Trucking Advocate and Activist Allen Smith of TruthAboutTrucking.com : Articles Current News and Information for CDL Truck Drivers and Truck Driving Students…"Raising the Standards of the Trucking Industry"
We just received an e-mail from Sam Grey, one of our loyal subscribers of Truth About Trucking.
He is attending the 37th annual Mid-America Trucking show. The Annual Mid-America Trucking Show appears to be the largest show ever. Over 1150 companies have signed on to take part in the 2008 show.
According to the site there are:
Seminars Providing it’s Attendees with informative, constructive, and trucking-oriented seminars. Information that goes well beyond “good to know” and enters into a “must-know” situation.
Recruitment Center
A gathering of more than 100 of trucking’s premier fleets looking for new drivers. These companies provide employment opportunities for those truck drivers looking for career advancement.
Mid-America’s Big-Rig Build-Off
Mid-America Big Rig Build-Off IV at the Mid-America Trucking Show This year six teams from across North America combine their craft and skill to design extraordinary trucks.
Internet & Technology
Here is where they showcase the most innovative technology available to the trucking industry in one centralized location.
Check out the site. Next year we should ALL plan to attend………..Thanks Sam.
Presently, the national average for gasoline is $3.28 per gallon. Diesel is even higher, reaching in some places such as here in florida, more than $4.00 per gallon. Is it possible to get more gallons for your money’s worth? Yes, it is . . . you just have to understand how petroleum products “work” and utilize little tricks to make it come out to your advantage.
Eventually, I believe gasoline will reach $5.00 per gallon and dieselwill see a price range between $6.00 and $6.25 per gallon. In order to receive more gallons for your buck, you need to be aware of atmospheric conditions. In the petroleum industry, the temperature and specific gravity plays an important factor. If you buy a gallon of gasoline in the afternoon when it is hot outside, you are not really getting a gallon. This is due to simple physics . . . vaporization.
All service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground where the temperature is cooler. The colder it is below ground, the more dense the gasoline. When the temperature gets warmer, the gasoline expands.
In order to receive more product for your dollar, follow four simple rules:
1. Buy your gas in the early morning hours or when the outside temperature is cooler. If you purchase the product in the heat of the day, some of that gas is turning to vapor and being sent up and back into the underground storage tanks, thus causing you to lose on the “actual gallons” purchased.
2. When you are filling up at the station, most everybody will squeeze the nozzle trigger to the “fast” mode. BAD IDEA! Pumping on the fast rate causes other liquid going to your gas tank to vaporize. Therefore, when you go in to pay for your 20 gallons of fuel, you are not actually driving away with 20 gallons. Always pump the gas on the slowest mode of the nozzle. This will drastically reduce vaporization, and you will be getting more gallons put in your tank.
3. Also, fill your tank when it is half empty. The more gas you have in your tank, the less air is occupying empty space. Petroleum products evaporates at an incredible pace. By having your tank half full, there is less space and time for evaporation and more gallons are making it into your tank.
4. And Finally, NEVER purchase gasoline or diesel while a “gas” truck is making a delivery at the store. As the product is being delivered, it is being stirred up at a very violent rate. Most trucks drop the product at a rate of 350 gallons per minute. That is 5.83 gallons per second. All this “stirring up” is causing the dirt that normally settles on the bottom of the tank, to float around all over the place. By purchasing gas while a truck is making the delivery, you can easily suck up this “dirt” right into your gas tank.
As a second thought, you can avoid putting more money into the hands of terrorists’ states by purchasing your product from those stations that do not import their oil from these terrorist-backed countries.Companies that import oil from such countries are:
Shell . . . 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco . . . 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon/Mobil . . . 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway . . . 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco . . . 62,231,000 barrels
CITGO
Companies that DO NOT import oil from terrorists states:
Sunoco
Conoco
Sinclair
BP/Phillips
Hess
ARC0
By understanding the conditions that effect petroleum products, you can drastically change the amount of loss that is going into your gas tank. Simple, but effective “tricks of the trade” that will give you more gallons for your hard earned money.
About the Author:
Aubrey “Allen” Smith is the author of the original Truth About Trucking and How to Guarantee a “Perfect” Move. He is an expert in the field of transportation, and his eBooks have helped thousands discover the truth behind the trucking industry and how to experience a more stress-free relocation process.
Having spent more than 30 years of my life in the household goods moving industry, I have a lifetime of experiences. Recently, one of my kids asked me: what was the funniest thing that ever happened to me during my years as a mover? Well, I did not even have to think about it . . . I remember it like it was yesterday.
Interesting things can happen to movers and they can meet some “special” people along their journey. Once, while I was at a storage facility in Los Angeles, California, I sat down beside the owner of the company to take a little break. This particular storage facility looked run down and in very poor shape. It was in a bad part of town and basically looked like it needed to be torn down. There was a reason it had this appearance.
From the outside, one would think that it was a meaningless, worthless building . . . but this storage company actually held the belongings of the rich and famous. Celebrities stored their items at this business because of the way it appeared. It was an ingenious concept by the owner of the company. While we sat together chatting, his warehouse guys were “digging” out a very nice automobile for its owner who was on her way down to pick it up. If my memory serves me correctly, it was a black Porsche. Shortly, a young lady came in and walked up to the owner and me. She politely looked at me and said, “hello,” and began visiting with the owner. Later, she hopped in the Porsche and drove away. Looking at the owner, I made the comment that she looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place her. He just laughed and said, “That was Christina Applegate!” Now, how cool is that? Little did I know that three years later I would be back at this same storage building and it would be the site for the funniest thing that ever happened to me as a mover.
Sometime around 1992-1993 I was given a “special” move from the North East to Los Angeles. My dispatcher told me that all the belongings would be going to a storage facility, but the building had no signs, letters, logo or anything on the building. Well, I knew precisely where this storage place was, and knew that the customer had to be someone “special.” When I arrived at the house, I was met by the lady I would be moving and she was so sweet and kind . . . a really nice person. She turned out to be a cousin of the Gabor sisters: Zsa Zsa and Eva. She had a ton of stuff including dozens of statues made out of granite and marble. It was a rough two days loading everything, but I finally got it done. The entire move took ten days to complete, and once again I found myself back at the L.A. storage facility. Everything came off great, no damages . . . a perfect move.
After everything was completed, I walked up to the lady and said my usual, “Well, I enjoyed moving you and good luck at your new home.” With that famous Hungarian accent she replied, “Oh dawling, you did such a fantastic job . . . wait just a minute . . . I want to give you something.” Now in all my years as a mover, I honestly never really cared about receiving a tip from my customers. It really did not matter to me. But, this time I thought, “Wow, Zsa Zsa Gabor’s cousin! This is going to be a great tip!” She walked out to her car and a few minutes later returned. Again she said, “It was a wonderful move, dawling and you are such a sweet man. You look so tired . . . I think you may be low on potassium.”
Then, without skipping a beat, she extended her arm and in her hand was my tip . . . a banana. Yes, that’s right . . . a banana. Caught in a moment of utter confusion, I was still able to reply with a soft spoken, “Thank you,” and with that . . . she was gone. I turned to the owner of the company as if to cry out for help and he did the only thing he could do . . . he just bursted out laughing!
I said my goodbyes and walked out to my Freightliner and made my way back onto Route 110, then Highway 101 to Interstate 210, and finally Interstate 15. As I settled in for my journey out of California toward my next pick up, I just could not stop laughing.
I reached over for my cooler and pulled out a nice, cold soda. I had to admit that I was feeling very tired and a little hungry. I glanced over to the passenger seat and saw my “tip” staring back at me . . . a bright, yellow banana.
We found this video on YouTube and we would like to share it with you. This Gentleman’s name who created the video is Jim and he is a retired truck driver. He and his wife are parents of a soldier fighting for our country in Iraq.
He has made this video as a tribute to those truckers who have lost their lives while being dedicated to their driving career.
Some of you may have seen this already, but it is worth watching again.
To all our very valued readers, subscribers to our Newletter, and fellow truckers,
In response to all our daily e-mails, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU.
The blog and our website, TruthAboutTrucking, is quickly becoming a source for information.
This is because of you. You have trusted us and responded positively by offering your input about our sites to others, and they too have eagerly joined our cause for The Truth within the Trucking Industry: Truck Driving Schools and Trucking Companies
For those of you have sent us testimonials via e-mail, we ask you to post them here, along with any opinions or ideas you would like to share in order to make the information we give even better.
Special thanks to “Larry”. Your words of encouragement in our e-mails and on YouTube are a blessing.
Looking forward to your comments, ideas, opinions, and testimonials
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Article describing the devastating effects that Owner Operators within the Trucking Industry are experiencing because of the High price of fuel.
Truck Drivers from all over the country are being forced to make drastic changes in their lifestyles, some on the verge of bankruptcy
Just when you think that a portion of the truck driving schools had enough of their own scams, along comes a sly group that even outscams them!….as if the Trucking Industry doesn’t have enough problems
I would like to stress to those interested in choosing Trucking as a career, to make sure they do their homework before choosing a Truck Driver Training Facility or Trucking Company for Employment. Trucking Schools are a big business out there, and trust me, there are thousands of eager people just waiting for you to join them. The choice you make will determine the quality of education you receive and the amount of money you spend to obtain it.
On a similar note, careful choice must be made when signing on for a trucking job. The hope of financial freedom can easily be crushed if you sign on with a trucking company that readily abuses their drivers. They do this by keeping them out for weeks on end and compensating them with a small paycheck.
Trucking is Being Chosen as an Exciting Career, but you must be able to research and make the Right Choices. Don’t be Held Hostage by making the wrong choice.
As we enter the year 2008, the job market is looking less optimistic. More people than ever before are investigating a career withing the Trucking Industry as the solution for financial success. Their goal is not just having a job, but a career that will allow financial freedom as well as the freedom of Over The Road Truck Driving. Their goals for achieving this dream are two fold: Find a Truck Driver Training Facility ( to obtain their CDL) and then a Trucking Company to hire them. Simple, right?
Unfortunately, whenever there are anxious and enthusiastic people looking for an opportunity, there are those who will be equally anxious, waiting to take advantage of them. Their company ads and promises are as luring as expensive fish baits, and as successful as the most expert fisherman. Their motive is financial gain, plain and simple. They charge thousands and deliver very little, except maybe an empty check book or a large loan payment.
The most vulnerable are the Students desiring to obtain the required CDL license through quality truck driver training. This is the first step that anyone considering a truck driving career must achieve. As a result of this necessary requirement, there are many businesses out there targeting this audience, trying to obtain their business by promising a quality education in truck driving. Some are reputable institutions, but many are just businesses, posing as quality schools, offering a poor education, costing thousands of dollars. Many of these CDL Training Schools promise “quick training” in as little as 2 weeks. Since many potential drivers are eager to get their training and start earning a living, this kind of training is quite appealing.
The next targeted audience for abuse is the “newbie” CDL driver. Many Companies are willing to take on these new drivers, promising them the world, but only delivering hours of driving, time away from home, and VERY little pay.
Veteran drivers are very much aware of the scams and tricks out there. Many however, are not as aware of the Truck Driving School Scams, as they achieved their CDL many years ago before the “driving school mills” were as popular.
These veterans, are however, familiar with the trucking companies that take advantage of drivers, and stay away from them like the plague.
Many of them have paid their dues, enduring years of heartache and empty promises, going from one company to the next, until they found the “right” company. Others were fortunate enough to land a good company from the beginning and have spent their entire career with them.
We strive to encourage everyone to research all their options carefully before making any decisions. As many of you already know, Allen’s well researched book, “The Truth About Trucking” has much of the valued information you will need, including information he has obtained through his own trucking experiences.
Don’t get carried away with all your eagerness and enthusiasm. Take time and do your research. Only when you know about the scams will you be able to avoid them and be successful choosing the best truck driver training and trucking company to work for.
Allen is a 30 year veteran and expert within the trucking industry. He has written dozens of articles , helping students and new drivers to be successful by avoiding the scams of many truck driving schools and trucking companies. He is the original author of the well known book, “The Truth about Trucking” and the primary writer on his blog, Ask The Trucker.com
Truck driving jobs are always plentiful due to the constant driver turn over rate that now stands at 128% for over the road drivers. The average yearly income for truck drivers is $35,000 to $45,000 for company drivers, and $95,000 to $130,000 for owner operators, depending on where you live. Currently, as a local driver, working five days per week and home every night, I enjoy a driving job grossing $50,200 per year.
Every two years the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases their list for the top 30 fastest growing job opportunities. Just released, this list shows the best career choices projected to the year 2016. Truck driving didn’t make the list, but how does truck driving jobs salaries compare with these 30 fastest growing jobs for the future?
Many of these positions require at least a Bachelor Degree, and some even a Master’s Degree or Doctorate, yet I find it interesting to note that professional truck drivers can earn more than these professional positions. And, with proper management skills, an owner-operator can actually gross more than any of the top 30 on the list!
Of course, there is not much glamour in OTR truck driving, but with the public’s view of the typical “truck driver,” I felt it was important to point out that with the right information, the professional skills and the proper attitude, truck driving jobscan offer a good wage and decent living . . . you just have to know where to look. However, comparing truck driving jobs with the top 30 lists, one should not consider themselves just a “truck driver.”
See how your current driving job compares with the top 30 jobs of the future . . . the salary shown is the median average salary for the year 2006 :
30. Physician assistant $74,980
29. Physical therapist $68,050
28. Manicurists and pedicurist $21,280
27. Environmental science and protection technician $40,260
26. Gaming and sports book writers and runners $20,850
25. Computer software and systems software engineers $87,250
24. Database administrators $67,460
23. Computer system’s analysts $72,230
22. Dental assistants $30,850
21. Marriage and family therapists $44,700
20. Mental health and substance abuse social workers $37,980
19. Mental health counselors $37,840
18. Dental hygienists $62,430
17. Forensic science technicians $48,150
16. Pharmacy technicians $26,510
15. Physical therapist assistants $41,410
14. Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators $30,470
13. Social and human service assistants $27,200
12. Financial analysts $77,280
11. Skin care specialists $29,550
10. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors $35,950
9. Veterinarians $81,490
8. Medical assistants $26,290
7. Theatrical and performance makeup artists $36,730
6. Personal financial advisers $66,120
5. Veterinary technologists and technicians $27,750
1. Network systems and data communications analyst $67,460
The biggest problem facing truck drivers today is finding the right company to drive for, who will deliver what they promise. Unfortunately, over the road driving needs to be looked at very diligently by new drivers before signing on with a carrier. The 128% turn over rate speaks for itself. Knowing what to look for, understanding how the trucking industry works and thinks and knowing what to expect out of a life in trucking, will help you make the right choice in a trucking career BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.
With the right information, you can make trucking work if that is your chosen path for a career. And, as the list shows, you can actually end up earning more than the person sitting in a cubicle office space munching on a salad.
About the Author:
Aubrey Allen Smith is the author of the first and original Truth About Trucking. By exposing the scams of the trucking industry, Allen has helped hundreds, if not thousands of new drivers make the right choices in choosing a truck driving career. For more information, please visit http://www.truthabouttrucking.com today.
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