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Our Forum is the all year around meeting place, where drivers and owners come for Information or discuss trucking and expediting related questions. Whether you drive a Tractor/Trailer, Expediter Straight Truck or Van, you are very welcome here in Expediter World. We bring you Expediting and Trucking News on a regular basis. Trucking Professionals as well as Newbie's enjoy our Photo Gallery and NEW Free Classifieds. You can also find the right job with our new website, please visit us at www.expediterjobsonline.com. You can also check diesel fuel prices with our National Truckstop fuel price locator. Join us in relaxing, having fun and playing games.
Truckers to Call for More Safety Measures on Alaska’s Dalton Highway |  | 
 A view of Dalton Highway. (Alaska Department of Transportation)
Representatives of the Alaskan trucking community plan to call for improved maintenance efforts along Dalton Highway, a harrowing route in the northeastern part of the state that became the site of a driver’s fatal crash Aug. 24. The Dalton Highway, which is state Route 11, runs more than 400 miles from Fairbanks in central Alaska to the Prudhoe Bay, which toes the Arctic Ocean and contains a large oil field. It was along this route, just south of the oil field, that Joy Wiebe perished in a rollover crash when her 53-foot tanker slipped down an embankment. She was 50 years old and had driven a truck for 13 years. In the wake of her passing, a group of truckers familiar with the route is planning to host a conference call to discuss road conditions and safety improvements. Randi Matheson, a pilot truck driver who knew Wiebe through work, said state department of transportation representatives will be invited to join the call. Pilot drivers act as escorts for trucks hauling large loads to ensure they reach their destinations safely. Matheson identified real-time information on road closures and more delineators (reflective strips on the side of the road) as improvements that would benefit drivers on Dalton Highway. The route sometimes is obscured by thick fog, and reports indicate that visibility was poor on the night Wiebe died. “Delineators are a huge thing,” Matheson said. “Sometimes that’s your only visibility of what’s going on up there. Sometimes [you] don’t see a truck until you see headlights 16 feet away.” Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Meadow Bailey described Dalton Highway as challenging, although the agency has been leading maintenance projects on the route for the past couple of years. Bailey said the portion of Dalton Highway where Wiebe’s crash occurred was rebuilt in 2016, after flooding destroyed the road. She said the department also is working on a multiyear project to pave the 52 miles of highway leading to the oil field.
Dalton Highway. (Alaska Department of Transportation) The route, which is paved in some parts and gravel in others, traverses grueling terrain and sometimes faces extreme weather conditions. It winds through the mountainous Atigun Pass and levels out to flat “Arctic desert” as it approaches Prudhoe Bay, according to Aves Thompson, executive director of the Alaska Trucking Association. The road gets particularly treacherous when it’s snowing and windy. Thompson said drivers tend to adopt an “all in this together” mentality when the wind blows so severely that the snow blurs the names of companies on the sides of trucks. According to Thompson, Dalton Highway is traversed mostly by tourists, hunters and trucks hauling oil, such as the one Wiebe drove. He said the route probably sees between 2,000 and 3,000 trucks a month. “Maintenance is an important issue, especially in snow,” Thompson said. “The wind starts blowing and, if it’s snowing, it will shut down the road and sometimes those drifts are so hard you have to chisel the road open. It can be dangerous if you get stuck in a blow. The camaraderie of drivers is really extraordinary.” Wiebe’s is the sixth deadly crash and the first fatality involving a truck driver on Dalton Highway since 2008, Bailey said. Bailey was familiar with Wiebe and said she always took time to thank ADOT’s maintenance staff for its efforts. Wiebe was said to be the only female tank truck driver who operated in the Prudhoe Bay area. Matheson described her as “slow and steady,” and said she and her fellow drivers mourn Wiebe’s passing. Women constitute just 6% of all truck drivers, according to the Women In Trucking Association. “Joy Wiebe was another amazing woman who was both a pioneer and an icon who quietly did her job alongside her male peers,” WIT President Ellen Voie said Aug. 28. “We are so sorry to hear of the tragedy, and our thoughts go out to her family and friends.” Cost for trucks on Indiana Toll Road to jump 35 percent | |
Indiana is set to become the latest state to use tolls on only trucks to raise funds for infrastructure projects. Gov. Eric Holcomb Tuesday announced a 35 percent increase on tolls for trucks using the Indiana Toll Road effective Oct. 5. A statement from Holcomb said the cash generated by the increase will be used to pay for a laundry list of infrastructure items. The increase will mean the state receives $1 billion. In a post on its Facebook page shortly after Holcomb’s announcement, the Indiana Motor Truck Association said “… this tax increase will be used for railroads, airports, ship ports, walking trails, bike paths, broadband … certainly not the things you would expect tax increases imposed directly on the trucking industry to be used for.” The Indiana Finance Authority will vote Sept. 20 on whether to amend its contract with the Indiana Toll Road Concession Company, the private firm that operates the toll road, in order to raise the toll rates. Under the agreement, the ITRCC would invest $50 million in upgrades to the toll road. IMTA President Gary Langston said he and the association were taken by surprise by the announcement. The governor’s office called to alert the association just an hour before the actual announcement. The association’s Facebook post about the hike added, “We are disappointed because it’s apparent that the trucking industry was not considered in this decision.” The American Trucking Associations weighed in against the toll increase. “This is just another example of how toll roads – particularly privatized ones – are bad for our economy and discriminate against the trucking industry,” said ATA Vice President of Highway Policy Darrin Roth in a statement Tuesday. “The state of Indiana and their private capital partners are using trucking as a piggy bank to fund all sorts of pork projects and subsidize many projects of no benefit to toll payers.” ATA and others have likewise objected to Rhode Island’s installation of equipment to electronic charge tolls on trucks on I-95. The Indiana Toll Road spans about 157 miles between the Ohio Turnpike and Chicago Skyway. Federal judge dismisses suits against TransAm | |
A federal judge recently ended two class action lawsuits against TransAm Trucking, siding with the fleet. One case alleged misclassification of drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. The court also denied the drivers’ claims regarding minimum wage. Judge Eric F. Melgren in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas decertified the two classes of drivers in the case, effectively ending the two class action suits that sought a total of $122 million. The drivers sought damages in their Rule 23 state law wage claim for about 8,500 drivers for $100 million dollars, as well as attorney’s fees. Drivers also sought $22 million and attorney’s fees in their claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act for some 1,900 drivers. The case, which was filed in 2009, claimed that the two classes of drivers were misclassified as independent contractors when they should have been paid as employees according to state and federal law, according to a statement from the company. TransAm uses both employed company drivers and independent contractors to haul loads for its customers. The company’s contractors were paid significantly more per mile than company drivers under the terms of their agreements with TransAm, the statement said. This allowed the contractors to run their independent businesses however they deemed most profitable. “We truly value the relationship with our independent contractor drivers and believe that we have the best program in the industry,” said Russ McElliott, President for TransAm in a news release. “One of the hallmarks of our program is to allow the driver to make his or her own business decisions and choices every day. These drivers have different goals and objectives and they make their own decisions based on their goals and objectives. We are certainly pleased that the court recognized this hallmark of our program in this decision.” No appeal is expected. TransAm, which has headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, was represented by the Seigfried-Bingham law firm of Kansas City. The company operates some 1,000 tractors and over 1,900 trailers out of its headquarters and has a terminal, driver’s center and maintenance facility in Rockwall, Texas. Vehicle Inspector Accused of Offering Truck Driver Sex Act | |
DORRANCE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A commercial vehicle inspector employed by the state police is accused of soliciting a sex act from a truck driver in Luzerne County. State police say Robert Aigeldinger, 49, of Mountain Top, offered the driver a break on violations in exchange. Troopers say it happened Thursday during an inspection along Interstate 81 in Dorrance Township. Aigeldinger is suspended without pay during the investigation. PS Logistics Finalizes Purchase of D. Mosley Trucking | |
DMT has about 60 drivers and a management team headquartered in Lawtey, Fla. PS Logistics said the purchase will strengthen its operations in the Southeast and provide inroads to the 53-foot trailer market. “We are proud to welcome D. Mosley to the PS Logistics family,” CEO Scott Smith said. “We look forward to working with their great flatbed drivers and operations group while continuing their top-notch customer service.” “I have known the PS Logistics team for many years, and I am happy to be partnering with them,” DMT founder and President Dale Mosley said. “Over the last few decades, we have built a successful flatbed trucking operation serving outstanding customers with dedicated employees, and we will strive to continue that tradition with the same commitment to excellence.” Since 2007, PS Logistics has acquired 13 trucking and brokerage operations Source of article click here : Transport Topics
Diesel Jumps 1.9¢ to $3.226 | |
Oil Hits Three-Week High at $68.87 a Barrel
The U.S. average retail price of diesel jumped 1.9 cents to $3.226 a gallon while crude oil prices rose amid supply risks. Trucking’s main fuel costs 62.1 cents a gallon more than it did a year ago, when the price was $2.605, the Department of Energy said Aug. 27. Averages rose in all regions. The national average price for regular gasoline rose 0.6 cent to $2.827 a gallon, DOE’s Energy Information Administration said. The average is 42.8 cents higher than it was a year ago. Average gasoline prices rose in four regions and fell in five. Crude oil futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed Aug. 27 at $68.87 per barrel, the highest in more than three weeks, compared with $66.43 on Aug. 20. Oil held above $68 a barrel on slowing American drilling and investor optimism after a breakthrough in a trade standoff between the United States and Mexico, according to Bloomberg News. Crude has traded below $70 in August as a trade war between the United States and China, coupled with the threat of contagion from the Turkish currency crisis, weighed on prices. Still, slowing American output growth and pipeline bottlenecks are adding to supply risks as President Donald Trump is set to impose sanctions on oil exports from Iran in early November at a time when stockpiles are shrinking, Bloomberg reported Meanwhile, the role of commercial vehicle power management technologies in improving fuel efficiency and lower emissions will be underscored at the 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover, Germany. Diesel engine emissions regulations and growing demand for improved fuel economy are driving development of new engine and aftertreatment technologies, according to Eaton Corp. The ability to heat up the aftertreatment system quickly during cold cycles and low-load operating modes is key to reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, and Eaton’s variable valve actuation technologies manage exhaust temperature and improve fuel economy. Eaton also is developing a dedicated exhaust gas recirculator |
TravelCenters of America to Sell Minit Mart Business | |
 A TravelCenters of America location in Wildwood, Fla. (TravelCenters of America)
TravelCenters of America announced a definitive agreement for the sale of its Minit Mart convenience store business to EG Group for $330.8 million as it intends to focus on commercial trucks and other vehicles traveling on interstates, and a new express travel center strategy. The portfolio TA has agreed to sell includes 225 stand-alone convenience stores and related assets. The sale will enable TA to exit the stand-alone convenience store business and focus on the competitive advantages of its core travel center business. The net cash proceeds, $320.1 million, will go to reducing leverage and/or investing in travel center growth initiatives. TA expects the sale to be completed in the fourth quarter, according to the Westlake, Ohio-based company. “We expect some of these growth initiatives may include expanding our industry-leading truck service program and growing our nationwide network of travel centers, including investing in our recently announced TA Express travel center format and pursuing new franchising opportunities,” TravelCenters CEO Andy Rebholz said in a release.
Rebholz TA Express was developed as a smaller, more nimble concept to serve travelers, professional drivers and local motorists with top-quality diesel fuel, branded gas options, food offerings and convenience items. TA Express also will give prospective franchisees another model from which to choose. “While our traditional travel centers offer a wide variety of options for all travelers, we heard from our motorists and professional drivers that they also wanted locations where they could experience TravelCenters quality in a quick-serve setting. That’s what we’re offering with TA Express,” TravelCenters President Barry Richards said in a statement.
Richards TA Express sites will increase the number of fueling options for professional drivers and accept the same fuel programs and payment methods as traditional TA and Petro locations. Professional drivers in TravelCenters’ UltraONE Program also will be able to earn and redeem points at TA Express locations. Meanwhile, for the period ended June 30, the company reported a net loss of $34 million, or 85 cents per share, compared with a loss of $3 million, or 8 cents, in the 2017 period. TA recognized a goodwill impairment charge of $51.5 million during the 2018 second quarter in its convenience stores segment, which increased its operating expenses. Second-quarter revenue increased to $1.8 billion compared with $1.5 billion a year earlier. TA operates 257 travel centers in 43 states in the United States, primarily along the U.S. interstate highway system, and the province of Ontario, principally under the TA and Petro Stopping Centers brands. In April, United Kingdom-based EG announced a definitive agreement to acquire Kroger Co.’s convenience store business unit for $2.15 billion. Speed limit drops on section of I-74 in Illinois | |
The Illinois Department of Transportation has reduced the speed limit on part of Interstate 74 by 10 mph. Beginning today the posted speed limit on I-74 from west of I-57 to east of Cunningham Avenue is reduced from 70 mph to 60 mph. A statement from IDOT says it recently completed a speed study on I-74 and I-57 in the Champaign-Urbana area and concluded that given the current prevailing speeds, crash rates and the number of interchanges, the reduction was justified. IDOT said the study also showed the current posted speed limit of 70 mph on I-57 is correct. IDOT said it routinely reviews all state-maintained routes to determine whether any low-cost safety improvements can be made, including speed limits, striping, signal timing and roadside hazards. Tesla's Semi truck is traveling cross-country 'alone' | |
It used existing Superchargers to make the trip.
Tesla's Semi truck has already made some city-to-city trips, but how does it fare on cross-country jaunts -- you know, what it'll be doing when it enters service? Just fine, if you ask Elon Musk. In response to an Electrek piece on the Semi's latest visit (to Arkansas trucking behemoth J.B. Hunt), the CEO noted that the Semi has been traveling thousands of miles entirely by itself, using the existing Supercharger network. The only necessary help is an "extension cord" to help the truck plug in. To be exact, it's a system of cords that plugs into multiple stations at once to top up the Semi's giant battery before the company's Megachargers come online. That solo travel is likely meant in part to reassure customers (including J.B. Hunt) that the Semi is already capable of handling long-distance trips without escorts. However, it does leave a few open questions. How long does it take to top up using Superchargers, and how likely is it that drivers could rely on them when Megachargers aren't available? While it's easy for a Tesla-operated truck to cross the US using the existing framework, it'd be another matter with thousands of third-party trucks in service. This is a significant step toward the Semi hitting the road in earnest, but there are many more steps to go. Truck driver charged in 3-semi crash on I-280 | |
UPDATE: A semi truck driver who left the scene of a three-semi accident has been charged with several drug-related offenses. Robert Edgar Waters, 48, Des Moines was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a personal injury Other charges may be filed pending the ongoing investigation, according to Illinois State Police. EARLIER UPDATE All lanes on I-280 are now open. EARLIER UPDATE Illinois State Police provided details from their initial investigation into the Interstate 280 crash of three semi trucks Tuesday morning. Police say all three trucks were traveling west on I-280 when one lost control, rolled into the median and blocked the left lane. A second truck struck the first, traveled into the right ditch and partially blocked the right lane. A third truck drove into the scene and struck the second, crossed into the median and stopped. The driver of the first truck left the scene and was located later by Rock Island Police. Westbound I-280 traffic remains closed at this time for recovery of the three trucks and trailers. There is no estimated time for the scene to be cleared. The Rock Island County Sheriff, Milan Police Department and Blackhawk Fire also responded to the scene. EARLIER UPDATE An accident on eastbound on Interstate 280 near the Milan exit has traffic in both directions at a standstill. Local 4 News was first on the scene at the Airport Road overpass. All traffic is being diverted to the off ramp at the Milan exit. At least three semi trucks are involved that we know of at this time. This is going to impact your commute this morning so if you can avoid the area, please do. We are still trying to find out what caused the wreck. We will be talking to police and bring you information as we get it. Lack of funding hurts driver recruiting efforts at CVTA member schools | |
As president & CEO of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), Don Lefeve knows all too well the problems carriers are facing today. The issue of too few drivers is compounded by states that are taking too long to get those who want to drive tested and simply not enough funding to help those who may make great truck drivers but can’t afford to pay the tuition. “We are seeing schools with lines out the door of trucking companies looking to hire our students,” Lefeve says. “This is a big story and the problem is nobody understands what the issues are.” Lefeve, who spoke with FreightWaves at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas this week, says that getting financing for new students is among the biggest obstacles facing CVTA-member schools. That is made worse by states that refuse to allow third-party CDL testing and as a result, students can wait months before taking their CDL. “The delays are such a problem because you have someone who spends 8 weeks training and then has another month or two to wait,” he points out. Twenty-four states allow third-party CDL testing. CVTA was founded in 1996 as a way to provide drivers quality training programs. So-called CDL mills, to that point, were churning out drivers that many in the industry believed were not trained properly. CVTA has about 200 schools in its membership across 42 states, training about 50,000 students per year. Member schools must commit to at least 160 hours of training, including 40 hours behind the wheel. “We’re a big proponent of training and safety through training,” Lefeve says. He notes that CVTA was involved in the negotiated rulemaking FMCSA conducted in 2015 to develop entry-level driver training, and he is still hopeful that will be implemented by 2020. Beyond the wait times to get CDL tests, Lefeve believes the biggest issue facing member schools is a lack of funding. Most states have workforce development programs that can help cover tuition for students, but there isn’t enough money to go around and that is keeping qualified students away. “If we could finance more students, I think that could help,” he says. With that said, Lefeve says that enrollment remains strong at member schools, due in part, he believes, to the pay increases carriers have been implementing in the past year. “The message is getting out,” they’re paying and these are careers you can get into,” Lefeve says. CVTA, on May 9, was also approved for an apprenticeship program, which means it can help carriers set up driver apprenticeships through its schools. One change Lefeve says CVTA has seen is the average age of students dropping. In its most recent survey this year, the average student age is now 34 to 36 years old, down slightly from previous years. That is still high, though. “Trucking has become a job of last resort, not first choice,” he notes. “We believe it should be a job of first choice.” Many in the industry have been pushing for 18-20 year olds to be allowed to drive interstate. Lefeve says that is something he supports – with a qualification. “To be clear, safety is first,” he says. “It doesn’t mean every 18 year old should drive.” Giving 18 year olds a chance to get involved in the industry is a way to help make trucking a first choice, Lefeve says. To get there, he notes, the industry needs the entry level driver training rule and passage of the SAFE DRIVE Act, which would require 400 hours of training, is a great start, Lefeve believes. “If you’re allowed to have 18 year olds, you can get the right people in the job - this isn’t the right job for everyone – and that can help reduce turnover and costs,” he says. Lefeve also notes that the minimum interstate driving age of 21 is a regulatory mandate, not a law, so it doesn’t require Congress to act. If it so chooses, FMCSA could issue a regulatory change to alter the age limit. “You have to have continued learning,” Lefeve points out. “They don’t have as much experience so they need more drive time.” CVTA is on the front lines of the driver shortage, and Lefeve sees some solutions, but he needs some help, and it starts with funding both tuition for those students that need financial assistance, and ensuring states have the resources necessary to test students so they can obtain their CDLs. ATRI Study Highlights Benefits of HOS Flexibility | |
 A Kenworth sleeper berth. (TT File Photo)
Flexible hours-of-service breaks have the potential to benefit the drivers of sleeper berth trucks, according to a new analysis released by the American Transportation Research Institute on Aug. 28. Current federal law requires drivers to rest for at least 10 hours before starting a new 14-hour workday. ATRI’s report suggests that certain “innovative HOS concepts” could help drivers avoid rush-hour congestion by taking strategic periods of rest. ATRI’s report uses data to study how breaking up the 10-hour rest requirement, such as dividing rest hours into 7/3, 6/4 or 5/5 splits, would be effective in helping drivers avoid bottlenecks. “[A] rest period of three or more hours that qualifies toward the daily 10-hour rest requirement could effectively help drivers avoid slow-moving peak travel periods,” ATRI’s report states. “The opportunity for a driver to adapt to changing conditions and congestion levels throughout a day is critical and could be greatly enhanced with the addition of flexible sleeper berth rules to the current HOS regulations.” A 40-mile stretch of highway from northeast Atlanta along Interstate 85 to points west of the city along I-20 was ATRI’s testbed for the study. Truck GPS data revealed that it took drivers 40 to 90 minutes to traverse that corridor during rush hour. Drivers starting a trip along the route at 6 p.m. could expect to spend more than 90 minutes sitting in their vehicle, the study found. Atlanta is home to two of the most congested freight bottlenecks in the country. The five-level stack interchange known as “Spaghetti Junction,” where I-285 and I-85 North intersect, ranked No. 1 on ATRI’s 2018 study on the 100 most congested truck bottlenecks in the country. The intersection of I-75 and I-285 North ranked No. 4. The report suggests that flexible HOS rules would allow a driver to take a break for a few hours during peak traffic to avoid a congested urban corridor, such as the one in Atlanta. The driver then could save time and money by traversing the corridor faster when rush hour is over and the route is relatively clear. “If only 25 truck trips per day avoided the congested weekday time period presented on the study segment, truck drivers would drive 4,700 fewer hours annually to move the same goods the same distance,” the report states. “This equates to operational cost savings of more than $300,000 per year for the 25-truck sample at that single location.” HOS flexibility is a common plea among truck drivers, demonstrated in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s official request for comment on the subject issued in June 2017. Comments submitted to the Federal Register reflected a desire for more options to split rest times. Several drivers said that flexibility would increase safety. “Being able to get some rest when, I feel, I need it would greatly increase my productivity and the safety of the public,” one respondent said in a Federal Register comment. “Playing ‘beat the clock’ when I have been held up, in traffic or at the dock, is not safe for anyone. With a change to the rules, I could count the six hours I spent sleeping in the dock waiting to be unloaded, toward my 10 [hour[ break and not have it be wasted time.” The report also found that flexible HOS options can yield more than $150 million in operational cost savings a year. ATRI’s analysis was a response to the institute’s Research Advisory Committee identifying flexibility in HOS regulations as a top research priority last year. “ATRI’s findings confirm what drivers have consistently said about these rules since they went into effect: The lack of flexibility has the potential to hinder safety and productivity,” said Dan Horvath, vice president of safety policy for American Trucking Associations. “We look forward to this data informing the current debate on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Transportation about the future of the hours-of-service rules.” |
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