Ask The Trucker "live" W/allen Smith

The most important job for any broker, trucking owner-operator or small fleet owner is finding the best-paying freight loads to haul. For many, this task is the most difficult part of owning a trucking company. Many drivers believe that being an independent is the way to be more successful within the trucking industry and many are successful doing so. However, along with this decision comes many responsibilities, one of those being the ability to find and choose profitable loads. There are many reasons why those within the trucking industry begin a Freight Broker Training course: Dispatchers have found that the course can broaden their careers. Others love truck driving or owning their own trucking company and want to learn more about the business mechanics of the industry and being able to increase their profits. For those drivers leaving the industry due to retirement or health issues, etc., still wish to remain active within the industry and choose to learn a newer aspect of the field. This evening we

On September 21 and 22, the FMCSA will have a joint meeting with the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) and Medical Review Board (MRB) and will discuss the concepts and initiatives of the Health and Wellness of CMV drivers.  Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and Medical Review Board Public Meetings What will this mean to professional drivers and the trucking industry? What is the purpose of this meeting? Will discussions lead to more regulations? As the continued concern for driver health escalates, including from drivers themselves, what should we expect from the FMCSA joint meeting regarding the health and wellness for CMV drivers? Our guest tonight will be Elaine Papp, who is no stranger to FMCSA operations. Ms. Papp retired earlier this year as the FMCSA's Division Chief for the Office of Medical Programs. Elaine now has the consulting website, HealthAndSafetyWorks.net, which is a transportation and occupational health consulting company promoting health and safety on the road an

Thursday 6PM ET Trucking Open Forum Tonight we take a look at the vast movement and initiative taking place within the trucking industry, as we open the lines to the Trucking Health Forum. As more and more social media groups are embracing better health for truck drivers, questions continue to arise to better understand health importance as well as how to apply this new way of living to the trucking lifestyle. Join  host Donna Smith of Trucking Social Media and our special guest Carolyn O'Byrne of Life Coach service as she shares her professional advice, tips and encouragement with all of us. We invite everyone to also be a part of the show adding their own input and advice to the conversation. Social Media groups are welcome!  Call in # 347-826-9170  

Tune in "Live" from the 2015 Great American Trucking Show as co-host Donna Smith, representing Trucking Social Media at GATS this year, brings us the highlights from the LANDSTAR "Fit for the Road" Health and Wellness Pavilion. Call-in guests include: Carolyn O'Byrne from Life Coach Service, TruckerPath: the popular mobile app for drivers. Also, Urgent Care Travel, Tough Tested, Trucking Solutions Group, Desiree Wood, Tony Justice and the list keeps growing! Saturday, August 29th: 2 PM Eastern Time.

Saturday August 22nd 2015 6PM ET Tonight is a very solemn topic for truckers, Suicide by Truck, discussing the horrible incidents of pedestrians and four-wheelers, who choose speeding trucks as an instrument of their suicide  Although the subject matter is not uncommon among veteran drivers, it's not often a preferred topic of discussion in the chat rooms. A  truck driver whose truck has been randomly chosen as the means to anothers' end, may silently struggle for years with the horrific guilt and graphic memories of the incident.   Our guest tonight on AskTheTrucker Live  is Carolyn Magner Mason, special contributor for Overdrive Magazine. Carolyn has recently written the eerily popular “Suicide by Truck” 4 part series for Overdrive Magazine. Video of 'Suicide by truck' on I-35E in Texas caught on owner-operator's dashcam. Call in tonight and share your thoughts about this topic, whether it be an opinion, or your own personal experience or even near experience of "Suicide by Truck". 347-826-9170

Join us Saturday 8/8/15 6PM ET as we unveil some of the best highlights going on at the Great American Trucking Show going on in Dallas Texas Aug 27-29 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. This years Truck Show displays much of its focus where it should be, around the professional driver! Here are few of our scheduled guests who will be calling in to share their highlights with us; Rick Ash, chairman of the Trucking Solutions Group (TSG), who leads the charge over at the Landstar Fit for the Road Health Pavilion. Listen to the details of the FREE Health Screening offered to drivers.  Read more   Also scheduled from TSG is Linda Caffee, owner operator with Landstar, and Les Willis, Owner of God Speed Expeditors. Tom Kyrk, founder of Road Tested Living will also share his extensive involvement. We are thrilled to also have on the show this year, Julie Dillon, of The Saint Christopher Fund who will discuss the “Driven to be Healthy Challenge” This is a 6-month challenge with 2 categories for bo

Thursday 7/30/15 6PM ET  “Drivers under stress” This weeks Truck Driver Health series addresses drivers under stress. Continued discussions on health leads us down another path this week, emotional difficulty and how it affects each person. There are many drivers who have had or are having emotional difficulty while driving professionally.  What do they do? Who do they turn to? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Tonight as our guest we have professional driver and driver advocate Toby Bogard.  Many know Toby for his nutritional insight and exercise videos, including his latest one  Truckers Workout Toby will share with us his own recent trials and where he reached out for help as well as how he came out victoriously, stronger than ever and now continuing his goals to help others.  Join us as we discuss the many difficulties that so many drivers go through, as well as the light at the end of the tunnel. Call in # to listen to show via phone or to join in  347-826-9170  

Saturday Night Trucking Open Forum on AskTheTrucker 'Live' Saturday 7-18-15 6PM ET Tonight we have our "Open Forum Round Table" discussions, opening the lines for all those who wish to voice about issue, concerns, or just anything trucking related. Trucking topics for the show are open for discussion, including ( but not limited to): Senate bills including "drivers paid for all time", the call for double the liability insurance, bringing in teenage CDL drivers, using hair for drug testing, allowing longer/heavier trucks, deadlines for rules on ELDs rule and the call for a proposed rule for speed limiters, removing CSA scores from public view, and whatever else is on your mind…. Like categorizing drivers as UNSKILLED labor ( no overtime pay!)   To listen in or to be a part of the discussion, call in 347-826-9170 To join in.... Press 1 on your keypad

Truckers and their "Gut" reactions to health Thursday July 9th, 2015, 6PM ET 347-826-9170 The quest for better health continues for many drivers, whether they are seeking better health, have a desire to lose weight, or both. Over the road professional drivers face many challenges and setbacks as they strive to meet their goals, sometimes needing support along the way.  Our guest Carolyn O'Byrne of LifeCaochService.net, no stranger to the trucking industry, has supported many struggling drivers and their families along the way. One of her areas of expertise is health, and tonight we will discuss the correlation between "Gut Health" and overall wellbeing . Some of the topics to be discussed are: How our dietary habits affect our digestive health, including: The ratio of good and bad bacteria, the adequate amount of HCL( hydrochloric acid), our mental state, and more How does our gut affect our immune response to disease? Why is your gut called "the second brain" What is a "leaky gut" and how do we g

Overcoming the top challenges affecting OTR Truck Driver Health Thursday 7-2-15 6PM ET 347-826-9170 Bob Perry, President and founder of Rolling Strong, will join us and discuss the major challenges faced by professional drivers, challenges which if left unaddressed, can drastically affect a truckers’ health and quality of life. Tonight’s show will shed light and hope for all those who are truly looking for real life practical answers to the difficult challenges they face in OTR trucking. NOTE: Being an OTR driver is like no other career and the challenges that truck drivers face, including staying healthy, are also unique.   Because of the OTR driver lifestyle, many common health issues are typical, and if not addressed, can shorten ones career and even their life. Join us as we discuss OTR driver lifestyle, challenges, health related problems, and most importantly, the solutions to “overcome”   Call in # 347-826-9170 Press “1” on your keypad to talk to the host

Saturday June 27th 6:30 PM ET 347-826-9170 The FMCSA has posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Qualifications of Drivers; Diabetes Standard, proposing to do away with the Diabetes Exemption Program. Although there are many drivers who feel this is a long overdue rule, others are concerned that the rule (the way it is written) would compromise the safety of the driver and the highways. Dr Randolph Rosarion, certified medical examiner in the US DOT FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) and Elaine Papp, board certified occupational health nurse and founder of Health and Safety Works, LLC, will be our special guests as they discuss the complex and unseen details of insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus and how it relates to the NPR and the professional driver. Qualifications of Drivers; Diabetes Standard Summary - FMCSA proposes to permit drivers with stable, well-controlled insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) to be qualified to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in int

 "Truck Driver Health- The "best" health program for you is.... " Thursday 6PM ET 347-826-917 As move forward with Driver Health discussions we realize more and more that there is no "one size fits all health program" . If you believe there is, you're setting yourself up for failure. We can take in all the information we want, but the bottom line is we need to apply knowledge to our lives, and what works for John, may not work for Mary, and yet John and Mary are BOTH improving their health. How could that be? Although than most people concerned about health will agree to avoid: processed foods, trans fats, GMO's, sugar, soda ,artificial ingredients and chemicals, pesticides, herbicides..... AND to increase organic food, water consumption, exercise,....  There still needs to be that all important consideration of the Person making the change. So what diet is best?  Here's a few choices : Paleo Diet, Vegan Diet, Vegetarian Diet, Raw Diet, Zone Diet, Atkins Diet... and the list goes on. Join us tonight

  Saturday 6PM ET:  "STAA whistleblower protection - Harmful information on DAC Reports." Many drivers have experienced, or are at least familiar with employer retaliation via wrongful and harmful information reported to authorized agencies. It's not an exaggeration to say that many careers have been ruined by these unlawful acts. The most common of all is the infamous DAC report. Our guests Paul Taylor of Truckers Justice Center and Jon Stanek of Stanek Law Office and Fix My DAC Report will discuss common retaliation incidents against professional drivers as well as remedies which drivers can apply to rid themselves of wrongful and deliberate allegations. Paul and Jon specialize in Trucker cases and have extensive experience in the courtroom and are dedicated to Trucking Emplyment Law, harassment, discrimination, credit reporting errors, wrongful termination, truck lease disputes,wage disputs...and more Topics to be included in tonight's Discussion Using STAA whistleblower protections to remove harmful

Thursday May 28th, 2015 A vital part of anyone’s healthcare is the ability to communicate with a certified medical doctor when a health problem arises. For truckers, this issue is most difficult, as they are most of the time far away from their primary care physician and on route to either pick up or deliver a load.  Most drivers get paid by the mile and do not get paid "sick time" to even go to a doctor. To make matters worse, many are without medical insurance. All too often, a truck driver will ignore an illness or symptoms, hoping it "goes away".  Unfortunately this can often lead to a serious outcome for the driver. Teladoc® and DocOnCall24/7 have a service designed and available for the professional truck driver which allows truckers to access a certified medical doctor 24/7 and 365 days of the year. Communication between you and the Doctor can be done by phone, video or email. Join us as our DocOnCall247 guest discusses the many benefits of this vital membership. Telemedicine is a relatively new k

Thursday 5-21-15 6PM ET  Tonight we are going to combine 2 of the hottest issues in Trucking; Truck Driver Health and Trucker Wages. We all know that the Trucker Lifestyle drastically affects their Health, but what about how drivers are paid?  Could that be weighing in on driver health also? Our guest tonight believes it does. Our guest will be Pat Hockaday from TruckersUnited.org. Mr Hockaday is known for JoJo's Paper, an all-out crusade to change the way drivers are paid. Pat will share some of his thoughts and solutions about driver wages, as well as discuss how trucking and the present trucker wage formula affects driver health. Join in on the conversation by calling in 347-826-9170 and Press 1 on your keypad to let us know you would like to make a comment or ask a question.  

Professional driver, health advocate and recent Travel Centers of America Citizen Driver Award recipient, Rick Ash, joins us to share how he applies healthy living to his life as a Professional driver. The show will include how important it is to obtain correct, valid, and factual material when searching for beneficial overall health resources. Rick will share a few of the books and resources that have helped him over the years. We’ll also review some of the best online resources for trusted information. As creatures of habit, another topic we’ll include is one of the most difficult challenges for all of us, “How do we change the way we are used to eating” Also, Rick will share some of what the Trucking Solutions Group will be providing for the trucking community at the Health Pavilion they are putting together at GATS We invite all to call in who can offer their own experiences and resources as well as those who have questions. Call in # 347-826-9170 Press “1” on your keyboard to be a part of the sh

Kylla Lanier, Deputy Director of Truckers Against Trafficking will join us as our special guest to discuss the continual efforts of the organization in their drive throughout the trucking industry to combat domestic sex trafficking. Discussion will include their first-of-its-kind mobile exhibit, known as The Freedom Drivers Project which provides an insight look into human trafficking as well as offering educational information for trucking professionals and the general public as well. We will also cover the recent story of a young lady kidnapped out of Iowa and was rescued after Conway Truckload driver, Kevin Kimmel "made the call" which also led to the arrest of her traffickers. The action taken by Mr. Kimmel was recognized on April 3, 2015 when Truckers Against Trafficking presented the driver with their 2015 Harriet Tubman Award. Truckers Against Trafficking also received the Suzanne McDaniel Memorial Award for Public Awareness as part of the annual Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus Awards on April

Thursday 4/16/15 6PM ET  Healing your body naturally- Is it possible?  Our series on health continues as we discuss the main precursor of most of modern day disease. Also, how we can prevent disease and heal our bodies naturally from the diseases we already have? Is it possible? A controversial topic. Homeopathy, or homeopathic medicine, is a medical philosophy and practice based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself. Homeopathy is making a big comeback, but why? Are the side affects of drugs worse than the disease, making homeopathic medicine a more appealing alternative? We will discuss the importance of whole foods and their medicinal properties along with the foods which are causing the rapid rise in diseases such as: cancer, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune, and others. If you would like to be a part of tonight’s show offering information or your own testimony regarding healing your body naturally, please call in 347-826-9170. Press 1 on your keypad. *NOTE* - The first

Saturday 4-11-15 6PM ET : A hot topic for many within the trucking industry- theFMCSA.  To say the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been under criticism and dissecting scrutiny is an understatement. Whether you are a company driver, owner operator, carrier, broker, organization, trade group, or Government Accountability Office, chances are you have found yourself fuming one time or another about an action FMCSA has either taken or proposed to take. We open up with Tom Byerley of UrTruckBroker.com. Tom is a 44 year trucking veteran with over 4 million safe miles.  Owner Operator turned freight broker, Tom shares his concerns with us tonight regarding the FMCSA’s CSA program scores and the affects they are making on the industry. From there we will lead into other areas which are seriously affecting the trucking industry, including how those acting as “brokers” are avoiding the $75,000 bond designed to protect carriers from broker fraud.  Join us and share your views, insights and opinions. 

The onward movement towards improving health within the trucking industry continues. The Mid America Truck Show was the most recent example of the healthy awareness campaign as many within the industry came together to become educated and join forces to encourage others regarding solutions for healthier lifestyles. Our continued series of health shows will include tonight the topic of GMO's ( genetically modified organisms). This is a topic which is causing concern as well as confusion.  On this episode we want to cover the definitions of GMO, what constitutes a GMO, what are the health affects of GMO's, and how can we avoid them.  The term "eat organic" is many times associated when discussing eating healthy, including avoiding the harmful affects of genetically modified food, but often the term organic is also confusing. What constitutes "organic"? Call in tonight 4/2/15 6PM ET and become a part of the show. Dial  # 347-826-9170 and then press "1" on your keypad to notify us that you want to join in the