Winter driving conditions are continuing in some states this weekend, and even if your travel route doesn’t include any which are, it’s important to keep some tips in mind when driving in wintry conditions.

Some parts of Oregon & Wyoming are experiencing bad weather  including black ice on roadways through Monday.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (DOT) put together the below common sense tips to remind truck drivers to travel smart.

• Carry chains and know how to put them on.
• Know before you go. Plan your route. Let someone know when you’re expected. Stay on state highways. Do not rely on GPS.
• Carrying an emergency kit that includes supplies of water and food, and blankets. Have a full tank of gas and charge your phone.
• Get safely situated. Don’t wait until after a storm hits to get on the road. Get to your destination before conditions turn nasty and unsafe.
• Travel smart. Consider waiting until a storm passes to get on your bike or in your car.
• Look out for each other. If you must drive, remember cyclists and pedestrians are harder to see in a storm. If you’re biking or walking remember that cars don’t stop quickly on snow and ice.
• Leave early. It’s smart to allow plenty of time to get where you’re going. In severe weather, closures and crashes can cause long delays.
• Check on any appointments before you leave. Offices and businesses may close due to the weather.
• Beware of outages. If a storm knocks out power to traffic signals, treat intersections like an all-way stop. The driver who stops first goes first.
• Watch for plows. ODOT sand trucks, plows and deicer trucks can’t clear roads clogged with traffic. The more traffic stays off the road, the quicker roads can be treated. Everybody benefits the sooner we can get the road cleared.

Truck drivers are urged to check highway conditions at Tripcheck.com before starting their trip.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to weather and travel tips. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) announced this year’s International Roadcheck will take place May 5-7 instead of in June as in past years, with a special emphasis on the driver requirements category of a roadside inspection.

The International Roadcheck is a high-volume, high-visibility three-day enforcement initiative that highlights the importance of commercial motor vehicle safety through roadside inspections. During the 72-hour blitz, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout North America will conduct inspections on commercial motor vehicles and drivers.

This year’s focus, “driver requirements,” puts a special emphasis on driver-related violations, including the following:

• Driver’s age
• Commercial driver’s license
• Driver medical/physical requirements
• Sickness of fatigue
• Intoxicating beverages and drugs and other substances
• Driver’s record of duty status – U.S., Canada or Mexico

During Roadcheck, CVSA-certified inspectors primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, a 37-step procedure that includes two main inspection categories: an examination of driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. A third category, hazardous materials/dangerous goods, may also be part of the Level I Inspection.

The CVSA also said these additional violations top the charts and will be specifically looked at during a 2020 Roadcheck inspection due to this year’s special emphasis.

• Failure to use a seatbelt
• Operatring a property-carrying vehicle without a valid medical certificate
• ELD – no record of duty status (ELD is requried)
• Driver failed to maintain supply of blank records of duty status graph grids
• Driver failed to maintain ELD instruction sheet

Here is how the Level I Inspection is conducted:

• An inspector will start each inspection procedure by greeting, interviewing and preparing the driver. The inspector will collect and verify the driver’s documetns, identify the motor carrier, examine the driver’s license or commercial driver’s license, check record of duty status and review periodic inspection reports. If applicable, the inspector will check the Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate and the driver’s daily vehicle inspector report. Inspectors will also check drivers for seat belt usage, illness, fatigue and any apparent alcohol and/or drug possession or impairment.
• The inspection includes checking critical vehicle inspection items such as: brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshift components, missing driver’s seat, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims and hubs, and windshield wipers.
• If no critical vehicle inspection item violations are found during a Level I or Level V Inspection, a CVSA decal will be applied to the vehicle, indicating that the vehicle successfully passed a decal-eligible inspection conducted by a CVSA-certified inspector; however, when a rear impact guard is required and violations are present, a CVSA decal shall not be issued.
• If an inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, he or she may render the vehicle out of service if the condition meets the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. This means the vehicle cannot be operated until the vehicle violation(s) are corrected. A driver can also be placed out of service for driver credential-related issues or driver conditions, such as fatigue or impairment.

Keep in mind, out of service orders and the number, type and severity of safety violations affect a motor carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score and its Safety Fitness Determination rating. CSA is the safety compliance and enforcement program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) designed to improve safety and prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities by holding motor carriers and drivers accountable for their role in safety.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Trip permits in the state of Arkansas are now valid for 5 days instead of 3 for most loads.

The state announced on the home page of its online permit system that effective January 8, 2020 single trip permits will be for the duration of 5 days.

There are exceptions to the new rule, which include the following;

• Hay movement trip permits will remain valid for 3 days
• Sealed container will remain valid for 6 days
• House movements will remain valid for 2 days

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, compliance safety and keeping all drivers up-to-date on any industry changes. If you have any questions, give us a call at 704-840-0769 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

We put together some tips relating specifically to ELD devices during a roadside inspection.

1. Identify the device as an ELD. At a roadside stop, the first question will likely be, “do you have an ELD?” Make sure drivers know the name of the ELD provider and can point to the indicator on your screen that says ‘ELD.’ It is unlikely inspectors will have the complete list of FMCSA-registered ELDs, so having the information available is a good start.

Both of the systems used by Medallion Holding are Omnitracs.  One is the IVG and the other is the XRS

2. Ensure you have logs available for the previous seven days. Your ELD should provide you with the last seven full days of ELD formatted logs as well as the current 24–hour period. If you have had the ELD for less than 7 days or you have had a malfunction that impacts the logs, make sure you have the paper back up available for inspection. Contact the ELD group if you do not.
3. Have all the required documentation. The mandate requires that the user manual and Cab Cards are readily available in either printed or electronic format, as well as seven days’ worth of blank logs, in case of a malfunction. You should have the ELD cab card with you.  Contact the ELD group if you do not.

Links to the XRS and IVG manuals are located on our website www.medalliontrans.com under Documents and Resources. 

IVG Manual:

https://62c22074b7.nxcli.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Omnitracs-IVG-User-Manual-Driver-Hours-Assist_compressed.pdf

XRS Manual:

https://62c22074b7.nxcli.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/XRS-ELD_Driver_Guide_and_Cab_Card_ELD_ID_compressed-1.pdf

4. Be prepared to justify all personal conveyance and unassigned driving. You must have a comment that clearly describes what you are doing that qualifies as personal conveyance.  Unassigned driving must be accepted or rejected with the reason why the driving is not yours.
5. Know how to mount and unmount the ELD Screen. The mandate requires the ELD screen to be accessible to the inspector from outside the vehicle.
6. Know the file transfer mechanism the ELD supports. The driver may be asked to transfer ELD logs to web eRODS for further inspection with the web eRODS The mandate requires ELDs to be able to transfer files by Bluetooth, USB, or a telematics transfer option that allows email or web service or both. Drivers need to know what type of file transfer the ELD device supports and how to access it when asked. If sending by email, the ELD is pre-configured to send log files to the appropriate contact as set by the FMCSA, so there is no need to manually input an email address.

IVG:

ERODS button is located on the bottom of the Day Log tab.  The Fax/Email button is located at the bottom of 8 days tab.

XRS:

Top left of XRS home screen tab the 3 lines.  Select HOS.  Tap the 3 dots in the upper right and select ERODS File Transfer.  (you must be on-duty)

The PA Turnpike Commission will implement a new Special Hauling Permit System for Overweight/Over-dimensional vehicles at Cashless Tolling Locations.

The special hauling permit office released the following letter:

On Dec. 18, 2019, the PA Turnpike Commission approved a new permit fee structure at cashless t olling points only across our system for overweight/over-dimensional vehicles.  Beginning Jan. 5, these vehicles must apply for a Special Hauling Permit and pay a $37 flat fee along with an additional 24 cent-per-ton-mile fee on all weight in excess of 80,000 pounds. Those cashless tolling locations are:

• Gateway Toll Plaza Milepost 2, I-76 (near Ohio line);
• Beaver Valley Express­way (PA Turnpike 376);
• Findlay Connector (PA Turnpike 576);
• Greensburg Bypass/AKH (PA Turnpike 66); and
• Delaware River Bridge Toll Plaza, Milepost 42.6, I-95 (near NJ line);
• Keyser Avenue and Clarks Summit Toll Plazas, Mileposts 122 and 131, (I-476 near Scranton).

Changes for Overweight/Over-dimensional customers at cashless tolling locations only include:

• All customers applying for a Special Hauling Permit for Overweight/Over-dimensional vehicles must pay a new permit fee online using a credit card or ACH when the application is submitted.  There will be no print function for approved permits until payment is made.
• All customers must print and carry a hard copy of the approved permit.
• Tolls will be assessed electronically as customers travel the cashless tolling system. There is no need to stop to process permits or pay tolls at cashless tolling locations.
• Tolls will be charged to your E-ZPass account; if you do not have E-ZPass, an invoice will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle through the PA Turnpike TOLL BY PLATE system.
• All customers must apply for a permit within two weeks of the anticipated travel day.

While the permit fees for overweight and over-dimensional haulers at cashless tolling locations are new, the toll rates have been adjusted so that the overall trip costs are comparable to those of existing Class-9 toll rates.

The PA Turnpike’s standard permit requirements — weight, width, length, height, etc. — remain in effect for these new Special Hauling Permit procedures at cashless tolling locations.  Visit https://www.paturnpike.com/commercial/permit_info.aspx to learn more. Or call 1-800-331-3414 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday).

Drivers, please be extremely careful and cautious as record cold continues in the Eastern U.S. and heavy rain hits the Southeast.

According to the National Weather Service, the Arctic airmass over the Eastern U.S. with record cold for early November will shift off the coast Thursday resulting in moderating temperatures for the East back toward November normals. Although, roads may still be slick from ice as temps warm up.

Additionally, an area of tropical moisture will shift across the Southeast on Thursday and Friday where some locally heavy rain may bring a marginal risk for flash flooding to some states.

This second cold front is pressing southward across the Central and Southern Plains, shifting eastward to the Ohio valley Thursday and weakening through the East Coast by Friday. This will keep temperatures below average for the remainder of the work week. However, the air mass’s origin is from the Pacific, so is not as brutally cold as the preceding one. Still, the upper-level low pressure from the Pacific will merge with a weak upper-level low out of Northern Mexico inducing a surface wave along the lingering frontal zone in the Gulf of Mexico by late Thurs. This wave will strengthen across the Northern Florida Peninsula and and as it reaches warmer waters along the Gulf Stream off the GA/Carolina coast, it is forecast to become a strong gale Friday (perhaps a storm by Sat). Moderate to Occasionally heavy rainfall may occur across N FL and along the GA/Carolina coasts for the end of the work week; the Weather Prediction Center has Marginal Risk areas of Excessive Rainfall, so isolated flooding may be a concern.

Click here for state by state weather warnings.

Driver Safety is Priority

Drivers are urged to keep safety as a number one priority. Here are some tips for safely driving in the snow in the future.

• Slow down
• Keep a safe distance between the vehicle in front of you
• Don’t stop on the shoulder
• Use good judgment
• Do not engage the jack brake on icy roads
• Check before you leave, ensure all systems are a go
• Keep fuel tanks topped up
• Keep tractor & trailer lights clean

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, compliance and safety. If you have any questions, give us a call at 704-840-0769 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Another federal mandate kicks in Jan. 6, 2020; The Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.

All drivers who hold either a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) need to register by the deadline before they can respond to employer consent requests or access their driver record in the Federal Motor Carrier AdministrationFMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Why is This Required?

The FMCSA is establishing the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. This new database will contain information pertaining to violations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) controlled substances (drug) and alcohol testing program for holders of CDLs.  The Clearinghouse rule requires FMCSA-regulated employers, Medical Review Officers (MROs), Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs), consortia/third party administrators (C/TPAs), and other service agents to report to the Clearinghouse information related to violations of the drug and alcohol regulations in 49 Code of Federal Regulations, parts 40 and 382 by current and prospective employees.

The Clearinghouse will provide FMCSA and employers the necessary tools to identify drivers who are prohibited from operating a CMV based on DOT drug and alcohol program violations and ensure that such drivers receive the required evaluation and treatment before operating a CMV on public roads. Specifically, information maintained in the Clearinghouse will enable employers to identify drivers who commit a drug or alcohol program violation while working for one employer, but who fail to subsequently inform another employer (as required by current regulations). Records of drug and alcohol program violations will remain in the Clearinghouse for five years, or until the driver has completed the return-to-duty process, whichever is later.

Driver Clearinghouse Requirements

• Provide electronic consent via the FMCSA Clearinghouse to release detailed drug and/or alcohol violation information in your clearinghouse record to a current or prospective employer (when an employer conducts a full query).
• Review their own Clearinghouse record and initiate the process to revise or remove incorrectly entered information.
• Identify a substance abuse professional (SAP) to report on return-to-duty activities (if you have an unresolved drug and alcohol program violation in your Clearinghouse record).

Pre-Register Now

Please visit: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov to pre-register and be set for compliance by Jan. 6th. It is recommended that all drivers register in advance.

Here is step-by-step documentation on how truck drivers can register.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, compliance and safety. If you have any questions, give us a call at 704-840-0769 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Company management, including our Director of Agent Development, VP of Heavy Haul and Business Developer, will be at two different Travel Centers of America (TA-Petro) in Texas and Indiana this month hosting a meet-and-greet to show appreciation for all truck drivers.

VP of Heavy Haul, Jesse Merrell and Director of Agent Development, Danielle Szerlik will treat drivers with new company gear as well as a free meal and hot coffee.

“We welcome the opportunity to show a token of our appreciation to our drivers out there on the road,” said Medallion Transport Holdings CEO Gary Weilheimer.

Medallion Transport Holdings is the parent company of Medallion Transport & Logistics and affiliate heavy haul company, NHH Services.

The truck stop visits will be manned by Medallion’s Director of Agent Development, VP of Heavy Haul and Business Developer. You can’t miss them, they’ll be set up outside in the parking lot of the Beaumont, TX TA-Petro located at 5405 Walden Road on Wednesday, November 6.

And on Thursday, November 7 outside the TA Petro in Baytown, TX located at 6800 Thompson Road.

On Wednesday, November 13, they’ll be set up at a different Travel Centers’ location in Gaston, IN. The address is 14000 West State Road 28.

The next day, on Thursday, November 14 from 4 – 7 p.m. the team will be at the TA Petro in Clayton, IN. The address is 10346 S. State Road 39.

Although the goal of the event is to show appreciation for existing company drivers, the meet and greet is open to all truck drivers passing through or in the area. The management team will have plenty of company gear to pass out and will offer all drivers a complimentary meal and warm cup of coffee.

The company is actively seeking owner-operators and can discuss all the owner operator program perks available to those interested.

The meet-and-greet event times are as follows:

• Wednesday, November 6 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Beaumont, TX
• Thursday, November 7 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Baytown, TX
• Wednesday, November 13 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Gaston, IN
• Thursday, November 14 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Clayton, IN

Don’t miss the opportunity to chat with our company leaders and enjoy a little extra for all you do out on the road each day.

Questions?

For questions about the upcoming meet-and-greet, contact Director of Agent Development Danielle Szerlik at danielle.szerlik@medalliontrans.com or at 704.235.0460, ext 1051.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the closure of the Westbound Bay Bridge (US 50/301) that will affect commercial vehicle travel through the Spring of 2020.

They released the following information about the closure:

Weather permitting, the rightmost lane (Lane 1) on Westbound Bay Bridge (US 50/301) will be closed starting Monday, September 30, 2019 as part of the deck rehabilitation project. Lane 1 will remain closed 24/7 until Spring of 2020.  During this time, nightly full Westbound Bay Bridge closure with two-way traffic on Eastbound Bay Bridge is in effect (weather permitting).

It is recommended that commercial vehicles should avoid crossing the Bay Bridge and stay on I-95. When traveling to the Bay Bridge, drivers should expect major delays and plan accordingly.  For up-to-date construction and closure information on the Bay Bridge, please call 1-877-BAYSPAN (229-7726). FOR full announcement and info BAY BRIDGE DECK REHABILITATION PROJECT

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support and safety, especially when it comes to any oversize travel restrictions or detours. If you have any questions, give us a call at 704-840-0769 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.