Truck Buzz

The trucking life is a hard life. Any professional driver involved in OTR trucking will confess to this fact. Even local drivers will admit that operating in the world of trucking is a tough business. Seventy hour work weeks and simply not enough rest are a few of the standards for the trucking life.

I was listening to a talk show on the radio the other night and they were discussing the dangers of our world being overpopulated. I just had to chuckle to myself. For all the truckers that have ran through such states as Montana and Wyoming, just to name a few, I simply do not believe we are overpopulated. When you can drive for hundreds of miles and only see a ?few? other vehicles on the road, where is the mass population? In fact, the amount of industrialization for the U.S. stands at only 3-5 percent! The ?overpopulation? exists within the cities of America. This makes perfect sense . . . the people congregate around the obvious living spaces. Travel through the back woods of this country . . . drive pass the Northwest wilderness and the deserts of America and you will see no traffic, no people, nothing. Those in the trucking life see this.

The problem with local driving and OTR trucking hits you like a brick when your work takes you into the cities of America. I have caught myself thinking that there are just too many people on this planet! That is why the professional truck driver is so glad to get back on the ?open road? and away from the overpopulated areas. But when you realize that this country, as a whole, has a development rate of only 3-5 percent, then the reality is we have a long way to go to say we are overpopulated. When five million people decide to live in a small area such as New York City, obviously you are going to be, how should I say . . . a little ?crowded?

The trucking life becomes aggravating at best, when tackling the traffic of these major cities. One of the worst cities for driving is Atlanta. Never-ending accidents and traffic jams are constant. Of course this can be true for most major cities where there are just too many vehicles and not enough lanes to handle them.

Former U.S. Department of Transportation secretary, Norman Y. Mineta, in a conference in Washington, D.C. on April 10th, said ‘the traffic in the U.S. is so bad that when people get behind the wheel, a single vision grips their mind: Traffic Armageddon.? His solution is to seek private-sector financing for the U.S. highways and infrastructure. Or in another term: privatization. I tend to agree. Our own government cannot keep up with the building and maintenance of the interstates and highways. Drive through the ?George Washington? in NYC, and you feel as if you are driving along the roads of a third world country! It is not just the NYC area either . . . my home state of Oklahoma needs major highway renewal. You can lose thirty pounds just from the ’shaking? running along Interstate 40.

With all this said, there are some interesting facts about the U.S. and world population. Currently, the U.S. population stands at 301, 593, 922 and the world standing at 6, 588, 329, 647. But this Earth has a way of balancing things out. It has done so for six billion years:

There is one birth every: 8 seconds

There is one death every: 12 seconds

Figure in future disasters and not-yet-seen diseases, etc., and the forecast of becoming a world of overpopulation becomes faded. This planet has survived ice ages, massive asteroid strikes, unimaginable explosions from deep-sea volcanoes, worldwide flooding and disastrous outcomes we do not even know about. Common sense details to me that the Mother Earth will survive our inner-city traffic jams. The question is: can you survive the trucking life?

Aubrey Allen Smith is the author of the truth about trucking. With 29 years in the transportation industry, Allen has helped many new, inexperienced drivers discover the truth about the trucking business. If you are considering a career in trucking, you must know the scams before you begin! Visit http://www.truthabouttrucking.com today, and learn the truth.

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You can make a bold statement by adding some chrome truck accessories to your ride. When people see the reflective shine in the bright sunlight, they will know your vehicle is a unique creation. One of the most exciting parts of owning trucks accessorizing them, and the available selection today is staggering. It is one of the fastest growing segments of the motorsports industry, as people all over the world love to install aftermarket parts that not only perform better but also look great.

There is a tremendous variety of chrome accessories for your truck that you can browse to add some flair to it. Try installing a pair of chrome exhaust tips to not only improve the sound of your motor, but also to add character to the rear of your pickup. For a relatively small price you can change the look and overall character, and most install in under an hour. You can go for a mild tone or a rumbling thunderous sound, or somewhere in between which is a big improvement over stock.

For more cosmetic improvements, try finding some body trim or other parts. These may include a bug deflector, visor, custom emblem, or even front and rear bumpers. Mix and match to find ones that compliment each other, and really set-off your paint job. There are many small things you can install on trucks to alter their look just enough to make a difference. And with a little extra care, your new accesories will shine for years and years.

Do you have an SUV? You can find chromed roof racks that not only look wonderful installed, but also give you more space to haul cargo. Installation on these can be a little more time consuming, and sometimes best left to a professional. But when you are finished you will not only increase the value of it, but also increase the fun factor while driving it.

With a little research, you can find the perfect chrome truck accessories for your specific tastes. Try looking at websites, in magazines, and even go to auto shows for more ideas on the latest and greatest products. If you can think of it, somebody probably offers it for your vehicle. And even if they don’t, you may be able to custom order it. Enthusiasts of trucks and other performance vehicles around the world have driven the industry to all time highs. This is good for everyone since there is alot of competition, which keeps prices competitive and the quality of products high. It also forces manufacturers to continue to one-up each other, introducing new styles every year. Watching the latest trends will give you many ideas for what to do with your truck.
About the Author

James McDonald writes for High Performance Truck Accessories which is all about accessorizing your truck. It is geared towards the enthusiast, who wants improvements in both performance and looks.

Tags: truck blog, truck information, trucks

One of the reasons that trucks are so expensive is the cost of materials. Consider the increased cost of steal, aluminum or stainless. We have closed down most of the mines in our nation now. Let’s talk a little bit about the Flow of Raw Materials for a moment to help get a better perspective on this subject.

Our Online Think Tank T-5 Group (The Truck Think Tank Team) realized after considering the importance of the availability of materials that some future predictions of the trucking industry and the trucks themselves would have serious challenges in attaining the quantities of materials needed to fulfill such destinies. So here are some background thoughts before we get into the new materials that will truly revolutionize the industry in 5-10 years.

Will We Learn Anything From Our Past?

This is a formidable question and one that is not easily answered. The unfortunate answer is probably not. Instead we import raw materials, increasing costs of the finished product and much of the steel we get from Japan is not of the same quality of that which we can produce in the United States where our Iron Ore mines are sometimes well over 80%.

Additionally these materials are very close to the manufacturing facilities not half way around the world. The transportation cost is a huge factor. One of the reasons our T-5 Group asked the question; “Will we learn from our past?” This is because the next new space age material in-line to be of supreme value is Carbon Nano-Tubes. And already people are screaming about the environmental risks and asking how on Earth can you make something so small and control it in the manufacturing process.

These same folks are screaming for laws to be made before the manufacturing processes ever get off the drawing board. The problem is that by holding back such a technology in light-weight materials that can revolutionize nearly all industries in the United States especially the transportation manufacturing sector and transportation industry is the over burdensome regulations

And consider that they are developing rules and regulations before we can even say for sure how these materials will be made. We may as well hand yet another raw material industry over to foreign competition and admitting to a future economic and continued trade deficit for no reason. The T-5 Group is concerned, as lawyers, regulators and consumer groups are already lining up to prevent the marathon runners from starting.

If this hurdle can be overcome and we can get Carbon Nano-Tube Construction going immediately, we can save fuel, break our addiction to Middle Eastern foreign oil, improve safety in the tucking industry and add efficiencies that have never been experienced before on this scale. But we must act strategically and quickly.

L. Winslow is a Materials, Transportation and Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

Tags: trucks, truck information, truck articles

Ever wonder how some truck drivers just know what is going on out on the roads? How they just seem to know where the accidents and police are located? Thanks to CB radios, these truckers keep their finger on the pulse of all the action on the roads. They are channeling that information via the airwaves - via CB radios of course!

CB radios, also known as Citizen’s Band radios, are the most reliable form of communication for these truckers. They maintain contact with their trucking company via CB radio. They get the latest trucking news via the airwaves. Sometimes, if truckers are on long hauls, they get lonesome for some conversation. CB radios keep those truck drivers in touch with the world. Depending on the area you drive, truckers might use different channels on the CB radio. The most common channel for chatter about trucking is Channel 19. A trucking company may keep in touch with their trucks out on the road via a special channel, but the Channel 19 is most commonly used between the truckers themselves.

If you are new driver for a trucking company, it might be a good idea to just listen to the conversations for awhile. You will notice that there are a lot of codes like “10-43″ or “10-200.” These two particular CB codes that truckers use stand for reporting a traffic problem or requesting police at a certain location. There are quite a few of these codes and it could take a while to figure them all out. So unless you greenhorn truckers enjoy major razzing by the more seasoned truck drivers, it will pay off to learn the ins and outs of this CB language before adding your two cents in.

CB radios are a handy tool, not only for the trucking company trying to stay in touch with their drivers, but also for those truckers who just need to fill in that quiet time on the roads. Important trucking news is often relayed via the airwaves as well as potential road hazards and even calls of help from other lost truckers (of course, those are the newbies!). A trucker belongs to an exclusive group - a group that provides a valuable service all over the country. Without CB radios to communicate, their world inside that truck cab would be a silent one.
About the Author

Mike Dobson is the creator of the web’s most comprehensive
trucking resource. Start learning about trucking jobs and quality information on trucking companies.

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There are few businesses that are as cash flow intensive as a trucking company. The list of ongoing expenses can be endless and can easily overwhelm small and medium size trucking companies. There are fuel expenses, truck repairs, rentals and salaries. Although most trucking companies are very profitable, few can afford to wait the usual 30 to 60 days it takes to get paid for their freight bills.

Unless the trucking company has a significant cash cushion in the bank, waiting 30 to 60 days to get paid can cause serious problems. It can jeopardize existing operations and furthermore, it can prevent you from growing your business. The only way to get out of the cash flow rut is to find a way to capitalize on your slow paying invoices. The best tool to do this for a trucking company is called freight bill factoring.

Freight bill factoring enables the trucking company to get paid for their freight bills within a day of invoicing, eliminating the usual 30 to 60 day wait. With a factoring agreement in place, you can stabilize your company’s cash flow and eliminate the stress of not knowing when you’ll be paid. Since freight bill factoring eliminates the worries of waiting for your payment, you will be free to focus on what you do best: running your business.

Who qualifies for freight bill factoring?

Most small and mid size trucking and transportation companies should qualify for factoring. There are two main requirements to qualify. First, your company must do business with reputable clients or freight brokers. Second, your company must be free of tax problems. If you meet these two criteria, more often than not you will qualify. Most factoring companies are comfortable working with new businesses, so you should be able to qualify even if your company is a start up. Best of all, you can get a financing agreement in place within a few days.

What services does a factoring company provide?

The main benefit of working with a freight bill factor is that this will provide you with advanced funds on your freight bills. That means you can get paid very quickly after invoicing. However, most factors will also provide you with collections and credit protection as part of their services. This enables you to focus your energies and your staff on growing your company rather than on expensive and time consuming back office work.

Factoring for growth

Although many truck operators initially obtain factoring financing to avert the problems of dealing with slow payers, eventually most owners realize that factoring can help them grow their business. It eliminates their biggest worry by ensuring that invoices get paid immediately, freeing up cash and enabling the owner to grow the business.

Copyright (c) 2006 - Commercial Capital LLC - All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted provided it is not modified and all links are kept intact
About the Author

About Invoice Factoring Group

Invoice Factoring Group (http://factoring.qlfs.com) can provide you with a free trucking company / freight bill factoring quote. Marco Terry, its president, can be reached at (866) 730 1922.

Tags: truck articles, trucks, truck blog

Often long-standing and successful companies cannot maintain the growth they wish or due to external forces they need to modify their operations significantly. Let us take an example of this for a moment. Lets us say we have a successful regional truck washing company and water shortages in the region are causing issues and labor is just too difficult to find and keep.

Paying more to the labor will mean raising prices past the point at which trucking companies are willing to pay. And with labor so tight this still will not guarantee labor supply. This might be a reasonable time to consider diversifying into other areas or complimentary type businesses for a regional truck wash? Perhaps the company can automate and with a truck wash equipment manufacturer and design their own system, since they have the knowledge and resources to build them, themselves.

Regional Truck Washes will have to deal with this labor issue sometime and partially automate until they can fully automate otherwise they are better off to go into the Hotel and property or mini-storage business, build RV Parks and such to hold property until the future and sell it. They should also consider diversifying and perhaps enjoy some additional success in complimentary industry sub-sectors? Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

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The trucking industry will change drastically in the next 20 years and out pace previous decades of slower incremental change. Much of this change will come from the need to increase efficiency, reduce pollution and take advantages of economies of scale.

Some more change will come from space-age materials which are now being developed. Materials such as Carbon Nano-Tubes and Graphene will cut the weight of a truck by 10-times and that means less fuel, more room for cargo and radically new designs.

Luigi Colani is considered the ultimate truck designer and is famous around the world for his designs and brilliant marketing and flair for style. Above is a sample of one of his many designs, very impressive indeed, and so are the low-coefficients of drag.

Why are all these changes coming?

Because the Trucking Industry is trying to streamline and become more efficient and in doing so it has to look for where it can shave costs and improve in incremental steps. Lately those steps have been too small and slow in coming and now design teams are considering what else can be done in order to leap forward to larger cost savings.

Will Luigi Colani’s futuristic designs and prototypes become a reality? Well they very well could in the future, because some are said to be 80% more efficient with airflow and that is huge savings in fuel. Next take new materials coming down the innovation pipeline and you can see how the combination of such technologies may just drive the trucking industry into the future in style.

L. Winslow is a Transportation and Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

Tags: truck information, truck articles, truck blog

Every year it seems there are more commercial vehicles like big tractor trailers on the highway and it shows no signs of easing up. To stay safe when driving on the highway you really need to know as much as you can about how these big trucks operate. Let’s take a look at some tips to help you stay safe on the road.

Sitting up high the drivers of these large commercial vehicles have a much better forward view but even with much larger side mirrors they have more blind spots than the typical driver does. You don’t want to follow these big trucks in their blind spots. You have probably seen the stickers on the back of some trucks stating “If you can’t see my mirrors I can’t see you” and this is true.

Larger vehicles like these need much more time and distance for accelerating and braking as well as much wider turning room. If you are driving in front of a big truck like this you should signal your intentions to change lanes or an upcoming stop sooner than you would normally to be on the safe side and give the truck driver time to respond to your actions properly.

Another big issue and one that I personally get aggravated with is that of excessive spray from the tires of these large vehicles in rain, snow, and slush. I live in Florida and I can tell you that when it is raining traveling on the major highways used by large semi trucks is extremely dangerous and at times you can see nothing due to all of the spray from the big trucks. My advice is that if you don’t absolutely have to be on the highway in those conditions stay off of it.

Not only do weather conditions affect visibility but so does time of day. Early morning and early evening hours can be dangerous as well when many people don’t use their headlights properly. You also need to be cognizant of the fact that many truck drivers are also driving long hours and may be overtired so you need to be cautious around them.

Big trucks are a necessity in our society and will not being going away any time soon. We have to be extra careful when sharing the highway with these vehicles because as stated in many cases they cannot see us.
About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. To keep your vehicle looking new get car care products from http://www.carcarewizards.com

Tags: truck articles, trucks, truck information

You operate a concession trailer or mobile catering truck and what you probably do not realize is that you share a common problem with the US Navy, Army, and Coast Guard.

When the US Navy had heat build-up problems with their remote control vehicle trailers; when the US Army had heat build-up problems on their Patriot Missile Launchers; when the US Coast Guard had heat build-up problems on the decks of their coastal patrol ships based in Miami and Puerto Rico they all went looking for a solution. They required a solution that did not involve additional power to support supplemental air conditioning systems.

They found it in a relatively new product to enter the market ? Insuladd!

Basic white roof coatings (paint) are simply reflectors of light (radiant energy) that turns into heat when it strikes an object such as the roof or walls of concession trailer or mobile catering truck. As the white coating becomes dirty from normal contaminants in the air its ability to reflect radiant energy is reduced until it reaches a point where it is reflecting very little radiant energy what-so-ever and the heat is being transmitted directly to the interior of the trailer or building.

Insuladd has developed ceramic microspheres, to be a broad spectrum (visible and infrared) radiant energy reflectors. When Insuladd is added into ordinary paint or other roof coating it creates a radiant barrier, not simply a radiant reflector as white paint is.
As an example: By painting the underside of a concession trailer roof with Insuladd the interior will be noticeably cooler in summer and warmer in the winter. Regular white paint alone does not contain the properties to perform this temperature stabilization.

Insuladd has been used by companies such as Container House International, to paint their shipping containers in order to reduce the interior temperature and lessen the loading on refrigeration units.

Insuladd can be purchased as paint or as an additive that can be blended with paint or other coatings.

Note: Insuladd can be used in homes to increase the ?R? factor on exterior walls.

For additional information on Insuladd or to find out more about operating a concession trailer, mobile catering or vending cart business follow this link. Mobile Catering Business.com

Tags: trucks, truck blog, truck information

Shopping for online truck products is alot of fun for any pickup owner. The available selection of these performance accessories is abundant, and the information you can use for research is right at your fingertips. This helps you make an informed purchasing decision, so your money spent is not wasted. You can visit forums and chatrooms related to trucks to talk to other owners, and get their feedback on what works and what doesn’t. This is much more helpful than visiting your local store and speaking to a ’salesman’.

You can find just about any type of truck products at many online sites including stainless steel performance exhausts, aluminum body accessories, or other pickup products. Customize your ride and increase the fun factor you experience driving it. And in many cases you will experience an increase in horsepower, depending on the item you install. Whether you are going for looks or performance, the internet is a great place to start your research.

What’s A Popular Upgrade For Your Pickup Truck?

That really depends on what you are looking for. If you want to give your pickup more pulling power, then the answer would be an aftermarket exhaust system. Not only will you feel the gains in horsepower, but you will notice a nicer sound resonating from the muffler. It will bring a big smile to your face the next time you stomp on the gas after installing one of these.

However, if your desires are strictly to have a tricked out looking truck then you should consider an aluminum billet grille. There are alot of different styles available including tubular, wire mesh, or flamed designs. These products are real easy to install and give you an immediate increase to the looks of your vehicle.

If you’re thinking of something that is functional as well as looks good, try a pair of nerf bars. They too come in a variety of styles and colors. You can get them polished aluminum, stainless steel, or powder coated to match your paint. Installation is generally accomplished with no drilling, but this can vary depending on the manufacturer. Most popular ones do not require it, and will install in around an hour by using existing factory brackets.

A major advantage to shopping for online truck products is the ease of comparison shopping many brands of products. When you do this locally at your auto accessories store, you are restricted to comparing what they have in stock or can order. However, when you do this same research online you can easily navigate from one website to another with the click of your mouse. You can gather prices, reviews, and specifications on many different brands before deciding which ones to buy. This is a tremendous time saver, and can go a long way in guaranteeing your satisfaction with your purchase.

The next time you want to improve the looks or performance of your pickup or suv take some time and look around the internet. There are alot of good resources out there to help you decide, and there are also easy ways to communicate with other owners. This is a great way to get unbiased opinions on the quality of the products.
About the Author

James McDonald writes helpful articles for www.yourtruckaccessories.com, where you can find high performance truck accessories for just about any brand of vehicle. We feature how to articles as well as product recommendations.

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