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16 • OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 PERSPECTIVE THETRUCKER.COM God removes ‘seeds’ of sin so we can shine with the light of his love CHAPLAIN’S CORNER REV. MARILOU COINS Fall colors are looking so bright now. We feel the change of seasons happening and are preparing for winter to set in soon. But for now, it’s time for a hay ride and to carve a pumpkin. Do you remember the fun of carving a pumpkin? You had to cut off the top and remove all those seeds inside. Then you carved a smiling face. Finally, you placed a candle inside the hollowed-out pumpkin and lit it to glow in the dark, showing off that awesome carved face. Oh, how you smiled when you saw displayed that artwork for all to see! That reminds me of what someone told me years ago about how God feels about you once you accept him into your life. I was told that God opens us up and removes the seeds of sin; then he replaces those seeds with the light of his love and salvation. We glow with the light of salvation, showing the world what has been done in our new life through Christ. God can smile and claim you as a perfect reflection of him here on Earth. Just think of this as you go through your life: Our time here on Earth is only short time, but eternity is just that — it’s eternal. Always reflect the love of God so you have a reason to smile, no matter what your day may be like. Once you are gone from this Earth, let those who left behind reflect on your life as something good. A tombstone tells the dates of a person’s birth and death — but it says nothing of what they did in the years between. Leave a legacy for that will be remembered. I wrote once before that “RIP” stands for “rest in peace” —but it could also stand for “repo in progress.” Will you rest in peace with God for ATTORNEY cont. from Page 12 challenges based on the free exercise clause of the First Amendment freedom guaranteeing the freedom of religion. Though it was not a vaccine case, in 1990 the Supreme Court ruled that the clause does not relieve a person from complying with a law that applies to everyone and does not single out a particular group. Based on what we have heard, it does not appear that Biden’s rule for private companies violates this rule. At the end of the day, the key thing to remember about Biden’s mandate is that it does not criminalize a refusal or require anyone to submit to the vaccine. You are given the choice. Get vaccinated or take a weekly COVID test. Moreover, it does not appear to single out a particular group. Rest assured, this is not by accident. I am sure Biden had eternity? Or will you be an eternal repo in progress in hell? It’s your choice. Only you can determine where you will spend eternity. If you want to “rest in peace,” then remove the seeds of sin out of your life and replace them with the glow of Christ as the reflection of your daily life. Let the world know you have been “carved” by the grace of God’s love, and that your eternal life will be one of resting in peace with him. To use another seasonal symbol, your life here on Earth is like a “hay ride,” preparing you to rest in peace in the next life. It may seem you are having a bumpy ride, but can you imagine how rough it will be if you spend all of eternity lost and in hell!? Life is just too short to waste it and not share the glow of your inner candle. Only you can accept the “carving” of God’s love, cleansing you of sin and placing the glow of peace and joy into your life. No one is perfect. Sometimes we let our candle burn, out but God can relight it — once we ask for it to be lit again. We all were created in God’s image, and only he can remove the seeds of sin and “carve” our lives to reflect his love. Don’t let Satan fool you into thinking you’re not worth being carved — no one is rejected by God. Instead, he removes our sin and fills us with a light that defeats the darkness of this world. Do you remember the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”? Well, let your light shine, and prepare to rest in peace with the love of God. Satan doesn’t like this light, and will do everything he can to blow out your candle. Reject becoming a repo in progress, and Satan will flee from you. Get on board the “hay ride” to heaven, and let your candle shine in the darkness, reflecting the love of God to all you meet along life’s path. Happy October, and happy Halloween! And, as always, best of the roads and all gears forward in Jesus, Rev. Marilou Coins 8 several lawyers much smarter than me help him work this out. Of course, that does not mean the whole thing can’t head south and the actual language of the rule, once written, prove problematic. It also does not mean that folks won’t sue or argue that the rule is unconstitutional on other grounds. There are several clever lawyers out there, and they may be successful. I guess the point that I am trying to make is that the president and his lawyers appear to have done their homework — and they were already thinking about playing defense before Biden’s announcement. Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker Ltd. and is also president of Driver’s Legal Plan, which allows member drivers access to services at discounted rates. For more information, contact him at 800-333-DRIVE (3748) or interstatetrucker.com and driverslegalplan.com. 8 Courtesy: Jeron Whittmore This undated photo shows a young Jerry Whittmore with his then-new 1991 Peterbilt 379. Jerry, who describes the Pete as “top of the line” for its day, even had his name engraved on the African rosewood dash. WHITTMORE cont. from Page 14 Peterbilt 379 his father, Jerry Whittmore, had purchased and leased to National Carriers. Jerry was only 21 when he purchased the Pete, and at the time, he was the youngest driver in the National fleet. Jerry loved the ’91 Pete, which he described as “top of the line” for its day. He even had his name engraved on the African rosewood dash. Unfortunately, Jerry developed a foodborne illness that prevented him from working for months. He was forced to leave the road, and the truck was eventually sold. More than two decades later, Jeron’s paperwork discovery led to an exhaustive search to track down the truck. “I just always thought it’d be pretty cool to find one of my dad’s old trucks,” Jeron said. “It meant something to him because it was his first truck.” When the truck was finally found in Olton, Texas, the old Peterbilt had 2.6 million miles on the odometer and was in poor repair. The original blue paint had been partially covered with white and red paint in an American flag pattern. The original interior was all but gone, and the rosewood dash panel with Whittmore’s name had been bleached white from the sun. The Pete’s condition was so bad that Jerry tried to convince his son to leave it there, but Jeron wasn’t backing down. The truck was driven to the Whittmores’ home, and the restoration process began. “We did everything but the paint and the engine rebuild,” Jeron said. “The whole family was involved.” The engine was removed and sent out for a complete rebuild at TLG Peterbilt in Lowell, Arkansas. Retired parts specialist Leroy Mc- Cart visited to help list the parts needed. The prep work for the paint took many hours. “It was that real thick, shelly paint. We peeled and stripped it off,” Jeron said. Nearly all of the truck’s components were original, as confirmed by comparing serial numbers, and many hours were spent sandblasting corroded parts and restoring them to like-new levels. Because the truck’s original interior had been replaced, the Whittmores completely rebuilt it. Jeron installed a new wiring harness himself, working in the shop for hours after long days spent working in the woods to harvest timber. “It was me and my dad mostly, and my other two brothers; they helped a lot, and my mom and sister,” he said. “The whole family involved in that one. It took us a year and two days to rebuild.” Once restored, the truck was sent off to Peterbilt for the final touches, including charging the air conditioning. Unfortunately, one of the lines blew out when pressurized, and a new one had to be ordered, delaying the truck’s maiden voyage. Jeron has entered the truck in a few shows, including the virtual Shell Rotella SuperRigs event in 2020. He plans to enter more shows, but says he will concentrate on those closest to home to minimize interference with the business. “When we got the truck, we intended to drive it,” Whittmore explained. “We drive it, but no one else gets that seat.” The Whittmores use the truck to pull van, chip and walking-floor trailers. “The walking-floor trailers work well for hauling the mulch produced at the mill.” When the family isn’t minding the business, they can be found racing go-karts. The Whittmores own four of them, including the one Jeron drives at tracks in Butterfield and Blue Island, Missouri, and at a local track near their home. Jeron’s latest “project” might just result in a fourth generation of Whittmore truckers. “I actually just found out I’m fixing to have a little boy,” he explained. “I’m pretty excited. I was nervous at first, but pretty excited now.” Jeron and an older brother are teaming up to build miniature versions of their trucks for their sons. Jeron was inspired by online videos of the “Wee Pete,” a miniaturized copy of a Peterbilt 379 built by Brandon Davis for his son, Rooster. “We’re going to take them to truck shows so the kids can drive them like we drive ours,” Jeron said. Whether he’s restoring memories from a past generation, helping plan for the next one or just pitching in to keep the family business running, Jeron Whittmore plans to continue working hard. Disclaimer: The writer of this article was one of the judges for the SuperRigs competition. 8
BUSINESS THETRUCKER.COM OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 • 17 Parts shortages continue AUGUST DATA SHOWS TRUCK PRODUCTION STILL CONSTRAINED BY PARTS SHORTAGES CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT U.S. sales of Class 8 trucks remain subdued in August with sales of 18,176 reported by manufacturers, according to data received from Wards Intelligence. The August result was 8% higher than July sales of 16,824 and 2.8% better than August 2020 sales, both well below normal production levels. In August 2020, only 17,685 Class 8 trucks were sold as the industry was returning to normal after COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions. For comparison, in 2019, an average of 23,032 Class 8 trucks were sold each month, with 23,466 sold in August of that year — 5,290 more than this year for a 2021 decline of 22.5%. There isn’t a direct correlation between sales and production, of course. When assembly lines are running at full capacity and sales aren’t keeping up, excess inventory builds up at dealers and factories. For months, the opposite occurred in the U.S. as truck sales exceeded production, relying on existing inventories to make up the difference. Currently, there isn’t much inventory left to draw from, and what’s left is often designed for unique applications, such as off-road. In the meantime, the backlog of orders extends well into next year, and build slots for 2021 models are filling fast. “The order average, breaking through 35,000 per month in July, is currently pointing to monthly build volumes that should be approaching 30,000 units per month. Instead, production through July has failed to crack the March build rate, and July build totaled just 14,920 units, or 710 units per day, as the OEMs resorted to down days and weeks,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, regarding the Sept. 10 release of ACT’s latest “North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK.” An earlier ACT release, on Sept. 2, reported 31,900 North American orders in August, more than double the July build rate of 14,920 trucks. Shortages of parts and materials has been the biggest culprit. Semiconductors are in short supply around the world. Consumer electronics sales during the COVID-19 pandemic depleted existing supplies while plants were shut down due to the pandemic. Once the plants reopened, the demand far exceeded production abilities, and competition for chips became fierce. “In the current period of near-record demand for commercial vehicles of all stripes, the story the past few months has shifted from one of abundance to one of constraint,” Vieth said, noting that semiconductors are only one of many holdups in the supply chain. “In actuality there are scores of parts that continue to be impacted by the pandemic, by the lingering impact of steel tariffs, and even by iStock Photo Volvo sales jumped by 305 trucks from July to August, an increase of 34.3%. Compared to August 2020, however, results were down by 678 trucks (36.2%). the February storm that incapacitated Texas and shutdown swathes of the U.S. plastics industry for two-plus quarters,” he said. Manufacturers responded by partially manufacturing vehicles, omitting certain components with plans to add the missing parts, once they became available, to complete the build. Manufacturers of trucks in classes 5, 6 and 7 had the option of diverting chips to Class 8 models. This appears to have happened in August. For the year to date, Class 8 trucks have represented 70.2% of the Classes 5-8 market. In August, that percentage increased to 72.8%. Freightliner had the largest change, with sales of Class 8 trucks in August representing 72.4% of monthly sales, compared to 64.7% for the year to date. Truck builders aren’t the only manufacturers dealing with slowed production. Their suppliers also depend on deliveries of the parts and materials they need, including those pesky semiconductors. Another reason for shortages of vehicle components is the rapidly increasing cost of container shipping. Parts and materials from Europe or China — including everything from SEE PARTS ON PAGE 19 Drivers Legal Plan celebrates 30 years of serving truckers Courtesy: Drivers Legal Plan Drivers Legal Plan is celebrating 30 years of providing legal services to truckers. Brad Klepper, son of company founder Jim Klepper, serves as president of the company. THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF OKLAHOMA CITY — Drivers Legal Plan, a national law firm that defends truck drivers exclusively, celebrated more than a quarter-century of operation in September. Jim Klepper founded the company in 1991 with input from trucking industry executives who were concerned that the advent of CDLs could lead to unnecessary traffic convictions and have detrimental effects on driver safety profiles and retention records. “It gives me enormous pride to celebrate our 30th year in business,” said Brad Klepper, who is president of Drivers Legal Plan as well as Jim Klepper’s son. “We have been sincerely blessed to have longstanding relationships with trucking companies and a highly skilled, dedicated team of employees. Over the years, we have established ourselves as America’s most experienced CDL defense law firm,” he continued. According to the Drivers Legal Plan website, the company “comprises the only law firm in the country entirely dedicated to CDL defense. The driver gets a ‘trucker’s attorney,’ whose livelihood depends solely on how well he represents truck drivers.” Drivers Legal Plan maintains a comprehensive database of more than 350,000 CDL legal cases, in essentially every court in the United States, the website continues. This database, coupled with access to current CDL requirements in each state, allows the firm to make “an immediate and accurate assessment of each legal situation. This often puts the odds of success in our driver/client’s favor,” the website touts. Drivers Legal Plan defends carriers and drivers in both CDL citations and CSA violations, including both moving and non-moving, throughout the 48 contiguous United States. “We know the courts well,” Brad Klepper said. “We excel at securing the best possible outcomes for our clients due to our extensive legal experience across the U.S., and we are continuously learning. Particularly during the pandemic, we have adapted to the changing rules and regulations while remaining vigilantly focused on representing our clients’ interests.” Brad Klepper’s column “Ask the Attorney” appears in the bi-monthly print edition of The Trucker (read it on Page 13). 8
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