In this episode…
– Fast food chain gives away food to truckers
– 800,000 masks to be given away on truck routes
– Howes Hall of Fame
– We give away some Stellar Pluto Duo headsets
David Compton:
Hi, I’m David Compton. It’s time to make a run for the border, as I’m going to show you which fast food chain is giving away free food to truckers. And 800,000 masks are slated for distribution to truck drivers at six rest stops along the nation’s high volume trucking lanes. Plus, we’re giving away some real cool Stellar Pluto+Duo headsets later on in the show. And these are the things we’re going to cover, along with our CAT Scale Rig of the Week, on this edition of The Trucker News Channel.
David Compton:
It’s time to make a run for the border, and I don’t mean the Canada or Mexico border. I mean the Taco Bell border. That’s because the fast food chain is going to be giving away free food to those who drive large essential service vehicles, like truckers, EMTs, and firefighters. Taco Bell realizes that our heroes of the highway cannot fit in a typical restaurant drive-through. So on Friday, May 1st, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine is transforming into the company’s truck-through at headquarters. The kitchen will be serving up a Custom Cravings Box, complete with Crunch Wrap Supreme, bean burrito, cinnamon twists, and a Baja Blast, all completely free for truckers.
David Compton:
And speaking of trucking and food, I got gas the other day for only 99 cents. Unfortunately, that was at the local taco truck parked at the rest stop.
David Compton:
Truck drivers are enjoying a boom in popularity as they deliver critical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the industry receives positive media exposure. At the same time, drivers are experiencing increased exposure to health risks associated with the Coronavirus and personal protective equipment, including protective masks, while they’re in short supply. So to help protect these essential workers, about 800,000 masks were slated for distribution to truck drivers at six rest stops along the nation’s high-volume trucking lanes.
David Compton:
The effort is being coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Department of Homeland Security, and The US Department of Transportation. The six distribution points will include the following rest areas. California: Interstate 5 northbound in Los Angeles. Georgia: Interstate 75 southbound at mile marker 179, just North of Macon. Illinois: at Interstate 80/Interstate 294 eastbound at mile marker 1 in Chicago. Nebraska: Interstate 80 westbound at mile marker 431 near Omaha. New York: Interstate 87 northbound at mile marker 33, just North of New York City. And in Texas, Interstate 35 northbound at mile marker 362A, about five miles south of Hillsboro.
Speaker 2:
Time is money, and CAT Scale can help your drivers save time weighing. Drivers know their axle and gross weights before pulling off the scale, and CAT Scale weights are always guaranteed. Drivers get back on the road faster with the Weigh My Truck app from CAT Scale.
David Compton:
This week’s CAT Scale Rig of the Week goes to Zach Cooper of Antlers, Oklahoma. Zach rebuilt and repainted this 1998 Peterbilt 379 in 2016, and the rig has over two million miles on it. Zach’s been driving since 2007, and in 2011, he became an owner-operator with Zach Cooper Trucking, where he hauls a lot of ag products, mostly consisting of dry and liquid fertilizer. When not working. Zach likes to spend his time with his family on their ranch, where they have cattle to tend to.
David Compton:
If you have a rig you’d like profiled here on the CAT Scale Rig of the Week, send us a video to [email protected].
David Compton:
Joining me today is David McManus, Regional Sales Manager from Stellar Electronics. Dave, welcome to the show.
Dave McManus:
Thank you, Dave. Thank you, as well.
David Compton:
So it’s a pleasure having you today. I’m really interested to talk about Stellar Electronics and especially this headset. And I want to tell our viewers right now: At the end of this piece, we’re going to talk about giving some of these bad boys away.
Dave McManus:
Absolutely.
David Compton:
So make sure to watch this thing all the way through, because we’ve got a great giveaway, where you can wear one of these things just like Dave is right now.
David Compton:
So first of all, tell me a little bit about Stellar Electronics. I know a little bit about the company, but it seems to me that this is a company that is building a product that has truckers’ feedback. It’s not just a bunch of electronic engineers that are building something that is not focused for this industry. Tell me a little bit about that.
Dave McManus:
Yes, well, hey, we’re just a small company. We just started last year. We are a bunch of trucking professionals. I’m a driver myself. We started this company under the premise that we wanted to offer something to the trucking industry, specifically the trucking drivers, that they can use and utilize, especially in a safety-sensitive work environment. And offer something that’s comfortable, such as the headset. And this is our way of giving back to them.
David Compton:
Yeah, very, very cool. So let’s talk in specifics, because I’m really curious to get into this thing, seeing it on your head there. This is the Pluto+Duo. So tell me a little bit about the product,
Dave McManus:
This headset stands alone from our competitors on the market. It’s just a super awesome, comfortable headset. The Pluto is one side of the headset. This microphone has two [mods 00:05:41] built in, which gives crystal-clear clarity as you’re speaking and also as you’re doing messaging, receiving and sending text messages back and forth. It’s just crystal-clear clarity.
Dave McManus:
On the opposite side of my ear is what’s called the Duo, what acts as a power bank and the battery pack. And it has crystal-clear stereo quality. It’s just an awesome performing headset that is so under-rated, and we’re just so excited to get it out to the trucking industry professionals.
David Compton:
Well, very cool. I know a few on the team here, actually, at TheTrucker.com have the headset and raved about it. And that’s how we linked up with you guys. So proof is in the pudding from our side. We love the product. So how can they find out about where to buy these bad boys? Going to your website? Will that work?
Dave McManus:
Hey, absolutely. You can go check out our website It’s stellarelectronic.com. You can also find us on Facebook. We have our own Facebook page. We also have a LinkedIn website, as well, on LinkedIn. And you can also find us on Twitter, as well. And my credentials are on the webpage, under Stellar Electronic, and you can find me there. If you have any questions, you’re more than welcome to email me or call me, either one.
David Compton:
Very good. So for all of our viewers out there, if you want to have a chance to win one of these wonderful headsets, the Pluto+Duo, you can go to headsetgiveaway.com. It’s right there on the screen. Go there, enter, and we’re going to be giving away several of these.
David Compton:
So Dave, thank you very much for joining us, and thanks for giving away some of these to our viewers. We appreciate it.
Dave McManus:
You’re very welcome, Dave. Thank you, as well.
David Compton:
All right, back to you in the studio.
David Compton:
Joining me today is Rob and Erica Howes from Howes Products, and Ellen Voie from Women in Trucking. Welcome, everybody.
Erica Howes:
Thank you.
David Compton:
Well, let’s first start with Rob and Erica. I hear this was a big year for Howes, and some special things are in the work. Tell us about it.
Rob Howes:
Yeah, we’re really excited to celebrate our hundredth year and wanted to give back to the customers that got us here. So that’s why I put together a platform called the Howes Hall of Fame. And Erica’s going to tell you a little more about that.
Erica Howes:
So the Howes Hall of Fame we put together to recognize those who have had a great influence and impact on the industry, both in trucking and in farming. When you’ve been in the business for 100 years, as long as we have, you know that it takes some special people to keep things moving. We launched the Hall of Fame last month, and we’re excited to show everybody what we have in there. You can visit it safely at any time, because it lives online.
Erica Howes:
It’s a great place to check out some interesting facts about Howes and see our inductees, the first of which is joining us today.
David Compton:
Well, first inductee. And congratulations goes to Ellen Voie, from Women in Trucking. Congratulations, Ellen.
Ellen Voie:
Thank you so much. And thank you Rob and Erica, for this honor. I appreciate it.
David Compton:
Well first of all, I want to encourage everybody to go to howesproducts.com and check out this Hall of Fame. I was really, really impressed today when I looked around. It is literally like walking into a museum. Technically, kudos to your tech team. This is almost like playing a video game. It was very interactive, and you guys have done a great job. Even got to Ellen’s section of the museum in the Hall of Fame, and it was really, really something.
David Compton:
Ellen, so what does this mean for Women in Trucking? I watched the video about Women in Trucking and yourself on the howesproducts.com Hall of Fame. Tell me: What does it mean?
Ellen Voie:
Well, it’s truly an honor, and what it means is that not only have we actually made a difference in the trucking industry, but we’re being recognized for it. And I really appreciate the Howes family for choosing me as the first inductee, but it’s really all of Women in Trucking and the passion that my whole team has to create a better industry, meaning more gender diversity at all levels. And thank you for letting me tell our story. That was so heartwarming.
David Compton:
Well, congratulations. So Rob and Erica, so tell me a little bit more about the process. I assume there’s going to be more inductees coming along. How are they selected and what do they get? I mean, what’s in it for them?
Erica Howes:
Yes, in the future, what we’re going to do is we’re going to have the people in the industries send in their nominees. We want to know who’s touched their lives and who’s made a difference for them.
Erica Howes:
In the meantime, the inductees get a lot of recognition. We send somebody to go and really listen to their story and let them tell it. And on top of that, they get some great items. They get some apparel and a trophy with our new mascot, the dog, on it, who really embodies what we stand for and what the people stand for, as well.
David Compton:
Well, very good. Well, Ellen, congratulations again. Can’t wait to see you styling all that Howes swag that you got for being the first nominee. And again, congratulations from all of us.
David Compton:
So to all of our viewers, I really want to encourage you to go to howesproducts.com. Check out the Hall of Fame. It’s really quite something. Thanks, everybody.
Rob Howes:
Thank you.
Ellen Voie:
Thank you.
Erica Howes:
Thanks.
David Compton:
That’s it for this edition. If you’re watching this on YouTube, make sure to click that little red Subscribe button below. You can also go to TheTrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories.
David Compton:
That’s all. So on behalf of myself and everybody else here at The Trucker News Channel, thank you for watching.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.