Trucks and Truckers

September 1st, 2009

Way to Go

The evolution of GPS models has an impact on trucking

By Paul Abelson

The Navy had been working on the idea of satellite navigating since 1960, advancing a tool developed during World War II. Long-range radio aids were used then to determine a ship’s or airplane’s position quickly and accurately. When the U.S. started exploring space, scientists placed new navigation satellites in orbit, thousands of miles above earth’s surface. Although early systems could…

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September 1st, 2009

Plug Ugly

Overloaded or poorly maintained wiring can lead to fire

By Paul Abelson

A dozen or so years ago, at a meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), I helped organize a panel discussion about sleeper cabs. I brought three owner-operators for a dialogue with truck builders’ cab engineers. After hearing how sleepers had been made larger and more comfortable, Dennis Mitchell of Blissfield, Mich., stopped the engineers in their tracks. He…

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September 1st, 2009

Fun & Games

Convoying for the Special Olympics

Marty Ellis, Sioux Falls, S.D., Driving for 15 years

I used to be a beekeeper. We had our own semi and 10-wheeler for the business. Hauling bees was only a small part of the job, but important. It’s basically like hauling livestock. You have to keep them cool, which means parking at night or in the shade, and sometimes even watering them to cool things down. I got out…

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September 1st, 2009

Mr. Smith Takes the Wheel

The theories behind the Smith System for safer truck travel

By Jim Kneiszel

Harold Smith may not be a household name, but he made a huge contribution toward making American roadways safer. He ran a driver training school following his service in World War II, basing his behind-the-wheel tactics on collision avoidance. When students didn’t get his approach to safety, he set out to clarify his ideas on paper. Smith believed safe driving…

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July 1st, 2009

Ten-Hut Trucker!

Going through the drills at the UPS boot camp for tractor-trailer driving

It’s been a very long time since my boot camp days, and all I can recall of that time is running sprints, doing push-ups, struggling over obstacle courses and bearing the brunt of instructors getting in my face bellowing commands. So when I got the call to report to UPS Feeder Driver Training School (DTS), a boot camp of sorts…

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