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The Trucker News Channel — Massive truck explosion

In this episode we cover: Massive truck explosion | Trucker kills animal activist | Reality TV star indicted | Rig with fireworks explodes David Compton: Hi, I’m David Compton. A truck hauling 1,000 propane tanks causes a major explosion, and an 18 Wheeler carrying livestock hits and kills an animal rights protester. Tucker Russ: Hey truckers, I’m Tucker. A reality TV star is in hot water for his trucking business, and a tractor-trailer hauling fireworks goes out with a bang. These are just some of the stories we are covering on this edition of The Trucker News Channel. David Compton: A truck hauling 1,000 propane tanks caused a massive explosion in Delbert, Nova Scotia. The intense flames forced crews to keep their distance at first, they were able to battle the fire once the propane tanks stopped exploding. Apparently, the fire started in the truck’s trailer, brakes, and then spread to the trailer. The incident caused heavy damage to the highway, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. Tucker Russ: VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’s Maurice Fayne, also known as Arkansas Mo, has been indicted for allegedly using coronavirus relief funds intended to help small businesses survive to pay for luxuries, such as a Rolls Royce and custom jewelry. The reality TV star was arrested in May on federal bank fraud charges, arising from a Paycheck Protection Program loan that he obtained in the name of Flame Trucking. Tucker Russ: In a news release, the department of justice said Maurice Fayne, 37, has now been charged with bank fraud, making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution and money laundering. The charges are related to the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal program designed to help small businesses make ends meet while they were either closed or severely restricted because of the coronavirus. Tucker Russ: He’s also been charged with wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme. Federal officials said Fayne posed as the owner of a profitable trucking business, but in reality, the business never made enough money to cover expenses. David Compton: Friends and family are mourning the death of animal rights activist Reagan Russell, who was killed last week after she was struck by an 18-Wheeler hauling livestock. She was killed while protesting outside of the Fearmans Pork meat processing facility. David Compton: Fearmans and protesters apparently had an agreement, where the trucks were to stop for two minutes to allow protestors to say goodbye to the pigs and give them water. However, after stopping the trucker hit Russell, when he proceeded onto the facility. David Compton: Animal rights activists have been extremely vocal in talking to various media news outlets around the world, voicing opinions on social media, about the events surrounding Russell’s death. Tucker Russ: The Memphis Police Department is asking witnesses to help identify the driver of an SUV, who opened fire on a tractor-trailer on Saturday, June 20th. According to a Facebook post by the department, the victim was driving northbound on Interstate 40 passing Smith Avenue near the Chelsea Avenue exit, when he was shot at by the driver of a small dark gray or green SUV, possibly a Saturn Vue. Tucker Russ: The vehicle has a luggage rack on top and what appears to be a temporary license plate on the rear. The suspect was last seen driving eastbound on I40, toward the Watkins Road exit. The victim’s vehicle was struck by gunfire, however, the victim was not injured. Tucker Russ: Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-2274. Announcer: Time is money, and Cat Scale can help your drivers save time weighing. Drivers know their axle and gross weights before pulling off the scale, and Cat Scale weights are always guaranteed. Drivers get back on the road faster with the Weigh My Truck app from Cat Scale. Tucker Russ: The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating a crash involving a tractor-trailer, hauling fireworks south of Uehling. That is where they received a report of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and an SUV at the intersection of state Highway 77 and Road F in Dodge County. Tucker Russ: When troopers arrived on the scene, the tractor-trailer, which was hauling fireworks, was fully engulfed in flames, and fireworks inside the trailer were actively exploding. The Dodge County Sheriff’s office and Hooper Police Department also responded to the call. Tucker Russ: Witnesses were able to extricate all persons involved in the crash from the vehicles, before authorities arrived on the scene. Both occupants of the SUV, a Toyota Highlander, were transported to the hospital in Fremont for treatment. Tucker Russ: The driver of the Highlander was then flown to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for additional treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer was treated on the scene. The crash investigation is still ongoing. David Compton: It’s been said, that necessity is the mother of all invention. While in Canada, one motorist needed a way to move something from point A to point B, and that led to an unconventional method. David Compton: It seems that the Canadian police pulled over a Porsche driver hauling an unsafe load, which was a hot tub, affixed to a homemade wooden cart. I love the way he used the hand dolly for the wheels. David Compton: Officers caught up with the overburdened sports car on western outskirts of Woodstock, Ontario, and pulled over the 54 year old male driver. I don’t know, looks safe to me. David Compton: Well, that’s it for this edition. If you’re watching us on YouTube, make sure to click that little red subscribe button below. You can also go to thetrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories. On behalf of David, myself and everyone else here at the Trucker News Channel, thanks for watching

California adopts first-of-its kind requirement for zero-emission trucks in ‘bold’ step to reduce pollution

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — By 2045, every new truck sold in California will be zero-emission. That’s according to the California Air Resources Board, which on June 25 adopted a first-in-the-world rule requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024 and culminating in 100% zero-emission trucks by 2045. A statement from CARB describes the move as “bold and timely,” adding that it sets a clean-truck standard for the nation and the world and marks the most important air-pollution regulation to date implemented by California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. The rule zeroes in on air pollution in the state’s most disadvantaged and polluted communities. “California is an innovation juggernaut that is going electric. We are showing the world that we can move goods, grow our economy and finally dump dirty diesel,” said Jared Blumenfeld, California’s Secretary for Environmental Protection. According to CARB, many California neighborhoods, especially Black and Brown, low-income, vulnerable communities, are adjacent to the state’s ports, railyards, distribution centers and freight corridors and experience the heaviest truck traffic. This new rule directly addresses disproportionate risks and health and pollution burdens affecting these communities and puts California on the path for an all zero-emission short-haul drayage fleet in ports and railyards by 2035, and zero-emission “last-mile” delivery trucks and vans by 2040. “For decades, while the automobile has grown cleaner and more efficient, the other half of our transportation system has barely moved the needle on clean air,” said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “Diesel vehicles are the workhorses of the economy, and we need them to be part of the solution to persistent pockets of dirty air in some of our most disadvantaged communities. Now is the time; the technology is here and so is the need for investment.” Trucks are the largest single source of air pollution from vehicles, responsible for 70% of the smog-causing pollution and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot, even though they number only 2 million among the 30 million registered vehicles in California, according to CARB. The aim of this requirement to shift to zero-emission trucks, along with the ongoing shift to electric cars is to help California meet its climate goals and federal air-quality standards, especially in the Los Angeles region and the San Joaquin Valley — areas that suffer the highest levels of air pollution in the nation. Statewide, the Advanced Clean Truck regulation is expected to lower related premature deaths by 1,000. The rule drives technology and investment, phasing in available heavy-duty zero-emission technology starting in 2024 with full transformation over the next two decades. CARB states that the rule sends a clear signal to manufacturers, fleet owners and utilities that now is the time to invest in zero-emission trucks and in the economy, building on California’s leadership as a manufacturer of zero-emission transportation. In the coming months, CARB will consider two complementary regulations to support its June 25 action. The first would set a stringent new limit on NOx (oxides of nitrogen), one of the major precursors of smog. This would require that new trucks that still use fossil fuels include the most effective exhaust-control technology during the transition to electric trucks. There is also a proposed requirement for larger fleets in the state to transition to electric trucks year over year.

Fireworks explode inside crashed tractor-trailer, injuring three

FREMONT, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating a crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling fireworks south of Uehling. At about 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20, the Nebraska State Patrol received a report of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and an SUV at the intersection of State Highway 77 and Road F in Dodge County. When troopers arrived on scene, the tractor-trailer, which was hauling fireworks, was fully engulfed in flames and fireworks inside the trailer were actively exploding. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and Hooper Police Department also responded to the call. Witnesses were able to extricate all persons involved in the crash from the vehicles before authorities arrived on the scene. Both occupants of the SUV, a Toyota Highlander, were transported to the hospital in Fremont for treatment; the driver was then flown to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for additional treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer was treated on the scene. The crash investigation is ongoing.

Trucker News Channel — Trucker buried alive

In this video, we cover: A trucker is buried alive | Train hits big rig | NFL star fights trucker | CAT Scale’s Rig of the Week | COVID-19 worries David Compton: Hi, I’m David Compton. A man is buried alive in a semitrailer and a train hits a big rig in Georgia. Tucker Russ: Hey, truckers, I’m Tucker. An NFL star punches a truck driver, and a new survey shows truckers have major concern over bringing COVID-19 home to their loved ones. These are just some of the stories we are covering along with our cat scale rig of the week on this edition of the Trucker News Channel. David Compton: Being buried alive is a fear some people have. Unfortunately, this poor fellow had it come true in the back of a 52 foot dump trailer in New Victoria, Nova Scotia. It seems that a home was being demolished and the debris was being loaded into a McDonald Trucking Limited trailer. And the guy running the excavator on the site didn’t know somebody was inside the trailer. So he started filling it with wood and concrete fragments, trapping the man inside. The fire department was called and the trapped man was conscious and able to communicate with the rescuers on his location inside the trailer. However, the amount of debris would not allow rescuers to reach the man from the top of the trailer. So they had to cut a hole into the side of the trailer, where he was able to be removed. He remained conscious, and was transported to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital. Tucker Russ: NFL free agent Antonio Brown has pleaded no contest to charges related to a fight with a moving truck driver outside his South Florida home earlier this year. As part of a deal with Broward County prosecutors, Brown pleaded no contest to burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief. Police responded on January 21st to a disturbance call at Brown’s Hollywood, Florida home, where the moving truck driver said Brown and his trainer hit him. Brown had refused to pay $4,000 to the driver to release his household goods, according to the police. The driver told officers that Brown threw a rock as he drove away, causing a small dent on the moving truck and chipping the paint. Brown had left the scene by the time the police arrived and the trainer was taken into custody. Brown turned himself in two days later. David Compton: A Norfolk Southern train crashed into a semi tractor trailer in downtown Duluth, Georgia, after it became stuck on the tracks. The incident happened off Buford Highway, just north of Pleasant Hill Road. The wreck caused 20 cars to derail off the tracks, including three locomotives and two HAZMAT cars. Fortunately, no HAZMAT materials leaked onto the road or the tracks, and the two train conductors only suffered minor injuries. Remember if you’re ever stuck on the train tracks, often there’s an emergency phone number located near the crossing arm. However, if a train is in sight, the main thing is get as far as you can from those tracks. As quickly as you can. Tucker Russ: An online survey from Professional Driver Agency has shed light on many of the issues and challenges that America’s professional truck drivers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of over 1,600 professional drivers reveals that while drivers feel safe overall driving during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are concerned for their personal health and bringing home the virus to family and friends. The survey reveals that while a wide majority of America’s professional drivers are considered essential, the global pandemic is creating new, personal, and economic challenges for them. The personal challenge is evident in the survey results showing 72% of drivers said they were most concerned about bringing home the virus to family and friends. Speaker 3: Time is money and Cat Scale can help your drivers save time weighing. Drivers know their axle and gross weights before pulling off the scale and Cat Scale weights are always guaranteed. Drivers get back on the road faster with the Weigh My Truck app from Cat Scale. David Compton: This week’s Cat Scale rig of the week goes to TJ Konkel and his 2018 Peterbilt 389. The truck was customized in the family shop at the family farm, and it took around six months from start to finish, just in time to enter the Great American Truck Show in Dallas, Texas. Improvements made to the truck include custom seats, a stereo and shag carpeting, and the entire interior was taken out, so DynaMount sound dampening material could be put down to keep all the sound out of the cab. The rig took best of show in the limited mileage category at GATS, and also has won numerous local awards. If you have a rig you’d like profiled here on the Cat Scale rig of the week, send us an email to [email protected]. Tucker Russ: The newest Love’s Travel Stop has opened today on US 280 in Ellabell, Georgia, and adds 97 truck parking spaces and 105 jobs to Bryan County. The location is open 24/7 and offers many amenities, including an Arby’s restaurant, 97 truck parking spaces, seven showers, a Cat Scale, and a dog park. In honor of the grand opening. Love’s hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and donated $2,000 to a local organization. Tucker Russ: That’s it for this edition. If you’re watching us on YouTube, make sure to click the little red subscribe button below. You can also go to thetrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories. On behalf of David, myself, and everyone else here at the Trucker News Channel, thanks for watching.

INVEST in America Act amendment to increase minimum carrier insurance passes House committee

WASHINGTON — Truckers who applauded the long-overdue infrastructure bill now making its way through Congress were blindsided by a proposed amendment that would increase their costs of doing business. On June 18, Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (D-Illinois) submitted a proposed amendment to the bill that would increase the minimum level of financial responsibility for most carriers from the current $750,000 to $2 million. Haulers of hazardous materials are currently required to carry minimum liability insurance of $1 million to $5 million, depending on quantity and hazard class. Some carriers who have ceased operations in the past year cited the high cost of insurance as a factor in the demise of their businesses. The proposed amendment will undoubtedly add significantly to those costs. Garcia sits on the Highways and Transit subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is a member of the Future of Transportation Caucus. H.R. 2, titled Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act (better known by its acronym, INVEST in America), was introduced into the House by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) on June 11. The bill would authorize spending of $494 billion for infrastructure and related projects over the next five years. The act, if approved, will replace the current highway funding act, FAST, which is set to expire Sep. 30. The bill is currently in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and has not been released to the full House for a vote. Critics of the bill note that the $319 billion earmarked for highway investments falls far short of the amounts estimated by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in its 2017 Report Card, in which the group estimated a $543 billion cost just to bring current roads and bridges to an “acceptable” level. The organization estimated another $293 billion will be needed for system expansion and enhancements. The next Report Card from ASCE will be issued in 2021. Others criticize the bill on political grounds, including the exclusion of House Republicans from the drafting process and because of proposed funding of “green” initiatives such as emissions measurement and electric-vehicle charging stations. Garcia’s amendment passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee June 17 by a roll-call vote of 37-27. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), which had previously issued a press release in support of the INVEST in America Act, sent a letter to committee members June 16 that opposed the Garcia amendment. “Passage of the amendment would be a poison pill for OOIDA and our members, forcing us to vigorously oppose a bill we otherwise support,” Collin Long, OOIDA’s director of government affairs, said in the letter. The letter also stated, “Increasing the minimum insurance requirements from $750,000 to $2 million in the midst of a major economic downturn would be nothing short of disastrous for many small motor carriers and owner-operators, who are currently struggling to stay in business due to historically low freight rates.” Once out of committee, the INVEST in America Act will go to the full House for approval. How it will fare in the Republican-controlled Senate is not known, but Republicans who feel excluded from the drafting of the bill will now have more cause to reject it, due to Rep. Garcia’s amendment.

Man who set fire to tractor-trailer during Albany, New York, riot arrested

ALBANY, N.Y. — After an investigation by the Albany Police Department, a 24-year-old Albany man who set fire to a tractor-trailer during a riot in late May has been arrested. Ah-Juan Boyd was arrested and charged with riot in the first degree, a Class E felony; third-degree arson, a Class C felony; and second-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony. On May 30 at about 9:30 p.m., Boyd was a participant in a riot on South Pearl Street. in which rioters stopped a tractor trailer on the street and removed the driver. Boyd then proceeded to set fire to the tractor-trailer as it was parked in the middle of South Pearl Street at Westerlo Street. Boyd was arraigned in the Albany City Criminal Court and released on his own recognizance.

The Trucker News Channel — Dead body found on top of trailer

David Compton: Hi, I’m David Compton. A dead body is found on top of a trailer, border agents find a surprise inside a load of hay bales and the FMCSA releases their top eight offending drugs in the newly created Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Tucker Russ: Hey truckers, I’m Tucker. The emergency hours of service suspension is extended, but modified by the FMCSA and 10 race horses are tragically killed in a fiery crash on the New Jersey turnpike. These are just some of the stories we are covering on this edition of the Trucker News Channel. David Compton: When you’re out there on the road, there’s always some chance that someone might throw something off a bridge as you drive underneath. Well apparently that might’ve happened in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Grand Junction Police Department recently responded to an unusual report, which one investigator described as “the weirdest thing he’d ever seen in his 20 years on the job”. Around six o’clock a semi-truck arrived at the local United States Postal Service building on Berkeley Street in Grand Junction with a dead body on top of it. An employee at the post office saw the person and called the police thinking he might be asleep. Well it seems the trailer was traveling to Glenwood Springs from Kansas overnight, the driver said he heard a loud noise as he was passing under the overpass along I-70. The trailer was transferred to another truck in Glenwood, and then it traveled on to Grand Junction where the body was ultimately discovered. Tucker Russ: Well, the FMCSA has announced that the emergency declaration number 202002, which suspended parts 309 through 399 of the regulations which includes hours of service requirements, has been extended through July 14th with some modifications. The declaration, issued by President Trump, had already been extended to June 14th from its original expiration date of May 13th. The latest extension places additional restrictions on drivers to qualify for the exemption from regulations. The extension is limited to transportation of livestock, feed, medical supplies and equipment related to COVID-19 necessary for sanitation and safety. The FMCSA declaration specifically excludes routine commercial deliveries even if they contain a small amount of sanitation products. Other categories of freight are not excluded. The agency concluded that there is no longer a need for emergency relief with respect to other categories of freight. David Compton: So a big rig carrying hay pulls up to the El Central border patrol immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 the other day and a canine becomes alerted to the hay bales. So the agent yells, “Hey, anybody in there?” Just kidding, he didn’t really say that. I made it up. But they did check and found 13 Mexican nationals hidden inside the hay bales. According to the El Central sector border patrol report, the driver attempted to smuggle immigrants deep inside the bales of hay. The agents were able to extract the immigrants without incident. Hey, what can you say? Tucker Russ: Some top race horses were killed in a fiery crash along the New Jersey turnpike when a tractor trailer slammed into a concrete median. The rig was traveling from Florida to the famed Clement Racing Stable in Saratoga Springs, New York. Nine of the horses died to their sustained injuries in the crash while one was euthanized by a veterinarian on scene. One of the horses identified in the crash was sired by a true racing legend. Under the Oaks was sired by American Pharaoh, the first race horse to win a Triple Crown in 2015, since Affirmed took the title in 1978. The driver and a passenger were taken to a local hospital after suffering minor injuries and the crash is still under investigation. Commercial: Time is money and CAT Scale can help your drivers save time weighing. Drivers know their axle and gross weights before pulling off the scale and CAT Scale weights are always guaranteed. Drivers get back on the road faster with the Weigh My Truck app from CAT Scale. David Compton: The FMCSA has say has released their list of drugs that have been identified in positive CDL holder drug test, and then reported to the new Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. As of June 1st, 2020, here’s the top eight. Number one marijuana, number two cocaine, then followed by methamphetamine, amphetamines, oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone. The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule went into effect on January 6th, 2020 Tucker Russ: Time for another tech segment, Trucker Tools has announced that Werner Enterprises is now live on the Trucker Tools platform. Werner joins BEMAX, Schneider, and other logistics services in using the app to match truckers with available loads. The Trucker Tools app provides a variety of services to drivers, including routing, fuel optimization, truck stop guides and food and services lookup. Drivers can also use the book it now feature on the app to find and book loads from participating brokers now including Werner. The carrier must be approved by the broker before the ability to see loads is activated, but once that’s done no phone calls necessary to book loads. Additionally, the driver can access loads from multiple brokers to find the best fit and rate. You can find the free Trucker Tools app in the app store and Google play store. David Compton: That’s it for this edition. If you’re watching this on YouTube, make sure to click that little red subscribe button below. You can also go to TheTrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories. That’s all, so on behalf of myself, Tucker, and everybody else here at the Trucker News Channel, thank you for watching.  

FMCSA eases controlled substance testing for returning drivers

WASHINGTON — In a June 5, 2020 announcement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) eased the process of returning to work for drivers who have been furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement focuses on 49 CFR 382.301. Subparagraph “A” of that regulation requires pre-employment drug testing for drivers who are newly hired, but also applies to those returning from a furlough, lay off or other period of unemployment. Subparagraph “B” provides an exception to the pre-employment testing requirement. The employer can skip the pre-employment testing if the driver returns to work within 30-days and either participated in the carrier’s random testing program for the prior 12 months or was actually (randomly) tested within in the prior six months. The FMCSA waiver temporarily extends the 30-day time period to 90-days. The carrier isn’t prohibited from drug testing anyway, but the requirements are intended to make it easier and cheaper to put drivers back to work. Carriers are still responsible for requesting the driver’s record from the Drug and Alcohol database. The FMCSA action was a result of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on May 19. The order, No. 13924, defined U.S. policy to combat the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with the same energy as the fight against the virus itself. The agency expressed concern that carriers would incur the costs of testing of the furloughed drivers just as they were expanding operations to pre-pandemic levels. The waiver also addresses the issue of trying to arrange drug testing for large numbers of returning drivers in a short time frame. Although not addressed by the announcement, easing of drug testing requirements also eliminates the period of waiting for results of the testing to be reported, which typically takes one or two business days but can take much longer under some circumstances. Drivers who return to work under the waiver can begin driving sooner. The temporary waiver was effective June 5 and expires on September 30, 2020. The waiver also specifies reporting requirements that carriers must follow if any of the drivers who returned under the drug-testing waiver are involved in an accident. Carriers must report accidents to the FMCSA within 5 business days and must specify that the driver was operating under the terms of the waiver. The FMCSA announcement states that the extension will not negatively impact safety because the requirements for prior participation and pre-employment check with the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse are still in effect. Overall, carriers who opt to take advantage of the waiver will find it easier and faster to get drivers back to work.

Emergency HOS suspension extended, but modified by FMCSA

WASHINGTON — On June 8, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that Emergency Declaration No. 2020-02, which suspended parts 390 through 399 of the regulations, which includes hours-of-service requirements, has been extended through July 14 with some modifications. The declaration, issued by President Trump, had already been extended to June 14 from its original expiration date of May 13. The latest extension places additional restrictions on carriers and drivers to qualify for the exemption from regulations. The extension is limited to (1) transportation of livestock and livestock feed; (2) medical supplies and equipment related to testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; and (3) supplies and equipment necessary for sanitation and safety, such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants. The FMCSA declaration specifically excludes routine commercial deliveries, even if they contain a small amount of sanitation products. Other categories of freight are not excluded. The agency concluded that there is no longer a need for emergency relief with respect to other categories of freight. Some regulations, such as requirements to obey state and local laws, those that address fatigue or illness, texting and driving and controlled substance testing requirements are specifically excluded from the declaration. The regulations suspension was issued by the FMCSA in response to President Donald Trump’s March 13 declaration of a national emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic and was intended to help expedite movement of supplies and equipment needed to combat the virus. The extension of the emergency declaration will expire sooner if Trump declares an end to the national emergency. The largest effect on drivers was suspension of the hours of service (HOS) requirements of the regulations, including limits on driving time or requirements for rest period lengths. Since the suspension only applied while providing direct assistance, however, confusion resulted as regulations were off and then on again, depending on the load being hauled. Additionally, even though driving limitations were suspended while hauling essential loads, those hours still counted toward the 60- and 70-hour rules once the direct assistance load was delivered and the driver returned to regular freight. Drivers sometimes needed a 34-hour restart to regain hours to continue working after a few days of hard running to deliver essential supplies. Critics of the June 14 extension, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), noted that continued suspension of the regulations caused, in effect, an artificial increase in capacity, helping to suppress spot freight rates to their lowest level in years. Since the types of freight that will constitute “emergency relief” have been restricted under the latest extension, any increase in overall capacity should be minimal. Drivers should be cautions when operating under suspended regulations to make sure the loads they are hauling are covered by the declaration and to make sure hours are accounted for once they return to more “regular” freight.

Data shows major shift in driver turnover by freight sector before and after health crisis

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Driver turnover rates spiked early in the first quarter of 2020 before they trended down in March to all-time lows, according to new research by Stay Metrics, a leading provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers. Historically, turnover has aligned with freight market conditions. When freight volumes rise and capacity tightens, drivers leave carriers at higher rates in search of new opportunities. Conversely, drivers tend to stay put during economic downturns. The new report by Stay Metrics’ Research and Analytics team, led by Bradley Fulton, Ph.D., shows a major shift in the turnover paradigm for the first quarter. Turnover spiked for all truckload sectors before the COVID-19 pandemic but not necessarily due to positive economic activity. Freight markets generally were healthy the first two months. The seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index from the American Trucking Associations, for example, recorded an increase of 0.1% in January and 1.8% in February. Some freight sectors experienced disruptions before the COVID-19 pandemic that could explain the turnover spike. The new Stay Metrics research report tracks turnover rates on a weekly basis to show how drivers responded to changing market conditions that directly impacted their pay. Key findings in the report are summarized below for each freight sector, where N = the number of carriers in each dataset. Turnover rates are annualized. Tanker (N=8) had comparatively higher turnover than other sectors. Rates spiked in the second week of January to 107.1% before the trendlines split for oil and gas haulers and food-grade haulers. In the third week of January, oil and gas haulers saw a sudden dip from 106.1% to 62.9%. The decline could be explained by the decrease in oil production in the United States which began in January and fell by nearly 7% in February, according the Energy Information Agency. Drivers in this sector may have transitioned to food-grade tankers and other industry sectors. In February, the turnover rate for oil and gas haulers jumped from 78% to 119.1% and stayed elevated during the middle three weeks of March (118%, 106.6% and 112.8%) before returning to 68.6% the last week. By contrast, the turnover rate of food-grade tank haulers increased slightly in early February to 93.6% and fell steadily through March to reach a low of 47.8% before a slight spike at the end of March to 68.6%. Flatbed (N=18) also had comparatively high turnover. This sector saw a substantial spike in the third week of January from 94.6% to 124.3%, followed by a noticeable dip in the fourth week of February from 91.0% to 62.9%. Rates increased in the second week of March from 70.2% to 98.3% and fell through the end of March to reach 57.2%. Reefer (N=9) saw a major spike in mid-February. Shipments of food and produce items were stable throughout the health crisis and may explain why drivers in this sector tended to stay with their carriers. By the end of the quarter, turnover reached a low of 42.6%. Dry van (N=15) also had comparatively low turnover. A substantial spike occurred the third week of February (51.0% to 64.0%) but dropped to 53.0% the next week and held steady through the last week of March. With driver turnover rates are at all-time lows, Stay Metrics’ Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Tim Hindes cautions motor carriers about developing a false sense of security. The culture of their companies has changed dramatically because of limited opportunities to interact with drivers in person. “Fleet executives and managers cannot fall asleep at the wheel,” said Hindes. “Now is the time to double down on retention efforts. Let drivers know they belong to a stable organization that is essential to the economy and also use this period to rebuild driver-focused cultures.” Stay Metrics Director of Research and Analytics, Dr. Bradley Fulton, concurs: “It is important to remember that many things can impact turnover, and that not all of them are within a carrier’s control. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is one such factor. Overall carrier culture, however, is something every carrier has the power to influence. Understanding and acting to improve that culture is the best way to positively improve turnover in the long run.” Stay Metrics recently published their annual Stay Index Report, which utilizes responses from over 15,000 drivers to determine which factors most contribute to their commitment to a carrier, a leading indicator of turnover risk. To download Stay Metrics’ 2020 Stay Index Report, click here.

Truck OEMs retool to keep employees on the job, fight COVID-19 pandemic

When COVID-19 rose to the forefront of the nation’s news early this year, the trucking industry found itself in high demand. Carriers, company drivers and owner-operators alike worked around the clock to deliver essential goods to all corners of the country. Consumers grabbed most of those goods before another delivery arrived. While the COVID-19 crisis put most available drivers and trucks on the road, at least for a while, the same didn’t hold true for operations at America’s largest truck-manufacturing plants. Demand for new Class 8 equipment had been trending downward since late 2018, and the pandemic erased industry executives’ hopes that the new decade would spur an increase in truck orders. However, the trucking industry employs some of the brightest engineers and technicians in the country. Likewise, they have the latest technologies at their disposal. It didn’t take long for several of top truck manufacturers to rethink their strategies and start working to help fight COVID-19. Over the past few months, numerous truck manufacturers have shifted priorities. International Truck, Volvo North America, Mack Trucks, Navistar and PACCAR Inc. took steps to retool and focus on battling the coronavirus. The companies worked to minimize layoffs, provided personal protective equipment (PPE) for truck drivers in need, and produced personal protective equipment for those high-risk workers outside the trucking industry. The ability of the nation’s major truck manufacturers to change gears on almost a moment’s notice is a testament to American ingenuity, company pride and corporate responsibility. First-quarter indicators PACCAR, parent to Kenworth Truck Co., Peterbilt Motors and DAF trucks, was the first major truck manufacturer to report first-quarter earnings. The impact of COVID-19 on revenue and profits was clear. While PACCAR’s companies claimed 38% of new Class 8 truck orders in March, inventories began to grow after the delivery of trucks ordered in 2019, suggesting a downturn in the market for new trucking equipment. On the other hand, PACCAR set a record for parts sales in the first quarter of 2020, an achievement likely caused by heavy use of older trucks in the early stages of the pandemic. Preston Feight, CEO of PACCAR, said the company’s primary concern is employee health. “Once we take care of that, we’ll ramp back up our production,” he said. PACCAR suspended operations at plants worldwide in late March, and three major U.S. facilities still remain closed. As these plants gradually reopen, PACCAR plans to take special precautions. All workers will be screened before entering PACCAR facilities and will be provided with personal protective equipment. PACCAR is also working to ensure its workplaces will allow for proper social distancing. Putting drivers first It is vital to deliver essential items such as food, paper products and health care supplies during any crisis. Still, carriers realize that unhealthy drivers will only delay deliveries. The first task for International Truck was to equip drivers with personal protective equipment to shield themselves from exposure to the virus. If exposed, the company hoped drivers would be healthy enough to self-quarantine and fight off COVID-19’s potentially deadly effects. International Truck joined forces with business partners Triumph Business Capital and TriumphPay to purchase and distribute $75,000 worth of personal protective equipment to International dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. The three companies realized the need for protecting drivers after hearing from truckers like Ingrid Brown, an owner-operator and company driver in Illinois. Brown has been a driver for more than 40 years. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for the needs of drivers. “While large fleets have a solid distribution network to provide protection to their drivers, many drivers for smaller fleets and independent drivers, like myself, are on our own,” she said. Brown said that personal protective equipment, ranging from hand sanitizer to disinfectant wipes and masks, is hard to come by. International is doing an excellent service to drivers by helping them access essential safety items, she added. International Trucks also launched “International Cares,” a program that allows buyers to delay payments for six months on new purchases and offers free access to “International 360,” a tool to help carriers safely manage fleets. International has also provided its worry-free truck-maintenance program at no charge for up to nine months or 100,000 miles. In April, before launching “International Cares,” company service centers provided 10,000 meals to drivers who were working long hours to deliver COVID-19 relief supplies. Michael Cancelliere, president, Truck, Navistar, said his company’s efforts are just a few of many initiatives to help drivers whether the country is in crisis or not. “[PPE is] still sparse at stores,” he said. “This is just another way we can show that International cares, and we’re with you for the long haul.” Retooling to defeat an invisible enemy Companies such as the Volvo Group and its subsidiary, Mack Trucks, are using the slowdown in truck manufacturing to design, test and produce personal protective equipment to help medical facilities and workers in other high-risk occupations. “Our employees and communities are extremely important to Volvo Trucks,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “We want to do what we can to help during the current situation.” Volvo has taken steps using engineers and assembly-line employees to design and manufacture personal protective equipment. The company has also provided financial and in-kind donations to nonprofits that are battling the crisis. Volvo’s facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina; Dublin, Virginia; and Hagerstown, Maryland, have taken the lead in the company’s efforts to use its ingenuity and technology to meet new challenges posed by COVID-19. In one plant, employees from various departments teamed to design prototype face shields in cooperation with medical professionals. The face shield, team leaders said, is one of the most challenging pieces of equipment to find in the area. With the help of 3-D printers, Volvo is now producing face shield headbands and ear guards. Employees working from home have access to 3-D printers and provide them for delivery to area hospitals and nursing homes. Likewise, Volvo is donating healthy snacks to childcare providers. “The ingenuity of employees at the Hagerstown facility has never been more evident than during COVID-19,” said the facility’s vice president of powertrain production, Marcus Minkkinen. Using the same 3-D printing technology, employees at other Volvo locations are also manufacturing personal protective equipment. In addition, Volvo recently donated $68,000 to nonprofits serving the area of its North Carolina facility. “It’s great to see the drive and commitment from our employees at several Volvo facilities,” Voorhoeve said. Like Volvo Trucks North America, Mack Trucks has been manufacturing personal protective equipment at its Lehigh Valley Operation (LVO) plant in Pennsylvania. “The Mack Team is committed to doing what we can to help the communities in which we live and work,” said Rickard Lundberg, vice president and general manager at LVO. He noted that producing PPE is just another example of the company rising to the challenges of fulfilling vital needs — problems it has accepted for over 120 years. Going beyond delivering freight The steps major truck manufacturers have taken in recent months may have taken their employees out of their comfort zones. Still, the trucking industry employs some of the brightest and most qualified professionals in the country, and they regularly adapt to changing government regulations for equipment and shifting market forces. Using the best of the best allows truck manufacturers to rise up and become a driving force when many carriers are sidelined. Independent truckers like Ingrid Brown not only inspire manufacturers to reach new heights but also support their efforts. With personal protective equipment hard to come by, Brown said knowing that truck manufacturers are assisting in taking care of drivers offers comfort. “I can protect myself, assist in slowing the spread of this virus and still do my job,” she said.

Werner founder steps down after 65 years

OMAHA, Neb. — Many driving entrepreneurs experience the pride in seeing their name on the side of their truck. Imagine seeing it on more than 10,000 trucks. Only a few truckers reach that lofty status, and CL Werner is one of them. The Omaha, Nebraska-based company announced on June 4 that Werner is stepping down as Executive Chairman. The action was effective May 31, 2020. He will continue to serve as Chairman of the board of directors until his current term expires in May 2021. The board of directors appointed current President and CEO of the company, Derek Leathers to the position of Vice Chairman, effective May 31, 2020. Werner recommended that, at the end of his current term, Leathers be named Chairman. Like a few other trucking entrepreneurs, Werner started his company with one truck back in 1956. He replaced that truck with two more and continued to grow the fledgling company through the years. His creation has grown to its current size and also become the largest cross-border carrier with Mexico. “All I ever wanted to do was drive a truck,” said Werner. “As the first driver for our company, I know first-hand that professional drivers are, and have always been, the backbone of our country. America is witnessing that now more than ever. I’ve been proud to have created such a company.” Concerning his decision to step down, he said, “There comes a moment when you know it’s just time to move on. I’m in good health, and Werner has never been in a better position than it is today. So now is the time. I have the utmost confidence in Derek and his leadership team to continue to take Werner to the next level and beyond.” Werner Enterprises is known in the trucking industry for being a pioneer of paperless driver logs, implementing computerized logging for its drivers in the mid-1990s. Among its service offerings are dedicated, regional, expedited van and refrigerated hauling. The company has offices in Canada, Mexico and China, in addition to its U.S. facilities, providing service to every continent except Antarctica. Werner Enterprises’ can be found on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “WERN.” For further information, visit the Werner website (werner.com).

Facing budget crisis, Wyoming closing 10 highway rest areas

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation plans to close 10 highway rest areas to save money amid a budget crisis. The closures starting June 15 will save about $800,000 a year, department officials said Friday. The department is closing rest areas near Lusk on U.S. Highway 18; Guernsey on U.S. 26; Greybull on U.S. 14-16-20; Moorcroft on Interstate 90; Star Valley on U.S. 89; Ft. Steele on I-80; Sundance on I-90; Upton on U.S. 16; and Orin Junction and Chugwater, both on I-25. The Wyoming Transportation Commission approved the closures in a special budget-related meeting May 27. “Although these rest areas will close, motorists will still have access to facilities in neighboring communities,” Department Director Luke Reiner said in a statement. “Each of the rest areas that are closing are within a reasonable distance of a town that has facilities for the public.” Wyoming faces a two-year budget deficit of $1 billion or more because of the COVID-19 pandemic and less revenue from its fossil-fuel extraction industry. Gov. Mark Gordon announced Thursday he wants state agencies to identify programs to cut and prepare for 20% spending cuts in the months ahead. “This is a painful reality but a necessary step given our state’s fiscal situation,” Gordon said of the rest area closures.

INVEST in America Act would authorize nearly $500 billion to repair crumbling infrastructure

WASHINGTON — House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has released text of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act. DeFazio said INVEST in America is a key component of the Moving Forward Framework that House Democrats introduced earlier this year. The current surface transportation authorization expires Sept. 30. “The INVEST in America Act, which enables the completion of critical projects through long-term, sustainable funding and is fueled by American workers and ingenuity thanks to strong Buy America provisions and labor protections, authorizes nearly $500 billion over five years to address some of the country’s most urgent infrastructure needs,” DeFazio said. David Heller, vice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), said TCA is in the process of examining the bill’s contents. “We are encouraged by the dialogue regarding this important issue and finally moving the needle on meaningful infrastructure legislation that will be the framework of freight transportation for years to come. We remain committed to being actively involved in these discussions and communicating the positions of TCA with all parties involved,” Heller said. “The effects of our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, as well as various other aspects of the bill, certainly present TCA with another opportunity to tell our story to our congressional leadership in an effort to fully educate them on the issues that present themselves in this legislation.” DeFazio said the nation’s infrastructure needs include: Tackling the massive backlog of roads, bridges and transit systems in need of repair and replacement. Building resilient infrastructure that will withstand the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Designing streets that are safer for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Putting the U.S. on a path toward zero emissions from the transportation sector by prioritizing carbon pollution reduction, investing in public transit and the national rail network, building out fueling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles, and deploying technology and innovative materials. Sharply increasing funding for public transit options in urban, suburban and rural areas in order to integrate technology and increase routes and reliability with tools such as bus-only lanes and priority signaling. Improving access to federal funding to help communities around the country undertake transformative projects that are smarter, safer and made to last. Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said the association supports provisions in the bill, including increased funding for highway construction, $250 million for truck parking projects, provisions that will help limit excessive detention time and predatory lease-to-own schemes, new restrictions on tolling and further analysis of questionable H-1B Visa use within the trucking industry. Spencer said truckers will also like what didn’t find its way into the bill, including speed limiter and side underride guard mandates, an increase in minimum insurance requirements or truck size and weight limits, and the lowering of minimum age requirements for interstate drivers. In introducing the bill, DeFazio pointed to the plight of the nation’s infrastructure, “The bulk of our nation’s infrastructure — our roads, bridges, public transit and rail systems, the things that hundreds of millions of American families and businesses rely on every single day — is not only badly outdated, in many places it’s downright dangerous and holding our economy back,” DeFazio said. “Yet for decades, Congress has repeatedly ignored the calls for an overhaul and instead simply poured money into short-term patches,” he continued. “The result? We’re still running our economy on an inefficient, 1950s-era system that costs Americans increasingly more time and money while making the transportation sector the nation’s biggest source of carbon pollution.” DeFazio said the INVEST in America Act is an opportunity to replace the outdated systems of the past with smarter, safer, more resilient infrastructure that fits the economy of the future, creates millions of jobs, supports American manufacturing and restores U.S. competitiveness.

Hour-long police chase, shootout ends in death of Virginia truck driver Wednesday night

GENESEO, N.Y. — A suspect identified as Joshua Blessed, aka Sergei Jourev, a 58-year-old truck driver for Yurman Express LLC of Harrisonburg, Virginia, led New York law-enforcement officials on a chase that spanned three counties and lasted more than an hour. The chase ended when Blessed was fatally shot. It is not yet known whether the gunshot that killed Blessed was self-inflicted or was fired by law enforcement. During the incident, the suspect allegedly rammed police cars, attempted to strike oncoming vehicles and repeatedly fired at police officers and vehicles. In a press conference Thursday afternoon (May 28), Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty described the event as “a stressful, intense incident” and provided a preliminary timeline of the events. The chase began about 8:37 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, in LeRoy, New York, when police officers pulled over a tractor-trailer for a speeding violation, and ended more than an hour later at 9:58 p.m. in Geneseo, New York, according to Dougherty. LeRoy Police Chief Chris Hayward said the suspect refused to interact with officers at the time of the initial traffic stop, refusing to roll down the truck window or provide requested documentation, such as his driver’s license, registration and insurance information. While the officers were attempting to verify the truck’s license plates, Hayward said, Blessed drove away from the scene with an officer still standing on the truck’s side rail. The officer was unharmed; however, the suspect rammed two police vehicles at the scene, Hayward said. Shortly after 9 p.m., the truck entered Livingston County after driving through a set of stop sticks set by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and then drove through a second set of stop sticks placed by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department. Dougherty’s team then joined the pursuit. During the chase, the driver’s speed varied from high to “really slow,” with the suspect occasionally stopping, Dougherty said. During the chase, the truck made multiple U-turns, doubling back on its route, and “aggressively” taking curves, “with the operator having no regard for human life,” he continued. The chase ended when the tractor-trailer veered off Route 20A and into a field in Geneseo; the suspect was declared dead at the scene. Dougherty said the body had multiple gunshot wounds and that the medical examiner’s office is working to determine whether the fatal shot was self-inflicted. Officers reported that a handgun was on Blessed at the scene and that investigators are searching the truck for additional evidence. “He fired a lot of shots and we fired a lot of shots,” Dougherty said. “He fired a lot of shots throughout the pursuit and we fired a lot of shots at the conclusion.” During the chase, four law-enforcement vehicles were struck by gunfire. One vehicle was hit 10 times. A bullet went through the windshield of another vehicle, passing over the headrest and lodging in the glass between the front and back seats, according to Dougherty. “I believe if he wasn’t ducking, then (the bullet) would have been right to (the officer’s) head,” he said. “I can’t put into words what the incident was like. ‘Challenging’ is an understatement,’” he continued. “You have a heavy, heavy vehicle with a man who wants to do carnage. He’s actively trying to kill our deputies and he’s got a big vehicle to move around that’s nearly impossible to stop, aside from having a tank.” Other than the suspect, no injuries were reported among law-enforcement officers and civilian bystanders, Dougherty said. “I would call it a miracle, I honestly would. God’s blessing,” he said. “I have no clue how nobody was hurt —so many shots at law enforcement, the size of his vehicle, his driving, the civilians around.” Dougherty expressed gratitude to the law-enforcement agencies involved in the chase, which included the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the LeRoy Police Department, the Geneseo Police Department and the New York State Police, as well as area fire departments, EMS teams, the district attorney’s office and others. Officials say they do not yet have a motive for Blessed’s actions in allegedly fleeing what should have been a routine traffic stop and attempting to injure law-enforcement officers. Dougherty said there are many questions to be answered. “What was the last 24 hours of his life like? Why today? We’re trying to get those answers,” he said. The owner of Yurman Trucking spoke to 13WHAM News, an ABC affiliate in Rochester, New York, Wednesday night, saying that the driver was on his way to pick up dairy products in Batavia, New York, adding that he lost contact with Blessed and was not sure what happened.

S.H.E. Trucking founder discovers common bond with her father as she pursues a career as a professional truck driver

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — “I can’t change my past, so I decided to change my future.” This statement by Sharae Moore, founder of S.H.E. Trucking, touches a resonant chord with many people, and it reflects her outlook on her career as well as her friendships and family relationships. Moore and her father, Carlos Crutcher share a unique father-daughter bond: Both are experienced over-the-road truck drivers. Moore is an owner-operator and drives for Riverside Transport Inc., while Crutcher is a company driver for Tranco Logistics. The two achieved their career goals through very different paths. After working as a certified nurse assistant for nearly a decade, at age 30 Moore decided it was time for a change. “I knew a guy that drove trucks, and he actually showed me his paycheck,” she said. “I said, ‘I want one of those!’ And so I decided to join the trucking industry. I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. It was a whole new experience.” Another factor in Moore’s decision to make a change in her life’s focus was the death of a brother, 10 years earlier, when he was 30. “Here I was, turning his age, and I was thinking, ‘I need to do something with my life,’” she said. “That was my turning point, and that’s when I came to the trucking industry.” After seeing an advertisement for “free CDL training,” Moore enrolled in training through Swift Transportation. “The training was good,” Moore said, adding that she remains in touch with some of her instructors, including Roderick Martin and Dee Hopson. “Roderick was a great trainer,” she said. “I still call him and ask questions.” Hopkins was instrumental in helping Moore overcome what was for her the toughest part of training — the backing maneuvers. “None of the guys in the class wanted to partner with us (women),” Moore said. “I said, ‘Ms. Dee, no one wants to be my teammate.’ She said, ‘It’s OK, you can be mine.’ And so she taught me how to back, and do that 90 and everything … and I just picked it up and got it. “I’ve never seen somebody so proud,” Moore continued. “When I started getting it, she jumped up and she said, ‘You got it!’ It made me feel so good, going from struggling and struggling, can’t get it, feeling defeated to, ‘Oh, you got it!’” On March 25, 2014, she earned her commercial driver’s license and embarked on a journey as a professional truck driver. In the past six years, Moore has not only gained experience and confidence as a driver; she has also launched the S.H.E. Trucking clothing line and Facebook group, providing encouragement and support for women drivers. “In the beginning it’s a struggle because the first year or two, everyone just stares. The men, they’ll sit there and they’ll just wait to see what you can do,” she said. “After a while, your confidence builds. You learn how to maneuver your rig, back easily and stuff like that. It’s been a really rewarding experience.” S.H.E. Trucking began as a merchandising website for Moore’s T-shirts and other apparel designed for women truckers. “I couldn’t find any T-shirts that said I was a female driver, a lady trucker,” she said. As the S.H.E. Trucking clothing line grew in popularity, so did Moore’s reputation as a mentor for other women in the trucking industry, as well as a source of advice for women wanting to earn a CDL. “They started posting on my personal Facebook page, and I thought, ‘I need a place for them to go,’” she said. “That’s when I created the S.H.E. Trucking Facebook group. And it has grown into more than I ever imagined,” she continued. Today the mentorship group has more than 8,000 members and has gained an international following. In addition, Moore and the group have been featured in Facebook’s Community Voices spotlight videos and hardcover book. “I never knew there were so many women drivers. It’s so rewarding seeing the women accomplish their goals and being a part of that,” she continued. “The goal was to encourage women to be proud of the industry they’re in, be proud of the career they chose.” Moore said that when she first started driving professionally, she noticed that the few women drivers she saw were rarely smiling “I guess they were just so busy that they didn’t have time to smile,” she said. “And now you see them smiling, you see them happy.” Earlier this year, Moore took the next step in her career: She purchased a 2005 Freightliner Century and started learning the ins and outs of being an owner-operator. While she said she is still “learning the ropes,” she is also enjoying the responsibilities involved in being a truck owner. Moore said showing her newly purchased truck to her father resulted in what was for her a defining moment in her relationship with her father. “For the very first time in my life, at 36 years old, he said, ‘I’m proud of you,’” she said, with a catch in her voice. “The very first time in my life. No matter how many accomplishments and awards I’ve got, no matter how many women I’ve inspired — none of it mattered to me as much as those words.” When Crutcher talks about his daughter, pride is evident in his voice. “That girl, she superseded me! She’s got her own truck and she’s doing good. That’s awesome when you can get your own truck,” he said. “Sharae is passionate. She tries to help other women. She’s helping people for real,” he continued. For Crutcher, who has been a driver for about a decade, the road to a career in trucking was markedly different from Moore’s. “I have a felony,” he said matter-of-factly. “You’re talking to a former crack-head and drunk.” Crutcher, who said he has not smoked crack or drunk alcohol since 1988, served 17 years for a felony conviction. “God took the desire for the taste (of alcohol) away from me,” he said. “My momma had the whole church praying for me.” While in prison, Crutcher said, he started reading books and learning. “I had to learn who I was, and I got around some good people,” he said, adding that he was incarcerated for most of his daughter’s youth. After being released from prison in 2007, Crutcher started a lawn-care business and set about rebuilding his life. It was his sister, however, that helped pave the way to a career that Crutcher said still sometimes feels like a dream. “My sister got me this grant for (trucking school) at Chattanooga State, and I got my CDL,” he said. “She blessed me. I found out I love it out here.” While attending driver-training classes, Crutcher said he continued to operate his lawn-care business and held down a second full-time job. He was sometimes so weary that he’d catch a quick nap in the back of the class truck. It was all worth it in the end, he said, as he discovered a true love for driving and traveling the U.S. “I thank God every day that I’m out here. Sometimes I can’t even believe I’m out here,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve been locked up before, so this is a blessing. It sure is a blessing for me to be out here. I like seeing the country at 70 mph. “I thank God for the little stuff,” he continued. “I get excited over little stuff — just going out to different states or going to Walmart. God blessed me.” Crutcher said he is usually on the road six days a week. In fact, as he visited with The Trucker on the phone, he was on the road, hauling a 53-foot dry van filled with 45,000 pounds of General Motors products. The previous trip, he said, he delivered a truckload of medical-grade face masks. “They treat that stuff like gold!” he said. Crutcher said he also enjoys having the freedom to relax at his home, which he inherited from his mother after she died a little more than a year ago. “She was my best friend,” he said wistfully. “She blessed me with the house,” he added. “It’s a three-bedroom home with a deck and a patio. I love that deck.” Like Moore, Crutcher works to make a positive impact on the lives of others, especially those who are re-entering the work force after taking a “wrong turn” in life or after being incarcerated. “I’m always talking to people (about how trucking changed my life), people that have felonies and the downtrodden,” he said. “I say, ‘You need to come on out here with me! I was worse than all of y’all.’ “I’ve seen a couple of guys get their CDL,” he continued. “One of them messed up, started back drinking. I told him, ‘You can’t be drinking out here; you’ll kill someone.’ I mean, you see wrecks out here all the time, every day.” Moore said that she and her father both hope to inspire others to change their lives for the better, and that she sees Crutcher’s accomplishments as an example of success against adversity. “People need to know they have options; that your current situation doesn’t have to be your end result. You CAN change. You CAN make a difference. You CAN overcome,” she said. “I think that’s important for people to know. I see it in my family. The dad that I knew years ago is not the same person that we know now. And he’s proud to drive that truck. He loves it. It changed him completely.”

What’s the buzz? Bee infestation causes shutdown of Nevada rest area

SEARCHLIGHT, Nev. ― Hundreds of bees were discovered swarming the faucets, toilets and other facilities at the Southern Nevada Visitor’s Center rest area along U.S. 95 on Wednesday (May 27), causing a shutdown of the facility until further notice. The rest area is located about 17 miles south of Searchlight, Nevada, in Clark County. Maintenance crews discovered the infestation while performing a fog-seal pavement upgrade to the rest area’s north and south parking lots. “NDOT crews are working diligently to quickly resolve this issue,” said NDOT spokesman Tony Illia. “It’s important to make this rest area safe and accessible once again for motorists.” The rest area will remain closed until it can be safely reopened again. For complete list of Nevada’s state-maintained rest areas, click here.

Mack produces personal protective equipment at truck-manufacturing facility

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — In response to sustained demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) as a result of COVID-19, Mack Trucks donated about 500 pieces of personal protective equipment that were manufactured at its Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania. “The Mack team is committed to doing what we can to help the communities in which we live and work, and I’m very proud of our LVO employees for stepping up to produce PPE during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rickard Lundberg, vice president and general manager at LVO. “For nearly 120 years, Mack has risen to the challenge of fulfilling vital needs, most recently through the production of PPE.” Mack engineers and leadership reviewed several different design possibilities before deciding upon the production of face-shield headbands utilizing a 3D printer, as well as handcrafted assembly at LVO, where all Mack Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are built. Mack first produced personal protective equipment for its employees, and has since donated personal protective equipment to various organizations, including Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Center, Kirkland Village, Westminister Village and The Easton Home. Mack will donate more as the personal protective equipment pieces are produced, based on demand in the community. Mack also recently began producing 3D-printed ear guards to offer additional comfort to employees wearing face masks. Earlier this spring, Mack donated other personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves and safety goggles, to St. Luke’s University Health Network, South Mountain Memory Care, Success Rehabilitation and Maxim Healthcare Services. The production of personal protective equipment is just one way that Mack is helping the community. Mack recently donated $10,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania to help those with food insecurity. Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania serves 200 agencies in Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties. Its mission is to “obtain food and distribute it to people in need through area non-profits, and to provide resources for education and advocacy to end hunger.” The organization was started in 1982. Second Harvest delivered 9.4 million pounds of food during fiscal year 2018-2019. “The Lehigh Valley community is very important to Mack Trucks,” Lundberg said. “We are doing what we can to support it in meaningful ways so that those most in need are supported.”

April 2020 Class 8 truck sales barely half of those a year ago

April was the worst month for new Class 8 truck sales in the U.S. market in more than three years. To find a worse month, you’d have to go back 37 months to February 2017. A total of 12,986 new Class 8 trucks were sold in April, according to information received from ACT Research (actresearch.net), a decline of 47.6% from the 24,480 sold in the same month of 2019. April sales dropped 23.1% from 16,892 sold in March. Of those trucks sold this April, 8,156 were fifth-wheel-equipped tractors, down 30.1% from March sales of 11,673 and down 25.5% from April 2019 sales of 18,303. The remaining 4,830 trucks, or 37.2%, were vocational units equipped with dump, refuse or other bodies. The percentage of vocational trucks is typically 25% to 30%, so the higher percentage in April indicates that sales of over-the-road trucks are taking a bigger beating than sales of vocational trucks. The April number was 7.5% lower than March sales and 25.5% lower than April 2019 sales. The declining sales were not unexpected, as numbers were already running nearly 28.0% behind last year’s pace. A condition of overcapacity in the freight market and uncertainty over economic conditions had already combined to put a damper on the market. Then came COVID-19. The closing of overseas manufacturers slowed imports; then the shutdown of domestic businesses deemed “nonessential” depressed available freight levels to crisis proportions. May sales aren’t expected to be much better, if at all, despite the gradual relaxing of stay-at-home orders and the reopening of businesses. That’s because of the time it takes to restart an economy that has been virtually shut down. “It takes a lot of people marching at the same speed to turn the manufacturing sector back on,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, noting that, even though a plant may reopen, the parts and materials needed to function may not be readily available. “With current inventories and supply chains, we can say that April will probably not be the ‘bottom’ of the economic downturn,” he said. In the used Class 8 truck market, sales volumes declined 8% in April compared to March, according to the latest preliminary release of State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks published by ACT Research. Average prices for used tractors in dealer-to-dealer sales also fell 8%, while the average used truck sold was 2% older. Compared to April 2019, average prices were down 20%, while the age of the average truck dropped 5% and the odometer miles declined 2%. As for new trucks, the manufacturer that has taken the biggest hit so far in 2020, on a percentage basis, is International, according to information received from Wards Intelligence (wardsintelligence.com). Sales of 7,499 Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market for the first four months of the year lag 41.9% behind the 12,902 units sold at the same point last year. Market share for the period has dropped from 14.8% to 12.5%. International was the only OEM to sell more Class 8 trucks in the U.S. market in April than in March, 1,961 to 1,886 for an increase of 4%. Compared to April 2019, however, sales declined 44.6% from 3,547 sold in that month. Freightliner’s April sales of 4,315 trucks showed a decline of 27.9% from March sales of 5,983 and were 47.4% behind the 8,209 sold in April 2019. For the year to date, Freightliner’s 22,202 Class 8 trucks sold on the U.S. market trails last year’s January to April sales by 11,593 units, or 34.3%. The company’s share of the U.S. Class 8 market has dropped from 38.9% at the end of April 2019 to 36.9% this year, and 34.1% for the month of April. To find the last month that Volvo Trucks sold fewer than 1,000 Class 8 units in the U.S., you’d have to go all the way back to January 2012. The OEM sold 951 trucks in April, a drop of 44.6% from March sales of 1,717. Compared to April 2019, sales dropped more than half (59.6%) from 2,199 trucks sold. For the year to date, Volvo sales are down 31.2%, slightly more than the decline for the entire market. Volvo-owned Mack Trucks outsold Volvo Trucks in the U.S. Class 8 market in April with delivery of 1,063 units, a 24.3% decline from March sales of 1,404 and 44.8% beneath April 2019 sales of 1,924. Mack has actually gained market share in 2020, going from 6.6% of Class 8 trucks sold at the end of April 2019 to 7.8% at the same point this year. April 2020 sales represented 8.4% of the market, which may be attributable to the heavy presence Mack has in the vocational market. Kenworth sold 2,290 Class 8 trucks in April, a 15.7% decline from March sales and 39.0% behind April 2019 sales. For the year to date, the company has sold 9,508 units, 20.5% behind last year’s pace of 11,955. As for market share, the company’s smaller-than-average sales declines have actually increased its share of the market, which climbed from 13.8% at the end of April last year to 15.8% at the same point this year and reached 18.1% for the month of April 2020. Peterbilt sales of 1,553 were 30.9% behind March sales of 2,247 and 59.6% beneath April 2019 sales of 3,842. For the year to date, Peterbilt sales nearly match the industry average, declining 30.3% compared to 30.7 for the entire industry.

Polite protesting truckers get results in Washington

WASHINGTON — Naysayers had been at it since before the start of the May 1 “mayday” protest by small trucking business owner-operators. It seemed that no one, perhaps not even the protesters themselves, thought the protest would result in much change. Many thought that, like the “slow rolls” that happened in Houston, Los Angeles and Phoenix earlier, and even like past trucker demonstrations in the capital, truckers would do their thing and then go home, claiming victory for raising awareness of the truckers’ plight while accomplishing little, if anything. This protest was different. The movement of owner-operator trucks to parking places along Constitution Avenue almost didn’t resemble a protest at all. Horns were blown at specific intervals, but when is Washington ever without the din of traffic noise? In the COVID-19 pandemic environment, traffic was already severely reduced, and the usual throng of tourists was gone. Well-mannered trucking-protest participants made friends of Metro and Park Police and Secret Service agents. Local residents and workers made signs for their cars and vans, mirroring the messages they had seen on protester trucks and blowing their horns, too. Smells wafted from charcoal grills as people gathered under waving American flags to share the dinner sizzling on the coals. When the protest was over after three weeks, the giant piles of litter left after most protests weren’t there. The polite protesters left the area cleaner than it was when they arrived. Still, the criticism continued. Some said the truckers were fighting for the wrong things. Others said they shouldn’t be protesting at all. Names were called. People were banned from social-media sites because of their ugly verbiage. And now that it’s over, some people question what was really accomplished. A grassroots protest, however, isn’t a labor negotiation. It doesn’t end with a signed contract between union and management. And, under the United States’ form of government, there are no royal decrees to instantly settle disputes. There are channels to follow, agencies to involve. Tangible results take time, but they are results, just the same. So, what results did the polite protesters achieve? They got their White House meeting. They didn’t always agree on the issues, but they never wavered from their desire to be heard. Presidential tweets and soundbites favoring their cause were welcomed, but not enough. Even when their cause made national news due to the sound of air horns during a Rose Garden press conference, they weren’t done. They said they were staying until they got their meeting — and they did. The Department of Justice reversed its decision not to investigate brokers for collusion and for price gouging during a time of crisis. In fact, the one time that protesters blocked Constitution Avenue was in response to a DOJ announcement that it was not investigating. That decision changed, quickly. Although some of the protesters’ demands were already being worked on by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), things were proceeding rather slowly. During, or perhaps because of the protest, OOIDA increased the urgency of its campaign. The organization sent a call to action to its members, sent letters to all members of Congress and then sent another letter to House and Senate Leadership, filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and issued numerous press releases and articles through its own in-house publication. The protest generated presidential interest in the application and enforcement of 49 CFR 371.3, the regulation that requires brokers to share load information, including the amount paid by the shipper, to all parties involved in the transaction who request it. Encouraged by broker organizations such as Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), brokers commonly ignore the requirements of the regulation by forcing carriers to waive their rights of access to the information in order to do business, or by making the information available under conditions that most carriers cannot meet. In the White House meeting, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was clear that the issue needs to be fixed. The protest woke the public as well as many government officials to the idea that small business trucking carriers are underrepresented when changes to regulations are discussed. As pointed out by United States Transportation Alliance (USTA) CEO Mike Landis, nearly 90% of all registered carriers have 10 or fewer trucks and are too small to join the industry giant American Trucking Associations (ATA). Yet, when changes are discussed, ATA often has a seat at the table — while small trucking business don’t. Brokers now know the spotlight is aimed squarely at them. The protesters acknowledge the free-market system and, except for a scant few, aren’t calling for limits on broker revenues. But the protests shined a light on those shadowy parts of the brokerage business, such as demanding large payments from customers while only spending a small percentage for the actual service performed. There are more arguments and, perhaps, litigation to come, but brokers are on notice that they are being watched and questioned. The protesters earned the admiration of many among the millions of truckers who weren’t at the protest with their display of unity and their perseverance. Many doubted they would get anything done. They were wrong. A group of people who, as Jeremy Johnson, administrator of the Facebook Group The Disrespected Trucker, said “couldn’t agree on a free cup of coffee” stood together with the Eastern European group, the Hispanic contingent, the Sikh business owners and the rest, a diverse group of ethnicities and genders. They weren’t sure who would speak for them, and demands varied from group to group, but they were determined to be heard. So, while concrete results are still to come, the protest has achieved more than anyone expected it to. Wheels are turning at DOJ and FMCSA, under the watchful eye of President Trump and his staff. Voices have been heard. More importantly, the protest has brought together more truckers than any in recent memory. While it’s doubtful that the number of trucks in Washington ever exceeded 200 at one time, many participants rotated in and out, trying to devote time to the cause while dealing with personal and family matters and maintaining at least a partial revenue stream for their businesses. Estimates range from 500 to 1,000 total truckers spending at least some time at the protest. One group, The Disrespected Truckers, had less than 3,000 members prior to the protest. In less than three weeks, that number swelled to more than 9,000. The usual complaints about the business of trucking were replaced by discussion of the protest and its goals. Other Facebook groups have seen similar results. Even as the protest was winding down, some truckers were still on their way to Washington to join in. The protesters know there are remaining issues to resolve, and the fight isn’t over. In trucking, there will always be more issues to resolve. If needed, one strong and growing group of owner-operators is ready to return to Washington to politely resume the fight.