
And so it has come, the end of 2020. We look back at the year filled with challenges and opportunities. Trucker Path started the year by prioritizing app improvements such as new features and performance tweaks. We are also honored to have collaborated with truckers towards ironing out bugs, issues, and feature requests.
We are glad to be of service in the trying times of the year, especially when COVID19 happened. The trucking industry soldiered on and Trucker Path remained committed to providing premium services for truck drivers and also introducing COVID19 specific features and resources.
With the coming new year comes a new hope for a new beginning. It is also a time for resolutions, and whether or not you always stick to yours, this is a great time to commit to positive new habits. Consider adding the following commitments to your 2021 resolution list!
We, at Trucker Path, will continue to strive to provide the best trucking features for our truckers who keep our economy going. We truly appreciate the hard work and dedication you have done to ensure that shelves are stocked and we have food on our tables.
We wish you all a Happy New Year! Truck strong this 2021!
How are you spending your New Year? Share in in the comments below.
By Trucker Path




Winter Driving Tips for Truckers
[p]Winter is here bringing with it the end of yet another year. For truck drivers though, winter is no different than any other season. It is the same endless driving through city and country roads no matter the season. The only thing that changes is the way you drive because winter brings rain and snow resulting in wet and slippery roads throughout the country. You need to be extra careful and exercise patience as the odds are stacked against you when it comes to driving in winter. Accidents are not uncommon, with many truckers trying their best to meet delivery deadlines. In such perilous conditions, there are certain protocols to follow, including changing your driving style. Let's talk about what else you can do as a trucker to improve your chances of meeting deadlines this winter.
[/p]
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[p][b]Focus on the Road [/b][/p]
[p]If the road is slippery, you need to keep both your hands on the steering wheel and focus on the road. A slight shift in focus, and the next thing you know, your truck has lost control. You mustn't be distracted by anything, be it music, the radio, or anything else.[/p]
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[p][b]Reduce Speed [/b][/p]
[p]Yes, you need to meet your delivery deadlines, and for that, you need to drive at a certain pace. But you know what they say, it is better to arrive late than never. Therefore, reduce your truck's speed, judge the road's condition, and increase speed only when it is safe to do so. If you drive slow, you can stop earlier and avoid getting into any accidents. [/p]
[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/TP-BLOG-Winter_Driving_Tips_for_Truckers-Reduce_Speed.jpg" alt=""]
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[p][b]Avoid Sudden Maneuvers[/b][/p]
[p]To protect yourself and others on the road, you should drive a bit smoothly. That means you should accelerate slowly, brake easy, and turn with caution. Do nothing that would decrease your truck's traction and cause you to lose control of your vehicle. It is good practice to keep more than a safe distance between you and the other vehicle in front of you so you can react at the right time. [/p]
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[p][b]Use Lights [/b][/p]
[p]Your truck's headlights, taillights, and fog lights are your dearest friend in harsh weather conditions. Poor lighting is a recipe for disaster, therefore before you set out on the road, inspect your truck's lights. The important thing here is that while you should be able to see the cars in front of you, others should also be able to spot you from behind. [/p]
[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/TP-BLOG-Winter_Driving_Tips_for_Truckers-Use_Lights.jpg" alt=""]
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[p][b]Signal in Advance[/b][/p]
[p]Use your signals way before you intend to turn. As a general rule, wait for four to five blinks before gradually turning a corner or changing lanes. If you are driving slower than the traffic, we suggest you switch on your four-way hazard lights to let everyone else know that you are slow allowing them to make adjustments. [/p]
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[p][b]Watch the Other Truckers [/b][/p]
[p]Veteran truckers are on the road for a reason. They have been trucking for so long that their experience counts for everything. As a beginner, you should learn from them. When big-rigs slow down or pull over, you should too. There is no reason to keep on going if everyone else has decided to call it a day. [/p]
[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/TP-BLOG-Winter_Driving_Tips_for_Truckers-Watch_Other_Truckers.jpg" alt=""]
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[p][b]Check the News and Weather Apps[/b][/p]
[p]It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to trucking. Therefore, before setting out on your journey, watch the news, check some weather apps, or talk to other truckers who have taken the route you are intending to take. Leave the safety of wherever you are only when you are sure that it is safe to drive. [/p]
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[p][b]Try for Traction [/b][/p]
[p]When it comes to driving on slippery roads, traction is everything. You need good tires, expert driving skills, and some good luck to make it through winter. The only thing you have under your control among the three is tires. Buy snow tires with a deep tread and with several grooves to get good traction[/p]
[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/12/TP-BLOG-Winter_Driving_Tips_for_Truckers-Try_for_Traction.jpg" alt=""]
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[p][b]Final Thoughts[/b][/p]
[p]If it were up to us, we would recommend not driving in winter, but that's for you to decide. Winter driving is dangerous, and no matter what you do, there is always a very high risk of getting into a sticky situation. However, if you do decide to weather through the storm in your truck, then avoid high-risk highways.
[/p]
[p]You want to avoid the state of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York during the winter, and all the highways going around and through these states. Let's not even talk about Alaska, as that is one place that is always a high risk regardless of the season.
[/p]
[p]With that said, we wish you a safe winter driving season! What are your winter driving tips? Share them in the comments below. [/p]
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[p][b]By Aldous Aldwin[/b][/p]
Trucker Spotlight - Vicki Simons <em>The Trucker Spotlight series explores the lives of truckers and their journey to make a difference in their industry. We interview different people in the trucking industry to understand some life lessons that make them who they are today. We also learn more about their motivations, and the problems that they encounter on the job. We also tackle how Trucker Path's solutions helped them with what they do. The information that they provide helps inform other people who are looking to delve into the trucking world.</em>
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Today we are putting the spotlight on <strong>Vicki</strong>.
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<strong>Introduction</strong>
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My name is Vicki Simons.
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While living in our first company-issued truck full-time in the early 1990s, my husband Mike and I learned quickly that some of the products that are marketed and sold to truckers are what we concluded to be cheaply made but expensive to buy trucker junk.
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In those days, technology was not as advanced as it is now, so the only options open to us -- to cook food in our truck -- were 12-volt appliances.
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One appliance that we felt would serve us well was a 12-volt "hot pot."
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Because these units were constructed with no temperature control, the units were either "all on" or "all off."
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So, they burned out quickly.
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The warranty -- if there was one at all -- was usually either 30 or 90 days.
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Because there were no other cooking solutions that we knew of at the time, we ended up going through eight -- yes, eight! -- of those units.
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I was very upset and I kept thinking, "You know, someone ought to do something about this."
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Oh, sure, there were occasional articles in trucking magazines that were geared toward helping truckers save money, but after searching for a long time, I found no resources that focused on this topic.
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I kept feeling the Lord directing me toward being a "trucker consumer advocate" to help keep truckers from being stung financially.
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So with Mike's consent, I spearheaded a website that we envisioned being a clearinghouse of how professional truck drivers from around the world save money -- in order to help each other save money.
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That website is:
<a href="https://www.Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com/">Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com.</a>
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I have been a professional truck driver and Mike's home support team member, both in-truck as a passenger and at home while he's been on the road as a solo trucker.
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With nearly 20 years of professional truck driving experience between us -- and my insatiable appetite to research and write in such a way that helps others -- our website has grown to well over a thousand pages.
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Every week since 2010, I have written multiple tips and inquiries in order to help truckers save money.
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And every week since 2017, I have written a weekly trucking commentary entitled TDMST Weekly Round-Up.
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<h3><strong>Tell us a short story about you. Any trivia? </strong></h3>
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My husband Mike and I had both earned college degrees before we became a professional truck driving team.
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After graduating from truck driver training school, we began orientation at a large trucking company.
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On the very first day of orientation, there were 5 prospective truck drivers in the class.
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We were told by the "Orientation Director" that in 45 days, 3 of the 5 of us would not be with the company!
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Ouch!
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I determined that with all of the time and money we had spent to get to that point, Mike and I were going to be the two who would succeed!
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And we did!
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<h3><strong>In the years that you have been driving, what are the significant changes that you've
noticed in the trucking industry?</strong></h3>
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The most significant changes I've noticed in the trucking industry since the 1990s have been:
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<li>increasing regulations;</li>
<li>more advanced technology; </li>
<li>a desire among some cheapskates to want to replace human truckers with machines (so that they don't have to pay people to move freight); and</li>
<li>some truckers relying too much upon GPS units not geared for commercial motor vehicles -- and as a result, being involved in many completely preventable accidents, including:
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<ul>
<li>hitting low clearances,</li>
<li>collapsing bridges on non-truck routes, and</li>
<li>getting stuck in places where big trucks are not supposed to travel.</li>
</li>
</ul>
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<h3><strong>What made you decide to be a trucker before?</strong></h3>
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Originally, we thought that Mike would be the only trucker in our family.
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When we visited with a truck driver training school recruiter, he asked Mike if I was going to drive, too.
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The thought of me driving a big rig surprised me greatly, but the option was made available.
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With a great deal of prayer and consideration, it made sense to us that if we were going to be together on the road, both of us should know how to drive a truck.
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<h3><strong>Tell us a story about you and your husband and how you tackle the trucking industry?</strong></h3>
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The way that I have tackled the trucking industry is by publishing -- so that others can learn from -- the true accounts that:
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<li>we have had on the road and </li>
<li>which we have learned from others (including Mike's co-workers).</li>
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I ask a lot of questions, including on our website and through my TDMST Weekly Round-Up trucking commentaries.
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From my unique perspective, I've also written numerous comments to the FMCSA about various types of proposed trucking regulations
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<h3><strong>What are your trucking pet peeves?</strong></h3>
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I have a number of trucking "pet peeves," including:
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<li>people who make decisions affecting truckers who have never spent a day in their lives as truckers;</li>
<li>regulations that treat people like robots; </li>
<li>the push toward self-driving, driverless, and autonomous trucks; </li>
<li>truckers who haul illegal drugs and smuggle illegal aliens;</li>
<li>truckers who set themselves up for failure, such as by engaging in distracted driving and/or not maintaining proper following distance; and</li>
<li>truckers who blindly follow GPS units -- especially those that are not designed for commercial motor vehicles -- and end up in completely preventable accidents.</li>
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<h3><strong>What made you go into blogging?</strong></h3>
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I began <a href="https://www.Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com/">Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com</a> as a rant against cheaply made but expensive to buy trucker junk, the first of which was a series of 12-volt "hot pots."
<h2></h2>
Because these units were constructed with no temperature control, the units were either "all on" or "all off."
<h2></h2>
So, they burned out quickly.
<h2></h2>
The warranty -- if there was one at all -- was usually either 30 or 90 days.
<h2></h2>
Because there were no other cooking solutions that we knew of when we started in trucking in the early 1990s, we ended up going through eight -- yes, eight! -- of those units.
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Since we started our website, we have grown it to well over a thousand pages, including:
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<li>a huge number of pages filled with information and truck drivers money saving tips, </li>
<li>lots of reviews, and </li>
<li>contributions from our readers. </li>
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<h3><strong>Do you have a favorite truck model/brand?</strong></h3>
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The only brand of truck I've ever driven professionally has been Freightliner.
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Therefore, I have no other brand with which to compare the Freightliners I have driven or lived in.
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In general terms, I believe that trucks driven by regional or long-haul truckers should be equipped with enough space and conveniences so that each trucker can work, sleep, and live comfortably on the road.
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Concerning tractors with sleeper berths, I consider the following options to be critical for trucker well-being:
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<li>a minimum of 1500 watts AC (alternating current) interior power (to let truckers operate cooking appliances and use other electronic devices);</li>
<li>reliable, non-battery-dependent climate control for both cooling and heating (to let truckers rest and sleep comfortably); and</li>
<li>an in-truck toilet (whether portable or not).</li>
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<h3><strong>Could you identify the current pain points in the trucking industry? And maybe some suggestions on how to fix them?</strong></h3>
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As of late 2020, these are the current pain points I see in the trucking industry:
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<li>Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs);</li>
<li>the Hours of Service regulations; </li>
<li>problems with broker transparency; and</li>
<li>the fact that the U.S. federal agencies that are supposedly devoted to motor carrier "safety" and the "transportation" of goods in our country do not seem to be standing up for truckers as they face problems on the road.</li>
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Because the FMCSA is influenced by many people who have never spent a day in their lives as truckers, I believe a lot would change for the better if every agency employee was required -- every year -- to spend a minimum of one week with an experienced trucker, so that they can understand life from a trucker's perspective.
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<h3><strong>What keeps you busy nowadays? </strong></h3>
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As of late 2020, I have in the works two books:
<li>one for aspiring truck drivers and</li>
<li>one for those who are already professional truckers.</li>
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<h3><strong>Did it ever cross your mind to be a CDL instructor?</strong></h3>
Yes, and to a certain extent, I consider that I am a CDL instructor because of the information that I provide on our website.
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<h3><strong>Do you have a favorite truck stop? Also truck stop meal?</strong></h3>
Based on changes at both the corporate and management levels over the years, I will not name a specific truck stop as my favorite.
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Whether at a truck stop or other restaurant, Mike and I always enjoy a perfectly flavored and cooked steak, together with all of the side dishes.
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<h3><strong>What are some tips that you would like to share for aspiring truckers? Also some tips and things to look out for based on your recent experiences.</strong></h3>
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I will go into a lot more detail about tips for aspiring truckers in one of my upcoming books.
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However, the one big overview tip that I will give to prospective truckers -- because trucking is different from every other kind of job out there -- is to make absolutely sure you're cut out for the trucking lifestyle before you start down that path.
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For example, regional and long haul truckers are required to sleep away from home, usually in the truck they drive, wherever they park, during their sleeper berth break.
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<h4>Vicki Simons</h4>
<a href="https://www.Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com/">http://Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com</a>
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Trucker Spotlight - Lashaune <em>The Trucker Spotlight series explores the lives of truckers and their journey to make a difference in their industry. We interview different truck drivers to understand some life lessons that make them who they are today. We also learn more about their motivations, and the problems that they encounter on the job. We also tackle how Trucker Path's solutions helped them with what they do. The information that they provide helps inform other people who are looking to delve into the trucking world.</em>
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/10/ts-lashaune-blog-1.jpg" alt=""]
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Today we are putting the spotlight on <strong>Lashaune</strong>, the host of LockOutMen Podcast, who's been driving for around 5 years now. He hustled most of his life and did everything from retail to warehouse. Aside from trucking, he was also able to open a few successful businesses. Let's get to more about Lashaune and how he landed a trucking career.
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<h3><strong>What made you decide to be a trucker?</strong></h3>
I've always had interest in driving a truck, at 1st it was the lack of funds, and I knew I didn't want to go through a trucking company.And so, I went to community college paid with my last credit card and got my license. I think I was forced in to pursue trucking because of my separation from my wife.
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<h3><strong>In the years that you have been driving, what are the significant changes that you've
noticed in the trucking industry?</strong></h3>
Well I haven't been driving long to tell. I guess the eld mandate.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/10/ts-lashaune-blog-2.jpg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>What made you decide to put up your Youtube channel?</strong></h3>
I've been on YouTube for years. I just do it as a hobby. But when I got in to trucking, people started watching what I was doing and what I was talking about I just said to myself I'll just do something for the new drivers that are coming out here.
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<h3><strong>Any times when you get lonely while driving? How do you deal with it?</strong></h3>
Always lol it's just you and the truck. How i deal with it? I try not to think about it.. and try to get out and enjoy life when I get the chance to.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/10/ts-lashaune-blog-3.jpg" alt=""]
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<h3><strong>As a trucker, what are the current struggles in this COVID19 pandemic?</strong></h3>
I'm still trying to get used of the new changes.
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<h3><strong>What are your usual routes? Favorite scenic truck route?</strong></h3>
I run midwest most of the time.
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[img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/10/ts-lashaune-blog-4.jpg" alt=""]
<h3><strong>What was your weirdest or most unusual haul?</strong></h3>
Running my 1st lowboy flatbed.
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<h3><strong>How often do you use rest stops / truck stops? What are the things that you look for in a truck stop? Favorite truck stop meal?</strong></h3>
Not often, but I deal with Loves the most cause of the free showers. As for food, I guess Flying J for Dennys.
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<h3><strong>What are the common troubles or problems you encounter while trucking?</strong></h3>
Covid19 season and any problems that come with it!
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<h3><strong>What are your pet peeves while driving/trucking?</strong></h3>
The main one is truckers hanging out way too long in the fuel island.
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<h3><strong>We're glad that you use the Trucker Path app on your day to day trucking. What features do you enjoy the most?</strong></h3>
What I like about <a href="http://www.truckerpath.com">Trucker Path</a> is the fact that you can check to see/truck parking and if there's spots there to park.
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<h3><strong>What are some tips that you would like to share for aspiring truckers?</strong></h3>
Do your research research research and don't just fall for anything.
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<h3><strong>Where can people watch your videos on Youtube?</strong></h3>
They can view my videos on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJfeN3qoZmaIb9YwbjWDlA">Youtube Channel, LockOutMen Podcast</a>.
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mc6Je74Pn4Q" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Hope you guys enjoy!
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<h4>By Aldous Aldwin</h4>
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