The Nation

Published courtesy of Truckers Connection. Have you ever heard the phrase “Misery loves company?” Boy, is that ever true! It’s crazy how negativity can escalate in a group if you let it, how easy it is to get swept up in the less-than-stellar aspects of a situation rather than realize that you’re choosing to drown in the bad rather than focusing on the good. Because rarely –if ever—is any situation 100% bad. But what you choose to focus on makes all the difference. If you’re on Facebook, you might be familiar with groups that you can join to interact with like-minded folks out there in social media world. For instance, I’m in various groups for my love of reading and traveling, pets or sports. And when you’re in those, you can post and see others’ posts on the subject, comment accordingly, get tips and tricks, learn things you might now know, etc. There are multiple groups for Trucking: like “Everything Trucking” or “Trucking: Rates & Lanes.” There’s even a “Trucking and Single” group, if that’s you. But beware, many of these groups can go downhill in a hurry if you choose to let them. Some folks out there are only happy if they’re unhappy. And when they’re unhappy, they want others to be unhappy. And that snowball is one bound to crash badly. I’m in a group for a community where I own a townhome. It’s in a great gated community with tons of super amenities (pools, etc). When we first purchased, I was very surprised to learn there was not a Facebook group already in place for owners in the community. After all, it’s a great way to ask questions or share info about coming events, and so on. I thought of starting one and then looked at the zillions of things I already need to handle and decided against it. After all, these must be moderated and pretty regularly so extreme comments are addressed or removed, no scammers are present, etc. But I was delighted to hear that someone else started a group earlier this year for our community and gladly joined. And from there, were my eyes been opened to a lot of things I hadn’t realized. Neighbors claiming the landscaping wasn’t good enough, the trash should be emptied more often, the pool chairs need to be cleaned, the staff is rude, the owner’s desk doesn’t do what they should, the security gate personnel are unfriendly. And on and on. Now this place I thought was fantastic suddenly took on a different vibe. Had we purchased poorly? Was this a sink hole of real estate vs the investment we thought it would be? But as I walked around last week, trying to be more objective in my own assessment, I have to say the place was sparkling. Everyone was cordial, doing their jobs. The lawns were mowed, the pool was pristine, the trees were being pruned, paint was fresh. And I thought: man, what are these other owners thinking? Are they SEARCHING for things to complain about? I’m sure everything isn’t perfect (what is?) but from what I saw, it was pretty stellar. And yet, in that group: complain, complain, complain. And it reminded me of the adage: Misery loves company. One starts complaining and others pile on and it escalates. And then it’s even harder to be the lone voice saying: Really? Are you really being fair in your assessment or are you nitpicking just to nitpick?

Diesel prices were all over the map for the week ending October 21. It went up some places, down other places, but not by much in either direction. And when it was all added up the national average price for a gallon was a one-tenth of a cent lower than it was a week earlier, to stand at $3.050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The inconsistency could be seen clearly on both the East and West coasts. On the East Coast, diesel fell by four-tenths of a cent in the Lower Atlantic region, to $2.916 per gallon, while in the Central Atlantic, diesel rose eight-tenths of a cent, to $3.235 per gallon. In New England, it rose only three-tenths of a cent, to $3.045, bringing the East Coast overall to $3.045, an increase of one-tenth of a cent over last week. On the West Coast, California saw a modest two-tenths of a cent decrease in diesel, to bring the price of diesel in the Golden State to $3.980. But diesel rose in the rest of the West Coast by 5 cents, to $3.290. This averaged out to an increase across the West Coast overall to $3.675. Diesel went up by three-tenths of a cent in the Rocky Mountain region, to $3.044, while t fell by three-tenths of a cent in the Gulf Coast region, to finish at $2.802. This leaves the Midwest, which matched the national average with a decrease of one-tenth of a cent for the week, to finish at $2.957 per gallon. Every region in the country is enjoying lower diesel prices than a year ago, nowhere more so than the Midwest, where diesel is 37.6 cents cheaper than this time last year. In the Rocky Mountain region, diesel is down 36.4 cents from a year ago. The West Coast has seen the least improvement over last year, especially California, where diesel is 11.6 cents less. On Monday, Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell $0.32, or 0.54%, to stand at $59.10 a barrel. U.S.-based West Texas Intermediate crude was also down, $0.27, or 0.50%, to $53.51 a barrel. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

HIWASSE, Ark. — Arkansas started working on multimillion-dollar construction projects to complete its section of Interstate 49. Highway Commissioner Phillip Taldo said when I-49 is finished it will benefit the economy of northwest Arkansas. The highway will eventually run from the Gulf Coast near New Orleans to Canada. Officials broke ground Tuesday on a project to complete the Bella Vista Bypass, known as the Arkansas/Missouri connector, 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from the state line, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. The other project is to convert a roundabout to a single-point urban interchange in Bentonville. They are estimated at more than $100 million. Scott Bennett, the director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, said the Bella Vista Bypass has been discussed for at least 25 years and the state will invest nearly $276 million for it. Passing a half-cent sales tax for roads in 2012 made the bypass possible, Bennett noted. State Rep. Dan Douglas, of Bentonville, said the project was initially focused on safety and getting cars off of U.S. Highway 71 through Bella Vista, but now it’s more about reducing congestion as the region grows. “If you ever tried to go through Bella Vista down 71 at 5 o’clock on an afternoon, bless your heart,” Douglas said. “You can’t get there from here, OK?” “Just the two-lane section that is already open reduced commute times from Gravette to Bentonville from 45 minutes on curvy, dangerous roads to 20 minutes, it’s just amazing,” Douglas added. “And, it’s unbelievable what it’s done to property values in the Hiwasse and Gravette area.” Andrew Mueller, a district engineer, said Missouri expects to be done with its portion by 2022, which will coordinate with Arkansas’ timeline for the completion of the interchange. Missouri has 4.8 miles (7.7 kilometers) of I-49 from Pineville, Missouri, to the state line to complete, which is projected to cost $47.9 million. Taldo said more funds are needed to complete the final section from Alma to Texarkana. He added that if Arkansas voters consider a half-cent sales tax increase, then they could use it to complete the remaining part of I-49. “So, the rest of the country is looking at Arkansas,” he said.

HOLLAND, Mich. — Professional driver Robert “RB” Wolford has logged his three-millionth consecutive mile without a single accident while driving for Holland. The three-million-mile safety record is a remarkably rare industry accomplishment placing Wolford among an elite group of professional drivers, according to Tamara Jalving, YRC Wordwide vice president of safety. To lend some perspective to this milestone, driving 3 million miles is equivalent to making six round trips to the moon, or circumnavigating the globe at the equator over 116 times — all without a single accident. Wolford is one of 34-active Holland drivers having reached this milestone. “We are tremendously proud of “RB” and his safety achievement,” Jalving said. “His record represents decades of unwavering professionalism behind the wheel and a concentrated safety focus. His dedication to safety helps to make our highways safer and helps Holland deliver award-winning quality service to our customers. We congratulate ‘RB’ and thank him for his continued commitment to safety.” Wolford grew up with trucking in his blood. He’s a third-generation truck driver, inspired by his grandfather, father and uncle. A member of the Holland Safety Committee and a driver mentor, he believes in sharing safety knowledge. “I’ve been very fortunate to have good, safety-minded mentors in my career. I’m proud to be a driver mentor for Holland,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in giving back. No one knows how to do it right from the get-go. It’s important to do your part, be safety-minded and lead by example.” Wolford has participated at the Michigan state truck driving championships eleven times (always placing in the top three). He was chosen Rookie of the Year at his first Michigan truck driving championship in 2008. Wolford twice qualified for the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), the “Superbowl of Safety,” and competed for the first time in 2008 against the best of the best professional drivers in the United States in the Straight Truck class and again in 2017 in the flatbed class. Just to qualify for NTDC, drivers must earn first place in their class at their state competition and remain accident-free, regardless of fault, for one year prior. The Michigan Trucking Association honored Wolford as its September 2019 Driver of the Month. Holland celebrated Wolford’s three-million-mile safety achievement at the Detroit, Michigan, service center with an award ceremony where Wolford was presented with a commemorative 3-million-miler jacket, a plaque, tractor decals and a personalized 3-million-miler ring. Coworkers, his wife, aunt and 82-year old uncle “driver mentor” and additional family members traveled significant distances to attend the celebration. Wolford received a surprise two car police escort with flashing lights and sirens as he neared the Detroit terminal in recognition of his safety milestone.        

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores and its customers raised more than $3.75 million for sick and injured children through its five-week store campaign to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In the 20th year of the campaign, the company surpassed its goal of $3.6 million and set a company record for the most money raised during a campaign. “We are so thankful to our employees and customers who not only donate at our stores, but who also go out of their way to raise money for sick and injured children in creative ways,” said Jenny Love Meyer, vice president of communications for Love’s. “Each year, we enjoy seeing communities come together for this effort and we couldn’t be prouder to have raised over $3.75 million for this year’s campaign.” From August 26-September 30, customers could purchase Miracle Balloons, round up to the nearest dollar at registers or pumps or participate in events like 5k runs or fishing tournaments to donate money to CMN Hospitals. Love’s showed additional support for CMN Hospitals on National Coffee Day, which took place September 29-30 during the store campaign. To honor the day, all hot beverages were discounted to $1, with sales going to CMN Hospitals. “We are excited about the results of this year’s Love’s fundraising campaign,” said John Lauck, president and CEO of CMN Hospitals. “Not only did 2019 mark a 20-year milestone of partnership between Love’s and CMN Hospitals but more exciting, Love’s also crossed $31 million in donations to help sick and injured children treated in our hospitals across the U.S.” Of the 170 CMN Hospitals throughout North America, 107 benefit from Love’s annual campaign.      

WASHINGTON — The average price of a gallon of on-highway diesel increase four tenths of one cent to $3.051 for the week ending October 14, according to the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy. Normally posted on Monday of each week, the average price chart was released Tuesday because the federal government was closed Monday for the Columbus Day holiday. All but two regions of the country posted increases led by a 1.9 cent increase in the Rocky Mountain states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado). The New England states (Maine, Vermont, Hew Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts) was the only region showing a decline at five tenths of one cent. The price for the week ending October 14 was 34.3 cents lower than the comparable week in 2018.  

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is requesting an investigation into Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and her reported conflicts of interest. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., made the request in a letter to Department of Transportation Inspector General Calvin L. Scovel III. The letter, sent October 11, cites newly-obtained information from a recent media report that suggested Chao used her office to give preferential treatment to organizations and projects in Kentucky where her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is currently seeking re-election. “Politico reported that 25% of Secretary Chao’s meetings with local officials between January 2017 and March 2018 were with individuals from Kentucky. DeFazio said the report noted that requests for meetings with Chao are typically forwarded from McConnell’s office to Chao’s chief of staff, who previously worked on McConnell’s Senate campaign, DeFazio wrote. The Office of the Secretary of Transportation took exception to DeFazio efforts. DeFazio said the Politico report followed an earlier report that Chao had asked her chief of staff to serve as an intermediary between her office and McConnell’s office, and that he had helped advise the senator and local Kentucky officials on federal grants of particular significance to McConnell. “These allegations were first raised by left wing advocacy groups and hashed out in the media, and the department has previously fully responded to them. They are politically motivated and intended to waste time. While the Department will always be cooperative and responsive to appropriate requests, DOT looks forward to a prompt and final resolution of these questions,” a DOT spokesman told The Trucker Tuesday. “Allegations included the steering of discretionary grants to fund these projects,” DeFazio wrote.  “I would expect Secretary Chao to meet with individuals from her home state more regularly than other states, but the sheer volume of meetings with local officials from Kentucky when compared to meetings with local officials from the rest of the country creates an appearance of favoritism that is troubling.  Even more troubling is the fact that McConnell’s campaign touted the Politico article on social media saying, ‘Mitch McConnell is a Kentucky Asset.’” DeFazio said news reports have also raised questions about Chao’s adherence to her federal ethics agreement in which she agreed to divest certain assets to prevent her personal finances from creating conflicts of interest. In particular, it has been reported that the secretary retained stock in Vulcan Materials, a stone and asphalt producer, as opposed to accepting a cash payment for her stock options in the company, as provided for in her ethics agreement.      

GREENBELT, Md. — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) transitioned to its new leadership for the 2019-2020 term September 25 at the CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sgt. John Samis of the Delaware State Police is the new president of the Alliance. Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol is CVSA’s vice president. Maj. Jeremy “Chris” Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety was elected by the membership to the position of secretary. President Sgt. John Samis has been with the Delaware State Police for more than 25 years and is currently the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) supervisor of its Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit. He served CVSA Region I for two years as vice president and two years as president. Sgt. Samis was chair of the CVSA Election Committee and the CVSA Finance Committee. He attended CVSA’s annual leadership meetings in Washington, D.C., for six years and was also an active participant in developing CVSA’s strategic plan. Vice President Capt. John Broers has been with the South Dakota Highway Patrol for 19 years and is commander for the Motor Carrier Division which oversees MCSAP functions, size and weight enforcement, and permitting operations. He served as CVSA Region III vice president for two years and president for one year. Broers chaired an ad hoc committee and was a member of the CVSA Election Committee and the CVSA Finance Committee. He attended CVSA meetings regularly for nearly a decade, leadership meetings in Washington, D.C., for two years and was a participant in the development of the CVSA strategic plan. Secretary Maj. Chris Nordloh has been with the Texas Department of Public Safety for 23 years and in commercial vehicle enforcement (CVE) for 20 years. He served as the CVE program manager for eight years, including the Motor Carrier Bureau, MCSAP grant management, border enforcement, and size and weight enforcement. Nordloh has participated in CVSA meetings for nine years, served as chair of the CVSA Size and Weight Committee for two years and he is a member of the CVSA Automated CMV Working Group. The path to CVSA presidency starts when an individual is elected by the voting membership to the position of secretary. That person will serve one year as secretary of the Alliance, while concurrently serving on the CVSA Finance Committee, the next year as vice president, the year after that as president, then three years as past president – making the entire process a six-year commitment. Chief Jay Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Police will resume his term as past president. At the end of 2018, CVSA President Lt. Scott Carnegie retired from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. As a result, the CVSA Board of Directors selected Thompson, who was president in 2015-2016 and was serving his three-year term as past president, to assume the role of president for the remainder of the 2018-2019 term, which he completed with the Alliance’s transition to 2019-2020 executive leadership. In addition to the executive leadership transition, the new president of Region I is Sgt. Eric Bergquist with the Maine State Police and vice president is Tpr. William Alarcon of the New Jersey State Police.    

GREENBORO, N.C. — Volvo Group original equipment manufacturers Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America will continue sponsorships of American Trucking Associations outreach programs. Mack Trucks will continue to support ATA’s Workforce Heroes Program and sponsorship of ATA’s Share the Road program. Volvo Trucks North America will continue sponsorship of ATA’s America’s Road Team program. The Workforce Heroes Program support includes the donation of a Mack Anthem 70-inch Stand Up Sleeper model. The Mack Anthem model, featuring a unique camouflage-styled wrap, travels across country to help recruit military veterans into careers in the trucking industry. Thus far, the truck has visited nine locations, including schools, career fairs and military bases. “Mack is proud to continue our support of veterans through this program, and we look forward to working with the ATA to encourage them to consider a career in trucking,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of North American sales and marketing. “Veterans have proven their dedication and service to our country, and trucking offers them a job experience that will build upon some of the skills they already have acquired.” The Anthem model is driven across the country by professional truck drivers from the ATA’s Share the Road program, who teach students, policymakers and media how to drive safely around heavy trucks. Each of the Share the Road drivers has an outstanding safety record, with many of them having one million or more accident-free miles. “From talking to the truck drivers who’ve had the pleasure of driving the camo Mack Anthem Workforce Heroes Truck around the country, it’s hard to describe the excitement that this truck generates about careers in our industry,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Drivers are getting asked questions about trucking while fueling up at truck stops, getting saluted while driving down the road and being asked to take pictures with prospective industry recruits in front of the truck. This Mack Anthem is creating exactly the type of momentum we hoped to see out of this program.” again sponsor the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Share the Road program in 2020. Mack has sponsored Share the Road since 2001, and made the announcement regarding 2020 today during the ATA Management Conference and Exhibition (MC&E) at the San Diego Convention Center. “While significant strides have been made, there is still work to be done in terms of educating motorists on how to drive safely around large trucks,” Randall said. “We are pleased to again sponsor the Share the Road program and the professional truck drivers who deliver that safety message. The Mack Anthem the drivers use in this program is equipped with a variety of safety features, but it’s also critical that operators of passenger vehicles practice safety-conscious driving.” The Share the Road drivers, many of whom have one million or more accident-free miles, deliver live safety presentations to students, media and policy makers throughout the U.S. The purpose of the program is to further the understanding of how to safely drive with heavy-duty trucks on our nation’s roadways. “As the Captains of America’s Road Team, these men and women set the course for best-in-class driving practices in our industry with outstanding safety records and millions of accident-free miles between them,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “Volvo Trucks is looking forward to continuing our exclusive sponsorship of this valuable outreach program in 2020 and supporting the elite professionals who lead it.” America’s Road Team was formed in 1986 to publicly represent America’s 3.1 million professional truck drivers and serve as a celebration of the dedication and teamwork required to deliver America’s freight safely, securely and on time. The small group of professional truck drivers, recognized for superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and advocacy for safety, are nominated to serve two-year terms as captains of America’s Road Team. During that time, the captains travel the country to bring their messages of safety and the essentiality of trucking to students, community groups, lawmakers and government officials. Volvo Trucks has served as the exclusive sponsor since 2002. Earlier this year, Volvo Trucks hosted the 2019-2020 America’s Road Team Captains at its New River Valley Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia, before the nationwide outreach effort began. While at Volvo’s state-of-the-art facility, the captains received hands-on training with the Volvo VNL 760 model, which hauls ATA’s Interstate One mobile classroom. The 53-foot show trailer, which is equipped with a conference room, seven presentation screens, a truck-driving simulator and educational displays, enables the Captains to deliver interactive trucking demonstrations on safety and the importance of trucking on daily lives. The captains’ new VNL 760 model is equipped with active safety technologies including Volvo Active Driver Assist, Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology, and Lane Departure Warning. It is powered by a Volvo D13 engine and is equipped with a 12-speed Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission. Several Volvo connectivity services designed to improve uptime such as Remote Diagnostics and Remote Programming are also integrated in the truck. “Each Captain deserves special recognition for their dedication and tireless efforts to serve as ambassadors of this industry and for all professional truck drivers,” Voorhoeve said. “Volvo Trucks thanks you for the incredible work you are doing to demonstrate the importance of safety, the growing need for sustainability and the essential service that trucking provides to society and our economy.”      

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. —  The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association responded this week with advice to motor carriers that, according to a new survey, are highly concerned about hiring and keeping drivers, more so than any other critical issues in trucking. “Pay them,” said OOIDA Vice President Lewie Pugh. “As a matter of fact, trucking companies could solve both of their top two concerns by addressing what matters most to drivers.” The survey was conducted by American Transportation Research Institute. ATRI asked participants, who identified themselves by their occupations, to rank trucking’s most critical issues in order of importance. Truck driver respondents said compensation is the most critical issue in the industry, while carriers insisted on perpetuating their decades-old claim that they can’t find enough workers. “The real problem is carriers aren’t taking the necessary steps to keep their drivers,” said Pugh. “This fact is demonstrated in other ongoing research and the high ranking of retention in this latest survey.” Pugh said OOIDA has long held that the myth of a truck driver shortage is actually more of an extremely high turnover problem in the truckload sector. “There is a pretty simple solution to everything and that is to pay drivers for their time,” he added. “We think it’s rather hypocritical for big trucking to keep saying there is a shortage when, according to the survey, the top concern of drivers isn’t even on their radar.”          

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has opened locations in Edon, Ohio, and St. Clair, Michigan. The Edon store, located on State Route 49, adds 60 jobs and 111 truck parking spaces to Williams County. The St. Clair store, located off Interstate 94, adds 50 jobs and 104 truck parking spaces to St. Clair County. The Edon store marks Love’s 500th location. “Opening our 499th store in St. Clair, Michigan, and our 500th store in Edon, Ohio, is a huge milestone for Love’s,” said Tom Love, founder and executive chairman of Love’s. “These two locations will become important parts of our story. When we opened our first store in 1964, we couldn’t have imagined how the company would grow and we wouldn’t be here today without our loyal customers and employees.” Both locations are open 24/7 and offer many amenities. Amenities at Edon include more than 8,000 square feet, Arby’s, 111 truck parking spaces, four RV parking spaces, 63 car parking spaces, nine diesel bays, seven showers, Speedco location on-site, laundry facilities, bean to cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Fresh Kitchen concept, Mobile to Go Zone with the latest electronics, CAT scale and a dog park. St. Clair, Michigan, amenities include more than 8,000 square feet, McDonald’s, Subway, 104 truck parking spaces, 84 car parking spaces, four RV parking spaces, nine diesel bays, seven showers, Speedco location on site, laundry facilities, bean to cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Mobile to Go Zone with the latest electronics, CAT scale and dog park. In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at each location. Love’s will also donate $2,000 to the Four County Career Center in Edon and $2,000 to the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency in St. Clair.      

SAN DIEGO — The Board of Directors of the American Trucking Associations Tuesday endorsed a new set of policies aimed at helping the industry continue to safely operate in an environment where more states are liberalizing laws related to the recreational use of marijuana. The action was taken during the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition here this week. “ATA has long been an advocate for reducing impaired driving – in all its forms – so it only makes sense that we would call upon state and federal governments to consider the impact of increased use of marijuana on our roadways,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “As an industry that operates in all 50 states and across national borders, we need all levels of government to help us keep our roads and drivers drug-free.” ATA’s new platform bolsters the federation’s already robust impaired driving policies to deal specifically with marijuana, now that more than 93 million Americans live where the drug is legal for recreational use. Developed by ATA’s Controlled Substances and Driver Health and Wellness Working Group, the new policy and recommendations: Call for the government to maintain the right of employers to test for marijuana if they determine that use could adversely affect safety. Support a lifting of the federal restrictions on marijuana research and call for more research into marijuana’s impact on impairment, especially in conjunction with other substances. Back the development of oral fluid testing and impairment standards. Call for the creation of a marijuana victim’s compensation fund paid for by dispensaries, cultivators and manufacturers. This is in addition to ATA’s existing policies calling for the government to allow alternative drug testing methods, creation of a national database of positive drug and alcohol test results and strong anti-impaired driving laws, the ATA said. “This policy allows us to, while recognizing that the modern world is changing, advocate for strong, safety-oriented policies backed by sound science and data,” Spear said.