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8 Commercial Carrier Journal August 2008 Jeff Mason is VP/Group Publisher, Randall-Reilly Publishing. e-mail jmason@rrpub.com. Sailing the stormy seas CCJ's Fleet Forum can help you stay afloat By Jeff Mason August 2008 Vol. 165 No. 8 Editorial/Production Staff editorial Director Avery Vise senior editor Aaron Huff Managing editor, CCJ Daily Report editor, Dean Smallwood senior associate editor John Baxter Contributing editors Carolyn Mason, Henry Seaton art Director Matt Watson Graphic Designers Brad Kelley Quality assurance Timothy Smith Group Production Mgr Mary Springer advertising Production Mgr Diane Klischer Business Staff Vice President/Group Publisher Jeff Mason Publisher Stacy McCants account executives Tim Burke, Jon Espey, Geoffrey Love, Matt McGuire, Jason Rhoads, Tommy Smith, Billy Vines, Butch Worley Research/Marketing Bonnie Gable, Ginger Love Controller Terry Browning Marketing associate Amber Hinton Circulation Julie Puckett, Ron Moyer eTrucker.com Rob Hoffman Chairman, President/Ceo Mike Reilly Coo/VP David Wright Cfo/Treasurer Shane Elmore senior Vice President, Marketing & Production Brent Reilly Vice President, editorial Linda Longton art/Production Director Tony Brock 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 (800) 633-5953 / Editorial Fax (205) 750-8070 Sales Fax (205) 248-1021 Online: www.ccjmagazine.com Editorial Awards In perspective C annual Fleet Forum, taking place on Aug.21 in Dallas at the Great American Trucking Show, is aptly titled Steering Past Obstacles to Success. That title is a more measured one than some of the other proposed titles, such as Running for Your Life in the Coming Economic Meltdown or Bailing Out of the Catastrophic Disaster. I prefer the visual of a captain steering a ship through a course of buoys, reefs and sudden storms. They say that calm seas do not make a competent sailor. If so, we should all have a good pair of sea legs by now. But every captain man-ages his crew a little differently, so all benefit by sharing insights, exchanging tactics and tapping into the combined success stories of industry experts. That's one reason industry conferences are so valuable and why we've put together a top-notch Fleet Forum to address pressing con-cerns. Topics include: Fuel-saving tactics Savvy fleet owners will share strategies for minimizing fuel costs, such as reducing idling, limiting empty and out-of-route miles, and so on. Avoiding legal pitfalls with employees As the trucking industry becomes more diverse in gender, race, religious beliefs, physical capabilities and so on, employers bear a grow-ing risk from how they interact with job applicants and employees. Attorney Eddie Wayland will discuss many of these pitfalls in an informative and entertaining way. The tightening grip on safety and compliance The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is becoming more aggressive in using information technology to monitor the safety and compliance of motor carriers. A panel of carrier officials and industry observers will discuss what's happening today and what the future holds. Managing crash risk after the fact Despite your best safety efforts, crashes hap-pen. While it's important to take steps before accidents happen and on the scene immediately after crashes to contain the legal damage, some of the most damag-ing actions follow months later. Attorney Mike Bassett discusses various issues in defending litigation, including the ins and outs of depositions. The Fleet Forum is sponsored by the Texas Motor Transportation Association, Peterbilt, Shell, Cummins, the Midnight Trucking Radio Network and Bridgestone. While you're there, join us Aug. 21-23 at the Dallas Convention Center for GATS, where there's plenty of gorgeous show trucks, new products and services, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. n (ISSN 1533-7502) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Single copy price U.S., $6; Canada/Mexico, $9; Foreign, $12. Subscription rates, payable in U.S. dollars, $48 per year (in Canada $78 U.S. currency). For subscriptions, call (800) 517-4979 in the U.S., or (847) 763-9610 outside the U.S. Periodicals Postage-Paid at Tuscaloosa, AL, and at additional mailing offices. Send address corrections to P.O. Box 2186, Skokie, IL 60076-9919. Unsolicited letters, manuscripts, stories, materials or photographs cannot be returned except where the sender provides a postage-paid, addressed, stamped envelope. Address all mail to Commercial Editorial Dept., P.O. Box 3187, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403. All advertis-ers for are accepted and published by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC on the representation that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or pub-licity, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark, infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Copyright 2008, Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. is a registered trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC. Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein. The best boaters know how to handle rough waters.