Do truckers need valets?

Welcome to the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Newsletter brought to you by Dynamic Logistix. In this issue, do truckers need valets?; FreightTech Crocs; rise of Zyn shipments; and more.

Driver, do you need a valet service to back in?

School of hard docks — Redditor unftp-0 recently posted about the dock he came across that offers a valet backing service. Seems unlikely in the macho realm of trucking that one would elect to use such a service. After all, the cut to your pride could go deep.

Veteran trucker Ed Mapes thinks this is indicative of poor CDL testing standards. He says, “No if they can not back up a truck or even any vehicle remove their drivers license. They do not belong on any road driving.”

He wasn’t the only one who saw a problem with it. Nancy Mackenzie said, “Isn’t this like a doctor needing help taking a pulse?”

Others wondered if this would violate your insurance policy. RealJohnGaltFLA tweeted, “Can’t wait to see the insurance company’s reaction to this one.”

Counterpoint — While there were some haters of this practice, a surprising number of truckers said they’ve been to docks where they’d welcome such a service.

“I did once, in the caves in Kansas but the company paid for it, I just didn’t feel like it, unhooked and went back to bed” — RebelTrucker on X

Redditor musicalmadness1 feels the frustration. He posted, “If it’s a super annoying dock I can see this. I just got in a place in Linwood, NY which was a b***h and a half on a two lane road with traffic being usual NY traffic.”

In fact, some of the best drivers I know admitted that they’ve been to at least a few docks that were designed for straight trucks where getting an angle to back in can be a massive PITA.

It isn’t just the truckers either. A number of locations have said they offered this service, as they’re aware of their own lack of parking infrastructure and making such a service available can make life easier on both sides.

New LOB — Entrepreneurs like the team at Truck N’ Hustle just see dollar signs. If it’s a service and people use it and need it, why not make a buck?

What do you all think? Does a backing valet make sense at challenging docks, or does a driver using one mean they need their CDL revoked? Sound off in my email.

One man’s Zyn spending is another man’s OTVI increase

Zynsurrection — Last week when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a crackdown on Zyn, the freight brokerage world was shook. Some even blamed Rachel Premack’s article “The Disturbing Truth Behind The Zyn Memes” for calling attention to its rising popularity.

Zyn sells oral nicotine pouches that have exploded in popularity over the past couple of years. While they may be a new concept here, snus and other Zyn-like products have been popular in Sweden for decades. Many attribute Sweden’s having the lowest smoking rates in Europe to use of the products. Now that trend is blowing up here in the States where, according to Quartr, Zyn has grown shipments from one can in 2017 to 334 million cans in 2023.

SONAR

Is it hitting? — Unfortunately, even an explosion in Zyn shipments hasn’t helped push up Outbound Tender Volumes to pandemic levels, but they are above where they were a year ago. While Zyn itself may not pull us out of a freight recesszyn, every load counts … and those Zyn shipments are adding up.

FreightTech Crocs

Jibbitz — Crocs aren’t just for super truckers anymore. The team over at project44 took a visit over to Crocs headquarters this week and got their very own p44 Jibbitz.

What are Jibbitz? They’re the little pieces of bling you can stick into the various holes on the company’s ubiquitous casual footwear. If you got kids, check their Crocs. They’re probably rocking at least a few of them.

Why’s this a big deal? — Up until now, your Jibbitz options were limited to various kid-themed IPs like Pokemon and Spider-Man. While those are cool and all, adults may feel like they won’t be taken seriously during a business meeting while wearing cartoons on their feet.

One can only hope freight logo Jibbitz become a trend. Can you imagine being able to attend a meeting in the pure comfort of Crocs while also representing your company’s insignia? This is a reality the freight community and Crocs should strive for.

P.S., if anyone from Crocs is reading this: I’d love some WTT Jibbitz.

The rest of the noise

Heartland’s tough quarters (FreightWaves)
ODFL prepares for market recovery (FreightWaves)
Ryder buys Cardinal (FreightWaves)
Tracked truck took 17 days to recover (NBC News)
Circus animals saved from truck fire (MPR News)

WTT Friday

Tracking your supply chain with satellites — This Friday on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, I’m joined by Skylo CEO and founder Parthsarathi Trivedi. Skylo is the leading direct-to-device satellite connectivity service provider, and we’ll find out how their service is bringing visibility and tracking to freight and fleets.

Does insurtech have a big liability problem? Adam Barnett, chief underwriting officer at HDVI, talks about the past year being the worst on record for liability losses. We’ll find out what this means for the future of truck insurance and your fleet.

Freightee’s is a brand new trucking apparel company. We’ll meet their founder, Jared Gilmer, to learn about why he started the business, what designs the people are buying and if the Coyote curve applies to fashion.

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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