Truck Driver Frees Severely Injured Children from Crashed Minivan

Truck driver Jason Harte of Rogers, Ark., has been named a Truckload Carriers Association Highway Angel for freeing children trapped in a minivan after a severe crash. Harte is a lease purchase operator for Sammons Trucking of Missoula, Mont.

On July 16, Harte was traveling on I-80 just east of Wamsutter, Wyo., when he saw a cloud of dust in the distance. As he approached the area, he saw that a pickup truck (later estimated to be going 75-80 mph) had pushed a minivan off the road and then hit a car, pushing it into the median.

Since bystanders were already helping the car victims, Harte turned his attention to the minivan, which was crumpled. A man and a woman holding a 6-month-old baby were frantically trying to get something out of the vehicle. Harte grabbed a first aid kit and medical gloves and went to help, finding that three children were still trapped inside. The third row seat had been pushed up to the second row seat, which was in turn pushed up to the front row seat where the parents had been.

Harte, who is a first responder and a former paramedic and EMT, heard a bystander using her cell phone to dial 911. He asked to speak to the operator and described the severity of the situation based on his medical expertise. He then extracted the most accessible child, a 5-year-old boy who was in the second row. He directed some of the bystanders to lay him on the ground, following basic spinal injury precautions.

Next, as emergency personnel began to arrive and assist, he asked the four strongest bystanders to help him reach the two girls trapped in the third row seats. At Harte's suggestion, the men opened the minivan's back hatch for better accessibility, allowing Harte to perform first aid on one of the girls. After someone removed a second row seat, he was able to slide her out.

By then, an off-duty EMT showed up. While the EMT followed spinal injury precautions, Harte held the child's body and car seat. Firefighters pulled apart seats and cut seatbelts until there was enough space to extract the child.

"I have been a firefighter/first responder since 1989, including four years as an EMT, and what I encountered that day was the worst motor vehicle accident I've ever seen," said Harte, noting that the injuries ranged from a broken pelvis, to broken legs, hips, arms and jaws, to fractured skulls and internal bleeding. He noted that only two ambulances were available to transport the eight victims of both the car and the minivan, so he spent a lot of time attending to the injuries while waiting for the ambulances to make return trips.

For his efforts that day, Harte has received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch. Sammons Trucking also received a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.

Story from truckinginfo.com

ReedTMS community service

ReedTMS has recently partnered with the Southeast Produce Council (SPC) to join their initiative to assist RAMP America, a non-profit organization which aids poverty-stricken families in the Appalachian region of the United States.

Martin County, located in rural Appalachia, is home to some of the most impoverished people in the United States and continues to face many challenges. Access to healthy food and economic opportunity is scarce. Moreover, the county’s isolation makes it difficult to access federal and other assistance programs: currently there are little to no human or social services available in the area.

RAMP works with the Martin County community to identify critical needs and create solutions focusing on nutrition, economic development, and emergency relief intervention, with a special focus on children and families. They also connect resources locally and nationally to address basic human needs where other resources are limited or inaccessible. For more information on RAMP, click here.

RAMP has partnered with the SPC to collect donations from their members and ReedTMS has joined the cause and will help with the efficient delivery of resources.

ReedTMS has pledged to send our drivers and pick up donated goods from various locations and deliver them to the Appalachian region on our trucks at no charge, and currently we have moved one load from the Washington, D.C. area to Martin County. We are all proud to be involved with such an honorable project and look forward to moving more loads in the future!

U.S. Supply Chain and Logistics Industry Rebound Led by Trucking, Rail

Total U.S. business logistics costs in 2011 rose to $1.28 trillion, a 6.6% increase from the previous year and accounting for 8.5% of the U.S. gross domestic product, according to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' 23rd Annual "State of Logistics Report," presented by Penske Logistics.

This year's report reveals that with overall revenue 15.3% higher than 2010, railroads gained market share, especially in intermodal, and did not experience capacity problems faced by the trucking sector. Trucking companies are also using intermodal rail help to offset the impacts of driver shortages and the costs of acquiring and maintaining new equipment. In spite of tightening capacity and an overall decline in volume, trucking rates were up 5% to 15% in 2011.

Inventory carrying costs in 2011 continued their rising trend and overall inventories have returned to pre-recession levels, which could be a cause for concern for the economy. The growth has occurred among wholesalers and manufacturers while retail inventories remained flat, indicating that inventory management processes have changed.

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 

Finally, good new for gas prices!

Diesel Drops to Lowest Price of 2012

Diesel and gasoline prices fell for the ninth straight week, bringing diesel prices to their lowest so far for 2012 and gasoline prices to their lowest since February. Oil prices fell again this week due to skepticism about Europe's debt crisis.

Diesel prices dropped 6.5 cents this week to $3.781 per gallon, according to a weekly report from the U.S. Department of Energy. California saw the biggest regional decrease, with prices dropping 12 cents to $3.902. Diesel prices are down more than 17 cents from a year ago.

U.S. gasoline prices also fell this week, by an average of 4 cents to $3.572. The West Coast had the biggest decrease with a drop of 9.2 cents to $4.093. Currently, the Gulf Coast is the region with the lowest gasoline prices, an average of $3.311.

Despite a boost for Spain's economy in the form of a $125 billion bailout loan for its banking system, analysts are still skeptical about the debt crisis in Europe. That skepticism caused oil prices to fall this week. Benchmark oil fell $1.40 to $82.70 per barrel in New York. Brent crude settled at 81 cents to $98.66 per barrel in London.

Spain is the fourth European country to request financial help since the start of the debt crisis, after Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

Story from truckinginfo.com

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

A must read regarding the California CARB program

California trucking group slams CARB fuel policies

The California Trucking Association released a study that shows significant job losses directly attributable to the California Air Resources Board’s fuel policies. Goods movement and agriculture sectors especially will be hard hit if the policies are allowed to go into effect as currently designed, CTA says.

CTA says the report, titled “The Impact of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Cap-and-Trade Programs on California Retail Diesel Prices,” demonstrates the effect that CARB’s regulatory actions will have on the state’s retail diesel future, leading to a $6.69 per gallon price tag.

The Stonebridge Associates study finds that by 2020, CARB’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, in combination with the AB 32 Cap-and-Trade Program, could increase the price of diesel fuel by $2.22 per gallon; that would represent more than a 50 percent increase in the price of diesel fuel and $6.69 per gallon at the retail pump. The average price difference between California and neighboring states would be $2.33 per gallon when accounting for taxes.

According to the study, between 2015 and 2020, these higher “California-only” diesel fuel costs will cause a loss of nearly 617,000 jobs in the containerized import sector, $68.5 billion in lost state domestic product, $21.7 billion in lost income and $5.3 billion in lost state and local taxes. CTA says the study states that a “California-only” diesel will put California’s transportation sector at a significant competitive disadvantage.

“CTA is supportive of the production and use of alternative fuels, but the cost gap between CARB’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the diesel fuel that the other 49 states will continue to use is unacceptable,” says Scott Blevins, president of Mountain Valley Express and 2012 CTA president. “This is a serious setback for any business dependent on diesel fuel for its operations. State regulators need to step down from their ‘ivory tower’ and understand the impact of these unfair policies on California truckers. CARB’s blind pursuit of policies that will drive many California-based trucking companies out of state or out of business should be of great concern to all Californians.”

CTA says the report states the diesel fuel price increases will cast an even wider net, affecting food, fuel, clothing and other essential services transported by trucks. The report can be downloaded at http://caltrux.org/LCFS.

Story from truckersnew.com

Our promise to you

We strive to provide the highest quality service at all times. We are committed to a professionally handled transportation experience accomplished by understanding and delivering on expectations.

To keep in line with our service promise, here are a few things our drivers do to uphold the highest level of customer service possible:

·         Every time they disconnect, they sweep out the trailers to have it clean for the next load.

·         They notify dispatch if they’re going to be arriving late or if they’re experiencing a longer off load so we can get our customers involved.

·         Our drivers notify dispatch when leaving or arriving at the customer or cosignee in order to keep customers up-to-date on the location of their load.

·         They ensure the freight is secure before leaving the loading dock.

TMS Logistics consistently delivers superior, on-time performance as a result of building a strong dispatch team, operating well-maintained, late-model equipment, hiring quality drivers and fully utilizing technology.

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.

Wawa coming to Tampa

Wawa is a convenience store and gasoline station with a twist — food service comes first, gas sales, second. This unique convenience store might soon replace a former Italian chain restaurant in Tampa at 401 N. Dale Mabry Highway. The stores are native to the north but have been making their way south and just broke into Florida. Wawa also has other plans for building stores in Orlando as well as more loations in Tampa. The residents of the community have mixed feelings about rezoning the land, but I think this would be a great thing for truck drivers. Professional drivers already have a difficult time eating decent meals simply because they lack a fully stocked kitchen. The majority of the time drivers just go in a grab something while their refueling. For this reason, these stores can have a huge impact on the lives of drivers. While gassing up they could have the opportunity to buy something more than a Slim Jim, a bag of chips and a large soft drink. Hopefully these type of stores will continue to thrive and potentially improve life on the road.

From their website: Wawa offers a large fresh food selection, including Wawa brands like Built-to-Order® Hoagies which come in four sizes: the Junior, Shorti, Classic, and Two-Footer. We are also proud to offer our award-winning Freshly Brewed Coffee (over 195 million cups sold each year), the Sizzli® hot breakfast sandwich, quality dairy products and Wawa brand juices and teas. All Wawa stores feature a wide selection of ready-to-go salads, and fresh fruits.

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