Archive for July, 2008

For any country songwriter, getting the call that the legendary George Strait has recorded your tune is excitement enough. But for Nicole Witt, it had a more personal meaning. “Brothers of the Highway,” a song she co-wrote with Doug Johnson and Kim Williams, is about the industry her dad devoted his career to — trucking. “My dad worked for Roadway Express for 32 years doing every job under the sun — except driving!” she says with a laugh. “He star…

Every year, Road King devotes its July/August cover to driver appreciation. In 2008, with so many owner-operators feeling the squeeze of economic hard times, we wanted to recognize the resilience of drivers during difficult periods. But we also wanted to offer help and hope. We went to Timothy D. Brady, a 23-year trucking veteran turned business advisor who can be heard regularly on Sirius radio, to talk to a couple of determined, successful drivers to see how they are handling the sit…

I went to college and was studying architecture and working as a school bus driver. When I was 19, a friend got me a job driving a straight truck. I was bringing home a good income so I stayed with it, and after work I would practice backing up tractors in the yard. I drove two years locally, and when I was 21 I hit the road and have been here ever since for the good and bad of it. I love what I do. I always liked to travel, and as a truck…

Everything that happens while your truck is running consumes energy. Much of it is necessary and normal, and tire wear is no exception. When molecules of rubber are abraded from a tire, fuel is consumed to provide the force. That is a regular part of rolling resistance. But picture the force it takes to drag a truck sideways for several feet every time it moves a mile down the road. That’s what happens when tractor and trailer wheels are out of alignment. That misalignment uses ext…