The Trucker News Channel Episode #097

In this episode we cover…

– Chick-fil-A opens to truckers

– FMCSA extends HOS suspension

– Arizona reopens rest areas

– Our Cat Scale Rig of the Week.

David Compton:

Hi, I’m David Compton. Chick-fil-A opens a drive through in New Mexico just for truckers, and the FMCSA issues an extension to the suspension of hours of service. Also joining me today is Rob Nelson from our trucker newspaper offices in Little Rock, Arkansas. Welcome Rob.

Rob Nelson:

Thanks Dave. Arizona reopens two previously closed rest stops for commercial vehicles only and, speaking of truck stops, I’ll take a look at some technology that alerts you to which ones are open and which ones are closed. All of these stories plus our CAT Scale rig of the week coming up on this edition of the Trucker News channel.

David Compton:

Drivers passing through Farmington, New Mexico now have a drive through option for prepared food. Chick-fil-A has opened a semi truck friendly drive through service. In addition, the restaurant has been offering free meals to professional truck drivers and first responders. The semi truck drive through, which first opened on March 23rd, serves 15 to 20 trucks a day. To use the drive through service, professional drivers pull into the designated lanes, which there are two of them, and then they’re greeted by a Chick-fil-A team member that takes the driver’s order. Drivers may also take advantage of the mobile ordering app, which is the Chick-fil-A app, which allows touch-free payment processing. Chick-fil-A also expressed appreciation to their neighbor Dick’s Sportings Goods for allowing Chick-fil-A to use the parking lot to provide much needed meal service for those truck drivers.

Rob Nelson:

The Arizona Department of Transportation has temporarily reopened two long shuttered, Northern Arizona rest areas to support truckers hauling essentials during the current public health situation. The parks rest area, along interstate 40 West of Flagstaff at mile marker 182 and, the Christianson rest area on interstate 17 South of Flagstaff at mile marker 324, offer parking, portable toilets and hand washing stations exclusively for commercial vehicle drivers. ADOT crews have been re striping the parking lots of both rest areas. Portable toilets and hand washing stations have been brought in as well as trash bins. There will be staff at the rest areas for a few hours every day.

David Compton:

The FMCSA has issued an extension to its unprecedented suspension of hours of service for commercial vehicles. This exemption will now expire on May 15th, 2020 as a response to the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 outbreak. The agency also extended the qualifying supplies to include liquified gases to be used in refrigeration or cooling systems. The original emergency declaration granting relief from hours of service requirements was issued on March 13th and set to expire on April 12th. The agency’s release states that because emergency conditions have not abated, the relief will continue. The expanded and extended declaration stipulates that direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with nominal quality of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the emergency declaration. To ensure continued safety on the nation’s roadway, the emergency declaration stipulates that once a driver has completed his or her delivery, the driver must receive a minimum of 10 hours off duty in transporting property, or eight hours if transporting passengers.

Commercial:

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:

This weeks CAT Scale rig of the week goes to Chris McCorkle of Claxton, Georgia. This is a 1987 FLC that’s been in Chris’s family since he was 10 years old when it was owned by his dad, Terry. The truck’s original color was blue before Chris restored it and gave it a complete overhaul. Then Chris presented it back to his dad as a gift. The new rig was such a drastic change,

David Compton:

the dad didn’t even know it was the same truck. If you have a truck you’d like to share here on the CAT Scale rig of the week, send us a video to [email protected]

Rob Nelson:

With Florida joining Pennsylvania in suspending parking in selected rest areas, Drivewyze has announced it’s providing open and closed alerts for Florida’s 65 rest areas and welcome centers. The Florida alerts join the Pennsylvania rest area alerts that went live March 24th. Drivewyze safety notification alerts are available and free to carriers who subscribe to the Drivewyze PreClear Weigh Station Bypass Service. The rest area notifications will be displayed for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, and as long as rest area parking is limited, the notification format will be familiar to drivers who already receive Drivewyze safety notifications. As in Pennsylvania, notifications in Florida will be sent at strategic locations along the route, about 25 miles out, and then roughly five miles out. Both the Drivewyze PreClear Weigh Station Bypass application, and the Drivewyze safety notification service are available to carriers on supported ELDs and other in-cab devices through the Drivewyze partner network.

David Compton:

If you’re watching this 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. Well, that’s all for this edition. On behalf of myself, Rob Nelson and everybody else here at the trucker news channel, thanks for watching.

The Trucker News Staff

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.