Category: trucking industry facts

Founder of Love’s Travel Stop Passes Away at Age 85

Posted on March 8, 2023 by - truck stop, trucking industry, trucking industry facts

When traveling down the interstate, seeing a Love’s Truck Stop isn’t an uncommon sight. With over six hundred stores in 42 states, and numerous rewards under its belt, including Corporation of the year in 1991 and the President’s Award for Service to God and Country in 1996, it’s not hard to see that it is a very successful business. The company owes its success to its founder, Tom Love who passed away on March 7, 2023, at the age of 85.

In the mid-1960s, Tom and his wife Judy leased an abandoned service station to open their first gas station which later developed into a chain of gas stations located near Oklahoma City. In an attempt to diversify his products and revenue, he got the idea to attach convenience stores to his existing gas stations. As a result, his gas stations became the first to offer grocery items and self-service gasoline in the 1970s. The first Love’s travel stop was opened in Texas in 1981, catering to both truckers and motorists alike. 

Today Love’s offers a wide array of services including roadside assistance for commercial trucks, emergency roadside vehicles, truck maintenance, parking, hot and fresh food items, shower facilities, restaurants, and even hotels at some locations. It is the largest business in its industry and is still family-owned. Tom’s love of sports also managed to get Love’s as one of the partners of his hometown’s NBA team the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Tom Love’s legacy will continue to live on in his widely popular business that continues to offer a number of convenient services for truckers and motorists alike. He contributed a lot to the trucking industry by providing truckers with places to park, take showers, purchase food, and even repair their trucks if needed. Love’s Truck Stop even goes as far as giving away millions of My Loves Rewards points during Trucker Appreciation Week for truckers to use at any Love’s location. They also hold Christmas giveaways for a number of useful items. During Christmas, they have donated to the St. Christopher Truckers Fund, a charity that helps truckers and their families when illness or injury causes them to be out of work. Even after Tom Love has passed, Love’s continues to make a positive contribution to the trucking industry helping truckers around the country.

Trucking Industry Trivia with ExpressTruckTax!

Posted on February 23, 2023 by - expresstrucktax, trucking industry, trucking industry facts

Do you think you know everything about the trucking industry? Whether you have been driving a truck for years now or just getting started, it’s time to test your knowledge about trucking. Who knows, you might learn a few facts about trucking that you didn’t know before.

Q: How long does a typical semi-truck engine last?

A: A semi-truck engine can last up to around one million miles, while a typical car engine usually only lasts around 200,000 miles.

Q: What does the word “semi” actually refer to?

A: The word “semi” actually refers to the trailer pulled by trucks. This is because it only has wheels on one end. Semi-truck refers to the truck and the trailer combined. 

Q: What is the distance it takes for a semi-truck to come to a complete stop?

A: The distance it takes for a semi-truck to come to a complete stop is around 720 feet, which equals the length of two football fields. 

Q: True or False? Semi-trucks get into fewer accidents on the road than regular cars?

A: True. Semi-trucks get into three times fewer accidents than regular noncommercial vehicles. 

Q: How long is the average truck and trailer?

A: The average truck and trailer are around 75 feet long.

Q: How much does a semi-truck cost?

A: The average semi-truck can cost anywhere between $80,000 and $200,000 depending on the brand and if you are buying it new or used.  

Q: What average speed should a truck drive to save fuel?

A: If you drive your truck at speeds of around 65 miles an hour, you will consume over twenty-five percent compared to if you were to drive around 75 miles an hour. This is good to know especially with fuel costs being high.

Q: How many miles does the average trucker travel in a year?

A: On average, a truck driver travels around 100,000 miles in a year. 

Q: True or false: Interstate highways that run East-West have even numbers and those that run North-South have odd numbers?

A: True. If an interstate has an even number (Example: I-80) it will run East-West and if it has an odd number it will run North-South (Example: I-85). 

Q: How much has emission from heavy trucks been reduced since the 1980s?

A: Emission from heavy trucks has been reduced by around 95% since the 1980s. Clean diesel technology has made it possible for around 60 modern-day trucks to put out the amount of emission equivalent to one truck in the 1980s.

How many of these questions did you know the answer to already? Even if you didn’t know many of these answers, there’s always something new to learn about the trucking industry. ExpressTruckTax is here to help drivers in the trucking industry file Form 2290 for their Heavy Vehicle Use Tax. This must be filed by drivers of trucks weighing 55,000 pounds or more annually to the IRS. Hopefully, you knew that already. If not, it is not too late to file your Form 2290 and avoid any additional penalties. What are you waiting for? File your Form 2290 today and who knows, maybe learn even more about the trucking industry from us in the future!

Clientele Spotlight: Black History Month 2023

Posted on February 3, 2023 by - Black History Month, trucking industry, trucking industry facts

Here at ExpressTruckTax, we are dedicated to helping guarantee truckers and trucking companies a simple and easy Form 2290 filing experience. We also acknowledge the amazing efforts drivers put in to keep our nation running. It is officially February, which means it is Black History Month. 

Black History Month was first suggested by Black United Students at Kent State University in 1969 and was soon adopted as a celebration around the country. In 1976 it was recognized by President Gerald Ford during the United States bicentennial, urging Americans to honor Black Americans and their accomplishments throughout history. In recent years, the trucking industry has seen steady growth in the amount of African American drivers in the industry. This means the industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive as a whole. 

As far as contributions to the transportation industry go, there have been many significant and impactful contributions made by African Americans throughout the years. One of these important figures is Garret Morgan who became known as the “Father of Transportation Technology” because of his invention of the traffic signal in 1923. 

Another important contribution to the transportation industry was made by Frederick McKinley Jones, who invented the mechanical transport refrigeration unit which is seen in today’s reefer freight haulers. He won the National Medal of Technology in 1991 for his invention. This has made it possible for trucks and train cars to transport fresh and frozen foods long distances. 

Meredith Gourdine also made an important contribution to the transportation industry with his development of an exhaust purification system in 1967. This invention is known as the catalytic converter, which helps minimize harmful emissions released into the air. 

In the mid-1970s through the 1980s, Dr. Gladys West, a famous African American mathematician programmed a 7030 Stretch computer. It was designed to map the shape of the earth and aided in the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS). 

Here at ExpressTruckTax we value and celebrate our African American clients and want to make sure they all have the best filing experience possible. We also want to take the time to highlight some of our fantastic African American clientele and business owners that have generated their 2290 or 8849 Forms with us. We want to hear about your filing experiences!

If you would like your business featured, or want to shout out an African-American-owned trucking company you love, reach out to support@expresstrucktax.com.

We will feature these businesses through a Facebook post upon your approval. 

4 Surprising Trucking Facts That You Never Knew About

Posted on November 7, 2019 by - ETT, express truck tax, fastest semi truck, truck facts, trucking industry facts

Here at Express Truck Tax, we dug up some truly surprising trucking industry facts that you need to know about.

Enjoy this list of historic world firsts in the trucking industry.

Trucking Industry Facts You’ve Never Heard

First Semi-Trucks

It is widely reported that the first semi-truck was invented in 1898 by Andrew Winton.

He used the first semi-truck to haul his automobiles and avoid putting wear and tear on them before delivery.

At this point in American history, there were no interstate systems and most roads were still unpaved dirt. In fact, in 1900, only 4% of roads were paved.

Traveling by road was much more difficult and most freight was transported by train. However, over time, trucking became the preferred method to reach rural communities that were not being served by trains.

The trucking industry truly exploded as networks of paved roads expanded and the interstate system was begun in 1956.

Fastest Semi-Trucks

The fastest semi-truck in existence is actually hard to nail down. There are many kinds of trucks competing for the title: standard diesel, electric, and one insane jet-powered trucks.

Diesel

The fastest standard diesel semi-truck we could find is Volvo’s Iron Knight. They only made one, created specifically to go as fast as possible.

But just take a look at these stats about the fastest diesel semi-truck:

– 2,400 horsepower (for reference, the Peterbilt 379 has 475 horsepower)
– 4,425 pound-feet of torque (most new Peterbilt engines have about 1,500 pound-feet)
– 500-meters (1640.42 feet) from a dead stop in 13.71 seconds
– 1,000-meters (3280.84 feet) from a dead stop in 21.29 seconds
– 171.5 mph top speed

Watch the Iron Knight outrun a sports car:

Electric

The new Tesla electric semi-truck is set to hit roads in 2020. Love it or hate it, this semi-truck is seriously fast, and it’s actually going to be available to the general public.

Check out what Tesla says about their electric semi-truck:

– 0-60 mph in 5 seconds empty
– 0-60 mph in 20 seconds with 80,000 lbs. load
– 500-mile range at gross vehicle weight and highway speed

Jet-Powered

Last is the seriously insane, jet-powered Shockwave custom Peterbilt. This semi-truck is powered by two huge jet engines that shoot massive flames and propel the truck to a top speed of nearly 400 mph.

Check out these other stats about the fastest jet-powered semi-truck:

– 36,000 horsepower
– 376 mph top speed
– A quarter-mile in 6.5 seconds (the Iron Knight did a similar distance in 13.72 seconds)

Longest Semi-Truck Loads

It’s no secret that normal Australian truckers (called truckies) run massive “road trains” with three, four, or sometimes five trailers.

Their trucks are outfitted with massive grill protectors meant to plow right through kangaroos and other animals that get in their way.

But this Guinness-World-Record-setting road train is the craziest thing we’ve ever seen.
With a single Mack truck, John Atkinson hauled 153 trailers — for about 500 feet. It’s still pretty insane though.

Most Expensive Semi-Trucks

The most expensive semi-truck is this custom Mack truck. It’s another example of a very impractical truck design.

Built for the Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of the Malaysian state of Johor who needed to drag his speedboat, this thing reportedly cost over $1 million.

Check out these over-the-top stats about the most expensive semi-truck:

– 72,000 stitches of gold thread,
– A six-camera closed-circuit TV system
– Imported leather upholstery
– Solid wood flooring
– Stone-topped counters
– XBOX and Playstation

We don’t want to know what the taxes would cost on a truck like the Sultan’s. One thing is for sure, the Sultan doesn’t have to pay HVUT and IFTA taxes. But you do.
Fortunately, Express Truck Tax is here to give you service fit for a king.