Some just say it better than others

Truckers always have plenty to say. Some just say it better than others.This week, Senior OOIDA Member Roger Chastain copied me on a letter he wrote to his elected lawmakers. Roger has been a member since 1997 and lives in Woodruff, SC. He’s an independent trucker operating under authority as a contract carrier.With his permission, let me share a really well-written letter. It’s this kind of

Trucking journalism goes gonzo in LR

“I think you’ve got to go,” Sandi said, with the knowing grin of an editor sending a reporter out on an adventure.A few weeks ago, Sandi Soendker, managing editor and my boss here at Land Line, green-lighted an assignment for me to meet Lee, Paulette and Jasmine (also known as Jazzy) Jordan while the trucking family was in Little Rock, AR.Not only would I get to meet and interview the Jordans in

Funny the difference a recession makes

When the Bush administration threw the border open to a select group of Mexico-based domiciled motor carriers in 2008, the screaming commenced.Every argument under the sun against the program was tossed to the side and determined to be irrational, inflammatory or downright wrong.Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and the program was shut down before any damage could be done. Now, the debate is

Run for the border

As Jasmine Jordan completed her 846th mile across Texas and took steps into Texarkana, AR, 200 town residents braved 30-degree temperatures and threats of snow to greet her.“I’ve been mayor for 11 years, but this is the first time I’ve ever welcomed someone to town during a snowstorm,” said Mayor Horace Shipp.Thursday was “Jasmine Jordan Day” in Texarkana – a very public and personal

Truckmageddon is near!

In describing the recent blizzard in DC as “Snowmageddon,” President Obama unwittingly unleashed a new buzzword that could come to rival the “----gate” from the Watergate era. We will soon be hearing “(Blank)-mageddon” to describe anything that seems to overwhelm or threaten to overwhelm the normal order. I can see this happening in trucking, so here are some of tomorrow’s Land Line headlines

Click here to hurt your career

An acquaintance showed me a survey he said was designed to help truck drivers.Following the link, I found a Web site that offered a quick quiz to see whether I was at risk of having obstructive sleep apnea – a condition that temporarily obstructs breathing during sleep. Apnea is more common in people who are obese, and it’s diagnosed after the patient is observed sleeping, usually at a sleep lab

West end of the laundromat

This year Land Line celebrates its 35th year.Remember how things were in 1975? For those of you who need a nudge back in time, there’s some truly interesting stuff to be found in those little “Remember When” booklets you can buy at Bob Evans and other places. In 1975 you could buy a new house for less than $40,000 and the average income in the U.S. was $14,816 a year. Bread was 36 cents a loaf

Got leg pain? Change your undies

I drive a desk while most of you drive 40-ton rigs, but that gives us one thing in common: We sit. A lot. And sitting, as you’ve probably heard someplace, was not what we are designed to do. So we have back and leg pain from doing basically nothing.Recently, I noticed I had this really uncomfortable, almost burning spot beneath my right, um, cheek. Actually, it was where my leg and cheek met, and