Welcome to the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Newsletter brought to you by Dynamic Logistix. In this issue, monster storm headed for I-80; WTT headed to SiriusXM; shipping container castles; and more.
A monster storm
10 feet deep — Donner Pass, Interstate 80 and the Golden State are bracing for impact as a winter storm threatens to blanket the Sierra Nevada range with 10 feet of snow.
NBC news reports, “[Donner Pass] could experience snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour and ferocious wind gusts of 50 to 100 mph for 72 hours straight.”
Park it — With the storm expected to continue until Sunday, snowfall totals in Donner Pass could hit 10 feet. Avoid sending your drivers through the area during this. Not only will the snow be deep but the winds will be blowing fierce.
Need a place to park, driver? Check out Truck Parking Club.
WTT is headed to SiriusXM
SiriusXM
Homecoming — Starting March 11, WHAT THE TRUCK?!? will begin airing on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking on Channel 146 at 5 p.m. Eastern on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
What’s that mean? The podcast and live show aren’t changing; that’ll still be Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon ET and on demand. Road Dog will be replaying these episodes at 5 p.m. ET on those days. Now we get to extend our reach and hit a whole new drive time audience.
If you’re a guest, not only will you be heard on the regular show, on our social media and in clips, but you’ll also be replayed on radio!
We’ll also be using the slot to do some unique live events like at MATS, for example, where we’ll do both WTT in the afternoon and a live version of the radio show in the evening.
To quote Bart Scott: “Can’t wait!”
The prison of the mind
The struggle — A new report paints a stark picture of post-pandemic employee mental health. The report by Calm surveyed 4,000 employees and 150 HR and benefits leaders. Its biggest finding? Financial woes are the top stressor for employees.
Good news: HR leaders recognize this
Bad news: They don’t plan on doing anything about it for another year or two.
Tech isolation — As convenient as work from home is, the impacts of isolation are creating a lot of uncertainty among workers, especially Gen Z. I realize the trucker side of my audience may not have much empathy for the laptop class sitting at home. However, drivers themselves are well aware of what long hours alone can do to one’s head.
Tomorrow on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, we welcome the founders of 32 Truckers A Day to the show. The charity gets its name from the statistic that 32 truck drivers either contemplate or commit suicide on any given day. We’ll find out how they’re helping drivers contend with mental health issues. Hopefully, both truck drivers and desk drivers can take something away from that.
Read Calm’s full report here.
How’re you all feeling? Stressed, accomplished, isolated, fulfilled or depressed? Email me.
What’s stopping you from living here?
A shipping container fit for a king — Who knew shipping container homes would be so controversial among the freight class. I asked the community why their passion for freight hasn’t translated into a shipping container castle home, and here’s what you had to say:
The rest of the noise
- Massive wildfires disrupting travel across Texas, Oklahoma (FreightWaves)
- Deadline nears for filings as Werner seeks review of nuclear verdict (FreightWaves)
J.B. Hunt announces Shelley Simpson as Chief Executive Officer, President (LinkedIn)
Range Energy receives new funding for electrified semi trailers (Power Progress)
WTT Friday
Logistics of playing pickleball in the ocean; a trucker charity; bad WMS — This Friday on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, I’m talking to Via Croatia President Zvonimir Androić about their crazy idea to play pickleball at sea. How does that even work? We’ll learn all about the logistics behind the experience.
32 Truckers a Day is a charitable organization that focuses on truck driver mental health. The group gets its name from the statistic that 32 truck drivers a day either contemplate or commit suicide. We’ll meet their founders and learn how drivers can get help.
Yard Management Solutions’ Collin Mansfield discusses trends in yard management, why RFID is on the way out and bad WMS.
E2open’s Pawan Joshi breaks down the data driving ocean shipping and manufacturing. Is an uptick in freight headed to our shores?
Plus, latest news, weirdness and trends.
Catch new shows live at noon EST Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player.
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Don’t be a stranger,
Dooner