The Nation

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended a waiver that offers regulatory relief for commercial drivers with expired CDLs, commercial learner’s permits (CLPs) and medical cards. The waiver, initially enacted in March 2020, has been extended several times during the past year and was set to expire May 31, 2021. On May 26, 2021, FMCSA issued an extension that went into effect June 1, 2021 and will continue until Aug. 31, 2021. Under the extended waiver, state licensing agencies may — but are not required to — extend the validity of CDLs and CLPs that expired on or after March 1, 2020, through Aug. 31, 2021. States also have the option of waiving 14-day waiting period normally required to take the CDL skills test after the issuance of a CLP. In addition, medical certification waivers for drivers whose medical cards expired on or after March 21, 2021, are also extended until Aug. 31, 2021. Click here to view the waiver.

OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Otay Mesa commercial facility discovered nearly 6,000 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in commercial trucks in the space of one week. The first incident happened Saturday, May 15, when CBP officers discovered approximately 2,425 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of medical supplies. At about 9:45 a.m., a driver entered the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility with a tractor-trailer shipment hauling a shipment manifested as various medical supplies. The truck, driver and shipment were targeted for an intensive inspection. CBP officers screened the truck using the port’s imaging system and found anomalies within the cargo shipment. The truck was moved to an inspection dock, where a CBP officer with a K-9 screened the boxes of cargo, The dog alerted to one of the pallets of medical products. Officers offloaded the shipment and discovered 120 packages of methamphetamine, worth an estimated $5.5 million, mixed in with various medical supplies. The driver, a 29-year-old Mexican male, was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. The driver is facing federal charges and has been transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. “Most of what CBP officers see every day is legitimate travelers and legitimate cargo that needs to speed its way into the U.S. as a critical part of our economy,” said Anne Maricich, acting CBP director of field operations in San Diego, California. “But CBP officers know that we must remain vigilant; transnational criminal organizations will attempt any avenue they can think of to try and smuggle their illicit drugs into the U.S.” The second incident occurred on Tuesday, May 18, when more than 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine were found hidden within a shipment of watermelons. At about 6:45 p.m., CBP officers encountered a driver, truck and trailer with a shipment manifested as watermelons. During the inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver, along with the shipment, for an intensive examination. During the exam, a CBP K-9 team screened the tractor trailer and alerted to the shipment of watermelons. CBP officers searched the cargo and discovered a combination of 193 wrapped plastic containers and packages of methamphetamine concealed within the watermelon crates. The estimated street value of the methamphetamine is $2.5 million. The 47-year-old Mexican male driver was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. CBP officers turned the driver over to ICE-HSI. The driver is facing federal charges and has been transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego. The final seizure of the week involving a commercial truck was Friday, May 21. At about 4:45 p.m., CBP officers referred a truck driver for an intensive examination as he entered the U.S. CBP officers utilized the port’s imaging system to inspect of the shipment, which was manifested as plastic parts, and anomalies were observed. While the truck was parked at the dock, a K-9 team screened the shipment, and a detector dog alerted to one of the boxes in the truck. CBP officers searched the shipment and discovered 120 packages of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 2,421 pounds, concealed within the shipment of plastic parts. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $5.5 million. The 25-year-old Mexican citizen was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. CBP turned the driver over to the custody of agents with ICE-HSI. CBP officers seized the narcotics and conveyance. “These record-setting seizures at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry has dealt a significant blow to drug trafficking organizations operation in the region,” Maricich said. “These criminals should take notice that our CBP officers will work diligently to disrupt all types of drug smuggling attempts at our ports of entry.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is warning naysayers in Congress not to “get in the way” of his big infrastructure plans as the White House panned a counteroffer from Republican senators to tap unused COVID-19 relief for a more modest investment in roads, highways and other traditional public works projects. After touring a manufacturing technology center Thursday, May 27, at a community college in Cleveland, Biden held up a card with the names of Republican lawmakers who had rejected his coronavirus aid bill in Washington but later promoted its assistance when they were back home in front of voters. He warned them not to play similar games as he pushes this next legislative priority in Congress. “I’m not going to embarrass anyone, but I have here a list,” he said. “If you’re going to take credit for what we’ve done,” he continued, “don’t get in the way of what we need to do.” The political arguments over Biden’s ambitious proposals are quickly distilling into a debate over the size and scope of what all sides agree are sorely needed upgrades to the nation’s aging and outmoded infrastructure. As the president reaches for a soaring legislative achievement with his $1.7 trillion American Jobs Plan and a separate $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, he is assessing whether he can cut a bipartisan deal with Republicans or will have to push through his proposals with only Democratic votes. Republican senators outlined a $928 billion infrastructure proposal Thursday as a counteroffer to Biden, drawing a fresh red line against his plans raise the corporate tax, from 21% to 28%, to pay for new spending. Instead, the Republicans want to shift unspent COVID-19 relief dollars to help cover the costs, a nonstarter for many Democrats. The Republican senators said their offer, raised from an initial $568 billion, delivers on “core infrastructure investments” that Biden has focused on as areas of potential agreement. With about $250 billion in new spending, the GOP plan remains far from the president’s approach. Biden reduced his $2.3 trillion opening bid to $1.7 trillion in earlier negotiations. “It’s a serious effort to try to reach a bipartisan agreement,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the lead Republican negotiator. As Biden left for Ohio, he said he called Capito to thank her for the proposal, but told her, “We have to finish this really soon.” Biden toured Cuyahoga Community College, the same school where he was to hold a campaign rally in March 2020 only to have it be the first one canceled due to the pandemic. He cast his return as a symbol of how far the nation has come back, and he tried to make the case that passing his jobs and families plans would further the economy’s recovery and prepare it for the decades ahead. The president said he was “not looking to punish anyone” with his tax plans. But said it was time for America’s wealthy and corporations to help invest in the nation’s future. “Do you want to give the wealthiest people in America another tax cut? I don’t begrudge them the money they make. Just start paying your fair share just a little bit,” Biden said. Talks are at a crossroads before a Memorial Day deadline to make progress toward a bipartisan deal. With slim majorities in the House and Senate, the Democratic president faces other hurdles if he decides to abandon talks with Republicans and tries to unite fractious Democrats. The Republican offer would increase spending by $91 billion on roads and bridges, $48 billion on water resources and $25 billion on airports, according to a one-page summary released by the GOP negotiators. It would provide for one-time increases in broadband investments, at $65 billion, and $22 billion on rail. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said on CNBC that it was time for the administration to “sober up and realize they don’t have a massive mandate in Congress to do all of the things they’re trying to do.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Capito are expected to meet next week, while Congress is on a break. The White House is also “continuing to explore other proposals that we hope will emerge” she said. A bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is also preparing an alternative plan. Psaki made clear the administration’s concern over tapping pandemic funds. “We are worried that major cuts in COVID relief funds could imperil pending aid to small businesses, restaurants and rural hospitals using this money to get back on their feet after the crush of the pandemic,” Psaki said in a statement. Core differences remain between the White House and GOP negotiators over the definition of infrastructure: Republicans stick to traditional investments in roads, bridges, ports and water drinking systems, while Biden takes a more expansive view. Under Biden’s initial proposal, there is more than $300 billion for substantial upgrades to public schools, Veterans Administration hospitals and affordable housing, along with $25 billion for new and renovated child care centers. Biden’s proposal would spend heavily on efforts to confront climate change, with $174 billion to spur the electric vehicle market, in part by developing charging stations, and $50 billion so communities can better deal with floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters. One area of agreement is on boosting broadband, but the sides are apart on details. Republicans raised their initial offer to $65 billion in an earlier exchange; Biden is seeking $100 billion. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said the Republicans’ overall proposal reflects what “what people at home in Wyoming think of is infrastructure, roads with potholes.” The White House, still expressing public hopes for bipartisanship, welcomed the offer. At $928 billion over eight years, it features $257 billion in new money, more than the $225 billion the White House had said was in the initial Republican proposal. But still far less than the White House had hoped. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said there is $700 billion in unspent COVID-19 aid from the American Rescue Plan, which was the administration’s $1.9 trillion response to the coronavirus crisis earlier this year. Toomey said some of that money could fill the gap between the amount of revenue normally collected from transportation taxes and fees, and the new spending the GOP senators are proposing. But he said the Republican negotiators have made it “very, very clear on every single time we’ve had a discussion is that we’re not raising taxes.”

Semitrucks may be primarily used to haul goods from one place to another, but what if big rigs could become more like traveling superheroes? That’s something the highway patrol agencies in Florida and Tennessee are proving to be possible with their use of tractor-trailers in traffic law enforcement and education initiatives. The highway patrol rigs don’t “transform” like Optimus Prime, but they do play a vital role helping keep highways safe. Both Florida and Tennessee are using commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to educate the public and, at the same time, help prevent traffic crimes. Both departments obtained semitrucks through criminal or intervention searches and seizures. After safety inspections, the patrols decided to put them to use. In total, the Florida Highway Patrol has six semitrucks that are used for traffic stops along the highway. “We have used (them) for outreach and educational purposes for commercial motor vehicles, as well as the education and enforcement of traffic laws in the state,” said Dylan Bryan, master sergeant for the Florida Highway Patrol. These vehicles are often showcased during safety presentations at high schools or trucking companies, or at commercial vehicle “rodeos.” The rigs are also used to educate the public about the blind spots of semitrucks. “We set up vehicles within the blind spot of a tractor-trailer and what the driver can and can’t see, and use that as a demonstration purpose for the motor-vehicle public to see exactly what it’s like being in that cab — and hopefully educate those drivers when they operate their own vehicles around commercial motor vehicles,” Bryan said. The Florida Highway Patrol works with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Florida Truckers Association. Other than education, the patrol occasionally uses the semitrucks to issue traffic-violation citations through its program Operation Safe DRIVE: Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement. To do this, the semitruck, along with a conventional patrol car, is stationed on the side of the highway to observe any reckless or dangerous driving. Bryan said using a semitruck gives two advantages to the highway patrol — it allows patrol officers to be eye level with drivers of other semitrucks, and provides a wider view for observing the movements of smaller vehicles. The vantage point from a semitruck allows a wider view to observe motor vehicle drivers using cell phones, speeding or following too closely to another vehicle. The Florida Highway Patrol deploys a semitruck two or three times a month to monitor traffic violations. “When we start deploying these vehicles, it’s not like we’re hiding,” Bryan said. “We’ll use a marked vehicle, pick a stretch of road that’s 8 to 10 miles long, and we’ll do several loops around it. We’ll see the violations that you normally see drastically decrease once we’ve made a few stops here and there. You know the community is talking, and it’s nice to see that. The end result is that people are driving safer, and that’s what we want.” The Tennessee Highway Patrol also occasionally uses semitrucks to spot violations. During a recent 24-hour event stretching from the Kentucky state line to the Tennessee and Georgia state lines, there were zero fatalities on Interstate 24 while the Tennessee Highway Patrol patrolled using its semitruck, according to Lt. Bill Miller, public information officer for Tennessee Highway Patrol. Much like the Florida initiatives, the main usage of Tennessee’s semitruck is for education and training across the state. The truck has been flipped into a “Teens and Truck” driving simulator that assists teenagers in understanding how to drive around semitrucks. “It has six driving simulators and it kind of looks like a video arcade, so it immediately grabs their attention, and they want to participate,” said Lt. Allen England of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The driving simulators have 10 different simulations to show students driving scenarios such as a CMV’s blind spots, driving around a CMV or driving the CMV. To combat cellphone usage on the road, the driving simulator also tests students with popup notifications and grades their answers. “The equipment is completely equipped with vibration in the chair, so the teen feels if they did something wrong,” Miller said. “If they sideswiped the car or struck a deer that was running across the roadway, or had a crash, they (can) feel the vibration through the chair in their body.” Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee’s semitruck was taken out three to four times a month, traveling around a school system within 95 counties, Miller noted. “It’s one of the most popular and highly requested services that the Tennessee Highway Patrol has,” he added. The usage has inspired the Georgia Highway Patrol to research implementing a similar educational semitruck, according to Miller. Although both Florida and Tennessee highway patrols have implemented CMV usage, officers don’t plan to completely ditch their Dodge Chargers for semitrucks anytime soon. “Realistically, it’s not practical to use it as a solo vehicle to try to enforce traffic laws, simply because it’s so large,” Miller said. “Traffic is more and more congested each day. With it being a semi, if you’re trying to make a traffic stop with it, you do have the increased chance of someone trying to flee or elude law enforcement.” Using semitrucks can also be costly. Bryan said the operating costs and maintenance may dissuade police departments from implementing semi-trucks. “On the flip side, I do think it’s beneficial,” Bryan said. “I think it’s a very effective program, and I’m thankful the Florida Highway Patrol is continuing that program. It’s very unique.”

BEVERLY, Mass. — Holiday weekends are well known for the high risk presented to organizations and their supply chains across the United States. The Sensitech Supply Chain Intelligence Center (SCIC) has recorded average Memorial Day theft rates up to 100% higher and average values up to 114% higher than non-holiday weekends. Additionally, the rate of Memorial Day thefts has increased year over year. In 2020, Memorial Day theft volumes exceeded those recorded in 2019 by 70%. Since 2015, Memorial Day weekends have seen an average theft value of $306,697, totaling in excess of $8.8M. Organized cargo theft rings will be extremely active in the coming days, as more shipments are left unattended for extended periods of time due to the long holiday weekend. SCIC recommends logistics and security professionals ensure security protocols are up to date and in line with industry practices for both in-transit and warehouse operations. To mitigate criminal attempts to exploit cargo at rest, Sensitech suggests confirming that a given receiver’s hours of operation for the holiday weekend are consistent with scheduled delivery times. In addition, drivers should plan for secure parking locations in the event a shipment will have to stop for an extended period of time. Covert GPS tracking and active monitoring of high-value shipments are highly recommended, as they have proven to be the most effective protocols to both mitigate in-transit theft and facilitate successful recovery of stolen product. The following guidelines are recommended to mitigate cargo theft. Transportation Steps should be taken to verify the authenticity of all shipment-related activity during these periods — particularly any entity involved in either moving or storing a shipment. Driver and business verification, prior to releasing any shipment, is paramount. Communication between drivers and shippers needs to be firmly established and regularly maintained during shipments over these periods. That communication should include driver instruction as to what types of behavior are required and what is not permissible. Truck stops, highway rest areas and distribution centers are traditionally frequent targets for cargo thieves, especially over holiday periods. Any location where cargo comes to rest, whether intentionally or unintentionally — even for brief periods of time — should be as secure as possible. Things to consider when selecting a secure area/lot are include controlled access, adequate lighting, congestion, any type of personal or video surveillance, and how long the conveyance will be left unattended, as well as past intelligence of localized cargo theft activity. If a cargo conveyance must be left unattended for any period it should be made as secure as possible. Things to consider: theft-resistant locking/sealing mechanisms for tractors, trailers and cargo compartments; disabling technology for the vehicle’s power units or trailer movements; and parking vehicles and/or cargo compartments in a fashion which make access as difficult as possible. Any tracking technology, such as GPS monitoring, that is available for deployment should be used to its fullest extent possible. This would include tracking technology on the conveyance’s power unit and its cargo area (if separate), as well as within the cargo itself. Storage Conduct a personal inspection of both the outside and inside of your facilities before securing them. Remove/repair anything that would assist a perpetrator conduct illicit activity (for example, exterior lighting that doesn’t work, gates/doors/windows left unsecured, keys left in forklifts inside, etc.). Before securing a facility for unattended periods check to make sure all alarms, CCTV recording equipment and any sources of auxiliary power are in good working order. Check the batteries of any battery-powered products. Treat all premises alarms (no matter the number or closeness in frequency) as if they are all actual penetration attempts. Responses should be made accordingly. Update all lists of company individuals responsible for contact in the event of suspicious activity or emergency. All entities that monitor your alarm/access activity need to have access to these up-to-date lists. Encourage local law-enforcement agencies to make extra patrols in the areas where your facilities are located. Also, make it as easy as possible for them to “see” your critical access areas. A number of notable thefts have occurred over Memorial Day weekend during the past five years, according to Sensitech, including the following: 2016: California — Fictitious pickup of personal-care items valued at $88,788; 2017: Kentucky — Fictitious pickup of computers valued at $584,000; 2017: Tennessee — Pilferage of mixed electronics valued at $135,000; 2018: Kentucky — Theft of full truckload of apparel valued at $5.7 million; 2018: Kentucky — Theft of full truckload of electronics valued at $1 million; 2019: California — Pilferage of medical supplies valued at $624,000; and 2020: Texas — Theft of full truckload of building and industrial supplies valued at $100,000.

IRVINGTON, Ala. — The Love’s Travel Stop in Irvington, Alabama, will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. The travel stop is at 8400 County Farm Road in Irvington. The vaccine, administered by the Mobile County Health Department, will be available free for professional drivers, local residents and Love’s employees. Both the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer options will be available. Health department employees will help those who choose the Pfizer shot schedule the second dose.