A culture of maximum profit, whatever the cost in toil or honesty be damned, clearly infects some corners of the trucking industry, to the detriment, too often, of those doing the work of hauling the freight. That's the message of independent owner-operator James Woods, who spoke for this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast on subjects of transactional transparency, fair dealing and more that are sorely needed in some quarters. A culture of dishonesty is alive and well, Woods says, and needs to be fought. Also: What it feels like to take home a $150K piece of equipment free of charge -- owner-operator Dickie Penrod wins big in Landstar's most recent truck giveaway.

A culture of maximum profit, whatever the cost in toil or honesty be damned, clearly infects some corners of the trucking industry, to the detriment, too often, of those doing the work of hauling the freight. That's the message of independent owner-operator James Woods, who spoke for this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast on subjects of transactional transparency, fair dealing and more that are sorely needed in some quarters. A culture of dishonesty is alive and well, Woods says, and needs to be fought. Also: What it feels like to take home a $150K piece of equipment free of charge -- owner-operator Dickie Penrod wins big in Landstar's most recent truck giveaway.

This talk with Mark and Mitch White of 25-truck fleet Old Time Express ranges over the company's transition to electronic logs a few years back now, made in part to help get it out of a Conditional rating purgatory. It hasn’t all been without its bumps in the road, as you’ll hear in the conversation. But with focus on improving rates with customers, expanding the use of pre-loaded trailers on either end of drivers’ round trips where possible, and the close attention to collecting detention and adjusting hourly rates and policies with shipper customers and brokers, Mark White believes Old Time has at this point worked out the ELD kinks. More on the subject of where rates may go after the ELD mandate here, too.

This talk with Mark and Mitch White of 25-truck fleet Old Time Express ranges over the company's transition to electronic logs a few years back now, made in part to help get it out of a Conditional rating purgatory. It hasn’t all been without its bumps in the road, as you’ll hear in the conversation. But with focus on improving rates with customers, expanding the use of pre-loaded trailers on either end of drivers’ round trips where possible, and the close attention to collecting detention and adjusting hourly rates and policies with shipper customers and brokers, Mark White believes Old Time has at this point worked out the ELD kinks. More on the subject of where rates may go after the ELD mandate here, too.

In this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, take an audio tour with Everhart Transportation driver and songwriter Tony Justice and his wife, Misty (cowriter on one track), through his new Stars, Stripes and White Lines record, out June 30 officially. Here the two talk with Overdrive Senior Editor Todd Dills about several of the stories behind the tracks on the record, likewise the “ELD or me” Facebook group the driver-songwriter started a month or two back to coalesce driver opposition to the ELD mandate toward an October demonstration in Washington, D.C. Sample several of the tracks from the record along the way ... Elvis was a truck driver, too, you know...

In this edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast, take an audio tour with Everhart Transportation driver and songwriter Tony Justice and his wife, Misty (cowriter on one track), through his new Stars, Stripes and White Lines record, out June 30 officially. Here the two talk with Overdrive Senior Editor Todd Dills about several of the stories behind the tracks on the record, likewise the “ELD or me” Facebook group the driver-songwriter started a month or two back to coalesce driver opposition to the ELD mandate toward an October demonstration in Washington, D.C. Sample several of the tracks from the record along the way ... Elvis was a truck driver, too, you know...

For Keith and Vickie Sampson, leased to Landstar for most of the last decade, that dedicated run has delivered healthy profits, too -- the best of both worlds for their team operation. In this podcast, Keith tells his trucking story and offers perspective on what he's learned over the years when it comes to maintaining his business' health. Sampson's take-closest-care-of-what-you-can-control message has served him well over his most recent years trucking as an owner-operator. Also a songwriter, Sampson's most recent record was profiled in a prior Overdrive Radio podcast you can find at this link: http://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-owner-operator-keith-sampson-and-his-new-its-made-me-who-i-am-record/

For Keith and Vickie Sampson, leased to Landstar for most of the last decade, that dedicated run has delivered healthy profits, too -- the best of both worlds for their team operation. In this podcast, Keith tells his trucking story and offers perspective on what he's learned over the years when it comes to maintaining his business' health. Sampson's take-closest-care-of-what-you-can-control message has served him well over his most recent years trucking as an owner-operator. Also a songwriter, Sampson's most recent record was profiled in a prior Overdrive Radio podcast you can find at this link: http://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-owner-operator-keith-sampson-and-his-new-its-made-me-who-i-am-record/

Shipper-direct freight and managing customer relationships are the bread and butter for all-owner-operator (including himself) 9-truck B.L. Reever Transport owner Monte Wiederhold's business. Wiederhold’s based in Southwest Ohio, hauling out of a variety of manufacturers in the area, utilizing brokers on occasion. Here he stresses the value of communication throughout all participants in the fleet to customers as a core service to avoid getting "beat up" on freight by those who would undercut you. Hear a past podcast with Wiederhold on the subject of ELDs and a potential rates effect via this link: http://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-cold-water-on-the-eld-mandates-potential-rates-impacts/

Shipper-direct freight and managing customer relationships are the bread and butter for all-owner-operator (including himself) 9-truck B.L. Reever Transport owner Monte Wiederhold's business. Wiederhold’s based in Southwest Ohio, hauling out of a variety of manufacturers in the area, utilizing brokers on occasion. Here he stresses the value of communication throughout all participants in the fleet to customers as a core service to avoid getting "beat up" on freight by those who would undercut you. Hear a past podcast with Wiederhold on the subject of ELDs and a potential rates effect via this link: http://www.overdriveonline.com/podcast-cold-water-on-the-eld-mandates-potential-rates-impacts/