Trucking News

PHOENIX, AZ – PrePass®, the Nations’ Premier Inspection Facility Bypass System, will be hosting a Driver/Trucking Industry Appreciation Event with the Chowchilla Inspection Facility, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the California Trucking Association (CTA) to honor all those devoted to safe transport of goods across America’s highways. This event will consist of free food hot off the grill, cold drinks and an opportunity to meet with representatives from the CHP, CTA, and PrePass. Truck inspections will not be conducted during this event.
WHO: PrePass®
WHAT: Industry Appreciation Event
WHEN: Thursday, May 11, 2006
10am to 2pm
WHERE: Chowchilla Northbound Scale
35 miles north of Fresno, California
Route CA 99
NOTE: CHP plans to have a helicopter and other specialized equipment on display. DMV, Caltrans and BOE representatives will also be on-site. Photos and interviews are welcome.
PrePass® is the first commercially-available, coast-to-coast electronic preclearance system that enables qualified motor carriers to comply electronically with state weight, safety and credential requirements while traveling at normal highway speeds. Motor carrier participation is strictly voluntary and carrier participation is subject to state qualification standards. The advantages for motor carriers are that each truck equipped with PrePass® saves at least five minutes and roughly one-half gallon of fuel with each successful bypass.
The national PrePass® system is operated by ACS State and Local Solutions for HELP, Inc. ACS is a premier provider of business process and information technology outsourcing solutions to commercial and government clients worldwide. ACS is a Fortune 500 company with more than 40,000 people supporting operations in nearly 100 countries.
Launched in California in 1995, PrePass® is operational at 259 locations with more coming soon. Twenty-four states have deployed PrePass®: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

[Trucking Jobs] [CDL Test]

Hope, Arkansas …In a step to encourage continuing fleet safety, Fikes Truck Line recently completed their award selection for their “2005 Driver Safety and Performance Awards” naming two overall winners; one in each flatbed category of long-haul and short-haul drivers. A total of 67 contractors met all the safety requirements in 2005.
From among the qualified 67-safety drivers, Fikes nominated 20 Overall Performance Drivers as candidates for the “Safety and Performance Division Winners.” The long-haul division winner was Randall Sanders, unit 258 from Russellville, AR. Sanders will receive an Air-Weight scale for his truck. The short-haul division winner was James Ward, unit 106 from Hope, AR. Ward will receive a set of Goodyear premium steer tires for his truck. All 20-Overall Performance Drivers will receive a free oil change from Travel Centers of America .
“The safety record at Fikes is excellent,” says Jerry Davis, Vice President, Safety and Insurance, “we congratulate these 67-safety nominees and appreciate their efforts to be safe on the road.”
Annual qualification for this driver distinction requires drivers to: attend at least one safety meeting, incur zero preventable accidents, record zero out-of-service violations and zero moving or log violations over a one-year period. All winners will receive a recognition plaque, Fikes’ logo stickers for their truck, and a custom Fikes hat highlighting their Safe Driver for 2005 status. A complete list of who is being recognized is attached or can be viewed at www.fikes.com.
Fikes Truck Line is a leading flatbed specialist with headquarters in Hope , Arkansas and terminals in Texas , Colorado and Kentucky . The truck line delivers steel, machinery, building materials and manufactured goods all over the United States . For more information, call Fikes at 1-800-643-6611 or log onto www.fikes.com.

[Trucking Jobs] [Online CDL Test]

The 2005 Driver and Contractor of the Year have been named by Marten Transport. Brian Stephens was recognized at Driver of the Year and Greg Gregorio Marten’s Contractor of the Year.
Brian Stephens has driven for 13 years, the last eight with Marten. “I have a wonderful dispatcher,” says Stephens. “He understands when I need time at home and knows that when I’m working, I’m working hard.”
Stephens was the company’s Driver of the Month in December 2005, a requirement for being Driver of the Year along with remaining accident-free, having no service failures and driving 10,500 miles each month.
“Home time is important to me,” says Stephens. “I have five children, a grandchild and another grandchild on the way.”
For earning the Driver of theYear, Stephens was awarded a hat, jacket, and a pair of Spotter Sunglasses plus the company truck of his choice with his name and accomplishment decaled on it.
Greg Gregorio was honored as Marten’s Contractor of the Year. A driver for more than 30 years, Gregorio has driven in his native homeland of the Philippines to Saudi Arabia and now the United States. “I really like driving here. It’s a beautiful country,” says Gregorio.
Gregorio also was awarded a Marten jacket, hat, and a pair of Spotter Sunglasses in addition to decaling his truck with his achievement.
Headquartered in Mondovi, Wis., Marten Transport, with its signature blue trucks and blue bird logo, is a premium supplier of time and temperature-sensitive transportation services and offers outstanding, growing opportunities.
Founded in 1946, the company has grown from a small, regional carrier into one of today's leading national protective service transportation companies. With terminals in Wisconsin, Georgia, California, Oregon, and Indiana, Marten now serves a number of Fortune 500 companies, and employs more than 2,000 people.
During 2005, Marten Transport was named to the Forbes Magazine list of the top 200 best small business in America, among other prestigious awards.
  For more information on the excellent driving opportunities at Marten call 800-395-3331.

CDL Test

LEBANON, T.N. (April 15, 2006)- Danny O'Quinn Jr. had an impressive start to the weekend's event in Music City. A strong qualifying effort would put him third on the starting grid, best of the Roush cars and best of the rookies. O'Quinn Jr. and the team predicted they might have a good weekend, since the 20-year-old Virginia native had a previous start and sixth place finish in the ARCA Re/Max series there in 2005.
The green flag flew over the No. 50 Stonebridge Life and Barr-Nunn Ford Fusion with O'Quinn Jr. starting inside the top-five for the first time this season. Throughout the first 25 laps of the race, he maintained his top-five position, battling with cars in the lead pack. When the second caution came out on lap 25, O'Quinn Jr. made his first pit stop of the day. He had reported the car was feeling very tight, and when he brought the Fusion in for adjustments, the No. 50 crew went to work to make the car more free. Unfortunately, a problem on the pit stop would cost O'Quinn Jr. some time on pit road, resulting in a loss of positions on the racetrack. O'Quinn Jr. would restart in the 15th position.
That would be the last of his run inside the top-five, as for the rest of the day he would continue to fight an ill-handling race car. On both lap 46 and 70 following the lap 26 pit stop, O'Quinn Jr. would report an extremely tight race car. Between those laps, he would continue to run solidly in the top-15, hoping to catch a caution and make some adjustments to free the car. Despite the tight condition, he worked his way all the way to the 11th position before the caution flag flew again. This time a flawless pit stop would maintain his 11th place position for the restart on lap 95, and adjustments would be made once again to try and free the car.
Two pit stops later, after making adjustments for what had become a super loose race car and maintaining his top-15 position, O'Quinn Jr. reported a vibration. Luckily, he caught a caution just in time to save him from what would have been a costly green flag pit stop. On lap 173, the Stonebridge crew pitted the No. 50 Ford again, and found that the front wheel had been loose. O'Quinn Jr. restarted 18th, and picked off positions until the final lap. He crossed the finish line in the 14th position, ending the weekend with a solid run.
"Definitely a little bit disappointed with our run today because we had such a good car. We just kind of got behind the eight ball there, made some changes to the car that didn't work, but by the end of the race we were really good," said O'Quinn Jr. after the race. "We had some issues on one of our last pit stops, we had a wheel loose and had to pit again and put old tires on, so we lost some time there, but we still had a fast car. But not the fresh rubber we needed to pass cars. But overall, we still came out of here with a top-15, which is definitely a big improvement form where we were last week."
Next week, World Financial Group and Barr-Nunn colors return to the No. 50 for the season's first night race at the Phoenix International Raceway.
To find out more about the racing program at Barr-Nunn Transportation or to become part of the Barr-Nunn team call: 1-888-999-7576.

CDL Test

National Carriers®, inc. is pleased to announce that Frank Kimsey has achieved the astounding feat of logging 5 million safe miles of driving so far in his career!! This is an amazing accomplishment that very few drivers will ever experience!
Frank Kimsey has been a valued member of the National Carriers®, inc. team since he began working for the company on August 17, 1972. In his 33 year employment with NCI, Frank has driven his way into an elite group of drivers. Throughout his career he has received numerous awards and recognitions including being named Driver of the Month in March of 1999. Frank was also honored with the 1999 Driver of the Year Award!
Frank and his wife Vera have been married 43 years and have three beautiful daughters Robin, Tracy and Jill. “Frank is 100% dedicated to both his driving and his family”, says Vera.
At National Carriers®, inc. we are proud to have such an accomplished driver on our team!

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Walt Newcomb, Minnesota Operating Center
Eagan , Minnesota – “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine where I would be today,” said Walt Newcomb. Newcomb is Dart’s 2005 Contractor of the Year for Dart’s Eagan , Minnesota Operating Center.
Standing at the podium to accept his award from Dart President Dave Oren, Walt recalled the day in 1990 when he stepped off the plane in Minneapolis , on his way to pick up his first truck. It was a used Kenworth cabover that he bought with a zero-down lease from one of Dart’s truck and financing vendors. As he tells the story, all he had that day were empty pockets and big dreams of being his own boss and owning a truck.
Sixteen years later Newcomb’s achievements far surpass his early dreams. He is a highly profitable business owner, he has upgraded his tractor several times, and he is recognized as one of the trucking industry’s most capable independent owner operators. By 2005 he had earned the National Safety Council’s Three-Million Mile Club Safety Award. In addition to the Dart award, Overdrive Magazine honored him as “Trucker of the Month” for March 2006.
“I always wanted to run a business,” he says, “and Dart gave me the opportunity to run my own.” And he has done it successfully. His current tractor is the third that he has purchased during his years with Dart. “Everyone at Dart knows me, and everyone in management, my dispatchers, and my customers depend on me. They know I get the job done.”
As Contractor of the Year, Walt received a marble trophy, a $1,000 bonus, a personalized leather jacket, and a reception in his honor at Dart’s home office in Minnesota.
Woodrow Walker – Dallas Texas Operating Center
Dallas , Texas -- Dart Transit Company’s Dallas Operating Center has honored Woodrow Walker as its 2005 Contractor of the Year. Walker is an 18-year contractor with Dart, operating in Dart’s “Super South Region” between Texas and Georgia.
When he was young, Walker dreamt of working in the trucking industry. He remembers seeing trucks rolling up and down the road, hoping that one day he would be the one doing the driving. That dream came true, and he says that owning his own truck gives him the freedom to be his own boss. “My truck gives me independence, freedom, and security,” he says. “To be successful as an owner operator, you need to manage two things -- your money and yourself.” For Woodrow, success comes from knowing how much he can and cannot spend, and being available to haul freight.
Apparently he is very available because he is one of Dart’s highest mile producers, achieving 100% on-time delivery performance along the way.
Joyce Jordan, Executive Vice President at Dart’s Dallas ( Texas ) Operating Center , presented Woodrow with a marble trophy, a $1,000 bonus check, and a personalized leather jacket at a reception held in his honor.
Walker credits his wife, Gladys, for much of his success. “Gladys motivates me,” he says. “She helps me to see the things I don’t see, and she’s more than my wife … she’s my best friend.”

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Cedar Rapids, IA - In keeping up with the technology of present time, CRST has recently launched newly updated websites for each division of the CRST family. CRST Van Expedited, Malone, and Premier websites will now offer pod-casts and video so that potential and current drivers can experience what a career with CRST is like to the greatest extent possible. Not only will the re-designed websites be a more direct way to reach out to drivers, but it will also make the application process for interested candidates easier than ever.
The new websites allow drivers to search for a job in the CRST division of their interest, while at the same time educate potential drivers about what a career in CRST entails. The new websites are easy to navigate, and there are endless amounts of information to learn about CRST as a company, as well as the important things about being a professional driver, in general.
All of the divisions of CRST are excited about the re-designing of the website. “CRST is the best kept secret in the trucking Industry,” says Ronnie Betz, Director of Capacity Development for CRST Premier Transport. “It’s one of the only total career path organizations available in trucking, and with the newly designed websites now more people can see everything we have to offer.”
From the friendly, smiling faces that welcome you when you first enter the website to the in depth details and abundance of helpful information for potential drivers, CRST’s newly designed websites realistically will portray what a career at CRST is all about. In the future, chat boards and games will be added to the websites, as well. We can only anticipate what will be next!
If you are ready to make a change in your career, CRST is as committed to your success as you are. To learn more about becoming a CRST professional driver, visit www.driveforcrst.com or call

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MEXICO CITY - Mexico and major shipping interests are bolstering Pacific ports south of the border, hoping to catch future runoff as an increasing tide of Asian cargo sails toward already clogged ports in California.
Mexican officials in coming weeks plan to study the feasibility of turning Punta Colonet - a sparsely populated, wind-blown bay on the Baja Peninsula 150 miles south of the U.S. border - into a super-port on par with twin facilities at Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest western port complex in North America.
Farther south, Hutchison Port Holdings, the world's largest independent port operator, plans to pump about $200 million into expanding container ship capacity at Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico's deepest port.
"We are ready. The port is ready. The infrastructure is ready for anything shipping companies need," said Hector Carranza, business director for the port at Lazaro Cardenas.
Private companies have approached ports in this country looking for backup routes in case of work stoppages in California. A dispute between shipping lines and dock workers led to a shutdown of all major western U.S. ports in 2003, sending thousands of container ships steaming south.
"The world's biggest retailers want to have more options open," said David Eaten, a spokesman for Kansas City Southern de Mexico, the U.S. railroad that serves Lazaro Cardenas.
Los Angeles-Long Beach handles 40 percent of all the cargo shipped into the United States and 80 percent of U.S. imports from Asia.
Last July, officials began unloading cargo 24 hours a day while giving shippers financial incentive to move cargo during evening and weekend hours so trucks hauling it could avoid the long lines of peak hours.
But, officials concede, problems remain.
"As far as congestion goes, that definitely is an issue here," said John Pope, a spokesman for the Long Beach port.
Mexican authorities say lower port fees, as well as jitters about terrorist threats on U.S. soil - newly fueled by controversy over a plan where a state-owned United Arab Emirates company would take over East Coast ports - may also push business their way.
Expansions at Lazaro Cardenas are focused on goods bound for the Mexican market. But with the amount of cargo steaming into the American West Coast expected to outpace the capacity of ports there in coming years, Mexico wants to be ready for the surplus.
Lazaro Cardenas' "business model is not to take business away from the U.S. West Coast ports but rather to absorb a significant percentage of projected growth," Kansas City Southern said in a statement prepared for this story.
Officials in Kansas City want to build a $3 million inland border facility staffed by Mexican customs inspectors.
Leaders from both countries are still negotiating the details of the plan, which seeks to allow trucks carrying U.S. goods bound for the Mexican market to be inspected and sealed in Kansas City, then head into Mexico without delays at the border.
American cities, including Kansas City and San Antonio, Texas, also are competing to eventually be hubs for goods shipped to Mexican ports and driven north for the U.S. market.
Last year, Los Angeles-Long Beach handled 14.2 million TEUs - 20-foot equivalent units used to measure container traffic.
The new development at Punta Colonet could handle 1 million TEUs annually after its first phase of construction and more than five times that amount in the longer term, said Carlos Jauregui, executive director of the Ensenada port, a facility 50 miles south of the U.S. line that would likely administer the project at Punta Colonet.
Mexico plans to offer long-term contracts to private interests who would build and manage the port.
Jauregui said preliminary estimates put the cost - including a rail link to the U.S. border - as high as $5 billion. Work isn't expected to begin until at least 2008, and would likely take four years.
"By then, we should see a major overflow in containers that Los Angeles-Long Beach won't have the capacity to handle," he said.
Pope said officials at Long Beach are working to increase efficiency so as to better keep up with demand.
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