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October 27, 2007
SPECIAL REPORT: Driver in fiery truck crash dies  
10:56 AM CST on Friday, November 16, 2007
WFAA-TV Staff
 Doug Hall
"I arrived just as the crash happened," said Channel 8 viewer Doug
Hall, who snapped this photo moments after the wreck.
LAKE DALLAS — The driver of a large truck, which was hauling 4,500
gallons of diesel when it crashed and exploded Thursday afternoon, died
from the severe burns that covered his whole body. The
explosive accident happened shortly before 2 p.m. on Interstate 35E in
Lake Dallas and led to massive traffic delays after it shut down the
highway in both directions between Lewisville and Denton for hours.
Texas Troopers said the bobtail truck driver, 28-year-old Matt Webb of
Krum, apparently hit the brakes abruptly when he saw that the
northbound traffic ahead of him had suddenly slowed down. He then lost
control of the Taylor Oil Company truck, clipped a car and slammed the
truck into a median. "It jumped the median and then it
exploded like a huge bomb," said Galynn Lindemann, a witness. "It was
surreal." Both Webb and a passenger, 25-year-old Roland Mattern of Saginaw, were burned in the accident. Brandon Carter, an eyewitness at the scene, said the driver jumped out of the truck engulfed in flames. "He was completely covered in fire," he said.
Carter said people driving northbound got out of their vehicles, rushed
over to the driver and attempted to smother the fire out with their
clothes. After Jasper Quintana, an owner of a nearby
Mexican restaurant, heard the explosion, he ran outside and saw the
fiery scene. "I ran back inside and grabbed my fire extinguisher," he said. Quintana joined the other Good Samaritans helping Webb and said he sprayed him with the extinguisher. CareFlite took both men to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
With burns to 100 percent of his body, Webb, who had only worked for
Taylor Oil a few months and was a driver in training at the time of the
accident, was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m., said Ed Miller, a pastor of
Lake Shore Baptist Church in Lake Dallas. Mattern, who
Miller said attended Lake Shore Baptist along with Webb since they were
kids, suffered burns to 35 percent of his body. Both Mattern and Webb's wives are pregnant.
Lake Dallas firefighters were the first to respond to the accident, but
firefighters from other areas joined in to tackle the blaze. Before
they could even approach the truck, firefighters were forced to wait
until the gasoline burned itself out. Traffic in the area
was termed "a nightmare," with vehicles backed up in both directions as
far as the eye could see. The accident put afternoon
traffic to an abrupt halt. Interstate 35E was closed at FM 2181,
Swisher Road, going in both directions, and drivers sat idle for more
than three hours. While the frontage lanes in both
directions were later reopened, the highway itself didn't reopen until
workers finished hauling off the wreckage and hazardous material teams
cleaned residual gas and oil off the highway surface, which was shortly
after 9 p.m. In addition, highway engineers inspected the
road for possible damage from the intense heat generated by the burning
gasoline. A spokesperson for TxDOT said they were concerned the fire
had melted part of the highway. WFAA-TV reporters Steve Stoler in Lake Dallas and David Schechter in Lewisville  
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Officials stage cross-border inspections
U.S. Department of Transportation officials, along with their Mexican
counterparts, staged inspections of two 2007 Freightliner tractors
outside DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17 as the Teamsters
protested nearby.
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BULLETIN:
Truckers say I-80 tolls will harm Pennsylvania economy
Friday, Oct. 26, 2007 –
Small-business truckers say that tolls on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania
will put companies out of business and force trucks onto less-safe
secondary roads.
Points of contention against plans by the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to toll I-80 include safety issues,
increased costs of operation and a lack of public scrutiny, officials
with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association stated Friday,
Oct. 26.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer spoke
during a field hearing sponsored by the Pennsylvania House Republican
Caucus at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA.
“There
needs to be an examination of how current resources are being used
before the public is asked to pay more for a system of financing that
the public is beginning to question and distrust,” Spencer said.
The
panel of speakers also included U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-PA, owners
of several trucking companies, and a number of state and local
officials.
Spencer thanked state Reps. David Millard,
R-Columbia County, and Scott Hutchinson, R-Vernango, for providing the
forum to speak. Spencer and the lawmakers agreed that the Keystone
State’s economy would be drastically affected if truckers were paying
high tolls to run east-west on I-80 or the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
“The
higher tolls impose a severe financial hardship on small-business
truckers who are already coping with narrow to nonexistent profit
margins,” Spencer said.
Feeling the pinch would be trucking
companies such as L&H Trucking of Hanover, PA. Company President
Glenn Longstreth said the company includes 50 refrigerated dry vans
doing business up and down sections of I-80.
“It’s extremely
difficult in this market to remain competitive,” Longstreth said.
“We’re operating on razor-thin profit margins.”
Dennis
Curtain of Weis Markets, based in Sunbury, PA, said food transport for
his company amounts to 20,000 trips per year on I-80 in five states.
“We
will pay nearly $1 million a year in I-80 tolls,” Curtain said. “Those
costs will be passed on to our customers in Pennsylvania, even those
customers who live nowhere near Interstate 80.”
Tolls on I-80
would force traffic from the interstate onto secondary roads not
designed for the increased volume, Spencer stated in his testimony.
Truckers hoping to make it will not have a choice, he said.
“The
decision of truck drivers to use these less suitable routes is not
based on an attempt to maximize their profits; rather, it’s an exercise
in survival,” he said.
U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-PA, who
stood with OOIDA at an anti-toll rally Sept. 24 in the state capitol of
Harrisburg, said he will do whatever it takes to do away with the I-80
tolling proposal.
His staff calculated that a truck will pay $152.50 to cross the state once tolls are enacted on I-80.
“With a 3-percent escalator, it will be $200 in a decade,” Peterson said.
Peterson
criticized state lawmakers and transportation officials responsible for
the legislation for not holding hearings prior to the passage of Act
44, a transportation funding mechanism that arose out of HB1590 signed
into law in July by Gov. Ed Rendell.
Peterson said current and former state budgets were set up to divert highway funds to other projects.
“If the administration was coveting wise use of highway funds, this wouldn’t be happening,” Peterson said.
Rendell is hoping to find at least $965 million per year in new funding for highways, bridges and mass transit.
Act
44 called for the lease of I-80 from the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the latter of
which would be responsible for tolling the interstate to generate
revenue. The lease agreement was signed in mid-October, but tolls
cannot be enacted without authorization by the Federal Highway
Administration.
The FHWA indicated in writing to the commission and PennDOT on Oct. 17 that tolling authority has not yet been granted.
Several
speakers at Friday’s field hearing encouraged the public to attend
upcoming public hearings in Pennsylvania regarding the tolling plan,
and to contact state and lawmakers to oppose interstate tolling in
general.
A public hearing schedule is posted here.
– By David Tanner, staff writer
SPECIAL REPORTS:
FROM LANDLINE NOW
DOT inspection of Mexican truck fails to impress
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007 –
The staged inspection of the first Mexico-based truck to deliver a load
in the U.S. as part of the Bush administration’s cross-border program
proved nothing, according to numerous opponents of the program.
Secretary
of Transportation Mary Peters and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez
staged a press conference in Washington, DC, Oct. 17, along with Luis
Tellez, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transportation.
Two trucks were inspected during the press conference, one from Mexico and one from the U.S.
The Mexican truck came from Transportes Olympic, one of the first
companies admitted to the DOT’s controversial cross-border trucking
pilot program.
The
DOT claims the point of the press conference was to demonstrate the
safety of the Mexican trucks and to urge Congress to stop its efforts
to halt the pilot program.
Opponents came out strong, calling the staged inspections everything from a “diversion” to being outright “insulting.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association blasted the staged inspections, likening them to a magic act.
“Akin
to a magician’s pretty assistant distracting an audience from what he
is up to, this is just another attempt by DOT to divert attention away
from the program’s deficiencies,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President
Todd Spencer.
“It’s a sleight of hand that shows nothing. There are very real safety and security problems that still exist.”
The
Association contends the DOT officials still have not shown how they
will effectively deal with safety and security issues. These issues
include thorough background checks and drug testing, as well as
enforcement of regulatory issues such as hours of service and cabotage.
Spencer said the challenges to provide security is not just a border
issue.
“It includes assuring safe operation as Mexican-domiciled trucks throughout the United States,” said Spencer.
“They
can’t even do that with trucks in the U.S., let alone every single
truck that is bound to cross the border,” added Spencer. “Illusionists
are able to make you think you are seeing something that is not there,
and that’s exactly what they’re attempting today.”
OOIDA
wasn’t alone in its criticism of the program. The International
Brotherhood of Teamsters released a statement calling the inspections
“insulting.”
“Does the Bush administration think we’re
stupid?” asked Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa in a press
release. “It’s insulting to the intelligence of the American people to
suggest that a staged truck inspection before the news media proves
anything.”
Leaders from the private advocacy group Public Citizen were equally unimpressed by the event.
“While
this public relations dog and pony show represents a transparent effort
to assure skeptics that Mexico-domiciled trucks will not pose a threat
to U.S. highway safety, Secretary Peters must have overlooked the fact
that such frivolous antics cannot possibly remedy the pilot program’s
serious and ongoing safety deficiencies,” a Public Citizen press
release stated.
The watchdog group’s press release stated
that “citizens and lawmakers alike must view today’s sham-inspection
press ploy as exactly what it was: a weak, staged attempt to alleviate
unresolved, persistent and dangerous safety oversights within the pilot
program.”
The program already has the attention of lawmakers and several legislators voiced their disgust with the media event.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND, said the inspection “means nothing.”
“The
information we need to ensure the safety of American drivers on
American highways is not available. That includes vehicle inspection
and drivers’ records and accidents reports. None of that information is
available. An ‘inspection’ of a hand-picked Mexican truck at a press
conference doesn’t change that,” Dorgan said in a press release.
Both
chambers of Congress included language in their Fiscal Year 2008
Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations
legislation that seeks to cut off funding of the cross-border program.
The
separate versions of the appropriations legislation passed both the
House and Senate. The bills are set to head to a conference committee
that will hammer out differences. Once a final version is settled on,
the legislation will be sent to the president for a signature.
Of
the 12 appropriations bills that will fund the federal government for
the next year, President Bush has threatened to veto 11 of them – one
of which may be the transportation appropriations bill.
– By Jami Jones, senior editor
jami_jones@landlinemag.com
October 23, 2007
Half a million people told to flee California fires
More
than half a million people in San Diego County, CA, have been told to
evacuate their homes as wind-swept fires continue to burn.
So far, according to the Los Angeles Times,
about 1,200 homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed by a
series of fires stretching from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border.
On Monday, sections of Interstates 5 and 15 were closed at times due to smoke and flames.
If
you’re trucking in that area and want up-to-date information on the
roads, tune in to XM Satellite Radio’s Channel 223, which covers the
San Diego area.
September 07, 2007
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Vintage log hauler gets a TV makeover
A Mack B-61 that has hauled logs since December 1963 gets the Chrome
Shop Mafia treatment in the Aug. 31 episode of Trick My Truck on CMT.
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- Cross-border trucking a go; OOIDA files
Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 – In
a late-night teleconference Thursday from Washington, DC, the U.S.
Transportation Department announced the official OK for a cross-border
pilot program.
FMCSA Administrator John Hill told reporters
the U.S. plans to give up to 25 Mexican firms permission by the end of
September and add another 25 companies each month until hitting 100 by
the end of this year under the one-year pilot program
For
now, two trucks from one Mexican trucking company have been approved to
haul cargo anywhere in the United States. Hill identified the company
as Transportes Olympic, based in Monterrey, Mexico, a suburb of Nuevo
Leon.
At the same time, Mexico granted authority to
Stagecoach Cartage & Distribution Inc. of El Paso, TX, to travel
anywhere in Mexico.
Both companies can cross the border
immediately, but may not do so for several days while they determine
new routes and handle details such as insurance, said Hill.
“What we’re hearing from the carriers is they could be ready to go as soon as days from now,” Hill said Thursday night.
Hill
said the anticipated second audit from the DOT’s Office of Inspector
General had been delivered to Congress an hour before the 9 p.m. press
conference. He said the FMSCA had already responded to concerns in the
audit regarding the ability to inspect “every truck every time” whether
state enforcement is fully prepared, and whether the on-site
inspections in Mexico were including all trucks in the fleet.
Hill
did not say if Congress would have the opportunity to review the audit
and FMCSA’s response – or ask questions about them – prior to the
opening of the border.
Mexico has also committed to allow up
to 100 U.S. firms anywhere in Mexico by the end of this year, he said,
and 14 are in the wings to receive permission to roll.
So far, only 38 Mexican trucking firms have been prescreened to go anywhere in the U.S., said Hill.
Hill
said Mexican companies must abide by the same, if not stricter,
standards as U.S. carriers. He rolled through a list of must-haves for
Mexican trucks and truckers that included requirements to have
U.S.-based insurance, ability to communicate in English, participate in
drug/alcohol testing program through U.S. labs, pass a thorough safety
audit of records and equipment on location at the company’s Mexican
headquarters and more.
Hill said each Mexico-based truck
would be subject to a vigorous front-to-back inspection and be required
to display a decal issued by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
The CVSA sticker would be good for three months. While driving in the
U.S., every driver and vehicle from Mexico will be subject to road
inspection and placed out of service if they fail inspection.
He
did not provide details on how states and federal government will
collect taxes on Mexican carriers equal to what U.S. carriers pay.
Mexico does not participate in the International Registration Plan or
the International Fuel Tax Agreement.
Nor was there
information provided on how differences in commercial driver licenses
would be handled. For example, violations in personal vehicles are not
assessed on a Mexican licenses, but they are on U.S. CDLs.
OOIDA
President and CEO Jim Johnston promised Thursday that as soon as the
pilot program was officially started, the Missouri-based truckers’
association would be on the court house steps.
Today,
Johnston said OOIDA’s attorneys in DC have filed a petition for review
of the cross-border pilot program and a petition for stay pending
review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia.
“Our legal counsel was there when the court opened at 8 a.m.,” said Johnston.
To read the OIG’s second audit, click here. To read the FMCSA’s response to the OIG’s second audit, click here. To read OOIDA's petition, click here.
– By Sandi Soendker, managing editor
sandi_soendker@landlinemag.com - Truckers, reps urge Senate to stop pilot program
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007 – The
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association stood alongside members
of the U.S. House of Representatives today to ask the U.S. Senate to
take immediate action against the Mexican trucking pilot program.
 Photo: Courtesy/Ernest Baynard OOIDA
Executive Vice President Todd Spencer voices his opposition to the
Mexican pilot program during a press conference held Thursday on
Capitol Hill.
U.S.
Reps. Nancy Boyda, D-KS, Peter DeFazio, D-OR, and James Oberstar, D-MN,
urged the Senate to act immediately to stop the implementation of the
program.
The event was scheduled for noon today on Capitol Hill.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer was there representing professional truck drivers.
As
lawmakers returned to work this week in Washington, DC, following their
annual August break, one of the first issues Senators face is likely to
involve funding of the Mexican cross-border trucking pilot program. On
Wednesday, Sept. 5, Sen. Harry Reid, D-NV, Majority Leader of the U.S.
Senate, announced that the Senate will begin debate on the FY2008
Transportation Appropriations bill next week.
Earlier this
summer, the U.S. House of Representatives addressed the pilot program.
In May, the House voted overwhelmingly, 411-3, to approve the Safe
American Roads Act of 2007, legislation which would place restrictions
on the pilot program and establish a process to analyze the impact of
the pilot program.
The House version of the transportation
appropriations bill contained an amendment offered by Reps. Duncan
Hunter, R-CA, Gary Miller, R-CA, along with Boyda and DeFazio, that
would cut off funding for the Mexican truck pilot program. The House
version was approved in July.
This week, OOIDA issued a
national action alert urging its members to contact their senators and
ask them to include a similar provision in the Senate version of the
FY2008 Transportation Appropriations bill to cut off funding to the
Mexican truck pilot program.
– By Sandi Soendker, managing editor
sandi_soendker@landlinemag.com
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First certified Mexican carrier sets sights on border
By Randy Grider
Fernando
Paez owns Transportes Olympic, which on Thursday, Sept. 6, became the
first Mexican carrier to receive authority from the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration to operate in the United States under the
agency's new pilot program.
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Forty-year-old
Fernando Paez was both excited and a little nervous Friday afternoon as
one of his drivers prepared to cross the border with a load headed for
North Carolina. Paez is owner of Nuevo Leon, Mexico-based Transportes
Olympic -- the first Mexican carrier authorized to to operate in in the
United States beyond the so-called commercial zone as part of the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new pilot program.
“We’re
only taking one truck just in case the Teamsters burn one of them,”
Paez said jokingly. “Hopefully, we won’t have any trouble.”
Paez
received authority from the FMCSA Thursday night as the first Mexican
carrier to participate in the pilot program. Meanwhile, the Mexican
government approved El Paso, Texas-based Stagecoach Cartage and
Distribution as the first U.S. trucking company to operate in Mexico.
Transportes
Olympic’s first truck could leave for the U.S. border sometime on
Friday, reports Jorge Arboleda, editor of Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based
Transportista magazine, who is onsite with Paez at his Monterrey,
Mexico, headquarters. (Transportista is owned by Randall-Reilly Publishing, which also publishes eTrucker, Overdrive, Truckers News, CCJ and other trucking publications).
Teamsters
held protests at some border entry points Thursday in anticipation that
the Bush administration was poised to give the go-ahead for a one-year
pilot program that will eventually allow up to 100 Mexican carriers
access to U.S. highways in fulfillment of U.S. obligations under the
North American Free Trade Agreement.
U.S. Rep. James Oberstar
(D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee, along with other congressional members and representatives
of OOIDA, the Teamsters and the Truck Safety Coalition blasted the
pilot program for ignoring public opinion and putting the American
public in danger because they say Mexican trucks are unsafe.
“Democrats
and Republicans are united in protecting America’s highways, only the
White House seems to be out of the loop,” said Rep. Nancy Boyd (D-Kan.).
But
Paez says the Mexican trucking industry is being painted with a broad
brush. He started his trucking business 17 years ago, following
American practices and rules, including his hiring practices, creating
individual files for all of his employees, and carrying out drug tests
and safety training sessions. He also teaches drivers English, which he
speaks fluently.
Transportes Olympic operates 45 trucks all of
them late-model Freightliners built in the United States under U.S.
environmental and safety standards. Paez bought his first semi-trailer
in 1995 in San Antonio when the Mexican government allowed carriers to
“nationalize” imported used trucks for a short time. He has records of
each truck’s maintenance, identified with its VIN number.
Paez
says he is proud that his company was the first chosen. “I have spent
years preparing my company for this moment,” he says.
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34-hour weekly restart likely gone
By Aaron Huff
A
transportation lawyer said during a webinar Aug. 28 that the 34-hour
weekly restart provision of the hours-of-service rules that was vacated
by a U.S. appeals court last month isn't likely to be reinstated -- at
least not in the near future.
Rick Schweitzer, who also serves
as general counsel to the National Private Truck Council, weighed in on
the July 24 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.,
that vacated two key components of the current HOS regulations — the 11
hours of driving time and the 34-hour weekly restart.
The
current version of the HOS rules were enacted by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration in 2005 after months of legal battles
with advocacy groups such as Public Citizen.
Schweitzer said the
court most likely will issue a mandate Sept. 7, requiring FMCSA to
comply with the ruling within seven days. If no further legal action
happens by Sept. 14, motor carriers no longer will have a 34-hour
weekly reset or an 11-hour driving limit, he said.
The court
ruling did not require FMCSA to reinsert a prior version of its HOS
rules, nor did the ruling order the agency to issue any replacement
rules. “All they did is vacate the rules,” Schweitzer said. “It is up
to the FMCSA to implement any replacement rules that the agency thinks
are appropriate.” If FMCSA does nothing, drivers can legally drive for
up to 14 hours after Sept. 14, Schweitzer said.
“I don’t think
that’s going to happen,” he said. To date, however, the agency has
issued no statement or guidance on what replacement rules it may or may
not put into effect to satisfy the court’s ruling. Schweitzer said he
expects the agency will issue some guidance by Labor Day, which is
Sept. 3.
Answers regarding the previous 10-hour driving and
daily limits are not known, Schweitzer said. “It is a question of
administrative law,” he said. “Once a rule is vacated by the court, you
do not automatically revert back.”
Schweitzer believes that what
most likely will happen is that FMCSA will restate the 10-hour daily
driving limit and keep the 14-hour daily on-duty limit intact. Even so,
this doesn’t mean that all states automatically will have the same
10-hour law, since some states require new HOS laws to be passed by
their respective legislatures.
As for the 34-hour reset,
Schweitzer said it is very likely that come Sept. 14, it will be gone.
“I wouldn’t say gone for good, but at least temporarily.”
With
Congress controlled by a Democrat majority, Schweitzer said that it is
highly unlikely that Congress will come to the rescue of FMCSA, which
is controlled by a Republican administration, to allow the agency to
continue with the status quo for HOS rules. “Unlike 2004, Congress is
unlikely to grant additional time by statute,” he said.
The
reasoning behind the court’s decision was that FMCSA failed to provide
an adequate explanation for its 11-hour daily driving limit, as Public
Citizen contended. The court focused on the agency’s methodology for
risk analysis to justify going from its previous 10-hour to 11-hour
driving rule.
The data showed that the risk more than doubled
from 10 to 11 hours of driving, Schweitzer said. In presenting its
model, the court noted that FMCSA said the risk was elevated by 30
percent.
“It appeared that the FMCSA improperly minimized the
risk,” said Schweitzer, whose presentation was available during a free
webinar hosted by J.J. Keller & Associates and NPTC.
Do you think this is hot fuel in Chandler, AZ!
 Hot
fuel has captured our attention more this year than in any other year,
and we’re always looking for more ways to keep the stories fresh.
Maybe
you can help us do that. If you come across hot fuel – whether through
pulp-gauge readings, printed receipts that show fuel temperature,
photos of pump stickers that show a disclaimer about fuel temperature
and energy content, or other real signs of unusually high fuel
temperatures – drop us a line here at Land Line. We are compiling real-life examples here at headquarters. Randy, an observant owner-operator traveling through Chandler, AZ, sent us a photo of above-ground diesel tanks at a Love’s Travel Stop. He pointed out that these tanks had been painted flat black. While
we always say it is what’s inside the tank that counts, we have to
admit that flat-black tanks in the hot Arizona sun just beg for a
temperature reading. And that’s precisely what Randy did. He told us he
“pulped” the fuel in his tank at 102 degrees after fueling at 9:45 a.m.
last week. Remember that fuel wholesalers and
refiners use a 60-degree standard when they trade fuel, but there is no
standard or regulation at the retail level. Somewhere in the chain, if
fuel is allowed to heat up – let’s say when it’s stored in flat-black
tanks, for example – consumers get the short end of the stick. OOIDA
helped discover “hot fuel” with a similar grassroots effort, as
owner-operators took temperature readings for the OOIDA Foundation to
conduct research on fuel mileage. The
Foundation strongly believes that hot fuel has a lot to do with getting
poorer mileage, and someday the issue should be resolved. Grassroots efforts do make a difference. Keep an eye out. And if you see examples of hot fuel, let me know.
August 30, 2007
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Contractor of the Year gets 9900ix tractor
Charles Maly, leased to Shaffer Trucking of York, Neb., came home from
the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas with a new truck, his grand
prize in the Truckload Carriers Association's 20th annual Independent
Contractor of the Year contest.
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Trucks could roll north, south as soon as next week
Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007 – For
days, dozens of leaks, media reports, at least one legal action and
even the official word from Mexico have claimed the cross-border
trucking program was on track to begin as early as Saturday. However,
it appears the word from the U.S. Department of Transportation is that
it will delay the program until after Labor Day as it waits for a final
report from the DOT’s Inspector General.
In the government’s
response to a request filed by the Teamsters to stop the program, it
was noted that it was the agency’s “current understanding” that a
required follow-up report from the IG is not likely to be transmitted
until Wednesday, Sept. 5.
Accordingly, the Department of
Transportation now anticipates the pilot program will not be
implemented before Thursday, Sept. 6.
The response was filed today by attorneys for the U.S. DOT in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The petitioners asking for an emergency stay include the Teamsters, Sierra Club, Public Citizen and several other groups.
By
proceeding with this pilot program, U.S. DOT is facing heavy opposition
on multiple fronts. On Thursday, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association President and CEO Jim Johnston said OOIDA intends to pursue
a separate legal action.
“We intend to make every effort
possible to stop it,” he said. “We intend to pull out all the stops,
both through the courts and the legislative process.”
– By Sandi Soendker, managing editor
sandi_soendker@landlinemag.com
August 29, 2007
Some say border to open to Mexican trucks Saturday
Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007 – The cross-border program with Mexico is apparently starting sooner rather than later.
According
to media reports, officials within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration told members of the Teamsters union the border would
open Saturday, Sept. 1.
Requests from Land Line for confirmation on the Teamster’s claim remained unanswered Thursday afternoon by FMCSA.
The
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association expressed outrage in
response to learning the U.S. Department of Transportation plans to
begin allowing Mexican trucks to bring cargo into the United States,
against the will of the public and their nationally elected
representatives.
“We are stunned at the contempt of the
Administration toward the rule of law,” said Todd Spencer, executive
vice president of OOIDA. “And it’s also a slap in the face of every
American, hard-working trucker.
“They are determined to open
our highways to Mexico-domiciled trucking companies and truck drivers
regardless of the concerns that have been raised by Congress and the
American people.”
OOIDA as well as several other groups are
preparing to file lawsuits seeking an injunction of the cross-border
program that would force compliance with congressional mandates by the
Department of Transportation.
The move by the DOT and FMCSA
to open the border could be considered brazen by some, given the fact
that the Office of Inspector General recently released a follow-up
audit that still did not sign off on some of the prerequisites to
opening the border.
The audits are required to be filed with Congress – which has not been in session since the release of the follow-up audit.
“This
move by the DOT to open the border shows contempt for the American
people, contempt for congressional mandates and contempt for the law,”
Spencer said.
While the follow-up audit only tackled
compliance with eight provisions in Section 350, another more
comprehensive audit is already under way at the OIG’s office.
That
audit will review compliance with 22 more provisions of Section 350 as
required by Section 6901 of the U. S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care,
Katrina Recovery and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007.
Even
though the OIG’s office has launched its review of the proposed
cross-border program and its compliance with Section 350, the audit
obviously has not been completed.
Earlier in August when
press reports emerged in Mexico that Mexican officials were preparing
for the border to open at the end of the month, Melissa DeLaney, DOT
spokeswoman, recited the familiar line for Land Line on Aug.
16 that nothing could happen without the Inspector General’s go-ahead.
She said she was not aware of any preliminary report on the status of
the pilot program.
“The IG is an independent entity. We don’t
have a hand in the process of them doing this report,” she said. “We
are complying with the law and the law clearly states this program
cannot start until that process has been done.”
– By Jami Jones, senior editor
jami_jones@landlinemag.com
August 27, 2007
August 13, 2007
New regs in California raise questions about APUs
Friday, Aug. 10, 2007 –
With 2008 fast approaching, one of the most frequently asked questions
among many truckers is, “What is going on in California regarding APUs?”
Some
operators who have invested thousands of dollars in generator sets and
auxiliary power units have heard reports that starting in January 2008,
it will be illegal to operate them in California.
Others are
concerned about a new law that will make it illegal to idle your
truck’s main engine more than five minutes, unless it is certified as
an “ultra-low emissions engine.” That’s a standard created in and
applicable to California. As of press time, no diesel engine has met it.
For
those of you who invested in a gen set or APU – for simplicity’s sake,
let’s call them all APUs for the remainder of this article – for any
truck powered by a pre-2007 engine, rest easy. Your APU will remain
legal to use, although your main engine idling time will be limited by
the five-minute rule. The determining factor is when the truck engine
was manufactured.
OEMs either bought or built engines for
inventory right up to the end of 2006. Then they converted over to 2007
technology. A majority of the 2007 trucks delivered in the first half
of this year were built with 2006 engines. For those trucks and all
2006 and older trucks, it’s business as usual as far as APU use in
California – for now.
Buying a new truck? Here’s the skinny
If your current truck needs to be replaced and you’re considering a new
truck with 2007 engine technology, here’s what you need to know.
CARB confirmed to Land Line
that two DPF systems for APUs have been submitted for the air board’s
approval, but neither had been OK’d as of press time. Rigmaster
officials have said they are confident their DPF filter will be
approved and ready for installation by Jan. 1, 2008.
Until
the APU manufacturers can source or develop diesel particulate filters
– DPFs – for small engines, you have only a few alternatives.
After
Jan. 1, 2008, CARB will allow you to operate your APU on your 2007 or
newer truck if you plumb the exhaust so it runs through your main
engine’s DPF. That sounds simple enough, but the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has regulations that make it illegal to make any
changes whatsoever to any system – including DPFs – once it has been
EPA-certified.
Consequently, plumbing your APU exhaust
through your main engine DPF may get you into compliance with CARB, but
it will put you out of compliance with the feds.
The only
time an APU can have its exhaust routed through the truck’s DPF is if
the entire system – APU, engine and DPF – were certified together.
Cummins
offers the ComfortGuard system manufactured by Cummins Onan. This may
be the only APU to date certified to meet California requirements that
also clears the EPA hurdles, but only when used with Cummins-powered
trucks and ordered as a system from the OEM.
The ‘switch’
Another piece of California legislation, also adopted in 2005 and
effective Jan. 1, 2008, requires that all new heavy duty trucks have an
automatic engine shut-off device to limit idling to five minutes when
parked.
So
the question is: With the engine in mandatory shut down, what, with the
exception of the Cummins ComfortGuard, is available that will meet
California requirements and still keep drivers comfortable?
The
folks at CARB seem to favor electric power sources, from either
on-board or external sources. These include deep-cycle,
battery-powered, on-board devices and shore power, including IdleAire.
Electric alternatives
Deep-cycle batteries differ from starting-lighting-accessory batteries
– often called SLA batteries – in their ability to discharge a greater
share of their capacity and accept multiple recharging.
Shore
power gets its name from plug-in electrical systems used on boats when
docked. The vehicle is internally wired to use household current for
HVAC and hotel loads. Electricity is obtained by plugging into outlets
on bollards or posts at assigned parking places, usually after payment
of a time-based fee.
A side benefit of shore power systems is
that they can be constructed relatively quickly and inexpensively in
freight yards, terminals, rest areas and truck stops.
Shore
power, or truck-stop electrification as it is sometimes called,
contrasts sharply with IdleAire, which is a pay-as you-go service
requiring almost no financial investment to equip your truck. Generally
all you need to hook up to IdleAire is a $10 window template.
IdleAire
does require a substantial investment in infrastructure at truck stops
or other locations. It also requires dedicated parking spaces, which
may or may not be occupied by paying IdleAire customers.
Hybrid solutions
Hybrid units that meet the California regs are also available. They use
a combination of electric-powered air conditioning, inverters for hotel
loads, cold storage and fuel-fired heaters. Electric climate control is
considered low-polluting or zero-polluting, depending on the source of
power generation.
Hybrid
systems combine two or more energy sources for idle reduction, usually
batteries or APUs for air conditioning and fuel-fired heaters for heat.
In
California, fuel-fired heaters used on trucks with 2007 or newer
engines must meet emissions standards specified in the state’s Low
Emission Vehicle Program. To date, only Espar has been certified to
meet that standard, but its competitors are expected to announce
certification soon.
Thermal storage systems route cooled air
through special ducts from the truck’s air conditioner when the engine
is running. The cooled air chills chemicals that effectively store the
A/C output. With the engine off, air blown over the units release heat
to maintain cab temperature. The units absorb the heat from the cab air.
Seeking certification
Some APU manufacturers are working to develop units that meet
California standards in stand-alone form. Others are trying to partner
with engine makers to offer integrated, certified packages. However,
engine builders may be reluctant to put a great deal of effort into
third-party systems.
Truck
OEMs such as Kenworth, Peterbilt and Mack offer HVAC devices that,
because they are powered by deep cycle batteries, will be legal for use
in California after the new rule for ’07 models and newer trucks goes
into effect in January 2008.
Bergstrom’s NITE system using
deep cycle batteries for air conditioning and Espar’s California
certified fuel-fired heaters will also meet regulations. Drivers have
expressed concerns, however, that batteries may lose sufficient power
to cool effectively at extreme temperatures in the California desert.
The
California regulations will apply to all trucks – but not RVs or motor
homes – operating in the state. It won’t matter whether you’re picking
up, delivering or just passing through, if your truck has an ’07 or
newer engine, the rule will apply to you.
Previously, California regulations applied only to vehicles sold or registered in the state.
Questions
have been raised as to whether this new approach violates the
Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution because California
is mandating equipment on trucks from other states. If a truck can
legally operate in all other states, can California put additional
restrictions on it when it enters, even if it is driving through and
not doing business there?
That will be a challenge for the lawyers to handle.
– By Paul Abelson, senior technical editor
truckwriter@anet.com
Aug. 03, 2007
July 03, 2007
THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT THE “ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS” ARE GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY.
JUST REMEMBER THIS. THE SOUTH THOUGHT THE SAME OF THE SLAVES. AND YOU KNOW WHERE THAT LEAD US… TO WAR WITH EACH OTHER.
REMIND THIS TO YOUR SENITORS AND THE CONGRESS AS WELL AS PRESIDENT BUSH
Please remember the word illegal in this statement.
Il-le-gal
adj. 1.) Prohibited by law. 2.) Sports & Games Prohibited by
official rules. 3.) Computer Science Not performable by a computer. n.
1.) An illegal immigrant
Hot Fuel Costs Consumers More Than 2.3 Billion Dollars Annually
White House presses Senate to allow Mexican trucks
Stalls bill passed by House that would block program permitting rigs in U.S.
Truckers with criminal record could access U.S.
Mexico has no reliable database, but drivers to cross border in 15 seconds
Mexican truck stampede to hit U.S.!
Bush administration moving ahead despite congressional opposition
June 24, 2007
 Accident on I-69 Kills State Senator's Daughter
 Hold There Feet to the Fire.org
campain is going on now 4/21/07 TO 4/25/07
In Washington DC
 Lisson to America's Trucking Network with Steve Sommers or Bubba Bo
from midnight to 5:00am Eastern on
XM 173 WLW &
AM 700 WLW Cincinnati, OH &
AM 1130 KWKH Shreveport, LA &
AM 1170 WWVA Wheeling, WV or
lisson now click here
KEEP OUT MEXICAN TRUCKS!!!
CAPTAL HILL SWITCH BOARD 202-224-3121
and/or JOIN if you can in DC
MATS IS COME & GONE! SORRY I MISSED IT!
Here is a Link to there web sight. Click Here Check it out and preregister for next year. Hope to see you there.
BUSINESS SPOT LIGHT
Thank you caring so much for our 4 legged friends on the road to stay close to a Truckstop.
 Dr.Amy J, Albrecht, DVMThe Federal way loc. is in the shopping center 4 doors down from the "Petco" accross the street from the Flying J in Boise, ID
Twas the Night Before Christmas Truckers Addition. By The Chihuahua.
Twas the night before Christmas a driver and his pup.
Helping St. Nickolus with his big truck.
Driving down the road with the greatest of care.
Paying the tolls isn't always fair.
If the weather gets bad, It might get to slick.
If he wants to get to dad, That could be a trick.
When he wants to go home.
They sends him to Nome.
When the load is late.
Well isn't that great.
The shipper is in bed.
So the driver just said.
Merry Christmas to all.
And to all a good night.
Ask the shop the following 5 yes or no Questions:
- If I'm stopped and inspected by the DOT and truck found bad and I get a ticket will you pay it?
Y / N
- If involved in a fatality or accident with serious injury and mechanical falure found to be at fault and they take me to jail because you should have found it in an inspection of my vehicle. Will you serve my sentence?
Y / N
- If I get sued by the family in Question #2 will you pay for everything including restitution, lawyer, and the family if I loose case?
Y / N
- Will you pay any medical expenses with any Doctor I choose for any injuries I may receive do to any accidents caused by loss of control from mechanical falure. This includes any back, neck, or any other permanent injuries?
Y / N
- Will you pay my family's expences including but not limited to, my burial if I should be killed in any accident caused by a mechanical falure you should have found in an inspection?
Y / N
For safety sake.
All answers should be Y !!! or your not in a good or safe shop and they are not sure you are fixed.
BE SAFE!!!
The Chihuahua
|
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fuel has captured our attention more this year than in any other year,
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