March 22, 2024
Welcome to California: home of beaches, mountains, deserts, and of course Regulations, Reporting, and Requirements. Oh my!
As folks were ringing in the New Year, many California fleets were also wringing their hands as they juggled multiple reporting requirements for several new fleet rules in the state. And these regulations are not only for those vehicles domiciled in California. Regulations have expanded to encompass vehicles that may occasionally roll through the state, with requirements for owners, operators, brokers and hiring entities.
March 20, 2024
So much, but also so little, has changed.
Looking back on my 32 years in the trucking industry, there is a quote that I have heard attributed to the late iconic truckload operator Russ Gerdin, founder of Heartland Express. According to legend, he said that trucking is pretty simple you just “haul the freight from point A to point B and collect the money.” While many things have changed over the last 30 years, many things truly are the same.
March 18, 2024
A California judge on Friday, March 15, ruled against the trucking industry in its effort to halt the state’s application of its restrictive AB 5 independent contractor law on trucking, ultimately ruling that trucking should make its case legislatively rather than judicially.
The AB 5 law, of course, has been in effect in California since January 2020 and under fire from trucking all along. The law codifies the ABC test for worker classification and effectively bans the traditional leased owner-operator model.
March 14, 2024
Parked among the bright and shiny custom cars on the floor of the CHI Health Center convention center in Omaha, Nebraska, this past week at the World of Wheels car show was a 28-foot cargo trailer featuring a truck driving simulator mounted inside.
March 12, 2024
Imagine a scenario: a hurricane hurtles toward the coast, threatening to disrupt supply chains and wreak chaos in the trucking industry. A robust disaster preparedness plan isn’t just a luxury when it comes to natural disasters, it’s an absolute necessity.
March 12, 2024
Don’t ride beside an 18-wheeler, they can’t see you, and something could fly off their truck. Don’t cut off an 18-wheeler, wait until you see both headlights in your rearview mirror before moving over because they can’t stop on a dime. These are just a couple of the lessons I’ve learned over the years from my mother, the passenger-seat driver.
Annoying as it may have been, I’m glad I was taught how to move safely around large trucks – knowledge that, if widespread, could save many lives. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth saying again: drivers of passenger cars need to be educated about how to operate vehicles alongside large trucks.
March 6, 2024
Representative Kevin Kiley (R-California) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) introduced Wednesday a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that seeks to overturn the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final worker classification rule that threatens to upend trucking’s use of independent owner operators when it takes effect Monday.
March 4, 2024
Businesses are inherently risky. It’s the core nature of market-based systems. It’s how investors make or lose money. Essentially, it’s gambling.
New businesses come and go every day. Even well-established companies with huge brand recognition suddenly find themselves in bankruptcy because the market changed.
March 1, 2024
When one of your trucks is involved in a crash event, it’s a stressful situation. There’s a lot to manage between helping your driver and working with the other parties involved.
February 22, 2024
Given the complexity of today’s trucking environment, moving to dedicated contract carriage makes sense for many fleets. However, before making the decision, it is important to carefully vet potential dedicated contract carriers to ensure they will be a good fit for you.
