The Nation

DALLAS —  Drivewyze, provider of PreClear weigh station bypass service, has extended its Drivewyze Safety Notifications Service by adding mountain corridor safety alerts to more than 100 locations in 20 states. The mountain corridor safety alerts, which first became available for free to Drivewyze customers at seven mountain pass locations in Colorado last month is now available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. With the alerts, Drivewyze subscribers will have their drivers receive in-cab alerts of upcoming safe locations to pull over for brake check inspections, and see prompts to gear low while showing suggested maximum speeds down steep grades. It will also alert drivers of upcoming runaway ramps. “With the expansion of our new mountain safety alerts, we are able to offer notifications to drivers when they travel through challenging mountain passes in the U.S.,” said Charlie Mohn, product manager at Drivewyze. “All of the mountain passes included feature grades of 5 percent or higher. With our mountain safety alerts, our goal is to help drivers focus on the terrain ahead while providing information that will make them safer on the road.” According to Mohn, I-64 near Beckley, West Virginia, which is the longest 7 percent grade in the U.S. is included in Drivewyze’s mountain corridor safety alerts. Other difficult passes included are I-26 in North Carolina near the North Carolina and Tennessee border, southbound I-15 by Baker Pass in California, and I-80 by Donner Pass in California, notorious for its 40-mile westbound descent from the summit. Both the Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass application, and the Drivewyze Safety Notifications service, are available to carriers on supported ELDs and other in-cab devices, through the Drivewyze partner network (https://drivewyze.com/drivewyze-on-your-eld/). Subscribers interested in deploying the Drivewyze Safety Notifications Service should contact their ELD or in-cab device provider, or their Drivewyze Customer Success Manager. While Drivewyze Safety Notifications help drivers with safety alerts, the mainstay of Drivewyze’s business continues to be its weigh station bypass service. Drivewyze PreClear subscribers now receive bypass opportunities at more than 800 locations, in 45 states and provinces.

WASHINGTON — A multi-organization letter sent to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 12 stressed that implementing a successful national autonomous vehicle or AV policy requires finding the “appropriate balance” between state, local, and federal government responsibilities — ensuring that appropriate funding and incentives are in place for “desired outcomes.” The letter — spearheaded by the National Conference of State Legislatures and endorsed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Motor Vehicle Administrators Association, Governors Highway Safety Association, National League of Cities, National Governors Association, National Association of Counties, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors — also emphasized that AV  issues must be approached “in a systematic and pragmatic manner” to ensure that “safety on our nation’s roadways and streets is paramount.” “Many of our members have expressed concerns that these new technologies may not be subject to appropriate safety rules or standards as they are developed and then tested or deployed on public roadways with other road users,” the groups noted in their letter, as published by the Journal, the official publication of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “We therefore urge the submission of a highly detailed safety evaluation report and its subsequent and timely release to the public,” they said. “We urge you to avoid the creation of a safety vacuum – the combination of a federal regulator that does not act and a perpetual prohibition on states from acting.” State departments of transportation are already deeply involved in a variety of AV pilot programs, with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the Utah Department of Transportation currently testing autonomous shuttle buses. Utah program is a 12-month, autonomous shuttle pilot program. The electric shuttle doesn’t have a driver’s seat, steering wheel or brake pedal. It holds up to 12 passengers and goes up to 15 mph. To that end, the organizations argued that state and local governments are the “primary authority” concerning vehicle operational safety – including “regulating the operation of motor vehicles after such vehicles have been constructed, the operators of those motor vehicles, as well as establishing the rules of the road on how motor vehicles can be safely operated on public roadways” – and compromising that authority could compromise safety. “Protecting public safety on the roadways is one of the fundamental roles of state and local government,” according to the letter. “With the rapid pace of autonomous technological innovation not being matched by corresponding vehicle safety standards or other requirements by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, states and cities have stepped into this role in order to ensure that autonomous vehicle testing – which is aimed at improving this technology – is done in a safe and responsible manner,” the groups noted.      

California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign a bill into law that could have a significant — and some fear devastating — effect on the trucking industry in that state. On Sept. 10, the state Senate passed the “Employees and Independent Contractors” bill, or AB5 as it is more commonly referred. The law makes standard what is known as the ABC Test to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. The bill passed by a vote of 29-11 along party lines, with Democrats favoring the measure. According to reports, Newsom, a Democrat, has expressed he intends to sign the bill, which would go into effect Jan 1. AB5 was designed to sharply define the definition of “independent contractors” in order to protect workers’ rights, according to the bill’s author, Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego. “It’s our job to look out for working men and women, not Wall Street and their get-rich-quick IPOs,” Gonzalez said. AB5 was based on a California Supreme Court decision, Dynamex v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, in April 2018. In that case, courier company Dynamex Operations West had reclassified its employees as independent contractors in order to cut costs. The workers sued and the court ruled in their favor, determining that they should be classified as employees, based on what is known as the ABC Test. The test uses a three-pronged set of criteria that presumes a worker must be considered an employee unless the employer can prove: That the worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact; That the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and That the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed. There is no nationally recognized definition delineating between independent contractors and company employees. Each state sets its own criteria for determining independent contractor status. The ABC Test is applied to varying degrees in at least 28 states. In Massachusetts and New Jersey, the test is used across the board to determine who can be classified as independent contractors. In many other states, the ABC Test is used all or in part, and is applied to specific industries and to specific labor laws pertaining to subjects such as wages and unemployment. Prior to the Dynamex case, California used an 11-point standard that had been in place since 1989 to determine employee or contractor status. In the Dynamex case, the court used Massachusetts’ application of ABC as a template. That model was also the one used in AB5. California’s prior standards focused on an employers’ control over a worker to determine contractor status. It allowed for flexibility and was “complicated, expensive, and prone to litigation,” according to the state Senate analysis of AB5. By contrast, The ABC test operates on a premise that all workers should be considered employees unless they can meet all three standards. Much of the impetus behind AB5 was to take aim at businesses that unfairly use independent contractor status as a way to cut costs at the expense of workers. Many of these companies, such as Dynamex, are part of what is referred to as the growing “gig economy.” Some of the most notable examples in recent years of platform-based companies where workers’ status as an employee or a contractor have been a point of contention have been ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft, or food-delivery services like GrubHub and DoorDash. Businesses that rely on independent contractors are free from labor standards such as minimum wage and overtime. They don’t have pay payroll taxes and insurance costs, nor do they pay into Social Security or Medicare for contractors. According to one industry estimate, classifying a gig worker as an employee can cost a company up to 30% more than classifying them as a contractor. While the Dynamex decision applied only to rules governing minimum wages, overtime and guaranteed breaks, AB 5 also pertains to workers’ compensation, insurance, and paid time off. While the good intentions of AB5 are clear, opponents of the bill argue that it is too sweeping, that it doesn’t differentiate between the businesses that abuse the independent contractor status and industries that traditionally rely on the use of independent contractors, most notably the trucking industry. Some in trucking fear the ABC standards would effectively end the ability for large trucking companies in California to lease to or contract with small carriers or independent owner-operators. The key problem with ABC when it is applied to trucking is with the “B prong,” the one that says a company cannot hire an independent contractor to perform work that is a normal part of the hiring entity’s business. In other words, a company whose business is to carry freight cannot contract a smaller company or an individual owner-operator to carry freight with them without making them a full employee. In addition, the drivers or small carrier being contracted would have to meet the “C prong,” which is to be able to show that they are independently established businesses that provide trucking services to other companies. This not considered nearly as big a hurdle as the B prong. It should be noted that many states that have looked to the ABC Test as a model for their own standards chose to do without the B prong. AB5 passed the state Assembly in May, also pretty much along party lines, and has been a hot topic in California all summer. Representatives of the trucking industry, including the California Trucking Association and the Western States Trucking Association, have led opposition to the bill. “There is no reason why protecting workers does not include defending the right of tens of thousands of drivers who have built their businesses around the independent owner-operator model, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their trucks and have operated their own businesses for decades,” said Shawn Yadon, CEO of the CTA, in a press release. There are more than 130,000 trucking companies in California, and as in the rest of the nation, most of them are small fleets or individual drivers. As people throughout the industry can foresee catastrophic repercussions if suddenly none of them can get contract work — to them, to the larger companies that normally would contract them, and to the industries they serve, such as agriculture. Some state lawmakers expressed concern with the potential upheaval AB5 could cause as it moved its way toward approval. A few industries managed to have exemptions for themselves included into the legislation. Trucking, however, was not among them, despite efforts by industry representatives, testimony by members of the industry and organized protests. Even Gonzalez, the bill’s author, has expressed her openness to making adjustments, including possible exemptions, to AB5 in the future. But that sort of thing takes time. Newsom has until October 13 to sign the bill, but he is not expected to wait, which means that at least for a while, California’s trucking industry stands poised to be an unwilling test case as other states and Congress, which is considering legislation based on ABC, wait to see what happens.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has opened locations in Big Cabin, Oklahoma, and Elkhorn, Wisconsin. The Big Cabin store, located on Interstate 44, adds 89 jobs and 79 truck parking spaces to Craig County. The Elkhorn store, located on Interstate 43, adds 55 jobs and 102 truck parking spaces to Walworth County. “We’re excited to open yet another location in our home state of Oklahoma and to add a seventh location for our friends in Wisconsin,” said Tom Love, executive chairman and founder of Love’s. “We want to continue expanding so that more and more professional and four-wheel drivers have access to our services.” Both locations are open 24/7 and offer many amenities. Big Cabin amenities include more than 8,000 square feet, Carl’s Jr., 79 truck parking spaces, 47  car parking spaces, two RV parking spaces, eight 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. Elkhorn amenities include more than 8,000 square feet, Hardee’s, 102 truck parking spaces, 87 car parking spaces, three RV parking spaces, 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.. In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will donate $2,000 to the Elkhorn community, split between the Walworth County Food Pantry and Open Arms Free Clinic Inc.; and will donate $2,000 to the community in Big Cabin.      

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 8-14, 2019, is when America takes the time to honor all professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in tackling one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. To commemorate the event, Acuity Insurance sponsored an essay and video contest for high school students. “Through the stories submitted, contestants displayed their knowledge of the important issues facing the industry while thanking the drivers in their lives for everything they do,” said Steve Maliborski, Senior Product Analyst and member of Acuity’s trucking specialist team. A total of six winners were named, including: First prize, $2,500: Sara Mears, Appleton, Wisconsin Second prize, $1,500: Gibeon Robbins, Coalville, Utah Third prize, $1,000: Ashlyn Smith, Marion, Utah Honorable mention, $150: Gabrielle Robbins, Coalville, Utah Honorable mention, $150: Jimmy Fields, Orland Park, Illinois Honorable mention, $150: Karmyn Jarzemski, De Soto, Wisconsin Mears’ essay revolved around her great-uncle Roland “Rollie” Koenig and his longtime association with Korth Transport of Reedsburg, Wisconsin. “Many people don’t think about how things get into their hands,” Mears started her essay. “However, there is a very important job for this to happen. Truck drivers from all over work hard every day to get products to people that need them. One of them is My Great Uncle Rollie who has delivered milk all over the Midwest in his bright blue Korth Transport truck for over 20 years.” She related how growing up, Koenig had looked out his window as a truck drove past his house every day and quickly at the age of 12 yearned to be a truck driver. Later on, Koenig fulfilled his dreams and started driving and as of this year he has been driving for a total of 22 years, all with the same company and with no accidents. Koenig loves his trucking job, Mears said. “He always thinks of others first,” she wrote. “After a few years off (to run the family farm), Rollie went back to Korth and started driving again. He went back to Korth Transfer because they offered him flexible hours with five full weeks off for vacation. He loves how he gets Fridays and Sundays off, and occasionally free Saturdays. They also allow him to stay close to his home, driving only in the Midwest in order for him to be in his own bed every night. Another reason why Rollie loves Korth is because he knew the original owners, Charles and Marlene Korth, his whole life since they attended the same church as Rollie. He says that the founding owners (now deceased) were good, nice people and hired friendly drivers and office employees throughout all of Wisconsin. Korth has been around for over 85 years and the current Korth management still carries on this caring philosophy.” Mears addressed the importance of finding drivers. “It is hard for some companies to find truck drivers, but transporting goods is crucial in today’s growing economy,” she wrote. “Without these drivers, it would be hard to get products from one place to another.” Her Great Uncle Rollie still loves to drive his big blue Korth milk truck, she wrote. He said, “If I didn’t like the job I have, I would have retired a long time ago.” My Great Uncle Rollie transports dairy products so that people like us can enjoy things like ice cream at Culver’s, she wrote. “The next time you drink a glass of cold refreshing milk or have a tasty ice cream cone, remember the journey the ingredients have been through and the people like my Great Uncle Rollie that helped to get it into your hands.” The contest was promoted on the Acuity Insurance website and was open to high school students in the United States. Essays were required to address a topic of interest and importance to the trucking industry. To read all the essays, click here.   

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Wednesday took dead aim at Washington political gridlock during a hearing before the Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, challenging many lawmakers’ assertions that a gas and diesel tax increase could cost them a seat in Congress. Raising the gas and diesel tax is “not a partisan issue out there in America, it just seems to be a partisan issue here in Washington, D.C.,” Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said during opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing on “Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing of America’s Roads.” Also at the hearing, a representative of the American Trucking Associations assailed attempts to use tolling as a funding source, and an official from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTTI) said diversity could be an answer to help alleviate the nation’s crunch on the nation’s highways. “The cost of congestion on an annual basis is about four times our federal investment in surface transportation and transit,” DeFazio testified. “Just think about that. We’re wasting four times as much money as we’re investing on an annual basis year after year after year. But around here we’re paralyzed. We can’t figure out how we’re going to pay for this.” Without saying so directly, DeFazio’s testimony centered around a gas and diesel tax increase as a foremost solution. Addressing lawmakers who are reluctant to raise the tax, DeFazio issued what might be taken as a challenge. “You think you’re going to lose your election if gas goes up one and a half cents a gallon?” DeFazio asked. “When you drove to work today, you drove by the gas station and the price probably went up a nickel or down a nickel on the digital sign. No one’s going to notice that. And people around the country have shown that they are willing to pay to get out of congestion. Congress hasn’t gotten the message.” DeFazio, who has represented Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District since 1987, took on the current administration. “The White House hasn’t got the message,” he said. “They love to talk about a big infrastructure bill — we were up to $2 trillion for three weeks, and then we were down to zero. In fact, the proposals in the president’s budget consistently cut transportation investment. Testifying on behalf ATA, YRC Worldwide CEO Darren Hawkins urged lawmakers to put the brakes on the spread of tolls. “While the trucking industry is willing to pay its fair share for infrastructure improvement, we believe that tolls are not the right solution, and in fact can be very harmful to our industry, our customers and ultimately, to consumers,” Hawkins testified. Hawkins cited inefficiencies in toll collection, traffic diversion and misdirection of toll funds as significant problems with tolling when compared to other financing methods. “Tolling has very high collection costs relative to other highway user fees,” he said. “While the cost of collection has come down with the introduction of transponders, costs can still exceed 10 percent. On some major toll facilities, these costs are much higher. On the Ohio Turnpike, for example, 19 cents out of every dollar is spent collecting tolls, while the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s collection costs exceed 20 percent. Contrast this with the 0.2 percent cost of collecting federal fuel taxes. “Clearly, the waste that goes into collecting a toll is simply unacceptable when far more efficient alternatives are available. Our user fees should be used to build roads, not toll road bureaucracies,” he said. Hawkins also warned that because of federal funding shortfalls, states are abusing tolls to fund other projects at the expense of toll payers, particularly the trucking industry. “Federal law allows states to shift excess toll revenue to any Title 23 eligible purpose,” he said. “This results in toll payers bankrolling projects that they may not benefit from. In addition, because the vast majority of roads can’t support tolls, a small minority of motorists can be saddled with the subsidization of a state’s surface transportation system, regardless of whether the toll payers benefit.” Because tolls are only a potential solution for a handful of projects, Hawkins urged Congress to do more to fund infrastructure so states aren’t forced to look to tolling or other riskier financing methods. “It is important to note that tolls will not solve the most important challenge facing this subcommittee — the impending bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund. Failure to address the shortfall will continue to induce states to consider bad options like tolls,” he said. “ATA and nearly every organization that cares about surface transportation efficiency has proposed an increase in the fuel tax to address these needs, and we urge your support.” Timothy Lomax, research fellow at TTTI, called for a balanced and diversified approach to reduce congestion, one that focuses on more of everything; more policies, programs, projects, flexibility, options and understanding. “It is clear that the solution investments have not kept pace with the problems,” he said. “Most urban regions have big problems now — more congestion, poorer pavement and bridge conditions and less public transportation than they would like.” Lomax cited some ideas: Get as much as possible from what we have. “‘Get the best bang for the buck’ is the theme here,” Lomax said. “Many low-cost improvements have broad public support and can be rapidly deployed.” Provide choices. “‘Customize your trip’ might involve different travel routes, departure times, travel modes or lanes that involve a toll for high-speed and reliable service,” he said. “These options allow travelers and shippers to make trips when, where and in a form that best suits their needs and wants.” Add capacity in critical corridors. “We just need more in some places. Increases in freight and person movement often require new or expanded facilities.” Diversify the development patterns. “Everyone doesn’t want to live in — fill in the blank — is a discussion in most urban regions. It is always true, because there is no one-size-fits-all home type.” Realistic expectations. “Large urban areas will be congested,” Lomax said. “Some locations near key activity centers in smaller urban areas will also be congested.” Others testifying at the hearing included Miami Gardens, Florida, Mayor Oliver Gilbert III, who is also chairman of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization; Travis Brouwer, assistant director for public affairs for the Oregon Department of Transportation; Tilly Chang, executive director, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, testifying on behalf of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America; and Marc Scribner, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

GREENBELT, Md. — A reminder to truckers: The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week begins Sunday and goes through September 21. Throughout that week, enforcement officials will conduct roadside safety inspections on commercial motor vehicles throughout North America. Vehicles with critical brake violations or other critical vehicle inspection item violations will be restricted from traveling until those violations are corrected. Vehicles without critical vehicle inspection item violations are eligible to receive a CVSA decal indicating that the vehicle passed inspection. During this year’s Brake Safety Week, inspectors will be paying special attention to brake hoses/tubing. While checking brake system components is always part of the North American Standard Inspection Program, CVSA is highlighting brake hoses/tubing as a reminder of their importance to vehicle mechanical fitness and safety. Routine brake system inspections and component replacement are vital to the safety of commercial motor vehicles. The brake systems on commercial motor vehicles are comprised of components that work together to slow and stop the vehicle and brake hoses/tubing are essential for the proper operation of those systems. Brake hoses/tubing must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and appropriately flexible. Brake hoses/tubing are an important part of the braking system so when they do fail, they can cause problems for the rest of the braking system. “We all know how important a properly functioning brake system is to vehicle operation,” said CVSA President Chief Jay Thompson with the Arkansas Highway Police. “All components of the brake system must always be in proper operating condition. Brake systems and their parts and components must be routinely checked and carefully and consistently maintained to ensure the health and safety of the overall vehicle.” Out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations represented 45% of all out-of-service vehicle violations issued during last year’s three-day International Roadcheck enforcement campaign. And, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2018 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics, brake-related violations accounted for six of the top 20 most frequently cited vehicle violations in 2017. Thompson said the goal of Brake Safety Week is to reduce the number of crashes caused or made more severe by faulty brake systems on commercial motor vehicles by conducting roadside inspections and identifying and removing unsafe commercial motor vehicles from our roadways. In addition to inspections and enforcement, outreach and awareness efforts by law enforcement agencies to educate drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake maintenance, operation and performance are integral to the success of this safety initiative. In the 14 jurisdictions using performance-based brake testers (PBBT), vehicle braking efficiency will be measured using that tool. PBBTs determine overall vehicle braking efficiency or the total brake force over the effective total gross weight. The minimum required braking efficiency for trucks or combinations with gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds is 43.5%, required by § 393.52 of the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. Brake Safety Week is part of the Operation Airbrake Program, sponsored by CVSA in partnership with FMCSA and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.            

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Professional truck driver Timothy Chelette Monday was named winner of the Pilot Flying J sixth annual Road Warrior contest as part of the company’s kickoff to National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Chelette, who lives at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, won the $10,000 grand prize. Rodney Hagan of Webster, Florida, and William McNamee of Christopher, Illinois, were named the second- and third-place Road Warrior winners, respectively. “Each year, our Road Warrior program allows us to honor the unsung ‘heroes on the road’ who go above and beyond as professional drivers,” said Ken Parent, president of Pilot Flying J. “The trucking community is lucky to have so many hardworking men and women on the road committed to keeping America moving and this year’s winners exemplify some of the most admirable qualities of the industry. Thank you and congratulations to Timothy and the finalists for their hard work and dedication.” To honor Chelette as the grand prize winner, Pilot Flying J partnered with his employer, Big G Express, to surprise him with the news of his win and present him with his $10,000 check at the Pilot Travel Center in his hometown of Murfreesboro. A driver at Big G Express for nearly 15 years, Chelette has served as a Tennessee Road Team Captain and currently serves as an America’s Road Team Captain, presenting programs about safety across the nation. Over the years, he has driven more than 1.9 million accident-free miles delivering freight. In the last four years, Chelette has raised more than $30,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through an annual motorcycle ride he created. “It is a great honor to be named the Road Warrior winner,” Chelette said. “Thank you to Big G Express for nominating me and to Pilot Flying J for putting on this great program that recognizes drivers like me. I will be able to do more charity rides now that my motorcycle will be paid off. I appreciate everyone who voted – it really means a lot.” In addition to the $10,000 grand prize, Pilot Flying J awarded $5,000 to Hagan and $2,500 to McNamee. Nominators of the grand, second- and third-place winners will also receive a $500 prize. This year, the three finalists were selected from more than 7,500 online nominations for their superior efforts in the U.S. trucking industry. Through the company’s Thank a Driver campaign launched earlier this month, Pilot Flying J is showing appreciation for professional drivers throughout September and celebrating drivers with free drinks every day in the Pilot Flying J app. To learn more, visit pilotflyingj.com/driver-appreciation. To thank drivers and join the conversation, follow @PilotFlyingJ social media channels and use #thankyoudrivers.

LANSING, Mich. — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican legislative leaders said Monday that they will work to enact a state budget without including a long-term funding plan to fix Michigan’s deteriorating roads. The agreement likely forestalls the possibility of an October 1 partial government shutdown. But it also strips the first-year governor of leverage as she seeks a nearly $2 billion influx of new spending on road and bridge construction in a state that ranks second to last nationally in per-capita road spending. Whitmer previously said she would not sign a budget without a road-funding deal. But she and GOP leaders have been unable to agree on an alternative after her proposed 45-cents-a-gallon fuel tax hike was declared dead following its unveiling in March. She warns that without a major investment, the number of roads in poor condition will double, from 22% to 44%, in the next five years. Whitmer said “some legislators” in the GOP-controlled Legislature want a shutdown of state government for “political reasons” and are unwilling to get serious about addressing the road-funding problem. Republicans based many of their counterproposals — which they kept private — on ending the sales tax on fuel and passing an equivalent per-gallon gasoline tax increase, which would boost roads but reduce revenue for schools and municipalities. Whitmer rejected the concept. “I don’t view a shutdown as a game. I don’t view it as something that is just a leverage point. I view it as something that’s very serious that would have ramifications for our state,” she said after speaking to the Grand Rapids Economic Club. “That’s why, as the adult in the room, I said it’s time to focus on getting a good budget done. One way or another, we’re going to fix the roads in Michigan.” Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey of Clarklake and House Speaker Lee Chatfield of Levering agreed over the weekend to immediately begin working to set spending targets for the budget year that starts October 1. “We have all agreed to continue conversations about road funding in a meaningful way and table all associated issues for the time being,” they said in a joint statement. “Right now, our number one priority is getting a budget passed. We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and negotiating on behalf of the people of Michigan.” The announcement came days after Republicans internally agreed to their own spending levels and scheduled several House-Senate conference committee meetings for later this week, without input from Whitmer — setting the stage for a potential veto showdown this month. Whitmer, who campaigned on a pledge to fix the roads, previously accused GOP leaders of leading the state toward a “Trump-style shutdown” and on Monday said she is determined to ensure that Michigan is not dysfunctional like Washington, D.C. Rep. Jason Sheppard, a Temperance Republican, criticized Whitmer’s comments. “We put solution after solution on the negotiating table and all we got from the governor’s office was more inflammatory public statements and press conferences,” he said. Lawmakers and the governor have three weeks to finalize a $60 billion budget. Key issues to be resolved include settling how much should go to roads in the coming year and funding schools, which have been operating since July without knowing their state aid. “I agree with the decision to discuss a long-term strategy for road repairs separately from the upcoming state budget, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore short-term steps we can take to improve our roads right away,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Shane Hernandez, a Port Huron Republican. Whitmer’s K-12 proposal would pump $523 million, or 4%, more into the school budget, not including federal dollars. Funding would rise between nearly $200 million and $392 million under House and Senate proposals, or 1.3% and 3%. Whitmer also has called for shifting to a “weighted” funding formula to account for extra costs to educate certain students, but neither the Senate nor House embraced the concept in budget blueprints they adopted in May and June. House Minority Leader Christine Greig, whose Democratic caucus never embraced increasing the 26-cents-a-gallon gas tax to 71 cents, said Whitmer should create a bipartisan task force to propose long-term road-funding solutions. House Democrats have suggested boosting the corporate income tax and assessing extra taxes and tolls on heavy trucks, while business leaders who supported Whitmer’s 45-cent plan have noted that companies would pay more under a gas tax hike. “We’ve got to have other ideas at the table for addressing roads,” said Greig, who said Republicans did not offer a viable road-funding proposal. GOP legislators have in turn accused Whitmer of proposing an unrealistic tax hike she had to know would not pass muster with the public.  

WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industrywide education and image movement, is thanking America’s professional truck drivers during their #ThankATrucker campaign, during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Delivering Life’s Moments.” “Throughout National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, TMAF will be showcasing the life moments that pro truck drivers make possible through their deliveries,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president of Jet Express Inc. “Whether it’s teaching your grandkid how to bike, playing tee ball with your son or sharing an afternoon snack of milk and cookies with your daughter, all of life’s precious moments are made possible by America’s 3.5 million professional truck drivers who deliver the items and products for these events.” In this year’s digital campaign, TMAF’s content features families making memories alongside an image of a professional truck driver and the message #ThankADriver. The online campaign of “Delivering Life’s Moments” is launching on TMAF’s  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn channels. Burch said TMAF is emphasizing the importance of educating the motoring public on the significant value the trucking industry brings to our nation’s economy. This year, TMAF will focus its radio advertisements on Westwood One Sports programs nationwide. All week, commercials thanking our professional truck drivers and educating consumers on how essential the industry is in delivering all our products and goods are airing on CBS Sports, NBC Sports and play-by-play broadcasts of professional football. TMAF is encouraging state trucking associations and other TMAF members to share the campaign messages by airing the radio ads. TMAF also created and offered campaign billboard advertisements to the state associations and companies to run during National Truck Driving Appreciation Week or at any time during the year. The billboards, which are customizable for each organization, feature award-winning truck drivers from specific states or regions. As part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week celebrations, on Friday, September 13, it’s “Trucking Day” in the nation’s capital hosted by the American Trucking Associations. Mascot Safety Sammy will be at the Navy Yard-Ballpark metro station at Nationals Park greeting baseball fans and spreading the industry’s message. Additionally, a truck driver will sing the national anthem, and eight trucking representatives will be honored on the baseball field.    

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Joseph Wilbur, Jim Kurent and Terry Whittington have been named Highway Angels by the Truckload Carriers Association for heroic actions while on duty. Kurent, who lives in Burlington, Vermont, and drivers for ABF Freight System of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was recognized for acting quickly to avoid a major highway collision. On January 19, Kurent was on a two-lane highway in Vermont when a Subaru going in the opposite direction at 50 mph when it crossed over the center line right in front of him. Without a moment to spare, he swerved to avoid hitting the car head-on. The car bounced off the side of Kurent’s truck and ended up on the other side of the road. Kurent’s truck slid in to a ditch, but he was able to get out of the cab. Uninjured, he walked over to check on the driver of the Subaru. It was later determined that the man was apparently listening to a book on tape and was distracted; the motorist did not notice he had drifted into oncoming traffic. “I wouldn’t say this was a heroic deed, but I was just alert and doing my job as I always do,” Kurent said. “The driver of the car made a comment that my actions saved his life. I don’t know about that. But if I wouldn’t have been alert and swerved into the ditch, 50 miles an hour versus 50 miles an hour head-on would not have turned out as safe as it did.” Wilbur, who lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and is a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, was recognized for assisting at the scene of an accident caused by a wrong-way driver. It was 3 a.m. and Wilbur had just left New Haven, Connecticut, and was northbound on I-95. Wilbur is a utility driver for ABF but was filling in for someone that night. Driving along, something  caught his attention on the southbound side. Taillights. A wrong-way driver was in the left lane driving north, against traffic. Wilbur called 911 and was connected to a dispatcher with the Connecticut State Police. He managed to keep pace with the wrong-way driver, calling out mile markers and exits along the way to the dispatcher. Thankfully, traffic was light. Southbound drivers were doing their best to avoid a collision. However, Wilbur said, the wrong-way driver never slowed down or swerved. As the driver approached a cluster of vehicles, one car didn’t have enough time to move out of the way. The wrong-way driver hit the vehicle head-on, spinning it off to the side as the wrong-way driver’s vehicle rolled multiple times, right next to Wilbur, and landed on its roof. Wilbur quickly pulled to the shoulder and jumped the barrier. He could see red flashing lights coming toward the scene. It was an EMT, driving solo on his way back from a transport. Wilbur and the EMT managed to pull back the driver’s door and found the driver unconscious and hanging upside down, still in his seat belt. Wilbur told the EMT he would help him extract the man. The EMT handed him sterile gloves and Wilbur crawled into the car to lift the pressure off the belt as the EMT cut it. They then slid the driver out of the vehicle as he regained consciousness and began thrashing about. Wilbur stayed with the driver, who appeared to have head injuries, and kept him still while the EMT retrieved a neck collar. Whittington, who lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and is a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, also of Fort Smith, has been recognized for helping a fellow truck driver that was struck by a passing motorist while inspecting his vehicle. It was 7:30 a.m. in June 2018, and Whittington was leaving Fontana, California, on Interstate 10 on his way back to his home terminal in Phoenix. He slowed as he saw an accident up ahead of him. Another tractor-trailer was parked on the right shoulder and Whittington could see what appeared to be a tarp lying in the road. However, as he got closer, he  realized it was a man lying in the road. Whittington quickly pulled to the right shoulder and ran over to the man, calling 911 as he did so. The driver was conscious and crying out for someone to help him get up. Whittington learned the man was a driver for Roehl Transport who had pulled over to check his equipment when he was struck by a U-Haul vehicle pulling a car. The U-Haul had drifted toward the right shoulder when it struck the Roehl driver. The man’s legs were badly injured. Whittington got a jacket from his cab to place over the driver as he was clearly in shock and losing a great deal of blood. Whittington stayed with the driver to comfort him until first responders arrived. He later learned the driver passed away in the ambulance en route to the hospital. “It was horrible,” Whittington said. “I just wanted to sit there and cry.” Over the ensuing days he had a hard time sleeping. “I kept envisioning that poor man and how he was asking me to help him get up. All he did was pull over to check his equipment and now he’s dead. People need to pay more attention when they’re out there on the road.” Whittington has been a teamster for 32 years and has worked for ABF Freight for three years. For their willingness to help in a time of need, Wilbur, Kurent and Whittington were presented with a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. ABF Freight has also received a certificate acknowledging their drivers as Highway Angels. Since the program’s inception in August 1997, hundreds of drivers have been recognized as Highway Angels for the exemplary kindness, courtesy, and courage they have displayed while on the job. EpicVue sponsors TCA’s Highway Angel program.        

Plover, WI — Six finalists have been named for the Women In Trucking Association’s (WIT) annual Influential Woman in Trucking award. The award, cosponsored by Freightliner Trucks, is now in its ninth year. It was developed to honor female leaders and to attract and advance women in the trucking industry. The award highlights the achievements of female role models and trailblazers in the trucking industry. More than 100 outstanding nominations were submitted for this year’s award, recognizing women in various roles in the industry. The 2019 Influential Woman in Trucking award finalists are: Niki Bolton, senior truck auditor & executive projects officer, American Truck & Rail Audits Inc. Kristy Knichel, president & CEO, Knichel Logistics Ruth Lopez, director of transportation management, Ryder Logistics Kellylyn McLaughlin, over-the-road training engineer & professional driver, Schneider National Inc. Jodie Teuton, vice president, Kenworth of Louisiana Lidia Yan, CEO and co-founder, NEXT Trucking Niki Bolton is the senior truck auditor and executive projects officer for American Truck & Rail Audits Inc. (AMTR). She has been with the company for 11 years. She began as a data entry clerk, quickly moved to truck audits team manager, received her Certified Transportation Cost Auditor certificate from AMTR, and then transitioned into her current role in early 2019. Prior to working at AMTR, Bolton attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has also completed Transportation Logistics & The Law and Motor Carrier Operations courses through the Institute of Logistical Management. In her very niche business, she has brought up many new auditors and a new female manager to lead the truck audits team.  She is involved in many industry organizations including National Industrial Transportation League, Blockchain in Transport Alliance and Transportation Intermediaries Association. Outside of the office, she volunteers as a leader for a nonprofit organization for foster and adoption care.     Kristy Knichel, president and CEO of Knichel Logistics since 2007, has been the driving force behind the company’s annual growth and reputation as one of the top service providers within the Intermodal Marketing Company community. As of 2018, Knichel Logistics has grown to $73 million in revenue. Knichel’s proudest accomplishment is the family atmosphere she has created for her team members. Today, her focus is on expanding the company’s footprint in the logistics industry and offering team members the opportunity for growth and self- improvement. She has achieved many goals during her 20-plus years in the transportation industry, including being named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year, being the first recipient of the Distinguished Woman in Logistics award, and her recent nomination as Intermodal Logistics Conference Chair on the TIA Board of Directors.     Ruth Lopez has achieved a 20-year career with Ryder Logistics and currently serves as director of transportation management, leading teams in the U.S. and in Mexico. The teams are composed of transportation planners executing lowest-cost/time-compliant shipments in accordance with the expectations of 56 external clients. Lopez, along with her team, creates specific execution plans with comprehensive strategies for Ryder’s key customer segments and new client implementations. She has served as a co-chair for Ryder’s Women’s Leadership Forum, whose mission is to support the attraction, retention and development of women.     Kellylyn McLaughlin is an over-the-road professional driver and trainer for Schneider National Inc. Before getting behind the wheel of a CMV, she was a pilot and loves all modes of transportation. She joined the US Peace Corps after university which led to more than a decade of working to support international development in rural communities. She then transitioned to passenger safety after becoming a mother and worked for both National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and SafeKids as a child passenger safety expert. She discovered professional driving quite by accident when she accepted a logistics position with a large marching band. She is now focusing her efforts on making a positive difference for drivers by being a professional driver stakeholder representative at local, regional, national and international levels, along with mentoring new drivers for SNI and advocating for women in trucking.   Jodie Teuton is the co-founder of Kenworth of Louisiana, a heavy-duty truck dealership group representing both Kenworth and Hino truck brands with eight Louisiana locations. Before devoting her professional career to the retail auto and truck business in 1997, she practiced law locally in South Louisiana. Teuton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Nicholls State University in 1987 and a J.D. from Loyola University in 1990. She is passionate about business and proud to carry on her family legacy as a dealer. She currently is president of American Truck Dealers – ATD (a division of the National Auto Dealers Association). Teuton is an advocate for her industry as well as for the rights of the disabled.     Lidia Yan is the CEO and co-founder of NEXT Trucking, a FreightTech company that is reshaping the $800 billion trucking and shipping industry. With a background in logistics and e-commerce in the U.S. and China, Yan recognized a market need for a simpler, technology-enabled marketplace to match freight with capacity. In 2015, she founded NEXT as the first trucker-centric app and marketplace. Since then, she has led the company to 500% revenue growth, 250-plus employees, and $125 million in funding. She has been a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year, received a Stevie Award for Startup of the Year, and has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal Women’s Council and Awards. Prior to founding NEXT, Yan was a marketing executive at top 10 e-commerce retailer, Newegg. The judges for the 2019 award are Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO; Dave Nemo, talk show host, Sirius XM Radio; and Angela Eliacostas, founder and CEO, AGT Global Logistics and the 2018 Influential Woman in Trucking award recipient. All six finalists will participate on a panel at the WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo in Dallas Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. The winner will be announced at the general session panel discussion, “How Remarkable Women Unleash their Leadership Potential,” on Tues., Oct. 1. The finalists will also be on the SiriusXM WIT Show on Sat., Sept. 14 from 11a.m. – 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Road Dog Channel 146.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A team of Purdue University engineers is using roadway sensors to compile data on “concrete maturity” during select highway patching and paving projects, a project that seeks to establish “evidence-based recommendations” on the optimal time to reopen highways to traffic once construction activity is completed. The Indiana Department of Transportation is overseeing this project, which so far has embedded sensors into three state highways: I-70, I-74 and I-465 near Indianapolis, according to a report in the Journal, a publication of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The Purdue team also is working with the Federal Highway Administration on a nationwide pooled fund study to implement similar sensor technology in the roadways of other states, including California, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. The Purdue team, led by Luna Lu, an associate professor at the university’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering, is collecting what it calls “concrete strength data” in real time through measurements of hydration, stiffness, compressive strength and other material properties. That data, the Indiana DOT noted, will allow it to determine far more accurate traffic re-opening times once highway construction work is completed – which not only could save millions of dollars each year, but significantly reduce traffic delays. “Concrete pavement patching has to achieve a certain strength level to accommodate truck traffic due to the load and pavement curling and warping,” said Tommy Nantung, the agency’s research and development planning and production manager, in a statement. “Through these sensors, a contractor will know exactly when the concrete is mature enough to accommodate heavy truck loads.” The sensors are protected from corrosion and not easily crushed by construction equipment, Lu added, and the array also allows data to be collected for years after the concrete is laid down. “Being able to track concrete strength over a longer period of time would help engineers to know if they’ve over- or underdesigned roads and better determine when to replace the concrete,” Lu said.