We'll open the forum with the ELD discussion.  As the ELD mandate enforcement approaches Dec 18th, many drivers are becoming more angry and frustrated.  Despite attempts by OOIDA to eliminate the mandate, or  even members of Congress to delay the law, the mandate stands. 

What are the gripes about ELD's?  Is it privacy? Is it wages? Is it Parking? Is it Safety?   Or is it the enforcement of Hours of Service, which many are opposed to?

Although many drivers support the use of Electronic Logs, it appears that many more do not. 


On October 3rd, 2 organized groups, ELD or ME and Operation Black and Blue will start heading to Washington DC, to protest what they believe is an unfair overreach into their privacy and their wages.

Open Forum- ELD's , drivers wages, and Washington D.C. protest

Welcome to Allen Smith's: Ask The Trucker "LIVE", the #1 Trucking Show on Blog Talk Radio. Focusing on Driver Health, Careers, Regulations and the Important Issues facing the Industry.

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Daily News

Friday 6PM et "TCGO is making a difference for trucking families battling grave situations"

AskTheTrucker Live will have an update for you regarding the Truckers Christmas Group, On our last show, "Truckers coming to aid of fellow truckers during TCGO Christmas campaign" we discussed how trucking musicians, industry leaders for trucking charities, and other advocates such as Bill Weaver, Paul Marhoeffer, Taylor Barker, Mandi Jo Pinhierio, Jason Henley, Tony Justice, Ken Freeman, Keith Sampson, and more are working with TCGO to raise awareness and funds for the 2019 TCGO campaign.  This fundraising campaign literally "saves" the Christmas holiday for trucking families.


Tonight we will talk about the families and their needs. These are trucking families battling grave situations folks. We also want to give a shout out to those sponsoring families and to all those who have donated to the Truckers Christmas Group, coming to the aid of their fellow truckers in need.


Join Tom Kyrk and Donna Smith as they update on the progress and how YOU can help reach the $20,000.00 goal so all the nominated families can be aided.  Let's not turn any of these wonderful families away.  

Take the $5.00 donation challenge today and donate here. It's safe, easy, and it will help more than you know.

Call in number for the show 347-826-9170 to either listen in or be a part of the show.

TCGO is making a difference for trucking families battling grave situations

Truckers coming to aid of fellow truckers during TCGO Christmas campaign

Saturday Nov 9th 6PM ET  Call in number 347-826-9170

It's that time again! The Truckers Christmas Group Org (TCGO), in its 12 year, is continuing its commitment to help as many trucking families in need during the holiday season as they possibly can.  This year has proven to be particularly challenging for many truckers and their families. Between layoffs, bankruptcies, illnesses, and other catastrophic occurrences, the need for funding is vital.  Learn more HERE

 
Watch the Christmas Video- How the Truckers Saved Christmas-combined effort by Bill Weaver Music and TCGO 

Music copyright Bill Weaver Music-Video Copyright Truckers Christmas Group.Org

This year, Trucking musicians, industry leaders for trucking charities, and other advocates such as Bill Weaver, Paul Marhoeffer, Taylor Barker, Mandi Jo Pinhierio, Jason Henley, Tony Justice, Ken Freeman, Keith Sampson, and more are working with TCGO to raise awareness and funds for the 2019 fundraising campaign. Press Release


JOIN US TONIGHT Tom Kyrk, TCGO PR Coordinator, co-hosts the show. Learn how you can help our nations truckers.in their time of most dire need.

Whether it be volunteering, sharing,a donation, sponsoring a family, or purchasing from the TCGO store, your commitment to help will be a blessing!. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Truckers coming to aid of fellow truckers during TCGO Christmas campaign

It’s not an easy task exploring the reasons for the decline of truckings’ "American Dream" for OTR drivers, company drivers and owner operators. We can make a list of everything wrong with trucking and how it affects truckers, but to pinpoint the problems in order to resolve them is much more difficult. It is a highly intricate and complicated web of obstacles, involving rules and regulations interwoven with industry practices, systems and schemes.

Although most of us weren’t a part of trucking prior to deregulation, most will agree that trucking and truck drivers played a major part of the American Dream during that time. Deregulation is not the sole reason for the decline of the American Dream, it has however, caused trucking to evolve into an industry of "them against us" but in order to fix something, we need to understand it.

We have the honor to have with us Steve Viscelli, sociologist and long time researcher of  truck drivers and the trucking industry. His pursuit to find out why truckers work so hard and how long-haul trucking went from being one of the best, to one of the toughest blue-collar jobs in the U.S. led him to obtain his CDL and continue his research from behind the wheel. His research, along with his time Over the Road, resulted in his book, “The Big Rig - Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream”

Also with us will be our long time friend and fellow advocate Desiree Wood of Real Women In Trucking who will be sharing her present real-time experiences for those who may not be aware of what is currently happening within her organization.

Call in 347-826-9170

The Trucking Evolution- What happened to the American Trucker?

Saturday April 27th 6PM et Join us for an Open discussion concerning Underrides, addressing a most controversial issues among truckers, the Stop Underrides Act.

 We will be taking calls. Call in 347-826-9170
Stop Underride Act Senate bill S.665  Stop Underrides Act House bill H.R. 1511

For 50 years the Federal Government has been discussing, & conducting studies regarding the need for Underride Guards on large trucks, 

Written 50 Years ago in Federal Register “It is anticipated that the proposed Standard will be amended after technical studies have been completed, to extend the requirement for underride protection to the sides of large vehicles.”  

We strive for facts& truth rather than talking points.Truckers have valid concerns about underrides and we want to address them. Proponents of underrides also have legitimate concerns for supporting the Stop Underrrides Act. Let's hear both sides.

Guests on the show: Jerry and Marianne Karth and Lois Durso advocates for Underrides and have lost loved ones due to Underride crashes.

These underride deaths were not the fault of either 4 wheeler. One was an improper truck lane change, the other was icy roads.
Perry Ponder, inventor of AngelWing, engineer with an accident reconstruction engineering company
Aaron Kiefer, forensic engineer & crash reconstructionist, inventor of SafetySkirt
Andy Young, CDL holder and truck attorney

The Stop Underride Act- Requiring front, side & rear underguards on large trucks

Saturday 2-9-19

6PM ET  347-826-9170

Tonight’s show will open up by discussing a few of the most recent court decisions which have made a profound impact on the side of drivers.

   From the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision which ruled to exempt ALL transportation workers from the Federal Arbitration Act, to the most recent ruling from a district court judge in Arkansas, reaffirming that truck drivers need to be paid for every hour they spend in their trucks while they’re not sleeping,  This ruling was based on Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division- Title 29 Section 785 Code of Regulations..

When it comes to drivers wages, there’s a  misunderstanding between the FMCSA’s HOS rules and the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s laws. FMCSA rules were created for safety, not for determining wages. The 14 hour rule determines how many hours you may drive and work, The 16 hour rule determines how truckers are to be paid.  

It is because truckers are paid by the mile,regulated by a clock, and enforced by an ELD, that this misperception has taken hold. 


At a time when driver wage reform is at the forefront of many concerns, the courts have established a baseline of minimum wage and how drivers are to be paid using laws which have already been on the books but have been commonly overlooked.

Open Forum- ELD's , drivers wages, and Washington D.C. protest

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