TalkCDL Trucking Podcast

The age old question for those who do not understand the trucking industry, is what do truckers really do that makes a difference. We could survive without them right? All they do is transport everything that we need to get from one roadway to another. No biggie right? We could just have a bird deliver that 80,000lb load. OK, so maybe we will need a few birds . You get the point. The age old question is simply stupid to say the least. Yes we do have trains, airplanes and many other ways to transport products in the old US of A. But A train cannot deliver into a mom and pop restaurant, it cannot deliver into a city, a airplane cannot land in a city. I guess we could parachute goods into cities and let people fend for themselves. That would be interesting. Where have you delivered that no other transportation industry asset could reach?  FOLLOW US! www.talkcdl.com www.talkcdl.com/listen-live www.facebook.com/talkcdl www.twitter.com/talkcdl

This week has been a relatively crazy week here on TalkCDL, we have talked about some very fused topics, primarily touching some newly discovered information on Autonomous  Trucks. We have been speaking about these trucks for about a month now, following the updates, and then the crew here at TalkCDL debates on if this new information warrants any change in opinions. We have an article on TalKCDL.com that goes into details about these "driverless trucks" (which as you will read is a bad term to use), read the article here http://talkcdl.com/driverless-trucks-are-not-driverless-learn-the-5-levels-of-autonomous/ . As always, drive safe out there truckers!

Ask yourself, how happy are you when you are out and about, maybe on a family trip to a theme park, or out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. You would be if you didn't just hit evening traffic, then on-top of that a car bumped another car ahead so now there is a standstill until the cops finish their reports. Great Construction is ahead and creating a choke point. Oh no, now its raining. There are various things that just make people frustrated on the road. When one thing leads to another and you simply want to get to your location. Imagine this EVERYDAY, that could be one reason a trucker can be so angry sometime. 

Truck drivers just love waking up on a Monday morning and getting in their trucks, turning that key over and listening to that baby roar! The smell of that diesel exhaust pouring out them stacks is something to remember. What is your Monday morning ritual? How do you start off your week and what do you tell yourself every morning when you wake up in that big rig? What you should tell yourself is "Oh hey its almost 8AM EST, time for TalkCDL The Trucker Show! 

Of course truckers, it is our favorite day of the week! Friday! It is the day we just hang out with our fellow truckers who dont make it home for the weekend, give some tips and advice on how to spend your weekend out on the road. We will be giving these 3rd party recruiters our last word, and letting all you awesome truckers what to expect for next weeks shows! Be safe out there truckers. 

Some of the things a truck driver sees on a daily basis will blow your mind. Everything from accidents, police chases, random kids walking on interstates, and the list could go on and on but that is to much to type so instead listen to our show! Where we will be sharing stories that you could swear is just from our imaginations after a real nice visit to the dentist and we are floating on some medication clouds. Well, no one on TalkCDL likes the dentist, and none of us are medication junkies either so I promise you this is cold cut crazy stories from real trucker land. If you have a story you would like to share please call us LIVE at 516-387-1911 

PRESS PLAY BELLOW TO LISTEN TO OUR CARRIER SPOTLIGHT [smart_track_player url="http://talkcdl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mercer-Carrier-Spotlight_mixdown.mp3" title="Mercer Carrier Spotlight" artist="TALKCDL" ] Run with the Best Mercer Transportation is always seeking dependable Owner Operators who are interested in building successful careers. We need your skills and your equipment to move our freight. If you are looking to take a turn for the better, you’ve come to the right place. Mercer is continuously leasing on Owner Operators who offer flatbed, dry van or step deck services. With the best safety and compliance record and the lowest claim and occurrence rate in the industry, we are proud to offer our Owner Operators consistent freight and a wide variety of commodities to haul. In addition, Mercer promotes a supportive family-oriented atmosphere, generous and convenient home time, as well as optional worker’s compensation coverage. As an Owner Operator, you own your own business — now it is time to own the road. Mercer offers the opportunities and supportive atmosphere needed to secure all of the benefits that you deserve. Major Provisions of Contract Mercer offers these contract highlights: * 75% of gross revenue (excluding 1% insurance surcharge) * Paid promptly after every trip * You may have to pay up to first $1,000 charge for cargo or liability claim Mercer does not charge state fuel and mileage taxes, unless trip leased to another carrier. Why should you choose Mercer? Mercer is a 100% owner-operator company. Our Contractors drive our success. We value their skill and hard work so we treat them right, with: * No company trucks to compete with for freight * No forced dispatch and no up-front sign-on fees * First in/ first choice * Open door policy at the home office * Valuable safety, revenue and years-of-service credits * Prompt settlements through our Quick Pay program * Mercer Coordinator to help with planning and other needs * Fuel tax filed and paid by Mercer Choose Your Own Road Mercer’s freight is consistent. Our nationwide network of freight agent offices helps us create a large customer base, which allows us to keep trucks moving. Mercer offers Owner Operators a variety of commodities to haul such as iron, steel, pipe, machinery, building materials, glass and military freight. Mercer has been ranked as one of the top five carriers nationwide for government traffic, making us the proud recipient of the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) Quality Carrier Award. Our freight movement is not concentrated in a few lanes, but moves to all points in North America. With many choices available and no forced dispatch, Owner Operators have the ability to directly control their profitability with ample opportunities to get to or through “the house.” Work Directly With One Coordinator All trucks are assigned a central truck Coordinator with a dedicated 800 WATS line. Mercer Coordinators manage teams of about 30 trucks. This allows ample time to address each Owner Operator’s needs and to coordinate their movement through the Mercer system in a safe, efficient and profitable manner. Freight is offered on a first-in/first choice basis, and there is no forced dispatch. Prompt Settlement From A Stable Company Since Mercer’s founding in 1977, it has been the company’s goal to have the fastest truck pay in the industry. Mercer has earned the reputation for paying owner-operators promptly after each trip delivered. In addition,

We love Wednesdays because at this point the week just starts to melt away, and the weekend is right around the corner. Truckers are getting in the truck and planning their miles to get delivered before the weekend!  But we have those drivers who will not be making it home until the following weekend, we dont forget about you OTR drivers that stay out for 2-3+ weeks! We need these truck drivers because some freight just takes longer to deliver! Today we will be discussing how 3rd part recruiters make it in this challenging industry. So be sure to call us at 516-387-1911 and give your input, or a weather update, or simply to say hello. 

It's Tuesday, one day closer to Friday but also one day closer to another Monday. Doesn't it suck how that works.. life just keeps revolving around. Just like recruits keep giving the pitch to get you through the door. Yesterday we started to talk about an article on our website divulging the Evils within truck driver recruiting. Let's continue discussing how the life of a recruiter may not be what it seems. Call us LIVE at 516-387-1911. 

Monday morning are just the worse, at least that is generally what people feel, and we cannot say that we blame them because Mondays are the start of the week, and its hard to get those wheels turning after a nice relaxing weekend. One thing is for certain. Monday mornings is when all the recruiters start their hunt, they throw the bait out there and wait for the truckers to start trailing in. Now, this is not a bad thing, it is simply how it works. Recruiters need to bait the drivers in or there would never be ay hires. This does not mean recruiters need to lie or over talk a position, it just means they are advertising and getting positions in front of drivers. SO what are all the evils within driver recruiting? TalkCDL posted an article throughout the weekend, you can view it here http://talkcdl.com/the-evils-of-truck-driver-recruiting/ so we will be talking about this to start our week off! 

We love Fridays, its our day to thank all the truckers out in trucker land, sum the week up, talk a little about the weeks to come, and just have fun. We do not like to plan out every single day because we think that makes talk shows boring, so instead we like to let the show take its course and be unique. So if you have something cool to add to the show, are simply want to say hi, be sure to call us during LIVE show hours which is Monday - Friday at 8AM EST. 

A lot of truck drivers feel like the transportation industry is out to get the truckers, everyone from the Department of Transportation, to the Companies, and anyone else affiliated. So is this true? What do you think? Call us at 516-387-1911 and give us you opinion. There is a lot of regulations out there, but are they against truckers themselves or is there a bigger picture to the whole thing? Is it greed from corperations or is it saftey based. 

Is a Truckers Life Really That Hard? I mean, all you do is sit in a truck, press a gas pedel, and drink coffee, how hard can it be? People drive cars all the time, heck I drove to work this morning, it was not that hard. I was able to stop and get a latte, and on the way home I picked up my poodle from the dry cleaners. Get a real job truckers.  But TalkCDL Loves truck drivers, heck they are truck drivers, so what in the world are they talking about? You heard us right! Got something to say about it? Then Listen LIVE Monday-Friday 8AM EST. Call us during LIVE hours at 516-387-1911.    

It is Tuesday truckers and TalkCDL is winding up the week with some crazy Accidents involving truckers, not to mention other crazy trucking stories and CDL News! Do not forget to call us LIVE at 516-387-1911 to share your crazy stories with the crew at TalkCDL! Do not forget to download Stitcher on Apple, or Itunes to listen to our past episodes, or head over to www.talkcdl.com/past-shows. Otherwise tune in Live Monday - Friday 8AM EST and listen to the show! FOLLOW US! www.talkcdl.com www.talkcdl.com/listen-live www.facebook.com/talkcdl www.twitter.com/talkcdl

Mondays are never a fun day for anybody, If someone tells you they enjoy Monday then they are most likely not a human, or they have no responsibilities. Truckers are no exception. Mondays start the week, most likely you are comming off a reset and its time to put the pedel to the floor and meet your deadlines. It is also the start of dealing with other drivers cutting you off, and DOT checks, weight stations, some people completing orientations, DOT physicals, and so much more. So what do we have to say about that? Good! All these things mean we are still breathing, and we are moving along as a country and civilization, so lets start this week off strong and make it a good one!