Reading Between the Lines

If you’ve ever wanted to see your name in print, this may be your chance…

Even as I pen this post, I am heroically engaged in wrestling to the mat by deadline a feature article somewhat grandiloquently titled “Rethinking the Shop” that will run as the cover story of our March print edition.

As it happens, once word of this pending piece got out to trucking’s vast supplier community, I was deluged with offers of information and insights from folks marketing everything from shop software to shop equipment. All good, yes, indeed, as have been the referrals to various state-of-the-art shop operations I received from those contacts or chased down on on my own.

But since you can never have too many good ideas, I am welcoming– OK, seeking– any thoughts on what fleets should do to get the most out of their maintenance shop operations.



Got ideas? Get ‘em printed in FleetOwner…

I am particularly interested in ideas offered up by the truck fleet managers and fleet owners reading this as they make up the primary readership of FleetOwner, the Magazine.

So what do you think today’s shop is all about? Is it saving time and motion? Is it the size of bays and the brightness of the lights? How about service pits or lifts–or maybe both? What about software and how much access should techs have to computers? And what about parts? Etc. Etc. Ect.?

You can send me your thoughts on all this via the nifty comment box below this post or if you prefer not to have everyone reading your words before the magazine comes out, send them in an email to: dcullen@fleetowner.com.

To be quoted in the article, you must include your name, company name, your title, and the city/state where your company is based.

I thank everyone in advance for playing, but alas must close with this disclaimer: Submissions will be used based on whether they are any good (per yours truly) and if space–rather limited in the real world of ink on paper!– is permitting.

It warmed the cockles of me heart to see the smiling faces of President Obama, the Democratic leaders of the House AND the House minority leader, too, all in a row accompanying this front-page story posted by The New York Times online.

The gist of the bylined piece by Peter Baker is that the President and Capitol Hill leaders from both sides of the aisle have pushed forward with “plans to pass a bipartisan economic recovery plan by mid-February, predicting that they would be able to settle their differences over the size and nature of the package.”

And that is good news for all of us as it is very clear the engines of our powerful economy are just never going to kick back into high gear until our leaders in Washington can get the expected $825 billion-or-so stimulus package passed.

“It appears that we are on target to make our President’s Day weekend,” said Mr. Obama, referring to the goal of passing the legislation by the next Congressional recess. He said that while “there are still some differences around the table,” everyone agreed “that we are experiencing an unprecedented, perhaps, economic crisis that has to be dealt with and dealt with rapidly,” reported Baker.

The story went on to relate that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters “we’re on schedule for our timetable” and Republican Senate minority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) agreed, saying “I do think we’ll be able to meet the president’s deadline.”

I for one hope they all keep their obviously bipartisan effort of the moment up and make something happen we can all benefit from. And maybe even feel good about. And maybe even real soon.

“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them– that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.”

–President Barack Obama, Inaugural Speech, January 20, 2009

Amen to that, Mr. President! If our new Chief Executive and Commander in Chief does nothing more during his time in the Oval Offcie than slay the beast I have not-at-all-fondly dubbed “Hyper-Partisanship,” he will go down in history as more than the first African-American president of these United States. And the sad truth is that fire-breathing demon must die a quick and merciless death before Barack Obama can hope to meet the myriad of challenges that so many Americans voted to put him in the White House to tackle.

The signs the beast may already be on its last legs are certainy out there. Just read some of the news reports on how closely Obama conferred with his vanquished but honorable foe, the bona fide American war hero and political icon John McCain, on who he should appoint to his Adminstration’s top posts. And let’s tip our eyeshade to President George W. Bush, too, who by all accounts fostered perhaps the most orderly and non-partisan Presidential transition in U.S. history.



Barack Obama, 44th President of the U.S.

Our young President– the first one younger than yours truly, no less–has plenty of tough sledding ahead of him, what with a sinking economy to right, a worldwide terrorism threat to keep thwarting, and two foreign wars to prosecute not to mention other pressing agenda items like energy security, global warming and nuclear profliferation.

The only way he will make it down any of the hills before him– and up the next one and so on– will be with the American people and their elected representatives pulling for him. And the only way to ensure that will happen is for him to keep campaigning for everyone’s support in the most non-partisan manner possible.

Partisanship of course won’t go away. Nor should it. It is the lifeblood of the unique two-party political system that emerged early on in our history and has served this nation remarkably well. What should go away— far away to whence it will never return–is the unbending, nasty-to-the-point-of-criminal form of partisanship that has infected too much of our body politic for too long.

So, I say to all my fellow Americans out there, be partisan or become partisan for that matter. Do so by stating your point of view and standing up for it by supporting officeholders who agree with you and working to convince other politicians to share your point of view.

Just remember, there is no rhyme or reason for being hyper-partisan. As a fellow American, the man or woman who disagrees with you has every right to and, what’s more, one fine day you may need his or her vote on something that matters the world to you…