SCAM ALERT: To All YouTube Truckers

As I have been browsing the internet looking for new trucking videos, I have been running into a new scam that I thought all of you should know about. Most of the readers of this blog know that there is a current oil boom in North Dakota. Shale oil is being produced at a rate ten times that of previous years. Due to this boom, thousands of people are pouring into the state in search of work.

And as with all things business-related, there are trucks involved and jobs for truckers. By now, you are probably thinking: so where is the scam? Here is the problem. A number of YouTube channels have been set up from a variety of countries, each with the same purpose. That purpose is to promote some website that claims to have North Dakota oil jobs or North Dakota trucking jobs. As to the validity of the job boards themselves, I have no information; however, I would not click on the links. They could always be viruses or phishing attempts.

Anyway, back to the scam. So on these YouTube channels, the operators of the channels are posting hordes of pirated videos, many of which are from popular YouTube trucking channels. I know personally that some of Jerry Ott's videos from Big Rig Talk and Matt Lynch's videos from 1776 Filmz have been placed on these channels.

I am constantly on the lookout for these channels, so if you get a YouTube message from TheJEF26 or a Twitter DM or tweet from TheRoadRunner2k, this is not spam. I am working to thwart this problem one channel at a time.

If you get such a message from me, go to the bottom of the pirating channel's YouTube homepage and click the report button. You can flag them for violating your copyright, and these channels should be shut down. My whole goal with this post is to inform you as truck drivers with YouTube channels that your videos may be being pirated by YouTube scammers.

Keep the shiny side up, and we'll see you down the road.

Trucking News: The Week in Review

In case, you missed some of the biggest stories in trucking for last week, here they are in a brief summary.

American Trucking Association Thanks FMCSA for Safety Programs

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/blog/morning_call/2012/08/trucking-association-praises.html

Trucking Industry Growing at a Slow Pace

http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=30062&t=Economy-Trucking-Show-Gradual-Growth-Fed-%E2%80%98Beige-Book-Report-Says

Whistleblower at Trucking Firm Given His Job Back

http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=24105

Truckers Heading for Better Health

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120827/BUSINESS13/308270028/Truckers-hit-road-health?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Business|p

Truckers Doing Good Work with Waived HOS Regs in Drought Regions

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/27/4761623/tireless-truckers-speeding-up.html

National Trucking Week in British Columbia

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77868


85 Years of Trucking for Hermann Services

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77876

Weight Loss Showdown for Truckers

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77853

New Software for Rand McNally Trucker GPS

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77840

Anti-EOBR Campaign Gains New Support

http://www.todaystrucking.com/truckers-guild-starts-anti-eobr-campaign

Increases in Fuel Prices

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77852

Navistar Fined for Non-Compliant Engines, CEO Leaves

http://www.todaystrucking.com/final-epa-rule-sees-navistars-engine-fines-doubled

http://www.todaystrucking.com/navistars-ustian-retires-interim-ceo-brought-in

Kenworth Improves Medium-Duty Cabovers

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77842

For more news on trucking, follow the RoadRunner 2k on Twitter. News is posted at the end of each week for the time being.

Six-By-Two: Would You Drive One?

With the increased push to get better and better fuel mileage, trucking companies and truck manufacturers are turning to radical ideas. From simple solutions such as full-length chassis and trailer skirts, roof airfoils, and air dams to more radical solutions such as trailer tails, super-single drive and trailer tires, hybrid engines, and fully automatic transmissions, trucking firms and truck manufacturers are seeking the best methods to cut fuel economy without reducing the truck's capability to haul freight.

On the other hand, to achieve revolutionary fuel mileage of 10 mpg and above, companies have to attempt even more extreme solutions. One of these solutions, which is being marketed by Freightliner in their new Cascadia Evolution truck, is the six-by-two axle configuration.

Freightliner Cascadia Evolution

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Instead of having eight powered wheels, these trucks only have four. Typically outfitted with a rear drive axle and a pusher mounted in front of it, a six-by-two truck requires less engine horsepower to push along its single powered axle. But as with other solutions, the question is: Would you as a professional driver operate one with confidence?

In truth, six-by-two configurations are quite common in Europe, but conditions in this part of the world are quite different. Hills are steeper, snows are deeper, and loads--particularly in Canada--are much heavier. Only time will tell if the six-by-two is worthy of the challenges that North America's roads present.

MAN 6x2 Tractor

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 Scania 6x2 Tractor

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Post your responses in the comment box below, and tell me if you think this is an excellent idea or a terrible one.