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Actually, the color change relates exactly to an operational change. In this case, the color change is not a cause. It is an effect; one of many effects that followed when FCC was placed under FedEx Freight. FedEx is a perpetually evolving company. Color schemes aside, operational changes are...

That's trucking! It happens to all of us. It's part of the game.

Yes there are checks and rechecks, and only those who are willing and able to meet the standards get to stay. (Some have been allowed to play but don't get to stay after they fall short.) While contractors pay significant costs (financial and otherwise) to provide White Glove trucks and...

While it may be true that we can be called in for a drug test 24/7 365, I have yet to be called in to a clinic that was open 24/7 365. Diane and I have never been tested outside of normal business hours, perhaps because the nearby clinics are only open during normal business hours.

If this is an approach that works for you, I guess all I can say is go for it. It is not an approach that works for Diane and me and I encourage any expediter wannabees reading this to consider what you value and what you want to accomplish as an expediter. If you value uninterrupted off-duty...

You answer the phone because they may be calling with a load offer or for help in resolving a customer service question or any number of other reasons for which you would want them to get through. We are self-employed independent contractors. The work rules and lines between work and play are...

You may be missing the fact that even without a 34 hour reset, you can continue to drive in most cases. Every time you add a day of driving on the front end, another drops off the back end, leaving a team with plenty of hours to drive in most cases. It has happened only a few times in seven...

How big of an issue is this really? First, random drug tests do not happen that often; maybe twice a year at most. Second, if they do happen, they seem to come at times convenient to us, at least in our experience. We have been called in when we were in training at FedEx, on a Monday morning...

That's a good tip, but does it not behoove us all to be careful in every construction zone? Not because the police are watching, but because construction zones present special dangers to workers, you and the motorists with whom you share the road.

Do you have a favorite Kindle book to recommend? Share it here. I am having a great time reading Aesop's Fables on my Kindle. It is one of thousands of FREE e-books that can be downloaded from the Kindle store. It is one of many books we now carry in the truck that take up no more space...

It is sad that the state legislators who are passing these snow laws do so without a second thought to worker safety, yet they are the same people who pass worker safety laws all the time. I wonder how many violations an employer would be charged with if an OSHA inspector observed a big-rig...

It has never happened to us that we could not get in or out of a dock with our straight truck because of snow or ice. If snow or ice was an issue, I might suggest to dispatch that we can get in and out if I chain up but would need to to have a labor charge added. Would that be reasonable?

In another thread, TeamCaffee quoted Jason (Frederick, I presume) saying the Qualcomm cost issue "Has been heard loud and clear!" While that is good to know, we have yet to see a change in the cost, except the increase from $30 a week to $35 that came with the new units. Contractors have...

Are you suggesting that we are not communicating with birds now?

Never is a long time. We tend to forget about the positive changes that get made as time goes by. Remember when the settlements were far less user friendly than they are now? Remember when we did not have the great TA fuel discount we have now? I am not holding my breath for settlement...

Our truck and transmission is different than yours but consider this. We once had a problem with the truck not going into gear or going out of gear once it was in. This developed soon after we had new batteries installed. I checked the connections and found one seemingly tight but not really...

Unless the rules have changed, no they won't pay you to compete in the NTDC. They might pay you some money to cover the deadhead in getting home to compete. They might pay to fly you to an event but the rules strictly prohibit companies from paying people to compete. At least they did when Diane...

In normal circumstances, Bob would be one of the best pre-trip trainers any driver could hope to get, but keep in mind that the NTDC is not a normal circumstance. The pre-trip event is one in which you work against the clock to find planted defects. You need to work not only on truck stuff but...

Diane and I both drove a Freightliner M2 in the contest.

That's correct. You cannot stick your head out the window. Again, contact FedEx for support. Diane and I were surprised to be given access to any straight truck they had on the lot to practice in. All were day cab box trucks with two axles, similar to those used in the contest. We got the chance...