The Nation

For almost my entire adult life, and that’s a lot of living, I have been a consistent gym-goer. Staying fit, and studying how to stay fit, has always been an interest of mine. Very few of you have seen me in person, so let me assure you, I look like a classic Roman statue. But before I digress, way back at the very first gym I ever joined, there was a trainer who told me, if you want to learn, say, how to build big shoulders, watch the guys who have big shoulders and see what they do. It isn’t a foolproof strategy, but I’ve always followed the gist of what the trainer was saying. To this day, I pick up training methods I’ve never seen before just by keeping my eyes open at the gym. And then if I see someone with a move that’s intriguing enough, I’ll ask the person about it, and if I’m still intrigued I’ll give it a try. One thing most dedicated gym rats have in common, they love to share their knowledge. I’ve probably learned as much that way over the years as I have reading books and magazines. Once I got old enough to understand what they mean by “nothing new under the sun,” I learned that I hadn’t invented anything innovative with this strategy. In fact, this is fairly common advice. You can’t be an expert in everything, so surround yourself with people who are, that’s the way I read it in one of those Dale Carnegie, “How to Be a Success at Everything” type books. But you don’t need to rely on experts. Just like at the gym, wherever you are, you are surrounded by people who have at least a little knowledge about something that you don’t. And just like at the gym, most people like to be the smart one in a conversation, all they’re waiting for is the invitation to share their knowledge. That’s one of the ways I’m so disappointed in the so-called Information Age. True, the internet has brought the potential to put the accumulated knowledge of mankind at our fingertips. But it’s also opened the door for the collected but unsolicited babblings of untold, anonymous idiots, cranks and just plain nut jobs. This is especially true in that most insidious of inventions, “reader comments” at the end of news stories. Of course, the practice was invented to create a sense of “interactive reader engagement.” And in theory, the potential is there for the kind of constructive intellectual exchange I’m sure they used at the first pitch meeting when someone was trying to sell the idea of reader comments. Instead, what do we usually get? Barely intelligible ramblings from people who either didn’t read the article or misunderstood every word of it. Other folks who want to fly in and unload on whatever personal agenda that has nothing to do with the story. And then there are the hardheads whose minds aren’t open to anything they don’t already believe. And don’t forget the one inevitable idiot who writes “I’m only here for the comments,” like he’s expecting it can get a laugh for the millionth time. But I have to say, compared to the world at large, the comments I see from truckers on our website and others tend to stay more on point and be far more insightful than the you on the internet at large. I was reminded of that recently after we ran a story about that young driver who lost control of his truck near Denver and caused a 28-vehicle pileup. That story occurred late in the week, and I recall someone commenting early on how they’d love to get some follow-up on exactly what happened to cause such a horrific crash. I told myself that when I came back on Monday, I’d do that follow-up and report on what had been ascertained over the weekend. The first place I stopped was our own website, where I found several of our readers had beaten me to it. They’d been following every report they could find, and in the reader comments they were sharing the information, along with their own insights based on experience. In minutes, they brought me up to date and then some. They gave me perspective I’d have never gotten from a news release. Now, that’s what reader comments should be like. I’m not saying we don’t occasionally get comments that go off the deep end. Even among rational commenters, I get a sense that if someone could harness the untapped anger that runs through this industry, we could abandon diesel, electric and hydrogen tomorrow and run America’s trucks on pure rage. Still, I have found that the trucking community is similar to gym culture in that when you open the floor to discussion, there is a lot of insight to be had. I have found that online, and I have found it to be the case in person. There are endless studies and analyses done about trucking, and I have access to some of the most brilliant minds to dedicate themselves to this profession. Their expertise is been invaluable, but it’s what I pick up from drivers that fills in the cracks the experts and company officials leave behind. When you watch sports, who has the most interesting things to say, the play-by-play announcer who’s entire sports experience has been in the broadcast booth, or the color commentator who used to play the game? It’s the boots-on-the-ground people who will always have a kind of expertise that comes from living it instead of studying it. Yeah, some of it is just a bunch of noise, but I’d rather filter through a few of those than some 50-page report analyzing why freight tonnage changed two-tenths of a percent. So, in case you’re a commenter or have thought about being a commenter and you’ve wondered if anyone is paying attention, keep reading, and I’ll do the same.

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations has launched its search to recognize boosters of the trucking industry’s image with this year’s Mike Russell Trucking Image Award. “One of ATA’s core convictions is to showcase and constantly improve the trucking industry’s reputation as a vital conduit of economic activity full of highly-trained professionals who prioritize safety in all that they do,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award honors the men and women behind innovative efforts to spread our industry’s messages of safety, essentiality and professionalism.” The award is given to an individual, motor carrier, trucking organization and industry supplier who demonstrate excellence in illustrating the industry’s essentiality, safety-first approach to doing business, and professionalism. The Mike Russell Trucking Image Awards are named in honor of the late Mike Russell, a trucking industry supporter and former ATA vice president of public affairs. Last year, ATA recognized the Tennessee Trucking Association Foundation, Werner Enterprises, Pilot Flying J and America’s Road Team Captain Don Logan for their contributions to the industry’s image. Examples of their efforts included support for local non-profits, the adoption of image-improving trailer wrap graphics, participation in veterans hiring programs and other innovative programs aimed at brandishing trucking’s positive image. “By telling our industry’s story, Mike Russell Trucking Image Award winners and nominees do a tremendous service to our industry,” said ATA Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. “Data confirms that the more members of the general motoring public who meet a trucking professional, the more likely they are to have a positive view of our industry. When people have positive views about our industry, they become grassroots advocates for trucking’s priorities like workforce development and improved infrastructure.” Image and outreach efforts, such as Trucking Moves America Forward, help the trucking industry counter anti-truck messages played out in local and national media outlets, Barna said, adding that without the support of past Mike Russell Trucking Image Award recipients and nominees, the benefits of an improved image of the trucking industry would not be possible. “When we look at ways to create a larger labor market for trucking, one of the solutions is enhancing the image of the trucking perception through outreach to the general public, creative advertising campaigns or incentivizing professionalism throughout the work day,” said Dr. Todd Simo, MD, vice president of business development for transportation and chief medical officer at HireRight, which sponsors the award. “The Mike Russell Trucking Image Awards are important because they recognize the leading contributors to those efforts – people and organizations who work hard to make our industry more attractive to the job seekers, the media, and members of the motoring public.” Mike Russell Trucking Image submissions are evaluated by an expert, impartial panel of judges based on creativity, frequency, impact, and execution. Visit the official nomination page to find out more about the award and how to submit a nomination. Completed applications should be submitted by August 2 to ATA’s Industry Affairs Department. The winners of the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award will be announced October 5-9 during the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition in San Diego.  

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Memorial Day is a time to honor the country’s fallen veterans, and it is also considered the unofficial kickoff of the summer travel season with more than 36.6 million Americans on the road last year over the long weekend visiting friends and family while paying tribute to our American heroes, according to an INRIX research study. Pilot Flying J is marking the start of the summer road trip season by declaring the Friday before Memorial Day weekend — May 24 — as National Road Trip Day and celebrating with a discount for guests. Consistently one of the busiest days of the year at Pilot and Flying J travel centers, locations see an increase in gas and food sales by nearly 15 percent, as well as an average of almost five million gallons of gas sold on this day based on Pilot Flying J sales data from January 6, 2017 to March 1, 2019. To find out why so many people are road tripping, Pilot Flying J commissioned a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who take at least one road trip per year. The study revealed that people opt for a road trip over other forms of transportation for flexibility and cost savings. Specifically, the study found: The top reasons people take road trips are that it’s cheaper (57 percent), they have more control over the trip and plans (51 percent) and they like being able to stop whenever they want along the way (50 percent). Almost one-third (31 percent) of road trippers say they’d hit the road more often if they had a rewards program that made it cheaper to travel by car. Further, two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents say that they would be more likely to stop at a rest stop that has mobile rewards and fuel discount programs. To help those drivers, Pilot Flying J is offering its new app to save drivers time and money with a more personalized experience tailored to their type of travel, location, preferences and needs, according to Whitney Haslam Johnson, chief experience officer for Pilot Flying J, who said there are several ways guests can save money with the app, including a 3-cent gas or auto diesel discount and exclusive offers on favorite food items and drinks when the app is used at the time of purchase. To celebrate National Road Trip Day, drivers can enter the promo code “ROADTRIP” in the Pilot Flying J app starting May 21 to save an offer for $5 off their next purchase of $10 or more. The offer can be redeemed May 21-27 and it excludes fuel, alcohol, lottery and cigarettes. “We are excited to celebrate the kick-off to the busy summer travel season with National Road Trip Day and to reward our guests with something to make their road trips even more enjoyable,” Johnson said. “We strive to be the perfect road trip stop, providing guests with everything they need to have a successful trip, including clean bathrooms, a large selection of snacks, food and beverage offerings, and even those easily forgotten items like phone chargers.” The study also revealed road trippers’ must-haves for a successful trip. The majority of respondents say the essentials for a trip are food, entertainment and clean restrooms. Specifically: Three in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are the most important parts of a successful road trip. The top “road trip essential” snacks are chips and salty foods (52 percent), freshly made, grab-and-go foods (50 percent) and fast food options (49 percent). For millennials and Gen Z, it’s all about what happens in the car. They place more value on having music, audio books and/or podcasts to listen to (67 percent), good snacks and drinks (63 percent) and good conversations (52 percent). Meanwhile, Gen X and boomers care about taking stops along the way, placing more value on finding clean bathrooms (67 percent), great places to eat (63 percent) and pleasant places to stop, rest and stretch their legs (56 percent). Additionally, when making a stop for their road trip necessities, the study found that travelers primarily (58 percent) want to stop at all-in-one rest stops (offering gas, food, drinks, coffee, bathrooms, etc.) to save time and money. “With 750 travel center locations in North America, Pilot Flying J is a convenient, one-stop shop for travelers, offering clean bathrooms, a large assortment of snacks, beverages and food, and necessities travelers may have forgotten to pack,” Johnson said. “For instance, road trippers can pick up a Pilot Coffee, one of the many made-in-house on-the-go offerings from PJ Fresh such as breakfast burritos, salads, fresh fruit cups, pizza and sandwiches, and road trip necessities like a phone charger or sunglasses.” Two in five (42 percent) road trippers said they find travel apps very helpful when planning their trip, and the new Pilot Flying J app makes it easier than ever with its enhanced trip planner feature, Johnson said.  The trip planner helps users create their route and find Pilot and Flying J locations along the way, showcasing specific amenities, fuel prices and more. Road trippers can download the Pilot Flying J app at https://pilotflyingj.com/app/. To learn more about National Road Trip Day, visit pilotflyingj.com/nationalroadtripday.      

WASHINGTON — The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) have revealed the recipients of a third year of grants to help states implement innovative drowsy driving prevention campaigns. Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and New York will each receive $15,000 in funding. Eight states applied for these grants; a panel of issue experts reviewed all applications against a number of criteria and selected the winners. This competitive grant program equips states with resources needed to tackle the challenge of drowsy driving, with programs incorporating best practices identified by GHSA and NRSF. Programs in 2019 will utilize public awareness campaigns, virtual reality and innovative partnerships to engage key audiences, according to GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. Planned state activities include: the following: Georgia — The Georgia Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) will partner with the Department of Agriculture to raise awareness of drowsy driving through a presence at the Georgia National Fair. GOHS also will produce additional materials to be distributed at other events and share NRSF drowsy driving materials across a variety of media platforms. Iowa — The Iowa Departments of Transportation, Public Safety, Public Health and the Iowa Insurance Division will expand on Zero Fatalities Iowa’s “Don’t let the Sleepyzzz get you” campaign from 2017 using virtual reality. Partnering with Iowa State University, Zero Fatalities Iowa will produce a 60 to 90 second virtual reality experience affirming the message that drowsy driving is not a game. Minnesota — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) will purchase wearable sleep measurement tools and software to assist research being conducted by the University of Minnesota’s HumanFIRST Laboratory on the impact of sleep patterns and prolonged wakefulness on driver safety, working to improve understanding and detection of driver fatigue nationwide. Nebraska — The Nebraska Department of Transportation, Highway Safety Office (NDOT-HSO) will conduct a drowsy driving injury prevention initiative, focusing on education for young adult and senior drivers. The initiative includes four coordinated events covering seven counties, providing Drowsy Driving workshops to educate community partners about traffic safety concerns and address drowsy driving injury prevention. New York — The New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (NYSGTSC) will partner with the New York State Partnership against Drowsy Driving and Stony Brook University’s School of Health Technology and Management to educate law enforcement personnel about the dangers of drowsy driving through a webinar. “Drowsy driving continues to be a chronic and often overlooked issue on our nation’s roadways,” Adkins said. “We are excited to continue this partnership with the National Road Safety Foundation to support innovative state approaches addressing this problem.” Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations for NRSF, said, “This year’s grantees were chosen from an outstanding group of applicants dedicated to taking action against fatigued driving. NRSF is glad to provide this funding to support states as they work to keep drowsy drivers off the road.”            

WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, is advocating lawmakers to invest in better and safer roads and bridges as part of its affiliation with the seventh annual Infrastructure Week, which runs through Saturday. “With 3.5 million truck drivers on our highways every day working to deliver America’s goods, it’s imperative that we have safe and modern roads,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president of Jet Express. “A strong infrastructure network is critical to the success of the trucking industry and all of America. Our lives, businesses and economy depend on it. Our leaders must address the nation’s infrastructure gap and provide the proper funding to #BuildforTomorrow because, as the industry’s latest television commercial shows, life won’t wait.” To help promote Infrastructure Week and its message, TMAF published an op-ed article in the publication of Morning Consult titled, “The Time to #BuildForTomorrow is Now” speaking to the importance of excellent roads and bridges Morning Consult is a global technology company revolutionizing ways to collect, organize, and share survey research data to transform how decisions are made, according to its website. “Despite poor road conditions and the traffic that results from it, 3.5 million professional truck drivers travel America’s roads every day,” Burch wrote. “Trucking professionals travel over 462 billion miles each year to make on-time deliveries to every corner of America. That’s because more than 80 percent of American communities rely solely on trucking for the delivery of their goods, including the gas in our car, food in our fridge, supplies in our office and medicine in our cabinet.” But, Burch noted, a faulty infrastructure is threatening to slow down the trucking industry as well as America as a whole. “According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, one of every five miles on our highways is in poor condition. More than one in eight bridges are considered functionally obsolete, which means that they can’t serve the current traffic demand. Congestion and traffic, which result from poor and inadequate infrastructure, are also problems. The ASCE found that more than two in every five miles on our interstates are congested, which costs Americans $160 billion in wasted time and fuel each year. In fact, the average commuter wastes 42 hours a year in traffic, costing us an average of $1,600 annually. Poor roads and congestion also have a very personal impact because life won’t wait when it comes to missing out on important life events.” Throughout Infrastructure Week, TMAF is sharing messages about how strong infrastructure is critical to the success of the industry on its other social media properties, which include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, TMAF provided social media content for the industry to use throughout Infrastructure Week, including shareable images, in their monthly social media content calendar, which is available to members of the trucking industry. To join the list and start receiving free social media content, email [email protected].    

HARTFORD, Conn. — An anti-toll organization No Tolls CT has delivered a petition with over 100,000 signatures to Gov. Ned Lamont in an effort to prevent lawmakers from passing legislation that would create additional toll roads in Connecticut. A vote on the plan is believed to be imminent. Lawmakers are under pressure to fix the state’s transportation infrastructure, and Democrats are adamant that tolls are the answer. However, the anti-toll movement is firing back, with a petition that argues taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay to drive to work, according to a report on television station WFSB.. After the petition was delivered, an anti-toll rally was held on the steps of the State Capitol. “I don’t think any other petition has gotten that many signatures. Our goal now is to make sure governor and lawmakers in this building understand taxpayers have had enough,” said Patrick Sasser, founder of No Tolls CT. Numbers released last month showed that drives between the state’s largest cities could cost drivers between $1.28 and $1.80 per trip. WFSB reported that Lamont has been saying he will release an updated toll plan, but it will still include 50 gantries on all major highways like I-91. According to the No Tolls CT website, the petition is short and to the point: “We, the undersigned, demand that Governor Ned Lamont veto and the Connecticut General Assembly vote NO on any, and ALL, proposed legislation to implement TOLLS in the State of Connecticut. The proposed tolls will: Hurt our state economy and tourism. Raise the cost of living. Affect the majority of Connecticut residents, especially the middle- and low-income working classes.” The website also makes the following claims about what toll gantries will do: Increase the cost of every item transported into Connecticut. Increase the cost of doing business in the state of Connecticut. Increase traffic on secondary roads, which will translate into increased wear and tear and lead to higher property taxes and increased pollution. Increase the size of government by creating a toll authority.

LANSING, Mich. — With her proposed 45-cents-a-gallon fuel tax hike stalled, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday that fixing the roads is still the “No. 1 issue” despite the Republican-led Legislature prioritizing an overhaul of Michigan’s car insurance law. “People want our roads fixed. That is the No. 1 issue, and there is crickets at the Capitol right now on that front,” she said after speaking at an infrastructure summit in Lansing. “I put out a real plan to solve it, and that’s what I want to spend my energy focusing on.” The House and Senate last week approved different bills that would cut the highest auto premiums in the country by letting people opt out of mandatory unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries. Whitmer, who vowed to veto the legislation due to “a lot of shortcomings,” said “there might be a path forward, but it’s too early to tell.” She made clear, however, that her priority is raising $2.5 billion in tax revenue for roads, as part of a budget plan to also free up money for education by stopping financial “shell games” that have been used to patch potholes. “Our roads are the worst in the country. They’re downright dangerous. They’re hurting our ability to maintain our edge in the mobility sector and lure investment in the state of Michigan,” said Whitmer, who has been traveling the state to sell her first budget plan. Her desire to address deteriorating road conditions and GOP legislative leaders’ prioritization of car insurance changes has sparked speculation that they could strike a broader deal — raising gasoline taxes and reducing auto premiums. Whitmer stopped short of linking the issues, though, saying the budget should be done before lawmakers break for the summer so K-12 districts can set their spending for the next school year. “These guys have got to get off the dime and get moving on actually fixing the damn roads in the state of Michigan,” she said. While Republicans are not ruling out a more modest tax increase to boost road construction, they have not outlined a major alternative in the two months since Whitmer proposed the unpopular 45-cent gas tax hike. A plan up for a vote in the Senate on Wednesday would increase road spending by $132 million — well short of what business groups and others say is needed — by accelerating the shift of income tax revenue under 2015 transportation-funding laws. House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Levering Republican, does not seem interested in linking road funding with car insurance. “I’m not sure why I would negotiate one for the other,” he said last week. “I can certainly have two conversations at one time, but I will not trade good policy for bad.” The House GOP is having ongoing conversations about road funding and how to “deliver the right plan, not the most simple plan,” Chatfield spokesman Gideon D’Assandro said Tuesday. Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey of Clarklake, pointed to the Senate’s plans to more quickly transfer general funds to roads and then outline a larger proposal in the summer. “We’re also focused on delivering cheaper car insurance options and look forward to working with the governor,” she said. With Whitmer promising to not sign a spending plan unless the road-funding issue is resolved, budget talks appear likely to stretch over the summer months and potentially into the fall. The fiscal year starts October 1.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Stay Metrics, a provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers, has teamed up again with Luma, a learning and instructional design company, to offer the transportation industry free training for the upcoming International Roadcheck 72-hour inspection blitz June 2-4. Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) significantly increases the number of Level 1 inspections it conducts in a three-day period. This year, approximately 17 vehicles will be inspected every minute. Each year has an area of emphasis. This year it is steering and suspension. Stay Metrics and Luma are providing a complimentary eNugget, an online learning module and assessment, that prepares drivers, fleet managers and other stakeholders for Level I roadside inspections. The Roadcheck 2019 eNugget is available during all of May and June at http://enuggetlearning.com/roadcheck. It is optimized for viewing on any desktop or mobile device. No login or registration is required. “For the third consecutive year, we are pleased to offer complimentary training for the transportation industry to prepare for CVSA Roadcheck,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and chief executive officer of Stay Metrics. “We encourage everyone to use and to share this valuable resource to learn and retain essential safety and compliance information.” During 2018 CVSA Roadcheck, North American inspectors conducted 67,502 Level I, II, or III inspections, an increase from 62,013 in 2017. Last year, 21.6% of vehicles and 3.9% of drivers were placed out of service, a slight decrease from 2017. Since 2016 when Stay Metrics and Luma began providing complimentary eNuggets for CVSA Roadchecks, the learning modules have been accessed by 9,092 people, of which more than 3,400 have completed assessments. Stay Metrics and Luma offer a full collection of eNugget training modules to motor carriers through the online DRIVE SAFE program. Stay Metrics clients use the program to provide drivers with ongoing training that is highly effective and rewarding. DRIVE SAFE training modules are based on learning science and use a combination of video, animation, text audio and interactive game elements that cater to the unique learning preferences of truck drivers. Drivers can leave anonymous feedback and rate the modules, which Luma uses to optimize the learning experience for drivers. Drivers consistently give high ratings to DRIVE SAFE eNuggets. On average, drivers give the eNuggets a 4.41 rating out of a 5-point scale. To date, drivers of Stay Metrics’ clients have earned more than 135,000 awards for completing DRIVE SAFE training modules. Awards can be coupled automatically with points using the Driver Rewards platform that Stay Metrics administers for motor carrier clients to recognize drivers for training and many other types of positive behaviors, achievements, and milestones.      

WASHINGTON — Repair Priorities 2019, a new report released Tuesday morning by Transportation for America and Taxpayers for Common Sense, shows that, despite more spending, the percentage of the roads nationwide in “poor condition” increased from 14 percent to 20 percent from 2009-2017. The report said this is happening because states are neglecting basic repair in favor of expanding their roads. Given increasing spending flexibility by Congress over the last two long-term transportation reauthorizations, states spent nearly as much money expanding their road networks as they did repairing their existing roads ($120 billion spent building new lane-miles from 2009 to 2014). Arizona, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Utah all devoted more than 45 percent of their available highway capital funds to road expansion between 2009 and 2014.  Even with billions in spending devoted to repair nationally, 37 states saw an increase in the percentage of roads in poor condition between 2009 and 2017. “Whether during debate over an infrastructure bill or the long-term reauthorization looming next year, the rhetoric I hear over and over again from Capitol Hill and the White House about the need to invest more money in transportation is all about ‘repairing our crumbling roads and bridges.’ But our spending priorities rarely match this oft-repeated rhetoric,” said Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America. “A look at the numbers from the Federal Highway Administration in Repair Priorities makes it clear that we can scarcely afford to maintain the roads we have, let alone the new roads we keep adding to the system. While a handful of states are doing an admirable job putting their money where their mouth is by devoting the bulk of their federal dollars to repair, many other states are spending vastly more on expanding their roads or building new ones— creating new liabilities in the process—even as their existing system falls into disrepair.” “Lawmakers and officials like a good ribbon cutting at a new road, but repair is too often treated like flossing teeth: A tedious, sometimes painful extra step that’s all too easily skipped. Except that it’s critical and saves taxpayers cash and pain down the road,” said Steve Ellis, executive vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. “Instead of sending blank checks to the states, federal taxpayers deserve to have some assurances that their tax dollars will be spent effectively and efficiently on the highest priority projects, which in most cases is taking care of what we already have.” It’s unclear if the U.S. could even afford to maintain all the roads that built, even if it devoted all available capital dollars toward repair. Repair Priorities estimates that we would need to spend more than $231 billion per year just to keep our existing road network in acceptable repair and bring the backlog of roads in poor condition into good repair over a six-year period (the typical length of a federal transportation reauthorization).  By comparison, all highway capital expenditures across all government units in 2015 totaled just $105.4 billion, only a portion of which goes to repair. The latest available data shows states have made some improvement in their spending since the first edition of Repair Priorities in 2011, but states are still spending just as much on road expansion as road repair. States spent $21.4 billion on average on road repair annually between 2009-2014 and $21.3 billion annually on road expansion. When states devote money to expanding their roads, it doesn’t just redirect funds away from repair and maintenance; it also continually expands our overall annual spending need. We built enough new lane miles from 2009-2017 to criss-cross the width of America 83 times, requiring an additional $5 billion per year just to keep those new roads in good condition. That’s more than Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Arkansas receive combined in federal highway apportionments every single year. So what will it take to fix the system? Transportation for America and Taxpayers for Common Sense provide four concrete recommendations for Congress to consider in any infrastructure package they consider, including the upcoming 2020 federal transportation bill. Congress should: guarantee measurable outcomes for American taxpayers with any new funding, require that states repair their existing systems before expanding, require project sponsors to demonstrate that they can afford to maintain new roadway capacity projects, and track progress and require that FHWA publish results. Repair Priorities 2019 provides a national snapshot and state-by-state evaluation of current roadway pavement conditions, spending trends, and unmet needs. It also recommends crucial actions federal policymakers should take in the next transportation reauthorization bill to get the nation’s roads—and spending priorities—back on track. The full report and state-by-state findings are available at http://t4america.org/maps-tools/repair-priorities.  

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Officials with the Arkansas Department of Transportation are already being asked how they will spend an extra $300 million a year it stands to receive through Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s highway plan that the General Assembly approved in its recently completed regular meeting, the agency’s top official said. That figure includes nearly $100 million in increases to fuel taxes and some vehicle registration fees approved by legislators during the session and another $205 million if voters go along with lawmakers and approve a proposed constitutional amendment next year that would make permanent the half-percent sales tax voters approved in 2012. Otherwise, it is scheduled to sunset in 2023, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. In March, Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a separate highway funding bill into law as Act 416, which will impose a wholesale sales tax on gas and diesel fuel and raise electric and hybrid vehicle registration fees, effective October 1, and transfer at least $35 million a year in casino revenue and/or other funds to the highway department. The fuel tax increases are the equivalent of adding 3 cents to the tax on a gallon of gas, which is set at 21.5 cents a gallon, and adding 6 cents to the tax on a gallon of diesel, which is 22.5 cents a gallon. State officials project Act 416 will raise about $95 million for the department to spend on highways and about $13 million more a year each for cities and counties. “We’re already being asked at presentations when we say this is a possibility, ‘What are we going to do with the money?’” Scott Bennett, the department’s director, said at a recent meeting of the Arkansas Highway Commission. “I don’t think we can keep saying, ‘We’re working on it, we’re working on it.’ I think we need to have a plan.” That plan already is taking shape. Under an option the commission will consider at least one special meeting, the department would put the additional money into the overall department budget and fashion a $7.4 billion spending program over 10 years beginning in 2024, $3 billion of which would be available if voters approve the proposed amendment in 2020. Most of the money — $3.8 billion — would go to heavy maintenance, which the department calls pavement preservation. The department recently has shifted emphasis of its regular road construction money to relatively inexpensive overlays of new asphalt to extend the life of the road surface before a more expensive reconstruction job is necessary. The pavement preservation piece would improve 9,000 miles to 11,000 miles of highways across the state. Eighty percent of the miles would be on what is called the Arkansas Primary Highway Network. The 7,900 miles on the network constitute about half of the 16,000 miles on the state system, but carry 90% of the traffic. Twenty percent of the $3.8 billion would go to roads off the network, which the department has struggled to maintain in recent years. Under the plan, the department also would devote $1.1 billion to bridge replacement and preservation; $1 billion to interstate maintenance; $1 billion to capital projects and congestion relief, such as widening projects; and $500,000 to targeted safety improvements. Bennett said those numbers could shift if the commission wanted to put more money into capital projects and have a mini-version of the Connecting Arkansas Program, which is the $1.8 billion construction program that focused on regionally significant projects. It is largely financed by the existing half-percent sales tax, which voters approved in 2012. Such a shift would leave less money for pavement preservation under an alternative option. Bennett and the commission say they will work on that plan in the next month, mindful of the guidance provided by Hutchinson both in his campaign for re-election last fall and during the legislative session, where he pushed for and helped pass the highway legislation. “What the governor presented was a 10-year program,” Bennett said. “I think he’s looking for, ‘Is that the right option? Is there another option?’ Basically, the other option is to have another round of the Connecting Arkansas Program. “Those questions are going to have to be answered before we go forward with a program. None of that has been presented to the governor.” The five commission members also need to have input, Bennett said. That prompted commission Chairman Tom Schueck of Little Rock to ask: “Is this our program or is it the governor’s program?” “It is your program, but I believe it is going to have to be coordinated with the governor,” Bennett responded. “The governor got out in front. He promoted this as part of his re-election campaign. He got out in front and helped this pass (in the Legislature). “I think he’s going to have to be on board and out front and campaigning for it also.” In a separate statement, Hutchinson said a committee backing the proposed amendment likely will be formed later this year. “There will be a committee established in support of the amendment,” he said. “It’s premature to know exactly how that will be constituted, but I expect that will take place later this year. There will certainly be an active campaign to support that extension, and I will lend my support to it.” In the meantime, at the urging of commission members Alec Farmer of Jonesboro and Keith Gibson of Fort Smith, the commission will hold a work session to, in Gibson’s words, “work through” the plans. Schueck agreed. “Somewhere in the next month, before the next meeting, we have a work session to narrow that down as to which option we think is best for us,” he said. “The next step is to sell it to the governor or give it to the governor and see if he approves and if he does and we do, then we’re on our way.”  

SALT LAKE CITY — A former driving instructor who was convicted in the sexual assault of a female trainee inside his truck at a training facility in Utah was sentenced Monday. Thorpe Steele, 55, of Alvin, Texas, was convicted in January on two counts: first-degree felony rape and first-degree felony forcible sodomy. On Monday, Third District Court Judge Paul B. Parker sentenced Steele to a term of five years to life. He was immediately transferred to the Utah State Prison in Draper. The sexual assault occurred at the C.R. England training facility in West Valley City, Utah, in July 2017. The victim told police that Steele was showing her the inside of his truck, and that he’d taken out his knife collection, supposedly to show her. The woman said Steele then forced his hand down her pants, and that when she told him to stop, he responded that “no was not an option,” and “what happens in the truck stays in the truck.” He then locked the truck, closed the blinds and forced her to undress. Steele would later admit to having sex with the victim but claimed it was consensual. A warrant was issued, and state troopers arrested Steele near St. George, Utah, on February 11, 2018, during an inspection at the Utah-Arizona port-of-entry. He had been in custody, primarily in the Salt Lake County Jail, ever since.

Construction detours are never welcome. But at least in developed areas they won’t take you too far out of your way. When they happen in more remote areas, you can be forced to take the scenic route. That could be the case for some truckers using the busy Interstate 15 corridor over the next year. I-15 only runs for 29 miles as it cuts across the northwest corner of Arizona, but bridge work in a three-mile section of that span will send some drivers will send some drivers on a 229-mile detour, bypassing the state altogether. Starting May 29, crews will begin resurfacing work on two bridges that run through the Virgin River Gorge between St. George, Utah, and Mesquite, Arizona, while a third bridge will get a whole new deck. The $6.4 million project is expected to take until spring 2020. During that time, traffic will be reduced to one lane in either direction, with traffic diverted to one side of the freeway while work is done on the other. The lane shifts will be in effect 24 hours a day. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is advising that all drivers planning on taking I-15 to expect delays. They also put out a notice that the temporary lanes will only be 10 feet wide, which means any vehicles or loads wider than 10 feet will have to take the 224-mile detour, with signs directing wide-load traffic to US 93, Nevada State Route 319 and Utah State Route 56 between Las Vegas and Cedar City, Utah. In all, the detour will add a net 67 miles to the route. According to ADOT’s figures from 2017, the latest year for which the statistics are available, the number of vehicles that use I-15 varies, depending on location. Near the Nevada state line, an average of 27,221 vehicles use the highway per day, of which 22.3% are trucks. In the Virgin River Gorge area, an average of 19,000 vehicles per day use the highway, 26% of which are trucks. For more information on the project, visit azdot.gov/projects and click on North Central District.

COLUMBUS, Ind. —  ACT Research released the May installment of the ACT Freight Forecast, U.S. Rate and Volume OUTLOOK report covering the truckload, intermodal, LTL and last mile sectors that shows freight remained soft, as expected by ACT. “While we see reasons for recovery in the second half of 2019, escalating trade tensions raise the risk of freight recession,” said Tim Denoyer, ACT Research’s vice president and senior analyst. “Class 8 tractor retail sales are on fire, adding capacity to the market at an unfortunate time for truckers. Shippers are increasingly targeting freight cost savings, likely emboldened by attractive rates in the spot market.” The report noted that dry van truckload spot rates, net fuel, fell nearly 19% year-over-year in April and more than 3% on a month-over-month basis from March, more than twice the historical average seasonal drop in April. The ACT Freight Forecast provides quarterly forecasts for the direction of volumes and contract rates through 2020 and annual forecasts through 2021 for the truckload, less-than-truckload and intermodal segments of the transportation industry. For the truckload spot market, the report provides forecasts for the next 12 months. For more information about ACT’s Freight Forecast, U.S. Rate and Volume OUTLOOK, please click here.            

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Don Hummer Trucking is honoring 10 professional truck drivers who have driven more than 1 million accident-free miles with the interstate truckload carrier. To qualify for the honor, the professional truck driver must have driven 1 million or more miles consecutively without a preventable accident, incident or equipment damage. The recipients were recognized during quarterly driver safety meetings, which the company said provide an opportunity for company leadership to communicate directly with drivers on safety and other relevant topics including: regulatory complIowance and changes, equipment, customer service expectations, and health and wellness. Drivers honored this year include: Lynn Trumpold, Amana, Iowa, 1,882,312 miles, 31 years of service; Juan Viveros, Perry, Iowa, 1,367,197 miles, 10 years of service; Lee Block, Homestead, Iowa, 1,214,087 miles, 37 years of service; Robert Preuss, Independence, Iowa, 1,188,953 miles, 20 years of service; John Spenner, Riverside, Iowa, 1,157,577 miles, 10 years of service; Kenneth Asleson, Independence, Iowa, —1,154,613 miles, 20 years of service; Richard Daveluy, Watertown, Connecticut, 1,154,568 miles, 10 years of service; Laura Spenner, Riverside, Iowa; 1,153,484 miles, 10 years of service; Robert Greer, Columbus Junction, Iowa, 1,117,058 miles, 10 years of service; Barbara Greer, Columbus Junction, Iowa, 1,092,556 miles, 10 years of service. “The success of any company is determined by the quality and commitment of the people,” said Don Hummer Trucking President Chris Hummer. “In addition to achievements in safety, each of these individuals are committed to delivering value in every aspect of their jobs. I am fortunate to work with such outstanding examples of true professional truck drivers.” Don Hummer Trucking Corp. is a family-owned and managed truckload motor carrier based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The company has been in operation for over 30 years providing local, regional and national dry van, temperature controlled, and value-added truckload services. For more information, please visit www.donhummertrucking.com.