Bulk Freight News & Industry Updates - Stay Ahead in Trucking

BY KARL PLUME (Reuters) - As U.S. farmers turn in record grain crops this autumn, many will have a powerful new tool - giant sausage-shaped storage bags - to help them avoid the lowest prices in years and gain more control over trade with giants such as Cargill Inc. Demand has surged this summer for the white polyethylene bags the length of a football field and the equipment required to fill them, according to manufacturers and wholesalers. They allow farmers to store millions of bushel

A group of truck drivers has filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the U.S. Transportation Department over records the agency keeps on carriers and drivers. The Boston Business Journal reports the drivers claim the release of some data from the government's Motor Carrier Management Information System, known as MCMIS, to potential employers is inappropriate and interferes with their ability to get jobs. The suit claims the agency has released d

By Dan Murtaugh http://www.businessweek.com/ Traders are turning to trains and trucks to clear a glut of crude in West Texas that’s threatening to keep prices in the largest U.S. oil basin depressed for months. West Texas Intermediate crude in Midland, Texas, has averaged $7.15-a-barrel less this year than the same grade in Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for New York-traded oil futures. The gap was $9 today, and is on pace to be the largest annual discount in data compiled by Bloom

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS INDIANAPOLIS — A trucking company wants the state appeals court to limit the Indiana Department of Transportation's authority to sue over damage done to state highways. The challenge is in court as the highway agency is trying to collect more from those blamed for property damage, increasing its billing more than 50 percent in the past year to about $7 million, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported (http://bit.ly/1ntGQjY ). Tennessee-based Averitt Express Inc.

http://www.truckinginfo.com/ Following the death of a truck driver at Midwest Farmers Cooperative's grain handling facility in Tecumseh, Neb., the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 12 serious safety violations and proposed $62,101 in penalties. The driver, who was not provided a respirator or personal protective clothing, was overcome by anhydrous ammonia vapors while transferring the liquid from a semi truck to bulk storage ta

By Kevin Jones @KevinJonesCCJ on July 21, 2014 Truckload linehaul rates paid by North American shippers in June were 5.2 percent higher than in June of last year, according to the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, a measure of market fluctuations in per-mile truckload linehaul rates. (Slide 1) The June index ticked upward 0.4 percent from May to 119.1, but still lags April’s all-time high of 121.3. The index uses January 2005 as its base month, with an initial reading of 100. (Slide 2) “

A Memphis, Tenn., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a cargo theft scheme that included a theft in West Plains, Mo. Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that Earl Stanley Nunn pleaded guilty to theft of an interstate shipment. Nunn, the owner of Nu World Trucking LLC, was the leader of a cargo theft ring that used the resources of Nu World Trucking to steal cargo in various states. They did so by “bob-tailing”

The closure of U.S. 31 has brought an unexpected menace to the land of roundabouts — 18-wheelers. They tear up the pavement, tie up traffic and struggle — sometimes comically — to navigate Carmel's unique traffic grid. But city leaders are no longer amused. Within the next several weeks, police will start ticketing truck drivers who stray from state-designated detours under a new ordinance passed this month by the Carmel City Council. The measure bans trucks larger than 19,500 pounds fr

Nebraska-based trucking and logistics company Werner Enterprises said Friday its Werner Global Logistics subsidiary has signed an agreement in principle to make an equity investment in Hercules Logistics, a logistics and asset-based transportation company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Hercules, founded in 2001, is one of the largest and fastest growing logistics companies in China, according to Werner and is recognized as one of the top 100 logistics companies in the country. Hercules provi

BLOOMINGTON, IN — Freight transportation forecasting firm FTR said modest recovery growth and slow contract rate increases in the U.S. now come with a side of increased labor and recruiting overhead costs. “Capacity is tight but has moderated from the critical level that we operated in during and just after the winter months. Freight rates seem to be a tale of two cities with contract rates very stable and only showing modest growth, yet spot rate activity has been quite strong since winter h

FROM STAFF REPORTS An Oklahoma trucker was arrested after he was accused of firing a handgun from his driver’s seat window at another vehicle while traveling down an Oklahoma City highway, police reported. Benny Newcomb, 55, was jailed on complaints of discharging a firearm from a vehicle and shooting with intent to kill, according to a police report. About 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to a gas station at SW 15 and S MacArthur Boulevard, where a man reported a road rage inci

Trucking is a $790 billion industry. From JW Surety Bonds’ new infographic Bright future for American truckers and freight brokers you can also learn that truckers have more than 200 nights out every year, beating any young party-goer. The infographic offers a great digest of statistics from the trucking and freight brokerage industries. The general trend shows that indeed, there are solid reasons for truckers and freight brokers to feel hopeful. With a large percentage of all U.S. goods being t

Chris Davis, KCEN (KCEN) -- Traffic on Interstate 35: It's a daily problem, simply a part of life for drivers in Central Texas. Some of the bigger back-ups are caused by accidents involving tractor-trailers, like the fiery wreck near Bruceville-Eddy Tuesday morning. Michael Buell lives outside Austin and just got hired in McLennan County. He drives I-35 a lot, right alongside the big rigs. "Most of them are pretty decent," he said, "but there are some that, especially at night -- I t

Associated Press | ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man is recovering in St. Louis after being dumped into a trash trunk while sleeping in a trash container. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1qhMfN5 ) reports that the man was sleeping in a large trash container early Wednesday near the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. When a trash truck arrived to dump the container's contents into the bed of the truck, the workers were unaware that a man was inside the container. The driver spotted the man,

William B. Cassidy Marten Transport provided evidence this week that tightening truck capacity is leading to higher contract truck rates. The Mondovi, Wisconsin-based carrier increased its weekly average revenue per tractor 4.1 percent from a year ago in the second quarter and raised revenue per loaded mile by 2.6 percent — Marten’s best growth rate in that measure since early 2012. Those gains in truckload revenue — which came as Marten reduced the total miles traveled by its trucks fr

By KAREN LEVY Last month, after a tractor-trailer collided with a vehicle carrying actor Tracy Morgan and others, national attention focused — briefly — on the serious issue of fatigued truck drivers. The truck's driver, Kevin Roper, was charged with vehicular manslaughter in the death of comedian James McNair, one of the vehicle's passengers, and prosecutors alleged Roper hadn't slept in more than 24 hours. But then an initial report from the National Transportation Safety Board said that

The Trucker Staff 7/14/2014 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J has struck a deal with federal investigators that will allow the mammoth truck stop chain to avoid prosecution over its rebate scam if it continues to cooperate with the ongoing investigation of its employees and pays a fine. Pilot Flying J, which is owned by the Haslam family, including Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, will have to pay a penalty of $92 million. “Pilot Flying J has reached an u

Bob Egelko Thousands of truck drivers in California are entitled to meal breaks and rest periods under state law, despite federal deregulation of the trucking industry, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. A century-old California law requires employers to provide paid time off during extended work shifts - under current law, a 10-minute rest break every four hours and a 30-minute meal period every five hours. But trucking companies claimed they were exempted by a nationwide law signe

By Keith Laing - 07/14/14 12:05 PM EDT Comedian Tracy Morgan is suing Wal-Mart over an accident with a truck driver who was making a delivery for the company last month. Morgan was critically injured in the accident, which occurred last month in New Jersey when a bus carrying his entourage was struck by a freight truck that was being operated for Wal-Mart. Another passenger in Morgan’s bus was killed in the crash. The driver of the truck, Kevin Roper, has been charged with death by aut

By John M. Annese | [email protected] STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An unlicensed trucker from New Jersey was caught using tape to cover up his license plates in an attempt to avoid paying the toll on the Goethals Bridge, according to Port Authority police. Michael V. Wynn, 63, of Pine Brook, was driving a 2005 Freightliner - with an attached trailer filled with mixed household items - at about 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Port Authority Police spokesman Joseph Pentangelo. Port Authority

Armstrong data says third-party logistics gross revenue will exceed 11 percent of U.S. logistics costs by year-end, growth to exceed GDP for years to come. By DC Velocity Staff Third-party logistics (3PL) providers will take a larger share of U.S. transportation and logistics spending in 2014, according to a forecast from Armstrong & Associates Inc., a consultancy. The Armstrong data, which appeared today in a research note published by investment firm Morgan Stanley & Co., projected th

Ken Kramer Last winter’s harsh weather complicated transportation conditions nationwide, resulting in delays and shortages in everything from food to fuel. These supply chain disruptions were simply glimpses into what could become the new normal. There are structural changes in domestic shipping’s operating environment that likely will result in decreased capacity over the long term. Distressed infrastructure, increasingly long and variable shipping and transit times, as well as growing i

(Corrects mention of competitor in third paragraph to CGB Enterprises Inc, not CHS Inc) (Reuters) - U.S. agribusiness Cargill Inc said it will build a grain handling facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, to purchase corn, sorghum, soybeans and wheat that the company could ship down the Mississippi River to U.S. Gulf Coast export terminals. Minneapolis-based Cargill, one of the world's largest private companies, said on Thursday it will invest $45 million in the terminal in West Memphis, loca

http://www.forbes.com/ When Shakespeare used the phrase, “The worm has turned,” he knew his audience would understand that he meant a reversal of fortune. “Worm” was a term for ‘dragon.’ In fairy tales, the flying dragon spewing fire would ravage fields and villages. To be in the dragon’s path resulted in destruction. In shipper/carrier relationships, too many shippers have been the fire spewing dragon, engaging in scorched earth business practices. But the power has shifted to the carrie

By Matt Breen, Evening Anchor Customers of a former northeast Nebraska grain elevator finally got a chance to state their claim to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. A public hearing regarding Pierce Elevator's Grain Warehouse contracts took place Tuesday afternoon at the Pierce County Fairgrounds. Officials reported 231 claims for payment were issued with the dollar amounts of the all claims totaling nearly $10-million. The Commission's Director of Grain says the farmers, who

Dana Hunsinger Benbow, [email protected] An Amish buggy, it's not exactly 80 tons of monstrous truck. A grocery store job frying doughnuts and decorating cakes, it's not exactly hauling twin beds of freight 10 hours in the dark, wee hours overnight. But Verna Gillen, a 49-year-old Columbus, Ind., woman took a definite U-turn in life, and now she lives her dream on the open roads. "I decided I wanted to drive a truck, but I never thought I'd really be doing it," she said. "On m

The National Grain and Feed Association National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has submitted an extensive proposal urging the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) to establish new rules and procedures that captive grain shippers could use to challenge rail freight rates they believe are unreasonable. The STB on Dec. 9, 2013 launched a new proceeding (EP 665, Sub. No.-1) to explore whether a new approach is needed to allow captive shippers to challenge grain rail rates. The STB ini

By Keith Laing American Trucking Association (ATA) President Bill Graves traded in the trappings of the Kansas governorship for gridlock in and around Washington, D.C. “The most interesting transition was from having spent eight years not having to drive yourself anywhere to finding yourself in Beltway traffic,” quipped Graves, who has been leading the D.C. lobbying firm for trucking companies since leaving office in 2003. The former Republican governor said it was natural for him to

By Ned Resnikoff California truck drivers at three major transportation companies went on strike Monday morning, demanding an end to purported labor law violations such as misclassification and intimidation. This is the fourth strike initiated by the drivers with the backing of the Teamsters union, but it’s the first without a definitive end date; whereas previous strikes have lasted between 24 and 48 hours, the drivers are now saying the won’t return to work until their demands are met. “

Hauling DDG, grains, or other difficult-to-unload materials in your hopper trailer can increase unloading time, create opportunities for operator injury, and potentially damage your equipment. Introducing the MT-FAST™ Hopper Trailer Vibrator A non-impacting linear vibrator that instantly attaches anywhere on the truck bed, the MT-FAST™ Vibrator has been proven to empty trailers quickly and completely, allowing even the most stubborn materials to flow more easily. With the MT-FAST™ Vibrator

CHICKASHA, Okla. — An Oklahoma grain farmer recently received a shocking phone call all the way from Japan. “The man on the other end said, ‘Is this Kevin Whitney?’ I said yeah this is Kevin. He said, ‘Did you lose a cellphone?’ I said yeah I lost a cellphone last fall,” Whitney told Oklahoma City TV station KFOR. Whitney says he lost his phone in 280,000 pounds of grain while working last October and said he never expected to see it again. >> Read more trending stories KFOR reports that fro

By Don Davis St. PAUL — Adding something to a petroleum-based fuel always has been controversial, so it should be no surprise that soybean-based biodiesel brings disputes. “It’s blatantly unfair and costly to the trucking industry,” President John Hausladen of the Minnesota Trucking Association said about a law that took effect Tuesday requiring diesel fuel to contain 10 percent biodiesel. His association’s chairman, Daniel Svaloja, complains that truckers are being forced to use the bi

Mercedes has unveiled its self-driving truck prototype in a maiden journey on a German highway signalling the onset of the autonomous freight transportation revolution. Guided by the company’s intelligent Highway Pilot system, the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 prototype is intended for commercial launch in 2025. The system, comparable to an airplane autopilot, uses radar to scan the road up to 250 meters ahead and takes advantage of existing autonomous driving features such as networking o

Sharon Dunn [email protected] Working at her husband’s trucking company for years, Dawn Tesch saw firsthand the difficulties he faced keeping his drivers on the road. Not because of work ethic or performance issues. Federal and state regulations for documenting everything drivers do threatened to pull him under. “Watching that struggle and being in trucking, and seeing the frustration of the other owner-operators, I just thought there was a place in this world for me to help

Mark Szakonyi, Senior Editor U.S. surface transportation providers, ranging from railroads to trucking companies, are preparing for the approaching Hurricane Arthur, set to hit the East Coast this holiday weekend, with some carriers warning shippers of potential delays. CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway don’t expect Arthur to have much of an impact on their operations but are preparing all the same. NS is suspending loading operations at Pier 6, part of the Lamberts Point Coa

By WRCB Staff - email MCMINN COUNTY, TN (WRCB) - A man was electrocuted Wednesday morning while unloading grain into a silo. Billy L. Dougherty, 63, of Kingsport was unloading grain into a silo at a farm on McMinn County Road 609 when he was electrocuted, according a news release from McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy. "Based on the initial investigation, it appears Mr Dougherty was attempting to blow feed grain from his tanker truck into a feed silo when the truck's boom came in contact w

By Mike Hricik Forum News Service Nearly 5,000 rail cars are lagging behind on their North Dakota grain shipments, according to newly released numbers that also show thousands more cars are trailing behind nationwide. Two rail transportation companies have provided their first weekly updates on backlogged grain shipments after they were mandated by the federal government to do so in June. BNSF Railway reported that 4,942 rail cars are running late in North Dakota by an average of 32 da

CRISP CO., GA (WALB) - The new so-called slow poke law goes into effect Tuesday. Officials can now give you a ticket if you are in the left of a divided highway and you don't move to the right to let a faster vehicle go by. Officials also want drivers to remember the move over law that states drivers need to move over for stationary law enforcement or emergency vehicles with flashing lights. "It's something we take very serious. We want to keep the public safe as well as officers out o

By Richard Hermann Canandaigua, N.Y. It’s time for Congress to act responsibly for a change and impose the legal concept of strict liability on companies that ship their goods in interstate commerce by truck. Shippers would be strictly liable for any road accidents involving the trucks that they engage to ship their goods, regardless of culpability. It would compel shippers to make sure that the trucks they use are safe and that their drivers are in shape to transport their goods. It is a

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press A California truck driver pulled into the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in central Pennsylvania and spotted an advertisement for low-cost health exams for truckers. Needing one for his commercial driver's license, he called the number on the sign and was picked up by a woman in an old Ford Tempo. She drove him to her town house, where she performed the $65 physical, had him provide a urine sample and faxed the required forms to the California Department of Tr

Jim Mele Michael Perley of the law firm Hurwitz & Fine P.C. is on call around the clock for fleets and trucking clients, according to Buffalo Law Journal blogger Michael Petro. As head of their transportation and trucking negligence practice, Petro is on the other side of the fence from the San Antonio firm that recently ran the “Serial Killer Truck” ad in Maxim, defending truckers involved in accidents instead of suing them. Getting to the scene of the accident quickly to interview the dr

By Dale Hogg Managing Editor [email protected] One of the nation’s largest grain marketing companies is interested in a small sliver of Barton County for its newest facility. Following the approval Monday morning by the Barton County Commission of a rezoning request, that facility is step closer to reality. Kansas City, Mo.-based Bartlett Grain Company LP wants to build a five-silo and office/shop complex between Great Bend and Ellinwood. The location is ideal because of its proximity to b

The police are usually the ones who pull over drivers who are speeding. But this isn’t your usual police encounter. Truck driver Brian Miner was trucking through Illinois when he was passed by a speeding cop. Worse yet, he noticed the officer was on the phone, and the roads were slick from a rain. After honking at the cop, the police officer pulled him over. Brian quickly took out his camera to record the encounter. The rare video has exploded today with over a quarter million hits already!

By MARILYN TENNISSEN A Texas law firm’s recent ad in a national magazine has the trucking industry in an outrage. serial killer The ad calls truck drivers “serial killers,” and urges individuals that have been involved in wrecks with big rigs to contact Villarreal & Begum Law Firm in San Antonio to file lawsuits against truckers and trucking companies. Running in the men’s magazine Maxim in June, the ad shows a red 18-wheeler with the tagline “Serial Killer” above it and states “3,561 peo

This Editorial appears in the June 30 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today. Marching happily toward the Fourth of July, one can see some of the spirit of Independence Hall 238 steamy summers ago in — of all places — trucking. Billeted in front of a monitor to read public comment on a proposed federal regulation, we saw the opinions of those who would be affected by the plan erupting with force and aimed, in this case, at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adm

By Patrick Rupinski | Business Editor | The Tuscaloosa News http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140627/NEWS/140629741/1007/news?Title=S-C-man-pleads-guilty-in-freight-contract-scheme View Original Article

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TOPEKA, Kansas — Starting Tuesday, Kansas is granting a yearlong exemption to small commercial trucks from most of the safety regulations it imposes upon larger haulers, despite the misgivings of some officials. The Topeka Capital Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1pXrun8 ) that the exemption is the result of a new law approved by the Legislature this year with large, bipartisan majorities at the urging of owners of landscaping, masonry and home-building businesses and tr

ST. LOUIS • A grain elevator manager's scheme to inflate the prices he paid for corn, soybeans and other commodities cost Maryland Heights-based Bunge North America more than $1 million, a federal indictment made public Thursday says. Coleman Carpenter, 36, of Troy, Tenn., managed the elevator in Hickman, Ky., at the time. The indictment says that beginning in 2009, instead of paying farmers, producers and dealers the company-approved and authorized price, Carpenter would sometimes pay inflat

By Greg Carter, Content Manager Charleston, W.Va. – The owner of a trucking company in southern West Virginia pleaded guilty today for failing to collect and pay federal employment taxes announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Richard L. Bailey, Jr., of Fayetteville, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to two federal tax charges. Bailey owned and operated Duster Trucking Company, LLC, a coal hauling business in the Fayetteville area. Bailey was required to deduct income taxes, social sec

The Trucker News Services 6/26/2014 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pilot Flying J’s internal auditors correctly calculated the amount the truck stop chain owned trucking companies that were victims of a rebate scandal which company CEO Jimmy Haslam says he was unaware. Ten former Pilot employees have pleaded guilty in the criminal investigation and are cooperating with prosecutors who are conducting an on-going criminal investigation. Based on the settlement of a class action suit filed in federal cou

By Jessica Miller Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle ENID, Okla. — Some area grain elevators took in less than half of the average bushels of wheat this harvest. “The bushels received (were) well below average. In fact, I think I figured 24 percent of our 10-year average is what we got,” Carrier Mill & Elevator Manager Lee Redman said, “which is the lowest total bushels we’ve had since 1955.” Bison Co-op General Manager Tim Milacek reported the co-op received 30 percent of the average ha

By Jill Drury SIDNEY, Ohio (WDTN) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio fined the trucking company whose rig leaked ammonia last week. PUCO sent Hausbeck Brothers Incorporated what is called a notice of apparent violation. It comes with a $3,000 fine for releasing hazardous materials. The leak shut down Interstate 75 and Route 47 for several hours last Tuesday. Evacuations were also ordered in the area immediately surrounding the leak site. The truck leaded anhydrous ammonia,

Food transporters urged to use extended comment period for proposed FDA rules Sean Kilcarr Motor carriers are being encouraged to take advantage of a comment period extension covering new regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in February as many in the industry are concerned those proposed rules could increase the “risk exposure” of fleets involved in foodstuff transportation. “There’s really not enough attention being paid to this regulatory effort,”

http://www.truckinginfo.com/ Canadian truckers have blasted a U.S. proposal that would greatly hike some fees at the border. The fleet group, the Canadian Trucking Alliance, says it strongly objects to a proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to substantially raise the Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service fees. In filing comments in response to the USDA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, CTA said it acknowledges “the government of the United States of America has every rig

By JACOB BUNGE and DAVID GEORGE-COSH CONNECT Updated June 23, 2014 6:01 p.m. ET U.S. regulators ordered two railways to detail their plans to speed shipments of grain, amid a monthslong backlog that has frustrated farmers. The Surface Transportation Board ordered BNSF Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. CP.T -1.28% to disclose plans to address the delays, which have forced some farmers in the upper Midwest to heap grain on the ground after running out of storage space following m

WASHINGTON — 2014 will be a “banner year” for truckers and other freight haulers, according to the 25th Annual State of Logistics Report from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. “The performance of the economy overall has not been stellar in 2014, but freight continues to gain momentum and accelerate in the second quarter,” said Rosalyn Wilson, author of the report, at a June 17 presentation at the National Press Club in Washington. 2013 was a complicated year for the ec

New grain facilities will soon be popping up around the Nebraska panhandle, as well as in parts of South Dakota. West Plains Grain has plans to build and expand several of it's grain elevators. New facilities will be added to the West Plain's Gering location, and additions will also be made to the Mitchell site. Regional Manager Shain Shimic says the company also has plans to expand in the northern part of the state, as well as into South Dakota. "In the northwest Nebraska area, w

The Tribune-Democrat JOHNSTOWN — Every day, we put our trust in people we don’t know to keep us safe. We rely on airplane pilots, bus drivers, emergency responders and a host of others who we don’t know by name. Add truck drivers to that list – those unidentified, long-haul heroes who we trust to deliver, on time and edible, meat, vegetables and dairy products to our favorite stores and restaurants. But let’s be honest, how many of us have ever wondered how long our steak, chicken tende

Posted by Tom D'Amore If you’ve been the victim of a trucking accident, you might not only be facing serious injuries but also questions about what caused the accident and who is responsible. Understanding some of the common causes of trucking accidents can help you determine whether you might have a valid injury claim. Driver error Drivers of large trucks are 10 times more likely to cause an accident than other factors such as bad weather, adverse road conditions, and poor vehicle perf

Investments By Railroads And Trucking Constraints Drive Railroad Intermodal Volumes Intermodal is a lucrative business for the U.S. railroads given its strong growth and opportunity. It helps generate a significant portion of revenues for railroads. In 2013, CSX (NYSE:CSX), Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) and Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) generated 14%, 21% and 19% respectively of their overall revenues from their intermodal business. From 2009 to 2013, the intermodal carload traffic has increased

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS At the same time that Congress is considering whether to relax work rules for freight haulers, a truck driver's lack of sleep is being blamed for the highway crash that injured comedian Tracy Morgan and killed Connecticut resident James "Jimmy Mack" McNair. Walmart trucker Kevin Roper apparently failed to slow for traffic ahead on the New Jersey Turnpike and then swerved to avoid a crash. Instead, his rig smashed into the back of Morgan's chauffeured limo bus, kill

If bold enough, incoming fuel-efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty trucks being devised by the EPA and the NHTSA could reduce the cost of moving freight by 7 percent and owners of tractor-trailer units could save $0.21 per mile, according to a report from Environmental Defense Fund and Ceres. The EPA and NHTSA adopted the first-ever standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and engines built for model years 2014 to 2018 — the so-called phase 1 standards — in 2011. Presid

A Florida man driving a truck for an Indiana company didn't give in to a scam try Monday night in Upper Macungie Township, police report. Norman Gingras, 59, of Safety Harbor, Florida, parked a truck owned by Barr-Nunn Transportation, of Granger, Indiana, about 10 o'clock in the lot of the Wawa at 7572 Schantz Road, township police said. When he tried to pull out, he realized the brakes were locked and he could hear an air leak, police said. A man in a white U-Haul van, which was parked ne

Niagara Gazette Niagara Gazette — Because a Hollywood star was critically injured in an accident caused by a tractor trailer, the public conversation has turned to road safety and how big trucks fit into that equation. Never mind that beyond Tracy Morgan’s high-profile crash there are 500,000 accidents with tractor trailers every year in which an average of 11 people die each day. Although those are incredibly high numbers, they don’t tell the whole story. A majority of the accidents are

The 27-year-old man killed in a grain bin accident yesterday afternoon is identified... And the rural community around Wilton is stunned following the farm-related tragedy. The McLean County Sheriff's Department says 27-year-old Corneilius Johannes Du Plessis from South Africa was working at the Doepke Farm at 1412 Highway 83 South West 5 miles south of Washburn, when he was killed in a grain bin accident. The Sheriff's Department says multiple emergency response teams came out to help

http://www.overdriveonline.com/ In a brief to media and members, the board of the Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation reported that the suit it brought against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2012 had been decided in favor of FMCSA. The suit alleged FMCSA had overstepped its bounds with publication of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program’s Safety Measurement System, which ranks carriers on a numerical curve in five public BASIC cat

The Trucker News Services 6/17/2014 AUSTIN, Texas — Corporate executives, small business owners and state officials Tuesday joined the Texas Department of Transportation at Circuit of The Americas raceway to consider solutions for reducing driver distractions that caused more than 95,000 traffic crashes last year in Texas. "With distracted driving responsible for one in every five crashes in Texas, we want to help business leaders understand what they can do to protect their employees, them

http://www.foxnews.com/ Residents of the northeast Nebraska town of Pilger were set to begin a massive cleanup operation Tuesday after a deadly tornado swept through the area, killing a 5-year-old and a motorist and injuring 19 others, while demolishing more than half the town's structures. The National Weather Service said two twisters touched down within roughly a mile of each other. Emergency crews and residents spent the evening sorting through demolished homes and businesses in the to

By Scott Daugherty The Virginian-Pilot © June 17, 2014 VIRGINIA BEACH A 46-year-old truck driver from Georgia died Saturday after a police chase from Suffolk to Virginia Beach. Monday, he was identified as Alex Eugene Senegal of McDonough, Ga., according to a news release. Multiple people called 911 about 11:16 p.m. to report that a tractor-trailer was driving recklessly on U.S. 58 and Pitchkettle Road, the release said. Suffolk police located the truck, which struck a guardrail a

By Joseph Gallick Vice President, Dedicated Services NationaLease Recent articles have stated that truck capacity is running close to 100%. Industry experts have been saying the increased freight volume that comes with sustained economic growth, plus other factors such as a long bout of poor weather, could create a truly critical situation. The Commerce Department’s May 29 revised report that first-quarter GDP contracted at a 1% annual pace, the first contraction since 2011, may be t

I don’t know what Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association leadership was smoking when it called for the dismissal of FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro, but I hope they were in the states of Washington or Colorado. In my more than 40 years of trucking industry work in Washington, I have dealt with every Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration/Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety administrator since “Bow Tie” Bob Kaye and none has been more open or accessible than Anne Ferro. Of course, I

Grant Rodgers, [email protected] A lawsuit brought by eight Muscatine residents against a controversial corn processing company will go back to a district court, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled today. The residents all live within 1.5 miles of a corn wet-milling plant operated by Grain Processing Corporation, or GPC. The residents filed the nuisance, trespass and negligence lawsuit, arguing that the company's outdated equipment and procedures leave particulate matter in the air and on the gr

Grant Rodgers, [email protected] A lawsuit brought by eight Muscatine residents against a controversial corn processing company will go back to a district court, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled today. The residents all live within 1.5 miles of a corn wet-milling plant operated by Grain Processing Corporation, or GPC. The residents filed the nuisance, trespass and negligence lawsuit, arguing that the company's outdated equipment and procedures leave particulate matter in the air and on the gr

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo., June 13, 2014 /NEWS.GNOM.ES/ — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been pushing federal agencies for years to implement minimum, behind-the-wheel training standards for new truck drivers, yet no such regulations exist today. “Instead of relying on technology and making misguided, hours-of-service regulations changes, the focus should instead be on training standards for entry-level drivers,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer. “Despite or

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -- A grain truck crashed and spilled corn along a road in Dunn County Thursday. The Wisconsin State Patrol says it happened around 8 a.m. on Highway 170 and County Road S, just east of Wheeler. Dunn County Sheriff, Dennis Smith, says the driver of the truck somehow lost control and went off the road. Part of Highway 170 was closed for about two hours, but it took almost 5 hours to clean up the spill. The driver was not hurt. No other vehicles were involved.

Avery Vise | Fleet Owner A group of shippers, carriers and brokers formed to highlight the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program’s effect on capacity, competition and liability has voiced support for proposed legislation (H.R. 4727) that would shield shippers, brokers and others from liability if they take steps to confirm that the carrier has Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operating authority and insurance and does not have an unsatisfactory safety rating. The

SUMMIT, SD - Early Wednesday morning a South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper responded to a semi-truck crash on Interstate 29 north of Summit. The driver of a northbound semi-truck fell asleep behind the wheel causing the vehicle to travel off the roadway. The driver woke up and over-corrected causing the semi to enter the median and roll onto its side. The crash sent beer cans and bottles spilling onto the median. The driver was wearing his seatbelt and received serious non-life threaten

UPDATE: New Century Transportation Inc., Mount Holly, N.J., filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation yesterday in federal bankruptcy court for New Jersey with its affiliates Northwind Logistics LLC and Western Freightways LLC. Case is U.S. Bankruptcy N.J. 14-22093-MBK, lawyer is Lowenstein Sandler in Roseland NJ. Court-appointed trustee is Catherine E. Youngman, Esq, Forman, Holt, Eliades & Youngman LLC, Paramus NJ. The companies employed "over 1,500" at sites around the U.S., and controlle

Confusion over the height of a truck load contributed to the collapse of an Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River last year in Washington state, according to a preliminary report from federal transportation officials. The oversize truck load hit one of the bridge's overhead tresses May 23, 2013, near Mount Vernon, Wash., and a portion of the bridge and two passenger vehicles plummeted into the water below. Three people were injured; there were no fatalities. According to the preliminar

By Lynn Doan http://www.businessweek.com/ Green Plains Inc. (GPRE:US), which just became the first major ethanol producer to buy its own cattle-feed yard, has plans to milk it for more -- by buying the cattle too. The fourth-largest ethanol maker in the U.S. bought the assets of Supreme Cattle Feeders from Agri Beef Co., including a feed yard and a grain storage facility near Kismet, Kansas, for $15 million. The move marks a shift for the Omaha, Nebraska-based company from selling distille

Andy Nelson HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — Fuel prices and truck availability continue to give Michigan grower-shippers headaches. Input costs increase every year, but truck availability may be more of an issue than costs in 2014, said Todd DeWaard, sales manager for Superior Sales. “You can pick it and pack it, but you have to find a ride,” DeWaard said. “It’s been a struggle as time has progressed. Transportation and labor are the top two battles we face.” The proximity to markets often gives Michig

Staff Kansas City Business Journal Drought, late freezes and hot temperatures have trampled estimates for the Kansas wheat harvest this year, and the ramifications will be felt throughout the economy, the Wichita Business Journal reports. The state’s wheat harvest will yield 260 million bushels this season, down from 319 million bushels last year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. Wheat prices have increased, but that’s little solace for farmers who are seeing their wor

BY JOHN W. SCHOEN The New Jersey Turnpike crash involving an allegedly sleep-deprived Wal-Mart truck driver, in which comedian Tracy Morgan was injured and his friend killed, comes just days after the trucking industry won Senate support to roll back new rules designed to make sure truck drivers get enough rest. Kevin Roper, 35, was expected to appear in a New Jersey court on Monday on charges of vehicular homicide, assault and reckless driving in connection with the crash that killed one

By Julie Wernau, Tribune reporter NORTH UTICA, Ill. — — The Flynns are weary of bright lights that flood their bedroom each night from a sand mine next door. A second neighboring mine is in the works, and yet another nearby field has just been sold for mining as well. "I always thought when I died I'd want to be cremated and just thrown around the farm," Cathy Flynn said. "But if everything around me is going to be sand mines anyway, forget it." This is the other side of the fracking bo

By David D'Orazio, Posted: Jun 9, 2014 09:40 AM | Last Updated: Jun 9, 2014 09:40 AM ROCKY VIEW, AB — Each year in September, truckers gather to make the World’s Largest Truck Convoy a great one. And this year, the man who raised The Great One himself, Walter Gretzky, will be there. Big trucks, big convoys, a big anniversary and a big cause make the 2014 World’s Largest Truck Convoy For Special Olympics an event you don’t want to miss. The truck convoy, celebrating its 10th anniversary in

LUDLOW, S.D. – As a trucker who identified himself only as “Buck” sees it, the traffic and turmoil generated by the Bakken oil field in North Dakota keeps growing “like a fungus” along U.S. Highway 85, a once quiet two-lane road that now teems with speeding trucks. The highway that connects Interstate 90 in South Dakota with the oil patch near Williston, N.D., used to be a tranquil country road through the remote ranches and prairies of northwestern South Dakota. But lately, that typically

By Andrew G. Simpson Truckers would be required to buy higher insurance limits under a government proposal, although how much higher is not yet known. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) concluded in a report to Congress that current minimum financial responsibility limits for the commercial motor vehicle industry — including the $750,000 limit for general freight carriers— are inadequate to meet the costs of some crashes, mainly because of rising medical costs. A wo

By Corinne Iozzio SMITHSONIAN.COM Driving past a fleet of trucks on the highway is something that can make many motorists go a little white-knuckled, perhaps with good reason: There are about half a million trucking accidents each year. But what if the trucks could react to—or even avoid—road hazards on their own? Peloton Technology, a Silicon Valley startup, could make the roads safer for passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers alike by doing just that, with a new system that makes t

Jeannine Otto, Field Editor Thursday, June 05, 2014 1:00 PM ELWOOD, Ill. — A decision by the village of Elwood to restrict truck traffic is causing headaches for truckers hauling products, including grain, in to and out of rail and agribusiness facilities near the village. “This is the responsible and right thing to do,” said Village President William Offerman in a May 28 news release that announced the restrictions. The village board voted May 21 to restrict truck traffic on Walter Str

By Justin Bachman The people who drive large commercial trucks, fly cargo planes, and ferry millions of airline passengers are all subject to federal rules governing how much they rest. The U.S. government insists all such rules are guided by the science of sleep. Yet when Uncle Sam moves to enhance transport safety, it becomes clear that the rest rules are very much influenced by whichever industry or worker group is most pinched by government requirements. Cargo pilots at FedEx (FDX) a

http://www.ketv.com/ FREMONT, Neb. —A Fremont man was arrested on several charges after he embezzled millions of dollars from his employer. Dennis D. Hesman, 66, was booked Wednesday on 10 counts of theft by deception and one count of criminal conspiracy. Officials from Hesman’s former employer, Gavilon Grain, informed Fremont police of an embezzlement scheme they discovered after Hesman retired from the company. The investigation revealed that Hesman had falsified documents while

By TIM UNRUH Salina Journal Appearances are telling to farmer Billy Gans, and his wheat this year is far from easy on the eyes. "It looks pretty sickly, maybe knee-high and headed out uneven," Gans said, referring to his fields southeast of Bennington. He is among many who aren't holding much hope for this crop. Prospects have dimmed from north Texas to the Dakotas, primarily because rains didn't come in time, or at all. But the wheat price, down 11 cents to $7.03 a bushel Tuesday

By Jeff Plungis The 82-hour cap on a U.S. trucker’s work week has a chance of being eased by Congress, undoing the result of a 15-year effort to reduce highway fatalities caused by drowsy long-haul drivers. The main federal regulation that requires truckers to take an extended break at least twice a week would be suspended under an amendment set for a vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee tomorrow. The rule took effect in July 2013 and immediately drew criticism from the trucking in

By LYNDON FINNEY The Trucker Staff 6/3/2014 WASHINGTON — Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, appears to be set to introduce an amendment to suspend the controversial restart provision of the Hours of Service rule that became effective last July. The Capitol Hill office of the American Trucking Associations late Tuesday e-mailed ATA members asking them to support the amendment. “Be advised, Sen. Susan Collins intends to offer a proposal before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, June

Truck drivers claim the state is losing important forms they need to keep their jobs. Trucking companies are telling News10NBC they have run into problems with the state over medical certification forms. Those forms prove a driver is medically fit to drive and they’re required for people with commercial driver’s licenses. Many truckers say they've turned in the forms, but the state is notifying them they have no record of them. This is all part of new federal regulations that went into effect t