Many drivers, and most people who work in trucking, have no idea how rules like hours of service or the ELD mandate are made by the FMCSA. We have a passion to change that because we believe that having this knowledge is vital to our livelihoods. We've divided this article into two parts. The first part is a quick overview and the second is a deeper dive into the process. 

We encourage you to read both and share this information with others in the trucking industry. 

Many drivers, and most people who work in trucking, have no idea how rules like hours of service or the ELD mandate are made by the FMCSA. We have a passion to change that because we believe that having this knowledge is vital to our livelihoods. We've divided this article into two parts. The first part is a quick overview and the second is a deeper dive into the process. 

We encourage you to read both and share this information with others in the trucking industry. 

This past Wednesday, the FMCSA (the regulatory body that makes rules for the trucking industry) released their hours of service recommendations after months of anticipation.

This past Wednesday, the FMCSA (the regulatory body that makes rules for the trucking industry) released their hours of service recommendations after months of anticipation.

We believe that everyone you meet on the road has a unique story to tell. Rick Meyer is no different. He came to K & J three years ago as a company driver after a series of difficult business ventures. In the time we've worked with Rick Meyer we have learned that no one is a stranger, just a friend he hasn't met. Meyer sat down with us to share his story.

We believe that everyone you meet on the road has a unique story to tell. Rick Meyer is no different. He came to K & J three years ago as a company driver after a series of difficult business ventures. In the time we've worked with Rick Meyer we have learned that no one is a stranger, just a friend he hasn't met. Meyer sat down with us to share his story.

The key to a good driving experience is working with a great company with great dispatchers. We recently had a new driver ask us a lot of questions about our dispatch team before he agreed to come on board. We weren't at all annoyed, in fact, we thought he was on to something! Determining your fit with a trucking company is about more than how much they pay per mile, it is about understanding how working with them will impact your daily life. And for better (in our case) or worse, your dispatch team has a lot of impact on your daily life.

The key to a good driving experience is working with a great company with great dispatchers. We recently had a new driver ask us a lot of questions about our dispatch team before he agreed to come on board. We weren't at all annoyed, in fact, we thought he was on to something! Determining your fit with a trucking company is about more than how much they pay per mile, it is about understanding how working with them will impact your daily life. And for better (in our case) or worse, your dispatch team has a lot of impact on your daily life.

It used to be common to see sons following fathers into the trucking business, but nationally the number of second-generation truckers is shrinking. Is the multi-generational trucking family dying off? We talked to several multi-generation drivers to hear their stories, as well as their suggestions to attract younger generations to the industry.

It used to be common to see sons following fathers into the trucking business, but nationally the number of second-generation truckers is shrinking. Is the multi-generational trucking family dying off? We talked to several multi-generation drivers to hear their stories, as well as their suggestions to attract younger generations to the industry.

Summer is very obviously here, so we wanted to remind everyone of some basic summer maintenance to keep your truck in top working order! We once again turned to our Head of Maintenance, Lou Charette and he shared the regular maintenance tasks drivers should consider this season. Please keep in mind, while you can probably check some of these items yourself, you may need to talk to a paid mechanic for others. 

Summer is very obviously here, so we wanted to remind everyone of some basic summer maintenance to keep your truck in top working order! We once again turned to our Head of Maintenance, Lou Charette and he shared the regular maintenance tasks drivers should consider this season. Please keep in mind, while you can probably check some of these items yourself, you may need to talk to a paid mechanic for others. 

Ask someone who has had to learn the hard way, and they will definitely tell you that not all dispatch teams are created equal. There are many ways that trucking dispatch affects drivers out on the road and during home time, so it is a great idea to understand how dispatch works before getting behind the wheel for a company. Here is an explanation of the various styles of trucking dispatch, and some of the ways your dispatch team can impact your driving experience.

Ask someone who has had to learn the hard way, and they will definitely tell you that not all dispatch teams are created equal. There are many ways that trucking dispatch affects drivers out on the road and during home time, so it is a great idea to understand how dispatch works before getting behind the wheel for a company. Here is an explanation of the various styles of trucking dispatch, and some of the ways your dispatch team can impact your driving experience.

In late April the South Dakota Trucking Association announced they had selected two new members to join their prestigious Road Team. 

We are proud to announce that one of the newest Road Team Captains is Jeff Eschen, one of our owner operators! Jeff has been at K & J Trucking for 8 years, but his history with trucking goes back much further.

We interviewed Jeff to learn more about his history with trucking and why he is passionate to be a part of the Road Team, and what he hopes to contribute!

In late April the South Dakota Trucking Association announced they had selected two new members to join their prestigious Road Team. 

We are proud to announce that one of the newest Road Team Captains is Jeff Eschen, one of our owner operators! Jeff has been at K & J Trucking for 8 years, but his history with trucking goes back much further.

We interviewed Jeff to learn more about his history with trucking and why he is passionate to be a part of the Road Team, and what he hopes to contribute!

At K & J Trucking one of our primary passions is to help owner operators succeed in the business. There are several foundational concepts that help trucking business owners build a path to success, and one of these is understanding the concept of variable costs.

At K & J Trucking one of our primary passions is to help owner operators succeed in the business. There are several foundational concepts that help trucking business owners build a path to success, and one of these is understanding the concept of variable costs.

We keep waiting to post a spring checklist because it hasn't felt much like spring here in South Dakota. However, with the weather finally perking up a bit, we sat down with our Head of Maintenance, Lou Charette and asked what regular maintenance tasks drivers should prioritize in this season. Some of these will be items you can easily check yourself, others may require paid shop help, but all are important. 

We keep waiting to post a spring checklist because it hasn't felt much like spring here in South Dakota. However, with the weather finally perking up a bit, we sat down with our Head of Maintenance, Lou Charette and asked what regular maintenance tasks drivers should prioritize in this season. Some of these will be items you can easily check yourself, others may require paid shop help, but all are important.