a year (O’Liddy, 2006). The fact is that in fatal crashes between big trucks and cars, only 32 percent of those crashes were the fault of the truck driver (“Large Truck Crash”, 2005). To put that another way, 68 percent of fatal crashes between big trucks and cars were the fault of the driver of the passenger car.

The media and traffic safety organizations, during a recent effort to affect changes in the Hours of Service regulations (which govern how much time a truck driver can be behind the wheel, work, and must rest) touted sleepiness or drowsiness due to truck drivers spending long hours behind the wheel, however, statistics show that “in fatal accidents where drowsiness or sleepiness is cited as a factor, the passenger vehicle driver is cited 94% of the time” (O’Liddy, 2006). Many trucking companies educate their drivers about a variety of topics including recognizing that one is getting tired and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while living on the road. Many drivers do recognize the signs of drowsiness, and have established methods of combating or preventing drowsiness. Truck drivers know that the only way to combat drowsiness is to stop driving and sleep.

Sources
O'Liddy, N. (December 13, 2006) “Media’s Reckless Portrayal of Trucking: AmericanPublic Taken for A Ride.” Truckload Carriers Association website. Retrieved on September 28, 2007 from http://www.truckload.org/pressroom/2...06_Media.shtml.

Wisconsin Commercial Driver’s Manual: Volume 1. (2005). Wisconsin Department of
Transportation. Division of Motor Vehicles.

Large Truck Crash Facts. (2005). FMSCA Analysis Division. Retrieved on September 19, 2007. http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

I'll post part 2 next Saturday. ]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=160 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=159 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:03:36 GMT I will be starting a series of blog posts about a paper I wrote for a class in college. Having mentioned it in a couple of threads, it was... I will be starting a series of blog posts about a paper I wrote for a class in college. Having mentioned it in a couple of threads, it was recommended by CyberGal that I put this into a blog, and I thought it was a great idea. I will be breaking this up into a few posts, as the entire paper when changed over to single spacing (had to double space for school), still takes up 5 pages. First, let me start off by saying that this paper was written for a college class, hence it is written with John Q. Public in mind, and targeted towards that audience. Please keep that in mind as you read. My instructor for the class (Critical Thinking) was a writer herself. I received an 'A' on this paper (118/120). At the end of each post, I will list the sources used for the information in each post. The basic theme of the paper relates to public perception of truck drivers, and things that the public needs to be made aware of regarding sharing the road with the big trucks. The full title of the paper is: "War on the Roads: An Evaluation of Public Perception And Media Portrayal of Crashes Between Passenger Cars and Tractor-Trailers". ]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=159 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=157 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:25:56 GMT There are several reasons I want to be a freight broker. The first one is that it allows me to stay active in an industry that I enjoy. I can not... There are several reasons I want to be a freight broker. The first one is that it allows me to stay active in an industry that I enjoy. I can not drive truck anymore due to a bad back and shoulder. I need to be able to work from home because of the back and shoulder. The problems with those make it difficult for me to work elsewhere. It's very hard to make the adjustments to my routine to suit my physical health working outside the home.

There are quite a few brokers out there that do not treat drivers well. I am going to be a broker that takes care of the drivers. The drivers are the ones that are dealing with the shippers, receivers, traffic, and the fuel, yet there are brokers out there that take a percentage of the fuel surcharge, and treat the drivers like crap.

I read the threads in this forum about brokers, and then started my own thread to find out some more info on what things make a good broker in the eyes of those that utilize those services. It has been a very useful source of information.

My searches on the web have provided me with some of the information that I needed. I will be purchasing a training manual from a freight broker to learn the rest of the stuff I need. I was able to review a summary of what is in their manual, where as some of the other books available did not have even a table of contents available.

I plan on starting as an agent so that I can earn the money I will need to start my own brokerage. It takes a bit to do that between the DOT Authority, insurance, surety bond, and operating funds. Having an established client base will help make the transition easier. I already have the office equipment that I need in place. I may want to get a different computer by time I am ready to fly solo though. Maybe a laptop. I'll make that decision later though.

Well, that covers some of the basics of why I want to become a freight broker. I will be ordering the manual today or tomorrow. Once I get it, I will go through it, start learning and then get started. ]]> Lilbit http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/entry.php?b=157