TheTrucker.com

‘Scoopy Doo,’ ‘Orange Crush’ to help clear Illinois snow

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Two plows making their debut in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) fleet this winter are cheekily nicknamed “Orange Crush” and “Scoopy Do” – the winning entries from the inaugural “Name the Snowplow” contest held at the Illinois State Fair. The names were among 700 entries submitted by visitors to the IDOT tent, with the finalists chosen through a statewide employee contest. The plows will be used primarily in IDOT’s District 6, which encompasses Adams, Brown, Cass, Christian, Hancock, Logan, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler and Scott counties. The Illinois Tollway mobilizes a fleet of 196 snowplows during winter storms and this year has stockpiled 88,000 tons of salt to keep its 294-mile system of five roadways clear and safe for its 1.6 million daily drivers. Information on tollway road conditions is available at www.illinoistollway.com. “Our highest priority is safety and to protect our customers this winter we will rapidly deploy full crews during severe weather to keep our roads clear and our drivers safe,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez. “But we can’t do it alone. We are asking our customers to help us by slowing down and increasing the distance from other vehicles, particularly plows and other emergency vehicles so they have the room they need to safely do their work. Drivers whose cars become disabled should stay with their vehicles and dial *999 for assistance, rather than trying to go for help themselves.” Throughout the coming months of cold weather and adverse conditions, motorists should practice basic winter driving skills and build extra time into their schedules. As part of the “Winter Weather – Get it Together” campaign, travelers are encouraged to follow these guidelines: Bookmark GettingAroundIllinois.com to check travel conditions 24/7. This year’s winter road conditions map will feature more local, more precise reporting information. Wear a seat belt. It’s the law in Illinois. And it’s your best defense in a crash. Drop it and drive. Put down the mobile devices – it, too, is the law. Do not travel during bad weather unless absolutely necessary. If you do have to drive, check the forecast and make sure someone is aware of your route. Familiarize yourself with public transportation options. Slow down. Slower speeds, slower acceleration, slower steering and slower braking are required throughout the winter. Don’t crowd the plow. A snowplow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see them, but they may not see you. Any plow that’s hit is one less resource available to clear the roads. Watch out for black ice. A road may appear clear but can be treacherous. Be especially careful when approaching intersections, ramps, bridges and shaded areas. All are prone to icing. Prepare an emergency kit that contains jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, a small ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a first-aid kit. Carry a cell phone and a car charger in case of emergency. Give them distance. Obey the Move Over Law by slowing down and changing lanes when approaching ANY stopped vehicle with flashing lights. “Winter weather causes additional dangers to the men and women of the Illinois State Police (ISP) on patrol to protect and serve all motorists,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “In snowy and icy conditions, please refrain from driving unless it is essential. If you must get on the road, remember to adjust your driving to the weather and road conditions. Winter road conditions are unpredictable and a crash could happen at any moment. The fewer drivers on the road, the fewer crashes and the safer everyone will be. “If you approach an emergency vehicle with its lights activated or a disabled vehicle with flashing lights, please slow down and move over. Our goal is to ensure everyone makes it home safely.” For the upcoming winter, IDOT will have almost 1,800 trucks available for deployment to plow nearly 16,000 miles of roads statewide, the equivalent of driving from New York to Los Angeles and back almost three times. Last year, IDOT spread more than 522,000 tons of salt statewide. This winter, salt domes throughout the state are close to capacity, with more than 445,000 tons on hand, almost twice the weight of the Willis Tower.  

Trucker seriously hurt in canal crash

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A truck driver is in serious condition at a Florida trauma center Wednesday morning after his Kenworth tractor-trailer caught fire and wrecked on its side in a canal along the Florida Turnpike. According to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the crash happened at around 9:45 a.m. on the northbound side of Boynton Beach Boulevard. Further details about the accident or the driver were not provided.  

Officials approve part of new Interstate 11 corridor

PHOENIX  — State and federal transportation officials have formally selected a corridor in southern and central Arizona for construction of Interstate 11, a proposed new freeway that would link the U.S.-Mexico border and Las Vegas. The chosen 2,000-foot-wide corridor stretches 280 miles northward from the U.S. Mexico border to Wickenburg while skirting metro Phoenix’s west side. Depending on which of two alternatives is chosen, I-11 would track the existing Interstate 10 through Tucson or be routed across desert west of the city. If planning and actual construction of proceeds, I-11 would be built along a 400-foot route within the corridor. Portions of it would use existing freeways, such as I-19 between Tucson and Nogales. A short portion of I-11 has been built near Las Vegas. As envisioned by planners and supporters, I-11 could eventually extend northward to Canada. No funding has been designated for further design work or construction, but supporters are eying the newly signed federal infrastructure bill, the Casa Grande Dispatch reported. That legislation “provides an opportunity for our state to receive significant federal funding, previously unavailable, to support the next stage in the development of Interstate 11,” Scott Higginson, executive director of the Interstate 11 Coalition, said in a statement.

Louisiana announces major overhaul of busy I-20 stretch

SHREVEPORT, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has announced major repairs to a heavily-traveled section of Interstate 20 in Bossier City, as well as additional repairs along the I-20 corridor in Shreveport. The project went to bid on Nov. 10 with an apparent low bid of $82,564,848.20, according to a news release. “The long-awaited project includes a full reconstruction of all lanes of I-20 from just west of LA 3 (Benton Road) near Hamilton Road to LA 782-2 (Industrial Drive),” the news release stated. “The pavement will be removed down to the roadway sub-base and replaced along this 3.5 mile section of interstate, which services between 62,000 – 86,000 vehicles per day.” The reconstruction will be performed in phases; it also includes all on and off-ramps of the five interchanges between Benton Road and Industrial Drive in Bossier City. “An incredible amount of work as part of the project development process has gone into preparing this project for this month’s letting,” said Shawn D. Wilson, DOTD secretary. “We fully understand how highly anticipated these major repairs are and we’re anxious to begin construction.” Additionally, concrete patching repairs will be conducted on I-20 stretching from Pines Road in Shreveport to Interstate 220 in Bossier City outside of the complete reconstruction area. This work will address other sections of the busy interstate corridor that serves both residents and the thousands of motorists passing through the region on a daily basis. “An innovative queue detection system will be implemented for this project, which will provide advanced warning to motorists that they are approaching a line of congestion and may choose to detour,” according to the news release. “This type of system is effective in improving safety during construction projects – particularly on an interstate – and for helping to mitigate traffic congestion approaching the work zone.” The project also includes the replacement of the street lighting system components along the stretch of I-20 that is being reconstructed in Bossier City. Actual construction work will begin in early 2022, following the contractor’s allotted assembly period.

Pedestrian killed by semi in Indiana

LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. — A pedestrian was struck and killed by a semi Thursday morning on Interstate 94 in Indiana. According to an Indiana State Police (ISP) report, Indiana State Police Lowell Dispatch received a call just after 7 a.m. from a trucking company advising that they believed one of their drivers had struck a pedestrian along I-94 in LaPorte County. The trucking company first called at approximately 6:28 a.m. to report that the driver had struck a deer and was waiting for a report at a rest park in Michigan at the one-mile marker, the ISP said. Responding troopers soon located a pedestrian that was deceased near mile marker 45.5, eastbound, according to the ISP report. “(A) preliminary investigation indicates that a red 2012 Volvo semi was traveling eastbound in the right lane when the pedestrian was struck and killed,” the report stated. “The pedestrian was dressed in dark clothing.” The right lane of I-94 was shut down for approximately an hour and a half for the crash investigation. The driver of the Volvo is cooperating with the investigation, the ISP said. Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be factors in the accident. The investigation is ongoing.

Tesla Semi spotted juicing up in Nevada

SPARKS, Nev. — The quirky Tesla Semi was spotted Monday at the company’s first Megacharging station located at its Gigafactory in Nevada. The truck is already available for pre-orders; however, Tesla founder Elon Musk has said that mass production will not begin for some time due to bottlenecks in the system. Twitter user and self-proclaimed Tesla lover @hwfeinstein posted the photos to his account. Here are some stats on the all-electric rig: Acceleration 0-60 mph with 80,000 pounds — 20 seconds Charging time — 80% at 30 minutes Speed up a 5% Grade — 60 miles per hour Mile Range — 300 or 500 miles Powertrain — 4 Independent Motors on Rear Axles Energy Consumption — Less than 2 kWh per mile Fuel Savings — $200,000 plus Expected Base Price — (300 mile range model) $150,000 Expected Base Price — (500 mile range) $180,000 Base Reservation —$20,000

Millions of dollars in drugs seized from semi

LAREDO, Texas — A tractor-trailer carrying thousands of pounds of illegal drugs was seized on Nov. 12 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in south Texas. According to a CBP news release, packages containing 2,611 pounds of methamphetamine and 113 pounds of cocaine were seized from within the trailer at World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas. The news release said that officers referred a 2013 Kenworth  that was manifesting a shipment of fresh cauliflower arriving from Mexico to a canine inspection team and a non-intrusive imaging system inspection. During that process, officers discovered 412 packages of alleged methamphetamine and 50 packages of alleged cocaine within the produce. The narcotics combined had an estimated street value of $53,096,364, according to the CBP. “Attempts to smuggle contraband through commercial supply chains are increasing,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, who is over the Laredo Port of Entry. “CBP’s continued robust enforcement posture and dedication to border security operations has led us to major narcotic interdictions at our cargo facilities.” There report did not provide information about any arrests made.

Tennessee to halt most lane closures for Thanksgiving travel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee officials are halting nearly all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state highways for Thanksgiving holiday travelers. The Tennessee Department of Transportation says the closures will be paused from midday Nov. 24 through Nov. 28. The department says workers may still be on-site in some construction zones, and long-term lane closures will remain on some construction projects. Drivers convicted of speeding in work zones with workers present face up to a $500 fine, plus court fees and possible increases to insurance premiums. The department says AAA is projecting 1.2 million travelers in Tennessee for Thanksgiving this year.

NY now allowing those under 21 to apply for CDL

ALBANY, N.Y. — Individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 will finally be able to obtain their Class A commercial drivers licenses (CDL) in New York. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation on Nov. 16, making her state the final one in the union to authorize such a measure. After a “rigorous program,” drivers will be able to travel only within the borders of New York, according to a news release from the Trucking Association of New York (TANY). “The legislation was a priority issue for TANY during the 2021 legislative session and a critical piece of our workforce development initiative,” the news release stated. “As we continue to focus on encouraging high school students to consider careers in the trucking industry, it was imperative that they have the opportunity to obtain their Class A CDL prior to the age of 21.” To address safety concerns regarding younger drivers operating large commercial vehicles, the legislation provides for training that closely mirrors the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s entry-level driver training requirements and sets a minimum of three-hundred (300) hours of behind-the-wheel training under the immediate supervision and control of an experienced driver.

Minnesota State Patrol looking for Volvo rig involved in hit and run

BECKER COUNTY, Minn. — The Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) is searching for information about a pedestrian hit and run involving an 18-wheeler. According to an MSP Facebook post, a VNL 64 model Volvo between year models 2016-18 hauling a flatbed trailer hit a 42-year-old female at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 11 along Highway 34 near Height of Land Township in Becker County. The woman suffered life-threatening injuries. The post said that the trailer was hauling two pieces of machinery with a tarp on the back, and the tractor’s right front headlight is out. The rig also has noticeable damage to the front right bumper and headlight area, the MSP post stated. The rig was last seen headed westbound through the Detroit Lakes area. Anyone with information is asked to call (218) 846-8244 with any information.

Biden’s L.A. port promise falls short

LOS ANGELES — President Joe Biden announced a deal last month to establish around-the-clock operations at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest, to break an unprecedented container ship traffic jam blamed for driving up consumer prices. But that hasn’t happened yet. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in an online briefing Tuesday that the sprawling complex has “24/7 capability,” but a shortage of truck drivers and nighttime warehouse workers pose problems in establishing a nonstop schedule, along with getting importers to embrace expanded hours. “It’s an effort to try to get this entire orchestra of supply chain players to get on the same calendar,” he said. Among thousands of importers, “we’ve had very few takers to date.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that going to a 24 hour-a-day schedule at the busiest port in the Western Hemisphere “is, of course, not flipping the switch. There are so many players, even just on the grounds of port.” As for moving cargo, Seroka said there was encouraging news: Since Oct. 24, the port witnessed a 25% drop in the number of import containers on the docks — from 95,000 to to 71,000. During the same time, cargo sitting nine days or longer dropped by 29%, he said. “There’s much more work to be done on this front but great progress by our dock workers, shipping lines, truckers, marine terminal operators and railroad partners,” he said. With container ships stranded at ports and unloaded goods waiting for trucks, the White House hoped the longer workday at the port would help loosen the bottleneck and cut into shipping delays for everything from cars to toasters to sneakers. As of Tuesday, there were 84 container ships waiting offshore to get into the Port of Los Angeles or its neighboring sister port in Long Beach, an improvement from some recent days when the number topped 100. In normal busy times, only a handful of ships have to wait to dock.

OSHA not enforcing vaccine mandate — for now

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has announced it has suspended implementation and enforcement of the COVID vaccine mandate after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on Nov. 12. In a statement, OSHA officials said that while the agency “remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the (vaccine mandate) pending future developments in the litigation.” Challenges to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers will now be consolidated in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, a panel dominated by judges appointed by Republicans. The Cincinnati-based court was selected Tuesday in a random drawing using ping-pong balls, a process employed when challenges to certain federal agency actions are filed in multiple courts. The selection could be good news for those challenging the administration’s vaccine requirement, which includes officials in 27 Republican-led states, employers and several conservative and business organizations. They argue that OSHA does not have the authority to impose the mandate. The challenges, along with some from unions that said the vaccine mandate didn’t go far enough, were made this month in 12 circuit courts. Under an arcane system, it was up to the clerk of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict litigation to select a ping-pong ball from a bin to choose where the cases would be heard. It was a favorable outcome for Republicans. Eleven of the 16 full-time judges in the 6th Circuit were appointed by Republican presidents. Accounting for one of the Republican-appointed judges, Helene White, who often sides with judges appointed by Democrats and adding senior judges who are semi-retired but still hear cases, the split is 19-9 in favor of Republicans. Six of the full-time judges were appointed by former President Donald Trump. Another court where a majority of judges were nominated by Republicans, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, issued a ruling that put the mandate on hold. It’s not clear whether the court that will hear the case will act as the 5th Circuit did and side quickly with the Republican challengers. But legal experts have become increasingly concerned in recent years about the politicization of both federal and state courts, raising questions about whether justice is fairly administered or dispensed through a partisan lens. Allison Orr Larsen, a professor at William & Mary Law School, coauthored a study published this year that found growing partisanship in federal judicial decisions. For decades, the study found that rulings on cases in which all judges in a circuit weighed in generally were not decided along party lines based on the presidents who appointed the judges. “We did see a concerning spike starting in 2018 that led us to wring our hands,” Larsen said in an interview. The increasing partisanship in a branch of government that is supposed to be blind to partisan politics was seen in judges appointed by presidents of both parties, but Larsen said it’s not clear why that was or whether it will last. Some of the federal courts moved to the right when Donald Trump was president and Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate, which confirms judicial nominees. Trump appointed 54 judges to the circuit courts, which are one step below the U.S. Supreme Court, including filling one seat twice. That represents nearly 30% of the seats on the circuit courts, where cases are most often considered by three-judge panels. Trump’s appointees flipped the 11th Circuit in the South to Republican control and expanded the GOP-appointed majorities in the 5th, 6th and 8th Circuits in the Midwest and South. Biden’s three appointees switched the New York-based 2nd Circuit to Democratic control. Republican state attorneys general and conservative groups mostly filed their challenges in circuit courts dominated by conservative judges, while the unions went to circuits with more judges nominated by Democratic presidents. In all, 34 objections have been filed in all 11 regional circuits plus the one for the District of Columbia. That’s where the ping-pong balls came in to play. Under federal law, cases challenging federal agency actions get consolidated upon the agency’s request if they are filed in multiple circuit courts. Each circuit where a challenge is filed within the first 10 days of the agency taking action has an equal chance of being selected. It was up to the judicial panel’s clerk, John W. Nichols, to select a ping-pong ball from a bin, according to a Tuesday court filing by the panel. The office denied a request by The Associated Press to allow media access to the drawing. Previously this year, the lottery had been used to assign just two cases. One involved fallout from a National Labor Relations Board ruling on an anti-union Twitter message by Tesla founder Elon Musk where objectors filed in two circuits. The other was over orders from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in which objectors filed in three. The employer vaccine mandate is higher profile and further reaching. It calls for businesses with more than 100 workers to require employees to be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or wear masks and be tested weekly for COVID-19. Exemptions are provided for religious reasons and for those who work at home or only outdoors. Because it’s an unusual rule from the workplace safety agency, there is no consensus among lawyers on how the challenges will go. OSHA has issued just 10 emergency rules in the half century since it was formed. Of the six challenged in court, only one survived intact. The Biden administration has insisted it’s on strong legal footing. It also has the backing of the American Medical Association, which filed papers in support of the mandate. “The AMA’s extensive review of the medical literature demonstrates that COVID-19 vaccines authorized or approved by FDA are safe and effective, and the widespread use of those vaccines is the best way to keep COVID-19 from spreading within workplaces,” the group said in its filing. Among those challenging the rule is a consortium of construction contractors. They say they want their workers vaccinated, but that a requirement only on larger companies is just pushing vaccine-hesitant workers to take jobs with companies that have fewer than 100 employees. “Crafting an unworkable rule that will do little to get construction workers vaccinated is an approach that is not only wrong, but likely counterproductive,” said Scott Casabona, president of Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance. Officials with the workplace safety agency say they’re considering extending the mandate to smaller employers. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit extended the stay of the OSHA rule in an opinion released on Nov. 12, expressing skepticism that the agency had authority to implement the vaccine requirement. The 6th Circuit could modify, revoke or extend the stay. It had not yet been determined which judges from the 6th Circuit will be on a three-judge panel to hear the case or whether it will be considered by all the judges. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the selection of the court. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.    

House votes to halt PennDOT plan to toll bridges for repairs

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A plan to add tolls on nine bridges suffered a setback Tuesday when the Pennsylvania state House passed a bill to void the proposal, although the legislation requires one more Senate vote and faces opposition from Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. The tolling plan would pay for the bridges’ repair or reconstruction, freeing up money from the new federal infrastructure bill for other projects across the state. But opponents say tolls would hurt the local economy near the bridges, and there wasn’t enough public input. “We are all elected to represent our areas and have a voice for them, but the way this transpired, we did not have a voice,” said Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, whose district would be affected by proposed tolls on the Interstate 83 South Bridge to Harrisburg. State representatives voted 125 to 74 for requiring legislative approval of specific proposals to add tolls. The bill would require PennDOT to publicly advertise toll proposals, take public comment and seek approval from both the governor and the Legislature. PennDOT has not made final decisions on which bridges to toll. Rep. Mike Carroll of Luzerne County, the ranking Democrat on the Transportation Committee, noted Republicans turned aside a Democratic proposal to require approval of specific projects by the Legislature when the Public Private Transportation Partnership was authorized by the majority Republican General Assembly in 2012. “It was your caucus’ idea,” Carroll told House Republicans. “You voted for it — your caucus. You advanced it to Gov. (Tom) Corbett and he signed it.” The infrastructure bill just approved in Washington  is a “sudden influx of money” that can be used to fund bridge repairs, said Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-Chester, the Transportation Committee chairman. “Frankly the citizens of Pennsylvania will have a hard time understanding the need for tolling in light of that,” Hennessey said. But Carroll warned that “Every single county in the state will have projects that do not get done if we have to dedicate $2 billion of the $4 billion to fix nine bridges.” Tolls would be between $1 and $2, probably both ways, to help pay for about $2.2 billion in construction work. The tolls would be put in place from the start of construction in 2023 and could last for 30 years, PennDOT officials have said. The nine that could be tolled are I-78’s Lenhartsville Bridge in Berks County; I-79’s bridges over State Route 50 in Allegheny County; I-80’s bridges across Canoe Creek in Clarion County, Nescopeck Creek in Luzerne County, North Fork in Jefferson County and the Lehigh River, near Wilkes-Barre; I-81 over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania; I-83’s South Bridge across the Susquehanna River; and Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia. The Public Private Transportation Partnership board gave PennDOT the go-ahead a year ago to pursue tolls, the first time it’s approved a plan involving user fees since it was created in 2012.

Ryder, Georgia Tech release autonomous trucking study

MIAMI — A new study on autonomous trucking conducted by Ryder System, Inc. and Georgia Tech is promising to be a road map for commercializing self-driving trucks at a significant cost savings. According to a news release, Ryder officials say the research is based on real-world data. “I’ve worked on a lot of different transportation problems in the past, and if you have 1% (cost) improvement, that’s magic,” said Pascal Van Hentenryck, chair and professor for innovation and entrepreneurship at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech. “Here, we’re talking about 29-40%, so it’s massive. It’s really massive.” Already familiar with ISyE through the Ryder Charitable Foundation’s support of research and scholarships at the university, Ryder officials approached Van Hentenryck, who leads the Socially Aware Mobility Lab, about the idea for such a study, the news release stated. “The challenge was for Van Hentenryck and his team of students and post-doctoral researchers to apply their multimodal approach for public transportation to autonomous freight transportation,” according to the news release. Analyzing real-world data from Ryder’s dedicated transportation network in the Southeast, Van Hentenryck and his team developed an Autonomous Transfer Hub Network (ATHN) that combines autonomous trucks on highways with conventional trucking operations for the first and final miles. The team then introduced optimization models for routing and dispatching, and evaluated the proposed autonomous network by comparing it with existing operations under various assumptions. The analyses indicated that the ATHN with optimization technology can reduce costs by 29% to 40% for a large network, depending on the price of autonomous trucks as well as the direct and indirect cost of operating them. “The team looked at our dedicated transportation network, where trucks and drivers are committed to specific customers. While that particular transportation model guarantees capacity 24/7, it also creates situations where our customers’ trucks haul empty trailers,” said Karen Jones, chief marketing officer and head of new product innovation for Ryder. The researchers’ ATHN and optimization models significantly reduced the number of miles driven with empty trailers, which accounts for a large part of the cost reduction. “In the transfer hub network, there is no need to return back empty after a delivery, and there is no need to limit working hours or to return to a domicile at the end of the day,” Van Hentenryck said. “As a result, only 35% of the automated distance is driven empty, compared to 50%. This means that even if autonomous trucks would be as expensive as trucks with drivers, costs would still go down by 10%.” The study found additional cost savings came from reduced labor costs and idle time. Researchers also factored in increased flexibility in delivery appointments to keep autonomous trucks moving around the clock. “In addition to the significant projected cost savings, I think this study is particularly notable because it is based on real-world data and addresses real industry challenges,” Jones said. “It’s clear that, in order to realize the full benefit of autonomous trucking, shippers, receivers, and 3PLs will need to evolve today’s operating practices to meet the needs of tomorrow’s robotic trucks.” Ryder is planning several pilot projects with autonomous trucking companies Embark, Gatik, TuSimple and Waymo. “Our goal with these strategic alliances and our collaboration with ISyE is to help accelerate autonomous trucking nationwide,” Jones said. “If you think about ever-escalating consumer demands combined with capacity constraints, driver shortages, and regulatory and safety pressures, autonomous technology is on track to solve a host of industry disruptions. “I think the work of Pascal and his team shows that we’re on the right track, and to have that kind of validation from world-class researchers at the top school for industrial and systems engineering—that’s priceless.”  

Mississippi highway project slated for 2022 completion

JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi highway construction project has been ongoing for four years this month after being set back by a series of delays. Mississippi Department of Transportation crews started working on a 7.5-mile section of Highway 49 between Richland and Florence in November 2017, WAPT-TV reports.  Crews are widening the highway from two lanes in each direction to three. “It was probably the worst highway in the state of Mississippi, as far as the smoothness and the congestion down here,” project engineer Brian Ratliff told the television station. The original completion date was August 2020. That has now been pushed back to summer 2022. Engineers said there have been a number of challenges, including extreme weather, like the ice storm that hit the region last February. “We have a limited amount of right-of-way. We had a lot of utilities we had to work around. We have a lot of traffic running up and down the road,” Ratliff said. The cost of the project is $253 million, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Michigan in store for major infrastructure improvements

LANSING, Mich. — The $1 trillion federal infrastructure spending law includes billions of dollars for Michigan, including to fix roads, replace lead water pipes and expand access to high-speed internet and electric vehicle charging stations. Members of Congress expect the historic level of funding to start reaching the state by spring. The aid must go to specific priorities, though the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will in many cases decide which projects to fund. The state and municipalities also will be able to apply to the federal government for competitive grants. “It’s not a stretch to say that this infrastructure bill is a generational investment,” said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Holly Democrat who likened it to construction of the national highway system. The legislation was supported by every Democrat in the delegation except Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit and by one Republican, Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph. What Michigan will receive: ROADS $7.2 billion in core federal highway program funding over five years, a $340 million — or 30% — annual increase. While road and bridge work is primarily funded with state fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, aid from the federal gas tax accounts for 28% of Michigan’s transportation budget. “We’re going to split that between MDOT and the local (road) agencies,” state transportation director Paul Ajegba said, noting that Whitmer previously authorized $3.5 billion in borrowing focused mostly on improving state-owned highways. “We think with this additional money, we can start tackling some of the issues in our trunk lines in the inner cities.” BRIDGES $563 million, or an additional $113 million a year, under a new program to replace or repair bridges. TRANSIT $1 billion for public transit. That is $47 million more annually, a 30% boost. WATER $1.3 billion to address aging water infrastructure, including to replace lead service lines and address groundwater contamination from “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. It was not immediately clear how much could be spent to swap out the pipes that can lead to elevated lead levels in a community’s drinking water if the supply is not properly treated like in Flint and Benton Harbor. Michigan has an estimated 460,000 such lines that generally must be replaced over 20 years. EV STATIONS $110M to expand the charging network for electric vehicles. The auto industry has committed to producing electric vehicles for as much as half of U.S. sales by the end of the decade. “If someone’s going to be making that next generation of cars, I want it to be us. Part of dealing with that is range anxiety that the average buyer feels because they don’t know that they can drive up north and successfully charge up,” Slotkin said. INTERNET At least $100 million to bring high-speed internet to more rural areas that lack adequate broadband infrastructure. Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters has said about 400,000 residents lack access. Roughly 2.5 million low-income people will be eligible for a subsidy to make it more affordable. CLIMATE CHANGE $304 million to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change on roads and other parts of the transportation network. An unspecified portion of $500 million nationally so states can provide low-interest loans to local governments to reduce the risk of natural disasters. Peters, who secured the funding, said projects could include seawalls and storm water drains to address extreme flooding, shoreline erosion and rising water levels.

Love’s donates more than $1M to United Way

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops contributed just over $1,036,900 to the United Way of Central Oklahoma through its annual employee campaign in 2021. Since 1999, Love’s has donated more than $8.5 million to the organization, according to a company news release. “Love’s corporate employees really enjoy the annual United Way campaign because they can give back to organizations in the town they live in and that are important to them,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “The life-changing work the United Way does is vital to the Greater Oklahoma City area, and I’m amazed to see the numerous ways our team members step up to help their fellow citizens each year, especially this year when they donated a record amount.” For this year’s campaign, money was raised by Love’s corporate employees who pledged funds and participated in virtual auctions and raffles. Love’s also matched employee contributions by 50%. Other components contributing to the total included vendor donations and donations earlier this year to the Homeless Alliance and Positive Tomorrows. “We’re so appreciative of Love’s Travel Stops and the generosity shown by its corporate leadership and employees,” said Debby Hampton, president and CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma. “Year after year, Love’s rallies around our community and provides our partner agencies with the funds they need to serve central Oklahomans. The philanthropic leadership of Love’s continues to help us build a stronger, healthier and more compassionate community.” In 2020, more than 60,000 residents received shelter, food and/or material goods through the United Way of Central Oklahoma. All donations raised during Love’s campaign will go to the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s 55 partner agencies to help address issues ranging from homelessness to food insecurities and crisis intervention.

Semi annihilates passenger car in accident

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — A Peterbilt traveling along the Interstate 5 Skagit River Bridge in Washington State Tuesday crashed into the rear end of a passenger car, folding the car’s back end into its roof, then driving over the rest of it. The car was destroyed. According to a Twitter post by Washington State Trooper Rocky Oliphant, there were no serious injuries reported. “There’s really not a word to describe this collision,” Oliphant wrote on Twitter. “Miraculously believed to be minor injuries. The car was struck from behind, folded the car in half, and semi came to rest on top of the car. In my 14-year career, I have never seen anything like it.” Further details about the accident were not provided.

Atmospheric river pummels Washington State

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Nearly 50,000 Washington state electrical customers still had no power Tuesday after days of heavy rain triggered mudslides and floods and forced the closure of the West Coast’s main north-south highway near the Canadian border, officials said. The rains caused by an atmospheric river — a huge plume of moisture extending over the Pacific and into Washington and Oregon — was easing and road crews managed to reopen southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Bellingham, Washington. But the highway’s northbound lanes were still closed in the area. At the height of the storm, about 158,000 electrical customers on Monday had no power and schools in the city of Bellingham were closed on Tuesday for the second day in a row. North of Bellingham, authorities said one person was still missing Tuesday after being seen in floodwaters clinging to a tree. And a motorist in Bellingham was injured when a tree fell on a vehicle. Evacuations were ordered in multiple areas as floodwaters swamped business districts and partially submerged cars in communities north of Seattle and winds gusted at speeds of 60 mph, including one gust of 58 mp at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Forecasters predicted drier conditions on Tuesday but the National Weather Service issued flood warnings for several rivers around western Washington. Early Tuesday the National Weather Service said there was good news in that the Skagit River at Mount Vernon would crest at near 36 feet — more than a foot below the previous estimate. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a severe weather state of emergency in 14 counties and said the state Emergency Management Division, with support from the Washington National Guard, would coordinate the response. In the town of Hamilton about 80 miles northeast of Seattle, cars and trailers were packed into the parking lot outside the Red Cross evacuation site at Hamilton Baptist Church, where dozens of residents are waiting out the storm, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. Skagit County officials compared the flood to severe flooding in 2009, when the Skagit and Samish rivers overflowed and caused damage to homes, farms and infrastructure, As the water made its way down the swollen Skagit River, people were warned to expect flooding and evacuation orders for other communities. And just south of the Canadian border in the community of Sumas, Washington, officials said city hall was flooded in a soaking that reminded people of severe floods in 1990. Deputies evacuated stranded residents and the person who was still missing had been swept away by floodwaters after being seen holding on to the tree, said police from the small city of Everson in Facebook posting. The motorist injured in Bellingham was seriously hurt early Monday while traveling on Interstate 5. Bellingham’s record rainfall on Sunday totaled 2.78 inches, crushing the prior daily record from 1998 of 0.88 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Another 1.89 inches poured down on Bellingham on Monday. West of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula, several highways were partially closed and the U.S. Coast Guard helped local authorities evacuate about 10 people near the town of Forks. In nearby Quillayute, a daily record rainfall of 4.01 inches was set on Monday.

U.S. solicitor general now involved in California AB5 suit

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is asking the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office for its opinion on the California Trucking Association’s (CTA) arguments against California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5). The solicitor general of the United States is the fourth-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. California adopted AB5 in 2019 to expand a 2018 ruling by the California Supreme Court that limits businesses from classifying certain workers as independent contractors. The bill sought to determine who was an actual employee of a company — in other words, a worker with access to the full range of benefits and rights. The bill was originally directed toward the “gig” economy, such as Uber drivers, but found a home in the trucking industry. In essence, when the bill was signed into law, it endangered the independent contractor business model for trucking companies in California. “The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to call for the view of the solicitor general validates the critical nature of reviewing AB5’s disruptive impact in the midst of a historic, global supply chain crisis,” CTA CEO Shawn Yadon said in a statement. “Since the introduction of AB5, the California Trucking Association has worked to protect the more than 70,000 owner-operators in California who choose to work independently because of the freedom, flexibility and business grown potential that this model has afforded them for decades. These small-business truckers face irreparable damage should AB5 be enforced.” In the 2018 ruling, the California Supreme Court’s established the ABC Test, which considers all workers to be employees unless a business can show that three things are established. The test states that “(A) A worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact; (B) A worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and C) A worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.” When the CTA sued in 2019, the U.S. Southern District Court of California granted a preliminary injunction to stop the state from enforcing AB5 on motor carriers. The trucking group argues that AB5 violates the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, which prevents states from enforcing a law or regulation related to a price, route or service of motor carriers. On April 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 that California’s AB5 “is a generally applicable labor law” and called for the removal of the preliminary injunction. Two months later, the Ninth Circuit denied CTA’s petition for a rehearing. The CTA then filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. That petition allowed the injunction to continue until the case is either heard or rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.