Chicago – Located just 30 minutes from both of Chicago’s major airports, Fleet Equine is bringing “Horse Vans with a Clasic American Attitude” into the city. A division of Fleet Equipment Center Inc., the industry leader in fleet equipment transportation, Fleet Equine is a new manufacturer of horse vans committed to quality, progress, and most importantly, the safety of your horses, in an every-changing industry.

Committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers, Fleet Equine offers custom horse vans that are tailored to meet the needs of those who transport horses for a variety of reasons, whether you’re event showing or a sought-after breeder. Fleet Equine understands that horse vans are often the first glimpse that competitors and business partners have of you and your team or company. For this reason, Fleet Equine is determined to offer you the choice of designing the type of luxury and sophistication you desire in the creation of your custom horse van. Whether you choose the classic box, classic van, or royal van options, Fleet Equine is devoted to insuring that horse owners and transporters everywhere have the best in safety and transportation to suit them and their enterprise best.

With an expert repair facility that offers horse van restoration services, Fleet Equine understands that sometimes the best van is the one you already have. For this reason, Fleet Equine prides itself on offering high-quality, expedient, and cost effective restoration solutions in the heart of the Midwest. They are also always ready to help assist with any emergency repairs, should you happen to be in the immediate Chicago area.

In an easy-to-access suburb of Chicago, Fleet Equine is positioned to make accessing their facility easier for the horse transporters of the Midwest. However, Fleet Equine also encourages potential customers from outside of the area to take advantage of the company’s strategic location and friendly customer service.. In fact, Fleet Equine even offers pick up and drop off services from either of Chicago’s major airports, allowing you to create your perfect custom van . Of course, Fleet Equine also offers an easy to navigate and informational web site,  where potential customers can take a first look at the company’s products and services.

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While looks don’t always matter, there are times when they do, especially when a person wants to make a good impression. The same is true for trucks. A clean, shining,  truck with a host of chrome features that looks unconquerable makes it seem like you can get the job done. If you’re an owner operator looking to impress, then Mack’s Pinnacle  Rawhide Edition might be right for you.

Mack calls the edition, which is now available across all product lines, a combination of chrome and comfort. Truckers who purchase these exquisite editions of trucks will experience a vehicle that is strong enough, smart enough, comfortable enough, and impressive enough to make any job easier.

Technologically, the truck has every amenity that modern advancement has to offer. AM/FM weather band radios, CD players, with an upgrade to satellite radio, and Mack Co-Pilot LCD display make long trips easier to navigate and more entertaining.

On the inside, the plush interior, leather steering wheel, and brushed nickel dash panel, as well as the color options, allow drivers to feel like they’re working in luxury. And if you’re on the road for most of your life, why not make yourself as comfortable? The comfort continues with the upholstered living area and its skull and horns emblem, embossed on the back wall of the sleeper.

Outside the truck, bullhorn exhaust pipes, chrome, and an aluminum cab entrance make the truck look impressive and solid. Truckers who view this truck from the highway or at a truck stop will be sure to stop and stare.

According to Mack, this truck has comforts that far exceed the norm, and is perfect for the fleet owner who wants to keep his or her drivers happy. Truckers who see this vehicle as their home away from home probably won’t pass up the opportunity. While the truck is a tool intended to do a job, making it comfortable and impressive is not without reason. Truckers who want to look their best while doing their best work can choose any from the  Pinnacle Collections, which come with the strength, durability, and reliability of a Mack, so it’s ready for hard work or the truck show.

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We have Google, Yahoo, MSN, and even Dogpile, but most trucker’s probably don’t realize they have a search engine just for them. AutoElf is a search engine for Truckers truckers that allow them to research and discover information about their field.

Sometimes everybody needs a break, and the few hours you get to spend lounging around your living quarters before your next shift begins is the perfect time for you to just relax. Many truckers now carry laptops with them on the road to keep professional logbooks, communicate with other truckers or their companies, and check load boards for consistent hauling. Still others use those laptops to keep in touch with friends and family via AIM, Facebook, Myspace, or e-mail, but sometimes you’re sick of the news, tired of Myspace, and ready to kill sometime.

The Internet is a great resource for information that is designed both for the curious researcher and the person who just wants to be entertained. But how do you know what’s out there, and what will interest you? That’s where a good search engine comes in. And if you’re a trucker who would like to kill a little bit of that time looking at organizations, topics, and products that cater to you, then a specific search engine is necessary.

Called the leading automotive directory and search engine by its designers, Auto Elf was designed to help truckers and others in the automotive industry find what they’re looking for and fast. The directory is a great way for truckers’ to check out what’s new in their industry. With topics such as associations and clubs, dealership, driving, employment, and buying and selling, automotive enthusiasts will have plenty to peruse while they’re relaxing.

If you’re the kind of trucker who likes everything with wheels, this search engine is great for researching information and products about your hobbies. For instance, the directory allows you to check out different reference material for motorcyclists and go-kart fans.

In addition to having some fun, the AutoElf directory can be used for rather important tasks as well. Truckers can check out the buy and sell link to examine a variety of commercial and private vehicles. Employment links, and Auto Elf’s Career Center, allow truckers who are thinking about changing it up a bit look at other job descriptions. The driving link allows truckers to check out driver safety programs and learn more about driving different kinds of vehicles via advertised e-books and courses. Whether you’re looking for products to buy or material to reference, the directory side of the search engine is a quick and easy way for you to kill time or find quick information.

In addition to its directory, however Auto Elf is praised as a search engine. Truckers can quickly find what they need by typing a key word into the search box, and the site looks through the while directory to help the trucker find his or her information fast. Designed to help those in the automotive industry find what they’re looking for fast, the Auto Elf is a great, free tool for truckers to use whether they’re seeking information or fun.

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While the operating costs of driving a truck have some questioning their future with the career, technological innovation and corporate cooperation continue to devise ways to stop truckers from using a large amount of fuel. In fact, idling has long been associated with not only increased cost of operating, as excess fuel is being used, but also environmental concerns. The topic is of such importance that many laws have been enacted attempting to reduce the amount of time truckers are allowed to idle in certain circumstances.

 Idling, however, is not something truckers do just because the can. Traditionally, engine power has been needed to power truckers’ in-cab electronics, which can range from as unnecessary as televisions and radios to as important as air conditioners and heaters. Some truckers also keep their vehicles idling for safety reasons. While a single product or technological innovation can’t solve all truckers’ reasons for leaving their engines idling, Fontaine is doing its best to decrease emissions and save truckers money with an inventive feature on their new line of trucks.

Fontaine will partner with heating and cooling giant Dometic to install air conditioning units in the newest line of the manufacturers’ vehicles. These air conditioning units are battery-powered, allowing truckers to experience comfort while their engines are turned off. Special systems were designed for day cabs.

 Truckers ordering new vehicles from Fontaine’s nine manufacturing locations can request that the system have a Dometic battery-powered system. Workers at Fontaine will receive training installing the systems and both companies agree the environmentally friendly change will increase sales.

 The agreement between Fontaine and Dometic is one of the first steps in making innovations to make a better life for truckers and environmental activists. By reducing the amount of time spent idling, truckers can save fuel costs in addition to reducing the amount of CO2 released the atmosphere.

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For most truckers, another day on the highway is just another day on the job; and driving—even in hazardous conditions—is a piece of cake. But even the best drivers and most professional truck drivers can have an accident. For drivers in Freightliner trucks, however, technology is making the chances of those accidents more rare.  

While Freightliner’s new truck models are equipped with standard safety equipment and sturdy parts, they also come outfitted with a new innovation—the OnGuard Collision Safety System. The system, which is radar-based and was designed by Meritor-Wabco, causes the truck to slow down when it exceeds a certain following distance.  

Because truckers can easily become tired or distracted, it is relatively easy to unwittingly tailgate, a situation which can cause an accident should the vehicle in front of the truck suddenly break. The OnGuard Collision system helps decrease the number of these accidents by sensing objects up to 500 feet away through radar technology. The system then sends a signal to the engine, transmission, and break system in order to slow down the vehicle. To notify the driver, the system also emits an alarm in the cab.  The system can only be used when a vehicle is operated using cruise control.  

Available on the Cascadia and Century Class fleets, the alarm system has already been installed on more than 500 trucks, and plans include fitting the system to at least 400 more. In the future, the system’s designer hopes to offer it with more features and for more trucks. In fact, the company hopes to offer a model that can be used when a driver is not using cruise control.  

For truckers considering a new truck purchase, the new technology makes even more attractive the Freightliner models, which already offer state-of-the-art components to make the trucks superior models in both longevity and safe performance.  In fact, some of the trucks’ featured characteristics include quieter cabs and more powerful engines. Perfect combinations of power and safety, the trucks are tempting purchases for many truckers.  

But for truckers who want a little increased safety without the price and hassle of a new truck, tailgate detection systems that can be mounted on a variety of vehicles exist. For example, Kouba makes a tailgating detection system that uses directional sensors. 

Whether you want to buy a new Freightliner outfitted with the system or just pick up a stand alone tailgating detection system, newly developed technologies that emit alarms and slow down vehicles when a following distance is compromised are contributors to highway safety. In addition to backing up cameras, intensive LED lights, and even security systems, the new technology continues to make the world of trucking even safer for every professional.

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Just a few years ago, U.S. citizens could get on airplanes without a photo I.D., head to Mexico without a passport, and purchase items with a check at a grocery store without verification. But after September 11, 2001, homeland security got more serious about making sure citizens were who they said they were. With identity theft on the rise, most private companies followed suite. Without an ID, it’s almost impossible to travel, make a purchase, and, in some cases, vote.

The same is becoming true for truckers. According to Land Line Magazine, truckers will now need Transportation Worker Identification Credentials to enter all U.S. ports. The new regulations were adopted by a congressional act, and the government began issuing the credential cards in October of 2007. Previously, the Transportation Security Administration had announced the required regulations to begin this September, but dates have been pushed back. The regulations will begin with the New England ports October 14, and the remaining U.S. ports will follow by next April.

The New England Ports will begin the transportation because of their advantages over other ports in a variety of areas. New England ports are close together, and have already begun issuing credentials to their employees, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Anyone who works in a transportation position that requires access to the port without an escort will need to obtain credentials , and in order to obtain credentials, workers must pass a background check. Truckers and other port workers must have the cards by April 15.

Though most current transportation employees at U.S. ports will qualify for the credentials without question, those with an illegal immigration status or who have been convicted of certain crimes will not qualify. Workers who are denied the credentials will be given a chance to appeal the decision and seek a waver.

Though receiving the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials is not optional for truckers who must work in the area, the requirement is not cheap. A fee of $132.50 is charged for any worker who does not have a current, comparable background check. For those who have background checks already on file, the fee is $102.25. A replacement card costs $60, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Payments can be made upon application with a credit card, money order, or cashier’s check. Those costs will apply to each of the over 750,000 workers who must obtain credentials because of the new regulations, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, the credential card is a necessary security measure in order to keep ports secure from would-be terrorists and other criminals.

Though the amount of identification needed to be able to function in the United States can sometimes be overwhelming and expensive, being sure to have the proper identification is necessary in order to avoid missed work and frustration. In order to obtain the credentials, workers must submit a pre-enrollment form and follow up with a personal appearance and various kinds of verification.

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The hardest parts of most truckers’ jobs are driving long hours, loading and reloading the truck, and performing maintenance or tune-ups on the vehicle—it isn’t trying to read the load board or truckers’ news.  

But for truckers who speak English as a second language, trying to read enough to communicate within the industry can be a major challenge.  That’s why many web sites and publications for truckers are now launching Spanish language versions of their sites or publications.  

For instance, Randall Publishing released Truckers News en Espanol, the first Spanish language publication to target Hispanic truck drivers, in 2005.  The publication, which appeared in newsstands at truck stops across the nation, had a booming circulation of 50,000, and consisted of news articles and information especially pertaining to truck drivers. According to the Vice President of Randall’s Truck Stop Division, the publication was created because of the large role Hispanic truckers were playing in the industry.  In fact, when the publication was launched, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that fifteen percent of the 3.2 million truck drivers in the United States were Hispanic.  

So truckers from all backgrounds could be on the same page, the magazine provided the same article in both its English language publication and Trucker News en Espanol.  A translating company was hired for the translation of the English article into Spanish. In addition to providing identical information in the two publications, researchers at Randall Publishing also recognized the importance of producing unique material specific to the Hispanic trucker.  

Though providing news and articles about the trucking industry in Spanish is an important way to reach out to Spanish speaking truckers, it does not make many aspects their job easier.  Instead, truckers who do not speak English as a second language must struggle to make it through many duties of their day that include reading or speaking and understanding English. For this reason, C.H. Robinson has gone a step further than providing Spanish language news publications.   

Just recently, the company’s worldwide and often-frequented site, CHRWTrucks.com, has become available in Spanish.  The site, where C.H. Robinson’s contract carriers can choose loads throughout North America, provides relevant information to truckers including discount fuel program information and answers to payment questions.  Most importantly, the site allows Spanish-speaking truckers, who may be from Mexico, to search for loads, making this part of their job a little easier.  

According to the Vice President of the company, the site was created in order to create a more comfortable environment for all carriers. Although these are just two examples of the Spanish language infiltrating the trucking industry, truckers should keep alert for more Spanish language trucking materials, as Hispanic truckers are beginning to make up a large part of the industry.

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