TLA49_AllPages

TANKER DRIVER SHORTAGE | INSURANCE SHOPPING | REUNITED: IN-PERSON MEETINGS 

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION o f t h e TRUCKLOAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION 

JULY/AUGUST 2021 

JEOPARDIZED 

BUSINESS MODEL | 6 

PRO Act may not have pros 

for independent contractors 

A SIGN OF THE TIMES? | 8 

Apprenticeship would allow 

18- to 20-year-olds 

to drive interstate routes 

JUST A 

CRACK? 

A SYSTEM 

THAT WORKS | 12 

As VMT research continues, 

federal fuel tax hike 

a viable solution 

Fracture in I-40 Memphis bridge brings critical 

discussion of declining infrastructure | 10

For almost 100 years, Protective Insurance has been in the business of 

safety. That’s what insurance is all about – keeping businesses, their assets 

and their people safe. 

When you work with Protective, you’re working with experienced professionals 

focused on the transportation and logistics communities. It’s what we do. 

2 TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY | WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG TCA JULY/AUGUST 2021

PRESIDENT’S PURVIEW 

The New Normal 

Greetings from the end of the tunnel! 

I write this having just returned to the Truckload Carriers Association 

offices from an incredibly successful first post-pandemic 

in-person event, the 40th Annual Safety & Security Meeting 

held June 6-8 in St. Louis. Attendees enjoyed educational sessions 

focused on the latest safety issues; panel discussions highlighting 

diverse perspectives ranging from drivers to leading safety directors, 

radio personalities, and regulatory experts; had a chance to 

engage with exhibitors to find out the latest on products and services 

with a safety focus; and, most importantly, reconnect with old 

friends and create new relationships. 

With the highest attendance we’ve seen at a Safety & Security 

Meeting since the early 2010s, it seems our members were just as 

eager to see each other as our staff was. Perhaps most exciting of all, 

the event welcomed over 100 first-time attendees, truly a testament 

to the hard work and dedication of TCA staffers over the course of 

the pandemic. Initial reviews of the meeting have been overwhelmingly 

positive, and we encourage all attendees to reach out to us 

with any feedback to help us continue to fine-tune future events. The 

opportunity ahead of us is present in providing all members with the 

education and tools to aggressively tackle the challenges carriers are 

facing daily. Delivering these is exactly what we will do. 

As the world continues to reopen, help us keep the momentum 

going and join us at one of our upcoming events. TCA’s Annual Refrigerated 

Meeting will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 14-16, 

and Truckload 2021: Las Vegas, our annual convention, will be held 

September 25-28 at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort. 

Turns out, the “new normal” might just be all right. 

John Lyboldt 

President 

Truckload Carriers Association 

jlyboldt@truckload.org 

John Lyboldt 

TCA President 

PRESIDENT’S PICKS 

Persistent Legislators 

Failing to win OK in previous sessions, 

lawmakers hope four bills will finally 

become law. 

Page 14 

Off to a Quick Start 

Jim Ward’s term at TCA chairman is off at a 

rapid pace, and it doesn’t look like the next 

few weeks will be any different. 

Page 28 

A Moving Memorial 

TCA continues its partnership with The Wall 

That Heals to bring a mobile monument to 

cities across the country. 

Page 36 

TCA JULY/AUGUST 2021 WWW.TRUCKLOAD.ORG | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 3

Easily search your 

yard for trailers 

untethered for 

extended periods. 

Confirm trailers 

carrying full or 

partial load in 

real time. 

Alert: Door Open 

event outside of 

normal operating 

hours. 

More control, mile after mile 

Alert: Tire Inflation 

System has been 

demanding air 

for more than 10 

minutes. 

“I see your shipment’s 

location and can 

confirm the delivery 

ETA is on schedule.” 

More often than not, managing your fleet means dealing with the unexpected disruptions 

that take over your day. But there’s another way. Our OEM-developed trailer telematics 

platform gives you real-world, real-time visibility into your entire fleet. With its built-in 

sensors and user-friendly interface, the FleetPulse TM platform gives you the information 

you need, when you need it, to make faster, better decisions for an optimized fleet. 

Learn more at www.fleet-pulse.com 

Monitor 

entire fleet in 

real time 

On-demand 

trailer level 

data 

Time-saving 

automated 

alerts

555 E. Braddock Road, 

Alexandria, VA 22314 

Phone: (703) (703) 838-1950 

Fax: Fax: (703) 836-6610 

www.truckload.org 

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 

Jim Ward, President 

CHAIRMAN D.M. Bowman, OF THE BOARD Inc. 

Dennis Dellinger, President and CEO 

PRESIDENT 

Cargo Transporters, VICE PRESIDENT Inc. - GOV’T AFFAIRS 

John Lyboldt 

Dave Heller 

PRESIDENT 

VICE PRESIDENT - GOV’T AFFAIRS 


dheller@truckload.org 

J o 

hn Lyboldt 

Dave Heller 


dheller@truckload.org 

VP- OPERATIONS AND EDUCATION VP-MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH 

VP - James J. Schoonover 

Zander Gambill 

OPERATIONS AND EDUCATION 

VP-MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH 

jschoonover@truckload.org zgambill@truckload.org 

James J. Schoonover 

Zander Gambill 

jschoonover@truckload.org 

MANAGER - GOV’T AFFAIRS SENIOR zgambill@truckload.org 

DIRECTOR - OUTREACH 

Kathryn Pobre 

Marli Hall 

MANAGER kpobre@truckload.org 

- GOV’T AFFAIRS 

SENIOR DIRECTOR - OUTREACH 

mhall@truckload.org 

Kathryn Sanner 

Marli Hall 

ksanner@truckload.org MGR. - DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 

mhall@truckload.org 

Hunter Livesay 

MGR. - DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 

hlivesay@truckload.org 

Hunter Livesay 

FIRST VICE CHAIR 

hlivesay@truckload.org TREASURER 

John Elliott, CEO 

Karen Smerchek, President 

FIRST Load VICE One, CHAIR LLC 

Veriha TREASURER Trucking, Inc 

Jim Ward, President and CEO 

David Williams, Executive VP 

D.M. SECOND Bowman, VICE CHAIR 

Inc. 

Knight VICE Transportation 

CHAIR TO ATA 

David Williams, Executive VP Joey Hogan, President & Chief 

SECOND VICE CHAIR 

VICE CHAIR TO ATA 

Knight-Swift Transportation Adm. Officer, Covenant Transport 

John Elliott, CEO 

Joey Hogan, Co-Pres. & Chief Adm. Officer 

IMMEDIATE Load One, PAST LLC CHAIR 

Covenant 

SECRETARY 

Transport 

Dennis Dellinger, President/CEO Pete Hill, Vice President 

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR 

SECRETARY 

Cargo Transporters, Inc. Hill Bros. Transportation, Inc. 

Josh Kaburick, CEO 

Pete Hill, Vice President 

Earl L. Henderson AT-LARGE Trucking OFFICER 

Co., Inc. 

Hill Brothers AT-LARGE Transportation, OFFICER 

Inc. 

John Culp, President 

Ed Nagle, President 

AT-LARGE Maverick OFFICER USA 

AT-LARGE Nagle Toledo, OFFICER Inc. 

John Culp, President 

Ed Nagle, President 

AT-LARGE Maverick OFFICER 

USA 

Nagle AT-LARGE Toledo, OFFICER 

Inc. 

Jon Coca, President Mark Seymour, President/CEO 

AT-LARGE OFFICER 

AT-LARGE OFFICER 

Diamond Transportation System, Inc. Kriska Transportation Group 

Karen Smerchek, President 

Jon Coca, President 

Veriha Trucking, Inc. AT-LARGE Diamond OFFICER 

Transportation System, Inc. 

Trevor Kurtz, General Manager 

Brian Kurtz Trucking, Inc. 

publication are not necessarily those of TCA. 

In exclusive partnership with: 

The viewpoints and opinions quoted in articles in this 

publication are not necessarily those of TCA. 

In exclusive partnership with: 

1123 S. University Ave., Ste 325, Little Rock, AR 72204 

Phone: (800) 666-2770 • Fax: (501) 666-0700 

1123 S. University, Ave., Ste 325, Little Rock, AR 72204 

Phone: (501) 666-0500 • www.TheTrucker.com 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

GENERAL MGR. TRUCKING DIV 

CHIEF Bobby EXECUTIVE RalstonOFFICER 

Megan GENERAL Cullingford-Hicks MANAGER 

bobbyr@thetruckermedia.com 

Bobby Ralston 

meganh@thetruckermedia.com 

Megan Hicks 

bobbyr@thetruckermedia.com meganh@thetruckermedia.com 

EDITOR 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Lyndon EDITOR 

Finney 

MANAGING Wendy Miller EDITOR 

lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com 

Lyndon Finney 

wendym@thetruckermedia.com 

Wendy Miller 

lyndonf@thetruckermedia.com wendym@thetruckermedia.com 

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

STAFF WRITER + PRODUCTION 

Kris Rutherford 

Linda Garner-Bunch 

krisr@thetruckermedia.com 

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR STAFF lindag@thetruckermedia.com 

WRITER + COPY EDITOR 

Christie McCluer 

Linda Garner-Bunch 

christie.mccluer@thetruckermedia.com 

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT lindag@thetruckermedia.com 


Cliff Abbott 

Sam Pierce 

cliffa@thetruckermedia.com 

STAFF WRITER 

samp@thetruckermedia.com 


Hannah Butler 

Cliff Abbott 

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER 

PRODUCTION MGR. + ART DIRECTOR 

hannahb@thetruckermedia.com cliffa@thetruckermedia.com 

Meg Larcinese 

Rob Nelson 

megl@thetruckermedia.com 

robn@thetruckermedia.com 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Cody Graves | Dwain Hebda 

PRODUCTION 

PRODUCTION 

Meg Larcinese 

Christie McCluer 

Leanne Hunter 


GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

christie.mccluer@thetruckermedia.com 

leanne@thetruckermedia.com 

Leanne Hunter 

For advertising opportunities, contact Meg Larcinese at 

For advertising megl@targetmediapartners.com 

opportunities, contact Meg Larcinese at 

megl@thetruckermedia.com. 

© 2021 Wilshire Classifieds LLC, all rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission 

prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All advertisements 

and editorial © 2020 Target 

materials Media 

are Partners, 

accepted all 

and rights 

published reserved. 

by Truckload Reproduction 

Authority without 

and written 

its exclusive permission 

part- 

prohibited. 

All advertisements 

ner, and The editorial Trucker materials Media are Group, accepted on the andrepresentation published by that Truckload the advertiser, Authorityits and advertising its exclusive company 

partner, 

Trucker the supplier Publications, of editorial on the materials representation are authorized that theto advertiser, publish the itsentire advertising contents company and subject 

and/ 

and/or matter or the thereof. supplierThe of editorial publisher materials reserves the are right authorized to accept to publish or reject the any entire art from contents client. and Such subject entities 

matter and/or thereof. their agents will defend, indemnify and hold Truckload Authority, Truckload Such Carriers 

entities 

and/or their Target agents Media will Partners, defend, and indemnify its subsidiaries and hold included, Truckload by Authority, not limited Truckload to, The Trucker 

Carri- 

Association, Media ers Association, 

Group, harmless Target Media 

from and Partners, 

against and 

any its 

loss, subsidiaries 

expense, included, 

or other trademark by not limited 

infringement to, Trucker 

and 

Publications Inc., harmless from and against any loss, expense, or other liability resulting from 

any other claims claims or suits or suits for for libel, libel, violations violations of of privacy, privacy, plagiarism, plagiarism, copyright copyright or or trademark infringement 

and any other claims or suits that may rise out of publication of such advertisements and/or 

editorial materials. Press releases are expressly covered within the definition of editorial materials. 



On the The Road New to Normal Normalcy with John with Lyboldt John Lyboldt | 3 

| 3 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

Jeopardized Senate Showdown Business Model | 6 | 6 

A Capitol Sign of the Recap Times? | 10 | 8 

Just a Crack? | 10 

TRACKING THE TRENDS 

A System that Works | 12 

Persistent Finally Flexible Legislators | 16 | 14 

Mayday, 

Capitol Mayday! 

Recap | 16 

| 18 

Accountability Factor | 20 

$64,000 Question | 22 


Double Whammy | 22 

A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN | 24 

Shopping for Liability Insurance | 24 

Quick to React with Dennis Dellinger 

Getting Social | 26 

TALKING TCA 

A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN 

Carrier Profile with National Carriers, Inc. | 30 

Best Fleets to Off Drive to a Quick For with Start Nussbaum with Jim Ward Transportation | 28 

| 32 

Best Fleets to Drive For with Boyle Transportation | 34 

Fleet Safety Award with Bison Transport | 36 

TALKING TCA 

Fleet Safety Award with Erb International |38 

A Moving Memorial | 36 

Member Mailroom: Be Heard in Washington |40 

Reunited: A Return to In-person Meetings | 38 

Small Talk |41 

Member Mailroom: Government New Members 

Affairs | 

Team 46 

at the Ready | 39 

Become TCA Logbook a Rigster | 40 

46 

Truckload New Academy Members | Online| 46 

46 

Ambassador Club Honorees | 46 

JULY/AUGUST 2020 2021 

T H E R O A D M A P 

REACHING TRUCKING’S TOP EXECUTIVES 

“ 

I love receiving Truckload 

Authority. TLA is always a GREAT 

RESOURCE, with TIMELY and 

RELEVANT INFORMATION that 

helps NAVIGATE our industry. I 

always make the time to READ it 

COVER to COVER.” 

— Ed Nagle, President, Nagle Toledo, Inc. 


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

JEOPARDIZED 

business 

MODEL 

PRO Act may not have pros 

for independent contractors 

By Hannah Butler 

The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is set to be a big 

win for unions and pro-union supporters. However, a nugget included 

in that legislation is set to change the way owner-operators, and the 

companies that employ them, do business. 

The PRO Act proposes a three-pronged test, also known as the ABC 

test, for determining independent contractor status: 

A. The individual is free from control and direction in connection 

with the performance of the service, both under the contract for the 

performance of service and in fact; 

B. The service is performed outside the usual course of the business 

of the employer; and 

C. The individual is customarily engaged in an independently established 

trade, occupation, profession, or business of the same nature as 

that involved in the service performed. 

The PRO Act can be easily compared to California’s Assembly Bill 5 

(AB5), which passed in 2019. AB5 holds the same prongs for independent 

contractors to meet as the PRO Act. 

With the ABC test, if an independent contractor works with a business 

that transports goods, that will qualify as “the same course of 

business” and would fail to meet the “B” prong of the test. Under the 

PRO Act, those contractors could no longer be considered independent, 

but instead would be treated as employees. 

“If you’re a trucking company, and your job is to deliver freight, 

why would you hire an independent contractor to deliver that freight?” 

asked the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Vice President of 

Government Affairs David Heller. “This law would say that you aren’t 

allowed to do that. You would have to make independent contractors 

employees, and quite frankly, they don’t want to be employees. This 

PRO Act jeopardizes that business model and would actually put an end 

to the trucking version of the American dream.” 

The bill changes the original definition of independent contractors, 

generally considered as those whose payers have the right to control 

the result of the work, but not what will be done or how it will be done, 

according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

The PRO Act is part of President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan — 

an overarching infrastructure proposal — but it could actually overturn 

jobs in the trucking industry. 

Facebook groups — Mayday 2020 and The 

Disrespected Trucker — held a protest 

May 1-3 in Indianapolis to bring attention 

to their opposition to the PRO Act. Many 

owner-operators oppose the PRO Act 

because it eliminates their opportunity to 

maintain an independent contractor status 

because of the second prong of the ABC 

test that would be required under the act. 


Lisa Schmitt and her husband, Lee, own a truck and are leased 

to a motor carrier. 

“We have two choices,” shared Schmitt. “We can either quit 

trucking — which is what a lot of (owner-operators) will do — or 

get your own authority, and that’s not always the best way.” 

Jeremy Johnson, a truck driver and administrator of the Facebook 

group The Disrespected Trucker, has already decided he will 

leave the trucking industry if the PRO Act is implemented. He owns 

his truck and is leased to a company that primarily uses owneroperators. 

“Guys like me, lease-term owner-operators, will have to go get 

our own authority and insurance and we — or I can’t — afford to 

go buy my own trailer and get my own insurance paid for my own 

authority,” said Johnson. 

Johnson has been organizing protests at state capitals regarding 

the PRO Act and other issues in the trucking industry for three 

years. Most recently, he helped to organize a “May Day” protest, 

held May 1-3 in Indianapolis, to bring awareness to many truckers’ 

opposition to the PRO Act. 

“This will completely upend the trucking industry,” he said. 

It is unclear whether owner-operators will be forced to get their 

own authority, according to Owner-Operator Independent Drivers 

Association (OOIDA) Director of Legislative Affairs Bryce Mongeon. 

However, he does suspect the costs associated under the 

PRO Act will be prevalent for companies who must hire independent 

contractors as employees, as well as for independent contractors 

who have made the investments of buying equipment. 

To complicate the matter, companies would be required to provide 

the newly elected employees benefits and an equitable pay 

structure. Many companies could not afford this. 

Diamond Transportation Systems, Inc. President and TCA Officer 

Jon Coca confirmed that the PRO Act could mean unemployment. 

“We run a much bigger risk of simply having to close our doors,” 

he said. “Our insurance and benefits would have to stretch much 

longer than they are, and we’d have to redo all of our contracts. I 

don’t know if that’s feasible, when they’re owning their own equipment. 

To pay them a certain percentage of earnings or margins that 

are already so small and tight, the added extra expense to us would 

put us under.” 

Many other carriers using an independent contractor business 

model could also be at risk. 

However, Coca, TCA, and OOIDA said it is unlikely the PRO Act 

will ever pass. The bill did pass in the U.S. House of Representatives 

March 9; however, it is unclear when it will be moved out of the U.S. 

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

In order to pass the Senate, there must be 60 votes to overcome 

a filibuster that may be proposed by opponents of the bill. This 

would mean there must be 10 Republicans supporting the bill for 

it to pass. 

California’s AB5 had been blocked from being enforced against 

motor carriers after a request from the California Trucking Association 

(CTA) to place a preliminary injunction. 

However, an April 28 ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 

overturned the injunction, and CTA has asked for a rehearing of 

the case. 

The national-level PRO Act is dedicated to reshaping certain 

labor laws and would also eliminate right-to-work protections, 

which prohibit employees from being persuaded to pay union fees 

as a result of their employment. Twenty-seven states have rightto-work 

laws. 

THE 

problem 

PRONG 

The B prong of the ABC 

test involved in defining 

an employee states 

that, “The service is 

performed outside 

the usual course of 

the business of the 

employer.” This would 

classify owner-operators 

as employees instead of 

independent contractors. 

The PRO Act could also prevent an employer from replacing a 

worker who has gone on strike, paving the way for more picketing 

and strikes, and allow a panel to broker agreements if an issue has 

not been resolved within 120 days. 

“It would allow independent contractors the right to organize, 

which basically says it would allow them the right to become a 

union — which quite frankly is the very antithesis of what an independent 

contractor is, because they are their own businessman,” 

added Heller. “They negotiate their own rates; they advocate their 

own time; and allowing them to become union would be the direct 

opposite of what they actually want to be.” 


A Sign of the Times? 

Congress proposes program to allow 18- to 20-year-old interstate drivers 

By Lyndon Finney and Dwain Hebda 

Allow us, please, a trucking interpretation of Petula Clark’s 1966 

“Sign of the Times.” 

“It’s a sign of the times 

“ 

That your love (the need for 

more drivers) for me (motor carriers) 

is getting so much stronger 

It’s a sign of the times 

And I know that I won’t have to 

wait much longer (introduction of 

the DRIVE Safe Act).” 

Since at least 2000, the cry of 

motor carriers to do away with 

the rule that restricts commercial 

driver’s license (CDL) holders between 

18 and 20 years of age to 

intrastate routes only has been 

ongoing. 

On October 2, 2000, the Truckload 

Carriers Association (TCA) 

petitioned the newly created 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to conduct a 

younger driver pilot program. Motor carriers, truck driver training 

schools, a trade association, and an insurance company joined in 

the petition asking FMCSA to authorize a pilot program to determine 

if commercial motor vehicle drivers under age 21 could operate 

commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) safely in interstate commerce. 

On June 9, 2003, FMCSA denied the TCA petition stating that “the 

agency does not have sufficient information at this time to make 

a determination that the safety measures in the pilot program are 

We’re located in Findlay, Ohio, which 

is Northwest Ohio. I can hire an 18-year-old 

to go to Cincinnati and be compliant. That’s 

about 250 miles intrastate, but I can’t send 

them to Detroit, Michigan, which is less than 

100 miles away. It just makes no sense. It’s 

not a good regulation, so it needs to change.” 

— Sherri Garner Brumbaugh 

Garner Trucking President and ATA’s Chair 

designed to achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, 

the level of safety provided by complying with the minimum 21-year 

age requirement to operate a CMV (in interstate commerce).” 

The discussion about allowing 

under-21 CDL holders to drive interstate 

routes continued, with the 

most recent advancement in 2016 

when the FMCSA announced a pilot 

program to allow military CDL 

holders under 21 to operate a CMV 

in interstate commerce when they 

left military service. 

When that failed to generate 

much interest, the FMCSA in late 

2020 proposed a second pilot to 

include non-military drivers 18 to 

20 years old. 

The second pilot ran head-on 

into the presidential election cycle, 

and the Biden administration has 

likely chosen to scrap it, sources told Truckload Authority. 

Now comes the bipartisan Developing Responsible Individuals 

for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE-Safe) Act, introduced in March by 

Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Sens. Tom 

Cotton (R-AR), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Angus King (I-ME), Joe Manchin 

(D-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) joined 

as original co-sponsors of the bill, which would require U.S. Department 

of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to promulgate 

regulations relating to (CMV) drivers under the age of 21. 


Age of Driver Origin Point 

Allowed Destination & 

Distance from Origin Point 

Unallowed Destination & 

Distance from Origin Point 

18 

18 Findlay, OH 

New Albany, IN Gary, IN - 200 miles Louisville, KY - 2 miles 

Cincinnati, OH - 

250 miles 

Detroit - < 100 miles 

“Today, 18-year-olds can drive more than 200 miles from New 

Albany, Indiana, to Gary and back, but they aren’t allowed to drive 

2 miles from New Albany to Louisville, Kentucky,” said Young. “The 

DRIVE-Safe Act will eliminate this ridiculous regulation, and in doing 

so, address the driver shortage while providing new career opportunities 

for young Hoosiers.” 

The apprenticeship program established 

by the DRIVE-Safe Act 

“ 

would 

require young drivers to complete at 

least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 

hours of driving time with an experienced 

driver in the cab with them. 

All trucks used for training in the 

program must be equipped with safety 

technology including active braking collision 

mitigation systems, a video event 

capture system, and a speed governor 

set at 65 miles per hour or below. 

Garner Trucking President and American 

Trucking Association’s Chair Sherri 

Garner Brumbaugh is pleased with the 

bipartisan support, noting that senators 

and members of the House have said they are in favor of the bill. 

“They recognize in their districts that there is a truck driver shortage, 

and this could potentially be an opportunity to help trucking 

companies bring in the next generation,” said Brumbaugh, who 

praised the increased training regulations set for in the bill. “This 

would fill a terrible void because we need almost 70,000 more drivers 

than we have today, and that number is only going to increase 

because of our aging workforce.” 

National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools 

(NAPFTDS) Executive Director Martin Garsee said his organization 

supports or is in favor of the legislation. 

“We totally agree with the parameters of the electronics that are 

required, the length of training,” said Martin. 

NAPFTDS members are also seeking candidates who are compatible 

with the job. 

“Compatibility is a good word because we have 50-year-olds who 

don’t need to be driving a truck,” he added. 

Does Brumbaugh feel 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds can drive interstate 

commerce safely so as long as they are properly trained? 

“Absolutely,” she said. 

Garner Trucking has no 18- to 20-year-old CDL holders, and a 

primary reason is the size of Ohio. 

“We’re located in Findlay, Ohio, which is Northwest Ohio,” explained 

Brumbaugh. “I can 

hire an 18-year-old to go to 

We’ve been talking about the 

shortage for many, many years. The average 

age of the driver is not getting younger, 

even though we’re training thousands 

of drivers, the average age needle is not 

moving downward substantially.” 

— Martin Garsee 

(NAPFTDS) Executive Director 

Cincinnati and be compliant. 

That’s about 250 miles intrastate, 

but I can’t send them 

to Detroit, Michigan, which 

is less than 100 miles away. 

It just makes no sense. It’s 

not a good regulation, so it 

needs to change.” 

Garsee echoed Brumbaugh’s 

feelings. 

“I think it’s one of the big 

things in trucking that we 

have to address,” he said. 

“We’ve been talking about 

the shortage for many, many years. The average age of the drivers 

is not getting younger, even though we’re training thousands of 

drivers, the average age needle is not moving downward substantially.” 

Then there’s that age old adage that high school graduates know 

they can’t become over-the-road drivers until they are 21 years old. 

As Garsee noted, they take a job, are quickly trained and entrenched 

in a new career while truck driver seats sit empty. 

“We need to have that opportunity for those people,” said Garsee, 

“so they can make a career out of driving a truck. We have to 

capture that younger person.” 

So here we are, 21 years after TCA first petitioned the FMCSA to 

do something to allow 18- to 20-year-old men and women to drive 

interstate routes. TCA also currently supports the new legislation. 

Could Congress’ intervention into the driver debate be a badlyneeded 

“sign of the times?” 

Hopefully, it is. 


JUST A CRACK? 

Fracture in I-40 Memphis bridge brings critical 

discussion of declining infrastructure 

By Truckload Authority Staff 

& The Associated Press 

Commercial vehicle operators are accustomed to the occasional 

delay due to traffic, and trucking companies are typically prepared 

to handle intermittent delays due to road closures. However, when 

the Hernando de Soto bridge on Interstate 40, a key link across 

the Mississippi River at the Arkansas and Tennessee state line, 

was suddenly closed to traffic on May 11, this critical passage into 

Memphis, Tennessee, became a national concern. 

The I-40 bridge connecting Memphis and the Arkansas city of 

West Memphis was shut down immediately after inspectors found 

a fracture in one of two 900-foot horizontal steel beams that are 

critical for the bridge’s structural integrity. 

Since traffic has been rerouted to the nearby I-55 bridge in Memphis, 

commercial truck drivers have endured heavy delays on the 

I-55 bridge, or they have been forced to use two other bridges that 

cross the river to the north and south of Memphis. The next closest 

crossings are about 60 miles to the south near Lula, Mississippi, 

and 100 miles to the north near Dyersburg, Tennessee. 

I-40 is a key artery for U.S. commerce, running from North Carolina 

to California, and Memphis is a key national infrastructure hub, 

featuring five major rail lines, an inland river port, and one of the 

world’s busiest cargo airports. When the 48-year-old, six-lane I-40 

bridge is open, about 50,000 vehicles travel across it daily, with 

about a quarter of those being commercial trucks, Tennessee transportation 

officials have said. 

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) on May 14, 

said an image captured by an inspector’s drone video in May 2019 

showed evidence of damage on the lower side of the bridge, the same 

area as the fracture that was discovered in May of this year. Shortly 

thereafter, the ARDOT inspector in charge of the 2019 inspection was 

terminated from his position with the department. 

Engineers have already completed Phase 1 of the repairs, which 

involved installing steel plates on each side of the fractured beam. 

Phase 2 of the project, which includes removing and replacing the 

damaged piece of the beam, remains ongoing. 

Following the closure of the I-40 bridge, inspectors studied the 

four-lane, 71-year-old I-55 bridge and determined it can withstand 

the increased traffic caused by the closure of the I-40 bridge, said 

Tennessee Transportation Commissioner Clay Bright. 

A timetable for the I-40 bridge’s reopening has not been officially 

set, but Bright said construction is expected to run at least 

into late July. 

The bridge closure has made trips longer and more expensive for 

commercial truck drivers seeking to get across the river on the three 

open regional bridges. Trucking companies have changed work 

times for drivers, while truckers are adjusting their travel routes, 

often on the fly. 

As a result of the delays, food warehouses are having trouble 

servicing restaurants in eastern Arkansas, said Ozark Motor Lines’ 

Chief Financial Officer Jason Higginbotham. He also shared that his 

company was having trouble receiving timely diesel fuel deliveries. 

Left: The Interstate 40 bridge connecting Memphis and the Arkansas city of West Memphis was shut down May 11 immediately after inspectors found a fracture in one of two 900-foot 

horizontal steel beams that are critical for the bridge’s structural integrity. Right: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg toured the closed Hernando de Soto bridge on June 3. 


“ 

— 

When that cost is added, then who does that 

cost get passed down to? It gets passed down to 

our consumers, as well as our shippers.” 

Donna England, Tennessee Trucking Association President 

Tennessee Trucking Association President Donna England said the bridge 

closure is making it more expensive for companies to operate during an 

ongoing truck driver shortage. The Arkansas Trucking Association has estimated 

the closure is costing the industry about $2 million a day. 

“When that cost is added, then who does that cost get passed down 

to?” said England. “It gets passed down to our consumers, as well as our 

shippers.” 

Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton said the trip 

on the I-40 bridge between the two states averaged eight minutes. Since 

the I-40 bridge closure, trips on the I-55 bridge being used as the closest 

alternate route have averaged 84 minutes. 

In an inspection for the 2020 National Bridge Inventory report, the Federal 

Highway Administration (FWHA) said the I-40 bridge checked out in “fair” 

condition overall, with all primary structure elements sound and only some 

minor cracks and chips in the overall structure. Its structural evaluation 

was determined to be “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate 

being left in place as is.” 

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled 

to Tennessee on June 3 to learn how the closure has affected freight 

movement since it was shut down. 

Buttigieg met with regional transportation officials at a FedEx Corp. 

facility in Memphis before a tour of the Hernando de Soto bridge. Shipping 

giant FedEx operates its massive fleet of airplanes and trucks out 

of its headquarters in Memphis. 

Buttigieg’s visit came as negotiations continued between President 

Joe Biden, House and Senate Democrats, and the GOP to finalize a 

national infrastructure package. Biden had proposed a broad $1.7 

trillion infrastructure package, while Republican members of Congress 

want a narrower investment in roads, highways, and other 

traditional public works projects. The cracked bridge serves as a 

symbol of bridge decay in the U.S., which federal transportation 

officials have said has 45,000 bridges in poor condition and faces a 

trillion-dollar backlog in repairs. 

Officials note that making the I-40 bridge safe for traffic should be 

the main goal, with maintaining the flow of interstate commerce and 

commuter traffic as other priorities. 

“Safety is at the heart of what’s happened at the de Soto bridge,” 

Buttigieg stressed during the discussion at FedEx. “I know that the 

protracted closure has been frustrating, it has been difficult, it has 

been challenging, and it has been costly.” 

Attending the meeting with Buttigieg at FedEx were U.S. Sen. Marsha 

Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9). They 

heard from members of the trucking industry about problems caused 

by the shutdown. 

In a letter to Biden days after the bridge’s closure, Republican U.S. 

Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee said the shutdown is “affecting the lives 

and livelihoods of real people right now.” 

Arkansas’ two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and John Boozman, 

have said they’re concerned about the impact the bridge’s closure 

will have on the economy and have indicated they want an infrastructure 

package that’s focused on traditional public works projects, 

such as the Hernando de Soto bridge. 


A SYSTEM 

THAT WORKS 

As VMT research continues, a federal 

fuel tax hike is a viable solution 


As road user charge pilot 

programs on trucks are 

being tested by state 

departments of transportation 

across the nation, a truck-only 

vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 

tax is being proposed by 

government officials. 


Most recently, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas floated the idea 

of a 25-cent tax on every mile driven by heavy trucks to bring in an estimated 

$33 billion a year. 

“We’ve got to come up with some money from somewhere,” he said in a 

Senate Finance Committee on May 18. Cornyn referenced the need to build 

up the federal infrastructure fund, primarily financed by the federal fuel tax. 

Double Diamond Transport Inc.’s CEO and Co-founder and the Truckload 

Carriers Association’s (TCA) Highway Policy Committee Chairman 

Adam Blanchard agrees with the need to generate funds, but not the 

method in which to do it. 

“There’s no doubt that we need to improve our infrastructure and our 

highways in the United States, and we are in full support of making that 

happen,” said Blanchard. “But we certainly don’t believe we need to be the 

folks to bear the entire brunt of the funding.” 

His viewpoint is shared by other trucking organizations such as TCA, 

the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), and the 

American Trucking Associations (ATA). Blanchard also opposes all forms 

of VMTs. 

“We simply need to raise the gas tax,” he said. “At the very least, we 

need to index the gas tax to inflation.” 

The federal fuel tax — currently 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 

24.4 cents on diesel — has not been increased since 1993, and as it stands 

now, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) will be exhausted by 2022. 

This comes in the midst of research on VMTs from The Eastern Transportation 

Coalition (TETC), formerly known as the I-95 Corridor Coalition. 

The mileage-based user fee research is funded by the Surface 

Transportation System Funding Alternative (STSFA) Program authorized 

by former President Barack Obama in 2015. TETC, along with other state 

departments of transportation, were granted STSFA funding to create 

pilot programs of road user charge systems. 

Although Blanchard does not support implementation of a VMT system, 

he said he would like to see more research on VMTs. 

“There really hasn’t been enough attention focused on the trucking 

industry as we’re looking at a way to fund transportation,” said TETC’s 

Executive Director Trish Hendren. “That is of concern to the coalition. 

We’ve been working with the trucking industry throughout our 25-year 

history, and we understand that it’s a very complex, very diverse and 

heavily regulated industry that faces a lot of fees.” 

So far, the coalition has conducted two mileage-based user fee 

(MBUF) studies, one in 2018-19 and another in 2020-21. While the coalition 

is still awaiting results and data from the second pilot program, 

the first showed key findings that an MBUF still requires more research 

before implementation. 

The first truck pilot consisted of 55 trucks that traveled more than 

1,430,000 miles across 27 states during the six-month program period. 

Those 55 trucks included 10 of Blanchard’s trucks from Double Diamond 

Transport. 

The coalition collaborated with EROAD, a fleet management and tracking 

systems research partner, which created an in-vehicle device to compile 

MBUF data and streamline recordkeeping. 

“There’s going to be a range of providers, and that’s the way it needs to 

be,” Hendren said of a real-life VMT. 

It’s a system that works. It’s 

worked for decades. There 

are virtually no administrative 

costs to the government for the current taxing 

system. It’s never made sense to us why you 

need to create a whole new tax regime that’s 

going to cost millions of dollars to administer.” 

— Adam Blanchard, Double Diamond Transport Inc. CEO 

and Co-founder and the Truckload Carriers 

Association’s Highway Policy Committee Chairman 

The rates per mile in an MBUF system will have to take in account a range 

of average fuel efficiencies, the distance a truck can travel on a gallon of diesel, 

and states’ existing diesel taxes. For the pilot, TETC used an average of 

6 mpg. However, TETC found that an actual per-mile tax rate in an MBUF 

system would need to vary based on the type, age, and typical operating 

weight of trucks as well as the mileage traveled. 

From the first pilot, five key points were found: 

• Bringing the trucking industry’s voice to the table is essential; 

• Trucks cannot simply be treated as big cars in an MBUF system; 

• Existing regulations provide guidance for MBUF implementation; 

• One rate for all trucks does not work; and 

• There is a further need for education and outreach. 

Although Blanchard supports more research in the area of VMTs, his 

suggested funding mechanism would be to raise the federal fuel tax 

moving forward. 

“It’s a system that works. It’s worked for decades. There are virtually 

no administrative costs to the government for the current taxing system,” 

he added. “It’s never made sense to us why you need to create a 

whole new tax regime that’s going to cost millions of dollars to administer. 

The ability to administer a vehicle miles tax doesn’t even exist right 

now. Even more than that, I think what you’re going to find is that a VMT 

system will be rampant with fraud and non-reporting.” 

TETC’s further research includes analyzing the rate setting by developing 

per-mile rates for each state, taking into account weight variables for 

trucks, tolling systems, and improving operations of the pilot. 

Within future studies, Hendren said setting up enforcement and compliance 

of an MBUF would also be a goal for the coalition. 

“There is just a need to not treat cars and trucks the same,” she said. 

“If we move in this direction, everyone should do it. It shouldn’t be just 

one or two companies that follow the rules, so how do we as an industry 

set up enforcement and compliance in a way that is not burdensome? 

So, (we’re) talking to them about making it fair across the industry and 

making it set up in a way that is easy to fulfill.” 

The Eastern Transportation Coalition has sought to focus on what a vehicle miles 

traveled tax may look like for trucks in two pilot programs. 


PERSISTENT 

LEGISLATORS 

After failing to win approval in previous sessions, 

lawmakers hope four ideas will pass either alone 

or in a new highway bill 

By Lyndon Finney 

Mike Bost, Angie Craig, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Lucy McBath, John Katko, 

and Hank Johnson are not exactly household names in American politics. 

But the four Democrats and two Republicans are explicitly linked to the 

trucking industry in that they have reintroduced legislation in Congress 

dealing with automatic emergency braking (AEB), speed limiters, liability 

insurance, and truck parking. 

Since all four bills died with the close of the 116th Congress last year, 

there’s little chance any of the four will become law on their own. 

Their best chance might be to become part of a highway reauthorization 

bill to replace the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which 

expires September 30 at the end of a one-year extension. 

The best chances for a new highway bill might be considered two-fold: 

(1) The reauthorization bill Investing in a New Vision for the Environment 

and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, passed by the House 

Transportation & Infrastructure Committee along party lines and then included 

in the Moving Forward Act, which passed the full House in mid- 

2020, could become part of the Biden administration’s jobs bill, or (2) Congress 

could build on the Surface Transportation Act of 2021 passed by the 

Senate Environment and Public Works (EWP) Committee in May. (A new 

INVEST in America Act was introduced in the House June 4 and was scheduled 

for markup June 9. It calls for $549 billion in spending with $319 billion 

dedicated to roads and bridges. Republicans called the act “the majority’s 

new ‘My Way or the Highway Bill 2.0.’”) 

Given the political climate in Washington, neither of the two will likely 

materialize. 

The four pieces of legislation include: 

• The Safe Roads Act of 2021, introduced by Johnson (D-GA-4) and 

Garcia (D-IL-4), which would require all new tractors to have an automatic 

emergency braking (AEB) system; 

• The Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act, introduced 

by McBath (D-GA-6) and Katko (R-NY-24), which would limit the speed of 

heavy commercial motor vehicles and is commonly known as the speed 

limiter bill; 

• The INSURANCE Act, introduced by Garcia, which would increase the 

required amount of liability insurance carriers must purchase from the current 

$750,000 to almost $5 million, $3 million more than the minimum 

amount called for in the INVEST in America Act; and 

• The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, introduced by Bost (R-IL-12) 

and Craig (D-MN-2), which would set aside source funding from the U.S. 

Department of Transportation to create more parking in critical areas. 

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) supports three of the four, and 

the organization and its members have mixed reactions to how much the 

minimum liability insurance levels should be. 

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING 

As for AEB, most TCA carrier members already have the systems, which 

apply the brakes automatically when they sense a critical incident is about 

to occur, noted TCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller. 

“Obviously, we support it,” he said. “It’s proven technology that has 

deemed itself successful in terms of motor carrier operations and safety.” 

The bill does not require retrofitting any tractor that does not have the 

technology. 

It’s Johnson’s third attempt to get an AEB law. The first was in 2011, and 

the second was in 2015 after five Georgia Southern University nursing students 

died when a truck failed to stop and collided into traffic stopped on I-16. 

SPEED LIMITERS 

TCA’s speed limiter policy has long been in place, but the association is 

concerned about speeding in general, said Heller. 

“Speed is continually ranked as one of the highest causes of crashes 

across the country and we need to get that situation under control,” he 

shared. “Having a speed limiter on trucks certainly does not eliminate those 

accidents at 45 mph in a 25 mph work zone.” 

TCA’s policy says a truck’s maximum speed should be set at 65 mph or 

70 mph with the use of adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency 

braking. 

In 2016, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) asked 

Angie Craig 

John Katko 

Hank Johnson 

Lucy McBath 

Jesus “Chuy” Garcia 

Mike Bost 


for comments on a proposed speed limiter rule, but failed to get widespread 

support, primarily because it proposed three speeds — 60, 65, or 

68 mph — as possible limits and because critics said the FMCSA did not 

provide an explanation for those potential options. 

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was published in the Federal 

Register on August 29, 2016. Former President Donald Trump was 

elected November 8, 2016, and the proposal was dropped by his administration 

as part of a plan to reduce the overall number of federal regulations. 

LIABILITY INSURANCE INCREASE 

The association’s policy on liability insurance is that as national 

policy, motor carriers should be required to have liability coverage adequate 

to protect the public, at reasonable minimum limit levels, and 

that the rate should be reflective of the claims and safety experience of 

the motor carrier. 

However, there is no consensus within the association membership on 

what that amount should be. 

“We had a discussion in our Regulatory Policy Committee about potentially 

updating that policy, and the committee formed a subcommittee 

to examine it,” said TCA’s Government Affairs Manager Kathryn Pobre. 

“There was a lot of discussion, but the group could not come to a consensus 

on a number to attribute to that minimum.” 

There are a lot more discussions that need to be had on the insurance issue, 

Heller said, adding that there is no data that shows the higher the liability 

insurance, the safer the trucking company. Related article on Page 24. 

TRUCK PARKING 

Like the speed limiter legislation, the truck parking bill has been 

around the block before, primarily because of the murder of New York 

state professional truck driver Jason Rivenburg, who was unable to find 

safe parking and parked at an abandoned store in St. Matthews, South 

Carolina, where he was robbed and murdered in March 2009. 

Just over a month later, several members of the House banded 

together to introduce Jason’s Law, which required the Secretary 

of Transportation to allocate funds to initiate a pilot program that 

would lead to increase parking available. The bill never made it out 

of committee. 

After years of “talks,” a Jason’s Law was included in the Moving Ahead 

for Progress in the 21st Century Act, which was signed into law on July 6, 

2012, and would allow funding to be provided for the states which are in 

most need of truck parking areas. 

As required by the law, the Federal Highway Administration conducted 

a survey that pointed to — surprise, surprise — a lack of truck parking 

information and capacity across the nation. 

“The answer to the question of whether there is a shortage of parking is 

both yes and no,” said Heller. “If we look at just the number of spaces that 

are out there, there is no shortage.” 

It’s a matter of putting the spaces at the right location, such as along 

heavily traveled freight routes, Heller pointed out. 

“When 10 parking spaces are left empty along a lightly traveled 

corridor in Wyoming, those spaces are useless, and a waste of very 

valuable pieces of real estate,” he added. “So it’s not a question of 

number of spaces, it’s a question of usable, realistic parking spaces 

to stop our trucks from parking on on-off ramps and at abandoned 

fuel stations.” 

These four pieces of legislation are caught in the convergence of the 

Biden administration’s desire to get both a jobs/infrastructure bill quickly 

and a highway reauthorization bill passed before September 30. 

Where, how, or even if they emerge is anybody’s guess. 

CDL TICKET DEFENSE. 

IT IS ALL WE DO. 

WE HAVE IT COVERED FOR YOU AND YOUR DRIVERS 

WHEN THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED. 

One ticket is all it takes to potentially ruin a truck 

driver's livelihood. We've successfully defended 

over 375,000 cases and know what it takes to WIN. 

When your driver hires our national law firm, they get 

our national law firm. We are not a referral service. 

Drivers Legal Plan is America's most experienced 

CDL Defense Law Firm and has been protecting 

the rights of truckers for over 30 years. 

driverslegalplan.com/learnmore 


By Lyndon Finney, Linda Garner-Bunch, Hannah Butler and The Associated Press 

Normally the Capitol Recap is filled with articles about new pieces of legislation and Congressional hearings. That’s not the 

case this issue. You might say this section of this issue of Truckload Authority is a potpourri of stories, ranging the Department 

of Labor withdrawing a rule that could spell the end of the independent contractor model, to the Federal Highway 

Administration celebrating 50 years of bridge safety, to President Joe Biden’s nomination of Meera Joshi to become the 

next administration of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. There is definitely news on the legislative front, however, and 

because of the significant of those pieces of legislative we’ve chosen to cover those more in depth on Page 14. 

DOL WITHDRAWS ‘INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR RULE’ 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has 

withdrawn the Independent Contractor Rule 

that was published during the final days of 

Donald Trump’s presidency. 

When the DOL initially published the rule 

in the Federal Register on January 7, 2021, 

the agency noted that it was “revising its 

interpretation of independent contractor 

status under the Fair Labor Standards Act 

(FLSA) to promote certainty” for stakeholders, 

including the trucking industry, as well 

as in an effort to reduce litigation and “encourage 

innovation in the economy.” 

The rule sought to define the difference 

between an employee and an independent 

contractor, noting, “The ultimate inquiry is 

whether, as a matter of economic reality, the 

worker is dependent on a particular individual, 

business, or organization for work (and 

is thus an employee) or is in business for 

him- or herself (and is thus an independent 

contractor).” 

In a May 5 announcement, the DOL said 

the withdrawal of the rule would maintain 

The U.S. Department of Labor has withdrawn a rule, 

published earlier this year, that some industry experts 

say would have helped clarify an owner-operator’s status 

as an independent contractor rather than an employee. 

workers’ rights to minimum wage and overtime 

compensation under the FLSA. In addition, 

the DOL cited the following reasons for 

the withdrawal of the January 7 Independent 

Contractor Rule: 

• The independent contractor rule was in 

tension with the FLSA’s text and purpose, as 

well as relevant judicial precedent; 

• The rule’s prioritization of two “core 

factors” for determining employee status 

under the FLSA would have undermined 

the long-standing balancing approach of 

the economic realities test and court decisions 

requiring a review of the totality of 

the circumstances related to the employment 

relationship; and 

• The rule would have narrowed the facts 

and considerations comprising the analysis 

of whether a worker is an employee or an 

independent contractor, resulting in workers 

losing FLSA protections. 

“By withdrawing the Independent Contractor 

Rule, we will help preserve essential 

worker rights and stop the erosion of worker 

protections that would have occurred had 

the rule gone into effect,” said U.S. Secretary 

of Labor Marty Walsh in the DOL’s May 5 

SEE CONTRACTOR, PAGE 17 

FHWA COMMEMORATES 50 YEARS OF BRIDGE SAFETY 

“ 

During the last week of April, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) observed the 50th anniversary 

of its National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS), the basis 

for the federal program that helps protect nearly 620,000 bridges 

across the country. 

“For a half-century, NBIS standards have been at the core of federal 

infrastructure safety efforts,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator 

Stephanie Pollack. “The data we collect under the program help keep 

bridges safe and identify areas where maintenance is needed before 

problems arise.” 

The number of bridges in the NBIS program has grown from 

588,735 to 618,456 — that’s nearly 30,000 new bridges — over 

SEE 50 YEARS, PAGE 18 

For a half-century, NBIS standards 

have been at the core of federal 

infrastructure safety efforts. The data we 

collect under the program help keep bridges 

safe and identify areas where maintenance 

is needed before problems arise.” 

— Stephanie Pollack 

Acting Federal Highway Administrator 


CVSA’S BRAKE SAFETY WEEK SET FOR AUGUST 22-28 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 

(CVSA) annual Brake Safety Week is scheduled 

for August 22-28. During Brake Safety 

Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors 

emphasize the importance of brake systems 

by conducting inspections and placing commercial 

motor vehicles found to have brakerelated 

violations out of service. At the same 

time, many motor carriers work to educate 

their drivers and maintenance service providers 

on the importance of brake system 

safety. 

In addition to brake inspections, inspectors 

will compile data on brake hoses and 

tubing to submit to CVSA. Findings will be 

reported later this year. 

Jurisdictions devote a week to conducting 

commercial motor vehicle inspections, 

identifying brake violations, and removing 

vehicles with out-of-service brake violations 

because: 

• Brake system and brake adjustment violations 

accounted for more vehicle violations 

During Brake Safety Week, August 22-28, inspectors will conduct North American Standard Inspections of 

commercial motor vehicles, focusing on the vehicles’ brake systems and components. 

than any other vehicle violation category, 

accounting for 38.6% of all vehicle out-ofservice 

conditions during last year’s threeday 

International Roadcheck inspection and 

enforcement initiative. 

• “Brake system” was the third most cited 

vehicle-related factor in fatal commercial motor 

vehicle and passenger vehicle crashes, 

SEE BRAKES, PAGE 21 

MEERA JOSHI NOMINATED TO BE NEXT FMCSA ADMINISTRATOR 

President Joe Biden has nominated Meera 

Joshi as administrator of the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration. 

Since January 20, 2021, Joshi has served as 

the agency’s deputy administrator and senior 

official. 

Joshi, an attorney, has more than 16 

years of experience in leading government 

oversight agencies. She served as chair and 

CEO of the New York City Taxi and Limousine 

Commission, the nation’s largest for-hire 

transportation regulator. While there, she 

spearheaded novel Vision Zero campaigns 

using data tools to keep high-risk drivers 

and unsafe vehicles off the road. She also 

led landmark policy, including establishing 

robust open transportation data standards 

for app-based providers; enacting the nation’s 

first for-hire driver pay protection 

program; and providing broad access to 

for-hire transportation for passengers who 

use wheelchairs. 

Before entering the field of transportation 

regulation, Joshi was the inspector general for 

New York City’s Department of Corrections, 

where she was responsible for the investigation 

of corruption and criminality at all levels of New 

York City’s jail operations. Joshi also served as 

the first deputy executive director of New York 

City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, leading 

investigations of police misconduct. 

In addition to her government positions, 

Joshi has served as general manager for the 

New York office of Sam Schwartz Transportation 

Consultants and was a visiting scholar at 

New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation 

Policy. Joshi was born and raised 

in Philadelphia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts 

degree and a Juris Doctor from the University 

of Pennsylvania. 

Meera Joshi currently is deputy administrator of the 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Joshi 

has served as the agency’s deputy administrator 

since January 2021. 

CONTRACTOR, FROM PAGE 16 

announcement. “Legitimate business owners play an important role 

in our economy but, too often, workers lose important wage and related 

protections when employers misclassify them as independent 

contractors. We remain committed to ensuring that employees are 

recognized clearly and correctly when they are, in fact, employees 

so that they receive the protections the Fair Labor Standards Act 

provides.” 

Because the Independent Contractor Rule was never implemented, 

its withdrawal should have negligible impact on the trucking industry. 

“TCA was supportive of the Department’s final rule as it would 

have helped to ensure that trucking’s historically successful independent 

contractor model was protected by federal regulations,” 

shared TCA’s Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller. 

“We will continue to monitor the DOL’s activity related to independent 

contractor status for any signs that the Biden Administration 

plans to move in a more restrictive direction.” 


DEFAZIO HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR CLEAN ENERGY DURING 

TEST-DRIVE OF VOLVO ELECTRIC TRUCK 

In early May, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), 

Chair of the House Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure, visited Volvo Trucks 

North America’s TEC Equipment dealership 

location in Coburg, Oregon, to test-drive an 

electric Volvo Class 8 truck and highlight his 

clean energy priorities. 

“For years, climate change deniers have 

argued that big businesses would never 

choose to invest in clean technologies 

because it wouldn’t make business sense 

— but now, big corporations are showing 

that there is a business case for climate 

solutions,” said DeFazio. “As I work with 

President Biden to move the American 

Jobs Plan through Congress, I look forward 

to making investments that move 

our country toward cleaner, greener technologies 

and a zero-pollution transportation 

sector. It’s a plan that addresses the 

existential threat of climate change and 

creates thousands of good-paying jobs 

and strengthens an economy reeling from 

the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

During the visit, DeFazio was joined by 

TEC Equipment’s Founder and CEO Dave 

Thompson; Oregon Department of Energy’s 

Assistant Director for Planning and Innovation 

Alan Zelenka; Forth Mobility’s Executive 

Director Jeff Allen; and Volvo Group 

North America’s Senior Vice President of 

Public Affairs Jonathan Miller 

“At Volvo Group North America, we are 

committed to electrification and many other 

efforts to support the decarbonization 

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, visited Volvo 

Trucks North America’s TEC Equipment dealership in Coburg, Oregon, to discuss clean energy priorities and test 

drive a Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 truck. 

of transportation and sustainability of our 

environment, including the launch of the 

Volvo VNR Electric Class 8 truck model, 

as demonstrated in Coburg, Oregon,” said 

Miller. “Last year, the Volvo Group announced 

plans in line with the Paris Agreement 

to be fossil-fuel free by 2040. While 

these are ambitious goals, we are currently 

taking orders and delivering on our plans 

to commercially launch battery-electric 

trucks, buses and construction equipment 

in the United States and Canada.” 

The Volvo VNR Electric truck is designed 

for driving cycles with both local and regional 

SEE ELECTRIC TRUCK, PAGE 20 

50 YEARS, FROM PAGE 16 

the past 20 years, and the program has continued 

to ensure these bridges are safe for 

those who rely on the structures for travel 

and commerce. 

Less than one month after the celebration, 

an Arkansas Department of Transportation 

inspection found a fractured beam in the Mississippi 

River bridge between Arkansas and 

Tennessee, shutting down the bridge for an 

undetermined amount of time. 

The NBIS requires regular and thorough 

inspections of highway bridges by trained inspectors 

to detect potential structural problems 

early and to ensure maintenance efforts 

are being performed. State departments of 

transportation inspect bridges, on average, 

once every 24 months and report the results 

to FHWA. If a bridge is rated as potentially 

unsafe, immediate actions are taken, which 

could include closure, prompt repairs, or 

load posting to restrict use by heavy vehicles. 

In addition to specialized training for 

bridge inspectors, the program also requires 

the collection of bridge condition data for inclusion 

in FHWA’s National Bridge Inventory 

(NBI), which helps transportation officials 

make informed decisions about funding priorities. 

“The NBIS is vital to bridge safety in our 

nation,” added Pollack. “The (Biden) administration’s 

American Jobs Plan proposes significant 

investment in our nation’s bridges to 

continue improve their condition and make 

them even safer.” 

FHWA officially adopted the NBIS regulations 

in 1971 after the collapse of the Silver 

Bridge in West Virginia. The bridge collapsed 

into the Ohio River in 1967 because of a 

crack in the bridge’s suspension chain. The 

tragedy, which took the lives of 46 people, 

brought national attention to the issue of safe 

bridge conditions and led to a systematic effort 

to ensure oversight at the national level. 

Since the program’s inception, FHWA 

has worked to update training requirements 

for bridge inspectors and replace 

narrative bridge inspection summaries 

with specific assessment criteria to improve 

consistency. 

According to a statement from the FHWA, 

President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan 

would provide an additional $115 billion to 

modernize the bridges, highways, roads, and 

main streets that are in most critical need of 

repair. It would also fix 10 significant bridges 

in need of reconstruction and repair the 

worst 10,000 smaller bridges to reconnect 

communities across the country. 


Fast. Easy. 

Accurate. 

In this recent photograph, crews work on a bridge over the surface of what will 

become Interstate 70 north of downtown Denver. The elevated roadway that has 

served as Interstate 70 will be demolished as part of the 10-mile-long project, which 

will cost $1.2 billion by completion by winter 2022. 

STATES GO SLOW ON ROAD TAXES 

Raising state taxes to improve roads and bridges is one of the few 

things many Republican and Democratic lawmakers have agreed on 

in recent years. 

Those efforts have slowed this year, even as lawmakers acknowledge 

a widening gap between needed work and the money to pay for 

it. One reason is the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Some states are “waiting to see what direction the federal government 

is going to be taking,” said American Road and Transportation 

Builders Association’s Advocacy Director Carolyn Kramer. 

State lawmakers across the country have proposed fewer than 170 

transportation funding bills this year — barely half the amount proposed 

during the last post-election year of 2019, according to the association. 

So far, not a single transportation tax increase has passed, 

though several are pending. 

Kramer said states are still assessing the effects of the pandemic 

on their economies, but also are watching for a potential gusher of 

federal money. Numerous avenues exist for new federal road funding, 

including the following: 

• President Joe Biden signed a coronavirus relief package that includes 

$350 billion for state and local governments. Some states, 

such as Indiana and Maryland, already are planning to spend part of 

that on transportation projects; others are awaiting federal guidance 

on using the money. 

Biden has also proposed at least $115 billion for roads and bridges 

as part of a $1.7 trillion infrastructure plan. Senate Republicans have 

countered with a $928 billion infrastructure plan that would dedicate 

$506 billion to roads and bridges; 

• Congress is working on a long-term renewal of the nation’s main 

highway program that could direct billions more annually to states; 

and 

• The American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials has urged Congress to essentially double existing funding, 

with a $200 billion road-and-bridge stimulus, plus an additional $487 

billion in a five-year highway program. 

The proposals could add up to more federal road-and-bridge aid 

than at any time in recent years. 

“It looks like a cruise ship sitting in a pond — that’s how much 

money we’re getting flowing into the state of Colorado from the federal 

government,” said Colorado state Sen. Ray Scott (R-7). “If Biden 

does get this pushed through and we have additional funding coming 

SEE ROAD TAXES, PAGE 20 

Weigh and pay on a mobile device 

without leaving the truck. 

You know your drivers can trust CAT Scale 

for guaranteed accurate weights. 

They can get those same 

guaranteed weights even faster 

by using the Weigh My Truck app. 

Your drivers will spend less time weighing, 

so they can spend more time on the road. 

1-877-CAT-SCALE (228-7225) 

catscale.com | weighmytruck.com 

TCA JULY/AUGUST 2021 | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 19

NTSB CHAIRMAN ROBERT SUMWALT STEPS DOWN 

A spokesman for the National Transportation 

Safety Board (NTSB) said Robert 

Sumwalt stepped down from his position as 

NTSB chairman effective June 30. 

The spokesman, who called Sumwalt a 

“great chairman” said Sumwalt notified 

NTSB employees of his intention in an email 

delivered in mid-May. 

The Associated Press (AP) reported that 

the Biden administration was expected to 

nominate a fellow board member to replace 

Sumwalt, who had served as chairman 

of the board since 2017. 

The former commercial pilot and commercial 

aviation executive had served in 

various positions on the board, beginning in 

2006 during the George W. Bush administration. 

The federal agency is charged by Congress 

to conduct independent probes of 

transportation accidents and can make 

urgent or longer-term safety recommendations 

to address issues discovered during 

an investigation. 

The AP reported that Sumwalt was 

expected to be replaced by Jennifer 

Homendy, a board member who served 

as the agency’s public face following 

In this October 29, 2019, photo, National Transportation 

Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt testifies before 

the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation hearing on “Aviation Safety and the 

Future of Boeing’s 737 MAX” in Washington. Sumwalt 

stepped down as NTSB chairman June 30. 

the helicopter crash that killed basketball 

legend Kobe Bryant. However, the 

source for this information was not authorized 

to discuss the matter publicly and 

spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. 

Homendy, whose nomination would be 

subject to congressional approval, has 

served as a board member since 2018. She 

had previously worked as a staff director for 

a House subcommittee. 

Sumwalt was sworn in as the 14th chairman 

of the NTSB on August 10, 2017, after 

being nominated by President Donald 

J. Trump and confirmed by the Senate. He 

was reappointed as chairman by Trump in 

August 2019, after being unanimously confirmed 

by the Senate. Sumwalt began his 

tenure at the NTSB in August 2006 when 

Bush appointed him to the board and designated 

him as vice chairman. In November 

2011, President Barack Obama reappointed 

Sumwalt to an additional five-year term as 

board member. 

Before joining the NTSB, Sumwalt was a 

pilot for 32 years, including 24 years with 

Piedmont Airlines and US Airways. He accumulated 

over 14,000 flight hours. During 

his tenure at US Airways, he worked 

on special assignment to the flight safety 

department and served on the airline’s 

Flight Operational Quality Assurance monitoring 

team. 

ROAD TAXES, FROM PAGE 19 

our way, why would we go after the taxpayer when we have ways 

we can handle it right now?” 

While Scott wants to base any transportation plan on an influx 

of federal money, Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and the 

state’s Democratic legislative leaders want to raise fees on gasoline 

sales, electric and hybrid vehicles, ride-sharing companies and 

retail delivery services. 

“Colorado’s transportation system is so far behind that we need 

federal investment and we need state-level investment,” said state 

Sen. Faith Winter (D-24). 

Colorado’s gas tax has remained unchanged since 1991, while 

per capita spending on transportation has fallen by almost half. The 

new funding plan has yet to receive a legislative hearing, though 

Democratic lawmakers could still speed it through if they desire. 

Bills to raise gas taxes already have failed this year in Arizona, 

Kentucky, Mississippi, and Wyoming. 

After the North Dakota House passed a 3-cent gas tax increase, 

the Senate solidly defeated it. The legislature instead passed a 

$680 million infrastructure bonding plan aimed primarily at floodcontrol 

projects that also includes $70 million for roads and 

bridges. The bonds will be repaid with earnings from the state’s 

oil tax savings account. 

ELECTRIC TRUCK, FROM PAGE 18 

distribution ranges, including food and beverage 

and pick-up and delivery routes. According 

to the manufacturer, the truck’s batteries 

can charge up to 80% within 70 minutes and 

have an operating range of up to 150 miles, 

based on the truck’s configuration. 

DeFazio is expected to be a principal 

author and negotiator of President Biden’s 

American Jobs Plan, a wide-sweeping proposal 

aimed at fixing and modernizing the 

nation’s outdated infrastructure system, 

according to a prepared statement from 

DeFazio’s office. DeFazio said he plans 

Big corporations are 

showing that there is a 

business case for climate 

solutions.” 

“— Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), Chair 

of the House Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

to introduce legislative text that lays out 

transformative investments in roads, 

bridges, transit, and rail, consisting of 

funding to help build charging capacity 

to accommodate the shift to electric vehicles, 

including passenger vehicles, freight 

trucks, and buses. 

The statement cites the Business Roundtable, 

noting that inadequate infrastructure 

costs U.S. businesses $27 billion per year 

in extra transportation costs. According to 

the American Society of Civil Engineers, 

between 2016 and 2025, the economy will 

lose almost $4 trillion in economic activity if 

there are not upgrades to the nation’s infrastructure, 

which could cost 2.5 million jobs. 


LARGE TRUCKS ARE INVOLVED IN 1/3 OF ALL FATAL 

CRASHES OCCURRING IN WORK ZONES 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has called 

on all drivers to “share work zone safely” by staying alert, obeying traffic 

signs, and allowing all vehicles extra space. 

“Fatal crashes occurring in work zones are both tragic and absolutely 

preventable,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi. “I am especially 

concerned that large trucks continue to have a disproportional 

involvement in fatal crashes occurring in work zones — 33% — when 

large trucks comprise roughly 5% of vehicular traffic. Don’t allow yourself 

to become distracted, slow down, obey the signs and the instructions 

of flaggers, and be courteous and safe by giving every vehicle 

extra space. Highway workers equally depend on you for their safety.” 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that in 2019, 

the most recent available data, 842 people died in highway work zone 

crashes compared to 757 the year before. The 11.2% increase is the 

largest percentage increase of highway work zone fatalities this century. 

For its part in supporting National Work Zone Awareness Week, FMCSA 

concentrated its safety awareness efforts in Florida, Georgia, and Texas, 

which experience some of the highest rates of work zone crashes involving 

large trucks. In those states, motorists can expect to hear public 

service announcements and see safety messaging on billboards as they 

approach work zones. 

Through the FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety initiative, the agency 

has developed educational resources, including fact sheets, postcards, 

“ 

I am especially concerned that large 

trucks continue to have a disproportional 

involvement in fatal crashes occurring in work 

zones — 33% — when large trucks comprise 

roughly 5% of vehicular traffic.” 

— Meera Joshi, FMCSA Deputy Administrator 

and shareable social media infographics for safety advocates to help 

amplify work zone messaging. Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania 

— also states that have a high number of fatal crashes in work zones 

each year — will be conducting special activities such as holding educational 

workshops for commercial vehicle drivers and placing safety 

signage at weigh stations. 

As an Our Roads, Our Safety partner, the Truckload Carriers Association 

actively promotes and encourages its membership to share informative 

resources, PSAs, and social media content. To learn more or to 

access shareable graphics, visit truckload.org/FMCSA-Our-Roads-Our- 

Safety-Initiative. 

FHWA AWARDS ACCELERATED GRANTS TO SEVEN STATES 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

has announced more than $5.6 million in Accelerated 

Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration 

program grants to help seven states 

make the most of limited resources. 

The program allows states to bring projects 

to fruition in a more cost-effective way by using 

innovative practices. Alabama, Arizona, 

Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, 

South Dakota, and Utah will receive funds in 

this round of awards. 

Since the AID program was launched in 

February 2014, FHWA has awarded more than 

$86.9 million for 117 grants to help federal, 

state, local, and tribal government agencies 

speed up their use of innovative traffic, safety, 

and construction practices. 

“With the help of these grants, states can 

more easily deliver cutting-edge roads, bridges, 

highways, streets and sidewalks at less cost 

and in less time while improving mobility and 

safety for all road users,” said Acting Federal 

Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. 

Amounts of the grants include $741,493 

for Alabama, $448,300 for Arizona, $977,398 

for Michigan, $452,000 for New Hampshire, 

and $1 million each for Rhode Island, South 

Dakota, and Utah. 

Rhode Island, South Dakota and Utah will each receive 

$1 million in Accelerated Innovation Grants to help facilitate 

need highway improvements. 

BRAKES, FROM PAGE 17 

according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) 

latest “Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts” report. 

• Brake-related violations accounted for eight out of the top 20 vehicle 

violations in 2020, according to FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management 

Information System. 

• During last year’s Brake Safety Week, 12% of the 43,565 commercial 

motor vehicles inspected were placed out of service for brakerelated 

violations. 

The dates for Brake Safety Week are shared in advance to remind 

motor carriers, drivers, and commercial motor vehicle mechanics/ 

technicians to proactively check and service their vehicles to ensure every 

commercial motor vehicle is safe, mechanically fit, and compliant. 

Recent research has shown that announcing enforcement campaigns 

ahead of time improves overall compliance better than surprise enforcement 

campaigns and for longer periods after the event. 

CVSA’s Brake Safety Week falls during Brake Safety Awareness Month. 

Law enforcement agencies will work to educate commercial motor vehicle 

drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, owner-operators, and others on the 

importance of proper brake maintenance, operation, and performance 

through outreach, education, and awareness campaigns. 



DOUBLE WHAMMY 

Tanker truck driver shortage, combined with pipeline 

and freight route disruption, is ‘bigger than gas’ 

By Dwain Hebda and Linda Garner-Bunch 

As if the disruption of the Colonial Pipeline caused by a May 7 

ransomware attack wasn’t bad enough, consumers panic-buying 

gas in anticipation of a fuel shortage placed a strain on the supply 

of fuel to not only the states affected by the pipeline disruption, but 

also other areas of the country. 

Combine this with the major traffic disruption caused by the May 

11 closing of the Interstate 40 bridge spanning the Mississippi 

River between Arkansas and Tennessee, and the 

“ 

tanker truck industry 

is experiencing what might seem to 

be a perfect — and unfortunate — storm. 

This has prompted the shortage of drivers 

to take center stage as the nation’s attention 

turns to a single topic: fuel. 

Industry leaders are warning that the 

years-long driver shortage in the tanker 

truck industry is likely to hit home for millions 

of Americans in a very personal way 

this summer as families hit the road for 

vacation. 

In early May, national news outlets reported 

what industry professionals have 

long known: Lack of drivers will likely mean 

higher prices and even shortages of products typically hauled by 

tanker trucks, such as gas, chemicals, and food-grade liquids. 

Oklahoma-based Groendyke Transport’s Vice President of the 

Talent Office Holly McCormick said the headlines “screaming” 

about gas shortages only tell part of the story. 

We have more freight 

than we can handle because 

we’ve got customers coming 

out of the woodwork, wanting 

us to haul all of their loads.” 

“The sensationalism the headlines spun up was, ‘Oh my God! 

Now we can’t have summer vacation because we’re not going to 

be able to get gas,’” she explained. “I want to mention that (the issue 

is) bigger than gas, although that’s what’s getting the headlines 

right now. It’s not a supply issue, it’s the ability to transport it.” 

Groendyke hauls petroleum and chemical products, as well as 

makeup, soaps, hand sanitizers, and more. The carrier employs 865 

drivers, but if afforded the chance, McCormick said she would add 

substantially to that number just to meet current demand. 

“I could employ an additional 150 drivers without even blinking 

an eye,” she said. “That’s just current 

business capacity. There is more business 

available that we can’t even consider, at 

this point.” 

Other trucking companies are in the 

same boat, even if they don’t haul fuel, 

including J&M Tank Lines of Birmingham, 

Alabama, which hauls industrial materials, 

food products, and plastics, and Iowabased 

Weinrich Truck Line, Inc., which 

transports products such as food-grade 

oils, chocolate, wine, and grape juice. 

J&M Vice President of Human Resources 

Eric Hanson said he’d immediately add 

50 drivers to the 400 already employed by the company if he could. 

“We have more freight than we can handle because we’ve got 

customers coming out of the woodwork, wanting us to haul all 

of their loads. The opportunity is there, and it becomes frustrating 

when you can’t service customers at the level you’re used to 

— Eric Hanson, J&M Tank Lines 

Vice President of Human Resources 


doing,” he noted. “Trucking is a low-margin business, and when the 

opportunity is there, you always want to be able to seize the moment. 

Having so much opportunity and not enough resources to capture 

it all, I think, is the main cause of stress in the industry right now.” 

Weinrich Vice President Brenda Dittmer said the company, which 

operates about 40 tanker trucks, could stand to hire a few more drivers. 

However, she said, as a food-grade hauler, her company is not suffering 

from the driver shortage as acutely as those that haul petroleum 

products and other hazardous materials. 

“I would say, yes, there is definitely a national shortage of truck drivers,” 

she shared. “I’m not sure I’d say the tank fleets, as a whole, are 

hit harder — except possibly the hazmat carriers, as the drivers with a 

hazmat endorsement are probably harder to find.” 

But there is not one single root cause of the driver shortage. Retirement 

of aging drivers is one drain on numbers, as are the stimulus 

checks and enhanced unemployment payments that have kept people 

at home instead of on the job — whether that job is behind the wheel 

or somewhere else. 

What’s more, tanker truck drivers face more training and certification 

requirements than their peers driving other rigs. The licensing and 

certification process can take up to six months, during which time tank 

truck drivers must get their commercial driver’s license (CDL) and various 

other credentials. 

“Our drivers have to have tanker endorsements, hazmat endorsements. 

The majority of our chemical drivers are also required to have 

a TWIC, which is the transportation workers information card that is 

required for ports of entry,” said McCormick. 

Many tank truck carriers say they are putting increased focus on job 

fairs and accelerating programs in local schools to try and sell students 

on a career in truck driving. However, such efforts are hampered 

by driver minimum age restrictions as well as by the image problems 

that trucking faces overall. 

“It’s probably one of the best-paying jobs you can get without a 

post-secondary education,” added McCormick. “At the same time, you 

don’t hear a lot of parents telling their kids, ‘You should be a truck 

driver. That’d be a great career opportunity for you,’ because home 

time isn’t flexible and some of the things that are more appealing to a 

younger generation, truck driving doesn’t really offer that.” 

Dittmer noted that driving a tanker truck offers some unique advantages 

compared to standard dry vans or refrigerated trailers. 

“There are many positive attributes to being a tank driver,” she said. 

“For one, it’s less ‘hands on’ when it comes to loading and delivery. 

There is less time sitting at loading docks, less seasonal fluctuation in 

food grade products, and therefore less volatility in the freight available 

at any given time.” 

The trucking industry as a whole has made inroads to maximize 

new and undertapped sources of drivers, such as military veterans 

and women. 

“J&M’s always been actively involved in a lot of associations and 

the programs that they support,” said Hanson. “Here recently though, 

we have been even more active. We’ve doubled down on workforce 

development programs, specifically here in Alabama — promoting the 

industry to younger people in high school, middle school. We just did 

an event with Women In Trucking, and even the Girl Scouts to promote 

opportunities in the industry.” 

In addition to recruitment, Hanson said, companies need to recognize 

the importance of taking care of the drivers they already have. 

“I think sometimes as an industry we try to overcomplicate it,” he 

said. “‘What does the driver want? What can we do?’ My message has 

always been that the drivers want what you want and what I want. Everybody 

wants to have a voice; everybody wants to know that they’re 

being heard. You would call that respect.” 


Shopping for 

LIABILITY INSURANCE 

INSURANCE Act is reintroduced 

in Congress, but carriers can stay 

ahead of legislation 

By Cliff Abbott 

To no one’s surprise, in mid-April Rep. Jesus 

“Chuy” Garcia (D-IL-4) reintroduced his 

Improving National Safety by Updating the 

Required Amount of Insurance Needed by 

Commercial Motor Vehicles per Event (IN- 

SURANCE) Act. Simply known as, the “Insurance 

Act,” this piece of legislation would increase 

minimum liability insurance coverage 

mandates for motor carriers. 

The bill is designed to bring coverage minimums 

in line with what Garcia and eight cosponsors 

claim are current medical costs. The 

current $750,000 financial responsibility requirement, 

implemented in 1980, would need 

to rise to nearly $4.9 million to keep pace with 

medical cost increases since that time, sponsors 

say. Periodic adjustment of the minimum 

would be required. 

Garcia introduced the bill in 2019 and 

again in 2020 but was unsuccessful in getting 

it passed. This year, with Democrats having 

control of both Congress and the White 

House, backers are confident of approval. 

Many carriers already have coverage higher 

than the legal minimum to comply with 

customer requirements or Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration regulations for 

hazardous materials or other hauling. 

Whatever the bill’s outcome, the process of 

searching for the best coverage at the lowest 

possible price will continue for carriers. That’s 

a task that carriers can help themselves with, 

said HNI Risk Advisors CEO/CRO Mike Natalizio, 

who advises clients to avoid the “insurance 

dependency trap.” 

Natalizio noted that waiting until renewal 

time to start shopping is the wrong approach. 

“That’s reactive. We want to be managing 

our risk throughout the course of the whole 

year,” said Natalizio, adding that it’s important 

to be able to explain what you’re doing to 

manage risk. “You can go shopping,” he said, 

“but right now it’s a hard market. They’re looking 

only at the carriers that tickle their fancy, 

have a good story.” 

A part of that story, he explained, is “a high 

degree of intimacy with your numbers. You 

would be surprised at how many people go 

into insurance negotiations and we ask, ‘How 

many claims a year are you averaging?’ and the 

response is, ‘Ah, not many, but we’re doing better.’” 

It’s important, he said, to have a narrative 

that indicates that risk is being managed, and 

that starts with knowing the numbers. 

Once you tell your story, Marvin Johnson 

& Associates’ Executive Vice President Tony 

Johnson said it’s about options. “I like to have 

somebody that says ‘Hey I’ve got three options 

for you,’” he said. “Here’s your standard 

auto liability. Here’s your auto liability with a 

deductible and here’s a self-insured retention. 

How do you want to do this?” 

Johnson noted that the market has changed 

from the days where simply obtaining coverage 

was the goal. “It is more about what can 

you do for me, and what type of benefits do 

I get from the agency or the insurance company? 

What else do you offer besides a certificate 

of insurance?” 

The standard practice is to obtain multiple 

quotes for the needed coverage. But Natalizio 

says it might be a bad idea to get quotes from 

multiple brokers. “First, decide which broker,” 

he said. “Identify an insurance broker that 


is aligned with your safety philosophy, that is 

aligned with being transparent, that is aligned 

with knowing the industry, that is proactive in 

bringing alternatives like higher deductibles. 

Once you select that broker, work with one broker 

to approach all of the markets to create a 

competition.” 

Dealing with a single broker, or “risk advisor” 

as Natalizio calls them, removes the issue of 

dealing with multiple personalities with different 

goals and selling styles. 

“That advisor is now helping you assess the 

pros and cons of each proposal,” he added. 

“They don’t have a vested interest in selling one 

over the other, because they’re all on the table.” 

NSM Insurance Group’s Director of Transportation 

Risk James Birkhead sees the value 

of an agent. “The more an agent has worked 

with your company, the better they can tell your 

story,” he said. “If you’ve had a couple of bad 

claim experiences, an agent can help mitigate 

some of the factors. They can explain what 

happened, how you addressed any issues, your 

safety program, and so on.” 

Once policy proposals are received, they 

should be thoroughly read and fully understood. 

“The basic policy is pretty similar from 

just about any (insurance) carrier, but added 

coverage features and endorsements can make 

a huge difference in the coverage offered,” explained 

Birkhead. “Look for exclusions and look 

“ 

Identify an insurance 

broker that is aligned with 

your safety philosophy, 

that is aligned with being 

transparent, that is aligned 

with knowing the industry, 

that is proactive in bringing 

alternatives like higher 

deductibles.” 

— Mike Natalizio, 

HNI Risk Advisors CEO/CRO 

for clarity. Make sure what’s covered and when 

are clearly defined.” 

“I would ask, ‘Does it include pollution?’” said 

Johnson. “Are there deductibles that are applied? I 

mean those are two really low-hanging fruit questions 

you’re going to ask right out of the gate.” 

Johnson explained that pollution coverage 

can differ greatly between carriers. Some, for 

example, cover fuel spills only if they result 

from a collision with another vehicle but not 

from, for example, a broken fuel line. Some 

don’t cover cargo spills or only cover specific 

types of cargos. 

Natalizio mentioned pollution coverage but 

alluded to a higher priority. “I would say No. 1 

would be brokerage exclusion,” he said. “Many 

of the auto liability underwriters will exclude 

coverage for brokerage.” 

But there’s more to consider, according to 

Natalizio. For liability, carriers should be cognizant 

of “the BEST rating of the insurance company.” 

This rating, from A.M. Best company, 

gives insurance carriers a letter grade based 

on their financial stability, an indicator of their 

ability to absorb claims payouts without going 

bankrupt. “Some shippers require a rating of 

A++, so if you choose an insurer with a B rating 

it can really limit your ability to create revenue 

as a trucking company,” he explained. 

Similar ratings are provided by Fitch and 

Standard and Poor rating companies. 

All this advice is fine, but what about that insurance 

company advertisement that promised 

huge savings? 

“If that’s the route you want to go, you’re going 

to be one out of a million,” said Johnson. “If you 

want to have a true ally in your insurance package, 

an agent that you can reach out to and see things 

the same would be the way you want to go.” 

Preparedness, attention to details and the 

help of a trusted advisor can take some of the 

hassle out of finding the right liability policy. 


Getting 

SOCIAL 

Social media influence can help companies 

connect with current and potential drivers 


As social media app TikTok is taking the 

world by storm with its short videos, professional 

truck drivers have jumped on the opportunity 

to reveal their daily lives to those 

in 9-5 careers. These truck drivers are using 

the app, their personality, and humor to show 

what life is like behind the wheel. These truck 

driving influencers — as they’re often called 

— are also influencing companies by urging 

them to connect with their own drivers. 

Clarissa Rankin, a truck driver and owner 

of JC Rankin Transport, said she uses Tik- 

Tok to be motivational for not only female 

truck drivers, but also for everyone who may 

need encouragement to follow their dreams. 

Rankin has 1.1 million followers on TikTok. 

For companies who are striving to make an 

impact with their drivers and the communities 

in which they operate, Rankin said social 

media can be just the tool. 

“So many companies can use TikTok and 

other social media platforms. [It can] make 

their business stand out because social media 

is the new television and the new wave,” 

shared Rankin. “I know on my platform I 

make any company that comes my way look 

like a commercial promotion deal. I want 

business to get views and grow.” 

Brenda Villanueva, who has 339,000 followers 

on TikTok, shares Rankin’s goal of 

wanting to empower female truck drivers and 

encourage driver retention. 

Villanueva, who works for Mendoza Trucking, 

agrees that companies can use social 

media to connect with others. She said that it 

“(Social media) also 

gives our drivers and their 

families the opportunity 

to engage and build 

relationships with other 

drivers in our fleet. We love 

when we see our drivers 

tagging each other and 

starting comment threads.” 

— Alyson Cirilli 

Veriha Trucking Marketing Specialist 

can serve as an educational resource to show 

how easy it can be to get into the trucking 

industry and learn different resources. 

Companies like Veriha Trucking and John 

Christner Trucking (JCT) are not incorporating 

their social media strategies into TikTok 

just yet, but they are using other social media 

platforms to support and engage current 

drivers. 

“We as a company have not been influenced 

by influencers. However, there are 

drivers who have seen the opportunity and 

have hopped on the TikTok bandwagon,” 

shared Veriha Trucking’s Marketing Specialist 

Alyson Cirilli. 

Even though the Wisconsin-based company 

hasn’t embraced TikTok for company 

purposes, they do see potential since some 

of their drivers are utilizing it. 

“(Knowing) this made us start to think if 

we need to add TikTok to our platforms in the 

future,” she added. 

The company currently uses Facebook, 

Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube 

accounts. However, the primary connection 

to company drivers is through Facebook, Instagram, 

and YouTube. 

Cirilli said they use techniques on Facebook 

and Instagram such as allowing drivers 

to submit dashboard photos, distributing 

safety information, or recognizing student 

apprentices from their CDL programs. 

“One thing we always keep in mind when 

posting is to make sure that the content always 

adds value to our target audience, whether 

that’s to share important information, give tips, 

or just get a smile out of them,” said Cirilli. 

While social media can be used as a tool 

to reach potential drivers, Cirilli said Veriha 

Trucking recognizes its opportunity to be 

present and build relationships with current 

drivers as they’re on the road. 

“We’re all one team, but it can be difficult 

to make connections when drivers are out on 

the road and we don’t always get to see them 

face to face,” she said. “(Social media) also 

gives our drivers and their families the opportunity 

to engage and build relationships 

with other drivers in our fleet. We love when 

we see our drivers tagging each other and 


Left: John Christner Trucking uses LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to encourage driver engagement. The company also has a newly added podcast to keep its drivers informed 

over the road. Right: Veriha Trucking of Marinette, Wisconsin, uses techniques like featuring their drivers and their awards on social media accounts to celebrate accomplishments, 

involvement, or tips for drivers. 

starting comment threads. This can be as simple as, ‘I was just in that 

drop yard yesterday! Maybe I’ll catch you next time!’ or, ‘I’ll be headed 

to IN (Indiana) next week — drive safe!’” 

The company also uses its social media presence to highlight driver 

awards or volunteer work, or even to ask their drivers questions such 

as, “If you could have a truckload of anything, what would it be?” 

JCT of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, uses similar tactics to influence current 

drivers. One of the most engaging recurring posts the company uses 

focuses on its new driver features. Once new drivers are hired, the 

marketing and design coordinator, Katrina Stretch, interviews them to 

find out why they chose JCT. 

Stretch said it’s a way to let new drivers know they are a part of 

the company, as well as introducing the new drivers to current drivers. 

Stretch added that the new driver features and photo of the week 

contests for current drivers keep momentum and engagement going. 

“Find ways to make them feel important,” Stretch said of her social 

media goals. “Make them feel seen and heard, listen to them, and 

take those golden nuggets that they have, because they have a ton 

of wisdom.” 

With Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and a newly added podcast, 

JCT strives to do just that with its social media presence. While 

the company does not use TikTok, it does share videos from 

current drivers using the platform. The new podcast aims to share 

important information, such as pay changes or bonuses, as well as 

employee recognition. 

“The main idea behind that was just to really keep communication 

and our drivers in touch with what’s going on,” Stretch added. 

The podcast spotlights its CEO, Danny Christner, in every episode 

and allows drivers to chat about what’s going on in the trucking industry 

and within the company. 

“With retention rates in this industry, knowing how we’re all affected 

by turnover, if we don’t know what our drivers are thinking until they’re 

already out the door, that does us no good,” stated Stretch. “That’s one 

of the reasons why this form of communication is important to us.” 

In addition, with drivers being on the road, and company employees 

staying in the office, Stretch said it can be challenging to stay in touch 

with everyone. 

“Part of (using social media) is keeping up the same way you would 

keep up with family or friends through Facebook,” she said. “Here’s 

what’s going on with us, and what’s going on with you, just to make 

the office and driver more integrated.” 

No matter what platform is used, social media influence isn’t limited 

to those who go viral. Aside from the fame, it’s a pertinent tool that can 

connect companies with their drivers from coast to coast. 

SOCIAL MEDIA FAST FACTS 

Globally, over 3.6 billion people use social media. 

47% of users will follow a brand on social sites 

to stay up to date on company news. 

Facebook remains the most used social network in 

the world with over 2.7 billion active users. 

96% 

of B2B marketers use 

LinkedIn for organic 

content distribution 

Source: SproutSocial 2020 trends 


A CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN 


SPONSORED BY 

FOREWORD AND INTERVIEW BY LYNDON FINNEY 

It’s been a little more than two months since the Truckload Carriers 

Association’s (TCA) Chairman Jim Ward took office, and he’s been on the go 

ever since, traveling to Indiana to celebrate the life of former Chairman Tom 

Schilli, visiting TCA members in Tennessee, holding a town hall meeting 

with past chairmen, and participating in the association’s Safety and Security 

Meeting in St. Louis. Think a short break might be in order? No way. There 

are upcoming meetings with the executive teams of both TCA and the 

American Trucking Associations, a webinar panel on the role of the shipper in 

driver retention, both before TCA’s Refrigerated Division Meeting in Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, and hosting the annual TCA Officer’s Planning meeting in late July. In 

addition to talking about his busy agenda, Chairman Ward took time to talk about 

safety, large truck fatality statistics, whether there is hope for an infrastructure 

plan, and the significance of the fracture on the Interstate 40 bridge that is costing 

the trucking industry an estimated $2 million a day. 


Jim Ward, Truckload Carriers Association 

chairman and president of D.M. Bowman, 

Inc., meets with his accounting team. 

As we conduct this interview, you’ve just completed 

your first six weeks as chairman. Will you share with 

our readers what that experience meant to you and 

some of the things you’ve accomplished during that 

short time frame? 

The first six weeks went by rapidly. The week after I accepted the gavel 

from Dennis Dellinger, John Lyboldt and I traveled to Remington, Indiana, 

for Past Chairman Tom Schilli’s celebration of life. Tom was passionate 

about TCA and sported his chairman’s green jacket proudly. He was a gracious 

contributor to the TCA Scholarship Fund, which provides financial 

support to our members who pursue higher education. We also visited 

with a fairly new member, Venture Logistics, as well as DriverReach. 

I spent the early part of Week 4 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with 

John, visiting members and prospective members. It’s interesting to 

learn about their businesses and have the opportunity to discuss the 

value they would receive from their TCA membership. 

In Week 5 we held the first Past Chairman’s Town Hall Zoom meeting. 

The purpose of the meeting was to inform the past chairmen of the 

activities planned for 2021-22, and to share with them how well TCA 

has weathered the pandemic, both financially and with membership. I 

believe it is important to keep those who have led the association over 

the years informed and engaged in our future. 

Then it was off to the association’s Safety and Security Meeting, 

highlighting the No. 1 priority of our industry. This year, the meeting 

was held in St. Louis, with the best attendance we’ve experienced 

since 2014. We were extremely disappointed that our Canadian 

members and friends did not join us because of pandemic border 

restrictions; however, we recorded the event so they can review the 

information at their leisure. 

What is your agenda for the next couple of months? 

We held a field day June 10 at Don and Mary Bowman’s home for 

the TCA and American Trucking Associations executive teams. We 

spent an afternoon of fun and fellowship following a light lunch, a tour 

of Don’s antique car museum, and offered everyone an opportunity to 

drive a truck in the open field. It was a great afternoon. 

On June 23, I had the privilege of moderating a webinar panel titled 

The Critical Role of the Shipper in Driver Retention. This is an honor 

and continuation of my days as chair of the Carrier/Shipper Relations 

Committee when we developed the Voluntary Guide to Good Business 

Relations for Shippers, Receivers, Carriers, and Drivers under the 

leadership of the late TCA Chairman Tom Kretsinger. 

In mid-July, Starla and I will be attending TCA’s Refrigerated Division 

Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before hosting this year’s Officers 

Planning Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland. I have enjoyed every minute of 

my time in this role thus far, and it’s just getting started for the two of us. 

After a year of virtual meetings, the Truckload Carriers 

Association recently held its first in-person meeting since the 

2020 annual convention with the Safety and Security meeting 

in St. Louis the first full week in June. How did it feel to be 

“back in the saddle” and on the road again, so to speak? 

A lot like Willie Nelson’s classic song “On the Road Again,” it’s great! 

SPONSORED BY McLEOD SOFTWARE / McLEODSOFTWARE.COM / 877.362.5363 


® 

® 

® 

McLeod’s FlowLogix Business Process 

Automation combined with Insight 

gained from McLeod’s IQ Business 

Intelligence give our customers the 

ability to be the best innovators in the 

trucking industry. 

® 

Give us a call, we’ll show you how. 

877.362.5363 | McLeodSoftware.com

Jim Ward gets an update on driver 

recruiting from D.M. Bowman’s driver 

recruiter, Samantha Diehl, left, and Kelsey 

Rosenberry, lead recruiter. 

The annual convention covers a wide variety of topics. 

The Safety and Security Meeting covers only two. What 

is the significance of hosting an in-depth discussion of 

safety and security? 

Safety is where I cut my teeth in the industry, so I have experienced 

firsthand the importance of personnel selection, training, behavior 

modification, risk mitigation and developing processes that can be 

repeated to produce favorable results. This sounds easy but requires 

an uncompromising commitment of everyone in the organization to 

achieve the desired outcome. The companies who make the investment 

in their personnel to send them to these meetings to hear and discuss 

topics such as technology advancements, data analysis, priorities, vulnerabilities, 

prevention mitigation strategies, desire to be the best in 

class, and I want to surround myself with and learn from them. 

The latest preliminary large truck fatalities statistics 

show a decline in 2020 following an increase the three 

previous years. Some might attribute the decline to 

less traffic during the stay-at-home order during the 

COVID-19 pandemic, but regardless, how can trucking 

use the 2020 decline as a starting point for continued 

declines in fatality statistics? 

Yes, less traffic and reduced exposure was certainly a key aspect in the 

decline of large truck fatalities in 2020. In knowing that, it is important 

to continue our advocacy efforts in Washington to get an infrastructure 

package passed that contains real money to support rebuilding our 

roads and bridges. Simply put, the decline in accidents is related to 

the very fact that fewer cars were on the road. Committing dollars to 

infrastructure would help alleviate high congestion points with not only 

fixes to the current highway system, but also the ability to build and 

sustain new roads and bridges that would aid in the delivering freight 

safely and efficiently. 

Since you became chairman, President Joe Biden’s 

administration has long passed its 100-day mark, 

but there has been little positive movement on his 

infrastructure plan. Do you anticipate any forward 

movement in the next 60 days? Why or why not? 

Well, I think it is fair to say that this is actually the closest we have 

gotten to an infrastructure deal in the years that it has been on the 

front burner as a campaign issue. The conversations that TCA has 

been part of have been fruitful; however, the reality, at least right now, 

is the partisanship that occurs on Capitol Hill. Yes, I believe both 

Congress and the White House recognize the need for a dramatic 

infrastructure program, but getting the two sides together in this political 

climate will be a reach. 

The Arkansas Department of Transportation and 

Tennessee Department of Transportation recently closed 

the 48-year-old Interstate 40 bridge between Arkansas 

and Tennessee as the result of a fractured beam. The 

bridge carries 35,000 to 45,000 vehicles a day, with 

trucks making up 25% to 29% of that volume. How 

does the closing of the bridge exacerbate the need for 

infrastructure improvement? 

As an industry devoted entirely to interstate commerce and the 

delivery of freight, the I-40 bridge closure can and has dramatically 

affected that highly traversed freight corridor. In saying that, I believe 

the I-40 bridge represents yet another reason for a true investment 

into the Highway Trust Fund. My hope is that this scenario is the last 

one that our industry will face; however, the realist in me knows that 

42% of all bridges are over 50 years old and 7.5% of the nation’s 

bridges are structurally deficient. Those numbers alone, coupled 

with the I-40 bridge example, demonstrated the very real need for 

Congress to move on infrastructure investment. 



The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee 

(EPW) recently released a bipartisan draft of a new 

surface transportation law to replace the FAST Act at 

a cost of $303.5 billion. That would make it the largest 

surface transportation act in history as it is a 34% 

increase over the FAST Act, which passed in 2015. What 

are your thoughts on this legislation? 

Well, just as it was last year, the Senate EPW Committee is only 

one step of many in this process of many that need to be taken 

regarding a new surface transportation law. The Senate Commerce 

Committee must also weigh in, as well as the House committees. 

While $303.5 billion is not a small amount of money, it represents 

the fact that the funding committees certainly must develop the 

mechanisms to be able to collect those dollars, which is the hard 

conversation that seems to plague any efforts to get something 

done on infrastructure. 

The EPW legislation contains no money targeted at 

improving the shortage of truck parking. How serious an 

oversight would this be? 

Let’s make note that EPW doesn’t really have a need to address 

this issue. Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL-12), who sits on the House 

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has introduced a bill to 

expand truck parking and make roads safer with some very real dollars 

attached to it, which TCA strongly supports. The bill itself is garnering 

some bipartisan backing — a rarity these days inside the beltway. If this 

issue fails to be addressed in the final package, it just goes to show how 

out of touch our representatives are when it comes understanding the 

scope and seriousness of this problem. The amount of lost productivity 

and frustration our commercial vehicle operators experience — let 

alone the risk associated with parking alongside the highway — is a big 

concern that cannot continue to be ignored. 

Jim Ward and Don Bowman, chairman and 

founder of D.M. Bowman, Inc., stand beside 

the 1961 B61 Mack that was Bowman’s first 

new truck, purchased for $12,500. 

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn recently suggested 

a truck-only vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax that 

would levy a tax of 25 cents for every mile driven. The 

mileage would be tracked via government-mandated 

devices that report the data back to the IRS. What is the 

reaction of TCA to this suggestion? 

Mandating the trucking industry bear the brunt of our nation’s infrastructure 

investment through a VMT tax is unacceptable. VMT enforcement 

mechanisms have not been implemented to prevent evasion, alleviate data 

privacy concerns, and address the security issues with this type of funding. 

Add that to the fact that any large-scale field test has yet to be conducted, 

paired with the very high cost of administrative fees that would be associated 

with this kind of revenue stream, this option certainly appears to be not 

yet ready for prime time. It does appear that as an industry and a nation, we 

are roughly five to 10 years out from the full development of the technology 

to generate the VMT revenue. We participated with 20 trucks in the first national 

mileage-based user fee (MBUF) truck pilot program earlier this year 

and encourage all carriers to begin getting involved in these programs so 

that our industry has the opportunity to shape the VMT conversation rather 

than stand by and let it happen. 

What do you think it is going to take to convince 

Congress to put to bed the idea of a VMT and instead 

move forward with an increase in the gasoline and 

diesel fuel tax to replenish the Highway Trust Fund? 

Truck Wash Technician Matt Johnson, right, 

and Jim Ward inspect a just-washed truck. 

I do not see the VMT concept disappearing from the conversation, 

but I do believe it’s going to require more time and research to 

determine a fair and equitable way of implementing it. I encourage 

our membership to make sure their voice is heard by contacting 

their representatives to make sure we are involved in the conversations 

around VMT. TCA supports the ATA-proposed solution to 

the highway funding crisis of the Build America Fund (BAF) that 

includes a new 20-cent per gallon fee built into the price (phased in 

5-cent increments over four years) of transportation fuels collected 

at the terminal rack. The fee will be indexed to inflation and improvements 

in fuel efficiency, with a 5% annual cap. It is estimated that 

the fee will generate nearly $340 billion over the first 10 years. 


“ 

Safety is where I cut 

my teeth in the industry, so 

I have experienced firsthand 

the importance of personnel 

selection, training, behavior 

modification, risk mitigation, 

and developing processes that 

can be repeated to produce 

favorable results. ” 

— Jim Ward, TCA Chairman 



Jim Ward 

and his wife, 

Starla, enjoy 

a moment of 

serenity at 

Hagerstown 

City Park. 

As the Biden administration continues to promote the use 

of electric vehicles, from your perspective, what are some of 

the biggest challenges facing the trucking industry when it 

comes to electrification? 

The current administration is moving an environmentally friendly 

agenda forward, and it is going to take all of us to remind our 

representatives of the significant progress we’ve made in the trucking 

industry over the last five to 10 years. There is no doubt electric vehicle 

development and testing is moving forward rapidly and will begin to 

be used in certain aspects of the business in the very near future. 

The challenges with electrification will be similar to what we generally 

experience with the introduction of any new technology: What’s the 

acquisition cost? Will the federal government provide incentives? Cost 

of ownership, maintenance requirements and tech training, commercial 

vehicle operator acceptance, etc. It was just a few short years ago I 

thought we would all be operating CNG or LNG equipment today. 

Moving Forward with 

TCI Business Capital 

Accounts receivable financing gets you 

where you want to go. 

Truckload 2021: Las Vegas is scheduled at the same 

time TCA would normally be holding its Call on 

Washington. Are there any plans to reschedule the Call on 

Washington? 

The status of in-person visits on Capitol Hill continues to remain a 

question mark at best. It was with that knowledge that we convened 

and continue to schedule many virtual visits with Hill staff and representatives 

to discuss the issues that are important to the membership 

of TCA. The visits have worked out quite well, introducing new 

legislators to TCA and continuing the relationships that we have on 

the Hill with long-standing senators and representatives. As we climb 

out of the COVID-based environment, the transition to a September 

conference is proving itself to truly be a rewarding experience for the 

association and its members. I know we are planning big things for 

the fall and Truckload 2021, and everyone should begin making plans 

to attend now. 

On a personal note, are you thoroughly enjoying your 

term as TCA chairman, and how has it impacted your 

professional and personal life? 

It has been an awesome experience so far, and I look forward to seeing 

our members, suppliers, and officers live and in person soon. Thank you 

for your continued support. 

A/R Financing with TCI Includes: 

Month-to-month agreements 

Lines from $50,000 to $10MM 

Funding in 24 hours or less 

High advances, low rates 

Dedicated relationship manager 

Scott Franzen 

Senior VP, Business Development 

(888) 674.2102 

sfranzen@tcicapital.com 

www.tcicapital.com 

TCA JULY/AUGUST 2021 | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 35

TALKING TCA 

A Moving Memorial 

TCA continues partnership with The Wall That Heals to 

bring a mobile monument to cities across the country 

In the shadow of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., 

the Vietnam Veterans Memorial lies carved into the earth to display 

the names of the fallen American troops during the Vietnam War. 

The monument gives survivors, friends, families, and anyone 

else who visits the opportunity to grieve, reflect, and grow. However, 

not everyone can make the journey to pay their respects. That’s 

where The Wall That Heals, a moving monument, comes in. 

The three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial 

tours the U.S. each summer. This moving exhibit gives people 

around the country the opportunity to have an experience similar 

to the one they would have if they visited the actual memorial — 

but in their hometowns. 

“Not everyone’s able to make the trip either emotionally or physically,” 

said Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) Director of 

Outreach Tim Tetz. “Maybe they’re not ready to come all the way 

to Washington, D.C., to see a buddy’s name or a relative’s name. 

Maybe they’re not able to [travel] financially or physically.” 

The Wall That Heals has been touring the country each summer 

since 1996, said Tetz. Currently, the exhibit is carried in a 53-foot 

trailer that stores the 140 panels that make up the 375-foot wall. 

The trailer also serves as a mobile education center with three sixfoot 

video screens, a display of items left at the actual memorial, 

and other information panels. One of the monitors displays photos 

of service members listed on the wall who were from the area. 

The second shows photos of Vietnam veterans from the area who 

returned home and died later. The third screen offers a variety of 

educational videos. 

“There are very few times that you have an entire family of 10, 

11, or 12 people with [multiple] generations able to experience the 

healing nature of the wall. Bringing it into their backyard allows just 

that to happen,” added Tetz. 

When the exhibit first started, the VVMF partnered with a trucking 

company that essentially gave them a truck and had permanent 

staff who were the drivers. Unfortunately, the company went 

out of business, so the VVMF turned 

“ 

Partnering with TCA enables 

us to continue our mission to 

honor and preserve the legacy of 

The Wall That Heals and educate 

all generations about the impact of 

the Vietnam War.” 

By Cody Graves 

— Jim Knotts, 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund CEO 

to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) to help keep the wall 

moving. 

“Their leadership said, ‘You guys are great at the wall, and we 

are great at trucking. Why don’t we create this partnership where 

our trucking companies haul the wall and you guys show up and do 

what you’re best at? And that is setting up and taking down the wall 

and educating people,’” added Tetz. 

Now, a local TCA-affiliated trucking company will pull the trailer 

from one city to another. Tetz said that this allows these companies 

to highlight their involvement, reward their drivers, and bring the 

exhibit to their own home states and towns. 

“Thousands of veterans are employed by trucking companies 

across the nation,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “This partnership 

is an opportunity for us to honor and give back to those brave 

men and women who have served our country and sacrificed for 

our freedoms.” 


Top: The Wall That Heals is a 3/4-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans 

Memorial located in Washington, D.C. Several trucking companies affiliated 

with the Truckload Carriers Association are selected each year to pull the 

mobile exhibit. Right: Visitors to The Wall That Heals exhibit often make 

rubbings of names of family members who are listed on the wall. 

VVMF CEO Jim Knotts agreed that the combined efforts of the 

two organizations provide an excellent service to the people of the 

United States. 

“Partnering with TCA enables us to continue our mission to 

honor and preserve the legacy of The Wall That Heals and educate 

all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War,” said Knotts. 

Tetz added that each stop on the tour is a five-day event, and it 

takes about 100 to 150 volunteers to set the wall up and break it 

down. The exhibit is open 24 hours a day, and nearly 8,000 people 

visit at each stop. He said having the exhibition open at all times 

is essential as it allows everyone who wants to visit the chance. 

The nighttime experience of the wall is unique, he noted. Like the 

memorial in D.C., the highly polished synthetic granite of The Wall 

That Heals shows the reflection of visitors and the surroundings. 

“It’s mind-blowing how awesome it is,” said Tetz. 

Names on the wall are listed by date of casualty. They begin at 

the center and start on the East wall working their way to the end of 

the wing. They pick up again at the far end of the West wall and work 

back to the apex, which joins the beginning and end of the conflict. 

Other than the size, the only difference between the actual memorial 

and the replica is the shape. As visitors enter the actual 

memorial, they descend along a walkway while the top remains at 

ground level. The names begin at ground level on the replica, and 

the wall rises to 7.5 feet at the apex. 

“It’s just magical to me how close it resembles the wall in Washington, 

D.C., and it makes me just as proud as can be that, because 

of the partnerships that we have with the trucking industry and the 

hosts that bring us into these communities, we’re able to let those 

people experience that same feeling,” added Tetz. 

Visit truckload.org/vvmf or vvmf.org for more information 

about The Wall That Heals. 

Right: It’s common for visitors to 

the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 

Washington D.C. and at The Wall 

That Heals exhibit to leave items 

like medals, ribbons, flags, and 

flowers to commemorate loved 

ones. Far right: The Wall That 

Heals trailer has several screens 

that display the faces of those 

listed on the wall who were from 

the area. It also has a display 

case that shows items left at the 

memorial wall in Washington, D.C. 


Reunited: 

A Return to In-person Meetings 

After returning from a successful Safety & Security Meeting in 

St. Louis, which welcomed more than 250 attendees and more than 

100 first-timers, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) team is 

excited and prepared for its upcoming, in-person events. 

“After what feels like a never-ending march of Zoom meetings 

and virtual seminars, it was an unbelievably wonderful feeling to return 

to in-person events,” shared TCA’s Director of Meetings Kristen 

Bouchard. “Our attendees were excited to finally have that face-toface 

connection that had been missing from our lives for so long. 

Upon seeing a familiar face in the exhibition hall, one attendee exclaimed, 

‘We made it!’ and I could not have put it better myself.” 

Ready to connect with your peers in person again? Mark your 

calendars and register today for the following events that will be 

tailored to your needs. 

2021 Refrigerated Meeting 

TCA’s 2021 Refrigerated Meeting, set for July 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the premier 

event for industry professionals focusing their operations on temperature-controlled equipment. Attendees will have the opportunity 

to attend specialized educational sessions, connect with colleagues during numerous networking receptions, and even play in 

a golf tournament. 

“The Refrigerated Meeting always takes us to beautiful places, with some of my favorite networking opportunities, and Albuquerque 

is no exception,” shared Bouchard. “The picturesque views, unique venues, and educational programming developed by our 

refrigerated officers always makes this event one of my personal favorites to plan and attend.” 

Truckload 2021: Las Vegas 

Truckload 2021: Las Vegas, set for September 25-28 at the Wynn 

Las Vegas Resort, is anticipating record-setting turnout. This highly 

anticipated three-and-a-half-day event brings together operations and 

C-level professionals, who are eager to see their peers face to face. 

The event features truckload-specific educational sessions from 

industry-leading experts; insightful panel discussions and engaging 

keynote speakers; dedicated exhibit hours to learn about the latest 

products and technology for your fleet; and, as with any TCA event, 

dozens of unique networking opportunities with trucking’s most engaged 

leaders. 

“There is no better place to celebrate the end of a global lockdown 

than Las Vegas!” said Bouchard. “The excitement around this event 

has been infectious, and I personally cannot wait to welcome our 

attendees this fall.” 

We look forward to seeing you on the road soon. 

Be sure to follow TCA on social media networks to stay in the 

know about upcoming events. 

The Wynn Las Vegas Resort is one of the most popular venues 

among Truckload Carriers Association members. The 2019 annual 

meeting was there, Truckload 2021: Las Vegas will be held there 

in September, and Truckload 2022: Las Vegas will be held at the 

Wynn March 19-22, 2022. 


MEMBER MAILROOM 

Government Affairs team ready 

to help members navigate 

legislative landscape 

The Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Government Affairs Department team — Vice 

President of Government Affairs David Heller and Government Affairs Manager Kathryn Pobre 

— is poised to help you navigate the ever-changing legislative and regulatory landscape. 

To help keep you in the know, in March TCA launched an exclusive member benefit — TCA 

Capitol Recap — a monthly e-newsletter that provides insightful updates and commentary. 

This resource also provides a Capitol Recap podcast, a Grassroots Action Center call to action, 

news from around the industry, and more. 

Not receiving this offering? Email TCA@truckload.org or call (703) 838-1950. 

March 2021 

Check out our first episode. Hear Dave and Kathryn 

discuss recent Capitol Hill meetings and the conversations 

surrounding infrastructure “pay-fors,” including 

the federal fuel tax, the vehicle miles traveled tax, and 

deficit spending. The March episode features a special 

guest, TCA’s Past Chairman and CEO of AAdvantage Insurance 

Group LLC Josh Kaburick, who highlights the 

conversations with Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL-12) in support 

of Bost’s efforts to increase federal funding for truck 

parking. 

April 2021 

Tune in as the team discusses the PRO Act and its implications 

for trucking’s independent contractor model. What 

are the possible paths for the PRO Act to become law, and 

where does this legislation currently stand today? 

May 2021 

In the third edition, the Government Affairs team chats 

about recent developments in the fight against California’s 

AB5, as well as the various trucking-related bills which 

have been introduced and which could be added to the 

larger infrastructure bill. Special guest Warren Transport 

Vice President/GM-Van Division and the new chairman of 

TCA’s Independent Contractor Practices Policy Committee, 

shares how threats to trucking’s independent contractor 

model would affect the millions of owner-operators who 

have chosen this business model, and how various safety 

technologies being discussed on Capitol Hill are already being 

incorporated into the trucks used in his fleet today. 


A QUICK LOOK AT MORE IMPORTANT TCA NEWS 

HIGHWAY ANGELS 

Professional truck drivers Jackie Burnette, 

Daniel Cristian Ciorba, Bruno Filipe Da Costa Raposo, 

Aaron DeSilva, Ty Hinton, Robert Johnson, 

Ty Mauzerolle, Kris Stauffacher, Nick Still, Kirk 

Szecsodi, and brothers Calvin and Corey Williams 

have been named Highway Angels by the Truckload 

Carriers Association (TCA) for their acts of heroism 

while on the road. 

For their willingness to assist fellow drivers and 

motorists, TCA has presented each Highway Angel 

with a certificate, patch, lapel pin, and truck decals. 

Their employers have also received a certificate acknowledging 

their driver as a Highway Angel. 

To nominate a driver, to meet additional recipients, 

or to hear audio recordings as the recipients 

tell their story, visit highwayangel.org. 

JACKIE BURNETTE 

Jackie Burnette, from Woodlawn, Virginia, who 

drives for Mountain River Trucking of Mount Airy, 

North Carolina, was honored for his support of a 

young driver following a hit and run incident that 

pushed the woman’s vehicle against Burnette’s 

tractor-trailer. 

It was just before Thanksgiving and Burnette 

was traveling where Interstate 40 and Interstate 

85 connect east of Greensboro, North Carolina. He 

suddenly felt the front end of his truck nearly lift off 

the ground at the right bumper. 

“I’d been hit hard, and it was hard to hold it in the 

lane,” he shared. “I looked and saw that a car had just 

kind of skated off me and then went off to the side.” 

It took Burnette nearly a mile to safely stop. “I 

called 911 and then my safety (advisor) to say I’d 

been in an accident and was going back to check 

on the driver,” recalled Burnette. He then hurried 

back to the scene. 

“There was a young lady, and the first thing 

she did was say how sorry she was and that she 

didn’t mean to hit me,” he shared. “I asked if she 

was okay. She was really shaken up. She said she 

thought someone had hit her and pushed her into 

me. It all happened so fast. I went over and looked 

and sure enough, someone coming from an on 

ramp had struck her and pushed her into me and 

then drove off.” 

Burnette said the young woman apologized for 

hitting his truck, but he reassured her that he didn’t 

care about the truck and as long as “she was OK, 

I was good.” 

“She was so torn up and said she was afraid 

someone was going to be mean. I said, ‘Who’s gonna 

be mean? Let’s go whip ‘em now!’ I was just trying to 

get her to laugh. She was so upset,” he recalled. 

A short while later, the young woman’s father 

arrived on the scene. 

“He asked me how the truck looked. I said, ‘It 

could be better, but all in all it’s not real bad.’ She did 

hit it hard, though. We’ve got big metal fenders on 

the bumpers that probably weigh 200 pounds. The 

boss man don’t skimp,” Burnette said with a laugh. 

“The reason this accident wasn’t worse than it was, 

I have to give the boss man credit for his equipment. 

He’s got FlowBelows in between the drive tires (axles) 

on the tractor. When she hit the fender, she 

bounced off and came down the side and back into 

my drive wheels. If it weren’t for the FlowBelows, it 

would have sucked her in beneath the trailer and this 

would have been a lot worse story.” 

The impact bent Burnette’s bumper into a steer 

tire on the right side, cutting into it. He needed to 

have the bumper pulled off and have the tire replaced 

before it was safe to continue driving. 

DANIEL CRISTIAN CIORBA 

Daniel Cristian Ciorba, who lives in Laval, Quebec, 

Canada, and drives for C.A.T. Inc. of Quebec, 

Canada, was honored for aiding a truck driver from 

the same company following a collision. 

It was a sunny day in early October and Ciorba was 

southbound on Interstate 57 near Dix, Illinois. As he 

JACKIE BURNETTE 

DANIEL CRISTIAN CIORBA 

BRUNO FILIPE DA COSTA RAPOSO 

AARON DESILVA 


approached a bend in the road, he checked his 

mirrors and noticed another C.A.T. Inc. truck 

traveling about a quarter mile behind him. As 

Ciorba came around the bend, he saw there 

was a construction zone ahead, and one lane 

was closed. Traffic was quickly backing up and 

Ciorba had to cautiously slow down because a 

pickup truck was following closely behind him. 

A moment later, as he checked his right mirror 

again, he was shocked to see the other C.A.T. 

truck rear-end another tractor-trailer. 

“I’m almost certain he must have been 

blinded by the sun,” Ciorba shared with TCA. 

As soon as he could stop, Ciorba turned on 

his four-way flashers, grabbed his fire extinguisher, 

and ran back to the accident scene. 

As he reached the other C.A.T. truck, he saw 

that the cab had sustained heavy damage. Another 

motorist told Ciorba he could smell gas. 

Ciorba’s training as a truck mechanic kicked in 

and he worked quickly to cut the battery cables 

to prevent a spark and disconnected the fuel 

lines. He then checked on the driver. 

“The window was broken, and the door 

was crushed,” he shared, adding that the 

driver’s face was covered in blood and he was 

having difficulty breathing. He was pinned by 

the steering wheel. 

“I told him everything would be fine and 

to keep calm and breathe. I tried to open 

the door with a hand bar, but the door was 

completely compressed,” recalled Ciorba. He 

kept talking to him to keep him awake, but the 

driver lost consciousness three or four times. 

First responders arrived within 20 minutes, 

but it took more than an hour to extricate the 

driver from his truck. In the meantime, Ciorba 

stayed on scene and called the C.A.T. dispatcher 

to relay what was happening so the company 

could inform the family of the driver’s 

injuries and what hospital he was airlifted to. 

He then waited to be sure the truck and load 

was secure until it could be towed. 

The driver’s mother later contacted Ciorba to 

thank him for helping her son. He is now back 

at work, and the two men have met. Ciorba said 

his family raised him to help others in need. He 

is from Romania and moved to Quebec nine 

years ago. He was a truck mechanic before joining 

C.A.T. Inc. three years ago as a truck driver. 

He says his training helped him to know to disconnect 

the power and the fuel which likely prevented 

the situation from becoming far worse. 

BRUNO FILIPE DA COSTA RAPOSO 

Bruno Filipe Da Costa Raposo, who lives in 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and drives for Bison 

Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, was 

honored for stopping to aid a young woman 

after her vehicle veered off the road in front of 

him and into a ditch. This is his second set of 

Angel wings. 

It’s not every day that Da Costa Raposo 

has a woman jump into his arms, but it 

happened late one afternoon in February. 

Raposo was driving down Interstate 80 

near Scott, Iowa, looking for a place to stop 

for the night. 

“It was snowing really bad, and icy,” Raposo 

shared with TCA. Due to the poor driving 

conditions, he had slowed to 50 mph when he 

saw a pickup truck trying to pass him in the 

left lane of the two-lane road, which was covered 

in snow. Raposo continued to slow down. 

“When she was beside my drive axle, 

she started swerving so I slowed down even 

more,” shared Raposo. “She was able to 

clear me, but when she passed in front of my 

truck her rear bumper was just 5 or maybe 6 

inches from my bumper, and then she veered 

off the road and went in the ditch.” 

He remembered that the pickup rolled 

over on its passenger side. “I pulled over 

and got out, and she was already standing 

up inside the pickup cab with her feet on the 

passenger door,” said Raposo. “I told her to 

climb out the driver’s window and then I told 

her to jump, but she was scared. She had to 

jump down about 6 feet. I told her to jump 

and I would catch her. She was little, maybe 

120 pounds. I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to 

hurt,’ but I caught her and then we both fell 

into the snow.” 

Thankfully, the young woman didn’t have 

any injuries. “I told her she was very lucky,” 

he shared. Raposo told her she could wait 

inside his truck to stay warm. He called 911 

and first responders arrived within five minutes. 

The young woman later called Raposo’s 

employer, Bison Transport, to relay her 

thanks for his help that night. 

AARON DESILVA 

Aaron DeSilva, who lives in Midland, 

Texas, and drives for Melton Truck Lines of 

Tulsa, Oklahoma, was honored for stopping 

to help a young driver after a tractor-trailer 

clipped another vehicle, causing it to overturn 

and spin out of control. 

It was late one evening in March as DeSilva 

and his wife, Tiffany, were going through 

the West Memphis, Arkansas, area on Interstate 

40. “All of a sudden I saw a big flash, 

sparks, and fire as something flew across the 

road in front of us,” DeSilva shared with TCA. 

It was a car, on its roof, sliding across the 

road. “Another tractor-trailer looked like he 

was switching lanes, or maybe wasn’t paying 

“ 

When she hit the 

fender, she bounced off 

and came down the side 

and back into my drive 

wheels. If it weren’t for the 

FlowBelows, it would have 

sucked her in beneath the 

trailer and this would have 

been a lot worse story.” 

— Jackie Burnette, driver for 

Mountain River Trucking and 

TCA Highway Angel 

attention,” he added. “He just came over the 

line and clipped the front of the car and spun 

it out and flipped him on his roof.” 

The truck slowed and pulled over, but then 

left the scene. DeSilva pulled to the shoulder, 

grabbed a fire extinguisher, and jumped out as 

Tiffany called 911. He had to run across two 

lanes of traffic. “Cars and trucks slowed down 

long enough to look and then drove on,” he recalled. 

“We were the only ones that stopped.” 

DeSilva rushed to the overturned car 

and pried the driver’s door open. He found 

a young male driver in his early to mid-20s. 

“When I asked him if he was okay, his 

first words were, ‘What did I hit?’ I told him 

he didn’t hit anything, a truck hit him,” said 

DeSilva. “He was pretty shaken up.” DeSilva 

then helped him crawl out of the smoking vehicle. 

He turned off the car’s ignition and then 

moved the driver away from the vehicle and 

waited for first responders to arrive. 

The driver called his mother to let her 

know he had been in an accident. He handed 

the phone to Tiffany and his mother asked if 

she and DeSilva would stay with her son until 

she and her husband could get there. They 

agreed. The couple later learned the young 

driver had sustained several broken ribs. 

Thinking back on that evening, DeSilva 

said they were probably put there for a reason. 

“We had made a couple stops during 

the day which put us there at that particular 

time,” he said. “My wife says everything happens 

for a reason. We were meant to be there 

to help him.” 

SEE ANGELS, PAGE 42 


ANGELS, FROM PAGE 41 

DeSilva has been driving over 22 years and 

has driven over the road for nearly eight years. 

“I’ve been all over the country,” he said. “Our 

kids are grown now so it’s just the two of us. 

We decided to be on the road fulltime together. 

I enjoy my job and seeing the country.” 

DeSilva is originally from Bermuda and 

has lived in the U.S. for 12 years. 

TY HINTON 

Ty Hinton, who lives in Olla, Louisiana, and 

also drives for Melton Truck Lines of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 

was honored for stopping to assist an 

elderly man who had fallen next to a busy street. 

Hinton was driving through Peoria, Illinois, 

early one afternoon in November 2020. 

He was on his way to pick up a load when he 

noticed an elderly man sitting on the sidewalk 

next to the street. 

“He was fiddling around with a walker,” 

recalled Hinton. “That threw up a flag in my 

head. I remember my grandma having a 

walker and falling and not being able to get 

back up. I thought about it for a second and 

decided I couldn’t not go check on him.” 

Hinton quickly made a U-turn at a stop sign 

and then pulled up near the man, hopped out 

of his cab, and walked over to him. The man 

told him he’d been sitting there for about two 

hours with the sun beating down on him. 

“He’d gone out to get groceries and when he 

came back, he’d been walking too long,” shared 

Hinton. “He tripped on a little patch of mud and 

fell and cut his arm up on the sidewalk.” 

The man didn’t have a phone or Life Alert. 

Hinton helped him get up and sit on the seat of 

his walker. He then gave him a bottle of water 

and a cold compress for his wrist to cool him 

down a bit. Hinton shared that the man was 

borderline dehydrated by the time he arrived. 

“I alerted the authorities and waited with 

him,” he said. “His son arrived before the 

paramedics got there and thanked me. He said 

he was so thankful that a complete stranger 

had stopped. But I did what I hope anyone else 

would do ... it was a little upsetting to me that 

he’d been sitting there that long. In the 20 to 

30 minutes I had been sitting there, so many 

cars went by and I thought, ‘Wow, how did 

nobody see this guy?’ It took me stopping a 

70-foot vehicle to stop and help him.” 

Hinton later learned the man’s son had 

called Melton to express his gratitude. 

“I’m not normally the kind of person to seek 

recognition for what I do. I was just raised to 

be humble and helpful,” said Hinton, adding 

that the elderly man also called him. “We had a 

TY HINTON 

ROBERT JOHNSON 

good 30- to 40-minute conversation. It’s the 

first time I’ve ever been in a situation like that. 

I let instinct kick in and I helped. A load can 

wait. That man couldn’t. I’m glad I was paying 

attention. I think that’s why others didn’t stop. 

They were too busy doing their own thing and 

passed him by. My grandparents taught me to 

be compassionate toward everyone. When you 

see someone in trouble, you help.” 

ROBERT JOHNSON 

Robert Johnson, who lives in Livingston, 

Texas, and drives for Freymiller Inc. of Oklahoma 

City, was honored for rushing to pull 

two men from a burning truck. 

It was an ordinary day in March as Johnson 

was driving along Interstate 85 on his 

way to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was midafternoon 

when he happened to take note of 

a straight truck as it passed him. Shortly afterward, 

Johnson saw a column of smoke up 

ahead of him. As he rounded the corner before 

the next exit, he saw that the truck that had 

passed him was now on fire. 

“There were two people still in the truck,” 

he shared with TCA. 

Johnson is a retired firefighter and knew 

there wasn’t much time. He quickly acted, 

positioning his truck to block the right two 

lanes. He jumped out, ran to the truck, and 

managed to get the driver and passenger out 

“ 

I’m not normally 

the kind of person to seek 

recognition for what I do. 

I was just raised to be 

humble and helpful.” 

— Ty Hinton, driver for Melton Truck 

Lines and TCA Highway Angel 

and a safe distance away from the truck. 

“The fire was too far gone for a fire extinguisher,” 

he remembered. “The first thing I had 

to do was get them out and to a safe place.” 

Johnson then called 911 and explained 

the situation. By this time, the truck was engulfed 

in flames. 

“The first fire engine arrived within five 

minutes,” he said. “As they were taking their 

hoses out the tank on the truck blew.” 

When the ambulance arrived a few minutes 

later, he learned that the driver had lifethreatening 

injuries and the passenger had 

also suffered burns. Johnson knows that if 

it weren’t for his training as a firefighter and 

a professional truck driver, those two men 

would very likely have lost their lives that day. 

He thought about the families they may have 

at home waiting for them. 

Johnson was a firefighter for four years. 

One day he went into a structural fire. “When 

I came out of the house it collapsed behind 

me,” he said. “That’s when I retired.” He began 

driving in August 2019. “My mom drove 

truck for 30 years,” added Johnson. “I decided 

to follow in her footsteps.” 

TY MAUZEROLLE 

Ty Mauzerolle, who lives in Springfield, 

Missouri, and drives for Prime Inc., also located 

in Springfield, Missouri, was honored 

for stopping at the scene of a fatal two-car accident 

and working to rescue a 9-year-old boy. 

Mauzerolle and his student driver, Leonel 

Sanchez, were on Interstate 40 near Holbrook, 

Arizona, on their way to Henderson, 

Nevada, in early June 2020. 

“It was around 9 p.m.,” shared Mauzerolle. 

“It was really dark; there’s nothing out 

there, just desert.” 

Then he saw something glowing orange 

up ahead on the right. Mauzerolle moved to 

the left lane. 

“It was a car on fire,” he recalled. “As we 


got closer, there was another car in the left 

lane sitting sideways.” Mauzerolle had to initiate 

a hard stop at 65 mph. He then grabbed 

a fire extinguisher and ran to the burning 

vehicle as Sanchez called 911. Mauzerolle 

could hear a child screaming. 

“It was a boy, maybe 9 or 10 years old,” he 

said. Other cars and trucks stopped and drivers 

rushed over with their extinguishers. “We were 

able to get most of the flames out,” he said. 

The boy’s father was deceased, as was 

the elderly driver in the other vehicle. “I knew 

we had to get this kid out of the car,” said 

Mauzerolle, “but it was really mangled, and 

the doors weren’t opening.” Sanchez helped 

him get tools out of the truck to pry the doors 

open and then grabbed a blanket. 

“I was afraid of the flames flaring back 

up,” he added. “We didn’t know his (the 

boy’s) injuries, but his leg was stuck.” He 

worked with two other drivers on the scene 

to free him. He then carried the boy away 

from the vehicle. 

“I was on the ground with this kid in my 

arms,” continued Mauzerolle. “A trooper arrived 

and said he would be happy to take over, 

but I didn’t want to let him go until he was put 

in an ambulance.” Both of the boy’s arms were 

broken and likely both legs, and at least one 

rib. He hadn’t been wearing a seat belt. 

“They tried to give him pain medication,” 

recalled Mauzerolle, “but he was terrified of 

getting a shot. He was screaming. I asked 

him if he liked video games. I told him I had 

a Nintendo Switch in the truck and that if he 

took the shot then he could have the game,” 

he said. “This was the worst day in that kid’s 

life. I wanted to do anything to take his mind 

off what just happened.” 

The boy was taken by Life Flight to a children’s 

hospital in Phoenix. Mauzerolle said 

he and Sanchez made a couple of unscheduled 

stops that day. 

“It ended up putting us in the right place 

at the right time,” he shared. “We would have 

crossed Arizona a lot earlier and missed the 

accident. That’s just how the chain of events 

worked.” He later learned that the boy and 

his father were just 7 miles from home that 

night. The other driver, an elderly man, was 

driving in the wrong direction. 

“This wasn’t reckless driving,” he said. 

“This was an accident. Anything can happen. 

It makes you appreciate what you have. The 

next day I called all my family.” 

TCA and its Highway Angel program 

has also recognized William and Becky 

Gregory, owner-operators who drive for 

Titan Transfer, Inc. They were also on I-40 

TY MAUZEROLLE 

KRIS STAUFFACHER 

NICK STILL 

that night and stopped at the scene to help. 

Mauzerolle said Sanchez was in his final 

stage of Prime’s student driver program. “He 

is still with me. He was such a good student I 

hired him to work with me,” he said. “He was 

very helpful at the accident scene. I am very 

grateful he was with me that night.” 

KRIS STAUFFACHER 

Kris Stauffacher, who lives in Collinsville, 

Oklahoma, and drives for Melton Truck Lines 

of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was honored for stopping 

to help a fellow driver whose trailer was 

engulfed in flames on the side of the road. 

Stauffacher was heading north on Interstate 

45 near Alma, Texas, around 4 a.m. with 

a trainee in September 2020 when he saw a 

truck on fire ahead. The men immediately 

pulled over and Stauffacher grabbed his fire 

extinguisher and ran to the scene. 

“The trailer was pretty much fully engulfed,” 

he recalled. 

The driver was able to jump out of the cab 

and had already emptied his fire extinguisher. 

“It looked like the fire was coming from the 

drive tires.” said Stauffacher. He recalled 

working quickly to knock down the flames to 

keep them from spreading to the tractor. 

“They were starting to creep up on the 

sleeper,” he added. “The flames went into the 

trailer and just ate it up. I asked the driver 

what he was hauling, and he said beer, so it 

wasn’t anything hazardous.” 

The fire department arrived just a few 

minutes later and finished putting out the rest 

of the fire. The driver didn’t appear injured. 

“I was shocked by how many people just 

drove by and didn’t do anything,” said Stauffacher. 

“This is a well-traveled road. We could 

have maybe saved the trailer. The ironic part is 

that I’ve been a trainer for five-and-a-half years. 

I tell them (student drivers) if there’s someone 

who needs help we need to stop. We have fire 

extinguishers and water and blankets on the 

truck. We can call for help and do more than 

just drive on. People would rather take videos 

on their cell phone than help. As a professional 

driver, nine times out of 10 if there’s an accident, 

normally truck drivers are the first ones 

on the scene because there’s so many of us. 

That’s someone’s family member. It’s not mandated, 

but I can stop and render some help.” 

Stauffacher has been driving for nearly 11 

years. 

“I’ve come across several things in my 

career,” he said. “I’ve reported brush fires, 

spinouts in the winter — I try to stop and 

help. We’re a brotherhood, we’re out here doing 

the same thing. I would want someone to 

help me.” 

NICK STILL 

Nick Still, a driver with Hirschbach Motor 

Lines, Inc. of Dubuque, Illinois, was honored 

for aiding a couple after their vehicle spun 

out and overturned on an icy road. 

Still was driving along Highway 34 near 

Galesburg, Illinois, late one morning in February. 

It was sleeting and snowing, and the 

roads were slick so he was leaving some extra 

distance between himself and the pickup 

truck ahead of him. 

“Just as we were approaching an overpass, 

I watched him spin out,” he shared. 

“They spun around and rolled. A big cloud of 

SEE ANGELS, PAGE 44 


ANGELS, FROM PAGE 43 

powdery snow went up and when it settled, 

they were laying on the passenger side in the 

ditch. The driver wasn’t driving erratically, 

but simply hit a patch of black ice under a 

thin layer of snow. I pulled to the side, threw 

on my hazards, and called 911.” 

He then ran over to the overturned vehicle 

as the driver was climbing out of the driver’s 

door. 

“I gave him a hand and then helped lift his 

wife out,” Still shared, adding that the pair 

appeared to be in their 50s and were fortunate 

to walk away without any major injuries. 

“She may have injured her arm because 

the vehicle landed on the passenger side,” he 

recalled. “It all happened so fast that I didn’t 

even catch their names. I was just trying to 

make sure they were OK.” 

Still waited until police and EMTs arrived. 

He learned the couple later called his employer 

to thank him for helping them that day. He 

has been driving with Hirschbach for three 

years. He is also a Certified Trucker Against 

Trafficking. 

KIRK SZECSODI 

Kirk Szecsodi, who lives in Winnipeg, 

Manitoba, Canada, and drives for Len Dubios 

Trucking of Winnipeg, was honored for his 

alertness that led to successfully locating a 

missing elderly man. 

Fate was shining on Szecsodi the day he 

saw a Silver Alert on a digital highway sign 

on U.S. Highway 287 near Waco, Texas. Silver 

Alerts help locate vulnerable adults who 

go missing. 

“It said it was an elderly man driving a 

black Dodge Charger,” recalled Szecsodi. He 

jotted down the vehicle make and model and 

the license plate number. 

“I’d always thought it’d be cool to help 

find someone,” he shared. 

A few hours later, he stopped at the Love’s 

Truck Stop in Quanah, Texas, for his half-hour 

break. “I went inside for a while and as I was 

walking out the front door, this elderly man 

held the door open for me,” Sxecsodi recalled. 

Szecsodi thanked him and then saw the 

man walk toward a black Dodge Charger. He 

says the license plate number rang a bell. He 

ran back inside and grabbed a piece of paper. 

“I only got part of the license plate number,” 

he said. “But I thought that might be the guy.” 

After getting back in his truck, Szecsodi 

saw that the license plate number 

matched what he had taken down earlier. 

“That was the guy,” he exclaimed when 

KIRK SZECSODI 

CALVIN AND COREY WILLIAMS 

recounting the day. “I called the police and 

told them I had seen him in a black Charger 

heading toward Amarillo.” 

The police called him back about 20 minutes 

later to thank him and said they found 

the man and he was safe. Szecsodi is still in 

disbelief about his luck. 

“It’s incredible that the very person on the 

Silver Alert was standing right there holding 

the door for me! That was the most bizarre 

part,” he said adding he’s relieved that things 

worked out well. 

CALVIN AND COREY WILLIAMS 

Calvin and Corey Williams, twin brothers 

who live in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and 

drive for Armellini Express Lines of Palm 

City, Florida, were honored for rushing to 

the aid of a couple whose vehicle veered off 

the road and into a steep ravine, crashing 

into a tree. 

Around 4 a.m. on February 21, Calvin was 

on Interstate 44 near Bristow, Oklahoma, 

when a vehicle passed him at a high rate of 

speed; then veered off the road and disappeared 

down a steep embankment. Corey 

was in the sleeper. They also had a trainee, 

Allen Ford, with them. Calvin safely applied 

the brakes and woke up Corey as he quickly 

pulled over and directed Allen to put the reflectors 

out behind the truck. 

They called 911, rushed to the edge of the 

road, and peered down into a wooded ravine. 

“It was pitch black out there,” recalled 

Calvin, but they could see a small fire about 

300 to 400 feet from the road. The team 

could hear people screaming for help. Having 

only the light from their cellphones 

to light the way, they ran into a barbedwire 

fence and climbed over it. They then 

scrambled down a slick, muddy embankment. 

By the time they reached the vehicle 

the flames had died out. 

“They hit a tree so hard it knocked the 

headlights out and pushed the motor and 

transmission into the cab,” said Calvin. The 

windows were broken out, and the brothers 

found a male passenger, conscious, laying on 

the ground with a serious leg injury. 

The female driver was about 30 feet from 

the vehicle. “She was bleeding and shivering 

and couldn’t move her legs,” shared Calvin, 

adding that he suspected she had a broken 

back. “She kept saying she had fallen asleep 

at the wheel. She looked like she was going 

into shock.” 

“It was 23 degrees that night,” added Corey. 

“They were cold and wet and freezing. 

It was a bad situation.” One of the brothers 

climbed back up to the truck to grab blankets. 

Because of the area’s remote location, 

it was an hour before the police arrived, and 

another hour before the EMTs reached them. 

“But they had no way to get down the hill and 

successfully bring two people back up, especially 

with their injuries,” said Corey. 

One of the brothers opened a tracking app 

on his phone and pulled up a detailed image 

of the area. The crash scene was near an old 

dirt road, but difficult to get to. It took the 

EMTs another 30 minutes before they finally 

reached the injured couple. 

“That was a crazy night,” said Corey. “We 

stayed with them for four hours until the sun 

came up, with no jackets on in 23 degrees. 

When we heard those sirens, it was the best 

sound I’d heard all night.” 

“I’m glad we stopped,” shared Calvin. 

“There aren’t any houses back there. No one 

would have seen them from the highway. All 

I was thinking about was saving a human life. 

We didn’t know what type of situation was 

down there. We didn’t care.” 

The brothers have been driving together 

for 13 years. Calvin said he was fascinated 

by semitrucks as a kid. The two decided they 

wanted to become truck drivers. 

“We want to be the best drivers we can 

be,” Calvin said. “We do more than just drive 

truck. We save lives, too.” 


SAFETY & SECURITY MEETING DRAWS MORE THAN 250 

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) hosted its annual Safety 

& Security Meeting from June 6-8 in St. Louis. More than 250 truckload 

safety professionals gathered in person to discuss problems, 

share ideas, and seek solutions to make their businesses and the nation’s 

roads safer. 

The event offered its highly popular “Safety in the Round” sessions, 

giving attendees the chance to draw from the knowledge of the group 

to address common safety management and human-resource problems. 

Discussion topics included workers’ compensation issues, employee/employer 

communication, improving driver-hiring procedures, 

and others. 

In addition to specialized educational sessions developed by TCA’s 

Safety & Security Division Officers, attendees could participate in a 

first-timers orientation, network at receptions, peruse a robust exhibition 

hall which featured the latest products and services, and more. 

Look for full coverage of the meeting in the September-October 

issue of Truckload Authority. 

To view additional photos from the event, visit truckload.org/Flickr. 

Detention time woes? It’s time to do something 

about it. 

During this new 90-minute immersive 

workshop, participants will get the opportunity 

to share tools and strategies that can be used 

to make informed decisions to keep the company’s 

wheels moving and remain profitable. 

Throughout the entire 90-year history of 

trucking in the United States, excessive detention 

has been a scourge on the industry. Is your 

team aware of the different ways that excessive 

detention is affecting not only your bottom-line 

revenue, but also your safety performance, 

driver hours-of-service, and turnover? 

Visit truckload.org/events/excessivedeten 

tiontime to sign up for this 90-minute immersive 

workshop scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, 

July 22, as True Load Time, Inc.’s Founder and 

CEO Kevin Nadeau and Director of Operations 

Shawn Kitchen discuss: 

• Industry history and statistics about the 

effect that excessive detention has on the 

American economy; 

• The different (and sometimes unforeseen) 

ways that excessive detention can affect 

your bottom-line revenue; 

• Tools to help you make informed decisions 

to keep the wheels moving and stay 

profitable; 

• Data insights compiled from shipping and 

receiving locations across the country and 

how to use this data to inform rate negotiation; 

and 

• Strategies to provide your fleet with realistic 

wait time expectations and appropriately 

plan routes, hours-of-service breaks, and 

sleeping schedules. 

Registration includes access to the July 22 

live workshop as well as the recording of the 

April 29 workshop. Cost for TCA members is 

$99; for TCA non-members it is $199. 

Global Executive Solutions Group’s 

Partner George Fieser recently attended a 

TCA workshop series and found it to be 

very insightful. 

“Over this last year of uncertainty in our 

industry, the series allowed me to continue to 

learn alongside my peers, grow, and flourish 

Maverick Transportation’s Dean Newell, TCA Safety & Security Division Chairman, 

welcomes attendees to the June 7 general session “Lessons for Team Management 

in a post-COVID world.” 

PLAN TO ATTEND WORKSHOP ON EXCESSIVE DETENTION TIME 

July 22 

TCA’s Truckload Live Distance Learning series is designed to let company leaders engage in live learning experiences 

without leaving their desk or committing an entire day to a program. 

as a professional,” he shared. “As a participant, 

we had the ability to talk directly to the 

presenters afterward and ask questions.” 

TCA’s Truckload Live Distance Learning series 

is designed to let you engage in live learning 

experiences without leaving your desk 

or committing your entire day to a program. 

Through a digital platform, experts share their 

knowledge and insights as they facilitate live 

online conversations in convenient, 90-minute 

sessions. 

For questions, please contact TCA’s Associate 

Director of Education Kim Grimmick at 571- 

444-0309 or by emailing Truckload Academy at 

TruckloadAcademy@truckload.org. 


The Truckload Carriers Association 

welcomes companies that 

joined our association in 

April and May. 

Carrigan & Sons 

DeBoer 

Transportation 

Houston 

Community 

College 

April 

May 

Excargo Services 

Velocitor Solutions 

Woods Transportation 

Baggett 


Eagle Transport 

Corporation 

Wolverine Haulers 

C.A.T. Inc. 

WorkHound 

The Equipment Lock 

Company 

Deep South Freight 

Clay’s 


Nocell Technologies 

Workforce QA 

Stealth Monitoring 

Resona Inc. 

EXCLUSIVE 

Honoring TCA Ambassador 

Club Members 

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) created its prestigious 

Ambassador Club in 1996 to honor companies that have maintained 

membership in the organization for 25 years or longer. Each year at 

TCA’s Annual Convention, companies are recognized if they are being 

inducted into the Ambassador’s Club for the first time or if they have 

reached the next milestone of membership longevity. Special recognition 

is bestowed when a company reaches the 50- or 75-year mark. In 

this issue of Truckload Authority, companies that have been members 

for 27-30 years are saluted. 

Help TCA recognize its longest-standing members. TCA appreciates 

their ongoing commitment to the organization and the industry. 

30 YEARS 

Arnold Bros Transport, Ltd. • Blue Beacon Truck Washes 

Boyd Bros. Transportation, Inc. • C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. 

Hutchens Industries • Mack Trucks 

Marvin Johnson & Associates, Inc. • Zeitner & Sons, Inc. 

29 YEARS 

Cargo Transporters, Inc. • D & D Sexton, Inc. 

Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc. • Love’s Travel Stops 

McLeod Software Corporation, Inc. • RJW Transport, Inc. 

West Side Transport 

28 YEARS 

Arlo G. Lott Trucking, Inc. • Bulldog Hiway Express 

National Tractor Trailer School • National Freight, Inc. 

Robinson & Sons Trucking, Inc. 

27 YEARS 

Armellini Express Lines, Inc. • East Manufacturing Corporation 

ECBM Insurance Brokers & Consultants • HNI Risk Services, Inc. 

Hogan Transports, Inc. • Kriska Transportation 

Marsh & McLennan Companies • Motor Carrier Service, LLC 

Pohl Transportation, Inc. • Randall-Reilly 

Royal Trucking Company • TMC Transportation Services 

Winnipeg Motor Express 

Be sure to check for more Ambassador Club members in the next 

edition of Truckload Authority. 

COVER PHOTO: Associated Press 

ADDITIONAL MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS: 

Associated Press: P. 10, 11, 19, 20 

FMCSA: P. 17 

House of Representatives: P. 14 

iStock: P. 8-9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 38, 39 

John Christner Trucking: P. 27 

Renee Crabtree Photography: P. 3, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35 

Stacy Beguhn via The Disrespected Trucker: P. 6 

TCA: P. 3, 5, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45 

Tennessee Department of Transportation: P. 10 

Veriha Trucking: P. 27 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: P. 3, 36, 37 

Volvo Trucks: P. 18 

Wynn Las Vegas Resort: P. 38 


NEED MORE 

QUALIFIED DRIVERS 

and/or Owner Operators? 

The Trucker Media Group Can Help 

Just reach out and let us show you our proven solutions for recruiting 

drivers and owner operators. 

Leads are delivered to app system or email. 

Let us generate the leads, so you can focus on hiring the 

professionals you need. 

Add print branding to your 

campaign with The Trucker 

newspaper and The Trucker 

Jobs Magazine. 

CONTACT 

Meg Larcinese, National Sales Manager 


678.938.2067

TLA49_AllPages

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?