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Showing posts with label Truck driver. Show all posts

The Dripping Faucet Of Trucking

I can still remember my Mom reminding me to make sure the dripping faucet in the bathroom is all the way off. That little drip over a month could add into the thousands over time. Without close observation, it is easy to neglect it.

I mean what is one drop of water?

Well for some reason I equate this to the trucking and transportation industry. One truck waiting for a delivery may not make a significant impact on wasted fuel and lost time. One additional regulation may not be that significant. One more toll increase might be lost in the sands of time. Multiply that by thousands of trucks over thousands of days and you come to some astounding numbers. Just for lost fuel and time in traffic alone, the public faces additional costs to the tune of:

$27 Billion

This is the number I read in Overdrive magazine that is wasted as we, and our trucks, are waiting in traffic. Shockingly, this number does not even mention the billions in regulatory cost that trucking has been saddled with. On top of that, you couple lost road time, lost fuel, and regulation with a driver shortage, and the $27 Billion number begins to approach triple digits.

Tolls, and inflation are additional costs that send the amount of increased costs into the stratosphere. You combine all these costs and it is a real possibility that road transportation could become prohibitively expensive for a lot of things.

It adds up really fast (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This statement probably seems ridiculous but costs of doing business in transportation keep piling up on truckers and fleet managers and the public is feeling these costs at the store since it ultimately impacts them. Pretty soon those drops of wasted water begin to overflow the sink.

A penny more here, a few cents more there do not seem that big a deal but it is being absorbed by the public on everything from fuel, to food and even to non essentials. The faucet is dripping over and over and no one is looking at how to shut it off. In the case of the public, I have a strong suspicion they do not even realize the connection between runaway trucking costs and their finances. So in turn it is not just road delays we have to worry about, but a system that is being pushed far beyond what it can bear financially.

Eventually, that faucet will have totaled enough to fleece the public out of HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS in added costs of what they use in daily life.

A possible solution?

I have no fast solutions but I do have some ideas.

As an industry we need to direct a portion of our outreach and education to the general public and consumer groups focusing on

The costs we are paying in terms of regulation, inflation, fuel, tolls, congestion..etc
How those costs are draining their pockets at the store

We need to encourage the public to contact their Congressman about slowing the pace of regulation, tolls, and fuel increases. Connecting fuel increase reduction with the unopened Keystone Pipeline might not be a bad issue to push as well.

Another direction would be to see how we can reduce road congestion by the smart management of traffic. With all the technology can’t we get more people off the roads by giving businesses incentives to start telecommuting programs? This may seem silly but it is clear that those cars on the road add up.

Why not offer incentives to come to work at different times of the day to reduce bottlenecks that occur when people come at one set time.

It will take a lot more than just a few ideas, but this is a start. I would love to hear your ideas…

-Michael Saks
Editor of Haulin
msaks@ectts.com

Overdrive article link
http://www.overdriveonline.com/traffic-costs-trucking-industry-27-billion-a-year-says-study/

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The Driver Shortage Is The Tip Of The Iceberg

It Will Be More Than A Driver Shortage..

Shares of the U.S. truck driver workforce by age, current and projected. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A 100,000 man job shortage is predicted by trucking over the next ten years. That number is big, but is not insurmountable.

Accordingly,I have a few questions about that number.I have a sinking feeling that not just is that number artificially low but I think there are going to be shortages everywhere.

According to an article from Todayonline.com, 10,000 people will reach retirement age each day for the next 19 years. If you start doing the match you will see that.

That number gets real big, real fast

Do the math. Approximately 3-1/2 Americans will be 65 after one year. In 4 years that is 12 million and ultimately you get up to big numbers like 20 million plus by 2021.

Even if those Baby Boomers (ironic name for retirement era) work part time or lifestyle oriented business there are positions they will just not be able to fill.

Truck driving is one of those jobs, but think of all the other ones that this just wont cut it. Some positions have to be full time.

Back to trucking. My gut feeling is this shortage could easily go over 100,000 drivers but only time will tell.

http://www.todayonline.com/Business/Management/EDC130107-0000004/Get-ready-for-the-new-workforce

NewStrap 2013 Car Hauler / Autohauler unit with Peterbilt 388 For Sale

Cottrell Carhauler model: Cottrell CX-09LS3 Trailer


Cottrell Car hauler for sale

Straps versus Chains

One of the biggest dilemmas for carhaulers is whether to buy a strap unit or a chain unit. While chains are still popular among many autohaulers, many manufacturers will only allow their cars to be hauled with straps as the tie down method. Some Manufacturers like Toyota require 100% compliance with the total strap use policy

Strap trailers make it easier to secure your loads

The reasons are pretty simple. Chains put pressure on the frame of the car. After one or two trips with chains there WILL be damage to the vehicle. While chains offer the ability to reduce height, straps are much safer on the frame of a vehicle. Some vehicles don’t even have eyelits any more for chains. This is a risk that car sellers just do not want to take. Thus a migration has begun for many carhaulers and fleet managers to begin outfitting their vehicles with straps or purchasing new strap units altogether.

Another huge advantage that Straps have over chains is that they put a lot less pressure on the driver. Chains require the driver to secure the vehicle on top of and under the ramp. This requires additional reach and strain on both your back, shoulders, and knees. Over time this can lead to a repetitive strain injury. Straps prevent this by requiring that the vehicle only be secured on top of the ramp from a standing position. For this reason alone straps have a huge advantage for the long term health of the driver.

Regardless there is still a big following of carhaulers who prefer chains. There are some interesting solutions. Some drivers purchase straps and use them in tandem with their chain unit. “Some carhaulers come in and buy 30 to 40 straps at a time to outfit their chain units” according to E.Jacoby, carhauler specialist at East Coast Truck and Trailer. As long as the customer does not require a truck that was designed for strap use only, this is a versatile solution.

While we still sell a lot of chain units, strap units are definitely the future. Manufacturer mandates ,coupled with huge improvements in driver loading ergonomics, give strap units a lot of appeal. Here at East Coast Truck and Trailer we still carry both types. We also sell straps individually that are made in America, both in our store and online. Whatever direction you choose to go, we have you covered.

New Strap Trailer At ECTTS

Two plead guilty in mail fraud case targeting truckers

Carhaulers Watch out...This New Type Of Con Accuses Truckers of Accidents That They Did Not Committ

Michael J. McMahon, 55, and Dawn C. Velapoldi, 43, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for reporting fake vehicle crashes targeting commercial truckers and receiving more than $168,000 in insurance claims, according to a press release from the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, McMahon and Velapoldi reported fake motor vehicle crashes to fraudulently obtain compensation for damage to vehicles they said was caused by commercial trucks at numerous locations throughout New York.

Since 2006, prosecutors said McMahon and Velapoldi made at least 83 claims to trucking companies about the fake accidents. The claims stated a commercial truck sideswiped a sports utility vehicle, causing damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle. In each case, McMahon and Velapoldi provided the name of a different purported claimant.

To read the full Article Click HERE

New Car Hauler 7064CO/7065CO

Carhaulers and Truckers: Gaurd Your Cargo!

Adapted From Transport Topics
August 2011

As if you didnt have enough to worry about as a carhauler or trucker, this article popped up to remind us that cargo theft is one more thing to watch out for. Cargo Theft has always been a problem but I would imagine with a strained economy theft and crime in general are on the rise. It is of paramount importance to protect your autotransport and its valuable cargo as their are plenty of thieves waiting to lift your car carrier or truck. Heres a few tips adapted from Transport Topics

* Lock your trailer and cargo at all times. Thieves want to look at the cargo to find targets. With some vehicles, like a non enclosed carhauler
trailer this is not possible, but with many normal trucking loads it is

* Keep your truck and cargo in view at all times. Some thieves will simply back under your trailer and drive off with your cargo

* Be Careful what you say to strangers on the cb or truck stop, many cargo thieves use this information to target their prey

* Be ready for any possible scam scenario-even a minor accident is a tactic crooks use to distract you while your cargo is raided or hijacked

* Check your vehicle before leaving for your destination for marks alerting thieves which truck to steal

* Check paperwork and authorization before transferring any load. Thieves will pose as the legitimate receiver so you transfer your cargo to them

This is a lot to do but at the very least don't make it easier for criminals to take your car hauler or truck. If they don't know what your carrying or your cargo is watched often, it will be very hard to have your vehicle or car carrier stolen.

Here is the link to the original article

Truck Driver Shortage is Here

Truck driver shortage has industry concerned
Older generation retiring faster than replacements take the wheel

By WALKER MOSKOP
STAFF WRITER
July 2011,

Image via Wikipedia

Despite the growing demand for fuel, San Antonio-based Coastal Transport Co. is having trouble picking up more business.

It has enough trucks. It just needs to hire more drivers. A simple solution, right?

Across the country, trucking companies wish the situation were that straightforward. But as the need for truckers is growing, the labor pool is contracting.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7657589.html#ixzz1STt7xJyk

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7657589.html

Distracted Driving at a whole new level

pulled from Toronto Sun
July 21,2010

A Kitchener truck driver is facing a careless driving charge but on the bright side, his tooth doesn’t hurt anymore.

Lambton County OPP say they stopped a big rig driver doing some driving dentistry along Hwy. 402 on Wednesday.

Const. John Reurink told the Sun Saturday it’s the first time he’s ever heard of a driver being pulled over performing dental surgery.

“I’ve never heard of this sort of thing occurring before,” Reurink said, adding he has stopped drivers doing their make-up, reading a map or talking on a cellphone. “Somebody doing an amateur tooth pulling? That’s a first.”

Reurink said it all started June 30 when an officer was on Hwy. 402 in Warwick Township, near Sarnia, and a passing driver pointed him to a tractor trailer being driven “all over the road.”

The officer found the eastbound rig and pulled it over.

Cops determined the 58-year-old driver was driving so poorly because he was trying to pull out a tooth while he was driving.

“The driver was very forthright with the officer,” Reurink said.

The amateur dentist of a driver had rigged a string around his hurting tooth and then tied the other end to the roof of the cab, police said.

“One good bump and the tooth should come out,” police explained.

Turns out the “one good bump” likely did come along at some point.

“The evidence of his efforts were nearby,” Reurink said.

When the driver was stopped the officer found a bloody tooth and a string lying next to him.

Strangely, police say the road down that way isn’t that bumpy and was recently resurfaced.

“He may have been better off on a sideroad,” Reurink said.

Police won’t be releasing the driver’s name because he’s charged under the Highway Traffic Act, not the Criminal Code, and they figure he’d be “continuously bombarded” by media trying to talk to him about his stunt - which would likely be more of a headache than a toothache.
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msaks@ectts.com -

- msaks@ectts.com

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