Trucks vs Cars
I got an interesting email the other day, asking my opinion about Mini Coopers. Do we (as truck drivers) have trouble seeing them since they’re so small? The simple answer is - It’s not what you drive around big trucks,…

Put Up or Shut Up
Remember when I mentioned about shippers treating drivers like crap in the previous post? These two signs were at our latest pickup. Between the New York attitude and these signs it didn’t put me in a very good mood. Then…

Good News For Us
I almost quoted the entire article it was so good. Driver shortage creates quandary for trucking.On the one hand, a lack of drivers is restricting the ability of trucking companies to expand and meet current freight volumes. Yet that same…

Adapting and Taking Advantage
An excellent example of taking advantage of the situation -WCFCourier.com | The Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier Online!. By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer STEAMBOAT ROCK — Iowa’s burgeoning ethanol industry is fueling the growth of regional trucking firms.And the best part,…

Would You Audition for American Idol?
Are you the next American Idol? Will you take the time to audition in Los Angeles, New York, or one of the other cities where American Idol auditions are being…

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U.S. Trucking Industry Reaches Major Freight Transportation Milestone; Trucks Haul 10.7 Billion Tons of Freight 
The U.S. trucking industry increased its share of the nation’s freight pool, hauling more goods than ever in 2005, the American Trucking Associations reported today.

Trucking Industry Reaches Major Freight Transportation Milestone 
7/6/2006 The U.S. trucking industry increased its share of the nations freight pool, hauling more goods than ever in 2005, the American Trucking Associations reported Wednesday.

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Ask Not What Employers Can Do For You …

Yesterday I spent some time online looking for a consultant. I went to one of those websites where freelancers advertise their services and began to search the profiles.

Each consultant has a headline and about 25 words to make users want to click through and learn more. (This is very similar to what recruiters see when they log on to Monster.com and other online resume databases.)

I looked for 15 minutes and didn’t see one headline that made me want to learn more. Not ONE! Think about that.

I have a need for help and I have money to spend and yet no one used that small introduction to show me what they could do for me. Almost all the users had introductions that focused on their experience - things like “25 years experience working with F500 companies” or “expertise in branding, positioning, messaging and advertising.” They all blended into one because they all focused on experience rather than on my needs. (The only exception were the people who didn’t even bother with an introduction - just posted their name as though that would be enough!)

I’m not even sure what I was looking for, although I would have known it had I see it. Perhaps something like “I help small businesses increase sales by an average of 20% through a proven step-by-step process” or “Are you looking for a marketing consultant who really listens?” Something that acknowledged that MY needs were what mattered to me, not their pedigree.

Of course, experience is important and I would have reviewed that before choosing a consultant, but it wasn’t what I was looking for right upfront.

I tell you this because this is exactly what happens when a recruiter logs on to any online database. He or she has a problem or a need and they are looking for a solution. Make sure that your introduction clearly shows that you understand that problem and can solve it. You’ll see an exponential increase in responses if you do.

Being Nice Pays Off

At least according to this Newsweek article. It doesn’t surprise me that the idea is being promoted by two women.

At first women wanting to rise through the ranks of corporations were forced to fit in with the guys - be tough and competitive and work twice as hard just to prove that we could cut it. But as we’ve become more established, we’ve started to assert ourselves. In all spheres of our lives, women have always succeeded by helping out other people and asking for help when we needed it. In other words, being nice to each other. Now we’re bringing it into the workplace. I think that’s really cool.

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Tales from the tollbooth
Reading Eagle - A bearded, weary trucker pulls up, pays his toll and moves on. He is followed by a beautiful blonde in a convertible who smiles Then you thank God you’re not doing those jobs. One of about 1,800 toll collectors on the 531-mile turnpike system

Summer ritual returns to Colfax - Burgers, floats and frosty treats
Dunn County News - Although supposedly retired, Roger has four different jobs at the moment. In addition to being a part-time trucker, he is a part-time school bus driver in Colfax as well as a Blackhawk Tour bus driver. He says just the other week, one of his tour bus

A family feud and two shot Mounties
Globe and Mail - Battling substance abuse, family and friends say, he also drifted between jobs, worked on oil rigs and as a trucker. During his time driving semi-trailers, he had several violent run-ins with the peace officers who patrol Saskatchewan’s highways

Chicago immigration rally a ‘coming out party’
CNN - Illegal immigrants take away jobs and take away services that needy legal persons NEED, i.e. section 8 grants, food stamps I am as patriotic if not more than a trucker with a god bless america cap on, but I chose to know my country to the best of my

Despite Internet, billboards still used for personal appeals
Canton Repository - Witt received about 20 serious inquiries from potential employers, but none of the jobs panned out. For example, in one Harold Raymond, a 46-year-old trucker from Omaha, Neb., spent about $1,000 to put up billboards in the city last summer

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Man loses job, put on terror list after airport incident
KLTV - The 31-year-old was flying to Atlanta for a truck-driving job on June 26th when airport screeners stopped him. A Transportation Security Agency report obtained by the Houston Chronicle says screeners were concerned about Bataineh’s laptop, an alarm

Man Loses Job, Put On Terror List After Airport Incident
Click2Houston.com - Mohamed Ahwar Bataineh, 31, was flying to Atlanta for a truck-driving job on June 26 when airport screeners stopped him at the security checkpoint. A Transportation Security Agency report, obtained by the Houston Chronicle, said Bataineh shook his

Turbulence on the ground
Houston Chronicle - Bataineh says he was flying to Atlanta for a new truck-driving job. He says the shoes had not been “gutted out,” but that he simply had removed the insoles because the shoes were old and worn. He added that he told the screeners he had taped the

Charges against Delhi truck driver dropped
Daily Star - She originally told deputies her name was Katina Shaddix and that she was 24. Jones said he plans to try to get his truck-driving job back. His truck still is in Laurens County, where he was arrested. If his boss agrees, he planned to drive the truck

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On their own
Baltimore Business Journal - he hopes the companies will have a national presence in the next three to five years. Immediate goals included growing the trucking fleet to 25 trucks at TAS and adding 10 brokers to sell merchandise for the Asset Store and coordinate trucking jobs

E3 Biofuels developing plans for ethanol plant
Farm And Ranch Guide - Schook said that with service and trucking jobs, the plant could total 125 to 150 new jobs in the area. We’re looking for a growth spurt, he said. We’re looking at a need for housing and some of that is getting ready to start up. He said

America’s roads may be just as vulnerable as its skies
Christian Science Monitor - Trucking jobs are hard to fill, and schools are always needing to supply the industry with new drivers. Once people know how to drive, hijacking a shipment of hazardous materials would not be difficult, particularly considering the coordination and

‘Biomass’ Plant Eyed For Robbins
pilot.com - There are a lot of jobs there — and trucking jobs created hauling litter to plant and fertilizer ash away. It’s a stable source of green power. Seems like a win-win situation. I know it is more expensive than nuclear power — it is not totally

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If I Won the Lottery, I Wouldn’t Have to Job Search!
Let’s take a look at how many people win lotteries in a year’s time. We all know the numbers are small.

But what if you won a lottery with oodles of money at your disposal. What would you do?

Whatever the reasons for using lottery money, these are t …
Author: Marilyn Tellez
Click here to read the rest of this article

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Network, Network, Network!

Over on Career Hub, Deb Dib points to a recent Execunet newsletter to highlight the importance of networking.

According to the survey of 1,483 professionals with an average salary of $193,000, the top three sources for job interviews include: Networking contacts (46%); Internet job listings (24%); and Unsolicited contact from a recruiter (5%).

Most job seekers spend much more time on applying to Internet job postings and sending resumes to recruiters, than they do on builing and maintaining a network. Don’t be one of them!

Sweeping for Executive Jobs

Over on Career Hub, Billie Sucher points to Job Seeker, a new tool to allow executives to quickly search all $100K+ jobs. The tool was created by Six Figure Jobs, but claims to search all sources. Check it out and see how well it works.

Being Nice Pays Off

At least according to this Newsweek article. It doesn’t surprise me that the idea is being promoted by two women.

At first women wanting to rise through the ranks of corporations were forced to fit in with the guys - be tough and competitive and work twice as hard just to prove that we could cut it. But as we’ve become more established, we’ve started to assert ourselves. In all spheres of our lives, women have always succeeded by helping out other people and asking for help when we needed it. In other words, being nice to each other. Now we’re bringing it into the workplace. I think that’s really cool.

Why you’re not finding a Job

Over at the excellent Guerilla Marketing blog, David Perry wrote an excellent post about the reasons people struggle to find a job.

What I love about David’s blog is that he focuses on ways you can take charge of your job search and your career. Too often the process of job search can make you feel like a victim - don’t let it! If you’re not finding a job, chances are you’re not doing everything possible. Read the post and make a list of changes you can make starting today.

Good luck!

Are you Authentic?

I bought a loaf of bread yesterday. I wanted something healthy. Something without high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives and something with real whole grains. I finally settled on a loaf wrapped in brown paper. The packaging was designed to say ‘earthy’ and ‘healthy’ and ‘organic.’ That brown paper made me feel good about my choice because it looked as though it would be better for the environment than the plastic wrappers on the other loaves.

But when I opened the brown paper wrapping this morning, I found more wrapping inside and this inner wrap was made of the same clear plastic as all the other loaves on the shelf. That plastic wrapper showed the brown paper up for the fake that it is. The bread company isn’t trying to protect the enviornment - they’re just trying to make me think they are.

What does this have to do with looking for a job? Authenticity matters! If you make a claim on your resume or in your cover letter, you have to be able to back it up in interviews. Make sure your packaging matches the product. If it doesn’t, interviewers will feel the same way I did about that loaf of bread - deceived and irritated.

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Acing The Interview: The Positive Approach To Tough Questions
The most commonly-asked interview questions can make or break a job interview in an instant. It is important that job candidates practice these responses until they are able to handle all the questions, along with suggested approaches for answers, effectively.

Push on to bring in semi-skilled workers
it is negotiating with the Australian Trucking Association over a proposal to bring qualified heavy truck drivers and diesel mechanics to Australia on a temporary basis. They would

Even More Proper Questions To Ask In An Interview
This is the final installment on the subject of proper questions in an interview. Also covered is the right responses a prospective employee should give to specific questions.

Career Advice for the Undecided
If you are one of the many millions of people trying to determine what their passion is in life then you will want to read this article. All of us the ability to live our passion and not just work in our job, but the question is are we really willing take hold of it?

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Why you’re not finding a Job

Over at the excellent Guerilla Marketing blog, David Perry wrote an excellent post about the reasons people struggle to find a job.

What I love about David’s blog is that he focuses on ways you can take charge of your job search and your career. Too often the process of job search can make you feel like a victim - don’t let it! If you’re not finding a job, chances are you’re not doing everything possible. Read the post and make a list of changes you can make starting today.

Good luck!

Sweeping for Executive Jobs

Over on Career Hub, Billie Sucher points to Job Seeker, a new tool to allow executives to quickly search all $100K+ jobs. The tool was created by Six Figure Jobs, but claims to search all sources. Check it out and see how well it works.

Are you Authentic?

I bought a loaf of bread yesterday. I wanted something healthy. Something without high-fructose corn syrup or preservatives and something with real whole grains. I finally settled on a loaf wrapped in brown paper. The packaging was designed to say ‘earthy’ and ‘healthy’ and ‘organic.’ That brown paper made me feel good about my choice because it looked as though it would be better for the environment than the plastic wrappers on the other loaves.

But when I opened the brown paper wrapping this morning, I found more wrapping inside and this inner wrap was made of the same clear plastic as all the other loaves on the shelf. That plastic wrapper showed the brown paper up for the fake that it is. The bread company isn’t trying to protect the enviornment - they’re just trying to make me think they are.

What does this have to do with looking for a job? Authenticity matters! If you make a claim on your resume or in your cover letter, you have to be able to back it up in interviews. Make sure your packaging matches the product. If it doesn’t, interviewers will feel the same way I did about that loaf of bread - deceived and irritated.

Accident or Design?

Billie Sucher asks an interesting question over on Career Hub. Did your career happen by accident or by design?

In my case, I left college with no idea what I wanted to do. My love of music led me to an entry-level job in a record store, the company promoted me into HR, I did well, and eventually I parlayed that experience into helping people find jobs and started Blue Sky Resumes. Perhaps none of this would have happened if I had loved shoes instead of rock music!

Why Mary Got the Job
Susan Heathfield, About.com’s Human Resources Guide, has an article that everyone who didn’t get the job (and that’s happened to most of us somewhere along the way) should read….

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