After a stroke and crash, former trucker Lanny Weaver stays positive for his grandsons
The thought that any mile you drive could be your last is sobering — but it’s a reality for anyone who earns a living at
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
Fleet Focus: CVSA inspection events present learning opportunities for truck owners
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducted the 2024 Operation Safe Driver Week July 7-13. The focus of this year’s event was reckless, careless or
History matters: Drivers with clean backgrounds are more likely to land the best jobs
People can be particular about the items they buy and use. That trait extends to truckers, too. Some wear only the best in blue jeans
CVSA promotes education, outreach and safe equipment during Brake Safety Week
Brake safety week will be here before you know it! The Commercial Vehicle Training Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled this year’s event for Aug. 25-31. During
Despite positive signs, freight rates remained stagnant in June
Overcapacity continues to suppress the freight market, holding down rates — but are we nearing the long-awaited uptick in the cycle? Most of the analysts
Hydrogen fuel is nearly ready to replace diesel, but supply infrastructure must be developed
Electric vehicle technology continues to advance, and batteries are proving to be effective at powering the family car for a trip to work and back
New Class 8 truck sales dropped sharply in June, but not enough to relieve overcapacity
June U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks fell 24.7% from the level seen in June 2023, according to data received from Wards Intelligence. Total
Want to own your own trucking business? Here’s what you should know
Buying and operating their own truck is an option many commercial drivers take advantage of. Before taking the plunge and shelling out money on a
Access to industry data and insights is key to success for business owners
The trucking industry has experienced some wild fluctuations in the past four years. One of the most telling signs is the number of new carrier
Group frustrated by FMCSA’s reluctance to allow hair testing results in Clearinghouse
As pretty much anyone in the trucking industry would agree, it’s important to ensure commercial drivers are alert and prepared to react quickly to changing
Independent contractor classification still murky under new DOL rule
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the state’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) into law September 18, 2019, the trucking industry was quick to voice its
Weathering the storm: Capacity slowly eroding but not fast enough to change the freight market
Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought global economic conditions that had not been seen for generations. Four years later, the disease that started it
Spot rate improvement in May: New trend or just another bounce along the bottom?
Maybe it’s just that the freight market is getting tired of the gloomy predictions for the rest of 2024, but there was quite a bit
Strong US Class 8 sales for May reflect atypical pattern for freight market
U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks in May were a virtual repeat of April results. Manufacturers reported sales of 19,764, just 34 trucks fewer
Proper pre-trips and a little know-how can help you pass the next brake inspection
Your brakes may be a problem. In fact, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspectors placed 19% of vehicles inspected out of service (OOS) during the
Trucking provides off time opportunities that can promote health and well being
If you drive a truck over the road (OTR) for a living, chances are you struggle with work-life balance. If you have a family, they
When new federal regulations are formed, truckers’ voices matter
Truck drivers know a lot about government regulations. After all, their entire day must fit within parameters set by the government. From restrictions on driving
Not all truckers drive Class 8s: Chassis cabs, other smaller trucks are hot right now
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Trucking is an industry that offers a huge variety of opportunities for drivers, but it’s often assumed that “trucker” is a
Truck sales are slowing — but not enough to bring equilibrium to the freight market
In a market where freight rates are suppressed because there are too many available trucks, the trucking industry is responding by (you guessed it!) buying
Too many trucks for available freight keeps rates at unprofitable levels
It was “more of the same” for freight markets in April, according to industry sources. The amount of freight that’s available to haul declined once