Posts Tagged ‘road’
Friday, February 4th, 2011
The last thing any truck driver wants is to be involved in an accident while on the road. Especially an unexpected one like portrayed in this video:
More than likely the above accident occurred due to bad mechanical problems such as a busted tie rod end or a bad steering component, which is why it is important to do daily maintenance checks.
That’s what Road Scholar does. Out of the 22 years we’ve been in business, we never had a citation for a faulty piece of equipment. Why is that?
One of the reasons is because Road Scholar does daily pre-trip and post-trip inspections on all of our trucks. Drivers should routinely check items such as tires, wheels, lights, brakes, the engine, and mirrors.
If there is a problem, our drivers must report it to the safety department and get it repaired before they go on the road. The main message here is not to take anything on the road that is unsafe.
By taking measures like the ones Road Scholar does, we can help improve safety on the road and prevent another accident like this from occurring.
Print out your trucking maintenance checklist at http://www.government-fleet.com/fc_resources/documents/truck-checklist.pdf.
Tags: accident, citation, daily maintenance checks, maintenance checklist, mechanical problems, post-trip inspection, pre-trip inspection, road, road scholar transport, safety department, steering component, tie rod end, truck driver, video, youtube
Posted in Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
There has been much debate over the proposed hours of service (HOS) rule that would result in a reduction of hours 
drivers are allowed on the road.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is pushing for the proposal to be passed while groups such as the American Trucking Associations (ATA) are against it, claiming that the current rules are working just fine and continuing to improve safety. A reduction in driving time would only make it harder for carriers to fulfill shipments, lead to further capacity issues, and would require more drivers when there is already a shortage.
The FMCSA is trying to justify passing the new rules by claiming that 13% of crashes are caused in some part by fatigue and that reducing the amount of hours a driver is allowed on the road would help solve this problem and increase safety.
The ATA, however, claims that the FMCSA has manipulated “its own crash numbers to make driver fatigue seem like a more significant cause of truck crashes so its new hours of service proposal could pass the required cost/benefit analysis,” nearly doubling the statistic from the 7 percent figure that the FMCSA had always claimed to be accurate (http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=72688).
According to truckinginfo.com, the ATA believes that the numbers are inaccurate since the FMCSA “overstated the percentage of single-vehicle truck crashes (which are more likely to be fatigue-related) compared to multi-vehicle crashes” by “doubling the weight given to single-vehicle truck crashes” as well as “treating any crash in which fatigue is listed as an “associated factor” as a fatigue-caused crash.”
Stay up-to-date on the HOS proposal by visiting www.roadscholar.com.
Tags: American trucking Associations, ATA, crash statistics, fatigue, federal motor carrier safety administration, FMCSA, HOS proposal, hours of service, road, rules, safety, scholar, tractor-trailer, transport, truck
Posted in Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
After passing the U.S. Senate and later the House of Representatives, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) has 
finally become law.
President Obama signed the Act on Tuesday, which allows for $500 million worth the funds for cleaning up diesel engines, thus preventing pollution and promoting a healthier lifestyle, for the next five years.
Road Scholar Transport is in support of a healthier lifestyle and taking green initiatives, which is why we are bringing trucks into our fleet that would drastically reduce the amount of diesel particulate given off. It would take 42 of these new trucks to equal just one 2007 engine in the amount of particulate emitted!
According to http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkassel/president_obama_signs_diesel_e.html, over 90 percent of diesel pollution can be eliminated with today’s technology, which DERA intends on installing on older diesels which, otherwise, are in good shape.
The signing was a reauthorization DERA’s first creation in 2005.
Tags: 2007 engines, DERA, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, fleet, going green, green initiatives, House of Representatives, particulate, pollution, President Obama, road, scholar, Senate, transport, trucks
Posted in Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
A voluntary recall has been issued for Rolaids Softchews after findings of wood and metal particles within the antacid.
McNeil Consumer Heathcare claims that the contamination is more than likely a result of a third party manufacturer (http://www.myrecordjournal.com/latestnews/article_e7859b4a-07a0-11e0-a0ae-001cc4c03286.html).
The Department of Consumer Protection is urging all individuals to discontinue use and to receive a refund by going to www.rolaids.com or calling 1-888-222-6036. Those experiencing health problems or requiring more information about health effects are told to contact their doctor.
The recall includes around 13 million packs of Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews, Extra Strength plus Gas Softchews, and Multi-Symptom plus Anti-Gas Softchews, according to inpharm.com.
To prevent your products from contamination during transport, ship with Road Scholar Transport. With less than 0.0005% in damage claims, you can be assured that your freight remains safe during transport.
Request a quote today at http://www.roadscholar.com/freightquote.html.
Tags: antacid, contamination, Department of Consumer Protection, freight, health problem, manufacturer, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, quote, road, Rolaids Softchews, safe, scholar, third party, transport
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles | Comments Off
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) proposal to limit the number of hours of service (HOS) a driver can endure is being challenged by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
As the FMCSA’s proposal undergoes review, the ATA sent forth a white paper noting why the current HOS rules should be upheld.
According to etrucker.com, the ATA argues that with the current HOS rules, which have been in effect for seven years now, safety has increased with 33% less causalities due to accidents as well as a reduction of injuries.
The ATA argues that with fewer hours, more inexperienced, and thus unsafe, drivers will be used to fulfill their company’s shipping needs and would “cost the industry $2.25 billion annually,” the site notes.
So why is the FMCSA proposing such a rule? The ATA has a theory, believing that “the Department of Transportation’s willingness to reconsider the HOS rules has almost everything to do with politics and little or nothing to do with highway safety,” (http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=86058).
Road Scholar Transport believes highly in safely, which is why we only trust the most qualified drivers with your cargo.
Read the ATA’s white paper at http://www.ccjdigital.com/files/2010/12/ATA-HOS.pdf.
Tags: American Trucking Association, ATA, cargo, casualties, department of transportation, DOT, driver, Federal Motor Carrier Adminstration, FMCSA, HOS, hours of service, proposal, road, road scholar transport, scholar, transport, truck, white paper
Posted in Trucking Industry News | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
According to an article in thetrucker.com, thieves attacked a depot near the Port of Los Angeles last Sunday, and they did so in a clever way.
One of the thieves (posing as a driver) approached the security guard, claiming that he was lost and needed assistance with directions. The guard, in return, went to the driver to help, only to be set up. The driver and two of his accomplices hit the guard in the face and threatened him if he did not do what they said, the site notes.
The guard was then bound and gagged, as the thieves granted access to a number of tractors, which hooked up to three trailers loaded with cargo (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2010/12/2/ThieveshitLAPortareaterminalrobberybecomingcommon.aspx).
It is interesting to note that three tractors were stolen earlier that day but it is uncertain if the two crimes are related.
If these tractors and trailers were equipped with Road Scholar Transport’s security features, police would have no problem identifying their precise location.
Tags: bound, cargo, driver, gagged, LA, port, road, road scholar transport, scholar, security, security guard, steal, theft, theives, tractor, trailers, transport
Posted in Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
Chris Hughes
You may remember Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, the social networking site taking the nation by storm. Hughes left the site in 2007 to create My.BarackObama.com. Now, he’s back and he’s bringing with him Jumo.
According to Information Week, Hughes had “difficulty staying in touch with people who share his interest in particular causes,” which prompted him to create Jumo, a site created exactly for that reason.
Jumo.com is a social networking site dedicated to charities of all kinds. In order to join, you must have a facebook account. Once signed up, you will have access to over 3,500 organizations including non-profits and charities.
Are you a human rights activist? Concerned about the environment? Then join Jumo where you can connect to and show your support for your favorite causes. It works similar to Facebook in that users can follow and comment on organization’s walls.
It was either Hughes’ idea of creating a “good name” site or his reputation of founding the popular facebook page that prompted an unexpected high number of users to visit the site when it launched last Tuesday. So many in fact that the site experienced “load-related issues,” according to Information Week.
Do you support charities? If so, be sure to be a fan of Road Scholar Transport’s 10 Million Miles to a Cure Awareness Campaign at http://tinyurl.com/2w9ffy9.
Tags: 10 Million Miles to a Cure, activist, awareness campaign, awareness trucks, charity, Chris Hughes, facebook, human rights, Jumo, non-profit, road, road scholar transport, scholar, social networking site, transport
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles | Comments Off
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
Did you ever receive a package in the mail only to find that it had been bent, ripped, or even damaged during 
transport? Or worse, did you ever send a gift to someone, only for it to arrive looking like it just went through a hurricane? You’re left wondering, “What happened?”
Not anymore.
Popular Mechanics decided to find out how careful carriers actually are with your precious cargo.
According to www.todaysthv.com, Popular Mechanics inserted a small device inside a package which would count each time it was dropped or flipped.
The experiment was conducted on U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx carriers, finding that on average of a single trip, FedEx dropped the package three times and flipped it seven, UPS flipped it four times, and the US postal service…12.5 flips!” (http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=130753&catid=2).
One thing’s for sure, if the experiment tested Road Scholar Transport’s shipping abilities, they would have found that their package would not have been dropped once, no matter if it was one package or one thousand.
Marking FRAGILE or HANDLE WITH CARE should guarantee the safety of your product though right? Wrong. In fact, results showed that packages marked with these words were dropped more than those that were unmarked!
Popular Mechanics Magazine’s Glenn Derene states, “We have to give them credit for getting the packages there on time. It would just be nice if they got them there fast and in one piece,” the site notes.
How about a company that not only guarantees on time delivery but will deliver your cargo exactly how it was received? That company would be Road Scholar Transport.
Visit www.roadscholar.com to see all that Road Scholar Transport has to offer.
Tags: cargo, delivery, dropped, Fed EX, flipped, fragile, handle with care, mail, package, Popular Mechanics, road, road scholar transport, scholar, transport, U.S. Postal Service, UPS
Posted in Trucking Industry News | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
In a recent study, scientists discovered a simple test that could determine whether a male is more prone to developing prostate cancer. All you need to do is look at your hand.
According to medicalnewstoday.com, men have one third of a lower risk of developing prostate cancer if their index finger is longer than their ring finger, with those under the age of 60 having an 87% lower risk.
More than 1,500 prostate cancer patients underwent the experiment, finding that most of them had index fingers that were shorter than their ring finger, with 19% having an equal length, the article states.
Medical News Today notes that “the more testosterone the baby is exposed to (in the womb) the shorter his index finger will be” (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/209868.php). This makes sense since, as eHealthMD.com explains, testosterone feeds the growth of prostate cancer, which is would account for the scientists’ findings.
Road Scholar Transport created an awareness trailer for spreading prostate cancer awareness, after one of their drivers was diagnosed. This was the second awareness trailer to be created (Breast Cancer Awareness being the first). From there, more and more awareness trailers evolved for various charities/organizations and the awareness campaign took off.
Tags: awareness trucks, baby, Breast Cancer Awareness, charity, index finger, medical news, organization, prostate cancer, research, ring finger, risk, road, scholar, scientists, testosterone, transport
Posted in Awareness Campaign Articles | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Not all trucking companies have qualified, reliable, and trustworthy drivers like Road Scholar Transport does. Take 
Torrissi-Coraluzzo Transport, a petroleum transport company located in Vineland, NJ for instance.
In a recent investigation beginning back in August, officers found that three of the company’s drivers (Joseph Balsamo, Christopher Brandimarte, and Vincent DiPose) were illegally siphoning gas from their company trucks, and in return, selling it to Pit Stop Gas Station (who was not a customer of Torrissi-Coraluzzo Transport) at unbelievably cheap prices (http://suburban.gmnews.com/news/2010-12-02/Front_Page/Truck_drivers_charged_with_theft.html).
According to Greater Media Newspapers, gas station owner Keith Friedman was purchasing the gas that the drivers had swiped from their trucks multiple times a week, for only $1 a gallon.
What does this mean for Torrissi-Coraluzzo Transport? They lost “tens of thousands of gallons of fuel,” equaling over $211,000.
Balsamo (who stole over 20,000 gallons) and Friedman were released on $75,000 bail, while DiPose (who took over 64,000 gallons) was released on $20,000 bail, and Brandimarte (who siphoned 5,280 gallons) was able to be released on a summons, the article explains.
Tags: bail, Christopher Brandimarte, driver, gallon, gas, Joseph Balsamo, Keith Friedman, NJ, Pit Stop Gas Station, road, scholar, siphon, Torrissi-Coraluzzo Transport, transport, truck, Vincent DiPose, Vineland
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