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VOL. 35, NO. 10 | JULY 2022 | WWW.THETRUCKER.COM 

Bipartisan efforts 

Courtesy: Shell Rotella SuperRigs 

Hard-working trucks 

Shell Rotella SuperRigs celebrated 

its 40th anniversary in Branson, 

Missouri June 9-11 with fireworks, 

a light show, a dinner for 

contestants, daily entertainment 

and more. 

PAGE 5 

Mind Over Matter..................5 

The Trucker Trainer................6 

Ask the Attorney...................8 

Rhythm of the Road...............9 

Chaplain’s Corner................12 

Courtesy: Duane Dornath 

At the Truck Stop 

Safety first: Longtime trucker 

Duane Dornath finds joy in his 

career on the road, as well as his 

family back home. 

PAGE 10 

Survival games.....................13 

Safety Series........................15 

Fleet Focus..........................15 

Manufacturing dilemma.......17 

Courtesy: Candace Hunter 

Love changes things 

Candace Hunter left a career 

in finance to enter the world of 

trucking. 

PAGE 19 

PASSAGE OF OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT LAUDED 

AS KEY STEP TO IMPROVING U.S. SUPPLY CHAIN 

JOHN WORTHEN | THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF 

WASHINGTON — The House on June 13 passed the Ocean Shipping Reform 

Act of 2022, sending it to President Biden for his signature. 

The bipartisan and bicameral legislation was based on H.R. 4996, which 

passed the House in December and is designed, lawmakers say, to “take key 

steps toward easing current supply chain challenges by expanding the authority 

of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to promote U.S. exports 

through a maritime system that is transparent, efficient and fair.” 

The House passed the bill 369-42, following passage in the Senate by 

voice vote on March 31. 

President Joe Biden applauded Congress for working together on a bipartisan 

basis. He signed the bill into law June 16. 

The legislation “will help lower costs for American retailers, farmers and 

consumers,” Biden said. 

“In my State of the Union address, I called on Congress to address ocean 

carriers’ high prices and unfair practices because rising ocean shipping 

costs are a major contributing factor to increased costs for American families,” 

he continued. “This bill will make progress reducing costs for families 

and ensuring fair treatment for American businesses — including farmers 

and ranchers.” 

Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) cited the fact that nine multinational 

ocean shipping companies formed three consortiums to raise prices on 

American businesses and consumers by more than 1,000% on goods coming 

from Asia as one of the major reasons for the legislation. 

“This allowed these foreign companies to make $190 billion in profits last 

year — a sevenfold increase in one year,” Garamendi said. 

“I introduced the ‘Ocean Shipping Reform Act’ to provide the Federal 

Maritime Commission with the necessary tools to protect American businesses 

and consumers and address America’s longstanding trade imbalance 

with China and other countries,” he said. “This bill will help crush inflation 

and protect American jobs. I’m grateful to Chair DeFazio for his support and 

advocacy for this bill, and I am pleased that the ‘Ocean Shipping Reform Act’ 

will soon be signed into law by President Biden.” 

Specifically, this legislation will: 

• Expand safeguards to combat retaliation and deter unfair business 

practices; 

• Clarify prohibited carrier practices pertaining to detention and demurrage 

charges and vessel space accommodation; 

• Establish a shipping exchange registry through the FMC; 

• Expand penalty authority to include refund of charges; and 

• Increase efficiency of the detention and demurrage complaint process. 

“The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 will make tangible improvements 

for Americans exporters, easing our international supply chains and 

helping keep prices down for consumers,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), 

who is chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 

“This critical legislation will build on actions that House Democrats 

and the Biden administration have already taken to alleviate our congested 

ports and boost competition, including passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law and sending the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 to the 

Senate,” he continued. “I commend Congressman Garamendi, a member of 

the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for his leadership and 

tireless efforts on this critical legislation. I look forward to seeing President 

Biden sign the bill into law.” 

Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard 

iStock Photo 

On June 16, President Joe Biden signed into law the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. The 

new law expands the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission to promote U.S. exports 

through a maritime system that is transparent, efficient and fair, according to lawmakers. 

and Maritime Transportation, said, “It seems that no one in America today 

doesn’t know the phrase ‘supply chain disruption. That’s why … I’ve held 

hearings on these ongoing bottlenecks and met with stakeholders across 

all industries who’ve felt the pain of these disruptions — including those 

who’ve had problems with ocean carriers. 

Carbajal added that he is “proud to see the bipartisan Ocean Shipping 

Reform Act on its way to becoming law this week with its final passage in the 

House today. I commend Representatives Garamendi and Johnson for their 

tenacity in getting this bipartisan overhaul of our shipping rules to President 

Biden’s desk. I am proud of our committee’s work with them on this 

important legislation that will protect American manufacturers and farmers 

and counter trade imbalances with foreign exporting countries.” 

American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear lauded 

the legislation, saying that “this day has been a long time coming.” 

“This bill provides important tools to address unjustified and illegal fees 

collected from American truckers by the ocean shipping cartel — fees that 

have contributed to the shipping lines raking in $150 billion in profits just 

last year,” Spear said. “Those fees hurt American motor carriers and consumers 

– helping to drive record inflation. We thank Congress for passing 

this bipartisan solution and urge President Biden to quickly sign it into law.” 

ATA Intermodal Motor Carrier Conference Director Jonathan Eisen 

called the legislation “the first significant change to ocean shipping regulations 

in more than two decades — a period of time when the industry has 

been shaped into a cartel of 10 foreign-owned companies who have exercised 

a tremendous amount of power over American truckers and consumers.” 

“Thanks to this bipartisan legislation, those carriers will no longer be 

able to charge truckers exorbitant and illegal detention and demurrage 

fees, increasing efficiency and reducing costs across the supply chain,” 

Eisen said. 8

2 • JULY 2022 NATION 

THETRUCKER.COM 

VIKING STRONG 

® 

EVERY DIESEL, HEAVY OR LIGHT DUTY, DESERVES HOWES DIESEL DEFENDER. 

USE IT AT EVERY FILL-UP.

THETRUCKER.COM NATION 

JULY 2022 • 3 

DRIVE 

THE DIFFERENCE 

DRTH 

DRTH 

THE DIFFERENCE 

Courtesy: Indiana Toll Road 

The Indiana Toll Road is increasing its rates by more than 9% starting this month, according to the Indiana Toll Road 

Concession Co. 

Indiana Toll Road hikes 

rates by more than 9% 

THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF 

GARY, Ind. — The Indiana Toll Road is 

increasing its rates by more than 9% starting 

this month. 

In a news release, the Indiana Toll Road 

Concession Co. (ITRCC) announced that, 

effective July 1, the cost of a full trip from Ohio 

to Illinois in a standard passenger vehicle will 

increase from $12.28 to $13.50. 

The cost is even higher for commercial 

rigs: Drivers of semitrucks will have to pay 

$72.88 for an end-to-end trip, up from the 

previous $66.30. 

Of course, the exact amount paid per trip 

will vary based on distance traveled, but cash 

and E-Z pass users will now be charged the 

same rates; previously, E-Z pass users paid a 

few cents more. 

According to the release, the annual rate 

hikes are in accordance with the toll road’s 

75-year lease agreement. Indiana Gov. Mitch 

Daniels privatized the toll road in 2006. The 

ITRCC is a subsidiary of Australian firm IFM 

Investors and currently holds the lease to 

operate the highway. 

The ITRCC has invested nearly $600 million 

dollars in infrastructure upgrades since 2016, 

including the reconstruction of more than 

70% of pavement lane miles, interchanges and 

bridges. 

The company has also completely 

reconstructed the highway’s eight travel 

plazas. An upgrade of toll plaza technology 

and the accompanying lane systems is 

expected to be completed later this year. 

The updated rates for all axle vehicles are 

JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM 

available at indianatollroad.org. 8 

At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of 

in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are 

PHOTO COURTESY: CITY OF PEVELY, MISSOURI VIA FACEBOOK 

the best in the business. 

BEAR KILLED BY 18-WHEELER IN SHOW-ME STATE 

If you want to work at an industry-leading 

company and move freight for some of the 

world’s biggest brands, we want you to join 

our team of safe, professional drivers. 



At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of 



At Penske, success behind Call the now: wheel 855-CDL-PENSKE is kind of 


Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 











At Call Penske, now: success 855-CDL-PENSKE 

behind the wheel is kind of 


Apply online at driver.penske.jobs 


Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Apply online at driver.penske.jobs 

MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ® 





MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ® 

C 

A 

Pe 

C 

A 

Pe 

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — A tractor-trailer struck and killed a black bear June 13 on Interstate 55 near Herculaneum, 

Missouri. Authorities said they believe it’s the same bear that traveled to different cities in Jefferson County in 

recent days. A search online shows multiple photos of the bear from different motorists who had encountered it. 

The big rig driver was not injured, police said.



USPS 972 

VOLUME 35, NUMBER 10 

JULY 2022 

The Trucker is a 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 

Photos courtesy: Shell Rotella SuperRigs 

Left: Theresa DeSantis of Apache Junction, Arizona, captured Best of Show honors with her 1985 Peterbilt 359 with a 2016 East trailer. She was awarded $10,000 from Shell Rotella 

and a spot in the 2023 Rotella SuperRigs calendar. She also captured the Steve Sturgess Best Theme award for her theme, “The Witches Inn.” Right: Randy Victory of Jonesboro, 

Arkansas, won bragging rights for Best Lights with a 1986 Peterbilt 359. The truck also took 4th place in the Working Truck-Limited Mileage division. 

Hard-working trucks 

SHELL ROTELLA SUPERRIGS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY IN BRANSON 


BRANSON, Mo. — Shell Rotella’s 40th annual 

SuperRigs got off to a foggy start Thursday, 

June 9, in Branson, Missouri. The fog 

quickly gave way to blue skies and sunshine, 

however, as truckers from across the U.S. 

and Canada worked to polish their rigs in 

preparation for the three-day competition, 

which celebrates drivers and their actively 

working trucks. 

During the event, drivers competed for 

cash and prizes valued at about $25,000. This 

year’s SuperRigs also featured fireworks, a 

truck lights contest, a contestant dinner and 

a truck parade through Branson Landing. 

Theresa DeSantis of Apache Junction, 

Arizona, captured Best of Show honors with 

her 1985 Peterbilt 359 with a 2016 East trailer. 

She was awarded $10,000 from Shell Rotella 

and a spot in the 2023 Rotella SuperRigs 

calendar. DeSantis also captured the Steve 

Sturgess Best Theme award for her theme, 

“The Witches Inn.” She previously won Best 

of Show in 2019. 

Truett Novosad of College Station, Texas, 

was first runner-up for Best of Show, winning 

$4,000 from Shell Rotella for his 2007 

Peterbilt 379 EXHD, dubbed Doc Holliday. 

Dean DeSantis of Apache Junction, Arizona, 

took second runner-up for Best of Show with 

his 2018 Peterbilt 389, Career Gambler. 

Daniel and Phyllis Snow of Harrison, Arkansas, 

won the People’s Choice Award with 

their 1996 Freightliner Classic XL. The winner 

for this category was selected virtually 

through public online voting. 

Twelve drivers were also selected to have 

their truck featured in the 2023 Shell Rotella 

SuperRigs calendar. 

Other results from the 2022 Shell Rotella 

SuperRigs show include: 

TRACTOR-TRAILER DIVISION 

1st Place: Todd Gribble of Somerset, 

Pennsylvania, with a 2012 Peterbilt 389 

2nd Place: Truett Novosad of College 

Station, Texas, with a 2005 Peterbilt 379 

EHD 

3rd Place: Ben Overton of Winnipeg, 

Manitoba, Canada, with a 2020 Kenworth 

W900B 

4th Place: Jeron Whittmore of Wesley, 

Arkansas, with a 2018 Peterbilt 389 

5th Place: Mike Davidson of Pocahontas, 

Iowa, with a 2019 Peterbilt 389 

TRACTOR DIVISION 

1st Place: Kaleb Hammett of Dodd City, 

Texas, with a 2019 Peterbilt 389 

2nd Place: Kyle Cousins of Carthage, 

Missouri, with a 2021 Kenworth W900 

3rd Place: Kyle Cousins of Carthage, Missouri, 

with a 2016 Kenworth W900 

4th Place: Clayton Driskell of Spring, 

Texas, with a 2018 Kenworth W900L 

5th Place: Tyler Van Der Zwaag of Hull, 

Iowa, with a 1995 Peterbilt 379 

CLASSIC DIVISION 

1st Place: David Foster of Joplin, Missouri, 

with a 2005 Kenworth W900L 

2nd Place: JR Schleuger of Britt, Iowa, 

with a 1985 Kenworth K100C 

3rd Place: Trevor Timblin of West Bend, 

Wisconsin, with a 1982 Peterbilt 362 

4th Place: Gary Tharp of Siloam Springs, 


5th Place: Terry Aslinger of Marquand, 

Missouri, with a 1996 Peterbilt 379EXHD 

WORKING TRUCK-LIMITED MILEAGE 

1st Place: Robert Hallahan of La Crosse, 

Wisconsin, with a 2022 Peterbilt 389 

2nd Place: Bubba Branch of Lakeland, 

Florida, with a 1996 Kenworth W900 

3rd Place: Steve Huff of Collinsville, 

Oklahoma, with a 2022 Kenworth W900L 

4th Place: Randy Victory of Jonesboro, 


5th Place: Jeremy Thomas of Rocky Comfort, 

Missouri, with a 2005 Peterbilt 379 

TOP SHOW TRUCKS 

(in no particular order) 

Brandon Avant of Hampton, Arkansas, 

with a 2010 Peterbilt 389 

Kary Bryce of Sibley, Louisiana, with a 

1959 Peterbilt 351 

Don Emmons of Chesterfield, Illinois, 


Jeron Whittmore of Wesley, Arkansas, 


Troy Bolin of Urbana, Montana, with a 

1979 Peterbilt 359 

BEST INTERIOR 

Truett Novosad of College Station, Texas, 

with a 2007 Peterbilt 379 EXHD 

BEST LIGHTS 

Randy Victory of Jonesboro, Arkansas, 


BEST THEME 

Theresa DeSantis of Apache Junction, 

Arizona, with a 1985 Peterbilt 359 

BEST CHROME 

Bubba Branch of Lakeland, Florida, with 

a 1996 Kenworth W900 

BEST ENGINE 

Bubba Branch of Lakeland, Florida, with 

a 1996 Kenworth W900 8 

Courtesy: Shell Rotella SuperRigs 

Truett Novosad of College Station, Texas, took first 

runner up in the Best of Show division with a 2007 

Peterbilt 379 EXHD, dubbed Doc Holliday. 

Managing Editor 

Linda Garner-Bunch 

Staff Writer & 

Social Media Coordinator 

John Worthen 

Staff Writer 

Joseph Price 

Production Coordinator 

Christie McCluer 

Graphic Artists 

Leanne Hunter 

Kelly Young 

Special Correspondents 

Cliff Abbott 

Hannah Butler 

Lyndon Finney 

Dana Guthrie 

Dwain Hebda 

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, 

contact Meg Larcinese at 

megl@thetruckermedia.com. 

Telephone: (501) 666-0500 

E-mail: info@thetruckermedia.com 

Web: www.thetrucker.com 

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Classifieds, LLC. Subject also to Ad and Privacy Policy 

at www.recycler.com.


JULY 2022 • 5 

Try these simple strategies to beat the summer heat 

MIND OVER 

MATTER 

HOPE ZVARA 

It comes on suddenly, and you think you 

can beat it, but it can be challenging to keep 

your body strong, healthy and hydrated when 

the heat gets unbearable. As a driver, you 

must focus on preventing heat exhaustion 

and heat stroke because that rising temperature 

and thick humid air can leave you feeling 

down and out. 

Are you living on the verge of dehydration? 

Know the signs of heat and humidity exhaustion 

(or stroke): 

• Dizzy or lightheadedness; 

• Swelling of hands, feet or legs; 

• Muscle cramps; 

• Fatigue; 

• Exhaustion; and 

• Fainting. 

Here are some simple strategies to help 

you keep cool this summer. 

STRATEGIES TO BEAT THE HEAT 

• Be prepared: 

Preparation equals prevention, which 

means creating a routine of drinking water to 

better equip your body for the heat and leave 

you in better shape if you find yourself beat 

by the summer heat. 

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: 

You’ve heard this before, and if you are 

worried about frequent bathroom stops, try 

drinking 8 to 20 ounces of water first thing in 

the morning — by the time you are ready to 

get out on the road, your bladder will be too. 

• Consider more than just water: 

If you find yourself with heat exhaustion, 

think twice before chugging that water. If you 

are genuinely experiencing heat exhaustion, 

chugging high volumes of water can further 

dilute your body’s salt levels, causing a condition 

known as hyponatremia. 

Instead, hydrate yourself by increasing 

your intake of electrolytes. Electrolytes 

can be found in sports beverages like Gatorade, 

Powerade and many powders. Be careful, 

though, as many of these can have high 

amounts of hidden sugars. You can make 

your own electrolyte drink by mixing lemon 

juice and either Celtic or Himalayan salt into 

your water. 

COOL OFF WITH YOGA 

After a long day of battling the summer 

sun, consider trying a few yoga poses to help 

beat the summer heat. The following simple 

yoga poses are a great way to relax at the end 

of the day — and they’ll help you cool down 

and get ready to sleep. Best of all, they can 

be done right there in your sleeper bunk! The 

first two are pretty self-explanatory; just refer 

to the photos at right and below. 

• Bound Angle Pose. 

• Cobra Pose. 

• Sitali Breathing, or “Cooling Breath.” 

This breathing technique helps cool 

the body and calm the nervous system. Sit 

in a comfortable position with your spine 

straight. 

1. Take two or three deep inhales and exhale 

through your nose. 

2. Roll your tongue into a “U,” with the tip 

just outside the lips. 

3. Inhale deeply through the rolled 

tongue, draw your tongue back into your 

mouth, close your lips, and pause. 

4. Hold the breath for a moment, and 

then exhale slowly through your nose. 

5. Repeat at least five to 10 times to maximize 

the cooling effect. 

If you know it’s going to be hot and you 

might be without air conditioning, be prepared 

and take care of yourself with these 

simple strategies to keep your wheels rolling 

and your body happy and healthy. 

Hope Zvara is the CEO of Mother Trucker 

Yoga, a company devoted to improving truck 

drivers’ fitness and wellness standards. She 

has been featured in Forbes and Yahoo News, 

and is a regular guest on SiriusXM Radio. Her 

practical strategies show drivers how they can 

go from unhealthy and out of options to feeling 

good again. 8 

BOUND ANGLE POSE 

Joe Csik 609-526-9490 

Daniel Marchese 609-331-4258 

COBRA POSE



A quick scan of food product labels may offer some surprises 

THE TRUCKER 

TRAINER 

BOB PERRY 

Have ever noticed, when you are in a 

store shopping for food, the number of people 

who are label-reading these days and 

paying more attention to what the ingredients 

are? 

This is more than just a fad: We all need 

to take more control on educating ourselves 

about what we are putting into our bodies. 

Food — the right kinds of food — can be our 

best medicine. 

Think about it in terms of the type of 

fuel or oil you put in your truck. I’m sure 

you want to put in the best products that 

will give you the best outcomes in milage, 

performance and endurance. This why it’s 

important to learn about reading food and 

drink labels, and most importantly, what to 

look for. 

This can be a challenge for commercial 

drivers. When shopping at your favorite 

travel center when you stop to fuel up, food 

options can be limited. 

The Trucker Newspaper (888) 796-6631 

Here’s a good rule to follow: If you can’t 

pronounce the words, avoid it. Also, look 

to see if the product is filled with additives. 

Generally, the shorter the number of ingredients, 

the less processed it is — and most 

likely, the healthier. 

High-fructose corn syrup (HFC) is one 

ingredient to be aware of; try to stay clear 

of foods with HFC in them. It’s basically like 

sugar multiplied in your brain. 

Next, watch out for the word sodium — 

this means salt! Too much sodium can lead 

to high blood pressure. If you already have 

high blood pressure, eating high-sodium 

foods can make it hard to manage your levels. 

The recommended daily allowance for 

sodium is no more 2000 mg a day. That’s 

about one teaspoon of salt, so it’s important 

to read your label to understand the 

amounts. 

Speaking of amounts, another rule to follow 

is to pay attention to the number of servings. 

Many items that look like one serving 

actually include two or even three or more 

servings per container or package. This is 

where many of us make a huge mistake in 

not calculating our caloric intake (if you are 

counting calories) and watching sugar. 

And don’t forget your beverages. Always 

look at the nutrition facts panel on drinks; it 

can be quite shocking! One can of soda has 

about 28 grams of sugar. Basically, drinking 

iStock Photo 

Be sure to note the “serving size” information when checking product labels. Many convenience items that appear 

to contain a single serving actually contain enough for two or more. 

a 12-ounce can of soda is like eating seven 

spoonsful of sugar — yikes! 

Now, go out there and take control of 

your diet — and read your labels. 

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 

OTR Capital announces 

rebranding as OTR Solutions 


TForce 

Freight 

As part of one of the country’s 

fastest growing carriers, TForce 

Freight is changing the industry 

by offering owner operators 

a more solid business partner 

plus the opportunity for high 

gross earnings in a work 

environment that exceeds your 

business and lifestyle needs! 

888.796.6631 or apply now at: 

TForceFreightOwnerOperators.com 

ROSWELL, Ga. — OTR Capital has changed 

its name to OTR Solutions, a change they say 

better reflects the company’s mission. 

OTR Capital was founded in 2011 as a 

financial services and factoring provider 

dedicated to improving cash flow for motor 

carriers. 

Along with the new brand, OTR Solutions 

is offering several new services to the trucking 

industry, including ELEVATE, a first-tomarket 

solution that delivers value through 

branded domains and customized websites 

for carriers. 

“OTR Capital is not only a leading resource 

for capital to help carriers improve their 

business, beyond that, we are a carrier’s best 

friend for a range of services, and the broker’s 

most reliable and widely respected partner for 

serving the trucking community,” said CEO 

Fritz Owens said. 

“When we think about what we truly do 

here at OTR, our goal is to provide services 

for trucking companies to not only be as 

successful as possible, but also to better 

compete against, or even out-compete, the 

largest players in the market,” he said. “We 

want to be the go-to resource for small- and 

medium-sized carriers to get the financing 

and the services they need to thrive in today’s 

marketplace.” 

“We’ve always said from the very start that 

we’re more than just a factoring company,” 

said COO Grace Maher. 

“While it’s our core business and we do it 

better than anyone else, it’s been our mission 

to do everything we can to help the small 

carrier succeed, and to help brokers efficiently 

and effectively transact with a broad segment 

of the market,” Maher continued. “Through 

those solutions we currently have, the 

technology that we’re building, and the 

partners we’ve brought on board, we are going 

to continue to expand our menu of tools and 

services as we formally change our brand to 

OTR Solutions.” 

Included among the services that OTR 

is launching to expand its menu of services 

concurrent with its name change are the 

following: 

• An expansion of OTR’s “Bolt” product 

to allow carriers to receive “direct to debit” 

payments in a timely and cost-effective 

manner. 

• A “driver safety rating scorecard” tool that 

will allow carriers to monitor their FMCSA 

scores to ensure that a surprise inspection 

doesn’t take them off the road. 

SEE OTR ON PAGE 12


JULY 2022 • 7 

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CD’S SCAN HERE!

8 • JULY 2022 

FROM THE EDITOR: 

American 

dream 

BETWEEN 

THE LINES 

LINDA GARNER-BUNCH 

editor@thetruckermedia.com 

It may be a day or so early (or late, depending 

on when you picked up this copy of The 

Trucker), but happy Fourth of July, y’all! 

Hopefully all of you have a chance to celebrate 

the 246th birthday of the USA, maybe 

with a backyard barbecue or a community 

fireworks display. And for all the drivers who 

spend the holiday rolling down the highway 

with another load — thank you for everything 

you do. You are appreciated! 

Speaking of highways, this month’s trucker 

poll asked drivers to share their favorite 

stretch of highway. Check out Trucker Talk 

on this page, and keep your eyes peeled (I’ve 

always wondered where that saying originated; 

it’s really kind of bizarre) for new favorite 

routes to share. 

Last month I traveled the scenic route 

along U.S. 65 from central Arkansas to Branson, 

Missouri, on the way to the 2022 Shell 

Rotella SuperRigs event, held June 9-11. Of 

course, the drive was gorgeous — but the real 

treat was arriving at Branson Landing and 

watching all the hard-working truckers polishing 

their rigs before (and during) the truck 

show. Check out Page 4 to see who took home 

top SuperRigs honors. 

While the mornings during the show started 

out cool and foggy — there was even a bit of 

rain one day — the spirit of the drivers was as 

bright and cheerful as the sun that eventually 

broke through the clouds each day. 

I can’t say that I met every single driver 

who was at SuperRigs, but I can say that I 

tried! With every handshake and every conversation, 

I was treated to a unique glimpse 

into the lives of truckers and their families. 

As I visited with driver after driver, I was 

struck by the pride they took in the industry 

and in their rigs. Listening to the stories about 

why drivers chose the colors and details for 

their trucks made me realize just how deep 

the bond between driver and truck can be. 

This pride in workmanship, along with the 

love I saw between families at the show, is a 

perfect example of what I love about America: 

You don’t have to be born rich, or become rich, 

to realize the American dream. You don’t even 

have to be born in America! 

Every American dream is different, and 

each person’s path to that dream is unique. As 

Americans, we may not all agree on politics, 

religion or other issues, but that’s OK. What’s 

important is that we take time to listen to other 

points of view and allow others to pursue 

their dreams. 

Until next time, keep those rigs between 

mustard and mayonnaise! 8 

ASK THE 

ATTORNEY 

BRAD KLEPPER 

Brad Klepper is busy helping drivers this 

month. We hope you enjoy this column, which 

originally ran in July 2021. 

Those of you that read my columns may remember 

that I recently wrote on free speech 

and social media. As I mentioned then, I am a 

BIG free speech guy and feel strongly that no 

idea should be free from scrutiny, criticism or 

mockery. As I also said then, an unexamined 

thought or belief is not worth having. 

Since I wrote that column, I have received 

a few comments and questions about “hate” 

speech. I think we can all agree that you don’t 

have to look too far to find examples that 

would qualify as hate speech. Recent demonstrations 

by white supremacists are a good 

place to start. 

So, the question becomes, “Is hate speech 

protected by the First Amendment?” 

Well, I am glad you asked. 

Back in 2017, Ted Wheeler, the mayor of 

Portland, Oregon, said, “Hate speech is not 

protected by the First Amendment.” This 

comment was made after two men were 

killed after they confronted another individual 

who was using anti-Muslim slurs. 

Also in 2017, former Democratic National 

Chair Howard Dean, when referring 

to comments made by Ann Coulter said, 

“Hate speech is not protected by the First 

Amendment.” 

PERSPECTIVE 

Regarding civil liberties: Is ‘hate speech’ 

protected by the First Amendment? 

Trucker 

TALK 

Well, they were both wrong. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated 

that governments may not restrict speech expressing 

ideas that offend. 

A recent case addressing this matter 

is Matal v. Tam. In this case, Simon Tam, 

the founder and bass player for the Asian- 

American rock band The Slants sought to 

trademark the band name in an attempt to 

reclaim and take ownership of the derogatory 

term. The U.S. Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO) refused to register the mark 

and found it disparaging to people of Asian 

descent. In support of this position, the USP- 

TO found that the mark violated the Lanham 

Act’s provision against registration of disparaging 

trademarks. 

Of course, Tam decided to appeal to the 

Federal Circuit. On appeal, the Federal Circuit 

found the disparaging provision of the 

Lanham Act to be unconstitutional. 

This did not sit well with the USPTO, 

which appealed the decision to the Supreme 

Court. The issue is whether the disparaging 

provision of the Lanham Act violated the 

Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. 

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme 

Court held that the disparagement clause 

violates the First Amendments Free Speech 

Clause. In the opinion, Justice Alito wrote: 

“Speech that demeans on the basis of 

race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability 

or any other similar grounds is hateful; but 

the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence 

is that we protect the freedom to 

express the ‘thought we hate.’” 

This, my friends, is the basis of free speech. 

In a world where we can watch television 

shows, read newspapers and magazines, 

and listen to radio programs that only serve 

to support our already existing beliefs, it is 

easy to be in favor of free speech — when 

that speech echoes our own beliefs. But what 

becomes a challenge is remaining in favor of 

free speech when that speech goes against 

everything we stand for. 

Now, I am not a movie critic, but maybe 

20 years ago I watched the movie “The American 

President” starring Michael Douglas. 

The move had a bit of a Hollywood liberal 

take (and I like my movies politically neutral). 

However, in the movie, Michael Douglas 

is giving a speech, and he says: 

“America isn’t easy. America is advanced 

citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ’cause 

it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, ‘You 

want free speech? 

“Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose 

words make your blood boil, who’s standing 

center stage and advocating at the top of his 

lungs that which you would spend a lifetime 

opposing at the top of yours.’ 

“You want to claim this land as the land 

of the free? Then the symbol of your country 

cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to 

be one of its citizens exercising his right to 

burn that flag in protest. 

“Now show me that, defend that, celebrate 

that in your classrooms. Then you can 

stand up and sing about the land of the free.” 

Say what you will about the movie but 

that quote pretty much sums up the good 

and the bad about free speech. While I may 

not agree with anything you say — or your 

decision to burn the flag or do other things I 

may find reprehensible — I will defend to the 

death your right to do so. 

Brad Klepper is president of Interstate 

Trucker Ltd. 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 

Every month, The Trucker news staff conducts an informal driver poll on or 

Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheTruckerNewspaper). The latest poll 

asked the question, “Drivers, what is your favorite stretch of highway, and why?” 

Some of the responses are listed below (edited for clarity and length). If you have 

a question you’d like to see in the poll, email editor@thetruckermedia.com. 

“191 through West Yellowstone for the 

wildlife and scenery.” 

— Anna Brown 

“I-75 Kentucky to Knoxville. In summer, 

I-94 north Dakota.” 

— Kenneth Holiday 

“Montana Highway 200 from Missoula 

to Great Falls. The scenery and 

wildlife is beyond amazing. It’s the 

only road I’ve ever traveled where I’ve 

seen bald eagles, moose, elk, mule 

deer, grizzlies and so many other 

critters. The winter scenery is stunning 

if you dare to drive it in the winter.” 

— Keith Becker 

“I-95 just before and after the George 

Washington Bridge.” 

— Robert Westra 

“The highway that leads to my house.” 

— Bryan Madaris 

THETRUCKER.COM

THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE 

JULY 2022 • 9 

Mickey Gilley leads two country music cultural shifts 

RHYTHM OF 

THE ROAD 

KRIS RUTHERFORD 

krisr@thetruckermedia.com 

By the late 1970s, Mickey Gilley was a bona fide 

country music headliner. But he couldn’t have imagined 

what lay in store for him as the decade ended, 

even as a hint of the success he was about to enjoy 

came from a 1977 song by his famous cousin Jerry 

Lee Lewis. 

The next to the last of Lewis’ string of Top 5 singles 

came by way of his No. 4 hit “Middle-Age Crazy.” 

The plot of the lyrics revolves around a successful 

businessman’s mid-life crisis. Despite his success, 

something is missing from his life. To deal with 

growing older, he remakes himself. As Lewis sang, 

he traded his business suit for “jeans and high boots 

with an embroidered star.” 

Neither Lewis nor Gilley realized that the minor 

hit set the stage for a cultural shift in the U.S. “Middle-Age 

Crazy” was released as a movie starring 

Bruce Dern in early 1980, but it largely failed at the 

box office. However, the motion picture’s theme was 

about to become ingrained in American culture. 

The “cowboy look” soon became the American 

style of the early 1980s — only it wasn’t Lewis who 

helped bring cowboy dress to the forefront. Instead, 

it was Gilley, with a healthy dose of John Travolta, 

who led the revolution. 

When producers of the movie “Urban Cowboy” 

looked for a location to shoot their film, they knew 

they needed a country nightclub, and a big one. 

The so-called largest honky-tonk in the U.S., Gilley’s 

Club in Pasadena, Texas, offered the perfect backdrop. 

John Travolta, who was fresh off starring in 

the anything-but-country motion pictures “Grease” 

and “Saturday Night Fever,” found himself cast in the 

role of country boy Bud Davis, a young man who relocates 

to the Houston area and starts frequenting 

Gilley’s club. 

Looking back over four decades, the plot of “Urban 

Cowboy” is easily forgotten. But for those who 

lived through the era it ushered in, the movie’s impact 

is hard to forget. 

Gilley and several nightclub employees had 

parts in the movie, and Gilley’s band provided much 

of the soundtrack. Gilley himself was featured on the 

soundtrack album. “Here Comes the Hurt Again” 

brought Gilley a lot of air play — but it was his countryfied 

rendition of the soul song “Stand by Me” that 

elevated him from being an occasional hit maker to 

one of the 1980s most prolific artists. 

Likewise, it was Gilley’s style — cowboy boots, 

western hats with feathered grommets, and just 

a general western style of dress — that became all 

the rage. Areas of the country like New England, 

where few followed country music and only a handful 

of true cowboys lived, were suddenly overrun by 

Yankees donning the “Urban Cowboy” style. The period 

did much to increase the popularity of country 

music nationwide, and western retailers popped up 

from coast to coast. 

In short order, the image of the “Urban Cowboy” 

shifted from John Travolta’s character to the real-life 

Gilley. Gilley’s nightclub became a sensation and 

spawned the opening of similar country clubs across 

the nation. It also created an environment in which 

one of country music’s most popular female singers, 

Barbara Mandrell, could record her signature song, 

“I was Country (When Country wasn’t Cool).” 

By the time Gilley’s career slowed down, he had 

charted 39 Top 10 singles, 17 of which reached No. 

1. The likes of “You Don’t Know Me,” “That’s All that 

Matters to Me” and “True Love Ways” became classics 

of the 1980s country era. As the decade passed, 

Gilley shifted his music to a more orchestrated style, 

featuring strings and his iconic piano in his recordings 

rather than the hard-driving piano of his earlier 

sons like “The Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time.” 

This fresh Gilley style was largely inspired by the 

crossover success many country artists experienced 

during the decade. The change in his music also reflected 

a change in Gilley’s persona. The man who 

had ridden a nightclub to fame made himself over 

for a new audience. He sold his nightclub and relocated 

to a new spot in the U.S. where country music 

was taking off — Branson, Missouri. 

Branson was a growing community that centered 

around country music-related entertainment. 

For a performer like Gilley, the area was a godsend. 

The city became packed with theaters and boasted 

as many current and former stars per square mile 

than anywhere other than Nashville. And the town 

became a saving grace for more than one artist’s 

career. 

“Branson works because it provides the best 

conditions for the fans and the entertainers,” Gilley 

said. “The fans get to see us under the best setting 

possible … theaters have good seats, and we have 

the best stage setups.” 

What’s more, performers in Branson often 

owned their theaters. They didn’t have to deal with 

the daily grind of putting together and tearing down 

a stage show. The grueling pace of touring didn’t 

wear down the performers, most of whom owned 

homes not far from their theaters. Throughout the 

1990s, Branson grew, and Gilley found himself at the 

center of another seismic shift on the country music 

scene. He became one of Branson’s most popular 

stars, raking in profits from hundreds of fans who’d 

visit for both afternoon and evening shows held 

year-round. 

While the new hits stopped coming when Gilley 

shifted to Branson, the audiences his show attracted 

didn’t seem to care. Promoters marketed Branson 

toward an older crowd — people who remembered 

the likes of Andy Williams, Floyd Kramer, Mel Tillis 

and numerous comedy and variety shows. These 

people didn’t expect or want to hear new material 

from the performers whose shows they frequented; 

they wanted to hear the hit songs of days gone by. 

Gilley’s former popularity provided enough hit 

songs to fill a show, and recording wasn’t as important 

as it had been earlier in his career. Branson became 

a prime retirement area for people looking for 

a nice place to live, and it served semi-retired performers 

as well. 

For the most part, Gilley played out his life in 

Branson. His shows were among the most popular 

in the city. Gilley’s name became as much a part of 

Branson as the ever-popular theme park Silver Dollar 

City. And it provided an iconic setting for a popular 

artist to complete a career that headlined two of 

the most noted contributions to late 20th century 

country music. 

Until next time, don’t wear a cowboy hat in a 

Ford Focus. It just ain’t right. 8 

Aim your camera 

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truck-driving 

jobs 

as well news, videos and job 

resources ... all in one place! 

at the code to 

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10 • JULY 2022 PERSPECTIVE 


at the TRUCK STOP 

PRESENTED 

BY CAT SCALE. 

VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM 

Safety 

FIRST 

LONGTIME TRUCKER DUANE DORNATH 

FINDS JOY IN HIS CAREER, FAMILY 

CLIFF ABBOTT | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

Completing a trip with no accidents, no 

citations and no violations added to a CSA 

score is the goal of every professional driver. 

Repeating this performance — year after year 

and with the same company for more than 40 

years — is a record achieved by very few. 

Duane Dornath, who drives for Nashville, 

Tennessee-based Western Express, is one of 

those few. 

Dornath began his remarkable run in 1979 

with Smithway Motor Express, running flatbed 

out of the company’s Fort Dodge, Iowa, 

home terminal. Nearly three decades later, 

in 2007, Smithway was acquired by Western 

Express; the two companies were integrated 

into one operation under the Western Express 

name in 2009. 

Western retained parts of the Fort Dodge 

facility, which still home base for Dornath. 

“When I started with Smithway, I ran over 

the road for them for seven or eight years,” 

he said. “I went all over. The only two states 

I never got to were Washington and Oregon.” 

Running the road was easier for Dornath 

back then. 

“I wasn’t married at the time, and so it was 

a good way to see lots of different parts of the 

country that I’d never seen before,” he said. 

“Once we got married and started a family, I 

wanted to be around them.” 

About that time, Smithway started up 

dedicated lanes in the Midwest region, which 

provided more home time for Dornath. 

“And then Western Express bought out 

Smithway and said I can do the same thing I’d 

already been doing, so I kept doing the same 

job,” he said. “They have treated me very well.” 

He’s currently driving a nearly-new International 

ProStar tractor. 

Along the way, Duane got involved with 

the Iowa Motor Truck Association (IMTA), 

earning a berth on the state’s Road Team as 

well as participating with the Iowa State Patrol 

Ride-Along program. 

“There’s plenty of negative stuff out there 

about the trucking industry, and I think that 

anything we can do to promote a better picture 

is good for everybody,” he said. 

As a member of IMTA’s Road Team, 

Dornath met with members of the Iowa 

legislature to discuss trucking issues. 

“We wore suits, and they said we didn’t 

look like truck drivers,” he recalled. The group 

discussed issues facing the trucking industry, 

highway safety and other topics. 

Dornath rode with members of the Iowa 

State Patrol to get a better idea of the law 

enforcement’s perspective of the trucking industry. 

In turn, troopers rode along with him 

to observe firsthand the hazards of driving a 

commercial motor vehicle. 

In 2020, Dornath was selected for the 

prestigious International Driver Excellence 

Award by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance 

(CVSA). He has also participated in the 

annual IMTA truck driving championships, 

winning the flatbed division seven times and 

placing in the Top 3 at nationals three times. 

Because of his record of over 4 million safe 

miles and his longevity at Western, Dornath 

has been approached several times about becoming 

a trainer. 

“I’ve never been interested in doing that,” 

he said. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t 

take every opportunity to mentor newer drivers 

he meets at customer locations or company 

terminals. 

“I help out whenever I can,” he said. “I’ve 

been doing this for a long time, so I have experience 

I can share with drivers who are learning.” 

When he’s not hauling sheetrock, lumber 

or shingles around the upper Midwest, Dornath 

likes spending time with his family. He 

and wife Mary have raised four children, none 

of whom chose a career in trucking. 

“I’m a little surprised by that, but I’m glad 

they’re doing what they want,” he said. 

There are three grandchildren in the family, 

too, “all pretty girls,” he said. The couple’s 

first grandson was born as this story was being 

prepared for press. Duane and Mary baby 

sit often, and stay involved with the family. 

“They keep things interesting,” he quipped. 

These days, many of his runs get him home 

during the week and on weekends. He credits 

Mary for the success of the family. 

“She was raising the kids when I wasn’t 

Courtesy: Duane Dornath 

Duane Dornath, a driver for Western Express, began his trucking career in 1979, hauling flatbed trailers for 

Smithway Motor Express. The company was bought by Nashville, Tennessee-based Western Express in 2007. 

there. She did a great job,” he said. 

Baseball is a passion of Dornath’s, and he’s 

a fan of the Minnesota Twins. 

“Going back and forth to Minnesota, I can 

keep a close eye on them and see what’s going 

on,” he said. He also enjoys the NFL’s Minnesota 

Vikings. 

Much of his spare time is devoted to working 

at the church the family attends. 

“I help out where I’m needed,” he said. “I 

help out with events, deliver food boxes, whatever 

is needed when I’m available.” 

Even when Dornath isn’t at church, his 

faith goes with him. 

“I grew up in a faith-based family,” he said. 

“I give God thanks and praise every morning 

for all he has done for me and the family.” 

Like any driver with millions of safe miles 

under his belt, Dornath has some advice for 

his fellow drivers. 

“I don’t care how many safe miles you’ve 

driven, how many plaques and awards you 

have — it doesn’t guarantee anything for the 

next mile coming up,” he said. “Safety comes 

a mile at a time. 

“You’ve got to have short-term memory 

loss,” he continued. “You’re going to have drivers 

who cut you off, sometimes even truck 

drivers. You can’t carry that with you and let it 

mess up your driving. Let it go.” 

Although he’ll soon be 66, Dornath isn’t 

thinking of retirement yet. 

“I get a lot of people asking when I’ll retire,” 

he said. “I guess I know the places where I pick 

up and deliver, I know the people real well. I 

don’t even have to use a GPS to find them, I’ve 

been there so many times. 

“I think retirement might be overrated, 

but maybe I’ll feel different when winter gets 

here,” he added. 

Whether he’s making another run, spending 

time with family or at church or just working 

around the home, Duane Dornath is enjoying 

life — safely. 8

CATTheTrucker051022 fullpage.qxp_Layout 1 5/10/22 2:21 PM Page 1 

THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE 

JULY 2022 • 11 

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12 • JULY 2022 PERSPECTIVE 


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Make sure your life spreads 

encouragement, light to others 

CHAPLAIN’S 

CORNER 

REV. MARILOU COINS 

Have you ever thought about how your 

life impacts other people? I’d like to start this 

month off with a Bible verse and then explore 

its meaning a bit to help you understand how 

our lives impact each other. 

Matthew 5:14-17 says, “You are the light of 

the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be 

hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it 

under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it 

gives light unto all that are in the house. Let 

your light so shine before men that they may 

see your good works and glorify your Father 

which is in heaven.” 

How many of you carry a flashlight with 

you when traveling? Well, let’s suppose you’re 

using that flashlight and the light goes dim, 

or just stops working. Do you throw the flashlight 

away? No! You change its batteries. 

The same could be said of people. When 

someone messes up or finds themselves in a 

dark spot, do you ignore them or write them 

off ? Of course not! You help them see the 

brighter side of things. In essence, you help 

them “change their batteries.” Some folks may 

need AA batteries (attention and affection) 

and some may need AAA (attention, affection 

and acceptance). Others may need C (compassion) 

or D (direction). If none of these options 

help them shine, they may just need someone 

— someone like you — to sit with them quietly 

and share your light. 

Your impact on others is bigger than you 

think. 

Do you realize that someone may just 

think about something you said and giggle? 

Or that a compliment you gave to someone 

brings a smile to their face when they think of 

you and what you said? The advice you pass 

on to someone might just make a difference in 

their life. The support and love you offered and 

shared may just make a difference in someone’s 

day. Your impact and opinions may have 

made someone think twice before they act. 

You’re not insignificant or forgotten. 

Whether you see it or not, you may have made 

a positive impact on someone else’s life. There 

is nothing better than giving others the best 

of who we are. Good people are like the street 

light of life. They don’t shorten the distance, 

but they light up the path and make the walk 

through life worthwhile for others. 

Let’s all try to be a “flashlight” for those 

who are hurting, needing direction and wanting 

to share their thoughts and troubles. Share 

your light with them. Don’t ignore those that 

really want to just talk. Be a listener. Share 

your light with them. You may never know 

how much it may make a difference in someone’s 

life. 

Keep your flashlight bright and share your 

light. Don’t hide it; share it! Pass the light of 

Christ around. This world needs more flashlights 

and refreshed batteries. 

Remember this childhood song? “This 

little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let 

shine, let it shine.” 

Never hide your light. Instead, pass it 

around so others can see it and bask in its 

glow. Only you can make the difference in this 

world, one flashlight at a time. Are you ready 

to shine your light so others may bask in the 

glow? Have a blessed and safe Fourth of July, 

and may all of us be a light unto others as we 

go through the month. 

Best of the roads and all gears forward in 

Jesus. 8 

We have a dedicated department 

that focuses on owner-operators. 

You can count on the experts at PTS to help you 

get organized, make more money, and pay less 

in taxes every year. 

OTR cont. from Page 6 

• An “OTR Solutions Forum” where carriers 

can trade notes best practices with their 

industry colleagues, identify opportunities, 

and find new ideas for growing the success of 

their business. 

• Expanded availability of OTR’s fuel 

advance app to allow carriers to receive 

advance financing in today’s high fuel cost 

environment; and 

• The $9 Lumper Advance, which for a 

low and flat fee of $9 will provide advance 

financing of lumper fees. 

In the coming months and years, Owens 

said, OTR will be expanding its menu of 

additional services in its continuing quest to 

help carriers and brokers succeed. 8 

Tax Resolution & Advisory Specialists 

Matthew.Sturm@practicaltaxsolutions.net 

https://practicaltaxsolutions.net/irs-tax-help/ 

866.995.0002 

iStock Photo 

OTR Capital has changed its name to OTR Solutions, a change they say better reflects the company’s mission.


BUSINESS 

JULY 2022 • 13 

Survival games 

DRIVERS SCRAMBLE FOR LOADS AS TRUCKING 

PENDULUM SWINGS TO DOWNCYCLE 


Things are tough all over. There is still 

freight to haul, but there’s more competition 

for it. In the meantime, expenses are up and 

rates are down — and it’s likely to get worse 

before it gets better. 

The American Trucking Associations 

(ATA) reported a decline of 2% in freight 

hauled by member carriers in May. The ATA 

release said freight levels had climbed for 

eight consecutive months prior to the April 

decline. 

“It is important to note that ATA’s forhire 

tonnage data is dominated by contract 

freight with minimal amounts of spot market 

loads,” said Bob Costello, chief economist 

for ATA. “The spot market has softened 

more than for-hire contract freight, as the 

market transitions back to pre-pandemic 

shares of contract versus spot market.” 

Costello is referring to economic conditions 

that saw a surge in retail products during 

the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which 

are shipped on the spot market. Much contract 

freight hauled goes to the manufacturing 

industry, which suffered shutdowns and 

slowdowns during the pandemic. 

Today, consumer spending on retail 

items is slowing, with higher gasoline prices 

and inflation taking up more of the family 

dollars. 

The Cass Freight Indexes, published by 

Cass Information Systems, showed an April 

decline in shipments of 2.6% over March 

and 3.5% compared to April 2021. The Cass 

Index measures multiple modes of transportation 

including rail, air, ship and pipeline, 

in addition to trucking. 

The Cass Index for May reversed the 

trend, showing a 5.4% increase in total shipments. 

The expenditures index, however, 

went in the other direction: Total shipping 

expenditures fell by 4.9% from April. The 

Cass release stated, “After a nearly two-year 

cycle of surging freight volumes, two key 

drivers of growth for the freight cycle — 

goods consumption and inventory restocking 

— are faltering.” 

Another factor reported in the Cass report 

is the ACT For-Hire Trucking Survey: 

Supply-Demand Balance. For this metric, 

available freight represents demand and capacity, 

and the number of available trucks 

represents supply. The ACT index has been 

showing more demand than the trucking 

industry could provide trucks to haul for 

21 consecutive months. That changed in 

March, with a change to the supply side. 

There is less freight and more trucks to 

haul it. 

One reason there are more trucks is that 

there are more drivers; the driver shortage 

many large carriers have complained about 

is seeing some relief. Avery Vise, vice president 

of trucking for FTR, explained one of 

the reasons. 

“Net revocations of for-hire authority approached 

9,300 (in May) and were more than 

double the number recorded in April, and 

were a record,” he said in a June 6 podcast. 

Vise explained that it takes time to revoke 

authority, which often occurs when the 

owner’s insurance lapses. Because there’s a 

30-day grace period for premium payment, 

revocations that occurred in May were carrier 

businesses that failed in March or April. 

As spot rates rose over the past two 

years, record numbers of drivers bought 

trucks and sought their own authority to 

take advantage of the high rates. Now it 

seems the opposite is beginning to happen: 

Lower rates and high expenses are causing 

some to sell (or surrender) their trucks and 

take jobs as company drivers. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

trucking added more than 27,000 jobs 

in April and May. Not all of them were driving 

jobs, of course, but a large percentage of 

them were, allowing carriers to put trucks 

that were previously parked back on the 

road. 

When the number of trucks increases 

and the amount of freight decreases, spot 

rates suffer first. 

Where spot rates are generally posted for 

loads that are currently available, contract 

rates can be negotiated months in advance 

and may not always represent current market 

conditions. Contract rates usually follow 

spot rates, but the results take longer 

to show up because carriers must negotiate 

new rates with their customers before 

changing them. 

“While I expect contract freight to outperform 

spot market freight, the rate of 

growth will be slower than in 2021,” added 

ATA’s Costello. “Most contract carriers are 

still struggling with maintaining enough capacity, 

both equipment and drivers.” 

As spot rates continue to decline, as they 

have for the past four months, carriers that 

depend on the spot market will continue 

to struggle with higher fuel prices and increased 

inflation. 

According to the latest DAT Trendlines, 

spot rates for van loads have fallen 

more than 10% since March, when the average 

rate per mile was $3.02. That rate 

fell to $2.79 in April and then to $2.71 

in May. The report notes that van rates 

typically rise by eight cents per mile in 

iStock Photo 

The national average price for a gallon of diesel fuel reached $5.72 in mid-June, 47 cents higher that it was at the 

end of March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Prices easily topped $6 per gallon on the 

West Coast, reaching an average of $6.89 in California. 

June, but it hasn’t happened this year. 

Refrigerated freight followed a similar 

trajectory, dropping from $3.41 in March to 

$3.15 in April and then to $3.07 in May for a 

total decline of just under 10%. 

The bright spot in the trend goes to the 

flatbed sector, which may be benefiting 

from seasonal changes as construction activity 

picks up. Flatbed rates have climbed 

from $3.40 in March and were up two cents 

per mile in April; rates reached $3.45 in May 

and had climbed to $3.48 by mid-June. 

The bad news, however, is the cost of 

fuel. The national average price for a gallon 

of diesel fuel reached $5.72 in mid-June, 47 

cents higher that it was at the end of March, 

according to the U.S. Energy Information 

Administration. Prices easily topped $6 per 

gallon on the West Coast, reaching an average 

of $6.89 in California. 

When a fuel surcharge (or equivalent 

amount) is subtracted from spot rates, it is 

evident that rates have fallen much farther. 

Truckstop.com, in conjunction with FTR, 

reported that dry van rates from its load 

board, posted in the second week of June, 

were 10% lower than June 2021, but about 

29% lower is an “imputed” fuel surcharge 

is factored in. Refrigerated loads were 

28% lower. Even flatbed rates, which have 

risen, are 4% lower when fuel surcharge is 

factored. 

It was only a matter of time until the 

trucking upcycle ended. Belt-tightening and 

judicious management will be needed for 

the downcycle to come. 8

14 • JULY 2022 BUSINESS 


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THETRUCKER.COM JULY 2022 • 15 

BUSINESS 

SAFETY SERIES 

Keep safety in mind while 

driving, even when it’s 

necessary to be aggressive 


Anyone who has driven a commercial vehicle 

professionally has likely received a ton 

of training in defensive driving. Whether the 

training is from the National Safety Council, 

the Smith System, an insurer of a trucking 

businesses or some other source, the focus 

always points to keeping yourself out of accidents, 

regardless of who might be a fault for 

causing them. 

However, some situations call for driving 

that, for lack of a better term, is aggressive 

in nature. Turns made at intersections, for 

example, sometimes require the driver of a 

commercial truck to occupy more than one 

lane or to turn into a lane with oncoming 

traffic, occupying the space before another 

motorist does. Another example is merging 

your vehicle into another lane, as when the 

signs say that the lane you’re in is coming 

to an end. Your turn signal is on, but traffic 

in the lane you need doesn’t seem to notice. 

At some point, you’ll need to either change 

lanes or come to a stop. 

Some types of aggressive driving, such as 

FLEET FOCUS 

traveling too close to the vehicle ahead in 

hopes of intimidating the driver into speeding 

up or moving over, are simply foolhardy. 

At other times, such as the examples just 

mentioned, being aggressive is almost a necessity 

— as long as it can be done safely. 

There are rules to any sort of aggressive 

driving. 

First and foremost, aggressive maneuvers 

should be used only when absolutely necessary. 

Every driver faces intersections where it 

is impossible to make a turn without using 

a part of a lane used by oncoming traffic. If 

traffic is light enough, it is sometimes possible 

to use that space without much accident 

risk. When traffic is heavy, however, it’s 

another story. Picking the right time to pull 

out, making sure oncoming traffic is aware of 

what you’re doing, is the key. 

It’s also important to understand the risk 

of the maneuver you’re planning to make. 

Will other traffic have time to slow down 

or stop when you make the maneuver? For 

a lane change, for example, turn signals are 

Preparation is key to passing 

DOT roadside inspections 

Drivers are often surprised when a DOT 

roadside inspection turns up one or more 

issues, especially if those issues are of the 

shut down variety. 

In the majority of cases, however, 

discrepancies on an inspection end up 

being relatively simple issues that could 

easily have been taken care of before the 

inspection … if only someone had checked. 

Violations can be costly in terms of 

fines, as well as lost time, late deliveries 

and missed loads. The cost of repairs on the 

road, such as a service call to the parking lot 

of a scale house, can be very high. 

There are multiple levels of inspections 

performed on commercial vehicles, but the 

vast majority fall into Levels 1, 2 and 3. 

A Level 3 inspection deals with the 

driver and compliance with the rules. The 

inspector will look at the driver’s CDL to 

determine that it’s valid and is appropriate 

for the vehicle driven and the cargo being 

hauled. All too often, drivers are cited for not 

having their CDL with them or for driving 

on a CDL that has been suspended for issues 

like child support payments. Expired CDLs 

aren’t uncommon, either. 

The driver is also required to have a 


medical examiner’s certificate. Usually 

this is on file with the state that issued the 

CDL, but some states require the driver to 

carry a copy. Some drivers have difficulty 

keeping track of the expiration date on their 

certificate and fail to get a new one in time. 

The inspector will also look at the 

driver’s record of duty status, either through 

the electronic logging device (ELD) or 

by inspecting logbooks, if the driver is 

authorized to use them. 

The permit book falls into this inspection 

level, too. Authority, registration, IFTA 

authorization and other documents will be 

inspected, as well as any permits required 

in the state in which the inspection is 

conducted. Proof of insurance will also be 

checked. Drivers who never look in their 

permit books are often surprised to find 

they are found lacking. 

The inspector may also check for seatbelt 

use and look for signs of drug use or alcohol 

impairment. 

Passing a Level 3 inspection is mostly a 

matter of making sure all documents are up 

to date and in the driver’s possession. 

SEE FOCUS ON PAGE 21 

iStock Photo 

Turns made at intersections sometimes require the driver of a commercial truck to occupy more than one lane or to 

turn into a lane with oncoming traffic, occupying the space before another motorist does. 

only one form of communicating your intentions. 

Lane positioning can help others understand 

your intentions, too. Even a slight 

shift of your vehicle from the center of your 

lane to the edge closest to the lane you want 

can help communicate what you’re doing to 

others. 

A part of understanding the risk is this: 

Never assume that the other driver will react 

as you would. 

As a professional driver, you would know 

how to react when a large vehicle is moving 

into the lane ahead. An amateur, however, 

may not be able to see the cones and barrels 

in the lane ahead of the truck, and he or she 

may not be prepared for movement. Worse, 

the motorist may decide to accelerate, attempting 

to get ahead of the truck moving 

into the lane. After all, big trucks are slow 

and cumbersome, while cars are fast and agile, 

right? 

In another scenario, commercial vehicle 

drivers sometimes have difficulty making left 

turns against oncoming traffic. After waiting 

for what seems a long time for an opening in 

traffic, drivers sometimes see a gap and go 

for it. In some cases, the speed of the oncoming 

traffic is underestimated. In other cases, 

an assumption is made that oncoming vehicles 

will see the large truck turning in front 

of them and will slow, as necessary, to avoid 

a collision. 

In this case, the problem is that the turn 

isn’t complete until the trailer clears the intersection. 

That can be as long as 20 to 25 

seconds after the driver initiates the turn. 

An oncoming vehicle travelling 55 mph can 

cover one-third to one-half of a mile in that 

time frame, perhaps reaching the intersection 

before the trailer clears. If that driver is 

distracted in any way, the turning truck may 

not be seen until it’s too late to react. 

Driving defensively should be the default 

attitude of every professional. Where driving 

aggressively could put you at the mercy 

of mistakes made by others, defensive driving 

helps protect you from the consequences 

of those mistakes. So, while you’re figuring 

SEE SAFETY ON PAGE 21

16 • JULY 2022 

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EQUIPMENT & TECH 

JULY 2022 • 17 

Manufacturing dilemma 

INDUSTRY ANALYSTS SAY MORE THAN 21,000 NEW TRUCKS SOLD IN MAY WHILE ORDERS DECLINED 

CLIFF ABBOTT | CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

May sales of new Class 8 trucks on the 

U.S. market increased by 7.6% in May over 

April sales figures, according to data received 

from ACT Research. Sales of 21,272 

units made May the best month of the year 

so far — and the best May since 2019. May 

was also the first month when sales exceeded 

those in the corresponding month in 

2021, when 18,761 trucks were sold. 

So, how did OEMs sell more than 21,000 

trucks in a month when just 19,500 were 

built? 

“We’ve been seeing inventory building 

and you wonder, with demand so strong, 

why is inventory continuing to grow?” said 

Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at 

ACT Research. 

Part of the answer is that many trucks 

were nearly completed in previous months 

and then parked at the factory or the dealer, 

waiting for a final part or two to come in before 

delivery to the customer. 

“It shows maybe some parts finally made 

it to the supply chain,” Vieth added. 

Of the new Class 8 trucks sold, 16,402 

(77.1%) were fifth-wheel equipped over-theroad 

tractors, while the remainder were vocational 

models with dump, concrete, trash 

or other bodies mounted. 

Freightliner led the charge, reporting 

sales of 7,309, according to data received 

from Wards Intelligence. Compared to 

April’s 6,653, Freightliner sales increased 

6.9%. 

The biggest growth of sales by percentage, 

however, went to International, which 

reported sales of 2,799 — an increase of 

46.5% over April’s 1,911. 

Kenworth’s 2,803 units sold topped 

April’s 2,588 by 8.3% but lagged behind May 

2021 sales of 2,919 by 4%. PACCAR sibling 

Peterbilt reported sales of 3,375 trucks in 

May, a 6.4% climb from 3,173 sold in April 

and 15.1% better than the 2,933 sold in May 

2021. 

Volvo reported sales of 2,546, topping 

April sales by 121 trucks for an increase of 

5%. Compared with May 2021, when 1,413 

Volvos were sold, sales increased by a whopping 

80.2%. Volvo-owned Mack Truck reported 

sales of 1,372, a decline of 5.2% from 

April’s 1,448 trucks sold. 

Western Star, a Freightliner company, 

sold 511 units in May, down 23.7% from 

April’s 670. Still, sales bested the 447 sold in 

May 2021 by 14.3%. 

Truck manufacturers have been hampered 

for more than a year by supply chain 

issues. Semiconductors are in short supply, 

and components needed to build trucks 

have been delayed by COVID closings. Materials 

such as steel and aluminum have 

been hard to come by and expensive when 

available. 

To counter supply chain issues, OEMs are 

taking some unusual steps. Some are building 

trucks that are parked on the lot, waiting 

for a final component to arrive. Once 

the parts are available, they can quickly be 

installed and the trucks moved out. 

Another tactic is to simply sell trucks 

without some of the options. Trucks have 

been delivered to carriers without window 

actuators, ADAS features such as adaptive 

cruise control, and even without passenger 

seats. 

Orders for new trucks have far outstripped 

production, resulting in wait times 

of a year or longer for delivery. 

FTR reported that new truck orders are 

dropping to levels far below last year’s pace, 

but part of the reason is that OEMs are reluctant 

to book orders so far in the future. 

“The supply chain was making slight 

improvements in the last few months,” said 

Don Ake, vice president, commercial vehicles 

for FTR. “The OEMs are not confident 

they can increase production in the second 

half of the year; therefore, they are not able 

to take more orders.” 

In the used truck market, prices have 

reached record levels. One reason is that 

some carriers turned to used trucks when 

they couldn’t get new trucks to expand 

their fleets. Another reason, judging from 

the record numbers of new carrier registrations 

granted by the DOT last year, is drivers 

buying trucks and starting their own companies 

to take advantage of surging spot 

freight rates. 

The pendulum has swung the other way 

in the trucking industry as rising fuel costs 

and falling rates have made it more difficult 

for small trucking businesses to profit. Large 

numbers of them are closing their doors. 

Avery Vise, vice president of trucking at 

FTR, addressed the issue in a June 6 podcast. 

“Net revocations of for-hire authority 

approached 9,300 (in May) and were more 

than double the number recorded in April 

and were a record,” he said, pointing out 

that most revocations are made due to insurance 

lapses, which have a 30-day grace 

period. 

“Most of the operations that had authority 

revoked in May probably already failed 

in March and in April. I’m sure that most 

of them probably stopped operating in that 

first two weeks after the surge in diesel prices,” 

Vise concluded. 

A June 15 press release from ACT Research 

was entitled, “US Used Truck Sales 

Cycle at the Beginning of the End.” The release 

predicted that used truck prices have 

reached a peak and will soon begin coming 

down. 

Unfortunately, rising fuel costs, falling 

iStock Photo 

According to industry analysts, May sales of new Class 8 trucks on the U.S. market increased by 7.6% in May over 

April sales figures. Sales of 21,272 units made May the best month of the year so far — and the best May since 

2019. May was also the first month when sales exceeded those in the corresponding month in 2021, when 18,761 

trucks were sold. 

freight rates and rising interest rates seem 

to conspire against a truck purchase. On 

June 15, the Federal Reserve raised its key 

interest rate by .75%, the largest increase 

since 1994. Fed chair Jay Powell said that 

a similar hike is possible at the Fed’s next 

meeting in July. 

“By raising interest rates, the Fed is 

hitting the economy’s brakes to slow the 

economy down. So, that’s, going to add to 

the problem of declining freight,” explained 

Vieth. 

Recession is very possible, Vieth said. At 

least, a freight recession. As consumers spend 

more of their dollars on fuel and food, less is 

left over to purchase goods that truckers haul 

as freight. 

“Because the freight cycle has been 

growing for two years, and, is due for a rollover,” 

Vieth continued. “The roll off is occurring 

almost exactly when we thought it 

was going to. What’s different is the speed 

at which the roll off is occurring is much 

sharper than our forecasts were originally 

anticipating.” 

Nobody knows how long the trucking 

downcycle will last, or how deep it will go, but 

for now, investing in new equipment remains 

an expensive proposition with little guarantee 

of profits in a tightening market. 8

18 • JULY 2022 EQUIPMENT & TECH 


Report shows nearly 400 automated 

vehicle crashes in 10 months 

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

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DETROIT — As the push for autonomous 

Class 8 trucks continues, with ongoing road tests 

in Texas and a handful of other states, many in 

the trucking industry are keeping a close watch 

on the development of autonomous passenger 

cars as well as commercial vehicles. 

Automakers reported nearly 400 crashes over 

a 10-month period involving vehicles with partially 

automated driver-assist systems, including 

273 with Teslas, according to statistics released 

in mid-June by U.S. safety regulators. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

(NHTSA) cautioned against using 

the numbers to compare automakers, saying it 

didn’t weight them by the number of vehicles 

from each manufacturer that use the systems, or 

how many miles those vehicles traveled. 

Automakers reported crashes from July of 

last year through May 15 under an order from 

the agency, which is examining such crashes 

broadly for the first time. 

“As we gather more data, NHTSA will be able 

to better identify any emerging risks or trends 

and learn more about how these technologies 

are performing in the real world,” said Steven 

Cliff, the agency’s administrator. 

Tesla’s crashes happened while vehicles were 

using Autopilot, Full Self-Driving, Traffic Aware 

Cruise Control or other driver-assist systems 

that have some control over speed and steering. 

The company has about 830,000 vehicles 

with the systems on the road. 

The next closest of a dozen automakers that 

reported crashes was Honda, with 90. Honda says 

it has about 6 million vehicles on U.S. roads with 

such systems. Subaru was next with 10 crashes, 

and all other automakers reported five or fewer. 

In a June 2021 order, NHTSA told more than 

100 automakers and automated vehicle tech companies 

to report serious crashes within one day of 

learning about them and to disclose less-serious 

crashes by the 15th day of the following month. 

The agency is assessing how the systems perform 

and whether new regulations may be needed. 

Six people were killed in the crashes involving 

driver-assist systems, and five were seriously 

hurt, NHTSA said. Of the deaths, five occurred 

in Teslas and one was reported by Ford. Three of 

the serious injuries were in Teslas, while Honda 

and Ford each reported one. 

Tesla’s crash number may appear elevated 

somewhat because it uses telematics to monitor 

its vehicles and get real-time crash reports. 

Other automakers don’t have such capability, so 

their reports may come slower or crashes may 

not be reported at all, NHTSA said. A message 

was left seeking comment from Tesla. 

Tesla’s crashes accounted for nearly 70% of 

the 392 reported by the dozen automakers. Although 

the Austin, Texas, automaker calls its 

systems Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, it says 

the vehicles cannot drive themselves; the drivers 

must be ready to intervene at all times. 

Auto safety advocates said driver-assist and 

self-driving systems have potential to save lives, 

but not until NHTSA sets minimum performance 

standards and requires safety improvements 

to protect all road users. 

“It’s clear that U.S. road users are unwitting 

participants in beta testing of automated driving 

technology,” said Cathy Chase, president of 

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. 

Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said that although 

NHTSA’s data has limitations, it’s not 

isolated evidence that Tesla has ignored regulations, 

putting the public in danger. There has 

been “a never-ending parade of reports” of Teslas 

on automated systems rolling through stop 

signs or braking for no reason, he said. NHTSA 

also is investigating Teslas that crash into parked 

emergency vehicles. 

“As today’s data suggests, this contempt for 

auto safety laws has real-world consequences,” 

Markey said while urging NHTSA to take enforcement 

action. 

But many Tesla owners love the automation. 

Craig Coombs of Alameda, California, said he 

uses the systems in stop-and-go traffic and on 

frequent highway trips. “They really reduce driver 

fatigue overall,” he said. 

He gives himself a “moderate” grade for paying 

attention while using the system but says 

he never takes his mind off the road entirely. He 

knows the technology isn’t perfect, and said he 

has had to take over driving at times. 

Manufacturers were not required to report 

how many vehicles they have on the road that 

have the systems, nor did they have to report how 

far those vehicles traveled, or when the systems 

are in use, NHTSA said. At present, those numbers 

aren’t quantifiable, an agency official said. 

However, NHTSA has used the data to seek a 

recall, open investigations and provide information 

for existing inquiries, officials said. 

“This will help our investigators quickly identify 

potential defect trends that can emerge,” Cliff 

said. “These data will also help us identify crashes 

that we want to investigate and provide more 

information about how people in other vehicles 

interact with the vehicles.” 

Honda said it has packaged the systems 

to sell more of them, which could influence its 

numbers. “The population of vehicles that theoretically 

could be involved in a reportable event 

is much greater than the population of vehicles 

built by automakers with a less-aggressive deployment 

strategy,” the company said. 

Also, reports to NHTSA are based on unverified 

customer statements about whether 

automated systems were running at the time 

of a crash. Those crashes may not qualify for reporting 

to NHTSA after more data is gathered, 

Honda said. 

NHTSA’s order also covered companies that 

are running fully autonomous vehicles, and 25 

reported a total of 130 crashes. Google spinoff 

Waymo led with 62, followed by Transdev Alternative 

Services with 34 and General Motorscontrolled 

Cruise LLC with 23. 

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet 

Inc., said it has more than 700 autonomous 

vehicles in its fleet. The company is running 

a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in 

Arizona and testing one in California. The company 

said all the crashes happened at low speeds, 

with air bags inflating in only two of them. 

In 108 of the crashes involving fully autonomous 

vehicles, no injuries were reported, and 

there was only one serious injury. In most of the 

crashes, vehicles were struck from the rear. 8

FEATURES 


Love changes things 

CANDACE HUNTER LEFT CAREER IN FINANCE TO ENTER THE WORLD OF TRUCKING 


Candace Hunter was running a successful 

tax business in 2019 when love intervened. She 

met Rickie Braden, who was interested in starting 

a business of his own. 

Working together to consider the type 

of business that would provide the greatest 

chance for success, the couple decided on 

trucking. While Braden went to CDL school to 

learn the ropes, Hunter immersed herself in researching 

the trucking field. Then she climbed 

into the cab and rode with Braden to gain firsthand 

knowledge. 

“I just went on the road with him,” she said. 

“I was just teaching myself about everything, 

on how to start a trucking company, what we 

would need to do as far as budgeting, startup, 

and so on. As we were going he was teaching 

me about things, how his day is set up and what 

he needs to do with the trucking job. We did 

that for a whole year.” 

During those early days, the couple saved as 

much money as they could, preparing to buy a 

truck and start a business of their own. A year 

ago, they bought their truck, a 2016 Volvo VNL 

670, and began running under their own authority 

as Prolific Transport Corp. 

“Everything has been going great since 

then,” Hunter said. 

Today, Braden still does the driving while 

Hunter handles dispatching, broker relations, 

accounting and more. 

While managing her own business keeps 

Hunter busy, she says she also wants to 

help others start trucking their own businesses. 

To that end, their company website, 

prolifictransport.net, features the trucking 

operation as well as Hunter’s educational materials. 

She offers courses and consultation in 

dispatching, understanding business credit, 

building an email list and more. 

She has also published an eBook, “Beginner’s 

Guide to Successful Dispatching,” that 

covers topics such as how to set up and market 

your own dispatch company, negotiating rates, 

bookkeeping and more. 

While traveling, she has continued her college 

studies and recently earned a Master of 

Business Administration degree in business. 

She plans to continue her studies. 

“I’m going for my doctorate now,” she said. 

“I plan to major in psychology and open a practice.” 

The couple chose their Volvo tractor because 

of its ride comfort and fuel efficiency. 

“We have a refrigerator, TV and an air fryer,” 

Hunter said. “I can cook ribs or anything.” 

When they need to take a little time off, 

Hunter works to books loads going near their 

vacation destination. 

“We went to Colorado last year for Valentine’s 

Day,” she remarked. “It was my favorite 

vacation.” 

It’s not surprising that Hunter is concerned 

about rising fuel prices, but she says they 

haven’t suffered yet from some of the low spot 

rates being offered. 

“Honestly, we’ve been consistent on what 

our target goal is,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s 


Braden serves as the company’s driver, while Hunter handles dispatching, broker relations, accounting and other 

aspects of the business. 


In 2019, Candace Hunter left a successful tax business to enter the trucking industry with her significant other, 

Rickie Braden. Today the couple own and operate Prolific Transport Corp. 

how you book the load. Your negotiation skills 

definitely play a part, and I teach that in my 

book, on just using the things that are going on 

in our economy to kind of navigate that price 

index.” 

One of her techniques is to book loads that 

allow for early delivery, allowing the driver to 

move on to another load and keep the cash 

flowing. Another is to make sure the rates cover 

the higher cost of fuel. 

“Some of the brokers work with us giving us 

fuel surcharge. If they don’t give us that, we try 

to calculate it into our pricing and try to get it 

on the back end,” she explained. 

Hunter also considers the time frame of 

each load, rejecting those that tie up the equipment 

longer than necessary. 

“Often, they’ll try to give us a load over the 

weekend — they want us to pick up something 

on Friday and hold on to it until Monday. So, 

I’m going to ask for what I want for those three 

days.” 

She is meticulous about her bookkeeping. 

“I do it on a weekly basis, what we’re making 

cost per mile and what we’re spending on 

fuel,” she explained. She and Braden go over the 

numbers every month, evaluating what went 

right and identifying areas for improvement. 

The source of the loads Hunter books plays 

a role as well. She prefers the DAT load boards, 

if time permits. 

“They give you more time for negotiating 

back and forth,” she said. “If I need a load more 

quickly, I go directly to one of the carriers we 

deal with. If I have more time, I’ll go on a dashboard, 

since I can be more successful there.” 

Hunter credits the couples’ success to their 

attitude and approach. 

“We always try to keep a positive mind,” she 

stressed. “I visualized this day, with us starting 

this company, us going in and out of town, and I 

kept speaking it into existence. And even when 

we have hard times, we always try to stay positive 

with it.” 

She regularly engages in one-sided conversations 

with the couple’s Volvo tractor, which 

they’ve affectionately named M&M. Hunter 

says the name stands for “More Millions. 

“I tell it how much I appreciate her taking 

us where we needed to go,” she said with a 

laugh, adding that the practice has rubbed off 

on Braden, who now also talks to the truck. 

Hunter says she has plans to grow the company, 

including buying a second truck soon. 

“The next four years, if we do one truck a 

year, we’ll be where we really want to be,” she 

said. 

The goal is for both her and Braden to come 

out of the truck, taking on training and administrative 

roles in the company and hiring drivers. 

For now, they are content to travel together, 

along with Yorkshire Terrier “Cocoa.” 

In the meantime, Hunter wants to share her 

experience with others. 

“You can work together with a significant 

other in harmony,” she said. “You can grow a 

business from nothing, make money together 

and just live a happy life.” 8

20 • JULY 2022 FEATURES 


Everyday hero: 

Driver Kais Sorour works 

to ensure the safety of 

others on the road 

HANNAH BUTLER | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

Courtesy: Kais Sorour 

Commercial driver Kais Sorour saved a man’s life in 2020 following an upside-down rollover accident. He is shown 

here with Pennsylvania State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, who recognized his actions with an official citation. 

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WASHINGTON, Penn. — Heroes: They’re 

the stuff of legends, both in history and the 

entertainment industry. It’s not every day 

you meet a real-life hero, someone who acts 

quickly to help others. 

Kais Sorour, a 50-year-old independent 

contractor, is one of those heroes. On multiple 

occasions he has worked to save the 

lives of those around him. The most recent 

was just before the onset of the COVID-19 

shutdowns two years ago. 

On Jan. 29, 2020, Sorour watched as an 

accident unfolded on the roadway several 

ahead. A car, several vehicles ahead of him, 

rolled, landing upside down. 

Sorour set to work, calling emergency 

services and approaching the scene on foot 

to assess the damage. The damaged car’s 

doors were locked, so Sorour tried to break 

a window to pull the occupant, a male, out 

of the vehicle. It wouldn’t budge. 

“Then something tells me to go around 

and jump in another window or break the 

door, of all things, and jump in,” he told The 

Trucker. 

Miraculously, it worked, and the man 

was alive. However, the smoke started billowing 

out of the vehicle, and Sorour says 

he knew fire was an imminent hazard. The 

man in the car signaled that he was OK, but 

he was stuck and couldn’t unbuckle his seat 

belt. 

Sorour crawled into the upside-down vehicle 

and, as both he and the driver coughed 

and gasped for air, cut the seat belt so the 

driver could be removed from the vehicle, 

slowly and gently, without a scratch. 

As another onlooker else handed the 

man a blanket, Sorour looked in the man’s 

eyes, which he describes as filled with fear, 

tears and thankfulness. Sorour recognized 

and empathized with that “life or death” 

look. Originally from Egypt, he served in the 

Special Forces and often administered first 

aid to injured servicemen and women. 

The other driver refused Sorour’s offer to 

go to the hospital, saying he was “fine,” but 

the two embraced, both weeping. 

“You really feel such a great feeling and 

you’re proud to save a life,” Sorour said. 

Because of his bravery and quick actions, 

Pennsylvania State Sen. Camera Bartolotta 

presented Sorour with a citation. 

“She is a great senator who encouraged 

me and asked me to be honored with a citation. 

The first time I heard of it, I thought 

she was giving me ticket,” Sorour said with 

a laugh. 

Thankfully the citation didn’t come with 

a fine; instead, his name and achievements 

have been recorded in the history of Pennsylvania. 

You really feel such 

a great feeling and 

you’re proud to save a life. 

... It doesn’t matter who the 

person in the car is, there 

are lives I have to save.” 

— KAIS SOROUR, DRIVER 

“Kais Sorour is being hailed as a modern-day 

hero for his quick reaction in the 

aftermath of a car accident,” read Bartolotta 

in the citation designation on July 27, 

2021. “The Senate of the Commonwealth of 

Pennsylvania extends its commendations 

and appreciation to Kais Sorour for his outstanding 

response and successful avoidance 

of a potentially tragic situation, notes with 

pride the exemplary citizenship he has manifested 

in going above and beyond the call of 

duty to ensure the safety of others.” 

The 2020 incident was not Sorour’s first 

brush with danger on the road. 

The first time he rescued someone in 

need was in 2009, in Chicago. Sorour was 

operating a limousine business when he 

saw an accident in which one of the vehicles 

was knocked into a small ditch. Sorour says 

the driver, a woman, was conscious when he 

checked on her, but the car’s airbag had deployed 

and she said her head was hurt. He 

called emergency services and stayed with 

her until first responders arrived. 

The woman was taken to a local hospital 

for treatment of head and neck injuries, but 

made a full recovery. 

“Not everyone can risk their lives to save 

personal lives,” he said. “It doesn’t matter 

who the person in the car is, there are lives 

I have to save.” 

In addition to the general public, there 

are lives back home for which Sorour is responsible. 

He originally came to the U.S. to 

work as a linguistics teacher. He later picked 

up classes for information technology (IT) 

and worked as a cellphone tower technician, 

then he operated a limousine service 

before becoming a truck driver. 

Regardless of his career, Sorour’s goal 

remains the same: He hopes to earn the financial 

means to bring his wife and two 

children, ages 10 and 11, to the U.S. to live 

by his side. 

In his free time, Sorour enjoys the martial 

arts and has earned a second-degree 

black belt in taekwondo. 8


FOCUS cont. from Page 15 

A Level 2 inspection includes everything 

in the Level 3 check — plus a “walk-around” 

inspection of the vehicle. Most of what the 

inspector looks at in a Level 2 should have 

already been inspected by the driver in that 

day’s pre-trip inspection. Tires and wheels 

are one focus of the inspector, who looks for 

flat or underinflated tires, loose lug nuts, 

broken rims and other obvious problems. 

A common violation is “chafing” air lines, 

either behind the tractor or underneath 

the trailer. Obvious issues, such as air 

leaks, inoperative lighting and fifth-wheel 

attachments, are easy for inspectors to 

check. 

All too often, pre-trip inspections turn 

out to be paper exercises that don’t identify 

issues often found by inspectors. Of course, 

it’s possible for a tire to lose air or even go 

flat without the driver’s knowledge, but 

routine inspections will catch many issues 

that inspectors end up writing up. 

The Level 1 inspection is the most 

comprehensive, featuring a complete vehicle 

inspection around and under the unit, 

along with everything included in the Level 

2 inspection. This is where the inspector 

literally gets down to the nuts and bolts. 

Brakes, steering, suspension, fifth-wheel (if 

equipped) — it’s all checked. You may be 

asked to participate in the inspection by 

turning lights on and off, applying the brake 

pedal or other actions as directed. 

Some inspectors will conduct the 

inspection and hand you the form, while 

others will take the time to point out each 

violation and explain why they wrote it up. 

While many drivers consider inspections 

to be the heavy-handed application of 

regulations by law enforcement agencies, 

the reality is generally quite different. 

The inspection criteria are developed by 

the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance 

(CVSA), which is a partnership between 

government agencies, manufacturers and 

trucking community members. At regularly 

scheduled meetings, experts discuss and 

decide the criteria used to determine if 

a part, for example, a slack adjuster on 

a braking system, is within specs, out of 

spec but not shutdown-worthy or calls for 

immediate shutdown. 

Passing a DOT inspection is much 

more likely if you perform regular pretrip 

inspections and quickly having 

any discrepancies you find repaired. 

Supplement these inspections with periodic 

walk-arounds as you stop for breaks or other 

reasons. A quick check of lights and tires 

and help you identify issues early, rather 

than waiting for the next pre-trip. 

Checking your permit book — or bringing 

it to the office of the carrier you drive for 

periodically for review — helps you stay up 

to date. Keeping it organized by replacing 

expired permits with new ones and keeping 

it neat and orderly helps. 

Keep your load paperwork together 

in one place, and keep it neat. If you haul 

hazmat, the hazmat paperwork must be on 

top or tabbed for quick identification, and it 

must be left on the driver’s seat or in a door 

pouch when you exit the vehicle. 

Stay informed. Often, inspection 

initiatives are focused on a particular item 

such as brakes, and many are announced 

in advance. While this doesn’t mean you 

can ignore other systems or items, it can 

help make sure you address what you know 

inspectors will be looking for. 

Finally, your attitude matters. The 

inspector is doing a job, just as you are, 

and that person in uniform is also a human 

being. Expressing your frustration at 

being stopped, arguing about violations 

and generally being difficult won’t help 

you pass. Being polite and respectful can 

make a difference and marks you as a 

professional. Arguing with the results won’t 

get you anywhere, but politely asking for 

clarification might. 

If you know your vehicle is mechanically 

sound and your paperwork is in order before 

you start your day, your chances of passing 

a DOT inspection increase and your day just 

might go better. 8 

Courtesy: CVSA via Facebook 

During a Level 2 roadside inspection, officials conduct a “walk-around” inspection of the vehicle. Most of the items 

checked should have already been inspected by the driver during the trip’s pre-check.. A Level 3 inspection deals 

with the driver and compliance with the rules. The inspector will look at the driver’s CDL to determine that it’s valid 

and is appropriate for the vehicle driven and the cargo being hauled. 

SAFETY cont. from Page 15 

out how to make that lane change in heavy 

traffic, remember that the driver behind your 

vehicle also wants to change lanes, and the 

driver overtaking you in the lane needs to be 

prepared for your maneuver. It’s important to 

know what’s going on all around and to anticipate 

the poor decisions of other drivers. 

Finally, never allow impatience to dictate 

your driving decisions. It’s easy to get frustrated 

when attempting a turn or maneuver 

when traffic isn’t cooperating. There is no 

“long enough” when it comes to waiting for 

a safe opportunity. Don’t let frustration make 

driving decisions for you. 

It helps to remember that your driving 

decisions beget decisions by other motorists. 

Your lane change, for example, can result in 

those behind you also making lane changes 

or changing speed in order to keep from being 

behind you. Armed with that knowledge, 

you can make better decisions that help 

make the roads safer for everyone. 

Stop for a minute and think about professional 

auto racers. During many races, the 

participants drive in ways that would be considered 

extremely dangerous on the highway. 

They drive aggressively at excessive speeds, 

intentionally tailgating the vehicle in front. 

When crashes occur, they can be spectacular, 

yet some races feature hundreds of miles 

of driving with few or even no crashes. Why? 

As long as everyone is going the same 

speed and direction, crashes don’t usually 

happen. When someone changes direction, 

pulling out to pass or perhaps trying to 

quickly get to the pit lane, it creates a hazard 

for everyone. Changing speeds, by accelerating 

or by slowing due to a vehicle problem, 

also creates risk on the track. 

There’s a parallel in highway driving. If 

everyone is traveling the same relative speed 

and staying in their lane, things are safer. Let 

someone slow down or change lanes, however, 

and the risk of an accident rises. 

If you must drive aggressively, make sure 

you do it defensively. 8 

LOVPB-0055_052722_5125x375_V1_L1.pdf 1 5/27/22 10:27 AM Marketplace 

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