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Finding myself in two different chrome shops in recent weeks (browsing for fun, not buying new chrome), I was surprised to hear their owner or manager say they are doing well. Pressing harder for specific information, they gave it and convinced me they really are doing well and are not...

No one ever talks about the smells of expediting. When you think about where you have been, are the smells part of the memories? Ocean breezes Pine forests Fuel islands Wal-Mart Feed lots Refineries Water treatment plants (by the way, its the sewage they treat, the water is just fine)...

The March 1-14 print edition of The Trucker includes a summary of the 2008, year-end reports of publicly held trucking companies, survey information and industry analyst observations. The publication is distributed free at truck stop news racks. All of the information applies to larger...

If you are headed to certain points west out of Maryland, our carrier's routing software will send you onto U.S. 40 in Pennsylvania, if you choose to follow the routing. Key words, "choose to follow." Diane and I did so for the first time last week. It will aslo be the last time. Photos and...

Being one to avoid truck stops more than stay at them, I am not the best-informed on this, but being pleasantly surprised by what I recently saw at a Flying J, I am wondering, is customer service improving as truck stops try harder to serve truckers and win business? The new pasta bar at the...

I'm asking out of simple curiosity. Have you or anyone you know taken out a new truck loan in recent months? We hear in the news about tight credit. How is that showing up in expediting, if at all? I can't say because we are not shopping for a new truck and I do not know anyone that is. What's...

For use in an upcoming article in Expedite NOW, This is a request for comments from expediters who, despite the recession, are still standing in the industry and can point to some measure of success. The question is simple. If you are still earning a good living as an expediter (whatever that...

I am beginning (emphasis beginning) to believe that Indiana highway management and maintenance is declining such that our safety and productivity is threatened; more so than in other states. This suspicion is based on negative experiences Diane and I have had and read about. The most recent was...

California's congestion, deteriorating infrastructure and regulatory environment have presented special challenges to truckers for years. I am told of a saying that comes out of East Texas that today seems especially appropriate in California. "Nothing is ever so bad that it can't get worse."...

With freight slowing, rates declining and no sign of turnaround in sight, it's more somber out there and dampened spirits tend to linger ... at least until you put some expediters in a room and start swapping stories and talking shop. At the Bordentown Petro today a number of expediters were...

Diane and I put a set of SlushBusters on our truck for the first time a few weeks ago and put them to the test on Tuesday. They work! SlushBusters keep snow and ice from building up on your windshield wipers. They are inexpensive, no-moving-parts, plastic strips that you afix to your...

Our problems are over! See article.

What kind of 2008 did you have? What kind of 2009 do you expect? I took a look at our run count and found this: 01/01/07 - 12/16/07: 126 runs 01/01/08 - 12/16/08: 125 runs 11/01/07 - 12/16/07: 11 runs 11/01/08 - 12/16/08: 14 runs Note that last year we went home on November 30 and took the...

Its the time of year to use additives to keep your diesel fuel from gelling up. In years past I have used Howes Diesel Treat with no problems. This year a significant price increase has me thinking about Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement + Cetane Boost. I note that a bottle of the Power...

Diane and I are laid over in winter weather, waiting to pick up on Monday. The temp dropped to +8 degrees overnight, which is not severe but cold enough to start worrying about the water freezing up in the sleeper water tanks, hot water heater, pipes, toilet, etc. This morning I did something...

On Friday a friend and former expediter known to many in the Open Forum drove a tractor to get a tire fixed as he prepared to pick up a trailer and head out on the road. That would be a routine event with most drivers on most days. Not so with this driver on this day. He is Glen Rice, a dear...

We bought eight new drive tires yesterday. Once ready to swap eight dual drive tires for four Michelin super singles (Michelin X One), we ended up going once again with dual drives. The reason was simple. Michelin could not deliver the X One tires. We ordered them weeks in advance but no tires...

Recessions are part of the business cycle. They are the flip side of expansions. While difficult to go through, recessions have the benefit of wringing excess speculation, debt and obsolete products and practices out of the economy and setting the stage for new growth. Recessions vary in...

Many have said here in the Open Forum that a recession shakes out the weak players and the strong pick up the slack. I came across this article today that puts some numbers to the theory. While it appears things will get worse before they get better, it was encouraging to read, "A record...

Reports of generator (APU) issues regularly surrace here. Clocking our 5,000th trouble-free hour on our generator got me to thinking that it might be nice to hear some generator success stories. They would be useful to people considering a generator purchase. Our Onan Quiet Diesel 7500...