As mentioned in previous posts, many states across the country are shutting down rest areas, forcing freight truckers to find alternate places to get in their legally required breaks.

The thought of riding a roller coaster leaves me with memories of the stomach in the throat, white knuckles, sweaty palms, and sheer fear of what's over the next rise or around the next corner. Kinda like what trucking has been for the past year and a half: fuel prices headed again into the stratosphere, available freight scraping bottom and freight rates leaving our stomachs in knots-well, like a roller coaster.

Continuing on the road to "Finding Good Paying Freight," the next challenge is, the fewer trucks you have at your beck and call, the less value you have to large shipping customers or brokers with a large number of loads from a single customer. If they have twenty loads in a single day and you only have a single truck, they would have to negotiate with twenty companies like yours to get the loads covered.

Interstate rest areas are certainly not the most glamorous places to pull over and, umm, take care of business. But after hours of hauling truck loads over exhausting distances, many truckers find them not only welcome but safe and legal places to recharge – especially in order to comply with hours of service regulations. For some truckers, the loss of these rest areas may mean sleeping in unsafe areas so they can get in their legally required breaks.

Is enough being done to increase cargo, driver, and border security? Some truckers and trucking organizations are voicing concern about cumbersome regulations that don’t necessarily expedite the safe and secure movement of freight.

Truckers are no different than any other worker across America – in the sense that access to top-notch health care is hugely important. But freight haulers have one of the most hazardous jobs you can get, and that is where they’re different than the average worker. Truckers have to deal with a unique set of occupational health challenges: sleep apnea, high blood pressure, depression, obesity – even a potentially greater risk for the swine flu!

First freight matching service to provide convenience of multi-city capability

So I bet you’re wondering how the stimulus money is being spent to make the trucking industry better, right?

In February 2009, President Obama put U.S. taxpayer dollars into motion when he signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes heavy investment in upgrades to the energy sector.

In early November, two states that play a key role in America’s freight industry will hold elections for Governor. While there are no candidates running for office with a background in trucking on the state and federal level, it is still worthwhile to take a look at the big-picture, transportation-focused promises from the top candidates in New Jersey and Virginia.

Just a few months after announcing its 2009 Best Fleet to Drive For, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has begun accepting nominations for the 2010 award.