Trailmobile Trailers History

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The history of Trailmobile trailers extends back to the end of the nineteenth century. While the brand has been owned under many different companies, it has always been a name that stood for rugged engineering and forward looking innovation. This Trailmobile history will give you an idea of its past, as well as the recent difficulties and rebirth under the ownership of Manac.

Precursor to Trailmobile

The Trailmobile Company can trace its roots back to the time of horse drawn carriages and vehicles. A man by the name of Daniel M. Sechler worked as a carriage maker in the 1840’s and started a couple carriage shops between that time and 1879 when he incorporated Sechler and Company. They quickly became one of the largest manufacturers of carriages in the world. By the end of the century motorized vehicles had begun to be developed, and the company needed to consider a new direction for growth. It was an employee named John Endebrock who realized that there was a future in trailers for the new cars and trucks that were being invented. In 1915, they introduced their trailer as the Trailmobile, which was meant to trail behind an automobile, and changed their name to The Trailmobile Company.

Invention of the Fifth Wheel

One of the great innovations that came from Trailmobile was the fifth wheel engineering for easy coupling and uncoupling of the trailer from the vehicle. This concept was patented in 1919 after several years of Endebrock searching for an easier solution to attach and disengage the semi trailer, similar to how train cars were locked together and then easily separated. Before this invention it took three men and jacks to unhook the trailer. After the introduction of the fifth wheel design, which has changed very little to this day, one man could complete the task.

Trailmobile Grows and Changes

The first and second world wars required Trailmobile to manufacture thousands of specialized trailers to meet the military needs of that time. It also established the Trailmobile brand as a trusted builder of quality trailers. Between the two wars and in the years after the company merged with other trucking manufacturers and was sold to different corporations. The name was changed for several years and then changed back in 1944 due to the respected name Trailmobile had developed over the years. Eventually the company came to be known as Trailmobile Canada Limited in the 1990’s.

The Recession Hits

The tough economic times created by a massive recession which began around 2007 had a big impact on the trucking and shipping industries. Trailmobile Canada Limited was not able to weather the storm and was forced to final bankruptcy in 2009. Manac purchased the assets of the company to broaden its number of commercial trailer offerings, and recently the Trailmobile brand has been resurrected with Manac Inc.’s reintroduction of the Trailmobile UltraPlate.

Despite its many changes over more than 100 years, Trailmobile still stands for quality construction and innovation in tractor trailers and dry vans. We hope you have enjoyed this history of Trailmobile trailers.

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Source by Jim McCormack

The Flowmaster Exhaust – How Long Will it Last?

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You are probably wondering how long the Flowmaster exhaust lasts. As an auto enthusiast in search of a good exhaust system there are a number of parts that the exhaust system consists of and you should look at each one individually.

While there are a lot of different functional parts within every exhaust system, typically, the only part of an exhaust that you are able to see is the exhaust tip. Because your exhaust tips are so vital to the appearance of the rear of your vehicle, you will want to have the best looking exhaust tips that are available out there. Flowmaster exhaust tips look excellent on the rear of any vehicle. Like a lot of Flowmaster products, Flowmaster exhaust tips are designed and made out of stainless steel and made to last.

Now if you are asking “how long does the Flowmaster exhaust pipe last?” you can have a look at the warranty and get a pretty good idea. The aluminized steel is guaranteed for 3 years and the stainless steel exhaust is guaranteed for 10 years. I would really think because of the warranty that you will not have any problems for at least double that amount of time. I have not come across anyone complaining how little time they got out of their Flowmaster exhaust pipe.

Next question is how long does the Flowmaster muffler last? Some of their mufflers are made of aluminized steel and others of stainless steel. These are your options as you go through a website checkout. People have seen these torn up and stuff, but they are not known to rust out and some people have had them on for 20 years and more. And that is just the aluminized steel mufflers. I wouldn’t worry about muffler decay so much.

To go along with the warranty that comes with every Flowmaster product, they also assure you of dependable service when you need it. Car hobbyists absolutely deserve excellent assistance when shopping for great quality auto parts for their car or truck. Therefore, Flowmaster has also put up a round-the-clock help agency to help you with your requests. These groups of technical assistants who have been trained for troubleshooting all types of Flowmaster product concern will be available to help, Monday through Friday.

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Source by Ken Bishop

Insurance Auto Auctions – Get Great Deals on Salvaged Cars and Trucks

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Insurance auto auctions are a great way to get a great deal on salvaged cars and trucks. In fact, the company Insurance Auto Auctions is one of the most commonly used specialists in this area with auto auction locations throughout the United States. The company has been around since the early 1990s providing a variety of auto auction services for car owners, car buyers, and car sellers. If you are looking for a good way to get a car at a cheaper rate, insurance salvage deals are a great option!

Salvage vehicle auctions involve several elements – including a facilitation between buyer and seller as arranged by the Insurance Auto Auctions company. Although IAA is one of the more well known companies in this part of the automotive industry, many other companies exist with the same auto salvage specialty.

Automotive salvage occurs when an insurer considers a vehicle to be a “total loss” in insurance terminology. Essentially, this means that the vehicle is of no use to the insurance provider and the insurance carrier. When this happens, the salvaged vehicle can be sold or parted out. Many major insurance companies work with Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. and similar companies. You will not be surprised to learn that Farmer’s Insurance, and even GEICO are just some of the names on the IAA list of regular clients.

Percentage salvage auction sales are more common these days as such companies work hard to get a piece of the action! When a salvaged car is sold at rock-bottom prices, the insurance agency provider is very interested in obtaining rights to at least a small percentage of the insurance auto auction. Since this practice has become more common in recent years, more and more insurance agents and their representatives are seeking percentage shares with companies like Insurance Auto Auctions.

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Source by Costas Peppas

Can a Steel Building be Moved to Another Location?

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Sometimes, moving is something that is necessary. Everything has to be packed up in order to be taken to the new destination. It all has to be loaded in a moving vehicle of some sort only to be unpacked when it reaches the new location. After everything is taken out of the building, you look back at it with sadness because of the fond memories you have, but that is something you must leave behind. Well, you’re at least leaving the neighborhood behind.

You stand there watching how these guys are putting the building on the back of an 18 wheeler and you can’t wait until it is delivered to the new location that your company acquired. There is more land and more steel buildings to be delivered to the location. Not too many people can move to a location that is ten miles away from them and actually take the building with them.

Depending on the size of the steel building, it can be moved in pieces and put together at its final destination. Sometimes a steel building may be like a storage container that is used as an office. Whatever the reason, there is a process to moving a steel building. It may seem like a mystery to some as to how it is possible to move something so large and so heavy, but the process is rather easy at times.

It doesn’t matter if the building is new and just being built or is an existing structure that needs to be moved, it has to be divided up into pieces. When it is a new building, the pieces are built, shipped to the building’s destination, and then assembled there. If the building is an existing structure, then it will be divided into the same pieces it was in when it arrived brand new. After this occurs, the following steps take place:

• The pieces are lifted by a building jack apparatus. The buildings are usually built with slots in which the building jack apparatus can be inserted.

• The jack then lifts the building up to a predetermined height, but instead of it being lifted onto the truck, the truck backs up under the lifted building. The jack then lowers the building onto the bed of the trailer.

• When the building meets its destination, the same method can be used to lift the building off of the trailer bed or the trailer bed may be hydraulic and can carefully slide the building off of the back of it. This step depends on whether or not that piece of the building can stand on its own. This process is repeated for all of the pieces. Depending on the size of the building, it can take several trucks to move the building.

However, when moving a steel building that has already been in place for a while, it is necessary to employ a company that has the trucks, the manpower, and the proper tools to move a steel building. Usually, those who actually manufacture them can provide moving services for people who need to move steel buildings, but such services do come with a cost. It is more or less going to depend on how many pieces need transported and the size of the building. These factors will determine how many trucks are needed, what tools are needed, and how many people need to be involved in the moving effort. It can be quite extensive. At least if anyone has doubts about a steel building being able to be moved, you can contradict them by telling them that you know the basics of how it is done.

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Source by Amy Nutt

Top 6 Jobs For Convicted Felons – White Collar and Blue Collar Jobs

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A felony conviction is usually seen from an employer’s standpoint a huge deterrent. It often causes other less qualified individuals get hired over you because of your conviction. It can even reduce the amount you’ll be paid because the employer knows that you’ll have trouble finding a job no matter where you go, causing you to get hired at a “discount.” Below is a list of jobs that statistically aren’t affected by having a criminal record. This list includes both white collar jobs such as an office clerk, medical assistant, and sales person as well as blue collar jobs such as a mechanic, plumber, and construction worker.

Top 6 Blue/White Collar Jobs for Felons:

6. Running a hot dog stand. Don’t underestimate the earning potential of this occupation. If you’re starting your own hot dog stand, the investment cost is very minimal and with some hard work can produce a pretty substantial salary. A descent location can produce about $100 per day in profits after deducting expenses and an exceptional location can produce upwards of $250 per day. Some of the most successful stand owners in New York City earn over $100,000 per year.

5. Working as an ice cream truck driver. Similar to running a hot dog stand, this has the potential to become very lucrative. If you plan on starting your own ice cream truck business it’s recommended that you work for someone else first so that you can learn more about the expenses involved and the hot spots in your area.

4. Entry level office clerks. Typically this position doesn’t require a background check to get hired and provides reasonable compensation. There is normally room to move up in a job like this, to an office manager, and eventually to a regional office manager.

3. Private Detective. The pay for this job is actually very good and most of the time they will gladly accept felons, especially the non violent offenders.

2. Truck Driving. If your schedule is flexible and you don’t mind driving for long periods of time, this is one of the highest paying jobs that you can get that does not require a college degree. Most start out at around $40,000 per year and with experience you can earn up to $60,000 per year.

1. Doing surveys online. These types of websites are often scams, but there are some very legitimate and honest ones out there. Keep in mind, any survey site worth it’s salt wont have any kind of paid membership what so ever. These sites wont make you rich but it’s a great way to earn money in between jobs and to supplement your income once you find a job. The great thing about these sites is that they don’t discriminate based on your record and add are a great way to keep your self occupied while your job searching.

When your applying for jobs always choose small companies over large corporations. Small companies are much more likely to provide jobs to convicted felons as they don’t have strict policies in place that ban this type of hiring. You should be keeping your self busy while waiting to hear back from any potential employers so you don’t get discouraged. Doing paid surveys are a great way to stay productive and since your earning money it’s something you can feel good about doing.

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Source by Steven Yon

Building Teamwork: Helping Your Team Take Responsibility for Their Results

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The end of the year in an organization is often a time of reflection and evaluation. As I look back over the decisions I have made over the past 12 months, I evaluate them to see how they have affected our company and what I might do differently. As I reflect, I am paying attention to that voice in my head that is tempted to blame our failures on other people (or organizations) while taking complete credit for our successes. If I want my team to work together effectively, I have to resist this impulse to assign blame or credit.

I recall an incident that occurred in my life several years ago that is emblematic of this tendency to blame other people for the unfortunate events that happen in our lives. I was in my car at a green light waiting for a pedestrian to pass so that I could turn right at a street corner. Suddenly a truck hit the back of my car. It was a US Post Office truck driven by an employee who proceeded to back up and drive away from the scene of the accident. Given that those trucks have a large identifying number on the back, this was not such a great idea. I wrote that number down and followed him straight to the post office where I told a supervisor what happened. The supervisor left to get the official paperwork. As the two of us stood looking at the back end of my car, he actually said to me in a accusing tone of voice: “Well, I hope you’re happy. You just made me lose my job.”

I remember that situation and his comment whenever I am tempted to blame someone else for the consequences of my own actions. To avoid that, I find it useful to ask myself: How have I contributed to this outcome? What would I do differently if I could do this over? The next time I face this problem what will I do?

When we lead teams, we can help them develop this habit of taking personal responsibility for their part in a difficult outcome. The trick is to do it without blaming them or ourselves. We can lay the foundation by talking through the issue or challenge with phrases such as:

  • As I think about what happened, I can see that I contributed by….
  • We all share responsibility for this outcome. For instance, I wish that I had….
  • The next time we handle this challenge, I plan to….

And we can also help our employees and co-workers take ownership of their part by asking questions such as:

  • Looking back, how do you think you played a part in this?
  • If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?
  • What steps do you plan to take the next time you face this situation?

When people make clear statements that demonstrate that they are taking at least partial ownership of a challenging situation, we can reinforce their positive behavior by making statements such as:

  • I really appreciate your ability to look at this challenge objectively.
  • I think your assessment of this situation is right on target.
  • I trust that you will succeed next time. These are great ideas.
  • Thank you for talking this problem through so that we can work together to get better results.

As we model taking ownership and responsibility and as we recognize this same level of personal responsibility demonstrated by others, we reinforce a positive cycle that paves the way to healthy, collaborative teamwork.

So what will it be? A team that is at the mercy of lunkheads in other departments? Or a team that is confident in its ability to meet any challenge? It’s your choice.

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Source by Cynthia Clay

The 7 Automotive Fluids Necessary for Every Vehicle

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Every vehicle, whether car or truck, requires seven automotive fluids in order to increase lifespan and maintain optimal and safe driving conditions. These fluids can be purchased at any store that has an automotive department, or at a local auto parts store, at prices between 4 and 15 dollars depending on the brand and retailer. Since these fluids are readily-available and inexpensive to buy, there is no reason why you shouldn’t stay on top of them. Learn your vehicle’s factory maintenance schedule so you can know exactly when each fluid needs checked or replaced. Keep in mind that some fluids are best changed out by a licensed automotive technician, so be sure to find an auto shop you can trust for quality work and fair prices. Continue reading to learn the seven essential automotive fluids every vehicle needs to drive safely and stay in good condition for years to come.

Motor Oil

Engine oil is of course one of the most well-known and significant fluids for cars and trucks. It lubricates all the inner workings and moving parts of a car engine’s crank case to reduce heat-causing friction. Without proper lubrication at all times, parts like pistons, valves, and more, are subject to damage. This renders a motor useless.

Depending on the make and model of your particular vehicle, the schedule for oil changes will vary slightly. Check your owners’ manual or consult a trusted local mechanic for information about your vehicle’s factory scheduled maintenance. Generally, motor oil should be changed every 5,000 or 6 months, whichever comes first.

Transmission Fluid

Transmission fluid is red in color and very similar to motor oil in terms of its function. This is because it cools and lubricates the inner workings of a vehicle’s transmission. This keeps the vehicle’s gears in good condition, allowing for easy gear changes and functionality. Generally, this fluid should be changed one time per year. Again, check your owner’ manual, or download one online, for specific maintenance schedule information.

Radiator Fluid/Coolant

Your vehicle’s coolant is a must, since without it, your car is sure to overheat. Radiator fluid, also called coolant, is a 50/50 combination of solution and water, and can come in a variety of colors depending on the brand and type you buy. It keeps the engine from overheating by circulating through the engine and collecting heat, returning it to the radiator, and then dispersing this heat outside. This should be changed as needed, depending on how often you drive and your driving habits. Generally, coolant should be changed every 3 to 5 months, or 3,000 to 5,000 miles.

Brake Fluid

In terms of passenger safety, you might say brake fluid is the most important for a vehicle. Brake fluid allows for proper hydraulic functioning of the car brakes. When you push down on the brake pedal, the brake fluid compresses, sending hydraulic force to the brake pads and shoes, which provides the friction needed to stop a vehicle. Generally, brake fluid should be replaced every 2 years, or 30,000 miles. Check your owners’ manual for details.

Power Steering Fluid

Power steering fluid is pressurized by a small hydraulic pump that is powered by the vehicle’s engine. It allows the vehicle to turn easier. This fluids enhances the steering mechanism of a car or truck. Without it, it would feel as if the steering wheel weighs 100 pounds. This fluids needs replaced generally every 4 years or 60,000 miles.

Battery Fluid

If your vehicle has a “maintenance-free” battery, then you will not be required to check its fluid levels. But for older model cars and trucks, batteries have individual cells that need to be refilled with battery fluid. This fluid, of course, maintains the car battery’s power, allowing for turning the ignition and starting the engine. Battery fluid should be changed generally every 6 to 8 months or 7,500 miles.

Windshield Wiper Fluid

Most often forgotten or overlooked, windshield wiper fluid is an essential part of driver and passenger safety. This is a fluid anyone can re-fill themselves, as needed. Simply by this well-known blue solution at a gas station or auto parts store. Refill as needed.

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Source by Sarahbeth Kluzinski

Trailer Sway 101

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Yaw, more commonly known as sway in the RV industry, is a bad word for trailer owners. The definition of yaw or sway is a side-to-side movement. Nothing will ruin the way you feel about camping faster than the first time you experience trailer sway.

You have tent camped for years and now you decide it’s time to move up to a pop-up. You go to your local dealership and find a pop-up with the perfect floor plan for you and your family. The sales person knows that it will be close to the maximum weight that your vehicle can tow. He really needs a sale because things have been slow. Rather than risk losing the sale he decides not to explain the added expense of the proper hitch work to safely tow your new trailer.

You’re all packed up for a weekend getaway. You made all of your pre-trip checks and you’re ready to go. You load the most precious cargo you have, your family, into your tow vehicle and head out on a new venture. Everything is fine when you leave the house. You take the on ramp to the interstate. You’re cruising at the speed limit enjoying the music on the radio. Suddenly out of nowhere a transfer truck going twenty miles over the speed limit is passing you as if you’re sitting still. The pop-up is pulled into the draft created by the truck. In an attempt to correct this totally unexpected event you over steer and the trailer begins to go the opposite direction. Not really sure what to do you hit the brakes and turn the steering wheel to the left, then to the right. Now, that one-ton trailer behind your sport utility vehicle is veering sharply from side to side and begins to affect what little control you have over the vehicle. The results are catastrophic.

Ok, since this is just an article, let’s start over and fix this before you even realize there is a potential problem. You purchased your pop-up from a reputable local RV dealership. At the risk of losing the sale your sales person explains that you will require some specialized hitch work to pull your new trailer safely. You are a bit skeptical, feeling like they just want more of your money. Besides, your father never needed any of this stuff. He just hooked the trailer unto the ball and went.

You decide to give the sales person the benefit of doubt and listen for a minute. He shows you in his book that your tow vehicle is rated to tow a maximum of 3,500 pounds. Then he explains what you must factor in to that tow rating. It includes the weight of your new camper, any after market accessories, like the roof mounted air conditioner and battery the dealership is going to install, all of the cargo and personal belongings that you load in the trailer and in the tow vehicle, and the weight of the passengers in the vehicle. Now all of the sudden the sales person has your undivided attention. You had no idea that all of this had to be considered.

He shows you the weight label on your new trailer. The unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) is 2,100 pounds. The air conditioner weighs 100 pounds and the deep cycle battery weighs 50 pounds. To be safe he estimates that you will carry about 300 pounds of cargo, and then adds another 300 pounds for your wife and two children. You are amazed how fast things add up.

Now you have 2,850 pounds instead of the 2100 pounds that you thought it was. It isn’t over yet. Your sales person starts to explain that every state has different requirements on how much a trailer can weigh before it requires trailer brakes. In your state the weight is 3,000 lbs., but your dealership has brakes installed on any trailer they order that weighs over 2,000 pounds. He explains that even though your vehicle is rated to tow 3,500 pounds the brakes on the vehicle were designed to safely stop the vehicles weight, not an additional ton and a half being pulled behind it.

He takes you to the parts department and shows you a brake controller and explains that this is what activates the trailer brakes and the dealership will install it when they do the wiring for the trailer lights. You like the features that he explained about the brake controller. The fact that you can manually adjust the amount of braking action so that when you hit the brake pedal the tow vehicle and the trailer work together to stop the weight in a reasonable amount of time. What you really like is the part he explained about the manual override lever that activates the trailer brakes without using the vehicle brakes.

He said if you’re on a steep grade and you don’t want to prematurely wear out the vehicle brakes you slowly slide the lever and the trailer brakes will slow you down. But what really sold you on it was when he explained that if the trailer starts to sway you could gently move the lever, activating the trailer brakes, to help straighten the trailer out. He went on to explain that trailer sway is one of the biggest potential problems that you can encounter while towing a trailer. He points out some of the factors that contribute to trailer sway.

o First and foremost poor trailer design contributes to trailer sway. When there is too much weight behind the trailers axles causing the tongue weight to be less than 10% of the trailers weight it has a natural tendency to sway.

o Incorrect tire inflation

o Improper weight distribution hitch adjustments

o No sway control on the trailer

o Crosswinds

o A transfer truck passing from the rear of the trailer

o Descending inclines

o Towing speeds

o Tow vehicle not properly matched for the trailer

o Improper loading, overloading and poor weight distribution

He took the time to explain that for the trailer to pull properly the manufacturer recommends that the tongue weight resting on the ball mount should be 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight. He said if it is more than 15% they have what is called a weight distribution hitch that takes the additional tongue weight and distributes it to the axles on the tow vehicle and the trailer where it should be, and if it is less than 10% when you load your cargo you distribute it to add some additional weight on the tongue. He looked up the pop-up you were buying in the brochure and the tongue weight was 305 pounds. With the air conditioner installed and your cargo loaded you would be between the 10 to 15% range. He explained that a weight distribution hitch was more commonly used with heavier trailers and in some cases with pop-ups depending on the tow vehicle, but in this case it would not be required.

The next thing he asked was if your vehicle had a receiver. You reply, do you mean a hitch? He explains that the part that is bolted to the vehicle is called a receiver, and he shows you a chart that has several different classes of receivers depending on the amount of weight you will be towing. The class II receiver was rated for 3,500 lb. gross trailer weight and 300 lb. max tongue weight. For a small difference in price he recommended a class III receiver rated for 5,000 lb. gross trailer weight and 500 lb. max tongue weight since your trailers tongue weight exceeded 300 lbs.

With that done he said let me show you the one component that our dealership strongly recommends to anyone purchasing a pop-up. He walked over and picked up a part from the shelf. This is called a friction sway control. We mount one end of it to the ball mount and the other end to the tongue on the camper. You adjust the amount of friction by turning the lever clockwise for more friction and counter clockwise for less friction. He explained that you turn it in 1/8″ increments until you get it adjusted where you feel comfortable. This will not totally eliminate sway, but once the forces of sway are in motion it will dampen the sway and help you control it when you’re towing your camper.

Well, he said, that about does it. For less than 10% of the price of the pop-up you can get all of the hitch work done and ensure that your family is safe when you go on a trip. At this point you’re convinced that the sales person has your best interest in mind and was not just trying to make more money.

You’re all packed up for the first weekend getaway with your new pop-up. You make all of the pre-trip checks that the dealership explained to you and you’re ready to go. You load the most precious cargo you have, your family, into your vehicle and head out on a new venture. You take the on ramp to the interstate. You’re cruising at the speed limit enjoying the music on the radio. Suddenly out of nowhere a transfer truck going twenty miles over the speed limit passes you as if I you’re sitting still. You feel a slight movement behind you. It was just enough to remind you that you’re pulling the pop-up. You look at you’re watch and tell the family that you should be at the campground in a couple of hours.

Knowing how to react when a trailer begins to sway can be the difference between your safety and disaster.

Happy Camping,

Mark

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

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Source by Mark Polk

Trucking Fuel Surcharge – Brief History and Basic Methods Used

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Fuel surcharges first appeared around 1973 following the first Arab oil embargo. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began computing a National Retail Diesel Average in order to compensate transportation carriers for the up and down fuel prices created by the OPEC oil crisis. They went away for a couple of decades but returned as a permanent addendum to motor carriers’ rates around the middle of the 1990’s. At this time diesel fuel prices rose to the extremely high price (in those times) of $1.15 a gallon. As a result a group of retail diesel outlet representatives was formed in order to report their retail diesel prices to the DOE on a weekly basis. The DOE then used those figures to compute an average Diesel price and the number that is arrived at is then considered the National Average diesel price for that week. This average ended up becoming the baseline fuel surcharge rate that the transportation carriers use to bill their customers. Of course once it is set for the week if fuel were to increase then the carrier would lose; however the opposite would happen if fuel were to go down, then the customer would benefit. Either way, in the long run this seemed like the best case scenario to ensure that line haul rates could for the most part stay the same while the fuel surcharge could be kept separate in order for both the shipper and the carrier to keep the rates and billing transparent.

Whether it is a 3PL(third party logistics) provider or an asset based trucking company the majority use a fuel surcharge calculation based on the DOE national average. (tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp) Some may want to use a regional fuel average if their freight is contained to a certain part of the country. The reason for this is that the fuel prices could differ greatly on the West Coast versus the East Coast. For example, if a customer only shipped to the Southeastern states and those states had a much lower fuel average then they would not want the higher West Coast rates averaged in. Some shippers are now opting for an approach which seems to be the most transparent yet. This method is based on the daily fuel prices along a certain route and allows you to compute the most accurate average (updated every 24 hours). The link to their website is fuelsurchargeindex.org Another fairly common fuel surcharge method is one in which the carrier and customer agree to a surcharge percentage based off of the line haul or base rate. As you can see the methods vary and this is something that you, the shipper, will determine when analyzing your particular situation.

Recap:

Fuel surcharges were a result of the Arab oil embargo and the OPEC oil crisis around 1973. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began computing a National Retail Average in order to compensate transportation carriers for the up and down fuel prices created by the OPEC oil crisis.

Fuel surcharges became a permanent addendum to motor carriers’ tariffs around the middle of the 90’s, when diesel fuel rose to the extremely high price (in those times) of $1.15 a gallon. This gives us our base rate.

Fuel surcharges are still calculated using the same methods. Two of the most popular are cent per mile and a percentage of the base rate or line haul. There is no set way in which the fuel surcharge has to be determined. The only thing set in stone is the DOE’s national average.

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Source by Eric Broderick

Bob the Builder Promoting Family Values

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Bob the Builder is a character from the children’s television series created by Keith Chapman and originally broadcast on the BBC in 1997. Bob has been watched by millions of children around the world and has been favored by parents for his positive influence on children and family values.

Bob the Builder is a great example for children to follow and the stories not only entertain, but illustrate what real life is all about. Sure, Bob encounters problems working on the construction site, but he always has a positive attitude to complete the task at hand with a solution. With the help of his friend and business partner Wendy and his machine talking team of trucks and equipment, Scoop the yellow backhoe loader, Muck the red bulldozer, Dizzy the orange concrete mixer, Roley the green steamroller, Lofty the blue crane, Zoomer the purple snowmobile, Travis the cyan tractor, Tumbler the yellow and green concrete mixer, Benny the pink excavator, Jackaroo the blue pickup truck, Packer the red pickup truck, Skip the yellow skip loader and Scrambler the blue bike the job is always completed enthusiastically.

The adventures of Bob the Builder and the gang encourage kids to learn about teamwork, leadership, patience, respect, resolving conflicts, friendship and co-operation with others as they work together on the construction site and play together, all important skills and values to teach children.

The lessons that young children learn are the building blocks of character and integrity that will shape them as they grow and will stay with them throughout the rest of their lives. The characteristics of Bob the Builder are a great example to children and prove essential in later working life where building relationships with fellow workers, fostering teamwork in working environments and getting the job done are all important assets in your abilities to succeed in both personal and working life.

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Source by Leanne Ronalds