Trucker Clothing

Although the company is most well known for its sleek, stylish, and expensive sports cars, Mercedes-Benz now has a line for truck drivers. Make that three lines. And they’re not even selling automobiles. Instead the company is now offering three lines of clothing and accessories specially designed for the life and attitude of the trucker.

According to the company’s blog, the clothing lines are “useful, practical, stylish, and comfortable.” Called a sensation by developers, the lines are designed for quality, comfort ability, and user-friendliness. Although Mercedes-Benz is certainly a name for quality when it comes to sports cars, understanding their clothing line quality will take some heavy sampling. Mercedes-Benz line of clothing...

Tarps for Trucks

As hurricanes and severe weather continue to threaten the the coastlines, mainlanders can feel anything but safe.  Even with flooding in the Midwest,  leaving residents cleaning out their basements and replacing their carpeting, most can agree that nowhere in the United States is safe from severe weather. In fact, the United States has a higher record of natural disasters, like tornados, than many countries. And with severe weather comes the rain and hail that can potentially damage a truck.

For this reason, truckers who are transporting material in an open truck, or who are worried about body damage to their trucks, should choose a Shelter-Rite truck tarp to protect themselves from the elements. A brand that has been tested internationally in its over-the-road performance, Shelter-Rite has come out on top in preference by truck owners everywhere. Thus, the Seaman Corporation, which distributes the tarps, has been called the number one supplier of truck tarp material. Read more about Shelter-Rite...

Truck Turbocharger

If truckers have to work hard to operate their vehicles each day, than commercial vehicle engines have to work just as hard or harder to make the endless treks from coast to cost carrying tons of weight.

According to Borgwarner, these demands placed on commercial engines are great, so great that they put a strain on the aging technology of many only slightly out-of-date engines. While a properly functioning engine is obviously needed in order to operate the vehicle, engines must work at much more than the minimum level to be considered efficient. In fact, efficient engines make all the difference when it comes to long-lasting vehicles and saving money at the pump. An engine with a stronger performance not only allows drivers to get from point A to point B with fewer chances of a breakdown, but also a well performing engine decreases both the amount of fuel used and the amount of emissions created, reductions with both social and personal financial implications. Read on for more information...

Cameras for Trucks

Whether you’re driving on a wide, rural highway or a narrow interstate under construction, drivers of heavy-duty trucks must always be aware of their length and width. Accidents caused by semi-trucks stopping too shortly or changing lanes without first being sure that the path is clear can be devastating. In order to help truckers make more informed decisions about their choices when driving, the world of truckers’ accessories and safety have come up with a variety of products. Some of those products include alarms used when backing up and cameras that also provide security detail.

Another type of safety camera is the side-vision safety camera, one of the more important trucker safety products. Side-vision safety cameras allow truckers to have a better idea of the traffic in the lanes beside them, a feature that is especially useful when changing lanes or merging. Read more on side vision cameras...

Liftgates for Trucks

Although most truckers get into the transportation business for the drives, loading and unloading the truck is still a major part of a truckers’ job description. And it is one of the most dangerous parts. In fact, back and other injuries during loading and unloading the truck is one of the major concerns when it comes to deciding whether or not you’re ready to take a job in the trucking industry.

Although those with severe back injuries or the capacity to contract such injuries should use caution before deciding to enter the trucking industry, companies’ inventions have taken some of the frustration out of the more physically strenuous requirements of driving a truck. Some of these inventions have included seats and seat covers designed to spread weight, massage, and practice other ergonomic functions to ease a driver’s pain at sitting in one spot for long periods of time, heaters and fans that detract from the extreme temperatures that truckers are sometimes required to weather through, and living quarters equipped with beds to relieve some of the stress of the road. Read more on Inter Lift Twin Fold Liftgate

Road Bath

Although the commercial world has become much more accommodating to the lives of truckers in recent history—providing conveniences like showers and Internet access in truck stops—there are times when you won’t be able to find a shower on the road. During long stints through deserted areas like Wyoming or Arizona, you’ll probably need to rely on just what you have in your cab. But because feeling fresh is still important to many people, no rinse products have been developed especially to meet your needs.

No rinse products are shampoos and soaps that don’t need water to work. Although this might sound itchy and uncomfortable, the products’ special formulas are designed to cleanse without needing a rinse, somewhat like waterless hand sanitizer. Relatively affordable, truckers can purchase a package of six no rinse hygiene items  for use under $27.

Road baths continues...

Fleet Fueling 

Owner-operators who are concerned about the rising cost of fuel may be able to find an answer in Atlanta, Georgia this September. Advertised as an event that brings both long-haul private and government fleets together with other aspects of the industry, the fourteenth annual OPIS Fleet Fueling Conference will address the future of fuel prices in addition to what can be done to minimize fuel usage today.  

Boasting nineteen educational sessions that cater to both owner-operators and fuel distributors, the conference is intended as educational industry collaboration with the goal of keeping both cost and fuel usage down. Some of these workshops include presentations on the future of the transportation industry in light of the peak oil problem, given by Transportation Research and Marketing President Forrest Baker and risk management assessments for fuel wholesalers and retailers, given by Brian McClain, the CEO of Choctaw Nation Travel Plazas. In addition to the workshops and keynote address, the conference will also feature an exhibition with booths from a variety of trucking industry sponsors. Read more about OPIS...

Trailer Ladder
Protect your back and give yourself a tool that will make your job easier at the same time. The Deckmate folding portable truck bed ladder is an economical solution to the potentially expensive problem of back strain and injury caused by spinal compression, a common ailment in flatbed and P&D work. Weighing in at just 20 pounds, the Deckmate ladder has a folded length of 33 inches. This makes it a lightweight when you are rolling onto the scales, and easy to stow and retrieve.

This ladder was built with drivers in mind. It’s made of steel instead of aluminum, is powder-coated to make it more durable, and is completely portable. With an overall length of 53 inches and a width of 18 inches, it is roomy and adaptable without being bulky. It also displays features that show forethought and attention to detail, like no-skid steps, a reflective marker, and a no-pinch hinge. To find out more....

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.

Why Are Fuel Prices So High?

By now, you’re certainly aware of the high fuel prices that have skyrocketed at truck stops and other diesel providers everywhere. You’re probably so aware of the prices that you’re frustrated, complaining to your boss, calling your senator, or expressing your feelings on the Internet. But why are fuel prices so high?

Though taxes, war with Iraq, and other government decisions are certainly responsible for some of the price hikes, another important reason why diesel prices are so high is the peak oil problem.

Because oil is a non-renewable resource, produced from fossil fuels, a time must come when that oil, which is used to produce diesel, runs out. According to M. King Hubbert, who drafted the peak oil theory in 1956, that time has already come. Hubbert theorized that the United States’ oil production would peak, or get to the point where production would dramatically slow down, between 1950 and 1970. Though some agree with Hubbard’s assessment that oil production in the United States has already peaked, all agree that the peak oil problem is a major challenge since everything from food production to the transportation industry relies on oil.

Read more about the peak oil problem...