If you were concerned that this whole Pilot Flying J debacle was going to blow over without any repercussions, without any justice being served, worry no more. The Freeh Group has just been hired to investigate Pilot Flying J. The name might ring a bell; not only are they the internationally respected firm responsible for publishing a scathing report during the Penn State sex abuse scandal, but the founder, Louis Freeh, is the former Director of the FBI.
The Freeh Group was hired by a group of trucking companies that have filed class action lawsuits that allege that Pilot Flying J cheated them out of their promised fuel rebates. They are one of the most respected independent firms who specialize in complex legal issues. According to their website, their team members are made up of many experts including “former FBI agents, prosecutors, [and] forensic accountants,” all of which should prove useful in this case. [click to continue…]
Most of us know that the infamous “lease-to-own” agreements that some companies push on their drivers are generally a terrible, terrible deal. If you didn’t know that, think about it like this: If the company offers the program, it’s to make them more money. If they’re making more money, that likely means that they’re shifting costs away from them… and on to you. The lease agreements that they have drivers sign are generally pretty ironclad; there’s usually no backing out of one once you’ve put pen to paper. One particularly unscrupulous company has raised the bar for shady lease-to-own contracts in an almost impressively immoral way. [click to continue…]
The story of Jason Rivenburg is one that most drivers know well. Jason’s Law and the tragedy behind it has become a rallying point for the huge issue of the lack of safe truck parking. Hope Rivenburg, Jason’s wife, has inspired a driver-led movement that is dedicated to getting better, safer parking for trucks across the country. In partnership with the USDOT, Hope has created a survey that is being conducted in order to get a clearer, more specific view of the needs of truckers when it comes to safe and reliable parking. [click to continue…]
On Friday, May 10th, the FMCSA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would change the form that medical examiners use when performing DOT physical exams and require the medical examiners to report the results of the completed physicals to the FMCSA by the end of that day.
The new rule would also require that the FMCSA transmit all medical information electronically to state driver’s license agencies immediately upon receipt from the medical examiner. [click to continue…]
On May 9th, a fully loaded tanker overturned on the ramp from northbound I-81 onto westbound Route 22/322. The tanker caught fire and caused an estimated $10 million worth of damage to the ramp, bridge, and roadway. Amazingly, no one was killed.
The truck was carrying around 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel when it flipped over. The tanker caught fire and then multiple explosions were reported [click to continue…]
According to data released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the trucking industry isn’t just doing well, it’s downright booming. The For-hire trucking industry added 45,300 jobs between April of 2012 and April of 2013. [click to continue…]