The Trucker News Staff

WASHINGTON – Many in the trucking industry are heralding the proposed Highway Accident Fairness Act as a way to improve the safety of truckers and motorists on the nation’s highways. Led by Representatives Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Garret Graves, R-La., the recently introduced bill would also “better protect trucking companies from the financial burdens of defending against or settling fraudulent insurance claims resulting from staged collisions,” according to a news release from Cuellar’s office. The release further stated that truckers are often “the target of staged collisions, which puts both civilian and truckers in serious danger. The trucking companies and local law enforcement are then subject to significant financial burdens from the emergency response and litigation fallout. This bill closes these loopholes and ensures that highways remain safe economic and civilian transit corridors.” Indeed, a report earlier this year by the American Transportation Research Institute showed that once “uncommon and unsophisticated,” fraudulent activity targeting motor carriers and commercial drivers is now a “serious and pervasive threat to the trucking industry. Fraud against trucking companies often comes in the form of staged accidents in which “entire teams involving medical and legal stakeholders as well as fake victims and spotters often work together,” the ATRI report noted. Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, thanked Cuellar and Graves for their efforts, calling the measure a “common-sense bill to curb rampant lawsuit abuse against the trucking industry.” “Staged accidents, third-party litigation financing, and disproportionate nuclear verdicts are perverting civil justice into a profit center, jeopardizing highway safety and adding more costs and strain to our nation’s supply chain,” Spear said. “This legislation would restore balance and fairness to the system and help ensure justice drives accident litigation – not profiteering and windfalls.” Specifically, the Highway Accident Fairness Act of 2021 would: Assure fair and prompt recoveries for highway accident victims with legitimate claims; Provide for federal court jurisdiction over interstate cases of national importance; Maintain stability in the movement of interstate commerce and protect the public from the safety hazard of staged collisions; Provide transparency when litigation finance companies invest in highway accident lawsuits as a profit-making opportunity; Protect motor carriers and insurers from the financial burdens of defending against, settling or being found liable for fraudulent claims that result from staged collisions; and Protect law enforcement agencies from expending resources dealing with the aftermath of staged collisions. “Highways are a significant component of our economic supply chain,” Cuellar said. “Every single day, goods flow across states to get food on shelves and products in homes. We must commit ourselves to keeping these transit corridors open and safe all year round. “That is why we must pass this important legislation protecting our truckers from staged collisions that cause dangers for civilians on the road and economic problems for trucking companies provided an essential service. Thank you to Rep. Graves and the American Trucking Association for their support.” Graves said that in his state, drivers pay some of the highest insurance rates in America. “This is unacceptable, and the solutions don’t require rocket science,” he said. “Our bill will prevent criminal rings from further increasing the cost to drive and do business in Louisiana. One $4.7 million settlement caused all of our insurance rates to go up. Our legislation cracks down on fraudulent claims, increases safety on the roads, and will help to lower insurance rates for drivers. Thanks to Rep. Cuellar for joining the effort, the American Trucking Association, and all those supporting.”    

CHICAGO — One of the six Amazon workers who were killed in a tornado Friday night in Illinois was a truck driver. Austin J. McEwen, 26, of Edwardsville, died in a bathroom trying to help others, according to a co-worker. “He was my friend and he didn’t make it,” coworker Brian Erdmann, who was on his way to make a delivery to the warehouse, told Reuters. “If I would have got back 45 minutes earlier, I probably would have been at the same place. I would have been right there with him.” Search efforts at the Amazon facility were expected to take several days, but authorities said they did not expect to find additional survivors. The Associated Press reported that the company has not said how many people were in the building not far from St. Louis when the tornado hit at 8:35 p.m. Friday — part of a swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South that leveled entire communities. Authorities said they didn’t have a full count of employees because it was during a shift change and there were several part-time employees. Both sides of the warehouse used to prepare orders for delivery collapsed inward and the roof caved, according to Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford. Authorities received reports of workers being trapped and the fire unit arrived within six minutes, Whiteford said. Police helped pull people from the rubble. While 45 employees survived, six people were killed and a seventh person was airlifted to a hospital. Whiteford said crews would search the rubble for several days. Madison County Coroner Stephen Nonn on Sunday identified the six people who were killed. Four, including McEwen, were from Illinois: 29-year-old Clayton Lynn Cope of Alton, 46-year-old Larry E. Virden of Collinsville and 62-year-old Kevin D. Dickey of Carlyle. Two others — 28-year-old Deandre S. Morrow and 34-year-old Etheria S. Hebb — were from St. Louis. “He would go out of his way for anyone,” she told The Associated Press in a written message. Nonn’s said Sunday there were no pending reports of missing people related to the building collapse. “Search efforts continue to ensure that there are no additional victims,” he said in a statement. The damage to the building was extensive; the structure’s steel support pillars were exposed after the walls and roof caved. “These walls are made out of 11-inch thick concrete, and they’re about 40 feet tall, so a lot of weight from that came down,” Whiteford said at a Saturday news conference. Employee Amanda Goss had just started her first week in a new job as an Amazon delivery driver when the tornado hit. “As I look up, the corner of the building was shaking, and it comes down the garage area and then I felt the gates coming in behind me,” Goss told KTVI-TV. “All I do is sit there in my van hoping it don’t move.” The Amazon facility, among three in Edwardsville, is a 1.1 million square foot “delivery station” that employs about 190 workers across several shifts, according to Amazon. The facility, which opened in July 2020, prepares orders for “last-mile delivery” to customers. Edwardsville is about 25 miles northeast of St. Louis. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the tornado,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. “We’re continuing to support our employees and partners in the area.” Amazon said that when a site is made aware of a tornado warning, all employees are notified and directed to move to a shelter. But company officials declined to answer specific questions about when employees were warned. A union representing retail employees that has pushed to organize Amazon employees blasted the company for “dangerous labor practices” for having employees work during the severe weather. “Time and time again Amazon puts its bottom line above the lives of its employees,” Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Requiring, said in a statement. “Requiring workers to work through such a major tornado warning event as this was inexcusable.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

PHOENIX — Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) announced two initiatives Thursday designed to help relieve the supply chain strain and make life easier on truckers. Ducey said the state is reopening two long-closed rest stops so commercial drivers have additional opportunities to rest and is extending the validity of commercial driving learner’s permits. Arizona will also be working closely with other states to pass similar measures, Ducey’s office said. “We are working to make sure commercial drivers and Arizona families have the support they need this holiday season,” Ducey said. “Prices are rising and commercial drivers are under an incredible amount of stress as they transport goods. Today’s action will help alleviate this stress. My thanks to the Arizona Department of Transportation for streamlining requirements for commercial drivers and strengthening Arizona’s supply chain.” ADOT Director John Halikowski said that his state’s highways “are critical for our economy, and the trucking industry is one of the key transportation modes for moving goods through our state and around the country. We are pleased to take these steps to make processes easier, while enhancing safety for commercial drivers at this important time of the year.” To facilitate more commercial drivers being able to obtain credentials, through executive order, the governor will extend the validity of the commercial learners’ permit (CLP) from six months to one year, in alignment with federal law. This gives a student more time to fulfill training requirements without having to reapply for a new permit. The purpose of the CLP is to allow a student to operate a commercial motor vehicle for training purposes with a licensed driver present. The executive order, in alignment with the current federal waiver, will temporarily allow a commercial driver to keep their CDL past the date that the person’s medical certification is required, until Feb. 28, 2022. CDLs are regulated by the federal government. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) previously initiated a series of waivers, including one that allows a driver to keep their CDL active temporarily after the expiration of a medical certificate. Arizona will adopt this practice temporarily, until Feb. 28, 2022, to keep current CDL holders on the road and alleviate supply chain challenges. CDL holders can upload documents online, as well as verify the status of their Arizona medical certificate, at azmvdnow.gov. Using recent guidance provided by FMCSA, ADOT will move forward with rulemaking to open commercial driver license services to Authorized Third Party providers. During the 2021 legislative session, HB 2134 was signed into law, allowing ADOT to expand commercial driver license services to its authorized third party providers. As CDLs are regulated primarily by the federal government, ADOT requested and received guidance from FMCSA to determine which actions would be permitted under federal law. Once fully implemented, individuals will have expanded options to receive CDL services from Authorized Third Party providers, providing an increase in convenience and accessibility to obtain a license. Accessibility to rest stops Last week, Ducey directed ADOT to reopen two previously closed rest areas at Parks (Interstate 40) and Christiansen (Interstate 17). Both are now open to serve the public, providing additional opportunities for drivers to park and rest. This is a temporary measure, however, as these rest areas will only be open through Jan. 18, 2022. The move is to provide relief for critical deliveries during the holiday season, state officials said. Arizona officials are also launching the Arizona Transportation Consultancy Project, which, they say, will strengthen and further enable ADOT to collaborate with other states and adopt similar improvements that Arizona has implemented. “Jumpstarting the supply chain is a cross-jurisdictional issue that requires the improvement of processes across multiple states,” a news release stated. “Arizona has undertaken many successful initiatives to make obtaining a CDL and the necessary permits simpler and more accessible to drivers, including the expansion of online services.” ADOT is also upgrading the Medical Examiner Certificate (MEC) submission process to allow handwritten MECs to be processed digitally, using advanced technology; expanding CDL services to authorized third party providers; and preparing to modernize its commercial vehicle permitting system. “While these efforts have produced excellent results for Arizona, improvements can’t be confined to Arizona to solve our nation’s supply chain issues,” the news release stated. “The Arizona Consultancy Project will help other states achieve similar improvements. By sharing best practices and ideas found in the Arizona Management System, providing technical assistance on implementation of programs and sharing state-created intellectual property, processes can be improved across the country.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops announced Thursday the opening of four new stores. Combined, the locations will offer 280 big rig parking spaces and add 190 jobs. The new stores are in Great Falls, Montana, Drayton, North Dakota, Pacific Junction, Iowa, and Dalhart, Texas. “Love’s is continuing to open new locations into the holidays to help get professional drivers and four-wheel customers to their destination safely and quickly,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Whether it’s fuel, fresh food and drinks or a gift for a loved one – like a toy or today’s latest electronics – customers can get what they need when they stop at one of our over 570 locations across the country.” In honor of the grand openings, Love’s will donate $2,000 to nonprofits in each town. The donation will go to CASA-CAN in Great Falls, Montana; the Twilight Fund in Dalhart, Texas; an organization chosen at a later date in Drayton, North Dakota, and it will be split between Glenwood Public Schools and the Glenwood Public Library in Pacific Junction, Iowa. Following is a breakdown of each locations’ amenities: PACIFIC JUNCTION, IOWA More than 10,000 square feet. Subway. 84 truck parking spaces. 51 car parking spaces. Three RV spaces. Six diesel bays. Five showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee. Brand-name snacks. Fresh Kitchen concept. Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories. Dog park. DALHART, TEXAS More than 8,000 square feet. Chester’s Chicken and Godfather’s Pizza. (Opening Dec. 13) 77 truck parking spaces. 48 car parking spaces. Five RV spaces. Five diesel bays. Four showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee. Brand-name snacks. Fresh Kitchen concept. Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories. Dog park. DRAYTON, NORTH DAKOTA More than 7,000 square feet. Taco John’s. (Opening Dec. 13) 63 truck parking spaces. 45 car parking spaces. Six RV spaces. Six diesel bays. Four showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee. Brand-name snacks. Fresh Kitchen concept. Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories. Dog park. GREAT FALLS, MONTANA More than 9,000 square feet. Chester’s Chicken, Godfather’s Pizza and Subway. (Opening Dec. 13) 56 truck parking spaces. 49 car parking spaces. Five diesel bays. Four showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee. Brand-name snacks. Fresh Kitchen concept. Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories. Dog park.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s electric vehicle infrastructure is about to get supercharged. The state is set to receive $52 million of additional funding over the next five years for EV charging infrastructure. The money is part of the $1.2 billion in additional transportation funding from the recently passed federal infrastructure package. The federal government makes the initial decisions on how that $52 million can be spent. ODOT should receive the first set of federal guidelines in February 2022. Suzanne Carlson, ODOT Climate Office director, says her office expects the federal guidelines will steer the funding to Alternative Fuel Corridors, which are national highways that are eligible for federal grant funding to add public EV charging and other alternative fuel infrastructure. The program is overseen by the Federal Highway Administration. Oregon has seven corridors designated under the program: Intestates 5, 84 and 82, and U.S. 26, 101, 20 and 97. Forming public-private partnerships to award the funding may be a key component, based on past rounds of federal funding. ODOT already has experience here. Earlier this year, ODOT invested $4.1 million to support EV Charging Solutions’ upgrades to Oregon’s slice of the West Coast Electric Highway. The agency also partnered with local firms Forth, Kittelson & Associates, and Rocky Mountain Institute to complete a future electrification needs study in 2020-21, which examined Oregon’s EV charging needs over the next 15 years. Jeff Allen, Forth’s executive director, is optimistic about Oregon’s EV future. “Oregon’s early leadership and hard work means we are extremely well-positioned to make good use of this federal funding to build out a charging network that will make it easy for Oregonians to drive electric wherever they go across the state,” said Allen. According to ODOT data, Oregonians are adopting EV’s at a swift rate. New EV registrations in 2021 are on track to increase by about 70 percent compared to 2020. That increased adoption rate coincides with results from ODOT’s future electrification needs study, which presents a clear roadmap for ODOT and partners to follow to electrify the system for multiple types of vehicles. “With the study’s findings, we can be more strategic and keep up momentum on EV adoption rates,” said Carlson. “Our role will be to make targeted state investments, secure more federal grant funding, and make sure public EV charging is equitable and practical.” Transportation electrification is high on the agency’s list of strategic priority outcomes and is a key component in state government’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. About 40% of the state’s total GHG emissions come from the transportation sector, including freight and aviation. “Moving quickly to electrify transportation is just one piece of Oregon’s emission reduction plan,” said Carlson. “Together with other ongoing investments in bike and pedestrian programs, public transit, and climate resiliency, we’ll be able to make strong progress on our work to address climate change in Oregon.”