Ask The Trucker "live" W/allen Smith

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Old Dominion Freight for removing a driver from his driving duties, after he admitted to fears of an alcoholism relapse.  The EEOC has stated that the driver is a "qualified individual with a disability under ADA, who can perform the essential functions of a driving position."   While we applaud the driver for handling his problem with professional responsibility, why should the motor carrier be punished for their responsibility to highway and public safety?  Where does the defintion of "Disability" end?  Should sleep apnea be considered a disability?  What about drug use?  Should these be labeld as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act?  The EEOC proudly proclaims that they, "Enforce  federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including disability and  retaliation discrimination."  Yet, they ignore the retaliation measures used against truck drivers via the DAC report.  Is not "Safety First" the motto thi

Regulatory expert, Richard Wilson discusses the MCSAC meeting recently held in Washington, D.C., on the NAFTA cross border trucking agreement.  The Teamsters and Public Citizen have filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration seeking to block the program.  We'll take an insider look at the NAFTA Mexico agreement and why Mexican carriers are saying that they do not want American or Domiciled carriers in Mexico.

Truck stop electrification (TSE), examined in-depth in the August 2011 edition of Overdrive magazine, is one way to avoid truck idling and get comfortable in your rig during rest periods.  As a handful of companies are slowly adding electrified parking spots in installations on major interstates, others remain leery of hosting electrification providers and are taking a wait-and-see attitude.  Is the electrification industry regaining momentum?   Find out what you can expect for the future of TSE with our guest, Overdrive Senior Editor, Max Kvidera, on this broadcast of Truth About Trucking "Live".

In this age of technology, with instant messaging and the ability to connect and communicate around the globe within a matter of seconds, social media has become a primary source of interactive dialogue for both business and personal strategies. One industry that is still considered to be following behind on the use of social media, is the trucking industry.  Although there has been a jump of 13% since 2009, still, 44% of trucking companies report that they do not use any form of social media within their business strategies.  As a business owner, when you look at the overall missed market potential, the numbers are amazing: Facebook - Over 750 million users Twitter - Over 300 million users LinkedIn - Over 1 million users YouTube - Over 2 Billion views a day Landon Middleton is a highly sought after internet marketing expert that leverages the iSocial Academy expertise and secrets of social media for his clients in thetrucking industry, and is founder of Ultimate Marketing Solutions. He is currently cr

With states strapped for cash and communities hit hard by the current economic situation, trucking companies and drivers are finding themselves being ticketed for petty violations that have nothing to do with safety.  Has the CSA always been about generating cash for the states? Truck drivers have reported being cited by law enforcement officers during roadside inspections for not retrieving their eLogs fast enough.  One driver, stopped at a DOT scale, could not hear the officer's instructions, so he unbuckled his seat belt to lean out the window to hear better.  The officer then told him to pull around the lot for an inspection and after doing so, was given a ticket for not wearing his seat belt.  The recent government shutdown in Minnesota has left the state hurting even more financially and drivers are reporting that law enforcement are hitting truckers hard for any kind of petty violation they can conjure up.  Are state law enforcement agencies abusing the CSA?   Was the CSA really about safety or a way t

Whatever happened to the camaraderie that once existed among professional truck drivers?  Is there a lack of self respect within the trucking industry between drivers and does this carry over into the public image of truckers?  Toby Bogard is a veteran long-haul truck driver and author of "On The Big Road" and "Semi-Aware." As a professional driver, Toby joins us as our special guest  to discuss how trucking has changed, the problems brought about by these changes and what can be done to bring professionalism back to the professional truck driver and to return to the days when America's truckers were known as the Knights of the Road.

Truck drivers 70 hour work week HOS 14 hour rule Outsourcing of truck driving jobs NAFTA EOBR's, APU systems, pay for detention time Whatever the trucking issue, join Allen and Donna as they sit down for the first Truth About Trucking "LIVE" Roundtable to discuss anything and everything about trucking.  So . . . what's on your mind?

United States and Mexico Transportation Secretaries Ray LaHood and  Dionisio Pérez-Jácome signed the three-year memorandum for the cross border trucking deal on July 6th, 2011based on an earlier agreement in March by Presidents Barack Obama and Felipe Calderón.  So what does this really mean for the American truck driver and the security of the United States?  Jami Jones, is the Senior Editor of LandLine Magazine, the official publication of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), and a 20-year plus veteran journalist who has worked in the trucking media for over a decade.  Jami joins us as our special guest to discuss what impact truckers could face under the recently signed NAFTA cross border trucking agreement, and what it means for the U. S. trucking industry.

The FMCSA is looking toward the future of safety through their 2011-2016 Strategic Plan; a five year plan designed to raise the safety bar within the U.S. trucking industry.  Rich Wilson, Safety & Regulatory Manager, Consultant & Trainer with Trans Products & Trans Services, returns as our special guest to discuss the FMCSA Strategic Plan, what it means to the professional truck driver and most importantly, how drivers can become individually involved in the FMCSA regulatory decision-making process by sharing their voice through the Governmental social media sites.

Truck driver, Ed Webb learned first-hand how states are increasing their attention to the testing of sleep apnea. After being woke up by an Indiana state trooper when he heard snoring coming from the truck, he found himself being audited by the State of Indiana. With his story featured in the June, 2011 issue of Trucker News Magazine, Ed joins us as our special guest. It is no secret that truck drivers around the country are working actively to achieve better health through all manner of activities. From the regulatory side of the truck driver health issue, attention to specific conditions continues to increase at the state level just as new federal programs to scrutinize the doctors giving DOT physicals, as well as doing away with the driver medical card as we know it, draws closer to implementation. Truckers News senior editors, Max Kvidera and Todd Dills examined the issues in this month's "Medically Certified" cover story and return as our guests to discuss  truck drivers medical certification regulatio

On May 11th, 2011 the trucking industry came together in Washington D.C. as supporters gathered for the official announcement of the re-introducing of Jason’s Law, H.R. 1803, given by Congressman Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). For the first half of the show, Congressman Tonko will bring us up to date on this important issue, and then Hope Rivenburg will be joining us for open discussion and advise on what we can all do in the continual effort to pass Jason's Law and ensure more safe and secure parking for our nation's truck drivers.

Has NAFTA been beneficial for Mexico and has it really been a good thing for her citizens?  Will opening the U.S. to cross border trucking help the people of Mexico and the U.S. to build a better life as the media and governments claims?  What are the benefits of NAFTA for truck drivers from both sides of the border? Our special guests are Professor William Arrocha of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. An expert in U.S.- Mexico relations, he teaches courses in international political economy, international relations, comparative politics (US, Canada and Mexico) and trade policy.  He also assisted in the drafting of the North American Free Trade Agreement, pursuant to the Provisions of Article 1904.  Joining us from Mexico City, Mexico is DiegoDelgado González, a documentary film director and co-director at Totora Films and a graduate in Licenciatura, Communications from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.  As a producer, cameraman and correspondent in Mexico City at

Joining us are Dr. Walter Gutowski who is a specialist in Chiropractic Applied Kinesiology with a 27 year career in health and natural healing, and James S. McCormack, founder of Trucking Careers of America.  James is a ten year veteran as a career advisor and job placement specialist for OTR truckers nationwide, as well as an advocate for improving truck driver health and their quality of life. Studies have shown that truck drivers have increased health risks and it is widely believed that the majority of these health issues are job related. Many truck drivers use various types of stimulants to increase energy and stamina to stay awake, and other aids to help fall asleep. These kinds of stimulants and aids can not only be expensive, but dangerous as well.  Our guests will explain why AgeLOC Vitality is an excellent alternative. Unlike many products currently on the market, ageLOC Vitality is not designed to provide a quick fix or boost.  Instead, it is formulated to raise and maintain a person's baseline e

Recently, in a Tennessee rest area, truckers became the latest victims of robbery.  Special guest, Carolyn Magner is Contributing Editor for Randall Reilly Publishing and is popularly known for her monthly column in Truckers News, "I'm Just Say'n".  In the April 2011 issue of Truckers News Magazine, she reports on the growing problem of crime against truckers and what drivers can do to protect themselves.  From firearms to mace to tire thumpers, we will discuss the various options available for truckers security and self-protection and the precautions to take while living life on the road.

Our special guests, Ethan Garber, CEO and Mike Fielden, President and COO of IdleAir will join us to discuss various ways to reduce truck idling through the use of TSE, an acronym for Truck Stop Electrification.  IdleAir provides truck drivers and fleets an alternative to idling their engines while parked, without compromising their health, safety, comfort and conveniences. Truth About Trucking "LIVE" takes a look at the NEW IdleAir.

Special guest, Jon Osburne is an ex-military chief paramedic and former long haul truck driver. He currently travels through-out the U.S. in the MeRV (Medical Resource Vehicle) providing health education and screenings for over the road truckers. The MeRV is equipped to offer medical screening for blood pressure, pulse rate, blood sugar readings, A1C testing and sleep apnea testing. As the lifestyle of the professional truck driver complicates health issues, a major goal for the MeRV mobile is to provide medical education on HTN, diabetes, diabetes prevention, stroke prevention, smoking cessation, diet and exercise.

Government bureaucracy continues to slam the American truck driver and the U. S. trucking industry with on-going regulations and fees. From speed limiters, HOS rule changes, EOBR's, carbon based emission control, the CSA, sleep apnea testings and the NAFTA Mexico agreement, have trucking regulations gone too far? As the FMCSA looks to pick up the tab for EOBR's to be placed on all Mexican trucks, U. S. companies and owner operators are left to fend for themselves. Allen opens up the lines for an open topic forum while asking the question . . . are regulations destroying the American trucker?

Our special guest, Eddie Gichuhi ran over the road for seven years before earning his degree in software engineering. Seeing the struggles faced by drivers, he set out to build and design the ultimate bookkeeping service for small to medium sized truck fleets, business owners, owner-operators and company truck drivers. As founder of Trip Sheet Central, he developed a proven framework that truck business owners can use to manage their businesses and grow in strength and profit. If you're serious about having your own successful trucking business, you will not want to miss this show.

The trucking industry has seen many changes over the last 50 years and Overdrive Magazine has led the way in trucking news from the very beginning.  Lucinda Coulter is managing editor of Overdrive and joins us as our special guest. From issues with truck parking, the changing face of truck stops and the once shared brotherhood of truckers, we'll take you down a nostalgic trip through fifty years of trucking.

Allowing Mexican trucks to operate through out the United States will cost thousands of American drivers to lose their jobs. Mexican trucks are unsafe and will wreak havoc on U. S. public roads and highways. Mexican truck drivers will not comply with the high safety standards of the United States and by fully opening the U. S. border to Mexico's trucks, we are opening the flood gate to incoming drug traffickers and a higher profile for criminal activity. These are just a few of many of thousands of comments by drivers across America voicing their concerns over new NAFTA negotiations which would open the U. S. border to Mexican trucks. What is the truth when it comes to the NAFTA and Mexico agreement? Do these statements hold up against documented facts or are they simply a measurement to fear of the unknown?