Used Semi Trailers is the major Internet portal site for buying and selling semi trailers and dealing with trucking issues.

In this post we announce the 1^st Annual Truck Driver Social Media Conference to be held in Mississippi this forthcoming fall:

Social Media has made huge strides in the last two years; the most visited site in the world is Facebook, which had its inventor and company head, Mark Zuckerberg voted as Time’s Man of the Year last year. How Social Media is used by consumers and businesses is shaping our daily lives, and truck drivers are no exception.

We are now connected in so many different ways – through the Internet, through email, through social networking sites as well as more traditional communication methods, especially with the use of Smart Phones, which are now extremely powerful and make the Internet truly mobile.

With the advent of truly mobile technology, and the introduction of 4G infrastructure to power broadband hungry applications, a whole raft of business productivity applications are becoming available to everyone, no matter where they are situated within the country.

AsktheTrucker.com is organizing the 1^st Annual Truck Driver Social Media Conference, to be held in the coastal town, Tucina in Mississippi. The venue is the Gold Strike Resort and Casino and the event will be restricted to 550 attendees with a ticket price of only $89.

The event will also include over $6,000 in cash prize giveaways from a range of corporate sponsors.

Guest speakers include:

Austin Walsh – a Social Media guru who has led and advised numerous national companies and figures on their online strategies and campaigns;

James McCormack – a leading expert in employment issues and the trucking industry;

Paul Taylor – an expert in trucking legal issues;

Eddie Gichuhi – the designer and owner of Trip Sheet Central; and

Richard Wilson – an expert in trucking regulatory issues.

The Gold Strike Resort chefs will provide a breakfast and dinner buffet, all included in the conference ticket price, and several entertainers have already been booked watch out for my personal favorite, Bobby Boofay aka Jim McCarter from the Keystruckers).

You can make a reservation up until June 1^st 2011, though bookings will be closed sooner if all the places are booked prior to the close-out date.  Seats are already selling fast, so you are advised to book your place immediately.

You can book a seat by using the information below:

1^st Annual Truck Driver Social Media Conference Booking Information

Date: October 15^th, 2011

Location: Gold Strike Resort & Casino, Tucina, Mississippi

Price: $89 per person (Closing date for reservations is June 1^st, 2011 – limited to 550 seats)

Contact:

Donna or Allen Smith

Phone:  352-505-8162
Fax:  352-465-2669
email:  info@truckingsocialmedia.com

Address:

P.O. Box 2628
Dunnellon, Florida  34430

Used Semi Trailer Focuses on Reitnouer Flatbed Trailers (hit this link for Reitnouer used semi trailers)

Reitnouer Inc. is one of the few trailer manufacturers which has flatbed trailers as its flagship product. Founded in 1982 by a very young, Bud Reitnouer (then only 24 years old), who brought youthful energy and unblinkered original thinking to the problem of semi trailer construction, he hit upon the use of an aluminum trailer assembled without the need for welding. The original concept involved the fact that aluminum is a ‘heat treated’ metal; applying more heat to the metal involves a fundamental weakening of the integrity of the metal and reduces its strength, especially at the important attachment points which were welded yet are required to be strong.

Reitnouer’s idea was to bolt the aluminum together to form a stronger bond rather than use re-heating.  This was the original premise behind Reitnouer trailers. The Reitnouer MaxMiser is able to handle a 90,000 pound load capacity, and 50,000 pounds of the capacity can be placed on a single four feet section of the trailer. The new bolting technique resulted in greater reliability and maintenance cycles were dramatically reduced saving the carrier ancillary overhead and increased operational uptime. Loads started to get larger and in 1992, Reitnouer came out with the Big Bubba, a 100,000 pound gross vehicle weight flatbed trailer.  Uniquely for the time, the Big Bubba could take a 60,000 pound load in a 4 foot section of the trailer, which was an amazing achievement at the time and completely unheard of.

In 2003, the company developed and launched the MaxLite model aimed at the trucking markets of the South and the West Coast, where the logistics infrastructure is more readily geared to handle 80,000 pound grow weight loads and a trailer which is rated to handle a 40,000 pound load on a four foot section. Spring 2007 brought the Bigger Bubba, probably the ultimate in large load flatbed trailers and capable of carrying 120,000 pound gross laden weight with a massive 72,000 pounds load on a four foot section with 85,000 pounds in a ten foot section.

At all times, Reitnouer has continued to carve a niche out of the trailer market for exceptional reliability and low maintenance burden. With more than 25 years of exceptional, industry leading designs and construction techniques, Reitnouer now leads the trailer manufacturing industry in the construction of flatbed and drop deck trailers.

Contact

Reitnouer, Inc.

4001 Reading Crest Avenue

PO Box 13069

Reading PA 19612

Email: reitnouersales@aol.com Dealer Search: Reitnouer Dealer Network

General Office – (610)929-4856

Sales Office – (484)334-9283

Parts Office – (484)334-9278

The Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company was started back in 1978, in the small Illinois town of Salem, some 70 miles east of St Louis, Missouri, and was incorporated into a limited company in 1981. The company grew rapidly into a fleet operating 87 tractor units and over 140 temperature controlled trailers.  Today, the company boasts a fleet of more than 400 tractor units and more than 550 temperature controlled trailer units.

Henderson Trucking has never failed to collect a customer shipment, nor lost a customer due to a failure in service in any of the last four years.  A record few other carriers can claim.

That is an enviable track record and Henderson proudly points to how it has been able to carve out such an enviable reputation for itself in a highly competitive niche.

Pride Through Performance

Henderson Trucking company motto is “Pride through Performance”, however it is the technology behind that slogan which really shows how the company has been able to deliver such exacting service standards.

The latest technology is used which includes:

Qualcomm In-Cab Communication System – for keeping dispatch, customer and driver in constant contact with each other as well as providing a state-of-the-art tracking system to monitor loads from every aspect of their journey

McLeod Loadmaster 10.0 Dispatch System – for providing the very best in dispatch and fleet management operations on a 24/7 basis, including route and customer load optimization to minimize costs and enhance productivity – all of which is fed into customer performance and costs

Web-based Real Time Load Tracking – allowing customers to see exactly where their precious cargo is at any time the load is under the control of the company

Henderson Trucking also has a very disciplined approach to fleet and equipment replacement and acquisition.  Tractor units are swapped out every 36 months while trailer units are sold onto the used semi trailer market every 48 months.  This tight replacement cycle feeds into minimal downtime due to breakdown and maintenance, which further boosts the company’s service record.

Overall, Henderson Trucking enjoys an operation ratio between 89% and 92% consistently, and is also a nationally-recognized specialist in just-in-time shipments. Customers include Anheuser-Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, Coors Brewing Company, Del Monte, fresh express and Unilever.

Henderson Trucking has also recently placed an order for 183 new Freightliner cascade tractor units, and recently opened a new facility in St Louis, MO, and looks set for another 20 years of growth and expansion.

Henderson trucking Company Contacts:

Earl L. Henderson Trucking
#1 Industrial Park
Salem, IL 62881

1-800-447-8084Toll Free:
1-618-548-4667Telephone:
1-618-548-6204FAX:

Bryan Henderson

Executive Vice President
of Sales

1-800-447-8084 x3133

Cell: 618-292-5824

Clayton Cameron

Vice President of Sales

1-800-447-8084 x3120

Cell: 618-315-0563

Jackknifing is the situation where a semi-tractor trailer folds upon itself.  Anti-jackknifing technology has been developed, however only recent year used trailers are likely to be equipped with it.  The tractor unit and trailer resemble an almost closed pocket knife, forming an acute angle with one another.  Once a unit has jackknifed, it is almost impossible to recover the rig without outside assistance.  Preventing a jackknife event from happening is the best way to deal with the situation, not least because a jackknife is probably the most dangerous truck driving situation you can encounter.

What Causes a Jackknife?

To handle a jackknife you need to know what causes one.

The principal reason is loss of traction.  There are other situations which can lead to a jackknife, but loss of traction is the primary concern.  Traction is derived from static friction; static friction is the force between two touching objects, in this case the tire area in contact with the road.  It makes no matter that the tire is rotating on the wheel; for all intents and purposes the part of the tire in contact with the road is “static”.  The greater the level of static friction then the greater the degree of traction, which in turn provides for greater vehicle control and braking ability.

Where the road surface is slick, the tire has lost tread or the bad braking has been applied, then a loss of traction can result.  A loss of traction is the cause of a skid.  Once a skid has started the only friction in operation is known as “sliding friction” which is far weaker than static friction.  Hitting the brakes is ineffectual in such situations and the unit will not respond to steering inputs at the wheel; this is because of the loss of traction.

A jackknife occurs because the trailer loses traction and slides into the front tractor unit.  This pushes the tractor unit which typically loses tire traction too, forcing the tractor back on itself, or the trailer to swing sideways, into the familiar L- or V-shaped configuration of a jackknife.

How to Avoid a Jackknife

The key to avoiding a jackknife is to understand how conditions affect your unit’s traction.  Even in very dangerous conditions it is not a certainty that you will experience a jackknife provided you drive carefully and know what to do in the event of loss of traction.

Develop a regular driving habit of checking the mirrors for trailer swing.  Whenever you brake hard, you should perform a check on the trailer to see if it is swinging.  If the trailer is swinging out, get off the brake and allow the tires to recover traction from sliding to static friction. If excessive braking is not the cause of the traction loss, try speeding up to bring the trailer back into line with the tractor unit (a trailer jackknife).  If excessive acceleration is the cause of loss of traction (a tractor jackknife) then come off the gas until the tractor tires regain traction once more.  Once you have recovered traction you can steer out of the situation provided you have not reached the “angle of no return”.

You are most at risk of jackknifing when you are carrying an empty load as the greater the weight then the greater the friction with the road surface due to the load bearing down on the tires, forcing better contact between the two surfaces.

Avoid braking when you are turning and instead, shed speed before you make the turn. If you brake on the turn the trailer will be more prone to swing outwards on the turn and start a jackknifing situation.  Excessive braking will also cause tires to lock and sliding friction to take over from the much stronger static friction which we rely on for proper control. This is one reason why minimum safe distances are recommended between the tractor trailer and the vehicle in front.

Rookie drivers are also more prone to encountering a jackknife when backing up.  This is one of the situations where loss of traction is not a cause of jackknifing, but rather poor vehicle control in handling a reversing rig.

Winterizing a Trailer

No matter what type of trailer you have, it’s important to keep it updated for the winter. Trailers that are not properly winterized are liable to receive damage and be unable to work properly. In addition, it may have a much shorter lifespan if you do not winterize.

Preparing your trailer for winter takes know-how and forethought. You’ll need to be sure to winterize before winter is already in full swing, or your efforts may do little good. First, you need to be sure that you’re using the proper type of fuel for winter, that you have tires that can stand up to the snow, and that you’ve taken your trailer for a routine check up to be sure that it does not have any problems that the cold weather may exacerbate.

After this, your process of winterization depends on the type of trailer that you have. For instance, if you have a horse van, you’ll need to take care to make sure liquids, such as the water reservoirs, are empty or insulated to prevent freezing. In RVs and other trailers with living quarters, you’ll need to take actions to make sure that the plumbing is cleared of water before winter sets in.

Other than liquids, you’ll need to make sure that the trailer stays warm enough during the winter. If you have a trailer with living quarters, this might mean running a heater. In many trailers, though, you need to be careful about running a heater, as certain types of heat can cause asphyxiation if you are running it while in the trailer.

Other steps to winterizing a trailer include covering the tires, taking steps to keep the battery in best condition, being sure to seal the vehicle from rodents, theft, and weather conditions if it will not be in use.

How to Buy a Flat Bed Truck

Whether you’re an over-the-highway driver or a local transporter, a flatbed truck can be one of the most useful pieces of equipment that you’ve ever invested in. The types of industries that use flatbed trucks include farmers and ranchers, construction workers, and even tow truck drivers who transport vehicles that cannot be driven or rolled on their tires.

When you’re thinking about how to buy a flatbed truck, then, the first thing you need to think about is how you’ll use the truck. How long will your truck need to be? You can only answer this question if you think of what you’ll be transporting and what you’ll be doing with the truck on a daily basis. Think about this, then ask others in your industry or do some online research to determine what length of truck you will need and what specifications it must have.

Next, you’ll need to look at all the flatbeds available and how they function. The structure of the truck you buy can end up hurting or helping your business a great deal. If you buy a truck that can make your work simpler, then you’ll have an easier time working each day.

After you’ve decided what you want and need, it’s time to begin searching. You’ll want to call dealerships, check out what’s available online, and even contact makers and fleet owners to see what they have available. Come up with a median price for both new and used trucks to compare your final selections with in the end.

Finally, it’s time to make some decisions. Using your research, decide whether new or used is best for you. Once you’ve decided, come up with a price range you can live with. With this information and your research, you’ll be ready to hit the flatbed truck shopping scene and make some choices that will really benefit your business.

Get Commercial Truck Insurance Quotes Here

More than any other bill, you probably hate paying your insurance. Although you’re happy that you have it in the event of an accident, it can be frustrating to make a monthly payment for something that you’re not using at the moment. As a trucker, making that insurance payment is even more frustrating when you’re insured through a company that doesn’t specialize in truck insurance. Even if you’re insured through a national, well-known company you may question whether your insurer really knows all there is to know about insurance for truck drivers.

But if you use Truck Writers as your insurance agent, you can rest assured that your insurance company does, indeed, know the ins and outs of insurance, not just for the driver, but for the truck driver.

Offering trucking insurance, cargo insurance, and insurance for your trucking business, Truck Writers Insurance prides itself on being an expert in both the transportation and the trucking business. Because they know trucking, they can help you get the coverage that you need. That means that they look at your business and your specific information before deciding on a policy that’s best for you. Of course, you can work with them every step of the way, being sure to get the policy that you really need.

Choosing a truck insurer that knows trucking really pays off, as you can stop worrying when you’re insured with Truck Writers. The company has been around since the 1980s, focusing on truck insurers for the duration. While other companies may go out of business quickly, Truck Writers’ Insurance won’t do that. And they certainly know what truckers need, giving you an advantage over even the best well-known insurers.

Truck writers offers commercial truck insurance quotes for drivers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa. If you live in Minnesota, you’re in luck, because Truck Writers offers a variety of other insurances for Minnesota dwellers, including life insurance, health insurance, and disability insurance. In just around 20 years, Truck Writers has become one of the biggest insurers in the Midwest. This is no accident. It is both a reflection of Truck Writers’ quality in business and customer service and a result of their continued activity in the trucking world, as they continue to be involved in the transportation industry.

So if you’re looking for a commercial truck driver insurance quote or a package that caters to your needs as a trucker, look into Truck Writers. They’ll help you get the coverage you need for a price you can afford.

Merritt Aluminum Trailers and Products

 If you want to buy from a company that knows the agriculture business, then Merritt Equipment is the place you should go. For over fifty years, the company has been involved in manufacturing transportation equipment for the agriculture industry, and because agriculture is an industry that requires specialized equipment and know-how, you can rest assured that Merritt lives up to their name in quality and service.

Today, Merritt is a leading producer of livestock, commodity, and gooseneck trailers. If you’re looking for a new trailer that fits the needs of you’re agricultural business, you need not look farther than Merritt. Indeed, you need not look far for Merritt. Originally based out of Denver, Colorado, the company has now moved to operate in Fremont, Nebraska. So wherever you are out west, Merritt is there to help. Of course, Merritt is there wherever you are because of its online store, located at Merritt Equipment.com. While the option of buying online is coming soon, you can check out Merritt’s products online, in addition to finding out information about the company itself.

But probably the most important things to look up on Merritt’s web site are their aluminum accessories. In fact, Merritt is the largest producer of aluminum accessory products for class 7-8 trucks. Available through some independent dealers as well as through all major truck and trailer dealers, these aluminum accessories can help you keep organized and safe on the road. These aluminum products include the limited security racks, aluminum toolboxes, aluminum storage boxes, cab access boxes, mounts, deck covers, bumpers, and other quality products. From the photos of craftsmanship on their web site, it is clear that these aluminum products are top of the line. They not only improve the look of your truck, but also give you a safe and sturdy place to stow your stuff when you’re on the road.

And because Merritt even has a parts and services department, you can rest assured that if something goes wrong with your trailer or your aluminum products, they can help you get back on the road again quickly if you should ever need to repair their equipment.

So if you’re looking for stunning agricultural transportation equipment and aluminum products that will make an impression on your lifestyle and those who see your truck drive by, take a look at Merritt, where you’ll find top-of-the-line products and service to suit them.

Semi Trailer Accessory

 How much money do you spend per year cleaning out your trailer?  Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for trailer cleanouts throughout the year, would you like to spend $24.95 once?  It may seem simple, but by simply buying a broom specially formulated to clean out your trailer, you can save hundreds each year.  Of course, this means that you have to do it yourself, but with the money you’ll save, you’ll be glad to take the hour to clean out your trailer with little effort using the Reefer Sweeper trailer broom.  

 The Reefer Sweeper trailer broom is no ordinary semi trailer accessory.  Instead, it is specially designed by those who know what it’s like to clean out trailers and how to do it most efficiently.  In fact, the brooms are designed just for the floors of common used refrigerator trailers, and are created for storage and easy use.  That’s right, the broom handles are 70 inches long, making it easy for you to clean out your trailer without bending or stooping.  No matter how short or tall you are, the Reefer Sweeper trailer broom can be adjusted to meet just your height. But the handles collapse to only 41 inches tall for storage, meaning you don’t have to try to negotiate a space for your broom and your cargo in your trailer—both fit easily.  In fact, the handles and brooms are designed to fit in the jockey box when not in use. 

 Rugged and durable, both brooms and handles are ready for a life of hard work and hard toting.  Indeed, the handles are so durable and so efficient, helping truckers do their work in a fraction of the time because of the ease with which they fold and adjust to truckers’ heights.  And because the handles work with all other standard tool heads, they are an investment in themselves. 

 But it is the brooms that really do the trick.  Imagine spending an hour or less using the simple Reefer Sweeper trailer broom to clean out your truck rather than taking it to a professional.  Not only will you save your precious, hard-earned cash, but you will also save time.  And time is money.  Taking the trailer to a professional and waiting while that professional performs the cleaning job takes time, more time than it would take you to do a simple sweep.  And that’s what Reefer sweeper trailer brooms does—it lets you take a simple sweep of your trailer and get back on the road—dirt free!

 Truckers can buy both brooms and handles, which are sold separately, at Diesel Boss.com.

Aftermarket Truck Parts

Whether you’re interested in truck parts because something has gone wrong with your big rig, or you’re working on a hobby truck, AnythingTruck is true to its name. From break valves to exhaust parts to lights, mirrors, safety equipment, and chrome parts designed to shine, AnythingTruck has anything you’re looking for.

Finding parts for your truck can be a headache if done traditionally. You may go to a mechanic, and end up with a higher bill because that mechanic chose to buy your part from a specialty store that provides the same part for twice the price. Or, you can spend precious time digging through junkyards or performing endless Google searches.

Instead of spending extra time and money searching for truck parts, truckers can save themselves frustration and headaches by visiting AnythingTruck. On this site, truckers can search the databases for the parts that they want to find. If truckers aren’t sure what they’re looking for, they can peruse the categories, viewing high resolutions of parts, and reading descriptions of those parts.

From heavy and medium duty trucks to cars, SUVs, and light duty trucks, visitors to AnythingTruck can find almost any part or automotive accessory that they seek. In addition to viewing the parts online, truckers can also make easy purchases through credit cards. Because the owners of AnythingTruck warehouse their own parts, they can complete orders quickly and efficiently.

In addition to offering high quality commercial parts, easy viewing of these parts online, and an easy to navigate web site, AnythingTruck also provides helpful customer service representatives who can help truckers make their purchase. Truckers can e-mail the web site’s staff with any questions..

Whether you’re looking to work on a hobby truck or trying to find parts for your big rig or family car, anythingtruck.com is the perfect place to start your search.