Archive for January, 2010

January 1st, 2010

Down to the Wire

A long and productive life may depend on protecting the electrical system

By Paul Abelson

Except for physical damage that can wreck a rig in an instant, corrosion is the primary destroyer of trucks and trailers. Nowhere is this more apparent than in a truck’s electrical system. Progress has been dramatic in the past decade, but many truckers still find, as the TMC of American Trucking Associations reported in the 1990s and early 2000s, lighting and electrical problems are the greatest contributors to maintenance costs, in both dollars and numbers of incidents.

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January 1st, 2010

A Worthy Vessel

The inspiring first journey of the USS New York

by Tim Ghianni

When the USS New York’s bow stem, made from 7.5 tons of steel retrieved from Ground Zero, broke through the waves en route from New Orleans to New York City, Julius Williams and some of his fellow shipbuilders took a break from their jobs and watched.

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January 1st, 2010

Funds Drive

The ongoing struggle to improve the nation’s highways

As Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) spent a good portion of 2009 working on the highway funding bill that authorizes federal surface transportation programs for highways. At press time, work on the bill and the nation’s many infrastructure needs continued. Rep. Oberstar shared his insights on the year ahead with Road King.

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January 1st, 2010

Deer in the Headlights

Even without traffic, accidents can happen

by David Kolman

It was one of those early October mornings just made for trailer trucking. I was piloting my rig along a two-lane rural highway, enjoying the cool temperature, the star-filled sky and a lack of traffic.

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January 1st, 2010

Big Rig Biz

The 2010 Mid-America Trucking Show has much to offer

Last year, the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) had 935 exhibitors displaying their wares and sharing business ideas throughout the more than 1 million square feet of display space at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. They were met with enthusiasm from the 70,299 trucking professionals from 50 states and 51 foreign countries.

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