Trucking News - January 2009
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
Regulation redux? Louisiana turns back the clock on 20-year-old fines
01/01/2009 - 1:00:45 am - Scott Ward`s jaw dropped when he saw his mail that day. Ward, a long-hauler and Land Line reader from Cataula, GA, said he received a letter from the Louisiana Attorney ...
OOIDA swoops in on Ledar Transport, seizes assets from KC carrier
01/01/2009 - 1:02:54 am - In December, 2004, OOIDA was granted a complete victory in its class action suit against Ledar Transport and its subsidiary, Hawthorn Leasing. The case centered on ...
Georgia law restricting red-light cameras takes effect Jan. 1
01/01/2009 - 1:04:35 am - A new law in Georgia is intended to make it tougher for local governments to post red-light cameras. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2009. The cameras that are used in more ...
Fuel prices drop another 3.6 cents to average $2.291 nationwide
01/06/2009 - 12:37:40 am - Even though gas prices have started inching their way back up around the country, the Energy Information Administration is reporting the national average for diesel is down ...
Kansas bill would use speed to determine Turnpike tolls
01/06/2009 - 12:38:43 am - A Kansas state senator wants to charge higher tolls on the Kansas Turnpike based on vehicle speed. Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, has prefiled for consideration ...
Five tractors destroyed by fire at Ottumwa, IA, trucking firm
01/06/2009 - 12:39:35 am - The owner of a trucking company just outside Ottumwa, IA, says he considers a fire Saturday night, Jan. 3, that destroyed four tractors and damaged a fifth to be "pretty ...
Bendix acquires VORAD collision warning system
01/08/2009 - 11:40:14 am - One of North America`s largest commercial truck safety technology manufacturers has acquired a radar-based collision warning system. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems ...
Truck school operators blame economy for shutdown
01/08/2009 - 11:51:13 am - The recent economic downturn has reportedly taken another trucking school down with it. The American Truck School in Fortuna, CA. closed for business in late December, ...
TxDOT says `Trans-Texas Corridor` is dead
01/08/2009 - 11:51:33 am - Texas transportation officials say the massive toll-road proposal known as the Trans-Texas Corridor is dead. But Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director ...
Red light cameras as a moneymaker? Court says OK
01/12/2009 - 12:50:40 pm - Not only is it OK for Chicago to use red light cameras to issue traffic tickets, but it`s also OK for the city to use the cameras as a means of generating extra income ...
Oregon governor wants further look into mileage tax
01/12/2009 - 12:53:41 pm - A year after a report in Oregon said a tax system based on miles driven could one day replace per-gallon fuel taxes at the pump, Gov. Ted Kulongoski released a budget proposal ...
Wisconsin plans to create California-style diesel, global warming rules
01/12/2009 - 1:01:15 pm - Professional drivers have long viewed California as one of the toughest states to drive truck in, but one Midwestern state may be fast on its heels. The Wisconsin ...
Clarification: Schneider academies will train experienced drivers only
01/12/2009 - 1:02:57 pm - Wisconsin-based Schneider National has issued a statement pointing out that the company has moved to a "100 percent experienced driver hiring model, resulting in the ...
Iowa 80 Truckstop marks 45th year of serving truckers
01/14/2009 - 12:03:37 pm - Longtime truckers may remember the Iowa 80 Truckstop as a small white building in the middle of Iowa cornfields just west of the Mississippi River. This year, the Iowa ...
Maine bills focus on APUs, rest stops and driver distractions
01/14/2009 - 12:04:33 pm - Several bills of interest to truck drivers in Maine have been offered for consideration during the regular session that started early this month. The topics include an ...
Flying J California refinery remains closed after 10-day shutdown
01/14/2009 - 12:06:06 pm - The Flying J hasn`t reopened its Bakersfield, CA, refinery after a planned 10-day shutdown, more bad news for the truck stop giant already plagued with expensive debts to ...
Truck repos down in 2008
01/15/2009 - 5:02:04 pm - In what could be a bit of surprising economic news, heavy-duty truck repossessions were down in 2008 according to Nassau Asset Management. Truck repossessions processed ...
Traffic tickets: protect and serve or protect and profit?
01/15/2009 - 5:02:44 pm - It was a speeding ticket received while on vacation in Pennsylvania that set economist Thomas Garrett`s mind churning. He wondered about devising a study to prove the ...
Trucking veteran weighs in on rough economic times
01/15/2009 - 5:06:17 pm - Paul Schwanke loves trucking; it`s all he knows. However, the OOIDA member from Acton, CA, told Land Line Magazine on Monday, Jan. 12, he may be forced to give up the ...
Stimulus bill goes further than `better roads`
01/19/2009 - 2:21:14 pm - There`s much ado about the proposed stimulus package being considered on Capitol Hill. Everyone wants to know what`s in it for them and truckers are no exception. On ...
CDLs improperly awarded in New York
01/19/2009 - 2:21:59 pm - An audit in New York has revealed that the state DMV awarded commercial drivers licenses to drivers who were not qualified to have them. State Comptroller Thomas ...
Expanded speed radar use sought in Mississippi
01/19/2009 - 2:22:47 pm - Multiple bills in the Mississippi Legislature would expand the use of radar by sheriff`s deputies in the state. State law now restricts the use of speed radar ...
EPA SmartWay stamps approval on Yokohama truck tires
01/19/2009 - 2:23:24 pm - The Environmental Protection Agency`s SmartWay program has recognized another product that aims to cut greenhouse gas emission from commercial trucks. According to the ...
Louisiana: Increased enforcement results in fewer wrecks
01/21/2009 - 11:39:45 am - Louisiana State Police say a record-breaking year for citations in one part of the state has resulted in fewer wrecks and fatalities. State Police in Troop A wrote 10 ...
Mississippi bills address heavier trucks, road safety
01/21/2009 - 11:44:10 am - Since they convened the 2009 regular session, Mississippi state lawmakers have been busy offering bills that cover a vast array of subjects. Several topics address ...
No MATS for Pete and KW
01/21/2009 - 3:13:13 pm - Kenworth and Peterbilt, both divisions of Paccar, will not be among the Class 8 nameplates showing off new and existing technology at the 2009 Mid-America Trucking Show ...
License testing shutdown leaves “thousands” of drivers in limbo
01/24/2009 - 8:18:24 pm - Thousands of truckers may soon be traveling U.S. highways on expired CDLs without even knowing it. Drivers who obtained a commercial driver`s license through an ...
Oklahoma bill would create penalty schedule for overweight trucks
01/24/2009 - 8:20:13 pm - Drivers of overweight vehicles would face increased fines depending on just how heavily the trucks are loaded, under a bill filed in the Oklahoma Senate. Sen. Susan ...
Police seek clues in fatal shooting of trucker in Barstow, CA
01/24/2009 - 8:24:51 pm - Police in Barstow, CA, are looking for leads and a motive in the death of a trucker from Chula Vista, whose body was found in the cab of his truck Friday, Jan. 16. The ...
SPECIAL REPORT: Obama puts hold on 11th-hour regs, including EOBRs
01/24/2009 - 8:25:12 pm - In one of his first moves after taking office, President Barack Obama put a hold on the flurry of regulations issued by the Bush administration in its last days. In a ...
National fuel average drops slightly to $2.268
01/27/2009 - 11:36:00 am - For the second straight week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration is reporting a slight drop in the national average price for diesel. The EIA report stated on ...
Rumors of RigMaster`s demise appear certain
01/27/2009 - 11:40:13 am - With more than 200 independent sales and service dealers, RigMaster Power Corp. has one of the largest and most experienced dealer support networks in the APU industry. When ...
Layoffs continue to sideline thousands of workers
01/27/2009 - 11:41:37 am - Three big U.S. companies announced Monday, Jan. 26, that they`re laying off a total of 35,000 workers. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar will lay off 20,000; Sprint/Nextel ...
OOIDA: `Greenwashing` speed limiters, heavier trucks is dangerous
01/30/2009 - 12:28:38 pm - OOIDA says the arguments made before Congress recently by the ATA recently in favor of larger truck and trailer combinations and government mandated speed limiters are ...
Knife attacker deemed mentally ill
01/30/2009 - 12:29:56 pm - A Canadian man accused of nearly stabbing a trucker to death at an I-94 rest stop near Moorhead, MN, on Jan. 11 may end up in a psychiatric facility. The Associated ...
Jim`s Kids: North Carolina trucker leaves joyful legacy
01/30/2009 - 12:35:01 pm - OOIDA member Jim Bullins, whose charitable organization known as "Jim`s Kids" was well known in the trucking community, died yesterday at his home in Sophia, NC, at age 68. ...
Flying J `winding down` Big West refinery operations
01/30/2009 - 12:39:03 pm - The Flying J on Wednesday officially termed its shutdown of its Big West refinery in California a "suspension," also indicating the company is preparing to shut down ...
Stimulus package: What`s in it for truckers?
01/30/2009 - 12:42:55 pm - Truckers are not specifically mentioned in the proposed federal stimulus package, but they are in line to benefit from the job creation and economic relief contained within ...
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01/01/2009 - 1:00:45 am - Scott Ward`s jaw dropped when he saw his mail that day. Ward, a long-hauler and Land Line reader from Cataula, GA, said he received a letter from the Louisiana Attorney ...
OOIDA swoops in on Ledar Transport, seizes assets from KC carrier
01/01/2009 - 1:02:54 am - In December, 2004, OOIDA was granted a complete victory in its class action suit against Ledar Transport and its subsidiary, Hawthorn Leasing. The case centered on ...
Georgia law restricting red-light cameras takes effect Jan. 1
01/01/2009 - 1:04:35 am - A new law in Georgia is intended to make it tougher for local governments to post red-light cameras. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2009. The cameras that are used in more ...
Fuel prices drop another 3.6 cents to average $2.291 nationwide
01/06/2009 - 12:37:40 am - Even though gas prices have started inching their way back up around the country, the Energy Information Administration is reporting the national average for diesel is down ...
Kansas bill would use speed to determine Turnpike tolls
01/06/2009 - 12:38:43 am - A Kansas state senator wants to charge higher tolls on the Kansas Turnpike based on vehicle speed. Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, has prefiled for consideration ...
Five tractors destroyed by fire at Ottumwa, IA, trucking firm
01/06/2009 - 12:39:35 am - The owner of a trucking company just outside Ottumwa, IA, says he considers a fire Saturday night, Jan. 3, that destroyed four tractors and damaged a fifth to be "pretty ...
Bendix acquires VORAD collision warning system
01/08/2009 - 11:40:14 am - One of North America`s largest commercial truck safety technology manufacturers has acquired a radar-based collision warning system. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems ...
Truck school operators blame economy for shutdown
01/08/2009 - 11:51:13 am - The recent economic downturn has reportedly taken another trucking school down with it. The American Truck School in Fortuna, CA. closed for business in late December, ...
TxDOT says `Trans-Texas Corridor` is dead
01/08/2009 - 11:51:33 am - Texas transportation officials say the massive toll-road proposal known as the Trans-Texas Corridor is dead. But Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director ...
Red light cameras as a moneymaker? Court says OK
01/12/2009 - 12:50:40 pm - Not only is it OK for Chicago to use red light cameras to issue traffic tickets, but it`s also OK for the city to use the cameras as a means of generating extra income ...
Oregon governor wants further look into mileage tax
01/12/2009 - 12:53:41 pm - A year after a report in Oregon said a tax system based on miles driven could one day replace per-gallon fuel taxes at the pump, Gov. Ted Kulongoski released a budget proposal ...
Wisconsin plans to create California-style diesel, global warming rules
01/12/2009 - 1:01:15 pm - Professional drivers have long viewed California as one of the toughest states to drive truck in, but one Midwestern state may be fast on its heels. The Wisconsin ...
Clarification: Schneider academies will train experienced drivers only
01/12/2009 - 1:02:57 pm - Wisconsin-based Schneider National has issued a statement pointing out that the company has moved to a "100 percent experienced driver hiring model, resulting in the ...
Iowa 80 Truckstop marks 45th year of serving truckers
01/14/2009 - 12:03:37 pm - Longtime truckers may remember the Iowa 80 Truckstop as a small white building in the middle of Iowa cornfields just west of the Mississippi River. This year, the Iowa ...
Maine bills focus on APUs, rest stops and driver distractions
01/14/2009 - 12:04:33 pm - Several bills of interest to truck drivers in Maine have been offered for consideration during the regular session that started early this month. The topics include an ...
Flying J California refinery remains closed after 10-day shutdown
01/14/2009 - 12:06:06 pm - The Flying J hasn`t reopened its Bakersfield, CA, refinery after a planned 10-day shutdown, more bad news for the truck stop giant already plagued with expensive debts to ...
Truck repos down in 2008
01/15/2009 - 5:02:04 pm - In what could be a bit of surprising economic news, heavy-duty truck repossessions were down in 2008 according to Nassau Asset Management. Truck repossessions processed ...
Traffic tickets: protect and serve or protect and profit?
01/15/2009 - 5:02:44 pm - It was a speeding ticket received while on vacation in Pennsylvania that set economist Thomas Garrett`s mind churning. He wondered about devising a study to prove the ...
Trucking veteran weighs in on rough economic times
01/15/2009 - 5:06:17 pm - Paul Schwanke loves trucking; it`s all he knows. However, the OOIDA member from Acton, CA, told Land Line Magazine on Monday, Jan. 12, he may be forced to give up the ...
Stimulus bill goes further than `better roads`
01/19/2009 - 2:21:14 pm - There`s much ado about the proposed stimulus package being considered on Capitol Hill. Everyone wants to know what`s in it for them and truckers are no exception. On ...
CDLs improperly awarded in New York
01/19/2009 - 2:21:59 pm - An audit in New York has revealed that the state DMV awarded commercial drivers licenses to drivers who were not qualified to have them. State Comptroller Thomas ...
Expanded speed radar use sought in Mississippi
01/19/2009 - 2:22:47 pm - Multiple bills in the Mississippi Legislature would expand the use of radar by sheriff`s deputies in the state. State law now restricts the use of speed radar ...
EPA SmartWay stamps approval on Yokohama truck tires
01/19/2009 - 2:23:24 pm - The Environmental Protection Agency`s SmartWay program has recognized another product that aims to cut greenhouse gas emission from commercial trucks. According to the ...
Louisiana: Increased enforcement results in fewer wrecks
01/21/2009 - 11:39:45 am - Louisiana State Police say a record-breaking year for citations in one part of the state has resulted in fewer wrecks and fatalities. State Police in Troop A wrote 10 ...
Mississippi bills address heavier trucks, road safety
01/21/2009 - 11:44:10 am - Since they convened the 2009 regular session, Mississippi state lawmakers have been busy offering bills that cover a vast array of subjects. Several topics address ...
No MATS for Pete and KW
01/21/2009 - 3:13:13 pm - Kenworth and Peterbilt, both divisions of Paccar, will not be among the Class 8 nameplates showing off new and existing technology at the 2009 Mid-America Trucking Show ...
License testing shutdown leaves “thousands” of drivers in limbo
01/24/2009 - 8:18:24 pm - Thousands of truckers may soon be traveling U.S. highways on expired CDLs without even knowing it. Drivers who obtained a commercial driver`s license through an ...
Oklahoma bill would create penalty schedule for overweight trucks
01/24/2009 - 8:20:13 pm - Drivers of overweight vehicles would face increased fines depending on just how heavily the trucks are loaded, under a bill filed in the Oklahoma Senate. Sen. Susan ...
Police seek clues in fatal shooting of trucker in Barstow, CA
01/24/2009 - 8:24:51 pm - Police in Barstow, CA, are looking for leads and a motive in the death of a trucker from Chula Vista, whose body was found in the cab of his truck Friday, Jan. 16. The ...
SPECIAL REPORT: Obama puts hold on 11th-hour regs, including EOBRs
01/24/2009 - 8:25:12 pm - In one of his first moves after taking office, President Barack Obama put a hold on the flurry of regulations issued by the Bush administration in its last days. In a ...
National fuel average drops slightly to $2.268
01/27/2009 - 11:36:00 am - For the second straight week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration is reporting a slight drop in the national average price for diesel. The EIA report stated on ...
Rumors of RigMaster`s demise appear certain
01/27/2009 - 11:40:13 am - With more than 200 independent sales and service dealers, RigMaster Power Corp. has one of the largest and most experienced dealer support networks in the APU industry. When ...
Layoffs continue to sideline thousands of workers
01/27/2009 - 11:41:37 am - Three big U.S. companies announced Monday, Jan. 26, that they`re laying off a total of 35,000 workers. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar will lay off 20,000; Sprint/Nextel ...
OOIDA: `Greenwashing` speed limiters, heavier trucks is dangerous
01/30/2009 - 12:28:38 pm - OOIDA says the arguments made before Congress recently by the ATA recently in favor of larger truck and trailer combinations and government mandated speed limiters are ...
Knife attacker deemed mentally ill
01/30/2009 - 12:29:56 pm - A Canadian man accused of nearly stabbing a trucker to death at an I-94 rest stop near Moorhead, MN, on Jan. 11 may end up in a psychiatric facility. The Associated ...
Jim`s Kids: North Carolina trucker leaves joyful legacy
01/30/2009 - 12:35:01 pm - OOIDA member Jim Bullins, whose charitable organization known as "Jim`s Kids" was well known in the trucking community, died yesterday at his home in Sophia, NC, at age 68. ...
Flying J `winding down` Big West refinery operations
01/30/2009 - 12:39:03 pm - The Flying J on Wednesday officially termed its shutdown of its Big West refinery in California a "suspension," also indicating the company is preparing to shut down ...
Stimulus package: What`s in it for truckers?
01/30/2009 - 12:42:55 pm - Truckers are not specifically mentioned in the proposed federal stimulus package, but they are in line to benefit from the job creation and economic relief contained within ...
