The Trucker News Staff

LONGVIEW, Texas – A NASCAR hauler driver was killed and four others were injured early Tuesday in a crash along Interstate 20 in East Texas. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the team transporter for David Gilliand Racing was traveling westbound when driver Steven Stotts, 54, smashed into the back of a small box trailer being hauled by a westbound Honda SUV. An accident report stated that after the collision, the hauler’s rig rolled onto its side into the center median, causing the trailer to “vault over the concrete barrier into the eastbound lane.” The rig then caught fire, which spread to the front of the trailer. The report noted that the Honda also traveled into the median, struck the concrete barrier and caught fire. The driver was taken to an area hospital in stable condition. Two passengers in the hauler, John P. Zaverl, 38, and Michael Mizzelle, 45, were taken to the hospital and are listed in stable condition. The hauler was heading to Arizona for the ARCA Menards Series Friday night event at Phoenix Raceway. The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national touring series of NASCAR. “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of Steven Stotts,” team officials said on Twitter. “Our deepest sympathies go out to Steven’s family and friends.”    

NEW YORK — With Russia intensifying its war on Ukraine, killing civilians and triggering a mass refugee crisis, President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a U.S. ban on imported Russian oil, sending the prices of diesel fuel and gasoline even higher. Diesel prices have risen 74.5 cents per gallon in one week to a record $4.849 a gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration. Diesel’s previous high was $4.764 a gallon in July 2008. California, where diesel is averaging $5.759 a gallon, has the nation’s highest prices. The largest increase, 85 cents, was seen in the Lower Atlantic, where it now costs $4.919 a gallon. Mike Perkins is an independent driver based out of Michigan. He said it’s costing more than $1,000 for him to fill up on diesel, and he’s currently traveling the country to 48 states right now. “It’s pretty tough,” Perkins said, describing the diesel prices to news station KPIC in Oregon. “Luckily, I haul for a company that does charge extra fuel surcharges to try to cover the cost of the extra fuel. But that just means the consumer has to pay it in the end.” Perkins said he’s just lucky he gets paid on time, unlike some truck drivers who don’t. But despite the hike in fuel prices, Perkins says covering fuel expenses partially comes out of his income. “I hold 300 gallons of fuel, and the last fuel I got was in California. It was $5.86 a gallon.” This week in Oregon, the lowest price for diesel is $3.65, found at the JL Mini Mart in Portland. And the highest is $5.13 at Chevron in Prineville, according to gasbuddy.com. IJana Jarvis, the president of Oregon Trucking Associations, says diesel prices have gone up 6% in the last two weeks. “The fact of the matter is, these escalating prices will get passed on to consumers and the prices of goods,” Jarvis told KPIC. “And that’s just what’s happening. You’re seeing it on your grocery store shelves and everything you’re purchasing lately. We’re seeing inflationary impacts on all kinds of consumer goods.” Critics of Russia have said that sanctioning its energy exports would be the best — perhaps only — way to force Moscow to pull back. A full embargo would be most effective if it included European allies, which are also desperate to stop the violence in Ukraine and the danger Moscow poses to the continent. Yet it’s far from clear that all of Europe would take part in an embargo, though Britain announced Tuesday that it would phase out Russian oil imports by year’s end. Unlike the United States, Europe is deeply reliant on energy it imports from Russia, the world’s second-largest crude oil exporter behind Saudi Arabia. While the U.S. could replace the relatively small amount of fuel it receives from Moscow, Europe could not, at least not anytime soon. What’s more, any curbs on Russian oil exports could send already skyrocketing oil and gasoline prices ever higher on both continents and further squeeze consumers, businesses, financial markets and the global economy. Here is a deeper look: WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH A U.S. BAN ON RUSSIAN OIL? With gasoline prices in the U.S. surging ever higher, the Biden administration has faced growing pressure to impose further sanctions on Russia, including a ban on oil imports. For now, a broad U.S.-European ban appears elusive. On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear that his country, Europe’s largest consumer of Russian energy, has no plans to join in any ban. In response, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman hinted that the U.S. could act alone or with a smaller group of allies. “Not every country has done exactly the same thing,” Sherman said, “but we have all reached a threshold that is necessary to impose the severe costs that we have all agreed to.” DOES THE U.S. BAN ON RUSSIAN OIL HURT MOSCOW? The impact on Russia would likely be minimal. The United States imports a small share of Russia’s oil exports and doesn’t buy any of its natural gas. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Together, the imports totaled the equivalent of 245 million barrels in 2021, which was roughly 672,000 barrels of oil and petroleum products a day. But imports of Russian oil have been declining rapidly as buyers shunned the fuel. Because the amount of oil the U.S. imports from Russia is modest, Russia could potentially sell that oil elsewhere, perhaps in China or India. Still, it would probably have to sell it at a steep discount, because fewer and fewer buyers are accepting Russian oil. If Russia were eventually shut off from the global market, rogue countries such as Iran and Venezuela might be “welcomed back” as sources of oil, said Claudio Galimberti, an analyst at Rystad Energy. Such additional sources could, in turn, potentially stabilize prices. A team of Biden administration officials were in Venezuela over the weekend to discuss energy and other issues, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. She said officials discussed a range of issues, including energy security. “By eliminating some of the demand, we’re forcing the price of Russian oil down, and that does reduce revenue to Russia,” said Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners. “In theory, it is a way of reducing how much Russia earns on every barrel it sells, maybe not by a lot, but by some. The most important question is whether there’s going to be more pressure on the other side of the Atlantic.” HOW COULD A RUSSIAN OIL BAN AFFECT PRICES? News of the U.S. oil ban sent gasoline prices surging, with a gallon of regular selling for an average of $4.17 Tuesday. A month ago, oil was selling for about $90 a barrel. Now, prices are surging close to $130 a barrel as buyers shun Russian crude. Refiners had already feared being left with oil they couldn’t resell if sanctions were imposed. Shell said Tuesday that it would stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and shut down its service stations, aviation fuels and other operations there, days after Ukraine’s foreign minister criticized the energy giant for continuing to buy Russian oil. Energy analysts warn that prices could go as high to $160 or even $200 a barrel if buyers continue shunning Russian crude. That trend could send U.S. gasoline prices past $5 a gallon, a scenario Biden and other political figures are desperate to avoid. “A U.S. embargo on Russian oil is very politically attractive right now,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines. Still, the same politicians now supporting the ban “will come back and hammer Biden if U.S. gasoline prices rise further as a result,” he said. ARE RUSSIAN IMPORTS ALREADY FALLING? The U.S. oil industry has said it shares the goal of reducing reliance on foreign energy sources and is committed to working with the Biden administration and Congress. Even without sanctions, some U.S. refiners have severed contracts with Russian companies. Imports of Russian crude oil and products have tumbled. “Our industry has taken significant and meaningful steps to unwind relationships” with Russia and voluntarily limit Russian imports, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry’s largest lobbying group. Preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Department shows that imports of Russian crude dropped to zero in the last week in February. WILL EUROPE GO ALONG? A ban on Russian oil and natural gas would be painful for Europe. Russia provides about 40% of Europe’s natural gas for home heating, electricity and industry uses and about a quarter of Europe’s oil. European officials are seeking ways to reduce their dependence, but it will take time. Britain’s business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said his country will use the rest of the year to phase out its imports of oil and petroleum products to “give the market, businesses and supply chains more than enough time to replace Russian imports,” which account for 8% of U.K. demand. Germany’s economy minister, Robert Habeck, on Tuesday defended the European decision so far to exempt Russian energy from sanctions. “The sanctions have been chosen deliberately so that they impact the Russian economy and the Putin regime seriously, but they also have been chosen deliberately so that we as an economy and a nation can keep them up for a long time,” Habeck said. “Ill-considered behavior could lead to exactly the opposite.” “We have maneuvered ourselves into an ever-greater dependency on fossil energy imports from Russia in the last 20 years,” Habeck said. “That is not a good state of affairs.” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak of Russia underscored that urgency, saying Moscow would have “every right” to halt natural gas shipments to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to retaliate against Germany for halting the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which wasn’t yet operating. Novak added that “we have not taken this decision” and that “no one would benefit from this.” His statement marked a shift from Russia’s earlier assurances that it had no intention of cutting off gas to Europe. Oil is easier to replace than natural gas. Other countries could increase production of oil and ship it to Europe. But much oil would have to be replaced, and this would drive up prices even more because the oil would likely have to travel farther. Replacing the natural gas that Russia provides to Europe is likely impossible in the short term. Most of the natural gas Russia provides to Europe travels through pipelines. To replace it, Europe would mostly import liquefied natural gas, known as LNG. The continent doesn’t have enough pipelines to distribute gas from coastal import facilities to farther reaches of the continent. In January, two-thirds of American LNG exports went to Europe, according to S&P Global Platts. While U.S. oil and gas producers could drill for more natural gas, its export facilities are already operating at capacity. Expanding those facilities would take years and billions of dollars. The Trucker staff contributed to this report. 

AKRON, Ohio — The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced the winner of its 2020-21 Highway Hero Award, a program that – since 1983 – celebrates professional truck drivers who act selflessly for the good of others on the highways across North America. Gerald “Andy” Wright of Jacksonville, Illinois, a truck driver who saved the lives of motorists trapped in a burning vehicle, accepted the 37th Goodyear Highway Hero Award during a news conference today at the 2022 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) in Orlando, Florida. “From the moment I saw the flames, all I could think about was what I could do to help those inside the car get to safety,” Wright said. “I’m honored to be given this award from Goodyear, and at the end of the day I feel very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to help those in need.” Wright received a significant monetary reward and other custom prizes from Goodyear. “There is no question that Andy’s actions directly saved the lives of those who were in severe danger,” said Gary Schroeder, executive director of Cooper Commercial at Goodyear. “Andy fully embodies what it means to be a hero, and today we are proud to add him to our list of courageous Goodyear Highway Hero Award winners.” In October 2021, Goodyear commissioned a call for submissions, asking the trucking community to nominate a driver in their life who demonstrated an extraordinary act of courage on the road. After receiving dozens of inspiring story submissions, a panel of independent industry judges voted on the grand prize winner, and identified two deserving finalists with incredible stories: Wright’s story began while driving on Illinois Route 3 when he encountered a vehicle that was on fire following an accident. Equipped with nothing more than a fire extinguisher and load bar, Wright sprung to action and quickly suppressed the fire as best he could until the extinguisher ran out. Wright then proceeded to break the vehicle’s sunroof and helped pull the trapped occupants out of the vehicle to safety. By the time all riders had been removed, the car was fully engulfed in fire. Jami Meyers, a program finalist, was driving on an interstate when she noticed a car in front of her swerved lanes and hit a barrier. Meyers quickly exited her truck to investigate when she noticed the vehicle was slowly moving, and the car’s driver was on the ground in front of the car. Meyers immediately entered the vehicle and put the car in reverse to ensure the man could be safely removed from the car’s path. Meyers then placed a coat on the man to keep him warm and stayed with him until emergency personnel arrived. Phillip Hurte, also a program finalist, was driving through Lubbock, Texas, when he witnessed an SUV roll over. Acting quickly, Hurte immediately pressed on his brakes and pulled over to see if he could help the situation. When Hurte approached the damaged vehicle, he noticed two adults and a young child inside. Hurte proceeded to help each family member exit safely and waited with them as first responders rushed to the scene. As program finalists, Meyers and Hurte will also receive monetary prizes from Goodyear. To learn more about the Highway Hero Award, view exclusive content and read up about former winners, visit www.goodyeartrucktires.com/newsroom/highway-heroes/.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared Koboat Trucking LLC, USDOT No. 3273682, a Houston-based motor carrier, to be an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the motor carrier to immediately cease all interstate and intrastate operations. The motor carrier was served the federal order on March 4. On Feb. 3, driver Christopher M. Savannah was operating a truck for Koboat Trucking LLC when he crashed in Tennessee and killed a sergeant from the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. The FMCSA declared Savannah to be an imminent hazard to public safety on Feb. 17. The FMCSA also directed him to immediately cease operating any commercial motor vehicle. Savannah ignored a rolling roadblock and crashed into two cars before killing Sergeant Chris Jenkins., who had stopped to remove a ladder obstructing the roadway, according to the FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service order. Additionally, Savannah did not have a commercial driver’s license, was prohibited from operating commercial motor vehicles due to a previous positive drug test and was arrested for being under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash, according to the order. A subsequent FMCSA review of Koboat Trucking found the motor carrier to be egregiously noncompliant with multiple federal safety regulations, including Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing (49 CFR Part 382); Commercial Driver’s License Standards (49 CFR Part 383); Driver Qualification (49 CFR Part 391); Hours of Service of Drivers (49 CFR Part 395); and vehicle Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (49 CFR Part 396). Koboat Trucking took no action to ensure its driver was eligible to drive; had it done so, it would have discovered that the driver was not properly licensed and was prohibited from driving its truck due to a drug test conducted in March 2020 that came back positive for marijuana, according to FMCSA’s order. ‘In fact, Koboat Trucking had no safety management controls in place,” the order stated. Additionally, the FMCSA order stated that “Koboat Trucking did not have a program to detect and deter the use of controlled substances by its drivers, did not have a program to ensure its drivers were qualified and licensed, did not have a program to control its drivers’ hours of service, and did not have a program to ensure its vehicles were appropriately inspected and repaired.  Koboat Trucking exercised virtually no oversight over its drivers or vehicles and thus abdicated all responsibility for safety.” Further, the FMCSA report stated that Koboat Trucking’s “…complete and utter disregard for the [federal safety regulations] substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death for your drivers and the motoring public if your operations are not discontinued immediately.” Failing to comply with the provisions of the federal imminent hazard order may result in civil penalties of up to $28,142 for each violation.  Koboat Trucking LLC may also be assessed civil penalties of not less than $11,256 for providing transportation in interstate commerce without operating authority registration, and up to $15,876 for operating a CMV in interstate commerce without USDOT Number registration. Knowing and/or willful violations may result in criminal penalties. A copy of the imminent hazard order issued to Koboat Trucking LLC is available here.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday released a study showing that by 2030, nearly half of medium-and heavy-duty trucks will be cheaper to buy, operate and maintain as zero emissions vehicles than traditional diesel-powered combustion engine vehicles. The announcement dovetails with the Biden administration’s Monday proposal for stronger pollution regulations for new tractor-trailer rigs that would clean up smoky diesel engines and encourage new technologies during the next two decades. The White House has also issued a fact sheet on the initiative. Published by the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the study finds that continued improvements with zero emission vehicle and fuel technologies will enable clean trucks to become cheaper and more readily available over the next decade. A DOE news release stated that “increased use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) within the trucking industry will support the decarbonization of America’s transportation sector and advance President Biden’s goals to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, address the climate crisis, and bolster domestic manufacturing.” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said that the DOE “is providing a roadmap for trucking companies to make the switch from diesel to electric that will help them cut costs and pollution for their customers, while combatting climate change.’ “The Biden administration’s comprehensive approach is working to make clean transportation a reality—by reducing exposure to volatile fuel prices, investing in American manufacturing and creating a national charging network to support more electric vehicles on the road.” Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles account for less than 5% of the vehicles on the road but produce over 20% of the emissions from the transportation sector, which currently accounts for more than one-third of U.S. green-house gas emissions, according to the DOE. Key findings of the report suggest that cost competitiveness of zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles can largely be achieved by 2035. Specifically, the report finds that the costs of zero-emission electric medium-and heavy-duty trucks will be the same, or lower, than those of diesel trucks. Battery electric trucks are expected to become cost-competitive for smaller trucks before 2030 while heavy trucks with less than 500-miles of range are projected to be cost-competitive by 2035. Due to advancements for fuel cells and clean hydrogen production, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are expected to become cost-competitive for long-haul heavy-duty trucks with greater than 500-mile range by 2035. “This report follows the release of DOE’s sweeping supply chain report that lays out dozens of critical strategies to build a secure, resilient and diverse domestic energy sector industrial base,” the DOE news release stated. “Supply chain improvements lead to more affordable batteries for all applications, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing more than $7 billion into the supply chain for batteries, over the next five years.” The law also invests $7.5 billion to expand the nation’s electric vehicle charging network up to 500,000 charging stations. Recently released guidance to states includes eligibility to support charging infrastructure for trucks. In February, DOE released two notices of intent for electric drive vehicle battery recycling and second life applications, as well as battery materials processing and battery manufacturing. DOE is facilitating the advancement of the electrification of medium-and heavy-duty vehicles. The 21st Century Truck Partnership, a long-standing collaboration among truck manufacturers, major suppliers and interagency partners, recently launched a new electrification technical team focused on removing barriers to wide-scale truck electrification. The department is working directly with industry through SuperTruck 3 program and the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) consortium. SuperTruck 3 aims to reduce emissions of freight transportation through electrification and the M2FCT consortium aims to enable more than a million miles of heavy-duty truck use for next generation fuel cells. DOE is also working to ensure an effective integration of these vehicles in the grid.  

ARLINGTON, Va. and GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — Reaction came swiftly from the trucking industry on Monday after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to enact sweeping new regulations on diesel truck emissions. Officials with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assocation (OOIDA) said in statement that when the Cleaner Trucks Initiative was first announced in 2020, the organization “stood side-by-side with EPA in hopes that a collaborative rulemaking process with input from professional truck drivers would result in practical emissions standards.” However, “today’s announcement largely ignores that goal in favor of government overreach that will almost assuredly force safe drivers off the road, especially small-business truckers and owner-operators,” OOIDA’s statement read. OOIDA officials said that when Vice President Kamala Harris remarked in Mira Loma, California, that commercial trucks made thousands of trips to the town and brought soot, exhaust and toxic air, “she failed to mention anything about all the food, clothes, emergency provisions and medical supplies that truckers have delivered to American communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.” “The EPA’s proposal highlights the projected millions of fewer lost school days for children but does not say much about the millions of dollars in equipment and vehicle costs that owner-operators will have to foot the bill for,” OOIDA’s statement read. “Make no mistake, clean air is a priority for everyone. However, we believe there is a more realistic path forward to reducing commercial vehicle emissions that actually involves listening to men and women in the trucking industry. We hope EPA will get back to that strategy as they develop the Final Cleaner Trucks Initiative Rule throughout the rest of the year. Truckers know all too well from experience with previous rulemakings that poorly implemented regulations will result in breakdowns, downtime, and ultimately set back the goal of achieving cleaner air.” American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear said it will be critical that any new EPA rules result in usable, reliable and cost-effective equipment: “We share the Biden administration’s goals of reducing air pollution – as a longtime member of EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership – we have worked in harmony with environmental regulators to successfully reduce greenhouse gas and NOx emissions,” Spear said. “We will be looking very closely at the proposal put forth today by the administration and working with them to shape an outcome that builds on those reductions, while not hurting the reliability of the trucks and trailers we purchase, nor imposing unreasonable or unworkable costs on our industry.” Spear concluded: “We want to ensure that the Biden administration sets one, single national NOx emissions standard and that such standard can be achieved with workable, reliable technology – anything less than that will be extremely problematic for ATA and our members.”

MALVERN, Ark. – Arkansas State Police (ASP) have identified two truck drivers who were killed Friday in a fiery crash along Interstate 30 in rural Arkansas. According to an ASP report, a 2014 Freightliner box truck driven by 43-year-old Ismail Kiberu of Pittsburg, California, was traveling eastbound on I-30 when he crossed into the median and straight into the path of an eastbound 2014 Freightliner 18-wheeler driven by 34-year-old Felix Carrillo-Guzman of Cienaga De Flores, Mexico. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Further details about the accident, which happened at around 4 p.m., were not provided. Conditions on the interstate were clear and dry at the time of the crash, the ASP report. The wreck backed up traffic for hours and several miles, creating a massive fireball that billowed thick, black smoke throughout the area.