Tag: Primary Feature

In this episode we cover: Stuck Truck in Massachusetts | Renewable diesel in California | CAT Scale Rig of the Week | Fittest Driver: Push Up Challenge Tucker Russ: Hey truckers, I'm Tucker. A truck gets stuck under a bridge and Massachusetts, and California gets a few more renewable diesel stations. Plus, we'll give you a look at a fitness contest just for truckers. Are you up for the challenge? And that's just a quick look at the stories we're recovering, as well as our Cat Scale Rig of The Week on this edition of the Trucker News Channel. Tucker Russ: We all...

WASHINGTON — Fifty-five Democratic members of the House of Representatives have called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Congressional leaders to temporarily suspend the federal excise tax (FTE) on the sales of heavy-duty trucks and trailers during the COVID-19 crisis. The July 20 letter, signed by Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., noted that the domestic trucking industry had played an important role in ensuring the delivery of vital medical supplies and essential consumer goods nationwide. The names of 54 other members of Congress we listed below that of Pappas. “Like other important industries that employ millions of Americans, the trucking industry has...

PADUCAH, Ky. — Beginning at 6:30 a.m. central time on Saturday, Aug. 1, the Cairo Bridge will be closed to all traffic, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). The bridge, located on U.S. 51, spans the Ohio River between Wickliffe, Kentucky, and Cairo, Illinois. In addition to allowing extensive maintenance work along the approach levee on the Kentucky side of the bridge, the closure will accelerate a deck and expansion-joint maintenance project on the bridge itself. Kyle Poat, chief engineer for KYTC’s District 1, said he realizes the closure will be a hardship on commuters, businesses and industries that depend...

SAN FRANSISCO — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on July 15 ordered JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. to reinstate an employee that was terminated for refusing to drive what the employee believed to be an overweight vehicle at the company’s Wilmington, California facility. OSHA also ordered the company to pay more than $190,000 in back wages, $25,000 in punitive damages, $5,000 in compensatory damages and attorney’s fees. OSHA investigators determined that JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. violated the whistleblower provision of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) when the company terminated the driver. Two months before...

ATLANTA  — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, July 15, that he is rolling back a foundational Nixon-era environmental law that he says stifles infrastructure projects, but that is credited with ensuring decades of scrutiny of major projects and giving local communities a say. Trump was in Atlanta to announce changes to the National Environmental Policy Act’s regulations for how and when authorities must conduct environmental reviews, making it easier to build highways, pipelines, chemical and solar plants, and other projects. The 1970 law changed environmental oversight in the U.S. by requiring federal agencies to consider whether a project would harm...

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended exemptions under the modified expanded Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 for truckers providing emergency relief to the COVID-19 crisis until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Aug. 14, the agency said on Monday, July 13. The exemption, previously extended and set to expire today (July 14), provides relief from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and addresses the need for immediate transportation of essential supplies related to the national emergency declared by President Donald Trump on...

SEYMOUR, Ind. — The Seymour, Indiana, Fire Department was called to the TA Travel Center at 2336 E. Tipton St. during the early hours of July 6, according to the Seymour Police Department. No injuries were reported in the fire, and the local fire department was able to contain the blaze. Damage was limited to the west side of the building. An investigation is ongoing, the Seymore Police Department said in a Facebook post.

In this episode we cover: Massive truck explosion | Trucker kills animal activist | Reality TV star indicted | Rig with fireworks explodes David Compton: Hi, I'm David Compton. A truck hauling 1,000 propane tanks causes a major explosion, and an 18 Wheeler carrying livestock hits and kills an animal rights protester. Tucker Russ: Hey truckers, I'm Tucker. A reality TV star is in hot water for his trucking business, and a tractor-trailer hauling fireworks goes out with a bang. These are just some of the stories we are covering on this edition of The Trucker News Channel. David Compton: A truck hauling 1,000 propane tanks...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — By 2045, every new truck sold in California will be zero-emission. That’s according to the California Air Resources Board, which on June 25 adopted a first-in-the-world rule requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024 and culminating in 100% zero-emission trucks by 2045. A statement from CARB describes the move as “bold and timely,” adding that it sets a clean-truck standard for the nation and the world and marks the most important air-pollution regulation to date implemented by California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. The rule zeroes in on air...

FREMONT, Neb. — The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating a crash involving a tractor-trailer hauling fireworks south of Uehling. At about 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20, the Nebraska State Patrol received a report of a crash involving a tractor-trailer and an SUV at the intersection of State Highway 77 and Road F in Dodge County. When troopers arrived on scene, the tractor-trailer, which was hauling fireworks, was fully engulfed in flames and fireworks inside the trailer were actively exploding. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and Hooper Police Department also responded to the call. Witnesses were able to extricate all persons involved...

In this video, we cover: A trucker is buried alive | Train hits big rig | NFL star fights trucker | CAT Scale's Rig of the Week | COVID-19 worries David Compton: Hi, I'm David Compton. A man is buried alive in a semitrailer and a train hits a big rig in Georgia. Tucker Russ: Hey, truckers, I'm Tucker. An NFL star punches a truck driver, and a new survey shows truckers have major concern over bringing COVID-19 home to their loved ones. These are just some of the stories we are covering along with our cat scale rig of the week on...

WASHINGTON — Truckers who applauded the long-overdue infrastructure bill now making its way through Congress were blindsided by a proposed amendment that would increase their costs of doing business. On June 18, Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (D-Illinois) submitted a proposed amendment to the bill that would increase the minimum level of financial responsibility for most carriers from the current $750,000 to $2 million. Haulers of hazardous materials are currently required to carry minimum liability insurance of $1 million to $5 million, depending on quantity and hazard class. Some carriers who have ceased operations in the past year cited the high cost...

ALBANY, N.Y. — After an investigation by the Albany Police Department, a 24-year-old Albany man who set fire to a tractor-trailer during a riot in late May has been arrested. Ah-Juan Boyd was arrested and charged with riot in the first degree, a Class E felony; third-degree arson, a Class C felony; and second-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony. On May 30 at about 9:30 p.m., Boyd was a participant in a riot on South Pearl Street. in which rioters stopped a tractor trailer on the street and removed the driver. Boyd then proceeded to set fire to the tractor-trailer...

David Compton: Hi, I'm David Compton. A dead body is found on top of a trailer, border agents find a surprise inside a load of hay bales and the FMCSA releases their top eight offending drugs in the newly created Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Tucker Russ: Hey truckers, I'm Tucker. The emergency hours of service suspension is extended, but modified by the FMCSA and 10 race horses are tragically killed in a fiery crash on the New Jersey turnpike. These are just some of the stories we are covering on this edition of the Trucker News Channel. David Compton: When you're out there on...

WASHINGTON — In a June 5, 2020 announcement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) eased the process of returning to work for drivers who have been furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement focuses on 49 CFR 382.301. Subparagraph “A” of that regulation requires pre-employment drug testing for drivers who are newly hired, but also applies to those returning from a furlough, lay off or other period of unemployment. Subparagraph “B” provides an exception to the pre-employment testing requirement. The employer can skip the pre-employment testing if the driver returns to work within 30-days and either...

WASHINGTON — On June 8, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that Emergency Declaration No. 2020-02, which suspended parts 390 through 399 of the regulations, which includes hours-of-service requirements, has been extended through July 14 with some modifications. The declaration, issued by President Trump, had already been extended to June 14 from its original expiration date of May 13. The latest extension places additional restrictions on carriers and drivers to qualify for the exemption from regulations. The extension is limited to (1) transportation of livestock and livestock feed; (2) medical supplies and equipment related to testing, diagnosis and treatment...

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Driver turnover rates spiked early in the first quarter of 2020 before they trended down in March to all-time lows, according to new research by Stay Metrics, a leading provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers. Historically, turnover has aligned with freight market conditions. When freight volumes rise and capacity tightens, drivers leave carriers at higher rates in search of new opportunities. Conversely, drivers tend to stay put during economic downturns. The new report by Stay Metrics’ Research and Analytics team, led by Bradley Fulton, Ph.D., shows a major shift in the turnover paradigm for the...

When COVID-19 rose to the forefront of the nation’s news early this year, the trucking industry found itself in high demand. Carriers, company drivers and owner-operators alike worked around the clock to deliver essential goods to all corners of the country. Consumers grabbed most of those goods before another delivery arrived. While the COVID-19 crisis put most available drivers and trucks on the road, at least for a while, the same didn’t hold true for operations at America’s largest truck-manufacturing plants. Demand for new Class 8 equipment had been trending downward since late 2018, and the pandemic erased industry executives’...

OMAHA, Neb. — Many driving entrepreneurs experience the pride in seeing their name on the side of their truck. Imagine seeing it on more than 10,000 trucks. Only a few truckers reach that lofty status, and CL Werner is one of them. The Omaha, Nebraska-based company announced on June 4 that Werner is stepping down as Executive Chairman. The action was effective May 31, 2020. He will continue to serve as Chairman of the board of directors until his current term expires in May 2021. The board of directors appointed current President and CEO of the company, Derek Leathers to the...

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation plans to close 10 highway rest areas to save money amid a budget crisis. The closures starting June 15 will save about $800,000 a year, department officials said Friday. The department is closing rest areas near Lusk on U.S. Highway 18; Guernsey on U.S. 26; Greybull on U.S. 14-16-20; Moorcroft on Interstate 90; Star Valley on U.S. 89; Ft. Steele on I-80; Sundance on I-90; Upton on U.S. 16; and Orin Junction and Chugwater, both on I-25. The Wyoming Transportation Commission approved the closures in a special budget-related meeting May 27. "Although these rest areas...