Land Line Now

A new report from the American Transportation Research Institute includes some promising data about renewable diesel. Jeff Short of ATRI explains the details. Also, would a new seat make your cab more comfortable? What would a new bumper do? Bryan Martin of Chrome Shop Mafia takes a look at the top five upgrades for a truck. And weekly load posts on DAT One decreased last week, but there is a bright spot when it comes to the renewed strength in the produce market. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Is renewable diesel an alternative to electric? 24:59 – The top five upgrades for your rig 40:23 – Bright spot in the market: produce

Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia has been clear about his opposition to increasing truckers’ minimum insurance requirements. He’ll join the show to discuss his position. Also, David Grimes and Alex Clark of CDL Legal discuss how to handle tickets that come in the mail. And several states are taking action to protect truckers from predatory towing practices and outrageous towing fees. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Effort to increase minimum insurance requirements draws some heat 24:59 – Tickets coming in the mail need to be handled differently 40:23 – States act against predatory towing

Driver training, fraud, electric vehicles and AEBs were all top-of-mind when the truckers on the OOIDA Board of Directors met recently. Also, we catch up with EZ Pete Interiors to talk about what it's like transforming a truck’s interior into a driver's dream come true. Then, Tennessee has a new transportation plan – and it includes some lanes that will charge tolls. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Transforming the interior of your truck 24:59 – Tolls to play a role in Tennessee highway plan 40:23 – Truckers on board discuss training, fraud, EVs and more

The OOIDA Foundation’s market report shows a freight market still trying to shake off what weighs it down. But there are positive signs. Also, with the advent of LEDs, you can do all kinds of things with lights that were never possible before. Bryan Martin offers some examples. And we’ll explain what you need to do in order to prep for this year’s CVSA Roadcheck. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Some positive signs in the freight market 24:59 – The wonderous things you can do with LEDs 40:23 – What you need to do to prep for Roadcheck

A NHTSA advisory committee has held another meeting, and it appears some on the panel are committed to creating an underride requirement. Ken Riddle, director of FMCSA’s Office of Registration, announced a number of new measures, including the formation of a dedicated team, to tackle the problem of fraud. Also, a coffee company that highlights the trucking industry is picking up speed and popularity. Then, Marty Ellis has been looking over a study on driver training and its link to safety. 0:00 – FMCSA plans to get serious about fraud  10:22 – Underride effort at federal level pushes forward 24:59 – Trucking-oriented coffee company picks up steam 40:23 – Study on the obvious: Driver training and safety are linked

An effort in Illinois would put a cap on pain-and-suffering damages in trucking court cases in an attempt to combat “nuclear verdicts.” Also, Lewie Pugh, Doug Morris and Paul Torlina of OOIDA discuss the recent meeting of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and how it could affect you. Then, “normal” and “stable” are the two words being used to describe current market conditions. We speak with Brent Hutto of Truckstop about the numbers and the top regions and lanes from last week. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – CVSA’s meeting and how it could affect you 24:59 – Effort in Illinois would cap ‘nuclear verdicts’ 40:23 – Freight market: ‘normal and stable’

A handful of states are considering measures that are meant to deter protesters from exercising their First Amendment rights on highways. Also, an effort underway right now in South Dakota is designed to combat human trafficking – and to involve truckers in the effort. Then, we sit down with OOIDA's Truck Insurance Department to discuss what additional coverage you should consider. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – South Dakota effort combats human trafficking 24:59 – Extra coverages for your truck insurance 40:23 – Efforts designed to combat highway protests

The U.S. EPA is forging ahead with strict new emission standards for heavy-trucks. We’ll explain why OOIDA objects. As Baltimore recovers from the recent bridge collapse, several issues need to be resolved – including truck parking. Also, the 35th annual Make-A-Wish Mother's Day Convoy will pay homage to the very first Make-A-Wish kid, who started it all. And as the OOIDA Board of Directors meets this week, members will be offering guidance to the Association’s Washington, D.C., staff. We’ll take a look at what the Washington crew does and how the board guides it. 0:00 – OOIDA concerns with emission standards 10:22 – Baltimore bridge collapse update: parking issues 24:59 – Mother’s Day Convoy honors first Make-A-Wish kid 40:23 – What issues will OOIDA pursue?

A well-paid trucker is a safe trucker. Michael Belzer of Wayne State University concluded that about both intrastate and interstate truckers. Also, the CVSA wants FMCSA to change inspection report procedures. Meanwhile, a rare unanimous decision by the Supreme Court has implications for the trucking industry. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – CVSA inspection petition – not a good idea 24:59 – Economist: Pay and safety go hand-in-hand in trucking

An FMCSA Research Forum is coming up next week, and what comes out of it could have a significant impact on your life as a truck driver. Meanwhile, a request by Florida for an exemption from CDL testing rules failed to succeed. Also, a man who started as a funeral director talks about what led him to a career in trucking. And Marty Ellis has noticed something that truckers should look for – signs that indicate the carrier you work for may be in trouble. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Crashes, drugs, fraud and parking on agenda for research forum 24:59 – From funeral director to truck driver 40:23 – Signs your carrier may be on the way out

The unofficial start to produce season has been announced. On this week's Market Update, we'll discuss with Robert Rouse of DAT how that will impact certain markets. Also, heat remains the No. 1 enemy of your tires, but there are things you can do to mitigate and prevent damage. Andy McCulloch of Michelin has the cure. Then, knowing what to do before legal situations get hairy is the best practice, and James Mennella and Jeff McConnell of Road Law have sound advice. 0:00 – Newscast  10:22 – Preventing tire damage from heat 24:59 – Handling legal situations from the road 40:23 – Time to start your engines for produce season

The push for electric trucks generates a lot of concerns. But what about hybrid semis? Revoy, a California-based company, is investing heavily in the technology and thinks it might be the future. Plus, while a few states move to address the truck parking problem, several others are looking at changes to their move-over laws. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – Part I: Hybrid semis – the way of the future? 25:10 – Part II: Hybrid semis – weight considerations, power grid challenges & more 40:24 – Tackling truck parking shortage on the state level

A lot of people assume that using CBD products is safe for truck drivers, but is that really the case? Plus, weigh stations are a regular part of life for truckers, but more and more scales are virtually invisible to those who drive over them. And finally, we’ll break down OOIDA’s concerns about the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of electronic logging devices on the heels of a research paper that shines a spotlight on them. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – CBD dangers 25:10 – Weigh-in-motion scales 40:24 – What's being done to address ELD vulnerabilities? 

The list of big cities instituting truck parking bans keeps getting longer. We’ll have updates on the cities giving truckers the cold shoulder, the cities and states adding truck parking spots and more. Then, we’ll hand out roses to those who are doing right by truckers – and razzberries to those who aren’t – in our latest installment of Roses and Razzberries. And finally, cybercriminals have found a new way to scam people out of money using artificial intelligence, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – The Parking Zone 25:10 – Roses & Razzberries 40:24 – Protecting yourself from AI scams

To say that participation in FMCSA’s under-21 pilot program has been lackluster would be an understatement. We’ll have analysis of the new data, as well as details on the road to reopen the Key Bridge. Then, we’ll break down how the mainstream media is covering – and the general public is reacting – to the EPA’s strict new heavy-truck emission rule and the latest developments with autonomous technology. We’ll wrap up with musing over the eclipse, another nuclear verdict and a possible connection between automatic transmissions and parking lot speeding. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – Under-21 pilot program numbers & Key Bridge replacement 25:10 – OOIDA in the news: emission rule & autonomous trucks 40:24 – The eclipse, nuclear verdicts & parking lot speeders

When the mandate for electronic logging devices began, so did the concerns about what hackers might be able to do if they were to gain access. And now we know it can be done – because researchers at Colorado State University did it. They tell us how they hacked an ELD, what happened when they did and what the implications could be. Then, Brent Hutto of Truckstop says there are signs of new life on the spot market. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – ELD vulnerabilities to cyberhackers 40:24 – Signs of life on the spot market

A new survey from AAA indicates just how anxious the general public is about self-driving vehicles – although it’s a slightly different story when it comes to driver-assist technologies. Plus, we’ll break down the new beneficial ownership information reporting requirements for small-business truckers. And finally, Florida gets serious about predatory towing reforms, while Wisconsin punts on a bill that would have countered nuclear verdicts. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – Fear of self-driving vehicles grows: AAA 25:10 – New BOI reporting requirements 40:24 – Predatory towing & nuclear verdicts

From Kentucky to Missouri and other states in between, more and more state legislatures are taking aim at predatory towing practices. What’s behind the current trend? Plus, an update on the Florida Trucking Association’s Share the Road program. And finally, state and federal regulators come together with industry stakeholders for the Missouri Commercial Motor Vehicle Strategic workshop. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – Missouri Commercial Motor Vehicle Strategic workshop 25:08 – Ky. predatory towing bill and Fla. Share the Road program 40:23 – Rush of states take aim at predatory tows

While a lot of truckers are fanatics about maintaining their rigs, obvious things that should be taken care of are sometimes overlooked. We break down the most commonly overlooked maintenance items. Then, analysis of the EPA’s new emission standards for heavy trucks and FMCSA’s push to water down CDL training requirements. And finally, a look at a photo series dedicated to female truck drivers. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – Commonly overlooked maintenance items 25:08 – EPA emission standards and CDL training requirements 40:23 – Sisters of the Road photo series

OOIDA has given the FMCSA and its Truck Leasing Task Force an earful regarding what should be done about lease-purchase contracts. Also, Marty Ellis talks about shippers and receivers who have shown through their actions that they care about the truckers who pick up from and deliver to their facilities. And a trucking couple was just three miles away from the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore when it collapsed last week. We speak with them and hear their account. 0:00 – Newscast 10:22 – OOIDA: Here’s how you fix lease-purchase agreements 24:59 – Good shippers and receivers – they are out there 40:23 – Couple describes the day the bridge came down