‘Gee our old Lasalle ran great'
“Do we have a presidential candidate? Do we have a president? Is it November yet? Can I unbury my head
from the sand?” Fed up with the rhetoric of the primary campaigns? You're not alone. Read Dave
Sweetman's blog.
They rally around the family
Each of the twin ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach have been considering an employee-only driver plan
for months that would effectively remove all owner-operators from the port business, including local drayage
trucks and long-haul drivers who make up a majority of Land Line readers. This plan is drawing sharp
criticism. Read about it in today's blog by Charlie Morasch .
N.J. toll increases will only shift debt
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine recently released a draft of his plan to increase tolls on the state's three major
toll roads to refinance other forms of state debt. There's just a really big catch to his deal. Read about it in
David Tanner's blog.
Blacklisted
Blacklisting is used as a tool to suppress or make people stop what they are doing, saying or in some
cases, writing. The U.S. DOT has taken blacklisting to a new level and it's something Land Line Managing
Editor Sandi Soendker knows firsthand.
New Jersey, the Jackboot State?
Maybe there's some job description in New Jersey that requires cops or other government people with
authority to be uninformed, uneducated, unacquainted and totally in the dark on the Freedom of Speech in
our country. Read what has Sandi Soendker on a tear in her blog today.
Truckin' Marines
Justifiably, much has been said about American truckers who streamed into Iraq as contractors to help
support the early years of the long “War on Terrorism.” Now Marines are taking the wheel. Read about it in
Bill Hudgins' blog today.
The real cost of oil remains to be seen
The price of crude oil surpassing $100 per barrel has broken a major psychological barrier, and some oil
traders believe the price will only go up from there. David Tanner writes about the possible future of oil
prices in his blog today.
Put the hammer down
Too many government people are carrying hammers around these days and nary a piggy bank is safe.
David Tanner takes irresponsible government spending to task in his blog today.
A tale of two realities
The first weekend of March arrived with lions and lambs for those of us who love trucking. The snarling lion
was a grim article by a writer from The Associated Press about the plight of many an independent trucker,
small fleet and owner-operator. What was the lamb? Read about both in the blog by Bill Hudgins.
Blacklist days behind us?
The good news is, after six months, it seems Land Line and "Land Line Now" are off the FMCSA's blacklist.
How did this happen? Read Managing Editor Sandi Soendker's blog and find out.
Why doesn’t OOIDA call for a strike?
This week, 90 percent of the thousands of calls to OOIDA are about the cost of fuel. Many are asking why the
Association does not call for the members to strike. Read why OOIDA cannot call for a strike in Jim Johnston’
s blog today.
The blogging revolution
OK, revolution may be a bit strong. But Web logs, like the one you’re reading right now, have come a long
way since the online journals of the early 1990s. Blogging is good for democracy and even for a few laughs!
Read how in Charlie Morasch’s blog today.
Ad valorem: Latin for ‘in proportion to value’
Three states use a tax to bilk bucks out of trucking companies large and small for running miles within their
borders. It’s called an ad valorem tax, and it’s a property tax used by Kansas, Arkansas and Kentucky. Read
more about it in Managing Editor Sandi Soendker’s blog.
Oxygen needed in the system of transactions
Someone said diesel is the lifeblood of ground transportation. If that’s true, then truckers are the heart. And
many are needing life support. What can truckers do? Read Todd Spencer’s blog today and find out.
'Badge of dishonor' misses the mark
Some state lawmakers around the country believe that imposing differently colored license plates on the
vehicles of convicted drunken drivers will be a deterrent as well as a law-enforcement mechanism. But what
are the unintended consequences of such a move? Read David Tanner's blog for his perspective.
MATS – Got your mojos working
Mojo is an old word that’s been newly hijacked to describe “mobile journalists.” Beginning tomorrow, that’s
us. Be sure to read Managing Editor Sandi Soendker’s preview blog. And for the rest of the week, we’ll be
blogging from Louisville. You can read the Pork Chop Diaries Blog on our Web site every day through the
end of the show.
Scientists still don’t know ...
For a week now the Land Line Magazine and “Land Line Now” newsrooms have been abuzz with MATS
madness. Staff from the magazine and radio show headed to Louisville Tuesday, March 25. They will be
bringing the show to blog readers from the Kentucky Exposition Center. Check out Sandi Soendker’s
preview blog by clicking on the headline above. To read blog posts as they are filed from the show,
bookmark this link and check out MATS up close and personal.
The Pork Chop Diaries - You can smell the sizzle from here.
Although the actual trade show doesn't begin until Thursday, Land Line Magazine and "Land Line Now"
staffers have been on the ground at MATS since Tuesday. Click on the individual bloggers' names to read
what they had to say in the way of first impressions. Bill Hudgins, Terry Scruton, Mark Reddig, Suzanne
Stempinski, Charlie Morasch.
The Pork Chop Diaries - It's not all chrome and cotton candy
The trade show has begun. Land Line Magazine and "Land Line Now" staffers are on the ground at MATS
and are writing their impressions of the sights and events. Click on the headline above and bookmark the
Web site so you can go to the blog any time you get a hankerin' for the show floor. Click on the individual
bloggers' names below to read some of what they have to say. Sandi Soendker, Jami Jones, Charlie
Morasch, Mark Reddig, Bill Hudgins, Suzanne Stempinski.
The Pork Chop Diaries - Big-hearted truckers and idling regs
Land Line Magazine and “Land Line Now” staffers are on the ground at MATS. Below are excerpts from a
couple of their recent entries in “The Pork Chop Diaries” blog. Click on the headline above and bookmark
the Web site so you can go to the blog any time you get a hankerin’ for the show floor. Click on the individual
bloggers’ names below to read some of what they have to say. And don’t forget to check back often. Terry
Scruton, Sandi Soendker.
Greensburg still 'Ridin' the storm out'
To be sure, Greensburg, KS, has taken tremendous strides since a nearly 2-mile-wide tornado dismantled
95 percent of the small town's buildings on May 3, 2007. Land Line staff writer Charlie Morasch was on the
ground in Greensburg a year ago to witness the devastation first-hand. Read today's blog to see how OOIDA
members who live in the area are doing a year later.
99 bottles of beer in the car …
Faced with an uncomfortable choice this year, the Tennessee General Assembly once again demonstrated
its inimitable ability to crawfish. Bill Hudgins takes the Assembly to task in his blog for ignoring a public
safety issue.
Changing your heathen ways
Maybe it's the fact that Boomers are getting older, but it seems like the marketing world believes
incontinence is a more pressing problem than, say, $5 diesel. Read about yet another invention in Bill
Hudgin's blog today.
On my honor ...
Despite being a reporter - who as a group are a notoriously calloused bunch - news about the four Boy
Scouts killed in Iowa this past week when a tornado hit their campground was particularly striking for Charlie
Morasch and his family. Read why it hit so close to home in his blog today.
Dying on the job: it's a mean surprise
Truckers aren't the only ones who ever think what a lousy kick in the teeth it would be to collapse on the job
and die. Land Line Managing Editor Sandi Soendker offers her thoughts on today's new blog post.
Don't swim in it
So far, floods have forced more than 38,000 people from their homes in the Midwest and the disaster is
being compared to the Great Flood of 1993. Managing Editor Sandi Soendker remembers that flood in
today's blog.
Home sweet home
The ink is barely dry on the recommendation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Medical
Review Board to test drivers with body mass indexes of 30 or greater for sleep apnea. Never underestimate
private industry, however. Check out today's blog by Land Line Staff Writer Charlie Morasch, who takes a look
at one company's plan for a mobile sleep lab.
Home sweet home
The ink is barely dry on the recommendation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Medical
Review Board to test drivers with body mass indexes of 30 or greater for sleep apnea. Never underestimate
private industry, however. Check out today's blog by Land Line Staff Writer Charlie Morasch, who takes a look
at one company's plan for a mobile sleep lab.
The good, the bad and the obvious
Painting any one profession with a broad brush stereotype is wrong and truckers, as much as just about any
other group know that. But what other group is screaming for a fair shake instead being lumped in with the
underbelly of their profession? Check out today's blog by Jami Jones.
Easy isn't always cheap
An electronic glitch, an expired account or any other problem associated with electronic toll collection can
turn into fines or penalties for drivers. David Tanner's blog today is a friendly reminder for you to check your
account records often to avoid unfortunate and sometimes costly problems.
The BS with BMI measurements
There's something about an automatic fitness judge that doesn't sit right with Charlie Morasch. Check out
his blog today and see why he went a little ballistic when FMCSA's Medical Review Board recommended
using body mass index as a benchmark for trucker physicals.
So DOT, you wanna play word games?
Word games and politics seem to go hand-in-hand anymore. It's become one of the favorite pastimes in
DC. The cross-border trucking program with Mexico has gone on largely because of these games. But it
probably won't be so easy thanks to new legislation introduced today. Read about it in the blog by Jami
Jones.
Preventive maintenance
Columnist Bill Hudgins recently had some foot surgery that meant spending several weeks at home, with
his foot in the air when he wasn't hobbling around on crutches. That time on the off-ramp reminded Bill of
some advice that, in reality, is especially pertinent to truckers. Check out his thoughts in his blog today.
Just one of the guys
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him.” One of the most popular TV shows of the 1970s was “The Six Million
Dollar Man. ” Dave Tanner tells us in his latest blog entry that the EPA has been revising the statistical
monetary value on human life. What's up with that?
A pox on flacks' flak
When is a billboard like spam e-mail? When it exploits suffering, danger and valor to make a cheap political
point. Check out the blog by Bill Hudgins today and read what set him off.
Hatchet job
Feel like truckers have gotten kicked in the teeth by national news stories the past few days? You're not
alone. Land Line Staff Writer Charlie Morasch writes today in his blog about what may one day be referred to
as "the great sick trucker scare of '08."
Easy rider
Need a lift during your family’s end of the summer vacation at our nation’s capital? You may want to contact
the White House. Land Line’s Charlie Morasch blogs about an interesting Associated Press article that
details the billions being spent annually by cabinet members and other federal government employees –
including Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.
Why is simple so hard?
The more people involved in making a decision, the more muddled the solution becomes. This may explain
some, if not all, of the decisions made at all levels of government, in the military and in other public
institutions. Check out the blog by Bill Hudgins today and see what has set him off this time.
Is freight really picking up?
The American Trucking Association's chief economist, Bob Costello, made headlines early this month when
he said according to an ATA index, tonnage shipped by truck in the U.S. was up. Before we get too excited,
there's more to the story. Managing Editor Sandi Soendker explains in today's blog.
Where's the soup-to-nuts freight?
We've been blogging about the state of the freight. So how do you know if your customers are getting shaky?
Managing Editor Sandi Soendker goes Googling for info.
What's next? Chewing gum?
Those wacky lawmakers in Illinois are at it again. One Land Line editor thinks a bill currently in the House
Rules Committee raises Illinois "idiocracy" to a new level. Check out today's blog to read Staff Editor Coral
Beach's take on an effort to ban talking while walking.
Here's a tip if you haul produce
With freight rates all over the map, produce haulers have a unique weapon in their arsenal that can help
them battle weak rates. Read this blog by Jami Jones to find out what it is.
Are you tired?
Tired of hearing how sick and tired you are as an American? You're not alone. Land Line's Charlie Morasch
takes a look at medical news stories influenced by the pharmaceutical industry in his latest blog.
Trucking documentary to premiere Friday
So what's up with that documentary-style (CHECK OUT THE LONESTAR) film (WANT A LONESTAR) that's
creating the pre-GATS (GOTTA HAVE A LONESTAR) buzz? The subliminal message in today's blog from
Managing Editor Sandi Soendker is that she would like to be hanging with that red carpet crowd Friday night
in Dallas to see "Drive and Deliver."
Open for business
Sitting by the dock of the bay waiting for your new truck? That’s what some truck drivers at the ports of Los
Angeles and Long Beach may soon be doing, as the ports have opened a truck replacement center to hand
out $2.2 billion in funds. Land Line Staff Writer Charlie Morasch takes a look at the port’s news in his blog.