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Vol. 34, No. 4 | February 15-28, 2021 | www.thetrucker.com<br />
Aim your<br />
camera<br />
at the<br />
code for<br />
more news!<br />
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis<br />
Blocking roadways<br />
Republican lawmakers in<br />
Mississippi are seeking to<br />
increase penalties for people<br />
who block public roadways<br />
during protests.<br />
Page 3<br />
UPS Freight sold to TFI................4<br />
The Trucker Trainer.................8<br />
Trucker Burger in Arizona.........11<br />
Rhythm of the Road.............12<br />
Ask the Attorney...................13<br />
Courtesy: WIT<br />
At the<br />
Truck Stop<br />
After a threedecade<br />
career<br />
in the banking<br />
industry,Karen<br />
Noel found<br />
herself behind<br />
the wheel.<br />
Page 14<br />
2020 tax liability..........................17<br />
Fleet Focus.................................18<br />
Epes celebrates 90 years........ 19<br />
Cascadia recalls........................22<br />
Keller’s charity truck.................. 23<br />
Courtesy: Peterbilt Motors Company<br />
New Model 579<br />
Peterbilt’s thoroughly<br />
redesigned Model 579 is the<br />
most technologically advanced<br />
truck Peterbilt has built yet.<br />
Page 21<br />
Fracking, oil truckers feel sting of president’s pen;<br />
experts weigh in on Biden’s early executive orders<br />
Dwain Hebda<br />
SPECIAL TO THE TRUCKER<br />
If there was any doubt as to what the next four<br />
years holds for America’s fossil fuel economy,<br />
President Joe Biden erased them all with a swipe<br />
of his pen.<br />
The president wasted no time making good on his<br />
campaign promise to radically reshape how fossil fuels<br />
are collected, transported and consumed. Among<br />
the first of a historic flurry of executive orders and<br />
actions he signed in the first two weeks of his term<br />
were the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline<br />
extension and initiating steps toward tougher regulations<br />
over oil and gas operations.<br />
Proponents of the measure called it a bold first<br />
step in addressing climate change. Critics decried<br />
the loss of thousands of jobs (up to 12,000 by<br />
some estimates attributed to Keystone alone) and<br />
an economic hit that easily runs into the billions.<br />
The negative impacts include both directly displaced<br />
workers and those in affiliated industries<br />
such as pipe manufacturing, storage and, yes,<br />
transportation.<br />
As the oil industry licks its wounds over the actions,<br />
the fracking industry braced for what could<br />
be headed its way. Thus far, the jabs from the White<br />
House have been relatively light, limited to fracking<br />
bans on federal land, according to Thomas Jacob,<br />
vice president of Rystad Energy in Houston.<br />
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik<br />
Pete Buttigieg, left, was sworn in as Transportation Secretary<br />
by Vice President Kamala Harris, right, on Feb. 3,<br />
with Chasten Buttigieg, center.<br />
“We spent a lot of time looking at that, and our<br />
conclusions were in the immediate term that you<br />
would just see activity and capital migrate to nonfederal<br />
lands,” he said. “There wouldn’t be a significant<br />
impact, at least in the U.S. in 2021. You wouldn’t<br />
see activity just dropping dead or dropping off significantly.<br />
You would see it be driven more by the oil<br />
price fundamentals, other than a regulatory response<br />
from the government.”<br />
Jacob contends that in the near term, the aftershocks<br />
of COVID-19 would be far more disruptive<br />
to fracking production cycles and profitability than<br />
what comes out of the White House.<br />
“All of the operators were in so much uncertainty<br />
that everyone went into their shells a little bit,” he<br />
said. “When COVID-19 hit and activity was plummeting,<br />
the supply chain companies … take a huge<br />
hit. We did see a lot of capacity coming off on the<br />
trucking side because of all of that.”<br />
After that initial shock to the economy, industry<br />
expert were able to better evaluate the situation, Jacob<br />
noted.<br />
“Once things cleared up a little bit more and there<br />
was a little bit more visibility into what was really<br />
happening, you saw a lot of frack fleets being put<br />
back to work in the third quarter,” he said. “Obviously,<br />
the second quarter was the bottom, with respect<br />
to completions activity. But then there was an<br />
See Sting on p6 m<br />
AP Photo/Evan Vucci<br />
President Joe Biden signs an executive order<br />
on climate change at the White House on<br />
January 27.<br />
Buttigieg confirmed as DOT Secretary in 86-13 Senate vote<br />
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />
WASHINGTON — Pete Buttigieg, sworn<br />
in Wednesday, Feb. 3, as transportation secretary,<br />
urged his 55,000 employees to embrace<br />
“imaginative, bold, forward thinking” as the<br />
Transportation Department embarks on a vital<br />
mission to rebuild America’s infrastructure<br />
and foster equality.<br />
“We will continue to prioritize safety as the<br />
foundation of everything we do,” Buttigieg<br />
said in his email message, which was obtained<br />
by The Associated Press. “And at the same<br />
time, we will break new ground: in ensuring<br />
that our economy recovers and rebuilds, in<br />
rising to the climate challenge, and in making<br />
sure transportation is an engine for equity in<br />
this country.”<br />
He added that the department’s mission<br />
“has never been more important than in this<br />
season of change and possibility.”<br />
In a broader video message, he tweeted to<br />
the American public, Buttigieg stressed both<br />
the challenges and opportunities ahead in improving<br />
America’s transportation system.<br />
“Today we face an unprecedented health<br />
crisis, we’re navigating an economy in danger<br />
and our nation is reckoning with the impacts<br />
of systemic racism,” he said in the one-minute<br />
campaign-style video. “But with new leadership<br />
comes a new opportunity, a chance to<br />
build our transportation system back better<br />
than it ever was before.<br />
“There is so much work to do, but I am<br />
deeply optimistic about where this journey<br />
will lead,” he said.<br />
Buttigieg, a 39-year-old former mayor of<br />
South Bend, Indiana, and former Democratic<br />
presidential candidate, was sworn in Feb. 3 by<br />
Vice President Kamala Harris, at a ceremony<br />
in the Old Executive Office Building in the<br />
White House complex. Buttigieg, the first<br />
openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet<br />
post, took the oath on a Bible belonging to<br />
See Secretary on p10 m
2 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation<br />
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Mississippi lawmakers consider penalties for blocking roadways during protests<br />
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />
JACKSON, Miss. — Republican lawmakers<br />
in Mississippi are seeking to increase penalties<br />
for people who block public roadways<br />
during protests. Several Democrats, however,<br />
are expressing concerns about legislation that<br />
could be seen as criminalizing free speech.<br />
Republican Sen. Chad McMahan of Guntown<br />
proposed the “Freedom of Roadway Act”<br />
to “criminalize the malicious obstruction of a<br />
public street, highway or road during an unpermitted<br />
protest.”<br />
Senate Bill 2283 would require that protesters<br />
who block roadways with no permit be<br />
fined up to $1,500, serve up to a year in jail<br />
or both. The minimum punishment would be a<br />
$500 fine and a 25-day jail sentence.<br />
McMahan told the Senate Judiciary B Committee<br />
on Wednesday, Jan. 27, that he drafted<br />
the bill after being approached by the Tupelo<br />
police chief, who was concerned after seeing<br />
protesters blocking roadways in other parts of<br />
the country.<br />
McMahan mentioned a protest outside of<br />
Memphis, Tennessee, where people blocked<br />
traffic on a four-lane highway. There have been<br />
several protests in Memphis, over the killing<br />
of Black men by police, that have closed roadways<br />
during the last few years.<br />
“There was a protest in Columbia, Mississippi,<br />
on Highway 98 where some folks from<br />
out of town came and blocked the road after<br />
some of these police deaths and things across<br />
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis<br />
Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, outlines<br />
the 2021 legislative priorities of the<br />
Mississippi Senate Democratic Caucus to<br />
reporters during the first day of the 2021 Mississippi<br />
Legislature at the Capitol in Jackson,<br />
Mississippi.<br />
the country,” said Republican Sen. Angela<br />
Burks Hill of Picayune, a co-sponsor of the bill.<br />
“It almost turned into the citizens handling<br />
the blocking of the roadway,” she said. “I think<br />
that — anything to deter somebody from wanting<br />
to do this. We don’t want anybody getting<br />
hurt.”<br />
However, Democratic Sens. Angela Turner-<br />
Ford of West Point and Derrick Simmons of<br />
Greenville raised concerns about the legality of<br />
criminalizing gatherings without a permit.<br />
“I’m just concerned about criminalizing<br />
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 3<br />
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis<br />
Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, moves his copy of the 2022 Mississippi Legislative Budget<br />
Report as he checks his mail at his desk during the first day of the 2021 Mississippi Legislature,<br />
Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Jackson, Mississippi.<br />
potentially protected speech,” Simmons said.<br />
The majority of lawmakers on the Senate<br />
Judiciary B Committee said they would not<br />
support sending the legislation to the full Senate<br />
for a vote as it was written.<br />
Simmons proposed a compromise — increasing<br />
penalties on an existing law that bans<br />
any person from obstructing roadways, instead<br />
of passing legislation specifically targeting<br />
protesters.<br />
The change would increase the current<br />
punishment of $500 or six months in jail for<br />
blocking roadways to McMahan’s proposal of<br />
$1,500, a year in jail or both, with a minimum<br />
$500 fine and 25 days in jail.<br />
The amended proposal was passed by committee<br />
members unanimously and was sent to<br />
the full Senate.<br />
By Leah Willingham, The Associated Press/<br />
Report for America. 8
4 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
UPS puts $800 million price tag on trucking<br />
divisions in sales agreement with TFI International<br />
USPS 972<br />
Volume 34, Number 4<br />
February 15-28, 2021<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
ATLANTA and MONTREAL — UPS and<br />
TFI International Inc. on Jan. 25 announced<br />
a definitive agreement to sell UPS Freight<br />
(UPSF) to TFI International for $800 million,<br />
subject to working capital and other adjustments.<br />
UPS Freight includes the company’s<br />
less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL)<br />
divisions. The agreement between UPS and<br />
TFI International allows UPS Freight to use<br />
UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments<br />
for five years.<br />
Approximately 90% of the acquired business<br />
will operate independently within TFI<br />
International’s LTL business segment under its<br />
new name, “TForce Freight,” while acquired<br />
dedicated TL assets will join TFI’s TL business<br />
segment. The transaction is subject to usual<br />
and customary closing conditions, including<br />
regulatory approvals.<br />
“We’re excited about the future and the opportunities<br />
this creates for both UPS and UPS<br />
Freight as part of TFI International Inc. The<br />
agreement allows UPS to be even more laserfocused<br />
on the core parts of our business that<br />
drive the greatest value for our customers,”<br />
said UPS CEO Carol Tomé.<br />
“We are pleased to announce this highly<br />
strategic transaction that will strengthen our<br />
service offerings to customers as well as our<br />
ongoing relationship with UPS. Our strategy<br />
of operating independent business units with<br />
a high degree of accountability is well-suited<br />
for building on UPS Freight’s strengths and<br />
improving margins over time,” said Alain<br />
Bédard, chairman, president and CEO of<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Montreal-based TFI International Inc. has<br />
signed an agreement to buy UPS Freight,<br />
which includes the company’s truckload and<br />
less-than-truckload divisions.<br />
TFI International. “TForce Freight will continue<br />
to serve UPS’ ongoing LTL distribution<br />
needs, and UPS will continue to provide<br />
freight volumes and other services to<br />
TForce Freight after the transaction for a base<br />
term of five years. We also look forward to<br />
offering expanded strategic network opportunities<br />
to UPS in Canada. This transaction<br />
is a ‘win-win’, allowing TFI to continue our<br />
strategic expansion across the US and aligning<br />
with UPS’ ‘Better not Bigger’ strategic<br />
positioning.”<br />
The transaction, which is subject to customary<br />
closing conditions and regulatory approvals,<br />
is expected to close during the second<br />
quarter of 2021. UPS expects to recognize a<br />
noncash, pretax impairment charge of approximately<br />
$500 million on its statement of consolidated<br />
income for the year ended Dec. 31,<br />
2020.<br />
With an operating history of more than 85<br />
years, UPS Freight is one of the largest LTL<br />
carriers in the U.S., offering a full range of regional<br />
and long-haul solutions and an on-time<br />
delivery guarantee for all LTL shipments.<br />
Under the agreement, UPS will retain responsibility<br />
for all pre-closing pension obligations,<br />
taxes, and accident and workers’ compensation<br />
liability claims and costs. TFI intends<br />
to make targeted investments in the LTL fleet in<br />
the first 12 months following the transaction,<br />
lowering maintenance costs, improving both<br />
efficiency and safety, and enhancing customer<br />
service and driver satisfaction, according to a<br />
company statement.<br />
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as<br />
financial advisor, and King & Spalding LLP is<br />
serving as legal advisor to UPS.<br />
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and RBC Capital<br />
Markets are serving as financial advisors to<br />
TFI. Scudder Law Firm, P.C., L.L.O. is serving<br />
as legal advisor to TFI. 8<br />
The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the<br />
trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media Group at<br />
1123 S. University, Suite 325<br />
Little Rock, AR 72204-1610<br />
Chief Executive Officer<br />
Bobby Ralston<br />
bobbyr@thetruckermedia.com<br />
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Megan Hicks<br />
meganh@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Managing Editor<br />
Wendy Miller<br />
wendym@thetruckermedia.com<br />
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cliffa@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Lyndon Finney<br />
lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Columnist<br />
Kris Rutherford<br />
krisr@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Minnesota tests ‘snowplow alert’ signs to boost safety on I-35<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
OWATONNA, Minn. — Drivers on Interstate<br />
35 in southern Minnesota might have<br />
noticed new “snowplow alert” messages on<br />
digital highway signs recently, warning of<br />
slow-moving maintenance vehicles ahead.<br />
It’s all part of a test of the technology that<br />
activates the signs that’s being conducted by<br />
the Minnesota Department of Transportation<br />
(MnDOT).<br />
“Alerting motorists that they’re approaching<br />
a slow-moving snowplow can improve<br />
safety for our operators and motorists,” said<br />
Ron Heim, MnDOT’s maintenance supervisor<br />
in Owatonna. “MnDOT is focused on safety<br />
and we think this use of technology will help<br />
everyone on the road.”<br />
The department has equipped 10 MnDOT<br />
snowplows that operate along I-35 between<br />
Iowa and Northfield with technology that activates<br />
the digital message signs as they pass.<br />
During snow events, signs notify drivers:<br />
“Snowplow ahead, use caution.” During nonsnow<br />
conditions, the message alerts: “Maintenance<br />
vehicle ahead, use caution.” The message<br />
stays activated for several minutes after<br />
the MnDOT vehicles pass.<br />
Courtesy: Minnesota Department of Transportation<br />
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is testing technology that activates digital message<br />
signs alerting motorists to slow-moving snowplows along a stretch of Interstate 35 in the<br />
southern part of the state.<br />
Snowplows can create “snow clouds” when<br />
clearing roads at slower speeds. Warning signs<br />
can also be used at other times of year for uses<br />
such as maintenance work when crews are<br />
repairing high-tension cable median guard or<br />
striping roads.<br />
Data from the past few years shows that many<br />
crashes involving snowplows were rear-end<br />
collisions when motorists strike the back of the<br />
snowplow. MnDOT hopes using this technology<br />
and warning system could reduce and prevent<br />
these types of crashes in the future.<br />
MnDOT snowplows and maintenance vehicles<br />
use existing automatic location technology<br />
and the signs are equipped to receive the signal<br />
See Snowplow on p5 m<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Sarah DeClerk<br />
Dwain Hebda<br />
Sam Pierce<br />
For advertising opportunities,<br />
please contact Meg Larcinese<br />
at megl@thetruckermedia.com.<br />
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THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 5<br />
Report from Office of Inspector General shows that FMCSA falls short<br />
in oversight of national registry of medical-certification examiners<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
WASHINGTON — A report released last<br />
month by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s<br />
(DOT) Office of Inspector General revealed<br />
that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety<br />
Administration (FMCSA) has fallen short<br />
in meeting oversight requirements while rebuilding<br />
the National Registry of Certified<br />
Medical Examiners.<br />
As part of its mission, the FMCSA oversees<br />
its medical-certification program and<br />
promotes safety through regulations, policies<br />
and monitoring of certified medical<br />
examiners and driver examinations. The<br />
purpose of the National Registry of Certified<br />
Medical Examiners, initiated in 2014,<br />
is to verify that medical examiners can effectively<br />
determine if interstate commercial<br />
drivers meet FMCSA’s physical qualification<br />
standards.<br />
In 2019, as fatalities in crashes involving<br />
large trucks or buses increased by 10.6%<br />
over a five-year period, an audit of FMCSA’s<br />
oversight was initiated due to the significant<br />
safety risk posed by drivers who do not<br />
meet physical qualification requirements.<br />
The audit analyzed FMCSA’s procedures in<br />
validating and maintaining data quality in the<br />
registry and monitoring medical examiner<br />
Indiana traffic stop leads to DUI, multiple<br />
felony drug charges for Nevada trucker<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana State<br />
Police on Jan. 29 arrested and filed charges<br />
against a Nevada truck driver after a traffic<br />
stop led to the discovery of methamphetamine<br />
and drug paraphernalia.<br />
At about 8:20 p.m., near the 9-mile marker<br />
of Interstate 70 in Vigo County, a state trooper<br />
stopped a tractor-trailer driven by Chad H.<br />
Bowman, 44, of Amargosa Valley, Nevada,<br />
for unsafe lane movement. According to a<br />
report by the Indiana State Police, Bowman<br />
“displayed signs of impairment,” and a search<br />
of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and<br />
drug paraphernalia.<br />
Bowman agreed to submit to a drug test,<br />
b Snowplow from page 4 b<br />
that triggers the message when they travel near<br />
the sign.<br />
This pilot project is part of MnDOT’s<br />
connected and automated vehicle research<br />
to understand how advancing technology<br />
can improve safety. Minnesota is preparing<br />
for connected and automated vehicles<br />
by observing emerging technology trends<br />
and testing those solutions to see how they<br />
eligibility and performance and reviewing<br />
driver examinations.<br />
“FMCSA’s ability to oversee whether<br />
drivers meet physical qualification standards<br />
to safely operate a commercial vehicle is<br />
limited because of a lengthy outage of the<br />
National Registry and a resulting backlog<br />
of driver examination reports that were not<br />
entered into the Registry,” the Office of Inspector<br />
General noted in a Jan. 13 statement.<br />
The report also notes that the effectiveness of<br />
FMCSA’s oversight is hampered by data that<br />
is not fully accurate or complete.<br />
“FMCSA has not fully implemented requirements<br />
for random periodic monitoring<br />
of medical examiners’ eligibility and performance,”<br />
the statement continues. Initial<br />
certification reviews have been conducted<br />
to verify medical examiners’ eligibility, but<br />
FMCSA has not implemented annual audits.<br />
These periodic audits could result in the<br />
FMCSA missing fraud indicators or other<br />
risks.<br />
FMCSA has been advised of the following<br />
recommendations following the audit:<br />
1. Implement Agency plans for eliminating<br />
the backlog of driver examination results<br />
held by medical examiners.<br />
2. Develop a plan to allocate resources to<br />
which he failed. Bowman was arrested and<br />
taken to the Vigo County Jail. County records<br />
show he was released on recognizance Monday,<br />
Feb. 1, pending trial.<br />
Bowman is charged with:<br />
• Possession of methamphetamine, Felony 6;<br />
• Possession of paraphernalia, Class C<br />
Misdemeanor;<br />
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated<br />
endangering a person, Class A Misdemeanor;<br />
and<br />
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated,<br />
Class C misdemeanor.<br />
All criminal defendants are presumed innocent<br />
until, and unless proven guilty beyond<br />
a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 8<br />
solve Minnesota transportation challenges.<br />
MnDOT’s Connected and Automated Vehicle<br />
Office (CAV-X) is the state’s lead office<br />
for connected and automated vehicle<br />
technology engagement, policy, testing and<br />
partnerships.<br />
“Our trucks are already providing data, so<br />
we’re able to build off of that and test this concept,”<br />
said Jed Falgren, MnDOT’s state director<br />
for transportation system management and<br />
operations. “We can improve safety and this<br />
an important test that should show us what can<br />
come next.” 8<br />
the Medical Programs Division to fully implement<br />
requirements for medical examiner<br />
eligibility audits and random selection performance<br />
monitoring.<br />
3. Update Agency processes for conducting<br />
periodic medical examiner eligibility audits<br />
and random selection performance monitoring<br />
as needed to incorporate upgraded National<br />
Registry tools.<br />
4. Reinstate the conduct of eligibility audits<br />
and random selection performance monitoring<br />
of medical examiners.<br />
According to the Jan. 13 statement,<br />
FMCSA concurs with these recommendations<br />
to improve oversight of the National<br />
Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. 8<br />
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6 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Biden’s ‘ambitious’ climate initiative targets oil, coal, natural gas sectors<br />
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />
WASHINGTON — In the most ambitious<br />
U.S. effort to stave off the worst effects of climate<br />
change, President Joe Biden issued executive<br />
orders Wednesday, Jan. 27, to cut oil, gas<br />
and coal emissions and double energy production<br />
from offshore wind turbines.<br />
The orders target federal subsidies for oil<br />
and other fossil fuels and halt new oil and gas<br />
leases on federal lands and waters. They also<br />
aim to conserve 30% of the country’s lands and<br />
ocean waters in the next 10 years and move to<br />
an all-electric federal vehicle fleet.<br />
Biden’s sweeping plan is aimed at slowing<br />
human-caused global warming, but it also carries<br />
political risk for the president and Democrats<br />
as oil- and coal-producing states face job losses<br />
from moves to sharply increase U.S. reliance on<br />
clean energy such as wind and solar power.<br />
“We can’t wait any longer”’ to address the<br />
climate crisis, Biden said at the White House.<br />
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“We see with our own eyes. We know it in our<br />
bones. It is time to act.”<br />
He said his orders will “supercharge our<br />
administration’s ambitious plan to confront the<br />
existential threat of climate change.”<br />
Biden has set a goal of eliminating pollution<br />
from fossil fuel in the power sector by<br />
2035 and from the U.S. economy overall by<br />
2050, speeding what is already a market-driven<br />
growth of solar and wind energy and lessening<br />
the country’s dependence on oil and gas. The<br />
aggressive plan is aimed at slowing humancaused<br />
global warming that is magnifying extreme<br />
weather events such as deadly wildfires<br />
in the West and drenching rains and hurricanes<br />
in the East.<br />
Biden acknowledged the political risk, repeatedly<br />
stating that his approach would create<br />
jobs in the renewable energy and automotive<br />
sectors to offset any losses in oil, coal or<br />
natural gas.<br />
AND<br />
PER TEAM<br />
“When I think of climate change and the answers<br />
to it, I think of jobs,” Biden said. “We’re<br />
going to put people to work. We’re not going to<br />
lose jobs. These aren’t pie-in-the-sky dreams.<br />
These are concrete actionable solutions. And<br />
we know how to do this.’”<br />
In a change from previous administrations<br />
of both parties, Biden also is directing agencies<br />
to focus help and investment on the low-income<br />
and minority communities that live closest to<br />
polluting refineries and other hazards, and the<br />
oil- and coal-patch towns that face job losses as<br />
the U.S. moves to sharply increase its reliance<br />
on wind, solar and other energy sources that do<br />
not emit climate-warming greenhouse gases.<br />
Biden pledged to create up to a million jobs<br />
building electric cars, as well as installing solar<br />
panels, wind turbines, “capping abandoned<br />
walls, reclaiming mines, turning old brownfield<br />
sites into the new hubs of economic growth.”<br />
See Ambitious on p9 m<br />
b Sting from page 1 b<br />
uptick in activity — and when there is a sudden<br />
uptick in activity that is more than what people<br />
were expecting, there is a shortage of drivers and<br />
you see pricing on the trucking side going higher.<br />
That’s exactly where we’re at right now.”<br />
Chris Thropp, president of Pennsylvaniabased<br />
Sage Corp., which operates Sage Truck<br />
Driving Schools, disagreed, saying he expects a<br />
more immediate impact on the number of trucking<br />
jobs directly related to fracking.<br />
“My general judgment, given that they will<br />
be banning fracking on federal land and making<br />
the whole regulatory process for oil and gas<br />
more difficult, is there are going to be fewer and<br />
fewer jobs for truck drivers. That’s a shame because<br />
they really are good jobs and that’s what<br />
really has attracted people, they can make a good<br />
amount of money,” Thropp said.<br />
“We had people coming from out west who<br />
already knew they were going to go to North Dakota<br />
and West Texas, they had jobs waiting for<br />
them and they were really very high paying jobs,”<br />
he continued. “I do anticipate, given the kind of<br />
regulatory clamp that they’re going to put on fossil<br />
fuel generally, you’re going to see less opportunity<br />
for drivers.”<br />
Thropp said that from the enhanced regulatory<br />
landscape governing fracking and other<br />
fossil fuel production, it’s a short hop to other<br />
regulations in the name of environmental quality.<br />
These, he said, will potentially be equally difficult<br />
for the industry to absorb.<br />
“We’ve already seen the impact, particularly<br />
the emissions standards on trucks, because the<br />
diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have been very<br />
difficult to deal with,” he said. “Especially for<br />
students, where our trucks don’t run at highway<br />
speeds and temperatures, the DPF doesn’t really<br />
work. We have very expensive repairs as a result<br />
of that. That’s just one example of what’s occurring<br />
with environmental regulations that aren’t<br />
thought through very well.”<br />
According to a report last November by the<br />
International Transport Forum (ITF), freight accounts<br />
for 7% of total global CO2 emissions,<br />
with trucking being the largest contributor. Given<br />
AP Photo/Evan Vucci<br />
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John<br />
Kerry speaks during a press briefing at the<br />
White House.<br />
this statistic, the industry hasn’t been standing<br />
still when it comes to modifying equipment and<br />
protocols to improve its environmental impact,<br />
such as exploring creative ways to reduce miles<br />
logged either while empty or at less-than-truckload.<br />
Empty miles are estimated to have generated<br />
about 17% of greenhouse gas emissions in<br />
the U.S. in 2017, per Convoy Research.<br />
Greener trucks are also being developed by<br />
several automakers, with Daimler, Volvo and<br />
even Tesla at various stages of testing electric<br />
models. The Western States Hydrogen Alliance<br />
is among entities pushing hydrogen-electric<br />
engine technology through various partnerships,<br />
while other companies are exploring<br />
ways to leverage renewable natural gas (RNG)<br />
technology.<br />
Advanced technology that helps drivers lock<br />
in on optimal speeds and acceleration and which<br />
rely on sensors for everything from tire pressure<br />
to aerodynamics are also expected to greatly<br />
improve fuel efficiency — all of which, Thropp<br />
said, comes at a cost.<br />
“I think there’s no question that climate<br />
change is going to be a big focus of the Biden<br />
administration, and I think there are a lot of<br />
unknowns there in terms of equipment,” he<br />
said. “For our particular business, as electrification<br />
takes place and diesel engines are slowly<br />
phased out and electric motors and electrified<br />
vehicles are developed, the whole training program<br />
has to be reassessed. That’s going to be<br />
an enormous change.”<br />
Despite all of this, Thropp remains optimistic<br />
overall about the future of truck driving as a career.<br />
“What drives people to go into this business,<br />
mostly, is trucking provides a good income, and<br />
it’s not a very long tail on the training time,” he<br />
said. “There are definitely some developments on<br />
the horizon, like automated driving, that could<br />
end up attracting a lot more people. Newer trucks<br />
that have automated transmissions and are safer<br />
and more comfortable could end up attracting<br />
people to the industry.”<br />
In terms of driver training and the demand for<br />
drivers, Thropp described his view as “bullish.”<br />
“I think no matter what the technology is,<br />
(trucking is) a very good job, regardless of whether<br />
it’s diesel or electric trucks,” he stated. There’s<br />
going to be a big demand for drivers.” 8
TruckIns_Oct_2020_FullPg 9/11/20 2:52 PM Page 1<br />
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 7<br />
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8 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation<br />
Understanding your heart rate is first<br />
step in extending your body’s ‘miles’<br />
Bob Perry<br />
The Trucker<br />
Trainer<br />
When it comes managing your heart rate,<br />
it’s kind of like the speed of your truck and<br />
managing fuel efficiency. Drivers and carriers<br />
are always trying to maximize fuel, and<br />
speed equals costs.<br />
Now that we’ve made the connection between<br />
your heart rate, truck speed and efficiency<br />
let’s talk about why your heart rate is important.<br />
Your heart performs many valuable functions,<br />
and circulates all the nutrient-rich blood<br />
and oxygen throughout the body. When your<br />
heart is not working properly, just about everything<br />
in your body is affected. Heart rate<br />
is key because the function of your circulatory<br />
system is directly related to your heart<br />
rate — the amount of blood pumped out with<br />
each beat (in other words, volume).<br />
Here’s an example: Maintaining a consistent,<br />
steady speed while driving produces<br />
better fuel economy and less wear and tear<br />
on your truck’s engine (not to mention the<br />
A SET OF SQUATS<br />
CAN WIN YOU<br />
A SET OF STEERING AXLE MICHELINS<br />
AND ALCOA WHEELS<br />
potential expense of a speeding ticket). Instead<br />
of speeding up to pass another vehicle<br />
to gain a few extra minutes, ask yourself: Is<br />
it really worth the extra fuel burned, not to<br />
mention the added anxiety and stress? Keeping<br />
a steady speed is best.<br />
Your heart rate serves a similar function.<br />
In fact, most of the time, the rhythm and pace<br />
of your heart is something you may not even<br />
think about. Unless something unusual is going<br />
on, you’re likely completely unaware of<br />
what your heart is doing.<br />
Heart rates can vary from person to<br />
person. Depending on one’s physical<br />
needs, “normal” can range from 60 to 90<br />
beats per minute. Some experts believe<br />
that an ideal resting heart rate is closer to<br />
50 to 70. Regardless of what is considered<br />
normal, it’s important to recognize that<br />
a healthy heart rate will vary depending<br />
on the situation. Professional drivers can<br />
sometimes experience higher readings due<br />
to the stress of driving.<br />
So, how do you monitor your heart rate?<br />
There are several wearable “fitness” watches<br />
that can provide you with that reading —<br />
then there is the old school way of checking<br />
the pulse at the side of your neck or the front<br />
See Trainer on p11 m<br />
Final Week!<br />
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Better Health Contest<br />
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Go to Fittopass.com/steering-to-better-health<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
AUGUSTA, Maine — Under the Maine Department<br />
of Transportation’s (MaineDOT) threeyear<br />
work plan for 2021-2023, released Jan. 25,<br />
nearly $1.4 billion is set aside for highway and<br />
bridge capital projects. The plan — which includes<br />
all capital projects and programs, maintenance<br />
and operations activities, planning initiatives,<br />
and administrative functions — contains<br />
2,180 individual work items with a total value<br />
of $2.71 billion.<br />
According to a prepared statement from<br />
MaineDOT, the plan “maintains essential services<br />
and provides for solid capital programs”<br />
through “robust and prudent state bonding<br />
made possible by historically low interest<br />
rates and by fully utilizing discretionary and<br />
extraordinary federal funding.” It also seeks to<br />
expand partnership programs, support existing<br />
and emerging businesses, refocus investment<br />
in our villages, and confront climate change,<br />
the statement continues.<br />
The nearly $1.4 billion set aside for highway<br />
and bridge capital projects over the next three<br />
years is allocated for:<br />
• 166 bridge projects (estimated cost:<br />
$504 million);<br />
• 100 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation<br />
(estimated cost: $212 million);<br />
• 222 highway safety and spot improvements<br />
(estimated cost: $122 million);<br />
• 893 miles of preservation paving (estimated<br />
cost: $321 million); and<br />
• 2,175 miles of light capital paving (estimated<br />
cost: $108 million).<br />
The project with the highest price tag is constructing<br />
the Interstate 395/Route 9 connector in<br />
Brewer/Eddington with a cost of $90.8 million.<br />
Other projects in the plan include:<br />
• Replacement of two bridges that carry Interstate<br />
295 in Yarmouth and two that cross I-295<br />
in Freeport (estimated cost of all four projects:<br />
$38.8 million); this project is partially funded by<br />
$18.9 million in federal grant money.<br />
• Replacement of the Route 1 (Station<br />
46) Bridge in Woolwich (estimated cost:<br />
$32.5 million); this project is partially<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Maine’s $2.71 billion three-year work plan includes nearly $1.4 billion in funding set aside for<br />
highway and bridge capital projects.<br />
Maine DOT’s 3-year work plan reserves<br />
$1.4 billion for highway, bridge projects<br />
funded by $25 million in federal grant money.<br />
• Bridge replacements and intersection improvements<br />
in Old Town and Stillwater (estimated<br />
cost: $20 million); this project is partially<br />
funded by $10.7 million in federal grant money.<br />
• A railroad siding and platform project to<br />
improve Downeaster service in Wells (estimated<br />
cost: $23 million); this project is partially funded<br />
by $16.2 in federal grant money.<br />
• Continued work on the Acadia Gateway<br />
Center project in Trenton (estimated cost: $23<br />
million); this project is partially funded by $12.8<br />
million in federal grant money.<br />
• Two Maine State Ferry Service vessel replacements<br />
(estimated cost: $19 million).<br />
• Heavy rehabilitation work on U.S. Route 1<br />
in Machias and East Machias (estimated cost: $6<br />
million).<br />
• Dredging Searsport harbor (estimated cost:<br />
$5.3 million).<br />
• Improvements to the Eastern Trail in Scarborough<br />
(estimated cost: $4.8 million).<br />
MaineDOT’s work plan is dependent on<br />
funding assumptions involving state Highway<br />
Fund revenue, state bonding and federal funds.<br />
If funding sources do not materialize, the items<br />
within the plan will be adjusted to reflect funding<br />
changes.<br />
According to MaineDOT, the agency’s ontime<br />
delivery rate for its capital program was<br />
a record-breaking 94% in 2020. However, the<br />
state’s transportation needs continue to outpace<br />
available resources. The pre-pandemic estimate<br />
of MaineDOT’s unmet need was $232 million<br />
per year. That shortfall figure was calculated after<br />
assuming that state bonding of $100 million<br />
or more will continue annually. The economic<br />
effects of the coronavirus pandemic including<br />
drops in traffic volumes and, subsequently,<br />
Highway Fund revenue have exacerbated<br />
MaineDOT’s funding challenges.<br />
“In the long term, we have great opportunities<br />
to make a real difference for the people of Maine<br />
after we resolve the chronic funding challenges in<br />
our transportation system,” said Bruce Van Note,<br />
MaineDOT commissioner. “By investing in transportation,<br />
we can move Maine forward.” 8<br />
N
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 9<br />
New TA Travel Center adds 150 truck parking spaces to Huntington, Oregon<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of<br />
America Inc., nationwide operator of the TA,<br />
Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel<br />
center network, has opened a new TA Travel Center<br />
to serve professional drivers and other motorists<br />
in Huntington, Oregon.<br />
The new 12,000-square-foot facility, located<br />
off Interstate 84 at exit 353, will operate under the<br />
ownership of franchisee Karam Singh.<br />
“The TA brand already has the trust of professional<br />
drivers, and being part of the family means<br />
I can offer things like TA’s loyalty rewards and<br />
fueling discounts,” Singh said. “I’m looking forward<br />
to becoming part of this community, bringing<br />
new jobs to the area and offering drivers a<br />
new place that is like home.”<br />
Amenities at the Huntington location include:<br />
• Restaurants: Champs Chicken, Naughty<br />
Chile Taqueria and Huntington Bar and Grill;<br />
• 150 truck parking spaces;<br />
• 40 car parking spaces;<br />
• Eight diesel fueling positions;<br />
• 12 gasoline fueling positions;<br />
• Six showers;<br />
• Fitness room;<br />
• Travel store with fresh deli options;<br />
• Driver lounge;<br />
• Laundry facilities;<br />
• Transflo scanning; and<br />
• A TA Truck Service center (opening planned<br />
for next year).<br />
“There is a need for our services on this<br />
busy stretch of highway in Oregon,” said Barry<br />
Richards, president of TA. “We share Karam’s<br />
excitement to become part of the community<br />
and provide a new place for drivers to find<br />
comfort while they’re on the road and away<br />
from home.”<br />
TA Huntington is the company’s sixth location<br />
in Oregon and expands the total nationwide<br />
network of travel centers to 272. 8<br />
Courtesy: TravelCenters of America<br />
The new TA Travel Center in Huntington, Oregon, offers eight diesel fueling positions, along<br />
with 150 truck parking spaces, six showers, prepared food options and more.<br />
b Ambitious from page 6 b<br />
Even so, Republicans immediately criticized<br />
the plan as a job killer.<br />
“Pie-in-the-sky government mandates and<br />
directives that restrict our mining, oil, and gas<br />
industries adversely impact our energy security<br />
and independence,” said Rep. Cathy Mc-<br />
Morris Rodgers of Washington state, the top<br />
Republican on the House Energy and Commerce<br />
Committee.<br />
Biden also is elevating climate change to<br />
a national security priority. The conservation<br />
plan would set aside millions of acres for recreation,<br />
wildlife and climate efforts by 2030<br />
as part of Biden’s campaign pledge for a $2<br />
trillion program to slow global warming.<br />
President Donald Trump, who ridiculed<br />
the science of climate change, withdrew the<br />
U.S. from the Paris global climate accord;<br />
opened more public lands to coal, gas and oil<br />
production; and weakened regulation on fossil<br />
fuel emissions. Experts say these emissions<br />
are heating the Earth’s climate dangerously<br />
and worsening floods, droughts and other natural<br />
disasters.<br />
Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb<br />
called Biden’s executive orders an “excellent<br />
start” for the new administration.<br />
“If this Day 7 momentum is representative<br />
of this administration’s four-year term,<br />
there is every reason to believe that we<br />
might achieve carbon neutrality sooner than<br />
2050,” even as key roadblocks lie ahead,<br />
Cobb said.<br />
Biden’s actions came as his nominee for energy<br />
secretary, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer<br />
Granholm, faced deep skepticism from Republicans<br />
as she tried to pitch the president’s vision<br />
for a green economy.<br />
“The last Democratic administration went<br />
on a regulatory rampage to slow or stop energy<br />
production,” said Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso,<br />
a leading Republican on the Senate Energy<br />
and Natural Resources Committee. “I’m not<br />
going to sit idly by … if the Biden administration<br />
enforces policies that threaten Wyoming’s<br />
economy.”<br />
Granholm, as the leader of a state devastated<br />
by the 2008 recession, promoted<br />
emerging clean energy technologies, such as<br />
battery manufacturing, as an answer for jobs<br />
that will be lost as the U.S. transitions away<br />
from fossil fuels.<br />
Granholm and other officials said the investment<br />
in cleaner energy nationally will net<br />
millions of jobs. But that probably will take<br />
years to happen, and the orders will face intense<br />
opposition from oil and gas and power<br />
plant industries, as well as from many Republican<br />
— and Democratic — lawmakers.<br />
“The environmental left is leading the agenda<br />
at the White House when it comes to energy<br />
and environment issues,” said Kathleen Sgamma,<br />
president of the Western Energy Alliance,<br />
which represents oil and gas drillers in Western<br />
states. The group filed a legal challenge soon<br />
after Biden signed the orders.<br />
Biden is seeking to double energy production<br />
from offshore wind after the Trump administration<br />
slowed permit review of some giant<br />
offshore wind turbine projects. Significantly,<br />
he is directing agencies to eliminate spending<br />
that acts as subsidies for fossil fuel industries.<br />
Oil industry groups said Biden had already<br />
eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by<br />
killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first<br />
day in office.<br />
“Do not be fooled, this is a ban” on drilling,<br />
said Dan Naatz of the Independent Petroleum<br />
Association of America. “The Biden administration’s<br />
plan to obliterate the jobs of American<br />
oil and gas explorers and producers has been<br />
on clear display.”<br />
The pause in onshore leasing is limited to<br />
federal lands and does not affect drilling on private<br />
lands, which is largely regulated by states.<br />
It also will not affect existing leases and could<br />
be further blunted by companies that stockpiled<br />
enough drilling permits in Trump’s final<br />
months to allow them to keep pumping oil and<br />
gas for years.<br />
The order exempts tribal lands, mainly in<br />
the West, that are used for energy production.<br />
By Matthew Daly and Ellen Knickmeyer,<br />
The Associated Press. Associated Press writers<br />
Alexandra Jaffe and Brian Slodysko contributed<br />
to this report. 8<br />
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10 • February 15-28, 2021 Nation<br />
Tennessee troopers bust NY truckers<br />
for transporting marijuana, cocaine<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
JACKSON, Tenn. — Charges have been<br />
filed against two New York truckers following<br />
a Jan. 15 traffic stop in Tennessee after<br />
an inspection revealed marijuana and cocaine<br />
hidden in a tractor-trailer.<br />
On Jan. 15, a trooper with the Tennessee<br />
Highway Patrol’s (THP) Interdiction Plus<br />
Unit (IPU) stopped a tractor-trailer for a traffic<br />
violation on Interstate 40 at the 101-mile<br />
marker in Henderson County. While conducting<br />
a Level II commercial motor vehicle safety<br />
inspection, the trooper discovered “possible<br />
indicators of criminal activity” and requested<br />
assistance from additional troopers, according<br />
to a statement released by THP.<br />
As the troopers proceeded with the inspection,<br />
discrepancies and irregularities were discovered<br />
with the driver’s shipping manifest.<br />
During the inspection, troopers entered the<br />
semi’s trailer and examined several pallets of<br />
cargo, where they discovered a pallet that was<br />
not indicated on the original shipping manifest.<br />
The cellophane-wrapped pallet appeared<br />
to be professionally packaged with affixed<br />
shipping labels. Continuing the inspection,<br />
troopers opened 12 undocumented boxes,<br />
which were found to contain 383 pounds of<br />
vacuumed-sealed marijuana. A smaller box<br />
contained 40 pounds of cocaine.<br />
Courtesy: Tennessee Highway Patrol<br />
The Tennessee Highway Patrol on Jan. 15<br />
discovered 383 pounds of marijuana and<br />
40 pounds of cocaine concealed in a commercial<br />
shipment.<br />
Charges have been filed in state court both<br />
the driver, David A. Seville, 25, of Brooklyn,<br />
New York, and the co-driver, Michael J. Blake,<br />
57, of Jamaica, New York, for possession of<br />
schedule VI (marijuana) with the intent to deliver.<br />
A criminal complaint has been filed on both<br />
men in federal court for possession of cocaine<br />
with intent to distribute. 8<br />
b Secretary from page 1 b<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP<br />
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg<br />
speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science<br />
and Transportation Committee confirmation<br />
hearing.<br />
his mother and held by his husband, Chasten.<br />
He was confirmed Tuesday, Feb. 2, by the<br />
Senate on an 86-13 vote, making him the second<br />
of Biden’s Democratic rivals to have a<br />
place in the administration, with Harris being<br />
the first.<br />
Praised by Biden as bringing a “new voice”<br />
to the administration, Buttigieg has pledged to<br />
quickly get to work promoting safety and restoring<br />
consumer trust in America’s transportation<br />
networks as airlines, buses, city subway<br />
systems and Amtrak reel from plummeting ridership<br />
in the coronavirus pandemic. He also is<br />
expected to play an important role in promoting<br />
Biden’s green initiatives, supporting the president’s<br />
push later this year on a $2 trillion climate<br />
and infrastructure plan that would rebuild<br />
roads and bridges and expand zero-emission<br />
mass transit while boosting electric vehicle infrastructure.<br />
In his email to staff Wednesday, Feb. 3, Buttigieg<br />
said he will spend the next few weeks on a<br />
virtual listening tour with employees and looked<br />
forward to fulfilling Biden’s vision of a thriving<br />
America “in partnership with all of you.”<br />
He said he will work to “ensure that every<br />
single day, everyone here finds the Department<br />
to be a place of belonging and welcome — and<br />
that together, we cultivate a supportive, imaginative,<br />
bold, forward-thinking and kind working<br />
environment.”<br />
Describing himself and his enthusiasm for<br />
transportation, Buttigieg recounted to employees<br />
how he loved travel and adventure as a<br />
child, with his bedroom adorned with a Lego<br />
monorail, a wooden ship bought by his grandfather<br />
when he was a Merchant Marine, and<br />
model airplanes brought home by his father<br />
from business trips.<br />
“I know that, at its best, transportation<br />
makes the American Dream possible, getting<br />
people and goods to where they need to be —<br />
and directly and indirectly creating good-paying<br />
jobs,” he said. “We also must recognize that<br />
at their worst, misguided policies and missed<br />
opportunities can reinforce racial and economic<br />
inequality, dividing or isolating neighborhoods,<br />
undermining the government’s basic role of<br />
empowering Americans to thrive.<br />
“The legacy of American transportation<br />
can be both weighty and inspiring — and its<br />
future is of fundamental national importance,”<br />
Buttigieg told employees. “Here’s to all that’s<br />
ahead.”<br />
By Hope Yen, The Associated Press 8<br />
N<br />
a
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Nation February 15-28, 2021 • 11<br />
Courtesy: Pilot Co.<br />
In addition to 82 truck parking spaces, eight diesel lanes, showers and other amenities for<br />
truckers, the new Xpress Fuel travel center in Eloy, Arizona features both grab-and-go and<br />
gourmet food options. Trucker Burger restaurant, created in collaboration with celebrity chef<br />
Tim Love, offers a gourmet take on classic roadside-diner options.<br />
New Xpress Fuel in Arizona offers<br />
amenities for truckers, gourmet fare<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
ELOY, Ariz. — Knoxville, Tennessee-based<br />
Pilot Co. and its One9 Fuel Network last month<br />
announced the grand opening of an Xpress Fuel<br />
travel center that brings 82 truck parking spaces<br />
to Eloy, Arizona. The new store is located at 3105<br />
N. Toltec Road, off Interstate 10 at Exit 203.<br />
The travel center features a new restaurant<br />
concept, inspired by the truckers who drive<br />
America. Trucker Burger was created in collaboration<br />
with celebrity chef Tim Love, who owns<br />
several restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth<br />
area and other locales, including Lonesome<br />
Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse,<br />
Queenie’s Steakhouse, White Elephant Saloon<br />
and more.<br />
“We’re thrilled to open a new Xpress Fuel<br />
and our first Trucker Burger restaurant in Eloy,<br />
Arizona,” said Jason Nordin, chief operator of<br />
Pilot Co. “We welcome our neighbors, travelers<br />
and professional drivers to stop with us for fuel,<br />
everyday conveniences and the tastiest food on<br />
the interstate. As part of our dedication to serving<br />
the local community, we are celebrating the grand<br />
opening with freebies and by giving back to the<br />
local school district.”<br />
Currently open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Trucker<br />
Burger provides those on the go with a vintage<br />
dine-in atmosphere to enjoy freshly made-toorder<br />
gourmet burgers, sandwiches, griddled hot<br />
dogs, stacked nachos, hand-cut fries, soft-serve<br />
ice cream and more.<br />
“I’m very excited to debut Trucker Burger in<br />
b Trainer from page 8 b<br />
of your wrist. Count the number of beats in 30<br />
seconds; then double this number to get your<br />
heart rate.<br />
I’ve always been a huge believer in managing<br />
my heart rate. It just makes sense —<br />
there’s less wear and tear on your body while<br />
our first location,” Love said. “We spent many<br />
months perfecting the menu and I can’t wait to<br />
share our great new burger with you all.”<br />
The new Xpress Fuel location will add about<br />
50 local jobs to the community and is expected<br />
to contribute $2.24 million annually in state and<br />
local tax revenues. To celebrate the grand opening,<br />
Pilot Co. is donating $5,000 on behalf of<br />
Xpress Fuel and Trucker Burger to benefit Santa<br />
Cruz Valley Union High School’s technology<br />
programs.<br />
Xpress Fuel brings several new amenities to<br />
area residents, professional drivers and the traveling<br />
public, including:<br />
• Trucker Burger restaurant with gourmet<br />
sandwiches;<br />
• 82 truck parking spots;<br />
• Eight diesel lanes with high-speed pumps<br />
for quicker refueling;<br />
• 16 gasoline fueling positions;<br />
• Grab-and-go food offerings including roller<br />
grill, nachos, and an array of hot and cold packaged<br />
sandwiches and snacks;<br />
• Everyday products for quick shopping<br />
needs;<br />
• Eight showers;<br />
• Public laundry facilities; and<br />
• CAT scale.<br />
Xpress Fuel and Trucker Burger are committed<br />
to a safe, clean and friendly experience<br />
and are following COVID-19 protocols, including<br />
requiring masks for team members and<br />
guests. 8<br />
producing better outcomes More life “miles”<br />
equal more years.<br />
Known as The Trucker Trainer by professional<br />
drivers nationwide, Bob Perry has played a critical<br />
role in the paradigm shift of regulatory agencies,<br />
private and public sector entities, and consumers<br />
to understand the driver health challenge.<br />
For OTR workout programs reach out to Perry at<br />
truckertrainer@icloud.com or download the Fit<br />
to Pass app. 8<br />
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YEARS
Perspective February<br />
15-28, 2021 • 12<br />
R<br />
Letters<br />
Open letter penned to Rhode Island<br />
officials regarding truck-only tolls<br />
Sirs,<br />
You are currently reading the words of a<br />
disgruntled patron of the I-95 TOT (trucks<br />
only tolls) in Rhode Island. New York<br />
pulled this “trucks only” business 10 years<br />
ago and, if it makes you feel any better,<br />
their culpability runs deeper because the<br />
NYS Thruway was built with bond money,<br />
not tax money. Furthermore, the NY tolls<br />
were scheduled to be removed from that<br />
thoroughfare in the ’80s, as the bonds were<br />
paid off. I know; I worked there at the time.<br />
But that’s another episode of “Trucker’s<br />
Lament.”<br />
Please allow me to inform anyone within<br />
eyeshot about the motivations on the part of<br />
RI officialdom and RIDOT. The reason this<br />
TOT became reality in RI can be summed<br />
up in one word: bullying. No matter what<br />
you or your minions proffer as the reason<br />
you started this unfair toll, there is no doubt<br />
of the salient reason: You did it because you<br />
knew you could get away with it; that’s as<br />
clear as Loretta Lynn’s sister.<br />
Consider: Most commercial vehicle<br />
traffic in RI is transient, not residents of the<br />
Ocean State. I’ve been traversing this state<br />
for 30 years, and I know. Not being residents,<br />
our influence with your legislature,<br />
governing bodies and your DOT is less than<br />
nil. Ergo, our complaints are swept aside<br />
with nary a glance (but possibly a snicker).<br />
When I was in the U.S. Air Force, I attended<br />
electronics school. The first thing I<br />
learned was the origin of the salute (in medieval<br />
times a junior soldier approaching a<br />
senior soldier had to lift his hinged helmet<br />
visor with his hand to be recognized).<br />
The second thing I learned was that both<br />
water and electricity take the path of least<br />
resistance. Well, I can add bullying to that<br />
short list. If you people had applied this additional<br />
cost (i.e., additional, inasmuch as<br />
we pay state fuel taxes up the ying-yang<br />
already) to local RI motorists there would<br />
have been muy, muy, mucho resistance! The<br />
resounding hue and cry would’ve squelched<br />
your scheme in ictu oculi (in the blink of<br />
an eye), and another dream of bloodsucking<br />
would’ve remained just that.<br />
The spineless jellyfish who engineered<br />
this outrage personify the definition of<br />
BULLY: person or persons who intimidate<br />
ones they perceive as vulnerable.<br />
I ask you: Who is more vulnerable to<br />
your machinations than a trucker with a<br />
wife and kid at home who is briefly traversing<br />
your state? What’s he going to do? Find<br />
a place to park his semi near the Capitol and<br />
lodge his out-of-state grievance?<br />
And, as if this were not enough, the federal<br />
government pays the lion’s share of the<br />
maintenance and repair of your precious 44<br />
miles of Interstate!<br />
The parasites should hang their heads in<br />
shame.<br />
Thanks,<br />
G. Ganssle<br />
Editor’s note: Due to space constraints,<br />
Wendy Miller (Mad Dog’s Daughter) has<br />
opted to forego her column for this edition<br />
in order to run a letter from a reader regarding<br />
an important trucking issue. Don’t<br />
worry, she’ll be back next time! 8<br />
‘Dieselbilly’: Could it be another<br />
term for ‘sounds so sweet’?<br />
Kris Rutherford<br />
krisr@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Rhythm of<br />
the Road<br />
Anyone who has followed this column for the<br />
past year or so is aware that when it comes to music,<br />
my tastes are a bit intolerant. If it’s not country<br />
— and if it’s not classic country — chances<br />
are I’m not listening. Still, I prefer to consider my<br />
musical tastes as “refined” rather than intolerant.<br />
That being noted, recently I temporarily<br />
broadened my horizons. Don’t get me wrong. I<br />
didn’t desert my beloved classic country for some<br />
sinister new genre; after all, I refer to all music<br />
other than classic country as “snake-dancin’ music.”<br />
Instead, I set out on an undercover mission<br />
to find a better term for “truck-driving music,” or<br />
rather the type of music that typically appeals to<br />
truck drivers and the themes related to their lives.<br />
Link by link, the worldwide web carried me to<br />
places I’d never been, and — perish the thought<br />
— to music I’d never heard.<br />
As a sub-genre of what is primarily country<br />
music, the phrase “truck-driving music” is a bit<br />
awkward when you’re writing it repeatedly. It<br />
also takes up three words, where surely one or<br />
two should suffice. Even if it does require three<br />
words, 17 letters are far too many (I mean, “rock<br />
’n’ roll” only takes nine letters).<br />
But finding a shorter phrase wasn’t the only<br />
reason for my venture into music unknown. Even<br />
within classic country, “truck-driving music” is<br />
one of several phrases used to describe the subgenre.<br />
Others, while referring to the same music<br />
and the same songs, may label truck-driving music<br />
as “truck-driver music,” “trucking music,” “trucker<br />
music,” “music for the road” or some other phrase.<br />
My journey was a bit arduous. Even in music<br />
other than classic country, the words to describe<br />
truck driving music seldom varied. Then I came<br />
across one of those performers who isn’t so much<br />
known by his name but rather the bands with<br />
which he has played.<br />
Bill Kirchen is one of those musicians who<br />
doesn’t seem to fit into any specific musical<br />
genre. He performs music he likes and lets others<br />
decide how it should be categorized. But as a performer<br />
of truck-driving music, Kirchen coined a<br />
word to describe trucking songs no matter which<br />
type of category they might otherwise fall. In Bill<br />
Kirchen’s world, “Dieselbilly” says it all.<br />
Bill Kirchen is a native of Connecticut but<br />
spent most of his youth in Ann Arbor, Michigan.<br />
He is likely best known for his days of playing<br />
lead guitar for the band Commander Cody and His<br />
Lost Planet Airmen. But before he set out on a professional<br />
music career, he learned the art at home,<br />
where his parents listened to classical music.<br />
See Rhythm on p16 m<br />
WORTH REPEATING<br />
In this section, The Trucker news staff selects quotes from stories throughout this issue that are just too good to only publish once.<br />
In case you missed it, you should check out the stories that include these perspectives.<br />
If you have an opinion you would like to share, email editor@thetruckermedia.com.<br />
“I think there’s no question that climate change is going to be a big<br />
focus of the Biden administration, and I think there are a lot of unknowns there<br />
in terms of equipment. For our particular business, as electrification takes place<br />
and diesel engines are slowly phased out and electric motors and electrified<br />
vehicles are developed, the whole training program has to be reassessed.”<br />
— Chris Thropp, president of Pennsylvania-based Sage Corp.,<br />
which operates Sage Truck Driving Schools, on the number<br />
of trucking jobs directly related to fracking<br />
Full story on Pages 1 and 6.<br />
“Because of the pandemic, 2020 was obviously a<br />
very challenging year for the economy overall, and that is<br />
reflecting in the tonnage index’s dip from the previous year.<br />
Despite that, truck tonnage clearly outperformed the broader<br />
economy as freight continued to move in the face of a myriad<br />
of COVID-related challenges faced by the country.”<br />
— Bob Costello, chief economist for American Trucking<br />
Associations on freight tonnage in 2020<br />
Full story on Pages 17 and 18.
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Brad Klepper<br />
exclusive to the trucker<br />
Ask the<br />
Attorney<br />
Perspective February 15-28, 2020 • 13<br />
Remember that roadside interactions can affect citations, inspection violations<br />
One of the problems with writing columns<br />
like this is that between the time I actually write<br />
the article and the date the article is published,<br />
the “hot topic” I wrote about is no longer hot.<br />
Or, worse yet, new facts have come to light that<br />
make my earlier opinion moot.<br />
With that said, I thought I would write about<br />
something I deal with every day — trucking<br />
and roadside interactions.<br />
In case you were unaware, 2020 was a really<br />
strange year. When the pandemic hit in the<br />
spring, we saw the number of citations being<br />
issued and inspections being conducted drop<br />
dramatically. Instead of writing citations and<br />
conducting inspections, enforcement and the<br />
industry worked together to make sure medicine<br />
was delivered and there was food on the<br />
grocery store shelves.<br />
However, all good things must come to an end.<br />
Since the “low” point in April 2020, we<br />
have seen the number of citations written and<br />
inspections conducted steadily rise. In fact,<br />
I would say we have returned to “pre-pandemic”<br />
numbers. Of course, this is not based<br />
on verified data issued by the government;<br />
instead, it is based on our legal practice. However,<br />
since all we do is defend citations and<br />
inspection violations, we have a pretty danged<br />
good feel for this stuff.<br />
The thing I find interesting is that during the<br />
past few months I have run across more inspections<br />
and citations with an uncharacteristically<br />
high number of violations noted than “normal.”<br />
Now don’t get me wrong. There is always going<br />
to be the odd inspection/citation that stands<br />
out from the crowd. Fortunately, these have always<br />
been the exception rather than the norm.<br />
However, I am now seeing these occur with<br />
more regularity.<br />
What in the world is going on to cause this sudden<br />
uptick, you say? Well, I am glad you asked.<br />
Now understand that my opinion is based<br />
solely on what I have seen in my practice —<br />
but in my opinion, the reason we are seeing this<br />
issue is because of poor roadside interactions<br />
with enforcement. I can see it in the way the<br />
citations are written.<br />
OK, I can hear it now: “How do you know<br />
that, Smarty Pants?”<br />
Well, here is my answer: I have been contesting<br />
citations and inspections for quite<br />
some time, and as a result, I generally know<br />
how the officer can write a citation. For example,<br />
if you bypass a port of entry in New Mexico<br />
you can receive a citation for bypassing a<br />
port of entry, failure to obey a traffic-control<br />
device, or other violations. If the officer wrote<br />
you a citation but only listed one violation,<br />
I know he cut you a break in the field and you<br />
had a good interaction. Two violations means<br />
it maybe was not quite as good an interaction,<br />
but probably still OK. More than that, and I<br />
know it did not go well.<br />
The same can be said for inspections. Assuming<br />
you are driving a reasonably maintained<br />
vehicle, a couple of violations can be<br />
normal. If there are more than five, I begin to<br />
take notice; more than 10 and I am concerned.<br />
More than 30 — yes, I HAVE seen that — and<br />
I know somebody said something about someone’s<br />
momma. Don’t do that.<br />
In addition to reading citations like tea<br />
leaves, I talk to enforcement and prosecutors<br />
on pretty much a daily basis. My conversations<br />
with them confirm that I am not making this up.<br />
In fact, do you know what the best thing is<br />
an officer can say to me when we are discussing<br />
a case? It’s easy: “I don’t recall your client.”<br />
If I hear that, I know everyone acted professionally,<br />
and our chances of getting a positive<br />
outcome go up. In contrast, when I hear,<br />
“Yes, I remember your client. Let me tell you<br />
what happened,” I know I am in for a long day.<br />
So, the next time you have an interaction<br />
with enforcement, please remember this: The<br />
officer is just doing his job. He is not targeting<br />
you specifically, although I know it can<br />
feel this way. He is out to keep the roads safe<br />
for you to do your job and for everyone else<br />
to do theirs.<br />
I am sure that if you took a survey of<br />
enforcement, writing tickets and doing roadside<br />
inspections is not at the top of the “things<br />
we love to do” list. But it has to be done.<br />
Why? Because there are people out there on<br />
the highways who are truly unsafe and need<br />
to be taken off the road. Unfortunately, no one<br />
labels the side of their truck with a logo that<br />
says, “Unsafe Trucking LLC.” So, stops have<br />
to be made, inspections have to be performed<br />
and citations have to be written.<br />
This is where the professional part comes<br />
into play. Do not take it personally. Do not<br />
make it personal. Do not bring anybody’s<br />
momma into the conversation. Be prepared. Be<br />
courteous. Be polite. And most importantly, be<br />
professional. Understand that this is where we<br />
begin when defending your citation.<br />
Also, understand that everyone is entitled to<br />
have a bad day, even enforcement. You know<br />
how you feel when a four-wheeler cuts you<br />
off? Or when you are trying to solve a problem<br />
at home from a thousand miles away? My<br />
point is that the officer is a person, just like you<br />
— trying to do their job, provide for their family<br />
and deal with all the complications that life<br />
brings. Extend them the same courtesy that you<br />
want to be extended to you. I promise this will<br />
make everything go better and get you back on<br />
the road quicker.<br />
At the end of the day, you cannot always<br />
control the circumstances of a stop. You cannot<br />
control the mood of the officer stopping you. You<br />
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From banking to trucking: Determination drives<br />
Karen Noel to success behind the wheel<br />
Cliff Abbott<br />
cliffa@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Some people get the bug early, growing<br />
up around trucks and the trucking industry,<br />
knowing they want to drive those huge machines<br />
someday. Others pursue a different<br />
path, coming to trucking later, often when<br />
the circumstances of life compel them to try<br />
something different.<br />
The latter is the case for Karen Noel.<br />
After a career spanning more than three<br />
decades in the banking industry, crunching<br />
numbers and reconciling accounts, she<br />
found herself behind the wheel. She also<br />
found recognition as Women In Trucking’s<br />
(WIT) January 2021 Member of the Month.<br />
“Working in banking, I never had a clue<br />
about trucks,” she said. Noel came to trucking<br />
when she was laid off from her banking<br />
job and her truck-driver husband, Roosevelt,<br />
invited her to ride along on the road.<br />
“I was amazed at the women drivers I<br />
saw,” she related. She spoke to those she<br />
met and, with their encouragement, began<br />
to shift her mindset from being a passenger<br />
to taking the wheel. “I decided to get my<br />
CDL so I could drive, too,” she said.<br />
She began by enrolling at Apex CDL<br />
Institute in Kansas City, Kansas. Once confronted<br />
with the realities of piloting a tractor-trailer,<br />
Noel said she had to face down<br />
some fears. “I had to overcome a lot of insecurities<br />
and questioned if I really wanted<br />
to do this job,” she recalled.<br />
As with many CDL students, backing an<br />
articulated vehicle did not come naturally<br />
for Noel. “Everything was backwards from<br />
my car,” she said. “It was hard to remember<br />
how to get the trailer to go in the direction<br />
I wanted.”<br />
Noel credits her husband for his patience<br />
while she developed her skills. “I practiced<br />
a lot, and my husband is very patient,” she<br />
related. “He makes me believe in myself.”<br />
She faced another insecurity after graduation,<br />
when she was faced with the prospect<br />
of completing a driver-finishing program<br />
with someone she had never met.<br />
“One company I applied to said I had to<br />
go with a female trainer, but I wanted to go<br />
with my husband, because I trust him,” she<br />
said. She and Roosevelt negotiated with<br />
potential employers, settling on Knight<br />
Transportation, which agreed to allow her<br />
husband to be her trainer. “If I had been<br />
with another trainer, I might not have made<br />
it,” she remarked.<br />
In the end, Noel’s tenacity — combined<br />
with Roosevelt’s patience — paid dividends.<br />
“My husband was my trainer, but I<br />
“<br />
There is no such<br />
thing as, ‘I can’t learn to<br />
do that.’ You can<br />
do anything you set<br />
your mind to.”<br />
— Karen Noel, professional<br />
driver and Women In Trucking’s<br />
January Member of the Month.<br />
still had to pass the assessment to be allowed<br />
to drive,” she said. Pass she did, and<br />
the couple became an operating team for<br />
Knight.<br />
Soon, the urge to own their own truck<br />
took over — and so did Noel’s talent for<br />
investigating and organizing. They started<br />
with a well-known resource, the Owner-<br />
Operator Independent Drivers Association<br />
(OOIDA).<br />
“We met the OOIDA truck at one of our<br />
stops and got a lot of advice about owning<br />
our own truck,” she said. Next, they talked<br />
to other owner-operator teams. Noel’s<br />
banking background came into play as the<br />
couple formed a business plan. That plan<br />
include a change of carrier.<br />
Once they had a plan in place, they<br />
worked on obtaining a truck. “After talking<br />
to other owner-operators, we determined<br />
that we did not want to lease/purchase a<br />
truck,” she said. “We decided to buy.”<br />
They visited a Peterbilt dealer, planning<br />
to check out used equipment, but fate<br />
intervened.<br />
“Somebody had ordered a yellow Peterbilt<br />
579 with the PACCAR engine and automated<br />
transmission,” she explained. That<br />
original deal never happened. After listening<br />
to their plan, the dealer offered terms<br />
that were acceptable. “The cards just kind<br />
of fell in place on that one.”<br />
The couple leased their new Pete to Forward<br />
Air, where they felt they could get the<br />
miles they need to make the business work.<br />
“We work open route. We run a lot of I-80,<br />
I-70 and I-40 and occasionally I-20,” she<br />
explained. “We like 2,000 to 2,400 mile<br />
runs when we can get them.”<br />
For Noel, winning the Member of the<br />
Month award from WIT helped validate her<br />
success in her new career. “It put me in a<br />
place to think I’m really a driver,” she explained.<br />
“I didn’t think it would happen and<br />
I thank God for it.”<br />
Courtesy: Women In Trucking<br />
After a career spanning more than three decades in the banking industry, Karen Noel came to<br />
trucking when her truck-driver husband, Roosevelt, invited her to ride along on the road. She<br />
said she was inspired by the women drivers she met and decided to get her CDL. She also<br />
found recognition as Women in Trucking’s January 2021 Member of the Month.<br />
When she’s not on the road, Noel spends<br />
time with family. “When I’m home, I help<br />
care for the grandkids, and homeschool<br />
them when I can,” she said. “It’s harder<br />
when we’re gone so much.”<br />
While Noel credits her husband for his<br />
help, she says her soon-to-be 94-year-old<br />
mother, Rotina, helped instill Noel’s drive<br />
and determination. “She always had an<br />
‘I can’ attitude,” she commented. Noel inherited<br />
that spirit and tries to pass it along<br />
to others. “You CAN,” she insisted. “There<br />
is no such thing as, ‘I can’t learn to do that.’<br />
You can do anything you set your mind to.”<br />
Noel acknowledges the help she received<br />
while looking for a new career and<br />
wants to give something back. “I’d like to<br />
See Banking on p16 m
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16 • February 15-28, 2021 Perspective<br />
b Rhythm from page 12 b<br />
Rather than guitar, Kirchen’s first instrument was<br />
the trombone, but when a counselor at music<br />
camp introduced him to folk music, Kirchen’s<br />
future changed. He became interested in all types<br />
of music, ranging from gospel to the blues and<br />
bluegrass. In high school, he formed his first band<br />
— The Who Knows Pickers. But it wasn’t until<br />
college that Kirchen was introduced to the sound<br />
most synonymous with his name.<br />
In the late 1960s, Bakersfield, California, was<br />
quickly becoming country music’s alternative to<br />
Nashville. Led by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard,<br />
the “Bakersfield Sound” featured a harddriving<br />
electric guitar — the Telecaster. Over the<br />
next few decades, playing in both Europe and the<br />
U.S., Kirchen earned the nickname “Titan of the<br />
Telecaster” for his work with the instrument.<br />
After becoming a solo artist, Kirchen’s first<br />
album was “Tombstone Every Mile,” a nod to the<br />
“Baron of Country Music” Dick Curless’ song<br />
about driving the icy roads of northern Maine<br />
and the dangers truckers experienced. Kirchen<br />
soon fell into what was known as the “neo-traditional<br />
country” movement of the early 1990s, an<br />
alternative form of country inspired for the same<br />
reasons Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings pioneered<br />
the “outlaw country” of the 1970s. Both<br />
movements believed true country music had<br />
been watered down by executives attempting to<br />
appeal to the almighty dollar rather than what<br />
the artists wanted to perform. While neo-traditional<br />
country never had the commercial success<br />
outlaw country eventually achieved, it continues<br />
to be played in the dance halls and similar venues<br />
of central and south Texas. Austin is arguably<br />
the home of the neo-traditional country<br />
movement, and Bill Kirchen just so happens to<br />
live there today.<br />
In terms of “Dieselbilly,” Kirchen has written<br />
and recorded some original songs related to<br />
truck driving, and he has covered a number of<br />
others made famous before him. “Looking at<br />
the World through a Windshield,” “Truck Stop<br />
at the End of the World,” “Hillbilly Truck Driving<br />
Man,” “Tied to the Wheel,” “Poultry in Motion,”<br />
“Semi-Truck” and “Mama Hated Diesels”<br />
are just a few of the songs Kirchen has quietly<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
recorded over the years. And while those recordings<br />
didn’t rake in millions in sales or gain gold<br />
or platinum status, they all combined to allow<br />
Kirchen to live a comfortable life in the music<br />
business. He once said of his career, “It’s my<br />
vocation, my avocation, and my social life. …<br />
It’s just been there. It’s been my whole thing.”<br />
So, if you’re like me and kept yourself isolated<br />
from music that doesn’t fit into your idea<br />
of classic country, take a listen to some of Bill<br />
Kirchen’s neo-traditional country “Dieselbilly.”<br />
There’s actually a whole other musical world out<br />
there beyond the mainstream truck-driving genre.<br />
Until next time, remember that while musical<br />
exploration might turn up good things you<br />
never knew about, it is fraught with dangers as<br />
well. Just because a song mentions “truck,” that<br />
doesn’t mean it’s a truck-driving song. 8<br />
b Attorney from page 13 b<br />
To subscribe:<br />
Visit thetrucker.com/subscribe, or<br />
22 • January 1-14, 2021 EquipmEnt THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Email your name, address, phone number and<br />
driver type to publisher@thetrucker.com.<br />
A true zoo story<br />
The live streaming feature allows safety<br />
managers to view real-time video — roadfacing,<br />
inward-facing or both — for coaching<br />
and training that would normally be done in<br />
person. As a privacy feature, in-cab alerts notify<br />
drivers when a live stream starts and ends.<br />
Driver video share<br />
Safety managers can share event videos<br />
directly with drivers, enabling remote and<br />
self-guided coaching.<br />
When a video is sent, drivers will receive<br />
a text alert with a link to the event details<br />
and video; the driver can then follow the link<br />
when he or she i safely stopped. This allows<br />
evidence-based, self-guided coaching. 8<br />
Aim your<br />
cAmerA<br />
At the<br />
code for<br />
more news!<br />
Navigating the news<br />
Truckers kidnapped, ki led .3<br />
Oregon’s transportation plan .....6<br />
The Trucker Trainer ................8<br />
Rhythm of the Road.............12<br />
Ask the Attorney ..................13<br />
At the Truck Stop .................14<br />
Chaplain’s Corner ................... 16<br />
Truck sales end on high note .17<br />
Safety Series ..............................18<br />
Charitable giving ...................... 23<br />
Dash cams for ‘new normal’ ....21<br />
Courtesy: Bi l McNamee<br />
Bi l McNamee uses a<br />
“menagerie” of stuffed animals<br />
with elaborate backstories<br />
as a strategy for engaging<br />
schoolchildren through the<br />
Trucker Buddy Program.<br />
Page 23<br />
Survey shows truck parking<br />
remains top concern<br />
The FHWA has released an<br />
updated version of its Jason’s<br />
Law truck parking survey that<br />
revealed new statistics but no<br />
real solutions.<br />
Page 4<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Dwain HebDa<br />
SPECIAL TO THE TRUCKER<br />
Features<br />
January 1-14, 2021 • 23<br />
A true zoo story: Driver keeps Trucker Buddy classrooms engaged<br />
by sharing the fun adventures of his ‘menagerie’ of ‘mascots’<br />
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg,<br />
President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to<br />
be transportation secretary reacts to his nomination<br />
during a news conference at The Queen<br />
theater in Wilmington, Delaware, Dec. 16, 2020.<br />
In three decades on the road, Bill McNamee<br />
has piled up enough adventures to fill several<br />
volumes — but he hasn’t done it alone. For the<br />
past 27 years he’s brought along a “menagerie”<br />
of companions including mice, a lizard, a<br />
hedgehog, a duck and the occasional bulldog,<br />
all of whom have come along for the ride.<br />
Along the way, his “mascots,” as he ca ls<br />
them have accumulated their own share of experiences<br />
and go ten into the occasional mischief,<br />
notwithstanding the fac that each is stuffed.<br />
“I started out with a mouse ca led Seatbelt<br />
Sam in ’99. I saw this mouse at Cracker Barrel<br />
and I thought, ‘You know, this would be a good<br />
mascot,’” he said. “I got another mouse; that was<br />
Mario, Mario Provolone. And then, I found this<br />
girl mouse and I named her Cheddar Mouse.<br />
“Cheddar married Seatbelt Sam,” McNamee<br />
continued his story. “Two years later, we<br />
went out and got three little mice — three little<br />
catnip toys — named Colby and Pepper and<br />
Jack. So, they had three kids.”<br />
Told out of context, this backstory about<br />
McNamee’s collection of stuffed animals with<br />
elaborate backstories might suggest a guy<br />
who’s been out on the road just a little bit too<br />
long. In fact, however, his furry pals are all part<br />
of McNamee’s strategy for engaging schoolchildren<br />
through the Trucker Buddy Program, McNamee said he is also able to share lessons<br />
about seatbelt safety and distracted drivrooms<br />
of Christopher Elementary second-grad-<br />
how importan the trucking industry is,” he said.<br />
Currently he’s currently assigned to three class-<br />
and while we’re doing that, we teach them about<br />
and it’s an effective strategy.<br />
“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<br />
kids what we have in our beautiful country. “We throw in anti-bullying messages, sharing<br />
the road messages, how to be good friends postcard or send a photo of the mascots; while at<br />
a l. While on the road, he’ l drop the classes a like every couple of months, I can think of a new<br />
It’s also to show the necessity of the trucking<br />
lesson for them about something,” he continued.<br />
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.<br />
promote a positive image and show them that making it all fun,” he said.<br />
“You know, a lot of kids never leave their<br />
In fact, the stories have become elaborate<br />
(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.<br />
McNamee staged a wedding for Seatbelt<br />
moms and dads. We just don’t get to come has been assigned to various classrooms during<br />
his time in the Trucker Buddy program. see New York City. So, we share that with them<br />
See MaScotS on p24 m<br />
They’ l never see the Rocky Mountains; never<br />
home every day.”<br />
the holidays a little brighter for those in need. From<br />
WASHINGTON — Trucking Moves America donating food, toys and transportation, to delivering<br />
Forward (TMAF), an industry-wide education and food, medicine and supplies on the frontlines of the<br />
image movement, shared stories of the unique ways pandemic, trucking has helped keep our communitie<br />
strong all year.”<br />
that the trucking industry has continued to give<br />
back to their communities over the holiday season. The following are a few of the trucking companies<br />
and organizations that gave back to their com-<br />
Trucking companies and organizations submitted<br />
their stories of charitable works to TMAF after a munities during the 2020 holiday season.<br />
call for submissions through email and social media. Advantage Truck Group (ATG), based in<br />
“During one of the most difficult years in our nation’s<br />
history, the trucking industry not only stepped lin’ 4 Hunger initiative to provide meals to those in<br />
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, hosted its annual Hau-<br />
up to deliver the essential goods we have relied on need. With an increased need for food assistance because<br />
of the COVID-19 pandemic, ATG increased<br />
throughout the pandemic; but also gave back to their<br />
community through charitable acts and giving,” said its efforts this year and provided 6,000 meals and<br />
Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and president suppor to 12 local food pantries.<br />
of Jet Express Inc. “Trucking companies and organizations<br />
of all sizes and from states across the<br />
Employees of Fort Worth, Texas-based Apex<br />
Capital hosted a Virtual Walk for Breast Cancer<br />
country stepped up once again year to help make<br />
Courtesy: Bi l McNamee<br />
Bi l McNamee uses a co lection of stu fed animals with elaborate backstories as a strategy for engaging schoolchildren through the Trucker<br />
Buddy Program. His “menagerie” includes Seatbelt Sam and a mouse named Mario Provolone, among others.<br />
Courtesy: Trucking Moves America Forward<br />
Left: Rachel Lewis, who organized the Apex Capital office gift drive, is pictured with<br />
some of the gifts donated by employees. Right: CRST partnered with Central Furniture<br />
Rescue to help deliver furniture donations to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area after<br />
a straight-line wind storm devastated the community. Kendal George, left, and Chris<br />
Landwehr picked up the donated furniture.<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
Charitable works: Organizations continue to give back during year of unprecedented challenges<br />
‘No greater honor’: Truckers play vital role in<br />
distribution of long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines<br />
Linda Garner-Bunch<br />
lindag@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Kevin Lamarque via AP<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden<br />
on Dec. 15 formally announced Pete Buttigieg as<br />
his pick for the secretary of transportation. Buttigieg,<br />
38, served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana,<br />
from 2012 to 2020.<br />
During a Dec. 16 event in Delaware, Biden introduced<br />
Buttigieg, hailing him as “a new voice with<br />
new ideas determined to move past old politics.”<br />
“We need someone who knows how to work<br />
with state, local and federal agencies,” Biden said,<br />
noting that the nation’s highways are in disrepair<br />
and that some bridges “are on the verge of collapse.”<br />
Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay<br />
person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet<br />
Vol. 34, No. 1 | JaNuary 1-14, 2021 | www.thetrucker.com<br />
For most of the world’s population, 2020<br />
brought never-before-seen challenges, beginning<br />
with a global pandemic caused by a new<br />
coronavirus first discovered in China in late<br />
2019. As 2020 came to a close, the number of<br />
COVID-19 cases — along with deaths related to<br />
the disease — continued to climb.<br />
The year also brought the trucking industry<br />
into the international spotlight, as professional<br />
drivers put in countless hours on the road, working<br />
to provide hospitals and pharmacies with<br />
medical supplies, and grocery stores stocked<br />
with essentials (who could ever forget the great<br />
toilet-paper shortage?).<br />
For most truck drivers, those hours spent on<br />
the road were “all in a day’s work.” Many were<br />
surprised when they were greeted with cheers<br />
as they made their deliveries. As the year progressed,<br />
some of that appreciation faded — but<br />
drivers continued to work behind the scenes,<br />
making sure vital supplies, as well as little luxuries,<br />
reached their destinations in a safe and<br />
timely manner.<br />
On Sunday, Dec. 13, truck drivers and other<br />
members of the transportation industry once history, an effort that health officials are encouraging<br />
the public to embrace, even as many expected to skyrocket during the following weeks.<br />
a new milestone of 300,000 with those numbers<br />
again found themselves in the spotlight as the<br />
first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine approved people expressed skepticism or worry about the Because Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at an<br />
for emergency use in the U.S. by the Food and drug’s safety and effectiveness.<br />
extremely low temperature — about minus 94<br />
Drug Administration (FDA) departed Pfizer’s As the first of many freezer-packed COVID-19 degrees Fahrenheit — quick transport is vital to<br />
Portage, Michigan, facility. The day was the vaccine vials made their way to distribution sites the success of the immunization effort. On the<br />
start of the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. that day, the nation’s pandemic deaths approached<br />
See VaccineS on p10 m<br />
A truck loaded with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine leaves the Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo<br />
manufacturing plant in Portage, Michigan on Dec. 13, 2020. In addition to FedEx and UPS,<br />
Massachusetts-based Boyle Transportation was part of the Dec. 13 vaccine ro lout, with two teams of<br />
drivers participating in the first convoy to leave Pfizer’s Michigan facility.<br />
Buttigieg officially announced as Biden’s<br />
nomination for secretary of transportation<br />
post, was virtually unknown nationally when<br />
he launched a longshot bid for president, but he<br />
became a formidable political force in the early<br />
primary states, finishing well ahead of Biden in<br />
Iowa and New Hampshire. Buttigieg eventually<br />
endorsed Biden’s presidential bid.<br />
Beyond standard transportation fixes, which are<br />
easier to promise than for administrations to get<br />
through Congress, Biden says he wants to rejuvenate<br />
the post-coronavirus pandemic economy and create<br />
thousands of green jobs by making environmentally<br />
friendly retrofits and public works improvements.<br />
“At its best, transportation makes the American<br />
dream possible, getting people and goods to<br />
See Buttigieg on p9 m<br />
AP Photo/Mo ry Gash<br />
See GivinG on p25 m<br />
cannot always control the violations that may be<br />
discovered. What you CAN control is your attitude<br />
and demeanor when dealing with the officer.<br />
In closing, please remember this: Sometimes<br />
it is best not to be remembered.<br />
Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker<br />
Ltd., a law firm entirely dedicated to the legal<br />
defense of the nation’s commercial drivers. Interstate<br />
Trucker represents truck drivers throughout<br />
the 48 states on both moving and nonmoving<br />
violations. Klepper, a lawyer who has focused<br />
on transportation law and the trucking industry<br />
in particular, is also president of Driver’s Legal<br />
Plan, which allows member drivers access to<br />
his firm’s services at discounted rates. He works<br />
to answer drivers’ and carriers’ legal questions<br />
about trucking and life over the road. For more<br />
information, visit interstatetrucker.com or<br />
driverslegalplan.com. 8<br />
b Banking from page 13 b<br />
be able to help people who struggle with upward<br />
mobility,” she said. “I went to this program,<br />
‘Connections to Success,’ and I’d like<br />
to get involved with them when I can.” She<br />
added, “They help a lot of people who are unemployed<br />
and discouraged.”<br />
Noel’s faith is another important value.<br />
“My faith is more important than ever, now<br />
that I’m driving,” she explained. “If I didn’t<br />
pray so much, I probably wouldn’t make it.”<br />
Until she began trucking, Noel attended<br />
services at her church on Sundays and<br />
Wednesdays. That’s not possible while on the<br />
road, but she does what she can. “We visit the<br />
Trucker Chapels at truck stops when we’re on<br />
the road,” she said. “My husband is a faithful<br />
man.”<br />
She reads a lot when she’s not driving, and<br />
she hopes to resume knitting and crocheting<br />
one day, when time permits. “I’d also like to<br />
learn to play a musical instrument,” she added.<br />
“I played the French horn in high school.”<br />
Whether she’s taking on a hobby or a new<br />
career, it’s a good bet Noel will find a way to<br />
succeed.<br />
“Believe in yourself and be determined,”<br />
she said. “Turn ‘I can’t’ into ‘I WILL.’” 8<br />
T<br />
S<br />
T<br />
f
Business<br />
February 15-28, 2021 • 17<br />
Both freight rates and volumes could falter if economy does<br />
Cliff Abbott<br />
cliffa@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Freight numbers rose in December as rates<br />
continued their upward climb. The American<br />
Trucking Associations (ATA) For-Hire Truck<br />
Tonnage Index rose 7.4% in December following<br />
a 3.2% increase in November. The index<br />
came in at 120 for the month, meaning reported<br />
freight volumes in December were 20% higher<br />
than they were in the baseline year of 2015.<br />
After a similar gain in September, the index<br />
fell in October before rallying for the final two<br />
months of the year.<br />
“Tonnage ended last year on a high note,”<br />
said Bob Costello, chief economist for ATA.<br />
“The index not only registered the largest<br />
monthly gain since June, but it also had the first<br />
year-over-year increase since March.”<br />
The index was 2.3% higher than in December<br />
2019. The year-over-year comparison,<br />
however, wasn’t as positive. For all of 2020,<br />
the index was 3.3% lower than the full year<br />
2019. Considering the dismal second quarter of<br />
2020, a 3.3% decline is smaller than most of the<br />
analysts predicted.<br />
“Because of the pandemic, 2020 was obviously<br />
a very challenging year for the economy<br />
overall, and that is reflecting in the tonnage<br />
index’s dip from the previous year,” Costello<br />
said. “Despite that, truck tonnage clearly outperformed<br />
the broader economy as freight continued<br />
to move in the face of a myriad of COVIDrelated<br />
challenges faced by the country.”<br />
Costello noted that consumer consumption,<br />
inventory restocking by retailers and singlefamily<br />
home construction helped keep shipment<br />
volumes high. He also credited the recent<br />
stimulus checks and the possibility of another<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Van rates ended 2020 with an average $2.46 per mile for December 2020, while refrigerated<br />
rates fell by three cents to $2.67. Flatbed rates averaged $2.48 on DAT load boards.<br />
payout for helping keep freight levels high during<br />
December and into 2021.<br />
ACT Research also publishes For-Hire<br />
Trucking Indexes that measure both volume<br />
and freight rates reported in surveys of their<br />
customers. Index scores above 50 indicate the<br />
market grew, while scores below 50 show a<br />
contracting market.<br />
ACT’s Volume Index came in at 55.5 in December,<br />
down from 60.4 in November. In the<br />
prior six months, the index averaged 67.4, so<br />
freight volumes, though slowing, were positive<br />
for a total of eight consecutive months.<br />
On the rate side, the Pricing Index for December<br />
was 64.2, down 3.6 points from November<br />
but still well into positive territory.<br />
Lack of capacity continued to buoy rates,<br />
although the rate has been slowing for three<br />
months now. The ACT report credits driver<br />
hiring and pay increases with helping the industry<br />
seat more trucks, creating more capacity<br />
and slowing rate increases. The release<br />
notes, however, that additional rounds of<br />
stimulus and increased unemployment benefits<br />
could reduce the number of available<br />
drivers, tightening capacity and pushing rates<br />
upward again.<br />
ACT also issues a Driver Availability Index,<br />
which reached its lowest point ever in December<br />
at 28.1. It was the sixth consecutive month<br />
of deteriorating driver availability. Rising driver<br />
pay and vaccinations may help alleviate the<br />
shortage of drivers in 2021, but likely will not<br />
be enough.<br />
Cass Information Systems publishes an index<br />
too, and like ACT, the breakouts report by<br />
volume, rates and other factors. A key difference<br />
is that the Cass Freight Index incorporates<br />
shipments from different modes of transportation,<br />
including rail, ship, barge, air and even<br />
pipeline.<br />
In December, the Cass Freight Index for<br />
shipments was 1.12, 6.7% better than December<br />
2019 and 1.1% better than November on a<br />
seasonally adjusted basis.<br />
Cass also measures freight rates calculated<br />
by customer spending and shipping volumes.<br />
In December, rates grew faster, 6.0% better<br />
than in December 2019. November numbers<br />
also bested last year’s November, by 3.0%<br />
Economists at ACT Research, a partner of<br />
Cass Information, are predicting a 3.9% growth<br />
in GDP for 2021.<br />
See Falter on p18 m<br />
Tax liability may differ this year for both owner-operators and company drivers<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Some trucking business received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).<br />
Those loans contained provisions that allowed the borrower to forego repayment if the<br />
funds were used for specific purposes, such as employee pay.<br />
Cliff Abbott<br />
cliffa@thetruckermedia.com<br />
As if 2020 didn’t bring enough problems,<br />
your tax bill for the year could be impacted.<br />
Consulting a professional tax preparer — one<br />
that is familiar with trucking — is always a<br />
good idea. It’s an even better idea between<br />
now and April 15.<br />
Whether you operate your own trucking<br />
business or drive for someone else, your tax liability<br />
could be different this year. Since many<br />
drivers suffered a reduction in income for 2020,<br />
a tax surprise when filing could be devastating.<br />
First, the good news. Any economic impact<br />
payments you received aren’t taxable unless<br />
your total income was more than $75,000<br />
(single) or $150,000 (married). That includes<br />
both the $1,200 per person payments sent out<br />
in April and the second payment of $600 that<br />
was distributed in December. You’ll see spaces<br />
for those payments on your tax return, but also<br />
spaces where they’re listed as credits. In fact,<br />
if you qualified for the payments but did not<br />
receive them, you may be able to claim them<br />
on your return.<br />
There’s more good news for those who<br />
pay self-employment tax. This combination<br />
of employer and employee contributions for<br />
Social Security and Medicare taxes represents<br />
15.3% of the payer’s income. Under the<br />
CARES Act, up to 50% of the amount earned<br />
between March 27,2020, and Dec. 31, 2020,<br />
can be deferred.<br />
Because so many people worked from home<br />
during the pandemic, you may also be able<br />
to claim a deduction for using a part of your<br />
residence for work. There’s a potential catch,<br />
however — and it could be a big one — if you<br />
claim residence in another state. Each state has<br />
its own laws about establishing residence, such<br />
as occupation for a certain number of days or<br />
months. If you record the number of days you<br />
worked at “home,” and that home is in a state<br />
other than your usual state of residence, the<br />
state you worked in could claim you are now<br />
See Liability on p19 m
18 • February 15-28, 2021 Business<br />
Quality is important to consider when choosing additives<br />
Cliff Abbott<br />
cliffa@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Truckers are often bombarded with advertising<br />
for fuel, oils and other products. More<br />
advertising sells oil and fuel additives that,<br />
some say, can add unnecessary expense to a<br />
trucking operation.<br />
To clear up some of the confusion, we<br />
spoke to Rob Howes, executive vice president<br />
at Howes Products. The company was started<br />
over 100 years ago by Wendell V.C. Howes,<br />
who marketed lubricants and additives to<br />
shops in the Rhode Island area.<br />
Today, the company markets a variety of<br />
petroleum-based additives designed to improve<br />
the performance of cars and trucks.<br />
“Tolerances are so tight in today’s diesel<br />
engines, sometimes down to 1 to 3 microns,”<br />
Howe explained. “That makes internal diesel<br />
injector deposits more resilient to treatment.”<br />
Fleet Focus<br />
Those injector deposits can cause improper<br />
spray into the cylinder, Howes said, resulting<br />
in incomplete burning of the fuel and helping<br />
cause carbon buildup in the particulate filter —<br />
and adding to problems later.<br />
Howes recommends using a quality fuel additive<br />
to help keep injectors clean. He suggests<br />
Howes Defender fuel additive, which contains<br />
a proprietary detergent formula as well as lubricants<br />
to help replace the qualities of the sulfur<br />
that has been removed from fuels. But, he<br />
says, that’s just a start.<br />
The ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) sold<br />
today helps reduce emissions, but at a cost.<br />
Sulfur is a lubricant that helps keep valves and<br />
other moving parts functioning smoothly. A<br />
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quality fuel additive replaces the lubricity lost<br />
when sulfur is removed.<br />
There’s another consideration, too. A number<br />
of states are mandating that biodiesel be<br />
blended with petroleum-based fuels. Minnesota,<br />
for example, requires a minimum of 5%<br />
biodiesel year round, increasing to 20% during<br />
summer months.<br />
“Biodiesel is a great lubricator, but it comes<br />
with some unique properties,” Howes said.<br />
“It attracts water, and it grows bacteria.” That<br />
bacteria can form a black film that’s noticeable<br />
in fuel tanks — and can cause flow issues<br />
throughout the system. “If you have an existing<br />
problem, you’ll need a biocide to get rid of it,”<br />
he said. “But if your additive contains a bacteria<br />
preventative, you can keep the problem<br />
from happening.”<br />
Biodiesel also contains fats that replace the<br />
paraffin found in petroleum-based diesel. Both<br />
kinds of diesel can cause gelling problems, but<br />
biodiesel can begin gelling at a much higher<br />
temperature, as high as 50 degrees, according<br />
to Howes. The result can be a plugged fuel filter<br />
in the middle of summer.<br />
As most drivers know, water in fuel can be<br />
a problem, especially in winter months. Small<br />
ice particles can accumulate in fuel lines, preventing<br />
fuel flow and shutting down an engine.<br />
Quality additives contain ingredients that eliminate<br />
water from the system, and getting rid of<br />
water in your truck’s fuel can help improve fuel<br />
mileage.<br />
“There are other savings, too,” Howes said.<br />
“The cost of repairs, such as replacing fuel injectors,<br />
can be devastating to a small business<br />
and there’s a cost to the down time as well.”<br />
Some drivers are concerned that use of fuel<br />
or oil additives could void the manufacturer’s<br />
warranty. For that reason, Howes insisted that<br />
quality is a key factor.<br />
“Use of our products does not void any<br />
b Falter from page 17 b<br />
Spot rates, which had reached record levels<br />
in preceding months, remained high in December,<br />
according to DAT Trendlines.<br />
Van rates averaged $2.46 per mile for the<br />
month, while refrigerated rates fell by three<br />
cents to $2.67. Flatbed rates averaged $2.48 on<br />
DAT load boards. Rates for all three categories<br />
fell off towards the end of the month as shipping<br />
slowed for the holidays.<br />
As the pandemic winds down, both rates<br />
and volumes are expected to remain strong at<br />
least through the first half of 2021. Consumers<br />
are still ordering and buying products, keeping<br />
sales high and merchandise moving. The<br />
Census Bureau reported fourth-quarter GDP at<br />
4.0%, ending 2020 on a strong note. Durable<br />
spending, however, declined in both November<br />
and December, but another round of stimulus<br />
checks may have added a bounce to begin the<br />
new year.<br />
At the time of this writing, the Biden administration<br />
has proposed a third round of<br />
payments, with Biden saying he wants to<br />
move quickly on $1,400 checks to individuals.<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Sulfur is a lubricant that helps keep<br />
valves and other moving parts functioning<br />
smoothly. A quality fuel additive replaces<br />
the lubricity lost when sulfur is removed.<br />
manufacturer’s warranty,” he said. “Whatever<br />
they use, drivers should make sure it’s a quality<br />
product.”<br />
Howes stressed that additives aren’t just<br />
for newer engines, pointing out the number of<br />
glider kits and pre-2000 engines on the road<br />
today. Quality additives can help them as well.<br />
“Those 1995 engines have looser tolerances,<br />
but they’re still susceptible to carbon<br />
buildup,” he noted. “Plus, they were built to<br />
run on the low sulfur diesel that was available<br />
then, not the ULSD we use now.”<br />
Older engines weren’t designed for the<br />
high-quality synthetic oils that are available today,<br />
either. Howes recommends using a quality<br />
oil additive to boost the cleaning properties of<br />
See Additives on p19 m<br />
His proposal includes more money for supplemental<br />
unemployment compensation and<br />
other benefits to the public. Republicans have<br />
proposed a less expensive round of benefits,<br />
but the Democrats in Congress have made<br />
clear their intention to move quickly, with or<br />
without bipartisan support.<br />
A major issue that will certainly impact<br />
market recovery is the speed with which vaccinations<br />
against COVID-19 can be distributed<br />
and administered. The manufacturing and service<br />
industries are expected to begin recovery<br />
as soon as enough people can get back to work<br />
— but that has to happen before yet another<br />
round of stimulus is needed to keep the economy<br />
going.<br />
Vaccinations will impact driver numbers,<br />
too. As CDL schools reopen or expand to pre-<br />
COVID capacity, there should be more new<br />
drivers coming into the industry. At the same<br />
time, increases in driver compensation may<br />
slow the rate drivers are leaving.<br />
As it stands, conditions are good for truckers<br />
to make money, at least for the first six<br />
months of 2021. Those conditions, however,<br />
are fragile and could rapidly change if the<br />
economy falters or there is a resurgence of<br />
COVID-19 cases. 8
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
b Liability from page 17 b<br />
a resident there and owe state taxes. Your tax<br />
professional can help you sort it all out.<br />
Many people who were laid off or lost jobs<br />
during 2020 received the $600 per week supplement<br />
to unemployment compensation included<br />
in the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and<br />
Economic Security). The supplement, added to<br />
the state’s normal unemployment amount, resulted<br />
in a weekly check of $850 or more for<br />
many people. The full amount is taxable on federal<br />
returns and on most state returns.<br />
Some trucking business received loans under<br />
the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Those<br />
loans contained provisions that allowed the borrower<br />
to forego repayment if the funds were<br />
used for specific purposes, such as employee<br />
pay. Initially, the IRS determined that business<br />
expenses funded with PPP money could not be<br />
written off, but Congress has ruled otherwise.<br />
Under legislation signed by former president<br />
Donald Trump on Dec. 27, a second round of PPP<br />
loans will be available for small businesses, including<br />
those with less than 300 employees, sole proprietorships<br />
and self-employed individuals.<br />
Since President Joe Biden was inaugurated on<br />
Jan. 20, more relief related to the pandemic is in<br />
the works. A tax professional can help you take<br />
advantage of any new breaks or benefits.<br />
Even though 2020 is over, there’s still time to<br />
help your tax preparer and yourself. Make sure<br />
you’ve gathered receipts for all your expenses.<br />
Keep in mind that some of those receipts won’t<br />
of the paper variety received from stores and fuel<br />
stops. If, for example, you have a separate meter<br />
for electricity used in your shop or you pay for<br />
a dedicated phone line for your business, you’ll<br />
need evidence to claim those expenses. Vendors<br />
you’ve bought from online often save invoices<br />
indefinitely, so you may be able to retrieve any<br />
you have misplaced. Credit card bills are often<br />
available for a year or more and can be accessed<br />
online. Even a review of your checkbook register,<br />
whether paper or online, could help you identify<br />
tax-deductible expenses.<br />
Another review that could be important is<br />
your records-of-duty status. This used to mean<br />
poring through a year’s worth of log books; today<br />
it can be as simple as reviewing printouts<br />
from an ELD. The IRS allows a deduction of<br />
up to 80% of the cost for meals and incidentals.<br />
There’s a provision for a standard deduction for<br />
each day away from home that can be used instead<br />
of actual expenses, but you’ll need proof<br />
that you were on the road; hours-of-service records<br />
can suffice as evidence.<br />
Those meal deductions will be even more<br />
important in 2021, since the December stimulus<br />
bill increased the deduction percentage<br />
from 80% to 100% for truckers.<br />
If you used a part of your home to manage<br />
your business, including storage space in the<br />
basement or garage, you may be entitled to a<br />
business deduction that could include a portion<br />
of your utility bills.<br />
A large deduction many owners fail to take<br />
advantage of is depreciation of equipment. The<br />
value of your truck is spread out over its perceived<br />
useful life, which may be five or seven<br />
years, depending on how your accountant files.<br />
Once the depreciation is fully written off, it<br />
can’t be claimed again. If your income suffered<br />
substantially last year, it might be possible to<br />
defer the depreciation deduction until 2021.<br />
Your tax professional can help you determine<br />
what options are available.<br />
It’s not too late to make important business<br />
decisions for 2021. As the pandemic winds<br />
down, lower fuel prices caused by lowered demand<br />
will undoubtedly come to an end. Environmental<br />
policies enacted by the Biden administration<br />
could drive prices upward. The time<br />
may be right to invest in aerodynamic treatments<br />
for truck or trailer, or in other equipment needs.<br />
Finally, if you don’t have a tax advisor<br />
who is knowledgeable about the unique circumstances<br />
of trucking, it’s a good time to<br />
find one. You might easily find someone that<br />
can complete tax forms, but you should be<br />
confident that your advisor is taking advantage<br />
of every opportunity to save you money<br />
on the taxes you pay this year while helping<br />
you prepare for the next.<br />
Editor’s note: This article should not be<br />
taken as tax advice. Please seek a tax attorney<br />
or certified tax preparer for advice regarding<br />
your taxes. 8<br />
Business February 15-28, 2021 • 19<br />
Courtesy: Epes Transport<br />
Founded in 1931, Epes Transport LLC has grown from three trucks to more than<br />
1,550 tractors and more than 7,100 trailers.<br />
Epes Transport celebrates 90 years in trucking<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Epes Transport<br />
System LLC, the largest private truckload van<br />
carrier based in North Carolina, celebrates its<br />
90th anniversary this year. During nearly a<br />
century in business, Epes has overcome many<br />
challenges and continues to grow. The company<br />
attributes its success and longevity to<br />
the hard work, dedication and experience of<br />
its employees, as well as to its customer base.<br />
“The culture at Epes is a function of<br />
its people. Whether it’s Year 1, Truck 1, or<br />
Year 90, Truck 1,600, the people make Epes<br />
Transport special,” said Phil Peck, COO of<br />
Epes. Epes Transport was founded in 1931 in<br />
b Additives from page 18 b<br />
the petroleum-based oils often used in older<br />
equipment.<br />
“Additives should contain the same detergents<br />
and protectants that come in a quality<br />
synthetic oil,” he said. “They provide a<br />
boost and help replace the ingredients lost<br />
over time.”<br />
Blackstone, Virginia, as a tobacco hauler with<br />
three trucks. Originally known as The Transport<br />
Co., it began as a family-owned business and<br />
continued that way for more than 55 years. In<br />
1987, the company was bought by Epes Carriers<br />
Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina; then,<br />
in 2018, Penske Logistics, based in Reading,<br />
Pennsylvania, acquired Epes Transport System.<br />
Today, Epes operates more than 1,550<br />
tractors and more than 7,100 trailers. The<br />
company has been noted on the lists of Top<br />
Workplaces, Best Fleets to Drive For, Most<br />
Valuable Employer Military Winner, and Top<br />
Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation,<br />
among many others. 8<br />
He cautions that additives that don’t contain<br />
quality ingredients, when added to the<br />
engine, can actually dilute the detergents and<br />
other agents present in the oil.<br />
Additives can be an excellent investment<br />
that help keep expensive equipment running<br />
smoothly and keep repair expense — and<br />
downtime — to a minimum. Drivers who<br />
work hard to take care of their equipment<br />
should consider quality additives to help keep<br />
them running — and earning. 8<br />
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20 • February 15-28, 2021 Business<br />
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Equipment February<br />
15-28, 2021 • 21<br />
Peterbilt unveils new, redesigned Model 579 featuring interior and<br />
exterior improvements in aerodynamics, technology and comfort<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
DENTON, Texas — Peterbilt Motors Co.<br />
on Feb. 3 announced the launch of its new<br />
Model 579. The thoroughly redesigned Model<br />
579 boasts improvements in aerodynamics, efficiency,<br />
comfort, technology and uptime.<br />
The new Model 579 is the most technologically<br />
advanced truck Peterbilt has ever built.<br />
The new 579 is also the most aerodynamic and<br />
fuel-efficient Peterbilt available, thanks to the<br />
new exterior design featuring a new sloped<br />
hood and optimized aero components, as well<br />
as the new 2021 PACCAR MX-13 and MX-11<br />
engines and PACCAR transmission.<br />
Highlighting the new 579’s innovative technologies<br />
is a state-of-the-art 15-inch digital<br />
dash display, which features a fully customizable<br />
user interface (UI). Operators control the<br />
digital UI through one of three different Drive<br />
View Zones, allowing for a variety of combinations<br />
of digital gauges on the main screen<br />
at any one time. The driver can customize the<br />
display through controls found on the all-new<br />
steering wheel.<br />
Prior to trip departure the digital display can<br />
run through a Visual Systems check, inspecting<br />
13 systems and providing a green checkmark<br />
with each passed test. Post-trip, a detailed Trip<br />
Information screen provides a breakdown of<br />
important metrics of the most recent journey.<br />
The Peterbilt Digital Display fully integrates<br />
with electrical and safety systems found<br />
on the new 579, including the Bendix Fusion<br />
Advanced Driver Assistance System with integrated<br />
camera and radar technology-enabled<br />
advanced features, including collision mitigation,<br />
overspeed alerts and lane keep assist to<br />
be displayed prominently in the center of the<br />
display.<br />
“The clear and precise information relayed<br />
to drivers through the Peterbilt Digital Display,<br />
combined with the advanced safety systems<br />
Photos courtesy of Peterbilt Motors Co.<br />
Top left: The new Model 579 is the most technologically advanced truck Peterbilt has ever<br />
built and features the Peterbilt Digital Display, which fully integrates with electrical and safety<br />
systems. Bottom left: The 579 UltraLoft with an integral sleeper provides 70 cubic feet of<br />
space. Above: Key exterior features of the new 579 include a redesigned Metton hood that<br />
is narrower and more resistant to damage.<br />
found throughout the truck, provide a much<br />
higher level of awareness of the truck and its<br />
surroundings,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general<br />
manager and PACCAR vice president.<br />
Developed over a five-year span, Peterbilt<br />
set out to provide a great look and aerodynamic<br />
shape of the new 579. Over 1,000 hours of<br />
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis<br />
and over 7.8 million CPU processing hours<br />
were spent evaluating the exterior design of the<br />
new 579. This research resulted in an enhanced<br />
aerodynamic profile and a 7% improvement in<br />
fuel economy.<br />
See 579 on p22 m<br />
Daimler to split truck segment into separate company, focus on zero emissions<br />
Courtesy: Daimler Truck North America<br />
The proposed spin-off of Daimler Truck into an independent company is designed to allow<br />
the manufacturer to focus on the development of zero-emissions vehicles, as well<br />
as the advancement of automated technology.<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
STU<strong>TT</strong>GART, Germany — Daimler on<br />
Feb. 3 announced plans to split its passenger<br />
car and commercial truck/bus segments into<br />
two independent “pure-play” companies. An<br />
announcement from Daimler calls the split a<br />
“fundamental change” in the company’s structure,<br />
adding that the division will “unlock the<br />
full potential of its businesses in a zero-emissions,<br />
software-driven future.”<br />
A significant majority stake in Daimler<br />
Truck will be distributed to Daimler shareholders.<br />
The truck business will operate under fully<br />
independent management and have stand-alone<br />
corporate governance, including an independent<br />
chairman of the supervisory board, and is targeted<br />
to qualify as a DAX company.<br />
The passenger-car segment will be renamed<br />
as Mercedes-Benz “at the appropriate time,”<br />
the announcement notes.<br />
“This is a historic moment for Daimler. It<br />
represents the start of a profound reshaping of<br />
the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and<br />
Daimler Trucks & Buses are different businesses<br />
with specific customer groups, technology<br />
paths and capital needs,” said Ola Källenius,<br />
chairman of the board of management of Daimler<br />
and Mercedes-Benz.<br />
“Daimler Truck supplies industry-leading<br />
transportation solutions and services to customers,”<br />
Källenius noted, adding that both the<br />
car and commercial truck industries are on the<br />
brink of “major” changes. “Given this context,<br />
we believe they will be able to operate most effectively<br />
as independent entities, equipped with<br />
strong net liquidity and free from the constraints<br />
of a conglomerate structure.”<br />
As part of a more focused corporate structure,<br />
both Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz will also<br />
be supported by dedicated captive financial and<br />
mobility service entities, driving sales with tailormade<br />
financing, leasing and mobility solutions.<br />
In this process, the company plans to assign resources<br />
and teams from today’s Daimler Mobility<br />
See Split on p22 m
22 • February 15-28, 2021 Equipment THETRUCKER.COM<br />
More than 4,300 Freightliner Cascadias<br />
to be recalled because of steer-tire defect<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
WASHINGTON — Daimler Trucks North<br />
America (DTNA) plans to recall more than<br />
4,300 Freightliner Cascadia sleeper trucks because<br />
due to defective steer tires, according to<br />
safety recall report 21V-007 issued by the U.S.<br />
Department of Transportation’s National Highway<br />
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).<br />
According to information submitted by<br />
DTNA to NHTSA on Jan. 13, 2021, the recall<br />
impacts 4,341 model-year 2020-2022 Freightliner<br />
Cascadia sleepers. The affected vehicles<br />
are equipped with Bridgestone R284, R268 or<br />
R283S ECOPIA steer axle tires which, “in conjunction<br />
with a specific air dam,” could experience<br />
tread separation or blow-outs while driving,<br />
increasing the risk of a crash.<br />
“While the root cause (of the tread separation)<br />
has not been determined, DTNA’s best<br />
understanding is that the defect mechanism<br />
may be potentially caused by elevated tire<br />
temperatures during vehicle operation, leading<br />
to tire failure and loss of vehicle control,”<br />
the company notes in the recall report. The<br />
report continues, noting that other factors,<br />
such as underinflation, road speed and others,<br />
could also contribute to the failure of the<br />
Bridgestone steer tires.<br />
DTNA will reach out to owners of the affected<br />
vehicles, and dealers will replace the<br />
steer tires, free of charge. The recall is expected<br />
to begin March 13, 2021. Owners may contact<br />
DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712; reference<br />
DTNA recall FL872. 8<br />
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MORE THAN YOU REALIZE<br />
Courtesy: Daimler Trucks North America<br />
More than 4,300 Freightliner Cascadias equipped with Bridgestone steer tires will be<br />
affected by a safety recall. The manufacturer will notify vehicle owners, and dealers will<br />
replace the steer tires, free of charge.<br />
b Split from page 21 b<br />
to both Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz.<br />
“We have confidence in the financial and operational<br />
strength of our two vehicle divisions.<br />
And we are convinced that independent management<br />
and governance will allow them to operate<br />
even faster, invest more ambitiously, target<br />
growth and cooperation, and thus be significantly<br />
more agile and competitive,” Källenius said.<br />
According to the company’s Feb. 3 statement,<br />
Daimler Truck intends to generate value for its<br />
shareholders by accelerating the execution of its<br />
strategic plans, raising its profitability and driving<br />
forward with the development of emissions-free<br />
technologies for trucks and buses.<br />
“This is a pivotal moment for Daimler Truck.<br />
With independence comes greater opportunity,<br />
greater visibility and transparency,” said Martin<br />
Daum, member of the board of management<br />
of Daimler and chairman of the board of management<br />
of Daimler Truck. “We will grow further<br />
and continue our leadership in alternative<br />
powertrains and automation. We have already<br />
defined the future of our business with batteryelectric<br />
and fuel-cell trucks, as well as strong<br />
positions in autonomous driving. With targeted<br />
b 579 from page 21 b<br />
Key exterior features of the new 579 include<br />
a redesigned stronger Metton hood that is narrower<br />
and more resistant to damage, along with<br />
improved halogen or optional LED headlights.<br />
A new three-piece bumper integrates the<br />
forward radar cover for collision mitigation,<br />
with a larger aerodynamic air dam. Improvements<br />
to the aero mirrors, fairings, side skirts<br />
and closeouts help improve the overall aerodynamic<br />
shape, with the revised A-pillar vane<br />
redirecting airflow around the windshield, reducing<br />
friction and helping deliver a 10% noise<br />
reduction in the cabin.<br />
The interior of the new 579 features softtouch<br />
materials. The 579 UltraLoft with an integral<br />
sleeper provides 70 cubic feet of space,<br />
partnerships we will accelerate the development<br />
of key technologies to bring best-in-class products<br />
to our customers rapidly.”<br />
Daum also stated that Daimler truck has a solid<br />
financial base and a “robust” business model.<br />
“We will continue to work on our cash-flow<br />
management, and we know how to deal with<br />
industry market cycles — we have proven that<br />
again in the significant COVID-related global<br />
market reduction,” he continued. “We have clear<br />
strategies to raise our financial performance and<br />
accelerate our execution. We will use our strong<br />
and well-known global brands, our scale and our<br />
exceptional technology to deliver industry-leading<br />
returns.”<br />
The intended structure of the transaction<br />
would involve Daimler transferring the majority<br />
of Daimler Truck to its shareholders on a pro rata<br />
basis in accordance with existing shareholdings,<br />
but it intends to retain a minority shareholding.<br />
Representation of Daimler in the Daimler Truck<br />
Supervisory Board will be in line with the intended<br />
deconsolidation, according to Daimler’s<br />
Feb. 3 statement.<br />
Further details of the intended spin-off are expected<br />
be presented to company shareholders at<br />
an extra-ordinary shareholder meeting during the<br />
third quarter of 2021, to obtain their mandatory<br />
approval to the plan. 8<br />
including an 8-foot-high ceiling. The cabin has<br />
room for small appliances, including a microwave<br />
(1.1 cubic feet), a 32-inch TV, a tall wardrobe<br />
closet, multiple power outlets and optional<br />
bunkbeds with a fold-away ladder. New soundabatement<br />
technology helps minimize outside<br />
noise, creating a quieter cabin, both on and off<br />
the road.<br />
“The launch of the new Model 579 is a huge<br />
moment for Peterbilt and our customers. This<br />
new product is the result of five years of relentless<br />
focus on increasing fuel economy, taking<br />
driver comfort to new heights, and maximizing<br />
uptime. This new truck delivers the next level of<br />
performance for our customers and continues Peterbilt’s<br />
legacy of being the ‘Class’ of the industry,”<br />
Skoog said.<br />
The new Model 579 is available for order in a<br />
day cab configuration, integral 80-inch UltraLoft<br />
sleeper and a variety of other sleeper sizes. 8<br />
V<br />
K<br />
w<br />
t
Features<br />
February 15-28, 2021 • 23<br />
Modern-day successes: Drivers’ achievements recognized by<br />
Trucking Moves America Forward during Black History Month<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
During Black History Month, Trucking<br />
Moves America Forward (TMAF) is recognizing<br />
the achievements of professional truck<br />
drivers for their modern-day successes in the<br />
trucking industry.<br />
Ericka Rountree and Herbert Holmes, both<br />
drivers with Dayton, Ohio-based MTS, are<br />
recognized as this year’s Black History Month<br />
Leaders who are helping to move America forward<br />
every day.<br />
These two professionals are leaders within<br />
the trucking industry and personify excellence<br />
in trucking. Their professionalism, dedication<br />
to their job, commitment to safety and love for<br />
trucking is inspiring.<br />
Ericka Rountree: “It’s my peace.”<br />
Rountree joined the trucking industry nearly<br />
seven years ago after coming across an ad<br />
for a truck-driving school. The decision to join<br />
the trucking industry was life-changing — and<br />
one of the best decisions she has ever made,<br />
she said.<br />
When describing her love for her job,<br />
Rountree spoke about how she enjoys driving<br />
— a trait she picked up from her dad, who was<br />
also a truck driver. Her father first drove trucks<br />
in the military; then later joined the U.S. trucking<br />
industry and started team driving with his<br />
wife. Rountree fondly remembers getting to<br />
ride along in the truck with her father on trips<br />
from Ohio to other states, including California<br />
and Florida.<br />
One of the reasons Rountree was drawn to<br />
trucking was because it allows for travel and<br />
can take you to almost any state.<br />
“You get to travel and meet different people<br />
from every ethnic background,” she said.<br />
Patience and safety while driving are important<br />
priorities for Rountree.<br />
“My biggest thing is safety first,” she said.<br />
“Take your time and pay attention. I’m a very<br />
cautious driver. I always give myself enough<br />
time, enough distance.”<br />
While making her daily round-trip deliveries<br />
from Ohio to Kentucky, Rountree enjoys<br />
the peace and quiet of the open road.<br />
“It’s my peace,” she explained. “I really<br />
enjoy my career. I love what I do.”<br />
Herbert Holmes: “Give it 110%.”<br />
Holmes first started driving in 1999 after coming<br />
across an ad for trucking in the Sunday paper.<br />
“Having the freedom on the open road,<br />
seeing different things, going different places,<br />
meeting new people,” are just some of<br />
the reasons why he says he loves trucking.<br />
Holmes also enjoys being able to travel and<br />
get paid for it as part of his job.<br />
During his work week, depending on<br />
what needs to be delivered, Holmes usually<br />
drives to the Cleveland, Ohio, area as<br />
well as Louisville, Kentucky. While on the<br />
road, he says, he is committed to safety.<br />
He always stays alert and drives defensively.<br />
See Successes on p24 m<br />
Courtesy: Trucking Moves America Forward<br />
Ericka Rountree, left, and Herbert Holmes, both drivers with Dayton, Ohio-based MTS, are<br />
recognized as this year’s Black History Month Leaders who are helping to move America<br />
forward every day.<br />
Visible values: Ohio company’s ‘charity truck’ pushes awareness, activism<br />
Courtesy: Thomas E. Keller Trucking<br />
Keller Trucking’s “charity truck” is a rolling tribute to autism awareness. For Keller,<br />
which has a track record of philanthropy, a charity truck felt like a good fit — provided<br />
they could come up with the right cause.<br />
Dwain Hebda<br />
SPECIAL TO THE TRUCKER<br />
When John Tibbs climbs into his rolling office<br />
and fires up the Volvo VNL760, he turns heads<br />
just about anywhere he goes. That’s thanks to the<br />
fully wrapped cab that features graphics of puzzle<br />
pieces and a handshake, arranged to form a heart.<br />
Amid the colorful shapes, slogans proclaim:<br />
“Celebrate neurodiversity” and “Help raise autism<br />
awareness.” The truck’s cab is crowned with<br />
the phrase, “There is no cure for being yourself.”<br />
Tibbs enjoys driving the truck — and not just because<br />
he topped many of his co-workers at Thomas<br />
E. Keller Trucking of Defiance, Ohio, for the honor.<br />
He also enjoys driving the rig because of the chance<br />
it gives him to share his unique perspective with<br />
people on the subject of autism.<br />
“I have two children that are plagued by the<br />
disorder,” he said. “One is 12; her name is Abigail.<br />
The other is getting ready to turn 19, and his<br />
name is Nicholas. He has it pretty severe.”<br />
This firsthand experience makes Tibbs the<br />
ideal ambassador for the company’s awareness<br />
truck. Wherever he goes, he’s either fielding<br />
questions or sharing stories with people who, like<br />
himself, have been personally impacted by the<br />
developmental disorder.<br />
“I get people coming up all the time wanting<br />
to take pictures of it. With all the information on<br />
the truck and all the colors, it kind of sticks out,”<br />
he said.<br />
“On this one particular occasion I had a gentleman<br />
that drives tractor-trailers who had a family<br />
member with him that deals with this disease. He<br />
asked me to take a picture of him and his daughter<br />
next to the truck,” he shared. “They were very excited<br />
to know what we were trying to accomplish,<br />
and I’ve had many people comment on the fact<br />
that they have a family member who is affected<br />
by this disorder and how much they appreciate<br />
the fact that we’re trying to raise money for families<br />
that are dealing with the same issues.”<br />
Such field reports are sweet music to the ears<br />
of Jonathan Wolfrum, president of Keller Trucking,<br />
a 250-tractor outfit that’s a subsidiary of Keller<br />
Logistics Group. Designating a company “charity<br />
truck” wasn’t his idea, but it quickly became a popular<br />
labor of love for the company’s 275 drivers.<br />
“I want to give credit to a company called<br />
See Values on p25 m
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Courtesy: GSNETX<br />
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is partnering with autonomous-driving tech company<br />
Waymo to deliver Girl Scout cookies in the Dallas area this year.<br />
Delectable deliveries: Girl Scouts of Northeast<br />
Texas, Waymo team up for cookie transport<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES<br />
DALLAS and PHOENIX — It’s Girl Scout<br />
Cookie season, and that means it’s time for<br />
some serious decisions: Thin Mints? Samoas?<br />
Trefoils? Tagalongs? All of them? And don’t<br />
forget the most important choice: To share or<br />
not to share?<br />
During this year’s “cookie season,” thousands<br />
of Girl Scouts’ signature treats will be<br />
transported in south Dallas with the help of autonomous<br />
driving tech developer Waymo. The<br />
company is currently testing its Class 8 trucks<br />
in Texas.<br />
“The Girl Scouts’ Cookie Program has<br />
helped girls and young women recognize and<br />
pursue their dreams for more than a century,<br />
and we’re honored to now be part of that legacy,”<br />
said Becky Bucich, chief people officer<br />
at Waymo. “We’re delivering today for tomorrow’s<br />
leaders, and we’re dedicated to inspiring<br />
the next diverse and inclusive generation<br />
of engineers, coders, programmers and STEM<br />
professionals.”<br />
According to a prepared statement from the<br />
two organizations, the collaboration between<br />
Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) and<br />
Waymo aligns with the long-standing mission<br />
of Girl Scouts to prepare girls to thrive in the<br />
world, a vision set by Girl Scouts founder Juliette<br />
Gordon Low in 1912. In recent years, that<br />
has translated to a commitment to encourage<br />
girls to pursue careers in the fields of science,<br />
technology, engineering and math (STEM).<br />
Girl Scouts of the USA, the national organization<br />
to which GSNETX is a council, has made<br />
building the STEM pipeline a priority across<br />
the country as our reliance on technology and<br />
science grows even more important.<br />
“We are excited about our partnership with<br />
Waymo,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO for<br />
GSNETX. “Girls will experience a practical<br />
use for technology that is shaping our future,<br />
inspiring them to become the next generation<br />
of engineers, coders and STEM professionals.<br />
At the same, the North Texas community will<br />
see cutting-edge technology that can improve<br />
the world’s access to mobility. It is a win-win<br />
as Girl Scouts continues to change the workforce<br />
pipeline for North Texas.”<br />
As part of GSNETX’s virtual “Camp-In<br />
Camp Cookie,” a program that sets girls up<br />
for success during cookie season, Xinfeng<br />
Le, a product manager for Waymo’s trucking<br />
program, made a presentation for the council’s<br />
young members about her work at Waymo —<br />
while also giving girls an inside look at the variety<br />
of opportunities in a STEM career.<br />
GSNETX is also joining the Waymo-led<br />
public education initiative, Let’s Talk Autonomous<br />
Driving, which supports public dialogue<br />
around and understanding of autonomous driving<br />
technology. GSNETX is Let’s Talk Autonomous<br />
Driving’s first STEM-focused education<br />
partner.<br />
“We’re fortunate that Girl Scouts share our<br />
passion to cultivate a deeper understanding of<br />
the world around us, and we’re excited they<br />
have joined Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving<br />
as our first STEM-focused education partner,”<br />
Bucich said. 8<br />
b Successes from page 23 b<br />
When asked what he’d say to those who<br />
is considering joining the trucking industry,<br />
Holmes said, “It’s a great career,” and spoke<br />
about the opportunities trucking can provide<br />
for an individual and his or her family. After<br />
learning more about the industry and what<br />
the day-to-day job of a truck driver looks<br />
like, he recommends that new drivers “jump<br />
in wholeheartedly” and “give it 110%.”<br />
Holmes also discussed the truck driver shortage<br />
and the need for more Black drivers — including<br />
Black female drivers — and mentioned<br />
the need for more recruitment at Black high<br />
schools and colleges.<br />
“A lot of young Black people don’t know<br />
about the (trucking) industry. There’s trucking<br />
jobs all over,” he said.<br />
To see additional stories celebrating Black<br />
leaders in the trucking industry in celebration of<br />
Black History month, visit TheTrucker.com. 8
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
b Values from page 23 b<br />
Transland in Missouri. We’re in the ‘best practice’<br />
group with them, called the TPP — the Transportation<br />
Profitability Program,” Wolfrum said.<br />
“You present a best idea at each one of our<br />
meetings. This is actually one of their ideas, to<br />
have a charity truck where every mile the truck<br />
drives, we donate. In this case, it’s three cents<br />
per mile to the cause,” he said. “They had a couple<br />
trucks that they’ve done that with in the past.<br />
We really thought it was a great idea.”<br />
Keller had already developed a culture of<br />
philanthropy, having launched a veterans’ foundation<br />
that has garnered the support of the local<br />
community to the tune of $300,000 over six<br />
years. Given that track record, a charity truck<br />
felt like a good fit — provided they could come<br />
up with the right cause. Wanting the widest buyin<br />
possible, company leadership turned to the<br />
workforce for input.<br />
“We surveyed our employees, first thing,”<br />
Wolfrum said. “We put the idea out there and<br />
said, ‘We’re going to do this charity truck idea.<br />
We’ve not preselected any charity or foundation.<br />
Let us know what affects you.’ We got a ton of<br />
results in, and I’ll say an overwhelming majority<br />
mentioned autism affecting their lives in one<br />
way or another.<br />
“So, it was pretty clear to us that that’s what<br />
we wanted to do,” he explained. “At that point,<br />
we went to work doing some research and trying<br />
to understand the best way to go about it,<br />
from the design and what we wanted to support.<br />
That’s kind of how that all started.”<br />
The truck hit the road in September 2020<br />
and since then has racked up 40,000 miles. Wolfrum<br />
said the decision was made to let the truck<br />
preach awareness rather than promote a specific<br />
organization, with the money going to projects<br />
that have a local impact.<br />
“We had someone local in the community<br />
who reached out to me who has a child with<br />
autism,” he said. “We have what’s called a<br />
splash pad, a local park with all the water<br />
toys and all that. There’s no fence around this<br />
splash pad, and children with autism tend to<br />
wander and they’re kind of hard to contain<br />
sometimes.<br />
“So, our first project we’re taking on is we’re<br />
going to build a fence around this splash pad,<br />
probably in the spring, and we’re going to fund<br />
that partially from the funds of this truck,” he<br />
continued. “The cost of that is probably going to<br />
be a little bit more than what we’ve contributed<br />
this first year with the truck alone, so we’re going<br />
to lead the fundraising efforts and get some<br />
other companies in the community involved to<br />
finalize that project.”<br />
Response to the truck has been so good, company<br />
leadership followed it up with a specially<br />
wrapped trailer, this time bringing awareness to<br />
domestic violence and human trafficking. The<br />
idea was brought to Keller’s management by<br />
the local chapter of anti-domestic violence nonprofit<br />
Zonta International.<br />
Lacey Spangler, a member of the local organization<br />
praised the company for getting on<br />
board with the effort, adding that the eye-catching<br />
graphics, which include a hotline number to<br />
report incidents of trafficking or for victims of<br />
abuse to get help, can save lives.<br />
Features February 15-28, 2021 • 25<br />
Courtesy: Thomas E. Keller Trucking<br />
Response to Keller’s “charity truck” was so good that the company leadership followed<br />
it up with a specially wrapped trailer, this time bringing awareness to domestic violence<br />
and human trafficking.<br />
“I think that just shows great initiative on<br />
their part, to help with an issue that is ongoing<br />
and that does involve the trucking industry,”<br />
Spangler said. “There’s so much involved with<br />
trafficking that can occur in trucks, with trucking<br />
as a front. I think it says a lot [about Keller] to be<br />
involved in the community and to help the community<br />
and then, to stand up and say we realize<br />
this is an issue and we’re going to put ourselves<br />
out there to help bring some light to it.<br />
“We want people to know there is help out<br />
there,” she said. “Putting that information on a<br />
truck that drives across the state and across the<br />
country really gets that message out there.”<br />
The company plans to keep the charity truck<br />
in circulation at least until the rig is traded out,<br />
usually after five years of service. Regardless,<br />
Wolfrum said, the spirit of community service<br />
and philanthropy will always be part of how the<br />
company does business.<br />
“We support our employees who are in the<br />
community, and it comes full circle,” he said.<br />
“We’ve got a ton of social media interaction<br />
on this — and while that wasn’t intent per se,<br />
it shows we’ve got people looking out for the<br />
truck. They see the truck, they go on our Facebook<br />
page and post. We just really get great acceptance<br />
to it.<br />
“We’ve always been committed to our employees<br />
first and then our community. The support<br />
that we’ve seen from this has really been<br />
overwhelming,” he concluded. 8<br />
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Drivers and Owner-<br />
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