Recent forecasts from Cisco Systems suggest that the number of online video consumers will double to 1.5 billion by 2015, and that total online video consumption will quadruple. No business can afford to neglect video as an educational and marketing tool. Video allows businesses to create and share remarkable content with their audience in a way that plain text will never match. As an industry, there is a lot of untapped potential here. A few quick questions to a search engine illustrate the point perfectly: Google the following questions, and here’s what you get:
Read more →Archive for the Trucking Industry News Category
Matchmaker Logistics congratulates the following 2012 NASTC Drivers of the Year: Joe Smith, Barnes Transportation Services in Wilson, NC Kenny Barstow, Barstow Transportation in Lakeland, FL Walter McGill, J D & Billy Hines Trucking, Inc. in Prescott AR Timothy Joel Schedler, Jade Tank Lines, Inc. in Wilmington NC William King, Martin’s Bulk Milk Service in Wilton WI Craig Mattatall, Refrigerated Food Express, Inc. in Avon MA Paul Kopfmann, Stan’s Inc. in Alpena SD Donald E. Kittelson, Superb Trucking, LLC. in Menomonie WI Edward Cherry, Troublefree Transportation in Butler MO Mark Deutchman, Waletich Transportation in Kasota
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Many a man is saved from being a thief by finding everything locked up.~ Edgar Watson Howe Opportunity makes a thief. ~ Francis Bacon I am an active member of several industry watchdog organizations that work to support upstanding carriers and eliminate those who give their colleagues a bad name. Recently, I learned about a scam that has been occurring with increasing regularity. As most of you are aware, shippers will often place a numbered seal on the handle of the trailer door. The seal number is recorded on the bill of lading. If
Read more →The subject line for this Thought for the Weekend isn’t just an attention grabber–it’s true! While I’ve been logging some miles on the road this week, Pam and Mary have been reading about women on the road. Female truckers, to be exact. In the current issue (June 2012) of O Magazine, one feature article profiles a spunky female trucker named Shannon “Sputter” Smith. The article states that there are 3.5 million truckers in America, less than 6% of them (approximately 200,000) women. It goes on to profile Sputter, her royal blue International 9400 Eagle
Read more →Where were you on 11.11.11? Mary Nicholas was at the NASTC Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. This year’s slogan was “It’s All About the Driver.” And, for the first time in NASTC history, a female driver was selected as Driver of the Year. This honor was awarded to Sarah Barnes of Williams Express, Inc. in Hickory Flats, MS. And, since Williams Express is one of our trusted carriers, we couldn’t be more proud! This photo features (left to right) Driver of the Year Sarah Barnes, Billy Barnes, Darlene Otts, and Bobby Otts. Darlene and
Read more →While most of us good folks will be relaxing with family and friends during the upcoming holiday weekend, thieves are the ones who will be laboring. Closed warehouses are key targets during long weekends. Here are some tips to keep your facility safe on any holiday weekend… Check security alarm and surveillance systems to ensure proper working order. Ensure batteries are fresh in exit doors and back-up cellular phones (used to maintain alarm reporting, if phone lines are compromised). Perform perimeter checks and look at fencing or other types of barriers to ensure they
Read more →In the trucking industry, you don’t have to be a fortune teller to predict the future. As Matchmaker anticipated (and forewarned in previous newsletters), capacity has tightened and rates are climbing. Transcore Freight Solutions reported that spot market T/L rates were up 4.5% in May. The supply of drivers continues to dwindle due to demographics, health and economics. Flatbed equipment has been particularly tight, a result of a fallout from the building industry and a resurgence of the manufacturing sector, the latter enjoying a 23-month growth curve. From 2001 through 2007, the auto industry
Read more →Matchmaker applauds the shipping community for its success in modifying the verbiage of the now titled “Compliance Safety Act”. Our job at Matchmaker Logistics, is to provide critically needed capacity while maintaining safe transportation. The government’s rating and monitoring system is an integral part of our due diligence. Continuity and clear guidelines are important for brokers and the shipping public alike. Because the CSA made so many broad changes to our current system, it had created ambiguity and confusion in the industry. Transportation brokers were fearful of selecting a carrier who had satisfactory ratings,
Read more →If there have been any benefits of the great recession, it has been the ease with which one can find a truck and the resulting downward pressure on trucking rates for the shipping public. As we say ‘goodbye’ to the recession, we say ‘hello again’ to some challenges we have met in the past. All sources agree that this year will usher in a climate of tightening capacity and upward rate pressure. The general economy, projected to grow at a rate of 4% this year and up to 5% in 2012, will be
Read more →Hours of Service 49 CFR Part 395 Proposed Rule-Making Does anyone remember scrambling and bidding for trucks in an auction-like atmosphere during the driver shortage? Back in the mid-2000’s, when the economy was humming, we did not have enough drivers willing to do the grueling job for the average pay. After all, it wasn’t that difficult to find a job with roughly equivalent revenue, one where a driver could go home to the wife and kids every night and not pay to shower after eating heat lamp-fried chicken. If there was a benefit of
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