The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Roadcheck, the year’s largest inspection blitz, has been rescheduled for Sept. 9 – 11.

Owner-operators and carriers have a month to prepare for the 72-hour enforcement period which has a special emphasis on the driver requirements component of inspections.

The blitz was originally scheduled to take place May 5-7 but was postponed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nearly 1 million driver violations were discovered in 2019’s approximately 3.36 million commercial vehicle inspections, with nearly 200,000 of those being out-of-service violations.

For the driver portion of an inspection, inspectors will do the following:

• Collect and verify the driver’s documents
• Identify the motor carrier
• Examine the driver’s license
• Check record of duty status and review periodic inspection reports
• Check the Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate and the driver’s daily vehicle inspection report

Inspectors will also be looking for seat belt usage, illness, fatigue and apparent alcohol or drug possession or impairment. For more driver requirements and Roadcheck information, click here.

Roadcheck will take place just two weeks after CVSA’s Brake Safety Week, Aug. 23 – 29.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion’s Safety Team is ready to assist with driver education and training to ensure the company’s fleet is safe on the road and compliant with the latest laws. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460, ext 2004 or send us an email to safety@medalliontrans.com.

Alice Turner works diligently every day to dispatch loads for Medallion Transport Holding’s and NHH Services network of owner-operators. Get to know more about Alice and what she enjoys most about her role with the company.

Tell us more about your 30 years’ experience in the trucking industry. 

My journey in the trucking industry started in May of 1991. I started out in the mail room and then was promoted to billing. I was then promoted to accounts receivable and also did all corrections on rates on loads that had to be re-billed.

I left that company and went to another trucking company working as the administrative assistant to the CFO and learned a great deal about truck loans, deductions and receivables and payables. Another facet to this company was working with safety issues. It was while at this company that I asked if I could learn and start dispatching trucks. I was given that opportunity and it has been an amazing experience each and every day.

What do you love most about the transportation & logistics industry? 

I love dispatching trucks!

At the end of the day, I feel satisfaction when I am able to load my trucks, which I know is helping each driver’s family. The drivers run their trucks as a business, and they are sitting in their office around the clock.

The drivers and the dispatcher develop a trust relationship and drivers know that I am doing my best to keep them loaded.

What lead you to NHH/MTH? How and when did you start working for the company? 

I started with NHH in 2016 after working for a couple trucking companies. A co-worker led me to the company and to one of the VPs, Jesse. I had dispatched an NHH owner-operator before and I liked the overall program. 

What does a typical day dispatching/running the Louisville office look like? 

It is my responsibility to be looking ahead and to work hard to have a load waiting for our trucks so they may continue on without having to sit.

Every day is different and that is why it is so enjoyable to work for NHH. I am busy on the phones, communicating with drivers, processing paperwork and so forth. I stay as busy as I can so my drivers can stay busy, too.

What do you love most about your role in dispatch for NHH? 

A good dispatcher has to love their job. It’s not an easy one, it’s a labor of love and it’s exciting to me. Every day is different, you never know what you’re going to deal with. And one of the most exciting things is every now and then you get the opportunity to move something really special.

NHH believes that we stand out from other companies because we strive to give our trucks service and we know that they need to keep rolling so we can continue to grow ourselves.

At NHH, you’re a part of a team, and the company always supports new ideas. I couldn’t ask to work for a better boss or better people who truly care about you.

What has been one of the coolest projects/loads you’ve worked on at NHH? 

We move different types of freight, which is always cool, but one time in my dispatch, one of my trucks moved the Batmobile.

What do you find most challenging in your role as a dispatcher? 

What I love most is also the biggest challenge; you never know what you’re going to deal with from day-to-day. It’s always different, and you just have to be open minded and positive. Sometimes there are issues and it’s not an easy job, but you work through it.

What have you learned from working for NHH over the years? 

I’ve learned so much! What’s most important is having a positive attitude and giving drivers the message that we’re here to help.

What is your proudest moment working at NHH? 

One of the proudest moments with NHH was when I received the message that I was going to be interviewed for the employee spotlight.

What advice would you give to anyone just entering the trucking & logistics industry?

At this time, the trucking industry is in the same situation that most businesses are today due to the negative atmosphere of the virus. However, if you want to become a part of the industry, it is important to maintain a positive attitude and be open for change regardless of the circumstances. You must keep in mind that the trucks depend on you and you must provide a good service and develop a line of trust. Trust is the key.

Where is your hometown? What kind of hobbies & interests do you have outside of work?

I grew up in Shelbyville, Kentucky which is 30 miles from Louisville, Kentucky. I have resided in Louisville for the last 30 years and I love spending my spare time with my fantastic grandchildren.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week will proceed as scheduled Aug. 23-29. Enforcement officials will inspect commercial motor vehicles throughout the week for critical brake violations.

Any brake-related or other critical out-of-service inspection item violations will restrict those vehicles from traveling until corrected. Vehicles that pass eligible inspections may receive a passed-inspection CVSA decal.

Brake Safety Week is part of law enforcement’s effort to reduce brake-related crashes by conducting roadside inspections and identifying and removing unsafe commercial motor vehicles from roadways.

“Despite the pandemic, commercial motor vehicle safety inspectors continue to prioritize vehicle and driver safety by conducting inspections every day,” said CVSA President Sgt. John Samis with the Delaware State Police. “Safety is always our top priority and it’s our mission to ensure the vehicles on our roadways have met all safety standards and regulations. This is especially important as we rally behind truck drivers as they transport essential goods during this public health crisis. We need to do everything we can to ensure that the vehicles truck drivers are driving are as safe as possible.”

In addition to CVSA’s Brake Safety Week, August is also Brake Safety Awareness Month. Along with inspections and enforcement, law enforcement agencies also engage in outreach and awareness efforts to educate drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake maintenance, operation and performance.

“Brakes are one of the most important systems in a vehicle,” added Sgt. Samis. “Failure of any component of a brake system could be catastrophic. Routine brake system inspections and component replacement are vital to the safety of commercial motor vehicles.”

Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.

Be Prepared for Brake Safety Week

Vehicle operators can prepare for the inspection by using performance-based brake testing, and ensuring vehicles are properly and regularly maintained.

Medallion Transport will continue to publish ways for its entire fleet to prepare for the inspection and continue to ensure vehicles are the safest possible for the roadways.

Brake Safety Week is sponsored by the CVSA in partnership with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Safety Tips

• Inspector’s will follow a seven-point plan through an inspection including: driver’s license, registration, low air warning device, pushrod travel, brake linings/drums, leaks and air loss rate and tractor protection system
• Specifically in regards to the brake system, inspectors are going to focus on eight specific features
  • Checking the air brake mechanical components
  • Checking the steering axle air brake mechanical components
  • Checking the brake adjustment
  • Building the air system’s pressure to 90-100 psi
  • Checking the antilock braking system (ABS) if applicable
  • Testing the air loss rate, if necessary
  • Testing the low air pressure warning device
  • Checking the tractor protection system
• Check for leaks and cracks, including air chambers, drum brakes and other linings that may have been oil-saturated

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion’s Safety Team is ready to assist with driver education and training to ensure the company’s fleet is safe on the road and compliant with the latest laws. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460, ext 2004 or send us an email to safety@medalliontrans.com.

Starting July 29, Love’s is requiring customers to wear face coverings or masks while inside all Love’s Travel Stops.

The Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores announced today that all of its stores will require a mask or face covering July 29 at all 520 locations across 41 states amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The requirement will not only apply to Love’s Travel Stop, but other Love’s properties, including Love’s Country Store, Love’s Truck Care and Speedco.

“According to the CDC, face coverings help decrease the spread of COVID-19 and many state and local authorities across the country have begun to require them in public spaces. For these reasons and our continued focus on health and safety, starting July 29, we are requiring customers to wear face coverings or masks while inside Love’s and Speedco Locations,” Love’s said in a news release.

Love’s company officials also said store associates will continue to wear masks and perform frequent cleaning as the health and safety of its customers, team members and communities remains a priority. Masks will be available for purchases for those who do not have one.

Some state officials have issued new mask requirements to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Truck drivers traveling interstate should be aware of the different state requirements and have their face masks ready to enter truck stops, restaurants and more while on the road.

Here are the states that have recently added face mask requirements.

California

Beginning June 18, a statewide mask order has been in place statewide in California for people in most public settings, including:

• Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space;
• Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank;
• Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;
• Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site
• Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;
• Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;
• In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.

Kansas

Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 3, masks are required in public spaces in Kansas. Governor Kelly’s statement says, “Under the order, most Kansans must wear masks in stores and shops, restaurants, and in any situation in which social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside,” The the full statement from the office of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.

It will be up to local law enforcement to enforce Kansas’s statewide mask order. Kelly did not elaborate on the consequences for violating the order.

Nevada

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a statewide mandatory face mask requirement on June 24 which states anyone in a public space, including the usage of public transportation, public facing work environments, when patronizing businesses, or interacting with others in any generally publicly accessible space must wear a face mask.

Oregon

Starting on July 1, face masks are required in all indoor public spaces throughout the state of Oregon following an order from Governor Kate Brown.

Brown’s order says that the face mask requirement will be enforced by
Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) as well as local law enforcement.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2020 Operation Safe Driver Week is set for July 12-18 and this year’s emphasis will be on speeding.

During this week-long traffic enforcement safety initiative, law enforcement personnel throughout North America will be looking for commercial and passenger vehicle drivers who are engaging in unsafe driving behaviors on our roadways. Identified drivers will be pulled over by law enforcement and may be issued a warning or citation.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, less traffic may be encouraging some drivers to ignore traffic safety laws, including speed limits. Despite there being far fewer vehicles on the road due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, many jurisdictions are seeing a severe spike in speeding.

As the number of vehicles on roadways decreased in March and April, average speeds measured during the first week of April increased significantly in the five largest U.S. metropolitan areas. According to recent data, the average speed on interstate highways, state highways and expressways in those areas increased by as much as 75% compared to January and February.

• In New York City, transportation officials reported an increase of more than 60% in the number of speed camera tickets issued in March compared to a year ago. At the same time, traffic was down more than 90% compared to January. 
• In Washington, D.C., traffic decreased 80% in March compared to January, while officials recorded a 20% increase in March speeding tickets. Of those tickets, violations for driving 21-25 mph over the speed limit rose by nearly 40%.
• Over just one weekend, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, police charged 18 drivers with stunt driving, with speeds of 80-106 mph on the Don Valley Parkway, a major freeway that’s limited to 55 mph.
• California reported an increase in speeding violations and although the California Highway Patrol’s call volume has decreased, the crashes they have recently responded to have been worse.
• Tucson Police reported a 40% increase in one-vehicle wrecks, which usually happens when a driver’s going so fast they lose control.
• In Minnesota, motor vehicle crashes and fatalities more than doubled compared to the same time period in previous years. Half those deaths were related to speeding or careless or negligent driving.
• In Colorado, Indiana, Nebraska and Utah, police have clocked highway speeds of more than 100 mph.
• Chicago and Los Angeles went from travel speed increases of 35-38% above average to 74-75% above average in just one week.

In addition to a focus on speeding, examples of other dangerous driver behaviors that law enforcement will track during Operation Safe Driver Week include distracted driving, failure to use a seatbelt, following too closely, improper lane change, reckless or aggressive driving, failure to obey traffic control devices, evidence of drunk or drugged driving, etc.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support and driver safety. 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.

Spring is here, and although Spring can mean better weather is on the horizon, the safety hazards of Winter aren’t necessarily gone. There are still a lot of safety precautions that need to be taken into consideration and weather is still a factor.

Here are some safe driving tips for drivers to use on the road during Spring.

• From May to August, there is typically more congestion and more chances for accidents. Maintain your lane, slow down, be patient and always remember the acronym, G.O.A.L. (get out and look) before backing out.
• In wet/rainy weather, slow down as breaking in the wet is only about half as effective as on dry roads, turn lights on, keep ample distance, make sure tires are good and have proper inflation, and skip cruise control.
• Skip the phone, mo matter the urge. It’s distracting and illegal to use.
• During Spring, vacationers and news drivers will flood the roads so it’s important to remain professional, be patient, stay alert and prepare to react.
• Make sure your GPS is designed for CMV.
• During Hail season, check the weather in hail belt states WY, CO, KS & MO
• Don’t get complacent, winter snow plows, sand, salt, etc, can all wreak havoc on the roads so expect new potholes and stay aware.
• During Spring there will be a lot of cyclists on the road. It’s everyone’s responsibility to share the roads.
• Storms can often result in fallen branches, trees and other hazards in the road. Again, keep an eye on the weather and stay alert.

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.

Effective 6:00 a.m. Friday, May 8, 2020, weight restrictions will be lifted on all state trunkline highways within the entire state of Michigan. 

This spring weight restriction update does not alter or affect the direction given in Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-44 (COVID-19).

Weight Restrictions are implemented during the spring frost thaw period and are now completed for the 2020 season. The anticipated timeframe for Spring Weight Restrictions is February through May. Specific dates will be determined by weather and road conditions and posted again when the 2021 season begins. 

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support. We offer our freight agents and owner operators the best possible resources. If you have questions, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

The quarantine may have some of us feeling uncertain about a lot of things. And a lot of our every day routines have changed, so it’s important to try and stay on track while doing other things to keep up with our mental wellness.

Here’s a list of some of our recommended mental health wellness tips for quarantine shared with us by mental health professionals.

1. Stick to a routine.  Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, keep a schedule that includes time for work as well as self-care.

2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have.  Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Put on some bright colors.  It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.

3. Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes.  If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets and avenues.  If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan.  It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.

4. Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes.  If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!

5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for thirty minutes.  Try to do FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting—connect with other people to seek and provide support.  Don’t forget to do this for your children as well.  Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger Kids, Zoom, etc—your kids miss their friends, too!

6. Stay hydrated and eat well.   This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, or forgetting to eat.  Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious foods, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!

7. Develop a self-care toolkit.  This can look different for everyone.  A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure).  An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, comforting music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket.  A journal, an inspirational book, or a mandala coloring book is wonderful, bubbles to blow or blowing watercolor on paper through a straw are visually appealing as well as work on controlled breath.  Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also good for anxiety regulation. For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box or bin they can decorate) that they can use on the ready for first-aid when overwhelmed.  

8. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth.  A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone.  Each person will have moments when they will not be at their best.  It is important to move with grace through blowups, to not show up to every argument you are invited to, and to not hold grudges and continue disagreements.  Everyone is doing the best they can to make it through this.

9. Everyone should find their own retreat space.  It is important that people think through their own separate space for work and for relaxation.  For children, help them identify a place where they can go to retreat when stressed.  You can make this place cozy by using blankets, pillows, cushions, scarves, beanbags, tents, and “forts”.  It is good to know that even when we are on top of each other, we have our own special place to go to be alone.

10. Focus on safety and attachment.  We are going to be living for a bit with the unprecedented demand of meeting all work deadlines, homeschooling children, running a sterile household, and making a whole lot of entertainment in confinement.  We can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains, but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children.  Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, through play, through therapeutic books, and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them in this time.

11. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance. We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress.  This does not make a formula for excellence.  Instead, give yourself what psychologists call “radical self acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback.  You cannot fail at this—there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.  

12. Notice the good in the world, the helpers.  There is a lot of scary, negative, and overwhelming information to take in regarding this pandemic.  There are also a ton of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways.  It is important to counter-balance the heavy information with the hopeful information.  

13. Help others.  Find ways, big and small, to give back to others.  Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for others—helping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.  

14. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it.  In moments of big uncertainty and overwhelm, control your little corner of the world.  Organize your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture, group your toys.  It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.

15. Find a long-term project to dive into.  Now is the time to learn how to play the keyboard, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture, read the Harry Potter series, binge watch an 8-season show, crochet a blanket, solve a Rubix cube, or develop a new town in Animal Crossing.  Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.

16. Engage in repetitive movements and left-right movements.  Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, clay sculpting, jump roping etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, skating, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.

17. Find an expressive art and go for it.  Our emotional brain is very receptive to the creative arts, and it is a direct portal for release of feeling.  Find something that is creative (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and give it your all.  See how relieved you can feel.  It is a very effective way of helping kids to emote and communicate as well!

18. Find lightness and humor in each day.  There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason.  Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a funny movie—we all need a little comedic relief in our day, every day.

19. “Chunk” your quarantine, take it moment by moment.  We have no road map for this.  We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now.  Engage in a strategy called “chunking”—focusing on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge that feels manageable.  Whether that be 5 minutes, a day, or a week at a time—find what feels doable for you, and set a time stamp for how far ahead in the future you will let yourself worry.  Take each chunk one at a time, and move through stress in pieces.

20. Remind yourself daily that this is temporary.  It seems in the midst of this quarantine that it will never end.  It is terrifying to think of the road stretching ahead of us.  Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass.  We will return to feeing free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.

Hundreds of thousands of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks have been recalled by PACCAR for a light defect that could increase the risk of crash.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents, PACCAR will recall hundreds of thousands of trucks manufactured between 2008 and 2020, totaling 455,458 trucks, due to a major issue with the dash warning light for the anti-lock brake system.

In the recalled trucks, when the anti-lock brake system (ABS) loses battery and/or ignition power to the controller, the dash warning light for the ABS may not light up to warn the driver of the loss of ABS. A driver unaware of this defect is at increased risk of a crash, according to NHTSA. Additionally, depending on the configuration of the truck, an unrelated warning light like the check engine light or the traction control light could illuminate.

The affected truck models include:

• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 330
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 335
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 337
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 340
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 348
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 365
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 367
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 384
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 386
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 387
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 388
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 389
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 567
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 579
• 2008 — 2019 Peterbilt 587
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T170
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T270
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T370
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T660
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T680
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T800
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth T880
• 2008 — 2020 Kenworth W900

The recall is expected to begin June 15. PACCAR will contact truck owners and dealers will provide a free update for the cab control module software.

Truck owners with questions may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and reference recall number 20KWB or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220 and reference recall number 20PBC.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver/owner-operator support, especially when it comes to weather, health and travel tips. We offer our freight agents and owner operators the most resources we possibly can. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.