The Trucker Newspaper - February 1-14, 2020

Vol. 33, No. 3
www.thetrucker.com February 1-14, 2020
U.S. and China sign ‘Phase 1’ trade deal; ATA says
deal will ‘positively impact the trucking industry’
The Trucker File Photo
Cleaner Trucks Initiative
In its Advance Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking, the
EPA is seeking input from
the public and interested
stakeholders regarding the
Cleaner Trucks Initiative. EPA
intends to publish a proposed
rule in early 2020.
Page 4
Navigating the news
Crash causation study............3
Love’s expands.......................6
Fit to Pass..............................7
2019 in review........................8
Ask the Attorney...................11
Truck Stop............................12
Chaplain’s Corner.................14
Rhythm of the Road.............15
USCMA trade agreement.....17
Safety Series........................20
‘A love for diesel’...................25
Averitt donation.....................28
The Trucker: Wendy Miller
‘Pride in your ride’
Arkansas’ Chad Fowler took
downtime from a parking
lot accident to transform his
1996 Peterbilt into a cool,
comfortable and energyefficient
rig. Featuring solar
panels as well as many small
details, Fowler shared the story
of his truck’s transformation
with The Trucker.
Page 25
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump
and China’s chief negotiator, Liu He, signed the
“Phase 1” deal between the U.S. and China before
a group of corporate executives and press at
the White House. The pact eases some sanctions
on China.
In return, Beijing has agreed to step up its purchases
of U.S. farm products and other goods. The
initial agreement is a key step toward de-escalating
an 18-month long trade conflict between the
world’s largest economies.
Both nations will have to deal with more contentious
trade issues as they move ahead with negotiations.
Punitive tariffs will remain on Chinese
goods as talks continue.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) applauded
U.S. and China leaders for agreeing to the
deal, one that may encourage future negotiations for
increased trade between the two countries.
“The signing of this agreement with China is
good for our industry, which is significantly impacted
by trade,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear
said. “It will give a boost to U.S. manufacturers and
exporters of American goods and provide certainty
to the supply chain — all of which will positively
impact the trucking industry. It is our hope that leaders
in both China and the United States will build on
this promising first step and move forward to forge
a broader agreement promoting fair and equitable
trade between our two countries.”
The White House fact sheet states that as a part
of the agreement, China has pledged to increase
©2020 FOTOSEARCH
In the increasingly complicated world of income
taxes, it is important to thoroughly check your return
to ensure all of the information is correct and
you aren’t missing out on a possible deduction.
Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen
President Donald Trump, right, participates in a signing ceremony of an agreement between the
United States and China with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in the East Room of the White House.
imports of American goods and services by at
least $200 billion. China’s increase in U.S. imports
will take place over the next two years.
China will purchase U.S. manufacture goods,
agriculture, energy and services. Likewise,
China officials have committed to purchase between
$40 and $50 billion in American agricultural
goods each year for two years. The upward
Kris Rutherford
krisr@thetrucker.com
Believe it or not, it’s already tax time. Between
now and April 15, truck drivers will be collecting
piles of receipts, documents and bank statements
then head to their trusted accountant to file tax returns
for 2019.
Whether you use a tax preparer or handle your tax
returns alone, you first need to determine if those who
provided your income classified you as an employee
or an independent contractor in 2019. The differences
can tell you which IRS forms you’ll need and deductions
you can take.
Allyssa Chaney, a tax preparer with Endsley
Bookkeeping and Tax Service in Paris, Texas, said
her firm has several truck drivers as clients.
“If [drivers] receive a W-2, they cannot claim
any expenses as deductions on their tax returns,”
Chaney said.
trajectory is expected to continue beyond 2021.
While many applaud the agreement as a first
step in improving relations between the countries
and laying the groundwork from which additional
agreements will grow, others are not so optimistic.
Experts speaking at the World Economic Forum in
Switzerland called the deal a “disaster” and little
See Trade on p4 m
Familiarity with IRS tax regulations
specific to industry can maximize refunds
On the other hand, being an independent contractor
completely changes the way a driver should approach
record keeping and tax preparation.
“An independent contractor should receive an
IRS Form 1099 for miscellaneous income. The driver
then can deduct expenses they have against the 1099
income,” Chaney said. “For instance, the IRS allows
per diem amounts based on where drivers stay overnight.
The per diem is deductible if the rate for the
location is larger than the actual expenses.”
When it comes down to it, there is no one-stopshop
(other than perhaps the IRS) that will answer all
your questions about your 2019 taxes. Every taxpayer
has unique situations, and truck driving presents
as many situations as there are drivers. Hopefully,
this summary of tax laws, as applied to truck drivers,
will help you avoid roadblocks on your drive to
your April 15 tax due date. And, if you’re particularly
See Taxes on p9 m

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2 • February 1-14, 2020 Nation THETRUCKER.COM T
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THETRUCKER.COM
Nation February 1-14, 2020 • 3
FMCSA solicits public comments on
new large-truck crash causation study
Wendy Miller
wendym@thetrucker.com
WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) is preparing
to conduct a new study of causes of large truck
accidents. The agency is seeking public comments
on how to best design and conduct the
study, which is intended to identify factors contributing
to large truck accidents involving towaways,
injuries and fatalities.
Specifically, the agency is soliciting input
regarding methods to sample representatives,
compile comprehensive data sources, and determine
ranges of crash types and cost efficiency.
According to the official document posted in
the Federal Register on Jan. 15, the study will
provide information to be used in helping to
identify activities and other measures that may
reduce accidents.
According to the FMCSA document, the
proposed study will serve as a follow-up to a
comprehensive large truck crash causation study
conducted from 2001 to 2003. The earlier study
collected data on accidents at 24 sites in NHT-
SA’s National Automotive Sampling System’s
Crashworthiness Data System and correlated the
sample as a “nationally representative approach.”
To be included in the initial study, the accident
must have involved a truck with a gross
weight greater than 10,000 pounds and resulted
in a fatality or at least one evident injury.
At the crash scene, the driver, passenger and
witnesses provided information to interviewers
working on the study. Data collected included trip
information, weather and road conditions, driver
credentials, possible distractions and other potential
causation factors.
It has been more than 15 years since the original
study was conducted. In that time, changes in
technology, vehicle safety, driver behavior and
roadways have been numerous. Following the
end of the study in 2003, fatal crashes involving
large trucks decreased until 2009 when they hit
The Trucker File Photo
It has been more than 15 years since the
FMCSA conducted its original large-truck
causation study.
their low point (2,893 fatal crashes). Since 2009,
fatal accidents with large trucks involved have
steadily increased. FMCSA recorded 4,415 fatal
crashes in 2018, a 52.6% increase over 2009. According
to the 2018 data, the three years prior to
release of the statistics (2016-2018) saw a 5.7%
increase in accidents involving large trucks.
The planned study will help officials identify
and address factors leading to the increase in fatal
large truck accidents as well as those resulting
in injuries or property damage. With the updated
data, transportation officials working to implement
new initiatives will be backed by reliable
research.
The research is expected to place partial blame
on several technological developments including
the dramatic increase in distraction caused by
cell phones and texting, the extent drivers use restraints
(i.e. “seatbelts”) in accidents resulting in
injury or fatalities, the advent of in-cab navigation
and fleet management systems, and other equipment
designed to enhance safety, such as automatic
emergency braking (AEB) systems.
Findings from the new study provide technology
developers in the autonomous vehicle environment
information related to driver behaviors
developers should address.
Public comments will be accepted until
March 16, 2020, and can be made on the Federal
Register’s website. 8
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4 • February 1-14, 2020 Nation
b Trade from page 1 b
more than an “intermediate step” to temporarily
ease U.S.-China tensions.
“While this deal is great in the sense that it has
calmed things, additional tariffs aren’t going on,
aside from that the deal is essentially a disaster. It
doesn’t address any of the systemic issues,” Chad
Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for
International Economics, said.
Bown added in speaking of the White House
fact sheet, “These are unrealistic numbers, which
puts the whole viability of the deal into question,”
He noted the only way to reach the figures would
require diverting trade away from other countries,
such as soy beans away from Brazil and fish
away from Canada.
One of the main arguments used by President
Trump in his dispute with China is the trade
deficit between both economies. Data released
earlier this month showed that the U.S. trade deficit
with China fell to $43.09 billion for the month
— the lowest level since October 2016.
However, Jim Keyu, associate professor at the
London School of Economics, warned the numbers
could change.
“The grand irony is that if China actually did
everything that the U.S. demanded it to do the
result was going to be a much more successful
Chinese economy and a much larger trade deficit
in the U.S,” she said.
While the ATA spoke of its support for the
trade agreement under ATA’s expected positive
impact on the U.S. trucking industry, issues in
China’s trucking industry cannot be ignored.
When carriers load cargo ships headed to China,
someone must be ready and willing to accept
shipment and distribute the goods across
the heavily populated country and its expansive
terrain.
THETRUCKER.COM
EPA seeks input from public and interested stakeholders
on Cleaner Trucks Initiative prior to proposed rulemaking
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
MARSHALL, Va. — At the Fauquier
Livestock Exchange last month, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator
Andrew Wheeler followed up on his
November 2018 announcement with concrete
steps to advance the Cleaner Trucks Initiative
(CTI). Joined by U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman
(R-VA) and a variety of stakeholders, the CTI
rulemaking will establish new, more stringent
emission standards for oxides of nitrogen and
other pollutants for highway heavy-duty engines.
In its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
the EPA seeks input from the public
and interested stakeholders.
“The Trucking industry touches nearly every
part of our economy. A strong and resilient
trucking industry is imperative to maintaining
a strong and resilient economy. Through this
initiative, we will modernize heavy-duty truck
engines, improving their efficiency and reducing
their emissions, which will lead to a healthier
environment,” Wheeler said.
“The Cleaner Trucks Initiative is part of the
EPA’s efforts to simplify complex regulations
and protect our environment,” added congressman
Riggleman. “This update to emission standards
will help reduce harmful emissions while
providing savings for consumers, including constituents
in my district. Trucking affects all aspects
of the 5th district economy and initiatives
like this will help consumers.”
In addition to Wheeler and Riggleman, Virginia
delegate Michael Webert, and representatives
from the Truck and Engine Manufacturers
Association, American Trucking Association
(ATA), Diesel Technology Forum, and OOIDA
joined in supporting the initiative.
“The trucking industry takes clean air seriously
and has made significant strides in improving
the nation’s air quality over the last
35 years. Since 1985, newly manufactured
trucks have reduced NOx emissions by over
98%, but our work is not yet done. These reductions
have been possible because the EPA
has worked with stakeholders — including
the trucking industry — to help institute standards
that are feasible, achievable and reasonable,”
said ATA Executive Vice President of
Advocacy Bill Sullivan. “ATA is committed
to continuing to work closely with EPA on
developing the next generation of low-NOx
emitting trucks through the Cleaner Trucks
Initiative. To this end, the trucking industry
seeks one national, harmonized NOx emissions
standard that will result in positive environmental
progress while not compromising
truck performance and delivery of the nation’s
goods.”
OOIDA echoed ATA’s support for ongoing
conversations and cooperation with the trucking
industry while pursuing the initiative.
“Serious problems with earlier rulemakings
have left small-business truckers justifiably
wary of new emissions reduction proposals.
However, over the last year, representatives
of the EPA have gone to great lengths to
fully understand how new policies may affect
our members, which wasn’t standard practice
under previous administrations. OOIDA believes
the agency’s desire to avoid the mistakes
of the past is genuine. We’re hopeful our
ongoing conversations with EPA and the feedback
our members will soon provide during
the ANPRM comment period will lead to the
development of an acceptable new standard,”
said OOIDA President Todd Spencer.
This rulemaking will offer opportunities
to streamline and improve certification procedures
to reduce costs for engine manufacturers.
This action follows receipt of petitions
from over 20 organizations, including state
and local air quality agencies, requesting to
revise and promulgate more stringent NOx
standards.
From 2007 to 2017, U.S. NOx emissions
dropped by more than 40%, but there is more
work remaining. Today, more than 100 million
people live in areas of nonattainment for
ozone and particulate matter. According to
EPA estimates, heavy-duty vehicles will continue
to be among the largest contributors to
The Trucker File Photo
The Cleaner Trucks Initiative rulemaking will
establish new, more stringent emission standards
for oxides of nitrogen and other pollutants
for highway heavy-duty engines.
NOx emissions — a precursor of ozone and
PM formation — from the transportation sector
through 2025. Updating existing standards
will significantly decrease mobile source
NOx emissions, helping communities across
the country to achieve ozone and particulate
matter attainment under EPA’s National Ambient
Air Quality Standards program.
EPA last revised NOx standards for onhighway
heavy-duty trucks and engines in
January 2001. Pursuant to the Clean Air Act,
the CTI will provide manufacturers sufficient
time to comply with any new standards
and ensure that updated standards consider
feasible emissions control technologies. EPA
intends to publish a proposed rule in early
2020. 8
Road use fees and police extortion have been
reported as taking a serious toll on China’s trucking
industry. China has some of the world’s most
expensive roads: 70% of all tollways are in China,
often forcing dangerous overloading of vehicles.
It is difficult to turn a profit, meaning that
it is hard to invest in new equipment. One of the
biggest food safety problems in China is the cold
storage chain, despite recent growth in the sector.
So, it appears that for each positive aspect
one might find in the U.S.-China trade agreement,
an opposing negative or unknown becomes
apparent. One thing is for sure. The two
largest economies in the world didn’t get that
way by poorly managing business dealings.
But when the same two economies, operating
under different conditions and leadership
reach agreements, it is impossible to consider
every possibility, positive or negative, that
may arise. Only time and future agreements
will tell. 8
USPS 972
Volume 33, Number 2
January 15-31, 2020
The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the
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THETRUCKER.COM
Nation February 1-14, 2020 • 5
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6 • February 1-14, 2020 Nation
THETRUCKER.COM
Courtesy: Love’s Travel Stops
In the coming year, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores plans to open around 40 new locations.
Love’s to add about 40 stores and
3,000 truck parking spaces in 2020
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel
Stops & Country Stores has announced plans
to open as many as 40 new stores, adding 3,000
truck parking spots and 2,500 jobs in 2020.
The announcement follows a banner year in
which Love’s opened its 500th store and raised
a record $3.75 million for Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals during its annual campaign.
“We enter 2020 with lots of momentum
that we’ll continue through customer-experience
enhancements, product offerings and the
best value on the road,” said Love’s President
Shane Wharton. “We’ll open stores from coast
to coast, continue to provide products and services
that our customers depend upon and enhance
our reputation as the company known for
Highway Hospitality.”
Under the company’s plans for 2020, roughly
40 new Love’s Travel Stops will be added to
a list of nationwide locations. Each new location
will offer Truck Care Centers and Speedcos,
resulting in over 400 locations offering oil
changes and preventative maintenance services.
The expansion will include a sixth tire retread
plant and distribution center, set to open
in Milan, Tennessee, during the first six months
of 2020.
Along with the news stores, Love’s announced
intentions to enhance the Love’s
Connect mobile app with new features and to
unveil a mobile app for Love’s Financial customers
to manage cash flow and expenses like
fuel, maintenance and payroll without creating
debt for their business.
Likewise, Love’s will continue to expand
fresh food offerings and Love’s-branded items.
Finally, Trillium, a provider of renewable fuels
and alternative energy solutions, will open new
compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural
gas (RNG), solar and hydrogen stations at selected
Love’s Travel Centers throughout the U.S.
“We’ve listened to our customers to build
a business that caters to what customers need
beyond fuel, including factoring, maintenance
and fresh food options,” Wharton added.
“We’ll continue listening so we can grow that
mindset into the future.” 8
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THETRUCKER.COM
Nation February 1-14, 2020 • 7
Truckers can get on the road to healthy lifestyles with slight adjustments
Bob Perrry
The Trucker
Trainer
It’s true that eating late can lead to weight
gain. A key point to remember if you eat later
than normal, is that the food needs to be protein-based
and light. Also, eating late in combination
with caffeine and alcohol can cause
problems as we attempt to obtain restful sleep.
The biggest mistake people make when
they eat late is choosing foods that are generally
heavy on carbs. Carbs convert to sugar and
wreak havoc on blood sugar levels. The result
is poor rest. Some people wake up with a sugar
hangover. Then guilt sets in, and we think we
need to skip some meals. Before we know it,
we have gone more than 12 hours without eating
(while usually loading up with caffeine),
and our metabolism shuts down.
Try to run your truck without fuel then push
it down the road. You won’t have the strength
or energy to push due to lack of fuel, and your
system begins eating away at muscle tissue instead
of fat. You must fuel your system in order
for it run effectively. Running on empty is not
good.
What fuel are you putting in your engine?
Your doctor or dietician can advise you, but
only you can make the choices leading to good
heart health. It is important to eat colors. You
know they have minerals and vitamins, but a
good variety of fruits and vegetables can control
weight and lower blood pressure. Eating fish at
least twice a week will boost your omega-3 fatty
acids and help lower your risk of coronary artery
disease.
Fried foods, partially hydrogenated oils and
saturated fats should be kept to a minimum.
Also, avoid simple carbs. These carbohydrates
may leave a sweet taste in your mouth, but
that’s where the fun stops. Simple carbs are already
broken down to a form quickly converted
to sugar in your bloodstream. A spike in blood
sugar releases the hormone insulin, which helps
your body turn the sugar into energy for your
body to use in movement. When blood sugar
is elevated quickly and for extended periods of
time, the result is an increased workload on your
pancreas. In addition, a carb-heavy diet won’t
help if you’re trying to lose weight, as this extra
sugar quickly turns to fat.
Are you at risk?
Heart disease is America’s No. 1 killer. The
following are some of the greatest risk factors:
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol level
• High blood pressure
• Family history of heart attack
• Lack of exercise
• Stress
• Obesity
Work in that work out
Regular exercise can help maintain your
weight, improve blood pressure and stabilize
blood sugar. Keeping active can lower the risk
for a lot of chronic diseases, including Type 2
diabetes, depression and cancer. Just because
you can’t get to a gym doesn’t mean you can’t
stay active. Walking, stretching, push-ups and
sit-ups are just a few simple exercises you can
do most anywhere.
See the road ahead
The most common mistake people make
when it comes to eating is waiting too long between
meals. When our energy levels drop, we
instinctively reach for the closest food available,
which for over-the-road drivers is usually
processed or fast food. Instead, plan ahead.
When you’re on the go, pack nutritious snacks
to keep your energy level stable. When you are
ready to eat, make good, healthy choices. If you
are overweight, eat proteins instead of carbs to
speed up your metabolism. Scientists recently
discovered heavy people burn fat more quickly
after eating high-protein meals than high-carb
meals. You don’t drive your rig with lights off
at night. You need to see the road ahead. Follow
the same common sense when managing
your health. You need to be sure to see what’s
ahead on the road to good health.
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You can do this!
Known as The Trucker Trainer by professional
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driver health challenge. He has been a driverwellness
advocate for over 25 years. 8
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8 • February 1-14, 2020 Nation
THETRUCKER.COM
2019 in review: Trucking industry issues, challenges
and opportunities will likely carry into new decade
Kris Rutherford
krisr@thetrucker.com
In the Jan. 15 issue of The Trucker, we reviewed
the major industry news stories hitting
the pages during the first five months of 2019.
In this continuation, we’ll review the top stories
from June to December 2019. Remember, as
the news is not a simple snapshot, some of the
articles involved stories stretching out over several
months — and some likely to remain in the
news well into the 2020s. The month the articles
first appeared in The Trucker are highlighted,
despite the fact news may have broken the previous
month.
JUNE
Acting on the federal legislation reported in
March related to lowering the minimum age for
interstate truck drivers, the FMSCA requested
public input on a proposal for a pilot program
designed to legalize transport of interstate
freight by those aged 18-20. Specific questions
FMSCA asked included those about potential
difficulties obtaining insurance for younger
drivers; the minimum amount of driving experience
suggested for admission to pilot program;
and the likely need for more stringent Hours of
Service for younger drivers.
JULY
ATA President and CEO Chris Spear told
a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee
that his organization was committed to working
with lawmakers as they began work on the
framework of a transportation reauthorization
bill. Todd Spencer of OOIDA told the committee
that the trucking industry was “broken”
in America. The two were among several witnesses
appearing before the committee during
its hearing, “Under Pressure: The State of
Trucking in America.” Issues discussed during
the hearings ranged from safety initiatives and
onboard technology to driver shortages, truck
parking areas and detention time.
* * *
The Modernize the Truck Fleet Coalition
conducted a rally in Washington to urge Congress
to support a bipartisan bill repealing the
12% federal excise tax on heavy-duty commercial
truck and trailer sales. Coalition representatives
said the tax was enacted over 100
years ago but has become counter-productive,
delaying fleet turnover and adding $20,000 to
the average price of a new truck. Noting that
the average age of a truck on the road today is
nearly 10 years, representatives said a decade’s
worth of technology is unused by many trucks.
In order to pay for the lost revenue, proposals
included a road-use tax payed over the lifetime
of a vehicle. Advocates said officials should not
tax a truck driven 15,000 miles per year at the
“upfront” rate of another truck used 150,000
miles annually.
* * *
Starsky Robotics of Jacksonville, Florida,
took a significant step and distanced itself
from the pack of manufacturers developing
autonomous truck technology by operating an
18-wheeler on a 9.4 mile stretch of the Florida
Turnpike near Orlando with no driver or
backup staff on board. The truck was instead
robotically-operated from the company’s headquarters
by a “safety driver” using a small steering
wheel, accelerator and brake pedals. The
safey driver monitored a collection of live images
from the truck’s onboard cameras. While
some said the method used was not genuinely
autonomous, Starsky Robotics claimed the short
drive was a major step in its long-term strategy
related to driverless technology.
AUGUST
In an interesting twist in the confusing world
of trademark and copyright law, Prime Inc., a
Springfield, Missouri-based carrier, filed a lawsuit
against the world’s largest online retailer,
Amazon Prime, requesting the courts revoke
Amazon’s trademark. Likewise, the suit sought
damages in the amount of “the greater of three
times Amazon’s profits or three times any damages”
the carrier sustained since Amazon began
running trucks in 2016.
* * *
Several organizations advocating for the
trucking industry stepped up to support a national
speed limit of 65 miles per hour for trucks. The
TCA, Trucking Alliance and ATA all voiced support
for the limit, with ATA referring to its support
of programs enabling drivers under 21 years old
to transport interstate commerce. The rule would
fall under the Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe
Operating Speed Act of 2019, filed as Senate Bill
2033, which would allow the Secretary of Transportation
to create a federal speed limit for commercial
trucks no to exceed 65 miles per hours on
the nation’s highways.
* * *
The FMCSA proposed to extend the deadline
for compliance for two provisions of the final
rule, “Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level
Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators,”
by two years. Under the extension, the regulations
would not be enforced until February 2022,
although the remainder of the rule would be in
effect February 7, 2020. The portions of the rule
to be delayed included requirements for training
providers to upload driver-specific training information
into a nationwide registry and those requiring
state driver licensing agencies to confirm
CDL applicants have complied with entry-level
driver training requirements before administering
knowledge or skills tests.
* * *
The FMCSA proposed a permanent version
of its demonstration crash preventability
program in operation since 2017. As of the announcement,
a permanent program had been designed
and would be ready for implementation
by Oct. 1, 2019. Under the plan, when assessing
accidents involving trucks, the level of preventability
would be reported.
* * *
OOIDA publicly opposed Congressionallegislation
intended to update the level of insurance
required for commercial motor vehicles,
stating increased insurance costs would put
countless small-business truckers out of business.
In a letter to lawmakers, OOIDA President
Todd Spencer wrote that no correlation existed
between insurance coverage and highway safety,
adding that the bill would only “make trial
lawyers even wealthier at the expense of our nation’s
small-business truckers.”
SEPTEMBER
In its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on
Hours of Service, FMCSA responded positively
to the trucking industry’s request for increased
flexibility. Addressing industry stakeholder
comments before releasing the final rule
proved an example of FMSCA Administrator
Martinez’s desire to improve communication,
as voiced throughout the first half of 2019,
was not just talk. The final rule included five
fundamental changes driven mainly by public
comments.
* * *
During the International Roadcheck sponsored
by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance,
statistics showed the percentage of trucks
placed out-of-service as a result of inspection increased
slightly as did the total number of trucks
removed from roadways. The 72-hour annual inspection
of trucks in the U.S. and Canada is an
event to identify and remove unsafe equipment
and drivers from roads and highlight the work of
13,000 commercial motor vehicle inspectors in
North America.
OCTOBER
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed
the state’s “Employees and Independent Contractors
Bill,” known as “AB5,” which implemented
an ABC test to determine whether a
worker qualifies as an employee of a company
or a contractor. Under the law, employers anticipated
many contractors to become employees
who would be eligible for benefits and daily
breaks. AB5 was widely opposed by truck carriers,
advocates and owner-operators, who said
the requirements would severely restrict independent
truckers from being contracted to haul
freight in California.
* * *
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
supported other organizations in opposition of
the changes in the FMSCA final rule regarding
Hours-of-Service regulations. The institute said
that the changes would dangerously extend driver
workdays. The institute was particularly opposed
to the exemption in the rule for drivers remaining
within a 150-mile radius of their workplaces,
which allowed for a total of 14 work hours per
day, 11 of which could be behind the wheel.
NOVEMBER
Raymond Martinez, administration of
FMSCA, resigned his post after less than two
years on the job. He said that he would remain
with DOT, moving closer to home to oversee
the construction of a major DOT construction
project.
* * *
Freightliner announced 900 employee layoffs
at two North Carolina plants in the face of slowing
production activity. The company said that
throughout 2019, the truck market had been “red
hot,” but it was returning to normal levels. The
layoffs represented 19.5% of the workforce at the
two locations.
* * *
DECEMBER
November election results indicated that
The Trucker File Photo
Carrier Prime Inc., filled a trademark lawsuit
against online retail giant Amazon.com.
Prime Inc., claimed that Amazon’s “Prime”
logo was an infringement of copyright and requested
large damages from the court.
nationwide voters overwhelmingly support
highway funding measures with nearly 90% of
the 305 issues on state ballots receiving approval.
In total, forecasts expected the initiatives to raise
over $9.6 billion in infrastructure funding. Since
2010, voters have approved 81% of nearly 2,000
transportation funding proposals on state levels.
* * *
Two U.S. Senators announced an introduction
of legislation to promote women in trucking.
The bipartisan plan, “Promoting Women
in Trucking Workforce Act,” would establish a
Women of Trucking Advisory Board to identify
barriers to women entering the trucking industry,
work with organizations and companies
to coordinate training programs, and establish
mentorship programs.
* * *
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont had conducted
his campaign on a platform including a
“no tolls” stance. However, he reversed course
and announced a highway improvement plan
totaling $21 billion, including select highway
bridge tolls, which he stated would be primarily
paid by the 40% of out-of-state drivers using
them. As the story developed, some compared
Lamont’s plan to that of Rhode Island, which
implemented “trucks only” tolling. At year’s end,
Lamont delayed attempts to hold a special legislative
session into early 2020.
* * *
As considered earlier in the year, the FMCSA
officially proposed a two-year delay in the compliance
date for its Entry-Level Driver Training
rule, citing IT compatibility as the reason for the
delay.
* * *
In one of the biggest stories of the year,
weeks before Christmas, Indianapolis-based
carrier Celadon abruptly filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy. With employees receiving no
advanced indication the company would be
closing, many drivers were stranded across
the country when fuel cards were canceled.
In the face of one of the most significant carrier
closings in the industry’s history, competitors
stepped forward with assistance to return
stranded drivers to their homes. Others made
on-the-spot job offers almost immediately
placing drivers back on the road. 8

THETRUCKER.COM
b Taxes from page 1 b
lucky, and you maintained detailed records of income
and expenses during 2019, perhaps a pot of
gold with your name on it sits in the IRS building
in Washington.
What’s new for 2019 filers?
Depending on your perspective, for better or
worse, changes from your 2018 tax return are
few. For the IRS Form 1040 series, lawmakers
made a few changes applying to all taxpayers; for
instance, the standard deduction has increased to
$12,200 for individuals and $24,400 for couples
filing jointly. The IRS outlines other changes affecting
all taxpayers on the first few pages of the
Form 1040 instruction booklet. But, what about
trucker-specific changes?
First, the IRS is accepting credit or debit card
payments for the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use
Tax (HHVUT). While this change won’t impact
your tax liability, at least it offers convenience.
Second, Form 2290, required for taxpayers
who are subject to the HHVUT, has been altered
slightly for 2019. But the new form is not
applicable for the period beginning July 1, 2018
and ending June 30, 2019. Next year, you’ll file
the revised Form 2290, but you should already
be tracking information. Get familiar with next
year’s requirements, but don’t get confused.
W-2s, 1099s and Estimated Tax Payments
Drivers employed by carriers or working as
drivers for other employers should have received
a W-2 statement of wages by January 31. If you
haven’t received one, check with your payroll department.
Your W-2 could have been lost in the
shuffle or sent to the wrong address. In rare cases,
your employer may not have sent W-2s yet, in
which case they are violating federal law. Take
note if the “Statutory” box is checked on your
W-2 as it impacts which forms you need to file.
As Chaney said, an independent contractor
should receive 1099 miscellaneous income
statements from contracting companies in
2019. Some businesses may fail to send you
1099s. In this case, detailed record-keeping
pays dividends. Whether you receive a 1099 or
not, you are still responsible for reporting all
taxable income to the IRS.
Self-employed drivers must make quarterly
payments based on estimated taxes throughout
the year. Failure to do so or grossly underestimating
your tax liability may subject you to
penalties when filing your tax return. Estimated
taxes include both the income tax for the bracket
in which you fall as well as the full payroll tax,
known as the “self-employment” tax and equating
to 15.3% of adjusted income.
If you have not sent estimated tax payments to
the IRS previously, you may have spent unnecessary
money on penalties. Assuming a tax preparer
works on your taxes, the professional will likely
calculate any fees into the bottom line. You may
not even realize you are paying them, and you
may have been paying them for years. For 2020,
consider making it a point to set aside money
from every business income check, and based on
your estimated annual taxes, send a check to the
IRS quarterly.
Recommendations for set-aside funds to pay
quarterly estimated taxes range from 25% to 30%
of net income. Keep in mind if you are subject
to state and local income taxes, this percentage
may require adjustment. Likewise, your estimate
of your tax liability may change during the year,
so be sure to update accordingly. A good starting
point is to look at last year’s taxes and consider
anything that may increase or decrease your tax
burden in 2020.
IRS Form 2290
While the IRS requires all taxpayers to submit
a Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040-EZ, other forms
are needed based on an individual’s specific employee
or business circumstances. Heavy Highway
Vehicle (HHV) owners must file Form 2290
if their vehicles are legal for use on public highways.
Owners of HHVs must have an Employer
Identification Number (EIN); Taxpayers cannot
use Form 2290 if they only have a social security
number.
“An owner-operator must have an EIN for all
trucking license, permits, tax returns and any other
forms or applications the trucking business,”
Chaney said. “The EIN is what the IRS uses to
identify your business.”
The HHVUT applies to owner-operators receiving
income from driving a motor vehicle
with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds
or more (including trailers and load weights). If
a driver uses a HHV 5,000 miles or less during
the tax period (7,500 miles or less for agriculture
use), owners can claim a suspension of the tax.
Likewise, owners can claim a tax credit on fees
already paid for any HHV falling below the mileage
thresholds listed, or for vehicles destroyed or
stolen.
Form 2290 also requires owners to report the
purchase of a used HHV with a suspended tax.
Likewise, an owner must include any used HHV
acquired and used during the tax period, along
with the date the owner first used the vehicle on
public highways. If reporting two or more vehicles,
a separate form must be filed for each,
provided the owner placed them into service in
different months.
Deductible Expenses
To take full advantage of deductions available
to truck drivers, a driver must have a “tax home.”
A tax home is a city or area where you typically
work. It could be a base or dispatch center, or it
could be a private residence.
If you receive a W-2 with “Statutory”
checked, you are considered an agent or commissioned
driver. All statutory drivers and owneroperators
(self-employed) are required to include
Schedule C with their 1040 filing.
When it comes to expenses for truck drivers,
as with all taxpayers filing Schedule C, deductible
costs must be “ordinary and necessary”
business expenses. This rather broad definition
is where circumstances unique to each trucker
driver arise. You may be eligible for some or all
deductions allowed per IRS regulations. Keep in
mind, if a company reimburses you for otherwise
deductible expenses, you cannot claim them on
your tax return.
For truck drivers, particularly owner-operators,
ordinary expenses on the road or at home
may be deductible.
Expenses that are necessary for maintaining
a trucking operation on the road are usually deductible.
Examples include interest paid on loans
for equipment, truck maintenance, registration
fees, travel and per diem (generally up to $66
per day). Most drivers can deduct 80% of actual
meal costs. Other deductions include electronic
devices such as GPS units, CB radios and ELDs,
sleeper expenses ranging from bedding to minirefrigerators;
and diesel. If you have a dog as a
sidekick, provided it is a security dog for your
truck, you can even write off its food and veterinary
bills.
When you’re running your business off the
Nation February 1-14, 2020 • 9
The Trucker File Photo
For truck drivers, particularly owner-operators, expenses on the road may be tax deductible.
These include expenses such as registration fees, electronic devices such as ELDs as well as
sleeper expenses ranging from bedding to mini-refrigerators and diesel.
road, there are still several deductions a trucker
can use to their advantage. Home offices can be
deductible as can supplies used to stock the office,
premiums for equipment and business insurance,
membership or union fees and subscriptions
or single copy purchases of industry magazines.
Likewise, a wide range of equipment for
your truck (fire extinguishers to duct tape) can be
deducted in many circumstances. And come filing
time, don’t forget the Qualified Business Income
deduction. It can allow you to reduce your
taxable profit by 20%.
Chaney noted a few categories of expenses
many drivers do not realize as deductible. Some
of them can make a significant dent in their tax
liability.
“Medical Exams required for DOT and physical
exams and drug tests are all deductible,”
Chaney said. “Personal care items like soap,
toothpaste, razors and even first aid expenses
can be deducted, as can tools ranging from electrical
tape to hammer and pliers. Drivers tend
to overlook cleaning supplies for their truck like
towels, window cleaner, trash bags and vacuum
cleaners.” Although seemingly small, these expenses
can add up to a significant deduction.
As illustrated, truck drivers, especially
owner-operators, have many business deductions
at their disposal. Taxpayers should claim
these expenses on Schedule C. Still, some costs
a driver may think should be deductible are excluded
in the tax code.
Do not attempt to double-dip. If anyone
has reimbursed you for expenses, you cannot
claim them as deductions. Business travel,
when combined with vacations, are deductible
only for costs related to the business portion of
the trip. Likewise, time spent working on your
own truck, income loss from unpaid mileage
and down time are all non-deductible.
Mistakes to Avoid
American Truck Business Services (ATBS)
is a Colorado-based company promoting itself
as the largest accounting and tax firm for owneroperator
drivers. The firm provides a fact sheet
highlighting some common mistakes drivers
should avoid as related to their taxes.
From a health insurance standpoint, ATBS
reminds drivers that Congress repealed the penalty
for failure to maintain health insurance.
Likewise, some drivers receive subsidies to defray
a portion of the cost of insurance purchased
through a government marketplace provider.
These drivers must ensure their income remains
in line with federal qualifications to avoid reimbursing
the government for subsidies received.
This isn’t to say a driver doesn’t need to strive for
success and grow every year, but it’s just something
to keep in mind.
In terms of new tax law, drivers should remember
that 100% of the cost of items for business
use can be considered expenses, at least until
2023. Barring an extension, this “bonus depreciation”
will decrease by 20% annually. Likewise,
the 2018 increase in standard deductions resulted
in 94% of ATBS clients eliminating itemized deductions
from the taxes. With an additional $200-
$400 increase in the standard deduction this year,
ATBS expects the percentage to grow.
Finally, drivers should be aware of the change
in the Net Operating Loss deduction rules. The
new rules state that the deduction is limited to
80% of taxable income.
Looking Ahead
Again, tax laws are complicated, and they
are ever-changing. Trucker drivers should be
aware of the planned reintroduction of IRS
Form 1099 Non-Employee Compensation
(NEC) in 2020. The form was used prior to
1983 when replaced by the 1099-Misc. form
issued to independent contractors; however,
due dates of these forms issued to independent
contractors and copied to the IRS differed, delaying
many tax returns. The return of the NEC
form will include a single due date by which
carriers must send forms to both the contractor
and the government.
Most likely, the NEC form revival will not
be the only IRS change for future years. You can
reasonably expect other changes that will impact
your taxes and the documentation you will need
to provide.
If you do not keep up to date with tax law
changes, it is advised you consult a tax advisor or
hire an accountant to prepare your tax return. In
many cases, the investment in expertise will result
in savings only a knowledgeable tax preparer
can offer. If that’s the case, that pot of gold the
IRS is holding for you to load on your truck may
be larger than you expect.
Editor’s note: Readers should not accept this
summary as tax advice. Likewise, the review does
not substitute for an accountant’s expertise. 8

Perspective February
1-14, 2020 • 10
Trucking and news industries have more in common than one might think
Wendy Miller
editor@thetrucker.com
Mad Dog’s
Daughter
In my short time with The Trucker, I’ve noticed
that truckers and journalists share some
similar experiences and feelings. I had never really
given that much thought, but it’s really true.
A few things in The Trucker’s pages and my personal
life have led me to that conclusion.
The first is the passing of California’s Assembly
Bill 5, which has been come to be known
simply as AB5. As most have heard by now, this
piece of legislation addresses independent contractors
and the parameters in which they are
defined as employees. Two of the predominant
groups who are affected by the ABC test that
comes along with AB5 (gotta love those acronyms,
huh?) are freelance journalists and truck
drivers who are owner-operators. While the California
Trucking Association challenged the law
as it applies to truckers, the American Society of
Journalists and Authors as well as the National
Press Photographers Association went to bat on
behalf of freelance journalists.
I personally believe that California’s law
has good intentions. There are some professions
in which being an independent contractor
is not ideal. In trucking and journalism, they’re
sometimes a desired way of life. Having been
in journalism for more than 10 years, I know
several writers, photographers and even designers
who are perfectly satisfied being their own
business. Same goes for owner-operators. No
Point of View
matter how good the intentions, like many laws,
AB5 may look great on paper. I wonder, though,
exactly how many former freelance journalists
and owner-operators hold decision-making positions
within California’s government. It is interesting
how such a large group of two different
stakeholders can be caught in a debate over a
bill intended to make their work life better. I’m
not one for legislative commentary, but from an
outsider’s view, it seems as though the ins and
outs of these groups’ professional work were not
fully analyzed in this decision.
Under AB5, which took effect on Jan. 1,
news outlets can publish no more than 35 pieces
a year from an individual person before they
must be considered an employee. The organizations
that challenged the law on behalf of the
journalists did so because they were concerned
that publishers would rather let the independent
contractors go than to make them employees.
California owner-operators have since at least
temporarily prevailed in their fight for exemption
from the law. Giving former contractors the
benefits of employees changes things on the side
of the employer, and it makes a big difference to
both transportation and logistics companies as
well as newspapers and magazines.
That brings me to the next parallel that I’ve
found between journalists and truck drivers —
we’re a family within our industries.
We all know that truckers have their own
language, and you guys (and girls) enjoy it. It
can just be the slightest little things, quips and
lingo that bind you all with others in your profession.
Here’s an example: fuel. I call it gas,
because I’m a four-wheel driver, and that’s
what it is to me. You guys drive big trucks, so
therefore your language is a bit different. In
the journalism world, it’s something as simple
as the fact that I (and every other journalist I
know) always spell out numbers one through
nine as dictated by the Associated Press stylebook,
which is a journalist’s guidebook for all
things news writing.
In the weeks before I joined the team at
The Trucker, one of the trucking industry’s
largest companies abruptly ceased operations
with no notice to their employees, leaving
them stranded thousands of miles from home
with fuel cards being declined. There’s that
lingo again. Celadon drivers were caught off
guard and left out in the cold — literally.
One of the first stories I read as an editor
here was about the Celadon collapse. It was a
well-written and in-depth piece by one of The
Trucker’s outstanding writers, Kris Rutherford.
You may remember that one of the key
points made in the article was that Celadon’s
drivers had been met with an outpouring of
support from the trucking industry. You guys
were helping your fellow drivers get home,
find employment and simply make it through
the holidays. I know that it hurt to see your
brothers and sisters treated that way.
I had a similar (but on a smaller scale) experience
with that hurt this week. A newspaper
that I formerly worked for had a round of
layoffs that affected many of my friends and
people that I had worked closely with for years.
Many of those employees had given years of
dedication to the newspaper and unfortunately,
they became casualties of a transition to digital
news consumption. This small reduction in
force was not nearly as extreme as the volume
of individuals affected by the Celadon closing,
but there are small trucking companies that are
closing their doors each day just as local news
organizations are tightening up operations.
Unfortunately, in both industries technology
is changing things. And change is sometimes
hard to accept. It seems as though the
times in which we live are quite similar to
the industrial revolution when machines took
thousands of jobs away from hardworking
individuals. They’re just not needed in their
industry any longer because there is no need
for their position. Supply and demand is a real
concept and not just in hauling freight.
Facebook and Google have changed the
way that we consume news, and that has
its ramifications throughout the journalism
industry just as further developments of autonomous
trucks is slowly, but surely, inching
toward a technological revolution in the
trucking industry.
Technology has revolutionized everything
in today’s society even down to the method
in which truckers keep track of their logbooks.
In just a short time dealing with trucking,
I haven’t missed the fact that ELDs have
changed the game for many truckers. Having
a digital device dictate your daily drives
is similar to social media driving journalists’
lives, just in a less physical way. Whether you
see it as good or bad, that’s something else
we have in common — paper was a lot more
comfortable than electronics.
I am lucky to have found a beautiful blend
of two great industries, and I am very thankful
to be here writing to you. I am also proud to
work for a news organization with a dedicated
reader base. Consumers of news and goods are
what keeps both of our industries in business.
Until next time, be cool and be careful. 8
A lack of adequate, safe truck parking continuously ranks high among
top concerns within the trucking industry. Why do you think this is such a
problem and what solutions would you recommend?
Take down no parking signs on the exit
ramps so states can maintain adequate
parking for trucks on the ramps. I’d rather
have a sleepy driver park there instead of
riding around trying to find a place to park.
— Scott Bostian
A lot of the problem is re-zoning or just
insane zoning. Fargo, North Dakota, and
Laramie, Wyoming, come to mind. When both
Petros were built there was nothing anywhere
near them. Now you have shopping areas, car
dealerships and apartment homes creeping
near or surrounding them so there is no room
for expansion. Eventually the truck stops will
be re-zoned out of business. Cities, towns
and counties should work closely with truck
stop investors and owners to properly zone
and provide adequate space for facilities and
considerable parking.
— Ken Kelly
It’s 2020. Company drivers need to lay
the parking problem in their company’s lap
because they own the trucks and drivers
are employees. Step one: Pay for parking.
Step two: Make arrangements with shippers
and receivers for overnight parking. Truck
driving school graduates are experiencing
the real world and are leaving the industry
in droves.
—Tom Puckett
The new ELD log system is causing drivers
to fill up rest areas and truck stops.
There’s just nowhere else that is safe to
park.
—Don Shuffett

THETRUCKER.COM
Perspective February 1-14, 2020 • 11
‘Jury awards 1 billion dollar verdict’
is a headline that really stands out
Brad Klepper
exclusive to the trucker
Ask the
Attorney
I suspect that headline got your attention.
Mine too.
As a lawyer who defends CDL drivers and
motor carriers. I’ve grown accustomed to headlines
regarding “nuclear” verdicts for accidents.
It is increasingly rare for a verdict to shock
me. But one earlier this week was, indeed,
shocking.
I was drinking my morning coffee and reviewing
some legal websites, when I came across
a headline proclaiming that a jury had awarded
more than $1 billion dollars to the survivor and
families of victims in a fatal DUI crash. That is a
billion with a “B.”
I read the article to find facts supporting
such a verdict and how a jury came up with that
amount for damages.
As expected, the case involved horrible facts.
A driver, with a BAC of 0.295, more than three
times the legal limit, was traveling the wrong direction
at a high rate of speed when his vehicle
slammed head-on into another vehicle with a
driver and 2 passengers inside. The driver was
the only survivor other than the drunk driver but
suffered a traumatic brain injury.
The other driver, who had a previous DUI
conviction, pled guilty to two counts of vehicular
homicide and one count of criminal vehicular
injury. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
In the following civil lawsuit, the jury awarded
$295 million in punitive damages to the survivor
and family members of those killed.
In addition, the jury awarded compensatory
damages of $170 million to the driver and $36
million to the families. Punitive damages are
awarded as punishment while compensatory
damages are awarded to cover losses.
The punitive damages awarded, according
the attorney for one of the victims’ family, were
a product of the driver’s blood alcohol content.
In addition, the attorney stated that the verdict
illustrated “how we in North Dakota value people’s
lives and value the ability to live life in a
healthy way.”
If my math is correct, the total amount awarded
by the jury was $1,147,000,000. I had to count
the zeros to make sure I typed that correctly.
When I see such an award, I immediately
think of three things: 1. the jury is clearly sending
a message; 2. this amount is uncollectable;
and 3. how did they calculate the damages?
The first two thoughts are straight forward.
The jury clearly wanted to deter future DUIs
and believed the award would help accomplish
that goal. Secondly, I would bet the drunk driver
causing the action does not have the money
to pay over $1 billion in damages. Though I
may be wrong, I suspect he may be what we attorneys
refer to as “judgment proof,” meaning
it does not matter if the verdict is $1 million,
$1 billion, or $1 trillion dollars — he does not
have the money to pay.
I hope this is not the case and the survivor
and families of the other two victims receive
compensation.
In regard to calculation of damages, several
factors are taken into consideration. What factors,
you may ask….well, stay tuned. That will
be covered in my next article.
Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker
Ltd., a law firm dedicated to legal defense of the nation’s
commercial drivers. Brad is also president of
Driver’s Legal Plan, which allows member drivers
access to his firm’s services at discounted rates.
For more information, contact him at (800)
333-DRIVE (3748) or interstatetrucker.com and
driverslegtalplan.com. 8
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12
AT
THE TRUCK STOP
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When he retires in three years, William York will have spent 52 years in the trucking industry.
Long-time driver compares his early experience
to today’s trucking industry
Lyndon Finney
lyndonf@thetrucker.com
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — At age
14, William York dropped out of school for
the express purpose of riding shotgun to his
truck driver brother.
“I went along so I could sit beside him
and keep him awake,” York, 63, said during
a recent interview with The Trucker at a truck
stop on Interstate 40.
But after a few trips, York decided he
wanted to become a truck driver himself and
started his career driving a cabover International
4000.
The only thing he lacked was a driver’s
license.
“Driving a big rig down the road was an
adventure,” he said.
It wasn’t long before York had his first encounter
with law enforcement.
“I was driving in the middle of the night
carrying a load of cattle to a packing plant and
got pulled over in a small town in Tennessee
(his home state),” York said with a chuckle.
“The policeman asked for my license and of
course I didn’t have one nor did I have any type
of identification. He looked at me, scratched
his head and walked around the truck. He came
back to the driver’s side and said, ‘I’m going to
let you go, but I never want to see you again.’”
Eventually at age 18, York was able to
get a chauffeur’s license, the precursor to the
commercial driver’s license.
“You could get a chauffeur’s license if
three drivers with a chauffeur’s license signed
for you,” he said.
In 1992 York was one of many drivers
with chauffeur’s licenses who were grandfathered
into the new commercial driver’s license
program.
For a long while, York was an owner-operator,
but eventually he became a company
driver and now works for Cargo Solution Express
of Fontana, California.
“I still have my old Peterbilt 379 sitting
out there in a pasture at my home,” he said.
Like many other drivers, York says the
public’s perception of the trucking industry
needs to be changed.
“You never hear about the trucking industry
unless it’s about a story of a wreck caused
by a trucker in which four or five people are
killed,” he said.
What’s more, York said, passenger car drivers
don’t understand how to share the highway
with a big rig, especially when it comes to
passing and then cutting in front of a big rig.
He’s also concerned about truck drivers
who don’t know what to do when a steering
tire blows out.
“Many of them will slam on the brakes,
and that’s the worst thing you can do,” York
said. “You just need to ease off the gas.”
He’s also concerned that driver trainers
sometimes don’t have much more experience
than the trainees.
“Recently I was talking with a trainer and
asked how much solo experience he had, and
he told me about eight months,” York said.
“Well, the trainee had three months driving
experience so there was less than a total of
one year’s experience in that cab.”
When interviewed, York was wearing
a jacket emblazoned with speed racing
emblems.
“I’m a big fan of NASCAR racing,” York
said.
And, apparently, a big fan of hammering
down the pedal when on the road.
York said his rig will run up to 80 mph
on cruise control, but “I know how to handle
speed. I may run 75-80 in the middle of the
night when there’s nobody out there but me
and the Lord.”
The Trucker: KRIS RUTHERFORD
Like other truckers, York is not a big fan of
electronic logging devices, pointing in particular
to problems associated with parking because
often he will have to go to two or three
locations before finding a spot, all the while
having to stretch the limits of on duty time.
In fact, the only reason he was at the truck
stop was because a computer error incorrectly
made an advance entry in his log.
“When I pulled in here last night, there
were only three spaces left, so I was able to
park,” he said.
Reserved parking also frustrates him.
“I pulled into a lot recently where the only
spots left were reserved places,” he said. “I
went ahead and pulled into one of them. The
attendant told me I had to move, so I told him
to wake me when the person who reserved the
space got there. He never came.”
York, who takes medication to control his
high blood pressure and sleeps with a C-Pap
machine, says he will work three more years
until he can take Social Security.
So, let’s do the math. Sixty-six minus 14
equals 52 years in one profession.
Not bad for a person who was only supposed
to be in a truck to keep his brother
awake. 8

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14 • February 1-14, 2020 Perspective
THETRUCKER.COM
Valentine’s chocolates and people have more in common than meets the eye
Rev. Marilou Coins
Chaplain’s
Corner
February! Wow! We are already in our second
month of the new year. My, how time flies by!
People think of February as Valentine’s month.
We look for the red hearts on cards and especially
the red heart shaped boxes of chocolate candy.
Well, let’s just look at that heart shaped
box and remember the words of Forest
Gump’s Mom — “Life is like a box of chocolates;
you never know what you are going
to get.” Now let’s take a very different approach
to the heart shaped box.
Look at it in God’s view and just imagine
that it is God’s heart. When it’s opened,
you see people instead of chocolate candies.
Yes, some are hard core. Some are brittle and
broken. Some are gummy, but all are God’s
people.
Just where do you find yourself in that
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heart-shaped box? Each piece is special in
God’s eyes. His heart is open and holding
each one of us in a special spot in His heart.
We may not think of ourselves as special but
to God, we are.
We never know what life has in store
for us, but He does. We may be hardcore or
soft-centered but we are all held precious in
God’s heart. We may feel broken and rejected
by man’s view, but in God’s heart we can
feel loved and mended.
Bring your cares and woes to Him. Place
them in His heart for healing and let Him
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show you how much He loves you no matter
where you see yourself in life. He has a special
spot reserved just for you in His heart.
As you look at the box of chocolates, you
see each piece has it’s very own place. No
other piece can fit in it’s spot. Well, that’s
also true for you and me. In God’s heart, we
each have our very own spot in God’s heart.
We fit perfect in the spot He has put us in this
life here on earth.
No one can receive the special blessings
God has for each of us. We are all called to
walk our path in life and know His love is
there for us.
Whether we are hard-core or soft and
gooey, He loves us the same. We may even
be broken into pieces, but His love will be
there to mend us and put the pieces together.
We still have a spot in His heart where broken
pieces are loved.
We are not discarded because of brokenness
but loved the same as all the other pieces
in His heart. In Matthew 11:22, Jesus said,
“Come to me all who labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest.” This means
God loves the broken pieces as much as he
loves the unbroken.
God does not look at our brokenness. He
loves all of us the same way. Do you throw
broken pieces of candy away, or do you savor
them anyway? Sometimes broken pieces
just reveal the best of the piece of candy the
same way something broken in our lives can
bring out the best in us.
If all of us were perfect pieces of candy,
whether hard, gooey, soft or sticky, and
God only chose us and threw out the broken
pieces, don’t you think He would miss
some of the best pieces? Well, I find that
God loves all pieces just the same. Many
of us are actually broken and don’t realize
it. We may think we are one piece but are
many pieces.
Any time you start to worry about something,
you become a broken piece. God still
loves you the same and mends all your broken
ways. He does not discard you but instead
places you in a special place in His
heart where you can mend.
He savors us just the same as if we were
whole. No truer love than this for anyone than
the love of God for mankind. His heart holds
us safe and gives us peace — not pieces.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Best of the roads and all gears forward
in Jesus.
Rev. Marilou Coins. 8
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THETRUCKER.COM
Perspective February 1-14, 2020 • 15
‘Road song’ covers a lot of territory — how do truck drivers stack up?
Kris Rutherford
krisr@thetrucker.com
Rhythm of
the Road
The line separating “trucker” and “road”
songs is thin. Roger Miller’s signature song,
“King of the Road,” makes no mention of
trucks but is about life on the road. Dave Dudley’s
“Six Days on the Road” is written from a
truck driver’s perspective. Although both songs
include “road” in their titles, Miller’s is about
the “hobo” lifestyle while Dudley’s is about a
hard-working truck driver excited to get home.
One interesting aspect of country music is its
ability to connect people from seemingly different
worlds. In the instance of Miller and Dudley,
when they do meet, the difference between
trucker and road songs blurs.
Hank Snow was born in Brooklyn, Nova
Scotia in 1914. Separated from his father, authorities
deemed his mother unfit to care for
him. Instead, he lived with his paternal grandmother,
reportedly a despicable human being
who made sure Hank grew up in a household
filled not with love but physical and verbal
abuse. Eventually, Hank reunited with his
mother. And when she purchased a guitar and
allowed him to play, word spread of his talents.
At just 12 years old, Hank set to sea, not uncommon
among youth growing up in Canada’s
maritime provinces. A cabin boy on a fishing
schooner, the job paid nothing except experience.
Four years later, after his schooner barely
survived a storm, Hank decided he had all the experience
he needed.
In the meantime, Hank’s musical talents developed,
and he eventually found his way to
Nashville. By chance, he got his shot to play the
Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s most coveted welcome
gift. His second single, “I’m Movin’ On,”
placed him on the road to stardom as it hit the
No. 1 slot on country charts and remained there
for 21 weeks. In 1962, “I’ve Been Everywhere,”
became another of Hank’s signature songs, a version
of Australia songwriter Geoff Mack’s tour
of his home country rewritten by Lucky Starr.
Hank’s version, with apologies to Johnny Cash’s
outstanding cover, is arguably the most recognized
among fans of classic country music, with
bonus points added to the original singer.
“I’ve Been Everywhere” begins with Hank
(singing as a hitchhiker) along “the dusty
Winnemucca road,” a reference to U.S. Route
50, a cross-country highway passing through
north-central Nevada. The chosen road,
known as “The Loneliest Road in America,”
tells listeners a lot about the hitchhiker and
his secluded, slow-paced life. When “a semi
with a high and canvas covered load” stops,
the driver asks if the hitchhiker needs a lift
to Winnemucca, the passenger climbs aboard.
The conversation in the cab turns to U.S. 50
when the driver asks if his passenger has “seen a
road with so much dust and sand.” The response
reminds one of the pause in Beethoven’s “Surprise
Symphony,” a halting answer showing little
appreciation for the ride the trucker is providing –
“Listen, Bud. I’ve traveled every road in this here
land.” And with that, “I’ve Been Everywhere”
abruptly shifts from a trucker song to a tune about
the road.
The remainder of “I’ve Been Everywhere”
begins with a chorus that will be repeated five
times and four stanzas of lyrics listing what Hank
means by “everywhere.” But the song is far more
than an impressive memorization of many obscure
locations in the western hemisphere. The
style Hank employs is indicative of the “road”
experience and how it can change depending on
perspective.
Hank sings the remaining lyrics at a fast pace,
so fast that the names of cities, towns, states, and
areas of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and South
America almost blend into a very long multisyllable-to-the-extreme
word. In fact, the slow,
lonely introduction having passed, the change in
tempo is likely intentional, as Hank contrasts of
a life walking the roads with the trucker’s highspeed,
deadline driven lifestyle.
Hank references 91 locations he has visited.
He could easily list 500 more, and the song would
never get old.
If we mapped the 91 locations Hank mentions,
we’d realize that he has “been everywhere.”
The various locations are spread across
the country and a few outside the U.S. Hank tells
us he has visited eight countries in North America,
Central America, and South America. In the
U.S., he rattles off 64 cities loosely broken down
as: Southwest, 10; Northwest, 10; Midwest, 15;
Southeast, 17; and Northeast, 12. He mentions
nine states by name, four locations in in Canada,
and eight south of the U.S.-Mexico border. By the
time the song wraps up with a fading chorus, listeners
can imagine the truck driver’s exhaustion;
in fact, they are exhausted as well, proof that the
song filled its intended purpose. Still, firing the
tune up is almost an addiction, if only to see how
much of the song listeners can memorize.
Somewhere out there in the sea of truck drivers,
at least one has visited every location Hank
rambles through in “I’ve Been Everywhere,”
more if we consider just those in the U.S. I challenge
you to pull up the lyrics on the internet and
check off how many you’ve been to or passed.
My count is 32, or 35%, not bad for someone who
hasn’t visited the Pacific Coast, the Northwest, or
South America. Take a few minutes to count how
well you’ve followed Hanks’s trail, and email me
with the number of checkmarks you make along
with a photo of you and the truck that made it all
happen. I’ll run a list of the most widely traveled
drivers in a future column.
Until next time, keep in rhythm with the
road. I just remembered I have an appointment in
Ombabika. 8

16 • February 1-14, 2020 Business
THETRUCKER.COM

Business
February 1-14, 2020 • 17
© 2020 FOTOSEARCH
U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks reached 23,456 in December, which represents a gain of
7,596 or 24.4% from November sales. When compared with results from December 2018,
there’s a decline of 3,122 trucks or 11.7%.
Senate passes US-Canada-Mexico trade
deal to replace NAFTA with 89-10 vote
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly
approved a new North American
trade agreement on Jan. 16 that rewrites the
rules of trade with Canada and Mexico.
The vote was 89-10. The measure has gone
to President Donald Trump for his signature.
It would replace the 25-year-old North American
Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA,
which tore down most barriers and triggered
a surge in trade. But Trump and other critics
blamed the pact for encouraging U.S. companies
to move their manufacturing plants south
of the border to take advantage of low-wage
Mexican laborers.
Passage of the trade bill, which has come to
be called USMCA, came one day after Trump
signed a new trade agreement with China,
easing tensions between the economic powers.
“Quite a week of substantive accomplishments
for the nation, for the president and for
our international trade,” said Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., shortly before
the vote.
The final vote occurred just moments before
Congress opened an impeachment trial,
with House Democrats reading the formal
charges from the well of the Senate. With the
trial and an election year, Congress is not expected
to pass many major bills. The trade bill
gives lawmakers from both parties the chance
to cite progress on an important economic issue
before the November vote.
See USCMA on p18 m
Courtesy: DAT SOLUTIONS
DAT Solutions will supply Knight-Swift Transportation with a new rate forecasting tool that is
said to provide valuable insights into transportation markets.
Class 8 truck sales rise 24.4% in
December, but show downward trend
Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
As expected, December was the best month
of the year for sales of new Class 8 trucks. The
strong final month of the year made 2019 the best
sales year since 2006, when the market caught
fire in anticipation of EPA emissions mandates
that took effect with the 2007 model year.
U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks reached
23,456 in December, according to data received
from ACT Research. That figure represents
a gain of 7,596 or 24.4% from November
sales of 18,860. Final month results like that
aren’t unusual as carriers look to invest profit
dollars prior to year-end, reducing their taxable
income for the year.
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
PORTLAND, Ore. —DAT Solutions has announced
that it is supplying Knight-Swift Transportation,
North America’s largest truckload fleet,
with a powerful new rate forecasting tool to provide
actionable short-term and long-term insights
into transportation markets.
The tool provides forecasts based on the DAT
RateView database of more than $68 billion in
annual freight transactions.
“Knight-Swift is eager to begin testing DAT’s
new rate forecasting tool,” said Don Everhart,
vice president of technology and analytics for
Knight-Swift Logistics. “We are looking forward
What isn’t usual is that when December results
are compared with results from December
2018, there’s a decline of 3,122 trucks or
11.7%. For all of 2019, ACT reports sales of
281,440 versus 255,828 trucks sold in 2018.
So, while annual sales climbed by 10%, December
results dropped, an indication that the
market is trending downward.
Another interesting factor is in the number
of trucks sold for over-the-road (OTR)
use compared to vocational uses like dump,
trash and others. December sales of 15,772
OTR tractors were down 20.2% from December
2018 sales of 19,754, while 7,684
vocational tractors sold represented a gain of
See Sales on p19 m
© 2020 FOTOSEARCH
The Senate voted 89-10 to approve a new North American trade agreement on Jan. 16 that
rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico.
Knight-Swift and DAT announce pilot
program for predictive rate forecasting
to applying these rate predictions to significantly
improve the speed we can serve customers, while
mitigating price risk.”
The pilot program will run through Q1. The
DAT rate forecasting tool will then be made
widely available to third-party logistics providers,
freight brokers, truck fleets, financial analysts,
and other industry stakeholders at the start of Q2.
“DAT’s data science team tested the rate prediction
algorithms for months, back-checking its
forecasts against actual results and refining the
models to improve accuracy, but the partnership
with Knight-Swift provides the perfect proving
See DAT on p18 m

18 • February 1-14, 2020 Business
THETRUCKER.COM
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b USCMA from page 17 b
The American Trucking Associations
(ATA) commended Congress and the Trump
administration for ratification of the USMCA,
setting the stage for increased free, fair and equitable
trade between North American countries.
“Trade is central to the trucking industry —
76% of all surface freight between the U.S. and
our nearest neighbors moves by truck — so the
newly ratified USMCA will be a boon to our
economy and our industry,” said ATA President
and CEO Chris Spear. “This agreement will boost
both U.S. exports and gross domestic product,
meaning more truck movements and delivering
measurable returns for our industry.”
The ATA said USMCA is projected to increase
annual U.S. exports to Canada and Mexico by a
combined $33 billion above the current NAFTA
baseline. The agreement is also expected to increase
the U.S. GDP by $68 billion, stimulating
broad sectors of the economy the trucking industry
serves, like agriculture and manufacturing.
“NAFTA was the oldest of our 17 trade agreements
and due for the sorts of modernization that
USMCA made,” said ATA Chief Economist Senior
Vice President of International Trade Policy
and Cross-Border Operations Bob Costello.
“With this new trade agreement in place, we can
expect to see increases in exports to Canada and
Mexico and a measurable increase in our gross
domestic product in the years ahead. Because
trucks move 70% of all freight in the U.S., implementation
of USMCA will have direct benefits to
the trucking industry.”
In 2018, trucks moved more than $770 billion
b DAT from page 17 b
ground,” according to Ken Adamo, DAT chief
of analytics.
“This pilot is an important step as we develop
and broaden the commercial scope of our bestin-class
forecasting tools,” explained Adamo.
“Our forecasting is based on the most historically
complete database on the market today. That’s
worth of goods between the U.S., Canada and
Mexico, and transnational trade between the three
countries supported roughly 90,000 U.S. jobs in
the trucking industry. Those figures should only
increase as USMCA is implemented.
“But more than that, it is proof positive that
even in this increasingly polarized political environment,
our elected leaders can still get big
things done for the good of our country,” Spear
said. “President Trump, Speaker Pelosi and Leader
McConnell all deserve credit for setting aside
partisanship and moving this important modernization
of our trade policy forward.
“We hope that this shared victory will pave
the way for more bipartisan solutions on the critical
issues facing our country, such as the infrastructure
crisis and the skyrocketing costs it’s imposing
on the American people.”
Mexico has already approved the agreement.
Canada is expected to do so in coming months,
with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government
long insisting it would wait for U.S. approval before
proceeding.
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., was a rare voice
in speaking against the United States-Mexico-
Canada Agreement. “It will mean higher prices
for American consumers, who will have to pay
more money for a car and therefore will have less
money available for any of the other things they
would like to consume,” Toomey said.
The agreement aims to have more cars produced
in the U.S., where workers earn an average
of at least $16 an hour. It also secured changes
that require Mexico to change its laws to make
it easier for workers to form independent unions,
which should improve worker conditions and
wages and reduce the incentive for U.S. companies
to relocate their plants. 8
important, because the best indicator of future
prices is historical prices, and by teaming with
Knight-Swift, we can continue to refine the algorithms
to solve real-world problems.”
“Our customers grapple with uncertainty every
day,” added Claude Pumilia, DAT Solutions
CEO and president. “That’s why we’re proud to
have earned the trust of Knight-Swift and look
forward to working with them as they put our rate
forecasting tools to use and get a clearer picture of
the road ahead.” 8
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THETRUCKER.COM
Business February 1-14, 2020 • 19
b Sales from page 17 b
12.6% December 2018 sales of 6,824.
Why would OTR tractor sales be falling
while vocational truck sales rise? The answer,
according to ACT Research President and
Senior Analyst Kenny Vieth, is in the current
economy. “It’s not that the U.S. economy is
bad,” he said, “it’s that the truckload segment
is bad.” Vieth points to the tariff war between
the U.S. and China and other countries as a
factor in depressing U.S. manufacturing, resulting
in fewer loads to haul. He sees better
days ahead, but it may take awhile for them
to get here.
“The risk of an economy-wide recession
that was a growing concern through Q3’19
has largely faded,” he said in a Jan. 20 release,
“with healthy consumer fundamentals expected
to provide sufficient momentum to get
through the slow patch in industrial activity.”
What does that mean for trucking? “That said,”
Vieth explained, “the manufacturing recession
continues, and the supply-demand imbalance
between trucks and freight currently weighing
on carrier profitability is likely to extend deep
into 2020.”
Vieth also said he thinks new truck sales
are due to decline, but with a caveat: “While a
downturn is expected this year, the silver living
is that the expected production decline in 2020
will pale compared to the 42% drop recorded
in 2007.”
While sales of new trucks continued at a
high level, orders for future delivery of new
Class 8 trucks were lower, according to ACT
Research, who estimated orders for 20,000
units in December. “Overbuying through
2019 and insufficient freight to absorb the ensuing
capacity overhang continued to weigh
on the front end of the Class 8 demand cycle
in December,” said Vieth.
He continued, the build backlog for new
trucks, once approaching a full year, has been
steadily shrinking. Because of production cutbacks
at manufacturing centers and idle days
in December, the backlog of orders grew for
the first time in months. Order cancellations,
which typically rise when carriers are expecting
difficult times, have remained low for
months.
ACT also reported an increase in used
Class 8 truck sales of 8% compared to November
but were still down 3% from December
2018 pricing. Capacity in the freight
hauling market will continue to impact used
truck pricing, according to ACT vice president
Steve Tam. “While the new year will probably
not be a mirror image of last year,” he said,
“we believe pricing will improve in the second
half of the year, but remind those in the
industry that ‘improve’ means ‘become less
negative.’”
As for individual manufacturers, several
set new annual U.S. sales records in 2019,
according to data received from Wards Intelligence.
Freightliner sold 7,634 Class 8 trucks
in December, besting only three other months
in 2019. It was enough to bring the annual total
to 100,944, breaching the 100,000 mark for
the first time, ever. For the year, Freightliner
sales bested 2018 results by 11%, compared to
10.3% for the entire market. Compared to November
sales of 7,046, the company’s December
results rose 8.3%.
Kenworth sales of 4,148 in December was
next highest and represented an increase of
18.2% over November sales of 3,508. Compared
to December 2018, sales dropped 8.1%. For the
year, Kenworth sold 42,058 units, 12.5% better
than 37,399 sold in 2018.
PACCAR sibling Peterbilt reported sales
of 3,839 in December, 9.5% above the 3,506
sold in November and 15.6% better than
3,322 sold in December 2018. For the full
year 2019, Peterbilt won PACCAR bragging
rights with sales of 42,126, 13.9% ahead of
2018 sales and just 68 trucks more than sold
by Kenworth in 2019.
Navistar’s International sold 1,702 trucks in
December, up 33.7% from November sales of
1,273. Compared to December 2018, however,
sales declined by 1,318 or 43.6%. International
sales for November and December were way
behind the monthly average of 3,483 for 2019.
In fact, if sales numbers from both months were
combined, the result would still be the secondworst
month of 2019 for the company.
Mack sales of 3,018 in December were a huge
improvement over November deliveries of 1,185,
resulting in a 154.7% increase. Compared to December
2018 when 2,655 trucks were sold, the
numbers increased 13.7%.
Volvo’s 1,993 trucks sold in December was
30.4% better than November’s 1,527, the worst
month of the year for the OEM. Compared to December
2018, when 2,983 were sold, the numbers
declined by 33.2%.
For the full year, Volvo was the only OEM to
sell fewer trucks than in 2018. The company sold
1,287 fewer trucks in 2019, falling from 26,794 to
25,507 for a decline of 4.8% in a market that rose
10.3% on the year.
Freightliner captured 36.5% of the U.S.
new, Class 8 market in 2019, compared to
36.3% in 2018. Kenworth and Peterbilt were
next at 15.2% (rounded) with Peterbilt just
slightly ahead. In 2018, Kenworth captured
14.9% of the market while Peterbilt took
14.8%. International’s 13.7% was identical
to its 2018 market share. Mack’s share of the
market grew by 0.3%, from 7.4% in 2018 to
7.7% in 2019. Even tiny Western Star grew its
share, rising from 2.3% to 2.5%. Volvo was the
only OEM to lose market share, dropping from
10.7% of new, Class 8 trucks sold in the U.S. in
2018 to 9.2% in 2019. Finally, newcomer to the
Class 8 market Hino didn’t move the needle off
of the 0.0% mark with sales of 18 trucks, leaving
plenty of room for growth in 2020.
Down the road, another hurdle looms for
manufacturers and buyers of new trucks. On
January 6 the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) issued an Advance Notice of
Proposed Rule (ANPR) seeking comments on
the proposed Cleaner Trucks Initiative. The
EPA seeks to further reduce Nitrous Oxide
(NOx) emissions from diesel powered vehicles.
It’s too early to say how new regulation
will impact the cost of new equipment,
but technology hasn’t come cheaply to the
trucking industry and new requirements will
undoubtedly push truck prices upward. Fortunately,
any new standards aren’t expected to
take effect during the 2020 model year.
Where the truck market heads in 2020, including
freight rates, will depend on the economy.
Currently in the longest recession-free
period in history, the economy seems to keep
chugging along despite gloomy predictions
from some sectors. As always, trucking will
rise and fall with the economic tides. 8
Industry veteran Eric Anson named
new president of Transport America
EAGAN, Minn. – TFI International Inc.,
a North American leader in the transportation
and logistics industry, has announced
that Eric Anson has been named president
of U.S. Truckload operating company Transport
America (TA).
Anson joined TA in 2017 and moves into
the company’s top leadership role from his
previous position as vice president of operations.
He will have executive responsibility
for the company’s overall operating and
sales strategy, market growth and financial
performance and will report to Greg Orr, executive
vice president of TFI responsible for
TFI’s U.S. truckload operations.
“Eric is a respected industry executive
with proven experience building successful,
profitable truckload operations,” said Orr.
“I’m confident Eric’s leadership skills combined
with his background of progressive
growth and innovation will complement our
team and continue to improve the quality
and depth of the service offerings we provide
our customers.”
Anson brings a deep background in
truckload industry operations to his new
role. Prior to TA, he served in increasingly
senior operations and management positions
with Knight Transportation, Marten
www.stellarelectronic.com
Courtesy: TRANSPORT AMERICA
Eric Anson, an industry veteran with proven
leadership skills and experience, will serve
as the president of Transport America.
Transportation and Interstate Distributors.
He’s a graduate of Oregon State University
where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
Anson will be based at TA’s operating
headquarters in Eagan, Minnesota. 8
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20 • February 1-14, 2020 Business
THETRUCKER.COM
MCCOLLISTER’S AUTO TRANSPORT
FLEET EXPANSION
A health management plan can help
drivers pass a DOT medical exam
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:
JOE CSIK, DRIVER SUPPORT
609-526-9490
MCCOLLISTER’S ENCLOSED AUTO TRANSPORT
FLEET IS CONTINUING TO GROW DUE TO OUR
CLIENTS AND OUR TALENTED DRIVERS.
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
FOR OWNER OPERATORS &
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Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
In trucking, things were simpler in the old
days. That sentiment includes the process of
medical qualification. Just like with the CDL
and the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, the
FMCSA has made it much easier for law enforcement
and potential employers to access
your information.
Once upon a time, a driver could simply obtain
the appropriate forms and find a medical
professional to perform the exam. Drivers who
didn’t pass or didn’t like something in the results
could simply find another examiner.
Times have changed. Medical examiners
must be registered with the FMCSA and report
their findings to a national registry, which keeps
the exam results on file.
Examiners still have the option of granting a
two-year certification or one for a shorter period,
such as a year, six or three months. What’s different
is that the examiner can delay the certification
while obtaining additional information.
The changes have created havoc for some
drivers but, in many cases, the driver is responsible.
Hypertension, for example, is commonly diagnosed
in the driving population. In most cases,
an inexpensive pill per day keeps blood pressure
under control. Too many drivers, however, don’t
get prescriptions refilled or renewed and end up
failing the next physical exam. Instead of getting
back on the meds and retaking blood pressure
readings later, examining physicians can require
further testing. The examiner can delay for up to
45 days while awaiting results. That’s more than
six weeks that the driver can’t earn a paycheck.
Failed exams present another problem because
the driver can’t simply try again at another
doctor. When a condition is diagnosed, it generally
must be treated before passing the exam.
The first two pages of the most recent exam
form are taken up with spaces for questions about
things like surgery and medications, including
Safety Series
herbal supplements. “Yes” answers to any of
them may require documentation of treatment
and testing results to convince the examiner that
the condition is under control. Questions asking
about anxiety, diabetes, sleep apnea and more are
designed to uncover issues and make sure they
are treated. Questions about alcohol and illegal
substances seek to uncover untreated issues.
While it may be tempting to simply check
the “No” box to each question, remember that
a national registry makes it possible to compare
physical exams taken at different times and with
different examiners. It may be better to answer
truthfully and bring documentation for any items
the examiner may question. Examiners often ask
who’s your regular primary physician? If your response
is the local urgent care center, your chances
of a delayed certification rise dramatically.
Examiners want to know that you are aware of
health issues and are complying with prescribed
treatments. They want to know you are managing
your health rather than letting it manage you.
Before your next exam is due, take an inventory
of your health issues. Is your eyeglass prescription
current? Have you renewed your prescriptions
for blood pressure, cholesterol or blood
sugar medications? Are you using your CPAP or
BPAP machine, and has your physician reviewed
results in the past few months?
As we age and, in many cases, grow heavier,
the likelihood of medical issues increases. By
managing your health, including periodic visits to
a doctor who knows you and your file, you can be
better prepared for your next DOT physical exam.
This effort will decrease the chances of your driving
career being interrupted by a failed or delayed
certification. An unpaid vacation while you try to
“fix” shortcomings in your health management
plan is an expensive way to get healthier. 8
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National Carriers
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22 • February 1-14, 2020 Business
THETRUCKER.COM
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For For ad ad information
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THE TRUCKER
News Channel
Tune in and watch at
TheTrucker.com

Equipment
February 1-14, 2020 • 23
Courtesy: KENWORTH TRUCK CO.
The Kenworth T680 autonomous vehicle software and feedback control logic for actuation
are hosted on five computers that record up to 1TB of data per hour of driving.
ACT Research, FTR report trailer
orders fell off again in December
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
Both FTR Transportation Intelligence and
ACT Research report that trailer orders saw a decline
in December 2019 from both the previous
month as well as December of the previous year.
FTR states that preliminary trailer orders
for December were the lowest since August
at 16,500 units. December trailer orders were
-17% month over month and -41% year over
year. Trailer orders for 2019 totaled 203,000
units. This decline is likely because fleets are
displaying the same caution on trailers as they
are showing in their Class 8 order activity.
ACT Research’s preliminary estimates for
trailer sales also indicates a significant decline
for December 2019 with trailer manufacturers
booked 17,200 net orders to their orderboards
last month, which is a 13% decline from November
volume. Activity was 37% below last
December. For the full year, the industry saw
a 51% decline versus 2018 volume, the lowest
since 2011.
Before accounting for cancellations, ACT
found that new orders in December were
17,900 trailers, off 16% month-over-month
and 39% below last year. Full-year new orders
of just over 244,000 units were down
44% versus 2018. Final volume will be available
later this month. This preliminary market
estimate should be within +/- 3% of the
final order tally.
See Trailers on p24 m
Courtesy: GEOSPACELABS
Florida has adopted the FMCSA’s regulations for electronic logging devices (ELD) to report
compliance with intrastate hours of service rules. Florida is the second state after Texas to
comply with reporting requirements for travel within the state’s boundaries.
Kenworth Truck Co. introduces new
Level 4 autonomous T680 at CES
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
LAS VEGAS — Kenworth Truck Co. exhibited
a Level 4 Autonomous Kenworth T680
in the PACCAR booth at CES last month.
The proof-of-concept truck was conceived
and constructed at the PACCAR Innovation
Center. PACCAR has worked with leading experts
in the field of high-definition mapping,
localization, perception and path planning to
deliver an integrated autonomous solution, according
to Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer.
We said the special Kenworth T680 is
equipped with cameras, LiDAR (light detection
and ranging) sensors, and radars to sense
the surrounding road environment and to feed
fusion algorithms in the perception stack for
object identification and tracking.
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
LAKELAND, Fla. – GeoSpace Labs has
announced the general availability of the Official
Florida Intrastate FMCSA Registered
Electronic Logging Device (ELD). This tool
is an easy-to-use, low-cost means for drivers
and companies to comply with the Florida FS
316.302 regulation.
“Florida recently adopted the FCMSA’s
regulations for using electronic logging devices
to report on a truck’s compliance with the
intrastate hours of service rules,” noted Geo-
Space Labs CEO David Lady. “If this sounds
new, it is. Florida is only the second state after
A Global Navigation Satellite System with
an Inertial Measurement Unit combined with
LiDAR Point Cloud on a high-definition map
provides centimeter accuracy localization.
The autonomous vehicle software and feedback
control logic for actuation are hosted on
five computers that record up to 1TB of data
per hour of driving.
Mechanical modifications to the Kenworth
T680a include redundant steering torque overlay
system, a high-fidelity electronically controlled
air braking system, and the addition of
rear seats in the sleeper structure for the autonomous
engineering team.
“Kenworth and the PACCAR Innovation
Center in Silicon Valley are working closely
See Kenworth on p24 m
Courtesy: GREAT DANE
FTR Transportation Intelligence reports that trailer orders for December were the lowest
since August at 16,500 units. ACT Research indicates that trailer manufacturers booked
17,200 net orders last month.
Official Florida Intrastate ELD
now available from GeoSpace Labs
Texas to require commercial truck drivers to
comply with reporting requirements for travel
solely with the state’s boundaries.”
What are these rules? There are four.
• Drivers may drive 12 hours after 10 consecutive
hours off duty. This means a driver can
drive for 12 straight hours (i.e Miami to Pensacola)
after they have had 10 hours of rest.
• Drivers may not drive after 16th hour after
coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours
off duty. This means a person cannot work more
than 16 straight hours, even if they have not driven
the maximum 12 hours allowed. The 16 hours
See Florida on p24 m

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24 • February 1-14, 2020 Equipment
b Kenworth from page 23 b
b Trailers from page 23 b
“The year closed on a disappointing note,
as fleets continue to maintain a very conservative
stance toward 2020 capital investment,”
said Frank Maly, director of CV transportation
analysis and research at ACT Research. “Backlog
declined in 11 months of 2019, with October
being the only exception to that trend. The yearend
orderboard sets a very soft foundation for
OEMs for the new year, as OEMs seek to better
balance their production volumes to their existing
orderboard.”
The large carriers are being careful with
their ordering strategies by placing smaller orders
with shorter lead times than are typical at
the end of a calendar year, according to FTR.
A great deal of uncertainty exists at the start of
2020 due to a weaker manufacturing segment,
the drag of tariffs and a tumultuous political
b Florida from page 23 b
includes all drive time and any stops for lunch
or bathroom breaks.
• Drivers may not drive after 70/80 hours
on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. 34 consecutive
hours off constitutes end of 7/8 day period.
This means a driver is allowed to work for
70 hours over a 7 day period or 80 hours over
an 8 day period if they also comply with the
other hours of service rules regarding drive
time. After the 70- or 80-hour mark, a driver
must have 34 hours off duty to reset the 70 or
80 hour work window.
THETRUCKER.COM
together to explore and develop the latest advanced
driver assistance systems and other new
technologies that offer safety and efficiency
benefits for truck fleets and drivers. The Level
4 Autonomous Kenworth T680 is a perfect platform
to study this technology in real-world applications,”
Dean said.
Level 4 autonomy offers a vehicle that is
fully autonomous but only in certain conditions.
A level 4 can only handle certain speeds and
certain terrain. The driver does not need to be
fully in control during travel but must take over
suddenly when the vehicle is no longer able to
handle a situation. 8
situation. Buyer nervousness is expected to increase
throughout the year due to the upcoming
election and conflict in the Middle East.
Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial
vehicles, commented, “Freight is forecast to
grow only about 1% this year, putting little pressure
on fleets to boost trailer capacity as they did
the last few years. However, total freight levels
remain elevated and trailer production for 2020,
although down significantly from 2019’s record
year, is forecast to be good from a historical
perspective. Fleets are expected to continue to
replace old trailers based on their standard tradein
cycles. Van trailers sales, spurred by strong
consumer spending, are still doing better than
the vocational segments.”
Trailer orders should stay in the 20,000
unit a month range for a while, as fleets continue
to carefully match orders with shortterm
demand. Eventually, the manufacturing
sector should recover, generating more orders
for flatbed and dump trailers.” 8
• Drivers who do not exceed a 150 air
mile radius and no placarded hazardous materials
are exempt from maintaining a log
book. Drivers not released from duty within
12 hours must document driving time. This
means drivers who travel within 150 air miles
(about 172 statute), do not carry hazardous
materials, and operate less than 12 straight
hours are not required to maintain a log book.
The Florida ELD is especially designed
to manage the intrastate rules and has special
tools just for Florida. It is priced at roughly
half the cost of traditional ELD systems at
$10 per month because of the specific limited
Florida scope. 8
FOR RECRUITING
| 905-895-6688 ext. 231
| 800-387-9796 ext. 231
| jobs@skeltontruck.com
www.skeltontruck.com
GREAT BENEFITS
• Fuel surcharge
• Safety Bonus
• Paid Layover
• Waiting Times
• 401K Contributions
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• Paid Pick Ups/ Deliveries
• Paid Statutory Holidays
• Company Paid Insurance
NOW HIRING U.S. TEAMS
Owner Operator Teams | Average $1.75/Hub Mile
Company Teams | Average $0.86/Hub Mile
95% OF OUR DRIVERS CALL SKELTON HOME
FOR THEIR ENTIRE CAREER

Features
February 1-14, 2020 • 25
The Trucker: Wendy Miller
Chad Fowler, far right, and a group of friends transformed his 1996 379 short-hood Peterbilt into a comfortable, energy-efficient ride in about 90 days. The truck features solar panels, a 110-
inch double sleeper, a pronounced Batman symbol and a plethora of other small details.
‘Pride in my ride’: Arkansas trucker brings solar power, style to his ‘96 Peterbilt
Wendy Miller
wendym@thetrucker.com
Photos of a Peterbilt with solar panels
on top and a Batman logo on the side of the
sleeper have made their rounds online with
sightings and posts from Pennsylvania to Arizona.
Social media trucking groups are buzzing
as many wonder “who’s truck is that?”
and “how do you put solar panels on a truck?”
Well, The Trucker tracked down the owner of
this striking Peterbilt and luckily, he was willing
to share the details of what he says is “just
a work truck.”
First things first, what’s up with those solar
panels? “That’s what everyone talks about —
those panels,” Chad Fowler, a native of Conway,
Arkansas, said with a smile. He suggested
making a small sign with all the details and
standing it in front of the truck while he is parked
Courtesy: Cumberland International Trucks
Samantha Johnson, service manager for
Cumberland International, said she isn’t intimidated
by working in a male-dominated
industry. She encourages other women to
embrace the challenge.
at the truck stop. He gets lots of questions.
“When I was a kid, we would get these
magazines that always had things in the back
for sale, and I always saw these solar panels
and I thought ‘why isn’t everybody doing
that?’” Fowler said. “It is free energy.”
As he got older, solar panels became more
common and more affordable. After a long career
as a diesel mechanic, Fowler was ready
for a change and decided to buy a truck and go
over the road. He purchased a 1996 379 Peterbilt
with a simple black and chrome design,
but only a couple of years after he bought the
truck, it was hit in a truck stop parking lot. He
took the downtime for repairs as an opportunity
to design a truck that would be as cool
as it is comfortable. And he remembered that
“free energy” he had seen advertised.
“Everybody said ‘you can’t put solar panels
Cliff Abbott
cliffa@thetrucker.com
NASHVILLE — Many people in the industry
credit their love for trucking to a family member
who taught them during their formative years.
For Samantha Johnson, the mentoring of a grandfather
in the family’s Massachusetts paving and
snow removal business was a key to her personal
growth. That growth has taken her to the position
of service manager for Cumberland International
Trucks in Nashville, Tennessee. It has also earned
her recognition as Women in Trucking’s (WIT)
January 2020 Member of the Month.
“Even when I was very young, I’d be on the
side of the road, working on a paving crew,” she
on a truck,’” Fowler said. “To my knowledge,
I’m one of the first ones to do that.”
Fowler debunked that myth quickly with
the help of a few friends who were up for a
challenge. Within 90 days, a damaged 1996
Peterbilt was transformed into the striking,
energy-efficient truck that is catching eyes all
over the country.
Simply put, the panels funnel energy into
a charge controller underneath the sleeper that
charges a battery bank. When the batteries are
fully charged, the controller shuts the panels off.
That means Fowler doesn’t have to idle when he
isn’t on the road — at least not for about 10 hours.
The energy banked from the solar panels
is enough to power everything in his sleeper,
including a television, cooking equipment and
even the air conditioning system. Fowler said
he also saves fuel. How much fuel? Fowler
told The Trucker. “When equipment broke, I’d
help make repairs. My grandfather would have
me diagnose equipment problems and recommend
repairs. Then, I’d make the repairs under
his supervision.”
Diagnosing problems and making repairs
soon led to more responsibility. “When I got
older, I’d supervise the other shop personnel,”
she said.
It wasn’t trucks that prompted Johnson to
leave the Northeast, it was horses. “There isn’t
much of a rodeo scene in Massachusetts,” she
offered. “That’s why I moved to Nashville.” She
still participates in barrel racing events across the
southeastern U.S. “We’ll pack up the kids, hook
said in the first year the energy from his solar
panels kept nearly $20,000 in his pocket.
After the accident but before the work got
started, Fowler took to Texas where the company
he is leased to, Generic Trucking, is based.
He found the owner had recently purchased
two trucks with 110-inch double eagle sleepers.
He asked to have one, and that sleeper now
dons a large Batman logo as a tribute to his exwife’s
son who passed away.
The truck’s 255-inch wheelbase is stock, but
with a sleeper that size it should be somewhere
around 270-inch, so Fowler said someday he
would like to stretch it. To accommodate the
sleeper now, he had to move his fifth wheel all
the way to the end of the frame, which has yet
to cause any problems.
Seemingly Fowler’s favorite part of the
See Solar on p27 m
‘A love for diesel’: Experience with her Massachusetts family
business leads to a career as a technician for Nashville woman
up the trailer and we might make two or three different
events on a weekend,” she said. She and
her family care for 13 horses on their 45-acre
property in the Nashville area. They are also active
in their local church, as time permits.
On Monday, she’s all business. “My department
has 23 technicians, three shop foremen and
four service advisors,” she said. She has held every
one of those positions at one time or another,
starting with her role in the family business years
ago. “I did a lot of the engine work myself,” she
related. “I remember one project, a 5.9 (liter)
Cummins where we needed to remove the cylinder
head. Grandpa supervised while I did most
See Diesel on p26 m

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26 • February 1-14, 2020 Features
b Diesel from page 25 b
of the work.” She added, “he was a great teacher
and mentor.”
After moving to Nashville, Johnson worked
in management at Valvoline and then as a service
advisor at a Ford dealership before hiring on at
Cumberland International. “I’ve always had a
love for diesel,” she said, “but I always dreamed
of working in fire and app (apparatus).” Her role
at Cumberland has allowed her to work with both.
As service advisor and shop foreman, she
continued to diagnose and repair the diesel’s
she loves, but the work she most appreciates
came later.
In 2017, the dealerships “fire and app” division
was incorporated in Johnson’s department,
where it has grown to its present size. “We handle
90% of Nashville fire work and have customers
in all of Tennessee and beyond,” she explained.
“It’s my pride and joy.” Although it’s only a part
of what her department handles, it’s a part she
likes a lot. “I particularly enjoy pump testing,”
she said. “I still take calls in the middle of the
THETRUCKER.COM
night when a fire department has equipment that
isn’t working.”
Working in an industry dominated by males
doesn’t intimidate Johnson. “I think some women
in the trucking industry get scared away by
the male domination,” she said. “They need to
know they can be successful if they work to gain
the respect of doubters and don’t back down.”
Gaining respect has been the cornerstone of her
success in the industry, as she feels that demonstration
of her competence is more meaningful
than confrontation.
Johnson also helps guide her company’s participation
in WIT. “We’re a corporate member,”
she explained. “Another person and I attend
monthly meetings and help determine the dealership’s
participation.”
Johnson’s success serves as an example to
anyone trying to advance in the industry and especially
to women working in a field that is traditionally
male. “Trust in your capabilities and
don’t back down,” she said. “You’ll earn the respect
of doubters.”
With her success in the shop, the arena and
the service manager’s office, Johnson has set an
example for others. 8
The Trucker Crossword
9
7
The Trucker Crossword
4
11
5
12
6
8
10
1
13
2
14
3
• Looking for owner operators
with 2 years oTR experience
• We Have Fleet owners
Looking for Drivers
• Base Plate Program Available
• Top solos grossing 300K
$5,000
Bonus
20
15
18
17
16
21
19
22
Across
ACROSS
8 In 2019, The ____________ the
8. In 2019, The ____________ the Truck Fleet Coalition
Coalition staged a rally staged in Washington. a
Truck Fleet
rally in Washington.
9. Villavarayan is new president of this company.
9 Villavarayan 11. This is type new of expense president is not of eligible for an income
tax deduction.
this company.
11 This type 15. of Love’s expense plans to is add not about ____ locations in
eligible for 2020. an income tax
deduction. 16. America’s #1 killer (2 words).
15 Love's plans 18. Boyhood to add home about of Hank ____ Snow (2 words.)
locations 19. in Owner-Operators 2020. must have one of these to file
16 America's taxes. #1 killer (2 wds).
18 Boyhood 20. home Averitt of Expresses Hank Snow donated (2 over a million of
wds.) these to St. Jude’s Hospital.
22. Missouri Governor wants to improve roads
19 Owner-Operators must have one
with using funds from fuel __________.
of these
DOWN
to file taxes.
20 Averitt Expresses 1. Canadian Highway donated Angelover a
million of 2. these ATA says to agreement St. Jude's between the U.S. and
Hospital. ______ is good for the industry.
22 Missouri Governor wants to
improve roads with using funds
from fuel __________.
Down
3. Brittany Richardson drives a pink truck to spread
1
awareness
Canadian
of this subject.
Highway Angel
24. Partnered ATA says with Werner agreement Enterprises between the
5. Reserved U.S. and __________ ______ is is a frustration good for for the York.
6. Trimble industry. and Kuebix have joined forces to be-
Brittany a ____ provider. Richardson drives a pink
3come
7. High truck water to can spread cause one awareness of these. of this
10. subject. ABF has announced its 2020 _______
4_________ Partnered Team (2 with words.) Werner Enterprises
512. Arkansas Reserved trucker __________ uses is panels a frustration to help
power for his York. truck.
613. A Trimble new Crash and ________ Kuebix Study is have proposed joined by the
FMCSA. forces to become a ____ provider.
714. Self-employed High water drivers can cause must make one ________ of these.
estimated tax payments to IRS.
10 ABF has announced its 2020 _______
17. Compensatory and punitive are to types of
these
_________
a jury can award
Team
in
(2
a civil
wds.)
case.
12 21. WIT Arkansas Member of trucker Month was uses inspired ______ by family panels
asphalt. to help power his truck.
13 A new Crash ________ Study is
proposed by the FMCSA.
14 Self-employed drivers must make
________ estimated tax payments to

THETRUCKER.COM
b Solar from page 25 b
truck is the hood. He is sure to use the proper
voice inflation to stress that it is a SHORT hood
Peterbilt, but with a few adjustments.
“We took the hood apart and redid it because
on a short-hood Peterbilt, the hood is sloped,”
Fowler said. “We got some extended Peterbilt
hood panels and cut them down to fit my front
end and took all of the slope out of it. There’s only
a couple of guys who have ever walked up to it
and said ‘man, that’s a short hood.’ It’s just one of
the subtle details.”
The EKG design that runs along the hood is an
actual heartbeat pattern, and placed on the hood
for a good reason. Fowler said, “It represents the
power under the hood — that’s the heartbeat.”
The heartbeat Fowler refers to is a 700
horsepower 3406E model Caterpillar engine
with a 13-speed transmission. It averages 8.4
miles per gallon. All in all, Fowler said his
truck is a “brand new 1996 Peterbilt,” which
has served him well as he spends most of the
year on the road hauling trade show equipment
from coast to coast.
Next question: “Why pink?” The answer
will surprise some: “Pink is my favorite color,”
Fowler said. “It’s different.” He admits that
he’s often gotten some comments about pink
being his favorite color, but he’s been told it
sets off the color of his eyes.
The speed with which Fowler and his crew
completed the transformation of what he calls
his “solar Peterbilt” was in hopes of completing
the job in time to show it to his dad. Unfortunately,
his dad passed away before the truck was
completed.
“[My dad] saw it originally when it was
black and silver and he loved it,” Fowler said. “I
talked to him on the phone and he said, ‘you’re
where you belong’ because my dad was a worker
and he said, ‘get the truck done, get back on the
road and get to work.’ So, that is what I did.”
Even though Fowler didn’t initially jump
right into truck driving, he and his brother basically
grew up in the cab of a Kenworth as his
dad hauled chickens for 47 years. He held back
tears as he fondly remembered being raised by
a single truck driver. During the school year, he
and his brother stayed with their grandmother,
but when school was out, they were right there
in the truck with their dad.
“I don’t see how he did it, because you know
how toddlers are,” Fowler said. “You’ve got two
kids in the cab of a little bitty truck, I don’t see
how he didn’t kill us, but we made it work.”
Fowler’s background as a trucker’s kid put
a specific idea of a truck’s décor in his mind, so
naturally there are hints of old-school trucking
throughout his solar Peterbilt including chrome
accents and lots of chicken lights.
“I grew up on that stuff,” he said.
Fowler didn’t skimp on the interior details,
either. Inside the truck, the floors are real hardwood
which Fowler installed himself for a lot less
money than the $1,300 he was quoted for the job.
“I was raised different than that, so I went
down to Lowe’s and got ¾-inch solid wood floor,
tongue and groove and made my own wood floor
for a couple hundred bucks,” Fowler said.
Unique but subtle is the overall look that
Fowler sought, and he topped it off with a Batman
emblem on the front of the truck where
most feature a Peterbilt logo. The emblem was
specifically designed for him and the “1 of 1”
marking on the back ensures that the design
will not be duplicated.
The part of the truck that makes Fowler’s
eyes light up the most is among the most common
additions to any trucker’s rig — his CB
handle on both sides of the hood. Fowler goes
by Phantom 33, but his dad had the title first.
“Someday I hope I’m half the man that he
was,” Fowler said.
The latest detail Fowler has added to his truck
is a replica Rubber Duck hood ornament (from
“Convoy,” of course), but even that purchase was
one that Fowler thoroughly thought through.
“I don’t shop like a lot of people. I pick stuff
up and I look at it and then I put it back,” Fowler
said. “It took a while to get the hood ornament,
but that was the final touch to the outside.”
Features February 1-14, 2020 • 27
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Our business is assisting you with back tax issues.
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Tax debt is all we do. It’s not part of our
business, it IS our business
As for the questions Fowler gets while he
is one the road, he doesn’t mind too much. He
does, however, get asked often if his truck is
a show truck. He doesn’t have any immediate
plans to go that route, but he does hope that he
can help to show that everyone should take pride
in their work.
“I take a lot of pride in my ride; I take pride
in everything I do,” Fowler said. “If I can inspire
a few people or the next generation, I’ve
done my job. I want people to get active in the
trucking community again. Years ago, people
out here would go out of their way to help one
another. People would even tell their kids ‘if you
have a problem out on the road, just flag down a
trucker. They will help you.’ Somewhere along
the way America has lost all of this.” 8
The Trucker: Wendy Miller
The final detail Chad Fowler has added to his
Peterbilt is the Rubber Duck hood ornament.
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28 • February 1-14, 2020 Features
Averitt Express employees set record
with $1,000,001 donation to St. Jude’s
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Setting yet another
record for its largest-ever donation, truck drivers
and other employees of Averitt Express raised
$1,000,001 in 2019 that was recently donated to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
It marked the fifth consecutive year Averitt
employees have either matched or set a record in
their donation to St. Jude. The amount is also the
largest-ever employee-giving contribution to St.
Jude, eclipsing the previous record of $750,001
also held by Averitt.
“This donation is a team effort, and I’m humbled
by our team’s giving spirit that makes it possible,”
said Gary Sasser, Averitt’s chairman and
chief executive officer.
The donation was fueled by weekly contributions
from Averitt employees as part of Averitt
Cares for Kids, the company’s charitable employee-giving
program. More than 96% of Averitt associates
participate, giving $1 per week to help
St. Jude and other important causes. Additionally,
the company makes contributions to Averitt
Cares for Kids in recognition of associates’ accomplishments,
participation in community service
projects and life events.
“An important theme for our team is ‘The
Power of One’ — it represents the positive impact
all of us can make as we work together toward a
common goal,” Sasser added. “I’m proud of the
way we’ve worked together to accomplish this
Courtesy: Averitt Express
Averitt Express Fort Myers service center
director Isaiah Woodard (right) spends some
time with a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
patient during a recent visit to St. Jude.
milestone, and I’m even more excited to see how
we’ll make a bigger difference in the future.”
Since Averitt Cares for Kids began in 1987,
it has contributed close to $11 million overall to
numerous charities, including more than $8 million
to St. Jude.
Averitt Cares for Kids completed a $1.5 million
endowment to help fund the initial construction
of the St. Jude Leukemia and Lymphoma
Clinic, where most St. Jude patients are treated.
Averitt associates’ most recent contribution will
continue to support the innovative research and
lifesaving care at St. Jude, including the Leukemia
and Lymphoma Clinic. 8
3 Brittany Richardson drives a pink
truck to spread awareness of this
subject.
4 Partnered with Werner Enterprises
Down
1 Canadian Highway Angel
2 ATA says agreement between the
U.S. and ______ is good for the
industry.
THETRUCKER.COM
The Trucker Crossword Answer Key
N O V A S C O T I A I E I N
D O T T
R L A R R
H E A R T D I S E A S E
F O R T Y L H U U C
L O G A Q N
R I G S I C A
U B N E C
O R E I M B U R S E D T
T E K F A S
M E R I T O R S B N A
D E A M O D E R N I Z E
P P T E H R
Z C B
3
E O
G N Y
D O L L A R S N L
M D O R
19
14
2
13
1
10
8
6
12
T A X E S W
21
16
5
e ____________ the
t Coalition staged a
shington.
n is new president of
ny.
f expense is not
an income tax
17
11
4
18
15
7
22
20
9
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The Trucker Crossword
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THETRUCKER.COM February 1-14, 2020 • 29
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THETRUCKER.COM
Features February 1-14, 2020 • 31
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