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Love the way your vehicle handles and maneuvers, no matter what speed you're going? You have your power steering system to thank. The power steering pump makes sure that steering fluid reaches the power steering system. It works through a slotted rotor that rotates, allowing the fluid to enter the pump. Once there, the fluid enters a reservoir and assists the steering gear in applying the right amount of pressure to turn the wheels smoothly.

During this time of blessings and gratitude, it's easy for us to forget one fact - the holidays don't happen without truckers. Period. From the plates we're eating off to the delicious bounty on the table, truckers brought it all to make sure you're able to get all the trimmings you need for your holiday season.

Let's be honest – between the developments of the Coronavirus pandemic, continued supply chain woes, and the industry grappling with an 80,000 driver shortage, trucking news has been pretty bleak lately.

We are just days away from Thanksgiving Day, and while families all around the nation are preparing their Thanksgiving feast, truck drivers know they will miss yet another holiday with their loved ones because of work. Of course, not being around family and friends hurts, butwe do offer good news for truckers: you won't have to miss your favorite holiday meal.

The need for effective braking has always been an issue across all vehicle applications. There's evidence of ABS-like concepts in the railway and automotive industries as early as 1908, for example. But when today's modern ABS was invented in 1971, it quickly became a game-changer for truck and driver safety.

When the leaves begin to change, and the weather reaches a comfortable temperature, is when making long-haul trips with the windows down becomes enjoyable. However, time spent driving like this will only last until about late November when the weather dips into more chilling temperatures.

If there's one industry that's been on a rollercoaster this year, it's trucking. Thriving in some areas and facing struggles in others, truckers and fleet owners across the country have experienced just about everything this year. And just as death and taxes are certainties in life, so is the fact that your truck or fleet won't wait until 2022 before something needs to be replaced.

"Truck" is a vague term that's commonly applied to every type of truck, whether it's a smaller pickup truck or a large 18 wheeler truck. But we all know that a city garbage truck and the Chevy truck you use for weekend fishing are not the same truck. You can't compare a Freightliner Cascadia to a Toyota Tacoma, which is why there are truck classes to more easily categorize all "trucks" you see on a daily basis.

It's already that time of the year – the leaves are changing, temperatures are falling, and Halloween decorations are going up. While visions of falling snow, freezing temperatures and ice may excite some winter enthusiasts, it's a very different story for owner/operators and fleets – time to winterize the trucks.

To look at a big rig, you'd never guess that a vehicle with that size and weight can merge, turn, and maintain smooth driving control at highway speeds, but the unique skills that truckers have make all of that possible so America can keep running.

Ask someone the difference between a starter and alternator, and he/she may look at you like you are crazy. After all, they are the same component, right? Wrong. While they are both integral parts of a vehicle's electrical system, they perform different tasks. The job of the starter is to do just that: start the engine, while the alternator is the electrical force used to charge the battery – like your cell phone charger – and provide power when the engine is running.

Whether you call them semis, semi trucks, big rigs, tractor trailers, or just "the office," semi trailer trucks have been key in shaping the American economy. Semis are named for the semi-trailers that are attached to tractors using a fifth wheel coupling hitch, giving these unique vehicles a distinct design from standard trucks and traiilers.

When you put your rig on the road, there's no telling how long you'll be gone – a few days, a few weeks, or sometimes even a month at a time depending on the job. The life of a trucker has always meant extended time away from friends and family, and this year with the Coronavirus pandemic has been no exception as truckers from all over the country have stepped up to keep the medical, food, and paper supply chains moving.

It's no surprise that one of the industries with the largest need for new applicants this year is trucking. From 2008 to 2015, multiple outlets reported receiving about 11,000 truck driver applications a month, or 132,000 a year. These applications come from job websites, social media platforms, and other outlets, and are often sorted based on experience, certification level, and other factors.

For a seasoned trucker or fleet owner, talking about what makes a brake light different from a taillight may seem like going back to kindergarten, but there's a good reason to have awareness of both types of lighting — it's easy to assume they're always working and also easy to miss if they're not.

Your headlights, taillights, and marker lights are all essential pieces of your truck's safety system. If you can't see the full scope of what's in front of your 80,000-pound vehicle and other motorists can't clearly see you, there'll be trouble for everyone. When you look online, aftermarket headlights are a dime a dozen — a few clicks and you can choose the type of light you need at the right price. Because what's one headlight or stop/turn/taillight from the other, right?

Although the nation's 3.6 million truckers should be remembered and appreciated on a daily basis, the American Trucking Association founded National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in 1998 to bring more awareness to these hard-working and dedicated men and women. This year, Trucker Driver Appreciation Week is from September 12-18.