Illumination station: LED lighting gives truck owners more options than ever before
Cross the state line into North Carolina and you’re likely to see signs that instruct motorists to “burn headlights when using windshield wipers.” In the
Cliff Abbott
- About Cliff Abbott
- Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
Posts by Cliff Abbott
Safety Series: Pre-trip checks save time and cash during CVSA inspections
“Did you do a pre-trip?” This a question drivers are sometimes asked. The answer is almost always “yes.” It’s even in the driver’s record of
Sales on the rise: Signs point to slowing market, but truck buyers keep buying
U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks remained above the 20,000 threshold for the third consecutive month in July, reaching 20,919 according to data received
Stormy weather: Falling load numbers and freight rates point to turbulent times ahead
The amount of freight available to haul is declining and so are rates. That’s the bad news. The good news is that both rates and
No driver needed: Startup manufacturer Solo AVT sees a future for completely autonomous, electric vehicles
Truck brands are so prevalent that even children who spend time on the road learn the familiar names. Freightliner. International. Kenworth. Mack. Peterbilt. Volvo. Western
New Class 8 truck sales show strong numbers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — U.S. sales of new, Class 8 trucks remained above the 20,000 threshold for the third consecutive month in July, according to
Taking care of travelers: Third generation of the Peel family continues tradition of feeding drivers at Walcott’s Iowa 80
“Family” is a word that is heard frequently heard at the Iowa 80 Truckstop. After all, the “World’s Largest Truckstop” has been a part of
Time to buy? Class 8 sales strong in June but higher prices, interest rates are on the horizon
In June, U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks experienced the best month of the year to date, according to data received from ACT Research.
HOS rules/logging devices knowledge is vital
Love ’em or hate ’em, electronic logging devices (ELDs) are here to stay for the majority of drivers of commercial vehicles. Once ELDs became mandatory
Drivers need to be sure braking systems are in compliance before hitting the road
One thing that large trucks and small automobiles have in common — at least since 1994 — is that each one sold in the U.S.
In for a rough ride: Signs point to higher fuel costs, lower freight rates and a possible recession
June tonnage reported to the American Trucking Associations (ATA) rose by 2.7%, bucking the industry trend as reported by other sources. Much of that increase
Independent Contractor Practices Policy Committee provides guidance for TCA’s members, advocacy efforts
Independent contractors (ICs) provide capacity to carriers, with less capital investment needed. Managing them, however, comes with an added degree of operational complexity. In the
What goes up must come down: Trucking industry hopes maxim applies to fuel costs, not rates
If what goes up must come down, Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) members are undoubtedly hoping the aphorism applies to fuel costs rather than the increased
Manufacturing dilemma: Supply chain constraints holding back production at truck OEMs while prices keep rising
Carriers can expect to pay more for new equipment in the coming years — if said equipment can be found to purchase at all, according
Despite rising prices, new Class 8 tractor sales showing gains
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — U.S. sales of new, Class 8 trucks experienced the best month of the year to date in June, according to data
Love changes things: Candace Hunter left career in finance to enter the world of trucking
Candace Hunter was running a successful tax business in 2019 when love intervened. She met Rickie Braden, who was interested in starting a business of
Safety first: Longtime trucker Duane Dornath finds joy in his career, family
Completing a trip with no accidents, no citations and no violations added to a CSA score is the goal of every professional driver. Repeating this
Preparation is key to passing DOT roadside inspections
Drivers are often surprised when a DOT roadside inspection turns up one or more issues, especially if those issues are of the shut down variety.
Safety Series: Keep safety in mind while driving, even when it’s necessary to be aggressive
Anyone who has driven a commercial vehicle professionally has likely received a ton of training in defensive driving. Whether the training is from the National
Manufacturing dilemma: Industry analysts say more than 21,000 new trucks sold in May while orders declined
May sales of new Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market increased by 7.6% in May over April sales figures, according to data received from