Blog Category: Owner Operators

A heart-warming story of a traumatic road accident and the truckers that saved a woman from her crushed vehicle.

How to Buy a Used Semi Truck - Buying a used Class 8 truck or other commercial rig is a smart way for owner-operators to save money in the early days of their business.

Should I Lease-to-Own a Semi Truck?

RDI Logistics Job Openings

Miller Transportation Dealer

The Trick to Getting Your Moving Floor ITI Trailer to Pay for Itself - A Q&A with Mike DePew

Trucker-to-Trucker is pleased to announce that International Machinery has recently joined our elite group of online advertisers.

Top Five List: Best and the Worst States for Small Trucking Companies

MAN's Streamlined Semi Truck is a Futuristic Fuel Saver

Here are some tips to use for a healthy body that every trucker should embrace.

Think You Know Trucks…Take the Quiz and Prove It

Mandated Use of Speed Limiters Gets a Thumbs Down by Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

If you are an over-the-road trucker, then I'm sure you've stayed in your share of motels, hotels and rooms along the way. It goes with the lifestyle, and that's part of why you do what you do. But if you ever get into Iowa and are driving down I-80, make sure to stop by the largest truck stop on the face of the planet.

When you're on the road, being healthy can sometimes take a back seat. You're sitting in the truck for hours at a time, unable to get much exercise and a lot of that time is spent snacking or eating fast food because it's quick and convenient. But, if you want to be a healthier, happier truck driver, TheHealthyTrucker, net is helpful resource for you and your family. Their team includes industry experts to offer you advice in different area, calling themselves your co-driver for the fitness of mind, body & wallet.

Commission, approximately 95,000 people suffered injuries and 3,964 were killed from accidents involving large trucks in 2013. Although some accidents were linked to bad drivers on suspended licenses, mental impairment and other drivers, some of these accidents involved trucks that did not have safe tires.

Sitting too much on the job has been linked to a higher risk of health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. For truck drivers, there's another risk to be aware of. New research has shown that men who drive trucks might have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

Yes, we know that truckers are already cool, and that can't be disputed. But keepin' cool is an entirely different matter in and of itself. Long hours on hot summer asphalt does not make for cool and comfort, which also cannot be disputed, but there are certain things you can do to keep your cool while remaining cool, every time you drive.

OK truckers, here is the skinny on diesel fuel prices, what drives the price and where the cheapest fuel is. You may be surprised at what you are about to read. Breaking it Down When compared to gasoline, it takes less time and effort to refine diesel fuel.

When you serve in the military, you have a very disciplined, scheduled life for the number of years you serve. This is true whether you are stationed at a local base go overseas and fight in a war. You are trained not only to do the job of defending your country, but you are also trained to do some kind of specialty job, too. What happens when your service ends? You are expected to find a job and that structure is gone.

And just when you think you've been on the road a long time, I've got news for you. Back in 1968, a trucker was featured on the program What's My Line, a popular game show of the time. After several questions, answers and guesses, none of the celebrity panelists were able to guess the occupation of Linda Cottrill. Yes, a lady trucker from Massillon, Ohio, stumped the panel. No one could believe that this diminutive young woman would be piloting a truck.

As you already know, trucking is a vital industry that keeps the country running. It also happens to be an extremely stressful line of work that can wreak havoc on your health. Based on your own experiences, it shouldn't come as a surprise that truckers suffer from obesity, hypertension and other chronic illnesses at rates far above the rest of the population. This all begs the question of how truckers can enjoy a better quality of life.

You are an over-the-road trucker and you rely on your GPS to get you where you need to go. They have been one of the most welcome additions to trucking since the CB radio, they have saved many miles and many hours of drive time, but sometimes the best way to go is not always the GPS way to go.

Now that diesel fuel prices are beginning to slide downwards, consumers with diesel powered autos couldn't be happier. But the biggest consumers of diesel fuel are truck drivers who depend on it to get the job done. The truth of the matter is that, fuel prices are the single greatest expense when it comes to the trucking industry, and lower diesel fuel is always a welcome sign.

One of the risks that goes along with owning a trucking company is having to make liability payments if one of your drivers injures someone in an accident. This amount is decided on through the legal system and typically goes toward compensating victims for medical care. The minimum liability requirement right now is $750,000.

Most semi truck driver news involving health focuses on sleep issues, but truck driving can also take a toll on drivers' physical fitness as well. Drivers spend a good part of their workdays sitting behind the wheel, keeping irregular hours and relying on convenient fast food places for meals.

While politics makes strange bedfellows, it is often the lobbyist who are paid to get into bed with special interest groups. Thus is the case in the current we-say, they-say debate about longer and heavier trucks on the highways.

In this world, everything seems to be a competition. Who is the biggest, the best and the fastest wins. We forget the value of qualities like wisdom and experience. And we certainly let too many opportunities for guidance and compliments go by. This is something that can change in our industry.

Being away from your family, dealing with traffic, and getting blamed for the screw-ups of shippers and receivers can easily distract you from the importance of monitoring your tires. In addition to being a major safety issue, under-inflated tires don't last as long, and increase the cost for fuel and other maintenance issues.

If sitting behind the wheel of your truck and staring at the highway gets a bit boring at times, you might be interested in one of the newest trucking trends. Mercedes-Benz is working on a truck that will be able to drive itself, letting you relax and enjoy the ride from one destination to the next.

As a trucker, logging your mileage is of utmost importance because mileage is often what much of your pay is based on. If you don't log miles, you don't get paid. Logging miles used to mean coming home from your long trip and spending time in your logbook tracking those miles. If you were diligent, as you were supposed to be, you did it as your trip progressed.

As a trucker, you often have tight schedules with strict deadlines to meet, longing to get home to see your family or catch a good night's rest. Any tip or trick to save you time and energy is sure to be useful in your busy trip. With mobile phone usage passing laptops and apps for just about everything imaginable, it is easy to see why many truckers have switched to using their mobile phones for daily business. With that increase, there are a number of great trucking apps to check out that will make your day a little easier.

Time for some spring cleaning — and that includes checking in on trucking regulations that affect your daily life. The trucking industry in the midst of further changes to the restart rules and other new items:

The survey of Atlas Van Lines drivers, also known as the King of the Road Survey, is useful not just to other truck drivers, but to families planning vacations and frequent business travelers. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, Atlas is a private, agent owned company that has about $900 million in revenue each year. Their results to the mostly scientific and nearly indispensable survey makes for some interesting reading to anyone who spends much time on the road.

It is not enough to say that without truck drivers, America stops moving. America also stops eating in many areas of the country and stops working practically everywhere in the United States. About 70 percent of all raw goods, food, equipment, and product moves by truck. According to the Department of Transportation Statistics, the trucking industry employs over 8.7 million people and moves 9.2 billion tons of freight, valued at $671 billion, with over 5.6 million tractor trailers that are driven by more than 3.5 million men and women.

Hey you – put down the jelly doughnut! Just because your office is mobile doesn't mean you can't stay fit! Shuck the excuses and stay in shape – on and off the road. Drop and give me seven!! Following these seven simple strategies can encourage great fitness results, despite all those long, sedentary motoring hours…

Do you make it a priority to get a good night's sleep? Even if you do, there's a good chance that you will experience road fatigue at some point. Long hours combined with long stretches of highway can lull you into drowsiness before you know it.

Over-the-road truckers spend long hours traversing and crisscrossing the highways and the byways of America. After endless hours of negotiating through city traffic or seeing the same stretch of pavement, drivers get weary. Add to the fatigue unexpected issues that mean driving longer to meet schedules and it's a situation where driving safety comes into play.

Virginia Doctor Tends Truckers on Their Schedule and Builds His Practice at the Same Time

5 Tips to Driving Your Big Rig in Snowy Weather

Truckers: How to Stay Safe Even In Dangerous Winter Weather

Make a Trucker's Snow Emergency Travel Kit

Is Being an Owner-Operator Right for You?

Are Better Brakes In the Future?

Before you hit the road, try learning from experienced truckers. There will still be plenty to learn after you buy a new truck and start your first job, but the more you know the better. Here's what veteran truckers want newbies to know:

While electric vehicles get a lot of attention currently, there is another alternative fuel that is among the most abundant and clean burning available. Natural gas is considerably less costly than diesel and expected to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

If you're in the market for commercial trucks, trailers, equipment, or parts, you now have an easy way to get sellers to come to you. The best part, it won't cost you a thing! All you need to do is place a Want to Buy Ad on our Trucker to Trucker website, and wait for someone to contact you about having what you need.

For most truck drivers, finding a truck they want is not difficult. Getting it for a good price takes a bit more effort. Before you begin talking with a seller, make sure you have everything ready on your side for the best negotiating position.

Twenty bucks doesn't buy much these days, but that's all it takes to sell your truck on TruckerToTrucker.com. The cost of a single online ad on TruckerToTrucker.com is just $24.95 and your ad runs until your item sells. That's a lot of bang for a few bucks! "Best trucker website to sell a truck on. I did not receive any phone calls from any other site I placed an ad in. Also, the one-time fee was great. On the other site my ad and money came and went. A plus for Trucker to Trucker." -- K. Roth, Pennsylvania

Teen Driving Safety Tips - Teens that seem to have driving in local traffic can quickly find themselves in trouble when they cruise up a freeway ramp and the world suddenly zooms into high gear.

Finding The Free Connection - In today's world Internet access is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. This is particularly true when you're spending most of your time on the road. Staying connected keeps you in touch with family and friends along with necessities like bank accounts.

Whether you are a dealer, fleet manager or independent operator, there are many reasons to sell your truck online.

You're on the road and you get that mid-afternoon grumbling in your stomach. What do you do? It's not practical or even desirable to stop every time you're hungry. A supply of portable snacks is essential for every trucker's cab.

If you're overdue on your brake check, better take care of business before you travel through Kentucky. The Bluegrass State is cracking down on truck brake safety violations and Kentucky State Police are targeting semi-trucks. During May, Kentucky troopers pulled over 95 commercial trucks for spot inspections and issued 130 citations.

For professional truck drivers, the highway is our workplace. Maintaining a safe workplace allows us earn a living and return home to our families safe and sound. Sharing the road with unpredictable and often distracted car drivers can be frustrating and annoying, not to mention hazardous.

Earlier this year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) forwarded seven recommended truck safety standards to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The trucking industry faces many challenges, not the least of which is the aging and deterioration of America's roads and bridges. Deteriorating bridges in particular are a looming crisis across the nation, effecting transportation across the U.S.

Truck stops on the East Coast used to have a bad rep for being rough and dangerous. Sure, there were always some reliable truck stop owners who took care of drivers passing through; but for a while East Coast truck stops weren't a place to linger.

Used to be when you bought a new truck, you'd stop by the dealer, look under the hood and kick the tires before shaking hands on the deal. How times have changed! Today, truck buying has gone digital.

Truck drivers may not be lining up to purchase Miss Manners' latest volume on social etiquette but just because we're a free and independent breed doesn't mean we are without manners.

Truck stops used to be bare bones affairs. A row of pumps, a dirt-encrusted bathroom, and, if you were lucky, a greasy spoon with a menu heavy on fried meat. Despite the lack of glamor, truckers could always count on a good, strong cup of coffee and a friendly word from the folks behind the counter.

Truck stops, travel plazas and roadside rest stops are busy places. Truckers have to look out not just for themselves and their fellow drivers but also for confused auto drivers, clueless pedestrians, wayward children and hyperactive pets.

It can get mighty lonely traveling long distances on the open road as a trucker and sometimes, places to stop along the way are few and far between.

Truck stops have always been a place where you could fill up your tank and your belly. But today's truck stops also offer everything from chiropractors to live music! How do you find truck stops with special services?

Independent owner-operators and small trucking businesses just caught a break from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB recently granted small fleets, lightly-used trucks and rural operators an extension of its emissions control compliance deadline, giving some truckers an extra year to meet California's newest anti-pollution standards.

Liquitube Flatproofs Trucking Tires. Eliminates Tire Headaches. Bolsters the Bottom Line. LiquiTube Premium Tire Sealant is changing the game when it comes to trucking tires. Flatproofing tires with LiquiTube is like buying tire insurance. But the benefits are immediate.

The humble highway truck stop is undergoing a major transformation. Counter service is being replaced by noteworthy restaurants.

Check out the latest developments in heavy-duty truck tires. These innovative new products offer owner-operators and fleets considerable benefits in fuel economy, safety, tire life and durability.

When Walmart recently revealed its high-concept truck-and-trailer prototype, you could hear jaws dropping across the country.

With the next decade predicted to be one of strong and steady growth, the future of the commercial trucking industry looks bright.

Last year was a growth year for the commercial trucking industry, but it was just the beginning of a major growth spurt that is expected to fuel the trucking industry for the next decade.

The latest report on the health of U.S. long-haul truck drivers isn't good. Long-haul truckers are twice as likely to be obese, more likely to smoke and more likely to suffer from chronic diseases than other working adults.

Natural gas is being heralded as the truck fuel of the future (see our previous post).

Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is calling on America's truckers to be on the lookout for signs of human trafficking as the Super Bowl approaches.

What would life on the road be without truck stops? They give you a chance to recharge by taking a break from those long stretches of pavement.

Long-haul truckers are incensed over new HOS rules to the point that many are leaving the industry.

Long-haul trucking is the latest pie Google has decided to poke its finger into.

In a notable win for the trucking industry, a new study shows that the new generation of clean-diesel truck engines that started rolling off assembly lines in 2010 substantially reduces emissions below federally-mandated limits.

SelecTrucks Nashville - Warming Things Up!

The first formal step to develop a federal plan to deal with the truck parking shortage

Be aware of the hazards you face and ways counteract them and stay safe on the job. Staying in good physical health, stretching and taking regular rest breaks can help prevent repetitive stress injuries. Truck drivers who start to feel persistent soreness would be wise to seek medical attention before the problem gets worse.

Highway transportation incidents are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the United States, with the highest fatality rates occurring among workers 65 and older

TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands, has launched its annual campaign in support of the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF)

Have you performed an act of heroism while on the road? Do you know another professional truck driver who has?

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a time when America takes time to honor all professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment

Grocery merchants in Texas, California and New York will soon have ice cream, frozen foods and fresh produce delivered by tractor-trailers

How is the pressure of just-in-time delivery affecting trucker drivers?

Truckers are required to check their brakes daily, but that doesn't always happen.

Amber Alerts for Truckers

Truckers are used to being on alert for deer when driving, especially in the Spring.

Since July 1, when new truck driver hours of service rules went into affect, truckers have been holding their collective breaths hoping that a petition by trucking interests to the courts would change the rules back.

Do you get frustrated when you have to stop and fill out pre- and post-trip inspection reports, even when there is nothing wrong with the truck?

The strictest limits on use of hand-held communication devices are currently placed on professional truckers who are banned from using hand-held phones while driving nationally.

A recent accident shows the perils of driving a big rig in heavy winds. The Mackinac Bridge in St. Ignace, MI, was closed for several hours on July 18 when 80 mph gusts of wind caused a tractor-trailer to tip over on its side and fall onto the bridge railing.

Four-wheelers are often the bane of every trucker's existence. Those pesky motorists cut you off, attempt to pass on the right when you're attempting a turn, ride on your side where you can't keep track of them in the mirrors and tailgate.

When you pay your monthly insurance premiums, many truckers would say the answer to that question is "NO!" But at least seven members of congress don't agree.

Truck driver fatigue can be a dangerous, even deadly problem. Fatigue can lead to a range of health and wellness complications for truckers and a number of problems that can contribute to crashes and near-crashes.

Driver training standards are woefully lacking, especially considering the many on-the-road demands faced by commercial truck drivers and the hundreds of regulations they are responsible for following.

The changes to the hours-of-service rules will significantly most long-haul truck operations and drivers.

Things can get hairy out on the mean highways, as every long-haul trucker knows. You can regularly see news reports of truckers who have been beaten, robbed, even murdered out on the road.

Sleep Apnea can be a silent killer and is a disease that is prevalent among over-the-road truck drivers.