091520_AllPages

The Trucker staff extends a big THANK YOU to the drivers who keep America moving! National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 13-19, 2020 

Vol. 33, No. 18 | September 15-30, 2020 | www.thetrucker.com 

Aim your 

camera 

at the 

code for 

more news! 

Associated Press Photo 

Truck driver appreciation 

Because of the crucial role 

truckers have played throughout 

2020, the observance 

of National Truck Driver 

Appreciation Week, Sept. 13-19, 

takes on special significance. 

Page 3 

Navigating the news 

Suspected I-5 shooter charged....4 

The Trucker Trainer.................6 

Cairo Bridge reopens...............7 

Love’s opens largest location.... 8 

Broker transparency.................11 

Pilot Flying J Road Warriors.... 13 

Rhythm of the Road.............15 

At the Truck Stop..................16 

Ask the Attorney...................18 

Rising freight rates...............19 

Fleet Focus...................................20 

Trailer orders up..........................23 

Serving those in need.............. 25 

Courtesy: Joanne O’Shaughnessy 

Driven to trucking 

Joanne O’Shaughnessy loves 

driving, which she applies to 

almost anything that goes fast 

when she isn’t behind the wheel 

of her Freightliner Classic XL. 

Page 25 

With some HOS changes poised to go into effect, a 

new pilot program means more could be on the horizon 

Cliff Abbott 

cliffa@thetruckermedia.com 

Drivers were enthusiastic about the final Federal 

Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

ruling, published June 1, that provided more flexibility 

in the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. 

The agency’s latest proposal, for a pilot program 

that could lead to even greater flexibility, was published 

in the Federal Register Sept. 3. 

The HOS changes in the June 1 final rule will 

take effect Sept. 29 unless blocked by court action 

or Congressional mandate. Four HOS rules 

will change. 

In CFR 395.1(e)(1), the short-haul exception 

that currently excuses drivers from logging requirements 

if they operate within a 100 air-mile radius 

and aren’t on duty for more than 12 hours changes 

to a 150 air-mile radius and a 14-hour shift. 

Drivers who qualify for the short-haul exception 

can keep track of their time instead of completing 

a record of duty status form or using an 

electronic logging device (ELD). Drivers must 

start and end their day at the same location to be 

eligible for this exception. 

Another issue addressed by the upcoming 

changes is the adverse driving conditions exception 

found in CFR 395.3. Currently, a driver who 

encounters unforeseen adverse driving conditions 

can drive up to an additional two hours, providing 

a total of 12 hours driving. The additional driving 

hours, however, do NOT extend the 14-hour rule, 

Courtesy: Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance 

Law-enforcement officials interacted with 29,921 

drivers of commercial vehicles during this year’s 

Operation Safe Driver Week, compared to 36,500 

drivers of passenger vehicles. 

iStock Photo 

The new hours-of-service rule takes effect on Sept. 29, just as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration calls for a pilot program to gather data for possible adjustments to the rule. 

making the exception unusable for a driver who 

has three hours of on-duty time the same day. 

With the change effective Sept. 29, the additional 

two hours applies to both driving time and 

the 14-hour clock, providing a work day of up to 

16 hours, with 13 driving hours. 

THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES 

GREENBELT, Md. —During this year’s 

Operation Safe Driver Week, July 12-18, lawenforcement 

personnel observed a total of 

66,421 drivers engaging in unsafe driver behaviors 

on roadways and issued 71,343 warnings 

and citations, according to the Commercial 

Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). These 

totals include both commercial motor vehicle 

drivers and drivers of passenger vehicles. 

CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Week, a driverfocused 

safety initiative aimed at curbing dangerous 

driver behaviors through interactions with 

law enforcement, was the alliance’s first enforcement 

initiative of the year, as a result of the postponement 

or cancellation of other enforcement 

campaigns because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Another change, however, could make the exception 

more difficult to use. Currently, the regulation 

defines “adverse driving conditions” as unusual 

road and traffic conditions (including weather) 

that were not “apparent on the basis of information 

See Horizon on p12 m 

Passenger vehicle warnings, citations triple 

those of motor carriers during Safe Driver Week 

Despite the pandemic, 3,681 enforcement 

officers from 55 Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions 

interacted with 29,921 commercial motor 

vehicle drivers and 36,500 passenger vehicle 

drivers during the week. There was a difference 

of fewer than 700 contacts made between 

law enforcement and commercial motor vehicle 

drivers compared to last year — 29,921 

contacts in July 2020 versus 30,619 in July 

2019. However, there was a larger discrepancy 

between 2020 and 2019 for interactions between 

law enforcement and passenger vehicle 

drivers. Last year, 70,321 contacts were made 

with drivers of passenger vehicles, compared to 

36,500 in 2020. That’s about a 50% drop. 

In addition to traffic stops, 2,605 motorists 

See CVSA on p9 m

2 • September 15-30, 2020 Nation 

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Nation September 15-30, 2020 • 3 

Truckers honored during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 


This year has offered unique situations and 

challenges, from the global COVID-19 pandemic 

to nationwide protests, weather-related 

disasters and more. Through it all, professional 

truck drivers have continued to keep the supply 

chain in motion, delivering vital groceries, 

medical supplies and many other products 

needed for everyday life. 

As both President Donald Trump and U.S. 

Secretary of Transportation Elain Chao have 

stated, “Thank God for truckers.” 

Because of the crucial role truckers have 

played throughout 2020, the observance of 

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, 

Sept. 13-19, takes on special significance, according 

to American Trucking Associations (ATA). 

“Americans in all 50 states have taken extraordinary 

steps to show their appreciation 

for the important work that professional truck 

drivers have done as we navigate our way 

through the coronavirus pandemic. From children 

passing out lunches, to ‘I Heart Truck’ 

signs across America’s highways, the public 

has taken notice of the essential role truck 

drivers play in their lives,” reads a note on the 

ATA website. 

According to ATA, there are approximately 

3.5 million men and women serving as professional 

drivers, with a goal of not only delivering 

goods safely, securely and on time, but also 

keeping the nation’s highways safe. 

In appreciation of the nation’s truckers, 

Associated Press Photo 

This year’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week takes on added meaning as people 

throughout the nation thank truckers for keeping grocery shelves stocked and transporting 

critical medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores, Pilot 

Flying J and TravelCenters of America are 

offering special deals and giveaways throughout 

the month of September. 

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores 

During September, members of Love’s My 

Love Rewards program can take advantage of 

deals on fresh food, snacks and drinks. In addition, 

from Sept. 14-18, drivers can get up to 

5,000 My Love Rewards points (a $50 value) 

with the purchase of certain products. 

Love’s is also celebrating by giving away 

four million points: Each week, a different 

driver will win one million My Love Rewards 

points (a $10,000 value). 

“We enjoy celebrating professional truck 

drivers all year long and with special promotions 

each September, but with the pandemic 

we are especially ready to say, ‘Thank you.’” 

said Jon Archard, vice president of fleet sales 

for Love’s. “As essential workers, professional 

truck drivers have continued to work 

hard to deliver important products and goods 

throughout the country, and the country is 

really in their debt.” 

Offers for pro drivers during September 

include: 

• Fresh food, snack and drink deals. 

• From Sept. 14-18, drivers can get points 

back for purchases, ranging from 100 to 5,000 

MLR points (equal to $1-$50) on items like 

Love’s branded oil products and GPS systems. 

• Free Love’s hat with the purchase of three 

pairs of gloves. 

• Free drink and shower credits with qualifying 

fuel purchases (year-round). 

Drivers will be entered into the weekly 

one-million-point giveaway each time they 

swipe their My Love Rewards card for fuel, 

truck care or in-store purchases at Love’s and 

Speedco locations. Drivers can also visit any 

Love’s location with a touch screen and follow 

the steps for the four million My Love 

Rewards points giveaway section to enter. 

Winners will be announced every Friday 

throughout the month. 

Pilot Flying J 

Pilot Company is turning National Driver 

Appreciation Week, Sept. 13-19, into a monthlong 

celebration with free drinks and deals exclusively 

for professional drivers. 

“Professional drivers deserve our gratitude 

every day,” said Shameek Konar, chief strategy 

officer for Pilot Company. “The last few 

See Appreciation on p6 m 

THANK YOU to Flatbed Truck Drivers and All 

Essential Workers on the Front Line of Covid-19 

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• Great Home Time and 

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Paid Holidays 

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ATA files lawsuit against ocean carriers, alleges 

conduct in violation of U.S. Shipping Act 

USPS 972 

Volume 33, Number 18 

September 15-30, 2020 


ARLINGTON, Va. — The American 

Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Intermodal 

Motor Carrier Conference (IMCC) filed suit 

in August with the Federal Maritime Commission 

(FMC). The suit alleges that foreignowned 

ocean shipping lines engaged in unjust 

and unreasonable conduct in violation of 

the U.S. Shipping Act, and that those unlawful 

actions have resulted in overcharges for 

truckers and their customers for intermodal 

container chassis at ports and inland terminals 

throughout the U.S. 

“For more than a decade, these foreignowned 

companies have worked together to 

take advantage of hardworking American 

trucking companies,” said Bill Sullivan, 

ATA’s executive vice president for advocacy. 

“By denying truckers choice of equipment 

providers at port and inland locations, 

these unscrupulous companies have been 

forcing American truckers and American 

consumers to subsidize their costs to the tune 

of nearly $1.8 billion — over the last three 

years alone,” he continued. “This must end, 

and after several attempts to come to a mutually 

beneficial resolution, we are now asking 

the FMC to resolve it.” 

IMCC filed its complaint with the FMC 

Aug. 17, alleging that the Ocean Carrier 

Equipment Management Association 

(OCEMA) and 11 ocean carriers have denied 

trucking companies the right of choice 

when leasing essential equipment, forcing 

unjust and unreasonable prices upon trucking 

companies. In an attempt to avoid legal 

iStock Photo 

A complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission by the American Trucking Associations’ 

Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference alleges that ocean carriers are acting in violation of the 

U.S. Shipping Act, costing motor carriers nearly $2 billion in subsidy costs. 

action, IMCC sent a cease and desist letter 

to OCEMA in May. ATA says OCEMA failed 

to address the violations that were raised in 

the letter. 

“By denying motor carriers their choice 

of chassis provider to haul goods in and out 

of ports, OCEMA’s overseas members have 

held US motor carriers hostage and forced 

them to subsidize the shipping lines,” said 

Randy Guillot, ATA chairman and president 

of Triple G Express and Southeastern Motor 

Freight. “So far OCEMA and its members 

have rejected all of our attempts to reach a 

fair and equitable arrangement, but we believe 

they’ll have less success ignoring the 

FMC.” 

In its complaint, the IMCC outlines a 

number of ongoing violations of the Shipping 

Act and is seeking injunctive relief 

against OCEMA and the shipping lines. 8 

The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the 

trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media Group at 

1123 S. University, Suite 325 

Little Rock, AR 72204-1610 

Chief Executive Officer 

Bobby Ralston 

bobbyr@thetruckermedia.com 

General Manager 

Megan Cullingford-Hicks 

meganh@thetruckermedia.com 

Managing Editor 

Wendy Miller 

wendym@thetruckermedia.com 

Staff Writer/Designer 

Linda Garner-Bunch 

lindag@thetruckermedia.com 

Production Manager 

Rob Nelson 

robn@thetruckermedia.com 

Graphic Artist 

Christie McCluer 

christie.mccluer@thetruckermedia.com 

Special Correspondents 

Cliff Abbott 


Lyndon Finney 

lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com 

Sam Pierce 

samp@thetruckermedia.com 

Truck driver arrested, charged for shooting incident on I-5, 

named as suspect in series of shootings along interstate 


SALEM, Ore. — Kenneth Ayers, 49, a 

truck driver from Roseburg, Oregon, has 

been arrested in connection to the shooting 

of a motorist that took place Aug. 19 on 

Interstate 5 in Jackson County. Ayers is a 

driver for UPS. 

According to an Aug. 20 statement released 

by the Oregon State Police (OSP), 

at approximately 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, 

Aug. 19, OSP troopers and emergency personnel 

were called to I-5 northbound near 

milepost 37 in response to a report that a 

motorist had been shot. Preliminary investigation 

revealed that a female motorist was 

northbound when she was struck with a bullet. 

She was transported to the hospital, treated 

and released for injuries. 

The statement noted that OSP had reason 

to believe the shooting is linked to previous 

shootings reported along I-5 beginning in 

late May, and that the department was working 

with the District Attorney’s Offices in 

Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties. 

At approximately 11 p.m. on Aug. 20, 

OSP arrested Ayers, who was lodged in the 

Jackson County Jail on charges of attempted 

murder, assault 2, unlawful use of a weapon 

(7), criminal mischief 2 (7) and recklessly 

endangering another person (13). At the 

time of this writing on Sept. 4, Ayers was 

not among the inmates listed on the Jackson 

County Jail website. 

According to an Aug. 21 Facebook post 

by OSP, Ayers is also under investigation 

in relation to the following shootings along 

I-5: May 12 in Josephine County, June 2 in 

Jackson County, June 15 in Douglas County, 

June 22 in Josephine County, July 7 in Douglas 

County, July 9 in Josephine County and 

Aug. 19 in Jackson County. 

The Facebook post continued: 

“Immediately following the August 19 

shooting, troopers were able to locate a UPS 

tractor-trailer combination approximately 

1 hour and 60 miles north of the shooting 

incident. Through 

the subsequent investigation 

the truck 

was seized — UPS 

arranged for another 

truck to pick up 

the trailers — and 

a search warrant 

was applied for and 

served. The search 

of the truck revealed 

a firearm consistent 

with the type used.” 

Courtesy: Jackson County Jail 

Kenneth Ayers 

The post noted that UPS is cooperating 

with OSP in the investigation. 

In addition, OSP asks that anyone with 

information regarding the incidents noted 

above to contact the department. According 

to OSP, before the I-5 shootings began 

in May, Ayers’ route was north of Roseburg; 

beginning in May his route took him south of 

Roseburg, as well as along Highway 140 and 

Highway 62. 8 

Kris Rutherford 

krisr@thetruckermedia.com 

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In the past three editions of The Trucker, 

we talked about the first three steps to staying 

healthy on the road — quality sleep, proper 

nutrition and exercise. Next up is personal 

hygiene, possibly the most important element 

because of this new environment we are all 

learning to live in. 

The first step is to protect your personal “engine” 

from freezing up, locking up and shutting 

you down in the current dangerous landscape 

the coronavirus has created. And now the 

dreaded cold-and-flu season is upon us. Your 

job as a driver is tough enough without adding 

more challenges; it’s all about prevention. Just 

as you have to get your rig winter-ready, you 

have to get your body ready, not just for winter 

but every day year-round. 

Professional CDL drivers are often at a high 

risk for flu and other illnesses, mainly due to 

personal health levels as well as the environment 

in which you work. The constant contact 

with fellow drivers, going in and out of terminals 

and travel centers, heightens your risk. 

The life of a driver means using multiple public 

restrooms, standing in fuel lines as others 

cough and sneeze around you, and using public 

showers on a regular basis. 

The first basic steps for staying safe and 

healthy: Mask up, stay hydrated and wash your 

hands (a lot). Next, take steps to ramp up your 

immune system and keep it running strong to 

help fight off germs and viruses. 

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Our drivers literally move our company forward, and 

it’s our mission to do the same for them. 

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• We keep you running year round and running full. 

• You can live anywhere and drive anywhere! 

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• Some household goods experience is 

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For over 100 years, our customers have 

trusted us to get them where they need to go. 


Staying Healthy on the Road, Part 4: Keep it clean with good personal hygiene 

Bob Perry 

The Trucker 

Trainer 

Here’s a list of suggested proactive measures 

we’ve put together, but remember, it’s 

always safe to consult your doctor. 

• Take a good multivitamin. It may improve 

your overall well-being. Vitamins are essential 

for professional truck drivers due to the difficulty 

in finding proper nutrition from foods on the road. 

• When taking any form of vitamins, it’s a 

good idea to consume them right after you eat. 

• Many professionals recommend zinc supplements, 

as they may help stimulate the immune 

system. 

• Take extra vitamin C. It will support your 

immune system and could reduce the severity 

of a cold. 

• Utilize garlic, my favorite natural immune 

booster. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and one 

of the best forms of supporting your immune 

system. Don’t worry about offending others 

with the odor; in this case, keeping everyone at 

a safe distance is a blessing. Garlic is available 

in pill form, but I believe pure garlic is most 

effective. Slice the cloves into small pill-size 

pieces and swallow them whole as you would a 

vitamin; this will not give you the aftertaste or 

odor that chewing will. 

• Be sure to eat in the mornings, and include 

a good lean protein source. During the winter 

months, oatmeal is a great-tasting, high-protein 

breakfast. 

• Don’t go long periods without eating. 

Your system will become weak, and the immune 

system will lower its protection. 

• Wash your hands with soap and warm 

b Appreciation from page 3 b 

months have shown the world how essential 

these men and women are to our economy and 

day-to-day life. On behalf of our 28,000 team 

members, we want to thank all professional 

drivers for their tireless work to supply goods 

across North America. To show our appreciation, 

we invite professional drivers to stop in 

for a free drink every day in September.” 

Throughout September, Pilot Company features 

exclusive offers for professional drivers using 

the Pilot Flying J app, including: 

• Free drinks every day; 

• Free showers all month with September 

Shower Power after one 75-plus gallon fill-up; 

• Earn up to four points per gallon when activating 

Push4Points; and 

• Free JPRO diagnostics test at Pilot Flying 

J Truck Care service centers. 

To redeem the promotions, professional 

drivers can save the offers in the Pilot Flying J 

app and visit any of the 750 company-operated 

stores in the U.S., including Pilot and Flying 

J Travel Centers, Pilot Flying J Truck Care 

locations and participating One9 Fuel Network 

locations. 

TravelCenters of America 

TravelCenters of America (TA) is also celebrating 

professional drivers not only during 

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 

13-19, but throughout the month of September. 

TA is holding a month-long “TA Driver 

Appreciation” Sweepstakes for all UltraONE 

members. By making a fuel or truck-service 

water for at least 30 seconds multiple times a 

day, and wear gloves when you can. 

• Carry (and use) hand sanitizer. 

• Wipe down your steering wheel and door 

handles daily. 

• Always carry a clean handkerchief. 

• Exercise regularly, and keep your circulation 

running strong. Walking is a good choice. 

• Always cover your hand with a paper 

towel before touching the bathroom door when 

exiting. Also, when possible, use your knuckles, 

not the palm of your hand, to push open 

ANY door. 

• Use the crook of your arm (the inside of 

your elbow) to cover your mouth when coughing 

or sneezing. 

For more nutrition ideas, download our 

Fit to Pass App (available for both Apple and 

Android products), or visit us at www.fitto 

pass.com. 

Known as The Trucker Trainer by 

professional drivers nationwide, Bob Perry 

brings a unique perspective to the transportation 

industry OTR truck drivers. Perry comes 

from a family of professional drivers and has 

played a critical role in the paradigm shift of 

regulatory agencies, private and public sector 

entities, and consumers to understand 

the driver health challenge. For OTR workout 

programs reach out to Perry at trucker 

trainer@icloud.com. Also, you can now download 

the Fit2Pass app available for both Android 

and iPhones. Visit www.fittopass.com for 

more information. 8 

purchase, or by swiping their loyalty card at 

the kiosk, UltraONE members become eligible 

for a number of prizes chosen specifically for 

professional drivers; TA surveyed a number of 

professional drivers to see what kinds of prizes 

they would enjoy. One swipe per day will count 

for the sweepstakes, and drivers may be chosen 

at random to win one of the following: 

• Grand Prize of 1,500,000 UltraONE 

loyalty points (1 winner). 

• Winner’s choice of an Indian Scout Bobber 

Motorcycle or Men’s or Ladies Rolex 

Watch (1 winner). 

• Two airline tickets to anywhere in the continental 

U.S., plus a $500 gift card (1 winner). 

• 50,000 UltraONE loyalty points 

(70 winners). 

During National Truck Driver Appreciation 

Week, TA is honoring drivers by offering extra 

loyalty points and other deals, including: 

• Double Points Day: Wednesday, Sept. 16. 

All fuel purchases will receive double the loyalty 

point value. 

• 50% Shower Discount: Shower cost will 

be reduced 50% when booked through the 

TruckSmart app between Sept. 14-18. 

• Plus: Other specials, valid Sept. 14-18, 

can be found in the TruckSmart app. 

“We are truly grateful to serve the millions 

of professional drivers who play such an important 

role in this nation, and the challenges 

of 2020 have certainly proven the sacrifice 

and commitment that professional drivers embody,” 

said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TA. “We are 

proud and humbled to be part of their everyday 

lives and will continue working diligently to 

ensure we’re their home away from home.” 8


Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol 

Agents with the Laredo Sector of the U.S. 

Customs and Border Patrol found a missing 

girl hidden in a tractor-trailer at an interstate 

checkpoint. 

Missing girl found in 

tractor-trailer at Texas 

border checkpoint 


LAREDO, Texas — A missing girl was 

found hidden inside a tractor-trailer at the Interstate 

35 checkpoint by officers of the U.S. 

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), according 

to an Aug. 28 Facebook post by CBP’s Laredo 

Sector. 

The unidentified juvenile was initially reported 

missing from Odessa, Texas, more than 

400 miles north of the checkpoint. It is not clear 

how long the girl had been missing. 

The driver and juvenile were taken into custody 

by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. 8 


Cairo Bridge on U.S. 51 reopens six days ahead of schedule 


PADUCAH, Ky. — The U.S. 51 Ohio River 

Cairo Bridge reopened on Aug. 25, six days 

ahead of schedule, according to a contractor 

for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 

(KYTC). The bridge is about 5 miles north of 

Wickliffe at Kentucky mile point 7.372. 

While the bridge is reopened, it will continue 

to be restricted to one-lane traffic with 

alternating flow controlled by an automated 

signal until around Oct. 1. The bridge will 

also have a strictly enforced 8-foot, 6-inch 

load-width restriction. 

The Cairo bridge serves as a north-south 

connection for U.S. 51, as well as an east-west 

transportation corridor for U.S. 60 and U.S. 

62. The bridge carries about 7,000 vehicles 

per day between Kentucky and Illinois; almost 

35% of that traffic is commercial trucks. 

KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Kyle 

Poat thanked area commuters and cross-country 

travelers for their patience during the extended 

closure. 

“We appreciate the hardship our commuters 

and other travelers have endured. Drivers 

are going to need additional patience as the 

work continues,” he said “We will continue 

to have workers on the bridge deck in close 

proximity to traffic flow. It’s important to 

obey the work-zone speed limit and use extra 

caution as work continues.” 

Poat also expressed his appreciation to the 

contractor, Intech Contracting LLC, for completing 

the Kentucky approach work ahead of 

schedule. 

The bridge, which closed to all traffic 

Aug. 1, was expected to remain fully closed 

through Aug. 31, creating an 80-mile detour 

for motorists. Motorists and truckers who 

adjusted their travel route before arriving at 

the bridge faced a shorter alternate route via 

See Cairo Bridge on p10 m 

Wondering if an OOIDA 

Membership is worth it? 

UrgentCare Travel, 

EROAD work to provide 

health services for drivers 


MIAMI and TUALATIN, Ore. — Thanks to 

a partnership between UrgentCare Travel (UCT) 

and EROAD that offers medical services to 

EROAD customers, more drivers now have access 

to convenient, affordable health care. UCT 

is a medical-clinic network focused on providing 

health care for professional truck drivers and 

fleets, while EROAD is a global provider of fleet 

management, electronic tax reporting and ELD 

compliance solutions. 

According to UCT, studies show that 48% 

of professional drivers have a chronic condition, 

such as diabetes, hypertension or obesity, that restricts 

their commercial driver’s license (CDL) 

to one year or less. Due to the lack of convenient 

medical care on the road — where drivers 

work — and the high costs of health insurance 

and medical care, many drivers do not treat their 

chronic conditions as needed. This not only impacts 

their ability to drive, but it also costs the 

trucking industry billions of dollars annually in 

lost productivity. 

“We applaud EROAD in taking a leadership 

position in working with their customers to 

keep drivers healthy and on the road,” said Siva 

Suresh, UCT’s founder and CEO. “EROAD’s 

See Health on p10 m 

* This figure is for illustrative purposes only and is 

based on typical discounts off standard retail 

rates. Your specific savings may vary depending 

on program participation. 

Join OOIDA today and start 

enjoying the benefits of membership 

Representation • Information • Member Benefits 

800-444-5791 • www.ooida.com


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Illinois and Missouri’s 

partnership that replaced the 

92-year-old Champ Clark Bridge over the 

Mississippi River has earned the two states 

a regional transportation award for the second 

year in a row. 

Illinois Department of Transportation 

Secretary Omer Osman said the regional 

transportation award for Midwest states 

comes from the American Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO). 

The bridge connecting the two states 

along U.S. 54 took top honors in the 

“Quality of Life/Community Development, 

Medium Project” category. 

Illinois and Missouri shared the cost of 

the $60 million bridge, which links Louisiana, 

Missouri and Pike County in Illinois, 

about 90 miles northwest of St. Louis. The 

project doubled the width of the original 

bridge and eliminated a 40-ton weight restriction 

while adding lanes for bikes and 

pedestrians. 

The first bridge was built in 1928 and 

honors James Beauchamp Clark of Bowling 

Green, Missouri, who was U.S. House Speaker 

from 1911-1919. The last of the original 

span was demolished in November 2019. 8 


Illinois, Missouri receive AASHTO award for Mississippi River bridge 

Courtesy: Champ Clark Bridge 

The Champ Clark Bridge, which crosses the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri, 

has earned the two states top honors from the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials two years in a row. 

Courtesy: Love’s Travel Stops 

At 17,000 square feet with 108 truck parking spaces, Love’s newest location, in Madison, 

Georgia, is the chain’s largest-ever travel stop. 

Love’s opens its largest location: Georgia 

site adds 108 truck parking spaces, 100 jobs 


OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel 

Stops & Country Stores is now serving customers 

in Madison, Georgia, thanks to the 

chain’s largest-ever travel stop that opened 

Aug. 20. The Madison store, located off Interstate 

20, adds 100 jobs and 108 truck parking 

spaces to Morgan County. 

“We’re excited to open our largest travel 

stop ever — at over 17,000 square feet — and 

hire about 100 team members from the community 

in Morgan County,” said Tom Love, 

founder and executive chairman of Love’s. 

“Madison is a great location to add our amenities 

and services to give drivers a break and 

then get them back on the road quickly and 

safely.” 

This location is open 24/7 and offers many 

amenities, including: 

• More than 17,000 square feet; 

• Godfather’s Pizza and Hardee’s 

restaurant; 

• 108 truck parking spaces; 

• 80 car parking spaces; 

• Six RV parking spaces; 

• Eight diesel bays; 

• Nine showers; 

• Love’s Truck Care with on-site Speedco; 

• Laundry facilities; 

• Bean-to-cup gourmet coffee; 

• Brand-name snacks; 

• Fresh Kitchen concept; 

• Mobile to Go Zone with the latest 

electronics; 

• CAT scale; and 

• Dog park. 

Visit loves.com/covid19 for updates 

regarding temporary changes to Love’s 

operations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will 

host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and donate 

$2,000 to Morgan County Elementary School 

in Madison. 8 

USDOT awards nearly $80 million in grants 

to improve commercial motor vehicle safety 


WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department 

of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMCSA) has awarded 

nearly $80 million in grants to states and 

educational institutions to enhance commercial 

motor vehicle (CMV) safety, the agency 

announced Aug. 19. 

“These awards of nearly $80 million represent 

the highest funding level for these critical 

safety grants to enhance commercial motor vehicle 

and road safety,” said U.S. Transportation 

Secretary Elaine L. Chao. 

The grants awarded by FMCSA include: 

• $45 million in High Priority (HP) grants 

to enhance states’ commercial motor vehicle 

safety efforts, as well as advance technological 

capabilities within states. 

• $32.7 million in Commercial Driver’s 

License Program Implementation (CDLPI) 

grants to enhance efforts by states to improve 

the national commercial driver’s license (CDL) 

program. 

• $2 million in Commercial Motor Vehicle 

Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) 

grants to 20 educational institutions to help 

train veterans for jobs as commercial bus and 

truck drivers. 

“This critical funding will support 

FMCSA’s state and local safety partners, and 

illustrates the Trump administration’s commitment 

to reducing crashes and improving safety 

on America’s roadways. These funds will go 

directly to where they are needed the most — 

our states, local communities, and educational 

institutions,” said Jim Mullen, former deputy 

administrator for FMCSA. 

FMCSA’s HP grant program consists of 

HP-Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) 

grants and HP-Innovative Technology Deployment 

(HP-ITD) grants. HP-CMV grants 

are designed to provide financial assistance to 

state commercial vehicle safety efforts, while 

HP-ITD grants provide financial assistance 

to advance the technological capability and 

promote the deployment of intelligent transportation 

system applications for CMV operations. 

FMCSA’s CDLPI grant program provides 

financial assistance to states to achieve 

iStock Photo 

On Aug. 19, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration issued nearly $80 million in 

grants to enhance states’ commercial-vehicle 

safety efforts, improve commercial driver’s 

license implementation and provide driver 

training for military veterans. 

compliance with FMCSA regulations concerning 

driver’s license standards and programs. 

Additionally, the CDLPI grant program provides 

financial assistance to other entities capable 

of executing national projects that aid states 

in their compliance efforts, which will improve 

the national CDL program. 

FMCSA’s CMVOST program awards 

grants to a variety of educational institutions 

that provide commercial truck and bus driving 

training, including accredited public or private 

colleges, universities, vocational-technical 

schools, post-secondary educational institutions, 

truck-driver training schools, associations, 

and state and local governments, including 

federally recognized Native American 

tribal governments. 

In total, nearly 60% of FMCSA’s funding 

is provided to states and local communities 

through grant funding, all intended to enhance 

commercial vehicle safety. To learn more about 

FMCSA grants, click visit www.fmcsa.dot. 

gov/mission/grants. 8



b CVSA from page 1 b 

were assisted by law enforcement during 

the week. Motorist assistance from officers 

included services such as help fixing a flat 

tire, providing gasoline for a stranded vehicle, 

checking on someone who may be 

pulled over, assisting individuals in distress 

or experiencing a medical emergency, jumpstarting 

a vehicle, traffic control and more. 

“Although CVSA is a commercial motor 

vehicle safety organization, it was important 

that passenger vehicle drivers were also 

involved in this annual week-long driver 

safety enforcement initiative,” said CVSA 

President Sgt. John Samis with the Delaware 

State Police. “When commercial motor 

vehicles and passenger vehicles collide, 

no matter who was at fault, the results can 

be catastrophic, especially for the smaller 

and lighter passenger vehicle. Preventing 

crashes from happening requires every 

driver — commercial and personal — to be 

aware of how to safely share the road with 

other types of vehicles.” 

During Operation Safe Driver Week 

2020, commercial motor vehicle drivers 

were issued a total of 10,736 citations and 

warnings — 4,659 citations and 6,077 warnings. 

Drivers of passenger vehicles received 

a total of 32,121 warnings and citations 

—17,329 citations and 14,792 warnings. 

Altogether, passenger vehicle drivers and 

commercial motor vehicle drivers received 

a total of 21,988 traffic-enforcement citations 

and 20,869 warnings during 2020 Operation 

Safe Driver Week, a total of 42,857. 

Speeding, which was the focus of this year’s 

Operation Safe Driver Week, was the top traffic 

enforcement violation for both types of drivers. 

Commercial motor vehicle drivers were 

issued 2,339 speed-related citations and 3,423 

warnings, while drivers of passenger vehicles 

received 14,378 citations and 11,456 warnings 

for speed-related offenses. 

Commercial-vehicle stats 

Enforcement officials interacted with 

29,921 commercial motor vehicle drivers 

during this year’s Operation Safe Driver 

Week. Commercial motor drivers received 

a total of 10,736 traffic-enforcement warnings 

and citations. Broken out, that’s 6,077 

warnings and 4,659 citations. 

The top five traffic enforcement citations 

given to commercial motor vehicle 

drivers were: 

1. Speeding/violation of basic speed law/ 

driving too fast for the conditions: 2,339; 

2. Failure to use seat belt while operating a 

commercial motor vehicle: 1,003; 

3. Failure to obey a traffic-control device: 617; 

4. Using a hand-held phone/texting: 269; and 

5. Improper lane change: 122. 

Speeding was the most cited traffic enforcement 

violation for commercial motor 

vehicle drivers. Those drivers received 

3,423 warnings and 2,339 citations for 

speed-related offenses, accounting for 

56.33% of all warnings and 50.20% of all 

citations given to commercial motor vehicle 

drivers. In 2017, at least one driver-related 

factor was recorded for 32% of the large 

truck drivers in fatal crashes, compared to 

54% of the passenger vehicle drivers in fatal 

crashes, according to the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). 

“Speeding of any kind” was the most frequent 

driver-related factor for drivers of 

both commercial and passenger vehicles. 

Failure to use a seat belt while operating 

a commercial motor vehicle was the second 

most identified traffic-enforcement offense, 

accounting for 12.51% of all warnings (760) 

and 21.53% (1,003) of all citations given to 

commercial motor vehicle drivers. The use 

of a seat belt use remains one of the cheapest, 

easiest and most important strategies to 

protect commercial motor vehicle drivers. 

Federal regulations state that a commercial 

motor vehicle shall not be driven unless the 

driver is properly restrained with the seat 

belt. In 2017, 13% of large truck occupants 

in fatal crashes were not wearing a safety 

belt; 45% of those occupants were killed in 

the crash. Seat belt use among commercial 

motor vehicle drivers continues to improve, 

with the overall rate of seat belt use for 

drivers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks 

iStock Photo 

Enforcement officials interacted with 29,921 commercial motor vehicle drivers during this 

year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. Commercial motor drivers received a total of 10,736 

traffic-enforcement warnings and citations. 

and buses at a record high of 86%, according 

to FMCSA. 

Using a hand-held phone or texting accounted 

for 4.35% of all warnings and citations 

issued to commercial motor vehicle 

drivers, the fourth on this year’s list of top 

violations. FMCSA restricts the use of all 

hand-held mobile devices by drivers of 

commercial motor vehicles. Research commissioned 

by FMCSA showed that the odds 

of being involved in a safety-critical event 

(such as a crash, near-crash or unintentional 

lane deviation) are six times greater for 

commercial motor vehicle drivers who engage 

in dialing a mobile phone while driving 

than for those who do not. Using a handheld 

mobile phone while driving a commercial 

motor vehicle can result in driver disqualification. 

Penalties can be up to $2,750 

for drivers and up to $11,000 for employers 

who allow or require drivers to use a handheld 

communications device while driving. 

Passenger-vehicle stats 

Enforcement officials interacted with 

36,500 passenger vehicle drivers during the 

week. Passenger vehicle drivers were given 

14,792 traffic enforcement warnings and 

issued 17,329 citations, for a total of 32,121 

warnings and citations. 

For passenger vehicles, the top five traffic 

enforcement citations issued to drivers 

were: 

1. Speeding/violation of basic speed law/ 

driving too fast for the conditions: 14,378; 

2. Failure to use a seat belt: 932; 

3. Possession/use/under influence of 

alcohol and/or drugs: 452; 

4. Failure to obey traffic-control 

device: 399; and 

5. Improper lane change: 273. 

Passenger vehicle drivers received nearly 

three times as many warnings and citations 

(32,121) as commercial motor vehicle 

drivers (10,736 warnings and citations). 

Speed-related offenses were the top traffic 

enforcement violation for both types of 

drivers; however, passenger vehicle drivers 

received 14,378 citations versus 2,339 citations 

to commercial motor vehicle drivers. 

Passenger vehicle drivers were cited for 

speeding more than six times as much as 

commercial motor vehicle drivers. 

To review the results of previous Operation 

Safe Driver Weeks, visit www.cvsa.org. 8 

ALL THINGS TRUCKING 

News 

Gears Reviews Demos Rig Report How-to’s Trade Shows 

@truckbossshow


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NEWARK, N.J. — Traffic on some major 

U.S. toll roads has rebounded from lows 

reached during the height of the coronavirus 

pandemic but the range of the recovery varies 

widely in different parts of the country, 

according to a survey released Aug. 20. 

The International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike 

Association (IBTTA), an organization 

of owners and operators of toll facilities, 

compared traffic volume statistics for late 

March and early April, when the pandemic 

was peaking, to a year earlier. It then revisited 

those statistics in the first week of August. 

“Transportation has seen many catastrophic 

events in our history, from the 1989 

Bay Area Earthquake to September 11th and 

Superstorm Sandy, but the ongoing impact of 

the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation 

systems across the globe is a different beast 

altogether,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive 

director of IBTTA. 

Highlights from the survey include: 

• Among those surveyed, the Ohio Turnpike 

and the Port Authority of New York 

and New Jersey showed the strongest recovery, 

with Ohio going from a 49% decrease 

in early April — which later reached as high 

as 70% for non-truck traffic — to 16% for 

August 1-7, compared to 2019. Officials 

credited truck traffic delivering essential 

goods. The Port Authority, which operates 

bridges and tunnels in the New York City 

region, went from a 65% decrease in April 

to a 14% decrease in August. 

• Georgia’s State Road and Tollway Authority, 

which manages toll collection on 

roads including Interstate 75 and Interstate 

85, reported the steepest decrease — 79% in 

early April. Traffic volume remained down 

53% in the first week of August, officials told 

the survey. 

• New Jersey’s two north-south toll roads, 

the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State 

Parkway, showed decreases of 69% and 64%, 

respectively, in April. By August, traffic was 

down by 27% on the Turnpike and 23% on 

the Parkway. The Atlantic City Expressway, 

a popular route for beach and casino visitors, 

remained 25% behind 2019 for the first week 

of August. 

• Traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike 

went from a 63% decrease in April to a 23% 

decrease in August, with traffic revenues 

currently down about 27%. Turnpike Commission 

CEO Mark Compton told surveyors 

it may take two years for revenues to recover, 

and four to five years for traffic volume. 

• In California, the San Francisco Bay 

Area Toll Authority reported a 22% traffic 

volume decrease in early August, compared 

with a 56% decrease in April. The Irvinebased 

Transportation Corridor Agencies, 

which operate 51 miles of state toll roads 

in Orange County, saw weekly transactions 

of 1.9 million drop by 66% in April. By this 

month, they had recovered to approximately 

1.3 million. 

• Colorado’s E-470 Public Highway Authority, 

which operates toll roads in the Denver 

area, experienced a 70% drop in early 


Survey shows that toll-road traffic is still lagging pre-pandemic levels 

iStock Photo 

The New Jersey Turnpike showed a 69% decrease in traffic in April. The roadway is one of 

many toll roads in the U.S. that has seen a drop in traffic since the onset of the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

April and has slashed its capital and operating 

budgets and delayed some 2020 projects 

to next year or beyond, officials said. Traffic 

volume in early August showed a 37% decrease 

from 2019. 8 

O 

c 

d 

S 

p 

$ 

T 

t 

t 

T 

s 

l 

t 

i 

f 

p 

s 

r 

news just for truckers 

THE TRUCKER NEWs CHANNEl 

is TheTrucker.com’s exclusive weekly video 

program featuring current events and trucking 

industry news. 

In addition to TheTrucker.com, The Trucker 

News Channel is available on Facebook, 

YouTube, AppleTV, Roku and Amazon TV. 

TUNE IN AND WATCH AT THETRUCKER.COM 

b Health from page 7 b 

attention to making their solutions easy to use and 

dependable combined with UCT’s affordable and 

convenient health services will make drivers and 

fleets healthier and more productive.” 

UCT is an affordable health membership 

program that offers no deductible and no co-pay 

services, including dedicated health coaches, 

personalized care plans for chronic conditions, 

DOT physicals and drug screens, primarycare 

services such as sick visits and annual exams, 

COVID-19 testing, in-clinic lab services 

b Cairo Bridge from page 7 b 

the Interstate 24 Ohio River Bridge at Paducah- 

Metropolis. The closure also tripled the number of 

vehicle crossings on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. 

In addition to allowing extensive maintenance 

work along almost 2 miles of the Kentucky 

approach embankment, the extended closure 

also helped accelerate deck and joint work 

on the bridge. 

“As one-lane traffic resumes, commuters, 

travelers and truckers will find an improved 

concrete driving surface along almost 2 miles 

of the Kentucky roadway approach embankment 

between the Willow Slough ‘Mile 

Long’ Bridge and the Minor Slough Bridge,” 

Poat said. “Several years with extended periods 

of high river levels have not been kind 

including lipid profiles and A1C testing, and 

mail-order pharmacy services. 

Through this new partnership, EROAD customers 

will be able to access UCT health services 

anywhere while on the road via telehealth and 

UCT’s walk-in medical clinics, which are adjacent 

to Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers. 

“We’re pleased to partner with UrgentCare 

Travel, as its focus on driver health and wellness 

is a great extension of EROAD’s focus on the 

driver experience,” said Norm Ellis, president of 

EROAD North America. 

EROAD customers can register for UCT 

health on the EROAD website (www.eroad. 

com), or contact customer service. 8 

to the earthen roadway structure that was 

constructed in the mid-1930s. KYTC crews 

had worked to reinforce the roadway embankment 

during the last two years, but some 

additional work was required. Applying a 

concrete driving surface and finishing out the 

shoulder area with millings is expected to 

help the earthworks better withstand future 

floods and maintain the reliability of this important 

river crossing.” 

Poat also noted that additional asphalt paving 

along the Kentucky approach between the 

Minor Slough bridge was scheduled for and the 

main bridge the week before Labor Day. That 

work could raise the driving surface elevation 

as much as 15 inches in some low spots, helping 

reduce the likelihood and length of closures 

during extreme flood conditions. This paving 

work will be completed in short sections with 

one-lane traffic controlled by flaggers. 8



Officials unravel elaborate scheme to steal two trailers filled with pistachios 


VISALIA, Calif. — In what could be 

called the “Great Pistachio Caper of 2020,” 

detectives with California’s Tulare County 

Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) recovered stolen 

pistachios and trailers valued at more than 

$300,000. 

According to an Aug. 26 Facebook post by 

TCSO, around noon Aug. 14, detectives with 

the department’s ag unit were called to Setton 

Pistachio, a food-processing company in 

Terra Bella, California, to investigate a possible 

cargo theft. 

Upon arrival at the company, detectives 

learned that the suspects posed as representatives 

of a legitimate trucking company, using 

the company name to secure contracts 

for the delivery of two tractor-trailer loads of 

pistachios valued at more than $294,000. Instead 

of delivering the product to the intended 

recipients, however, the suspects took the 

pistachios to an abandoned property in Selma, 

California, where they removed the nuts from 

the packaging. They then sold the product 

to an unsuspecting buyer in Madera County, 

California. 

As the investigation unfolded, detectives 

discovered that the suspects had developed an 

elaborate scheme to carry out their plan. The 

scheme included the suspects using a semi 

truck and stealing two trailers from a Fresno 

business. 

Unfortunately for the perpetrators, those 

trailers were equipped with real time GPS. 

When ag unit detectives alerted the owner 

of the trucking company to the thefts, they 

were able to track down the suspects — in 

addition to all the pistachios and the two 

stolen trailers. 

The crime scenes in the case spanned three 

counties. With help from the Fresno County 

Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway 

Patrol, the Fresno Police Department and the 

Madera County Sheriff’s Office, TCSO detectives 

identified 23-year-old Bhavna Singh 

Sekon of Fresno, California, as one of the 

people responsible for the theft. 

Sekon was found at his home, taken into 

custody and booked into the Tulare County 

Pre-Trial Facility on charges of grand theft, 

looting, identity theft and conspiracy. Additional 

arrests are anticipated. Additional evidence 

linking Sekon to the thefts was found 

at his house. 

In total, TCSO detectives recovered 

$294,000 in pistachios and $60,000 in trailers. 

Anyone with information on this case is 

urged to contact TCSO’s Detective Bryan 

De Haan or Sgt. Bryan Clower at the sheriff’s 

department by calling 800-808-0488, 

or via text or voicemail at 559-725-4194. 

Tips can also be submitted via email at 

tcso@tipnow.com. 8 

Courtesy: Tulare County Sheriff’s Office 

Two trailers full of pistachios, with a combined 

value of more than $300,000, were stolen 

from a California food-processing plant in 

mid-August. 

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iStock Photo 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has asked for public comments about rulemaking 

regarding broker transparency. Comments will be accepted through Oct. 19. 

FMCSA seeks public comments on broker 

transparency regarding transaction records 


WASHINGTON — In a notice published 

Aug. 19 in the Federal Register, the Federal 

Motor Carrier Safety Administration 

(FMSCA) and U.S. Department of Transportation 

(DOT) requests public comments on 

rulemaking regarding broker transparency. 

The comment period ends Oct. 19. 

The action comes after the Owner-Operator 

Independent Drivers Association 

(OOIDA) and the Small Business Transportation 

Coalition (SBTC) submitted petitions 

to amend certain requirements for property 

brokers. 

In May, OOIDA asked FMCSA to require 

property brokers to automatically provide an 

electronic copy of each transaction record 

within 48 hours of the completion of a contracted 

service. OODIA also asked that brokers 

be prohibited from including contract 

provisions requiring motor carriers to waive 

their rights to access transaction records. 

SBTC requested brokers be prohibited 

from requiring carriers waive their rights 

to transaction records as a condition for doing 

business. In addition, SBTC asked that 

FMCSA bar brokers from including in their 

contract agreements stipulations or clauses 

that exempt them from compliance with the 

transparency requirement. 

Visit federalregister.gov to view the notice 

and submit comments online or to find 

instructions for other methods of comment 

submission. 8 

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b Horizon from page 1 b 

known to the person dispatching the run at the 

time it was begun.” The new rule specifies that 

the conditions could not reasonably be known 

to the motor carrier OR the driver and includes 

the words “immediately before beginning driving.” 

Anyone using the exception should be 

prepared to explain how the condition could 

not have been reasonably known. 

A third change to the HOS regulations, 

found in CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii), relaxes the rule 

around the mandated 30-minute break. Currently, 

the driver must take a break of at least 

30 minutes after eight hours on duty, and the 

break must be taken as off-duty or sleeperberth 

time. The new rule states that the break 

must be taken after eight hours of driving, rather 

than on-duty, and that it can be satisfied with 

on-duty, not driving time. Drivers will be able 

to use a stop for fueling, inspection or other 

purposes to satisfy the break requirement. 

The final change taking effect Sept. 29 loosens 

the requirements for logging split sleeper 

berth time. Currently, the driver is allowed to 

split the 10-hour rest break into two periods, 

one of eight or more hours in the sleeper berth 

and another of two or more hours. The shorter 

rest period still counts against the 14-hour rule. 

The new rule changes the 8/2 split to a 7/3 

split, with neither period counting against the 

14-hour rule. The longer period must still be 

spent in the sleeper, but the shorter period can 

be spent off-duty instead. 

The change makes the rule more usable to 

drivers who want to use a break to avoid periods 

of congested traffic, allow time for snow 

removal or other purposes, since the 14-hour 

day remains intact. It is important to remember, 

however, that just as the two sleeper/off-duty 

periods combined must add up to at least 10 

hours, the two working/driving periods can’t 

exceed 14 hours if still driving. 

The FMCSA has posted a Fact Sheet detailing 

the changes at csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/ 

Documents/All_HOS_Fact_Sheets_508.pdf. 

In another potential HOS change, on 

Aug. 28 FMCSA announced a three-year pilot 

program that would, if adopted, further relax 

the break requirement. Under the program, a 

break of 30 minutes up to a maximum of three 

hours would pause the 14-hour window, provided 

the driver takes the full 10-hour rest break 

after the shift. This would alleviate a common 

driver complaint that the current 30-minute 

break, even when logged off-duty, still counts 

against the driver’s 14-hour work day. 

Drivers are cautioned that this is a pilot program 

only; the current rule has not been changed. 

The FMCSA hopes that the program will provide 

enough safety data to justify a future rule change. 

The requirements to participate in the pilot 

program are spelled out in the notice published 

Sept. 3 — participating motor carriers 

must not have a conditional or unsatisfactory 

rating, can’t have a crash rate or driver 

or vehicle out-of-service rate higher than the 

national average, and must meet all authority 

requirements. 

Participating motor carriers would grant 

permission for installation of a video recording 

system as well as access to record of duty status 


iStock Photo 

To participate in the hours-of-service pilot program, participating motor carriers must not have 

a conditional or unsatisfactory rating, can’t have a crash rate or driver or vehicle out-of-service 

rate higher than the national average, and must meet all authority requirements. 

(ELD) information for each driver in the program. 

Approved drivers must meet safety requirements, 

too, such as no CDL suspensions or atfault 

crashes in the past two years, and no citations 

connected to an at-fault accident. 

Drivers participating in the program will 

agree to wear “wrist actigraphy devices,” similar 

to available smart fitness watches, which 

will access sleep/wake patters during the program. 

Participants will also maintain sleep logs 

that document rest periods, along with “pause 

logs” that document reasons for pausing the 

14-hour clock as well as activities such as eating, 

exercising, leisure, etc. 

In addition, participating drivers will undergo 

a daily “psychomotor vigilance test” 

to evaluate behavioral alertness. This threeminute 

test measures alertness levels. 

While the motor carriers and drivers who 

participate in the test are yet to be determined, 

the period for commenting on the pilot 

program opened Sept. 3 and closes Nov. 2. 

Those interested in commenting can do so at 

regulations.gov, by fax at 202-493-2251 or 

by mail at DOT, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., 

West Building Room W12-140, Washington, 

D.C. 20590. The Docket ID for the program is 

FMCSA-2020-0098. 

After years of increased regulation on driver 

schedules, including the mandate for ELDs, 

most drivers will enjoy the greater freedom 

provided by the changes that go into effect 

Sept. 29. As the recently announced pilot program 

demonstrates, FMCSA is looking for additional 

ways to give drivers more control over 

their workday. 8 

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J on 

Aug. 26 announced the winners of its seventh 

annual Road Warrior contest as part of the company’s 

kick off to Driver Appreciation month, 

which began Sept. 1. 

After reviewing more than 3,000 entries, 

Pilot Flying J selected Eric Britton of Clarksville, 

Tennessee, as the $10,000 grand prize 

Road Warrior winner. Zdenko Zalac of Clinton, 

Ohio, and Mona Beedle of Auburndale, Florida, 

were named the second- and third-place 

Road Warrior winners, respectively. 

“Our annual Road Warrior contest is just 

one way we celebrate and recognize how much 

professional drivers mean to the world,” said 

Shameek Konar, chief strategy officer for Pilot 

Flying J. 

“Especially during these challenging times, 

professional drivers are delivering the goods 

we depend on while going above and beyond to 

help people and communities along the way,” 

Konar continued. “Congratulations to Eric, our 

finalists and all of the drivers who were nominated. 

You are changing the world one mile at 

a time and we truly appreciate your hard work 

to keep North America moving.” 

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Grand-prize 

winner Britton spent much of his 15 years of 


HARRISBURG, Penn. — The Pennsylvania 

Department of Transportation (PennDOT) 

recently received regional America’s Transportation 

Awards for operational excellence 

and best use of technology. PennDOT’s operational 

excellence award was for its Automated 

Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program, and 

the best use of technology award was for the 

Shaler Street Bridge Replacement. 

“Innovation is at the heart of PennDOT 

initiatives across the state,” said Yassmin 

Gramian, PennDOT’s Secretary of Transportation. 

“It is gratifying to have our efforts recognized 

by our transportation partners.” 

The Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement 

Program works by deploying a mobile 

unit to an active work zone; the mobile 

unit can detect any vehicles going at least 11 

miles over the speed limit. When a vehicle 

service as a paratrooper 

with the 82nd 

Airborne Division 

before becoming a 

truck driver for the 

Army. After retiring 

from the military in 

1999, Britton continued 

his career as 

a professional driver, 

joining the team at 

FirstFleet. He later 

became a safety driver trainer in addition to 

driving. In 2018, Britton was recognized by 

FirstFleet for 2 million safe miles. 

To honor Britton as the grand prize winner, 

Pilot Flying J partnered with his FirstFleet and 

his family to surprise him with the news of his 

win in a congratulatory video. 

“To be named the 2020 Road Warrior means 

so much, and I’m very thankful,” Britton said. 

“My advice to other drivers is to slow down, take 

your time, be aware of what’s around you and always 

display professionalism. It’s truly an honor 

to represent my company and be recognized in 

this way. Thank you for believing in me.” 

As second-place winner, Zalac was 

awarded $5,000 from Pilot Flying J. Zalac, 

a 20-year veteran of the trucking industry, 

goes over the limit, its license plate is captured, 

and a violation is mailed to the address 

on file. 

The Shaler Street Bridge Replacement 

project marked the first use of self-propelled 

modular transporters (SPMTs) in Pennsylvania. 

This technology allowed the department 

to replace the Shaler Street Bridge over busy 

Route 19 in Allegheny County over the course 

of two weekends. 

The America’s Transportation Awards 

competition is sponsored by American Association 

of State Highway Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber 

of Commerce. State DOTs compete in three 

categories: Quality of Life/Community Development; 

Best Use of Technology and Innovation; 

and Operations Excellence. Each category 

is also designated by budget size, and 

projects are judged within their region. 8 


Drivers from Tennessee, Ohio and Florida named Pilot Flying J’s Road Warriors 

Courtesy: Pilot Flying J 

Eric Britton 

Courtesy: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 

The Shaler Street Bridge Replacement project marked the first use of self-propelled modular 

transporters in Pennsylvania. 

2 PennDOT projects earn regional honors 

in America’s Transportation Awards 

has logged more 

than 3 million accident-free 

miles 

and has traveled 

throughout the 48 

contiguous United 

States plus Alaska. 

During his years on 

the road, Zalac has 

earned a reputation 

for helping other 

drivers by buying 


Zdenko Zalac 

meals, donating showers and helping with 

repairs. He is also active in his Ohio community, 

feeding and donating tents to the 

homeless as well as providing clothing to 

the less fortunate. 

Third-place winner Beedle, a professional 

driver since 1989 and an advocate for women 

drivers across the country, was awarded a 

$2,500 prize. In addition to writing a monthly 

column for a trucking 

blog, Beedle is 

active in Women In 

Trucking and is the 

founder of the Trucking 

Angels for Christ 

Inc. ministry. 

Nominators of the 

grand, second- and 

third-place winners 

also received a $500 

prize. 

New this year, Pilot Flying J randomly 

selected 400 professional drivers from Road 

Warrior contest entries and rewarded them 

each with 5,000 myRewards loyalty points, 

a $50 in-store value, for drivers’ dedication 

throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

To find out more about the Road Warriors 

contest, visit pilotflyingj.com/roadwarrior-2020. 

8 

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Mona Beedle

Perspective September 

15-30, 2020 • 14 

Hopefully, the pandemic has brought a lingering appreciation for truck drivers 

Wendy Miller 

editor@thetruckermedia.com 

Mad Dog’s 

Daughter 

I can’t believe it’s September already. 

I have to say that this year did not turn out 

the way I had planned, and I’m sure everyone 

who is reading this could say the same. 

I never expected a global pandemic. In the 

past six months we’ve added a whole new set 

of words to our vocabulary — social distancing, 

stay-at-home orders, mask mandates and 

essential workers, just to name a few. 

The day-to-day activities many of us 

enjoy have been put on pause indefinitely. 

While some Americans have begun to regain 

a slight bit of normalcy, there is one group 

of people that had to power through all of it 

without pause — truck drivers. 

As this issue of The Trucker is hitting 

the newsstands, it is already National Truck 

Driver Appreciation Week (Sept. 13-19). I 

had hoped that by the time this issue rolled 

around, our newspaper would be filled with 

positive stories of drivers and we would be 

able to somewhat pause the clock and pay 

tribute to the men and women who keep 

America moving. Although I feel this publication 

always seeks to highlight the accomplishments 

of drivers, the COVID-19 

pandemic has left its mark on every aspect of 

our news coverage, and that mark will likely 

remain for the foreseeable future. 

Because of this, I have to echo the 

thoughts of the American Trucking Associations 

noted on Page 3 of this issue of The 

Trucker: This week has a special significance. 

If ever a time called for a national 

week of appreciation for America’s truckers, 

it is now. 

For a brief moment this year, the nation 

recognized the importance of truck drivers. 

We saw stores with shelves that had 

been wiped out by panicked shoppers, and 

crowds of people cheering as trucks pulled 

into the parking lot to deliver loads that 

would restock the most basic necessities. We 

saw organizations and families going out of 

their way to provide quick meals for drivers 

as they passed through rest stops. We’ve 

seen social-media campaigns offering a big 

“thank you” to drivers and other essential 

workers for stepping up to the challenge of 

keeping the country moving while everyone 

stayed home. 

To truck drivers the challenge was — and 

is — all just in a day’s work. To the rest of 

the world, though, it’s much more than a basic 

day’s work. 

Truck drivers have put themselves at risk 

every day. Even in the darkest days of the 

pandemic, the men and women behind the 

wheel didn’t shy away from delivering to 

cities with high infection rates. When crossing 

state lines was discouraged, truck drivers 

remained exempt because of necessity. 

COVID-19 cases and virus-related deaths 

continue to rise, but truck drivers’ wheels keep 

on rolling. Even through all the hardships that 

come along with a nationwide shutdown, including 

a lack of places to dine and access to 

restroom facilities, trucks kept moving. 

As is the case with all fads, trends and 

social-media campaigns, the heroic deeds 

of truck drivers will eventually fade into the 

background, just as the pandemic will. However, 

I do hope that some understanding and 

appreciation of America’s truck drivers will 

linger, because it is most certainly deserved. 

I try to remain positive about the current 

situation and I would like to think that our 

experience with the COVID-19 pandemic 

has been, and will continue to be, a learning 

experience about the trucking industry — 

and that this experience won’t fade so easily. 

As tractor-trailers pass cars on the interstate, 

I hope there have been countless conversations 

of parents telling children, “That truck 

is bringing us the essentials we need,” instead 

of, “This truck is so slow!” One thing 

the country has learned is that truck drivers 

are essential even if the outpouring of appreciation 

on the surface soon fades. 

As professional drivers, you already 

know you’re essential, even without a global 

crisis. When talk of working from home first 

started, you guys and gals weren’t invited 

to the conversation because it isn’t possible 

to do your job from home — unless it’s the 

traveling “home” provided by your sleeper 

cab. I hope the pandemic has provided a 

personal connection to the trucking industry 

for folks that didn’t have one before now. 

Let’s face it: Many people never thought 

much about the supply chain until that chain 

was put under stress. For the first time, many 

consumers experienced a moment of need, 

causing them to step back and look at how 

goods actually get to retailers and personal 

mailboxes. Who knew there was such a long 

process before all that toilet paper and hand 

sanitizer reached the store shelves? 

On a personal level, the past few months 

have been a learning experience for me. I’ve 

come to understand more about the trucking 

industry than I knew before joining the team 

at The Trucker. I didn’t realize that the general 

population needed a pandemic to teach 

them that truck drivers are essential every 

single day, but maybe some did. I hope, 

as we move though this tough time for our 

country, that this new appreciation for drivers 

will linger. Perhaps the silver lining of 

this pandemic is a new appreciation for the 

trucking industry. 

Until next time, be cool and be careful, 

and THANK YOU for all you do every day. 

We wouldn’t get through the pandemic — or 

even a normal day — without you. 

Wendy Miller is the managing editor of 

The Trucker newspaper. Although she has an 

extensive background in journalism, she also 

comes from a trucking family. The title of this 

column, “Mad Dog’s Daughter” is an ode to 

her dad, who goes by his CB handle, Mad 

Dog, more often than his real name. 8 

WORTH REPEATING 

In this section, The Trucker news staff selects quotes from stories throughout 

this issue that are just too good to only publish once. In case you missed it, you 

should check out the stories that include these perspectives. 

If you have an opinion you would like to share, email editor@thetruckermedia.com. 

“Americans in all 50 states have taken 

extraordinary steps to show their appreciation for the 

important work that professional truck drivers have 

done as we navigate our way through the coronavirus 

pandemic. From children passing out lunches, to ‘I 

Heart Truck’ signs across America’s highways, the 

public has taken notice of the essential role truck 

drivers play in their lives.” 

— American Trucking Associations, on the essential 

role of truck drivers. 

Full story on Pages 3 and 6. 

“The sharp drop in driver availability as 

freight volumes are recovering explains the 

need for higher rates that we’re seeing in the 

spot market. Consistent with industry estimates 

that CDL issuance this year is tracking about 

40% below normal levels, the Driver Index has 

tightened sharply.” 

— Tim Denoyer, vice president and senior analyst 

for ACT Research, on how the driver shortage is 

affecting freight volumes. 

Full story on Pages 19 and 20. 

“Helping the Mid-Ohio Food 

Collective through this unit installation 

was a privilege for our Columbus service 

team. By supporting the food bank, we 

are helping Ohio neighbors who are 

urgently in need.” 

— Nick Gutbrod, sales manager for Williams 

Carrier Transicold of Columbus, Ohio, about 

the donation of a refrigeration unit to help 

those in need. 

Full story on Pages 25 and 28.

THETRUCKER.COM Perspective September 15-30, 2020 • 15 

‘Truck Drivin’ Man’ helped pioneer music 

for the road, whether a Feller or a Buckaroo 

Kris Rutherford 

krisr@thetruckermedia.com 

Rhythm of 

the Road 

A decade before Buck Owens and the 

Buckaroos recorded “Truck Drivin’ Man” 

on the 1964 chart-topping album “Together 

Again,” there was Terry Fell and the Fellers. 

In most country music historians’ views, Fell 

was a modest person of modest means, and 

at most, a modestly successful performer. 

When he wrote and recorded “Truck Drivin’ 

Man,” not even Owens, one of the “Fellers” 

who provided backup vocals for the original 

recording, realized what the song would 

mean for the future of country music. 

“Truck Drivin’ Man” was hidden on the 

B side of Fell’s less-than-moderately successful 

single, “Don’t Drop It.” In 1954, 

country’s sub-genre of trucking music was 

still in its infancy, and no one paid much 

attention to the tune. Like many songs recorded 

on 45 rpm records, “Truck Drivin’ 

Man” and its relegation to side-B status was 

essentially a death knell. Few cared about 

side B of any single before Elvis and The 

Beatles. 

What they didn’t realize was that Fell’s 

song was a pioneering example of an audience 

that would soon take similar songs to 

the top of the charts — truck drivers. 

“Truck Drivin’ Man” brought no attention 

to Fell. Even when Owens rerecorded 

the song a decade later — during one of the 

most successful runs of any performer in 

country music history — producers weren’t 

confident enough to release the song as a 

single. 

Yet, in the world of truck-driving music, 

the song quietly achieved a status only offered 

to country royalty — and its success 

is universal. Artists ranging from Boxcar 

Willie to Ricky Nelson to the J. Geils Band 

have covered “Truck Drivin’ Man,” each 

artist contributing their unique twists and 

arrangements. If crossing over from country 

to pop and light rock isn’t impressive 

enough, when Norde Sving Blandede og 

Orkester, a Norwegian band, recorded the 

song, it left no doubt that Fell’s lyrics had 

become a worldwide sensation. 

Despite the fact that Fell debuted “Truck 

Drivin’ Man,” looking back on over 65 years 

of history, Owens is likely the artist most 

country music fans identify with the song. 

Even though Owens’ voice can be heard on 

the original recording, he later added a new 

flair: While Fell featured a beat distinctly 

and uniquely driven with a harmonica, Owens 

traded the harmonica for the Telecaster 

electric guitar of longtime Buckaroo Don 

Rich. 

For that matter, Owens didn’t fear 

tampering with Fell’s lyrics; his version 

leaves off a full verse of what Fell had originally 

written. The reasons for Owens’ taking 

license with the lyrics are unknown, but they 

might be attributed to the fact that country 

songs of the time typically lasted little over 

two minutes. While Owens’ recording covered 

a whopping two minutes, 33 seconds, 

his tempo was much slower than that of Fell, 

who fit another verse into his original twominute, 

16-second recording. 

In looking at the lyrics of “Truck Drivin’ 

Man” as originally written, the words 

couldn’t be more direct, and they really 

don’t leave a lot of room for interpretation. 

The singer is a truck driver who famously 

stopped at a Texas roadhouse call Hamburger 

Dan’s. It was there he heard what 

the lyrics suggest was his first truck-driving 

song (coincidentally with the same title as 

Fell’s). The driver suddenly realizes that the 

jukebox is playing the story of his life, although 

Fell’s lyrics don’t delve into trucking 

themes like “little white pills,” hurrying 

home to meet a girlfriend or wife, or the 

dangers of the open road. Instead, “Truck 

Drivin’ Man” offers only an introduction to 

what would later become trucking music, almost 

as if Fell knew listeners would have to 

warm up to songs about the less glamorous 

aspects of truck driving. The singer’s short 

encounter with a waitress and a jukebox essentially 

sums up “Truck Drivin’ Man.” 

But while Owens ended his recording as 

the driver headed “to San Antone,” Fell rode 

along for a few miles as he headed down the 

road. The “lost” lyrics Owens chose to eliminate 

add a little more meaning to the song 

— one which in the abbreviated version is 

little more than a song about a song. 

Throughout the first three verses of 

“Truck Drivin’ Man,” Fell had been building 

toward a final verse that provided a little 

insight into the driver and what it truly 

means to be a truck-driving man: 

When I get my call up to Glory, 

They’ll take me away from this land, 

I’ll herd this old truck up to Heaven, 

’Cause I am a truck drivin’ man. 

When you listen to “Truck Drivin’ Man,” 

it might be the beat that connects your latest 

high-tech music-playing gadget to that feeling 

in your spine and the click of the tires on 

the way to wherever you might be headed. 

But if you’ll take a step back 10 years from 

the popular Buck Owens recording and let 

the last verse play through, you’ll likely realize 

that Terry Fell wrote much more than 

a song about a song. Instead, the truck-driving 

man learned something at Hamburger 

Dan’s. He recognized who he was and who 

he’d always be, even after his days on earth 

came to an end. 

Until next time, remember: Unless the 

wheels are turning, you and your truck are 

getting nowhere. Don’t drive a truck for the 

sake of being a truck driver. Take a tip from 

Terry Fell. Have a destination beyond your 

next terminal in mind. 8 

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16 

AT 

THE TRUCK STOP 

PRESENTED BY CAT SCALE. VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM 

Courtesy: Jerry Seaman 

Courtesy: Jerry Seaman 

Courtesy: TA-Petro 

Growing up, Jerry Seaman’s aspiration was to excel in football or trucking. An injury suffered as a freshman at the University of Nebraska meant it would be trucking. He drove for 

Stan’s, a trucking company in South Dakota, for almost 38 years. He and his wife Emily (left) have been married 43 years. 

From football to driving: Jerry Seaman shares story 

of a successful career stemming from happenstance 

Lyndon Finney 

lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com 

As a teen growing up in Onida, South Dakota, Jerry 

Seaman’s two professional love interests were trucking and 

football. 

He’d driven his first truck when he was 12 years old, 

hauling goods farm-to-market for his father’s trucking company, 

Seaman Trucking. 

He escaped the arm of the law while driving under-age 

— until one day in Kansas when, at age 16, he was stopped 

by an officer. 

“My mom had to drive my dad all the way down there to 

bring the truck back to Onida,” he said with a sheepish tone 

in his voice. 

Seaman was an outstanding middle linebacker for Onida 

High School and went to the University of Nebraska, hoping 

to become successful on the gridiron. During his freshman 

year however, a running back clipped him in both knees, 

shattering any dreams he had of becoming another Dick 

Butkus, the famed Chicago Bear linebacker. 

“I spent my 19th birthday learning to walk again,” he recalled 

with remorse in his voice as he spoke to The Trucker. 

With football removed from the equation, a professional 

career path was now determined. Seaman settled in as a 

driver for Stan’s, a family-owned and -managed trucking 

business in Alpena, South Dakota, where he spent nearly 

38 years hauling liquid feed and grain — and where he was 

looked to as a leader appointed to help make company decisions 

regarding equipment and operations. 

To date, Seaman has racked up more than 5 million accident-free 

miles combined driving for Stan’s and NTA Trucking 

LTD, where he went to work after a brief retirement. 

“It’s not much fun to sit in the garage and watch everybody 

drive by,” he said with a chuckle. “I sat in that garage 

and watched people drive by for about two days and I said, 

‘This isn’t for me.’” 

Because his successful and safe career, Seaman was 

named one of two TravelCenters of America (TA-Petro) 

Citizen Driver Award winners for 2020. 

TA-Petro created the award to recognize professional 

drivers who demonstrate traits that bring a high level of respect 

to the truck-driving profession, including good citizenship, 

safety, health and wellness, community involvement 

and leadership. 

In making the award, TA-Petro cited Seaman as a “dedicated 

Sunday school teacher, Sunday school director, worship 

leader and music director” and applauding his devotion to the 

Special Olympics. Seaman has been part of the South Dakota 

Convoy for Special Olympics since its inception in 2002. 

You could call it happenstance when you talk about how 

Seaman wound up at Stan’s as he launched his career as a 

professional truck driver. 

“I had a family, and I was worried about making enough 

money to feed everybody,” he said, adding that he and his 

wife, Wilma, have a son and a daughter. “So, we were down 

there (in Alpena), where my wife had some relatives. I’m not 

much to stand around an auction, so I got the pickup and took 

my daughter and we went for a drive.” 

He passed by Stan’s, stopped, walked in, found the owner 

and inquired about a job. 

“I asked him what he had going on and he said, ‘More 

than I can get done,’” Seaman said. “So, two weeks later, on a 

Monday morning, I went to work there and stayed there until 

I retired (the first time).” 

Now, at age 68, Seaman’s admiration for his chosen profession 

has not waned. 

“I just love everything about trucking,” he said. “I love 

to see the country. I love the people. I love working with the 

cops. I love helping new drivers learn how to drive to help 

them get better.” 

He also enjoys truck-driving championships. 

In competitions over the years, he’s won a Grand Champion 

award and Rookie of the Year Award; he has also received 

a first-place finish in a 5-axle van class. 

“I enjoy helping others become better truck drivers, and 

especially I like helping raise money for Special Olympics,” 

he noted. “I like to be right in the middle of the kids involved 

in the special Olympics.” 

In fact, one of Seaman’s most cherished awards is the 

Athlete’s Choice Award, given to him at the South Dakota 

Convoy and Truck Show benefitting the Special Olympics. 

One highly visible reward for being honored as a Citizen 

Driver is that TA-Petro allows the honoree to choose a TA or 

Petro location to be named after him or her. 

Seaman chose the TA Express in Vermillion, South Dakota, 

the fourth former Coffee Cup Fuel Stop that TA has 

See happenstance on p18 m

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18 • September 15-30, 2020 Perspective THETRUCKER.COM 

Prospect of widespread use of autonomous 

vehicles raises privacy issues for other drivers 

Brad Klepper 

exclusive to the trucker 

Ask the 

Attorney 

As you know, The Trucker has numerous 

great writers and great articles that are both timely 

and insightful. In fact, since there are so many 

great writers and great articles, I have always assumed 

that nobody really reads my articles. OK, 

a few people may read them. I assume these folks 

fall into two categories: (1) insomniacs, and (2) 

those who have a lost a bet. 

Seriously, nobody wants to listen to a lawyer 

talk, much less read what they write. I get it. I 

really do. 

Of course, one of the benefits of believing that 

nobody reads what you write is that you have the 

freedom to write about whatever you want. So, 

for those of you keeping score at home today, we 

are going to talk about — wait for it — autonomous 

vehicles (AVs). Again. 

I know I have talked about AVs before. A lot. 

But this is something that fascinates me. We are 

speeding down the highway toward common use 

of AVs, but we have not really addressed some of 

the overriding issues — issues such as regulation 

of the standards used in AVs, liability ramifications, 

insurance and the impact of AVs on traffic 

enforcement. 

Well, you can add another issue to the list of 

things that need to be addressed: Privacy. 

I was recently reading an article on CBSnews. 

com about automated trucking and the potential 

disruption of trucking jobs. In the article, the writer 

interviewed a gentleman by the name of Chuck 

Price. Price is the chief product officer at TuSimple, 

a privately held global autonomous business 

worth more than a billion dollars. 

While discussing the technology of the vehicle 

during a ride-along, Price noted that the 

cameras are able to “see” 1,000 meters around 

the vehicle. That is over half a mile! Of course, 

the journalist writing the article asked, “How far 

are you from being able to pick up the specific 

cars that are passing us? ‘Oh, that’s Joe from New 

Jersey, with six points on his license.’” 

Price stated, “We can read license plates. So, 

if there was an accessible database for something 

like that, we could.” Price also acknowledged that 

while this information would be valuable to companies, 

it could create certain privacy issues. 

I agree with Price. However, the fact that the 

b Happenstance from page 16 b 

opened as a TA Express location as the result of 

an agreement signed with Heinz Inc. Seaman is 

very familiar with the location. 

“My wife, being the bookkeeper, called 

me one day and said, ‘Do you realize you’ve 

bought over 100,000 gallons of fuel from Coffee 

Cup in your lifetime?’” Seaman said. 

After being married to him 43 years, 

use of this information has already been deemed 

valuable gives me pause. I also understand that in 

certain scenarios, this information could serve the 

greater good. For example, in the current situation 

it could help trace people with COVID-19 to 

prevent further spread. 

In addition, if such a database existed, a carrier 

could identify “bad” drivers in proximity to 

the AV, based on their license plates, and instruct 

the truck to give those vehicles more room or take 

additional steps to operate safely while around 

these vehicles. This could potentially save lives. 

However, for this to happen it would require a 

third party to access your driving record without 

your consent or knowledge. Moreover, could this 

information be used to monitor your movements 

without your permission? Sure, your phone will 

likely track your position if you allow it to. However, 

this technology could potentially take that 

decision out of your hands. 

Could the police or any other enforcement 

agencies gain access to this information to monitor 

your movements? I am not really sure. I have 

not really thought about it. Which, I believe, is 

the problem: Nobody has really thought about it. 

Well, some folks have. The Human Driving 

Association (HDA), which currently has 10,000 

members, has published a 12-point manifesto 

that mentions, among other things, that the organization 

is “pro privacy.” In short, this means 

HDA believes all connected services should be 

voluntary, regardless of the level of automation, 

and that all AVs should be capable of operating 

independently of any communications network. 

In other words, no one should be able to monitor 

your movements. This would include the licenseplate 

tracking discussed above. 

Do the benefits noted herein outweigh the privacy 

concerns? That is a tough call. However, we 

need to start thinking about these issues. AVs are 

coming, sooner rather than later. Now is the time 

to think about how we will address the multitude 

of issues this technology presents. 

Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker 

Ltd., a law firm entirely dedicated to legal defense 

of the nation’s commercial drivers. Interstate 

Trucker represents truck drivers throughout the 48 

states on both moving and nonmoving violations. 

Brad is also president of Driver’s Legal Plan, 

which allows member drivers access to his firm’s 

services at discounted rates. He is a lawyer that 

has focused on transportation law and the trucking 

industry in particular. He works to answer your legal 

questions about trucking and life over the road. 

For more information, visit interstatetrucker.com 

or driverslegtalplan.com. 8 

Seaman said, his wife has nicknamed his truck 

“Mistress.” 

“She told me, ‘You can’t be married to 

somebody this long and watch him be glad to 

go to work and not know they have another 

love,’” Seaman said. 

So how much longer before he hangs up the 

keys for good? 

“I don’t know,” he said. “But as long as my 

health is good and my wife’s health is good, 

why would I want to quit when I’m having this 

much fun?” 8 

F 

T 

i 

s 

i 

i

Business 

September 15-30, 2020 • 19 

Although still lower than last year, slowly rising freight rates, increases 

in shipments show continuing economic recovery during pandemic 

Cliff Abbott 


The number of shipments available increased 

in July, pushing freight rates higher 

while diesel prices remained 20% lower 

than last year. Despite these positive factors, 

freight volumes remain well below last 

year’s levels. 

The American Trucking Associations’ 

(ATA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, compiled 

from data submitted by ATA members, 

decreased 5.1% in July after an 8.9% leap in 

June. The ATA index measured 109.6 in July, 

down from 115.5 in June. ATA’s index compares 

current freight levels to the average in 

the year 2015, so an index of 109.6 indicates 

freight levels were 9.6% higher than in 2015. 

The index reached its low point in May 

this year and appeared to be recovering in 

June before the July decline. Compared to 

July 2019, the index declined 8.3%. It was 

the fourth consecutive year in which the index 

showed a decline. 

Bob Costello, chief economist for the 

ATA, said the market was impacted by carriers 

operating fewer trucks. 

“After a very strong June, for-hire contract 

freight tonnage, which dominates ATA’s 

index, slipped in July for a couple of reasons,” 

he said. “It is likely that tonnage was 

down because many fleets didn’t have the 

capacity to take advantage of stronger retail 

freight volumes. Therefore, much of that 

iStock Photo 

Trova Commercial Vehicles, a startup working 

to provide engineering and manufacturing 

services for other OEMS while also developing 

its own line of electric commercial trucks, 

is located in Fairlawn, Virginia. 

iStock Photo 

DAT Trendlines reported that spot freight rates for van hit record highs in August after a 

substantial increase in July. 

overflow freight moved to the spot market, 

which did increase in July.” 

Act Research’s For-Hire Trucking Index 

for Volume fell by 6 points to 64.3. The ACT 

index measures against a baseline of 50, 

with anything above 50 representing positive 

TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES 

PULASKI, Va. — Trova Commercial Vehicles 

(TrovaCV), a new company that offers 

customized engineering and manufacturing 

expertise for commercial vehicles, specifically 

fully electric trucks, has been launched 

by Patrick Collignon, former chief operating 

officer for Volvo Trucks North and South 

America. 

TrovaCV will focus on the engineering, 

design and production of fully electric commercial 

vehicles with the goal of achieving 

cost-effective mass production. While working 

to develop its own fully electric vehicle, 

TrovaCV will also offer its industrial model 

and manufacturing capability to other commercial 

vehicle OEMs. 

“This is an exciting time as the electric 

commercial vehicle market is being reshaped,” 

said Collignon, founder and CEO 

of TrovaCV. 

“While technology and innovation have 

made it possible to convert fuel-powered 

commercial vehicles into electric vehicles, 

we haven’t seen a production model capable 

movement and lower numbers indicating 

contraction. 

ACT’s indexes for capacity and for driver 

availability both fell into negative territory 

at 48.1 and 39.3, respectively. Tim Denoyer, 

vice president and senior analyst for ACT, 

of producing the required volume of fully 

electric commercial vehicles to meet the demand,” 

he continued. “We believe that our 

engineering approach will offer OEMs the opportunity 

to build a higher volume of electric 

vehicles at a lower cost. At the same time, 

we will utilize our chassis design experience 

to achieve a complete EV build design from 

the ground up.” 

TrovaCV is located in a business-incubation 

center in Fairlawn, Virginia, and has 

received support from the Pulaski County 

Board of Supervisors, the Economic Development 

Authority and the Virginia Economic 

Development Partnership. 

“The technology and advanced manufacturing 

talents in (Pulaski) county and 

throughout the region continue to attract 

and support innovative companies like 

TrovaCV,” said Jonathan Sweet, county 

administrator for Pulaski County, Virginia. 

“We are excited to have TrovaCV 

as the newest member of our business 

community, and we are committed to 

helping them grow their operations and 

blamed a driver shortage for at least part of 

the declining volume of freight hauled. 

“The sharp drop in driver availability as 

freight volumes are recovering explains the 

need for higher rates that we’re seeing in the 

spot market,” he said. “Consistent with industry 

estimates that CDL issuance this year 

is tracking about 40% below normal levels, 

the Driver Index has tightened sharply. We 

see this as the primary capacity constraint 

presently, as equipment remains available at 

this point.” 

The Cass Freight Index, which measures 

shipments by air, rail, ship and pipeline in addition 

to trucking, reported that its raw index 

reading for July grew 4.8% over June numbers 

but is still 13.1% lower than July 2019 

levels. 

DAT, which regularly reports spot rate 

data and recently acquired the Freight Market 

Intelligence Consortium (FMIC), has 

stepped up its reporting game and provided 

some useful information about shipping volumes. 

The FMIC data is based on analysis 

of more than $50 billion in actual annual 

freight transactions supplied by a variety of 

consortium members, including major retailers, 

wholesalers, manufacturers, brokers and 

other organizations. 

The DAT Truckload Volume Index reported 

that the number of dry van, refrigerated 

and flatbed loads in July rose 2.1% over June 

See Recovery on p21 m 

Former Volvo exec launches electric commercial vehicle startup in Virginia 

achieving their goals here 

in Pulaski County.” 

Virginia’s Secretary 

of Commerce and Trade 

Brian Ball said he believes 

TrovaCV will help 

strengthen the state’s position 

as one of the nation’s 

premier locations 

for innovative vehicle 

design. 

Courtesy: TrovaCV 

Patrick Collignon 

“We are excited that Trova Commercial 

Vehicles will launch its innovative start-up 

in Pulaski County,” Ball said. 

“This new company will be a strong addition 

to the booming automotive cluster 

in the New River Valley, bringing automotive 

expertise to the niche market of electric 

commercial truck design and manufacturing,” 

he continued. “TrovaCV will 

benefit from the region’s world-class manufacturing 

workforce and infrastructure 

that contribute to Virginia’s position as a 

leader in the automotive industry, and we 

See Startup on p20 m

20 • September 15-30, 2020 Business 


New technology, old habits can help drivers get the most from tires 

T 

Cliff Abbott 


Read the advertisements for commercial 

truck tires and you’ll see all sorts of claims 

about “new” technology in the design and 

materials that make the final product. New 

and improved tread designs, stronger belting 

materials, complex rubber compounds and 

innovative design features help bolster the 

claim that a particular tire is better than its 

competitors. 

But when it comes to maximizing your return 

on your investment in tires, the same old 

rules still apply: Inspect your tires regularly 

and keep them properly inflated and aligned, 

and you’ll get the highest number of miles possible 

from each tire. The newest technology 

helps you do those things. 

The costs of improper tire inflation can add 

up quickly. In addition to causing a decrease in 

Fleet Focus 

fuel mileage, improperly inflated tires wear unevenly, 

wearing out sooner and possibly resulting 

in tire failure. Replacing tires before their 

expected lifespan is complete adds expense to 

your business — but it could get worse if tires 

are not replaced. A blowout can result in an expensive 

road-service call, including purchase 

of a replacement tire, usually at prices higher 

that can be negotiated at a dealer. 

Then there’s the loss of time and the effect 

of a service call on scheduling. The next 

planned load can also be impacted if your current 

load can’t be delivered in time to pick up 

the next one. Even a great deal on a new tire 

can be swallowed by the loss in revenue while 

the replacement is made. 

DRIVE 

WITH PRIDE 

Overinflation can be worse than underinflation. 

Too much tire pressure can accelerate 

tread wear, cause damage to tread surfaces and 

increase the chance of punctures and shock 

damage. The ability of the tire’s tread to flex is 

lowered when the tire is overinflated. 

Underinflation can occur when tires lose air 

for any reason. Over time, a small leak through 

a defective valve stem or poor bead seal can 

lower the pressure in the tire. A drop of just a 

few psi can cause heat to build in the tire, resulting 

in damage that might not be revealed 

until much later. In a tandem situation, the adjoining 

tire has to absorb more of the weight 

and will build up more heat, possibly damaging 

that tire as well. 

Ambient temperature also has an impact 

on tire pressure. According to the Technology 

and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American 

Trucking Associations (ATA), a 10-degree 

change in temperature can result in a two- to 

three-degree change in tire pressure. That’s 

why tires that are inflated to the correct pressure 

before hitting the road can become overinflated 

as they warm from road contact. It’s best 

to adjust pressure when tires are warm from use 

when possible. 

Many drivers and carriers turn to tire-pressure 

monitoring systems (TPMS) and automatic 

tire-inflation systems (ATIS) for help in keeping 

tires properly inflated. With an ATIS, pressure 

is monitored and air is supplied as needed 

from the vehicle’s air-supply system. While the 

system can help keep tires at the correct level, it 

can also “hide” problems by keeping a leaking 

tire fully inflated so the driver doesn’t observe 

the problem. The key is regular inspection of 

both the tires and the inflation system. 

TPMS are prevalent on most vehicles today. 

Many automobiles have a dashboard light that 

warns if one or more tires doesn’t have the correct 

pressure. For commercial vehicles, more 

sophisticated options are available that display 

the pressure in each tire and issue audible 

warnings if a problem is detected. A driver can 

identify which tire has a problem quickly and 

get help before roadside service is needed. 

Wheel alignment is often overlooked by 

drivers and truck owners, but it can be critical 

to obtaining maximum wear from tires. Improper 

alignment can cause irregular wear to 

tires and other suspension parts. A wheel that’s 

out of line can even cause damage to another 

wheel; for example, misaligned drive axles can 

result in irregular wear to steer tires. The TMC 

recommends that tire alignment be checked 

at 15,000 to 30,000 miles and every 80,000 

to 100,000 miles thereafter. Some owners 

iStock Photo 

Even with new technology, it is still important 

to pay close attention to your tires. 

follow the practice of having drive tire alignment 

checked whenever steer tires are replaced. 

Another common tire problem results from 

nonconcentric tire mounting. This can occur 

when rim damage or rust and debris prevent 

a tire from seating properly on the rim. This 

keeps the exact center of the tire from aligning 

with the center of the rim, an “out of round” 

condition that can cause vibration that can 

sometimes be felt in the driver’s seat. 

When purchasing new tires, make sure each 

rim is properly inspected and cleaned before 

the new tires are mounted. Some shops will do 

this routinely, but not all are as diligent. 

Some tire brands have a ring molded into the 

tire near the bead that should be the same distance 

from the rim all the way around the tire. 

If it isn’t, the tire may not be properly mounted. 

Finally, no automated warning system replaces 

regular inspection. Every pre-trip inspection 

should include a thorough look at each 

tire, including the tread and both sidewalls. A 

small sidewall cut or bubble can result in tire 

failure just a few miles down the road. If discovered 

in time, foreign objects, such as nails 

in the tread, can be removed before they penetrate 

the tire’s air chamber. Missing chunks of 

tread or other damage may indicate an upcoming 

failure. 

While new technology can be helpful, savvy 

drivers understand that regular inspection, 

along with proper inflation and alignment, are 

critical to getting the most from every tire. 8 

b Startup from page 19 b 

look forward to its future success.” 

Collignon has more than 30 years international 

experience in the commercial vehicle 

industry with General Motors and the 

Volvo Group. Before launching TrovaCV, 

he served as senior vice president of operations 

for the Americas for Volvo Trucks, 

where he led a strategic initiative to develop 

and manufacture the new Mack medium 

duty truck platform. 

During his career, Collignon has incubated 

several companies and held board 

positions in economic and industry federations. 

In 2007, he was instrumental in making 

the Volvo plant in Ghent, Belgium, the 

first carbon dioxide neutral automotive plant 

in the world. He has extensive experience in 

end-to-end value chain management, customer 

relationship management, product development 

and operations. 8


Business September 15-30, 2020 • 21 

Trucks moved $56 billion in transborder freight during June, up 44% from May 


WASHINGTON — An Aug. 25 bulletin 

from the U.S. Department of Transportation 

(DOT) showed improvement in the North 

American freight industry in June after drop-offs 

in April and May. Data in the DOT release was 

not seasonally adjusted or adjusted for inflation. 

According to the bulletin, transborder freight 

between the U.S., Canada and Mexico rebounded 

in June with $82.1 billion in freight moved 

across all modes of transportation, a 46.3% improvement 

over May and up 41.2% from April. 

Even with these signs of improvement, June’s 

transborder freight value was down 20.9% compared 

to June 2019. 

Total transborder freight between the U.S. 

and Canada was up 31.8% from May, but down 

23.1% from June 2019. Freight movement between 

the U.S. and Mexico was up 64% from 

May and down 18.7% from June 2019. 

Trucks moved $56.5 billion in freight across 

the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders during 

June, accounting for 68.8% of all transborder 

freight for the month, with totals of $31 billion 

and $25.4 billion, respectively. Compared 

to May, U.S.-Mexico freight increased by 58.5% 

but was down 12.9% from June 2019. U.S.-Canada 

freight rose 30% from May but was down 

15.2% from June 2019. 

According to the DOT bulletin, the three 

busiest truck border ports, accounting for 44.9% 

of all transborder truck freight, were Laredo, 

Texas ($12.5 billion; Detroit ($7.9 billion); and 

Ysleta, Texas ($4.9 billion). The top three truck 

commodities (49.5% of total transborder truck 

freight) included computers and parts ($11.6 billion), 

electrical machinery ($9 billion) and vehicles 

and parts ($7.3 billion). 

Other modes of transborder freight movement 

during June included rail ($11.3 billion), 

vessel ($3.8 billion), air ($3.4 billion) and pipeline 

($2.8 billion). 8 

iStock Photo 

In June 2020, transborder freight between the U.S., Canada and Mexico jumped 46.3% from 

May but still fell 20.9% short compared to June 2019. 

b Recovery from page 19 b 

levels. In a departure from reports from other 

sources, DAT reported that those shipment 

levels were 3.7% higher than July 2019 levels. 

On the rate side, DAT Trendlines reported 

that spot freight rates for van hit record highs 

in August after a substantial increase in July. 

For July, van rates averaged $2.04 per mile, 

while average refrigerated rates hit $2.30 and 

flatbed rates rose to $2.29 per mile. 

DAT also provided some newer measurements 

to help clarify the rate situation. The 

FMIC reports a spot premium ratio (SPR) 

that compares average spot rates to average 

contract rates. Contract rates tend to change 

much more slowly than spot rates, so the 

SPR can indicate which direction the entire 

market is going. A positive SPR signals a 

tightening market with higher rates. 

The July SPR was 23.5%, the highest 

level in two years. Because contract rate 

changes typically lag 12 to 18 months behind 

spot rates, the 23.5% SPR is an indicator that 

higher overall rates are coming. 

Another new FMIC measurement is 

aimed directly at contract rates. The new rate 

differential (NRD) measures changes in rates 

when new contracts replace older ones. In 

July, the NRD was 3.7%, an indication that 

contract rates are rising. 

Dr. Chris Caplice, chief scientist at DAT 

and FMIC, offered an explanation of why 

spot rates are rising so much more quickly 

than contract rates. 

“First, carriers are honoring their committed 

volumes but not necessarily providing customers 

with additional surge capacity,” he said. 

This assessment matches statements from 

other analysts about capacity restraints and 

driver shortages. 

“Second, the volatility of shipper networks 

is creating new lanes to be covered, 

which are falling predominantly to the spot 

market,” he continued. 

That’s a way of explaining that shipments 

may not be lower, but they are different. 

For example, the soft drink industry 

iStock Photo 

The ATA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index measured 

109.6 in July, down from 115.5 in June. 

has had to change its distribution plan due 

to COVID-19 restrictions. People are drinking 

fewer soft drinks at restaurants, ballparks 

and other public venues and consuming more 

soft drink products at home. Because of this, 

fewer shipments are destined for public venues 

and more are going to distribution centers 

for grocery outlets. One carrier’s loss 

of freight can be a windfall for another — if 

they have the trucks to handle it. 

“Third, it’s a reflection that carrier networks 

are still unbalanced, and while there 

are enough trucks out there, they are not 

necessarily in the right places for shippers,” 

Caplice concluded. 

As for future freight volumes and rates, 

growth in both should continue, barring further 

shutdowns due to the pandemic. One 

result of the shipment turmoil is that some 

shippers will be looking for shorter contract 

periods, providing them flexibility to change 

with the market. 

Whatever the source of the data, it appears 

shipments are increasing — and so are 

the rates paid to haul them. Optimism should 

be tempered by the continuing pandemic 

and the upcoming election, but the market is 

moving in the right direction. 8 

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Equipment September 

15-30, 2020 • 23 

ACT: July net trailer orders improved, but there are still hurdles to leap 

Courtesy: Great Dane Trailers 

Net trailer orders in the U.S. during July were up 40% from June 2020 and up 80% from 

July 2019 according to ACT Research. However, trailer OEMs still face an uphill battle 

according to recent reports. 


COLUMBUS, Ind. — July net U.S. trailer 

orders of 18,851 units were a significant improvement, 

up 40% from June’s uptick and 

well above July 2019’s level (up 80%). Before 

accounting for cancellations, new orders of 

20,000 units were up 26% versus June and 44% 

better year over year, according to the August 

issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: 

U.S. Trailer Report. 

“The industry continues to climb from the 

COVID-generated historic low order volume 

posted in April,” said Frank Maly, director of 

commercial vehicle transportation analysis and 

research at ACT Research. “At this time last 

year, however, fleets were in a freight volume 

and rate-driven investment retrenchment that 

continued through last September/October.” 

ACT’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers 

report provides a monthly review of the current 

U.S. trailer market statistics, as well as trailer 

OEM build plans and market indicators divided 

by all major trailer types, including backlogs, 

build, inventory, new orders, cancellations, net 

orders and factory shipments. 

“Our conversations this month indicate 

that a change in fleet attitudes began to occur 

in mid-June, when they began to investigate 

availability and pricing,” Maly said. 

“Discussions following the July 4 holiday 

break shifted toward active negotiations and 

order placement,” he continued. “An interesting 

dichotomy for the industry was occurring 

at that time: As OEMs extended holiday downtime, 

fleets began to make investment commitments, 

with larger fleets leading the way and 

trailer order strength concentrated in the dry 

van segment.” 

While the nation’s net trailer orders showed 

definite improvement, ACT’s analysis of U.S. 

trailer production showed scattered rebounds 

and predicted a lower replacement demand. 

According to this quarter’s issue of ACT’s 

Trailer Components Report, analysis of the last 

decade of trailer production shows that the industry 

opened the year at an average production 

pace until the shelter-in-place lockdowns 

began late in the first quarter of 2020. 

“Although a widespread shutdown of production 

of both commercial trucks and autos 

occurred as part of the overall Q2 societal 

lockdowns, the commercial trailer segment 

continued to operate, albeit at lower rates,” 

Maly noted. “After remaining barely positive 

See Hurdles on p24 m 

Independent testing shows fuel savings in pairing 

Michelin Energy Guard system and X One tires 


GREENVILLE, S.C. — In an independent 

third-party certified fuel-economy test conducted 

by Mesilla Valley Transportation Solutions 

(MVTS), the Michelin Energy Guard 

system, coupled with a Michelin X One tire 

package, demonstrated a combined fuel savings 

of 17.01 gallons/1,000 miles, Michelin 

announced Aug. 19. Michelin’s Energy Guard 

is a SmartWay-verified and CARB-compliant 

solution. 

“Our goal, through continued testing, 

was to provide certified fuel-economy performance 

test data results that fleets can use 

to confidently make purchasing decisions 

about aerodynamic trailer solutions and realize 

real-world savings,” said Calvin Bradley, 

technical leader of Michelin Aerodynamic 

Solutions, Michelin North America. “The 

newest testing confirms these significant results 

and validates our product from others on 

the market.” 

Two 2015 International LT tractors with 

Cummins ISX 15-liter engines and Eaton 

10-speed automated manual transmissions 

hauled 53-foot Hyundai dry vans — a combination 

with a gross vehicle weight of 72,000 

pounds — to perform the tests. The vehicles 

were thoroughly inspected and received regular 

maintenance before testing. The tractors 

See Testing on p24 m 

Courtesy: Michelin 

Tests conducted by Mesilla Valley Transportation 

Solutions showed that teaming Michelin’s 

X One tire package with the Michelin 

Energy Guard system resulted in savings of 

more than 17 gallons for every 1,000 miles. 

Courtesy: Link Manufacturing 

Link Manufacturing’s ROI Cabmate suspension is now available as an aftermarket kit for 

several popular sleeper cabs, including the Peterbilt 579 shown here. 

Link’s ROI Cabmate retrofit kits available 

for popular sleeper cab makes and models 


SOUIX CENTER, Iowa — Link Manufacturing 

Ltd., a producer of specialty-engineered 

suspensions, now offers aftermarket kits for its 

ROI Cabmate Semi-Active Cab Suspension 

for popular sleeper cab makes and models, 

including the Freightliner Cascadia, the Kenworth 

T680, the Peterbilt 579, International’s 

LT series, and the Volvo VNL and VNR series. 

The kits are designed and engineered to 

replace original factory-installed cab suspensions 

with Link’s intelligent cab suspensions 

that feature the company’s Road Optimized 

Innovation (ROI) technology. 

Unlike traditional cab suspensions that are 

tuned to deliver a specific quality of ride only 

within a narrow range of surface and load conditions, 

the ROI Cabmate adapts to whatever 

it encounters, according to the manufacturer. 

See Cabmate on p24 m

24 • September 15-30, 2020 Equipment 

b Hurdles from page 23 b 

in April, a soft gain in net orders occurred in 

May. That was followed by better demand in 

both June and July; those months exceeded 

previous year levels.” 

ACT’s U.S. New Trailer Components and 

Materials Forecast provides those in the trailer 

production supply chain, as well as those who 

invest in said suppliers and commodities, with 

forecast quantities of components and raw 

materials required to support the trailer forecast 

for the coming five years. It includes nearterm 

quarterly predictions for two years, while 

the latter three years of the forecast are shown 

in annual details. Additionally, analysis is segmented 

into two categories — those needed 

for the structural composition of new trailers 

and those used in the production of undercarriage 

assembly. 

“Despite better order trends, adjustments to 

production as we moved into summer were a foregone 

conclusion; the only question was timing,” 

Maly said, adding that scheduled holiday shutdowns 

in July allowed OEMS to extend planned 

downtime in response to low order volume. 

“The recent order rebound is extremely 

dry van-centric, so OEMs and component and 

material suppliers in the dry van and reefer 

b Testing from page 23 b 

and trailers were fitted with wide-base single 

tires set at 100 PSI. One vehicle was fitted 

with Michelin X Line Energy Z on the steer 

position, Michelin X One Line Energy D on 

the drive position, and Michelin X One Line 

Energy T on the trailer position. The other 

vehicle was outfitted with a competing brand. 

All tires were EPA SmartWay-approved and 

had a 500-mile break-in procedure using the 

same vehicle and load. 

The Michelin X One tire package alone 

saved 6.70 gallons/1,000 miles, the tests 

iStock Photo 

While the nation’s net trailer orders 

showed definite improvement, ACT’s analysis 

showed scattered rebounds. 

markets will be less impacted than those in the 

vocational trailer segments,” he stated. “From 

a timing standpoint, most of the recent order 

rebound will be more impactful to late Q3 and 

Q4 volumes.” 

When asked about future trailer production, 

Maly said he believes that in addition to 

COVID-19, other factors will continue to impact 

trailer volumes during the coming years. 

“The surge of trailer acquisitions in 2017-19 

has increased trailers in operation, decreased average 

life of trailers in use, and more than caught 

up with delayed replacement of older units,” he 

explained. “In addition to the market impact of 

an economy crawling from the worst quarterly 

performance in history, replacement volumes 

will also be lower than in recent years.” 8 

showed. Combining the X One tire package 

with the Michelin Energy Guard system 

yielded fuel savings of 17.01 gallons/1,000 

miles. This can reduce a fuel bill by as much 

as 12.6% or up to $5,195 per truck per year. 

“MVTS-certified testing is a much more 

advanced and reliable method for predicting 

fuel savings,” said Daryl Bear, lead engineer 

and COO, MVT Solutions LLC. “The results 

provided are comparable with what a progressive 

fleet can expect in real-world operations. 

Combining fuel-efficient tires with aerodynamics 

can save a fleet significant fuel and money.” 

Detailed information on the complete test 

can be found in a separate report on the MVTS 

website (www.m-v-t-s.com); look for the Michelin 

logo under “Certified Products.” 8 

b Cabmate from page 23 b 

The ROI Cabmate’s electronic control unit 

(ECU) uses proprietary algorithms to interpret 

a constant data stream from an accelerometer 

that monitors the motion of the cab, and a position 

sensor that measures the position and 

velocity of the cab relative to the frame. The 

system responds at speeds beyond human perception, 

adjusting shock absorber stiffness with 

computer-controlled precision. The result is 

optimized ride comfort, improved cab stability 

and an overall reduction in noise and vibration. 

“The contrast between traditional passive 

spring and damper cab suspensions and Link’s 

new ROI Cabmate is the difference between 

the analog and digital worlds,” said Eli De- 

Groff, product manager of Road Optimized Innovations 

for Link Manufacturing. “Our stateof-the-art 

ROI Cabmate suspension sets a new 

benchmark, responding to changing conditions 

in real time, making hundreds of adjustments 

per second and delivering an ultra-premium 

driving experience that simply wasn’t possible 

before and isn’t available with any other cab 

suspension.” 

A vehicle that’s retrofitted with the ROI 

Cabmate will operate in a constant state of dynamic 

dampening to produce an optimal ride 

for drivers and passengers, improving alertness 

and reducing fatigue, according to Link 

Manufacturing. Regardless of what a vehicle’s 

wheels encounter, the ROI Cabmate responds 

instantaneously, with the ideal stiffness, to 

control and reduce cab motion and vibration. 

The system also counteracts the effects of wind 

shear as well as turbulence from other vehicles. 

While developing and refining its aftermarket 

kits, Link logged more than three million 

miles of field-testing data for the system. 

Among the participating fleets were C.R. England, 

Ploger Transportation and Valley Transportation 

in the U.S., as well as XCF Transporte 

Carga Consolidada in Mexico. 

“I drove more than 130,000 test miles with 

Link’s new ROI Cabmate, and I would characterize 

it as nothing less than the gold standard 

in cab suspensions,” said Joel Morrow, senior 


Courtesy: Link Manufacturing 

The ROI Cabmate, shown here on a Volvo 

VNL adapts to whatever it encounters, 

according to the manufacturer. 

driver and head of research and development 

for Ploger Transportation. “I recently received 

a new vehicle without the ROI Cabmate suspension, 

and the contrast in ride quality is remarkable. 

I’ll be ordering and installing one of 

the new ROI Cabmate aftermarket kits as soon 

as possible.” 

Link’s ROI Cabmate Semi-Active Cab Suspension 

System also has an electronic height 

control feature that does not fill or exhaust air 

in response to suspension motion, minimizing 

air consumption compared to standard height 

control valves. The entire ROI Cabmate system 

operates on less than 10 watts of power and is 

designed to be ready for CAN bus integration 

in an OEM factory installation scenario. The 

system also features built-in stand-alone diagnostic 

capabilities. 

“Over the last 40 years, Link has built its 

reputation as the largest and most respected 

cab suspension supplier in the industry, with 

more than two million OEM-installed and aftermarket 

units produced,” DeGroff said. “Our 

new ROI Cabmate aftermarket kits now put a 

best-in-class driving experience within reach 

of fleets and owner-operators alike.” 

All ROI Cabmate aftermarket kits include 

hardware and installation instructions. The kits 

are available now and can be ordered through 

local OEM dealers. 8 

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Features 

September 15-30, 2020 • 25 

Driven to trucking: A love of driving brought 

Joanne O’Shaughnessy to a successful career 

Cliff Abbott 


Anyone who has spent time on a working 

farm knows that opportunities for driving 

all kinds of equipment abound. That’s where 

Joanne O’Shaughnessy developed her love of 

driving, which she applies to just about anything 

that goes fast when she isn’t behind the 

wheel of her 1999 Freightliner Classic XL. 

“You won’t find me sitting around,” she 

told The Trucker. “I’ve always loved the 

adrenaline of driving anything that goes 

fast.” 

O’Shaughnessy has deep roots in the 

community of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, 

Canada, about 45 miles east of the provincial 

capital at Regina. 

Her trucking career began when she started 

driving grain trucks for the farm; then she 

moved on to driving straight trucks in the 

Saskatchewan oilfields, where her employer 

convinced her she could earn more money 

with a Class A license. O’Shaughnessy spent 

three days in the classroom, practiced when 

she could and passed the tests to obtain her 

Class A. After that, she hauled pipe, equipment 

and anything needed to drilling sites. 

Once O’Shaughnessy turned 21, she 

was able to drive commercially in the U.S. 

She drove company trucks until she felt she 

was ready; then started up her own carrier, 

which she ran for 12 years. When she sold 

the business, she kept possession of the 1999 

Freightliner she still drives. 

She chose Ft. Lauderdale, Florida-based 

Photos courtesy of Joanne O’Shaughnessy 

Joanne O’Shaughnessy said she enjoys 

attending truck shows when she can. Her 

truck has also been featured on a CAT Scale 

Collector Card. 

Landstar Ranger to lease to, after installing 

a new 6NZ Caterpillar engine in her truck 

and converting the original 18-speed transmission 

to a 13-speed. She pulls a step deck 

trailer, hauling cross-border freight. 

“It’s the best engine I’ve ever had,” she 

said. “I’ve always wondered about them” 

(Landstar). I’ve got friends that have been 

there for 26 years.” 

See Driven on p26 m 

Leased to Florida-based Landstar Ranger, Joanne O’Shaughnessy enjoys choosing her own loads, 

and was recently awarded a jacket for her first year of safe driving with the company. 

Serving those in need: Carrier Transicold donates refrigeration unit to help Ohio food bank 

Courtesy: Carrier Transicold 

Malik Perkins, public relations manager for the Mid-Ohio Food bank, stands next to a trailer 

equipped with an X4 Series refrigeration unit provided and installed by Carrier Transicold. 


GROVE CITY, Ohio — As the 

COVID-19 pandemic continues, the demand 

for aid from local food pantries is 

rising. The gift of a trailer refrigeration 

unit from Carrier is helping the Mid-Ohio 

Food Bank, the anchor of the Mid-Ohio 

Food Collective, deliver fresh food to a 

widening base of people in need throughout 

the 20-county region that it serves. 

Given as part of Carrier’s continuing 

support of food banks in the Feeding 

America network, an X4 Series Model 

7300 refrigeration unit was installed on a 

53-foot-long trailer by Williams Carrier 

Transicold of Columbus, Ohio. 

“The support of Carrier Transicold 

moves us one step closer to realizing our 

vision of a hunger-free and healthier community,” 

said Matt Habash, president and 

CEO of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. 

“Today, more than 50% of the food we 

distribute is fresh — fruits and vegetables, 

bread, eggs, meat and dairy,” he noted. 

“Our refrigerated trucks and trailers help 

us deliver it to our partners for distribution 

within two days of arrival, helping to preserve 

its nutritional quality.” 

Now in its 40th year of operation, the 

Mid-Ohio Food Bank typically distributes 

more than 66.5 million pounds of food annually, 

providing enough food for more 

than 150,000 meals daily and serving nearly 

600,000 people annually across central and 

eastern Ohio. Those numbers have significantly 

increased this year due to the unprecedented 

impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Helping the Mid-Ohio Food Collective 

through this unit installation was a 

privilege for our Columbus service team,” 

said Nick Gutbrod, sales manager for Williams 

Carrier Transicold of Columbus. “By 

supporting the food bank, we are helping 

Ohio neighbors who are urgently in need.” 

Since 2017, Carrier Transicold has contributed 

$600,000 in support of Feeding 

See Food bank on p28 m

26 • September 15-30, 2020 Features 


T 

Photos courtesy of Joanne O’Shaughnessy 

When Joanne O’Shaughnessy isn’t in the truck, she drives everything she can, from fourwheelers 

to snowmobiles. 

b Driven from page 25 b 

O’Shaughnessy enjoys choosing her own 

loads, and was recently awarded a jacket for 

her first year of safe driving with Landstar. 

“I’m my own dispatcher,” she said. “I 

choose how hard I want to run, when I want 

to run, and where I want to run.” 

She is accompanied on her runs by 

Chewie, a chihuahua that provides security 

for the truck. 

“He watches everyone out the window 

and barks at them,” O’Shaughnessy said. 

Chewie is the latest of a line of trucking 

dogs that have travelled with her. “I’ve never 

been without one,” she said. 

In her spare time, O’Shaughnessy drives 

everything she can, from four-wheelers to 

snowmobiles. She and her fiancé, Richard, 

travel to Jamaica, Mexico and other places 

on vacations, often riding horses or driving 

jet boats for entertainment. She still loves 

horseback riding, although she gave up 

showing horses long ago, as it was difficult 

to make the show circuit with a trucking 

career. 

O’Shaughnessy said she also enjoys attending 

truck shows when she can, including 

the Rolling Thunder Heavy Truck Show 

in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. 

When she isn’t working, O’Shaughnessy 

still enjoys riding horses at a friend’s home 

near hers. She no longer keeps them, but she 

still loves animals of all kinds. She supports 

the local Humane Society as well as Regina 

General Hospital in Saskatchewan, participating 

in fundraisers and other activities 

when she can. 

She’s still recuperating from a freak injury 

incurred while driving, of all things, 

a riding lawnmower. A bungee cord attached 

to the mower came loose, and the 

hook at one end of the cord caught in her 

leg, causing severe damage. Because of 

the leg strength required for quadding and 

On the side of her truck, Joanne O’Shaughnessy 

has a set of angel wings and a cross, a design 

that matches a tattoo on her arm. 

snowmobiling, she has had to temporarily 

curtail those activities, but she’s eager to 

test the leg on the next trail ride. 

At home, O’Shaughnessy works on her 

truck, keeping it in top-notch condition. The 

white truck with purple accents is decorated 

with an angel wings and cross motif, a design 

that matches a tattoo on her arm. The 

raised letters on the tires are hand painted in 

purple to match the truck design. 

She also prepares home-cooked meals to 

freeze and take on the road. 

“It’s hard to get a home-cooked meal on 

the road,” she said, “so I take some with me 

and I can have one anywhere.” 

Home time often involves a road trip 

about 200 miles north to Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, 

a small town that bears the same 

name as a large body of water farther east. 

The popular tourist location is surrounded 

by scenic trails that feature shelters along 

the way for meals and rest stops. The shelters 

aren’t used overnight, however. 

“When the day is done, we stay in a hotel,” 

O’Shaughnessy said. “There are way 

too many bears around for camping.” 

Whether she’s piloting her truck down 

the highway, riding jet-skis in Jamaica or 

snow machines in the North Woods, Joanne 

O’Shaughnessy likes to keep moving. 8


Road to the capitol: Apex Transportation to 

transport 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree 

from Colorado to D.C. using Kenworth T680 


KIRKLAND, Wash. — After an official 

tree-cutting in western Colorado, a Kenworth 

T680 will be used to transport the 

56th U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to the 

tree-lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

This year’s tree, expected to be an Engelmann 

Spruce, will come from western Colorado’s 

Grand Mesa, Uncompaghre and Gunnison 

National Forests. 

“It is an honor for Kenworth to participate 

in this important annual American tradition 

and provide a Kenworth truck to deliver the 

‘The People’s Tree’ for the seventh consecutive 

year,” said Laura Bloch, Kenworth’s assistant 

general manager for sales and marketing. 

The Kenworth T680 that will be used 

to transport the tree is equipped with a 76- 

inch sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain 

featuring the 455-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine, 

PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission 

and PACCAR 40K tandem rear 

axles. The truck also features the Kenworth 

Diamond VIT interior, premium Kenworth 

GT703 seats, predictive cruise control, the 

Kenworth Nav+HD system, a liftable lower 

bunk and a stowable upper bunk, and Kenworth 

TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics. 

Colorado-based Apex Transportation 

will use the Kenworth T680 to transport 

“The People’s Tree” from the national forests 

to its final destination on the on the West 

Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. 

“It is a very special privilege for Apex 

Transportation to be selected to carry the 

2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, and to 

represent the state of Colorado during the 

tree’s journey to Washington, D.C.,” said 

Walt Schattinger, president of Apex Transportation 

in Henderson, Colorado. 

The decorating theme for this year’s 

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is “Experiencing 

Your Nature.” Choose Outdoors, a 

nonprofit organization that works with the 

U.S. Forest Service to promote outdoor recreation 

and public access to federal lands for 

Features September 15-30, 2020 • 27 

recreation, assists with coordinating the annual 

tour. Coloradans are expected to contribute 

as many as 10,000 handmade ornaments 

that capture the spirit of Colorado’s 

colorful scenery and culturally rich and diverse 

population. 8 

THANK YOU to All of the Drivers Out There 

We are still hiring! 

Food-Grade Tankers 

Not getting the miles you need? 

Courtesy: Kenworth 

Courtesy: Architect of the Capitol 

The tradition of a tree-lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol began in 1964. This Kenworth T680 will be 

used by Apex Transportation of Henderson, Colorado, to convey this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas 

Tree from tree-cutting ceremony in Colorado to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. 

Company ambassadors: 

15 drivers chosen for 

ABF’s Road Team 


FORT SMITH, Ark. — ABF Freight, a 

less-than-truckload carrier that’s part of the 

ArcBest family of companies, has chosen 15 

professional drivers for its 2020-2021 ABF 

Freight Road Team. 

To be eligible for the ABF Freight Road 

Team, candidates must have at least 10 years 

of driving experience and an exemplary driving 

record. Local and regional management 

nominate eligible drivers, and a steering committee 

makes the final selections. Membership 

on the ABF Road Team is one of the highest 

honors an ABF driver can achieve. 

While serving a two-year term, members 

of the ABF Road Team are ambassadors for 

ABF Freight as well as for the trucking industry 

at large. Team members are available for 

speaking engagements at civic and fraternal 

organizations, school events, career days and 

other events. When called upon, Road Team 

members speak on topics such as driving safety, 

the image of the truck driver and sharing 

the road with trucks. 

Members of the 2020-2021 ABF Road 

Team and their service centers, announced 

Aug. 17, include: 

• Terry Bennett, Ocala, Florida; 

• Bob Bramwell, Sedalia, Missouri; 

• Teddy Butler, Atlanta, Georgia; 

• Todd Grant, Winston-Salem, North 

Carolina; 

• Kirk Haggard, Little Rock, Arkansas; 

• Dave Hedicker, Dayton, Ohio; 

• Jon Herman, Kansas City, Missouri; 

• Carl Marquez, Albuquerque, New Mexico; 

• Allen McNeely, Charlotte, North 

Carolina; 

• Matt Meadows, Charleston, West 

Virginia; 

See Ambassadors on p28 m 

Better pay & benefits 

- 401K match & paid vacation 

Driver requirements 

- 2 years experience 

- clean driving record 

- NO HAZMAT 

Call Today! 

800-366-1216, ext. 1 

www.agtrucking.com

28 • September 15-30, 2020 Features 

b Food bank from page 25 b 

America’s network of 200 food banks, with 

Carrier Transicold’s nationwide dealer network 

providing installation and service 

support. According to Feeding America, 


every dollar contributed provides for at 

least 10 meals, equating to 6 million meals 

that will have been donated since the inception 

of Carrier Transicold’s social outreach 

program. Carrier’s contributions 

have funded 32 truck and trailer refrigeration 

units for food banks serving 18 states, 

with more to come. 8 

Courtesy: Michigan Department of Transportation 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, left, and state Rep. Leslie Love took part in an unveiling ceremony 

of the Aretha Franklin Memorial Highway, part of the Lodge Freeway in Detroit, on Aug. 24. 

Remembering the Queen of Soul: Memorial 

highway in Detroit honors Aretha Franklin 


DETROIT — The Aretha Franklin Memorial 

Highway, part of Detroit’s Lodge 

Freeway, was dedicated Monday, Aug. 24. 

State Rep. Leslie Love, who was instrumental 

in introducing legislation to name 

the freeway in honor of the Queen of Soul, 

was joined by Michigan Gov. Gretchen 

Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Detroit 

Mayor Mike Duggan, Michigan Department 

of Transportation Director Paul Ajegba and 

members of the Franklin family for the 

unveiling. 

During the ceremony, Aretha Franklin’s 

granddaughters, Victorie Franklin and 

Grace Franklin, offered a stirring a cappella 

rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” 

a hymn written in 1899 by James Weldon 

Johnson to celebrate the birthday of President 

Abraham Lincoln. During the ensuing 

years, the song has become known as the 

Black National Anthem. 8 

iStock Photo 

Based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, ABF Freight is part of the ArcBest family of companies. 

b Ambassadors from page 27 b 

• Eric Patterson, Phoenix, Arizona; 

• Lonnie Walker, Jackson, Mississippi; 

• David Wiechers, Kansas City, Missouri; 

• Don Wood, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and 

• Ernie Wood, Brattleboro, Vermont. 

“This is a great group of drivers who display 

the highest standards of professionalism, 

and they are focused on safety while on 

our roads and highways,” said Tim Thorne, 

president of ABF Freight. “I’m very proud 

they are representing ABF and the trucking 

industry.” 8 



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