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Truck stuck on Turner Turnpike Friday shuts down lane near Bristow |  | 
BRISTOW — A cement truck that became stuck on the Turner Turnpike is affecting traffic Friday morning, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority reported. The truck was stuck in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike near the Bristow exit ramp about 7 a.m. The lane was reopened at 8:50 a.m. One lane of eastbound traffic was shut down until a wrecker could arrive. The driver was in the area for construction work when the truck was stuck on the shoulder when the driver was trying to make a sharp turn, patrol Capt. Paul Timmons reported. Hundreds of drivers file suit against Oklahoma trucking company for low pay, 100 hour work weeks | |
 More than four hundred current and former John Christner Trucking drivers have filed civil suit against the company, alleging because they were misclassified as independent contractors, they were often working as many as 100 hours a week and earning less than $500 per week. In a suit filed in federal court, lead plaintiff Thomas Huddleston argues that John Christner Trucking violated federal and California labor laws by employing them as independent contractors but then treating them as employees. The suit argues that because the drivers were misclassified, John Christner Trucking was in violation of minimum wage requirements. Huddleston, who worked for John Christner Trucking (JTC) from May 2016 through August 2016, says that the company required drivers to work nearly hundred hours a week and did not provide adequate compensation. “…they [the truck drivers] routinely worked 10–14 hours per day and 70–98 hours per week. JCT compensated them based on three factors: (1) a flat rate per mile; (2) reimbursements for certain categories of expenses; and (3) deductions for, inter alia, lease payments, various insurance premiums, Qualcomm communications systems, licenses, maintenance and repair, cleaning services, fuel costs, freight charges, physical examinations, and drug screenings. Under this scheme, their effective hourly wage was often less than $7.25, the federal minimum wage. In fact, it was not uncommon for them to work 70–100 hours in a week but receive less than $500.00 from JCT. It was also not uncommon for them to receive negative paychecks. The conditions described above were consistent throughout their time with, JCT, and they observed their co-workers working under similar conditions.” The suit also argues that though the drivers were classified as independent contractors, JTC “exercised complete control over their trucks and work-related activities. JCT accomplished this, in part, by requiring them to lease their trucks and purchase equipment from JCT, and by mandating their assignments, schedules, and routes. If they or JCT terminated their operating agreements, JCT had the option to terminate their lease agreements without notice and take immediate possession of their trucks.” As of July 25, 426 drivers opted to join the lawsuit against John Christner Trucking. Company co-owner Darryl Christner denied the allegations and told the Tulsa World that “we’ve been in business for a little over 32 years, so if we were patently doing something illegal or unethical on a continuous basis, we wouldn’t be in business.” Parking 'crisis' in Las Vegas, across the country leaves tired truckers with few options | |
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) - The Silver State's largest trade and advocacy group for truckers says there is a growing crisis across the Las Vegas valley and the country when it comes to commercial parking. Love them or hate them, trucks move 92 percent of all freight in Nevada, according to the Nevada Trucking Association. It's an issue both neighbors and truckers are concerned aboutContact 13 first reported the problem in July when neighbors complained they felt they were living in a "pop-up truck stop" near Decatur and Tropicana. Since the report, the topic has sparked a passionate debate on Facebook and raised a bigger question about the source of the trucking troubles. "I don't know where to park, I really don't know anymore," said Nancy Amezola, co-owner of LAN Transport based in Las Vegas. "It is a crisis," said Amezola. Amezola says her small business consisting of 3 big rigs has a big parking problem. Recently, Amezola received a $60 violation for parking an idle rig in a residential area. "We are not bugging anyone, we're just parking there for just a couple days while my husband can recuperate and has some rest," said Amezola. The Nevada Trucking Association says some trucking companies operate with razor-thin profit margins, averaging 1.75 percent. Any additional costs for parking, storage or parking-related violations can mean a big hardship, Amezola added. "Truck parking is a huge issue both within the state of Nevada and across the country," said Paul Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association. Enos says the land is at an expensive premium in Nevada and coupled with air quality regulations it makes a private truck stop endeavor cost prohibitive. Enos estimates a single truck stop facility could cost up to $10 million. He says the issue of parking, especially in residential areas, is a multi-part problem with safety and federal regulations at the forefront. Safety is a key issue"Truckers do not want to park in an unsafe place either," said Enos. "They don't want to park somewhere that will upset their neighbors but a lot of times they don't have another choice," he added. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict rules when it comes to truckers and rest. New electronic driver logs keep exact tallies for hours driven and too many violations can mean serious trouble for truckers. "It literally tells you when you have to stop, and when you don't stop you'll get a violation," said Amezola. "I hope a fix is coming," said Enos. "It is something we are aware of and it is something we are looking at and there is a study currently in place," he added. The trucker study in Nevada will end in July 2019 to help identify potential solutions. The Nevada Trucking Association predicts will take a public-private partnership to construct as many as 3 new truck stops around Las Vegas to alleviate the problem. Trucking companies take steps to keep drivers and public safe | |
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Chickens, pigs, and corn syrup–trucks carrying each one ended up flipped over this week. Three major accidents in less than a week have trucking companies reviewing how to keep their drivers and the public safe. Chris Makamson is the Director of Safety at Royal Trucking Company in West Point. He says one thing they do is to make sure their drivers are always learning how to be better. “First thing that we do is continuous education of our drivers we have a training program here, and we also have a continuous education program with their current fleet and what that is we use an online web-based training program, and those drivers can see anywhere any time,” said Makamson. When something like this does happen, trucking companies try to figure out what happened and why. “The first thing we look at is speed, and our trucks are capable, with the technology that we have on them, to see exactly how fast driver was going at the time of the accident,” said Makamson. “The other things that we look at is whether or not the driver was distracted. We have a smart drive camera system so we can actually go back and look at the footage of when that truck rolls over and see if the driver was distracted.” But before they can look at how it happened, they have to make sure everyone is safe. “It’s a huge task it’s a huge undertaking with a rollover,” said Makamson. “There’s a lot going on. The first thing is to make sure that the driver is okay you know and of course if there’s anybody else involved. We want to make sure the motoring public is safe as well. The next thing we have a lot of things, there’s a lot of carnage whenever there’s a rollover. You have to worry about the tractor, the trailer, and the freight.” Makamson says that before they let their drivers go out, they give them some words of wisdom. “We always tell our drivers you know we want you to make sure that load is secure so if your mother or grandmother was driving beside that truck. You would know that it was not gonna come off,” said Makamson. Makamson says that their company hasn’t seen a rollover in over a year and hopes to keep the streak alive. Morgantown center now offering CDL program | |
Aspiring CDL holders in Morgantown, West Virginia can now receive the training they need through Monongalia County Technical Education Center. The center will start driver training classes Sept. 10 with a new four-week class offered each month. “All over the area, I think that’s a big thing we’re looking at. Lots of companies are needing this as the workforce shifts and your baby boomers are getting close to retirement, these people are looking for new employees to hire and new people to take over these jobs,” said Michael Johnston, coordinator for the center’s adult education programs. The center has partnered with Southpointe Energy Resource Group, which will provide the center with instructors and trucks for the course. Tuition for the course is $4,995, with financial assistance available for qualified applicants. The program can accommodate four students per instructor. Prospective students can contact the center at 304-291-9243 for more information on enrollment. Buyer beware: 800 pairs of work boots stolen in Tecumseh | |
The boots are various brands and sizes, police looking for the boots and the carrying them
The truck in this photo is said to be similar to the one reported stolen in Tecumseh on July 24, 2018. (Essex County OPP) A truck loaded with 800 pairs of work boots has been stolen in Tecumseh. Essex County OPP say the "2017 International 32 foot truck" bearing the name "Work Authority" was taken from a commercial property on Tecumseh Road East in the town. The truck is similar to the one in the photo provided by Provincial Police with the Ontario license plate 835 2XB — also identified as truck #677522. The boots are various brands and sizes. |
Court squashes $90M claim that Olathe company was illegally recruiting workers | |
 Earlier this year, Seigfreid Bingham helped TransAm Trucking avoid a possible $100 million class-action lawsuit. Now, it's helped win a case filed by CRST that accused the Olathe trucking company of illegally recruiting employees. CRST sought $90 million in damages.
A $90 million damage claim filed against Olathe-based TransAm Trucking Inc. was thrown out of court on Tuesday through summary judgment. TransAm Trucking was accused of actively recruiting drivers from CRST International Inc., knowing they were still bound by the 10-month restrictive period of their employment contract connected to the training program. Starting in August 2015, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, logistics and transportation company began to notice an increase in the number of employment verification requests it was receiving from TransAm for drivers who were still in their restrictive periods. After sending a cease-and-desist letter to TransAm Trucking and seeing the trend continue, CRST filed suit in April 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. CRST accused TransAm Trucking of intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, unjust enrichment and intentional interference with contracts. However, the court found no evidence that TransAm's contact with CRST trainees persuaded or induced them to breach their employment agreements. The court found no evidence that the sole or predominant purpose of TransAm reaching out to truckers was to injure CRST. The court also ruled that TransAm received nothing of value that belongs to CRST. "The profits TransAm may have realized by employing former CRST drivers are entirely disconnected from the value of any services CRST may have performed," the court stated in its ruling. "In other words, those profits are not benefits conferred on TransAm by CRST." After the case was thrown out of court, CRST immediately filed for an appeal. CRST is represented by Cedar Rapids law firm Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC. TransAm Trucking is represented by Seigfreid Bingham PC in Kansas City and Lederer Weston Craig PLC in Cedar Rapids. Earlier this year, Seigfreid Bingham helped TransAm Trucking avoid a possible $100 million class-action lawsuit. Source of article click here : Business Journal
Dart to Increase Loaded Mile Pay for Owner-Operators | |
The Dart Network announced its third per mile pay increase for OTR owner operators in the past 12 months.
The Dart Network has announced an upcoming 4-cent per mile pay increase on loaded miles for over the road owner-operators that will take effect on Sept. 1. Dart stated that OTR owner-operators could potentially earn up to $165,000 or more in a year and can qualify for up to $10,000 in sign-on bonuses. The company’s director of recruiting Wendy Bartz said that in some markets, owner-operators have seen pay increased by as much as 8 cents per mile in the last year. With a strong freight environment in 2018, many fleets have announced multiple driver pay and benefit increases to entice and retain new employees. Dart has increased pay for OTR owner-operators three times in the past 12 months. “As our business continues to grow we know to pay it forward. Dart is putting owner-operators and drivers first and this new pay increase is just one way to say thank you.” Trucking Alliance says ELDs should be in all large trucks, regardless of commodity or length of haul | |
The Trucking Alliance today issued a policy statement calling for the federal government to require ELDs in all CMVs regardless of commodity type or length of haul, and for state legislatures to require ELDs for all CMVs that operate exclusively within their borders. The Alliance, which has advocated ELD use since 2010, wants them used by intrastate drivers and by those operating in interstate commerce within a 100 air mile radius of their work reporting location, which is not now required. “Truck drivers no longer have paper logbooks to falsify,” said Alliance Managing Director Lane Kidd, “and state legislatures should consider doing what Congress has done and require all large trucks to install these devices to make sure drivers are obeying the law. ELDs should be as common in large trucks as seat belts are.” The Alliance said its reasons are that: ELDs will improve Hours of Service; they report safety-related data; the ELD mandate is working; they will improve the supply chain; and ELDs are the law, not necessarily in that order. ELDs are reducing driver fatigue, a large contributor to truck-related crashes, said the Alliance, citing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that 1,844 large truck crashes will be avoided and 26 lives saved each year by use of ELDs. Data generated by ELDs will provide a more accurate picture of true trucking operations, including the accurate number of hours spent driving, the organization stated, not to mention how many hours of detention time is actually being spent at shippers’ and receivers’ locations. The group said the ELD-generated data can be used to “develop sound policies” on detention time; truck parking shortages; HOS rules; highway infrastructure; and time lost from traffic congestion, among other things. According to its website, The Alliance is a coalition of freight and logistics companies “that support the adoption of technology and regulations to improve safety in trucking, such as mandatory truck speed limiters, mandatory electronic logging devices, improved driver training and screening, and advanced safety assistance systems.” August Calendar: Gear up for GATS in Dallas | |
Custom trucks will compete in the GATS Pride & Polish competition and antique trucks will be available for viewing on the show floor. Truck drivers and other industry professionals are gearing up for the Great American Trucking Show next month in Dallas. The annual show is set for Aug. 23-25 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Drivers with custom trucks will compete in the Pride & Polish truck beauty contest. For owner-operators and company drivers alike there will be hundreds of exhibitors, including exhibitors showcasing their latest gear. The Landstar Health and Wellness Pavilion will offer free services such as mammograms, chiropractic care, retinal scans, blood sugar tests, blood pressure tests, skin cancer screenings and more. Cooking demonstrations will take place on the Health Pavilion stage. A list of exhibitors and events is available on the GATS site. REGISTRATION: Registration is free in advance of the show. Anyone can register to attend. Registration at the show will be $10 per person. SHOW HOURS: The show opens at 11 a.m. Aug. 23 for VIP attendees and the show is open noon to 5 p.m. for general attendees. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 24 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 25. The show will host a Truck Stop Ministries worship service Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. TRUCK PARKING: Truck parking is available for free at Fair Park at 3013 S Haskell Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75223. The lot is five miles from the convention center. The truck show will provide free shuttles to and from the truck parking lot. Here’s what else is happening in August: Aug. 3-4: Iowa-Nebraska Classic Truck Show at Sapp Bros. Truck Stop in Omaha, Nebraska Aug. 4: Vintage Truck Magazine Truck Show at Young’s Jersey in Yellow Springs, Ohio Aug. 4: Green Mountain Chapter Truck Show in Westminster, Vermont Aug. 4-5: Empire State Antique Truck Show at the Stafford Firemen’s Grounds in Batavia, New York Aug. 5: Transportation Extravaganza and Truck Show at Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois Aug. 9-12: 19th Annual Brockway Truck Show in Cortland, New York Aug. 10-11: Waupun Truck-N-Show in Waupun, Wisconsin Aug. 10-12: National Pike Steam, Gas and Horse Association Show at Show Grounds in Brownsville, Pennsylvania Aug. 17: Wicomico County Fair Truck and Car Show at Winter Place Park in Salisbury, Maryland Aug. 17-18: Great Salt Lake Kidney Kamp Truck Show at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah Aug. 17-19: Eau Claire Big Rig Truck Show at Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Aug. 17-19: National Toy Truck ‘N Construction Show and Auction at Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana Aug. 18: Cerni Motors and the Penn-Ohio Chapter of the Antique Truck, Car and Motorcycle Show at Cerni Motor Sales in Youngstown, Ohio Aug. 24-25: Brooks Truck Show at Pacific Northwest Truck Museum and Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon Aug. 25: LeMay Car and Truck Show at LeMay Family Collection at Marymount in Spanaway, Washington Aug. 25: American Truck Historical Society Susquehanna Valley Chapter and Kenworth of PA Antique Truck Show in Carlisle, Pennsylvania New Love’s opens in Kansas with 74 truck parking spots | |
Love’s today opened a new travel center along Interstate 70 in Kansas. The new store is located at 2322 Fair Road (Interstate 70, Exit 272) in Abilene, and includes 74 truck parking spots. It also has:
“We’re excited to bring another Love’s to the state of Kansas,” said Tom Love, founder and executive chairman of Love’s. “Abilene sits on the busy stretch of Interstate 70 between Salina and Topeka. We aim to bring the level of customer service Love’s is known for to all of our customers traveling through the area.” As part of the grand opening, Loves made a $2,000 donation to The Hope Center. Brightness is key for 3M roadshow | |
MILTON, Ont. – It’s raining, it’s dark, and you’re squinting to see the lines on the road and the signs ahead of you. We’ve all been there, but if you’ve ever cursed your inability to see road markings in the dark or bad weather, you don’t necessarily need to blame advancing age or declining sight, say engineers at 3M. Instead, you should blame the sign technology. A 53-foot trailer containing the best and brightest in sign and paint engineer is touring North America for the 3M Roadshow. The truck was in the GTA this week and will make an appearance at the Transportation Association of Canada Conference Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 in Saskatoon, Sask. The Roadshow is targeting municipal councilors and other government officials to bring attention to the fact that in most areas of the country the signs on the road are using technology that’s nearly 80 years old. “Can you imagine using a TV from 1940?” says Doug Boccabella, marketing for 3M. Three types of signs, road paint, and reflective tape used for construction barrels and other marking are currently being used across the country. Designated either T1, T3/4, or T11, the types are rated by brightness and reflectiveness. The T1 type of sign was invented in about 1940 and is still commonly used by municipalities for road work, street signs and stop signs. Boccabella says some municipalities have begun to adopt the T3/4 type of signs for things like construction barrels, but the brightest technology – T11 – has yet to be adopted by most municipalities. Provinces like British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec have a higher uptake than other areas, but provinces like Ontario have yet to see adoption of the brightest signs. To show councilors the difference between the technology currently in use and the newest version of available road paint and signs, the 3M travelling trailer not only displays the two side-by-side but puts visitors in a lab-like setting. In the “lab” guests sit in the driver position in room painted black to look like a dark night. Then, water pours for the ceiling on the road lines ahead, mimicking a dark and stormy night. As your “headlights” shine on the rainy spot in front of you, suddenly many of the freshly painted lines become hard if not impossible to see. With a white core and greater reflectivity, the brightest of the paint and signs return up to 58% of the available light. While 3M didn’t have numbers available for how much light is returned by T1-type signs, it was significantly less. Even on a bright clear day 3M says the signs are important for getting the attention of drivers who may be distracted or suffering from highway hypnosis. That difference in brightness also comes with a cost – something 3M says is the most significant barrier to adoption. T3/4 signs can cost 10 per cent more than the T1 signs, with T11 signs costing 30% more than the T3/4 signs. Municipal contracts are awarded on an RFP bid system with the lowest bids necessarily getting the work. That legal requirement makes it hard for contractors using the more expensive materials to get the work awarded to them. Boccabella says the 3M roadshow is aiming to get those in government to see the safety benefits to adding brighter signs and paint to the roadways and make the technology part of any request for work. The roadshow is also demonstrating how roads of the future will work with autonomous vehicles, showing off “road closed” signs that look like any other sign to the naked eye, but contain an embedded QR code that can be read by an automated vehicle’s infrared sensors. The signs give the basic information necessary to the naked eye, allowing human drivers to read the information they would normally get from the sign. Autonomous vehicles can get much more information, however, because the embedded code is dynamic. Boccabella says the signs could impart weather conditions, GPS coordinates for a detour or much more information to the car, giving it specific instructions for how to operate. Just in the demonstration stage now, there are four of the signs on Michigan Highway I75 for testing. The coded signs are also being demonstrated with the T11 sign technology – something 3M says will play a key role in getting autonomous vehicles on the road, as consistency is key. Autonomous cars learn as they go, adapting to road conditions and learning to become better drivers over time, much like human drivers learn. Learning how to see and read signs is a key part of that process, and for the machine to learn it needs consistency. Consistent signage – including brightness levels – will make the learning process that much easier, says Boccabella. An important step for commercial vehicles which may read signs in several provinces over the course of a single day. After leaving Ontario the roadshow headed to North Carolina for it’s next stop. It will be traversing North America for the rest of the summer and into the fall. |
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