Trucking Advocate and Activist Allen Smith of TruthAboutTrucking.com : Articles Current News and Information for CDL Truck Drivers and Truck Driving Students…"Raising the Standards of the Trucking Industry"
An Alabama trucking company has been shut down after one of its drivers crashed into a van in March, killing 10 people in the van, many of whom had Lancaster County connections. Killed in the crash on a Kentucky highway were eight members of the John and Sadie Esh family, along with two family friends. The tractor-trailer truck driver was also killed.
The only survivors of the crash were two little boys, ages 3 and 5, who were grandsons of the Eshes.
Both John and Sadie Esh, who were Mennonite, were from large Amish families and had many relatives in Lancaster County.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Hester Inc., of Fayette, Ala., to cease operations after failing to correct “critical” violations, including allowing drivers to operate trucks longer than allowed by law.
The order was issued in June, but was released to The Courier-Journal on Wednesday after the newspaper requested it through the Freedom of Information Act. Scott Hester, the owner of the company, declined to comment to the newspaper.
Truck driver Kenneth Laymon went across the median on I-65 near Munfordville on March 26, striking a van carrying the Esh family and their friends, who were traveling to a wedding in Iowa.
One truck driver who noticed two young girls being worked at a truck stop, made the 911 call to police and an amazing set of events took place. The two girls, 15 and 14, were seen going in and out of the trucks and appeared to be distraught and at times, just simply afraid. Feeling something was not right, the alert trucker called police, informing them that the two girls “appeared pretty young.”
Not only were the two Ohio girls minors, but they also turned out to be kidnap victims of human trafficking. The two minors were saved and returned to their families, but the story did not end there. Because of this one phone call from this one truck driver, seven other minor children were saved leading to the conviction of thirty one human trafficking offenders and led to the shutting down of a thirteen-state prostitution ring.
One phone call from one trucker . . . 9 lives saved . . . 31 offenders convicted . . . 13 state ring shut down . . . from one phone call.
Watch the video testimony and sign up for Chapter 61 Ministries webinars on human trafficking to learn more on how you can help.
The U. S. trucking industry has seen a serious rise of cargo theft over the past few years and the problem is growing rapidly. So much in fact, that stealing truck freight is becoming the“signature crime of the early 21st century.”
The September, 2010 issue of Truckers News Magazine has taken an in-depth investigation into the growing and dangerous problem. On September 1st, 2010 Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio discussed, not only the problem . . . but the solutions to this ever-growing crime.
Our special guests were:
Todd Dills, Senior Editor for Overdrive and Truckers News magazines
Like the movie with the same name, is the perfect storm brewing for the U. S. trucking industry? With the possibility of more than a quarter of a million truck drivers facing termination from their driving careers from the CSA 2010 initiative, coupled with the talk of changing the current HOS rules, is there a a catastrophic event heading straight toward professional drivers and trucking companies alike?
The hours of service rule for truck drivers could be looking at losing two hours of driving time, along with doing away with the 34 hour restart rule. The ATA and company CEO’s fear that these two aspects combined will reduce productivity among drivers. ATA Chairman, Tommy Hodges stated that the CSA 2010 will be a “free agency for drivers.” He went on to say, “a driver that knows he’s got a good record, he knows how to abide by the rules, and he knows and understands his value to your company, (is) going to come in and say, ‘look at my score, you’re going to pay me 50 cents a mile or I’m going to go to XYZ,’ and he will.” He went on to comment that productivity loss could be as high as 18 percent if the changes are indeed made.
No doubt that losing two hours of driving time and the 34 hour restart will change the way trucking companies operate, but could not adding additional time for rest also increase productivity by eliminating much of the “pushing of drivers” to run further and harder? The industry sees the loss of revenue coming by not being able to push their drivers beyond their physical and mental limits in order to get the freight delivered and move on to the next load. Are the industry leaders more concerned with the loss of dollars than the safety of their drivers?
Truck drivers operated under the former set of HOS rules for years and did just fine.The new HOS rules, if they occur, will basically return nearly as they were before.Is the industry fearful of losing their ability to push their drivers’ work loads, or more afraid of the good, safe and professional drivers gaining more control over their own careers?
For many, it is known as simply “The GW” and sooner or later most long haul truckers are going to have it in their sights. My best advise for new truck drivers who will be tackling the George Washington Bridge for the first time? Sit down . . . buckle up . . . and hold on . . .
The GW is one of the most heavily traveled bridges in the world, spanning the Hudson River between Washington Heights, Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey offering 14 lanes for the traveling public. It has the greatest vehicular capacity of any bridge worldwide, and according to 2007 statistics, nearly 106,000,000 vehicles crosses its path every year, with approximately 9,549,000 being trucks. It is not so bad crossing in a 4-wheeler . . . but a big rig? This can be a different story.
The first time I made contact with the George Washington bridge, I had no reason to believe that it would be any different than any other structure. Besides the enormous amount of traffic, nobody ever told me about the deteriorating road conditions. I hit the GW running with no seat belt locked in and the next thing I knew I left the comfort of my seat, bouncing so high I hit my head hard on the top of the cab . . . most of the items in the bunk went flying and landed all over the place. From that day forward, before I met up with the GW . . . I had the seat belt fastened and ready to go.
Through the years I have often thought about the reconstructing of the GW crossing. With all the toll dollars and New York taxes, why does this remain as one of the roughest traveling areas in the country? Trucking across the George Washington bridge gives new meaning to the phrase, “Beat you to death.” Along with being such a well-known landmark, the bridge also boasts having some of the most state-of-the-art technology and advanced traffic management systems in the world.
GW Bridge Traffic Managment System
Transdyn has successfully delivered traffic management systems for some of the most important bridges and tunnels in the world including the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel and the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Multi-million dollar traffic systems, yet . . . truck drivers take a beating upon crossing. The high-tech system is very much needed, allowing for the increase of an “effective crisis prevention plan by identifying unauthorized stopped vehicles, monitoring critical structure areas, and responding rapidly to emergency situations with real-time decision support tools.”
So, the question came to me again the other day . . . “why do they not repair the travel portion of the road?” The more I thought about it, I considered that the question should be . . . “how do they repair the travel portion of the road?” To get around the 4,760 feet span, how and where do they detour the nearly 300,000 vehicles that crosses every single day?
Although it is one of the most famous bridges in the world, its geographical location could very well be its downfall when it comes to much needed road repair.
Truck drivers across the country have been called on by Chapter 61 ministries to be the eyes and ears for the human trafficking crisis in America. The partnership between the Transport for Christ and Chapter 61 organizations, the Truckers Against Trafficking, along with many others, have led to a much greater awareness of this problem, not only in the United States but abroad. Recent headline news is focusing on this $32 billion a year business, which destroys countless lives and enslaves its victims . . . the majority of whom are women and children:
These are just a few of the most recent cases involving human trafficking. Most Americans are aware of the problem in Asia and Africa, but are oblivious to that fact that it is big business here in the United States. Chapter 61 ministries will be presenting another set of online informational webinars in September, 2010.
All webinars will begin at 9 p.m. EDT. Because members of the trucking and travel plaza industry represent the eyes and ears of America on those highways, they can play a critical part in fighting this crime and those who perpetrate it. They simply need to know what to look for, what questions to ask and what steps to take.
If you would like to participate, you can sign up by clicking on one of the following dates that you wish to attend:
Often truck drivers can find themselves in trouble when it comes to the required DOT medical drug screen. A legal, prescribed drug from your family physician can lead to termination from the trucking company if you fail to follow the correct procedure. Many times in the trucking industry, problems that arise that can cause a driver to lose his or her job could have been avoided.
The DOT drug screen looks for the use of a Schedule 1 drugs : amphetamine, narcotic or any other habit forming drug that is not legally permitted. They also check for the usage of illegal narcotic drugs including marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates and phencyclidine (PCP). Very often, drivers who have received a legal prescription from their doctor fail to understand that this information should be provided to the motor carrier, especially when facing a DOT physical or drug screening. Most importantly, the information must be provided to the medical examiner before the screening takes place.
As an example, often truck drivers can be given a legal prescription for Lortab which is a combination of a narcotic painkiller and cough reliever with a non-narcotic painkiller for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain. Since it contains hydrocodone, the hydrocodone is a narcotic, which is one of the things they look for from a DOT drug test. Therefore, if the driver fails to tell the company or medical examiner about the Lortab, the drug test will come back as a flagged and failed screening.
Most truckers understand that this type of prescription, though legal, contains a narcotic. By telling the trucking company that they are on this drug or others like it, they face the possibility of their employer telling them to take the two or three weeks off until they are better . . . or however long their doctor has prescribed the medication. This simply is not worth the chance of losing your job. If you are called to take a random drug test . . . you will now find yourself in a tough situation.
I am hearing more from drivers who have found themselves in this position. Don’t take the chance. Random drug tests could become more random in the future. If you have to be on a prescribed narcotic . . . tell your company immediately. It’s better to follow company policy and be told to take the required time off, than it is to be terminated for not following the correct procedure.
The Big Rigs CD – Jason Law Fund has been established by songwriters, David Ayers and Barry Allen in order to assist Hope Rivenburg and her children, Joshua, Logan and Hezekiah, and her quest to promote the passing of bill H.R. 2156, better known as Jason’s Law.
Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio discussed the release of the new trucking music CD, “When the Big Rigs Don’t Roll” earlier this evening on the popular Blog Talk Radio program. The two hour broadcast featured special guests:
David Ayers
David Ayers – An award-winning songwriter through the Georgia Music Industry Association. He has served on the executive board of the GMIA and has worked with beginning songwriters at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He is a member of ASCAP and the NSAI and is a prolific songwriter, and has developed the reputation for being the “country Christmas specialist” throughout the entire metro-Atlanta area.
Barry Allen
Barry Allen – A well-known songwriter, publisher and songplugger in Nashville, TN and is a member of the CMA, BMI and the Nashville Songwriters Association International. He regularly volunteers at the NSAI which offers training & education to aspiring songwriters and advocates for the interests of songwriting professionals in Washington, D.C.
Hope Rivenburg
Hope Rivenburg – With the help of Congressman Paul Tonko, Hope has brought the need for safe and secure parking areas for our nation’s truck drivers to the attention of the media. Her works and dedication toward the passing of bill H. R. 2156, better known as Jason’s Law, is named after her husband, Jason who was killed on the side of the road when he parked his rig in an abandoned gas station due to the lack of safe parking in the area. Her plight led to David and Barry penning the song, “Say a Prayer for Jason” on their new CD release.
Richie Acosta
Richie Acosta – Bodybuilder and professional truck driver, Richie Acosta maintains several websites for all truck enthusiasts around the world, and his rig is used as the main cover of the Big Rigs CD. His East Coast Large Cars Annual Truck Show has become the fastest growing truck show on the east coast.
For information on how you can help to support Jason’s Law and the Rivenburg family, please visit the Big Rigs CD – Jason Law Fund.
Listen to the stories behind the songs from our Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio show:
As provided in my previous post, Truck Drivers and the Controversial Gun Debate, the right for truck drivers to carry a firearm in the commercial motor vehicle is always a hot topic among truckers. I can see both pros and cons to this issue, although I have found that most truck drivers will stand on their 2nd Amendment Right to keep and bear arms. We have received many emails from truckers across the country voicing their opinions on this issue, and we are seeing that about 95% believe they have the right to carry protection with them in the CMV, while about 5% are against it.
As many will recite the Peaceable Journey Act to back-up their right to carry, I wanted to dig a little deeper as to what, if any, does the Federal Regulations say about the transportation of firearms by licensed CDL holders. What I found is the term, unlawful possession, which I feel is important for all CDL drivers to understand. This term could be the reason why some professional truck drivers find themselves in trouble with D.O.T. or other law enforcement officials.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Volume 9 which was revised as of October 1, 2005 and Chapter XII, Subpart B under Section 1572, firearms are mentioned under Section 1572.103 – Disqualifying criminal offenses. Under this section, truck drivers can lose their CDL for life if they are found to be in violation of what is known as Interim Disqualifying Offenses. According to this Regulation, truckers can be disqualified from ever having a CDL license if they are found to be in:
“Unlawful possession, use, sale, manufacture, purchase, distribution, receipt, transfer, shipping, transporting, delivery, import, export, or dealing in a firearm or other weapon.”
As I read headline news where truck drivers have been arrested at a weigh scale or inspection site for having a gun in the vehicle, I had to wonder if there were another side to the story, since by all Federal Law and meeting all city, county and state laws and regulations, and if their motor carrier allows them to carry in the CMV, why were they arrested? I would have to conclude that they were, somehow, in violation of this unlawful possession offense. Not being an attorney, I had to research exactly what does “Unlawful Possession” mean?Although each state varies in their definition of unlawful possession, here is a general outline :
A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of a firearm(State permit license excepted) if the person knowingly:
Carries any firearm concealed upon the person
Possesses a handgun that is concealed and readily accessible to the person within any vehicle; or
Possesses a firearm and has been convicted of a felony;
Was committed to a State Health Authority (Court determination of mental illness);
Was found to be mentally ill and subject to an order (Court determination of mental illness) that the person be prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm as a result of that mental illness; or
Has been found guilty except for insanity (Effect of mental disease or defect) of a felony.
You can read more about Interim Disqualifying Offenses from the FMCSA website, and be sure to tune in to Armed American Radio on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 from 9-10 PM EST as Mark Walters, myself and others, will discuss the right to carry as it pertains to professional truck drivers.
Mark Walters is host of the nationally syndicated, Armed American Radio by Salem Radio Network. He is the columnist (The Ordinary Guy) for Concealed Carry Magazine, and co-author of the best selling book, Lessons from Armed America, which is available at White Feather Press and all major book retailers.
The lifestyle of truck drivers can lead to many health problems and many drivers are looking at the new safety initiative, CSA 2010 as focusing on the problem of obesity and sleep apnea. Actually, it has more to do with the DOT, however, the concerns drivers are having is due to the following statement, found in the CSA 2010 document which states:
“Driver Fitness BASIC—Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications.” The “medical qualification” that many drivers are concerned with, is the possible disqualification due to being overweight.
Concerned about the BMI tests and the costs of the CPAP, as well as the possibility of losing their jobs, many truck drivers are investigating the option of gastric sleeve surgery. Furthermore, many truck drivers with a BMI of 30 and over are looking at CSA 2010 as the incentive to lose the weight that they have been wanting to lose anyway, but due to the trucking lifestyle, never had that “push” they needed to do so.
We have done exhaustive research into this procedure and wanted to share what we have discovered with our readers :
Gastric sleeve surgery in the United States will cost between $18,000 and $35,000 and many insurance providers will not pay for the procedure unless the patient has a BMI of 40 or more, or if there is a health risk involved such as diabetes or heart disease. With the average long haul truck driver making $32,000 per year, it is nearly impossible for them to have the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure. More truck drivers across the country have discovered another alternative with incredible results.
To learn the truth, we went directly to the source :
Almater Hospitalis a private hospital with state of the art equipment, located in Mexicali, Mexico. Dr. Alberto Aceves specializes in the gastric sleeve surgery and has performed nearly 1000 surgeries. His credentials include:
Member American College of Surgeon
Member American Society for Briatric and Metabolic Surgery
Current President of the Mexican Association for Bariatric Surgery
Member International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity
Member Mexican Association of Endoscopic Surgery
Member Mexican Association of General Surgery
Member General Surgeons College of Mexicali
FACS (American College of Surgeons)
Dr. Aceves and Staff
We contacted Dr. Aceves’ staff to discuss the gastric sleeve surgery and to learn more about him and the Almater Hospital. The biggest concern with a sleeve surgery is having a leak. Dr. Aceves has never had a leak with any of the sleeve surgeries he has performed. The Almater Hospital is above the statistics for this procedure and no other doctor in the United States or Mexico has this great of a record with this number of surgeries performed.
In the U. S. most sleeve surgeries are done as an out-patient procedure. Dr. Aceves keeps his patients in the Almater Hospital for three days for recovery. He and his staff’s biggest concern for American patients is that they will get trapped in attending one of the many facilities in Mexico that offer the procedure at a very low price, but in return, they are having a great deal of complications, including infections and poor sterilization. Dr. Aceves and the Almater Hospital believe in not sacrificing quality to lower prices. Speaking with Nina Eguia, patient coordinator at the hospital, she told us:
“The doctors in Mexico doing surgery at lower prices are having a lot of complications and sacrificing quality. It is a shame that patients go to them to save money and end up with complications they really cannot afford or having to stay off work for months to recover, because procedures are not done correctly or with sanitary standards.”
The Almater Hospital in Mexicali, Mexico are seeing and hearing from more American truck drivers and we wanted to research this more. What we found is an excellent hospital and staff with exceptional standards. As the U. S. is charging $18,000 to $35,000 for the gastric sleeve surgery, Dr. Aceves total cost for the procedure, including the hospital stay and everything . . . is $9,500.
As CSA 2010 grows closer and truck drivers are threatened by their BMI in regards to a possible positive sleep apnea diagnosis, they are questioning the use and cost of forced and expensive sleep apnea testing and a CPAP machine. Instead of only treating the effect of the problem, why not treat the cause? The cause being the overweight issue that they feel they may be flagged for . . .
I feel that this information on Dr. Aceves and the Almater Hospital in Mexicali, Mexico is imperative for truck drivers facing this problem to be aware of . . . in fear of losing their jobs and the fact that they look at CSA 2010 as the push they needed to do something about their weight and to become healthier . . . if there is another reliable, trustworthy and safe solution that will save them thousands of dollars . . . then we wanted to provide this information for them.
Let’s face it . . . how many truckers can afford $18,000 to $35,000 even when their livelihoods are at stake? Dr. Alberto Aceves and his professional staff at Almater Hospital are making the impossible . . . possible.
For more information contact:
Mexicali Bariatric center
Madero 1119-2, Colonia Nueva
Mexicali, BC 2110
U.S. TOLL FREE : 1-888-344-3916
Allen Smith
: alabama, FMCSA, hours of violations, lancaster, online, shut down, trucking company
