The Trucker Newspaper - April 15, 2018

Vol. 31, No. 8
www.thetrucker.com April 15-30, 2018
Former White House press secretary Fleischer touts Trump
before friendly, compatible audience at TCA convention
The Trucker: KLINT LOWRY
MATS in pictures
With over 1 million square feet
of floor exhibit space and1,008
exhibitors, the 2018 Mid-
America Trucking Show attracted
71,327attendees from 47 states
and 13 countries.
Page 8
Navigating the news
Spending bill inked.................3
Urgent care available ............4
TCA Best Fleets ....................7
Drivers of the Year................10
Trucker put OOS..................11
News roundup......................14
Truck Stop............................18
Women to Watch..................21
Tonnage slips.......................23
Fleet Focus...........................25
Full stability...........................33
VNL 760 production..............35
Around the Bend..................37
The Trucker: KLINT LOWRY
35th Highway Hero
Frank Vieira, second from left,
who administered first aid to a
motorist who had been pierced
through the neck by a broken
steering wheel after a crash,
is the 35th recipient of the
prestigious Goodyear Highway
Hero Award.
Page 37
Klint Lowry
klint.lowry@thetrucker.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Statistically, they say,
public speaking is the No. 1 fear people have. It’s
safe to say Ari Fleischer is an exception. For more
than 30 years, high-level communications has
been his specialty and this past summer he signed
on with Fox News as a political contributor.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, he has served as
press secretary for three members of Congress,
as well as stints as field director for the National
Republican Congressional Committee, and
as spokesman for the House of Representatives’
Ways and Means Committee. He then served as
deputy communications director for George H.W.
Bush’s 1992 re-election campaign and as communications
director for Elizabeth Dole’s presidential
campaign in 2000.
When Dole dropped out of the race, Fleischer
joined George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.
When Bush was elected, Fleischer was hired on
to stand on the loftiest stage on Earth, as White
House press secretary.
He held the job for two and a half years. His
tenure included the always difficult breaking-in
period for the new administration, made even
more hectic following the protracted 2000 election
challenge. He was travelling with Bush on
9-11, and then stood as White House spokesman
during the run-up to two wars.
So taking the stage March 26 as the keynote
speaker before a friendly, politically compatible
crowd at the Truckload Carriers Association’s
80th Annual Convention at the Gaylord Palms
Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee,
Florida, was hardly a white-knuckle moment.
See Fleischer on p12 m
Courtesy: U.S. HOUSE
Rep. Brian Babin says truckers need Hours
of Service options to safely operate amidst today’s
federal commercial vehicle regulations.
Courtesy: TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION
Ari Fleischer, who served as press secretary for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003,
assessed the current state of American politics in general and the Donald Trump presidency in
particular as the keynote speaker last month at the 80th annual Truckload Carriers Association
Convention.
Texas Rep. Brian Babin introduces REST Act;
would pause 14-hour clock, loosen rules in HOS
THE TRUCKER STAFF
WASHINGTON — Rep. Brian Babin, R-
Texas, a member of the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee, has introduced H.R.
5417, The Responsible and Effective Standards
for Truckers (REST) Act, legislation that would
modernize Hours of Service regulations for truck
drivers.
The REST Act would allow drivers to take
one rest break per shift for up to three consecutive
hours.
The single off-duty period would not be counted
toward the driver’s 14-hour, on-duty allowance
and would not extend the total, allowable drive
limits.
“I’m proud to introduce the REST Act and give
America’s truckers the options they need to safely
operate under today’s rigid federal regulations,”
Babin said. “This bill is an important step in making
the way for improved highway safety.”
The REST Act requires the Department of
Transportation to update HOS regulations to allow
a rest break once per 14-hour duty period for up to
three consecutive hours as long as the driver is offduty,
effectively pausing the 14-hour clock.
However, drivers would still need to log 10
consecutive hours off duty before the start of their
next work shift.
It would also eliminate the existing 30-minute
rest break requirement.
“American Trucking Associations believes
See HOS on p10 m

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THETRUCKER.COM
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 3
Trump signs $1.3 trillion spending bill;
some ELD exemptions are in for now
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
WASHINGTON — After hinting that he
might not sign it, President Donald Trump
inked a $1.3 trillion spending measure last
month, averting a midnight government shutdown.
Under the appropriations bill, livestock
and insect haulers are exempt from the
electronic logging device (ELD) mandate
through September 30, because that’s when
the appropriations end, according to Adrienne
Gildea, deputy executive director of
the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
(CVSA), whose officers are tasked with enforcing
ELD compliance and various safety
regulations.
Other argi haulers have until June 18 to
comply with the ELD mandate, she noted,
“unless FMCSA issues any further waivers
or exemptions.”
However, some agriculture transporters
are exempt from the Hours of Service if
they’re hauling within a 150-air-mile radius
of their farm or ranch, Gildea added.
That may beg the question of why an exemption
would be needed in the first place
since ELDs are a tool to electronically log
HOS, said one trucking observer familiar
with the proceedings.
What’s in the omnibus bill bothers some
stakeholders a lot less than what’s not in it.
It doesn’t contain what’s known as the
Denham Amendment, which would keep
states from adopting their own HOS rules
concerning meal and rest breaks and lead to
what are referred to as “patchwork” rules differing
from one state to the next and more
importantly, from the federal HOS, themselves.
Opponents to the amendment say it would
keep states from requiring carriers to give
drivers paid meal and rest breaks and keep
carriers from being required to pay drivers
for non-driving tasks.
Both the Truckload Carriers Association
and the American Trucking Associations
have argued that having one federal rule
across the board and across state lines is the
safer and simpler way to govern HOS.
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs
David Heller said the Denham Amendment
was “negotiated out” of the final budget
and a “casualty of war.”
According to the FMCSA website, “covered
farm vehicles of 26,001 pounds or more
operated by a farmer or an employee of the
farmer are exempted from the HOS and CDL
regulations if the vehicle is operated anywhere
in the state of registration or across
state lines within a 150-air mile radius of the
farm or ranch with respect to which the vehicle
is being operated.
“Drivers who transport agricultural commodities
within a 150-air mile radius of the
farm or ranch with respect to which the vehicle
is being operated are also exempted from
the HOS regulations.”
Trump did say he was “very disappointed”
in the funding package, in part because
it did not fully fund his plans for a border
wall with Mexico and did not address some
700,000 “Dreamer” immigrants who are now
protected from deportation under a program
that he has moved to eliminate.
But the president praised increases the
bill provides for military spending and said
he had “no choice but to fund our military,”
The Associated Press reported.
“My highest duty is to keep America
safe,” Trump said.
The bill signing came a few hours after
Trump tweeted that he was “considering” a
veto, although The Hill and several Republican
members of Congress had said he would
end up signing it. 8
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4 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
thetrucker.com
Pilot Flying J, UrgentCare clinics taking sting out of truck
drivers getting to doctor; now at 7 locations, more planned
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
Sometimes it’s so difficult for truck drivers
to get seen by a doctor they get in the
habit of ignoring their health problems altogether,
half hoping their hectic lifestyle
doesn’t catch up with them.
But it is catching up with them, according
to one clinic’s findings from professional
truck drivers’ DOT physicals.
Mitch Strobin of UrgentCare Travel clinics
said of the more than 15,000 truck drivers who
have had physicals at their facilities, about half
have pre-existing hypertension, diabetes or
high cholesterol, making it necessary for their
medical cards to be issued for only a year or
less rather than two years. Those results “tell us
these are the conditions afflicting most drivers
… unmanaged they become worse and worse.”
Started in 2014, there currently are seven
UrgentCare clinics at Pilot Flying J truck
stops and by this time next year there will
be 25, said Strobin, vice president of service
management. Eight are being added the first
half of this year.
The current seven are Baytown, Texas
(I-10, Exit 789); Cartersville, Georgia (I-75,
Exit 296); Dallas (I-20, Exit 472); Fontana,
California (I-10, Exit 64, at South Sierra Plaza);
Knoxville, Tennessee (I-40, Exit 398);
Oklahoma City (I-40, Exit 140); and Ruther
Glen, Virginia (I-95, Exit 104).
Each clinic is 900 square feet with three
exam rooms, “a full-blown clinic,” Strobin
said.
Their development was a combination of
UrgentCare Travel and Pilot Flying J seeing
the need for drivers to have access to convenient
and affordable health care with plenty
of truck parking, he said.
“We’ve tried to do a clinic before but UrgentCare
was the only provider to step up
and grow the clinics. Obviously there’s a big
need,” said Scott Klepper, senior manager of
facility revenue for Pilot Flying J. “Our primary
customers are the professional drivers.
UrgentCare is a way to provide for them and
our employees and the community
at large, [those] who don’t
have access to health care otherwise.”
The big picture is that at a
time when hiring and retaining
good drivers is crucial, untreated
medical conditions can mean
the end of a driver’s career.
“I just want to say I’m
healthy because of your help,”
wrote one truck driver who signed up for the
health-care services. “I won’t beat around
the bush — you all are saving my life.”
Drivers who join the UrgentCare health
network pay a flat monthly rate with no copay
and no deductible. And, walk-ins are
perfectly acceptable as it’s understood that
it’s between difficult and impossible for drivers
to know when they’ll have time to get in.
Strobin said estimates are that getting drivers
regular checkups and health care will save
Courtesy: URGENTCARE
Each of Pilot Flying J’s UrgentCare medical facilities is 900 square feet with three exam rooms,
“a full-blown clinic,” said Mitch Strobin, UrgentCare vice president of service management.
the trucking industry one billion dollars a year.
And it’s not just the drivers, their families
are impacted by their health, he said, as are
their carriers.
The program encourages frequent visits
to the clinic so drivers can get pre-existing
conditions treated and be prepared for their
next DOT physical.
A reasonable flat monthly fee is working
Drivers who join the UrgentCare health
network pay a flat monthly rate with no
copay and no deductible. Walk-ins are
acceptable as it’s understood that it’s
between difficult and impossible for drivers
to know when they’ll have time to get in.
better than saddling drivers with deductibles
or copays, Strobin said.
“Many don’t have health insurance and
every visit is out of pocket.” Or, they have
insurance but can’t afford the deductible.
Each clinic has a DOT-certified nurse
practitioner and a medical assistant who provide
not just physicals but all primary care
services such as routine illnesses like colds
and flu plus cuts, abrasions, muscle strains
and other things that can result in the course
of a driver’s workday.
The clinics are the first line of defense for
work-related injuries, many of which can be
handled as a matter of administering first-aid,
not necessarily as a workman’s comp claim.
“Everything defaulting to workman’s comp
doesn’t need to be the case,” Strobin said.
Drivers can walk in and request a physical,
with most taking about 30 minutes.
But it’s not just a process
where the driver is in and out,
Strobin said. Medical staff
“take pride in talking to the
driver.” Since about half have
pre-existing conditions the
physician can discuss the next
steps in managing the driver’s
condition and how to take care
of themselves over the long
term.
Drivers are appreciative of being listened
to, he said. “They know they can talk with
the same provider every time. They can come
in and talk face to face, get advice, get a
[health] plan. It’s respect.”
For families that live near the clinic, they
also can get their health needs taken care of.
“It’s very much taking care of our guests,”
Klepper said, with Strobin adding, “that’s the
beauty of the partnership. It benefits the entire
industry.” 8
USPS 972
Volume 31, Number 8
April 15-30, 2018
The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the
trucking industry, published by Trucker Publications Inc. at
1123 S. University, Suite 320
Little Rock, AR 72204-1610
Trucking Division Senior Vice President
David Compton
davidc@targetmediapartners.com
Vice President / Publisher
Ed Leader
edl@thetrucker.com
Trucking Division General Manager
Megan Cullingford-Hicks
meganh@targetmediapartners.com
Editor
Lyndon Finney
editor@thetrucker.com
Assistant Editor
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
Associate Editor
Klint Lowry
klint.lowry@thetrucker.com
Production Manager
Rob Nelson
robn@thetrucker.com
Graphic Artist
Christie McCluer
christie.mccluer@thetrucker.com
Special Correspondent
Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
National Marketing Consultants
Jerry Critser
jerryc@targetmediapartners.com
Dennis Ball
dennisb@targetmediapartners.com
Kelly Brooke Drier
kellydr@thetrucker.com
Erin Garrett
erin.garrett@targetmediapartners.com
John Hicks
johnh@targetmediapartners.com
Meg Larcinese
megl@targetmediapartners.com
Greg McClendon
gregmc@targetmediapartners.com
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Thetrucker.com
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 5
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6 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
THETRUCKER.COM
NTSB: Car-truck crash that killed 6 shows need to implement its latest safety recommendations
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WASHINGTON — The National Transportation
Safety Board said a highway accident
brief published by the NTSB for its investigation
of a June 2016 highway crash that
killed six people and injured five, illustrates
the need to implement 15 safety recommendations
associated with the NTSB’s Most Wanted
List of transportation safety improvements
for fatigue, occupant protection and collision
avoidance.
A seven-passenger sport utility vehicle
with a total of 11 occupants was struck from
behind by a tractor-trailer on Interstate70 near
Goodland, Kansas, June 29, 2016, at 2:15 a.m.
Survivors of the crash said they believed the
SUV was traveling near the posted minimum
speed limit of 40 mph while the tractor-trailer
was traveling near the posted maximum speed
limit of 75 mph at the time of impact.
“While the NTSB did not issue safety recommendations
based upon the findings of this
investigation, the investigation does emphasize
the need to implement 15 NTSB safety
recommendations to improve highway safety
and to reduce the number and severity of highway
crashes,” said Rob Molloy, director of the
NTSB’s office of highway safety. “The causal
and contributing factors to this tragic and completely
preventable crash demonstrate why
the issues of fatigue, occupant protection and
collision avoidance are on the NTSB’s Most
Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.
In this crash, a collision avoidance system,
especially one capable of automatically
applying the brakes, might have prevented this
accident or at least lessened the severity of the
crash.”
The NTSB determined that the tractortrailer
driver’s failure to take effective action
to avoid the crash due to his fatigue and lack
of expectancy to encounter the slow-moving
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SUV, led to the crash. The SUV driver’s decision
to continue traveling at a reduced speed
on the highway without the use of flashing hazard
lights contributed to the crash, as well. The
overloading of the SUV and the lack of a collision
avoidance system on the truck contributed
to the severity of the crash.
“Of the 315 open safety recommendations
associated with the NTSB’s Most Wanted List
of Transportation Safety Improvements, 15 relate
to the issues identified in this crash investigation,”
said Molloy. “Of the 39,339 transportation
fatalities in 2016, highway fatalities accounted
for 37,461 deaths, or 95 percent of all
transportation fatalities in 2016. We view the
implementation of these recommendations as
vital to ensuring the safety of America’s transportation
system. The longer it takes for NTSB
safety recommendations to be implemented,
the longer an identified safety need remains
unaddressed, potentially threatening the safety
of travelers and transportation workers.”
The NTSB has no regulatory authority, but
can make safety recommendations to governmental
agencies. 8
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Thetrucker.com
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 7
Bison Transport, Central Oregon Truck named TCA Best Fleets to Drive For
THE TRUCKER STAFF
Sometimes it comes down to doing what’s
right.
Bison Transport has been recognized as an
outstanding company by the Truckload Carriers
Association for more than 10 years, and the
Canadian company was again named overall
winner in the large carrier category of the 2018
Best Fleets to Drive For at TCA’s convention
last month in Orlando, Florida.
Central Oregon Truck Company (COTC) was
named overall winner in the small carrier category.
“When it comes down to it, one of our core
values is people, Bison Director of Safety and
Development Garth Pitzel told The Trucker after
a previous win. “We have one saying … we
do what is right.”
COTC, of Redmond, Oregon, was founded
by a couple of flatbed drivers 25 years ago,
and runs exclusively local and regional flatbed
freight in the Pacific Northwest.
Their motto is: “If it goes on a flatbed then
we haul it across all 48 states and Canada … .”
They utilize lightweight aluminum Reitnouer
trailers pulled by a fleet of Kenworth tractors.
According to COTC’s website they maintain
“leading driver pay and benefits while
maintaining exceptional CSA scores.”
COTC has been nominated as a Best Fleets
to Drive For winner for four years running, for
providing the best workplace experience and
have been in the top 20 in 2014, 2015, 2016
and 2017 competitions.
Other large carrier (1,456 tractors) category
winners were: American Central Transport,
Kansas City, Missouri; Challenger Motor
Freight, Cambridge, Ontario; Erb Grou, New
Hamburg, Ontario; Fremont Contract Carriers,
Fremont, Nebraska; Halvor Lines, Superior,
Wisconsin; Maverick Transportation, North
Little Rock, Arkansas; and Nussbaum Transportation,
Hudson, Illinois.
Other small carrier category (314 tractors)
Best Fleet winners were: Boyle Transportation,
Billerica, Massachusetts; FTC Transportation,
Oklahoma City; Garner Trucking, Findlay,
Ohio; Grand Island Express, Grand Island,
Nebraska; Keller Logistics Group, Defiance,
Ohio; Motor Carrier Service, Northwood,
Ohio; Smokey Point Distributing, Arlington,
Washington; TransPro Freight Systems, Milton,
Ontario; and Veriha Trucking, Marinette,
Wisconsin. 8
ATA: Survey says driver
pay, bonuses being boosted
to keep, retain safe drivers
THE TRUCKER STAFF
ARLINGTON, Va. — The American
Trucking Associations said last month it has
released data from its latest Driver Compensation
Study showing “driver pay has
climbed as rising demand for freight transportation
services has increased competition
for increasingly scarce drivers.”
“This latest survey, which includes data
from more than 100,000 drivers, shows that
fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight
market for drivers by boosting pay, improving
benefit packages and offering other enticements
to recruit and retain safe and experienced
drivers,” said ATA Chief Economist
Bob Costello.
According to this most recent study, the
median salary for a truckload driver working
a national, irregular route was more than
$53,000 — a $7,000 increase from ATA’s
last survey, which covered annual pay for
2013, or an increase of 15 percent. A private
fleet driver saw pay rise to more than
$86,000 from $73,000, or a gain of nearly
18 percent.
That’s 3 percent more than the cost of
living has increased in the last 10 years. According
to the American Institute for Economic
Research, you’d have to pay $115.35
today compared with $100 in 2008 for the
same thing, a cost-of-living increase of 15
percent.
In addition to raising pay, Costello said
fleets were offering generous signing bonuses
and benefit packages to attract and
keep drivers.
“Our survey told us that carriers are offering
thousands of dollars in bonuses to attract
new drivers,” Costello said. “And once
drivers are in the door, fleets are offering
benefits like paid leave, health insurance
and 401(k)s to keep them.
“This data demonstrates that fleets are reacting
to concerns about the driver shortage by
raising pay and working to make the job more
attractive,” he said. “I expect that trend to continue
as demand for trucking services increases
as our economy grows.” 8
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8 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
Thetrucker.com
Standouts
in the crowd
Photos by Klint Lowry
Every March, the swallows have Capistrano and
the trucking industry has Louisville. Kentucky’s
largest city once again was the trucking hub of
the nation for three days during the Mid-America
Trucking Show, March 22-24. An estimated
71,327 guests from all 50 states and 61 countries
converged at the Kentucky Exposition Center for
the 2018 edition of MATS, the nation’s largest
trucking show and best opportunity of the year for
trucking-related companies to show their wares.
But when you’re one of more than a thousand
vendors spread out over a million square feet of
exhibition space, you have to go the extra mile
to stand out, and every year vendors use various
tactics to draw in the guests.
An eye-catcher in itself, all the Shell Rotella team had to do was put its Starship truck-of-the-future
prototype on the floor and heads turned.
Fred Andersky, director of marketing at
Bendix, practices his presentation.
For sheer drawing power you can’t beat celebrity
appearances, and Mack Trucks figured who’s a bigger
celebrity than “The King”? Tracy and Jim Hartwig of
Medford, Wisconsin, have their picture taken with
NASCAR legend Richard Petty.
When a giant flying moose is your
mascot, as it is for Canadian trailer
manufacturer Manac, that really
should be all the attention-grabber
you need.
Yolanda Gates gives Matthew Miller a
free shoeshine as Sapp Brothers Travel
Centers’ way of emphasizing that they are
all about hospitality.
Speaking of bigger-than-life celebrities, Quandrant
Truck Liners was promoting their new heavy-duty liner,
the Haulk, and Theresa Todd of Mulberry, Florida,
found herself between beefcake bookends as she had
her picture taken with “Incredible Hulk” Lou Ferrigno.
Barry Pawelek tries his luck dressing
as a leprechaun to stir up interest in
TruckDriversHealth.org.
Ryan Murley of Bowling Green, Kentucky, burns up
the virtual track on Mobil Delvac’s racecar simulator.

Thetrucker.com
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 9

10 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
thetrucker.com
Courtesy: TCA
STEPHEN RICHARDSON
THE TRUCKER STAFF
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Truckload Carriers
Association has named Stephen Richardson
as Company Driver of the Year and Philip
Keith as Owner-Operator of the Year.
The announcement came March 27 during the
awards banquet at TCA’s annual convention here.
Richardson, who lives in Decatur, Alabama,
drives for Big G Express of Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Long, who resides in Long Beach, Mississippi,
is leased to WEL Companies of Del Pere,
Wisconsin.
Both drivers received a $25,000 cash prize
for their achievements.
The annual contests recognize the top owner-operators
and company drivers in the U.S.
and Canada who provide reliable and safe truck
transportation in moving the nation’s goods.
The overall winners are selected from the
finalists based on safe driving, efforts to enhance
the public image of the trucking industry,
and positive contributions to the winners’ local
communities. For the owner-operator candidates,
business-owner skills are also judged.
Safe transportation runs in Richardson’s
blood, as his father was a professional truck
driver and his mother was a school bus driver.
As a driver himself, Richardson has
amassed over 3.4 million accident-free miles
during his 27 years of professional truck driving,
including 17 with Big G Express.
b HOS from page 1 b
regulations need to be supported by good data.
While ATA believes that there are opportunities
to improve Hours of Service regulations to
provide additional flexibility while maintaining
safety, we don’t believe that there is sufficient
data at this time to support the types of changes
proposed by the REST Act,” said Sean McNally,
vice president of communications and press
secretary at ATA. “However, with the deadline
to comply with the electronic logging device
requirement now passed, it is our hope that we
will soon have enough hard data from ELDs to
support possible improvements and reforms to
the HOS rules. We also hope that in the interim,
all links in the supply chain — drivers, shippers
PHILIP KEITH
Courtesy: TCA
Stephen Richardson, Philip Keith are named
company and o-o Drivers of the Year by TCA
In 2013, he was named Big G’s first-ever
Driver of the Year recipient, and he has also
been named the Tennessee Trucking Association’s
2014 Tennessee Driver of the Year and a
2017-18 America’s Road Team Captain for the
American Trucking Associations.
In addition to his successes as a driver,
Richardson has lost 55 pounds by walking
three to four miles on the treadmill every day
and watching his sugar and carb intake.
Keith has been involved in trucking for 34
years as a terminal manager, dispatcher and
customer service representative.
His honors include the Wisconsin Motor
Carriers Association Driver of the Year 2016,
19-year Safety Award from WEL Companies
and three separate Best in Show honors in the
World’s Largest Truck Convoy.
Along with the other member of his driving
team, his wife Eva, Keith participates in the
Trucker Buddy International program. A U.S.
Marine Corps veteran, world traveler, and father,
Keith said he believes that giving back to
his fellow drivers and citizens helps make his
job easier.
Each of the runners-up in both categories
received checks for $2,500. They are: company
drivers Donald Lewis of Wilson Logistics and
Roger Wyble of Maverick Transportation LLC;
and owner-operators Kevin Kocmich, leased to
Diamond Transportation System Inc., and Bryan
Smith, leased to Art Pape Transfer Inc. 8
and carriers — work together to maintain a safe
and efficient environment for moving the nation’s
freight.”
“We thank Rep. Babin for recognizing the
need to address the lack of options for truckers
trying to safely operate under today’s overly
rigid federal regulations,” said Todd Spencer,
acting president and CEO of OOIDA. “We
want to see improvements to highway safety
and what we have right now isn’t going to get
that done.”
This is not Babin’s first time to try and impact
trucking regulations.
Last year, he introduced a bill to delay implementation
of electronic logging devices.
With his bill caught in the usual Congressional
quagmire, Babin appealed directly to
President Donald Trump to delay the December
18 implementation date. 8

THETRUCKER.COM
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 11
FMCSA puts driver OOS, revokes DOT medical certificates issued by Alabama chiropractor
THE TRUCKER STAFF
WASHNGTON — The Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration has declared
Kentucky-licensed truck driver Jerry L. Jasper
to be an imminent hazard to public safety
and has ordered him not to operate any commercial
motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate
commerce.
In another disciplinary action, the agency
issued a public notice saying that commercial
vehicle drivers whose medical examination in
the past two years was conducted by Dr. Kenneth
G. Edwards intends to revoke medical certificates
issued by Edwards.
As for the driver put out-of-service, FM-
SCA said on December 6, 2017, Jasper was
operating a large commercial truck on Kansas
4 Highway in Rush County when he was
stopped by a Kansas Highway Patrol Officer
for a speeding violation.
Upon further inspection, Jasper was found
to be driving with a suspended CDL and in violation
of multiple Hours of Service regulations.
The Kansas Highway Patrol Officer also
found drug paraphernalia in the truck cab and
Jasper was placed under arrest and taken to the
Barton County Jail. He subsequently posted
bond and was released.
On December 8, 2017, while operating a
CMV in Missouri, Jasper was stopped in Warren
County along Interstate 70 for a roadside
safety inspection.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol Officer
again found Jasper operating with a suspended
CDL and in violation of multiple HOS
regulations.
FMCSA’s imminent hazard out-of-service
order said that Jasper’s continued operation
of a CMV “… substantially increases the
likelihood of serious injury or death to you
and the motoring public if not discontinued
immediately.”
Failure to comply with the provisions of a
federal imminent hazard OOS order may result
in action by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for equitable
relief and punitive damages.
Civil penalties of up to $1,811 may be assessed
for each violation of operating a commercial
motor vehicle in violation of the order.
Knowing and/or willful violation of the order
may also result in criminal penalties.
Jasper also may be subject to a civil penalty
enforcement proceeding brought by FMC-
SA for his violation of the agency’s safety
regulations.
In the case involving Edwards, the FMCSA
said the Phenix City, Alabama, doctor of chiropractic
was arrested February 21 after being
indicted by a federal grand jury and charged
with crimes including conspiracy, wire fraud,
conspiracy to commit wire fraud, making false
statements, and falsification of federal records.
The investigation initiated by the DOT determined
that while listed as a certified medical
examiner on the National Registry, Edwards
exhibited a pattern whereby examinations were
incomplete, required tests were not performed,
and information on medical examination forms
was falsified.
FMCSA had removed Edwards from the
National Registry on December 5, 2017.
The agency said offices nationwide are
presently working with state driver’s licensing
agencies to obtain the contact information for
all affected drivers.
FMCSA is contacting the drivers and informing
them that they have 30 days to obtain
a medical examiner’s certificate from a medical
examiner with valid certification on the
National Registry.
Drivers and carriers with further questions
should contact the FMCSA via email at FMC-
SAMedical@dot.gov or by calling (202) 366-
4001. 8

12 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
b Fleischer from page 1 b
Like any polished speaker, Fleischer
opened with a little ice-breaker.
“Now, I realize that this isn’t a religious
meeting or a religious event, but I came here to
make a confession,” Fleischer said. For a man
who’s travelled in the circles he has, there was
no telling how big a bombshell this could be.
Without hesitation, he spilled it.
“I was actually raised as a liberal Democrat,”
he said. “My parents to this day remain
proud principled Democrats who were horrified
that I went to work for President George
W. Bush.”
In fact, he said, when he left the White
House in 2003 and his hometown newspaper
asked his mother about his work there, “she
told them that this was a phase I was going
through.”
“My father told the same little local newspaper
that if his son was going to rebel, it’s better
I became a Republican than a drug dealer,
but not by much.”
Fleischer told the crowd his transformation
occurred while he was attending Middlebury
College in Vermont. He said Jimmy Carter’s
presidency turned him from a liberal to a conservative,
then Ronald Reagan’s administration
inspired him to switch parties.
He said it’s possible he’s the only person in
the history of Vermont to arrive a liberal and
leave a conservative.
Fleischer then recalled waiting in Texas as
the 2000 election dispute was being sorted out.
Bush, who by this point had made Fleischer
something of an honorary Texan by nicknaming
him Ari-Bob, grew concerned that they
were losing time for their transition. He sent
Fleischer ahead to Washington.
“When I returned to Washington and when
I drove past the White House, I averted my
gaze,” he said. “I could not bring myself to
look at that building” until the election was
confirmed and he drove for the first time into
the White House grounds.
He said a few months later, in April, he got
a note saying to meet the president out on the
South Lawn for a game of catch. Bush had
been asked to go to Milwaukee to throw out
the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers’ new
ballpark. Bush is a competitive guy, Fleischer
said, and honorary or not, he wanted to make
sure his pitch would be a strike.
“So at the appointed hour I showed up at 6
o’clock on the South Lawn in a business suit
along with the baseball glove I always keep in
the trunk of my car. The president had the advantage
of living there; he showed up in sweatpants
and a bulletproof jacket.”
At one point Bush threw one in the dirt and
it scooted past Fleischer halfway across the
South Lawn. He went after it, threw it back,
and as he was jogging back, that’s when he was
hit with a, “Wow, look at where I am” moment.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved
my years at the White House,” Fleischer said.
That is the key to being good at the job, he
believes. “The heart of that job is to believe,
to believe in your boss, to faithfully articulate
Thetrucker.com
that what the boss, the president of the United
States, is thinking and why. And in that sense,
the White House press secretary job is an easy
job.”
It may not have always seemed that way,
but he said he loved working with the White
House press corp. They were tough and smart.
They could be cynical and mean. It was a lot
of fun.
“I viewed that job as engaging in intellectual
chess,” he said. “I knew if I said A that
it would prompt them to ask question B. And
I already had to be thinking about answer C,
knowing that would prompt them to ask question
D, and I was already thinking about answer
E.”
Even though that game ended for him
nearly 15 years ago, Fleischer keeps close tabs
on what’s happening at today’s White House.
He can analyze and assess the current White
House with a perspective few people have and
he’s happy to share.
That was why he was there at the TCA con-
See Fleischer on p13 m
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Thetrucker.com
b Fleischer from page 12 b
vention, he said, to explain how Donald Trump
managed to get elected president and how the
administration is doing so far.
“American politics is going through a massive,
massive change,” he said. “Huge trends
that we accepted as the norm for decades are in
flux and are likely to shatter.”
The 2016 election was the first time the
country elected a president who had neither a
political nor a military background.
“We have never elected a pure outsider to
the presidency and that in and of itself tells
you something about the mood of America,”
he said.
Trump’s path to victory confounded so
many of the experts, Fleischer said, because it
was strewn with so many controversial statements,
any one of which would have derailed
most campaigns. “Those statements didn’t
doom him,” Flescher said. “In many ways it
propelled him forward.”
That’s what the sophisticated, educated experts
refused to accept, Fleischer said. “Most
Americans just plain don’t like or trust Washington,
and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why
Donald Trump’s statements, particularly the
most politically incorrect statements that he
made, actually define him as just what people
were looking for.”
Americans were willing to elect an outsider,
even if he came with obvious, glaring flaws.
Even if his mouth often gets him in trouble.
“Think about this, Fleischer added. “The
two Republican candidates who did the best
in the Republican primaries are the ones that
experts hated the most, Donald Trump and Ted
Cruz.”
This has tremendous implications for the
future of the Republican Party, Fleischer said.
Likewise, in the general election, Trump
beat Hillary Clinton by chipping away at almost
every demographic group that had helped
push Barack Obama over the top in 2008 and
2012. The largest inroads were with people
who make less than $30,000 a year.
“These are the people who typically succumb
to the notion that Republicans are the
party of the rich, that Republicans don’t care
about you,” Fleischer said.
This points to a sea change occurring in
American politics. The two major parties
seem to be slowly trading their electoral bases,
Fleischer said. “Where previously the Republicans
always, always, always won college
graduates, Democrats are starting to increasingly
become the party that represents college
graduates. Where typically Democrats have
cleaned the clocks of Republicans among the
lower income, blue-collar working people, particularly
those with high school degrees, those
voters are increasingly becoming Republican.”
But now that Trump is president, Fleischer
said, he’s finding out how difficult it can be to
govern. His favorable rating is almost as high
as when he took office, but his unfavorable rating
has shot up by 10 points.
“The intensity of the opposition to Donald
Trump among the Democratic base is fierce,”
Fleischer said. And to be honest, he added,
Trump brings a lot of that on himself.
“If Trump were a balance sheet, the deficit
side would lead off with his tweets,” Fleischer
said. “There are the meanspirited attacks he’s
made on people, his firing of James Comey, his
failure to immediately denounce the Ku Klux
Klan and Nazis in Charlottesville. The White
House staff situation is a mess, and continues
to be a mess, and that’s disappointing.”
But there are many plusses, Fleischer said.
The markets are up, as are consumer confidence
and job growth. “At long last he’s freed
up the military to fight and to win, which is
why ISIS has been largely destroyed.”
He has stood up to China about intellectual
property rights and other issues. At home he’s
letting the business community know that they
no longer have to fear additional regulations and
additional tax hikes. His appointment of Neil
Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and conservative
judges throughout the judiciary is powerfully
Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 13
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important to the future, Fleischer said.
There have been ups and downs, he said,
but success for the Trump presidency is going
to boil down to the economy, and particularly
whether or not blue-collar, working Americans
start to see yearly pay raises again.
If that happens, “Donald Trump can have
a powerful, successful presidency,” Fleischer
said. But there are a couple of caveats.
One is the Mueller investigation into possible
collusion between the Trump campaign
and Russia and what comes of that. The other
is Trump himself — if he’s made himself so
personally unpopular that he may not get credit
for the positive things that are happening.
“If I were a White House aide today, that
would be my biggest worry,” he said. “They
don’t need to shake things up. They need to
calm things down.”
Fleischer pointed out that when the tax reform
bill went through, Trump’s popularity and
that of congressional Republicans all went up.
“There is a clue and a lesson there. Get things
done.”
Fleischer ended his speech with a final
point. In the last election, he said, young voters
preferred Clinton, older voters voted for
Trump. Single voters went for Clinton, married
voters preferred Trump.
“So, for my absolutely unbiased, nonideological
point of view, I hope that everybody
in this room who is young, may you get older.
And anybody here who is single, may you find
someone at this meeting.” 8
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14 • April 15-30, 2018 Nation
THE TRUCKER STAFF
Operators of trucks and buses based in
California will be unable to register their vehicles
at the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles
beginning in 2020 if they don’t meet
truck and bus regulations for cleaner air,
according to the California Air Resources
Board (CARB).
Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of
more than 26,000 pounds which are model
2000 or older must replace it with a 2011 or
newer model or “repower” it with a 2010 or
newer engine by January 1, 2020.
Models 2001 through 2005 must meet the
standards above and be compliant by January
1, 2021. The same goes for truck models for
2006 through 2007, but the compliance date
is January 1, 2022.
Newer models 2008 through 2010 must
also meet the standards and be compliant by
January 1, 2023.
There’s a catch, however.
On its website, CARB notes that its Truck
and Bus Regulations are already in effect and
that older trucks with more polluting engines
could be blocked from registering before the
final compliance dates.
“CARB can place a DMV registration
block on your vehicle now if it does not meet
current air quality regulations. The state of
California is enforcing all diesel regulations
in preparation for 2020,” the agency stated
on its website.
The regulation applies to nearly all privately
or federally owned diesel-powered
trucks and buses weighing more than 14,000
pounds.
Keller offers program to prepare, train
drivers on having successful inspection
THE TRUCKER STAFF
NEENAH, Wis. — A poor roadside inspection
can lead to fines and a driver or vehicle
being placed out of service.
To help prepare drivers for successful
roadside inspections, J. J. Keller & Associates
has developed the Roadside Inspections
for CMV Drivers training program.
Designed by J. J. Keller’s in-house experts,
this training program demonstrates
how to prepare for a roadside inspection; details
what happens during a roadside inspection
and how to respond appropriately; and
explains what to expect after they pass or fail
a roadside inspection.
“There is simply no such thing as too
much training or preparation when it comes
to roadside inspections. The wrong attitude,
missing documents, or vehicle maintenance
issues can result in violations and, if serious
enough, an out-of-service order. Nobody
needs that,” said Tom Bray, transportation
consultant for J. J. Keller. “Our new training
program will help prepare drivers for what
the inspector will look at during an inspection,
so they can focus on those items and
make sure they’re compliant before an inspection
occurs.”
Comprising dynamic real-life video lessons
that encourage active learning, “Roadside
Inspections for CMV Drivers” is available
in DVD, Video Training Book, Pay Per
View and Online Course formats.
To learn more, visit JJKeller.
com/123896.
PrePass provider HELP joins Arizona
in helping rescue trafficking victims
THE TRUCKER STAFF
PHOENIX — HELP Inc., the nonprofit
provider of PrePass services, has joined
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich,
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), the
Arizona Trucking Association and PrePass
carrier Albertsons to form a new statewide
partnership to help rescue victims of human
trafficking.
TAT was on hand at a recent news conference
with its Freedom Drivers Project, the
first-of-its-kind mobile exhibit designed to
help educate the public and members of the
trucking industry about the realities of human
trafficking and how the trucking industry
can combat it.
The event was planned in recognition of
January as Human Trafficking Prevention
Month.
In 2015, Brnovich created a unit dedicated
solely to combating sexual exploitation
and human trafficking in Arizona.
Attorneys have investigated more than 75
defendants with ties to sex trafficking, with
approximately 30 currently open cases involving
sexual exploitation of minors. In just
the first six months of 2017, the National Human
Trafficking Hotline received more than
200 tips about human trafficking incidents in
Arizona.
The attorney general’s office will donate
the funds to help pay for rescue stickers that
will be placed on more than 25,000 tractortrailers
traveling across the state. The window
sticker states, “Do You Need Help?”
and lists the National Human Trafficking
Hotline or victims can text “HELP” to 233-
733 (Be Free).
HELP President and CEO Karen Rasmussen
spoke about the assistance that HELP,
a platinum sponsor, is providing to raise
awareness among the more than 57,000 fleets
that utilize HELP’s PrePass system.
“HELP’s goal is not to duplicate work
that others are doing to raise awareness of
the issue and of TAT training, but rather to
augment it,” Rasmussen said. “We are doing
this through social media posts and blogs
that focus on the hundreds of thousands of
drivers that utilize PrePass, as well as the
distribution of TAT materials in driver areas
at weigh stations where allowed.”
TAT partners with many law enforcement
agencies across the country in training truck
drivers to recognize and report instances of
human trafficking.
Currently, 23 of the 32 states that deploy
HELP’s PrePass system are actively engaged
with TAT.
Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Washington
and Ohio also mandate that entry-level CDL
holders receive TAT training.
To order window stickers for your fleet,
contact tat.truckers@gmail.com.
For more information about PrePass, visit
prepass.com.
Indianapolis ponders commuter tax
on suburbanites to fund city roads
THE TRUCKER STAFF
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis officials
desperate for money to repair roads
are considering whether they should try to
collect income taxes from suburbanites who
don’t live in the city but who travel there for
work.
Such a plan would allow Marion County,
where Indianapolis is located, to collect income
taxes from people in other communities
who work in Indianapolis. Marion County
would need approval from the Legislature
and possibly surrounding counties to collect
the “commuter tax,” The Indianapolis Star
reported.
The tax has been discussed in Marion
County intermittently for three decades.
The latest discussion comes as Indianapolis
officials estimate it would cost $732 million
for city streets to be upgraded from poor
to fair condition. They argue that people who
commute to the city for work should help pay
for road repairs because they are contributing
to pavement wear and tear.
“I would encourage a conversation to take
place over the long term that might cause the
General Assembly to more equitably distribute
income taxes that we currently pay,”
Mayor Joe Hogsett said recently.
But some officials in nearby Hamilton
County, where many people commute from,
say a commuter tax would be unfair.
“Whenever someone goes into the city
and buys lunch, dinner, or goes to a Pacers
game, they already pay a sales tax” and contribute
to the local economy, said Hamilton
County Councilor Fred Glynn.
Glynn also said a commuter tax would
amount to taxation without representation.
“We’d be paying a tax without being able
to hold the local elected officials who are
THETRUCKER.COM
Older diesel trucks, buses based in California could be blocked from registering vehicles
News Roundup
collecting it accountable because we can’t
vote for them,” he said.
The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
has long supported such a tax but is open to
suggestions, said Mark Fisher, vice president
of government relations and policy development.
“It remains a top priority,” Fisher said.
“We think communities should be able to
capture revenue from nonresidents who use
our streets and other infrastructure.”
Indianapolis also would need $178 million
a year for upkeep, more than double
the current annual funding that the city has
available for all roads, bridge and sidewalk
projects.
Survey under way by Ontario officials
to assess parking along area’s roads
THE TRUCKER STAFF
TORONTO — The Ontario Ministry of
Transportation is currently exploring ways
to improve truck parking along Southern Ontario
highways.
The Province of Ontario would like to
identify where additional truck parking is
needed.
The firm SPR Associates has been contracted
to carry out a survey to assess the availability
of truck parking along various segments of
major southern Ontario highways.
“We are requesting the assistance of all
those involved in the trucking sector in both
Canada and the United States,” said Ted
Harvey, the study’s director. “Our goal is to
obtain the opinions of truck drivers who use
Southern Ontario highways, including drivers
from the U.S.
The survey asks drivers to identify where
they feel additional parking is needed and to
identify any services or amenities that should
be provided or improved at truck stops along
Southern Ontario highways.
Improved availability of truck parking is
believed to have significant economic benefits
to the entire North American trucking
sector, according to studies by the American
Transportation Research Institute and Trucker
Path. Recent research has shown that a
lack of truck parking costs around $4,600 for
each truck on the road.
The survey is supported by trucking associations
across Canada and the U.S., and
by Radio Nemo.
“Since the survey was launched in November
2017, we have received responses
from more than 1,500 truck drivers,” Harvey
said, adding that SPR Associates would appreciate
more responses.
The survey website, which also contains
direct weblinks to the survey, is available at
surveycentral.ca.
The Associated Press contributed to these
reports. 8
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Nation April 15-30, 2018 • 15

Letters
Don’t blame the 4-wheelers on the road,
blame truckers who can’t drive safely
There are very few true tuckers, anymore,
from what I see on the road.
The so-called drivers, even the ones with
20 to 30 years [experience] act so irresponsible
and so immature.
Almost 100 percent of the time if someone
comes up behind another truck, they tailgate,
then pull out to pass, then cut right in front of
another vehicle, then pull back into the right
lane and leave no stopping room at all. Most
are within less than 1 second of stopping time.
Going at 45 mph through construction
zones they are at their worst. At 45 mph you’re
going 66 feet per second. That’s about a truck
length. One second will eat up reaction time,
the next second for the brakes to activate and
by the third second, well, you’ve already hit the
vehicle in front.
Fifty mph equals 73.33 feet per second; 60
mph equals 88 feet per second; 65 mph equals
95.333 feet per second; 70 mph equals 102.2
feet per second; 75 mph is 110 feet per second
and 99.9999 percent of you are within a split
second of the vehicle in front of you.
When you pass someone, look in your right
mirror and wait until you see both headlights in
the center of your mirror while still seeing the
side of your trailer in the mirror.
When you see a truck coming up faster than
you don’t pull out in front of the left-lane truck.
Use some common sense.
Most don’t have any common sense or good
judgment at all. It’s not the driving schools’
fault, it’s the bad driving they see when they
get out on the road. They think, well, that’s the
way it’s done.
There are rules of the road for a reason —
for everyone’s safety.
I expect truck drivers to know better but
they don’t.
They bitch about the four-wheelers but most
are worse than them. They don’t care, I guess.
Most would lose their CDL and job in 30
minutes on the road if the law and the boss
could see how they drive.
And the way you conduct yourself on the
road shows how unprofessional you really are.
Even if you never had an accident, that
doesn’t mean you’re a safe driver. There are
over 32,000 rear-end collisions every year
caused by trucks and over 12,000 rollovers.
There’s no excuse for any of it, none. It’s not
the four-wheelers, it’s the drivers of the trucks.
Learn how to read the road and how to read
the traffic. If you can’t do that, get out and work
at something else.
I call in one driver every day because I’m
tired of the nonsense of unsafe lane changes,
tailgating, etc.
If it looks habitual, I’m calling your company’s
safety department. If they get enough
calls they will get rid of you.
If you disagree with me, you’re part of the
See Letters on p17 m
Perspective April
NATSO, the trade association representing
the truck stop and travel plaza industry, has just
issued a final report on “Rest Area Commercialization
and Truck Parking Capacity: 2018
Update” as prepared by Ronald R. Knipling of
Safety for the Long Haul.
“Safety for the Long Haul; Large Truck
Crash Risk, Causation & Prevention” is the
first and only comprehensive resource book on
large truck safety.
Knipling is a 30-year veteran of traffic safety
research with emphasis on driver performance
and motor carrier safety and his book includes
more than 100 specific topics relating to large
truck crash risk, causation, counter-measures,
safety management and safety policy.
To no one’s surprise, the report finds 69 percent
more commercial truck parking spaces per
mile along interstate highways where the private
sector caters to the needs of the traveling
public free from government competition at
commercial rest areas, according to Lisa Mullings,
NATSO president and CEO.
The study updates a 2010 analysis of the
relationship between commercial rest areas,
which are operated by the government and located
directly on the interstate right-of-ways,
and total truck parking capacity.
“This study highlights that commercial rest
We had no problems back when it was
15-10-8 and anything 2 hours or more could
count toward a split eight-hour off duty.
Anybody stupid enough to continuously run
over five hours without taking a short break
to the restroom will pay years later when
their lower leg swelling will not go away. I
could not run team with today’s rules and
ELDs. Yes, I would quit carping about ELDs
if we could lay the hourglass on its side for
a reasonable length of time.
— James Stark
areas result in significantly fewer truck parking
spaces and do not represent a viable means
of expanding commercial truck parking capacity,”
Mullings said. “This reaffirms the industry’s
position that truck parking is best handled
by the private sector, which provides nearly 90
percent of the nation’s truck parking.”
Knipling’s research examined the correlation
between interstate corridors’ total truck parking
capacity and the presence of commercial rest areas
on the right-of-ways.
Since 1960, federal law has prohibited the
sale of food, fuel and other commercial services
from rest areas located directly on the Interstate
Highway System to prevent the granting of monopolies
along the interstate right-of-ways. Congress
permitted the continued operation of commercial
rest areas in states where commercial rest
areas existed prior to the enactment of the law.
The 2018 study evaluated those states where
grandfathered-in commercial rest areas continue
to operate.
Using independent third-party data from 13
states to compare the number of truck parking
spaces on commercialized and non-commercialized
segments of the Interstate Highway System,
Knipling’s study confirmed a negative relationship
between the presence of commercial rest
areas and total truck parking, and also found a
greater negative relation than in 2010, Mullings
said.
The research, which evaluated more than
12,000 interstate miles, found that non-commercialized
interstate corridors have 6.57 truck parking
spaces per mile, or 69 percent more than the
3.88 spaces per miles on the commercialized interstate
segments. Non-commercialized interstate
Typical government idiots. [They] have to
make it difficult. We have 14 hours of onduty
time in a 24-hour period. Clock stops
when you press the off-duty or sleeper
berth button. Simple.
— Jason Kopp
15-30, 2018 • 16
Another parking study begs question of what’s the solution
Lyndon Finney
editor@thetrucker.com
Eye on
Trucking
segments have, on average, one truck parking
facility every 8.4 miles, compared with commercialized
interstate segments with one facility
every 12.8 miles.
All public and private designated truck parking
located within one mile of the interstates was
included in the totals.
“Rest area commercialization is sometimes
proposed as a means of increasing truck parking
capacity along the Interstate Highway System,”
Knipling said. “This study underscores that the
private sector is far better at meeting the parking
needs for the nation’s truck drivers.”
In a 2016 Truck Parking Diary Project, the
American Transportation Research Institute
found that private truck stops are the preferred
location for long-haul truck drivers’ 10-hour required
HOS breaks.
The survey found that drivers’ preferred stops
vary based on a number of factors. When asked
to rank a predetermined list of reasons for seeking
parking, drivers rated HOS-mandated rest
as the most important by a wide margin. Other
reasons (in descending ranking order) included
showering/restroom, restaurant/eating, awaiting
dispatch, staging/waiting for loads, weather-related,
safety checks/load securement, mechanical
issues/failures, avoiding congestion, obtaining
directions, and personal communications.
Long-term truck parking demand and shortfalls
are greatest between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m.,
with peak demand being just after midnight,
the ATRI survey found.
And so, we continue to study the parking
problem.
The question is when is someone going to
do something about it? 8
Rep. Brian Babin of Texas has introduced a bill that would allow drivers to take
one rest break per shift for up to three consecutive hours, effectively stopping
the 14-hour clock. What do you think about this proposal and what are some
other things that would help improve Hours of Service?
I see it as a way that shippers can get
out of paying detention. They’ll say take
your three-hour break with no pay.
— Barry Lawhorn

TM
thetrucker.com
b Letters from page 16 b
problem and need to be fired and your CDL
taken away.
So grow up and do your job right. It’s not a
game out there. Take the job of driving a truck
seriously.
Others are watching.
— W. Payne,
Over 45 years of truck driving
Reader enjoys letter writer complaining
about those complaining about ELDs
Sirs, I read with amusement a letter posted
in your April 1-14 edition.
It was authored by a driver named Jeff who
castigated all those of us who would gripe
about the shortcomings and imperfections of
the ELD.
What brought the smile to my lips was the
irony of the charge: He was whining about the
whiners, ipso facto, “Welcome aboard, Jeff!”
Whining is not always a negative force;
sometimes it generates benefits.
Consider that the U.S. would probably be a
Crown Colony yet if it weren’t for a few brave
“whiners” back in the 18th century.
Thank you.
— Owner-operator,
Franklin, Maine
California discriminates with diesel rules
because motor homes, buses excluded
Could California diesel rules be a case of
discrimination?
Exempt vehicles: Motor homes; RVs; transit
urban buses; drayage trucks; public agency
and public utility vehicles; solid waste collection
vehicles; farmers’ trucks.
They use the same engines as CMVs and no
filter is needed.
So, you think someone at the California Air
Resources Board owns an RV?
— A.R.
Perspective April 15-30, 2018 • 17
Drivers sound off on what the HOS rules
need in order to provide flexibility, safety
In our Point of View, we asked professional
truck drivers to comment on Rep. Brian
Babin’s proposal to rewrite Hours of Service to
allow for an up to three-hour break by stopping
the clock. In addition to answers in the POV
column, here are others.
All it would do is devalue our time. Rates
are up, profits are up under the environment of
the current rules. The problem is not the ELD or
the HOS. The problem is people not valuing our
time, traffic and all of the other items that waste
our time.
— Henry Albert
Get rid of the logbook rules and quit using
it as a source of revenue.
— Steve Strickland
Get rid of the lunch break. In reality, we
have 13.5 hours not 14 hours.
— Doran Ashley
The problem is that we need flexibility.
Unfortunately, Congress does not understand
what flexibility means. It means being able to
take a nap whenever we need it and not have it
count against us. This is an example of why we
need flexibility in the Hours of Service.
— Daniel Goble
ELDs tell us to run tired and sleep when
we’re not. [We’re] still at the mercy of shippers/receivers
when loading and offloading.
There’s got to be a better way to manage the
idiots who try and get the extra mile and end up
in an accident versus the ones that know when
to stop and take an actual break.
I for one won’t risk my life or those around
me to get a load where it needs to be. Now having
said that, I’ve been well rested on many,
many occasions and still put in 700-mile days.
It can be done.
— Bradly Allen Pennington Vaughan 8
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18
AT
THE TRUCK STOP
Presented by Cat Scale, visit weighmytruck.com
The truck stops here: Prime Inc. driver Tiffany
Hanna named winner of Volvo giveaway
Photo courtesy: ARROW TRUCK SALES
Left to right are Jim Stevenson, Arrow director of national accounts; Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO; truck winner Tiffany Hanna and Arrow’s Jim Taber.
THE TRUCKER STAFF
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Prime, Inc. driver Tiffany Hanna
has been named winner of Women In Trucking’s 2018 Truck
Giveaway, sponsored by Arrow Truck Sales.
Hanna was announced as the winner at the “Salute to
Women Behind the Wheel” event at the Mid-America
Trucking Show here March 24.
WIT member Hanna is now the owner of a 2014 Volvo
VNL670 truck, donated by Arrow.
She was selected from applicants who submitted an essay
on the importance of attracting more women into the trucking
industry.
“Women need to know they can be successful in trucking
and can do the job just as well, if not better, than a man,”
Hanna wrote. She has been an advocate for female drivers at
Prime, Inc. and serves on the Prime Driver Advisory Board.
She is also active with the Highway Diamonds celebration
hosted by Prime, Inc. to honor their female drivers.
Hanna is a U.S. Navy veteran, a mother of five and a
cancer survivor.
In addition to the 2014 Volvo VNL670 from Arrow Trucks
Sales, she received an extensive array of products from WIT
member companies, including ATBS, Blue Beacon Truck
Washes, Michelin, National Truck Protection, Travel Centers
of America/Petro Stopping Centers and many more. Total
value of the giveaway was more than $75,000.
WIT President and CEO Ellen Voie made the announcement.
“We are thrilled to hand over the keys to Tiffany, who
has been an advocate for women in the trucking industry
by mentoring and supporting the women and men at Prime,
Inc.,” said Voie. “This is truly the chance of a lifetime, thanks
to Arrow Truck Sales and their very generous donation.”
Jim Stevenson, Arrow director of national accounts, serves
on the Women In Trucking Board of Directors.
“Arrow has long been supportive of equality and diversity
efforts within the trucking industry,” said Stevenson, “and we
appreciate this opportunity to award Tiffany with this late model
Volvo truck to support her success as an owner-operator.”
Arrow Truck Sales Inc. was founded in 1950 and is a
leading source of used heavy- and medium-duty trucks with
retail stores located across the U.S. and Canada. Arrow
carries a large inventory of trucks and trailers including all
makes and models. Their national headquarters are in Kansas
City, Missouri.
WIT is a nonprofit association established to encourage
the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote
their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by
women working in the industry. 8

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20 • April 15-30, 2018 Perspective
thetrucker.com
Many myths abound about CSA DataQ; here is the truth about what to expect
Jim Klepper
exclusive to the trucker
Ask the
Attorney
Most drivers are aware of the CSA program
and that when they receive an inspection,
points are assessed for the violations on it.
The DataQ process is the only way to challenge
the validity of these violations. This
process is completed through an online portal,
usually over the course of a month or two.
It is reviewed by a senior officer or Department
of Transportation official to determine
whether the facts and supporting documentation
provided give enough information to warrant
a change or removal in the violations.
If found to be wrong or coded incorrectly,
the reviewer makes a correction. If sustained,
the reviewer usually gives a detailed explanation
as to why the violation will stand.
Myth
Only the company can file a DataQ challenge.
Fact
The DataQ system is set up so that at least
three parties can file challenges: the driver, the
carrier, and the public (e.g. a registered entity
such as a law firm). Each of these can file up to
two DataQ challenges per inspection.
Myth
Points are only removed from the record of
the person or entity filing the challenge.
Fact
When a challenge is filed and violations
are changed or removed, the change is reflected
on the profiles of all parties to the inspection.
Usually this is both the company and
the driver; however, there are instances where
CSA points are assessed only to the company,
or even to the intermodal equipment provider.
Myth
Court outcomes do not affect CSA challenges
at all.
Fact
Pursuant to new Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration regulations passed on
August 23, 2014, inspection violations with
tickets must be amended to reflect the results
of judicial proceedings. Violations will be removed
in the event of a not guilty verdict or a
dismissal without costs. If a violation is reduced
or amended, then the CSA record will reflect
the original violation, but it will be noted “convicted
of a different charge.” The point value of
the code itself will be set to 1 and any associated
out-of-service flags removed. If the ticket is
pled or adjudicated guilty, there will be no relief
on associated inspection violations.
Myth
DataQ challenges are not time sensitive.
Fact
Inspections must be returned within 15 days
to the local FMCSA branch of the state in which
they were given. For most inspections, DataQ
challenges can only be filed up to two years
from the date they were received. Several states,
including Louisiana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania,
have enacted greater time restrictions
on filing challenges. Additionally, violations are
subject to a time-weighted severity modifier
which multiplies the points assessed to each violation
by three for the first year, by two for the
second year, and by one for the third year. As a
result, challenges should be filed as quickly as
possible to have the maximum impact.
Filing a challenge and what to expect
Each inspection should be reviewed immediately
and a challenge filed as quickly as practicable.
For violations with associated tickets,
the challenge will likely have to wait until
the court outcome to achieve any relief, and
official court documentation will be required
for violations to be removed or changed. For
violations without tickets, any type of supporting
documentation is crucial. Logbook pages,
repair invoices, toll receipts, pictures, or any
other paperwork can make the difference between
a challenge succeeding or not.
Response time after filing a DataQ challenge
can range from a few days to a few weeks,
depending on the state and volume of DataQ
challenges filed for review with their FMCSA
branch. Typical suggested time is 3 to 4 weeks.
If you are unsatisfied with the results of your
challenge, you do have the option to call and
ask for clarification from the reviewer of your
challenge. This can be useful either to help you
better understand why a violation was not removed
or changed, or to help the reviewer better
understand your position on the matter.
When considering whether or not to file
a second challenge, keep in mind that it will
be reviewed by the same person as the first,
and repeating the challenge will likely be ineffective.
Why are challenging inspections important?
Inspections can affect insurance rates for drivers
and companies. The higher your CSA score,
the more likely you are to be charged higher insurance
rates. In addition, shippers look at carriers’
safety scores, and will view high scores as
a liability to their business.
Jim C. Klepper is President of Interstate
Trucker Ltd., a law firm dedicated to legal
defense of the nation’s commercial drivers.
Interstate Trucker represents truck drivers
throughout the 48 states on both moving and
non-moving violations. He is also president
of Drivers Legal Plan, which allows member
drivers access to his firm’s services at discounted
rates. He is a lawyer that has focused
on transportation law and the trucking industry
in particular. He works to answer your legal
questions about trucking and life over-theroad
and has his CDL.
For more information contact him at (800)
333-DRIVE (3748) or interstatetrucker.com
and driverslegalplan.com. 8
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Women to Watch
21
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
Elkhart, Indiana-based CWRV Transport,
Camping World’s exclusive RV transporter,
calls Sharyl Snider its No. 1 female driver.
Women In Trucking (WIT) calls her its
March Member of the Month.
Sharyl calls delivering RVs something
she loves to do.
But she had to be talked into it first.
Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana,
Sharyl had been working at various RV
manufacturing facilities in the area for
12 years. But in 2002, she had an “ah-ha”
moment: Her career was going nowhere.
Sharyl and her husband Ernie, a union
contractor with a Class A CDL, had a friend
in the RV delivery business and long story
short, Ernie cajoled Sharyl into delivering
campers with him.
“He said did I want to go hauling RVs
with him and off we went.”
Soon afterwards, he bought her a truck,
and since 2013 — when she signed on with
CWRV — she’s been delivering campers
and loving it.
Not that it didn’t take some getting used to.
“At first, it was a little intimidating as I
had never hauled anything before,” she said.
“With zero experience in commercial
driving, it was scary, to say the least.
But with my husband’s patience and my
fortitude, I began and successfully pursued
what is now my life’s passion.”
She now considers herself a pro, thanks
to Ernie, who patiently guided her through
the nuts and bolts of RV delivery, such as
logging trips and getting through weigh
stations.
Although Sharyl has hauled 40-foot
trailers, she said the trailer and the fourwheeled
truck combined weigh under
26,000 pounds, which doesn’t require a
CDL. Still, Sharyl puts millions of miles on
her four-wheel trucks —she retired the last
one at 2.2 million miles.
One of the high points in her career
was delivering FEMA units for victims of
hurricanes Rita and Katrina, Sharyl told WIT.
The devastation stayed with her and
Sharyl said she’s grateful for the chance to
help provide housing for those left homeless
by the catastrophes.
Several years into their RV delivery work,
Sharyl’s husband decided to return to his
union construction job, so it was up to her
to deliver the units by herself.
Far from being intimidated, Sharyl took
women in trucking
WIT March Member of the Month Sharyl Snider finds support, excitement in RV hauling
everything in stride and the move has
certainly paid off.
“This is my sixteenth year,” she said,
adding that she’s thankful she’s not still
working in a factory.
Hauling RVs has enabled her to see all 48
states and almost all territories in Canada.
“I even took my truck and a camper
numerous times to Vancouver Island and
Newfoundland by boat,” she said. “Except
for getting seasick, the whole experience
was so exciting.”
She loves to drive all over the U.S. but
“I love Montana and California and I loved
visiting Las Vegas — I love anyplace out
West.”
Ernie encouraged her every step of the
way, but in December 2016 he was killed in
a motor vehicle accident, and Sharyl’s life
took a drastic turn.
They had been married since 1982 and
had raised two children and welcomed four
grandchildren into the family.
“My life has since changed dramatically,”
she said. “I stay pretty close to home now
and usually take runs that get me home
every night. But my passion for delivering
campers remains. It’s what keeps me
going.”
In addition to providing an enjoyable way
of making a living, CWRV Transport has
provided emotional support to Sharyl when
she needed it the most.
CWRV proudly says on its website that 74
percent of its staff are women and 9 percent
of its driving fleet are women.
“I know I’m an independent contractor,
this is my own business, and I am my own
boss,” Sharyl said. But it is “the steadfast
support that CWRV provides behind the
scenes that keeps me going.”
She said more women should become
truck drivers and that RV hauling is a
sector that needs women drivers as well.
“I really believe we need more women in
this sector, and CWRV is a great place to
begin such a business that offers such great
opportunities.”
And like truck drivers, she values the
freedom her job has provided since “You
don’t have a boss, per se.”
She points out that “I would never have
seen all the wonderful places I have been if
I didn’t do this type of work. And for that, I
feel very blessed.
“Ernie told me that if anything should
happen to him to keep on going” hauling
RVs “and that’s what I’ve done.” 8
Courtesy: WIT
WIT March Member of the Month Sharyl Snider says her company, CWRV
Transport, provides support that keeps her going.
The Women In Trucking Association is a nonprofit organization
focused on the transportation and logistics industry. Our mission?
To encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry,
promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by
women working in the trucking industry. WIT is proudly headed up
by President and CEO Ellen Voie.

22 • April 15-30, 2018 Perspective
thetrucker.com
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Business
April 15-30, 2018 • 23
ATA’s Truck Tonnage Index (Seasonally Adjusted; 2015=100)
110
108
106
104
102
100
98
96
94
92
APR - 13
JUL - 13
OCT - 13
JAN - 14
APR - 14
JUL - 14
OCT - 14
JAN - 15
APR - 15
Associated Press: PABLO MONSAIVAIS
President Donald Trump arrives for Easter
services. Among other items, Trump tweeted
that NAFTA is bad for the United States.
JUL - 15
JAN - 17
APR - 17
JUL - 17
After building on achievements of 2017, TCA
President John Lyboldt forecasts bullish 2018
Klint Lowry
klint.lowry@thetrucker.com
“The Future of Truckload” was the theme
for the 80th annual Truckload Carriers Association
Convention, and that is just what TCA
President John Lyboldt had on his mind when
he took the stage at the Gaylord Palms Resort
& Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida,
to address the crowd on March 27.
In a sense the speech was presented in such
a way as to mark TCA’s march into the future.
Outgoing TCA Chairman Rob Penner introduced
Lyboldt, and when Lyboldt was finished
with his speech, he in turn introduced the incoming
chairman, Dan Doran.
But you can’t know where you’re going
unless you know where you’ve been, and as
Lyboldt expressed confidence in the direction
OCT - 15
JAN - 16
APR - 16
JUL - 16
OCT - 16
OCT - 17
JAN - 18
FEB - 18
TCA is heading, that optimism was buttressed
by the accomplishments of the past year to
make TCA what he called “a true business partner”
to its members.
“No longer is it acceptable for TCA to think
our measurement of success is the collection of
dues,” he said. “The new measurement of success
is member engagement, member participation
and membership growth.
“Building value in belonging to TCA along
with the never-ending necessity to change to
meet membership needs is a business imperative.
Helping you increase your assets, making
you more profitable, helping you retain
your skilled workforce, and being ‘the voice
of truckload’ is just not talk. Together we have
taken this direction seriously.”
See TCA on p24 m
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald
Trump on April 1 declared “NO MORE” to a
deal to help “Dreamer” immigrants and threatened
to pull out of a free trade agreement with
Mexico unless it does more to stop people from
crossing into the U.S. He claimed they’re coming
to take advantage of protections granted
certain immigrants.
“NO MORE DACA DEAL!” Trump tweeted
one hour after he began the day by wishing
his followers a “HAPPY EASTER!”
He said Mexico must “stop the big drug
and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow,
NAFTA. NEED WALL!” The U.S., Canada
and Mexico are participating in tense negotiations
over the North American Free Trade
Agreement at Trump’s insistence. Trump says
NAFTA is bad for the U.S.
“Mexico has got to help us at the border,”
Trump, holding his wife’s hand, told reporters
before the couple attended Easter services at an
Episcopal church near his Palm Beach home. “If
Tonnage declines 2.6% in February
from January; but up 5.7% over 2017
Lyndon Finney
editor@thetrucker.com
ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking
Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA)
For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index declined 2.6 percent
in February after rising 1.6 percent in January.
In February, the index equaled 109.2
(2015=100), down from 112.1 in January.
ATA revised the January increase from the
originally reported 2.0 percent to 1.6 percent.
Compared with February 2017, the SA index
jumped 5.7 percent, which was below January’s
8.4 percent year-over-year gain, but still
well above 2017’s annual increase.
For all of 2017, the index increased 3.8 percent
over 2016. Year-to-date, compared with
the same two months in 2017, tonnage is up
7.1 percent.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which
represents the change in tonnage actually
hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjust-
See Tonnage on p29 m
Courtesy: TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION
The Truckload Carriers Association accomplished some big things in 2017, but there’s
more to come in 2018, TCA President John Lyboldt told the crowd as he spoke at the 80th
annual TCA Convention.
Trump says NAFTA bad for U.S., has been ‘cash cow’ for Mexico
they’re not going to help us at the border, it’s a
very sad thing between our two countries.”
“A lot of people are coming in because they
want to take advantage of DACA,” he added.
Former President Barack Obama created
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program to provide temporary protection and
work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants
who are living in the U.S. illegally
after being brought here as children. Trump
ended the program last year, but gave Congress
six months to pass legislation enshrining it. A
deal has so far proved elusive and Trump has
blamed Democrats.
It was not immediately clear what Trump
was referring to when he said people are coming
to take advantage of the program.
The Department of Homeland Security is
not issuing new permits, though existing ones
can be renewed. The Obama administration allowed
signups during a set period of time, and
the program is closed to new entrants.
Proposed DACA deals crafted by lawmakers
and rejected by Trump also were not open
to new participants.
Trump did not explain what he meant
when questioned by reporters as he entered
the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea with the
first lady and his daughter Tiffany. The White
House did not immediately respond to a request
for clarification.
Trump, when addressing reporters briefly
before entering the church, again blamed Democrats
for failing to protect the “Dreamers.”
“They had a great chance. The Democrats
blew it. They had a great, great chance, but
we’ll have to take a look because Mexico has
got to help us at the border. They flow right
through Mexico. They send them into the United
States. It can’t happen that way anymore.”
Trump promised during the 2016 presidential
campaign to build a Southern border wall
to stop illegal immigration and drugs from
Mexico, but Congress has frustrated him by
not moving as quickly as he wants to provide
money for construction. 8

MCCOLLISTER’S AUTO TRANSPORT
FLEET EXPANSION
MCCOLLISTER’S ENCLOSED AUTO TRANSPORT
FLEET IS CONTINUING TO GROW DUE TO OUR
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24 • April 15-30, 2018 Business
b TCA from page 23 b
He then credited TCA members for the contributions
of both money and passion to the organization.
“Last year, we asked each of you to write
a check to voluntarily fund the newly formed
government affairs operation at TCA for 2017,”
he said. TCA members responded with nearly
175 checks.
“Thank you for allowing us the resources
to do our job, by not just making our presence
known but felt,” he said. “With our combined
efforts, we delivered just over 1,000 letters,
emails, voicemails and personal congressional
and regulatory visits. It is important to be out
front talking about who we are and what we
stand for, not just what our policy says.”
To this end, Lyboldt said, TCA is establishing
an advocacy advisory committee. This
committee is expected to consist of himself,
the immediate past TCA chairman, committee
chairs from the highway, regulatory and independent
contractor policy committees, TCA’s
four at-large officers, and the vice president of
government affairs as staff liaison.
“The charge of the committee will be how
we prioritize our legislative and regulatory direction
to set clear legislative and regulatory
priorities based on the impact to our industry,
cost-benefit analysis, and the likelihood of success,”
Lyboldt said.
He then pointed to the success the organization
has already had in improving congressional
and regulatory awareness regarding the
truckload segment of the industry. In just the
past year, TCA has gone from being virtually
unknown on Capitol Hill to being a valued
source of information on trucking’s most pressing
issues.
“No longer will truckload be on the sidelines,”
he said. “We will be on the field and at
the table.”
Also, just a year ago TCA promised it
would develop ways to help members achieve
better business results, Lyboldt said, and that’s
come to pass, too.
“At the end of August of last year, we rolled
thetrucker.com
out the TCA Profitability Program, known as
TPP, designed for you to do just that, improve
profitability and improve sophistication. This
program formally combines our successful best
practice group program with our cloud-based
composite platform, InGauge.”
In seven months, TCA has formed three
new best practice groups, he added. “This represents
a 55 percent growth in dry van, refrigerated
and flatbed groups, and there are now
an additional 31 carriers who are comparing
their performance with InGauge,” he said. “In
total, with each participating member and their
subsidiaries, there are now 153 distinct trucking
company profiles within the InGauge database.”
To reach more members, TCA has recently
published a standard TPP chart of accounts.
“This chart of accounts builds on the reporting
format utilized by best practice group members
and will undoubtedly provide more business
insight for those companies who decide to utilize
it,” he said. “This chart of accounts will
fill a critical need for a standardized, flexible
financial and operational reporting model for
today’s trucking enterprise.
“If we aren’t all speaking the same language
we are building on a bad foundation, I think
you all would agree. With this new service,
which will be free and available to all existing
members on the InGauge website, carriers will
be able to rapidly map and report their unique
financial and operational data to InGauge and
go beyond simply comparing month-to-month
performance with similar peers.”
It’s been a good year, there’s been a lot of
progress, Lyboldt said, but it’s just the foundation
for so much more, and some of it is already
in the works.
“We are currently working on building out
a truckload instructor-led academy,” Lyboldt
said. “This academy will teach operational best
practices across all carrier type departments.”
A new TCA website is nearly ready to
lunch, he said. “It is a sizeable investment, but
one that will improve our workflow and productivity
so we can do more for you.
“As you can see, we are increasing the
membership value proposition. It is where we
live and what we do every day at TCA.” 8
Professional Drivers Have THeir
reason #78 State of the Art Equipment
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33
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thetrucker.com
Business April 15-30, 2018 • 25
APUs can save you money, but weigh your options carefully so you make the right choice
Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
If you have visited the Mid-America
Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky,
in any of the past 10 years, you know that
options for Auxiliary Power Units (APUs)
abound. High fuel costs, anti-idle laws and
other factors are making APUs a more attractive
option than ever. Purchasing the wrong
APU, however, can result in difficulty and
expense.
If you’re purchasing a new unit for your
tractor, plan on spending $8,000 to $10,000.
There are cheaper alternatives, but upfront savings
can quickly be consumed by a higher cost
of maintenance and repair. Other factors must
be considered as well, such as the weight of
the unit.
Begin your search with what you want your
APU to do for you. If all you need is power to
recharge the tractor batteries and support use of
interior lights and a small microwave, a small
unit will do.
Most truck owners, however, purchase
APUs for heating and cooling the cab and
sleeper areas without idling the tractor. An average
tractor burns about a gallon of fuel per
hour at idle, whereas a diesel-powered APU
can run for hours on a gallon. Over a year, the
cost savings can be significant.
Some APUs are connected to the truck engine’s
cooling and electrical systems, so the
same unit that warms the sleeper can be used
to keep the engine ready to crank in winter
temperatures.
You’ll want to make sure that the unit you
purchase can handle the capabilities you expect
of it.
Remember, there are electric options, too.
Most don’t provide the horsepower of dieselpowered
units and their operating time is limited,
but they can cost less to operate because
their fuel consumption is zero.
Consider the weight of the APU you are
considering, including any portions installed
inside the cab.
Adding a 500-lb. APU to the tractor uses
up a ton of freight-hauling capacity every four
loads, reducing revenues for owners who are
paid by the ton for bulk products and limiting
load options for others.
Batteries to power electric units can add
weight, but the weight of a diesel engine isn’t
needed and the entire APU assembly can be
comparable to diesel units.
Reliability is a key factor in APU selection.
Many drivers prefer to stay with APUs
marketed by companies that have manufactured
refrigeration units for decades. Vendors
like ThermoKing and Carrier are known
both for quality products and for extensive
service networks. Service is widely available
and parts are generally in stock. APUs that
are sold in truck stops can sometimes be obtained
for less cost upfront, but savings can
disappear rapidly when the nearest service
facility is a day away and it takes several
more days to get parts.
Fleet Focus
Ask about maintenance schedules, too,
since these can vary widely. Some APUs require
preventive maintenance every 100 hours,
while others can go to 1,000 hours. That’s a
significant difference in how often you’ll need
to change oil and filters.
Noise is a factor, too. Keeping the sleeper
area nice and cool or warm can definitely help
you get the rest you need, but if the APU is so
loud that it keeps waking you up, you won’t get
quality rest. Ask how the unit is insulated and if
noise level information is available.
APUs that are connected to vehicle cooling
and electrical systems can impact the truck
engine, so make sure you know what is being
done and any potential issues it could cause.
Unless you have large sums of cash available,
there’s a good chance you’ll be financing
your APU. In some cases, an APU can be
added to a tractor you are purchasing and the
cost rolled into the vehicle purchase price.
Some vendors, however, offer financing for
the brands they sell. High interest rates can
reduce the benefits of an APU purchase, so
make sure you read the contract through and
know what your total cost will be.
Finally, your APU will add value to your
tractor that you can cash in on when you sell
or trade. A higher quality unit may add even
more value. Ask your dealer about resale values
and what your APU will be worth in a
year or a few years.
APUs can improve life on the road for
tractor owners and their drivers, but the real
comfort they provide may come in the accountant’s
office when the financial numbers
are calculated. The right choice makes a difference
in both. 8

26 • April 15-30, 2018 Business
thetrucker.com
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
in BONUSES for TEAMS
with 4 WEEKS PAID VACATION!
(NOW THAT’S HUGE NEWS)
There’s never been a better time to team up. Need a team
partner? We’ll help you find the perfect teammate through
our TeamMax Match Program.
APPLY TODAY!
954-715-2402

thetrucker.com
Business April 15-30, 2018 • 27
ADVERTORIAL
U.S. Xpress Announces
Industry-Leading Team Bonus
U.S. Xpress, one of the country’s largest truckload carriers, just
launched a new incentive program that enables teams to earn total
bonuses of $50,000 with up to four weeks of paid vacation in a
single year. Upping the ante even further, U.S. Xpress is offering
their new bonus to both new teams and current teams.
“With the continued growth of e-commerce, more and more
consumers expect their packages to arrive within 1-2 days, not in
three or four days. This dynamic has completely changed how
U.S. Xpress supports the shipping demands of our customers
today, especially when it comes to major retailers like Amazon,
Walmart and others who are driving the need for expedited freight
services to record levels in the trucking industry,” said Eric Fuller,
CEO of U.S. Xpress.
C
Fuller continued, “U.S. Xpress already has some of the best
M
team drivers in the industry. With this new incentive program, we
Y
can reward our current drivers for their great work and loyalty as
CM
well as new drivers coming into the company.”
CY
“Recruiting and retaining team drivers in today’s highly competitive
job market is not just about pay. It’s also about a lifestyle.
CMY
K
This is why U.S. Xpress specifically designed the new bonus program
as a way for new and current team drivers to make more
money but also to earn up to four weeks of paid vacation each
year,” said Fuller.
Drivers in U.S. Xpress’ TeamMAX program enjoy additional
perks on top of the new bonus and vacation incentives. They have
first priority for the newest trucks, get top priority at the service
centers so they have minimal downtime, and have the ability to
earn up to 82 cents per mile (CPM), which is one of the industry’s
best rates. TeamMAX drivers, like all company drivers with U.S.
Xpress, have access an exceptional benefits package that includes
medical, dental, vision and a 401(k) match.
Fuller explains, “When drivers think about teaming, we want
them to think about U.S. Xpress. This means if a solo driver, or
even a student driver who is about to graduate from truck driving
school, has ever thought about becoming a team driver, now is the
time to make the switch. We can help these individual drivers find
the right partner for team driving, get them out on the road making
money and keeping our customers’ freight moving.”
For more information about joining TeamMAX, visit http://
www.usxjobs.com/teammax or call (954) 715-2402.
MY
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28 • April 15-30, 2018 Business
thetrucker.com

thetrucker.com
b Tonnage from page 23 b
Business April 15-30, 2018 • 29
ment, equaled 99.7 in February, which was 6.7
percent below the previous month of 106.8.
“Despite a softer February than January,
freight remains robust as exhibited in the yearover-year
increase,” said ATA Chief Economist
Bob Costello. “The drivers of truck freight —
personal consumption, factory output and construction
— are good, plus the inventory cycle
is in favor of motor carriers, so I expect freight
tonnage to grow at a decent pace in the months
ahead.”
Meanwhile, spending on U.S. construction
projects ticked up a mere 0.1 percent in February
from the prior month, a sign that a growing
economy is doing little to spur a more rapid pace
for building homes, hospitals and highways.
Construction materials are among the commodities
hauled the most by truckers.
The U.S. Department of Commerce said
that construction spending came in at a seasonally
adjusted annual rate of $1.27 trillion.
The lower unemployment rate and solid
business and consumer confidence has supported
an increase in hotel and office construction,
but spending on roadways has slipped.
Construction spending over the past 12
months is up just 3 percent before adjusting for
inflation. Some of the sluggishness in February
was because of a 2.1 percent drop in government-funded
construction.
But even the private sector has yet to fully
perk up despite the 4.1 percent unemployment
rate. Residential construction, the largest single
spending category, rose just 0.1 percent in February.
Homebuilders face strong demand from
would-be buyers, yet there is a shortage of attractive
land to develop and a dearth of construction
workers.
Spending on factory construction did jump
1.2 percent between February and January. But
the gains came after months of steady annual
declines. Over the past 12 months, spending on
manufacturing plants has dropped 5.6 percent.
In another development impacting trucking,
Americans increased their spending just
0.2 percent in February, while their incomes
were boosted by increased wages and business
owners’ income.
The Commerce Department said the modest
spending increase followed an equal gain
in January and a rise of 0.4 percent in December.
Incomes increased a healthy 0.4 percent.
The report came as a new indication
emerged of a healthy job market. The number
of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits
dropped by 12,000 last month to 215,000 —
the lowest level in 45 years. It’s a sign that
employers anticipate solid growth and want to
hold onto their workers.
A closely watched signpost, consumer
spending accounts for about 70 percent of
U.S. economic activity.
After-tax income jumped 0.4 percent. With
consumers holding back on spending, the savings
rate rose to 3.4 percent — the highest
since last August. The rate was 3.2 percent in
January. Savings had fallen to a 12-year low
in December.
The healthy income gains could spur more
spending in the coming months.
The government has revised upward to 2.9
percent its estimate of the rate of growth in gross
domestic product for the fourth quarter. That
capped a nine-month stretch in which the economy
grew at the fastest pace in 12 years. 8
HOME Associated DELIVERY: Press sources contributed CALL to
this report.
800-666-2770 EXT. 5029
HOME DELIVERY: CALL 800-666-2770 EXT. 5029
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1151572_A127_Nov_2017_TheTRUCKER_5.125x7.5.indd 1
10/20/17 1:47 PM

30 • April 15-30, 2018 Business
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RecRuiting at a glance
Company Driver Owner Operator Teams Lease Purchase Flatbed Van Reefer HAZMAT Expedited Specialized Tanker
Cargill
www.cargillmeatlogistics.com
(316) 462-7220
See our ad on page 34!
FedEx Custom Critical
www.customcritical.fedex.com
(866) 729-9789
See our ad on page 10!
Mercer
www.mercertown.com
(888) 374-8445
See our ad on page 25!
PFS Brands
www.jobs@pfsbrands.com
(573) 893-1361
See our ad on page 10!
Smith Transport
www.smithdrivers.com
(866) 451-2859
See our ad on page 27!
CFI
www.CFIDrive.com
(877) 592-3642
See our ad on page 3!
CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
D&D Sexton, Inc.
www.ddsextoninc.com
(800) 743-0265
See our ad on page 24!
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Diamond Transportation
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(262) 554-4025
See our ad on page 29!
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Janco Ltd.
www.jancoltd.com
(800) 526-9085
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CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
Landstar
www.lease2landstar.com
(877) 472-0097
See our ad on page 2!
CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
McColister’s Transportation
www.mccollisters.com
(800) 257-9595 ext. 9490
See our ad on pages 24 & 36!
CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
Miller Transporters
www.drivemillert.com
(888) 716-4959
See our ad on page 15!
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National Carriers
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Penske Logistics
www.gopenske.com/careers
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See our ad on page 6!
CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
P.I.&I. Motor Express
http://www.piimx.com
(855) 693-8963
See our ad on page 9!
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ProFleet Transport Corp.
www.profleet.com
(877) 684-8787
See our ad on page 27!
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Schneider
www.schneiderjobs.com
(800) 44-PRIDE
See our ad on page 13!
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Transport Designs, Inc.
www.transportdesigninc.com
(855) 496-3039
See our ad on page 12!
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Tribe Transportation
www.TribeTrans.com
(877) 628-6285
See our ad on page 31!
CD OO T LP F V R H E S TK
The T
Join
Join

32 • April 15-30, 2018 Business
thetrucker.com
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For For ad ad information
call call (800) 666-2770
or or email email publisher@
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Technology
April 15-30, 2018 • 33
Bendix: Full stability becoming norm
as technology proving its safety value
THE TRUCKER STAFF
ELYRIA, Ohio — How rapidly is full-stability
technology becoming the norm?
In the past year, Bendix has delivered as many
units of its Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program
— about 100,000 — as it did in the first six
years of the system’s existence. That’s pushed the
total lifetime deliveries of Bendix ESP full stability
to more than 600,000, says the safety technology
company.
“Full-stability technology proves its value to
fleets and drivers every day, and its effectiveness
at improving highway safety is reflected in both
the technology’s selection as the stability system
of choice for the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) stability mandate, and
in the increasing adoption rates industrywide —
even before that rule took effect last year,” said
Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president of sales,
marketing, and business development.
“For 13 years, Bendix ESP has helped make
commercial vehicles safer, mitigated rollover and
loss-of-control incidents, provided return-on-investment,
and evolved into a critical foundational
technology of more complex, integrated safety
systems, including collision mitigation.”
Bendix ESP was the first widely available
full-stability system for commercial vehicles in
North America when it was launched in 2005,
and the company is currently conducting its 18th
year of winter testing on the system.
See Stability on p34 m
Courtesy: PEOPLENET
PeopleNet’s network communications, mobility and analytics products are used by more
than 2,000 truckload, LTL, private, and energy services fleets throughout North America.
FMCSA requests comments on rules that can
help or hinder transition to autonomous CMVs
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
California recently passed a law allowing
testing of driverless vehicles without a human
aboard and many states are jumping on the autonomous
bandwagon, with trucking also testing
and demonstrating its own automated technology.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that the agency that
regulates commercial trucking is requesting comments
on existing rules that may help or hinder a
smooth and safe transition to autonomous CMVs.
Specifically, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration says it wants comments on regulations
that “may need to be updated, modified
or eliminated to facilitate safe introduction of automated,
modified or eliminated to facilitate the
safe introduction of automated driving systemequipped
commercial motor vehicles … .”
Assisting the agency in its undertaking is the
U.S. Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe
National Transportation Systems Center. The
center will be conducting a “preliminary review”
of FMCSA safety regulations that relate to the
“development and safe introduction” of CMVs
with automated systems.
FMCSA also wants comments on current
rules that “may hinder the testing and safe integration
of ADS-equipped CMVs.”
The agency noted that it’s not after com-
See FMCSA on p34 m
Courtesy: BENDIX COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS
The photo shows a vehicle on a demonstration track where the stability system is turned off.
The outriggers are installed during demonstrations to keep the vehicle from rolling over.
PeopleNet debuts Drivewyze integration for
Android platform during TCA ’18 convention
THE TRUCKER STAFF
KISSIMMEE, Fla. —PeopleNet (peoplenetonline.com),
a Trimble company and provider
of fleet mobility technology, has announced the
availability of the Drivewyze PreClear Weigh
Station Bypass App on the PeopleNet Android
platform.
The announcement was made at the 2018
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Annual
Convention held March 25-28.
PeopleNet has partnered with Drivewyze,
the nation’s largest weigh station bypass service,
since 2013. Drivewyze allows drivers to bypass
locations, saving time, fuel and money, decreasing
wear and tear on vehicles, and minimizing the
stress and hassle of weigh station stops.
“By integrating Drivewyze PreClear with our
Android platform, customers can experience the
best of both worlds,” said Bryan Coyne, general
manager, North America for Trimble Transportation
Mobility. “Not only can fleets realize the
improved driver performance and trip efficiency
that Drivewyze enables but they can leverage the
powerful Android platform that is built to meet
their needs both today and in the future.”
Drivewyze offers bypass opportunities at
nearly 700 locations in nearly every state in the
continental U.S. and in the Canadian province of
Alberta. The Drivewyze PreClear weigh station
bypass application comes pre-loaded on People-
Net Android devices, including PeopleNet ConnectedTablet
and PeopleNet-certified Samsung
devices.
Fleets can also turn on a free analytics weigh
station loss reporting tool to enable them to deter-
See Bypass on p34 m
The Trucker file photo
The Tesla Semi, above, has an autopilot system which can maintain a set speed and slow down
automatically in traffic. It also has a system that automatically keeps the vehicle in its lane.

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34 • April 15-30, 2018 Technology
b Stability from page 33 b
Full-stability systems, also called ESC (Electronic
Stability Control) technology, include more
sensors than stand-alone antilock braking systems
(ABS) or roll-only technology, known as roll stability
control (RSC). This enables the system to
address both roll and directional stability, more
quickly recognizing factors that could lead to vehicle
rollovers or loss of control.
Full-stability systems can also utilize automatic
brake interventions involving the steer, drive, and
trailer axles — where roll-only systems typically
apply the brakes on only the drive and trailer axles.
Bendix’s flagship integrated collision mitigation
technology, Bendix Wingman Fusion, as
well as Bendix Wingman Advanced, a collision
mitigation technology, both rely on the underlying
technology of Bendix ESP, so increased adoption
of these systems has also boosted full-stability
delivery, Bendix spokesmen said.
“The strategy of the full-stability system provides
the fundamental approach to the automated
and autonomous vehicle braking capabilities of
these advanced driver assistance systems,” said
Fred Andersky, Bendix director of marketing and
customer solutions, controls.
“Because it’s connected to all tractor and
trailer axles, the system can, by varying the pressure
at each wheel-end, help reduce the impact of
the forces that can lead to rollovers and loss-ofcontrol
situations, plus optimize the performance
of collision mitigation technologies.”
A Bendix news release said the company
emphasizes that technologies such as Bendix
ESP and Wingman collision mitigation systems
are designed to assist drivers, not replace them.
b Bypass from page 33 b
mine how much Drivewyze can potentially save
before activating the subscription-based service.
“Drivewyze has been a longtime, strategic
partner of PeopleNet’s since 2013,” said Brian
Heath, president and CEO of Drivewyze. “We
have supported their architecture evolution
at every step of the way, and are excited about
Drivewyze support for the powerful new People-
Net Android platform. We are proud to have been
thetrucker.com
“Professional drivers maintain responsibility for
the safe operation of any vehicle; and proactive,
ongoing driver training and support of safe, alert
drivers practicing safe driving habits are the most
important factors in commercial vehicle and
highway safety.”
As of last August 1, full stability is mandatory
on new Class 7 and Class 8 6x4 tractors with a
gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 26,000
pounds, a majority of today’s tractors.
If the regulation and scheduled dates remain
unchanged, phase two will take effect June 24,
impacting Class 8 buses; and phase three, encompassing
most remaining Class 7 and 8 highway
tractor and motorcoach applications, will go into
effect on August 1, 2019.
Bendix ESP complies fully with the new requirements
and is offered as standard equipment
on Class 8 trucks at most major North American
truck manufacturers. The system is available for
more than 80 percent of all medium-duty chassis
configurations at Paccar and Navistar.
For more information about Bendix stability
systems and other technologies, call Bendix at
(800) AIR-BRAKE or visit safertrucks.com/solutions.
The Bendix multimedia center at knowledge-dock.com
provides additional technical
material through blog posts, videos, podcasts, and
the Bendix Tech Tips series archive.
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a
member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops
and supplies active safety technologies, energy
management solutions, and air brake charging
and control systems and components under the
Bendix brand name for medium- and heavy-duty
trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial
vehicles throughout North America.
Contact 800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725)
or visit bendix.com. 8
in lockstep with PeopleNet’s product direction
over the years, so that our customers can always
count on being able to use Drivewyze, even as
their own needs change.”
Drivewyze Inc. serves commercial drivers
and fleets with innovative trucking services such
as the Drivewyze PreClear bypass service, and
the Drivewyze Analytics Weigh Station Loss Reporting
service.
PeopleNet’s network communications, mobility
and analytics products are used by more
than 2,000 truckload, LTL, private, and energy
services fleets throughout North America. 8
b FMCSA from page 33 b
ments on its financial responsibility requirements,
not only because they’re not directly
related to CMV technologies but because “insurance
requirements will depend in part on the
evolution of state tort law with respect to liability
for the operation of ADS-equipped vehicles.”
In other words, they’ll cross that bridge
when they come to it because it’s impossible
to predict what will happen.
FMCSA understandably wants to gather
all the information it can including data from
OEMs and companies that are designing and
testing this technology for commercial vehicles.
Specifically, FMCSA wants information
about the scenarios and environments where
and when participants expect to be testing
these CMVs and the carriers that may be adding
them to their fleets.
They also want to know the operational design
domains in which these systems are being
operated or would be tested and eventually deployed,
the FMCSA notice stated.
Comments must be received on or before
May 10 and must be identified by Docket
Number FMCSA-2018-0037 using any of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation, Room
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Delivery or courier: West Building,
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Or, call
• Fax: 1-202-493-2251. 8

Volvo transitions from production of
legacy 670 to full production of VNL 760
Equipment
April 15-30, 2018 • 35
Courtesy: MACK TRUCKS
Mack Trucks shared additional details about
Mack Connect, a suite of tools designed to
help customers and drivers manage productivity
and profitability during the recent 2018
Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville,
Kentucky.
THE TRUCKER STAFF
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Volvo Trucks
has completed its transition from production
of the legacy VNL 670 model to full production
of the new VNL 760.
Defined by efficiency, productivity, safety,
and uptime innovations for today’s longhaul
operations, the VNL 760 features an
all-new 70-inch sleeper, said Göran Nyberg,
president of Volvo Trucks North America.
“Transitioning from the legacy VNL 670
into full production of the innovative new
VNL 760 signifies the latest milestone on
our long journey to deliver the safest, most
comfortable and most efficient long-haul
trucks on the market,” Nyberg said. “Exceptional
design, efficiency and productivity-boosting
interior features make the
VNL 760 a fitting successor to the VNL
670, which has been a mainstay in our onhighway
lineup since its 2002 introduction
and our highest production volume model
for North American fleets.”
Designers of the new Volvo VNL 760
combined elements of Volvo’s design language
with new performance features to appeal
to today’s long-haul customers, Nyberg
said, adding that swept-back headlights include
signature Volvo daytime running lights
and frame a new Volvo grille and hood.
Redesigned and repositioned engine air
intakes allow for less turbulent intake air
delivery. Airflow up and around the cab has
also been optimized with new chassis and
roof fairings.
The VNL 760’s “sleek new design” better
controls airflow around the truck and its
trailer, resulting in improved fuel efficiency.
When combined with the efficiency benefits
derived from the Volvo D13 Turbo Compound
(D13 TC) engine, the new VNL can
help drivers achieve up to a 7.5 percent increase
in fuel efficiency when compared to a
2015 VNL model equipped with a GHG 2014
D13 engine, Nyberg said.
The new VNL 760 comes standard with
the 13-liter Volvo D13 engine and Volvo I-
Shift 12-speed automated manual transmission.
An available option, the D13 TC engine
utilizes a mechanical waste heat recovery
system to capture wasted energy from the engine’s
exhaust. The result is an additional 50
horsepower fed back to the crankshaft and an
improvement in fuel efficiency of up to 6.5
percent. The 15-liter Cummins X15 is also
available for the VNL 760.
Productivity is directly affected by driver
comfort, which is why the new Volvo VNL
760 features an all-new dashboard which
puts often-used controls within the driver’s
reach, Nyberg said.
Centered in the gauge cluster is a fiveinch
color driver information display that
provides detailed trip and diagnostic data.
The driver information display is customizable,
ensuring that critical information
is always available to the driver at a quick
glance.
Like all models in the new VNL series,
the Volvo VNL 760 is equipped with Volvo’s
smart steering wheel, putting controls
for nearly all of the driver interface functions
at a driver’s fingertips. The smart
steering wheel is attached to Volvo’s Perfect
Position air-assisted, adjustable steering
column, which enables drivers not only
to tilt and telescope the steering column,
but also tilt the steering wheel relative to
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mack Trucks has
shared additional details about Mack Connect,
a suite of tools designed to help customers and
drivers manage productivity and profitability.
Mack made the comments during the 2018
Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville,
Kentucky.
“Productivity translates to profitability,
and our customers are always seeking the next
advantage to gain an edge,” said Jonathan
Randall, senior vice president of sales and
marketing for Mack Trucks North America.
“With Mack Connect, we’re providing the
tools required for our customers and their customers
to be successful in today’s competitive
trucking industry.”
Randall said Mack Connect integrates intelligent
software, predictive analytics and
driver assist technologies into three pillars to
Courtesy: VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA
Volvo Trucks recently completed full transition of production from the legacy VNL 670
model to the new VNL 760. VNL 670s for Southeastern Freight Lines, left, were among the
final legacy models produced. VNL 760 models destined for Volvo Trucks dealer S&S Volvo
in Lima, Ohio, right, were the first off the assembly line following completion of the transition.
boost productivity: connected support, connected
business and connected driving.
Mack Connect comes standard on all
Mack models, including Mack’s newest highway
model, the Mack Anthem.
No aspect of productivity is more important
than the driver, and Mack Connect offers
several features to improve safety, efficiency
and comfort, Randall said.
“Bendix Wingman Fusion, a camera- and
radar-based driver assistance solution, is available
as part of Mack Connect and is standard
on Mack Anthem models,” he said. “Fusion
provides collision mitigation, adaptive cruise
control and lane departure warning, assisting
drivers in staying safe on the highway.
New information and entertainment options,
including Bluetooth connectivity, satellite
radio and Apple Car Play integration, allow
drivers to focus on the road ahead. Drivers can
the steering column. This lets drivers find
the perfect steering wheel position for optimal
comfort and easily view the instrument
cluster.
A wide variety of seating options are
available on the new VNL 760. An increase
in seat travel fore and aft, as well as up and
down, improves driving ergonomics. Premium
features like seat heating and ventilation
are also available. The VNL 760’s all-new
70-inch sleeper features curved cabinets that
open toward the back to maximize space, as
well as an integrated, reclining bunk, which
is a trucking industry first in North America.
LED interior lighting reduces power consumption
and provides softer lighting. A redesigned
sleeper control panel allows drivers
to control heating and cooling, and adjust the
audio system from a more ergonomic position
on the bunk. In addition, drivers can
lock the doors or activate a panic alarm if
needed.
Volvo Active Driver Assist (featuring
Bendix Fusion), is standard on all Volvo
VNL models. The camera and radar-based
system combine forward collision mitigation
warnings and active braking, even with
stationary vehicles. The system features an
industry-first heads up windshield display
See Volvo on p36 m
Mack Connect shares suite of tools for productivity, profitability
also download additional applications, such
as navigation, to help ease the demands of the
open road.
Mack Predictive Cruise, an intelligent
cruise control system, is also part of Mack
Connect and is available on Mack mDRIVEequipped
models to help improve fuel efficiency
by up to 1 percent.
When cruise control is activated, Mack
Predictive Cruise learns the topography of the
route, storing up to 4,500 hills in its memory,
along with information about engine load,
weight, speed and the road gradient. The next
time the driver travels the route, Mack Predictive
Cruise engages the Mack mDRIVE to employ
an optimized shift strategy and choose the
most fuel-efficient gear, Mack spokesmen said.
With unplanned downtime events estimated
to cost heavy-duty trucking customers more
See Mack on p36 m

36 • April 15-30, 2018 Equipment
thetrucker.com
Continental adds pre-cured tread manufacturing facility to its Mount Vernon, Ill., campus
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
FORT MILL, S.C. — Continental, a
technology company and manufacturer, has
added a pre-cured tread (PCT) manufacturing
facility to its existing campus in Mount
Vernon, Illinois.
The new plant, which began start-up
production in January, will produce madein-the-USA
tread rubber for the ContiTread
premium retread line. Continental expects
the plant to reach full operation by the end of
the first quarter of this year.
The new PCT facility features a technologically
advanced manufacturing process
to maximize safety for plant personnel and
quality of the pre-cured tread rubber.
A specialized cooling tower helps to
stabilize the tread compound more quickly,
and robotic assistance on the tread press
helps prevent distortion of the product for
more consistent filling of the mold. In addition,
the production line features a prototype
technology to provide more consistent
texture in large-lug tread patterns.
“Continental is investing in the latest advances
in retread manufacturing technology
to ensure our pre-cured tread rubber is the
best on the market, and that our people have a
safe and ergonomically efficient workspace,”
said John Barnes, Continental’s head of ContiLifeCycle
retreading for the Americas. “As
a technology company, we’re always looking
to see what’s next on the horizon, whether
for manufacturing or fleet solutions like digital
tire monitoring. We want to deliver the
best value to our customers by capitalizing
on the latest innovations in the industry.”
As part of Continental’s commitment to
the quality of its retread rubber, Barnes said
each new tread pattern produced in the startup
phase must be meticulously measured and
reviewed by the company’s Research & Development
team. Each pattern requires over
150 points of measurement to be submitted
for approval before it can be released into the
market.
“Continental continuously strives for
best-in-class performance. The cornerstone
of this performance is commitment to outstanding
quality,” said Catherine Loss, Continental’s
head of retread worldwide. “When
designing this new Pre-Cured Tread plant,
we focused on utilizing lessons learned from
our existing plant in Morelia, Mexico, to optimize
the layout and flow of the plant, and
our long years of manufacturing experience
in the main Mount Vernon plant to ensure reliability
and repeatability in the production.”
“The team has worked tirelessly to ensure
the first treads out of our Mount Vernon PCT
plant are exactly what our customers need
and expect from the ContiTread brand,” Loss
said. “Quality is where we began the project,
and a consistent quality mindset is what will
continue to drive our future.”
The first tread patterns being produced at
the Mount Vernon PCT plant will be Conti-
Tread HDL EcoPlus, ContiTread HDL, and
ContiTread HDR1.
The ContiTread HDL EcoPlus, a longhaul
drive pattern, features an advanced
tread compound for low rolling resistance
balanced with mileage. Like many Continental
tread patterns, it features a stone
ejection system, helping reduce stone retention
to protect the casing and maximize
retreadability.
The ContiTread HDL, a long-haul drive
pattern, features a mileage-focused tread
compound for long haul to regional applications.
The closed-shoulder design, available
in multiple tread depths, provides even wear
and high mileage.
The ContiTread HDR1, a regional drive
pattern, features excellent wet and dry traction
with its open-shoulder design. Available
in multiple tread depths, it is designed
to resist irregular wear and reduce stone retention.
With an innovative lug angle and
cut- and tear-resistant tread compound, it is
ideal for regional and light on/off-road applications.
8
G
H
b Volvo from page 35 b
if a driver approaches too closely to an object
in front of them. If no driver action is
taken, the system can automatically apply
the brakes to help mitigate a collision. Volvo
Enhanced Stability Technology, an electronic
stability control system, is also standard on
all VNL models to help detect imminent loss
of control, jackknife, or rollover events. The
system automatically reduces engine torque
and selectively applies braking to help keep
the truck on course.
To improve visibility, help fight fatigue
and reduce maintenance, Volvo employs
LED bulbs as standard equipment for all
exterior and interior lighting. The new VNL
features LED high/low beam headlights,
as well as LED turn, marker, and parking
lamps. Premium headlamps also features a
“signature” LED daytime running light. Automatic
lighting and rain-sensing wipers are
also available to help improve safety.
Long Volvo’s standard, the new VNL 760
cab is built with high-strength steel and exceeds
both the Volvo Swedish Cab Safety
Test and ECE R-29 rollover requirements.
The industry’s only standard driver’s side
airbag is now joined by an integrated, seatmounted
rollover airbag on the driver’s side.
All Volvo VNL models come standard
with Volvo Remote Diagnostics, Volvo’s
factory-installed telematics hardware that
provides connectivity for proactive diagnostics
and monitoring of critical engine,
transmission and aftertreatment trouble
codes. The same hardware also allows customers
to perform powertrain software and
parameter updates over-the-air with Remote
Programming, which helps improve uptime
and vehicle efficiency while reducing
downtime costs. 8
b Mack from page 35 b
than $2,000 per day depending on a number of
factors, uptime is critical to profitability, Randall
said, adding that Mack Connect includes
Mack’s telematics-based solution, GuardDog
Connect. Using fully integrated, factory-installed
hardware, GuardDog Connect proactively
monitors a truck’s performance.
If the system detects an issue, Mack’s 24/7
OneCall staff at the Mack Uptime Center are
automatically notified.
Depending on the severity of the issue,
OneCall agents will reach out to the customer’s
designated contact with actionable
information through Mack ASIST, an online
communications and service management
portal. Should service be required to resolve
the issue, service bay space and parts availability
are confirmed at the closest dealer, all
while the truck is still on the road.
“Mack’s industry-leading approach to uptime
is paying dividends for customers,” said
David Pardue, vice president of connected
vehicle and contract services, Mack Trucks.
“GuardDog Connect has helped us cut diagnostic
and repair times by more than 70 and 20
percent respectively.”
“When it comes to fleet management solutions,
our approach is centered on enabling
customer choice,” Pardue said. “Using our
GuardDog Connect platform as the data source
allows for the ultimate flexibility. And with no
third-party hardware to worry about, customers
can modify their fleet management services as
the needs of their businesses evolve.” 8
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Features
April 15-30, 2018 • 37
Goodyear honors 3 drivers at annual
Highway Heroes award presentation
Klint Lowry
klint.lowry@thetrucker.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brian Bucenell hails
from Richmond, Virginia. Ryan Moody calls
Tacoma, Washington, home. And Frank Vieira
resides in Ancaster, Ontario, about 55 miles (or
89.5 kilometers, as he would say), southwest
of Toronto.
You would imagine fate would have to put
in some overtime to ever bring these three veteran
drivers together for any reason, much less
to share a spotlight in Louisville, Kentucky.
Yet there they were. On March 22, immediately
after the first day of the Mid-America
Trucking Show, a crowd gathered at the nearby
Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center
hotel to celebrate serendipity’s fait accompli,
and three standup guys, as the Goodyear Tire
and Rubber Company marked the 35th anniversary
of its Highway Hero Award.
Each year since 1983, Goodyear has honored
professional truck drivers who perform
extraordinary acts of heroism, often at risk to
themselves. This year, Bucenell, Moody and
Vieira were the three finalists for the award.
Gary Medalis, marketing director for
Goodyear, said that over the years, the Highway
Heroes award has honored drivers who
have saved children’s lives, come to the aid of
police officers and have performed numerous
other feats of bravery. He added that the three
drivers selected as finalists this year are all fine
Virginia ‘Hackathon’ to pit techies against one another to invent way to thwart trafficking
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
Around
the Bend
When you read or hear the word, “hacking,”
what do you think of? I think of some
tech-savvy person breaking into an individual’s
or business’s computer system. Or, using
a machete to cut down heavy undergrowth
in a jungle somewhere. Or, not being able to
cope with something, as in, “he wasn’t able
to hack it, so he quit his job.”
Hacking comes from an old English word,
haccian, meaning to ‘cut in pieces’ and is related
to Dutch hakken and German hacken.
So when I heard about a “hackathon” in
Arlington, Virginia, April 14-15 I wrongly
thought people were going to learn how to be
better computer hackers so they could break
into computer systems for ill-gotten gain.
It turns out that’s not what it’s about at
all. But I bet you guessed that already.
choices as the award — the oldest of its kind in
trucking — marks this milestone year.
The incidents that led to these three drivers
being nominated for the Highway Hero Award
were about as far-flung from one another as
their hometowns, with one thing in common:
They all exhibited personal and professional
cool under pressure.
For Bucenell, an owner-operator, it all started
just after he’d merged onto the Ohio Turnpike
near Toledo. He heard chatter on the CB
about a high-speed chase going on somewhere
in the vicinity. Moments later, Bucenell saw
several state troopers in his rearview mirror
chasing a car and gaining on him fast.
Just then, he came upon a construction
zone. “We lost the far left lane,” he said. “It
went from three lanes to two lanes. They put up
a concrete barrier, blocking it off.”
When the car reached Bucenell’s truck another
truck was running alongside. Bucenell
said the car tried to pass him on the left, saw
the barrier, then cut back behind him.
From that point on, Bucenell said, the car
kept trying to pass, to the left, to the right, between
the two trucks. Every time he moved, Bucenell,
who’s been driving professionally for 10
years, moved over just enough to cut him off.
“I know my truck pretty well,” Bucenell
said. “It was a mixture of his lack of experience
and my knowing my truck. I think that’s
what let me be able to stop him.”
In this case hack means to put pieces of
something together in order to build something
else, not hacking or breaking into
something.
It means that local computer programmers,
college students, tech gurus, engineers,
tech specialists and others — about 100 people
so far — will be competing to come up
with an algorithm or app or some such thing
in order to thwart human traffickers.
This hackathon is being held by Blue
Compass, a tech development group which
works with government agencies to help
them use data to figure out answers to problems.
And that is way over-simplifying what
they do.
OK. OK. Just for example, say an agency
like the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children is trying to find out if traffickers
go after a type of child, or they’re
looking for a certain child who has been
kidnapped. Instead of having a human go
through miles of data and pictures of children,
they use all this data to create an algorithm
and feed that to a robot or some sort
of artificial intelligence thing-a-ma-bob and
have it come up with a pattern of what kind
The Trucker: KLINT LOWRY
From left are Goodyear Marketing Director Gary Medalis, 2018 Goodyear Highway Hero
Award winner, Frank Vieira, and finalists Brian Bucenell and Ryan Moody.
Finally, the driver tried to swerve on the
shoulder again. “I just whipped it toward the
guardrail and stopped,” Bucenell said. The
car was trapped, and the chase, which Bucenell
later found out had reached 100 mph
of children they’re looking for and what
types of children are at risk of being trafficked.
Or where a specific child might be.
The idea, says Christine Jung, president
and CEO of Blue Compass, is that technology
can be used to say, predict the kinds of
places where trafficking is more likely to occur.
From data they have already, they’ve
found it happens more in areas of the country
or in nations that are unstable economically,
where people are desperate and will take desperate
measures to get money. Those areas
are ripe for trafficking, Jung said. It could be
a third-world country or an inner city or rual
area in the U.S.
The participants at the hackathon will be
“everyday people,” she said, students from
area schools, young professionals, computer
techs, professors and also people who want
to learn about the subject of human trafficking.
In the trucking industry you hear about
“big data” being generated from the truck engine,
from on-cab cameras and other devices
like the ELD. That data is being used to help
carriers spot waste or garner proof it was the
at one point, was over.
“There were 20 cop cars on him in the blink
of an eye. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Bucenell
said.
See Hero on p38 m
four-wheeler that hit the truck, not the other
way around or, some say, to spy on drivers.
One trucking company using trailertracking
devices discovered their trailers
were being used to move goods other than
theirs. And it was causing a lot of unnecessary
wear-and-tear to their equipment.
The idea, said Jung, is to understand large
volumes of data, the complexity behind the
data and then figure out how to make sense
of it and like the carrier whose trailers were
being used illicitly, put a stop to it. Whatever
“it” might be.
In this case, it would be trafficking.
Now, don’t ask me whether this will be an
app or what. This is so not my area of expertise.
Also invited to the “hackathon” will be
people who know about human trafficking
and the different ways traffickers use to victimize
children and young adults, such as
posing as a modeling agent or as someone
looking for a “date.”
I’ll keep you posted on what happens
with the event and I hope they will explain
it to me in plain English so that I can understand
it. Just sayin.’
Be safe out there and God bless. 8

Recruiting Area
Terminals
38 • April 15-30, 2018 Features
b Hero from page 37 b
Moody’s incident happened when he was
fighting traffic on a Chicago freeway. The only
reason he was on that stretch of highway was
because he’d missed the turnoff to the highway
he had wanted to use.
As he was driving along, three motorcycles
passed him. A biker himself, Moody remembered
admiring the bikes and thinking, “Man, I
wish I was riding right now.”
The motorcyclists got a few car lengths ahead
of him, and two of them started to take an exit. As
far as he could tell the third biker’s wheels locked
up for some reason and he went end-over-end.
Moody said for a split second he was afraid
he wouldn’t be able to stop, but he not only
stopped but he swerved his truck to block traffic
and prevent anyone else from running over the
downed biker.
Moody then jumped out of his truck and
tended to the unconscious motorcyclist, who
was bleeding from a head injury. Moody literally
gave him the shirt off his back, wrapping
it around the man’s head, while trying to calm
down other bystanders who’d stopped.
Moody, who drives for System Transport,
based in Cheney, Washington, said he’s exmilitary,
as was his dad, so all his life it’s been
ingrained in him when things “hit the fan, you
deal with it.”
Moody stayed with the motorcyclist until
paramedics arrived. They later credited him
with saving the man’s life.
“One of the officers said, ‘hey, do you want
your shirt back?’ I said, no that’s his now.”
Vieira, who marked his 30th anniversary as a
driver last year, was driving near Toronto one day
when he heard a loud crash on a two-lane stretch
of highway, looked over his shoulder and saw that
a car on the other side of the road had slammed
into the back of a stationary roll-off truck.
Vieira parked his truck, ran to the car, and
found the driver, whose neck had been pierced
by a piece of his own vehicle’s steering wheel,
which had snapped off on impact.
“He had this thing on the right side of the
neck,” Vieira said.
Immediately, he placed one of his hands over
the still-conscious motorist’s wound and applied
thetrucker.com
direct pressure, while using his other hand to call
for help. As he was doing this, the driver of the
truck that had been hit had walked up, saw the impaled
motorist, and fainted. Vieira said he didn’t
even notice him until he saw the driver sprawled
out on the ground, his legs lying over the line into
the opposing lane of traffic. Without letting go of
the first driver, Vieira managed to use his foot to
pull the leg of the truck driver who had fainted
away from traffic. Emergency personnel arrived
and took over. Both men survived.
Vieira was surprised it’s become such a
big thing, the attention he’s getting. He hadn’t
planned on even mentioning it to anyone until
someone at his carrier, Connell Transport,
caught wind of the incident and folks started
calling him a hero. Like the others, he was
there and did what needed doing. “It’s a great
feeling to be appreciated.”
“When I think about it, it seemed like it took
half an hour, but it all happened in maybe four
minutes,” Vieira said. He was so in the moment,
he’s not even sure how he managed to do everything
at once the way he did. “Not much thought
goes through your mind; you just do it.”
After the incident he didn’t think much of
it, either. “I was actually going to let this fly
under the table and not talk about it,” he said.
But word got around and before he knew it
other people were congratulating him on his
heroism. It’s the one aspect of his experience
he shares with his fellow nominees.
“I don’t feel like a hero,” Bucenell said. “I
didn’t literally safe anybody’s life. I never felt
heroic about it. I felt like I did what was right.”
When he heard he’d been nominated for the
Goodyear Highway Hero award, he first thought
one of his buddies was pulling a prank on him.
Moody also downplayed his incident. “To
me I was just at the right place at the right
time,” he said. “Somebody needed help and I
was there. I don’t feel like I need any recognition;
I just did the right thing.”
But others felt otherwise, and as it has for
the previous 34 years, Goodyear put them in
the spotlight. In the end, Vieira was named the
winner of the top Highway Hero honor. Days
after he heard the decision, he continued to
wear the hero’s mantle with humility.
“If it inspires other drivers, great. The
more we help, the better this world becomes,
right?” 8
First they came for the Small Brokers, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Small Broker.
Then they came for the Small Carriers, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Small Carrier.
Then they came for Owner-Operators, and I did not speak out-
Because I was not an Owner-Operator.
Then they came for meand
there was nO OnE left to speak for me.
Sign the ELD Petition & Fight Back!
Join the Small Business in Transportation Coalition
search:
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thetrucker.com
Features April 15-30, 2018 • 39

40 • April 15-30, 2018 thetrucker.com
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6 • The Trucker NATIONAL EDITION August 1-15, 2005

thetrucker.com
Features April 15-30, 2018 • 43
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MANY ONLY SEE ONE
SIDE OF TRUCKING
A massive, loud machine. The rough exterior.
The stereotypes. The assumptions.
LET’S SHOW THEM
THE OTHER
Let’s show them an industry that works day
and night to deliver groceries for shelves,
toys for children, products for homes.
Let’s show the proud dad who carries
on a hardworking trucking heritage.
Let’s show the dedication, the community
involvement, and the care.
Let’s show them the other side of the story.
Learn more at insiderotella.shell.com
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