From pre-trip to on-road: Essential safety habits every driver needs
When it comes to safety, the little things matter. On the highway, a good eye scan helps pick up details that are potentially hazardous, like
Cliff Abbott
- About Cliff Abbott
- Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
Posts by Cliff Abbott
Changing industry conditions point to better truck driving job opportunities
Choosing the “right” time to apply for a new driving job is most often a matter of current conditions, both in the trucking industry as
Whether he’s on the road or on Capitol Hill, Gerald Rhoden represents the best of the trucking industry
There are many reasons a person might choose a career as a professional truck driver, but Gerald Rhoden, a 4-million-mile safe driver for Dallas-based Stevens
September sales of Class 8 truck and trailer sales continue downward trajectory
Evidently the old adage “the third time’s the charm” is not holding true for the U.S. Class 8 truck and trailer market. Sales of Class
Riding the wave: Clarity on younger drivers helps steer trucking into the future
The three-year Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program, designed to pave the way for allowing 18- to 20-year-old CDL holders to operate in interstate commerce,
Uncertain outlook: Analysts look ahead to the future of freight
Uncertain. That’s probably the best way to describe the state of the freight market, according to Eric Starks, chairman of the board for FTR Transportation
September tonnage: Freight recession continues as carriers struggle to hang on
Trucking capacity is contracting, and the latest tonnage reports indicate that the reduction in available trucks and drivers is having a positive impact on freight
Winter Trucking 101: Understanding diesel and fuel treatments can help you keep going in cold weather
In life, some lessons are best learned the hard way. When it comes to diesel engines and winter, however, those hard lessons might mean being
FMCSA renews medical certification waiver: Drivers should continue to carry wallet card
More than a decade ago, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) set out to streamline the process of verifying that drivers of commercial motor
Roadcheck 2025 removes vehicles with bad brakes, tires and more
Billed as a “three day commercial motor vehicle inspection snapshot,” the annual International Roadcheck event conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has resulted
FTR presentation brings clarity, not optimism, to current trucking conditions
The food industry represents a significant percentage of shipments by truck, from raw materials like sugar and flour going to manufacturers or finished products headed
The future is here: AI enters the truck driver recruiting process
Her name is “Laine,” and she sounds nice. She responded quickly to that online contact form you sent in, and she seems really interested in
Sales and orders for new trucks continue their decline in August
U.S. sales of new, Class 8 trucks declined for the third consecutive month in August, according to data received from Omdia, formerly Wards Intelligence (omdia.tech.informa.com).
The long, slow recovery of freight rates and volumes continues at glacial pace
The two biggest questions asked of any economic recession are, “How bad will it get?” and “How long will it last?” Those questions are asked
FMCSA proposes 2 pilot programs to study changes to HOS regs
One issue that’s frequently cause for complaint among truck drivers is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. Good news! On Sept.
The spot market offers opportunities for profit — but use caution when accepting loads
Many trucking businesses depend on the spot freight market for the revenues that are their lifeblood. While contracts with familiar, reliable customers can provide steady
Drivers beware: Be on alert for potential hazards on the highway
Hey truck drivers! What’s going on in the space on your left? On your right? Directly behind your vehicle? What about above? Will your truck
Don’t slam the door on the way out: How you leave employment is as important as how you start
Everyone knows that how you start a new trucking job is important. As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first
Meet the truck driving preacher: Bill Blackmon ministers to drivers across the nation
Drivers use a variety of methods to help them choose which road to take: Routing software is often built in, or added on, to fleet
July saw Class 8 truck sales at a ‘snail’s pace’; new orders even slower
As far as truck sales go, June was a decent month. In June 2025, more new Class 8 trucks were sold in the U.S. than