Katapult

Latest Blog Posts

Rickey Gooch

Watch Out Now!

Why does a driver get picked as the driver to be stopped over the other thousands of drivers passing police officers every day? A driver has to get the attention of an officer before the officer makes the choice for who his next victim will be.

A dirty truck is a good indication that there may be other problems lurking under the grime. ... Read More

Ellen Voie

Airplane Pilots Are More Similar to Truck Drivers Than You Think

We don’t often compare airplane pilots to truck drivers, but they might be more similar than you expect.

Even though professional (truck) drivers don’t transport people, airline pilots do transport freight. Both industries move products from shipper to consumer. In fact, pilots of 747s are maneuvering 18-wheelers around the tarmac and often carry cargo in their bellies.... Read More

Joe Morrison

Speed Limiters – an issue too hot to handle?

There are certainly a lot of regulatory issues in trucking at the moment. Some are new and others have become a continuing saga – such as the hours of service. The issue of speed limiters is interesting in that a trucking advocacy group (the ATA) came out in favor of them before the government had really expressed a firm opinion. Parts of Canada have required them for several years and yet the dire predictions of the opponents have failed to materialize.... Read More

Editor's Choice

Trucker Recruitment and Retention: Building an employment brand

Originally posted: by Rosemary Friedrichs
http://www.xata.com/blog/fleet-management/trucking-employment-brand/

How do your drivers feel about their employment situation? When they shout from the rooftops, are they saying you’re a great company to work for—or one to avoid?... Read More

Jack Jackson

How to Wash Today for Tomorrow?

Visiting prospects lately has a changing dynamic over the years past. There is a renewed presence of how to wash effectively and environmentally correct.

Since the recent Truck World show in Toronto, we had a tremendous amount of interest in the best ways to clean vehicles. It seems there are many companies who know the methods they use today are getting outdated for the times, but have a tough time realizing the abilities available in the industry to help them save money and be more efficient.... Read More

Rickey Gooch

CSA means Stop, Look, and Listen!

On May 9, 2012, I taught a class of drivers who had come to work for a carrier and these drivers had no idea what CSA was. They all came from previous jobs and had worked in our industry for years. Men who had no computers and carriers who made sure they didn’t share CSA information with their employees.... Read More

Bob Rutherford

We all Pay for Road Gators

Hit the link below to check out this sad story. I would like to see a study that would put cameras on tire service trucks to see what debris could be dealt with using a Gator-Getter (http://www.gatorind.com/) installed on the front of a service truck. If the debris is gone from the travel lane by the time a tire service arrives, then the idea won't work, but what if the gator is still there? If you would be interested in sponsoring the R&D please email me at bob@bobrutherford.com.... Read More

Glen Sokolis

Diesel Fuel and Gas Price Doomsday Probably Not

Doomsday was at our door for much higher diesel fuel prices and gas prices with several refinery closures that we’re do to happen. It looks like things might be saved as Delta Airline in a very unusual move has bought the Trainer terminal from Phillips 66.

This means diesel fuel and gas will flow through this refinery. Delta bought it to have jet fuel flow through the terminal. They believe they are buying a billion dollars worth of equipment for $150 million.... Read More

Rickey Gooch

Business Agents for Professional Drivers! Show Me the Money!

A lot of professional people today have a business agent. But what about truckers? Can they have a business agent? Can a business agent really help drivers make more money than a driver could make on their own? Does it cost anything for a driver to have a business agent or if they do charge, what would they charge me? All good questions I'd say and there is no one out there to date that has offered any information on this subject.... Read More

Ray Gompf

Prisoners, Truckers and Being Safe.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been listening to quite a few truckers making very strong points on their treatment within the industry.

Read More