LLN (10/20/21) – What makes demand on some lanes, with certain freight types, red hot, while others remain stone cold? Dean Croke of DAT has the answer, plus the latest trends and numbers in the spot market. Also, no one gets into trucking to do paperwork. But if you’re running your own trucking business, it’s a necessity. Failing to do mandatory paperwork could earn you a huge fine, back payments, or in extreme cases, getting shut down. We’ll review some of the basics. And the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the budget reconciliation remain bogged down in Congress, as representatives and senators try to work out enough of their differences to get something done. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Required paperwork. 25:07 – Freight – why it’s hot here, not there. 40:03 – Infrastructure bill, reconciliation update.

Land Line Now

Freight: Where it’s hot; where it’s not

LLN (10/19/21) – Because of the supply chain crisis, some drivers are walking into drug and alcohol testing clinics only to either wait or be turned away. We’ll break down the problem and offer advice. The first induction ceremony for a brand new trucking hall of fame took place recently. Also, people across the U.S. will soon vote on using sales taxes, bonds or other means to pay for local transportation work. And part of OOIDA’s mission is helping the mainstream press more accurately represent what’s happening in trucking. The supply chain crisis has offered some real opportunities to move that agenda forward. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Supply chain affects drug testing. 25:07 – Local transportation ballot issues. 40:03 – The press, the supply chain and trucking.

Supply chain: drug test delays and educating the mainstream press

LLN (10/18/21) – Confusion over various regulations or guidance can create all kinds of headaches – and few have created as much as the rules surrounding the use of your truck as a personal conveyance. We’ll address some recent questions about that and split sleeper time. Also, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – and that’s especially true of lease-purchase agreements. The October issue of Land Line Magazine tackles that issue, along with “walk-away leases,” with tips on what to watch out for. And truck parking issues are heating up in local governments, and bill to pay for more truck parking remains under consideration in Congress. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Personal conveyance and the split sleeper rule. 25:07 – Land Line Magazine preview. 40:03 – Truck parking update.

Personal conveyance questions answered

LLN (10/15/21) – A journalist has been covering truck parking in Northern California; another city bans overnight truck parking; and the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. Also, truckers are wondering whether the push for more electric vehicles is practical for trucks. Georgia residents are opposing a new truck stop outside Savannah, and truckers have a chance to speak out. And the U.S. DOT is asking truckers and others for help identifying how the department can make the supply chain work more efficiently; OOIDA says truck parking, detention time and more are part of the discussion. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – The Parking Zone. 25:07 – Electric trucks – are they practical. 40:03 – Truck parking, detention time and other supply chain problems.

Truck parking: a problem that could be a solution

LLN (10/14/21) – The White House has announced actions intended to help get the supply chain moving again. And those actions will affect truckers. Meanwhile, the Senate moves closer to Meera Joshi’s confirmation, and new COVID border rules are put in place. Also, New Jersey, Nevada and Michigan work to curb ticket quotas, while Michigan also tries to make life easier for timber haulers. And the supply chain disruption debate is likely to affect the lives of many truckers. However, there’s more on the topic that you need to know – including what truckers are up against and what they can do. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – White House supply chain announcement; Joshi confirmation; COVID border rules. 25:07 – State ticket quota legislation. 40:03 – More on supply chain problems.

Supply chain problems, plans and myths

LLN (10/13/21) – Drug test facilities are the latest part of the trucking world affected by both supply chain issues and problems filling vacant jobs. Also, as more and more truckers file for their own authority, certain aspects of the system are feeling the effects – and even slowing down under the strain. And that includes IRP and IFTA. We’ll discuss some of the issues involved. And the last year-and-a-half has been full of surprises – most of them unpleasant. So many dominoes have fallen that Dean Croke at the folks at DAT have started calling our new reality the “Domino Economy.” He’ll tell us which dominoes are likely to fall next. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – IFTA, IRP and authority filings. 25:07 – The Domino Economy. 40:03 – Supply chain problems; phishing scams.

Drug test centers short on supplies, staff

LLN (10/12/21) – Many truckers have run into parts shortages caused by supply chain problems; but a lack of truckers was not the cause. Also, how to deal with an increase in phishing scams. We’ll share a story from the longtime truckers and OOIDA life members Candy Bass and Richard Conaway involving a truck stop chaplain, the Grand Old Opry and a bucketful of glitter. An Iowa couple shows off their quarter-century-old rig. We’ll get some flu prevention advice from Dr. John McElligott. And a Pennsylvania effort is designed to make ease truck registration, while Georgia voters will decide on taxes for road work. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – A glitter story; couple displays rig; flu prevention. 25:07 – Pennsylvania register help; Georgia road taxes. 40:03 – Supply chain problems; phishing scams.

Supply chain not a trucking problem

LLN (10/11/21) – The recent Guilty By Association Truck Show included the FMCSA’s director of enforcement and compliance answering truckers’ questions. Also, if you’ve had to make an insurance claim on an old piece of equipment, you might be familiar with something called the “betterment clause.” We’ll explain what you need to know about it. And federal officials and some industrial and tech concerns are working hard to bring autonomous and electric trucks to market – or even require them. Meanwhile, a case in Louisiana has highlighted the problem with staged wrecks in trucking. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – FMCSA official answers truckers questions. 25:07 – “Betterment clause” and your truck. 40:03 – Autonomous, electric trucks; staged wrecks.

FMCSA official: Clearinghouse top issue

LLN (10/8/21) – Controversy continues to swirl around California’s independent contractor law, AB5, which is waiting on a court decision that will likely decide its fate – and the fate of thousands of owner-operators. Also, “social media influencers” – people who advertise themselves as experts in some topic – were a new feature of this year’s Guilty By Association Truck Show. We’ll find out how it went. And Marty Ellis has experienced something many truckers have over the past few months – the shortage of certain truck parts due to the lack of computer chips. But he’s back on the road now, fielding questions about the hours-of-service emergency order. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Social Media influencers. 25:07 – Parts shortage hits The Spirit. 40:03 – How are states spending enforcement money?

AB5, truckers await court decision

LLN (10/7/21) – California wants to end exploitation of truck drivers at the state’s ports, while also extending a pilot program to a mileage tax to pay for highways. Also, cold can freeze a battery that’s not up to snuff, cold can gel fuel, winter road chemicals can rust out all kinds of parts – and on and on. So what systems require some attention as the colder months approach? And the feds pay states to carry out truck enforcement, distributed through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. Every year, those states have to file a plan with FMCSA. So what’s in those documents? And how does that affect you? 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Prepping for winter weather. 25:07 – California targets trucker exploitation, eyes mileage tax. 40:03 – How are states spending enforcement money?

California tries to protect port truckers

LLN (10/6/21) – A CPAP machine recall and computer chip shortage are creating problems for many truckers. The feds are considering some form of relief. Also, consumer demand has fueled historic volumes of freight this past year. Dean Croke of DAT has some insights about where we might be headed next. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it expects thousands of crashes each year from autonomous vehicles. And that raises questions about one of the basic justifications for the move toward that technology, which is the contention that it would improve safety. Jay Grimes returns to discuss the report. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – CPAP recall may prompt waiver. 25:07 – Consumer demand and a freight spike. 40:03 – NHTSA: Autonomous vehicles will cause “thousands” of crashes.

CPAP recall: Feds search for a solution

LLN (10/5/21) – The last highway bill is now extended, giving Congress another month to figure out how to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill. And unfortunately, passage of that measure is now linked to the $3.5 trillion dollar budget reconciliation bill stalled in Congress. Also, electric vehicles are starting to enter the market – and that is going to have an effect on how we select tires. And three states are taking action on ticket cameras, while Massachusetts will ask voters whether they want the state to join a regional “climate pact” that could add 10 cents to fuel taxes. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – The push for electric vehicles and your tires. 25:07 – Three states on ticket cameras; Massachusetts climate pact. 40:03 – What’s next on the infrastructure bill.

Infrastructure now wedded to budget bill

LLN (10/4/21) – OOIDA has been working state by state to fix problems with police-dispatched towing after a crash. We’ll have an update on what’s happening in one state on the topic. Also, no two things are mentioned more by health experts than diet and exercise. Proper diet can mean avoiding potentially harmful health conditions. Poor diet means a life that becomes steadily more difficult as time goes on. But which diet is the right diet? And it wasn’t that long ago that Land Line Magazine was busting the myth of a “driver shortage.” Now, the October issue is back on the subject because of a subtle but important shift in the story. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Diet and your health. 25:07 – Driver shortage? Land Line Magazine says no. 40:03 – Towing problems in West Virginia.

Progress toward fixing towing problems

LLN (10/1/21) – The infrastructure bill has become entangled into a mess that includes annual spending bills, the budget reconciliation and the debt limit. We’ll make sense of it all and how it could affect you. Also, we’ll offer up some Roses and Razzberries. GBATS featured an exact replica of the truck from “Maximum Overdrive.” We’ll hear from the man who built it from scratch – and two actors from the film. And we’ll also hear about how life used to be on the road – including the challenges faced by women; and a trucker discusses bicycling while out on the road. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Roses and Razzberries. 25:06 – “Maximum Overdrive” truck; trucker stories. 40:02 – Making sense of the mess in D.C.

Infrastructure bill tangled in D.C. mess

LLN (9/30/21) – New guidance is out regarding a vaccine mandate for federal contractors – including which contractors would be covered and who at those companies would be affected. Also, an FMCSA official answers tuckers’ questions; and a new form for using the hours-of-service emergency order. A new law in New York would require all new passenger vehicles be electric within 14 years, while Pennsylvania eyes a weigh station bypass system. We’ll have information about upcoming truck shows on the Land Line Now Industry Calendar. And how is the computer chip shortage affecting the trucking industry. Plus, an update on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. 0:00 – Newscast. 10:14 – Town Hall with FMCSA; hours of service form; federal contractors and vaccine. 25:06 – New York electric vehicles; Pennsylvania weigh station bypass. 40:02 – Computer chip shortage; infrastructure bill update.

Vaccine mandate: rules for federal contractors

"Land Line Now" is the first daily news and information program designed specifically for America's truck drivers.

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Land Line Now

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