The Nation

Coming soon to a state Department of Transportation near you — drones. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao May 9 announced the first 10 participants in an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot program, including the North Carolina DOT, the North Dakota DOT and the Kansas DOT. The Tennessee and Alaska DOTs are also participating through awards to the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. The other awards went to communities and private sector firms. State DOTs want to use drones where it’s hard or dangerous for humans to get to, like checking underneath bridges for signs of damage and/or aging, keeping an eye on how construction projects are going, monitoring traffic and so forth, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Journal. Drones also are being considered for the delivery of disaster relief goods when trucks and other vehicles can’t get through. The drones are expected to be used to find stranded motorists. Kansas Secretary of Transportation Richard Carlson said the pilot program is “a terrific opportunity [to] reduce risks to our workers during infrastructure inspections, search-and-rescue, and remote area assessments,” noting that KDOT must keep an eye on about 140,000 miles of public roads, many of them in rural areas. Speaking of the development of drone technology, Chao said, “Our country is on the verge of the most significant development in aviation since the jet airplane age.” The North Carolina DOT said its pilot proposal emphasizes working with “global drone delivery companies to set up a delivery network of medical distribution centers that can use drones to transport blood and other medical supplies.” Bottom line, will drones be taking the jobs of truck drivers? How many drones can be cleared to use an airspace, anyway? According to Chao, the drone technology “is developing so rapidly that our country has reached a tipping point” and there are now 1.1 million drones in operation along with 90,000 registered drone operators. “To reap the safety and economic benefits drones have to offer, we need to create a safe pathway for them,” Chao said in the AASHTO Journal posting. “So this pilot program will safely test drones in conditions they are currently forbidden from operation in — beyond line of sight, over the heads of people and at night.” The pilot program was established last year and the U.S. DOT had until last month to establish at least five sites for “experimentation” with drones and to develop new guidelines that allow local, state and tribal governments “a role in regulating and enforcing drone operations.” The 10 pilot program finalists are supposed to be working with the Federal Aviation Administration to refine their operational concepts, but according to AASHTO, no federal money is being used on the program. The information from the drone testing by the awardees will be used by the U.S. DOT and the FAA to draw up “enabling rules” for drone operations in “more complex, low-altitude” situations, to address security and privacy risks and to improve communications between local and state entities. Finally, there was the mention of using drones to patrol the U.S.-Canadian border but nothing about the U.S.-Mexican border.

By ALICE YIN, The Associated Press LANSING, Mich. — Self-driving trucks would be allowed shorter distances between vehicles under legislation that the Michigan House passed Tuesday. Lawmakers voted 64-44 for a bill that would provide an exemption to Michigan’s requirement that trucks maintain sufficient space behind another truck, as long as the vehicle is part of an electronically linked group of self-driving trucks known as a platoon. The legislation, which heads to the Senate, would not affect an already existing requirement that platoons accommodate other cars wishing to change lanes or exit the highway. Bill sponsor Rep. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills, said the proposal complements Michigan’s 2016 package legalizing platoons as part of a set of pioneering self-driving vehicle laws. The laws allowed smart commercial trucks on public roads so long as they operate in unison at coordinated speeds and state agencies do not object. They also approved self-driving cars without human supervision. “I see no real downside to it,” Webber said. “We have to have our laws keep up with this technology if we want to be at the forefront.” Webber said he envisions platooning will arrive in Michigan a lot sooner than driverless commercial vehicles and believes Tuesday’s bill would optimize the practice, as platooning trucks work best when closely following each other. The change, which applies to two-lane highways, does not give him safety concerns, he said. “I envision this mostly with semi-trucks and probably doing it more when they’re doing stuff late at night,” he said. “Obviously it’s not going to be rush hour traffic in the city of Detroit.” Democrats overwhelmingly voted against the bill, citing concerns with what they see as a lack of research on the safety of self-driving technology. Michigan Teamsters, a labor union representing truckers, also opposed the legislation. In March, the first pedestrian death from a self-driving vehicle occurred in suburban Phoenix from an autonomous Uber SUV.      

AMARILLO, Texas — A Pilot Flying J spokesperson says an employee was “misinformed” about the reason the truck stop chain was not flying the American flag at its location here. Dave Moore, in a recent Facebook post, said he’d been told that the American flag out of fear flying it would “offend foreign drivers.” “I went inside the Pilot and I asked them … they said they had an issue with foreigners coming here and complaining, and they didn’t want to lose the foreigners’ business so they took it down,” Moore said in the video, which has gained 3.4 million views since it was posted. The real reason, according to Pilot Flying J spokesperson Stephanie Myers, is the fact that the flagpole is broken and currently being replaced. “Our current policy is that an American flag can only be displayed at our locations if it can be flown according to military protocol,” Myers said. “What many may not know is there are very specific rules and protocols to properly fly a flag, everything from how it’s raised and flown to how it’s lit at night. Our goal is to ensure we show the flag the respect it deserves at our locations that fly the red, white and blue. We are currently surveying our locations with flagpoles to review if they are in proper working condition.” Myer said Pilot Flying J is “proudly American” and was founded by Korean War veteran James A. “Jim” when he opened the first Pilot on November 20, 1958, in Gate City, Virginia, paying $6,000 for an existing location. Gas costs 27.9 cents per gallon at the time. “Pilot Flying J shows that pride in all of our locations, whether that’s a flag outside, promoting military products in our stores, or through our many philanthropic efforts with organizations such as Bunker Labs, Fisher House Foundation, Operation Honor Guard, Special Operations Wounded Warrior, and Wreaths Across America, Myer said. Pilot Flying J is the largest operator of travel centers in North America, with more than 750 locations in 43 states and six Canadian provinces. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, the company employs more than 26,000 people. The Haslam family still owns the company, with Jimmy Haslam as CEO. Jimmy Haslam also owns the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.

There’s a lot of concern these days about the growing driver shortage. And it’s a valid concern. But there is another area where the supply of qualified labor looks to be falling behind the growing demand that also has fleet executives worried. As much as drivers are needed to keep the wheels turning, those wheels won’t even get out on the road without technicians. Back in March, Mobil Delvac held its 2018 Fleet Maintenance Forum in Louisville, Kentucky, the evening before the start of the Mid-America Trucking Show. The panel discussion was led by George Arrants, director of training and recruitment for the WheelTime Network and chairman  of the American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council Super Tech Competition and the Future Technicians Skills Competition. The discussion was titled, “Facing the Technician Shortage: How to Recruit and Retain Top Talent.” Arrants opened the discussion by challenging the premise that there truly is a technician shortage, showing that the raw numbers don’t bear that out. A 2014 survey showed there were 263,900 diesel technicians at the time and projected that by 2024 the industry will need to have 291,500. Allowing for the number of technicians expected to leave the profession for one reason or another, it’s estimated the industry will need to come up with 76,900 new technicians in that 10-year span. Meanwhile, technician programs at public and private schools are churning out an average of 10,700 graduates a year. “Do the math,” Arrants said — there shouldn’t be a shortage. So, what’s the problem? He and his fellow panelists proposed there isn’t so much a shortage of technicians as much as they are being squandered. Arrants said at events like this he likes to ask fleet representatives if it is really a shortage of applicants that’s the problem or of qualified applicants. “And nearly 90 percent of them say, ‘we have a shortage of qualified applicants,’” he said. He and his fellow panelists suggested that fleets need to look at their definition of “qualified,” and how they determine who meets that definition. Too many companies have come to rely on formulas and computerized algorithms in the application process, Arrants said. Panelist Mike Morvilius, vice president of maintenance for Moore Transport, agreed. When Moore Transport opened, he had no problem finding people, he said. But when he started to have to replace a few, he could place an ad and after a month he wouldn’t see a single candidate. He went down to the human resources department and found out that, yes, there had been applicants, but they’d all been rejected for not meeting the hiring criteria. “I’ve never been a big fan of ‘criteria,’” Morvilius said — very few of us go through life with a spotless record. From that point on, he insisted all applications have to cross his desk. Since then he’s hired some of his best people. Arrants suggested fleet executives submit their own resumés to see if they could get hired at their own companies, and “if you can’t even get out of the system, there’s a problem.” Speaking of criteria, Arrants added, if you’re the type who insists on years of experience, consider this: “If you start with entry-level technicians, the only bad habits they’ll have are the ones you teach them.” One of the most common comebacks Arrants hears is these new guys come out of the schools knowing nothing except how to rebuild engines. That’s a valid complaint, he said. “I’m sorry, but there’s not a company I know that’s going to let a 19-year-old work on a $60,000 engine.” ExxonMobil CVL applications engineer Paul Cigala works with fleets across the country to develop their maintenance programs, and hears the same complaint. “You have your entry level who’s probably changing oil, greasing, maybe some lighting/electrical work.” But too many entry-level technicians are coming out of school untrained in these areas. This is a national problem with a local solution, Arrants said. And that local solution, Mr. and Ms. Fleet Owner, is you. If you don’t like what the technician programs at your local schools are churning out, let them know what skills you need and offer your expertise and assistance. “You have to get involved,” Arrants said. “Industry has to drive the train.” Panelist Jerry Clemons, automotive and diesel technology program coordinator at Elizabethtown (Kentucky) Community and Technical College, can hold up is school as an example. “We have a very strong relationship with industry and have had for many years,” he said. The school conducts advisory committee meetings twice a year in which members of the industry are invited to provide feedback about the program. Local companies also help with donations of components, and even trucks and trailers. The curriculum is set up to give the students a wide range of knowledge, Clemons said. “Our students are in high demand and we don’t get any feedback that they are not ready for the industry teaching them what we teach,” Clemons said. More schools and companies are developing internships programs as part of their relationships, Clemons said. He’s also found local employers will hire promising students part-time while they’re finishing school. “The companies that are doing that are not having a problem,” Arrants said. They’re getting first crack at the best prospects before they graduate. But as so many trucking companies know all too well, getting employees in the door is one thing, holding onto them is another. This is particularly true with entry-level employees, Arrants added. “I tell people, we eat our young,” he said. “We take them out, first day on the job, throw them out in the shop and expect them to be productive. “Sometimes we’ll ask these kids to do a job, and they do it different than we do it. Then we think it’s wrong and we call them idiots or say, ‘I can’t believe you graduated from this school’ or whatever,” and so a lot of them quit. Older generations like to complain that millennials are too sensitive, they feel entitled, they’re lazy. But “we created them,” Arrants said, “We’ve been giving them trophies for coming in last place since they were 6 years old when we should have been saying, ‘pick another sport.’” But if you take this generation at face value and work with them, and you might be pleasantly surprised, he added. “We forget, at one point we were ‘those darned teenagers,’” Arrants said, and just like our parents’ generation found out, there comes a time when youth must be served. In 2000, baby boomers represented nearly half of the nation’s workforce. Today, baby boomers and Generation Xers combined make up less than half the workforce. Generation Y, the millennials — they’re the majority of your workforce now. Arrants advises his fellow “gray hairs or no hairs” to accept that today’s young adults didn’t have the experiences his generation did growing up. “We turned wrenches as a kid,” Arrants said. Guys grew up in the driveway, working on their bikes, then on some beater of a car. Not anymore. “When I taught 20 years ago, a kid knew what a Phillips screwdriver was, or a straight blade or whatever. Nowadays, we have to teach these kids what a screwdriver is, and that a torque bit is not a ‘star thing.’” There’s nothing you can assume they know, Arrants said. But don’t assume they can’t learn it. As always, it’s a matter of knowing how to motivate employees. When it comes to employee satisfaction, the whole work-life balance equation has changed, Arrants said, and that applies to time on the clock, as well. “One of my quotes is, do you treat your employees like your children or like your grandchildren?” he said. Fewer kids grow up in traditional, stable homes these days, Arrants said. Young workers value a clean, safe work environment and a sense that they’re part of a work family. Creating this sense of inclusion needs to start right at the beginning, Arrants said. He strongly suggests companies have designated mentors to show new people the ropes, both on the job and within the company culture. If the new technicians coming out of school seem a bit deficient, the panelists suggested, bear in mind that with the speed at which trucking technology is evolving, so is the definition of “qualified applicant.” The kids coming out of school today are generally a lot faster adopting new technology than their graybeard counterparts, Arrants said. “These kids have great skills,” he said. They may not be the skills of 20 or 30 years ago but that may be a good thing. While your older workers may have to show the newbies the right wrench to use, these kids may help demystify the latest electronic innovations to reluctant old-timers. As technology changes, so does the definition of “qualified,” Cigala pointed out. The training never really ends for technicians to keep up with changing times. “Some people think, ‘if you train them, they will leave,’” Arrants said. “But if you don’t train them, they may stay. Think about that.”

For the first time in a long while, all 10 of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s reporting regions are seeing on-highway diesel selling for at $3 or more a gallon. The last time that happened was on January 5, 2015, according to EIA records. The national average Monday, May 14 rang up at $3.239, up 6.8 cents from last week’s $3.171. Usually, diesel in the Gulf Coast region will be below the $3-a-gallon mark, but Monday, even the Gulf Coast was seeing $3-a-gallon diesel, $3.012 to be exact. California is about to hit the $4-a-gallon mark, with $3.929 compared with $3.863 last week. The 6.8-cent jump in the national average is the biggest upswing since January 1, 2015, when diesel took a 7-cent jump. Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 26 cents to settle at $70.96 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained $1.11, or 1.4 percent, to $78.23 a barrel in London, The Associated Press reported. Rising oil prices have helped lift energy stocks. Why are oil prices rising? Readers may remember talk of an oil glut, meaning the global oil market is swimming in oil, which brought the price down. But what goes down must go back up eventually. Now, analysts say there has been a draw-down in oil, meaning less in storage overall. Both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have predicted an end of the global glut. Oil prices have also been pushed higher by geopolitical events, from increased tensions in Syria, the threat of new sanctions on Iran to unrest in Venezuelan oil fields. For a region-by-region look at diesel prices click here.

 By JULIAN HATTEM SALT LAKE CITY — The driver of a Tesla electric car had the vehicle’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode engaged when she slammed into the back of a Utah fire truck over the weekend, in the latest crash involving a car with self-driving features. The 28-year-old driver of the car told police in suburban Salt Lake City that the system was switched on and that she had been looking at her phone before the Friday evening crash. Tesla’s Autopilot system uses radar, cameras with 360-degree visibility and sensors to detect nearby cars and objects. It’s built so cars can automatically change lanes, steer, park and brake to help avoid collisions. The auto company markets the system as the “future of driving” but warns drivers to remain alert while using Autopilot and not to rely on it to entirely avoid accidents. Police reiterated that warning Monday. A Tesla spokesperson did not comment following the disclosure about the use of the feature. On Twitter, co-founder Elon Musk said it was “super messed up” that the incident was garnering public attention, while thousands of accidents involving traditional automobiles “get almost no coverage.” South Jordan police said the Tesla Model S was going 60 mph when it slammed into the back of a fire truck stopped at a red light. The car appeared not to brake before impact, police said. The driver, whom police have not named, was taken to a hospital with a broken foot. The driver of the fire truck suffered whiplash and was not taken to a hospital. “What’s actually amazing about this accident is that a Model S hit a fire truck at 60 mph and the driver only broke an ankle,” Musk tweeted. “An impact at that speed usually results in severe injury or death.” The National Transportation Safety Board has not opened an investigation into the crash, spokesman Keith Holloway said, though it could decide to do so. Over the past two months, federal officials have opened investigations into at least two other crashes involving Tesla vehicles. Last week, the NTSB opened a probe into an incident in which a Model S caught fire after crashing into a wall in Florida. Two 18-year-olds were trapped in the vehicle and killed in the flames. The agency has said it does not expect the semi-autonomous system to be a focus of that investigation. The NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are also looking into the performance of the company’s Autopilot system in the March crash of a Tesla Model X on a California highway. The driver in that incident died. In March, an Arizona pedestrian was killed by a self-driving Uber car, in the first death of its kind. A driver was behind the wheel of the test vehicle in that case but failed to halt in time. The investigation into the crash in Utah is ongoing, police said. The driver of the Tesla may face charges for failing to maintain the safety of her vehicle, which would be a traffic infraction, according to police spokesman Sgt. Samuel Winkler.

DENVER — The Colorado legislature on Tuesday night passed a bill that dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars to transportation projects and could prompt voters to decide whether the state borrows $2.34 billion to go toward an estimated $9 billion in infrastructure needs over the next decade. The Senate voted unanimously Monday night — 35-0 — to approve a bipartisan compromise struck earlier this week by top lawmakers. The bill has been sent to the governor. “This is significant,” said Senate President Kevin Grantham, R-Cañon City. “When we get to look back on this endeavor, and what happened in the 2018 session, this is what I’m going to remember.” The bill sets aside $645 million for transportation projects over the next two years. It would also send voters a referendum in 2019 to issue $2.34 billion in transportation bonds. The state would owe up to $3.25 billion in borrowing costs over 20 years. The bulk of the funding would be spent on state highway projects, with 15 percent set aside for Outside groups might send voters other transportation funding options on the 2018 ballot. If any of them pass, the 2019 referendum would be canceled. The passage of the legislation — Senate Bill 1 — is one of the largest policy accomplishments of this year’s legislative session, which ended Wednesday. The measure had been the subject of months of negotiations and debate. “This is a win, and not for us folks,” Grantham added. “This is a win for our constituents and for Colorado.” The deal first struck Monday represents far less than the $5 billion Republicans had sought to spend on borrowing. House Democrats argued that committing that much to transportation bonds would require cuts to education during the next economic downturn. Both sides also emphasized that more money is needed. The state faces $9 billion in transportation needs over the next decade. “It’s not enough, and that’s why we need to also see a ballot initiative pass,” said Duran, of Denver. Business groups have been considering sending voters a ballot measure in November to raise taxes for roads, which Democrats support. The Independence Institute, a conservative group, is pushing a competing measure of its own to boost transportation funding within the existing budget. Not everyone was sold on the compromise. When the floor debate began Monday evening, House Republicans offered an amendment to restore the larger bonding proposal that the Senate had initially sought. It was rejected along party lines.   “Frankly, we are late to the party. We should’ve addressed this big commitment years ago,” said Rep. Paul Lundeen, a Republican from the suburban town of Monument. “Every day we delay, the problem gets worse, the roads depreciate, the cost of building them goes up, the cost of financing goes through the roof.”

LAS VEGAS — Can you spare a dime? How about 8 million of them? A semi-trailer truck hauling $800,000 worth of dimes crashed Tuesday into a guard rail on an interstate near Las Vegas, spilling thousands of coins on the side of the road. State troopers established a crime scene so a recovery team could collect the money, The Nevada Highway Patrol says the truck was heading south on I-15 about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Las Vegas when it hit a guard rail in the early morning. KSNV-TV reported Wednesday the truck was hauling the money under a contract with the U.S. Treasury Department when it dumped the load and several bags split open. The driver and a passenger were taken to a hospital. Their injuries aren’t considered life-threatening.    

ONO, Pa. — State police say a van explosion Wednesday at a Pennsylvania trucking company claimed the life of one person. Police in Lebanon County said the van driver died after the 9:30 a.m. explosion on the back lot at J.P. Donmoyer Trucking in Ono. Trooper David Beohm said one employee was parking a tractor-trailer and the van driver was driving over to pick him up and take him back to the main building. The explosion killed Stephen Miller, 65, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Beohm said the maintenance vehicle contained gas, an air compressor, oxygen tanks and welding equipment. The truck driver, Michael Floyd, 69, of Harrisburg, was taken to the hospital with shrapnel injuries, according to state police. Hospital officials said Floyd is in good condition. The blast isn’t considered suspicious, but the fire marshal is investigating with the aid of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, firearms and Explosives. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating.

By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer A federal safety agency is investigating a severe crash and fire involving a Telsa electric car that killed two teenagers in Florida. The National Transportation Safety Board said a four-person team will focus on the emergency response to the post-crash fire in the battery of a Tesla Model S in Fort Lauderdale. The agency does not expect Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system to be a part of the investigation. It’s the second time in the past two months that the agency has investigated a Tesla fire. A probe is under way into a fire in a Tesla Model X SUV that crashed on a freeway near Mountain View, California, on March 23. Lithium-ion batteries like those used by Tesla can catch fire and burn rapidly in a crash, although Tesla has maintained its vehicles catch fire far less often than those powered by gasoline. Police say the Tesla in Fort Lauderdale with three teenagers inside crashed into a wall and caught fire on Tuesday evening. Two 18-year-olds were trapped and died when the car became engulfed in flames, police told WPLG-TV. Another teen was thrown from the car and was taken to a hospital where his condition was unknown. One witness said the Tesla was being driven fast and spun out of control. He said he tried to help but the fire was too intense to get the teenagers out of the car. Chris O’Neil, spokesman for the NTSB, said Wednesday that investigators don’t know what caused the battery fire. He said the agency is investigating because there was a post-crash fire involving an electric vehicle. “The goal of these investigations is to understand the impact of these emerging transportation technologies when they are part of a transportation accident,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt (photo above) said in a statement. Earlier this month, Tesla and the NTSB got into an open feud over Tesla’s release of information from the probe into the Mountain View crash. The agency said it booted Tesla out of a group investigating the crash after the company prematurely made investigation details public. Tesla, however, disputed the claim. The company based in Palo Alto, California, said it withdrew from the investigation agreement after being told it would be kicked out if it made additional statements before the NTSB finished its probe in the next 12 to 24 months. O’Neil said that despite the previous dispute, Tesla would be invited to be a party to the investigation of the Fort Lauderdale crash. Messages were left Wednesday evening seeking comment from Tesla. The NTSB normally makes recommendations to other federal agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has authority to impose regulations and seek recalls.

WASHINGTON — In the run-up to the annual Infrastructure Week nationwide advocacy event, the House Committee on Small Business held a hearing on April 25 to highlight the state of America’s infrastructure and how it impacts small businesses. The Journal of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Committee Chairman Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, noted that small businesses — which make up 48 percent of the private sector and create almost 62 percent of all new jobs — are being negatively affected by the poor condition of the U.S. transportation system. “The American transportation network is stuck in another time. An estimated 20 percent federal roads are of poor quality and 25 percent bridges are functionally obsolete,” he said, noting that the American commuter loses an average of 42 hours of “valuable work time” to traffic delays every year. “Infrastructure is critical to our economy and competitiveness — it allows for the running of factories and for the production and shipment of goods,” added vice ranking member Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C. “Our networks of highways and bridges form the framework for the delivery of goods. And small businesses are also critical to maintaining our transportation networks.” Marsia Geldert-Murphey, chief operating officer for civil engineering firm W. James Taylor, testified during the hearing that the U.S. faces an infrastructure deficit of $2 trillion over next 10 years, according to a yearly analysis compiled by the American Society of Civil Engineers; an “investment gap” she said leads to deficient road and bridges, inadequate port capacity, late flights, and more. “The failure to close this gap serious creates economic uncertainties for small business,” Geldert-Murphey noted, pointing to another study from 2016 that estimated the U.S. economy could lose $4 trillion worth of gross domestic product, $7 trillion in sales, and 2.5 million jobs by 2025 if that infrastructure investment “gap” is not closed. “We’re at a crossroads,” she stressed. “We need to increase federal investment in infrastructure to achieve strong economic conditions for the 21st century.” “We need federal funding [for transportation infrastructure] to be robust, routine, and reliable – it creates jobs and supports the movement goods essential to the American way of life,” noted Bill Schmitz, vice president of sales and quality control for the Gernatt Asphalt Company, during his testimony at the hearing. “When infrastructure is bad, the result is detours, and detours are a killer to many small businesses; bridges and road weights are also being restricted and that costs small businesses money. Employees can’t get to work [and] projects take much longer to complete than they should.” The “instability” of the Highway Trust Fund is another issue Schmitz highlighted, stressing that states cannot properly plan transportation projects without a steady source of funding. “Especially in Northeast, we have two seasons: highway construction season and winter,” he explained. “We have to be ready to go when summer comes. Highway construction for us is not a 12-month year-round program – that’s why we need to know if the funds for projects are there or not. It’s a trickle-down effect [and] the certainty of the program is key. We need stable reliable funding five to 10 years out.”    

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS JACKSON, Miss. — Supervisors in two Mississippi counties filed a lawsuit Thursday against Gov. Phil Bryant (above), saying he overstepped his authority by ordering the closure of more than 100 bridges across the state. The bridges he closed are locally maintained. In issuing his executive order last month, Bryant said they were structurally unsafe. The lawsuit against Bryant was filed by supervisors from Jasper and Smith counties in south Mississippi. “The alleged conditions of the bridges on the county roads do not constitute a state of emergency or ‘state of disaster’ so as to suspend the constitutional jurisdiction of the board of supervisors of Jasper County and Smith County over the county roads and bridges,” the lawsuit says. In response, Bryant said independent inspectors found the bridges to be unsafe. “I refuse to sit idly by and risk loss of life,” Bryant said in a statement Thursday. “Had counties done their job, I would not have had to exercise my authority, which will protect the very people who elected these supervisors.” The closures came roughly two weeks after Mississippi legislators ended their nearly three-month session without agreeing on a long-term plan to put more money into improving highways and bridges. Bryant has said he will call lawmakers into special session if House and Senate leaders can agree on a funding plan. The lawsuit was filed in Hinds County Chancery Court because the capital city, Jackson, is in Hinds County. It is also against the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The lawsuit says the transportation and public safety departments “without notice to the board of supervisors, used various methods to block access to the bridges on the closing list. Some of the bridges were blocked by dumping piles of dirt on both sides of the bridges.” The suit also says the methods of closing the bridges and the signs posted do not comply with the state Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

According to the Office of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Murphy has signed an executive order establishing a task force to look into employee misclassification in the state, much of it centering on truck drivers at the state’s ports. “I am proud to take this step forward to end a practice that creates an unfair advantage over companies that play by the rules and hurts our working families,” said Murphy in a statement posted on the governor’s office website, while Assemblyman Thomas Giblin called it “long overdue.” The Teamsters, represented at the signing of the order by Fred Potter, director of the organization’s port division, applauded the order. Potter said, “Tens of thousands of truck drivers hauling cargo on and off the docks at our nation’s seaports — including the Ports of New York/New Jersey — are illegally classified as independent contractors, robbing our public of much-needed revenue and depriving drivers of their employee rights, of their dignity and of fair pay for the important work they perform.” The Teamsters and others say drivers are classified as independent contractors but treated like employees and meet the definition of employees. A Teamsters statement sent via email said port haulers are forced to pay for fuel, truck lease payments, liability insurance and parking, all of which is deducted from their paychecks. The U.S. Department of Labor on its website says: “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides minimum wage and overtime pay protections to nearly all workers in the U.S. Some employers incorrectly treat workers who are employees under this federal law as independent contractors. “We call that ‘misclassification.’ If you are misclassified as an independent contractor, your employer may try to deny you benefits and protections to which you are legally entitled.”            

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations today opened the nominating process for professional truck drivers to serve on the 2019-2020 America’s Road Team. America’s Road Team, a group of accomplished professional truck drivers, promotes the trucking industry by educating the general public, media, and elected officials about the industry’s strong safety record and importance to the economy. “Trucking continues to see professional drivers as the most important safety factor on the road and, as such, we have the upmost respect for the millions of skilled truck drivers who serve America’s economy with pride,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “For the past 32 years, America’s Road Team has elevated the visibility of truck drivers and their important work in communities throughout the country, so we look forward to selecting a new group of passionate trucking advocates and welcoming them as the next generation of captains.” Every two years, the trucking industry welcomes a new group of captains to join the ranks of America’s Road Team and serve as industry ambassadors. America’s Road Team Captains become the face of the trucking industry, attending key events alongside elected officials, appearing on national media broadcasts and championing the industry at schools and community events in every state. The professional drivers, all of whom have millions of accident-free miles, take a few days away from their companies each month to meet with the motoring public, students, transportation officials and public policymakers to perform truck safety demonstrations and explain the sustainable role that trucking plays in the nation’s economy. ATA members are invited to nominate professional truck drivers who exhibit strong interpersonal skills, have impressive safety records, and demonstrate a positive attitude toward the industry and their careers as professional truck drivers. “There is a potential America’s Road Team Captain at every truck terminal in the country. There are drivers with decades of experience who are anxious to get their message out to the public and tell their stories about trucking,” said America’s Road Team Captain Scott Harrison (pictured above) of K-Limited Carrier, a member of the 2017-2018 class. “Truck drivers, like me, are passionate about what we do and we get excited about telling people about our rewarding careers and the true professionalism with which our colleagues in the industry work each day.” For decades, truck drivers have held an important role in the American public’s identity. ATA and its members in the trucking industry are increasingly seeing a revival of the authentic view of truck drivers as hardworking, patriotic men and women who are willing to lend a helping hand to neighbors and fellow motorists while ensuring freight is delivered safely and securely to homes and businesses from coast to coast. America’s Road Team Captains are expected to exhibit these qualities in order to promote the industry’s image and advance the industry’s policy goals. Since America’s Road Team’s inception in 1986, captains have traveled the country educating millions of individuals on highway safety, trucking’s essentiality and the importance of pride and professionalism in the industry. Nominations for the 2019-2020 class of America’s Road Team are due August 20. “As longtime champions of safety and the trucking profession, Volvo Trucks knows how important it is to recognize truck drivers who not only practice safety every day at work, but advocate for safety in their communities and workplaces,” said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks North America vice president, marketing and brand management. “Volvo Trucks is committed to improving performance in the trucking industry and one of the ways we do that is by sponsoring America’s Road Team and making sure Interstate One, their Volvo VNL tractor, is equipped with the latest safety technologies and comforts.” The 2017-2018 America’s Road Team consists of 20 professional truck drivers who together have more than 49 million combined accident-free miles and 531 years of professional truck driving experience. Members of the 2017-2018 America’s Road Team, alongside veteran captains and trucking executives, participated in a marquee event with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House on March 23, 2017. America’s Road Team also participated in an October 11 event with President Trump in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ATA’s Interstate One tractor-trailer was used as the backdrop for the president’s national address about tax reform. “Having the opportunity to serve as an America’s Road Team Captain has really been a highlight of my career,” said America’s Road Team Captain Rhonda Hartman of Old Dominion Freight Line. “I get to work with my team of Captains to spread positive stories about trucking to people who are really receptive of our message and open to learning about highway safety.” To nominate a professional truck driver for America’s Road Team, read the eligibility requirements and fill out the nomination form found at americasroadteam.com. Finalists will be announced October 15, with the final selection taking place January 27-30, 2019 in Arlington, Virginia.  

It can be said that the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) occasionally see eye-to-eye but most of the time don’t agree. But a story published by DC Velocity April 30 portrayed ATA President Chris Spear as lashing out in anger toward OOIDA, calling the group “combative” and its approaches “meaningless.” Spear was also quoted in the DC Velocity story as saying he and his family had “received death threats from OOIDA interests” and that “persons affiliated with OOIDA interests have threatened to bomb ATA’s headquarters in Arlington, Va.” The story said Spear made the comments in answer to questions about OOIDA following his keynote address at the Nasstrac Shippers Conference & Transportation Expo 2018 in Orlando, Florida, April 12-15. OOIDA May 1 issued a formal response, saying “Mr. Spear’s suggestion that OOIDA employs questionable tactics and threatens harm on others is patently false.” It went on to say that “ … Mr. Spear simply feels ATA’s positions and policies are vulnerable and he is lashing out with falsehoods and misrepresentations.” Spear was traveling in Europe and couldn’t be reached for comment or clarification as to the Velocity story, but Sean McNally, ATA vice president of public affairs and press secretary, said while he was not in Florida for the event at which Spear spoke, “I understand … at the conclusion of his remarks and presentation he was asked specifically about the OOIDA issue and offered a candid response based on the experiences of ATA staff in recent months. “That said, ATA’s mission is to secure victories on behalf of our industry and our members. We’ve worked hard to build broad coalitions, reaching out to those who have an interest in the future of this industry, including OOIDA, and we will continue to do so as we advocate on behalf of the entire trucking industry. We hope OOIDA’s members can see the value in joining the broader industry and support change.” OOIDA in its already mentioned response said, “most small-business truckers — who represent the majority of motor carriers — have objected to ATA’s policies in a firm, but extremely respectful and civil manner.” Both OOIDA and ATA have agreed on such issues as supporting Truckers Against Trafficking and have expressed their desires to promote the trucking industry’s best interests and put the industry in the best light possible. Some major disagreements have come over regulations, however, the most recent being the ELD mandate, which was vehemently opposed by OOIDA and vigorously supported by ATA.

ALMA, Ark. — Arkansas Highway Police within just over one week have twice discovered marijuana and cannabis being transported by a tractor trailer. In both cases, the discovery was made at the Alma, Arkansas, weigh station located on Interstate 40 seven miles east of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. An officer conducting a motor carrier safety inspection early April 30 discovered 340 pounds of marijuana on board, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials. While conducting a safety inspection, Arkansas Highway Police had reason to believe that portions of the freight being transported were not legitimate.  The driver gave consent to search the vehicle. Upon inspection, officers discovered 340 pounds of marijuana and 2,340 units of cannabis oil with an estimated street value of $2.2 million. The driver, 45-year-old Alan Ngo, of Fountain Valley, California, was transported to the Crawford County Detention Facility where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and no record of duty status. The vehicle carrying the marijuana was operated by OSO Trucking Inc. of Westminster, California.  According to bills of lading, it was in route from Mira Loma, California, to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. During a safety and weight inspection of a tractor-trailer April 22, Arkansas Highway Police discovered 232 pounds of cannabis, according to ARDOT officials. Around 9:45 a.m., Arkansas Highway Police attempted to stop a commercial vehicle at the Alma weigh station to conduct a routine vehicle safety and weight inspection. The vehicle failed to stop at which time a pursuit was initiated near mile marker 10. Officers instructed the driver to return to the weigh station where a vehicle inspection was conducted. Officers noticed the driver appeared nervous, had discrepancies recorded in his log book, and observed trash bags in the back of the trailer that did not appear to be part of the legitimate load of produce. After completing the inspection, officers obtained written consent from the driver to search the vehicle. The search revealed 201 bundles of cannabis weighing approximately 232 pounds. Officers confiscated the cannabis and arrested the driver and co-driver. Both were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The vehicle was traveling from California to Tampa, Florida.

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, also known as the Trucking Alliance, is promoting a new drug testing law that requires all applicants for safety sensitive jobs in the U.S. trucking industry to verify no opioid addiction or illegal drug use, for at least 30 days prior to obtaining employment. The Trucking Alliance announced its drug test initiative at the United Nations as part of an event titled, “The Use of Technology to Promote Road Safety – The Brazilian Experience.” Brazil requires all commercial truck drivers to pass a hair test before renewing their licenses. More than 1 million Brazilian drivers have either failed the hair test or refused to renew their license since the law took effect two years ago. The UN program can be found at: http://www.itts.org.br/unitednations/ingles.html#portfolio “Current federal drug test rules for truck drivers are failing,” said Lane Kidd, managing director of the Alliance. He told UN attendees that in 2017, JB Hunt Transport identified 1,213 people who tested positive on their pre-employment hair test. Yet, 1,130 of those applicants, or 93 percent, passed the urinalysis. “Clearly, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s drug test statistics give a false picture, because we are using an inadequate test and missing lifestyle drug users and opioid addicts and that’s a national problem for our industry,” Kidd said. “We have an opioid problem in our nation and from my experience, we have one in our industry, too,” said Dean Newell, vice president of safety and driver training at Maverick USA, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Newell also represented the Trucking Alliance as a speaker during the UN meeting. “We [Maverick] started testing for opioids in 2014 and we’ve seen a steady increase [in opioid addiction] every year.” Opioids stay in a person’s system for a few hours, allowing opioid abusers to avoid the drug briefly before submitting to the current pre-employment drug test. However, a hair exam will detect drug use for up to 90 days, according to an Alliance news release. “Opioids subject to drug abuse in the trucking industry include codeine, morphine pain killers under hundreds of brand names, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone marketed under such names as OxyContin, Endocet, Endodan, Percoset, Percodan, Oxy-Fast, OxyIR, Roxicet and Tylox, and the highly addictive opioids Methodone and Fentanyl. The federal DOT recently added hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone to its pre-employment drug test protocols. But the current drug test method misses these and other illegal drugs, unless the applicant has taken them within hours of the collection. “We hope that Congress will follow Brazil’s leadership and require a drug test that proves a job applicant has not taken illegal drugs or abused opioids for at least 30 days before applying for employment,” Kidd said. He also said Congress should apply the requirement to all truck drivers before they renew their license, as does Brazil. “Too many loopholes allow truck drivers to avoid a drug test, even after drivers are involved in a serious large truck accident.” Newell shared Maverick’s experience that current regulations are not capturing lifestyle drug users. “We’ve had 154 drivers at Maverick who failed their hair test after they passed a urine test. Those 154 drivers are working for another company,” Newell said. “They’re running up and down the road with our families and that is not acceptable.” Kidd added that since 2006, J.B. Hunt Transport has refused to employ 5,060 job applicants who failed a hair test, even after passing their urinalysis. Most of those applicants found jobs at other trucking companies because they only utilize the federally required urinalysis. “Apply this company’s experience to the number of truck driver job applications industry-wide and across the United States, and we have a major problem,” Kidd said. Hair testing “will save lives and hair testing is the right thing to do,” Newell said. “Maverick wants to make sure the company is the safest it can be, and that all drivers are well trained and drug free. We have a moral obligation to our employees, but we also have a moral obligation to the public.” The Alliance supports policy reforms to improve the safety and security of commercial drivers and to reduce large truck crashes. Carriers and supporting businesses may affiliate by invitation. Member carriers, their rankings among the 250 largest U.S. trucking companies and their headquarters are: Cargo Transporters Inc. in Claremore, North Carolina; Dupré Logistics in Lafayette, Louisiana; JB Hunt Transport in Lowell, Arkansas; KLLM Transport Services in Jackson, Mississippi; Knight-Swift Transportation in Phoenix; Maverick USA in Little Rock, Arkansas; and US Xpress in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Collectively, the companies employ 80,200 professionals in 50 states, and operate 71,000 trucks and 220,000 trailers/intermodal containers to provide transportation and logistics solutions.  

 Trucking Moves America Forward is getting its message seen across the country on 186 truck wraps, each seen by an estimated 16 million people a year. Quick quiz:  We’ve all heard of the company IBM, but do you know what the letters stand for? How about CBS? Or CVS, as in CVS Pharmacy? Chances are good you didn’t know all three. Over time some entities become so well-known by their acronym that it replaces the full name – KFC, anyone? In a few rare cases, the alphabet can disappear altogether and a logo becomes all a company needs to be identified, like those golden arches you see hovering over the next off-ramp. In Trucking Moves America Forward’s case, the name is the logo. But more people in trucking are starting to recognize “TMAF” and what it stands for, and that’s good enough for TMAF co-chairman Kevin Burch and executive committee member Elisabeth Barna. “The branding has been established, and now it’s starting to resonate to the point that people understand what we are doing,” Barna said at the Mid-American Trucking Show in late March. It was four years earlier at MATS that TMAF was born, created to accentuate and project a positive image of the trucking industry. Every year when MATS rolls around, TMAF marks its unofficial birthday by releasing their annual report, which this year was titled “The Many Faces of Trucking.” Prior to MATS, Burch, Barna and other TMAF officials held a press teleconference to highlight some of last year’s successes. They pointed to the organization’s trailer wrap program, which spreads positive images and information about the trucking industry on the sides of tractor-trailers around the country. It grew to 184 trucks in 2017. Each truck is seen by an estimated 16 million sets of eyes on the highway. The wraps, Barna said, “they’re like rolling billboards.” An actual billboard campaign during National Truck Driver Awareness Week generated another estimated 17.4 million impressions. TMAF’s presence on social media grew in 2017, they reported. The group’s Facebook page now has over 13,500 followers, a 17 percent growth. Twitter followers rose by 32 percent, LinkedIn followers rose 39 percent, and Instagram followers more than doubled. TMAF also launched a blog on Medium, an online publishing forum, which is already closing in on 100 followers. TMAF’s profile got a big boost when Burch and others from the group were part of a contingent headed by the American Trucking Associations that visited the White House last spring and invited President Donald Trump to climb up inside a cab to see what today’s truck looks like. And, of course, 2017 saw the debut of Safety Sammy, TMAF’s mascot and goodwill ambassador. Officially named at last year’s Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, the anthropomorphic truck has been touring the country, drawing attention to TMAF and its mission. About midway through MATS, Burch and Barna sat down to talk about how far TMAF has come in raising its profile and getting out its message. “It’s amazing to think of how much progress we have made,” Burch said.  Both he and Barna acknowledged that when TMAF began they knew that improving trucking’s image was going to take time. “Let’s face it, we didn’t get to this situation overnight,” Burch said. Trucking’s lived with an image problem for decades. He recounted an incident 15 years ago when that was made bluntly clear to him. He’d been asked to speak at a high school career day. Two days before the event, he got a call from the principal, who apologized and told him that several of the parents had looked at the list of scheduled presenters and asked that both trucking and tool and die be pulled from the career day itinerary. A big part of trucking’s problem is that much of the public’s perception is frozen in some decades-old stereotype. This is why so much of TMAF’s strategy to improve trucking’s image is with imagery, they explained. TMAF conducts polls on a regular basis, Barna said. They have found that the more someone knows somebody in the trucking industry, the better their perception of the industry is.  But even if it’s just on a billboard or truck wrap, adding a picture of a truck driver, especially with their family, up there with a few bullet points improves viewer response. The same study that determined every trailer wrap generates 16 million views also found that 97.5 percent of vewers were left with a positive impression of the industry. The expansion of the visual campaign and the increased social media presence give TMAF officials reason to celebrate because it indicates the organization has entered a new phase in its long-term strategy. From the beginning, Barna said, the belief has been that the best way to improve trucking’s image is to first improve its self-image.  That’s why for the first few years of its existence TMAF focused most of its efforts within the industry. “There are so many times, you’ll hear someone say, ‘well, I’m just a truck driver,’” Barna said. “Just a truck driver? Do you know how important you are to everyone’s everyday lives? It goes back to having respect for what you do yourself, and then you gain respect from everyone else. “If you’re proud of what you do and you gain respect for that, you’re a much better driver and a much better ambassador for the industry.” Every year TMAF does a callout, asking people in trucking to send in photos of themselves and their trucks. The response grows every year. “It’s exciting to see people that want to get involved,” Barna said. Having a good feeling about the trucking profession – this is where Safety Sammy comes in. Burch recalled he was at the National Truck Driving Championships a couple years ago and noticed they had a big duck mascot. He started thinking, “Why don’t we have a mascot?” Sports teams have them, and they become symbols for fans to rally around. Sammy presents the friendliest of images for trucking. And, of course, he’s a kid magnet, which hopefully will have long-term benefits. The industry is going to need a million new drivers in the next 10 years, Burch said. It will be a lot easier to convince young people to consider a career in trucking if they have a positive impression of the industry from a young age. In the shorter term, TMAF is doing what it can to show people who are already driving age that trucking is a lot more appealing than those old stereotypes. Truck drivers today might be your next-door neighbor. They’re raising families, going to your church. They sleep in the same bed every night, Barna quipped, the only difference is that bed moves around the country. Burch pointed out another facet of improving the image of trucking is to improve the image of trucks. That White House visit was a great example of how people react when they see a modern, well-maintained cab. “The president wanted to get up into one of the trucks,” Burch recalled. He said when Trump climbed in with an instructor, he shut the door behind him, much to the dismay of the Secret Service. Later, the instructor said the president asked him about the all new safety technology he’d been hearing about. That’s pretty typical, Burch said. Whether it’s a congressman or your average citizen, “when they look inside the reaction is, ’Whoa! This isn’t what I thought it looked like.’” “The comfort area has drastically changed, just like the way cars are today compared to like in the ’60s and ’70s,” Burch added. And then when you start explaining all the safety technology: lane departure, anti-rollover, etc., younger people especially are impressed. “We’re safer today than we were 20 or 30 years ago,” he said. Of course, not everyone who sees what modern trucks are like is going to run out and get their CDL. But everything that helps show people what trucks and the people who drive them are really like today plays a part in TMAF’s mission. “Telling the story, that’s what it’s really all about,” Barna said. FYI – in case you are still wondering, IBM stands for International Business Machines, CBS was originally the Columbia Broadcasting System, and CVS Pharmacy once went by the name Consumer Value Stores.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri auditor said April 26 that she’s turning over records to authorities after her office found evidence of conflicts of interests between state agencies and a trucking technology company. The State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Transportation are under scrutiny because officials at the agencies had served on the board of a company that for years received the only state contract to provide technology allowing truckers to bypass Missouri weigh stations. Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway said findings in the audit show state officials gave preferential treatment to the nonprofit HELP Inc. over its competitor, Drivewyze. She said the office found potential violations of state conflict-of-interest and financial-reporting laws and turned over documents to the FBI and Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley, whose office is investigating. “What we have here really is a breach of public trust and a clear conflict of interest,” Galloway said. In responses included in the audit, the agencies said they withdrew members from HELP Inc.’s board, changed the process used for picking contractors and partnered with Drivewyze. The Transportation Department also later found an employee’s related actions warranted discipline and updated internal conflict-of-interest policies. Missouri contracted with HELP Inc. starting in 2002, when it was the only company that could provide the weigh-station technology. “HELP Inc. has been assured by the auditor’s office on telephone calls and in writing that HELP is not a subject of the audit. HELP is a non-profit public-private partnership which requires oversight by a board of directors,” HELP Chief Executive Officer Karen Rasmussen told The Trucker. “The HELP board of directors is comprised of both public and private representatives which helps ensure the PrePass program meets the needs of both government and industry. Each state determines its participation in the program, including representation on the board. HELP adheres to a strict conflict of interest policy that is fully compliant with IRS regulations, and has offered to assist Missouri agencies with information if requested.” Friction started when Drivewyze contracted with the state in 2014 for a pilot program to provide similar services. Emails included in the audit show HELP Inc. and top state officials at both the Highway Patrol and Transportation Department coordinated to promote HELP Inc. as Drivewyze tried to compete for state work. In one email, Rasmussen forwarded talking points touting the company to then-Maj. Bret Johnson of the Highway Patrol in November 2013. Johnson, who later became colonel, responded that “this issue is not going anywhere if I can help it.” Rasmussen the next day sent Johnson an email with information to use against Drivewyze. The Highway Patrol canceled the pilot program with Drivewyze in August 2016, primarily citing concerns that the company did not provide weighing data. But the initial agreement between the state and Drivewyze did not allow it to install the equipment needed to gather that data. Drivewyze President and CEO Brian Heath said since Drivewyze was launched in 2012 the company has had a vision of helping create a safe and efficient commercial vehicle transportation system with zero crashes and zero fatalities. “Our mission has been to revolutionize the delivery of highway safety and transportation management through world-class products, systems and services,” Heath told The Trucker. This includes our weigh station bypass service, PreClear, which is delivered through public-private partnerships with 46 agencies in 43 states at no cost to state governments. Drivewyze has always believed in partnerships without compromise where our platform is used by state agencies to deliver safety-first weigh station bypass services. Bypass programs are one of the most successful voluntary compliance models in the transportation industry, incentivizing carriers to maintain or improve safety and compliance in exchange for bypass privileges that reduce delays and congestion, and reward drivers who only get paid when the wheels are turning. Drivewyze is built on ethics, trust and transparency.  Our program paves the way for future connected truck innovations to improve highway safety and efficiency. “Despite  Galloway’s report, which raises serious legal concerns about the activities of those who interfered and colluded to favor HELP Inc.’s position in Missouri, Drivewyze today enjoys a strong and successful partnership with both the Missouri Department of Transportation and Missouri State Highway Patrol. These respected organizations share the same vision we have toward a safe and efficient transportation system.  We look forward to announcing the activation of our first sites and restoring bypass services in Missouri for our customers in the coming weeks.” The Highway Patrol backtracked shortly after that, reopening the contract process and later awarding contracts to both companies in April 2017. Other concerns cited in the audit include work by state officials to promote HELP Inc. to Texas, Kansas and Minnesota and discourage peer agencies from working with Drivewyze and other competitors, failure to publicly report membership on the nonprofit’s board and expenses paid by the company, and a revolving door of state officials who later went to work for HELP Inc. and then continued to work with former co-workers in Missouri government. Missouri law bans former state staffers from working to influence the agency they worked at for a year after they leave.          

SOUTH TEXAS — Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor (JTF-W South Texas Corridor) of the Customs and Border Protection is working to increase awareness of the dangers of human smuggling in commercial vehicles through Operation Big Rig. The task force is collaborating with private industry to help educate tractor-trailer and other commercial drivers of the risks transnational criminal organizations (TCO) are willing to place migrants in and how drivers can prevent themselves from becoming a victim of TCOs manipulations and illicit activities. “These are humans, not cargo,” said JTF-W South Texas Corridor Commander Manuel Padilla, Jr.  “We call to action the media, community, neighbors, professional drivers, the traveling public and local law enforcement to call 911 if they see, or are aware of, smuggling or suspicious activity of any kind! Do not wait until it is too late.” The JTF-W, South Texas Corridor launched an initiative to bring awareness to the consequences of human smuggling and enhances community engagement. In an effort to assist in the prevention of future tragedies, travel centers are placing posters and informational materials at 15 locations located throughout South Texas. “Through Operation Big Rig, JTF-W South Texas Corridor and our partners are committed to bringing awareness to this issue,” Padilla said. “We are asking the community to take a stand and help save lives by reporting these types of crimes before it is too late.” Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration Customs Enforcement, along with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations; Air and Marine Operations; and U.S. Border Patrol, are all part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages and partners with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as industry professionals to combat transnational criminal organizations illicit activities.