Editor Pick

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. – A firefighter died Saturday morning along Interstate 40 in St. Francis County, Arkansas, after stopping to assist in an accident involving an overturned 18-wheeler. Jason Lang, who had been with the West Memphis Fire Department (WMFD) since December, was on his way to a training session in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, when he drove up to the accident scene and pulled over just after 5:30 a.m. According to an Arkansas State Police (ASP) report, another 18-wheeler had pulled over to assist when a second big rig struck the wrecked rig’s trailer. The report, which notes that the interstate was wet at the time, states that the rig then struck Lang, who was standing outside of his Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the parked 18-wheeler. “Jason Lang immediately, and without hesitation, bravely made the ultimate sacrifice, and he will always be remembered for his legacy and bravery for serving others,” WMFD Chief Barry Ealy said. The release, which was shared on Facebook, has garnered over 1,700 comments as of the evening of Feb. 27, expressing condolences and promising prayers for Lang, his family and his department. The department did not say how the big rig collided with Lang and made no comment on the state of the truck driver. Lang “lost his life in the line of duty bravely doing his job and encountering the kind of dangers that our EMTs face every day along the interstate,” the WMFD statement stated. ASP is handling the investigation. There was no information about the truck drivers involved in the accident.    

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to amend the transportation industry drug testing program procedures regulation to include oral fluid testing. According to the DOT, “this will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a more economical, less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program.” The proposal includes other provisions to update the department’s regulation, and to harmonize, as needed, with the new Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using Oral Fluid established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The proposal seeks to: Permit oral fluid testing as an alternative drug testing method for DOT-regulated workplace testing. Harmonize, as needed, with the new Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Allow direct observation urine collections by any licensed or certified medical professional legally authorized to take part in a medical examination in the jurisdiction where the collection takes place. Allow MRO staff to contact pharmacies to verify a prescription that an employee provided. ‘Un-cancel’ a test that was ‘cancelled’ by the MRO if circumstances dictate. Allow the use of options of official identification numbers issued by State or Federal authorities to be used instead of Social Security Numbers. Laboratories provide to DOT bi-annually data that is categorized by test reason and specimen type. Laboratories withdrawing from the National Laboratory Certification Program provide DOT with the final data report for the reporting period in which they withdrew. Laboratories would be required to keep non-negative specimens for only 90 days. Require that the phone number provided on the Federal Drug Testing Custody Control Form for collectors connect directly to the collector and/or the collector’s supervisor and not a general call center. Remove provisions that no longer are necessary (such as compliance dates). Remove the “cross-reference” sections found at the end of the “subpart” sections. Add clarifying language to other provisions (such as updated definitions and web links where necessary), and Allow Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) to conduct evaluations virtually. The proposal is available to read as a pdf.  It is also available at the ODAPC webpage.    

WASHINGTON — Marking 60 days since announcing the Trucking Action Plan (TAP), the White House has shared an exclusive update on the initiative with The Trucker. President Joe Biden said the plan is designed to help bolster the trucking industry at a time when more drivers are needed and the supply chain’s stress level is critical. “With more than 70 percent of all goods in America shipped by truck, America’s trucking workforce plays a critical role in the U.S. supply chain and the broader economy,” a statement to The Trucker from Jennifer Molina, White House senior director of Coalitions Media, read. “However, outdated infrastructure, the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic volume of goods moving through the nation’s economy have strained capacity across the supply chain, including in trucking.” The White House said that while more work remains, the TAP “has made remarkable progress in the last 60 days.” The Biden administration shared with The Trucker that more than 20 employers have so far signed up to participate in expanded registered apprenticeship programs, which are designed to help fast-track new drivers into big rigs. “Partners like the American Trucking Associations, the North American Punjabi Trucking Association (and the) Minority Professional Truckers Association have stepped forward to partner with the administration to expand apprenticeships,” according to the White House. Administration officials said they are working to “cut red tape so it’s easier for drivers to get commercial driver’s licenses. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced over $32 million in funding to help states upgrade their processing systems as well as technical assistance to speed up issuances.” The White House also shared with The Trucker that the Veterans Service Organizations, which represents nearly 4 million military veterans, is currently discussing ways the administration and industry can attract, train, place and retain veterans in trucking jobs. The departments of Labor, Transportation, Defense and Veterans Affairs, along with the Small Business Administration, have released a fact sheet to raise awareness about 16 different federal programs that can connect transitioning military personnel and veterans to careers in the trucking industry, according to the White House. “These programs will boost efficiency in the industry, connecting firms to countless potential workers,” the White House statement read. “A highlight of these efforts is the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship program.” The administration also plans to focus on women in the trucking industry. This week, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg plans to sign the charter document officially launching the Women of Trucking Advisory Board. As the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established, this task force will help inform efforts to increase the number of women in trucking. “Based on feedback received in recent listening sessions with leaders and advocates, the task force will provide recommendations to address the challenges facing current and prospective women, such as barriers to entry, on-the-job safety risks, workplace harassment, including sexual harassment, mentorship, quality training and opportunities for advancement,” according to the White House. Additionally, the administration plans to sign a charter document to form a new task force to investigate predatory truck leasing arrangements. The FMCSA, DOL and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) formed a Truck Leasing Task Force that will review leasing arrangements to identify actions that could make leases more equitable and transparent. Finally, the White House shared with The Trucker that the administration plans to deliver a “comprehensive new action plan, informed by a series of DOL and DOT listening sessions, outlining any further administrative and regulatory actions the administration can take to support quality trucking jobs.” Industry reaction to the plan has been mostly positive, though many truckers wish it had addressed the lack of safe truck parking across the nation. “As one of the top five industry-rated challenges voiced by professional drivers in the recent ATRI (American Transportation Research Institute) study, and an issue that has been top 10 on company and truckers’ minds for years, it is more than disappointing that specific funds were not earmarked to meet this problem,” said Mark Walker, chairman and CEO of Missouri-based TransLand. “It’s unbelievable.” American Trucking Associations (ATA) Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan praised the TAP, saying, “We are encouraged that the Biden Administration has not only recognized the importance of adding new and well-trained Americans to the trucking workforce, but has announced a path forward with what we believe will become a robust training opportunity for future commercial truck drivers.” Shannon Newton, president of Arkansas Trucking Association, also lauded the plan. “We thank the president and his administration for recognizing the important work of the men and women in the trucking industry,” she said. “We appreciate any effort to support and expand access to quality driving jobs and address the pandemic-driven delays in obtaining a commercial driver’s license. We welcome the opportunity to work together in sharing our industry with a new cohort of drivers.” Todd Spencer, president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), hasn’t been as enthusiastic. “There are some elements in the plan we support, including further analysis of driver compensation and unpaid detention time,” Spencer said. “However, the plan fails to address excessively high driver turnover rates. Attracting and training new drivers won’t solve the larger problem of retention.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— The price per gallon of diesel fuel continues to rise, hitting nearly $5 in some parts of the U.S. What’s driving these prices up? The answer is that it’s complicated and there’s more than one factor. The price of diesel fuel on Monday averaged $3.951 in the U.S., up 10.5 cents from the previous week and $1.15 more than this time last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The most expensive place to buy diesel fuel in the U.S. right now is in California where the average price is $4.948 per gallon — more than a dollar higher than the current national average, according to AAA. The state with the lowest average diesel cost in Oklahoma where it’s going for $3.479 per gallon. AAA says that winter weather and geopolitical tensions are two of the biggest factors driving up prices right now. Currently, the price of oil is in the low-$90s per gallon, almost $30 more than last August. Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic, says tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been pushing crude oil prices higher “almost daily.” Cold weather in the U.S. has driven up demand for heating oil. Last week’s winter weather caused millions of Americans to stay home, increasing the demand for heating oil. There is also concern about how Russia will react to potential western sanctions. If they withhold crude oil, which is a possibility, that will put pressure on a global market that is already tight. “This shows how events on the other side of the globe can have a noticeable impact right here in the U.S,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And unfortunately for drivers, they are reminded of this by higher prices at the pump.” AAA says the last time that the U.S. saw prices this high was in 2014. Prices have been steadily increasing since January 2021 and have yet to show any sign of stabilizing or decreasing anytime soon.

OTTAWA, Ontario — It’s been almost two weeks since a convoy of big rigs occupied downtown Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, to protest the country’s COVID-19 rule requiring unvaccinated truckers to quarantine for up to two weeks after crossing back into the country. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, has called the protesters a “fringe minority” and other Canadian officials have labeled many of them “extremists.” But what do the protesters have to say? On claims they’re ‘fringe’ extremists Troy Huntington, a company driver from Kemptville, Ontario, says Trudeau’s claims and many media portrayals are not accurate when it comes to the protests and what kind of people the protesters are. “When I was there earlier it was peaceful, people talking amongst each other and doing exactly what the media has been portraying the whole convoy,” Huntington told The Trucker on Monday. “We’re just fighting for our government to end the mandates here in Canada.” Much of the coverage of the protest has focused on extremist elements that have joined the protests, with many reports of Confederate flags and Swastikas being spotted among protesters. Other reports have stated that the protesters want to overthrow Canada’s government. Huntington said he has not seen those elements himself. “I haven’t seen any personally, and there were supposed to be some counter-protesters that were supposed to be here on the weekend, but I hadn’t seen anything to counter-protest because I think the people are getting the word about what we are protesting right now,” Huntington said. “There has been reports of Antifa supposedly inserting themselves into our demonstration to make it look like what the media has been portraying the whole thing to be telling us that we are a terrorist group and that we are not complying to the views of our government.” Antifa is a political protest movement comprising autonomous groups affiliated by their militant opposition to fascism and other forms of extreme right-wing ideology, according to the Oxford dictionary’s definition. Huntington said that the mood on the ground has been positive, and that morale is good among the protesters. “People are just standing up to the government again; just to try to stop these mandates that they are imposing on us,” Huntington said. “The unity amongst every one of all races has been great. There’s a lot of love towards each other, and while the government is trying to separate us by trying to get us to inflict hate towards each other, we’re standing up to that as well. We’re here united.” Relationship with the city of Ottawa The city of Ottawa’s attempts to get the protesters to leave has become a major part of the story as well. On Sunday, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city. In a letter to Trudeau and the public safety minister, Watson said “what was initially described as a peaceful protest has now turned into a siege of our downtown area” with 400 to 500 trucks, according to the Associated Press. “(Watson) stopped fuel delivery into the city for the trucks and even has the Ottawa Police stopping people and seizing diesel fuel in cans from getting to the trucks,” Huntington said. Watson asked for 1,800 additional police officers. That would nearly double the existing resources of the entire Ottawa Police Service, which has 2,100 police and civilian members. “It’s been said that the RCMP has told her union boss that two-thirds of the RCMP will quit, and I can tell that a lot of the Ottawa police do not want to be involved in this at all so they can bring on the police the military, which has been talked about. But at the end of the day until these mandates are taken away we’re not going anywhere,” Huntington said. Despite fuel being confiscated by police, the protesters can get other supplies. “There has been a lot of food and water getting down there,” Huntington said. “A lot of it has been donated by local businesses from mostly outside of the city because most of the restaurants in the downtown core area, where the protesters being held at, are closed at the moment.” One of the other stories from the protests is the conflict between protesters and residents near downtown Ottawa. “The residence in the area consider us a nuisance because they can’t go about their daily lives,” Huntington said. “But majority these residents are most likely liberal supporters, which …  the prime minister is the leader of the Liberal Party. We have been working with the residents to try to keep this as peaceful as possible.” One of the most contentious stories reported is that of residents who claim their lives, particularly their sleep, are being interrupted by the constant blaring of the trucks’ horns. On Monday, an Ottawa judge put an injunction in place to silence the horns at all hours for the next 10 days. The injunction authorizes police to arrest and remove anyone they believe is aware of the order and is contravening it. They also have the discretion to release anyone from arrest if that person agrees in writing to obey the order. “They can put all of the injunctions they want but we’re still not going anywhere,” Huntington said. “The heavy tow trucks that were called in by the mayor and were told to tell the drivers they had COVID won’t even budge to remove your trucks from the city. The mayor is getting angry that we’re not following his crap orders.” Just the beginning? Right now, many protesters say they feel like the government is still not listening to them. They just want their voices, and concerns, to be heard. “The prime minister will not listen to us, the premier of Ontario, Mr. Doug Ford, will not listen to us even though he says he has, and the mayor of Ottawa will not listen to us either,” Huntington said. “If this was a protest from an actual domestic terrorist group then there would be no questions asked because most domestic terrorist groups from what I’ve seen over the years I’ve done nothing but cause damage and riot in the city. The prime minister is angry at us because he doesn’t like people standing up to his authority.” Huntington said it all starts with Trudeau and ends up at the city of Ottawa mayor. “Our prime minister wants our country to be a dictatorship country like China and Cuba and we’re not standing for that,” Huntington said. One thing is clear, the protest in Canada is looking to be the beginning of an even broader movement. Other countries, including the U.S., are seeing movements of their own taking root on social media. “The support from across the world has been amazing especially from our friends in the USA,” Huntington said. “Hopefully they will do the same and fight to end the mandates there and know the people of Canada have their backs.”