The Trucker News Staff

ALBANY, N.Y. — Bestpass has partnered with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to give back to the community and promote healthy activities among employees, customers and partners. Spearheaded by the Bestpass Gives committee, the initiative will culminate in the virtual 2021 Tour de Cure ride on June 12, with more than 40 people participating on the team. Throughout the effort, Bestpass will highlight employees and drivers who are focused on improving their health on social media and in newsletters. “We are grateful to Bestpass for joining our efforts to raise much-needed funds for diabetes education and research in this year’s virtual Tour de Cure across upstate New York,” said Jeff Collins, executive director of ADA in New York. “In addition to supporting a great cause, Bestpass is actively working to improve the health and wellness of their employees and corporate partners. We’re proud to partner with them.” Bestpass Gives, an employee-led committee within the company, is responsible for identifying opportunities to contribute to the community in a meaningful way while also building relationships across functional teams. The committee identified raising awareness of diabetes as its focus for the second quarter of 2021. “With some studies showing that there is a 50% higher occurrence of diabetes for professional truckers than the overall national average, the American Diabetes Association and its good work is a natural fit for our community efforts,” said Tom Fogarty, CEO of Bestpass.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Ray Anthony Almaroad, 36, of Edinburg, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to his role in a large cocaine trafficking conspiracy, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery. Almaroad pleaded guilty on Jan. 26. On May 19, U.S. District Judge David Morales ordered Almaroad to serve an 87-month sentence, to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional statements regarding Almaroad’s use of a tractor-trailer, hauling a legitimate truckload of limes, as a decoy for a hidden shipment of cocaine. Just before midnight on Nov. 27, 2020, a tractor-trailer driven by Luis Elfego Ramirez, 49, also of Edinburg, approached the Border Patrol checkpoint located near Sarita, Texas. Almaroad was a passenger in the truck, and is the registered owner of the vehicle. While inspecting the tractor-trailer, agents noted weld marks on the diesel tank and discovered a custom-made concealed compartment within the fuel tank. Authorities then found and seized 110 bundles of cocaine, with a total net weight of 109 kilograms. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $3.2 million. Previously released on bond, Almaroad was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, to be determined in the future. Ramirez had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton prosecuted the case.

WALCOTT, Iowa — Iowa 80 Truckstop, known as the “World’s Largest Truckstop,” will offer a COVID-19 vaccine clinic from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, June 3. This will be the second vaccine clinic offered at the site in partnership with Hy-Vee Pharmacy; the first was held May 4. No appointment is needed for the walk-in clinic, which will be conducted on the third floor of the main building at Iowa 80 Truckstop, located off Interstate 80 at exit 284 in Walcott. Both the Pfizer vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine will be offered. Anyone age 12 or older can receive the Pfizer vaccine, and anyone 18 or older can receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Children ages 12-17 will need to have a legal guardian present. For more information about the vaccines, contact Hy-Vee Pharmacy at 563-359-3120.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A newly enacted Pennsylvania law, Act 131 of 2020, extends the validity period of commercial learner’s permits, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced May 25. In addition, the law works to address the issue of human trafficking through severe penalties levied against CDL holders, or anyone attempting to gain a CDL, who has been convicted of human trafficking. “This law helps ensure commercial drivers have adequate time to prepare for their commercial driving test while also addressing punishment for a serious crime,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. Act 131 extends the validity period of a commercial learner’s permit from 180 days to one year. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently changed regulations to allow a jurisdiction the choice of issuing either a 180-day commercial learner’s permit with an additional 180-day extension, or a one-year commercial learner’s permit. According to a prepared statement from PennDOT, a one-year permit is more convenient for customers, giving them more time to prepare for their skills test. This section of the law became effective May 23, 2021. Act 131 will also update requirements and restrictions for CDL holders, including reporting requirements for convictions and violations. One of these changes disqualifies individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life if they are convicted of using a commercial motor vehicle to commit certain forms of severe human trafficking. This section of the law became effective May 25, 2021.

POCATELLO, Idaho – The owner of a tanker testing and repair company has pleaded guilty to making an illegal repair to a cargo tanker in violation of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA) and then lying to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr. Loren Kim Jacobson, 65, of Pocatello, Idaho, is the owner of KCCS Inc., a tanker testing and repair company. The case arose from an explosion that occurred at KCCS during a cargo tanker repair on August 14, 2018, severely injuring a KCCS employee. According to the plea agreement, the KCCS employee’s welder flame pierced the skin of the tanker, which contained residual flammable material, resulting in the tanker exploding. After the explosion, an OSHA investigator interviewed Jacobson about the circumstances surrounding the accident, as part of an investigation into whether Jacobson had violated OSHA safety standards for cargo tanker repair work. Jacobson made a materially false statement to the OSHA investigator during that interview — namely that the employee was merely an “observer,” not an employee, and that KCCS did not have any employees. OSHA requirements only apply to “employers.” According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the district of Idaho, Jacobson lied about not having employees to evade legal repercussions and penalties for his violation of various OSHA safety standards during the repair that resulted in the explosion. “The terrible injuries involved this case are a stark reminder of the need for workplace safety requirements and enforcement,” said Gonzalez. “I commend the investigators at OSHA, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for uncovering the evidence in this case. Working with our partners, our office will continue to hold employers accountable for criminally endangering their employees.” Jacobson admitted in the plea agreement that he did not possess the necessary certification to conduct the cargo tanker repairs that he regularly conducted. Under the HMTA, all repairs to the skin of a cargo tanker require that the repairperson hold an R-stamp, which can be obtained only after meeting training requirements. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that those conducting repairs on cargo tankers — which often haul flammable materials — have adequate training and the expertise to do so. Jacobson admitted he had a regular practice of making repairs requiring an R-stamp — knowing he did not have one — and that he would send employees into the cargo tankers to weld patches from the inside of the tanker so the illegal repairs would not be visible from the outside. Jacobson did not follow OSHA safety standards for protecting employees from such dangerous “confined space entries.” According to the plea agreement, Jacobson directed his employee to conduct a hidden repair of this type on the tanker that exploded, in violation of both OSHA safety standards and the R-stamp requirement. “The Environmental Crimes Section’s Worker Safety Initiative is designed to make sure that employers like Loren Jacobson, who shirk safety requirements and put their employees, customers, and the public at risk, are held accountable for their actions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jean Williams for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to protecting the lives and health of those who do the important work of keeping safe cargo vehicles on the road. This prosecution makes clear to others who might be tempted to ignore these certification and safety programs that they will face felony consequences for putting their employees and the public in danger.” Jacobson is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25, 2021 before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello. Both the HMTA violation and the false statement offenses that Jacobson pleaded guilty to are punishable by up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. “Today’s guilty plea is a sober reminder that endangering the health and safety of commercial industry workers and the public by violating federal hazardous materials transportation requirements will not be tolerated,” said Cissy Tubbs, special agent in charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “We offer our sincerest condolences to the victim of the August 2018 explosion and remain steadfast in our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to hold accountable those who flaunt federal requirements to place financial gain above public safety.” Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit of the District of Idaho are prosecuting this case. The investigation was handled by the Department of Transportation, the EPA, and OSHA.

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is working to reduce the risk of commercial truck crashes to help keep work zones and highways flowing smoothly. The department is partnering with Intelligent Imaging Systems, a Canada-based company that provides connected-truck technology, including in-cab communications, to provide truck drivers traveling through the state with real-time alerts of traffic and road conditions. Intelligent Imaging Systems is the parent company of Drivewyze The alerts will help commercial drivers react more quickly before encountering stopped traffic or major slowdowns. “We strive to let people know of unexpected traffic conditions,” said Kevin Lacy, the state traffic engineer at NCDOT. “We’re excited to be working with an industry partner that is using new technology. Truck drivers will be able to get advance warning of a major roadway incident before they see it on one of our dynamic message signs.” NCDOT’s first-in-the nation pilot will cover all of the state’s 182 miles of Interstate 95, as well as the rural portions of Interstate 40 outside the Triangle, the Triad and Asheville. The new alert system will display messages, such as “Sudden Slowdown Ahead” or “Congestion Ahead,” 2 or 3 miles before commercial truck drivers encounter the slowed traffic or incident. Information will be in real time via INRIX, a provider of transportation analytics and connected vehicle services. These alerts will complement other notifications subscribed trucks already receive through the Drivewyze notification service. The NCDOT maintains more than 300 digital message signs that provide important traffic updates across 2,500 miles of highway. The safety alerts issued the pilot program can reach commercial drivers even in locations where there is not a digital sign. Big rigs need more time to slow down, and crashes involving tractor-trailers can close highways for extended periods and contribute to secondary crashes, such as rear-end collisions. A fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling at 65 mph takes 66% longer to stop than a passenger car. “We’re pleased to partner with the North Carolina Department of Transportation in providing a ‘connected truck’ solution that gives truckers a heads-up on unforeseen slowdowns,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of Intelligent Imaging Systems. “These alerts will no doubt help with traffic safety along interstates in North Carolina. We’re a company committed to highway safety, and we applaud how NCDOT is the first agency to add these important safety alerts to truckers.” The one-year contract to employ the alerts began May 17. At the end of the one-year test, NCDOT will evaluate the safety benefits of the pilot.

GREENBELT, Md. — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 22-28. During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors emphasize the importance of brake systems by conducting inspections and removing commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations from the road. At the same time, many motor carriers work to educate their drivers and maintenance service providers on the importance of brake system safety. Throughout the week, inspectors will conduct North American Standard Inspections of commercial motor vehicles, focusing on the vehicles’ brake systems and components. In addition, inspectors will compile data on brake hoses/tubing to submit to CVSA; findings will be reported later this year. Jurisdictions devote a week to conducting commercial motor vehicle inspections, identifying brake violations and removing vehicles with out-of-service brake violations because: Brake system and brake adjustment violations accounted for more vehicle violations than any other vehicle violation category, accounting for 38.6% of all vehicle out-of-service conditions, during last year’s three-day International Roadcheck inspection and enforcement initiative. “Brake system” was the third most cited vehicle-related factor in fatal commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle crashes, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) latest “Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts” report. Brake-related violations accounted for eight out of the top 20 vehicle violations in 2020, according to FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System. During last year’s Brake Safety Week, 12% of the 43,565 commercial motor vehicles inspected were placed out of service for brake-related violations. The dates for Brake Safety Week are shared in advance to remind motor carriers, drivers and commercial motor vehicle mechanics/technicians to proactively check and service their vehicles to ensure every commercial motor vehicle traveling on our roadways is safe, mechanically fit and compliant. Recent research has shown that announcing enforcement campaigns ahead of time improves overall compliance better than surprise enforcement campaigns and for longer periods after the event. CVSA’s Brake Safety Week falls during Brake Safety Awareness Month. Law enforcement agencies will work to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake maintenance, operation and performance through outreach, education and awareness campaigns.