Overdrive Radio

A few voices from participants in "That's a big 10-4 on D.C." last week from the National Mall. Owner-op Doug Hasner explains the rationale behind his own involvement, and updates the status of the charges filed against him after he was tased by police in April during a Constitution Ave. demonstration (all charges dropped). Todd Campbell of Ohio argues that a qualified positive for truckers in the market rates effects of the mandate is a negative for consumers, and in a mailbag round readers posit a variety of ideas for hours of service change. FMCSA ANPRM asking for hours of service fixes from the industry closes October 10.

Since being featured on the cover of Overdrive in February of 2013, Bolton, Mississippi-based owner-operator Andre Jackson in the last year has completed a more than five-year journey through adversity to success in business ownership with a business partner, Donte Ogletree of Atlanta, the two operating under their own authority with two power units as Midnight Express. In this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, Jackson tells what happened to him following his appearance on the magazine's cover when, five years ago the Friday prior to the Great American Trucking Show, he arrived that fateful day to load in and stage the truck for participation there. He had a massive heart attack, and nearly was lost. He’s clawed back after two years of essentially losing most of his mobility and the very ability to take care of himself. Now, nearly 200 pounds lighter but no less driven, Jackson has a truly remarkable story to tell. Few stood by him in the years that followed but for his wife, Naomi Jackson, and as you’ll hear, it’s people like her that hold the world on their shoulders. No doubt about that.

Since being featured on the cover of Overdrive in February of 2013, Bolton, Mississippi-based owner-operator Andre Jackson in the last year has completed a more than five-year journey through adversity to success in business ownership with a business partner, Donte Ogletree of Atlanta, the two operating under their own authority with two power units as Midnight Express. In this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, Jackson tells what happened to him following his appearance on the magazine's cover when, five years ago the Friday prior to the Great American Trucking Show, he arrived that fateful day to load in and stage the truck for participation there. He had a massive heart attack, and nearly was lost. He’s clawed back after two years of essentially losing most of his mobility and the very ability to take care of himself. Now, nearly 200 pounds lighter but no less driven, Jackson has a truly remarkable story to tell. Few stood by him in the years that followed but for his wife, Naomi Jackson, and as you’ll hear, it’s people like her that hold the world on their shoulders. No doubt about that.

This edition of Overdrive Radio rounds up three distinct parts of the Partners in Business seminars held last month at the Great American Trucking Show, with presentations by ATBS President Todd Amen, radio host and former small fleet owner-operator Kevin Rutherford, and Richard DeForest, also with ATBS and a longtime PIB presenter. 

1) Amen begins with a quick take on current conditions in trucking relative to the wider economy and continues into the weeds with some valuable data against which you can compare your own for major tracked segments. 2) DeForest offers what amounts to an owner-operator version of business best practices for a solid foundation to prepare for what inevitably will come -- another economic downturn, often tough to weather for owner-operators in trucking -- to set up for success for the long-term and a comfortable retirement, pull out of a credit hole and other situations.  3) Rutherford runs through his philosophy on dealing with customer relationships -- and how, he believes, too many owner-ops create an impossible task in this department when dealing with just too many brokers. His thoughts on the broker as customer, direct-shipper relationships and much more dominated this talk, in part spurred on by lively discussions with members of the audience.

This edition of Overdrive Radio rounds up three distinct parts of the Partners in Business seminars held last month at the Great American Trucking Show, with presentations by ATBS President Todd Amen, radio host and former small fleet owner-operator Kevin Rutherford, and Richard DeForest, also with ATBS and a longtime PIB presenter. 

1) Amen begins with a quick take on current conditions in trucking relative to the wider economy and continues into the weeds with some valuable data against which you can compare your own for major tracked segments. 2) DeForest offers what amounts to an owner-operator version of business best practices for a solid foundation to prepare for what inevitably will come -- another economic downturn, often tough to weather for owner-operators in trucking -- to set up for success for the long-term and a comfortable retirement, pull out of a credit hole and other situations.  3) Rutherford runs through his philosophy on dealing with customer relationships -- and how, he believes, too many owner-ops create an impossible task in this department when dealing with just too many brokers. His thoughts on the broker as customer, direct-shipper relationships and much more dominated this talk, in part spurred on by lively discussions with members of the audience.

This Overdrive Radio edition is a triptych of sorts: this edition is threefold – 1. Owner-operator Allen Kelly of Pennsylvania runs through some of the particulars on the “That’s a Big 10-4 on D.C.” event coming up, when else, on October 4 in Fredericksburg, Va., and Washington, D.C. 2: Stevens Transport driver and RoadTestedLiving.com proprietor Tom Kyrk run through his in-cab cooking demos and a recipe that’s part of a sweepstakes you can get involved in with a chance to win $2,000 through Monday, Sept. 17. 3) Shannon Currier of the St. Christopher Truckers Fund joined Kyrk at GATS to run us through the longtime charity’s fund-raising efforts, including a heartfelt thank-you to its no. 1 well of support: truckers themselves.

This Overdrive Radio edition is a triptych of sorts: this edition is threefold – 1. Owner-operator Allen Kelly of Pennsylvania runs through some of the particulars on the “That’s a Big 10-4 on D.C.” event coming up, when else, on October 4 in Fredericksburg, Va., and Washington, D.C. 2: Stevens Transport driver and RoadTestedLiving.com proprietor Tom Kyrk run through his in-cab cooking demos and a recipe that’s part of a sweepstakes you can get involved in with a chance to win $2,000 through Monday, Sept. 17. 3) Shannon Currier of the St. Christopher Truckers Fund joined Kyrk at GATS to run us through the longtime charity’s fund-raising efforts, including a heartfelt thank-you to its no. 1 well of support: truckers themselves.

A run through Bill Weaver’s new all-truckin' 'Burnin’ the Old School Down' record, recorded in part with members of a band called the Stone Creek Four out of Kingsport, Tennessee, with whom Weaver performed three nights running at the Great American Trucking Show a couple weeks back now in Dallas. That's where we talked with him for this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, burning through a few of the tracks on the new record, complete with Weaver’s own commentary on the genesis of many of the songs, and his hopes for the record. Find a 2016 talk with Weaver on the occasion of his first, 'Every Mile I Drive' record via this link: https://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-take-a-run-through-the-stories-behind-bill-weavers-every-mile-i-drive/

A run through Bill Weaver’s new all-truckin' 'Burnin’ the Old School Down' record, recorded in part with members of a band called the Stone Creek Four out of Kingsport, Tennessee, with whom Weaver performed three nights running at the Great American Trucking Show a couple weeks back now in Dallas. That's where we talked with him for this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, burning through a few of the tracks on the new record, complete with Weaver’s own commentary on the genesis of many of the songs, and his hopes for the record. Find a 2016 talk with Weaver on the occasion of his first, 'Every Mile I Drive' record via this link: https://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-take-a-run-through-the-stories-behind-bill-weavers-every-mile-i-drive/

From FMCSA's Aug. 25-held public listening session on hours of service reforms: Owner-operators take to the mic to make their recommendations and anecdotes pertaining to the agency's review of hours of service regs.