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While we can debate the specific start dates of the busy season, I believe it is fair to say we are in it now. Allowing, of course, for vital family events and health issues, this is the season to optimize your time out on the road, in service time, and to haul as much freight as you can. In...

Like many expediters and other truckers, we sometimes park in Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lots while shopping or to spend the night. Until recently, it seemed that most lots were patrolled 24 hours a day by roving security guards in cars with yellow flashing lights on top. Where they permitted...

From today's Star Tribune (Minneapolis) "WASHINGTON - Bridges are aging and rusting all over the country, but if Congress has its way, Las Vegas will get a history museum out of the Senate-approved transportation and housing bill soon headed to President Bush. "North Dakota will get $450,000...

For expediters that are in the business for the money and for whom personal prosperity is a concern, commonly asked questions include; How much will my savings be worth ten years from now? Should I consolodate my debt? Of the various loan choices I have, which is the best? How much monthly...

The topic of unions regularly rises here in the Open Forum. I believe it is fair to say that union activists are met with staunch and broad-based opposition from the majority of Open Forum members that have posted their views. Labor Day is a holiday that celebrates the American worker. The...

Cheer up! A recession is coming and you are going to fail, that is if you are not prepared. Why do I say cheer up? Because you can tell today if you are not prepared, and you can get out now and save yourself a lot of pain when the recession hits. You can also try to get your financial house...

In a thread started by wombat52, reference to securing freight was made. He said he was hauling totes that shifted and contributed to an accident. It occured to me that a new thread on securing freight might be helpful to some readers. I'll start with hopes that others will jump in and share...

http://www.expeditersonline.com/artman/publish/article_005525.html

Staying at an RV park while waiting for our Monday pickup, I picked up an RV magazine and read about a new Onan Hybrid Quiet Diesel (HQD) generator (they call it a power unit) that is now available for motorhomes and coaches. (Family Motor Coaching, August 2007, pp. 62-68.) The article said...

The news is buzzing with people talking about a liquidy crisis, over-sold real estate markets, declining stock markets, and decling quality of commercial paper, among other troubling indicators. Some analysts are suggesting a recession may not be too far off. I do not know if a recession is...

Can anyone recommend a good tire shop in the Nashville, TN area? Doing a truck walk-around at a fuel stop, I discovered two large nails in our right rear inner dual. The tire is holding air for now and we will be fine through our morning delivery. But before I try pulling the nails out, I want...

This is in response to a question Turtle raised in the Minneapolis Bridge thread. I'm answering it in a new thread to keep the other one on topic. Turtle asked, "Where do people sit when in Minneapolis-St Paul, anyway? Doesn't seem to be many truck stops around here." The no-brainers are the...

In another thread, that is now totally off topic, freight handling equipment questions were asked and answered. I thought I'd start a new thread for that topic. For expediters who use freight handling equipment, what are some of the items you would not want to be without? Also, for those who...

I just read in The Trucker, July 1-14 issue that Indiana DOT installed a 13 mile test section of median cable barriers on I-65. The barrier was hit 69 times by out of control vehicles in the first eight months. At least one tractor trailer was stopped by the barrier. No vehicles passed through...

. The article entitled "Get Big-bunked" gave a rundown of full-featured sleepers from four manufacturers; ARI, Bentz, Double Eagle and ICT. Not included were AA and Alumi-Bunk sleepers, which many expediters put on their trucks. The article can be read online at...

A really good question was raised by easyrider2697 in a topic entitled "How Low Will You Go?" Unfortunately, the thread went south and was locked. Patrick House presented a hypothetical situation: "I know everyone situation is different, so the answers will vary on this, so please tell us the...

Long post, about 2 printed pages. Those who object to long posts should skip this one.) Keeping a diary or personal journal is a time-honored activity. The continually-developing internet now gives people the ability to publicly share their entries. An online diary or journal is called a web...

Check this out! Happy dreaming! http://twinscustomcoaches.com

For those who may be interested, I have started a daily personal blog on my web site. See: http://www.successfulexpediters.com/Madsen/MadsenBlog.htm Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of truck drivers blog every day on various web sites. Do you blog? If so, please post a link to your blog here. I...

The Hages are proud new owners of a new truck. They asked me to post photos here. I'll leave it to the Hages to tell the story. Ten photos follow. The "office in the front room" feature is not often seen on the road. Congratulations, Gary and Shawna!