Comments By Anchorman

Retirement Goals...

2) Doubling to 20% the company contribution to 401k. They match 20% of what we put in up to the IRS maximum.

That is amazing! I hope you are taking full advantage of it. Is that 100% match up to 20% or is it a tiered match?

Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge Announce 2018 Best Fleets to Drive For

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge are pleased to announce the 2018 Best Fleets to Drive For. These 20 for-hire trucking companies from across North America are being recognized for providing exemplary work environments for their professional truck drivers and independent contractors.

To be considered for the Best Fleets program, companies operating ten or more trucks had to receive a nomination from at least one of their company drivers or owner-operators. CarriersEdge then interviewed human resources representatives and executives of the nominated fleets regarding their corporate directions, policies, and programs. The fleets were evaluated using a scoring matrix covering a variety of categories, such as total compensation package, health benefits, pension plans, professional development opportunities, and career path/advancement opportunities, among other criteria.

Driver feedback was then compared with management's comments and incorporated into the final score, resulting in the selection of this year's winners and honorable mentions.

Here are the 2018 Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For:

• American Central Transport, Inc., Kansas City, MO

• Bison Transport, Winnipeg, MB

• Boyle Transportation, Billerica, MA

• Central Oregon Truck Company, Inc., Redmond, OR

• Challenger Motor Freight, Inc., Cambridge, ON

• Erb Group, New Hamburg, ON

• Fremont Contract Carriers, Inc., Fremont, NE

• FTC Transportation, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK

• Garner Trucking, Inc., Findlay, OH

• Grand Island Express, Inc., Grand Island, NE

• Halvor Lines, Inc., Superior, WI

• Maverick Transportation, LLC, North Little Rock, AR

• Motor Carrier Service, LLC, Northwood, OH

• Nussbaum Transportation, Hudson, IL

• Prime Inc., Springfield, MO

• Smokey Point Distributing, Arlington, WA

• Thomas E. Keller Trucking, Defiance, OH

• TLD Logistics Services, Inc., Knoxville, TN

• TransPro Freight Systems, Ltd., Milton, ON

• Veriha Trucking, Inc., Marinette, WI

Three companies, Bison Transport, Central Oregon Truck Company, and TransPro Freight Systems, have achieved the milestone of five consecutive years on the Best Fleets list.

Five companies have also been identified as "Fleets to Watch”--honorable mentions for demonstrating innovation in their driver programs:

• Bennett Motor Express, McDonough, GA

• Hoekstra Transportation, LLC, Kankakee, IL

• Larway Transportation, Barrie, ON

• LoadOne LLC, Taylor, MI

• Werner Enterprises, Omaha, NE

You may also qualify for a discount on your car insurance after participating in a defensive driving course such as "The Smith System".

A Driver's Night Before Christmas

The days before Christmas and all down the road, The drivers’ trucks were a-rollin’ to deliver their loads.

The drivers hauled everything from freight, food to toys, to deliver to homes for good girls and boys.

The cellphones did crackle and voices filled the air, With warm season’s greetings and warnings to bear.

All across the land, the people did sleep, While drivers keep rollin’ through ice, snow and sleet

They’re pushing for delivery, food, freight and toys must arrive, They’re the backbone of our country, necessary to survive.

When the trailer is empty, they’ll get on the phone, And check with their dispatch before heading for home.

The family will greet them with hugs and with smiles, you know it’s for them that they roll all those miles.

Remember the children, remember the wife, of the driver who sacrificed, every day risked his life.

Let’s stop while we’re at it to offer a prayer, That the drivers all made it safely, that they all got there.

We can all be proud of this job that we do, These drivers and shippers depend on me and on you,

So, friends, have a safe one as they roll out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

It's possible! According to our TT Tracker App, he was in PA based on his last location update.

New Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean Yours Might Be Too High Now

Blood pressure of 120/80 or above is considered elevated; 130/80 to 139/89 is now considered Stage 1 hypertension and anything 140/90 or above will be considered stage 2 hypertension. If blood pressure reaches 180/120 or higher — and either number in the blood pressure reading counts — people will be classified as in hypertensive crisis with need for immediate treatment or hospitalization.

Previously, people were not considered to have high blood pressure until the top reading hit 140. “Normal hasn’t changed. We are still saying that it is great and it is normal to have a systolic blood pressure reading below 120 and a diastolic reading under 80,” Whelton said.

New Type of Snow Warning Will Be Issued by the National Weather Service This Winter

"Annual highway fatalities from these events can exceed fatalities due to tornadoes in many years," the NWS said in its product description for the new snow squall warning.