The Nation

CARLSBAD, N.M. — A key highway in southeastern New Mexico and another West Texas are getting much-needed upgrades to accommodate the rise in traffic from the region’s oil and gas boom. In New Mexico, the state’s Department of Transportation is working to renovate U.S. Highway 82 — the main highway for oil field traffic between Eddy and Lea counties, the Carlsbad Current-Argus newspaper reported last week. The agency is investing about $58 million in federal and state funds into the project, which would improve 32 miles of U.S. Highway 82 between Artesia and Maljamar. The project is expected to be completed this winter, officials said. The highway is now only a two-lane road, which has been overburdened during the recent boom in oil and gas. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation recently announced it’s making improvements on the West Texas side of busy U.S. Highway 285. Officials warned that while a bridge-class culvert is being replaced at Four Mile Draw, traffic will be reduced on the highway between Pecos and Orla. “Delays can be expected. Alternate routes are strongly encouraged if possible,” the agency said in a statement. Work on U.S. Highway 285 comes as both states try to make improvements on congested highways to fix pavement damaged by heavy trucks transporting oil. A $90 million rebuild of the first 22 miles of U.S. Highway 285 in New Mexico from the Texas state line has only about $20 million in funds identified, records show. The highway upgrades are a top priority, said Timothy Parker, New Mexico Department of Transportation engineer for a district that contains Eddy, Lea, Chaves and parts of Otero and Curry counties.  

OLYMPIA, Wash.  — Washington House Democrats released their two-year transportation budget proposal Monday, with $9.9 billion in spending for projects including a new hybrid-electric ferry and the conversion of two more and nearly $4.4 billion for highway improvements and preservation. Purchasing one new hybrid ferry and converting two existing vessels together make up about $143 million; the budget also targets a small slice of a much larger court-mandated salmon protection project that will require spending billions on culverts statewide by 2030. The plan comes as part of the larger process of deciding the state’s funding priorities — and how it will raise money — over the next two years. Senate Democrats are expected to unveil their own transportation proposal later in the week. “Our state’s population has grown by 1 million in the past few years because of our booming economy,” said Democratic Rep. Jake Fey, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, in a release. “That growth has put a great strain on our highways, ferries and transportation system.” Olympia Rep. Andrew Barkis, the ranking Republican on the committee, said that overall he thought the spending in the budget was necessary and was comfortable with its sources. While funded mostly with debt, the package also proposes raising some fees especially in the ferry system, where riders would see a 6 percent increase in fares by 2021, along with a credit card fee. Along with big-ticket items such as highway improvements, the budget also targets smaller programs: adding drones for investigating fatal crashes from the air, hiring experts on autonomous vehicles, and programs to expand transit access for students and the homeless. The budget also allocates $8.75 million to planning an Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River, with much of the money held in reserve until state authorities develop a re-engagement plan.    

The average price for a gallon of diesel nationwide rose exactly one penny for the week ending March 25, to stand at $3.08 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). With the weekly increase, diesel costs 7 cents more than it did a year ago and 11½ cents above a recent low-water mark in late January, where the price hovered at $2.965 for two weeks and then at $2.966 for two more before beginning the current slow climb. Diesel prices rose in every EIA region in the country with the exception of the Central Atlantic region of the East Coast, which saw a tiny $0.003 drop in diesel, to finish at $3.310, which is still the highest price to be found anywhere outside California and is 9.3 cents above what it was in the Central Atlantic a year ago. North and south of the Central Atlantic, the New England and Lower Atlantic regions both recorded price increases of $0.014, giving the aggregate East Coast an increase of $0.008, to stand at $3.132. In New England, the price of diesel stands at $3.214, while in the Lower Atlantic, it is $2.995, one of four regions where diesel is still under $3 per gallon. With a minimal $0.001 increase, the Midwest stayed just below the $3 threshold, at $2.993, while the Gulf Coast, as usual, enjoys the lowest diesel prices in the nation, at $2.876, up $0.007 from a week earlier. Diesel also remains under $3 in the Rocky Mountain region, at $2.974, after a 3-cent gain, the second-largest increase, after California’s $0.038 price hike. The Rocky Mountain region is currently the only region in the country where diesel costs less than it did a year ago. The overall price of diesel rose on the West Coast to $3.526, an increase of $0.029. California has both the highest diesel prices, $3.819, and the highest year-to-year increase, an even 15 cents. Crude oil prices were split on Monday, Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, rose by 18 cents, to $67.21 a barrel, while U.S. crude ended Monday’s session down 22 cents, at $58.22. Early Tuesday, Brent was up 92 cents, and U.S. crude had added $1.28. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

A harsher-than-usual and prolonged winter is increasing the pothole repair workload for many state departments of transportation. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) reported March 18 that its crews patched 400,000 potholes through the first two months of 2019, compared to the approximately 619,000 potholes they patched for all of 2018. The agency plans to keep 300 pothole patching crews busy statewide with roadway repairs through April. “We are working as hard as we can to fill the potholes,” said Becky Allmeroth, MoDOT’s state maintenance engineer and chief safety and operations officer. “Some potholes have to be repaired multiple times because of additional rain. The temporary repairs are not holding. We ask motorists to please be patient with us as the repairs are being done.” She noted that her agency’s repair crews address the deepest potholes first and that until roadway temperatures rise and remain above freezing, repairs are made using a cold asphalt mix. She added that MoDOT spends approximately $15 million a year on pothole patching operations for the 34,000 miles of road it maintains. “However, this is a short-term repair,” she stressed. “The long-term fix, a hot asphalt mix, isn’t effective until temperatures are warm for a prolonged period of time.” The Ohio Department of Transportation noted in February that it had already used 2,574 tons of asphalt to repair potholes; up from 1,892 tons at the same point in 2018. “Our crews have spent more than 39,000 hours patching potholes this winter,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks in February 1 statement. He added that potholes are a “common nuisance,” particularly when the freeze/thaw cycle weakens the pavement. This happens when water seeps into cracks in the pavement, then expands as it freezes. When temperatures warm up, and the ice melts, the pavement contracts, allowing even more moisture in to freeze and thaw. “Add traffic on top and the pavement will eventually fail, creating a pothole,” Marchbanks said. “Roadways with a high volume of traffic are particularly prone to pothole formation.” The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration has also stepped up its pothole repair work, noting in a March 7 statement that with “saturated grounds” from record-setting precipitation from 2018 into 2019, and the freeze/thaw cycle that is occurring during this transitional time of the year, “potholes are popping up everywhere.”  

A “bomb cyclone” that struck the Midwest earlier this month, causing major flooding across Nebraska and parts of Iowa and Missouri, is responsible for more than $1 billion in property losses, as well as damage to highways, roads and bridges, according to reports from those states. The Nebraska Department of Transportation stated that more than 1,500 miles of roads were closed at the height of the flooding on March 18, with 15 major highway bridges completely washed out or severely damaged as a result of the high waters. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that as of March 20 more than 80 percent was under emergency declaration orders, including 77 counties, four tribal nations and five special government areas such as unincorporated townships. “This past week will forever be remembered for the historic, devastating flooding our state experienced,” Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said in a March 19 statement. “In scope of reach, we believe it is the most widespread natural disaster in our state’s history.” The flooding, caused by heavy rains occurring simultaneously with melting snow, was exacerbated by chunks of ice swept along by the waters that damaged buildings and infrastructure, NEMA noted. Nebraska National Guard helicopter crews resorted to dropping hay to cattle stranded by the high waters to ensure they didn’t starve. The Midwest flooding also triggered an emergency declaration by the Federal Railroad Administration on March 19. “The large amounts of snow and ice resulting from the region’s recent winter weather have melted and swelled rivers, creeks and other inland bodies of water throughout the region,” the agency said in its statement. “Historic flooding throughout the region [witnessed] rivers rising to historic levels in over 40 locations, causing power outages and breached dams and levees.” The Iowa Department of Transportation closed sections of Interstate 29 and established detours on March 15 in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation and other public agencies, and placed restrictions on parts of Interstate 680, as well, due to flood damage. Missouri DOT also issued a reminder to motorists on March 20 not to drive around road closure signs as “flooded roadways can be more dangerous than they appear because the road may have washed away or collapsed under the water. In addition, the water may be deeper than it appears and can hide hazards such as sharp objects, electrical wires or chemicals.” Several state DOTs have been dealing with the impact of winter-related flooding and landslides this year. On March 20, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in 37 counties that suffered serious highway damage following severe weather that began back in February. “Many of these roads are in dangerous condition, impacting the safety of Ohio’s drivers,” the governor said in a statement. “By declaring a state of emergency, Ohio can now access federal funding to help with the unplanned costs to repair the highways damaged by heavy rain and flooding.” The emergency proclamation will allow the Ohio DOT and local governments to access federal emergency relief funds. For example, the Federal Highway Administration provided $10 million Emergency Repair, or ER, funding to the Tennessee DOT March 15 to cope with roadway damage caused by “historical rainfall” in 72 counties in February. The Ohio DOT received $4.5 million in ER money from the agency the same day to help repair State Route 376 after a landslide caused by heavy rains forced it to close in late February.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature began work in earnest Thursday on Gov. Tim Walz’s transportation plan, including his hotly disputed proposal to raise the state’s gasoline tax by 70 percent. A House transportation committee gave the Democratic governor’s plan its first hearing. Supporters then rallied in the Capitol rotunda, where they heard key lawmakers and Walz urge the Legislature to approve the package. Altogether it calls for $77 million in new spending on roads, bridges and public transit for the two-year budget that takes effect July 1. “There is no reason that Minnesota can’t have nice things,” Walz said. “And those nice things improve lives.” Walz said the only obstacle “is the political will inside this building,” a reference to the strong Republican opposition to raising the gas tax by 20 cents a gallon from its current 28.6 cents per gallon. GOP leaders say there’s no need given the state’s $1 billion budget surplus. Rep. Paul Torkelson, of St. James, the lead Republican on the transportation committee, said during the hearing that they all understand the need for increased investments in transportation — their differences are on what resources to tap for those investments. But Walz says the gas tax increase is needed to provide a stable, long-term revenue stream for transportation projects. “This is not a choice between raising the gas tax or not raising the gas tax,” the governor told the rally, which was heavy on public transit supporters. “This is a choice about having a robust, multi-modal, safe transportation system or having potholes that your children can drown in.” Walz has been targeting Senate Republicans who represent districts he carried in the November elections. He touted his plan at a railroad crossing in Anoka on Tuesday that’s been dubbed the most dangerous in the state but made a political misstep in the process. The senator who represents the area, Jim Abeler, didn’t get an invitation until shortly before the event. Abeler has sent mixed signals since then about whether he would support even a smaller gas tax increase. Given that Abeler broke ranks with fellow Republicans to override GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of the state’s last gas tax increase in 2008, he’s the kind of Republican that Walz needs to cultivate. The governor told reporters he’s going to keep reaching out to Republicans. “I’m going out to try to make the case to them, come to the table and talk to me about this,” he said. Let’s start to have the conversation.”  

COLUMBUS, Ohio  — The Ohio Senate on Thursday voted in favor of a proposal to increase the state’s gas tax by 6 cents a gallon, down from the House’s planned increase of 10.7 cents a gallon and well below the governor’s proposed 18-cents a gallon to maintain roads and bridges. The Senate’s transportation committee unveiled its tax plan Thursday for an increase of 6 cents a gallon for gas and for diesel fuel in a substitute version of Ohio’s transportation budget that passed the committee 6-5. The full Senate voted 24-to-6 later in the day to approve the bill. It now heads back to the House for almost certain rejection, which would call for a House-Senate conference committee to convene for an attempt at a compromise. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine proposes raising Ohio’s current tax of 28 cents per gallon on gas by 18 cents beginning July 1, and adjusting it annually for inflation. The tax on diesel fuel under his plan also would go up by 18 cents. The House proposes an increase of 10.7 cents a gallon over three years beginning Oct. 1. The House proposal would increase the current 28-cents-per-gallon diesel-fuel tax by 20 cents a gallon, with that increase also phased in over a three-year period. The House plan, which would not index the increase to inflation, would raise about $872 million per year, compared with about $1.2 billion from DeWine’s plan. The Senate proposal, which also does not set the tax to automatically rise with inflation, would raise about $400 million per year. DeWine, who has already said that the increase proposed by the House wasn’t enough, said again Wednesday that his proposal was the “bare minimum” to keep up with needed repairs of poorly rated bridges, dangerous intersections and some new construction. A message seeking comment on Thursday’s vote was left with a spokesman for DeWine. House GOP members had indicated their plan would lessen the impact of a tax increase on consumers while still meeting road-maintenance needs. Republican Rep. Scott Oelslager, chairman of the House Finance Committee, has described the House plan as a “more equitable” distribution of the tax burden. Senate Transportation Chairman Rob McColley voted against the Senate version Thursday because it doesn’t contain a corresponding tax cut to off-set the 6-cent increase. McColley said, however, that he was comfortable after an “extensive analysis” that the 6-cent proposal is enough to fund existing road maintenance with some extra construction on top. “Our policy, number one, should be taking care of existing roads and bridges, and this budget definitely does that,” said McColley, a Republican from Napoleon in northwestern Ohio. The Senate committee’s proposed transportation budget also would reinstate the requirement for Ohioans to have both front and back license plates on their vehicles. The House has proposed eliminating the front license.

BOSTON — Honking, squeaking brakes and bumper-to-bumper traffic are common problems in many of America’s congested cities. Frustrated drivers can get agitated quickly, and their aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower gas mileage by as much as 40 percent, costing them as much as $477 per year in additional fuel consumption. GasBuddy has revealed the major metropolitan areas in the United States with the most aggressive drivers, causing them to pay more for gasoline by making more frequent trips to the pump. GasBuddy compiled data from its Drives feature in the GasBuddy app, examining the top 30        metropolitan areas by population as defined by the United States Census Bureau from November 2018-February 2019, noting the frequency of an aggressive event while driving, whether it be speeding, hard braking or accelerating. The top 10 cities with the most aggressive drivers included: Los Angeles Philadelphia Sacramento, California Atlanta San Francisco San Diego Orlando, Florida. Detroit Austin, Texas Las Vegas Los Angeles consistently tops the list of having some of the most expensive gas prices in the nation, currently averaging $3.35 per gallon. Combined with traffic and congestion, the GasBuddy Aggressive Driving study revealed that the way Los Angeles motorists are driving is also contributing to a larger gasoline budget. And it doesn’t stop with Los Angeles: four of the top 10 cities with the most aggressive drivers are in California, including Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego. “Frustration while driving in densely populated cities with high levels of congestion leads motorists to drive more aggressively and with more urgency. Interestingly, these are areas that typically see some of the highest gas prices in their respective states,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “With drivers in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Atlanta being 20 percent more aggressive than the average driver in America, it’s particularly important for commuters and rideshare drivers in these areas to work on shedding their lead foot and relax more to keep money from flying out the window each time they hit the road.” Last year GasBuddy’s Aggressive Driving Study examined the states with the most aggressive drivers. Seven of the top 10 cities with the most aggressive drivers from this year’s study are within the top 10 states with the most aggressive drivers, including California, Georgia, Texas and Florida. Additional findings include: Frustrating Fridays. Motorists are 1.2 times more likely to encounter aggressive driving on Friday than on Wednesday. The most aggressive day on the road is Friday, with 14 percent more aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States. The least aggressive day on the road is Wednesday, with 6 percent fewer aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States. Wearing Out the Brakes (All Week). The most frequent aggressive driving habit on weekdays is hard braking, followed by rapid acceleration and speeding. On weekends, the most frequent aggressive driving habit continues to be hard braking, followed by speeding and rapid acceleration. San Diego’s Need for Speed. While cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia take the top spots in regards to hard braking and rapid acceleration, San Diego, Orlando and Detroit take the top three spots for cities with the most speeding incidents. GasBuddy is a company that connects drivers with the company’s Perfect Pit Stop. As a source for crowdsourced, real-time fuel prices at more than 150,000 gas station convenience stores in the U.S., Canada and Australia, millions of drivers use the GasBuddy app and website every day to find gas station convenience stores based on fuel prices, location and ratings/reviews. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com.    

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week has issued regional exemptions to the Hours of Service as a result of the recent flooding. The declarations are for Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The FMCSA said the declaration is designed to help with recovery efforts following a severe weather and flooding event that claimed multiple lives, caused power outages, and did major damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The emergency declaration applies to truck drivers who are providing “direct support of relief efforts” to the flood damaged areas. The FMCSA guidelines say that “direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services not directly supporting the emergency relief effort or when the motor carrier dispatches a driver or commercial motor vehicle to another location to begin operations in commerce.” The exemption runs until April 18 or until the emergency is declared ended. In addition, the FMCSA said that it will not be enforcing the Temporary Operating Authority Registration fee for truckers who are providing direct assistance to disaster victims.    

PLOVER, Wis. — The Women In Trucking Association Thursday named the finalists for the 5th annual Distinguished Woman in Logistics award. The award promotes the achievements of women employed in the North American transportation industry. Finalists include Lindsey Graves, Sunset Transportation; Michelle Halkerston, Hassett Express; Judy McReynolds, ArcBest; Sarah Ruffcorn, Trinity Logistics; and Erin Van Zeeland, Schneider. The winner will be revealed Friday, April 12, during the TIA 2019 “Capital Ideas” Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida. WIT President and CEO Ellen Voie said the award highlights the crucial roles of leading women in the dynamic and influential field of commercial transportation and logistics, which encompasses both logistics service providers as well as motor carriers. Finalists for the 2019 DWLA award have demonstrated superior leadership within their company as well as with other professional, educational or philanthropic organizations, she said. Lindsey Graves is a second-generation owner and chief operating officer at Sunset Transportation, a St. Louis third party logistics company.  In her 12 years with Sunset, she has grown through hands-on experience in every department; she now oversees operational and personnel growth, strategy, marketing and implementation at Sunset’s corporate headquarters in south St. Louis and five national branch offices. Graves was a Class of 2018, 40 Under 40 Recipient for the St. Louis Business Journal. Michelle Halkerston is president, CEO and owner of Hassett Express, a full-service transportation and logistics provider specializing in time-definite services. She joined Hassett Air Express in 2001 as vice president of strategic planning, was named president in September 2003, and purchased the company in October 2013. She is involved in all facets of the business and has steered the Hassett team through significant changes in customer needs and dynamics to achieve the most successful year in company history.  As a privately-held Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Hassett’s success is based on commitment to its employees, customers and community and on building partnerships that provide value to both organizations. Judy R. McReynolds is chairman, president and chief executive officer of ArcBest in Fort Smith, Arkansas. From its roots in less-than-truckload delivery, under her leadership ArcBest has transformed into a full-scale provider of end-to-end supply chain services, surpassing $3 billion in revenue last year.  In 2016, McReynolds was elected as chairman of the board of ArcBest. She has 28 years of logistics and transportation industry experience, including 21 years at ArcBest. She also serves on numerous outside boards. She is the current chair of the American Transportation Research Institute board, and a member of the American Trucking Associations board of directors and executive committee. Sarah Ruffcorn is the chief operations officer of Trinity Logistics, a 2018 “Top 50 Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation” company. In this role, she leads Trinity’s Regional Service Center brokerage offices throughout the country, the less-than-truckload division, the advanced services division which includes warehousing, expedite, drayage, international, and intermodal services, as well as the managed services division, which includes shipper TMS and fully managed solutions services. She also serves on the Trinity Logistics board of directors, is co-chair of TIA’s Women in Logistics Committee, and is a member of the TIA Technology Committee. She was awarded the 2015 Delaware Business Times “Best 40 Under 40” award for being one of the region’s “best & brightest young professionals.” Erin Van Zeeland is group senior vice president and general manager of logistics services at Schneider, a provider of transportation, logistics and intermodal services.  Schneider is a $5B (2018 annual revenue) company founded in 1935 and its foundation of operational excellence is built on service, trust and reliability. In her position, she is responsible for all aspects of the company’s logistics service offering including transportation management (brokerage), supply chain management, warehousing and port dray. Within her functional responsibilities, she ensures that over 27,000 third-party carriers and service providers are effectively utilized to meet supply chain needs, service and profitability objectives across any mode of transportation and logistics services. Finalists were selected from an immense group of high-performing women representing third-party logistics, supply chain management, and related functional disciplines. Members of the judging panel included Dr. Stephanie S. Ivey, director of Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute, Southeast Transportation Workforce Center, and associate professor, Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Memphis; Nancy O’Liddy, chief of staff, TIA; Brent Hutto, chief relationship officer, Truckstop.com; and Ellen Voie, president and CEO, WIT. Women In Trucking Association is a nonprofit association established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry.  

PROVIDENCE, R.I.  — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit over Rhode Island’s new truck tolls Tuesday, finding that the court lacks jurisdiction and the case should be brought in the state court system. Rhode Island began tolling trucks in June as part of an infrastructure plan to repair bridges and roads. The American Trucking Associations sued in U.S. District Court. “ATA is disappointed by the decision, in which the U.S. District Court ruled that it was without power to hear ATA’s constitutional challenge to the discriminatory RhodeWorks truck-only tolls, and that the challenge must instead be brought in state court,” said ATA Deputy General Counsel Rich Pianka. “ATA is reviewing the decision and considering next steps, but looks forward to vindicating its underlying claims on the merits, whatever the venue.” The ATA argued in its lawsuit that the tolls violate the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause and pose a discriminatory and disproportionate burden on out-of-state operators and truckers. Cumberland Farms, New England Motor Freight and M&M Transport Services are also plaintiffs. The state argued that the federal court cannot restrain the collection of state taxes, such as tolls, and state matters should be adjudicated in state court. Christopher Maxwell, president of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, said the judge’s decision doesn’t speak to the merits of the claims, only the venue in which to bring them. He said it’ll be up to American Trucking Associations to decide how to proceed. The Rhode Island Trucking Association is a member of the national group. Connecticut officials have been watching the Rhode Island case closely. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, who ran for office supporting tolls only on big rigs, included two tolling options for lawmakers to consider in his new budget: tolling just trucks or tolling everyone. Lamont’s administration has estimated Connecticut could reap $200 million in annual revenue from truck tolls and about $800 million from tolls on cars and trucks. In recent weeks, the governor has made it clear he is now leaning toward supporting the more wide-ranging tolls to help generate the revenue needed to address Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure needs. Maribel La Luz, a spokeswoman for Lamont, said Tuesday’s dismissal of the truckers’ lawsuit “confirms what we already believed to be true,” that “the road to resolution of this case will be long and winding, and ultimately, we don’t believe it will provide the clarity, or revenue, that Connecticut needs to truly enhance and upgrade its infrastructure system.” La Luz said Lamont’s wider ranging tolling proposal “is the path forward if we are serious about supporting our state’s economic growth and development, particularly when 40 percent of the costs for such an investment would be paid for by people who don’t even live in our state.” Patrick Jones executive director and CEO on the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) said his organization supports the state’s plan to use truck tolls as one of many revenue streams to rebuild major bridges in the state. “Large majorities of Americans support greater investment in infrastructure,” he said. “While the judge who dismissed the lawsuit did not address the merits of the case, we remain hopeful that no court will deny Rhode Island, or any state, the ability to assess user fees including tolls to rebuild its vital bridges and highways.” The Connecticut General Assembly’s Transportation Committee was scheduled to vote Wednesday on several bills that could lead to tolls on state highways. While none would institute truck-only tolls, the Rhode Island court decision is likely to come up during the debate. In Rhode Island, only two out of 14 proposed toll gantries are in place. The governor’s budget proposal estimates tolls will generate about $7 million in the current budget year and $25 million for the budget year starting July 1. The projections are much lower than previous revenue estimates due to delays in permitting and environmental assessments for the additional gantries. Rhode Island lawmakers authorized the toll system in 2016 as part of a $5 billion, decade-long plan to rebuild crumbling roads and bridges, projecting then that the entire system would bring in $450 million over 10 years.                

LAS VEGAS — For most people, there are maybe only a handful of instances in their lives that call for an act of heroism. “We’d all like to believe that if the situation presented itself, each of us would be able to step up and offer assistance to others in their time of need,” Truckload Carriers Association Chairman Dan Doran said March 12 at the general session of the closing day of the 81st annual TCA convention. With as much time as professional truck drivers spend out on the open road, they are more likely than most folks to come across fellow travelers who need help. And every year, there are several stories of drivers who step up to offer their assistance. In 1997, TCA and corporate sponsor EpicVue created the Highway Angels program “to improve the public’s image of the trucking industry by highlighting positive stories of professional truck drivers who display exemplary acts of kindness, courtesy, and courage while on the job,” Doran said. Highway Angels are recognized throughout the year. “EpicVue is honored to recognize these incredible professional truck drivers, who put themselves sometimes in great danger to help a fellow truck driver, a motorist, and even a small child who may be wandering alone in the dark,” said EpicVue CEO Lance Platt. One of these drivers is then chosen for special recognition at the annual TCA convention as the Highway Angel of the Year. This year’s Highway Angel of the Year Brian Snell, a regional trainer with Bangor, Maine-based Pottle’s Transportation. Platt was joined by recording artist Lindsay Lawler in presenting Snell with the award. Lawler, the official spokesperson for the Highway Angel program and whose song “Highway Angel” is a tribute to the spirit of the program and to the drivers who personify that spirit, said Snell “is passionate about what he does, humble, and an overall brilliant example of what this program aims to highlight.” A brief video prior to the presentation described the early-morning rescue for which Snell was being honored. After the ceremony, he recalled the incident in his own words. Snell was driving on I-495 in Massachusetts at about 2:15 a.m. on June 8, 2018, when he saw the headlights of a vehicle driving the wrong way up ahead before it hit something and spun out to a stop. Snell stopped his truck in the middle of the road, blocking oncoming traffic from the crashed car. As other motorists stopped, Snell got out of his truck to assess the situation. The car’s front end was mangled, and the woman behind the wheel was unconscious. Snell is no stranger to emergency situations. He joined the Marines in 1989, but an injury sustained in boot camp curtailed his military career. After his discharge in 1992, he spent nearly five years as a paramedic in Nashua, New Hampshire, near his hometown of Merrimack, before becoming a sheriff’s department rescue worker. “I used to do a lot of high-angle rescue work,” Snell said. “It’s rope work. We were up on ledges, mountain work and all that.” Even in his spare time, Snell has done “a ton of volunteering,” he said, including rescue work on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast and part of the Appalachian Trail. It is popular with hikers, cyclists and gliders, but weather conditions can turn treacherous quickly. “And when the World Trade Center went down I wound up going to Ground Zero working search and rescue down there.” Snell spent five days as a volunteer at Ground Zero “literally digging in the dirt and going through the pile itself,” he said. He was among the rescue workers who became casualties of the attack after the fact. Part of his diaphragm became paralyzed and he lost a lung due to the prolonged exposure to the particulate matter in the air. “Obviously, after 911, law enforcement was out because of the disability with my lung,” Snell said. Snell was already on his way to becoming a full-time professional truck driver. “My grandfather for years told me to get my truck license,” Snell said. “I was like, ‘I don’t want to be a truck driver.’” But turning an economic downturn he had taken his grandfather’s advice and had started what had been a gradual transition from emergency work into trucking. In those early morning hours last June, Snell’s professional worlds came together when he came to the driver’s assistance. “The car was on fire,” he said. “I put the flames out with the fire extinguisher. Then I started working on her to make sure she was conscious and breathing and all that.” While he was doing that, he heard one of the other motorists who had stopped to help yelling some distance away that they “couldn’t get in.” That’s when Snell realized that another vehicle had been involved in the crash. “I thought she’d just bounced off the guardrail,” Snell said, but she had collided head-on with another car. He went over to the second car and saw the driver, a 32-year-old man, was dead. There was a dog inside the car, and Snell had to smash a window to get to it. As it happened, the first officer on the scene was a K-9 officer, so Snell left the dog in his care then he returned to the first car to help rescue workers extract the woman. He said when Highway Angel organizers first tried to contact him about being an honoree, he didn’t return their phone calls. “I don’t do what I do to be recognized, you know what I mean?” he said. “And finally my company got involved and said, ‘You got to call back.’ Being named a Highway Angel was an honor, he said, and then when he heard he had been named Highway Angel of the Year, he was “ecstatic,” but he admitted he’s had mixed emotions because of the circumstances around the incident. “It’s a very bittersweet award to accept,” Snell said. “I’m literally being honored for saving someone who killed somebody.” The woman, who was intoxicated at the time of the crash, has been charged with vehicular homicide. “Hopefully, she changes her ways,” he said. The Highway Angel of the Year was created to honor the person who best embodies the spirit of the Highway Angel program. Snell, 50, said he’s been doing rescue work, professionally and as a volunteer, since he was on the American Red Cross Disaster Team in high school. He’s even delivered a baby along the roadside. Putting yourself out there for your fellow human beings is simply part of the values by which he was raised. “My whole family is community driven,” he said. “The Lord has always told everybody he wants us to be the Good Samaritan, and I don’t pass that up. Anybody I can help, I try to do anything I can for them.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Transportation Institute (NTI) and Women In Trucking (WIT) are again partnering to facilitate the data collection and analysis of the WIT Index. This annual survey of trucking companies studies the percentage of women working as professional drivers and in management positions within the trucking industry. With the deadline fast approaching, NTI and WIT together issued a call to action for all fleets to participate in the survey. “Our collaboration with Women In Trucking on the WIT Index has become a passion project for me and the members of our team at NTI,” said Leah Shaver, chief operating officer of NTI. “We launched the 2019 survey earlier this year, and I would strongly encourage every company that employs truck drivers in our industry to participate in the WIT Index. Opportunities are expanding for women across the industry, and one of the key long-term solutions to the driver shortage will be the further expansion of the employment of women at motor carriers. The response by carriers to the brief list of survey questions is the critical first step in the process of our work with the WIT Index. The data NTI collects from carriers will allow us to measure progress, identify best practices and continue to benchmark standards in our industry.” NTI began working with the WIT Index in 2016 when Shaver joined the WIT board of directors. Ellen Voie, the President and CEO of WIT, sought to obtain the most detailed and accurate data available in the examination of employment trends for women found in the trucking industry. During each of the years that NTI has managed the survey and analysis aspects of the WIT Index, the participation among companies has grown and the results have shown continued increases in the percentage of women behind the wheel and in trucking management positions. “We have seen firsthand the increased participation of women in all areas of trucking throughout the 12 years that the Women In Trucking Association has been in existence. Quantifying the growth of women within the workforce of the trucking industry is one of the most important tasks that we have as an association,’’ Voie said. “We are very grateful to be able to call upon the expertise of the National Transportation Institute for the 2019 update to the WIT Index. Once again, this year, NTI is donating its time and services to facilitate the survey, tabulate the results and provide WIT with the kind of trend analysis that helps our association in planning some of our key initiatives. The pro bono work that NTI performs on the WIT Index is a very important and generous contribution to our association and to the industry.” Shaver is again overseeing all aspects of the data collection and analysis of the WIT Index. Throughout NTI’s work on the WIT Index for 2019, Shaver has emphasized that, as in past years, confidentiality is guaranteed for those carriers participating in the survey. “The WIT Index allows us to accurately track progress and identify trends and best practices by fleets nationwide. The top issue plaguing every trucking company today is enough people. We’re operating at a historical low unemployment in the U.S., and there are more jobs than workers to fill them,” Shaver said. “There is so much opportunity to gain from recruiting and retaining more women, highlighted by the 2018 WIT Index results which revealed that fewer than eight percent of drivers were women. The 2019 results can be used by participating carriers in efforts to further address the driver shortage and their own strategy. NTI always does a deep dive into the data generated by the WIT Index survey, and that allows us to provide WIT and the participating fleets with the kind of analysis that can promote further growth of opportunities for women within our industry. Women are key to long-term solutions to our workforce shortage, and best practices to recruit and retain are likewise key to carrier success.” “The WIT Index is a great opportunity for every fleet in our industry to contribute to the story of the continued growth taking place for women working in trucking,” Voie said. “I really look forward to this process. It’s an opportunity to accurately measure where the number of women involved in our industry stands. I see this time of year as an important call to action, and I would like to see every carrier in the nation participate in the WIT Index.” The 2019 WIT Index Survey will run through April 8, 2019. The survey can be accessed through the following link: https://www.driverwages.com/wit-index/ The National Transportation Institute was founded in 1995 with a goal of providing accurate and authoritative mission-critical benchmarks to truckload carriers on company driver and owner-operator compensation history and changes.

WASHINGTON — A new 43-page report issued by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Investment Advocacy Center indicates 37 states have introduced 185 bills aimed at boosting transportation investment in the first two months of 2019, with 21 of those states proposing to increase one or more types of fuel taxes, according to an article  in the Journal of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Of those 21 states, 10 included altering or creating a variable-rate tax that fluctuates based on external factors such as the Consumer Price Index, average wholesale price of motor fuel, or other formulas. Continuing a trend seen in recent years, the ARTBA-TIAC report indicates 16 states are introducing electric vehicle fees to help ensure all vehicles that create wear and tear on roads pay for their share of maintenance, with 10 of those states including an additional registration fee for hybrid vehicles. Similar legislation is being pushed at the federal level by Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo. They re-introduced a bill on Feb. 6 that Sen. Barrasso initially proffered last October in the waning days of the 115th Congress. That legislation seeks to end electric vehicle federal tax credits while imposing a fee on operators of all alternatively fueled vehicles – be they powered by electricity, natural gas, hydrogen, etc. – that will be collected over the next 10 years and paid into the Highway Trust Fund. The ARTBA-TIAC report added that mileage-based user fee studies – also known as a road user charge or a vehicle miles traveled tax – are being considered in eight states, while four states have introduced legislation to implement tolling. So far, of the legislation introduced in January or February, ARTBA said 19 measures have advanced beyond one legislative chamber, with one bill – an electric vehicle registration fee increase in Wyoming – signed into law. Meanwhile, Arkansas and Alabama signed fuel tax increases into law this month.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has been named the nation’s top independent moving company for 2018 by the American Moving & Storage Association. The company has earned the Independent Mover of the Year Award for exceptional business growth, strong customer satisfaction and award-winning service. This award, also known as “the Indy,” reflects the association’s and the industry’s commitment to outstanding performance among independent movers as demonstrated through innovative business methods and practices, community involvement, customer service practices, employee relations, and operations that address a current and compelling social or economic issue, according to Scott Michael, AMSA president and CEO. The recipient is selected by a panel of industry experts. “Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage is honored to receive this prestigious award. It reflects our team’s hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence. The true desire ‘to serve’ shines through with this incredible achievement,” said Derrick Potter, president of Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage. Since opening in 2001, Firefighting’s Finest has earned an impeccable reputation, providing customers with an exceptional, service-first moving experience, Potter said. “Our focus on customer service provided by well-trained crews has allowed for continued growth, while our commitment to excellence has ensured that the growth is well managed, and quality is not lost,” he said. Still owned and operated by military veterans and off-duty professional firefighters, Firefighting’s Finest’s commitment to serve customers and the community is what sets them apart. The company’s teams of professional movers are carefully selected to ensure that a commitment to quality and service is shared by them, and that the company’s vision is the team’s vision—an exceptional move exceeding expectations on every move, Potter said. Offering a full range of services including moving, packing and storage has allowed Firefighting’s Finest to grow to four locations, with over 160 employees, a sizable fleet with warehouse facilities, and military approval as a TSP. Potter said Firefighting’s Finest Moving and Storage’s commitment to serve has led the company to earning many awards, including the prestigious Pro Patria Award, Small Business of the Year Award in 2016 from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and several Torch Awards from the BBB for Marketing Ethics. Firefighting’s Finest is also proud to be the first ever Mover of the Year awarded by Move For Hunger. “Firefighting’s Finest has set a high bar for excellence in the industry with an outstanding track record of success. They are well-deserving of this high honor that puts them up there among the elite moving and storage companies nationwide,” Michael said. More information about the AMSA Awards at Moving.org.

DALLAS — Intelligent Imaging Systems (IIS) is now providing state departments of transportation with its IIS Smart Parking solutions for trucks at rest stops. Installations were recently completed in Ohio as part of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) initiative, which unites eight Midwestern states in the nation’s first Regional Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS). Through IIS Smart Parking, 18 rest stops along Ohio’s Interstates 70, 75 and U.S. Route 33 were fitted with in-ground sensors, which provide information on how many parking spots are open and available for use. That information is then relayed and broadcast — in real-time — on highway signs so truck drivers will know the availability of parking spaces at the upcoming rest stop. The IIS Smart Parking locations join others implemented through MAASTO to provide truckers with parking availability. The TPIMS was deployed along the region’s high-volume freight corridors through Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Its goal is to have all truck drivers, dispatchers and others see and benefit from a cohesive parking availability system that crosses state borders. In addition to dynamic highway message signs, websites will provide information on parking space availability. “This service is badly needed in the trucking industry,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of IIS. “Parking is a huge concern for drivers. Studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that 83 percent of drivers routinely take 30 minutes or longer to find parking and that 37 DOTs reported problems with commercial parking.” According to Heath, the real-time display of parking spots at rest areas gives drivers time to plan. “In Ohio, it’s set up where a highway reader board shows the number of spots available at the upcoming rest area,” he said. “And in many cases, it shows the spots available at the rest areas that are further down the road. This takes out a lot of the guesswork of ‘where do I park?’ Plus, if a rest area is full, the driver doesn’t have to pull in and search – wasting time trying to find a spot that doesn’t exist.” IIS’ partner in the venture, IPsens, is a leader in cloud-based parking and transportation management solutions. “Our hardware and parking management software integrates well with IIS to make for a turnkey solution for state DOTs,” said Gorm Tuxen, president of IPsens. “We look forward to working with more states – putting our technology to work — to make a difference in the lives of truckers searching for parking spots.” Federal grant money is available to help states offer rest stop parking notifications. “The federal government has recognized the parking issue and has stepped up to offer states funds to implement a truck parking management system,” Heath said. “We expect states with parking issues to take advantage of the funding to make highways safer, and drivers more productive. If a driver can’t find a spot, and their hours of service are about to expire, they’ll often resort to using unauthorized parking spaces, or park on highway shoulders or ramps. By providing real-time information on parking spots, states have the ability to make an impact on the problem.”