Trucking News

FindATruckingJob.com recently conducted and interview with Lyn Thompson, the founder of Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization dedicated to educating the trucking industry about human trafficking. Read our interview below, and feel free to leave comments.

How did Truckers Against Trafficking get started? What was the inspiration?

Creator of some of the more popular GPS devices used by truckers, Magellan announced recently that they would display a new Fleet Management Protocol tool kit. This tool kit is designed to provide a means for interactive navigation and an information delivery system for two-way mobile. Magellan's kit also features numerous additions that truly complete fleet management.

TravelCenters of America LLC (TA) and Trucking Solutions Group are inviting anyone in the trucking industry to their Health Awareness Walk, sponsored by TA and Petro Stopping Centers and Trucking Solutions Group. The walk will be held at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, at 9 a.m. at the Dallas Convention Center. Anyone interested in participating should meet in Room D168 at 8 a.m. the morning of the walk.

Mack Trucks, built in America since 1907 with the "Bulldog' being one of the most recognized and respected truck-brand emblems on the road, has just announced some innovated improvements to promote driver comfort and safety. Geared toward aiding the drivers of their Pinnacle Series highway rigs in being both more comfortable and productive, these changes in the driver's cab environment are the direct result of what customers have said they would like to see added to their trucks.

Semi-truck drivers and enthusiasts can head to Texas this week to visit The Great American Trucking Show. This annual festival is the country's second largest trucking show, and the convention offers exhibitions, seminars and information for trucking professionals. Anyone who drives or owns a trucking company can benefit from this yearly conference in Dallas.

Who Will Be at The Great American Trucking Show?

In response to tight profit margins and a critical shortage of qualified drivers, the trucking industry is working hard to offer non-wage perks to recruit and retain drivers. Currently, the industry is short 100,000 drivers, and the problem is predicted to get worse. Research firm Transport Fundamentals predicts a shortage of 250,000 drivers by the end of 2013.

A new winner has been crowned at the 2012 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships. A truck driver for FedEx Freight named Don Logan won the Grand Championship in Minneapolis. Over 400 drivers from across the country participated in the event, which was a part of the larger “Super Bowl of Safety”. The American Trucking Association has been holding the event for the past 75 years.

Early this month the American Trucking Associations (ATA) held its annual Management Conference and Exhibition in Grapevine, Texas. Here they announced the four winners of the fifth annual Mike Russell “Good Stuff” Trucking Award, named for the late Mike Russell, a media official and Vice President of public affairs for American Trucking Associations. Mike supported the trucking industry and helped to advance the campaign, “Good stuff.

Women In Trucking Association founder Ellen Voie was honored recently at the White House for her contributions to promoting the trucking industry. Voie was chosen as one of the weekly recipients of the Champions of Change award. Each week a different focus or theme is chosen. Voie and 13 others were honored for their work in the transportation field.

The trucking industry and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have apparently ironed out a deal where crash accountability ratings will be revised to more clearly assign fault. Carriers are concerned that the current process to assign fault to carriers does not distinguish fault on crash reports.

The agency presently relies on the Safety Measurement System to grade carriers as outlined under the CSA enforcement program. This program fails to distinguish fault.