EYE ON TRUCKING: Trooper Monty Dial to retire

By LYNDON FINNEY
The Trucker Staff

9/8/2008

As usual, the e-mail from RJ Taylor at Ol’ Blue USA came plenty early to meet our deadline.

It comes so early, in fact, that our normal habit is to drag it to the folder where we store e-mails with articles for a later edition.

Had it not been for a second e-mail that directly followed, we probably would have followed habit.

But the subject line for the second e-mail said “Monty Retirement.”

It was an invitation to a retirement dinner during the Great American Trucking Show at Dallas last month.

So we opened up the first e-mail, and there it was at the beginning of the column:

“After more than 31 years of faithful and dedicated service to the Texas Highway Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) division and to the citizens of Texas, Senior Trooper Monty Dial has decided to retire.

“Trooper Dial has been extremely supportive of Ol’ Blue, USA, and the trucking industry, for many years.  His retirement will be a great loss to our industry, and we wish him well.

“However, we are honored that Trooper Monty Dial remains committed to our organization and will continue to volunteer his services to Ol’ Blue, USA.  This is a great tribute to his values and to our safety organization.  We are very appreciative.”

Doubtless there are few truckers, especially those who drive in the southeast and southwest, who’ve not heard of Dial’s expertise on commercial vehicle law, and especially Hours of Service.

Just ask Eric Harley and Gary McNamara.

When Dial shows up for one of his periodical appearances on the Midnight Trucking Radio Network, the call board stays lighted up all night.

Visit Ol’ Blue USA’s booth at a trucking show, and often you’ll find Dial, surrounded by truckers relating frustrations they’ve had with HOS and asking for interpretations of the law.

We echo RJ’s words. Dial will be missed, but we’re glad he’ll continue to contribute to the Ask the Law column.

We’ve dispatched our ace police reporter Jerry Breeden to track down Dial and profile his career for the Sept. 15 issue.

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The Mexico truck pilot project continues to maintain a life of its own.

Early in August, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator John Hill announced that the cross-border trucking demonstration project would be extended for two years as permitted under U.S. law.

Hill said he was pleased with the success of the project to date, but noted the participation has been limited by the uncertainty of the project’s longevity, a sentiment he expressed to us during an interview last May.

“A number of potential companies have been unwilling to invest the time and resources necessary to participate due to uncertainties concerning the project’s longevity,” he said in announcing the extension.

No doubt, too, that the lack of participation is also the result of the bickering between the FMCSA and Congress over the very existence of the demonstration project.

Some Congressmen have been extremely vocal.

They want the project halted, right now.

And honestly, there are some in the industry who feel that if the new administration is Democratic, there will be pressure on FMCSA’s new administrator to stop the project.

Or who knows, that person may be appointed with the understanding that the project will be ended.

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One thing is for sure.

Truckers voting in the poll on thetrucker.com don’t want the pilot program to continue.

Responding to the question: “Do you agree with the decision of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to extend the Mexico cross-border demonstration project for two years?” 87.17 percent said no.

Here are a few comments truckers wrote after voting, including both pro and con:

“Here and again, it is only the few who will gain; it does nothing for safety and most certainly will diminish wages and jobs. We need to forget about NAFTA and move on.”

“This is another program to erode away American jobs. The Mexican drivers do not have the same standards as the American truck drivers.”

“During the past 11 months, the participants have shown they are able to operate safely and in full compliance with our laws and regulations. The opponents of this program are using smoke and mirrors and when that doesn't succeed, lies, to try and put fear in the trucking industry. To date, no accidents, better safety stats than U.S. trucks, no jobs lost, etc. Think about it.”

“The Mexican trucks coming across the border only help get more Mexican produce to the U.S. so we, the U.S. citizens, have more freight to haul. Those people do not want our jobs, they have one.”