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This post of Looking Both Ways will attempt to help you better understand different insurances. An upcoming issue of this blog will address issues of liability and negligence. This is important because you as a driver are exposed to liabilities. The carrier you are leased onto is...

The most important post for the year. Annual data. Gross income was 8% less than 2013. Net income was roughly 20% less. Dispatched miles was down 11%. Repair costs about doubled. Pay per dispatched miles was up 2.5%. READ MORE...

Now that you have looked at your personal situation it is time for the next step. Remember this is where you have to do the work to find a company that fits you and your situation. What works for me might not work for you. Start a notebook and jot down the date, the company you call, the...

There is only one way to start and that is to ask questions and a LOT of questions. For many of us this was a life changing decision and as such it was not one to be taken lightly as our livelihood was riding on making the right choice. Leaving what is considered a secure job, retirement...

174,000 miles on the last set of Michelin LTX M/S². At 174,000 miles, the tires were still good for another 25,000 summer miles. It’s not summer, and I prefer to face the worst of winter with the maximum amount of tread. Both previous sets lasted in the 200,000 mile range. READ MORE...

The subject of house batteries came up in offline conversations, and since the batteries are still going strong after five years… I’ve talked about the batteries that I use for auxiliary power. I’m revisiting the subject, because it occurred to me that these things are over five years old and...

January is when I start with all new and improved spreadsheets and record keeping goals. First I create a list of what needs to be done on the first of the month and store this list in the front of my notebook. Reconcile all of our accounts Download logs from Qualcomm to my computer...

Just delivered to Earth, TX and what do I see when I look in the mirror? FLASHING LIGHTS First thoughts when looking in the mirror and seeing flashing lights is a mental run down of what could I have done wrong... Can it be speeding? No 60 mph in a 70 mph speed zone on a 4-lane highway that...

2015, 2015, 2015… Just practicing. Happy New Year. I turned over the new year asleep in my bunk after 1300 miles of freight and repositioning for a dry run. My new year’s day load did not materialize. The plant wasn’t even open to tell me the load was cancelled. Technically, the warehouse was...

In an earlier blog I discussed that we received one of the coveted window stickers for our windshield from a DOT Officer. While the officer and I were talking he asked if I had noticed that the sticker was colored, had a number, and often certain edges were trimmed. I did know this from...

I had a nice conversation with someone I ran into at a laundromat in Erie, Pennsylvania. He recognized the expediter setup of the van and asked about the business. Turned out he was already well versed in the Expediter Online world from following the website and attending one of the EO...

January 1st is the target date for a number of Shippers, 3PLs and Brokers to start their Gold and Platinum tiers for preferred Motor Carriers. READ MORE...

Bob and I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We have a lot of plans for Christmas and to start off the holidays I will be flying Saint Louis to San Antonio to ride back to Saint Louis with our youngest daughter and her two dogs. This will be the first year...

How low will you go on price or quality of work? Seth Godin writes: In a competitive market, if you do the work to lower your price by 10%, your market share grows. If you dig in deep, analyze, reengineer and make thoughtful changes, you can lower your price another 10%. This leads to an even...

What is expected of CDL drivers after a DOT Physical? This post of Looking Both Ways will help you understand how to self-certify your DOT Medical Exam or Physical under the laws that became effective January 30, 2014. It’s been almost a year since this requirement began and there is still much...

I consumed a big part of this weekend working my way to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It still amuses me that houseplants grow outside in Florida. There isn’t much of this weekend to waste, since I had freight to deliver in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday morning. Consume Friday night and the...

How long in your straight truck from front bumper to back bumper? I had a call from a friend the other day and during our discussion we got to talking about maximum length limits of a straight truck. Our truck is 40' in length and that is one of the reasons we have the type of lift gate we...

Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Changing carriers is not for the faint of heart. There are as many reasons as there are truck drivers to leave a carrier. One of the worst reasons to leave a carrier is to follow a friend or someone you trust when they leave one...