The Nation

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express of Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded the Truckload Carriers Association’s Past Chairmen’s Award. Burch was honored during a general session at the associations’ annual convention here. Burch is known for his leadership of the Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) initiative that is designed to enhance the image of trucking among the general public. Burch has amassed more than 40 years of experience in the trucking industry, which includes less-than-truckload, truckload, air freight, and consolidation. Since 1990, he has been president of Jet Express, Inc., as well as a partner in the company. Under Burch’s leadership, the company has grown to 90 company drivers, 220 owner-operators, and 600 trailers. The company handles up to 400 truckloads per day throughout the United States, primarily for the “just-in-time” automotive industry. Providing excellent service, the company was awarded the prestigious “Worldwide Supplier Award” three consecutive years by General Motors. In addition to being a TCA Chairman in 2009-10, he currently serves on its Membership Committee and is a past chairman of the Communications & Image Policy Committee. Since 1990, Burch has also been an active member of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as its vice chairman and chairman of Lead ATA and currently serves as a member of the Trucking Moves America Forward image management committee. Burch is a trustee of the Ohio Trucking Association, a member of the Miami Valley Transportation Club in Dayton, Ohio and is involved in numerous committees including the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and recently he accepted a board position on the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. He is also very active with the local Boy Scouts of America and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, DC. Burch acquired his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in September2008. The Past Chairmen’s award is TCA’s highest honor. Recipients are leaders who have made a significant contribution to the business community, the trucking industry, and the organization. The awardee does not have to be a past chairman of the association.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The long-awaited, hoped for revision to the Hours of Service rule took a giant step toward reality when acting Administrator Jim Mullen announced the rule had been sent to the White House for approval. “After carefully reviewing these comments, I am pleased to announce today that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving forward with a final rule on Hours of Service and that the agency has sent a final rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review,” Mullen said during a general session Tuesday morning at the 82nd Annual Truckload Carriers Association convention under way here. “While I can’t go into the specifics of this final rule, please know that the goal of this process from the beginning has been to improve safety for all motorists and to increase flexibility for commercial drivers.” The OMB is part of the executive branch of the federal government. The OMB has the option of approving the rule or sending it back to FMCSA for changes. There is typically a 60-90 lapse between the time a rule is submitted to OMB and the time it is released as a final rule, barring, of course, any changes that might have to be made. The comments to which Mullen referred were submitted by trucking industry stakeholders after the agency issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) for HOS in 2018 followed by a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in August 2019. The ANPRM asked for comments on four areas of possible changes and the NPRM outlined five proposed changes based on the comments to the ANPRM. The agency’s action on HOS beginning in 2018 was the result of pleas from drivers and motor carrier executives to allow more flexibility in the rule, specifically in two areas — extending the 14-hour clock in certain circumstance and doing away with the requirement implemented in 2005 that requires eight consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. Prior to 2005, the rule called for two periods totaling 10 or more hours in the berth, each with a minimum of two hours. In the NPRM the agency proposed to: Increase safety and flexibility for the 30-minute break rule by tying the break requirement to eight hours of driving time without an interruption for at least 30 minutes, and allowing the break to be satisfied by a driver using on duty, not driving status, rather than off duty. Modify the sleeper-berth exception to allow drivers to split their required 10 hours off duty into two periods: one period of at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and the other period of not less than two consecutive hours, either off duty or in the sleeper berth. Neither period would count against the driver’s 14‑hour driving window. Allow one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes, but not more than three hours, that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window, provided the driver takes 10 consecutive hours off-duty at the end of the work shift. Modify the adverse driving conditions exception by extending by two hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted. Change to the short-haul exception available to certain commercial drivers by lengthening the drivers’ maximum on‑duty period from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit within which the driver may operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles. The agency said in the NPRM that its proposal had been crafted to improve safety on the nation’s highways, noting the proposed rule would not increase driving time and would continue to prevent CMV operators from driving for more than eight consecutive hours without at least a 30-minute change in duty status. The agency’s efforts to change HOS drew praise from trucking industry leaders when the NPRM was published. “We applaud the agency’s efforts to create safety-first, data-driven regulations,” said Truckload Carriers Association President John Lyboldt. “The initiative to reduce roadway fatalities represents an industry lift for which TCA is committed to uniting with our federal agency partners.” TCA Chairman Josh Kaburick said that with the publication of the NPRM the FMCSA is taking a much-needed step forward to establish added flexibility for drivers. “We as an industry applaud the FMCSA for these efforts,” Kaburick said. “Now is the time for the industry to actively comment and provide data to justify full sleeper berth flexibility. Only through full flexibility will our drivers truly be in control of their day and provided the opportunity to sleep when needed or take a break to avoid excessive traffic congestion.” “Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and (then) FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez are to be commended for their commitment to an open and data-driven process to update the Hours of Service rules,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “We look forward to studying and understanding how these proposed changes will impact our industry so we can provide relevant data and information to strengthen and support a good final rule that bolsters safety and provides drivers needed flexibility. ATA intends to fully review these proposed changes so we can shape a strong rule for our drivers, our industry and the motoring public.” “In the 15 years since the last major revisions to the hours-of-service, we as an industry have learned a great deal about how these rules impact our drivers,” said past ATA Chairman Barry Pottle, president of Pottle’s Transportation. “The valuable experience and data we’ve gained over that time will make it easier to provide flexibility for drivers to get additional rest and find parking while keeping our highways safe.” Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer called the proposal a commonsense approach. “Truckers have families and want to get home safely just like everyone else,” Spencer said. “They are the most knowledgeable, highway safety advocates and the agency’s proposal, overall, recognizes that fact. “Over the past decade, truck drivers have been more regulated than ever, and more compliant than ever, and yet crashes are going up,” Spencer said. “We have pushed for flexibility in hours of service regulations for years, long before the current administration.

Almost anyone who grew up in the U.S. in the 1960s or later will remember watching television series and cartoons that showed visions of life in the future. High-tech cars were often part of the storyline, such as The Jetsons’ flying car or KITT, the AI-driven Pontiac Trans Am that assisted hero Michael Knight in his fight against injustice in “Knight Rider.” But all that took place in the future, or in some alternate universe, right? Not necessarily. Progress in artificial intelligence exploded in the last decade, and AI “assistants” such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple Inc.’s Siri and Google Assistant are now commonplace in homes around the world. Online retailers such as Amazon are planning to use automated drones to deliver packages to homes and businesses sometime this year, and larger automated drones that can carry passengers are also in development. Self-driving cars have been traversing the roadways for several years, including the Google car, which shoots visual images for the Google Maps app, and for-hire transport vehicles from companies such as Lyft and Uber. While there have been some accidents, a few resulting in fatalities, the technology continues to advance, with added safety features and enhanced sensors. Autonomous vehicles are classified from Level 0 to 5. Level 0 vehicles require constant supervision by a licensed driver but offer cruise control as well as lane-departure and proximity alerts, and driver interaction slowly decreases until Level 5, when the vehicle’s AI system is responsible for all driving maneuvers. Several manufacturers have partnered with AI specialists to bring this technology to the trucking industry, and self-driving tractor-trailers are being tested around the U.S., as well as in other nations. In 2016, Budweiser safely delivered more than 50,000 cans of beer along a 120-mile stretch of highway in Colorado via an automated truck developed by Otto Motors. That’s not to say there was no driver in the truck; however, the driver exited the driver’s seat once the truck, which was escorted by four Colorado state troopers and three Otto vehicles, entered the highway. In December 2019, an autonomous Level-4 semi, using technology developed by Plus.ai, made a 2,800-mile trip to deliver a shipment of Land O Lakes Butter from California to Pennsylvania. As in the case of the beer-delivering Otto truck, the truck had a human driver on board during the three-day trip; however, much of the journey was made in autonomous mode, according to Plus.ai. Self-driving rigs are making their way into heavy-duty trucking as well, with Class 7 and Class 8 trucks at various levels of testing. In January, trucking-manufacturing giant Kenworth quietly debuted its first Level-4 autonomous rig, a conventional T680 tractor outfitted with AI technology, in the PACCAR booth at CES in Las Vegas. “Kenworth and the PACCAR Innovation Center in Silicon Valley are working closely together to explore and develop the latest advanced driver-assistance systems and other new technologies that offer safety and efficiency benefits for truck fleets and drivers,” said Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer. “The Level-4 Autonomous Kenworth T680 is a perfect platform to study this technology in real-world applications. Waymo, the self-driving car company that developed the Google car, started testing self-driving Class-8 trucks last year, first making freight runs to Google’s Atlanta data center and then testing the vehicles on highways in California, Michigan and Washington state. Last month, the company expanded its testing into New Mexico, as well as into heavily populated metropolitan areas of Texas such as Houston, Dallas and El Paso. Germany’s Daimler is also a contender in the arena, partnering with Torc Robotics to enhance its trucks with “Asimov” self-driving technology, which has been tested on public roads – so far with zero accidents. The company plans to expand its road testing in the U.S. “To keep our promise to always deliver the safest and most reliable products to our customers, we have to explore and deploy new technologies,” said Roger Nielsen, Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO. “Achieving our safety targets with highly automated driving systems requires extensive testing and building trust in the capabilities and benefits of these technologies.” Completely unmanned trucks could soon be a mingling with conventional vehicles on the nation’s highways. Last June, Starsky Robotics, an autonomous-trucking startup that recently made the news because of its loss of funding, became the first company to put a completely unmanned truck on the highway. The Volvo tractor, towing an empty trailer, was remotely guided nearly 10 miles along a closed portion of a Florida expressway at 55 mph, navigating merge lanes, a rest area and lane changes without incident. Real-time cameras mounted to the truck conveyed information to the remote driver, located in Jacksonville, Florida, who guided the truck using a video-game-style steering wheel. At the FTR Transportation Conference in Indianapolis last fall, Paul Schlegal, then senior vice president for Starsky Robotics, said he foresaw the role of truck drivers shifting, performing much of their work from remote monitoring locations. “Eventually, our vision is that the job of the truck driver is they go into an office that would be much like an air traffic control center,” he said, adding that a physical driver would still be needed to move autonomous trucks from pick-up points to the highway, where the remote driver would take the wheel. What does all this mean for the future of trucking? Time will tell.

“Yeah, a lot of people have asked me, over and over through the years, ‘Just why do ya drive that old truck? Why ya love shifting those gears?’” These lyrics from “That’s Why I Drive,” penned and performed by singer/songwriter Joey Holiday could well be applied to Holiday’s own career as he celebrates 25 years on the road, entertaining truckers across the nation. The song continues: “Ya see, I drive for my family, my wife and my kids. And I drive for my momma and my daddy, who taught me the life I now live. I drive for the truckers, all who have died. Yeah, that’s why I drive.” Instead of brightly lit concert stages, Holiday’s favorite venues are truck-stop parking lots along the open road, or at trucking expos and other industry events, where he and Vicky, his wife of nearly 30 years, delight in sharing their unique brand of music and comedy. The two, who operate Truck It Records in Nashville, travel the country in a tricked-out Peterbilt tractor (donated by Gully Transportation) that many say resembles the Transformer character Optimus Prime, hauling a trailer (donated by Manac Trailers) that holds their equipment and features a custom fold-out stage. While both have a CDL, Joey said Vicky does the lion’s share of the driving while on tour. “My claim to fame is that I have over 1 million sleeper miles,” he said with a laugh. During a typical show, Joey entertains the audience with songs, while Vicky engages attendees with game-show-style competitions and prize giveaways. All the while, the pair banters back and forth, bringing laughter to young and old alike. “It’s great how God has blessed me,” said Joey, who has written/co-written and recorded about 450 songs and produced a total of 40 albums. “I prayed for Vicky. (When we met) I was living on $50 a week, on a couch,” he said. “I said, ‘Please Lord, let me find the woman of my dreams, who’s going to love me for the rest of my life.’ I knew the moment I met her that she was the one.” The road hasn’t always been easy for the couple. After arriving in Nashville in 1992, Joey got a songwriting job and began to record music and perform in honky-tonks and nightclubs, including the Turf on Broadway, where he played from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. “Guess who had the 5-9 shift right before us? Kenny Chesney,” said Vicky. “All the big guys were down there trying to get a break. Kenny even sang backup on a couple of songs in the studio for us on our very first album.” Joey soon caught the attention of a scout for MTM Records, part of Mary Tyler Moore’s media empire, and the agency started scheduling his band in hotels and casinos, sometimes for four to six weeks at a time. It was steady money, but the casinos spelled temptation for Joey. One fateful evening, after receiving about $6k to distribute between himself and the band, Joey went out on the town, trying his hand at the gaming tables and drinking steadily. At the end of the night, he had lost it all. His band left, and Joey was at rock bottom. “I was so ashamed of myself,” he said, his voice cracking with remembered grief. “I got down on my knees at the end of the bed and I prayed. It was the most fervent prayer I’ve ever prayed in my life. I said, ‘God, I don’t want to do this. … Lord, let me write a hit song, let me produce a hit act — let me do something in the music business — but please, take me away from these bars and casinos.’” Emotionally and physically exhausted, Joey finally fell asleep. And he dreamed. “In the dream, a voice — I didn’t see anything; it was just a voice — said, ‘Do music for truckers,’” he said. “And I argued with this voice in the dream. I said, ‘I wanna be like Elvis Presley; I wanna be a star!’ And the voice said, ‘Do music for truckers.’ And I said, ‘I don’t wanna.’ And the third time, the very last time, the voice said ‘DO. MUSIC. FOR. TRUCKERS!’” This time, Joey said, the voice was so loud that it woke him from a deep sleep. “And I said OK,” he said. After fulfilling his contract with MTM Records, he set out to fulfill his new mission. Both his father and an uncle had been truck drivers, and Joey had a deep appreciation for those in the profession; and he was familiar with trucking songs. Joey had long been a fan of country greats such as Hank Williams Sr. and Hank Williams Jr., as well as rock ‘n’ roll icons like The Beatles, Paul Rogers of Bad Company, and Jimmy Paige of Led Zeppelin. These influences are evident in his many songs, which range in style from country to rock ‘n’ roll, blues, gospel and more. During his transition from casinos and bars to his newfound mission, money was tight, and it seemed the couple’s faith and determination were tested at every turn, from broken promises to missed connections. Finally, after a year, there was a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Desperate to find a way to get his songs on the air, Joey placed a couple of phone calls to the Interstate Radio Network in Chicago. One of those calls was answered by John Schaller, who was the station’s general manager at the time. “I said, ‘Sir, you don’t know who I am, but my name’s Joey Holiday and I’ve written this trucking album. It’s got rock ‘n’ roll, country, comedy and gospel, all on one album, for truckers,’” said Joey. “And he said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He was flabbergasted. No one had done this before.” Schaller was intrigued, and said he was planning to attend a conference at Opryland and would like to visit. Joey and Vicky were able to sit down with Schaller and his wife, Carole, and after hearing Joey’s music, Schaller invited him to tour with the Interstate Radio Network. The first day of the tour, at the Mid America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, was a disaster. “It snowed. They made us go inside and put our music on a Walkman and have people listen to it. We only sold two tapes that day, and Joey was devastated,” Vicky said. “The second day, Joey put on all his long johns and a ski mask, and he sang anyway, on a stage made of four milk crates, plywood and an apron skirt that my mother made. We packed the truck that day, and there was a line across the parking lot.” Since that day 25 years ago, the couple has become a fixture at events around the country, and Joey’s love for trucking music has grown by leaps and bounds. He has produced 30 CDs in 25 years, including several compilation albums. “I didn’t want to be a flash in the pan,” said Joey. “This was a life change for me, going from singing in bars and casinos to performing during the daytime in truck-stop parking lots. I have given my life and my music to the truck drivers, but I’m not out here on my own. God sent me here.” The couple’s plans for the next quarter century? To keep doing more of the same. “I’ve still got things I want to sing about and talk about and debate about,” said Joey. “I’ve gotten to do everything I prayed for that night — to perform, to record, to help others — and all just because I asked God to take me out of the bars and casinos,” he continued. The duo’s 2020 tour is expected to kick off in April. Joey’s music can be downloaded on iTunes and is available on various streaming services. For information about Joey and his music, visit www.truckitrecords.com.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The 38th Annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs will put drivers and their trucks center stage at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth June 4-6 as part of a high-powered IndyCar Series and NASCAR Truck Series weekend. The truck beauty contest will be held inside the track in front of thousands of racing fans. Hardworking truckers will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of the wheel-to-wheel competition of IndyCar racing and NASCAR truck racing at the Speedway which is located conveniently off Interstate 35. Each registered contestant will receive a ticket for both races and up to three additional tickets for family and friends. Texas Motor Speedway Races: NASCAR Truck Series: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors truck series takes the green flag at 8 p.m. CT on Friday, June 5. IndyCar Series: The Texas Indy 600 NTT IndyCar race will get underway on AT 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 6. SuperRigs has a long-standing tradition of being an event about community, and with additional activities planned for contestants and their families, the 38th installment of the event aims to deliver that once again. Information about travel in and out of the speedway during the weekend will be shared as the celebration approaches. The Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition is a truck beauty contest that allows owner-operator truckers from across the U. S. and Canada to compete for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. Twelve drivers will be selected to have their trucks featured in the 2021 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar. Event registration will open in advance of SuperRigs and is recommended, but not required. For more information about Shell Rotella SuperRigs, visit Rotella.com.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Ambest has announced that the 2020 grand prize for the Ambuck$ Rewards program is a 1964 ½ Mustang 289 V8 convertible. “The classic Mustang is symbolic of the many qualities we value,” said Steve Allen, president at Ambest. “An American icon that represents dependability, quality and value — all of those are characteristics of our independently owned and operated locations.” This news comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including a successful 2018-2019 year, with a Polaris Slingshot awarded as a grand prize; a network rating of 88% satisfaction and a 96% rating of friendliness by Ambuck$ Rewards drivers; and the title of the longest continuously running professional-driver rewards program. “The Ambuck$ tagline is simple: ‘Earn points, get stuff,’” Allen said. “We can’t think of a better offering to encourage loyalty than an American classic pony car.” Ambuck$ was first introduced in 1994 and is a rewards program offered to professional drivers free of charge. To learn more about the 2020 Ambuck$ grand prize, visit www.am-best.com/mustang.

OKLAHOMA CITY — A security guard who shot a truck driver earlier this month during an altercation at a truck stop in Oklahoma City has died by suicide. Sgt. Brad Gilmore, assistant public-information officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department, confirmed that 45-year-old George Bischoff went to a local shooting range, Big Boys Guns, Ammo & Range, on Feb. 20 around 1:35 p.m. and took his own life with a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Bischoff had been questioned twice regarding an altercation that took place Feb. 14 around 4:30 a.m. in which he confronted a truck driver, 42-year-old Paul Sisk, at a TA Travel Center in Oklahoma City regarding a reserved parking space. “Somewhere during that altercation, it became physical and the security guard fired one shot, hitting the truck driver,” Gilmore said. “The truck driver was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and has since been released.” Gilmore said the security guard was initially questioned following the incident but at that time, Gilmore said, police had not yet had a chance to talk to the truck driver. “The security guard was brought back in and questioned again, and we were in the process of discussing the case with the district attorney’s office; and on our end, charges had not been filed,” Gilmore said. Gilmore could not confirm whether the gun used at the range was rented or owned by Bischoff, but he said local news outlets have reported that the gun was rented.  Gilmore said the incident remains under investigation.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Guy Fieri is cooking up a new recipe but this time, it’s not one dish at a time in one of his famous restaurants. Instead, he’s serving first responders with a new mobile kitchen hauled by a custom Freightliner crew-cab tractor. The renowned chef, restaurateur, TV host and producer is taking his Knuckle Sandwich organization on the road with Freightliner Trucks to deploy a new mobile kitchen to support disaster-relief efforts. Freightliner has donated the use of a new customized SportChassis Freightliner M2 112 tractor powered by a 470hp Detroit DD13 engine. Fieri’s fully equipped 48-foot mobile kitchen includes multiple cook surfaces, ovens, deep fryers, a smoker, an ice machine, abundant cold storage, a 30-quart mixer, a 12-kW generator and more. The new kitchen will join his fleet of two smaller 24-foot cooking trailers. Fieri was inspired to assist in disaster relief after he helped feed thousands of workers and displaced residents during the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Northern California, which devastated more than 6,500 homes. Since then, Fieri has supported numerous disaster locations and served more than 120,000 meals. “I’m delighted that Freightliner stepped up to help serve the dedicated first-responders who help save lives and provide relief during times of extreme need,” said Fieri. “When we get the call, a reliable and comfortable tow vehicle is essential in getting us on site efficiently and safely. Freightliner has the right truck to do that, hands down!” “Guy’s passion to help first responders during these extremely difficult situations is inspiring to the Freightliner team,” said Kelly Gedert, vice president of market development for Freightliner Trucks. “We jumped at the opportunity to partner with Guy in this effort; and the Freightliner M2 112 will be right at home among first responders who depend on their Freightliner M2-based fire trucks, ambulances and utility trucks.”

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists traveling in both directions on Interstate 76 to be prepared for an ongoing closure of the eastbound tube of the Tuscarora Tunnel starting at 9 p.m. Sun., Feb. 23, and ending at noon Friday, Feb. 28. The weekly tunnel closure, which will impact traffic in both directions in Franklin County, will continue until June 26; some schedule modifications may occur due to weather conditions or during holiday periods. Eastbound traffic will be directed into one lane and then cross over to continue through one lane of the westbound tunnel. Motorists in both directions should be alert for a continuous single-lane traffic pattern approaching the tunnel and bidirectional traffic within the tunnel. Additionally, no overwidth commercial vehicles will be allowed in the tunnel during bidirectional traffic patterns. Motorists should be prepared for slow moving or stopped traffic approaching the Tuscarora Tunnel in both directions. Backlogs are expected daily in both directions beginning around mid-day and lasting into the evening hours. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has installed a smart work zone as part of this project which monitors current traffic conditions and displays travel times and slow or stopped traffic messages on Portable Changeable Message signs placed in advance of the tunnel in both directions. Impacted motorists should visit www.511pa.com/tuscarora to view travel alerts and current travel times for the project and to find suggested detour routes. Drivers are advised to turn on headlights, slow to the posted work-zone speed limit of 40 mph and keep an adequate distance from the vehicle ahead. Never pass inside the tunnel. Drivers who experience car trouble and cannot safely exit the tunnel should stay in the vehicle, put on the hazard lights, dial *11 from a mobile phone and wait for assistance. Tunnel personnel will monitor closed-circuit cameras and send help for disabled vehicles. The Tuscarora Tunnel is located on I-76 between mileposts 186 and 187, between the Fort Littleton Interchange (Exit 180) and the Willow Hill Interchange (Exit 189) at the Huntingdon and Franklin county lines. The tunnel crossovers are necessary as part of a four-year $110 million project to improve and modernize the Tuscarora Tunnel. The major tasks to be completed include the removal of ceiling slabs, a new ventilation system, new membrane waterproofing and the replacement of walkways, concrete barriers and the drainage system in the tunnels. Some enhancements have already been completed in the westbound tunnel, such as additional lighting, in-pavement lights and overhead lane-control signs. The Tuscarora Tunnel eastbound tube opened in 1940 and the westbound tube opened in 1968. The two tunnels were last renovated in the 1980s. For more information about the Tuscarora Tunnel Rehabilitation Project visit www.PATurnpiketunnels.com.

HARTFORD, Conn.  — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday, Feb. 19, that he is dropping his plan for highway tolls for trucks, expressing frustration with legislative leaders who have delayed a vote on the issue. The Democratic-controlled General Assembly had planned to vote Thursday on the tolls, which were under consideration to fund a wide-ranging transportation improvement plan. But Lamont, also a Democrat, said the Senate informed him that it needed more time, once again. “I’ve got a Legislature that doesn’t want to make a choice,” Lamont said at a news conference. “I think it’s time to take a pause.” Tolls on trucks had been projected to raise an estimate $200 million annually. Lamont said he plans for now to generate that money instead through state borrowing to help finance his roughly $19 billion 2030 transportation improvement plan. “I hate to do it this way. It’s bonding in place of other things that are priorities,” he said. “But right now, there’s no other option on the table.” As Lamont was talking to reporters, the Senate Democrats issued a statement saying the caucus was “still confident” it will have the necessary number of votes to pass a transportation plan with 12 toll gantries on 18-wheeler trucks only. In a joint statement, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said they had only asked for five more days because the senators needed that time to prepare for an anticipated two-day, 30-hour debate over tolls. “We are prepared to hold a session next week to vote on a bill to make the necessary transportation improvements for Connecticut’s economic development, residents and businesses,” they said. Minority Republican leaders were doubtful the issue of tolls, which has hounded Lamont and his administration since the former businessman first took office in January 2019, will be resurrected for a vote during this legislative session, which ends in May. But they didn’t rule out the issue returning next year. “Nothing’s dead in this building,” said Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, of North Haven. “Back up again this session? I might be a little bit surprised. Back up again in 2021, I think you could probably bank on it.” Some House Democrats expressed disappointment about Lamont’s announcement he’s not going to push ahead with tolls. “This is crazy — let’s vote on the plan,” tweeted Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport. “Continuing to kick the can down the road and borrowing even more money 100% on the backs of CT taxpayers is what got us in this mess to start with.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released its annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America. The 2020 Top Truck Bottleneck List assesses the level of truck-involved congestion at 300 locations on the national highway system. The analysis, based on truck GPS data from over 1 million heavy duty trucks uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location. ATRI’s truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. DOT’s Freight Mobility Initiative. The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list represent the top 100 congested locations, although ATRI continuously monitors more than 300 freight-critical locations. The intersection of I-95 and State Route 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey is once again the No. 1 freight bottleneck in the country. The rest of the Top 10 includes: Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North) Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East) Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59 Atlanta, GA: I-75 at I-285 (North) Chicago, IL: I-290 at I-90/I-94 Atlanta, GA: I-20 at I-285 (West) Cincinnati, OH: I-71 at I-75 Los Angeles, CA: SR 60 at SR 57 Los Angeles, CA: I-710 at I-105 “ATRI’s bottleneck analysis is an important tool for TDOT as we work to maximize the safety and efficiency of our transportation system, and ensure we are making the smartest investments possible,” said Tennessee Department of Transportation Assistant Bureau Chief Freight & Logistics Dan Pallme. “The additional capacity we are providing as part of the ongoing I-440 Reconstruction Project should improve the safety and reliability of this important corridor, which we know is critical to freight movement.” ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2019, found that the number of locations experiencing significant congestion — with average daily speeds of 45 MPH or less — has increased 92 percent in just five years, far outpacing the 10 percent growth in traffic congestion for that same time period. “ATA has been beating the drum about the continued degradation of our infrastructure, and thanks to ATRI’s research we can see exactly how decades of ignoring the problem are impacting not just our industry but our economy and commuters everywhere,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “This report should sound the alarm for policymakers that the cost of doing nothing is too high and provide a roadmap of where to target investments to really solve our nation’s mounting infrastructure crisis.” For access to the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, please visit ATRI’s website at TruckingResearch.org.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — As the Connecticut legislature prepares to vote this week on Gov. Ned Lamont’s controversial and long-debated “trucks only” toll proposal, a similar system in Rhode Island continues to operate while legal action to overturn the tolls is underway. The original Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) proposal to charge tolls on trucks only included 14 locations, all bridges RIDOT deemed as structurally deficient. Tolls collected at each bridge would be used to repair and upgrade the specific location. RIDOT is accepting public comment through March 1 on a plan to increase the toll on a newly installed gantry at the Oxford Street Bridge in Providence, a bridge crossing Interstate 95. The original toll for the bridge was set at $2.25 per trip; however, RIDOT is studying the cost-benefit ratio of doubling the rate to $4.50. RIDOT representatives requesting comment on the proposed increase claim the increase is really no increase at all; it is simply an effort to maintain the revenue forecast from the 14 gantries included in the original tolling proposal. Currently, Rhode Island has constructed toll gantries at six of the originally planned locations; however, as the program has moved forward, two locations have been temporarily or permanently delayed. Rather than adjusting anticipated total revenue based on 12 locations, Gov. Gina Raimondo has instead directed RIDOT officials to study and request rate hikes at specific bridges. The toll hikes will allow Rhode Island to collect the same $45 million forecast from the 14 original gantries. This new twist on a toll program already challenged as unconstitutional by the American Trucking Associations, and one which an appellate court has ruled Rhode Island must face in a lawsuit, is leading the trucking industry and toll opposition to question RIDOT’s language in press releases and discussions on the issue. Chris Maxwell, president of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said, “This should serve to reinforce concerns over the unbridled power and discretion given to RIDOT and further feeds the suspicion and skepticism of Rhode Island’s business owners about the end game of this scheme.” Maxwell’s comments come on the heels of an already approved increased toll rate at another location in Providence. The Route 6 bridge over the Woonasquatucket River was increased from $2.00 to $5.00 last fall. Maxwell also expressed concern about changing the still new tolls program when original approval was based on environmental impact studies. “From a legal standpoint,” he said, “these ‘on the fly’ changes would seem to undermine and violate the purpose and extent of the environmental impact assessments.” Other opponents to the Oxford Street bridge toll increase note that the bridge does not fall into the criteria RIDOT deemed as structurally deficient, meaning revenue from the toll would be used at other locations, a provision not included in the tolling plan. From RIDOT’s perspective, not only is the proposed toll rate increase not really an increase, it is also going to save the state money. RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said that the infrastructure costs of eliminating two planned toll locations will result in lower implementation costs. “Our thinking is we’ll forgo building [a gantry] at the viaduct in Providence, or at least while the viaduct is being built,” Alviti said on WPRO radio. “We’ll assign the toll amount we were going to collect there to the next nearest location, which is Oxford Street.” Chris Maxwell believes he has a full understanding of RIDOT’s intent. “[They] deliberately chose the most densely traveled tool location in the who scheme to further their insatiable appetite to soak businesses, consumers, and taxpayers,” he said in an interview with Transport Topics. RIDOT is justifying its proposed action based on the original toll proposal’s expectation of generating $45 million in revenue. In any event, Peter Alviti says, truckers traveling I-95 through Rhode Island will still be paying $20.00 per trip. When is an increase not an increase? It depends on what your definition of increase is. For those wanting to comment, emails can be sent to [email protected] or comments can be submitted in writing to Jay McGinn, P.E., Project Manager II RIDOT, 2 Capitol Hill, Providence RI 02903. Following cutoff date for comments on March 1, the new rate will be implemented on March 5.