Trucks and Truckers

July 1st, 2008

Roll Out the Barrel!

The Cole Pub truck promises to be a barrel of fun at trade shows

By Jim Kneiszel

When Bob Kendall envisioned a centerpiece for his company’s major trade show, the annual Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International at the Kentucky Exposition Center, his goal was to build something that would get people talking. The Cole Pub truck, combining a Peterbilt 330 with a sleeper and a giant cedar whiskey barrel, turned out to be just the conversation…

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July 1st, 2008

Pick up the Pieces

With Warehouse on Wheels, freight moves from semi to route truck with ease

By David A. Kolman

Like all distributors, two Georgia-based companies face escalating expenses along with the need to effectively service their respective marketplaces as cost efficiently as possible. Republic National Distributing Company of Atlanta, the second largest distributor of premium wine and spirits in the United States, had been increasing its distribution area in Virginia, and the expense of delivering product from multiple storage…

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July 1st, 2008

Making Logbooks Easier

Is it time to put down the pen and log on?

By Heather Larson

Along with the much-loved freedom of the open road, there is the tyranny of the logbook. The required record of travel may be meticulously kept up-to-date, filled in precisely using rulers and neat block letters. Or a driver may take a chance, wait a day or two, then try to recreate their timeline. Either method requires time, effort and a…

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July 1st, 2008

Get This Straight

Total vehicle wheel alignment can save you money on tires and fuel

By Paul Abelson

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…

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July 1st, 2008

Raising Hope

A driver who started with nothing succeeds and shares the wealth

Claude Jones, Glen Mills, Pa., Driving for 24 years

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…

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