Trucking News - November 2006
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
Hospitalization delays sentencing of high-ranking Hired Truck figure
11/02/2006 - 5:58:13 pm - One of the highest-ranking officials involved in Chicago’s scandal-ridden Hired Truck program sidestepped sentencing today after being admitted to the hospital for unspecified ...
Troubled Big Dig tunnel scheduled to reopen
11/02/2006 - 5:58:39 pm - One of the key tunnels in Boston’s Big Dig will open as soon as next week, according to the Boston Globe. The Interstate 93 tunnel, which connects the Massachusetts ...
Taxes, tolls urged for Nevada roadwork
11/02/2006 - 5:59:06 pm - The commission trying to figure out how to pay for roadwork in Nevada has made its first recommendations. Created by Gov. Kenny Guinn, the citizens’ task force has ...
Bendix announces layoffs at Kentucky plant
11/02/2006 - 5:59:35 pm - Another company has announced it will lay off workers in anticipation of a slump in new truck sales next year. Bendix – which makes brakes, compressors and other truck ...
Juror dismissed in Texas trailer deaths retrial
11/02/2006 - 6:00:05 pm - In Houston, TX, one of the jurors in the retrial of former trucker Tyrone Williams has been ejected by the judge. That person – referred to only as “juror No. 12” – ...
Pennsylvania bill would add 10,000 police officers
11/02/2006 - 6:00:40 pm - In an effort to stem an increase in violent crime in the state, the Pennsylvania House has approved a bill that would add 10,000 police officers across the state. The price ...
Colorado to revamp truck enforcement
11/02/2006 - 6:01:04 pm - Truckers who drive in Colorado may see some changes in inspection and enforcement operations next spring. According to The Denver Post, an audit concluded the state is ...
Peters: ‘Nothing immediately planned’ on Mexican trucks
11/02/2006 - 6:01:29 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says there’s “nothing immediately planned” in regard to opening the border to Mexican trucks. Peters made the remark at an ...
IRS increases business mileage rate
11/04/2006 - 9:11:00 pm - If you use your personal vehicle to support your trucking business, you’ll see a slightly bigger tax deduction for mileage next year. According to The Associated Press, ...
Tennessee lawmaker calls for alternative funding for roads
11/04/2006 - 9:11:42 pm - In search of alternative ways to fund transportation projects in Tennessee, a leading state lawmaker is drafting measures that would set up a special commission to oversee ...
Survivor testifies in Texas smuggling trial
11/04/2006 - 9:12:16 pm - A survivor testified Wednesday in the Houston retrial of former trucker Tyrone Williams, who faces a possible death penalty. The Houston Chronicle reports that Maria ...
Pennsylvania bill offers incentive to buy 2007 model trucks
11/04/2006 - 9:12:54 pm - A bill moving through the Pennsylvania House is intended as an incentive for truck owners to buy new Class 8 models. Sponsored by Rep. Karen Beyer, R-Lehigh, the bill ...
Former Kansas trucker still missing one year later
11/04/2006 - 9:13:47 pm - The last time Kim Eastwood saw her father, Richard Lee Clark, he was standing in the yard of her home near Pleasanton, KS. Now, more than a year later, Eastwood still ...
DOT secretary praises public-private plans for roads
11/04/2006 - 9:14:06 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters took her privatization message on the road this week. Speaking at a national meeting of state highway officials in Portland, ...
GAO launches investigation of oil royalties
11/06/2006 - 4:11:42 pm - The U.S. Government Accountability Office has launched an investigation into what’s going on with the royalty payments that oil companies are supposed to be making for oil and ...
Woman says Tyrone Williams was ‘indifferent’ to trailer deaths
11/06/2006 - 4:12:21 pm - A woman who rode in the cab of Tyrone Williams’ truck while illegal immigrants were dying in the trailer was scheduled to testify against Williams today at his re-trial in ...
Trucker saved by cell phone
11/06/2006 - 4:13:32 pm - A cell phone may have saved a Texas trucker’s life when a sniper’s bullet first struck the phone, then hit his neck. The trucker – 51-year-old Willie Goree of Irving – ...
Caterpillar follows suit, announces job cuts
11/06/2006 - 4:14:03 pm - Like several other companies in the trucking industry, Caterpillar says it will cut its truck engine workforce because of a projected slump in ’07 truck sales ...
Diesel prices drop a penny
11/08/2006 - 10:48:22 am - The national average price for a gallon of diesel dropped 1.1 cents for the week ending Monday, Nov. 6, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. Diesel fuel ...
New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway headed toward privatization?
11/08/2006 - 10:48:57 am - If a New Jersey state lawmaker gets his way, private groups would have an opportunity to run the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Sen. Ray Lesniak, ...
Truck show benefits non-profits
11/08/2006 - 10:49:23 am - The organizers of this year’s Fergus Truck Show have just handed out $43,000 worth of checks to non-profit groups. The annual show – held 40 miles west of Toronto, ...
Peters considers toll roads and privatization as fuel-tax alternatives
11/08/2006 - 10:49:56 am - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has asked for more time on behalf of a commission exploring highway-funding alternatives to fuel taxes. The 12-member ...
Former Swift CEO pitches buy-out
11/08/2006 - 10:50:34 am - The co-founder of Swift Transportation has offered to buy out all outstanding shares of the company, and offered $29 a share, which is $5 more per share than the stock’s ...
Judge in Texas trailer deaths re-trial keeps jury away from truck
11/08/2006 - 10:51:11 am - federal judge Monday in Houston, TX, rejected a prosecution proposal that the jury in the Tyrone Williams re-trial be allowed to visit his tractor-trailer. The judge ...
Protections for rail sought in Pennsylvania
11/08/2006 - 10:51:59 am - Two state lawmakers in Pennsylvania want more protections for passenger and freight trains from potential terrorist acts. Sen. Michael Stack, D-Philadelphia, and Sen. ...
Road funding not on the agenda in West Virginia
11/08/2006 - 10:52:32 am - The special legislative session this week in West Virginia won’t include discussion about changing the state’s fuel tax or vehicle privilege tax, despite a new tax report in ...
Utah group says no to tolls
11/08/2006 - 10:52:57 am - In Utah there’s now an opposition group to the proposed Mountain View Corridor toll road that would connect Interstate 80 and I-15 southwest of Salt Lake City. A group ...
ACE mandatory beginning in January at some border crossings
11/08/2006 - 10:53:26 am - U.S. Customs and Border Protection will make the ACE program mandatory for all trucks entering the U.S. through Washington and Arizona, and through several crossings in North ...
California ports announce ambitious emissions-reduction plan
11/08/2006 - 10:54:03 am - The final draft of a report on cleaning up the air at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach calls for replacing or retrofitting as many as 16,000 trucks. That report, ...
Shots fired at trucks in Alabama truck stop
11/10/2006 - 8:49:15 am - Investigators in Alabama are asking for clues in identifying and finding a man who fired shots at two trucks parked in a truck stop Monday. According to the Tuscaloosa ...
International agency predicts $100-a-barrel oil
11/10/2006 - 8:49:46 am - The Paris-based International Energy Agency thinks fuel prices are going to go a lot higher over the next 25 years. Predicting a 53-percent increase in demand, the ...
Smoking rules worked out at Kansas truck stop
11/10/2006 - 8:51:07 am - The smoke has cleared – figuratively, at least – at a truck stop in Parsons, KS. Stockyard Travel Plaza owner Russell McKee told “Land Line Now” on XM Satellite Radio ...
Feds forecast 20 cent hike in diesel prices
11/10/2006 - 8:51:38 am - The price of diesel fuel isn’t going to stay at $2.52 a gallon for long, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The department’s new short-term fuel price projections ...
Former trucker down, not out after first run at political office
11/10/2006 - 8:52:33 am - A lot of truckers like to talk about how they’d change politics and the government. But one man went beyond talking the talk – he actually parked his rig and ran for Congress ...
Indiana Toll Road a factor in ousting several House Republicans
11/10/2006 - 8:54:06 am - The lease of the Indiana Toll Road proved to be a motivator for Indiana voters, according to political analysts following Tuesday’s election. Republican Gov. Mitch ...
Company organizes fundraiser for injured trucker’s family
11/10/2006 - 8:56:03 am - The story of Ed Tippie is one that goes from bad, to worse, to worst. But if one Orlando businessman has his way, it will have a happier ending than originally thought ...
Trucker dies in crash with Amtrak train
11/12/2006 - 9:37:15 pm - Investigators in Tampa, FL, are trying to figure out what caused Wednesday’s train-truck wreck that killed a 45-year-old trucker. According to The Associated Press, an ...
Wisconsin college teaches English to truckers
11/12/2006 - 9:37:50 pm - To address a so-called truck driver shortage, a college in Appleton, WI, is teaming up with a local company that does consulting for the trucking industry to teach English to ...
Board issues warning about biodiesel during cold weather
11/12/2006 - 9:38:20 pm - The National Biodiesel Board has issued what it’s calling a “winter weather advisory,” saying there’s a lot of biodiesel out there that doesn’t meet the industry standards ...
Company organizes fundraiser for injured trucker’s family
11/12/2006 - 9:39:34 pm - The story of Ed Tippie is one that goes from bad, to worse, to worst. But if one Orlando businessman has his way, it will have a happier ending than originally thought ...
California voters decide on several ballot questions to fund transportation
11/12/2006 - 9:40:19 pm - While voters in California overwhelmingly approved a second term for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the governor’s suite, they also approved two initiatives that affect ...
Former trucker may have torpedoed his own defense
11/12/2006 - 9:40:55 pm - Former trucker Tyrone Williams may have torpedoed his own defense Thursday, Nov. 9, during his retrial in a Houston courtroom. Williams faces a possible death penalty ...
Trucking company owner, workers charged with fuel theft
11/12/2006 - 9:41:47 pm - The head of a Miami trucking company and six of his employees have been charged with stealing more than 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline that was supposed to be ...
Alberta, Canada, to keep old HOS rules
11/12/2006 - 9:42:36 pm - While new hours of service will take effect soon for truckers who drive between provinces in Canada, officials in the province of Alberta announced plans to keep the current ...
Indiana DOT head Sharp resigns; Daniels wants another toll road
11/12/2006 - 9:43:11 pm - The head of Indiana’s Department of Transportation and one of the originators of the state’s controversial “Major Moves” plan resigned Thursday. Tom Sharp had stepped ...
Relatives sob over victims photos in Texas trailer deaths trial
11/15/2006 - 10:13:07 am - In a Houston courtroom Monday morning, some of the relatives of the 19 illegal immigrants who died in a botched smuggling operation sobbed when they were shown photographs of ...
Transportation bond issue OK’d in Rhode Island
11/15/2006 - 10:13:45 am - Voters in Rhode Island approved a ballot question last week allowing the state to issue $88.5 million in bonds for transportation projects throughout the state ...
Nevada governor wants to tap surplus for I-15 widening
11/15/2006 - 10:14:15 am - Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn has said that he is crafting a two-year state budget that would use some of the state’s budget surplus for widening Interstate 15 in Las Vegas ...
Volvo AB announces layoffs at Virginia plant
11/15/2006 - 10:14:53 am - Volvo has joined the growing list of companies in the trucking industry who plan to lay off workers early next year. In a press release, Volvo said its New River Valley ...
Volvo, Mack ’07 engines granted EPA approval
11/15/2006 - 10:15:33 am - The new 2007 truck engines being produced by Volvo Trucks North America and its sister company, Mack Trucks, have won the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency ...
Coming into U.S. with hazmat? New rules kicked in Monday
11/15/2006 - 10:16:08 am - The phase-in period that allowed CDL holders from Mexico and Canada to haul hazmat into the U.S. without a FAST background check has come to an end. As of Aug. 10, ...
Caltrans warns of delays on I-5
11/15/2006 - 10:16:51 am - you haul on Interstate 5 in northern California, you might want to find a different route next week. Caltrans, the state’s transportation department, is warning ...
Iowa trucker fends off attack
11/15/2006 - 10:17:30 am - A truck driver is lucky he wasn’t seriously injured after being attacked by two men on the shoulder of an Iowa highway last Friday. According to Southwest Iowa News, ...
Price gouging bill becomes law in Pennsylvania
11/15/2006 - 10:18:28 am - Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a bill into law that allows the Pennsylvania attorney general to investigate complaints of price gouging during disasters and impose penalties. It ...
More fuel tax revenue earmarked for transportation in New Jersey
11/15/2006 - 10:19:07 am - New Jersey voters on Election Day approved more funding for transportation projects in the state. Question 3 on the statewide ballot increases from 9 cents to 10.5 ...
Utah talking tolls for Mountain View Corridor
11/15/2006 - 10:19:46 am - As the Utah Department of Transportation continues to eye tolling as the main funding source for the Mountain View Corridor, skeptics aren’t so sure tolls are the best option ...
Fires still burning on hot fuel issue
11/15/2006 - 10:20:33 am - Since August, The Kansas City Star has done an excellent job covering an issue that makes truckers’ blood boil – the issue of oil companies manipulating the temperature of ...
Former trucker reaches settlement with Roadway Express
11/17/2006 - 5:45:39 pm - A former Oregon trucker has reached an undisclosed settlement with Roadway Express after the company refused to re-hire him after he was honorably discharged from the Army. ...
Ringleader refuses to testify in Texas trailer deaths re-trial
11/17/2006 - 5:46:15 pm - The confessed ringleader in a 2003 smuggling operation that left 19 illegal immigrants dead has refused to testify for the defense in former trucker Tyrone Williams’ trial in ...
Biodiesel to boost economy by $24 billion, study shows
11/17/2006 - 5:47:50 pm - Biodiesel not only converts vegetable oils and animal fats into fuel, but it will grow the economy of the U.S. by billions of dollars, according to a national study ...
Transit measures approved in two Utah counties
11/17/2006 - 5:48:31 pm - Voters in two counties in Utah last week handily approved ballot questions to raise their sales tax by a quarter-cent to pay for road and transit projects. Revenue also will ...
Pennsylvania to consider privatization of turnpike
11/17/2006 - 5:49:00 pm - A bipartisan commission in Pennsylvania has recommended the state privatize its east-west turnpike. The Transportation Funding and Reform Commission has recommended to ...
Alberta’s HOS stance draws fire
11/17/2006 - 5:50:15 pm - Groups representing some of the biggest carriers in the province of Alberta, Canada, are criticizing the government’s decision to keep its own hours-of-service rules ...
Pennsylvania bill would limit idling; other states take action
11/17/2006 - 5:51:05 pm - bill introduced Monday, Nov. 13, in the Pennsylvania House is intended to reduce unnecessary idling of large trucks in the state. In most instances, drivers idling their ...
SmartWay unveils loan program for anti-idling technologies
11/17/2006 - 5:51:34 pm - If you like the idea of adding an anti-idling device to your truck but haven’t been able to come up with the money to purchase or install one, the Environmental Protection ...
NTSB announces new ‘Most Wanted’ list
11/17/2006 - 5:53:40 pm - In its annual wish list of solutions to safety issues that need to be addressed in the transportation sector, the National Transportation Safety Board’s review of the trucking ...
Chemical spill closes I-65 in Indiana
11/20/2006 - 10:25:53 am - Interstate 65 near Lowell, IN, was shut down Thursday, Nov. 16, because of a chemical leak at a nearby Pilot Truck Stop that injured several people. According to ...
FMCSA wants to link medical certificate with CDL
11/20/2006 - 10:26:42 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving ahead with its proposal to link information from truckers’ medical certificates into the CDL process. After ...
Canadian trucker named as Truck Hero
11/20/2006 - 10:28:50 am - A trucker from St. Paul, Alberta, Canada, received the 2006 Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award on Thursday, Nov. 16, for his bravery in saving a fellow trucker ...
Capitol tree leaves Seattle for Washington, DC
11/20/2006 - 10:29:26 am - OOIDA member Gordy Grove of Langley, WA, set off from Seattle, WA, Friday morning with an important mission – he’s delivering the 65-foot-tall Christmas tree that will stand ...
Louisiana trucker recognized for bravery
11/20/2006 - 10:30:00 am - A Louisiana trucker has been cited for bravery by the state police for helping a trooper who was being attacked at a truck stop. Kirkman Daigle, a tanker truck driver ...
Owner-operators lose truck, livelihood in one night
11/20/2006 - 10:30:50 am - Imagine locking your truck and heading into Wal-Mart for supplies, only to return an hour later to find your truck missing and your livelihood gone. That’s what ...
DaimlerChrysler predicts decline in its truck sales
11/20/2006 - 10:31:42 am - The company that makes Freightliner and Western Star trucks thinks sales of its heavy trucks are going to plunge by almost 40 percent next year. According to Bloomberg, ...
FAST card substitute for passport
11/20/2006 - 10:33:08 am - For Canadian truckers entering the U.S., a FAST card is as good as a passport. That was confirmed by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, during a Canadian ...
Vermont lawmakers discuss rail-car purchase
11/22/2006 - 11:52:39 am - Vermont lawmakers soon will consider a plan to spend $17.5 million to purchase five new rail cars for use on one of the state’s Amtrak passenger routes. The Joint ...
Massachusetts FedEx workers vote for Teamsters
11/22/2006 - 11:53:21 am - FedEx home delivery drivers at two Wilmington, MA, sites have voted to join the Teamsters – and union leaders say the vote could pave the way to more organizing at FedEx ...
Pennsylvania panel recommends higher taxes, fees for transportation
11/22/2006 - 11:54:05 am - A special panel in Pennsylvania has issued its final report recommending roughly $1.7 billion in tax increases to help pay for needed road, bridge and public transit repairs ...
FMCSA grants exemptions to 45 insulin-dependent diabetics
11/22/2006 - 11:54:42 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted exemptions to 45 truckers from the rule prohibiting people with insulin-treated diabetes from driving trucks in ...
USDA fees postponed for Canadian truckers
11/22/2006 - 11:55:19 am - Canadian truckers who are crossing the border into the U.S. won’t have to pay a new, special fee until March 1 of next year. The fees – which are to pay for ...
Texas lawmaker proposes crackdown on ‘hot fuel’
11/22/2006 - 11:55:59 am - Texas may be the land of big oil, but a member of the state House of Representatives is taking up the fight against oil companies and retailers that sell “hot fuel ...
Avocado aficionado
11/24/2006 - 9:58:48 pm - A California trucking company owner and two of his employees nearly caused a guacamole dip crisis. Ventura County authorities told The Associated Press that Castaneda ...
Oversize, overweight prohibitions abound in Louisiana
11/24/2006 - 9:59:32 pm - Both spans of the Interstate 10 Twinspan Bridge between Slidell and New Orleans have been closed to all oversize and overweight permit loads until further notice ...
Wisconsin trucker killed in case of apparent mistaken identity
11/24/2006 - 9:59:55 pm - A 40-year-old Wisconsin man was charged with murder Tuesday for allegedly killing a truck driver in a case of mistaken identity. According to The Associated Press, ...
Golden Gate Bridge could soon be corporately sponsored
11/24/2006 - 10:00:18 pm - The people who oversee San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge say they’re looking for corporate sponsors for the national landmark. According to the San Francisco Chronicle ...
New Jersey could solicit privatized state routes
11/24/2006 - 10:00:58 pm - New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is looking for ways to lower the state’s property tax rates, which are the highest in the U.S. One way the state could raise money, ...
California’s I-5 to see delays over weekend
11/24/2006 - 10:01:24 pm - A reminder to truckers in California: construction work on Interstate 5 north of Redding is expected to cause lengthy delays this weekend through Sunday. According to ...
Democrats to target oil companies’ royalties
11/24/2006 - 10:01:53 pm - Congressional Democrats say that once leadership power is handed over to them, they’ll go after the multi-billion-dollar royalties that the big oil companies have escaped ...
Pennsylvania lawmakers sustain veto of small business bill
11/24/2006 - 10:02:25 pm - On a virtual party-line vote of 107-83, the Pennsylvania House was unable to override Gov. Ed Rendell’s veto of a bill intended to aid small businesses in the state, including ...
Idaho board recommends adding sales tax on fuel
11/24/2006 - 10:02:54 pm - Fueling in Idaho could get a bit more expensive. The Idaho Transportation Board has recommended the state keep its 25-cent-per-gallon fuel tax intact, and add a sales ...
USDA fees for Canadian truckers take effect in March
11/24/2006 - 10:03:20 pm - Canadian truckers who are crossing the border into the U.S. won’t have to pay a new, special fee until March 1, 2007. The fees – which are to pay for agricultural ...
Grove is natural pick to drive Christmas tree to Washington, DC
11/24/2006 - 10:04:08 pm - After hauling the companion trees to Capitol Hill last year, it was only natural that OOIDA member Gordy Grove of Langley, WA, was selected this year to drive the 65-foot ...
Trucker does better than expected in fundraiser benefit
11/24/2006 - 10:04:46 pm - The organizers of a fundraiser in Orlando, FL, say truckers and other contributors gave more than $15,000 to help former trucker Ed Tippie and his family with medical and ...
NHTSA allegedly sitting on millions of consumer complaints
11/24/2006 - 10:05:21 pm - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is refusing to make public more than 150 million consumer complaints about cars, trucks and SUVs. According to The ...
Angry drivers can now vent through Web site
11/28/2006 - 1:02:05 pm - A couple of computer-savvy brothers have figured out a way for upset motorists to vent their anger. Their Web site, platewire.com, will post an image of the license ...
International develops drag-reducing system
11/28/2006 - 1:02:33 pm - International Truck and Engine Corp. officials said they have come up with a prototype of an aerodynamic system that reduces air drag by 14 percent. According to a ...
Driver safety efforts sought in three states
11/28/2006 - 1:03:06 pm - Lawmakers in three states could take up efforts to get tough with people who drive under the influence. In Louisiana, a state legislator is pushing for consideration of ...
Two arrested in sting targeting laptop thefts
11/28/2006 - 1:03:46 pm - Two Florida residents have been nabbed in a sting operation set up by the feds targeting laptop thefts. The sting was the result of the thefts of two laptops in Florida ...
Swift officials say no deal to buyout offer from Moyes
11/28/2006 - 1:04:19 pm - Swift Transportation officials rejected the proposal of its largest shareholder, Jerry Moyes, to acquire all of the company’s outstanding common stock in an all-cash ...
MADD urges interlocks for all convicted drunken drivers
11/30/2006 - 8:25:31 am - The organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers announced Nov. 20, that it will seek breath-test interlock devices for all convicted drunken drivers – including first offenders ...
Caterpillar earns EPA certification for 2007 C-7 engines
11/30/2006 - 8:26:10 am - Caterpillar officials announced the company’s new medium-duty C7 diesel engine has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as compliant with the more stringent ...
Boost in fees sought to fund Wisconsin roadwork
11/30/2006 - 8:27:04 am - It could cost some commercial drivers and other residents in Wisconsin more to register their vehicles if a state Department of Transportation budget proposal is adopted. ...
That’s one big Christmas tree
11/30/2006 - 8:27:57 am - It’s taken a massive amount of time and effort to coordinate the transportation of this year’s Capitol Christmas tree – a 65-foot long Pacific silver fir – to Washington, DC. ...
Texas trailer deaths case in jury’s hands
11/30/2006 - 8:28:23 am - In Houston, a jury of seven women and five men were scheduled to continue deliberations Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the case of former trucker Tyrone Williams. Williams faces ...
Biodiesel emissions under microscope in Texas
11/30/2006 - 8:29:01 am - Biodiesel producers in Texas are gearing up for a big meeting next week. They must prove to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that their biodiesel meets the ...
Higher fuel taxes not out of the question in Iowa
11/30/2006 - 8:29:34 am - Dwindling tax revenue for roads and increasing highway construction costs could mean higher taxes at fuel pumps in Iowa. The Iowa Legislative Services Agency reports ...
Another trucker found dead at Texas Petro
11/30/2006 - 8:30:31 am - Forensic investigators still don’t know what caused the death of a person found in the sleeper of a parked truck at the Petro Stopping Center on Ackerman Road near Interstate ...
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11/02/2006 - 5:58:13 pm - One of the highest-ranking officials involved in Chicago’s scandal-ridden Hired Truck program sidestepped sentencing today after being admitted to the hospital for unspecified ...
Troubled Big Dig tunnel scheduled to reopen
11/02/2006 - 5:58:39 pm - One of the key tunnels in Boston’s Big Dig will open as soon as next week, according to the Boston Globe. The Interstate 93 tunnel, which connects the Massachusetts ...
Taxes, tolls urged for Nevada roadwork
11/02/2006 - 5:59:06 pm - The commission trying to figure out how to pay for roadwork in Nevada has made its first recommendations. Created by Gov. Kenny Guinn, the citizens’ task force has ...
Bendix announces layoffs at Kentucky plant
11/02/2006 - 5:59:35 pm - Another company has announced it will lay off workers in anticipation of a slump in new truck sales next year. Bendix – which makes brakes, compressors and other truck ...
Juror dismissed in Texas trailer deaths retrial
11/02/2006 - 6:00:05 pm - In Houston, TX, one of the jurors in the retrial of former trucker Tyrone Williams has been ejected by the judge. That person – referred to only as “juror No. 12” – ...
Pennsylvania bill would add 10,000 police officers
11/02/2006 - 6:00:40 pm - In an effort to stem an increase in violent crime in the state, the Pennsylvania House has approved a bill that would add 10,000 police officers across the state. The price ...
Colorado to revamp truck enforcement
11/02/2006 - 6:01:04 pm - Truckers who drive in Colorado may see some changes in inspection and enforcement operations next spring. According to The Denver Post, an audit concluded the state is ...
Peters: ‘Nothing immediately planned’ on Mexican trucks
11/02/2006 - 6:01:29 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says there’s “nothing immediately planned” in regard to opening the border to Mexican trucks. Peters made the remark at an ...
IRS increases business mileage rate
11/04/2006 - 9:11:00 pm - If you use your personal vehicle to support your trucking business, you’ll see a slightly bigger tax deduction for mileage next year. According to The Associated Press, ...
Tennessee lawmaker calls for alternative funding for roads
11/04/2006 - 9:11:42 pm - In search of alternative ways to fund transportation projects in Tennessee, a leading state lawmaker is drafting measures that would set up a special commission to oversee ...
Survivor testifies in Texas smuggling trial
11/04/2006 - 9:12:16 pm - A survivor testified Wednesday in the Houston retrial of former trucker Tyrone Williams, who faces a possible death penalty. The Houston Chronicle reports that Maria ...
Pennsylvania bill offers incentive to buy 2007 model trucks
11/04/2006 - 9:12:54 pm - A bill moving through the Pennsylvania House is intended as an incentive for truck owners to buy new Class 8 models. Sponsored by Rep. Karen Beyer, R-Lehigh, the bill ...
Former Kansas trucker still missing one year later
11/04/2006 - 9:13:47 pm - The last time Kim Eastwood saw her father, Richard Lee Clark, he was standing in the yard of her home near Pleasanton, KS. Now, more than a year later, Eastwood still ...
DOT secretary praises public-private plans for roads
11/04/2006 - 9:14:06 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters took her privatization message on the road this week. Speaking at a national meeting of state highway officials in Portland, ...
GAO launches investigation of oil royalties
11/06/2006 - 4:11:42 pm - The U.S. Government Accountability Office has launched an investigation into what’s going on with the royalty payments that oil companies are supposed to be making for oil and ...
Woman says Tyrone Williams was ‘indifferent’ to trailer deaths
11/06/2006 - 4:12:21 pm - A woman who rode in the cab of Tyrone Williams’ truck while illegal immigrants were dying in the trailer was scheduled to testify against Williams today at his re-trial in ...
Trucker saved by cell phone
11/06/2006 - 4:13:32 pm - A cell phone may have saved a Texas trucker’s life when a sniper’s bullet first struck the phone, then hit his neck. The trucker – 51-year-old Willie Goree of Irving – ...
Caterpillar follows suit, announces job cuts
11/06/2006 - 4:14:03 pm - Like several other companies in the trucking industry, Caterpillar says it will cut its truck engine workforce because of a projected slump in ’07 truck sales ...
Diesel prices drop a penny
11/08/2006 - 10:48:22 am - The national average price for a gallon of diesel dropped 1.1 cents for the week ending Monday, Nov. 6, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. Diesel fuel ...
New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway headed toward privatization?
11/08/2006 - 10:48:57 am - If a New Jersey state lawmaker gets his way, private groups would have an opportunity to run the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Sen. Ray Lesniak, ...
Truck show benefits non-profits
11/08/2006 - 10:49:23 am - The organizers of this year’s Fergus Truck Show have just handed out $43,000 worth of checks to non-profit groups. The annual show – held 40 miles west of Toronto, ...
Peters considers toll roads and privatization as fuel-tax alternatives
11/08/2006 - 10:49:56 am - U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has asked for more time on behalf of a commission exploring highway-funding alternatives to fuel taxes. The 12-member ...
Former Swift CEO pitches buy-out
11/08/2006 - 10:50:34 am - The co-founder of Swift Transportation has offered to buy out all outstanding shares of the company, and offered $29 a share, which is $5 more per share than the stock’s ...
Judge in Texas trailer deaths re-trial keeps jury away from truck
11/08/2006 - 10:51:11 am - federal judge Monday in Houston, TX, rejected a prosecution proposal that the jury in the Tyrone Williams re-trial be allowed to visit his tractor-trailer. The judge ...
Protections for rail sought in Pennsylvania
11/08/2006 - 10:51:59 am - Two state lawmakers in Pennsylvania want more protections for passenger and freight trains from potential terrorist acts. Sen. Michael Stack, D-Philadelphia, and Sen. ...
Road funding not on the agenda in West Virginia
11/08/2006 - 10:52:32 am - The special legislative session this week in West Virginia won’t include discussion about changing the state’s fuel tax or vehicle privilege tax, despite a new tax report in ...
Utah group says no to tolls
11/08/2006 - 10:52:57 am - In Utah there’s now an opposition group to the proposed Mountain View Corridor toll road that would connect Interstate 80 and I-15 southwest of Salt Lake City. A group ...
ACE mandatory beginning in January at some border crossings
11/08/2006 - 10:53:26 am - U.S. Customs and Border Protection will make the ACE program mandatory for all trucks entering the U.S. through Washington and Arizona, and through several crossings in North ...
California ports announce ambitious emissions-reduction plan
11/08/2006 - 10:54:03 am - The final draft of a report on cleaning up the air at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach calls for replacing or retrofitting as many as 16,000 trucks. That report, ...
Shots fired at trucks in Alabama truck stop
11/10/2006 - 8:49:15 am - Investigators in Alabama are asking for clues in identifying and finding a man who fired shots at two trucks parked in a truck stop Monday. According to the Tuscaloosa ...
International agency predicts $100-a-barrel oil
11/10/2006 - 8:49:46 am - The Paris-based International Energy Agency thinks fuel prices are going to go a lot higher over the next 25 years. Predicting a 53-percent increase in demand, the ...
Smoking rules worked out at Kansas truck stop
11/10/2006 - 8:51:07 am - The smoke has cleared – figuratively, at least – at a truck stop in Parsons, KS. Stockyard Travel Plaza owner Russell McKee told “Land Line Now” on XM Satellite Radio ...
Feds forecast 20 cent hike in diesel prices
11/10/2006 - 8:51:38 am - The price of diesel fuel isn’t going to stay at $2.52 a gallon for long, according to the U.S. Energy Department. The department’s new short-term fuel price projections ...
Former trucker down, not out after first run at political office
11/10/2006 - 8:52:33 am - A lot of truckers like to talk about how they’d change politics and the government. But one man went beyond talking the talk – he actually parked his rig and ran for Congress ...
Indiana Toll Road a factor in ousting several House Republicans
11/10/2006 - 8:54:06 am - The lease of the Indiana Toll Road proved to be a motivator for Indiana voters, according to political analysts following Tuesday’s election. Republican Gov. Mitch ...
Company organizes fundraiser for injured trucker’s family
11/10/2006 - 8:56:03 am - The story of Ed Tippie is one that goes from bad, to worse, to worst. But if one Orlando businessman has his way, it will have a happier ending than originally thought ...
Trucker dies in crash with Amtrak train
11/12/2006 - 9:37:15 pm - Investigators in Tampa, FL, are trying to figure out what caused Wednesday’s train-truck wreck that killed a 45-year-old trucker. According to The Associated Press, an ...
Wisconsin college teaches English to truckers
11/12/2006 - 9:37:50 pm - To address a so-called truck driver shortage, a college in Appleton, WI, is teaming up with a local company that does consulting for the trucking industry to teach English to ...
Board issues warning about biodiesel during cold weather
11/12/2006 - 9:38:20 pm - The National Biodiesel Board has issued what it’s calling a “winter weather advisory,” saying there’s a lot of biodiesel out there that doesn’t meet the industry standards ...
Company organizes fundraiser for injured trucker’s family
11/12/2006 - 9:39:34 pm - The story of Ed Tippie is one that goes from bad, to worse, to worst. But if one Orlando businessman has his way, it will have a happier ending than originally thought ...
California voters decide on several ballot questions to fund transportation
11/12/2006 - 9:40:19 pm - While voters in California overwhelmingly approved a second term for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the governor’s suite, they also approved two initiatives that affect ...
Former trucker may have torpedoed his own defense
11/12/2006 - 9:40:55 pm - Former trucker Tyrone Williams may have torpedoed his own defense Thursday, Nov. 9, during his retrial in a Houston courtroom. Williams faces a possible death penalty ...
Trucking company owner, workers charged with fuel theft
11/12/2006 - 9:41:47 pm - The head of a Miami trucking company and six of his employees have been charged with stealing more than 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline that was supposed to be ...
Alberta, Canada, to keep old HOS rules
11/12/2006 - 9:42:36 pm - While new hours of service will take effect soon for truckers who drive between provinces in Canada, officials in the province of Alberta announced plans to keep the current ...
Indiana DOT head Sharp resigns; Daniels wants another toll road
11/12/2006 - 9:43:11 pm - The head of Indiana’s Department of Transportation and one of the originators of the state’s controversial “Major Moves” plan resigned Thursday. Tom Sharp had stepped ...
Relatives sob over victims photos in Texas trailer deaths trial
11/15/2006 - 10:13:07 am - In a Houston courtroom Monday morning, some of the relatives of the 19 illegal immigrants who died in a botched smuggling operation sobbed when they were shown photographs of ...
Transportation bond issue OK’d in Rhode Island
11/15/2006 - 10:13:45 am - Voters in Rhode Island approved a ballot question last week allowing the state to issue $88.5 million in bonds for transportation projects throughout the state ...
Nevada governor wants to tap surplus for I-15 widening
11/15/2006 - 10:14:15 am - Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn has said that he is crafting a two-year state budget that would use some of the state’s budget surplus for widening Interstate 15 in Las Vegas ...
Volvo AB announces layoffs at Virginia plant
11/15/2006 - 10:14:53 am - Volvo has joined the growing list of companies in the trucking industry who plan to lay off workers early next year. In a press release, Volvo said its New River Valley ...
Volvo, Mack ’07 engines granted EPA approval
11/15/2006 - 10:15:33 am - The new 2007 truck engines being produced by Volvo Trucks North America and its sister company, Mack Trucks, have won the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency ...
Coming into U.S. with hazmat? New rules kicked in Monday
11/15/2006 - 10:16:08 am - The phase-in period that allowed CDL holders from Mexico and Canada to haul hazmat into the U.S. without a FAST background check has come to an end. As of Aug. 10, ...
Caltrans warns of delays on I-5
11/15/2006 - 10:16:51 am - you haul on Interstate 5 in northern California, you might want to find a different route next week. Caltrans, the state’s transportation department, is warning ...
Iowa trucker fends off attack
11/15/2006 - 10:17:30 am - A truck driver is lucky he wasn’t seriously injured after being attacked by two men on the shoulder of an Iowa highway last Friday. According to Southwest Iowa News, ...
Price gouging bill becomes law in Pennsylvania
11/15/2006 - 10:18:28 am - Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a bill into law that allows the Pennsylvania attorney general to investigate complaints of price gouging during disasters and impose penalties. It ...
More fuel tax revenue earmarked for transportation in New Jersey
11/15/2006 - 10:19:07 am - New Jersey voters on Election Day approved more funding for transportation projects in the state. Question 3 on the statewide ballot increases from 9 cents to 10.5 ...
Utah talking tolls for Mountain View Corridor
11/15/2006 - 10:19:46 am - As the Utah Department of Transportation continues to eye tolling as the main funding source for the Mountain View Corridor, skeptics aren’t so sure tolls are the best option ...
Fires still burning on hot fuel issue
11/15/2006 - 10:20:33 am - Since August, The Kansas City Star has done an excellent job covering an issue that makes truckers’ blood boil – the issue of oil companies manipulating the temperature of ...
Former trucker reaches settlement with Roadway Express
11/17/2006 - 5:45:39 pm - A former Oregon trucker has reached an undisclosed settlement with Roadway Express after the company refused to re-hire him after he was honorably discharged from the Army. ...
Ringleader refuses to testify in Texas trailer deaths re-trial
11/17/2006 - 5:46:15 pm - The confessed ringleader in a 2003 smuggling operation that left 19 illegal immigrants dead has refused to testify for the defense in former trucker Tyrone Williams’ trial in ...
Biodiesel to boost economy by $24 billion, study shows
11/17/2006 - 5:47:50 pm - Biodiesel not only converts vegetable oils and animal fats into fuel, but it will grow the economy of the U.S. by billions of dollars, according to a national study ...
Transit measures approved in two Utah counties
11/17/2006 - 5:48:31 pm - Voters in two counties in Utah last week handily approved ballot questions to raise their sales tax by a quarter-cent to pay for road and transit projects. Revenue also will ...
Pennsylvania to consider privatization of turnpike
11/17/2006 - 5:49:00 pm - A bipartisan commission in Pennsylvania has recommended the state privatize its east-west turnpike. The Transportation Funding and Reform Commission has recommended to ...
Alberta’s HOS stance draws fire
11/17/2006 - 5:50:15 pm - Groups representing some of the biggest carriers in the province of Alberta, Canada, are criticizing the government’s decision to keep its own hours-of-service rules ...
Pennsylvania bill would limit idling; other states take action
11/17/2006 - 5:51:05 pm - bill introduced Monday, Nov. 13, in the Pennsylvania House is intended to reduce unnecessary idling of large trucks in the state. In most instances, drivers idling their ...
SmartWay unveils loan program for anti-idling technologies
11/17/2006 - 5:51:34 pm - If you like the idea of adding an anti-idling device to your truck but haven’t been able to come up with the money to purchase or install one, the Environmental Protection ...
NTSB announces new ‘Most Wanted’ list
11/17/2006 - 5:53:40 pm - In its annual wish list of solutions to safety issues that need to be addressed in the transportation sector, the National Transportation Safety Board’s review of the trucking ...
Chemical spill closes I-65 in Indiana
11/20/2006 - 10:25:53 am - Interstate 65 near Lowell, IN, was shut down Thursday, Nov. 16, because of a chemical leak at a nearby Pilot Truck Stop that injured several people. According to ...
FMCSA wants to link medical certificate with CDL
11/20/2006 - 10:26:42 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving ahead with its proposal to link information from truckers’ medical certificates into the CDL process. After ...
Canadian trucker named as Truck Hero
11/20/2006 - 10:28:50 am - A trucker from St. Paul, Alberta, Canada, received the 2006 Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award on Thursday, Nov. 16, for his bravery in saving a fellow trucker ...
Capitol tree leaves Seattle for Washington, DC
11/20/2006 - 10:29:26 am - OOIDA member Gordy Grove of Langley, WA, set off from Seattle, WA, Friday morning with an important mission – he’s delivering the 65-foot-tall Christmas tree that will stand ...
Louisiana trucker recognized for bravery
11/20/2006 - 10:30:00 am - A Louisiana trucker has been cited for bravery by the state police for helping a trooper who was being attacked at a truck stop. Kirkman Daigle, a tanker truck driver ...
Owner-operators lose truck, livelihood in one night
11/20/2006 - 10:30:50 am - Imagine locking your truck and heading into Wal-Mart for supplies, only to return an hour later to find your truck missing and your livelihood gone. That’s what ...
DaimlerChrysler predicts decline in its truck sales
11/20/2006 - 10:31:42 am - The company that makes Freightliner and Western Star trucks thinks sales of its heavy trucks are going to plunge by almost 40 percent next year. According to Bloomberg, ...
FAST card substitute for passport
11/20/2006 - 10:33:08 am - For Canadian truckers entering the U.S., a FAST card is as good as a passport. That was confirmed by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, during a Canadian ...
Vermont lawmakers discuss rail-car purchase
11/22/2006 - 11:52:39 am - Vermont lawmakers soon will consider a plan to spend $17.5 million to purchase five new rail cars for use on one of the state’s Amtrak passenger routes. The Joint ...
Massachusetts FedEx workers vote for Teamsters
11/22/2006 - 11:53:21 am - FedEx home delivery drivers at two Wilmington, MA, sites have voted to join the Teamsters – and union leaders say the vote could pave the way to more organizing at FedEx ...
Pennsylvania panel recommends higher taxes, fees for transportation
11/22/2006 - 11:54:05 am - A special panel in Pennsylvania has issued its final report recommending roughly $1.7 billion in tax increases to help pay for needed road, bridge and public transit repairs ...
FMCSA grants exemptions to 45 insulin-dependent diabetics
11/22/2006 - 11:54:42 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted exemptions to 45 truckers from the rule prohibiting people with insulin-treated diabetes from driving trucks in ...
USDA fees postponed for Canadian truckers
11/22/2006 - 11:55:19 am - Canadian truckers who are crossing the border into the U.S. won’t have to pay a new, special fee until March 1 of next year. The fees – which are to pay for ...
Texas lawmaker proposes crackdown on ‘hot fuel’
11/22/2006 - 11:55:59 am - Texas may be the land of big oil, but a member of the state House of Representatives is taking up the fight against oil companies and retailers that sell “hot fuel ...
Avocado aficionado
11/24/2006 - 9:58:48 pm - A California trucking company owner and two of his employees nearly caused a guacamole dip crisis. Ventura County authorities told The Associated Press that Castaneda ...
Oversize, overweight prohibitions abound in Louisiana
11/24/2006 - 9:59:32 pm - Both spans of the Interstate 10 Twinspan Bridge between Slidell and New Orleans have been closed to all oversize and overweight permit loads until further notice ...
Wisconsin trucker killed in case of apparent mistaken identity
11/24/2006 - 9:59:55 pm - A 40-year-old Wisconsin man was charged with murder Tuesday for allegedly killing a truck driver in a case of mistaken identity. According to The Associated Press, ...
Golden Gate Bridge could soon be corporately sponsored
11/24/2006 - 10:00:18 pm - The people who oversee San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge say they’re looking for corporate sponsors for the national landmark. According to the San Francisco Chronicle ...
New Jersey could solicit privatized state routes
11/24/2006 - 10:00:58 pm - New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is looking for ways to lower the state’s property tax rates, which are the highest in the U.S. One way the state could raise money, ...
California’s I-5 to see delays over weekend
11/24/2006 - 10:01:24 pm - A reminder to truckers in California: construction work on Interstate 5 north of Redding is expected to cause lengthy delays this weekend through Sunday. According to ...
Democrats to target oil companies’ royalties
11/24/2006 - 10:01:53 pm - Congressional Democrats say that once leadership power is handed over to them, they’ll go after the multi-billion-dollar royalties that the big oil companies have escaped ...
Pennsylvania lawmakers sustain veto of small business bill
11/24/2006 - 10:02:25 pm - On a virtual party-line vote of 107-83, the Pennsylvania House was unable to override Gov. Ed Rendell’s veto of a bill intended to aid small businesses in the state, including ...
Idaho board recommends adding sales tax on fuel
11/24/2006 - 10:02:54 pm - Fueling in Idaho could get a bit more expensive. The Idaho Transportation Board has recommended the state keep its 25-cent-per-gallon fuel tax intact, and add a sales ...
USDA fees for Canadian truckers take effect in March
11/24/2006 - 10:03:20 pm - Canadian truckers who are crossing the border into the U.S. won’t have to pay a new, special fee until March 1, 2007. The fees – which are to pay for agricultural ...
Grove is natural pick to drive Christmas tree to Washington, DC
11/24/2006 - 10:04:08 pm - After hauling the companion trees to Capitol Hill last year, it was only natural that OOIDA member Gordy Grove of Langley, WA, was selected this year to drive the 65-foot ...
Trucker does better than expected in fundraiser benefit
11/24/2006 - 10:04:46 pm - The organizers of a fundraiser in Orlando, FL, say truckers and other contributors gave more than $15,000 to help former trucker Ed Tippie and his family with medical and ...
NHTSA allegedly sitting on millions of consumer complaints
11/24/2006 - 10:05:21 pm - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is refusing to make public more than 150 million consumer complaints about cars, trucks and SUVs. According to The ...
Angry drivers can now vent through Web site
11/28/2006 - 1:02:05 pm - A couple of computer-savvy brothers have figured out a way for upset motorists to vent their anger. Their Web site, platewire.com, will post an image of the license ...
International develops drag-reducing system
11/28/2006 - 1:02:33 pm - International Truck and Engine Corp. officials said they have come up with a prototype of an aerodynamic system that reduces air drag by 14 percent. According to a ...
Driver safety efforts sought in three states
11/28/2006 - 1:03:06 pm - Lawmakers in three states could take up efforts to get tough with people who drive under the influence. In Louisiana, a state legislator is pushing for consideration of ...
Two arrested in sting targeting laptop thefts
11/28/2006 - 1:03:46 pm - Two Florida residents have been nabbed in a sting operation set up by the feds targeting laptop thefts. The sting was the result of the thefts of two laptops in Florida ...
Swift officials say no deal to buyout offer from Moyes
11/28/2006 - 1:04:19 pm - Swift Transportation officials rejected the proposal of its largest shareholder, Jerry Moyes, to acquire all of the company’s outstanding common stock in an all-cash ...
MADD urges interlocks for all convicted drunken drivers
11/30/2006 - 8:25:31 am - The organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers announced Nov. 20, that it will seek breath-test interlock devices for all convicted drunken drivers – including first offenders ...
Caterpillar earns EPA certification for 2007 C-7 engines
11/30/2006 - 8:26:10 am - Caterpillar officials announced the company’s new medium-duty C7 diesel engine has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency as compliant with the more stringent ...
Boost in fees sought to fund Wisconsin roadwork
11/30/2006 - 8:27:04 am - It could cost some commercial drivers and other residents in Wisconsin more to register their vehicles if a state Department of Transportation budget proposal is adopted. ...
That’s one big Christmas tree
11/30/2006 - 8:27:57 am - It’s taken a massive amount of time and effort to coordinate the transportation of this year’s Capitol Christmas tree – a 65-foot long Pacific silver fir – to Washington, DC. ...
Texas trailer deaths case in jury’s hands
11/30/2006 - 8:28:23 am - In Houston, a jury of seven women and five men were scheduled to continue deliberations Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the case of former trucker Tyrone Williams. Williams faces ...
Biodiesel emissions under microscope in Texas
11/30/2006 - 8:29:01 am - Biodiesel producers in Texas are gearing up for a big meeting next week. They must prove to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that their biodiesel meets the ...
Higher fuel taxes not out of the question in Iowa
11/30/2006 - 8:29:34 am - Dwindling tax revenue for roads and increasing highway construction costs could mean higher taxes at fuel pumps in Iowa. The Iowa Legislative Services Agency reports ...
Another trucker found dead at Texas Petro
11/30/2006 - 8:30:31 am - Forensic investigators still don’t know what caused the death of a person found in the sleeper of a parked truck at the Petro Stopping Center on Ackerman Road near Interstate ...
