Imagine all the people

The journey for truckers through 2009 was a bumpy one to say the least. Just as the year wound down and Arrow Transportation slammed its doors shut and stranded 1,400 some odd drivers around the country – it felt like we were careening down the mountain.That was until a small effort started on Facebook to coordinate offers for help with the Arrow drivers needing the help. Sure, we launched it

You can’t make this stuff up

What started out Tuesday as a script-ready sequel to “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was quickly rewritten to something closer to “Miracle on Interstate 40.”Arrow Trucking left its drivers in a lurch all around the country when it ceased operations early Tuesday – with no warning.Loyal drivers were left holding the bag. Some had fueled, but the company’s card wouldn’t pay the bill – leaving the

The Christmas Letter

Christmas 2009Dear All:Well, there’s no use not coming right out and saying it: This was one lean year. I guess that if this trucking thing was easy, anyone could do it. We had to run as hard as we could and watch every penny like a cat eyes a mouse just to stay even. We were lucky that the price of diesel didn’t do a rerun of last year, but still shake our head at the idea that $2.50 seems like

More cracked Christmas carols

I recently encountered a toll road – first time in a long while. It being Christmas and all, I immediately grabbed my guitar, set the cruise control, got my knees under the wheel, and started composing another one of my Cracked Christmas Carols (More of them are in the current issue of Land Line, and on the Web here.)This one’s to the tune of “Sleigh Ride,” and is dedicated to all those states

Coming up 17s

If you hadn’t heard, Jasmine Jordan, the now 17-year-old daughter of OOIDA Members Lee and Paulette Jordan, is back on track.Jasmine, who also goes by Jazzy, is running coast to coast in order to bring awareness to the lack of affordable medical coverage for truck drivers.For her 17th birthday, which happens to be today, Dec. 17, Jasmine is asking supporters to donate $17 to the St. Christopher

Letter from a Marine

In the spirit of our Truckers for Troops campaign, I can’t resist again sharing this much-circulated letter from a soldier to the folks home on the farm. A trucker e-mailed it to me and had no idea of the origin. I googled around for a source, and I see that it’s been posted on a number of sites. Although the name and military branch seems to change, the letter is basically the same. Suffice to

What’s $6-$10 billion among friends?

For the last week, the California Air Resources Board has taken several very public shots, some by its own board members.It seems CARB’s researcher for its Truck and Bus Regulation, aka the retrofit rule, faked having a doctorate and lied to his own employers while trying to cover up his lack of a Ph.D. The Truck and Bus Rule will begin to be officially enforced in 2012, though most

Trucker Buddy

Land Line gets visits from several truckers and OOIDA members each week.This week, we were pleased to meet James Malone, an OOIDA Member and longtime trucker from Killeen, TX (pictured above with OOIDA's Nikki Johnson). James stopped by OOIDA headquarters on Monday on his way west on I-70 to Denver.James toured the building, met Land Line staffers and sat down for an interview with Land Line Now’

Odds in favor of Mexican drug cartels

One of the biggest buzzwords in business today is “efficiency.” Everybody wants to get things done faster with less work.The U.S. Border and Customs Patrol program on the Mexican border is no exception. A recent Associated Press article called into question the program’s effectiveness on security.Years ago, the agency launched its C-TPAT program – Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. The

It’s called an off switch

If more people knew where the off switch was on their cell phones and other personal devices, perhaps we wouldn’t be having this discussion about distracted driving.That might be a bit of an exaggeration. Even without cell phones, driver distraction would still make for a worthy topic. Nonetheless, the phones and other communications devices are near and dear to us, and they are here to stay.Let’

New York shortchanged by elected officials

By now you may have heard about a recent report that showed roads and bridges in New York state are getting only one-third of the money they should be receiving.That’s right. And while it’s no revelation that states raid one fund to help plug leaks elsewhere, it doesn’t make it any easier for the public – in this case, residents of the Empire State – to stomach such ghastly figures.According to a

A refreshing change: TV tackles real trucking issues

All too often, it’s the fiery crash that grabs up media headlines and leaves audiences with an irrational fear or dislike for heavy trucks that share their roadways.While crashes and fatalities do occur and are tragic, the viewer rarely gets to hear stories about other trucking issues or from the men and women behind the wheel.Every so often, someone gets it right. Recently, that someone was Dan

In lieu of flowers

Trucker Larry Works, a longtime OOIDA member with a larger-than-life personality, died earlier this week.Larry’s widow, Chris Works, told me that truckers and friends were welcome to make a donation to the American Lung Association in lieu of flowers.I got to know Larry two years ago, when he called Land Line to talk about his 2006 arrest at a Joplin, MO truck stop.As Land Line detailed in this

Sniper stalked truckers in 1953

In 1953, a roving sniper was on the loose terrorizing communities, shooting people to death at random. All the shots allegedly were fired from the same weapon. Detectives frantically pursued the killer, questioned suspects, analyzed clues, and followed countless leads.The story dominated the national media, which called the shootings “an unprecedented wave of fear.” The story sounds a lot like

Pass me a grape Nehi …

Truck writers are a nutty bunch. I got an e-mail today from Rufus Sideswipe, the gearjammin’ imaginary pal of Land Line columnist Bill Hudgins. This e-mail was a copy of a note sent to another Land Line columnist, Dave Sweetman.Rufus, it seems, read Sweetman’s column in the October Land Line and liked it a lot. If you haven’t read it, it’s called “Blue Highways,” and I agree it’s one of Sweetman’

SCR comes to cars in ‘Oz’

With all the hammering the diesel engine industry – which in the U.S. means trucking – has taken over emissions, it’s nice to see that attention is turning toward four-wheeled emitters. At least, it is in Australia (aka Oztralia or Oz), where Mazda is testing a car that uses SCR to reduce greenhouse gases in exhaust.Selective catalyst reduction – SCR – is emerging as a popular choice for diesel

Truckers and flu

As noted in Land Line’s daily news, the White House, DOT and Centers for Disease Control are advising drivers how to try to keep the flu out of your rig – and presumably your home, your body and your loved ones.Here’s my advice: Do it.Health risks aside – and these may range from mild to serious, depending on how healthy you are to start with and perhaps how old you are – there’s a very practical

On the scene at ‘Convoy for a Cure’

Last weekend, I traveled to Willie’s Place in Carl’s Corner, TX, to cover the first-ever U.S. “Convoy for a Cure” for OOIDA’s Land Line Magazine. And I am proud to say that I convoyed with some of the most courageous truckers you will ever meet.Many of the women truckers I met at the “Cure” convoy are also breast cancer survivors, who have done battle with this brutal disease and won. Their

Dashing home, but only briefly

Jasmine Jordan, 16-year-old daughter of two OOIDA members, is home resting a stress fracture for the next three to four weeks. Jasmine found out last week she had a small fracture in her foot, and will take an additional three weeks off minimum.If you follow Jasmine, also known as Jazzy, on her www.runwithjazzy.com/ Web site, or follow her on the Facebook or Twitter social networking sites, you

‘Convoy for a Cure’ – it’s personal

After I finish writing this, I am heading to Willie’s Place in Carl’s Corner, TX, to participate in the first-ever U.S. “Convoy for a Cure” on Oct. 24.OOIDA Life Member Cindy Stowe (pictured here) of Will’s Point, TX, has been planning the “Cure” convoy for months now, and I can’t wait to see it all come together. It’s for such a great and worthy cause – to raise money for breast cancer

Team Cummings

On Saturday, Oct. 24, a good friend of the trucking industry will try to walk at least a mile for a cause that is important to him and 46 million others known to be affected by arthritis. Ken Cummings is a guy many of us have known for years as a hard-working member of the Newport sales staff.One of my favorite magazines – Editor & Publisher – once named him number one sales executive. Quite an

On the scene at Truck Show Latino

Last weekend, I was part of the OOIDA posse that left the nice 39-degree rainy weather in Grain Valley, MO, for the Truck Show Latino in balmy Pomona, CA, where it was 92.One of the first people I ran into was OOIDA Life Member Frank Pangburn, hiking briskly down the aisle in his mango Crocs, arms full of T-shirts and paperwork. Inside the Fairplex-Pomona, the Truck Show Latino was taking shape,

A mother’s love

On Monday, Oct. 12, Jasmine Jordan crossed into New Mexico from Arizona – the third state the 16-year-old has run through as she makes her eastward trek across the U.S.Jordan, daughter of OOIDA members Lee and Paulette Jordan, is running 100 miles per week across the U.S. in an effort to bring awareness to rising health care expenses and to fundraise for a truckers’ medical charity called the St.

California truckin’

You would think the Mamas and the Papas classic hit, “California Dreamin’” would be on Joe Rajkovacz’ playlist since embarking on his 12-day journey from OOIDA’s HQ in Grain Valley, MO, to several scheduled stops in California.But you would be wrong. He and OOIDA Life Member Bill Rode are going down the road in OOIDA’s “Spirit of the American Trucker” tapping their feet to the

‘You’ve got to stand for something’

Truckers carry on through all kinds of weather, which may help explain why a lashing rainstorm on Oct. 9 failed to keep some 1,300 people from making their way to the 2009 Tennessee Truck Show in Crossville, TN, to cheer show organizers Joey and Vicky Holiday and their special guest, country legend Aaron Tippin. The rain began to relent just as the concert began in a cavernous service building

Learning on the road

Jasmine Jordan hears the class bell.She pays attention, readies her pen and may occasionally doodle alongside notes just like the other students at Fergus Falls Senior High School in St. Cloud, MN.Jazzy, however, happens to be 1,200 miles away.Jasmine, also known as Jazzy, is running cross country to raise awareness for medical expenses, particularly for truck drivers who lack health care

Hook, line and sinker

I’m not a pushover. And I’m certainly not a nostalgic softy. Too many years of journalism have me a little jaded and a little hardened – kind of like the truckers I work for.At least that’s what I like to claim. It’s easier to put on a tough outer shell and act like I’m hard as nails – kind of like the truckers I work for.Well, my bluff was called this past weekend, and I’d bet more than a

About those computers in the cab

On Sunday, Sept. 27, the New York Times ran a story by Matt Richtel titled “Truckers Insist on Keeping Computers in the Cab.” To read the article, click here.Don’t just read the article. Be sure and read the comments section.I really like the dolt from North Carolina who doesn’t need trucks. How’s that garden behind the Piggly Wiggly doing there, Bubba?
And as for the main text of the piece ...

States send confusing message to drivers

There has been a lot of discussion this year at statehouses and from safety advocates touting the need to make roadways safer. The purpose seems straightforward. But states aren’t sending a clear message about how to accomplish the task.Massachusetts lawmakers are taking a long look at giving older drivers greater scrutiny when it comes time to get their licenses renewed.The push for legislation

Minnesota FUBAR

The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law in 1966. Lyndon Johnson was president back then, and I was barely out of high school. The Act mandates that information held by federal agencies must be made available through a request process, unless it’s exempt for super special reasons.The info is not always hush-hush stuff, but filing a FOIA request frequently provides some surprising, even

Governor Pilot?

With a little more than a year left in office for Tennessee’s two-term Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, the Volunteer State is already rumbling under the wheels of would-be successors. One of those is Bill Haslam, whose family started Pilot Travel Centers; he has been the corporation’s president for 18 years.Flying the Republican standard from his aerials, Haslam has served as mayor of Knoxville

Lady, you’ll never know

Some time back a letter was sent to me by a trucker whose quick actions behind the wheel had prevented a woman in a car from being smashed to smithereens. She was multitasking – handing off soft drinks and straws to her kids in the back seat – and never even saw the danger. And she never saw the move by the trucker, a defensive move that came natural to him, but one that saved lives. The driver

Relieving congestion, but at what cost?

You’re entering a major city – let’s say Atlanta – and traffic is moving slowly.Just when you think you’re going to be late to pick up or deliver a load, an opportunity greets you in the form of a sign. It says you can pay a toll, hop on an express lane, and bypass the congestion.That’s the concept behind congestion pricing, offering motorists a choice to pay a toll to travel in a faster-moving

Power and influence

As presidential appointments go, the pick didn’t make many national headlines.On Aug. 20, it was announced that President Obama had selected Christopher Hart to serve a term as vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.“Vice Chairman Hart comes to the Board after a long career in transportation safety, including a previous term as a member of the NTSB during the 1990s,” the

Stop me if you've heard this one

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign/
Blocking out the scenery/ breaking my mind/
Do this, don’t do that/ can’t you read the sign?”If your senses are becoming increasingly overloaded, perhaps it’s time to adopt this 1971 hit by the Five Man Electrical Band as your ringtone. Just don’t answer any calls or text messages while driving.The very devices that make our business and personal lives easier can

Road work

The doctor’s words hit him hard.At the age of 46, Jeff Clark’s doctor told him he had serious heart disease.Within days, he began exercising, and long walks turned into light jogs. Jogs turned into runs, and one year later he’d completed his first marathon.Few things will wake a person up and clear your head for the day quite like those steps down the road.Whether it’s a gentle walk down the

Bon voyage to the double nickel

OOIDA and its Illinois members have spent years trying to get rid of the state’s split-speed limit for trucks. Those efforts were repeatedly stymied by a corrupt former governor who vetoed legislation that would have eliminated split-speed limits. After all our collective efforts, who would have thought all it took was getting a governor impeached?Ah, but that is the story of Illinois politics.

What is efficiency worth?

Ralph Nader, now more famous for his role in the 2000 Presidential election, made his bones by being a consumer advocate.Among other things, Nader called out the Ford Motor Co. during the 1970s after dozens of U.S. citizens lost their lives because of the Pinto’s tendency to explode during rear-end collisions.Ford didn’t correct the problem for eight years, reportedly because its internal “

‘Cash for Clunkers’ cheated some who really needed it

I’ve heard enough about the “Cash for Clunkers” law to give it a “C-minus.”The only reason it did not fail completely on the report card was because some consumers and companies used it to trade in a real clunker in the name of efficiency.In this economy, who could blame someone for trading in a 1999 Jeep with 150,000 miles on it for the $4,500 rebate.This law gets a C-minus because of what

Homo multitaskus?

Distracted driving – is this evolution in action, leading eventually to a new kind of human being, maybe called homo multitaskus? In the long run, will distracted driving become the norm?Faced with a seemingly unending series of wrecks and fatalities involving motorists, truckers, bus drivers and train operators who were distracted by texting or talking on a cell phone, the U.S. Department of

A rose to the National Enquirer

In late July, a story about an OOIDA member shared headlines with Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Paula Abdul and other celebrities.I got a tip from a friend in the know that the Goodyear Highway Hero and our OOIDA member Jorge Orozco Sanchez might be featured in the July 20 edition of the National Enquirer. I picked up a copy while cruising my grocery store and flipped through. There it was on

It’s just a bill – 167,000 of ’em

The fine people at StateNet recently sent me a copy of the 2010 state legislative sessions calendar. To most folks that probably doesn’t mean a whole mess of a lot. But to those of us who enjoy keeping track of what’s going on at statehouses, it is kind of like Christmas in late July.Checking out the calendar is a good excuse to crack open a nice carbonated beverage, find online the ol’

Start spreading the news

In only a couple of weeks, Land Line readers will receive their August/September magazine in the mailbox.As usual, the August/September book is loaded with information on anti-idling devices.But this year, as you’ll see, marks a new chapter in trucking. Many more states, counties and cities are limiting or outright banning truck idling.The premise is simple. Running diesel trucks for hours at a

Shut up and just drive

As the saying goes, be afraid when you hear “We’re from the government and we are here to help you.” Congress yet again is living down to that motto, and in this case they are playing with your life and the lives of everyone else on the road or even crossing the road.An article in the July 21 New York Times about cell phone use while driving has revealed that members of Congress pressured the

Joey? I’m just sayin’ the guy’s a pro

If there’s anyone who represents the heart of America’s highways and the soul of trucking, it’s Joey Holiday. Joey and Vicky are to the trucking industry what Ozzie and Sharon are to rock and roll.“Vicky! Vi—cki! What number is that song on my playlist? You know the one?” He howls for his wife, who is always close by.“Number 31!” she yells, feigning aggravation. “Do I have to come up there and

Photo radar? There’s an app for that

Noting that Washington, DC, law enforcement has raked in nearly $1 billion – with a B – from photo radar cameras since 2005, the District’s police chief has naturally condemned an iPhone app that alerts users to the location of speed and red-light photo radar units.Police Chief Cathy Lanier said using the app is a “cowardly tactic” and vowed the areas various police departments would step up

It’s all in how you ask the question

Anybody who has flipped on the tube to some courtroom drama has heard the phrase: “Objection! Leading the witness.”The point of the objection is, you can’t ask a question that provokes the answer you’re looking for. Too bad that rule doesn’t apply to surveys and polls.A great example of a survey loaded with leading questions was one recently released by a group pushing for increasing the size and

Greensburg revisited

I thought she was kidding.Sandi Soendker, Land Line managing editor, told the staff at our morning news budget meeting that Greensburg, KS, had been hit by another storm, tearing down at least one wall of the town high school.Greensburg made worldwide headlines in May 2007 when 95 percent of the city was destroyed by a rare EF-5 tornado that killed 14.Now another storm has damaged one building

Recipe for disaster

First Diana and Dennis Rodrigues tried adding a particulate filter to their 1997 reefer engine.But it wasn’t CARB approved.Then the Florida trucking family tried to purchase a $24,000 reefer engine to add to the existing trailer.No bank would finance the repower.Finally, the couple purchased a new $58,000 reefer trailer in late May, having been assured by CARB, California EPA and others that

OOIDA’s food fight

Major players in the food supply chain often get together to share knowledge and information about ways to protect the nation’s food supply. But for years, they’ve left out the people who have a huge role in food safety and security – the small-business truckers who haul the majority of the nation’s fresh food and produce.But that’s changing, thanks to the persistence of OOIDA.Recent positive

Trucking goes to the dogs

“Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job.” – Franklin P. JonesIf I’ve learned anything working for OOIDA and Land Line, it’s that trucking is hard work, probably 10 times harder than it looks. It’s like the world is against you – four-wheelers zipping around your truck; anti-idling laws keeping you hot in the summer and freezing in the winter; mountains of paperwork for your truck, your CDL

What’s that toll increase for anyway?

I could use some help on a basic math problem.If a turnpike authority takes in $56.6 million in 2008 and pays out $30 million for maintenance, salaries and services … how much would tolls need to increase to make up for the shortfall?Yeah, their math confuses me too, but that’s precisely what’s going on in West Virginia.In fiscal year 2008, the West Virginia Turnpike took in $26.6 million more

From Steve in Iraq

Our member Steve Gallavan calls California his home, but for now he’s trucking in Iraq. In the June issue of Land Line, I wrote a bit about him and slipped a photo into “Chicken dinner news.” Steve keeps in touch with Holly in our membership department, and she just got a new letter from him.OK, Sunday is the first day of summer here. Wonder how hot it is in Iraq? You can’t read Steve’s latest

Looking beyond linkedin.com

The next prospective head of the Federal Highway Administration isn’t a stranger to trucking.Victor Mendez, appointed to be FHWA Administrator, is expected to soon be in charge of the agency responsible for maintaining and building our interstate highway system.A few quick Web searches don’t turn up a lot of information on Mendez. He worked at the Arizona DOT for more than 20 years, working his

The scoop on Cap-italism and Trade

We’re hearing more and more about cap and trade as the newest, latest greatest way to clean up the environment.Few can argue that the environment doesn’t need love and attention. Our kids can’t swim in the same creeks we did growing up. Landfills are overflowing. We’re spewing pollutants into the air.Cleaning up our collective act is a good idea.But, cap and trade? What is it really all about?For

No rose-colored glasses in trucking

There seems to be a disconnect among a number of fortunate folks regarding the state of the economy, one that probably most truckers and trucking executives don’t share.The disconnect is phrased like this: “We see planes full, lots of people at restaurants, parking lot at Wal-Mart full … and tons of trucks on the road.”Sadly, these perceptions are like a David Copperfield illusion – you think you

Toga! Toga!

It’s always bothered me, watching weary wheel warriors trudge from their rigs into truck stops, hauling their duffel bags to the showers. Besides your shower gear, you have to carry a towel and a change of clothes.This summer, though, you might consider investing in one of these to reduce that load. From the looks of it, the Wearable Towel solves two problems at once, and maybe three.First, it’s

Putting the highway back in Highway Hero

Jorge Orozco-Sanchez is an OOIDA member from Firestone, CO. You may recognize that name from the pages of our May issue. Jorge is the 2008 Goodyear Highway Hero.Last fall, he was involved in a wreck in which an SUV veered into the path of his truck. The horrific head-on crash took the life of a 27-year-old mother, but Jorge was able to rescue the two children strapped in the car seats in back.

Declawing CARB (temporarily)

The California Air Resources Board has drawn heaping piles of criticism from truckers for years, and especially during the last two to three years, when the environmental agency began aggressively implementing emissions regulations on trucks.Whether it was the ban on idling that took effect in 2008, this year’s impending reefer regulation, or the upcoming ban on older trucks by 2015, truckers

Longer, heavier trucks won’t help environment

I don’t know where the Canadian Trucking Alliance gets its environmental statistics from, but perhaps the greater mystery is why some provincial governments take the bait.The CTA and affiliate Ontario Trucking Association continue to say that putting longer, heavier trucks on the highways will conserve fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.A single tractor would replace two tractors hauling

Say it ain’t so, Ohio

A couple of days ago I was minding my own business perusing the Internet for the latest statehouse happenings that would be of interest to truckers. On any given day I come across a gamut of topics. Some of the topics could be considered juicy while some might be labeled dry.Well, thanks to a couple of knuckleheads in the Ohio House what popped up on my computer monitor was a bill well-suited for

‘Krazy Karl’ is bound for The Wall

On this Memorial Day weekend, I can’t help thinking about our Life Member “Krazy Karl” Haartz.On his big blue Honda Gold Wing, Karl is doing “The Run for The Wall.” He should be rolling into DC about now, along with thousands of other bikers.For those soldiers who never made it home, the annual “Run for The Wall” is a motorcycle pilgrimage by military veterans, friends and relatives and others,

Taking on the toll-happy

In Massachusetts, a group of fed-up toll payers have filed a lawsuit demanding their money back. An anti-toll coalition in Pennsylvania is pressuring lawmakers to defeat the proposal to toll Interstate 80. And in Texas, an anti-toll group is rallying against legislation that would allow private companies to build and own toll roads for profit.Fighting against excessive tolling is nothing new, and

Who is Dan Blower?

About 10 years ago, I interviewed a guy named Dan Blower, a researcher with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. He was the guy whose study revealed that most of the car-truck fatalities were not the fault of the trucker. Yes. THAT guy.Dan told me something that knocked me out. He said that even if truckers NEVER made an error, if the truckers NEVER operated in an unsafe

A sad day

I just got off the phone with Dr. John McElligott, who shared some sad news.The Professional Drivers Medical Depot and its five truck stop clinics will remain shuttered, Dr. John told me Tuesday afternoon.“I hate to lose momentum on this because many truckers were just starting to pay attention,” Dr. John told me.Sad news about a business that offered a valuable service to drivers – many of whom

More people should learn trucker math

How many people know exactly what they pay in taxes at the pump or where their fuel taxes go?While everyone has the free will to look up the answers to those and other pertinent questions, chances are that most people don’t. In many ways, the motoring public lives under a gas-and-go rock.Increases in the price of fuel can be a wake-up call for some, but not everyone sits down and does trucker

Dr. John reaches out to truckers

OOIDA’s Call to Actions blast out of our Missouri headquarters frequently. They are e-mailed or sent any way we can get them to you. If you don’t have a computer, phone or address, we’ll send you smoke signals.When we think an issue needs your attention, we move on it, notifying big numbers of people and doing it fast. Mostly, it’s regulatory or legislative or maybe a fraud alert. But this week,

Don’t keep it between the lines

There’s something inherently twisted about the Virginia Department of Transportation painting zigzag white lines in some areas to encourage drivers to slow down. I mean, this is the same state that wants to close rest areas to sleepy truckers and force them back onto the highways.Don’t you think fatigue alone is enough to make regular white lines blur and twist? Heaven help the drowsy driver who

The word on the tweet is: information

Online networking sites like Twitter have opened up new avenues of communication, and truckers are among those tapping into the information stream.Networking is simply another way – not the only way, but another way – of getting the latest on something going on.Recently, we’ve seen growing numbers of lawmakers, including governors and members of Congress, getting their own Twitter and Facebook

Now this is worrisome

The comments have been rolling in regarding that crazy fatigue checklist used by DOT in Minnesota and Indiana. OOIDA member Bob “Cowpoke” Martin had a couple of interesting thoughts.The “intention” behind the so-called fatigue checklist is to provide clues as to whether truckers are actually sleeping when they are supposed to be sleeping. If they are not, then of course they are fatigued and

Can really tall stacks save the world?

It sounds like something from News of the Weird or Snopes.com, but an adviser to President Obama says they’ve discussed shooting pollution particles into the atmosphere to offset global warming – which supposedly is fostered by ... pollution particles in the atmosphere.Frankly, this sounds like an idea out of a Michael Crichton novel like “Jurassic Park,” where the scientists know just enough to

Persistence pays off for OOIDA in Ohio

Early this month Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland signed into law a bill that includes a provision to eliminate split speed limits on interstates. It was a major breakthrough for OOIDA and truckers who have been working for years to get the rule changed.Today, society expects results to be swift, if not instant.Having results yesterday are what we want. It seems that farmers are the only ones who are

9 out of 10 doctors: You need a Snuggie

Who hasn’t seen the infomercial for the Snuggie, the glorious Royal blue (or crimson) fleece material that works like a blanket, only better?The salesman that you hear pounding home the message, that you need a blanket-like garment to wear while watching TV, reading a book or even watching a football game. After the first 15 to 20 times you see the commercial, I actually considered buying it. Did

My neck size? Excuse me?

Over the past few days, Land Line Now on Sirius XM radio has been reporting on the fatigue driving evaluation checklist, a tool used by patrol officers in two states to determine whether truckers are “fatigued.” The special series is written and voiced by Host Mark Reddig. And it’s created quite a stir.The fatigue questionnaire is in use by Minnesota and Indiana state police, and in both states

Ad valorem: Latin for ‘in proportion to value’

Can we get a little “Tax Man” Beatles music here?Three states use a tax to bilk bucks out of trucking companies large and small for running miles in their state. It’s called an ad valorem tax, and it’s a property tax used by Kansas, Arkansas and Kentucky.What a boneheaded “property” tax. It doesn’t matter if you don’t own property in any of these states. If you have registered a vehicle through

Riding shotgun: anatomy of a protest

With a video camera in one gloved hand and a fresh Tim Horton’s coffee in the other, I strolled around the truck stop observing the rigs and waiting to meet the man who organized a grassroots protest against the Ontario speed-limiter law.A police escort was queuing up nearby, and mainstream media reporters from television and radio were abuzz near a white Volvo VN. Affixed to the Volvo were

Rex Rains is now offline

As February comes to an end, most of us here at the OOIDA headquarters will think of it as the month we lost an extraordinary friend and staff member – our peerless Webmaster Rex Rains. Rex died Feb. 17 after a long and wretched battle with cancer. He once described it to me as hand-to-hand combat with a – I will omit the expletive – invisible enemy.He was born in Wichita, KS, and was a veteran

TWIC gives the mule skinners blues

Maybe this story will bring a smile to one trucker who has spent hours traveling, applying and paying more than $100 to enroll in TWIC.It’s not uncommon to see state workers dressed in colonial-era clothes helping mules pull a canal boat through the National Canal Museum historical park in Easton, PA.Unfortunately for those clad in velvet, ruffles and buckled shoes these days in Easton, PA – that

Phat times for TWIC workers

News that a Transportation Worker Identification Credential enrollment office in Mobile, AL, was closing its doors for Fat Tuesday raised a few eyebrows in our morning news budget meeting today.Everyone associates Mardi Gras with New Orleans. Mobile, apparently, is even more serious about their pre-Ash Wednesday revelry.The idea of TWIC workers enjoying the last moments before Ash Wednesday isn’t

Paul Abelson honored at TMC

I got a proud call this past week from a good friend and OOIDA member Darrell Hicks, aka “Uncle Darrell.” He was in the Atlanta airport after attending the spring meeting of The Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations in Orlando, FL.Uncle Darrell was headed home to California and had to share the good news that another OOIDA Life Member and Land Line Senior

Feeding the chief meter reader

One year Gary Stone deposited $217 in parking meter revenue at New Castle, PA.Another year it was closer to $100.In the meantime, Stone – then director of the city’s parking authority – was taking buckets worth of change across the Ohio state line to a grocery store change machine and converting the coins into cash. He’d later spend much of the loot at an out-of-state casino.In the past week,

Texas tea

The negative headline reads like so many others we’ve seen lately.“Martin Petroleum files layoff notice, just in case.”The Pompano Beach company has filed notice with Florida that it may soon lay off 207 employees in March.Across the country, many smaller and mid-size fuel-related oil companies are hurting less than a year after some companies posted record profits.Flying J seems poised to shut

LoneStar stars in ‘Wired’

It’s not often that seemingly (and deceptively) mundane technology makes an appearance in Wired, the digital world’s go-to magazine of what’s cool and hot. But that honor belongs to Navistar’s signature large car, the retro-futuristic LoneStar.In an article titled “An 18-Wheeler That Feels Like Home,” writer Keith Barry describes the design planning that went into the tractor’s spacious interior.

Dazed and confused about the stimulus?

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are tossing around some staggering numbers these days. It’s no wonder that people are feeling frustrated or confused about the sheer size and intent behind the proposed economic stimulus package.“Is this a bailout?” “Who gets the money?” and “Where’s mine?” are among the many questions received by OOIDA, Land Line Magazine and Land Line Now and we appreciate them.While

Jim Bullins and his ‘kids’

I heard via the trucking grapevine (well, Joey and Vicky Holiday) that Jim Bullins passed away. Jim was an OOIDA member, retired truck driver for more than 30 years, and pretty special guy. Jim donated his time to helping people with special needs. He died Wednesday morning at his home in Sophia, NC.This morning, I spoke to his son, Tim, and learned that Jim had lung cancer.I first met him in

Working toward a ‘better history’

We’ve got a brand-new president who says we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get to work. “Choose our better history” is one way he put it in his inaugural address.It’s reported that he plans to start tomorrow. He’s not the only one who plans to hit the ground running.The new political landscape in Washington will present OOIDA and our members with new challenges as well as new

Truck drivers: rating the presidents

Land Line offers an unscientific Web poll each week on the landlinemag.com Web site to gauge truckers’ opinions on issues of interest. Last week, we asked who was the best president of the United States in the past three decades.OK, I know it’s tough to define “best.” In today’s world, that often means most popular or best looking or even who makes the most appearances on “Saturday Night Live.”

Doughboys?

According to the Christian Science Monitor, the U.S. Army is now relaxing its weight standards for new recruits. The new effort hopes to allow athletic but large-sized or muscular recruits to help the armed forces boost its personnel totals.It’s the kind of story that television news usually reads over video footage of oversized legs and bottoms bounding down public sidewalks in slow motion.Uncle

Sweetman: He got the call you never want to get

Many of us in the industry know by now – tragic news spreads faster than any other –that our friend, fellow OOIDA member, and popular columnist David Sweetman is dealing with a sudden and huge hole in his life now. His wife and best friend, Laurie, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Jan. 4.Dave, the matchless communicator and social person that he is, felt the need to express his anguish with an online

Watching the watchers

“And can I get your Social Security number?”How many times each year are we asked to hand out personal information? Whether it’s applying for a TWIC card, talking to our wireless provider or even giving our phone number at retail stores, we’re asked to hand over bits and pieces of our identity to be catalogued, stored and often later marketed for a variety of purposes.In the latest example, a