IC_11-16_OnlinEdition

Free DIRECTV with the NFL Sunday Ticket and HBO 

TransAm has a reputation as a company that 

cares about its drivers and their success. 

That’s because TransAm provides its drivers 

with great opportunities and advantages plus 

resources to become an independent business 

owner and acceptance into the driver coaching 

program. In addition, TransAm offers one 

of the industry’s best benefit and training 

packages. Find out more about how TransAm 

can help make your career the best it can be! 

About our location & facilities: 

TransAm Trucking, a leading refrigerated longhaul 

trucking company serving the Midwest 

and East Coast, was founded in 1987 by John 

Jacobson, Jr. and his wife, Trudy. TransAm 

operates from a 40-acre site in Olathe, Kan., 

which is home to its corporate office. This 

complex, near I-35 and Highway 169 outside of 

Kansas City, has 17 acres of heavy duty concrete 

staging and parking area plus a state-of-the 

art maintenance shop and 25,000-squarefoot 

office building. TransAm also has a 

terminal in Rockwall, Texas, which includes 

an office building as well as a maintenance 

shop that performs the same services as the 

Olathe shop. 

Getting started at TransAm: 

All new drivers at TransAm attend a paid 

three-day orientation program when they start 

work. TransAm hires experienced OTR drivers 

and recent graduates of certified truck driving 

schools. After orientation, recent graduates 

attend three days of post-orientation training 

at the TransAm terminal to prepare them 

for their over-the-road training. TransAm 

then takes great care matching student 

drivers with a coach. After the over-theroad 

training is complete, the driver attends 

additional classroom training at the TransAm 

terminal where Training personnel present 

a summarization of the material previously 

covered and answer any additional questions. 

Upon completion of the training program, 

drivers have access to top-of-the line 

Kenworth trucks equipped to help them enjoy 

life on the road. Features include refrigerators, 

automatic transmissions, voice navigation, 

in-cab 5th wheel release, and power to charge 

electronic equipment such as laptops and cell 

phones and to run televisions and microwaves. 

All trucks are two-bunk condos with deluxe 

interiors and are equipped with auxiliary power 

units for in-cab climate control. 

Own your own business! 

If you’ve ever wanted to own your own business 

driving your own truck and having more 

control and more freedom, take a look at what 

Olathe Noble Equipment Leasing has to offer. 

This exciting opportunity is available to all 

drivers including recent graduates. Highlights 

of this program include reasonable weekly 

lease payments, a lease completion incentive, 

great buy-out values and excellent equipment 

including the Kenworth T680 with bumperto-bumper 

warranty and extended engine 

warranty. Short-term leasing opportunities 

are also available. 

Join TransAm today! 

Drivers interested in joining 

the TransAm operation 

should call (855) 969-6167 

or visit www.transamtruck.com

CONTENTS 

November 2016 • Vol. 19 • Iss. 10 

Business Solutions 

Interesting things 

to know: 

Car Windows – 

Don’t Protect Against 

UV Rays 

Page 10 

IC News 

Trucking And Travel 

Plaza Industry 

Leaders Launch 

‘Park My Truck’ 

Product Profile 

Page 16 

Navistar Unveils 

New OTR 

International LT 

Series Trucks 

Page 24 

s t a f f 

General Manager Megan Cullingford 

Sales Manager Jerry Critser 

Creative Director Chad Singleton 

Administrative Staff Tammy Borrelli 

Charlene Abernathy 

Editor Sean O'Connell 

Advertising Account Executives 

Meg Larcinese 

1.678.325.1025 

megl@targetmediapartners.com 

John Hicks 

1.770.418.9789 

johnh@targetmediapartners.com 

Greg McClendon 

1.678.325.1023 

gregmc@targetmediapartners.com 

Roger Fair 

1.256.676.3688 

rogerf@targetmediapartners.com 

Brett Scott 

1.757.777.5113 

Brett.Scott@TargetMediaPartners.com 

Wilshire Classifieds, LLC 

P.O. Box 2685 

Anniston, AL 36202 

(256) 237-2801 • (256) 237-2802 Fax 

COPYRIGHT: Copyright 2016 Wilshire Classifieds, LLC. Publisher 

as sumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Reproduction in 

whole or in part without written permis sion is prohibited. All advertisements, 

and/or editorials are accepted and published by Publisher on 

the representation that the advertiser, its advertising agency, and/or the 

supplier of the contents are authorized to publish the entire contents and 

subject matter thereof. The advertiser, its advertising agency and/or the 

supplier of the contents will defend, indemnify and hold Publisher harmless 

from and against any loss, expense or other liability, resulting from 

any claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism, copyright or 

trademark infringement and any other claims or suits that may rise out of 

publication of such contents. Press releases are expressly covered within 

the definition of contents. 

Member of NATSO, Inc. 

4 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2016 www.TruckDriverMagazines.com

Business 

Solutions By Shasta D. May 

INTERESTING 

THINGS TO KNOW 

Trucking – Several Regulations Affecting the 

Industry Coming Soon 

First, the requirement to log drivers’ hours 

electronically, which takes effect at the end of 

2017. Most large carriers have already switched 

tractor trailers, buses, vans, big pickups and 

other commercial vehicles. The new efficiency 

gains will increase prices of future models. 

IRS – Fee for Installment Plans Increasing 

The Service is proposing a stiff fee hike to 

go into effect on January 1, 2017. The charge 

for new installment plans will be $225, a 

$105 increase from today’s cost. The cost for 

direct debit installment agreements will more 

than double to $107. And for restructuring or 

reinstating an existing plan, the fee will rise 

$39 to $89. The cost will be less for taxpayers 

who set up online payment plans. They will pay 

$149 and $31 if they remit funds through direct 

debits from their bank accounts. 

Energy-Efficient Tax Credits – 

Still Time to get Credit 

The tax law extended through 2016 the credit 

for energy saving items added to one’s residence, 

such as windows, insulation, roofs and 

doors. It stays at 10% with a $500 maximum. 

Any credits taken in prior years count against 

the $500. And many items are capped, no more 

than $50 for circulating fans, $150 for furnaces 

and $200 for windows. 

to electronic logs. But smaller trucking firms 

often still log hours manually, and going digital 

is expensive, about $500 per device. 

Also coming, tougher fuel economy rules, 

which start to phase-in in 2018 and increase 

over the next decade. The rules apply to new 

If you install solar panels, you can claim a 

credit for 30% of the total cost. For solar energy 

systems installed in a residence, the full credit 

applies through 2019 and phases out until it 

ends after 2021. The tax break for geothermal 

heat pumps, residential wind turbines and fuel 

cell property currently expires after this year. 


Car Windows – Don’t Protect Against UV Rays 

Windshields generally block 96% of cancer 

causing UVA rays. But side windows block 

only 71%, on 

average. This 

could increase 

drivers’ risk of 

left-eye cataracts 

and cancer on 

the left side of 

the face. Buying 

special window-tint products that block 99% of 

UVA rays may be the best defense or consider 

wearing sunscreen whenever you drive. 

Cell Phone Plan – For Heavy Data Users 

The T-Mobile Simple Choice plan with 

unlimited data ($50 a month) lets you stream 

all the music and video you want with no extra 

charges or slowed data speeds. Ideal plan if 

you have a teenager or are a heavy data user 

yourself. 

Business 

Solutions 

HELPFUL APPS 

& WEBSITES 

FairHealthConsumer.org – is a health-cost finder, 

enter your zip code to get estimates for common 

medical and dental procedures, including 

out-of-pocket costs for people who don’t have 

insurance. Free apps are available for Android 

and Apple devices. 

Pet First Aid – is a Red Cross app with lots of 

advice and videos on how to diagnose and treat 

common pet injuries and illnesses. In the event 

the situation is serious, the app will also locate 

the nearest emergency animal hospital. 

This article has been presented by MBA Tax 

& Bookkeeping Service, a company proud 

to provide Corporate/LLC filings, income tax, 

bookkeeping and IRS problem resolution 

services to truckers in states. If you would 

like additional information or have questions, 

calls are always welcome. Contact us at 

(888) 407-1669 or visit our website at www. 

mbataxhelp.com. 

This article is provided for informational purposes 

only and is not intended as legal or tax 

advice. Each individual business situation is 

different and the information contained herein 

is meant for general information purposes 

only. Specific tax and legal recommendations 

can only be made after an individual 

has consulted his or her qualified tax or legal 

professional. 


NEWS 

Independent Contractor 

November 2016 

Trucking And Travel Plaza 

Industry Leaders Launch 

‘Park My Truck’ 

Trucking and travel plaza leaders recently 

launched a new highway safety initiative to 

help professional drivers find available truck 

parking. 

Truck drivers who need to stop and 

rest will be able to use a free mobile app 

called Park My Truck to locate an available 

space, according to the initiative’s leaders, 

the NATSO Foundation, NATSO, Inc., the 

American Trucking Associations (ATA) 

and the American Transportation Research 

Institute (ATRI). 

“Park My Truck was developed by the 

truckstop industry in conjunction with our 

trucking partners based on feedback from 

professional drivers and trucking companies 

who often describe truck parking availability 

as a critical need,” said Lisa Mullings, 

the president of NATSO and the NATSO 

Foundation. “The NATSO Foundation and its 

allies are committed to providing America’s 

truck drivers with easy, up-to-date information 

regarding available truck parking. Working 

together, we can advance safety on the 

highways for all drivers by sharing information 

and helping truck drivers more easily 

find and utilize existing capacity.” 

Park My Truck includes the total number 

of truck parking spaces for nearly 5,000 

truckstops in the United States and some rest 

areas. Participants reporting available truck 

parking information include independent 

truckstops as well as chain locations representing 

150,000 truck parking spaces. 

“Finding a safe place to park is a consistent 

issue for drivers in our industry,” said 

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “While 

we would love to see the number of spaces 

increase, tightening state and federal highway 

budgets will limit the opportunity to expand 

parking capacity for the foreseeable future. 

It is important we have ways to let drivers 

know where the spaces currently exist, which 

is why this app, developed in cooperation 

with ATRI and NATSO, is so important. 

Directing drivers to safe parking spaces will 

give them opportunity to get the rest they 

need and the off-duty time they are required 

to have.” 

For links to download the app, visit Park- 

MyTruck.com. 

Economist Says Inventory 

Glut, Manufacturing Has 

Hurt Volumes in 2016 

American Trucking Associations’ Chief 

Economist Bob Costello said the trucking 

16 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2016 HUNDREDS OF JOBS www.TruckJobSeekers.com


NEWS 

industry has seen soft volumes in 2016 due to 

bloated inventories and a weak manufacturing 

environment. 

“The current cycle of larger than normal 

inventories has taken longer than usual to resolve 

itself,” Costello said here during ATA’s 

Management Conference & Exhibition. 

“Coupled with weakness in the manufacturing 

sector, we’ve seen softer than typical 

volumes in both the truckload and less-thantruckload 

sectors. However, I am hopeful that 

we are nearing the bottom of this cycle and 

will soon expect a modest rebound.” 

Costello said that both truckload and lessthan-truckload 

carriers added truck capacity 

in 2015, which makes the current environment 

feel even more challenging. 

“Also, truckload carriers have added 

trailer capacity of late, likely in advance of 

the approaching electronic logging device 

compliance deadline,” he said. “More small 

and medium fleets will, I believe, try to 

compensate for the impact of ELDs by doing 

more drop and hook to reduce wait times.” 

In addition, Costello emphasized the role 

that trade plays in trucking – pointing out 

that since 1995, the value of goods moved by 

trucks between the U.S., Mexico and Canada 

has risen 168% to $712 billion. 

“It may not always be top of mind, but 

trade is an important part of the trucking 

economy,” he said. “In the post-North American 

Free Trade Agreement era, we’ve seen 

growth in exports moved by truck outstrip 

overall growth of domestic freight over the 

past two decades.” 

For more on trucking and trade, download 

this report highlighting the significant 

role trucking plays in moving goods across 

borders. 

18 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR 2016 HUNDREDS OF JOBS www.TruckJobSeekers.com


NEWS 

FedEx Cares 2016 Fall 

Campaign to Deliver 

Positive Change Around 

the World 

More than 15,000 FedEx team members 

from around the world will dedicate their 

time and skills to 

community service 

in celebration of the 

company’s annual 

FedEx Cares Fall Campaign. FedEx Corp. 

launched this effort in a handful of U.S. cities 

in 2005 and has since expanded it to 200 U.S. 

cities and 120 countries around the world. 

The volunteer tradition focuses on giving 

back to communities where team members 

live and work. 

FedEx team members will be participating 

in a variety of service projects ranging 

from working in the gardens at Alcatraz 

Island in San Francisco to helping provide 

medical services to underprivileged children 

in rural Vietnam. 

“Every day, our team members connect 

FedEx to communities around the globe, volunteering 

their time and expertise to causes 

they are passionate about,” said Neil Gibson, 

vice president of Corporate Communications, 

FedEx Services. “This spirit of giving 

embodies what FedEx Cares is all about - 

making the world a better place.” 

FedEx Cares is the company’s global 

giving platform through which FedEx will 

invest $200 million in more than 200 global 

communities by 2020 to create opportunities 

and deliver positive change around the world. 

Local volunteers supplement and enrich these 

community investments. 



PRODUCT 

PROFILE 

Navistar Unveils New OTR 

International LT Series Trucks 

International Truck recently launched the 

International LT Series, its new flagship line 

of Class 8 over-the-road trucks developed 

through driver centric design and featuring 

advanced technologies that deliver fuel 

efficiency, best-in-class uptime and driver 

appeal. 

In keeping with the company’s Driver- 

First product design focus, International undertook 

extensive research with truck drivers, 

including driver clinics that gathered input 

from hundreds of drivers. International used 

this research to design an all-new interior 

and identified multiple new and improved 

“The new International LT Series reflects 

our vision for the future of the trucking 

industry, with a host of advancements that 

support improved driver safety and productivity, 

as well as fuel efficiency and uptime,” 

said Bill Kozek, president, Truck and Parts, 

Navistar. “This new vehicle reflects our 

strong belief that integrating the best technology 

will provide customers with a significant 

operating advantage.” 

In developing the LT Series, International 

worked hard to assure that drivers will find 

each vehicle more comfortable, appealing 

and user-friendly in every detail, Kozek said. 

features that enhance driver appeal. 

“To ensure the new LT Series is the most 

driver-centric Class 8 vehicle we’ve ever 

built; we gave drivers a voice in its design,” 

said Jeff Sass, senior vice president, sales 

and marketing. “Many of our customers tell 

us that their No. 1 challenge is attracting and 

retaining drivers, which is why we put so 

much effort into understanding and responding 

to drivers’ needs. These improvements 

also contribute to increased driver ease of use 

that will boost the vehicle’s productivity.” 

Based on a review of more than 500 



PRODUCT 

PROFILE 

points where the driver and truck interact, the 

ergonomic interior of the LT Series includes 

better elbow room, hip room and leg room. 

The redesigned interior also features a 

new premium gauge 

cluster with a digital 

driver display that 

places everything within 

comfortable reach, 

while offering drivers 

real-time monitoring of 

fuel economy and other 

important alerts in clear 

sight. 

In addition, the Bendix Wingman Advanced 

Collision Mitigation system comes 

standard in the LT Series. 

The LT Series was designed with the goal 

of best-in-class uptime, meaning keeping 

the truck on the road and facilitating quick 

service when the need arises, Sass said. 

To drive improved uptime, International 

carefully reviewed data collected from On- 

Command Connection, the company’s remote 

diagnostics system, and made multiple 

enhancements to 

support increased 

reliability and 

serviceability. 

Aerodynamics 

in the LT Series 

were fine-tuned 

using multiple 

advanced testing 

methods, including 

computational fluid 

dynamics, oneeighth 

scale and 

full-size wind tunnel 

and coast-down 

testing, to assure 

that the vehicle would perform well facing 

winds not just head-on, but also at an angle. 

In fact, the higher the yaw angle of the wind, 

the better the LT Series performs against the 

competition. 

The LT Series will be offered in multiple 

configurations, including day cab, 56-inch 

low roof sleeper, 56-inch hi-rise sleeper, 

73-inch hi-rise sleeper and 73-inch sky-rise 

sleeper. 

For more information visit https://www. 

internationaltrucks.com/LTSeriesMedia. 



Advertiser 

Index 

The Ad Index is provided as a convenience. The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. 

COMPANY PAGE COMPANY PAGE 

BCT ............................ 32 

Bennett Motor Express ............. 11 

Cargil........................... 33 

EM Way Inc.. ..................... 34 

Fed EX Custom Critical .......... 15, 29 

Hirschbach .................... 5, 36 

MAG Carriers ..................... 21 

Mercer Transportation ............ 8, 25 

Miller Truck Lines ................. 20 

MinStar ......................... 31 

Pacesetter ....................... 32 

Page Trucking .................... 23 

Petro/TA. ..................... 14, 28 

RTI. ......................... 13, 35 

Stageline Express ................ 6-7 

Summit Express .................. 17 

The Trucker ...................... 30 

Tran Stewart Trucking .............. 19 

Trans Am ............... Cover, 2-3, 27 

TruckJobSeekers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Turquoise Trucking................. 18 

Universal Companies ................ 9

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