Finding a great trucking company to work for in Arkansas can be tricky sometimes—especially if you are a newbie driver and don’t really know the ropes yet. Even though the trucking industry has a hugely overwhelming need for drivers, not too many drivers are flocking to the state of Arkansas. It would be ideal if as the older truckers retired, new drivers would come into view. But this isn’t the case. For whatever reason, the recruitment of new truck drivers is tedious and difficult. This might be caused by a few bad truck drivers that gives the whole industry a bad name—no one wants to get involved. All in all, the ratio to new drivers to experienced drives isn’t as equal as it should be. So, if you are looking for an Arkansas truck driving jobs to start your career, take a look at some of these things to keep in mind.

· Treatment: First of all, how do they treat their employees? Too many people just go with the first trucking company that shows interest in them. They later find out that the employees are not respected.

· Quality: What kind of reputation do they have? Are they a quality company who can be depended on and respected? Do companies want to use that particular trucking company for shipping?

· Work: Is there going to be enough work to keep you working full-time? This is crucial. You don’t want to go with a company who will be out of business in a few years because no one uses them.

· Long-term: Is it a company that you can see yourself working for long-term. Will you be happy there for a long time?

There are so many other things to consider when finding the right Arkansas truck driving company—these are just a few. Basically, do your research. Find out everything you can about the company in order to make sure it is a good fit.

As the Baby Boomer generation has started to make its way out of the office and into retirement, many are looking for ways to stay active without having to work a traditional nine-to-five job. In addition, couples and good friends who want a freer schedule and the ability to be their own boss choose team driving. For the husband and wife duo of Mark and Lori Crocker, team driving seemed like a perfect fit for their lifestyle.

Mark and Lori Crocker hail from Bastrop, TX, and drive for Schneider National. Mark and Lori are very different in their trucking backgrounds. Mark has been in the trucking industry for ten-and-one-half years and has traveled all over the country hauling loads. Lori, on the other hand, just received her CDL from Schneider National approximately two months ago and is new to driving big rigs. “I’ve had to shift gears between being a mother, being a truck driver, being a wife, being a daughter … so that’s really been quite an adjustment, but you just hang with it,” commented Lori.

While the couple has only been on the road for two months, they have already had some interesting stories on their travels. One such story happened while driving in Tennessee. Mark wanted to treat Lori to a burger and fries for lunch. After deciding on Hardee’s, they both tried to figure out the closest location. While Lori flipped the pages in her handy truck stop guide, Mark nonchalantly uttered, “Exit 87.” Lori sat in the truck amazed, but decided to test the extent of Mark’s geographical knowledge by asking him the capitol of Vermont. Mark quickly replied, “I have no idea.” Lori laughed, “You don’t know the capitol of Vermont but you can find a truck stop with a Hardee’s restaurant?!”

Although Mark and Lori have already shared many fond memories on the open road, they admit the frequency is not all fun and games. Being away from family and friends is hard for both drivers. Luckily Mark and Lori’s family support them and their decision to work away from home. “You have to have such good support from your family, which I do. They are very supportive about me driving,” commented Lori. Mark jokingly chimed in, “And [the support of] your husband!”

When asked to give advice to future team drivers, the couple felt that meeting the driver before getting in the truck was essential in determining compatibility. A common theme seemed to be communication between the two drivers in order to make long travels as smooth as possible. The couple advised that a new driver should be open about pet peeves (i.e. loud radio, smoking, snoring, etc.) so that their partner can do his or her best to accommodate. While the couple admits that not all drivers paired together will make a good team, Lori concluded by stating, “There will be some days when all you want to do is just hang it up–but stay with it.”

Fast Facts about the Trucking Tandem:

Truck: Freightliner Century Class

Favorite Satellite Radio Stations: NASCAR Channel, The 80′s Stations, Blue Collar Comedy Tour

Favorite Truck Stops: Flying J’s

Favorite thing about being a trucker: The freedom of the road; nobody watching over your shoulder

Least Favorite thing about being a trucker: Being away from family

Everything we purchase, use, or consume was at one time transported by truck. Even if a product traveled by train, plane, or ship, it was still trucked. The trucking industry is one of the largest in the world. But many people are inclined to stereotype truck drivers as “all muscle and no brains.” Yet the trucking industry has some of the most strict and diverse rules and regulations.

To be successful in the trucking business takes skill, ingenuity, energy, hard work, and most of all intelligence to keep updated with all the federal and state rules, regulations and laws. Just driving down the road, though vital, is just a part of the industry. Successful truck drivers have done their homework and learned all the ins and outs of the trucking industry.

When starting a trucking company, it is important to know these rules, regulations and laws before starting. Failure to do so can result in spending thousands of unnecessary dollars. Often drivers end up spending weeks and months fixing problems and learning laws when they could be earning money on the road.

If you are considering becoming an owner/operator or starting a multi truck company here are the top ten things you should research before you begin:

1. Name and Entity Creation: Your name is one of the biggest and, believe it or not, one of the hardest decisions you will make. Your name is what people will think of when they think of your services; so, you want it to be easily remembered.

2. Equipment Type and Commodity: Decide what kind of commodities you want to haul. Do you want to haul dry goods, refrigerated goods, flat bed commodities, scrap metal, etc. By deciding what kind of commodity you want to haul, you will determine what kind of equipment you need: refer-trailer, flat bed trailer, car hauler, etc.

3. Federal Authority: This gives you federal authority to transport goods. You must have you federal authority in place before you can haul anything.

4. Insurance and Bonding: You must have certain insurances and bonding in place before you can receive all of your authority and licensing.

5. BOC-3 Filing: This filing is a contact listing for all states to help with problems on the road.

6. Licensing the tractor and trailer: You need to be licensed for each state you are going to operate in.

7. IFTA License: Every state wants the fuel tax that is used in their state. IFTA License creates a system for you to pay the state one fee and the state distributes the fuel tax to the appropriate states.

8. Federal Heavy Highway Use Tax: The federal government charges a tax for truck drivers for the privilege of using Federal highways.

9. Single State Registration: Each state DOT has a Single State Registration that you also must pay per state that you plan to drive in.

10. Individual State Permits: There are some states that have permits outside the Single State Registration and IFTA Licensing. Some of these states are: New Mexico, New York, Kentucky and Oregon.

These are the top ten vital things a future driver should now about before starting. By learning these ten items, a future driver begins his road to a successful trucking business.

Trucking company is a large a complex business. It is important to learn and understand everything that is required of you to succeed. Though there is money to be made in the trucking industry you want to be properly educated so you keep those profits in your own pocket and spent on needless penalties or missed opportunity.

When you drive on America’s highways, you expect the drivers around you to follow the rules and drive as safely as you do. Unfortunately, in all too many cases, other drivers are under the influence of chemical substances to make help them stay alert. Substance use and trucking seem to be very prevalent as drivers try to get the edge on driver fatigue and boredom. Stimulants and other chemicals used to stay alert often have the opposite effect especially once severe fatigue sets in. Substance abuse is a leading factor in many fatal truck accidents

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Reasons Truckers Turn to Stimulants

There are many reasons over the road truckers might decide to try to use artificial stimulants to maintain their edge on the road. Truck driving is a tough job and is frequently monotonous and boring, especially on the Interstate Highway System. Some reasons truck drivers may use a stimulant substance may include:

Long hours
Unrealistic deadlines
Inexperience
Performance pressures

Many drivers get paid more to get their loads in early, since they ostensibly must stay within the set speed limits, they tend to drive for longer periods of time. In order to maintain their edge, they will drink gallons of coffee and pop other artificial stimulants in order to stave off driver fatigue.

Legal Substances

There are many natural and man made stimulants that claim they help boost alertness and maintain energy. Many drivers use one or more of the following stimulants to keep awake:

No-doze
Coffee
Energy drinks
Prescription medications

These substances are legal and are readily available in most truck stops. While they may artificially stimulate and increase wakefulness for a period of time, they often lead to a crash and must continue to be maintained. Too much caffeine, which is the primary ingredient of most of these substances, can cause jitteriness, which then poses another problem to truck drivers taking too much caffeine. Reaction times decrease when caffeine jitters set in.

Illegal Substances

All too often, when over the counter stimulants fail to work any longer, some truck drivers decide on more powerful, and illegal substances to try to maintain their energy level. Examples of illegal stimulants include:

Methamphetamines
Cocaine
Abused prescription medications
Alcohol
Marijuana

Although alcohol and marijuana are not known as stimulants, many drivers turn to them to help combat the boredom of the road. Drug addictions usually promote a cycle of looking for the next fix, making stoned drivers especially dangerous to other drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board found that 12.5 percent of fatal truck accidents involved marijuana.

Hours of Service Rules

In order to try to mitigate some of the situations that lead to long hours on the road, federal regulations limit the number of hours a driver can be on the road, with mandatory downtime where no driving is performed. Violations can lead to fines for the trucking company and the driver, as well as possible revocation of the driver’s commercial driver’s license. Once trucking companies learn to put the safety of all motorists on the road above profits; trucking accidents caused by substance use while driving should be minimized.

Truck driving is one of those jobs that keep America going. Without qualified, dedicated truck drivers, the store shelves would be empty and the American way of life as we know it would no longer exist. So, if you are looking into a new career path in a new industry, consider the trucking industry. Being a truck driver has many benefits, and here are just a few to look for when searching for local truck driving jobs:

Many trucking companies will lend a listening ear to your scheduling needs. You will also be able to choose if your want local runs or between-state runs—whichever fits your lifestyle and schedule needs better. Never having to work in a cubicle again is a huge benefit. Everyday will be a change of scenery, a change of environment—which definitely keeps things from getting boring. Because the need for trained truck drivers continues to increase, most trucking companies offer fantastic compensation and unbeatable benefits. Some companies even offer a few signing bonuses to new hires. The pay is also great. Many truck drivers can make more money than some college graduates. The great thing about the trucking industry is that the more experience you have, the more you can get paid. Because there is that constant need for trained truck drivers, you can rest assured that you have some job security. Even if it doesn’t work out with that particular company, there are tons of other options that will be eager to hire you. If your spouse is also a truck driver, you can go on the road together. Teams can make over $100,000 a year. What’s not to love about the trucking industry?

While many industries have been on the decline, the trucking industry has been growing and thriving. The trucking industry is always on the hunt for qualified individuals to drive trucks of all sizes, and unlike many other industries, the trucking industry simply cannot be outsourced.

The fact is that we will always need the trucking industry in order to get goods from one part of the country to the other, and for this reason the opportunities for truckers and trucking companies are only expected to grow in the future. Those who are licensed to drive the big rigs are often able to make a very good living, and there is a great deal of flexibility in the trucking profession as well.

For instance, some of those who work for trucking companies are long haul drivers, and they may drive the whole way across the country several times a month as they go about their jobs. It is the long haul truck drivers who generally make the highest salaries, but he downside is that they are often away from home for weeks at a time.

On the other side of the trucking coin are the many opportunism for local truck drivers. There are always a number of opportunities for local truck drivers to deliver goods from one part of the area to another, and while those drivers typically do not make the high salaries of the long haul drivers, they are generally able to get home every night. This makes the local trucking industry a great choice for working mothers, older people and those who just want to be home more often.

Of course the big rigs are not the only part of the trucking industry. There is always a need for people to drive smaller trucks, such as delivery trucks and vans, and many in the trucking industry have gotten their start in just such a way. The trucking industry is a varied one as well as a growing industry, and those who are in search of a higher paying job would do well to explore it more fully.

While the world of trucking and truck driving will of course not be right for everyone, for those who have the qualifications and talent necessary, driving a big rig can be a great way to make a very good living. And unlike many other industries, truck driving simply cannot be outsourced; there will always be a need for people to get those goods from one part of the country to another.

Emissions Standards: Part 1

Maybe you’ve heard the buzz. New emissions standards are coming for drivers and truck fleets. You might hear the word urea circulating. A lot of questions are being raised about what truckers, towers, and haulers are going to have to do. This group of newsletter articles is designed to begin separating the myths from the truths as we move headfirst (at high speed) into a greener more pollution free economy.

To be totally fair to both the government and the transportation industry I would like to take a brief look to what the goals are of the new standards and why. Summarizing from a Waste Age Magazine segment:

Truck Manufacturers must produce a product that reduces pollutants from their vehicles starting on post 2010 new trucks.
Truck Manufacturers are using one of 2 technologies to do this, Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or exhaust gas recirculation.
Most will use the catalytic reduction system requiring the periodic filling of a separate truck tank with a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) made primarily of the compound Urea. This compound will bond with pollutants and reduce exhaust.
The new standards are designed to reduce costs by improving fuel economy in heavy trucks.
There is controversy over how much the Diesel Exhaust Fluid(DEF)  is going to cost at the pump.
Another question is whether urea will react poorly to extremely cold temperatures and freeze in the special DEF tank.

There is a lot more to be said about this. The links to the original article are on our towing, autohauling, and trucker blogs and you can access it there. To link to the blogs click here.

Towedover.blogspot.com for Towers or Autohauling.blogspot.com for Carhaulers

Kilcarr, Sean. “Revving Up.”wasteage.com. January 1, 2009.

Emissions Standard Exceptions

Does anyone want to be exempt from the emissions standards? You do have a legal option. Any truck made before 2010, whether it is new or not, is exempt from the SCR standards, the need for a DEF tank, and the joy of pouring urea into their vehicle. Just email masks@ectts.com or call 757-465-2200

Each year in the United States there are approximately 5,000 deaths and over 100,000 injuries from 18-wheeler accidents. The thought of allowing Mexican trucks free access to our highways has caused an outcry and protests in 2007.

In September 2007, under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Bush administration approved a pilot program that would allow Mexican trucks to freely traverse US highways. However, the period between September 2007 and February 2008 saw only 247 Mexican trucks make long haul trips under the program.

Administration Promises Full Inspection Of Every Vehicle

Mary Peters, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, told the congressional committee that held hearings concerning the opening of our highways to Mexican trucks in March 2008 that the pilot program would require a thorough inspection of every truck before it crossed the U.S. border. This was in an effort to put to rest any questions of unsafe vehicles entering the country that might contribute to additional 18-wheeler accidents. Critics of the plan, however, doubt that “every truck, every time” could be inspected.

Truck Inspections Raise Several Questions

The current high-volume of traffic flows brings concern that inspection centers lack the space, manpower and technology to monitor and catch problems that would reduce 18-wheeler accidents. There are also significant differences between Mexican and U.S. truck safety standards.

In the United States every truck must meet U.S. safety standards. Public Citizen, a major critic of the Bush pilot program, fears that the Department of Transportation assumes all trucks produced after 1996 that are used by Mexican based companies are built to U.S. standards. Further more, since there is no current, reliable method to verify manufacturing date of Mexican trucks, the DOT is going to just rely on statements from Mexican companies that their trucks meet the criteria.

Drug Testing Concerns

Conducting reliable drug tests on Mexican drivers adds additional concerns. Mexico does not have a drug-testing lab that meets U.S. standards according to Public Citizen. A 2005 drug and alcohol survey related to 18-wheeler accidents, estimated that 1.7% of drivers used controlled substances while driving.

The public advocacy group, The Teamsters Union, the Sierra Club and other trucking and safety interests in the United States charge that the U. S. government doesn’t have enough inspectors at the border to thoroughly check each truck and driver from Mexico making “every truck every time” a hollow promise.

Truck drivers in the U. S. have strict rules regarding the number of hours they can drive without a rest since driver fatigue is a factor in fatal crashes. Truck drivers who spend more than eight hours behind the wheel have twice the chance of an 18-wheeler accident, according to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety from a study they conducted.

It’s Been 15 Years Since NAFTA Was Signed

January 1, 2008 was the date NAFTA went into effect after being signed by Mexico, Canada and The United States. Canadian trucks have freely crossed the border over the past 10 years while Mexican trucks have been blocked. The United States agreed to remove restrictions by 2000 if the Mexican trucks met U.S. standards. There were however disagreements and in 2001 Mexico filed a challenge under NAFTA. They won and the U.S. was forced to open its border to Mexican trucks, but the Bush Administration put into effect the controversial pilot program in September 2007.

An accident involving a truck and a car often leaves the driver of the car in chaos. Trucks are very large and carry a lot of momentum, and thus an accident involving a car can be a serious detriment to the car driver. As Texas trucking companies are going to want to protect their interests, it is best if a truck accident lawyer deals with the trucking companies from the start.

Truck companies have a lot to lose, and the driver of the truck may have a lot to lose. Most truck companies are a little more forthcoming with a lawyer than they are with the victim. Truck accident lawsuits can wipe out a trucking company over time, and thus trucking companies are very tight lipped, even when dealing with a truck accident lawyer.

A lawyer who has experience is not going to be intimidated out of filing a lawsuit, and an experienced lawyer is likely to already have a reputation within the trucking industry. By having an experienced lawyer representing you, the trucking company will understand that they are not likely to bully or talk their way around their share of responsibility for the damage caused in the accident.

This is vital, as once the facts start to be compiled, whether true of fictional, it is very difficult for the trucking company to negate the story they originally provided. Standing up tall against the trucking company by having strong representation can avoid potential problems from the beginning.

Nobody likes to be pushed around by a big company, and to a trucking company, your car accident isn’t something they want to deal with, in most cases. Most people who begin their interactions with the trucking company prior to retaining a truck accident lawyer report regretting this decision, as they felt they would have received a fair settlement much more quickly had they allowed a lawyer to file a lawsuit right from the beginning.

The filing of a lawsuit is just as much a statement to the trucking company as it is a quest for a fair settlement. Chances are your car was totaled in the accident, you sustained some extent of injury, and you lost at least some time from work. These factors are important to bring to light when dealing with a trucking company, and a lawyer is going to have a more profound knowledge as to whether or not anything the trucking company offers you is within the realm of fair.

Most people who file lawsuits aren’t looking to get rich, they are simply looking for the trucking company to step up to the plate and take on their responsibilities. Trucks and passenger cars often do not mix well together on the roadways, and due to their large size, trucks carry a higher obligation to avoid accidents.

Most truck accidents happens either due to passenger car interference like cutting too closely in front of a truck, or because the trucker was going too fast typically without enough sleep. Trucking companies set up the conditions for the latter type of accident by requiring more than reasonable amounts of driving from their truckers.

Often pay is by the mile and of course, the faster miles can completed the faster the trucker gets paid. A skilled lawyer can find numerous flaws and reasonable angles of responsibilities in this method of payment during a lawsuit.

A lawsuit boils down to one of two basic facts. Either the truck driver was responsible for the accident or the passenger car was responsible for the accident.

In either event, a truck accident lawyer is highly recommended to prevent the trucking company from taking advantage of you from the start. Any time you go up against a company, you want fierce and determined representation. This is what hiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit is meant to provide.

There is a lot at stake for both you and the trucking company as the time of your lawsuit rolls near. You will want to thoroughly discuss with your lawyer the possible outcomes, your legal options, and what steps are advisable as you proceed through the process.

Experienced representation is always the best protection. Your lawsuit is certainly not the place to cut a few corners or to give the new guy on the block a chance, as professional representation is the most likely chance you will have at a fair recovery.

According to Statistics Canada, ‘truck driver’ is the most common occupation of Canadian men. More than 250,000 Canadians make their living as truck drivers.

More than 269,000 commercial trucks cross the Manitoba/US border every year, exporting and importing billions of dollars of goods. Eighty percent of goods traded between Manitoba and the U.S. are shipped by truck and, together, the two countries trade over $300 billion worth of goods each year. Approximately every three seconds, a truck crosses the border. Overall, the trucking industry contributes $890 million of Manitoba’s GDP.

Each week, more than 612,000 trucks travel across Canada’s major highways.

The Emerson-Pembina border is the second busiest international border crossing point in Western Canada. Of Canada’s twenty-five largest for-hire trucking employers, five are headquartered in Winnipeg. The number of Manitoba’s for-hire trucking companies increased by 65% from 1990 to 1999, while rail lines continued to suffer.

Interestingly, commercial trucks are involved in just 2.4% of all motor vehicle accidents; tractor trailers in less than 3%. In more than 70% of all accidents involving trucks, the driver was not responsible for the accident. And while trucks are 3 times less likely to be involved in an accident than automobiles, the injuries caused from truck/car accidents are generally far more severe, given the immense weight of most trucks and tractor-trailers as compared to cars. The death toll is also higher.

If a loved one is killed after a collision with a large truck, the surviving family has the right to receive compensation for financial losses, medical expenses, and death and burial expenses. When such a tragedy occurs, an experienced Vancouver wrongful death lawyer can help you seek restitution for the wrong.  Although money can never make up for the loss of a loved one, it can help your family make ends meet in that person’s absence and ensure your children have what they need for their future.

When filing a truck collision claim, the negligent driver is the primary defendant. Depending on the circumstances, the trucking company who owns the vehicle may be liable, as well as any third-party manufacturer of defective vehicle parts that may have contributed to the accident. Trucks are required to operate under specific regulations to accommodate the dangers of the road, including restrictions caused by the vehicle’s height and type of cargo. Trucks are also subject to strict maintenance and upkeep codes.  If any of these regulations are broken, truck drivers and operating companies may face severe penalties.

If a loved one is injured in an accident with a truck, you need to prove negligence on the part of the truck driver. This is likely not something you can accomplish alone. A highly experienced truck accident lawyer has numerous resources available to investigate the accident and gather the necessary evidence to prove your case and win the compensation you deserve.