What’s New in Trucking
As we keep truckin’ the season’s are changing. It’s autumn in most places and a little wintery in the mountains. So it’s time to think about what winter months will bring and be prepared for the challenges.
Plus, thecn new HOS rules went into effect and we have some useful links below if you’re still unsure about how to use them. And we included some fun and silly stuff below for our own entertainment.
Trucking Safety & Compliance
New hours of service rule takes effect, here’s a primer on what’s changing – If you’ve been too busy to grapple with what changes the new HOS rule brings, or you need a refresher, check out the video produced by CCJ sister site Overdrive exploring the finer points of using the split-sleeper berth options within the regs.
Video: Where to find a two/three-hour 14-clock pause in the new HOS – So in the interest of delivering to those of you who appreciate information of a brass-tacks, short-and-sweet character, this might be the best I can do, in about five minutes.
CVSA imagines a future where technology constantly monitors truckers in stop motion video – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released a video that looks ahead to a future where technology is integrated into nearly every aspect of commercial vehicle enforcement.
Social media, Internet footprint could be used against carriers in crash litigation –
Plaintiff attorneys put a lot of effort into painting truckers in a negative – if not outright violent – light, but among the defense tools carriers have at their disposal is their own reputation and how their companies are perceived.
One of the things a carrier can do to sculpt its public perception is refine its web footprint, because the Internet will be the first place litigators and potential jurors look post-crash.
Winter is a Comin’
As winter looms, be sure you have best weather apps –
Regardless of the season, the savvy trucker always has a weather eye open and consults the forecast for where they’re going as they do their trip planning.
Fortunately, there’s a boatload of apps that can give you more than just the time and temperature you’re likely to get on the radio as you drive. Many can give you current conditions and also fairly accurate short and long-range forecasts
Winter weather changes stresses on truck systems –
Proper truck and trailer maintenance isn’t seasonal, but as temperatures begin to swing from hot to cool – and then to cold in the months ahead – the demands and stresses on a given system can change.
CCJ spoke with several maintenance experts who each offered their recommendations for winterizing a truck.
Colorado troopers cite 10% of truckers during surprise snow chain inspection –
The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) conducted a surprise chain inspection along the I-70 corridor.
The CSP inspections happened on Monday, September 28, on I-70 between mile markers 133 and 259.
The Lighter Side of Trucking
Sleepers are a truck driver’s ‘home away from home’ but these custom extended sleepers are taking cozy to a whole new level.
Seemingly the ‘tiny homes of the trucking world,’ these spacious, feature-filled sleepers are built by companies like ARI Legacy Sleepers, and come in a variety of sizes, floor plans, and customizations. In ARI’s case, available customizations include tile work, full-size appliances, ceiling fans, gaming stations, toilets, showers, kitchens, and more.
Truck Thieves Somehow Didn’t Steal The Video Camera That Was Running The Whole Time –
In the front of the rig was a GoPro which was recording. It filmed as the group of suspected thieves rifled through the cab. It filmed as it was driven away to the parking lot of a nearby grocery store where it was later recovered.
Somehow though, the thieves never took the camera.
VIDEO: Costume-wearing truck driver may face distracted driving charges – “I don’t think it’s against the law for a driver to wear an elephant mask,” said the owner of the trucking company that employs the driver in question.
