Articles

Mentorship Programs Help Truck Drivers Adjust to Daily Life

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] The accomplishment of earning a commercial driver license and the thrill of diving into the trucking lifestyle often give professional drivers the momentum they need to start their new career path. However, there are plenty of bumps and detours along the way. Learning to drive a truck and being a truck driver are two sides of the same coin, but they are not equivalent. That is why many trucking companies offer mentorship programs

In the Marketplace: Q&A Hospitality Services’ Emille Aboona

Two guys, two laptops and a coffee shop marked the humble beginnings of Q&A Hospitality, a hotel construction and design company headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Both Emille Aboona and his partner, Ken Qualtier, were seasoned veterans with extensive hospitality backgrounds, having worked in operations, purchasing, project management, sales and interior design; together the two had accumulated almost 80 years of industry experience. In 2014, they decided to go into business for themselve

From seed to store: How an agribusiness became a shopping destination

When Banny Oakes started a produce stand in South Florida in the 1930s, he likely could not have foreseen that his no-frills business would grow into the largest independently owned agribusiness in the region. Under the management of his son Frank and grandson Alfie, Oakes Farms grew exponentially. Today, Oakes Farms has approximately 3,000 acres of farmland under production, with central operations in Collier County in Southwest Florida, growing 70 types of fruits and vegetables; it also main

Raising the bar: Some hotel gyms go the extra mile

No one expects to see an almost 164-foot-tall climbing wall hugging the outside of a 16-story hotel in Nevada, but the wall, which has a Guinness World record designation as the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall, attracts year-round visitors to the independently owned Whitney Peak Hotel in Reno. The hotel also offers BaseCamp, a 7,000-square-foot indoor bouldering gym that guests—and locals—use to challenge their climbing skills. “We’re a non-gaming, non-smoking hotel. People thought th

Industry Takes Fresh Look at Reverse Logistics

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Reverse logistics — the management and movement of returned goods — is one of the most significant systems in the economy, as it affects people and businesses in myriad ways, for example, post-holiday season when a high volume of gift returns are common. However, the returns journey, from purchase to receipt, is a complicated process. Tony Sciarrotta, Reverse Logistics Association executive director, said the transportation aspect

Construction-Themed Amusement Park Aims to Inspire Kids to Join the Industry | Built

Making construction appealing to the next generation is critical to helping the industry overcome a significant worker shortage. It’s also the central idea behind Diggerland, USA, the nation’s first full-fledged construction-themed amusement park and waterpark in West Berlin, New Jersey. Diggerland features real-life construction equipment that has been made safe for children and adults to operate and explore. The rides are designed specifically for the park, with safety features that make it a

Winterization Process Requires Preparation, Training

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] ’Tis the season to be careful out there. From treacherous road conditions to freezing temperatures, even the most conscientious of drivers need to exert caution on the roads during the winter. There are plenty of steps that both fleets and drivers should take in order to maximize safety. Perhaps the most important is to not wait until winter is already here but to start thinking about winter at least a month or two before the wea

Fleets Turn to Military Veterans to Fill Technician Roles

[Find the latest in equipment & maintenance: Explore this quarter's issue of Calibrate] Investing in veterans to fulfill the much-needed job duties of commercial technicians has been a concentrated goal for some fleets. Like the driver shortage, which continues to plague the trucking industry, a lack of qualified diesel technicians is another unfortunate reality in part due to the retiring generation of baby boomers and a decline in trade school attendance. According to the latest Census data,

Go Inside This Historic Pittsburgh Building’s Adaptive Reuse Project | Built

The 10,000-square-foot structure that Kingfly Spirits occupies in a historic district area near downtown Pittsburgh has been reincarnated multiple times in its 125-year lifespan, but it took an architectural mastermind gifted in adaptive reuse to transform it to its present state as a craft distillery. Originally a horse stable circa 1907 on land owned by Mary Schenley, one of the preeminent benefactors in Pittsburgh history, the building also served as a machine shop, taxi depot and home décor

Dealers and Brokers Adjust to a New Normal After Record-Breaking Boat Sales

When the pandemic caught the world by surprise, many Americans decided to take refuge on the water, leading to a surge in boat sales. In fact, 2020 and 2021 yielded 800,000 first-time boat buyers. That was good news for the industry as a whole, from boating manufacturers to retailers to marinas, as the recreational boating industry supports more than 690,000 jobs, according to the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association. But a boating market report by Boats Group, issued in February, reported

Eco-friendly, sustainable gifts take center stage

Reduce, reuse, recycle are at the heart of sustainable and eco-friendly trends Sustainability is not just a moment; it’s a movement. Both consumers and brands place value on products that are environmentally friendly and sustainably sourced, and the gift industry is no exception. Green gifting benefits both the giver and the recipient and sends a double message: I care about both you and the environment. And when a gift has a backstory or started life as a different product, that can spark int

Back-Office Job Demand Remains Steady at Fleets

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] With a lingering labor shortage affecting drivers for several years, fleets are finding that there’s a steady growth of job demand for operational support roles usually known as back-office jobs. While truck drivers are critical to motor carrier companies, nothing can run efficiently without the employees behind the scenes keeping operations flowing smoothly — dispatchers, dockworkers, platform supervisors and the like. In additio

The Communications of Change - Engage with CMU - Carnegie Mellon University

April 11, 2023 Carnegie Mellon University alumna Sweta Chakraborty would like to talk to the world about climate change. So she appears on major national networks. She gives TEDx Talks; speaks at climate conferences; teams up with celebrities like Nicolaj Coster-Waldeu of “Game of Thrones” fame and hosts events like a “Don’t Choose Extinction” panel discussion at South by Southwest. In June, she’s slated to attend World Environment Day 2023 sponsored by the United Nations. A climate behavioral s

Skin Checkups Important Part of Overall Wellness

When scheduling your doctor visits for the year, you might not think of seeing a dermatologist for a skin checkup, but healthy skin matters and is an important component in overall wellness. “We do recommend skin cancer screening evaluations, also known as a full body skin check,” said Morgan McGuigan, PA-C with UPMC Dermatology-North Hills. The frequency can vary among patients, but those with a history of skin cancer should be seen in a dermatologist’s office more often. Dr. Charles Mount wi

Drivers Become Social Media Influencers

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] From encouraging women to enter the trucking industry to sharing a glimpse of her life on the road, Clarissa Rankin has leveraged the power of social media to promote the truck driving profession. The upbeat driver is all about positivity and has accumulated 1.8 million followers on TikTok (@clarissarankin). She even caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson, who invited Rankin on her daytime talk show. Rankin — who has been driving

Swartz Center Gives Diverse Selection of CMU Grad Students Pathways to Entrepreneurship - News - Carnegie Mellon University

Swartz Center Gives Diverse Selection of CMU Grad Students Pathways to Entrepreneurship Before he began his graduate work at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Adam Knapp, an active-duty U.S. Army engineer officer, could be found jumping from airplanes — along with heavy equipment — to fix runways in his role performing airborne construction operations. At CMU, he is on firmer ground as a James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellow, one of 12 members

A Passion for Advocacy - Engage with CMU - Carnegie Mellon University

March 02, 2023 Working to change the status quo for marginalized people has always been a goal for Carnegie Mellon University alumna Mahima Arya. And now as potentially the only Tartan in history to be awarded the Copenhagen Fellowship by international nonprofit Humanity in Action, she’s doing just that. “Humanity in Action’s focus is providing young people with human rights education and offering them guidance as they pursue civic engagement projects to advance social justice,” says Mahima, who

All Signs Pointed to CMU - Engage with CMU - Carnegie Mellon University

February 06, 2023 Alumnus Will Johnson creates fintech buzz and increases representation in the business world Growing up in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University alumnus Will Johnson was aware of the university’s global reputation and had Tepper School of Business’s top-notch MBA program on his radar. But it wasn’t until he was studying for his undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship at Hampton University, a historically Black institution, in Virginia that he knew for sure his future was Tart
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