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You have a good list for starters, and perhaps more than you need. It depends on the amount and kind of freight you will haul. Your carrier of choice should be able to provide guidance.

Summer. It's a lot easier to paddle a canoe when you don't have to chip a path through the ice.

In item 12, be sure to include health and life insurance, and retirement savings. The worst case scenario is not that you fail after a short term in expediting, but that you reach the end of a long expedite career and have nothing to show for it, and only the government to rely on for food...

While your situation does not match ours exactly, you may nevertheless find my web site to be of interest and some help. On the truck spec page, weight, wheelbase and sleeper size issues are discussed. About "heavy up front," any straight truck of any brand can be made heavier or lighter up...

If your carrier requires straight trucks to have landing gear (a/k/a dolly legs), the answer is yes, you must have it, even if you have a lift axle (tag or pusher) or two drive axles. Our truck has landing gear but it is rarely used. To protect our truck from damage, forklifts are prohibited...

A sloppy resume would lead many people to logically conclude that the applicant could not be counted on to present well in the office; or in the case of a truck driver, to be anything other than sloppy with the run paperwork, log books and other documents used daily in truck driving life. So...

A resume generally states one's contact information, career objective, relevant experience and education. If a fleet owner is asking for a resume, he or she is probably interested in knowing that information without having to interview you or provide you with an application to complete and...

Instead of tape, we use ball bungees to tie off the loose ends of the straps. They serve two purposes: (1) impress the customer with attention to detail, (2) when used as shown, the strap is secured over the top of the ratchet strap handle, which helps keep the handle from popping loose (though...

Most if not all major tire manufacturers have a tire data book that shows proper inflation levels for each type of tire under a range of loads. Determine the normal load your new Goodyear's carry, consult the tire data book and run them at that psi. Any Goodyear dealer will have the book. I...

A discussion about which device configuration is best for drivers is more informative and respectful than a discussion about who is right and wrong.

A year or two ago, when the subject of wide singles (super singles) came up, people often mentioned the risk of having a flat wide single and being unable to get a quick replacement. It is interesting to see people are not mentioning that now. Market acceptance and tire store support for wide...

Good info, Turtle. Thank you.

You are right about rolling resistance being a factor in fuel economy. Our truck came new with eight deep-lug tires on two drive axles. Deep lugs are good for traction in snow and mud but have a rolling resistance disadvantage. As the tires wore down and thread depth decreased, rolling...

Sun visors are starting to disappear from some class 8 trucks. Below are photos of two newer Freightliners, one with and one without a sun visor. The one without clearly came that way from the factory.

This just in from Land Line: South of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, near Exit 267, thirty miles of I-80 in both directions will close this afternoon, due to flooding. Details

Well, the Airtabs are now on our truck; both sides and on the roof. We'll see how they do and share the results here. Additional info is at the manufacturer's web site.

We changed our driving habits to improve fuel economy. I wrote about it in Expedite NOW. See: How To Boost Your MPG For Free. (There is a typo in the story. Near the end, change "Iowa" to read "Ohio.")

The Truck Driving Championships can be good for drivers, if they choose to participate. ATA has a fair amount of political clout and has used it to oppose tolls, a position I agree with. ATA's Share the Road program helps drivers by educating the public about how to operate safely around...

For expedite wannabees reading this who have not driven a truck before, I'll share that while Diane and I consider GPS navigation devices to be essential equipment, (we use a laptop and GPS programs), we do not rely on them to drive. While they can be helpful, you do not need them to enter...

The final four paragraphs in the Land Line story suggest that regulators are not rushing into this. Arizona STOPPED issuing citations and warnings about laptops in the cab and seeks clarification on the rule. CVSA Executive Director Stephen Campbell said FMCSA leaders were taking their time...