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with elaborate backstories as a strategy for engaging schoolchildren through the Trucker Buddy Program. See Buttigieg on p9 m B s 16 • January 15-31, 2021 Perspective THETRUCKER.COM To subscribe: Visit thetrucker.com/subscribe, or 22 • January 1-14, 2021 EquipmEnt THETRUCKER.COM Email your name, address, phone number and driver type to publisher@thetrucker.com. The live streaming feature allows safety managers to view real-time video — roadfacing, inward-facing or both — for coaching and training that would normally be done in person. As a privacy feature, in-cab alerts notify drivers when a live stream starts and ends. Driver video share Safety managers can share event videos directly with drivers, enabling remote and self-guided coaching. When a video is sent, drivers will receive a text alert with a link to the event details and video; the driver can then follow the link when he or she is safely stopped. This allows evidence-based, self-guided coaching. 8 Aim your cAmerA At the code for more news! Survey shows truck parking remains top concern The FHWA has released an updated version of its Jason’s Law truck parking survey that revealed new statistics but no real solutions. Page 4 Navigating the news Truckers kidnapped, killed ..........3 Oregon’s transportation plan .....6 The Trucker Trainer ................8 Rhythm of the Road.............12 Ask the Attorney ..................13 At the Truck Stop .................14 Chaplain’s Corner ................... 16 Truck sales end on high note ....17 Safety Series ..............................18 Charitable giving ...................... 23 Dash cams for ‘new normal’ ....21 iStock Photo Dwain HebDa SPECIAL TO THE TRUCKER Features January 1-14, 2021 • 23 A true zoo story: Driver keeps Trucker Buddy classrooms engaged by sharing the fun adventures of his ‘menagerie’ of ‘mascots’ In three decades on the road, Bill McNamee has piled up enough adventures to fill several volumes — but he hasn’t done it alone. For the past 27 years he’s brought along a “menagerie” of companions including mice, a lizard, a hedgehog, a duck and the occasional bulldog, all of whom have come along for the ride. Along the way, his “mascots,” as he calls them have accumulated their own share of experiences and gotten into the occasional mischief, notwithstanding the fact that each is stuffed. “I started out with a mouse called Seatbelt Sam in ’99. I saw this mouse at Cracker Barrel and I thought, ‘You know, this would be a good mascot,’” he said. “I got another mouse; that was Mario, Mario Provolone. And then, I found this girl mouse and I named her Cheddar Mouse. “Cheddar married Seatbelt Sam,” McNamee continued his story. “Two years later, we went out and got three little mice — three little catnip toys — named Colby and Pepper and Jack. So, they had three kids.” Told out of context, this backstory about McNamee’s collection of stuffed animals with elaborate backstories might suggest a guy who’s been out on the road just a little bit too long. In fact, however, his furry pals are all part of McNamee’s strategy for engaging schoolchildren through the Trucker Buddy Program, McNamee said he is also able to share lessons about seatbelt safety and distracted drivrooms of Christopher Elementary second-grad- how important the trucking industry is,” he said. Currently he’s currently assigned to three class- and while we’re doing that, we teach them about and it’s an effective strategy. “The concept of that program is to show ing that children can share with their parents. ers in Christopher, Illinois. That’s 62 kids in “This thing just grows and grows. It seems kids what we have in our beautiful country. “We throw in anti-bullying messages, sharing the road messages, how to be good friends postcard or send a photo of the mascots; while at all. While on the road, he’ll drop the classes a like every couple of months, I can think of a new It’s also to show the necessity of the trucking lesson for them about something,” he continued. industry in everybody’s life,” he said. “We to their classmates. We’re doing all of that and home, he’ll pay the students an in-person visit. promote a positive image and show them that making it all fun,” he said. “You know, a lot of kids never leave their In fact, the stories have become elaborate (truckers are) normal people, just like their McNamee, who drives for Carbon Express, hometown. Some kids never go coast to coast. enough to qualify as their own daytime dramas. McNamee staged a wedding for Seatbelt moms and dads. We just don’t get to come has been assigned to various classrooms during his time in the Trucker Buddy program. see New York City. So, we share that with them See MaScotS on p24 They’ll never see the Rocky Mountains; never home every day.” m Courtesy: Bi l McNamee Bill McNamee uses a collection of stuffed animals with elaborate backstories as a strategy for engaging schoolchildren through the Trucker Buddy Program. His “menagerie” includes Seatbelt Sam and a mouse named Mario Provolone, among others. Courtesy: Trucking Moves America Forward Left: Rachel Lewis, who organized the Apex Capital office gift drive, is pictured with some of the gifts donated by employees. Right: CRST partnered with Central Furniture Rescue to help deliver furniture donations to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area after a straight-line wind storm devastated the community. Kendal George, left, and Chris Landwehr picked up the donated furniture. THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), an industry-wide education and image movement, shared stories of the unique ways that the trucking industry has continued to give back to their communities over the holiday season. Trucking companies and organizations submitted their stories of charitable works to TMAF after a call for submissions through email and social media. “During one of the most difficult years in our nation’s history, the trucking industry not only stepped up to deliver the essential goods we have relied on throughout the pandemic; but also gave back to their community through charitable acts and giving,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president of Jet Express Inc. “Trucking companies and organizations of all sizes and from states across the country stepped up once again year to help make the holidays a little brighter for those in need. From donating food, toys and transportation, to delivering food, medicine and supplies on the frontlines of the pandemic, trucking has helped keep our communities strong all year.” The following are a few of the trucking companies and organizations that gave back to their communities during the 2020 holiday season. Advantage Truck Group (ATG), based in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, hosted its annual Haulin’ 4 Hunger initiative to provide meals to those in need. With an increased need for food assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ATG increased its efforts this year and provided 6,000 meals and support to 12 local food pantries. Employees of Fort Worth, Texas-based Apex Capital hosted a Virtual Walk for Breast Cancer Charitable works: Organizations continue to give back during year of unprecedented challenges ‘No greater honor’: Truckers play vital role in distribution of long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines Linda Garner-Bunch For most of the world’s population, 2020 brought never-before-seen challenges, beginning with a global pandemic caused by a new coronavirus first discovered in China in late 2019. As 2020 came to a close, the number of COVID-19 cases — along with deaths related to the disease — continued to climb. The year also brought the trucking industry into the international spotlight, as professional drivers put in countless hours on the road, working to provide hospitals and pharmacies with medical supplies, and grocery stores stocked with essentials (who could ever forget the great toilet-paper shortage?). For most truck drivers, those hours spent on the road were “all in a day’s work.” Many were surprised when they were greeted with cheers as they made their deliveries. As the year progressed, some of that appreciation faded — but drivers continued to work behind the scenes, making sure vital supplies, as well as little luxuries, reached their destinations in a safe and timely manner. On Sunday, Dec. 13, truck drivers and other members of the transportation industry once again found themselves in the spotlight as the first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) departed Pfizer’s Portage, Michigan, facility. The day was the lindag@thetruckermedia.com history, an effort that health officials are encouraging the public to embrace, even as many people expressed skepticism or worry about the Vol. 34, No. 1 | JaNuary 1-14, 2021 | www.thetrucker.com A truck loaded with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine leaves the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in Portage, Michigan on Dec. 13, 2020. In addition to FedEx and UPS, Massachusetts-based Boyle Transportation was part of the Dec. 13 vaccine rollout, with two teams of drivers participating in the first convoy to leave Pfizer’s Michigan facility. AP Photo/Morry Gash a new milestone of 300,000 with those numbers expected to skyrocket during the following weeks. See GivinG on p25 m A drug’s safety and effectiveness. start of the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. See VaccineS on p10 m As the first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 vaccine vials made their way to distribution sites that day, the nation’s pandemic deaths approached Because Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at an extremely low temperature — about minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit — quick transport is vital to the success of the immunization effort. On the Buttigieg officially announced as Biden’s Courtesy: Bi l McNamee A true zoo story Bill McNamee uses a “menagerie” of stuffed animals THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES nomination for secretary of transportation WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden post, was virtually unknown nationally when on Dec. 15 formally announced Pete Buttigieg as his pick for the secretary of transportation. Buttigieg, 38, served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020. he launched a longshot bid for president, but he became a formidable political force in the early primary states, finishing well ahead of Biden in Kevin Lamarque via AP During a Dec. 16 event in Delaware, Biden introduced Buttigieg, hailing him as “a new voice with new ideas determined to move past old politics.” Iowa and New Hampshire. Buttigieg eventually endorsed Biden’s presidential bid. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to Page 23 be transportation secretary reacts to his nomination during a news conference at The Queen “We need someone who knows how to work with state, local and federal agencies,” Biden said, Beyond standard transportation fixes, which are easier to promise than for administrations to get theater in Wilmington, Delaware, Dec. 16, 2020. noting that the nation’s highways are in disrepair through Congress, Biden says he wants to rejuvenate and that some bridges “are on the verge of collapse.” Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay the post-coronavirus pandemic economy and create thousands of green jobs by making environmentally friendly retrofits and public works improvements. person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet “At its best, transportation makes the American dream possible, getting people and goods to
Business January 15-31, 2021 • 17 Freight levels and pricing continue to climb, but hazards exist Cliff Abbott cliffa@thetruckermedia.com November freight levels remained strong as 2020 entered its final month. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported that its For-Hire Trucking Index increased 3.7% in November, earning back some of the 5% loss in October. The November index of 112.2 was 3.8% lower than November 2019, but was strong, nonetheless. “The 2020 seesaw pattern continued in November, as typical seasonality is not holding this year,” explained Bob Costello, chief economist for ATA. “It was a nice gain, but the rebound was not enough to make up for October’s drop.” ATA’s numbers are compiled from data submitted by members of the organization, which tend to be larger carriers with a high percentage of contract freight from manufacturing customers. In an economy where shipments of retail goods have been higher than normal while manufactured goods haven’t fully recovered, carriers with a large percentage of manufacturing customers can experience sporadic freight levels. The Cass Freight Index for shipments, which tracks shipments in multiple modes of transportation, declined 2.2% in November from its October level. Compared to November 2019 however, shipments increased by 2.7%. The Cass Index includes shipments by rail, pipeline, ship and barge, trucking and other modes. In a statement announcing the decline, Cass noted that the November decline “followed five consecutive months of strong recovery averaging 5.0% sequential improvement (seasonally adjusted), and is likely due to the worsening pandemic numbers impacting the trajectory of the recovery in November.” Rising COVID-19 numbers might impact some shipping segments more than others. While people are quarantined at home, they can still be ordering retail goods online. The Cass statement noted that shipments in the less-than-truckload (LTL) sector increased for three consecutive months, including a 6.0% increase in November compared to November of 2019. Spot freight rates, which are more volatile than contract rates, tend to react quickly to market changes. Spot rates have been on the rise for months and set new records in November. Van rates rose to an average of $2.46 per mile, while flatbed rates averaged $2.47. Rates for refrigerated freight dropped a penny from October’s high, averaging $2.68 per mile. That’s more likely a seasonal impact, since refrigerated rates often rise and fall with the availability of fresh produce. Overall, spot rates continued strong into December, and both spot and contract rates are expected to strengthen into the new year. This time, however, there are more variables than usually faced by the industry. One of the largest variables is the COVID-19 pandemic. As November drew to a close, record numbers of positive COVID-19 tests were being reported, hospitals reported overcrowding, and pundits warned of still larger numbers of infections to come. At the same time, vaccinations became available in December, with medical personnel and first responders among the first to receive shots. It will undoubtedly take months to distribute the vaccine to everyone — and many people have expressed resistance to being vaccinated. The question of when the country will achieve “herd immunity” is up for debate, and scientists disagree on the percentage of the population that must be vaccinated to stop the virus. AP Photo/Morry Gash It will undoubtedly take months to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone. It may be deemed necessary to shut the economy down again while the vaccine that would allow reopening is being distributed, which would certainly affect freight rates and levels. Shown above, boxes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are being prepared to be shipped from the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant in mid-December. In the meantime, positive COVID-19 cases continue growing. President-elect Joe Biden has indicated that federally mandated restrictions, including a mask mandate, could be in store once he takes office Jan. 20. It may be deemed necessary to shut the economy down again while the vaccine that would allow reopening is being distributed. Another issue affecting freight levels is inventory. According to a Jan. 4 blog post by FTR’s Steve Graham, increases in sales have brought business inventories down, creating a need for more production. That’s good for See Hazards on p18 m Arizona DOT converts to cashless permitting system for commercial trucks iStock Photo Beginning Jan. 21, Arizona’s ports of entry will convert to a fully cashless permitting system. THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES PHOENIX — Effective Jan. 21, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) ports of entry will convert to a fully cashless system. The change comes after ADOT successfully implemented a pilot program, preparing trucking companies that currently pay with cash to make the move to a cashless system. According to a statement issued by ADOT, when commercial truckers purchase their permits for driving through Arizona online ahead of time or use a cashless method at the port of entry, they spend less time making payments and get on their way faster. The move to end the acceptance of cash and checks at ports of entry also supports recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to curb the spread of COVID-19 through the exchange of currency. ADOT’s truck-permitting systems, ePro and Transport, have cashless features that are used by nearly 80% of truckers. To help trucks move through the ports more efficiently, ADOT’s Enforcement and Compliance Division used the pilot-program period to convince the remaining 20% to pay for permits online using Apple Pay, Android Pay or a credit card. “We have been getting a feel from the trucking industry on how much they would support this change, and the feedback has been positive,” said Lt. Jason Sloan, team lead for implementing the change. “This improvement will help eliminate waste and maximize resources available at ports of See Cashless on p18 m
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