The Nation

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J, has set a goal to raise $1 million in February to support the American Heart Association in honor of American Heart Month. As part of the company’s longstanding commitment to giving back, Pilot Flying J invites guests and team members to help kick off its second year of the Life is Why We Give campaign in travel centers and convenience stores across the country. Last year, Pilot Flying J partnered with guests and team members to raise $981,000 in support of AHA’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives – ranking among the top five national fundraisers for AHA’s Life is Why We Give campaign. Pilot Flying J’s goal to raise $1 million this year will have an immense impact on the research and programs of AHA, according to Mike Rodgers, senior vice president, chief strategy and information officer. For example, $1 million will help the organization provide more than 60 million kids with healthy school lunches. “Everyone should be able to live a longer, healthier life – and that reason is why Pilot Flying J gives,” Rodgers, who is also an AHA board member, said. “Last year, we began this journey to bring heart health awareness to our guests and team members across the country, and we are honored to support American Heart Association’s Life is Why We Give campaign again this year. We were personally touched and inspired by the stories shared and the incredible generosity shown in support of such an important cause which affects so many of our loved ones. This year, we hope to continue this momentum and provide different ways for our guests and team members to help contribute to a healthier tomorrow.” During the month of February, Pilot Flying J’s fundraising initiatives include: Paper Heart Icons: $1, $3 and $5 red hearts will be available at all locations for purchase. The full amount purchased will be donated directly to the AHA. Purchase Round Up: Guests can round up their purchase to the nearest whole dollar. Pilot Flying J will donate the full amount of each round-up to the AHA. Certain purchases (including, without limitation, fuel and fuel additives and purchases made on fleet cards or direct bill programs) are not eligible for round-up contributions. Donate Online: A donation link will also be included on the Pilot Flying J website at https://pilotflyingj.com/life-is-why throughout the month of February to provide guests another convenient way to donate. Rodgers said Pilot Flying J recognizes diet and exercise as essential components in preventing heart disease for its guests and team members. In January, the company launched its new “Commit to Fit” program focused on enhancing team members’ overall well-being in five areas of health: physical, nutritional, sleep, emotional and financial. Throughout the month of February, the company will also be featuring deals on healthier food and beverage options that are perfect for those on the go. Guests can save with exclusive offers in the Pilot Flying J app and with a buy one get one free Thungry deal on healthy snacks including Wonderful Pistachios and select protein bars with a beverage purchase. “Pilot Flying J encourages its more than 1.6 million daily guests, team members and loved ones to join the company in the fight against heart disease throughout the month of February and donate in-store at participating locations or via the Pilot Flying J website,” Rodgers said.

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers have rejected a plan to add tolls to Interstate 81 to pay for $2 billion in upgrades that would improve safety and traffic flow. Legislators moved Thursday to shelve any immediate plans to add tolls or increase regional taxes to pay for improvements to the 325-mile highway that runs along western Virginia. Lawmakers say they need more time to study potential funding sources, including an increase to the state gas tax. Before the legislative session started, Gov. Ralph Northam and some Republican lawmakers tentatively backed a plan to add tolls that could cost as much as $50 for trucks and $25 for cars to use the entire highway. But business groups and trucking groups strongly opposed tolls, saying it would stifle commerce. The rejection of the plan comes less than a month after the American Trucking Associations hinted January 17 it may sue the state of Virginia over legislation that proposes charging tolls on Interstate 81. The ATA did so in a letter to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam opposing the legislation, which Northam touts as the best way to fund improvements to the 325-mile stretch of interstate between Bristol, and Winchester. The bill proposes tolling commercial trucks at 17 cents per mile, personal vehicles at about 11 cents per mile and offering an annual pass to commuters in passenger vehicles. The letter, signed by Jennifer Hall, the ATA’s general counsel and executive vice president, legal affairs, says that if the legislation is adopted in its current form it would not only be poor public policy but would raise serious legal issues and may create an “impermissible burden” on interstate commerce. The proposed plan had four options for tolling. The ATA letter dealt with the option that would toll all vehicles with an annual pass available exclusively to automobiles. “The car-only annual pass proposal is unlawful under the U.S. Constitution because it represents an impermissible burden on interstate commerce,” Hall wrote. “More specifically, the U.S. Supreme Court has explained that, under the Commerce Clause, a transportation user fee is permissible only “if it (1) is based on some fair approximation of use of the facilities, (2) is not excessive in relation to the benefits conferred, and (3) does not discriminate against interstate commerce.” The plan’s car-only annual pass option would fail this test for a variety of reasons, the ATA said, noting: User fees would bear no relationship to use of the tolled roads; Tolls on commercial vehicles would be excessive in relation to the benefits conferred; The plan favors noncommercial vehicles over commercial vehicles, which power interstate commerce. The ATA said by allowing automobiles the opportunity to pay a one-time fee for unlimited travel over the course of the year but to deny that flat-rate opportunity to trucks means that the proposal is not “based on some fair approximation of use.”    

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — New toll roads. Election law changes. School safety. A possible rollback of health care regulations. Florida’s top legislative leaders and Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined some of their top priorities Wednesday during the annual Associated Press legislative planning meeting. During the 60-day-session, which begins March 5, legislators are also expected to debate everything from texting while driving to private school vouchers. Senate President Bill Galvano announced that the Senate will work on legislation to speed up development of three major toll roads, including the extension of the existing Suncoast Parkway from north of the Tampa Bay area to the Georgia border. He also wants to look at a new road that would connect the Florida Turnpike to the Suncoast Parkway as well as another toll road that would run from central Florida to southwest Florida. The Bradenton Republican said the new roads would be part of an effort to revitalize some of Florida’s rural areas that he says have been neglected while the state has focused on urban centers. “So often those communities get forgotten economically and otherwise,” said Galvano. But past talk about extending the Suncoast Parkway has generated opposition from some counties that lie along the route. DeSantis, who was sworn into office less than a month ago, has already outlined some of his main priorities for the upcoming session, including boosting the amount of state money spent on Everglades restoration. He is expected to roll out his overall budget recommendations later this week. But the new governor said he wants to alter a current teacher bonus program that links bonuses to teacher scores on college entrance exams and he said he wants to set aside money for training teachers for computer science. DeSantis, who suspended the Palm Beach county elections supervisor earlier this month, also said he wants to ensure that the 2020 elections aren’t “any type of circus once the votes are in.” Florida had a mandatory recount in three statewide races and Republicans sharply criticized the job performance of two South Florida election officials during the recount. While DeSantis has not yet specified what he plans to do, he said he’s open to giving more authority to the Secretary of State to issue binding orders to local elected supervisors. “The election stuff is not rocket science, it just needs to be done transparently and it needs to be done openly,” said DeSantis. “I think if people follow what is laid out we will have a smooth election.” DeSantis and legislative leaders did say on Wednesday they plan to act on recommendations from a commission that investigated the high school massacre in Parkland where 17 people were killed. The commission recommended that teachers who volunteer and undergo training be allowed to carry guns. House Speaker Jose Oliva, a Miami Lakes Republican, contended that some hospitals in Florida act as “monopolies” and he wants to trim back some of the regulations that now limit the location and type of health care services that can be provided. Oliva contended that a “free market” approach would curb the rising cost of health care. “If you are the only game in town, you don’t have to negotiate,” Oliva said. “We have to bring in some real market forces into it so that people have to compete for that business.” It’s not clear if the Senate will go along with the push. Galvano said that he considers health care a “unique animal” that does not “fit neatly” into a free-market system.    

LANSING, Mich. — Four former legislative leaders said Thursday that Michigan’s per-gallon gasoline and diesel taxes should be increased by 47 cents over nine years to fix deteriorating roads with an additional $2.5 billion in annual spending. The bipartisan proposal will face resistance in a Republican-led Legislature that previously raised fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, effective in 2017. But the ex-leaders, including Democrat Bob Emerson and Republican Ken Sikkema, said it is important to actually improve road conditions instead of trying to do so with half-measures. They said an extra $1.2 billion in transportation funding that is being phased in under 2015 laws falls far short, making the problem worse in the long term and forcing drivers to pay for car damage caused by shoddy roads. Lawmakers, they contended, paid no political price in recent elections for boosting road taxes. “The problem hasn’t been solved, and it needs to be solved,” said Sikkema, who served as Senate majority leader from 2003 through 2006. The plan calls for hiking the 26-cents-a-gallon gasoline and diesel taxes by 7 cents in 2020, followed by yearly 5-cent increases through 2028. Emerson, an ex-Senate minority leader and former state budget director, said no one lost an election in 2016 or 2018 because the gas tax was raised by 7 cents. Others backing the proposal include former Lt. Gov. John Cherry, a Democrat and former Senate minority leader, and ex-Republican House Speaker Paul Hillegonds. “The only thing I ever heard about was more talk about fixing the damn roads and more talk about health care,” Cherry said, referencing Gretchen Whitmer’s pledge in her 2018 campaign to smooth the roads. The new Democratic governor called for spending $3 billion more on infrastructure by increasing “user fees” by an unspecified amount or by asking voters to approve a bond. Her office declined to comment Thursday on the proposed 47-cent fuel tax increase, saying it will not discuss budget items until she presents her first spending proposal in March. Current Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, a Clarklake Republican, did not embrace the proposal, however. It “assumes a large increase in the gas tax is a sustainable solution to road funding, but advances in automotive technology make gas taxes an undesirable long-term solution,” he said in a statement. “All the proposed increase does is place a greater burden on families and household budgets without solving road funding for the future.” The proposal was released in conjunction with the announced formation of the Michigan Policy Consensus Project, which was launched in collaboration with the nonprofit Center for Michigan. The project, which is co-chaired by Emerson and Sikkema, will offer “consensus” policy recommendations in Lansing at a time of divided government.  

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations has named its new team of 18 professional truck drivers to the 2019-2020 class of America’s Road Team. The drivers will immediately begin their service as the premier group of trucking industry ambassadors to the general public, elected officials and members of the media. “These drivers represent the diverse experiences of the 3.5 million professional drivers across the country and will be able to bring their unique stories to new, critical audiences as part of America’s Road Team,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “ATA is very excited to begin working with this group of professional, respected drivers and see them continue spreading the positive image of the trucking industry. We are extremely proud of them, as are their companies and families.” America’s Road Team is an outreach initiative that utilizes professional truck drivers to impress upon the motoring public, lawmakers, and media the importance of the trucking industry. Since it was established in 1986, America’s Road Team has educated millions of drivers about the trucking industry’s safety record, necessity, and professionalism. The 2019-2020 America’s Road Team Captains are: William C. Bennett III, UPS Freight, Maytown, Pennsylvania Sammy Brewster, ABF Freight, Powder Springs, Georgia Jorge Chavez, Jetco Delivery, Houston, Texas Timothy Chelette, Big G Express, Murfreesboro, Tennessee James Clark, Penske Logistics, Otter Lake, Michigan April Coolidge, Walmart Transportation, Mint Hill, North Carolina Scott Davis, ABF Freight, Kearney, Missouri Douglas Frombaugh, FedEx Freight, Carlisle, Pennsylvania William Goins, Old Dominion, Cloverdale, Indiana Billy Hambrick, Werner Enterprises, Yoder, Wyoming Russell James, YRC Freight, Bonner, Montana Gary Martin, FedEx Ground, Galt, California William McNamee, Carbon Express, Christopher, Illinois Tina Peterson, FedEx Ground, Blaine, Minnesota Theldorine “Dee” Sova, Prime Inc., Sacramento, California Ronald Vandermark, UPS Freight, Delran, New Jersey Nicolette Weaver, FedEx Freight, New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania Todd Wilemon, ABF Freight, Fulton, Mississippi “These Captains have dedicated their lives to spreading the message of safe driving while promoting a positive perception of the trucking industry. They are leaders in their communities, role models in their companies, and truly embody the professionalism and dedication that comes with the passion that they have for the industry,” said ATA Senior Advisor and Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. “This new class represents everything we strive to promote about our industry and its professionals.” The Captains will have the opportunity to share their passion for trucking as they travel the country on behalf of ATA and the industry. They will share their experiences as professional truck drivers and the critical role the industry plays in the delivery of goods and services while also stressing the importance of a safety-first mentality. The drivers will continue to work full-time for their ATA member companies, appearing on behalf of ATA anywhere from 3-5 days per month. The new Captains will tour the country in ATA’s Interstate One Image Truck, an American flag emblazoned Volvo VNL 760, featuring a state-of-the-art truck driving simulator and mobile classroom. “Volvo Trucks is honored to continue our sponsorship of America’s Road Team with a brand new Volvo VNL 760 and take part in this week’s selection of the 2019-2020 Captains,” said Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve. “America’s Road Team is one of the most visible groups of professional truck drivers in the country, and we believe their hard work and dedication pays dividends for our industry. We want to thank the Captains for their strong engagement and being passionate ambassadors of this great profession. We congratulate the new class of America’s Road Team Captains and wish them the best of luck as they carry out their mission over the next two years.” ATA held its final round of selections from January 27-29 in Arlington. The drivers were judged on their ability to express their knowledge of the industry, their skills in effective communication about safety and transportation, and their overall safe-driving record. The panel of judges included trucking executives and trade press. “I’m excited to start off 2019 by welcoming these new Captains to the America’s Road Team family. America’s Road Team is an important tool for our industry and I can’t wait to see how they will continue to spread our message of safety and professionalism,” said ATA Chairman and professional truck driver Barry Pottle, president of Pottle’s Transportation. “Everyone introduced tonight has earned their spot on the team through their hard work and dedication to safety and their passion for trucking. After receiving their signature navy blue America’s Road Team blazers, the 2019-2020 Captains will immediately begin their work in improving public perception of the trucking industry. Trucking industry professionals can support America’s Road Team’s mission by following the team’s two-year journey on Facebook and Twitter and interacting with the Captains at major industry events, conferences and community visits. To learn more about the 2019-2020 America’s Road Team and view the team’s biographies, visit the official America’s Road Team webpage. The America’s Road Team, sponsored by Volvo Trucks, is a national public outreach program led by a small group of professional truck drivers who share superior driving skills, remarkable safety records and a strong desire to spread the word about safety on the highway. For more information, visit www.americasroadteam.com.  

WASHINGTON — The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Wednesday called on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to approve the nomination of Nicole Nason to be the next administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. Nason appeared before the panel Tuesday. The FHWA has been without an administrator since Gregory Guy Nadeau left office at the end of the Obama administration. “The Trump Administration made a wise choice with its nomination of Nicole Nason as the next FHWA administrator,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO executive director. “Given her nomination hearing Tuesday which was well-received by both sides of the aisle, we ask for a speedy approval by both the Committee and the full Senate. “Not only has Nason served as administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, she has also held the position of assistant secretary of government affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation. We look forward to working with her to advance our nation’s transportation infrastructure goals through a strong partnership between FHWA and our state transportation departments.” Nason, who currently serves as assistant secretary of the Bureau of Administration within the U.S. Department of State, spent five years in multiple transportation roles within the federal government. From 2003 to 2006, she worked as assistant secretary for government affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation where she worked with Congress on a five year reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program. She then served as NHTSA from 2006-2008 where she oversaw the development of new seat belt rules for school buses, rulemaking for electronic stability control systems, and the formulation of crash test rating criteria for the Five-Star Safety Ratings program. From 2014-2017, Nason founded and ran Project Koe in Connecticut, empowering women and improving health and fitness using traditional Japanese martial arts techniques. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and Government at American University and a J.D. at Case Western Reserve University. There is no timetable for when her nomination will be sent to the full Senate. After appearing before a committee, nominees typically submit answers to written question from committee members before sending the nomination to the floor.  

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Landstar System, a worldwide, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions, kicked off the year by giving away a truck on January 24 during its BCO Appreciation Days event in Jacksonville. Landstar Business Capacity Owner (BCO) Rosemberg Villarreal of Grand Prairie, Texas, won a 2019 Peterbilt 579 UltraLoft, the first of two trucks Landstar will give away to its owner-operators in 2019. “I received the call that I was a finalist for the giveaway on my birthday a few weeks ago,” Villarreal said. “My birthday wish, to win this truck, came true. I cannot thank Landstar enough for this gift.” Villarreal was one of five finalists randomly selected from more than 217,000 contest entries. The Landstar Deliver to Win Truck Giveaway was the highlight of Landstar’s BCO Appreciation Days event, a two-day event held each year to thank the independent owner-operators leased to Landstar for providing excellence in safety and customer service. Landstar business capacity owners (BCOs), the company’s term for independent truck owner-operators with exclusive lease agreements, earned entries to win the truck in various ways throughout the previous calendar year. Landstar President and CEO Jim Gattoni hosted the Landstar Deliver to Win Truck Giveaway, along with representatives from sponsor Pilot Flying J. “Awarding BCOs like Rosemberg with a new truck is an honor. Each giveaway truck significantly and positively impacts an independent owner-operator’s life and business,”  Gattoni said. “Landstar business capacity owners are small business owners who are committed to Landstar’s safety-first culture and excellence in customer service.” Landstar’s next truck giveaway is scheduled for July in Savannah, Georgia, during the annual BCO All-Star Celebration event where the company honors its Million Mile Safe Drivers and Roadstar honorees, the company’s most elite independent professional owner-operators.      

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — With a record number of nominees and finalists, the Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge have named the 2019 Best Fleets to Drive For. “When it comes to working with drivers, our Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For are North America’s best-of-the best in the for-hire trucking segment,” said CarriersEdge Chief Executive Officer Jane Jazrawy. “This recognition program is now in its 11th year, and each year we’ve seen fleets up their game – making a positive difference in the lives of drivers with innovative programs.” The Top 20 carriers will be divided into the 10 largest and 10 smallest and an overall winner in each group will be named during TCA’s annual convention March 10-13 at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. The 2019 Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For include: American Central Transport, Kansas City, Missouri; Bennett Motor Express, McDonough, Georgia’ Bison Transport, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Boyle Transportation, Billerica, Massachusetts; Central Oregon Truck Co., Redmond, Oregon; Crete Carrier Corp., Lincoln, Nebraska; Epes Transport System, Greensboro, North Carolina; Erb Transport, New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada; FTC Transportation, Oklahoma City; Garner Trucking, Findlay, Ohio; Grand Island Express, Grand Island, Nebraska; Halvor Lines, Superior, Wisconsin; Landstar System,  Jacksonville, Florida;        Maverick Transportation, North Little Rock, Arkansas; Motor Carrier Service, Northwood, Ohio; Nussbaum Transportation Services, Hudson, Illinois; Prime Inc., Springfield, Missouri; Thomas E. Keller Trucking, Defiance, Ohio; TLD Logistics Services, Knoxville, Tennessee; and Transpro Freight Systems Limited, Milton, Ontario, Canada. In addition to the Top 20, TCA and CarriersEdge identified five Fleets to Watch (honorable mentions): Fortigo Freight Services, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada; Leavitt’s Freight Service, Springfield, Oregon; Liberty Linehaul, Ayr, Ontario, Canada; Roehl Transport, Marshfield, Wisconsin; and TransLand, Strafford, Missouri. Three fleets have also achieved the milestone of five consecutive years on the list, including Boyle Transportation, Nussbaum Services and TLD Logistics. To be considered for the Best Fleets program, companies operating 10 or more trucks had to receive a nomination from at least one of their company drivers or owner operators. The fleets were then evaluated using a scoring matrix covering a variety of categories, including total compensation, health benefits, performance management, professional development, and career path/advancement opportunities, among other criteria. Driver surveys were also conducted to collect input from drivers and independent contractors working with the fleets. TCA President John Lyboldt said the Best Fleets program and its annual list of the Top 20 has grown to become one of the most anticipated announcements in the industry. “The winners have set the bar high when it comes to keeping their professional truck drivers engaged while also providing a superior work environment,” he said. “This coveted contest reveals the tremendous efforts put forth by these driver-centric companies.” “We do a very thorough analysis and take a deep dive into each fleet’s programs,” Jazrawy said. “An important component in the scoring process is analyzing driver feedback on the company and then comparing it with management’s comments. The two need to align in order for fleets to score well. This year’s Top 20 had an average driver satisfaction rate over 91 percent, and annual driver turnover under 35 percent, so what they’re doing is obviously working.” For additional information on the Best Fleets to Drive For program, visit www.bestfleetstodrivefor.com

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas lawmaker on Monday proposed tapping into tax revenue from car sales and imposing a new tax on motor fuels to raise money for the state’s highways, a proposal that quickly drew opposition from the state’s Republican governor and Democrats. Republican Rep. Dan Douglas said he hoped the bill he filed would start the conversation on highway funding, which legislative leaders and Gov. Asa Hutchinson have called a priority for this year’s session. No funding plan had emerged as lawmakers entered the third week of this year’s session. “Here’s the thing: If we don’t do something, we’re just going to let our highways continue to deteriorate and fall apart and then wait until the bill comes due,” Douglas said. “We have to do something.” Douglas’ proposal calls for gradually diverting up to $120 million a year in tax revenue from car sales to highways over a four-year period. The state would begin diverting the money once its gross sales tax revenue exceeds $2.5 billion a year. In the first year, the state would transfer $30 million to highways and would increase that by $30 million a year until reaching $120 million. The proposal also calls for imposing a 3.5 percent sales tax on the wholesale price of motor fuel, which Douglas estimated would raise another $100 million to $120 million a year. Hutchinson has said he’s usually opposed to diverting general revenue to roads and that he couldn’t support Douglas’ plan. “Pulling additional money from general revenue is not the answer,” the governor said in a statement. “We are already devoting $50 million a year from state revenue to the highway department. Doing more will only create new problems elsewhere and will negatively impact education, prisons, public safety and more.” Democrats, who have raised similar objections to tapping general revenue, also said they were worried that it could open the door to even more money being diverted later. “This is in a way the most important time to stand up against general revenue being diverted to highways,” Democratic Rep. Andrew Collins said. The motor fuel sales tax is also likely to face resistance in the majority-Republican Legislature, with many GOP members vowing opposition to any tax increase. Since it’s imposing a new tax, Douglas’ proposal would require only a simple majority rather than the three-fourths needed to increase existing taxes. Republican House Speaker Matthew Shepherd has said he would prefer for the Legislature to look at existing revenue before considering any tax increases. He reiterated that stance Monday. Republican Senate President Jim Hendren said he expected to see more work on highways once lawmakers tackle Hutchinson’s proposed income tax cut. “I think you’ll see half a dozen ideas, serious ideas, floated out there and we’ll just see which one of them solves the problem and has the ability to pass the Legislature,” Hendren said.      

TULSA, Okla. — The phone rings at the Melton Truck Lines office in Tulsa. “Good morning. Melton Truck Lines. You say some manufactured steel to ship? No problem.” It rings again. “Good morning. Melton Truck Lines. You say you have some metal building components you need to transport? No problem.” It rings a third time. “Good morning, Melton Truck Lines. You say you have some HVAC equipment to ship? No problem.” It rings yet a fourth time. “Good morning, Melton Truck Lines. You say need to transport a Huey helicopter from Bristow to Tulsa? No problem.” “That’s not our everyday move,” Russ Elliott, Melton’s executive vice president and chief operating officer said as he talked with a reporter for The Trucker recently about a call from the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. “We could have moved it clear across the country, but it only had to come from Bristow, which is about 40 miles southwest of Tulsa. It wasn’t a long move, but an important one.” The chopper Melton moved to Tulsa was actually a replacement. Elliott said several years ago the museum acquired a Huey from somewhere in Arkansas and had it restored. But the rotor blades got stuck in a bridge while being moved to downtown Tulsa for a Veteran’s Day parade, yanking the chopper off the trailer and destroying it. Melton had worked with the museum in the past, including transporting a disassembled DC-3 on three trailers from Michigan to Tulsa. The DC-3 is a fixed-wing propeller-driven airliner that revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. It has a cruise speed of 207 mph, capacity of 21 to 32 passengers and a range of 1,500 miles. So when the museum called Melton, which has established a very positive relationship with Tulsa and the surrounding area, asking for assistance with the Huey, “we didn’t bat an eye. We said, ‘sure, we’ll pick it up and then bring it on in here.’ And then I went down to our safety department and said, ‘alright, go figure out how to get a helicopter on one of our step-deck trailers and get us safely here.’” Fortunately, the helicopter was not heavy. “It didn’t weigh a lot, but it is as wide and maybe even just an inch or two wider than our trailer width,” Elliott said. “We used a 53-foot, step-deck trailer, which some people would refer to as a single drop. And even at that it was a little over 12 feet tall.” To make sure there would be no problems along the route from Bristow to Tulsa, Melton hired a pole car to run the route several weeks before the actual move just to make sure the truck and trailer wouldn’t have any trouble on bridges or with low-hanging wires. Then, the carrier repeated the exercise on December 5, the day of the move. Melton’s safety department actually went to Bristow on the day of the move, supervised the loading of the chopper and assisted the driver. “First, they removed the rotor blades because the rotor blades on a helicopter are very flexible,” Elliott said. “They left the mast and just strapped it down by the landing gear.” The Melton safety group then strapped down the chopper by securing the landing gear to the trailer. “It certainly wasn’t one of those deals where we just turned a driver loose and said, ‘hey, go pick this helicopter up, bring it all up here,’” Elliott said. “We have several folks in our safety department that I consider to be genius experts when it comes to figuring out how to strap things down.” The driver in this case was Michael Maines, an eight-year Air Force veteran who’s been with Melton four years. The significance of transporting a Huey was not lost on Melton’s leadership, which chose the carrier’s Military Pride tractor to pull the trailer. Huey is the nickname for the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, a utility military helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army’s 1952 requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter, that first flew in 1956. The Huey first saw service in combat operations during the Vietnam War with around 7,000 helicopters deployed. “We have five trucks that we call our military trucks,” Elliott said. “They’re wrapped with an eagle and veterans drive those trucks. It meant a lot to Michael to be driving that day.” Just as it meant a lot to the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium to have another Huey to display.

In the last installment of this column, I wrote about the hidden stories we all hold inside, how you never know what’s in a person’s life story until you hear it. That sentiment might lead you to the conclusion that I am a firm believer in the old credo, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Not exactly.  The way I see it, that “cover” may not let people know where you’ve been, but it does show where your head’s at now. Since National Review editor Rich Lowry has failed to accept my repeated (twice in nine years) public callouts to do weekly dueling “Lowry vs. Lowry” columns (in fairness, he may not be aware of the challenges, or of my existence for that matter), I am left to present the flip side to my own perspective. Back in my teens I had a friend, Tony Nassar, who all the tests showed was a nearly off-the-scale genius. Suffice it to say, we had a lot in common, including bouts of social anxiety. I remember Tony told me once that the way he worked through it was when he found himself in a situation where he felt extra awkward, he tried to imagine that everyone there was in a play and they had invented their own characters. Somehow that set him at ease. Over the years, it occurred to me that Tony’s little self-therapeutic fantasy wasn’t too far from the truth. We do, to some degree, create ourselves, or at least fashion ourselves, and no more so than with our appearance. A few weeks ago, I met professional truck driver Ronald Feimster, who told me a bit about himself and his career. Like most of the truckers I meet, he loves being a driver, but he has a few pet peeves. The one that grinds him the most is the low opinion people in our society have of truck drivers – “hated” is the word he used. I could understand his frustration. We’d just met, but my first impression was that Ronald was a man who is confident and comfortable in who he is and what he does, and that even if the world isn’t willing to grant him the appropriate respect, it has no bearing on his self-respect. I could see it in how he took care of himself, the way he spoke. A lot of drivers I see look more like they’re trying to live down to society’s opinion, or maybe that opinion has pushed them down and they have resigned themselves to the fringes of society. It’s not just that they don’t look professional, they look like they’ve just plain given up on life and on themselves. But before you think I’m picking on truck drivers, I also think they’re part of something that’s been going on in America for the last couple decades. I first noticed it back when it became trendy for young people not to tie their shoelaces. Then came the saggy pants and exposed underwear. Trend after trend seems designed to celebrate slovenly indifference and even self-hatred. That’s the only reason I can think of for the boom in tattoos, piercings and other forms of mild self-mutilation in the name of a fashion statement. So what is that statement – “what God gave me isn’t good enough, so watch me trash it”? All this seems to coincide with the fall of the American middleclass way of life. It’s like a protest of sorts, a subconscious rejection of something, something that is undefined but is clearly depressed. Americans love the concept of casual. But there’s a difference between being casual and being an outright slob. Forget about whether it’s “fair,” it doesn’t matter what experience or potential or dreams you have, first impressions matter, appearances matter. If a book’s cover didn’t matter, they wouldn’t put them in those bright, glossy dust jackets. People always react better to someone who looks good and has an approachable personality. They can’t help themselves. Just the process of getting yourself all sharp makes you feel sharper, and the payoff is immediate. It’s the difference between the store clerk calling you “sir” or “ma’am” or saying, “Excuse me, may I help you?” like it’s an accusation. It’s the difference between the waitress who you can’t flag down to refill your coffee and the one who takes an extra minute to smile and chat. Little moments like that add up, especially when you spend much of your day alone. After a while the world seems like a friendlier place. No, it doesn’t just seem friendlier, it is friendlier. On the other hand, if you climb out of your cab looking like you’ve been hiding in the woods for a week, sauntering around with a look that says, “I just don’t care,” why should anyone else? That’s the character you’ve chosen for yourself, and people will accept you in that role. I approached Ronald Feimster because he and the driver at the next table, Tim Plubell, were exchanging their views of the world. He looked open, friendly and like a guy who had his act together. They both did, and I wound up interviewing both of them. They were alike in some ways, different in others, but what they had in common was they both were confident and collected. During our conversation, Ronald told me his goal was to become an owner-operator this year. Now, I just met the guy, we spent maybe a half hour together. I still know very little about him, But when I left, I was thinking, “I’ll bet he does it.” If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. I don’t want to leave you on a cliffhanger.