CDLjobs.com Trucking Jobs Blog

Embrace Being American On Memorial Day

By Mike Thayer, VP/Operations 

Just the other day I overheard a young boy asking his father why Memorial Day was a holiday.  It got me thinking beyond the watching of a traditional military commemoration, visiting a cemetery, listening to a speech and then having a picnic with family and friends.

This day is a sacred one, a day of reflection, a time to think of loved ones and the heroism of the men and women in uniform who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we as a country and a people can remain free.    The meaning of this day and the opportunity to memorialize those who have fought and died for this country is much more than ceremonial pomp and pageantry. 

It’s about what others have done for us so that we can continue to create and achieve. 

On this day we all have something in common, where we pause to give thanks to the American way of life and to rejoice in it, to reflect on what others have done for us, and ask ourselves – to paraphrase JFK - what we can do for our country.

So to other young boys asking their fathers why we have Memorial Day, we can answer that it’s a day to celebrate American enthusiasm and faith.  It’s an enthusiasm and faith that men and women have been 
willing to fight and die for.   We should draw inspiration from our memorial halls, statues and monuments, moving us to teach another generation of Americans about what it means to be free and the many opportunities made available to all of us by preserving it.

As we honor the fallen, we should all recognize that men and women giving their lives for this country isn’t just an element of our shared history, it’s also about what we have become as a result of their sacrifice.    On this day, we gather and rejoice in being American.  For the generations before us, that meant always taking action to find new successes in life and if we are worthy of those who passed before us, we need to embrace their experiences in making new ones.

Through the good fortune handed down to us, we are obligated to teach others about the meaning of this day and to love life.  The noble deeds of the fallen soldier can never be forgotten.  We shed a tear, we grieve, and we mourn as the memorial service is given.  But we also give a smile because we know that what our brothers and sisters gave us is life and the passion for it. 

On the behalf of the staff at CDLjobs.com, I’ll leave you with the following quote which I think sums up Memorial Day quite nicely:

"The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children." -  William Havard, Chaplain to the armed forces during the First World War 

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U.S. preparing for onslaught of Japanese tsunami debris

When the tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, it uprooted and swept much of what was in the danger area into the ocean.

The heavy stuff sank close to shore, but most anything that could float was carried out to sea.  Today, there are items of debris starting to hit our shores.

First it was a Japanese fishing vessel set adrift by the tsunami that had to be sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard in Gulf of Alaska waters last month.  Then, it was a volleyball and soccer ball that washed ashore on Middleton Island, 70 miles off the mainland coast of Alaska.  The latest tsunami related debris to hit North American land was the wreckage of a Harley-Davidson, discovered on a beach in British Columbia, Canada.

The Harley was an eye-opener and demonstrates the power of Mother Nature.  The bike was found inside the remains of a moving storage container. The doors were ripped off the container, but amazingly, some of the contents remained inside until it was beached.  Along with the Harley were golf clubs and some camping equipment.

Scientists are predicting that debris will be hitting the U.S. and Canadian coasts for the next several years.  Winds and ocean currents have scattered items, but fairly large debris fields have been spotted.  Estimates have floating debris yet to hit our shores weighing in at around 1.7 million tons.

The areas forecasted to get hit with the debris are vast, ranging from northern California to Alaska.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now gearing up for what may likely be a massive coastal clean-up effort. 

In addition to the clean-up concerns, the debris fields pose a threat to shipping lanes and fishing vessels.  Fortunately there haven’t been any hazardous threats reported or collision impacts yet.

The U.S. government is working with authorities in Japan to establish a way to return items that may have sentimental value to the Japanese.

Professional Truck Driver Posthumously Named TCA Highway Angel

Raul C. Perez, Jr. was killed while attempting to help an accident victim

Alexandria, Virginia – The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has learned of a professional truck driver who was killed while attempting to help an accident victim. To honor this Good Samaritan, the organization has bestowed Highway Angel status upon the late Raul C. Perez, Jr., who drove for Aquatic Trucking Co., of Lancaster, Texas.

On February 12, 2012, at about 6:45 p.m., Perez was headed westbound on I-20 near Clyde, Texas. The roads were icy, and Perez saw that an accident had recently taken place. The 33-year old driver parked his truck just off the roadway and walked to the disabled vehicle to check on its occupants. As he was returning to his truck, an older woman driving west struck the disabled vehicle, and then hit Perez. The driver was taken to the hospital, but, tragically, did not survive.

“Raul was a great person and an excellent employee,” said Greg Sechrist, transportation supervisor for Aquatic Trucking Co. “He was always helping others, whether asked or not, and never asked for or expected anything in return. He went above and beyond what was expected of him. I am proud to have been not only his supervisor, but his friend. He truly will be missed.”

To recognize Perez for his selfless actions, TCA has sent a Highway Angel certificate, lapel pin, and patch to Sechrist, who will present them to Perez’s wife and children. The organization also mailed Sechrist a certificate that can be hung at Aquatic Trucking’s office acknowledging the efforts of this caring professional driver. 

Since its inception in August 1997, the Highway Angels program has recognized hundreds of drivers for the unusual kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown others while on the job. TCA has received letters and e-mails from people across North America nominating truck drivers for the program.

To view archival copies of past Highway Angel press releases, visit www.truckload.org/newsroom. To learn more about the program or to nominate a driver, go to www.truckload.org/highway-angel or visit the Angels’ Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/tcanews. For additional information, contact TCA at (703) 838-1950 or angel@truckload.org.

N.J. Trucking Executive Warns Senate on the True Cost of Tolls

ARLINGTON, Va., -- In testimony Wednesday before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, NFI Chief Financial Officer Steve Grabell warned that rapidly increasing toll rates, as well as the spread of tolls across the transportation system, are a threat to consumers and to the trucking industry.

"I am deeply concerned about the significant increases in toll costs that have been imposed on NFI and other trucking companies over the past few years," Grabell, testifying on behalf of American Trucking Associations, said during a hearing of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security.

Grabell told the Committee's chairman, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and other members that in 2011 alone the Cherry Hill, N.J., carrier paid $14 million in tolls.

"These added costs have forced us to re-route our trucks to less efficient secondary roads, which raises our costs and increases congestion and safety concerns," he said. "In addition to the impact increased tolls have on logistics providers, the added costs associated with toll increases filter down to the consumer and affect business decisions regarding hiring and facility location and expansion."

"Where toll facilities serve interstate traffic, we believe that federal oversight and possible intervention in determining toll rates is necessary and appropriate," Grabell said, urging the committee to support the Commuter Protection Act, introduced by Chairman Lautenberg to provide federal oversight for toll authorities.

"While there are many examples of actions by tolling authorities that merit federal attention, I would like to cite two examples which have been brought to light by recent state audits - the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Delaware River Port Authority.

Grabell said the planned increases in tolls on the bridges between New York and New Jersey operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would increase tolls 163% by 2015, to a total of $105 per truck, "nearly three times greater than the country's next highest bridge toll," adding that it "appears the vast majority of the revenue ... will be used to benefit seaports and airports and to complete the reconstruction of the World Trade Center office buildings."

Meanwhile, according to a state audit the DRPA has "violated many of its own policies and procedures" over the past decade including using $440 million for economic development funds "at the expense of critical bridge maintenance and improvement projects.

"Congress has an obligation under the Constitution's Commerce Clause to ensure that interstate travelers, who may not be represented when toll rate setting and spending decisions are made, have a voice in these processes," Grabell said, adding that ATA believes the Commuter Protection Act "is a significant step toward ensuring better oversight of tolling authorities that serve interstate traffic."

For Grabell's full testimony, click here.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Good stuff. Trucks Bring It!

About NFINFI is a fully integrated supply chain solutions provider offering logistics, distribution, warehousing, intermodal, real estate, and solar services across the U.S. and Canada. Headquartered in Vineland and Cherry Hill, NJ, NFI owns facilities nationwide and globally, more than 2,000 tractors, and more than 7,000 trailers. Privately held by one family since its inception in 1932, NFI employs more than 6,000 individuals, operates more than 21 million square feet of contract and public warehouse and distribution space, and generates $1 billion in revenue annually. NFI is a partner of the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay program, which dedicates efforts to increasing energy efficiency and reducing the impact of the freight industry upon the environment

Tornadoes cause massive damage across Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas

At least two large twisters rumbled across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area Tuesday afternoon, crushing homes, flipping trucks and sending thousands of North Texans scrambling to take cover.

More tornadoes were possible, but not immediately confirmed by the National Weather Service. Storms also produced heavy rain, lightning and hail as the band of extreme weather swept across the area.

Read on....  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/dallas/tornadoes-cause-massive-damage-across-dallas-fort-worth-184640541.html

http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=28821439

http://news.yahoo.com/video#video=28821471

Health and Wellness to be Key Topic at TCA’s Annual Convention in Kissimmee

From weight loss to BMI screenings, attendees will leave Florida with new ideas
and inspiration for how to improve the health of their people back home

Alexandria, Va. – The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) predicts that healthier days will soon come to the trucking industry, due in part to the organization’s ongoing efforts to improve the health and wellness of truck drivers and all trucking industry staff.

“For the past year, we’ve been increasing our emphasis on health in an effort to educate our members about the negative effects that obesity, sleep apnea, and other medical conditions are having on the trucking industry’s workforce,” said Chris Burruss, TCA’s president. “With our signature event approaching—our Annual Convention, March 4-7 in Kissimmee, Florida—we saw a golden opportunity to influence change in the minds of the major players of the trucking industry.”

At the convention, attendees can look forward to numerous activities related to health and wellness, beginning with a Health & Wellness Pavilion in the convention’s registration area. Here, Brightline Media Group will showcase Highway Health magazine and display a variety of industry-specific health and wellness materials. Lindora Clinic will sponsor a weight loss station that will challenge visitors to see what it feels like to “wear” 30 extra pounds in the form of a special “weight vest.” Health Promotion Solutions will provide interactive wellness demonstrations highlighting services that are available to trucking fleets and will offer body mass index, blood pressure, and blood glucose and cholesterol level testing. It will also provide information about sleep apnea, offer a weight loss station, and distribute health education materials.

On Tuesday, March 6, and Wednesday, March 7, a trucking-in-the-round workshop called “When Your Drivers Are Healthier, So Is Your Bottom Line” will discuss how to implement a successful health and wellness program for trucking staff and drivers. Although it can be challenging to achieve results given truckers’ unique lifestyles, it can be done. Attendees will come away with strategies, tactical steps, and ideas they can implement in the hopes of lengthening the lives of their people while also lowering company health care and workers’ compensation costs.

Another health highlight will be a video played by Gary Salisbury, TCA’s outgoing chairman and the president and CEO of Fikes Truck Line of Hope, Ark., during his general session remarks on Monday, March 5.  The video will introduce attendees to the contestants in the association’s first-ever Trucking’s Weight Loss Showdown. This competition is a battle between 11 TCA-member carriers from across North America to determine who can achieve the greatest percentage of weight loss in 10 weeks. The winners—both fleet and individual—will be announced at TCA’s Safety & Security Division Annual Meeting, which will take place May 20-22, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Norman - Hotel & Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

“We are delighted that Brightline Media Group, Lindora Clinic, and Health Promotion Solutions are joining with TCA to put truckload executives one step closer to effective health and wellness programs for their drivers and staff,” said Salisbury. “All of us want to help our trucking family live longer and fuller lives. We’re proud that we have a venue to shine a spotlight on the available solutions.”

Schneider built Green Bay trucking company into industry leader

Don Schneider ran a multibillion-dollar company, but that didn't mean he had to wear a suit.

His business was trucking - Schneider National Inc. - based in Green Bay. Schneider transformed the family business, best known for those big orange trucks. Along the way, he helped transform the trucking industry throughout the United States.

Donald J. Schneider died Friday, after Alzheimer's disease in recent years. He was 76.

Click here to read more: 

Transportation Industry Supports the Needy Through Ahern and Associates' 11th Annual Food Drive for St. Mary's Food Bank

Esteemed transportation executive summons colleagues throughout the trucking and logistics industries to support annual food drive.

Phoenix, AZ. - Like clockwork, the annual notice goes out. Andy Ahern, CEO of Ahern and Associates, Ltd. calls upon and challenges his peers within the transportation industry to support his annual food drive to benefit St. Mary's Food Bank; the nation's first and largest food bank.

Drawing upon his 40+ years of working within the trucking and logistics industries, Ahern has developed an extensive list of friends and contacts who ritually support his annual plight—from the one to two truck operator up to CEO's and Chairmen of some of the largest public companies in transportation.

Based in Phoenix, AZ, St. Mary's Food Bank prides itself in maintaining extremely high levels of operating efficiency standards. For every $1.00 the food bank collects, .96 cents goes back to the community and translates into $7.00 worth of food which places St. Mary's Food Bank in the top 1% of all charities in the country. Thanks to the hard working staff and drove of dedicated volunteers, 90% of the aide provided goes to feed families with small children and the elderly.

For example, this past Thanksgiving week, St. Mary's distributed 7,000 Holiday Boxes and turkeys as well as 70,000 pounds of produce in 5 hours--making this past effort the largest one day food distribution in St. Mary's history. In the Four days leading up to Thanksgiving, more than 16,000 Holiday Food Boxes and turkeys and 160,000 pounds of produce were distributed feeding an estimated 112,000 people, which doubled last year's record numbers. However, despite these alarming holiday figures, hunger is an everyday issue for many Americans. 1 in 5 children are going to bed hungry in neighborhoods across the country tonight.

Although the needy in Arizona have benefited from St. Mary's efforts for years, their geographical reach for providing aide to the needy extends nationwide. This past summer, amidst the devastating tornadoes that destroyed entire towns throughout Missouri and Alabama, the Food Bank answered the call by providing three truckloads of food to those in need.

Terry Shannon, President and CEO of St. Mary's Food Bank commented on Ahern's efforts: “For 15 years, Andy Ahern and the staff of Ahern & Associates have been invaluable partners to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. Throughout the years, Mr. Ahern has established himself as a true friend of the Food Bank by sharing his passion and leadership throughout his network of friends and colleagues. We could not continue to meet the needs of this challenging time without support like his.”

Ahern's 2011 food drive is off to record pace and already making an impact in the community. “I am very proud to share with you that so far in 2011 your support has helped St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance to provide over 70,000 meals to needy families. This is truly amazing! Over the years, the impact is overwhelming. Without Ahern and Associates St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance might have to turn some families away,” explained Shannon.

“Regardless of the economy, I am consistently amazed with the generosity and outpouring of support we receive every year from the transportation industry. Through their contributions to the food drive, we are able to make a real impact in the community and take one step closer toward ending the hunger epidemic in our country,” explained Ahern.

Those who wish to further Ahern's cause and make a direct contribution can send donations to the following address:
St. Mary's Food Bank
C/o Ahern & Associates, Ltd
2198 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 210
Phoenix, AZ 85016
About St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance:

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, the world's first food bank, is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization that alleviates hunger by efficiently gathering and distributing food to 534 agencies that serve the hungry. Serving 13 of Arizona's 15 counties, the organization is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks, and is committed to volunteerism, building community relationships, and improving the quality of life for Arizonans in need. Last year, the Food Bank distributed more than 67 million pounds of food to families and individuals, provided enough food for 300,000 meals every day, and garnered more than 370,000 volunteer service hours. Web site: http://www.FirstFoodBank.org Phone: 602-242-FOOD.

About Ahern & Associates, Ltd.:
Ahern and Associates is North America's leading trucking and transportation management consulting firm. The skilled consultants at Ahern and Associates specialize in mergers and acquisitions of trucking and logistics companies as well as the restructuring and evaluation of existing carriers that seek to increase operating efficiency and improve profitability. Since 1987, Ahern and Associates has aided hundreds of buyers in the acquisition of trucking and logistics companies throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as assisting many transportation and logistics companies in reducing their overall operating costs and increasing their profitability. For more information, please call 602-242-1030 or visit http://www.Ahern-Ltd.com

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/11/12/p2203074/transportation-industry-supports-the-needy-through-ahern-and-associates#ixzz1gckIrxJF

TCA Lays Wreaths on Air Force Veterans’ Graves

Special ceremony at Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs was made possible by TCA’s officers

Colorado Springs, Col. – This morning at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Col., the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) conducted a special ceremony to honor Air Force veterans who are interred at the Academy’s cemetery. Chris Burruss, TCA’s president, and Josh Kaburick, COO of TCA member Earl L. Henderson Trucking Company of Salem, Ill., represented the association by placing a fresh wreath on the first of approximately 950 graves.

The event was initiated by Barry Pottle, the president and CEO of Pottle’s Transportation, Inc. of Bangor, Maine, and a TCA officer.  Pottle rallied his fellow officers to contribute nearly $10,000 to purchase the wreaths.  Earl L. Henderson Trucking Co. transported the greenery to Colorado Springs via a donated truck and the services of two if its drivers.

“A few months ago, our officers had held their annual planning meeting at the academy and were tremendously impressed with the cadets and their outstanding dedication to this country,” explained Burruss. “They thought this would be an appropriate and moving way to show the truckload industry’s appreciation for their sacrifices, and it certainly was.”

The ceremony was a natural complement to a program that TCA and many in the truckload industry actively support, called Wreaths Across America™. Each year in December, a long convoy of trucks — including some donated by TCA members — carries thousands of fresh wreaths from Maine to burial sites across the nation. TCA has produced a 30-second television commercial that highlights the generosity of the trucking companies who transport these wreaths each year. TCA members often arrange for this commercial to air in their local communities, thus ensuring that the general public is made aware of this positive and patriotic aspect of the trucking industry.

“Trucking supports our veterans, there’s no doubt about it,” said Burruss. “Both the military and trucking provide critical services to our country, albeit in different ways. We’re both working for America.”