Archive for Uncategorized - page 13

The Q4 results of 2011 were surprisingly good, and the results couldn’t have come at a better time, boosting confidence going into 2012.

But then — The Euro crisis deepened, truck sales dropped, and foreign markets sagged. The U.S. election fostered uncertainty; and The States’ growth was slower than expected. All of it ­contributed to a year of uncertainty.

So here we stand, at the very edge of the calendar year. Will 2013 be as unlucky as it sounds? For this, our annual economic look ­forward, Today’s Trucking perceived a few key rays of sunshine, piercing the fiscal fog.

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Weather forecasters are predicting not only one of the coldest, but the snowiest winters in the last five years. Here are a few simple tips to help maintain your equipment and fuel tanks.

1. Be sure you have adequately treated the bulk fuel tanks for the temperatures you will be dealing with. Think in terms of where the coldest point the truck will run to and treat accordingly.

2. Block heaters are not designed to warm an engine. They are designed to maintain the heat already generated in the engine. Thus it is crucial that the truck be plugged in while the engine is still warm.

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For-hire trucking companies added 2,500 payroll jobs in November on a seasonally adjusted basis after a downward revision by 1,600 jobs of initial October trucking employment figures, according to the latest estimates released Dec. 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The overall U.S. economy added 146,000 nonfarm jobs in November, but that followed a downward revision of October levels by 49,000. The national unemployment rate in November was 7.7% — down from 7.9% in October, according to BLS figures. BLS said its analysis suggests that Hurricane Sandy did not substantively impact the national employment and unemployment estimates for November.

Payroll employment in trucking in November totaled 1.3584 million jobs — up 0.18% from October and 3.6% from November 2011. Trucking employment is up by 124,200 jobs, or 10.1%, from the bottom in March 2010, but it remains 95,000 jobs, or 6.5%, below the peak in January 2007. The number of trucking jobs is up 3.1% since the beginning of the year.

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CRST Expedited will be hiring at least 50 drivers in its December hiring event. Company officials have announced that they are not only seeking experienced Class A licensed drivers, but that they invite inexperienced drivers and recent truck school graduates to attend the event, too.

CRST offers home-time and a 20 days on, 10 days off program where drivers earn an entire month’s income in 20 days of work. They are also offering all new hires family-wide medical coverage available in week one, as well as full benefits and a 401(k) plan after 90 days.

To be hired, you must be at least 21 years old, have no felony convictions in the past 10 years and no drug-related felony convictions, no misdemeanor convictions in the past three years and no drug-related misdemeanor convictions in the past 15 years, no at-fault, rear-end accidents in the past two years, no DUIs in the past five years and only two DUIs ever.

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According to AAA, about 43.6 million Americans will travel during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As gas prices drop, more people are choosing a car as their preferred method of transportation in order to avoid the costs associated with flying. With so many opting to drive, the roads will be bustling with holiday traffic.

Safe driving practices can go a long way in helping you get to where you need to be. Check out our top 12 tips for staying safe while traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday.

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