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Page 48 

Features 

48 

36 

66 

84 

June 2014 

Vol ume 28 

Issue 6 

Healthy Driver, Happy Driver 

Prime works to keep its drivers fit 

Bill Mack’s Entertainment Beat 

Sleeping With the Apnea 

Own Your Own Ride 

All about top companies and their lease 

purchasing programs. 

The Connection Marketplace 

Find items and services here geared 

towards making life on the road easier, 

more enjoyable or more profitable. 

Departments 

On the Cover 

Viewpoint 19 

Industry Update 26 

NASCAR News 58 

Product Profile 64 

Carrier Lane 72 

Safety Tips 80 

Connection Wordfind 88 

Photos courtesy of 

http://www.freightlinertrucks.com. 

Find your favorite magazines at TruckDriverMagazines.com 

TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 7

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Vice President 

Mark Schiffmacher 

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12 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckJobSeekers.com

ViewPoint 

By Megan Cullingford-Hicks 

Failu re Makes 

Winning Tax Time Sweeter is Here. 

Are You Prepared? 


By Megan Cullingford-Hicks 

W 

e all know the old adage: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” 

We’re solidly into another another time. Turns out, “another 

right? Corny but actually true. Rarely does anyone hit the nail on the head 

year, with the President time” is, uh, this month. 

on a first stab at something. It takes time to perfect a skill, to learn the ins 

and outs, and to 

officially 

fine tune your 

sworn 

abilities 

in 

so that 

to 

the 

But 

outcome 

whether 

is success. 

you are 

Last weekend, 

more disciplined 

than I with your taxes and 

I 

lived 

another 

the adage. 

four years of trying to get 

the country back on track (hmmm, expenses or you’re as big a paperwork 

Anyone who takes a minute to read my Viewpoint in TC knows a few things about 

what will that debt total look like mess as me, it’s imperative that you as 

me. Let’s ignore the boring things and focus on this tidbit that I know you know: I have 

in 2017?), the holidays behind us a trucker keep track of all your spending 

through the year. You can track it 

a son who is a teenager, a lacrosse player, and the light of my life. Even my husband 

(hopefully all your lights are down 

jokes that on any given day, his ranking in my life falls somewhere between 4 and 5, 

and Santa has left the building), and weekly, monthly (or biannually works) 

behind Chase and my menagerie. Ha! 

tax season upon us. Try to contain but whatever it takes, track it. It 

Chase 

your 

has 

excitement. 

played sports all of his life (somehow 

can 

he 

mean 

was blessed 

a huge 

with 

difference 

athletic 

between 

skill, 

not from 

I 

my 

can 

genes, 

procrastinate 

I can assure 

like 

you) 

a 

and 

champ 

since 4th 

what 

grade, 

you cough 

he’s been 

up to 

a pretty 

Uncle 

good 

Sam and 

lacrosse player. Through the years, he’s played a couple different positions, finally 

so it’s with a heavy heart that I stare what goes into your savings account. 

dialing in to the attack position 

down the mountain of expenses and Truckers are allowed to write off any 

like he was born to be there. 

We’ve receipts had ups that and still need downs, to be wins tallied and expense necessary for them to complete 

their jobs—from pens to industry 

We’ve had ups and downs, 

losses--a and totaled strong for before team, I a can contending 

pay a visit 

to my accountant. I have the best of magazines wins and to meals losses; (check he’s usually the stipulations 

on on a that) strong to team, weigh a contending station costs 

team, but not always the TOP team 

intentions throughout the year of managing 

this stuff, of keying totals and and 

team, 

anything 

but not 

else 

always 

not reimbursed 

the top 

by 

team. 

figures 

He plays 

into 

fall 

my 

recreational, 

spreadsheet 

spring 

as I go 

high 

and 

school, 

your 

and 

company. 

summer travel ball. He’s 

tasted victory and championships in the fall and summer seasons but the spring school 

filing them away in a neat and orderly If you lack the discipline to track 

season—arguably the most important of the three—hadn’t quite hit the championship 

fashion. But somewhere between, oh, these totals throughout the year (welcome 

to the club!), at least toss the 

benchmark. 

February of one year and February of 

In the spring next, my 2013, neat he and was orderly captain receipts of the freshmen receipts team in folders and lead or envelopes them as the marked top 

scorer turns to an into undefeated a daunting season stack before of being paper brought with each up to month Junior and Varsity then and spend then a day 

finally slips to the in big varying show sizes for the large end of enough the Varsity to season. each February For the tallying first time them in school up for the 

history, swallow our team small went children. to the state And championship this year tax game. man. It was With cool what that it Chase saves could you in 

be a part 

is no 

of 

different. 

it but it was 

I might 

with a 

have 

sideline 

made 

view 

it 

as 

taxes, 

a player 

I bet 

who 

that 

hadn’t 

day is 

been 

the 

there 

biggest 

since 

oneday 

payday you enjoy all year. 

the beginning. In fact, many of the players who HAD been on Varsity since day one of 

to June or July before I began simply 

that season didn’t see the field because it was such a tough, high stakes, close scoring 

stockpiling invoices and receipts with Email your view point to Megan@ 

game that we ultimately lost to a team we’d bested earlier in the year. 

every intention of getting to them TruckersConnection.com. 

Talk about highs and lows—to make it to the end for the first time was gigantic. 

To lose Find once your we favorite got there magazines was horrific. at TruckDriverMagazines.com 

We were new to the scene TRUCKER’S and as CONNECTION giddy as 11 

a teenager driving solo for the first time: ecstatic and maybe a little dangerous. The 

Continue on page 20. 

TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 19 

Viewpoint

Failu re Makes 

Winning Sweeter 

Continued from page 19. 

regular season win gave the team 

a false sense of superiority, and 

a great group of players came 

unglued in the high pressure 

game when much of what they 

did successfully all season wasn’t 

evident when it counted most. The 

loss was devastating and as we 

licked our wounds and massaged 

bruised egos, we began 

looking to the next season and 

redemption. 

This year, Chase made Varsity from the get-go 

and was the only sophomore to be a starter all season. They charged through the 

regular season 17-1 with just a single loss to a close town rival who beat us by 3. 

Post season, we went through each playoff game strong, beating each opponent by 

more than 10 goals, and we made it once more to the state championship game. 

This time, we faced a team we hadn’t played at all this season. It was a clean slate; 

they were a tough team; we came in with the lessons we’d learned last year. 

For an hour and a half I did not breathe as the game stayed incredibly close— 

with no more than a one-goal advantage at any point and it fluctuated which of us 

had it. Toward the end, we stretched our lead by 2 goals. With 12 seconds to go, 

they scored to tighten the differential to a lonely single point but we held them off for 

the final seconds to win the state championship, 9-8. 

Indeed the loss from last year was a powerful motivator to see us through to the 

biggest win ever this year. Chase played most of the game, responsible for one of 

those 9 goals as the icing 

on his state championship 

experience. 

When it’s happening, it’s 

hard to realize that losing 

(a game, a relationship, a 

business, etc) can one day 

be a tremendous, maybe 

even necessary, gift toward a 

future success. The memory of 

this success is even sweeter 

because of the history that 

lead us there. 

Chase makes a diving shot in the championship game. 

Send your viewpoint to Megan@truckersconnection.com 



Industry Update 

Lawmakers Scramble to Find Ways to 

Pay for Highway Projects 

House GOP tax writers are warning 

fellow lawmakers to stay away from their 

chairman’s broad tax reform proposal as 

they search for ways to pay for highway 

projects. 

Lawmakers are scrambling for ideas 

to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, 

which could run out of money as early 

as August. 

Ways and Means Committee Chairman 

Dave Camp’s tax reform draft, released in 

February, sought to funnel $126.5 billion 

toward infrastructure investment through 

a tax on profits that U.S. multinationals 

have stored abroad. 

But Camp (R-Mich.) and his allies have 

said that, even though tax reform isn’t 

going to happen this year, the chairman’s 

draft shouldn’t be viewed as a menu of 

options for policy initiatives on Capitol 

Hill. 

“We want to maintain the integrity of 

the draft and our approach to tax reform. 

The last thing I want to do is see things 

get piecemeal,” Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. 

(R-La.) told reporters on Thursday. “I don’t 

think anybody on the committee wants to 

start tearing our draft apart and using it 

for pay-fors.” 

Still, Boustany acknowledged that 

meant the Ways and Means panel, which 

is charged with finding ways to pay for 

whatever highway bill is crafted, was at 

a loss for the time being on how to fund 

infrastructure projects. 

“Clearly, the trust fund’s running out of 

money,” Boustany said. “So, we have to 

come up with something.” 

The Congressional Budget Office has 

projected that lawmakers will have to 

scrounge up an extra $100 billion to pay 

for a six-year transportation bill. 

There’s been little appetite among 

lawmakers to raise the gas tax, which 

currently brings in about $34 billion a 

year for transportation projects. 

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has 

also discarded his idea from 2011 to 

use revenue from oil drilling to pay for 

highway projects. President Obama’s 

four-year, $302 billion transportation 

proposal also relies on funds from a 

rewrite of the tax code, at a time when 

Democrats and Republicans remain far 

apart on tax policy. 

With no easy choices, and Congress 

wading deeper into election mode, 

transportation observers have suggested 

that lawmakers will enact a short-term 

patch for the trust fund to push the issue 

past November’s election. 

But even with that sort of breathing 

room, it’s doubtful that tax reform will 

be close to the finish line at the end of 

the year. 


Industry Update 


Jobless Rate Plunges; For-Hire Trucking Adds 6,800 Jobs 

The U.S. unemployment rate plunged in 

April to its lowest level since September 

2008 as employers added 288,000 

jobs, the most in two years. 

For-hire trucking benefited from the 

hiring boom, adding 6,800 jobs in April. 

The month-over-month 

gain was the largest 

since 2006 and the 

total of 1.401.5 million 

jobs reported in for-hire 

trucking was the first time 

that figured had exceeded 

the 1.4 million mark since 

May 2008. 

During the past 12 

months, for-hire trucking has added 

20,800 jobs, according to the Labor 

Department. 

The national figures are a clear sign 

that the economy is picking up after a 

brutal winter slowed growth. 

The Labor Department said that the 

unemployment rate fell to 6.3 percent 

from 6.7 percent in March. But the drop 

occurred because the number of people 

working or seeking work fell sharply. 

People aren’t counted as unemployed 

if they’re not looking for 

a job. 

Employers also added 

more jobs in February 

and March than 

previously estimated. The 

job totals for those two 

months were revised up 

by a combined 36,000. 

All told, the positive 

news has led most 

economists to forecast a strong rebound 

in economic growth — to a 3.5 percent 

annual rate in the current April-June 

quarter. And growth should reach nearly 

3 percent for the full year, up from 1.9 

percent in 2013, they expect. 

$500,000-Plus Raised for Trucking Moves 

America Forward Campaign 

Trucking industry executives announced that following the launch of the Trucking 

Moves America Forward (TMAF) campaign in March, more than $500,000 has been 

raised, which is more than halfway to the annual goal of $1 million dollars per year 

over the coming years. 

TMAF is an industry-wide image and internal education initiative informing policy 

makers, motorists and the public about the benefits of the trucking industry to help 

build a ground swell of political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and 

grow the industry. 

“The committee is thankful for the response and feedback since the launch of the 

campaign, and especially for the top level sponsorship commitments from a host of 

our industry leaders,” said Steve Ponder, chairman, Trucking Moves America Forward 

and vice-president of Great West Casualty Company. “This campaign encompasses 

every person who touches the industry and therefore, every donation is appreciated. 

There is no amount too small as we are all working toward improving the industry 

and improving America.” 

Trucking companies and associations that have contributed top level sponsorship 

include Cummins Inc., Midsouth Truckers Group Inc., Trucking Association Executives 

Council Region IV, National Tank Truck Carriers, Great West Casualty Co., and Allied 

Committee for Trucking (ACT1). 



Entertainment Beat 

By Bill Mack 

A 

llow me to jump back on a 

subject I’ve touched on in 

the past pertaining to the 

Country Music Hall-of-Fame 

in Nashville. It’s a branch of 

the Country Music Association (CMA) 

that, at one time, was regarded by 

most members and fans as the most 

important segment of the annual 

awards program presented on the 

“major” television networks. 

I mention “networks” in plural form 

because the TV productions of “Country 

Music’s Biggest Night --- The CMA 

Awards,” as it’s boastfully proclaimed 

by the media, have been seen on 

various nets since its inception. The 

first was aired on NBC-TV in 1968. 

CBS-TV produced the annual gig from 

1972 through 2005 before A B C - T V 

managed to take over the a n n u a l 

assignment beginning i n 

2006. ABC holds the 

contractual rights for the telecast 

through 2021. 

With no intention of creating a 

bitter and negative attitude, I sincerely 

wonder how the format of the event 

will be affected during the next seven 

years. Obviously, there have been 

radical and noticeable changes in 

production mannerisms since that first 

network telecast on a cold November 

night in 1968. I attended that first 

NBC shindig held at the old Ryman 

Auditorium in downtown Nashville. 

At that time, the Ryman had been the 

structural base of the world famous 

“Grand Ole Opry” since 1943. 

On cold winter nights, the audience 

was advised to wear heavy clothing 

since there was no central heating 

in the ancient building. During the 

summer months, swimsuits would be 

perfect apparel if such dress garb was 

admissible. The old Opry building 

had never acquired funding for airconditioning. 

The audience brought 

hundreds of hand fans acquired at 

various funeral homes throughout the 

Deep South. 


Entertainment Beat - June 2014 

I will always remember how NBC 

hired a slew of people to stand near 

the entrance to the Ryman and literally 

beg people to come in and enjoy a 

free country television show featuring 

the top ‘names’ in the business as the 

first awards program was preparing 

for action. We must remember 

country music had not reached that 

important link in entertainment it 

would eventually achieve back then. 

Many of the uptown folks still referred 

to it as rustic hillbilly junk! There 

were plenty of empty church benches 

in the old hall that night. Church 

benches are still utilized for seating 

in the Ryman. It was built as a church 

before the congregation “back-slid” 

from Sunday morning attendance. 

It was a big empty “eye-sore” to 

the proud citizens of Nashville in 

1943, allowing radio station WSM 

to purchase the structure in order to 

allow 3,000 dedicated fans to watch 

the “Grand Ole Opry” in action every 

Saturday night. 

Although a new state-of-the-art 

“Opry House” was built in 1974, 

seating 4,400 enthusiastic patrons, 

the Ryman is still utilized for some 

of the special musical events in 

Nashville. It has been completely 

updated to top-form condition, with 

perfect heating and air-conditioning, 

although still retaining the atmosphere 

of those golden years when the Grand 

Ole Opry was enjoying its most 

memorable era featuring the likes 

of Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Marty 

Robbins, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline 

and so many other top-marquee 

names that will never be replaced in 

importance. 

I mention all of this info in order 

to jump back to a matter that is 

causing distress beyond measure to 

millions of country music fans who 

are questioning the Hall-of-Fame 

issue. As mentioned, the highlight of 

importance during “Country Music’s 

Biggest Night … the CMA Awards” 

was that special “happening” near 

the close of the program when three 

deserving names were placed in 

the Country Music Hall-of-Fame. The 

names were heavily guarded until 

the blue veils were pulled from the 

glowing facial image busts of the 

surprised, highly deserving recipients 

who would rush to the stage and 

accept the most valuable compliment 

of their lives … most times in a 

state of happy tears. The majority of 

the screaming, applauding audience 

was also sobbing! Since one of 

those receiving the grand award 

was deceased, a spouse, son or 

daughter would make that 

proud trip to the 

stage. 

Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckJobSeekers.com TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 37


Entertainment Beat 

For the past years, that awesome 

happening has been stricken from the 

program during the awards evening, 

although three acts are still placed in 

the Hall-of-Fame on a different date 

… and is not presented on any of 

the TV networks. The names of the 

recipients are casually mentioned 

during “Country Music’s Biggest 

Night” … 

without the 

benefit of 

any strong 

fanfare. It’s 

insulting to 

hear the 

emcee refer 

to the winners 

in an “oh, 

by-the-way” manner. 

Finally, and most important, is the 

fact that some of country music’s most 

important performers from the past are 

completely overlooked when it comes 

to this professional compliment! As 

some of you may recall, I was on 

my soap-box for years shouting the 

fact that Jimmy Dean should be given 

the hall-of-fame honor. Jim had a top 

rated network television show for 

years that benefitted country music, 

had his share of super hits, and 

manufactured good country sausage! 

He was handed the award the year 

he died! His daughter made the trip 

to Nashville to pick up the certificate 

for her dad, who was very ill at the 

time. 

For the past few years, I’ve been 

pushing for Jim Ed, Maxine and 

Bonnie, known professionally as 

The Browns. This group has been 

performing hit songs since 1955! 

Their recording of “The Three Bells” 

was not only the top recording in the 

country field, it was also a “pop” hit. 

Other super hits followed! They broke 

down barriers, allowing country 

music to be accepted in all avenues 

of musical importance. Although 

Maxine and Bonnie no longer 

perform, Jim Ed is still regarded 

as one of our top country stars, 

enjoying his share of hit recordings 

and in high-demand for appearances 

throughout the world. 

Some of the acts occupying 

their space in 

the Country 

Music Hall-of- 

Fame weren’t 

born when 

the Browns 

made their 

first recording. 

Others in the 

“hall” never 

achieved the success this very special 

group managed to accomplish. 

“I don’t want to be in that hall-offame! 

The only time they put you in th’ 

thing is when you’re either dead...or 

dying! Keep me out! I wanna live!” 

Let me stress the fact that there 

are many other performers who are 

waiting in the wings while the “secret 

committee” hands the award to 

entertainers who are not as qualified. 

It’s also important that I mention the 

fact that I believe all of the names in 

the CMA Hall-of-Fame deserve to be 

there, and I’m proud of their success. 

Perhaps they should simply be puton-hold 

for a few years until the older 

crew receives their dues. 

My good pal Marty Robbins, one 

of the greatest singing performers 

of all time, once made a statement 

of strong importance while visiting 

my radio program. He laughed and 

shouted, “I don’t want to be in that 

hall-of-fame! The only time they put 

you in th’ thing is when you’re either 

dead … or dying! Keep me out! I 

wanna live!” 

Marty Robbins was placed in 

the Country Music Hall-of-Fame on 

October 11, 1982. Less than two 

months later, on December 8, 1982, 

he died from a heart attack. 

Visit Bill at BillMackC ountry.com. 


The statistics on obesity in the trucking community are sobering. 

The New York Times reported back in 2013 that 86 percent of the 

estimated 3.2 million truck drivers in the country are overweight 

or obese. Studies show that 50 percent of commercial drivers are 

overweight or obese compared to only 33 percent of the general adult 

population. 

“It’s no surprise those numbers are so high,” the paper wrote. “Truck drivers have 

one of the most unhealthy diets out there. Long, stressful hours on the road lead drivers 

to seek comfort food like cheeseburgers, french fries and pizza instead of the healthy 

alternatives needed to fuel their bodies.” 

36 48 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckJobSeekers.com

It’s taking its toll on the drivers in this 

industry. In 2010, the Centers for Disease 

Control reported that the average life 

expectancy for a commercial truck driver 

is only 61 years, which is 16 years 

lower than the national average. Why? 

Because obesity leads to hypertension, 

diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep 

apnea, and other health problems that 

continue to make day-to-day life difficult 

for a dedicated trucker. 

There have been multiple programs 

introduced over the years, though, 

to raise awareness in the trucking 

community about the perils of extreme 

weight gain. The Truckload Carriers 

Association sponsors an annual Weight 

Loss Showdown that encourages groups 

of truckers from participating carriers to 

lose combined pounds in a sponsored 

competition. 

“Showdowns are an excellent way 

for trucking companies to give back to 

their drivers and staff, helping them shed 

pounds toward the goal of improved 

overall health,” said Chris Burruss, TCA’s 

president. 

But individual truckers can start losing 

weight and improving their health 

today, and they don’t need a financial 

competition to get it done. And now, they 

are getting some help. 

Siphiwe Baleka is a Health and Fitness 

coach who has linked up with Prime Inc. 

to improve the diets and conditioning 

strategies of the company’s truckers. He 

trains drivers at Prime on how to be more 

active while driving on the road, and 

educates them on how to eat better while 

on the job. 

Baleka launched a weekly blog in 

partnership with Prime called “Fitness 

Fridays.” Topics that he has covered 

recently include “The 9 Steps of Creating 

an Unhealthy, Unsafe Driver,” as well as 

an update on Prime drivers who signed 

up for, trained for, and completed a 

triathlon. 

“Everyone is improving, training harder 

and smarter, and even going to swim 

camps. Next year we will go beyond 

just finishing. All of the guys want to be 

competitive,” Baleka said. “For these 

guys, they have a new passion and 

living on the road doesn’t stop them 

from training and competing. We want 

to inspire other drivers to be more active 

and pursue their hobbies, too.” 

We interviewed Baleka about the 

current health problems affecting 

professional truckers, and the programs 

that he is trying to push at Prime that he 

hopes will improve the fitness statistics 

both at Prime, and in the industry as a 

whole. 

Find your favorite magazines at TruckDriverMagazines.com 

TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 49

What is your professional 

background? 

After college I worked as a social 

activist for 15 years. Then I drove a truck 

for Prime for four years, completing a 

lease and creating the Driver Health and 

Fitness (DHF) program. In the process, 

I became a US Masters Swimming 

National Champion, a USA Triathlon Age 

Group National Championship qualifier 

and Ironman triathlete, as well as a 

certified personal trainer. 

How did you connect with Prime? 

Were you the one responsible for 

the launch of this Driver Health 

and Fitness (DHF) program? 

In 2008 a friend encouraged me to 

drive a truck. So I enrolled in Prime’s 

student driver program, obtained my 

CDL, then successfully completed a threeyear 

lease. 

During the first two months of my 

driving career, I gained 10.7 percent 

of my body weight. That was extreme. 

And that was when I had my “wake up” 

moment and took responsibility for my 

health and weight while on the road. 

I developed a step-bystep 

system for boosting my 

metabolism, so that I burned fat 

while driving. Then I realized 

there is a fitness program out 

there for everyone in America 

except one that was specifically 

designed for long-haul truck 

drivers. So I knew there was a 

business opportunity and Robert 

Low, the founder of Prime, was 

the right man at the right time to 

help me develop it. 

What is your official title with the 

program? What are your primary 

responsibilities in the program? 

I am Prime’s Driver Health and Fitness 

coach. I administrate the DHF 13 Week 

Basic Program, which entails direct, oneon-one 

coaching. I also organize health 

and fitness events for Prime drivers, like 

our monthly Walk/Run Challenge and 

Bicycle Challenge, as well as our Truckers 

To Triathlete program. 

When, and why, did you start the 

Fitness Fridays blog? 

Prime associates and drivers were 

seeing the success of the drivers that 

completed the DHF program and wanted 

information. Then they realized that what 

I was teaching – metabolic endocrinology 

and nutrient timing – was very different 

from everything they had heard. So I 

started doing the Fitness Friday blog as 

a way to educate and share results of 

my research and actual case studies of 

success Prime drivers. 


Some are afraid of losing their 

DOT certification, or they are 

considering the fact that the average 

lifespan of a truck driver is 61 to 65 

years of age and they want to be 

around for their grandchildren. 

Because they are scared and 

often desperate for help, they are 

“coachable.” They are motivated, 

and that’s the main reason that 63.5 

percent of the drivers who enroll 

complete the program. 

What kind of information have 

you covered in the blog? 

I like to cover the details of how drivers 

improve their metabolic efficiency during 

the DHF program. In essence, I like to 

show proof that my methods work and 

that drivers can actually burn fat while 

sitting in the driver seat. 

How have you been recruiting 

drivers into the program? Are all 

drivers eligible? 

We implemented the program almost 

two years ago. It’s a voluntary program 

that is open to any driver in the fleet. 

To date, we have had more than 400 

drivers apply for the program. 

What are the concerns of some 

drivers before they enter the 

13-week program? What are 

some of the obstacles that they 

face? 

The majority of the drivers who enroll 

in the program do so because they are 

scared. Many of them have just been 

to a doctor, and have been diagnosed 

with pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood 

pressure, sleep apnea, etc. 

Are there specific programs or 

new initiatives that you want 

drivers to be aware of? 

Last year, we hosted the first ever 

“Fittest of the Fleet” competition. We are 

challenging other fleets to contact us, host 

their own competition using our format, 

crown their champion, and then send 

their champion to compete against ours. 

What is the main message that 

you would like to get out to 

fellow drivers about weight 

maintenance, health and fitness? 

All of my primary research and data 

shows that the reason 86 percent of truck 

drivers are overweight and 69 percent 

are obese are because of three distinct 

hormonal changes that are the result 

of occupational working conditions – 

irregular schedules, interrupted sleep, 

stress, sedentary and sedentary lifestyle. 

For truck drivers to lose weight on the 

road, it’s not about burning more calories 

or eating less calories. It’s learning how 

to turn your metabolism up to “high,” and 

then eating the right food at the right time 

to keep that metabolism burning like a 

fire. If you are targeting hormones and 

metabolism, you are pretty much wasting 

your time. 




NASCAR News 

Kahne’s Crew Chief Penalized for 

Rules Infraction 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew 

chief Kenny Francis has been fined 

$25,000 as a result of rules violations 

committed during qualifying for the 

recent Aaron’s 499 at Talladega 

Superspeedway. 

Francis is the crew chief for driver 

Kasey Kahne and the Hendrick 

Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet. 

Kahne, who qualified 17th in the 

43-car field, saw his qualifying time 

disallowed when his car failed to 

meet the minimum weight requirement 

in post-qualifying inspection on May 

3, one day before the race. As a 

result, he started the race from the 

rear of the field, and was officially 

listed as 42nd in the starting order. 

According to NASCAR, the weight 

infraction is a P3 level penalty. It 

violated Sections 12-1 (actions 

detrimental to stock car racing) and 

12-4.3(A) 1-c (unapproved added 

weight and/or weight affixed 

improperly) of the 2014 rulebook. 

Kahne finished eighth in the race; it 

was his third eighth-place finish and 

third top-10 this season. 

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the 

Furniture Row Racing No. 78 

Chevrolet, also had his qualifying 

time disallowed and was sent to the 

rear for a post-qualifying inspection 

issue. The car of Truex failed to 

meet the minimum height requirement. 

There were no further penalties for the 

No. 78 team, however, as the loss 

of qualifying position served as the 

penalty 

Sprint Cup 

Schedule 

Sunday, June 1 

Dover 

1 p.m. ET, FOX 


Poconos 

1 p.m. ET, TNT 


Michigan 



Sonoma 


Saturday, June 28 

Kentucky 

7:30 p.m. ET, TNT 


Profit sharing 

$1,500/year 

Practical mile = 48.6¢ 

Assessorial pay = 1.3¢ 

Vacation/Bonus/ Training = 1.6¢ 

Short route 

comparison 

BASED UPON 2013 AVERAGES 

53.6¢ 

53.6¢ 

Do you deserve a pay raise? 

Join the haul of fame at ShafferJobs.com or call 877.670.0234. 

877.670.0234 

Shaffer 

Jobs.com 

/Shaffer 

Trucking 

@CreteCarrier 

@Shaffer 

Trucking 

/Shaffer 

TruckJobs

Junior Nation just got a whole lot 

bigger. 

Hendrick Motorsports announced 

that the No. 88 team of Dale 

Earnhardt Jr. will team up with 

Nationwide Insurance in a new threeyear 

partnership that will pair one of 

the leading insurance and financial 

services organizations in the country 

with NASCAR’s most popular driver as 

a primary sponsor in the Sprint Cup 

Series. 

Nationwide, as the exclusive 

insurance and retirement planning 

sponsor of Earnhardt’s 

No. 88 Chevrolet SS 

team, will be a primary 

partner for 12 Sprint Cup 

races in 2015 and 13 

events in both 2016 and 

2017. The company also 

will be an associate-level 

sponsor of the No. 88 race 

cars throughout all three 

seasons. 

“I’ve always enjoyed 

working with Nationwide 

and really believe in their 

products and services,” 

said Earnhardt, whom 

Nationwide Insurance has 

featured in national advertising since 

2009. “It’ll be fun to work with them 

in a new way, and I know everyone 

on the team is looking forward to the 

partnership. They’ve invested in our 

sport and built a strong reputation 

with NASCAR fans, and this opens up 

doors to do even more great things.” 

Earnhardt, 39, is a two-time 

Nationwide Series champion and has 

20 career points-paying victories in 

the Sprint Cup Series. The Kannapolis, 

North Carolina native has earned three 

consecutive Chase for the NASCAR 

NASCAR NewsJune 2014 

Dale Jr. Picks Up Primary Sponsor for 2015-17 

Sprint Cup berths and is NASCAR’s 

11-time most popular driver as voted 

by fans. In 2014, he won his second 

Daytona 500 and currently is fifth in 

the standings. 

“The Earnhardt family has trusted 

Nationwide for their insurance 

needs for more than 35 years, and 

Dale Jr. has a positive impact on 

our brand’s reputation and brings 

pride to Nationwide members 

and our associates,” said Matt 

Jauchius, chief marketing officer for 

Nationwide Insurance. “Expanding 

that relationship to incorporate the 

prestigious operations at Hendrick 

Motorsports and collaborating with 

Rick Hendrick and his team is a great 

fit for Nationwide Insurance.” 

“Nationwide is always top of mind 

when you think of companies that truly 

leverage the power of NASCAR,” said 

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick 

Motorsports. “We’re proud to welcome 

them to the No. 88 team and grow 

their relationship with Dale Jr. Working 

together, we’ll build another program 

that moves the needle for their business. 

The opportunities are endless.” 



Product Profile 


MCLEOD SOFTWARE TO INTEGRATE ALK MAPS 

AND PC*MILER WEB SERVICES 

ALK Technologies, a global provider 

of GeoLogistics solutions and navigation 

software, announced that ALK Maps 

and PC*MILER Web Services will be 

integrated with McLeod Software’s Load 

Master and PowerBroker products. 

The announcement came during the 

Truckload Carriers Association annual 

convention. 

McLeod’s LoadMaster provides 

dispatch software for asset based trucking 

companies and PowerBroker offers a 

fully integrated end-to-end brokerage 

operations management system. 

ALK’s PC*MILER Web Services and 

ALK Maps offer the 

transportation and 

logistics industry’s 

fully customizable 

cloud-based 

interactive 

mapping platform 

providing highquality 

map visualization with precise 

geocoding and routing functionality for 

enterprise applications, according to 

Robert Brothers, manager of product 

development for McLeod Software. 

These cloud-based solutions can reduce 

hardware, software and IT resource costs, 

he said. Technology solution providers 

can easily integrate ALK Maps and 

PC*MILER Web Services with a variety 

of any platforms, Brothers added. 

LoadMaster and PowerBroker 

integrated with ALK Maps and PC*MILER 

Web Services can provide enhanced 

interactive street-level maps with satellite 

imagery, weather overlays, real-time 

traffic and speed data with enhanced 

ETAs, and hazardous materials routing 

functionality. ALK Maps and PC*MILER 

Web Services offer these powerful 

capabilities via a flexible software-as-aservice 

(SaaS) model. 

“We are pleased to support ALK’s SaaSbased 

solutions that give our customers 

more options for configuring their 

mileage functions within PowerBroker 

and LoadMaster,” Brothers said. “The 

new mapping capabilities can provide 

McLeod Software customers the ability 

to use ALK Maps for interactive street 

level visualization. We will continue to 

invest in the best integration solutions 

for our customers with the ALK family of 

products.” 

ALK Maps 

is powered by 

PC*MILER, the 

industry standard 

for routing, mileage 

and mapping. 

P C * M I L E R 

provides the 

most comprehensive set of commercial 

truck restrictions in North America. 

Hazmat-specific road classes and 

routing categories, bridge heights and 

clearances, weight limits and allowances 

are also provided as well as oneway 

road designations, left-hand and 

dangerous turn restrictions, and urban 

road classifications. 

“We are pleased to further strengthen 

our long-term relationship with McLeod 

Software,” said Dan Popkin, senior vice 

president of enterprise solutions at ALK 

Technologies. “This combination can 

significantly enhance the user experience 

with high-performance mapping and 

routing. Our mutual customers can benefit 

from improved operational consistency 

and productivity.” 



Holland Professional Driver 

David C. Henry Reaches 

Remarkable Three Million Mile 

Safety Record 

Holland professional driver, 

David C. Henry, was celebrated 

for reaching the remarkable safety 

record of successfully logging three 

million consecutive miles without a 

single preventable collision. 

To reach this outstanding 

achievement requires a lifetime 

commitment to safety. There are 428 

active Holland professional drivers 

on the road who have reached the 

safety milestone of driving over one 

million consecutive miles without a 

preventable accident, and 146 active 

Holland drivers who have reached 

more than two million consecutive 

miles without a preventable accident. 

David is one out of seven active 

Holland drivers to have achieved this 

extraordinary three million milestone. 

David has been driving 

professionally for 35 years, the 

last 28 of which he has spent with 

Holland. David currently makes a run 

from Cleveland, Ohio to South Bend, 

Ind. and back five days per week. 

“Safety is paramount at Holland,” 

said Scott Ware, president of 

Holland. “We are tremendously 

proud of David and his incredible 

accomplishment. Having world-class 

professionals such as David on our 

team is absolutely invaluable - both 

for our customers and business. We 

thank David for his commitment to 

safety and his 28 years of impeccable 

service.” 

Carrier LaneJune 2014 

Crete Carrier Corporation 

Also Awarded A 2014 

Most Valuable Employer for 

Military by Civilianjobs.com 

Crete Carrier Corporation 

also was awarded a 2014 Most 

Valuable Employer for Military 

winner by Civilianjobs.com. This 

is the third year in a row Crete 

has been honored by civilianjobs. 

com for efforts in hiring military 

members. 

“We’re very excited to win this 

prestigious award for the third 

year in a row. Being recognized 

as a most valuable employer by an 

organization that serves military 

members is a terrific honor for all of 

us at Crete Carrier Corporation,” 

says Tonn Ostergard, President 

and CEO at Crete Carrier 

Corporation. 

“Crete Carrier has long 

supported our nation’s military 

veterans with almost 30 percent 

of our employees having prior 

military experience. We have 

gained valuable associates whose 

experience and core competencies 

directly align with our business. 

The cornerstone of our success is 

our employee training programs, 

which are designed to train and 

transition military individuals into 

a profession that will allow them 

to have a successful career and 

provide for their families.” 


Schneider Increases Compensation for Company Tanker Drivers 

Schneider is increasing 

compensation for company tanker 

drivers. Most company tanker drivers 

will earn an additional 8-10 percent 

per mile (both loaded and unloaded) 

for an average increase of $4,000 

per year. The company driver 

pay increase comes on the heels 

of Schneider’s $0.10½ per mile 

compensation increase 

for tanker owneroperators 

last month. 

In addition to 

Carrier LaneJune 2014 

customer demand. The chemical 

industry plays an important role 

in American manufacturing. From 

paper chemicals and latex to water 

treatment polymers and lubricants, 

the demand for chemicals is stronger 

than most other commodities as 

American manufacturing continues 

its rebound. 

“More chemical 

shippers use Schneider 

because of our drivers’ 

industry-leading 

providing consistent 

performance,” noted 

pay of up to $81,000 

George Grossardt, 

per year for tanker 

vice president and 

drivers, Schneider offers 

general manager 

Lucas Karcher-Schneider Tank Driver 

flexibility and some 

of Schneider’s Bulk 

of the best benefits in the trucking division. “They deliver a superior 

industry. One unique differentiator in experience for our customers and 

driving for Schneider is that, unlike drive their success, and we believe 

other tanker carriers, two-thirds of it’s important to reward that level of 

Schneider’s loads are nonhazardous expertise.” 

while the industry average is 80 Experienced drivers, driving 

percent hazardous loads. 

school graduates and owneroperators 

Schneider’s tanker division 

are encouraged to visit 

is aggressively growing its www.schneiderjobs.com to learn 

chemical transportation business, more and apply online. Candidates 

adding company drivers and can also call 800-44-PRIDE (800- 

owner-operators to keep up with 447-7433). 

Epes Transport Recognized as a 

2014 Most Valuable Employers for Military by CivilianJobs.com 

CivilianJobs.com recently human resources for Epes Transport. 

announced the winners for the 

Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for 

Military. Marking the sixth year of 

“We are very proud of their sacrifice 

and service to our country. Our 

‘Transitions’ program for the military 

its publication in 2014, the MVE has proven to be very successful as 

recognition serves to help militaryexperienced 

we continue to grow and expand our 

job seekers and operations.” 

veterans identify the top employers To be included on the 2015 award 

to target for civilian careers. submission deadline notification, 

“Epes Transport System has always 

been and will continue to be a strong 

supporter of our military personnel,” 

said Mike Hamilton, vice president of 

companies should send an e-mail 

request to MVE@civilianjobs.com. 

To learn more about Epes Transport, 

visit www.epestransport.com. 


Safety Tips 


Have you ever had a set of your wheels run off while you are 

By Bob Hataway 

going down the highway? 

A driver in Fort Worth, TX was east bound on the way to his delivery destination 

early one morning. To his amazement, he saw a set of driver wheels going past him. 

He noticed the difference in the operation of his tractor and immediately pulled over 

to inspect the damage. 

The back axle had dropped down; however, it was not touching the road. 

Inspection of the axle revealed that the wheel bearings had failed causing them to 

overheat and lock up. They had broken away from the axle. 

The driver wheels rolled into the center median; across the west-bound traffic; 

up an embankment; through an intersection; and crashed into a local policeman’s 

passenger side. The local smokey, who was sitting at the red light, was not injured 

but he got a wake-up call early that morning. As funny as it was, it could have been 

very serious. 

Mechanical components that require oil and grease for lubrication are going to 

wear out over a period of time. A daily inspection of these items is necessary. 

Some points to observe are as follows: 

1. The maintenance shop should keep accurate records concerning the last time a 

replacement was made for the wheel bearings and be periodically scheduled for 

replacement. Anytime the wheels are jacked up, they should be rocked back and 

forth to determine if slack is in the bearings. 

2. Drivers must maintain a proper oil level for the bearings as recommended by the 

manufacturer. The level of oil can be monitored through the sight glass on the hub. 

The glass should be checked daily and notations made on the inspection report. 

3. Further the driver can check periodically throughout the day for the amount of heat 

being generated by placing his hand on the hub. If the hub is giving off excessive 

heat or is too hot to touch, it should be broken down immediately. 

That’s the way I see it - Bob Hataway - TransAlive. 

Faulty Wheel 

Bearings 

Bob Hataway heads up TransAlive 

USA, Inc., an organization dedicated 

to helping truckers when they have 

accidents away from home. More 

information is available by calling 

800-USA-HURT. 

www.transalive.com 

80 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION

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84 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION

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TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 85 



Puzzle 

America’s Pastime 

Solution on page 90 


Ad Index 


A. Arnold ...............................29 

Anderson Trucking Services.................4-5 

Barr-Nunn Transportation ................13, 63 

BCB Transport............................51 

Bennett Motor Express .....................83 

Boyd Bros ..............................81 

Cal Ark.............................. Insert 

Celadon ....................Insert, Back Cover 

Central Hauling Company ................ Insert 

Central Refrigerated Service .............. Insert 

Coast to Coast Credit Services, Inc. ............85 

Coast to Coast Legal .......................84 

Crete Carrier Corporation ................ Insert 

CRST Malone ............................14 

D Mosley Trucking ........................89 

Dart Transit .......................... Insert 

Davis Express, Inc.........................79 

Davis Transport ..........................56 

Decker Truck Line, Inc......................77 

Design Transportation......................16 

Dyno Nobel .............................18 

Earl L. Henderson Trucking Co. ...............87 

EPES................................40, 75 

Fleetwood Transportation Services.............73 

Great American Truck Show .................68 

Gibson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 

Gordon Trucking..........................22 

Graebel Van Lines.........................62 

Heartland Express ................. 8-9, 46-47 

Hirschbach Motor Lines.....................71 

Hunt Transportation .......................34 

Interstate Trucker .........................85 

JMN Transportation........................69 

K&B Transportation........................65 

Kennessaw ...........................24, 43 

KLLM Transport Services ................. Insert 

Logix Transportation.......................21 

Marten Transport ................ 10-11, 44-45 

Maverick Transportation ......Inside Front Cover, 3 

MCT ................................ Insert 

Messilla Valley ...........................25 

Mercer Transportation......................23 

Ad Index 

Miller Tranports ..........................27 

Minstar ................................67 

Nations Express ..........................42 

Nu-Way Transportation ......................6 

P.I. & I. Motor Express .....................62 

Petro ..................................76 

Powersource Transportation .................32 

Prime............................... Insert 

Red Eye Radio ...........................78 

Roehl Transport, Inc........................61 

RTI................................. Insert 

Sammons Transportation........ Inside Back Cover 

Shaffer Trucking..........................59 

Southern Refrigerated Transport ..............30 

Super Service ............................57 

Swift Transportation .......................17 

Tango...............................31, 54 

TMC Transportaion ........................33 

Tradewinds..............................15 

Trans Am ...............................35 

Transport America.........................39 

Transport Design..........................41 

TravelCenters of America ...................82 

TruckJobSeekers.com ......................86 

Triple D Supply...........................56 

Truckers Helper ..........................84 

USA Truck...............................55 

U.S. Xpress..............................53 

WoRDFinD puZZle (page 80) Solution

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