The Nation

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board Friday said in a preliminary report that the driver of a tractor-trailer failed to stop when the big rig crash into the rear of a traffic queue on Interstate 84 near Boise, Idaho, June 16. Four people, including the driver of the tractor-trailer died in the accident, which occurred about 11:32 p.m. within the eastbound traffic lanes near milepost 46.9. The NTSB said in the area of the accident, the roadway consists of four travel lanes and paved shoulders for both the eastbound and westbound lanes, but that the time of the crash, I-84 east had been reduced from four lanes to one lane about 1 mile beyond the crash location because of an ongoing maintenance project near the Cloverdale overpass. The posted 65-mph speed limit was reduced to 55 mph for the work zone. On I-84 east, a traffic queue had formed in the second to the right lane and a 2008 Jeep Wrangler was located at the end of the queue. Meanwhile, a 2019 Volvo truck-tractor in combination with a 2015 Great Dane refrigerated semitrailer was approaching the end of the traffic queue from the west. The driver did not react to the stopped traffic in the queue and collided with the rear of the Jeep. As both vehicles moved forward, the Jeep was pushed into the rear of a 2003 Volvo truck-tractor in combination with a 2008 Great Dane refrigerated semitrailer, which was stopped in front of the Jeep. The 2003 Volvo combination vehicle moved forward and collided with the rear of a 2006 Ford Fusion, pushing it into the rear of a 2014 Ford F150 and sideswiping a 2015 Ford Escape. Debris from the collision also damaged a 2010 Ford Focus. The vehicles came to rest on I-84 under the Cloverdale overpass. A post-crash fire consumed the Jeep and the 2003 and 2019 Volvo combination vehicles. The fire also damaged other vehicles and the Cloverdale overpass. The driver and two passengers in the Jeep and the driver of the 2019 Volvo died, while the driver and passenger of the 2006 Ford Fusion and the driver of the 2014 Ford F150 were injured. The occupants of the other involved vehicles were uninjured. According to data obtained from an aftermarket on -board Garmin unit, which recorded vehicle speed, interior audio, and forward-facing video when triggered, the 2019 Volvo was traveling approximately 62 mph at the time of impact with the Jeep. The investigation into the accident is continuing, the NTSB said.

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi is closer to having a state lottery and diverting existing tax money, all to improve roads and bridges. The state Senate voted 30-20 on Thursday, the first day of a special session, to pass legislation to create a state lottery, despite questions about the sweeping powers proposed for the lottery corporation in Senate Bill 2001 . Meanwhile, House members voted 108-5 for a plan to divert 35 percent of the state’s current tax on internet and catalog sales to city and county infrastructure needs. The session will continue Friday, as both chambers consider the bills the other has already passed. Gov. Phil Bryant, who called the session, could also add more items for lawmakers to consider. Bryant, in a speech before the session started, argued that Mississippi’s transportation problems must be addressed quickly, especially after he had to order the closure of county bridges earlier this year following safety inspections. The state reports that 437 county bridges statewide are closed for safety reasons. “It’s time to get this done,” Bryant said. “We don’t need to wait another week, another month.” Others, though, questioned a bill that would exempt the lottery from the state’s bid laws, open records laws and open meetings laws. The bill would create a Mississippi Lottery Corp., which would be governed by a five-member board appointed by the governor. The board would hire a president of the corporation, subject to the governor’s veto. “These folks are going to have more than $200 million in money and you don’t want their records to be public, you don’t want their meetings in public?” asked Sen. David Blount, who offered one of a number of failed amendments to limit proposed powers. Supporters, though, cited strong public support for a lottery and the need for road money in an era when many Republicans flatly reject increasing fuel taxes. Transportation Committee Chairman Willie Simmons, a Cleveland Democrat, said the lottery is projected to provide about $40 million to the state in its first year and about $80 million in later years. Money from the lottery would be earmarked for state highways for 10 years. “The people of this state have waited so long for a lottery,” said the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Philip Moran of Kiln. Opponents, though, said poorer people would be the disproportionate buyers of lottery tickets, and that money would just be shifted from other purposes. “I don’t believe it’s the proper role of government to operate a numbers racket and swindle its citizens. That’s about as simple as I can make it,” said Sen. Hob Bryan, an Amory Democrat. “Even if I was for the lottery, I wouldn’t be for this lottery bill, with the corporation and its president having this much power.” Kenny Digby, director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention’s lobbying group Christian Action Commission, walked around the Capitol on Thursday with a pair of blue jeans and two loaves of bread hanging from a string around his neck and shoulders. He said if Mississippi creates a lottery, some parents will spend money on lottery tickets. “They should be buying bread and blue jeans,” Digby said. Representatives passed House Bill 1 , which House leaders say will provide $110 million annually to cities and counties in 2022 when fully phased in. Counties and cities would be given the money as long as they don’t decrease the amount they’re currently spending. Counties could spend the money only on roads and bridges, while cities could also spend money on water and sewer work. Each city would be guaranteed at least $10,000 a year. “This bill makes a major step forward in repairing infrastructure at the local level,” said Rep. Trey Lamar, a Senatobia Republican. The measure also would authorize the state to borrow up to $300 million mostly to be spent through an emergency bridge repair fund, earmarks proceeds from sports betting to state highways for 10 years, and imposes additional yearly taxes of $75 on hybrid vehicles and $150 on electric vehicles. Much of the debate in the House focused on $50 million in special projects that had been written into the bill, many in the districts of influential Republicans. Lamar removed those projects, saying he wanted to smooth debate, but made it clear leaders would likely put them back when House and Senate members meet later to resolve differences in the bill. A bare majority of House members voted instead to split that money evenly between 82 counties, even though House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jeff Smith, a Columbus Republican, said the provision would be stripped later.                      

DALLAS — In a check presentation made Thursday at the Great American Trucking Show here,  national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) accepted a contribution of $50,000 from the National Association of Independent Truckers (NAIT) and NAIT’s insurance partners TransGuard, and IAT Insurance Group. The contribution from NAIT and its partners is their third annual donation and will help WAA to honor fallen military service members across the United States with wreath-laying ceremonies this December at Arlington National Cemetery and more than 1,400 other participating locations as part of its National Wreaths Across America Day. As in prior years, the contribution will be used to offset fuel costs for independent truckers wanting to help deliver the live balsam wreaths from Maine to one of WAA’s nearly 1,500 participating cemeteries. “My wife and I have been honored to be able to make a Wreaths run to El Paso, Texas, each year,” said Kevin Ericson, an owner-operator with Knudsen Trucking of Hager City, Wisconsin. “The fuel assistance donation helps us realize that chance by easing the financial difficulty in donating our time, by way of aiding us in mitigating the cost incurred with the fuel expense to complete the trip. Without it we would still be able to make the donation, but it would be harder to absorb the cost, we can’t begin to describe how much we appreciate what they do in helping us honor our fallen with Wreaths Across America, keep up the good work, and thanks again from all of us” Joining together with other members of the trucking industry, NAIT, NAIT’s insurance partners TransGuard and IAT Insurance Group, will play a vital role in this year’s December 15, 2018, National Wreaths Across America Day tribute, with hundreds of companies and professional drivers donating their time, trucks and fuel to transport nearly two million veteran wreaths across the country. “All of us at NAIT, and our partners, are proud to participate in honoring the men and women who valiantly served our country,” said David King, vice president, business development for NAIT. “This contribution, like the ones we have made over the last several years, will help to provide an opportunity for professional drivers to transport wreaths across the United States. Many employees of NAIT and our partners will also be placing wreaths on the graves of veterans in cemeteries across the United States.” “The generosity of NAIT and NAIT’s insurance partners TransGuard and IAT Insurance Group will allow owner/operator that may not have the means to otherwise participate, join in on the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach,” said Debbie Sparks, director of transportation and community outreach for Wreaths Across America. “Our reliance on independent truck owners/operators cannot be understated when talking about the success of National Wreaths Across America Day. We are thankful for their generosity.” Independent truckers interested in hauling a load of veterans’ wreaths this volunteer. To learn more visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/trucking. PHOTO CAPTION Debbie Sparks, second from right, director of transportation and community outreach for Wreaths Across America, accepts a check for $50,000 from David King, vice president, business development for the National Association of Independent Truckers. Looking on are Mona Brimeyer and Corrina Noyes, both with WAA partner TransGuard/IAT Insurance Group. 

JOPLIN, Mo.— CFI, a North American full-truckload carrier and subsidiary of TFI International, has unveiled five custom-designed, large-format “truck wraps” recognizing the company’s military veteran and women drivers for their service to CFI and its customers, and to encourage more military veterans and women to consider truck driving as a profession. CFI is rolling out four tractor/trailer units with new “True to the Troops” commemorative graphics, joining two existing military-themed trucks. Also new to the fleet is a special unit displaying a “She Drives CFI” truck wrap, which honors four of CFI’s longest-tenured women drivers. Out of CFI’s 2,000 driver workforce, 14 percent are women while more than sixteen percent are U.S. military veterans. “The women honored with this special truck are a positive example for all drivers,” said Greg Orr, president of CFI. “We want to encourage more women to enter the profession. By recognizing these pioneers, their perseverance and their trail-blazing leadership, we’re honoring the past, present and future. These professionals are real-life examples of successful women who are making a difference and proving every day through their exceptional service they are as capable as anyone in our industry.” The four professional CFI women drivers pictured on the “She Drives CFI” truck wrap include Stephanie Klang of Joplin; Alisha Slaughter of  El Paso, Texas; Tanya Lateyice of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Jemcia Turner, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Orr said the military-themed commemorative wraps accomplish an equally important objective – recognizing its military veteran employees, for their service to the country, and the values of safety, reliability and superior service they demonstrate as professional CFI drivers. “We are dedicated to supporting our veterans and providing stable, reliable jobs for them,” Orr said. “The qualities of integrity, commitment, teamwork and a strong work ethic ingrained through their military service are the same we value highly in our employees. Our goal is to provide excellent career opportunities and a supportive, inclusive work environment that helps veterans achieve a smooth transition from the military to a quality job in the civilian sector.” Selected to drive the “True to the Troops” trucks are four military-service veterans, including Tom Christian of Austin, Texas; Michael Slack of  Lebanon, Missouri; Scott Bell of Boroda, Michigan; and Josh Armstrong, Leland, North Carolina. CFI also is producing special mementos to uniquely recognize both its women and military veteran drivers.  A “She Drives CFI” commemorative coin has been minted and will be presented to each woman driver.  The company also commissioned the design and production of a set of “True to the Troops” dog tags, personalized for each military veteran driver, to be presented to each veteran. Orr emphasized that these investments in its driver community reinforce CFI’s family-friendly culture, and the company’s goal to be the No. 1 driver-preferred truckload carrier in the industry. “Professional truck drivers do not get enough recognition for their hard work and the crucial role they play in our economy,” Orr said. “The job is challenging. Those employers who are best at retaining drivers step up to the plate and provide the support, positive environment, encouragement, and competitive compensation for these professionals to enjoy the best quality of life possible.” For more information about CFI career opportunities for women, visit http://cfidrive.com/careers/driver-for-cfi/female-drivers. For veterans, visit http://cfidrive.com/careers/drive-for-cfi/military. CAPTION FOR PHOTO Left to right, CFI drivers and military veterans are  Michael Slack and Josh Armstrong, who have been selected to pilot the new True to the Troops trucks; Darrel Bogan, who has driven the original True to the Troops truck for CFI since 2015; and CFI President Greg Orr. (Courtesy: CFI)      

RAPHINE, Va. — An urgent care clinic is set to open next year at a travel center off Interstate 81, partly intended to serve truck drivers passing through. The Roanoke Times reports Carilion Clinic announced Wednesday that it will lease much of an 8,300-square-foot building being constructed by the truck stop in Raphine, a small community between Staunton and Lexington. Bobby Berkstressor is the owner of White’s Travel Center, which is billed as the East coast’s largest travel center. He said in a press release that the center serves nearly 2 million visitors a year and that the clinic will provide many truck drivers access to care without disrupting their schedules. “For many of the truck drivers, scheduling medical visits is not an option. This will provide them instant and convenient access to care without disrupting their busy travel schedule,” he said in a news release. According to the newspaper, construction began in July and is expected to be completed early next year. “This location is unique in that we can better meet the needs of the Raphine community while also serving the many travelers who wouldn’t otherwise have easy access to quality care,” said Chuck Carr, Carilion vice president. The travel center is a TravelCenters of America facility.

ARLINGTON, Va.  — Trucking is a big business and the American Trucking Associations’ release of the latest edition its annual compendium of trucking industry data — “ATA American Trucking Trends 2018” — highlights the industry’s dominance over the freight market. “Information, when presented properly and accurately, tells a story,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The information in these pages highlights exactly what I tell elected officials, regulators and key decision-makers every day: Trucking is literally the driving force behind our great economy. Safe, reliable and efficient motor carriers enable businesses throughout the supply chain to maintain lean inventories, thereby saving the economy billions of dollars each year.” Among the findings in this year’s edition of Trends: Trucks moved 10.77 billion tons of freight, 70.2 percent of all domestic freight tonnage. The industry generated $700.1 billion in annual revenue in 2017, 79.3 percent of the nation’s freight bill. The industry moved 69.1 percent of all trade between the U.S. and Mexico, and 57.7 percent of Canada-U.S. trade. Roughly 7.7 million people were employed in jobs related to trucking activity, including 3.5 million drivers. Of those 3.5 million drivers, there were 1.7 million heavy and tractor-trailer drivers. Minorities account for 40.6 percent of all drivers and 6.2 percent of truck drivers are women. The number of truck drivers actually decreased from 3.542 million in 2015 to 3.506 million in 2016. Before 2017, the number of truck drivers had increased every year since 2011. Of the over 1.5 million for-hire, private and other types of trucking companies, 97.3 percent have 20 trucks or less, 91 percent have six trucks or less. There were 2.66 truck-tractor registrations in 2015; that number dropped to 2.58 million in 2016. California, Florida and Texas combined are home to nearly one-fourth of all commercial trucks on the road. “Trucking is a critical part of the economy and the supply chain,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Trends allows policymakers and business leaders to see just how big that impact is while debating key issues like trade, infrastructure investment, workforce development and tax policy.”  

HOBBS, N.M.  — New Mexico Republican gubernatorial hopeful Steve Pearce is calling for a system of toll roads in southeastern New Mexico to serve booming oilfield and other commercial traffic around one of the most-productive oil and gas areas in the world. Speaking to a group of business leaders in Carlsbad, New Mexico, last week, Pearce, of Hobbs, unveiled a plan he said would be financed by private companies and without taxpayer dollars, the Hobbs News-Sun reports . Its aim would help traffic coming from the Delaware Basin, an oval-shaped shale rock formation that protrudes from southwest Texas northward into New Mexico’s Eddy and Lea counties. Modern drilling technologies have turned that zone into one of the most-productive oil and gas regions on the planet. But traffic from heavy oil trucks has damaged New Mexico roads and created dangerous conditions on highways as police contend with an increasing number of automobile fatalities in the area. “We have all heard the tragic stories of accidents on our highways in southeastern New Mexico,” Pearce said. “The roads are overcrowded and stressed beyond capacity, creating an unsafe situation for our New Mexico families and workers.” New Mexico, unlike nearby Texas and Colorado, has no toll roads. Pearce said, if elected, he will work immediately after the November general election to secure commitments from companies to completely finance and build the new toll roads in Lea and Eddy counties. “The tolls will be used to maintain the roads and to recoup the companies’ investments,” he said. “Taxpayer dollars will not be used, and in fact, these investments made by the companies will save tax dollars through reduced wear and tear on our public roads.” Pearce is running against Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-Albuquerque, for governor. Grisham spokesman James Hallinan dismissed Pearce’s idea for toll roads in that area of oil-rich New Mexico and called it an “out of touch plan” at a time when New Mexico families and businesses are struggling to get by. “Michelle Lujan Grisham has released multiple comprehensive policy plans to rebuild our infrastructure and economy to make New Mexico a safer and more prosperous place for our children and families,” Hallinan said. Pearce said if elected, he would hope is to complete the toll roads in the first half of his administration. “I’m thinking that we get it done in the first two years,” he said. “We’re dangerously overcrowded on the existing roadways.” At a price tag of about $2 million per mile for two-lane roads, Pearce estimated building 130 miles of toll roads would cost about $260 million. Building four-lane toll roads would increase the overall costs to about $500 million.  

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday issued the official document to call lawmakers into special session Thursday to discuss more money for roads and bridges. The plan outlined by the Republican governor includes diverting some taxes on internet sales to cities and counties, creating a state lottery, using proceeds from a tax on sports betting and borrowing up to $300 million. The call envisions lawmakers taking up two bills. One would deal with creating the lottery and another, called the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act, would deal with all other proposed transportation fixes. Bryant had said previously that he would ask lawmakers to agree how to divide $700 million in economic damages being paid by BP PLC for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Bryant spokesman Clay Clandler wrote in an electronic message to The Associated Press that Bryant anticipated asking lawmakers to take up that issue later in the special session “after transportation/lottery have been considered.” Bryant sent the document after Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn, also Republicans, told reporters they were nearing agreement on a funding package. Lawmakers were expressing optimism Tuesday that a deal was within reach that would provide $200 million or more in continuing yearly funding. “It’s a lot closer than I thought it was,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman John Read, a Gautier Republican. The lottery measure would create a lottery corporation run by directors appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Proceeds would be earmarked for spending by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The broader bill outlined by Bryant would divert a portion of the use tax on internet and mail-order sales to transportation. House leaders have proposed diverting 35 percent of the yearly amount, which would have been worth $90 million of the $257 million collected in the 12 months ended June 30. The outline of Bryant’s proposal issued in the call says that cities and counties could spend new money only on repair, maintenance or reconstruction of roads and bridges. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has proposed channeling that money through a grant program or requiring a local match, but Gunn continues to oppose those provisions, saying it would slow the flow of money to localities. Bryant is also calling for using some of the use tax money to create a permanent source of funding for a separate local bridge program that historically has been funded out of general revenue or through borrowing. The proposal would give the engineer who oversees aid to local roads the power to reallocate that money for “emergency” bridge repair, and also allow that engineer to ask the Department of Transportation to close deficient local bridges. Bryant faced a lawsuit earlier this year after he himself issued an emergency proclamation closing bridges that inspectors found to be deficient. Bryant’s move came after the federal government threatened to yank the state’s highway funding when some counties refused to close bridges on their own. The Office of State Aid Road Construction reports 437 closed county bridges statewide as of Tuesday. Another 1,700-plus bridges have weight limits. The measure would also impose a new tax on electric and hybrid vehicles. That is intended to make up for the smaller amounts fuel taxes owners of those vehicles pay, and would divert additional money collected on a tax to clean up underground fuel storage tanks to roadbuilding.

DETROIT — The number of people killed on U.S. roads fell slightly in the first half of 2018, but a top safety organization says it’s likely that there will be little change in the number of deaths from 2017 by the end of the year. The National Safety Council on Wednesday estimated that 18,720 people were killed in traffic crashes from January through June, down about one-half percent from a year ago. Another 2.1 million people were seriously injured during the first half, 1 percent lower than last year. The council says at the current pace the U.S. could see its third straight year with 40,000 traffic deaths. It says the slight drop in fatalities isn’t a sign of progress. It’s more of a slowdown from large increases in 2015 and 2016, the steepest two-year rise in over 50 years. “We aren’t making progress, we’re treading water,” Ken Kolosh, manager of statistics for the council, said in a statement. “We cannot accept 18,000 deaths as the price of mobility.” The council attributed the decline in deaths to a slowdown in what had been large annual increases in the number of miles driven nationwide. Kolosh said the numbers should remind people to slow down, buckle their seat belts and drive defensively. About 40,100 people died in traffic crashes last year, according to council estimates. That was down just under 1 percent from 2016. Fatalities rose 7 percent in 2016, on top of a 7 percent increase from 2014 to 2015, according to the council, which gets its data from states. Prior to 2016, annual deaths had not hit 40,000 since 2007, the year before the economy tanked. Traffic deaths began dropping in 2008 and reached their lowest point in six decades in 2011 at 32,000. The council’s fatality estimates differ slightly from those of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The government counts only deaths that occur on public roads, while the council includes fatalities that occur in parking lots, driveways and private roads.

DALLAS — The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) will be soliciting truck driver input on several priority research initiatives while at the Great American Trucking Show here this week. Professional drivers are encouraged to visit with ATRI researchers at booth 1642 in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to provide important insight into trucking industry research. Driver Safety Assessment Tool: ATRI is continuing to recruit drivers for research that examines the relationship between personality characteristics and safety outcomes. Participating drivers will complete tests on personality, memory and attention. Driver health and background information will also be gathered. Most of this study is computer-based, with ATRI research staff providing continuous support. This assessment will take approximately two hours to complete and participating drivers in this study will receive a $100 Visa gift card. Top Industry Issues: Drivers will have a chance to participate in the 2018 Top Industry Issues Survey to identify the top challenges facing drivers today. Detention Impacts: ATRI will be surveying drivers about their experiences with excessive delays at customer facilities and the impact it may have on drivers’ safety, productivity and Hours of Service compliance. All survey participants will receive a free gift at the ATRI booth. “This is our first year at GATS and we believe it is an excellent opportunity to engage drivers in our studies.  As a primary beneficiary of ATRI’s research, professional drivers are among our most enthusiastic research participants and we look forward to seeing many of our good friends at GATS,” said ATRI President Rebecca Brewster. 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.            

With the unemployment rate hitting an 18-year low of 4 percent this July and “Baby Boom” generation workers now retiring at roughly 10,000 per day, industries across the United States are finding it harder to recruit and retain workers. A study released by consulting firm Korn Ferry in May predicts that a growing “skilled talent” shortage could impede global economic growth, which could result in 85.2 million unfilled jobs worldwide by 2030, according to an article in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Journal. “The world can’t afford to have tens of millions of unfilled jobs,” noted Alan Guarino, vice chairman of Korn Ferry’s CEO and Board Services division in a statement. “Companies must work to mitigate this potential talent crisis now to protect their future. If nothing is done, this shortage will debilitate the growth of key global markets and sectors.” That labor shortage is beginning to felt more – and more acutely – within the state departments of transportation, as worker retirements can often result in a loss of valuable institutional knowledge as well. “The one thing that concerns me most as a CEO, and what I am now spending a lot of my time on, is our workforce. Great men and women work for WSDOT but approximately half of them are eligible to retire today and the higher you go up the food chain, the more eligible they are to retire. The institutional memory that leaves us when they retire is really scary,” said Roger Millar, secretary of transportation for the Washington State DOT in a presentation recently at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2018 Joint Policy Committee Meeting. “So we are working hard to encourage the ones who can stay to stay and we are inviting more new people to join our world. But it is hard to compete with the likes of local employers like Microsoft – we can only pay half of what they pay,” he said. “So we offer flexible work schedules and internships. We are also looking at more diversity because we will be a multicultural community. It’s a demographic fact but also a huge opportunity for us. So we want our hiring practices to be inclusive.” Matthew Garrett, director of the Oregon DOT, added in a separate speech at the policy meeting that technological change is also a factor re-shaping the workforce needs of the state DOT community. “Technology threatens to remake every aspect of every company and industry that we deal with,” he said. “So you must ask yourself these questions – what do you foresee the most significant challenge to retraining workers for the new jobs of this brave new world? Is the private sector focused on that challenge? Is our educational system, which is built around four-year degrees up to the challenge in a world that needs continuous training?” Garrett noted that this movement forward “can be exciting and refreshing” and lead to new ways of doing business. “But it also demands that we must adapt and support a culture that’s reimagining our work structure and learning platforms, that’s moving to continual education training and retraining across all portfolios within a state DOT,” he emphasized. Shailen Bhatt, president and CEO of ITS America and the former executive director of the Colorado DOT, explained in an interview with AASHTO Journal that “workforce issues have changed a lot” in the state DOT community, but in many cases for the better as there is more positive appeal for transportation jobs among younger workers. “Back in 2005 when I would go to parties and people would ask, ‘What do you do?’ and I would say ‘I am in transportation,’ they would often leave and not come back, because transportation just wasn’t that exciting,” he said. “But now, I go around the country and around the world and there is a lot of excitement about our field right now. [But] it is not just because of the technology involved; people recognize that transportation is an inflection point,” he stressed. “At this moment in our history, we are part of a transformation that will change way that we interact with our cities, that we interact with each other, that we experience our lives, and each other and experience our lives – and that’s pretty exciting to be a part of.” Bhatt believes that the ability, as he describes it, to “do cool tech stuff” while reducing traffic congestion and vehicle crashes, all while making communities “better and safer places,” is a “purpose” that calls to younger people. “I think state DOTs can offer that opportunity, if we package it right and provide good work places to foster them, help them flourish,” he explained. “I think we have a pretty important ingredient here – purpose-driven work. That’s attractive to younger workers today.”

On Tuesday, August 21, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) invited public comment on an upcoming Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) addressing possible revisions to four specific areas of the agency’s current hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. The FMCSA encouraged all stakeholders, particularly rank-and-file members of the trucking industry, to use the 30-day public comment period to make their thoughts and opinions part of the record and the process as the agency considers revisions in four areas of HOS: Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty to put them on a par with long-haul truck drivers Extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters “adverse driving conditions” Revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after 8 hours of continuous driving, and Reinstating some form of split sleeper-berth option, giving drivers more flexibility in how and when they use their 10-hour off-duty rest break. While FMCSA can expect a solid month of input on its website and at a series of public listening sessions, three of the country’s leading trucking organizations were immediate in their reaction, wholeheartedly applauding the FMCSA both for making this effort to address these HOS issues and for the agency’s effort to get wide input from the trucking industry. “ATA is pleased to see that [Department of Transportation] Secretary [Elaine] Chao and [FMCSA] Administrator [Raymond] Martinez recognize the need for sensible, data-driven hours-of-service reform,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “While today’s notice is just the first step, ATA stands ready to work with drivers and motor carriers to provide FMCSA and DOT with the information they need to make needed, commonsense improvements to the hours-of-service rules in order to improve the safety of our highways and the efficiency of our industry.” Meanwhile, the Truckload Carriers Association also commended Chao, Martinez and the entire FMCSA staff “for their dedicated work to improve regulations and remove unnecessary burdens hindering the free flow of commerce in this country.” As Spear mentioned in his statement and Martinez mentioned in his comments during a teleconference formally announcing the ANPRM, the TCA statement emphasized that this effort to reform HOS rules has been and will continue to be driven by hard data. Much of that, the TCA statement said, is because of the recently enacted electronic logging device mandate. “Because of ELDs and the information they’ve collected, FMCSA will be able to enact data-driven policy reflecting flexibility to address the true problems faced by trucking,” the statement read. Both the TCA and ATA declared they will continue to work with their members to provide the FMCSA with the data they need to move forward with the proposed HOS revisions. While the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) doesn’t share the TCA and ATA’s enthusiasm for ELDs, they did join in applauding the FMCSA in this drive toward HOS reform. From OOIDA’s standpoint, much of the credit for the ANPRM and its future success has and will continue to depend on the voices of truckers speaking up. In a press release, OOIDA referred to legislative proposals by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) and petitions by OOIDA and TruckerNation.org that all called for changes allowing greater flexibility to rest-break rules within HOS as being among the catalysts leading to the ANPRM. FMCSA, in its announcement of the ANPRM, stated that in addition to the four items, it also wanted feedback on the OOIDA and TruckerNation petitions. In the OOIDA press release, OOIDA President Todd Spencer encouraged drivers to take this opportunity to make their voices heard. “The hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers need to be updated to match the realities of freight movement and to truly improve highway safety,” Spencer said. “The agency is finally listening and now the door is open for truckers to make their voices heard and to spur real, common-sense changes to the hours-of-service regulations.  This rulemaking needs robust participation from real truckers so that the next incarnation of the hours-of-service regulations is not written by corporate trucking executives and anti-trucking groups that have no understanding of the realities of over-the-road trucking.”

WASHINGTON – The  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Tuesday said that it is seeking public comment on revising four specific areas of current Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, which limit the operating hours of commercial truck drivers. The upcoming Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service-advanced-notice-proposed-rulemaking, which will be published in the Federal Register, responds to widespread Congressional, industry, and citizen concerns and seeks feedback from the public to determine if HOS revisions may alleviate unnecessary burdens placed on drivers while maintaining safety on the nation’s highways and roads.  The comment period will be open for 30 days, stated FMCSA in a news release announcing the ANPRM. The ANPRM goes out in the form of questions taken from listening sessions with stakeholders, including petitions asking for more HOS flexibility by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the United States Transportation Alliance, the United Drivers Alliance and others, with Raymond P. Martinez, FMCSA’s sixth administrator, commenting that the ANPRM “basically opens the floor” to these groups and other trucking stakeholders to comment on how they want to see the HOS changed. He noted that HOS changes haven’t been addressed for the last 15 years and that many things have changed in the way commerce operates during that period, including more congestion and more vehicles on the road, along with “real-time delivery” created by internet shoppers who order something in the morning and want it delivered by that afternoon. The four specific areas under consideration for revision are: Expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty, in order to be consistent with the rules for long-haul truck drivers; Extending the current 14-hour, on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions; Revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after 8 hours of continuous driving; and Reinstating the option for splitting up the required 10-hour off-duty rest break for drivers operating trucks that are equipped with a sleeper-berth compartment. In addition, the ANPRM seeks public comment and relevant data on two recently submitted petitions requesting regulatory relief from HOS rules (1) pertaining to the 14-hour on-duty limitation (filed by OOIDA) and (2) pertaining to the 10-hour off-duty requirement (filed by TruckerNation). “So this is a good opportunity to step forward if you have thoughts on these specific points or something that might be related to them,” Martinez told members of the trucking news media during a briefing on the ANPRM. “We keep hearing flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. Of course, we’re a safety agency so we look at everything through the lens of safety,” he added. Now that ELDs are in place and generating information, “that allows us to pivot and say, now where is the flexibility in that [HOS regulation],” Martinez said. FMCSA is trying to be “agile” in listening to stakeholders and then acting on what they’ve heard in the past several months. The ANPRM is a “step forward” he said, in seeing what HOS changes should look like. But he cautioned that the kind of feedback that the agency receives on the ANPRM will determine on how FMCSA will move forward, or not, with any HOS changes. Joe DeLorenzo, director of FMCSA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance, added that the ANPRM is “deliberately very nonspecific” because the agency wants it to “provide a framework for the kind of information that we would need in order to make a decision going forward.” Earlier this year, the congressionally mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule, which required most FMCSA-regulated motor carriers to convert their records from paper to an electronic format, became effective. While compliance with the ELD rule has reached nearly 99 percent across the trucking industry (according to FMCSA), it has also brought focus to HOS regulations, especially with regard to certain regulations having a significant impact on agriculture and other sectors of trucking. Additional information on the ANPRM, including how to submit comments to the Federal Register docket, is available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service-advanced-notice-proposed-rulemaking The first in a series of public listening sessions on the ANPRM will take place Friday, August 24, 2018, in Dallas, Texas, at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time during the Great American Trucking Show being held there.  Further information is available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/event/public-listening-session-hours-service. There will also be a listening session September 14 in Washington, D.C. at the DOT headquarters and two additional sessions “geographically dispersed across the United States,” Martinez said, adding that those locations have yet to be determined. Information on current HOS regulations is available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations. Information on electronic logging devices (ELDs) carried on-board long-haul trucks and used by commercial vehicle enforcement officers to check compliance with HOS regulations is available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/electronic-logging-devices.

On-highway diesel prices inched down by one cent for the week ending August 20, finishing at a national average $3.207 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The small drop continued a pattern of quivering diesel prices that has gone on since spring. Although prices have fluctuated by only small amounts during that time, the pattern in recent weeks is adding up to a slow decline. The national average has now fallen for the third consecutive week and the sixth in the last seven weeks. It has fallen 8.1 cents since May 28, after six months of trending upward. Every region in the country experienced a small price decrease in the past week, with the Lower Atlantic section of the East Coast region experiencing the largest drop, $0.015, to finish at $3.076, the second-lowest price in the nation. At $2.981, The Gulf Coast remains the only region where the price of diesel is below $3. California, where diesel prices are by far the highest, at $3.929, saw a drop of $0.013. The West Coast overall, including California, fell by $0.008 to $3.706, with the area in the region outside California experiencing only a $0.002 decline. California also continues to show the largest year-to-year price increase, $0.968. New England has the next nearest year-to-year increase for an individual region, $0.645. Oil futures rose August 20, as investors worried more about an expected fall in supply from Iran due to U.S. sanctions and worried less that a trade war between the United States and China would hurt economic growth. Brent crude futures rose 38 cents to settle at $72.21 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 52 cents to end at $66.43 a barrel. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scott Woodrome of FedEx Freight Saturday was crowned Bendix Grand Champion at the American Trucking Associations 2018 National Truck Driving Championships. “Congratulations to Scott Woodrome and his team at FedEx Freight for winning this year’s Bendix Grand Champion Award,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “This process began with thousands of drivers competing at the state level, but only one driver can emerge as overall grand champion, and it’s a testament to Scott’s commitment to safety and his craft that he was able to take home top honors this year.” Woodrome, a longtime competitor in truck driving championships with more than 1.8 million lifetime safe driving miles, competed this week in the Tank Truck division. He has been in the trucking industry for 25 years, spending 12 of those years with his current employer, FedEx Freight. While this is the first Bendix Grand Champion award for Woodrome, he has won his state championship a perfect 12 times in twelve attempts. “What an honor it’s been to host hundreds of the nation’s elite truck drivers this week and showcase their skills as safe professionals,” said ATA COO and EVP of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. “From start to finish, Columbus was a great location and we were excited to see such great support from the families and friends who came out to support these drivers.” Woodrome, an America’s Road Team Captain, also took home the Tank Truck class national title. He lives in Middletown, Ohio with his wife Lorraine. ATA also recognized Ronald Zieser as the 2018 Rookie of the Year. Zeiser claimed the title after an outstanding performance in the 3-Axle division. To be a “rookie,” drivers must be first-time competitors at the state level who advanced to nationals. This year, there were 28 rookies competing at the National Truck Driving Championships. In addition to the individual awards, the team of drivers from the Silver State, Nevada, is going home this week with the Team Championship. The state of Pennsylvania took home second place honors, with Colorado coming in third. Several individuals excelled outside the driving course throughout this week’s competition, demonstrating their professionalism, knowledge and dedication to the trucking industry. Professional truck driver Neil Nogues of YRC Freight was recognized with the highly-coveted Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence award. Michael Flippin and Eric Courville of FedEx Freight and Tony Spero of ABF Freight achieved perfect scores on the written exam phase of the championships and are receiving the Highest Written Exam Award for their efforts. Additionally, Michael Whitehead of FedEx Freight is taking home the Vehicle Condition Award for his performance during the pre-trip inspections. The National Truck Driving Championships are made possible by dozens of NTDC committee members and volunteers who judge the course, serve as liaisons to the drivers, conduct course walk-throughs and perform a number of other key tasks. As such, ATA and ATA’s Safety Management Council honor one volunteer each year with the Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award. This year’s Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jerry Waddell of Cargo Transporters. ACT 1 served as a premier sponsor of the 2018 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships, which took place Aug. 15-18 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2011, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has been the sole sponsor of the Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion. Bendix Director of Government Affairs and Marketing Fred Andersky presented the Grand Champion Award. Champions from each of the 9 vehicle classes were also announced. Joining Scott Woodrome on the list of national champions are: 3-Axle: Eric Courville, FedEx Freight, Louisiana 4-Axle: Nick Arnold, FedEx Freight, Oklahoma 5-Axle: Duane Staveness, FedEx Freight, Wisconsin Flatbed: Steven Newsome, UPS Freight, South Carolina Sleeper Berth: Artur Lesniowski, FedEx Ground, New Jersey Straight Truck: Dale Brenaman, UPS, Kentucky Tank Truck: Scott Woodrome, FedEx Freight, Ohio Twins: Miguel Corral, FedEx Freight, Illinois Step Van: Eric Damon, FedEx Express, Colorado Other Awards Rookie of the Year: Ronald Zieser, FedEx Freight, Oregon Team Champions: Nevada Vehicle Condition: Michael Whitehead, FedEx Freight in the 3-Axle division Highest Written Exam Award: Three perfect scores: Michael Flippin, FedEx Freight in the Twins division; Tony Spero, ABF Freight in the Tank Truck division; and Eric Courville, FedEx Freight in the 3-Axle division Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence: Neil P. Nogues, YRC Freight, New Hampshire in the Straight Truck division Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award: Jerry Waddell, Cargo Transporters Full results from the final competition are listed below. 3-Axle Class (1) Eric Courville; FedEx Freight, Louisiana; (2) David Mogler, FedEx Freight, Colorado; (3) Brian Singelais, Frito-Lay, Massachusetts. 4-Axle Class (1) Nick Arnold, FedEx Freight, Oklahoma; (2) Andrew Rynearson, XPO Logistics, Wisconsin; (3) Heladio Fernandez, FedEx Freight, Oregon 5-Axle (1) Duane Staveness, FedEx Freight, Wisconsin; (2) Jack Hargett, AAA Cooper, Texas; (3) Bryan Krol, The Martin-Brower Co., Pennsylvania. Flatbed                                              (1) Steven Newsome, UPS Freight, South Carolina; (2) Thomas Garner, FedEx Freight, Alabama; (3) Gary Mars, Walmart Transportation, Arkansas. Sleeper Berth (1)  Artur Lesniowski, FedEx Ground, New Jersey;  (2) Brian Hall, Old Dominion Freight Line, Tennessee; (3) Edward Pennington, FedEx Freight, Florida. Straight Truck (1) Dale Brenaman, UPS, Kentucky; (2) Michael Bills, FedEx Express, North Carolina; (3) James Sheehan, FedEx Ground, Tennessee. Tank Truck (1) Scott Woodrome, FedEx Freight, Ohio; (2) Don Logan  FedEx Freight,  Kansas; (3) Dave Miller,       UPS Freight, Illinois. Twins                           (1) Miguel Corral, FedEx Freight, Illinois; (2) Wilbert Vano, XPO Logistics, New Jersey; (3) Darrell Shelton, FedEx Freight, Washington. Step Van (1) Eric Damon, FedEx Express, Colorado; (2) Robert Ledoux, FedEx Express, Massachusetts; (3) Gregory Long, FedEx Express, Virginia The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook.Trucking Moves America Forward

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After two days of tough competition in six North American Standard Inspection categories, Jeremy Usener of the Texas Department of Public Safety was presented with the Jimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award at the first-ever joint awards ceremony of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) and the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck and Step Van Driving Championship (NTDC). Fifty-two commercial motor vehicle inspectors representing jurisdictions throughout North America gathered here August 14-18 to compete at NAIC, the only event dedicated to testing, recognizing and awarding commercial motor vehicle inspector excellence. All of the inspection categories are timed events and the compilation of scores for those categories result in a Grand Champion, which is the highest honor for commercial motor vehicle roadside inspectors. An award is given to each inspector who scores the most points representing each of the three participating countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States. The following High Points Awards were presented during this year’s NAIC: Sean McAlister High Points Canada Award – Samantha Sarasin – Ontario Ministry of Transportation High Points Mexico Award – Luis León Merino Gómez – Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) High Points United States Award – Jeremy Usener – Texas Department of Public Safety Awards are given for first, second and third place for the following inspection categories: The North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection includes additional inspection steps related to identifying hazardous materials/dangerous goods and markings, labeling, placarding, packaging, identification, etc. First Place – Jeremy Usener – Texas Department of Public Safety Second Place – Samantha Sarasin – Ontario Ministry of Transportation Third Place – Aaron Azbill – Arizona Department of Public Safety The North American Standard Level V Passenger Carrier Vehicle Inspection is an inspection of motorcoaches and other passenger-carrying vehicles. Passenger vehicle certified inspectors are specially trained commercial motor vehicle enforcement personnel equipped to inspect both the motorcoach and driver, while also taking responsibility for the safety of passengers. First Place – Roberto Pinedo – Utah Department of Transportation Second Place – Trevor Todd – British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Third Place – Jeremy Usener – Texas Department of Public Safety The North American Standard Level I Inspection is the most commonly performed inspection. It is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of both driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. First Place – Aaron Azbill – Arizona Department of Public Safety Second Place – Trevor Snodden – Alberta Justice Solicitor General Third Place – Roberto Pinedo – Utah Department of Transportation The Team Award is given to the team with the highest combined score. The team with the highest score this year was the Yellow Team. The Yellow Team had the following members: Trevor Todd – British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure; Jason Gregory – Missouri State Highway Patrol; Kris Hunzeker – Nebraska State Patrol, Daniel Jacquez – New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Brian Wilson – Ohio State Highway Patrol;             Jeremy Usener – Texas Department of Public Safety; Roberto Pinedo – Utah Department of Transportation, Matthew Nesto – Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Vermont; and Maxwell McGuire – Washington State Patrol A special award, the John Youngblood Award of Excellence, is an honor NAIC contestants bestow upon a fellow NAIC inspector who exemplifies the high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. This year, NAIC contestants voted to present the John Youngblood Award to Matt Johnson from the Illinois State Police. “CVSA and ATA worked together to make the joint awards ceremony a reality,” said CVSA President Capt. Christopher Turner with the Kansas Highway Patrol. “This is the first time in NAIC’s 26-year history that we’ve had a combined awards ceremony with our ATA partners. Based on its success this year, we hope to continue this unified CVSA/ATA awards ceremony well into the future.” NAIC was created to recognize inspectors and officers – the backbone of the commercial vehicle safety program in North America – and to promote uniformity of inspections through training and education. Next year’s NAIC is scheduled for August 13-17, 2019, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.    

Dallas, the eyes of trucking are upon you … or they will be August 23- 25, when the Great American Trucking Show rolls into town. The floorplan is much as it was last year for the annual trucking industry trade show, produced by Randall-Reilly. It will once again fill up 500,000 square feet of convention floor space at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas and will include over 500 vendors; the Pride and Polish truck beauty championship series; and live presentations on not one, not two, but three stages. Last year’s show set an attendance record, according to a press release from Randall-Reilly Events. But there’s always room for improvement, and while this year’s show will continue to go with what works, it will also include some enhancements. An example of an existing feature getting a new twist will be in the center of the convention floor, where the Recruiting Pavilion with its searchable database where job-seekers can ?nd carriers that are hiring drivers with their particular skills. A new feature at this year’s show is meeting-setting between drivers and recruiters looking for speci?c quali?cations. “We’re changing the game with our meeting-setting process,” said Emily Larson, director of events services at Randall-Reilly. “No other industry show brings together recruiters and drivers in such an exact, strategic format, starting at the registration process and following through to meetings on-site.” Meanwhile, the Landstar Health and Wellness Pavilion, supported by Pilot Flying J, is back again this year to provide drivers with health assessments, services and products in ne convenient setting. Drivers will be able to get diabetes education, eye screenings, medical consultations, nutrition evaluations. There will be a mammogram bus, with ?nancial assistance for those without health insurance. CDL holders can get DOT physicals at discount prices and get their licenses renewed right there on the floor. The Health Pavilion Stage will also feature cooking demonstrations, the Landstar Health Challenge and other educational sessions designed to help drivers stay healthy while on the road. But a show like GATS is as much about fun and celebrating trucking as it is about serious business, and this year’s show has plenty of entertainment in store. Westwood One’s Red Eye Radio Network will, as always, be on-site throughout the show, broadcasting directly from their booth, where they will welcome a parade of celebrity guests, opening the event with a meet-and-greet with the Grammy-nominated country duo, the Bellamy Brothers. Other performers scheduled to stop by Red Eye Radio’s lobby booth to sign autographs, take photos, and talk with drivers include Curtis Grimes, David Adam Byrnes, Tyler Jordan, Bill Weaver, Taylor Barker, Cowboy Matt, and Tony Justice. For a schedule of guests, visit redeyeradioshow.com. For drivers who come to the show in their rig, the some new and improved amenities have been added to the TA|Petro Truck Parking Community. One new feature will be the Uber Freight Community Tent, with upgraded seating, lights and misting fans. This year, truck parking will have nightly entertainment from Heni? Transportation and Godspeed Expediters, with acts including Bill Weaver, Jordan Rainer, Brad James and Taylor Barker. There will also be free shuttles to and from the convention center, food provided by Flaming Grill Barbecue Food Truck and shower trailers and truck maintenance provided by TA|Petro. All Paws and Claws will be returning to the TA|Petro Truck Parking Community this year with pet-grooming service and pet booster shots. And a pet parade is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, August 25. Overdrive’s Pride & Polish truck beauty competition, a perennial favorite at GATS, will be back for its 19th year, with prizes up for grabs for both bobtails and combos in the following entry classes: Working, First Show, Non-Working Antique, Limited Mileage and Builder’s Class. The trucks will be on display throughout the show, with the awards announced at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 25. For more information, including a schedule of presentations, visit www.TruckShow.com.  

ATLANTA — Georgia transportation officials have eliminated toll limits on express lanes, which could mean a more expensive commute for some motorists. The State Road and Tollway Authority repealed restrictions on toll charges, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. It had been set at a maximum of $13.95 to drive the I-85 lanes in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. The authority also repealed the 90-cent-per-mile maximum on the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes in Clayton and Henry counties. The cost to drive the full 16-mile length of the I-85 could reach $15 to $16 at times, Authority Executive Director Chris Tomlinson said. But he said most drivers won’t pay that much because they don’t drive the full length of the lanes. “People shouldn’t be alarmed by this,” Tomlinson said. The agency expects the average toll on the lanes to be $5.50 to $6.50. The decision is aimed at standardizing toll rates across all express lanes, the Atlanta newspaper reported. It’s not expected to have an immediate impact on I-75, but could affect I-85 commuters when the new policy takes effect Monday. “Who gets to make these decisions without the input of the taxpayers that are footing the bill?” said McDonough resident John Alton. The change in tolls comes as Georgia prepares to open 30 new miles of express lanes on I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties. They’re part of a planned 120-network of express lanes that will eventually include the northern half of the Perimeter and Georgia 400. The express lanes are a key component of the state’s plans to address metro Atlanta’s often-jammed freeways. The idea is that motorists who use those lanes will be able to travel at least 45 mph — if they’re willing to pay a toll. In order to make that happen, the authority raises the toll as traffic gets worse. The aim is to raise it high enough to discourage some people from using the express lanes, which keeps traffic moving.

JOHN DAY, Ore. — During its Thursday meeting here, the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) considered the recommendations of its 25-member Portland Metro Area Value Pricing Policy Advisory Committee and provided direction to the Oregon Department of Transportation on preparation of an application to the Federal Highway Administration to implement tolling. Last year, the Oregon Legislature directed the OTC to seek federal approval of a congestion pricing plan and last month, the advisory committee submitted recommendations to the OTC. The recommendations include an initial tolling pilot program at two locations in the Portland Metro area: All Interstate 5 lanes between approximately Northeast Going Street/Alberta Street and Southwest Multnomah Boulevard, a stretch of about seven miles through the downtown Portland corridor. On or near the George Abernethy Bridge on Interstate 205. Tolling could be used to both manage congestion and generate revenue to address highway bottlenecks, including by potentially funding the I-5 Rose Quarter and I-205 Stafford Road to Abernethy Bridge improvement projects. The advisory committee recommendations also identified three priorities for mitigating potential impacts of any future tolling program: Improved public transportation and other transportation options to address equity and mobility Special provisions for environmental justice populations, including low-income communities Diversion strategies to minimize negative impacts The OTC provided direction that any toll revenues from within the metro region be placed in a Congestion Relief Fund to invest in improvements to the transportation system in the region, as directed in HB 2017. The Oregon Constitution requires that any toll revenues be invested in roads. The ODOT will work with federal officials to determine the next steps to move tolling forward. Before receiving final federal approval to implement tolling, ODOT will conduct additional traffic and revenue analysis, undertake in-depth analysis of equity and diversion impacts, and engage the public with significant outreach and public comment opportunities. ODOT anticipates that it will be a number of years before tolling is implemented on Portland area freeways. “We’ve heard consistently from Oregonians across the state that congestion in the Portland metro area is hurting our livability and impacting our economy. Tolling can help us both manage demand and finance bottleneck relief projects that will provide people a better commute and help us keep commerce moving,” said Tammy Baney, OTC chair. “But before we implement tolling we still have a lot of work to mitigate the potential impacts of tolling, particularly to address the potential impacts on low-income families, but also to find ways to improve public transit and address diversion of traffic off the freeway.” OTC member Alando Simpson, who co-chaired the advisory committee, praised its members for their work. “Everyone rolled up their sleeves to wrestle with the tough questions,” Simpson said. “By bringing everyone around the table, the process helped us move this discussion forward. We now have two potentially viable options for how to use congestion pricing to improve Portland’s transportation system.” “We are in the early stages of discussing tolling, and we have a lot to do to design a comprehensive program to reduce congestion in the Portland region,” noted OTC member Bob Van Brocklin. “We are all aware that our population is growing dramatically, and that we will need to invest more in our infrastructure from a range of funding sources to keep up with that growth.” Consistent with the advisory committee’s recommendation to analyze the benefits and impacts of tolling on other roadways, the OTC also provided direction to separately develop a long-term study of congestion pricing on all Portland metro area freeways including Interstate 84, Interstate 405, U.S. 26 and Oregon 217. ODOT will develop an approach for implementation, including policy review, potential geographic scope, timing, estimates of resource needs, and OTC oversight. ODOT will provide a draft proposal for OTC discussion in November and present a refined proposal for OTC approval before the end of January 2019. “Congestion in Portland that traps trucks in traffic impacts the economy of the entire state,” said Commissioner Martin Callery of North Bend, who formerly worked for the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay and served as vice-chair of the Oregon Freight Advisory Committee. “We need to look for creative solutions that will keep freight moving so we can keep Oregon businesses strong and produce family-wage jobs.”      

WASHINGTON — Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Jim Infohe of Oklahoma Thursday introduced the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act, designed, they said, to address the driver shortage in the trucking and logistics industry, and enhance safety training and job opportunities for young truckers. Though many states allow individuals to obtain a commercial driver’s license at the age of 18, federal law currently prohibits those operators from moving goods from state to state until they are 21. The DRIVE-Safe Act creates a training program that would allow for the legal operation of a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce by commercial driver’s license holders under the age of 21. Republican Reps. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana and Duncan Hunter of California on March 22 introduced companion legislation in the House. HR 5358 was referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure, which has not debated the bill. The apprenticeship training program would help ensure younger drivers are trained beyond current standards while instituting rigorous safety standards and performance benchmarks. the senators said. “Indiana is the Crossroads of America and the truck driver shortage has a significant impact on our state,” Young said. “As I’ve traveled throughout Indiana, I have heard from Hoosiers that a pathway is needed to qualify more drivers to move goods safely and efficiently. The DRIVE-Safe Act will help address the driver shortage, enhance safety, and create new career opportunities for young Hoosiers.” “Not only would the DRIVE-Safe Act create new career opportunities for young Kansans, but it would also help move the supply-chain nationwide in a more expeditious manner, benefitting many sectors of the Kansas economy,” Moran said. “This legislation includes important provisions that would help curb the trucker shortage, train safe drivers, and deliver goods and supplies to the Kansans that need them.” “As home to three inland ports, nearly 4,000 miles of rail and over 12,000 miles of highways, Oklahoma is rightfully recognized as and benefits from being one of the nation’s leading transportation hubs and America’s Corner,” Inhofe said. “By expanding the opportunity for all commercial license holders to engage in interstate commerce, we can meaningfully address the driver shortage while improving transportation safety and give younger Americans the ability to be competitive in a strong economy so they can fully benefit from a skilled career.” “The trucking industry’s shortage of drivers threatens our economy,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “The Drive-Safe Act would open the door to millions of Americans who are seeking a career and a path to the middle class by training young men and women to safely and reliably move freight across state lines. Senators Young, Moran and Inhofe should be commended for their thoughtful leadership in creating a safe apprenticeship pathway for young people looking to go into trucking.” The apprenticeship program established by the DRIVE-Safe Act would require young drivers to complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time with an experienced driver in the cab with them. All trucks used for training in the program must be equipped with safety technology including active braking collision mitigation systems, a video event capture system, and a speed governor set at 65 miles per hour or below.