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Alfred E. Neuman & COVID-19

MAD Magazine came out in 1952 and, for the next 57 years, successfully lampooned just about everyone and everything in the world. The magazine’s carto...

Four Items For Your DOT Audit Checklist 

No one in trucking looks forward to a DOT audit. An auditor can cause a great deal of stress with the power to slap your company with costly fines. Mo...

7 Principles of Truck Driving Safety | AvatarFleet

Brian Fielkow presented his seven principles of safety that he has implemented at JetCo Delivery over the last 10 years to achieve a world-class safet...

3 Traits that All Driver of the Year Candidates Share

AvatarFleet proudly sponsored the Ohio Trucking Association 2015 Driver of the Year, hoping to shine a bigger spot light on Ohio's best professional d...

Ideas to Improve Truck Driver Onboarding: Part 4

Embed Safety Everyone agrees that focusing on safety has to be part of a good onboarding or orientation program. But the best ways to incorporate safe...

Ideas to Improve Truck Driver Onboarding: Part 3

Humanize Paperwork This is the third installment in a series on improving orientation for new drivers. (See Part 1 and Part 2) Getting new drivers sta...

New CSA Changes Bring No Improvement

Imagine a baseball team that has played 33 games, has 167 hits, 43 errors, 121 walks and a team ERA of 3.65.

Ideas to Improve Truck Driver Onboarding: Part 2

Think People, Not Process Last week we provided ideas how good driver orientation and on-boarding integrates the new driver into your company. It sets...

Vetting Professional Drivers in 2016

Here at AvatarFleet, we’ve often wondered how Uber and Lyft were allowed to come into existence. We’re not quite sure how they have thus far escaped t...

Are Truck Drivers Really Different?

Would you drive a truck for your fleet?

THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW: DISTRACTED DRIVING

Like most kids growing up in the sixties, I read the newspaper funnies every night with my dad after he was done with the sports section. In those day...

Benesch Named Top Law Firm in Transportation

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, has named AvatarFleet partner Benesch Law the top law firm in transportation law.

Treating Drivers Well Pays—Turnover Punishes

When you treat drivers well, they will appreciate it and be more likely to stay and do a good job. When you don’t, it’s a source of turnover.

Retaining Drivers Via Health Programs

In these days of driver shortage, retaining drivers is extremely important.

2015 OTA Annual Convention Wrap Up

Recently, Mark G Gardner, founder of AvatarFleet provided an educational seminar at the Ohio Trucking Association’s Annual Convention to help the owne...

GOOD INTENTIONS - WRONG ASSUMPTION

The Truck Safety Coalition is arguing against the current transportation bill that would eliminate an ancient old rule that has been outdated for deca...

Truck Driving Would be a Great Job if You Got Paid

Truck Driving Would be a Great Job if You Got Paid Fleet Owner

BUILD A SUCCESSFUL TEAM IN TRUCKING

What an incredible article in Wired Magazine on the right way to build a successful team. https://www.wired.com/2015/04/hire-like-google/

WHAT’S THE BUZZ? TRUCK DRIVER RETENTION

I spent the past few days in Orlando at the annual Truckload Carriers Association conference. I attended some very informative workshops, known as Tru...

CSA's Biggest Flaw: Rules Don’t Make You Safe

Once again, there’s an exhaustive article in this month’s edition of Heavy Duty Trucking discussing CSA compliance. It provides lots of experts commen...

Young Drivers Wanted | ATA Working to Change Age Requirements

Once again, we see the trucking industry, through its chief lobbyist, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), attempt to influence the federal gover...

RISK OF DEATH DOESN’T SEEM TO FAZE TODAY'S DRIVERS LEARN WHY

Fleet Owner

How To Find Drivers In A Tight Labor Pool

HireRight® is hosting a free webinar on this important topic on November 12th and we’re excited to be part of it. By all indications, we’re going to s...

There Are Still Self-disciplined Millennials | AvatarFleet

A talented safety professional and friend of mine, David Guess, posted an article on this month’s NATMI newsletter.  He’s a smart guy, good writer, Ex...

Transportation Regulatory Update

What Changes are on the Horizon?  Find out the latest regulatory changes being discussed in Washington D.C. that have a huge impact on the trucking in...

Protect Your Company From Negligent Hiring

Two Steps to Protect Your Company From Negligent Hiring and Retention Claims

Safety begins and ends with leadership

SOMEONE GETS IT! Safety begins and ends with leadership.

Prevent tragedies by reducing or eliminating risk

Common sense might just be another term for regulations.  Instead, the transportation industry could prevent tragedies by reducing or eliminating risk...

CVSA Roadcheck Inspection Blitz Blues

CVSA Roadcheck Inspection Blitz Blues? Handy Hints From Your Friends At AvatarFleet

OTA Announces The Next Truck Driver of the Year | AvatarFleet

The Ohio Trucking Association recently honored the best drivers in Ohio.  Lew Eaton, from Ross Transportation, was named Driver of the Year.  He has t...

National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners Webinar

What does the new National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners mean to you and your drivers? Are you prepared for the launch of FMCSA’s new Nation...

Swift Kick in the Pants, Class Action Lawsuit | AvatarFleet

Swift Transportation has agreed to pay $4.4 million to settle a federal driver class action lawsuit over claims it failed to inform prospective driver...

2014 IMTA Spring Summit Recap | AvatarFleet

It’s All About the Driver Bestway Express President and CEO, Shepard Dunn, who is also the current Truckload Carrier’s Association Chairman is a smart...

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April Is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Distracted Driving PSA From A Crash Victim | AvatarFleet

Last week, I celebrated my 24th anniversary of surviving a near fatal head on collision.  I suppose I could feel sorry for myself, but instead, I trea...

Best Practices For Background Screening In Transportation

In a survey of transportation companies, HireRight, who has a strategic relationship with AvatarFleet, sought best practices as it relates to backgrou...

Making the World a Safer Place - Mark G. Gardner’s Accident

This blog post was updated on June 17, 2021.

March Madness Comes To Trucking

By now, you've trashed your NCAA tournament bracket.  And, your dreams of winning one billion Dollars of Warren Buffet’s money are toast.  Millions of...

HireRight Webinar on Transportation Employment

Our friend and partner, HireRight, has some excellent learning content scheduled for next week!  Their webinar on April 9 will highlight details of da...

TCA Annual Convention Wrap-up 2014 | AvatarFleet

In partnership with Benesch, Attorneys At Law, we recently presented, “How to Stay Legal & Avoid Risky Drivers,” at the National Truckload Carrier...

What Are Advantages of Assessments To Select CDL Drivers?

Finding good CDL drivers is very tricky. Keeping them is even trickier.

Driver Monitoring Is Only A Test

Every day more and more driver monitoring devices hit the market.  All with the promise of helping you get better results.

Where In the World Is Avatar Teaching Safe Driving?

Avatar is spanning the globe to make the world a better place through safe driving.

Debating Contradictory Reports on CSA Value–Trucking Tales Ep15

Are Driver Health Problems Overstated? Take the On-Line Survey

Recently there’s been a rash of articles about big rig drivers and the poor state of driver health. In addition to the physical toll on drivers, these...

No One Wins But You Don’t Have To Lose | Part 2 | AvatarFleet

Some carriers have policies that ban any applicant, including drivers, with a criminal background. Based on EEOC guidance, this can create serious leg...

ApplicantCare / HireRight Integration - Speeding Driver Hiring Process

AvatarFleet and HireRight team up to improve hiring quality and driver retention for the transportation industry. Press Release  AvatarFleet has a new...

Pushing For Mandatory Training For Ontario Truck Drivers

There is a push for Ontario government to introduce mandatory entry level training for commercial truck drivers. The Ontario Trucking Association, ins...

CSA Isn't As Bad As We Thought-It's Worse!

"Numbers make the world go round...if they're the right numbers, CSA"

Santafest Benefits Children With Donated Toys From Everyone

Part of the mountain of toys donated to Summit County Children's Services at Santafest.

Highway Safety: Are We Winning the Battle?

Highway safety is improving-- or is it?

EEOC Versus FMCSA: No One Wins but You Don't Have To Lose

Recently, the EEOC provided enforcement guidance regarding policies on hiring convicted felons.  This narrows employers’ abilities to use criminal bac...

Getting A Positive Return On Driver Training

This month, CRST announced that in addition to its biggest increase in driver pay ever, it’s also spending $25 million to train drivers.  That’s a hug...

A-Fleet Premiere Night | Red Carpet Event

Superior Selection or Excellent OTR Training?

Do you build a high performing team through superior selection or excellent OTR training? Remember the old proverb: you can teach a squirrel to fly bu...

Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy Reminds Us of Trucking Hard Times

Scores of news stories this week, including this compilation in the Huffington Post, remind us that five years ago, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers ...

Mr. Gardner Speaks On Driver Retention | Great Lake Truck Expo

Preventing turnover of drivers is a hot topic again. Then again, it’s been plaguing the industry for decades.  Logic dictates that a driver saved is o...

CVSA Sponsors Brake Inspection Blitz | AvatarFleet

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the folks that bring Operation Roadcheck to you every June, is sponsoring the North America-wide Brake Inspect...

Best Professional Driving Course Ever Conceived

Professional Safe Driver Course

Fantasy Football Parallels Driver Selection

What can you learn about driver selection and CSA from fantasy football?