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Page 32 

Features 

38 

32 

68 

78 

January 2015 

Vol ume 29 

Issue 01 

Winter Road Preparedness 

Bill Mack’s Entertainment Beat 

My Great Friend, Th’ Killer 

Own Your Own Ride 

Top companies and their lease purchasing 

programs. 

The Connection Marketplace 

Find items and services here geared 

towards making life on the road easier, 

more enjoyable or more profitable. 

Departments 

On the Cover 

Viewpoint 21 

Industry Update 26 

NASCAR News 52 

Carrier Lane 58 

Safety Tips 64 

Connection Wordfind 82 

Photo courtesy of 

http://www.freightlinertrucks.com. 

Find your favorite magazines at TruckDriverMagazines.com 

TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 5

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CHANGE 

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latest job alerts.

5400 Laurel Springs Pkwy., Suite 703 

Suwanee, Georgia 30024 

Telephone: 678-325-1022 / Fax: 470-253-7086 

Editorial: editor@truckersconnection.com 

Art Department: tmpart@targetmediapartners.com 

A Subsidiary of Target Media Partners 

Publication Staff 

Publisher/Editor 

Megan Cullingford-Hicks MeganH@targetmediapartners.com 

Sales Manager 

Jerry Critser 

JerryC@targetmediapartners.com 

Art Director 

Editor 

Matt Jankun 

Sean O’Connell 

MattJ@targetmediapartners.com 

SeanO@targetmediapartner.com 

Entertainment Editor 

Field Editors 

Bill Mack 

John Ewing Bob Hataway 

Cheryl Cheek Jennifer Hawks 

Advertising 

Account Executives 

Jamie Adcock 

678-325-1024 

John Hicks 

770-418-9789 

Greg McClendon 

678-325-1023 

Meg Larcinese 

678-325-1025 

JamieA@targetmediapartners.com 

JohnH@targetmediapartners.com 

GregMc@targetmediapartners.com 

MegL@targetmediapartners.com 

CEO 

CFO 

Vice President 

Mark Schiffmacher 

Susan M. Humphreville 

Ed Leader 

COPYRIGHT: ©2009 Trucker’s Connection, 3651 Peachtree Parkway Suite E-256 Suwanee, Georgia 30024. Trucker's Connection, Inc. is a subsidiary of Target 

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e. 

? 

By Megan Cullingford-Hicks 

e. Turns out, “another 

this month. 

er you are more disci- 

I with 

ften 

your 

in 

taxes 

life we 

and 

reach a point where an 

O obstacle stands in the way of what 

you’re as big a paperwork 

we want and where we currently are. 

it’s imperative You want that a new you job as but your wife is too 

p track nervous of all for your you spendthe 

year. child You wants can to track play football it in college but 

to make a change. Your 

thly (or you biannually can’t get the works) scouts to look his way. 

er it You takes, want track a new it. car It but your credit isn’t 

fantastic. 

huge difference between 

ugh up And to Uncle often Sam what and happens is that we 

to your 

get 

savings 

bogged 

account. 

down in fighting the fight 

allowed to write off any 

essary for them to combs—from 

pens to industry 

meals (check the stipulat) 

to weigh station costs 

g else not reimbursed by 

y. 

k the discipline to track 

throughout the year (welclub!), 

at least toss the 

lders or envelopes marked 

onth and then spend a day 

y tallying 

and focus 

them 

more 

up for 

on 

the 

the hindrance than in 

accomplishing the goal. 

ith what it saves you in 

hat day Several is the biggest times recently, oneyou 

enjoy all year. 

I’ve had friends 

come and ask me what to do in a certain 

situation they were struggling with. And 

r view I realized point to the Megan@ common theme in all these 

nection.com. situations was that the friend was getting 

too wrapped up in why they were failing 

TRUCKER’S at their CONNECTION goal than 11trying to really find 

Getting What You Want 

a solution. 

“Huh?” you say, scratching your head. 

Take the case of the student wanting to 

play in school: I’ve seen parents focusing 

more on WHY the scouts aren’t looking 

and who is failing to get them to look 

(coaches, etc) than in trying to reach 

the goal, which could be accomplished 

another way. Maybe you cannot attain 

this goal the traditional way, but does 

that mean it’s dead in the water? No way. 

Try sending your son to a football camp 

at the school he wants to go to. He’ll be 

seen there by the school coaches. Plan 

to attend that school and walk on at try 

outs. Find some alumni who may know 

someone (following the old adage: it’s 

not what you know but who you know). 

There are other ways to get to the same 

end result. Maybe it’s not the most direct 

path, but it leads to the same place. And 

how badly you want to succeed will 

determine how far off the direct path you 

are willing to venture. 

Another friend was having a terrible 

issue with a co-worker. The co-worker 

was suspected of doing some fairly 

unscrupulous things but folks had no proof 

and the boss was oblivious. My friend 

ultimately discovered her suspicions were 

correct and she was livid. Still, the boss 

had no clue. She had grown to dislike this 

colleague significantly and her judgment 

was being impaired by the dislike and she 

Continue on page 22. 

Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckJobSeekers.com TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 21

Continued from page 21. 

worried that calling the boss’s attention 

attention to the co-worker would backfire 

among the other folks in her office. She 

asked me what to do. The first thing I told 

was: “put aside your personal opinion of 

this co-worker for a minute and tell me: 

what is your ultimate goal? Is it to get her 

to stop her bad behavior or is it for her 

to be fired?” Her reply would dictate the 

proper course to take. Ultimately it wasn’t 

for her to be fired but to just straighten 

up. And my friend opted to confront the 

colleague directly (and privately) rather 

than involve the boss. After doing so, the 

co-worker quickly realized what would 

happen if the boss WAS to find out and 

the behavior stopped. My friend didn’t 

look like a tattletale to the rest of her office 

and the co-worker began toeing the line. 

Another example: you want a new car 

but have bad credit—what other path 

might you take beyond getting a straight 

bank loan? Could a relative buy it and 

you pay him/her back? Could you work 

with a small “buy here pay here” lot? 

Could you pay higher interest as a riskier 

purchaser via a financial institution that 

specializes in that? There are many means 

to accomplish your goal—you have to 

look beyond the first and probably most 

obvious choice. 

No matter your goal or your obstacle, 

don’t get mired in the first hurdle you 

reach. No goal worth attaining comes 

easily. Look beyond the obstacle and 

see what other route you can take to get 

there. And while circumventing hurdles, 

don’t lose sight of the goal itself. Easiest 

way to make sure that doesn’t happen? 

Write your goal down. Put it on your 

bathroom mirror, on a sticky note on your 

dashboard, on the corner of your laptop. 

Reminders keep you focused and on track 

and as they say: the faintest ink is better 

than the best memory. 

Send your viewpoint to Megan@truckersconnection.com 

Follow me on Twitter @MagazineMegan and check out my blog Stuff to Say at MeganCullingford.blogspot.com 

22 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION www.TruckersConnection.com

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House Majority Leader McCarthy Links GOP Wins, 

Transport Funding 

House Majority Leader Kevin 

McCarthy, R-Calif., said that Republicans 

would build off a 2012 highway funding 

and 2014 port spending measure to 

implement more reforms of government 

programs if they maintain the majority of 

the House in next month’s elections. 

Transportation 

advocates have 

lamented the lack of 

long-term extension 

of the 2012 highway 

bill, which expired 

in September of 

this year, The Hill 

reported. 

Still, McCarthy said 

in a memo released 

that the 2012 Moving 

Ahead for Progress in 

the 21st Century Act 

and this year’s Water 

Resources Reform 

and Development 

Act (WRRDA) were 

examples of the type of legislation the 

Republican majority would pass if it 

keeps control of the House. 

Lawmakers had difficulty finding such 

a sweet spot when it came time to renew 

highway funding in the summer, however. 

Transportation advocates had pushed 

for an increase in the $18.4 cents per 

gallon gas tax that has been used to pay 

for highway projects for generations, but 

Republicans resisted the effort to hike the 

levy for the first time in more than 20 

years ahead of a hotly contested election. 

Lawmakers could not reach an 

agreement on a funding source for a longterm 

highway funding package, so they 

opted instead for temporary extension of 

the 2012 bill that is 

scheduled to expire 

next May. 

“Inefficient, 

ineffective, and 

incompetent federal 

agencies along with 

failed government 

policies have real 

world consequences. 

They hurt economic 

growth and job 

creation,” McCarthy 

wrote. “Restoring 

economic growth and 

job creation will be 

the central policy goal 

of the next Congress 

and restoring competence in government 

will be part of that effort. 

“The inability of the government to 

accomplish its most basic tasks has eroded 

the public’s trust in government, as polls 

have repeatedly shown,” he continued. 

“We must work to end this cycle of 

failings and make government functional 

again. Building off our progress in the 

2012 highway bill and WRRDA this year, 


a portion of our 2015 legislative agenda 

will focus on reforming and streamlining 

federal agencies so government works as 

it should.” 

Republicans have touted the $12.3 

billion port and waterways bill that 

was approved in May as a model of 

future bipartisan transportation funding 

legislation. 

The measure identified more than $12 

billion worth of new water infrastructure 

projects and authorizes funding for them, 

but it also de-authorized $18 billion worth 

of old projects that had been on Army 

Corps of Engineers dockets for years. 

The cut was a win for Republicans who 

argued that previous water infrastructure 

funding measures contained wasteful 

spending. 

ACT Research: Trailer Industry Strength Remains Unabated 

September saw a continuation of 

a strong order season for the trailer 

industry, with 32,194 net orders placed, 

according to the 

most recent “State 

of the Industry: U.S. 

Trailers” published 

by ACT Research 

Co. (ACT). 

“The pace of 

orders continues to 

amaze,” said Frank 

Maly, director of 

CV transportation 

analysis and 

research at ACT. 

“September new and net orders both 

saw 29 percent sequential gains and 

net orders are up 86 percent year over 

year.” 

Maly said that year-to-date, net orders 

rose 51 percent. 

“Strong quarter-ending production 

levels combined with an inventory 

drawdown to push shipment levels to 

almost 26,900 units, the best volume 

since June 2006,” Maly added. 

ACT’s CV services are used by all 

major North American truck and trailer 

manufacturers and their suppliers, as well 

as the banking and investment community 

in North America, Europe and China. 

For more information on ACT, visit 

actresearch.net. 


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Of all the people I’ve met during my 

tenure as a disk-jockey, none is 

more respected and admired than 

Jerry Lee Lewis, known in entertainment 

circles as “Th’ Killer.” Although his image 

has been “the wild man at the piano” 

while performing, he is one of the most 

gentle, caring individuals I’ve ever had 

the honor of referring to as a true friend. 

It’s a friendship that began in the ‘50s 

when he was recording for the old “Sun” 

record label out of Memphis. 

I first met Jerry Lee 

in 1956 when he was 

performing a gig in 

Wichita Falls, Texas where 

I was working at radio 

station KWFT as a disk 

jockey. He was plugging 

his first recording on Sun 

titled “Crazy Arms.” Ray 

Price had already turned 

the song into a huge hit 

just a few months before 

Jerry decided to record 

it and I had formed the 

attitude that his decision 

to “cover” the Price hit 

was a bad choice, and 

told him so. He didn’t share my thoughts 

and was a bit cool toward me as I 

served as emcee for his performance at 

Wichita Falls’ leading night-club, “The 

My Great Friend, Th’ Killer 

MB Corral.” He gave me a smiling sneer 

and announced, “I’m gonna sing Bill 

Mack’s favorite song by me! You folks 

do some dancin’ while I sing my new 

record, ‘Crazy Arms’! Sure, old Ray Price 

did th’ tune a few weeks ago, but now 

you’re gonna hear me sing it th’ way it 

ought to be done!” Of course, the crowd 

loved his perfect phrasing and pounding 

piano, giving him a loud round of 

screaming applause as he completed the 

song. He then looked up at me, laughed 

and shouted, “How ‘bout 

that, Billy boy! Them folks 

seem to like it, even if 

you don’t!” 

Before leaving the 

premises, “Killer” gave 

me a gentle hug and 

stated, “I wanna thank 

you, Bill, for playin’ that 

record. I know you’re 

a country music disk 

jockey, but you opened 

a door for me with my 

first record. I won’t ever 

forget that, brother.” 

His next recording for 

“Sun” was released in 

1957. It was a genuine rockabilly hit 

titled, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” 

This was when our friendship began in 

a big way. Some of my listeners thought 


By Bill Mack 

By Bill Mack 

I was forsaking the authentic country 

sound by playing such a romping, 

rocking release. However, they would 

soon accept Jerry Lee Lewis as an 

exceptional talent. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ 

Goin’ On” soared 

to Number One in 

the Billboard R&B 

(Rhythm & Blues) 

chart … as well as 

Number One in the 

Billboard Country 

Music chart, making 

Jerry one of the 

hottest acts in the 

biz. 

I witnessed 

several happenings with my friend, some 

of them exceptionally good, others just 

the opposite (death claimed two of his 

sons, two of his wives). Before becoming 

a super-star, Jerry’s ambition was to be a 

minister or to become active in some area 

of religion, perhaps as a music director 

in a church. Therefore, he attended the 

Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas. He 

was booted out of that establishment 

when one of the grand leaders heard 

him seated at the piano and presenting a 

rocking rendition of the grand old hymn, 

“My God Is Real!” Those in attendance 

as he performed the song couldn’t hold 

back from dancing to the pounding 

sound, an act strictly forbidden by the 

bible institute. 

During the ‘70s, Jerry was set for a 

gig before a turn-away crowd at Panther 

Hall Ballroom in Fort Worth, the biggest 

country music dance facility in the nation 

at the time. From out of nowhere, two 

men dressed 

in dark suits 

are threatening 

hats and ties 

approached the 

edge of the stage, 

waiting for th’ Killer 

to arrive. When I 

asked what they 

were doing, one of 

them informed me 

they were serving 

Jerry Lee with a subpoena for his arrest. 

Seems he had failed to show up in a 

Dallas court room after being accused of 

ignoring a contracted appearance in a 

Dallas beer hall several months ago and 

the owner was suing him. One of them 

said, “We’re haulin’ him to the Dallas 

jail when he gets out here.” 

I informed them it would be a terrible 

mistake if they didn’t allow him to 

complete his set at Panther Hall. “The 

crowd will go crazy if he doesn’t make 

the scene. You’ll be responsible for a 

riot. I warned. Fortunately, the tough 

plain-clothes cops were fans of my radio 

show. They not only allowed Jerry to 

perform, they also agreed to allow me 

Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckJobSeekers.com TRUCKER’S CONNECTION 33

to drive him to the Dallas jail in my 

car … with them directly behind us in 

their vehicle. After we walked into the 

“slammer,” the policemen informed Jerry 

that he wouldn’t be locked up. Instead, 

he would sit on a stool near the entrance 

to his cell and entertain those behind bars 

by singing some songs, accompanied 

by his guitar man, Kenneth Lovelace. 

Kenneth, his ex brother-in-law and good 

friend, had been in my car with th’ 

Killer and me 

when we made 

the I-30 trip 

from Fort Worth 

to Dallas. Later 

that morning, the 

judge found Jerry 

Lee “not guilty” 

after proof 

was presented 

acknowledging 

the fact that the 

beer-hall owner 

had written 

“hot checks” as 

payment to several performers who had 

graced his dirty stage, including one to 

Jerry the last time he had been booked 

there. He would constantly remind me, 

and whoever was with us or in various 

audiences, that we had “spent a night in 

th’ Dallas jail together!” When I began 

my successful all night radio show on 

WBAP in Fort Worth in 1969, Jerry 

made it a point to drop by for visits 

several times. One night, his precious 

mother was with him. I interviewed her 

about her famous son. She informed my 

radio audience and me, “I’m so proud 

of my boy. He’s a good boy at heart. 

He’s always been so good to his daddy 

and me, God bless him.” 

I noticed Jerry attempting to hold 

back the tears as she spoke her loving 

words. In less than a year, his mother 

died from cancer. He kept reminding 

me how he deeply appreciated me for 

taking the time to interview her. “Yeah, 

you could have let me chat with you for 

an hour or so. 

Instead, you gave 

my little mother 

more time on-theair 

than chattin’ 

away with me. 

I’ll always be 

grateful to you 

for that, Bill.” 

When he 

recorded his 

“Live At The 

International 

In Las Vegas” 

album for 

Mercury Records in 1970, Jerry surprised 

me by including my composition, 

“Drinking Champagne” as one track on 

the “LP” collection. Before singing the 

song, he shouted to the crowd, “Now 

… here’s a song that was written by a 

very good DJ friend of mine, Mr. Bill 

Mack!” The song has been recorded by 

over a hundred artists during the past 

four decades, but th’ Killer’s version of 

my song was the most special. 

Jerry Lee Lewis is loved by millions. 

Include me as one of them. 

Visit Bill at BillMackC ountry.com. 


No matter where you drive – from the Pacific Northwest to the interstates 

of the rural Midwest to East Coast’s I-95 – winter weather is bound to 

affect your route. Roads are slick with water, snow and ice. Highways are 

congested as traffic often slows to a crawl. And your equipment responds differently in 

the cold, meaning you have to prepare differently during the bulk of the winter weeks. 

Because we have been down this road before, we want to help you prepare. We 

turned to the experts of fleet maintenance and road maintenance to make sure that 

your wheels keep turning – and your freight keeps moving – even as Mother Nature 

conspires to keep you grounded due to sub-zero temperatures. 

Riding with Ryder 

Ryder System, a leader in commercial fleet management and supply chain solutions, 

is sharing best practices to help you get winter ready. 

Proactive planning around maintenance, proper fueling, training, and safety can 

help maintain uptime and prevent unexpected breakdowns and accidents. Useful 

information and resources are available now on Ryder’s Online Center for Winter 

Preparedness at campaigns.ryder.com/WinterDriving. The site will be updated 

throughout the season with weather advisories, emergency response protocols, tips, 

and advice. 


“Last year’s polar vortex wreaked havoc on [owner-operators and] businesses 

that were not prepared for the impacts of extreme cold weather on their trucks,” 

said Mel Kirk, vice president of maintenance and quality operations for Ryder. 

“Ryder has the experience and expertise to help people prepare for and mitigate 

the impacts of extreme winter weather, to keep freight moving and drivers safe on 

the road.” 

The following tips are essentials on Ryder’s winter driving preparedness list: 

• Maintenance proactive planning: An ounce of proactive prevention while 

temperatures are still mild will go a long way to ensure safety, reliability, and 

fewer unexpected issues when severe weather strikes. Doing things like replacing 

wiper blades with winter wiper blades and checking for proper tire inflation are 

examples of proper maintenance that are key for running efficiently. 

• Proper fueling: Making sure that fuel has been blended correctly for the seasonal 

temperature and that a cloud point additive is included prevents fuel filter waxing 

that causes breakdowns. For this reason, it is important that you consider the cold 

temperatures you may encounter in reaching your destination before hitting the 

road. 

• Driver training: Drivers should be trained and well-informed about how to act in 

response to different situations. For example, in the event that a warning light 

turns on, such as the engine regeneration light, it is crucial that a driver know 

how to respond in order to ensure safety and maintain uptime. 

• Driver safety: Winter weather can add a lot of variables to driving conditions, but 

extra caution, alertness, and preparation can reduce the risk of possible collisions 

and/or mechanical failures. Simply increasing following distance or slowing 

down can ensure a safer trip. 

To learn more about ways to plan ahead and stay informed this winter season, visit 

Ryder’s Online Center for Winter Preparedness. 



The ABCs of Winter Driving 

When American drivers need to get on the road and stay on the road, they regularly turn 

to AAA. With the winter months upon us, the company posted crucial winter-driving tips that 

can only help keep your wheels turning. 

Severe weather can be both frightening 

and dangerous for all travel. Motorists 

should know the safety rules for dealing with 

winter road emergencies. AAA reminds 

drivers to be cautious while operating in 

adverse weather. Some of these may be 

basic but good to refresh yourself on when 

you’re driving in a truck or a car. 

- Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on 

winter weather tasks reduces driving risks. 

- Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area. 

- Make certain your tires are properly inflated. 

- Never mix radial tires with other tire types. 

- Keep your fuel tank at least half full to avoid line freeze-up. 

- If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather. 

- Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand). 

- Always look and steer where you want to go. 

- Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle. 

- Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated 

areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let your 

dispatcher know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival. 

- Always make sure your vehicle is in peak operating condition by having it regularly 

inspected. 

- Have a cellular telephone, plus blankets, gloves, hats, food, water and any needed 

medication in your truck. 

- If you become snow-bound, stay with your truck. It provides temporary shelter and makes 

it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy to lose 

sight of your truck in blowing snow and become lost. 

- Don’t over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your truck out of the snow. 

- Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up window 

to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount 

of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you. 


- Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could 

cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak inside with the engine running. 

- Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor 

mats, newspapers or paper maps. 

- If possible run the engine and heater just long enough to remove the chill and to conserve 

gasoline. 

Specifically for driving on snow, here are AAA’s tips for driving in the horrifically slippery 

white stuff: 

- Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the 

gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for 

regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t 

try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to 

slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes 

longer to slow down on icy roads. 

- Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on 

snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, 

turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry 

pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by 

driving slowly. 

- Know your brakes. The best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your 

foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake 

pedal. 

- Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to 

start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If 

you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it. 

- Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels 

spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry 

you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed down 

hill as slowly as possible. 

- Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an 

icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill. 

Sooner or later, we will be through the winter season, and our roads will open up wider 

than they are right now. Until that happens, keep the above tips handy, be patient with your 

fellow drivers, and stay safe while driving on winter-weather roads. 


In-Cab Dash Cams Included 

in Newest Wave of Trucking Technology 

By Cliff Abbott, The Trucker Staff 

Exhibitors at the recent American 

Trucking Associations Management 

Conference and Exhibition displayed a 

variety of wares from expected products 

such as tires and transmissions to 

computer software for every imaginable 

business purpose. 

Some of them displayed a product that 

could soon be showing up in tractor cabs 

everywhere: cameras. More correctly, 

cameras and the recording and reporting 

software that comes with them. 

There’s no doubt that technology 

has brought many changes to the truck 

driver’s environment. Many of those 

changes have been for the good, and 

drivers quickly adapted to features like 

automatic, heated mirrors, satellite 

radio, GPS systems and satellite 

communications. 

Some of the technological 

“advancements,” however, have been 

received cautiously by those drivers who 

didn’t reject them outright. 

Satellite communications units, it was 

learned, could track and report vehicle 

location and driver behaviors such as 

speeding and hard braking. Electronic 

logging devices or ELDs did more than 

record duty status, they provided the 

carrier with an instant look into the 

driver’s day. 

The camera systems for sale at the 

2014 conference may well be the next 

technology adopted by the industry, with 

or without direction from the Federal 

Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

Dash cameras are already widely 

available at truck stops and many 

electronics outlets and many drivers use 

them already to record evidence that 

could help exonerate them in the event 

of a collision. 


Some dash cams are combined in one 

unit with other electronic gadgets such as 

GPS units. Some carriers have adopted 

policies that prohibit driver posting of 

dash cam video footage to the Internet 

out of fear that the wrong video can 

harm the company’s image or even be 

used against them in liability litigation. 

The dash camera units marketed to 

carriers perform the same function as 

consumer units, with one key difference: 

They’re designed to watch the driver as 

well as the road. 

At the Safety Vision booth, one 

video claimed to show a four-camera, 

360-degree view. One part of the 

screen displayed the view through the 

windshield over the hood; a second 

showed the lane to the right of the 

tractor-trailer; a third showed what the 

driver sees in the left and right West 

Coast mirrors. 

And the last camera showed what 

the driver can’t see — himself. Shifting, 

singing, yawning, yelling or picking his 

nose, the driver was on display. 

When asked if the camera recorded 

continuously or if, as with other products, 

it retained video 

only just before 

and after a 

specified “event,” 

such as hard 

braking, the rep 

explained that the 

camera actually 

monitors the 

driver’s eyes for 

signs of fatigue, 

such as nodding 

or excessive 

b l i n k i n g , 

providing an 

audible warning 

to the driver when 

detection is made. 

The information is 

also reported back to the carrier’s safety 

officer or designate, he said. 

Like satellite communication units, 

ELDs and other trucking technology, no 

one knows for sure what the future holds. 

There’s no doubt, however, that it will be 

different. 


Toyota Unveils 2015 Sprint Cup Series Camry 

After two years of competing with 

NASCAR’s Gen-6 cars in the Sprint 

Cup Series, Toyota will be the first 

manufacturer to debut an updated 

version of its entry, unveiling the 2015 

Camry race car here at Charlotte 

Motor Speedway. 

Just as the 2013 models unveiled 

by Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota more 

closely resembled vehicles sold 

on the showroom floor than their 

predecessors, the 2015 Camry that 

will be on the race track remains true 

to its production counterpart. In some 

ways, the similarities between the two 

vehicles are even more pronounced. 

“Definitely the 2015 Camry race 

car has benefited from a cosmetic 

standpoint from the stance that the 

2015 production Camry is perfect 

-- the front end, the aggressive, widemouth 

look is just perfect for this 

race car,” said Andy Graves, vice 

president of chassis engineering & 

Toyota NASCAR program manager, 

TRD USA. 

“Because of that, it really makes 

it look another level of detail closer 

to the production car. As soon as 

we saw the photos from Toyota and 

Calty (Design Group) of what the ‘15 

production car was going to look like, 

we were ecstatic because we knew it 

was really going to look great on the 

race track.” 

Will it race as well as it looks? 

“Absolutely,” Graves said. 

“And that’s the thing, because 

obviously we need it to look like a 

2015 Camry, but we’re competition 

guys,” said Dave Wilson, president 

and general manager, Toyota Racing 

Development, USA, said. “We need it 

to race well. 

“...Andy and Calty set about to stay 

within that box but absolutely walk 

the tightrope in terms of making sure 


it had the most optimal characteristics 

aerodynamically, etc., so that we’re 

not leaving anything on the table. And 

we felt like we achieved that and we 

believe that it’s going to race just fine.” 

“That box” is the range of 

aerodynamic numbers determined 

by NASCAR, aimed at keeping a 

single manufacturer from gaining an 

advantage. 

NASCAR and the automakers’ 

original commitment to bring more of 

a production look back into the race 

cars remains in 

place. Wilson 

describes it as 

“a remarkable 

collaboration” 

that’s been 

ongoing since 

work on the Gen- 

6 program first 

began. 

“But in the car business, every 

couple of years -- everyone’s on their 

own cycle -- but you have to evolve the 

products in the showroom to remain 

competitive,” he said. 

Graves, a former crew chief in 

NASCAR’s premier series, said 

updates to the Camry had been on 

TRD’s “radar screen” for two years. 

“And we’ve been flat-out working on it 

every single day for the last 18 months. 

“It’s a balancing act ...we’re trying 

to keep as much character as we can in 

the Gen-6 platform but also we want to 

try to eke out every bit of performance 

within the parameters that the OEM 

group has given ourselves and which 

we are working in. And NASCAR 

polices that. 

“We’ve looked at some CFD 

simulations to really make sure that 

we’re trying to capture everything that 

we can, not just from the standpoint 

that the car will run good by itself, but 

also runs good in traffic. We’ve tried 

to understand that ...and tweak the 

design based on those parameters.” 

Since the Gen-6 cars debuted in 

2013, Toyota teams have won 16 

points-paying 

races, as well as 

three Daytona 

500 qualifying 

races, the 

Sprint Unlimited 

and the Sprint 

Showdown. 

A redesigned 

Camry will also 

be used in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series 

beginning next year. 

“We are thrilled to finally be able 

to finally show off our new 2015 

Camry race car -- becoming the first 

manufacturer to update the Gen-6 

model,” said Ed Laukes, vice president 

of marketing, performance and guest 

experience for Toyota Motor Sales, 

U.S.A. Inc., said. 

“We anticipate that fans will 

appreciate the development behind 

this bold Camry design, both on the 

race track and the showroom floor.” 


Bay & Bay Announces Retention Bonus 

Bay and Bay Transportation has 

announced an increased retention bonus 

for qualifying mileage contractors and 

company drivers. These drivers will now 

be eligible for an additional $.01 for 

every dispatched mile they drive, both 

loaded and empty, from October 1, 

2014 until September 30, 2015. 

This new bonus is in addition to the 

existing $.01/mile retention bonus 

already in effect for dispatched miles 

from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. 

“This is equivalent to $2,400 per year 

for anyone who runs 120,000 miles,” 

said Bay & Bay President and CEO Sam 

Anderson. “Our company believes in the 

future and we want to pay those drivers 

who are going to be a part of it. We like 

to show our drivers in a tangible way 

that we appreciate their dedication to 

Bay & Bay.” 

“For miles dispatched in the past 12 

months, we are happy to announce that 

on October 24, 2014, Bay & Bay will 

pay out a total of $193,000 to 235 

Mileage Contractors and Company 

drivers,” Anderson said. “The highest 

individual payouts were $1,600 and 

$1,500 respectively!” 

“In our industry, high driver turnover 

has become everyday life at most 

companies. We want to be different,” 

Anderson said. “We want to recognize 

and reward those drivers who are 

committed to the organization long 

term. Our drivers are at the core of our 

success.” 

Bay & Bay is currently hiring CDL truck 

drivers for a variety of positions. For 

more information on the advantages of 

driving for Bay & Bay, call the recruiting 

hotline at (866) 719-6020. 

Schneider Announces A New Mileage Pay Increase 

Schneider is now hiring both 

experienced drivers and new Class A CDL 

holders on a large dedicated account. As 

a Dedicated truck driver, you’ll enjoy: 

Mileage and accessorial pay plus potential $0.02/mile performance bonuses 

• Predictable work scheduling 

• Weekly home time 

• 100% no-touch freight 

• Consistent freight 

• Paid vacation and orientation/training 

• 401(k) savings plan with company match 

• Medical, dental and vision insurance 

To apply, visit schneiderjobs.com/search-driving-opportunities/all/PA-10082. 

58 TRUCKER’S CONNECTION Hundreds of Jobs www.TruckersConnection.com 

www.TruckJobSeekers.com

HELP Inc. Announces Another New PrePass Truck Milestone 

HELP Inc., the non-profit public/ 

private partnership that provides PrePass 

weigh station bypass and other truck 

safety services, announced that it has 

hit another milestone in promoting safe 

truck operations across the United States. 

Just weeks after the program hit an alltime 

record of over 475,000 trucks, an 

additional 10,000-plus trucks have been 

enrolled in the program and are now 

qualified for bypass. 

HELP also announced that its Board 

of Directors has approved deploying 

PrePass at several new sites over the 

next few months. Additional PrePass 

opportunities will be open to carriers 

traveling through Delaware, Iowa, 

Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming, 

while new PrePass sites in Louisiana, 

Mississippi and Oklahoma are going 

through final stages of installation and 

also will be available soon. 

“With 485,719 trucks from 39,506 

fleets now enrolled and qualified for 

PrePass, HELP’s mission to improve 

trucking efficiency, plus safety for all 

highway users, has taken another big 

step forward,” said Karen Rasmussen, 

HELP Inc.’s president and CEO. “This 

achievement affirms our Board’s vision 

of balancing safety with efficiency by 

providing motor carriers a total solution 

that saves them time, fuel and money.” 

Since HELP began compiling savings 

data in 1997, PrePass has saved trucking 

companies more than 245 million gallons 

of fuel and more than 51 million hours of 

driver time, resulting in more than $4.3 

billion* in operational savings just from 

bypass services alone. Since 2002, 

PrePass Plus has saved carriers countless 

time and fuel by providing nearly 195 

million electronic toll plaza transactions. 

Epes Transport Announces Pay Increase 

Epes Transport 

System, a North 

Carolina-based 

truckload carrier, 

recently announced a 6 percent pay 

increase for its company drivers and 

independent contractors. 

In addition to the driver pay increase, 

Epes Transport also increased its 

guarantee pay and opened up several 

new positions that offer great home time 

for dedicated, local and regional drivers. 

The company also offers a student trainee 

refresher truck driver program for recent 

graduates and drivers with minimal 

experience. To enter this program, 

drivers must have at least three months 

of OTR experience in the past year, be 

a recent graduate from an approved 

school, have a valid Class A CDL, stable 

work history and clean driving record. 

For more information about the driving 

opportunities at Epes Transport, please 

visit www.epestransport.com or call 

877-983-0202. 


y 

LEARN MORE AT 

WWW.TRUCKING- 

SHOW.COM/PKY 

The Pursuit of excellence 

MARCH 26-28, 2015 

AT THE 44TH ANNUAL MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW 

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TWO NEW CLASSES FOR 2015 DUMP AND TOW TRUCKS 

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Wearing Seat Belts 

By Bob Hataway 

Have you ever considered not wearing your seat belt? 

I used to drive charter coaches for groups on special trips. My coach or stagecoach 

as it is known on the road was one with an air-ride seat. It also had front-end air 

suspension. 

You hit a low spot in the road and the suspension would adjust by allowing the 

coach to ride down only slightly. The air-ride seat would then compensate for the 

downward movement of the coach. 

When you bottom out in the low spot, the air suspension would adjust to smooth 

the ride carrying you further down. Again, the air-ride seat compensated even further. 

Then the fun began - the air suspension would come back up causing the seat to 

rise faster and when the suspension peaked, the seat was just gaining momentum. 

Usually, it would take a few ups and downs before everything returned to normal. 

Folks on the stagecoach laughed and encouraged you to hang on. 

If you did not have on a safety belt, you needed to prepare to be airborne when 

the seat topped out. I chose to always wear a seat belt to compensate for the 

unexpected. 

The unforeseen can cause you to encounter rough spots in a road or have to 

swerve to miss an obstacle. Seat belts help you to maintain control: 

1. Highway conditions can cause you to make corrections for proper steering. 

Trying to make adjustments and hang on at the same time can give you a 

distorted view. 

2. The percentage of accidents where seat belts are a negative factor is so minute 

that wearing seat belts is a positive consideration. Drivers are thrown from the 

tractor more times because they were not wearing a seat belt than killed because 

they could not get out of a wrecked vehicle. 

3. The potential for your remaining in your seat during an accident is reason enough 

for wearing a seat belt. 

Bottom Line: I would prefer to make adjustments from inside the tractor as opposed to 

being outside looking in. 

Bob Hataway heads up TransAlive USA, Inc., an 

organization dedicated to helping truckers when they 

have accidents away from home. More information is 

available by calling 800-USA-HURT. www.transalive.com 




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Solution on page 84 


Averritt Flatbed ..........................47 

Barr-Nunn Transportation ..................8-9 

Baylor Trucking ..........................45 

BCB Dedicated ...........................61 

BCB Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Front Gatefold 

Bennett Motor Express .....................43 

Cal Ark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Celadon .......................... 41, Insert 

Central Hauling Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Central Refrigerated Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Coast to Coast Credit Services, Inc. ............79 

Crete Carrier Corporation ................ Insert 

Davis Express, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 

Davis Transport ..........................76 

Decker Truck Line, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 

Design Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 

EW Wylie ............................ Insert 

Gibson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 

Gordon Trucking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 

Heartland Express .....................14, 51 

Hoker Trucking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 

Hunt Transportation .......................36 

Interstate Trucker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 

JMN Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 

Kenneth Turowski, Attorney .................78 

KLLM Transport Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Logix Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 

Marten Transport ........................6-7 

Maverick Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

MCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Melton Truck Lines ........................31 

Mercer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 

Messilla Valley ...........................23 

Mid-American Trucking Show ................62 

Minstar .............................16, 73 

MMT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover 

MTB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44, 81 

Nations Express ..........................25 

NCI ...................................17 

Nu-Way Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

Petro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 

Penske Logistics ..........................19 

P.I. & I. Motor Express .....................67 

Prime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Purdy Bros. .............................76 

Red Eye Radio ...........................80 

Reliable Carriers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 

RTI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Sammons Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Shaffer Trucking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 

Stageline Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 

Super Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Swift Transportation .......................75 

Tango. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 

TMC Transportaion ........................35 

Tradewinds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 

Trans Am ...............................65 

Transport America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert 

Transport Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 

TravelCenters of America ...................70 

TruckersConnection.com ....................66 

TruckJobSeekers.com ......................56 

Triple D Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 

Truckers Helper ..........................78 

Universal ...............................29 

UPS ...................................18 

USA Truck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 

U.S. Xpress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 

Virginia Transportation .....................57 

WoRDFinD puZZle (page 82) Solution

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