The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is expected to urge the government to make changes to the quality standard of diesel because of the effect of biodiesel content on truck engines. According to a Commercial Motor investigation, there is increasing dissatisfaction at the way the fuel is being handled and distributed after it leaves the refinery, amid concerns it is causing fuel filters to clog up.

Manufacturers and trade associations claim the biodiesel content in diesel fuel draws water from the atmosphere and leads to algae growth, despite the insistence from fuel and bunkering companies that all diesel sold meets British BSI quality standards. The SMMT hopes to lobby for some enforcement of the specification because other truck manufacturers have had issues with it. Approximately 5% biodiesel has been added to diesel fuel for around 12 months in order to meet the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, but this does not have to be advertised.

There is some debate over whether this relatively low level is affecting fuel systems or not. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says that this problem has caused a lot of operators a high expense due to cleaning out their tanks. The fuel companies’ trade association says that the initial problems have been resolved and that biodiesel can help the lubricity of truck engines.

While fuel prices were only starting to rise in the first quarter of 2008, nearly one thousand trucking companies, both large and small, went bankrupt. Tens of thousands more made severe cuts in operations and the numbers are expected to get worse, rapidly. However, there are trucking jobs available and a lot of them at that.

A quick Internet search brings up pages upon pages of trucking companies looking for qualified drivers. These companies range from individual corporations to mass recruiting sites. With an updated resume and references handy, a few minutes at the computer can yield significant results. However, the time involved in filling out each single application for each company is not the most effective way to do it.

Big Truck lists jobs with several different companies and one online application will be submitted to 750 companies. If a company is interested, a recruiter will be in contact.

Big Truck also has links for truck driving schools and services. CDL Jobs also submits the driver’s application to multiple companies. The driver can choose from a list of 44 companies for employment and 30 companies as owner/operators. It also has a feature to compare trucking companies side by side on such considerations as required experience, maximum citations or accidents allowed, pay per month, and so on.

It can be a real challenge finding a trailer for your race car on a budget. It helps to know in advance what your needs are and then stick to a budget before you go shopping. There are a lot of fancy trailers out there that are very expensive, but they might not meet your needs.

However, with a little research, you can find an affordable trailer that will do everything you need. You can spend some time at a racing track looking at other racers’ trailers and asking them questions. Searching the Internet, classified ads and going to a few sales lots is also helpful. The first concern with trailering a race car is its ground clearance. Race cars tend to be low to the ground and may have front spoilers, so account for this when choosing.

As a result of the above, a shallow angle loading platform is necessary. An issue with the usual budget car hauler trailer is that the deck is relatively high, creating a steep loading angle.

A steel frame is stronger, heavier and cheaper and can be welded up at any truck stop along the highway. Whereas an aluminum frame is lighter, more expensive, and more difficult to repair.

Union leaders have successfully challenged Allied Systems’ bonuses it paid to supervisors in a big victory for Teamster car haulers, resulting in a $300 payment to each Allied member. The union’s victory was announced on March 2, 2009 and as a result, the company has ended its bonuses to supervisors.

The director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division claims a big victory for their 3,300 members at Allied. When the company violated the agreement they filed a grievance and, with the support of their members, they held the company accountable. On September 4, 2008, the Teamsters filed a grievance against Allied for violations relating to the equal sacrifice commitment. The Teamsters claimed that Allied had breached the agreement by paying performance bonuses to some of its supervisory employees.

Allied admitted that it paid such performance bonuses but characterized the payments as a component of a “variable wage” program that had been in effect since 2005. The Teamsters did not agree with Allied’s justification and pursued the grievance through the contractual grievance/arbitration provisions. Allied is required to pay more than two times the amount that it paid in “variable wage” performance bonuses.

With the re-emergence of the Harley Davidson and similar high quality motorcycle manufacturers, bikes have become a major part of American culture, with many enthusiasts having more than one motorcycle. When it comes for a bike to be transported over a long distance, a motorcycle shipping company is usually involved to ensure their protection.

There are many good, reputable companies that focus exclusively on shipping motorcycles. To get the best results, one should pick a company that deals only with transporting motorcycles. While cars have four tires that keep it upright at all times without any need for support and are easily locked down and secured in transit, motorcycles, on the other hand, have only two wheels and are top heavy, meaning that without the proper support they will easily fall on their side, often causing damage.

Motorcycle shippers understand the unique requirements of shipping bikes, and they have equipment that helps lock a bike into position and keep it stationary no matter what rough roads may be encountered. Very often motorcycles are shipped in enclosed trailers. It not only protects them from outside debris but also keeps them from being stolen while in transit. This will usually cost more but is worth doing for peace of mind.

just watching all this rain….Slowing the day down…..