Truckload Authority - Fall 2017

wreaths gALA | inside out with jim schoonover | capitol recap
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION o f t h e Truckload Carriers Association
FALL 2017
FMCSA chief counsel
sees everything
regulatory
eye
In this issue
guidance or rule
Trucking cries for clarity on sleep apnea testing
Road to autonomy
Self-driving technology a sum of its parts
hello, washington
TCA members heed the call to Capitol Hill

TM
LET J. J. KELLER HELP YOU MAKE THE
SWITCH TO ELOGS.
IT’S EASY. IT’S REQUIRED. IT’S TIME.
Talk with one of our ELD Specialists today!
Call 855.693.5338
or visit JJKeller.com/ELDspecialist
PC-122013
PC 122013

FALL | TCA 2017
President’s Purview
Roadmap to success
includes everyone
T he roadmap to TCA’s success is defined by our officers and refined by the needs of
all our members. October, after our Fall Business Meetings and at the beginning of a new
fiscal year, provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been while looking to
the exciting path ahead.
It’s been a whirlwind few months at TCA, with a steady stream of events, meetings and
actions on Capitol Hill, as well as the continued development of our educational programs.
It’s a testament to the dedication of our small staff that we’ve been able not only to succeed
in creating a robust membership experience in the present, but also to establish the building
blocks for future successes. We have a great team here, and in this issue of Truckload
Authority you will read all about what we are achieving.
On October 9-11, TCA members from around the country came together in Washington,
D.C., for our fall business meetings, Fifth Annual Wreaths Across America Charitable Gala,
and Inaugural Call on Washington. At the fall business meetings, our officers discussed and
established TCA’s policy positions. These meetings sometimes require difficult conversations,
but it’s these conversations, undertaken respectfully, that allow this association to
continue to grow.
The Fifth Annual Wreaths Across America Charitable Gala was a powerful evening of
patriotism. Attendees heard speeches from former Air Force One Commander Mark Tillman
and American Gold Star Mothers President Sue Pollard, and witnessed a brilliant rendition
of the national anthem sung by Joe Everson, who painted a portrait of the raising of the flag
on Iwo Jima as he sang. We raised almost $80,000 for Wreaths Across America, all while
reflecting on the lives lost protecting our freedoms.
The Voice of Truckload was heard loud and clear at TCA’s inaugural Call on Washington,
with 32 members taking part in some 75 visits with their Congressional representatives and
federal regulators. TCA’s government affairs team has been working hard to provide a voice
on Capitol Hill, but having members there to share their personal experiences amplified that
voice.
TCA doesn’t only represent carriers from the U.S., however, and that fact was celebrated
at our Canadian event, Bridging Border Barriers. I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel
and discussing the importance of Canadian and American carriers working together toward
common goals, especially in the face of the uncertainty with NAFTA. We hope to bring in
more Canadian carriers to our membership so that when we set the association’s policies,
we do so bolstered by the diverse perspectives of truckload carriers from every segment of
North America.
We have continued to work hard to make our contests, programs and educational opportunities
the best of the best in the trucking industry. The TCA Scholarship Fund gave out 50
scholarships to students of trucking industry families totaling almost $150,000. Nominations
are pouring in for our Best Fleets to Drive For, Driver of the Year and Fleet Safety awards.
Our education team will soon be releasing our Motor Carrier Risk Insurance Program and
have been putting on incredibly well-reviewed webinars. The TCA Profitability Program is
John Lyboldt
President
Truckload Carriers Association
jlyboldt@truckload.org
providing carriers with performance analytics that
are helping them to become more profitable, and we
have two new Best Practice Groups in the process of
forming.
Needless to say, it’s a very exciting time at TCA.
We will continue to provide the membership experience
you have come to expect from us, and we will
continue to grow to meet the needs of our members
on the roadway to success.
John Lyboldt
PRESIDENT’S PICKS
Hire Than Most
Trucking’s turnover rate tops
other industries by a mile.
Page 18
Top Rookie
Daniel Shonebarger’s career moving
more quickly than expected.
Page 34
Hurricane Help
Trucking industry steps up to the
plate, hits a home run.
Page 36
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 3

T H E R O A D M A P
FALL 2017
PRESIDENT’S PURVIEW
Roadmap to Success Includes Everyone by John Lyboldt | 3
LEGISLATIVE LOOK-IN
Guidance or Rule | 6
Capitol Recap | 12
TRACKING THE TRENDS
Road to Autonomy | 15
Hire Than Most | 18
SPONSORED BY SKYBITZ
NATIONAL NEWS MAKER
Regulatory Eye with Randi Hutchinson | 19
SPONSORED BY THE TRUCKER NEWS ORG.
A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN SPONSORED BY MCLEOD SOFTWARE
So Much to Do, So Little Time with Rob Penner | 24
TALKING TCA
Inside Out with Jim Schoonover | 30
Top Rookie | 34
Hurricane Help | 36
Wreaths Across America Gala Recap | 38
Call on Washington | 40
Health Fairs | 42
Small Talk | 43
Important Dates to Remember | 46
Phone: (703) 838-1950 • Fax: (703) 836-6610
PRESIDENT
John Lyboldt
jlyboldt@truckload.org
VICE PRESIDENT - GOV’T AFFAIRS
Dave Heller
dheller@truckload.org
FIRST VICE CHAIR
Dan Doran, President
Doran Logistics, LLC
TREASURER
Dennis Dellinger
President
Cargo Transporters, Inc.
SECRETARY
James Ward
President & CEO
D.M. Bowman, Inc.
ASSOCIATION VP TO ATA
Bill Reed Jr., Chairman & CEO
Skyline Transportation
AT-LARGE OFFICER
Dave Williams, Executive VP
Knight Transportation
VICE PRESIDENT + PUBLISHER
Ed Leader
edl@thetrucker.com
EDITOR
Lyndon Finney
editor@thetrucker.com
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Rob Penner, President & CEO
Bison Transport
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
William (Bill) Giroux
wgiroux@truckload.org
VP - OPERATIONS AND EDUCATION
James J. Schoonover
jschoonover@truckload.org
SECOND VICE CHAIR
Josh Kaburick
CEO
EarlL.HendersonTruckingCompany
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Russell Stubbs
Chairman
FFE Holdings Corp.
AT-LARGE OFFICER
John Elliott, CEO
Load One, LLC
AT-LARGE OFFICER
Roy Cox, President
Best Logistics Group
AT-LARGE OFFICER
Mike Eggleton, Jr., Vice President
Raider Express, Inc.
publication are not necessarily those of TCA.
In exclusive partnership with:
Phone: (800) 666-2770 • Fax: (501) 666-0700
GENERAL MGR. T RUCKING DIV.
Megan Cullingford-Hicks
meganh@targetmediapartners.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Dorothy Cox
dlcox@thetrucker.com
PRODUCTION MGR. + ART DIRECTOR
Rob Nelson
robn@thetrucker.com
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
MARKETING MANAGER
Meg Larcinese
megl@targetmediapartners.com
PRODUCTION + ART ASSISTANT
Christie McCluer
christie.mccluer@thetrucker.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Klint Lowry
klint.lowry@thetrucker.com
NATIONAL MARKETING CONSULTANT
Dennis Bell
dennisb@targetmediapartners.com
© 2017 Trucker Publications Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission
prohibited.
All advertisements
and editorial materials are accepted and published by Truckload Authority and its exclusive partner,
Trucker Publications, on the representation that the advertiser, its advertising company and/
or the supplier of editorial materials are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject
matter thereof.
Such entities
and/or their agents will defend, indemnify and hold Truckload Authority, Truckload Carriers
Association, Target Media Partners, and its subsidiaries included, by not limited to, Trucker
Publications Inc., harmless from and against any loss, expense, or other liability resulting from
any claims or suits for libel, violations of privacy, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement
and any other claims or suits that may rise out of publication of such advertisements and/or
editorial materials.
Cover Courtesy: Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration.
Additional magazine photography:
FTC Transport: P. 3
CTS: P. 37
Daimler trucks north
America: P. 13
Daniel Shonebarger:
P. 3, 34
FMCSA: P. 19, 23
FotoSearch: P.3, 12
Jason Dixon: P. 26, 38, 39
Jim Schoonover: P. 32, 33
J.J. Keller & Associates: P. 14
National School
Transportation Assn.:
P. 22
Randi Hutchinson: P. 20
State of New Jersey: P. 44
TCA: P. 3, 31, 40, 41, 42, 43
The Trucker News Org.:
P. 12, 24, 25, 28, 29
WTI Transport: P. 36
4 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

You Can’t Be There To Rescue Every
Trailer In Distress. But We Can.
With Great Dane’s AdvantEDGE program, every trailer emergency is swiftly
met with 24-hour roadside assistance. Whether it’s your tires, a mechanical
issue or a reefer repair, you can rest assured that your drivers will get the help
they need no matter when or where they need it.
In addition, our partnership with Love’s Travel Stops gives you access to 425
more service trucks and 245 U.S. locations—getting you back on the road and
ensuring the safe and efficient delivery of your goods. Let’s go.
Enroll for free today: GreatDaneTrailers.com/AdvantEDGE
GREAT DANE AND THE OVAL ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF GREAT DANE LLC. 721 ELV 0917

FALL | TCA 2017
Legislative Look-In
Guidance or RulE
Webster’s Definition
Certified Medical Examiner
Guidance:
Direction, advice or counseling.
Rule:
A principle or regulation governing
conduct, action, procedure,
arrangement, etc.
Guidance:
A probable frustrating discussion with
a truck driver who believes he or she
doesn’t need to be tested for sleep apnea.
Rule:
Definite direction.
By Lyndon Finney
For quite a few years now, the debate has continued — perhaps even raged — over whether the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should continue
to provide ambiguous sleep apnea testing “guidance” to medical examiners, who are left on their own to determine whether a professional truck driver should
be tested for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or provide a hard and fast rule that spells out in black and white under what circumstances a driver MUST undergo
testing for OSA or lose his or her commercial driver’s license.
Discussion about how to handle potential sleep apnea has gone on since 2000, the year the FMCSA was formed.
The agency immediately determined that OSA was a respiratory condition, and offered medical examiners guidance for making the determination as to whether
a driver satisfied the respiratory standard, noting that “a driver must be alert at all times, [and] any change of his or her mental state is in direct conflict with
highway safety. Even the slightest impairment in respiratory function under emergency conditions (when greater oxygen supply is necessary for performance)
may be detrimental to safe driving.”
What happened over the ensuing years in the “guidance” versus “rule” debate finally reached Congress when in 2013, lawmakers passed H.R.3095 and President
Barack Obama signed it into law October 15, 2013.
The law said: “the Secretary of Transportation may implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing or treatment (including
consideration of all possible treatment alternatives) of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders only if the requirement is adopted
pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding.”
To put it another way, the “guidance” really didn’t have any teeth.
Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., a physician himself, said he sponsored the bill in reaction to the FMCSA’s initial intention to avoid industry comment on its
proposed guidance.
Bucshon also was concerned that if the FMCSA issued a guidance instead of a formal rulemaking, it would open up trucking companies to lawsuits.
The House Republican Conference said it favored the legislation because a rulemaking would “ensure that a new regulation under consideration by the FMCSA
undergoes an open and transparent rulemaking process.”
Other supporters argued that using the rulemaking process instead of guidance would give stakeholders more input into the process by allowing them to submit
comments.
Two-and-a-half years later, on March 10, 2016, the FMCSA finally issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for the “Evaluation of Safety
Sensitive Personnel for Moderate-to-Obstructive Sleep Apnea.”
It was a joint effort with the Federal Railroad Administration, since railroad engineers and truck drivers both must stay alert at all times.
As background, the FMCSA cited one fatal truck accident and three fatal train wrecks in which the agencies said OSA was a factor, including a July 26, 2000,
accident where the driver of a tractor-trailer traveling on Interstate 40 near Jackson, Tennessee, collided with a Tennessee Highway Patrol vehicle.
“The tractor-trailer driver was 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighed 358 pounds, and had been diagnosed with, and undergone surgery for, OSA, but had not indicated
either the diagnosis or the surgery on examinations for medical certification. The NTSB found that the driver’s unreported OSA, untreated hypothyroidism, or
6 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

complications from either or both conditions predisposed him to impairment or incapacitation, including
falling asleep at the wheel while driving. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident was the
driver’s incapacitation, which resulted from the failure of the medical certification process to detect and
remove a medically unfit driver from service.”
The ANPRM asked for comments about the potential rulemaking and over the next few weeks, over 600
poured in, most divided in two camps — motor carriers that support it and truck drivers who opposed it.
The Truckload Carriers Association supported it.
“TCA supports the development of objective standards for sleep disorder screening, testing and
treatment that are based on sound data and analysis, are cost-beneficial, and promote effective treatments
that minimize the impact to motor carriers and commercial vehicle operators,” TCA President John Lyboldt
said. “We recognize that this Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is merely the start of a long process
which our industry must traverse down so that we can fully examine the ramifications and effects that
obstructive sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders have on our commercial motor vehicle operators.
“The relative importance of sleep disorders such as OSA, when it comes to fatigued driving and its
impact on a carrier’s safety record, have been deemed an important topic for performance improvement
and an opportunity for which the industry can gather further data in an effort to formulate a more precise
policy on this much maligned issue.”
Lyboldt pointed out that a University of Pennsylvania study had determined that 28 percent of
commercial truck drivers have mild to severe sleep apnea.
There is a lack of clarification on the issue with which the agency is having to deal, said TCA Vice
President of Government Affairs David Heller, and he noted that the shortcoming might lead to doctor
shopping.
“We went from a rulemaking, with the massive checklist, to now the presence of nothing. Yet CMEs
are still sending drivers to get sleep testing based on guidance that came from the American Medical
Association when the AMA developed its certification process for CMEs,” Heller said. “So this becomes a
problem. Not every CME will send drivers to get sleep tested, which basically makes the CME irrelevant
since the reason the certification process was put in place was to stop doctor shopping. There may be some
unscrupulous carriers out there that will find CMEs who don’t send drivers for sleep testing because they
are not required to do so.”
Heller said the industry needs to look beyond testing when considering sleep apnea.
“Quite frankly, what really makes sense is to ask if we are talking about standards possibly prescribing
lifestyle changes. Because when it comes to sleep apnea, it is not necessarily identifying the guy with sleep
apnea. What we should be doing is looking at the industry as a whole, taking the first step instead of the last
step. Because you could be doing more with prevention than you would with just diagnosing and treating,”
Heller said.
The FMCSA’s Medical Review Board (MRB) weighed in on the subject in late August 2016 at a meeting
at the agency’s National Training Center in Arlington, Virginia. Its recommendations included the checklist
to which Heller referred above.
The board recommended mandatory screening for any truck driver with a body mass index of 40 or
more who has admitted fatigue or sleeping during wakeful periods, or for any drivers who have been
involved in sleep-related motor vehicle accidents.
Screening would also be required for anyone who possesses a BMI of 33 and has at least three risk
factors from a list of 11 factors (see article Page 9).
Not long after that, Donald J. Trump became president with a pledge to curb the proliferation of federal
regulations and subsequently issued his two-for-one decree: Do away with two regulations for every new
one written.
Even though the sleep apnea rule was in the early stages, sources say the proposal got caught up in the
Trump buzzsaw with the official explanation being that “current safety programs … addressing fatigue risk
management are the appropriate avenues, which would include guidance, to address OSA.”
The FMCSA said it would “consider” updating the “guidance” using the MRB’s 2016 recommendations
as a basis.
Whether the withdrawal is permanent might depend on Congress again.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has introduced legislation that would require the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) to implement the proposed rule mandating sleep apnea testing and treatment for
rail operators and commercial truck drivers that was reversed by the Trump administration.
The FMCSA’s decision to withdraw the rulemaking drew immediate fire from Advocates for Auto and
Highway Safety.
Compelling and consistent research from groups like the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
has shown that OSA-afflicted drivers who are not properly treated are more prone to fatigue and have
a higher crash rate than the general driver population, the advocates said, adding that the FMCSA was
“threatening the safety of all motorists” by scrapping the rulemaking.
“In abandoning its effort to screen professional commercial drivers for the serious medical condition
of obstructive sleep apnea, the FMCSA fails to protect public safety on our highways from those who drive
while fatigued due to this condition,” said Henry Jasny, senior vice president and general counsel for the
advocates. “The agency also shows a callous disregard for the health and well-being of drivers who suffer
from OSA. This is yet another example of the FMCSA throwing its mission, to make safety its highest
priority, under the bus.”
Fatigue is a factor in 10 to 20 percent of fatal accidents involving large trucks and buses, said the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, but no data is available on how many accidents
involve drivers with sleep apnea or suspected sleep apnea.
Simply put, “guidance” is not what’s needed, sleep experts say.
A majority of professional truck drivers are
reporting increased exam costs following the
implementation of the National Registry of
Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) rulemaking,
according to results of a survey conducted by the
American Transportation Research Institute in
collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.
ATRI is the research arm of the American
Trucking Associations.
ATRI and Mayo Clinic jointly surveyed more
than 900 commercial drivers, 300 motor carriers
and 1,200 certified medical examiners (CMEs) to
better understand the impacts that the NRCME
has had on the trucking industry since its
implementation in 2014.
The NRCME was designed to improve the DOT
physical exam process and ensure that medical
examiners understand FMCSA regulations and
guidance for issuing medical certificates.
The survey showed 63 percent of the drivers
surveyed said they were experiencing increased
costs associated with the medical examination, a
result of new guidelines imposed in the rulemaking.
ATRI’s research focused on commercial driver and motor
carrier impacts and also identified the following:
• 6.2 percent of drivers reported improved exam
quality post-NRCME implementation.
• 26.6 percent of drivers reported spending 20
minutes or less with their CME, with 6.5 percent
of those drivers spending 10 minutes or less,
an insufficient time to complete all required
processes of a DOT physical. Drivers certified by
chiropractors were more likely to have important
medical checks omitted.
• Among the 5.9 percent of drivers who were not
issued a medical certificate on the day of their
physical exam, 22.6 percent cited having a
medical condition that required treatment before
certificate issuance as the reason.
• Motor carriers still have significant concerns
related to the medical certification process,
including requests by CMEs for additional medical
documentation causing certification delays, driver
confusion of how regulatory changes impact the
ability to hold a valid medical certificate, and
concerns with the competency of CMEs. Nearly
50 percent of motor carriers reported that they
specify which CME their drivers see to ensure
medical exam quality.
• Less than 1 percent of carriers reported no major
concerns with the medical certification process.
• The ability of drivers to find a CME close to where
they live may be more challenging in the future
as 15.3 percent of CMEs reported that they have
quit performing DOT physicals or plan to quit
performing DOT physicals.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 7

Dr. Barbara Phillips
In the mind of Dr. Barbara Phillips, there are no ifs, ands or buts.
The trucking industry needs an obstructive sleep apnea rule. There are simply too
many variables in guidance protocols across the country, said Phillips, professor of
pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Kentucky College of
Medicine at Lexington and medical director of the sleep lab there.
She is also an original member of the Medical Review Board, formed in 2006 by
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to provide information, advice, and
recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation and the FMCSA administrator
on the development and implementation of any science-based physical qualification
standards.
“My opinion is that we need a rule,” Phillips told Truckload Authority. “The people
a rule would protect the most are the drivers because right now the certified medical
examiners (CMEs) either rely on guidance or they may not rely on guidance.
There are several different forms of guidance out there for them to choose from,
so commercial drivers who need their CDLs renewed are encountering a variety
of procedures. They are not encountering a consistent approach to managing or
diagnosing sleep apnea, and that is tough on them.”
There are all kinds of reasons a CME might diagnose obstructive sleep apnea
or tend to suspend a driver’s license pending evaluation, including two big ones,
Phillips said.
“They might have a conflict of interest or even a financial interest in a sleep
diagnostic facility, or be overly cautious with drivers because of their own fear of
liability, since there is no rule to protect them. The CME might say, no I didn’t do that
(OSA testing) because the rule didn’t require it. So, I know they err on the side of an
abundance of caution and truck drivers get caught in the middle of that.”
On the other side of the coin, a CME might tend to be lax or lenient with drivers,
and probably the No. 1 reason for this is that it is a line of business they don’t want
to lose.
“Right now, it really is the wild, wild West out there,” Phillips said. “People are
being punished by being sent for testing when there is no clinical reason, and the
roads are riskier as people with sleep apnea are slipping through without being
diagnosed or treated.”
But, Phillips hastens to say, the industry needs more than a rule.
“We need a system that identifies commercial drivers with sleep apnea
without penalizing them,” she said, “a system that makes it possible for them to
get diagnosed and treated without expense and without having to spend time off
the road they don’t need to spend. I will be the very first to admit that the medical
industry of sleep apnea testing and treatment is a huge part of this problem because
it costs drivers more than it should, both time and money, to get diagnosed and
treated.”
Because of that, Phillips believes, drivers are hesitant to come forward when
they know they have a sleep problem.
“It stigmatizes them and it penalizes them,” she said. “So not only does it make
our roads riskier, it’s a health risk for the drivers themselves. They can’t admit to
these symptoms and seek medical treatment because their livelihood is in jeopardy.
And furthermore, the CMEs get caught in the middle. But the people with the most
to lose are the drivers themselves. They actually are walking around with a treatable
condition that can kill them but they are afraid to seek treatment for it.”
A rule is the answer, believes Dr. Barbara Phillips, whose name was
included as a sleep expert in a lengthy document written by Dr. Al Osbahr, an
occupational medicine physician who practices in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The document was part of the minutes of the August 2016 MRB meeting.
Phillips is professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at
the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and medical director of the
sleep lab there.
“My opinion is that we need a rule,” she told Truckload Authority. She
pointed to the fact that CMEs don’t use the same guidance principles and
said drivers are not encountering a consistent approach to managing or
diagnosing sleep apnea and “that is tough on them.”
Dr. Michael Berneking, medical director of Concentra Health Systems,
explained the current process, saying in a report by Frost & Sullivan, “There
are standards and recommendations set by the government for practitioners
who perform annual examinations on transportation employees. However,
these recommendations do not carry enough weight as it is up to the
expertise of the medical examiners to enforce sleep apnea guidelines.”
A large commercial truck crash can cost up to $9 million, but if drivers
were screened and subsequently treated for OSA, up to $11 billion annually
could be saved, Bernaking said in the report.
There is a polarity in quality of medical examiners, according to
Dr. Clayton T. Cowl, chair of the Mayo Clinic’s division of preventive,
occupational and aerospace medicine.
Cowl was commenting on the findings of a joint study by the American
Transportation Research Institute and the Mayo Clinic on the impact of
the implementation of the national registry of certified medical examiners,
which was designed to weed out “DOT doctor mills” and streamline the
examination process.
According to the study, that might not be the case.
“Those examiners who are performing only minimal examinations may
have received substandard training or are not taking their role seriously.
The key seems to strike a balance between meeting the regulatory intent
of the examinations and communicating with drivers ahead of time to
minimize confusion regarding the need to document clinical stability. This is
particularly true for drivers with multiple or complex medical conditions from
whom medical examiners do need more documentation in order to make a
certification decision.”
Comments by a trucking executive on the front lines supported Cowl’s belief.
“The inconsistency in the quality of exams provided to our drivers creates
real challenges for us as a fleet. Where in one terminal location a driver may
be required to undergo extensive tests and provide additional documentation
prior to getting a medical certificate, drivers in other locations are expedited
through with cursory exams,” said Victor Hart, director of safety for Dot
Transportation, an Illinois-based carrier.
Osbahr, who has performed over 15,000 DOT physicals since 1988,
perhaps laid the groundwork for the need for a rule in his document. His
letter, written to the MRB and included in the August 2016 file, perhaps best
states the reason for a rule rather than guidance:
“Driving by truck drivers and bus drivers is a professional endeavor,”
he wrote. “There is a higher standard of safety held for these professional
drivers than the general driver population. The CDL holder has the ability,
no matter what job they regularly do, to take on commercial driving work
even as a side job.
“Driving entails a complex set of tasks and skills as a professional driver
with distinct cognitive, perceptual, motor and decision-making activities as
indicated on the DOT Physical Qualifications for Drivers section under the
Drivers Role section. This section goes on further to add that a driver must
constantly survey the ever-changing roadway environment from an elevated
position to keep the vehicle in the lane and moving at an appropriate, safe
speed. Whether responsible for an accident or not, the professional driver
is expected to avert error or accident because of the larger load one is
responsible for and the significant damage it can cause to self and others.
“Therefore, surveillance of the road is important and involves two
distinct visual tasks: estimating and responding to ongoing activities at risk
earlier than the general population, and controlling lane position. Divided
attention on tasks involving speed and lane control as well as monitoring
can be affected by distraction, fatigue, sleepiness, medications and texting.
To do this in a safe way requires careful attention and alertness, which can
be difficult when fatigue, sleep disorders, sleep deprivation, distraction, and
obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are present, in addition to medications or
sedative/stimulant substance abuse.”
8 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

Sleep Apnea Risk Factor Checklist
The Medical Review Board of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made its recommendations in August
2016 on screening transportation professionals for sleep apnea in response to a joint Advanced Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (ANPR) by FMCSA and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requesting data and information
concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safetysensitive
positions in highway and rail transportation, and on its potential consequences for the safety of rail and
highway transportation.
Most in the trucking industry believe this screening process might have been the basis for the now-withdrawn
proposed rule.
The recommendations were non-binding as the two agencies prepared the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR).
The board recommended mandatory screening for any truck driver with a body mass index of 40 or more who had
admitted fatigue or sleeping during wakeful periods, or for any drivers who had been involved in sleep-related motor
vehicle accidents.
Screening would also have been required for anyone who possesses a BMI
of 33 and had at least three risk factors from a list of 11 factors, which are:
• Untreated hypertension
• Type 2 diabetes
• Loud snoring
• Witnessed apneas
• Small airway/mallampati score
(predicts endotracheal intubation)
• A neck size of 17 or more for males
and 15.5 or more for females
• Age 42 or older
• Male or post-menopausal female
• Untreated hypothyroidism
• Stroke, coronary or artery disease
• Micrognathia (undersized jaw) or
retrognathia (abnormal posterior
positioning of the maxilla or
mandible, particularly the mandible,
relative to the facial skeleton and
soft tissues).
The board issued recommendations stating that a driver could be immediately disqualified and referred for OSA
diagnostic testing if either of the following conditions exist:
• Individuals have admitted fatigue or sleepiness when awake, and
• Individuals have been involved in a sleep-related motor vehicle crash or accident or near crash.
The board said drivers found to be noncompliant with treatment regimens outlined in the recommendation should be
disqualified immediately until evaluated and treated effectively.
The recommendation also suggested that certified medical examiners should have the discretion to disqualify any
driver who appears to be at extremely high risk, and that drivers disqualified for any of the reasons set forth above
must remain disqualified until evaluated and treated effectively.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 9

In review of the currently available screening tools for OSA, Osbahr
said the STOP-BANG screening possesses the most objective survey
information and includes at least five objective determinants plus much
more direct questions about symptoms.
Sleep Apnea
Screening Test
Snoring?
Do you snore very loudly?
Tired?
Do you feel tired most of the day?
YES
NO
STOP BANG is an acronym
based on the following:
1. Do you SNORE loudly (louder than talking or loud enough to be heard
through closed doors)?
2. Do you often feel TIRED, fatigued or sleepy during daytime?
3. Has anyone OBSERVED you stop breathing during your sleep?
4. Do you have, or are you being treated for, high blood PRESSURE?
5. BMI (body mass index) of more than 35?
6. AGE over 50 years old?
7. NECK circumference greater than 17 inches for men or 16 inches for
women inches?
8. Male GENDER?
Take the test yourself using the screening tool accompanying this article.
Calculate your BMI with the formula below.
BMI Calculation
Observed?
Has anyone observed you stop
breathing during sleep?
Blood Pressure?
Do you have high blood pressure?
BMI =
Weight(lbs) X 703
Height 2 (inches)
BMI?
Are you overweight or obese -
BMI more than 35kg/m 2 ?
Age?
Are you over 50 years old?
Neck Thickness?
Is you neck circumference
greater than 16 inches?
Gender
Are you male?
BMI is equal to your weight in pounds multiplied by 703. That number is
divided by your height, in inches, squared.
Osbahr believes the strongest predictors of more severe OSA are body
mass index (determined by dividing a person’s weight by height in inches),
and neck circumference.
“The scientific reports used by AASM, the academic body of sleep
experts, recommend that a BMI of greater than 35 is an important risk,”
he wrote. “The studies have shown that at this level the moderate to severe
OSA percentage is at least 30 percent. For every 1 point increase in BMI,
the risk of OSA increases by 14 percent. In my practice experience, 80
percent of my drivers with BMI greater than 40 have a moderate to severe
OSA by full sleep testing. At greater than 50 BMI, the sleep studies in my
drivers are 100 percent positive for moderate to severe sleep apnea (A
5-foot 10-inch, 350-pound person would have a BMI of 50). I consider that
80 percent or above to be a clear indicator of disease prevalence and of
severe safety risk. We are not talking about mild disease here.”
Calculate your score
by adding 1 for each
question answered YES
TOTAL
SAST Score Breakdown:
0-2
3-4
5-8
= Low Risk
= Intermediate Risk
= High Risk
10 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

The AASM report listed four major
barriers to OSA diagnosis and treatment:
• General public awareness — Many individuals do not recognize symptoms and
severity of the condition.
• Primary care physician education — Front-line caregivers do not routinely ask
about duration and quality of sleep or screen patients for OSA.
• Diagnosis and treatment costs — While usually covered by payors for qualified
patients, costs average $2,105 per year for testing, appointments, treatment
devices and surgery, if necessary.
• Employer and payor investment for chronic care management — Economic
stakeholders are still developing cost models that financially reward
managing chronic conditions in order to lessen longer-term risk for acute
events.
Truck drivers who fail to adhere to treatment for OSA are a public safety
threat on U.S. roadways, according to the largest study of sleep apnea and crash
risk among commercial motor vehicle drivers and published on the AASM
website.
It was accepted for publication in the journal Sleep and involved 1,613 truck
drivers with OSA and an equal number of control drivers who were matched by
job experience and tenure with the trucking firm. Drivers who were diagnosed
with sleep apnea were prescribed positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy and
were given an auto-adjusting machine that could be used both at home and in
the truck sleeper berth while on the road. Objective treatment adherence data
were downloaded from the PAP machine’s internal memory chip.
Results show that the rate of serious, preventable crashes was five times
higher among truck drivers with sleep apnea who failed to adhere to PAP
therapy, compared with matched controls. In contrast, the crash rate of drivers
with sleep apnea who were fully or partially adherent with treatment was
statistically similar to controls.
“The most surprising result of our study is the strength and robustness of
the increase in the crash risk for drivers with sleep apnea who fail to adhere to
mandated treatment with positive airway pressure therapy,” said lead author
Stephen V. Burks, PhD, professor of economics and management and principal
investigator of the “Truckers & Turnover Project” at the University of Minnesota,
Morris. “The results of our study support the establishment of obstructive sleep
apnea screening standards for all drivers through the commercial driver’s
medical exam.”
So in the end, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion — within the trucking
and medical community — that a “rule” rather than “guidance” is the way to go,
the exact opposite of the direction the federal government seems to be moving.
Because with no rule, “it’s just the wild, wild West out there,” Phillips
concluded.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 11

CAPITOL RECAP
A review of important news coming out of our nation’s capital.
By Lyndon Finney and Dorothy Cox
Have any regulatory trucking issues been put to bed during the most recent congressional session?
Skirmishes, arguments and battles about such issues as ELDs, drug testing, the split sleeper berth rule, and
others — are a constant when discussing federal trucking regulations. They never seem to go away.
Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller sat down recently
with Truckload Authority editors to share his perspective on these issues and more.
F4A
“As to F4A — and nothing is really ever put to bed
— we’re looking at a continuing resolution on Federal
Aviation Administration reauthorization and we’re
looking at the continuing resolution on appropriations
funding. So, we continue to kick the can down the
road. That’s not because F4A has stalled these bills,
but because other active or hotly contested issues
have stalled them. The FAA legislation is stalled
because of the air traffic controller issue surrounding
their privatization that obviously has stalled this, and
will continue to do so, until they get that resolved.
Trucking meal and rest break issues have zero effect
on ultimately passing the bill.
“F4A can’t be passed until they deal with these
new issues. They’ve got to get the funding down,
they’ve got to get all those funding initiatives taken
care of and if they don’t, they can’t get anything
done with the F4A. Long gone are the days of doing
things single-handedly in a stand-alone bill. It’s now
powerful enough to get funding on its own so it has
to be attached to something much larger. Even that
doesn’t ensure its passage. They could still throw
the baby out with the bathwater when there are some
other, more serious issues that get brought up. Just
because it gets attached to something larger still
doesn’t guarantee it gets done, because the larger
thing may be much more hotly contested than the
F4A issue or any other issue that gets attached. And
that seems to be par for the course.”
HAIR TESTING
“Drug-testing protocol is designed by the Department
of Health and Human Services. So, for the Department
of Transportation to incorporate hair testing, it has to
wait for Health and Human Services to actually write
the guidance. Thus, we’re actually waiting for that
guidance, as HHS hasn’t done anything yet.
“Hair testing is an opportunity for carriers to do
more things to make their fleets safer and to see what
kind of driver they’re getting when they’re onboarding
that driver by seeing what kind of drug history they
have. Remember, however, you can’t use hair testing
for post-accident or reasonable-suspicion drug and
alcohol testing. You can, however, understand what
you’re getting, because it shows the drug-use history
of that prospective driver over a certain period of time
up to nine months in some cases. Hair testing speaks
volumes and goes a long way in removing the drug use
from our driving fleets. We’re a zero-tolerance industry
and hair testing goes a long way to help enforce that
zero-tolerance policy.
“As for the argument that different types of hair
can give a false positive for drugs, you’re right, there
is that argument, but that’s not what’s holding up this
guidance. HHS is holding it up. And remember, we’re
not replacing urine-based testing because there’s a need
and desire for both.
“Eventually, the holdup on guidance speaks to
the fact that we as an industry are outpacing the
government in terms of technology and safety-related
self-regulation. We’re doing more things on our own
than the government is actually requiring us to do.
Why? Not because we have to, but because we want to.
“As to the importance of a wide variety of testing
abilities, what we’re saying is put the best test out
there for the one that needs to be taken. If you’ve got
a new hire or a driver that you’re just bringing on, test
the hair. Why? Because it shows what kind of person
you’re getting. Post-accident, hair is virtually worthless
because it won’t show if that person was under the
influence at the time of the accident. Only urine will
show that alcohol is still in the system and to what
extent. You can do a blood test as well. Oral testing or
fluid testing from the mouth is also available.
“Make no mistake about it, drug and alcohol testing
in the trucking industry is serious business. There’s a
need for it and there’s a need for expansion of it because
when we say we have a zero tolerance for drug use in
this industry we mean every word of that.”
12 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

J. J. KELLER’S ELD INSIGHTS
NO ELOGS AT MANDATE WILL BE
CONSIDERED A VIOLATION
SLEEPER BERTHS
“This is obviously one of biggest fish to fry sooner rather than later as
we delve into the pilot program that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration is proposing regarding sleeper berth flexibility. The truckload
segment has been clamoring for this flexibility ever since they took it away
from us by no longer allowing us to break up our sleeper berth portion of the
Hours of Service regulations and making us take at least one period of eight
consecutive hours.
“They finally have listened and we have made some headway with the
FMCSA, which realized that we know what we’re talking about by allowing
drivers to sleep when they are tired and thus not feel pressured to drive. This
would probably be more beneficial to this industry than anything else.
“We all can say until we’re blue in the face that drivers have the ability to
pull over and go to sleep when they wish. However, what they are faced with
is the pressure of that 14-hour clock that continues to tick. With that, drivers
aren’t going to be able to get restful or recuperative sleep.
“The sleeper berth pilot program is designed to test the effects of being able
to stop that 14-hour clock, break up your sleeper berth in say, a 5/5 split or a
6/4 split, but take four hours off, allowing you to stop that clock. And once
that four hours are up, you get up and start driving again and that clock starts
ticking again. Flexibility will allow you to break up your workday so you can
get sleep when you feel tired.
“As an example, if you’re a driver and you’re going through Chicago at rush
hour, do you really want to battle Chicago traffic or do you want to be able to
shut down your truck outside Chicago, evade that traffic for four hours, wake
up and get back on the road and start driving? You don’t even have to worry
about bumper-to-bumper traffic for four hours. You have smooth sailing and
can continue on your way. These are operational efficiencies and that’s what
flexibility provides you, not to mention the ability to increase productivity.
“With the pilot program, which we hope would eventually lead to a
regulatory change to Hours of Service, the incorporation of the split sleeper
berth to stop that 14-hour clock would encourage drivers to stop, and then get
farther on their way without getting stuck in that bumper-to-bumper traffic.
You could stop outside Chicago at 3 o’clock, rest until 7 o’clock, and then
start on your way again. That way, you’re going to make it through a heck of a
lot easier than you are from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Can you think of the productivity
gains just by the ability to do that?
“They haven’t started the pilot, yet. The comment period ended August 7
and I imagine they’re still reviewing the comments. There’s a website called
sleeperberthstudy.com that the agency has and it’s password protected, right
now. But the website is active. It’s waiting to be turned on once they review
all the comments and start recruiting drivers to take part in that study.”
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) have made it clear that a driver who is
required to use an ELog, and is found not using one during an inspection
as of the mandate deadline of December 18, 2017, will be considered in
violation of the Hours of Service regulations as having “No Record of Duty
Status.” A paper log will not be acceptable as a means of showing their
hours of service.
In a recent letter to the FMCSA, CVSA stated that April 1, 2018 is the
deadline to begin applying the out-of-service criteria (OOSC) associated
with the ELD rules. This will allow an adjustment period for the motor
carrier industry, shippers, and the roadside enforcement community
before vehicles are placed out of service for ELD violations.
So, what does this mean? “No Record of Duty Status” means the
same as it always has. The driver will:
• Receive a violation on the roadside inspection report for not having a log
• Be placed out of service if the inspection is taking place after April 1, 2018
• Be fined per the applicable state’s fine schedule for not having a required
ELog beginning December 18, 2017
The delayed ELD OOSC does not mean that motor carriers will get a pass
on the mandate or other Hours of Service violations. CVSA’s policy is only
delaying OOS orders — ELD violations will be noted on roadside inspection
reports, and the potential for fines and penalties still exists. In addition,
drivers may be placed out of service for other HOS violations.
Note that any ELD violation appearing on a roadside inspection report
— even those issued before April 2018 — will be used by FMCSA in its
calculation of a motor carrier’s Hours of Service score under the
CSA program. As far as the carrier is concerned, the violations will
accumulate in the Hours-of-Service BASIC until the BASIC score is over
the threshold.
According to 2016 roadside inspection data, 90% of drivers cited for
“No Record of Duty Status” were put out of service in 2016. In other words,
carriers who fail to implement ELogs by the mandate deadline won’t face
favorable odds.
Don’t take the risk.
For more ELD related articles, visit ELDGuidance.com.
To learn about the J. J. Keller® Encompass® Fleet
Management System with ELogs, see the ad in this
publication or visit JJKeller.com/Elogs.
Fleet Management System
with ELogs
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 13

Weigh.
Pay.
Get
Going.
Find out more about
how this app can
revolutionize
how your drivers weigh.
1-877-CAT-SCALE (228-7225)
catscale.com | weighmytruck.com
Now accepting:
Time is money, and
CAT Scale’s Weigh My
Truck app is the fastest
way to weigh. It’s a game
changer that streamlines
the weighing process,
payment, and provides
valuable back end data
for fleets.
IT’S THE FASTEST WAY
TO WEIGH!
ELECTRONIC
LOGGING DEVICES
“There are certain segments of the industry that won’t give up on ELDs
and it’s extremely frustrating, to say the least. One of the things they [ELD
opponents] haven’t acknowledged is what we can get by installing ELDs.
With ELDs we can move the needle on such issues as truck parking, detention
time, productivity. We can start doing some really good things with ELD
data, things that are important to even the opponents.
“I would say the majority of our membership is compliant and the rest of
the industry is playing catchup.
“First and foremost, the concern is the proposed delay [of mandating
ELDs], because those who propose a delay say they want to give the industry
time to catch up. Remember, there are some shippers out there who don’t
even want to go down that ELD road and they’re still hiring carriers based on
the fact that they don’t have ELDs. That speaks to parts of the industry that
we want to put behind us in the rearview mirror because ELDs are the future
and the future is here.
“Secondly, the stories are no longer that of the driver opposing ELDs,
but are the stories of the driver accepting ELDs to the point that they wish
they’d had them earlier. Those are the stories I’m starting to hear, the driver
… getting behind the wheel and realizing this is a heck of a lot easier than
putting pen to paper. Prior to ELDs becoming a compliance tool, drivers got
to try them out and basically said, ‘Hey, where have these things been all my
life?’ because it made their lives easier.
“Of course, there’s also concern about the delay and people not being
put out-of-service. The out-of-service issue and delay that the Commercial
Vehicle Safety Alliance put forth is a little bit concerning because there was
talk about a soft enforcement. But let’s face facts, there’s nothing soft about
it. So, citations will still be issued and they can be accompanied by some fines
upwards of almost $1,200 per instance. I wouldn’t want to be one of those
drivers who’s caught without one.
“Regarding the fact that they’re arguing over the price of ELDs, the drivers
who protested at Washington earlier this month probably spent more in fuel
to come protest the ELDs than they would have spent putting an actual ELD
in their trucks.
“And why are they doing this? Not because they have an ELD problem;
they have an HOS problem. Let’s go full circle here. What does indeed help
those who have a problem with ELDs? It’s not the ELDs but the ability to
stop that 14-hour clock. If you can stop the clock you can virtually guarantee
a lot of these people protesting ELDs might not be doing so. And if they were
doing so, they’re only doing it in a manner which would allow them to cheat.
“And I can’t advocate cheating. I can’t win a single vote in D.C. by
advocating noncompliance. If we’re operating under a regulation that doesn’t
make good operational sense like that 14-hour clock issue, we’re happy to
speak up and talk about it, but we can’t advocate noncompliance of it.
“So the ELD mandate is coming and if you don’t have a solution in place
right now you should have been actively looking for one months ago.”
14 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org

Sponsored by
FALL | TCA 2017
Tracking The Trends
Road to Autonomy
The Drive for Safety Not Only
Comes First — It Came First
By Klint Lowry
Over the past few years, as the drumbeat has grown louder and more
insistent on the inexorable march toward autonomous vehicles (AVs), a
chorus has relentlessly chanted along to the quickening rhythm: “Safety,
safety, safety, safety… .”
You would almost think that the push to develop autonomous
vehicles was instigated like John Kennedy’s challenge to NASA in the
1960s to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Only this
mandate was set forth out of a singular goal to create vehicles that would
eliminate all danger from road travel as quickly as we can.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s updated
summary on the progress of AV-related technology is titled, “Automated
Driving Systems (ADS): A Vision for Safety 2.0,” seeming to convey a sense
of some monolithic project designed to remove the human element
from the driving equation.
The report opens by making the case for autonomy through statistics:
30,000 Americans killed in traffic accidents each year. Pair that with the
estimate that 94 percent of vehicular accidents are somehow attributable
to the drivers involved — due to drowsiness, intoxication, distraction or
some other human failing — and the implication is clear.
“I think there’s a universal belief that a lot of accidents are because of
human error. The belief is that automated systems have the capability of
reducing this,” said Fred Andersky, who as director of customer solutions,
marketing and government affairs for Bendix Commercial Vehicle
Systems is among the leaders in safety-related technology.
So is Jon Morrison, president of the Americas for Wabco, who explains
that AV technology, even the concept of automated vehicles, is not a
singular venture but the sum of many parts, each of which began as a
tool to help human drivers drive more safely.
“It’s a building-block approach,” Morrison said. “The things that have
come in to improve the functionality of the vehicle, and help the driver,
things like ABS antilock braking, things like stability control, which is now
mandated in North America for many classes and sizes, they’re moving
from more passive systems to active systems, which means they’re not
just warning or alerting, but they are actually intervening for the driver.
And we’re always very careful that we can re-engage the driver, but at the
end of the day, they are providing some level of automatic intervention.”
Small steps, giant leaps
for driver-kind
When Kennedy gave NASA its marching orders, the agency didn’t try
to build a moon rocket on day one. There were six Mercury missions,
followed by 12 Gemini missions and then four manned Apollo flights,
each bringing the space program one step closer before the mission in
which Neil Armstrong put his footprint in the lunar dust. Despite claims
that make it sound like driverless vehicles will be here any day now,
progress toward AVs continues in measured steps.
The NHTSA’s Vision for Safety 2.0 illustrates the building-block nature
of what will eventually be autonomous vehicle technology. The report
contains a description of the six levels of vehicle autonomy established
by the Society of Automotive Engineers International.
The first stage, designated Level 0, is where the driver is in complete
control of the vehicle at all times.
At Level 1, the vehicle provides some level of assistance in steering,
and with braking or accelerating. At Level 2, the vehicle can briefly take
over steering, braking, or acceleration control, but the driver is still fully
engaged at all times.
The tipping point, Andersky said, between driver assistance and driver
replacement begins somewhere between levels 2 and 3. At Level 3, the
vehicle can take over driving duties under limited conditions called an
operational design domain.
“Say your system’s operational design domain is sunny days on
freeways,” Andersky said. “The truck can be fully autonomous on sunny
days on freeways.” But the driver must be ready to take over at any other
time, sometimes at a moment’s notice.
At Level 4, the vehicle can handle most driving conditions on its own
with only occasional driver participation. Level 5 is when the vehicle can
fully drive itself in all conditions.
“Only Level 5 is the true autonomous driving people think of when
they hear the phrase,” Andersky said.
Going by the SAE scale, Morrison and Andersky put the current state
of AV technology at a soft Level 2. There are many driver-assist systems
today: adaptive cruise control; adaptive lighting; front, rear, and pedestrian
emergency braking; electronic stability control; blind spot detection;
forward collision warning; lane departure warning; rearview video; rear
cross traffic alert; lane centering and lane keeping assist.
Some of these are beginning to operate in tandem, and some are
starting to do some of the work themselves. Take, for example, Wabco’s
recently unveiled OnLaneASSIST, which uses input from a lane departure
warning camera to activate a steering command.
“In the past, if your truck was going out of lane it might give you a
warning, a beep, something like that,” Morrison said. “Now we can actually
take that video input and translate that into a steering command that
actually intervenes for the driver and corrects, while at the same time the
driver can re-engage at any time.”
These kinds of innovations improve those individual systems and overall
safety, but they still leave the state of AVs, a long way from Level 3.
“Getting to that level is going to be very challenging because there are
many things that have to come together to help ensure the system is going
to do what it’s supposed to when it’s supposed to do it,” Andersky said.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 15

SPONSORED BY SKYBITZ
SKYBITZ.COM | 866.922.4708
While the technological goals are shifting to make that jump from
assistive to active technology, another shift is taking place. Emerging
technology once drove the dream of autonomous vehicles; now the
dream is in some part driving the development of the technology.
“As we look at systems we look at solving a particular problem, but
we also look at how can we expand that to be able to solve additional
problems either in the near or far future,” Andersky said. “You can see these
things coming together.”
Morrison concurred. As much as they will focus on improving any one
system, “at the same time we’re trying to improve the interaction and
the cooperation between the systems to enhance the overall vehicle
functionality on a 360-degree basis.”
Bringing it all together
While progress continues on AV technology within vehicles, another
area that will need a great deal of focus to get to Level 3 and on to the
ultimate goal of fully self-driving vehicles is connectivity between vehicles
and between vehicles and the infrastructure.
AVs will have to possess algorithms that not only allow the onboard
computer to assimilate sensor input and act accordingly in the moment,
but to learn from their experiences, not unlike the way human drivers do.
As AVs communicate with one another on the road, they will also share
their experiences, educating one another.
At least as important as vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, vehicle-toinfrastructure
connectivity still needs to be greatly enhanced.
“One of the things we need is for the system to be able to see the lines in
the road,” Andersky said. Cameras and sensors can do the trick now under
ideal conditions, but true AVs have to be able to perform in all conditions.
“What if there’s a detour and a truck has to come off the main highway?”
Andersky said. There are a lot of poorly maintained roads out there. “If you
can’t see the line in the road, there has to be something in the road that
transmits to the vehicle, ‘hey, I’m the line.’”
That data transmission will have to be reliable in all conditions. This isn’t
the sort of thing where 80-percent efficiency will do, Andersky said.
“There is a lot of infrastructure out there that needs to be adapted before
the technology can work everywhere.”
Driver-assisted and still
people-driven
The technology will progress, Andersky said. That’s just a matter of time.
“But there has to be consideration given to what we call around Bendix,
‘the automated and autonomous vehicle ecosystem.’”
Legislation, regulations, public fear and skepticism, reluctance and
skepticism by businesses, concerns about jobs and the environment — all
of these can slow the adoption of new technology.
“We do have to win the hearts and minds of truck drivers, and of the
general public who occupy the same roads,” Morrison said. “That is why
we focus on the building blocks. As these systems prove themselves,
public confidence will grow.”
For the trucking industry, viable AV technology offers exciting
possibilities, but also raises concerns. As is almost always the case in
business, the bottom line is the bottom line.
“You and I might buy a vehicle that has nifty technology on it just
because we think it’s cool,” Andersky said. “But fleets have to look at it
from ‘is this going to help my bottom line?’ If it isn’t going to show a
return within 18-24 months, they’re not going to buy it.”
When self-driving truck startup Otto ran a truckload of Budweiser
for 120 miles almost entirely without a driver, it got a lot of attention,
Andersky said. But then companies looked at it and thought, “Wait,
they have this system that costs tens of thousands of dollars, but they
still had to have a driver on board?”
“All businesses weigh the investments they make, enabling return on
investment, enabling competitiveness,” Morrison said.
A concept like platooning, which is made possible by the adoption
of AV technology, comes with a long list of economic, logistical and
environmental benefits that easily justify the cost of the technology.
But when a single piece of technology is introduced or improved, the
question is always, is it worth it? Usually, Morrison said, all it takes is a little
time for the systems to prove themselves.
A good example of that is stability control, Morrison said. Until it was
mandated, only about 30 to 40 percent of trucks had it. But once everyone
had it and fewer trucks were rolling over, it proved its value.
From Morrison’s perspective, just as AV technology is coming along
incrementally, so will appreciation for it. “I think that’s something we need
to call attention to,” he said. “You don’t have to wait for the ‘big bang.’ There
is tremendous benefit from each one of these things.”
Morrison believes the underpinnings will be there by the end of the
decade to start making serious strides to reach Level 3 on the SAE scale.
But along with it, he said, “there are a lot of infrastructure and legislative
and regulatory types of things that have to change along with this path to
automation in order to facilitate it.”
Morrison and Andersky agree that there is a need for more education
about AV technology, for both lawmakers and the general public, to help
allay their fears and give them a more realistic idea of where the technology
is and what it can and cannot do.
One of the most common fears out there is whether the technology can
be trusted. For all the bold claims among companies jockeying to get the
pole position in the race to autonomy about just how close they are to
perfecting AVs, Morrison thinks more needs to be said about the rigorous
testing that is part of the development process.
“In fact, there’s a certain level of testing we have before we can even take
a vehicle out on a highway,” he said. “There’s an enthusiasm about what’s
possible, which I think is fantastic, and then there’s a pace by which we can
ensure and maintain the rigor, and I think those two work together.”
On the other hand, Andersky thinks it’s important to make sure people
aren’t overconfident in the technology, given the rhetoric that paints the
new technology as a panacea for road mishaps. You may have electronic
stability control, he said, but if you hit a curve that has a 25-mph speed limit
and you’re doing 60, you’re going to flip that truck.
The other big fear in the trucking industry is that AVs will put drivers out
of work. Neither Morrison nor Andersky think any truck driver is in danger
of losing their job to their truck anytime soon.
“I don’t want to sound like the Luddite in the room,” Andersky said, “but
I think there’s a lot of great things that are going to come down the pike in
terms of these automated systems that are going to be able to help both
the consumer and professional driver and the regular drivers out on the
road. But it will be a while before we see driverless vehicles.”
If anything, as more innovations are introduced, reducing the load on
drivers’ bodies and nerves, the technology may well extend a lot of careers.
There’s still a long road ahead before fully autonomous trucks are plying
our highways. So just kick back and enjoy the ride.
Not literally, we’re not quite there yet.
16 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

Request a demo and free quote.
SkyBitz.com/MVT
888-698-1733
Real-Time Insights
for Time Sensitive Service
Asset utilization, billing opportunities, driver safety,
and security have all increased as a result of the realtime
reporting offered by SkyBitz. MVT updated its
entire fleet with the latest SkyBitz technology without
any upfront costs, via SkyBitz as a Service.
“We rely on SkyBitz to provide complete visibility
of our trailers in real-time, which allows our
customers to be confident that their shipments
will arrive on schedule. SkyBitz continues to
offer the best solution for our growing needs
and the best value for our investment.”
Royal Jones,
Co-founder, CEO and President
SkyBitz Customer Since 1999

SPONSORED BY SKYBITZ
SKYBITZ.COM | 866.922.4708
Truckload Turnover:
Hire by a Mile By Cliff Abbott
Every carrier out there is looking for drivers. Drivers and other interested parties are routinely
bombarded with news about the “driver shortage” and the consequences the trucking
industry will face if it doesn’t figure out how to bring in more people to drive their trucks. According
to American Trucking Associations (ATA) Chief Economist Bob Costello, “After a period
of relatively low turnover, it appears the driver market is tightening again, which coupled with
increased demand for freight movement, could rapidly exacerbate the driver shortage.”
ATA announced that the historically low 74 percent turnover rate that truckload carriers experienced
in the first quarter jumped by 16 points to 90 percent in the second. On its simplest
terms, it means that a carrier with 100 trucks will need to replace nine out of every 10 drivers
each year just to remain the same size.
But it’s not quite that simple, according to the recent “Trends in Truckload Recruitment and
Retention Survey” published by Driver iQ (driveriq.com), a consumer reporting agency that
provides background screening and monitoring services to the trucking industry. That’s because
drivers rarely leave on their employment anniversary. Whether they’ve made the decision
to terminate employment (voluntary) or the carrier has (involuntary), the average length
of time spent at the carrier plays a role.
According to the Driver iQ report, 54 percent of driver records stored with the company were
with the carrier for less than six months, and 71 percent didn’t last a full year.
While the industry has celebrated the low turnover rate of the first quarter, it’s worth
taking a look at other industries to see how well they retain their employees. The Driver
iQ survey cited 2016 data from Compdata (compdatasurveys.com) that showed the
turnover average for all industries was 17.8 percent.
The voluntary turnover rate for the same
period was 12.8 percent. That historically low
74 percent turnover rate in trucking is nearly six
times higher than the average for all industries.
In large part, trucking’s recruiting problem is
fueled, the Driver iQ survey concludes, by trucking’s
retention problem.
Respondents to the survey, mostly recruiting
professionals, disagreed when asked, “Who owns retention?” About 7 percent thought
it’s “Driver Retention Specialists,” while 10 percent said “Recruiting.” Then 17 percent
pointed to “Human Resources” while 27 percent said “Operations” and 33 percent chose
“Other,” and 5 percent didn’t know. Incredibly, only 1 percent chose the “Driver’s Direct
Supervisor” as the retention owner.
While some may find surveys to be helpful when addressing driver retention and turnover,
more effective leaders lean toward the data. Unfortunately, leaders don’t always
agree on which data to use and what the numbers mean.
There are multiple ways to calculate turnover, and not everyone agrees on the best method.
The most common method is to divide the number of terminated drivers into the fleet size.
Starting with the fleet size at the beginning of the year will work, but you’ll need to wait until
a year has passed to plug in the termination numbers, and that isn’t very useful.
It’s better to annualize turnover numbers and to use average fleet size rather than a set
number to start the period. Ten terminations in February might look exactly like 10 terminations
in August, if both are based on the fleet size of 100 the year started with. Both months would
reflect a turnover rate of 10 percent. If, however, the carrier added 20 tractors in July and hired
new drivers for them, 10 terminations in August would result in a monthly turnover rate of 8.3
percent (10 / 120), an improvement from 10.0 percent (10 / 100) in February.
Annualize termination numbers by adding the terminations for each month and dividing
the total by the number of months, then multiplying the average by 12.
Average fleet size can be annualized using the same method, by adding the fleet size at
a given point each month, for example, the first, then dividing by the number of months to
get the monthly average. Multiply that number by 12.
Divide the terminations by the average fleet size to calculate annual turnover.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has a spreadsheet with formulas
inserted that will help calculate monthly, quarterly and annual turnover. You can find it at: shrm.
org/ResourcesAndTools/tools-and-samples/Documents/Turnover%20Calculation.xls.
However they are calculated, turnover rates only tell a part of the story. Retention rates
can be calculated in much the same way as turnover rates, but they can be deceiving. A
company, for example, could have excellent retention but still have a poor turnover
rate. Consider, for example, a company with 100 drivers that lost five of them, but the
replacements they hired only stayed a month before leaving. Month after month, the carrier
hired five new drivers, only to see them leave within 30 days.
At the end of the year, that carrier would have filled those same five positions 12 times
each for a total of 60 hires. Assuming that the five hired most recently are still employed,
there were also 60 terminations, the original five plus 55 of the new hires that left already.
The turnover rate, 60 terminations divided by 100 fleet positions, would be 60 percent.
At the other extreme, maybe that 100-driver carrier lost 60 of its most experienced
drivers, replacing each with a new hire. The turnover rate here would also be 60 percent.
It’s important that the carrier understands what the numbers mean so that successful
planning can occur. Should the company plan (and budget) to hire 60 new drivers in the
upcoming year? Or, should that expense, effort and energy be put into keeping experienced
drivers? In reality, it’s always a combination of both, but the turnover rate only provides part
of the information needed.
While the Driver iQ survey respondents who chose “Other” mostly indicated that retention
is everyone’s job, the survey observes that assuming that everyone is responsible
might lead to the assumption that someone else will take the action necessary to improve
retention rates. The survey notes, “The end result may be that everyone is going to
make the same assumption and no one will
actually do anything to stem the departure.”
That’s where statistics other than turnover
rates can be helpful.
A statistic that many carriers find useful is
driver tenure. Automated payroll or personnel
management systems should easily be able
to report the number of months each current
employee has been employed. By comparing
this number month-to-month, a telling pattern can be seen. If the average driver tenure
is declining while the turnover rate remains constant, the carrier is losing older, more
experienced drivers. This could mean that long-term drivers are leaving for better pay,
home time or other advantages they see at competing carriers. If the average Driver Tenure
is increasing, it can indicate that newer drivers aren’t staying. This could point to issues
with recruiting and onboarding new drivers, from orientation or training issues to initial
equipment assignment to how new drivers are managed and dispatched.
Another way to use Driver Tenure is to count the months each terminated employee
stayed, possibly tracking those that were terminated voluntarily or involuntarily separately.
If the numbers show a trend, for example, an inordinate number of drivers who left did so
at around the six-month mark, it may be possible to find a corresponding reason. Perhaps a
competitor offer a higher pay rate at that experience level.
It’s undeniable that a carrier’s recruiting department has a huge impact on driver
retention. Recruiting and operations must work closely to make sure recruiters are
presenting applicants with realistic expectations. If recruiting is promising more than
operations can deliver, i.e., new tractors for all, unrealistic bonus potential or inaccurate
descriptions of running areas, new drivers will disillusioned, and most won’t stay long.
The recruiting impact wears off quickly, however. After the first 60 to 90 days, new drivers
aren’t comparing daily occurrences against recruiter promises, and begin looking exclusively
at operations as the source of their happiness or woe, whichever is the case at the moment.
The Driver iQ survey also pointed out a correlation between hire sources and retention.
When asked which source has the best retention after two years, the top answer was employees
that are referred by others, followed closely by those that are rehired. About twothirds
of respondents chose the top two categories. About 18 percent chose job boards.
That’s not surprising, since drivers who look for jobs on websites that promise to distribute
their application to multiple companies may not have superior records for longevity.
The inaugural Driver iQ survey in July was the first, to be repeated quarterly.
A statistic that many carriers find useful is
driver tenure. If the average driver tenure
is declining while the turnover rate remains
constant, the carrier is losing older, more
experienced drivers.
18 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

W i t h R a n d i H u t c h i n s o n
regulatory eye
“When
you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you. ”
Whether or not 12-year-old Randi Fredholm
(now Hutchinson) was thinking specifically about
these words from the song for Walt Disney’s 1940
adaptation of “Pinocchio,” she’s had one wish
from her pre-teens until the present: to work in
Washington, D.C.
“I have known since I was 12 years old that I
was coming to Washington,” said Hutchinson,
who was confirmed as chief counsel of the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration May
14, and consequently became the traffic cop of
federal commercial motor vehicle regulations.
Most of the time, a 12-year-old hasn’t a clue
about a career, or it changes from day to day,
even minute by minute. But Hutchinson was
certain — and she made good on her wish.
“We had a paper that was given to us in eighth
grade because they wanted us to think about
courses that we were going to take in high school,
and we were asked what we wanted to be, No. 1
and No. 2, and my No. 1 thing that I wrote down
was to work for the government,” she said in a
recent interview with Truckload Authority.
Her No. 2 choice — and a serious one at that —
was to become a model.
“Actually, in my junior year of high school I
put myself through modeling school but realized
I was several inches too short to be a model,” she
said.
Hutchinson was born in Brooklyn, New York,
the daughter of Charlie and Alice Fredholm.
Her father was a carpet installer who owned
a carpet installation business along with his
brother, and her mother was a homemaker.
Hutchinson spent her childhood years in
Brooklyn (the city), and her high school years in
East Hanover, New Jersey (the suburbs).
She enjoyed the diversity of the two locations.
“The city was very different from the suburbs
and I appreciated that,” she said, “moreso, the
older I got and was away from it. It was a difficult
adjustment at first for me. You certainly are
exposed to a lot more things at a younger age in
the city, and a much wider diversity of people
than you are in the suburbs.”
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 19

ought to you by The trucker news organization
get your daily industry news at thetrucker.com
Randi, third from
left, with (left to right)
her grandmother, brother
Andrew, her mother holding
brother Chris, and her
grandfather
Hutchinson at age 2
“When I
talk to people about
my job, I tell them
that I work for the
agency that keeps
America’s economy
running.”
In Brooklyn, where she felt a “sense of community,”
Hutchinson fondly recalls the closeness of the
neighborhood, especially playing “stoopball” at which
she was “very good.”
“When I was growing up in the summertime when
school was out, the parents would all take turns different
nights when we were out after dinner,” Hutchinson
said. “They would all gather together on one stoop or
the other, and then as the ice cream truck would come
around, the fathers would take turns treating all the
neighborhood kids to ice cream. And you just don’t have
that proximity in the suburbs.”
Her favorite ice cream?
“Toasted almond.”
Growing up, she ran track, got into archery and
learned to play the piano.
Although her schedule is tight, she still enjoys playing
piano although admits she was much better at the
keyboard in high school when she was able to practice on
a regular basis.
She was also in different choral groups at her church.
Her fascination with Washington began as the country
geared up to celebrate its 200th birthday in 1976.
“It was a very exciting time in our country, and I had
a real interest in history,” Hutchinson recalled. “I was
struck by what our country was and what it represents
and all that it had accomplished and what it means, and
still means today, to the world. And I knew that I wanted
to be a part of helping my country as we went forward
into the next 200 years of our history.”
That turned out to be the impetus that drew her into
politics and history.
She followed Jimmy Carter’s campaign in 1976 and in
1980 she volunteered to work in his re-election campaign
and was also a volunteer at the Democratic National
Convention in New York.
She calls Carter “one of the most decent human beings
that has ever sat in the office of the presidency.”
Hutchinson attended Gordon College in Wenham,
Massachusetts, where she received her undergraduate
degree in political science and history, and where she
continued to become involved in politics.
It took her five-and-a-half years to earn her degree
because she kept taking time off to work in “co-ops” or
internships.
Her freshman year she
was vice president of the
freshman class; her sophomore
year she was president of her class;
and in her junior year she was class
treasurer.
She ran her own campaigns and helped
fellow students with theirs.
Upon graduation, she headed to Washington to
fulfill her dream.
“I came down to Washington because one of the
things I had done in my senior year in 1984 was I took
nine months and came to Washington and did a co-op
with the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee,” she said.
She already had connections in Washington because
the sister and brother-in-law of the Gordon College dean
lived in D.C.
She took that opportunity to pass out her resumé and
landed a job on the committee.
Her first major foray into transportation came
when she went to work for Arkansas Rep. John Paul
Hammerschmidt, a Republican who served 13 terms in a
state that was heavily Democratic at the time.
(Ironically, Hammerschmidt was succeeded in 1993 by
Tim Hutchinson, who Randi married in 2000.)
Being the dutiful person she was and still is,
Hutchinson went to the Library of Congress the night
before her interview, pulled out an encyclopedia
and looked up Arkansas “so that I would have some
knowledge and some insight and be able to talk about the
state a little bit before I went in for my interview.”
“I thought Arkansas was fascinating,” she said. “I
think part of the problem we have in this country today
is that we don’t get around enough. We don’t explore.
We have a big country out there with people with a lot of
different experiences and a lot of different upbringings
and it was, and has been, a wonderful experience to call
Arkansas my second home.”
Hutchinson quickly learned of the respect Arkansas
and the rest of the country had for Hammerschmidt.
“He lived and breathed Arkansas and he lived and
breathed transportation,” she said. “I feel so fortunate
20 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

your
drivers
r ead
the trucker
newspaper
shOuldn’t yOu?
On news stands natiOnwide.
FOr subscriptiOns Or tO advertise
call (800) 666-2770.
OFFicial partner OF trucklOad authOrity
Get your truckinG news everyday at t het rucker.com

ought to you by The trucker news organization
get your daily industry news at thetrucker.com
to have been his legislative director because I learned about every mode of transportation in this
country and I learned the difference between the needs of the urban areas and the rural areas.”
She also found out quickly that Arkansas was the “cradle of trucking companies,” among them
J.B. Hunt, Tyson Foods, Walmart Transportation, Maverick and CalArk International.
“Arkansas grows trucks like other states grow crops,” she said with a chuckle.
After working on Capitol Hill for 11 years, Hutchinson chose Arkansas to begin the next step in
her professional career.
“I had been working in Arkansans for quite a while and had been down to Arkansas quite a few
times,” she said, “and I wanted to get additional education. I felt that a law degree was one of the
most versatile and best degrees to get for an advanced degree. As I looked around and considered
different options, what is now the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock was really a very
attractive option. Little Rock is a very easy city to live in. You can get around it very easily, the cost
of living is reasonable, and, quite frankly, the cost of going to law school there was very reasonable.
So that played very much into my decision and again I knew Arkansas and knew a lot of people
there. When I came down and was looking around I stayed with friends there, so it was in many
ways a very natural fit for me to go to law school in Little Rock.”
Once she earned her law degree, she headed back to Washington and was working at Greenberg
Traurig [where she was senior director beginning in March 2016], when the opportunity to join
FMCSA presented itself.
When Donald J. Trump won the election, it was a great surprise for many, including many of
those who voted for him, Hutchinson said.
She and her husband then had a conversation, the gist of it being that unlike previous
presidents, Trump wasn’t a career politician and didn’t have a cadre of staff to bring with him to
Washington.
“As my husband and I talked about it, we decided we were in a position financially at this point
in our lives where I could leave the private sector and go back to the public sector and help our
president and serve my country directly,” Hutchinson said.
So, like many others seeking political appointment, she started to make her interest known.
“These political appointments are a very interesting process because they start first with a
meritocracy. You have to be qualified for the job,” Hutchinson said. “That’s the baseline.
And then, beyond that, in some ways you run a campaign to let people know you’re
interested, to have people speak up on your behalf. I had quite a few members of
the Congress reach out to both the White House and what was then Secretarydesignate
Elaine Chao, to indicate their support for me and encourage the
administration to hire me.”
Her first reaction after joining FMCSA?
Do these people ever sleep? she wondered.
“There’s a lot of work that goes on here, a lot of hours. I
was delighted to come to this agency, in no small part because
of my experience with the trucking industry in Arkansas. I had
a friend today refer to Arkansas as ‘the cradle of trucking,’ and
it really is. And, you know, I had the opportunity to work with
quite a few trucking companies in Arkansas over the years. I’ve
been in most of the headquarters of those companies, and I just
saw it as an incredible opportunity to take those things that I
had learned working with the Arkansas trucking industry and
… be able to try to help the industry nationwide.
“I tell people 70 percent of our domestic freight travels by
truck. And so, when I talk to people about my job, I tell them
that I work for the agency that keeps America’s economy
running. And I do, because when you are responsible for
overseeing and ensuring the safe travel of 70 percent of
America’s domestic freight, you’d better get it right or you’re
going to have a huge impact on the American economy.”
Hutchinson’s is a gargantuan task because just about
everything in the agency, in some shape or form, crosses
her desk, whether it’s letters responding to inquiries from
Congress, whether it’s rules, whether it’s policy, or whether it’s
requests that come from the secretary’s office.
It’s her responsibility to make sure regulations meet the
three-point test.
“When Congress passes a law, the only standard they have
to be sure that they meet is that that law is constitutional,” she
said. “We have a much, much higher standard in the agencies,
in the executive branch as a whole. We have to be able to show
that there is actual data, that there is a cost-benefit analysis that
has been done, that there’s an actual need for this. And if we
don’t do that and end up in court, the court will likely rule that
the regulation was arbitrary and capricious and will strike it
down. So, there’s a much higher standard that we have to meet
here, legally, in order to have a rule and regulation that passes
muster.”
Hutchinson said she has three questions that she asks of any
policy or rule that comes across her desk.
The first question is this: Is there a problem?
“Now, that may sound like an obvious question, but I think
we have all had enough experience with government, and that
was certainly my experience up on The Hill more times than
I like to admit, that we had a solution in search of a problem,”
she said.
The second question she asks is whether the rule or
regulation addresses the problem, and if not, why not?
And the third question is if there is a rational cost-benefit
ratio between the problem and the solution.
“I need to get affirmative answers to all three of those
questions. And if not, it’s very difficult for me to sign off on
those things and let them move forward,” she said. “Now, I
will frequently request a briefing if we’ve got a major rule going
forward, where I will have the attorneys and the subject matter
experts from the program offices come in and brief me on it
so that I can ask them questions and understand it better. And
sometimes I’ll make suggestions — well, frequently, I will make
suggestions on how we might be able to tweak it or make it
better. Or sometimes I’ll just say — and this doesn’t happen that
often — but there are times where I have said, ‘I have a real
problem with this. I don’t think this does what we need it
to do’ or ‘it’s too burdensome and it doesn’t address
the problem. Let’s see if we can find another way
to do this.’”
Hutchinson explained two oft-heard
consumer complaints about the agency’s
rulemaking process — time and
litigation.
Randi Hutchinson, center, met with the National School Transportation Association’s former
Executive Director Ronna Weber, left, and NSTA lobbyist Becky Weber to discuss their regulatory reform agenda.
22 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

“With rulemaking, similar to legislation, any time you put something out there, you
find frequently 20 different viewpoints on something. Our democracy is set up so people
can have their voice, and so, you have to give time to have a proposal drafted. You have to
give time for people to submit their comments. Then you have to have time for the agency
to sift through those comments. One of the things I was very pleasantly surprised at when
I got here was that … the comments are taken very seriously. They tabulate them, they
know how many people felt a certain way and maybe how many people were opposed
to it. Comments are very, very important in the regulatory process. And I’m not sure the
American public has a deep appreciation for how important they are” in the process.
Communication is the one word that is key to breaking down the barrier between
consumers and government, she said.
“I am so burdened that there are so many Americans who feel like they are
disconnected from their government. Because the American people, we are the
government. I tell people my door is always open. And I preach to my colleagues every
day that ‘you cannot regulate people that you do not talk to.’ You need their insight,
you need their expertise. They are the ones that have to deal day in, day out, with the
regulations that we have put on them from this agency. And we need to listen to them.
What works? What doesn’t work? What needs to be changed? We need to be willing to
listen, to be nimble, to make changes as necessary, and to make people know that there is
always an open door here. And that’s certainly something I have tried to let people know
in the five and a half months that I have been here. And I use these very words. I say that
I have an open-door policy, that if you have a thing that you want to come and talk about
with our agency, I want you to come in. I take a very collaborative approach to my job,
both in working with my colleagues in the different program offices in this agency, and
with our stakeholders. We have a lot that we can learn from each other, and I think we
operate much better when we operate collaboratively.”
As for the fact that some of the agency’s rulemakings have been litigated in court,
America is a litigious society, she said, and it’s certainly the right of every citizen to litigate.
She calls it one of the ways Americans can make their feelings known, just as she sums
up her feelings about what lies ahead as she continues to fulfill her heart’s desire to work
in Washington.
“You know, I have to say when you have a passion and you know what you want
to do and you find it, that one person really can make a difference — you can make a
contribution, and I think that’s what keeps me going.”
Randi Hutchinson listens to questions from attendees
at the Transportation Intermediaries Association 3PL
Policy meeting.
“When you are responsible
for overseeing and ensuring the safe
travel of 70 percent of America’s
domestic freight, you’d better get
it right or you’re going to have
a huge impact on the American
economy.”
Knowledge is Power
Not All Trucking Companies Are Alike
Trucking is all we do. When you choose Great West to insure your trucking business, you are
getting over 60 years of experience in the trucking industry.
Our agents work with you. Not every insurance agent can represent Great West. With a keen
focus on the trucking industry, our agents are knowledgeable, dependable, and responsive.
They understand your needs and work with you to match the right coverage and level of service
for your trucking operation.
Do one thing, and do it right. Our agents can guide you through the process and customize
a plan to provide you the broadest protection possible. You can also feel confident knowing that
our agents’ service begins, not ends, with the issuance of your policy.
Great West Casualty Company – No matter where the road takes you, you will discover that at
Great West, The Difference is Service ® .
800.228.8602
gwccnet.com
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 23

FALL | TCA 2017
A Chat With The Chairman
24 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

Sponsored by
So Much to Do,
So Little Time
Foreword and Interview by lyndon finney
The past two months have been a busy time for the Truckload Carriers Association and Chairman
Rob Penner with planning meetings, the Call on Washington, the Fifth Annual Wreaths Across America
Charitable Gala and a successful beginning to the TCA Profitability Program. Between events, the Chairman
sat down with Truckload Authority to talk about the fast pace of the past eight weeks and what has
been accomplished during that time. And, he took time to reflect on industry issues such as ELDs, speed
limiters, sleep apnea testing and twin 33s. Lastly, the Chairman told us what he would say if granted a
meeting with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator designate Ray Martinez.

Sponsored by Mcleod software
McLeodSoftware.com | 877.362.5363
Mr. Chairman, when Truckload Carriers Association
members read this Chat, you will have
completed almost two-thirds of your term.
Share with the membership what you believe
are the major advancements you and your officers
have been able to achieve and what you
would still like to accomplish during the remaining
four months.
It has been a very busy time for TCA staff
and for me. Most, if not all, of the working
and planning conferences have taken place
and as is always the case, each of those
conferences require a lot of preparation
beforehand and they always result in followup
actions and activities that grow and
improve the association for our members. We
had our annual officers meeting in August,
and that session served as a pulse check on
where we are today and helped create the
map of where we are going. Benchmarking,
an important part of TCA’s Profitability
Program, has already expanded considerably.
We managed to get several more groups up
and running in short order after having been
stalled for several years. We have brought
Jim Schoonover in to oversee education and
TCA operations and he is working hard on
structure and content. We have formed an
advisory committee for our annual meetings’
content and are well on our way to delivering
our first real executive leadership track at
our AGM coming up in Orlando in March. We
have also committed to new technology to
help staff manage membership and improve
communications with our members. We got
our advocacy program launched and raised
over $100,000 on our first go-around,
allowing us to contract Missy Edwards and
Richard Sullivan to do some lobbying on our
behalf. So far so good. With all that said,
there is so much in front of us that I can
honestly say I don’t feel like I have gotten
nearly enough done. We have formed our
task force on creating our TCA position paper
and we need to get down to work in regard
to putting some definition, not only to the
charter, but to how we communicate, reach
out and share with our members and with
our elected officials. Getting this done is
important to me.
The association has just completed its first
Call on Washington where members met with
lawmakers and others to discuss issues of
importance to the trucking industry. Share
with readers the outcome of those meetings
and why it is so important for TCA to be actively
involved in government affairs.
When we first planned our inaugural Call
on Washington, we said the best timing was
attaching it to our fall board of directors
meetings and the Wreaths Across America
fundraiser. We planned for 20 members
and hoped for 25. I am extremely happy to
say we had over 30 members attend. The
meetings with our elected officials and their
staffers were extremely well orchestrated.
Our members were well prepared and we
delivered a clear and consistent message
on The Hill. As we debriefed during our
board of directors and committee sessions,
our members were all very pleased that
everyone knew who we were and had
a sense of what we were about, but we
also understand there is much left to do.
We talked about formalizing our issues
and positions and making sure we leave
something tangible for our elected officials
to refer back to that details more than just
our policy. Our meetings with the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration were
also great, and although we are not always
on the same page with how we go about
things, clearly we are on the same page
with our commitment to improving highway
safety and on working together. Lastly, I
had a meeting at the Canadian Embassy
in Washington and was thrilled to learn
the new guy on The Hill was well versed in
NAFTA and in the trucking issues we all face.
He will be a great ally as we work to improve
regulations and working relationships across
the board.
The Fifth Annual Wreaths Across America
Charitable Gala was held earlier this month
in conjunction with the Call on Washington,
an open house at TCA headquarters and
TCA membership committee meetings. By all
reports, the Gala, like those in past years, was
extremely successful. Share with us the highlights
of the Gala and why this has become
an integral part of the Wreaths Across America
campaign.
I have had the privilege of attending this
event four of the five times we have held it.
The highlight is always the same — seeing
a room filled with industry partners and
esteemed guests, all together for a common
purpose — to raise money for Wreaths Across
America. All money raised by selling tickets to
the dinner, the silent auctions and the private
donations go directly toward the purchase of
wreaths that will be laid on the headstones of
all of the great service men and women that
we have lost.
Why is it important for TCA members to become
involved in the effort to transport the
wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery
and other national cemeteries across the
country?
Let’s start with the simplest and most
obvious answer. It is the right thing to do!
We have been granted freedom and enjoy
a level of security most of the world will
never have. We owe it to those who have
served, and those who are still serving, to
show our appreciation and respect. This is
a great way to do just that. Our industry
is critically dependent on open borders
and security for our success. Our industry
employs a huge number of veterans and
virtually all of our families have members
who have served or who are serving.
The Wreaths Across America campaign
is the most prolific and successful image
campaign in our industry. Your people want
to be involved and they respect you for
allowing them the opportunity to be a part
of this great program. The appreciation that
everyone in your community demonstrates
toward you for participating is genuine
and sincere and, most important of all,
the families of those who have served,
who have also made huge sacrifices, gain
immeasurable strength knowing their loved
ones will never be forgotten.
26 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

Sponsored by Mcleod software
McLeodSoftware.com | 877.362.5363
In October 2015, Bill Shuster, chairman of the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,
said the Obama administration was “not a friend”
of the trucking industry. Based on its first eightplus
months in office, has the Trump administration
been friendly to the industry?
Friendly yes, but I can safely say none of us are
in this business for friends. We need to get things
done. Cautiously optimistic is where my head is
at right now, since we have at least been invited
to the table on several occasions. On one hand, it
is a pro-business government, which bodes well
when you think of the infrastructure spending
package and the tax changes being talked about.
On the other hand, 3P funding (aka tolling) for
the $3 trillion infrastructure proposal and the
threat of totally unwinding NAFTA could be highly
disruptive and extremely costly for our industry.
Beyond that, we need to be sure F4A, ELDs, truck
parking and technology advancements like driverassist
vehicle technology issues are put to bed. In
order for that to happen we need collaboration and
cooperation from all involved.
Speaking of the Trump administration, President
Donald Trump recently announced his appointment
of Raymond Martinez as administrator of
the FMCSA. Granted an audience with Mr. Martinez,
what would you tell him?
Please invite the trucking industry to the table.
We have the same goals — to make our highways
safer and ensure all users make it home safely each
and every day. Form your opinions and go forward
with strategies in consultation and collaboration
with the industry. We have more than our opinions
to offer up; we have meaningful data and we are
about to get a lot more of it with ELDs. Let’s share
the data and come up with safety AND compliance
strategies, not one or the other. Split sleeper
berths are a prime example. We are confident
that actual data will demonstrate what we as an
industry have been saying all along, that allowing
our drivers to take a meaningful recuperative rest
break that doesn’t subtract from the 14-hour duty
cycle is much safer than being forced to work up
to 14 consecutive hours per day for multiple days
in a row. This is just one of many examples of
the issues we know we can solve together. We are
here and we are wanting to work with you!
The mandate requiring carriers to use electronic
logging devices goes into effect in two months.
Why is this mandate important to the industry in
terms of safety and are TCA members ready for the
mandate?
I believe the vast majority of TCA members are
ready for ELDs and most are truly looking forward
to the implementation date. We have been our
own worst enemy regarding how we manage
time. It’s hard to create change at any level when
we don’t accurately record the amount of time it
takes to perform all of the work associated with
moving a load. Trucking has always been a matter
of distance AND time but we have largely ignored
time, especially nonproductive time. It has never
been in a driver’s best interest to accurately
28 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

ecord all of their on-duty not-driving time
and as such, most of our industry hasn’t
made traction on managing detention times.
Those who tried to pursue recovery faced
losing the business to a carrier who ignored
the clock. In December that changes for
everyone, as you can no longer manipulate
the 14-hour window. We will finally all be
playing by the same rules when it comes to
the measurement of time.
With the implementation of ELDs, commercial
vehicle enforcement is entering a new era
and like any new endeavor, there will be a
learning curve. What advice would you give
tca carrier members, drivers and law enforcement
officials about getting used to this
new way of business?
Many of us have been using ELDs for a long
time. Law enforcement in every jurisdiction
we operate in is already used to seeing ELDs
and working with us on them, so I am not
sure there is a learning curve for them. It all
comes down to enforcement of the law. Every
driver and every carrier should expect that
they are subject to the enforcement of law.
As a carrier, you need to really understand
how your network is performing and you
can’t ignore what the data is telling you. Truly
understand what it means for your business
and capitalize on the opportunities it presents
to you. As an industry, we should expect that
the data we generate from ELDs can and
will be used to generate rules that actually
contribute to a safer environment for all of
us. We should be able to work with regulators
like the folks at FMCSA to come up with laws
that make sense. Using the reintroduction of
split sleeper berths is an example. Right now,
we have both sides speculating on what the
right answer is. Well, I can tell you that using
our ELD data, we can see that most drivers
are constantly running up against the 14-hour
clock, and they will tell you they are often
tired and frustrated. They are driving more
daylight hours than ever before and dare not
pull over for a meaningful recuperative rest
break because it will cost them productivity
and ultimately lost income. We are confident
the data will speak for itself.
In recent weeks, the FMCSA revealed it will no
longer pursue rulemakings for speed limiters
and obstructive sleep apnea. Share with the
membership your thoughts on these two issues.
For me, speed limiters is an interesting
policy. TCA policy is in support of speed limiters
but I dare say that with the introduction of
ELDs, I am not sure it is as big an issue as it
is today. ELDs record time and distance and
an inspection can easily determine if a carrier
or driver has a chronic speeding problem. In
our business, we have opted to handle this,
ourselves, and all of our assets are already
limited to 62 mph. Sleep apnea is another
story. The health of our drivers is critical and
I feel like we need to continue to press in this
regard. We all know proper sleep is critical
in combating fatigue and we need to do our
part to make sure our drivers are getting that
rest they need.
Many in the industry feel that proponents
of twin 33-foot trailers will continue to seek
legislation allowing those trailers on the
nation's highways. What are you hearing on
this subject?
Size and weight have been contentious
issues for our industry forever and it’s hard
to see that changing. The push for longer
vehicles continues while TCA’s stance on this
issue remains the same. What is needed is
a full and comprehensive look at the entire
transportation system with the goal to create
meaningful efficiencies and improvements
for all. We cannot support a change like this,
where it stands to favor a few fleets at the
expense of many.
The move toward developing autonomous
trucks appears to be gaining speed. Transportation
Secretary Elaine Chao recently issued
guidelines for the development of autonomous
vehicles and both Daimler and Volvo
are testing platooning. Share with readers
what you are hearing about automation in
the trucking industry.
The advancements are coming fast and
furious and we are in favor of adopting
technologies that assist the driver and make
the roads safer and more efficient wherever
possible. That does not involve driverless
trucks, at least not on the highways.
The OEMs, including the ones you have
mentioned, are not talking to us about
driverless trucks, they are talking to us
about driver-assist technologies. They are
still building them with seats and steering
wheels for a reason. We expect the role
of the driver will continue to change and
that this will create continued and growing
opportunities for our drivers.
Once the ELD mandate goes into effect is
there still the chance of a lawsuit of some
sort?
It is the United States of America. The
answer is always YES there is a threat. The
facts are that there are armies of litigators
combing through regulations every single day
looking to find a thread that they can pull on —
not to right a wrong — rather, they are simply
looking to create opportunities for themselves
to prosper at the expense of business. Let’s
use F4A as an example. We have hundreds
of millions of dollars in retroactive litigation
ongoing in our industry. There are carriers
being sued and judgments being granted at
the state level against fleets for adhering to
federal laws that have been in place for a
long time. The system is broken and needs
to be fixed because the entire country ends
up paying for these “scams.” Having said that,
we are truckers. We are resilient. The threat
of a lawsuit has never stopped us from doing
the right thing. Ultimately, common sense will
prevail, won’t it?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 29

FALL | TCA 2017
Talking TCA
Jim Schoonover | vice president of operations and education
BY dorothy cox
The challenges facing truckload carriers are many, from recruiting and retention
to keeping profitable and safe, and everything in between. But Jim
Schoonover is a man with a mission, and that is to give Truckload Carriers Association
members the tools they need to become successful and to stay that
way, come what may.
“The biggest issue right now, I think, is the hiring and retention of drivers;
that’s first and foremost,” said Schoonover, vice president of operations and
education at TCA.
“We’ve offered an event and webinars on this topic and we’re looking at
different ways that we can continually deliver support on an ongoing basis. …
We want to make sure we’re getting qualified people who stay in the driving
realm. I think that’s first and foremost on carriers’ minds.”
“I can’t speak for any one carrier,” he continued, “but I think everyone in
the carrier industry is aware there are some who are successful at recruiting
and retaining and there are others who struggle.” And it’s important not just
to see what works, but “measuring your effectiveness. That’s what we’re interested
in, and getting out there and teaching” how it’s done.
“From there,” he said, “it’s honing and maintaining that level of profitability
that we know these carriers need to sustain their businesses.”
That, he said, “is our primary focus. … It’s under that total umbrella of
improving and maintaining the profitability across the entire carrier. It’s a big
umbrella and we’re certainly doing our best to explore and look at what those
carriers’ needs are and building programs that address them.”
There are many components to profitability, however.
“There are so many components that tie into that level of being effective or
profitable that need to be balanced,” Schoonover explained, “and we want to
help those carriers understand all the components and some of the strategies
that can be put in place to hone each of the business units that are under the
rooftop of the carrier.”
Given the number of regulations and amount of government oversight as
well as the need for carriers to train and develop new and existing staff, he
said it’s imperative that member carriers take advantage of the courses being
made available. “TCA,” he said, “is striving to become the primary resource
carriers look to for the development of managers and executive level staff.”
Another challenge, he said, “is to make sure students coming out of high
school or college know about the carrier organizations that are out there.”
It’s a matter of “explaining all the aspects of the industry that people can fit
into, whether it’s a four-year degree, a two-year degree or whether it’s a high
school diploma. What is the potential fit for a person with any one of those
qualifications that might work for them as a career launch or as a long-term
career?”
Some carriers have made a concerted effort to hire more women, minorities
and younger people of both sexes.
“I personally haven’t seen a push toward a unique individual type,”
Schoonover said, “but I do think the skills overall, how we recruit, how we
retain, those things are being looked at. It’s not so much designating a specific
demographic to go after as it is how we can address all of those needs and
make this look like the best place for a person to fit.”
Schoonover — who came to TCA in June of this year — comes from a background
in both education and business, so it’s not surprising that he finds his
position at TCA to be “a good fit.”
Growing up in the small community of Elkland, Pennsylvania, afforded
him the opportunity to be involved not only in basketball, soccer, and track
and field throughout his school career from Clark Wood Elementary School
to Elkland Area High School, but to be active in his church, to earn spending
money with a paper route and to work “behind the scenes” at his parents’
small diner called Bill’s Drive-In. He also worked at family-owned dairy farms
scattered across the valley and his duties included milking cows, feeding the
animals and bailing hay for the livestock. There was also a big garden in his
backyard to tend, which he said, helped “support the eating habits of a family
of eight.”
“I was a pretty active kid,” he added. “The town was fairly small so there
were a lot of things to be involved in. We were very active at our church [St.
Thomas Catholic Church] when I was younger, whether it be an acolyte on
Sunday or attending various functions.”
At the drive-in, where the fare included pizza, subs and ice cream — “simple
diner food” — he wasn’t old enough to wait tables but did whatever was
needed “to support what they did, whether it was running to the food supply
store to pick up items with my dad or taking the additional ice cream out of the
ice cream machine and making as many ice cream sandwiches as we could to
sell the next day. As kids, we were pretty visible in the community.”
His father, the late William Schoonover, worked for Ingersoll Rand and was
a drill press operator at a foundry and also worked for A&P Grocery at their
headquarters at Elmira, New York. His mother, Loretta Schoonover, managed
the household and the six children, and later became a case worker for Tioga
County Head Start.
She still resides in Elkland and Schoonover said he and his son Lucas, 22,
and his two brothers and three sisters travel back to Elkland as much as possible
to visit.
He is engaged to Claire Zuskin and a wedding is planned for the spring of
2018.
Schoonover was born in Corning, New York, on June 12, 1965. Elkland is
30 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org
TCA 2017

TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 31

Jim’s parents, Loretta and William Schoonover
Jim Schoonover’s daughter, Peyton, and son, Lucas
right on the border of upstate New York and
their home was in dairy country — very pretty
country, he said — and for a time Elkland was
known for its leather tanning industry. “That
was their claim to fame until the mid ’70s, when
the tanning factory was destroyed by fire.”
Not surprisingly, “We certainly got exposed
to the business end of things from a very young
age,” Schoonover said. And growing up he initially
thought he would go into business.
“I wanted to operate my own business, so in
college (Mansfield University of Pennsylvania) I
majored in business administration and hoped
to get into accounting and go that route.”
While in college, Schoonover spent his summers
working for the Easter Seals Society and
became enamored with teaching. “After working
with them for some time I decided I wanted
to go into education and teach.”
He switched majors from business, to education
after two years at Mansfield and “I ended
up getting a degree in education and then focusing
on special education and working with
kids with special needs.”
Also while in college, he joined the Army Reserves
and spent six years as a reservist.
Following graduation in 1988, he went to
Hornell, New York, near the Finger Lakes area,
and taught special-needs children in middle
school for three years. He then was hired by Osbourn
Park High School in Prince William Country,
Virginia, to teach students with disabilities.
The administration there liked what they
saw, and promoted Schoonover, putting him in
charge of special education at the school.
“I was there for about 10 years and then I
began working on my master’s degree in educational
leadership,” he said.
It was during that time he learned of a job
with the National Automobile Dealers Association
(NADA) Academy, in McLean, Virginia,
working with current and future operators of
automobile and truck dealerships.
According to the Academy’s website,
“These programs feature the latest in industry
trends and developments, while also being
deeply rooted in the fundamentals needed to
operate a successful and profitable automotive
business.”
At the Academy, he taught students computer
applications as they relate to automotive
and heavy truck dealerships to analyze their
profitability.
“NADA’s Academy works with both automotive
dealers and heavy commercial truck
dealers,” he said. “They have classes for both
of those. It’s all about franchised dealers in either
one of those areas” and “in both they train
in profitability in all of their individual business
units.”
It was a marriage of Schoonover’s interests
in both teaching and business, but going from
working with special needs children to working
with adults “was an adjustment.”
Elaborating, he said, “The strategies were very
similar as far as the instructional approach from
a teacher’s perspective. But I needed to learn
the new content, to get up to speed in retail operations
and enhance my computer skills, as well.
Those were the greatest challenges that I had.
“As far as the classroom instruction, the
adult education program, that particular component
of it was very, very different and a challenge
and a new aspect of education I hadn’t
gotten to touch before.
… It was an interesting spin as far as my instructional
career.”
Within his instructional position at NADA, he
Q & A With Jim Schoonover
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH: Corning, New York,
July 12, 1965
MY TRADEMARK EXPRESSION IS: Absolutely!!!
MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE: At the age of 20 I had
the experience of being in Honduras during my service with
the U.S. Army. The living conditions, the gratitude, and the
appreciation the locals demonstrated for those things we often
take for granted had a profound effect
I HAVE A PHOBIA OF: Snakes
MY GUILTY PLEASURE: My guilty pleasure is mashed
potatoes
THE PEOPLE I’D INVITE TO MY FANTASY DINNER
PARTY: I’d invite family members lost over the years to
capture more of the history that created the foundation for the
family we are today
MY GREATEST PROBLEM AS A PROFESSIONAL IS:
Patience, patience, patience
I WOULD NEVER WEAR: a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey
A GOAL I HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE: To complete a Century
cycling ride
THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The Good Soldier”
LAST MOVIE I SAW: “Get Out”
MY FAVORITE SONG: “What It’s Like”
MY PET PEEVE: Horn honkers in intersections
THE THING ABOUT MY OFFICE IS: I haven’t settled in yet
ONE WORD TO SUM ME UP: Benevolent
32 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

enjoyed the integration of technology and instruction, and “that’s when I met
[TCA President] John Lyboldt. He’d come on board and the position of directorship
had opened up and John appointed me as interim director for a year
and then the following year [2009] I became director” of the Academy.
In that position, his duties included directing instructional and administrative
staff and leading curriculum content revision efforts while meeting revenue
goals exceeding $4 million annually.
He had no idea his work at NADA would prepare him for his career at TCA,
where he’s on a fast learning track and ahead of the curve.
Before TCA, “my points of reference were the heavy commercial truck
dealers from the trucking association, so I had worked together with the dealers
but I hadn’t worked with business owners from the carriers’ side, so this
has been a good experience,” he said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to be at a carrier’s site for a couple of days and
it’s been eye-opening and very, very rewarding and educational. It’s just been
a great experience. I’m starting to put together some of those pieces that I
need to … take the educational programs that are here even further forward,
so TCA is looked at as the leading source of the educational needs out there.”
He’s already learned that “if it’s on our table or we’re using it, whatever the
A Schoonover family portrait in 2015 for Jim’s parents’ 60th wedding anniversary
case may be, chances are it came on a truck.”
And he’s excited that the story of truckload is being told.
He’s seen that in trucking, it’s “about solving problems and about supporting one another in the business
and helping each other survive and about educating those who impact what we do on a day-to-day basis,
whether it’s before a legal group, a regulatory group or on Capitol Hill, whatever the case may be.
“Definitely, we want to get the word out to let others know what we do and how much it impacts not just
the drivers, or the carrier owners, but also the economic issues we face here as a country.”
In the early spring of this year Lyboldt called Schoonover in to pick his brain about how TCA’s educational
programs might be tweaked or changed.
“I had met with John’s team before there was an opening,” he said, “and we had talked about opportunities
for growth or enhancements within the educational aspect. He asked me what ideas or recommendations
I would have for the team.
“After meeting with John’s team, I had a basic knowledge of what it was they offered educationally and
where they were looking to expand. So, when the opportunity became available, it wasn’t a difficult decision.”
“There are so many ways that we touch people and make an impact on individuals,” he said. “I’d like to be
remembered as somebody who’s made a difference. Someone who has impacted lives and … makes an impact
in a way that helps people grow.”
And to the very best of his ability, he’s doing that right now.
Jim Schoonover and his fiancé, Claire Zuskin
The Truckload Carriers Association
welcomes companies that
joined our association in
June and July.
August 2017
ASR Solutions, LLC Pasha Trucking, LLC
Booker Transportation Services, Inc.
September 2017
Tenney Group
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 33

TCA Honors America’s
top rookie
By Klint Lowry
Daniel Shonebarger is a family man with a plan, and his plan is
moving along more quickly than he could have hoped for when he
signed on with Melton Truck Lines in June 2016.
His first year in the business has been a heck of a ride. Not only
was Shonebarger named Trucking’s Top Rookie, he is also a top-three
finalist for the Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award, presented
each year to an American veteran rookie driver who’s successfully
moved from active duty to driving for a commercial fleet.
Back home in Columbus, Georgia, Shonebarger and his family recently
marked his first year in the business by moving from the apartment
they’d outgrown into their first house.
Every so often in sports you’ll get that “rookie phenom” who takes
the league by storm, or in Hollywood, the actor who lands the perfect
role and becomes a “breakout star.” But then you hear their stories,
and it always turns out it took years of preparation to become an
overnight sensation.
That’s how it went for Shonebarger, 36. He’s always been a
steady-as-she-goes, best-foot-forward kind of guy. He already had
those qualities when he joined the Navy in 1999 fresh out of high
school, and he developed them in what would be a nine-year hitch.
“I was a storekeeper,” he said. “It was basically warehouse and
supply.” The job appealed to his nature. He likes to half-jokingly admit
he’s “always been a little bit OCD.” But he found he has a real knack
for logistics and organization.
In 2002, he met his wife Jessica and her son Aaron, who was five
at the time. Their daughter Danica — a combination of “Daniel” and
“Jessica” — arrived to round out the family two years later.
The family followed Daniel’s military career, first in Hawaii, then
in Mexico. In his downtime, Shonebarger made being a dad his main
pastime. When Aaron joined Little League, he became a coach. When
Danica went to nursery school, he became a school volunteer.
That’s his approach to life in general. If you’re going to be involved
in something, be involved all the way.
After leaving the Navy, he decided to pursue a truck driving career.
In 2010, he signed on with Prime, Inc. and started working toward
his CDL. He liked the work, but after six months, he decided the kids
were a little too young for him to be away that much.
Shonebarger went back to warehousing for the next six years.
Today, he sees those years as an advantage to him as a driver. When
he makes pickups and deliveries, he can relate to the people on both
ends of the run. He can empathize with their problems, speak their
language. That kind of harmony can make life a lot easier for everyone.
He liked warehousing, but driving was his dream. In 2016, he and
Jessica decided the time felt right to go for it.
“I think the biggest thing for me was being confident and comfortable
that I could be out,” he said. “It was really up to my wife. I told
her, ‘it’s up to you honey.’ She has to bear the brunt of the house, the
kids and all those things.”
Once he got the nod from Jessica, he was ready to do it, but he
was going to do it right.
“We planned for six months before I even went to driving school
to make this career change,” he said. “I didn’t want it to be spur of
the moment, ‘let’s go into trucking,’ because that’s what happened
in 2010.”
He enrolled at the Georgia Trucking Academy, and graduated on
May 22, 2016. Three weeks later he was working at Melton.
Since being named Trucking’s Top Rookie, people have been asking
Shonebarger what he thinks the key has been to his early career
success. It’s forced him to step back and Monday-morning quarter-
A little more than a year into his driving career, the trucking lifestyle
has agreed with Trucking’s Rookie of the Year Daniel Shonebarger
(left) and his family: wife Jessica; daughter Danica, 13;
and son Aaron, 21.
back himself a little more than he otherwise might.
A lot of it comes down to attitude, he offers. When he started, he
consciously tried not to have any preconceived notions, to take the job
as he found it, fully committed to succeed.
“I’ve always been mature,” he said. “Plus going in the military, that
really wakes you up to real life.”
Waiting those six years may have helped, too, he said. He got a little
older and wiser, a little more confident and a lot hungrier to succeed.
With a smile in his voice, he added that the touch of OCD has come
in handy, too.
“If there’s one thing I see in myself, it’s organization, attention to
details,” he said. “You got to be able to pick loads up and deliver them
on time, all the time. I postpone the need of myself for the needs of the
load. The load comes first and that’s really my mentality.”
He’s happy at Melton, but Shonebarger believes he’s cut out to be an
owner-operator. That’s the goal now. With his experience and his affinity
for organization and logistics, he loves the idea of handling the business
side of things.
“That’s something I’m trying to put together now.”
If he wins the Transition Trucking award, it will be a huge leap forward.
First prize includes a fully loaded Kenworth T680 Advantage with
a 76-inch sleeper and Paccar MX-13 engine, worth $155,000. If he
doesn’t win, as a top-three finalist he’ll receive $10,000. That, combined
with the $10,000 he got as Trucking’s Top Rookie will make for a
nice down payment.
“So I’ve got Plan A and Plan B, and I’m going to succeed a whole lot
earlier than I thought,” he said.
“The ride just keeps going, and I’m ready to take it wherever it
goes.”
34 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR INSURANCE COVERAGE
FINDING THE
RIGHT BALANCE
Ensuring Independence. Providing the Best.
It’s a balancing act providing appropriate coverage for independent contractors while ensuring your
independence. But creating and maintaining an arm’s length relationship that meets the needs of both the
carrier and the driver doesn’t need to be a challenge. When you partner with TCA you can offer your
independent contractors the NAIT Insurance Program providing such benefits as:
• Occupational Accident
• Workers’ Compensation
• Non-Occupational Accident
• Non-Trucking Liability
• Physical Damage
• Passenger Accident Coverage
You can also help them reduce cost with:
• Truck Warranty Programs
• Legal Assistance
• Cellular Service
• Parts Discounts
And you can keep them on the move with:
• ACA Compliant Private Health Care Exchange
• Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
• Dental & Vision Plans
• Prescription Discounts
We have the advantages you seek including defense protection in all states, a nationwide network of
attorneys, Contract Liability coverage and more; all designed to give you the arm’s length relationship you
need in Independent Contractor insurance. Contact us today at 800.237.0062.
Trucking Insurance coverages are provided by TransGuard General Agency, Inc. which has a nationwide network of retail producers who,
coupled with 45+ years of experience in this market, is an industry leader in providing risk solutions to Motor Carriers and Owner/Operators.
www.naitusa.com

Hurricane
Help
WHETHER IT’S HURRICANES,
TORNADOES OR FLOODING, TRUCKING
STEPS UP TO THE PLATE, HITS A HOMER.
By Dorothy Cox
A group of people trying to evacuate southern Florida had been
waiting hours at a gas station for enough fuel to get them inland, away
from the worst of Hurricane Irma. Finally, they saw an 18-wheeler
coming around the corner with a bulk fuel delivery and everybody stood
up and applauded.
The story “brought tears to my eyes; I just love this industry so
much,” said Phil Byrd, president and CEO of Bulldog Express. “Trucks
don’t just make a pickup or delivery, we make a difference.”
That might be just a slogan for someone else. But with a company
based in Charleston, South Carolina, part of “hurricane alley,” Byrd knows
firsthand the disruptions hurricanes, floods and tornados bring to people’s
lives, homes and businesses. Days are spent without food, electricity, clean
clothes, a hot shower and creature comforts most of us take for granted.
Bulldog is part of Daseke, North America’s largest owner and
consolidator of flatbed and specialized transportation, with a combined
fleet of more than 3,800 trucks and 8,200 flatbed and specialized trailers.
Flatbeds and open-deck trailers deliver building materials and more,
so Daseke companies have been kept hopping during hurricane season,
Byrd said.
“I’m not aware of any [Daseke carriers] that haven’t been involved
in some shape or form” in relief efforts, he said, from acting as
a collection site for relief goods, like Hornady Transportation, in
Monroeville, Alabama, to donations from WTI Transport client Ziegler
Meat, which were delivered by WTI (of Tuscaloosa, Alabama) to a food
bank in Houston for free.
For a while, people like the folks in Florida who cheered the arrival
of gas for their cars knew how essential trucks and the people who
drive them are. But with time, that “dulls,” said Byrd, as things return to
normal. Yet, largely unnoticed, trucking continues to step up to the plate
when disaster strikes.
No carrier knows that better than FTC Transportation, Inc., the
exclusive freight hauler for Feed the Children.
“Everybody jumps in at the beginning and then after media
attention fades, assistance fades,” said Greg Garen, president of FTC
Transportation. “After assistance fades, we’re still delivering loads and
helping them out.”
FTC Transportation delivered 39 loads of cleaning supplies, clothing,
nonperishable food and ready-to-eat meals such as tuna or canned chili
and a lot of other supplies to Texas towns hit by Hurricane Harvey and
took 18 loads to Florida, Garen said.
They also hauled relief items to various U.S. ports and to a plane at
Memphis, Tennessee, that was filled with items for Puerto Rico. They
hauled similar items to the Mexican border, where they were loaded on
trucks bound for areas in Mexico devastated by the recent earthquake.
FTC Transportation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Feed the
Children, formed in 1979. “They needed a way to transport donations
and had relied on donated transportation. We started trucking in 1986
and ever since we’ve been their core carrier. They’re our primary
responsibility,” Garen said.
They also help victims of devastation caused by fires out West and
areas hit by tornadoes by hauling tents, sleeping bags, water, toiletry
items and other sorely needed goods.
Feed the Children has distribution centers across the country stocked
with the help of a variety of corporate sponsors.
When not hauling loads for Feed the Children, FTC hauls loads for
other customers but with this hurricane season, “we’re very busy,”
Garen said.
He added that “our drivers stay here” because “they get more
than a paycheck, they get that reward for doing good in addition to a
paycheck.”
Curt Reitz, president of Contract Transport Services, LLC in Green
Bay, Wisconsin, didn’t hesitate to volunteer the carrier for help after
Hurricane Harvey when asked by Green Bay police. The Green Bay
community stepped forward by donating groceries, water, shovels,
brooms, diapers, baby formula and dogfood, among other items and
“what started as two trailers ended as seven trailers” full of new
items, Reitz said.
Willie Peebles, a driver for WTI Transport of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, prepares to
haul several thousand dollars worth of meat from Ziegler Meat to a Houston food
bank for hurricane relief efforts.
36 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

The road to
protecting
CTS drivers Frank Comeau, left, and Barry Meyers
assist with unloading supplies for Hurricane Harvey
victims at Bread of Life in Houston.
your fleet
Instead of getting bogged down by going through government
red tape with FEMA, “we reached out to local police departments
down there,” Reitz said.
He said CTS has wrapped trucks depicting police, all five
branches of the military, EMS and fire departments, giving
“visibility to other causes.”
Of course, hundreds of other carriers and drivers nationwide
have also provided relief to hurricane victims, not to mention carrier
employees and drivers who have had their own homes flooded.
Carriers, themselves, have been flooded, as well. Bulldog lost
power for two and a half days but ran on a backup generator,
Byrd said. “We had some employees whose homes flooded from
water surges; others’ homes were damaged by trees from the
high winds and there were electrical power outages. We were
personally impacted by Irma, for sure.”
With the economy picking up, capacity is tightening and turnover
is increasing, “so these problems impact everyone in trucking,”
Byrd said. “Then you add in humanitarian relief. It requires you to be
efficient and use your capabilities in a wise way.”
Despite being squeezed from all sides, “trucking always meets
the demand,” Byrd said. “We’re resilient.”
For carriers that, like Bulldog, are in areas prone to flooding,
there has to be an exit plan, he said.
His company is ISO certified and able to service customers with
critical needs and protect precious cargo — often high-dollar
cargo — by moving it farther inland if need be.
Days before Irma, he said, there were company meetings
morning and night to perfect a strategy to protect assets and
cargo, exact evacuations and continue operations from a remote,
inland location like Atlanta or Ashville, North Carolina.
“We weren’t just waiting for the storm to happen. We knew
where personnel were going and we were taking capabilities to
do our duties remotely. We moved equipment and cargo inland to
protect it from the path of the hurricane. There are time-sensitive
schedules in noneffected zones and they expect continued
service.”
From the time a hurricane is forecast to hit, to the time it makes
land, to its aftermath, it’s an exhaustive process for hurricane
victims, Byrd said.
It would seem trucking might feel beleaguered by the cycle of
storms.
That’s where a family of companies comes in handy.
“We collaborate among our family” of carriers, he said. Although
“we run autonomous operations we’re very connected and depend
on our sister companies. When one company is in need, every
other Daseke company is there to help. That’s unique.”
“You can’t take things for granted with a Category 3 storm,” he
added.
www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 37
Transportation Insurance
Specialists Since 1970
888-313-3226 www.ecbm.com
Offices in PA & MD

5 th Annual
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
Charitable
Gala
In
Review
2
3
1
4
On October 11, trucking industry executives from across the U.S. and
Canada gathered at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just
outside Washington, D.C., for the Truckload Carriers Association’s Fifth Annual
Charitable Gala benefiting the nonprofit organization Wreaths Across America
(WAA).
The Gala, hosted by Freightliner and Pilot Flying J, along with sponsors
DriverFacts, Randall-Reilly and TravelCenters of America and Petro, raised
$73,583 to support WAA’s annual holiday mission.
“Tonight, we’re all here to celebrate and to help the Worcester family and
Wreaths Across America reach their goal of laying a wreath of remembrance on
every [gravestone] of every service man and woman across the country,” said
TCA Chairman Rob Penner.
Morrill and Karen Worcester began what would become Wreaths Across
America in 1992 when they brought surplus wreaths from their wreath
company in Maine to Arlington National Cemetery. Ever since that initial
gesture, members of the trucking industry have been deeply involved in helping
National Wreaths Across America Day become a national event.
“The service of TCA members, in combination with others in the trucking
industry, has grown exponentially, from 30 loads hauled in 2008 to 450 loads
hauled in 2016,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “It’s moving to see, year
after year, how the trucking industry comes together to support the Worcester
family and Wreaths Across America’s mission to remember, honor, and teach.”
After the introduction and presenting of the colors, artist and vocalist Joe
Everson did a little painting and vocalizing in his presentation of the “Star
Spangled Banner.” As he sang the national anthem, Everson applied splotches
of paint to what appeared to be an abstract image on a canvas. Then during
the last two lines of the song, he flipped the painting over and the image was
instantly recognizable as the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. As he sang, “… and
the home of the brave,” he took a specially prepared brush and added the red
and white stripes of the flag with a single swipe.
The painting wound up drawing the highest silent auction bid of the night,
$5,258, by Mark Hazelwood with Professional Driver Agency.
Another Everson painting, “American Farm,” fetched a bid of $1,900 from
Penner.
All told, the silent auction raised $15,448. Guests also paid to have their
pictures taken in a photo booth sponsored by DriverFacts. Another 47 guests
bought “swag grab” bags of WAA memorabilia, sponsored by TravelCenters of
America and Petro. There was also the Dog Tag Fundraiser, in which participants
received one commemorative dog tag printed on-site and one dog tag printed
in the name of a loved one who had served.
The largest pledge of the evening was a $50,000 donation from the National
Association of Independent Truckers, NAIT’s insurance partners TransGuard,
and IAT Insurance Group. The pledge matched NAIT’s donation a year ago.
Among the speakers was Sue Pollard, the 2017-18 president of American
Gold Star Mothers, Inc. “We’re an organization that no one knows about and,
truthfully, no one wants to belong to,” said Pollard, whose son, Army Spl.
Justin Pollard, died in Iraq in December 2003.
“The families will always remember their children, but they worry that you
won’t,” she said, adding that the simplest tribute that can be paid is to “say their
names. Say their names out loud.”
Later, the keynote speaker, retired Air Force Col. Mark Tillman, entertained
the crowd with stories from his stint as commander of Air Force One from
2001 to 2009. Tillman described flying with then-President George W. Bush on
September 11, 2001, as accurate and inaccurate reports of what was happening
38 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
on the ground and of potential threats to the
presidential plane came in throughout the day.
Money raised at this year’s Gala will
go toward producing about 1.6 million
remembrance wreaths that will be delivered
on Saturday, December 16, to Arlington and
1,500 other veterans cemeteries around the
country.
The ultimate goal, Morrill Worcester told
the crowd, is to reach the point where every
veteran’s grave gets a wreath every year. At the
rate Wreaths Across America is growing, that
should happen in about 11 years.
“That’s only about 6,800 truckloads, so
that’s not too bad,” he said. “We couldn’t do
what we do without the trucking industry.”
For more information about Wreaths Across
America and National Wreaths Across America
Day, visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.
To volunteer equipment or driving services,
or to sponsor a load to haul the wreaths, visit
www.TruckloadOfRespect.com.
1. Harpist Meghan Kathleen Davis provides a
lush ambience for the Gala’s reception.
2. Wreaths Across America Chairman Wayne
Hanson reads the names of veterans submitted in
the Dog Tag Fundraiser.
3. Brenda Dittmer, vice president of Weinrich
Truck Line, Inc., discusses how her company gets
involved with Wreaths Across America even as a
tank line.
4. TCA President John Lyboldt welcomes Gala
attendees and discusses TCA’s relationship with
Wreaths Across America.
5. The Gala’s keynote speaker, Colonel Mark
Tillman, Commander of Air Force One from 2001-
2009, details the harrowing hours flying President
Bush during the September 11 attacks.
6. TCA Chairman Rob Penner grins during the
Gala.
7. Sue Pollard, 2017-18 president of American
Gold Star Mothers, tells the story of her son
Specialist Justin Pollard, and the importance of
remembering every single fallen soldier.
8. TCA Immediate Past Chairman Russell
Stubbs speaks with TCA President John Lyboldt
at the Gala’s reception.
9. Sgt. Maj. Scott Wilder and Lt. Col. Katresha
Bailey after the Gala.
10. Lt. Col. Sid Taylor, chaplain of Arlington
National Cemetery, blesses the meal.
11. Participants in the Dog Tag Fundraiser
received a commemorative dog tag and had
one printed in memory of a veteran to be placed
onto the Remembrance Trees in Columbia Falls,
Maine.
12. Karen and Morrill Worcester pose with
Wendy Hamilton, senior manager, sales and
marketing at Pilot Flying J.
13. Karen and Morrill Worcester address the
crowd.
14. Ken McCullough, general manager –
northeast region of Freightliner Trucks, introduces
Sue Pollard.
15. The Gala was hosted by Pilot Flying J and
Freightliner Trucks, and sponsored by DriverFacts,
Randall Reilly, and TravelCenters of America and
Petro.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 39

Hello, Washington
Truckload knows more than a thing or two about the business of trucking. And it was
that very point that prompted members of the Truckload Carriers Association to hold some
75 meetings with members of Congress October 10 to educate legislators and other decision
makers about truckload and to discuss the segment’s most pressing issues.
It was an opportunity to meet directly not just with members of Congress, but also with
key congressional staff, federal regulators, as well as Canadian colleagues — to literally be
“the voice of truckload.”
The reaction to this truckload juggernaut, also known as Call on Washington, has been
beyond positive.
“We had upwards of 43 visits and 32 people in town,” said TCA Vice President of
Government Affairs David Heller. “And the good news is that Congress has been real
receptive to it and I think our meeting success rate is about 95 percent, which is fantastic.
We’ve shot the moon over that.”
“ … We’re the leaders in the industry and that’s what we’re talking about,” he added.
Load One CEO John Elliott echoed Heller’s comments, calling the effort “a great success.”
Elliott added that “the needs of truckload were directly addressed for the first time on Capitol
Hill.”
Susan Fall, president and founder of Launchit Public Relations, urged attendance at future
meetings:
“I’ve been working with suppliers in the industry for 25 years and this is the first time I’ve
done a Call on Washington. If you have an inkling of interest in our industry and want to
really understand what matters to carriers then you should participate in this. I’ll participate
every year now.”
40 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

There was, of course, some education that had to take place.
The day began with a briefing on the state of the 115 th Congress
and TCA’s policy positions, followed by one-on-one conversations with
lawmakers and staffers.
“There’s been a certain level of education, explaining to them the
differences in the industry, the fact that there’s an LTL side of the house and
a TL side of the house, and that the majority of the industry is truckload,”
said Heller.
“Make no bones about it, that’s where the majority of the freight is,” he
added. “There are probably 500,000 truckload carriers out in the world,
today, whether that’s one- to two-truck operations or a 20,000-tractor fleet.
Almost all of those have started from small businesses and that’s our story.”
That particular story hadn’t been told before, but now D.C. decisionmakers
are hearing about trucking, and truckload, in particular, from a
business perspective, he continued.
TCA members also met with representatives of the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration in what was deemed “a very productive discussion.”
In addition, TCA members from Canada visited with Transport Canada
staff at the Canadian Embassy for some in-depth conversation, and “given
the numerous encouraging outcomes that occurred, it is evident that there
will be opportunities for further ventures between the two parties,” stated a
TCA report.
TCA members also stepped up to the plate by sending some 200 letters
to Capitol Hill on why ELDs shouldn’t be delayed and why the industry
needs regulators to move forward with the December 18 compliance date.
Although President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a probusiness
stance, his deregulation platform has been a knotty problem for
trucking to untangle.
Under former President Barack Obama’s administration, there were
more regulations issued than ever before, but the flip side of the coin is
that “to be fair, there are some regulations out there that we truly do need,”
Heller said, “like ELDs.” A rulemaking on sleep apnea is also needed, he said,
because it would clear up the “ambiguity” of the guidance now in place.
In fact, he said, the trucking industry has been far ahead of the
government in regulating itself in certain areas. Take the drug and alcohol
clearinghouse, for example.
“We have a responsibility to be safe and our being so far ahead of the
governmental curve has shown that we as an industry have the ability to
act in a safe manner and we’re using that responsibility to use things like
drug and alcohol testing and hair testing. As an industry, we are a much
larger collection of experts now than we ever have been, and that’s the
responsibility that our industry has taken up and has been successful at
doing,” he noted.
“Remember that the basic premise of trucking is delivering freight and
doing so safely,” Heller said, adding that TCA has been able to communicate
to congressional leaders and staff that truckload is doing just that. “We’ve
had witnesses on the Hill on autonomous vehicles, on truck size and weight,
truck safety initiatives” and more, he pointed out.
With everything pertaining to the trucking industry, “we have experts
that have done it,” Heller said, “and it’s about time that we started being
listened to.”
The October 10 Call on Washington was “an opportunity to tell our story
and we took it,” he added, and if the response was any indication, “we’re
being heard.”
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 41

Health Fairs
During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) September
10-16, the Truckload Carriers Association, in conjunction with Rolling
Strong, sponsored eight free driver health fairs at selected TravelCenters
of America/Petro Stopping Centers nationwide.
A total of 228 drivers were seen, with 163 having bio checks or detailed
coaching by a Rolling Strong CDL wellness coach and two having glucose
checks. Several drivers received some very important health information
from dangerous health readings. Eight FIT Systems were given away to
help drivers improve their fitness while on the road. In addition to the
health fairs, many TCA members held various NTDAW events.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 9
10
1, 2, 3 — Skyline Transportation is proud of its drivers; staff signed
the large banner to show their appreciation and the company
hosted a barbecue.
4 — E.W. Wylie celebrated its professional truck drivers at its
terminal in West Fargo, North Dakota.
5 — A driver appreciation event was held at the northbound York Scale
Facility in York, Maine, by the Maine Professional Drivers Association
and the Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit.
6 — The Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
Unit set up a full Level One inspection demonstration on a demo
truck during the event.
7 — Dozens of professional truck drivers participated in blood
pressure and glucose screenings during the driver health fair events,
this one at Hillsboro, Texas.
8 — Rolling Strong hosted driver health fairs at eight TravelCenters
of America and Petro locations during NTDAW.
9 — Baseball hats, hot/cold compresses, sleep masks, frisbees,
massagers, stress “trucks” and hand sanitizer were available as
giveaways at the Petro Bordentown, New Jersey, health fair.
10 — CDL Wellness Coach Melissa Frank handed out information
brochures to professional truck drivers at the TA Hebron, Ohio,
health fair.
42 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

A QUICK LOOK AT IMPORTANT TCA NEWS
SMALL
A QUICK LOOK AT
IMPORTANT TCA NEWS
TALK
The 2016 Company Driver of the Year, Murray Manuliak, says he keeps safety at
the forefront of his driving career.
Driver of the Year
The Truckload Carriers Association and partners Overdrive and Truckers News,
are accepting nominees through November 10 for the 2017 Driver of the Year
Contests sponsored by Cummins Inc. and Love’s Travel Stops.
The competition is divided into two categories: the Company Driver of the Year
Contest (now in its 27th year) and the Owner-Operator of the Year Contest (now
in its 29th year).
Company drivers must be nominated by the motor carriers that employ them,
while owner-operators may be nominated by themselves, spouses or by carriers
they have been leased to for a period of three or more years.
The two overall winners will receive $25,000 each and the two runners-up in
each division will win $2,500.
Nominees must demonstrate a safe driving record with a minimum of 1 million
consecutive accident-free miles, a strong work ethic and a desire to improve their
community and the image of the trucking industry. In addition to providing proof
of operating information, work history and safety record, nominees are asked to
write a 300-word essay explaining why they are good “trucking citizens” and
should be a candidate for the grand prize. Owner-operator nominees are also
required to provide documentation such as equipment specifications, business
plans and financial statements.
To nominate a company driver or owner-operator, visit truckload.org/driverof-the-year.
The 2016 company driver grand prize winner, Murray Manuliak, has been a
The 2016 Owner-Operator of the Year, Gary Buchs, dedicates his time off the
road to helping others and staying active.
professional truck driver for more than 25 years, accruing more than 3.1 million
accident-free miles. He currently drives for Bison Transport, of Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada, and attributes his successes to his dedication to safety: “I keep
safety at the forefront of everything I do — I drive safely, I teach safety to new
Bison drivers. Safety is at the foundation of my success, and it is what has kept
me on the road all these years.”
Last year’s owner-operator grand prize winner was Gary Buchs, who is leased
to Landstar System, Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida. A professional truck driver for
over 27 years who has driven more than 2.3 million consecutive accident-free
miles, Buchs dedicates his time while not on the road to helping others and staying
active. He completed the Chicago Marathon in 2015, spends at least one week
per year assisting victims of major wind or flood damage, and donates produce
from his farmstead to local food pantries.
Jim Gattoni, president and CEO of Landstar, said: “Gary’s commitment to the
safety and education of others speaks to his ability to represent our industry in a
positive light. He [is] an outstanding ambassador to the public, projecting an image
that is worthy of the industry’s safe, honorable, customer-driven professionals
who deliver the goods that touch our lives every day.”
A panel of judges will select the top three finalists for each contest, to be announced
in December.
Each of the six finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip to attend TCA’s
Annual Convention, scheduled for March 25-28, 2018, at the Gaylord Palms Resort
in Kissimmee, Florida, where one grand prizewinner will be selected for each
contest.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 43

FMCSA Administrator Appointee
President Donald Trump on September 25 said he
would appoint Raymond Martinez of New Jersey to
be administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration.
Martinez is currently the chairman and chief administrator
of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
and a member of the New Jersey State Planning
Commission.
The appointment drew immediate praise from
various trucking and related organizations.
“Mr. Martinez is well known to our industry from
his work in New Jersey and New York, and exudes the
kind of professionalism, integrity and focus on safety
that FMCSA needs,” said American Trucking Associations
President and CEO Chris Spear. “On behalf of ATA,
I congratulate him on his nomination, and urge the
Senate to quickly confirm him so we can begin working
together on important highway safety issues.”
“As administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission, Mr. Martinez quickly earned a reputation
for being hands-on and willing to work with the
trucking industry to solve problems,” said New Jersey
Motor Truck Association Executive Director Gail Toth.
“Martinez brings with him the experience of leading
the motor vehicle agencies of both New York and New
Jersey — the ‘International Gateway to the Northeast’
RAYMOND MARTINEZ
— and his insight and experience will be an asset to
the FMCSA. We look forward to working with him on a
host of issues impacting the trucking industry.”
“The Alliance supports this nomination,” said
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Executive
Director Collin Mooney. “With Mr. Martinez at the
helm of FMCSA, we look forward to continuing our
long-standing history of fostering a collaborative and
cooperative relationship between CVSA and one of its
federal government partners, FMCSA.”
In New Jersey, Martinez manages a state agency
with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and an
operating budget of approximately $330 million.
The agency is charged with the licensing of nearly
6 million drivers and the titling, registration, and inspection
of over 6 million vehicles.
Trump noted that Martinez previously served as the
New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and
chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
as well as deputy chief of staff and special counsel
to the New York State attorney general. Martinez has
twice served on the board of directors of the American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
Sid Davidoff, co-managing partner of Davidoff
Hutcher & Citron, where Martinez was an attorney, said:
“The selection of Ray Martinez by the president is an
exceptional choice. He is a consummate professional,
having served several presidential administrations and
both governors of New York and New Jersey as Motor
Vehicle Commissioner. What’s more, as an attorney he
brings a great understanding of the law to this federal
transportation agency that is so critical to commerce.”
“As the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
commissioner, Ray Martinez proved to be a fair
regulator, working to continually improve the safety
of the trucking industry without implementing unnecessary
or burdensome regulations,” said Kendra
Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New
York. “He always made the safety of the motoring
public his top priority, and I am confident that he will
continue that focus as the FMCSA administrator. I
encourage the Senate to confirm his nomination and
look forward to working with him in his new role.”
Once Martinez has been nominated to serve as
FMCSA administrator, he will next face a confirmation
hearing by the Senate Commerce Committee.
After the hearing, Martinez must be confirmed by the
Senate. If confirmed, Martinez will be the sixth administrator
in FMCSA’s history.
FMCSA was established in 2000 to prevent commercial
motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
The agency works with state and local government
agencies to enforce safety regulations, improve
safety information systems and technologies and
strengthen commercial motor vehicle equipment and
operating standards.
Best Fleets
Time is running out for nominations to be accepted
in the 2018 Best Fleets to Drive For contest.
Since 2008, the Truckload Carriers Association
and CarriersEdge have sought to identify and recognize
these top-tier carriers and exactly what makes
them so successful.
Nominations close October 31.
“Innovation is a necessity for trucking companies
to thrive in this ever-changing industry,” said TCA
President John Lyboldt. “While keeping up with technological
innovations is important for staying a step
ahead of competitors, innovations in a company’s relationship
with its drivers are the key ingredients for
building a real team.”
For a company to be eligible for the contest, a forhire
fleet must have 10 or more trucks and operate
in the U.S. or Canada and a professional truck driver
must nominate the company online at BestFleetsToDriveFor.com.
TCA membership is not required.
The nomination period is open between September 5
and October 31.
Once a company accepts a driver’s nomination,
CarriersEdge will contact them and have them complete
an electronic questionnaire and telephone interview.
Senior management and a random sampling
of the company’s drivers will be surveyed to learn
more about aspects of the company’s workplace environment
such as compensation, safety practices,
benefits, equipment, training, etc. The answers to the
survey reveal the key innovations that help attract and
retain skilled personnel in the trucking industry.
Part of what has propelled Best Fleets to Drive For
to grow and thrive is that each year’s findings provide
new information and best practices that can be explored
in the following year’s program, and this year
is no different. According to Jane Jazrawy, CEO of
CarriersEdge, “Building on last year’s insights about
driver/office staff communication and the importance
of making drivers feel like valued team members,
we’re going to be asking specifically how companies
keep drivers integrated with the business. Do they
get voice mail or e-mail accounts? Are they able to
walk into the main office or are they separated from
other employees?
“We’re also digging more into maintenance, particularly
around new vehicle technology, to see how
fleets keep drivers running and their communication
process around it,” Jazrawy said. “Maintenance is always
a top priority issue for drivers, particularly the
area of reporting problems and getting them fixed.”
The top 20 finalists will be identified as Best Fleets
to Drive For and will be announced at the end of January.
From this pool, companies will then be divided into
both “small” and “large” categories, and two overall
winners will be recognized March 25-28, 2018, at the
TCA Annual Convention in Kissimmee, Florida.
Profitablity Program
The mission of the TCA Profitability Program (TPP)
is to assist Truckload Carriers Association member
companies in realizing their full potential with respect
to profitability, efficiency, professional development
and risk management. TPP harnesses the
powers of the successful Best Practice Groups and
inGauge, TCA’s cloud-based Business Intelligence
tool, to help companies turn data into action.
Interest in each level of TPP is significant, and the
addition of three new Best Practice Groups is a strong
indication that the program’s future is bright. 2017
started with five Best Practice Groups and 49 mem-
44 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

er companies. This was supported by an additional
57 companies participating in TPP via the inGauge
platform.
TC-04 is a new dry van group that has already
had its first meeting and is preparing for a second in
Charlotte, North Carolina, at the end of October. The
other two groups, TC-02 (flatbed) and TC-03 (refrigerated),
will be getting together for their first group
meetings in February 2018.
In addition, TCA has created a new seminar format
for companies that aren’t quite ready to join a Best
Practice Group. Each quarter, TCA will hold a one-day
Profitability Seminar, open to all members, to provide
actionable education for managers to take back to
their respective companies and take their operations
to new levels. The first seminar in this new series will
be held December 12 in Chicago (for more information,
visit truckload.org/December-TPP-Seminar).
“Although we’ve been laying the foundation for
TPP for the past two years, the launch of the program
has exceeded our expectations. We are receiving
calls and e-mails on a daily basis from people
wondering how to get involved. The great part is that
we are only at the tip of iceberg with respect to our
strategic plan and development timetable,” said Chris
Henry, program manager for TPP. “I feel honored every
day to be part of such a great initiative and that I
get to work with such forward-thinking companies
and individuals.”
To get involved with the TCA Profitability Program,
call (888) 504-6428 or e-mail Chris Henry at chris@
tcaingauge.com.
Highway Angels
The Truckload Carriers Association recently
named six courageous, professional truck drivers
as Highway Angels for putting themselves in harm’s
way to rescue motorists and other fellow drivers from
dangerous situations.
Chris Lemaire of Erath, Louisiana, a driver for Earl
L. Henderson Trucking Co. of Caseyville, Illinois, reacted
quickly when a fellow truck driver collapsed
at a Pilot Travel Center in Cartersville, Georgia, on
February 22.
The man had just told Lemaire that he felt unwell
and let Lemaire check his blood pressure before he
collapsed. Lemaire, a certified first responder with a
previous career in law enforcement, lost no time in
CHRIS LEMAIRE
DAVID MILLER
ADRIAN PARADA AJAY TOOR MATTIE EFFERSON DAVE BEGLEY
performing CPR on the man until paramedics arrived.
David Miller, of Palatka, Florida, a driver for Celadon
Trucking of Indianapolis, also performed CPR
on a man who had fallen to the floor unresponsive
on January 25 at a Pilot Travel Center in Kingston
Springs, Tennessee.
Miller first performed a sternum rub to see if the
man would respond and when he didn’t, began giving
the man CPR until emergency medical personnel
arrived.
Adrian Parada of El Paso, Texas, a driver for Stagecoach
Cartage and Distribution of El Paso, rescued a
motorist from his pickup when it caught on fire in the
early morning hours of October 25, 2016.
Parada was buying fuel in Ft. Stockton, Texas,
when he noticed the pickup was on fire and told another
driver, Mario Guerra, to call 911. Then he ran to
the pickup, where he noticed the driver was trying to
get out of his vehicle. The driver fell as he got out and
Parada quickly pulled him to safety with burns to the
man’s knees, feet and arms. Reports noted that the
fire caused two explosions, which would have killed
the driver had Parada not pulled him to safety.
Ajay Toor of Surrey, British Columbia, a driver for
Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was recognized
for helping another truck driver who was hit by
a passing vehicle on September 5, 2016.
Toor was on his way to Langley, British Columbia,
when he saw lights flashing in the distance. As he
drove closer he saw they were flashers of a stopped
car belonging to a young couple who were standing
next to an injured truck driver. The driver had been
crossing the road when he was struck by a vehicle,
which drove away. The couple had already called
911 so Toor got a blanket and first aid kit from his
truck. The driver was still cold and told Toor he had
a warmer blanket in his cab, but his keys were missing.
With the man’s permission, Toor broke the truck
window to retrieve the blanket and stayed with the
victim, who appeared to have an injured thigh and
leg, until police and EMS arrived. He also helped the
man onto the stretcher.
Mattie Efferson, of Joplin, Missouri, a professional
truck driver with CFI of Joplin, was recognized for assisting
a fellow truck driver who had suffered a stroke.
On March 12, Efferson and her finisher had
stopped at The Derby City South Truck Plaza for a
late-night dinner. As they were walking back to their
truck, they noticed a man lying immobile underneath
a truck. The CFI drivers called out to him to see if he
was all right, and when they did not receive a response,
Efferson quickly began running to see if he
was still alive. She found him conscious but in desperate
need of medical attention. She stayed by the
injured man’s side until the medics arrived to ensure
that he avoided further injuries and to help keep him
calm.
Efferson later learned that the driver had suffered
a stroke, which caused him to fall out of his truck,
and that he had been lying in that same spot for five
to six hours with neck injuries he had sustained in
the fall.
Dave Begley, of Elkhart, Indiana, a professional
truck driver for Bennett International Group of Mc-
Donough, Georgia, was recognized for assisting a fellow
truck driver who had crashed into a wooded area.
On July 12, 2016, Begley was driving west on Interstate
80 near the 51-mile marker at about 1:30
p.m. in Clarion, Indiana, when he heard over the CB
that a truck had been in an accident farther up the
highway. Drivers on the road reported seeing the
truck plow off the road into the woods.
When Begley arrived on the scene, he pulled over,
grabbed his fire extinguisher, and raced to the truck,
where three other drivers were already trying to help
the trapped driver.
Acting quickly, Begley was able to help them remove
the driver from his truck.
They carefully helped the injured driver walk from
the cab to the shoulder of the road where they administered
first aid with supplies provided by a volunteer
first responder. Begley and the other drivers
cleaned the man’s cuts and scrapes.
When the ambulance arrived, Begley helped the
driver into a neck brace, lifted him onto a board, and
then into the ambulance. The EMTs arranged for the
injured driver to be airlifted to a Pittsburgh medical
facility about 60 miles away. Sadly, he died the next
morning from internal injuries.
For their brave efforts, Lemaire, Miller, Parada,
Toor, Efferson and Begley received certificates,
patches, lapel pins and truck decals and were honored
by their companies for being designated Highway
Angels.
EpicVue sponsors TCA’s Highway Angel program.
Since the program’s inception in August 1997, hundreds
of drivers have been recognized as highway
Angels for their kindness, courage and courtesy to
members of the motoring public and their fellow
truck drivers while on the job.
TCA 2017 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 45

Mark Your
Calendar
december 2017
>> December 12 — TPP Profitability Seminar,
Renaissance Chicago O’Hare Suites Hotel, Chicago
>> December 15 — Arlington Wreath Reception and
Dinner, Hilton Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia.
march 2018
>> March 25-28 — 80th Annual Convention, Gaylord
Palms, Kissimmee, Florida.
For more information about these or any other TCA
events, please visit www.truckload.org or contact TCA
at (703) 838-1950.
Visit TCA’s Event Calendar Page
online at Truckload.org and click “Events.”
46 Truckload Authority | www.Truckload.org TCA 2017

YOUR TOUGHEST CUSTOMER IS YOU.
Your customers may be satisfied, but you never are. That’s because you can see your businesses’ potential, and
won’t rest until you get there. That’s why we won’t rest either. Shell ROTELLA ® T6 Full Synthetic Heavy Duty Engine
Oil is our hardest working oil yet, delivering excellent engine protection and cleanliness in virtually any terrain
and temperature, seven days a week. So you can keep working harder to take your business even farther.
Learn more at www.rotella.com
THE ENGINE OIL THAT
WORKS AS HARD AS YOU.