Trucker Dump - A Trucking Podcast

This is one of those times I go off-topic. Trucking does rear its butt-ugly head, but not very often. Today I get to tell you why The Evil Overlord and I rarely feel the need to say the words "I love you." And if you're cool, you might want to see a picture of my awesome Transformers TV tray. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

No American in the 1800's could have possibly imagined vehicles that were 13' 6" tall, over 70 feet long, and weighed 80,000 pounds. And that's what makes Trucking in the Northeast such a challenge. Today, I tell the story of one such night and the chaos that ensued. And I use the word A-hole a lot… A LOT. Not the potty-mouth version though. I actually say "A-hole." Hey, I have a hard enough time getting listeners without donning the Explicit tag. I also mention the "Too Stupid to Fuel?" podcast/blog in case you missed that one. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Security guards. As a trucker, you deal with them nearly every day. Some are good at their jobs. Some feel the need to wear Superman long-johns underneath their uniform. In today's story, I wish I'd had a chunk of Kryptonite handy. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

We're back with Part 2 of 2. Although it's not absolutely necessary, you may want to listen to Part 1 before you continue with this one. Today we continue our discussion of different roles within a trucking company. After listening to today's story involving our brand-spanking-new truck, you'll understand my hatred for Planners. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

You see how I got all clever with the title? Yea. I rock. Today's topic covers the different roles that people do within a trucking company. We're talking office personnel here, not us rockin' drivers. Did I mention that I rock? This is Part 1 of 2. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

I don't think I've ever been quite so mad in my trucking career than when I was writing this blog post. Luckily, by the time I got around to recording the podcast version, I'd managed to regain my Fonzie-like coolness. So what prompted this rage? Some of the stupid rules truckers are forced to comply with, especially us team drivers. Trust me, no one is ever happy when The Evil Overlord's sleep gets disturbed. Today I tell a story of a run-in we had with the wonderful folks at the TSA. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

We start this one off with a joke that I posted on the blog. Next, we move on to one of the biggest issues in the trucking industry: Health and Trucking. We look at the challenges that truckers face when it comes to staying in shape and what it takes to pull it off. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Merry Christmas! This podcast explains how Christmas works for many truckers. And of course, what Christmas podcast would be complete without zombies? Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Today's podcast was prompted by a surprising berating from another trucker on Twitter. I'm kinda glad he did it though, because it gives me the opportunity to explain why I waste so much time on this podcast/blog and Twitter. In the feedback segment, Jason, Oz, and Clyde leave their thoughts on truck transmissions. Pam and neuLindsay both pipe in, and Heidi expresses her amazement that she wasn't bored reading one of my articles. Heidi's wedding blog, called Truly Engaging, gets a plug too. And lastly, I share why comments from experienced truckers are not only wanted, but NEEDED. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Oh boy. This is one of the big debates among truckers. Which is better; an Automatic or a Manual transmission? In today's podcast, I make the argument that there really isn't much difference between the two. Learn how to shift both transmissions and check out some pictures of both types of transmissions. Feedback from Jason involves a story that may make you consider giving up dairy products and Buck, a.k.a. @TruckerTherapy, from TruckerTherapy.com stops in too. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Uh-oh. Someone broke into my trailer while I slept. What now? Today's cryptic title covers load security and how a driver can cover their butt when things go wrong. In the feedback section, we get a couple of comments including one about truckers getting too greedy. I also put out the call for audio comments and tell you an easy way to do it. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

No one likes to be forced to do anything, right? So why do we truckers tolerate "forced dispatch?" Is it as bad as it seems? Also, we discuss what can happen when a trucker gets a taaaaaad bit too greedy for their own good. The feedback section has only one comment, but it's significant because it proves that when I say "evil," I mean evil. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Okay. I need your help with one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me. Maybe after you hear this story, you'll be able to explain to me what the heck was going on with the weirdo at the salad bar. And if that isn't enough to peak your curiosity, perhaps you should check your pulse. You may just be dead. As for feedback, I lament being a gay-dude magnet, I totally butcher a commenters name, and I help a guy named Stuart figure out the multiple ways you can subscribe to the blog or podcast. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Today's story involves me meeting, well… another me. Hey, if that isn't enough to make you listen to this one, then just go away. You're boring. As for feedback, we discuss sliding your tandems and I tell everyone to go get the free PDF that will show you how sliding your 5th wheel and tandems will affect the weight distribution. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

Ever wonder why all those trucks are lined up at the building out on the interstate? They're called weigh stations. Learn what a bridge law is and how truckers distribute the weight on a trailer without touching the freight. And check out the PrePass Web site if you want to avoid weigh stations altogether. There are also some pictures of the different parts of the truck that are involved in distributing your load. I also point you to a free PDF showing your how to slide your tandems. And if I haven't shirked my duty, there will be a couple of videos to show you how it works. In the feedback section, I finally get around to answering questions from both Christy Kuppler and Joe V about finding a list of list of HazMat routes and restrictions , which I found on the horrible FMCSA Web site. There is also a link to an article sent in by a reader about how GPS can help truckers with HazMat routing. Lastly, check out a hilarious blog post about HazMat from commenter, Christy Kuppler. Got a second to Rate and/or R

Hauling hazardous materials is something many truckers will do at some point in their career. But they don't necessarily have to. Learn what hazardous materials are, what it takes to haul them, who can haul them, and how scary hairspray can be by having a listen. There are links in today's show for Wikipedia's Dangerous Goods page and an explanation of each party's responsibility when it comes to HazMat loads. No comments for the feedback section… again. What am I gonna do with you guys? Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein.

Pretty self-explanatory really. Hear a story of what it's like when a trucker has a crappy week. Oh, and you slackers hosed me on the feedback this time around, so nothing to report there. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein.

Today we visit the secret side of trucking: high-value loads. What does it take to haul them? Do you need to take any special precautions? And if I answer any of these questions, will you be allowed to live out your days in peace or will you mysteriously die in your sleep? Enter at your own risk. I also hear that an unlikely superhero makes a brief appearance. A brief feedback section includes the topic of providing original material for the podcast/blog. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

We're always hearing drivers say that the truckers don't help each other out any more. Is this true? Have truckers lost their sense of community? Find out by hitting that pretty PLAY button. We also introduce the new feedback section to the podcast. Listeners and readers like you write in and I read your comments and respond with a comment, an answer, or a bit of snark. Pay attention to the feedback segue from here on out and you may discover a little game you can play. Have fun! Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein. Mystery Feedback Song - Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren't a cheater, are you?

So are some people really too stupid to fuel? Come along as I tell you a story about how I learned the truth behind a couple of asinine state laws. And all this discovery only happened because The Evil Overlord (the wife and ex-codriver) is slower than a sloth with crutches. Check out this link for more information on these gas pumping laws. Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast? Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein.