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