071521_TT_AllPages

VOL. 34, NO. 14 | JULY 15-31, 2021 | WWW.THETRUCKER.COM
SCAN
HERE
FOR
MORE
NEWS!
Courtesy: Minnesota Department of Transportation
Charges could
be dropped
A truck driver who drove through
a crowd of protesters on a Minneapolis
highway last year will have
criminal charges dropped if he remains
law-abiding for a year.
Page 3
Colorado mudslide.................4
Trucker Trainer.......................... 6
Passing lane for US 95 ............ 9
Livestock-transport crashes...... 11
Ask the Attorney.................... 12
Rhythm of the Road............... 13
At the
Truck Stop
Nikki Weaver has
always had a love
for driving. Now,
she has been
named WIT’s
2021 Driver of
Courtesy:
Nikki Weaver the Year.
Page 14
Freight volumes dip slightly.... 17
Fleet Focus............................. 18
Trucking into the future..............21
The Wall That Heals ...................23
Top left: The Interstate 40 bridge in Memphis has been closed to traffic since May 11 due to a fracture in a critical support beam. Top right: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
toured the bridge in early June.
Catastrophe avoided
CLOSURE OF I-40 MEMPHIS SPAN DRAWS INTENSE SCRUTINY
TO DETERIORATING BRIDGES ACROSS THE NATION
HANNAH BUTLER | STAFF WRITER
The 48-year-old Interstate 40 bridge between Arkansas
and Tennessee was rated as being in “fair”
condition with a sufficiency factor of 58% before a
“significant” fracture was discovered on May 11. The
structure has remained closed to traffic since that
time as crews work to repair the damage, first stabilizing
the bridge to accommodate the equipment
needed and then removing and replacing the damaged
portion of a 900-foot structural beam.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation
(TDOT) said a fracture may be caused by overload,
shock, fatigue or stress. A critical fracture could
lead to collapse, if not properly repaired and maintained.
Either way, it is beneficial to review bridge
TRIP report: Nation’s interstate highway
system needs complete overhaul
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
Adrian Sainz/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP
ratings and maintain inspections to prevent a collapse
or further costly damages.
As Arkansas Department of Transportation Director
Lorie Tudor said shortly after the damage
was found, had the fracture not been discovered
when it was, there might have been a “catastrophic”
disaster.
Unfortunately, disasters such as this have occurred
in the not-so-distant past.
In 2007, the eight-lane I-35 bridge crossing the
Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during
repaving repairs. Opened in 1967, the bridge was
one of Minnesota’s busiest, carrying more than
SEE BRIDGES ON PAGE 8
Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal via AP
Bridges allow us to
make countless vital
connections every day through
all modes of transportation.
For example, the I-40 bridge
closure impacted both
roadway and waterway traffic
that was passing on and
underneath the bridge.”
— TONY DORSEY, SPOKESMAN
FOR AASHTO
Courtesy: Armellini Express Lines
Heroes on the
highway
Twin brothers Calvin and Corey
Williams have been awarded
Highway Angel wings for helping
after a car veered off an Oklahoma
interstate and crashed.
Page 23
WASHINGTON — The nation’s interstate highway
system, originally funded in 1956, is now 65
years old — and there’s no question that it needs
a lot of work.
According to a report released in June by TRIP,
the interstate highway system is congested, carries
significant levels of travel, particularly by large
trucks, and lacks adequate funding to make needed
repairs and improvements.
The findings of the report — America’s Interstate
Highway System at 65: Meeting America’s
Transportation Needs with a Reliable, Safe & Well-
Maintained National Highway Network — show
that this critical transportation link will need to be
rebuilt and expanded to meet the nation’s growing
transportation needs, TRIP said in a June 22 news
release.
The report looks at the interstate system’s
use, condition and benefits, along with
the findings of a 2019 report, prepared by the
Transportation Research Board (TRB) at the
request of Congress as part of the Fixing America’s
Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, on the
condition and use of the interstate system and
actions required to restore and upgrade the Interstate
system.
SEE OVERHAUL ON PAGE 11
iStock Photo
According to a recent report by TRIP, California ranks the
worst in the nation for urban interstate congestion and
sees the highest daily usage per lane mile.

2 • JULY 15-31, 2021
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THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 3
NHTSA orders reporting of
automated vehicle crashes
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered
automakers to report any crashes involving fully
autonomous vehicles or partially automated
driver-assist systems.
The move Tuesday, June 29, by the U.S.
government’s highway safety agency indicates
the agency is taking a tougher stance on automated
vehicle safety than in the past. It’s been
reluctant to issue any regulations of the new
technology for fear of hampering adoption of
the potentially life-saving technology.
The order requires vehicle and equipment
manufacturers and operators to report crashes
on public roads involving fully autonomous vehicles,
or those in which driver-assist systems were
operating immediately before or during a crash.
“By mandating crash reporting, the agency
will have access to critical data that will help
quickly identify safety issues that could emerge
in these automated systems,” NHTSA Acting
Administrator Steven Cliff said in a statement.
The agency says it will look for potential
safety defects, and the information could cause
it to send out a crash investigation team or
open a defect investigation.
The order comes after NHTSA has dispatched
crash investigation teams to
31 crashes involving partially automated
By mandating
crash reporting, the
agency will have access to
critical data that will help
quickly identify safety issues
that could emerge in these
automated systems.”
— STEVEN CLIFF,
NHTSA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR
driver-assist systems since June of 2016. Such
systems can keep a vehicle centered in its lane
and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it.
Of those crashes, 25 involved Tesla’s Autopilot
system in which 10 deaths were reported, according
to data released by the agency.
Tesla and other manufacturers warn that
drivers using the systems must be ready to intervene
at all times. Tesla cars using the system
have crashed into semis crossing in front of
them, stopped emergency vehicles and a roadway
barrier.
SEE REPORTING ON PAGE 5
Courtesy: Minnesota Department of Transportation
On May 31, 2020, tanker driver Bogdan Vechirko drove into a crowd of protestors who were gathered in I-35 in
Minneapolis. During a virtual court hearing June 18, 2021, prosecutors agreed to drop criminal charges against
Vechirko if he remains law-abiding for the next year.
Trucker who drove into Minneapolis
protest could have charges dropped
MINNEAPOLIS — A truck driver who
drove through a large crowd of protesters
on a Minneapolis highway last year during
demonstrations over George Floyd’s death
will have criminal charges dropped if he
remains law-abiding for the next year.
Hennepin County prosecutors entered
into a “continuance without prosecution”
agreement with Bogdan Vechirko, of Otsego,
on Friday, June 18, during a virtual
court hearing before a district judge, the
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Star Tribune reported. Vechirko was charged
with one felony count of making threats of
violence and with criminal vehicular operation,
a gross misdemeanor.
Prosecutors alleged that Vechirko attempted
to “scare” protesters when he
drove onto the Interstate 35W bridge
over the Mississippi River as thousands of
people protested Floyd’s death under the
SEE PROTEST ON PAGE 6
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4 • JULY 15-31, 2021 NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
Discussing supply chain disruptions
FMCSA’S MEERA JOSHI VISITS PORT OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
WASHINGTON — Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA) Deputy Administrator
Meera Joshi visited the Port of
New York & New Jersey last month to discuss
ongoing supply chain disruptions after the
COVID-19 pandemic and the need for infrastructure
investments.
The visit was part of the Biden administration’s
approach to addressing supply chain disruptions.
On June 8, the administration launched
the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address
near-term supply/demand mismatches.
“The pandemic has presented unprecedented
economic challenges including supply chain
disruption,” Joshi said. “It’s vitally important as
a nation that we address these challenges using
the tools at our disposal to minimize the
impacts on workers, consumers and businesses
and bolster a strong economic recovery. Today’s
visit is critical in learning directly from port leaders
and motor carriers about how we can help
alleviate supply chain challenges while ensuring
our roadways, including the ports, remain safe
for truck drivers and all road users.”
Joshi met with leaders from the Port Authority
of New York & New Jersey, Maher Terminals,
the New Jersey Motor Truck Association
and the Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers
to discuss prioritizing truck safety and current
supply chain challenges including trucking
capacity, the historical increase in cargo volume,
road congestion, and delays related to
the return of empty containers, as well the generational
investment the American Jobs Plan
provides, $17 billion investments for ports.
Courtesy: USDOT
Meera Joshi, deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, met with industry leaders
at The Port of New York & New Jersey in mid-June to discuss truck safety and other issues facing the supply chain.
“The Port Authority looks forward to working
with FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera
Joshi on key issues facing our seaport, our maritime
stakeholders, and the national logistics
and distribution industry to ensure that the
supply chain remains strong and fluid,” said
Sam Ruda, port director of the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey.
“Our seaport, which is the largest on the
East Coast, is a critical part of the nation’s
economic recovery as a major job creator and
gateway of nearly all goods, supplies and commerce
to the New York-New Jersey region as
well as to the Northeast, parts of the Midwest
and the mid-Atlantic states,” Ruda continued.
“We share the Biden administration’s goals of
improving the nation’s infrastructure whether
by road, rail or sea.”
Lisa Yakomin, president of the Association
of Bi-State Motor Carriers, noted that the intermodal
trucking industry has unique concerns.
“(We) appreciated the opportunity to
meet with Administrator Joshi and share information
with her on issues of concern to
the truckers who move freight at the largest
port on the Eastern seaboard,” Yakomin said.
“We look forward to continuing the dialogue
with Administrator Joshi in order to tackle
the unique challenges facing the intermodal
trucking community at the Port of NY/NJ and
SEE DISRUPTIONS ON PAGE 26
USPS 972
VOLUME 34, NUMBER 14
JULY 15-31, 2021
The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the
trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media Group at
1123 S. University, Suite 325
Little Rock, AR 72204-1610
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor
Wendy Miller
Staff Writers
Linda Garner-Bunch
Hannah Butler
Production Coordinator
Christie McCluer
Graphic Artists
Leanne Hunter
Kelly Young
Special Correspondents
Cliff Abbott
Sarah DeClerk
Lyndon Finney
Dwain Hebda
Kris Rutherford
ADVERTISING & LEADERSHIP
Chief Executive Officer
Bobby Ralston
General Manager
Megan Hicks
Director of Technology
Jose Ortiz
COLORADO MUDSLIDE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chelsea Self/Glenwood Springs Post Independent via AP
A portion of Interstate 70 in western Colorado was closed the weekend of June 26-27 by a series of
mudslides near where a wildfire burned last year. All lanes were re-opened on June 28. Eastbound lanes
of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon opened at 3 p.m. and westbound lanes opened about three hours later.
The largest of the mudslides that happened on June 27 along Colorado’s main east-west highway flowed
down the same drainage as the one that happened Saturday along the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar, the
Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. The 2020 fire, which started in August, burned about 51
square miles. On June 26, 2021, the mud spread 70 feet wide and was 5 feet deep in places. The June
27 main mudslide reached 80 feet wide and 5 feet deep in areas. Travelers may have to expect on-andoff
closures of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon when rainfall is expected in the area this summer, said Kane
Schneider, a CDOT transportation maintenance employee.
Louisiana lowers
speed limit along US
165 in Richwood
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
BATON ROUGE, La. — Drivers traveling U.S.
165 through Richwood, located in Louisiana’s
Ouachita Parish, will notice reduced speed limits
along a portion of the route. The Louisiana
Department of Transportation and Development
(DOTD) announced the new limits, along
with additional safety measures being implemented,
on June 29.
The speed limit on U.S. 165 from Richwood
Road to just south of the U-Pull-It Auto Parts
has been reduced from 65 mph to 55 mph. In
addition, the school-zone speed limit in the
area has been lowered from 45 mph to 40 mph.
“It can’t be reiterated enough that the safety of
our roadways is top priority for all types of road users,”
said Shawn Wilson, DOTD Secretary. “These
corridor enhancements are an important improvement,
but we continue to urge motorists, pedestrians,
and other road users to remember that safety
is a shared responsibility among all of us.”
Overhead signs warning motorists of the
possible presence of pedestrians have also been
SEE US 165 ON PAGE 26
For editorial inquiries,
contact Wendy Miller at
editor@thetruckermedia.com.
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please contact Meg Larcinese at
megl@thetruckermedia.com.
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Web: www.thetrucker.com
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THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 5
Workforce heroes
AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS PROGRAM
EDUCATES STUDENTS ABOUT TRUCKING
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
In this April 7, 2021, photo, a Waymo minivan moves along a city street as an empty driver’s seat and a moving
steering wheel drive passengers during an autonomous vehicle ride in Chandler, Ariz. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration has ordered automakers to report any crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles
or partially automated driver-assist systems.
REPORTING cont. from Page 3
The agency is also investigating non-fatal
crashes involving partially automated systems
in a Lexus RX450H, a Volvo XC90 and two Cadillac
CT6s. In addition, teams investigated crashes
involving an automated Navya Arma low-speed
shuttle, and another Volvo XC90 operated by
Uber in which a pedestrian was killed in Arizona.
The National Transportation Safety Board,
which has also investigated some of the Tesla
crashes, has recommended that NHTSA and
Tesla limit Autopilot’s use to areas where it can
safely operate. The NTSB also recommended
that NHTSA require Tesla to have a better system
to make sure drivers are paying attention.
NHTSA has not taken action on any of the recommendations.
Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit
Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group,
said the crash reporting is a welcome first step by
NHTSA. The center has been asking the agency
to oversee automated vehicles for several years.
“Collecting crash data, and hopefully data
from crashes which were avoided, can help serve
a variety of purposes from enforcing current
laws, to ensuring the safety of consumers, as well
as paving the way for reasonable regulations to
encourage the deployment of safe advanced vehicle
technology,” Levine said in an email.
Companies have to report crashes involving
fully autonomous or partially automated vehicles
within one day of learning about them if
those crashes involve a hospital-treated injury,
a death, air-bag deployment, pedestrians or bicyclists,
or were serious enough for a vehicle to
be towed away.
Other crashes involving vehicles equipped
with the systems that result in injury or property
damage must be reported monthly.
NHTSA said in a statement that the data
can show if there are common patterns in
crashes involving the systems.
In the order, NHTSA said it is critical for the
agency to “exercise its robust oversight” over
potential safety defects in automated vehicles.
“Misuse of an ADAS (advanced driver-assist
system) may create a foreseeable risk and potential
safety defect.”
That’s a departure from the past, when
NHTSA relied on voluntary guidelines and took
little action to regulate the vehicles.
The order says the Justice Department may
pursue civil action against companies if they
don’t file the reports. They also can face fines
from NHTSA of up $22,992 per violation per
day, to a maximum of nearly $115 million.
The order was sent to 108 automakers, autonomous
vehicle companies and companies
that make automated vehicle components.
By Tom Krisher, The Associated Press 8
ARLINGTON, Va. — On June 14, the
American Trucking Associations’ (ATA)
Workforce Heroes program concluded a
week-long tour of high schools in Iowa,
teaching safe driving skills and raising
awareness about job opportunities available
in the trucking industry.
With a shortage of professional truck drivers
and qualified diesel technicians across
the country, the Workforce Heroes program
educated students from seven different high
schools about the career path variety that can
be found in trucking. Students took home a
copy of ATA’s Workforce Heroes pamphlet to
learn more about a day in the life of a professional
truck driver, starting salary, CDL requirements
and more.
“Through the pandemic, we found different
ways to get out and educate our communities.
The technology we have today allowed
us to keep sharing our message and
continue representing the best this industry
has to offer,” said Randall Luschen, a Workforce
Heroes truck driver with Weinrich
Truck Line Inc. “The goal of our demonstration
is to educate current and future drivers
on how to safely drive alongside trucks. At
the end of the day, we want everyone to get
home safe.”
The tour included safety demonstrations
using ATA’s Workforce Heroes Mack Anthem
High Rise Sleeper, as well as classroom sessions
where students had a chance to watch
the “Share the Road” instructional video.
Workforce Heroes professional truck drivers
walked students through the blind spots of
commercial vehicles and discussed the dangers
of distracted driving. The drivers emphasized
long stopping distances of trucks
and the importance of maintaining safe distances
during winter months. Students were
Courtesy: American Trucking Associations
The Workforce Heroes educational tour included safety
demonstrations using the program’s Mack Anthem
High Rise Sleeper, as well as classroom sessions
that allowed students to watch the “Share the Road”
instructional video.
able to climb into the driver’s seat of a truck
to experience firsthand what a professional
truck driver can and cannot see while operating
a large commercial vehicle.
The Workforce Heroes program is sponsored
by Mack Trucks and Utility Trailers and
supported by OmniTracs and TA-Petro.
“More and more of our professional drivers
SEE WORKFORCE ON PAGE 6
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6 • JULY 15-31, 2021 NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
High-sugar diets could lead to
health problems for drivers
THE TRUCKER
TRAINER
BOB PERRY
In a recent coaching session with a
new driver who was referred to me, I was
reminded why I’m such a strong advocate
for driver pre-screenings. This driver went
in for his normal certification exam and
was shocked when the doctor told him his
blood sugar count was over 300.
This gentleman weighted 155 lbs.
and had no previous indicators. I’ve
seen this happen numerous times with
GO
LET’S
elevated blood pressure readings as well.
You don’t have to weigh 300-plus pounds
to be a potential candidate for pre-hypertension
or pre-diabetes. Either of these health
conditions can attack anyone at any time. A
diet consisting primarily of foods high on the
glycemic index —those with high amounts of
quickly digestible carbohydrates, or sugars
— can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular
disease.
As we know, these conditions don’t happen
overnight. They happen over time, especially
when you live the lifestyle of a professional
CDL driver. Each of the challenges
that new driver and I talked about — finding
better food options on the road, adjusting
crazy sleep patterns and, of course, the
SEE TRAINER ON PAGE 10
Courtesy: TA
TravelCenters of America Inc. has opened its first TA Express in the state of Pennsylvania. The new location is at 2622
Lincoln Highway East in Ronks, in the heart of Lancaster County’s Amish Country.
New TA Express now open in heart
of Pennsylvania’s Amish Country
RONKS, Pa. — TravelCenters of America
Inc. (TA) has opened a new TA Express in
Ronks, Pennsylvania — right in the heart of
Lancaster County’s Amish Country. The Ronks
area is visited by thousands of tourists annually
and offers a variety of attractions including
covered bridges, hiking trails, restaurants
and art galleries.
The Westlake, Ohio-based company operates
the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and
TA Express network across the U.S. The new
TA Express is a franchised site, formerly
known as Lancaster Travel Plaza, and offers
fueling, convenience items, dining options
and other services for professional drivers
as well as tourists.
Located at 2622 Lincoln Highway East, TA
Express Ronks offers a convenient stopping
point for travelers heading through Pennsylvania’s
state capitol of Harrisburg to U.S.
Route 30 and through Lancaster County heading
to the nation’s east coast.
Professional drivers will receive the benefits
of TA’s UltraONE loyalty program and
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
other services. Amenities at this location include:
• Subway and Champs Chicken;
• Convenient store with coffee, snacks and
merchandise;
• Six diesel fueling positions with Diesel
Exhaust Fluid (DEF) on all lanes;
• Four gasoline fueling lanes;
• 30 truck parking spaces;
• 12 car parking spaces;
• Two private showers; and
• Laundry facilities.
The Ronks site is the first TA Express in
Pennsylvania, and increases TA’s total nationwide
network of travel centers to 274, including
41 franchised locations.
“We anticipate more traffic in our travel
centers as families start to take road trips
again after the long pandemic,” said Dave
Raco, vice president of franchising for TA. “The
TA Express in Ronks is strategically located in
a place where our services are needed; it offers
a quick, clean and convenient option for
all travelers as they visit Lancaster County and
drive along this popular route.” 8
JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM
At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of
in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are
the best in the business.
If you want to work at an industry-leading
company and move freight for some of the
world’s biggest brands, we want you to join
our team of safe, professional drivers.
Call now: 855-CDL-PENSKE
Apply online at driver.penske.jobs
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MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ®
WORKFORCE cont. from Page 5
are heading into retirement, which is why we
are here to explain the career opportunities
in the trucking industry,” said Bill McNamee,
a Workforce Heroes truck driver for Carbon
Express Inc. “A career as a professional truck
driver is extremely rewarding as it allows you
to travel all over the country and meet so
many different people. We need the younger
generation to join our industry so that we can
keep moving America forward.”
PROTEST cont. from Page 3
knee of a white Minneapolis police officer.
One protester suffered abrasions as she
tried to jump out of the way to avoid the
truck, according to the criminal complaint,
but no one was seriously hurt. Vechirko
told investigators he didn’t mean to drive
into the protest or hurt anyone and was
returning from a fuel delivery in Minneapolis.
The Workforce Heroes tour stopped at the
following schools:
• Hinton High School, Hinton, Iowa;
• North High School, Sioux City, Iowa;
• West High School, Sioux City, Iowa;
• Maple Valley High School, Mapleton,
Iowa;
• Storm Lake High School, Storm Lake,
Iowa;
• East High School, Sioux City, Iowa; and
• Sergeant Bluff High School, Sergeant
Bluff, Iowa. 8
Authorities had closed area highways
as a precaution, but traffic camera video
showed that the trucker entered the downtown
freeway system from a ramp that
wasn’t barricaded, for reasons that remain
unclear.
Vechirko will be required to stay lawabiding
for a year, pay restitution and attend
three sentencing circles, two of which he has
already attended, his lawyer said. 8

TruckIns_Oct_2020_FullPg 9/11/20 2:52 PM Page 1
THETRUCKER.COM JULY 15-31, 2021 • 7
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8 • JULY 15-31, 2021 NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
WikiMedia Commons
Courtesy: Tennessee Department of Transportation
Left: In 2007, the eight-lane I-35 bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during repaving repairs.
Right: The repair of the I-40 bridge in Memphis was divided into two phases and could be complete by the end of July.
WikiMedia Commons
In 2002, the I-40 bridge across the Arkansas River in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was struck by a barge, causing a
collapse in which 14 people died.
BRIDGES cont. from Page 1
140,000 vehicles daily. Since 1990, the bridge
had been given a rating of “structurally deficient”
by the National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB). The term structurally deficient
refers to a classification given to a bridge that
has components in poor or worsening conditions,
according to the National Bridge Inventory.
This rating can potentially lead to the
structure being undermined and overtopped
during a severe weather event or, if neglected,
a bridge collapse.
A design flaw involving undersized gusset
plates, which connect the structural beams to
the bridge, was determined to be a contributing
factor in the Minneapolis collapse. There
were 13 deaths and 145 seriously injured from
the collapse.
In the past 30 years, other major bridge
collapses were the Big Bayou Canot Bridge in
Mobile, Alabama, in 1993, and the I-40 bridge
across the Arkansas River in 2002. A barge
struck the I-40 bridge spanning the Arkansas
River in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in
the death of 14 people.
A similar occurrence caused the downfall
of the Big Bayou Canot Bridge: A towboat hit
the bridge during a fog. NTSB’s initial investigation
determined that no one was criminally
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liable, but a later independent investigation
for National Geographic found that welding a
simple iron block onto the bridge could have
secured it against unintended movement.
In recent years, bridge collapses due the
structures being in poor condition have
waned. This is due in part to a new rule from
the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) that
requires new bridges to be designed with a
75-year service life, compared to the previous
50 years. The previous ruling has left the
average lifespan of a bridge to be 44 years, according
to the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE).
These progressions do not mean U.S. bridges
are in great shape. At the current pace of
bridge improvements, it would take approximately
40 years to repair the current backlog
of structurally deficient bridges, ASCE said.
There are a total of 615,318 bridges in the
U.S. Of those, 47,223 are considered structurally
deficient, according to a report from the
American Road and Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA). It would cost $41.8
billion to repair every structurally deficient
bridge in the nation, according to the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT. That number
doesn’t include the 79,500 bridges that
need complete replacement.
“Unfortunately, 178 million trips are taken
across these structurally deficient bridges
every day,” the ASCE says. “In recent years,
though, as the average age of America’s bridges
increases to 44 years, the number of structurally
deficient bridges has continued to decline;
however, the rate of improvements has
slowed.”
Meanwhile, the importance of keeping the
nation’s bridges safe has not changed, and
new technologies, materials and construction
methods have advanced to meet the challenge
of maintaining existing bridges.
President Joe Biden proposes to fix the 10
most “economically significant” bridges in
need of reconstruction or repair in his infrastructure
plan. Ten thousand smaller bridges
rated in “poor” condition are also included.
However, the American Jobs Plan does not
identify which bridges would receive funding.
Instead, the plan includes a competitive grant
program in which states can display their
most worn down and unsound bridges.
In the meantime, the ASCE said, bridge engineers
are using materials such as high-performance
concrete and steel, as well as corrosion-resistant
reinforcement, to help make
these spans safer. Engineers are also working
to create sensors for new and existing structures
that will provide continuous updates on
bridge conditions.
Ed Lutgen, a bridge construction maintenance
engineer for the Minnesota Department
of Transportation, said there are multiple
challenges when it comes to repairing
bridges.
“We’d like to fix or repair all structurally
deficient bridges in the state, but obviously
we don’t have funds for all of that, nor does it
make all the sense in the world to do that,” he
said. “There’s traffic impacts as you’re doing
the repair. You have to detour traffic and do it
under stage area construction.”
According to the Urban Mobility Report
from Texas A&M University’s Transportation
Institute, congestion and delay costs drivers
$160 billion every year. Truck drivers were
represented in $28 billion of the total cost. In
2014, drivers spent 3.1 billion additional gallons
of fuel for the nearly 6.9 billion hours they
spent in traffic.
“Bridges allow us to make countless vital
connections every day through all modes of
transportation,” said Tony Dorsey, spokesman
for AASHTO. “For example, the I-40 bridge closure
impacted both roadway and waterway
traffic that was passing on and underneath the
bridge. Railroads, both passenger and freight,
also depend on bridges, as do pedestrians and
bicyclists who ride on bridges to cross otherwise
impassable obstacles.”
Ultimately, this affects truck drivers. According
to the Associated Press, the I-40 bridge
closure has caused delays along the detour
route — the nearby I-55 bridge — leading some
carriers to change work times for drivers.
In early June, Arkansas Trucking Association
President Shannon Newton noted the
I-40 bridge closure was costing the trucking
industry about $2.4 million a day. On June 28,
following efforts by TDOT and the Arkansas
Department of Transportation to facilitate
traffic flow along I-55 and through West Memphis,
Arkansas, Newton reported a marked
improvement.
“When the bridge first closed, delays
were regularly exceeding an hour. Now …
that delay is down to only 15 minutes,” she
said, noting that recent traffic data along
the detour route suggests the average cost
to the trucking industry had dropped to
about $936,000 a day. Operational cost data
provided by the American Transportation
Research Institute (ATRI) shows that the average
cost of operating a truck is $71.78 an
hour, or $1.20 a minute.
“We commend the Arkansas and Tennessee
Departments of Transportation for acting
in response to the concerns of the trucking
industry and implementing measures to improve
traffic flow on this major east-west shipping
corridor,” she said. 8

THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 9
Caltrans awards $34 million
to fund transportation projects
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
Randall Lee/Arkansas Governor’s Office Communications Staff
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks at an unveiling event for the Arkansas Trucking Academy, the state’s first
public driver training school, on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in Malvern, Ark.
Creating opportunities
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has
awarded $34 million in state and federal funds
to California’s cities, counties, tribes and transit
agencies to improve the state’s transportation
network.
The grant money — which includes $25 million
funded by Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair
and Accountability Act of 2017 — will be
used to plan sustainable transportation projects
that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve
the state highway system, enhance access to
safe walkways and bikeways, and increase natural
disaster preparedness. In addition, several of
the projects are designed to facilitate the movement
of freight within the state.
“Investing in transportation planning
is essential to our goal of providing a safe,
sustainable system that advances equity
and livability throughout the state,” said
Toks Omishakin, Caltrans director. “These
grants will help our communities create
more connected routes for all residents,
regardless of whether they travel by car,
bike, foot or mass transit.”
In total, Caltrans allocated $17.4 million
in Sustainable Communities Competitive
and Technical Grants to 50 local,
regional, tribal and transit agencies for climate
change adaptation, complete streets,
transportation and land use planning, and
natural disaster preparedness. This includes
more than $4 million to fund planning
for 13 projects that improve safety
SEE CALTRANS ON PAGE 26
ARKANSAS LAUNCHES STATE’S FIRST PUBLIC
TRUCKING SCHOOL, OFFERS FOUR TRAINING SITES
MALVERN, Ark. — Arkansas is preparing
to launch the state’s first public trucking
academy, with driver training offered at four
locations. The Arkansas Trucking Academy
(ArkTA) is a consortium of Arkansas State
University (ASU) Three Rivers, University of
Arkansas (UA) Cossatot, UA Rich Mountain
and UA Hope/Texarkana.
On Wednesday, June 23, Arkansas Gov. Asa
Hutchinson spoke at an unveiling event at the
ASU Three Rivers Campus in Malvern.
“(ArkTA) is another pace-setting workforce
solution that has grown out of conversations
between leaders in industry and
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
Idaho DOT to add passing lane
to US 95 North near Potlatch
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
education. Arkansas’s businesses had a problem,
our educators stepped in to fill it, and we
are able to support it with an Arkansas Regional
Workforce grant,” he noted. “It’s a model
for partnerships between the private sector
and government. Because of that, we soon will
be putting more trucks on the road with firstrate
drivers at the wheel.”
Classes will be offered on the campuses located
in Nashville, Mena, Malvern and Hope.
Through a combination of virtual/simulation
instruction, traditional classroom instruction
SEE SCHOOL ON PAGE 10
Courtesy: Idaho Department of Transportation
The Idaho Department of Transportation is adding
a northbound passing lane along U.S. 95 south of
Potlatch, Idaho, this summer. In addition, an existing
southbound passing lane will be extended.
POTLATCH, Idaho — Construction on a
new northbound passing lane along U.S. 95
south of Potlatch, Idaho, began June 22, according
to the Idaho Department of Transportation
(IDOT).
In addition, the existing passing lane for
southbound drivers at Cove Road will be extended
to provide safer opportunities to pass.
Construction on this portion of the project will
begin in August.
Through most of the construction period,
U.S. 95 will be reduced to one lane of travel in
each direction. During initial operations, the
highway will be reduced to one lane as crews
place barriers around work zones for safety.
Work on the mile-long project will be completed
in September. IDOT plans to add northbound
and southbound passing lanes along
U.S. 95 north of Potlatch, near Freeze Road and
Beplate Lane, in 2026. 8
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10 • JULY 15-31, 2021 NATION
Border Patrol agents find alleged narcotics
worth more than $6.5M hidden in tractor-trailer
PHARR, Texas — Officers with U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) last month discovered
a load of mixed hard narcotics containing
alleged cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin
hidden in a commercial shipment arriving from
Mexico at the Pharr International Bridge. The
narcotics have an estimated value of $6,582,600.
On June 14, CBP officers assigned to the
Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility
encountered a tractor-trailer hauling a
commercial shipment of floor tile. During a
nonintrusive imaging inspection of the vehicle,
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
officers found packages of suspected narcotics
hidden within the shipment. Officers removed
162 packages of alleged methamphetamine
weighing 203 pounds, 40 packages of alleged
heroin weighing 47.39 pounds and 31 packages
of alleged cocaine weighing 78 pounds. Officers
also discovered more than 5,100 assorted pills
of alleged fentanyl, oxycodone and methamphetamine.
CBP seized the narcotics and the tractortrailer;
the case is under investigation by
Homeland Security Investigations. 8
Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Customs and Border Protection agents at the Pharr
International Bridge on June 14 seized packages
containing 203 pounds of alleged hard narcotics
valued at more than $6.5 million.
SCHOOL cont. from Page 9
THETRUCKER.COM
and practical over-the-road experience, students
will receive 160 contact hours of noncredit
training per course. Students who successfully
complete the course will be prepared
to test for their CDL.
A total of 20 courses will be offered annually,
five courses per college, and slots are limited to
four students per course. The maximum cost
per student is $1,300.
With the increased demand in the trucking
industry, ArkTA co-chair and UA Rich Mountain
Chancellor Phillip Wilson said he is grateful
for the partnership across two university
systems to bring the program to fruition.
“Creating opportunities and growing Arkansas’
workforce is always a top priority in Arkansas
community colleges,” said Wilson, who
also serves as chair of the Arkansas Community
Colleges association.
Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas
Trucking Association, expressed strong support
for ArkTA and emphasized the challenges
the trucking industry in Arkansas is facing.
“In Arkansas, the trucking industry supports
one in 10 jobs in the private sector. We
rank No. 1 in the country per capita employed
in the trucking industry,” Newton explained.
“So certainly, as an advocate of the industry,
it is my job to help people understand the
role trucking plays in your everyday life (and)
also help solve the challenges the industry is
facing,” she said. “The driver shortage is actually
the No. 1 challenge in the trucking industry
right now.”
The first course will begin Aug. 2, 2021. For
more information or to apply, visit www.Ark
TruckingAcademy.com. 8
TRAINER cont. from Page 6
Scan here
to subscribe.
ability to get into a workout routine — all
contribute to the driver’s condition.
A common thread I’ve seen between drivers
is a lack of consistent medical evaluation. For
many drivers, their last visit to a doctor for anything,
including a preventative checkup, was
their last DOT re-certification exam. Growing
up in a trucking family, I get it. After being on
the road, who wants to go sit in a doctor’s office
a Saturday morning? (Back in the day, when
you could see a doctor on a Saturday.)
Slowly — and I do mean slowly — carriers
are starting to offer screenings and are installing
self-check health stations so drivers can
stay on top of their health. However, this movement
is slow-moving, so I urge you as drivers to
take control. Visit www.higi.com to find a selfcheck
station so you can work toward managing
your health.
Also please check out this article, International
Tables of Glycemic Index and
Glycemic Load Values, which can be found
online at care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/12/2281.
Here you will find information
on food values, as well as suggestions for
products to stay away from.
Please, peek under your personal hood to
see what’s going on in your own engine room.
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry
has played a critical role in the paradigm shift
of regulatory agencies, private and public sector
entities, and consumers to understand the
driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at
truckertrainer@icloud.com. 8

THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 11
OVERHAUL cont. from Page 1
The TRIP report shows that California ranks
the worst in the nation for urban interstate congestion
and sees the highest daily usage per lane
mile, while West Virginia has the highest number
of interstate bridges rated as being in “poor/
structurally deficient” condition. Hawaii is noted
as having the highest percentage of interstate
pavement rated as “poor” condition.
According to the 2019 TRB report, the interstate
system has a persistent and growing backlog
of physical and operational deficiencies as
a result of age, heavy use and deferred reinvestment,
and is in need of major reconstruction
and modernization. The TRB report concludes
that annual investment in the interstate highway
system should be increased approximately
two-and-a-half times, from $23 billion in 2018 to
$57 billion annually over the next 20 years.
“The report released by TRIP confirms what
American businesses experience every day —
our interstate highway system, which was once
the envy of the world, is in serious need of modernization,”
said Ed Mortimer, vice president of
transportation infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce. “Commitment to modernization
must be shared by federal, state and local
leaders as well as the private sector. The interstate
system plays a key national role in economic
success and quality of life for every American,
and we urge bipartisan solutions this year to address
this critical issue.”
The TRIP report found that travel on the interstate
system from 2000 to 2019 increased by 26%,
a rate nearly triple the rate at which new lane
capacity was added. As a result, 47% of urban interstate
highways are considered to be congested
during peak hours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
vehicle travel on U.S. highways dropped by
as much as 45% in April 2020 but rebounded to
only 6% below April 2019 levels by April 2021.
The report also found that travel by combination
trucks on the interstate increased at
a rate more than double that of overall vehicle
travel between 2000 and 2019. Combination
truck travel on the interstate system increased
43% from 2000 to 2019, while overall vehicle
travel increased 19%.
“Our rapidly deteriorating infrastructure is
a clear and present danger to our nation’s supply
chain,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO
of the American Trucking Associations. “Breakdowns
in the interstate highway system add an
annual $75 billion to the cost of freight transportation,
and 67 million tons of excess carbon dioxide
emissions are released into the atmosphere
every year from trucks stuck in traffic congestion.
This report quantifies how severe this crisis
has become, and it underscores the urgent need
for Congress to make real infrastructure investments
that are backed by a fair and equitable
user-based revenue source.”
The design of the interstate system — which
includes a separation from other roads and rail
lines, a minimum of four lanes, paved shoulders
and median barriers — makes it more than twice
as safe to travel on as all other roadways. The fatality
rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
on the interstate in 2019 was 0.55, compared to
1.3 on non-interstate routes. TRIP estimates that
additional safety features on the interstate highway
system saved 6,555 lives in 2019.
“AAA supports increased federal investment
for the Interstate Highway System,” said Jill Ingrassia,
AAA’s executive director of advocacy and
communications. “Significant funding is needed
to ensure safe, efficient and reliable mobility
Breakdowns in the
interstate highway
system add an annual $75
billion to the cost of freight
transportation, and 67 million
tons of excess carbon dioxide
emissions are released into
the atmosphere every year
from trucks stuck in traffic
congestion.”
— CHRIS SPEAR, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF
THE AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS
across the United States. AAA urges Congress
and the administration to come together to get
this important work done.”
TRIP’s report finds that while pavement
smoothness on most segments of the interstate
system is acceptable, the crumbling foundations
of most highway segments need to be
reconstructed, and that continued resurfacing
— rather than addressing underlying foundational
issues — is resulting in diminishing
returns and results in shorter periods of pavement
smoothness.
As the aging system’s foundations continue
to deteriorate, most interstate highways, bridges
and interchanges will need to be rebuilt or replaced,
according to the TRB report. Statistics
from the TRIP report reveal that pavement on
11% of interstate highways are in poor or mediocre
condition. Three percent of interstate bridges
are rated in poor and structurally deficient
condition, and 57% are rated in fair condition.
According to TRB, restoring and upgrading
the interstate highway system to meet the nation’s
transportation needs will require a significant
boost in funding, strong federal leadership
and a robust federal-state partnership. The current
FAST Act, the primary source of interstate
highway funding, was extended by one year by
Congress, and now expires Sept. 30, 2021. Reauthorization
of a new, adequately and reliably
funded long-term federal program is needed to
ensure that a strong federal program supports
the restoration of the interstate system.
Based on the findings of the TRB Interstate
report, TRIP has provided a set of recommendations
for the restoration of the interstate highway
system, which includes the foundational reconstruction
of interstate highways, bridges and
interchanges; improvement to roadway safety
features; system right-sizing, including upgrading
of some roadway corridors to Interstate
standards; adding needed additional highway
capacity on existing routes; adding additional
corridors; and modifying some urban segments
to maintain connectivity while remediating economic
and social disruption.
“The long-term vision that helped establish
the current Interstate Highway System 65 years
ago is needed again today,” said Dave Kearby,
executive director of TRIP. “A modernized interstate
system will be critical to the nation’s ability
to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic
and will require adequate investment in a federal
surface transportation program that provides
states and local government the funding and
flexibility they will need to restore the nation’s
most critical transportation link.” 8
Iowa DOT partners with ag industry to
better handle livestock-transport crashes
AMES, Iowa — It’s not unusual to travel
down an Iowa interstate alongside a semitruck
loaded with livestock or poultry. What
is not often seem is the aftermath when one
of these trucks crashes. To address these issues,
the Iowa Pork Producers Association has
developed a webinar series highlighting and
overcoming specific challenges in a livestock
carrier crash.
Crashes involving livestock often require
the assistance of animal handlers and veterinarians.
It may be necessary to round up
loose animals and construct temporary holding
pens — causing additional delays and
complications at the crash site. If the first responders
are not trained in how to deal with
traffic crashes involving livestock, there is
an increase in risk to the people and animals
near the incident.
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“We recognized that crashes, especially
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both public safety and animal welfare,”
said Jamee Eggers of the Iowa Pork Producers
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12 • JULY 15-31, 2021
FROM THE EDITOR:
‘Ice Road’ lacks
attention to detail
MAD DOG’S
DAUGHTER
WENDY MILLER
editor@thetruckermedia.com
I’m a sucker for a good trucker movie. I’m also
always excited to learn something new. Since I
got into the trucking news industry a little behind
the “Ice Road Truckers” series, which came to an
end in 2017, I was super excited to see that one of
Netflix’s newest movies was titled “The Ice Road,”
which sparked my interest in both of those areas.
I was even more interested in the movie when
I saw that Liam Neeson had the leading role. Who
could forget his “particular set of skills” from the
first movie in the “Taken” trilogy? I had no idea
those skills included driving on a notorious ice
road, so I was in! The movie has a run time of well
over an hour, so I didn’t expect to be disappointed
from the very beginning. The storyline is great.
The cast is great. The characters are well put together.
But the attention — or lack thereof — to
small details is incredibly disappointing.
I am a pretty detail-oriented person. It’s often
more likely that I’ll catch a mistake in a small
detail rather than in the bigger picture. That was
certainly the case with this movie. It really only
took one mistake to show that those responsible
for the details of the movie weren’t very attentive.
Just a few scenes in, you see a truck driven
by Neeson; that truck is clearly a Volvo. You can’t
miss the distinct Volvo grille when you see one. In
the next scene, we’re in the cab with Neeson. The
steering wheel clearly bears a Kenworth logo.
It’s easy to see how the mistake was made. As
the truckers are crossing the ice road (no spoilers,
so that’s all I’ll say), they’re each driving a brandnew
Kenworth. Obviously, the “B-roll” footage of
the Volvo was just that — while the detailed shots
later in the movie are of the Kenworths, the drivers’
rigs of choice to actually travel the ice road.
Sigh. Perhaps someone who’s not familiar with
the trucking industry wouldn’t have caught this
error, but it was enough to make me really want to
stop watching before the movie really got started.
I stuck it out, though. Like I said, the storyline
is pretty good.
However, I don’t like to dwell on the negative,
so I’ll offer one thing I felt was positive in the
movie: One of the truckers involved in the daring
mission around which the plot centers is a young
woman. I always enjoy seeing women (especially
young women) represented in the industry. She’s
spunky, which makes things fun. “Ice Road Truckers”
and its spinoff series featured at least one
woman as well, so it’s only fair.
Overall, though, the disappointment of a
simple mistake overshadowed the cool storyline,
as well as the intrigue of the ice road. I really expected
better, Netflix.
Until next time, be cool, be careful and (please)
pay attention to detail. It really does matter. 8
ASK THE
ATTORNEY
BRAD KLEPPER
Those of you that read my columns may remember
that I recently wrote on free speech
and social media. As I mentioned then, I am a
BIG free speech guy and feel strongly that no
idea should be free from scrutiny, criticism or
mockery. As I also said then, an unexamined
thought or belief is not worth having.
Since I wrote that column, I have received
a few comments and questions about “hate”
speech. I think we can all agree that you don’t
have to look too far to find examples that
would qualify as hate speech. Recent demonstrations
by white supremacists are a good
place to start.
So, the question becomes, “Is hate speech
protected by the First Amendment?”
Well, I am glad you asked.
Back in 2017, Ted Wheeler, the mayor of
Portland, Oregon, said, “Hate speech is not
protected by the First Amendment.” This comment
was made after two men were killed after
they confronted another individual who
was using anti-Muslim slurs.
Also in 2017, former Democratic National
PERSPECTIVE
Chair Howard Dean, when referring to comments
made by Ann Coulter said, “Hate speech
is not protected by the First Amendment.”
Well, they were both wrong.
The U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated
that governments may not restrict speech expressing
ideas that offend.
A recent case addressing this matter is Matal
v. Tam. In this case, Simon Tam, the founder
and bass player for the Asian-American
rock band The Slants sought to trademark the
band name in an attempt to reclaim and take
ownership of the derogatory term. The U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) refused
to register the mark and found it disparaging
to people of Asian descent. In support of this
position, the USPTO found that the mark violated
the Lanham Act’s provision against registration
of disparaging trademarks.
Of course, Tam decided to appeal to the
Federal Circuit. On appeal, the Federal Circuit
found the disparaging provision of the Lanham
Act to be unconstitutional.
This did not sit well with the USPTO, which
appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
The issue is whether the disparaging provision
of the Lanham Act violated the Free Speech
Clause of the First Amendment.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme
Court held that the disparagement clause
violates the First Amendments Free Speech
Clause. In the opinion, Justice Alito wrote:
“Speech that demeans on the basis of race,
ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability or
WORTH REPEATING
In this section, The Trucker news staff selects quotes from stories
throughout this issue that are just too good to only publish once.
In case you missed it, you should check out the stories that
include these perspectives.
If you have an opinion you would like to share, email
editor@thetruckermedia.com.
We’d like to fix or repair all structurally deficient bridges in
the state, but obviously we don’t have funds for all of that,
nor does it make all the sense in the world to do that. There’s traffic
impacts as you’re doing the repair. You have to detour traffic and
do it under stage area construction.”
— Minnesota Department of Transportation engineer
Ed Lutgen, explaining why the DOT doesn’t repair
all of the state’s bridges
Full story on Pages 1 and 8.
THETRUCKER.COM
Is ‘hate’ speech protected by
the First Amendment?
any other similar grounds is hateful; but the
proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence
is that we protect the freedom to express
the ‘thought we hate.’”
This, my friends, is the basis of free speech.
In a world where we can watch television
shows, read newspapers and magazines, and
listen to radio programs that only serve to support
our already existing beliefs, it is easy to
be in favor of free speech — when that speech
echoes our own beliefs. But what becomes a
challenge is remaining in favor of free speech
when that speech goes against everything we
stand for.
Now, I am not a movie critic, but maybe
20 years ago I watched the movie “The American
President” starring Michael Douglas. The
move had a bit of a Hollywood liberal take
(and I like my movies politically neutral). However,
in the movie, Michael Douglas is giving a
speech, and he says:
“America isn’t easy. America is advanced
citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ’cause
it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, ‘You
want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge
a man whose words make your blood boil,
who’s standing center stage and advocating
at the top of his lungs that which you would
spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.’
You want to claim this land as the land of the
free? Then the symbol of your country cannot
just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of
SEE ATTORNEY ON PAGE 16
If we called the police
and drove off, they were
never going to find the people.
By the time we got done, the
fire went out on the car and the
headlights went out and they
were down in the trees. How
were you going to find them
unless you knew the exact spot
they were at?”
— Trucker Corey Williams, telling
how he and his twin brother,
Calvin, helped a couple whose
vehicle crashed in a remote
area of Oklahoma
Full story on Pages 23 and 24.
C

THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 13
Country duo rides Boy George’s stardom to hit song
RHYTHM OF
THE ROAD
KRIS RUTHERFORD
krisr@thetruckermedia.com
I’ve never been a big fan of music videos, at
least not the type that dramatizes the lyrics. And
I don’t take a liking to many songs written with
the sole purpose of being made into a video — to
me, that’s screenwriting, not songwriting. After
all, instrumentals alone can create a vision in
a listener’s mind. I’ve mentioned the “clickityclack”
beat of Merle Haggard’s “Movin’ On” as an
example of how the tempo gives rise to thoughts
of the highway before the lyrics even begin.
But every once in a while, especially in the
1980s, when country music was trying to capitalize
on the MTV craze, country musicians offered
a couple of videos that were funny enough
to make me laugh at least twice before I started
losing interest. When it came to country comedy
videos, few were as successful as those of Moe
Bandy and Joe Stampley.
A lot of people remember “Moe and Joe,”
as they were commonly known, for their videos.
But both had successful solo careers before
joining to record seven albums, and they
continued with their solo efforts during and
after the collaborations. As a duo, the two singers
built an image based on their first single
release, the No. 1 hit, “Just Good Ol’ Boys.” It
seemed the image struck a chord with country
music fans who have always so closely identified
with the artists and songs they sing.
Moe Bandy was born in Meridian, Mississippi,
but was transplanted to San Antonio at age
6. The move fueled Moe’s interest in honky-tonk
music, as well as a calling to rodeo for both Moe
and his brother, Mike. As teens, both competed
in rodeos across Texas, but their careers eventually
diverged. Mike went on to be the professional
rodeo star, while Moe pursued his musical
career. Contrary to popular belief inspired by
Moe Bandy’s signature song, “Bandy the Rodeo
Clown,” he never performed as a clown (or bullfighter,
as they are now known).
After taking his first shot at a music career in
1962, it would be 12 years before Bandy’s efforts
paid off. His first charting single, “I Just Started
Hating Cheating Songs Today,” became the prototype
for Bandy’s early career. He became the
stereotypical country musician whose discography
consisted almost exclusively of “cheatin’
and drinkin’” songs. He topped off the first phase
of his career in 1979 when he and Janie Fricke
teamed up for the No. 2 hit, “It’s a Cheatin’ Situation,”
a duet that took home Song of the Year
honors from the Academy of Country Music.
Throughout his career, Bandy has recorded 40
solo albums and released 14 Top 10 singles.
Joe Stampley, also a native of the Deep South,
was raised in Northwest Louisiana. Born just a
year before his future singing partner, Stampley
began his musical career much differently
than Bandy. He started with a rock band, The
Uniques. The band recorded just four albums
and released two moderately successful singles
between 1965 and 1970. When his rock career
fizzled, Stampley followed the path of many other
southern rock musicians: He went country.
Beginning in 1971, Stampley began a country
career during which he quietly turned out 22 albums
and 14 Top 10 solo hits, perhaps the most
popular being the trucking song, “Roll On, Big
Mama.” But when the ’80s arrived, Stampley’s
solo career took a back seat to the success of the
Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley duo. The “good ol’
boys’” reputation came to a head in 1984 when
the duo recorded — and, more notably, made a
video — of a parody song, “Where’s the Dress.”
In early 1984, the most popular song in the
world was “Karma Chameleon,” performed by
the British band Culture Club and its prominent
leader Boy George. The song appeared, most
often in the No. 1 spot, on charts worldwide.
Whether it was the flamboyant Boy George, the
catchy tune or the music video accompanying
the song, “Karma Chameleon” appealed to music
fans of all sorts.
The music video accompanying “Karma
Chameleon,” ironically set in Moe Bandy’s native
Mississippi, colorfully depicted everything
that Moe, Joe and most “good ol’ boys” were not.
So, inspired by a song written by Stampley’s son,
Moe and Joe decided to parody the worldwide
hit (and hoped to make a heap of money in the
process). “Where’s the Dress” became Moe and
Joe’s answer to Boy George.
Before examining “Where’s the Dress,” it
should be noted that 1984 was much different
than 2021. Frankly, it’s doubtful the song would
be written today, much less released in video
form. In today’s world, one of Joe Stampley’s early
lines wouldn’t even pass the smell test: “It was
a man dressed like a woman, and he had a boy’s
name.” If one applies 2021 standards to 1984, the
entire “Where’s the Dress” episode ranks high on
the list of offensive moments in country music
history.
In any event, before passing judgment, I suggest
you first watch the “Karma Chameleon”
video; then follow up with “Where’s the Dress.”
This is a case where the visuals provided by the
videos are needed to grasp the point Moe and
Joe tried to make.
Moe and Joe pose as truck drivers in the
video, roles they take in several of the duo’s
songs. The two lament the fame and riches of
Boy George and their belief that he’s making it
big by, essentially, “cross-dressing.” But the gist
of “Where’s the Dress” is likely best described by
music journalist Nick Murray in the Feb. 1, 2018,
issue of Rolling Stone Magazine:
“Stranger … even, was the duo’s song
“Where’s the Dress,” a Boy George-inspired novelty
hit in which Moe and Joe decide to dress in
drag — become “country queens” — in a bid to
revitalize their careers. The plan goes awry when
they enjoy gender-bending so much that it instead
puts their careers in jeopardy, and the mu-
SEE RHYTHM ON PAGE 16
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14 • JULY 15-31, 2021
THETRUCKER.COM
at the TRUCK STOP
PRESENTED
BY CAT SCALE.
VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM
Women In Trucking Driver of the Year
Nikki Weaver is doing what she loves most
DWAIN HEBDA | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Nikki Weaver doesn’t have a crystal ball for seeing
everything the future holds, but the 2021 Women
In Trucking Driver of the Year can tell you one thing:
Whatever is to come, it will find her behind the wheel
of a truck.
“When I grow up? I want to drive a truck,” the vivacious
Pennsylvanian said with a laugh. “I’m really fortunate
to be doing what it is that I love to do. I am looking
forward to any opportunity that comes my way that I can
share my love and my passion for the industry, educate
anyone that’s interested, raise awareness for the motoring
public, anything that I can do to give back to the industry
that has given me so much.
“It’s given me a great life and a happy life. I want to
share that and, in any way I can, give back to the industry.”
To that end, Weaver is an unqualified success, not only
due to her on-the-road prowess (2 million accident-free
miles and counting) and her longevity (20 years of driving
with zero moving violations), but also to the passion with
which she promotes the job to others.
“Trucking has limitless opportunities. You can really
make it into whatever you want,” she said. “The No. 1 thing
I tell people who are thinking about this as a career is just
to go for it.”
Weaver is so enthusiastic about the life she’s chosen,
and which has taken her to 46 of the lower 48 states, it’s
hard to believe trucking wasn’t her first professional path.
Unlike the many drivers who had a relative in the business
or who turned onto trucks as a kid, Weaver didn’t find her
true love until she was in her 20s.
“Before I entered the industry, I really didn’t know
that women drove trucks at all. I didn’t know that was
a thing,” she said. “I always loved to drive — driving was
definitely my thing. I couldn’t wait to get my first license.
My father was a police officer, and he taught me how to
drive. I had a love for just getting behind the wheel and
driving a vehicle.
“Then, when somebody made me aware that [truck
driving] was actually something that women could do, I
was really excited about it,” she said. “It just sounded like
an amazing adventure, where I get to travel all over the
country — and somebody will pay me to do it.”
Weaver admits that her foray into trucking wasn’t supposed
to turn into a decades-long career. But she’s very
glad it did.
“When I got into (trucking), I thought I was just going
to do it until I figured out where I was supposed to be in
the world,” she said. “I didn’t have the intent of being in
it for the rest of my life. Then I really fell in love with it. I
enjoyed it so very much. It didn’t take me long to realize
that I was exactly where I was supposed to be, which was
behind the wheel.”
During the first seven years, Weaver’s over-the-road
jobs were fairly typical. But 13 years ago she saw a FedEx
twin trailer on the road that sparked her imagination.
“I was completely fascinated with the concept of
Courtesy: Nikki Weaver
Nikki Weaver had a love for driving long before she entered the trucking industry. Now, she is a driver for FedEx and has been named Women In Trucking’s
2021 Driver of the Year.
pulling two trailers,” she said. “Doing my research, I felt
(FedEx) was also the best company I could possibly get on
with. I already had an endorsement in double trailers and
twin trailers, so I was good to go. I applied for them — they
were the only company I applied for — and I was really
fortunate that they hired me. I’ve been here ever since.”
In addition to the equipment, Weaver also praised
FedEx for the consistency of routes and the control the
company gives her over a schedule that allows her to be
home every night.
“I would call what we do as being regional,” she said.
“We have something called a bidding system where, based
on seniority, you choose what run you want to do for a
segment of about four months. I get to choose my run and
my schedule; I can choose day or night. I’ve been on daylight
for a few years now and I generally pick a run that’s
somewhere between 500 and 600 miles a day, five days a
week.”
Having a say in her schedule as she does helps Weaver
keep life in balance. Among her other passions are hiking
into areas well off the grid, and being the involved mom of
a 10-year-old son, Eli.
“Over the road is a lot different than what I’m doing
right now,” she said. “Eli is just about to graduate elementary
school and go into middle school next year. He is so
very excited about that. I’ve had a lot of support from my
family over the years who have been able to be there for
him when I’m on the road. That’s how I’ve balanced being
a mom with the career of being a trucker.”
Weaver parlays her love of trucking to others, both as
a career and as a way to bring about positive change. She
speaks at community colleges about the trucking industry
and also addresses the Pennsylvania State Police Academy’s
new commercial officer cadets on various issues.
In addition, she’s a Truckers Against Trafficking advocate
who has attended the group’s leadership conference, and
she stays involved with outreach programs in her community.
Weaver has also served as an America’s Road Team
Captain since 2019.
Because of these extra efforts, Weaver was recently a
finalist for FedEx Freight’s Luella Bates Award, and she’s a
two-time winner of the prestigious Bravo Zulu Award, an
SEE WEAVER ON PAGE 16

CATTheTrucker051421 fullpage.qxp_Layout 1 5/14/21 3:58 PM Page 1
THETRUCKER.COM JULY 15-31, 2021 • 15
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16 • JULY 15-31, 2021 PERSPECTIVE
THETRUCKER.COM
Courtesy: Nikki Weaver
Nikki Weaver started driving for FedEx partially because of a fascination with pulling two trailers. She has stayed with the
company because she feels it allows her to maintain a work-life balance that allows her to be an involved mom.
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WEAVER cont. from Page 14
honor created by FedEx Freight founder Fred
Smith. She can now add being named Women
In Trucking’s Driver of the Year to the list.
In addition to her trademark advice of,
“Go for it,” Weaver advises newcomers to
become a student of their profession.
“Do your research. Build a network of resources,
your fellow drivers,” she said. “It’s
one thing to read the stuff in a book or listen
to it, but to see these things being displayed
— professionalism, safety — was very inspiring
for me. The No. 1 resource in my success
has been my fellow drivers, the senior drivers
who I very much looked up to. They taught
me the meaning of professionalism and the
true meaning of all these things in real time.
“I didn’t have a family member who was
a driver,” Weaver continued. “It was really
outside of the box of anything I was familiar
with, but as soon as I learned about (truck
driving), I was like, ‘Wow, this is an amazing
opportunity!’ It is very challenging job, and I
RHYTHM cont. from Page 13
sic video ends with the conservative Roy Acuff
using the bow of his fiddle to beat the mascarawearing
singers off the Opry stage. (In ‘Lucky
Me,’ [Moe Bandy’s autobiography], Moe credits
this episode mostly to Joe.)”
It’s hard to say if “Where’s the Dress” hurt
Moe and Joe as a duo. They did release three
more songs from the same album, but none became
hits. “Where’s the Dress” would be their
last hit together before the duo stopped recording,
noting their solo careers suffered. But in a
1984 interview, Joe Stampley was defensive in
saying, “(‘Where’s the Dress’) wasn’t done as a
put-down to Boy George. It’s a novelty song that
wonders whether two country bumpkins could
(dress that way) in a honky-tonk.” He added that
When somebody
made me aware
that [truck
driving] was actually
something that women
could do, I was really
excited about it. It just
sounded like an amazing
adventure, where I get to
travel all over the country
— and somebody will pay
me to do it.”
— NIKKI WEAVER, 2021 WOMEN IN
TRUCKING DRIVER OF THE YEAR
think that’s one of the things that has kept me
loving it all these years, to this very day. I love
the problem-solving aspect of being a professional
driver. It’s still fun after 20 years.” 8
Boy George “is a talent … genius … and sharp.”
So, the entire “Where’s the Dress” episode
was short-lived and didn’t cause a rift in music
like it might today. At least not a major rift.
Boy George and his manager did file suit
against Bandy and Stampley for copyright infringement.
The suit didn’t seek damages for using
the likeness of Boy George or Culture Club,
but for using the same guitar rift and harmonica
lick written into “Karma Chameleon.” Bandy
later said, “That little mess-up cost us $50,000.”
Until next time, let me remind you: When
you listen to classic country music, you need to
go back in time and apply the standards of the
day to your criticism, not today’s standards. After
all, what could anyone expect from Moe and
Joe? Neither of the two was a copyright lawyer.
Moe and Joe were “just good ol’ boys.” 8
ATTORNEY cont. from Page 12
its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag
in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate
that in your classrooms. Then you can
stand up and sing about the land of the free.”
Say what you will about the movie but
that quote pretty much sums up the good
and the bad about free speech. While I may
not agree with anything you say — or your
decision to burn the flag or do other things I
may find reprehensible — I will defend to the
death your right to do so.
Brad Klepper is president of Interstate
Trucker Ltd., a law firm entirely dedicated to
legal defense of the nation’s commercial drivers.
Brad is also president of Driver’s Legal
Plan, which allows member drivers access to
his firm’s services at discounted rates. For more
information, contact him at (800) 333-DRIVE
(3748) or interstatetrucker.com and drivers
legalplan.com. 8

BUSINESS
THETRUCKER.COM JULY 15-31, 2021 • 17
Not as bad as it seems
FREIGHT VOLUMES DOWN SLIGHTLY BUT
TIGHT CAPACITY KEEPS RATES HIGH
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Shipping volumes are picking up for rail, ship and
pipeline but declining slightly for trucking, according to
reports from several industry sources.
Cass Information Systems reported in the Cass Shipments
Index for May that the month was the second-best
ever, bested by only the month of May 2018. On a seasonally
adjusted basis, shipments improved by 5.9% over
April and by a whopping 35.3% over May 2020 numbers.
Tim Denoyer, vice president and senior analyst at
ACT Research, wrote, “It’s safe to say the pandemic recovery
is progressing much faster than the recovery from
the Great Recession.”
On the truck side, volumes declined, according to the
American Trucking Associations (ATA). The ATA reported
a 0.7% decline in freight tonnage from April, which
was 0.6% behind March.
It’s not as bad as it might seem, according to ATA
Chief Economist Bob Costello.
“Tonnage, despite falling slightly over the last two
months, remains well above the lows of last year,” he said.
“This is no small deal considering that truck tonnage fell
significantly less than many other indicators during the
depths of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.”
Costello mentioned retail inventories being at historic
lows, driven there by consumer spending of stimulus dollars
received from the U.S. government. Restocking of inventories
is expected to result in more freight for truckers.
It isn’t a lack of freight that is pushing volume levels
downward.
“As has been the case for some time, trucking’s biggest
challenges are not on the demand side, but on the
As has been the case for
some time, trucking’s
biggest challenges are not on the
demand side, but on the supply
side, including difficulty finding
qualified drivers.”
— BOB COSTELLO, ATA CHIEF ECONOMIST
supply side, including difficulty finding qualified drivers,”
Costello explained.
Production of new trucks has been slowed by shortages
of parts and materials, especially plastics and semiconductors.
Currently, orders for 2021 model year Class 8
trucks are completely filled, with a nine-month backlog.
Orders have recently slowed but are expected to increase
again when manufacturers begin accepting orders for
2022 models.
Then, there are drivers. A driver force that has been
gradually aging is not attracting replacements for the
drivers who leave. Recent pay increases have stimulated
driver churn, as drivers change carriers to take advantage
of higher pay. They have not, however, attracted
large numbers of new drivers to the industry.
When carriers can’t grow their fleets by adding trucks
SEE VOLUME ON PAGE 19
iStock Photo
In May, the national average for van freight at DAT was $2.69 per mile, setting a new
record for van cargo. The national average rate per mile for refrigerated freight rose to
$3.11 per mile, while flatbed average rates rose to $3.13.
Trucker Tools digital freight platform
acquired by Alpine Investors’ ASG
iStock Photo
Trucker Tools, a digital freight management platform, has been acquired by
ASG, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors.
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
RESTON, Va. & WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — ASG, a portfolio
company of Alpine Investors, has acquired Trucker
Tools, a digital freight management platform that provides
capacity management, predictive freight matching, automated
booking, GPS-based visibility and digital workflow
solutions for the transportation industry.
“ASG has a proven track record of helping SaaS companies
grow and build out reliable, resilient software services
delivering enduring value and competitive advantage,” said
Prasad Gollapalli, founder and CEO of Trucker Tools. “Their
philosophy, mindset and approach complement Trucker
Tools culture and values, and are well-aligned with our laser-focus
on superior customer engagement and product
performance. We are excited to leverage the ASG team’s
skills and experience as we chart this next chapter in our
sustainable growth journey.”
Gollapalli founded Virginia-based Trucker Tools in 2013.
With nearly 20 years of experience in management and
product strategy for trucking, Gollapalli built a shipment
tracking solution for drivers, owner-operators and small
fleets that provides capabilities for a driver to book load
shipments straight from their phones. He brought on Murali
Yellepeddy who has 20 years of experience in building
and delivering enterprise-grade, concurrent, customizable
mobile and web platform applications built for devices.
The two then expanded the platform’s scope to address
additional driver needs and deepen a digital connection
with freight brokers. Trucker Tools later launched predictive,
digital freight matching and automated one-click
booking, streamlining the way brokers find available trucks,
and enabling drivers to prioritize, select and book loads
straight from their phones.
As part of the acquisition, Trucker Tools will welcome
Jesse Buckingham, a former executive at two high-growth
logistics technology businesses, as chief revenue officer.
“ASG and Alpine’s access to resources and their deep
SEE TRUCKER TOOLS ON PAGE 19

18 • JULY 15-31, 2021 BUSINESS
THETRUCKER.COM
FLEET FOCUS
Roadside evaluation
PREPARATION, ATTENTION TO DETAIL HELP
INSPECTIONS GO SMOOTHLY
Nobody likes them. Drivers go out of their
way to avoid them, some changing their
routes or schedules — or even taking time
off — when one is expected. Like a trip to the
dentist, time will be lost and the best that can
be hoped for is that nothing painful occurs.
It’s the dreaded DOT inspection.
The inspection might more accurately
be called a CVSA inspection. That’s because
the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance determines
what gets inspected, what criteria
are used to determine a pass or fail, and what
actions might be imposed, such as an out of
service (OOS) order. CVSA is a group made
up of government agencies ranging from local
to federal and including carriers, trade
organizations, consultants, manufacturers
and more.
According to the CVSA website (cvsa.
org), “the Alliance aims to achieve uniformity,
compatibility and reciprocity of commercial
motor vehicle inspections and enforcement
by certified inspectors dedicated
to driver and vehicle safety.”
For the driver, that means an inspection
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
conducted by the state patrol in one jurisdiction
should be the same as one conducted by
local law enforcement in another.
There are six inspection levels listed on
the CVSA website. Drivers are likely to encounter
only the first three under normal
circumstances, although a fourth could occasionally
be conducted.
Level 3 inspections involve driver credentials
and hours-of-service (HOS) records. The
inspector will check the driver’s CDL and
medical card, HOS record, vehicle inspection
report and truck paperwork such as registration
and permits. Seat belt usage will also be
checked.
Level 2 inspections include everything
noted in Level 3, plus a walk-around inspection
of the truck. During the walk-around,
the inspector will check for lighting, cargo securement,
air leaks and obvious defects such
as missing lug nuts or damaged tires.
Level 1 inspections are the standard,
where the inspector crawls under the vehicle
to measure brake operation and get a closer
look at other systems. Generally, Level 1
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Drivers should be aware that the result of inspections can and do impact compliance, safety, accountability (CSA) scores
for both the driver and the carrier.
inspections take the greatest amount of
time and have the most potential for finding
violations.
In most cases, the driver is asked to participate
in the inspection by turning lights on
and off or operating brake controls as directed,
including stepping on the service ( floor)
brake while the inspector measures push rod
travel.
Occasionally, a driver will protest this involvement,
asserting that he is not required
to assist, or even claiming that the Fifth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects
a right against self-incrimination. Drivers
who invoke such arguments should probably
not be surprised when the inspection takes
longer than usual and uncovers an impressive
list of violations. Additionally, employers
may not look upon such refusals favorably,
especially if the inspection results in expensive
repairs.
Passing a Level 1 inspection with no critical
violations entitles the driver to a shiny
new CVSA sticker, placed in the lower right
corner of the windshield. Different colors
of stickers are used to denote the calendar
quarter of the year in which the inspection
was performed — green for the first quarter,
then yellow, orange and white.
Missing corners on the sticker indicate
whether the inspection was performed in
the first month of the quarter (both upper
corners removed), the second month (upper
right corner removed) or the third month (no
corners removed).
Trucks displaying a valid CVSA decal
won’t, under most circumstances, be subject
to a reinspection for three months. However,
this is not a guarantee. Law enforcement officials
can reinspect a vehicle at any time, especially
if they observe a violation or unsafe
condition.
Inspections can and do impact CSA (compliance,
safety, accountability) scores for
both the driver and the carrier. Individual
violations can be listed on the driver’s preemployment
screening program (PSP) report
and are an important part of the hiring (or
leasing) process at some carriers.
In calculating CSA scores, different
weights are assigned to each potential violation.
For example, failure to obey a traffic
light or sign is assigned five points, while
not wearing a seat belt earns seven and using
a cell phone is 10. Citations do not have
to be issued for points to be levied. For example,
an inspector can indicate that the
reason for the stop was the driver not wearing
a seat belt but only a warning was issued,
or even no action at all. If any level of inspection
is performed and reported, the seat belt
charge could still appear on the driver’s PSP.
Worse, the infractions are a part of the
record even if the driver is acquitted of the
charge or pleads guilty to a lesser charge.
There is a process to request having the record
corrected, but it is time-consuming,
and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) makes the final decision.
Vehicle violations are listed, too. Some
vehicle violations could indicate poor maintenance
practices by the carrier, but they can
also indicate the driver’s failure to inspect the
vehicle regularly.
Getting through an inspection starts with
doing the job properly. Every driver should
have a CDL and any other documents necessary
to legally drive close at hand. Permit
books should be checked periodically to
make sure registration and permits are up to
date and proof of insurance is included.
Thorough pre-trip inspections, along
with periodic walk-around checks, help the
driver identify potential problems and get
them fixed before an inspector spots them.
It may not be feasible to adjust the brakes
on a trailer picked up at a shipper location,
but a quick inspection to make sure there are
SEE INSPECTIONS ON PAGE 19
C
A
2
a
a
M
c

THETRUCKER.COM BUSINESS
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 19
VOLUME cont. from Page 17
and can’t hire enough drivers to keep the
trucks they have rolling, freight sits, waiting
for an available truck.
Another factor impacting May volumes
was the International Roadcheck inspection
event (April 29-May 6). Many drivers and owner-operators
scheduled time off during the inspection
period, hoping to avoid costly delays
and, in some cases, put off expensive repairs.
The good news is that freight rates remain
high when capacity is in short supply, a condition
that is helping more than a few truckers
prosper this year.
Truckstop.com reported that total spot
rates on its load board increased slightly, with
a small decline in flatbed rates offsetting gains
in van and refrigerated rates. For the month,
postings declined slightly.
Average spot rates for van increased to
$2.77 per mile while average refrigerated rates
increased to $3.20. Flatbed rates fell by a penny
to an average of $3.18 per mile.
The site reported that truckers are being
very selective of loads, rejecting nearly one of
every four.
On the DAT One load board, records were
set for monthly average rates despite a 6% decline
in posting volumes. Typically, volume reductions
(reduced demand) drive lower rates,
but the capacity crunch is severe enough that
rates rose, anyway.
The national average for van freight at DAT
was $2.69 per mile, setting a new record for
van cargo. The national average rate per mile
for refrigerated freight rose to $3.11 per mile,
while flatbed average rates rose to $3.13.
Perhaps more telling are load-to-truck
ratios at DAT. For every van truck posted
on the board, there were 6.1 loads posted.
Refrigerated loads were even more plentiful
with 13 posted for each refrigerated truck
posting. Flatbed load postings went through
the roof with 97.1 loads posted for every
truck posted.
Load vs. truck postings are not a one-toone
proposition, as many truckers look for
loads on the board without posting their
truck as available, but the climbing ratio
numbers do indicate that the gap between
available freight and trucks to haul it is
widening.
On the West Coast, container ships are still
stacked up, waiting to be unloaded, despite
tremendous throughput at ports. Workers
simply can’t unload them fast enough to keep
up with the demand.
The Cass Freight Index for shipping expenditures
increased by 49.9% this year over May
2020, but the comparison doesn’t mean much
since little freight was moving at the height of
the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.
For the coming months, capacity is expected
to continue to tighten while the economy
continues to produce more freight to haul.
“Even with considerable supply constraints,
the freight cycle is in high-growth
mode. The freight markets continue to benefit
from a very strong retail economy, very
tight inventories, and a backlog of containerships
still anchored in the San Pedro Bay,”
said Denoyer.
“In addition, U.S. capital goods orders have
recently broken through a generational ceiling,”
he continued. “We believe this portends
an unprecedented U.S. capex (capital expenditure)
boom.”
In a June 14 release for ACT Research,
Denoyer noted, “Soaring freight demand has
been overwhelming the industry’s capacity
these past ten months, as the industry continues
to cope with bottlenecks and shortages in
this extraordinary recovery.”
Denoyer cautioned, however, that the
good times for freight rates can’t last forever,
saying, “While the pendulum of pricing power
is clearly with the asset owners, we analyze
several leading indicators which suggest it will
begin swinging back to shippers in the coming
months, with rebalancing likely in 2022.”
Increased costs for equipment and the
fuel to power it, along with rising wages for
drivers, will consume at least a portion of additional
revenues derived from high freight
rates. Regardless, truckers who want to work
and can keep equipment running can look
forward to more months of very favorable
trucking conditions. 8
TRUCKER TOOLS cont. from Page 17
experience building successful SaaS (software
as a service) companies is a tremendous
advantage that will further improve
our product development, delivery and platform
utility for 3PLs, brokers and truckers,”
Gollapalli said.
He added that the acquisition will help
Trucker Tools’ employees, suppliers, partners,
its more than 300 3PL and broker-customers,
and the more than 1.3 million truckers
and 165,000 small-fleet operators who
rely on the Trucker Tools mobile app to secure
freight, automate the booking process,
provide real-time automated tracking, digitally
manage documents, and optimize how
they route and run their trucks. 8
MCCOLLISTER’S AUTO TRANSPORT
Fleet expansion
INSPECTIONS cont. from Page 18
no flat tires, missing lug nuts or inoperative
lights can save trouble later.
Cleanliness matters, too. Inspectors
sometimes choose which trucks to inspect
based on appearance. Drivers with a month’s
worth of paperwork and snack wrappers
scattered across the dash are more likely
to be inspected, on the assumption that a
messy truck indicates messy paperwork and
messy maintenance.
And of course, attitude matters. Just like
drivers, inspectors are doing a job — one that
is sometimes unpleasant. Reacting with impatience
or hostility only makes the job more
difficult for everyone involved.
Preparation, attention to details and
knowledge of equipment can help any driver
get through an inspection painlessly and
back on the road more quickly. 8
McCollister’s enclosed auto
transport fleet is continuing to
grow due to OUR CLIENTS
AND OUR TALENTED
DRIVERS.
CELEBRATING DEDICATION
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
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and its members represent all facets of Averitt, from customer service specialists to service center leadership to local
and regional drivers. Members of the Over 20 Team represent a combined total of 36,875 years of service at Averitt.
Members of the Over 20 Team are honored with a display of team members’ names, which covers a full wall in the
company’s corporate headquarters.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:
JOE CSIK, DRIVER SUPPORT
OR CATCH ONE OF OUR DRIVERS!
609-526-9490
WWW.MCCOLLISTERS.COM

20 • JULY 15-31, 2021
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EQUIPMENT & TECH
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 21
Trucking into the future
AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH, STRATEGY COMING
TO BRIDGESTONE, J.B. HUNT AND PGT TRUCKING
HANNAH BUTLER | STAFF WRITER
Courtesy: Waymo
Courtesy: Kodiak Robotics
Top: J.B. Hunt is launching a test run for research purposes on the company’s autonomous
Class 8 trucking unit, which is powered by Waymo Driver. Bottom: Bridgestone Americas
has taken a minority investment in Kodiak Robotics with a goal of incorporating smart tire
tech into autonomous trucks.
The world of autonomous trucking is progressing as
motor carriers such as J.B. Hunt, PGT Trucking and others,
in addition to manufacturers like Bridgestone Americas,
enter into partnerships with autonomous technology
developers.
In mid-June, Bridgestone Americas announced a
partnership with Kodiak Robotics to integrate its solutions
with Kodiak’s Level 4 autonomous trucks. In addition,
the companies will test future autonomous and
smart tire technologies.
The move toward autonomous trucking has been
coming to a head for years, with pilots and partnerships
between trucking and robotics.
For Bridgestone, the drive to develop automated
trucks is attributed to safety, savings and sustainability.
“Automated vehicles offer a number of benefits
to commercial fleet customers and society, including
safer roads with fewer unexpected incidents, and
upwards of 20% savings in fuel and efficiency,” said
Paolo Ferrari, chief solutions officer for Bridgestone
Corp. and CEO for Bridgestone Americas. “Advancements
in tire-centric technologies are critical to unlocking
greater innovation in mobility, while also
delivering significant sustainability benefits. This
investment will enable Bridgestone and Kodiak to
work together to co-develop advanced mobility solutions
with speed and precision that will revolutionize
commercial trucking.”
My overall goal is the
success of this technology
and the acceptance of this
technology by the industry and
government regulators. I want this
to address the continuing problem
of the shortage of drivers.”
— GREGG TROIAN, PRESIDENT OF PGT TRUCKING
PGT Trucking hopes to address the truck driver
shortage through autonomous trucking, and J.B. Hunt is
launching a test run for research purposes on the company’s
autonomous Class 8 trucking unit, which is powered
by Waymo Driver.
“This will be one of the first opportunities for J.B.
Hunt to receive data and feedback on customer freight
moved with a Class 8 tractor operating at this level of
autonomy,” said Craig Harper, chief sustainability officer
and executive vice president at J.B. Hunt. “While we
believe there will be a need for highly skilled, professional
drivers for many years to come, it is important
SEE FUTURE ON PAGE 22
Getac, Pedigree offer ‘rugged’ in-cab
connectivity solutions for ELDs
FIRST KENWORTH T680 NEXT GEN
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
IRVINE, Calif. — Getac Technology Corp. and Pedigree
Technologies last month announced a joint ELD
(electronic logging device) solution that combines Getac’s
rugged Android Tablet and dock (Model ZX70) with Pedigree’s
Cab-Mate ELD and other in-cab solutions. According
to the two companies, the resulting next-generation
in-cab system is designed to provide long-term reliability
to trucking fleets that may have been challenged with
tablet failures, missing data or inconsistent connectivity.
“A significant chunk of our ELD business comes from
enterprises who were disappointed with their early ELD
investment,” said Wade Wilson, CEO of Pedigree. “Customers
told us about consumer tablet issues including
USB connector failures, short-lived batteries and inconsistent
Bluetooth connectivity. This is why we’re excited
to join Getac in providing the most robust ELD solution
on the market.”
The joint solution is directly connected with the truck
to address connectivity delays and missing data often
seen with BYOD (bring your own device) offerings.
“As soon as the truck is turned on and moves, ELD
data is logged, regardless of connectivity. Keeping to our
commitment of strict adherence to the ELD mandate
An extra-rugged device is
important. Whether the
device is dropped or exposed to
really bad weather, it’ll work.”
— JOE MARTIN, GETAC DIRECTOR
OF PRODUCT SOLUTIONS DIVISION
while keeping it as easy as possible, Pedigree aims to
make the ELD bulletproof,” Wilson said.
Powered by Android, the ZX70 supports Android’s
standardized Google Play applications and is available
with various docks and mounts for in-cab deployment in
all sizes of trucks.
According to Getac, the ZX70 tablet and dock is engineered
to survive 6-foot drops, shocks, rain, vibration
and dust. It operates at extreme temperatures, from minus
6 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and will work after being
submerged in 1 meter of water. The ZX70 also offers
optional certifications for use in potentially explosive
atmospheres.
SEE ELD ON PAGE 22
Courtesy: Kenworth
Werner Enterprises received the first Kenworth T680 Next Generation production
truck during a special ceremony at the Kenworth manufacturing plant. According to a
manufacturer’s statement, Kenworth’s T680 Next Gen on-highway flagship expands on
the success of the classic T680 model, raising the bar for fuel efficiency, class-leading
performance and bold aerodynamic styling. Scott Reed, Werner Enterprises senior vice
president of equipment purchasing and maintenance, holds a plaque signifying the
delivery of the first production Kenworth T680 Next Generation at the Kenworth plant
in Chillicothe, Ohio.

22 • JULY 15-31, 2021 EQUIPMENT & TECH
THETRUCKER.COM
Courtesy: Getac
Getac’s ZX70 Android tablet and dock has been verified by Google as an Android
Enterprise Recommended Rugged Device.
ELD cont. from Page 21
“An extra-rugged device is important. Whether the device is dropped or
exposed to really bad weather, it’ll work. We’re so confident that the ZX70
can handle extreme environments we offer a bumper-to-bumper, threeyear
warranty including accidental damage,” said Joe Martin, Getac’s director
of Product Solutions division.
Verified by Google as an Android Enterprise Recommended Rugged
Device, the ZX70 can also be used for out-of-truck mobile productivity.
Along with one-handed operation, the 7-inch display features Getac’s sunlight-readable
touchscreen technology, LumiBond 2.0, with better contrast
and crisper colors. The ZX70 comes with a hard-tip stylus and supports
touch, glove or pen modes, and it provides best-in-class battery run time.
Pedigree’s ELD Cab-Mate offering was developed with customer feedback,
including budget and application requirements. Built on the OneView
platform, the ELD Cab-Mate supports a full suite of tools, from ELDs,
International Fuel Tax Association (IFTA) records, DVIRs (driver vehicle
inspection reports) and work orders to equipment health and driver safety
solutions, including cameras. 8
FUTURE cont. from Page 21
for J.B. Hunt as an industry leader to be involved early
in the development of advanced autonomous technologies
and driving systems to ensure that their implementation
will improve efficiency while enhancing safety.”
J.B. Hunt’s test run will partner with Waymo to haul
freight between facilities in Houston and Fort Worth,
Texas. The transport along Interstate 45 will be completed
using Level 4 autonomous driving technology, supervised
by Waymo autonomous specialists to monitor the
Waymo Driver’s operations throughout the runs.
According to Charlie Jatt, Waymo’s head of commercialization
trucking, the Waymo Driver has to answer
questions like any human driver: Where am I? What is
around me? What will happen next? What should I do?
Waymo has combined detailed maps with live information
sensors to detect surrounding objects and its
variations.
“For each road user, our technology is able to make
predictions about their movements in the future, just like
a human would,” Jatt said. “Except that while a person
may only be able to do this for a handful of objects, we
can do this for hundreds of objects in every direction, simultaneously.”
The technology can be applied to various vehicle
platforms and can be used for ride hailing, trucking and
local delivery. To date, the Waymo Driver has driven
more than 20 million miles autonomously on public
roads and 20 billion miles in simulation.
PGT Trucking and its partnership with the humanguided
autonomous truck convoying company Locomation
is set to produce 1,000 autonomous relay convoy
(ARC) systems over an eight-year period.
ARC systems enable a qualified driver to pilot a lead
truck that’s equipped with technology augmentation
while a follower truck operates in tandem through Locomation’s
fully autonomous system. This allows the driver
of the “follower” truck to log off and rest while the truck
is in motion.
“It is a two-truck, two-driver system designed for
long-haul routes typically targeting about 1,000 miles
a day,” said Çetin Meriçli, co-founder and CEO of Locomation.
“The way it works is around two trucks leaving
the depot or the terminal. They are driven manually by
the drivers in two trucks, but when they get on the interstate,
the ARC system is engaged. Once the system is
engaged, the driver in the lead truck remains in position
and remains in control, but the second truck turns into
a Level 4 autonomous truck. It fits the only job of following
the leader from a closed system.”
At full commercialization, Locomation’s autonomous
vehicle technology is expected to produce an estimated
30% reduction in operating cost per mile, including an
8% reduction in fuel expenses — which will remove more
than 40 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air
per convoy annually. The technology will run through
certain roadways between Pittsburg and Chicago.
“My overall goal is the success of this technology and
the acceptance of this technology by the industry and
government regulators,” said Gregg Troian, president
of PGT Trucking. “I want this to address the continuing
problem of the shortage of drivers. It ties in with, from
where I sit, what’s going on in this industry which is a
number of different companies working on the development
of autonomous vehicles. Eventually, it’s inevitable
that we will have these vehicles running somewhere. Our
intention at PGT is to be an early integrator and early
promoter of this solution.”
Besides addressing the truck driver shortage, Troian
believes autonomous trucking can bring the added benefit
of lower costs through relieving the pressure of hoursof-service
restrictions.
“You take the equation of a human being and limitations,
and you remove that, and all of a sudden you get
more productivity from an asset that contributes to lower
costs,” he said. 8
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FEATURES
THETRUCKER.COM JULY 15-31, 2021 • 23
Photos courtesy: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Left: The Wall That Heals is a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, D.C. Several trucking companies are selected each year to pull the mobile exhibit. 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.
A moving memorial
THE WALL THAT HEALS BRINGS 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
CODY GRAVES | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
up the 375-foot wall. The trailer also serves as
a mobile education center with three 6-foot
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
SEE WALL ON PAGE 25
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.”
— TIM TETZ, VIETNAM VETERANS
MEMORIAL FUND’S DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
Heroes on the highway
HIGHWAY ANGEL TWINS AID AS TRAINERS AND IN TIMES OF NEED
HANNAH BUTLER | STAFF WRITER
Courtesy: Armellini Express Lines
Twin brothers Calvin and Corey Williams, truck drivers and trainers for Armellini Express
Lines, have been recognized as Highway Angels for stopping to help after a car veered off an
Oklahoma interstate and crashed.
ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Brothers Calvin and Corey Williams
are two peas in a pod — literally. The two are identical twins
who share and do everything together — even following
their dream of becoming heroes. In their book, that meant
becoming the best truck drivers possible.
Little did they know that they would achieve their goal of
becoming heroes in every sense of the word.
In addition to serving as truck drivers and trainers for
Armellini Express Lines, the pair have been recognized by
the Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Highway Angel
program as trucking heroes. Trucking met heroism when
the two witnessed a catastrophic crash and came to the rescue
one cold, gloomy February morning.
On that fateful day, Calvin was looking for a rest
area while driving on Interstate 44 near Bristow, Oklahoma,
when he witnessed a vehicle going unusually
fast. It was around 4 a.m., pitch dark and the roads
were icy. All of a sudden, he saw the vehicle take a hard right.
“I was like, ‘Whoa, is there an exit ramp right there?’” Calvin
recalled. “When I saw them swerve off and I saw the car
lights do like a cartwheel, I was like, ‘Damn, they lost control
and went off there!’ I didn’t think about it; I just stopped the
truck immediately.”
As he began to stop the truck, he woke up Corey and
their trainee, Allen Ford, and the team got to work. Before
the truck had even stopped, the Williams twins called 911;
then they both ran toward the spot where the car, which was
now burning, had gone off the road.
While retelling their story, Calvin and Corey described
how they tore their hands up as they jumped
over a barbed-wire fence to get to the car. The morning
was still dark, and Corey and Calvin had nothing but a
SEE HEROES ON PAGE 24

24 • JULY 15-31, 2021 FEATURES
Courtesy: Yellow Corp.
Herschel Evans, a driver for Yellow Corp., has been recognized
as Coach of the Year by Lytx.
Above
and beyond
HERSCHEL EVANS CHOSEN
AS LYTX COACH OF THE YEAR
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Herschel Evans,
a driver for Yellow Corp., has been named 2021
Coach of the Year by Lytx, a provider of machine
vision and artificial intelligence-powered video
solutions for trucking fleets.
Each year, Lytx honors trucking professionals
who champion safety and who go above and beyond
in their work, using the Lytx Driver Safety
Program. Lytx recognized drivers in six categories
— government, services and utilities, transit
and motor coach, for-hire trucking, private
trucking, and waste and construction.
“Herschel being honored for outstanding
work, dedication and excellence in safety is no
surprise to me,” said Darren Hawkins, CEO of
Yellow. “He’s one of our best, most top-notch employees
— not only as a driver but also as a community
service leader. I’m proud of Herschel and
glad to have him on our team at Yellow.”
As a Yellow Million Miler driver, Evans has
driven more than 3 million accident-free miles
and maintained a flawless driving record. He
has been honored with the 2018 Commercial
Vehicle Safety Alliance International Driver Excellence
Award, was named a 2020 TravelCenters
of America Citizen Driver, and earned the
SEE COACH ON PAGE 26
HEROES cont. from Page 23
phone light, feeling around with their feet
toward the car.
There were two people in the car when it
crash-landed in a cold, muddy ditch; somehow,
they had managed to crawl out from beneath
the inflated airbags and exit the vehicle.
“They hit a tree so hard it knocked the headlights
out and pushed the motor and transmission
into the cab,” said Calvin.
The car’s windows were broken, and the
brothers found a male — the passenger — conscious,
lying on the ground with a serious leg
injury. The female driver was about 30 feet from
the vehicle. One of the twins ran back to the
truck to grab blankets.
“She was bleeding and shivering and
couldn’t move her legs,” Calvin told the Truckload
Carriers Association when they were
awarded the Highway Angel designation. 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.”
Calvin and Corey shared with TCA that the
crash scene was near an old dirt road, and challenging
to reach. It was an hour before the police
reached the scene, and it was yet another hour
before emergency medical services arrived.
“Once they got there and I saw a flashlight
and heard sirens I’m like, ‘Thank God,’” Calvin
said. “I felt relieved, like the end of a good movie.
‘OK, they’re going to be saved and things are
going to be great.’ The two recall the police officer
who arrived on the scene saying, “’Well, I
can’t do nothing. You guys did everything, you
already got the situation under control. All we
needed was for the EMTs to come.’ We were like,
‘What?’”
Calvin and Corey had to help the officer over
the fence because he had all his gear weighing
him down. Even then, the first responders could
not be the first responders at that moment. It
took them a while to get to the crash scene because
it was blocked by a barbed wire fence,
hills, mud and wooded areas.
“They had no way to get down the hill and
successfully bring two people back up, especially
with their injuries,” said Corey.
“The (police) just looked at me like I was
crazy,” Corey said of climbing the fence and
We just looked at it as
doing our job. And I’ve
learned a lot. You want
it to be a learning experience.
What I learned was that if you
see a bad accident, you can’t pass
it assuming that somebody’s
going to go down there and find
those people.”
— COREY WILLIAMS, HIGHWAY ANGEL
RECIPIENT ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER, CALVIN
helping. “And I when I thought about it, I was
like, ‘Wow, that is kind of crazy. I could have
gotten killed.’”
But, at that moment, neither brother was
thinking about his actions.
“If you thought about (helping), you weren’t
going to do it,” Corey said.
In total, the twins stayed at the crash scene
for more than four hours. The sun was peeking
out by the time everything was all said and
done. Despite the drive time lost while the twins
stayed by the couple’s side, they said they don’t
regret staying and helping.
“If we called the police and drove off, they
were never going to find the people,” Corey said.
“By the time we got done, the fire went out on
the car and the headlights went out and they
were down in the trees. How were you going to
find them unless you knew the exact spot they
were at?”
For their efforts, the brothers earned a Highway
Angels award from TCA. The Highway
Angels program presents recipients with certificates,
patches, lapel pins and truck decals
in recognition of an act of heroism while on the
road.
“We just looked at it as doing our job,” Corey
said. “And I’ve learned a lot. You want it to be a
learning experience. What I learned was that if
you see a bad accident, you can’t pass it assuming
that somebody’s going to go down there and
find those people. You can’t just call 911 and
just leave. You’ve got to jump into the accident
as fast as you can because it doesn’t happen like
you think it happens.”
THETRUCKER.COM
Calvin added, “You can’t ever assume that
the police are going to come in and everything’s
going to be peachy.”
The brothers’ gut-feeling reaction to never
hesitate before helping others was inspired
by their grandfather, Keny Pringle, who drove
a Coca-Cola truck. Pringle was the one who
instilled in them a love of and admiration for
truck drivers.
“I thought he was a hero. He used to pull up
(in his truck) and all the ladies would run up behind
him and say, ‘Oh my god, can I get a free
Coca-Cola?’” Corey laughed as he reminisced. “I
thought it was so heroic.”
Calvin remembers getting into Pringle’s
truck every Christmas Day and thinking that
one day, he would drive a truck, too.
“I love everything about it,” Calvin said of
trucking. “It’s like going on a field trip for free.
You don’t have to pay for nothing — just get up,
and show up. You never know what you’re going
to see. It’s like going on a great adventure every
time you get up.”
Calvin and Corey’s road to adventure took
them to becoming truck drivers, like their
grandfather. The best part, they said, is that they
get to do it together.
“We are always together. We live together
and we do everything except take a bath together,”
Calvin joked.
“We can’t do that,” Corey said with a laugh.
Although “everything” hilariously excludes
bathing, it DOES include driving. Often, the two
still surprise themselves when they realize they
have identical characteristics, personalities and
interests.
Their trucking adventure has gone on for 13
years, and it won’t stop anytime soon. However,
the two spend the majority of their time training
others how to drive.
“My favorite thing to do is to teach it,”
Corey said. “We take three people out in the
truck and we love to teach it, because we became
the best at it. We didn’t become drivers
just to drive, we became drivers to become
the best drivers.”
This translates in their hobbies together.
They strive to be the best drivers whether it’s
on a bike or in drag races. Their love of driving
doesn’t stop there; the Williams twins are car
fanatics as well. Of course, they do all of that
together. 8
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THETRUCKER.COM FEATURES
JULY 15-31, 2021 • 25
‘Elite’ of the ‘Elite Fleet’
NCI NAMES GENE SOLIS AS 2020 DRIVER OF THE YEAR
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
Photos courtesy: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Top: 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. Bottom: Visitors to The Wall
That Heals exhibit often make rubbings of names of family members who are listed on the wall.
WALL cont. from Page 23
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 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
pulls the trailer from one city to another
each year. Tetz said 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.”
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 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. 8
IRVING, Texas — National Carriers Inc.
(NCI) has named Eugenio (Gene) Solis as the
company’s 2020 Driver of the Year. The announcement
was made in late April during a
teleconference that included all 12 of NCI’s Drivers
of the Month for 2020. Solis was recognized
last year as NCI’s Driver of the Month for July.
Solis, who has been a company driver for
NCI since May 2018, transports frozen products
throughout the U.S. Among other Driver
of the Year gifts, Solis was presented with a
check for $10,000.
“Every year, all of our Drivers of the Month
are deserving to win this prestigious award,”
said Jim Franck, president of NCI. “But there
can only be one winner. Gene Solis is the
consummate professional driver. He is safe,
productive and always willing to lend a hand.
We are proud of all our professional drivers,
Courtesy: NCI
Gene Solis, center, has been named 2020 Driver of the
Year by National Carriers Inc. He was presented a check
for $10,000 by NCI President Jim Franck, right, and
Driver Manager Arron Donbar, left.
TICKETS
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but Gene is truly the ‘Elite’ of the ‘Elite Fleet.’”
NCI’s Driver of the Year award recognizes
a driver who excels in three categories —
customer service, safety and attitude. 8
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26 • JULY 15-31, 2021
THETRUCKER.COM
DISRUPTIONS cont. from Page 4
working together to support supply chain
efficiency and fluidity nationwide.”
The Department of Transportation, along
with other agencies that are part of the task force,
US 165 cont. from Page 4
installed in the area. The southbound sign is
located just south of Louisiana State Highway
15, and the northbound sign is located south
of Charleston Drive.
“I’m glad to see that many of the safety
measures have been put into place, and that
the street lighting project continues to move
forward. The safety of our citizens is of utmost
importance, and I continue to support bringing
the lighting project to construction as quickly
as possible, said Louisiana state Sen. Katrina
Jackson (D-34).
To further improve safety, a traffic signal
will soon be installed at the intersection of
U.S. 165 and Richwood Road No. 2, just north
CALTRANS cont. from Page 9
and access for people who walk and bike.
$12.5 million went to Sustainable Communities
Formula Grants, entirely funded by
SB 1, to metropolitan planning organizations
to further regional transportation plans and
held meetings with stakeholders to diagnose
problems and surface solutions — large and
small, public or private — in an attempt to
help alleviate near-term transitory bottlenecks
and supply constraints, according to a DOT
statement. 8
of Richwood Junior High School. This change
comes as the result of a required traffic signal
study performed for this location.
According to a statement released by
DODT, design plans continue to progress for
a new street lighting system to be constructed
on U.S. 165 in Richwood from Winnsboro
Road to Charleston Drive, a little more than
3.5 miles of roadway. Currently, the project is
scheduled to go to bid in May 2022.
These changes are being implemented following
in-depth data analysis of crash history
and other factors for this particular section of
U.S. 165, which is a busy thoroughfare for both
motorists and pedestrians, DODT says. The targeted
measures are aimed at improving safety
for both motorists and pedestrians. 8
sustainable communities’ strategies. Nine projects
were federally funded Strategic Partnership
Grants that will plan for next-generation
freeways, improve transit options between communities,
research alternative funding for road
repairs, and advance the timely and efficient
movement of goods throughout the state. 8
LIVESTOCK cont. from Page 11
Association. “We developed this series that includes
topics like animal handling and scene
management to help responders understand
what they might encounter. First responders
aren’t typically trained animal handlers, and
animal handlers don’t typically understand
traffic incident management. The more we can
educate first responders on what to expect and
who to contact, the safer we’ll all be in the event
of an incident.”
Since these incidents do not occur often, Eggers
said it is important to develop relationships between
animal care specialists and first responders.
“From a road user perspective, the cost of
COACH cont. from Page 24
2021 CEO’s Award at Yellow. An ambassador of
safety and driver training, Evans is a Road Team
Captain for the American Trucking Associations
and is a member of the Yellow Safety Committee
and Accident Review Board as well as the Mid-
Atlantic Professional Truck Drivers Association.
He volunteers for Convoy of Care and founded
the Safety Drive for a Cure annual event, which
benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
“It takes more than an outstanding on-thejob
performance to be selected for the Lytx
Coach of the Year award,” said Del Lisk, vice
president of safety services. “We look for a candidate
who is an outstanding performer at work,
these incidents is very high because they often
take several hours to clear,” said Bonnie
Castillo, traffic incident manager for the Iowa
Department of Transportation (IDOT). “Much
of that time is spent trying to find the resources
to provide care for the animals involved. If
we can get the word out to responders on who
to contact, that will speed up clearance times,
reducing the inconvenience and increasing
safety to the other drivers on the road.”
This training is also being considered as part
of the Statewide Traffic Incident Management
conference being planned for 2022. Castillo said
exercises with IDOT district staff, the Iowa State
Patrol and others are also in the planning stages
as funding is available. 8
but also someone who goes above and beyond
to make a positive contribution to their community
and society as a whole. With over 30
pages of safety commendations, letters of community
support and history of volunteer work,
Herschel’s selection was a no-brainer.”
Evans was selected as Coach of the Year in the
for-hire trucking category and was recognized as
the top coach in all six industry categories.
“I’m very honored. Thank you to Yellow for
numerous opportunities to serve in leadership
roles and in helping develop other fellow drivers
as safety champions,” Evans said. “It means a lot
to me, being able to help others become better,
safer drivers and to have such a great tool in the
Lytx Driver Safety Program.” 8
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THETRUCKER.COM JULY 15-31, 2021 • 27
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