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1 week ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
Mike Gaffin — you might know him better as “The Boston Trucker” — says he never considered himself an “influencer.” It all started back in 2009. Gaffin was just a guy who loved the infinite variety of interesting things he saw in his trucking job, and he wanted to share those experiences with his young son, Nathan. “My son was a couple of years old (in 2009). I was on a construction site getting loaded — and I made a little video,” he told The Trucker.
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1 week ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
If you’re like the vast majority of truck drivers, the job you currently hold is not your first driving job, and it won’t be your last. Turnover is so high in today’s trucking industry that the odds say you’ll be working somewhere else by this time next year. If you’re someone who works in the process of hiring people, you might be new or have years of experience. There are rules that must be followed to make sure your organization is in compliance with regulations.
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2 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
On February 17, 2025, most of the U.S. was celebrating the President’s Day holiday. At Mobil Delvac, there was another reason to celebrate — the day
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2 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
Before diving into the topic of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMSCA) return-to-duty (RTD) process for drivers after being placed out of service for drug or alcohol violations, let’s review the history and purpose of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. A brief history of the ClearinghouseThe activation of the Clearinghouse in January 2020 represented a huge change in the way drug testing was administered and reported.
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3 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
Major changes are coming to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) Compliance, Safety, Accountability program — specifically the Safety Measurement System (SMS) portion. Since some of the changes specify whether inspection violations should be attributed to the carrier or the driver, it’s highly likely that the agency’s Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) will see changes as well. Change has been in the works for some time at FMCSA.
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3 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
February was a tough month for truck dealers, with U.S. sales of new Class 8 tractors hitting the lowest point (15,725 units) since February 2022. According to data received from Wards Intelligence. Back in 2022, sales rose quickly the following month — and 2022 ended with total sales of 254,574. It’s doubtful we’ll see a repeat this year. For those who are anticipating increased freight rates, declining sales of new trucks is a good thing.
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3 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
The year 2025 continues to disappoint those who were looking forward to increased freight volumes and rates during the first quarter. After a disappointing January, spot freight rates for van and refrigerated fell again in February, while flatbed rates stayed roughly even. Truckstop reported in March that broker-posted loads on its board reflected a decline in dry van and refrigerated spot rates for nine of the previous 10 weeks; only flatbed rates had steadily gained.
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4 weeks ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
There’s little doubt that technology has changed the job of driving a commercial motor vehicle forever. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have changed the driver’s role by taking control of the vehicle during certain conditions. Electronic control modules (ECMs) have changed the way vehicle components like steering linkage, braking, fuel injection and gear selection operate — and created a way to report on that operation through telematics.
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1 month ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
The term “defensive driving” has become nearly cliché around the trucking industry. Everyone wants to drive defensively, right? After all, no one wants to be in any sort of collision. It only makes sense to defend oneself from all the hazards found on the road today. The problem with the term “defensive driving,” however, is that it leans to an “us vs. them” mentality.
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1 month ago | 
thetrucker.com | Cliff Abbott
You know all those Biden-era Greenhouse Gas standards and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates regarding emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles set to take place beginning with model year 2027? Or (and perhaps closer to the heart of the trucking industry) those looming deadlines for emissions regulations on heavy-duty vehicles?
