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Reflect Scientific to Exhibit Its Clean Renewable Alternate Energy Reefer Truck Cooling System at 2009 Great West Truck Show in Las Vegas, NV

OREM, UT -- Reflect Scientific, Inc. (OTCBB: RSCF), will be exhibiting its innovative cooling system for use in refrigerated trucks -- commonly referred to as Reefer Trucks -- and the broader transportation industry. The 2009 Great West Truck Show (www.greatwesttruckshow.com) exhibit will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from June 25 - 27, 2009.

The Great West Truck Show (GWTS) routinely attracts more than 18,000 attendees and more than 400 exhibiting companies. The GWTS is sponsored by the California Trucking Association and hosts Association and educational seminars and is the premier North American venue for introducing new products and technologies. The new Cryometrix system is being exhibited in collaboration with Universal Container Inc.

"This convention represents one of the largest gatherings of potential customers in our history and allows attendees to actually see and learn first-hand about our paradigm-changing cooling systems for the trucking industry." remarked Mr. Kim Boyce, President and CEO of Reflect Scientific, who added, "cold chain management within the trucking industry is becoming a major focus for the company and we are excited about the customer interest thus far. There are reported to be 350,000 Reefers in operation within the United States alone, this represents a significant opportunity for our business as well as providing this industry with a clean renewable alternate energy source that alleviates the need for consumption of diesel fuel and its associated carbon footprint."

About Cryometrix

Cryometrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reflect Scientific, develops, manufactures and markets refrigeration and cryogenic preservation equipment for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and transportation industries. For more information, go to www.cryometrix.com.

About Universal Container Inc. (UCI)

Headquartered in Escondido, California, UCI has been supplying packaging products and services on an international scale for 25 years. The company specializes in providing a wide range of products for use in connection with the transportation of agricultural produce. For more information, go to www.ucontainer.com.

About Reflect Scientific, Inc.

Reflect Scientific, Inc. and its subsidiaries provide products for life science, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as tools and analytical services for industrial manufacturing. For more information, visit www.reflectscientific.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition for the company, new products and technological changes, the company's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

DECKER Truck Line, Inc. receives its 13th Spirit of Excellence Award

FORT DODGE, IA. - Decker Truck Line, Inc. was awarded its 13th Spirit of Excellence Award from Hormel Foods.  Decker Truck Line, Inc was one of 69 suppliers awarded this prestigious award for their role in Hormel Foods continuous improvement process during the past year. These suppliers are from a variety of service areas, including purchasing, transportation, provisions, producers, contractors, co-packers and local plant suppliers.

"This award showcases the dedication of each of our suppliers to help Hormel Foods achieve the industry’s ‘gold standard’ for quality and product safety,” said Melanie A. Fuast, director of purchasing at Hormel Foods. “Our suppliers are held to the highest standards for quality and the recipients of this award not only provide a high level of customer service and technical expertise in their area, but they continually propose concepts to help Hormel Foods improve its process.”

The Spirit of Excellence Award is presented annually by Hormel Foods to those companies who have attained service standards of excellence and who have assisted us in our quest for superior customer satisfaction. Suppliers who qualify for the Spirit of Excellence Award must maintain a minimum Supplier Rating Index score of 92 over a 12-month period. This score is determined by a universal measurement system started in 1990, to ensure every supplier is held to the same standards. Criteria for the Spirit of Excellence Award include meeting performance requirements, making on-time deliveries and providing high-level administrative support. Additionally, the committee weighs suppliers’ customer support, awareness and commitment to environmental concerns.

All winners of the 2008 Spirit of Excellence Awards enter the running for the Hormel Foods No. 1 Award. This award is given out every 5 years and will be awarded in 2011 for 2006-2010. Criteria for Hormel Foods No. 1 Award require the recipients to have received a Spirit of Excellence Award four out of five years. Decker Truck Line, Inc received the Hormel No. 1 Award in 2000 and 2005.

Decker Truck Line, Inc., in business since 1931, is under sole ownership of Don Decker, with its corporate office in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Additional terminals are located in Davenport, Iowa; Mediapolis, Iowa; Mason City, Iowa; Hammond, Indiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Masury, Ohio and Birmingham, Alabama. Decker is a diversified carrier transporting flatbed, refrigerated and dry van freight to the 48 contiguous states and seven Canadian provinces.

James Ransom of Boyd Bros. Transportation Named TCA Safety Professional of the Year

Prestigious award recognizes veteran safety director’s many contributions to trucking

Louisville, Kentucky – The Safety and Security Division of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named James Ransom, CDS, director of safety for Boyd Bros. Transportation, Inc., Clayton, Alabama, as its Safety Professional of the Year. The award, known as the Clare C. Casey Award, was presented on May 18 during the Division’s annual Safety & Security Division Meeting, held at the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Safety Professional of the Year award recognizes a person whose actions and achievements have profoundly and positively benefited or contributed to safety on our highways. Nominees must exemplify leadership and demonstrate the goals of protecting lives and property in the motor transportation industry while serving their company, industry, and the motoring public.
 
Ransom has been responsible for FMCSA safety compliance and risk management at Boyd Bros. since 1980. During his 29-year tenure, he has seen the company grow from 75 tractors to 672. Under his leadership, the safety department grew correspondingly, from two to six people.
 
His performance at Boyd Bros. can be measured by the sheer number of awards the company has received. In the most recent five-year period alone, Boyd Bros. has received more than nine safety improvement awards from TCA, the Safety Management Council of the American Trucking Associations, and the Alabama Trucking Association. Due in part to Ransom’s efforts, the company’s total accident frequency and DOT-recordable accident frequency ratios have declined dramatically over the past four years.
 
Ransom has served as an instructor for the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course since 1988. He is also certified as a director of safety through the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) and as a Highway Watch driver through Highway Watch Alabama. He has developed his education even further through countless professional seminars, workshops, and conventions on topics such as motor carrier litigation, alcohol/drug misuse, time management, negotiation, and hours of service regulations.
 
Ransom’s list of professional achievements is extensive. He has been chosen as the Alabama Trucking Association’s Safety Professional of the Year four times. He has also served on that organization’s Truck Driving Committee and Safety & Management Council (SMC) steering committee (two different chapters) for more than nine years and eight years respectively. He has been a long-time member of NATMI, and a member and officer of the American Trucking Association’s SMC Awards & Image Recognition Committee and Safety Product Development & Review Committee. He has also been an active participant in TCA’s Safety & Security Division.
 
At Boyd Bros., Ransom serves as the chairman of the company’s United Way drive and is a supporter of the company’s Red Cross blood drive initiatives. In his personal life, he spends much of his time with community activities, such as ushering for his church, serving on the scholarship committee of his county’s chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and reading for his county’s schools through the National Education Association’s Read Across America program.
 
Last year’s Safety Professional of the Year, Doug Cook, who is also secretary and treasurer of TCA’s Safety & Security Division and vice president of safety for Covenant Transport, said, “I have known and respected James Ransom for many years, and I cannot think of a more deserving safety professional to receive this recognition.”

The annual Clare C. Casey Award is named after a safety professional who actively served the Truckload Carriers Association from 1979 until 1989. He was devoted to ensuring that all truckload safety professionals could meet yearly to build the strong safety network this division provides today, and was instrumental in forming the first Safety & Security Division meeting in 1982. After his death in 1989, the first Clare C. Casey Award was given in 1990.

CalArk Driver Named Arkansas Trucking Association's Driver Of The Year

Little Rock, AR. -- Toni Chandler (Antje Luitjens) was named Arkansas Trucking Association’s 2008 Driver of the Year on May 15th 2009 at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs Arkansas.  Chandler and her husband, Leslie Paugh live in Benton, AR.  She joined CalArk on December 19, 1995 and has logged over 1.8 million safe miles with CalArk with no accidents, no moving violations and 100% on time delivery. 
 
Her story is truly an example of achieving the American dream.  In July 1968, Chandler boarded an ocean liner in Hamburg, West Germany with her mother and two sisters to travel to the United State to meet her father.  Her family settled in Fairfax, VA where her father worked for a Mercedes dealership as a master automotive technician.  Through her close relationship with her father, she learned to repair small gasoline engines and a myriad of other automotive preventive maintenance procedures.  When old enough to drive, Chandler immediately obtained her driving license, and began to explore the State of Virginia.  This led to her fondness for over-the-road travel. 
 
Chandler served honorably in the United States Navy from 1980 to 1992 where she achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class (E-6).  While in the Navy, she was assigned to the Navy Material Transportation Office Command and trained in a variety of transportation, air passenger and cargo handling procedures.  In addition, she obtained licenses to operate forklifts up to 10 ton and K-loaders for loading aircraft.  Chandler was a member of the first contingent of female sailors stationed aboard the USS Emory S. Land, a submarine repair ship, operating out of Norfolk, VA.  While assigned there, she worked in various supply administrative positions.  After leaving the Navy, she worked as a certified armed security officer and later as the State Certified Compliance Officer for a Norfolk, VA security company.  This stationary job left her with a desire to look for employment in a field that included traveling around the country.
 
In 1982, while stationed on the USS Emory S. Land, Chandler met her future husband, Leslie, Paugh.  Paugh served with the United States Navy from 1970 to 1993 when he was honorably retired as a Chief Petty Officer (E-7).   Paugh also came from a family who loved to travel.  His great grandmother traveled from the East Coast of America to Alaska and back to the Midwest, and his grandmother traveled by mule, horse, covered wagon, stagecoach, boat, car, bus, train, propeller driven airplane and finally a jet.  In the 1940’s and 1950’s, his grandfather drove automotive transports and his father hauled lumber. 
 
Paugh’s family history sparked Chandler’s interest in learning to drive a commercial-motor-vehicle so that she could pursue her goal of traveling across the United States.  Her husband fully supported her career move and joined her in July 1996.  He acts as her trip planner, navigator and permanent support team member.
 
To obtain her CDL, Chandler attended Tri-State Driving School in Middletown, OH in 1995.  She drove briefly for a carrier that went out of business before reading about CalArk in a trucking magazine and submitting her application.  From her hire date, Chandler and Paugh have been valued members of  “Team CalArk”.  In addition to her driving duties, Chandler has volunteered to assist with CalArk’s border crossing program to create procedures and sample forms to assist other drivers.  Chandler has trained and mentored newly hired drivers in a wide range of functions where additional instruction was required.  She was featured with four other drivers on the cover of the Arkansas Trucking Report, August 2006 edition and in an article “The Road Is Calling”.
 
Chandler and Paugh are admired by CalArk’s Management Team and fellow employees for their professionalism and desire to give their very best in all endeavors.  CalArk was honored to have Toni Chandler as their representative for the Arkansas Association Driver of the year for 2008.

Lynden Companies Receive Green Star Award for Environmental Programs

ANCHORAGE, Ala.,  -- The Lynden family of companies was recently presented with a Green Star Award for environmental programs in Alaska. Lynden companies Lynden Transport and Alaska West Express are the first Alaska trucking companies to be recognized by Green Star for environmental stewardship.

The non-profit Green Star organization encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention through education and a voluntary "green business" certification program. Lynden's award will be officially presented next month at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce meeting.

"Green Star is Alaska's leading organization recognizing waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention," says Lynden President Jon Burdick. "Lynden has always been 'green,' working toward leaner, more productive and efficient ways of serving our customers, and we're pleased to receive this award."

Lynden is working as a unified organization to certify at least seven of its locations throughout the state including companies Alaska West Express, Lynden Air Cargo and Lynden Transport locations in Alaska. Last year, Lynden created a cross-company team, the Green Initiative, and set environmental goals for fuel efficiency, energy conservation, pollution prevention, recycling and reuse. Green Star recognized Lynden for the following programs:

• Lynden Transport is the first Alaska carrier to join EPA's SmartWay Environmental Partnership. The program requires that Lynden measure the environmental performance of its fleet, submit an annual progress report, identify a three-year goal, and develop an action plan to achieve this goal. The company has reduced its highway speed for trucks from 65 to 63 mph to save fuel and increase efficiency.
• Alaska West Express purchased new, more efficient trucks and is testing an oil filtration system to extend oil changes and an automatic tire inflation system to extend tire life and improve efficiency. Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) were installed in trucks to keep the cab and engine warm without idling the engine during downtime.
• Lynden Air Cargo made improvements in the airframe of its aircraft and reduced the weight of onboard equipment to improve fuel economy.
• Alaska Marine Lines works with partner Western Towboat to reduce fuel consumption without compromising service times. The company installed shared refrigeration units on its vessels and at dock locations to reduce the amount of energy and generator fuel needed to keep freight cool.
• The Lynden employee newsletter is sent electronically to all employees who have computers, reducing paper use by 70 percent. Use of onboard truck computers and mobile communications devices expand the use of paperless information processes.
• A new payroll system allows employees to receive paperless direct deposit. Manuals and files that do not require paper copies are stored electronically.
• Lynden electronically bills its customers, saving paper, postage, time and money with EZ Billing.

The Lynden companies support recycling efforts in Alaska by working with Alaskans for Litter Prevention And Recycling (ALPAR) to move paper from Anchorage to Seattle for recycling. Together, they have moved more than 81 shipments totaling nearly 4 million pounds. Aluminum cans from the Cordova City transfer facility are bailed and transported to Anchorage by Lynden Transport and Alaska Marine Lines for recycling. Funds from the recycling are donated to Cordova High School. Lynden Air Cargo also participated in the Back Haul Program for the Yukon River Tribal Watershed Council to help clean up Alaska village communities.

The Lynden family of companies capabilities include: truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, scheduled and charter barges, rail barges, intermodal bulk chemical hauls, scheduled and chartered air freighters, domestic and international air forwarding, international ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, trade show shipping, remote site construction, sanitary bulk commodities hauling, and multi-modal logistics. Lynden companies are repeat winners in the annual Quest for Quality awards presented by Logistics Management magazine.

Arkansas Best Included on Fortune's 2009 List of World's Most Admired Companies

FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS) appears on the 2009 list of the World's Most Admired Companies, published by Fortune magazine. Arkansas Best is the highest ranking less-than-truckload motor carrier among the Most Admired Trucking companies. The full list and related stories appear in the March 16th issue of Fortune, available on newsstands Monday, March 9th.

"Arkansas Best is proud to be recognized with this prestigious honor," said Arkansas Best President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Davidson. "Our company's reputation has been earned by the consistent performance of employees throughout North America, who bring value to the supply chains of our customers. So it is particularly rewarding to see their efforts recognized as exceptional. In addition, our customers will be pleased to learn that their supply chain partner has earned the admiration of the world's best business leaders."

Fortune's survey partners at Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, started with some 1,400 companies: the Fortune 1,000--the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue; non-U.S. companies in Fortune's Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more; and the top foreign companies operating in the U.S. They then sorted the companies by industry and selected the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry.

The survey covers 64 industries: 25 international industries and 39 primarily U.S.-market industries. To create the 64 industry lists, Hay Group asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate companies in their own industry on nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility. This year only the best are listed: A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey.

Arkansas Best Corporation is a transportation holding company. Its largest subsidiary, ABF Freight System, Inc.(R), was established in 1923 and is best-in-class for safety, security, technology and freight-handling. InformationWeek, CIO, InfoWorld, and BtoB magazines have cited ABF's strategic use of information technology as exemplary. ABF(R) is the only five-time winner of the American Trucking Associations President's Trophy for Safety, the only four-time winner of the Excellence in Security Award, and the only four-time winner of the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award. ABF also is the only carrier to earn both the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award and the Excellence in Security Award in the same year, which ABF accomplished twice.

ABF provides guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments via its TimeKeeper(R) service. Regional shipments are handled via the carrier's RPM(R) Network, providing next-day and second-day shipping. The ABF system stretches throughout North America, with local service centers serving all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Puerto Rico. Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries.

Fortune is a global leader in business journalism with a worldwide circulation of more than one million and a readership of nearly five million, with major franchises including the Fortune 500 and the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Fortune Live Media extends the brand's mission into live settings, hosting a wide range of annual conferences, including the Fortune Global Forum. Fortune magazine's online home is CNNMoney.com, the most visited and utilized business destination website.

Freymiller earns OTA safety awards

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. -- Freymiller Inc. a 48 state refrigerated carrier based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,  received first place for Outstanding Achievement in Highway Safety, presented by the Oklahoma Trucking Association and Great West Casualty. Freymiller congratulates its drivers and associates for a job well done.

Also included in the awards was Bruce Ross, who received his two million accident free driving award, and Duane Mills, who received his one million accident free driving award. “These exceptional drivers are an important part the Freymiller family that ensures our prosperity in these difficult times,” says Harry Kimball, VP of Risk Management at Freymiller.

 Freymiller, Inc. is a truckload motor carrier, specializing in safe and efficient transportation of temperature controlled, time-sensitive freight. For more information on Freymiller Inc. services or driving opportunities, call 1-800-378-1074 or visit www.freymiller.com.

Earth Biofuels and Willie Nelson to Host Grand Opening Concert At Willie's Place At Carl's Corner Truck Stop

DALLAS, TX. -- Earth Biofuels, Inc. has announced that Willie Nelson will perform at the Willie's Place at Carl's Corner Truck Stop on February 24 & 25, 2009 to celebrate the opening of the facility.

 

The truck stop, which is 50% owned by Earth Biofuels, Inc., launched a "soft opening" last December and has increased sales of blended biodiesel fuel since that time. The state-of-the-art truck stop features 12 diesel/biodiesel fueling lanes for tractor-trailers plus a wide load island. There is a separate fueling island for cars and trucks.

 

In addition to the truck stop fueling facilities, "Willie's Place at Carl's Corner" features two restaurants, a convenience store, a saloon, a gift shop featuring official Willie Nelson merchandise and memorabilia, and the 500 seat "Night Life" theater that will feature regular live music performances. Additionally, this destination for travelers features wireless internet access, clean restrooms, hot showers, laundry facilities, and plenty of parking.

 

Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel are scheduled to perform Tuesday and Wednesday evening, February 24 & 25 at the "Night Life" theater which adjoins the truck stop. Concert updates will be broadcast on satellite radio's "Willie's Place" show which can be found on XM channel 13 and SIRIUS channel 64. Dallas Wayne broadcasts daily on XM channel 13 and SIRIUS channel 64 from the SIRIUS XM studios located within the truck stop.

 

About Earth Biofuels, Inc.

Earth Biofuels, Inc. endeavors to produce and distribute biodiesel fuel and cellulosic ethanol through wholesale and retail outlets. The Company's Web site is www.earthbiofuels.com.

Alternative Energy Crusader T. Boone Pickens to Give Keynote Address at the Work Truck Show(R) 2009 Green Truck Summit

Work Truck Show booth space sold out; registration up

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI. -- Texas billionaire, energy activist and entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens will give the keynote address at The Work Truck Show(R) 2009 Green Truck Summit on Tuesday, March 3, the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) announced today. The NTEA also reported that booth space for The Work Truck Show 2009 is sold out and that registration for the Show is running 7 percent higher than at the same time last year.

The Work Truck Show 2009, North America's largest work truck event, is held in conjunction with the 45th Annual NTEA Convention March 36, 2009 (show floor opens March 4) at the McCormick Place West Building in Chicago, IL. It brings together new vocational trucks, equipment and related products from more than 440 companies across 500,000 square feet of exhibit space. More than 40 industry-specific training courses are offered, including the Green Truck Summit, the industry's foremost forum for insight into how the "green revolution" impacts vocational trucks in the real world. The Green Truck Summit, sponsored by International Truck, is an intensive, full-day program, kicking off with Pickens' presentation at 9:00am. The keynote is followed by four general sessions and 18 breakout sessions covering alternative fuels, hybrid vehicle technology, fleet experiences with existing technology, and the latest product and technology developments. The Green Truck Summit is held on Tuesday, March 3, from 9:00am-4:30pm. Registration is required.

Pickens is on a mission to break the "stranglehold" of foreign oil on the United States economy. After 35 years of lobbying the federal government to form a comprehensive energy policy for the country, he introduced his own plan in July 2008. The Pickens Plan calls for building wind farms to provide up to 22 percent of the country's electricity, developing a 21st century backbone electrical grid and using domestic natural gas as fuel to power fleet vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. He has spent over $58 million promoting the plan, which is detailed at www.pickensplan.com.

Pickens started his career as an oilman, founding Mesa Petroleum with a $2,500 investment, and building it over 40 years into one of America's largest independent natural gas and oil companies. After retiring from Mesa Petroleum, he bought its natural gas holdings and established Clean Energy, a major provider of natural gas (CNG and LNG) for vehicles, including those in the refuse, trucking and municipal fleet markets. He served for nearly three years as chairman of the National Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, traveling the country advocating the merits of natural gas. Another of his companies, Mesa Power LLP, is in the process of building the world's largest wind farm in the Texas Panhandle. Pickens is chairman and CEO of BP Capital Management, which operates energy-focused investment funds.

"T. Boone Pickens will offer Green Truck Summit attendees a unique, business-oriented perspective on the value of alternative fuels based on his incomparable experience with both traditional and alternative energy sources," says Jim Carney, NTEA executive director. "It will be an insightful and thought-provoking kickoff to the event."

Pickens is the author of autobiographical The First Billion Is the Hardest and The Luckiest Guy in the World. In 2006, he received the Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes people who overcome adversity and humble beginnings to achieve success. He was named "CEO of the Decade" by Financial World in 1989 and one of the "100 Most Influential People of the Petroleum Century" by Oil and Gas Investor. Forbes ranks Pickens as the 117th richest person in the U.S. A noted philanthropist, he has donated more than $700 million--nearly a third of his net worth--to charity.

Produced annually by the NTEA, The Work Truck Show showcases Class 1-8 vocational trucks and equipment. To register for The Work Truck Show 2009 and the Green Truck Summit, visit www.ntea.com or call 1-800-441-NTEA (6832).

About the NTEA

Established in 1964, the NTEA is the leading association supporting the $101 billion work truck and trailer industry. The Association currently represents more than 1,700 companies that manufacture, distribute, install, sell and repair commercial trucks, truck bodies, truck equipment, trailers and accessories. Buyers of work trucks and the major commercial truck chassis manufacturers also belong to the Association. The NTEA provides in-depth technical information, education and member programs and services, and produces The Work Truck Show(R). The Association maintains its administrative headquarters in suburban Detroit and a government relations office in Washington, DC.

National Share the Road Highway Safety Program Visits Texas to Promote Safe Driving

AUSTIN, TX. -- Life-saving highway driving tips were presented today by top professional truck drivers as part of Trucking and Moving Day at the Texas State Capitol.

In conjunction with Trucking and Moving Day, elite million mile accident-free drivers shared their message of highway safety with state officials. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 3,422 traffic deaths statewide in 2007.

The American Trucking Associations, Texas Motor Transportation Association, Southwest Movers Association, and the Share the Road sponsors, Mack Trucks and Michelin North America, joined the elite group of drivers to discuss highway safety with Texas lawmakers.

"It is an honor to be here today at the Texas state capitol," said Ben Saiz, a professional truck driver for ABF Freight System. "As a professional truck driver, the highway is my office and driving safely is my top priority. Hopefully, sharing my decades of experience with the public and these state lawmakers will help save lives."

Featured at today's event were professional truck drivers Ralph Garcia (ABF Freight System), Gary Leu (Wal-Mart Transportation) and Ben Saiz (ABF Freight System). These drivers are members of an elite team of million-mile, accident-free truck drivers who deliver the trucking industry's safety messages across the country.

Leu told reporters at the event that, "Share the Road allows me as a truck driver to give people life-saving advice. Most automobile drivers were never taught what they can do to avoid an accident with a tractor-trailer. By being aware of the blind spots around trucks, all drivers can more easily avoid crashes. This information, and other safety advice, will help everyone to share the roads safely."

Today's presentation of Share the Road safety measures is important for motorists because, according to statistics:

• In 2007, there were 3,422 traffic deaths in Texas. (TxDOT)
• There are over 20 million registered cars in Texas, a 40 percent increase since 2000. (TxDOT)
• 35 percent of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
• According to three different studies -- including the AAA Traffic Safety Foundation and DOT, 3 out of 4 truck-involved fatalities are unintentionally initiated by car drivers.

Following the safety demonstration today at the Texas State Capitol, reporters and photographers were given tractor-trailer rides on the highway. From the truck driver's perspective they viewed safe merging and stopping distances, and learned up close and personal some of the differences between how cars and large trucks operate on the highways. Today's demonstration was designed to teach specific skills in order for motorists to drive safely around other automobiles and around trucks on the highways, so that they arrive safely at their destinations.

Ride-alongs are also available by appointment Friday, Feb. 13.

Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles deliver life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc. and Michelin North America, Inc. www.atastr.org