Trucker Dump - A Trucking Podcast

In this penultimate episode, I talk about my current job driving for Walmart. Yes, I'm well aware I've had a lot of bad things to say about them in the past, but I wouldn't still be working here 1.5 years later if all those complaints were still true, would I? So if you've ever wondered what it's like to be a Walmart driver, click that play button and prepare yourself for a long, rambling chat about the United States' largest emplo...

In today's episode, we discuss what happened to my former employer, Yellow, Inc. Why did they go out of business after almost 100 years? Was it the Teamsters fault like the CEO of Yellow said? Or was it Yellow's fault like the President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said.

Spoiler alert: I don't have any special inside knowledge, but I do have opinions based on working for both the company as a driver and the Teamste...

So it’s been over a year since the last episode aired, so obviously I start out with a groveling apology, followed by a brief explanation of what happened. I also lay out a plan to wrap up the Trucker Dump Podcast once and for all. 

But for now, here are the links to those long overdue Garmin video reviews I’ve been talking about. And I also throw in a link to my older review of the Garmin dēzl™ OTR1000, which goes into all the det...

In today’s long-overdue show, we’ve got stories on Teamster fights with Sysco and Yellow, FedEx is heading into a massive reorganization, lots of truck stop news, what’s going on with truck safety; including crash rates for new carriers, new out-of-service criteria, driver-facing cameras, drug testing, E-log violation detection, automatic emergency braking legislation pending, and the safest state for truckers (this one might surpr...

In today’s show, we’ve got a cheat sheet to prepare for the upcoming largest safety blitz in North America, the Agriculture Hours-of-Service exemption is coming under fire, California’s AB5 law is back in the headlines, we’ll try to figure out if Electronic Logging Devices have improved safety as much as the FMCSA hoped, the Teamsters are having battles on many fronts, we’ll learn about possible new tax breaks for truckers, and we’...

In this week’s news, Knight-Swift buys yet another large carrier, daylight savings time is being debated in Congress for the millionth time, a Congressman calls the Secretary of Labor nominee the “worst choice.” We’ll find out why. We’ll discuss a new technology that could possibly give truckers priority at stop lights, a safety coalition calls for big safety changes, we’ll discuss what happens to a tire when it finally dies, I’ll ...

In today’s episode, we’ve got a possible new Secretary of Labor, a fight between a Senator and the Teamster’s President, rising pay for diesel mechanics, the Love’s Travel Stop’s founder dies, I’ll tell you about one high tech and one low tech product, Cummins is rebranding it’s emissions-focused division, and apparently, truckers value praise more than anything else. Huh? All that and more.

We’ve also got followup in the listener ...

In today’s show, I’ll tell you when the biggest safety blitz of the year will take place, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) asks the FMCSA for a better Big Truck Crash Study this time around, more rules exemptions are being sought from the FMCSA, new “move over” laws are coming in some states, Canada provides funding to get more truckers into the industry, a new loading/unloading system is introduced by a major...

In today’s show, we’ll talk about how the trucking industry was a hot topic at the State of the Union address, we’ll talk about how this futuristic trucking world isn’t working out quite as expected, the FMCSA is staying busy receiving and rejecting exemption requests, I’ll tell you about a new restaurant chain at TA truck stops, and I’ll point you to a funny article written in a style you used to get here.

In the listener feedback...

In this week’s show, we’ve got lots of truck stop news, I’ll tell you the top 10 worst traffic bottlenecks in the US, we’ve got a crap ton of new state traffic laws, the FMCSA is revamping the way it rates carriers for safety, I’ll share tips to get you in and out of a weigh station quickly, and we’ll talk about what your tires are trying to tell you.

Also, there’s a new “AirBnb” for trucks (yes trucks, not truckers), there’s a new...

Well, news was light last week, but it’s back with a vengeance, which means I’m pretty sure this week’s show is going to be long, so strap in and keep your cup of coffee handy so you don’t doze off. LOL

News this week includes American Trucking Association’s (ATA) CEO discussing trucking’s biggest issues with Congress, positive drug tests were up in 2022, lots of states making new road rules, how to make sure you have the best chan...

Well, the news is light this week, so we’re trying something different again. We’ve been teasing a mega breakdown saga from listener Wunuvakind in recent weeks and it turned out to be far too long for the listener feedback segment. So, I’m sure much to her surprise, Wunuvakind’s story is featured on the show. I enjoyed it immensely and I hope you do to.

As for the news, we talk about a new bill pushing tax credits for most truckers...

In today’s show, California’s AB5 just won’t go away; getting paid-by-the-mile is coming under fire; truckers, drugs, and drug testing is always a hot topic; and I’ll tell you where is the worst traffic in the world and the US is (the answer might surprise you).

Also, how likely is the US going to be ready for electric trucks by 2045?; I’ll tell you about the new type of eco-friendly fuel; we’ll discuss new ways to avoid low-cleara...

Well, we’re back to our normal news-focused show this week. We’ve got lots of news to catch up on, including how California shutting down a crapload of trucks is going. Is the new Tesla semi already having problems? The FMCSA is staying super busy with both denying and accepting requests. I’ll catch you up on that.

What else? Trucking jobs are slowing down, there’s a new tax guide for owner-operators, young truckers and truck parki...

Well, you asked and I listened. In today’s show, we go back to a time when there was nothing on the show but this dorky trucker telling a story and a reading a couple of emails from listeners. This time around we’ve got a rant called “Scoot Over And Fix It Now!” We’ll also hear a bathroom story from Driver Dave and Wunuvakind sent in an audio clip about harassment and urban parking.

Introduction Links:

TD100: What Makes Th...

In this week's show, guest host Steven Gorman talks about the difference between accidents and incidents, and how neither should keep you from succeeding in your trucking career. And he backs that up by telling you about his roads mishaps and where he is now.

In the news segment, Steven talks about the top 10 largest private trucking companies, he’ll provide some further evidence to disprove the “truck driver shortage” myth, and he...

In this week’s trucking news, you’ll get winter driving tips from experienced drivers and you’ll learn if your employer can retaliate if you refuse to drive in bad weather. We’ll hear about the Department of Labor getting an earful about the newly-proposed rules on who qualifies as an independent contractor. California emissions Nazis are reeking havoc again, and we discover yet another chink in the electric truck armor.

Canada is ...