Starting Monday, September 30 2019, a section of I-84 eastbound will be restricted to 8-6 wide through Thursday, October 3, 2019 for maintenance work.

The exact closure is on I-84 EB MP 35 to MP 47 (Cascade Locks)

Each day during that period, the restriction will be in place from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.

According to a memo distributed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (DOT), oversize loads should find alternative routes as there are no detours available.

For questions or help with determining authorized alternative routes, contact the state of Oregon’s over-dimension permit unit Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 503.373.0000 or contact your oversize load permitting company, which can propose detours for oversize loads over 8-6 needing to travel this route during the closure dates and time.

Road restrictions can change due to weather or any other unforeseen delays.

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.

 

So many trucks are placed out of service during annual blitzes and inspections.

According to a recent article in the Commercial Carrier Journal and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, of 67,072 inspections during the 72-hour International Roadcheck inspection blitz in June, more than 12,000 trucks were placed out of service – an alarming 17.9% vehicle OOS rate.

Of those 12,00 trucks, 28% had brake-related violations, with 19.3% having tire issues, 17.1% with brake adjustment problems and 12.1% with cargo securement issues.

With Brake Safety Week around the corner – Sept. 15 – 21 – it’s important to be ready. This year’s inspection focus will be on brake hoses and tubing.

Brake hoses and tubing needs to be properly attached, undamaged, leak-free, and flexible, says the association that governs roadside truck inspections.

Vehicles with critical brake or other critical vehicle inspection item violations will be restricted from traveling until those violations are corrected. Vehicles without critical vehicle inspection item violations are eligible to receive a CVSA decal indicating that the vehicle passed inspection.

The large amount of trucks placed out of service during these inspections can be reduced if daily inspections are performed by truck drivers and owner-operators.

Tips for Daily Inspections

Tools You Need to Inspect Your Brakes:

• Blocks/chocks to place behind tires
• Chalk to mark push-rods
• Small ruler to measure push-rod travel and brake linings
• Brake application device (to apply brakes) or a “second” person to assist

Before You Inspect:

• Park on a level road surface
• Block/chock the tractor wheel(s) and trailer wheel(s), if hooked
• Confirm air pressure at 90-100 psi
• Shut off engine – Remove keys from ignition
• Release spring (parking) brakes
• Check each brake to confirm normal released position
• Listen for air leaks

Inspect for:

• Chaffing/rubbing air hoses against other hoses and/or other components
• Hoses that are worn to second color or nylon braids are visible
• Damaged, broken, or missing components; i.e. broken brake chamber bracket, missing clevis pin, hanging slack adjuster
• Brake pads/linings; Air Drum brake pad, measured at the center, must be above ¼ inch. Air Disk brake, must be above 1/8 inch.
• Cracked pads/linings or rust-jacked lining from shoe (upper & lower)
• Excessive up/down & sideways movement on the camshaft (worn bushings)
• Rusted drum due to inoperative brake
• External cracks on the brake drum
• Rusted (holes) brake chamber

Measure the Push-Rod Travel Stroke by:

• Check air pressure gauges are holding 90-100 psi
• Make certain spring (parking) brakes are fully released
• Confirm you’ve made a chalk mark on each push-rod at the rear of the brake chamber
• Via the brake pedal apply full (service) brake application (approx. 80 psi)
• Measure distance from the chalk mark to rear of brake chamber
• Confirm travel is within DOT Standards via brake chamber size & if short or long stroke:

MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportation) will completely close Interstate 70 in both directions between I-435 and I-470/Route 291 (Mile Markers 7-15) beginning Friday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. until approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, according to a MoDOT news release.

While the interstate is closed, the ramps from I-435 South to I-70 East and I-435 North to I-70 west will be demolished. A number of MoDOT crews will also complete other much-needed maintenance work along the several mile stretch, including lighting repairs, median barrier wall repairs, drainage work, and paving operations along I-70.

All work is weather permitting. The road work will have major impacts to traffic including commercial vehicle traffic from vans to oversize loads. Here are the details during each closure day:

THURSDAY, SEPT. 5

·     Crews willclose the ramps from I-435 North to I-70 West and I-435 South to I-70 East at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. They will be demolished. New ramps will open next spring.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

·     Crews will begin reducing I-70 to ONE LANE in both directions between I-435 and I-470/Route 291 at approximately 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6. Motorists can expect various lane closures during this time.

·     Crews will begin closing ALL on and off ramps along I-70 between I-435 and Route 291/I-470 around 8 p.m.

·     I-70 will be closed entirely from I-435 to I-470/Route 291 at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, September 6 until approximately 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 9.

·     I-70 East will be reduced to one lane at Manchester Trafficway and traffic that has not already exited I-70 will be detoured off of I-70 at the ramp to I-435 South.

·     I-70 West will be reduced to one lane before the Route 291/I-470 interchange. All traffic that has not already exited I-70 will be routed onto Route 291/I-470 South.

·     Route 291 South just north of I-70 will be reduced to one lane to accommodate merging traffic from I-70 West.

All ramps to and from I-70 between I-435 and I-470/Route 291 will be blocked while I-70 is closed.

This work will have major impacts to traffic. Plan ahead.

Motorists MUST follow the signed detour using I-470 or find an alternate route.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  issued an emergency declaration ahead of Hurricane Dorian last week, temporarily suspending hours of service regulations for truck drivers providing direct assistance in the aftermath of the storm.

The declaration is effective through Oct. 28 unless it is extended or canceled.

Based on the forecasted track and the anticipated arrival of tropical storm winds, more states have issued emergency declarations and put other procedures in place.

North Carolina

UPDATED SOE and Waiver

North Carolina Updated Emergency Declaration (8/31/19)

North Carolina Updated Transportation Waiver (8/31/19)

North Carolina Ports (9/2/19)

On Tuesday, no export refrigerated cargo will be received at the container facility at the Port of Wilmington.

Based on the forecasted track and the anticipated arrival of tropical storm winds, the ports of Wilmington and Morehead City will be closed to commercial activity on Wednesday, September 4. Tenants will be permitted access to their facilities at both locations on Wednesday.

North Carolina Emergency Declaration and Transportation Waiver (8/30/19)

South Carolina

South Carolina Transportation Waiver (8/31/19)

Virginia

Virginia Declaration of Emergency (9/2/19)

Kentucky

Kentucky Transportation Waivers (8/30/19)

 Illinois

Illinois Weigh Station Bypass Guidance (8/30/19)

Georgia

Georgia Declaration of Emergency (8/29/19)

Georgia Transportation Waiver (8/29/19)

Florida

Florida Weigh Station Bypass Wavier (8/29/19)

Florida Tax Waiver (8/29/19)

Florida Transportation Waiver (8/29/19)

Florida Emergency Road Use Permit (8/27/19)

Florida Declaration of Emergency (8/27/19)

 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  issued an emergency declaration ahead of Hurricane Dorian on Wednesday, Aug. 28, temporarily suspending hours of service regulations for truck drivers providing direct assistance in the aftermath of the storm.

The powerful storm will strengthen over the coming days and has the potential to become a Category 4 as it barrels toward the southeastern United States, according to the National Hurricane Center. Dorian is expected to make landfall on the eastern Florida coast sometime Sunday night or Monday morning.

The National Hurricane Center forecast Thursday that Hurricane Dorian could reach maximum winds of 130 mph within 72 hours.

The emergency declaration is effective in 26 Florida counties – Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Volusia and Union.

As long as the declaration is active, truckers engaged in specific aspects of emergency relief, including direct assistance for the immediate restoration of essential services (electrical, sewer, water and telecommunications) or essential supplies (food, water, medical supplies and fuel), are exempt from hours of service regulations.

The declaration is effective through Oct. 28 unless it is extended or canceled.

Pilot Flying J Daily Operation Calls

Pilot Flying J has implemented daily operation calls regarding Hurricane Dorian, and will send out updates to our store operations as conditions warrant.

Store Operations:
All Pilot or Flying J locations in the current path of this storm are open and operational.

Supply Conditions:
Our supply and transportation teams are working hard to ensure that product remains available at the travel center locations.  Please expect high gas traffic into these areas as the storm approaches the coast.

Important Information links:
National Hurricane Center (National Weather Service):   https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Storm Prediction Center (National Weather Service):  https://www.spc.noaa.gov/
Pilot Flying J (store locator map): https://www.pilotflyingj.com/store-locator/

Florida
Florida Emergency Management Site   http://www.floridadisaster.org/info/
Florida Road Conditions/Contraflow/Closures   https://fl511.com
Florida Power Outage Map https://poweroutage.us/area/state/florida

Although the ELD mandate went into effect in December 2017, fleets still using automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRDs) to track hours-of-service (HOS) were able to delay implementing ELDs until the December 16, 2019 final deadline.

With just over three months to go, it’s important to start the transition process early and be prepared for some adjustments.

AOBRDs vs. ELDs: What’s the difference?

ELDs reflect updated FMCSA guidelines. While they also automatically record a driver’s driving time and speed to ensure compliance with HOS, ELDs are additionally required to have integral synchronization into a vehicle’s diagnostic port (like a JBUS or OBD-II port) to accurately record vehicle motion activity, engine hours, power status, vehicle motion status and location. While both AOBRDs and ELDs capture record of duty status data automatically at each duty status change, ELDs also capture RODS every 60 minutes while the vehicle is in motion, whenever the engine is powered on or off and at the beginning and end of personal use and yard moves. The ELD Mandate also requires that any time there is a driving event – i.e. any time the vehicle moves – an electronic log is created. Each log must be assigned to a driver or annotated, which is another major difference between AOBRDs and ELDs. This accounts for all times a vehicle is in motion and unassigned driving events; this prevents the tampering of driver hours data that sometimes occurs with AOBRD systems.

ELD Mandate Required Settings

Driving

• Automatic Duty Status change to Driving at 5 MPH
• Driver cannot select Driving duty status – contact ELD GROUP IF STATUS DOES NOT CHANGE

Log Edits – no one can edit drive time.  Make sure you are in the correct status before you move!

• Drive time cannot be changed
• Cannot change Personal Conveyance or Yard Move to a non-driving activity
• Carrier can edit logs, but edits remain pending until driver has logged in
• Carrier can lengthen driving time but cannot shorten it. This includes time showing as driving even if truck has stopped.
• Edits are dependent on driver’s approval
  • Driver prompted of changes to his log
  • Driver must accept or reject edit
  • Driver must enter in reason if rejected

ELD Mandate requires transfer of logs to law enforcement.  If the transfer fails, the screen is a compliant log record.

• Directions for use are on the updated Driver Card
• IVG – eRODS can be transferred via email or Web Services
• XRS – eRODS transfer

Reconciliation of unassigned driving time starts with the driver.

• Driver must accept or reject the unidentified driving time
• If accepted, driving time is added to driver’s log
• If rejected, unidentified driving time is reconciled by carrier
• If no driver logs into the unit for 8 days after recorded unidentified driving time, the unidentified driving time will be reconcilable by carrier

Certifications

• Certification must be done in 24-hour Increments
• Driver must approve logs daily
• Driver must recertify after edits

Personal Conveyance

• Driver-Initiated and manually terminated – You must put yourself off duty when stopped
• Driver must enter comment when selected
• Does not automatically transition driver to Driving Duty Status when customer-defined personal conveyance threshold is met (number of minutes)
• Driver is alerted that Personal Conveyance threshold established by Carrier was exceeded

The Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) is advising all to expect delays on oversize/overweight permits.

They stated that although most OS/OW permits are issued in three business days, permits with more complex routes that require INDOT district approval will take additional time to process.

They are citing the Summer peak season and road construction for the delays.

To reduce the chances of a permit being delayed or rejected, the department encourages applicants to plan or check their route on INDOT’s Truckers’ Info website before applying.

Check with your oversize load permit provider and see if they can expedite as some have specific contacts or a better understanding of the permit approval process for both oversize loads and superloads.

According to the state, a new permitting system is in the works that will improve service and speed, the department adds. It is expected to launch this winter.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support and safety, especially when it comes to maintenance including regular inspections and repairs. 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 704-840-0769 or send us an email to Roadsideinspections@medalliontrans.com.

Truck drivers, have you asked yourself lately if your brakes are ready for the day? Some may answer no and there may be some uncertainty with that question, especially with some recent data released by the CVSA about the number of vehicles removed from the road for brake-related violations.

But don’t worry, with some specific brake tips and an inspection checklist, you’ll be ready to hit the road.

Tools You Need to Inspect Your Brakes:

• Blocks/chocks to place behind tires
• Chalk to mark push-rods
• Small ruler to measure push-rod travel and brake linings
• Brake application device (to apply brakes) or a “second” person to assist

Before You Inspect:

• Park on a level road surface
• Block/chock the tractor wheel(s) and trailer wheel(s), if hooked
• Confirm air pressure at 90-100 psi
• Shut off engine – Remove keys from ignition
• Release spring (parking) brakes
• Check each brake to confirm normal released position
• Listen for air leaks

Inspect for:

• Chaffing/rubbing air hoses against other hoses and/or other components
• Hoses that are worn to second color or nylon braids are visible
• Damaged, broken, or missing components; i.e. broken brake chamber bracket, missing clevis pin, hanging slack adjuster
• Brake pads/linings; Air Drum brake pad, measured at the center, must be above ¼ inch. Air Disk brake, must be above 1/8 inch.
• Cracked pads/linings or rust-jacked lining from shoe (upper & lower)
• Excessive up/down & sideways movement on the camshaft (worn bushings)
• Rusted drum due to inoperative brake
• External cracks on the brake drum
• Rusted (holes) brake chamber

Measure the Push-Rod Travel Stroke by:

• Check air pressure gauges are holding 90-100 psi
• Make certain spring (parking) brakes are fully released
• Confirm you’ve made a chalk mark on each push-rod at the rear of the brake chamber
• Via the brake pedal apply full (service) brake application (approx. 80 psi)
• Measure distance from the chalk mark to rear of brake chamber
• Confirm travel is within DOT Standards via brake chamber size & if short or long stroke:

May’s Brake Safety Inspection Data

In May, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) law enforcement members conducted 10,358 commercial motor vehicle inspections focused on identifying brake system violations. Of those inspections, 16.1% of vehicles had brake-related critical vehicle inspection items. Those 1,667 vehicles were placed out of service until the violations could be corrected.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), over half a million commercial motor vehicle violations in 2017 were related to brakes. CVSA aims to call attention to this serious issue through its targeted brake safety enforcement and awareness campaigns, such as the May 15 unannounced inspection blitz. This enforcement initiative highlights the work that’s done by inspectors every day to keep roadways safe. Checking brake systems and their components is always part of roadside vehicle inspections.

Inspectors also paid close attention to violations involving brake hoses/tubing, including the following from May’s unannounced blitz:

• 996 units with chafed rubber hose violations.
• 185 units had chafed thermoplastic hose violations.
• 1,125 violations of 49 Code of Federal Regulations § 393.45 and Canadian equivalent violations that included chafed rubber hoses.
• 124 violations of 49 Code of Federal Regulations § 393.45 and Canadian equivalent violations that included kinked thermoplastic hoses.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced this week it has increased fines across the board for violations of federal trucking regulations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is required by Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 to adjust fine amounts each year based on inflation.

A final rule was published in the Federal Register Wednesday, July 31, makes the new fine amounts effective immediately. The 2015 Act required FMCSA and other DOT agencies to issue an initial “catch-up” adjustment, followed by annual adjustments for inflation.

The DOT, in order to find the 2019 adjustment amount, had to multiply the penalty amount by the percentage change between the October 2018 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the October 2017 CPI-U, which this year was 1.02522. With that, here are the new fine amounts:

 

 

Company management, including our VP of Heavy Haul and Director of Agent Development, will be at two different Travel Centers of America (TA-Petro) in Ohio Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 hosting a meet-and-greet to show appreciation for all truck drivers.

Vice President 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 NHH Services and Medallion Transport & Logistics.

The truck stop visits will be manned by Medallion’s VP of Heavy Haul and Director of Agent Development. You can’t miss them, they’ll be set up outside in the parking lot of the Wapakoneta, OH TA-Petro located at 1775 Bellefontaine St. off I-75 & U.S. 33, Exit 111 on Wednesday, August 7 from 4 – 7 p.m.

On Thursday, August 8, also from 4 – 7 p.m., they’ll be set up at a different Travel Centers’ location in Eaton, OH. The address is 6762 ST RT 127 off I-70 & U.S. 127, Exit 10.

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:

• Tuesday, August 7 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Wapakoneta, OH
• Wednesday, August 8 10 from 4 – 7 p.m. in Dayton, OH

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.