011521_TT_AllPages

More documents

Recommendations

Info

8 • January 15-31, 2021 Nation THETRUCKER.COM Flexibility is key for drivers looking to start a daily exercise routine Bob Perry The Trucker Trainer What is the best time of day for a workout? That’s a good question asked by many professional truck drivers. Personally, I’ve always preferred morning workouts, but as I’ve gotten older, I find that exercising later in the day actually provides the best outcome. Some experts recommend working out during the morning hours, while others say your body temperature is at its highest between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., making the afternoon the best time to maximize your workouts. Experience has taught me that the best time to exercise really depends on the individual. Often, your body rhythm has a lot to do with optimizing your workouts when it comes to choosing the best time of day for your workout. However, we all know that as a professional driver it usually comes down to fitting a workout into your day whenever you can find the time. Flexibility is key for drivers when scheduling workouts because most drivers’ schedules A SET OF SQUATS CAN WIN YOU A SET OF STEERING AXLE MICHELINS AND ALCOA WHEELS Enter the Steering Your Way to Better Health Contest From Fit to Pass ® Go to Fittopass.com/steering-to-better-health No purchase necessary. Male and female winners. change daily — not to mention weather delays. So, whenever you have 15 minutes do something instead of nothing, it could be the only chance you have that day to exercise. A morning workout might jump-start your day, help kick in your metabolism and allow you to get your workout in before other issues come into play that could disrupt your plans to work out. Many people find it hard to fall asleep after a workout, so late afternoon or evening might not be the best option. It’s easy to find excuses for missing workouts. You’ve heard me say before if you do miss a workout, try not to miss more than two days — after that, skipping the workout starts to become a habit. You might struggle with feeling bored doing the same series of movements in your workout. Not only will you start to feel bored, but your body will also hit a plateau. To combat this, be sure to change up or adjust your exercise routine every 30 days. Here are some suggestions for “shaking things up”: • Change up the sets and repetitions. • Modify the length of the workout. • Pick up the pace of your routines. • Add in super sets. • Combine cardio with weights and interval walking. By periodically making just one of these See Trainer on p10 m Courtesy: South Dakota Department of Transportation The South Dakota Department of Transportation plans to equip 25 of the state’s snowplows with flashing blue lights in an effort to increase safety for motorists and snowplow operators. South Dakota DOT adds blue lights to 25 snowplows across state THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) is launching a pilot program designed to improve safety for motorists and snowplow operators, the agency announced Dec. 22. The pilot program will equip 25 trucks, spread across the state, with flashing blue lights. “Snowplow drivers provide an essential service to our communities,” said Joel Jundt, the state’s interim transportation secretary. “The blue lights will add more visibility to our snowplow fleet to ensure they can continue to clear roads and keep drivers safe.” According to a statement released by SDDOT, studies show that drivers have become desensitized to flashing amber lights. Blue lights have greater visibility in certain situations, and THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES GREENBELT, Md. — During the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 2020 International Roadcheck, more than 50,000 inspections were conducted throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The combined vehicle out-of-service rate for Level I, II and V inspections was 20.9%, or 12,524 vehicles. This year’s International Roadcheck took place Sept. 9-11; the event was rescheduled from May 5-7 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Law-enforcement personnel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico conducted inspections following their departments’ health and safety protocols to protect both the inspectors and the drivers with whom they came into contact. International Roadcheck is an annual 72-hour inspection and enforcement event that identifies and removes unsafe commercial motor vehicles and drivers from roadways. It highlights the daily work of because blue lights have a higher frequency and shorter wavelength of light, they appear to be moving closer rather than farther away, allowing drivers to react more quickly. The most common crash statistic for snowplows is being hit from behind. When a snowplow’s blades are down, the machinery travels at 25 mph or less. Motorists are asked to slow down and stay eight car lengths behind the plow — and to never pass one in a snow cloud. “Keeping drivers, workers and emergency personnel safe is the department’s number one priority,” Jundt said. “We appreciate Gov. Kristi Noem and the state’s legislature for working with us and adding new safety provisions to strengthen the current law and keep us on the road.” 8 More than 12,000 vehicles placed out of service during CVSA’s 2020 International Roadcheck the more than 13,000 commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America and acknowledges the safety compliance of motor carriers and professional drivers through the issuance of the CVSA decal on eligible vehicles. During 2020 International Roadcheck, CVSA-certified inspectors primarily conducted the 37-step North American Standard Level I Inspection; however, the Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection and Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection were also acceptable. This year, 26,451 Level I Inspections, 11,224 Level II Inspections, 11,364 Level III Inspections and 1,112 Level V Inspections were conducted. In total, 50,151 inspections were conducted throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. When such inspections are conducted, if the inspector identifies critical vehicle inspection item out-of-service violations, using the North American Standard See CVSA on p9 m s m W s a v f
THETRUCKER.COM Border patrol agents in California, Texas seize meth concealed in tractor-trailers THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES NILAND, Calif., and PHARR, Texas — In two separate actions on Dec. 19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in California’s El Centro Sector and at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas seized methamphetamine concealed in commercial tractor-trailers. At about 5:06 p.m., a man driving a red Freightliner tractor-trailer approached California’s Highway 111 border patrol checkpoint. Agents directed the vehicle aside for further investigation. During the inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted agents’ attention to the semi-truck. Both the driver- and passenger-side fuel tanks were visually inspected, and the liquid inside looked clear. Agents then noticed a cloudy, denser liquid a few inches below the clear liquid. A field narcotic testing kit was used on the cloudy liquid, which yielded a positive result for the characteristics of methamphetamine. Agents were unable to determine the weight of narcotics due to the volatile and dangerous state of the liquid meth. The El Centro Sector turned over the driver, a 25-year-old lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and the semi-truck containing the narcotics to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At the Pharr International Bridge in Texas, agents discovered $37 million worth of THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Commercial driver’s license holders in Tennessee can now take advantage of convenient online services, according to the Driver Services division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS). Customers may renew their CDL, order a duplicate CDL and renew their medical certification through the new e-Services (dl.safety. tn.gov) portal. This new service will allow many CDL holders to conduct their business online rather than visiting a Driver Services Center in person. The following services are now available online: • Driver license or CDL renewal; • Driver license or CDL duplicate; • CDL medical certification renewal; • Submit reinstatement documents; b Pilot from page 6 b Hazelwood was convicted in 2018 of conspiracy, wire fraud and witness tampering. Former company Vice President Scott “Scooter” Wombold was convicted of wire fraud and sentenced to six years in prison, and former account representative Heather Jones was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and sentenced to more than 2½ years. Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection These packages, hidden in a commercial shipment of fresh tomatoes, contain 1,853 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $37 million. The discovery was made at the Pharr International Bridge in Pharr, Texas, on Dec. 19. alleged methamphetamine when a tractortrailer hauling a shipment of fresh tomatoes was referred for a secondary inspection, which included a nonintrusive imaging scan. Agents ultimately discover 657 packages weighing 1,853 pounds (840.5 kg) of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the trailer’s floor. CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the tractortrailer; the case is under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. 8 Tennessee adds new online CDL services • Pay reinstatement fees; • Reissue after reinstatement; • New Tennessee resident and new driver’s license application; • Change of address; • Schedule a road skills test appointment; • Advance a GDL license; • Driver’s license practice test; • Driving history/MVR; • Reprint confirmation; • Submit an owner-operator report; and • Manage emergency contacts. TDOSHS encourages Tennesseans to use the online services to help protect the health and safety of both staff and customers. For services not available online through e-Services, customers may visit a self-service kiosk or a participating county clerk partner, or schedule an appointment for an in-person Driver Services Center visit. 8 Fourteen former Pilot Flying J employees pleaded guilty earlier. Pilot Flying J is controlled by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The Haslams have not been charged with any wrongdoing. The former governor has not been involved with the company in recent years. The company earlier agreed to pay an $85 million settlement to defrauded customers and a $92 million penalty to the government. 8 Nation January 15-31, 2021 • 9 b CVSA from page 8 b Out-of-Service Criteria, the vehicle is rendered out of service, which means the identified out-of-service violations must be corrected before the vehicle will be permitted to proceed. Vehicles inspected during the 2020 International Roadcheck included large trucks/combinations, cargo tanks/combinations transporting hazardous materials (hazmat), non-hazmat cargo tanks/combinations and passenger carrier vehicles. The Top 5 out-of-service violations for all three countries were: 1. Brake system: 3,163 violations; 2. Tires: 2,326 violations; 3. Lights: 1,650 violations; 4. Cargo securement: 1,586 violations; and 5. Brake adjustment: 1,567 violations. Each year, the CVSA International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a specific category of violations. The 2020 focus was on the driver requirements category of a roadside inspection. A driver may be placed out of service for violations related to the driver’s age; commercial driver’s license or operator’s/chauffeur’s license or permit; medical/physical requirements; record-of-duty status; sickness or fatigue; or intoxicating beverages, drugs and other substances. Overall, the top driver out-of-service violation category during 2020 International Roadcheck was for hours of service, accounting for 34.7% of all driver out-ofservice violations. The total number of driver out-of-service violations was 3,247. Inspectors also checked safety belt usage during International Roadcheck. A total of 768 seatbelt violations were issued — seven in Canada, eight in Mexico and 753 in the U.S. The next International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 4-6. For a full report on the 2020 International Roadcheck, visit www.cvsa.org/news-entry/2020-roadcheck-results. 8 DRIVE WITH PRIDE
Page 1 and 2: Vol. 34, No. 2 | January 15-31, 202
Page 3 and 4: THETRUCKER.COM Nation January 15-31
Page 5 and 6: THETRUCKER.COM Nation January 15-31
Page 7: TruckIns_Oct_2020_FullPg 9/11/20 2:
Page 11 and 12: THETRUCKER.COM b Response from page
Page 13 and 14: THETRUCKER.COM Perspective January
Page 15 and 16: CATTheTrucker112020 7.75x8.5.qxp_La
Page 17 and 18: Business January 15-31, 2021 • 17
Page 19 and 20: THETRUCKER.COM b Apps from page 18
Page 21 and 22: Equipment January 15-31, 2021 • 2
Page 23 and 24: Features January 15-31, 2021 • 23
Page 25 and 26: THETRUCKER.COM Delivering more than
Page 27 and 28: thetrucker.com January 15-31, 2021

011521_TT_AllPages

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?