Cash is king: Planning and structure are keys to thriving in a recovering economy
Economists and industry analysts in the logistics sector are optimistic these days. After several years of a freight recession, they see a light at the
Kris Rutherford
- About Kris Rutherford
- Since retiring from a career as an outdoor recreation professional from the State of Arkansas, Kris Rutherford has worked as a freelance writer and, with his wife, owns and publishes a small Northeast Texas newspaper, The Roxton Progress. Kris has worked as a ghostwriter and editor and has authored seven books of his own. He became interested in the trucking industry as a child in the 1970s when his family traveled the interstates twice a year between their home in Maine and their native Texas. He has been a classic country music enthusiast since the age of nine when he developed a special interest in trucking songs.
Posts by Kris Rutherford
Tornado season is here: These tips could save your life
If anyone doubts that severe weather season is upon us, all they have to do is take a look at what happened in the eastern
‘Queen of Rockabilly’ Wanda Jackson thrilled fans with sassy growled vocals
She might not be the most recognizable country star today, but at one time Wanda Jackson was a pioneer on the country music scene, particularly
Poised for recovery: Mergers & acquisitions on pace for normalization in 2025
The freight recession that gripped the transportation and logistics (T&L) industry for the past 32 months is fading, and analysts in the mergers and acquisitions
Contemporary recording artist Phil Vassar provides long line of ‘classic country’
Phil Vassar first appeared on the country music scene in the late 1990s. That doesn’t exactly place him in my category of “classic” country. However,
From the racetrack to the US highway system: Carl Fisher paved the way for commercial transportation
Ever heard of Carl G. Fisher? If the answer is “no,” let me ask another question: Have you ever heard of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2-hit wonder: Leroy Van Dyke’s career helped define country music
When discussing the names of legendary country performers of the mid-20th century, chances are the name Leroy Van Dyke doesn’t immediately come to mind. Van
Trucking History: Alexander Winton’s car-hauler preceded Charles Fruehauf’s trailer by nearly 2 decades
Charles Fruehauf is widely credited as the father of the semi-trailer as it is used today in American trucking — and rightly so. After all,
Avoid the big ‘oops’: A proactive safety culture can protect your company in case of a major accident
If you operate a commercial trucking company, you’ve been there — getting that call from a driver or law enforcement agency alerting you to a
Need drivers? Make the most of new technology to navigate the driver recruitment funnel
For years, motor carriers have searched for a secret formula to attracting and keeping the best drivers. Conversion Interaction Agency reports that driver recruitment advertising
Reba McEntire broils up controversy with ‘Fancy’ as her signature song
I love Reba McEntire. As far as I’m concerned, she bests Patsy Cline as the greatest female country artist of all time. “When Whoever in
August Fruehauf: How an apprentice blacksmith grew his business into a top-of-the-line trailer manufacturer
In German, the word “Fruehauf” means “early riser.” For August Charles Fruehauf, no name could have been more appropriate. Born in 1868 in Fraser, Michigan,
Remembering a country great: Kris Kristofferson’s legendary resume
“If it sounds country, that’s what it is. It’s a country song.” Truer words than Kris Kristofferson’s introduction to his recording of “Me and Bobby
150 years and counting: George Westinghouse’s braking system still brings traffic to a stop
If you ask truckers about the most important things in their lives, some might say that right after family, God and country, their truck’s brakes
Garrett Steenblik journeys from health crisis to wellness as an over-the-road trucker
Garrett Steenblik’s story as a truck driver isn’t a typical one — but it is certainly inspirational. Just a few years into his driving career,
Repeating history: Timing of port strike eerily similar to 1938 truckers’ strike
East and Gulf Coast ports shut down at midnight Oct. 1, 2024, as 45,000 union longshoremen walked off their jobs. Freight will quickly back up
Western swing entertainer Spade Cooley detoured down a murderous path
It’s generally accepted that Bob Wills, along with his Texas Playboys, remains the “King of Western Swing.” But in the 1940s and early 1950s, a
Malcom McLean: Former gas jockey revolutionized shipping to become ‘father of containerization’
Malcom McLean (1913-2001) despised inefficiency. So determined was he to streamline his life and business that he dropped the superfluous letter “l” from “Malcolm” to
Tracy Byrd: This cowboy-hat-wearing performer is from the country — and he likes it that way
During the 1970s, as country music artists gradually crossed over to pop, one casualty of the genre’s evolution was the cowboy hat. While some artists
From disco to country, ‘Big’ Al Downing made his mark
Only one performing artist can lay claim to having the No. 1 disco single in the U.S. and Europe one year and following it up