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CBP agents rescue nearly 50 people locked in trailer

LAREDO, Texas — Nearly 50 people were found locked in a trailer near Freer, Texas, during an alleged human smuggling attempt this week, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Shortly after midnight on Sept. 15, Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Freer Station stopped a tractor-trailer at the checkpoint on U.S. 59. During primary inspection, a K-9 alerted agents to the rig, which was referred for a secondary inspection. During the secondary inspection, agents found close to 50 people locked inside the trailer, which had an interior temperature of more than 90 degrees. All were determined to be in the U.S. illegally and were from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

As Congress tackles infrastructure, truckers left circling the lot

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Sept. 15 advanced transportation and climate legislation that would invest nearly $60 billion in America’s infrastructure. As of this writing, a date had not been set for the full House to vote on the measure. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are praising the bill as a means for reducing carbon emissions, rebuilding America and creating new jobs. The transportation bill will be included as part of the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, which President Joe Biden has said is one of his top priorities and key to his Build Back Better plan. Biden has said the United States must rebuild its infrastructure to withstand the nation’s new era of ever-strengthening natural disasters. Building back as it was before won’t be good enough, the president has said. But what’s in it for America’s truckers? Not nearly enough, according to several trucking industry groups. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said in a statement that the bill doesn’t address what it calls America’s truck-parking crisis. “Despite the long history of broad, bipartisan support, numerous government studies and repeated pleas from truck drivers, Democrats on the (House Transportation and Infrastructure) Committee opposed efforts to address trucking’s No. 1 safety concern, the lack of safe parking,” OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer wrote. “Truckers likely face another five years of a worsening crisis that jeopardizes their safety on a daily basis.” David Heller, vice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association, said TCA isn’t pleased with the bill, either. “Trucker parking is priority No. 1 for most truckers out there,” Heller said, adding that passing a bill that would make parking easier for big rigs “would go a long way toward making the life of a trucker better. We will continue talking about this issue. Our day will come.” Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) introduced an amended piece of legislation to the House that would have addressed trucker parking, but it failed. In a statement to The Trucker, Bost blamed Democrats. “Growing up in a family trucking business, I am all too familiar with the shortage of safe truck parking options along our nation’s highways,” Bost wrote. “This is not only a safety concern for truckers, but also for the commuters who share the road with them. I have offered commonsense amendments three times in the House to provide funding to address this problem, and the Democrat majority has blocked them each time,” he continued. “They have paid lip service to America’s trucking community and claimed to understand their concerns, yet this $3.5 trillion bill includes zero funding for truck parking. Not a penny. It just goes to show that they don’t care about this problem at all.” The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s chair, Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) praised the infrastructure bill, saying in a statement that it tackles climate change, racial and environmental injustices and will work to “build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.” “With this legislation, we can reduce carbon pollution from the transportation sector that’s driving the climate crisis and make communities more resilient to extreme weather events,” DeFazio added. “(We can) connect people with good-paying jobs and affordable housing; address the planning mistakes of the past by reconnecting communities; make meaningful investments to plan for and develop high-speed rail projects; provide more people access to clean water; and make our aviation and maritime sectors greener. I look forward to seeing Congress pass this once-in-a-generation legislation because we can’t afford to squander this opportunity.” The reconciliation bill proposes: $10 billion to support access to affordable housing and enhance mobility for low-income individuals and residents of disadvantaged or persistent poverty communities. $4 billion for reduction of carbon pollution in the surface transportation sector—addressing the largest source of transportation greenhouse gas emissions. $4 billion to support neighborhood equity, safety, and affordable transportation access, including reconnecting communities divided by existing infrastructure barriers. $6 billion to advance local surface transportation projects. $1 billion to the Department of Transportation to support projects that develop, demonstrate, or apply low-emission technologies or produce, transport, blend, or store sustainable aviation fuels. $500 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program. $425 million for grants for the construction, retrofit, technological enhancement, and updated planning requirements of state, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency operation centers. $9.5 billion to the Economic Development Administration to provide investments in persistently distressed communities, provide assistance to energy and industrial transition communities, invest in public works projects, and create regional hubs. $1 billion to the General Services Administration to invest in high-performance green buildings. $1 billion for climate resilient Coast Guard infrastructure. $2.5 billion to the Maritime Administration to support more sustainable port infrastructure and supply chain resilience. $2 billion to invest in sewer overflow and stormwater reuse projects, as well as a greater federal coast share for projects that serve financially distressed communities. $500 million in grant assistance to invest in the backlog of wastewater projects on Tribal lands. Biden, during a stop in Arvada, Colo., on Sept. 14, said the infrastructure bill is vital toward helping to reduce global warming. He used the wildfires in California and Hurricane Ida as examples of changing weather patterns affecting the United States. Biden said that reducing carbon emissions is key, adding that he is working with America’s car manufacturers to build more electric vehicles. Nothing specific to 18-wheelers was mentioned during Biden’s Sept. 14 remarks, however. Back at OOIDA, Spencer, in his statement about trucker parking, wrote that “addressing the parking shortage would also have supported efforts to reduce carbon emission from the transportation sector. Truck drivers waste approximately 56 minutes per day looking for parking, all the while needlessly burning fuel, emitting carbon and contributing to congestion. “It’s tough to swallow the fact that in a year when Congress is authorizing hundreds-of-billions of dollars for infrastructure projects and highway safety programs, not a single penny was set aside for truck parking.”          

Audit: NC DOT spent less than planned, but risks remain

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Department of Transportation (DOT) spent less than predicted in the second half of 2020, a state performance audit showed. But the report’s authors said the agency hadn’t carried out key recommendations from an audit last year that found several hundred million dollars in overspending. The audit, announced Sept. 14 by State Auditor Beth Wood, showed that DOT spent $2.52 billion for the six months ending last Dec. 31, or $325 million less than its baseline spending forecast. But the improved financial result didn’t happen due to efforts by DOT management to spend for roads and other projects based on realistic expectations, the report contends. “Consequently, the fact that the department had not yet exceeded its spending plan was largely due to chance,” the auditors wrote. The agency remains at risk for spending overages because it hadn’t carried out 2020 recommendations by Wood’s office, the audit said. They include basing the spending plan on specific projects and operations, and monitoring activities at DOT’s 14 regional highway construction and maintenance offices. In an attached response, DOT Secretary Eric Boyette wrote that the agency agrees with the findings and is now working to carry out the 2020 recommendations. For example, DOT said, regional highway office engineers receive biweekly maintenance spending reports, and regional staff meet with higher-ups when spending goes outside recommended ranges. And purchases above $500 are reviewed for approval by the regional engineer or chief engineer, depending on the amount. “While full implementation is not complete, progress has been made and is continuing,” Boyette wrote. A state law, approved following the 2020 audit and as COVID-19-related revenues for road-building declined, gave legislative leaders the authority to pick six Board of Transportation members. DOT performance audits are now required annually. And a new position was created within Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget office to scrutinize DOT, which is one of the governor’s Cabinet departments. DOT finances are in significantly better shape compared to three years ago, when widespread storm repairs required outsized spending that led to a 2019 cash bailout of the agency. 2020 revenue declines related to COVID-19 delayed construction and led to department-wide furloughs. The department’s unreserved cash balance was $1.1 billion at the end of 2020, compared to just $214 million six months earlier, according to DOT data. The balance has now soared to just over $2 billion. By Gary D. Robertson, The Associated Press

Indiana couple arrested after husband’s wreck with semi

POSEY COUNTY, Indiana – Indiana State Police (ISP) arrested a man on Sept. 13 after he hit an 18-wheeler with his pickup on State Road 165 approximately a half-mile north of Interstate 64. In a report, ISP said that alcohol was a contributing factor. A short time later, ISP arrested the man’s wife after she hit her husband’s truck at the scene of the first wreck. ISP said that alcohol was a contributing factor in that accident as well. The 18-wheeler driver wasn’t injured. Donald Ricketts, 56, had called his wife, Cheral Ricketts, 55, to pick him up from the scene before police arrived, the ISP report said. He had driven his 2019 Nissan Frontier across the center line and struck the big rig on the driver’s side of the cab, according to the report. When officers arrived on scene, Donald and Cheral Ricketts both “displayed signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests,” the report said. Cheral Ricketts was taken to Deaconess Gibson Hospital by Indiana State Police, where a preliminary test revealed she had a BAC of .22%. In Indiana, anything at .08% or above makes it illegal to drive a passenger vehicle. She was later taken to the Posey County Jail, where she is currently being held on bond. Donald Ricketts was also taken to Deaconess Gibson Hospital, where a preliminary test revealed he had a BAC of .28%.  He was admitted for a medical issue that is not life-threating.

Truckers Against Trafficking inducted into Howe’s Hall of Fame

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is the first inductee to the Howes Hall of Fame’s class of 2021, Howes announced Sept. 15. TAT, a 501c3 organization, is working to build a mobile army of transportation professionals, who are uniquely positioned to spot the signs of human trafficking on the road, to fight against the practice. “We are truly honored and inspired by our induction into the Howes Hall of Fame,” said Kendis Paris, executive director of TAT. “With more and more truckers getting involved each day, we genuinely appreciate the recognition by Howes as it shines a light that will serve to draw in even more drivers, growing our network of eyes and ears even further, in pursuit of our goal to eradicate human trafficking.” According to TAT’s website, human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which people are bought and sold for forced labor or commercial sex. Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 United States, with the total number of victims in the country estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Globally, more than 40 million people are believed to be victims of human trafficking. While illegal, human trafficking has become a booming business. Traffickers recruit out of schools, online and in shopping malls, as well as on the streets and other locations. Many of the people being trafficked are women and children, and many are used in the sex industry. According to TAT, these victims are “the prostituted people on the street and in private homes, and in legitimate businesses such as restaurants, truck stops and motels. They need to be identified and recovered.” “We are in awe of the incredible work being done by Truckers Against Trafficking and are truly honored to induct them into our Howes Hall of Fame,” commented Erika Howes, VP of Business Development at Howes Products. “With around 3,000 hotline calls having been made and over 1,300 victims having been identified so far, it is easy to see the real impact Truckers Against Trafficking is making. We invite everyone in the trucking and related industries to take action, get certified, and become an everyday hero.” TAT believes truck drivers are the “eyes and ears” of the nation’s highways, and has developed a certification program to provide drivers with the tools to recognize the signs of trafficking and how to safely report it via an anonymous hotline. The hotline, operated by the nonprofit Polaris, is accessible 24/7, allowing witnesses to report crimes quickly, often right as they’re happening. This training can and has changed the fate of victims desperately in need. Having educated over 1.2 million truckers, TAT also works to build coalitions between managers of truck stops/travel plazas and the law enforcement that investigate trafficking cases on their lots. “While TAT has received numerous awards over the years, the recognition and honors that come from within the industry itself are truly the ones that mean the most,” said Kylla Lanier, deputy director of TAT. “We’ve been partners with Howes for a number of years, and the passion that they have to combat human trafficking by raising awareness within their sphere of influence has been exciting to see,” she continued. “We hope, alongside Howes’ leadership, that with our induction into the Howes Hall of Fame, more drivers and industry members may become aware of the problem of human trafficking and also their critical role in combating it.” To find out more about TAT’s mission and training, click here.

DriveOhio releases freight electrification study

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the automotive and trucking industries begin to shift toward alternative fuels, DriveOhio is touting a plan that they say will help make the transition smoother for all involved. Building on the Ohio electric vehicle (EV) charging strategy released last year, the report details how to move the freight and logistics industries into the use of EVs. “Ohio is the crossroads of America; we rank second in intermodal logistics facilities and sixth in volume of freight moving in and out of our state,” said Executive Director of DriveOhio Howard Wood. “As the auto industry continues to make major investments in electric vehicles and the infrastructure that powers them, we must be ready to pivot and adapt to a changing domestic and global economy. Working with the freight and logistics industry, this study adds important data to the electrification conversation as this ecosystem continues to mature in Ohio and across the nation.” In the report, vehicles were grouped into categories – terminal and off-road, last-mile delivery, local freight and drayage, and regional and long-haul – and feedback was collected from those in the industry who have already begun to use EVs as part of their fleets. Collectively, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Bimbo Bakeries, PITT Ohio, Firefly Transportation Services (now Lazer Spot Inc.), and R&L Carriers cite increased safety, reduced carbon emissions, driver preference, and a competitive edge and job creation as reasons to electrify their fleet operations, according to DriveOhio. “Ohio is focused on maintaining its position as a manufacturing leader,” said Jack Marchbanks, Ohio Department of Transportation director. “The viability, pace, and ultimate success of transitioning the freight sector to electric vehicles will require collaboration across all levels of government and private industry. Ohio has an opportunity to help lead the shift to a 21st century transportation economy.” Looking to the future, DriveOhio’s Freight Electrification Study suggests that government and industry leaders work together to ensure that there is reliable charging infrastructure, timely utility coordination and standard electricity prices. “The opportunities in Ohio for employment as an electrician are unparalleled,” said Dan Spurgeon, vice president for Service and Special Projects at The Superior Group, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. “EV infrastructure, beneficial electrification, data warehousing, and utility-scale solar projects currently being constructed represent a massive quantity of labor hours.”

Toll road crash claims life of Ohio trucker

LaGrange County, Ind. — A 67-year-old Ohio trucker died after his rig rear-ended the trailer of another 18-wheeler on Sept. 13 on the Interstate 80 toll road near the 125.7 mile marker in LaGrange County, according to an Indiana State Police (ISP) report. The accident happened at around 5:10 p.m., the report noted. When they arrived on scene, troopers found Herbert Meade’s 2020 Mack — which had crashed into the trailer of a 2018 Kenworth driven by Michael D. Ashley, 57, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio — badly damaged. The impact trapped him inside his cab, and he suffered from “serious, traumatic injuries,” according to the ISP report. “By the time medical crews were able to get to Meade to provided medical assistance, he had succumbed to his injuries,” the report said. “He was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaGrange County coroner.” ISP said that Meade was traveling eastbound in the left lane of I-80 following behind Ashley when the accident occurred. “At the time, the eastbound lanes of I-80 were restricted down to the left lane due to road construction,” according to the report. “Traffic ahead had slowed or stopped due to that construction. Ashley began slowing for the stopped traffic; however, Meade’s truck was following too closely and failed to get stopped, subsequently crashing into the rear of the Kenworth’s semi-trailer. Meade’s truck sustained heavy damage to the driver’s side of the cab area, causing his entrapment and fatal injuries.” Ashley was able to exit his truck uninjured. This crash remains under investigation.  

Highway in Indiana, Michigan reopens after chemical spill

Updated 5 p.m. CDT, Sept. 14, 2021 FREMONT, Ind. — A highway in northeastern Indiana and southern Michigan reopened Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 14, after a chemical leak forced its closure. Interstate 69 in Steuben County and adjacent southern Michigan has reopened, Indiana State Police said. The only area that remained closed was the southbound ramp of I-69 to Baker Road. A tanker truck leaked about 6,000 gallons of liquid nitric acid after a valve broke at a truck stop in Fremont, Indiana, Steuben County Emergency Management Director Randy Brown told WANE-TV. Interstate 69 in both states was shut down about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Brown said the chemical flowed into a ditch along the highway. Lime was being applied to the liquid in the ditch. Some nearby side roads also were closed temporarily. From 10:18 a.m. CDT, Sept. 14, 2021: FREMONT, Ind. — A chemical leak has forced the closure of a highway in northeastern Indiana and southern Michigan. A tanker truck leaked about 6,000 gallons of liquid nitrous acid after a valve broke at a Pilot Truck Stop in Fremont, Indiana, Steuben County Emergency Management Director Randy Brown told  WANE-TV. Interstate 69 in both states was shut down at mile marker 356 about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Brown said the chemical poured into a ditch along the highway. Lime was being applied to the liquid in the ditch. Some nearby side roads also were closed.

Nicholas, now tropical storm, dumps rain along Gulf Coast

HOUSTON — Tropical Storm Nicholas hit the Texas coast early Tuesday, Sept. 14, as a hurricane and dumped more than a foot of rain along the same area swamped by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, drenching storm-battered Louisiana, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people and bringing the potential for life-threatening flash floods across the Deep South. Nicholas made landfall on the eastern part of the Matagorda Peninsula and was soon downgraded to a tropical storm. It was about 15 miles south-southwest of Houston, with maximum winds of 60 mph as of 7 a.m. CDT Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Nicholas was the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Galveston, Texas, saw nearly 14 inches of rain from Nicholas, while Houston reported more than 6 inches of rain — a fraction of what fell during Harvey, which dumped more than 60 inches of rain in southeast Texas over a four-day period. Nicholas is moving so slowly it will dump several inches of rain as it crawls over Texas and southern Louisiana, meteorologists said. This includes areas already struck by Hurricane Ida and devastated last year by Hurricane Laura. Parts of Louisiana are saturated with nowhere for the extra water to go, so it will flood, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. “It’s stuck in a weak steering environment,” McNoldy said Tuesday. So, while the storm itself may weaken “that won’t stop the rain from happening. Whether it’s a tropical storm, tropical depression or post-tropical blob, it’ll still rain a lot and that’s not really good for that area.” The storm was moving north-northeast at 8 mph, and the center of Nicholas was expected to move slowly over southeastern Texas on Tuesday and over southwestern Louisiana on Wednesday. Nicholas, expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Wednesday, and could dump up to 20 inches of rain in parts of central and southern Louisiana. Much of Texas’ coastline was under a tropical storm warning that included potential flash floods and urban flooding. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said authorities placed rescue teams and resources in the Houston area and along the coast. In Houston, officials worried that heavy rain could inundate streets and flood homes. Authorities deployed high-water rescue vehicles throughout the city and erected barricades at more than 40 locations that tend to flood, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday. “This city is very resilient. We know what we need to do. We know about preparing,” said Turner, referencing four major flood events that have hit the Houston area in recent years, including devastating damage from Harvey. Meteorologist Kent Prochazka of the National Weather Service told The Associated Press early Tuesday that Nicholas’ winds downed trees in coastal counties and caused some gas stations to lose awnings. “Right before it made landfall, it abruptly intensified into a hurricane and as it moved inland, the pressures began to rise with it. The winds have relaxed slightly and now we’re getting down into tropical storm force (winds),” he said. CenterPoint Energy reported that over 450,000 customers were without power as the storm rolled through Houston. Numerous school districts along the Texas Gulf Coast canceled classes Monday and Tuesday because of the storm. The weather threat also closed multiple COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites in the Houston and Corpus Christi areas and forced the cancellation of a Harry Styles concert scheduled for Monday evening in Houston. A tornado or two may be possible Tuesday along the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coast, according to the weather service. Nicholas brought rain to the same area of Texas that was hit hard by Harvey, which was blamed for at least 68 deaths, including 36 in the Houston area. After Harvey, voters approved the issuance of $2.5 billion in bonds to fund flood-control projects, including the widening of bayous. The 181 projects designed to mitigate damage from future storms are at different stages of completion. McNoldy, the hurricane researcher, said Nicholas is bringing far less rain than Harvey did. “It’s not crazy amounts of rain. It isn’t anything like Hurricane Harvey kind of thing with feet of rain,” McNoldy said. Harvey not only stalled for three days over the same area; it moved a bit back into the Gulf of Mexico, allowing it to recharge with more water. Nicholas won’t do that.” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Sunday night, ahead of the storm’s arrival in a state. On Monday, Misty Tran dreaded the thought of Nicholas reaching as far east as her home south of New Orleans in Empire, Louisiana. Ida damaged the roof of Tran’s mobile home. A tarp covers the roof now, Tran said, but it wouldn’t be a match for even a weak storm. “A tarp can only do so much,” said Tran, helping clean up at a marina where she works. The storm was expected to bring the heaviest rainfall west of where Ida slammed into Louisiana two weeks ago. Ida has been blamed for 86 deaths throughout the United States. Across Louisiana, about 93,000 customers remained without power Tuesday morning, according to the utility tracking site poweroutage.us. Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said via Twitter that only four other years since 1966 have had 14 or more named storms by Sept. 12 — 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2020. By Juan A. Lozano. Associated Press writers Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas; Jay Reeves in Empire, Louisiana; Julie Walker in New York; and AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

NTSB chief: focus on road safety must shift to entire system

DETROIT — The new chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board wants governments and businesses to change the way they look at highway safety, considering the whole system rather than individual driver behavior. Jennifer Homendy, nominated by President Joe Biden earlier this year, said such an approach works in aviation, where there were no U.S. fatalities last year. On the roads, there were 38,680 deaths nationwide, the greatest number since 2007. More than 8,700 motor vehicle deaths were reported in the first three months of 2021, up 10.5% from a year earlier. At the same time, vehicle miles traveled declined. “The current approach, which favors automobiles and punishes only drivers for crashes, is clearly not working,” she said Monday in remarks prepared for a speech to the Governors Highway Safety Association conference in Denver. “If we are going to get to zero, we will have to do something different.” Homendy used speeding as an example of the “Safe System Approach” to road safety. Rather than focusing solely on drivers, she questioned whether the whole system failed. She asked whether road designs encourage high speeds, or whether “ill-conceived” federal guidance has led to increasing speed limits in states. She also asked about states that take away the ability of local authorities to set lower speed limits and “manufacturers who design vehicles that can exceed 100 miles per hour or that have no speed limiters.” Speeding-related crashes rose 11% last year, she said, with troopers in her home state of Virginia posting images on social media of tickets to speeding drivers, one for going 115 mph in an area with a 55 mph speed limit. She told the group of state and territorial highway safety officials that speed limits and laws against impaired driving still have to be enforced. But she said enforcement alone can’t make the roads safer. Homendy called on road designers, public health officials, governors, vehicle makers, transportation providers and communities to share a new vision. “The carnage on our roads has to stop. You know it, and I know it,” she said. The NTSB investigates road crashes and other transportation incidents, but it has no regulatory authority. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulates vehicles, while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates trucking companies. The Federal Highway Administration is responsible for roadways.

Former trucker tackles 10,000-mile motorcycle ride as part of MS fundraiser

TAMPA, Fla. — Transflo and Geotab is sponsoring Shawn Kitchen in this year’s MS 5000 fundraiser. Kitchen, an endurance motorcyclist and former truck driver, will attempt to ride more than 10,000 miles across the continental U.S. in a 16-day period this month. Proceeds from MS 5000 benefit MS Views and News, a nonprofit and 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing information and resources to those who’ve been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative neurological disorder affecting more than 1 million people in the U.S. The MS 5000 fundraiser is organized each year by Paul Pelland, an endurance motorcyclist who was diagnosed with MS in 2003. Since then, he has been trying to ride 1 million miles on his motorcycle to raise awareness and funds for MS support. As part of the MS 5000, riders individually compete for and earn points by driving long distances on their bikes, and raising donations, between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20. Kitchen, with his 2016 Honda Goldwing, won the competition last year, earning the most points and raising the most money. Transflo’s title sponsorship, in conjunction with Geotab, of Kitchen’s 2021 ride will fund expenses such as fuel and lodging for Kitchen’s 16-day trip. Individual donations raised by Kitchen will be given directly to MS 5000. “I owe a huge amount of thanks to Transflo and Geotab,” Kitchen said. “Without their involvement, I wouldn’t even be able to attempt this endurance ride and the fundraising opportunity it presents for MS 5000 and MS Views and News. The older I get, the more I’ve come to realize that our lives are best lived in service of other people. Riding my motorcycle reached a new level of enjoyment when I started doing it to benefit others.” Meeting Paul Pelland gave Kitchen a first-hand look at how MS affects the human body. “I saw the things that people have to give up in their lives because MS strips them of their physical ability to do it,” Kitchen noted. “But I’ve watched Paul ride, and I’ve seen how it’s been a form of therapy for him. He’s trying to do something big for the cause of MS, and he inspired me to do something big, too, and to become an advocate for him.” Kitchen drove a truck professionally for 16 years, operating across various segments — long-haul and regional dry van, tanker, flatbed, and local pickup and delivery. He then transitioned to various other roles, including driver trainer, recruiter and safety manager, at multiple fleets. He’s now director of operations True Load Tim, a startup that aims to document and reduce time drivers spend detained at shipper and receiver facilities. “Transflo is proud to sponsor Shawn’s attempt to visit the four corners of the United States as part of his fundraising ride for MS,” said Don Mitchell, director of marketing for Transflo. “MS Views and News provides direct service and support for those who have been diagnosed with MS, with a special emphasis on those in rural parts of the country. We wish Shawn a safe, fun, and successful journey.” In addition, in honor of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 12-18, Transflo is offering a free version of Transflo Mobile+ to drivers across North America, Mitchell said. To follow Kitchen’s ride live, click here. Donations to MS 5000 can be made here.

Tropical Storm Nicholas threatens Gulf Coast with heavy rain

HOUSTON — Tropical Storm Nicholas was strengthening just off the Gulf Coast and could make landfall in Texas as a hurricane Monday, Sept. 13, as it brings heavy rain and floods to coastal areas from Mexico to storm-battered Louisiana. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said top sustained winds reached 60 mph. It was traveling north-northwest at 14 mph on a forecast track to pass near the South Texas coast later Monday, then move onshore along the coast of south or central Texas by Monday evening. Nicholas was centered roughly 45 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande River, and 200 miles south of Port O’Connor, Texas, as of Monday morning. A hurricane watch was issued from Port Aransas to Freeport, Texas. Much of the state’s coastline was under a tropical storm warning as the system was expected to bring heavy rain that could cause flash floods and urban flooding. Rainfall totals of up to 10 inches in Texas and southwest Louisiana were expected, with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches across portions of coastal Texas from Sunday night through midweek. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state has placed rescue teams and resources in the Houston area and along the Texas Gulf Coast. “This is a storm that could leave heavy rain, as well as wind and probably flooding, in various different regions along the Gulf Coast. We urge you to listen to local weather alerts, heed local warnings,” Abbott said in a video message. Nicholas is headed toward the same area of Texas that was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. That storm made landfall in the middle Texas coast then stalled for four days, dropping more than 60 inches of rain in parts of southeast Texas. Harvey was blamed for at least 68 deaths. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday night declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival in a state still recovering from Hurricane Ida and last year’s Hurricane Laura and historic flooding. “The most severe threat to Louisiana is in the southwest portion of the state, where recovery from Hurricane Laura and the May flooding is ongoing. In this area heavy rain and flash flooding are possible. However, it is also likely that all of south Louisiana will see heavy rain this week, including areas recently affected by Hurricane Ida,” Edwards said. The storm was expected to bring the heaviest rainfall west of where Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana two weeks ago. Although forecasters did not expect Louisiana to suffer from strong winds again, meteorologist Bob Henson at Yale Climate Connections predicted rainfall could still plague places where the hurricane toppled homes, paralyzed electrical and water infrastructure and left at least 26 people dead. “There could be several inches of rain across southeast Louisiana, where Ida struck,” Henson said in an email. Across Louisiana, just over 110,000 customers remained without power early Monday, according to the utility tracking site poweroutage.us. The storm is projected to move slowly up the coastland and could bring torrential rain over several days, said meteorologist Donald Jones of the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, Louisiana. “Heavy rain, flash flooding appears to be the biggest threat across our region,” he said. While Lake Charles received minimal impact from Ida, the city saw multiple wallops from Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta in 2020, a winter storm in February, and historic flooding this spring. “We are still a very battered city,” Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. He said the city is taking the threat of the storm seriously, as it does all tropical systems. “Hope and prayer is not a good game plan,” Hunter said. In Cameron Parish in coastal Louisiana, Scott Trahan is still finishing repairs on his home damaged from last year’s Hurricane Laura that put about 2 feet of water in his house. He hopes to be finished by Christmas. He said many in his area have moved instead of rebuilding. “If you get your butt whipped about four times, you are not going to get back up again. You are going to go somewhere else,” Trahan said. Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach said via Twitter that Nicholas is the 14th named storm of 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Only 4 other years since 1966 have had 14 or more named storms by Sept. 12: 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2020.

Firefighters advance on blaze that shut California highway

CASTAIC, Calif. — Firefighters were making progress on a wildfire that jumped across a Southern California freeway and spread across dry hillsides while a new blaze forced residents of a Northern California community to evacuate. The fire broke out Saturday afternoon, Sept. 11, near Castaic in northern Los Angeles County. Pushed by 10-15 mph winds, the blaze chewed through tinder-dry brush and jumped across the busy freeway, spread across more than a half of a square mile. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) closed a stretch of Interstate 5 for several hours as air tankers dropped bright-orange retardant on the flames. A large flareup sent heavy smoke drifting toward freeway lanes Sunday afternoon, the CHP reported. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital to treat burn injuries, said Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Angeles National Forest. Officials said the fire was about 63% contained Sunday, adding that firefighters made progress overnight with the help of water-dropping aircraft and an aggressive ground attack, Mitchell said. He said crews would take advantage of the beginning of a cooling trend Sunday to build containment lines. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Meanwhile, a fire that erupted Sunday afternoon prompted Mendocino County authorities to evacuate parts of Calpella, a community on the Russian River about 6 miles north of Ukiah. Video footage posted on Twitter shows the fire pushing in the direction of Lake Mendocino. Further north, residents of a mountain town devastated by the huge Caldor Fire south of Lake Tahoe will be allowed back Sunday to inspect the damage. Most of Grizzly Flat’s homes, as well as the school, post office, church and fire station were destroyed in the first days of the month-old fire. Evacuation orders were also lifted for homes along State Route 50 as containment of the 342-square-mile wildfire increased to 65%. President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration late Sunday for El Dorado County in an effort to provide federal funding to state, tribal and eligible local governments, plus certain private nonprofit organizations, who have been affected by damage from the Caldor Fire. Firefighters were diverted from battling the blaze to fight multiple overnight lightning fires when thunderstorms swept across the state Thursday night into Friday. The thunderstorms dropped light rain to slightly dampen the drought-stricken north, fire officials said. Up to a half-inch of rain fell on portions of the Dixie Fire, which began in mid-July and has burned through huge swaths of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. However, fire officials said the rain is drying fast and vegetation is becoming more flammable. The second-largest fire in California history has burned 1,500 square miles of land and more than 1,300 homes and other buildings. It was 65% contained.

Detour around planned closure of US 60 in Arizona to add extra hour of travel, 10% grade

GLOBE, Ariz. — Beginning at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, and continuing through noon Friday, Sept. 17, U.S. 60 between Superior and Miami, Arizona, will be closed to traffic. During the five-day closure, drivers should expect an extra hour of travel and a 10% grade as traffic is detoured onto State Routes 77 and 177 through Winkleman. Eastbound traffic in Superior will be directed onto State Route 177, and westbound traffic will be redirected at the west end of Miami. Drivers who have a destination within the closed segment of U.S. 60 will be allowed to pass the closure points, but no vehicles will be allowed between Top-of-the-World and Pinto Valley Mine Road. The closure, which is subject to change based on weather, is necessary while crews with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) realign the roadway to meet with the new Pinto Creek bridge. While ADOT has worked to minimize the impact of the bridge replacement project, the extended closure is required because of the work involved with shifting the highway roughly 30 feet while also raising it 8 feet to align with the new structure. Crews will work 24 hours a day during the highway closure. Looking forward, drivers should expect a four-hour closure sometime in October, when crews take down the old bridge. Through the rest of the year, occasional lane restrictions will be required as crews haul away remnants of the old bridge and complete other roadway improvements. For more information about the project, click here.

Oregon Transportation Commission grants conditional approval to I-5 proposal

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Transportation Commission has granted conditional approval to a plan to expand Interstate 5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter as well as build a cap over the freeway to allow for the redevelopment of a Black community destroyed when the interstate was first built. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that the commission’s unanimous decision on Thursday, Sept. 9, follows the recommendation of Gov. Kate Brown that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) pursue “hybrid option 3.” That plan would essentially tunnel the freeway and provide economic opportunity for the region’s Black community in an effort to reclaim the Albina district. Supporters say the idea is to remediate historic harm caused by the freeway’s original construction and displacement of community members. Approval of the hybrid 3 model is contingent upon ODOT providing a thorough analysis of the project’s cost structure and funding sources by December. It also requires ODOT and its contractors to update its diversity and subcontracting plans, and reevaluate the project’s initial environmental impact study. The project’s cost has risen significantly from its initial price tag of between $715 and $795 million to upwards of $1.18 billion. The project could top $1.4 billion if a more robust cap over the freeway is pursued to allow heavier development. Questions remain about where the state will find money to close the funding gap created by this iteration of the project.

Have a seat: Truck rollover scatters chairs along side of US 91 in Idaho

BLACKFOOT, Idaho — Chairs were scattered along the side of U.S. 91 north of Blackfoot, Idaho, Thursday, Sept. 9, when a box truck hauling a load of chairs ran off the road, causing the truck to overturn. Idaho State Troopers responding to the single-vehicle accident at about 9:52 a.m. were told the chairs were intended for delivery to the Eastern Idaho Fair. The driver of the truck, a 19-year-old man from Idaho Falls was the only occupant. He suffered what appeared to be minor injuries and was treated at the scene. The incident remains under investigation by the Idaho State Police.

FMCSA awards more than $76 million in grants to improve CMV safety

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) has awarded more than $76 million in grants to states and educational institutions to increase commercial motor vehicle safety. In a Sept. 8 statement, FMCSA announced that all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are slated to receive federal funds. The FMCSA grants include: $45.2 million in high priority (HP) grants to enhance states’ commercial motor vehicle safety efforts and advance technological capabilities within states.  The HP grant program consists of HP-Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) grants and HP-Innovative Technology Deployment (HP-ITD) grants. HP-CMV grants are designed to provide financial assistance for states’ commercial vehicle safety efforts, while HP-ITD grants provide financial assistance to advance the technological capability and promote the deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for CMV operations. To review a full list of this year’s HP grant recipients, click here. $29 million in commercial driver’s license program implementation (CDLPI) grants to enhance efforts by states to improve the national commercial driver’s license (CDL) program. The CDLPI grant program provides financial assistance to states to help them achieve compliance with FMCSA regulations concerning driver’s license standards and programs. In addition, the program provides financial assistance to other entities that are capable of executing national projects to aid states in their compliance efforts, which will improve the national CDL program. A full listing of this year’s CDLPI grant recipients can be seen here. $2 million in commercial motor vehicle operator safety training (CMV-OST) grants to 21 educational institutions to help train U.S. military veterans for jobs as commercial drivers. The CMV-OST grant program awards grants to a variety of educational institutions that provide commercial truck- and bus-driving training, including accredited public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck-driver training schools, associations, and state and local governments, including federally recognized Native American tribal governments. For a full listing of this year’s CMV-OST grant recipients, click here. In addition to the grants noted above, in May/April 2021, FMCSA awarded more than $304 million in motor carrier safety assistance program (MCSAP) grants. These funds will help state and local law enforcement agencies to use about 12,000 enforcement personnel to help reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles. For a full list of 2021 MCSAP grants, click here. In total, nearly 60% of FMCSA’s funding is provided to states and local communities through grant funding; all funding is intended to enhance commercial vehicle safety. “At FMCSA and USDOT our mission is to ensure that all road users, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, reach their destination safely,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi. “Together these grants represent the administration’s commitment to supporting strong state and local partnerships to reach our national goal of reducing commercial vehicle-involved crashes and saving lives.” The USDOT is also working through the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address truck driver retention issues. To learn more about FMCSA grants, click here.

USDOT awards Louisiana $5M to aid in Ida cleanup

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced Wednesday, Sept. 8, that it will give $5 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds to help the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) make repairs to roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Ida. “The Biden administration is using every lever at our disposal to help the State of Louisiana respond to this tragic disaster, including these emergency relief funds,” said U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “We pledge to work closely with our state and local partners to help restore and rebuild the critical transportation infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ida.” Hurricane Ida made initial landfall in Louisiana Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm. Following Ida’s landfall, Louisiana continued to experience high winds, storm surge and heavy rain. Significant flooding caused damage to highway and bridge infrastructure in more than 25 parishes throughout the state. The quick release funds will be used to fund emergency repairs to federal-aid highways. The work will consist of stabilizing impacted roadway embankments, repairing and rebuilding damaged roads and bridges — including bridge scour — and replacing destroyed signage. “FHWA will continue to work with Louisiana to provide technical assistance along with the necessary financial resources to make repairs promptly throughout the state and restore vital transportation links,” said acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. FHWA’s ER program provides funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These “quick release” ER funds are an initial installment of funds toward restoring this essential transportation link. Additional funds from the Emergency Relief program may be available later to continue repairs to roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Ida. This funding follows several other actions taken by USDOT and the entire federal government to address the impacts of Hurricane Ida. Several additional states were impacted by the storm, sustaining heavy damage and deaths because of tornadoes, storms and flooding.  

Trucker killed after rig hit by train

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — An 18-wheeler driver was killed just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, when a Kansas City Southern train struck the rig just northeast of Houston. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez reported the accident on his Twitter page, though few details were available. The driver’s name has not yet been released. Gonzalez tweeted that the truck was parked on the train tracks at 12299 Farm Road 1960 at Farm Road 2100 in the Huffman, Texas, area when it was hit. Gonzalez said the truck detached from the trailer and traveled around 30 feet down the tracks, bursting into flames and landing upside down. He said that “no chemicals were being transported; however, diesel fuel spilled on the tracks after the collision.”

ATRI asks members of trucking industry to rank top concerns

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is seeking input from drivers, motor carriers, equipment/tech suppliers, fuel suppliers, driver trainers, law enforcement and many others involved in the trucking industry. ATRI’s annual Top Industry Issues Survey asks trucking industry stakeholders to rank the top issues of concern for the industry, along with potential ways to address each issue. In addition to ranking the trucking industry’s overall issues, the survey provides details about critical topics that are ranked differently by motor carriers and drivers. The report also allows stakeholders to monitor issues over time to better understand which issues are rising, or falling, in criticality. “Completing this survey only takes a few minutes, but its impact can be immeasurable. The data ATRI provides will chart the course for the industry by providing a clear picture of the landscape we face,” said Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, chair of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and president and CEO of Garner Transportation Group. The results of the 2021 survey will be released Oct. 24 as part of ATA’s Management Conference & Exhibition to be held in Nashville, Tennessee. To complete the survey, click here. The survey will remain open through Oct. 15.