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Trucking News - 2/2007
Our news is provided as a courtesy Of OOIDA / Land Line Magazine
Used with permission. Unauthorized Use or Duplication Is Prohibited |
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Illinois State Police plan enforcement blitz after Super Bowl
02/01/2007 - 9:55:14 pm - Officials with the Illinois State Police say they’ll put an extra 120 troopers on duty Sunday night, Feb. 4, to arrest drivers who may have had too much to drink while ...
Utah Senate kills bill to allow anonymous reporting of drivers
02/01/2007 - 9:56:48 pm - A bill that would have allowed people to call in anonymous tips about dangerous drivers in Utah has died.
The Senate voted 18-10 to kill a bill that sought to allow ...
Truckers win reversal of parking ban in New Mexico
02/01/2007 - 9:58:25 pm - A handful of truckers in Rio Rancho, NM, have won what many usually consider to be an uphill battle – they’ve successfully fought City Hall to overturn a ban on truck parking ...
Body of missing trucker found in lettuce trailer
02/01/2007 - 9:59:54 pm - Authorities believe a truck driver was crushed to death between pallets of lettuce that were being loaded by a forklift operator. Her body was transported with the product ...
Efforts to allow ‘photo red’ enforcement advance in Virginia
02/04/2007 - 8:59:20 pm - The Virginia Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill this week that would allow localities throughout the state to use cameras to catch red-light runners. A state House panel ...
Feds sets fees, start dates for TWIC program
02/04/2007 - 9:01:47 pm - The federal government has announced the effective dates for the new TWIC program that will be implemented at the nation’s ports.
According to a press release from the ...
Driver rescued as truck dangles over 200-foot drop
02/04/2007 - 9:03:34 pm - Snowy, wind-blown conditions contributed to a 50-car pile-up on Interstate 90 near Erie, PA, last week that included 22 tractor trailers.
The accident killed one truck ...
Open-road tolling creates new challenges, congestion
02/04/2007 - 9:05:58 pm - Open-road tolling is supposed to be a timesaver, keeping streams of vehicles moving at highway speeds through the use of electronic toll collection and debit accounts used by ...
Winter weather proves deadly again in upper Midwest
02/09/2007 - 10:59:57 am - Snow, ice and extreme cold continued to plague much of the nation on Wednesday.
So far, 11 deaths are being blamed on the recent weather conditions.
On Tuesday, ...
Stricter seat-belt rule advances in Florida
02/09/2007 - 11:00:31 am - A Florida Senate panel has unanimously approved a bill that would permit police to pull over drivers in the state for not wearing seat belts.
Under a 1986 state law, ...
Man dies after jumping on truck
02/09/2007 - 11:01:09 am - A 45-year-old man fell to his death Monday night after he tried to hitch a ride on the side of an 18-wheeler, according to The Associated Press.
Emmett Shane Clay died ...
Connecticut bills focus on trucks
02/09/2007 - 11:01:46 am - Several bills have been introduced in Connecticut that address issues directly related to trucking in the state.
Rep. Claire Janowski, D-Vernon, has introduced a bill ...
Navistar vanishes from stock exchange
02/09/2007 - 11:02:18 am - Stock in the parent company of International Truck and Engine Corp. is no longer being traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
According to The Chicago Tribune, trading ...
Proposed Pennsylvania budget calls for privatization
02/09/2007 - 11:02:56 am - Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell presented his proposed state budget on Tuesday – and funding it relies heavily on raising billions of dollars by leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike ...
Trucker pinned, killed by warehouse forklift
02/09/2007 - 11:03:30 am - Police say a trucker was killed at a Manchester, NH, warehouse earlier this week after being pinned by a forklift – the second trucker in a week to die because of a ...
Multiple measures in Arizona seek to curb distracted driving
02/09/2007 - 11:05:04 am - Three Arizona state lawmakers are pursuing legislation that targets people who distract themselves while driving by engaging in other activities while behind the wheel ...
Colorado bill would boost penalties for unchained trucks
02/09/2007 - 11:05:33 am - A bill in the Colorado House would boost the fines for truck drivers who fail to chain up when required. Points also would be added to violators’ licenses.
Existing ...
Trucker delivers cargo, then delivers her baby at roadside visitor’s stand
02/09/2007 - 11:06:26 am - OOIDA member Donna Glesk thought she could make her regular route from Erie, PA, to Buffalo, NY, for at least a few more weeks. She was only 33 weeks pregnant, after all ...
Missouri bill would limit drivers’ cell phone use
02/12/2007 - 10:11:18 am - A Missouri House lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require people in the state to keep their hands off their phones while they are behind the wheel.
Sponsored ...
Ohio trucker blames high beams for apparent road rage
02/12/2007 - 10:12:22 am - An Ohio trucker accused of throwing chunks of iron ore through the windshields of cars says he did it because the drivers wouldn’t lower their high beams.
According to ...
Big Honkin’ Truck Makeover finalists selected
02/12/2007 - 10:13:03 am - Kevin Greene wouldn’t give up his Peterbilt tractor any more than the experiences he’s shared with the truck.
The OOIDA member from Cincinnati would, however, allow the ...
Company protests TWIC contract award
02/12/2007 - 10:14:13 am - Integrated Biometric Technology filed a formal protest this week to the Transportation Security Administration’s award of a $70 million contract for the Transportation Worker ...
Jackson, Conyers fault TSA background checks
02/12/2007 - 10:14:44 am - Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-MI, say at least 36 railroad workers may have been fired unfairly because they failed background ...
National diesel price same as one year ago
02/13/2007 - 10:23:10 am - One year ago, the national average price for on-highway diesel was $2.476 per gallon for the week ending Feb. 11, 2006. That’s the exact same average price reported for the ...
Mississippi bill to limit cell-phone use for drivers dies
02/13/2007 - 10:23:40 am - Drivers chatting on phones in Mississippi can continue to use hand-held cell phones without fear of being ticketed.
Sponsored by Rep. Billy Broomfield, D-Moss Point, ...
Effort would boost Omaha-area speeds
02/13/2007 - 10:24:07 am - The Nebraska Legislature approved a bill Monday, Feb. 12, that would allow all drivers to travel faster along two stretches of roadway near Omaha.
Senators voted to ...
Missouri bills offer sales tax exemption for trucks, highway contractors
02/13/2007 - 10:25:00 am - Two bills offered in the Missouri Senate would offer tax breaks for highway contractors and certain trucks.
A bill offered by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, is intended ...
Reopened New York truck stop brings back 111 truck parking spots
02/13/2007 - 10:25:40 am - There’s some good news for those searching for truck parking in the Binghamton, NY, area.
TravelCenters of America has reopened its Binghamton location on Interstate 81 ...
USF Holland loses discrimination lawsuit
02/13/2007 - 10:26:21 am - Two black men who worked at the USF Holland terminal in Nashville, TN, have been awarded $350,000 each by a federal court.
According to The Tennessean, the two men – ...
NY roadways standing up to heavy weekend snowfall
02/13/2007 - 10:27:01 am - It’s definitely a winter wonderland in upstate New York, but amazingly, it hasn’t brought the region’s roadways to a complete halt.
According to The Associated Press, ...
Lawsuits flying over proposed Detroit-Windsor bridge
02/15/2007 - 11:05:51 am - Ambassador Bridge owner Mattie Moroun’s company is suing a law firm that used to work for it, for allegedly working with the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, to derail ...
Illegal alien slams rig into four-wheeler, charged with homicide
02/15/2007 - 11:06:41 am - A man police say was being sought by U.S. immigration authorities has been charged with vehicular manslaughter for allegedly causing a fatal wreck on the Pennsylvania Turnpike ...
Georgia bill would ban red-light cameras
02/15/2007 - 11:07:16 am - An effort in the Georgia House would strip away the ability of cities and counties in the state to use automated cameras to ticket drivers.
The cameras snap pictures of ...
Goodyear Highway Hero finalists named
02/15/2007 - 11:07:51 am - In August, trucker Elizabeth Pavlista pulled a woman from a burning car and used a fire extinguisher to try stopping a fuel tank explosion.
Two months later, driver ...
Florida lawmaker proposes six-year trucker training program
02/15/2007 - 11:08:17 am - A Florida state senator has proposed legislation that would require student truck drivers to complete a six-year training course.
Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, told local ...
Investment firm calls truck pre-buy ‘astonishing’
02/15/2007 - 11:08:43 am - Market analysts at the investment firm Bear Stearns think the slowdown in Class 8 truck sales this year will run deeper and last longer than most observers think.
An ...
KBR trucker killed by friendly fire in Iraq
02/15/2007 - 11:09:30 am - The family of an American trucker working as a contractor in Iraq wants to know why he was shot and killed in February by friendly fire.
Officials from Kellogg, Brown & ...
Jury convicts trucker for 600 pounds of cocaine in reefer
02/16/2007 - 2:18:26 pm - A federal jury last week convicted a trucker for possessing cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $28 million.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs ...
Peters says transportation system ‘slipping’
02/16/2007 - 2:26:36 pm - Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says the country is “slipping a bit” when it comes to keeping up with transportation needs.
According to media reports, Peters also ...
Icy interstate blamed for fatal wreck in Nebraska
02/16/2007 - 2:27:38 pm - Nebraska State Police say winter weather is the likely culprit in a nine-vehicle pileup this week that proved fatal for one trucker.
A tractor-trailer driven by Jody ...
Railroad agency asks Congress for train HOS regs
02/16/2007 - 2:28:24 pm - Truckers have been putting up with hours-of-service regulations for years. But railroad workers, including engineers, switchmen and dispatchers, haven’t been asked to work ...
Virginia Senate OKs reworked transportation bill; negotiations continue
02/16/2007 - 2:29:19 pm - A select group of Virginia House and Senate leaders were appointed Wednesday, Feb. 14, to negotiate a deal on a long-term transportation package. The action is the result of ...
HHG movers, bad trucking companies focus of Colorado bills
02/16/2007 - 2:30:06 pm - Legislation in the Colorado General Assembly is targeting certain trucking companies that operate in the state.
A bill offered by Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, is ...
Arizona mud flap bill flops
02/21/2007 - 3:10:49 pm - An attempt by an Arizona state lawmaker to outlaw certain types of truck mud flaps has gone down the tubes.
According to The Associated Press, the bill sought to get ...
Diesel prices near $2.50 per gallon
02/21/2007 - 3:13:09 pm - The national average price for diesel fuel was about $2.40 per gallon just four weeks ago, but a series of recent increases has pushed the price back up to almost $2.50 ...
Driver sentenced to 30 months for ‘Tina’s Law’ fatality
02/21/2007 - 3:13:56 pm - The truck driver whose long record of poor driving preceded a fatal crash will serve a year in prison.
On Friday, Feb. 16, Scott Hewitt was given a 10-year prison ...
Trucker dies in area devoid of cell phone coverage
02/21/2007 - 3:14:30 pm - A Canadian trucker collapsed Feb. 14 and later died when his wife was unable to summon help because of a lack of cell phone signal on Interstate 87 in New York.
Stewart ...
XM, Sirius announce merger plans
02/21/2007 - 3:15:02 pm - Officials with XM and Sirius Satellite Radio have announced plans to merge the two satellite radio operations into one company.
However, the execution of that plan ...
Bills seek to limit driver distractions in Washington
02/23/2007 - 3:47:03 pm - Washington state lawmaker has renewed her effort to require drivers in the state to keep their hands off their phones. She isn’t alone in her pursuit to curb distracting ...
40 illegal immigrants found aboard trailer in Texas
02/23/2007 - 3:47:33 pm - U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found 40 illegal immigrants from Brazil in a truck’s trailer in Falfurrias, TX, on Saturday, Feb. 17.
According to The ...
Trucking group fighting snow, ice proposal
02/23/2007 - 3:48:13 pm - The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is lobbying against a proposed law that would let police ticket drivers whose vehicles shed snow and ice, regardless of whether ...
California takes step toward ‘hot fuel’ temperature compensation
02/23/2007 - 3:48:57 pm - A state regulatory agency has certified temperature compensation equipment for fuel pumps in California. The move is being viewed by consumer groups as noteworthy progress in ...
Inconsistent details reported in produce hauler’s death at loading dock
02/23/2007 - 3:49:43 pm - Dane Ross frantically asked Dole employees to call police and stop loading trucks. He climbed into several trailers parked at the loading dock and called out “Sheila! Sheila!” ...
SPECIAL REPORT: Carnahan bill seeks to limit background check fees
02/23/2007 - 3:50:18 pm - Truckers could pay a lot less for hazmat background checks if a new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives becomes law.
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-MO, ...
Canadian rail strike affecting truckers
02/26/2007 - 2:55:28 pm - The effects of a 13-day-old strike by Canadian railroad workers are being felt on both sides of the border, on the rails and roads.
According to media reports, the ...
Washington state bill would change intrastate truck rules
02/26/2007 - 2:55:57 pm - Unsafe trucking companies are the subject of a bill in the Washington Legislature.
Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, has introduced a bill that would make it easier ...
Judge promises maximum penalties for improper coil securement
02/26/2007 - 2:56:50 pm - A judge in Jefferson County, AL, is taking a hard-line stance to punish drivers hauling large steel coils that aren’t properly secured.
Jefferson County District Court ...
NTSB criticizes FMCSA over bus fire
02/26/2007 - 2:57:29 pm - The federal agency that investigates major crashes is criticizing the federal agency that oversees truck and bus safety.
In a press release, National Transportation ...
SPECIAL REPORT: Border opening to Mexican-domiciled trucks
02/26/2007 - 2:58:18 pm - The on-again, off-again push to open the southern U.S. border to Mexican-domiciled trucks is on again and moving full speed ahead.
One of the biggest sticking points ...
Arrrgh! Trucking company pays $300,000 for pirating software
02/27/2007 - 11:19:23 am - The nation’s largest family-owned car-haul trucking company has paid $300,000 to settle claims that it was in possession of illegal computer software on its company computers ...
Nude body found in Indiana TA parking lot
02/27/2007 - 11:20:05 am - Police in Lake Station, IN, are searching for clues after the discovery of a nude female body near a TA truck stop parking lot on Thursday, Feb. 22.
According to the ...
Trucker says sheriff’s deputies shocked him with stun gun seven times
02/27/2007 - 11:21:31 am - Larry Works is looking for anyone who may have witnessed a July 29 incident at a Missouri Petro.
Works, an OOIDA member from Holladay, TN, told Land Line he was pepper ...
Trucker files federal civil rights suit against police
02/27/2007 - 11:25:51 am - A 74-year-old South Carolina trucker who spent several months and thousands of dollars fighting DUI and drug charges that were eventually dropped has filed a federal lawsuit ...
Cross-border plan sets off reactions in DC
02/27/2007 - 11:27:12 am - The Department of Transportation’s plan to provide 100 Mexico-based trucking companies open access to U.S. highways nationwide drew intense reactions today from some lawmakers ...
SPECIAL REPORT: Border opening about two months away
02/27/2007 - 11:28:08 am - After years of roadblocks that all but prevented Mexico-domiciled trucks from operating throughout the U.S., the border will be opening to 100 Mexican motor carriers in two ...
Schedule announced for major I-70 reconstruction in Indiana
02/28/2007 - 10:50:08 pm - The Indiana Department of Transportation has laid out its plans for a massive reconstruction of Interstate 70, which is set to begin this week.
The project, dubbed ...
Faulty sensor leads to overcharges on Florida toll road
02/28/2007 - 10:50:48 pm - Motorists and truckers with SunPass accounts in Florida overpaid $90,000 in tolls in January, according to company officials who also said full refunds have been issued ...
Vermont bills address highway safety
02/28/2007 - 10:51:40 pm - A bill in the Vermont House would prohibit drivers in the state from talking on hand-held cell phones while driving. The measure is one of several highway safety-related bills ...
Utah bill to outlaw ticket quotas stalls
02/28/2007 - 10:52:12 pm - A bill has stalled in the Utah Legislature that was intended to prevent law enforcement officers from going on ticket-writing sprees.
The Senate Judiciary, Law ...
NTSB reports findings in Texas bus fire
02/28/2007 - 10:52:44 pm - Insufficient lubrication is being blamed for a bus fire in Texas that killed 23 people who were evacuating from Hurricane Rita in 2005.
That’s the finding from the ...
Pump technology could solve ‘hot fuel’ troubles altogether
02/28/2007 - 10:53:41 pm - The warmer liquid gets, the more it expands, right? To put it simply – if the fuel that flows from the nozzle of a gas/diesel pump is too warm, you don’t get as much Btu bang ...
More criticism comes for Mexican truck program
02/28/2007 - 10:54:08 pm - Just days after it was announced, more groups weighed in with heavy criticism of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s pilot program that will allow Mexican trucks further ...
Weight limits could be lifted for Maine fuel trucks
02/28/2007 - 10:54:53 pm - In the midst of increasingly tight supplies, Maine’s Adjutant General is pushing for a temporary waiver of federal weight limits on trucks bringing propane into the state ...
South Bay Expressway tolls will be $11.25 for trucks
02/28/2007 - 10:56:11 pm - The builder and operator of a private toll road in the San Diego area has announced that truckers will pay three times more than four-wheelers to use the road.
Trucks ...
Effort to boost speed limit in Kentucky advances
02/28/2007 - 10:56:36 pm - The Kentucky Senate has approved a bill that would raise the speed limit on the state’s rural interstates. Gov. Ernie Fletcher supports the plan.
The Senate voted 34-2 ...
Truck-related bills advance in Indiana statehouse
02/28/2007 - 10:57:27 pm - A handful of bills making their way through the Indiana General Assembly are of particular interest to truckers.
House lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that would ...
Foreign company may build Florida toll road
02/28/2007 - 10:58:04 pm - A foreign company has been named as the number one contender in a bid to build a toll road near Tampa, FL.
The Plenary Group – a consortium of companies from Australia, ...
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