The Nation

On-highway diesel prices crept up today in all but two of the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 10 reporting sectors, with the national average ringing up at $3.258 a gallon. That’s up 6 tenths of a cent from last week, when the national average was $3.252. Although diesel in all 10 sectors is under $4 a gallon, there aren’t any sectors showing diesel below the $3-a-gallon mark. In the Gulf Coast area, diesel was selling for $3.039 a gallon, the cheapest in the country, while California diesel is still flirting with the $4 a gallon mark, ringing up just below it at $3.969 a gallon. New England saw prices decrease 1.5 cents a gallon — to $3.255 compared with $3.270 last week — while the West Coast Less California saw prices edge down 4 tenths of a cent to $3.465 from $3.469 the week before. Major fluctuations in the price of oil are controlled by two things: supply and demand and market sentiment. As demand increases (or supply decreases) the price of oil and oil distillates such as diesel normally go up. As demand decreases (or the supply increases) the price goes down. At least that’s the way it usually works. However, the price of oil as we know it is currently set in the oil futures market. An oil futures contract is a binding agreement that gives a person or company the right to purchase oil by the barrel at a predefined price on a predefined date in the future. Under a futures contract, both the buyer and the seller are obligated to fulfill their side of the transaction on the specified date. Conflict in major oil-producing areas (spurring concern of less oil to go around globally, thus upping the price), a decision by major oil producers to ramp up production (creating a glut of oil and distillate price cuts) or a cut in production (causing prices to go up), colder-than-normal winters in the U.S. (using more of the distillate, home heating oil, making prices rise), and other factors also influence the price of oil and oil-distillates. Today, U.S. crude fell 0.3 percent to $67.54 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 0.7 percent to $77.37 a barrel in London, The Associated Press reported. For more information on diesel prices by region click here.

ARLINGTON, Va. — This week, American Trucking Associations and the entire trucking industry are recognizing the 3.5 million truck drivers who safely and professionally deliver America’s critical goods to communities from coast to coast. “Truck drivers are an integral part of the nation’s growing economy and deserve to be celebrated by their companies, customers, neighbors, families and friends,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Everything that we consume — groceries, school supplies, clothes, medicine — gets delivered by a truck driver whether it’s to your front door, your local market, or your workplace. These drivers improve our quality of life by dedicating themselves to safety and making every effort to deliver the things we need efficiently, professionally and responsibly.” National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 9-15, is an opportunity for the trucking industry and the business community to make special efforts to recognize professional truck drivers. Thousands of trucking companies, manufacturers, producers, and industry suppliers are acknowledging the contributions of truck drivers this week by hosting cook outs, doing giveaways, honoring safety achievements, announcing new incentive programs, and inviting friends and family to participate in the festivities. More than 80 percent of U.S. communities rely exclusively on truck drivers to deliver their goods and commodities, including the most remote towns and territories that are unreachable by other modes of transportation. Truck drivers operate in many different business models and environments — local pickup and delivery drivers, over-the-road drivers, linehaul operations and team drivers — but the industry is celebrating the dedication of all truck drivers this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. America’s Road Team Captains and Share the Road professional truck drivers will take to the airwaves September 10 for live satellite broadcasts from the Columbus, Ohio terminal of YRC Freight. During the broadcast these truck drivers will emphasize their passion for trucking, the benefits of a truck driving career, the safety record of the trucking industry, and the availability of thousands of truck driving jobs due to the truck driver shortage. “As someone who’s been in the trucking industry for his whole career, I have come to know many great drivers and want to emphasize that these men and women move more than 10 billion tons of freight each year and make our 7.5 million trucking industry jobs possible,” said ATA Chairman Dave Manning, president of TCW Inc. “Because of their attention to detail and passion for safety, we can trust truck drivers to operate large vehicles, move our precious goods, and make good decisions while out on the road.” Each year, ATA asks the trucking industry to engage their local communities in this week’s celebration of truck drivers. As such, ATA puts together an NTDAW toolkit for trucking companies and industry affiliates to use in their efforts to celebrate truck drivers. Public officials, community groups, members of the media and local businesses can also play a role in honoring truck drivers by seeking out opportunities to better understand the important work truck drivers do in safely moving the economy each day. ATA and the larger trucking industry believe highway safety is dramatically improved when the motoring public acknowledges the difficulties of driving a truck and the limitations of large commercial vehicles. Trucking Moves America Forward is partnering with state trucking associations to honor truck drivers through a nationwide billboard campaign. Billboards will appear in Baltimore; Las Vegas; Reno, Nevada; Indianapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Conway, Arkansas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Dayton, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York.  

In celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Rand McNally has launched a Photo “Haul” of Fame contest! Since professional drivers inspire us, we wanted to see what inspired them while on the road. To be eligible to win, entrants must hold a valid CDL and submit a photo they’ve taken that truly captures life on the road for them. The entry period is now through September 15, and the public can vote every day through September 23 on what they think is the best photo. Prizes include: First Place: Rand McNally OverDryve 8 Pro, ClearDryve 200 headphones/headset, Deluxe Motor Carriers Road Atlas, $100 in Pilot Flying J gift cards Second Place: ClearDryve™, Deluxe Motor Carriers Road Atlas, $100 in Pilot Flying J gift cards Third Place: ClearDryve™, Deluxe Motor Carriers Road Atlas, $50 Pilot Flying J card

OKLAHOMA CITY – Love’s Travel Stops (Love’s) is now serving Customers in Tipton, Indiana, thanks to the grand opening of a new travel stop this morning. The store, located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 31 and state Route 28, brings 80 new jobs and 69 truck parking spots to Tipton County. “Tipton is a popular stop for professional drivers along U.S. Highway 31 in the Indianapolis area,” said Tom Love, founder and executive chairman of Love’s. “Our Customers have been asking for more locations in Indiana, and we’re happy to provide them with another clean and friendly travel stop in the Hoosier State.” The more than 12,000 square foot facility is open 24/7 and features a Hardee’s restaurant. The location also offers name-brand snacks, Fresh to Go options, gourmet coffee, and more. Professional drivers can take advantage of 69 truck parking spaces, five showers, laundry facilities and a Speedco location. In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will host a ribbon cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Tipton County Chamber of Commerce. During the ceremony, Love’s will present a $2,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Tipton. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores (Love’s) is the nation’s industry-leading travel stop network with more than 460 locations in 41 states.  Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 22,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings, and more. Love’s has more than 250 on-site Truck Tire Care centers and 52 Speedco locations, which is the largest oil change and preventative maintenance nationwide network on the road today. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop.  To learn more, visit www.loves.com.

An article in the Journal of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) says new research predicts autonomous trucks could replace nearly 300,000 long-haul drivers over the next 10 years. The 73-page report authored by Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and issued by Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley, and Working Partnerships USA on September 5, projects that autonomous trucks could replace as many as 294,000 long-distance truck driving jobs over the next decade, while also fostering the creation of new highway infrastructure dubbed “autonomous truck ports” or ATPs. The report — titled “Driverless? Autonomous Trucks and the Future of the American Trucker,” added that while “many other freight-moving jobs will be created in their place, perhaps even more than will be lost,” those new jobs will be lower-paying local driving and last-mile delivery jobs, the Journal article stated. “Many industry experts and developers expect that self-driving trucks will soon be able to drive autonomously on the highway, but that it will take far longer — perhaps several decades — before driverless trucks will be able to routinely navigate local streets packed with cars, pedestrians, cyclists, road work, and other unexpected challenges,” Viscelli noted in the study. “Humans will also be needed to handle the many non-driving tasks — coupling tractors and trailers, fueling, inspections, paperwork, communicating with customers, loading and unloading, etc. — that drivers currently perform,” he added. “Therefore, the most likely scenario for widespread adoption involves local human drivers bringing trailers from factories or warehouses to ATPs located on the outskirts of cities next to major interstate exits. Here, they will swap the trailers over to autonomous tractors for long stretches of highway driving. At the other end, the process will happen in reverse: A human driver will pick up the trailer at an ATP and take it to the final destination.” Viscelli referenced a 2013 study by investment firm Morgan Stanley regarding the potential savings offered by the broader deployment of autonomous trucks; a savings of $168 billion to the trucking industry comprised of $70 billion in labor savings, $35 billion in fuel savings, $27 billion in productivity gains — largely because autonomous trucks could operate “around the clock” without the need for rest and sleep breaks for human drivers — plus $36 billion in accident reduction savings. “Analysis like this suggests a strong economic argument for trucking as a lead sector of autonomous vehicle technology,” he added. “But even the most optimistic developers believe we are still at least several years away from autonomous trucks operating even in limited highway operations in anything other than testing programs with drivers still behind the wheel. Important challenges in both hardware and computer science need to be overcome before autonomous trucks are able to operate safely and reliably.” But Viscelli also said that “it is conceivable that autonomous trucks could double the productivity of long-haul trucks for highway segments,” which would also reduce traffic congestion and boost the efficiency of current road networks — without having to add capacity, though the use of ATPs, if such structures came to be built, would create a new set of transportation infrastructure challenges. “For many of the scenarios profiled in this report, autonomous trucking ports were identified as a critical piece of our country’s evolving logistics infrastructure. [But] the growth of e-commerce and regional automated port infrastructure could lead to more underpaid and overworked drivers working in unsafe conditions, while adding to traffic congestion and poor air quality in communities across the nation,” Viscelli wrote. “In order to allow local agencies to better protect their communities and local job quality, greater local control over port facilities should be codified to manage air quality and traffic congestion, ensure drivers are paid livable wages and have safe work environments, and ensure labor peace to protect the efficiency of our nation’s logistics system,” he said. The report prompted American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear to caution Fox News that “driver-assist” and “driverless” tehcnologies aren’t the same, and that advancing truck technologies will enable truck drivers and their trucks to communicate with other trucks, cars and the infrastructure in order to stay safer on the road and that the majority of accidents are caused by four-wheel drivers, not the drivers of 18-wheelers.  

At a time when the trucking industry across the U.S. is facing a massive shortage of qualified drivers, Walmart said today it is doubling down on recruiting for its private fleet while celebrating the “unsung heroes of the road during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week September 9-15. In addition to Walmart’s traditional driver offerings — new drivers earn on average $86,000 annually, have access to benefits on day one, receive as many as 21 days of paid time off in their first year, enjoy predictable home time, don’t load or unload freight, and can earn quarterly safety bonuses and incentives — the chain is adding new ways to find and recruit the best talent. These are: Driver referral program. Now when a driver or hourly associate recruits a new hire, they will receive up to a $1,500 bonus. A new advertising and engagement program. This includes a TV commercial during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, billboards, digital advertising and social media presence of Walmart’s top supply chain executive, Greg Smith. Making it easier for drivers to apply. An onboarding pilot that will speed up the hiring process by as much as a month. Under the pilot, the company is moving many of the steps that formerly took place before an offer to the first week of orientation. For more information, see this blog post from Tracy Rosser, SVP of Walmart’s private fleet. B-roll, stills and sample advertising can be made available upon request. More information about life as a Walmart driver can be found by visiting www.drive4walmart.com. Each year, Walmart’s drivers travel over 700 million miles and safely deliver millions of cases of merchandise to Walmart and Sam’s Club locations across the nation.  

WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America LLC, operator of TA and Petro Stopping Centers full service travel center brands, has announced the opening of the first four travel centers under its new TA Express brand at the following locations: U.S. Hwy. 85 and SR 68 in Alexander, North Dakota 455 U.S. 85 in Walsenburg, Colorado 1041 North Colorado Avenue in Brush, Colorado, and 2222 U.S. Hwy 6 in Grand Junction, Colorado. TA Express travel centers will offer a majority of the fuel, merchandise, food and other services that professional drivers familiar with the TA and Petro brands have come to know and prefer. For professional drivers, TA Express offers smaller, more nimble facilities allowing drivers to fuel faster, fulfill basic travel needs and return to the road. Professional drivers are able to earn and redeem UltraONE loyalty points at TA Express sites. For motorists, TA Express will provide branded gasoline options, national food offerings, convenience items and clean restrooms. TravelCenters will soon develop the TA Express network across the nation’s interstates and other heavily traveled highways. Franchising TA Express units will be one avenue of growth. “TA has served the needs of professional drivers and motorists for nearly 50 years,” said Barry Richards, President and Chief Operating Officer of TravelCenters. “We’ve listened to our customers and have adapted our facilities to meet their needs, including their need to have our locations in some areas where you just cannot put a large format TA or Petro travel center.  New distribution centers country-wide have changed freight patterns and call for additional fueling locations not restricted to interstates and 25 acre parcels.” The newly branded locations consist of two new additions to the TravelCenters fueling network in Brush and Walsenberg, Colorado, a TA operated site known as The Wild Bison in Alexander, North Dakota, and the conversion of a TA in Grand Junction, Colorado. TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, offers diesel and gasoline fueling, restaurants, truck repair facilities, convenience stores and other services in 43 states and in Canada, principally under the TA, TA Express and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands. For more information on TravelCenters, TA, TA Express and Petro Stopping Centers, please visit ta-petro.com.

SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. — Interstate 5 usually swarms with trucks and traffic as it winds its way through California. But the main highway between Mexico and Canada was a ghost road Friday morning along a 45-mile (72-kilometer) northern stretch that remained closed since a fire two days earlier swept down and turned hills on either side into walls of flame. Drivers fled in terror and several big-rigs burned Wednesday as the fire erupted on both sides of the artery. Crews managed to remove the burned hulks and abandoned rigs on Thursday but flames continued to burn along an edge of the road in some areas, fire spokesman Brandon Vacarro said. A decision was expected Friday on whether to reopen the highway but first authorities had to check the safety of the pavement and cut down burned trees next to the road — some of them 70 feet (20 meters) tall — that might be in danger of falling down. The fire had burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. At times, flames shot up 300 feet (91 meters) high. Although the fire wasn’t burning near any large towns, Vacarro said about 280 homes were considered threatened. There were some reports that homes had burned but Vacarro could only confirm that an outbuilding and two mixed-use commercial and residential buildings had been damaged. “It could be like a bed-and-breakfast, it could be a store with a house above it,” he explained. Meanwhile, truckers who rely heavily on the I-5 to transport timber and other goods along the West Coast had the unenviable choice of waiting or taking a jammed detour that added 115 miles (185 kilometers) or so to their journeys. “The road is essentially all two lanes on that journey and there’s some steep hills on there as well so obviously slow-moving trucks going up and down the hill is making it hard to travel,” Vacarro said. Patience was running thin at the Pilot Travel Center in the town of Weed, near the northern end of the closure. The truck stop’s facilities were stretched to their limits, cashier Jacob Chapman said Thursday afternoon. Parked big rigs lined the roads surrounding the facility. “It’s been ridiculously congested. It’s been frantic,” Chapman said. “A lot of the truckers are upset. They’re just stuck, they can’t get through and they’re sick of waiting around.” “The general mood is just tired and upset. The truckers are exhausted and just want to get going. And the locals just want a break from the wildfires,” Chapman said. “We want our towns to stop being on fire,” he added. California has been hit with one massive blaze after another, including a blaze not far from the Delta Fire that last month burned about 1,100 homes and killed eight people. The unrelenting flames have drained California’s firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. The deadly Carr Fire and another in the Mendocino area — the two largest blazes in the state this year — destroyed or damaged 8,800 homes and 329 businesses, Insurance Commissioner David Jones said. Victims have filed more than 10,000 insurance claims so far, totaling $845 million. “The worst may be yet to come,” Jones warned at a San Francisco news conference, noting that California wildfires are typically more destructive after Sept. 1. Last year, for example, wildfires that killed more than 40 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in counties north of San Francisco didn’t spark until October. Also on Thursday, the director of the state’s firefighting agency said in a letter to lawmakers that the agency only had about $11 million remaining in its annual budget and anticipates needing another $234 million to add firefighters and helicopters, and to cover other costs of fires expected later this year. The department had spent $432 million through the end of August, said Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Legislature budgets for firefighting costs based on historical averages. Cal Fire has requested extra money in seven of the past 10 years but never this early, according to the Department of Finance. A decision was expected Friday on whether to reopen the highway but first authorities had to check the safety of the pavement and cut down burned trees next to the road — some of them 70 feet (20 meters) tall — that might be in danger of falling down. The fire had burned more than 34 square miles (89 square kilometers) of timber and brush and prompted evacuation orders for scattered homes and buildings in three counties in and around the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. At times, flames shot up 300 feet (91 meters) high. Although the fire wasn’t burning near any large towns, Vacarro said about 280 homes were considered threatened. There were some reports that homes had burned but Vacarro could only confirm that an outbuilding and two mixed-use commercial and residential buildings had been damaged. “It could be like a bed-and-breakfast, it could be a store with a house above it,” he explained. Meanwhile, truckers who rely heavily on the I-5 to transport timber and other goods along the West Coast had the unenviable choice of waiting or taking a jammed detour that added 115 miles (185 kilometers) or so to their journeys. “The road is essentially all two lanes on that journey and there’s some steep hills on there as well so obviously slow-moving trucks going up and down the hill is making it hard to travel,” Vacarro said. California has been hit with one massive blaze after another, including a blaze not far from the Delta Fire that last month burned about 1,100 homes and killed eight people. The unrelenting flames have drained California’s firefighting budget and prompted nearly $1 billion in property claims even before the start of the dangerous fall fire season, officials said Thursday. The deadly Carr Fire and another in the Mendocino area — the two largest blazes in the state this year — destroyed or damaged 8,800 homes and 329 businesses, Insurance Commissioner David Jones said. Victims have filed more than 10,000 insurance claims so far, totaling $845 million. “The worst may be yet to come,” Jones warned at a San Francisco news conference, noting that California wildfires are typically more destructive after Sept. 1. Last year, for example, wildfires that killed more than 40 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in counties north of San Francisco didn’t spark until October. Also on Thursday, the director of the state’s firefighting agency said in a letter to lawmakers that the agency only had about $11 million remaining in its annual budget and anticipates needing another $234 million to add firefighters and helicopters, and to cover other costs of fires expected later this year. The department had spent $432 million through the end of August, said Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Legislature budgets for firefighting costs based on historical averages. Cal Fire has requested extra money in seven of the past 10 years but never this early, according to the Department of Finance.  

WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, today announced their plans for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 9-15. During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, TMAF will launch an advertising and digital campaign to thank the professional truck drivers on our road, as well as educate the public about the important contributions that truck drivers make and encourage them to #ThankATrucker. “During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we thank the professional truck drivers who travel 4.5 billion collective miles each year to safely deliver the essential goods that help us live,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president of Jet Express Inc. “This week, we celebrate the drivers — the faces of our industry — and remind the public to appreciate and #ThankATrucker.” TMAF is recognizing our nation’s 3.5 million dedicated truck drivers through many communications channels this year. Billboard advertisements will appear along interstates throughout the country to thank truck drivers while educating motorists. The billboards, which feature actual award-winning truck drivers from different states, depict the critical need for truck drivers in America, and how life’s essentials, such as food, gas or medicine would not be possible without truck drivers making those deliveries. The billboards will appear on highways in Baltimore; Las Vegas; Reno, Nevada; Indianapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; Conway, Arkansas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Dayton, Ohio and Buffalo, New York. One of the billboards, which appears in Nevada, is shown above. As part of the advertising campaign, TMAF will also thank drivers over the radio airwaves, including on iHeartRadio, Road Dog Trucking Radio on Sirius XM and Westwood One’s Red Eye Radio. You can listen to the radio spots at the TMAF website. As part of this year’s digital campaign, TMAF will share messages thanking drivers across its social media properties, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. The social media content will demonstrate the important and fun fall activities and events that America enjoys — all brought to us by a professional truck driver. In addition to the advertising and digital campaign, TMAF published an op-ed titled, “Celebrating truck driver’s contributions to our country,” on Foxnews.com. The op-ed will appear Saturday, September 8.  

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the agency’s pilot program to allow persons under the age of 21 with military driving experience to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce should be used to benefit veterans rather than as a test case for reducing age requirements. “OOIDA agrees that military experience often lends itself to a successful career within the industry,” OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer wrote in comments submitted to FMCSA. “However, we have some reservations about lowering the age of drivers to address a perceived driver shortage. We hope that the proposed program will serve to benefit military veterans, rather than as a test case for changing the age requirements of CMV drivers engaged in interstate commerce.” Evaluating the safety of younger drivers, specifically those between the ages of 18 and 20, is not a new idea, Spencer wrote. “Previous research has shown that most drivers under the age of 21 ‘lack the general maturity, skill and judgment that is necessary in handling commercial motor vehicles,’ while other studies have shown that the prefrontal cortex, which is the portion of the brain responsible for complex cognitive behavior and decision-making, does not fully develop until mid-20s and that adults are better equipped to recognize errors in decision-making,” Spencer wrote. “While military experience may offset these scientific findings, the structure of the proposed pilot program will make it difficult to determine safety performance of under-21 veteran drivers compared to rest of the industry.” The comments listed three main concerns about the pilot program: Size of the study groups. OOIDA said with only 200 participants in each of the covered groups, it questions whether there will be enough meaningful data to provide valid and reliable results. Carrier representation. OOIDA says the program appears to be slanted primarily toward large carriers. The “covered” study group is limited to drivers between the ages of 21-24, the association said, adding that many smaller carriers will not have drivers who are younger than 24. Validation and review. The association also suggested that the program’s data should be evaluated by an independent third party before analysis by the working group. “Any findings from this pilot program should only be used to infer the success or failure within the scope of veteran drivers,” OOIDA wrote. “The results should not be applied to any broader efforts at lowering the minimum driving age.” “OOIDA membership includes thousands of professionals who have proudly served in our armed forces and have successfully made the transition as a civilian truck driver,” Spencer wrote. “We support the mission of the pilot program to allow more veterans into the trucking industry as they return home from their service. As such, FMCSA should take the highest level of care to administer, monitor and review this study. Any findings from this pilot program should only be used to infer the success or failure within the scope of veteran drivers. Participants in the program will have received a much higher threshold of training than current entry-level driver requirements. The results should not be applied to any broader efforts at lowering the minimum driving age.” The comments said OOIDA has 50,000 military veterans among its 160,000 members.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Trucking Associations Executive Council (TEAC) of the American Trucking Associations has recognized Mike Yadon of FedEx Corp. with the J.R. “Bob” Halladay Award. “Mike has worked incredibly hard during his tenure at FedEx to support state trucking associations from coast to coast,” said TAEC Immediate Past Chairman Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York. “TAEC is thrilled that we get to recognize Mike for his efforts and professionalism over the years with our most esteemed award.” “I am both honored and humbled to receive the J.R. “Bob” Halladay Award. It was at the urging of one of my early FedEx team mentors, Jerry Hughes, that I began my involvement with both TAEC and ATA organizations, with the support and encouragement of my FedEx Government Affairs management team,” said Yadon, who is the FedEx manager of government affairs. “Both organizations have played an integral part in my development as a government affairs professional representing the trucking industry as our most vital link in the global goods movement chain. The combination of outstanding state trucking association executives, staff and active industry and allied members addressing critical state and local issues impacting the industry, working collaboratively with the American Trucking Associations at the national level, makes for a most effective, respected and recognizable voice for the industry.” Yadon has worked for FedEx Corp. since 2000, increasing the organizations’ footprint within all 50 state trucking associations. The Halladay Award is not presented on an annual basis. TAEC rotates its annual meeting between four regions and the host region can elect to present the award when it deems an individual who “supports and provides outstanding assistance to the work and efforts of state trucking associations” worthy of the award. Yadon was recognized by TAEC Region I for his contributions to the trucking industry. “Our region, representing the northeastern states, values Mike’s advocacy on the state level. He’s a true champion of trucking,” said Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut and chairman of TAEC Region I. “I think I speak for all state trucking association executives when I say we all look forward to continuing to work with Mike to advance the interests of trucking within our states and across state lines.” TAEC established the J.R. “Bob” Halladay Award in 1990 and honored the first recipient, R. Charles Back of Ryder System, one year later. The award is named after Bob Halladay who held a long and distinguished career in the trucking industry beginning in 1952 with his appointment as the Managing Director of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association. Halladay was instrumental in developing legislation in the 1950s and 60s that enabled the trucking industry to assume a vital role in post-war America. In 1965, Halladay accepted the position of Director of Interstate Cooperation with ATA. He remained with ATA for the rest of his professional career, holding a variety of positions and retiring in 1990 as Senior Vice President of Federation Relations and President of the industry publication, Transport Topics. Halladay passed away in September of 2012.

WASHINGTON — Freight volumes are projected to increase 4.2 percent in 2018 and increase 35.6 percent by 2029, according to the American Trucking Association’s latest edition of its Freight Forecast made public Thursday. “Freight Forecast is our look at the future of the freight economy – how it is growing, how it is changing and how it is both affecting and being affected by the economy at home and abroad,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The movement of goods is such a critical component of our economy, and the growth we’re projecting in freight demand is a reflection of its strength.” This edition of ATA Freight Forecast 2018 to 2029 was released at ATA’s second annual Economic Summit. Among the report’s findings: Total tonnage transported will reach nearly 16 billion tons in 2018 – a figure that should rise 35.6 percent to 21.7 billion tons in 2029. Truck volumes are expected to grow 2.3 percent per year from 2019-2024 and 2.2 percent annually for the next five years. Changes in demand for commodities – notably commodities moved by pipeline – will alter trucking’s share of freight volumes. While in 2018, trucks are projected to move 70.2 percent of total tonnage, that share is expected to sink to 65.9 percent in 2029. Nonetheless, the trucking industry will remain the single largest mover of freight. The transport of freight by rail, including intermodal, will account for 12.6 percent of tonnage this year – but that figure is expected to drop to 10 percent in 2029 – again, due to strength in pipeline, not falling rail volumes. “Projected increases in freight volumes demand we act now on important issues facing trucking and the rest of the supply chain such as workforce development and infrastructure investment,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “More freight means we’ll need more trucks and more drivers to continue safely delivering our nation’s goods.”  

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will hold a public listening session on Friday, September 14 concerning potential changes to its Hours of Service rules for truck drivers. The listening session will be in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. It will begin at 1 p.m. (EDT) and end at 3 p.m., or earlier, if all participants wishing to express their views have done so. It will be the second listening session on possible changes to HOS. The first was held last month at The Great American Trucking Show in Dallas. On August 23, FMCSA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on four specific aspects of the HOS rules for which the agency is considering changes: the short-haul HOS limit; the HOS exception for adverse driving conditions; the 30-minute rest break provision; and the split-sleeper berth rule to allow drivers to split their required time in the sleeper berth. In addition, the agency requested public comment on petitions for rulemaking from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and TruckerNation.org (TruckerNation). The agency encourages vendors of electronic logging devices (ELDs) to participate to address potential implementation issues should changes to the HOS rules be made. The listening session will be streamed live for the benefit of those not able to attend in person. The listening session will allow interested persons to present comments, views and relevant research on topics mentioned above. All comments will be transcribed and placed in the rulemaking docket for the FMCSA’s consideration. During the live stream, questions can be submitted during the live stream to [email protected].

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mack Trucks Wednesday released the sixth episode of its RoadLife series, “Long Way From Home,” on roadlife.tv and Amazon Prime Video. The episode focuses on two Canadian long-haul truckers as they share the personal sacrifices they make to ensure goods are delivered on time. A transplant from Newfoundland, Bill Flynn has spent the past 14 years working in Edmonton, Alberta. As a driver for Edmonton-based bulk transport company FL Carriers, Flynn hauls raw materials for the concrete industry in a truck that tips the scales at up to 63,500 kilograms when fully loaded. He knows what it takes to keep his customers running. “When you look at a truck driver, it’s a lot of sacrifice. It’s long hours,” Flynn said. “Your social life is not what a normal person’s social life is. I don’t think people realize how much you have to do to make it all work.” Dwayne Hamann, from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, is a driver for Peace Country Petroleum, which serves portions of British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. To deliver critical shipments of diesel and gasoline fuel for customers, he travels up to 1,000 kilometers per day. “Everything that comes to your town comes on trucks,” Hamann said. “Guys are working 24/7 just to make sure the shelves are full and your gas tank is full.” But to keep customers happy, long hours on the road and significant time away from home are required. “Not being home, that’s the biggest challenge for me,” Hamann said. He carries a simple reminder with him at all times: the names of his daughters tattooed on his forearms. “You look at those some days and you remember what you’re doing it for,” he said. Flynn embraces the unique experience truck driving provides and said he wouldn’t trade it for anything. “How many people do you know who have worked a job all their life, and they get up every morning with a lump in their stomach because they don’t like their job and they really don’t want to go to work?” Flynn said. “That’s stressful. I’ve never felt that way. I never once wished that I was doing something else.” “Long Way From Home” is available now on roadlife.tv and Amazon Prime Video. In addition, viewers can access RoadLife bonus content on Mack Trucks’ social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.        

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) Wednesday launched an online data collection initiative to solicit commercial driver perspectives on how they are affected by customer detention. The driver feedback will be utilized to better understand how excessive delays at shipper/receiver facilities impacts driver productivity, safety and Hours of Service compliance. This data collection initiative is part of an ongoing study by ATRI on the impacts of detention on overall industry productivity and safety. Data collected in this latest driver survey will be compared to driver surveys collected in 2014 to evaluate how detention impacts may have changed since the ELD mandate went into effect earlier this year. ATRI launched this latest data collection at the 2018 Great American Trucking Show (GATS), collecting several hundred driver surveys.  The online version of the same survey conducted at GATS will allow larger numbers of professional drivers to weigh in with their experiences with customer detention. The survey is available online at www.TruckingResearch.org. The survey will end in mid-October. ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals has tossed out a lawsuit seeking to keep a proposed 10-cent gas tax increase off the November 6 ballot. Appeals court judges on Tuesday ruled that the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the measure is premature. Judge Victor Howard wrote that the lawsuit needs to wait until after the gas tax hike goes before voters. If approved, the tax increase would pay for road and bridge repairs and fund the Highway Patrol. The state would increase its tax — currently 17 cents on the sale of each gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel — by 2.5 cents each year for a four-year period. Missouri First Director Ron Calzone and a Republican lawmaker sued over the proposal. Calzone says lawmakers unconstitutionally changed the bill’s original intent, which dealt with an Olympic medalist tax break. He says court challenges should be addressed before the state incurs Lawmakers in May approved the proposed fuels tax increase, sending it to voters for final approval — and it won’t go into effect without that approval.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Legislature has passed and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown a bill a state senator says would improve safety by strengthening regulations for acquiring a commercial drivers license. “Every day, Californians share the road with large commercial vehicles that transport commercial goods, hazardous materials, and passengers.  Commercial drivers who lack adequate training put everyone on the road at risk,” said Democratic Sen. Bill Monning, who is also the Senate Majority Leader. “SB 1236 will ensure that drivers of big rigs and other large commercial vehicles have the necessary experience to drive safely by establishing a minimum number of behind-the-wheel training hours.  These stronger training standards will save lives.” Monning noted that in 2014, a truck driver lost control and crashed into 10 cars, injuring seven and killing 25-year-old Daniel McGuire of Santa Cruz. He said the truck driver’s lack of adequate training and experience was deemed a major factor in the fatal crash. In that same year, there were 10,062 at-fault commercial vehicle collisions reported in California, of which 2,432 resulted in injury and 68 were fatal. Monning’s bill will implement a federal rule that requires those seeking a commercial driver’s license (CDL) complete a certified course of instruction from a commercial driving institution or program offered by an employer before being issued a CDL. Additionally, SB 1236 requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt regulations to comply with the federal rule by June 5, 2020, and establishes minimum behind-the-wheel training requirements to be completed as part of CDL training. That minimum is 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training, at least 10 hours of which shall be on a public road. For the purpose of meeting the requirement, every 50 minutes of driving time is deemed to be an hour of training. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is on record at the statehouse in support of the legislation. The trucker’s group claims nearly 6,000 members residing in the state and thousands more who operate on the California highways each day. Mike Matousek, OOIDA manager of government affairs, told Land Line that the association supports the development of national entry-level driver training standards for CDL applicants. He pointed out that a final rule on entry-level driver training standards published in December 2016 by the feds does not include a minimum number of hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. “While the final rule will improve driver training and highway safety, it does not include a requirement that CDL applicants receive a minimum number of hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.” “While we would have preferred to see more hours of behind-the-wheel training included in the bill, we’re still supportive of the final product,” Matousek said.

The average on-highway price of diesel jumped 2.6 cents a gallon to $3.252 today, as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a day late because of the observance of Labor Day on Monday. Truckers fueling in the Midwest saw the largest leap — up 3.8 cents a gallon — followed by the West Coast Less California sector, up 3.6 cents a gallon, and the Gulf Coast, up 3.1 cents a gallon. That puts diesel in the EIA’s Midwest reporting region at $3.191; the West Coast Less California sector at $3.469; and the Gulf Coast at $3.035, still the cheapest diesel in the U.S., followed by $3.114 in the Lower Atlantic region. California is poised to head into $4-a-gallon territory at $3.959, and still has the highest diesel in the country. No surprise there. The West Coast was next highest at $3.742. The Rocky Mountain sector stayed the same at $3.364. As of 12:30 p.m. Eastern time today, 54 oil production platforms, nearly 8 percent of manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, have been evacuated because of a storm that is predicted to hit the area. The National Weather Service today issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for portions of the central Gulf Coast from tropical storm Gordon, which is supposed to make landfall tonight. Gordon is expected reach minimal hurricane strength. Meanwhile, benchmark U.S. crude today rose 0.1 percent to $69.87 a barrel in New York. Brent Crude, used to price international oils, was little changed at $78.17 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline dipped 0.1 percent to $1.99 a gallon. Heating oil rose 0.5 percent to $2.25 a gallon and natural gas slumped 3.2 percent to $2.82 per 1,000 cubic feet, The Associated Press reported. For more details on diesel prices click here.  

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Since 2008, the Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge have sought to identify and recognize the top tier carriers and exactly what makes them so successful, and are now opening the 2019 Best Fleets to Drive For contest and survey for nominations. For a company to be eligible for the contest, a professional truck driver must nominate a for-hire fleet with 10 or more trucks operating in the United States or Canada. TCA membership is not required. The nomination period is open between September 4 and October 31, 2018. To nominate a fleet, go to http://bestfleetstodrivefor.com/nominations. “Our industry is rapidly embracing innovative technologies and best practices that are making fleets safer and making life easier for our professional truck drivers,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “This contest showcases the most forward-thinking companies and steps they are taking to retain their skilled workforces.” Once a company accepts their driver’s nomination, CarriersEdge will contact them and have the complete an electronic questionnaire detailing aspects of the company’s workplace environment such as compensation, safety practices, benefits, equipment and training. The questionnaire is supplemented by a telephone interview with senior management and a survey of a random sampling of the company’s drivers and owner-operators. The information gathered through this process reveals the key innovations that help to attract and retain skilled personnel in the trucking industry. Part of what has propelled Best Fleets to Drive For to grow and thrive is that each year’s findings provide new information and best practices that can be explored in the following year’s program. “Last year, we highlighted some new questions about how companies make drivers feel like equal partners in the business, and some maintenance and equipment questions,” said CarriersEdge’s Chief Executive Officer Jane Jazrawy. “This year, we’ll be expanding on the ‘driver as valued partner’ subject, digging further into how companies communicate on a day-to-day basis, and processes for addressing driver questions and resolving problems.” CarriersEdge and TCA will also continue exploring how fleets build an inclusive culture by looking at how diversity is represented in the management team, committees, and other public parts of the business. “On the ever-important subject of compensation,” Jazrawy said, “we’ve been exploring guaranteed pay programs over the past few years, but a new compensation tool has popped up as well – stock options.” She said that as more fleets have gone public recently, more of them are offering stock options to their drivers as a result. CarriersEdge and TCA will be digging into the issue further to see who’s doing what. The top 20 finalists will be identified as Best Fleets to Drive For and will be announced at the end of January. From this pool, companies will then be divided into both “small” and “large” categories, and two overall winners will be recognized March 10-12, 2019, at the TCA Annual Convention in Las Vegas. In late-October, companies that have been nominated (or believe they will be nominated) and are considering participating are invited to learn more about the survey requirements through a free webinar outlining the questions that surveyors will ask, data requirements, and methods for collecting better information.

EAGAN, Minn. — Dart Transit Co., a nationwide transportation service provider with over 80 years of experience, emphasized the importance the company places on the celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by producing a podcast featuring members of the Dart office staff commenting on the vital role company drivers and owner-operators play in moving the American economy. The Dart Network Podcast, which was launched two years ago as a communications and engagement platform focused primarily on Dart’s company drivers and owner-operators, interviewed members of various departments at the company’s headquarters to get their thoughts on National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and what they enjoy most about working with professional drivers. The interviews ranged from members of Dart’s leadership team to the receptionists at the front desk in the company’s headquarters. The interview responses were edited to together to create a collage of voices discussing their admiration for the company drivers and owner-operators in the Dart Network. “Truck drivers may very well be the most under-appreciated workforce in America. We can all at times take our most precious resources for granted. It’s human nature. We often take for granted our spouses, our children, our jobs, and other very important parts of our lives,” said James Langley, president of Dart Transit Company. “When we started looking at our plans for Driver Appreciation this year, we thought the Dart Network Podcast could provide a great avenue for the office staff to express their appreciation for the men and women on the road in the Dart Network,” said Russ Moore, Dart’s vice president of communications and marketing. “We are always looking for new ways to connect with the company drivers and owner-operators in the Dart Network, and the podcast has become an effective platform for us. Through the Driver Appreciation edition of the podcast, you’ll hear a number of thoughtful and heartfelt observations regarding the daily hard work of company drivers and owner-operators in the Dart Network.” The Dart Network Podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and SoundCloud. The podcast series, which now has a catalog of more than 100 original productions with news and features principally designed for the company drivers and owner-operators in the Dart Network, was first introduced during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in 2016. To date, the Dart Network Podcast has collected nearly 10,000 total downloads during the run of the series. “Sometimes, it takes weeks like Driver Appreciation Week for us to properly reflect on the value our drivers and owner-operators truly bring not only to Dart, but to our country. Our driving community not only keeps our nation moving, but it also provides every single person at Dart an opportunity to earn a living, one that should be in a never-ending act of service not only to our customers, but to the lifeblood of our company and economy, our drivers,” Langley said. “It can never be said enough, but thank you for what you do for Dart, and thank you for what you do to keep America moving.”