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With this episode, Trucking Matters from Reliance Partners begins our series exploring the Seven BASICs that are covered under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability enforcement program. BASIC is an acronym for Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category. Part 1 of our series will feature the opening segment in a detailed overview of the Unsafe Driving BASIC.

Thom Albrecht, the Chief Revenue Officer at Reliance Partners, will serve as your host and moderator for this episode, which features expert perspective from Mark Barlar and Daniel Vega, two members of the Reliance Partners Safety Impact Team. Prior to joining Reliance Partners, both Mark and Daniel established sterling reputations in commercial vehicle enforcement with long careers as State Troopers. At Reliance, Mark and Daniel are working with the company’s clients in the areas of safety and compliance.

In addition to discussing the Unsafe Driving BASIC by noting the various types and the severity of unsafe driving violations, including a look at how the points system works, this episode also provides an overview of the Compliance, Safety and Accountability Enforcement Program overseen by the FMCSA and the Safety Measure System applied to truck carriers.

This discussion was initially shared as part of a Safety Matters Live Webinar episode from Reliance Partners on September 16th. Trucking Matters is a production of Reliance Partners in collaboration with PodWheels. To learn more about Reliance Partners, please visit ReliancePartners.com.

The post Understanding All Aspects Of FMCSA’s Unsafe Driving BASIC appeared first on PodWheels.

The SCF HIghway To Hope Podcast is placing a bow on September’s National Prostate Awareness Month with this episode that highlights how professional drivers can obtain free prostate cancer screening kits from SCF. This program, which is part of SCF’s Get Preventative Screenings (GPS) initiative, is being made possible through a sponsorship provided by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).

During this episode of the podcast, SCF Health & Wellness Manager Lindsey Bryan is joined by Norita Taylor, who is the Director of Public Relations from OOIDA. Norita also serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. Following the Q&A with Norita, who discusses how these free screenings have been set up by keeping the lifestyle of professional drivers in mind, Lindsey is joined by Shelly House, who is Family Nurse Practitioner at the tele-health service Call-on-Doc. Shelly shares some eye-opening information on the importance and ease of utilizing these preventative screenings. Shelly also discusses the increased risk factors for prostate cancer that are a reality for professional drivers.

To learn more about the Get Preventative Screenings program from SCF and how you can take advantage of the offer for free prostate cancer screenings, please click here.

The post Prostate Health Awareness: SCF Program Offers Free Screenings appeared first on PodWheels.

Within the trucking industry and across a host of other industries, managing litigation issues has become a common aspect of running a business in recent years. During this episode of the Grawe Pod, we’ll be discussing the complexities of litigation in the business world, placing a particular focus on addressing litigation situations that trucking and logistics companies can encounter. Doug Grawe, the Founder and CEO of the Grawe Group, welcomes litigation expert Brian Niemczyk as his guest for this episode of the series. Brian is a partner with the Hellmuth & Johnson Law Firm in the Twin Cities, and he holds nearly 20 years’ experience in the area of litigation.

Through their discussion across this episode, Doug and Brian explore various types of disputes that businesses may face, common mistakes that lead to litigation, and the importance of clear contracts. Brian shares insights on evaluating cases, managing client expectations, and the steps involved in the litigation process. The conversation also covers the significance of finding the right attorney and understanding the costs associated with litigation.

To learn more about the Grawe Group, visit the firm’s website, TheGraweGroup.com.

The post How Prepared Is Your Company When Litigation Situations Arise?   appeared first on PodWheels.

Almost one month to the day that the NTDC 2025 Organizing Committee began its onsite work to prepare for the Opening Day of this year’s Championships, PodWheels caught up with NTDC 2025 Chairman Robert Foskey. In this episode of the podcast, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson asks Bob to reflect on what took place in Minneapolis during the third week of August.

As you will hear, Bob shares notes of praise for everyone who came together to make NTDC 2025 a memorable event for all who were part of this year’s National Championships. As a past State Champion and a participant in the NTDC program, Bob has a unique perspective when it comes to the experience drivers and their families have at the nationals.

The work by the Organizing Committee, the ATA staff and all the volunteers that came together in Minneapolis represented an effort that was more than a year in the making. As he shares, Bob, who now relishes holding the title of Immediate Past Chairman, is quite grateful for all the work done by the entire team responsible for NTDC 2025. Recorded on the Thursday of National Driver Appreciation Week, Greg also took a moment to ask Bob what Driver Appreciation means to him.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post One Month Later, NTDC 2025 Chairman Robert Foskey Looks Back On The Championships appeared first on PodWheels.

The NTDC 2025 Podcast dedicates this episode to spotlighting the importance of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by looking back at the achievements at NTDC 2025 and on the highways by the 425 state champions who gathered in Minneapolis for this year’s edition of the National Championships. PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero also discuss the contributions that members of this year’s NTDC field made within their communities, their states and across the country.

In this edition of the podcast, you will hear the reading of the proclamation presented on the floor of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives honoring Rhode Island native Joe Hicks of XPO. Eugene and Greg also share a number of other notes of appreciation for the mile-by-mile work and the dedication to safety embraced each day by professional drivers across the country.

Friend Of The Podcast: JoyRide Logistics is serving as our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode. JoyRide Logistics is focused on being a world-class, customer-focused business. JoyRide is driven by its people and their dedication to provide valuable solutions to meet the challenges of today’s supply chain. To learn more about JoyRide Logistics, visit JoyRideLogistics.com.

The post Celebrating Professional Drivers’ Dedication To Safety, Service & Community appeared first on PodWheels.

California Trucking Association CEO Eric Sauer places the spotlight on an organization focused on improving driver health as he welcomes Project 61 founder Jeremy Reymer Inside the Cab. Project 61 is a national nonprofit organization that is working in a variety of ways to change the dynamics and create positive healthy trends by concentrating on the well-being of truck drivers. As Jeremy shares with Eric during their conversation, Project 61 is working to make it easier for drivers to take care of themselves, build healthier habits and feel part of a community that’s got their back.

CalTrux invites you to learn more about Project 61 and take the Trucker Health Pledge by visiting Project-61.org. To stay up to date on the latest news and happenings in California Trucking, please visit CalTrux.org.  

The post Focused On Driver Health: Spotlighting The Important Work of Project 61 appeared first on PodWheels.

As we continue to celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week on the NTDC 2025 Podcast, we are thrilled to bring you a Champions Appreciation edition with a special Rollin’ With Roland episode of the series. About one month prior to the NTDC 2025 competition in Minneapolis, two-time National Grand Champion Roland Bolduc had an opportunity to sit down with Dan Shamrell, a highly accomplished previous national champion who has claimed the State Grand Championship of Oregon 11 times during his storied career.

Before they both competed in their respective vehicle divisions in Minneapolis, Roland wanted a chance to interview Dan, who would be making his 19th and final appearance at an NTDC. Roland, who qualified for his 20th NTDC in going to Minneapolis, knew that Dan would be retiring from trucking before the end of the year. With Dan winning the 2025 3-Axle National Championship on his final drive at NTDC, PodWheels made the decision to hold this great conversation between FedEx Teammates and fellow champions until we reached Driver Appreciation Week. We hope you enjoy what is now a wonderful time capsule as Dan looks back on his career is this memorable Rollin’ with Roland episode.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post Champions’ Chat: Dan Shamrell Reflects On NTDC Career While Rollin’ With Roland appeared first on PodWheels.

As this year’s celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week begins, the NTDC 2025 Podcast dedicates our 80th episode release of the year to take an initial look back at a number of the top performances across the nine vehicle divisions in the competition that brought together 425 state champions from across the country. Recorded on September 3, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson and Transport Topics Senior Reporter Eugene Mulero spend some time going inside the final results from NTDC 2025 in Minneapolis.

You’ll hear Eugene and Greg share some tidbits that they learned while talking with some of the competitors and NTDC organizers during NTDC Week. You’ll also hear Eugene look back on the initial reaction he received from folks at NTDC 2025 and others following the release of the second edition of the NTDC History Book that Eugene co-authored with Jacob Pierce, who is the ATA liaison for NTDC.

Friend Of The Podcast: JoyRide Logistics is serving as our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode. JoyRide Logistics is focused on being a world-class, customer-focused business. JoyRide is driven by its people and their dedication to provide valuable solutions to meet the challenges of today’s supply chain. To learn more about JoyRide Logistics, visit JoyRideLogistics.com.

The post Appreciating The Performances and Achievements By Nation’s Top Drivers at NTDC 2025 appeared first on PodWheels.

In this special Driver Appreciation edition of the SCF Highway To Hope Podcast, SCF Health & Wellness Manager and Podcast Host Lindsey Bryan welcomes five members of the SCF Team to join her to reflect on the importance of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. In this episode, you will hear the personal stories of Lacey, Rhonda, Nick, Diane and Courtney. Along with Lindsey, these five dedicated folks make up the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund team that carries out the important work of the organization on a daily basis.

For this episode, Lindsey talks with Lacey, Rhonda, Nick, Diane and Courtney about their roles with SCF and the rewarding experiences each of them have had in working with SCF while assisting drivers and their families. You will also hear Lacey, Rhonda, Nick, Diane and Courtney talk about what National Truck Driver Appreciation Week means to each of them and why it’s an important date on the calendar. Lindsey, who is joined on this episode by PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson, also shares her thoughts and well wishes on Driver Appreciation Week.

To learn more about the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, please visit TruckersFund.org.

The post SCF Team Shares Their Personal Stories on Importance of Driver Appreciation Week appeared first on PodWheels.

As we continue our NTDC 2025 Rewind Series from our time onsite in Minneapolis, PodWheels is rolling it back to Wednesday of NTDC Week when we caught up with a friend we met in Columbus two years ago. In 2023, PodWheels Executive Producer was introduced to Alex Ayala, who serves as a Safety Consultant for H-E-B Grocery. As you will hear in this edition of the podcast, Alex works with the H-E-B drivers who qualify for the NTDCs. And, in 2025, while competing in the state of Texas, Alex and H-E-B experienced the joy of seeing six of their drivers win their vehicle divisions and qualify for the nationals.

During his conversation with Greg, Alex also shares his history with the State TDCs and the Nationals, including serving as a volunteer while he was part of the Safety Department at H-E-B. Alex has actually been involved with the state and national competitions in various roles since 1966. Following his retirement from H-E-B, Alex began serving as a Safety Consultant for the company with a primary focus on the Texas State TDC and the NTDC. As Alex tells Greg, one of his most important roles at the nationals is to secure his place in line on Wednesday of NTDC Week to hang the H-E-B banner that honors all of the company’s competitors in this field of champions. As you will hear, Alex was onsite at the Minneapolis Convention Center as the doors opened on Wednesday of NTDC Week to be the first line to enter the competition hall.

Our Friend of the Podcast Sponsor for this episode of the NTDC 2025 Series is PROJECT 61. Driving health. Fueling life. Supporting the heroes behind the wheel — that’s what PROJECT 61 is all about. Project-61.org is the web address where the change begins. If you’re a driver — or if you care about someone who is — head over to Project-61.org. You’ll find resources to get started, including access to a free mobile app built specifically for life on the road — plus a chance to take the Trucker Health Pledge and show your support for the men and women behind the wheel. You can even make a donation to help PROJECT 61 keep doing this important work across the industry.

The post NTDC Wednesday Rewind: Alex Ayala Values Carrying H-E-B’s Banner and Promoting Safety appeared first on PodWheels.