I-75 South in Pasco closed after trucks crash

Update: Due to the damage to the road, the southbound lanes are expected to remain closed until at least 6 p.m., troopers said. Asphalt must be replaced.

Southbound traffic on Interstate 75 in Pasco County is shut down this morning after a fiery crash involving a semitrailer and dump truck near State Road 56.

Neither driver was injured, troopers said.

Southbound lanes are expected to remain closed until noon, troopers said.

Motorists will be diverted onto State Road 54 (exit 279). Traffic south of that exit and north of the crash will be diverted back to State Road 54 or southbound on the shoulder to State 56 to exit.

Other motorists should avoid roads in the area.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 6:30 a.m.

According to investigators, the tractor-trailer was traveling south in the outside lane of I-75 in a construction zone, where it collided with a crash attenuator, troopers said.

The collision caused the truck to partially jackknife and collide with the center median guardrail, troopers said.

The dump truck, traveling behind the tractor-trailer, was unable to stop or avoid a collision, striking the rear of the tractor-trailer, troopers said.

Both drivers were able to exit their vehicles before a fire erupted on the tractor-trailer.

The tractor-trailer, operated by Pat Salmon & Sons of Jacksonville, was transporting mail, troopers said.
 

Lucky Corvette driver survives trailer crash that experts call too common

A fortunate Chevy Corvette Z06 driver in California last week came away from a horrifying crash with only a few scrapes and a story he'll never forget after smashing into the rear of a semi trailer — exactly the kind of crash that a new report says results in death too often, due to lax standards for the trailer guards that are supposed to protect drivers.

This accident, caught by the Los Angeles Fire Department on Interstate 405, wasn't fatal thanks to the Corvette driver ducking just as his car rammed into the rear of the moving van. As the pictures from the department's Flickr page show, the Vette was destroyed by the impact, as the car dove under the trailer nearly into its rear axle. In the photo above, you can see the trailer guard jutting from the wreckage of the Corvette, which it sliced like a mandoline.

Those underride guards are mandated by the United States and Canada on all semitrailers to help prevent such accidents, and according to new research from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, they usually do a better job of stopping cars. Such crashes claimed 280 lives in the United States in 2011, the most recent data available, and by the IIHS' reckoning, most were due to cars sliding under trailers.

But the IIHS says those guards perform far worse when a vehicle strikes them off-center. To demonstrate, it staged several crash tests using parked trailers from eight manufacturers and 2010 Chevy Malibus ramming them at 35 mph. All passed the full-on tests, and seven of eight successfully handled crashes where the car hit just one half of the trailer.

FMCSA Announces Steps to Reduce GPS-Caused Bridge Strikes

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will begin issuing official recommendations to members of the commercial trucking industry on the proper uses of Global Positioning System navigation devices and incorporate GPS training into new entry-level certification programs for commercial motor vehicle operators.

This means that commercial drivers will be trained, and reminded, to only use GPS systems designed specifically for the industry.  These specialized units take into account the specifics of the truck they're in, including the height, weight and contents, and will then route the trucks onto appropriate roads. The consumer GPS units too often being used are frequently routing trucks onto inappropriate roads, causing them to crash into low overpasses and bridges.

In September, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Department of Transportation to investigate the dramatic increase in low bridge strikes by commercial trucks across New York State as a result of the growing use of GPS by drivers. According to reports from local police organizations, GPS-related bridge strikes in New York represent over 80% of all such accidents. Schumer has been working with the DOT on investigating this problem and, alongside FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro, announced that major steps are being taken to address GPS-related bridge strikes.

Read more here.

Semi driver kidnapped, truck stolen

Police are investigating after a trucker was kidnapped on Highway 301 and driven blindfolded to a location in Baker County. Tuesday around 3:30 a.m. deputies with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office were called to the Baker County Sheriff's Office. When officers arrived they learned the victim, a semi driver, had been at the Pilot truck stop on Highway 301 to get fuel for his semi-truck and snacks from the nearby Chevron station. The victim was scheduled to drop off a load of deli foods to the Publix Supermarket Company.

A gunman pulled the victim by his shirt to over to the semi-truck.  The victim repeatedly asked the men to take his money and leave his truck.  They demanded the keys to his truck and his money.  The suspects then tied the victim's hands and feet and picked him up, placing him in the sleeper cab area of the truck. The men then drove the victim away from the gas station at gunpoint with the Ford Mustang following behind.

Eventually the truck stopped and the men took the victim out of the truck's cab, placing him on the floor of an empty storage building. Once he heard the truck leave, the victim was able to break the ropes tying his feet and rubbed his head on the storage building's floor to remove the shirt still covering his face.

Police are still looking for the three men and the stolen tractor-trailer.  The semi-truck is a black 2000 Freightliner, described as having grey fenders and a sleeper cab.

The woman the victim encountered in the parking lot prior to being kidnapped is described as being a white woman, 19-22 years of age, 100-120 pounds, approximately 5 feet two inches tall, with blonde hair.  She was wearing blue jeans and a white tank top at the time.

The black man who was walking with the female is described as being between the age of 20 and 25, 6' tall, weighed about 160 pounds and was wearing brown pants and a white shirt.

The other two suspects were described as being black males, between the ages of 30 and 35.  One was said to be wearing a grey tank top, was bald or balding and weighed between 140 and 150 pounds.  The other was said to be between 200 and 220 pounds, was approximately 5'10" tall, had short, low hair and was wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt and black Reebok tennis shoes.

If you know anything that may help lead police to the location of the tractor-trailer of the suspects you are asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500.

To remain anonymous you may call First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.  You could be eligible to receive a cash reward.

Read more here 

Maryland I-895 Summer Bridge Work to Cause Major Delays

The Maryland Transportation authority is warning drivers that a repair project on the I-895 "K-truss" bridge over CSX Transportation, between Exit 8 and Exit 7, south of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel toll plaza, will cause major delays this summer.

The repair project is scheduled to begin on June 20, with an expected completion in October. Construction to rehabilitate the bridge deck will be completed in four stages, with an eight-week duration of continuous (24/7) single-lane closures in one or both directions. Work will also take place Saturdays starting at noon (southbound) and Sundays starting at 4 p.m. (northbound).

Motorists should anticipate major delays, especially during morning and evening rush hours and weekend peak-travel periods. MAT suggests using I-95 and I-695 (Francis Scott Key Bridge) as alternate routes to I-895.

For more information, click here.

Story from truckinginfo.com

Road condition update for drivers

I-70 Bridge to Detour Drivers During Summer and Next Year

For 12 months starting in November and for several weekends this summer, construction on Interstate 70's Blanchette Bridge over the Missouri River, between St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo., at mile marker 230, will detour westbound I-70 traffic. Due to the construction, commercial motor vehicle drivers are urged to take a detour, using I-270 and Mo. 370 as an alternate route.

Between now and November, smaller weekend projects will close multiple lanes of I-70 near the bridge. These weekends, the the Missouri Department of Transportation says, are a good opportunity for drivers to get used to the detour route. Although the detour adds five miles to the route, it is expected to shave several minutes off of travel time compared to driving through the narrow work zones.

That work is scheduled for the weekends of June 22-24, June 29-July 1 and July 21-23. The dates are subject to change due to weather or supply issues.

The weekend of July 13-25 on the east end of the bridge, two lanes of I-70 will close in each direction as crews build crossover lanes in the median. In early November, the crossover will be put to use as the current westbound bridge is closed.

To learn more about the project, go to www.modot.org/blanchettebridge. Drivers can sign up for MODOT email updates on the bridge project and detours.

Put the phone down!

Although it was already against the law for truck drivers to use their cell phones while driving, many states don’t have the same law for regular commuters. I have to say I don’t quite understand why the FMSCA thought it was a good idea to ban cell phone use for truck drivers but some states have yet to implement the law on everyone else, but I digress.

It came out a few days ago that Alabama is now the 38^th state to prohibit texting behind the wheel. The new law signed by Gov. Robert Bentley takes effect on Aug. 1, and violators will be fined $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for a third or subsequent offense. Pretty cheap tickets for such a dangerous act, but it’s a start. Just like speeding tickets, I’m sure it will rise over time.

The thing that worries me is how do you catch someone? Of course if you’re driving and someone rear-ends you and openly admits they were on their phone they can get a ticket, but what about everything else? Are police just supposed to look at drivers on the road and see if their phones are out? And I have a bad feeling that this could make it worse.. People who text and drive generally hold their phone right in front of their face so they can glance back and forth from the phone to the road quickly. Stupid yes, but painfully obvious their texting to passersby. Simply making it a new law may prevent some drivers from texting, but what will the others do? They will now hide their phones in their lap so you can’t see what they’re doing – it will just look like their looking down. But if they’re looking down, then they have even more ground to cover from their lap back to the road in front of them.

Personally, I think they should ban ALL cell phone use while on the road and you can only talk if you have a hands-free set. That way there is no discretion and it becomes more difficult to hide what you’re doing. Have your phone out when you’re driving = ticket. The changing of technology has to mean the changing of roadway laws. We should want our roads as safe as possible, and cell phones have no place in a driver’s hands.

Drinking and driving

We’ve all heard it time and time again, don’t drink and drive. It's a simple concept. If you drink alcohol, call a cab. It’s really not rocket science. But too many times someone will think of some completely illogical reason they need to get behind the wheel after they’ve had a few. Some excuses I’ve heard:

1.       It’s not that far, I can definitely make it.

2.       I have no cash for a cab.

3.       I need my car first thing in the morning, so I can’t take a cab.

4.       I’ll just drive really slow.

5.       I only had a few, I’m 95% sober.

6.       It won’t happen to me, I’ll be fine.

7.       There are not even any cops out tonight/on the side of town/looking at me.

8.      My car will be towed if I leave it overnight.

And the excuses go on and on. It seems that constantly there are stories in the news about a drunk driver that killed someone, destroyed public property, caused never ending traffic backups, and even killed themselves. But for some reason, certain people drink and drive. Even worse are those who actually plan to drink and drive! They go to the bars and try to keep their drinking to a "reasonable" limit and then drive home. It’s insane and completely irresponsible.

I get it. You think you’re invincible or just super special and nothing bad will ever happen to you. Well give it time, it’ll be you eventually.  The only system that I have found that works is planning on not having a car to begin with. If you take a cab there, then the problem is always solved. You have to figure out a way to get the cash for the cab, you’ll have your car in the morning, you won’t have to try to monitor your alcohol intake and you will NEVER get a dui. Granted, you’re still not safe... although you’re in a cab, the jerk next to you thinks he’s invincible and just got in his car…

Spread the word. Plan ahead – Take a cab – Don’t drink and drive.

Click here for more reasons not to drink and drive.

Should there be an age limit on driving?

Everyone has thought about it. Should the DMV take away your license at a certain age or should it be a case-by-case situation? Personally, I don’t know what’s worse, 100 year-old drivers or 16 year-old drivers who can’t put their cell phones down. I can’t say I believe that once you turn a certain age the DMV simply revokes your license, but I am in favor of some sort of continuing education in place for all drivers as there is for many professions. If every five years you had to retake a driving test, I think we’d all be better off. Personally, I like to think I’m a good driver, but that’s not the problem. It’s about the hundreds of people I pass on a daily basis that worry me…

Driving is difficult when you stop and think about it. Check the traffic ahead, the traffic around you, in your side mirrors, rearview mirrors, check for pedestrians, bikers, debris in the road, speed limits, speed limit changes, construction zones, trains, semi-trucks, motorcycles, red lights, stop-and-go traffic, turn signal-go left, turn signal-go right, head lights, parking lights, backing up, parallel parking, angled parking, straight in parking, and the list goes on and on.

My point is if every few years, everyone was required to undergo some sort of written and driving test it would only help. More jobs are created at the DMV, more drivers keep their driving knowledge fresh, and when people don’t bother doing it, the county would get more money for in tickets and fees. Yes, we ALL hate the DMV and I am no exception. But you know what I hate more than the DMV? Getting hit by someone who shouldn’t have a valid license to begin with.

Click here for a good read to add in the debate.

Some roads will get money for much-needed repairs

The government is seeing the need to repair many of our nation’s roadways, mostly due to natural disasters. The Department of Transportation is allocating $62 million to repair numerous roadways and bridges. Although how the money will be spread out is still up for debate, some of the money already has a home. Some of the winners are: Alaska - $11.9 million to repair flood damages, Alabama: $1.8 million for sinkhole damages, South Carolina: $3.8 million for bridge damage and Washington: $5.8 million for landslide damage and another $8.6 million for storm damage.   

This is definitely a good plan by the government. Roads are vital to any community’s survival. If you can’t travel, there could potentially be serious problems. Being in Florida, I have seen many roads ruined by hurricanes mostly due to flooding and it’s very frustrating and sometimes downright impossible to get around. And many towns simply don’t have the money to hire local contractors to repair major damages. So kootoes to the government for helping out.

Read the full story here

New challenges to hour changes

I want to keep everyone up-to-date on the new changes in the hour limitation for drivers. Found this article and it’s definitely a good read. Everyone needs to be aware of the changes and how it will affect your business rates and time restrictions from pickup to delivery.

Nasstrac Joins HOS Legal Battle

Nasstrac, the National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, has joined in the legal efforts to challenge a lawsuit regarding reduced daily driving hours for truckers, reports the Journal of Commerce.

The organization is intervening in a court appeal, brought by consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen and other groups, to reduce driving time for truck drivers to 10 hours a day. Public Citizen is challenging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration because the agency did not cut driving time in its new rules.

Nasstrac argues that reducing driver hours wouldn't combat fatigue and that truck accident fatalities have dropped since the 11-hour limit was initiated in 2004.

The group joins the American Trucking Associations, which also filed an appeal. ATA is challenging the 34-hour "restart" rule that could keep some drivers off-duty longer between workweeks. While ATA wants to revise the 34-hour restart, Public Citizen wants to kill it entirely. The U.S. Court of Appeals has consolidated ATA's appeal with the Public Citizen lawsuit.

The FMCSA's rule goes into effect July 2013.

The Power of Proper Trip Planning

The key to becoming a successful driver is trip planning. In the present economic environment with the skyrocketing price of diesel, trip planning has gained an added importance. To be successful as a driver, you'll always want to carefully plan out your trip so that you can get the required rest and arrive early.

There are several key factors involved in proper trip planning. The driver must calculate time to travel the required distance for the load to include all dead head miles. The driver must also calculate available hours to drive so that he/she can complete the load legally within the DOT regulations. Several other factors to consider are the times for the pick and delivery of the load, traffic patterns through major cities as well as the weather to name a few.

Trip planning involves taking the entire miles for the trip and dividing it by a reasonable mile per hour rate. Also a driver will not be able to maintain the maximum speed limits in most states due to geographical limits.

Another factor that has to be considered for over the road truck drivers is time zones. If you're traveling west from the New York to Los Angeles, Ca. you'll actually gain three hours because of the time zones. Likewise traveling back east you'll loss three hours.

So to properly trip plan a load you'll have to include all of these factors and along with several others. Distance, time, weather, speed, traveling conditions and most importantly rest. Yes considering how much rest you've had or need is another thing you must factor into trip planning if you plan to succeed. Fatigue is one of the major problems that effect truck drivers, especially when it comes to performing their jobs in a safe and successful manner.

Every day on the road is different and no one set of guidelines can cover every possibility. To be successful as a professional truck driver you'll want to always be on time for both your pick ups and deliveries so you don't have to waste valuable time sitting.

Blurb taken from an article by Steven Easley. Read the full article here:

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-power-proper-trip-planning-professional-1705427.html

More controversy over driver’s hours

First they complained about the proposed change. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was going to cut the amount of hours a driver could drive in a day from 11 to 10. There was uproar. Business owners nationwide claimed they wouldn’t be able to function. They’d have to hire more drivers, pay customers more money, miss delivery dates, etc. Then the ATA sued saying the referential agency who promoted an advantage to the change overstated the safety benefits of the new rule, and that the costs outweigh the claimed benefits. No one seemed to be happy about it. So the FMCSA axed the rule. The decided they wouldn’t make a change and leave the hours at 11. And guess what? More people are unhappy..

Highway safety groups along with two unidentified truck drivers filed suit seeking judicial review of the FMCSA. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen and the Truck Safety Coalition object to FMCSA not reducing the driving day to 10 hours from 11. They claim the FMCSA “had no data to support” increasing truck driving time to 11 hours in 2004, from the previous 10 . And so the debate continues back and forth. Where do you stand?

Read for the change here: http://www.truckersnews.com/groups-sue-over-hours-rule/

Read against the change here: http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76087

Back That Thang Up

With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, car driving safety has become extremely important. In 2009, there were close to 34,000 highway deaths.

I want to take a minute to talk about one of the most common problems associated with driving - hitting/backing into an inanimate object.

According to the National Safety Council, one of out four vehicle accidents can be blamed on poor backing techniques.

It happens so often. You’re backing out of a parking spot not even thinking and—SMASH! You back right into a shopping cart. The majority of the time these types of accidents are completely avoidable. Here are a few minor precautions you can take to avoid backing into someone or something.

Þ Get to know your vehicles blind spots. Remember that mirrors can never give the whole picture when backing up.

Þ Think in advance. Don’t put yourself into unnecessary backing situation.

Þ Park defensively. Chose easy-exit parking spaces that don’t crowd neighboring vehicles.

Þ Every backing situation is new and different. Even when visiting the same place repeatedly, be watchful of changes and new obstacles.

Þ Use a spotter. Have someone else help you and give hand signals to help with backing up.

Þ Do a walk-around. When in doubt, get out of the vehicle and completely walk around it. Walking around a vehicle can give a firsthand view of the backing area and any limitations. Check for children, soft or muddy areas, potholes, tire hazards and other dangers. Remember GOAL! Get Out And Look!

For here driving safety tips click here http://www.carinsurancequotes.net/resources/car-driving-safety-tips/

ROAD RAGE!

Driving on the road you see all types of drivers: the Sunday driver, the road rage driver and even the lollygagger in the fast lane. Personally, my mood normally dictates how fast or slow I drive. I’d like to take a minute and talk about the most hated driver on the road – Mr. Road Rage.

You know exactly who this driver is. He speeds for no apparent reason, tailgates anyone who isn’t going 95MPH, and will honk and flash his lights if he gets stuck between cars. I’d like point out a few obvious things that many impatient drivers seem to forget. Semi-truck drivers have HUGE blind spots all over! When you tailgate the back of a semi, he cannot see you at all. He is completely unaware anyone is behind him! Slow down and back up a bit. And come on, where’s the fire? There is no reason to be that close to the back of a semi. And obviously it is very dangerous!

Aside from the back blind spot - semi-trucks are so massive their blind spot on the side is just as large! It’s unlikely they will even see you gaining speed then whipping around to get in front. And what if traffic stops? Did you know it takes a semi-truck travelling 65MPH ¾ of a mile to come to a complete stop!?!! Granted, the brakes in your tiny Beemer may be able to stop on a dime, but the semi that you just cut off is going to plow through you!  I know we all get impatient or run late from time-to-time, but take a deep breath and think about it. Being five minutes late and driving safe is far better than risking your life driving like a Mad Man through traffic over a clock.