Posted by Karen Thomas on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 @ 11:29 PM
The image of a knight in shining armor is imprinted into many a young girl's head whether she's watched Disney® movies or been privy to medieval stories of princesses and their suitors. Another image of knights in shining armor exists though – and this image includes a lot of armor (as well as an engine and sixteen wheels.) Truck drivers may not have been the original knights, but they're certainly the original knights of the road.
While truck drivers may feel like they're the brunt of road rage or easy road targets to pass, their history suggests otherwise. The transportation industry and specifically truck drivers were first thought of as not only dutiful, but cordial and protective. Truck drivers after all, were responsible for the movement of products and services throughout the nation's paved arteries, delivering items that supported (and still do) a micro/macro economy. The original truck drivers were thought of as modern day cowboys, and then outlaws, and rebels during the peak of trucker culture in the 1970s, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucking_industry_in_popular_culture_(United_States).)
Truckingtruth.com reveals additional and historical information as far as original truck driver perceptions are concerned. “In the past, truckers were known as “Knights of the Road”. They used to have a reputation for helping people whose cars became disabled and had to pull their vehicles to the side of the road. People always expected a trucker to aid them when they were in distress on the highway, and their big rigs were seen like the heroic mounts of the always-helpful truckers,” (http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/truckAndBusDrivers/truckAndBusDrivers.asp,”
While perceptions may have changed over the years (congestion, road laws, and eco-concerns have stigmatized several sectors of the transportation industry) there's still a trucking culture that exists that embodies the same values as those original knights of the road.
Even the government supports the same principles held by those very knights. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Share the Road Safely Program provides an opportunity for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers to set the example for other drivers on how to share the road safely. At the same time, it offers the truck and bus drivers the chance to improve their professional image each day they are behind the wheel. Surveys indicate that many highway users are intimidated by the mere size of a truck or bus. When you combine this perception with a highway crash and the resulting roadway congestion, the public image of the motor carrier industry takes a beating no matter who caused the crash. By driving safely to prevent crashes, you can improve that image and save yourself time, money, and most importantly lives,” (www.fmcsa.dot.gov.)
While knights in shining armor may be passe, the road knights that not only support industries worldwide but strive for safer roads and cleaner technologies are very here and now.
Posted by Karen Thomas on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 11:52 PM
The Open Road Blog Gas Saving Tip of the day: Ahhh....the California fresh air. While a particularly rainy year and effective smog control measures have improved air quality in the Sunshine state. Meanwhile, the state is doing something about air quality as well. Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32) establishes a first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG). AB 32 makes the Air Resources Board (ARB) responsible for monitoring and reducing GHG emissions and continues the existing Climate Action Team (CAT) to coordinate statewide efforts.
County: San Bernardino
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 26526 Barton Road and California Street, Loma Linda
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: Q Mart
Address: 15853 Main Street Near 8th Ave., Hesperia
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.98
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 1195 East Walnut Street & South Grove Ave., Ontario
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.sanbernardinogasprices.com)
County: Los Angeles
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 24020 Newhall Ave. and Arch Street, Newhall
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 9707 Telegraph Road and True Ave., Downey
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: Chevron
Address: 20500 Newhall Ave. and Sierra, Newhall
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.losangelesgasprices.com)
County: Riverside
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 6002 Van Buren Blvd. and Cypress Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 8677 Limonite Ave. and Limonite Ave. and Pedley Road, Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 26th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 502 Beaumont Ave. and East 5th Street, Beaumont
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.riversidegasprices.com)
Return to RSI HOME: http://www.rsiinsurancebrokers.com
Posted by Karen Thomas on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 01:05 AM
The Open Road Blog Gas Saving Tip of the day: It's a good day when sales are - good. The trucking industry saw tall orders for Class 8 commercial vehicles just as the summer season arrived. TheTrucker.com reported, "Net orders for heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles reached the highest level of the year in June, posting an increase of 93 percent compared to June of 2009, according to the market analysts at ACT Research Co. (ACT)."
County: San Bernardino
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 16337 Main Street and 3rd Ave., Hesperia
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 2649 South Waterman Ave. near Barton Road, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 1055 North Waterman Ave. and Olive Street, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.sanbernardinogasprices.com)
County: Los Angeles
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 24020 Newhall Ave. and Arch Street, Newhall
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 9707 Telegraph Road and True Ave., Downey
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: Chevron
Address: 20500 Newhall Ave. and Sierra, Newhall
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.losangelesgasprices.com)
County: Riverside
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: Chevron
Address: 8283 Arlington Ave. and Lake Street, Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: Fastrip
Address: 10306 Arlington Ave. and Tyler Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 21st, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 6002 Van Buren Blvd. and Cypress Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
(Gas prices found at www.riversidegasprices.com)
Return to RSI HOME: http://www.rsiinsurancebrokers.com
Posted by Karen Thomas on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 12:52 AM
The transportation industry has been able to maintain despite a couple bumpy economic years. The movement of goods and services is still dependent upon vehicles outfitted with more than four wheels in most cases and often times with sixteen. Another side to the transportation industry exists though – one that moves people from point A to point B – points that are pivotal to people's livelihood and on another level - micro and macro economics.
Reports indicate the transportation industry is alive and well. This past week The Trucker reported that, “Net orders for heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles reached the highest level of the year in June, posting an increase of 93 percent compared to June of 2009, according to the market analysts at ACT Research Co. (ACT).
In the latest release of the State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles, ACT reported 15,999 net orders of Class 8 vehicles, an increase of 21 percent over May of this year. Net orders of medium-duty Classes 5-7 equipment also rebounded in June, increasing by 74 percent over the prior year June,” (www.thetrucker.com.)
When it comes to alternative transportation options that move people though (including buses and trains), more work – and money -is needed. The Federal Transportation Administration believes $77.7 billion is needed to repair both the nation's rail and bus transit systems. The report was initiated by the
FTA’s National State of Good Repair Assessment Study, requested by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as a follow-up to the 2009 Rail Modernization Study report to Congress, provides a comprehensive analysis of the costs required to bring the nation’s rail and bus transit systems into good operating order.
Moving the masses via rail and bus is not only good for the economy, it's good for the environment. While most complaint are generally allocated towards lack of availability, the FTA and DOT are more concerned with proper repairs. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reinforced the focus on transportation safety, saying,
“Transit remains one of the safest forms of transportation, but this report shows the clear need to reinvest in our bus, subway and light rail systems. As a nation, we must lead when it comes to infrastructure development and commit ourselves to rebuilding America,” (www.dot.gov.)
Posted by Karen Thomas on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 12:39 AM
The Open Road Blog Gas Saving Tip of the day: Just like the temperatures dropped in Southern California after a brief 'heatwave' - so have diesel prices. The Energy Information Administration reported that today the retail on-highway diesel price U.S. average dropped $0.004 per gallon today, falling to $2.899 per gallon.
County: San Bernardino
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 2649 South Waterman Ave. near Barton Road, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 1055 North Waterman Ave. and Olive Street, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 1195 East Walnut St. and South Grove Ave., ontario
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.sanbernardinogasprices.com)
County: Los Angeles
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 13550 Beach Blvd. and Hillborough Drive, La Mirada
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: Atlantic Ave. and Santa Ana, Bell
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 8111 Atlantic Ave. and Santa Ana St., Cudahy
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.losangelesgasprices.com)
County: Riverside
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: Chevron
Address: 8283 Arlington Ave. and Lake Street, Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.39
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 6002 Van Buren Blvd. and Cypress Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 20th, 2010
Station: Fastrip
Address: 10306 Arlington Ave. and Tyler Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
(Gas prices found at www.riversidegasprices.com)
Return to RSI HOME: http://www.rsiinsurancebrokers.com
Posted by Karen Thomas on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 12:21 AM
Safety first. We've heard this as kids (before crossing the street) and as teenagers (when first learning to drive) and more than ever as adults (i.e. don't provide personal information online). Speaking of safety, the transportation industry maintains stringent safety standards. The departments (Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Transportation Safety Board) are the most influential organizations that influence both commercial drivers and non-commercial drivers. Protecting drivers' well-being is first and foremost, and thousands of dollars and man-hours are spent each year trying to figure out new ways to protect those on the open road.
Take for example just a few initiatives put forth by the NHTSB:
■Traffic Safety Facts: Assessing the Attention-Getting Capability of Brake Signals: Evaluation of Candidate Enhanced Braking Signals and Features, Sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington D.C, June 2010 DOT HS 811 330
■Traffic Safety Facts: Development of a Simulation Model to Assess Effictivness and Safety Benefits of Enhanced Rear Brake Light Countermeasures, Sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington D.C, June 2010 DOT HS 811 331
■"Evaluation of Enhanced Brake Lights Using Surrogate Safety Metrics: Task 2 & 3 Report Development of a Rear Signaling Model and Work Plan for Large Scale Field Evaluation"- Sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington D.C, June 2010 DOT HS
811 329
While preventative measures are ideal, sometimes a retrospective reveals beneficial information. Take for example truck crash data. According to FleetOwner.com, “
Truck collisions and near-collisions are low from January through June, but more than triple at points between July and November, according to a new analysis of truck crash data,” (www.fleetowner.com.)
Sean Kilcarr of FleetOwner.com wrote that video event recorders assessed more than 18 million unique driving events that resulted in two billion miles or traveled roads. Kilcarr reported that, “DriveCam’s research found that collisions and near collisions in long-haul trucking are very low from January to June (between 1% and 5%), but start to spike in July, peaking at 18% and remaining above 14% through November,” (www.fleetowner.com.)
Analysis of the DriveCam data supports the statement that driving not just at night, but even later into the day is more dangerous than driving the early morning commute. Human factors including fatigue and difficulty seeing as the sun goes down are attributed to the likelihood of accidents occurring later in the day.
Posted by Karen Thomas on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 11:58 PM
The Open Road Blog Gas Saving Tip of the day: What's the Department of Transportation's lucky number? 10,000. Well - the figure is at least a marker. This summer, the DOT and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act rang in its 10,000th roadway project.
County: San Bernardino
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 2649 South Waterman Ave. near Barton Road, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: Valero
Address: 1055 North Waterman Ave. and Olive Street, San Bernardino
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 1195 East Walnut St. and South Grove Ave., ontario
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.sanbernardinogasprices.com)
County: Los Angeles
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 24020 Newhall Ave. and Arch St., Newhall
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: ARCO
Address: 6700 Cherry Ave. and East 68th St., Downey
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: Food 4 Less
Address: 6700 Cherry Ave. and East 68th Street, Long Beach
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.99
(Gas prices found at www.losangelesgasprices.com)
County: Riverside
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: 76
Address: 6002 Van Buren Blvd. and Cypress Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: Fastrip
Address: 10306 Arlington Ave. and Tyler Ave., Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.95
Date: July 19th, 2010
Station: Chevron
Address: 8283 Arlington Ave. and Lake Street, Riverside
Price of Diesel Fuel: $2.97
(Gas prices found at www.riversidegasprices.com)
Return to RSI HOME: http://www.rsiinsurancebrokers.com
Posted by Karen Thomas on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 11:31 PM
What's better than an ice cream truck traveling down your street on a hot summer's day? Make that a solar powered ice cream truck that not only brings the locals sweet, refreshing treats, but operates on 'free' energy that saves money and reduces pollution. Solar powered energy has been available to green-spirited consumers for several years. Maybe a neighbor installed solar panels or a friend raved about garden accents that re-use the sun's light. The transportation industry took notice as well. Hybrid trucks started to appear in the market a few years ago along with vats of corn-oil used as fuel-alternatives. The transportation industry didn't stop with produce though and has taken the sun's power to new, fuel and economically efficient levels.
Take for example the solar powered ice cream truck. The iconic vehicle took a modern twist when one designer Eric Zhang created a more efficient version of the popular vendor vehicle. “The MERM, or Modular Electronic Retail Minivan, powers itself via integrated solar panels. The fully self-contained vehicle can go from mobile to retail store in just three minutes. The design was acknowledged with a Red-dot Design award,” (http://www.trendhunter.com/photos/58273/related/5.)
The average big rig gets about six miles a gallon, costing fleet owners and owner operators thousands and thousands of dollars a month to operate anywhere from one to hundreds of trucks. Diesel fuel is not cheap. At last glance – Wall Street nor the Federal Government owns any stake on sun, meaning the tangible energy it produces is free. The cost savings alone are significant let alone the environmental gains that result in lowered emission levels.
Currently, the solar powered options available for sixteen wheelers are generally cab-related. Fore example, the CRL Tri-Vent Big Rig Sliders are solar powered and with fully contoured powder-coated aluminum frame with narrow stiles and tight-sealing weatherstrip.
Solar powered big rigs, and commercial vehicles in general, will continue to progress. While much of the US tries to shade itself this summer form intense heat, transportation industry professionals are seeing the light.
Posted by Brandy Alvarado on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 12:12 AM
Gas guzzling news is nothing new. Summer temperatures often equate to higher pump price – often as a result of increased consumption as vacationers hit the road for vacation. This past Spring/Summer brought about unique circumstances including a catastrophic oil spill. Seasonal circumstances though have not affected fuel prices as most would expect them too. Case in point – diesel prices have remained steady.
Today, FleetOwner.com, reported, “
According to the Dept. of Energy’s latest Energy
Information Administration (EIA) Weekly Retail On-
Highway Diesel Prices report, as of July 12th the
average diesel price was $2.903-- down 21 cents from
the $2.924 posted the week before. And since the May
17th EIA report, the national average price has
dropped each week,” (www.fleetowner.com.)
Giving the current economic and environmental climate not just in the United States but throughout the world, logical thinking would presumably lean towards higher fuel prices. The opposite is true however. The two year slow down in world-wide economies has lead to a decrease in demand for fuel. Barrel price are heavily influenced on supply and demand, and the drop in immediate need has lead to a drop in prices as well
FleetOwner.com also associated the drop in diesel prices to , “Second, U.S.
refining capacity is working at full tilt with no
major outages,” (www.fleetowner.com.)
Transportation industry forecasters predict steady diesel prices will remain intact at least till 2011 when the economy is expected to gain ground.
Posted by Karen Thomas on Sat, Jul 17, 2010 @ 12:28 AM
The California sun has finally shown its face. Does that mean it's time for summer vacation? Not of you're the Port of Los Angeles. A prosperous June means July and August will be busy months – after all - success takes maintenance. The Port of Los Angeles' June was so successful, it moved more containers than it did in 2006 during the last economic upturn so to speak.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "The effects were felt immediately at the nation's busiest seaport complex. For the first time since the worldwide recession, jobs were so plentiful on the docks last month that veteran union members had to be supplemented by hundreds of part-time workers, known as casuals. That followed a year in which there were no jobs for part-timers and even veterans struggled to find work," (www.losangelestimes.com.)
While jobless rates drop in industries nationwide - the transportation industry has been making significant headway. The Port of Long Beach continues to operate even during labor contract negotiations between marine terminal operators and the office clerks. In addition, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal to boost environmental progression and productivity, which require skilled personnel.
And while the early summer success may not be sustained in coming months, it's important to realize why imports jumped 27% to 262,053 containers. Future success depends on an understanding of past actions and the patterns needed to produce in months to come.