Goodyear has awarded a truck driver who saved a person’s life with the 34th Goodyear Highway Hero award during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY. 

David Webb of Billngs, MT was given the award for stopping an out-of-control dumb truck and administering CPR on the driver who was not breathing.

Webb and another bystander pulled the driver out of the truck, and then Webb performed CPR until help arrived. The driver was hospitalized and survived.

Along with this award, Webb received a $5,000 prize and other items.

To read the full article, click here.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) president and CEO, Chris Spear issued a welcome letter to Secretary Thomas Price, congratulating him on becoming the new Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and also asking for his help in continuing the membership’s goal to improve highway safety.

Spear asked Secretary Price to complete a HHS statutory mandate. According to Price’s letter, section 5402 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act (P.L. 114-94) required HHS to issue scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing as a method of detecting the use of controlled substances for purpose of section 31306 of Title 49.

ATA is the largest national trade association representing the trucking industry, with more than 30,000 members. Highway safety is a core interest among members.

Federal law requires trucking companies drug test new drivers and randomly test existing drivers. If hair testing is mandated, employers will have a longer detection window, with easier access to collect samples and a harder time to adulterate compared to urinalysis.

To read the complete letter, click here. 

Effective 1/2 hour before sunrise on March 8th, 2017 weight restrictions will be lifted from the southern Michigan border north to and including US-12 at the Michigan/Indiana border east to I-94 in Berrien County then north and east to I-69 in Calhoun County then north on I-69 to Lansing and continuing on I-69 east to Port Huron, St. Clair County. Frost restrictions are still in effect for the remainder of the state and will be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways north of the US-12, I-94, I-69 line.
State trunkline highways typically carry M, I, or US designations.

Weight restriction information and updates may be obtained by calling 1-800-787-8960.

– On routes designated as “All Season Routes” (green or gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map) there will be no reduction in legal axle weight.

– On routes designated as “Seasonal” (solid or dashed red on the MDOT Truck Operators Map) there will be a weight reduction of 25% for rigid pavements and 35% for flexible pavements.

Extended permits will be valid for oversize only in the weight restricted area.

Single trip permits will not be issued for overweight loads or loads exceeding 14 feet in width, 11 axles and 150 feet in overall length in the weight restricted area.

Detailed Weight Restriction information may be obtained by linking to www.michigan.gov/truckers.

Please refer to the MDOT Truck Operator’s Map for route designations.

Provided Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is urging all motor carriers to keep their lease on-hand.

Under current regulations, a motor carrier operating a vehicle owned by another entity is required to either carry a copy of the lease in the cab of the vehicle, or carry an official statement that clarifies the relationship between the operator and the vehicle owner.

This regulation must be followed even if the lessor and lessee of the vehicle are related entities or subject to common ownership.

Click here for more info.

Medallion Transport Holdings, Inc. President and CEO Gary Weilheimer was recently highlighted in an article featured on Aljex.com. The article portrays the partnership between Medallion and Aljex , a transportation logistics management software, and mentions the success of Medallion since the company was formed by Weilheimer in 2009.

Medallion has built a solid reputation as a logistics company offering van, flatbed, refrigerated, step-deck and over-dimensional via its four subsidiaries, including Medallion Transport & Logistics LLC, Medallion International LLC, Ace Heavy Haul LLC and NHH Services LLC.

For the past few years, Medallion has utilized the Aljex software to provide carriers, shippers and brokers with the ability to share real-time information simply by logging in to their specific Aljex portal accessible via the Medallion website.

Weilheimer went on to talk about the benefits of being a technology efficient company and how the brands have grown. Additionally, he shared his passion for the transportation industry and how Medallion sets itself apart from other companies.

Click here to read the full article.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is moving forward to alleviate costly delays in move superloads through the state.

Setting up bridge monitors for loads of configurations of over 13 axles has had delays of up to two weeks. Effective immediately, the Ohio DOT has capped that process at 48 hours.

Recently the Ohio DOT has made other positive strides in their 1-mile permit access rule and increasing the threshold by which it auto issues permits.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association has published the new policy, click here to view.

A recent report released by the United States Department of Transportation focuses on some specific challenges in the transportation industry.

Released in January 2017, the 239-page report, Beyond Traffic 2045, discusses the growth expected in the US by 2045 and the transportation challenges that will come about as a result.

The American population is expected to exceed 70 million by 2045 which will increase the demand for infrastructure. Freight volume, fueled by the projected increase in e-commerce is expected in increase by more than 40 percent by 2045. An increase in population will also bring about climate change.

The report is one of the final communications by Anthony Foxx before he steps down as transportation secretary.

Transportation Topics recently reported that the Idaho Transportation Department received legislature approval for a rule change that paves the way for a statewide permitting system for oversize loads.

The Senate Transportation Committee approved the proposal that will now allow the state department to issue oversize permits for all commercial trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds. The program is opt-in, so not all jurisdictions have to take part.

The ruling stems from a 2016 legislation approval, which opened Idaho’s commercial state system to oversize loads weighing up to 129,000 pounds.

Read the full article here.