The Nation

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered Freight Rite Inc. — based in Florence, Kentucky — to reinstate a truck driver terminated after he refused to operate a commercial motor vehicle in hazardous road conditions caused by inclement winter weather. OSHA ordered the company to pay the driver $31,569 in back wages and interest, $100,000 in punitive damages, $50,000 in compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney fees, and to refrain from retaliating against the employee. OSHA inspectors determined that the employee advised the company’s management of his reasonable apprehension of danger to himself and to the general public because of the hazardous road conditions. The termination is a violation of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA), OSHA said. In addition to reinstating the employee and clearing his personnel file of any reference to the issues involved in the investigation, the employer must also post a notice informing all employees of their whistleblower protections under STAA. “Forcing drivers to operate a commercial motor vehicle during inclement weather places their lives and the lives of others at risk,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer, in Atlanta. “This order underscores the agency’s commitment to protect workers who exercise their right to ensure the safety of themselves and the general public.” OSHA said it enforces the whistleblower provisions of STAA and 21 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, motor vehicle safety, healthcare reform, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime and securities laws. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov. According to the company’s website, Freight Rite was founded in 2005 in order “to better meet the needs of the home delivery industry. The website said the founders of Freight Rite came from companies serving the residential moving industry, the product warehousing industry and the appliance delivery and installation industry.  The website said the company’s mission is to enable retailers and manufacturers to put more focus  on their own products and sales by utilizing the logistics expertise of Freight Rite to increase their market share through superior focused product handling, home delivery and product installations.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Boss Truck Shop has relocated the Boss Truck Shop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to a new, larger facility. It is now located in the Flying J Travel Center at the southeast corner of the intersection of I-29 and I-90. The full-service truck repair, maintenance and tire shop features more service bays than the previous location and a more convenient location for drivers needing truck service. “Our new Sioux Falls shop gives us more capacity to serve the trucking industry, said Randy Haines, operations director of Boss Truck Shop. “Every Boss Truck Shop promises to offer our respected hometown service experience in a location convenient for over-the-road truckers. With more than 70 years in this industry, we know how to deliver quality service, competitive pricing, and support for the trucking industry as a whole.” The new Sioux Falls Boss Truck Shop address is 5211 North Granite Lane, at the Flying J Travel Center, and the phone number remains 605-336-6198. Boss Truck Shop, headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska, began as one of the state’s first truck stops in 1948. From those beginnings, Boss Truck Shop has grown to 46 locations in 23 states across the country, continuing the tradition started more than 70 years ago of servicing the over-the-road trucking industry’s repair, tire and roadside assistance needs for fleets and owner-operators alike. It has been family owned and operated for three generations. For a complete list of all Boss Shop locations and services, visit www.bosstruckshops.com.    

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Professional truck drivers Scott Wagner of Spartan Direct, based in Pevely, Missouri, and Robert Barnette of Swift Transportation Company based in Phoenix has each been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association. They are is being recognized for their willingness to drive nearly an hour to rescue a colleague stranded on the side of a busy highway. On March 27, Shannon Currier was on her way to the Mid-America Truck Show in Louisville, Kentucky, when she ran over something in the road. She knew she had a problem. She pulled to the side of the road and got out to check for damage. One of her tires was hissing and went flat within a matter of seconds. Currier phoned her husband who was six hours away at home to get their AAA information, but discovered the coverage had lapsed. Currier is the director of philanthropy and development for the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and was eager to join her team in setting up their booth at the show. She placed a couple calls to coworkers and driver colleagues to let them know what had happened and that she would be delayed. One of the people she called was Wagner. He and Spartan Direct’s owner/operator James Rogers are driver ambassadors for the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund and had just arrived at the show. Wagner grabbed a buddy, in this case Barnette, an owner operator with Swift Transportation Company and the two jumped in Barnette’s truck and drove 38 miles to aid Currier. “Scott and Robert knew the danger I was in being a female out there alone,” Currier says. “I don’t know how long I would have had to sit on the side of the road waiting for help or waiting for our AAA to be reinstated and then for a driver to come help me.” Wagner agreed. “You’re in the line of danger no matter how far off the road you are,” he said. “And she wasn’t near an exit. We let her know we’d come and rescue her.” “Scott had the flat tire off and the spare donut (tire) on the truck faster than I could blink an eye,” Currier said. “I told him he was NASCAR fast.” The two professional truck drivers followed Currier to Walmart (going just 40 mph on the spare) so she could have a new tire installed. “They stayed with me for another two hours while we waited for the new tire,” she said. Turns out Currier had run over a 5/16-inch wrench lying at just the right angle on the road to puncture her tire and become completely embedded. Wagner held onto it. He plans to fashion it into a memento of the day to present to her. “We’ll be able to laugh about it,” she said. “These friends of mine saved me from spending hours on the side of the road in unsafe traffic. I only hope they know how much their help means to me.” For their willingness to assist their fellow drivers, TCA has presented Wagner and Barnette with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. Their employers have 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.    

It’s approaching nine years since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. Although quite controversial in the beginning, CSA has taken a back seat to other pressing trucking issues such as electronic logging devices and the need to revise Hours of Service. Given the fact that driver turnover remains quite high, we suspect that there are a lot of newer drivers — and we suspect even some veteran drivers — need a refresher course on how to traverse the pathways of CSA, all of which can lead to frustration, disappointment and yes, even exhilaration. This is especially true of owner-operators who don’t have the information available to carrier drivers. Compliments of ATBS, here’s that refresher. The CSA program has gone through a lot of scrutiny over the past few years and many changes have been made to the program. However, scores are still being tracked by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  Even with the changes, can CSA scores still be used as a way to seriously measure safety and compliance? What follows in a primer on CSA so you can learn a little more about the CSA program and whether or not CSA scores still matter. In December of 2010, the FMCSA implemented the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program. This program was put into place as a way to measure safety and compliance on the road. The goal of the program is to improve safety while limiting the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles. Because the CSA program uses a scoring system owner-operators are able to see how they are doing in terms of safety and compliance by looking at how high or low their CSA score is. How are scores calculated? CSA scores are calculated by looking at the safety events of on owner-operator and categorizing them into Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvements Categories (BASICs). The seven BASICs of safety are: Unsafe Driving Crash Indicator Hours of Service Compliance Vehicle Maintenance Controlled Substances/Alcohol Hazardous Materials Compliance Driver Fitness Once the event has been placed into a category, it’s given a weighted score based on the severity of the event and how long ago it occurred. This data is updated monthly on the FMCSA’s Safety Management System (SMS). The lower the score, the better you are considered in terms of safety and compliance. Also, owner-operators must be aware that if they have a CSA score of 65 or above, they will receive a warning letter from the Motor Carrier Early Intervention protocol. This letter allows owner-operators to make the necessary corrections before safety problems become too severe and law enforcement has to step in. Here are examples of violations at different point totals: 10-point violation: Going 15 or more miles above the speed limit 8-point violation: Driving a commercial vehicle without a CDL 5-point violation: Improper lane change 2-point: Lacking physical qualifications Once a violation has occurred and a score has been given, that score is then multiplied based on how recently the violation occurred. If a violation occurred within the past six months, it’s multiplied by three. If a violation occurred between six to 12 months, it’s multiplied by two. Violations that occurred between 12 and 24 months are not weighted. After two years, violations are completely removed from an owner-operator’s record. Where can I check my score? CSA scores can be checked online at www.csa.fmcsa.dot.gov with your USDOT number and PIN. If you discover incomplete or incorrect information on your record, you can challenge the results by submitting a request for review at www.dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov. Do CSA Scores still matter? In December 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), a five-year bill that governs federal surface transportation spending in the U.S. One of the biggest impacts the FAST Act had on the trucking industry was the FMCSA being forced to remove the BASICs from public view. This move was seen as a positive for those that believed the CSA scoring system was inaccurate and unreliable because of many shortcomings. However, after significant changes and updates, five of the seven BASICs are once again publicly available online (Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance are not available to the public). The only people who can see all seven of the BASICs are owner-operators looking at their own score and law enforcement. This means that your CSA score is still important for a variety of reasons: Owner-operators can use the scores to see where they stand in terms of safety and compliance. If they notice they have a high score, they can see what is causing this and put more emphasis in these areas in order to lower their score. Law enforcement can issue interventions to owner-operators based on their high scores. These interventions can lead to inspections and audits that are difficult, time-consuming, and costly. Even though the DOT maintains they never intended CSA scores to be used for these purposes, customers have chosen to work with owner-operators based on their CSA scores and insurance companies have charged higher premiums to owner-operators because of their high scores. How can scores be improved? Violations are completely removed after two years, which means if you have a high CSA score now, you have the ability to make it better. CSA scores can be improved over time by knowing what you are being scored on and operating on the road according to this information. The best way to do this is to set up a plan for yourself that focuses on safety and compliance. A good plan will include an initial training for yourself, consistent follow-up training to make sure you are still being compliant, and one-off training if you notice violations that you are commonly committing. The most common CSA violations have to do with lights, brakes, tires, speeding, and medical issues, so, when you begin training, make sure to add emphasis to these violations. If you’ve paid attention to your CSA score and are happy with it, keep doing what you’re doing. If your score is high because you didn’t realize it still matters, you have the opportunity to lower it over time. With determination and a plan in place, you will be able to improve your CSA score.    

OKLAHOMA CITY — Officials say the number of structurally deficient bridges in Oklahoma has dropped from about 1,170 in 2004 to 132. Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz told a state transportation panel Monday that Oklahoma now ranks 13th in the U.S. for fewest deficient bridges in its highway system. About 6,800 bridges are part of Oklahoma’s system, a number that doesn’t include other spans operated by local entities such as city and county governments. Gatz says the state Department of Transportation began setting more money aside in 2006 for bridge repairs, and lawmakers provided additional funding a few years later. He says a finding that a bridge is deficient doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous for motorists to cross. It’s an indication that some part of the bridge, such as the driving surface, needs improvements. “That is excellent progress,” said Gatz, who also serves as head of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, according to an article in the Tulsa World. The rankings do not include bridges operated by local entities, such as city and county governments. A structurally deficient bridge is one which has any element rated as a four or less, such as the bridge deck or driving surface, Gatz said. Cody Boyd, ODOT spokesman, said other elements include the structural members of the bridge and the substructure, which are the foundation-type elements. A brand new bridge is a 10, Gatz said. “Really, structurally deficient sounds worse than it is,” said Terri Angier, an ODOT spokeswoman. “It is a ranking on a national level they use to determine whether a bridge is now eligible for federal funding. That is about all that is on a national level.” It is not a bridge that is dangerous for people to drive over, Angier said. Gatz said the remaining 132 structurally deficient bridges are on the department’s radar for improvements. According to the article in the Tulsa World, Commissioner James L. Grimsley said he was impressed by the progress the department had made. “This is significant,” Grimsley said. The state had almost 1,200 structurally deficient bridges in 2004, Gatz said. The state was among the worst in bridge rankings in 2004, Angier said. The agency in 2006 began working to put funds into addressing the problem, Angier said. The bigger push came in 2011 when then Gov. Mary Fallin supported additional funding, Angier said. “That is really when we became really focused,” Angier said.    

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If your summer travel plans involve traveling through Ohio and you’re still a fan of paper maps, it’s time you met Bruce Hull. He’s the guy who’s been injecting visual flair, handy information and a hidden bit of his own family history into Ohio’s road maps for almost two decades. Hull’s artistry has appeared on millions of maps helping drivers navigate the state, which has the nation’s busiest highway system after California, Texas and Florida. As a layout design artist with the Ohio Department of Transportation since 1989, Hull has creative control over the map’s look and feel. He selects the images, the design, the paper, even the type of fold that’s used. “Initially, my goal was to go to either New York, Chicago or San Francisco, because those were the big advertising meccas at the time,” said Hull, 60, who studied advertising at the Columbus College of Art & Design. “Then life happened.” Hull fell in love, got married and had a daughter. He also happened to like the variety of his job in communications at the Transportation Department, putting together posters, newsletters, in-house publications and visual panels for road, rail and motorcycle maps that, back then, were assembled by an outside consultant. In those early days, photos were black-and-white, film was developed in labs, layouts were by hand and color was added using sheets of film cut to fit. Anything resembling desktop publishing was a thing of the future. “Nothing was ever too technical because it was just impossible to do at the time,” said Hull. The first map he designed on his own came in 2001-2002. That’s also when Hull began what would become an inside joke on the maps: including a photo of his daughter. “Because we had seat belt laws, I was looking for a stock picture of a kid in a car seat. I found one, but it was $160,” he said, with an easy laugh. The department balked at the expense. “So I thought, well, I’ve got a 6-year-old. I’ll just throw her in the back of the van and take her picture.” Ashley Hull has appeared in every state map since. Unbeknownst to most of the general public, they’ve been watching her grow up — in photos while camping, biking, driving or laughing with high school friends. “She’s the most famous person you’ve never heard of,” said department spokesman Matt Bruning. Hull acknowledges that his daughter’s generation — she’s 25 now — has largely abandoned printed maps. In the 1990s, Ohio printed 5.25 million maps on average during each four-year gubernatorial term. By last year, that figure had fallen to 2.25 million. But, with a Dad who’s the state mapmaker, abandoning paper wasn’t an option for Ashley. “When she first got her car, she wanted a GPS. So I said, well, you learn to read this first,” he said, brandishing one of his paper road maps. “I showed her these are the interchanges, these little numbers are the distances between interchanges, things like that. In case your power dies, you won’t get lost.” And those who know Ashley do recognize her from the map, she said. “It’s not like my picture’s in Time magazine or something,” she said. “But it’s just, it’s cute to have people point out like, ‘Hey I found you in this information center at this park because you’re on the map.’” If you work anywhere near Hull’s heavily adorned cubicle, you also might be co-opted into helping out. To determine the fold he’ll use, for example, Hull said he slaps a piece of blank paper folded in an accordion or trifold into a co-worker’s hand then watches them try to unfold it. The least cumbersome fold prevails. The process of creating a new map begins with state cartographers, who produce the actual road map. Then a host of other state departments provide content, such as lists of Highway Patrol posts or state campgrounds, and a message from the governor. Once all that material is in hand, Hull has free rein over the remaining spaces. One year, his design resembled the front of a refrigerator packed with photos of Ohio attractions. He always works to make featured venues reflect the diversity of the state’s racial and ethnic groups, its rural, urban and natural landscapes and its cultural and recreational offerings. Another of Hull’s maps featured Ohio emblems, such as the state mammal, bird, insect and flower. Other versions have featured Ohio’s scenic byways and Ohio’s Native American tribes. During the state’s bicentennial year, in 2003, Hull adorned the map with a timeline of Ohio history. That included another sly family reference: A photo of his great-grandmother, Sophia Mitchell , the first black woman to serve as a mayor in the state. Article by Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press  

WESTLAKE, Ohio — The TA Restaurant Group, a division of TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands, is inviting all active duty military, veterans and reservists with proof of service to enjoy a complimentary meal on Independence Day Thursday at participating Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants nationwide. On July 4, anyone who has served in the armed forces can receive a complimentary meal of their choice from a special menu by simply showing proof of service to their restaurant server prior to ordering. Proof of service includes U.S. Uniformed Services ID card, current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), veterans organization membership card, photograph in uniform, DD214 form a citation or commendation. “Independence Day stands for freedom and it’s our privilege to honor those who have fought for our freedoms,” said John Ponczoch, senior vice president, food operations at TA Restaurant Group. “It’s very rewarding for our company and restaurant employees to serve free meals to military men and women on America’s birthday. Our servers often hear past and present service members share heartfelt memories about their time in the military revealing the true heroes they are.” Guests will also see Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants honor all of those who gave their life defending our country by preparing Fallen Soldier Tables. A single place setting at an empty table represents the wish that fallen men and women of our armed forces could be present to dine with us. For years, TravelCenters’ TA Restaurant Group has honored military with free meals in its restaurants on Independence Day. More than 50,000 free meals free meals have been served at Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants over the years. The TA Restaurant Group operates nearly 650 quick service and full-service restaurants including 10 proprietary restaurant brands. For more information about TA and the TA Restaurant Group, please visit www.ta-petro.com.    

WASHINGTON — Each month, the Department of Transportation publishes a “Report on DOT Significant Rulemakings.” The report lists every rulemaking in process for each of the department’s agencies and the office of the secretary along with target dates for each step of the rulemaking process. Based on history, target dates are unmet more frequently than met, maybe even much more frequently, many times because the rulemakings get bogged down when they are under review at the Office of Management and Budget, nee the White House. On the June report, there are 91 rulemakings listed, including Hours of Service for Drivers. The rulemaking for HOS began August 23, 2018, as an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which in essence was the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration asking stakeholders to comment on any changes that should be made in the current rule, which — other than a few alterations — had been in place since early 2012. The next step in the rulemaking process is the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which will outline changes the FMCSA will propose. A comment period on the proposed changes will follow. The final rule follows the NPRM. In the case of past HOS rules, that will be at least one year after the NPRM is issued with the changes being implemented several weeks later. The FMCSA first said the publication date for the NPRM on HOS would be May 8. That was changed to June 7. Now, the June report says Wednesday, July 31 is the target date. So, when the industry, which has been begging for more flexibility in HOS, will see the NPRM is anybody’s guess. Same holds true for the safety advocates, who are equating flexibility with more fatalities. One thing is for sure, when it is published, the content will set off a gnashing of teeth on one side or the other, maybe even both. Sit tight for an exciting final few months of 2019.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands, has signed a franchise agreement with Shawn Ali, owner of the Oasis Mart in Baytown, Texas, to convert the business to a TA Express. The newest TA Express will sit on an 11-acre property and have all of the full-service amenities of TA branded travel centers. Diesel fueling, DEF, gasoline, travel store, showers and multiple dining options will be among the wide range of amenities offered at this location. The center is located at 5490 North Highway 146. “We are excited to announce new growth and welcome Ali to the TA network,” said Barry Richards, president and COO of TravelCenters. “The addition of this location gives the professional driver and motoring public another trusted stop along this heavily traveled area of Texas,” he added. “Joining the TA network is going to be great for our growth strategy as well as the TravelCenters customer base,” Ali said. “Being a part of the Travel Centers brand will help us better serve our customers through fleet fueling and service agreements, while offering the best amenities on the highway. Our high operational standards align perfectly with TravelCenters.” With years of experience in owning and managing convenience stores and other retail establishments, Ali adds the TA Express travel center to his other business ventures. This new TA will be TravelCenters’ second location in Baytown; it joins the TA travel center at exit 789 on Interstate 10.    

The average price for a gallon of diesel nationwide fell by 0.1 cent for the week ending July 1, to currently stand at $3.042 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The lack of movement in diesel prices was widespread, with changes of less than a penny in all but two regions of the country. One of those exceptions was the Rocky Mountain region, where diesel prices fell 3.2 cents to stand at $2.998, one of four regions where diesel is now averaging less than $3 per gallon. Most other regions saw price drops, as well, although they were of little significance. In the Midwest, a drop of two-tenths of a cent left diesel at $2.924, while on the West Coast, California saw a half-cent drop, $3.963. The rest of the West Coast experienced a one-tenth of a cent drop, to $3.205, which brought the overall West Coast average down to $3.628, a three-tenths of a cent drop. Over on the East Coast, New England and the Lower Atlantic regions saw prices fall one-tenth and one-half of a cent, respectively. But the Central Atlantic was one of only two places where diesel actually rose, by a whopping 1.2 cents, bringing diesel there to $3.270. That was enough to raise the overall East Coast average by a tenth of a cent, to finish the week at $3.08 per gallon. The Gulf region was the other region that experienced a price increase this week. Prices there climbed six-tenths of a cent to a national low of $2.803 per gallon. On Monday, Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 32 cents to settle at $66.75 a barrel. U.S.-based West Texas Intermediate crude rose 23 cents to settle at $50.09 a barrel. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Richard “Ricky” Shearer of Haysville, Kansas, a professional truck driver with Hirschbach Motor Lines of Dubuque, Iowa, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). He is being recognized for his quick response to a literal call for help. Shearer is an Army veteran who did two tours overseas — but his duties protecting and serving others didn’t end there. On March 31, he was at the unloading bay at Walmart in Mebane, North Carolina, when he heard a loud scream. He quickly left his truck and went to see what was wrong. He found the wife of another truck driver crying out for help as her husband lay unconscious and unresponsive on the ground. Shearer rushed over to check on the man, found he wasn’t breathing and immediately began performing CPR until paramedics arrived. “I worked on him as hard as I could,” Shearer shared with TCA. Although the man was initially revived, he died a short time later. “I went back to my truck, feeling defeated,” Shearer said. “It hurts, whether you know the person or not. It’s another human being.” Shearer tries to keep things in perspective. He doesn’t believe he did anything heroic that day but hopes what he did serves as an example to others to get involved when someone needs help. “No matter what you can do, just do it,” he said. “My hat is off to first responders who deal with this every day. They find a way to go home and live their lives. Put your phone down, stop recording and do what you can to help. You have the chance to make a difference. I did what I could to help, but the good Lord said it was his time.” For his willingness to assist his fellow drivers, TCA has presented Shearer with a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. Shearer’s employer has also received a certificate acknowledging their driver as a Highway Angel. 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.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops is now serving customers in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Westmorland, California, as a result of new travel stops that opened Thursday. The Charlotte location, at 2603 Sam Wilson Road off I-85, Exit 29) adds 50 jobs to Mecklenburg County and 69 truck parking spaces. The Westmorland travel stop, located near the intersection of Highway 86 and Martin Road, brings 30 jobs and 82 truck parking spaces to Imperial County. “We’re excited to open two new locations on both the East and West Coasts this week,” said Tom Love, executive chairman and founder of Love’s. “These stops were in high demand from our customers and we’re happy that we’ve met that demand.” There are now eight Love’s Travel Stops in North Carolina and 11 in California. Both locations are open 24/7 and offer many amenities for customers to enjoy such as: Amenities at the Charlotte location with more than 12,000 square feet include McDonald’s (now open) and Chester’s Chicken (opening soon), 69 truck parking spaces, seven diesel bays, three RV parking spaces, seven showers, Love’s Truck Tire Care, laundry facilities, bean to cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Mobile to Go Zone with the latest electronics and CAT scale. Amenities at the Westmorland, California, location with more than 13,000 square feet include Chester’s Chicken, Godfather’s Pizza and Subway restaurants, 82 truck parking spaces, 89 car parking spaces, seven diesel bays, four RV parking spaces, seven showers, laundry facilities, bean to cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Mobile to Go Zone with latest electronics and CAT scale. In honor of the grand openings, Love’s hosted ribbon cutting ceremonies at both locations. During the ceremonies, Love’s made a $2,000 donation to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Foundation and Westmorland City Volunteer Fire Department.    

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J continues to grow its presence in the Permian Basin with the opening of six new travel centers in West Texas this year. The company is also opening a new Flying J Travel Center in California. The new travel centers will provide more than 250 truck parking spaces and offer full amenities to the local communities along these routes. Pilot Flying J’s network of stores in Texas will grow to 92 locations, with more than 20 in the Permian Basin. “We’re committed to making a better day for people living, working and traveling through Texas and across the nation,” said Ken Parent, president of Pilot Flying J. “We continue to invest in new stores located strategically across the country to bring convenience, quality, great food and amenities to those who are traveling the roadways. By expanding our network in the Permian Basin, we hope to better serve the exponential growth and rising traffic in the region.” In June, the company is celebrating the grand openings of a Flying J Travel Center in Kermit, Texas, and two Pilot Travel Centers located in Monahans, Texas, and Midland, Texas. The new locations will add approximately 150 jobs and contribute more than $6.4 million in state and local tax revenue as a result of its increased presence in the state. Later this year, Pilot Flying J will open three more locations in Odessa, Midland and Andrews, Texas. The new travel centers offer area residents, professional drivers and the traveling public everyday conveniences including fresh food, fuel, and a variety of products for quick shopping needs. Store amenities for the travel center located at 700 East Highway 302 in Kermit, Texas, include: PJ Fresh, Dunkin’ Express, 81 truck parking spots, eight diesel lanes and 12 gas fueling positions, eight showers, driver’s lounge, CAT scale and Western Union. For the travel center located at 11501 State Highway 191 in Midland: PJ Fresh, Dunkin’ Express, 40 truck parking spots, seven diesel lanes and 16 gas fueling positions, five showers, public laundry, CAT scale and Western Union. For the travel center located at 4840 East I-20 in Monahans, Texas: Dunkin’ Express, Mama Deluca’s, Subway, 79 truck parking spots, seven diesel lanes and 10 gas fueling positions, five showers, CAT scale and Western Union. In honor of Pilot Flying J’s history of giving back, the company is donating $15,000 to benefit technology programs at the local school districts in Kermit, Monahans and Midland, Texas. The California travel center is located at 979 East Paige Avenue in Tulare, California, and will be Pilot Flying J’s 24th location in California, including travel centers and dealers and it is expected to contribute $6.1 million annually in state and local tax revenues. It will offer the following amenities: 16 gasoline fueling positions, two RV lanes and nine diesel lanes with high-speed pumps for quicker refueling; PJ Fresh pizza and grab-and-go offerings prepared on site daily, including salads, sandwiches, burgers, fruit cups and an array of hot and cold snacks; Pilot’s Best Gourmet Coffees, including bean-to-cup selections and cold brew; Wendy’s; Cinnabon, Western Union and CAT Scale. In honor of Pilot Flying J’s history of giving back and commitment to fueling life’s journeys into the future, the company is donating $2,500 to benefit the summer meals program at FoodLink Tulare County. The combined network of more than 750 Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers across North America serves more than 1.6 million customers daily. To find the nearby locations, visit pilotflyingj.com/store-locator/.      

OPAL, Va. — Truck driver Lucson Francois was forced to hit the brakes just five minutes from his home in Pennsylvania. He’d reached the maximum number of hours in a day he’s allowed to be on duty. Francois couldn’t leave the truck unattended. So he parked and climbed into the sleeper berth in the back of the cab. Ten hours would have to pass before he could start driving again. “You don’t want even a one-minute violation,” said Francois, a 39-year-old Haitian immigrant, recalling his dilemma during a break at a truck stop in this small crossroads town southwest of Washington. Some say the Transportation Department is moving to relax the federal regulations that required Francois to pull over, a long sought goal of the trucking industry and a move that would highlight its influence with the Trump administration. Interest groups that represent motor carriers and truck drivers have lobbied for revisions they say would make the rigid “Hours of Service” rules more flexible. But highway safety advocates are warning the contemplated changes would dangerously weaken the regulations, resulting in truckers putting in even longer days at a time when they say driver fatigue is such a serious problem. They point to new government data that shows fatal crashes involving trucks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds have increased. “I think flexibility is a code word for deregulation,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an alliance of insurance companies and consumer, public health and safety groups. She said the Hours of Service requirements, which permit truckers to drive up to 11 hours each day, are already “exceedingly liberal in our estimation.” There were 4,657 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in 2017, a 10% increase from the year before, according to a May report issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency of the Transportation Department. Sixty of the truckers in these accidents were identified as “asleep or fatigued,” although the National Transportation Safety Board has said this type of driver impairment is likely underreported on police crash forms. The NTSB has declared fatigue a “pervasive problem” in all forms of transportation and added reducing fatigue-related accidents to its 2019-2020 “most wanted list ” of safety improvements. A groundbreaking study by the Transportation Department more than a decade ago reported 13% of truck drivers involved in crashes that resulted in fatalities or injuries were fatigued at the time of the accidents. The trucking industry has developed a strong relationship with President Donald Trump, who has made rolling back layers of regulatory oversight a top priority. At least a dozen transportation safety rules under development or already adopted were repealed, withdrawn, delayed or put on the back burner during Trump’s first year in office. “First of all, this administration is not as aggressive as the prior,” said Bill Sullivan, the top lobbyist for the powerful American Trucking Associations, whose members include the nation’s largest motor carriers and truck manufacturing companies. “Most importantly, the partnership with them has not been as suspicious of industry as in the past.” Trucking interests had pressed the administration and Congress for the rule changes and last year secured support from 30 senators, mostly Republicans. The lawmakers wrote in a May 2018 letter to FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez that the rules “do not provide the appropriate level of flexibility” and asked him to explore improvements. Independent truckers in particular have chafed at what they see as a one-size-fits-all directive written by Washington bureaucrats who don’t understand what they face on the highways. “How can you judge me and what I do by sitting in a cubicle in an office?” said Terry Button, a burly hay farmer from upstate New York who owns his truck. Button estimates he’s logged about 4 million miles since he started driving a truck in 1976. He said he’s never caused an accident, although he’s been hit twice by passenger vehicles. The regulations have existed since the 1930s and are enforced by the FMCSA. The proposed revisions are being reviewed by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and have not yet been released, according to a spokesman for the motor carrier safety office. The regulations limit long-haul truckers to 11 hours of driving time within a 14-hour on-duty window. They must have had 10 consecutive hours off duty before the on-duty clock starts anew. And a driver who is going to be driving for more than eight hours must take a 30-minute break before hitting the eight-hour mark. Breaking the rules can be costly. A trucker might be declared “out of service” for a day or longer for going beyond the time limits. Many are paid by the mile, so if they’re not driving they’re not making money. Francois, who was hauling 45,000 pounds of drinking water to a Walmart warehouse in Woodland, Pennsylvania, said he gets 50 cents a mile and earns, after taxes, around $900 a week. Off-duty and on-duty time for most truckers is recorded automatically and precisely by electronic logging devices, or ELDs. Responding to a congressional directive, the Obama administration set in motion the mandated use of ELDs as of December 2017 — a regulatory requirement that Trump has not overturned. Paper logs could be fudged pretty easily, but not the ELD, which is wired to the truck’s engine and has a display screen visible to the driver. Chase’s organization says an accurate accounting of a trucker’s hours is one of the most effective ways to help prevent drowsy driving. But for many truckers, the logging devices have only highlighted the inflexibility and complexity of the regulations. “If you run out of time in the middle of the George Washington Bridge, are you just going to pull over and park?” said Button, referring to the world’s busiest span connecting New Jersey and New York. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents small business truckers like Button, said the schedule dictated by the rules is out of step with the daily realties confronting most of their members. Heavy traffic, foul weather and long waits for cargo to be loaded or unloaded keep them idle. All the while, the 14-hour clock keeps on ticking, pushing them to go faster to make up lost time. Especially vexing is the mandatory break requirement, according to organization president, Todd Spencer. The pause forces drivers to pull over when they don’t really need to rest, he said. And parking for a big rig is often hard to find and they may end up stopping in unsafe places, such as highway shoulders. Spencer’s organization, which says it has more than 160,000 members, has been pushing for the 30-minute break to be eliminated. In comments filed with the Transportation Department, the group recommended that truckers instead be allowed to effectively stop the 14-hour clock for up to three consecutive hours. During this off-duty period, drivers could rest or simply wait out heavy traffic. “This is not rocket science stuff,” Spencer said. “Rest when it makes sense to rest. Drive when it makes sense to drive.” But critics of the stop-the-clock idea said that would result in a 17-hour work window, heightening the risk of drowsy driving and accidents. There’s no guarantee a trucker can or will sleep during that three-hour stop and a number of them would be driving at the end of a long period of being awake, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a professional society of doctors and scientists. Harry Adler, executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition, criticized the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for “appeasing industry.” He said the agency has made the potential rule changes a higher priority than pushing forward with safety technologies such as software that electronically limits a truck’s speed. Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the Senate last week that, if passed, would circumvent the Trump administration’s indefinite delay of a proposed rule requiring new trucks to be outfitted with speed limiters. “None of this should be up for consideration,” he said. “There is no reason for any of this.” Article by Richard Lardner, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — According to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey released late last month, 95.1% of drivers perceive driving after drinking as very or extremely dangerous. However, almost 11 percent admitted to having done so in the past 30 days. Meanwhile, the survey found that 70 percent of respondents consider driving within an hour after using marijuana to be very or extremely dangerous. But more than 7 percent of respondents personally approve of driving shortly after using marijuana. The Journal of the American Association for State Highway and Transportation Officials reported on the survey in a recent dispatch. The survey found that Millennial (ages 25-39) respondents were the most likely generational cohort to report driving within one hour after using marijuana in the past month (13.7 percent), followed by Generation Z (those born in the mid-1990s t at 10 percent. Dr. David Yang, the AAA Foundation’s executive director, noted in a statement that the impairing effects of marijuana are usually experienced within the first one to four hours after using the drug. Additionally, marijuana users who drive high are up to twice as likely to be involved in a crash, he explained. “Marijuana can significantly alter reaction times and impair a driver’s judgment. Yet, many drivers don’t consider marijuana-impaired driving as risky as other behaviors like driving drunk or talking on the phone while driving,” Yang said, pointing out that the survey found 7 percent of the licensed drivers it polled “approved” of driving after recently using marijuana – more than other dangerous behaviors such as alcohol-impaired driving at 1.6 percent, drowsy driving at 1.7 percent, and prescription drug-impaired driving at 3 percent. “It is important for everyone to understand that driving after recently using marijuana can put themselves and others at risk,” he added. AAA also noted that law enforcement officers categorized as Drug Recognition Experts report that marijuana is now the most frequently identified drug category and that since 2015 the number of drivers arrested by DREs for using marijuana has increased 20 percent. AAA’s survey follows on the heels of two other studies released last year that showed that motor vehicle crashes were up by as much as 6 percent in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, which have all legalized marijuana for recreational use, compared to neighboring states that have not. The study also delved into other aspects of dangerous driving. Some of the findings included More drivers view reading (95.9%) or typing (96.7%) a text/email on a hand-held cellphone while driving to be very or extremely dangerous, compared with talking on a hand-held cellphone (79.8%). However, more respondents believe drivers risk being caught by the police for talking on a hand-held cellphone (47.3%) than they do for reading (43.3%) or typing (46.3%) a text/email on a hand-held cellphone. Over 17% of drivers personally approve of talking on a hand-held cellphone and about 20% believed that people who were important to them approved of talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving. A majority of drivers support laws against distracted driving, with almost 75% supporting a law against holding and talking on a cellphone and about 88% supporting a law against reading, typing, or sending a text or email while driving. Nevertheless, more than half of drivers (52.1%) report having driven while talking on a handheld cellphone at least once in the past 30 days. Fewer respondents report engaging in distracted driving by reading (41.3%) and typing a text/email (32.1%) on a hand-held cellphone while driving. About half of drivers (54.2%) indicate that speeding on a freeway is dangerous, while 64% of drivers perceived speeding on a residential street as dangerous. Nearly 66% of respondents felt that the police would catch a person driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on a freeway, yet almost 50% reported having done so in the past 30 days. Over 85% of drivers consider speeding through a red light to be very or extremely dangerous, and 55% felt that the police would catch a driver for running a red light. The new survey results are part of the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, which identifies attitudes and behaviors related to traffic safety. The survey data are from a sample of 2,582 licensed drivers ages 16 and older who reported driving in the past 30 days.        

ARLINGTON, Va. —  The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, as part of its Fleet Data Management & Cybersecurity Conference here, released the results of the council’s first quarter benchmarking survey with FleetNet America, an ArcBest company, showing a significant increase in roadside failures during the winter. “Completing repairs on the side of the road is already more expensive than completing the same repair in a shop,” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell. “TMC is committed to helping our members control these and all maintenance costs. We believe that the vertical benchmarking program is a tool that fleets can use to reduce unscheduled roadside repairs.” The report, from the TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program, showed roadside failures rose 22% in first quarter of 2019 when compared with the fourth quarter of 2018, matching the quarterly rise from the previous two years. The increase in roadside failures was most pronounced in select systems, including exhaust and lighting systems. “Fleets that use this data to guide their maintenance practices are going to be in a better position to reduce roadside repairs when next winter comes around,” said Jim Buell, executive vice president of sales and marketing for FleetNet America. “Knowing which systems are most vulnerable to cold weather and snow can guide maintenance practices next October and November.” The benchmarking report also reveals that roadside mechanical repair costs increased for a third straight quarter. The average cost of a mechanical roadside repair reached $344 in the first quarter of 2019, 3% higher than the average mechanical repair in the fourth quarter of 2018, and 15% higher than the average cost in the third quarter of 2018. The Vertical Benchmarking Program is a benefit for TMC fleet members and a partnership with FleetNet America. In addition to the executive summary, which is available to TMC fleet members, carriers that participate by sharing their data are provided an analytic tool that allows them to drill into their data, comparing it to the industry average. The program is a strategic collaboration between TMC/ATA and FleetNet America and is open to TMC fleet executive level members and FleetNet America customers. The analytics provided via the program will be cumulative and non-fleet specific. For information about the TMC/FleetNet Vertical Benchmarking Program, visit http://benchmarkit.fleetnetamerica.com. TMC is a technical society for truck equipment technology and maintenance professionals. TMC features a diverse membership of equipment managers, service-dealers, owner-operators, industry suppliers and manufacturers, educators, academia and others that support the trucking industry. TMC member fleets represent the broad range of industry vocations, including truckload, less-than-truckload, municipal, private, on/off-highway, construction and other operations.        

ELYRIA, Ohio — Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB) has always been committed to helping employees and families improve their health and wellness at work, at home and in retirement. Through its efforts to continually improve its resources for employee health, the BSFB Manufacturing Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, recently received a Platinum Award from the Worksite Wellness Council of Louisville for exceptional commitment to employee well-being, integration of wellness into the workplace culture, and exemplary leadership in managing employee benefits. The council’s annual conference, which took place last month, recognizes organizations in Kentucky that strive to create cultures of health through wellness policies and programs. Each employer is assessed according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard, which helps organizations review their health promotion programs to find gaps and prioritize the prevention of chronic conditions. To earn a Platinum Award, the highest distinction, employers must meet stringent requirements, such as demonstrating management support, program variety, and community engagement, and reaching targeted improvement levels. The recognition is often given to previous award recipients honored earlier at the bronze, silver or gold levels. Thanks to its inventive health efforts, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake received the top award as a first-time honoree, according to . Among its contributing efforts, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake was recognized for partnering with the Kentucky Cancer Program and the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center in an innovative workplace health initiative. The partnership received a grant to cover the cost of qualified employees’ lung health screenings and participation in the Kentucky Cancer Registry. In addition, the grant helped to provide educational posters, classes on screenings, and radon prevention programs. “We are proud to continue Bendix’s long-standing commitment to the well-being of our employees,” said Andria Keating, health and wellness coordinator at the Bowling Green facility. “The rate of lung cancer in Kentucky is one of the highest in the United States. Through our partnerships with distinguished cancer centers in the state, we hope to give our employees the resources and education they need for early detection and prevention.” In earning a Platinum Award, the company also scored with distinction on the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard, based on the success of its well-rounded wellness efforts. Those efforts are driven by the Bendix Be Healthy program, aimed at making healthy living easier and more convenient for employees and their families by emphasizing prevention and early detection of health issues, and support of employees seeking care. Bendix Be Healthy focuses on biometric screenings, preventative screenings, health fairs, tobacco cessation, weight management, lifestyle changes, emotional well-being, and financial wellness. The vibrant wellness program in place at the Bowling Green facility is part of an active, multifaceted, employee-focused company culture that combines opportunities to learn, grow, and participate in health and wellness, community volunteerism, and employee team-building activities.