CLICK THE COVER
TO
VIEW THE DIGITAL VERSION!
|
|
Blog It
|
|
February 2009
|
|
by John Egan
|
|
Category: Featured
|
|
|
| |
|
Who would you want to learn new trucking tips from, a desk-bound "expert" who hasn't been on the road in years (if ever), or a fellow OTR trucker facing the same problems and pleasures you face? Maybe you're looking for spiritual kinship on the road, people who think and believe the way you do. Would you appreciate up-to-date information on road closures and construction zones from drivers who understand driving an 18-wheeler? What about the hottest new music or where to find the best truck stops? Maybe you're interested in healthy eating, photography, the latest movies or the meaning of life. It sounds like a tall order to fill, but you can find all this and more online from drivers just like you. All you have to do is click on a trucker's blog.The term "blog" is a shortening of "Web log" and can be loosely defined as "a journal kept on the Internet," according to aprompt.co.uk. The Sussex Learning Network describes a blog as "a Web site where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order," meaning that the most recent entry is seen first.Blogging first appeared in the mid-1990s in the form of online journals with esoteric names like "sCary's Quakeholio" and "Blues News." The idea of written thoughts and ideas published online grew quickly even though it seemed counterintuitive since cellular telephones made instant communication anytime, anywhere available. But the written word offers permanence, a record that can be read by all. A cell phone cannot offer that kind of permanence. Add photographs, music or videos as a part of the blog and suddenly any subject under the sun can become interesting reading, viewing and listening for anyone.Truckers live a perfect life for blogging. Roaming our highways month after month, day in and day out, witnessing firsthand North America's stories, the good, bad and ugly, trucker bloggers tell the story of this country's ever-changing landscape and character.Often truckers are on the road with limited contact with family, experiencing adventures or seeing sights that are not seen by the public at large but that are worth sharing with the world. Trucker bloggers also offer their experiences and tips for safer and more successful trucking. Some trucker blogs give ideas on how to get exercise and maintain a healthy diet, while others post their photos and share their views of life, their hobbies, their passions and beliefs and more. This adds up to the perfect recipe for an exciting blog.Another interesting aspect of blogging is that the blogger, the person writing the blog, can receive comments from his or her readers posted to the blog for all to read, resulting in an ever-expanding story. Once viewed, the reader can type a comment, register an opinion or correct a mistake.Both men and women share their experiences on the road. Here's a small sampling of current trucker bloggers currently on the Internet:Trucking Scenery at www.truckscenes.blogspot.com offers an archive of scenic views from one blogger, who shares "Photos of the nation's scenes on the big road; places, people and all manner of things. Here are the views I see on the nation's highways and around my home." From photos of a big catch of the day to beautiful landscape shots and early morning sunrises, the blogger captures nature at its best. If you are someone who shares in this love for the great outdoors or photography, this is one blog you should check out.Gypsy Trucker at www.gypsytrucker.blogspot.com is a newspaper reporter-turned-trucker. Gypsy quit the newspaper business to follow her dream of having adventure in her life before settling down. Her writing and photography background lends style and interest to her blog. Currently completing her truck training, Gypsy's blog illustrates the fun, fear and frustration of learning to be a big-rig trucker as she and her trainer drive cross-country. Gypsy is from Stockton, Calif., and refers to herself as an "Internet generation kid" who writes blogs on a variety of subjects. "I end up writing a blog on anything I get interested in," she says. Besides using her blog to tell people of her experiences on the road, Gypsy hopes one day to write a book about her life as a trucker.Gi-Gi Roxx at www.gigiroxx.blogspot.com is from West Virginia. She calls herself an "Over the Road Adventuress" and claims she's "just a girl with a laptop and the desire to blog about my life on the road." She tells of her experiences as a trucker and her life as she drives cross-country. Roxx's blog has a buoyant and upbeat feel about it as if she is having a heck of a good time. Her blog is peppered with lots of pictures taken while on the road and includes some good insights and tips on truck driving.The Surfing Trucker at www.surfingtrucker.com shares videos of his travels and a rambling narrative on his thoughts about living, life on the road, family and more in his own recorded voice. Be ready for some thought-provoking comments from him as well as an interesting point of view on a host of topics, all peppered with his broad sense of humor.Lyndon Lomanovskis, a British-born trucker who travels the United States and Canada, writes regular blogs onwww.lyndon001.blogspot.com. On "Lyndons Trucking Life – Livin' the Dream" he professes his love of ABBA and cowboy hats and provides a visual demonstration of the potential hazards of talking on a cell phone while driving. Lomanovskis has been blogging since 2007.» Who Reads Blogs Anyway?A 2004 survey conducted by Blog Ads, an Internet-based advertising company specializing in advertising on blogs, found that 61 percent of blog readers are older than 30 and 75 percent make more than $45,000 per year. While there seem to be no statistics about readership of trucking blogs specifically, they are likely to attract an array of readers, male and female, young and old. Many readers are truckers themselves, comparing their own experiences on the road to those of other trucking bloggers. It's also easy to imagine a person interested in entering the world of the professional truck driver reading blogs to get a feel for what life on the road is really like. Of the many jobs and professions available to the public, few come close to the excitement and freedom of trucking. It's small wonder that trucking blogs enjoy such popularity.To find trucking blogs, go to the Internet. Enter "trucker blogs" in the browser's search-engine window and push the "enter" key. You'll be presented with a list of blogs. Click on one that catches your eye, or choose from the partial list of trucker blogs listed below.» What do you have to say for yourself?Do you have ideas you've been wanting to put out in the world, some perspective on trucking you think is unique? Or maybe you can share your experience and education on any topic from apple pie to zoology. You don't need a degree or a license, and you don't have to be the ultimate expert on any subject in order to have your own blog. After all, it's your blog. You can say anything you want.All you need is a computer with access to the Internet. With the many different kinds of laptop computers on the market these days, and the proliferation of places that are wireless-Internet-accessible, getting online is a snap.Starting your own blog is as easy as setting up an e-mail account. There are many free sites that will hold your cyber-hand through the process and in a matter of 10 minutes or so you'll be ready to share your wisdom with the world. But before you start, consider a few points:• What do you want to say?• With whom are you interested in communicating?• Do you want to include photos, music or video (all easily done)?• How much feedback do you want?» Trucker BlogsThe following is a partial list of trucker blogs you can visit anytime online. Check them out. You're bound to find something of interest to you. Although there are many different blog sites that will assist you in starting your own blog, Blogger.com is popular, as evidenced by the list below, due to its ease of use.The Daily Rantbellavenere.blogspot.comGypsy Truckergypsytrucker.blogspot.comGi-Gi Roxxgigiroxx.blogspot.comA Road Like a Riverroad-traveler.blogspot.comThe Surfing Truckersurfingtrucker.comAmerica Through the Windshieldmylifeinatruck.blogspot.comLyndons Trucking Lifelyndon001.blogspot.comTrucking Scenerytruckscenes.blogspot.comLife on the Roadgordontrucker.blogspot.comThe 18 Wheelerthe18wheeler.blogspot.comTruck Driver Blogtruckdriverblog.blogspot.comIt's your turn. If you have a topic you want to write about, a bone to pick, a place you've seen or a place you'd like to see, pictures of your spouse and family, your dog, your horse and yes, even your truck, publish it on your own blog. We'll all be looking forward to seeing it.
|
|
|
|