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SCAN THE<br />
CODE FOR<br />
MORE NEWS<br />
VOL. 35, NO. 11 | OCTOBER 2022 | WWW.THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Bad moon rising?<br />
iStock Photo<br />
About intermodal<br />
Intermodal trucking can offer<br />
options for drivers who want<br />
to stay closer to home. Those<br />
thinking about making the move<br />
can discover the ins and outs of<br />
the intermodal segment.<br />
PAGE 3<br />
Mind Over Matter..................4<br />
The Trucker Trainer................6<br />
Ask the Attorney....................8<br />
Rhythm of the Road...............9<br />
Chaplain’s Corner.................12<br />
Courtesy: Kate Whiting<br />
At the Truck Stop<br />
Cherry Pie posse: Love for<br />
driving big rigs leads Kate<br />
Whiting to the truck show circuit<br />
PAGE 10<br />
Predicting the future............13<br />
Safety Series.........................15<br />
Upward trend.......................17<br />
CVSA blitz results.................18<br />
Courtesy: Chief Carriers via Facebook<br />
A time for thanks<br />
Celebrations held throughout<br />
September to honor nation’s<br />
truck drivers<br />
PAGE 19<br />
TOTAL TOLL OF INFLATION ON THE US ECONOMY — AND<br />
THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY — REMAINS TO BE SEEN<br />
CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Inflation could portend a “bad moon rising” for not only the trucking industry, but also the<br />
entire nation’s economy.<br />
“I see the bad moon a-rising, I see trouble on the way.” Those words,<br />
penned and sung by John Cameron Fogerty of the group Creedence Clearwater<br />
Revival, made for a great song.<br />
They’re also a pretty good predictor of where the U.S. economy is<br />
headed.<br />
Inflation topped 9% in June of this year, the highest it’s been in 40 years.<br />
While the annual rate eased slightly in the months following, the economy<br />
isn’t responding as predicted. Two rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, increasing<br />
interest rates by a total of 1.5%, have hardly made a dent in the<br />
increases. The Fed was expected to announce a third consecutive hike of<br />
75 basis points, possibly 100, when it met Sept. 21.<br />
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to wind down, consumers returned<br />
to work. And as incomes resumed or increased, so did spending, stimulating<br />
a dormant economy.<br />
Inflation, however, has taken its toll. Real disposable personal income<br />
— the amount an earner has left to spend after taxes and adjusting for<br />
inflation — has trended downward since April 2021. A dollar held in July<br />
2021 buys 85 cents worth of product today, on average. That means that<br />
families are paying more for necessities like food and fuel and have less<br />
left over to purchase goods.<br />
The gross domestic product (GDP) is often used as an indicator of an<br />
economy’s health. When times are good, the GDP grows. When it isn’t<br />
growing, the economy is shrinking Most economists claim that two consecutive<br />
quarters of decline mean a recession is under way. Real GDP declined<br />
in the first two quarters of this year; predictions are for it to grow<br />
modestly in the third quarter before declining again for two more quarters.<br />
But there is a more reliable indicator — the inverted yield curve. While<br />
those words may sound like investor-speak, they actually aren’t hard to<br />
understand.<br />
It works like this: When the U.S. government needs a loan, one way it<br />
borrows is by selling Treasury notes, often called T-Notes. These earn a<br />
fixed rate of interest until maturity, which can take from one to 30 years.<br />
Typically, the longer the lender (the buyer of the T-Note) is willing to let<br />
the government keep the money, the higher the interest rate the government<br />
is willing to pay. On a graph, the line would be a curve, rising and<br />
going to the right. This is considered a “normal” yield curve.<br />
Sometimes, however, things get squirrelly, so to speak.<br />
Investors lose their confidence that the government will be able to<br />
make good on longer notes. They want to buy T-notes that mature sooner.<br />
When that happens, interest paid on short-term notes rises, while interest<br />
on long-term notes declines When interest on the short-term notes is<br />
about the same as for long-term notes, the graph looks like a straight line<br />
from left to right — a “flat” yield curve.<br />
However, when interest on the short-term notes is higher than it is for<br />
the longer term notes, the line on the graph goes down and right and is<br />
known as an “inverted” yield curve. The yield from two-year notes is compared<br />
to the yield on 10-year notes.<br />
According to an article by James McWhinney posted on Investopedia in<br />
June, an inverted Treasury yield curve “is one of the most reliable leading<br />
indicators of an impending recession.” It’s happening now. The Treasury<br />
yield curve has been inverted for more than two months as of this writing.<br />
The news isn’t all bad, however.<br />
Unemployment remains at near-historic lows, coming in at 3.7% in August.<br />
That’s significantly better than<br />
the 14.7% unemployment reported<br />
in April 2020, when COVID related<br />
shutdowns were occurring.<br />
While it’s a good thing so many<br />
people are working, it puts pressure<br />
on the economy in terms of wage<br />
inflation. When workers are few,<br />
wages rise, helping to fuel inflation<br />
as companies raise prices for their<br />
goods and services to cover higher<br />
labor costs.<br />
The stock market has taken a<br />
beating in the past month and continues<br />
to fall, cheapening investments<br />
and providing less income<br />
for investors.<br />
We believe<br />
wage inflation<br />
needs to moderate<br />
before the Fed<br />
can begin turning<br />
away from tighter<br />
monetary policy.”<br />
— KENNY VIETH<br />
PRESIDENT, ACT RESEARCH<br />
Fuel prices are still high compared to 2020 but have come down considerably.<br />
Every Monday morning the U.S. Energy Information Administration<br />
reports average gasoline and diesel prices for the nation and broken<br />
down by region. During the week of June 20, 2022, the national average diesel<br />
price peaked at $5.81 per gallon, reaching $6.91 per gallon in California.<br />
For the week of August 15, the national average price had fallen to<br />
$4.91, a welcome 90-cent decline. A month later, it had climbed to $5.08 —<br />
still better, but still high enough to cause truckers pain.<br />
Despite the gloom, the trucking industry is still benefiting from plentiful<br />
freight and higher rates, provided that fuel surcharges are in place to<br />
cover cost increases. Spot rates have stagnated and begun declining, but<br />
still remain higher than they were before the pandemic. Contract rates are<br />
SEE INFLATION ON PAGE 7
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Some intermodal trucking jobs are local in nature, while others are more regional, with most containers going to<br />
receivers that are within a day’s drive of the port. Depending on the carrier and the availability of work, intermodal<br />
drivers often get home multiple times during the week, sometimes daily.<br />
Intermodal trucking can<br />
offer options for drivers who<br />
want to stay closer to home<br />
Truck drivers who are looking for more<br />
local and regional work than their current<br />
carrier provides often turn to the intermodal<br />
segment of trucking for answers. Many times<br />
drivers who are trying out their skills as owneroperators<br />
also find a home in intermodal.<br />
But what is intermodal trucking, and what<br />
are some of the advantages and disadvantages<br />
of driving intermodal?<br />
As the name implies, “intermodal”<br />
means that freight-filled containers can<br />
be transported by multiple modes of<br />
transportation. Containers often arrive in<br />
the U.S. by ship, where they can be unloaded<br />
and placed on rail cars for movement across<br />
the country. Once they are delivered to a<br />
rail facility, they are placed on chassis and<br />
transported by truck to their final destination.<br />
Some containers are trucked directly from the<br />
seaport, too.<br />
Since non-trucking modes of transport are<br />
often used for longer distances, trucks usually<br />
handle the pickup and delivery functions.<br />
Some of these are local in nature, with drivers<br />
moving several containers in a day’s work.<br />
Other moves are more regional, with most<br />
containers going to receivers that are within<br />
a day’s drive of the port. Depending on the<br />
carrier and the availability of work, intermodal<br />
drivers often get home multiple times during<br />
the week, sometimes daily.<br />
For owner-operators, the equipment<br />
requirements for intermodal work can be a<br />
little easier to meet than for other segments<br />
of the industry. For example, trucks used<br />
for intermodal are often older than their<br />
over-the-road counterparts. On the West<br />
CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
Coast, particularly in California, however,<br />
strict emissions-reduction laws have been<br />
implemented, all but forcing older equipment<br />
out of the business.<br />
Another advantage of intermodal is that<br />
many loads are “drop-and-hook” on at least<br />
one end of the trip. Since the owners of the<br />
chassis generally charge carriers by the day for<br />
using them, trailer pools aren’t maintained at<br />
most customer locations, so live loading and<br />
unloading is common.<br />
At the railyard or port, however, a chassis<br />
with attached container is often dropped in<br />
a specific area or in a numbered space so it<br />
can be easily found. When picking up, drivers<br />
often find that these containers have been<br />
offloaded and placed on a chassis — ready to<br />
hook up and go. All the driver needs is a space<br />
number.<br />
Unfortunately, it isn’t always that easy.<br />
Sometimes drivers hook up to an empty<br />
chassis and then drive to a designated<br />
area where a crane or large forklift loads a<br />
container onto the chassis. Or, a driver with a<br />
loaded container may drive to an area where<br />
the box can be removed and either stacked for<br />
later use or immediately loaded onto a ship or<br />
rail car. The act of moving the container only<br />
takes a few moments, but wait times are often<br />
long when personnel can’t locate a container<br />
or the container has to be loaded on train or<br />
ship in a certain order.<br />
Ports and rail yards can be 24/7 operations<br />
or can have specific, sometimes limited,<br />
hours. Some truckers wait for hours to get<br />
SEE INTERMODAL ON PAGE 7<br />
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4 • OCTOBER 2022 NATION<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Do you think breast health is only<br />
important for women? Think again!<br />
MIND OVER MA<strong>TT</strong>ER<br />
HOPE ZVARA<br />
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We don’t often think<br />
about breast health — unless we hear the words “breast cancer.” Furthermore,<br />
when the words “breast health” or breast cancer” come up,<br />
most people think of women. However, there are a number of reasons<br />
both women and men should focus on the health of their chest area.<br />
Why pay attention to the chest area?<br />
The chest area is an essential area for both women and men to take<br />
care of because there is an essential network of lymph glands (nodes).<br />
It is also a center for much-needed circulation.<br />
What are lymph nodes and what do they do?<br />
Lymph nodes are located in your armpits, groin, neck and around<br />
the blood vessels of your chest and abdomen. The main functions of<br />
lymph nodes are to filter the lymph ( fluid that flows through the body)<br />
and to remove harmful microorganisms, damaged or dead tissue cells,<br />
large protein molecules, and toxic substances. This plays a direct role<br />
with our immune system and fighting disease.<br />
Both men and women can practice these moves to improve breast<br />
and chest health:<br />
1. Arm circles help foster healthy circulation and lymph flow for<br />
the upper body and can reduce lymph fluid buildup that occurs when<br />
you move around less than you should. Stand with your feet shoulderwidth<br />
apart and stretch your arms out at shoulder height. Move your<br />
arms in forward circles, starting small and gradually making bigger<br />
circles. Reverse the direction of the circles after about 10 seconds.<br />
2. Cherry picking (see photo below) is a simple move that gets your<br />
arms up and overhead, improving circulation and cardiovascular<br />
health. It also helps reduces lymph blockage. From a standing position,<br />
raise one arm straight above your head and reach for the sky (you’ll<br />
lean a bit to the opposite side); repeat with other arm.<br />
3. The downward dog pose (see the photo at top right) encourages<br />
full-body blood circulation, strengthens the entire body and improves<br />
the immune system.<br />
4. The bridge pose (see<br />
photo at center right) helps<br />
create “opening” in the chest<br />
and deepen breathing and<br />
circulation. This pose is wonderful<br />
for drivers because they<br />
often sit all day, hunched forward<br />
behind the wheel, closing<br />
off the chest. It’s also easy<br />
to do in the sleeper berth!<br />
5. Neck and chest massage<br />
is easy to do, and it’s a great<br />
way to break up tension and<br />
allow blood and lymph to flow<br />
more easily through the chest.<br />
Use your fingers or a massage<br />
ball to massage around your<br />
clavicle, neck and shoulders<br />
in the morning and again at<br />
night.<br />
6. The truck step pull back<br />
stretch (see photo at bottom<br />
right) is an all-body stretch<br />
SEE MA<strong>TT</strong>ER ON PAGE 7<br />
CHERRY PICKING<br />
BRIDGE POSE<br />
DOWNWARD DOG POSE<br />
TRUCK STEP PULL BACK STRETCH<br />
USPS 972<br />
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 11<br />
OCTOBER 2022<br />
The Trucker is a monthly, national newspaper for the<br />
trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media<br />
Group at 1123 S. University, Suite 325<br />
Little Rock, AR 72204-1610<br />
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THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Walking can be as good as medication — without a prescription<br />
THE TRUCKER<br />
TRAINER<br />
BOB PERRY<br />
If you have read my columns in the past,<br />
you know I believe this: When it comes to<br />
weight loss it’s always about movement and<br />
what you put in your mouth.<br />
The next time you have a DOT exam, if<br />
your doctor tells you need to lose weight to<br />
manage your blood pressure, you might wind<br />
up with a prescription for medication.<br />
While you should always follow your doctor’s<br />
orders, here’s a proven “medication” that<br />
doesn’t require a prescription — walking. We<br />
all know that any physical activity can boost<br />
your overall health, and walking delivers extra<br />
value when time is sensitive for professional<br />
drivers.<br />
Here are some extra value points offered by<br />
walking.<br />
• Walking doesn’t require special equipment;<br />
just invest in a good pair of shoes. Much<br />
like your truck, good tread on your feet makes<br />
a difference in performance, mileage and<br />
smoother ride.<br />
• Walking helps control your appetite. It<br />
also helps to burn calories — which supports<br />
weight loss.<br />
• Walking reduces stress levels. This is my<br />
favorite benefit of walking, and it really does<br />
work! I have found interval walking to be the<br />
most effective, as it fits a driver’s tight time<br />
schedule and is easy on the joints. After a brief<br />
five-minute warm up, pick up the pace for 30<br />
seconds and then slow it down for two minutes.<br />
Repeat.<br />
• Studies show that walking reduces<br />
arthritis-related pain. Walking protects the<br />
joints — especially the knees and hips, which<br />
are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating<br />
them and strengthening your stabilizer<br />
muscles that support them.<br />
• Walking, along with good nutrition and<br />
a vitamin regimen, can help boost your immune<br />
system. This is especially important<br />
during cold and flu season.<br />
In closing, please note that these benefits<br />
work best when you incorporate walking into<br />
your daily lifestyle. Give yourself at least 30<br />
days to feel the difference; you will feel it first<br />
and, after a period of time, you will see the difference.<br />
Good luck, and thanks for all you do for all<br />
of us every day.<br />
Known as The Trucker Trainer, Bob Perry<br />
has played a critical role in the paradigm shift<br />
of regulatory agencies, private and public sector<br />
entities, and consumers to understand the<br />
driver health challenge. Perry can be reached at<br />
truckertrainer@icloud.com. 8<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Walking is a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. It doesn’t require any special equipment other<br />
than a good pair of shoes, and can be as simple as taking a couple of extra laps around the truck.<br />
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THETRUCKER.COM NATION<br />
OCTOBER 2022 • 7<br />
As rail strike loomed in mid-September, Biden stepped in to help avert it<br />
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />
WASHINGTON — As of this writing in mid-<br />
September, rail companies and their workers<br />
had reached a tentative agreement to avert a<br />
nationwide strike that could have shut down<br />
the nation’s freight trains and devastated the<br />
economy less than two months before the<br />
midterm elections.<br />
President Joe Biden announced the deal,<br />
which emerged from a marathon 20-hour<br />
negotiating session at the Labor Department and<br />
came just one day before the threatened walkout.<br />
“This agreement is validation of what I’ve<br />
always believed — unions and management can<br />
work together … for the benefit of everyone,”<br />
Biden said at the White House.<br />
The deal, which includes a 24% pay raise, will<br />
go to union members for a vote after a cooling-off<br />
period of several weeks.<br />
American Trucking Associations President<br />
and CEO Chris Spear congratulated the nation’s<br />
freight railroads and their unions on reaching<br />
a deal and averting a potentially economically<br />
catastrophic strike.<br />
“Our supply chain is entirely interdependent,<br />
making the potential for a nationwide rail<br />
stoppage a serious threat to our nation’s<br />
economic and national security,” Spear said.<br />
“We applaud both sides for reaching a tentative<br />
agreement that averts this outcome and permits<br />
our supply chain to continue climbing out of this<br />
COVID-induced rut.”<br />
Earlier in the month, Spear sent a letter to<br />
Capitol Hill warning of the risks of a nationwide<br />
rail strike.<br />
Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the<br />
Soy Transportation Coalition, also praised the<br />
tentative deal.<br />
“We are extremely pleased both sides were<br />
able to arrive at an agreement,” he said. “Our<br />
nation’s railroads are integral to the success of<br />
the American farmer. Without cost-effective,<br />
reliable rail service, so much of what farmers<br />
produce will never connect with our domestic<br />
and international customers.<br />
Biden made a key phone call on the evening<br />
of Sept. 14 to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh<br />
as negotiators were talking and being offered<br />
Italian food for dinner, according to White House<br />
officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the<br />
conversations.<br />
On speakerphone, the president urged both<br />
sides to get a deal done and to consider the<br />
harm that a shutdown would inflict on families,<br />
farmers and businesses, the officials said.<br />
The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, also<br />
includes $5,000 in bonuses. The railroads agreed<br />
SEE RAIL ON PAGE 21<br />
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar<br />
Norfolk Southern locomotives are moved in the Conway Terminal in Conway, Pennsylvania, Thursday, Sept. 15.<br />
INTERMODAL cont. from Page 3<br />
into the facility. Some facilities are run very<br />
efficiently and keep wait time as short as<br />
possible; others, not so much.<br />
Maintenance of chassis can be a problem,<br />
too. Chassis are often owned by the shipping<br />
line and rented to the carriers who pull<br />
them. Carriers are often reluctant to repair<br />
a chassis they don’t own, especially when<br />
reimbursement from the chassis owner<br />
takes a long time — or doesn’t happen at all.<br />
Ports and rail yards often deal with<br />
maintenance by inspecting trucks that are<br />
on their way out of the facility. There is often<br />
a long line for inspection and another wait<br />
if repairs are need, so some drivers would<br />
rather take their chances if they haven’t<br />
seen a visible problem with the chassis.<br />
When drivers have to hook up to a chassis<br />
first, they may have difficulty finding one<br />
in good repair. Drivers often would rather<br />
deliver the chassis to the facility with a flat<br />
tire or a mechanical issue than take the time<br />
to get it fixed on the road, especially if the<br />
distance isn’t very far.<br />
Drivers can also be unkind to one<br />
another when it comes to chassis. It’s not<br />
uncommon to find a chassis that’s missing<br />
lights, lug nuts or any other item a driver<br />
might have needed to make another chassis<br />
roadworthy.<br />
Other disadvantages of intermodal<br />
trucking include lower compensation than<br />
longer-distance forms of trucking. Since the<br />
U.S. imports much more than it exports, it<br />
can be difficult to find a load returning to<br />
the port for shipment, and deadheading is<br />
often a possibility.<br />
Additionally, since chassis are usually<br />
owned by shipping lines, they can’t be used<br />
to haul containers belonging to another<br />
shipping line unless the two companies have<br />
a cooperation agreement. For example, a<br />
driver may return a chassis owned by Maersk<br />
to the port and need to pick up a different<br />
chassis to haul the next container that’s<br />
owned by another company. Even when<br />
owned by the same company, containers<br />
can be different sizes. For example, a 40-foot<br />
container won’t fit on a chassis made for a<br />
20-foot container.<br />
Another drawback to intermodal is that<br />
drivers often don’t know anything about<br />
the cargo, its weight or how it was loaded.<br />
Paperwork, such as bills of lading, are<br />
often created in another country, where<br />
people speak a different language and use<br />
different measurement methods — all of<br />
which may not translate perfectly. Often,<br />
cargo information such as weights is more<br />
of an estimation than reality. Containers are<br />
sealed, so drivers usually can’t get a look at<br />
how cargo is loaded, making it difficult to<br />
predict if the load is top-heavy or leans to<br />
one side.<br />
Intermodal trucking can be rewarding,<br />
providing steady income and home time<br />
for many drivers, but there are also unique<br />
challenges.<br />
Drivers who are considering taking<br />
on the job would be wise to ask plenty<br />
of questions about potential miles and<br />
income. Speaking with experienced drivers<br />
is a must, since they can provide accurate<br />
information about carriers, customers and<br />
port and rail facilities. It isn’t uncommon for<br />
a driver to have worked for several carriers<br />
in the area, and he or she should be able to<br />
provide information about each. 8<br />
MA<strong>TT</strong>ER cont. from Page 4<br />
that particularly focuses on releasing the<br />
shoulders, underarm area and lower back.<br />
Grab the truck step, bench or bar and sit back;<br />
breathe deep and relax your arms to stretch<br />
deep.<br />
7. Walking is a great way to keep your<br />
lymphatic system working optimally. Lack of<br />
movement is one of the biggest challenges<br />
our lymphatic system faces, and every minute<br />
counts. Walk in place, add an extra lap about<br />
your truck or walk a lap around the parking<br />
lot — it all adds up.<br />
Finally, don’t forget to hydrate. Your<br />
lymphatic system and circulatory system rely<br />
heavily on fluids — not soda or coffee, but<br />
water. As a bonus, try adding a pinch of Celtic<br />
INFLATION cont. from Page 1<br />
just beginning to start downward.<br />
Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst<br />
at industry forecaster ACT Research, thinks<br />
current conditions may help keep a recession<br />
from being as bad as it could be.<br />
“We believe wage inflation needs to moderate<br />
before the Fed can begin turning away<br />
from tighter monetary policy,” he said in<br />
a recent press release. “As long as the jobs<br />
report remains strong, wage inflation may<br />
prove stubbornly persistent — which could<br />
in turn lead to a more-aggressive-for-longer<br />
rate hike.”<br />
Vieth identified three factors that could<br />
help mitigate a downturn, at least for trucking.<br />
“Carrier profits and profitability were at<br />
record levels in 2021, and contract freight<br />
sea salt for a boost in essential minerals.<br />
As a driver, it may seem difficult to take<br />
care of your health, but a little goes a long way.<br />
Pick just one of the moves above and commit<br />
to doing it every day for a week. The next<br />
week, add a second move; the third week, add<br />
another. You’ll slowly build up a routine that<br />
promotes not just breast health, but your best<br />
health today, tomorrow and for years to come.<br />
Hope Zvara is the CEO of Mother Trucker<br />
Yoga, a company devoted to improving truck<br />
drivers’ fitness and wellness standards. She<br />
has been featured in Forbes and Yahoo News,<br />
and is a regular guest on SiriusXM Radio. Her<br />
practical strategies show drivers how they can<br />
go from unhealthy and out of options to feeling<br />
good again. For more information, visit www.<br />
mothertruckeryoga.com. 8<br />
rates are still expected to rise by high single<br />
digits this year,” he explained. “Vehicle demand<br />
remains healthy, if moderating from<br />
here, with pent-up demand and low inventories<br />
expected to help mitigate the depth of<br />
the downturn.”<br />
And, he warned, requirements for reduced<br />
emissions from diesel engines will<br />
have an impact.<br />
“Finally, some pre buy activity is anticipated<br />
prior to the implementation of CARB’s<br />
Clean Truck mandate, entering a queue already<br />
filled with pent-up demand,” he said.<br />
“States representing about 10% of industry<br />
demand will be adopting CARB mandates in<br />
both 2024 and 2025.”<br />
While the economy is expected to struggle<br />
in the first half of 2023, there will still be<br />
money to be made by carriers and by the<br />
manufacturers who sell them trucks. 8
8 • OCTOBER 2022<br />
FROM THE EDITOR:<br />
Autumn<br />
ramblings<br />
BETWEEN<br />
THE LINES<br />
LINDA GARNER-BUNCH<br />
editor@thetruckermedia.com<br />
It’s hard to believe it’s already October.<br />
It seems like just last week I was wishing<br />
everyone a happy New Year. I’m pretty sure<br />
that time really DOES fly — especially as I get<br />
older.<br />
I’ve got to say, however, that I always look<br />
forward to the arrival of autumn. I love the<br />
cooler days, the colorful leaves, the football<br />
games and even the shorter days. There’s just<br />
something comforting about curling up in a<br />
comfy chair, turning on a lamp or lighting a<br />
candle, and reading a good book.<br />
I fully realize that, as truckers, many<br />
(probably most) of you rarely have that luxury.<br />
Instead, you’re on the road, subsisting<br />
on truck stop food and trying to catch a few<br />
hours of sleep in your bunk. I’m sure that<br />
makes you treasure time at home with family<br />
and friends even more than the average<br />
person.<br />
Last month, the nation honored the<br />
trucking industry with National Truck Driver<br />
Appreciation Week, something we do every<br />
year. As we posted stories about celebrations<br />
and driver perks at many truck stop chains,<br />
motor carriers and trucking organizations, I<br />
noticed that not all of the reader comments<br />
were appreciative. A common frustration<br />
among drivers seems to be that “it’s all just<br />
for show” and that the powers that be don’t<br />
really care about the drivers.<br />
While that may be true (hopefully in very<br />
few cases), I think it’s great that the nation<br />
stops and takes notice of all the hard work<br />
and long hours truck drivers put in on a daily<br />
basis. You guys and gals deserve the praise.<br />
Whether you’re out on the road or enjoying<br />
a bit of home time, know that the team<br />
at The Trucker is genuinely grateful for everything<br />
you do.<br />
As we share information about events,<br />
legislation and regulations that impact the<br />
trucking industry, we are always mindful that<br />
our first responsibility is to you, our readers.<br />
You have a right to have access to the news<br />
you need, as well as stories that are just for<br />
fun.<br />
I particularly enjoy sharing stories of drivers<br />
just like you — how you got started in<br />
the trucking industry, what you love about<br />
it (and what you don’t love), the adventures<br />
you’ve had, the people you’ve met and the<br />
lives you’ve changed for the better.<br />
Everyone has a story to tell. If you’d like to<br />
share your story with us, please email me at<br />
lindag@thetruckermedia.com.<br />
And remember, drivers, keep those rigs<br />
between mustard and mayonnaise! 8<br />
ASK THE<br />
A<strong>TT</strong>ORNEY<br />
BRAD KLEPPER<br />
Brad Klepper is out of pocket this month,<br />
but we hope you’ll enjoy this “rerun,” which<br />
was originally published in the January 1-15,<br />
2021, edition of The Trucker.<br />
Let’s get this out of the way up front: Nobody<br />
likes lawyers.<br />
I get that. I really do. I am a lawyer myself,<br />
and I don’t even like lawyers. Shoot, there are<br />
days I don’t even like myself. Which — the<br />
more I think about it — is something I should<br />
probably discuss with a professional.<br />
Regardless, there is one big reason why<br />
folks don’t like lawyers. (OK, I lied. There are<br />
actually several big reasons why folks don’t<br />
like lawyers.) But one of those reasons is that<br />
lawyers file frivolous lawsuits — which they<br />
are not supposed to do.<br />
Just so you know, lawyers are officers of<br />
the court and are required to follow certain<br />
rules when they file lawsuits. Of course, if a<br />
lawyer violates these rules, the suit can be<br />
dismissed, and the court may sanction the<br />
lawyer. Lawyers can also be disciplined if<br />
they violate jurisdictions ethics rules relating<br />
to the filing of lawsuits.<br />
PERSPECTIVE<br />
To avoid a frivolous lawsuit, attorneys must<br />
provide a nonfrivolous argument, theory<br />
Trucker<br />
TALK<br />
While court procedures and ethics rules<br />
may vary slightly between jurisdictions, they<br />
all basically say the same thing: All lawyers<br />
are prohibited from filing “frivolous” lawsuits<br />
or suits otherwise without merit.<br />
In other words — and as my grandfather<br />
would say — lawyers, are not supposed to file<br />
lawsuits that are full of “horsesh*t.” I never<br />
understood what Grandad had against bulls,<br />
but whatever….<br />
So, if we know lawyers are not supposed<br />
to file these lawsuits, why do we seem to see<br />
so many of them?<br />
The answer is that lawyers are permitted<br />
to file lawsuits when they know enough facts<br />
to believe the eventual proof will support the<br />
allegations contained in the lawsuit. This is<br />
done without knowing all the facts at the<br />
time the lawsuit is filed.<br />
In addition to lawsuits being free from<br />
“horsesh*t,” the lawyer is also required to cite<br />
the relevant settled legal theory or state a<br />
new one he or she believes should be adopted<br />
by the court. A good example of a “new legal<br />
theory” would include the school segregation<br />
arguments made by Thurgood Marshall<br />
in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case of Brown<br />
v. Board of Education and the same-sex arguments<br />
made in the Obergefell decision of<br />
2015.<br />
Federal lawsuits are governed by Rule<br />
11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure<br />
(most states have adopted some version of<br />
this), which states that the new legal theory<br />
is “warranted by existing law or by nonfrivolous<br />
argument … or the establishment of the<br />
new law.”<br />
This means if a lawyer files a lawsuit based<br />
on a theory so far-fetched that no court could<br />
be expected to accept it, then that lawyer<br />
could be in violation of Rule 11 or its state<br />
equivalent. If this occurs, that lawyer could<br />
be sanctioned by the applicable state bar for<br />
violation of ethics rules.<br />
In light of all of the above, why don’t<br />
we see more lawyers getting fined or disciplined?<br />
The answer is that it’s a fine line that<br />
separates a “frivolous” lawsuit from one that<br />
might be “meritless” but argues for a new legal<br />
theory. So, while judges, the media and<br />
others may criticize a suit as “frivolous” and<br />
call for sanctions or other disciplinary action,<br />
the standard is high for imposing such<br />
sanctions. In fact, the standard of proof required<br />
in most jurisdictions for finding such<br />
a violation is “clear and convincing evidence.”<br />
That’s a high bar indeed.<br />
At the end of the day, whether a lawyer<br />
violated the rules of professional conduct<br />
will be determined by each state’s disciplinary<br />
agency on a case-by-case basis.<br />
But that still doesn’t mean we have to like<br />
lawyers.<br />
Brad Klepper is president of Interstate<br />
Trucker Ltd. and is also president of Driver’s<br />
Legal Plan, which allows member drivers access<br />
to services at discounted rates. For more<br />
information, contact him at 800-333-DRIVE<br />
(3748) or interstatetrucker.com and<br />
driverslegalplan.com. 8<br />
In honor of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which was celebrated Sept. 11-17, The Trucker<br />
conducted a poll of our own team members. We asked a simple question: “Why are truck drivers important?”<br />
Some of the responses are listed below. If you have a question you’d like to see in the poll, email editor@<br />
thetruckermedia.com.<br />
“I’m thankful to truck drivers for their<br />
willingness to be away from their families so<br />
they can deliver for ALL families 24/7/365.”<br />
— Megan Hicks, general manager<br />
“I can’t help but be thankful for those drivers<br />
who hit the road in 2020 when the rest of<br />
us were staying at home. If it weren’t for the<br />
nation’s truck drivers, many of us wouldn’t<br />
have made it. So, a big thank you goes out to<br />
all the drivers who made sure the economy<br />
kept going while the rest of us did our<br />
shopping from home.”<br />
— Joseph Price, staff writer<br />
“Having been associated with the trucking<br />
industry for 30 years, I have learned that<br />
truck drivers are not only the backbone of<br />
the industry, but the backbone of the country.<br />
Many thanks to all truck drivers for their<br />
dedication and hard work in helping to keep<br />
our country strong!”<br />
— Jerry Critser, account executive<br />
“I appreciate truckers because I like to eat,<br />
drink and have gas in my car!”<br />
— Bobby W. Ralston, CEO<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
“I’m thankful for truckers because they help<br />
my parents get the medications they need<br />
every day. I’m also thankful for truckers<br />
because they help make it possible for me to<br />
get the things I order online that I would not<br />
be able to find so easily in real life. Thank you,<br />
truckers!”<br />
— Christie McCluer, production coordinator
THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE<br />
OCTOBER 2022 • 9<br />
Trucking tunes from Down Under: Nev Nicholls<br />
enjoyed popularity with songs of the road<br />
RHYTHM OF<br />
THE ROAD<br />
KRIS RUTHERFORD<br />
krisr@thetruckermedia.com<br />
Big rigs, and of course, big rig drivers, are<br />
hardly unique to the U.S. Large numbers of<br />
Canadian and Mexican trucking firms employ<br />
drivers, and these three North American countries<br />
are likely the occupation’s geographic area<br />
for drivers. There are plenty of big rigs in Europe<br />
as well.<br />
But when it comes to matching the cultural<br />
popularity of drivers on a scale that the U.S.<br />
reached in the 1970s, perhaps Australia comes<br />
the closest.<br />
And, where truck drivers travel, trucking<br />
music follows. Considering trucking music is<br />
best connected with country music in the U.S.,<br />
it’s only natural that fans in a place where other<br />
forms of country music are popular have their<br />
fair share of trucking music.<br />
Although the U.S. truck driving census of<br />
3.3 million drivers dwarves that of Australia<br />
(245,000), the continent has a long connection<br />
to country music — both that popular in the<br />
U.S. and its native form. So, if you’re looking for<br />
foreign trucking songs, Australia is a good place<br />
to turn. And when you’re looking Down Under,<br />
there’s one name to search — Nev Nicholls.<br />
Nev Nicholls was born on a farm in the New<br />
South Wales area of Southeast Australia. After<br />
his father died when Nicholls was still a boy, he<br />
worked both the family farm and nearby farms<br />
to help the family make ends meet.<br />
In the meantime, when he was 11, Nicholls<br />
discovered the guitar and taught himself to<br />
play and write songs. His farming jobs kept his<br />
musical ambitions on hold for several years, but<br />
when time allowed, Nicholls appeared on the<br />
local radio station performing both his original<br />
songs and covers of popular music.<br />
In 1952, Nicholls left the farm and headed<br />
for Sydney on Australia’s Pacific Coast. There,<br />
he made some custom recordings that caught<br />
the ear of executives at Regal Zonophone Records.<br />
Soon he was recording original material<br />
for the record company. He became popular on<br />
Australia’s “Amateur Hour” and Tim McNamara’s<br />
“Talent Quest.”<br />
Nicholls permanently moved to Sydney to<br />
pursue his career, but he found opportunities in<br />
short supply. He made more money as an insurance<br />
salesman than a musical performer.<br />
In 1954, Nicholls signed with another Australian<br />
recording company, EMI. His popularity<br />
grew, and three years later, he went on tour<br />
with several other country recording artists. A<br />
year after his first tour, he set out on his second<br />
throughout New South Wales and Queensland.<br />
But his success didn’t hold. Unfortunately, fans<br />
soured on Australian country music through<br />
most of the 1960s.<br />
But in 1968, U.S. country music became<br />
popular on the continent, and for the next 10<br />
years, Nicholls teamed up with numerous acts<br />
to play at a honkytonk, the Texas Tavern. Others<br />
appearing at the venue included Buddy Emmons,<br />
Roger Miller’s steel guitar player and the<br />
U.S.’s own Charley Pride.<br />
During this period, Nicholls formed the<br />
band that would bring him his most successful recorded seven albums containing truck driving<br />
songs, and his new niche was well received. his music took on the unique sound of Ameri-<br />
trucking industry and Australian drivers. But<br />
years, The Country Playboys.<br />
By 1974, trucking songs were all the rage With albums titled “Just My Truckin’ Luck,” can country music, primarily the Bakersfield<br />
in the U.S. Nicholls, always on the lookout for “Truckin’ Around,” “Supertrucker” and “Blazing Sound, made popular by Buck Owens and<br />
a niche, had a hunch that tales of truck drivers Diesels,” it was clear Nicholls had cornered the Merle Haggard.<br />
would attract listeners in Australia as well. His market on Australian trucking music and had With driving rhythms led by electric guitars,<br />
first album of such songs, “Keep on Trucking,” made his mark on his country’s music scene.<br />
instrumental introductions to Nicholls’ music<br />
was certified gold.<br />
In 1977, Nicholls was inducted into the<br />
While TICKETS<br />
Nicholls had a boatload of U.S. trucking<br />
songs he could have picked from to cover on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.<br />
— the rhythm of the highway beats at a regular<br />
Tamworth Hands of Fame, which is on par with<br />
signal the listener a trucking song is on the way<br />
his albums, he opted for original songs focused Nicholls’ trucking songs were most often<br />
on Australia. Between 1974-1981, Nicholls based on tales and issues facing the Australian<br />
SEE RHYTHM ON PAGE 12<br />
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TRUCKER, LTD.
10 • OCTOBER 2022 PERSPECTIVE<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
at the TRUCK STOP<br />
PRESENTED<br />
BY CAT SCALE.<br />
VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM<br />
Cherry Pie<br />
POSSE<br />
LOVE FOR DRIVING BIG RIGS LEADS KATE<br />
WHITING TO THE TRUCK SHOW CIRCUIT<br />
DWAIN HEBDA | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
It’s not hard to find Kate Whiting at a truck<br />
show: Just follow the sounds of early ’90s metal<br />
rock — along with everyone else who’s being<br />
pulled magnetically in her direction.<br />
At 47, Whiting isn’t old enough to have<br />
been an authentic hair band headbanger back<br />
in the day, but the music isn’t about her, anyway.<br />
It’s the anthem for her truck, a 1973 Kenworth<br />
900A long hood, dubbed “Cherry Pie.”<br />
The truck’s very name, as Warrant’s song of<br />
the same title attests, will “put a smile to your<br />
face … bring a tear to your eye.”<br />
“Where I think Cherry Pie stands out is<br />
she resonates with everybody,” said Whiting,<br />
owner of KW Pony Express LLC in Chetek,<br />
Wisconsin. “The women love this truck. They<br />
feel heard. I had an older gentleman one time<br />
drive back home, get his wife and bring her<br />
out. Parked right in front of me because he<br />
had to show his wife that truck.<br />
“I have little girls come out,” she continued.<br />
“One little girl took a picture with her dad<br />
holding her up; then she made her parents<br />
come back and take her picture again next to<br />
the truck. It’s like — you just never know what<br />
you’re going to spark. Kids love the truck.”<br />
Despite the truck’s cheeky name, Cherry<br />
Courtesy: Kate Whiting<br />
Kate Whiting is the owner and operator of KW Pony<br />
Express LLC, a furniture-hauling business based in<br />
Wisconsin.<br />
Pie — not unlike her owner — is no girly girl.<br />
Men line up right alongside women to check<br />
her out and marvel at the horsepower under<br />
the hood.<br />
“She’s just fun. She’s got a little whimsicalness<br />
to her,” Whiting said. “Yes, she’s got that<br />
feminine touch, but she’s also got a 3408 in<br />
her, so she’s a badass. The men love that. It’s<br />
crazy how much this truck is loved across all<br />
lines.”<br />
If it’s true what people say about pets taking<br />
on their owners’ personalities — and vice<br />
versa — then surely the same can be said<br />
about trucks. No vehicle ever embodied the<br />
spunk and sass of its owner like Cherry Pie<br />
does Whiting.<br />
Raised on a dairy farm in Rice Lake, Wisconsin,<br />
Whiting says she and her sister more<br />
than held their own, from driving tractors to<br />
tending livestock.<br />
“My first vehicle was an F250 stick shift.<br />
That’s what I took my driver’s test in,” she said.<br />
“One of my first jobs was working in an auto<br />
parts store, doing deliveries. From there, I<br />
married, had kiddos, worked out west guiding<br />
elk hunting trips. (We) came back, started our<br />
own farm.”<br />
Throughout her 20s and 30s, Whiting pursued<br />
a career as a certified functional medicine<br />
health coach. She soon noticed truck<br />
drivers as an untapped market.<br />
“When guys started having trouble with<br />
the med cards and losing their ability to drive,<br />
I said, ‘I know I can help these guys!’” she said.<br />
“A couple of local trucking outfits in the area<br />
asked me to come in and help some of their<br />
guys out — blood pressure and things like<br />
that. That started me into this world.<br />
“I realized that this is a heck of a niche,<br />
and I could really help people, so I sponsored<br />
a booth at the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) truck<br />
show,” she continued. “That was exactly eight<br />
years ago this August. They invited the booth<br />
people to come in and go to dinner and sit<br />
in amongst the truckers. I knew nobody, so I<br />
sat next to this guy because he had a kid with<br />
him.”<br />
That guy was Jerry Linander — and the<br />
conversation he and Whiting shared that<br />
Courtesy: Kate Whiting<br />
Even before Kate Whiting, right, earned her CDL she discovered a love of classic trucks, particularly Kenworth’s A<br />
series models. Her show truck, Cherry Pie, is a 1973 Kenworth 900A<br />
night turned quickly into a mentor-mentee<br />
relationship. On his recommendation, she attended<br />
a much larger show in Kason, Minnesota.<br />
There, he surprised her with an offer that<br />
would alter the course of her life.<br />
“Jerry’s the only person I knew at this show.<br />
It comes to the parade day and he up and says,<br />
‘You want to drive in the parade?’ I’m like,<br />
‘Well, hell yeah! I can do that!’” she said. “I’d<br />
never driven one. But yeah, that was it, that<br />
was his 2007 Kenworth L, and I was hooked.”<br />
A year after that first truck show, Whiting<br />
had earned her CDL, and within six months<br />
after that she was driving regularly for a local<br />
recycling outfit, Badger State Recovery. Two<br />
and half years later, she started driving for<br />
Linander’s outfit, Jerry Linander Specialized<br />
Transportation Inc., hauling furniture.<br />
After that, at Linander’s urging, she formed<br />
Pony Express — and she hasn’t looked back.<br />
But before all that, she came face-to-face<br />
with the truck of her dreams.<br />
“I was driving on a back road in my hometown,<br />
and I saw this truck,” Whiting said. “She<br />
was down to being a day cab at that point.<br />
They had taken the bunk off her. She was pretty<br />
moldy, out in the front yard. She’d retired<br />
out of a gravel pit hauling the crusher.<br />
“This old boy was the original owner,” she<br />
continued. “He took a lot of pride in her. She<br />
just had been sitting for like, eight years. It’s<br />
not like the trees were growing through her,<br />
but she was very sun-faded. He had redone a<br />
little bit of the interior, so she wasn’t terrible<br />
inside — but the mold was growing on the<br />
frame and stuff like that.”<br />
Whiting and her dream truck were of the<br />
same heart from the beginning. The tractor<br />
even inspired its own name, in a manner of<br />
speaking.<br />
“When I got her, I was still brand new to all<br />
this and people were like, ‘Try to buff her out<br />
and see what happens. You can’t hurt it,’” she<br />
said. “So, I started buffing on that truck, and it<br />
just shined a cherry red. It was just beautiful.<br />
My boys were teenagers at the time, so they’re<br />
going, ‘Looks like cherry pie!’ Between that and<br />
the song, that’s where the name came from.”<br />
Cherry Pie has proven to be a winner with<br />
judges. Her first show — the Mid America<br />
Trucking Show held in Louisville, Kentucky, in<br />
March of this year — earned bragging rights for<br />
Best Paint. She repeated this feat at the Top-<br />
Gun LargeCar Shootout in Rantoul, Illinois,<br />
along with taking second place in her class.<br />
Winning awards is nice, Whiting says, but<br />
bringing her tribe and fans together — you<br />
could call them the Cherry Pie Posse — is even<br />
more fun.<br />
“It’s so cool, because we’re just a bunch of<br />
amateurs putting her together,” Whiting said.<br />
“We worked hard. Then all you can do is just<br />
sit back and applaud and listen to the results.<br />
When you hear your name called — just<br />
knowing how we busted butt so hard to get<br />
her there — it means so much to have someone<br />
recognize her and the hard work we put<br />
into it.” 8
CA<strong>TT</strong>heTruckerWon 071822.qxp_Layout 1 7/18/22 2:14 PM Page 1<br />
THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE<br />
OCTOBER 2022 • 11<br />
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12 • OCTOBER 2022 PERSPECTIVE<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
DRIVE<br />
October brings fall celebrations,<br />
reminders to let God’s light shine<br />
be here to celebrate occasions like these?<br />
Life is very fragile, and we need to understand<br />
that what we do here on earth in our<br />
lifetime is how we’re going to spend eternity.<br />
Our tombstone will give the dates of our birth<br />
and death — but will show nothing about how<br />
THE DIFFERENCE<br />
we lived our lives or how we treated people.<br />
THE DIFFERENCE<br />
If we want the “treat” of a heavenly reward,<br />
then we need to treat others as we want to<br />
d of<br />
are<br />
e<br />
in<br />
JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM<br />
JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM<br />
At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of<br />
in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are<br />
the best in the business.<br />
be treated. Let God’s glow reflect in our lives<br />
— just like that candle does in the jack-o’-<br />
lanterns we carve for decorations.<br />
God took all the yucky stuff out of us and<br />
replaced it with that special glow, so we shine<br />
with his glory. Let’s not put that candle. Instead,<br />
keep it burning so it touches everyone<br />
we meet. If your candle dims, then Satan has<br />
pulled a “trick” on you, extinguishing your<br />
light.<br />
If Satan takes hold of you, you need to put<br />
him out of your life — and live so as to reflect<br />
the glory of God. Living a life filled with the<br />
glow of God is the most important thing you<br />
can do on this earth. You are the only one who<br />
can determine which way you are heading<br />
for in the afterlife. That tombstone only gives<br />
dates — but you give the rest of the world the<br />
information about what you did from birth to<br />
death.<br />
Halloween is just a holiday — one of many<br />
— but it’s also a reminder that life has a beginning<br />
and an end. Only you can fill in the space<br />
between your birth and death dates.<br />
Let’s all try to show the glory of God and<br />
let our candle glow through for all to see. Yes,<br />
sometimes it’s hard, but the more we try the<br />
better we’ll get at doing it.<br />
My wish is for all of you to have a great time<br />
this month — and enjoy the aroma of pump-<br />
DRIVE<br />
THE DIFFERENCE<br />
CHAPLAIN’S<br />
CORNER<br />
REV. MARILOU COINS<br />
THE DIFFERENCE<br />
The seasons are coming around faster now.<br />
We have entered fall, and soon winter will be<br />
upon us.<br />
October is the month for going to the<br />
pumpkin patch for school kids, and for folks<br />
to make those awesome pumpkin pies. As a<br />
kid, I always wanted to watch my grandma as<br />
she cooked the pumpkin, added those special<br />
spices and rolled out the dough for those pies.<br />
It was a special time of year for me growing up.<br />
I’m sure many of you have some of the<br />
same fond memories of childhood during the<br />
month of October. Of course, we all look forward<br />
to Halloween and its festivities.<br />
As a trucker I often would enjoy going to<br />
different areas of the country just to see what<br />
each area is like and how they prepared for<br />
fall events. Country folks put out bales of hay,<br />
topped off with all sorts of decorations. Of<br />
course, they always have a jack-o’-lantern as<br />
part of the decorations.<br />
City folks put up Halloween lights and<br />
orange and black streamers with scarecrows<br />
Call now: 855-CDL-PENSKE<br />
and skeletons. Witches and goblins are always<br />
Apply online at driver.penske.jobs popular for porch decorations. And, of course,<br />
Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<br />
candy is always a special treat for the youngsters<br />
that come to your door. “Trick or treat!”<br />
can be heard as giggling children approach<br />
Call your door now: to ask for 855-CDL-PENSKE<br />
their treats.<br />
MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ®<br />
But did you ever think, that along with kin pies and Halloween.<br />
Apply all these wonderful online things, at there driver.penske.jobs<br />
is also the<br />
fact that at some point in time we will not Jesus. 8<br />
At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of<br />
in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are<br />
the best in the business.<br />
If you want to work at an industry-leading<br />
company and move freight for some of the<br />
world’s biggest brands, we want you to join<br />
our team of safe, professional drivers.<br />
If you want to work at an industry-leading<br />
company and move freight for some of the<br />
world’s biggest brands, we want you to join<br />
our team of safe, professional drivers.<br />
JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM<br />
At Call Penske, now: success 855-CDL-PENSKE<br />
behind the wheel is kind of<br />
in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are<br />
Apply online at driver.penske.jobs<br />
the best in the business.<br />
Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<br />
If you want to work at an industry-leading<br />
company and move freight for some of the<br />
world’s biggest brands, we want you to join<br />
our team of safe, professional drivers.<br />
MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ®<br />
Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer.<br />
RHYTHM cont. from Page 9<br />
pace behind the lyrics. On occasion, however,<br />
Nicholls strayed from the ways of American<br />
country music and inserted a brass section into<br />
Best of the roads and all gears forward in<br />
to have a mild Mediterranean climate). He begs<br />
his tunes. The brass, out of MORE place to American THAN YOU his “mates” REALIZE to “truck ®<br />
me dead to Townsville,”<br />
listeners, helped set a tone for some of Nicholls’ where the climate is warmer and more suited<br />
songs, particularly those with upbeat and positive<br />
lyrics.<br />
To an American listener, it’s hard to conceive<br />
to Harry’s tastes.<br />
Geography has always played an important of the north being cooler than the south, but<br />
role in country music, and it’s evident in truck-<br />
that’s the way it is in the southern hemisphere.<br />
Call now: 855-CDL-PENSKE<br />
ing songs. After all, Hank Snow set the stage After the long discography of trucking songs<br />
with “I’ve Been Everywhere,” and most American<br />
trucking songs online also have at a sense driver.penske.jobs<br />
of place to of the remainder of his career performing on a<br />
Nicholls turned out in the 1970s, he spent most<br />
Apply<br />
enhance the story behind the lyrics.<br />
roadshow heard on 90 radio stations throughout<br />
Australia. In the late ’90s, Massive Records<br />
Penske Nicholls is an recognized Equal Opportunity the importance Employer. of geography,<br />
and his lyrics include many references to re-released many of Nicholls’ trucking songs<br />
the highways, cities and landmarks of Australia. on albums such as “Aussie Truckin’” and “Interstate<br />
Truckin’.” Those releases brought renewed<br />
Whether it’s Western Australia, the Northern<br />
Territories or the informal “Outback,” Nicholls attention to Nicholls’ body of work.<br />
sang of drivers covering terrain across most of In 2002, he retired from the music business<br />
the Australian continent. To an American listener,<br />
however, Nicholls’ geographic references Music Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame. He died<br />
and was inducted into the Australian Country<br />
in<br />
can be confusing.<br />
In his 1975 hit single “Truck Me Dead,” Nicholls<br />
sings of the last moments of Harry, a truck<br />
driver from Townsville, an oceanside city in<br />
Australia’s “Sunshine State” of Queensland.<br />
Unfortunately for Harry, the character was<br />
on his deathbed in southern Australia, and he<br />
knew he’d never find his way northward before<br />
he died. He laments being laid to rest in what he<br />
considers to be the “cold” area of the continent<br />
(even though southern Australia is considered<br />
MORE THAN YOU 2012 at REALIZE the age of 93.<br />
®<br />
Until next time, when those old trucking<br />
songs get stale, spread your wings and see what<br />
performers in other countries have to offer.<br />
You’ll find a lot you’re already familiar with, but<br />
there’s plenty that will be new to the ear. 8
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
BUSINESS<br />
OCTOBER 2022 • 13<br />
Predicting the future<br />
SUCCESS FOR THE REST OF 2022 MAY DEPEND ON SPOT VS. CONTRACT RATES<br />
CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
Carriers that depend on spot freight rates<br />
for their business are in for a rough go in the<br />
coming months.<br />
On the other hand, carriers that depend<br />
on contract rates for their business are likely<br />
to earn near-record revenues for 2022 and<br />
will have an easier time riding out the coming<br />
recession.<br />
Those two statements seem to be the<br />
consensus among the firms that track and<br />
analyze the data from various resources. It’s<br />
a reasonable prediction, because spot rates<br />
are more volatile than contract rates. Spot<br />
rates can change overnight, while contract<br />
rates depend on — well, as the name suggests,<br />
negotiating a new contract. In summary,<br />
whatever spot rates do, contract rates will<br />
most likely follow, but months later.<br />
At the time of this writing, we’re at a point<br />
in the trucking cycle where spot rates have<br />
been falling steadily for months. According<br />
to DAT Freight and Analytics, dry van spot<br />
rates on their board fell 4.2% in August from<br />
July levels, while flatbed rates fell 7.4% and<br />
refrigerated rates fell 3.3%.<br />
Perhaps a more telling statistic is the<br />
“load-to-truck” ratios reported by DAT. When<br />
truckers have more loads to choose from,<br />
rates tend to rise as competition for trucks<br />
intensifies.<br />
The opposite is occurring now. Load-totruck<br />
ratio for dry van fell 7.9% in August,<br />
the refrigerated ratio fell 2.2% and the flatbed<br />
load-to-truck ratio fell 35.2%. With less<br />
competition to find trucks to move product,<br />
spot rates continued to fall.<br />
Things were a little rosier on the contract<br />
side.<br />
Freight volumes grew by 6.6% in<br />
August, according to data released by Cass<br />
Information Systems. Compared with August<br />
2021, freight volumes grew by 3.6%. The Cass<br />
data includes information from different<br />
modes of transportation, including rail, ship,<br />
barge, air, pipeline, trucking and others.<br />
While freight volumes grew by 3.6%<br />
compared with August 2021, the amount of<br />
money spent on shipping grew by 20.4% as<br />
rates climbed faster.<br />
At ACT Research’s Seminar 67, held<br />
Aug. 23-25 in Columbus, Indiana, ACT Vice<br />
President and Senior Analyst Tim Denoyer<br />
spoke about the trucking industry outlook.<br />
“We’re coming into a rough patch, but<br />
we’re coming from the best ever, and 2022<br />
will end up as probably the third or fourth<br />
best year for carrier profits,” Denoyer said in a<br />
presentation. He cautioned that the data was<br />
taken from quarterly reports of publicly held<br />
trucking companies and may not represent<br />
trucking companies as a whole.<br />
In a September 12 press release, ACT<br />
President and Senior Analyst Kenny Vieth<br />
iStock Photo<br />
Load-to-truck ratio for dry van fell 7.9% in August, the refrigerated ratio fell 2.2% and the flatbed load-to-truck ratio fell 35.2%. With less competition to find trucks to move<br />
product, spot rates continued to fall.<br />
echoed the news for large carriers.<br />
“Carrier profits and profitability were at<br />
record levels in 2021, and contract freight<br />
rates are still expected to rise by high single<br />
digits this year,” Vieth explained.<br />
That’s all part of the trucking industry<br />
cycle. In late 2020 and into 2021, spot rates<br />
were rapidly rising, prompting many owneroperators<br />
to purchase trucks and apply for<br />
their own authority to take advantage of the<br />
boom. Now the cycle has turned downward,<br />
and some of those drivers are surrendering<br />
their authority and leasing on — or hiring<br />
on — to carriers that have freight at contract<br />
rates.<br />
Like all cycles, the cycle of rising contract<br />
rates must end, and that day is coming. The<br />
coming year 2023 may prove to be difficult,<br />
with a recession predicted for the first half<br />
of the year. Denoyer predicts the recession<br />
will be a mild one for trucking and that the<br />
economy will recover in 2024 and 2025.<br />
In his Seminar 67 presentation, Denoyer<br />
addressed some of the factors that are<br />
impacting freight supply. One, he explained,<br />
is that consumer spending is moving back<br />
towards services rather than purchase of<br />
goods. That makes sense, with inflation<br />
running at a 40-year high. After paying bills,<br />
buying groceries and filling up the gas tanks of<br />
their vehicles, there simply isn’t enough cash<br />
left over for a spending spree.<br />
Retailers need to maintain an inventory of<br />
products to keep shelves stocked, and here’s<br />
where the cycle repeats. When people stop<br />
buying due to inflation, retailers order fewer<br />
products to replace their inventories. At a<br />
manufacturing level, inventories of parts and<br />
of completed product are also higher. Fewer<br />
reorders means fewer shipments for trucking.<br />
Another factor involves overseas shipping.<br />
The long lines of ships waiting to get<br />
unloaded at West Coast ports have shortened<br />
considerably. Some ships diverted to East<br />
Coast ports, and there are some wait times<br />
there, but the worst is over.<br />
Trucking has benefited from the railroad<br />
industry’s inability to move those containers<br />
coming into the ports. The railroads needed<br />
more chassis to stack the containers on, and<br />
those weren’t being built fast enough to supply<br />
the demand. The biggest reason was record<br />
steel prices that held up production. Those<br />
days have passed. Steel is cheaper and chassis<br />
are being built again, meaning railroads<br />
can move more containers, leaving less for<br />
trucking.<br />
Interest rates play a part, too. To combat<br />
inflation, the Federal Reserve has already<br />
increased prime interest rates by 75 basis<br />
points, or 3/4 of a percent, twice this year. At<br />
a meeting scheduled for Sept. 21, the Fed is<br />
expected to enact another increase, possibly<br />
of a full percentage point.<br />
Those increased interest rates reverberate<br />
throughout financial markets. For consumers,<br />
it means interest on mortgages, car loans and<br />
credit cards will continue to rise, adding to the<br />
cost of purchases that are already increasing<br />
in price.<br />
When the prices go up, along with the<br />
cost of borrowing money to make purchases,<br />
trucking sees less freight.<br />
Perhaps the only good economic news is<br />
that fuel prices have come down — but they’re<br />
still much higher than they were a year ago.<br />
Many smaller carriers are feeling the pinch.<br />
There is still money to be made in trucking,<br />
but it’s becoming more difficult to maintain a<br />
level of profitability. It won’t be getting any<br />
easier in the coming months. 8
14 • OCTOBER 2022 BUSINESS<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
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THETRUCKER.COM OCTOBER 2022 • 15<br />
BUSINESS<br />
SAFETY SERIES<br />
Things that go bump:<br />
Unusual noises or<br />
movements could mean<br />
something needs attention<br />
CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
The phrase “things that go bump in the<br />
night” may sound like a title for a horror movie,<br />
or even a cheesy writing contest, but can<br />
also indicate a warning for those who drive<br />
trucks.<br />
While traveling down the road, most drivers<br />
get pretty tuned in to the sounds heard in<br />
the cab — the hum of the engine, the sound of<br />
tires on pavement, maybe air leaking through<br />
a window channel. Most truckers can instantly<br />
discern a sound or a feeling that isn’t “right”<br />
— something that’s not the norm. The same is<br />
true when the vehicle is parked at a truck stop<br />
or other location.<br />
While driving, “bumps” can indicate running<br />
over an object in the roadway. It’s always<br />
best for a driver to see objects, including<br />
roadway defects such as potholes, before hitting<br />
them, but hat can be hard to do at night,<br />
when it’s harder to identify small objects until<br />
it’s too late. Objects in the roadway can<br />
include trash, parts or cargo that have fallen<br />
from another vehicle, or just about anything.<br />
In addition, many animals are active at<br />
night and sometimes wander onto the road.<br />
Some may be simply crossing, while others<br />
are seeking warmth in the pavement or something<br />
to eat (such as road kill or even salt).<br />
Whatever their reason for being there, creatures<br />
can be hard to spot until it’s too late. If<br />
the driver is checking mirrors or gauges, the<br />
first indication of an animal or object in the<br />
road could be a “ka-thump” that is both heard<br />
and felt.<br />
Feeling bumps while driving can also indicate<br />
a mechanical problem. Parts can vibrate<br />
loose or break, falling off at the worst<br />
possible time. Belts and hoses can break, tires<br />
can sling pieces of tread, and internal components<br />
of engines and transmissions can<br />
come apart. Drivers who hear something that<br />
sounds wrong — or even just different — will<br />
want to find a safe location to pull over and<br />
check for problems.<br />
At night, finding a safe place to stop and<br />
check can be a difficult task. Road shoulders<br />
aren’t safe in the best of conditions, and<br />
they often contain debris that’s been worked<br />
outward from the travel lanes by passing vehicles<br />
— and could now cause more damage<br />
to yours. When possible, a well-lit parking lot<br />
with other people around is the safest bet.<br />
Wherever you stop, carefully observe your<br />
surroundings before getting out of the truck,<br />
and periodically after that. Don’t get so focused<br />
on finding the source of the noise that you become<br />
vulnerable to an attack. By the way, every<br />
driver should have a quality flashlight on hand.<br />
When parked at a truck stop or rest area,<br />
it can be more difficult to identify “strange”<br />
noises. The sound of an idling engine, a running<br />
auxiliary power unit (APU) or a fan for<br />
heat or air conditioning can mask a lot of<br />
sounds outside the truck. Even the sound of<br />
closing truck doors or people talking can become<br />
“normal” if you’re there long enough to<br />
get used to it.<br />
Many drivers are instantly alert when<br />
someone steps up onto their truck, even if<br />
they don’t try to get in. Someone opening the<br />
back doors on the trailer can cause enough<br />
movement in the tractor to wake the driver.<br />
Someone climbing into the trailer or jumping<br />
out can cause even more movement.<br />
It’s an unfortunate fact that some people<br />
at the truck stop sometimes do things to<br />
sabotage trucks, like pull fifth-wheel release<br />
handles or steal fuel, wheels or other objects.<br />
It pays to be alert.<br />
If you hear or feel something suspicious,<br />
always carefully check around your truck<br />
and trailer before opening any doors. Criminals<br />
can easily hide behind the tractor or directly<br />
in front, pushing or shaking the tractor<br />
hard enough for a driver inside to feel it and<br />
then ambushing the driver as he or she exits<br />
the cab to investigate.<br />
Years ago, one unfortunate driver was<br />
woken up by someone pounding on the door,<br />
who said that he hadn’t pulled in far enough<br />
to allow another tractor use the space behind.<br />
Unbeknownst to that driver, thieves<br />
had positioned boards under the inside tires<br />
of each axle. The driver only moved a few feet,<br />
but it was enough to drive onto those boards,<br />
raising the dual tires enough for thieves to<br />
remove the outside wheels and tires. That<br />
driver went to bed with an 18-wheeler and<br />
woke up with a 10-wheeler and a story to tell<br />
his safety department.<br />
If you suspect someone is lurking around<br />
your truck, it’s a good idea to call the police<br />
or truck stop security rather than confronting<br />
the person yourself. It never hurts to at<br />
least have a second set of eyes on whatever<br />
is happening. In a worst-case scenario, you<br />
could be harmed in a confrontation — and<br />
no one would know to call for help. Remember<br />
the adage that no load of freight is worth<br />
your life.<br />
Those occasional bumps and sounds will<br />
probably turn out to be harmless, but by paying<br />
close attention and checking it out when<br />
necessary, you can increase your chances<br />
of bumping the dock at your next pickup or<br />
delivery. 8<br />
iStock Photo<br />
When stopping to investigate an odd sound, bump or vibration, drivers should carefully observe their surroundings<br />
before getting out of the truck, and periodically after that. Focusing only on finding the source of a noise can<br />
leave the driver vulnerable to attack.<br />
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16 • OCTOBER 2022<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
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EQUIPMENT & TECH<br />
OCTOBER 2022 • 17<br />
Upward trend<br />
U.S. SALES OF NEW CLASS 8 TRUCKS CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN – FOR NOW<br />
CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT<br />
The U.S. Class 8 new truck market surged<br />
to its highest point of the year in August<br />
with manufacturers reporting sales of 23,581<br />
units, according to data received from Wards<br />
Intelligence. Only once in the last five years<br />
has the month of August seen more sales —<br />
in 2018, when 23,913 trucks were sold. That<br />
2018 month was also the best August of the<br />
still young 21st century.<br />
Compared to July, truck sales rose by 15%,<br />
or 3,068 units. August 2021 sales were 18,176<br />
units, meaning that sales in August this year<br />
rose by 29.7%. One simple factor in the increase<br />
could be the number of build days,<br />
Monday through Friday, that fall in a given<br />
month. In July there were 21; in August, 23.<br />
But two additional days can’t account for the<br />
entire increase.<br />
It would seem manufacturers have found<br />
solutions to the supply chain issues that have<br />
plagued production since the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
began. There are still some worries<br />
that inflation, international conflict, potential<br />
recession or even the possible U.S. freight<br />
railway strike could interrupt supply chains,<br />
but for now, the assembly lines are rolling at<br />
truck manufacturers.<br />
A large factor in the sales totals was an<br />
incredible month for Freightliner, which reported<br />
sales of 9,783 trucks in August — an<br />
increase of 1,928, or 24.5%, over July sales of<br />
7,855. Compared to August of last year, the<br />
increase was 3,137 trucks, an increase of<br />
47.2% over August 2021 sales of 6,646.<br />
That impressive feat gave the manufacturer<br />
its best month since the turn of the century<br />
— and likely its best ever. Freightliner<br />
sold 41.5% of the new Class 8 trucks sold on<br />
the U.S. market in August, up from its 2022<br />
average of 38.2%.<br />
Western Star, the other Daimler-owned<br />
truck manufacturer in the U.S., also had a<br />
good August — but on a much smaller scale.<br />
The OEM sold 604 Class 8 trucks in the<br />
month, up 9.4% from July sales of 552. Compared<br />
with the 509 trucks in August 2021,<br />
sales at Western Star rose 18.7% on a yearover-year<br />
basis.<br />
International reported sales of 2,749 in<br />
August, up 23.3% from the 2,229 sold in July.<br />
Compared with August 2021, however, sales<br />
dropped by 118 units, or 4.1%.<br />
Volvo reported selling 2,243 trucks in<br />
August, up 5.7% from July’s 2,123 — and up<br />
a whopping 88% compared to August 2021<br />
sales of 1,193. Volvo finished 2021 with 8.7%<br />
of the U.S. market for new Class 8 trucks.<br />
This year, that percentage has increased to<br />
11%, even as the whole market has grown.<br />
For the year to date, Volvo has reported<br />
sales of 17,245, an increase of 35.5% over<br />
sales at the same point of 2021. That’s the<br />
largest increase by percentage of any of the<br />
OEMs.<br />
Volvo sibling Mack did better on a monthto-month<br />
basis. August sales of 1,594 topped<br />
July sales of 1,295 by 23.1%. Compared with<br />
August 2021, when 1,495 trucks were sold,<br />
Courtesy: Daimler Truck North America<br />
Compared to July, August sales of new Class 8 trucks in the U.S. rose by 15%, surging to its highest point of the<br />
year with manufacturers reporting sales of 23,581 units. Leading the pack, Freightliner was responsible for 41.5%<br />
of the trucks sold during the month.<br />
sales increased by 6.6%. However, Mack’s<br />
6.5% share of the U.S. Class 8 market lags behind<br />
the 7.9% it enjoyed at the same point of<br />
2021.<br />
Peterbilt was the only manufacturer with<br />
August sales declining from July numbers.<br />
The OEM sold 3,298 in August, down 2.8%<br />
from 3,392 the prior month. Compared with<br />
August of 2021, when 2,605 Petes were sold,<br />
sales increased by 693 units, or 26.6%.<br />
Kenworth ended August with sales of<br />
3,310, up 7.9% from July’s 3,067. Compared<br />
with August 2021, sales increased by 15.7%.<br />
For the year to date, Kenworth sales are up<br />
15.7% compared with Peterbilt’s 26.6% increase.<br />
Each OEM has a market share this<br />
year of 14%, down from last year’s share at<br />
the same point.<br />
The waiting list for new trucks is still long,<br />
and order cancellations have been rare. As<br />
long as the parts continue to flow to the assembly<br />
lines, sales should remain robust. 8<br />
Courtesy: Peterbilt<br />
Peterbilt has announced the launch of the limited-release Model 389X, which can be ordered as a day cab or in a<br />
72-inch or 78-inch sleeper configuration. Production will be limited to only 1,389 units.<br />
Peterbilt announces launch of limitedproduction,<br />
special edition Model 389X<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF<br />
DENTON, Texas — Peterbilt has launched its<br />
limited-release Model 389X. According to Peterbilt<br />
officials, the 389X “embodies the heritage of<br />
the Model 389 with its bold styling and bright exterior<br />
features.”<br />
The 389X includes a polished hood crown surrounding<br />
a classic-style louvered grille sheet inspired<br />
by the first 1939 Peterbilt. The hood features<br />
a polished centerline trim, exclusive sidehood<br />
chrome accents and polished hood fenders.<br />
Other eye-catching features include cowl<br />
skirts, battery box, fuel tanks, sun visor, bumper<br />
and large, 7-inch chrome exhaust stacks.<br />
The 389X also offers a new exterior lighting<br />
package, with LED amber color light strips that<br />
provide lighting in the air cleaners and under<br />
the rocker panels. In addition, the truck features<br />
389X exterior badging on the mud flaps as well as<br />
on the cab or sleeper.<br />
In the cab, the dash panels feature a new black<br />
pearl burl woodgrain, and black-finish trim accents<br />
can be found throughout the cab and<br />
sleeper.<br />
Additional special features include bright<br />
chrome grab handles, a 389X emblem on the<br />
shifter plate, embroidered 389X badging on<br />
the headrests and badging on the sleeper<br />
backwall. Each 389X includes a serialized,<br />
chrome dash plate with the production number<br />
of the truck to commemorate each special<br />
edition vehicle, as well as a kit of custom 389X<br />
merchandise.<br />
“The new 389X is superior in every detail,”<br />
said Robert Woodall, assistant general manager<br />
of sales and marketing for Peterbilt. “From<br />
its classic design and high-quality craftsmanship<br />
to its exclusive chrome elements and details<br />
both inside and out, the 389X will quickly<br />
become the most desirable truck on the road.<br />
I look forward to seeing this great truck and<br />
its proud owners on road across North America<br />
very soon.”<br />
The Model 389X can be ordered as a day cab<br />
or in a 72-inch or 78-inch sleeper configuration.<br />
The 389X production will be limited to only<br />
1,389 trucks and is available for order now<br />
through Peterbilt dealerships. 8
18 • OCTOBER 2022 EQUIPMENT & TECH<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
OVER 12,000 CMVS placed out of service during CVSA’s annual blitz<br />
WASHINGTON — Over the three days<br />
of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s<br />
(CVSA) International Roadcheck commercial<br />
motor vehicle inspection and enforcement<br />
initiative, held May 17-19, inspectors conducted<br />
59,026 inspections and placed 12,456 commercial<br />
motor vehicles and 3,714 commercial<br />
motor vehicle drivers out of service.<br />
A commercial motor vehicle is placed out<br />
of service when an inspector finds critical<br />
vehicle inspection item out-of-service violations,<br />
which are outlined in CVSA’s North<br />
American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria,<br />
during a roadside inspection. Being placed<br />
out of service means the driver or vehicle is<br />
prohibited from operation for a specified period<br />
of time or until the violation is corrected.<br />
This year, inspectors in Canada and the<br />
U.S. conducted 36,555 Level I Inspections and<br />
inspectors in Mexico conducted 1,150 Level<br />
V Inspections, for a combined total of 37,705<br />
Level I and V Inspections, according to CVSA.<br />
Inspectors placed 8,718 vehicles out of<br />
service, which reflects a 23.1% vehicle outof-service<br />
rate for North America. Out of the<br />
48,966 Level I and II Inspections conducted<br />
in Canada and the U.S., 11,181 vehicles were<br />
placed out of service, which is a 22.8% vehicle<br />
out-of-service rate, and 3,118 drivers were<br />
placed out of service, which is a 6.4% driver<br />
out-of-service rate.<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF<br />
That also means that 77.2% of the vehicles<br />
and 93.6% of the drivers inspected did not<br />
have out-of-service violations. Vehicles that<br />
do not have any critical vehicle inspection<br />
item violations, after a Level I or V Inspection,<br />
are eligible to receive a CVSA decal.<br />
The CVSA decal, valid for up to three consecutive<br />
months after inspection, is a visual<br />
indicator that signals to inspectors that the<br />
vehicle has “passed inspection.” Inspectors<br />
distributed 14,200 CVSA decals, which were<br />
placed on 10,135 power units, 3,876 trailers<br />
and 189 motorcoaches.<br />
During this year’s inspection blitz, the Top<br />
5 out-of-service violations across the entire<br />
North American continent were:<br />
1. Brake systems (4,592 vehicles, or 25.2%)<br />
2. Tires (3,374 vehicles, or 18.5%)<br />
3. Defective service brakes (2,309 vehicles,<br />
or 12.7%)<br />
4. Lights (2,219 vehicles, or 12.2%)<br />
5. Cargo securement (1,934 vehicles, or<br />
10.6%)<br />
The Top 5 driver out-of-service violations<br />
for Canada and the U.S. were:<br />
1. False logs (1,921 drivers, or 42.6%)<br />
2. Wrong class license (1,066 drivers, or<br />
23.6%)<br />
3. Hours of service (367 drivers, or 8.1%)<br />
4. Suspended license (260 drivers, or 5.8%)<br />
The focus of this year’s inspection initiative<br />
Courtesy: CVSA<br />
Over the three days of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck commercial motor<br />
vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative, held May 17-19, inspectors conducted 59,026 inspections and<br />
placed 12,456 commercial motor vehicles and 3,714 commercial motor vehicle drivers out of service.<br />
was wheel ends. Out of the Top 10 vehicle outof-service<br />
violations, tires ranked second and<br />
wheels came in seventh. Of the 18,213 total<br />
vehicle out-of-service violations, there were<br />
3,374 tire out-of-service violations, accounting<br />
for 18.5% of all vehicle out-of-service violations,<br />
and there were 784 wheel out-of-service<br />
violations, which is 4.3% of all vehicle out-ofservice<br />
violations. Combined, wheel end (tire<br />
and wheel) violations accounted for 22.8% of<br />
all out-of-service vehicle violations throughout<br />
North America. 8<br />
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TomTom’s GO Navigation app<br />
introduces truck navigation<br />
AMSTERDAM — TomTom, a mapmaker and<br />
geolocation specialist, has introduced GO Navigation’s<br />
truck plan for professional truck drivers.<br />
In addition to GO Navigation’s navigation<br />
capabilities, the new plan allows truck drivers<br />
to plan routes that account for their vehicle’s dimensions,<br />
fuel requirements, desired maximum<br />
speeds and cargo (such as dangerous goods), a<br />
news release stated.<br />
Drivers will also be able to plan multiple<br />
drop-offs and gain access to an overview of upcoming<br />
points of interest (POIs), such as fuel stations<br />
suitable for their vehicle and truck stops.<br />
“These truck-specific additions work in conjunction<br />
with the app’s existing navigation features,<br />
including intuitive lane guidance, live traffic<br />
and the Route Bar — a convenient snapshot<br />
of the route, stops, relevant alerts and restrictions<br />
ahead,” according to the news release.<br />
Pim Spaanderman, managing director of<br />
TomTom’s consumer division, called truck navigation<br />
on mobile devices a “game changer.”<br />
“The new plan is a result of TomTom’s<br />
long-standing relationship with professional<br />
drivers,” Spaanderman said. “After years of experience<br />
with truck-specific sat navs, we understand<br />
this industry’s biggest pain-points,<br />
so we were able to develop a solution that fills<br />
the gap left by the generic navigation offerings<br />
found in other apps.”<br />
TomTom officials say the GO Navigation’s<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF<br />
truck plan user interface is designed to minimize<br />
distractions and keep attention on the<br />
road.<br />
And with Android Auto compatibility, drivers<br />
also have the option to sync their route with<br />
their in-dash screen.<br />
“By accounting for factors like vehicle size<br />
and cargo type, this plan helps professional drivers<br />
stay up to speed with ever-changing road<br />
regulations, such as avoiding prohibited routes<br />
and complying with UN Class restriction,” the<br />
news release stated. “And with further updates<br />
in the pipeline, it will soon account for measures<br />
like low emission zones.”<br />
Luke Cuss, one of TomTom’s trucking ambassadors,<br />
said that as a third-generation truck<br />
driver, “I can say with some confidence that this<br />
addition couldn’t come sooner. Having Tom-<br />
Tom’s large-vehicle navigation features right<br />
there on an app is a big win for the trucking<br />
community.”<br />
Cuss added: “The job gets challenging at<br />
times, sure, and changing traffic conditions<br />
and regulations can be hard to keep up with –<br />
but this plan will help us stay on top of all that,<br />
meaning we can focus on the road ahead, enjoy<br />
the ride and stay on schedule.”<br />
GO Navigation’s truck plan is available for<br />
Android users on the Google Play Store. 8
FEATURES<br />
THETRUCKER.COM OCTOBER 2022 • 19<br />
Courtesy: ArcBest via Facebook<br />
From Sept. 11-17, the U.S. celebrated National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Many motor carriers provided special recognition for their drivers, including ArcBest. Here, members of the ArcBest display a special banner.<br />
A time for thanks<br />
CELEBRATIONS HELD THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER TO HONOR NATION’S TRUCK DRIVERS<br />
JOHN WORTHEN | STAFF WRITER<br />
A truck driver’s job is often thankless.<br />
There are long hours away from family<br />
members, scarce parking and people in cars<br />
who just don’t seem to understand how to<br />
share the road with big rigs.<br />
But one week each year, truck drivers are<br />
celebrated with a special show of appreciation.<br />
This year’s Truck Driver Appreciation<br />
Week was held Sept. 11-17 — but many carriers,<br />
truck stops and trucking organizations<br />
held special events throughout the month of<br />
September to show their thanks to the millions<br />
of men and women who pilot 18-wheelers<br />
across America’s highways and interstates.<br />
The goods those drivers deliver — everything<br />
from food to toilet paper — are vital to<br />
America’s population.<br />
Consider this:<br />
80% of U.S. communities depend exclusively<br />
on trucks to deliver goods.<br />
Nearly half of all products (consumer and<br />
home goods, electronics, etc.) are moved in<br />
dry vans.<br />
Truck drivers safely transport over 10 billion<br />
tons of goods every year.<br />
Trucking accounts for 70% of the total annual<br />
freight moved in the U.S.<br />
A typical professional truck driver logs<br />
more than 112,000 miles per year — the equivalent<br />
of almost four trips around the equator.<br />
The American Trucking Associations<br />
(ATA) credits former ATA chairman Don Bowman<br />
with the idea of Truck Driver Appreciation<br />
Week.<br />
Bowman proposed setting aside a week<br />
each year to spread public awareness about<br />
the role truck drivers play in the everyday lives<br />
of Americans and to give them the respect<br />
they deserve.<br />
The event was officially launched in 1998,<br />
and its reach has grown with each passing<br />
year.<br />
A number of motor carriers sponsored<br />
special events for drivers. The following are<br />
only a few.<br />
At ArcBest, multiple celebrations were<br />
held in September to show appreciation for<br />
drivers. Activities included a cookout, giveaways<br />
and multimedia recognition.<br />
ArcBest also urged those who aren’t truck<br />
drivers to help celebrate by engaging in activities<br />
such as covering a truck driver’s meal bill,<br />
putting together care packages and practicing<br />
safe driving on the highways.<br />
“Large trucks require greater stopping distance<br />
and more space to maneuver in traffic,<br />
so make sure you’re patient and courteous,<br />
and give them plenty of room,” an ArcBest<br />
news release stated. “Learn more about how<br />
cars and semi-trucks can safely share the<br />
road.”<br />
Retail giant Walmart celebrated its drivers<br />
with a special commercial “to let them know<br />
how much we appreciate them and how important<br />
they are to our customers, associates<br />
and company,” a news release stated.<br />
SEE THANKS ON PAGE 21<br />
Courtesy: Werner Enterprises via Facebook<br />
Drivers enjoy an appreciation cookout at Werner Enterprises’ West Memphis, Arkansas, location.<br />
Courtesy: C.H. Robinson via Facebook<br />
C.H. Robinson participated in a trucker celebration at the Trails Travel Center in Albert Lea, Minnesota, where drivers<br />
enjoyed free food, fun and good company.
20 • OCTOBER 2022 FEATURES<br />
THETRUCKER.COM<br />
Maine fuel hauler Haleigh Fickett honored<br />
as WIT’s September member of the month<br />
PLOVER, Wis. — Haleigh Fickett has<br />
been named the September 2022 Member<br />
of the Month by Women In Trucking (WIT).<br />
For more than four years, Fickett has been<br />
a transport driver for R.H. Foster Energy in<br />
Maine.<br />
Following in the footsteps of several family<br />
members, Fickett began her professional<br />
driving career at a young age. She attended<br />
a local technical school and, in an effort to<br />
gain a better understanding of the trucking<br />
industry, she entered the CDL program.<br />
Within a few weeks of joining the class<br />
and getting some time behind the wheel of<br />
a truck, she says, she fell in love with driving.<br />
She knew she had found the place she<br />
belonged.<br />
Eight years ago, at age 17, Fickett earned<br />
her Class A CDL. However, because of her<br />
age and lack of experience, she spent the<br />
next three years working on local farms and<br />
other jobs, constantly applying for jobs as a<br />
professional driver.<br />
At age 20, she took a position working for<br />
the Maine Department of Transportation,<br />
which allowed her to gain some experience<br />
driving plow trucks and other equipment<br />
involved in road maintenance.<br />
The following summer, Fickett, who says<br />
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF<br />
she is always up for a new challenge, jumped<br />
at the opportunity to begin her career at<br />
R.H. Foster Energy, obtain her hazmat and<br />
start learning how to haul fuel.<br />
Although this decision was a huge<br />
step for her, as she never planned to haul<br />
hazmat, she now believes it was the best<br />
career decision she could have ever made.<br />
She says driving for R.H. Foster is one of the<br />
most enjoyable jobs she could ask for.<br />
“Hauling fuel is a unique branch of the<br />
trucking industry, but one I find very exciting,”<br />
she said. “It takes a lot of focus and caution<br />
to work with hazardous materials, but<br />
it comes with incredible benefits, such as<br />
being able to deliver to different locations<br />
every day and practicing driving skills in<br />
various situations that arise with delivering<br />
to public spaces. Local jobs like mine are a<br />
great option for women, such as myself, who<br />
love the trucking industry but enjoy the option<br />
to be home every night.”<br />
In May, Fickett proved her skills during<br />
the Maine Truck Driving Championship,<br />
competing against some of the top tanker<br />
drivers in the state — and ultimately taking<br />
first place in the tanker division. This distinction<br />
qualified her for the National Truck<br />
Driving Championship, where she was able<br />
Courtesy: Women In Trucking<br />
Haleigh Fickett, a fuel-tank hauler for R.H. Foster Energy in Maine, is Women In Trucking’s September 2022<br />
Member of the Month.<br />
to compete against the top tanker drivers<br />
from across the U.S.<br />
“If I could give any advice to other women<br />
interested in the trucking industry, it would<br />
simply be to never underestimate yourself,”<br />
she said. “I was nervous when I was getting<br />
started in my current position, because it is<br />
a very physically demanding job, but I have<br />
proven time and time again that if I truly<br />
put my mind to it, anything is possible.” 8<br />
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THETRUCKER.COM OCTOBER 2022 • 21<br />
THANKS cont. from Page 19<br />
Company officials also noted, “Truck<br />
drivers have been a big part of what makes<br />
Walmart special since the earliest days of the<br />
company, and they’ll continue to help drive<br />
Walmart’s success as we lead retail into the<br />
future. Thank you to our amazing team of current<br />
drivers, and I’m looking forward to welcoming<br />
new faces in the weeks and months to<br />
come.”<br />
At J.B. Hunt, drivers were treated to giveaways<br />
and other festivities that included their<br />
families. Prizes, including gift cards, jackets,<br />
T-shirts, hats and backpacks, were given to<br />
drivers, along with free food.<br />
“What would the world look like without<br />
truck drivers?” a J.B. Hunt news release queried.<br />
“Grocery stores would be without food,<br />
hospitals would lack supplies, mail and package<br />
delivery would stop and lines would form<br />
around fuel stations. We don’t have to worry<br />
about these scenarios because of the hardworking<br />
people that drive the trucks that keep<br />
this country moving.”<br />
Werner held celebrations at its terminals<br />
throughout the U.S.<br />
“The appreciation and respect we have for<br />
our professional drivers at Werner runs deep.<br />
As the heart of our company, we are excited to<br />
not only express our gratitude for their hard<br />
work during National Truck Driver Appreciation<br />
Week, but to recognize the important role<br />
professional drivers play in our nation’s economy,”<br />
said Derek Leathers, chairman, president<br />
and CEO of Werner.<br />
Twice weekly throughout the month of<br />
September, Chief Carriers provided special<br />
lunches for its drivers. Brett Kleier, safety<br />
manager at Chief Carriers, smoked a pork<br />
shoulder through the night and served a special<br />
lunch to drivers at the terminal in Grand<br />
Island, Nebraska.<br />
During National Truck Driver Appreciation<br />
Week, Chief Carriers also handed out<br />
goodie bags, gift cards and other swag to their<br />
professional drivers at company terminals in<br />
Indiana and Nebraska.<br />
Global logistics company C.H. Robinson<br />
offered $100,000 in giveaways directly to truck<br />
LOVPB-0055_052722_5125x375_V1_L1.pdf 1 5/27/22 10:27 AM<br />
HOW WE HELP<br />
drivers in recognition of the 100,000 miles on<br />
average they travel every year. Each business<br />
day from Sept. 11-23, C.H. Robinson held 10<br />
giveaway drawings, each for $1,000, for carriers<br />
who by booked and picked up C.H. Robinson<br />
loads.<br />
In addition, for every “thank-you” message<br />
posted using the hashtag #ThanksForEverythingLiterally<br />
on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn<br />
or Instagram, the C.H. Robinson Foundation<br />
donated $5 — up to $25,000 — to the St. Christopher<br />
Truckers Relief Fund, which helps<br />
truck drivers in need.<br />
“We appreciate truck drivers every day of<br />
the year, and Truck Driver Appreciation Week<br />
especially gives us another opportunity to take<br />
a step back, reflect and truly recognize the<br />
people who help make our world go ’round,”<br />
said Mac Pinkerton, president of North American<br />
surface transportation for C.H. Robinson.<br />
“As one of the largest logistics companies<br />
in the world, we get to see first-hand how<br />
truck drivers continue to step up to deliver all<br />
of life’s essentials that we often take for granted,”<br />
Pinkerton continued. “We are so grateful<br />
for their dedication and thrilled we get the<br />
opportunity to say, ‘thanks for everything’ in<br />
a big way.”<br />
Pat Nolan, vice president of North American<br />
surface transportation for C.H. Robinson,<br />
said truck drivers “are inextricably linked not<br />
only to our business but also to our everyday<br />
needs and there is no better time than Truck<br />
Driver Appreciation Week to say thank you for<br />
all they do.<br />
“At C.H. Robinson, we look forward to continuing<br />
to support carriers in every way that<br />
we can,” he continued. “From introducing<br />
new ways for carriers to gain access to more<br />
freight than any other platform can offer, to<br />
innovative technology which makes it easier<br />
and more efficient for them to book loads<br />
and get paid quickly, we are hyper-focused<br />
on finding ways to consistently improve the<br />
carrier experience and support the important<br />
work they do.”<br />
Here’s hoping the nation — and the world<br />
— will continue to recognize the vital role<br />
truck drivers play, not just during September,<br />
but every day of the year. 8<br />
RAIL cont. from Page 7<br />
to ease their strict attendance policies to address<br />
union concerns about working conditions.<br />
Railroad workers will now be able to take<br />
unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without<br />
being penalized, and they won’t be penalized if<br />
they are hospitalized. Previously, workers would<br />
lose points under the attendance systems at<br />
BNSF and Union Pacific railways, and they could<br />
be disciplined if they lost all their points.<br />
The talks also included Norfolk Southern, CSX,<br />
Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of<br />
Canadian National.<br />
The president of the Brotherhood of<br />
Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Dennis<br />
Pierce, predicted that workers will ultimately<br />
support the deal if they look logically at all the<br />
gains, including the fact that the unions again<br />
fought off proposals to cut locomotive crews<br />
down from two people to one.<br />
But if workers vote angry, the outcome is<br />
harder to predict.<br />
“I think it is going to dramatically change the<br />
way these jobs look,” Pierce said.<br />
Victor Chen, a sociologist at Virginia<br />
Commonwealth University who studies labor,<br />
said concerns about working conditions have<br />
increasingly become a priority for unions and<br />
their workers.<br />
“At a certain point, good wages just aren’t<br />
enough to make up for the toll these sorts of<br />
working conditions impose on workers,” Chen<br />
said. “The companies need to treat workers<br />
like human beings, rather than just inputs in a<br />
business process.”<br />
The railroad unions pointed to workload<br />
and attendance rules after the major railroads<br />
cut nearly one-third of their workforce — some<br />
45,000 jobs — over the past six years.<br />
The rail industry has aggressively cut costs<br />
everywhere and shifted its operations to rely more<br />
on fewer, longer trains that use fewer locomotives<br />
and fewer employees. The unions said the<br />
remaining workers, particularly engineers and<br />
conductors, were on call 24-7 because of jobs cuts<br />
and could hardly take any time off under strict<br />
attendance rules.<br />
Unions had an advantage at the bargaining<br />
table because of the tight labor market and<br />
Marketplace FOR<br />
AAP Photo/Andrew Harnik<br />
President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway<br />
labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House,<br />
Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left,<br />
Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor<br />
Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America<br />
Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and<br />
National Economic Council director Brian Deese.<br />
ongoing service problems on the railroads, Chen<br />
said.<br />
Shippers have complained loudly this year<br />
about delays and poor service as railroads<br />
struggled to hire quickly enough to handle a<br />
surge in demand as the economy emerged from<br />
the pandemic. The shipping problems gave rail<br />
workers extra leverage.<br />
Newly hired CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said he<br />
hopes the new deal helps the railroad hire and<br />
retain more employees to address the service<br />
problems.<br />
“Now we can move our conversation into how<br />
do we work together to grow the business and<br />
better serve our customers,” he said.<br />
Before the deal was reached, business groups<br />
including the Business Roundtable and the U.S.<br />
Chamber of Commerce predicted that a rail<br />
strike would be an “economic disaster.”<br />
The Association of American Railroads<br />
trade group estimated that a strike would cost<br />
the economy more than $2 billion a day and<br />
force many businesses to scale back or cease<br />
production and consider layoffs.<br />
With the economy still recovering from<br />
the pandemic’s supply chain disruptions, the<br />
president’s goal was to keep all parties talking so<br />
a deal could be reached.<br />
It was clear the effort had paid off when Biden<br />
announced the deal, calling it “an important win<br />
for our economy and the American people.”<br />
The Trucker News Staff contributed to this<br />
report. 8<br />
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