Author: Trucker Talk Radio
After a night of driving an 18-wheeler across the country in late September, Gurpreet Singh woke to notifications from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on his phone. He promptly returned the call, then took a selfie to upload into the immigration officials’ tracking app. That morning, fatigued from an uninterrupted 11-hour drive beginning in Bakersfield, California, Singh, a Punjabi immigrant awaiting asylum, mistakenly confused the time zones. Failing to receive the expected notification, he sent an unsolicited selfie and fell asleep. As his co-driver continued from St. Louis to Chicago, notifications flooded in, including missed calls from a cousin…
Junior League of Lafayette’s Touch-a-Truck Event The Junior League of Lafayette is excited to announce the return of its Touch-a-Truck event on March 22 at Blackham Coliseum. This cherished event invites attendees to explore a variety of vehicles, including fire trucks, police cars, and construction equipment. This year marks the second consecutive occurrence of Touch-a-Truck, promising a day full of enjoyment for all ages. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering a unique opportunity for both children and adults to engage with an array of vehicles. Participants will have the chance to learn about and interact…
Melvins’ Wisdom on Longevity Recently, the Melvins reflected on their long-standing career during an interview, likening their journey to that of many successful bands. When asked about their secret to enduring 30 years together, they humorously suggested the key was sometimes needing to kick someone out. They noted that when things begin to falter, it often stems from one individual, and removing that person can help restore balance—a bit of solid advice. Mike Cooley and the Drive-By Truckers In a discussion with Mike Cooley, one half of the Drive-By Truckers’ creative duo, I inquired about how they’ve navigated the challenges…
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to uncovering abuses of power. Subscribe to get our most important stories as they’re published. “America’s Dangerous Trucks” is a joint investigation by FRONTLINE and ProPublica. The documentary premiered on June 13, 2023, and can be streamed via the PBS App or on the FRONTLINE website. The trucking sector is actively lobbying to make it more difficult for crash victims to sue companies and to reduce the compensation they can claim. Over the last three years, this industry has influenced new laws in seven states, including top-ranking Texas and Florida for fatal truck accidents.…
The Challenge of Overnight Parking for Truck Drivers A pale winter sun sets over the frozen landscape as Stephen Graves maneuvers his tractor-trailer through the cracked pavement of a truck stop lot in southern Oklahoma. After driving another 400 miles, he desperately needs a restroom but, more importantly, he’s searching for a place to park his rig for the night—a question that haunts him every evening as darkness approaches. Graves is approaching the 11-hour limit on his driving time before he must take a mandatory 10-hour break. He considers pushing on for another hour, inching closer to the Texas border…
Major manufacturers are rolling out new articulated dump trucks (ADTs) equipped with a variety of features aimed at enhancing operator convenience and boosting productivity. Between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024, around 2,095 newly financed ADTs were sold, based on data from Fusable’s EDA equipment finance platform. This information is derived from state UCC-1 filings concerning financed construction machinery, with financed units making up 40% to 75% of all sales across different machine types in the U.S. Here’s the latest on ADTs from prominent brands such as Bell, Caterpillar, Develon, Hyundai, John Deere, Liebherr, Rokbak, and Volvo. Bell Introduces…
Footloose Remake: A Pleasant Surprise Believe it or not, the remake of Footloose is genuinely impressive. Director Craig Brewer, known for Black Snake Moan and Hustle & Flow, has reimagined the original storyline, infusing it with his unique style to create a film that audiences will enjoy. Although I can’t share detailed insights due to embargo restrictions, I encourage you to check out the trailer for a glimpse of what’s to come. Interview with Craig Brewer Recently, I had a conversation with Brewer, where we touched upon his relief over the positive buzz surrounding the film, the significance of Footloose…
Final Independent Contractor Rule Released by DOL Over a year after its initial proposal, the Department of Labor (DOL) has officially published its final independent contractor rule. One leading analyst noted that it remains “little … changed substantively in comparison to the proposed rule.” Despite this, some minor provisions are seen as beneficial to the trucking industry. Guidance for Wage and Hour Division The DOL’s rule serves as the guidance for the Wage and Hour division when addressing related issues. Following its release on Tuesday, analyst Reibstein remarked that the final version held no surprises, stating that only minor adjustments…
Impact of Tariffs on Southern California Truck Drivers Amid a wave of unprecedented tariffs, truck drivers like Helen are experiencing heightened anxiety as their livelihood depends on transporting cargo containers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors to various locations in Southern California. Following a robust start to the year, job availability has noticeably declined, and drivers have been informed of predictions for a significant drop in incoming cargo during May and June. Helen, a 38-year-old mother of three, mentions that even in stable times, her family struggles to make ends meet. “There’s real concern that we’re going to…
John Deere introduced its first autonomous articulated dump truck this week at the CES consumer technology show in Las Vegas. The 460E-II truck features an autonomy kit developed by Deere, along with its subsidiaries, Blue River Technology and Bear Flag Robotics. This marks Deere’s initial foray into autonomous technology in the construction sector. {To see it in action, check out the video at the end of this article.} At a pre-CES press gathering on November 13 at Blue River’s demonstration area in Gilroy, California, Deere showcased the 46-ton self-driving truck. Once research and development are complete, the autonomous technology is…