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Absolutely. I don't know enough about how other people think, feel and make decisions to talk about how they operate. I share our way not as the way, but as a way others can consider. You do that a lot, talk about how we are different than everyone else. In some ways we are. But the fact that...

The techniques described above work as well today as they have anytime we have been in the business. Our actions differ because external circumstances have changed for the worse. The decision-making process with an eye on profitability remains the same. Our profits are down as the freight has...

When it comes to scoping out express centers ahead of time, there may be some fog but we are not operating in the dark either. First comes the ahead of time part. Once you get to know the system (VRU in our carrier's case), it does not take long to get a feel on a few express centers. Doing...

Our straight truck holds its alignment well so we don't check it once a year as some recommend. We will have it checked and aligned as needed if a tire wear problem develops. After buying the truck new, we went through a couple sets of steer tires and a couple of alignment checks before we...

This has been a good week for us too. For the first time in a long time, we have had three good runs, one after another. One week does not a trend make, but it feels good to be running like we did before. I spoke above about carefully considering loads going to California. Jack's post...

You make a good point. It is easy to beat your chest and crow about maintaining your price points and discipline when push does not come to shove. So far, we have been able to maintain a good acceptance rate and still accept only loads that meet our price point. But what will we do if costs...

Here is a link to a Land Line article that explains the issue in simpler terms. While we have a pretty good idea of what to expect, we are researching the rules, now that they are in place, and waiting for guidance from our carrier before forming beliefs about how exactly we will be affected...

That is true, IF you ignore the distance California is located from reliable freight lanes (to the extent that reliable freight lanes exist). I think most expediters will agree that more expedited freight is found east of the Mississippi River and north of I-20. Texas is closer to that area...

Just be careful to not put too much weight on the boot and think about surface wear between the shelf and the boot. As you know, the boot flexes some as the truck drives down the road. If you look close at the photo, you will see part of the shelf extends down past the boot. That part rests...

For people new the Open Forum and considering a career move into expediting, the above comment illustrates a hazard to avoid. That is the hazard of using past results to form future expectations. In the past, I have butted heads with people here on the Open Forum regarding taking freight to...

Another forum, more or less, would mean little to me as a reader. I only veiw a few of the ones that are available now. The more forums there are, the fewer of them I read.

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...

The wires are bunched up behind the passenger seat. They are the feeds for the camera system. It has been on my to-do list for a long time to wire-tie them neatly behind the shoe rack where space designed just for that exists. It is one of those projects that are easy to forget about. I hope to...

In the interests of personal safety and professional appearances, Diane and I wear black, polished, steel-toed shoes (not boots) at every pickup and delivery, and driving shoes most other times. The driving shoes are open-heel clogs that are very comfortable and easy to slip on and off. The...

Only if you believe in luck.

I don't want to make light of your frustration. I can tell from your words it is real. There is a solution I have thought of for some time now, but when I share it with others they all laugh it off. I don't know why. The numbers seem to work. As you know, reliable same-household teams are...

A little Trip Pak trick we learned is to never fold two documents together. If you have multiple pages to send, do not stack and fold them together. Fold each page separatly, stack them after they are folded, and then put them in the Trip Pack envelope. Same for multiple log book pages. At the...

First, it is great to hear that the two of you have taken a shine to the industry and the road. Good for you! Bravo! Watch for a private message from me regarding your question.

Diane and I are getting paid by our carrier as regularly and reliably as always.

It's not gloom. It's frustration over the lack of competency in leadership that could have foreseen and prevented the financial crisis; especially visible now in California but true in many states and at the federal level. It is also the felt need to continue to prosper by protecting one's...