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Hate that feeling when we turn on the windshield wipers and where I want to see is the part the wiper misses... Windshield wipers are probably one of the most overlooked and abused items on a vehicle, a car or a truck no matter. From pushing mud, trying to clear bugs to attempting to push wet...

Pasadena, Texas sounded so nice. Trick was getting past the endless sheet of snow and ice to get there. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the weather. It was supposed to be light precipitation whether it was rain or snow. Within thirty minutes of picking up in East St. Louis, traffic was...

Your Company’s Mileage Limit Policy Explained. This post of Looking Both Ways will attempt to explain the reasoning on company maximum mileage policies. You know that policy that states that a solo driver may only drive 550 or maybe 575 or maybe 600 miles maximum straight through. This policy...

When a Motor Carrier allows his Owner Operator to provide his own Cargo Insurance, it all seems clear cut in the beginning of the relationship. But what happens when a Cargo loss occurs at the same time a “falling out” occurs in that relationship? Then the Freight Broker can be left...

Tax Season is upon us, so here are a few things you might want to know: EMPLOYEE BUSINESS EXPENSES Company drivers can deduct, as an itemized deduction, unreimbursed business expenses incurred in connection with driving for your employer that are required by your employer. They include per...

$5500 later I’m no longer leaving a trail of oil. It was a painful $5500 dollars that involved a new EGR valve (second in 600,000 miles), oil cooler, exhaust manifolds and a bazillion smaller parts. The main thing is that there is no longer black puddles that follow the van. READ MORE...

What do you do on your 30 minute break? Bob walks and walks and walks In my never ending quest to loose a few pounds, I have figured out that I can do some simple walking during my D.O.T. required "rest break". A few years ago our whole family got activity tracking devices. These are basically...

I always knew I would break one of these things. After my original vehicle warranty ran out I started doing my own oil and fuel filter changes. Knowing what I know about Sprinters now, I would be doing my own service from Day One. The hardest part is figuring out how to get to the fuel filter...

Commercial Laundry Rooms mean MOVE YOUR CLOTHES Every weekend week in and week out while away from home I do our laundry and it is NOT my favorite way to spend the weekend. Often the laundry rooms are very busy with several drivers waiting their turn to use the machines. As soon a machine...

Last week was a record worst week of driving weather. Had to go out of service just to write. The loads and miles kept coming, and the weather never let up. A 2900 mile week comes up only a few times a year, and this time I hit every kind of the worst winter weather in one solid barrage. It’s...

We were afraid this one was going to be canceled due to the weather .... The weather during the week looked bad but as potential truck drivers these people all showed they have what it takes! Get out there and verify if the roads really were all that bad, we had no trouble getting to...

Citations or Warnings - Differences in CSA This post of Looking Both Ways will address differences in Citations and Warnings. It is important for you the driver to understand differences and effects that a “warning” has against a company’s CSA Basic scores and how a Citation affects the...

So you want to be an Expediter but are not sure or confident? EO University is the place to learn if this is the business for you. Over ten years ago Bob and I attended our first workshop and Terry O'Connell was teaching basically the same class "Expediting 101". Terry and his wife Rene'...

It really does get this slow. Back to work. The pace. It’s been a while since it’s been this slow. All I had last week was one load from St Louis, Missouri to Quincy, Illinois. When it gets this slow I try to just go with the flow instead of wasting energy getting agitated or over guessing the...

I don’t think I’ve told this story about that guy. I remember that guy from my pre Load One days when I drive north out of Dallas on US 75. I was out of service for the New Year, and dispatch called looking for a missing driver the day after New Year’s Day. He had one of those cherished holiday...

How many times have we heard don’t buy fuel in (fill in the blank)? Fuel buying myths and misunderstandings: Don’t buy fuel in Indiana Don’t buy fuel in Virginia Don’t buy fuel in Oregon Don’t buy fuel in Kentucky Don’t buy fuel in New Mexico... READ MORE...

Tax time is a good time to recalculate your cost to operate. Cost per mile (CPM) is the soul of any driving operation. CPM is a simple pocket gauge to compare expenses to miles driven. With CPM in hand, an owner will always know if they are making enough money to cover their expenses to...

International Fuel Tax Agreement This topic confuses many and even if you get into a conversation you will begin to wonder if you get it... Questions came up after my blog entitled “The cheapest fuel is not always the least expensive fuel”. In order to ensure the most advantageous fuel and...

Knowing how much the IFTA Tax is can affect where you buy your next tank of fuel. These fuel prices and IFTA amounts were obtained on January 30, 2015 Buying fuel for the cheapest price is not as easy as reading the fuel price on the marque. Knowing how much tax is being...

Not much left of a slow month. So slow I’m photographing people in Walmart parking lots. At this Louisville Walmart, I thought people had stopped to purchase firewood. READ MORE...