Aggressive truckers beware!: Operation "Safe Ride" sweeps SWFL
By WINK News
Story Created: Oct 24, 2007 at 5:17 PM EDT
Story Updated: Oct 24, 2007 at 6:13 PM EDT
Southwest Fla. - If you drive down I-75 in Southwest Florida, chances are you've experienced commercial trucks speeding, or driving aggressively. Relief may be in site. Right now, troopers all over Southwest Florida are looking for those types of truck drivers. The Highway Patrol calls it Operation Safe Ride.Dump trucks and big rigs are involved in 8% of all crashes, but 13% of all fatalities.George Smyrnios, and every other available trooper, is patrolling highways through Thursday, trying to stop aggressive truck drivers. He tells WINK News, it is not hard to spot dangerous truck drivers. "They drive very aggressively, in and out of traffic. They're heavy on the brakes, they pass on the shoulder. They put everybody at risk," said Smyrnios.Smyrnios also said that aggressive driving is not a legal term that will warrant a ticket."Evidence of aggressive driving, such as following too closely will allow a trooper to pull you over," Smyrnios added.Citations for that kind of driving cost around $100, but tickets can drive up other costs for those who have a Commercial Driver's License, or CDL."It would not only affect their insurance, but the ability to get insurance and some can even lose their Class-A CDL forever," said Smyrnios.In some parts of the state, the Florida Highway Patrol is using planes to spot aggressive driving.The saturation enforcement goes through Thursday evening.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Execution
Extradition imminent for accused trucker
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
MONMOUTH - A North Carolina truck driver accused of killing another man with a hammer will be extradited to Tennessee in the next few days, Warren County State's Attorney Chip Algren said Tuesday.
David McCoy, 41, of Shelby, N.C., has been charged with first degree murder by prosecutors in Nashville where the killing of Marvin Davis, 41, occurred. The Nashville warrant for McCoy's arrests was issued Tuesday.
Davis' body was discovered Sept. 2 east of Monmouth along U.S. 34 near the Cameron exit.
McCoy, who is being held on $1 million bond in the Warren County Jail, appeared Tuesday in Warren County Circuit Court with his attorney, David Reid Clark of Monmouth. McCoy waived extradition before Circuit Judge David L. Vancil.
McCoy is an over-the-road truck driver who was working for a trucking company that had an office in Monmouth.
Authorities believe Davis was killed in Tennessee.
According to Metro Police in Nashville, Davis and McCoy were together at an East Nashville truck stop late Aug. 31 or early Sept. 1. The two allegedly got into a fight, and Davis was killed when he was struck in the head with a hammer.
According to The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, police used a Global Positioning System in McCoy's semi to confirm his location during the time of the murder. He later traded his semi for a newer one, but the newspaper said police found Davis' blood in the old truck.
The story also states McCoy is claiming self defense because Davis had a knife. Police have reportedly recovered the hammer in McCoy's truck but not the knife.
The Warren County charges against McCoy will be dismissed upon extradition.
GateHouse News Service contributed to this report.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
MONMOUTH - A North Carolina truck driver accused of killing another man with a hammer will be extradited to Tennessee in the next few days, Warren County State's Attorney Chip Algren said Tuesday.
David McCoy, 41, of Shelby, N.C., has been charged with first degree murder by prosecutors in Nashville where the killing of Marvin Davis, 41, occurred. The Nashville warrant for McCoy's arrests was issued Tuesday.
Davis' body was discovered Sept. 2 east of Monmouth along U.S. 34 near the Cameron exit.
McCoy, who is being held on $1 million bond in the Warren County Jail, appeared Tuesday in Warren County Circuit Court with his attorney, David Reid Clark of Monmouth. McCoy waived extradition before Circuit Judge David L. Vancil.
McCoy is an over-the-road truck driver who was working for a trucking company that had an office in Monmouth.
Authorities believe Davis was killed in Tennessee.
According to Metro Police in Nashville, Davis and McCoy were together at an East Nashville truck stop late Aug. 31 or early Sept. 1. The two allegedly got into a fight, and Davis was killed when he was struck in the head with a hammer.
According to The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, police used a Global Positioning System in McCoy's semi to confirm his location during the time of the murder. He later traded his semi for a newer one, but the newspaper said police found Davis' blood in the old truck.
The story also states McCoy is claiming self defense because Davis had a knife. Police have reportedly recovered the hammer in McCoy's truck but not the knife.
The Warren County charges against McCoy will be dismissed upon extradition.
GateHouse News Service contributed to this report.
Moment of Silence
Trucker plays chicken with a train, loses his wings
(The following story by Teresa Stepzinski appeared on the Florida The Times-Union website on October 25.)WAYCROSS, Ga. — Which came first, the chicken truck or the freight train?Better still, why did the chicken truck try to cross the railroad tracks in front of a train early Wednesday?The answer came with a bang in a 1:36 a.m. collision that spewed frozen chicken wings for about a block around the railroad crossing at Plant Avenue and Isabella Street in downtown Waycross.The truck driver and train crew all were uninjured. The crossing and intersection were closed until 8:30 a.m. for the investigation and cleanup.The trucker, James McGuire, 59, of Lima, Ohio, was driving a 1999 Freightliner truck pulling a trailer packed tight with frozen chicken wings. The truck had been eastbound on Plant Avenue, Waycross police Lt. Tommy Cox said.The train driven by engineer James Hudson, also 59, of Fitzgerald, was traveling south. The railroad crossing at Plant and Isabella is marked with warning signs, Cox said.The truck cab cleared the crossing, but the locomotive sliced the trailer in half, sending wings flying, he said.The demolished trailer came to rest about 100 feet down the tracks from the point of impact, police estimated.Police cited McGuire for failure to yield at a railroad crossing, Cox said.Officials at CSX Transportation didn't return a telephone message seeking comment about apparent damage to the train or tracks.
(The following story by Teresa Stepzinski appeared on the Florida The Times-Union website on October 25.)WAYCROSS, Ga. — Which came first, the chicken truck or the freight train?Better still, why did the chicken truck try to cross the railroad tracks in front of a train early Wednesday?The answer came with a bang in a 1:36 a.m. collision that spewed frozen chicken wings for about a block around the railroad crossing at Plant Avenue and Isabella Street in downtown Waycross.The truck driver and train crew all were uninjured. The crossing and intersection were closed until 8:30 a.m. for the investigation and cleanup.The trucker, James McGuire, 59, of Lima, Ohio, was driving a 1999 Freightliner truck pulling a trailer packed tight with frozen chicken wings. The truck had been eastbound on Plant Avenue, Waycross police Lt. Tommy Cox said.The train driven by engineer James Hudson, also 59, of Fitzgerald, was traveling south. The railroad crossing at Plant and Isabella is marked with warning signs, Cox said.The truck cab cleared the crossing, but the locomotive sliced the trailer in half, sending wings flying, he said.The demolished trailer came to rest about 100 feet down the tracks from the point of impact, police estimated.Police cited McGuire for failure to yield at a railroad crossing, Cox said.Officials at CSX Transportation didn't return a telephone message seeking comment about apparent damage to the train or tracks.
Drivers Health
DRIVERS' HEALTH * USA - Depression and the Long Haul Trucker
A long-haul flights truck driver is not a stranger to sleep deprivationUSA -Depression Off.blogspot -October 24, 2007: -- Even local drivers deal with the problem of small rest, many are working 70 hours a week... Sleep deprivation is the main cause for heavy truck accidents, to as high as 40% of all crashes... The constant attitude of many motor carriers of the "you've got to the freight there," is a tremendous burden for the long haul truck drivers... Although Federal regulations require a driver, with 10 hour break after 14 hours, 10 hours often work out to be only 5-6 hours of sleep per actual day... Several years, I decided to keep a log of actual sleep time I received every day. Over a period of six weeks, it was apparent that I actually only "sleeping" an average of 4 hours per day. Twenty eight hours of sleep in a whole week... And to the problem, a large long-haul flights Trucking is at night...
Labels: drivers' health
A long-haul flights truck driver is not a stranger to sleep deprivationUSA -Depression Off.blogspot -October 24, 2007: -- Even local drivers deal with the problem of small rest, many are working 70 hours a week... Sleep deprivation is the main cause for heavy truck accidents, to as high as 40% of all crashes... The constant attitude of many motor carriers of the "you've got to the freight there," is a tremendous burden for the long haul truck drivers... Although Federal regulations require a driver, with 10 hour break after 14 hours, 10 hours often work out to be only 5-6 hours of sleep per actual day... Several years, I decided to keep a log of actual sleep time I received every day. Over a period of six weeks, it was apparent that I actually only "sleeping" an average of 4 hours per day. Twenty eight hours of sleep in a whole week... And to the problem, a large long-haul flights Trucking is at night...
Labels: drivers' health
Trucking is a Career not a job
Ports of L.A., Long Beach eye labor-free plan to ban older trucks
Officials for the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will formally consider next week a new clean truck plan that would ban most trucks that currently operate in the ports. Absent from the new plan, however, are previous proposals supported by the Teamsters that called for all truck drivers to be company drivers and would have prevented most companies from entering the port.
Both ports’ officials announced Thursday, Oct. 25, that their governing commissions would consider a new clean truck program in meetings this week. The proposed plan would be implemented in three phases that would ban all trucks with pre-1989 engines by Oct. 2008, and would mandate retrofits on 1994 through 2003 truck engines by January 2010. By 2014 only trucks with engines that meet or exceed 2007 model year California emission standard standards would be allowed.
The plan would restrict port entry by Aug. 1, 2008, to trucks that have registered with the ports and are equipped with a RFID tag providing truck-specific information to port officials.
The Port of Long Beach released a statement saying the plan would “reduce port-related truck pollution by approximately 80 percent over a period of just over five years.”
“The proposed tariff moves our air quality goals forward next year with a progressive truck ban schedule that is not only consistent with the anticipated requirements proposed by the California Air Resources Board, but actually achieves even more emissions reductions in an accelerated timeframe,” said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
Officials with the Port of Los Angeles are scheduled to consider the plan at their commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 1, while the Port of Long Beach plan is set to be consider on Monday, Oct. 29.
The proposed plans don’t address a previously proposed plan that banned all trucks not driven by employees of companies that were licensed concessionaires. The controversial plan was backed by the Teamsters Union, which has made recent efforts to boost membership at ports in L.A. and Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and in New Jersey.
Both ports were lobbied heavily by retailers and trade associations concerned about the proposed plan’s cost increases, port drivers and union officials wanting to organize employees and residents surrounding the ports concerned about heavy pollution from dirty, older drayage trucks and incoming ships that burn large amounts of sulfur-heavy oil.
OOIDA has expressed concerns that long haul truckers will get shut out of the twin ports and other ports throughout the country, and drivers could be forced to pay third-party drayage drivers at the port gates.
The proposed concessionaire system contained several provisions that appeared to give large companies an upper hand against owner-operators, including an application system that would rate applicants in part by financial assets and number of employees.
That plan also included a raising of container fees to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to replace trucks and older engines.
Port officials left the door open to later adding other pieces to the clean truck program.
“While we are still working on the broader Clean Trucks Program components, this tariff shows our commitment to advancing the air quality goals we set forth in the Clean Air Action Plan approved by both port boards last November,” Knatz said.
– By Charlie Morasch, staff writercharlie_morasch@landlinemag.com
Officials for the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will formally consider next week a new clean truck plan that would ban most trucks that currently operate in the ports. Absent from the new plan, however, are previous proposals supported by the Teamsters that called for all truck drivers to be company drivers and would have prevented most companies from entering the port.
Both ports’ officials announced Thursday, Oct. 25, that their governing commissions would consider a new clean truck program in meetings this week. The proposed plan would be implemented in three phases that would ban all trucks with pre-1989 engines by Oct. 2008, and would mandate retrofits on 1994 through 2003 truck engines by January 2010. By 2014 only trucks with engines that meet or exceed 2007 model year California emission standard standards would be allowed.
The plan would restrict port entry by Aug. 1, 2008, to trucks that have registered with the ports and are equipped with a RFID tag providing truck-specific information to port officials.
The Port of Long Beach released a statement saying the plan would “reduce port-related truck pollution by approximately 80 percent over a period of just over five years.”
“The proposed tariff moves our air quality goals forward next year with a progressive truck ban schedule that is not only consistent with the anticipated requirements proposed by the California Air Resources Board, but actually achieves even more emissions reductions in an accelerated timeframe,” said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
Officials with the Port of Los Angeles are scheduled to consider the plan at their commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 1, while the Port of Long Beach plan is set to be consider on Monday, Oct. 29.
The proposed plans don’t address a previously proposed plan that banned all trucks not driven by employees of companies that were licensed concessionaires. The controversial plan was backed by the Teamsters Union, which has made recent efforts to boost membership at ports in L.A. and Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and in New Jersey.
Both ports were lobbied heavily by retailers and trade associations concerned about the proposed plan’s cost increases, port drivers and union officials wanting to organize employees and residents surrounding the ports concerned about heavy pollution from dirty, older drayage trucks and incoming ships that burn large amounts of sulfur-heavy oil.
OOIDA has expressed concerns that long haul truckers will get shut out of the twin ports and other ports throughout the country, and drivers could be forced to pay third-party drayage drivers at the port gates.
The proposed concessionaire system contained several provisions that appeared to give large companies an upper hand against owner-operators, including an application system that would rate applicants in part by financial assets and number of employees.
That plan also included a raising of container fees to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to replace trucks and older engines.
Port officials left the door open to later adding other pieces to the clean truck program.
“While we are still working on the broader Clean Trucks Program components, this tariff shows our commitment to advancing the air quality goals we set forth in the Clean Air Action Plan approved by both port boards last November,” Knatz said.
– By Charlie Morasch, staff writercharlie_morasch@landlinemag.com
And other News
Carmel mayor: Ban truck traffic on Keystone
var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Oct 25, 2007 1:26 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);
Oct 25, 2007 12:26 PM CDT
Carmel seeks Keystone truck ban
Mayor Jim Brainard wants to limit truck traffic on Keystone Ave.
He made the proposal before the Carmel City Council.
The proposal goes along with the planned renovation of Keystone Ave with roundabouts replacing stop lights.
if (document.layers) {document.write(''); document.close();}
coreAdsCreate('wnsz_20', 'loc', '100');
HEADLINES
Father charged with allowing 10-year-old to drive truck
Colts offer chance to win Super Bowl XLI rings
Police look to neighborhood for clues in Broad Ripple stabbing death
Cheney visiting Indianapolis for American Legion speech
Panel urges Bush to drop nuke waste plan
Legislature hopes to cut back on number of foreclosures in Indiana
Missing woman found dead in her Broad Ripple apartment
Police find bomb making materials in Carroll County home
IU scholarships offer new opportunities
Phil Scott/Eyewitness News
Carmel - Detours may be ahead for truckers who want to drive through Carmel. The mayor is proposing banning large trucks of five roads through Carmel neighborhoods. The biggest section is Keystone Avenue from 96th north to US 31.
What has long been a quick way for truck drivers could become the wrong way. It would mean no more semis in the mix along Keystone Avenue's 4.2 miles through Carmel, if Mayor Jim Brainard's proposal wins City Council approval.
Mayor Brainard explained. "We have a problem on Keystone Avenue with cross-country trucks blowing lights. It's a constant problem and those who have lived here know that and we see it every day."
Earlier this year, Brainard announced a plan to rebuild the Keystone corridor. Minus the big rigs, Mayor Brainard envisions Keystone's stoplights giving way to roundabouts. Landscaping and sound-proofing morph the highway into a parkway.
That sounds like a kinder, gentler Keystone to Pat Lovett, who's spent two decades within earshot of 18-wheelers.
"Sometimes when they're engine braking to slow down, the rap - rap - rap is annoying," said Lovett. "And I'm looking forward to them not being on Keystone."
But the project's not quite ready for a green light. Several drivers and representatives of trucking companies appeared at the Carmel City Council meeting Wednesday night to express their concerns. They listened cautiously, along with their attorneys. The ban on trucks weighing over 16,000 pounds would allow exceptions for local deliveries including mail carriers, construction equipment and materials and heavy box trucks.
One driver says he can live with detours on other trips, but disagrees with the mayor's premise that truckers pose a safety risk.
"I have seen many of my neighbors, in SUV's and bigger cars than I drive, run red lights and I feel more in fear of them than I do the trucks."
Mayor Brainard says he's targeting interstate truck drivers. A committee will now study the ban and make sure local businesses remain free to drive around town. The whole council could vote on it as soon as November 19th.
var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Oct 25, 2007 1:26 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);
Oct 25, 2007 12:26 PM CDT
Carmel seeks Keystone truck ban
Mayor Jim Brainard wants to limit truck traffic on Keystone Ave.
He made the proposal before the Carmel City Council.
The proposal goes along with the planned renovation of Keystone Ave with roundabouts replacing stop lights.
if (document.layers) {document.write(''); document.close();}
coreAdsCreate('wnsz_20', 'loc', '100');
HEADLINES
Father charged with allowing 10-year-old to drive truck
Colts offer chance to win Super Bowl XLI rings
Police look to neighborhood for clues in Broad Ripple stabbing death
Cheney visiting Indianapolis for American Legion speech
Panel urges Bush to drop nuke waste plan
Legislature hopes to cut back on number of foreclosures in Indiana
Missing woman found dead in her Broad Ripple apartment
Police find bomb making materials in Carroll County home
IU scholarships offer new opportunities
Phil Scott/Eyewitness News
Carmel - Detours may be ahead for truckers who want to drive through Carmel. The mayor is proposing banning large trucks of five roads through Carmel neighborhoods. The biggest section is Keystone Avenue from 96th north to US 31.
What has long been a quick way for truck drivers could become the wrong way. It would mean no more semis in the mix along Keystone Avenue's 4.2 miles through Carmel, if Mayor Jim Brainard's proposal wins City Council approval.
Mayor Brainard explained. "We have a problem on Keystone Avenue with cross-country trucks blowing lights. It's a constant problem and those who have lived here know that and we see it every day."
Earlier this year, Brainard announced a plan to rebuild the Keystone corridor. Minus the big rigs, Mayor Brainard envisions Keystone's stoplights giving way to roundabouts. Landscaping and sound-proofing morph the highway into a parkway.
That sounds like a kinder, gentler Keystone to Pat Lovett, who's spent two decades within earshot of 18-wheelers.
"Sometimes when they're engine braking to slow down, the rap - rap - rap is annoying," said Lovett. "And I'm looking forward to them not being on Keystone."
But the project's not quite ready for a green light. Several drivers and representatives of trucking companies appeared at the Carmel City Council meeting Wednesday night to express their concerns. They listened cautiously, along with their attorneys. The ban on trucks weighing over 16,000 pounds would allow exceptions for local deliveries including mail carriers, construction equipment and materials and heavy box trucks.
One driver says he can live with detours on other trips, but disagrees with the mayor's premise that truckers pose a safety risk.
"I have seen many of my neighbors, in SUV's and bigger cars than I drive, run red lights and I feel more in fear of them than I do the trucks."
Mayor Brainard says he's targeting interstate truck drivers. A committee will now study the ban and make sure local businesses remain free to drive around town. The whole council could vote on it as soon as November 19th.
Truckers World Post
Mack 'Re-ups' for Share the Road Program; Provides Tractor 10/25/2007 Mack Trucks, Inc. will again serve as a primary sponsor of the American Trucking Associations' Share the Road program next year, according to Kevin Flaherty, Mack senior vice president of sales. Designed to enhance the safety of America's roadways by teaching car drivers how to safely drive around large trucks, Share the Road delivers life-saving messages to hundreds of U.S. cities and reaches millions of motorists annually. The program uses as spokespeople a group of professional truck drivers with exemplary safety records. These drivers conduct safety demonstrations for local media, students, community leaders and highway users in cities around the United States as a way to deliver the program's life-saving messages about potential blind spots, safe following distances, truck stopping distances and the like. 2008 will mark Mack's eighth consecutive year as a Share the Road sponsor. In 2005, Mack provided the ATA with a Vision model highway tractor that has served as the centerpiece of Share the Road events throughout the country. The company is now replacing this truck with its current highway flagship model - a Mack Pinnacle, equipped with a variety of the latest safety technologies and spec'd to meet the EPA's fuel-saving Smartway standards. "We are very grateful to everyone at Mack for their tremendous support," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "As the founding sponsor, Mack was the first company to financially back Share the Road. Their decision in 2005 to also provide a truck took the program to another level. And now they're stepping up again, not only by continuing to provide funding, but also in giving the program a beautiful new Mack Pinnacle model to use in spreading these life-saving safety messages."
More News
Independent truck driver Antonio Turner says the gas pump is the most dreaded stop of his day.
"5 years ago it was 99 cents, then it jumped to a dollar, now it's 2. I guess when it gets up to 5, 6 bucks, they'll be happy," Turner says.
Diesel prices are now nearly a quarter more than regular unleaded. With such huge gas tanks, it's a difference that turns quarters into big bills for the big rigs.
Local truck driver Timmy McCool says, "A lot of people can't afford it. People have to park their trucks. It's hard to make a living, you know, when the gas prices are that high. It's unreal."
For Independent Truck Drivers, it's especially hard when that large tab comes from your own pocket. Usually, they'll have to fill up every two days.
Turner says, "If you don't get a good run, paying top dollar money, then you ain't make nothing that week."
The manager of an interstate truck stop cited everything from Wall Street to the War in Iraq as reasons for the price hike. He says he tries to keep costs down by trucking in fuel from the Chevron refinery, only 7 miles away.
But nationwide, it's a longer haul which even affects prices at the grocery store checkout line.
"A lot of people don't realize it, but trucking, that's what makes the world go round," says McCool.
"You used to buy a loaf of bread for 99 cents, now its 2.15, in some stores, 3 dollars," Turner says.
If fuel prices continue to rise, these truckers fears you'll see more empty diesel pumps.
Turner says, "I'd think about parkin it!"
Truck drivers say they try to drive a few miles under the speed limit and cut down on air conditioning to conserve fuel, but they expect the prices to continue to rise throughout the winter.
By Keli Rabon
"5 years ago it was 99 cents, then it jumped to a dollar, now it's 2. I guess when it gets up to 5, 6 bucks, they'll be happy," Turner says.
Diesel prices are now nearly a quarter more than regular unleaded. With such huge gas tanks, it's a difference that turns quarters into big bills for the big rigs.
Local truck driver Timmy McCool says, "A lot of people can't afford it. People have to park their trucks. It's hard to make a living, you know, when the gas prices are that high. It's unreal."
For Independent Truck Drivers, it's especially hard when that large tab comes from your own pocket. Usually, they'll have to fill up every two days.
Turner says, "If you don't get a good run, paying top dollar money, then you ain't make nothing that week."
The manager of an interstate truck stop cited everything from Wall Street to the War in Iraq as reasons for the price hike. He says he tries to keep costs down by trucking in fuel from the Chevron refinery, only 7 miles away.
But nationwide, it's a longer haul which even affects prices at the grocery store checkout line.
"A lot of people don't realize it, but trucking, that's what makes the world go round," says McCool.
"You used to buy a loaf of bread for 99 cents, now its 2.15, in some stores, 3 dollars," Turner says.
If fuel prices continue to rise, these truckers fears you'll see more empty diesel pumps.
Turner says, "I'd think about parkin it!"
Truck drivers say they try to drive a few miles under the speed limit and cut down on air conditioning to conserve fuel, but they expect the prices to continue to rise throughout the winter.
By Keli Rabon
Truck Safety
Drivers: Did you know......(?)
1. Trucking is a very dangerous profession, about 600 drivers a year die in highway accidents.
2. Driving certain types of rigs like tankers and flatbeds is probably the most dangerous major occupations in the country.
3. About 55% of all class 8 (semis) driver fatalities occur in rollover accidents.
4. Another 10% occur in fuel oil fires.
( For the latest UMTRI statistics from TIFA -trucks involved in fatal accidents- studies, click below.)
UMTRI 1. ..... UMTRI 2. .... UMTRI 3.
If you avoid these two types of fatal accidents, you can reduce the chances of getting killed on the job by almost 2/3! Here's how:
FIRES:
- Diesel fuel is hard to ignite, but when you've got 100 gallons or so on board it can make a real mess out of the driver and the rig if it catches fire following an accident. Research suggests that a large energy source is required to ignite even warm diesel oil ( the fuel in the tanks is heated by recirculation through the pump).
- You probably can't ignite a large diesel leak -like from a ruptured tank- with sparks or by hot surface ignition (like an exhaust manifold). The most likely ignition source for a fire following a rollover or collision is the battery box. If you short out or crush the batteries following a tank rupture you may get a large fire. If you can't get out of the rig you had better hope the rollover or collision killed you, it'll get real ugly in that cab if you've got a large diesel fire under it.
- So: MOVE the BATTERIES! Put them behind the cab in front of the fifth wheel, or inside the frame rails so that the frame rails protect them- if there is room there. Get a good electrical mechanic to do this for you in either case, and make sure he checks for interference if you decide to put them inside the frame rails. If you can't move the batteries, put a cage around the box, make it out of heavy gage angle iron or steel tubing. Don't weld the cage to the frame rail! This will ruin the heat treatment and the rail will break. Bolt it on. The idea is to prevent the batteries from being crushed and/or shorted out in an accident.
More on Fires:
Go to:
Jackknifing
Brakes
Downhill braking
Rollovers
But First:
We are researching truck accidents, if you or someone you know of has had a rollover or fuel fire accident we would like to talk to you. CALL: TECHNICAL SERVICES 1-800-821-4587, e-mail, or write: P.O.Box 2806, Vancouver, WA 98668. We would like photos, police reports, information about injuries, tractor and trailer info., etc., but contact us with whatever information you have. We can also assist with technical support for investigation or litigation for any accident or crashworthiness case.. Don't hesitate to call or write regardless.
E-mail: ts@e-z.net
to the TECHNICAL SERVICES homepage
.
ROLLOVERS:
1. The Problem:
- Big rigs roll easily. You can put a number on the tendency that a vehicle has to rollover- the higher the better (safer). Full size cars are about 1.3, pickups are 1.1, Jeep type vehicles are 0.8- 1.0. Fully loaded semis are about 0.4 or lower. A half empty tanker with a bad suspension might be 0.15! These numbers are the cornering "g's" required to roll the vehicle. No car can generate 1.3 g's in cornering but your rig can probably generate 0.4 g's going around a corner or in a variety of other maneuvers involving steering. If you go around a curve too fast, you will go over, but you probably already knew this. Here are some things you may not know:
- You can go over in a curve without going to fast for the curve if your rear tires strike something (like a curb) while you're cornering. Articulating vehicles (5th wheel type) with rubber tires outrack when turning above a certain minimum speed, typically 15 mph. This is inherent to the vehicle and not the result of poor driving. Your trailer axle might be 2 feet outside your steering axle if you're pulling a long trailer. Picture this: You're coming down a freeway ramp, turning right ( a right hand curve). Your left front tire might be 1' inside the fog line while your outer left rear tire might be 1' outside the fog line. What's out there to trip you and turn you over?
- You can probably roll your rig at speeds as low as 5 mph, especially on slopes or where a strong tripping influence is present. You can roll backing up if you're jackknifed.
- Many rollovers happen when drivers try to return to the road after putting a tire off the pavement. You can rut in soft ground or catch a pavement separation here and go over. If you put a wheel off the pavement or even onto a paved shoulder that may have separations, straighten the rig out and bring it to a stop. Don't try to return to the road at speed. Get out of the rig, carefully inspect the site and determine that you can get back on the road without catching or tripping a tire before you move out again. If you do decide to drive it back on, return to the road as slowly as possible and at as shallow an angle as possible. The more steer you put in the easier it is to go over. If it looks too bad, call a wrecker! We are not kidding here, we know that thousands of drivers have gone off the road and come back without rolling the rig, but hundreds of others have also tried and died in the attempt. How big a risk do you want to run for $ 0.25/mile ?
- Treat any load that can move on you like a load of dynamite and drive accordingly.
- DEATH by sloshing: Shippers who insist on running tankers less than 3/4 full are putting you under unnecessary risk.
- Lane changes and similar road maneuvers can roll you, this goes double for double drivers and triple for triple drivers.
Can You Survive a Rollover ?
- Until very recently, there were probably no cabs sold in this country that would not go flat if you put them on their roofs. Stronger cabs are available in Europe, they meet the EEC or Swedish standards, but this doesn't do you any good unless you are reading this in Stockholm. Truck manufacturers have paid plenty to the widows and orphans of dead drivers because of these unsafe cabs.
- Sometimes the trailer or the load will prevent the roof from contacting the ground when you do a 180 degree roll (1/2 turn), you're better off here, but no guarantees. Without a high trailer or load, if you roll 180 degrees or more and put the tractor on its roof it will collapse down to the engine line. Headache racks and cargo barriers will not save you, they're too low and too weak. If you stay in the cab and remain upright you will probably get killed.
- Some drivers have saved themselves by jumping out of the rig before it goes over. This might work for an opposite side roll but it is hard to recommend this technique. If you roll left (same side roll) and you jump or fall out, the rig may rollover on top of you. A number of drivers are killed each year in 90 degree rollovers when they fall out of the cab and the rig rolls over on them. Evidently the door opens and they fall out because they're not belted up. ( Make sure both doors are locked when you're moving.) If you jump out the high side you are in danger of hitting your head on the pavement or suffering some other injury from the fall. This is still probably better than staying upright in the cab IF the rig does a 180 or better. The problem is that you don't know how far its going to roll. A high van will generally prevent you from going all the way over if the van itself survives the ground contact. Flat beds and tankers roll easier and roll farther once the wheels come off the ground.
- If the vehicle is not going over onto its top then you are better off belted up in the cab, but move away from the strike surfaces and watch out for the doors. If it is going over onto its top, GET DOWN IN the CAB. If you get below the hood line you will probably avoid getting killed. This works in conventionals where there's some room. COE drivers should buy lots of life insurance and try as best they can to get down out of the way of the collapsing roof.
- The problem here is the seat belt. You are better off with the belt on in any kind of accident except for a rollover greater than 90 degrees. In this situation the belt may impede your efforts to get down out of the way of the collapsing roof. You may be able to slip out of the shoulder harness or disconnect the belt however. Learn where that buckle is, practice reaching for it with your right hand so you can release it quickly while pulling yourself down with your left hand once you decide to get out of the way. Big rigs don't roll that quickly, you will have some time to act if you are prepared and know what to do.
- When do you start thinking about saving your life and not the rig? By the time the drive axles start to lift, it's too late to make corrections, assume you are going over. Some drivers think they can save a rig when the trailer wheels come off the ground. Maybe you can but there are no guarantees. Remember: STRAIGHT and LEVEL is what you want, its steering and slopes (combined with weight shifts) that pull you over. If you can't straighten it out and level it out quickly, assume you're going over and act accordingly.
1. Trucking is a very dangerous profession, about 600 drivers a year die in highway accidents.
2. Driving certain types of rigs like tankers and flatbeds is probably the most dangerous major occupations in the country.
3. About 55% of all class 8 (semis) driver fatalities occur in rollover accidents.
4. Another 10% occur in fuel oil fires.
( For the latest UMTRI statistics from TIFA -trucks involved in fatal accidents- studies, click below.)
UMTRI 1. ..... UMTRI 2. .... UMTRI 3.
If you avoid these two types of fatal accidents, you can reduce the chances of getting killed on the job by almost 2/3! Here's how:
FIRES:
- Diesel fuel is hard to ignite, but when you've got 100 gallons or so on board it can make a real mess out of the driver and the rig if it catches fire following an accident. Research suggests that a large energy source is required to ignite even warm diesel oil ( the fuel in the tanks is heated by recirculation through the pump).
- You probably can't ignite a large diesel leak -like from a ruptured tank- with sparks or by hot surface ignition (like an exhaust manifold). The most likely ignition source for a fire following a rollover or collision is the battery box. If you short out or crush the batteries following a tank rupture you may get a large fire. If you can't get out of the rig you had better hope the rollover or collision killed you, it'll get real ugly in that cab if you've got a large diesel fire under it.
- So: MOVE the BATTERIES! Put them behind the cab in front of the fifth wheel, or inside the frame rails so that the frame rails protect them- if there is room there. Get a good electrical mechanic to do this for you in either case, and make sure he checks for interference if you decide to put them inside the frame rails. If you can't move the batteries, put a cage around the box, make it out of heavy gage angle iron or steel tubing. Don't weld the cage to the frame rail! This will ruin the heat treatment and the rail will break. Bolt it on. The idea is to prevent the batteries from being crushed and/or shorted out in an accident.
More on Fires:
Go to:
Jackknifing
Brakes
Downhill braking
Rollovers
But First:
We are researching truck accidents, if you or someone you know of has had a rollover or fuel fire accident we would like to talk to you. CALL: TECHNICAL SERVICES 1-800-821-4587, e-mail, or write: P.O.Box 2806, Vancouver, WA 98668. We would like photos, police reports, information about injuries, tractor and trailer info., etc., but contact us with whatever information you have. We can also assist with technical support for investigation or litigation for any accident or crashworthiness case.. Don't hesitate to call or write regardless.
E-mail: ts@e-z.net
to the TECHNICAL SERVICES homepage
.
ROLLOVERS:
1. The Problem:
- Big rigs roll easily. You can put a number on the tendency that a vehicle has to rollover- the higher the better (safer). Full size cars are about 1.3, pickups are 1.1, Jeep type vehicles are 0.8- 1.0. Fully loaded semis are about 0.4 or lower. A half empty tanker with a bad suspension might be 0.15! These numbers are the cornering "g's" required to roll the vehicle. No car can generate 1.3 g's in cornering but your rig can probably generate 0.4 g's going around a corner or in a variety of other maneuvers involving steering. If you go around a curve too fast, you will go over, but you probably already knew this. Here are some things you may not know:
- You can go over in a curve without going to fast for the curve if your rear tires strike something (like a curb) while you're cornering. Articulating vehicles (5th wheel type) with rubber tires outrack when turning above a certain minimum speed, typically 15 mph. This is inherent to the vehicle and not the result of poor driving. Your trailer axle might be 2 feet outside your steering axle if you're pulling a long trailer. Picture this: You're coming down a freeway ramp, turning right ( a right hand curve). Your left front tire might be 1' inside the fog line while your outer left rear tire might be 1' outside the fog line. What's out there to trip you and turn you over?
- You can probably roll your rig at speeds as low as 5 mph, especially on slopes or where a strong tripping influence is present. You can roll backing up if you're jackknifed.
- Many rollovers happen when drivers try to return to the road after putting a tire off the pavement. You can rut in soft ground or catch a pavement separation here and go over. If you put a wheel off the pavement or even onto a paved shoulder that may have separations, straighten the rig out and bring it to a stop. Don't try to return to the road at speed. Get out of the rig, carefully inspect the site and determine that you can get back on the road without catching or tripping a tire before you move out again. If you do decide to drive it back on, return to the road as slowly as possible and at as shallow an angle as possible. The more steer you put in the easier it is to go over. If it looks too bad, call a wrecker! We are not kidding here, we know that thousands of drivers have gone off the road and come back without rolling the rig, but hundreds of others have also tried and died in the attempt. How big a risk do you want to run for $ 0.25/mile ?
- Treat any load that can move on you like a load of dynamite and drive accordingly.
- DEATH by sloshing: Shippers who insist on running tankers less than 3/4 full are putting you under unnecessary risk.
- Lane changes and similar road maneuvers can roll you, this goes double for double drivers and triple for triple drivers.
Can You Survive a Rollover ?
- Until very recently, there were probably no cabs sold in this country that would not go flat if you put them on their roofs. Stronger cabs are available in Europe, they meet the EEC or Swedish standards, but this doesn't do you any good unless you are reading this in Stockholm. Truck manufacturers have paid plenty to the widows and orphans of dead drivers because of these unsafe cabs.
- Sometimes the trailer or the load will prevent the roof from contacting the ground when you do a 180 degree roll (1/2 turn), you're better off here, but no guarantees. Without a high trailer or load, if you roll 180 degrees or more and put the tractor on its roof it will collapse down to the engine line. Headache racks and cargo barriers will not save you, they're too low and too weak. If you stay in the cab and remain upright you will probably get killed.
- Some drivers have saved themselves by jumping out of the rig before it goes over. This might work for an opposite side roll but it is hard to recommend this technique. If you roll left (same side roll) and you jump or fall out, the rig may rollover on top of you. A number of drivers are killed each year in 90 degree rollovers when they fall out of the cab and the rig rolls over on them. Evidently the door opens and they fall out because they're not belted up. ( Make sure both doors are locked when you're moving.) If you jump out the high side you are in danger of hitting your head on the pavement or suffering some other injury from the fall. This is still probably better than staying upright in the cab IF the rig does a 180 or better. The problem is that you don't know how far its going to roll. A high van will generally prevent you from going all the way over if the van itself survives the ground contact. Flat beds and tankers roll easier and roll farther once the wheels come off the ground.
- If the vehicle is not going over onto its top then you are better off belted up in the cab, but move away from the strike surfaces and watch out for the doors. If it is going over onto its top, GET DOWN IN the CAB. If you get below the hood line you will probably avoid getting killed. This works in conventionals where there's some room. COE drivers should buy lots of life insurance and try as best they can to get down out of the way of the collapsing roof.
- The problem here is the seat belt. You are better off with the belt on in any kind of accident except for a rollover greater than 90 degrees. In this situation the belt may impede your efforts to get down out of the way of the collapsing roof. You may be able to slip out of the shoulder harness or disconnect the belt however. Learn where that buckle is, practice reaching for it with your right hand so you can release it quickly while pulling yourself down with your left hand once you decide to get out of the way. Big rigs don't roll that quickly, you will have some time to act if you are prepared and know what to do.
- When do you start thinking about saving your life and not the rig? By the time the drive axles start to lift, it's too late to make corrections, assume you are going over. Some drivers think they can save a rig when the trailer wheels come off the ground. Maybe you can but there are no guarantees. Remember: STRAIGHT and LEVEL is what you want, its steering and slopes (combined with weight shifts) that pull you over. If you can't straighten it out and level it out quickly, assume you're going over and act accordingly.
Trucking History
'The Class A Truckstop' Trucking HistoryBest viewed at 1024 x 768
The first truck to travel from coast-to-coast was a Sauger,
a Swiss built truck which traveled from Los Angeles to New York in 1911.In 1916 the Seattle chamber of commerce paid the expense for a truck to drive from Seattle to NYC. It took 31 days of driving time.
In the 1920's the fifth wheel came along. In 1920 the semitrailer, whose front end rests on the rear portion of the hauling truck tractor, was gaining in popularity. In a semitrailer the truck tractor usually has a disk, known as the fifth wheel, located on a horizontal platform over its rear wheels; a pin located under the front of the trailer locks into this disk, thus attaching the trailer to the tractor and furnishing support for the front end of the trailer.
1935 Motor Carrier Act brought trucking under federal regulations.
The Federal Government spent $75 million on construction & improvement of roads. Logbook rules, the same ones in force today, were developed in the late 1930's. There was less than 15,000 miles of paved highways in the U.S. in 1914. In the 1930's, the number of new trucks registered in the U.S. totaled some 329,000. In 1966, the DOT was created by an act of Congress. The DOT became responsible for safety issues.
In the early 1800's the gasoline engine was invented, it was followed by the first gasoline powered trucks. These trucks did not have any windshields, doors, or roofs, drivers had no protection from the elements. The top speed on these trucks were a whopping 20 mph. These early trucks had a tiller bar instead of a steering wheel. Also, oil lamps were used for night driving instead of headlights.
In the 1950s, diesel fuel cost 14.9 cents per gallon. Conventional trucks in the 1950's sported a hole in the wall to climb in to the unheated bunk, which was nothing more than a shelf on the wall.In the 1950's, refrigerated trailers ran on propane.Trailer lengths started out at 33 feet, gradually increasing through the years.
In the early 1900s, trucks were limited for two reasons, first there weren't very many paved roads, and second, the trucks used solid rubber tires. This type of tire could be used only at low speeds.
A feature developed around the time of WW1 that helped the trucking industry. This was the invention of the pneumatic (air inflated) tire. By 1920 this new tire became more and more popular. With the air inflated tire there was much less wear and tear on vehicles, so higher speeds were possible. The driver had a more comfortable ride.
During WWI trucks became more widespread, when manufactures produced 227,250 trucks to help transport goods for the war effort. Trucking companies such as Michigan Motor Freight, Yellow Freight, and Interstate Motor Freight got their start during this time.
In 1939 Al Gross, founder of the CB, invents the first walkie talky. In 1943 he made the first CB radio. Also in 1943 he began founding the Citizens Band Corporation. In 1958 the FCC introduced the first 23 channels of the Citizen Band.
In 1962 Midland CB Radios introduced into the public market the first CB radio. By 1966 Midland had introduced 21 different mobile CB transceivers. During the early 70’s the oil embargo and the truck strikes pressed the need for the drivers to communicate to the home base and the company that he/she was working for.
In 1977 the FCC introduced an addition 17 channels to make the current 40 channels that are available today. Also, in 1977 the FCC discontinued the license that was needed to operate a CB station. A license is not needed as long as you operate and follow the rules and regulations of the FCC.
The first tilt-cab, or cab-over, truck was built in 1935.
During 1910, production of trucks in the U.S. amounted to about 10,000. In 1916 the Seattle chamber of commerce paid the expense for a truck to drive from Seattle, Washington, to New York City. It took 31 days of actual driving. This trip across country showed people that highways and trucks were going to become an important part of our lives.
Rudolf Diesel had patented the diesel engine in 1892.
The first tractors powered by diesel engines were built in the early 1930s.
In 1912, a Packard truck went from New York to San Francisco in 46 days. This was the year that trucks were first equipped with electric lights. The first commercial vehicle was made in 1899. It was powered by a steam engine.
The first truck to travel from coast-to-coast was a Sauger,
a Swiss built truck which traveled from Los Angeles to New York in 1911.In 1916 the Seattle chamber of commerce paid the expense for a truck to drive from Seattle to NYC. It took 31 days of driving time.
In the 1920's the fifth wheel came along. In 1920 the semitrailer, whose front end rests on the rear portion of the hauling truck tractor, was gaining in popularity. In a semitrailer the truck tractor usually has a disk, known as the fifth wheel, located on a horizontal platform over its rear wheels; a pin located under the front of the trailer locks into this disk, thus attaching the trailer to the tractor and furnishing support for the front end of the trailer.
1935 Motor Carrier Act brought trucking under federal regulations.
The Federal Government spent $75 million on construction & improvement of roads. Logbook rules, the same ones in force today, were developed in the late 1930's. There was less than 15,000 miles of paved highways in the U.S. in 1914. In the 1930's, the number of new trucks registered in the U.S. totaled some 329,000. In 1966, the DOT was created by an act of Congress. The DOT became responsible for safety issues.
In the early 1800's the gasoline engine was invented, it was followed by the first gasoline powered trucks. These trucks did not have any windshields, doors, or roofs, drivers had no protection from the elements. The top speed on these trucks were a whopping 20 mph. These early trucks had a tiller bar instead of a steering wheel. Also, oil lamps were used for night driving instead of headlights.
In the 1950s, diesel fuel cost 14.9 cents per gallon. Conventional trucks in the 1950's sported a hole in the wall to climb in to the unheated bunk, which was nothing more than a shelf on the wall.In the 1950's, refrigerated trailers ran on propane.Trailer lengths started out at 33 feet, gradually increasing through the years.
In the early 1900s, trucks were limited for two reasons, first there weren't very many paved roads, and second, the trucks used solid rubber tires. This type of tire could be used only at low speeds.
A feature developed around the time of WW1 that helped the trucking industry. This was the invention of the pneumatic (air inflated) tire. By 1920 this new tire became more and more popular. With the air inflated tire there was much less wear and tear on vehicles, so higher speeds were possible. The driver had a more comfortable ride.
During WWI trucks became more widespread, when manufactures produced 227,250 trucks to help transport goods for the war effort. Trucking companies such as Michigan Motor Freight, Yellow Freight, and Interstate Motor Freight got their start during this time.
In 1939 Al Gross, founder of the CB, invents the first walkie talky. In 1943 he made the first CB radio. Also in 1943 he began founding the Citizens Band Corporation. In 1958 the FCC introduced the first 23 channels of the Citizen Band.
In 1962 Midland CB Radios introduced into the public market the first CB radio. By 1966 Midland had introduced 21 different mobile CB transceivers. During the early 70’s the oil embargo and the truck strikes pressed the need for the drivers to communicate to the home base and the company that he/she was working for.
In 1977 the FCC introduced an addition 17 channels to make the current 40 channels that are available today. Also, in 1977 the FCC discontinued the license that was needed to operate a CB station. A license is not needed as long as you operate and follow the rules and regulations of the FCC.
The first tilt-cab, or cab-over, truck was built in 1935.
During 1910, production of trucks in the U.S. amounted to about 10,000. In 1916 the Seattle chamber of commerce paid the expense for a truck to drive from Seattle, Washington, to New York City. It took 31 days of actual driving. This trip across country showed people that highways and trucks were going to become an important part of our lives.
Rudolf Diesel had patented the diesel engine in 1892.
The first tractors powered by diesel engines were built in the early 1930s.
In 1912, a Packard truck went from New York to San Francisco in 46 days. This was the year that trucks were first equipped with electric lights. The first commercial vehicle was made in 1899. It was powered by a steam engine.
GOLDEN – While digging a long trench along Interstate 70, Tom Crago knows he's bound to dig up his fair share of bulky boulders.
"It's awful rocky but that's why they call it the Rocky Mountains," said Crago. He is helping to carve a wide space for truckers to take their chains off just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. "We're digging pipe in for what they call chain station," said Crago. The chain station is one of several chain up/chain down areas along I-70 west of Denver that Bernie Guevara with the Colorado Department of Transportations says are being built this winter. "We'll provide locations and places for truck drivers to chain up and also to chain down," said Guevara. Describing their efforts at their annual transportation meeting in Golden, CDOT staff said chain up stations will go from 11 to 18 this winter, giving truckers plenty of room to put on chains safely away from I-70 traffic. "(We'll have) as many as 170 additional truck spaces by the time this is all said and done. We are increasing the existing numbers of spaces by as much as 40 percent," said Guevara. Along with extra chain stations, CDOT says that their courtesy patrol, which picks up stranded motorists, will this year also include truckers who have broken down. "We will be able to provide assistance to the truckers that get stranded on this corridor," said Guevara. CDOT will also be conducting inspections to make sure truckers have chains and are partnering up with a private company to sell chains to those truckers who forgot to bring them into the mountains. "(It's an) independent patrol that will be providing chains to trucks, to truck drivers that end up in this corridor unprepared, they will be able to sell chains," said Guevara. The hope is that by focusing on making it easier for truckers to chain up during snow storms, fewer will get stuck and then close I-70, which can mean long delays and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. "It's $800,000 an hour every time this highway is closed," said Guevara.
"It's awful rocky but that's why they call it the Rocky Mountains," said Crago. He is helping to carve a wide space for truckers to take their chains off just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. "We're digging pipe in for what they call chain station," said Crago. The chain station is one of several chain up/chain down areas along I-70 west of Denver that Bernie Guevara with the Colorado Department of Transportations says are being built this winter. "We'll provide locations and places for truck drivers to chain up and also to chain down," said Guevara. Describing their efforts at their annual transportation meeting in Golden, CDOT staff said chain up stations will go from 11 to 18 this winter, giving truckers plenty of room to put on chains safely away from I-70 traffic. "(We'll have) as many as 170 additional truck spaces by the time this is all said and done. We are increasing the existing numbers of spaces by as much as 40 percent," said Guevara. Along with extra chain stations, CDOT says that their courtesy patrol, which picks up stranded motorists, will this year also include truckers who have broken down. "We will be able to provide assistance to the truckers that get stranded on this corridor," said Guevara. CDOT will also be conducting inspections to make sure truckers have chains and are partnering up with a private company to sell chains to those truckers who forgot to bring them into the mountains. "(It's an) independent patrol that will be providing chains to trucks, to truck drivers that end up in this corridor unprepared, they will be able to sell chains," said Guevara. The hope is that by focusing on making it easier for truckers to chain up during snow storms, fewer will get stuck and then close I-70, which can mean long delays and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. "It's $800,000 an hour every time this highway is closed," said Guevara.
truckers News
TRUCKERS' STORY * USA - More women take the wheel in U.S. trucking industry
Faced with a looming crisis, truck companies want to hire more women to plug the gaps in this male-dominated industry
Des Plaines,Ill,USA -Reuters, by Nick Carey-26 Oct 2007: -- For Carrie Walters and Linda Reynolds, becoming a truck driver was the fulfillment of a childhood dream... The two women spend three weeks on the road at a time in their truck, then three weeks off. Unlike single drivers, teams can drive 24/7 and earn more money. Many long haul drivers can spend months on the road at a time... Today Walters and Reynolds are part of a small but growing minority. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 182,000 or 5.2 percent of the country's 3.5 million truck drivers and similar workers were women, up from 84,000 or 3.5 percent of 2.4 million in 1983... One reason for this is the U.S. trucking industry is suffering from a shortage of qualified drivers from their traditional core demographic of middle-aged white men... According to 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics, truckers earn $36,000 a year on average. But experienced truckers or team drivers like Walters and Reynolds can make up to $60,000 each... (Photo by Nick Carey/Reuters - Linda Reynolds (L) and Carrie Walters give a tour of their truck "Betsy", which they drive on long-haul routes as a team for Con-way Inc, in Des Plaines, Illinois in this picture taken June 28, 2007)
* Celadon boasts 13 percent of its drivers are femaleUSA -Land Line Magazine -October 26, 2007: -- You may have heard that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that just more than 5 percent of the nation’s truck drivers are women – and that’s all types of trucks... But you might be surprised to learn that Celadon – which operates 4,000 tractor-trailers – has a driving work force that is 13 percent female... That’s more than twice the national average...
Faced with a looming crisis, truck companies want to hire more women to plug the gaps in this male-dominated industry
Des Plaines,Ill,USA -Reuters, by Nick Carey-26 Oct 2007: -- For Carrie Walters and Linda Reynolds, becoming a truck driver was the fulfillment of a childhood dream... The two women spend three weeks on the road at a time in their truck, then three weeks off. Unlike single drivers, teams can drive 24/7 and earn more money. Many long haul drivers can spend months on the road at a time... Today Walters and Reynolds are part of a small but growing minority. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 182,000 or 5.2 percent of the country's 3.5 million truck drivers and similar workers were women, up from 84,000 or 3.5 percent of 2.4 million in 1983... One reason for this is the U.S. trucking industry is suffering from a shortage of qualified drivers from their traditional core demographic of middle-aged white men... According to 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics, truckers earn $36,000 a year on average. But experienced truckers or team drivers like Walters and Reynolds can make up to $60,000 each... (Photo by Nick Carey/Reuters - Linda Reynolds (L) and Carrie Walters give a tour of their truck "Betsy", which they drive on long-haul routes as a team for Con-way Inc, in Des Plaines, Illinois in this picture taken June 28, 2007)
* Celadon boasts 13 percent of its drivers are femaleUSA -Land Line Magazine -October 26, 2007: -- You may have heard that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that just more than 5 percent of the nation’s truck drivers are women – and that’s all types of trucks... But you might be surprised to learn that Celadon – which operates 4,000 tractor-trailers – has a driving work force that is 13 percent female... That’s more than twice the national average...
fuel
Daily Fuel Prices by ProMiles®
Fuel Prices Averages For Tuesday, October 30, 2007
State
Tax Rate4th qtr.
Fuel PricesAs of10/30/2007
Ex-Tax Fuel PriceAs of10/30/2007
DifferenceFrom10/29/2007
Fuel PriceAs of10/29/2007
Alabama
0.19
3.105
2.915
0.021
3.084
Arkansas
0.225
3.115
2.89
0.013
3.102
Arizona
0.26
3.215
2.955
0.015
3.2
California
0.367
3.442
3.075
0.017
3.425
Colorado
0.205
3.192
2.987
0.019
3.173
Connecticut
0.37
3.304
2.934
0.045
3.259
Delaware
0.22
3.212
2.992
0
3.212
Florida
0.3057
3.226
2.9203
0.024
3.202
Georgia
0.149
3.13
2.981
0.03
3.1
Iowa
0.225
3.159
2.934
0.018
3.141
Idaho
0.25
3.53
3.28
0.01
3.52
Illinois
0.367
3.249
2.882
0.014
3.235
Indiana
0.16
3.087
2.927
0.016
3.071
Kansas
0.26
3.174
2.914
0.009
3.165
Kentucky
0.166
3.117
2.951
0.027
3.09
Louisiana
0.2
3.08
2.88
0.031
3.049
Massachusetts
0.21
3.292
3.082
0.02
3.272
Maryland
0.2425
3.195
2.9525
0.011
3.184
Maine
0.288
3.334
3.046
0.026
3.308
Michigan
0.304
3.262
2.958
0.027
3.235
Minnesota
0.2
3.228
3.028
0.01
3.218
Missouri
0.17
3.053
2.883
0.014
3.039
Mississippi
0.18
3.05
2.87
0.013
3.037
Montana
0.2775
3.393
3.1155
0.009
3.384
North Carolina
0.297
3.13
2.833
0.011
3.119
North Dakota
0.23
3.327
3.097
0.001
3.326
Nebraska
0.27
3.175
2.905
0.012
3.163
New Hampshire
0.18
3.205
3.025
0.018
3.187
New Jersey
0.175
3.117
2.942
0.017
3.1
New Mexico
0.21
3.107
2.897
0.02
3.087
Nevada
0.27
3.407
3.137
0.013
3.394
New York
0.3685
3.365
2.9965
0.014
3.351
Ohio
0.28
3.216
2.936
0.014
3.202
Oklahoma
0.13
3.038
2.908
0.005
3.033
Oregon
0
3.252
3.252
0.019
3.233
Pennsylvania
0.381
3.299
2.918
0.015
3.284
Rhode Island
0.3
3.319
3.019
0.02
3.299
South Carolina
0.16
3.021
2.861
0.024
2.997
South Dakota
0.22
3.173
2.953
0.016
3.157
Tennessee
0.17
3.063
2.893
0.016
3.047
Texas
0.2
3.096
2.896
0.023
3.073
Utah
0.245
3.41
3.165
0.013
3.397
Virginia
0.175
3.044
2.869
0.022
3.022
Vermont
0.26
3.326
3.066
0.04
3.286
Washington
0.36
3.669
3.309
0.033
3.636
Wisconsin
0.329
3.278
2.949
0.011
3.267
West Virginia
0.315
3.28
2.965
0.027
3.253
Wyoming
0.14
3.169
3.029
0.008
3.161
Column Averages
0.2387
3.221
2.983
0.018
3.204
1. State Tax Rate Changes.
2. Prices Lowered From Yesterday.
3. *States w/Wt. Miles taxes on quarterly or monthly basis, Must prepare individual state tax reports. (ID-10/1 - eliminated .0449/mile; KY-.0285/mile; NM-.04378/mile; NY-.0495/mile; OR-.1316/mile) All per mile figures based on gross wt. #80000 class 8 vehicle.4. The following states have a Fuel Surcharge that is applied to all gallons burned in that jurisdiction and is not paid at the pump but due at the end of that quarter.
Indiana
.110
Kentucky
.076
Ohio
.000
Virginia
.035
Fuel Prices Averages For Tuesday, October 30, 2007
State
Tax Rate4th qtr.
Fuel PricesAs of10/30/2007
Ex-Tax Fuel PriceAs of10/30/2007
DifferenceFrom10/29/2007
Fuel PriceAs of10/29/2007
Alabama
0.19
3.105
2.915
0.021
3.084
Arkansas
0.225
3.115
2.89
0.013
3.102
Arizona
0.26
3.215
2.955
0.015
3.2
California
0.367
3.442
3.075
0.017
3.425
Colorado
0.205
3.192
2.987
0.019
3.173
Connecticut
0.37
3.304
2.934
0.045
3.259
Delaware
0.22
3.212
2.992
0
3.212
Florida
0.3057
3.226
2.9203
0.024
3.202
Georgia
0.149
3.13
2.981
0.03
3.1
Iowa
0.225
3.159
2.934
0.018
3.141
Idaho
0.25
3.53
3.28
0.01
3.52
Illinois
0.367
3.249
2.882
0.014
3.235
Indiana
0.16
3.087
2.927
0.016
3.071
Kansas
0.26
3.174
2.914
0.009
3.165
Kentucky
0.166
3.117
2.951
0.027
3.09
Louisiana
0.2
3.08
2.88
0.031
3.049
Massachusetts
0.21
3.292
3.082
0.02
3.272
Maryland
0.2425
3.195
2.9525
0.011
3.184
Maine
0.288
3.334
3.046
0.026
3.308
Michigan
0.304
3.262
2.958
0.027
3.235
Minnesota
0.2
3.228
3.028
0.01
3.218
Missouri
0.17
3.053
2.883
0.014
3.039
Mississippi
0.18
3.05
2.87
0.013
3.037
Montana
0.2775
3.393
3.1155
0.009
3.384
North Carolina
0.297
3.13
2.833
0.011
3.119
North Dakota
0.23
3.327
3.097
0.001
3.326
Nebraska
0.27
3.175
2.905
0.012
3.163
New Hampshire
0.18
3.205
3.025
0.018
3.187
New Jersey
0.175
3.117
2.942
0.017
3.1
New Mexico
0.21
3.107
2.897
0.02
3.087
Nevada
0.27
3.407
3.137
0.013
3.394
New York
0.3685
3.365
2.9965
0.014
3.351
Ohio
0.28
3.216
2.936
0.014
3.202
Oklahoma
0.13
3.038
2.908
0.005
3.033
Oregon
0
3.252
3.252
0.019
3.233
Pennsylvania
0.381
3.299
2.918
0.015
3.284
Rhode Island
0.3
3.319
3.019
0.02
3.299
South Carolina
0.16
3.021
2.861
0.024
2.997
South Dakota
0.22
3.173
2.953
0.016
3.157
Tennessee
0.17
3.063
2.893
0.016
3.047
Texas
0.2
3.096
2.896
0.023
3.073
Utah
0.245
3.41
3.165
0.013
3.397
Virginia
0.175
3.044
2.869
0.022
3.022
Vermont
0.26
3.326
3.066
0.04
3.286
Washington
0.36
3.669
3.309
0.033
3.636
Wisconsin
0.329
3.278
2.949
0.011
3.267
West Virginia
0.315
3.28
2.965
0.027
3.253
Wyoming
0.14
3.169
3.029
0.008
3.161
Column Averages
0.2387
3.221
2.983
0.018
3.204
1. State Tax Rate Changes.
2. Prices Lowered From Yesterday.
3. *States w/Wt. Miles taxes on quarterly or monthly basis, Must prepare individual state tax reports. (ID-10/1 - eliminated .0449/mile; KY-.0285/mile; NM-.04378/mile; NY-.0495/mile; OR-.1316/mile) All per mile figures based on gross wt. #80000 class 8 vehicle.4. The following states have a Fuel Surcharge that is applied to all gallons burned in that jurisdiction and is not paid at the pump but due at the end of that quarter.
Indiana
.110
Kentucky
.076
Ohio
.000
Virginia
.035
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)