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.
 

Finally - Retail Imports to Increase 8.5 Percent in February After Ports Contract Deal Reached

With a tentative contract deal reached with East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers – though a key West Coast agreement remains unsettled – import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 8.5 percent in February over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“We were very happy to see a deal on a tentative contract for the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, but we are urging the parties to quickly work out any outstanding issues and ratify the agreement as soon as possible,” says Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “We need a long-term labor contract in place to give retailers and the other industries that depend on the ports confidence that cargo will continue flowing. We were disappointed that the LA/Long Beach clerical workers’ contract wasn’t ratified, but are encouraging the parties to work through their differences without a disruption.”

The International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance reached tentative agreement February 1 on a contract that avoided a strike that could have shut down East Coast and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas. The agreement is subject to reaching supplemental local agreements and ratification by union members. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s Local 63 Office Clerical Unit voted down a tentative agreement with the Harbor Employers Association that ended an eight-day strike at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in November and December 2012.

U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.32 million twenty-foot equivalent units in December, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 2.8 percent from November and up 8 percent from December 2011.

Read more here.

Carriers Failing to Match Capacity

Despite attempts by carriers to pull capacity from east-west trade routes, significantly weaker cargo volumes have limited the success of their attempts to lift freight rates for any sustainable periods, according to Drewry Maritime Research's latest Container Forecaster report.

Since the huge overnight success of the March 2012 general rate increases (GRI) implemented by shipping lines to bring rate levels back above break-even, there have been a further seven attempts to lift rates – equating to a total of around $2,800-$3,000 per FEU on the Asia-to-North Europe trade. During this period, average headhaul freight rates have actually declined from about $2,700 in early March to $2,400 as of early January 2013.

While this is not a disaster for the carriers, it proves that there is a fundamental weakness in the market compounded by low volumes on the back of a non-existent peak season last year. Coupled with a marked reluctance by carriers to pull enough capacity, particularly in the Asia-Mediterranean trade, average headhaul load factors have remained in the 75-percent to 85-percent range for most of the second half of 2012 and the strategy of missing sailings has proved to be insufficient to lift freight rates for any sustainable period. With another 40 ships of at least 10,000 TEU due for delivery this year, carriers will have a very difficult time deploying them without doing further damage to the supply/demand balance. Operational alliances across virtually all global trade lanes will certainly increase.

Read more here.

This story is just nuts!

$300,000 truckload of walnuts stolen between California, Florida

LOS MOLINOS, Calif. — Authorities are investigating the theft of more than 80,000 pounds of walnuts from Northern California valued at about $300,000. The Tehama County Sheriff's Office received a call from a freight brokerage firm on Friday reporting that a truckload of walnuts never arrived in Miami as they were supposed to.

Authorities believe the culprit is the same person who also picked up another load of walnuts days earlier from Los Molinos. Those walnuts were intended for Texas, but also disappeared.

Deputies tell the Record Searchlight of Redding (http://bit.ly/S8mOY9) the man who picked those walnuts up was not the person hired for the job. They have not identified the suspect although they do have a suspect description.

ReedTMS is hiring!

Reed Transport is currently hiring to fill openings at its Florida location. The opening is an entry-level position and the ideal candidate is a recent college graduate. This operational position is in a fast-paced, customer service focused environment in the dynamic transportation services industry. Industry knowledge is not required or expected. Goal of the position is to learn the industry through detailed training and develop relationship and sales skills, with opportunities to grow into a Senior Logistics Coordinator role or internal/external sales role.

Candidate must be goal oriented, self-motivated and possess strong negotiation skills. Outgoing personality and competitive attitude is a must. Familiarity with Microsoft and related software is a plus.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required.

Visit their website for more information and how to apply!

www.ReedTMS.com

Diesel, Gasoline Prices Rise Again

Diesel prices rose again last week, with the U.S. Department of Energy reporting a national average of $3.85, up 5.4 cents from last week, while gasoline price surged by 13.7 cents per gallon.

Diesel prices topped the $4 mark in California, where the average price was up 5.6 cents to $4.023, driving overall West Coast prices to an average of $3.959. The lowest prices were in the Gulf Coast region at $3.752. Prices rose in every region of the country.

Gasoline prices are on the rise as well; the average price rose in every region of the country except the Rocky Mountain region. The national average is $3.645, up 13.7 cents over the previous week. The jump was driven by a more than a quarter-per-gallon hike in the Midwest region to $3.772.

Future prices for light, sweet crude for September delivery rose 80 cents, or 0.9%, to settle at $92.20 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Monday, the highest settlement price since July 19. Crude oil future prices have risen nearly 20% since hitting a low of $77.69 in late June.
Story from truckinginfo.com

Toll discount bill passes House, but not a done deal

A bill designed to give local commuters a toll discount while making truckers and out-of-towners foot the bill has passed the U.S. House. While the intent of the bill is noble in an ongoing battle over excessive tolls, highway user groups say it ignores the negative consequences the action could have on interstate commerce, tourism and the economy.

HR897, which was introduced more than a year ago by U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, R-NY, aimed to give Staten Island residents a break from excessive bridge tolls. The bill passed by voice vote in the House on Wednesday, Aug. 1.

Greg Cohen, president of the American Highway Users Alliance, says the idea of cutting people a break on tolls is one thing, but the bill has far broader consequences in the way it is written.

“The language of the bill is drafted so broadly as to give the green light to any state or private tolling entity that wants to create separate tiers of pricing based on the residency of the drivers,” Cohen told Land Line.

I like the general idea of the bill. There is a toll road that makes my morning commute much more pleasant, but I rarely take it because I'd end up spending over $500 a year in tolls! I think locals should get a break. Tourists plan on spending money and won’t mind the one-time charge. But it can definitely take a toll on daily commuters, no pun intended. The part I disagree with is that truck drivers will also face higher tolls. Although they may not be daily commuters, they are just trying to do their job and with the rises cost of transportation, they have enough to worry about! What do you think?

Read the full story here.

Diesel, Gasoline, Oil Prices Spike This Week

The average U.S. price of both diesel and gasoline rose this week, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Also, oil prices climbed for a fourth day this week.

The price of diesel rose 1.2 cents to $3.695 per gallon. The only region to experience a fall in prices was the Rocky Mountain region. Diesel prices are down 22.8 cents from one year ago.

Gasoline prices rose 1.6 cents to $3.427 per gallon. However, the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and West Coast less California regions all experienced price decreases. Gas prices are down 25.5 cents from this time last year.

Oil prices have risen four consecutive days this week in hopes that the Federal Reserve will take more steps to boost the economy, reports the Associated Press.

Benchmark U.S. crude on Monday rose $1.33 to end at $88.43 per barrel in New York, while Brent crude rose by $1.95 to finish at $103.37 per barrel in London.

The Federal Reserve is considering a new strategy to boost consumer spending, and analysts are anticipating that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will speak on this when he addresses Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. As consumers spend more and the economy strengthens, demand for oil is likely to rise.

For more information: www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel

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 

Diesel particulate pollution down 50%, CARB says

We’ve all heard about the negative effects of pollution on the atmosphere (global warming) and the health risks as well. Many industries are doing their part to help in the ways they can. One thing the trucking world is doing to help is to try to control emissions of their diesel trucks. Although some companies are slower to adapt than others, the trend is a positive one. The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB, goals include attaining and maintaining healthy air quality; protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants; and providing innovative approaches for complying with air pollution rules and regulations.

The chemicals that are the main focus are: black carbon (the black soot portion of health-damaging fine particle pollution), methane (the primary constituent of natural gas and also emitted by livestock) and hydrofluorocarbons (industrial chemicals used in refrigeration and air conditioning).

These chemicals tend to have strong and immediate global warming influences. Actions to reduce emissions of these short-lived climate pollutants will produce a relatively rapid reduction in their contribution to climate change.

California has been addressing fine particle pollution from diesel engines over the past 10 years, and findings presented last week indicated a 50 percent reduction of these compounds in ambient air over the past 20 years. I’m happy to say that all TMS Logistics trucks, a ReedTMS company, are CARB approved and we’re doing our part to help control harmful gas emissions. Let hope more fleet owners get on board and leave the world a better place than we came into it.

Read more here.

CVSA's Roadcheck 2012 Set for June 5-7, delays in service expected

About 10,000 federal, state, provincial and local truck and bus inspectors will fan out at more than 1,500 locations from June 5-7 across North America for the annual "Roadcheck" inspections on commercial vehicles.

During the 72-hour event, inspectors will conduct comprehensive North American Standard Level I Inspections, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said Tuesday.

This year's focus will be on vehicle brake systems and preventing driver fatigue by conducting hours-of-service compliance checks, said CVSA, which represents law enforcement personnel who conduct truck safety inspections in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Maryland State Police will host the Roadcheck kickoff event to underscore the importance of comprehensive driver and vehicle safety inspections of trucks and buses and on enforcing safety belt use.

Read more here.

March Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Exceeds $85 Billion for First Time

There was so much arguing when they planned to comply with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that our country agreed to back in 1994. Would foreign truck drivers have to follow U.S. laws? Would the U.S. pay for electronic HOS devices on foreign trucks? Would foreign truck drivers be able to stay here forever? Would foreign drivers steal business that could be given to U.S. companies? There were and still are many unanswered questions. But the idea seems to be – the agreement was a good one.

Surface trade between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners, Canada and Mexico, was 6.2% higher in March 2012 than in March 2011, totaling $85.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. March 2012 was the highest month for NATFA trade value since collection of data began in 1994, exceeding $85 billion for the first time and topping the previous record of $80.8 billion in March 2011.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in March increased by 88.2% compared to March 2002, a period of 10 years. Imports in March were up 76.1% since March 2002, while exports were up 104.5%.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade in March 2012 both increased compared to March 2011 with U.S.-Canada trade reaching $50.1 billion, a 2.9% increase, and U.S.-Mexico trade reaching $35.7 billion, an 11.2% increase.

More exports are leaving giving the U.S. more money and we are able to import more goods thus reducing prices of goods in the U.S. Overall, the outlook is positive… only time will tell if the trend continues. Hopefully it does.

Read more here

Inside sales associate needed at Reed Transport

Reed Transport is currently seeking applications from self-motivated, dedicated personnel with experience or interest in the diverse transportation and logistics industry. Primary duties include: Assisting in lead identification, initial lead contact and qualification and development of lead throughout process up to closing of new business.  Heavy phone based sales position with potential to grow into multiple roles within growing business (outside sales, operations coordinator/manager, inside sales manager or account manager).

Our employees are part of a growing, dynamic, entrepreneurial business that offers above market compensation packages including:

·         Competitive base pay

·         Incentive driven bonus plans

·         Company performance bonus plans

·         Retirement plan

·         Health, dental, vision and other benefits

·         Lunches and beverages

·         Employee outings

For more information on Reed Transport: www.reedtms.com

For information about the position: http://www.reedtms.com/Careers-ReedTMSLogistics.php

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.

Reed Transport now on Freight Friend

Reed Transport has recently redone the way carriers view available loads. Carriers can now view our load board online at Freight Friend. Freightfriend.com is a FREE load and truck posting website where freight companies and shippers select who can see their postings by inviting their transportation partners as “friends.” Freightfriend.com is a full-featured load and truck posting service, providing the most intuitive approach to posting, searching and matching freight with available equipment. Please take a moment to sign up and start exchanging your truck and lane information with us today. Be sure to send Reed Transport a friend request once you sign up!

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

The economy continues to recover

Given that transportation more than 10% of the national GDP, it’s no surprise that as we continue to see trucking rise, the economy is rising with it. Manufactured goods as well as petroleum and coal are on the rise. Unfortunately, nothing so far this year has been consistent. January new orders for manufactured durable goods declined 3.7%, and new orders for nondurable goods rose 1.3%. Flatter rates indicate a sluggish economy and adequate capacity. Fuel costs have risen, but total spending does not seem to reflect this increase, and some think this has to do with fuel rising. Some experts conclude that carriers have eased up on base rates to compensate for higher fuel charges.

So although transportation and the economy are on their steady path to recovery, an immediate turnaround is unlikely. Unemployment is dropping but consumers are still spending their biggest share of their paychecks on necessities. We can only hope that transportation will continue to rise despite the cost of fuel and will continue to help grow the over economy.

Read more here: http://truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76287

Are you always sleepy?

A poll came out today stating that when asked how they sleep the night before they work, 44% of truck drivers say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep. Reading that alone I thought, oh that can’t be good! They’re on the roads all day and they got a poor night’s sleep?? But the study also said that 42% of non-transportation workers had the same response. I felt this number was extremely high. Are there really that many people with sleep problems?

Personally, I sleep just fine the majority of the time. After waking up at 6:30am for a run with my dogs, working 8-9 hour days, hitting the gym most evenings, cooking for my family and straightening up the house (yes, a daily chore) I don’t have the energy to do anything. I fall asleep within 30 minutes and sleep just fine until my alarm goes off and I do it all over again. The busier my day, the better I sleep. I think many people who have trouble sleeping could solve the problem themselves by adding in more physical exercise. When thinking of a truck driver, if you’re just lounging around relaxing in your house because you know you have to work the next day, it’s not surprising you can’t sleep. Your body wants to know why you’re sleeping. You didn’t do anything to need so much rest!

Check out all the poll results here: http://truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76227&news_category_id=6

A Small Thing to Help Fuel Economy

Now I know everyone is depressed about the way gas prices have been climbing, so I wanted to share this article I read recently to slightly counteract that. Now many of us have heard before that tire pressure can also affect fuel economy, but I never knew by how much. I always figured it was something that was a pain to maintain and only saved me $50 a year. Well I was very wrong..

The article said that the program goals were to assess the cost/benefit, to determine if the systems could influence maintenance intervals in a positive way and to determine their impact on performance and safety. It went on to explain how they saw an increase in fuel economy in both fleets of 1.4%, which seems small but is a big deal! Based on current fuel costs [about $4.00/gal] and equipment costs of about $1,500 per tractor-trailer unit, the ROI comes in under one year!!

Steers tires also saw an improvement in tread wear of 5/32 per million miles and trailer tires saw an improvement of almost 2/32 on an inch per million miles. The drive tires, however, improved by nearly 30/32 per million miles. The test was a very positive experience for both fleets.

So although it seems like a minor thing, it can make a huge impact in the long run! Read the full article here: http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=76201