Truck Sites We Like
Monthly picks of the best on the web
DEBORAH LOCKRIDGE
SENIOR EDITOR
www.dat.com
TransCore Commercial Services, Portland, Ore.
TransCore draws you in with a nifty animated opening — but not one that's so long as to be frustrating. When you click on one of the menu options across the top, another little animation slides out the sub-sections and a description of that section so you know exactly what you'll find. Adding to the ease of navigation, at the bottom of every page, there are icons for "top," "back," "home," and "contact us."
There's information here for all TransCore's customers — fleets, drivers and truckstops. Click on the "About Us" page to trace the history of how "TransCore's DAT Services has grown from a single monitor at Jubitz Truck Stop in Portland, Ore., to an international transportation services company offering the country's most effective freight exchange network." Sign up for a free demo of the TransCore Exchange.
In addition to easy-to-understand (and find) information about all of TransCore's products, from load boards to credit reports to the freight exchange, some sections offer a little more. In "Truck Stops," you'll find a list of truckstops where customers can find DAT load and information monitors, including links to those truckstops' web sites. In "Tools," you can look for those truckstop locations by state, or learn how to figure your cost per mile. In "Transportation Trends," visitors get load trends, which are helpful in planning backhauls, and links to more than 20 trucking news sites.
www.gulflubes.com
Gulf Lubricants Co., San Ramon, Calif.
Is there anything you can't buy online these days? In January, ChevronTexaco announced the formation of Gulf Lubricants Co., which is selling lubricants, engine oils and greases. The Gulf brand, first launched in 1901, was purchased by Chevron Corp. in 1985.
One of the neat things about Gulf Lubricants, initially available only to customers in the central U.S., is that you buy them direct from Gulf — including online. The web site isn't fancy or snazzy, with the blue and orange colors heavily reflecting those of the logo. But it is professional-looking, and easy to find your way around and find what you need.
You can browse by application (heavy duty diesel, passenger car or industrial) or by type of lube — engine oil, gear oil, grease, etc. One particularly neat feature is the ability to find the Gulf lube that the company says corresponds to competitors' brands. Just pick the company from the pull-down menu, and a window pops up listing the competitor's products in each category next to the corresponding Gulf Lubes product.
Order online, much like you would order books or music at Amazon.com. Enter your zip code, and the site will tell you the list price for products to your location. You can pick up your order at one of Gulf's plants or have it delivered.
Initially, Gulf Lubes are available only in the Central United States. But the company says it plans to offer its products nationwide by the end of the year.
www.truckload.org
Truckload Carriers Assn., Alexandria, Va.
The Truckload Carriers Assn. has revamped its web site, and with the help of the trucking industry media, offers members and non-members alike a host of valuable information.
The site, featuring a red-white-and-blue color scheme like its logo, is not fancy, but it is clean and easy to navigate. The front page offers industry news headlines supplied by trucking news web sites, as well as TCA happenings. A left-hand navigation menu points you to information about the organization and its projects, such as the Truckload Academy, Scholarships, Awards and Highway Angels. A members-only section provides password-protected access to features such as new E-Roundtables and the "Market Points" monthly economic forecast.
