CCTA Michelin/Goodyear Tire Program Saved Us Thousands !

By Aaron Rodriguez, G.O. Rodriguez Trucking, Irwindale

I have been reading about the new CCTA National Account Tire Program with Michelin and Goodyear for about a month now, so I decided to see how much our company could save and how easy is ordering tires through the two programs.
We have been using Goodyear and Michelin tires on our 3-axle tractors for the past 15 years. We used to shop around to get the best pricing with the new tire program offered by the association it is by far the best tire pricing available for smaller fleets like ours (30-trucks). Read more

Entry-level driver training: Is there really a crisis?

On September 18, 2014, the Teamsters Union joined with Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS) and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) and sued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for not issuing a rule mandating minimum training standards to get a commercial driver’s license. Reading their press releases about the “problem” of inexperienced truck drivers was actually nauseating and full of half-truths concerning safety of the trucking industry. Read more

The Future Is Knocking

‘Virtual Inspections,’ Permits via Smart Phones and I-Pads All in the Works

Those of you that attend the California Transportation Permits Advisory Council’s (CTPAC’s) meetings know that our industry is campaigning for the ability for truckers to use cellular telephones and notepads that use “smart technology” rather than having to carry the hard copies of all the paperwork in the cab…and now there is more… Read more

Inspector General Report Shows Massive Waste

EPA/CARB Gives Away Millions Without Adequate Supervision/Oversight

A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported on six recipients of funding from the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) and their failure to perform as specified for those grants, wasting millions of dollars.

Included in the scathing OIG report was two cases involving the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) failure to properly handle two different cases—one the infamous Cascade Sierra Solutions and the other the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Read more

Alliance for California Business Zeroes in on CARB’s Diesel Particulate Filter Requirement

By Steve Caldwell – ACB

The Alliance for California Business, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to protect and promote business growth throughout California, has struck again at the heart of the California Air Resources Board’s (“CARB”) requirement that diesel-powered trucks and buses statewide be equipped with Diesel Particulate Filters (“DPFs”). On Tuesday morning, the Alliance, whose members include truck owners and operators who haul goods throughout the state, filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the Glenn County Superior Court in hopes to enjoin CARB’s enforcement of this requirement under its Truck and Bus Regulation. As diesel repair shops fill with DPF-equipped trucks awaiting repair, this regulation has proven itself to be an enormous financial burden to Californians, and one which is quickly proving to be dangerous to California’s motorists. Read more

You Want to Know What I Did This Summer?

Here is a good one about getting old that recently came to me: When do you realize you are a senior citizen? Perhaps, when you are no longer offended when an establishment offers you a “Senior Discount.” Instead of my old attitude of “How dare they?” I now smile and say, “Yes, thank you. May I have another?”

Now come to think about it, advertisers on the internet must also know my age since I seem to get many ads and articles concerning cures for dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and a few less savory but personal age related ailments (apparently breaching our many computer spam filters). Hey, you internet folks, stop tracking me because I was trying to get information concerning my mother, who incidentally is still with us at 93. Read more

Just More Media and Government Agency Scientific Dishonesty

Oh… How the OC Register Has Changed

I have been a long-time subscriber to the Orange County Register (OCR). Its original founders (in 1905) were pro-business and staunch libertarians. As is the case, all things change, the second group of long-time owners (70-years), the Hoiles family had internal clan problems along with changes in media (internet) and politics; democratic voting. It all changed the fate of the paper and after some major financial problems it was bought in 2012 along with the parent company, Freedom Communications by the 2100 Trust, a private investor group controlled by Aaron Kushner. The 2100 Trust incidentally also bought the Inland Empire’s Press-Enterprise in 2013.

Politically, Mr. Kushner’s leanings seem to be to the left (he donated $4,600 to Obama in 2007), but compared to the LA Times editorial board, somewhat conservative. Yet I have noticed the green agenda being succumbed to by the paper’s editorial staff. Read more

Do You Think There Oughta Be a Law….Against Stupid Laws?

Last month, on Sept. 16, all motorists including drivers of large trucks, even on narrow hilly, mountain and coastal rural roads will be required to maintain a 3-foot buffer between their vehicles and cyclists, and they may only pass cyclists “traveling in the same direction” when “there’s enough space.” If not enough space is available, the motorist must slow down and pass “when no danger is present to the bicyclist,” according to the DMV. Read more