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VOL. 35, NO. 1 | JANUARY 1-14, 2022 | WWW.THETRUCKER.COM
Call to action
Courtesy: Jesse Eddie
Hauling hope ...
and smoke
Professional truck driver Jesse Eddie
didn’t help Kentucky tornado victims
in the traditional sense of debris removal
or reconstruction. Instead, he
hauled hundreds of pounds of meat
destined for smokers that transformed
it into barbecue.
PAGE 3
Honoring America’s heroes...4
The Trucker Trainer................6
Ask the Attorney....................8
Rhythm of the Road...............9
Chaplain’s Corner.................12
Courtesy: Kenworth
At the Truck Stop
Jimmy Reddell has received the
2021 “Transition Trucking: Driving
for Excellence” award, denoting the
nation’s top rookie military veteran.
PAGE 10
Flat sales continue...............13
Safety Series.........................14
Everyday Heroes..................17
Mack Electric Tractor...........18
Courtesy: System Transport
Giving back
Many trucking companies and
organizations associated with the
trucking industry gave back to
their communities in a big way
this Christmas season.
PAGE 19
WHITE HOUSE ROLLS OUT SWEEPING
PLAN FOR TRUCKING INDUSTRY
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
WASHINGTON — Citing the importance the trucking industry plays in
the American economy, the Biden Administration on Dec. 16 rolled out the
Truck Action Plan, pledging help during one of the most challenging times
ever for the nation’s supply chain.
“Trucking plays a critical role in the U.S. supply chain and economy.
America’s truck drivers have been on the front lines of this pandemic, delivering
goods to every corner of this country,” a White House statement said.
“Seventy-two percent of goods in America are shipped by truck, and
in most communities, trucks are the only form of delivery. A strong, stable,
and safe trucking workforce that offers good-paying jobs to millions
of truck drivers is a critical lifeblood of our economy. But outdated infrastructure,
the COVID-19 pandemic, and a historic volume of goods moving
through our economy have strained capacity across the supply chain,
including in trucking.”
Steps the president and his team said will be immediately taken are:
• Reducing barriers to drivers getting CDLs;
• Introducing a 90-day challenge is a national effort to recruit employers
interested in developing new registered apprenticeship programs and
expanding existing programs to help put more well-trained drivers on the
road in good trucking jobs;
• Conducting veterans-focused outreach and recruitment; and
• Supporting drivers and ensuring that trucking jobs are good jobs is
foundational for a strong, safe, and stable trucking workforce.
In 30 days following the announcement, the White House says the Department
of Labor (DOL) and Department of Transportation (DOT) will
kick off listening sessions with drivers, industry and labor leaders, and advocates,
to hear their perspectives, profile promising practices and source
scalable solutions to retention and job-quality issues for truckers.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
On Dec. 16, the White House unveiled its Truck Action Plan, designed to help alleviate the
truck driver shortage and other issues in the freight industry.
In the next 60 days, the White House pledged that the Federal Motor
Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) will launch a pilot program for
drivers ages 18-21 as mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, incorporating
registered apprenticeships to ensure rigorous training standards
and pairing each young driver with an experienced mentor.
This would allow drivers under 21 to haul freight cross-country.
DOL and DOT will host a series of national apprenticeship accelerator
meetings to help more firms develop new programs and release a quickstart
toolkit for apprenticeships in the trucking sector.
Additionally, DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
(VETS), DOL Employment and Training Administration and DOT’s
FMCSA will conduct a roundtable to discuss efforts to facilitate a
CDL for transitioning service members and veterans. The meeting will
include representatives from the United Services Military Apprenticeship
Cries for Colorado boycott grow after 110-year verdict against Latino trucker
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Workers clear debris from the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70
on April 26, 2019, in Lakewood, Colorado, following a deadly
pileup involving a semi-truck hauling lumber. A truck driver
who was convicted of causing the fiery pileup that killed four
people and injured six others on Interstate 70 west of Denver
was sentenced Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, to 110 years in prison.
GOLDEN, Colo. — An online petition has
gathered millions of signatures calling for leniency for
a 26-year-old truck driver who was sentenced to 110
years in prison for vehicular homicide in an explosive
accident at the base of a Colorado mountain highway
that killed four people in 2019.
By Dec. 21, more than 4.5 million people
had signed the change.org petition urging Gov.
Jared Polis to grant clemency or commute Rogel
Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence. Truckers nationwide
have voiced outrage over the sentence on Twitter,
using the hashtags #NoTrucksToColorado and
#NoTrucksColorado, among others.
Meanwhile, First Judicial District Attorney Alexis
King, whose office prosecuted the case, filed a motion
asking the court to schedule a hearing to reconsider
the sentence, her office said on Dec. 21. The motion
states that Colorado law allows reconsideration “in an
exceptional case involving unusual and extenuating
circumstances” but didn’t elaborate.
Prosecutors are consulting with victims in the
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
SEE ACTION ON PAGE 6
case to get their input prior to any proceedings, the
motion states.
King had said after sentencing she would
welcome a reconsideration of the punishment. But
she also told The Denver Post that Aguilera-Mederos
didn’t accept efforts to negotiate a plea deal, and
that the convictions recognized the harm caused to
victims of the crash.
Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence stretches to more
than a century because under Colorado law, firstdegree
assault and attempted first-degree assault
are so-called “crimes of violence” in which prison
sentences must run consecutively, not concurrently,
when they spring from the same incident.
During his sentencing on Dec. 13, Aguilera-
Mederos reportedly wept, saying that he can’t sleep
and thinks about the victims “all the time.” He also
said he wasn’t a criminal. He testified that the brakes
on his tractor-trailer failed before he plowed into
SEE OUTCRY ON PAGE 3

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THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 3
Hauling hope ... and smoke
TEXAS TRUCKER WORKS WITH OPERATION BBQ RELIEF TO PROVIDE MEALS FOR STORM-RAVAGED AREAS
JOHN WORTHEN | STAFF WRITER
MAYFIELD, Ky. — Professional truck driver
Jesse Eddie didn’t help Kentucky tornado victims
in the traditional sense of debris removal or
reconstruction.
Instead, he hauled hundreds of pounds of
meat destined for smokers that transformed it into
succulent barbecue. The meals— ribs, pulled-pork
sandwiches, beans and many other fixings — helped
feed both body and spirit in a time of great need.
A few days after storms ravaged areas of the
Mid-South and Midwest Dec. 10-11, Eddie and
dozens of other truckers and people who work with
Operation BBQ Relief fanned out to help victims and
first responders with much-needed nourishment.
Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization that was founded in May 2011 in
response to a need for tornado relief efforts in
Joplin, Missouri.
Competitive pit masters from nine different
states answered that first call to help feed displaced
families and first responders. Together, they were
able to serve over 120,000 meals in a 13-day period
in Joplin.
According to the organization’s website, “This
experience of building a network to feed individuals
in need has been the inspiration for Operation BBQ
Relief. To date, Operation BBQ Relief has provided
over 9 million meals throughout the United States
and internationally following natural disasters,
COVID-19 response and, through The Always
Serving Project, benefiting the homeless, first
responders, veterans and members of the military.”
“A pulled-pork sandwich is much more than
OUTCRY cont. from Page 1
vehicles that had slowed because of another wreck
in the Denver suburb of Lakewood.
Prosecutors argued he could have used one
of several runaway ramps as his truck barreled
down from the mountains. The chain-reaction
wreck ruptured gas tanks, resulting in flames that
consumed several vehicles and melted parts of the
highway just west of Denver.
There are many who want what they perceive
as a miscarriage of justice fixed. Dozens of online
trucking groups, along with scores of truckers,
have been furiously posting messages in support of
a reduced sentence for Aguilera-Mederos.
The Disrespected Trucker, which has a
large following on social media, wrote on
Twitter: “Truckers!!!! Stop delivery to Colorado
immediately!! Until the governor does something
about the ridiculous sentence handed down to one
of our own we need to boycott Colorado.”
In response to the brewing boycott, which
has taken on the hashtag #NoTrucksToColorado,
the Colorado Motor Carriers issued the following
statement on Twitter in mid-December: “Feel for
driver. #NoTrucksToColorado has some info that
is not accurate. Not mech. failure — brakes gave
way due to inexper. driver traveling in mtns above
posted speeds/not gearing down — overheated
brakes gave way. He knew of hot brakes yet
bypassed runaway truck ramp.”
Swirls of misinformation are also appearing on
a pulled pork sandwich,” explained Stan Hays, cofounder
of Operation BBQ Relief. “A pulled-pork
sandwich is a symbol of things that are going to
happen again. People can remember that last
barbecue they had at their house and can see their
neighbors having it again.”
Like many others, Eddie watched in horror as
news cameras captured the devastation wrought
by a tornado outbreak that swept across Arkansas,
Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois and
other areas Dec. 10-11. Dozens were killed, and
thousands of homes were destroyed.
According to some weather experts, the
historic storm included a single twister that’s
believed to have remained on the ground for a
record-breaking 250 miles, cutting a swath of
destruction at least a mile wide.
Eddie said he knew while watching the news
that he’d be getting a call. He always does after such
major weather events.
“I want to help any way that I can,” Eddie told
The Trucker in mid-December, while en route to
one of the hardest hit areas, Mayfield, Kentucky.
Eddie owns Princeton, Texas-based Bigdogg
Transportation. He and his beloved Freightliner,
dubbed “Claudine,” are no strangers to relief efforts.
He’s helped BBQ Relief by hauling meat, a giant
cooker and other supplies for the past few years —
all in an effort to give back to those in need.
“I just put my regular customers on notice
that I need to help these people, and I go pick up
products and head out,” Eddie said.
For storm victims like Joe Travis and his family of
TikTok and other social-media platforms. A photo
that purportedly showed 18-wheelers backed up
for miles on a Colorado interstate in response to
the Aguilera-Mederos boycott was misrepresented.
The trucks were gridlocked because of icy weather.
The Small Business in Transportation Coalition
(SBTC) has voted to endorse the petition, with each
SBTC member individually committing to sign the
petition personally.
“It is clear to the SBTC that Rogel Lazaro
Aguilera-Mederos has been used as a scapegoat
in this disaster so that someone can be held
accountable for the tragic accidental loss of
life that resulted from this incident, said SBTC
Executive Director James Lamb.
Lamb also contends that the company for
which Aguilera-Mederos worked, Castellano 03
Trucking, should also have shouldered some of the
blame.
“As we understand it, this carrier had an
established pattern and practice of unsafe
activity known to regulatory authorities,” Lamb
said. “The company should have been put out of
service by USDOT (United States Department
of Transportation) way before this accident ever
happened.”
Prior to Aguilera-Mederos’ crash, Castellano
03 Trucking had been cited for 30 safety violations
during 19 inspections in the previous 24 months,
with three trucks being placed out of service
during that time, according to USDOT records.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. 8
Courtesy: Jesse Eddie
Courtesy: Operation BBQ Relief
Left: Professional driver Jesse Eddie stands in front of his rig, “Claudine,” at the Operation BBQ Relief event in
Mayfield, Kentucky. Eddie has worked with the organization for several years, helping deliver items to feed storm
victims and first response workers. Right: The massive barbecue smoker dubbed “Boss Hog” is parked in Mayfield,
Kentucky, as part of Operation BBQ Relief’s efforts to feed tornado victims and volunteers. The unit is hauled by a
tractor-trailer.
Mayfield, Kentucky, the comfort of warm barbecue
in an otherwise horrific situation is a blessing.
“We are truly thankful for all these folks who
want to help us,” Travis said. “We look around at
everything we ever knew, and it’s all gone. You’d be
surprised how far a good meal can go as far as your
morale.”
As for Eddie, he says he wouldn’t have it any
other way.
TForce
Freight
“I am a former athlete, and I look at all the bigtime
athletes giving back,” he said. “I say, look, I am
an athlete, too. I like to give back to the community
like they do. I want to help in any way that I can.”
After dropping off his first load in Kentucky,
Eddie planned to head back to Texas to pick up
another one.
“Me and Claudine have got you,” he said. “We
will be there.” 8
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4 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022
NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
Honoring America’s heroes
TRUCKING INDUSTRY PLAYED CENTRAL ROLE
IN 2021 WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA EVENT
ARLINGTON, Va. — On Dec. 18, 2021, the nation’s military
heroes were remembered at 3,136 cemeteries across the U.S. as
part of National Wreaths Across America Day.
Each hero’s name was spoken aloud and honored as more
than 525 truckloads of wreaths were delivered and placed on
the graves of U.S. military veterans.
The trucking industry played a central role in the annual
event, with nearly 400 carriers transporting the wreaths.
More than 2 million volunteers, a third of them children,
helped place more than 2.4 million wreaths.
At Arlington National Cemetery specifically, the Wreaths
Across America program saw 66 tractor-trailers deliver more
than 250,000 veterans’ wreaths that were placed by nearly
38,000 volunteers.
This was the 30th year that veterans’ wreaths have been
placed at the Arlington cemetery, a tradition started by Maine
wreathmaker Morrill Worcester as a gift of thanks. Worcester,
the founder of Wreaths Across America, once again made the
trek to Arlington this year to place wreaths, as he has each December
since 1992.
“When I brought down those 5,000 wreaths that first year, I
just thought it was a way for me to say thank you, for what we
have in this country,” he said.
“I could have never imagined it would strike a chord like it
has and make such an impact. Me and my family continued to
be humbled by the support this program receives across the
country,” he continued.
Each live balsam veteran’s wreath was a gift of respect and
appreciation, sponsored by an individual or organization and
placed on a headstone by volunteers as a gesture of gratitude
for the freedoms enjoyed by Americans.
For centuries, fresh evergreens have been used as a symbol
of honor and have served as a living tribute. To the Wreaths
Across America organization, the tradition represents a living
memorial that honors veterans, active-duty military and their
families. When each wreath is placed the servicemember’s
name is said out loud, ensuring their memory lives on.
For more information, visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.
org. In 2022, National Wreaths Across America Day will be held
on Saturday, Dec. 17. 8
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
USPS 972
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 1
JANUARY 1-14, 2022
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
Linda Garner-Bunch
Staff Writer &
Social Media Coordinator
John Worthen
Production Coordinator
Christie McCluer
Graphic Artists
Leanne Hunter
Kelly Young
Special Correspondents
Cliff Abbott
Sarah DeClerk
Lyndon Finney
Dwain Hebda
Gina Hoffman
Kris Rutherford
ADVERTISING & LEADERSHIP
Chief Executive Officer
Bobby Ralston
General Manager
Megan Hicks
Director of Technology
Jose Ortiz
For editorial inquiries,
contact Linda Garner-Bunch at
editor@thetruckermedia.com.
For advertising opportunities,
please contact Meg Larcinese at
megl@thetruckermedia.com.
Telephone: (501) 666-0500
E-mail: info@thetruckermedia.com
Web: www.thetrucker.com
Single-copy mail subscription available at
$59.95 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid
at Little Rock, AR 72202-9651.
POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS:
Mail subscription requests and
address changes to:
The Trucker Subscriptions
P.O. Box 36330
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Photos courtesy: Wreaths Across America
On Dec. 18, 2021, more than 525 tractor-trailers, representing nearly 400 motor carriers, played a central role in National Wreaths Across America Day. More than 2.4 million
wreaths were placed on the graves of military veterans in cemeteries across the U.S.
Publishers Rights: All advertising, including artwork
and photographs, becomes the property of the publisher
once published and may be reproduced in any
media only by publisher. Publisher reserves the right
to refuse or edit any ad without notice and does not
screen or endorse advertisers. Publisher is not liable
for any damages resulting from publication or failure
to publish all or any part of any ad or any errors
in ads. Adjustments are limited to the cost of space
for the ad, or at Publisher’s option, republication for
one insertion with notice received within three days
of first publication. Copyright 2021 of Wilshire Classifieds,
LLC. Subject also to Ad and Privacy Policy at
www.recycler.com.

THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 5
A REVOLUTION
7 YEARS
IN THE MAKING
For 7 years the Howes team worked tirelessly to create the first safe-to-use, alcohol-free emergency rescue product.
Mission accomplished. Diesel Lifeline is an unmatched winter formula that chemically changes the melting points of
ice and wax to de-ice frozen filters and re-liquefy gelled fuel fast.
WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALCOHOL FUEL MIXING FILTER REPLACEMENT PROBLEM
WARR ANTY S AFE AND EFFECTIVE IN ALL DIESEL AND BIODIESEL FUEL.
KEEP USING HOWES DIESEL TREAT
every fill-up and you’ll probably never need
Lifeline, but a little insurance never hurt anyone.

6 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 NATION
THETRUCKER.COM
Checking blood pressure comparable to reading truck’s gauges
THE TRUCKER
TRAINER
BOB PERRY
Now that I’m back presenting at on site
driver ordinations, one question that still
comes up from new drivers is not understanding
how elevated blood pressure readings
can take you out of service.
Think of your blood pressure like reading
your truck’s engine gauges — it tells you
if something abnormal is happening or is
about to happen.
So, you ask: What exactly does blood
pressure measure?
The top number, known as “systolic pressure,”
refers to the pressure inside the artery
when the heart squeezes to pump blood
through the body. The lower number, called
“diastolic pressure,” refers to the pressure inside
the artery when the heart is relaxed and
filling with blood.
Both the systolic and diastolic numbers
are important when identifying potential issues
as elevated pressure readings.
Thanks to advancements in technology,
there are several portable travel blood-pressure
monitoring units that are reliable. Much
like maintaining your trucking equipment,
PM is best. (In this case, PM means “personal
maintenance.” A good rule to follow is occasionally
check your blood pressure against a
manual reading.
What are the benefits of lowering blood
pressure?
Elevated blood pressure can cause
hypertension. In turn, long-term,
uncontrolled hypertension can increase
your risk for stroke, heart attack, heart
failure and kidney disease by increasing the
workload on your heart and blood vessels.
Having other risk factors for cardiovascular
(heart and blood vessel) disease adds to your
overall risk.
The three major controllable risk factors
for cardiovascular disease are:
• High blood pressure;
• High blood cholesterol; and
• Smoking.
The presence of any one of these factors
increases your risk of cardiovascular disease
by about 30%.
If you have two of these factors, your risk
for cardiovascular disease is three times as
great. If you have all three risk factors, you
have seven times the risk.
Other risk factors for cardiovascular
disease include age, diabetes, family history
of early heart disease, obesity, physical
inactivity, insulin resistance, elevated lipids
and your individual health history.
High blood pressure requires serious attention
and treatment to keep under control.
You can prevent future problems by understanding
your condition, making lifestyle
changes, taking medication as prescribed
and having your blood pressure checked
regularly.
Always consult your doctor for support.
In addition, engaging the help of a professional
CDL health coach is always recommended.
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
Joshi resigns from FMCSA to take
on role as deputy NYC mayor
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
NEW YORK — Meera Joshi, deputy administrator
of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA), has accepted a role as one of New
York City’s deputy mayors. News broke of Joshi’s
move Dec. 20.
New York’s mayor elect, Eric Adams, selected
Joshi to serve as deputy mayor of operations, according
to media outlets in New York.
American Trucking Associations President and
CEO Chris Spear said of Joshi: “(She) has led FMC-
SA through historic times — as an unprecedented
global pandemic, countless natural disasters, a cyberattack
on a major domestic pipeline, and widespread
workforce shortages challenged the freight
economy in ways never before seen.
“Throughout her tenure, the trucking industry
has found Deputy Administrator Joshi to be a
candid, collaborative, and valued partner in government,”
Spear continued. “Her use of data and
stakeholder input drove a sound policy process
designed to meet real-world needs. Her leadership
has helped to ensure our industry could continue
Courtesy: U.S. Senate
Meera Joshi testifies in September before the Senate
Commerce Committee during her confirmation hearing
for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration deputy
administrator.
to safely serve the American people and meet the
demands of the economy during these incredible
times.” 8
TRAILER’S REAR IMPACT GUARD SAVES LIFE OF TROOPER WHO SLAMS INTO RIG
PHOTO COURTESY: TWITTER USER @CIARAVLUCAS
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dashcam footage from an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper’s car shows the moment he struck the
rear of a tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 in Columbus Dec. 15. Officials said the trailer’s rear impact guard likely helped
save the life of trooper Jarid Fitzpatrick. The truck driver, Thomas Ervin of Heath, Ohio, was not hurt.
ACTION cont. from Page 1
Program as well as Veterans Affairs.
During the next 90 days, the White House
says the DOL will announce the results of
the 90-day apprenticeship challenge and
announce new partnerships to continue
to expand apprenticeships in the trucking
industry.
DOT and DOL plan to launch the task
force dedicated to promoting the recruitment,
inclusion and advancement of women
in trucking established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law. This task force will be the
first of many strategies to help build the pipeline
and diversify the trucking workforce.
The two agencies will also launch a task
force, established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law, to investigate predatory truckleasing
arrangements that dissuade drivers
from entering or staying in the industry.
DOT and DOL will deliver a comprehensive
action plan, informed by its series of
listening sessions, outlining further administrative
and regulatory actions the administration
can take to support quality trucking
jobs.
The White House statement noted that
the pandemic exacerbated long-standing
workforce challenges in the trucking industry,
including high turnover rates, an aging
workforce, long hours away from home and
time spent waiting — often unpaid — to load
and unload at congested ports, warehouses
and distribution centers.
According to one estimate, long-haul fulltruckload
drivers only spend an average of 6.5
hours per working day driving, despite being
allowed to drive a maximum of 11 hours.
That means about 40% of drivers’ capacity is
not being used, according to the statement.
Many truckers also bear the burden of gas,
insurance and maintenance costs, which reduces
their take-home pay, creating significant
challenges in recruiting and retaining
drivers with the right credentials and experience
into today’s trucking jobs.
At the same time, the industry reports historic
demand for its services. Reflecting that
demand, wages for employed drivers in all
trucking segments have increased 7% to 12%
in the last year alone, but employment in some
segments is still below pre-pandemic levels.
“The administration is taking action, and
now we are asking industry, labor and all levels
of government to partner with us to address
these trucking workforce challenges
and begin building a next generation trucking
workforce,” the White House statement
said.
“A stronger trucking workforce is one
where trucking jobs are good, safe and stable
— jobs that employers can attract a new
generation of drivers into while retaining existing
drivers to deliver for clients and grow
their businesses. The nation’s trucking workforce
also demands clear, debt-free paths
into these good jobs through high-quality
training, such as registered apprenticeships,
which prepare trainees and provide employers
with a steady pipeline of skilled, safe and
experienced drivers.”
Mixed reactions about the plan are rolling
in from the trucking industry. Some in the
world of big rigs applaud it; others hate it.
“We are encouraged that the Biden administration
has not only recognized the
importance of adding new and well-trained
Americans to the trucking workforce, but has
announced a path forward with what we believe
will become a robust training opportunity
for future commercial truck drivers,” said
Bill Sullivan, executive vice president of advocacy
for the American Trucking Associations.
Todd Spencer, president of the Owner
Operator Independent Drivers Association,
wasn’t as enthusiastic.
“There are some elements in the plan we
support, including further analysis of driver
compensation and unpaid detention time,”
Spencer said. “However, the plan fails to address
excessively high driver turnover rates.
Attracting and training new drivers won’t
solve the larger problem of retention.”
On The Trucker’s social media platforms,
reactions to the plan were mostly negative.
“They’re from the government and they’re
here to help,” wrote Rock Bowman on Facebook.
“Yeah, right. More like just another way
to wash money into the pockets of the apparatchiks.
It’s a highly descriptive word, worth
looking up.”
The Associated Press contributed to this
report. 8

THETRUCKER.COM NATION
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 7
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THETRUCKER.COM
PERSPECTIVE
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 8
FROM THE EDITOR:
What will the
new year bring?
BETWEEN
THE LINES
LINDA GARNER-BUNCH
editor@thetruckermedia.com
Well, friends and neighbors, it’s finally here!
Today, Jan. 1, signals the official launch of 2022.
The start of a new year always brings a feeling of
anticipation, at least for me. At the same time, it’s
always a little bittersweet to look back at the previous
12 months — the good, the bad and the ugly
— and realize how much the world has changed
in just 365 days.
Some things are carrying over from 2021 into
2022. COVID-19 continues to impact the globe,
and new variants are popping up. The COVID
vaccines, introduced in late 2020 and hotly debated
by the end of 2021, are still making headlines.
Can the federal government order businesses to
require employees to either have the vaccine or
face restrictions in their work environment? And,
if vaccines ARE mandated, could truckers be exempt?
Time will tell, as the issue is being debated
in court.
The trucking industry is still facing a shortage
of drivers, according to many sources, and the
federal government has outlined a plan to help
(see the story on Page 1). One suggestion is an apprenticeship
program for 18- to 20-year-old drivers.
Can these younger drivers safely fill the gap
and create a new generation of truckers? Again,
time will tell.
In addition, funds from the massive infrastructure
bill passed last year are being distributed
for various projects, among them the nation’s
highways and bridges. While truck parking wasn’t
addressed in the bill, hopefully drivers will begin
to see improvements in road conditions and rout.
Meanwhile, people across the country, including
members of the trucking industry, continue
to overcome obstacles and work to make a difference,
to change people’s lives for the better. That,
more than anything, gives me hope for a bright
future.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy,
healthy and prosperous New Year! 8
Welcome
2022
Q&A session: FMCSA’s DataQ system
ASK THE
ATTORNEY
BRAD KLEPPER
Between online shopping and pretending to
work, I was busy surfing the internet last month.
Let’s be honest: Nobody (except truck drivers) really
works that hard in December.
With that said, one thing I have noticed is
that a lot of sites have their “year in review” type
articles. As you all know, I am fundamentally
lazy and not above jumping on a current trend!
Accordingly, I thought I would do a list of
the most often asked DataQ questions I have received
over the past year. Because I am a giver, I
am also including the answer!
So, without further ado, here are the top
questions I received about DataQ challenges.
Q. How long are the points from an inspection
record on the safety score for a driver as opposed
to a carrier?
A. For a driver, the points resulting from an
inspection report show on the record for three
years. The points resulting from the inspections
of any drivers operating under a carrier’s USDOT
number is two years.
Q. Why are DataQ challenges such a long
and drawn-out process?
A. While this can be true, a lot comes down
to the reviewing agency. Once a challenge is
filed it can take anywhere from a few days to a
few months for a decision to be made, depending
on how many challenges are needing to be
reviewed.
Q. I received a citation but didn’t receive an
inspection. Will there be points on my safety record?
A. If you did not receive an inspection, there
would not be any points on your safety score
from the citation. You can always ensure that
there was not an inspection by pulling a copy of
your PSP report. We have seen inspections not
given to the driver at the time of the stop — rarely,
but it does happen.
Q. What does a DataQ challenge do, exactly,
and why do I need to do one?
A. DataQ challenges help keep as many
points as possible off your safety score. The lower
your score, the better. Your safety record helps
you with employability, training opportunities
and keeping your insurance rates lower.
Q. Will the points on my safety score be there
for the rest of my time as a CMV driver?
A. No, the points on your safety score are
only there for three years.
Q. Why is my company saying I have 21 points
for my seven-point violation?
A. The points on the safety score are multiplied
by three for the first year from the date of
the inspection, so the total would be 21. The second
year from the date of inspection, they would
drop to 14 points. The final year, they are at three
points. After three full years, the points are no
longer on your safety score.
Q. If the truck I’m driving and the cargo I’m
hauling at the time of an inspection are less than
26,001 pounds, it shouldn’t count against myself or
my carrier since I’m not at the weight of a CMV,
right?
A. The combined weight at the time of an inspection
is not what determines whether a truck
and trailer are considered a CMV. It is the gross
vehicle weight rating (GVWR) that determines
whether a vehicle is considered a CMV. Anything
with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or higher is considered
a CMV, regardless of the weight at the
time of the inspection.
Q. I received a citation associated with a violation
on my inspection report that I received at
the time of the inspection, which was dismissed or
amended. These points are adjusted on my safety
score automatically, right?
A. Unfortunately, they do not automatically
adjust. Reviewing agencies vary from state to
state and typically are not part of the court system.
To ensure the appropriate change is made,
a DataQ challenge must be done, and a copy of
the court records submitted to the state agency
WORTH REPEATING
in charge of making the changes.
Q. I received a dismissal or amendment on
my citation that is associated with my inspection
report, but the reviewing agency would not offer
relief. Can they do this?
A. Yes, an agency can choose to not offer relief
for dismissals or amendments that are made
in court. Typically, these fall under very specific
situations and will vary from state to state, if it
happens. The most common reason given is a
fine being paid or a diversion period being granted
in exchange for a dismissal.
Q. My carrier uses a third-party safety score reporting
program and it’s shows points on my score
that were removed by a DataQ challenge or points
are not only counted once per the stacking rule.
Can they use these?
A. Yes, the company you work for can use a
third-party safety score reporting program. They
should already be aware that these may not reflect
the correct points. If they have any questions
regarding your score, a PSP report from the
FMCSA can be pulled for $10 which will reflect
the most recent status of your safety score.
Q. There are violations on my inspection report
that are not mine; they are my co-driver’s violations.
How can I be sure they are not on my safety
score?
A. The best way to ensure that the violations
are not reporting to you is to pull your PSP report.
There will be a notation on the violations
that are not counting against your record stating
as much. If there is not a notation, it is best to
do a DataQ challenge to ensure that these violations
are reported correctly.
Q. What is the best kind of documentation I
can submit with a DataQ challenge for an inspection
with no associated citations?
A. Documentation that has proved helpful
in formulating strong challenges includes, but is
not limited to copies of logbook pages for violations
relating to record of duty status violations;
speed readouts for speeding violations; call
records for cellphone violations; proof of valid
periodic inspection at the time of the stop for
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.
A pulled-pork sandwich is a symbol
of things that are going to happen
again. People can remember that last
barbecue they had at their house and can
see their neighbors having it again.”
— Stan Hays, co-founder of Operation BBQ
Relief, which utilizes many big rigs to bring
barbecue to victims of natural disasters, speaking
about the importance of food in times of crisis
Full story on Page 3
SEE ATTORNEY ON PAGE 12
I could have never imagined it
would strike a chord like it has and
make such an impact. Me and my family
continued to be humbled by the support this
program receives across the country.”
— Morrill Worcester, founder of Wreaths Across
America, describing his love of the annual event that
places wreaths on the graves of military veterans
Full story on Page 4

THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 9
Razzy Bailey’s trucking song was a follow-up to recording history
RHYTHM OF
THE ROAD
KRIS RUTHERFORD
krisr@thetruckermedia.com
I recently discovered a satellite radio station,
and it brought back a lot of memories. It’s
not just the songs the station plays (it specializes
in moderate country hits that haven’t received
commercial radio airplay in decades). It
also reminds me of personal experiences when
country music was becoming an obsession for
me. The late 1970s and early ’80s turned me into
the narrow-minded fellow I am today. It’s when
I gave up all other forms of music for country.
Many of those songs eventually became “classic
country.” I don’t expect I’ll ever turn back.
Where I grew up, country artists didn’t appear
at the local fair — or much of anywhere, for
that matter. The largest arena in the area, seating
all of 6,000, might book one, sometimes two
country acts a year.
In 1980, Charley Pride traveled to the area for
a show, and as usual, I bought some of the first
tickets sold. It wasn’t just Pride who intrigued
me, however. Razzy Bailey, although over 40
years old, served as the opening act. Bailey had
just started stringing a few hits together, and I
liked his sound. A few months after the concert,
he made music history before coming out with
a trucking song that turned into a No. 1 hit.
But Razzy Bailey’s story began long before
he arrived on stage that evening in 1980.
Rasie Michael Bailey, who later adopted the
name “Razzy,” sprang from country in the truest
sense of the word. Born in Five Points, Alabama,
a town with a population of less than 800
at upon his arrival in 1939, Bailey was raised on
a farm in nearby LaFayette. The town where he
grew up was just as country as his birthplace,
although the population was twice as large.
But in true-life country fashion, Bailey got
his start in music as a member of the LaFayette
High School’s Future Farmers of America string
band. In short order, he could be found on stages
in nearby venues, where he gained regional
popularity.
In 1966, Razzy Bailey wrote and recorded
his first song, a single titled “9,999,999 Tears.”
The tune received little attention at the time,
but when Dickey Lee recorded it a decade
later, Bailey’s songwriting gave him a name in
Nashville.
The single rose to No. 3 on the country
charts and crossed over as a pop hit. Lee charted
another Bailey-written song a year later with
“Peanut Butter.” By this time, RCA Records recognized
Bailey’s talent and hired him as a songwriter
— and soon gave him a shot as a performer
with a recording contract. Bailey’s first
album, “If Love Had a Face,” hit No. 33 on the
charts and produced four Top 10 singles. Still,
country fans didn’t widely recognize Bailey’s
work.
All that changed in 1980 with the release of
his self-titled album, “Razzy.”
“Razzy” produced three Top 10 hits, including
two No. 1s — “Loving Up a Storm” and “True
Life Country Music.” The pair of songs marked
a rare feat in country music; they formed Side
A and B of the same 45 rpm single. “True Life
Country Music,” might be considered Bailey’s
response to David Allan Coe’s hit, “You Never
Even Called Me by My Name.” Bailey packed as
much country music history into a two-and-ahalf-minute
record than anyone ever had.
In early 1981, Razzy Bailey released his
third album, “Makin’ Friends.” It was even more
popular than “Razzy” and included another
three Top 10 hits, including two more No. 1s.
In fact, the two No. 1 songs on the album again
achieved double-sided hit status. “Friends” and
“Anywhere There’s Jukebox” marked Bailey’s
third and fourth No. 1 hits in a row, and the four
occupied just two 45 rpms.
Consecutive double-sided No. 1s had never
been produced in Nashville before Bailey arrived.
Very quietly, Bailey went on to a career in
which he recorded 15 Top 10 hits, seven of them
rising to No. 1. And it was all achieved over a
four-year period after Bailey released his first
album.
In 1981, Bailey’s song “Midnight Hauler”
marked his sixth consecutive No. 1 hit. The
tune’s Side B companion failed to reach No. 1
however, topping out at No. 8 on the charts. The
double-sided Top 10 hits meant Bailey barely
missed a third consecutive history-making effort,
one that would have been astonishing.
Still, when it comes to staying power, “Midnight
Hauler” is arguably Bailey’s most memorable
song. Like “True Life Country Music,” which is
packed with “country gold” song references,
“Midnight Hauler” included most everything its
writers knew about trucking.
In “Midnight Hauler,” Bailey is both the singer
of and subject of the song — that is, assuming
his reference to “old R.B.” is self-directed. “R.B.”
is making a nighttime crossing of the desert
Southwest with a heavy, strapped-down load in
an 18-wheeler. In a time before ELDs, the driver
mentions that he’s been driving all day but has
no intention of bedding down for the night.
After all, he “just pulled out of Santa Fe,” and if
he’s going to make it to his hometown of Kansas
City by “the break of day,” there’s little time to
waste.
Like many good trucking songs, there’s a
woman waiting for the driver in Kansas City,
and he’s ready for the trip in his Peterbilt. Like
Dave Dudley in “Six Days on the Road,” R.B. has
two full fuel tanks and a “belly full of coffee and
whites.” He’s using his C.B. to keep track of law
enforcement and notes that he’s “cannonballing
her home.” It’s a good night to make time, he
claims. It’s a Saturday night, and he’s the only
one on the highway, after all. That makes his Peterbilt
a streak across the desert.
The song doesn’t really come to an end, unless
you count a rockabilly closing instrumental
segment. But lyric-wise, the story, we can
assume, continues on through the Texas Panhandle
and Oklahoma, all the way to Kansas
City where he’s reunited with his “little woman.”
After all, isn’t that the ending so many trucking
songs lead us toward?
Following “Midnight Hauler,” Bailey only
had one more Top 10 hit before he spent the rest
of his recording career in the bottom half of the
SEE RHYTHM ON PAGE 12
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10 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 PERSPECTIVE
THETRUCKER.COM
at the TRUCK STOP
PRESENTED
BY CAT SCALE.
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Finding FREEDOM on the open road
JIMMY REDDELL NAMED TOP MILITARY ROOKIE DRIVER FOR 2021
DWAIN HEBDA | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Growing up in Bullfrog Valley, Arkansas, Jimmy Reddell
would sit around with his uncle, Clayton Reddell, and talk about
trucks.
“My uncle was a truck driver. He started driving in the ’60s —
about ’64, I think,” Jimmy Reddell said.
“He said, ‘About the only thing I ever made any money at was
driving them old trucks. And it was work back then.’ He talked
about no air conditioning, being in the little cigarette pack in the
back bouncing around. He said, ‘Them old trucks would beat
you to death.’” Reddell recalled.
“I said, ‘How’d you find stuff?’” he continued. “He said,
‘Well, we had rolls of dimes, and we spent most of the time lost,
running around in circles, getting directions from people.’”
Such conversations were a big part of how Reddell eventually
wound up behind the wheel himself. It would take a while —
Reddell hired on with Texas-based Stevens Transport in 2020
following a military career that ran almost uninterrupted from
1983 to 2019 — but once there, 55-year-old Reddell wasted no
time making a name for himself.
“I like driving, like seeing the country. Your boss is never
around,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s just a lot of pluses to
driving. I enjoy it so far. I just stayed behind the wheel, kept the
greasy side down, shiny side up.’”
On Dec. 20, Reddell received the “Transition Trucking:
Driving for Excellence” award, denoting the nation’s top rookie
military veteran. The annual award, presented in Washington,
D.C., recognizes the military veteran who most successfully
transitioned from active duty to driving for a commercial fleet.
Reddell topped an elite field of drivers for the award, which
included a brand-new Kenworth T680 as the grand prize.
Equipped with a 76-inch sleeper, the rig features the complete
PACCAR powertrain with a PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR
TX-12 automated transmission and PACCAR DX-40 tandem
rear axles.
“This is certainly a special moment for me. I’m very honored
to receive the 2021 Transition Trucking award out of all the
deserving veterans nominated,” said Reddell in a press release
announcing his win. “Thanks to Stevens Transport and Angela
Horowitz [Stevens’ vice president of administration and driver
resources] for nominating me.
“Also, special thanks to Hiring Our Heroes, FASTPORT and
Kenworth for their support of veterans making the transition
into the trucking industry,” he continued. “I can’t wait to get the
Kenworth T680 out on the road.”
Reddell entered the Army Reserve just 33 days after his 17th
birthday, serving a six-year hitch that was largely classified as
“inactive.” He left the armed forces between 1989 and 1993, but
then returned to active duty and served in the Army from 1993
to 2002. Then, from 2002 until 2019, he spent time in the Army
National Guard and Army Reserve.
While in the service, Reddell held several different jobs,
including truck driver, field artillery, air defense artillery,
computer training, civil affairs, recruiting and logistics. When
he got out for good, Uncle Clayton’s stories still rang in his head.
“I was at a place in my life where I’d just come back from
Qatar from a civilian contract with the military and COVID had
hit, so everything was in a slump,” he said. “I had been taking it
easy for a few months; then I was thinking, ‘What am I going to
do next?’
Courtesy: Jimmy Reddell
On Dec. 20, Jimmy Reddell received the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award, denoting the nation’s top rookie military veteran. Reddell
entered the trucking industry following a military career that spanned four decades.
“Truck driving was something I always wanted to do,” he
shared. “I like the freedom of it. I don’t have a wife or kids or a
house or anything, so I was in a position in my life to where I had
the opportunity to do it with no strings attached. It was kind of
a no-brainer.”
Reddell racked up an estimated 110,000 to 120,000 miles
during his rookie campaign, hauling for Stevens to destinations
all over the country. When asked about the biggest “learning
curve” he discovered out on the road, he said the constant
problem-solving was a challenge from the very start.
“The freedom of the open road and seeing new places, that
was exactly as I had imagined,” he said. “What I didn’t grasp was
(that during) the first 30 days it was like, there was a problem,
then there was another problem, then there was another
problem. To me, they were big problems that I really couldn’t
solve.
“Then, after that month, I realized that trucking was just
problem-solving, and I accepted the fact that there’s going to
be problem after problem after problem,” he continued. “It was
little stuff, you know, just crazy stuff. You’ve got a big piece of
equipment that you can’t park just anywhere. You can’t stop and
eat just anywhere. You can’t take off fast and you can’t stop fast.”
“Once I settled into that, they started not really being
problems,” he said. “It’s just another day at work. That was really
the big eye-opener.”
It should be noted that Reddell overcame all obstacles
he encountered with flying colors. He recently became an
independent contractor through Stevens Transport Contractor
Division. He had been leasing a truck — something he now no
longer has to do, thanks to the Transition Trucking award.
“I go all over, although now as a business owner, I’m starting
to stay away from the Northeast,” he said. “I just think there’s
more unknown business costs associated with the Northeast, it
seems like. And there’s more to driving out west for me anyway.”
As for Reddell’s childhood hero, he and Uncle Clayton still
talk nearly every day when the younger Reddell is out on the
road. This time, it’s the 88-year-old elder Reddell who’s living
through the experiences of another.
“He really, really wants to be out here driving,” Jimmy Reddell
said. “He calls me almost every day when I’m driving. He’ll see
where I’m at and talk to me and ask me what happened. He
might not talk very long, but he wants to know where I’m at,
what I’ve done, what kind of problems I’ve had. He’s like, ‘Yeah,
they need to fix that. Yeah, it’s been that way for 50 years. You’d
think they’d do something about that.’”
When asked about his plans for the future, Reddell said he’s
content doing what he’s doing, even if he did get a later start
than most.
“I had an old man tell me, ‘Get out of it now, because once it
gets in your blood, you’ll never be happy unless you’re driving,’”
he said.
Reddell says that’s fine with him. 8

CATTheTrucker111521 fullpage.qxp_Layout 1 11/15/21 3:57 PM Page 1
THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE
JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 11
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12 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 PERSPECTIVE
THETRUCKER.COM
The dawn of a new year offers a fresh chance to make the most of every day
CHAPLAIN’S
CORNER
REV. MARILOU COINS
Welcome to a new year! As we close out
the past year, we are all looking forward to
the “What’s new?” and “What’s the new year
going to be like?”
We all make New Year’s resolutions,
but — wow! Within the first month most
of those resolutions we make are broken or
forgotten.
This year, how about doing something
entirely different? How about doing
something very special so when you get to
Dec. 31 at the end of 2022 you can look back
over what happened over the year — look at
your calendar, reflect on each day and recall
what took place.
When you look at your calendar, you’ll
notice each block has a number in. That’s
where the challenge is for each day. Mark
each day with a G for good, a B for bad or a
question mark for days that aren’t so good,
but not really bad, either. I call those “so-so”
days.
Then, when you get to the next New
Year’s Eve you can look through the calendar.
On a piece of paper, note how many of
each type of day you recorded.
I’m sure you’ll notice that you had more
good days than anything else.
God gives us each day of our lives, to find
the best of it and enjoy what he has in store
for us. Our days are all numbered, from
MCCOLLISTER’S AUTO TRANSPORT
Fleet expansion
birth to death, so let’s find the good in each
day that God gives us. No day can be repeated.
There are no do-overs. We can’t rewind
what has been, because each day is unique.
But even though they’re often hard to
keep, why not make a New Year’s resolution
for 2022, one that can be kept without any
hassle? Make a resolution to read your Bible,
even it’s only one sentence a day. That’s
progress, to know what is in that Bible.
Also, take a moment each morning or
evening to say a “Thank you for the day”
prayer. Soon you will be feeling the blessings
that God has bestowed for you to enjoy.
Never think you don’t have time to pray.
When you take a minute to relax, that’s your
chance to breathe a quick, heartfelt prayer.
Don’t look back at the past year and
think of it as a loss because that chapter
in your life is over. Instead, look at all
the blessings that were bestowed on you.
The new year is a whole new chance to be
blessed even more. Jan. 1 is a fresh start, so
make the most of it.
RHYTHM cont. from Page 9
Top 100. But he’ll be best remembered for his
14 consecutive Top 10 hits during the ’70s and
’80s, as well as his consecutive double-sided No.
1s, something that has never been repeated by
another country artist.
Bailey died Aug. 4, 2021. The obituary notes
that Bailey served as a deacon in the Cowboy
As drivers, you look out the windshield
of your rig to see what’s going on ahead. In
the same way, look at the dawn of each new
day as a preview, a chance to prepare for the
adventure of the day. Then, at the end of the
day, make a simple note on your calendar to
remember what kind of day you had. That’s
what I do every day and am really surprised
to see how much God has blessed me.
I’m wishing for each of you to have a very
blessed year ahead. We all know God will
give us a year of blessings beyond what we
can imagine. Yes, we may have bumps along
the way, but all will smooth out as we keep
going.
Take each day and enjoy what it brings,
whether it’s good, bad or so-so. I know you
will see you had more good, blessed days
than anything else.
Happy New Year to all of you!
Best of the roads and all gears forward
in Jesus,
Rev. Marilou Coins 8
Church of Nashville and as a mentor to a generation
of singers who came to Nashville searching
for stardom.
Until next time, remember that the desert
night may make for a great driving atmosphere,
but a truck or two has been known to fall off
the shoulder of even the flattest straight roads
around. Plus, you never know when a roadrunner
might appear like a flash on the highway.
8
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ATTORNEY cont. from Page 8
violations relating to periodic inspections; and
copies of the CDL and medical cards for license
violations.
Q. Can I submit photos or videos with my
DataQ challenge?
A. Absolutely! Keep in mind that this kind
of documentation must be time- and datestamped.
Photos and videos can be an excellent
way of showing that violations were not present
at the time of an inspection.
Q. I was involved in a crash incident and don’t
feel this should count against my record. What can
I do?
A. The good news is that a DataQ challenge
can be done for these incidents — as long as they
occurred on or after Aug. 1, 2019. Crashes prior
to this are not eligible to be challenged at this
time. For a review, you must submit a copy of the
original crash report be alongside the challenges.
Time- and date-stamped videos have proven
to be helpful in these challenges.
Q. I was just informed that the reviewing
agency has offered relief on my safety score regarding
my inspection report. Why aren’t the changes
showing?
A. The FMCSA refreshes its database to show
changes once a month. Because of this, depending
on the time of the month the results are received,
it could take a month for these changes to
show. If you need a verification that the change
has been made, the reviewing agency does send
emails with the results of the challenge that can
be presented as verification.
Q. My DataQ challenge was denied. Can it be
filed a second time? What about another time after
that?
A. Yes, it can be filed a second time. However,
it is best to submit stronger evidence with the
second challenge, or add documentation you
may not have had access to before the first challenge.
Rules concerning any challenges after a
second challenge vary from state to state. Some
states have an appeal process, and others do
not. Be sure to check with the reviewing agency
if you want to continue further than a second
challenge.
Q. Can I challenge all the inspections that are
on my PSP report?
A. Absolutely! You can challenge any inspections
that are showing on your inspection report.
We recommend filing DataQ challenges for any
inspections that you feel were issued with incorrect
violations as this gives you a greater chance
at lowering the points on your safety score. You
never know if the reviewing agency will offer relief
if you don’t file a challenge and we have seen
violations with no citations removed in the past.
On a side note: I’m sure many of you are already
aware that 3G cellular connectivity is being
sunsetted this year and will no longer work.
This could cause ELD devices utilizing a 3G network
to no longer function, and upgraded devices
will need to be used. AT&T is the earliest
one on the list with a sunset date of Feb. 22, and
Verizon is the last on Dec. 31.
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

BUSINESS
THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 13
Flat sales continue
SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, PARTS SHORTAGES CONSTRAIN NOVEMBER TRUCK SALES
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
There was little change to the numbers of
new Class 8 trucks sold on the U.S. market in
November. The “good news/bad news” freight
market continued as freight rates were
propped up by an inability to add trucks.
U.S. sales of 17,021 new Class 8 trucks in
November represented a decline of 2.7% from
October sales of 17,486, according to data received
from ACT Research. In a typical year,
November isn’t a strong sales month; it’s not
the final month of a quarter, and it has 30
days compared to 31 for both October and
December. The Thanksgiving weekend also
removes days from the selling cycle, so a decline
in sales numbers isn’t unexpected.
Sales in November 2021, however, lag
behind sales in November 2020 by 5.9%. In
2020, sales were returning to “normal” after
recessionary months earlier in the year and
weren’t yet hampered by shortages of semiconductors
and other critical parts. This
year, supply chain problems persist.
The bigger news might be the huge numbers
of order cancellations in both October
and November and the market attempts to
adjust itself to the new reality.
“We had the two biggest cancellation
months since the third quarter of 1995,” remarked
Kenny Vieth, president and senior
analyst at ACT. “This time every year, we get
OEM kind of paperwork level cancellations.”
What’s happening is that carriers and
manufacturers realize the build backlog is
so huge that it’s not likely to be met. There
have been more orders placed for 2022 model
year trucks than can be built before the
2023 model year is upon us. So, either carriers
or manufacturers are canceling orders
for 2022 trucks and then immediately ordering
2023 trucks.
In a typical year, about 75% of Class 8
trucks manufactured are destined to be
fifth-wheel-equipped road tractors. The remaining
25% are vocational trucks, fitted
with dump, concrete, trash or other bodies.
In November, those percentages were right
on the money. The ratio may change as infrastructure
money flows into the economy
and more trucks are needed for construction
work, but there’s a hitch: Steel prices
remain at near-record highs.
Specialized bodies for trucks, such as
dump beds and trash compactors, are fabricated
from steel sheets. So, any incentive to
purchase vocational trucks will be offset by
higher prices.
If supply issues aren’t bad enough, there’s
another problem lurking. Nations are shutting
down travel and imposing other restrictions
due to the latest variant of the COV-
ID-19 nightmare, the Omicron variant.
“We’ve got all these supply chain constraints
that we’ve had all through 2021.
We’ve got this new variant that’s highly contagious,”
Vieth explained. “My concern is the
Omicron variant becomes the next problem
on a global basis.”
Even if manufacturers can get the parts
to build trucks, they may not have enough
labor.
Trailer manufacturers are experiencing
the same issues as truck manufacturers.
Customers are paying more for trailers
as OEMs adjust pricing to offset the cost
iStock Photo
Trailer manufacturers are experiencing the same issues as truck manufacturers. Customers are paying more for
trailers as OEMs adjust pricing to offset the cost of parts and materials.
iStock Photo
Industry analysts note there have been more orders placed for 2022 model year trucks than can be built before the
2023 model year arrives. Because of this, either carriers or manufacturers are canceling orders for 2022 trucks and
then immediately ordering 2023 trucks.
of parts and materials. Aftermarket parts
are scarce too, as builders buy up available
parts for production, leaving trailer owners
with sidelined equipment scrambling to
find the items needed for repairs.
In the meantime, capacity remains tight
in the freight market, helping keep rates at
record or near-record levels.
When buyers can’t get new trucks, many
of them turn to the used truck market.
“As has been the case since late 2020, the
industry’s inability to meet truckers’ equipment
needs has resulted in relentless (SP)
used truck price escalation,” said Steve Tam,
vice president of ACT.
ACT’s monthly “State of the Industry:
U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks” report claimed
the price of the average used truck sold in
November was 69% higher than in November
2020. The average truck was older and
had more odometer miles this year, too.
As they did in October, new truck builders
experienced wide production and sales
swings in November, most likely based on
parts availability. For example, Kenworth
sales increased by 25.2% while International
sales dropped 44.2%, according to data received
from Wards Intelligence. Fluctuations
in sales numbers can occur for a variety
of reasons, but normally aren’t as large
in scope as seen in November.
Freightliner’s 6,134 Class 8 trucks sold
was a decline of 5.9% from sales of 6,520 in
October and a drop of 20.4% from November
2020. For the year to date, Freightliner has
sold 75,363 Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market,
good for 38.2% of all Class 8 sales.
International’s 1,314 sold was a huge
drop from 2,356 sold a month earlier. Compared
to November 2020, Class 8 sales
dropped by 28.3%, close to the 28.0% decline
International has experienced for 2021 to
date.
Peterbilt sales of 2,842 represented the
best month-over-month increase of the
industry. Compared with November 2020,
sales increased by 6.1%. Peterbilt has sold
14.9% of Class 8 trucks in the U.S. this year.
Kenworth sales of 2,342 represented a 14.9%
increase over 2,055 sold in October but were
9.5% behind November 2020 sales of 2,588.
The company holds 14.5% of the U.S. Class 8
market for 2021.
Volvo sales of 2,048 were 4.5% higher
than the 1,959 sold in October and a whopping
43.2% higher than the 1,430 sold in
November 2020. For the year to date, Volvo
owns 9.4% of the U.S. Class 8 market. Volvoowned
Mack Truck had a similar month,
selling 1,356 trucks in November compared
to 1,278 in October for an increase of 6.1%.
For 2021, Mack has 8.2% of Class 8 sales in
the U.S.
Western Star, owned by Freightliner,
reported sales of 503 in November, down
10.8% from sales of 564 in October. Compared
to November 2020, sales increased
2.2%. For the year, Western Star holds 2.7%
of the new truck market.
December is typically a huge month for
new truck sales as dealers adjust end-ofyear
inventories and carriers invest profits
to lower tax liability. With production curtailed
and inventories at their lowest level in
decades, the final month of 2021 isn’t likely
to be typical at all. 8

14 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 BUSINESS
THETRUCKER.COM
SAFETY SERIES
GPS apps and common
sense can help keep drivers
out of trouble spots
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Every week, it seems, there’s another
story about a truck and a bridge. One week,
it’s a tractor-trailer damaging a suspension
bridge by hitting a crossbeam with the trailer;
the next, it’s a commercial motor vehicle
attempting to cross a pedestrian bridge.
Many of these stories make us shake our
heads and marvel at the mental gymnastics
the driver had to complete to put the truck
there in the first place.
Often, the answer is that the driver followed
directions provided by a GPS routing
program.
That’s the excuse used by the driver of
a tank truck loaded with calcium chloride
that smashed through the wooden deck of
a pedestrian bridge over wetlands in Angola,
Indiana, in mid-November. The walkway
parallels Indiana Highway 127, and the
bridge was just wide enough to accommodate
the vehicle.
In the old days of trucking, professional
drivers carried a road atlas. The gold standard
was the Rand McNally Motor Carriers’
Road Atlas, which not only featured individual
state maps but also clearly covered and
explained the National Highway Network
(something many drivers still don’t understand).
The McNally atlas also had separate sections
that listed low-clearance locations,
restricted routes, and state-specific weight
and dimension regulations.
Some drivers preferred the fancy spiralbound
version with laminated pages, while
others liked the plain paper version on the
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grounds that it was cheaper to replace each
year when the new one comes out.
It’s a new day, however, and drivers are
more tech-savvy than ever.
Those atlases are still available, but many
new drivers get directions from the routing
software their carrier uses, along with their
dispatch management system. Others rely
on GPS devices that can be mounted on the
dash, and newer trucks come with such systems
already installed with dashboard display
screens. For other drivers, smartphones are
the answer because they can download the
latest routing apps and, thanks to Bluetooth
technology, can send maps and information
directly to the display screen in the vehicle.
The most important thing to remember
about route guidance systems is that none
of them should be trusted 100% of the time.
Some apps and programs update automatically,
while others don’t update unless the
owner manually requests it. On the road,
conditions can change quickly, and even
“updated” software can be wrong.
Many drivers prefer to purchase commercial
vehicle versions of GPS devices.
Rand McNally makes an excellent one, as
do other familiar names like Garmin and
TomTom. Other manufacturers are less well
known, so make sure the unit you purchase
has software specific to trucking.
For drivers who prefer to use their smartphone
instead of relying on a stand-alone
GPS device, there is a long list of apps available
at Google Play or Apple stores, many of
them free.
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iStock Photo
While route-guidance apps offer a convenient alternative to a traditional road atlas, drivers should keep in mind
that not every app is geared for large vehicles. When choosing a mapping system, look for one specifically designed
for commercial trucks.
Google Maps is a tested and true app
that provides very good directions — for
cars and bicycles. The app is not designed
for commercial motor vehicles or RVs, and
leaves out information that could be crucial.
Apple Maps is a similar program that
works on iPhones and equipment running
Apple operating systems.
Trucking-specific apps do a better job
of routing and can provide information important
to truckers, such as the locations of
truck stops, weigh scales and more. Some
allow the driver to enter weight and dimensional
information so that routes that aren’t
suitable can be avoided.
TruckerPath has been around for years
and is trusted by many drivers. Trucker-
Tools is another well-known app.
TruckMap is gaining in popularity. The
makes claim it is the only app with “truck
optimized GPS routes” along with location
information on weigh stations, parking areas,
fuel stops and even Walmart stores.
SmartTruckRoute is similar to the others,
and Hammer is a GPS app sponsored by
the website TruckersReport.com.
Websites such as the Rand McNally
homepage and TruckersReport.com feature
routing programs that are accessible online
without downloading any programs. Turnby-turn
directions can be downloaded or
printed from the website.
Whatever system you choose, understand
how the program works. Some require
a constant internet connection and
may not work well in a moving vehicle.
Others communicate through your phone’s
network system and may consume data at a
high rate. If your plan allows unlimited data,
you won’t incur extra charge;, however your
data speed could be slowed when your usage
reaches a predetermined threshold.
Programs that provide turn-by-turn directions
are generally the most convenient,
but they can also be the most problematic.
That’s because it’s tempting to simply rely on
the app rather than checking the entire route
prior to the trip. By the time the driver finds
out about a route restriction, it may be too
late to change to the most efficient route.
For this reason, some drivers still carry
the tried-and-true road atlas. The route
recommended by the software or app can
be checked against the low clearance or restricted
route sections to eliminate issues.
Some drivers compare data from two or
more apps to make sure they’re getting all
the information needed.
Other sources for determining low clearances
or restrictions include state-specific
DOT websites and some trucker forum websites.
Keep in mind that reported clearances
can change. New pavement on the road
raises the surface and can shorten the distance
to the overpass above. Lane changes
that route lanes toward a lower part of the
bridge can cause problems. In states where
snow and ice can build up on the road surface,
clearances can be reduced.
Many locations have signs announcing
height restrictions, but sometimes those
signs aren’t updated immediately when
conditions change.
Then, there’s the tried-and-true method
of watching another truck go under the
bridge. Just make sure the truck you follow
isn’t shorter than the one you’re driving.
Finally, there’s simply no substitute for
common sense. If the bridge looks too low
or the road too narrow, stop and make sure
before any damage is done. If a clearance is
close, creep underneath, and keep an eye
above.
And, most importantly, if the road surface
is made out of wood planking, there’s a
good chance it wasn’t made to hold 40 tons
of tractor-trailer. 8

THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 15
BUSINESS
Shortage or not, change must occur to bring more drivers to trucking
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Some trucking organizations and carriers
claim it’s the most important issue the trucking
industry is facing today. Others, such as the
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
(OOIDA) and many drivers, claim it’s an
imaginary issue that will go away as soon as the
industry starts paying fairly.
What is it? It’s the driver shortage.
An Oct. 25 update from the American
Trucking Associations (ATA) claimed the
trucking industry would need a record high
of over 80,000 drivers by the end of 2021. That
number is expected to more than double by the
year 2030.
“Because there are a number of factors driving
the shortage, we have to take a number of
different approaches,” said Bob Costello, chief
economist for ATA. “The industry is raising pay
at five times the historic average, but this isn’t
just a pay issue. We have an aging workforce,
a workforce that is overwhelmingly male and
finding ways to address those issues is key to
narrowing the shortage.”
The American Trucking Research Institute
(ATRI) listed the driver shortage as the No. 1
concern on its Top 10 Trucking Industry Issues
for 2021, as determined by a survey of more
than 2,500 stakeholders. Driver retention and
driver pay were the next two items on the list.
In recent days, President Joe Biden has
pledged to address the issue. A Dec. 16 statement
from the White House announced a near
$10 million program support a registered apprenticeship
programs as well as resources to
support veteran recruitment.
Biden’s team also pledged a study of current
driver compensation, including lengthy wait
times at shippers and receivers. Some studies
have suggested that the average driver spends
30 to 40 hours a week waiting to get loaded or
unloaded, time that is paid at very low rates, if
at all.
Detractors, however, suggest that any perceived
“shortage” of drivers is simply a market
response to poor working conditions and a pay
scale that hasn’t kept pace with inflation.
In August, Levi Pugh, executive vice president
of OOIDA, sent a letter to Commerce
Secretary Gina Raimondo that described the
driver shortage as a “myth.” Pugh claimed the
shortage is a creation of carriers and trucking
trade associations used to “support the cheapest-possible
labor.”
Pugh stated that the FMCSA issues more
than 400,000 new CDLs annually, providing
enough drivers to solve any shortage several
times over.
It might be hard to convince carriers that
are struggling to hire enough drivers to keep
trucks moving the driver shortage is a mythical
problem. At the same time, an industry that
routinely experiences driver turnover rates in
excess of 90% has to recognize that retention
is an issue.
Ed Naugle, president and CEO of Walbridge,
Ohio-based Naugle Cos., employs several strategies
to keep turnover under 40% annually.
“Our difference is that we don’t take new
drivers,” he said. “We try to make sure they have
at least five years of experience.”
Naugle said paying drivers by salary has
made a difference in retention.
Hayden Carden, founder and chief innovation
officer of Idelic, a developer of software
management tools, thinks new drivers aren’t
getting an accurate picture of what the trucking
job entails.
“When it comes to the driver shortage, some
of the biggest areas that we start to understand
is that fleets are having a very, very hard time
retaining their drivers,” he explained. “And a lot
of that is happening in the first 90 days.”
Carden said carriers often use orientation
to take care of paperwork and regulatory items
rather than as an opportunity to help new drivers
acclimate.
“A lot of fleets have a hard time distinguishing
the difference between orientation and onboarding,”
he said.
The ATRI study suggests bringing younger
drivers into the industry as a potential solution.
Allowing the use of 18- to 20-year-olds in interstate
commerce would allow the industry to
compete with trades and businesses that hire
candidates right out of high school, instead of
waiting until several years later — when they
may have already chosen a career.
Naugle acknowledges that states that currently
allow younger drivers already have a
wealth of safety data, but he’s still in favor of a
pilot program.
“When I was 18, I was more mature than
most of my peers,” he said. “(However,) there
are some 18-year-olds that are like 12-year-olds
in their minds.”
He suggested a thorough interview and
advanced testing might help to determine the
driver’s fitness.
“I think there are other people at that same
age that qualify for the military or, at least, have
that same responsible attitude and maturity,”
he said. “That’s what we want to tap into.”
Rather than using state lines as boundaries,
Naugle suggested a limit, such as 250 miles
from the terminal, might make more sense.
“I think that would be a fair limitation,” he
noted.
ATRI also called for the expansion of the
EB-3 Permanent Work Authorization permit
that would allow carriers to recruit qualified
applicants from foreign countries.
One area the industry could address is the
loss of drivers who purchase their own equipment
and obtain their own authority. In 2020,
just under 77,000 new carriers were granted
authority, according to the FMCSA. In 2021, the
number had nearly doubled to almost 150,000
by the end of October, the latest numbers available
at the time of this writing.
Carriers can approach the issue in two
ways: 1) Improved pay and working conditions
might encourage more drivers to remain company
drivers; and 2) Those who buy equipment
could be enticed to enter lease agreements,
providing both truck and driver to a carrier.
Another potential relief area might be recruiting
more women drivers, who currently
represent only about 7% of the driver workforce.
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all fix
for the driver shortage. There are, however, several
avenues that could help the industry solve
the problem with a combination of solutions.
Few industries can offer a middle-class lifestyle
with far less training than obtaining a college
degree. 8
iStock Photo
While there’s no one-size-fits-all fix for the driver shortage, the trucking industry has several avenues to explore that
might help attract drives to the field — and keep them.
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EQUIPMENT & TECH
THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 17
Everyday heroes
FREESTYLE TRANSPORT WINS BID FOR
KENWORTH T680; NET PROCEEDS BENEFIT TAT
PERRIS, Calif. — The “Everyday Heroes” Kenworth
T680 Next Generation was auctioned in
December at Ritchie Bros. in Perris, California.
The winning bid was submitted by Serg
Kodryanu, CEO of Freestyle Transport, and resulted
in $260,000 being donated in support
for Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). TAT, a
501(c)3 nonprofit, is dedicated to stopping human
trafficking by educating, mobilizing and
empowering the nation’s truck drivers and rest
stop employees.
In addition to the proceeds raised by the sale
of the Kenworth T680 Next Gen, TAT received
$68,000 in additional donations from industry
suppliers and trucking companies.
“Truckers Against Trafficking is an incredible
organization that is utilizing our industry
to help victims of human trafficking,” Kodryanu
said. “After I learned the numbers of how many
victims have been affected by human traffickers,
I immediately felt it in my heart to make it our
company’s mission to support such a great and
noble cause as TAT and its mission to stop this
terrible crime.
“With drivers and other members of our industry
spread throughout North America, we
have a great opportunity to identify and report
suspicious activity and help potential human
trafficking victims,” Kodryanu continued. “Our
new Everyday Heroes truck will help us spread
awareness of human trafficking to other drivers
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
and communities across the country.”
Freestyle Transport, a Vancouver, Washington-based
company that specializes in delivering
refrigerated and dry van freight throughout
the lower 48 states, placed the winning bid during
an online auction hosted by Ritchie Bros.
According to Edward Little, president of
Freestyle Transport and who is TAT trained, the
company is in the process of getting all its executives,
staff, drivers and volunteers TAT trained.
He says the company looks forward to increasing
awareness about the crime of human trafficking
through its new Everyday Heroes Kenworth
T680 Next Gen.
“I’ve been a longtime supporter of Truckers
Against Trafficking and its mission to educate
members of our industry to identify potential
cases of human trafficking,” Little said. “As a former
driver, I saw firsthand the opportunities our
industry has to help human trafficking victims.
We’re thrilled to have purchased the Everyday
Heroes truck and help support such a great organization.”
Don Blake, new sales manager at Inland
Kenworth, a TAT board member and the driving
force behind the auction, expressed his thanks.
“The Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next
Gen auction was a fantastic success, thanks to
Freestyle Transport and our incredible sponsors,
who generously donated parts and money
to build this special truck,” he noted. “Our goal
was to build off the success from the previous
November trailer orders about 11%
lower in 2021 compared to 2020
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Net U.S. trailer orders
for November increased more than 84%
from the previous month but were almost
20% lower compared to November 2020, according
to the newest ACT Research State
of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report issued on
Dec. 21.
November orders totaled 32,103 units.
Before accounting for cancellations, new
orders of 33,900 units were up more than 73%
versus October — but 18% lower than the
previous November, ACT’s report noted.
Year-to-date net orders and new orders
for the first 11 months of 2021 were both
around 11% lower compared to the same
time period in 2020, which included the CO-
VID-stricken spring data.
“Trailer OEMs continue to be cautious
regarding order acceptance, as they attempt
to maintain acceptable delivery schedules
given their available staffing and anticipated
supply-chain support,” said Frank Maly, director
of commercial vehicle transportation
analysis and research at ACT Research.
“The difficulty of developing pricing in the
current inflationary market conditions also
impacts order acceptance,” Maly continued.
“OEMs are attempting to avoid the renegotiation
cycles that occurred earlier in 2021,
and the best way to achieve that is to extend
their orderboards in small steps as the year
progresses.”
In addition, he said, the industry should
expect trailer OEMS to closely manage backlog
horizons, which are now pushed into the
second half of 2022 at the current build rate.
Maly said there were concerns that more
2021 commitments might need to be shifted
into 2022, resulting in an additional surge in
cancels.
However, he noted, “It now appears that
most of that adjustment occurred in September,
and excluding September, the industry has
had an average 1.0% cancel rate since May.” 8
Courtesy: Kenworth
Serg Kodryanu, CEO of Vancouver, Washington-based Freestyle transport, submitted the winning bid during a
December auction benefitting Truckers Against Trafficking. With his purchase of an “Everyday Heroes” themed
Kenworth T680 Next Gen, TAT received a donation of $260,000.
two Everyday Heroes Kenworth trucks sold at
auction by generating a larger donation to TAT
than ever before. We were able to do just that,
thanks to heightened interest in the new Kenworth
T680 Next Gen and Greg Evigan’s involvement
in promoting TAT and this auction.”
Evigan is known for his starring role in the
television series “B.J. and the Bear,” which aired
from 1979 to 1981.
“Truckers Against Trafficking is a tremendous
organization,” Evigan said. “Congratulations
to Freestyle Transport. Your generous
bid for the Everyday Heroes truck will make a
difference in our communities and help those
in need. It was a pleasure to be involved in this
project, driven by Don Blake, to promote the
Everyday Heroes truck auction and raise awareness
for human trafficking.”
According to Kendis Paris, TAT executive
director, the $328,000 TAT received between
the Everyday Heroes truck sale and additional
donations surpassed the 2019 Everyday Heroes
donation of $162,000 ad is the largest one-time
gift in the organization’s history. The funds will
help TAT expand its work within the trucking
industry and further partnerships with law enforcement.
“We are so grateful to have Serg Kodryanu
and Freestyle Transport submit the winning
bid,” Paris said. “We appreciate Serg’s generous
purchase and support, which will help us fund
our programs. The Everyday Heroes Kenworth
T680 Next Gen will serve as a great addition to
its fleet.”
SEE HEROES ON PAGE 18
iStock Photo
Net U.S. trailer orders for November increased more than 84% from the previous month but were almost 20% lower
compared to November 2020.

18 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 EQUIPMENT & TECH
Mack LR Electric Class 8
tractor now in production
at Lehigh Valley plant
THETRUCKER.COM
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
First Nikola Tre electric trucks delivered
to California drayage company
LOS ANGELES — The first electric trucks
from the Nikola Corp. have been delivered to
a California port drayage company.
Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI)
has pledged to order up to 100 of the Nikola
Tre battery-electric tractors.
“Nikola committed to make its first Tre
BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) deliveries in
Q4 2021, and it is a big honor to celebrate this
milestone with our partner, TTSI and dignitaries
who are committed to advancing zeroemission
transportation solutions to reduce
truck emissions in port operations,” said
Nikola CEO Mark Russell. “TTSI has significant
sustainability goals, and we are pleased
to help them achieve their vision with our
zero-emission trucks.”
TTSI’s purchase letter of intent is for 100
zero-emission trucks, beginning with a fourtruck
pilot of two BEVs and two fuel cell electric
vehicles (FCEV).
“Based on satisfactory completion of the
vehicle trials and subject to TTSI obtaining
certain government funding, 30 BEVs
are projected to follow later in 2022 and 70
FCEVs are anticipated to start in 2023,” a
Nikola news release stated. The Nikola Tre
BEV is designed for local deliveries up to 350
miles.
The Nikola Tre FCEV truck is targeted for
distances up to 500 miles and is expected to
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
address the North American regional market,
especially when additional hauling capacity
or quick fueling are required by fleet
operators.
“This day represents a major step in our
continual quest to achieve a zero-emission
fleet, which is why TTSI highly values its
partnership with Nikola. Production, performance,
and maintenance will be the key
to our future success, and we are confident
Nikola will excel on all three fronts,” said Vic
LaRosa, president of TTSI.
Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán
said that “reaching a zero-emission transportation
future requires bold leadership
and collaboration from federal, state, and
local partners, along with major investments
from the private sector. This is crucial for
the health of people living in the communities
near the ports in my district, who suffer
higher rates of cancer, asthma and other respiratory
diseases due to all the toxic diesel
emissions coming from the equipment and
trucks at the ports. I appreciate the commitment
TTSI and Nikola have made at the Port
of Los Angeles to a cleaner, safer future.”
According to TTSI, in any given month,
13,000 to 14,000 trucks call at the port of Los
Angeles/Long Beach, emitting roughly 2,600
tons per year of smog-causing nitrogen-oxide
emissions. 8
Courtesy: Mack
This brand-new, Class 8 Mack LR Electric tractor already has a home with the New York City Department of Sanitation.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The first fully electric
Class 8 tractor designed by Mack has gone
into serial production at the company’s Lehigh
Valley (LVO) facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Dubbed the LR Electric, the tractor is
equipped with four NMC (nickel manganese
cobalt oxide) lithium-ion batteries.
“Mack has long been a leader in the refuse
segment, and we couldn’t be more pleased to
now be producing Mack LR Electric vehicles
to help our customers meet their sustainability
goals,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks
senior vice president of sales and commercial
operations.
“Customer response to the LR Electric has
been overwhelmingly positive, and we look
forward to putting more into fleet operations
now that we are in production,” he continued.
The LR Electric is charged by a 150kW, SAE
J1772-compliant charging system. The batteries
provide vehicle propulsion and power for
all onboard accessories driven through 12V,
24V and 600V electric circuits. A three-mode
regenerative braking system helps recapture
the energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle
makes each day as a result of increasing
payload throughout the day.
The Mack LR Electric may be fitted with
equipment bodies from numerous manufacturers
based on the unique needs of the customer,
according to the company.
The LR Electric also features the same industry-leading
ergonomics and visibility as the
diesel-powered LR model. The same driver/
passenger side driving configurations, as well as
seating choices and door options, are offered in
the LR Electric as on the diesel-powered Mack
LR model.
A copper-colored Bulldog hood ornament,
signifying the fully electric drivetrain, is featured
prominently on the front of the truck.
“We are successfully producing the LR Electric
at LVO, and we are fulfilling customer orders
as we speak,” said Gunnar Brunius, vice president
and general manager at LVO. “I’d like to
recognize the hard work and dedication of LVO
employees who have been eagerly preparing for
this moment.”
Mack recently announced that the LR Electric
comes standard with the Mack Ultra Service
Agreement, offering customers a tailored uptime
package designed specifically to meet the
unique needs of battery-electric vehicles. The
Ultra Service Agreement includes preventative
and scheduled maintenance, towing and repair,
a battery warranty, and monitoring via Mack
connected services in a single package that can
include monthly payments.
Supported by Mack GuardDog Connect,
Mack’s integrated telematics solution, the LR
Electric and its batteries will be monitored for
battery health and performance, and fault codes
will be detected when registered by the battery
and electric components of the energy storage
system.
TEC Equipment of Fontana, California, and
Northwest Equipment Sales in Boise, Idaho,
were the first two Mack dealers to achieve Certified
Electric Vehicle Dealer status. Numerous
WASHINGTON — Two models of Great
Dane trailers are being recalled because the
wheel hubs may have insufficient amounts of lubrication,
which could cause the bearings to fail.
According to a news release from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
the 2022 Great Dane Champion and 2022 Great
Dane Everest models are affected by the recall.
In all, 3,288 trailers are being recalled.
“Hub bearing failure could cause the wheel
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
other dealerships are currently in the process of
meeting the safety, charging, infrastructure and
training requirements. Updating the facility is
also required.
Mack announced plans to launch the LR
Electric model in 2018, with the first demonstration
vehicle being delivered to the New York City
Department of Sanitation (DSNY) in September
2020. Since then, the vehicles have been in realworld
testing in the demanding environment of
the world’s largest sanitation department. The
second LR Electric demonstration model was
delivered in October 2020 to Republic Services
and is being tested in a residential application in
Hickory, North Carolina.
DSNY recently announced its plan to purchase
seven LR Electric models that will operate
in the city’s five boroughs. 8
More than 3,000 Great Dane
trailers being recalled
HEROES cont. from Page 17
The Kenworth T680 Next Gen is fully loaded
with a 76-inch sleeper and features the PACCAR
powertrain with a PACCAR MX-13 510-hp engine,
PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission
and PACCAR DX-40 tandem rear axles. According
to Little, the company’s new T680 Next Gen
will join Freestyle Transport’s fleet of 47 trucks
and will make runs to and from Washington
state and Florida to generate more exposure to
the specially decaled TAT truck throughout the
country.
“Don Blake’s dedication to TAT and its goal
of ending human trafficking is a great example
of how one person’s passion, commitment and
effort can make a significant positive impact
hub assembly to detach, causing a loss of stability
and control, creating a road hazard and
increasing the risk of a crash,” the news release
stated. “Great Dane will work with SAF Holland,
the wheel hub supplier, to inspect the wheel
hubs and add the proper amount of lubricant as
necessary, free of charge.”
Owner notification letters are expected to be
mailed Feb. 1. Owners can contact Great Dane
customer service at 877-369-3493. 8
and difference in the lives of thousands,” said
Genevieve Bekkerus, Kenworth director of marketing.
“Don truly is an inspiration to all of us, and
an excellent representative of Inland Kenworth
and the Kenworth dealer network. He has put a
lot of time and effort into making this auction
happen, and it’s been a pleasure to support him
in such a great cause,” she said. “The trucking
community once again showed its generosity by
coming together to support TAT and the fight
against human trafficking.”
Human trafficking is an industry estimated
to be worth $32 billion in the U.S. alone, and
$150 billion globally, according to TAT. To further
its education, TAT operates the Freedom
Driver’s Project, a mobile exhibit that educates
members of the trucking industry. 8

FEATURES
THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 19
Giving back
TRUCKING INDUSTRY SHINES IN EFFORTS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES DURING 2021
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
WASHINGTON — Many trucking companies
and organizations associated with the
trucking industry gave back to their communities
in a big way this Christmas season.
Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF)
has compiled a list of some of those good
deeds.
“Over the past year, our industry and nation
have all faced extraordinary challenges as
we recover from economic hardships from the
global pandemic and work around the clock
to prevent supply chain disruptions,” said Kevin
Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and vice president
of government affairs and sales at MTS.
“Despite these challenges, our front-line
workers in the trucking industry have shown
consistency and resilience by keeping a steady
hand on the wheel to keep our nation moving
forward,” he continued. “We are proud to
help our communities stay healthy and safe by
ensuring the delivery of food, medicine, and
other essential supplies.”
Following is a list of trucking companies
and organizations that gave back to their
communities during the 2021 holiday season.
Advantage Truck Group (ATG) in Central
Massachusetts participated in its annual
charitable initiative — Haulin’ 4 Hunger — to
help families in need this holiday season. The
program supplies families within the local
communities of ATG dealerships with fresh
meals. Since the beginning of the program,
ATG has provided 23,000 fresh meals to families
in need.
Courtesy: Advantage Truck Group
Advantage Truck Group employees participate in the
company’s annual Haulin’ 4 Hunger program.
The American Trucking Associations
(ATA) continued its annual participation in
the Wreaths Across America convoy from
Maine to Arlington National Cemetery, along
with many ATA members. ATA continues to
donate goods and transportation to disaster
relief. America’s Road Team and Workforce
Heroes programs partnered with Interstate
Moving Relocation Logistics to deliver donations
for Afghan refugees housed at different
military bases across the country. The LEAD
ATA Class built and donated bikes for the local
Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio during
its Mid-Year Management Session, and ATA
Cheney, Washington-based System Transport was selected to transport the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree from California to Washington, D.C.
awarded The Trucking Cares Foundation’s
Premier Achievement Award to professional
driver John Lex. This award is bestowed annually
to an individual or company that exemplifies
trucking’s spirit of giving.
Courtesy: American Trucking Associations
Bicycles donated by the American Trucking Association’s
LEAD ATA Class went to the local Boys and Girls Club of
San Antonio, Texas.
Brenny Transportation Inc. participated
in the local WinterWalk that takes place every
year in St. Joseph, Minnesota. This year
the company drove out to the local arboretum
and loaded up a 50-foot-tall blue spruce
tree to haul to the Church of St. Joseph. Upon
arrival, the tree was placed for all to see and
then decorated with lights. Brenny Transportation’s
team also raised over $8,000 to donate
to families in need this holiday season.
In 2021 C.H. Robinson, a multimodal
transportation services and third-party logistics
provider in Eden Prairie, Minnesota,
launched a thank-you campaign and sweepstakes
designed show the nation’s appreciation
for the truck drivers who never left the
road and never stopped delivering, even during
the most challenging of times. Two thousand
thank-you letters were submitted. As
part of the campaign, the company gave away
$100,000 in cash sweepstakes to truck drivers
and carriers during National Truck Driver Appreciation
Week (Sept. 12-18). The company
also supported families, organizations and
causes through grants and scholarship programs,
and the C.H. Robinson Foundation donated
$100,000 over two years to the St. Christopher
Truckers Relief Fund.
Estes Express Lines, based in Richmond,
Virginia, participated in the “Bikes for Kids”
bike drive by delivering 415 bikes from New
Jersey to River City to be assembled by volunteers
from the Richmond Area Bicycle Association,
an organization that raised more than
$35,000 to buy the bikes for kids in need this
holiday season.
From Augusta, Georgia, F&W Transportation,
in partnership with E-Z-GO/Textron
Specialized Vehicles, donated and delivered
1,200 cases of bottled water to Texas to benefit
relief efforts following the devastation of
Winter Storm Uri.
Courtesy: F&W Transportation
Rick Faglier of F&W Transportation hauled 1,200 cases
of water to Texas residents following Winter Storm Uri.
Courtesy: System Transport
Courtesy: Garner Trucking Inc.
Drivers with Garner Trucking hold the donated wreaths
that were placed on the graves of the fallen veterans at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Garner Trucking Inc. in Findlay, Ohio,
provided food transportation for a local food
drive, collected and donated coats for a local
drive, sponsored a local child, and collected
holiday gifts for a local family. The company
also participated in Wreaths Across America,
donating over 1,000 wreaths to honor the
fallen veterans. Other contributions include
providing transportation for food donations
from the University of Findlay to Chopin Hall,
a partnership with The City Mission of Findlay
to help the homeless; the delivery of coats for
those in need; and a partnership with Keeping
Our Kids Safe, a local community organization
that allows individuals to sponsor a child
for the holidays.
Keller Logistics, headquartered in
Defiance, Ohio, and its in-house philanthropy
team raised over $48,000 for Operation
K.A.V.I.C. (Keller Assists Veterans in Crisis),
which helps local veterans when there are
financial gaps in their veterans’ benefits. The
SEE GIVING ON PAGE 20

20 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022 FEATURES
THETRUCKER.COM
GIVING cont. from Page 19
company hosted a free dinner in November
for all local veterans and their families. Keller
also supported Wreaths Across America by
delivering wreaths to Ohio cemeteries and
sponsored a series of events to encourage
families to shop locally this holiday season.
Kentucky Truck Sales Inc., based in
Jeffersonville, Indiana, partnered with its
sister company, Century NationaLease,
to donate to a local facility that fosters
Courtesy: Landstar System Inc.
Landstar’s “North Pole” was filled with gifts to be
delivered to children at the Child Guidance Center in
Jacksonville, Florida.
and counsels youth in the area in July. The
donations came from 75 employees from
both companies, who took the donations
directly to the center.
Landstar System Inc. employees donated
gifts to benefit children at the Child
Guidance Center’s Angel Tree program in
Jacksonville, Florida. Landstar’s Rockfordbased
employees supported the Winnebago/
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A Keller Logistics tractor represents Operation K.A.V.I.C.,
an initiative that helps military veterans in need.
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Boone Foster Care Alliance, a collaboration
of child welfare agencies in the Winnebago
and Boone counties in Illinois. Landstar employees
also donated 50 $25 gift cards that
can be used to purchase gifts or necessities
at Walmart, Target, Visa or Amazon.
Old Dominion Freight Line, based
in Thomasville, North Carolina, made a
$100,000 donation to Toys for Tots in 2021.
The company hosts over 80 Toys for Tots toy
drives annually at the corporate office and
across the company’s vast network of service
centers. They also donated over 200,000
canned foods to the salvation army. In addition,
Old Dominion partnered with the Salvation
Army to hold a food drive, where they
donated over 4,000 canned food items.
Courtesy: Old Dominion Freight Line
An Old Dominion Freight Line driver unloads a truckload
of goodies for kids in the community.
Pilot Co., based in Knoxville, Tennessee,
raised a record-breaking $1.75 million from
a three-week in-store round-up campaign to
benefit the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit
organization committed to placing veterans
into high-quality jobs after their service.
This amount triples the original 2021 goal of
$500,000 and will assist more than 3,000 service
members in their search for employment.
Pilot also donated $30,000 to Wreaths Across
America and gave a $150,000 donation to feature
TMAF on the No. 1 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
at the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the
Michigan International Speedway in August.
The TMAF-branded car promoted the importance
of trucking and raised awareness on
how the trucking industry continues to keep
the country moving forward.
Courtesy: Rhode Island Trucking Association
Proceeds from Rhode Island’s Torch Run Truck Convoy
benefitted the state’s Special Olympics athletes.
The Rhode Island Trucking Association
hosted its Annual Torch Run Truck Convoy
for Special Olympics. In 2021, association
members raised over $8,000. All the money
was donated to the Rhode Island Special
Olympics athletes.
From Central Texas, SH 130 Concession
Co., which operates the publicly owned State
130 Toll Road, partnered with the Caldwell
County Sheriff Department’s Brown Santa
program to donated 150 toys, games and
books for local families in need. The company
also donated $5,000 to the Guadalupe Regional
Medical Foundation, which supports
Courtesy: Smith Trucking
Smith Trucking staff and drivers donated toys,
necessities and other items to local families in need.
health care workers and hospitals in the
region.
Smith Trucking, located in Worthington,
Minnesota, participated once again in a donation
drive for families in need in its local
community this holiday season. This year,
the donations amounted to $2,850.
Each year, the Trucking Association of
New York holds two golf outings, one in the
western region of the state and one in the
metro region of the state. Both golf outings
raise money for local nonprofits. This year, the
Western Region Golf Outing raised over $3,000
for a Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that
provides beds for children. The metro region
raised over $14,000 for Tunnel 2 Towers, a
philanthropic nonprofit that provides disaster
relief in honor of New York firefighter Stephen
Gerard Siller, who lost his life while responding
to the Twin Towers attack on 9/11.
Courtesy: Trucking Association of New York
Trucking Association of New York members display
a donation check then went to the Tunnel to Towers
Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit.
Truckers Christmas Group, a nonprofit
organization based in Wichita, Kansas, that
raises funds to help professional CDL drivers
and their families in the U.S. and Canada,
hosted its 14th Annual Holiday Fundraising
Campaign. A major part of the campaign was
the Winter Virtual Concert. The donations of
goods and funds help ensure that every truck
driver in need can support their family during
the holiday season. Other charitable contributions
included donating grants of $650 each to
35 different families, raffling off two pairs of
boots valued at over $1,000, and partnering
with RoadPro to donate a selection of goods
valued at over $500.
System Transport, based in Cheney,
Washington, which is a member of the Truckload
Carriers Association, was selected to
drive the truck that delivered the 2021 U.S.
Capitol Christmas Tree from Six Rivers National
Forest in California to the West Lawn of
the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Additionally,
TCA and its member companies were instrumental
in the delivery of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund’s The Wall That Heals
mobile education center and Wreaths Across
America remembrance wreaths. 8

THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 21
FEATURES
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22 • JANUARY 1-14, 2022
THETRUCKER.COM
Mother-daughter team works to serve trucking industry
There are many people who can describe
the difficulty of starting up a business in the
trucking industry. Doing so as a woman — and
an immigrant to the U.S. — adds to the challenge.
But it’s all in a day’s work for JagDeep
(Deep) Dhillon, founder and CEO of Lavonia,
Michigan-based RoadEx.
In 1994, Dhillon immigrated from the Punjab
region of India to the Toronto, Ontario,
region of Canada. Not long afterward she married,
and soon the family was joined by daughter,
Simran.
“We started a small coffee shop, and when
(Simran) was 2 years old, we started a trucking
company,” Dhillon explained.
During the recession in 2008 and 2009,
Dhillon recognized an opportunity to come to
the U.S.
“I saw lots of people that don’t have jobs in
the USA,” she said. “When we posted ads in the
paper or online, I got almost nonstop phone
calls.”
After a half-decade in trucking, the Dhillons
decided to start a factoring business to
serve other trucking companies.
“A lot of our Indian community is involved
in the trucking business,” Dhillon said. “I noticed
Indian drivers on the road, or Indian
[company] names on their trucks, and from
that I got the idea.”
Dhillon’s factoring company grew and increased
the services it offers. Today, RoadEx
provides dispatch services, fuel cards, trucking
insurance and assistance in obtaining authority,
permits and more — all in addition to
invoice factoring. Currently, about 30 employees
work at the company’s Lavonia location,
and additional staff works from India. Dhillon
said company revenues of $60 million in
2019 are expected to be more than double that
amount for 2021.
In September 2022, Simran joined RoadEx
as the company’s associate counsel, following
her graduation from law school. Before
attending from the prestigious law school at
Wayne State University — Michigan’s largest
school — she graduated from Wayne State
with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and
a business minor.
“I graduated law school this past May and
CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
took the bar exam over the summer,” Simran
said, adding that she became fully licensed
about a week before visiting with The Trucker.
“So now, I’m a full-fledged attorney, but I’m
taking on a lot of roles under that umbrella.”
Simran could have sought a law career
with a firm in Detroit, but she said she wants
to work in the family business.
“I feel passionately about what we’re doing
here,” she said. “And I feel very personally
invested. I have such a soft spot for trucking
because my family’s always been in trucking.”
Of course, Simran has been around the
RoadEx office for many years, even though
she wasn’t always officially on the payroll. She
spoke about how her mother, Deep, handled
the issues of working as an immigrant and
speaking with an Indian accent in U.S. society.
“In the beginning, I think she got nervous
talking to people on the phone,” Simran explained.
“I think the trucking community is
just so diverse that she hasn’t had too many
issues with it. Over the years, she’s definitely
become more comfortable.”
Any doubts about Deep’s ability to succeed
in the U.S. were quickly put to rest.
“When I was younger, she (Deep) would
answer the phone and the caller would be
like, ‘We need to talk to whoever’s in charge,’”
Simran recalled. “When we get people calling
now, they ask for her first because they know
she’ll get the problems taken care of.”
Helping to improve the image of the trucking
industry is an important goal for Simran.
“I think sometimes trucking can get a bad
rap for not being super-sophisticated or whatever,”
she explained. “But that’s coming from
people who don’t know much about trucking
and the field. Having knowledge about it has
made me want to provide for this field.”
None of this means Simran is abandoning
her law education or degree, however.
“I think it’s a really untapped market where
(the trucking industry) would benefit greatly
by having more attorneys who can provide
more detailed legal services to potential trucking
clients,” she said. “That’s also one of the
fields that we plan to branch into in the next
few years.”
How does Deep feel about her daughter
Courtesy: RoadEx
JagDeep (Deep) Dhillon, right, founder and CEO of Lavonia, Michigan-based RoadEx, and her daughter, Simran
Dhillon, work together to provide vital services to the trucking industry.
growing up and joining the family business?
“I’m so proud of her, and she’s gonna take
our company way up,” she said with a big
smile.
Part of the RoadEx mission is to give back
to the community that supports the company
and its employees. The company lists Forgotten
Harvest and Trucker’s Final Mile as two
charitable groups selected for its support.
“One of the pillars of our (Sikh) religion is
to provide to our community and always give
back,” Simran explained. “So, for example,
if you ever need a warm meal, you’re always
welcome at a Gurdwara, a Sikh Temple. Those
principles carry naturally into our business.”
The company has also funded a display
for Trucker’s Final Mile at the Mid-America
Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
“When my parents had their trucking company,
we had a few truckers who had someone
pass (away) in the family and their first priority
wasn’t, “What are we going to do with this
load?’” Simran said. “Their first priority was,
‘Let’s get the driver home. Let’s make sure they
can be with their family.’”
The Dhillon family feels strongly about
supporting other women in the trucking industry.
“Our goal is always to advocate for truckers
and especially now, more and more, advocate
for these female truckers, Simran stated.
“We want to be leaders within the field
to show other women that you can also be a
leader,” she continued. “So, every opportunity
we get to partner with a female-owned trucking
company, it’s a big deal. It ripples through
our all of our offices that we got another one.”
Deep says she plans to continue the company’s
growth in the coming months.
“(RoadEx clients) are asking for more services,”
she said. “We have (clients) every day
looking for trailers and trucks. We try to connect
them with sellers. That’s our next plan.”
Simran acknowledges her mother’s role in
paving the way for women in the industry.
“I have been able to reap the benefits of the
hard work she put in,” she acknowledged.
Under the leadership of Deep and Simran
Dhillon, there’s more hard work and more success
ahead for RoadEx. 8
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www.interstatetrucker.com
See our ad
on page 20
2 • The Trucker NATIONAL EDITION August 15 - 31, 2005

4 • The Trucker NATIONAL EDITION August 15 - 31, 2005
THETRUCKER.COM JANUARY 1-14, 2022 • 23
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MARKETPLACE
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Drivers and
Owner-Operators
across the country
turn to The Trucker
for up-to-date news
and information
about the industry.
Promote your
product or
service here!
BROKER SCHOOL BROKER SCHOOL
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All Legal Problems
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30 Years Fighting for the Trucker!
*Past performance of attorneys who represent ATLA members does not guarantee future performance.
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EQUIPMENT
No more ‘loco’ motion
FOR DISPLAY
OR LINE AD
INFORMATION,
EMAIL REQUEST TO:
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MARKETPLACE
RATES
(Per Column Inch)
OPEN RATE:
$54 pci
COLOR:
$13 pci
6x Contract:
$48.82 pci
12x Contract:
$47.09 pci
24x Contract:
$43.55 pci
12V Bunk Warming Pad
800-990-4622
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www.tvclegalservice.com
Donvel DVI Motion Controls turn
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(800) 411-1725 www.donvel.com
TRAINING
CDL HAZMAT TEST
Audio Manual, Audio Test Prep
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Become an OOIDA member.
Representation • Information • Truck Insurance • Fuel Card
Life & Health Benefits • Business Services • DOT Drug Testing
Product Discounts
800-444-5791 • www.ooida.com