Fuel for the Truck; Fuel for the Trucker

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Fuel for the Truck; Fuel for the Trucker
July 20, 2008

Ever heard of Breezewood, Pennsylvania? If you're a trucker traveling through the state, you're probably familiar with this quarter-mile strip located at the junction of I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike – places to eat and places to re-fuel. But, there's more than meets the eye in Breezewood. Nestled between the rigs is one tractor trailer that doesn't seem to move much. It is the mobile chapel of Rev. Shannon Rust. Truckers can re-fuel their rigs and also re-fuel their souls.

According to the Trucker's Friend National Truck Stop Directory, an industry publication, there are more than 230 chapels located at truck stops across the nation. This number has almost doubled in less than a decade.

Long hours on the road, alone with one's thoughts, can leave a person anxious and searching for answers to the milieu of problems that have become all too common today in a troubled industry. While truckers employed by major companies still enjoy a relative degree of job stability, the independent truckers are going through rough times. Meeting expenses is the task at hand. Many truckers are spending longer tours away from home in order to make ends meet. However, the price of these trips is steep emotionally as well as financially. Problems at home have to be addressed long distance. The worry of bills in arrears always looms. The question of the next job is continually on the horizon.

Seeking peace of mind has become an intrinsic part of traveling the road. Helping the truckers deal with loneliness and worry is the task of these mobile preachers. The number of truckers visiting these truck-stop chapels is growing. Truckers are making time for prayer as well as food and maintenance. Preachers like Mr. Rust are serving an important role in keeping America moving.

Next time you're traveling the Interstate and your personal fuel gauge is starting to run low, keep your eyes open for one of America's soul re-fueling stations. The service is friendly and efficient, and you can always afford to fill your tank.

Railroad Superiority?

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Railroad Superiority?
July 20, 2008

In the age of rising fuel prices, there is much scrutiny of the nation's transportation system. As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Although many Americans feel that they are hostage to foreign powers that control the flow of crude oil, they are yet to widely endorse alternatives. One school of thought promotes alternate fuel sources. Other opinions support re-examination of the ways America moves people and goods. In either case, as America's dependence on foreign produced items continues to grow, transporting these goods is major business.

A prime example is the transport of container goods. Short haul transport is best managed by truck. However, as distances grow, and America is by no means a small country, so do the options. When time is the primary concern, air freight is the preferred mode of transport. However, air transport is far too prohibitive, both in terms of cost and capacity, for large loads. The choice is either truck or railroad.

The US interstate highway system is quite extensive and is home to thousands of transport vehicles, as well as private. However, the number of trucks is continually growing, requiring expansion of the roadways due to sheer capacity and the necessary maintenance. Construction of additional lanes, to accommodate the increased volume, will cost taxpayers billions of dollars. As transportation bonds are but one of a plethora of proposed legislations that are presented to the voting public, choices have to be made and questions are raised. Could alternate modes of cargo transport serve the needs of the American consumer? Does an increase in road traffic have negative environmental effects? Are other resources being under utilized?

Proponents of railroad transport have the answers to these questions. They feel that America lags far behind European nations in terms of railroad usage. While it is true that the distances are far greater between points in the US, it still does not negate the fact that railroad lines are dedicated modes of travel, virtually undisturbed by other vehicles. Supporters state that rail transport is far more efficient than trucks and certainly would save taxpayers money. Industry analysts claim that increased train usage could greatly reduce the number of trucks on the nation's roadways, thus reducing fuel consumption and contributing to a healthier environment. Similarly, the costs associated with increased rail usage are far less than the costs necessary for upkeep and expansion of the roadways.

What is clear is the need for increased joint studies by legislators and industrial leaders to define where America is going and how it is going to get there.

Smugglers – Beware!

Smugglers – Beware!
July 20, 2008

There was a time, not too long ago, when smuggling into the United States via the state of Texas was a commonplace occurrence. The Tex-Mex border was a common entry point for illicit drugs and illegal aliens. The common border has been a favorite gateway for smugglers and a cause of concern for law enforcement officials.

Over the years, authorities have increased efforts to curb and curtail smuggling over the border and have become adept at catching smugglers through increased information and more effective surveillance and patrols.

One of the transport methods employed by smugglers has been commercial trucks traveling between Mexico and the US.

Smuggling of drugs and humans is a federal offense punishable by fine and possible short jail sentence. Illicit transport of illegal aliens and drug smuggling in your rig could have your truck confiscated until after the fine was paid. In all, the benefits may have outweighed the risk – until recently.

Changes in federal laws have greatly increased the penalties for illegal transport. However, the strange irony is that the trucker involved in these illegal activities still had a degree of protection under state laws. After paying the fine, or serving a short sentence, the same trucker could get behind the wheel and it was back to business as usual. Texas legislators have put the brakes to this strange turn of events.

Texas has initiated tough new measures to curb illegal transport of humans and drugs. Under the new initiative, federal records of offenses will be made available to the state. The goal is to alert state officials who have the power to revoke and cancel state issued driver and transport licenses. Texas officials have made it clear that their state has declared war on truck drivers involved with illegal activities. A first offense will cost a driver his license for one year. A repeat offense will cost a driver his license permanently.

Since September 2007, seven drivers have been caught smuggling and five licenses have been permanently revoked.

Smugglers – beware. The Texas Border Patrol is open for business.

ATA Presses for a Cap on Diesel Fuel Prices

ATA Presses for a Cap on Diesel Fuel Prices
Sunday, April 6, 2008

On March 27th, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) urged the Bush administration to quickly take measures to ensure that affordable supply of oil is available to the 3.5 million truck drivers and consumers in the U.S. The ATA said as truckers currently face the highest prolonged fuel prices in history, and some motor carriers believe fuel has surpassed labor as their largest expense, the federal government must step in to help bring the price of diesel fuel down.

The ATA recommended the federal government to: stop filling and instead release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, work with the states’ attorneys general to fight the likelihood of any fuel price overcharge, require all new trucks to install electronic speed limiters set at no more than 68 mph, and set a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph. ATA President and CEO Bill Graves expressed his concern over how increased fuel prices affect the trucking industry as well as the nation’s economy as a whole. Although the trucking industry is doing its best to conserve fuel and limit its consumption, the federal government’s help is still very much needed.

Pressing for immediate action for what is described as a crisis situation, the ATA said it issued letters of late to President Bush, the Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Treasury Department.

The ATA, which represents more than 37,000 member motor carriers, said that the trucking industry is expected to spend a record-high $135 billion on diesel fuel this year, some $22 billion more than last year.

Safe Trucking Companies to be Awarded Fleet Safety Certification

Safe Trucking Companies to be Awarded Fleet Safety Certification
Sunday, April 6, 2008

Aon Risk Services, the retail brokering and risk management services unit of Aon Corporation, has developed the first nationwide fleet safety certification for trucking companies.

SafeFleet Certification, developed by the company's trucking practice, is a performance-based safety certification. The safety performance of trucking companies is measured by comparing a fleet's safety performance to national averages for the trucking industry based on several safety performance criteria, including out-of-service violation percentage, DOT-crash rate per million miles, crash-related injury and fatality rate per 100 million miles, and injury rate that results in lost workplace time per 100 workers.

SafeFleet Gold Certification is awarded to fleets whose safety performance is at least 35% better than the trucking industry average, whereas SafeFleet Silver and Bronze Certifications are awarded to fleets whose safety performance is 25% and 15% respectively better than the national average.

David Mitchell, director of risk control and safety for Aon's trucking practice, said that only about 15% of trucking companies would be able to meet such rigorous certification standards. Trucking companies that do meet those standards, however, are expected to experience improved claims defense and reduced claims costs, better treatment from insurance and reinsurance underwriters, higher driver retention, and increased sales to shippers.

Doubt Cast Over Mexican Truckers' English Proficiency

Doubt Cast over Mexican Truckers’ English Proficiency
Friday, April 04, 2008

Mexican truck drivers, traveling throughout the United States under the patronage of a pilot program created to test how safe Mexican trucks are on U.S. roads, are required by law to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. However, according to a testimony on March 11th at a Senate hearing, U.S. Department of Transportation regulations allow those drivers to answer questions in any language other than English when proving they recognize U.S. highway signs.

Senator Bryan Dorgan, who has always been an opponent of the program, has expressed his concern over such a clear disparity between the legal requirement and that particular regulation, arguing that the Mexican truckers’ English proficiency is an integral component of the safety issue. In addition, he has accused the Bush administration of not requiring Mexican truck drivers to meet the same level of safety standards that U.S. truck drivers meet. Chairing the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing, which was called to examine the six-month-old pilot program, Dorgan demanded an explanation from Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

Peters admitted that during border inspections Mexican truck drivers are allowed to use any language that a U.S. inspector understands when answering questions to prove they recognize U.S. signs. However, she proceeded that inspectors determine the drivers’ English proficiency through other questions, such as asking them their names, what their trucks are carrying, and where they are going.

The Transportation Department's inspector general Calvin L. Scovel III told the panel that the road-sign test is only one factor that inspectors take into account while determining the Mexican truck drivers’ English-language proficiency. However, he acknowledged in an issued assessment report that the pilot program still suffers from some serious defects.

William Quade, associate administrator at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said after the hearing that inspectors normally wait until Mexican truck drivers have demonstrated their English-language proficiency before they begin to ask them to identify signs. He adds that once the Mexican drivers’ English proficiency has been proven, the inspection needs to be carried on in any language that inspectors and drivers understand.

While opponents of the program have sought to shut it down through legislation and litigation, U.S. transportation officials state that a comprehensive inspection process confirms that Mexican trucks allowed in the program are just as safe as American trucks.

The Bush administration regards the program as a step forward toward more north-south trade between the U.S. and Mexico, a trade which would benefit the economies of both countries.

Saskatchewan Budget Focuses on Highways and Transportation Infrastructure

Saskatchewan Budget Focuses on Highways and Transportation Infrastructure
Friday, April 4, 2008

Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer handed down the first budget of the Government of Saskatchewan, which included record-high spending on highways. Gantefoer says that the $1 billion Ready for Growth Initiative is the first budget of the Saskatchewan Party and the largest infrastructure investment in the history of Saskatchewan; it focuses on ensuring that Saskatchewan enjoys safe roads in order to efficiently deliver goods to various markets worldwide, boost the provincial economy, and achieve sustainable growth.

The $1 billion Ready for Growth Initiative will increase transportation spending to $513 million, the largest Saskatchewan's transportation budget on record. Currently, the Highways and Infrastructure budget is up 15% from last year. Highways and Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard acknowledges that Saskatchewan is suffering from an infrastructure deficiency, a problem which has been addressed as a matter of urgency so that Saskatchewan people and goods move freely and safely throughout the province. As such, numerous, important plans, concerning building and repairing roads and highways, are currently underway.

The budget is inclusive of $137.5 million in funding allocated for upgrading thin membrane surface (TMS) highways, increasing access to Primary Weights on rural highways, twinning of Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Prince Albert, and linking Highways 1 and 16. In addition, the budget allocates $202.6 million for maintaining and repairing provincial highways. The budget further allocates $19.4 million for replacing and restoring aging bridges and culverts and another $5 million for helping rural municipalities improve municipal roads affected by truck traffic.

Thanks to Saskatchewan’s flourishing economy, $9.37 billion in revenue has been forecasted for 2008/2009, in turn prompting the government to invest in $8.57 billion in expenditures. Gantefoer concludes that the set budget is well-balanced and includes a $250 million debt reduction to help Saskatchewan be in a better position for many years to come.

Con-way Freight Awarded Top Safety Honors

Con-way Freight Awarded Top Safety Honors
Sunday, March 30, 2008

Con-way Freight was honored at the Michigan Trucking Association (MTA) Annual Safety Awards, which was held in Lansing in late February. For the second year in a row, the MTA awarded Con-way a fleet safety plaque for Outstanding Achievement in Highway Safety in the General Commodities division in recognition of its exemplary safety record and practices.

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Con-way Freight is one of the leading less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers. It offers LTL freight delivery across North America as well as international less-than-container (LCL) ocean Freight delivery from Asia to the United States. Con-way Freight is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc., a $4.7 billion freight transportation and logistics services company.

Walter G. Heinritzi, executive director of the Michigan Trucking Association, said that Con-way Freight has clearly shown an on-going commitment to safety, and the MTA is glad to have the opportunity to honor the company again for its outstanding achievement. On the other hand, John G. Labrie, president of Con-way Freight, said that winning this award for two consecutive years is a living proof that Con-way regards safety as a top priority, and its drivers share this view by adhering strictly to safe driving practices.

Sponsored by the Great West Casualty Company, one of the largest insurers of trucking companies in the United States, the Annual Safety Awards are presented to their respective winners based on certain safety criteria that include covered miles, types of driving, and number of accidents, if any.

The Lansing-Based MTA has been serving Michigan's trucking industry since 1934. It aims at enhancing the trucking industry's image, promoting highway safety, and collecting, maintaining, and distributing information on the trucking industry.

Talk of Renegotiating NAFTA Worries Truckers

Talk of Renegotiating NAFTA Worries Truckers
Sunday, March 30, 2008

Both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have made campaign promises to renegotiate the 14-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Adopted back in 1994, NAFTA has sparked interest in the U.S. trucking and developed duty and tariff-free open trade among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The Democratic candidates are to renegotiate NAFTA in an attempt to make it more favorable on labor and environmental basis. However, for truckers, any talk of renegotiating NAFTA is deeply troubling and may pose a threat to its existence.

ATA President and CEO Bill Graves spoke in favor of NAFTA and other free trade agreements, stating that free trade acts benefit American consumers. Likewise, free trade has been of help to the U.S. trucking industry. Indianapolis-based Celadon attributes 51% of its total revenue to cross-border movements in and out of Canada and Mexico. With the growth of NAFTA trade, Caledon’s growth rate in revenues from its north-south trade in and out of Mexico increased significantly from $399 million in 2005 and $414 million in 2006 to $502.7 million in 2007.

According to the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, surface transportation trade between the United States and its NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico, saw an increase of 4.9% in 2007 over that of 2006, tallying an annual record of $797 billion. Total truck trade between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners grew significantly from $265 billion in 1994 to $554 billion in 2007, $280 billion of which came from electronics, machinery, nuclear reactors, and motor vehicles. The NAFTA trade is also balanced between imports and exports. This is important to the U.S., which as of 2006, ran a trade imbalance of $763.6 billion, up from the $716.7 billion recorded in 2005.

NAFTA continues to face further challenges. Congress has criticized the Mexico-U.S. cross-border trucking provisions and has voted to stop all funding for a pilot program that has allowed a small number of Mexican truckers to operate in America. Senator Byron Dorgan described the pilot program as being unpopular with safety advocates, the Teamsters Union, and carriers from either country.

The pilot program was supposed to open the door for U.S. and Mexican carriers to operate freely on both sides of the border. Although the pilot program allows up to 100 carriers from Mexico to apply for operating authority in the U.S., only 16 Mexican carriers with 55 trucks have sought such operating authority. Likewise, out of the 1.1 million interstate and intrastate trucking companies registered to operate in the U.S., only five U.S. carriers have applied for and received authority to operate throughout Mexico, and, out of the 8 million trucks registered in the U.S., only 45 trucks are currently operating in Mexico. Such small numbers are attributed to the fact that carriers are well aware that Congress could eliminate this limited one-year demonstration project at any time.

Although the U.S. and Mexican governments have established two supervisory groups to monitor the demonstration project, resolve its problems, and evaluate its results, safety advocates, environmentalists, and labor groups are still nervous over the potentially unsafe Mexican trucks. On the other hand, Mexican carriers feel discriminated against as they recognize that their fleets have to meet a much higher level of safety requirements than those of U.S. carriers.

Any changes to NAFTA now would probably hurt the north-south trade among the three NAFTA nations, as some on-going business in Mexico could move to either Asia or Latin America. Trucking executives, however, prefer not to worry too much about NAFTA’s future; the matter is out of their hands, and, in fact, it remains to be seen whether any talk of renegotiating NAFTA is merely campaign rhetoric or an actual threat to its existence.

Plow Truck Drivers Benefit from Snow Season

Plow Truck Drivers Benefit from Snow Season
Sunday, March 30, 2008

Snowing relentlessly, this winter has been one of the snowiest on record. While most people are fed up with the snow, independent plow drivers have another say; they really enjoy the snowy winter.

For plow truck drivers, the more the snow comes down the more money they make. Although snow plow drivers and plow business owners do acknowledge that the snow damages and wears their trucks down, they say that it is very financially rewarding, and its benefits far outweigh its risks.

City snow plow drivers keep streets clear and traffic flowing; independent snow plow drivers keep parking lots and driveways safe.