Trucking with OOIDA

The American Transportation Research Institute is out with its annual Top Industry Issues report, and a few new issues cracked the top 10. But what might strike you is the difference between what motor carriers are concerned about and what truck drivers are concerned about. They don’t exactly line up. ATRI President Rebecca Brewster said there’s a lesson there, one that carriers would do well to l...

Is the driver shortage narrative finally coming to an end? Mark Schremmer of Land Line Magazine is cautiously optimistic based on a number of recent developments. He tells us why, then looks at the current slate of bills dedicated to English-language proficiency and non-domiciled CDLs (there’s a lot of them, for good reason) and then ahead to medium- and heavy-duty truck tariffs set to take effect...

As the conversations around English-language proficiency ramped up several months ago, Professor Alex Scott got curious. So he did what he does. The associate professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville started to study the issue, which led to a report titled, “Are English-Language Violations Associated with Unsafe Carriers?” And while the answer to that question...

There is no hotter topic in trucking right now than non-domiciled CDLs – and while the Trump administration has made enforcement a focal point, long-standing changes will take an act of Congress. Enter Representative David Rouzer of North Carolina, who recently introduced a bill that would create stricter requirements for the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs. The congressman joins the show to tell u...

Jimmy Mac’s voice is familiar to anybody who listen to Radio Nemo – but how much do you know about the man you hear on the mic every morning? We set out to find out what makes Jimmy tick. Join the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: https://www.ooida.com/membership/ Tired of watching your rights eroded: https://fightingfortruckers.com/ Subscribe for FREE to Land Line Magazine (online o...

Women In Trucking is hosting its annual Accelerate! Conference and Expo in a couple weeks, and Jennifer Hedrick is ready to roll. The president and CEO of Women In Trucking walks us through the event and what to expect. Join the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: https://www.ooida.com/membership/ Tired of watching your rights eroded: https://fightingfortruckers.com/ Subscribe for FREE...

Tom Mullen has a pretty good gig as the chair of the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame. They just inducted four new members who have shaped the trucking industry in important ways. Tom tells us about them and their contributions, along with other things that make his job at the American Truck Historical Society so fun. Join the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: https...

Andrew King hates to be the bearer of bad news, but there are new, troubling signs that the freight market may be headed for significant hardship. Nobody wants to hear that, and it’s hard to believe things can get much worse, but the director of the OOIDA Foundation says the data out there can help people make more informed decisions about their business.

When it comes to roadway safety, the iron is hot, and OOIDA isn’t waiting for anyone else to strike it. With all the focus on English-language proficiency measures and non-domiciled CDL rules, the Association is calling on Congress to use that momentum to enhance driver training, licensing and qualification standards. After all, the issues go hand-in-hand. Collin Long, OOIDA director of government...

There are a lot of great trucking-centric channels on YouTube. “Trucking Made Successful” is one of them. If you’ve ever watched it, you know Miranda, who helps people make sound business decisions based on current conditions in the market. But it wasn’t that long ago that Miranda was teaching herself. In fact, she still is – and perhaps that’s why her content resonates so much with people, to the...

Judge Tommy Fowler has concerns about autonomous vehicles – but they may not entirely line up with yours. The judge for the Craighead County District Court in Arkansas says current laws on the books are nowhere near ready for the long list of new challenges that driverless cars will – and already are – unleashing. Judge Fowler details his concerns from the perspective of the law.

Owner-operator Dustin Ross has been weathering the storm that is this freight recession fairly well, but he knows plenty of people who haven’t. The OOIDA senior member discusses his inclusion in an NPR piece dedicated to the prolonged slowdown and what he’s doing to keep things moving, along with the origins of his father-son trucking company, his 2000 Sterling named Stella and more...

Pennsylvania is going big on parking. The state just announced plans to add more than 1,200 spaces across the commonwealth by the end of next year. The man leading the charge is PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. He tells us what prompted the push, what the plans call for and even his own experiences with a CDL.

Tom Berg loves trucks. Always has. But it wasn’t until he started thumbing through trade magazines at a previous job when he realized he wanted to explore that love of trucks as a career. And he did. The contributing editor of Land Line Magazine walks us through those early days – and takes us down memory lane, recalling some of his favorite trucks over the past several decades.

We may be one step closer to clearing up a long-standing legal question about broker liability. That question being, can freight brokers be held responsible for crashes involving motor carriers they hire? The Supreme Court is taking up a case. Aaron Schepler, senior counsel for Husch Blackwell, walks us through the implications.

There are new indications that the Canadian government is ready to get serious about Driver Inc., the employee misclassification scheme deemed by some to be the biggest threat facing the Canadian trucking industry. OOIDA board member Johanne Couture is among those fighting for change. She joins us from the road (on Thanksgiving in Canada, no less) to help us make sense of the problems being caused...

Cargo theft is a problem. That’s no surprise. But the American Transportation Research Institute’s newest report on cargo theft puts the problem into perspective. ATRI’s vice president, Jeff Short, walks us through what they found – along with strategies to curb the ever-growing problem.

Lindsay Lawler wears a lot of hats – singer, songwriter, radio host, “queso queen” – but most of all, she wants to be known as a “connector.” And it comes through in work, whether that be through her music or her show  We Should Write  on Radio Nemo. Lindsay walks us through her life, how trucking entered it, and her lifelong pursuit of forming connections with people from all walks of l...

We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Land Line Magazine by welcoming in someone who’s been involved from the start. Todd Spencer reminisces about those early days, which included selling his truck to pay for the magazine’s first typesetting machine, and also reflects on everything the magazine has become since. Plus, Spencer Squier used to be a trucker. Now he’s the founder and CEO of Ro...

The president recently identified another target for his tariffs: heavy trucks built overseas. Jason Miller, Eli Broad professor of supply chain management, breaks down the possible implications – and lays out why he believes the U.S. economy might already be in recession territory. Then, a recap of this past weekend’s Guilty By Association Truck Show.

When the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance holds its conferences, Lewie Pugh and Doug Morris of OOIDA are usually outnumbered amongst a sea of law enforcement officers, reps from the mega carriers and others. But that’s also why they go – to make sure the voices of small business truckers are heard. Lewie and Doug tell us about the most recent meeting, along with their thoughts on the 2025 Guilty...

The U.S. Department of Transportation is clamping down on the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs. It’s a conversation that OOIDA has been driving. OOIDA director of government affairs Collin Long reacts to the big news. Plus, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and therapist Buck Black joins us to shine a light on this important topic.

The Guilty By Association Truck Show is underway and our very own Scott Thompson is there. We'll check in with him. We then speak with OOIDA Member, Richard Horvath about the challenges he’s faced getting his CDL with only one arm. Plus, we get Brent Hutto from truckstop.com to break down all the spot market numbers and get some advice on what the next few months could have in store.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has a program that provides CDL training to inmates so they can hit the ground running after release. Deann Bertram joins the show to explain how it’s changing lives. Plus, Danny Ramon of Overhaul details how his company helped stop a suspected cargo theft ring in its tracks.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is making a pitch that would limit personal conveyance. But why? Adrienne Gildea, deputy executive director of CVSA, joins the show to explain, while OOIDA president Todd Spencer makes his case on behalf of truck drivers. Plus, the Guilty By Association Truck Show is right around the corner; we'll speak with OOIDA's marketing department about what attendees c...