TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2021.08.28

This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending August 28, 2021.

We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding safety and inspections:

Safety

Please do all things safely.

If you have any doubts about how something should be done, please ask for guidance, such as from your driver manager, safety director, etc.

Inspections

If you keep your truck well-maintained and ready for an inspection at any time, you’ll never be caught off-guard.

2. Regarding fuel, fuel card, fuel cell, fuel efficiency, and autonomous vehicles:

Fuel

Fuel card

Fuel cell

If you drive a truck powered by a fuel cell — or you plan to — please reach out to us through the form below, because I’d like to ask you some questions. Thanks.

Fuel efficiency

Volvo Trucks, NFI Team Up for Run on Less

blog.nexttruckonline.com/truck-news/press-release/volvo-trucks-nfi-team-up-for-run-on-less-electric-showcase/ (no longer online)

Autonomous vehicles

I adamantly oppose self-driving, driverless, and autonomous vehicles that share the road with the motoring public — especially commercial motor vehicles.

I share these articles to help you stay current with the topic.

3. Regarding brakes, maintenance, and recalls:

Brakes

Maintenance

5 Ways to Improve Vehicle Maintenance

Recalls

4. Regarding accidents, drowsy driving, drugs, and smuggling:

Accidents

Please review these articles and learn how the accidents took place so that you will never get into the same situations yourself.

Driver ejected, pulled beneath rig in dramatic single-truck crashThe only times that I’ve learned about a driver being “ejected” from his/her vehicle, it was because he/she was not wearing a seat belt.This article doesn’t mention that, but I wish that it had!
High schooler killed in crash with semi that ran stop signThe reason why the trucker ran the stop sign is unknown as of this writing.
It’s trucking’s equivalent of “man bites dog” when truck hits a trainIt’s bad when a train hits a truck, but it is even worse when a truck hits a train!
NTSB’s Graham is on a Mission to Reduce Rear-End CrashesThe article states that one way to do that is by “installing collision avoidance systems on trucks,” but I’ve never read that having such a system installed on a truck prevents it from ending up in a jack-knifing situation.
Truck driver dies after leaping from burning semi, Arizona DPS confirmsAccording to the article, the truck “suffered a mechanical malfunction” that led the driver to jump out.I wonder if this was a preventable issue.

Drowsy driving

If you find that you’re getting drowsy behind the wheel of any vehicle, please find the next nearest safe and legal place to park and get some sleep before you proceed.

Drugs

Never, ever haul illegal drugs, no matter how much you are promised.

Smuggling

This was truly preventable. Never, ever treat people as if they are cargo!

Trucker admits he was paid to transport “something illegal” after officers find 132 immigrants throughout the rig

5. Regarding AB5, shortage, and lottery:

AB5

California’s Prop 22, which blocked AB5 for app-based drivers, ruled unconstitutionalThe fight goes on!

Shortage

Driver turnover the focus of OOIDA’s letter to Sec. Raimondo
OOIDA tells feds that driver shortage is a ‘myth’ created to maintain cheap labor supply
OOIDA urges Biden administration to bust driver shortage ‘myth’
OOIDA urges Dept. of Commerce to address turnover, retention rather than ‘driver shortage’
Truck driver shortage is ‘mythical’, OOIDA says
Utah-based ShipEX offers creative solutions to increase driver retentionQuote: “The company made waves in 2015 by being the first major carrier to switch from a cents-per-mile model to a salary base with performance bonuses in order to provide financial stability and peace of mind for its drivers.”

Lottery

Let’s wait and see what “sudden wealth” does for these truckers.

6. Regarding economy, capacity, congestion pricing, and holiday shipping:

Economy

Capacity

Congestion pricing

FHWA Approval Initiates Environmental Assessment for NYC Congestion Pricing Program

Holiday shipping

7. Regarding vision, HOS, and technology:

Vision

I am opposed to letting truckers with impaired vision or vision loss drive commercial motor vehicles, as I believe that truckers need two good eyes to drive CMVs.

HOS

Technology

Chip Shortage Set to Worsen

8. Regarding incentive, green, and Fact Book:

Incentive

This may be the single-largest sign-on bonus I’ve ever seen offered by any carrier.

I wonder how well it will work out for them and their drivers.

Cowan Announces $20K New Driver IncentiveQuote: “Professional truck drivers who join us now will get their full payout in less than 18 months.”
Cowan Systems Implements Driver Incentive Program
Driver recruitment wars: Cowan to pay $20,000 sign-on bonusQuote: “The nearly 100-year-old Baltimore-based carrier said the incentive program is set up to guarantee at least a $15,000 bonus to all new driver hires. Cowan will pay $17,500 to drivers with either one year of experience with their current employer or a hazmat endorsement. Drivers with both will receive the $20,000 payout.”

Green

Why do green premiums exist?

Fact Book

9. Regarding COVID-19:

Article II of the Constitution of the United States covers the Executive branch of the federal government.

Nowhere in the Constitution does one find that the Present has the “power” to tell people to undergo a medical intervention — or tell private businesses that they must require their employees or customers to undergo a medical intervention.

The United States of America is a constitutional republic, not a totalitarian dictatorship.

You may wish to read through the ten points of the Nuremberg Code, the first point of which states:

The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an affirmative decision by the experimental subject there should be made known to him the nature, duration, and purpose of the experiment; the method and means by which it is to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reasonably to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which may possibly come from his participation in the experiment. The duty and responsibility for ascertaining the quality of the consent rests upon each individual who initiates, directs, or engages in the experiment. It is a personal duty and responsibility which may not be delegated to another with impunity.

For the most recent information about adverse reactions to “the jab” — including deaths — you may want to look at information about VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) on the website of Children’s Health Defense — or on their Telegram channel.

When businesses say they have “no choice” but to require masking or vaccinations, they are lying.

There is always the option for liberty, natural health, and bodily autonomy.

As I recently posted on Facebook:

All Rights and Authority Come From Our Creator

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”
— from the Declaration of Independence

– Our rights come from our Creator, God. Our rights do not come from man, the Constitution, or any level of government.

– Our rights are unalienable, meaning that they are not transferable to someone else and cannot be taken away or denied.

– Governments are instituted among men to secure our God-given rights.

– Governments are to have “just powers,” meaning that they must be based on truth and what is right and correct in the eyes of our Creator, God.

– God established 4 realms of government to which He delegates authority: self, family, church, and civil.

– Each of the 4 realms of government has its own role, function, jurisdiction, position, and delegated authority from God.

– No one from any realm may invade on the jurisdiction of any other realm.

– The powers of civil government come from the consent of the governed and must never violate the authority given by our Creator, God!

For more information about the realms of government, please read Matt Trewhella’s book, which is available through Amazon, with which we have an affiliate relationship:

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government.

You may also visit Matt’s website.

Remember that you can always choose to get this kind of jab later, but you cannot reverse some of the effects that this kind of jab may have on your body.

Meanwhile, here are the most recent trucking-related articles on this topic.

10. Regarding lawsuits:

11. Regarding roads and weather:

Roads

Weather

12. Regarding award:

Congratulations to all truckers whose skill was recognized!

We also thank those who selflessly assisted when others needed help.

My husband Mike and I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.

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