David Compton:
Hi, I’m David Compton. OOIDA urges Congress require broker transparency? And how’d you like to go check your semi’s engine only to discover a black mamba inside? Plus we’ll take a look at some new technology that will help you navigate the highways in these pandemic times. These are just some of the stories we’re covering along with our Cat Scale Rig of the Week on this edition of The Trucker News Channel.
David Compton:
The Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association has stepped into the ring concerning the recent broker protests. The organization sent a letter to Congress recently asking that brokers be prohibited from demanding that carriers waive their rights under FMCSR 371.3 which guarantees access to the full record to every party that participates in a broker transaction. The full record shows how much the broker was paid for the haul and any additional services provided as well as the payment to the trucker.
David Compton:
The OOIDA letter also asked that regulation be amended to require the broker to provide the information at the completion of the load. In its current form, the regulation states that the recipient must ask for the information. Brokers have instituted rules such as mandating that records can only be inspected at their office location during normal business hours. A requirement that effectively prohibits the over- the-road truckers from ever seeing this information.
David Compton:
Some of you that have been driving for a long time will remember the old Esso gas station slogan, “Put a tiger in your tank.” Well, a truck driver from Durban, South Africa didn’t find a tiger in their tank, but instead found a black mamba in the engine of their Freightliner. Workers were changing the front tire when they spotted the highly venomous snake, and that’s when Nick Evans, a well-known snake wrangler, was called in to capture it. The black mamba is considered the world’s most dangerous snake. Take a look at this footage of the capture and don’t squirm.
Nick Evans:
It’s a black mamba. It’s a big black mamba. Whoa. Not what I was expecting, to be honest. [inaudible 00:02:43] Is that the head here?
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yea! That’s a big guy.
Nick Evans:
Look at him, man.
Speaker 2:
This guy’s huge.
Nick Evans:
That’s a big mamba. Wow. Look at that.
Speaker 2:
Look at this guy. He’s stuck within the cable.
Nick Evans:
Nice one, hey, guys?
Speaker 2:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Nick Evans:
Yeah, about 2.5, but fat, hey? Big, healthy snake.
Speaker 2:
You’ve been feeding it well, guys.
Nick Evans:
What have you been feeding this thing?
David Compton:
There is no doubt that during the coronavirus some people might be imbibing a little bit more than normal. And there’s nothing like drinking straight from the tap. However, Gabriel Moreno of Haywood, California really must have wanted some wine, and took drinking from the tap to the extreme. It seems a tanker was on northbound Highway 99 near [Foca Throat 00:00:04:12] in Turlock, California when Moreno pulled his vehicle to the left and started trying to get the attention of the tanker driver. The trucker pulled to the right shoulder of the freeway thinking there might be mechanical problems. Moreno and the tanker both pulled to the shoulder when Moreno proceeded to run to the platform area between the tractor and the tanker.
David Compton:
The tanker driver thought this was pretty odd, so he decided to drive away. He hadn’t gone very far when he noticed the gauge on his rig was showing he was losing fluid from the tank. Once again, he pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway and found Moreno underneath the tanker trying to drink up as much red wine as he could. It’s important to note Moreno was only wearing underwear at this point. The CHP and Turlock Police Department both responded to the scene and Moreno was arrested. The drinking excursion spilled more than 100 gallons of wine.
David Compton:
This week’s Cat Scale Rig of the Week goes to Lori Broderson. This truck is a 2003 Western Star 4900 with a C-15 Kat and a 13-speed transmission. The truck has Lincoln chrome seven-inch stacks, 24 inch bumper, punched grill, stainless half fenders, and a hell of a lot of lights. Lori started driving with her husband four years ago after her children were grown, and they pull a tanker with hazmat loads from Peoria, Illinois to Lima, Ohio three to four times a week. If you have a rig you’d like to have profiled here on the Cat Scale Rig of the Week, send us a video to [email protected]
Cat Scale:
Time is money and Cat Scale can help your drivers save time weighing. Drivers know their axle and gross weights before pulling off the scale and Cat Scale weights are always guaranteed. Drivers get back on the road faster with the Weigh My Truck app from Cat Scale.
David Compton:
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Idaho National Laboratory have launched a new commercial routing assistance tool for truckers and other commercial drivers here in the U.S. The free web app incorporates coordinated data streams and plots multiple routing options so that commercial operators can plan, manage vehicle movements across multiple states quickly in times of disasters or other restrictions like the times we’re in. The web app leverages information and data relevant to the logistics industry in times of restricted operations. You can use this free web app and you can go to the link below.
David Compton:
That’s it for this edition. If you’re watching us on YouTube, make sure to click that little red subscribe button below. You can also go to thetrucker.com to read the latest breaking news stories. That’s all. So on behalf of myself and everybody else here at The Trucker News Channel, thank you for watching.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.