Trucks and Truckers

March 1st, 2008

Second Life

Savvy dismantlers are finding a home for almost every part of a recycled truck

By Jim Kneiszel

Frugal hog farmers are proud to say they use everything but the squeal when they butcher a pig. Truck dismantlers these days have the same attitude about squeezing out the last drop of profit when they recycle a used-up or crash-damaged big rig. “As the years go on, it seems like we’re recycling the squeaks and rattles out of them,”…

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March 1st, 2008

Driver News

Small Companies, Big Winners

Ten veteran drivers who work at trucking companies with less than 50 vehicles were recently recognized for extraordinary safety records by the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC). “As recipients of this prestigious award, each driver is awarded the designation as one of our ‘Drivers of the Year’ and receives individual recognition for their accomplishments,” says Buster Anderson, vice…

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March 1st, 2008

Old Mobile

Developing cabs for middle-aged drivers

By Phyllis Hanlon

Ever since they first formed that impossible-to-ignore bulge in population statistics, the baby boom generation has been a driving force in making and breaking trends. The trucking industry is feeling their pain now, as aging drivers find getting around to be a bit trickier than it once was, at the same time that carrier recruitment efforts are targeting retirees to…

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March 1st, 2008

Spring Cleaning

It’s time to clean your cab’s winter residues

By Paul Abelson

For years, I’ve been advising truck operators to summerize their trucks by paying attention to the engine, chassis and running gear. But I never wrote about the inside of the cab. Allow me to right that wrong. Winter takes a toll on the inside of the cab. Extreme cold embrittles plastic and elastomer parts, making them more subject to shock…

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March 1st, 2008

Chrome or Stainless

It's all shiny - what's the difference?

By Bryan Martin

Nearly all of us truckers love our shiny chrome! We gotta have a little of it here and there on our rigs. ‘If it don’t shine — it ain’t mine!’ has been a slogan all of us can relate to. But hey, is it all the same? Listen folks, I am gonna try and give you my ‘parts man’ evaluation…

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