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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2022.01.01

This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending January 1, 2022.

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

 

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

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1. Regarding 2021 and predictions:

2021

It’s been a wild year in trucking! Thanks for reading my weekly round-ups this past year. Here are some articles covering top topics within the trucking industry this past year.

Predictions

The end of an existing year ushers in the beginning of a new one. Here are some predictions regarding the year 2022.

 

2. Regarding COVID-19, supply chain, capacity, and egotist:

COVID-19

Please pray that those who sit on the Supreme Court of the United States — who take an oath of office to uphold that which is according to the Constitution of the United States — will judge according to that standard on every decision, including this one.

Supply chain

Capacity

Egotist

  • White House Claim Biden ‘Saved Christmas’ Not Sitting Well With Trucking CommunityQuote: “Trucking professionals are responding to claims made by the White House last week that President Biden is responsible for ‘saving Christmas.'”On February 29, 1988, then-President Ronald Reagan said this:”On my desk in the Oval Office, I have a little sign that says: There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”It’s too bad that this kind of statesmanship is not currently in the White House.Will it ever come back?

 

3. Regarding accidents, stranded, weather, and winter:

Accidents

Please familiarize yourself with the situations that led up to the accidents described in these articles, to see if you can avoid getting into the same set-up — and thus avoid being involved in an accident.

Stranded

  • Trucker stays with stuck rig for two days awaiting a towQuote from article: “Officers say that communicating with the trucker was difficult due to a language barrier, but that police had been in contact with the trucker’s dispatchers, who assured police that they had been in contact with the trucker and that he was doing fine.”

I’m wondering why there was a language barrier, especially when the federal law requires a certain level of English proficiency. Subpart B – Qualification and Disqualification of Drivers
§ 391.11 General qualifications of drivers.
(b)(2)

Can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records;

Is it possible that lack of proficiency in English led up to the fatal crash on I-70?

Weather

Please drive safely and remember that you can refuse to drive if conditions are not safe.

Winter

 

4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, and fuel:

Autonomous vehicles

I adamantly oppose driverless, self-driving, or autonomous trucks sharing the public roads with the motoring public, but share these articles as a courtesy to help you stay informed.

Electric vehicles

Be aware of what is happening with pushing people to “electrify” different aspects of their lives, such as a push in New York to restrict gas for cooking and heating. According to a December 17, 2021, article, the reason for going to all-electric cooking and heating is purportedly to “make real strides to cut climate-warming emissions.” But… “Gas proponents have argued that cutting this heating option in a place where winter temperatures average in the 30s and 40s and can plunge even lower, means that electric heaters and kitchen appliances might overwhelm the grid and lead to power outages.” Consider the same thing in the realm of transportation. Remember what happened in Texas in early 2020. I think that the push to electrify vehicles — that will need to be recharged on a regular basis — is a measure to control people and businesses through a monopoly. What do you think? Please comment through the form below. Thanks.

Emissions

Fuel

 

5. Regarding economy, wages, tolls, UCR, and surcharges:

Economy

Wages

Be aware of — and safeguard yourself — from this kind of action.

Tolls

UCR

Surcharges

 

6. Regarding CFI, employment, and shortage:

CFI

Employment

Shortage

If the federal government unconstitutionally “requires” that truckers violate their bodies with a poison death shot — and if truckers value their health more than their jobs — then yes, there may be a very bad trucker shortage — and soon!

 

7. Regarding fraud, holidays, and violence:

Fraud

Holidays

Violence

 

8. Regarding sentencing and politics:

Sentencing

OK, so the Governor of Colorado has cut the sentence of the trucker who killed 4 people from 110 years to 10 years. Did he have the authority to do that? According to the judge, the original 110-year sentence was according to Colorado state law. Here’s what the Colorado Revised Statutes 2018 – Title 24 say is the Oath of Office in that state:

24-12-101. Form of oath or affirmation for public office – requirements for oath or affirmation. (1) When a person is required to take an oath or affirmation before the person enters upon the discharge of a public office or position, the form of the oath or affirmation is as follows: I [name], do [select swear, affirm, or swear by the everliving God] that I will support the constitution of the United States, the constitution of the state of Colorado, and the laws of the state of Colorado, and will faithfully perform the duties of the office of [name of office or position] upon which I am about to enter to the best of my ability. …

So, if the judge followed the law in setting the sentence and the Governor changed the sentence, doesn’t that mean that the Governor of Colorado broke the law regarding reducing this trucker’s sentence? According to the Colorado Department of Corrections, Clemency:

The Colorado Constitution, Article IV, §7, provides the Governor with the exclusive power to grant clemency: The governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations and pardons after conviction, for all offenses except treason, and except in case of impeachment, subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law relative to the manner of applying for pardons.

What are your thoughts on this? Please comment through the form below. Meanwhile, here are some of the most recent articles on this topic.

Politics

 

9. Regarding last mile, legal, smog, and inspections:

Last mile

Legal

Will this affect wages of truckers at this trucking company?

Smog

Inspections

 

10. Regarding recalls and technology:

Recalls

If you’re driving or hauling equipment that is under a recall, please attend to that as soon as possible.

Technology

 

11. Regarding roads and rules:

Roads

Rules

 

12. Congratulations!

Congratulations to all truckers named as finalists; those who were honored; and award winners!

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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