+1 800‐800‐0288

Author: Courtney Hemond

Home » Archives for Courtney Hemond » Page 3
Truck Driver Wins Lottery

This truck driver just won $1 million lottery jackpot

A truck driver from Pittsylvania County stopped to get some food in Virginia. He would leave with $1 million… sort of.

According to the Virginia Lottery, a truck driver stopped at Mills Grill and Grocery for a BBQ sandwich. While he was there, he purchased two tickets for the state’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. He won.

The truck driver, Tim Allen, said that it was his first time doing the raffle and described his emotions as “pure excitement.” But he’s not the only truck driver who has won the lottery this year.

Truck drivers have a history of winning the lottery

You’ve probably seen more than a handful of headlines that are very similar to the one above — that’s because it has happened many times before. In fact, it seems like truck drivers are always winning the lottery. Just look at the anonymous lottery winner from Illinois who won $1 million earlier this year. The driver claimed that he frequently drives through Michigan and always buys tickets when he’s in the state.

And perhaps that’s the secret to winning a lottery ticket — access. Truckers are constantly passing through new areas and stopping at gas stations and rest stops. Lottery tickets are, in all likelihood, staring them in the face at all times.

Just a few years ago, a truck driver from Brooklyn cashed in nearly $300 million after winning the Powerball. Taxes would reduce it all the way down to $114 million but still. That’s over $100 million.

Trucking Fires, Arson

The trucking industry has an arson problem

If you keep up with the trucking industry, you’re no stranger to the plethora of stories involving the arson of a trucking terminal, fleet, or shop. At this point, the total number of fire-related accidents in the industry is starting to seem suspicious. With each new debilitating fire, we seem to find a new suspect who began it.

The most recent victim was Gentry and Sons, a prominent YouTube channel and trucking company. Tim Gentry, the owner of the company and channel, recorded the fire and his reaction to the fire. It’s extremely sad to watch. As things stand, there is no known cause for the fire and no true reason to believe that it was done by an arsonist.

Still, it brings up an important topic that isn’t frequently discussed in trucking — why are there so many fires? To take it a step further, you could even begin to ponder why so many of these fires lead back to an arsonist, or someone who intentionally began the fire.

Why are people burning down trucks, fleets, and shops?

Most people probably remember the Michigan man who set fire to 25 Swift Transportation trucks over roughly a two-year period. If he is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison. It turns out that this man, who would be identified as Viorel Pricop, had been involved in other criminal activity such as transporting illegal goods. Swift is the company that helped put him behind bars, giving him a reason to retaliate.

But he’s not the only one who has set fire to a truck recently.

Anthony Dick, a 39-year-old former Estes Express employee, set three small fires which eventually would cause damage to a handful of trucks and trailers. He is also facing legal issues. Dick claims that the fires were set “accidentally” but law enforcement contradicted this by stating that there is no way that the fires were an accident.

Just last month, Patrick Excavating and Trucking took serious damage by fire. Another fire devastated a trucking company in Iowa, causing up to an estimated $4 million in damage. The list goes on and on.

At some point, the question has to be brought up — should something be done about arson and fires in the trucking industry? It seems like every week, there is another company devastated by a fire.

Trucking Fire

Most of this trucking YouTuber’s shop was taken out by a fire

A prominent trucking YouTuber’s shop was taken out by a fire, leaving his business in shambles.

Gentry and Sons Trucking may not be the most exciting name for a YouTube channel. That said, the relatively small trucking company has developed a very large audience on YouTube. The owner, Tim Gentry, works with his son Braxton to create custom truck builds, developing an audience of over 200,000 fans over the past few years.

Those projects may soon be coming to a halt, as an accident at the company’s shop quickly turned to disaster.

Gentry and Sons Trucking literally and figuratively burnt to the ground overnight

The situation began when Gentry and his wife were in their home at 11:00 PM having a normal night. But things quickly turned for the worse, as he would receive a call from the police, alerting him of smoke coming from the company shop. The couple would quickly turn on a camera and head down to the shop.

And just like that, eight years of business goes down the drain.

Gentry notes that the cost involved with getting back to work is upwards of $400,000 to $500,000. He goes on to mention that while the company does have insurance, there are a couple of obstacles. For one, it’s really difficult to make a claim and it takes a long time. Even if this claim does go through, it’ll only cover roughly an eighth of the damage.

The couple recorded their reaction as they approach their burning shop. The video posted to their YouTube channel is extremely depressing to watch.

The two noted that you can help by either purchasing their merchandise or going to their GoFundMe to donate. So far, over $44,000 has been raised, though their goal is much higher, sitting at $250,000. This would cover just half of Gentry’s estimated $500,000 to get his business back in action.

trucking, california

This California trucking law just banned over 200,000 semi-trucks

Leave a comment

The trucking industry in the United States is very dependent on laws, rules, and regulations. These laws, rules, and regulations often determine how long a driver can drive, how much money a driver can make, and even where a driver can work.

They completely control the trucking industry.

And unfortunately for a lot of truck drivers, a new 2023 law will be impacting their livelihood. Thankfully for Whiteline Express drivers, this law is specific to California and mostly owner-operators.

Trucks made before 2011 are no longer allowed on California roads

Financially speaking, new laws can turn out to be a big negative for a truck driver. In this case, over 200,000 trucks will be impacted — this means that tens of thousands of truckers will be impacted, too. Possibly even hundreds of thousands.

To keep it simple, trucks built in 2010 or earlier will no longer be allowed on California roads. This has been coming for a long time and is a result of clean air regulations set in place by California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) back in 2008. According to MotorBiscuit, big rigs make up for just six percent of vehicles but account for about half of the state’s total emissions. This number increases as trucks age.

For many owner-operators, this change will have devastating consequences.

https://twitter.com/hib343434/status/1609716100002099201?s=20&t=3TZh7wGntAhXUO-j1AnAzg

There are exceptions to California’s new law, but not many

Before all drivers are sent into a panic — there are acceptions to this rule.

For example, if you have a truck that was built before 2011 but has never been used, you can continue to drive it. I’m not sure about the specifics of this rule going forward, but if the vehicle has less than 1,000 miles per year of use since its original acquisition, it can still be used.

Another example is that of vehicles that have had their engines replaced with one built past 2010.

Trucking, Texas

5 mind-boggling numbers about the trucking industry in the US

The trucking industry is one of the largest industries in the United States. To take it even a step further, logistics is something that will always be necessary — even if technological changes take place, items need to get from point A to point B.

As a result, some of the numbers that you see in reference to the trucking industry are truly appalling. Today, I’m going to give you five interesting numbers about the trucking industry.

5 mind-boggling numbers in the trucking industry

1. The trucking industry brought in $875.5 billion in total revenue in 2021

Yes, you’re reading that correctly. The highest-earning logistics company in the world is UPS, which has an annual revenue of roughly $24 billion. Total revenue in the industry continues to grow.

2. The most common state for truckers is Texas, where there are around 172,000 drivers

There are almost exactly one million truck drivers in the US as of the most recent census. The most common state is Texas, where there are just over 172,000 drivers in an industry that is looking to grow. 15 of every 1,000 jobs in the Lone Star State is a trucking job. Other common states for truck drivers include California, Florida, and surprisingly, Pennsylvania.

3. US truckers moved over 10 billion tons of freight in 2021

So if there are one million truckers in the United States that work year-round, there must be a lot of freight. . . right? If you’re thinking that, you’d be right — in fact, over 10 billion tons of freight is shipped each year in this country, which is especially impressive considering the DOT’s gross weight limit is 80,000 pounds.

4. The trucking industry moved 71.6% of all goods in the US last year

According to CFS, that 10 billion-pound total of freight has a dollar value attached to it. That value is $10.4 trillion dollars. . . that’s right. Trillion. This accounts for 71.6% of all goods in the country.

5. 97.4% of trucking companies have fewer than 20 trucks

Even though the trucking industry is huge, the companies with it in aren’t necessarily giant corporations. In fact, an extremely high percentage of logistics companies are very small, with 97.4% of these companies having fewer than 20 trucks. Take an even closer look and you’ll see that around 91% have fewer than seven trucks.

Trucking, Mexico double tractor-trailers

Trucking: Why Mexico almost banned double tractor-trailers

The trucking industry in Mexico is often thought of as being a bit sketchy. Trucks are notoriously not monitored as much as they are in the United States, with plenty of vehicles driving over weight limits and without proper upkeep. It’s not so much a negative about Mexico — rather, this is a testament to just how strict the US Department of Transportation is.

That said, the Mexican government is constantly working to improve these driving conditions.

A strong example of this is their attempt to ban double tractor-trailers, an initiative that officials have been wrestling with for the past couple of years. The reader’s digest version of this story is that some believe the elimination of double tractor-trailers would reduce fatal car crashes. Some officials have gone so far as to claim that up to 8% of car crashes are caused by double trailers, though that number is not substantiated.

Mexico decided to shoot down the elimination of double tractor-trailers in the trucking industry

There was no immediate explanation on why the push to ban double-trailers was dropped but here’s how CANACAR announced it.

“Lara announced that, in the coming days, an update of the NOM-012 will be carried out, with technical and mandatory measures for greater road safety for all, without [double tractor-trailer] restrictions.”

They would later explain why this initiative could actually have a very negative effect on the very things that they are trying to improve, stating that it would require “37,100 new tractor-trailers and 106,000 [box] trucks, which would also have implications for mobility, road safety, and the environment.”

It looks like everything will stay the same for trucking in Mexico.

Truckers on Christmas

3 things all truckers want for Christmas this year

Truckers are unlike any other type of person in the world. For better or worse, the occupation is one of the most iconic ones throughout the history of pop culture, with truck drivers being well-represented in films and TV shows.

And many of the stereotypes hold true.

A large handful of truckers are very unique people. While some people might want more traditional gifts like a new TV or a pair of shoes, truckers’ interests are totally different. Here are three things all truckers want for Christmas this year.

1. Christmas Day off

If you’re a trucker, you’ve had to learn the hard way — there’s no true vacation. Most trucking companies require some drivers to deliver shipments on Christmas Day, as this is still a huge day in the logistics industry. If you don’t want to, you have to schedule out paid time off in advance.

This is just part of the job, so most truckers won’t normally complain about it. That said, they’d all love to have the day off to see friends and family.

2. Clear roads with minimal traffic

Again, this is pretty unrealistic. Unfortunately, truck drivers don’t just have to drive on Christmas Day — they have to deal with traffic that is associated with the holiday. This means the millions of Americans who travel to see family each year in December.

This makes their job extremely difficult — you won’t find a driver around who doesn’t get frustrated during the holiday season.

3. Gasoline

This one will ring especially true for owner-operators, who pay for their own gasoline. This one is also coming true this year… sort of.

While diesel prices are still very high around the country, they’ve actually been dropping for the past month. They’re down over $0.15 from a week ago and continue to drop as we approach the holiday season. This means that while OOs might lose mileage during the holiday season due to traffic, they’ll save a little bit of money on gas.

Still, any truck driver in the world would take a free tank of gas any day of the week. In some areas, that is valued at around $1,000.

Red Giant semi-truck

The story behind the world’s longest sleeper cab semi-truck

When it comes to semi-trucks, length isn’t necessarily something that most drivers are eager to increase. A longer truck will be harder to maneuver, and from a logistical standpoint, it will increase the weight of the vehicle.

That said, not all trucks serve the same purpose.

Sometimes, trucks have a very unique purpose — just look at Bryan Dax, a Wisconsin owner-operator who has taken a unique path in the trucking world. He began with a traditional trucking occupation and has changed it into something that better suits his interests.

Bryan Dax’s “Red Giant” doesn’t actually haul any cargo

According to 10-4 Magazine, Bryan Dax doesn’t actually haul anything. In fact, what was once a long-haul sleeper cab has quickly turned into nothing but an advertising machine. That’s what the two 11′ by 6′ LED TV screens are for on the vehicle.

In fact, Dax doesn’t cease to haul cargo because he doesn’t want to — he cannot physically carry more than a few thousand pounds. Without any cargo, the vehicle and trailer weigh a whopping 72,000 pounds, meaning a small addition could put it over the 80,000 maximum gross weight limit.

But Dax has an extremely consistent stream of money coming in as a result of this.

The coolest part? The idea was actually given to him by former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. You see, Dax was a friend of Roy Jones Sr. and eventually developed a relationship with his boxing son. Jones Jr. would eventually suggest the idea of putting advertising on the side of his truck over a game of pool.

Dax ran with it.

How long is the “Red Giant” anyway?

Before I tell you how long the “Red Giant” is, I’ll give you a frame of reference. The average semi-truck is around 72 feet long — that is not a number that varies too greatly. Many trucks will be under that number, but few exceed it greatly.

The “Red Giant” is over 93 feet long.

Technically speaking, there was a truck that was longer than this — much longer than this. That truck measured nearly a mile long with 112 trailers being carried behind it. The caveat here is that this truck was more of a publicity stunt than anything else. There was nothing functional about it.

The longest single-trailer, fully-functional semi-truck is Bryan Dax’s Red Giant.

Live Streaming Trucker

This live-streaming trucker crashed when a four-wheeler entered his lane

Trucking isn’t like any other profession. Truckers don’t get to go into an office and sit behind a desk for eight hours — they have to risk their lives on the road, rain or shine.

And with that comes a certain level of danger. According to Dolman Law, somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 crashes involving large trucks happen per year. Around 4,600 of these are fatal.

I say this to make the point that trucking is not a walk through the park. Yes, you’re simply sitting behind the wheel for hours and hours each day, but one small incident can have serious consequences. This trucker/Twitch live streamer learned that the hard way.

OTR_Penguin, a truck driver, swerved away from a four-wheeler in the wrong lane and crashed his truck

On December 14th, a popular eSports account re-posted a video of a trucker who crashed his truck. That truck driver was OTR_Penguin, who actually live streams during much of the time that he’s on the road. The driver had posted the video to Twitch a day early.

And it may pay off to post this clip.

In the video, OTR_Penguin can be seen driving normally on what looks like a two-lane expressway. With a double-solid line, there wasn’t much need for concern from the driver. Unfortunately, most of the time that CDL drivers get into crashes, it’s not their fault. That held true here.

A pickup truck is seen entering the frame and appears to be a bit too far toward the middle of the road. They continue to drift into the opposite lane to the point where the semi-truck driver has no choice but to move out of the way, where he catches some grass and begins to shift into the grassy knoll. The truck hits a couple of trees before eventually tipping into its side.

Some have been quick to blame the truck driver.

This simply does not make sense. Semi-trucks are not only longer than most trucks but they’re less maneuverable — you can’t just swerve over and return to your original position too quickly without risking a crash. Momentum is not on their side. All things considered, the driver in this scenario handled things pretty well.

Some companies do keep cameras in their trucks, but if this one doesn’t, it’s a good thing he was live streaming.

Whiteline Express, Winter Trucking

Trucking: 3 important things to remember as winter approaches

The trucking industry can be one of the best in the entire world. There aren’t many jobs out there that give you the same level of freedom as trucking, with the opportunity for you to explore the world. But as with any industry — and perhaps to an extreme — trucking has its pitfalls.

One of those is in relation to winter driving.

Nobody likes taking a vehicle out on the road in bad conditions. Even light rainfall will complicate your drive and probably add to your trip time. But something that can really mess up your drive is the wintertime. Snow, ice, dry conditions, etc. — it makes truck drivers’ jobs infinitely more difficult. Today, I’m going to give you three things for truckers to remember as winter approaches.

1. If you don’t feel safe, do not be afraid to prioritize your safety

As much as you might feel pressure to accumulate miles or deliver your load in a timely manner, nothing is more important than your safety. If you feel like you cannot physically drive your vehicle without risking your safety, park it. Even if only for a few minutes.

Snowy conditions, especially in areas like the northeast, can make it nearly impossible to drive. It’s not worth your safety and the safety of others on the road to deliver a single load on time. They can wait 30 minutes longer.

2. Prepare for the worst-case scenario on bad days

If the weather seems particularly bad in the wintertime, make sure you’re prepared for the worst. As uncommon as breakdowns or accidents may be for you, you’d regret NOT packing extra clothing, blankets, food, and water in the case of an emergency. Whether there’s a repair vehicle coming or you’re doing the repairs yourself, it will take longer if you’re in a blizzard. Here’s a list of items that can help to have in the winter, according to Advanced Career Institute.

  • extra clothing layers
  • gloves
  • flashlight
  • rain gear
  • windshield fluid
  • blankets
  • bag of sand or salt
  • tire chains
  • jumper cables
  • snow scrapers and brushes

3. Bring sunglasses with you

Sunglasses? If you’re new to trucking, this may seem like a bizarre thing to pack in the middle of winter. That said, it might be one of the most important things to remember on this list.

Something that won’t necessarily be at the forefront of your mind when it’s 25 degrees and snowing is “snow blindness.” Snow blindness describes the glare directed into a vehicle driver’s eyes caused by an excess of snow. Not only will it reduce your visibility while driving — it can actually cause serious damage to your eyes. Generally, this is an issue in the artic, but nobody is totally safe from it.

Pack some sunglasses.