Winter Warmer Recipes

Article thanks to RoadPro Family of Brands. Links provided:

It’s the time of year when the end-of-the-day trip across the parking lot from your truck to the travel center restaurant seems like it requires a sled and huskies.

There’s an alternative that’s cheaper, healthier and carries virtually no risk of frostbite. Cook in your cab. We know what you’re thinking – you want something tastier than snacks out of cellophane. Well, with the right recipes and a few 12-volt appliances you can make delicious, healthful meals that will keep you warm and well-fed throughout winter.

We’ve collected some recipes from Carolyn O’Byrne, a life coach and author of “Gut Instinct,” a book that offers nutritional and lifestyle advice specifically for truckers. All of these are crafted specifically for in-cab cooking with 12-volt appliances, like RoadPro’s slow cooker. The ingredients can be kept safely in a RoadPro cooler until it’s time to cook. O’Byrne recommends making more than you need for one meal so have leftovers to enjoy.

Lime Cilantro Chicken

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts

Juice from 2 limes

1 bunch chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1 onion diced

1 can beans of choice, drained

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp rosemary

Salt and pepper

Directions

Add all ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours in the slow cooker.

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Ingredients

4 cups of dried lentils

32 oz any broth (organic, MSG-free)

2 cups water

1 onion chopped

4 cups of vegetables of choice (frozen or fresh) (Ideas: carrots, peas, celery, squash, sweet potato)

28 oz can diced tomatoes

4-6 cloves minced garlic or organic garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients in 5+ quart slow cooker (if cooker is smaller, halve the recipe). Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

1 lb thinly sliced beef

1 cup beef broth (organic, MSG-free)

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp honey

1 bag frozen broccoli florets

Directions

Place all ingredients except broccoli into slow cooker. Cook covered on low for 5 hours. Add broccoli and cook additional 30 minutes on high.  

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients

2 lbs cut-up chicken

1 can pineapple chunks in 100% juice

1 onion

1 bell pepper

4 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.     

If you’ve never cooked in your cab, these easy recipes are a great way to start. If you do, you can add these dishes to your rotation.

https://www.roadprobrands.com/

Transponder vs Mobile Bypass Technology – Which one is right for you?

Article from the drivewyze.com blog. Links provided:

Transponder-based bypass programs (like PrePass, NORPASS etc.) have been used in the trucking industry for over 20 years. Before 2013, transponders were the only way to bypass scales, because no other weigh station bypass technology had been created. In July 2013, the FMCSA announcedthat Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) network devices (such as smartphones, or telematics devices) could be used as transponders for weigh station bypass services. This meant that bypasses could be provided on modern technology such as smartphones, or telematics devices (ELDs). Since then, the buzz about CMRS bypass has grown – and with this new technology option now available, many drivers and fleet managers are curious to learn a little bit more about the differences between the two technologies.

In order to help you choose the best weigh station bypass solution for yourself, or for your fleet we created this handy guide about the differences between transponder-based  and CMRS-based bypass.

Technological Differences

A transponder is a device that sticks onto the windshield of your truck(s), and grants drivers bypasses through RFID technology. RFID (Radio-frequency Identification) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track the transponder. RFID has been around since the 1970’s, and it’s the same technology that is used by retailers to track the sale od their merchandise and help prevent theft of RFID tagged items.

To provide bypasses at weigh stations by RFID, the bypass provider (PrePass, for example) needs to set up a physical transponder-reader pole at each site. This infrastructure costs millions of dollars to build. Costs include putting up the required transponder-reader poles at each site, as well as their ongoing maintenance. This not only makes transponder bypass more expensive than CRMS but also means it takes a lot longer to get every single bypass site up and running –new sites takes longer, expanding the network coverage is a slow process.

CMRS (Commercial Mobile Radio Service) bypass technology uses GPS and cellular service to transform mobile devices into ‘smart transponders.’ This means that network devices such as smartphones, or telematics devices, can be used as transponders for weigh station bypass services. In addition, it means that bypass programs using CMRS can legally provide bypasses to drivers via their smartphone, tablet, or telematics devices (ELDs) such as Omnitracs or PeopleNet. Currently, there is only one existing CMRS-based bypass program – Drivewyze PreClear.

While transponders depend on ground-level infrastructure to grant bypasses, CMRS uses geofencing. Geofencing takes advantage of GPS technology to create a virtual geographic boundary that enables software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves an area. Drivewyze has set up geofences around every weigh station in the USA. Because geofencing is done on a computer, it takes very little time to set up a geofence. This means that when a new weigh station needs to be added to a CMRS-based bypass program, it can be set up within minutes. This allows companies like Drivewyze to grow and expand into multiple bypass sites in a fraction of the time that it would take a transponder-based company to do the same. Additionally, geofences allow Drivewyze to provide bypasses at mobile/temporary inspection sites, because there is no physical infrastructure or additional costs required to set them up.

Driver Experience

When using transponder-based bypass, drivers must be in the right-hand lane and must drive under the transponder-reader pole, which is located about a mile away from the station.  Transponders will let a driver know if they received a bypass both by and audible signal, and by showing either a small green light (bypass the station), or a small red light (if the driver must pull in). The last driving command (bypass or pull-in) will continue to be shown for 15 minutes after passing the station, by a flashing red or green light.

When using CMRS-based bypass, drivers can receive bypasses from any lane. Remember, CMRS-based bypass like Drivewyze doesn’t require a transponder reader to function – because it uses geofences instead. This means drivers won’t need to make any sudden lane changes. Two miles away from the station, the driver will receive a notification that lets them know there’s a weigh station coming up, and another notification when the weigh station is one mile away. This gives the driver plenty of time to safely move into the right-hand lane if necessary, and reduces the risk of a driver accidently driving past a scale. If the driver receives a bypass, their mobile (or telematics/ELD) device will show a large green ‘Bypass’ sign on the screen and play an audible signal. If the driver has to pull-in, Drivewyze will play a different audible signal, and show a screen that says ‘Pull-in Unless Closed’ – which means pull in if the station is open or keep driving if the station is closed. If a driver wants to see their last driving command they can simply click on a recall button which brings up the date and time of the driving instruction that was issued to the driver.

WIM Integration

A common question that’s comes up is whether CMRS technology can integrate with WIM (weigh in motion) scales. While there were challenges many years ago in being able to integrate CMRS systems and WIM scales, improvements in both cellular data network speeds and GPS client software have overcome these roadblocks. Today, both types of bypass technologies can successfully integrate with WIM scales, and provide bypasses at sites that use WIM. To date, Drivewyze has successfully integrated with WIM scales at over 100 locations throughout the United States.

Inventory Requirements

When using transponder-based bypass, most fleets must manage a significant inventory of devices. Considering lost or stolen transponders cost up to $100 each to replace, and often fleets must make routine transponder purchases, maintaining an inventory can become quite expensive. Additionally, managing these devices take takes up valuable employee time.

Because CMRS bypass is integrated into mobile and telematics devices, there is no additional hardware to manage. This means that fleets using CMRS bypass, like Drivewyze, don’t need to worry about inventory management, lost/stolen transponders, or any additional costs. There’s no additional inventory required, fleets can add trucks to the program or take trucks out as needed. CMRS-based bypass can help justify the cost of your ELD purchase, since it functions on existing hardware.

 Reporting and Business Intelligence for Fleets

Transponders are limited in terms of the data they are able to collect., Most transponder based bypass services (such as PrePass) will provide basic reporting to fleets, such as the number of bypasses received each month.

CMRS technology can provide fleets with sophisticated, GPS based reporting. This means you’ll get more data than just the number of bypasses received. For example, Drivewyze reporting can show you how much driver time is being wasted at all weigh stations and inspection sites across the country, not just Drivewyze sites. The data shows you where your trucks are being pulled in the most, and for exactly how long. If you’re interested in seeing a personalized report for your fleet, click here.

Choosing the Right Bypass Technology for Your Fleet

As you can see, there are many things to consider when selecting a bypass service for yourself, or for your fleet. The type of technology (and what value it can provide) is certainly an important criterion to consider. Additionally, the service coverage (participating states and sites) as well as customer service are two more important considerations. So, when you’re trying to decide which service is best for you or your fleet, do your homework – call the bypass services you’re interested in, ask questions, ask for a free trial, and get driver feedback where applicable.

If you’re looking for a fleet-wide bypass solution, and would like to learn more about Drivewyze and how it works, click here –  or see what our customers have to say about the service.

If you’re a driver who’s interested in trying Drivewyze for free for 30 days, click here for more information.

Lost ’69 Boss Bronco Prototype Found After 49 Years!

journal.classiccars.com

Article thanks to Kyler Lacey and streetmusclemag.com. Links provided:

Jan, 2018  The Boss Mustang is an iconic muscle machine that any car-guy worth their salt knows about. With the timeless look of the Mustang and the power of the Boss 302 cubic-inch powerplant under the hood, they were awesome cars then and have become quite the collector item today. Although a Boss-style build never landed production in the Bronco, just one prototype was produced.

This prototype was the realization of a dream thought up between Kar-Kraft and  Bill Stroppe. They wanted Ford to make a high-performance version of their new Bronco. Kar-Kraft built the Bronco and there is even a picture from 1969 of the Boss Bronco outside the Ford styling building to prove it.

While this Bronco obviously differs from the Boss Mustang in that it’s an SUV rather than a car, it also differs in that it has a 351-cube Windsor under the hood rather than the standard Boss 302 cubic-inch engine. The Boss Bronco prototype was built with the styling and preferences in mind of the head of Ford at the time, Semon “Bunkie” Knudson. It was actually Bunkie that ordered the Boss Bronco and would have been able to approve it for production.

In addition to the blueprinted 1969 GT350-spec 351 cubic-inch engine the Boss Bronco prototype also features a few other noteworthy options. It features a high-performance C4 automatic transmission, 4.11:1 geared limited slip differentials (front and rear), Stroppe dual shocks, and a Stroppe power steering conversion.  It also came with a Stroppe padded roll bar, Stroppe rear fender flares, a Cougar Eliminator hood scoop, and 10-inch wide chrome wheels. I bet you wish this thing was put into production almost as much as we do!

So what happened to the Bronco after Bunkie left Ford Motor Company? Sometime in late 1970 Kar-Kraft and Ford got into a dispute over the billing for the Bronco that caused Ford to pull their work from Kar-Kraft, causing them to go out of business. In the beginning the Bronco was marked as unsalable and to be crushed at the end of the project, but somewhere in that mess it escaped Kar-Kraft by sale in the hands of either a Kar-Kraft or Ford employee.

The Boss Bronco decals were removed and it became just a regular yellow Bronco. It was lost and disappeared. Everyone knew that one was made, but nobody knew where it was — or even if it still was at all! How the Bronco was discovered is nearly as interesting a story as the Bronco itself. While writing a new Kar Kraft books, the author, Wes Eisenschenk, received an inventory sheet from Kar Kraft from 1969. When he was searching some of the serial numbers in a DMV search, the one that came up was the Boss Bronco, and it had recently changed hands.

It was sold on eBay by the daughter of a man that had owned it for decades. They had no idea that it was anything special, to them it was just a hot-rodded yellow Bronco that they called the “Bumble Bee Bronco.” So when Wes found out about it, he got in contact with the new owner and bought it.

The SUV is completely unrestored. It was painted once, but the interior and drivetrain are completely original. It has no rust and still has the original finishes underneath and the Kar Kraft installed shifters installed. Everything down to the original carburetor and exhaust are still on it. It’s rare to find even just a plane-jane Bronco in this kind of shape, so the fact that this Boss Bronco survived in this condition is nothing short of a miracle.

http://www.streetmusclemag.com/news/lost-69-boss-bronco-prototype-found-after-49-years/

Ending the confusion over per diem

cdllife.com

Article thanks to freightwaves.com and Brian Straight. Links provided:

Jan, 2018  For years, truck drivers have collected a per diem for meals when on the road. Whether you were a company driver or owner-operator, you could take the daily per diem of $63 and deduct it off your taxes, if you itemized. In the last few weeks, there has been a lot of confusion in the driver community regarding the per diem, which has been eliminated for company drivers under the new Republican tax plan.

The confusion has arisen over whether owner-operators could continue to use the per diem or not, and what can company drivers do with this seemingly large taxable expense that has just been dumped in their laps.

“The [company] driver lost the ability to deduct the per diem,” explains Kevin Rutherford, owner of Let’s Truck who advises drivers on tax preparation. “For the owner-operator, nothing changes.”

According to Rutherford, owner-operators (and leased drivers) will be able to continue using the per diem and deducting it on their taxes through Schedule C or on their corporate return. For a driver on the road 250 days a year, that’s $15,750 of potential deductions. Combined with other business expense deductions, and the new 20% deduction on pass-through corporations (if your business is structured this way), there are still plenty of tax benefits.

For company drivers, though, the situation is a bit cloudier. They have lost that $63 deduction, but individual (or married) tax filers receive the larger standard deductions ($12,000 for individuals, $24,000 for married filing jointly) now available. Will those deductions be enough to offset the loss of the per diem? That depends on the individual tax situation of each driver.

It could become an important driver benefit issue moving forward, Rutherford says, as carriers could still offer the $63 as a pre-tax benefit, if they choose.

Avery Vise, vice president of trucking research at FTR Transportation Intelligence, said in a conference call last week that it remains to be seen what fleets will do. “Carriers that do not offer per-diem pay might encounter driver dissatisfaction once [drivers] understand what has happened,” he said. “How that plays out is something to watch, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retention.”

Rutherford thinks it’s likely that carriers will begin to offer it as an incentive to both attract and keep drivers. In a recent blog post on the Let’s Truck website, Rutherford explains. He highlighted the text from the tax bill that he believes is relevant. It reads: “Under the provision, business expenses incurred by an employee are not deductible, other than expenses that are deductible in determining adjusted gross income (that is, above-the-line deductions).”

He outlines a potential scenario under the old law and the new tax law to show the difference the per diem makes on taxes. In 2016, a driver on the road for 300 days would be eligible for about $15,120 ($63/ day times 300 days adjusted to 80% = $15,120) as a per-diem itemized deduction. That means they would not have taken the standard deduction ($12,000 for married or $6,000 single filing status) but would have $15,120 as “tax-free” income.

Under the new tax plan, and if a carrier provides per-diem to drivers on a pre-tax basis, the driver would receive $18,900 essentially tax free for the per diem. In addition to the new standard deduction amounts of $24,000 for married and $12,000 for singles, it would mean a driver would receive as much as $42,900 tax free for a married driver filing a joint return.

Using some basic numbers (each individual tax situation is different and these numbers are for illustrative purposes only, he advised), tax consultant Mark Sullivan provided Let’s Truck with an example of a driver that receives per diem and one that doesn’t.

For the driver that does not receive per diem, making an average salary of $50,400 and taking a standard deduction of $24,000, he would have taxable income of $26,400 and pay taxes of $6,643. That would be a $737 savings over their 2017 taxes based on itemized deductions of $12,592 and exemptions of $8,100.

When comparing that to an employee driver who receives paid per diem of $15,750, it doesn’t compare. This driver, using the same numbers, would have taxable income, after the $24,000 standard deduction, of just $10,650 and a total tax bill of $3,735, resulting in a $3,645 savings over their 2017 taxes.

Some carriers already pay per diem for their drivers, but the potentially large tax savings for drivers may make those fleets even more attractive going forward, and forcing more carriers to offer per diem as a part of their benefit packages.

Stay up-to-date with the latest commentary and insights on FreightTech and the impact to the markets by subscribing.

https://www.freightwaves.com/cash-flow-corner-1/2018/1/16/ending-the-confusion-over-per-diem

Which States Are Riskiest for Driving in Snow?

youtube.com

Article thanks to automotivefleet.com. Links provided:

Ever wonder which states are the most dangerous for driving after a snowstorm?

SafeWise, a safety-themed website, analyzed federal crash data from 2016 and compiled a list of the top 10 most dangerous states for driving in the snow. Researchers used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to calculate the likelihood of a snow-related accident occurring per 100,000 people in the state.

Here are the results:

1. Wyoming
2. Vermont
3. Montana
4. Idaho
5. Maine
6. Michigan
7. Iowa
8. New Mexico
9. Minnesota
10. Nebraska

http://www.automotive-fleet.com/video/detail/2018/01/4-tips-for-driving-in-snow.aspx?refresh=true

Tax bill likely sunsets meal per diem for drivers, cuts rates across the board

bigtruckdriverresources.com

Article thanks to James Jaillet and overdriveonline.com. Links provided:

Dec, 2017  The tax reform bill likely to be signed into law by President Trump this week or next is expected to be the end of the daily $63 per diem deduction allotted to truck drivers for on-road meal expenses, says ATBS president and CEO Todd Amen. However, he and his firm are still reviewing the details of the bill, he says, and expect to be able to speak more authoritatively in the new year about the changes it institutes.

Owner-operators will still be able to deduct meal expenses on their annual Schedule C tax form, due at the time of their annual filing, he says.

The axing of the per diem by Congress’ overhaul of the U.S. tax system, as with changes in other itemized deductions, is intended to be offset by a big bump in the standard deduction granted to all filers. That will increase to $24,000 from the previous $12,000 for married couples filing jointly.

“There is no need to itemize” the per diem deductions after the bump, says Amen, “because they’d still probably be below the standard deduction.” The standard deduction for single filers will jump from $6,300 to $12,000. What’s more, the child tax credit – an amount subtracted directly from parents’ tax bills, not their taxable income — will be doubled to $2,000 per child. However, the bill eliminates the $4,050 personal exemption afforded by current tax law.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which passed the Senate late Tuesday and should be passed by the House on Wednesday, slashes income tax rates across the board for individuals and cuts the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. (Update: The bill has passed both chambers of Congress and has been sent to President Trump to sign.)

Dennis Bridges, a CPA and head of the Atlanta-based eTruckerTax firm, said the most immediate impact will be to company drivers, who’ll see their payroll-deducted taxes lowered as early as February, after new withholding limits take effect.

The bill in Congress will  establish a new 12 percent tax rate for single filers earning between $9,525 and $38,700 a year. Income earned between $38,700 and $82,500 for single filers will be taxed at 22 percent. Income at $9,525 and less will be taxed at a 10 percent rate. These rates replace the 10 percent, 15 percent and 25 percent brackets currently in effect.

For those filing jointly with a spouse, the new 12 percent bracket covers income between $19,050 and $77,400, with income earned below $19,050 taxed at the 10 percent rate. For joint filers, income between $77,400 and $165,000 will be taxed at a 22 percent rate.

The bill also cuts tax rates for higher earners, instituting new rates of 24 percent, 32 percent, 35 percent and 37 percent, down from the previous 28 percent, 33 percent, 35 percent and 39.6 percent rates under current law.

No Obamacare penalty

The GOP bill also eliminates the tax penalty instituted by the Affordable Care Act for not carrying health insurance. Many owner-operators have resisted getting coverage and have been subject to paying hundreds of dollars each in penalties that increased every year since Obamacare took effect. However, this change does not take effect until the 2019 filing year (due April 2020).

Thinking ahead to 2018 filing

Traditional tax planning has been to accelerate expenses ahead of Jan. 1 and delay revenue beyond Jan. 1. That strategy will be worth even more this year because of the lower tax rates.

Given that tax rates are dropping next year, Bridges says it would be wise of owner-operators — and all businesses — to defer any income they can until after the new year rolls around. Checks deposited in January will be taxed at lower rates than checks deposited before year’s end.

Operators also would be wise to take on any necessary expenses before the end of the year, such as maintenance/repair work or buying business supplies, as a means to maximize their deductions for the 2017 filing year, given that 2017’s rates will be higher than 2018’s.

“You’re going to get much more benefit from [those expenses this year] than if you wait even until January,” says Bridges. “So if somebody needs a new transmission or a new set of tires, they’re going to be significantly better off to get those now and take the deduction for 2017.”

Amen says owner-operators should also pay before year’s end any state and local taxes due for the fourth quarter of 2017, as the tax reform bill removes those deductions, and paying them in January will restrict operators from deducting them from their taxable income for this year and next year.

Fleets win big in new corporate rate

Carriers will likely see some of the larger benefits offered by the bill in Congress, due to the new 21 percent corporate tax rate.

“Trucking companies will see a huge benefit at year’s end when they file their 2018 tax returns,” says Bridges. “One of the things [lawmakers] hope companies use that for is as a growth mechanism and to increase compensation to their people.”

Ultimately, though, Bridges says the bill “offers a little something for everybody.”

“Whether they’re a driver, whether they’re an owner-operator with one or two trucks — or 50 trucks or 300 trucks — it’s going to affect almost everyone.”

https://www.overdriveonline.com/tax-bill-likely-sunsets-meal-per-diem-for-drivers-cuts-rates-across-the-board/

Ford Confirms Focus RS Engine Woes; Company Working on a Fix

ford.com

Article thanks to Steph Willems and thetruthaboutcars.com. Links provided:

Dec, 2017  It’s not just scorched rubber that’s responsible for the clouds of white smoke surrounding some Ford Focus RS models. The model’s high-output 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, credited with turning the staid Focus 5-door into a performance hatch worthy of fanboy lust, seems to have a serious flaw.

Numerous complaints of white exhaust smoke seen during cold startups has forced the automaker to admit there’s a problem with the FoRS. The 2.3-liter is not electing a new Pope, as TTAC’s Matthew Guy quipped this morning — it’s burning coolant.

According to Autocar, 2016 and 2017 Focus RS models with as little as 6,000 miles on the odometer are experiencing the issue. Of course, Blue Oval fans who regularly visit the FocusRS.org forum already know something’s up, as the site’s dedicated “failed/leaking head gasket resource thread” currently has 247 pages of complaints and discussion.

While there’s no recall for the issue, a Ford spokesman told Autocar that the automaker is “working on a repair for all customers,” implying a solution that spans all owners, not just those with complaints.

“In the meantime, if vehicles show these symptoms, customers should visit their dealer for an inspection and repair under warranty,” the spokesman said.

At least one American 2016 owner has taken their coolant-related complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Georgia driver’s complaint is straightforward:

AT 26000 MILES MY HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED. STARTED WITH ROUGH MORNING START WHITE SMOKE AND LOSS OF COOLANT. LEAK WAS CONFIRMED IN CYLINDER 3. THE CAR IS STOCK WITH NO MODIFICATIONS.

While the issue sounds like a simple head gasket failure, it seems that’s not necessarily the case. Owners claim block distortion experienced over multiple heat cycles creates an opening between the engine block and cylinder head that the gasket can’t seal, thus allowing coolant to enter the cylinders when cold. The fact that some owners have received new engines built to a different spec adds to the theory.

Owners of other 2.3-liter EcoBoost Ford products shouldn’t worry, as the RS engine uses a different aluminum alloy in its block, cast-iron cylinder liners, and has its own head gasket design.

All Focus RS models were built at the company’s Saarlouis, Germany assembly plant. After entertaining Europeans for years, the model entered the hot hatch Hall of Fame after making a long-awaited trip to North America in late 2015. The current generation dried up after the release of 1,500 Special Edition 2018 models tuned by Ford Performance.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/12/ford-confirms-focus-rs-coolant-burn-company-working-fix/

FMCSA Orders Washington State Trucking Company To Cease Activities

pinterest.com

From the "stupid trucker" file, Article thanks to Jake Tully and http://truckingindustry.news. Links provided:

Dec, 2017  In a press release issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Association (FMCSA) earlier today, the U.S. Department of Transportation agency reports that it has ordered Even Flo Logistics, a Tumwater, Washington-based trucking company to cease operations due to the posing a hazard to public safety.

According to the FMCSA, Even Flo Logistics has been ordered to stop both interstate and intrastate activates after investigators found the company to be an “imminent hazard to public safety.”

Additionally, the FMCSA reports that it served an imminent hazard order to Shawn Roberts, a truck driver for Even Flo Logistics, prohibiting Roberts from operating a truck or other commercial vehicles in interstate commerce.

The FMCSA reports that the order served to Roberts was given due to the drivers, “"…. blatant disregard of [federal safety regulations] and continued disregard for the safety of the motoring public …. substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and/or to the motoring public."

The FMCSA said that the Washington State Patrol Motor Carrier Safety Division conducted a compliance investigation of Even Flo Logistics in August 2017 after roadside inspections across multiple states over the course of the year revealed large safety violations that saw Shawn Roberts operating outside of the out-of-service at a rate of more than 13 times than what the national average has reported.

In addition to the roadside inspections, the FMCSA also found that Roberts operated a commercial vehicle holding only a learner’s permit on at least two occasions and that Even Flo Logistics allowed Roberts to operate in interstate commerce on at least one occasion during a period in which the State of Washington had suspended or withdrawn his CDL.

The FMCSA has also reported that Even Flo Logistics did not ensure that testing for controlled substance and alcohol was properly conducted within a necessary time frame, nor was post-accident testing proctored in an official manner.

Washington State Patrol investigations ultimately gave that motor carrier a federal safety rating of “Unsatisfactory” reports the FMCSA, in which the company was ordered to stop operations on October 10, 2017.

Despite this order, reports the FMCSA, Even Flo Logistics was found operating on at least two occasions.

Among the offenses that Roberts was cited for, the driver saw citations for operating a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial driver’s license, being on the influence of narcotic drugs/amphetamines while on duty, possessing an intoxicating beverage while on duty or driving, among other offenses.

The FMCSA reports that Roberts has been involved in four crashes since January 2017 and is facing drug-related criminal charges in both Arizona and Wyoming.

Roberts also reportedly posted a photo on his social media account of a 12-year-old operating a truck and in July 2017 Roberts posted a photo of a metal clamp attached to a gas pedal of a commercial motor vehicle alongside the caption “When your cruise control brakes [sic] the fix."

The FMCSA reports that Even Flo Logistics may be assessed for civil penalties up to $26,126 for each violation relating to the out-of-service order, as well as a potential fee of no less than $10,000 in civil penalties for providing transportation requiring federal operating authority registration.

Separate of Even Flo Logistics, Roberts may be assessed a civil penalties fee of up to $1.811 for each violation of operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of the imminent hazard order.

http://truckingindustry.news/1220/fmcsa-orders-washington-state-trucking-company-to-cease-activities.html

FMCSA to Study 'Excessive Commuting' by Truck Drivers

dreamstime.com

Article thanks to David Cullen and truckinginfo.com. Links provided:

Nov, 2017  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comment on a proposed survey of “excessive commuting” by truck drivers. The agency is defining as excessive any commuting to work that exceeds 150 minutes.

The survey would focus on the prevalence of such commuting in a commercial motor vehicle; the number and percentage of CMV drivers who commute; the distances they travel and the time zones they cross; the impact of such commuting on safety and fatigue; and existing commuting policies of motor carriers. 

In its notice on the survey, published in the Federal Register for Nov. 27, the agency said it is inquiring about trucker commuting practices to fulfill Section 5515 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. That section of the 2015 highway bill requires FMCSA to conduct a study on the safety effects of commutes by motor carrier operators that exceed 150 minutes. The FMCSA administrator is then required to submit a report to Congress on the findings of the study. 

Providing some background context, FMCSA also stated that “in the past two decades, as the number of workers has increased and the distance to affordable housing has also increased in most metropolitan areas, commuting times have increased in the United States.” 

The agency went on to say that long commuting times can adversely affect CMV drivers “in multiple ways,” including: 

• Compromising off-duty time. “Long commuting times can reduce a driver’s available off-duty time for sleep and personal activities. This can lead to excessive fatigue while on duty, creating safety concerns for both the CMV driver and other drivers on the roads.”
• Impacting driver health. “A recent study was conducted that monitored 4,297 adults from 12 metropolitan Texas counties. In this region, 90% of people commute to work. The study found that the drivers who have long commuting times were more likely to have poor cardiovascular health and be less physically fit. This study showed that people who commute long distances to work weigh more, are less physically active, and have higher blood pressure.” 

Although it is not mentioned in the FMCSA notice on the survey, it is generally understood that the FAST Act provision calling for the survey was written in response to circumstances related to the June 2014 crash of a Walmart truck into a limo van that killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan.

A subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the truck driver’s fatigue played a role in the accident. Walmart driver Kevin Roper was on hour 13 of a 14-hour shift, but he had driven for 12 hours from his home in Georgia to Delaware to start his route. Roper was indicted for charges of manslaughter, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault. 

Comments on the proposed survey must be received on or before Jan. 26, 2018. Click here for more information, including how to submit comments to the docket.

http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/drivers/news/story/2017/11/fmcsa-to-study-excessive-commuting