Ask The Trucker "LIVE" w/Allen Smith

GATS is for Truckers! Ask-a-Lawyer and MORE

 6 PM et Call in 347-826-9170

The Great American Trucking Show (GATS) is right around the corner! GATS will be held Aug. 24-26 in Dallas, Texas, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Join the discussion tonight as our guests Idella Hansen and Desiree Wood of RWIT share the highlights of the "Ask-A-Lawyer event at GATS" 

Topics include: Wrongful termination,Discrimination,Harassment,Retaliation,Whistle blower protection,Lease Violations,DAC Reports,Employment labor,Sexual Harassment, Misclassification

A “Lady Truck Driver Forum Panel Discussion” sponsored by the “Truckers Justice Center” will be held on the main exhibit floor

Les WIllis of Godspeed Expediters will once again be in charge of the parking lot, aka the  TA | Petro Truck Parking Community

Located at the Cotton Bowl’s Fair Park, the TA-Petro Truck Parking Community will provide truck drivers with free shuttles to and from the convention center, food vendors, showers, restrooms and more. truck service and repairs from TA-Petro, pet grooming, a pet parade, worship service on Sunday, and an auction to benefit truckersfinalmile.org.

THURSDAY 6PM ET 347-826-9170

Trucker Health at GATS- Rig without Cigs-MATS2GATS-GutHealth

Once against the Great American Trucking Show, #GATS, focuses on "the driver". A key element of the focus continues to be truck driver health.  Along with the well know Health Pavilion which offer free screenings and mammograms for drivers, comes an emphasis to aid drivers with many of their health issues and difficulties, including, smoking, weight, physical fitness, emotional wellbeing, and the all-around importance of Gut Health.

Our first of 3 guests tonight is Julie Dillon, Communication and Wellness Manager at St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund /  This year Julie brings to drivers the "Rigs Without Cigs" program offered to drivers and their families to help them kick the nicotine habit. So many drivers need help from the habit and addiction and St Chris is offering all kinds of help to them!

Pre-registration begins August 1st. - register online at  Rigs without Cigs Registration.

Tom Kyrk of Road Tested Living is the Chairman of the MATS2GATS fitness challenge this year and will also be on stage at the Health Pavilion performing his popular cooking demos.

Carolyn O'Byrne of LifeCoachService.net makes her 3rd appearance. Carolyn is truckings' Live Coach and is the author of “Gut Instinct”. Carolyn will be unveiling “Gut Instinct” on Audio CD at GATS 2017. She'll also be presenting at the Health Pavilion

Julie, Tom and Carolyn continue to be a driving force at GATS when it comes to Truck Driver Health.

Open Forum- Vote NO! FAA Anti-Trucker bill and ELDs!!

Saturday 6PM ET

Call in 347-826-9170

Two major trucker issues right now affecting Trucker wages are: 

1) the last minute FAA reauthorization amendments that the ATA has "urged" Lawmakers to slip in an aviation bill this week. The amendments are the Fisher Amendment and the Denham Amendment.

The ATA vowed last year that this was their MAIN priority. The reason?  To keep drivers wages low.  If the amendments are allowed in the FAA bill, it will ensure that drivers will only be paid piece work wages and nothing more.  All detention time, waiting, paperwork, etc... will be expected to be done for free.

Read more Anti-Trucker wage language in 2 bills to ensure cheap labor and high profits

TO CALL NOW. WE ONLY HAVE A FEW DAYS TO STOP THIS!! 202-224-3121

Tell your Reps to SAY NO to FAA reauthorization bill’s Anti Trucker wage amendments Fisher Amendment in the Senate bill and Denham Amendment in the House bill (State preemption,meal & rest break Amendment)

2) ELD's---  The mandate for ELD's is Dec of this year, however the majority of truckers are against them. 

Tony Justice and Scott Reed plan to call in and discuss their scheduled protest to Washington October 3-7. Read more about this and more in their group ELD or ME.

Lori Baker reaches the incarcerated and families through Mercy Heart

Thursday 6PM

Call in 347-826-9170

The Mercy Heart organization strives to help a part of American society that many may have dismissed. As we  share our concerns about the health and wellbeing of truck drivers, there are truck drivers reaching out to those who many times are in even greater need, the families and those incarcerated.

Lori Baker joins us tonight to share her past struggles and experiences as a lady driver and her road-ministry work in relationship with Mercy Heart Organization of Texas.

Watch the video as Lori talks about Mercy Heart and how they work to help empower and restore families caught up in the crisis of incarceration.

Tom “Captain” Kyrk of Road Tested Living join us as he keeps us all up to date with this years Trucking Shows Health Fitness Challenges. We’ll get to hear this year's version of the MATS (Louisville, KY) to GATS ( TX (GATS) Fitness Challenge and we'll  be discussing the history of the group, what to expect, how to Register and the changes for this year's challenge.  Registration starts March 20th at MATS. 

FaceBook Page MATS2GATS Fitness Challenge

This year's format will be a group fitness challenge with a goal of losing 2,000 combined pounds!

The great folks from Tough Tested ( TT)are helping to sponsor this year's contest as well as providing prizes and t-shirts for those involved. Carolyn O'Byrne of LIfeCoachService.net, John Reed Teddy the trainer, among others will be participating and giving advice and suggestions to those who want it.

 Get motivated to make some changes in your life and start on the path to losing some weight and building some new friendships. We look forward to hearing you on the radio and seeing you in the contest

Mid-America Trucking show is March 23rd 24th & 25th. Stop by the Tough Tested booth to meet "Captain Kyrk", he will be there on the 23rd & 24th. In and out of the TT both will be Wendy Parker, music artist and truck driver Bill Weaver and Carolyn O'byrne.

Looking at Trucking from both sides

Friday 6PM ET

347-826-9170

AskTheTrucker “Live” Open Forum will take a look at both sides of the trucking industry, the professional driver side as well as the trucking association side.

Our guest for tonight is Joe Rajkovacz, Director of Governmental Affairs and Communications for the Western States Trucking Association.Prior to his present role at WSTA, Joe has been a company driver, small business owner operator, and Regulatory Affairs Specialist  for OOIDA.

Mr. Rajkovacz will share his views for many of the issues which face the trucking industry associations and will also address professional driver concerns, including wages, ELDS, turnover, retention, and the twice defeated Denham Language which has threatened to override states’ rights. Had the Denham Language passed in the FAST ACT or the FAAAA reauthorization bill, the Federal Government would have preempted states rights to pay drivers for all time, including detention time and rest breaks.

Denham Language is anticiapted to be included in the up and coming THUD bill in 2017.

 Callers are welcome to join in the conversation and discuss the topics with us.

347-826-9170

On January 31st 2017 Utah U.S. District Court judge, Judge Robert J. Shelby, granted certification to a nationwide class of truck drivers who allege fraud and other statutory claims against C.R. England.

The court issued this favorable ruling for truck drivers, certifying a class action in the C.R. England Student Driver- Truck Lease lawsuit.

Truck drivers allege claims of fraud, false advertising, and company unjust enrichment against C.R. England

For many professional drivers this was a step towards a huge victory against a practice which has been considered at best unethical and at worst a deceitful contract designed for driver failure and company profit.

Tonight our guest will be attorney Robert S Boulter who leads the case against the CR England trucking giant, representing thousands of drivers in this class action lawsuit.

Robert S. Boulter  of  Boulter Law is a State Bar of California board certified specialist in franchise law and distribution law. He dedicates himself to representing small businesses, franchisees, distributors, employees, investors, truckers, and consumers.

Mr Boulter litigates many types of cases including breach of contract, securities and securities fraud, civil racketeering, labor law, wage and hour law, franchise law, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, trade mark and trade secret infringement, restrictive covenants, broker and finder fee cases, interference with contract, and trade libel.

Saturday

6PM ET

Call in 347-826-9170

Trucking industry lobbyists (including ATA) have stated that they plan to target the new Republican control in Washington, D.C. to pass legislation which would negatively affect driver wages by preempting State Labor laws. This new legislation ( Such as Denham Amendment of 2015 which failed) would create law that would prevent drivers from ever being paid for all working time. (Detention, waiting, paperwork, etc…)

Since November 2015 the ATA and other organizations have been attempting to re-interpret the intended meaning of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A) in attempt to prevent drivers from being paid for anything other than the miles they drive.

The F4A was written to prohibit states from interfering with the regulations of freight rates in effort to deregulate the aviation and trucking  industries.This legislation is NOT just an “intrastate driver” issue. If passed it would affect all drivers.

Our guest tonight is Craig Ackermann of Ackermann & Tilajef, P.C. Craig has been an employment lawyer for 19 years and has represented over 25,000 truck drivers.

Tonight he will explain the Federal Aviation  Administration Authorization Act (F4A), and how amendments or altering of the F4A (which the Denham Amendment tried to do), would place the final nail in the coffin for drivers who want to be legally/ officially paid for all their working time. The industry itself has stated drivers work an additional 30-40 hours above their driving time.

For additional info please go to InfoGraphicSTOP New Legislation-Truck Driver Wages at Risk

Some of the most stressful words can many times be the words “HEALTH INSURANCE” 

Although the Affordable Care Act has allowed millions more to have health insurance, the costs for others have sky rocketed, and many can not afford the premiums.

 We now have a Republican President and Congress who has vowed to repeal the ACA, which is adding even more stress to many, mainly, what’s going to happen to the way we will be able to obtain health care coverage?

Many owner operators have been able to obtain their health insurance for subsidized low premiums, but others have been priced out and have decided to take the penalties for not having health insurance at all.  Anyone who has ever been ill and has needed to be hospitalized knows this can be a huge risk

Tonight we will be discussing the many topics relating to Health Care, the Affordable Care Act, and alternatives options that will relieve you from government penalties.

Our guest tonight is Marc Ballard, Director of Business Development at Truckers Insurance Exchange. Marc will be addressing many of these concerns that we all have right now as we enter 2017.  Marc’s 26 year experience has brought the Truckers Insurance Exchange (TIE)  a NEW approach to providing compliant health insurance, personal insurance offers and trucker related services to owner operators, independent contractors and members of the National Association of Independent Truckers (NAIT)

We’ll have a Q&A for all those who are looking for insight, advise, and alternative compliant options to the ACA

Thursday January 5, 2017

6PM ET

Call in # 347-826-9170   

Have your questions ready!

Self Awareness: The Key to Well-Being

Here we are in the holiday season, a season like no other, which can bring and create more activities, spending, emotions, and indulgence...than any other!

So how does all this affect us during and even AFTER the season is over? 

So many questions to be contemplated, mostly within ourselves, and as we know,  it's not easy to be in touch or totally honest with oneself.

For many, the season brings joy, for others sadness or loneliness, and for others it can even bring guilt. So how do we prepare for this onslaught?  How do we cope, and deal with these repercussions, if any? 

Tonight we have a very special guest, Dana Gore, of I am My Imagination, to talk about many of our emotions and thought patterns which already exist, but seem to be magnified during the holiday season. The focus is on our well-being and self-awareness, including the battle within ourselves.  Can we win the battle?  We'll find out tonight as we explore a part of ourselves that we may not even know existed!

Dana is the author of the books "A Simple Guide to Exercise Safety (What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You)" and "Streetwise Philosophy (A Bullshit-Free Approach to Spiritual Maturity). Dana Gore is a health and fitness professional, wellness coach, and freelance writer. She brings guidance to the public about how to achieve optimal health in a safe and structured manner while inspiring her readers to seek self-awareness and inner peace as a means to well-being in all areas of life.

Thursday Dec.1,2016

6PM ET

Call in number 347-826-9170

You can listen through your phone or the internet!