The CDL Podcast

The CDL Podcast is an online audio show about what it is like to be a professional driver in today’s modern world. From conceptualization to implementation, I created this podcast because over the years I have come to realize how important that getting accurate and timely information to the drivers I share the road with.

Episode 08: Top 10 Phone Apps 02/24/2020

Episode 07: What3words and why 02/19/2020

Episode 07: What3words and why What is what3words? what3words is a really simple way to talk about location. We have assigned each 3m square in the world a unique 3 word address that will never change. For example, filled.count.soap marks the exact entrance to what3words’ London headquarters. 3 word addresses are easy to say and share, and are as accurate as GPS coordinates. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why you should use a 3 word address for package deliveries to your home. Why you should have a 3 word address for your business. Why you should use a 3 word address while at a sporting event. Why you should have the What3words app on your phone “If you're ordering a pizza to your home, if you're getting a package delivered from something you've bought online, if you want to get a taxi to somewhere ; we want you to be able to put in a three-word address just as if you were putting in something else, but knowing that it's far more accurate and far easier, and just works wherever you are in the world” – Chris Sheldrick Additional resources: Apps: : : : : : : : : : How to contact Tim at The CDL Podcast: Email: Facebook: Instagram: iTunes: RSS Feed: Soundcloud: Spotify: Twitter: YouTube: Website: Phone/text: US 260-225-3016 Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please help spread the word about our show and thank you for listening. The CDL Podcast - Educating and Entertaining you, one mile at a time…. With what3words, Chris Sheldrick and his team have divided the entire planet into three-meter squares and assigned each a unique, three-word identifier, like insisting.cycle.minutes, which will take you right to the main door (at the time this podcast was published) or provider.enjoyed.plot which will take you right to the scale house door at Real Alloy in Wabash, Indiana, giving a precise address to the billions of people worldwide who don't have one. Examples of where this is beneficial: Truck drivers – pinpoints exact docks and delivers locations. Emergency services, when they are trying to find a location where they need to get to a farmer who had a heart attack in a hayfield in 1000 acres. When you take your family to a football or baseball game, marking where you parked your car can save time if you need to call AAA to jumpstart your car. When you’re at a rest stop or truck stop and you order a pizza, they can deliver it directly to you. Search engine integration: My favorite search engine is Duck Duck Go and they use What3words. This is how you use it in Duck Duck Go: Go to In the search bar type in “!w3w (and the 3 word address you want to find) Example: “!w3w name.oldest.memo” will put you in the middle of Times Square in NYC. You can see all of DDG's “bangs” here The bang for “what3words” is “w3w”. To use it in search you must use “!w3w”. I am usually asked next “Well why do I need to use what3words when I use Google Maps? what3words isn’t a navigation app like Google Maps. As I said earlier, it’s a global addressing system that makes it simple to communicate exact locations. You can use what3words alongside Google Maps to navigate to precise destinations and to save and share exact locations faster and more easily than ever before. Google Maps usually isn’t helpful if you want to navigate directly to a specific building entrance or location in a park. This is because when entering a street address into Google Maps, a pin typically drops in the center of a building or postcode, rather than an exact location. I had a horrible experience with it years ago when I was working for Diamonds Limousine service and had to drop off a client and took them to the wrong location which was about 20 miles off course. Embarrassing for both me and our company. While a 3 word address cannot yet be typed straight into Google Maps, it is easy to find a 3 word address in the what3words app and then navigate to that destination via Google Maps or your preferred navigation app. If you use the What3words app you can then navigate with it through Google maps. Here is a link to a 7-second video showing you how. /episode/index/show/thecdlpodcast/id/13224059

Episode 06: Why you need a CB Radio 02/10/2020

Episode 06: Why you need a CB Radio A CB Radio can be a trucker’s best friend and in some cases his greatest time saver. In this episode, I will explain to you the benefits of having one in your vehicle is not only a wise choice but one of the best investments in tools you can have with you. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why you should have a CB Radio in your rig. How they can save you time in your daily grind. Hard to plan a detour one. How some customers demand that you have it. Talk to scale houses and loaders. Find a place for parking. Why you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a system. How to best use your CB Radio. We will debunk some of the myths of the road. Proper radio etiquette. They can save your life. “For the good old American life: For the money, for the glory, and for the fun... mostly for the money.” – Bandit – from “Smokey and the Bandit” Additional resources: How to contact Tim: Email: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: Website: Phone/text: US 260-225-3016 Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please help spread the word about our show and thank you for listening. The CDL Podcast - Educating and Entertaining you, one mile at a time…. Common radio lingo: Affirmative – used in place of “yes” Negative – used in place of “no” Over – you’re done speaking but would like a reply Out – you’re signing off and terminating the call Over and Out – you’re done speaking and the conversation is over Radio Check – the radio equivalent of “can you hear me now?” Read You Loud & Clear – in response to “radio check” meaning your transmission signal is good Roger – confirms you understand what the other person is saying Stand By – you acknowledge receiving the transmission, but cannot respond immediately What’s Your 20? – asking for the other party’s location Wilco – short for “will comply” Radio Etiquette for Clear Communication Contrary to the name, two-way radios are really a one-at-a-time communication system. Unlike a cellphone, you cannot speak and listen at the same time. That means if you’re pressing the talk button no one else can be heard. If you think of a short, clear, and concise message BEFORE you push the talk button it will help keep the channels open — plus you’ll save your battery life. To help keep channels open, users have developed their own two-way radio lingo to help keep messages brief and avoid confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases. Since multiple people can be on a channel at the same time, it is important to identify yourself and the intended recipient of your message. It also helps to indicate when you are done speaking. Use the appropriate jargon depending on if you are looking to continue the conversation or sign off. Do not transmit sensitive or confidential information. Although there are privacy measures that can be used, it should be assumed that others can hear your conversation. Quick tips: Be prepared — know what you’re going to say BEFORE you push the talk button Identify yourself and the intended recipient Indicate when you’re finished speaking or terminating the call Keep it secure by not sharing sensitive or confidential information Keep it short, clear, and concise Learn the lingo /episode/index/show/thecdlpodcast/id/13081637

Episode 05: Event Recorders 02/06/2020

Episode 04: Audio Books 01/28/2020

Episode 03: Fundamental Driving Errors 01/20/2020

Episode 02: The Smith System – All Good Kids Like Milk 01/13/2020

Episode 01: The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse 01/06/2020

The CDL Podcast

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