Search results

Here is a helpful series of articles for those who want to know more about Twitter. Twitter Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Twitter

This Bloomberg News piece provides some historical perspective on the swine flu (H1N1) compared to other strains at other times. This from the CDC (web site): "Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April, 2009. The virus is infecting people and...

Diane (an attorney) and I watched the video. She agrees. The message is valid. Don't talk to the police. That leaves us with the very real problem of finding yourself face to face with a cop, say at a scale stop, where he or she starts asking questions about your in-order, properly-kept and...

We would not go to an RV park or campground to spend the night while waiting for a load. It makes little sense to put your admission money at risk. If you are in service and available to roll on a moment's notice, you are not on break. You are on the job, ready to roll. We pay to stay at parks...

Most campground managers have internet access at their desks. If you direct them to a photo of your truck somewhere online, it might do the trick. Such questions are rare for us but when they rise, the photo of ourselves and our truck we have online provide a quick introduction.

I'm curious to know what the CDL disadvantages are that make a CDL worth avoiding? Yes, there is some time and expense involved in getting a CDL, but do not the benefits outweigh the costs?

While you keep your guard up at truck stops for safety reasons, both for yourself and your truck, I have noticed that I drop my guard in another way. At a truck stop, you are among your own kind; meaning people who understand your needs, life and work pretty well. You don't have to worry about...

Some expediters instinctively go to truck stops between loads and spend time there. While that works, there are other options, especially if you are in a straight truck or cargo van. See this.

It depends on the day and location, and what kind of freight you expect to see at the time and place you are.

Whether you are a newbie or veteran in this business depends on the meaning you attribute to the terms and how significant the meaning is. Do you want to consider yourself a veteran after a month or year in the business? Go ahead. There is nothing to say you can't. Diane and I did not enter...

See: Introduction to Expediting

We have always changed our shocks at regular intervals. The issue is the high torque spec Volvo has for the fasteners.

I recently tried to change the shocks on our truck, and failed. Interestingly, the price for Volvo brand shocks was less than the price for Monroe shocks from a parts store. Story here.

Strange locks have sometimes been put on our truck too; not often, just a couple of times over the years. We have come to understand that the unusual locks are put on when special circumstances of some sort have developed and a dispatcher or agent uses the lock to hold your possibly-needed...

I would encourage you to broadcast the "Piper Way." Doing so would be a tremendous resource for anyone interested in developing or refining their way. The Piper Way, Madsen Way and anyone else's way is not THE way, but A way. Sharing your way is a contribution to everyone thinking through their own.

No, I have not tried any of these courses yet, but the prices seems to be right, even if true college credit may not be granted for completing the courses. A good portion of my down time is used to study. Of late, I have been studying financial accounting and day trading. Books in the truck...

Getting more involved with Twitter is a process of following people, being followed by others and making the occasional tweet (a post limited to 140 characters), or an ongoing stream of tweets if you are so inclined. Some tweet frequently, others limit themselves to five tweets or less per...

Master List of Free Online College Courses

Notice that I did not say do our work well so that we will be rewarded. I said do our work well so others may succeed. While there are certain business benefits that come with keeping your truck clean and yourself well-groomed, they are tangential at best. If two drivers (or teams) show up at...

Old news, indeed, but as far as I could tell, it was not news shared here. Since one's independent contractor status is of interest to self-employed expediters, I posted the info.