Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/293070
VOICES 12 | Overdrive | April 2014 Department of De- fense Secretary Chuck Hagel's February budget proposal received mixed responses from owner-operators. The proposal looks for long-term reduc- tions in overall defense spending but represents a short-term hike above spending levels automatically cut by last year's budget sequester deal. "Shrinkage of the armed forces is not the answer," wrote one commenter at OverdriveOnline.com. "Those in power will overcommit and stretch the military to the point that the soldiers and sailors will get out. They did it to us in the '70s after Vietnam." Others were more speciļ¬ c, suggest- ing a need for better DOD evaluation. "The government needs to assess what risks exist in the world, decide whether military force is the solu- tion, then fund appropriately," wrote Steve S. McQueen. "Spending for intel and combat readiness should be the priority. It does no good to have a billion-dollar piece of equipment if the [servicemembers] can't operate it effectively. Owner-operator Jimmy Ardis is among the most good-humored of drivers running the roads today. We've reported the story of his long career, telling how Ardis lost his left arm at a young age, then went on to tenaciously lobby the U.S. Department of Transportation in the 1980s for an exemption for his missing limb. The Sumter, S.C.-based owner-operator, then as now, had a knack for making a positive out of what easily could have been cause to go the other route. You can get a taste of this spunky driver's character in a video we took at last year's Great American Trucking Show in Dallas. Ardis recounts how his uncle taught him to drive, using a yardstick to rap Ardis' knuckles whenever he jammed a gear too quickly. Scan the QR, or search "yardstick method" at OverdriveOnline.com, to see the video in which Ardis goes on to argue for a more thorough mento- ring approach to driver training. HOT BUTTONS THE YARDSTICK METHOD OF DRIVER TRAINING WHAT IS THE RIGHT COURSE FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPENDING? OverdriveOnline.com poll Spend more across the board Spend less on equipment, more on servicemembers Spend less on servicemembers, more on equipment Stick to the lower sequestration spending limits Reduce spending further, below sequestration limits The recently outlined budget proposal is appropriate I don't know Other 37% 15% 5% 10% 13% 5% 8% 7% DEGENSE DEFENSE Mixed feelings on defense spending James Jaillet 43% 20% In 2012, the ScaleCh- ek app for iPhone and Android, then a relatively new option ($4.99) for crowd-sourcing weigh-sta- tion status, joined Over- drive's free Trucker Tools app with the ability for users to share informa- tion about scales they're passing. Now, BulkLoads. com, a load board and online community for liq- uid and dry bulk haulers, has given a boost to yet another weigh-station status alert option for smartphone users by purchas- ing the CoopsOpen app. Such apps work only if users update station statuses. After passing a weigh station, a user is prompted to update its status. Other users will be able to see its latest status instantly. 'COOPS ARE OPEN, DRIVER' To use the CoopsOpen weigh station status alert app, download the iPhone or Android ver- sion via your phone's app marketplace, then register for free via CoopsOpen.com. Voices_0414.indd 12 4/1/14 5:53 PM