LLN (12/8/21) – As Andy Williams said long ago, it’s the holiday season – and that means it’s the season of giving. We’ll report on two truck stop chains lending a helping hand to the St. Christopher Fund as Christmas approaches, an OOIDA donation helping homeless veterans – and how you can help out as well. Also, the spot market for produce is shifting in step with the season – and even flatbeds are getting in on the action. Dean Croke of DAT gets into that before giving us the latest numbers a...
Dec 09, 2021•51 min
LLN (12/7/21) – Florida’s governor wants state lawmakers to provide motorists with a gas tax holiday. Meanwhile, talks continue at the Michigan statehouse on allowing speed enforcement cameras in work zones. Also, you need to make a number of decisions after getting a ticket. One of the first should be calling an attorney. Next is whether to fight it. We’ll have some advice. And while nothing in the new bipartisan infrastructure bill requires money to be spent on truck parking, that does not mea...
Dec 08, 2021•51 min
LLN (12/6/21) – The new infrastructure bill offers all kinds of opportunities – including the possibility of states using some of the money to create more truck parking or upgrading parking that now exists. Also, Paul Chambers is one of the troops who received a care package from OOIDA while in the service. Now, he’s back in the states, an OOIDA member, and working as a truck driver. And something good may come out of the supply chain crisis. The latest issue of Land Line Magazine dives into tha...
Dec 07, 2021•51 min
LLN (12/3/21) – Finding the right gift for the trucker in your life can be difficult sometimes. Fortunately, Tyson Fisher of Land Line Magazine has done some of the work for you. He’ll share his Cool Gift guide for the holidays. Also, every once in a while, a trucker encounters a road hazard from hell. Marty Ellis has joined that rarified company, with a unique encounter – a flying dresser. We’ll talk with the man who drives the Spirit of the American Trucker. And the government finally has a sp...
Dec 04, 2021•51 min
LLN (12/2/21) – The FMCSA has extended its pandemic emergency hours-of-service waiver, as well as CDL and medical card waivers. A vaccine deadline is set for truckers who cross the border and the FTC launches a supply chain investigation. Also, New Jersey lawmakers want to collect millions in tolls unpaid by out-of-state drivers, while the Washington state Supreme Court says the governor’s line item veto of transit funding went too far. Who will take the top job at the powerful House Transportat...
Dec 03, 2021•51 min
LLN (12/1/21) – The average spot van rate hit a record high in October. What’s driving the spike? Stephen Petit of DAT tells us. Then he breaks down the latest spot market rates and trends for reefer and flatbed. Also, a group that helps trucking families at the worst moment in their lives is now trying to help the children in those families. It’s a program called Sleigh Bells for Santa. And the Federal Highway Administration has requested the public’s input in deciding how to spend money from t...
Dec 02, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/30/21) – OOIDA continues to push the U.S. Department of Transportation to spend money from the infrastructure bill to pave more truck parking. Also, the paperwork you need for April 15 may not be available any more on April 15. And that means now is the time to get that paperwork – and anything else you need for your taxes. Voters in two California counties could soon decide on tax questions to benefit transportation work, while an effort in Pennsylvania would put toll collectors back to...
Dec 01, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/29/21) – Why are the problems in the trucking industry less like a detective show and more like a reality weight loss show? Dr. David Correll of MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics explains his analogy as part of a larger conversation about the supply chain crisis. Also, knowing what your policy excludes can dictate what decisions you make. We’ll go over policy exclusions, starting with three common issues. And many costs truckers face are on the rise – but is it affecting the ...
Nov 30, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/26/21) – We’ll bring you the story of a truck driver, terminal cancer, a Facebook post, a surprise gone wrong, and a lasting tribute that the driver’s widow will never forget. Also, a Utah trucker suddenly had to check into a hospital and quickly faced a double crisis – his own health, and ensuring his dogs would be taken care of. And two federal law enforcement agencies are sending out a warning about cybersecurity as the holidays approach, while trouble develops again on TWIC cards. 0:...
Nov 27, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/24/21) – We’ll offer a reading of a short story about truckers, “Something for Stevie,” by author Dan Anderson, plus Jami Jones’s interview with the author. Also, a heavy haul will end up helping extend the lifespan of the B-1 bomber; things get back to normal at the nation’s biggest antique truck event; and a trucker whose career continued thanks to some wisdom from longtime OOIDA leader Jim Johnston. And OOIDA is asking the secretary of transportation to use money from the recent infra...
Nov 26, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/24/21) – It’s a holiday week, and freight is flying out the door. Stephen Petit of DAT joins us to talk about how that’s affecting demand for trucks and spot rates. Then he breaks down the latest numbers and trends on the spot market. Also, the U.S. DOT is preparing to issue up to $1 billion in grants for various infrastructure projects, while the 3G sunset is approaching. And staged accidents continue to be a problem that plague the trucking industry. Mike Matousek, OOIDA director of st...
Nov 25, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/23/21) – Two federal law enforcement agencies are sending out a warning about cybersecurity as the holidays approach. Meanwhile, we’ll have the latest on TWIC card readers and what the Senate may do about President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Also, it’s a stressful time of year, and you have a stressful job. Dawn Harrison of Rolling Strong offers some tips on how to bring your stress levels down, whether you’re out on the road or back at home. And towing reform in West Virginia is on...
Nov 24, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/22/21) – OOIDA is asking the secretary of transportation to use money from the recent infrastructure bill to pave more truck parking – even through Congress left it out. Also, truckers on the road at the holidays can still get a taste of Thanksgiving thanks to Meals for 18 Wheels. Every year, the Truckers Christmas Group helps trucking families who are in need. And after getting through the hard news, the Land Line Magazine staff likes the staff likes to lighten things up with some fun f...
Nov 23, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/19/21) – Some larger carriers simply accept massive turnover as a cost of doing business, calling it a driver shortage – and Marty Ellis has something to say about how they do it. Also, two OOIDA Board members opened some eyes to the truck parking problem during a recent National League of Cities summit. Meanwhile, some truck parking money could be squeezed out of the infrastructure bill. And what would happen if truckers were paid for all of their time? It would require lifting an exemp...
Nov 20, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/18/21) – Few things generate as much talk in trucking as vaccine mandates. But one mandate is now suspended. We’ll have that, plus a recap of what the FMCSA nominee said to a group of truckers. Also, state lawmakers in Pennsylvania are moving a bill that would make annual truck registrations easier, while voters in one Nevada county consider an optional local diesel tax. And yesterday, federal lawmakers took a crack at the supply chain, discussing solutions that might get things moving a...
Nov 19, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/17/21) – Cities are finally waking up and realizing that truck parking has become a crisis, and that they have to play a role in fixing it. And the National League of Cities has taken a leadership role in that effort. Recently, two members of the OOIDA Board of Directors spoke to the group about what’s needed. Also, how can you tell if a used truck you’re considering buying is a gem and not a lemon? And the holidays are coming up quick. Stephen Petit of DAT offers a look at what that mea...
Nov 18, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/16/21) – We’ve spoken on the program several times about the problems some truckers have with bad brokers. But we’ve always said there are good brokers as well. And finding one of those can be a make-or-break difference for a small carrier. Also, Pennsylvania is working on potential changes to its public private partnership rules, while Wisconsin lawmakers consider whether to give the state’s largest city the OK to use red-light cameras. And federal officials are growing increasingly urg...
Nov 17, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/15/21) – OOIDA’s efforts to counter ATA’s claims of a driver shortage are paying off with public officials and media outlets. We’ll discuss some of the recent mainstream media coverage on the topic. Also, the American Transportation Research Institute’s top industry issues survey results are out, and the difference in responses from truckers and larger carrier could not be bigger. And insurance companies aren’t generally going to delve in to your lease agreement, but the OOIDA truck insu...
Nov 16, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/12/21) – It’s Day 5 of the 2021 OOIDA Truckers for Troops campaign. The Veterans Community Project has discovered an idea vital to helping transition their fellow vets into permanent housing – and that’s making the temporary housing like what they experienced in the military. Also, care packages are often full of serious stuff, but including fun things is just as important to morale. I’ll chat with one of the first care package recipients. And we’ll have a throwback to a 2010 interview b...
Nov 13, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/11/21) – It’s Veterans Day, and Day 4 of the 15th annual OOIDA Truckers for Troops campaign. Plenty of veterans end up behind the wheel of a truck. And among them is Paul Chambers of Colorado, an OOIDA member who received a Truckers for Troops care package. Also, when it comes to helping veterans there are plenty of ways you can help out. We’ll hear from the Veterans Community Project. And in 2016, our former News Anchor Reed Black talked with Brad Burkhart – an Army staff sergeant who s...
Nov 12, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/10/21) – It’s Day 3 of the 2021 OOIDA Truckers for Troops campaign. The Veterans Community Project started small, but it has plans to go nationwide. We’ll explain what their plans include. Also, we’ll offer up a conversation from the 2016 Truckers for Troops campaign about a North Carolina facility’s efforts to help veterans in need. And we’ll have a story by former Land Line Now staffer Terry Scruton about what sorts of needs a Virginia veterans’ facility is trying to fill. 0:00 – Newsc...
Nov 11, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/9/21) – It’s Day 2 of the 2021 OOIDA Truckers for Troops campaign, our 15th annual effort to raise money to support our troops and veterans. Scott Thompson asks the Veterans Community Project, why use tiny homes? We’ll tell you about the project’s community center, which connects veterans to programs designed to help them. And we’ll bring you a 2015 interview by longtime news anchor Reed Black with an American airman who received a care package. 0:00 – Newscast. 9:59 – Why tiny homes? 24...
Nov 10, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/8/21) – It’s Day 1 of the 15th annual OOIDA Truckers for Troops campaign. We’ll start with a look at how Truckers for Troops helps veterans now, the Veterans Community Project. The effort started as an idea – veterans who wanted to help fellow veterans in need – and became much more. Also, we’ll hear from one of the first recipients of those Truckers for Troops care packages who explains why they’re important. We’ll also bring you former News Anchor Reed Black’s 2013 interview with an Ar...
Nov 09, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/5/21) – The nominee to head the FMCSA – Meera Joshi – told the OOIDA Board of Directors she wants to improve working conditions for truckers. We’ll have an overview of what was discussed. Also, many of us remember the 1970s, when truckers were heroes on the road and in movies. We’ll hear about classic trucking films from Bryan Martin of the Chrome Shop Mafia. And Marty Ellis and an old friend have been getting an earful from truckers about the situation at the ports. And that includes ev...
Nov 06, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/4/21) – A recent audit says FMCSA computer systems holding your personal information are vulnerable to hacking. Also, a new initiative is intended to improve road safety, and OOIDA wants to fix a system for reporting coercion and other complaints. Voters in seven states decided on local and state transportation spending. We’ll have a rundown. And the OOIDA Board of Directors is in town this week, discussing the direction the Association will take – especially regarding legislation and re...
Nov 05, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/3/21) – Two federal vaccine mandates are in the pipeline. We’ll cover the two, and a member of the U.S. Senate trying to exempt essential workers – including truck drivers – from them. Also, there are good, honest brokers who follow the rules and treat truckers well. And there’s the other kind, who generate difficulties for the truckers. So what’s a trucker to do? And what makes demand on some lanes, with certain freight types red hot, while others remain stone cold? Dean Croke of DAT sa...
Nov 04, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/2/21) – Mike Matousek of OOIDA just took part in a conference with national towing groups where he made the case for small business truckers. We’ll hear how open towing groups are to reform. Also, Shawn Whitacre of Chevron pulls one specific oil analysis report from his file cabinet and explains what it says about how the truck is running. This week, the OOIDA Board of Directors is meeting to discuss the most important issues in the industry and to offer guidance to the staff on which of...
Nov 03, 2021•51 min
LLN (11/1/21) – Your carrier may think they can do whatever they want when you lease on. But there are rules, and the regulations are built into federal law. We’ll have a rundown on all the particulars. Also, workers are burned out, fed up and fried. Sound familiar? It’s something truckers have yelled from the rooftop for years. Now much of the country is going through the same thing. We’ll discuss coverage of the topic in the latest issue of Land Line Magazine. And Congress continues to wrangle...
Nov 02, 2021•51 min
LLN (10/29/21) – Truckers are talking with Marty Ellis about what’s wrong with the supply chain, and what needs to be fixed. We’ll hear from the man who drives the Spirit of the American Trucker. Also, more members of Congress are choosing to retire – or not run for re-election – and that presents some opportunities; meanwhile, a federal official is working on the latest efforts to unclog the supply chain. And from an organization that’s preserved the history of trucking for 50 years to a delay ...
Oct 30, 2021•51 min
LLN (10/28/21) – Three U.S. senators have asked the president to use California’s emission regulations nationwide. OOIDA has informed them of all the ways that’s a bad idea. Also, people in the workforce, including many truckers, are soon expected to face one of two COVID vaccination mandates. But confusion between the two mandates is leaving many wondering what the facts are – so we’ll explain. And New York may get a lot more serious about removing “bad actors” from the household goods market. ...
Oct 29, 2021•51 min
