These are the major headlines in trucking, as of December 4:

• FMCSA improves ELD review
• Truck orders continue to plummet
• FCMSA removes 3,000 CDL training providers
• Minnesota’s non-domiciled CDLs are in FMCSA’s crosshairs
• 10 Roads Express is shutting down
• Diesel prices dropped 7 cents

When it comes to adding veterans to your fleet or shop, there are plenty of benefits you stand to gain. After all, many veterans bring both hard and soft skills to the table, from technical training to leadership, dedication, and reliability.

For instance, Suzanne Varghese, a gas turbine engine mechanic and maintenance supervisor for the U.S. Navy has parlayed her skills to the civilian world with Ryder as a recruiter. In this episode of The Fleet Lead, listen to Fleet Maintenance's Editor-in-Chief John Hitch, a former submarine sonar technician, discuss vet hiring best practices with Varghese.

And along with commercial vehicle maintenance, this is one area Ryder excels at. Ryder has more than 4,000 veterans on staff and is routinely recognized as a top employer for vets. Since 2011, Ryder has hired more than 15,000 veterans.

Chapters:

1:29 - Varghese's role with Ryder

4:25 - Life as a Navy technician

11:50 - Where and how to recruit veterans

13:42 - How to interview a veteran

17:44 - Veterans' soft skills

Hendrickson is a manufacturer and supplier of medium- and heavy-duty suspensions, axle and brake systems, tire pressure control systems, and other products to the global commercial transportation industry.

In this episode of the Fleet Lead Hendrickson’s VP of marketing, Jeff Sass, talks about the company’s ‘Beyond Suspensions’ strategy, American manufacturing, an aftermarket myth, and beyond.

Timestamps:

• 01:06 - American manufacturing is critical
• 03:02 - Investing for the rebound
• 05:09 - What would Magnus think, 100 years on?
• 06:08 - A trailer is more than a box on wheels
• 08:09 - Tariffs: Who pays?
• 12:29 - Down markets are opportunities
• 13:58 - Myth: Aftermarket grows when new CV sales are down
• 15:07- Crystal ball: The growing importance of CV equipment