Author: Trucker Talk Radio

Monitoring trends in the trucking industry can be akin to observing the stock market—short-term declines might indicate a slowdown, yet long-term trajectories often provide a clearer perspective. This is the observation made by Nick Pittinger, the vice president of data services at Decisiv, based on the latest truck service data from Q3 2024. Even with a quarter-over-quarter decline, service activity is on the rise year-over-year, shedding light on fleet management and maintenance strategy. Quarterly Service Activity: A Decline or a Shift? In Q3 2024, fleets executed 1,059,058 service operations using the Decisiv SRM platform—a 3.6% decrease from Q2 and a…

Introduction to Paradise Highway Anna Gutto’s *Paradise Highway*, which is now available digitally, presents a compelling thriller centered around Juliette Binoche’s character, Sally. Sally is a truck driver in middle America who leads a mundane life while awaiting her brother Dennis’s release from prison. Portrayed by Frank Grillo with a unique blend of toughness and charm, Dennis serves as the catalyst for the film’s intense drama, inadvertently entangling Sally in a human trafficking operation involving a young girl named Leila (Hala Finley) and attracting the attention of governmental figures like Gerick (Morgan Freeman) and Finley (Cameron Monaghan). Character Dynamics and…

A new bill proposing a 566% increase in minimum liability insurance for motor carriers has re-entered Congress. On December 22, Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced the Fair Compensation for Truck Crash Victims Act, which aims to raise the required minimum insurance coverage from $750,000 to $5 million. Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, joined Garcia in presenting this legislation. This initiative, while under a different title, is not unprecedented. In previous Congressional sessions, Garcia attempted to elevate the minimum insurance amount to $4.9 million in 2019 and $5 million in 2021, but neither of those…

Call for Delay on New Truck Regulations in New York Industry leaders and local officials are urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to reconsider the upcoming truck regulations. The Advanced Clean Truck regulations, scheduled to be implemented in 2025, mandate that a certain percentage of new trucks sold in New York be zero-emission vehicles, with the required percentage increasing over the subsequent decade. These regulations were established by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2021. However, stakeholders who gathered at a Trucking Association of New York press conference in Cohoes argue that the timeline is unrealistic and poses…

Subscribe to The Y’all for a weekly roundup on the individuals, locations, and regulations shaping Texas, curated by journalists from Texas Tribune who are embedded in various communities throughout the state. LUFKIN — Ashli Streeter started her journey at a truck driving school filled with optimism for an adventurous career on the open road and the potential for a lucrative profession. The 27-year-old from Killeen obtained a $7,000 loan for her education and earned her commercial driver’s license in May. But after months spent applying for jobs, she found herself frustrated and perplexed by her inability to secure employment. “I…

The World Nature Photography Awards celebrate the beauty of nature as captured by photographers around the globe, with enthusiastic contenders vying for top honors in various categories. In 2021, Amos Nachoum from the United States won the grand cash prize of $1,000 for his striking photograph depicting a leopard seal poised to catch an unsuspecting gentoo penguin. Even four years later, this powerful image remains memorable. Capturing this fleeting moment was no simple feat. Nachoum had to patiently wait for hours on the isolated Plano Island, situated off the Antarctic Peninsula, for the opportune moment during low tide when seals…

A recent report from Fullbay regarding heavy-duty truck repair shops reveals a blend of challenges and hopeful insights as the industry deals with labor shortages, rising costs, and the changing role of artificial intelligence in managing operations. Patrick McKittrick, the CEO of Fullbay, shared these insights during the 2025 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition hosted in Nashville. The findings, based on a survey of 950 shop owners and data analysis from over 3,500 heavy-duty truck repair shops, indicated that 56% of participants are optimistic about improvements in 2024 compared to 2023. Only 17% noted a slight decline, while just…

Ghanaian Woman Leaves Pharmacist Job to Pursue Truck Driving Esther, a Ghanaian woman, has left her career as a pharmacist to forge a path as a truck driver, a field traditionally dominated by men. Esther shared that she has always admired her husband, who works as a truck driver, which inspired her to learn the trade. She asked him to teach her, and he agreed, provided she completed her Medical Counter Assistant (MCA) training. After two years of working at Twifo Praso Government Hospital post-training, Esther decided to resign and fully pursue her passion for driving trucks. Esther, the female…

Gallagher’s recent analysis of commercial insurance trends highlights several significant challenges that trucking fleets are expected to encounter by 2025, including escalating claims costs, risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), and geopolitical instability. The cost of insurance claims is escalating due to heightened litigation, substantial jury verdicts, and broader definitions of liability. This phenomenon, termed social inflation, tops Gallagher’s list of trends for Q1 2025. Gallagher notes a record number of “nuclear” verdicts (over $10 million) and “thermonuclear” verdicts (over $100 million), driven by a growing public sentiment that businesses can absorb high damage costs. The increase in litigation financing…

Stay Updated with LAist If you find this article engaging, subscribe to our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, you can catch up on the five most vital stories in just three minutes or less. As diesel trucks wait their turn at a terminal in the Port of Long Beach, an electric big-rig truck enters a nearby area under one of the tall port bridges. This location is designated to be one of California’s largest charging depots for electric trucks, capable of servicing up to 500 trucks daily by summer. The truck is owned by Jennie Abarca, who runs…