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These are good tips for current owners of certain generators. But if you are in the market for a new one, save yourself these troubles and buy an Onan and use a roof unit to heat and cool the sleeper. Our Onan has provided over 4,000 hours of trouble-free service, except for a fuel pump...

Well, I suffered through the desert heat too. I mean, come on! There were a few moments in the sleeper where temperatures rose slightly above room temperature and I actually felt warm. It was enough to make me leave my seat, make my way to the cab, and make a sincere inquiry about the...

Interesting info. Here is the link to the Enviro-Safe web site. If the refrigerant is that much more efficient, I wonder what kind of reefer fuel savings that might translate into?

Actually, the Volvo day cab is not "as well insulated as one can get." Because it is a day cab and not a sleeper truck, the winter insulation package option was not available to us. That is one of the very few things I would change about the truck if I could, add winter insulation to the day...

Here is the news story, and another. The inexeprienced driver probably could have handled the vehicle quite well had he maintained his lane and not been driving 80 to 100 mph (reports vary). A tragic wreck that was totally preventable. You made a good decision to keep your involvement to a...

We drove across the Mojave desert yesterday afternoon, The outside temp ranged from 105 F to 113 F as we drove. This is the hottest temp we have encountered for an extended period of time since we got into this truck. I was in the sleeper with the curtain closed and unaware of the outside temp...

I just bought the Big Rig movie at a TA and watched in the sleeper while Diane drove down the road. I had thoughts about giving it to another truck driver after I was done with it. That won't happen now. This movie is a keeper. I loved it! The movie made me laugh, cry and feel inspired all at...

When you think of yourself, such phone calls from dispatch can be a pain. When you think of your customer, the same phone calls are opportunities to be of service, inspire confidence in the customer's mind and give the customer a reason to use your carrier again. I guess it's all how you look...

That goes partly to the question I asked above. You said you ran for a carrier "once" that called often. What about now? What carriers today call drivers frequently to get a location report?

We do receive additional compensation for value added services. Expedited freight is generally more expensive to ship than general freight. The notion that a driver is having to answer a location inquiry every four hours strikes me as strange. Maybe it happened in the past, but in today's...

What carrier calls drivers every four hours for location updates? That's a new one on me. Regarding encouraging customers to track their freight, I think it is a great idea. Customers tracking trucks is not new, at least not at our carrier. From our early days in the business, Diane and I have...

Point taken. Still, the main point remains. In Ohio, tolls are calculated by weight and not by the number of axles on the ground.

For two different truck owners, we drove their trucks while they stayed home for health reasons. They were not running fleets, just their own trucks that they normally drove themselves. They both had previous experience as fleet owners years ago, and both had given it up as more trouble than it...

To those of you who are renting or buying the DVD, where are you finding it?

Regarding tolls and lift axles, sometimes it matters how many axles you have on the ground, sometimes it does not. For example: "The PA Turnpike classifies vehicles and charges tolls based on gross vehicle weight, distance traveled and number of axles. Visit the toll mileage calculator on...

When spec'ing our truck, we went with twin screws for one reason and one reason only: comfort. In fleet owner trucks we drove Class 8 straight trucks that had lift axles (one drive axle, one lift axle) and twin screws (two drive axles with 8 wheels always on the ground). Without question, the...

American Truck Business Services has upgraded its website, making it easier to review that company's products and services. Among the freebies featured there is a white paper entitled, "Is Incorporation Right for your Business?" This question regularly comes up in the Open Forum. The white...

Is a driver or owner-operator (deemed an "employee" for purposes of FMCSR) legally allowed to do this kind of brake work? FMCSR 396.25 comes to mind, especially: "(c) No motor carrier shall require or permit any employee who does not meet the minimum brake inspector qualifications of...

I stand corrected on my "no difference between hoses" info. You learn something new every day.

Here is a link to help with the day dreaming. Their catalog is always a welcome sight in our mail stack.