Any trucker who has been on the road for longer than a week knows that it is hard to find dedicated parking to put the truck for a night. Oftentimes a trucker will have to make due with covering multiple spots intended for four-wheelers or a long stretch of curb in residential areas. New York […]
Knowledgeable truckers know how to use Section 179 of the tax code to get a discount on their latest additions to their fleet. In this article we will go over things you should know about this trick for your truck, though understand that we are not tax lawyers.What is Section 179?Section 179 allows a business […]
We have been so busy with covering other aspects of the trucking industry that we let a monthly update slip through our fingers. To make up for it, here is a double feature covering the Class 8 sales for June and July, using numbers from FTR.June 2022 NumbersFTR pins the number of Class 8 truck […]
Another month, another round of used Class 8 auction rates from our friends at J.D. Valuation Services. In this case, the downward trend mostly continues as four out of five model years saw prices decline in varying levels of intensity.July 2022 NumbersModel year 2021: $145,278. A decrease of $8,611 (5.6%) from June.2020: $116,840, a $5,839 […]
When you think of Tesla Motors, there are two features that you think about: the long range by electric vehicle standards, and the autonomous driving features. The California Department of Motor Vehicles is putting an ax to the latter.DetailsCalifornia’s DMV is suing Tesla Motors, filing with the Office of Administrative Hearings to say that Tesla […]
What’s new? An American Trucking Association study released on August 10, states that truck driver wages increased by 18% compared to 2019 average wages. Median compensation in 2021 stood at $69,687. This does not include benefits, but it does include bonuses. “In the truckload space, compensation was up 18% from 2019,” ATA Chief Economist Bob […]
The Inflation Reduction Act has been passed across party lines (51-50 in the Senate, 220-207 in the House of Representatives), and was signed by Joseph Biden when it came across his desk. How is it going to impact the nation’s truckers?Fast Forward on Green EnergyThe most notable change that the signed law has on the […]
As of Aug. 15, the average cost of gasoline has dropped 45 cents over the past three weeks, standing at an average of $4.10 per gallon. Over the past nine weeks, we have seen an 81-cent drop, which is still $1 more than this time last year. San Francisco had the highest recorded gas prices […]
We are currently in the middle of an anomaly where flatbed hauling is more lucrative on a per mile basis than reefer hauling. With reefers tending to attract a higher rate in the summer due to temperature control, it is likely that we will be seeing flatbed remain dominant throughout the rest of the year […]
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is expanding its commercial driver’s license program to focus on incarcerated women. “CDL training is a career field which is in high demand throughout the U.S.,” said Donald Murphy, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Information, Policy and Public Affairs Division, in an interview with Transport Topics. “Inmates […]
We certainly did not expect to hear anymore news regarding the Tesla Semi until 2023, especially when the company has said that supply chain shortages have made it harder to build trucks due to the massive input required. Things are turning around, however, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced via Twitter that the automotive-tech […]
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is a scaled-back version of President Biden’s Build Back Better climate change proposal. The Inflation Reduction Act aims to combat severe weather events for infrastructure projects and promote greener sources of energy for transportation networks. The total bill comes to a grand $740 billion and while the bill details […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as a part of last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is giving away $44 million in grants to different state CDL training programs. If you are a fleet hoping to get more drivers in your trucks, here is what you need to know.Details“FMCSA’s core mission is safety, and […]
What’s New According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, diesel prices have dipped below $5 per gallon. The last time this was seen was in March 2021. After hitting its peak on June 20 with a nationwide average of $5.81 per gallon, we are seeing a decline in both gasoline and diesel prices. Diesel is […]
Loyal readers of the blog may have noticed a not-so-subtle pattern of job numbers within the trucking industry. Since March of this year, the trucking industry has been consistently hiring, adding more jobs each month than the one prior. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has the numbers.July 2022 NumbersThe BLS pins the first preliminary number […]
It would not be a summer season in California without rampaging wildfires, would it? Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a State of Emergency.DetailsIn the middle of a historical drought, California is prime land for wildfires in the season with the highest temperature.While the fires have not burned to the same extent as the Dixie fire […]
The American Transport Research Institute wants to know your thoughts on driving-facing cameras. Are they a bastion of vindication from verdicts in the outcome of a crash, or are they a massive invasion of privacy? Details The survey, which you can take on the relevant ATRI webpage, is twenty questions, and takes no more than […]
The Energy Information Administration report on July 25 shows diesel and gasoline prices decline for the fifth week in a row. Diesel prices hit a record high of $5.810 on June 20. Since then prices have declined by 54.2 cents. All 10 of the places EIA spoke with have reported a fall in diesel prices […]
Here at TopMark Funding’s headquarters near the capital of the sun-drenched California, we are suffering from a tremendous drought that has left us wondering where all the water has gone. It appears we finally have our answer: it is hitting Kentucky and West Virginia with great force. So much so, that the governors of both […]
The Energy Information Administration report on August 1 shows diesel and gasoline fuel prices decline for the sixth week in a row. Diesel prices hit a record high of $5.810 on June 20. Since then prices have declined by 67.2 cents. All 10 of the places EIA spoke with have reported a fall in diesel […]
With the ongoing supply chain backup, fleet owners are working harder than ever to buy the parts they need. Many have to shop outside of their normal network and turn to e-commerce. Navigating the e-commerce world can be a little daunting, but these 10 tips will ensure you make a smart, efficient, and accurate purchase. […]
In today’s world, the news moves quickly. We reported recently about how the AB-5 protests in the port of Oakland, Long Beach, and Los Angeles were subject to blockage due to protests against California’s Assembly Bill 5, which would outlaw the owner-operator model except under specific circumstances. At this point in time, however, things have […]
If you have taken a step outside in the past few weeks, you may have noticed that it is blisteringly hot outside. The Northern Hemisphere is suffering a massive heatwave.One of the common side effects for a heatwave is the drying out of vegetation, both alive and dead, increasing the risk of fire hazards. This […]
