Archive for April, 2011
Friday, April 29th, 2011
Kick CF with Jordan Gross is back for the fourth year to raise money for a cure for cystic fibrosis.
Carolina Panther Jordan Gross and wife Dana created the event when Jordan’s niece Brooklyn was diagnosed with the disease as a baby (http://southcharlotte.wbtv.com/news/community-spirit/cam-newton-makes-his-nfl-debut-kicking-cystic-fibrosis/62049).
Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary condition that affects the lungs and digestive system, affecting nearly 30,000 people nationwide, most living an average lifespan of 35 years (www.cff.org). There is currently no cure.
The event takes place at Providence High School in Charlotte, NC this Saturday and features NFL players “Cam Newton, Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Armanti Edwards, Jason Baker, Tyler Brayton, Kevin Donnalley, Chris Harris, Ryan Kalil, Jimmy Clausen, Matt Moore, and Geoff Schwartz,” among others, the site explains.
The event has raised $200,000 in previous years and is estimated to raise another $75,000 this year.
Tickets cost only $10 with those under the age of four granted free admission.
And the NFL is not the only one fighting for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Road Scholar Transport is rolling out their Cystic Fibrosis awareness truck at the Philadelphia Zoo on May 21st for the Philadelphia Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk.
From 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for a small donation of fee of $15, individuals will be registered for the walk and granted free entrance into the zoo. Take your family out for the day and help sponsor a good cause while doing so.
Visit http://www.cff.org/great_strides/ for more information on the event and be sure to check out Road Scholar Transport’s Cystic Fibrosis awareness truck and show your support for a cure!
Tags: Armanti Edwards, awareness truck, Cam Newton, charity, Chris Harris, cystic fibrosis, DeAngelo Williams, Geoff Schwartz, Jason Baker, Jimmy Clausen, Jordan Gross, Kevin Donnalley, Matt Moore, NFL, Philadelphia zoo, road scholar transport, Ryan Kalil, Steve Smith, Tyler Brayton
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles | Comments Off
Friday, April 29th, 2011
(Information provided by http://www.perishablelogisticsalliance.com/eng/history.asp)
1879 advertisement for Tiffany Refrigerator Car Company
In order for companies to transport their goods long distances without perishing, refrigerated transportation means were necessary.
It was by train and ship that most shipments requiring cool temperatures were transported in the late 1800s. Blocks of ice or frozen brine (as many as space would allow) were packed into railcars to help keep the freight cool. Of course, ice will eventually melt and so the train had to stop several times, depending on the distance of the destination, at icing stations along the way in order to load fresh ice. It was through this method that beef was able to be transported in 1857.
In 1868, the first refrigerated box car to use a salt-ice mixture to keep meat frozen was created by William Davis and sold to George Hammond.
The refrigerated box car continued to evolve in the next decade with Gustavus Swift creating an insulated car; however, ice was still needed to cool the freight within.
Finally in 1880, a mechanical refrigerated railcar came into light in the U.S. and in 1889, Florida oranges were finally able to be enjoyed by those in the northeast.
In the 1920s, mechanically refrigerated vans and trucks began to make their way into the light, with dairy companies being among the first customers (for example, ice cream maker Borden Company). The majority of these refrigerated vans/trucks were still kept cool using blocks of regular or dry ice, which weighed around 100-pounds each.
As in railroad transportation, drivers were able to replenish their ice at local truck stops. Since truck drivers stopped every 200-300 miles for new ice, it took longer for them to deliver a refrigerated shipment than it does today.
The number of refrigerated railcars continued to grow from around 50,000 in 1900 to ~183,000 in 1931.
30-35 foot van trailers were soon replaced with 38 to 40 foot semi-trailers in the late 1930s to haul more products at once.
Refrigerated tractor trailers, known as reefers, were soon appearing in great numbers throughout the country in the 1950s and continuing their growth through today.
Today’s reefers use “carbon dioxide as a cooling agent” and are “powered by small displacement diesel engines” (http://www.ehow.com/facts_5050431_reefer-truck.html#ixzz1KwBkY8at).
But technology has far surpassed the “blocks of ice” used in the past with companies such as Road Scholar Transport having ‘Thermal Mapped’ refrigerated trailers, which allow food and pharmaceutical companies to monitor their freight during transport.
Road Scholar Transport’s temperature protect service provides on-demand GPS location of your shipment, unlimited user-defined temperature alerts, online monitoring/reporting, as well as precise documentation of every time the door was opened/closed, the temperature at any given moment, and location at that time.
Click here to learn more about Road Scholar’s temperature protect services and keep your freight safe!
Tags: box car, carbon dioxide, diesel engine, food, freight, frozen brine, George Hammond, GPS location, Gustavus Swift, ICE, pharmaceutical company, railcar, refrigerated shipping, road scholar transport, ship, shipment, temperature protect, thermal mapping, train, transport, William Davis
Posted in LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Thursday, April 28th, 2011
On Sunday, May 8th, Road Scholar Transport will join nearly 400 trucks as part of the 22nd Annual Mother’s Day Truck 
Convoy.
Held by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley every year, the event aims to raise money and grant the wishes of terminally ill children.
The idea began in 1990 when siblings Matt and Heather Strawser wished to take a ride in a tractor trailer (http://www.makeawishtruckconvoy.org). Touched by their story, numerous truck drivers volunteered to take part in the event. So many, in fact, that the foundation opened the event to other Make-A-Wish children as well.
The first year, 40 trucks participated raising $8,000 for the foundation. But as the years went on and news of the event spread, more and more trucks wanted to get involved. So many, that the Guinness Book of World Records dubbed it the World’s Longest Truck Convoy in 2003 with 288 trucks, which they topped the next year with 391.
This year, Make-A-Wish hopes to break their record once again with an estimated 400 trucks participating.
Drivers wanting to take part in the convoy can do so by visiting http://www.makeawishtruckconvoy.org/drivers.htm.
Drivers will have the option of taking a wish child with them in their truck, experiencing the joy of putting a smile on an ill child’s face.
Road Scholar Transport driver Dennis Purdy will be joining the convoy with the Make-A-Wish tractor trailer that the company created to help spread awareness nationwide for the foundation. Featuring a young Make-A-Wish child surrounded by stars, the trailer explains its purpose to all passerbys: “On the Road to Granting Wishes.”
The top 30 drivers raising the most pledges for the event will be granted access to the front row along with the top 30 sponsors.
You can become a sponsor by going to http://www.makeawishtruckconvoy.org/sponsors.htm.
Sponsors are asked to help make the event possible by donating food, prizes, monetary gifts, auction items, etc.
The convoy will begin (regardless of weather) at 8:30 a.m. at the Burle Business parking lot in Lancaster, PA. Festivities include food, games, entertainment, mascots, an auction, and much more.
For more information on the event, individuals can contact the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley at 717-295-6684 or by e-mail at convoy@philadelphia.wish.org.
And don’t forget to check out Road Scholar’s Make-A-Wish truck and other awareness trailers at http://www.roadscholarawareness.org.
Will you be partaking in this year’s event?
Tags: 22nd Annual Mother’s Day Truck Convoy, Burle Business, Dennis Purdy, driver, Guinness Book of World Records, Heather Strawser, Lancaster, Lancasterroad scholar transport, Make a Wish Foundation, Matt Strawser, Philadelphia, road scholar transport, Susquehanna Valley, tractor-trailer, wishes, world’s largest truck convoy
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles, Company News, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Comdata and other fuel card companies are prime targets right now as fuel prices continue to skyrocket. With this being said, it comes as no surprise of the number of reported theft cases from truck drivers whose accounts have been hacked.
As was the case last month when a San Antonio truck company driver, Albert Yoshimoto, was refused online access to his Comdata account.
Yoshimoto later found out why when he received a call from Comdata two weeks later claiming that $12,000 worth his checks were cashed overnight, an article in Land Line Magazine notes.
Whereas Yoshimoto blames Comdata for knowing that there was a problem and choosing to ignore it, Comdata believes that it is not their fault, they explained in an interview with the magazine.
Yoshimoto is not the only target either. Reports of thieves hacking into a driver’s fuel card are being reported all over, and not just those using Comdata.
EFS Transportation Services experienced the same reaction this month when their customer, Wisconsin owner-operator Tracy George, had 17 checks stolen, valuing $10,400 (http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2011/Apr11/042511/042611-01.shtml).
Both companies blame malware, which they state is what thieves are using to hack into accounts. Customers are encouraged to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on their computers to prevent this from occurring.
According to the article, software developer John Ewing blames “fuel card companies” for “allowing truckers to be robbed blind,” stating that “it’s really rare for a hacker to go into someone’s individual computer for anything other than sending out spam emails.”
A recent survey conducted by Land Line Magazine notes that fuel card theft is becoming more common, with 10 percent of those who participated claiming to have had their fuel cards hacked at least one time, with 15 percent of those paying in cash for their fuel, believing it to be a much safer route.
Regardless of rising fuel costs and thefts, the trucking industry remains “the 
backbone of America,” continuing to deliver your products across the nation.
Road Scholar Transport is well-versed in cargo security and will keep your freight safe from theft with our ever-evolving technology. Visit www.roadscholar.com to request a rate via a secure website today!
What do you think companies issuing fuel cards should do to prevent thieves from hacking into accounts?
Tags: Albert Yoshimoto, cargo security, ComData, driver, EFS Transportation Services, freight, fuel card, hack, John Ewing, malware, road scholar transport, San Antonio, thieves, truck drivers, Wisconsin
Posted in LTL freight, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
A recent study conducted by McMaster’s Centre for Microbial Chemical Biology researchers Eric Brown, Gerry Wright and Brian Coombes, discovered a new drug combination that could give hope to cystic fibrosis patients everywhere.
Researchers found that the antiobiotic minocycline, used to treat bacteria infections, becomes more effective when combined with loperamide, otherwise known to treat diarrhea, especially against bacteria that is highly resistant to medication, such as P. aeruginosa (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/223246.php).
As Medical News Today notes, research is being geared towards creating better treatments for infection instead of tackling the problem of antibiotic resistance, which the new combination is aimed at.
Bacterial infections commonly occur in cystic fibrosis patients, due to a gene defect that creates a dysfunctional protein, resulting in a thick build up of mucus affecting the lungs (http://www.medicinenet.com/cystic_fibrosis/article.htm).
There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis but medication, therapy, and proper nutrition can help prolong a patient’s life. That is not to say that there will never be a cure.
That’s why Road Scholar Transport continues to help spread awareness with the hope that one day, a cure will be found and thousands of lives saved. Road Scholar’s Cystic Fibrosis Foundation truck, displaying all 65 roses trademark of 4-year-old Richard Weiss who mistakenly called his condition “65 Roses,” is traveling the nation, delivering freight and stopping at events near you. Help us continue to spread awareness by visiting www.roadscholar.com today to keep the freight moving.
Learn more about the cystic fibrosis trailer and view pictures by visiting http://www.roadscholarawareness.org.
Tags: 65 roses, antibiotic, awareness trucks, bacteria, Brian Coombes, cystic fibrosis, Eric Brown, freight, Gerry Wright, loperamide, McMaster’s Centre for Microbial Chemical Biology, minocycline, P. aeruginosa, road scholar transport
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles, LTL freight | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
You may remember the live broadcast on October 15, 2004 of a truck driver who went on a rampage in his tractor trailer in Bellaire, Texas. Footage of the event was popularized in 2007 when Court TV aired the incident. In case you don’t remember, here is a refresher:
In a riot, the driver first crashed into a store and then took off on the freeway at full speed with police on his tail.
Why the need for speed? It wasn’t because he was late for a delivery.
Two main reasons given for the driver’s reckless behavior were job stress and meth use, emphasizing the need for companies to conduct regular drug and background checks on their drivers the way that Road Scholar does.
Also, the need to know who is handling your freight is very important as well. That’s one of the many benefits of choosing an asset-based carrier like Road Scholar over a broker. When shipping via a third party, you do not know who your freight is passed onto or what their record is like. And if something goes wrong, like the above event, it is likely that your broker does not have cargo or liability insurance. Read more about brokers vs. asset-based carriers at http://www.roadscholar.com/blog/trucking-companies-drift-from-third-party-reliance-as-capacity-issues-continue.
But what if was your freight that happened to be inside the above truck? The good news for you, the shipper, is that you can see exactly where your freight is live by just turning on headline news, as you watch the truck transporting freight dodge and ram commuters and police officers.
The bad news, you now have to explain to your customer that their freight is not going to be delivered on time because the driver is currently on a rampage. Not to mention the potential damage and contamination of your freight, resulting in large losses.
But does your freight have to make headline news for you to get a live stream of where it is at? The answer is simply no. Road Scholar has the technology to allow customers the ability to view live data on where their shipment is any given time, as well as the history of where it has been.
Learn more about Road Scholar Transport and how to keep your freight safe by visiting www.roadscholar.com.
Do you want your freight in the back of this tractor trailer?
Tags: background check, Bellaire, broker, cargo insurance, Court TV, drug test, freeway, freight, liability insurance, rampage, reckless behavior, road scholar transport, shipper, Texas, third party, tracking, tractor-trailer, truck, truck river, video, youtube
Posted in LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Trucking is the backbone of America, surpassing boat, plane, and rail in the amount of U.S. goods transported each year.
With issues currently facing the trucking industry, such as capacity and the pending hours of service changes that would reduce the number of hours a driver is allowed to travel, companies are facing driver shortages.
Lucky for you, you are an experienced truck driver looking for employment. So you start applying to local trucking companies. After all, one trucking company is just as good as another right? Wrong.
Imagine this. You are a highly qualified truck driver who has been in the industry for more than a decade. You know the ins and outs about your job, are always on time, act professional and courteous to customers, and do what it takes to get the job done right.
Unfortunately, your race prevents you from reaching the same height as your fellow employees. You receive low pay, are given the worst hours, and are belittled by your dispatch team. You are tired of being stranded by the side of the road due to old equipment that is not maintained and when you are late for an appointment due to technical issues resulting from the horrible equipment you have to drive, you get yelled at by your boss.
Now imagine this. You are a readily uniformed driver who is treated with respect and acknowledged for your work.
Now you no longer have to imagine, you can make it reality by applying to Road Scholar Transport.
Road Scholar Transport is currently accepting applications for drivers and owner operators online at http://www.roadscholar.com/employment.php. Just take a look at what Road Scholar Transport has to offer:
Excellent Pay
Benefits
-Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package
Flexibility
-…in work schedules (Full-time and Part-time positions available)
-Home time
-Fun fact: One of Road Scholar’s drivers even brings his dog with him on the road!
Great work environment
-An operations team that is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable
-Get treated with respect
-No discrimination. Here’s an example: One of Road Scholar’s female drivers takes pride in driving the American Breast Cancer truck, a cause dear to her heart, remarking that she has never faced inequality due to being a woman at Road Scholar
-Excellent equipment (Fun fact: Road Scholar conducts daily maintenance checks and operates newer models…one of the reasons why we’ve never been cited for a piece of faulty equipment in an accident!)
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
-The ability to see new places/sights and meet new people
-Fun fact: One of our drivers met Lorretta Lynn at a Tennessee truck stop. Another witnessed a tornado come across the highway he was traveling on.
Make a Difference
-Why not feel good about what you do and drive with a purpose? Now you can. Road Scholar Transport created the 10 Million Miles to a Cure Awareness Campaign, dedicating several trucks to charities such as Autism Speaks, Prostate Cancer Awareness, and the Children’s Craniofacial Foundation to help spread awareness and fight for a cure.
-Here’s what one of our drivers had to say about the awareness campaign. “The 
awareness program is really good. I get a lot of compliments about the foundation that I drive for. I drive the American Foundation for the Blind. I had one person in Virginia, a gentleman out of the blue come up and tell me that his daughter was in that foundation. It made me feel pretty good b/c I feel like I’m the odd ball out of the whole group. He liked the truck. He took all kinds of pictures.”
Learn more about Road Scholar Transport by visiting www.roadscholar.com at apply today!
Tags: America, American Breast Cancer Foundation, American Foundation for the Blind, Autism Speaks, boat, charities, Children’s Craniofacial Foundation, driver shortages, employment, jobs, Lorretta Lynn, owner operator, plane, Prostate Cancer Awareness, rail, road scholar transport, Tennessee, truck driver, trucking industry
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles, Company News | Comments Off
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
If someone asked you what conviction on a truck driver’s record represented the number one likelihood of them getting into a future accident, you may be prompted to say, “a prior crash history,” but according to researchers, there is another citation that ranks a driver more at risk.
A recent study conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) analyzed the history of 582,772 truck drivers, finding twelve citations in particular to more than double a driver’s risk of having an accident, an article in truckinginfo.com notes.
According to the site, it was a driver’s failure to use a turn signal that gave him or her a 96% chance of being involved in a future crash!
Prior accidents ranked second along with improper passing violations with an 88% greater risk. Also ranked at high threats were (provided by http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=73563):
-Improper turn conviction (84%)
-Improper or erratic lane change (80%)
-Improper lane/location (68%)
-Failure to obey traffic sign (68%)
-Speeding more than 15 mpg over speed limit (67%)
-Any conviction (65%)
-Reckless/careless/inattentive/negligent driving (64%)
Although these percentages seem striking, Dan Murray, vice president of research at ATRI, explains that “Truck-car crash rates are now the lowest they’ve ever been,” with the number of convictions dropping sharply since 2005 (http://fleetowner.com/management/news/study-traffic-violations-risk-0421/?cid=nl_flo_dn&YM_RID=&imw=Y).
Part of this is the result of safer driving practices and procedures by drivers and companies such as Road Scholar Transport.
Road Scholar only hires the safest drivers to transport your LTL/TL freight and conducts procedures, such as daily inspections and background checks, to uphold safety on the road.
If you are a safe driver who wants to work for a reputable company that not only provides excellent pay and equipment, flexible schedules, and a friendly, courteous operations team, but excellent, distinguishable equipment that also serves a purpose (click here to view our awareness campaign) than apply today at http://www.roadscholar.com/employment.php.
Are you surprised to see prior crash history in second when it comes to its effect on future accidents? What needs to be done to lower these risks?
Apply Today!
Tags: accident, american transportation research institute, ATRI, background check, employment opportunities, excellent pay, jobs, LTL freight, operations team, risk, road scholar transport, TL freight, truck, truck driver, turn signal, violation
Posted in LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Dogs have been credited with their ability to detect cancer in humans. But why can’t humans do the same?
Professor H. Haick and researchers at Technion wondered the same thing, creating an artificial nose they claim has the ability of sniffing out different types of cancer.
In a study which analyzed the breathe of 80 individuals (both healthy and diagnosed with cancer) the NA-NOSE (Nanoscale Artificial Nose) was able to clearly differentiate which subjects had head, neck and lung cancer, as well as which were healthy, an article in medicalnewstoday.com notes.
According to researchers, this new innovation can be more reliable, quicker, and cost effective than current diagnostic tools, and with further research, has the potential of being used as a screening method, the site explains.
Head and neck cancer is currently the eight most common form of cancer, and with little screening methods, often left undiagnosed and untreated, which can lead to cancer spreading further into the body. NA-NOSE hopes to put an end to this.
So how does NA-NOSE work?
Researchers explain that their artificial nose “uses an array of five gold nanoparticle sensors and computer algorithms to detect patterns of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath…” being “1,000 times more sensitive…than most of the current state of the art sensors” (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/222919.php).
Although further trials need to be conducted before NA-NOSE can be confirmed and used as a proper diagnostic and screening tool, Road Scholar Transport is continuing its initiative to help spread awareness and save lives with its 10 Million Miles to a Cure Awareness Campaign.
Road Scholar sponsors various charities/foundations for all types of cancer including those that affect children (Alex’s Lemonade Stand and The Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation), women (The American Breast Cancer Foundation), men (Prostate Cancer Awareness), or both (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network). Get involved and help spread the word to get checked by keeping the freight moving at www.roadscholar.com.
What do you think of Professor Haick and his researchers’ invention? Do you think there needs to be more advanced screening methods for cancer than an artificial nose?
Road Scholar Transport
Tags: 10 Million Miles to a Cure Awareness Campaign, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, algorithms, artificial nose, awareness campaign, awareness trucks, breath, cancer, cancer detection, charities, dog, foundations, freight, NA-NOSE, nanoparticle sensors, Nanoscale Artificial Nose, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Professor Haick, Prostate Cancer Awareness, road scholar transport, Technion, The American Breast Cancer Foundation, The Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011
Transport Capital Partners LLC conducted their Business Expectations Survey for the first quarter and the results are not looking up for brokers.
According to the survey, carriers are gradually drifting away from brokers, whom they relied on to fill their empty lanes/trucks, with 87% of those questioned stating a decrease in their broker usage within the previous months, an article in The Trucker notes.
When compared to past surveys, the number of third-party shipments has decreased drastically, with two-thirds of carriers relying on brokers back in May 2009, the site explains.
As the survey demonstrates, “40 percent of the carriers report that broker freight services account for less than 5 percent of their revenues…35 percent report 6-15 percent” and “only a quarter of carriers rely on brokers for more than 16 percent of their revenues” (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/4/20/TCPsurveyCarriersshiftfrombrokersascapacitytightens.aspx).
These decreases include smaller trucking companies as well, who previously relied on brokers moreso than large carriers due to their smaller service areas. They too, according to the site, decreased their usage of brokers at the same level as larger carriers did.
What is the reason for this change?
As you may have guessed it, tight capacity issues currently facing the trucking industry are playing a large role.
Carriers are facing shortages not only in trucks, but drivers as well, finding that they do not have the capacity to accompany all customers’ requests. Therefore, carriers are going to choose to service their current customers before going through third-parties.
With rising diesel prices, carriers are looking to cut costs and will profit more by transporting the freight with their own customers, whereas a typical broker
“achieves gross margins of 15 to 20 percent,” cutting into the amount carriers can make off the shipment.
But, then again, can it be that shippers are realizing the benefits of choosing an asset-based carrier over a third-party?
Both carriers and brokers operate within a framework that is based on distance, time, and rate. But here is the difference. It is the carrier, not the broker, who is constantly managing inventory and making sure freight gets transported to where it needs to be, on time, taking on a responsibility that far surpasses the framework of brokers.
Ask yourself this, do you know who is hauling your freight? Better yet, do you know when their equipment was last inspected? Neither does the broker. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about equipment failing with Road Scholar. We never had an equipment failure due to newer models and daily inspections.
And for when something goes wrong, are you covered? Did you know that the typical broker has no cargo or liability insurance? Compare that to a company like Road Scholar who provides the proper insurance, which you can view at http://www.roadscholar.com/certifications.php.
Not to mention Road Scholar’s high security shipping and premium services. Check it out for yourself at www.roadscholar.com.
Do you think shippers are gradually choosing to transport their freight via a trusted carrier instead of a broker due to security and safety issues?
Tags: broker, Business Expectations Survey, cargo insurance, carrier, diesel prices, freight service, high security shipping, liability insurance, LTL freight, premium services, road scholar transport, safety, shipper, third party, transport, Transport Capital Partners LLC, trucking company, trucking survey, truckload freight
Posted in LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
