Archive for January, 2008

It’s not surprising that the words “truck driver” and “healthy living” are rarely found in the same sentence. Blame it on job logistics, including stressful conditions, meals on the go and lack of exercise opportunities. Some drivers are in such bad shape that Country Music Television (CMT) recently followed up its popular Trick My Truck series with a driver makeover show, Trick My Trucker. But here’s what’s truly shocking: a recent study conducted b…

I remember during the summer when I was 12 years old, sitting on the square in town watching the big rigs rolling by. I’d always raise my hand and ask for a honk from the horn. And boy, when they honked it was like thrill waves rolling through my blood. I was so impressed by the size of the truck, knowing that there’s a guy or a gal driving something that was just so huge and so pretty. My uncle was a driver, and knowing that the truck was taking goods all over the U.S., I would…

The price of diesel may have a new floor: $3 a gallon. That’s spending 50 cents or more a mile just for fuel. Something has to be done to improve fuel mileage — but what? Engine efficiency is holding or improving slightly despite all the new hardware needed to meet emissions regulations. Tractors have become more aerodynamic, helping bring us from less than four mpg to more than six. Every manufacturer has second generation aerodynamic tractors, so any further improvements will be …