Trucking News - June 2003
Our news is provided as a courtesy Of OOIDA / Land Line Magazine
Used with permission. Unauthorized Use or Duplication Is Prohibited
Used with permission. Unauthorized Use or Duplication Is Prohibited
Color of terror drops a notch
06/02/2003 - 1:06:29 pm - The Bush administration May 30 dropped the federal terrorism alert level to yellow - saying intelligence pointing to an imminent attack has decreased. The higher orange alert ...
Bill that would fine terminals for making trucks wait dies
06/02/2003 - 1:07:56 pm - A bill that would have punished marine or rail terminals for making trucks wait in line more than 30 minutes to enter the terminal has died in Illinois’ General Assembly ...
Cajun taxman: ‘Your money or your license’
06/02/2003 - 1:10:04 pm - Louisiana residents who are a year overdue on a state tax bill of $1,000 or more would not be able to renew their driver’s licenses under a bill in the state Legislature ...
Roadcheck 2003: June 3-5
06/02/2003 - 1:12:05 pm - The 16th annual International Roadcheck will be held June 3-5 throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. This year, drivers will receive information on the new ...
Texas Senate OKs bad-driver bill
06/03/2003 - 8:26:22 am - Legislation that would require Texas’ habitually bad drivers to pay hefty fines to help fund the state’s trauma care centers and highway projects passed the Senate May 28 ...
Arizona may not go orange during next terror alert
06/03/2003 - 8:27:47 am - The next time the nation’s terrorism alert goes to level orange, don’t count on joining in if you’re in Arizona. According to a report from The Arizona Republic, ...
Illinois tells left lane slow pokes to move over
06/03/2003 - 8:28:51 am - A bill that targets slow pokes in the left lane has passed the Illinois General Assembly and is awaiting the governor’s signature. HB1574 would allow ...
Diesel prices decline again
06/03/2003 - 8:29:57 am - On-highway diesel prices declined the 12th week in a row, according to figures released June 2. The national average, at-the-pump diesel price decreased from $1.434 to $1.423 ...
Two more top quality carriers join TruckFLIX.com !
06/04/2003 - 8:43:44 am - Anderson Trucking Service, Inc. and USA Truck are the newest TruckFLIX.com members. Both carriers are offering a variety of truck driving jobs for Experienced Drivers and ...
Bill requiring annual truckdriver checks killed in Texas
06/06/2003 - 9:36:27 am - A bill that would require annual checks of all Texas truckdrivers and impose new penalties for companies with unsafe vehicles has died. The measure, which ...
Government clarifies fireworks transport rule
06/06/2003 - 9:38:33 am - The federal government moved June 4 to avert a crisis that threatened to cancel Fourth of July fireworks shows around the country. A notice issued by the Homeland ...
Truckin’ for Kids Truck Drags set for September
06/06/2003 - 9:39:52 am - The 23rd annual Truckin’ for Kids Truck Drags and Show & Shine contest will kick off the drag-racing season Sept. 20-21 at the Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, CA ...
Mexican truck entry two years away, legislator says
06/06/2003 - 9:41:47 am - U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzales, D-TX, recently said it would be at least two years before Mexican big rigs can travel beyond U.S. commercial zones as stipulated in the North ...
Canadian carrier safety and enforcement director takes the helm at CVSA
06/11/2003 - 9:12:54 am - Peter Hurst, director of Carrier Safety and Enforcement for the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario, Canada, recently began his one-year term as president of the Commercial ...
North Carolina Senate favors left-turn bill
06/11/2003 - 9:14:16 am - The North Carolina Senate tentatively approved legislation to allow drivers to turn left on red. HB147 would apply only to drivers turning left off a one-way street ...
FMCSA: Medical board should oversee CDL health standards
06/11/2003 - 9:16:12 am - At a June 10 Senate hearing, FMCSA Acting Administrator Annette Sandberg said the agency needed a standing medical review board to provide expert advice on driver ...
Report: Al-Qaida WMD attack on U.S. highly probable
06/11/2003 - 9:18:24 am - There is a “high probability” that al-Qaida will attempt an attack with a weapon of mass destruction in the next two years, the U.S. government said in a report Monday ...
EPA certifies third Cat engine
06/15/2003 - 3:21:21 pm - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has certified Caterpillar Inc.’s third engine equipped with ACERT technology. With this certification, Caterpillar is the first engine ...
Georgia CDL tester sentenced for falsifying test results
06/15/2003 - 3:22:12 pm - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General announced that Grady Saffles, a CDL tester for America’s Driving Force in Forest Park, GA, was sentenced in ...
New Oklahoma law targets tossing items on roadways
06/15/2003 - 3:24:15 pm - Gov. Brad Henry has signed a bill into law making it a potential felony to throw something off an overpass or bridge. SB625, written by Sen. Daisy Lawler, ...
Mexican truckers protest on Laredo bridge
06/15/2003 - 3:26:48 pm - Several Mexican truckdrivers temporarily held up traffic near the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge June 12 in an attempt to send a message to U.S. inspectors, the ...
NHTSA report says cars most often cause car/truck collisions
06/15/2003 - 3:32:34 pm - A June 2003 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded in part that passenger car drivers share a greater responsibility for car/truck crashes than ...
Kenworth re-ups as Trucker Buddy silver sponsor
06/17/2003 - 8:52:44 am - For 10 years, Trucker Buddy International has been bringing the transportation industry into the classroom. Beginning with one driver writing to one class in Wisconsin, the ...
Border security going to the dogs
06/17/2003 - 8:54:15 am - Truckers who cross U.S. border areas may be stopped and their rigs sniffed out by dogs trained to detect terrorists trying to smuggle chemicals. The Bureau of ...
Young: Nation’s roads and bridges in a heap of trouble
06/17/2003 - 8:58:08 am - House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-AK, is arguing for more transportation dollars in view of DOT estimates that say 32 percent of the nation’s major roads ...
Diesel prices rise
06/17/2003 - 8:59:13 am - After a 13-week decline, on-highway diesel prices increased a penny this week, according to figures released June 16. The national average, at-the-pump diesel price rose to $1 ...
New Volvo S60 TV spot leaves truckers aghast
06/18/2003 - 8:25:22 am - A new TV commercial created to illustrate the performance characteristics of the Volvo S60’s turbo engine has hit a nerve with truckers. During the third week of May, OOIDA ...
TSA’s Loy says truck-bomb hoax reminder of shipper vulnerability
06/18/2003 - 8:29:04 am - Adm. Jim Loy, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, recently said the incident where a trucker was told he had a bomb in his trailer “was another ...
OOIDA signs on as sponsor for Expedite Expo 2003
06/19/2003 - 5:12:47 pm - The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has signed on as a sponsor for Expedite Expo 2003, to be held Aug. 13-14, 2003, at the Detroiter Truck Stop in Woodhaven, MI ...
Speed limit bill dies in Idaho
06/20/2003 - 1:28:53 pm - A bill regulating speed limits on state highways as they pass through cities has died. HB114 would have prevented local governments in Idaho from setting speed ...
U.S. and Spain to study transportation technology
06/20/2003 - 1:29:57 pm - The United States and Spain July 18 announced an ongoing program to exchange information on the science and technology of transportation. The agreement occurred on ...
Former Volvo CEO tapped for Freightliner’s firefighting subsidiary
06/20/2003 - 1:31:40 pm - Freightliner LLC named Marc F. Gustafson president of American LaFrance Corp. Gustafson, 51, served as president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America from 1996 to ...
Unstable fuel prices on horizon, OPIS says
06/20/2003 - 1:33:59 pm - Owner-operators and fleet owners have recently breathed a little easier thanks to a 30-cent per gallon drop in fuel prices from their record-setting highs this past March. ...
Ohio trucker pleads guilty in terror case
06/20/2003 - 1:35:33 pm - Iyman Faris, an Ohio truckdriver accused of plotting a terror attack on New York City`s Brooklyn Bridge, has agreed to plead guilty to providing material support to a ...
Hearing set on new lower-speed highways in California
06/24/2003 - 10:58:54 am - A hearing is scheduled in the Senate Transportation Committee on a bill that would create a new class of highway with a pre-set speed limit of 45 mph in California ...
Texas emergency-vehicle bill signed into law
06/24/2003 - 10:59:48 am - Gov. Rick Perry has signed legislation into law designed to protect highway patrol and other emergency personnel during roadside stops in Texas. Under the new law, ...
Hearing set on bill to create toll road in California
06/24/2003 - 11:01:40 am - A hearing is scheduled in the Assembly Transportation Committee June 30 on a bill that would allow private companies to build a toll road in the Los Angeles area ...
Senate committee approves Sandberg
06/24/2003 - 11:02:56 am - The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last week endorsed by voice vote Annette Sandberg to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The ...
`Tip` over stolen rig not true
06/24/2003 - 11:04:17 am - Transportation around Burbank Airport was delayed June 23 after an anonymous tip about an explosive-laden truck prompted authorities to shut down area streets, a local ...
Diesel prices dip
06/24/2003 - 11:05:16 am - The national average, at-the-pump diesel price decreased to $1.423 from $1.432 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported June 23. The highest price ...
Congressional resolution: End U.S. involvement in NAFTA
06/24/2003 - 11:07:26 am - A U.S. congressional resolution was introduced June 19 asking President Bush to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S. House ...
Southern Oregon highway bridge restriction in effect July 1
06/26/2003 - 11:19:29 am - Certain truckloads hauled along the southern Oregon coast will soon be restricted on a state highway bridge. Starting July 1, the Isthmus Slough Bridge near Coos ...
Giant announces completion of Gallup travel center sale to Pilot
06/26/2003 - 11:21:20 am - The company`s first slogan, "Big on Service," was personified in the form of a friendly giant during the 1960s. And truckers agree, among U.S. truckstops, the Giant Travel ...
Mineta describes ‘smart intersection’ technology
06/26/2003 - 11:22:45 am - Federal highway officials are testing “intelligent intersection” technology they think will prevent thousands of traffic accidents every year by, among other things, warning ...
Kansas trucking couple die when rig falls from bridge
06/26/2003 - 11:24:36 am - Truckdrivers Brad and Brenda Umholtz of DeSoto, KS, were killed June 24 when their tractor-trailer went over the side of the Kansas River bridge in the small town east of the ...
Schumer again warns of terrorism via trucks
06/30/2003 - 10:28:35 am - The recent arrest of an Ohio truckdriver for conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge prompted U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer to again warn that big rigs pose a major ...
NMA says ‘Lane Courtesy Month’ a successful awareness campaign
06/30/2003 - 10:30:47 am - The month of June, designated "Lane Courtesy Month" by the National Motorists Association, has seen some strong success in making motorists think about yielding the left ...
FMCSA and carrier enter settlement agreement
06/30/2003 - 10:31:47 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Calco Express Inc., Green Bay, WI, have tentatively settled an enforcement action stemming from Calco’s reported use of a ...
Jersey Assembly sends ‘Maggie’s Law’ to governor
06/30/2003 - 10:33:14 am - The New Jersey Assembly approved a measure June 23 that would permit prosecutors to charge drivers who kill another person after falling asleep behind the wheel with vehicular ...
< Back to News Archive
06/02/2003 - 1:06:29 pm - The Bush administration May 30 dropped the federal terrorism alert level to yellow - saying intelligence pointing to an imminent attack has decreased. The higher orange alert ...
Bill that would fine terminals for making trucks wait dies
06/02/2003 - 1:07:56 pm - A bill that would have punished marine or rail terminals for making trucks wait in line more than 30 minutes to enter the terminal has died in Illinois’ General Assembly ...
Cajun taxman: ‘Your money or your license’
06/02/2003 - 1:10:04 pm - Louisiana residents who are a year overdue on a state tax bill of $1,000 or more would not be able to renew their driver’s licenses under a bill in the state Legislature ...
Roadcheck 2003: June 3-5
06/02/2003 - 1:12:05 pm - The 16th annual International Roadcheck will be held June 3-5 throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. This year, drivers will receive information on the new ...
Texas Senate OKs bad-driver bill
06/03/2003 - 8:26:22 am - Legislation that would require Texas’ habitually bad drivers to pay hefty fines to help fund the state’s trauma care centers and highway projects passed the Senate May 28 ...
Arizona may not go orange during next terror alert
06/03/2003 - 8:27:47 am - The next time the nation’s terrorism alert goes to level orange, don’t count on joining in if you’re in Arizona. According to a report from The Arizona Republic, ...
Illinois tells left lane slow pokes to move over
06/03/2003 - 8:28:51 am - A bill that targets slow pokes in the left lane has passed the Illinois General Assembly and is awaiting the governor’s signature. HB1574 would allow ...
Diesel prices decline again
06/03/2003 - 8:29:57 am - On-highway diesel prices declined the 12th week in a row, according to figures released June 2. The national average, at-the-pump diesel price decreased from $1.434 to $1.423 ...
Two more top quality carriers join TruckFLIX.com !
06/04/2003 - 8:43:44 am - Anderson Trucking Service, Inc. and USA Truck are the newest TruckFLIX.com members. Both carriers are offering a variety of truck driving jobs for Experienced Drivers and ...
Bill requiring annual truckdriver checks killed in Texas
06/06/2003 - 9:36:27 am - A bill that would require annual checks of all Texas truckdrivers and impose new penalties for companies with unsafe vehicles has died. The measure, which ...
Government clarifies fireworks transport rule
06/06/2003 - 9:38:33 am - The federal government moved June 4 to avert a crisis that threatened to cancel Fourth of July fireworks shows around the country. A notice issued by the Homeland ...
Truckin’ for Kids Truck Drags set for September
06/06/2003 - 9:39:52 am - The 23rd annual Truckin’ for Kids Truck Drags and Show & Shine contest will kick off the drag-racing season Sept. 20-21 at the Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale, CA ...
Mexican truck entry two years away, legislator says
06/06/2003 - 9:41:47 am - U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzales, D-TX, recently said it would be at least two years before Mexican big rigs can travel beyond U.S. commercial zones as stipulated in the North ...
Canadian carrier safety and enforcement director takes the helm at CVSA
06/11/2003 - 9:12:54 am - Peter Hurst, director of Carrier Safety and Enforcement for the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario, Canada, recently began his one-year term as president of the Commercial ...
North Carolina Senate favors left-turn bill
06/11/2003 - 9:14:16 am - The North Carolina Senate tentatively approved legislation to allow drivers to turn left on red. HB147 would apply only to drivers turning left off a one-way street ...
FMCSA: Medical board should oversee CDL health standards
06/11/2003 - 9:16:12 am - At a June 10 Senate hearing, FMCSA Acting Administrator Annette Sandberg said the agency needed a standing medical review board to provide expert advice on driver ...
Report: Al-Qaida WMD attack on U.S. highly probable
06/11/2003 - 9:18:24 am - There is a “high probability” that al-Qaida will attempt an attack with a weapon of mass destruction in the next two years, the U.S. government said in a report Monday ...
EPA certifies third Cat engine
06/15/2003 - 3:21:21 pm - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has certified Caterpillar Inc.’s third engine equipped with ACERT technology. With this certification, Caterpillar is the first engine ...
Georgia CDL tester sentenced for falsifying test results
06/15/2003 - 3:22:12 pm - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General announced that Grady Saffles, a CDL tester for America’s Driving Force in Forest Park, GA, was sentenced in ...
New Oklahoma law targets tossing items on roadways
06/15/2003 - 3:24:15 pm - Gov. Brad Henry has signed a bill into law making it a potential felony to throw something off an overpass or bridge. SB625, written by Sen. Daisy Lawler, ...
Mexican truckers protest on Laredo bridge
06/15/2003 - 3:26:48 pm - Several Mexican truckdrivers temporarily held up traffic near the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge June 12 in an attempt to send a message to U.S. inspectors, the ...
NHTSA report says cars most often cause car/truck collisions
06/15/2003 - 3:32:34 pm - A June 2003 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded in part that passenger car drivers share a greater responsibility for car/truck crashes than ...
Kenworth re-ups as Trucker Buddy silver sponsor
06/17/2003 - 8:52:44 am - For 10 years, Trucker Buddy International has been bringing the transportation industry into the classroom. Beginning with one driver writing to one class in Wisconsin, the ...
Border security going to the dogs
06/17/2003 - 8:54:15 am - Truckers who cross U.S. border areas may be stopped and their rigs sniffed out by dogs trained to detect terrorists trying to smuggle chemicals. The Bureau of ...
Young: Nation’s roads and bridges in a heap of trouble
06/17/2003 - 8:58:08 am - House Transportation Committee Chairman Don Young, R-AK, is arguing for more transportation dollars in view of DOT estimates that say 32 percent of the nation’s major roads ...
Diesel prices rise
06/17/2003 - 8:59:13 am - After a 13-week decline, on-highway diesel prices increased a penny this week, according to figures released June 16. The national average, at-the-pump diesel price rose to $1 ...
New Volvo S60 TV spot leaves truckers aghast
06/18/2003 - 8:25:22 am - A new TV commercial created to illustrate the performance characteristics of the Volvo S60’s turbo engine has hit a nerve with truckers. During the third week of May, OOIDA ...
TSA’s Loy says truck-bomb hoax reminder of shipper vulnerability
06/18/2003 - 8:29:04 am - Adm. Jim Loy, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, recently said the incident where a trucker was told he had a bomb in his trailer “was another ...
OOIDA signs on as sponsor for Expedite Expo 2003
06/19/2003 - 5:12:47 pm - The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has signed on as a sponsor for Expedite Expo 2003, to be held Aug. 13-14, 2003, at the Detroiter Truck Stop in Woodhaven, MI ...
Speed limit bill dies in Idaho
06/20/2003 - 1:28:53 pm - A bill regulating speed limits on state highways as they pass through cities has died. HB114 would have prevented local governments in Idaho from setting speed ...
U.S. and Spain to study transportation technology
06/20/2003 - 1:29:57 pm - The United States and Spain July 18 announced an ongoing program to exchange information on the science and technology of transportation. The agreement occurred on ...
Former Volvo CEO tapped for Freightliner’s firefighting subsidiary
06/20/2003 - 1:31:40 pm - Freightliner LLC named Marc F. Gustafson president of American LaFrance Corp. Gustafson, 51, served as president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America from 1996 to ...
Unstable fuel prices on horizon, OPIS says
06/20/2003 - 1:33:59 pm - Owner-operators and fleet owners have recently breathed a little easier thanks to a 30-cent per gallon drop in fuel prices from their record-setting highs this past March. ...
Ohio trucker pleads guilty in terror case
06/20/2003 - 1:35:33 pm - Iyman Faris, an Ohio truckdriver accused of plotting a terror attack on New York City`s Brooklyn Bridge, has agreed to plead guilty to providing material support to a ...
Hearing set on new lower-speed highways in California
06/24/2003 - 10:58:54 am - A hearing is scheduled in the Senate Transportation Committee on a bill that would create a new class of highway with a pre-set speed limit of 45 mph in California ...
Texas emergency-vehicle bill signed into law
06/24/2003 - 10:59:48 am - Gov. Rick Perry has signed legislation into law designed to protect highway patrol and other emergency personnel during roadside stops in Texas. Under the new law, ...
Hearing set on bill to create toll road in California
06/24/2003 - 11:01:40 am - A hearing is scheduled in the Assembly Transportation Committee June 30 on a bill that would allow private companies to build a toll road in the Los Angeles area ...
Senate committee approves Sandberg
06/24/2003 - 11:02:56 am - The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last week endorsed by voice vote Annette Sandberg to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The ...
`Tip` over stolen rig not true
06/24/2003 - 11:04:17 am - Transportation around Burbank Airport was delayed June 23 after an anonymous tip about an explosive-laden truck prompted authorities to shut down area streets, a local ...
Diesel prices dip
06/24/2003 - 11:05:16 am - The national average, at-the-pump diesel price decreased to $1.423 from $1.432 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported June 23. The highest price ...
Congressional resolution: End U.S. involvement in NAFTA
06/24/2003 - 11:07:26 am - A U.S. congressional resolution was introduced June 19 asking President Bush to withdraw the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S. House ...
Southern Oregon highway bridge restriction in effect July 1
06/26/2003 - 11:19:29 am - Certain truckloads hauled along the southern Oregon coast will soon be restricted on a state highway bridge. Starting July 1, the Isthmus Slough Bridge near Coos ...
Giant announces completion of Gallup travel center sale to Pilot
06/26/2003 - 11:21:20 am - The company`s first slogan, "Big on Service," was personified in the form of a friendly giant during the 1960s. And truckers agree, among U.S. truckstops, the Giant Travel ...
Mineta describes ‘smart intersection’ technology
06/26/2003 - 11:22:45 am - Federal highway officials are testing “intelligent intersection” technology they think will prevent thousands of traffic accidents every year by, among other things, warning ...
Kansas trucking couple die when rig falls from bridge
06/26/2003 - 11:24:36 am - Truckdrivers Brad and Brenda Umholtz of DeSoto, KS, were killed June 24 when their tractor-trailer went over the side of the Kansas River bridge in the small town east of the ...
Schumer again warns of terrorism via trucks
06/30/2003 - 10:28:35 am - The recent arrest of an Ohio truckdriver for conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge prompted U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer to again warn that big rigs pose a major ...
NMA says ‘Lane Courtesy Month’ a successful awareness campaign
06/30/2003 - 10:30:47 am - The month of June, designated "Lane Courtesy Month" by the National Motorists Association, has seen some strong success in making motorists think about yielding the left ...
FMCSA and carrier enter settlement agreement
06/30/2003 - 10:31:47 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Calco Express Inc., Green Bay, WI, have tentatively settled an enforcement action stemming from Calco’s reported use of a ...
Jersey Assembly sends ‘Maggie’s Law’ to governor
06/30/2003 - 10:33:14 am - The New Jersey Assembly approved a measure June 23 that would permit prosecutors to charge drivers who kill another person after falling asleep behind the wheel with vehicular ...
