Truck Drivers

Keeping on top of changes in the trucking industry is quite a job. Weigh stations, construction zones, and trucking industry regulations keep many truckers scratching their heads. Listed here are some recent updates to help truckers navigate the roadways.
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Tags: Trucking Industry, Weigh Stations, Construction Zones, Trucking Industry Regulations, Truckers

Thumbs down to Stephen Franklin and Darnell Little, the authors of the Chicago Tribune article Bone-Weary Haulers Raise Risks on Road (subheading: As truckers struggle to make ends meet, they push the limits of endurance and highway safety).

The article, published December 10, 2006, uses anecdotal stories, incomplete statistics and ignorance of the trucking lifestyle to paint truckers as sleepy menaces. A more appropriate title for the article might be “The Hassles Truckers Handle Make Trucking Hard.” But that wouldn’t be nearly as eye-catching. Read the rest of this entry »

A Frito Lay trailer burnt to the ground on Saturday in Clines Corners, New Mexico. There will be no shortage of chips, however, and no one was hurt.

Driver Mark Hobgood had hauled his last load out of the Frito Lay distribution center in Lubbock and was on his way back with empty cardboard boxes when the trailer he was pulling caught on fire. He was just a few miles north of I 40 on route 285 in New Mexico when the ABS light on the dash of his International lit up. He also noticed as slight loss of air in his tanks. He decided to pull over next to the New Mexico Department of Transportation lot just a mile north of I 40 rather than continuing down to the truck stop at the junction. Read the rest of this entry »

Trucking and taxes go hand-in-hand. But trucking companies and owner operators in trucking who have an ICC number or who are leased to a carrier that has an ICC number can save on sales tax in some states.

Some states, like Oregon, Montana and New Hampshire, have no sales tax at all for any retail purchases. Read the rest of this entry »

You drive your truck and I’ll drive mine. That tends to be the code of the road among truckers. But now, the American Trucking Association (ATA) doesn’t want you to drive your own truck. They want the government to start making more decisions for you. And that doesn’t sit to well with many drivers and owner operators.

The ATA proudly announced this month that they petitioned the US DOT, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to limit the maximum speed of heavy trucks to 68 miles per hour in the interests of safety. Read the rest of this entry »

The consensus was “we don’t support toll increases no matter how minor” at the first of three public hearings on the Ohio Turnpike Commission’s proposed toll rate increases .

For truckers, the proposed increases are fairly small- $2.50 increase across the board for the trucking classes. Class 8 and 9 trucks (65,001-90,000 lbs) currently pay $31.00 to travel the length of the Ohio toll road. Class 6 and 7 trucks (42,001-65,000 lbs) currently pay $25.75. But no trucker wants to pay more. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s the slogan for this year’s CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) Brake Safety Week [PDF File]. From August 27 through September 2, 2006, the CVSA is focusing on brake safety. This is part of the CVSA’s annual Operation Air Brake Campaign.

Anyone who has seen a truck driver flying down the Grapevine, Black Mountain, Snoqualmie, or any other well-known down grade with a trail of smoke behind him and terror in his eyes knows the importance of good brakes. We all know the smell of burning brakes- which can be avoided by planning for the down grade and using engine brakes when your truck brakes are in good condition. But if your tractor or trailer brakes go, nothing is going to stop you except- if you’re lucky- a truck escape ramp. Keeping your brakes adjusted is just plain smart. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are paying the heavy use tax ( IRS Form 2290 PDF ) in 2006 and plan to sell your truck during the tax period, you’ll have a pleasant surprise starting this year. You can apply for a credit when you sell the truck- meaning you’ll get a pro-rated portion of the tax back.

In previous years, you had to pay the $550 tax and if you sold your truck during the tax period, you did not get anything back. You could provide the form to the person you sold the truck to so that they didn’t have to pay the tax in addition to what you already paid. But once you paid the tax, your money was gone.

Now if you sell your truck, you can apply for a credit on the money you paid out. This also applies to trucks that were destroyed in a wreck or that were stolen. This policy is in effect for the tax period of July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. It does not apply to trucks sold, destroyed or stolen prior to July 1, 2006.
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Truckers headed north out of Denver toward Wyoming recently may have noticed that the northbound Fort Collins, Colorado, truck weigh station has been closed for construction for quite some time now.

But the bypassing will be over soon. The weigh station will be open for business in about two weeks.

The weigh station wasn’t merely renovated. Construction crews tore down the old building and built a new one from the ground up.

And don’t hold your breath for a similar reprieve in weighing going southbound. There are currently no plans to do any construction on the south bound Ft. Collins weigh station.

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