021521_TT_AllPages

Vol. 34, No. 4 | February 15-28, 2021 | www.thetrucker.com 

Aim your 

camera 

at the 

code for 

more news! 

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis 

Blocking roadways 

Republican lawmakers in 

Mississippi are seeking to 

increase penalties for people 

who block public roadways 

during protests. 

Page 3 

UPS Freight sold to TFI................4 

The Trucker Trainer.................8 

Trucker Burger in Arizona.........11 

Rhythm of the Road.............12 

Ask the Attorney...................13 

Courtesy: WIT 

At the 

Truck Stop 

After a threedecade 

career 

in the banking 

industry,Karen 

Noel found 

herself behind 

the wheel. 

Page 14 

2020 tax liability..........................17 

Fleet Focus.................................18 

Epes celebrates 90 years........ 19 

Cascadia recalls........................22 

Keller’s charity truck.................. 23 

Courtesy: Peterbilt Motors Company 

New Model 579 

Peterbilt’s thoroughly 

redesigned Model 579 is the 

most technologically advanced 

truck Peterbilt has built yet. 

Page 21 

Fracking, oil truckers feel sting of president’s pen; 

experts weigh in on Biden’s early executive orders 

Dwain Hebda 

SPECIAL TO THE TRUCKER 

If there was any doubt as to what the next four 

years holds for America’s fossil fuel economy, 

President Joe Biden erased them all with a swipe 

of his pen. 

The president wasted no time making good on his 

campaign promise to radically reshape how fossil fuels 

are collected, transported and consumed. Among 

the first of a historic flurry of executive orders and 

actions he signed in the first two weeks of his term 

were the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline 

extension and initiating steps toward tougher regulations 

over oil and gas operations. 

Proponents of the measure called it a bold first 

step in addressing climate change. Critics decried 

the loss of thousands of jobs (up to 12,000 by 

some estimates attributed to Keystone alone) and 

an economic hit that easily runs into the billions. 

The negative impacts include both directly displaced 

workers and those in affiliated industries 

such as pipe manufacturing, storage and, yes, 

transportation. 

As the oil industry licks its wounds over the actions, 

the fracking industry braced for what could 

be headed its way. Thus far, the jabs from the White 

House have been relatively light, limited to fracking 

bans on federal land, according to Thomas Jacob, 

vice president of Rystad Energy in Houston. 

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik 

Pete Buttigieg, left, was sworn in as Transportation Secretary 

by Vice President Kamala Harris, right, on Feb. 3, 

with Chasten Buttigieg, center. 

“We spent a lot of time looking at that, and our 

conclusions were in the immediate term that you 

would just see activity and capital migrate to nonfederal 

lands,” he said. “There wouldn’t be a significant 

impact, at least in the U.S. in 2021. You wouldn’t 

see activity just dropping dead or dropping off significantly. 

You would see it be driven more by the oil 

price fundamentals, other than a regulatory response 

from the government.” 

Jacob contends that in the near term, the aftershocks 

of COVID-19 would be far more disruptive 

to fracking production cycles and profitability than 

what comes out of the White House. 

“All of the operators were in so much uncertainty 

that everyone went into their shells a little bit,” he 

said. “When COVID-19 hit and activity was plummeting, 

the supply chain companies … take a huge 

hit. We did see a lot of capacity coming off on the 

trucking side because of all of that.” 

After that initial shock to the economy, industry 

expert were able to better evaluate the situation, Jacob 

noted. 

“Once things cleared up a little bit more and there 

was a little bit more visibility into what was really 

happening, you saw a lot of frack fleets being put 

back to work in the third quarter,” he said. “Obviously, 

the second quarter was the bottom, with respect 

to completions activity. But then there was an 

See Sting on p6 m 

AP Photo/Evan Vucci 

President Joe Biden signs an executive order 

on climate change at the White House on 

January 27. 

Buttigieg confirmed as DOT Secretary in 86-13 Senate vote 

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg, sworn 

in Wednesday, Feb. 3, as transportation secretary, 

urged his 55,000 employees to embrace 

“imaginative, bold, forward thinking” as the 

Transportation Department embarks on a vital 

mission to rebuild America’s infrastructure 

and foster equality. 

“We will continue to prioritize safety as the 

foundation of everything we do,” Buttigieg 

said in his email message, which was obtained 

by The Associated Press. “And at the same 

time, we will break new ground: in ensuring 

that our economy recovers and rebuilds, in 

rising to the climate challenge, and in making 

sure transportation is an engine for equity in 

this country.” 

He added that the department’s mission 

“has never been more important than in this 

season of change and possibility.” 

In a broader video message, he tweeted to 

the American public, Buttigieg stressed both 

the challenges and opportunities ahead in improving 

America’s transportation system. 

“Today we face an unprecedented health 

crisis, we’re navigating an economy in danger 

and our nation is reckoning with the impacts 

of systemic racism,” he said in the one-minute 

campaign-style video. “But with new leadership 

comes a new opportunity, a chance to 

build our transportation system back better 

than it ever was before. 

“There is so much work to do, but I am 

deeply optimistic about where this journey 

will lead,” he said. 

Buttigieg, a 39-year-old former mayor of 

South Bend, Indiana, and former Democratic 

presidential candidate, was sworn in Feb. 3 by 

Vice President Kamala Harris, at a ceremony 

in the Old Executive Office Building in the 

White House complex. Buttigieg, the first 

openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet 

post, took the oath on a Bible belonging to 

See Secretary on p10 m

2 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation 

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Mississippi lawmakers consider penalties for blocking roadways during protests 


JACKSON, Miss. — Republican lawmakers 

in Mississippi are seeking to increase penalties 

for people who block public roadways 

during protests. Several Democrats, however, 

are expressing concerns about legislation that 

could be seen as criminalizing free speech. 

Republican Sen. Chad McMahan of Guntown 

proposed the “Freedom of Roadway Act” 

to “criminalize the malicious obstruction of a 

public street, highway or road during an unpermitted 

protest.” 

Senate Bill 2283 would require that protesters 

who block roadways with no permit be 

fined up to $1,500, serve up to a year in jail 

or both. The minimum punishment would be a 

$500 fine and a 25-day jail sentence. 

McMahan told the Senate Judiciary B Committee 

on Wednesday, Jan. 27, that he drafted 

the bill after being approached by the Tupelo 

police chief, who was concerned after seeing 

protesters blocking roadways in other parts of 

the country. 

McMahan mentioned a protest outside of 

Memphis, Tennessee, where people blocked 

traffic on a four-lane highway. There have been 

several protests in Memphis, over the killing 

of Black men by police, that have closed roadways 

during the last few years. 

“There was a protest in Columbia, Mississippi, 

on Highway 98 where some folks from 

out of town came and blocked the road after 

some of these police deaths and things across 


Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, outlines 

the 2021 legislative priorities of the 

Mississippi Senate Democratic Caucus to 

reporters during the first day of the 2021 Mississippi 

Legislature at the Capitol in Jackson, 

Mississippi. 

the country,” said Republican Sen. Angela 

Burks Hill of Picayune, a co-sponsor of the bill. 

“It almost turned into the citizens handling 

the blocking of the roadway,” she said. “I think 

that — anything to deter somebody from wanting 

to do this. We don’t want anybody getting 

hurt.” 

However, Democratic Sens. Angela Turner- 

Ford of West Point and Derrick Simmons of 

Greenville raised concerns about the legality of 

criminalizing gatherings without a permit. 

“I’m just concerned about criminalizing 

Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 3 


Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, moves his copy of the 2022 Mississippi Legislative Budget 

Report as he checks his mail at his desk during the first day of the 2021 Mississippi Legislature, 

Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Jackson, Mississippi. 

potentially protected speech,” Simmons said. 

The majority of lawmakers on the Senate 

Judiciary B Committee said they would not 

support sending the legislation to the full Senate 

for a vote as it was written. 

Simmons proposed a compromise — increasing 

penalties on an existing law that bans 

any person from obstructing roadways, instead 

of passing legislation specifically targeting 

protesters. 

The change would increase the current 

punishment of $500 or six months in jail for 

blocking roadways to McMahan’s proposal of 

$1,500, a year in jail or both, with a minimum 

$500 fine and 25 days in jail. 

The amended proposal was passed by committee 

members unanimously and was sent to 

the full Senate. 

By Leah Willingham, The Associated Press/ 

Report for America. 8



UPS puts $800 million price tag on trucking 

divisions in sales agreement with TFI International 

USPS 972 

Volume 34, Number 4 

February 15-28, 2021 

THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES 

ATLANTA and MONTREAL — UPS and 

TFI International Inc. on Jan. 25 announced 

a definitive agreement to sell UPS Freight 

(UPSF) to TFI International for $800 million, 

subject to working capital and other adjustments. 

UPS Freight includes the company’s 

less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) 

divisions. The agreement between UPS and 

TFI International allows UPS Freight to use 

UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments 

for five years. 

Approximately 90% of the acquired business 

will operate independently within TFI 

International’s LTL business segment under its 

new name, “TForce Freight,” while acquired 

dedicated TL assets will join TFI’s TL business 

segment. The transaction is subject to usual 

and customary closing conditions, including 

regulatory approvals. 

“We’re excited about the future and the opportunities 

this creates for both UPS and UPS 

Freight as part of TFI International Inc. The 

agreement allows UPS to be even more laserfocused 

on the core parts of our business that 

drive the greatest value for our customers,” 

said UPS CEO Carol Tomé. 

“We are pleased to announce this highly 

strategic transaction that will strengthen our 

service offerings to customers as well as our 

ongoing relationship with UPS. Our strategy 

of operating independent business units with 

a high degree of accountability is well-suited 

for building on UPS Freight’s strengths and 

improving margins over time,” said Alain 

Bédard, chairman, president and CEO of 

iStock Photo 

Montreal-based TFI International Inc. has 

signed an agreement to buy UPS Freight, 

which includes the company’s truckload and 

less-than-truckload divisions. 

TFI International. “TForce Freight will continue 

to serve UPS’ ongoing LTL distribution 

needs, and UPS will continue to provide 

freight volumes and other services to 

TForce Freight after the transaction for a base 

term of five years. We also look forward to 

offering expanded strategic network opportunities 

to UPS in Canada. This transaction 

is a ‘win-win’, allowing TFI to continue our 

strategic expansion across the US and aligning 

with UPS’ ‘Better not Bigger’ strategic 

positioning.” 

The transaction, which is subject to customary 

closing conditions and regulatory approvals, 

is expected to close during the second 

quarter of 2021. UPS expects to recognize a 

noncash, pretax impairment charge of approximately 

$500 million on its statement of consolidated 

income for the year ended Dec. 31, 

2020. 

With an operating history of more than 85 

years, UPS Freight is one of the largest LTL 

carriers in the U.S., offering a full range of regional 

and long-haul solutions and an on-time 

delivery guarantee for all LTL shipments. 

Under the agreement, UPS will retain responsibility 

for all pre-closing pension obligations, 

taxes, and accident and workers’ compensation 

liability claims and costs. TFI intends 

to make targeted investments in the LTL fleet in 

the first 12 months following the transaction, 

lowering maintenance costs, improving both 

efficiency and safety, and enhancing customer 

service and driver satisfaction, according to a 

company statement. 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as 

financial advisor, and King & Spalding LLP is 

serving as legal advisor to UPS. 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and RBC Capital 

Markets are serving as financial advisors to 

TFI. Scudder Law Firm, P.C., L.L.O. is serving 

as legal advisor to TFI. 8 

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

trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media Group at 

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Little Rock, AR 72204-1610 

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Minnesota tests ‘snowplow alert’ signs to boost safety on I-35 


OWATONNA, Minn. — Drivers on Interstate 

35 in southern Minnesota might have 

noticed new “snowplow alert” messages on 

digital highway signs recently, warning of 

slow-moving maintenance vehicles ahead. 

It’s all part of a test of the technology that 

activates the signs that’s being conducted by 

the Minnesota Department of Transportation 

(MnDOT). 

“Alerting motorists that they’re approaching 

a slow-moving snowplow can improve 

safety for our operators and motorists,” said 

Ron Heim, MnDOT’s maintenance supervisor 

in Owatonna. “MnDOT is focused on safety 

and we think this use of technology will help 

everyone on the road.” 

The department has equipped 10 MnDOT 

snowplows that operate along I-35 between 

Iowa and Northfield with technology that activates 

the digital message signs as they pass. 

During snow events, signs notify drivers: 

“Snowplow ahead, use caution.” During nonsnow 

conditions, the message alerts: “Maintenance 

vehicle ahead, use caution.” The message 

stays activated for several minutes after 

the MnDOT vehicles pass. 

Courtesy: Minnesota Department of Transportation 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is testing technology that activates digital message 

signs alerting motorists to slow-moving snowplows along a stretch of Interstate 35 in the 

southern part of the state. 

Snowplows can create “snow clouds” when 

clearing roads at slower speeds. Warning signs 

can also be used at other times of year for uses 

such as maintenance work when crews are 

repairing high-tension cable median guard or 

striping roads. 

Data from the past few years shows that many 

crashes involving snowplows were rear-end 

collisions when motorists strike the back of the 

snowplow. MnDOT hopes using this technology 

and warning system could reduce and prevent 

these types of crashes in the future. 

MnDOT snowplows and maintenance vehicles 

use existing automatic location technology 

and the signs are equipped to receive the signal 

See Snowplow on p5 m 

Contributing Writers 

Sarah DeClerk 

Dwain Hebda 

Sam Pierce 

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Report from Office of Inspector General shows that FMCSA falls short 

in oversight of national registry of medical-certification examiners 


WASHINGTON — A report released last 

month by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

(DOT) Office of Inspector General revealed 

that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA) has fallen short 

in meeting oversight requirements while rebuilding 

the National Registry of Certified 

Medical Examiners. 

As part of its mission, the FMCSA oversees 

its medical-certification program and 

promotes safety through regulations, policies 

and monitoring of certified medical 

examiners and driver examinations. The 

purpose of the National Registry of Certified 

Medical Examiners, initiated in 2014, 

is to verify that medical examiners can effectively 

determine if interstate commercial 

drivers meet FMCSA’s physical qualification 

standards. 

In 2019, as fatalities in crashes involving 

large trucks or buses increased by 10.6% 

over a five-year period, an audit of FMCSA’s 

oversight was initiated due to the significant 

safety risk posed by drivers who do not 

meet physical qualification requirements. 

The audit analyzed FMCSA’s procedures in 

validating and maintaining data quality in the 

registry and monitoring medical examiner 

Indiana traffic stop leads to DUI, multiple 

felony drug charges for Nevada trucker 


VIGO COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana State 

Police on Jan. 29 arrested and filed charges 

against a Nevada truck driver after a traffic 

stop led to the discovery of methamphetamine 

and drug paraphernalia. 

At about 8:20 p.m., near the 9-mile marker 

of Interstate 70 in Vigo County, a state trooper 

stopped a tractor-trailer driven by Chad H. 

Bowman, 44, of Amargosa Valley, Nevada, 

for unsafe lane movement. According to a 

report by the Indiana State Police, Bowman 

“displayed signs of impairment,” and a search 

of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and 

drug paraphernalia. 

Bowman agreed to submit to a drug test, 

b Snowplow from page 4 b 

that triggers the message when they travel near 

the sign. 

This pilot project is part of MnDOT’s 

connected and automated vehicle research 

to understand how advancing technology 

can improve safety. Minnesota is preparing 

for connected and automated vehicles 

by observing emerging technology trends 

and testing those solutions to see how they 

eligibility and performance and reviewing 

driver examinations. 

“FMCSA’s ability to oversee whether 

drivers meet physical qualification standards 

to safely operate a commercial vehicle is 

limited because of a lengthy outage of the 

National Registry and a resulting backlog 

of driver examination reports that were not 

entered into the Registry,” the Office of Inspector 

General noted in a Jan. 13 statement. 

The report also notes that the effectiveness of 

FMCSA’s oversight is hampered by data that 

is not fully accurate or complete. 

“FMCSA has not fully implemented requirements 

for random periodic monitoring 

of medical examiners’ eligibility and performance,” 

the statement continues. Initial 

certification reviews have been conducted 

to verify medical examiners’ eligibility, but 

FMCSA has not implemented annual audits. 

These periodic audits could result in the 

FMCSA missing fraud indicators or other 

risks. 

FMCSA has been advised of the following 

recommendations following the audit: 

1. Implement Agency plans for eliminating 

the backlog of driver examination results 

held by medical examiners. 

2. Develop a plan to allocate resources to 

which he failed. Bowman was arrested and 

taken to the Vigo County Jail. County records 

show he was released on recognizance Monday, 

Feb. 1, pending trial. 

Bowman is charged with: 

• Possession of methamphetamine, Felony 6; 

• Possession of paraphernalia, Class C 

Misdemeanor; 

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated 

endangering a person, Class A Misdemeanor; 

and 

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, 

Class C misdemeanor. 

All criminal defendants are presumed innocent 

until, and unless proven guilty beyond 

a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 8 

solve Minnesota transportation challenges. 

MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicle 

Office (CAV-X) is the state’s lead office 

for connected and automated vehicle 

technology engagement, policy, testing and 

partnerships. 

“Our trucks are already providing data, so 

we’re able to build off of that and test this concept,” 

said Jed Falgren, MnDOT’s state director 

for transportation system management and 

operations. “We can improve safety and this 

an important test that should show us what can 

come next.” 8 

the Medical Programs Division to fully implement 

requirements for medical examiner 

eligibility audits and random selection performance 

monitoring. 

3. Update Agency processes for conducting 

periodic medical examiner eligibility audits 

and random selection performance monitoring 

as needed to incorporate upgraded National 

Registry tools. 

4. Reinstate the conduct of eligibility audits 

and random selection performance monitoring 

of medical examiners. 

According to the Jan. 13 statement, 

FMCSA concurs with these recommendations 

to improve oversight of the National 

Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. 8 

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Biden’s ‘ambitious’ climate initiative targets oil, coal, natural gas sectors 


WASHINGTON — In the most ambitious 

U.S. effort to stave off the worst effects of climate 

change, President Joe Biden issued executive 

orders Wednesday, Jan. 27, to cut oil, gas 

and coal emissions and double energy production 

from offshore wind turbines. 

The orders target federal subsidies for oil 

and other fossil fuels and halt new oil and gas 

leases on federal lands and waters. They also 

aim to conserve 30% of the country’s lands and 

ocean waters in the next 10 years and move to 

an all-electric federal vehicle fleet. 

Biden’s sweeping plan is aimed at slowing 

human-caused global warming, but it also carries 

political risk for the president and Democrats 

as oil- and coal-producing states face job losses 

from moves to sharply increase U.S. reliance on 

clean energy such as wind and solar power. 

“We can’t wait any longer”’ to address the 

climate crisis, Biden said at the White House. 

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“We see with our own eyes. We know it in our 

bones. It is time to act.” 

He said his orders will “supercharge our 

administration’s ambitious plan to confront the 

existential threat of climate change.” 

Biden has set a goal of eliminating pollution 

from fossil fuel in the power sector by 

2035 and from the U.S. economy overall by 

2050, speeding what is already a market-driven 

growth of solar and wind energy and lessening 

the country’s dependence on oil and gas. The 

aggressive plan is aimed at slowing humancaused 

global warming that is magnifying extreme 

weather events such as deadly wildfires 

in the West and drenching rains and hurricanes 

in the East. 

Biden acknowledged the political risk, repeatedly 

stating that his approach would create 

jobs in the renewable energy and automotive 

sectors to offset any losses in oil, coal or 

natural gas. 

AND 

PER TEAM 

“When I think of climate change and the answers 

to it, I think of jobs,” Biden said. “We’re 

going to put people to work. We’re not going to 

lose jobs. These aren’t pie-in-the-sky dreams. 

These are concrete actionable solutions. And 

we know how to do this.’” 

In a change from previous administrations 

of both parties, Biden also is directing agencies 

to focus help and investment on the low-income 

and minority communities that live closest to 

polluting refineries and other hazards, and the 

oil- and coal-patch towns that face job losses as 

the U.S. moves to sharply increase its reliance 

on wind, solar and other energy sources that do 

not emit climate-warming greenhouse gases. 

Biden pledged to create up to a million jobs 

building electric cars, as well as installing solar 

panels, wind turbines, “capping abandoned 

walls, reclaiming mines, turning old brownfield 

sites into the new hubs of economic growth.” 

See Ambitious on p9 m 

b Sting from page 1 b 

uptick in activity — and when there is a sudden 

uptick in activity that is more than what people 

were expecting, there is a shortage of drivers and 

you see pricing on the trucking side going higher. 

That’s exactly where we’re at right now.” 

Chris Thropp, president of Pennsylvaniabased 

Sage Corp., which operates Sage Truck 

Driving Schools, disagreed, saying he expects a 

more immediate impact on the number of trucking 

jobs directly related to fracking. 

“My general judgment, given that they will 

be banning fracking on federal land and making 

the whole regulatory process for oil and gas 

more difficult, is there are going to be fewer and 

fewer jobs for truck drivers. That’s a shame because 

they really are good jobs and that’s what 

really has attracted people, they can make a good 

amount of money,” Thropp said. 

“We had people coming from out west who 

already knew they were going to go to North Dakota 

and West Texas, they had jobs waiting for 

them and they were really very high paying jobs,” 

he continued. “I do anticipate, given the kind of 

regulatory clamp that they’re going to put on fossil 

fuel generally, you’re going to see less opportunity 

for drivers.” 

Thropp said that from the enhanced regulatory 

landscape governing fracking and other 

fossil fuel production, it’s a short hop to other 

regulations in the name of environmental quality. 

These, he said, will potentially be equally difficult 

for the industry to absorb. 

“We’ve already seen the impact, particularly 

the emissions standards on trucks, because the 

diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have been very 

difficult to deal with,” he said. “Especially for 

students, where our trucks don’t run at highway 

speeds and temperatures, the DPF doesn’t really 

work. We have very expensive repairs as a result 

of that. That’s just one example of what’s occurring 

with environmental regulations that aren’t 

thought through very well.” 

According to a report last November by the 

International Transport Forum (ITF), freight accounts 

for 7% of total global CO2 emissions, 

with trucking being the largest contributor. Given 

AP Photo/Evan Vucci 

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John 

Kerry speaks during a press briefing at the 

White House. 

this statistic, the industry hasn’t been standing 

still when it comes to modifying equipment and 

protocols to improve its environmental impact, 

such as exploring creative ways to reduce miles 

logged either while empty or at less-than-truckload. 

Empty miles are estimated to have generated 

about 17% of greenhouse gas emissions in 

the U.S. in 2017, per Convoy Research. 

Greener trucks are also being developed by 

several automakers, with Daimler, Volvo and 

even Tesla at various stages of testing electric 

models. The Western States Hydrogen Alliance 

is among entities pushing hydrogen-electric 

engine technology through various partnerships, 

while other companies are exploring 

ways to leverage renewable natural gas (RNG) 

technology. 

Advanced technology that helps drivers lock 

in on optimal speeds and acceleration and which 

rely on sensors for everything from tire pressure 

to aerodynamics are also expected to greatly 

improve fuel efficiency — all of which, Thropp 

said, comes at a cost. 

“I think there’s no question that climate 

change is going to be a big focus of the Biden 

administration, and I think there are a lot of 

unknowns there in terms of equipment,” he 

said. “For our particular business, as electrification 

takes place and diesel engines are slowly 

phased out and electric motors and electrified 

vehicles are developed, the whole training program 

has to be reassessed. That’s going to be 

an enormous change.” 

Despite all of this, Thropp remains optimistic 

overall about the future of truck driving as a career. 

“What drives people to go into this business, 

mostly, is trucking provides a good income, and 

it’s not a very long tail on the training time,” he 

said. “There are definitely some developments on 

the horizon, like automated driving, that could 

end up attracting a lot more people. Newer trucks 

that have automated transmissions and are safer 

and more comfortable could end up attracting 

people to the industry.” 

In terms of driver training and the demand for 

drivers, Thropp described his view as “bullish.” 

“I think no matter what the technology is, 

(trucking is) a very good job, regardless of whether 

it’s diesel or electric trucks,” he stated. There’s 

going to be a big demand for drivers.” 8

TruckIns_Oct_2020_FullPg 9/11/20 2:52 PM Page 1 



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Understanding your heart rate is first 

step in extending your body’s ‘miles’ 

Bob Perry 

The Trucker 

Trainer 

When it comes managing your heart rate, 

it’s kind of like the speed of your truck and 

managing fuel efficiency. Drivers and carriers 

are always trying to maximize fuel, and 

speed equals costs. 

Now that we’ve made the connection between 

your heart rate, truck speed and efficiency 

let’s talk about why your heart rate is important. 

Your heart performs many valuable functions, 

and circulates all the nutrient-rich blood 

and oxygen throughout the body. When your 

heart is not working properly, just about everything 

in your body is affected. Heart rate 

is key because the function of your circulatory 

system is directly related to your heart 

rate — the amount of blood pumped out with 

each beat (in other words, volume). 

Here’s an example: Maintaining a consistent, 

steady speed while driving produces 

better fuel economy and less wear and tear 

on your truck’s engine (not to mention the 

A SET OF SQUATS 

CAN WIN YOU 

A SET OF STEERING AXLE MICHELINS 

AND ALCOA WHEELS 

potential expense of a speeding ticket). Instead 

of speeding up to pass another vehicle 

to gain a few extra minutes, ask yourself: Is 

it really worth the extra fuel burned, not to 

mention the added anxiety and stress? Keeping 

a steady speed is best. 

Your heart rate serves a similar function. 

In fact, most of the time, the rhythm and pace 

of your heart is something you may not even 

think about. Unless something unusual is going 

on, you’re likely completely unaware of 

what your heart is doing. 

Heart rates can vary from person to 

person. Depending on one’s physical 

needs, “normal” can range from 60 to 90 

beats per minute. Some experts believe 

that an ideal resting heart rate is closer to 

50 to 70. Regardless of what is considered 

normal, it’s important to recognize that 

a healthy heart rate will vary depending 

on the situation. Professional drivers can 

sometimes experience higher readings due 

to the stress of driving. 

So, how do you monitor your heart rate? 

There are several wearable “fitness” watches 

that can provide you with that reading — 

then there is the old school way of checking 

the pulse at the side of your neck or the front 

See Trainer on p11 m 

Final Week! 

Enter the Steering Your Way to 

Better Health Contest 

From Fit to Pass ® 

Go to Fittopass.com/steering-to-better-health 


AUGUSTA, Maine — Under the Maine Department 

of Transportation’s (MaineDOT) threeyear 

work plan for 2021-2023, released Jan. 25, 

nearly $1.4 billion is set aside for highway and 

bridge capital projects. The plan — which includes 

all capital projects and programs, maintenance 

and operations activities, planning initiatives, 

and administrative functions — contains 

2,180 individual work items with a total value 

of $2.71 billion. 

According to a prepared statement from 

MaineDOT, the plan “maintains essential services 

and provides for solid capital programs” 

through “robust and prudent state bonding 

made possible by historically low interest 

rates and by fully utilizing discretionary and 

extraordinary federal funding.” It also seeks to 

expand partnership programs, support existing 

and emerging businesses, refocus investment 

in our villages, and confront climate change, 

the statement continues. 

The nearly $1.4 billion set aside for highway 

and bridge capital projects over the next three 

years is allocated for: 

• 166 bridge projects (estimated cost: 

$504 million); 

• 100 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation 

(estimated cost: $212 million); 

• 222 highway safety and spot improvements 

(estimated cost: $122 million); 

• 893 miles of preservation paving (estimated 

cost: $321 million); and 

• 2,175 miles of light capital paving (estimated 

cost: $108 million). 

The project with the highest price tag is constructing 

the Interstate 395/Route 9 connector in 

Brewer/Eddington with a cost of $90.8 million. 

Other projects in the plan include: 

• Replacement of two bridges that carry Interstate 

295 in Yarmouth and two that cross I-295 

in Freeport (estimated cost of all four projects: 

$38.8 million); this project is partially funded by 

$18.9 million in federal grant money. 

• Replacement of the Route 1 (Station 

46) Bridge in Woolwich (estimated cost: 

$32.5 million); this project is partially 


iStock Photo 

Maine’s $2.71 billion three-year work plan includes nearly $1.4 billion in funding set aside for 

highway and bridge capital projects. 

Maine DOT’s 3-year work plan reserves 

$1.4 billion for highway, bridge projects 

funded by $25 million in federal grant money. 

• Bridge replacements and intersection improvements 

in Old Town and Stillwater (estimated 

cost: $20 million); this project is partially 

funded by $10.7 million in federal grant money. 

• A railroad siding and platform project to 

improve Downeaster service in Wells (estimated 

cost: $23 million); this project is partially funded 

by $16.2 in federal grant money. 

• Continued work on the Acadia Gateway 

Center project in Trenton (estimated cost: $23 

million); this project is partially funded by $12.8 

million in federal grant money. 

• Two Maine State Ferry Service vessel replacements 

(estimated cost: $19 million). 

• Heavy rehabilitation work on U.S. Route 1 

in Machias and East Machias (estimated cost: $6 

million). 

• Dredging Searsport harbor (estimated cost: 

$5.3 million). 

• Improvements to the Eastern Trail in Scarborough 

(estimated cost: $4.8 million). 

MaineDOT’s work plan is dependent on 

funding assumptions involving state Highway 

Fund revenue, state bonding and federal funds. 

If funding sources do not materialize, the items 

within the plan will be adjusted to reflect funding 

changes. 

According to MaineDOT, the agency’s ontime 

delivery rate for its capital program was 

a record-breaking 94% in 2020. However, the 

state’s transportation needs continue to outpace 

available resources. The pre-pandemic estimate 

of MaineDOT’s unmet need was $232 million 

per year. That shortfall figure was calculated after 

assuming that state bonding of $100 million 

or more will continue annually. The economic 

effects of the coronavirus pandemic including 

drops in traffic volumes and, subsequently, 

Highway Fund revenue have exacerbated 

MaineDOT’s funding challenges. 

“In the long term, we have great opportunities 

to make a real difference for the people of Maine 

after we resolve the chronic funding challenges in 

our transportation system,” said Bruce Van Note, 

MaineDOT commissioner. “By investing in transportation, 

we can move Maine forward.” 8 

N



New TA Travel Center adds 150 truck parking spaces to Huntington, Oregon 


WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of 

America Inc., nationwide operator of the TA, 

Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel 

center network, has opened a new TA Travel Center 

to serve professional drivers and other motorists 

in Huntington, Oregon. 

The new 12,000-square-foot facility, located 

off Interstate 84 at exit 353, will operate under the 

ownership of franchisee Karam Singh. 

“The TA brand already has the trust of professional 

drivers, and being part of the family means 

I can offer things like TA’s loyalty rewards and 

fueling discounts,” Singh said. “I’m looking forward 

to becoming part of this community, bringing 

new jobs to the area and offering drivers a 

new place that is like home.” 

Amenities at the Huntington location include: 

• Restaurants: Champs Chicken, Naughty 

Chile Taqueria and Huntington Bar and Grill; 

• 150 truck parking spaces; 

• 40 car parking spaces; 

• Eight diesel fueling positions; 

• 12 gasoline fueling positions; 

• Six showers; 

• Fitness room; 

• Travel store with fresh deli options; 

• Driver lounge; 

• Laundry facilities; 

• Transflo scanning; and 

• A TA Truck Service center (opening planned 

for next year). 

“There is a need for our services on this 

busy stretch of highway in Oregon,” said Barry 

Richards, president of TA. “We share Karam’s 

excitement to become part of the community 

and provide a new place for drivers to find 

comfort while they’re on the road and away 

from home.” 

TA Huntington is the company’s sixth location 

in Oregon and expands the total nationwide 

network of travel centers to 272. 8 

Courtesy: TravelCenters of America 

The new TA Travel Center in Huntington, Oregon, offers eight diesel fueling positions, along 

with 150 truck parking spaces, six showers, prepared food options and more. 

b Ambitious from page 6 b 

Even so, Republicans immediately criticized 

the plan as a job killer. 

“Pie-in-the-sky government mandates and 

directives that restrict our mining, oil, and gas 

industries adversely impact our energy security 

and independence,” said Rep. Cathy Mc- 

Morris Rodgers of Washington state, the top 

Republican on the House Energy and Commerce 

Committee. 

Biden also is elevating climate change to 

a national security priority. The conservation 

plan would set aside millions of acres for recreation, 

wildlife and climate efforts by 2030 

as part of Biden’s campaign pledge for a $2 

trillion program to slow global warming. 

President Donald Trump, who ridiculed 

the science of climate change, withdrew the 

U.S. from the Paris global climate accord; 

opened more public lands to coal, gas and oil 

production; and weakened regulation on fossil 

fuel emissions. Experts say these emissions 

are heating the Earth’s climate dangerously 

and worsening floods, droughts and other natural 

disasters. 

Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb 

called Biden’s executive orders an “excellent 

start” for the new administration. 

“If this Day 7 momentum is representative 

of this administration’s four-year term, 

there is every reason to believe that we 

might achieve carbon neutrality sooner than 

2050,” even as key roadblocks lie ahead, 

Cobb said. 

Biden’s actions came as his nominee for energy 

secretary, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer 

Granholm, faced deep skepticism from Republicans 

as she tried to pitch the president’s vision 

for a green economy. 

“The last Democratic administration went 

on a regulatory rampage to slow or stop energy 

production,” said Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, 

a leading Republican on the Senate Energy 

and Natural Resources Committee. “I’m not 

going to sit idly by … if the Biden administration 

enforces policies that threaten Wyoming’s 

economy.” 

Granholm, as the leader of a state devastated 

by the 2008 recession, promoted 

emerging clean energy technologies, such as 

battery manufacturing, as an answer for jobs 

that will be lost as the U.S. transitions away 

from fossil fuels. 

Granholm and other officials said the investment 

in cleaner energy nationally will net 

millions of jobs. But that probably will take 

years to happen, and the orders will face intense 

opposition from oil and gas and power 

plant industries, as well as from many Republican 

— and Democratic — lawmakers. 

“The environmental left is leading the agenda 

at the White House when it comes to energy 

and environment issues,” said Kathleen Sgamma, 

president of the Western Energy Alliance, 

which represents oil and gas drillers in Western 

states. The group filed a legal challenge soon 

after Biden signed the orders. 

Biden is seeking to double energy production 

from offshore wind after the Trump administration 

slowed permit review of some giant 

offshore wind turbine projects. Significantly, 

he is directing agencies to eliminate spending 

that acts as subsidies for fossil fuel industries. 

Oil industry groups said Biden had already 

eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by 

killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first 

day in office. 

“Do not be fooled, this is a ban” on drilling, 

said Dan Naatz of the Independent Petroleum 

Association of America. “The Biden administration’s 

plan to obliterate the jobs of American 

oil and gas explorers and producers has been 

on clear display.” 

The pause in onshore leasing is limited to 

federal lands and does not affect drilling on private 

lands, which is largely regulated by states. 

It also will not affect existing leases and could 

be further blunted by companies that stockpiled 

enough drilling permits in Trump’s final 

months to allow them to keep pumping oil and 

gas for years. 

The order exempts tribal lands, mainly in 

the West, that are used for energy production. 

By Matthew Daly and Ellen Knickmeyer, 

The Associated Press. Associated Press writers 

Alexandra Jaffe and Brian Slodysko contributed 

to this report. 8 

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Tennessee troopers bust NY truckers 

for transporting marijuana, cocaine 


JACKSON, Tenn. — Charges have been 

filed against two New York truckers following 

a Jan. 15 traffic stop in Tennessee after 

an inspection revealed marijuana and cocaine 

hidden in a tractor-trailer. 

On Jan. 15, a trooper with the Tennessee 

Highway Patrol’s (THP) Interdiction Plus 

Unit (IPU) stopped a tractor-trailer for a traffic 

violation on Interstate 40 at the 101-mile 

marker in Henderson County. While conducting 

a Level II commercial motor vehicle safety 

inspection, the trooper discovered “possible 

indicators of criminal activity” and requested 

assistance from additional troopers, according 

to a statement released by THP. 

As the troopers proceeded with the inspection, 

discrepancies and irregularities were discovered 

with the driver’s shipping manifest. 

During the inspection, troopers entered the 

semi’s trailer and examined several pallets of 

cargo, where they discovered a pallet that was 

not indicated on the original shipping manifest. 

The cellophane-wrapped pallet appeared 

to be professionally packaged with affixed 

shipping labels. Continuing the inspection, 

troopers opened 12 undocumented boxes, 

which were found to contain 383 pounds of 

vacuumed-sealed marijuana. A smaller box 

contained 40 pounds of cocaine. 

Courtesy: Tennessee Highway Patrol 

The Tennessee Highway Patrol on Jan. 15 

discovered 383 pounds of marijuana and 

40 pounds of cocaine concealed in a commercial 

shipment. 

Charges have been filed in state court both 

the driver, David A. Seville, 25, of Brooklyn, 

New York, and the co-driver, Michael J. Blake, 

57, of Jamaica, New York, for possession of 

schedule VI (marijuana) with the intent to deliver. 

A criminal complaint has been filed on both 

men in federal court for possession of cocaine 

with intent to distribute. 8 

b Secretary from page 1 b 


Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 

speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science 

and Transportation Committee confirmation 

hearing. 

his mother and held by his husband, Chasten. 

He was confirmed Tuesday, Feb. 2, by the 

Senate on an 86-13 vote, making him the second 

of Biden’s Democratic rivals to have a 

place in the administration, with Harris being 

the first. 

Praised by Biden as bringing a “new voice” 

to the administration, Buttigieg has pledged to 

quickly get to work promoting safety and restoring 

consumer trust in America’s transportation 

networks as airlines, buses, city subway 

systems and Amtrak reel from plummeting ridership 

in the coronavirus pandemic. He also is 

expected to play an important role in promoting 

Biden’s green initiatives, supporting the president’s 

push later this year on a $2 trillion climate 

and infrastructure plan that would rebuild 

roads and bridges and expand zero-emission 

mass transit while boosting electric vehicle infrastructure. 

In his email to staff Wednesday, Feb. 3, Buttigieg 

said he will spend the next few weeks on a 

virtual listening tour with employees and looked 

forward to fulfilling Biden’s vision of a thriving 

America “in partnership with all of you.” 

He said he will work to “ensure that every 

single day, everyone here finds the Department 

to be a place of belonging and welcome — and 

that together, we cultivate a supportive, imaginative, 

bold, forward-thinking and kind working 

environment.” 

Describing himself and his enthusiasm for 

transportation, Buttigieg recounted to employees 

how he loved travel and adventure as a 

child, with his bedroom adorned with a Lego 

monorail, a wooden ship bought by his grandfather 

when he was a Merchant Marine, and 

model airplanes brought home by his father 

from business trips. 

“I know that, at its best, transportation 

makes the American Dream possible, getting 

people and goods to where they need to be — 

and directly and indirectly creating good-paying 

jobs,” he said. “We also must recognize that 

at their worst, misguided policies and missed 

opportunities can reinforce racial and economic 

inequality, dividing or isolating neighborhoods, 

undermining the government’s basic role of 

empowering Americans to thrive. 

“The legacy of American transportation 

can be both weighty and inspiring — and its 

future is of fundamental national importance,” 

Buttigieg told employees. “Here’s to all that’s 

ahead.” 

By Hope Yen, The Associated Press 8 

N 

a



Courtesy: Pilot Co. 

In addition to 82 truck parking spaces, eight diesel lanes, showers and other amenities for 

truckers, the new Xpress Fuel travel center in Eloy, Arizona features both grab-and-go and 

gourmet food options. Trucker Burger restaurant, created in collaboration with celebrity chef 

Tim Love, offers a gourmet take on classic roadside-diner options. 

New Xpress Fuel in Arizona offers 

amenities for truckers, gourmet fare 


ELOY, Ariz. — Knoxville, Tennessee-based 

Pilot Co. and its One9 Fuel Network last month 

announced the grand opening of an Xpress Fuel 

travel center that brings 82 truck parking spaces 

to Eloy, Arizona. The new store is located at 3105 

N. Toltec Road, off Interstate 10 at Exit 203. 

The travel center features a new restaurant 

concept, inspired by the truckers who drive 

America. Trucker Burger was created in collaboration 

with celebrity chef Tim Love, who owns 

several restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth 

area and other locales, including Lonesome 

Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, 

Queenie’s Steakhouse, White Elephant Saloon 

and more. 

“We’re thrilled to open a new Xpress Fuel 

and our first Trucker Burger restaurant in Eloy, 

Arizona,” said Jason Nordin, chief operator of 

Pilot Co. “We welcome our neighbors, travelers 

and professional drivers to stop with us for fuel, 

everyday conveniences and the tastiest food on 

the interstate. As part of our dedication to serving 

the local community, we are celebrating the grand 

opening with freebies and by giving back to the 

local school district.” 

Currently open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Trucker 

Burger provides those on the go with a vintage 

dine-in atmosphere to enjoy freshly made-toorder 

gourmet burgers, sandwiches, griddled hot 

dogs, stacked nachos, hand-cut fries, soft-serve 

ice cream and more. 

“I’m very excited to debut Trucker Burger in 

b Trainer from page 8 b 

of your wrist. Count the number of beats in 30 

seconds; then double this number to get your 

heart rate. 

I’ve always been a huge believer in managing 

my heart rate. It just makes sense — 

there’s less wear and tear on your body while 

our first location,” Love said. “We spent many 

months perfecting the menu and I can’t wait to 

share our great new burger with you all.” 

The new Xpress Fuel location will add about 

50 local jobs to the community and is expected 

to contribute $2.24 million annually in state and 

local tax revenues. To celebrate the grand opening, 

Pilot Co. is donating $5,000 on behalf of 

Xpress Fuel and Trucker Burger to benefit Santa 

Cruz Valley Union High School’s technology 

programs. 

Xpress Fuel brings several new amenities to 

area residents, professional drivers and the traveling 

public, including: 

• Trucker Burger restaurant with gourmet 

sandwiches; 

• 82 truck parking spots; 

• Eight diesel lanes with high-speed pumps 

for quicker refueling; 

• 16 gasoline fueling positions; 

• Grab-and-go food offerings including roller 

grill, nachos, and an array of hot and cold packaged 

sandwiches and snacks; 

• Everyday products for quick shopping 

needs; 

• Eight showers; 

• Public laundry facilities; and 

• CAT scale. 

Xpress Fuel and Trucker Burger are committed 

to a safe, clean and friendly experience 

and are following COVID-19 protocols, including 

requiring masks for team members and 

guests. 8 

producing better outcomes More life “miles” 

equal more years. 

Known as The Trucker Trainer by professional 

drivers nationwide, Bob Perry 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 

truckertrainer@icloud.com or download the Fit 

to Pass app. 8 

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YEARS 

YEARS

Perspective February 

15-28, 2021 • 12 

R 

Letters 

Open letter penned to Rhode Island 

officials regarding truck-only tolls 

Sirs, 

You are currently reading the words of a 

disgruntled patron of the I-95 TOT (trucks 

only tolls) in Rhode Island. New York 

pulled this “trucks only” business 10 years 

ago and, if it makes you feel any better, 

their culpability runs deeper because the 

NYS Thruway was built with bond money, 

not tax money. Furthermore, the NY tolls 

were scheduled to be removed from that 

thoroughfare in the ’80s, as the bonds were 

paid off. I know; I worked there at the time. 

But that’s another episode of “Trucker’s 

Lament.” 

Please allow me to inform anyone within 

eyeshot about the motivations on the part of 

RI officialdom and RIDOT. The reason this 

TOT became reality in RI can be summed 

up in one word: bullying. No matter what 

you or your minions proffer as the reason 

you started this unfair toll, there is no doubt 

of the salient reason: You did it because you 

knew you could get away with it; that’s as 

clear as Loretta Lynn’s sister. 

Consider: Most commercial vehicle 

traffic in RI is transient, not residents of the 

Ocean State. I’ve been traversing this state 

for 30 years, and I know. Not being residents, 

our influence with your legislature, 

governing bodies and your DOT is less than 

nil. Ergo, our complaints are swept aside 

with nary a glance (but possibly a snicker). 

When I was in the U.S. Air Force, I attended 

electronics school. The first thing I 

learned was the origin of the salute (in medieval 

times a junior soldier approaching a 

senior soldier had to lift his hinged helmet 

visor with his hand to be recognized). 

The second thing I learned was that both 

water and electricity take the path of least 

resistance. Well, I can add bullying to that 

short list. If you people had applied this additional 

cost (i.e., additional, inasmuch as 

we pay state fuel taxes up the ying-yang 

already) to local RI motorists there would 

have been muy, muy, mucho resistance! The 

resounding hue and cry would’ve squelched 

your scheme in ictu oculi (in the blink of 

an eye), and another dream of bloodsucking 

would’ve remained just that. 

The spineless jellyfish who engineered 

this outrage personify the definition of 

BULLY: person or persons who intimidate 

ones they perceive as vulnerable. 

I ask you: Who is more vulnerable to 

your machinations than a trucker with a 

wife and kid at home who is briefly traversing 

your state? What’s he going to do? Find 

a place to park his semi near the Capitol and 

lodge his out-of-state grievance? 

And, as if this were not enough, the federal 

government pays the lion’s share of the 

maintenance and repair of your precious 44 

miles of Interstate! 

The parasites should hang their heads in 

shame. 

Thanks, 

G. Ganssle 

Editor’s note: Due to space constraints, 

Wendy Miller (Mad Dog’s Daughter) has 

opted to forego her column for this edition 

in order to run a letter from a reader regarding 

an important trucking issue. Don’t 

worry, she’ll be back next time! 8 

‘Dieselbilly’: Could it be another 

term for ‘sounds so sweet’? 

Kris Rutherford 

krisr@thetruckermedia.com 

Rhythm of 

the Road 

Anyone who has followed this column for the 

past year or so is aware that when it comes to music, 

my tastes are a bit intolerant. If it’s not country 

— and if it’s not classic country — chances 

are I’m not listening. Still, I prefer to consider my 

musical tastes as “refined” rather than intolerant. 

That being noted, recently I temporarily 

broadened my horizons. Don’t get me wrong. I 

didn’t desert my beloved classic country for some 

sinister new genre; after all, I refer to all music 

other than classic country as “snake-dancin’ music.” 

Instead, I set out on an undercover mission 

to find a better term for “truck-driving music,” or 

rather the type of music that typically appeals to 

truck drivers and the themes related to their lives. 

Link by link, the worldwide web carried me to 

places I’d never been, and — perish the thought 

— to music I’d never heard. 

As a sub-genre of what is primarily country 

music, the phrase “truck-driving music” is a bit 

awkward when you’re writing it repeatedly. It 

also takes up three words, where surely one or 

two should suffice. Even if it does require three 

words, 17 letters are far too many (I mean, “rock 

’n’ roll” only takes nine letters). 

But finding a shorter phrase wasn’t the only 

reason for my venture into music unknown. Even 

within classic country, “truck-driving music” is 

one of several phrases used to describe the subgenre. 

Others, while referring to the same music 

and the same songs, may label truck-driving music 

as “truck-driver music,” “trucking music,” “trucker 

music,” “music for the road” or some other phrase. 

My journey was a bit arduous. Even in music 

other than classic country, the words to describe 

truck driving music seldom varied. Then I came 

across one of those performers who isn’t so much 

known by his name but rather the bands with 

which he has played. 

Bill Kirchen is one of those musicians who 

doesn’t seem to fit into any specific musical 

genre. He performs music he likes and lets others 

decide how it should be categorized. But as a performer 

of truck-driving music, Kirchen coined a 

word to describe trucking songs no matter which 

type of category they might otherwise fall. In Bill 

Kirchen’s world, “Dieselbilly” says it all. 

Bill Kirchen is a native of Connecticut but 

spent most of his youth in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

He is likely best known for his days of playing 

lead guitar for the band Commander Cody and His 

Lost Planet Airmen. But before he set out on a professional 

music career, he learned the art at home, 

where his parents listened to classical music. 

See Rhythm on p16 m 

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. 

“I think there’s no question that climate change is going to be a big 

focus of the Biden administration, and I think there are a lot of unknowns there 

in terms of equipment. For our particular business, as electrification takes place 

and diesel engines are slowly phased out and electric motors and electrified 

vehicles are developed, the whole training program has to be reassessed.” 

— Chris Thropp, president of Pennsylvania-based Sage Corp., 

which operates Sage Truck Driving Schools, on the number 

of trucking jobs directly related to fracking 

Full story on Pages 1 and 6. 

“Because of the pandemic, 2020 was obviously a 

very challenging year for the economy overall, and that is 

reflecting in the tonnage index’s dip from the previous year. 

Despite that, truck tonnage clearly outperformed the broader 

economy as freight continued to move in the face of a myriad 

of COVID-related challenges faced by the country.” 

— Bob Costello, chief economist for American Trucking 

Associations on freight tonnage in 2020 

Full story on Pages 17 and 18.


Brad Klepper 

exclusive to the trucker 

Ask the 

Attorney 

Perspective February 15-28, 2020 • 13 

Remember that roadside interactions can affect citations, inspection violations 

One of the problems with writing columns 

like this is that between the time I actually write 

the article and the date the article is published, 

the “hot topic” I wrote about is no longer hot. 

Or, worse yet, new facts have come to light that 

make my earlier opinion moot. 

With that said, I thought I would write about 

something I deal with every day — trucking 

and roadside interactions. 

In case you were unaware, 2020 was a really 

strange year. When the pandemic hit in the 

spring, we saw the number of citations being 

issued and inspections being conducted drop 

dramatically. Instead of writing citations and 

conducting inspections, enforcement and the 

industry worked together to make sure medicine 

was delivered and there was food on the 

grocery store shelves. 

However, all good things must come to an end. 

Since the “low” point in April 2020, we 

have seen the number of citations written and 

inspections conducted steadily rise. In fact, 

I would say we have returned to “pre-pandemic” 

numbers. Of course, this is not based 

on verified data issued by the government; 

instead, it is based on our legal practice. However, 

since all we do is defend citations and 

inspection violations, we have a pretty danged 

good feel for this stuff. 

The thing I find interesting is that during the 

past few months I have run across more inspections 

and citations with an uncharacteristically 

high number of violations noted than “normal.” 

Now don’t get me wrong. There is always going 

to be the odd inspection/citation that stands 

out from the crowd. Fortunately, these have always 

been the exception rather than the norm. 

However, I am now seeing these occur with 

more regularity. 

What in the world is going on to cause this sudden 

uptick, you say? Well, I am glad you asked. 

Now understand that my opinion is based 

solely on what I have seen in my practice — 

but in my opinion, the reason we are seeing this 

issue is because of poor roadside interactions 

with enforcement. I can see it in the way the 

citations are written. 

OK, I can hear it now: “How do you know 

that, Smarty Pants?” 

Well, here is my answer: I have been contesting 

citations and inspections for quite 

some time, and as a result, I generally know 

how the officer can write a citation. For example, 

if you bypass a port of entry in New Mexico 

you can receive a citation for bypassing a 

port of entry, failure to obey a traffic-control 

device, or other violations. If the officer wrote 

you a citation but only listed one violation, 

I know he cut you a break in the field and you 

had a good interaction. Two violations means 

it maybe was not quite as good an interaction, 

but probably still OK. More than that, and I 

know it did not go well. 

The same can be said for inspections. Assuming 

you are driving a reasonably maintained 

vehicle, a couple of violations can be 

normal. If there are more than five, I begin to 

take notice; more than 10 and I am concerned. 

More than 30 — yes, I HAVE seen that — and 

I know somebody said something about someone’s 

momma. Don’t do that. 

In addition to reading citations like tea 

leaves, I talk to enforcement and prosecutors 

on pretty much a daily basis. My conversations 

with them confirm that I am not making this up. 

In fact, do you know what the best thing is 

an officer can say to me when we are discussing 

a case? It’s easy: “I don’t recall your client.” 

If I hear that, I know everyone acted professionally, 

and our chances of getting a positive 

outcome go up. In contrast, when I hear, 

“Yes, I remember your client. Let me tell you 

what happened,” I know I am in for a long day. 

So, the next time you have an interaction 

with enforcement, please remember this: The 

officer is just doing his job. He is not targeting 

you specifically, although I know it can 

feel this way. He is out to keep the roads safe 

for you to do your job and for everyone else 

to do theirs. 

I am sure that if you took a survey of 

enforcement, writing tickets and doing roadside 

inspections is not at the top of the “things 

we love to do” list. But it has to be done. 

Why? Because there are people out there on 

the highways who are truly unsafe and need 

to be taken off the road. Unfortunately, no one 

labels the side of their truck with a logo that 

says, “Unsafe Trucking LLC.” So, stops have 

to be made, inspections have to be performed 

and citations have to be written. 

This is where the professional part comes 

into play. Do not take it personally. Do not 

make it personal. Do not bring anybody’s 

momma into the conversation. Be prepared. Be 

courteous. Be polite. And most importantly, be 

professional. Understand that this is where we 

begin when defending your citation. 

Also, understand that everyone is entitled to 

have a bad day, even enforcement. You know 

how you feel when a four-wheeler cuts you 

off? Or when you are trying to solve a problem 

at home from a thousand miles away? My 

point is that the officer is a person, just like you 

— trying to do their job, provide for their family 

and deal with all the complications that life 

brings. Extend them the same courtesy that you 

want to be extended to you. I promise this will 

make everything go better and get you back on 

the road quicker. 

At the end of the day, you cannot always 

control the circumstances of a stop. You cannot 

control the mood of the officer stopping you. You 

See Attorney on p16 m 

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14 

AT 

THE TRUCK STOP 

PRESENTED BY CAT SCALE. VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM 

From banking to trucking: Determination drives 

Karen Noel to success behind the wheel 

Cliff Abbott 


Some people get the bug early, growing 

up around trucks and the trucking industry, 

knowing they want to drive those huge machines 

someday. Others pursue a different 

path, coming to trucking later, often when 

the circumstances of life compel them to try 

something different. 

The latter is the case for Karen Noel. 

After a career spanning more than three 

decades in the banking industry, crunching 

numbers and reconciling accounts, she 

found herself behind the wheel. She also 

found recognition as Women In Trucking’s 

(WIT) January 2021 Member of the Month. 

“Working in banking, I never had a clue 

about trucks,” she said. Noel came to trucking 

when she was laid off from her banking 

job and her truck-driver husband, Roosevelt, 

invited her to ride along on the road. 

“I was amazed at the women drivers I 

saw,” she related. She spoke to those she 

met and, with their encouragement, began 

to shift her mindset from being a passenger 

to taking the wheel. “I decided to get my 

CDL so I could drive, too,” she said. 

She began by enrolling at Apex CDL 

Institute in Kansas City, Kansas. Once confronted 

with the realities of piloting a tractor-trailer, 

Noel said she had to face down 

some fears. “I had to overcome a lot of insecurities 

and questioned if I really wanted 

to do this job,” she recalled. 

As with many CDL students, backing an 

articulated vehicle did not come naturally 

for Noel. “Everything was backwards from 

my car,” she said. “It was hard to remember 

how to get the trailer to go in the direction 

I wanted.” 

Noel credits her husband for his patience 

while she developed her skills. “I practiced 

a lot, and my husband is very patient,” she 

related. “He makes me believe in myself.” 

She faced another insecurity after graduation, 

when she was faced with the prospect 

of completing a driver-finishing program 

with someone she had never met. 

“One company I applied to said I had to 

go with a female trainer, but I wanted to go 

with my husband, because I trust him,” she 

said. She and Roosevelt negotiated with 

potential employers, settling on Knight 

Transportation, which agreed to allow her 

husband to be her trainer. “If I had been 

with another trainer, I might not have made 

it,” she remarked. 

In the end, Noel’s tenacity — combined 

with Roosevelt’s patience — paid dividends. 

“My husband was my trainer, but I 

“ 

There is no such 

thing as, ‘I can’t learn to 

do that.’ You can 

do anything you set 

your mind to.” 

— Karen Noel, professional 

driver and Women In Trucking’s 

January Member of the Month. 

still had to pass the assessment to be allowed 

to drive,” she said. Pass she did, and 

the couple became an operating team for 

Knight. 

Soon, the urge to own their own truck 

took over — and so did Noel’s talent for 

investigating and organizing. They started 

with a well-known resource, the Owner- 

Operator Independent Drivers Association 

(OOIDA). 

“We met the OOIDA truck at one of our 

stops and got a lot of advice about owning 

our own truck,” she said. Next, they talked 

to other owner-operator teams. Noel’s 

banking background came into play as the 

couple formed a business plan. That plan 

include a change of carrier. 

Once they had a plan in place, they 

worked on obtaining a truck. “After talking 

to other owner-operators, we determined 

that we did not want to lease/purchase a 

truck,” she said. “We decided to buy.” 

They visited a Peterbilt dealer, planning 

to check out used equipment, but fate 

intervened. 

“Somebody had ordered a yellow Peterbilt 

579 with the PACCAR engine and automated 

transmission,” she explained. That 

original deal never happened. After listening 

to their plan, the dealer offered terms 

that were acceptable. “The cards just kind 

of fell in place on that one.” 

The couple leased their new Pete to Forward 

Air, where they felt they could get the 

miles they need to make the business work. 

“We work open route. We run a lot of I-80, 

I-70 and I-40 and occasionally I-20,” she 

explained. “We like 2,000 to 2,400 mile 

runs when we can get them.” 

For Noel, winning the Member of the 

Month award from WIT helped validate her 

success in her new career. “It put me in a 

place to think I’m really a driver,” she explained. 

“I didn’t think it would happen and 

I thank God for it.” 

Courtesy: Women In Trucking 

After a career spanning more than three decades in the banking industry, Karen Noel came to 

trucking when her truck-driver husband, Roosevelt, invited her to ride along on the road. She 

said she was inspired by the women drivers she met and decided to get her CDL. She also 

found recognition as Women in Trucking’s January 2021 Member of the Month. 

When she’s not on the road, Noel spends 

time with family. “When I’m home, I help 

care for the grandkids, and homeschool 

them when I can,” she said. “It’s harder 

when we’re gone so much.” 

While Noel credits her husband for his 

help, she says her soon-to-be 94-year-old 

mother, Rotina, helped instill Noel’s drive 

and determination. “She always had an 

‘I can’ attitude,” she commented. Noel inherited 

that spirit and tries to pass it along 

to others. “You CAN,” she insisted. “There 

is no such thing as, ‘I can’t learn to do that.’ 

You can do anything you set your mind to.” 

Noel acknowledges the help she received 

while looking for a new career and 

wants to give something back. “I’d like to 

See Banking on p16 m

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16 • February 15-28, 2021 Perspective 

b Rhythm from page 12 b 

Rather than guitar, Kirchen’s first instrument was 

the trombone, but when a counselor at music 

camp introduced him to folk music, Kirchen’s 

future changed. He became interested in all types 

of music, ranging from gospel to the blues and 

bluegrass. In high school, he formed his first band 

— The Who Knows Pickers. But it wasn’t until 

college that Kirchen was introduced to the sound 

most synonymous with his name. 

In the late 1960s, Bakersfield, California, was 

quickly becoming country music’s alternative to 

Nashville. Led by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, 

the “Bakersfield Sound” featured a harddriving 

electric guitar — the Telecaster. Over the 

next few decades, playing in both Europe and the 

U.S., Kirchen earned the nickname “Titan of the 

Telecaster” for his work with the instrument. 

After becoming a solo artist, Kirchen’s first 

album was “Tombstone Every Mile,” a nod to the 

“Baron of Country Music” Dick Curless’ song 

about driving the icy roads of northern Maine 

and the dangers truckers experienced. Kirchen 

soon fell into what was known as the “neo-traditional 

country” movement of the early 1990s, an 

alternative form of country inspired for the same 

reasons Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings pioneered 

the “outlaw country” of the 1970s. Both 

movements believed true country music had 

been watered down by executives attempting to 

appeal to the almighty dollar rather than what 

the artists wanted to perform. While neo-traditional 

country never had the commercial success 

outlaw country eventually achieved, it continues 

to be played in the dance halls and similar venues 

of central and south Texas. Austin is arguably 

the home of the neo-traditional country 

movement, and Bill Kirchen just so happens to 

live there today. 

In terms of “Dieselbilly,” Kirchen has written 

and recorded some original songs related to 

truck driving, and he has covered a number of 

others made famous before him. “Looking at 

the World through a Windshield,” “Truck Stop 

at the End of the World,” “Hillbilly Truck Driving 

Man,” “Tied to the Wheel,” “Poultry in Motion,” 

“Semi-Truck” and “Mama Hated Diesels” 

are just a few of the songs Kirchen has quietly 


recorded over the years. And while those recordings 

didn’t rake in millions in sales or gain gold 

or platinum status, they all combined to allow 

Kirchen to live a comfortable life in the music 

business. He once said of his career, “It’s my 

vocation, my avocation, and my social life. … 

It’s just been there. It’s been my whole thing.” 

So, if you’re like me and kept yourself isolated 

from music that doesn’t fit into your idea 

of classic country, take a listen to some of Bill 

Kirchen’s neo-traditional country “Dieselbilly.” 

There’s actually a whole other musical world out 

there beyond the mainstream truck-driving genre. 

Until next time, remember that while musical 

exploration might turn up good things you 

never knew about, it is fraught with dangers as 

well. Just because a song mentions “truck,” that 

doesn’t mean it’s a truck-driving song. 8 

b Attorney from page 13 b 

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. 

A true zoo story 

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 i safely stopped. This allows 

evidence-based, self-guided coaching. 8 

Aim your 

cAmerA 

At the 

code for 

more news! 

Navigating the news 

Truckers kidnapped, ki led .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 

Courtesy: Bi l McNamee 

Bi l McNamee uses a 

“menagerie” of stuffed animals 

with elaborate backstories 

as a strategy for engaging 

schoolchildren through the 

Trucker Buddy Program. 

Page 23 

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 

iStock Photo 

Dwain HebDa 


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’ 

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 

President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to 

be transportation secretary reacts to his nomination 

during a news conference at The Queen 

theater in Wilmington, Delaware, Dec. 16, 2020. 

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 ca ls 

them have accumulated their own share of experiences 

and go ten into the occasional mischief, 

notwithstanding the fac that each is stuffed. 

“I started out with a mouse ca led 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 importan 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, I linois. 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 

a l. While on the road, he’ l 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’ l 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 m 

They’ l never see the Rocky Mountains; never 

home every day.” 

the holidays a little brighter for those in need. From 

WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America donating food, toys and transportation, to delivering 

Forward (TMAF), an industry-wide education and food, medicine and supplies on the frontlines of the 

image movement, shared stories of the unique ways pandemic, trucking has helped keep our communitie 

strong all year.” 

that the trucking industry has continued to give 

back to their communities over the holiday season. The following are a few of the trucking companies 

and organizations that gave back to their com- 

Trucking companies and organizations submitted 

their stories of charitable works to TMAF after a munities during the 2020 holiday season. 

call for submissions through email and social media. Advantage Truck Group (ATG), based in 

“During one of the most difficult years in our nation’s 

history, the trucking industry not only stepped lin’ 4 Hunger initiative to provide meals to those in 

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, hosted its annual Hau- 

up to deliver the essential goods we have relied on need. With an increased need for food assistance because 

of the COVID-19 pandemic, ATG increased 

throughout the pandemic; but also gave back to their 

community through charitable acts and giving,” said its efforts this year and provided 6,000 meals and 

Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president suppor to 12 local food pantries. 

of Jet Express Inc. “Trucking companies and organizations 

of all sizes and from states across the 

Employees of Fort Worth, Texas-based Apex 

Capital hosted a Virtual Walk for Breast Cancer 

country stepped up once again year to help make 

Courtesy: Bi l McNamee 

Bi l McNamee uses a co lection of stu fed 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. 


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 

lindag@thetruckermedia.com 

Kevin Lamarque via AP 


WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden 

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. 

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.” 

“We need someone who knows how to work 

with state, local and federal agencies,” Biden said, 

noting that the nation’s highways are in disrepair 

and that some bridges “are on the verge of collapse.” 

Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay 

person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet 

Vol. 34, No. 1 | JaNuary 1-14, 2021 | www.thetrucker.com 

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 history, an effort that health officials are encouraging 

the public to embrace, even as many expected to skyrocket during the following weeks. 

a new milestone of 300,000 with those numbers 

again found themselves in the spotlight as the 

first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine approved people expressed skepticism or worry about the Because Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at an 

for emergency use in the U.S. by the Food and drug’s safety and effectiveness. 

extremely low temperature — about minus 94 

Drug Administration (FDA) departed Pfizer’s As the first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 degrees Fahrenheit — quick transport is vital to 

Portage, Michigan, facility. The day was the vaccine vials made their way to distribution sites the success of the immunization effort. On the 

start of the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. that day, the nation’s pandemic deaths approached 

See VaccineS on p10 m 

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 ro lout, with two teams of 

drivers participating in the first convoy to leave Pfizer’s Michigan facility. 

Buttigieg officially announced as Biden’s 

nomination for secretary of transportation 

post, was virtually unknown nationally when 

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 

Iowa and New Hampshire. Buttigieg eventually 

endorsed Biden’s presidential bid. 

Beyond standard transportation fixes, which are 

easier to promise than for administrations to get 

through Congress, Biden says he wants to rejuvenate 

the post-coronavirus pandemic economy and create 

thousands of green jobs by making environmentally 

friendly retrofits and public works improvements. 

“At its best, transportation makes the American 

dream possible, getting people and goods to 

See Buttigieg on p9 m 

AP Photo/Mo ry Gash 

See GivinG on p25 m 

cannot always control the violations that may be 

discovered. What you CAN control is your attitude 

and demeanor when dealing with the officer. 

In closing, please remember this: Sometimes 

it is best not to be remembered. 

Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker 

Ltd., a law firm entirely dedicated to the legal 

defense of the nation’s commercial drivers. Interstate 

Trucker represents truck drivers throughout 

the 48 states on both moving and nonmoving 

violations. Klepper, a lawyer who has focused 

on transportation law and the trucking industry 

in particular, is also president of Driver’s Legal 

Plan, which allows member drivers access to 

his firm’s services at discounted rates. He works 

to answer drivers’ and carriers’ legal questions 

about trucking and life over the road. For more 

information, visit interstatetrucker.com or 

driverslegalplan.com. 8 

b Banking from page 13 b 

be able to help people who struggle with upward 

mobility,” she said. “I went to this program, 

‘Connections to Success,’ and I’d like 

to get involved with them when I can.” She 

added, “They help a lot of people who are unemployed 

and discouraged.” 

Noel’s faith is another important value. 

“My faith is more important than ever, now 

that I’m driving,” she explained. “If I didn’t 

pray so much, I probably wouldn’t make it.” 

Until she began trucking, Noel attended 

services at her church on Sundays and 

Wednesdays. That’s not possible while on the 

road, but she does what she can. “We visit the 

Trucker Chapels at truck stops when we’re on 

the road,” she said. “My husband is a faithful 

man.” 

She reads a lot when she’s not driving, and 

she hopes to resume knitting and crocheting 

one day, when time permits. “I’d also like to 

learn to play a musical instrument,” she added. 

“I played the French horn in high school.” 

Whether she’s taking on a hobby or a new 

career, it’s a good bet Noel will find a way to 

succeed. 

“Believe in yourself and be determined,” 

she said. “Turn ‘I can’t’ into ‘I WILL.’” 8 

T 

S 

T 

f

Business 

February 15-28, 2021 • 17 

Both freight rates and volumes could falter if economy does 

Cliff Abbott 


Freight numbers rose in December as rates 

continued their upward climb. The American 

Trucking Associations (ATA) For-Hire Truck 

Tonnage Index rose 7.4% in December following 

a 3.2% increase in November. The index 

came in at 120 for the month, meaning reported 

freight volumes in December were 20% higher 

than they were in the baseline year of 2015. 

After a similar gain in September, the index 

fell in October before rallying for the final two 

months of the year. 

“Tonnage ended last year on a high note,” 

said Bob Costello, chief economist for ATA. 

“The index not only registered the largest 

monthly gain since June, but it also had the first 

year-over-year increase since March.” 

The index was 2.3% higher than in December 

2019. The year-over-year comparison, 

however, wasn’t as positive. For all of 2020, 

the index was 3.3% lower than the full year 

2019. Considering the dismal second quarter of 

2020, a 3.3% decline is smaller than most of the 

analysts predicted. 

“Because of the pandemic, 2020 was obviously 

a very challenging year for the economy 

overall, and that is reflecting in the tonnage 

index’s dip from the previous year,” Costello 

said. “Despite that, truck tonnage clearly outperformed 

the broader economy as freight continued 

to move in the face of a myriad of COVIDrelated 

challenges faced by the country.” 

Costello noted that consumer consumption, 

inventory restocking by retailers and singlefamily 

home construction helped keep shipment 

volumes high. He also credited the recent 

stimulus checks and the possibility of another 

iStock Photo 

Van rates ended 2020 with an average $2.46 per mile for December 2020, while refrigerated 

rates fell by three cents to $2.67. Flatbed rates averaged $2.48 on DAT load boards. 

payout for helping keep freight levels high during 

December and into 2021. 

ACT Research also publishes For-Hire 

Trucking Indexes that measure both volume 

and freight rates reported in surveys of their 

customers. Index scores above 50 indicate the 

market grew, while scores below 50 show a 

contracting market. 

ACT’s Volume Index came in at 55.5 in December, 

down from 60.4 in November. In the 

prior six months, the index averaged 67.4, so 

freight volumes, though slowing, were positive 

for a total of eight consecutive months. 

On the rate side, the Pricing Index for December 

was 64.2, down 3.6 points from November 

but still well into positive territory. 

Lack of capacity continued to buoy rates, 

although the rate has been slowing for three 

months now. The ACT report credits driver 

hiring and pay increases with helping the industry 

seat more trucks, creating more capacity 

and slowing rate increases. The release 

notes, however, that additional rounds of 

stimulus and increased unemployment benefits 

could reduce the number of available 

drivers, tightening capacity and pushing rates 

upward again. 

ACT also issues a Driver Availability Index, 

which reached its lowest point ever in December 

at 28.1. It was the sixth consecutive month 

of deteriorating driver availability. Rising driver 

pay and vaccinations may help alleviate the 

shortage of drivers in 2021, but likely will not 

be enough. 

Cass Information Systems publishes an index 

too, and like ACT, the breakouts report by 

volume, rates and other factors. A key difference 

is that the Cass Freight Index incorporates 

shipments from different modes of transportation, 

including rail, ship, barge, air and even 

pipeline. 

In December, the Cass Freight Index for 

shipments was 1.12, 6.7% better than December 

2019 and 1.1% better than November on a 

seasonally adjusted basis. 

Cass also measures freight rates calculated 

by customer spending and shipping volumes. 

In December, rates grew faster, 6.0% better 

than in December 2019. November numbers 

also bested last year’s November, by 3.0% 

Economists at ACT Research, a partner of 

Cass Information, are predicting a 3.9% growth 

in GDP for 2021. 

See Falter on p18 m 

Tax liability may differ this year for both owner-operators and company drivers 

iStock Photo 

Some trucking business received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

Those loans contained provisions that allowed the borrower to forego repayment if the 

funds were used for specific purposes, such as employee pay. 

Cliff Abbott 


As if 2020 didn’t bring enough problems, 

your tax bill for the year could be impacted. 

Consulting a professional tax preparer — one 

that is familiar with trucking — is always a 

good idea. It’s an even better idea between 

now and April 15. 

Whether you operate your own trucking 

business or drive for someone else, your tax liability 

could be different this year. Since many 

drivers suffered a reduction in income for 2020, 

a tax surprise when filing could be devastating. 

First, the good news. Any economic impact 

payments you received aren’t taxable unless 

your total income was more than $75,000 

(single) or $150,000 (married). That includes 

both the $1,200 per person payments sent out 

in April and the second payment of $600 that 

was distributed in December. You’ll see spaces 

for those payments on your tax return, but also 

spaces where they’re listed as credits. In fact, 

if you qualified for the payments but did not 

receive them, you may be able to claim them 

on your return. 

There’s more good news for those who 

pay self-employment tax. This combination 

of employer and employee contributions for 

Social Security and Medicare taxes represents 

15.3% of the payer’s income. Under the 

CARES Act, up to 50% of the amount earned 

between March 27,2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, 

can be deferred. 

Because so many people worked from home 

during the pandemic, you may also be able 

to claim a deduction for using a part of your 

residence for work. There’s a potential catch, 

however — and it could be a big one — if you 

claim residence in another state. Each state has 

its own laws about establishing residence, such 

as occupation for a certain number of days or 

months. If you record the number of days you 

worked at “home,” and that home is in a state 

other than your usual state of residence, the 

state you worked in could claim you are now 

See Liability on p19 m

18 • February 15-28, 2021 Business 

Quality is important to consider when choosing additives 

Cliff Abbott 


Truckers are often bombarded with advertising 

for fuel, oils and other products. More 

advertising sells oil and fuel additives that, 

some say, can add unnecessary expense to a 

trucking operation. 

To clear up some of the confusion, we 

spoke to Rob Howes, executive vice president 

at Howes Products. The company was started 

over 100 years ago by Wendell V.C. Howes, 

who marketed lubricants and additives to 

shops in the Rhode Island area. 

Today, the company markets a variety of 

petroleum-based additives designed to improve 

the performance of cars and trucks. 

“Tolerances are so tight in today’s diesel 

engines, sometimes down to 1 to 3 microns,” 

Howe explained. “That makes internal diesel 

injector deposits more resilient to treatment.” 

Fleet Focus 

Those injector deposits can cause improper 

spray into the cylinder, Howes said, resulting 

in incomplete burning of the fuel and helping 

cause carbon buildup in the particulate filter — 

and adding to problems later. 

Howes recommends using a quality fuel additive 

to help keep injectors clean. He suggests 

Howes Defender fuel additive, which contains 

a proprietary detergent formula as well as lubricants 

to help replace the qualities of the sulfur 

that has been removed from fuels. But, he 

says, that’s just a start. 

The ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) sold 

today helps reduce emissions, but at a cost. 

Sulfur is a lubricant that helps keep valves and 

other moving parts functioning smoothly. A 

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quality fuel additive replaces the lubricity lost 

when sulfur is removed. 

There’s another consideration, too. A number 

of states are mandating that biodiesel be 

blended with petroleum-based fuels. Minnesota, 

for example, requires a minimum of 5% 

biodiesel year round, increasing to 20% during 

summer months. 

“Biodiesel is a great lubricator, but it comes 

with some unique properties,” Howes said. 

“It attracts water, and it grows bacteria.” That 

bacteria can form a black film that’s noticeable 

in fuel tanks — and can cause flow issues 

throughout the system. “If you have an existing 

problem, you’ll need a biocide to get rid of it,” 

he said. “But if your additive contains a bacteria 

preventative, you can keep the problem 

from happening.” 

Biodiesel also contains fats that replace the 

paraffin found in petroleum-based diesel. Both 

kinds of diesel can cause gelling problems, but 

biodiesel can begin gelling at a much higher 

temperature, as high as 50 degrees, according 

to Howes. The result can be a plugged fuel filter 

in the middle of summer. 

As most drivers know, water in fuel can be 

a problem, especially in winter months. Small 

ice particles can accumulate in fuel lines, preventing 

fuel flow and shutting down an engine. 

Quality additives contain ingredients that eliminate 

water from the system, and getting rid of 

water in your truck’s fuel can help improve fuel 

mileage. 

“There are other savings, too,” Howes said. 

“The cost of repairs, such as replacing fuel injectors, 

can be devastating to a small business 

and there’s a cost to the down time as well.” 

Some drivers are concerned that use of fuel 

or oil additives could void the manufacturer’s 

warranty. For that reason, Howes insisted that 

quality is a key factor. 

“Use of our products does not void any 

b Falter from page 17 b 

Spot rates, which had reached record levels 

in preceding months, remained high in December, 

according to DAT Trendlines. 

Van rates averaged $2.46 per mile for the 

month, while refrigerated rates fell by three 

cents to $2.67. Flatbed rates averaged $2.48 on 

DAT load boards. Rates for all three categories 

fell off towards the end of the month as shipping 

slowed for the holidays. 

As the pandemic winds down, both rates 

and volumes are expected to remain strong at 

least through the first half of 2021. Consumers 

are still ordering and buying products, keeping 

sales high and merchandise moving. The 

Census Bureau reported fourth-quarter GDP at 

4.0%, ending 2020 on a strong note. Durable 

spending, however, declined in both November 

and December, but another round of stimulus 

checks may have added a bounce to begin the 

new year. 

At the time of this writing, the Biden administration 

has proposed a third round of 

payments, with Biden saying he wants to 

move quickly on $1,400 checks to individuals. 


iStock Photo 

Sulfur is a lubricant that helps keep 

valves and other moving parts functioning 

smoothly. A quality fuel additive replaces 

the lubricity lost when sulfur is removed. 

manufacturer’s warranty,” he said. “Whatever 

they use, drivers should make sure it’s a quality 

product.” 

Howes stressed that additives aren’t just 

for newer engines, pointing out the number of 

glider kits and pre-2000 engines on the road 

today. Quality additives can help them as well. 

“Those 1995 engines have looser tolerances, 

but they’re still susceptible to carbon 

buildup,” he noted. “Plus, they were built to 

run on the low sulfur diesel that was available 

then, not the ULSD we use now.” 

Older engines weren’t designed for the 

high-quality synthetic oils that are available today, 

either. Howes recommends using a quality 

oil additive to boost the cleaning properties of 

See Additives on p19 m 

His proposal includes more money for supplemental 

unemployment compensation and 

other benefits to the public. Republicans have 

proposed a less expensive round of benefits, 

but the Democrats in Congress have made 

clear their intention to move quickly, with or 

without bipartisan support. 

A major issue that will certainly impact 

market recovery is the speed with which vaccinations 

against COVID-19 can be distributed 

and administered. The manufacturing and service 

industries are expected to begin recovery 

as soon as enough people can get back to work 

— but that has to happen before yet another 

round of stimulus is needed to keep the economy 

going. 

Vaccinations will impact driver numbers, 

too. As CDL schools reopen or expand to pre- 

COVID capacity, there should be more new 

drivers coming into the industry. At the same 

time, increases in driver compensation may 

slow the rate drivers are leaving. 

As it stands, conditions are good for truckers 

to make money, at least for the first six 

months of 2021. Those conditions, however, 

are fragile and could rapidly change if the 

economy falters or there is a resurgence of 

COVID-19 cases. 8


b Liability from page 17 b 

a resident there and owe state taxes. Your tax 

professional can help you sort it all out. 

Many people who were laid off or lost jobs 

during 2020 received the $600 per week supplement 

to unemployment compensation included 

in the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and 

Economic Security). The supplement, added to 

the state’s normal unemployment amount, resulted 

in a weekly check of $850 or more for 

many people. The full amount is taxable on federal 

returns and on most state returns. 

Some trucking business received loans under 

the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Those 

loans contained provisions that allowed the borrower 

to forego repayment if the funds were 

used for specific purposes, such as employee 

pay. Initially, the IRS determined that business 

expenses funded with PPP money could not be 

written off, but Congress has ruled otherwise. 

Under legislation signed by former president 

Donald Trump on Dec. 27, a second round of PPP 

loans will be available for small businesses, including 

those with less than 300 employees, sole proprietorships 

and self-employed individuals. 

Since President Joe Biden was inaugurated on 

Jan. 20, more relief related to the pandemic is in 

the works. A tax professional can help you take 

advantage of any new breaks or benefits. 

Even though 2020 is over, there’s still time to 

help your tax preparer and yourself. Make sure 

you’ve gathered receipts for all your expenses. 

Keep in mind that some of those receipts won’t 

of the paper variety received from stores and fuel 

stops. If, for example, you have a separate meter 

for electricity used in your shop or you pay for 

a dedicated phone line for your business, you’ll 

need evidence to claim those expenses. Vendors 

you’ve bought from online often save invoices 

indefinitely, so you may be able to retrieve any 

you have misplaced. Credit card bills are often 

available for a year or more and can be accessed 

online. Even a review of your checkbook register, 

whether paper or online, could help you identify 

tax-deductible expenses. 

Another review that could be important is 

your records-of-duty status. This used to mean 

poring through a year’s worth of log books; today 

it can be as simple as reviewing printouts 

from an ELD. The IRS allows a deduction of 

up to 80% of the cost for meals and incidentals. 

There’s a provision for a standard deduction for 

each day away from home that can be used instead 

of actual expenses, but you’ll need proof 

that you were on the road; hours-of-service records 

can suffice as evidence. 

Those meal deductions will be even more 

important in 2021, since the December stimulus 

bill increased the deduction percentage 

from 80% to 100% for truckers. 

If you used a part of your home to manage 

your business, including storage space in the 

basement or garage, you may be entitled to a 

business deduction that could include a portion 

of your utility bills. 

A large deduction many owners fail to take 

advantage of is depreciation of equipment. The 

value of your truck is spread out over its perceived 

useful life, which may be five or seven 

years, depending on how your accountant files. 

Once the depreciation is fully written off, it 

can’t be claimed again. If your income suffered 

substantially last year, it might be possible to 

defer the depreciation deduction until 2021. 

Your tax professional can help you determine 

what options are available. 

It’s not too late to make important business 

decisions for 2021. As the pandemic winds 

down, lower fuel prices caused by lowered demand 

will undoubtedly come to an end. Environmental 

policies enacted by the Biden administration 

could drive prices upward. The time 

may be right to invest in aerodynamic treatments 

for truck or trailer, or in other equipment needs. 

Finally, if you don’t have a tax advisor 

who is knowledgeable about the unique circumstances 

of trucking, it’s a good time to 

find one. You might easily find someone that 

can complete tax forms, but you should be 

confident that your advisor is taking advantage 

of every opportunity to save you money 

on the taxes you pay this year while helping 

you prepare for the next. 

Editor’s note: This article should not be 

taken as tax advice. Please seek a tax attorney 

or certified tax preparer for advice regarding 

your taxes. 8 

Business February 15-28, 2021 • 19 

Courtesy: Epes Transport 

Founded in 1931, Epes Transport LLC has grown from three trucks to more than 

1,550 tractors and more than 7,100 trailers. 

Epes Transport celebrates 90 years in trucking 


GREENSBORO, N.C. — Epes Transport 

System LLC, the largest private truckload van 

carrier based in North Carolina, celebrates its 

90th anniversary this year. During nearly a 

century in business, Epes has overcome many 

challenges and continues to grow. The company 

attributes its success and longevity to 

the hard work, dedication and experience of 

its employees, as well as to its customer base. 

“The culture at Epes is a function of 

its people. Whether it’s Year 1, Truck 1, or 

Year 90, Truck 1,600, the people make Epes 

Transport special,” said Phil Peck, COO of 

Epes. Epes Transport was founded in 1931 in 

b Additives from page 18 b 

the petroleum-based oils often used in older 

equipment. 

“Additives should contain the same detergents 

and protectants that come in a quality 

synthetic oil,” he said. “They provide a 

boost and help replace the ingredients lost 

over time.” 

Blackstone, Virginia, as a tobacco hauler with 

three trucks. Originally known as The Transport 

Co., it began as a family-owned business and 

continued that way for more than 55 years. In 

1987, the company was bought by Epes Carriers 

Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina; then, 

in 2018, Penske Logistics, based in Reading, 

Pennsylvania, acquired Epes Transport System. 

Today, Epes operates more than 1,550 

tractors and more than 7,100 trailers. The 

company has been noted on the lists of Top 

Workplaces, Best Fleets to Drive For, Most 

Valuable Employer Military Winner, and Top 

Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation, 

among many others. 8 

He cautions that additives that don’t contain 

quality ingredients, when added to the 

engine, can actually dilute the detergents and 

other agents present in the oil. 

Additives can be an excellent investment 

that help keep expensive equipment running 

smoothly and keep repair expense — and 

downtime — to a minimum. Drivers who 

work hard to take care of their equipment 

should consider quality additives to help keep 

them running — and earning. 8 

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Equipment February 

15-28, 2021 • 21 

Peterbilt unveils new, redesigned Model 579 featuring interior and 

exterior improvements in aerodynamics, technology and comfort 


DENTON, Texas — Peterbilt Motors Co. 

on Feb. 3 announced the launch of its new 

Model 579. The thoroughly redesigned Model 

579 boasts improvements in aerodynamics, efficiency, 

comfort, technology and uptime. 

The new Model 579 is the most technologically 

advanced truck Peterbilt has ever built. 

The new 579 is also the most aerodynamic and 

fuel-efficient Peterbilt available, thanks to the 

new exterior design featuring a new sloped 

hood and optimized aero components, as well 

as the new 2021 PACCAR MX-13 and MX-11 

engines and PACCAR transmission. 

Highlighting the new 579’s innovative technologies 

is a state-of-the-art 15-inch digital 

dash display, which features a fully customizable 

user interface (UI). Operators control the 

digital UI through one of three different Drive 

View Zones, allowing for a variety of combinations 

of digital gauges on the main screen 

at any one time. The driver can customize the 

display through controls found on the all-new 

steering wheel. 

Prior to trip departure the digital display can 

run through a Visual Systems check, inspecting 

13 systems and providing a green checkmark 

with each passed test. Post-trip, a detailed Trip 

Information screen provides a breakdown of 

important metrics of the most recent journey. 

The Peterbilt Digital Display fully integrates 

with electrical and safety systems found 

on the new 579, including the Bendix Fusion 

Advanced Driver Assistance System with integrated 

camera and radar technology-enabled 

advanced features, including collision mitigation, 

overspeed alerts and lane keep assist to 

be displayed prominently in the center of the 

display. 

“The clear and precise information relayed 

to drivers through the Peterbilt Digital Display, 

combined with the advanced safety systems 

Photos courtesy of Peterbilt Motors Co. 

Top left: The new Model 579 is the most technologically advanced truck Peterbilt has ever 

built and features the Peterbilt Digital Display, which fully integrates with electrical and safety 

systems. Bottom left: The 579 UltraLoft with an integral sleeper provides 70 cubic feet of 

space. Above: Key exterior features of the new 579 include a redesigned Metton hood that 

is narrower and more resistant to damage. 

found throughout the truck, provide a much 

higher level of awareness of the truck and its 

surroundings,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general 

manager and PACCAR vice president. 

Developed over a five-year span, Peterbilt 

set out to provide a great look and aerodynamic 

shape of the new 579. Over 1,000 hours of 

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis 

and over 7.8 million CPU processing hours 

were spent evaluating the exterior design of the 

new 579. This research resulted in an enhanced 

aerodynamic profile and a 7% improvement in 

fuel economy. 

See 579 on p22 m 

Daimler to split truck segment into separate company, focus on zero emissions 

Courtesy: Daimler Truck North America 

The proposed spin-off of Daimler Truck into an independent company is designed to allow 

the manufacturer to focus on the development of zero-emissions vehicles, as well 

as the advancement of automated technology. 


STUTTGART, Germany — Daimler on 

Feb. 3 announced plans to split its passenger 

car and commercial truck/bus segments into 

two independent “pure-play” companies. An 

announcement from Daimler calls the split a 

“fundamental change” in the company’s structure, 

adding that the division will “unlock the 

full potential of its businesses in a zero-emissions, 

software-driven future.” 

A significant majority stake in Daimler 

Truck will be distributed to Daimler shareholders. 

The truck business will operate under fully 

independent management and have stand-alone 

corporate governance, including an independent 

chairman of the supervisory board, and is targeted 

to qualify as a DAX company. 

The passenger-car segment will be renamed 

as Mercedes-Benz “at the appropriate time,” 

the announcement notes. 

“This is a historic moment for Daimler. It 

represents the start of a profound reshaping of 

the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and 

Daimler Trucks & Buses are different businesses 

with specific customer groups, technology 

paths and capital needs,” said Ola Källenius, 

chairman of the board of management of Daimler 

and Mercedes-Benz. 

“Daimler Truck supplies industry-leading 

transportation solutions and services to customers,” 

Källenius noted, adding that both the 

car and commercial truck industries are on the 

brink of “major” changes. “Given this context, 

we believe they will be able to operate most effectively 

as independent entities, equipped with 

strong net liquidity and free from the constraints 

of a conglomerate structure.” 

As part of a more focused corporate structure, 

both Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz will also 

be supported by dedicated captive financial and 

mobility service entities, driving sales with tailormade 

financing, leasing and mobility solutions. 

In this process, the company plans to assign resources 

and teams from today’s Daimler Mobility 

See Split on p22 m

22 • February 15-28, 2021 Equipment THETRUCKER.COM 

More than 4,300 Freightliner Cascadias 

to be recalled because of steer-tire defect 


WASHINGTON — Daimler Trucks North 

America (DTNA) plans to recall more than 

4,300 Freightliner Cascadia sleeper trucks because 

due to defective steer tires, according to 

safety recall report 21V-007 issued by the U.S. 

Department of Transportation’s National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

According to information submitted by 

DTNA to NHTSA on Jan. 13, 2021, the recall 

impacts 4,341 model-year 2020-2022 Freightliner 

Cascadia sleepers. The affected vehicles 

are equipped with Bridgestone R284, R268 or 

R283S ECOPIA steer axle tires which, “in conjunction 

with a specific air dam,” could experience 

tread separation or blow-outs while driving, 

increasing the risk of a crash. 

“While the root cause (of the tread separation) 

has not been determined, DTNA’s best 

understanding is that the defect mechanism 

may be potentially caused by elevated tire 

temperatures during vehicle operation, leading 

to tire failure and loss of vehicle control,” 

the company notes in the recall report. The 

report continues, noting that other factors, 

such as underinflation, road speed and others, 

could also contribute to the failure of the 

Bridgestone steer tires. 

DTNA will reach out to owners of the affected 

vehicles, and dealers will replace the 

steer tires, free of charge. The recall is expected 

to begin March 13, 2021. Owners may contact 

DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712; reference 

DTNA recall FL872. 8 

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Courtesy: Daimler Trucks North America 

More than 4,300 Freightliner Cascadias equipped with Bridgestone steer tires will be 

affected by a safety recall. The manufacturer will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will 

replace the steer tires, free of charge. 

b Split from page 21 b 

to both Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz. 

“We have confidence in the financial and operational 

strength of our two vehicle divisions. 

And we are convinced that independent management 

and governance will allow them to operate 

even faster, invest more ambitiously, target 

growth and cooperation, and thus be significantly 

more agile and competitive,” Källenius said. 

According to the company’s Feb. 3 statement, 

Daimler Truck intends to generate value for its 

shareholders by accelerating the execution of its 

strategic plans, raising its profitability and driving 

forward with the development of emissions-free 

technologies for trucks and buses. 

“This is a pivotal moment for Daimler Truck. 

With independence comes greater opportunity, 

greater visibility and transparency,” said Martin 

Daum, member of the board of management 

of Daimler and chairman of the board of management 

of Daimler Truck. “We will grow further 

and continue our leadership in alternative 

powertrains and automation. We have already 

defined the future of our business with batteryelectric 

and fuel-cell trucks, as well as strong 

positions in autonomous driving. With targeted 

b 579 from page 21 b 

Key exterior features of the new 579 include 

a redesigned stronger Metton hood that is narrower 

and more resistant to damage, along with 

improved halogen or optional LED headlights. 

A new three-piece bumper integrates the 

forward radar cover for collision mitigation, 

with a larger aerodynamic air dam. Improvements 

to the aero mirrors, fairings, side skirts 

and closeouts help improve the overall aerodynamic 

shape, with the revised A-pillar vane 

redirecting airflow around the windshield, reducing 

friction and helping deliver a 10% noise 

reduction in the cabin. 

The interior of the new 579 features softtouch 

materials. The 579 UltraLoft with an integral 

sleeper provides 70 cubic feet of space, 

partnerships we will accelerate the development 

of key technologies to bring best-in-class products 

to our customers rapidly.” 

Daum also stated that Daimler truck has a solid 

financial base and a “robust” business model. 

“We will continue to work on our cash-flow 

management, and we know how to deal with 

industry market cycles — we have proven that 

again in the significant COVID-related global 

market reduction,” he continued. “We have clear 

strategies to raise our financial performance and 

accelerate our execution. We will use our strong 

and well-known global brands, our scale and our 

exceptional technology to deliver industry-leading 

returns.” 

The intended structure of the transaction 

would involve Daimler transferring the majority 

of Daimler Truck to its shareholders on a pro rata 

basis in accordance with existing shareholdings, 

but it intends to retain a minority shareholding. 

Representation of Daimler in the Daimler Truck 

Supervisory Board will be in line with the intended 

deconsolidation, according to Daimler’s 

Feb. 3 statement. 

Further details of the intended spin-off are expected 

be presented to company shareholders at 

an extra-ordinary shareholder meeting during the 

third quarter of 2021, to obtain their mandatory 

approval to the plan. 8 

including an 8-foot-high ceiling. The cabin has 

room for small appliances, including a microwave 

(1.1 cubic feet), a 32-inch TV, a tall wardrobe 

closet, multiple power outlets and optional 

bunkbeds with a fold-away ladder. New soundabatement 

technology helps minimize outside 

noise, creating a quieter cabin, both on and off 

the road. 

“The launch of the new Model 579 is a huge 

moment for Peterbilt and our customers. This 

new product is the result of five years of relentless 

focus on increasing fuel economy, taking 

driver comfort to new heights, and maximizing 

uptime. This new truck delivers the next level of 

performance for our customers and continues Peterbilt’s 

legacy of being the ‘Class’ of the industry,” 

Skoog said. 

The new Model 579 is available for order in a 

day cab configuration, integral 80-inch UltraLoft 

sleeper and a variety of other sleeper sizes. 8 

V 

K 

w 

t

Features 

February 15-28, 2021 • 23 

Modern-day successes: Drivers’ achievements recognized by 

Trucking Moves America Forward during Black History Month 


During Black History Month, Trucking 

Moves America Forward (TMAF) is recognizing 

the achievements of professional truck 

drivers for their modern-day successes in the 

trucking industry. 

Ericka Rountree and Herbert Holmes, both 

drivers with Dayton, Ohio-based MTS, are 

recognized as this year’s Black History Month 

Leaders who are helping to move America forward 

every day. 

These two professionals are leaders within 

the trucking industry and personify excellence 

in trucking. Their professionalism, dedication 

to their job, commitment to safety and love for 

trucking is inspiring. 

Ericka Rountree: “It’s my peace.” 

Rountree joined the trucking industry nearly 

seven years ago after coming across an ad 

for a truck-driving school. The decision to join 

the trucking industry was life-changing — and 

one of the best decisions she has ever made, 

she said. 

When describing her love for her job, 

Rountree spoke about how she enjoys driving 

— a trait she picked up from her dad, who was 

also a truck driver. Her father first drove trucks 

in the military; then later joined the U.S. trucking 

industry and started team driving with his 

wife. Rountree fondly remembers getting to 

ride along in the truck with her father on trips 

from Ohio to other states, including California 

and Florida. 

One of the reasons Rountree was drawn to 

trucking was because it allows for travel and 

can take you to almost any state. 

“You get to travel and meet different people 

from every ethnic background,” she said. 

Patience and safety while driving are important 

priorities for Rountree. 

“My biggest thing is safety first,” she said. 

“Take your time and pay attention. I’m a very 

cautious driver. I always give myself enough 

time, enough distance.” 

While making her daily round-trip deliveries 

from Ohio to Kentucky, Rountree enjoys 

the peace and quiet of the open road. 

“It’s my peace,” she explained. “I really 

enjoy my career. I love what I do.” 

Herbert Holmes: “Give it 110%.” 

Holmes first started driving in 1999 after coming 

across an ad for trucking in the Sunday paper. 

“Having the freedom on the open road, 

seeing different things, going different places, 

meeting new people,” are just some of 

the reasons why he says he loves trucking. 

Holmes also enjoys being able to travel and 

get paid for it as part of his job. 

During his work week, depending on 

what needs to be delivered, Holmes usually 

drives to the Cleveland, Ohio, area as 

well as Louisville, Kentucky. While on the 

road, he says, he is committed to safety. 

He always stays alert and drives defensively. 

See Successes on p24 m 

Courtesy: Trucking Moves America Forward 

Ericka Rountree, left, and Herbert Holmes, both drivers with Dayton, Ohio-based MTS, are 

recognized as this year’s Black History Month Leaders who are helping to move America 

forward every day. 

Visible values: Ohio company’s ‘charity truck’ pushes awareness, activism 

Courtesy: Thomas E. Keller Trucking 

Keller Trucking’s “charity truck” is a rolling tribute to autism awareness. For Keller, 

which has a track record of philanthropy, a charity truck felt like a good fit — provided 

they could come up with the right cause. 

Dwain Hebda 


When John Tibbs climbs into his rolling office 

and fires up the Volvo VNL760, he turns heads 

just about anywhere he goes. That’s thanks to the 

fully wrapped cab that features graphics of puzzle 

pieces and a handshake, arranged to form a heart. 

Amid the colorful shapes, slogans proclaim: 

“Celebrate neurodiversity” and “Help raise autism 

awareness.” The truck’s cab is crowned with 

the phrase, “There is no cure for being yourself.” 

Tibbs enjoys driving the truck — and not just because 

he topped many of his co-workers at Thomas 

E. Keller Trucking of Defiance, Ohio, for the honor. 

He also enjoys driving the rig because of the chance 

it gives him to share his unique perspective with 

people on the subject of autism. 

“I have two children that are plagued by the 

disorder,” he said. “One is 12; her name is Abigail. 

The other is getting ready to turn 19, and his 

name is Nicholas. He has it pretty severe.” 

This firsthand experience makes Tibbs the 

ideal ambassador for the company’s awareness 

truck. Wherever he goes, he’s either fielding 

questions or sharing stories with people who, like 

himself, have been personally impacted by the 

developmental disorder. 

“I get people coming up all the time wanting 

to take pictures of it. With all the information on 

the truck and all the colors, it kind of sticks out,” 

he said. 

“On this one particular occasion I had a gentleman 

that drives tractor-trailers who had a family 

member with him that deals with this disease. He 

asked me to take a picture of him and his daughter 

next to the truck,” he shared. “They were very excited 

to know what we were trying to accomplish, 

and I’ve had many people comment on the fact 

that they have a family member who is affected 

by this disorder and how much they appreciate 

the fact that we’re trying to raise money for families 

that are dealing with the same issues.” 

Such field reports are sweet music to the ears 

of Jonathan Wolfrum, president of Keller Trucking, 

a 250-tractor outfit that’s a subsidiary of Keller 

Logistics Group. Designating a company “charity 

truck” wasn’t his idea, but it quickly became a popular 

labor of love for the company’s 275 drivers. 

“I want to give credit to a company called 

See Values on p25 m

24 • February 15-28, 2021 Features THETRUCKER.COM T 

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Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is partnering with autonomous-driving tech company 

Waymo to deliver Girl Scout cookies in the Dallas area this year. 

Delectable deliveries: Girl Scouts of Northeast 

Texas, Waymo team up for cookie transport 


DALLAS and PHOENIX — It’s Girl Scout 

Cookie season, and that means it’s time for 

some serious decisions: Thin Mints? Samoas? 

Trefoils? Tagalongs? All of them? And don’t 

forget the most important choice: To share or 

not to share? 

During this year’s “cookie season,” thousands 

of Girl Scouts’ signature treats will be 

transported in south Dallas with the help of autonomous 

driving tech developer Waymo. The 

company is currently testing its Class 8 trucks 

in Texas. 

“The Girl Scouts’ Cookie Program has 

helped girls and young women recognize and 

pursue their dreams for more than a century, 

and we’re honored to now be part of that legacy,” 

said Becky Bucich, chief people officer 

at Waymo. “We’re delivering today for tomorrow’s 

leaders, and we’re dedicated to inspiring 

the next diverse and inclusive generation 

of engineers, coders, programmers and STEM 

professionals.” 

According to a prepared statement from the 

two organizations, the collaboration between 

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) and 

Waymo aligns with the long-standing mission 

of Girl Scouts to prepare girls to thrive in the 

world, a vision set by Girl Scouts founder Juliette 

Gordon Low in 1912. In recent years, that 

has translated to a commitment to encourage 

girls to pursue careers in the fields of science, 

technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

Girl Scouts of the USA, the national organization 

to which GSNETX is a council, has made 

building the STEM pipeline a priority across 

the country as our reliance on technology and 

science grows even more important. 

“We are excited about our partnership with 

Waymo,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO for 

GSNETX. “Girls will experience a practical 

use for technology that is shaping our future, 

inspiring them to become the next generation 

of engineers, coders and STEM professionals. 

At the same, the North Texas community will 

see cutting-edge technology that can improve 

the world’s access to mobility. It is a win-win 

as Girl Scouts continues to change the workforce 

pipeline for North Texas.” 

As part of GSNETX’s virtual “Camp-In 

Camp Cookie,” a program that sets girls up 

for success during cookie season, Xinfeng 

Le, a product manager for Waymo’s trucking 

program, made a presentation for the council’s 

young members about her work at Waymo — 

while also giving girls an inside look at the variety 

of opportunities in a STEM career. 

GSNETX is also joining the Waymo-led 

public education initiative, Let’s Talk Autonomous 

Driving, which supports public dialogue 

around and understanding of autonomous driving 

technology. GSNETX is Let’s Talk Autonomous 

Driving’s first STEM-focused education 

partner. 

“We’re fortunate that Girl Scouts share our 

passion to cultivate a deeper understanding of 

the world around us, and we’re excited they 

have joined Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving 

as our first STEM-focused education partner,” 

Bucich said. 8 

b Successes from page 23 b 

When asked what he’d say to those who 

is considering joining the trucking industry, 

Holmes said, “It’s a great career,” and spoke 

about the opportunities trucking can provide 

for an individual and his or her family. After 

learning more about the industry and what 

the day-to-day job of a truck driver looks 

like, he recommends that new drivers “jump 

in wholeheartedly” and “give it 110%.” 

Holmes also discussed the truck driver shortage 

and the need for more Black drivers — including 

Black female drivers — and mentioned 

the need for more recruitment at Black high 

schools and colleges. 

“A lot of young Black people don’t know 

about the (trucking) industry. There’s trucking 

jobs all over,” he said. 

To see additional stories celebrating Black 

leaders in the trucking industry in celebration of 

Black History month, visit TheTrucker.com. 8


b Values from page 23 b 

Transland in Missouri. We’re in the ‘best practice’ 

group with them, called the TPP — the Transportation 

Profitability Program,” Wolfrum said. 

“You present a best idea at each one of our 

meetings. This is actually one of their ideas, to 

have a charity truck where every mile the truck 

drives, we donate. In this case, it’s three cents 

per mile to the cause,” he said. “They had a couple 

trucks that they’ve done that with in the past. 

We really thought it was a great idea.” 

Keller had already developed a culture of 

philanthropy, having launched a veterans’ foundation 

that has garnered the support of the local 

community to the tune of $300,000 over six 

years. Given that track record, a charity truck 

felt like a good fit — provided they could come 

up with the right cause. Wanting the widest buyin 

possible, company leadership turned to the 

workforce for input. 

“We surveyed our employees, first thing,” 

Wolfrum said. “We put the idea out there and 

said, ‘We’re going to do this charity truck idea. 

We’ve not preselected any charity or foundation. 

Let us know what affects you.’ We got a ton of 

results in, and I’ll say an overwhelming majority 

mentioned autism affecting their lives in one 

way or another. 

“So, it was pretty clear to us that that’s what 

we wanted to do,” he explained. “At that point, 

we went to work doing some research and trying 

to understand the best way to go about it, 

from the design and what we wanted to support. 

That’s kind of how that all started.” 

The truck hit the road in September 2020 

and since then has racked up 40,000 miles. Wolfrum 

said the decision was made to let the truck 

preach awareness rather than promote a specific 

organization, with the money going to projects 

that have a local impact. 

“We had someone local in the community 

who reached out to me who has a child with 

autism,” he said. “We have what’s called a 

splash pad, a local park with all the water 

toys and all that. There’s no fence around this 

splash pad, and children with autism tend to 

wander and they’re kind of hard to contain 

sometimes. 

“So, our first project we’re taking on is we’re 

going to build a fence around this splash pad, 

probably in the spring, and we’re going to fund 

that partially from the funds of this truck,” he 

continued. “The cost of that is probably going to 

be a little bit more than what we’ve contributed 

this first year with the truck alone, so we’re going 

to lead the fundraising efforts and get some 

other companies in the community involved to 

finalize that project.” 

Response to the truck has been so good, company 

leadership followed it up with a specially 

wrapped trailer, this time bringing awareness to 

domestic violence and human trafficking. The 

idea was brought to Keller’s management by 

the local chapter of anti-domestic violence nonprofit 

Zonta International. 

Lacey Spangler, a member of the local organization 

praised the company for getting on 

board with the effort, adding that the eye-catching 

graphics, which include a hotline number to 

report incidents of trafficking or for victims of 

abuse to get help, can save lives. 

Features February 15-28, 2021 • 25 

Courtesy: Thomas E. Keller Trucking 

Response to Keller’s “charity truck” was so good that the company leadership followed 

it up with a specially wrapped trailer, this time bringing awareness to domestic violence 

and human trafficking. 

“I think that just shows great initiative on 

their part, to help with an issue that is ongoing 

and that does involve the trucking industry,” 

Spangler said. “There’s so much involved with 

trafficking that can occur in trucks, with trucking 

as a front. I think it says a lot [about Keller] to be 

involved in the community and to help the community 

and then, to stand up and say we realize 

this is an issue and we’re going to put ourselves 

out there to help bring some light to it. 

“We want people to know there is help out 

there,” she said. “Putting that information on a 

truck that drives across the state and across the 

country really gets that message out there.” 

The company plans to keep the charity truck 

in circulation at least until the rig is traded out, 

usually after five years of service. Regardless, 

Wolfrum said, the spirit of community service 

and philanthropy will always be part of how the 

company does business. 

“We support our employees who are in the 

community, and it comes full circle,” he said. 

“We’ve got a ton of social media interaction 

on this — and while that wasn’t intent per se, 

it shows we’ve got people looking out for the 

truck. They see the truck, they go on our Facebook 

page and post. We just really get great acceptance 

to it. 

“We’ve always been committed to our employees 

first and then our community. The support 

that we’ve seen from this has really been 

overwhelming,” he concluded. 8 

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