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22
Jan
Owner Operators Show Business Optimism For 2014
As January got rolling in earnest, owner-operators back from holiday breaks or just continuing on their way through record-low temps and reports of yearend rate increases in the spot freight market reflected a majority view that their businesses would fare better in 2014 than the prior year. “Outlook is profitable,” wrote reader Richard Young on Overdrive’s Facebook page.Owner-operator Tilden Curl concurred. He was handed lemons with the California Air Resources Board’s Statewide Truck and Bus Rule, which this year is banning unmodified 1996-2006 model year diesel engines on its roadways. But Curl says he’ll use his proactive investment to make lemonade in 2014. (more…)
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15
Jan
The Return of the Truck that Never Went Away
Cabover fans rejoice! The Freightliner Argosy is alive and well, and available through most DTNA dealers in North America – as a glider kit.While many were glad to see them go, cab-over-engine chassis designs still appeal to a small but loyal sector of the industry. Many will be surprised to learn that the Argosy COE never completely disappeared. According to Don White, manager for Cab and Glider Sales for Daimler Trucks North America, the fully assembled truck was taken out of production due to low market demand in 2006, but it has remained on the books in the NAFTA countries as a glider kit ever since. (more…)
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07
Jan
Deadline for drivers to comply with medical certification rule coming Jan. 30
Truck drivers have until Jan. 30 to self-certify their operating status and provide medical examiner’s certificates to state driver licensing agencies.On Jan. 30, 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began requiring CDL holders to identify if they conduct intrastate or interstate commerce and if they hold non-excepted or excepted status. Most truckers are classified under non-excepted interstate commerce and must furnish a current medical examiner’s certificate to state agencies.
Read moreThose who do not need to have a license renewal, upgrade or transfer during the two-year implementation process still must self-certify and provide the certificate, often called a DOT card, by the 2014 deadline. (more…)
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10
Dec
Study: Trucks Move More Than 70% of Manufactured Goods in 2012
American manufacturers and related industries shipped almost 11.7 billion tons of goods valued at more than $13.6 trillion in 2012, according to preliminary numbers from the 2012 Commodity Flow Survey released by U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau.Preliminary numbers from the CFS show that in 2012 trucks moved manufactured goods, refined petroleum products, chemicals and raw materials originating with shippers in the U.S., amounting to about 8 billion tons in shipments valued at $10 trillion. These shipments represent 73.7% of the value and 70% of the weight of freight. The CFS covers about three-fourths of all freight movements, excluding imports, shipments from farms, crude oil production, and a few smaller categories. (more…)
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04
Dec
How to prep your truck for Old Man Winter
Nothing tests a truck’s readiness for climate change like a hard, frigid blast of arctic air. That’s why winter preparation is an annual event for owner-operators, whether based in Minot, N.D., or Shreveport, La. Basic preparation can pay big dividends by avoiding unnecessary downtime.
Coolants
Whether you use conventional or extended-drain coolant, your coolant system should get the lion’s share of attention as sub-freezing temperatures approach. Here are tips to ensure your system is ready to endure the winter.
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