Used Semi Trailers is the Number One online platform for buying and selling used trucking equipment including all types of semi trailers from lo-boys to specialty trailers.

We put the spotlight on Kenworth Truck Company and after a three year hiring freeze, the truck manufacturer has started taking on workers again:

The economy has taken a massive hit in the last three years, and one of the hardest hit sectors is the trucking industry. But the trucking industry is much more than just the rigs and semi trailers you see on the highways. As the recession bit into retailers, so they ordered less meaning manufacturers made less and all round shipping needs started to dry up.

Over 300,000 truckers lost their jobs in the recession, but the victims included not only the carriers but the large number of companies which sell trucks and equipment to them. As the carriers stopped buying new trucks and trailers, so layoffs appeared across the board; from truck dealers, truck and trailer manufacturers and a whole host of support and maintenance providers.

The Kenworth Truck Company was no exception.

In 2006, Kenworth employed 1,800 people at its Chillicothe plant in Ross County, OH – the county’s biggest employer. Orders started to dry up in 2007 though the underlying economic situation was hidden by the introduction of new emissions legislation and standards, which caused carriers to accelerate truck purchases to acquire vehicles before the new rules took effect.

By 2008, the economic recession had started to make its presence felt and the layoffs started in earnest.

By the end of 2010, Kenworth’s earnings had tripled, but with a faltering recovery new hires simply did not happen. The impact on the local economy was devastating for Ross County, but there is now good news – Kenworth is hiring again.

Kenworth is cautious about the outlook for truck manufacturing. Global truck markets are improving and there is some welcome growth predicted in overseas markets, however there are concerns. The current unrest in the Middle East is creating concern, not least because of the impact on gas prices at home. Kenworth needs trucking companies to be profitable and to provide a lower cost of logistical service to their own customers if the economic recovery is not to be stalled. Fuel costs may not have a direct impact on Kenworth, but the impact of Middle East political issues is affecting every aspect of the US economy – never before has the US had to operate in such an environment where what happens on the far side of the world has an impact on what happens right here at home and in small town America.

Used Semi Trailers is happy to turn the spotlight on FindFreightLoads today.

Find Freight Loads is one of the leading load boards in the country and has fast developed a stellar reputation for bring drivers and companies together.  Find Freight Loads does much more than simply advertize loads and work available, but also promotes drivers available for work, owner-operators with equipment available for hire in dead time; and promotion of surplus load capacity.

Available Truck Loads

What a loadboard was initially set up to do and pretty familiar to most truckers by now.  FindFreightLoads provides available LTL. Hotshot, FTL and flatbed loads available as well as expedited and hotshot jobs.  There is also a state of the art search facility which lets you focus in on work specific to your license and expertise as well as a state-by-state breakdown of loads available.

Available Truckers

If you need to find truck drivers to work for you then this loadboard includes listings for available drivers and owner-operators.  You can also promote yourself on the board to and post a resume and information on your truck and capacity, especially useful when you are deadheading.

Post Truck Lanes

Freight carriers and brokers regularly scan the post truck lanes board to find available vehicles (including flatbeds, reefers and flatbeds with tarps). Generate more customers and more work for your company and target new business prospects looking for your services.

Post Truck Loads

Shippers and brokers can also post loads available with unlimited posting of loads open and capacity to edit in real-time.

Major Loadboard Features

New Loads

There are over 30,000 new loads which can be arranged and classified by user criteria, including load weight, trailer requirement/offered, geographical range, radius and distance and multiple drops.  All operated through a very simple and easy to use interface.  Post, bid and search on unlimited loads.

O/O & Driver Search

Freight shippers and brokers can search an extensive database of owner-operators and drivers, including classifying by trailer-type and location, whilst also benefitting from direct quotes from drivers and operators.

Simple Month to Month Billing – No Contracts

Simple monthly billing with no commitment and a 100% money back guarantee. Renew or cancel membership at any time with no penalty.

Route Planning

Integrated US highway maps allow for calculating total mileage, deadhead mileage and optimal directions to destination and delivery points.

Business Security and Factoring

Integrated credit scoring functionality to check you will get paid and invoice matching to credit factoring companies for fast payout.

Dead Head Load Search

Not only can you calculate dead head mileage, but you can also search for work to make those dead head miles pay!  Use the radius search for loads within the dead head mileage limit.

Daily Fuel Information

With gas looking like it could hit $5 a gallon levels, you need to maximize fuel economy as much as possible.  Real-time information and data is provided for fuel pricing across the country for all major truck stops.

Email & SMS Notifications

Don’t worry about looking for work – let this loadboard take the strain and alert you when work you are looking for is posted on the boards.  You can choose to be alerted through text message to your cell phone or by email or both.

Automatic Matching

When you post your truck availability, you will be automatically matched with any existing or new post for your capacity and service.  Now your phone will be ringing more often with work.

If you have a trucking service or business and you’d like to feature on Used Semi Trailers email English Karl at karl4work@gmail.com

The trucking industry is spearheading the economic recovery and in 2011, there is a forecaste demand for over 200,000 new truck drivers plus a host of support and related staff jobs.  Sales of new trucks have exceeded pre-recession levels whilst the used trailer market has returned a record breaking quarter for Q42010 – all very good signs of a resurgence building up in the underlying industrial and manufacturing economy. Becoming a truck driver is not for everyone, but for those who are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary, there is a world of travel and financial reward which opens up – not to mention the very positive aspects of life on the road.

Whether you are are thinking of starting a truck driving career, a freshly-qualified rookie with the ink still wet on your papers or an experienced veteran – finding the right company to partner with makes all the difference to how much you enjoy your work and how financially rewarding it is going to be.

Check out these companies hiring now:

Landstar -Nationwide

Landstar is looking for drivers and owner-operators throughout the Lower 48.  Offers 3-5000 miles per week and is particularly interested in drivers with HazMat endorsement and flatbed operators.

Drivers must be over 23 and have 13 months experience.  Total of 2 moving violations considered in the last 3 years and 1 preventable accident in last 3 years.  DUI/DWI considered if more than 5 years old.

Call  888-785-4713 or fill out an outline application

Werner Enterprises – California (los Angeles and Sacramento)

Werner are hiring Class A CDL’s in the LA and Sacromento, CA areas to run the I-5 corridor with weekly home time, good pay and regular high mileage.

Werner is one of the top 5 trucking companies in the US and it treats its drivers well.

Call 1 800 346 2818 ext 2234 or go to the company website for more trucking employment opportunities

Praxair – New York (Buffalo and Niagara Falls)

Praxair is a Fortune 500 company supplying and distributing industrial gases.  Praxair is looking for drivers with:

• professional attitudes and 3 or more years of experience with tractor-trailers;
• no accidents or moving violations in prior 3 years;
• can pass DOT physical and also pass tests for drug and alcohol use, a road test and a written test;
• possess Hazmat and Tanker CDL endorsements;
• possess a Class A license; and
• ability to enter Canada.

In return, Praxair offers high pay and industry-leading benefits including health, vision, dental, 401k, pre-arranged holiday time and return to home each day as well as clothing and safety wear.

Complete an online application or visit the Praxair company website

Job Information Courtesy of BigRigJobs

Mobile Advertising Trucks

In the trucking world, owner-operators already have quite a few advantages over trucking employees. They are responsible for their own vehicles, and have the freedom of operating more like a business owner than an employee. But the soaring price of fuel has taken a toll on owner-operators, who are hit hardest by the crisis, and many are turning to second ways of earning income.

One of these innovative new ways of earning income for owner-operators is mobile advertising trucks. Companies allow owner operators to lease the sides of their vehicles to companies for the purpose of advertisement. For owner operators who don’t have a client to advertise for, the opportunity can be lucrative, earning drivers’ extra money for the routes they would already be driving. Owner operators can rent space by the week, month, or year, and printing companies will provide the adds, according to truckersmall.net.

The advertisements are similar to those seen on standalone billboards along highways, but the advantage to companies is that the moving billboard will target the thousands of drivers on highways across the nation. Though owner-operators who travel nationwide are preferred for many types of advertisements, local drivers are also considered for many local companies who choose mobile advertising. National Mobile Billboards says one of the advantages of mobile advertising is the fact that companies can decide if they want to focus on a small geographical area or an area as large as the entire nation.

According to Moving Billboards Incorporated, companies choose to use mobile advertising because it works, citing that a national study reported 91% of respondents remembered an advertisement they saw on the side of a truck.  National Mobile Billboards says, companies are now choosing the non-traditional mobile advertisements over traditional advertising such as stationary billboards because of the increased amount of target audience and the fact that, stuck in traffic, a person has no choice but to look at the trucking advertisement in front of him or her.

Though the advantage for owner-operators to lease their trucks for advertisement is a beneficial one, drivers shouldn’t feel left out of the loop. Though some mobile billboard companies lease sides of trucks for advertising, others hire drivers to do nothing all day but drive. With no loading or unloading, the mobile billboard driver job is one of relative ease. The task is simply to drive all day and be seen. Because this work is often in regional areas, this opportunity is a great one for the once long-haul truck driver who now wants a relatively easy job staying home. Drivers looking for these jobs can search truck driving websites, like cdljobs.com, in addition to other classified sites, like Craigslist or Myspace.

Whether you’re an owner-operator looking to make some extra money to make up for gas or an employee looking for easy work, the mobile billboard industry is increasing income and job opportunities for regional and long haul truck drivers.

CDL Trucking Jobs and Classified Ads

Under the Help Wanted section of some newspapers, a disclaimer is run along with advertisements for babysitters, landscapers, and, of course, truckers. That disclaimer usually advises job searchers that they operate at their own risk when searching the classifieds, and that some agencies advertising in the Help Wanted section charge fees or are not legitimate businesses. Because so many scams pray on the jobless and frustrated, some question whether to search for trucking jobs in the classified ads. On the other hand, classified ads are a great place to find trucking jobs, both for major long-haul companies and small companies in your neighborhood. Though it’s up to you to make the decision about searching the classifieds, both praise for classified searches and alternative ways to search for a trucking job exist.

According to Alison Doyle’s about.com article on help wanted ads, some local and regional employers do not post on major Internet job search sites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com. Though it is more likely for them to advertise on free classified sites like Craigslist.com, you might find that some companies believe the site to be unprofessional. Instead, many local employers are looking for truckers from the area who will not have to relocate and who are already familiar with the routes they will be asked to drive. Because local or regional trucking is a dream job for many truckers, cutting out the local classifieds might not be a smart move if you want to make sure to nail down these opportunities.

Though they may not advertise online, most local companies’ classified ads can be found online, according to Doyle. In fact, most major newspapers have an accompanying web site where classified ads are listed and even able to be searched by date, job type, etc. Even .jobuntorg advises users not to limit their job search to only the Internet. By doing this, potential employees loose out on a whole host of jobs with smaller companies.

But if you decide not to use newspaper to search the classifieds because of safety or illegitimate job listings, there are a variety of ways to find good trucking jobs on the Internet. Of course, going to large online job search web sites is one way, but according to jobhunt.org, employers have to shell out big bucks for listing on those sites, and some are not likely to do so. In addition, jobs listed at big sites like Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com are often visited by thousands of job searchers a day. Your chance of getting one of these jobs is rather slim by sheer probability.

Jobhunt.org suggests looking at specialized sites that deal with your industry, and there are thousands available for truckers. But job searchers need to be careful of visiting these sites as well. Some sites charge a fee for listing a resume and some job opportunities are really attempts to take money for “training” and then leave the employee without a job.

To avoid these scams, a great way to search for jobs is to seek out a company’s help wanted ads by visiting their web site. Here, you can not only be assured that the job is probably not a scam, but also, you can view more details about the job, and perhaps even salary information. Many trucking companies even have a feature that allows truck drivers to submit their resumes online.

So whether you’re looking for a local job or wanting to run with the big companies, there are thousands of ways to job search. Customizing your search for what kinds of jobs you want most is the best and most efficient way to find a great trucking job in the paper or online.

 Owner Operator Jobs

Across the internet, thousands of websites promise to find owner-operators great gigs if they just fill out one application, but deciding which of these sites has the best information, resources, and databases is not often as easy as locating them. But by frequenting these five job banks for owner-operators, truckers will find unique resources for finding the best employers in the business.  

1. Owneroperatorjob.com

In addition to a feature that allows owner-operators to fill out one application to be considered for a variety of jobs, this website includes a selection of unique features that allow owner-operators to educate themselves on the kind of jobs they are looking for. One of the most informative of these features is a best trucking companies list, which breaks owner-operator trucking companies into categories by type (van, reefer, flatbed, etc.), and lists the top companies in each. The list also gives detailed information about these best companies. Other resources include a searchable job bank, message board, job postings, and list of other helpful links.  

2. Premiumowneroperators.com

More than just a job recruitment site, Premium Owner Operators is a one-stop shop for owner-operator truck drivers. Like most owner-operator job banks, this third party site uses an application to connect owner-operators looking for work with the trucking companies that best fit them. In addition to the internet-based application, this site is unique in that it also offers an application by phone. But the really unique part of this site is that it offers a variety of other resources for owner-operators, like trucking news, links to road condition updates, and insurance.  

3. 1099trucker.com

Unlike some sites, which offer job banks for the entire trucking industry, 1099 Trucker is one of the few that are specifically for owner-operators. This narrows down the job field, and insures that owner-operators will not get annoying calls or offers from jobs that do not apply to them. Like other job banks for owner-operators, this site separates jobs into category by the kind of truck, but one of the best features of the site is the “urgent needs” category. This category lists companies that are in immediate need of owner operators, allowing potential contractors to view the companies that are most likely to hire them. For those that don’t like to do a lot of searching and wading through companies, this is the fastest route to the most needy companies! 

4. Truckertrucker.com

Though this site offers job banks for all kinds of truckers, whether owner-operators or company drivers, it contains a rather large owner-operator job bank. Allowing a search by state, and providing links to extensive company profiles, this site leaves little research to be done by the job seeker. A brief list of preferred trucking companies and trucking news section also make this site useful to the searching owner-operator.  

5. Layover.com

While other sites might provide vast resources, lengthy job banks, and telephone applications, Layover.com is the owner-operator resource to use for job seekers who want a reputable name and a solid record of service. Layover.com has been connecting truckers and employers for over ten years, according to their website, and it is a certainly respected in the cyber community of truckers and those involved in the trucking industry. In addition to filling out a multi-job application on layover.com, truckers can peruse a list of trucking companies and profiles, and search job classifieds. Like popular job search websites like Monster.com, Layover.com allows users to post a profile, save it, and edit it at any time. And when truckers are done filling out applications, they can enjoy one of layover’s many other services, like trucking software and message boards.  

Though looking for a new job is never easy, the internet has made it simpler than ever, especially for owner-operators. With a couple keystrokes and a couple clicks, after visiting these sites, truckers will be closer to that dream job.