Archive for October, 2013

John Ratzenberger

John Ratzenberger is a multi-Emmy-nominated actor and accomplished screenwriter, director, producer and author, and may be best known for playing mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the long-running NBC sitcom “Cheers.”

Though never a postman in real life, he did work as a carpenter, archery instructor and oyster boat crewman, and also created and starred in the Travel Channel series “Made in America,” which spotlighted U.S.-made goods and workers. His father was a truck driver, giving John a deep respect and admiration for truckers and the job that they do.

Along with work in feature films, from major studio blockbusters like Superman and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back to independent films like the recent drama The Woodcarver, animation has been a natural home to his versatile vocal talents. John Ratzenberger is the only actor to participate in every Pixar film.

Beginning with the charming and witty Hamm the piggy bank in Toy Story, reprised in Toy Story 2 and 3, there came P.T. Flea in A Bug’s Life, Yeti the abominable snowman in Monsters, Inc., a school of moonfish in Finding Nemo, the Underminer in The Incredibles, Mack the truck in Cars/Cars 2, Mustafa the waiter in Ratatouille, John in WALL-E, and Tom the construction worker in Up and Gordon in Brave.  John has recently appeared on Bones, CSI, Drop Dead Diva, and Franklin & Bash. He is currently a recurring character on the FX hit TV show, LEGIT.

Mr. Ratzenberger will be our special guest, Thursday, October 31, 2013 on Blog Talk Radio’s: Truth About Trucking “LIVE.” On October 21, 2013, John launched a crowd source campaign with Donald Trump’s FundAnything.com for his new television series John Ratzenberger’s American Made, where he will tour the country and spotlight some of the best American made products and manufacturers.

Discussion will focus on his new series and how you can be a part of his crowd sharing campaign for Fund Anything/American Made, win prizes and even appear on the show. This is a petition to support American workers and U. S. employment.

American Made

By joining John in his funding campaign for the show, he will share special gifts in return, thus the term: “Crowd Sharing.” Gifts include everything from a “I Support American Made” T-shirts, having your name on their AmericanMade Facebook page, to being a producer of the show.

Companies can receive prizes such as “Tell Your Company’s American Made Story on TV” and even have Mr. Ratzenberger come to your business and speak at your event, plus much more.

For complete details on the AmericanMade sharing campaign and all you will receive for participating, visit:  FundAnything.com/AmericanMade and join us “live”, Thursday, October 31st, 2013 at 7 PM Eastern Time for Truth About Trucking “LIVE” — American Made with John Ratzenberger.

© 2013, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.

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Truck Driver Detention time

The Federal Government currently has approximately 4.1 million employees with an average annual salary of $78,500.  This figure would work out to be about $37.74 per hour.

If each employee would work one hour a day for free, this would save the government  $154,734,000 in salaries paid, per day, $3,094,680,000 per week and $160,923,360,000 per year; quite a hefty sum that could go toward paying off the U.S. National Debt.

Perhaps the government should look at asking their employees to work for free, just one hour a day?

Of course, this will never happen, yet the large majority of professional truck drivers are required to do this, at minimum, every day. In fact, truck drivers can easily provide several hours of work, per week, for free. Based on contracts that motor carriers have with shippers and/or receivers of freight, the driver is required to provide the first hour of “waiting time” at no pay.

After the first hour, most are supposed to begin receiving at minimum, about $15.00 per hour; still, most drivers will not see this pay either. Local drivers are not exempt from this as well. A local driver can load 3-4 times per day, with each load requiring the one hour wait time, racking up 15-20 hours per week of “free time.”  It is all intertwined within the debacle that is known as “detention time.”

Take for instance, a motor carrier with 3,000 drivers. Each driver gives up one hour per week, no pay. This saves the motor carrier $45,000 per week in driver pay, $2,340,000 per year. Professional truckers, especially long-haul drivers, can very often spend several hours per week due to “waiting time.”

With 3,000 drivers giving up five work hours per week to the carrier, the company could now see a savings in driver pay for $225,000 per week, $11,700,000 per year. Rough figures of course, but you get the point; with thousands of motor carriers employing millions of drivers, there are big money savings for the carrier due to the detention time agreements. Every day, drivers provide hours of work for free to the carrier, while the company still retains payment from the shipper or carrier.

House bill, H.R. 756 — Driver Detention Time, was introduced by Congressman Peter DeFazio on February 17, 2011. The purpose of the bill was clear:

“to direct the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe standards for the maximum number of hours that an operator of a commercial motor vehicle may be reasonably detained by a shipper or receiver, and for other purposes.”

Furthermore, Section 14103 of title 49, U.S.C. is amended by adding language that “prohibits a shipper or receiver from detaining a person that operates a commercial motor vehicle without providing compensation for time detained beyond the maximum number of hours” that the Secretary determines, by regulation.

Legislative bills that will directly affect truck drivers in a positive way, are most often set aside; such is the case in H.R. 756.  Todd Dills, Senior Editor of Overdrive magazine who also oversees his Channel 19 blog, reports that the bill is “getting close,” but  if anything happens, it “might be 2015 before it’s done.”

For now anyway, truckers will continue providing labor hours for free, unlike any other industry in the nation.

© 2013, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.

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TRINITY FOUNDATION RAISES OVER $6500 FOR RACHEL’S CHALLENGE DURING 4^TH ANNUAL TOUCH-A-TRUCK EVENT

October 11, 2013- Seaford, DE

The Trinity Foundation, in collaboration with Trinity Logistics, hosted its fourth annual Touch-A-Truck event on Saturday, October 5^th, from 10am – 2pm at Trinity Logistics in Seaford. The mission of this year’s event was to raise money and awareness for Rachel’s Challenge. This challenge was created to replace acts of violence, bullying, and negativity with acts of respect, kindness, and compassion. Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine school shooting in 1999, said, “A single act of kindness and compassion can start a chain reaction.”

The main focus of Touch-A-Truck is to put big rigs, construction equipment, emergency vehicles, and other cool trucks on display for kids to see and play around on up close, as well as brush elbows with the hometown heroes who operate these vehicles, but there were many other fun activities for adults and kids alike on-site. Trinity team members worked hard as volunteers to provide the attendees with a great experience and the weather was great as well. Trinity team member Gina Banning recapped, “We had record breaking temperatures which provided us with a beautiful day. As I walked around the parking lot and saw our team members painting faces, making children laugh and playing games with the members of our community I realized that is what it is all about.”

The event was a great success, with several hundred attendees who helped raise over $6,500 for Rachel’s Challenge. Those funds will be put into a CAF (Community Activation Fund). This fund will be used to help local schools that want to bring the Rachel’s Challenge program to their schools.

About Trinity Logistics

Trinity Logistics was founded in 1979 with one location and only three employees. Today, they have over 200 team members in over 90 locations across the country. Trinity is ranked in the Top 25 providers of their kind by Transport Topics Magazine, a Top 100 3PL by Food Logistics Magazine, and an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company. Our privately-owned business has grown into being one of the top logistics companies in the nation, providing freight solutions on a global scale. With our corporate headquarters in Seaford, Delaware, multiple regional service centers, and over 90 agent offices throughout North America, we are positioned to provide a solution for any of your logistics needs, no matter how extensive, with the best customer service you’ll see in the industry. For more information about Trinity Logistics, visit www.trinitylogistics.com.

Media Contact:
Ethan Malone
Marketing Coordinator
Trinity Logistics

800-846-3400 ex. 3810
ethan.malone@trinitylogistics.com

© 2013, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.

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Technorati Tags: Rachel Scott, Rachel’s Challenge, Touch-A-Truck, Trinity Foundation, Trinity Logistics

You may feel like you know your truck inside out, but it’s extremely vital that you recognize the importance of some of the smallest, and seemingly insignificant parts of your vehicle.

There are some things in your truck that you rely on everyday without even thinking about it.

Here are three things in your truck that you should never neglect or fail to maintain. Each has a special function and is essential for keeping you, and your truck, on the road.

• Gas strut

Also referred to as gas springs, gas lifts and adjustable struts, these small fittings are a common component of automobile and trucks.

Unlike a regular spring, this small device uses compressed gas to exert a much greater force. For this reason, they are used to support the extreme weights of trucks doors and are in use every day when you drive your truck. Should they become bent or damaged, it’s important that a strut is replaced quickly. UK based companies such as WDS Ltd supply replacement gas springs and struts, as do US based suppliers such as Ameritool.

• Oil Pan

Sometimes referred to as a sump, the function of this crucial engine part is the same, regardless of name. It’s used to hold the precious oil the engine needs to stay lubricated and functioning properly. Without it, things would simply grind to a halt and you wouldn’t be going anywhere fast.

Traditionally, oil pans were made of heavy metal, although modern technology has proposed lightweight plastic as a more effective option. The material used for these new designs was created by DuPont  — you can read more about this innovative technology here – and is credited as being 50 per cent lighter than standard metal pans. It’s better for fuel economy and even reduces noise levels.

• Tires

When you consider that your average trucker is covering around 400 miles per day — that’s over 120,000 miles per year — it becomes apparent how important the tires of a truck are.

As well as ensuring that the tires on your truck are appropriate for your vehicle and the loads you bear, it’s important that you carry out effective maintenance and checks. That includes looking for any damage and checking the tread and air pressure of your truck’s tires. Take a look at these top 10 tips for truck tire safety, created by Michelin Americas Truck Tires, for more advice on taking care of this important part of your truck.

© 2013, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.

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Technorati Tags: ameritool, dupont, gas strut, maintenance, oil pan, Safety, tires, truck driving, truck tire safety tips, trucking, wds ltd