The Nation

COLUMBUS, Ohio – American Trucking Associations and ATA’s Safety Management Council Thursday kicked off the driving portion of competition at the 81st annual National Truck Driving Championships and Step Van Driving Championships held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Some of the trucking industry’s best drivers — 424 men and women from all across the country — are putting their knowledge of the industry, safe driving ability and skillfulness to the test to see who will emerge as the 2018 National Truck Driving Championships Bendix Grand Champion. “The trucking industry’s attention is turned to Ohio’s capital this week, where some of the country’s best drivers are competing for the trucking glory,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “It is a true testament to the entire trucking workforce that hundreds of truck drivers put in thousands of hours of driving practice and study in order to compete for the crown as grand champion. We can’t wait to see which drivers, companies and states emerge as champions on Saturday night and are thankful for all the effort that has gone into setting up this fun and friendly competition.” NTDC action began Wednesday when drivers were escorted onto the course for a timed walk-through in which they saw the driving problems for the first time. Competitors also sat down for a written examination, which is one of the three scored phases of competition. Over the next two days, competitors will take part in a vehicle pre-trip inspection to test the drivers’ ability to detect vehicle malfunctions and a driving skills test where competitors are graded on their ability to operate a truck through a series of obstacles. The first round of competition wraps up on Friday afternoon. Finalists for the championship round of competition are announced Saturday morning. After the five finalists in each of the eight vehicle classes and one step van class are announced, the finalists will compete on a championship course to determine the nine class national champions and overall 2018 Bendix Grand Champion, who will be announced Saturday night. Over four days, 424 competitors from all 50 states, including 28 “rookies” competing at any level of truck driving championship for the first time. The 424 competitors have a combined 693 million accident-free driving miles. The driving competition is the main event, but NTDC attendees can also explore the course-side Exhibit Hall, test their driving abilities in the ATA Interstate One truck driving simulator, shop at the official NTDC Marketplace, and spend time with friends and colleagues in the industry. Members of the media are invited to attend Media Day on Friday, when individuals can drive ATA’s Share the Road Mack Anthem through a mock driving course (with supervision from professional truck drivers) and learn more about the competition from past champions. The Allied Committee for the Trucking Industry is a premiere sponsor of the 2018 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.   .

JACKSON, Miss.  — Mississippi’s governor says he will call lawmakers into special session next week to consider more money for transportation. Clay Chandler, a spokesman for Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, says he will issue a call for a session to begin August 23 Bryant tells the Clarion Ledger he expects the session to last only two days. He says he’ll seek a funding package to increase spending by $640 million over three years. It’s unclear, though, if Bryant, House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves have reached an agreement. They could divert some taxes on internet sales to cities and counties, create a state lottery, earmark proceeds from taxes on sports betting, borrow, or use money otherwise dedicated to state savings accounts. Bryant and Reeves have flatly rejected increasing fuel taxes.

NEW YORK — The bridge that collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa was considered a feat of engineering innovation when it was built five decades ago, but it came to require constant maintenance over the years. Its design is now being investigated as a possible contributor to its stunning collapse. The Morandi Bridge was severed in its midsection during a heavy downpour August 14, killing at least 39 people. Italian prosecutors focused their investigation into possible design flaws or inadequate maintenance of the 1967 bridge. Engineering experts said the disaster points to the challenges of maintaining any aging bridge, regardless of its design. “What the general public does not comprehend is that bridges have been traditionally designed in the past for a life span of 50 years,” said Neil Hawkins, a professor emeritus of engineering at the University of Illinois, who specializes in reinforced and prestressed concrete design. “The environment in which the bridge exists can have a major effect on how much it can last beyond that 50-year design life span.” The Federal Highway Administration said as of 2017 the bridge count in the United States is 615,002. Of those 245,027, or 39.9 percent were built in 1967 or before. The Italy structure that collapsed is a cable stayed bridge designed by Italian engineer Riccardo Morandi, who died in 1989. Among its unusual features were its concrete-encased stay cables, which Morandi used in several of his bridge designs instead of the more common steel cables. There are two similar bridges in the world, in Libya and Venezuela. Experts have said a number of factors could have contributed to the collapse, including wear and tear from weather and traffic that surpassed what the bridge was originally built to sustain. “Genoa is a port city so that there can be marine effects and also it is a major industrial center so that there can be air pollution that impairs the concrete,” Hawkins said in an e-mail. “Whether any of these effects, or other major deficiencies in the foundations, were present I have no knowledge. But all can contribute to a bridge failure.” Antonio Brencich, a professor of construction at the University of Genoa, said the design lent itself to swift corrosion and the bridge was in constant need of maintenance. Most recently, a 20 million-euro ($22.7 million) project to upgrade the bridge’s safety had been approved before its collapse, with public bids to be submitted by September. According to the business daily Il Sole 24 Ore, the improvement work involved two weight-bearing columns that support the bridge — including one that collapsed Tuesday. But Brencich, who warned two years ago that the design of the bridge was a failure, said the structure should have been destroyed rather than be subjected to more repairs. The Genoa bridge, along with the two similar bridges in Libya and Venezuela, have deteriorated at “unimaginable speeds,” Brencich told Sky News Italian television station August 15. “Since this bridge was under constant maintenance, the time had come to consider a replacement for the bridge.” The Italian CNR civil engineering society said structures as old as the Morandi Bridge had surpassed their lifespans. It called for an ambitious plan to repair or replace tens of thousands of Italian bridges and viaducts built in the 1950s and 1960s, citing a series of collapses in recent years, not all fatal. The collapse of a freeway bridge in Minneapolis in 2007 drew similar alarm bells about aging infrastructure in the U.S. The Interstate 35W bridge, whose collapse into the Mississippi river killed 13 people, was also built in the 1960s, though federal investigators ultimately concluded that poor maintenance wasn’t the main cause of the disaster. Instead, they pointed to a design defect, saying crucial gusset plates that held the beams together were only half as thick as they should have been. Since then, there has been a push to improve bridge designs and make changes to the way they are inspected. A more recent fatal collapse involved a newly constructed pedestrian bridge in Florida. U.S. investigators have said they are looking at the emergence of cracks in the structure before the collapse of the bridge near Florida International University, which killed six people. Matteo Pozzi, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said the bridge in Italy was “known to have problems,” as evidenced by the upcoming upgrades. But he said older bridges can often be sustained with maintenance and repairs — and collapses are rare. “It’s still a challenge to predict exactly when, or if, a bridge will collapse,” Pozzi said. “Overall, we are doing a good job because a failure of this kind is rare. But we are trying to improve the ways in which we understand and monitor these bridges.” Of the bridge’s design, Hawkins said the concrete encasement improves the anchorage of the cables but “in a marine environment there can be a build-up of chloride in the concrete and that can lead to cable corrosion.” He said any broken cables would have to be examined to determine whether that was the case in the Morandi bridge. The bridge in Venezuela, which is much larger and spans Lake Maracaibo, also has had mishaps. In 1979, corrosion caused the rupture of one of the concrete-encased cables, forcing a complicated effort to replace it. Pozzi said use of concrete-encased cables for bridges was considered a “pioneering technique” at the time but it was never widely adopted and came to be considered problematic. However, he said there are many bridges around the world whose original technology has been abandoned, and he cautioned against concluding that any are in danger of collapse. More often, it means “there is a maintenance cost,” he said. “The question is for how long and in what way.”    

TRANSPORTATION BRIEFS CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is backing a recommendation to convert one of the two proposed toll lanes for Interstate 77 near Charlotte into a free, general purpose lane. News outlets report Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said Wednesday the department is also recommending the contract be renegotiated with better terms for drivers, frequent user discounts and allowing medium size trucks use of express lanes capacity. The recommendations were presented during a meeting of the I-77 Express Lanes Local Advisory Group. A majority of the group recommended the measure endorsed by Trogdon in a vote during its last meeting in May. Trogdon said buying out the contract with the company building the expanded road isn’t feasible this year or next year. The toll zone is expected to open by the end of the year, but it’s not known if the recommended changes will affect the project. City: INDOT will miss August. 31 target for I-69 Section 5 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The city of Bloomington says the state will miss its August 31 target for substantially completing Section 5 of the Interstate 69 extension to Evansville. The city issued a news release Tuesday saying the Indiana Department of Transportation would miss the target, based on a report the agency presented to the Bloomington/Monroe County Metropolitan Planning Organization last week. INDOT spokesman Andy Dietrick told The Herald-Times that substantial completion likely won’t be reached until September based on weather forecasts. INDOT defines substantial completion as having all interchanges on the 21-mile section and at least two lanes in each direction open to highway traffic and most access roads paved. The state set the August 31 target after taking control of the project from a private developer last year. Business Interstate 40 project may finish ahead of schedule WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina transportation engineer says the Business Interstate 40 shutdown may not last as long as initially expected. The Winston-Salem Journal reports Larry Shaver, the senior assistant resident engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation, told the Winston-Salem City Council Tuesday that the shutdown could last as long as 15 months instead of the original two-year forecast. Shaver said new financial incentives to the Business 40 contractors could speed up the upgrade and have it reopened in early 2020. He said Flatiron Constructors Inc. and Blythe Development Co. team were chosen to build the upgrade because of their commitment to shorten the original shutdown period. Interstate 55 expansion wrapping up soon south of Jackson JACKSON, Miss. — Some orange barrels are disappearing from a heavily traveled section of interstate highway in central Mississippi. The state Department of Transportation says all six lanes of Interstate 55 are opening Wednesday between south Jackson to the southern suburb of Byram. Crews have been working for months to expand from two lanes to three for both northbound and southbound traffic in the area. Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall says in a news release that drivers should remain alert. Hall says some lanes will be closed occasionally as crews place permanent lane markings and finish the tie-ins at entrance and exit ramps. Man charged with launching objects at Mississippi drivers GREENWOOD, Miss. — Officials are adding charges against a Mississippi Delta man they say was launching objects at people along a highway. The Greenwood Commonwealth reports that 18-year-old Jumearo Williams is now charged with aggravated assault in addition to earlier malicious mischief charges. A number of motorists this summer have reported that their vehicles were hit by flying objects or they were run off the road along U.S. 49 between Greenwood and Tchula (CHOO’-luh). Different drivers report being hit by or dodging a bottle, a rock and a bullet-like object. Williams is jailed on $525,000 bail. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer representing him. Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks says he expects more arrests in the case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Highway Patrol are handling the inquiry. Interstate 70 reopens outside Baltimore after wire repairs WOODLAWN, Md. — A Maryland interstate has reopened after crews repaired a storm-damaged pole that carries high-voltage wires overhead. The State Highway Administration closed Interstate 70 west of Baltimore’s beltway midday Tuesday so repairs could be completed. BGE spokesman Justin Mulcahy says the top of a pole that supports the wires was damaged in a storm on Monday evening and the damage was noticed Tuesday. Crews had to repair the top of the pole to ensure the stability of the wire. SHA spokesman Charlie Gischlar says I-70 was closed in both directions for more than an hour and delays are now subsiding.  

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. —  The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports government efforts to modernize Hours of Service regulations and looks forward to an anticipated Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the organization said Wednesday in a news release. The association’s members have often pointed out to their representatives in Washington that current regulations are overly complex, provide no flexibility, and in no way reflect the physical capabilities or limitations of individual drivers, the release said. “We know that these messages have struck a chord with lawmakers and with the agency and that the response is to look closely at the regulations and the need for reform,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer (above), who added that OOIDA members have told lawmakers their concerns about regulations that force them to be on the road when they are tired, during busy travel times and in adverse weather and road conditions. Their schedules are also at the mercy of shippers and receivers and other obstacles that create a conflict between operating both safely and in compliance, the association said. “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 trucking industry is in a situation where we have never had more regulations and greater enforcement and compliance.  Yet, truck-related crash numbers are going in the wrong direction. It’s time for a new approach.” OOIDA petitioned the FMCSA earlier this year and expressed support for proposed legislation that came soon after, both of which would reform current regulations that dictate rest breaks for truck drivers. OOIDA’s petition recommended that drivers be allowed to take rest breaks once per 14-hour period for up to three consecutive hours as long as the driver is off-duty. It also suggested eliminating the 30-minute break requirement. On the legislative side, the Responsible and Effective Standards for Truckers, or REST Act, H.R.5417, is similar in that it would allow drivers to take one rest break per shift, for up to three consecutive hours, Spencer said, noting that this single off-duty period would not be counted toward the driver’s 14-hour, on-duty allowance. The bill would not extend the total, allowable drive time limits. The bill was introduced by Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, and would also eliminate the existing 30-minute rest break requirement. “We look forward to the agency’s response to our petition and to seeing what they recommend in their notice,” Spencer said. “We think our proposal is a solid start, but we are open to ideas in how to make the regulations into something that is truly safe and addresses the flexibility needed for long-haul truckers.” OOIDA is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The association currently has more than 161,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973.  

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The former president of the nation’s largest fuel retailer has been given a delay in sentencing for his conviction in a scheme to defraud trucking companies. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports an August sentencing hearing for former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood was rescheduled for September 26, allowing lawyers to examine audit reports that will form the basis of the penalty range he faces for scheming to lure truckers to do business with the truck stop giant by promising discounts and then shorting them. The amount stolen by a person factors into penalty ranges. Hazelwood had fired his defense team and requested the delay. A judge wrote the court wouldn’t have permitted the change if it knew his present counsel wouldn’t be prepared for August sentencing. Hazelwood fired renowned criminal defense attorney Rusty Hardin after being convicted earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and tampering with a witness. Hazelwood was the highest-ranking member of Pilot Flying J who was convicted in a five-year plot that bilked trucking companies out of more than $56.5 million. Two subordinates were convicted of varying crimes alongside him, and 14 others pleaded guilty. Two were granted immunity. Pilot Flying J’s board also admitted criminal responsibility. Hazelwood’s new defense team argued in filings earlier this month that Hazelwood’s former bosses — Pilot Flying J’s board of directors — threw money at any trucking customer that claimed fraud when news of an April 2013 raid at the company’s Knoxville headquarters broke. That means, his attorneys argued, the roughly $23 million in fraud an audit attributed to Hazelwood is inflated. Hazelwood was earning $26.9 million at the height of the fraud plot – double his pay when the scheme began in earnest. Even after his indictment in 2016, Hazelwood continued to make money from the trucking industry. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Hamilton countered that even after reducing the fraud figures to account for those complaints, he and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lewen could have mounted a case that Hazelwood is responsible for more than $21 million of the fraud loss. Pilot Flying J is controlled by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The Haslams haven’t been charged with wrongdoing.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Voting is now open for the Pilot Flying J Road Warrior contest which honors professional truck drivers in the United States who go the extra mile to ensure that products and goods are delivered safely, securely and on time to keep the country moving efficiently. To vote, go to www.RoadWarrior.PilotFlyingJ.com between now and August 22 at 7:59 a.m. The Road Warrior most deserving will receive a $10,000 grand prize. The second place winner will receive a $5,000 prize, third place will receive $2,500 and the remaining nine finalists will each receive $1,000. The winners will be announced September 10 during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Here are the top 12 Road Warriors Adam Cook Oklahoma Adam is an Army Veteran Combat Medic and became a professional driver to help build a better life for his family. Adam has worked hard to help his wife with a health scare and she says he “never gives up, he never slacks off, and he never complains.” Alton Jackson Texas Alton is an Ambassador of the Road for Melton Truck Lines, a 2-million-mile driver, and a Road Trainer. “Alton is more than willing to pass on his valuable knowledge to others. His exceptional safety record and extensive experience in the industry has not only contributed to Melton’s success, but to others success out on the road,” said a representative of Melton Truck Lines. Bob Lloyd Michigan Bob has been a professional driver for over 47 years. He is involved in numerous trucking charities and even helped found “Truckers United for Charities.” He also volunteers his time serving on mission trips. Chris Morris Ohio In addition to his career as a professional driver, Chris also drives for the military in the Ohio Army National Guard. He has four children and another one due in the fall. His wife says he is “a hero to his family and our country.” Christopher Dowdy Tennessee Christopher has over 2.5 million accident free miles in over 20 years of driving. He started “Truckers for Hope” as a way to give back to children at St. Jude and educate the public on how to drive safely around semi-trucks. Dawn Stanton Alabama Dawn has been a professional driver for 16 years and is also a first responder. She works hard to help support local fire departments, food banks and Cops for Tots. Gary Buchs Illinois Gary is an owner-operator contracted to Landstar that has been driving for more than 25 years and has over two million accident free miles. He always promotes safety. More than 10,000 driver education students throughout the state of Illinois have been touched by his unique presentations at youth events throughout the years. He has worked closely with local and state police, the Illinois Department of Transportation and several large companies to provide education to drivers everywhere. Gary Martin California Gary is a contractor for FedEx Ground and has over 35 years of over the road accident free driving. He is a four time California state truck driving champion, manages ten over the road tractors and still finds time to involve himself in a number of charities in the state of California. James Monclair Louisiana After achieving over 1 million miles with Melton Truck Lines, James became an Ambassador of the Road for Melton and serves as a mentor to other drivers. James is a veteran and volunteers to drive his wrapped veteran truck in the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade each year. He also makes an annual trip to St. Jude Children’s Hospital to volunteer and spend Survivors Day with his daughter. Jim Klemm Louisiana Jim drives hazardous chemicals all over the country and still finds time to support his six children. Jim once saved a woman’s life who he found on the side of the road and pinned under her vehicle. “He’s strong, brave, loyal, generous & kind,” his wife said. “He’s as hard working as they come!” Michael Fisher Massachusetts Michael has almost 5 million miles on the road and is a Vietnam veteran. Not only did he risk his life while in the Army, he has risked his life on many occasions while on the road helping fellow truck drivers and other people. Most recently, in 2016, he saved two school buses full of children from crashing into him by accelerating his Freightliner down the off ramp and into the grass to avoid collision. Victoria Andrade Texas When her parents passed away over 30 years ago, Victoria made it her mission to turn her job at UPS into a career so that she could provide for her eight siblings. She began working at UPS as a car washer and is now a feeder driver. Her family is proud of her for being “a fierce woman and an outstanding employee for UPS.”

Rules are rules, but for every rule there are exceptions, and that’s when things can get murky. That’s certainly been the case ever since the ELD mandate went in to effect. Dec. 18, 2017, was just another day for those who’d been using ELDs for years. But for other drivers and carriers who want to operate within the regulations but hadn’t necessarily always been worried about the fine details, it was the start of an age of anxiety, knowing that every little move and non-move was on the record. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently tried to provide clarity to two areas of most concern and confusion: personal conveyance and the agricultural exemption, by providing their official definitions and some regulatory counsel for each. But there are so many “what if” questions around both categories, not to mention many drivers with questions not only how to follow the regulations but to show they’ve been followed on the official log. In order to clear the air a little more on these issues, ELD manufacturer EROADS conducted a webinar July 24, cohosted by Joe DeLorenzo, FMCSA’s director of enforcement and compliance, and Soona Lee, EROAD’s director of regulatory compliance, explaining how and when these rules apply and how to record them. DeLorenzo opened by acknowledging that determining when driving can be considered personal conveyance can seem tricky. The way to simplify it is to ask yourself two questions, he said: First, is the driver released from duty and second, is the driving for personal purposes only? There are several hard and firm rules within FMCSA guidelines about what definitely is and isn’t allowed, DeLorenzo said. But if you keep those two guidelines in mind, it starts to get clearer whether the personal conveyance rule applies or not. “I think it’s important to talk about personal conveyance for what it really is,” DeLorenzo said. “It’s an off-duty status. That’s where the whole consideration of whether something is personal conveyance starts.” The original personal conveyance guidance was written in 1998. Since then, a lot of people have come up with creative and convenient interpretations of the rules that may be well-intentioned but not strictly accurate. Take commuting, DeLorenzo said, “This one can get people a little tripped up.” Commuting between home and a terminal or work sites using a CMV is considered personal conveyance, he said. “Where this one gets trickier is where the driver is under dispatch when they leave the house,” DeLorenzo said. If a driver loads up before going home anticipating he’ll hit the road first thing in the morning, or if the driver gets up and heads straight to a pick-up, that changes things because the driver is then “under the direction of a carrier.” Another common question is when a driver stops at a rest stop for the night then wants to go get something to eat. That drive to the restaurant is personal conveyance. But if along the way you stop somewhere to fill up the gas tank, that would be considered work-related, so the trip would no longer qualify as personal conveyance. “It’s the intent of the driving that matters,” DeLorenzo said. It doesn’t matter whether you’re laden, or even if you’re bobtailing. Are you off duty and is the movement strictly for personal reasons? DeLorenzo illustrated his point using another common scenario. Suppose it takes longer than planned to load up and you’re running out of hours to find a safe, legal place to park. That extra time beyond your 14 hours that it will take find a place for the night would fall under personal conveyance. The same would be true if you stop somewhere and a law enforcement officer tells you that you have to move on. “There’s no reason why your 10 hours should get broken up over that,” DeLorenzo said. “This is where you put an annotation in, you put a note in that says what happened and why.” It doesn’t matter if looking for a place to stop happens to bring you a little closer to your destination, DeLorenzo said. But if you stretch that search out, skipping past rest stops in order to get a little further down the road, then it’s a problem. The key to personal conveyance is documentation, Lee said. ELDs include a “personal conveyance” duty-status option. The thing to remember is whenever that status is engaged off-duty personal conveyance time will be noted and an explanation for the mileage must be entered into the log. Another option, Lee said, is to remain logged out during the personal conveyance and, again, have that written explanation to account for the miles driven. Keep in mind, she added, that carriers can establish their own limits about personal conveyance that are tighter than the actual regulation, so drivers need to know what their carrier’s rules are. DeLorenzo joined Lee in stressing that personal conveyance time is off-duty time, but drivers must stick to the same safety standards they always drive by. And while there are no regulations about how much time a driver can spend on personal conveyance, it is important to use enough of those 10 hours of down time to get adequate rest. The agricultural exemption makes the time a driver spends within a 150-air-mile radius of the source of an agricultural commodity exempt from counting toward Hours of Service. Much of the uncertainty about this exemption has to do with definitions, DeLorenzo said. “A lot of people get confused over the term ‘agricultural commodity.”’ An agricultural commodity is any “nonprocessed food, feed, fiber or livestock,” DeLorenzo said. “Nonprocessed,” he added, means it can be packaged, but it has to still be in its original form. “As long as it’s still a head of lettuce, it’s fine. If it’s in a bag of mixed greens, well, it’s not an agricultural commodity anymore.” Another word that hangs up a lot of people is “source,” DeLorenzo said. The source can be an original source, like a farm or ranch, or an intermediate facility, such as a grain elevator or sale barn. How the exemption works, DeLorenzo explained, is to put a circle with a radius of 150 miles around the source.  “If you’re operating within 150 air miles of the source, then the Hours of Service regulations do not apply.” The clock stops the moment you enter the circle on your way to the source. Loading up, traveling to other stops to load or unload, then heading off to the drop-off location, none of that goes toward HOS. The clock starts as soon as you leave the circle. If that destination is 300 miles away, you could cover half of that before the clock starts toward HOS, DeLorenzo explained. DeLorenzo clarified a few points. If loading occurs at more than one site, the ag exemption radius for the entire job is based on the location of the first loading point. You can’t create a string of exempt zones. If you drive out of the circle and the clock starts, then your route brings you back into the circle, then the clock stops again, DeLorenzo said. A trip could spend three hours inside the circle. Then you could drive outside the circle five hours, spend three at the destination, drive five hours on the return, reach the radius, then drive two hours more to get home. That trip took 18 hours, but the first three hours and last two hours were within the 150-mile radius. Outside the radius, there were 10 hours driving, 13 hours total counting toward HOS, so it’s all good. Obviously, it’s important to log the ag exemption properly, Lee said, and there are three options. The first is to simply not log in until you reach the 150-mile radius. All the driving that had been done would show as “unidentified driving.” You then reject those unidentified miles and annotate that time was ag exempt, then begin normal recording. Option two is to log in at the beginning then annotate the exempt and nonexempt time later, Lee said. “You could also use the personal conveyance option to separate that time you’re ag exempt. That’s kind of a tidy little option, just because it puts everything in the off-duty line.” Lee and DeLorenzo noted that the key thing they wanted to get across is that a driver’s log doesn’t begin and end with the ELD. “Everybody thinks there’s this magic thing that says, ‘hi, you’re in violation’ and spits out a ticket,” DeLorenzo said. “But what the law enforcement officer gets is your full ELD record including the annotations. “The ELD device is not ultimately making the decision whether you’re compliant or not. That’s the law enforcement officer’s job, and they’re going to review those annotations.” To watch the webinar in its entirety, click here.

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency privately challenged the Trump administration’s rationale for freezing Obama-era mileage standards, saying the proposal would actually increase U.S. highway deaths. In announcing the mileage proposal earlier this month, officials with the EPA and Department of Transportation contended the mileage freeze would save about 1,000 lives a year. But in a June email, senior EPA staffers told the Office of Management and Budget — the White House office charged with evaluating regulatory changes — that it would slightly increase highway deaths, by 17 annually. The “proposed standards are detrimental to safety, rather than beneficial,” William Charmley, director of the assessments and standards division of the EPA’s office of transportation and air quality, said in a June 18 interagency email, released Tuesday. While the Trump administration has said it wants to freeze mileage standards after 2020, agencies are still seeking public comment on that and other options, EPA spokesman John Konkus said. “These emails are but a fraction of the robust dialogue that occurred during interagency deliberations for the proposed rule,” he said. The Obama-era rules, which lay out years of increasingly toughened mileage standards, were one of the former administration’s biggest efforts against climate-changing tailpipe emissions and were also meant to lessen Americans’ overall dependence on the gas pump. The Trump administration’s own public report on the mileage freeze proposal projected that it would cut tens of thousands of auto-industry jobs. EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler had emphasized the safety projections as one of the strongest arguments for the mileage freeze. Essentially, the Trump administration argues in part that the mileage freeze would make vehicles cheaper, because automakers would not have to spend as much on fuel efficiency. As a result, the Department of Transportation argued, safer, newer vehicles would get on the road more quickly. The June EPA email says the administration’s proposal miscalculates the amount of vehicle turnover as a result of any mileage freeze. A former EPA senior staffer, Jeff Alson, said that the documents showing the interagency discussions on the freeze made clear that “EPA career staff were totally ignored, despite DOT trying to deceive the public into thinking that EPA supports the analysis.” Department of Transportation spokeswoman Karen Aldana defended the decision-making process. “As is typical for any joint rulemaking, the agencies provided feedback to each other as they developed their policy and analysis for the proposal,” she said. Sen. Tom Carper, a Delaware Democrat and opponent of the mileage freeze, Tuesday that the documents give the public “even more evidence that it’s based on bogus science and fundamentally flawed assumptions.” He said the proposed rule “almost certainly will be struck down in court.” California and 16 other states already have filed suit to block any change in the fuel efficiency rules.

WASHINGTON — Ninety-six percent of state lawmakers who voted in favor of a gas tax increase and faced reelection in 2018 primaries will advance to the November 6 general election, according to new data from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (ARTBA-TIAC). The 2018 primaries saw 802 legislators who voted on gas tax increase legislation from 12 states – California, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan and Washington – run for re-election. Of those lawmakers, 558 voted in favor of a gas tax increase and ran for re-election, with 538—or 96 percent—advancing to November’s general election. The numbers include 97 percent of the 263 Democratic lawmakers, and 96 percent of 295 Republican lawmakers. Of the 222 legislators who voted against a gas tax increase and ran for reelection, 216—or 97 percent—will move on to November’s general election. This includes 96 percent of 52 Democratic lawmakers, and 97 percent of 170 Republican lawmakers. An additional 22 lawmakers did not cast a vote on a gas tax increase measure and ran for reelection. The results support earlier findings from ARTBA-TIAC that showed voting for a gas tax increase does not affect a lawmaker’s chance of re-election. In the 16 states that increased their gas tax rates or equivalent measures between 2013 and 2016, nearly all (92 percent) of the 1,354 state legislators who voted for a gas tax increase and stood for reelection between 2013 and 2017 were sent back to the state house by voters. Of the 712 elected officials who voted against a gas tax increase, 93 percent were also given another term. More information on the results, and studies on state and local transportation investment and legislative and ballot initiatives can be found at www.transportationinvestment.org. The Center says it plans to do a similar report to compare the results following the November general election. TIAC operations are supported by ARTBA’s “Transportation Makes America Work” program. Established in 1902 and based in Washington, D.C., ARTBA is the “consensus voice” of the U.S. transportation design and construction industry before Congress, federal agencies, the White House, news media and the general public.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations has unveiled the official 2018 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week logo and launched the NTDAW online store. “In one month, all of trucking unites to honor the truck drivers who safely and professionally deliver our nation’s goods,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Because the week is so important to our industry, ATA put together tools, launched an online store and released the official logo so that truck drivers throughout the country can be celebrated in a number of special and exciting ways.” This year, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week runs September 9-15. Trucking companies, industry suppliers, state associations, and shippers recognize the country’s 3.5 million professional truck drivers throughout the week by hosting events, celebrating driver safety achievements, and educating local communities about the important role truck drivers play in delivering critical goods. “From the food and medicine in our cabinets, the furniture and electronics in our living rooms, and even the cars or bikes in our driveways – none of those items would be available to us without truck drivers,” said ATA COO and Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. “We encourage everyone to visit the official NTDAW website to see the variety of tools we use to spread the word about NTDAW, such as suggested events, sample op-eds and press releases to generate local appreciation of drivers.” The official 2018 NTDAW logo is available for industry affiliates seeking to promote the week. ATA also released a selection of sample documents intended to enhance the week through various media campaigns, legislative items and events. This year, ATA’s NTDAW store will come equipped with a selection of items to buy for professional truck drivers or to show support for the work they do. These items, featuring a backpack cooler and high-quality thermos, allow industry professionals and supporters from the general public to show appreciation for America’s drivers throughout the year. The store will take orders until September 1 to ensure customers receive their merchandise before the start of the celebration. Interested customers can also co-brand merchandise with company logos alongside the official 2018 NTDAW logo.

MONTREAL — Last year’s implementation of new electronic logging device mandate for the nation’s truckers is forcing drivers to more carefully regulate rest stops and truck maintenance, says the founder of a new road service app. Rest stops and maintenance are two areas where the 4RoadService app can come in handy, according to Brian Telford, 4RoadService.com founder. “The Hours of Service regulation limits truckers to no more than 11 hours of driving within 14 consecutive hours. Drivers must then be off-duty for 10 consecutive hours. Canada recently adopted a new rule that allows 13 hours of driving within 16 hours,” Telford said. “That means finding a truck stop or a place to shut down for the night, or emergency repair services, is essential for drivers racing the clock.” 4RoadService.com’s mobile app allows drivers to locate service providers in their travel area in a matter of seconds, he said. “The app can be a lifesaver,” Telford added. “Having worked in trucking, we understand how important it is to find a place to stop or rest for the night. And then there’s always the unexpected mechanical problem that occurs. Our app let’s drivers find the assistance they need in the area they are traveling in moments.” 4RoadService’s Breakdown Directory includes more than 30,000 mobile repair, truck repair, towing and wrecker services, tire repair services and garages used daily throughout the U.S. and Canada. “4RoadService brings a sound understanding of the trucking industry and understanding first-hand what it means to need services on the road,” Telford said. 4RoadService’s app works on either iPhone or Android devices. For more information visit the 4RoadService website at www.4roadservice.com.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops is now serving Customers in Donna, Texas, following the grand opening of a new travel stop located near Interstate 2 and Hutto Road that brings 82 jobs and 94 truck parking spots to Hidalgo County. “Donna is a great area for Love’s to serve new customers,” said Tom Love, executive chairman and founder of Love’s. “Donna’s location along Interstate 2 is ideal for travelers to stop as they head to and from the gulf. The city has also become a popular stop for professional drivers in recent years and continues to grow.” The more than 11,000 square-foot facility offers an Arby’s restaurant in addition to brand-name snacks, gourmet coffee, Fresh to Go options, fountain drinks, electronics and more. Professional drivers can take advantage of 94 truck parking spots, eight showers, laundry facilities and a Love’s Truck Tire Care center. “The City of Donna is very excited to welcome Love’s to our growing city,” said Rick Morales, mayor of Donna. “Its location along Interstate 2 is prime real estate as it serves residents, motorists and thousands of professional truck drivers that cross our Donna International Bridge on a daily basis. As we open our bridge to additional commercial traffic in the coming year, we hope to welcome even more of them to our city.” In celebration of the grand opening, Love’s will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday at 10 a.m. During the ceremony, Love’s will make a $2,000 donation to Donna High School. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has more than 460 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 22,000 people. For more information, visit www.loves.com.    

CHICAGO — A new analysis shows the Chicago region has grown more car dependent since 1980, and that a different approach is needed to create healthier, more sustainable and more equitable communities, the Active Transportation Alliance said citing its 2018 Regional Mode Share Report. The alliance, whose stated mission is to promote walking, bicycling and public transit to create healthy, sustainable and equitable communities, called for a moratorium on expressway expansion as one means of slowing the dependency auto travel. “The report demonstrates the region’s inability to build its way out of traffic congestion,” Ron Burke, the executive director, wrote in a blog on the organization’s website “A larger percentage of Chicagoland residents are driving to work today compared to 1980, and the total amount of driving in the region has grown approximately four times faster than the population. While the region’s population grew by 18 percent since 1980, the traffic increased by 66 percent in the same period.” The report notes that the Chicagoland region has seen a substantial decrease in walking, biking and transit work trips since 1980 when nearly a quarter of residents used one of these modes to get to work. Regionally, as walking, biking and transit trips have declined, driving commute trips have increased as have the percentage of people working from home. While disappointing, over the last decade the downward trend of people walking, biking and taking transit to work has reversed and is again climbing, growing from 15.4 percent in 2006 to 17.1 percent in 2016. “Between 1996 and 2015, the region spent billions of dollars to add more than 1,000 miles of new roadway that was purported to reduce congestion,” Burke said. “This has only led to more driving, more traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities, as well as more air pollution, flooding and chronic disease due to physical inactivity. Burke said roadway expansion also has made it more difficult for people to access jobs and other destinations without a car, worsening economic hardship for low-income residents. “For these reasons, Active Trans is calling for a moratorium on expressway expansion in the Chicago region,” Burke said, urging the public to contact the Illinois governor’s office in support of the moratorium. “Research shows that roadway expansion in urban areas only exacerbates traffic congestion in the long run by inducing more driving that over time fills in the additional roadway space, with congestion rebuilding to previous levels,” Burke wrote. “Investments in transit, biking and walking carry greater long-term benefits at a much lower cost. The planned expansions of I-294, I-290 and I-55 would cost a combined $7.4 billion. In comparison, Chicago added 100 miles of new bikeways from 2011 to 2015 for $12 million and converting expressway lanes to carpool lanes is inexpensive. Burke said the alliance had sent letters to the region’s planning agency, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), as well as the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Tollway Authority (ITA), asking each to take the following steps: Remove expressway expansion projects from the ON TO 2050 regional plan, Illinois’ Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Tollway’s Move Illinois Capital Program. Adopt a policy acknowledging that expressway expansion leads to induced demand that undermines congestion relief, reinforces car-dependency and disadvantages people who cannot afford or cannot physically drive a car. Prioritize lasting, cost-effective congestion relief with strategies like better public transportation and rush-hour demand management. The latest congestion/bottleneck report issued by the American Transportation Research Institute lists the I-290/I-90-I-94 interchange as the third most congested area in terms of congestion.

On-highway diesel prices slipped ever-so-slightly downward for the week ending Aug. 13, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The average price nationwide fell by $0.006 to $3.217, exactly where it stood July 23 and only $0.002 above the price on June 25. The national average diesel price has stayed within the same 5-cent range since June 11, following a steady spring climb. Although the price drop for the past week was miniscule, it was shared in every region across the country. The Midwest was the only region to record a price drop of more than a penny, with a decrease of $0.012 to 3.139. California saw the smallest, change, with a drop of just $0.001 to $3.942, which is still the highest price for diesel in the country, by over 50 cents more than the rest of the West Coast and more than 55 cents more than the Central Atlantic region. The West Coast minus California and the Central Atlantic regions experienced two of the larger price drops this week, at $0.007 and $0.006, respectively. The Gulf Coast region, where the price of diesel dropped by $0.005 over the past week, continues to be the only region where diesel goes for less than $3 per gallon. It currently stands at $2.990. Nationwide, the price of diesel is currently $0.619 higher than it was a year ago. California has experienced the largest year-to-year gain, at $0.9993, while the Lower Atlantic has seen the smallest year-to-year gain, $0.564 per gallon. Oil futures declined Aug. 13, with the U.S. benchmark falling by 43 cents to close at $67.20 a barrel, while Brent crude slipped by 20 cents to finish at $72.61 a barrel on London’s ICE exchange. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Truckers and other travelers may want to avoid parts of Highway 277 going through Columbia, South Carolina because there will be delays while crews work on a drainage project. Drivers could face big delays on one of the main routes into downtown Columbia and the City of Columbia says it will cut the inbound side of state Highway 277 down from three lanes to two on Bull Street in downtown after the expressway from the northeast side of the city ends. Officials say the part of the project that involves shifting the lanes could take up to a month. The area frequently backs up during morning rush hour with three lanes, so authorities are warning there could be long delays. Columbia officials say crews will also replace drinking water pipes in the area as part of a $6 million project lasting through the end of the year.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Kenworth has teamed with the FASTPORT Trucking Track Mentoring Program and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring our Heroes Program to find America’s top rookie military veteran, who has made the successful transition from active duty to driving for a commercial fleet. For the third consecutive year, Kenworth will donate The Driver’s Truck – a fully-loaded Kenworth T680 Advantage with a 76-inch sleeper and a PACCAR MX-13 engine – to serve as the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” recognition program award. Recently, the program’s top 10 finalists were named as America’s top rookie military drivers. The drivers, listed by their military branch of service and current truck fleet, include: Mordaunt “Platt” Brabner / U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy / TMC Transportation Summar Hanks / U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard / US Xpress Toby Hunt / U.S. Army and U.S. Navy / Prime, Inc. Jeremiah King / U.S. Navy / PAM Transport Tilford Serea / U.S. Navy / TMC Transportation Ricardo Sumrall / U.S. Navy / Melton Truck Lines Phillip “Tom” Vargo / U.S. Navy / Roehl Transport Brian “Kelley” Ward / U.S. Navy / Veriha Trucking Quinton Ward / U.S. Army / Werner Enterprises Christopher Young / U.S. Army / Stevens Transport “We have an outstanding group of drivers selected this year as finalists in the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence program. We thank them for their military service to the country, and appreciate their dedication on the road in pursuing their new profession as truck drivers traveling the highways of America,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. The three finalists in the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” recognition program will be announced as America’s top rookie military drivers at the upcoming Great American Trucking Show (GATS) in Dallas. Drivers were nominated by trucking companies that made a hiring commitment and pledge to hire veterans on www.truckingtrack.org or, by members of the National Association of Publically Funded Truck Driving Schools, or Commercial Vehicle Training Association-member school. “Our 10 finalists represent a wide variety of military branches and occupations, and are excellent examples of what military talent can bring to the trucking industry,” said FASTPORT President Brad Bentley. In conjunction with GATS, all 10 drivers will receive special recognition at the President George W. Bush Library during a tour and reception. For further information on the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award program, please visit www.transitiontrucking.org.

JACKSON, Miss. — A special session to seek more money for Mississippi’s roads and bridges could be drawing near. But nothing is likely to happen without Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves’ agreement, and many observers aren’t sure what he wants. Gov. Phil Bryant has been facilitating talks among himself and fellow Republicans Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn, seeking an agreement. “Any special session will include an infrastructure package,” Bryant spokesman Clay Chandler said Friday. “Nothing is certain beyond that.” Rep. Trey Lamar, a Senatobia Republican who has been involved in some talks on the House side, said a late-August date is possible for such a session, although speculated start dates have been pushed back over the course of the summer. “The lieutenant governor has gotten on board a little bit,” Lamar said. Reeves’ own office didn’t respond to questions asked Thursday. The House position is pretty clear, built around a cornerstone of diverting part of increased taxes on internet sales to counties and cities so they can step up local road maintenance. House members close to Gunn have also said he’s willing to allow a lottery to pass, even though Gunn personally opposes state-sponsored gambling. Some House members still want to swap increased fuel taxes for income tax cuts, but that proposal is getting less discussion in recent months, in part because Bryant and Reeves are both flatly opposed to increasing fuel taxes for any reason. During the legislative session earlier this year, Reeves proposed diverting cash left over at the end of the budget year into transportation rather than the rainy day fund. But his plan would have put little or no new money under control of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, giving the governor control of $800 million or more. That plan got an icy reception from the road-building agency and its three-member elected governing body. Since then, the deep freeze has only gotten colder. Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall tried to tamp down questions about whether Reeves tried to push the agency to build a $2 million road connecting the front gate of Reeves’ subdivision to a nearby Flowood shopping center. But Hall also turned around and blamed Reeves for inaction on road funding thus far. During an Aug. 1 speech at the Neshoba County Fair, Hall called Reeves’ funding proposal “a political attempt to trick you into thinking that $600 million may fall out of the sky.” Lamar said achievements of any special session could be limited. He said the diversion of tax money to local governments is most likely to happen. But while lawmakers might inject a dose of borrowed money into the state department, Lamar said it might not get a new dependable revenue stream. Lamar said his read is that a lottery is more uncertain, as is a settlement over how the state should spend $700 million in economic damage payments from BP PLC after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Cities and counties continue to appeal for help, after federal inspectors concluded local governments had been ignoring problems and forced the closure of a number of timber-supported bridges. As of last week, the Office of State Aid Road Construction counted 452 closed bridges statewide, plus another 1,748 with weight restrictions because of structural concerns. The Mississippi Association of Supervisors is asking all 82 county boards to adopt a resolution seeking more money from lawmakers. Counties have begun adopting the document, although the association’s Steve Gray didn’t know how many had acted as of Friday. Meanwhile, the 2019 state elections grow nearer. “All the players know it’s an issue and they want something done that’s positive for the state of Mississippi,” Lamar said.

Despite explosions and civil unrest in oil exporter Venezuela this weekend — leading some analysts to predict that oil (and consequently diesel) prices will soon zoom back up — on-highway diesel prices Monday went down a scant 3 tenths of a cent to $3.223 a gallon from $3.226 the week prior. Diesel has edged up or down by miniscule amounts over the past several weeks and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the Rocky Mountain region stayed the same ($3.361 a gallon); the Central Atlantic region went up three tenths of a cent to $3.393 from $3.390 the week of July 30; and the rest of the regions (there are 10 total) saw diesel prices decrease by the merest of degrees. Professional truck drivers in the Gulf Coast region were paying the least for diesel Monday, where it’s ringing up at $2.995 a gallon, the cheapest in the U.S., while haulers in California were paying nearly $4 a gallon at $3.943. Opponents of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro are braced for a government crackdown following what appears to have been an attempt to assassinate him over the weekend using two drones packed with explosives. Inflation is so out of control in the country that some Venezuelans have had to eat their pets to keep from starving, according to one financial analyst’s report. Oil futures gave up most of an early gain Monday, but still finished higher, The Associated Press reported. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.8 percent to $69.01 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 0.7 percent to $73.75 a barrel in London. For more details on diesel prices by region, click here.  

The U.S. Senate August 1 approved more than $154 billion for fiscal year 2019 transportation spending, including $667 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and $956 million for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reported the Journal of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) today. Critical highway infrastructure is slated to get $49.3 billion, an estimated $3.3 billion above the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation or FAST Act’s authorized level, with $800 million going to bridges in rural areas. Also included were $1 billion in TIGER grants, which are now called BUILD grants. The Senate funding bill will have to be reconciled with the House of Representative’s appropriations bill passed in May. The Senate measure passed by a vote of 92-6, the Journal article said, noting that the package combined four separate spending bills into one for 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development or THUD needs “with only a few minor changes.”