Trucking: general, california trucking association, american trucking association

Question
i'm looking to buy a company which has four trucks for long haul in the western usa, but have no prior experience. where can i get info on regulations for drivers and trucks, as well as any other insight you might have on this type of business. also, i will not be driving.

thanks-jim  

Answer
Jim,

There are many sources for information on trucking and regulations.  Here are a few that I believe may be helpful to you.  

American Trucking Association
www.ata.org
Their website has numerous links to trucking facts, links to more specific sources for operational and regulatory information, and also links to the state level regulatory agencies' web sites. For instance, if you bought a company in California, www.caltrux.org (California Trucking Association's web site) would be a good place to look for some basic information on trucking in California. Once you choose a state to operate from, it will be easier to narrow down the rules, regs, and requirements from the state level. The federal rules always apply, regardless of state.

J.J. Keller
www.jjkeller.com
This company is a retailer of manuals and educational materials that relate to all facets of trucking operation and regulation.  Their web site is a must for perusal. I would recommend a couple of publications to initiate you to trucking and its requirements:  "Profitable Trucking", "Driver recruiting & retention".  These will be good starting points.

Now a word about truck drivers.  Management of a trucking company is complex, to say the least. Driver management is a healthy contributor to this complexity.  There are many aspects to this part of the company, including:
Recruiting and retaining qualified drivers
Opening and maintaining driver qualification files
Driver safety and security training
Accident prevention, management, recording
Hours of Service regulations
Alcohol and drug testing rules
Driver Hours of Service log auditing
Driver payment methods and reimbursement tequniques
and on and on...

Again there are many resources for information on these topics through JJ Keller and through the various trucking organizations.  It may be very worth while to consider hiring some experienced help to get you started.

Hope this helps get you started.  As you have specific questions, drop me another line, and I'll do my best to help out.  

Good luck.