Well, we are two weeks into the new year and so far it feels pretty much like the old year, except for writing ‘07 on everything instead of ‘06. You are writing ‘07, right?

We’ve still got some mail from ‘06 we’d like to share, as well as some ‘07 mail, so we’ll get right to it…

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Mail Call

From: A and D
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 9:06 AM
To:jobs@truckdriver.com
Subject: PER DIEM

 

I work for a company that pays .40 per mile for an experienced driver. .34 per mile and .06 per diem. Isn’t wrong to use per diem to boost what the per mile pay is? And wouldn’t a driver be much better off going with a company that pays the actual amount per mile and let the driver claim their own per diem at the end of the year?

I believe this a very misunderstood area of a trucker’s pay. Please reply back to me and maybe post this in a future article for our ‘comrades’ to read.

Thanks,

Signed…Mr. Truckdriver

Editor: Good question. Theoretically, per diem set up that way puts more take home money in your pocket on a weekly basis. What happens at the end of the year is between you, your taxman and the IRS. Anybody want to tackle this one?

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From: DOORBELLONE
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 10:03 AM
To: jobs@truckdriver.com
Subject: YOUR ARTICLE ON SAFETY

Nicely written.

It should be extra-highlighted that rig drivers are extra aware of safety since there livelihood depends upon it.

4-wheelers can do such unusual things to avoid rigs that it often causes accidents.

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From: fatstrat
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 10:03 AM
To: jobs@truckdriver.com
Subject: Truck Driving safety

Hello:

I am a professional truck driver and I would like to respond to your Jan. '07 e-Report regarding safety issues.

I agree that increased Govt. regulation has improved driver safety since the early 1990's. But I don't agree that the trucking industry as a whole can claim much responsibility for this. What little the industry has contributed has been by being dragged "kicking and screaming" into it by the Federal Govt.

Trucks are better now. More comfortable & safer these days which I believe accounts for some of the safety improvements.

But I believe the vast majority of safety improvement have occurred because the penalties that the DRIVER will face (fines/lawsuits etc)have dramatically increased.

Sure, the industry pays a lot of "Lip Service" to safety. Safety Dept's that put up a lot of posters and do a lot of talking about safety. But when the rubber meets the road, the bottom line is that profits increasingly take a back seat to safety. Especially with the fuel price increases in the last few years.

The (now not so) new more "efficient" manner in which loads are scheduled, in which a driver is off duty only for the mandatory DOT break is a good example.

These new scheduling formula's have largely removed any control a driver used to have over his operating hours.

Now drivers are forced to maintain odd sleeping schedules. A driver who has his break at nite on one day, when most people by nature prefer to
sleep, will now find himself attempting to sleep during the daytime about every other day. Some people can sleep during the daytime, but many can't. And drivers that have trouble w/ daytime sleeping now have the added problem of being forced into schedules in which they are attempting to drive late at nite, when they are naturally sleepy, after having gotten little rest during their forced daytime break. A safety problem that drivers used to have some ability to regulate & control for themselves.

The increasingly popular "Lease Purchase" plans used by many trucking companies to lure drivers into thinking they are "owner operators" is another good example.

These are clearly to the advantage of the company. Few drivers under any circumstances will ever end up owning a truck. But it gives the company incredibly increased leverage in forcing the driver to operate in an unsafe and illegal manner.

As always, the dispatcher has the driver’s income directly in his control. And, a lease purchase driver that refuses to "get the job done" because it requires unsafe/illegal driving, may very likely find himself having EXTREME financial trouble in coming weeks, earning barely the
amount to cover his deducted " truck payments" while having virtually 0 take home income. Unless/until he "gets his head right" and accepts that unsafe/illegal driving is a REQUIREMENT of the deal.

In most cases the Lease Purchase operator either realizes he's being shafted into taking unacceptable risks and quits, or ends up w/ a boatload of tickets that ruin his record and may put his career at jeopardy. Or worse.

And the worst part of it is that every driver knows that the Company Safety Dept. is NOT there to help him in these cases. But rather to
cover the Companies ass. If the driver has an accident, or is otherwise caught by the DOT driving in an illegal (IE: unsafe) manner, the company
will place the blame SQUARELY on him. Regardless of the company policy of allowing the dispatcher to strong-arm him into doing so.

Editor:  Seems to us this would make a perfect topic for FORUMS...who wants to start it?

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Highway Traffic Reaches All-Time High, DOT Says 
New Data Show Congestion Getting Worse

Traffic on U.S. highways climbed to an all-time high in 2005, the Department of Transportation said Monday.

According to the newly released “Highway Statistics 2005,” an annual compilation of data reported to the Federal Highway Administration by all U.S. states and territories, Americans drove nearly three trillion miles on U.S. highways last year.

This figure represents a 27.4 billion-mile increase over travel in 2004 and is up nearly 25% over 1995, DOT said.

“These figures underscore the importance of our efforts to fight traffic congestion,” said DOT Secretary Mary Peters. “It is clear that our ability to keep traffic moving smoothly and safely is key to keeping our economy strong.”

There were 241.2 million vehicles registered in the United States last year, including 6.2 million motorcycles — the most ever recorded in both categories.

“America is the most mobile nation in history,” said FHWA Administrator Richard Capka. “As these new data show, our interstate is every bit the critical infrastructure President Eisenhower foresaw 50 years ago when he created it.”

The “Highway Statistics” series, which consists of statistical data on motor fuel, motor vehicles, driver licensing, highway-user taxation, state and local government highway finance, has been produced each year since 1945.

- Source Transport Topics -

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The TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month
Melton Truck Lines, Inc.

Melton Truck Lines, Inc. had a humble beginning in 1954 when Bert and Gladys Melton purchased a small piece of operating authority and a couple of trucks and began operations in Crossett, Arkansas. Business began with a plan to haul lumber and roofing materials in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Bert purchased two brand new diesel "B Series" Mack tractors within a few years, which gave him a total of six trucks and twenty-three trailers. In late 1957, Bert met with an untimely death, leaving the business in his wife's hands.

In 1958, William Duncan McRae purchased the company. In respect for Bert Melton's memory, the name Melton was retained for the truck line. From the beginning, the newly incorporated company had a family atmosphere. The company was small, and many of the employees were husband and wives. Through the years, this unique atmosphere grew stronger, and whole families - mothers, fathers, sons and daughters would become part of the "Melton Family." The McRae's became known affectionately as Mr. Mac and Mrs. Mac.

Mr. Mac eventually approached his son, Duncan (Dunc) McRae, Jr., with the idea of joining him in the company. Because of Dunc's experience with IBM, he recognized a potential benefit if Melton began using computers. At the time, there were few programs designed for trucking companies, so Duncan wrote his own, which put Melton out in front of the competition.

In 1980, Melton was approved as a bonded carrier with the customs service, which marked the start of the Mexican "through-trailer" service, another pioneering move. Through the years, Melton's fleet grew to 600 trucks and utilized both box vans and flatbed trailers.

Meanwhile, in 1989, Bob Peterson formed a new company called GlasTran, whose focus was exclusively on the needs of flatbed shippers, and located it in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first customers were primarily glass companies, and the company started up with 30 leased tractors, 36 trailers, and six people in the office.

In 1991, Duncan McRae, Jr., retired by selling Melton Truck Lines, Inc. to Bob Peterson. At the time of the sale, Melton's operation consisted of 340 trucks, 700 trailers and 12 terminals. Mr. Peterson decided to relocate the headquarters to Tulsa, OK, merging GlasTran and Melton together. Melton family members describe the period before the merger as "Old Melton" and the subsequent years as "New Melton."

Melton has grown to be a strong industry leader, employing over seven hundred of the best professional drivers available. The company continues to convey an attitude and feeling of family. The gleaming fleet of new, blue Kenworth trucks proudly serves customers from coast-to-coast, and strives to remain ahead of the competition with top-notch drivers, customer service, and safety programs, as well as state-of-the-art equipment and communications techniques.

At Melton, you have the choice to drive their truck or yours, or take advantage of their Zero Down Lease Program! They are now hiring professional drivers with at least six months of solo, OTR driving experience.

Over the last 50 years, Melton has been successful in recruiting and retaining some of the finest flatbed drivers in North America. Melton appeals to company drivers, lease contractors and owner-operators who are looking for a challenge with fewer hassles. They have attracted many inexperienced flatbed drivers who realize the flatbed advantages -- no grocery warehouse deliveries, no lumpers or long waits, no loading or unloading, minimal docking, better trailer visibility, and a variety of loads.

They are committed to making sure their drivers are rewarded for their hard work through base pay, tarp pay, great benefits, bonus' and recognition programs. And, their drivers and contractors are moving 12 months out of the year because they transport a variety of commodities within driver-friendly shipping lanes. Drivers log an average of 10,000 miles per month and earn an average annual income of $47,000. Melton's top performers routinely earn more.

For more details on why you should work with Melton, simply click here or call their Recruiting Department at 800-635-8669.

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We want to remind, in case you forgot, there is a Press Release Feed on the front page of TruckDriver.com, a continuous scroll of information about the industry. Check it out.

And, don’t forget to click on the ‘Click to Review’ link as you can you rate each article and comment on it.

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Looks like it is pretty much a toss up in the New Year’s Eve Kiss Survey, about half of you are smoochers and half of you aren’t.

Every once in awhile, the suits upstairs come down and want to gather some of what they call demographics from our surveys. We’re never sure exactly what they do with it, but since they write checks, we’ll demograph all they want.

And, the best thing is, it’s really easy on your part, all they want to know is how long have you been driving a truck. That’s why we’re calling this survey, the TruckDriver.com Truck Driving Time survey. Click it to take it, it really is easy.

Until next time, keep on truckin' and please drive safely.

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