Fleet Owner

Deborah Whistler

Articles by Deborah Whistler

Trucking firm recovers $146,000 in Pilot fuel dispute 1

W.N. Morehouse Truck Line, Omaha, NE, has settled a $146,000 dispute with Pilot Flying J over fuel discounts the carrier claims it was due but were not discounted at the pump over a five-year period.

Morehouse office manager Curt Morehouse told the World-Herald his company bought fuel from Pilot under a discount program and he realized the rate looked off. Morehouse said he emailed the truck stop operator last year to tell them his records indicated the error went back five years and added up to $146,000.

Truck driver declared an imminent hazard by FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared North Carolina-licensed truck driver Johnny Allen Spell to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

Texas adds left-lane truck restrictions

With Texas roadways becoming increasingly crowded, the Texas Transportation Commission stepped up measures to keep motorists safe by approving left-lane truck restrictions on an additional 78 mi. of state highway along US 77, US 83 and US 281 in Cameron and Hidalgo counties. This brings the statewide total to 443 miles where trucks cannot drive in left lanes on roadways in 14 counties.

2011 Goodyear Highway Hero Mike Schiotis named Carnegie Medal recipient

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission named 22 individuals as recipients of the 2013 Carnegie Medal, among them truck driver Michael F. Schiotis, the 2011 recipient of the Goodyear Highway Hero Award. The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the United States and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. Four of the awardees died in the performance of their heroic acts.

Iowa Highways 59 & 2 to be resurfaced this summer

Two of the most heavily traveled highways in Page County Iowa — Highway 2 and Highway 59 — will be under construction this summer, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Scott Suhr, District 4 transportation planner for IDOT said Highway 2 will be resurfaced from Shenandoah to Clarinda and the project on Highway 59 goes from Shenandoah to just north of the Essex turnoff.

New research assesses navigation system use in trucking

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released findings from the first phase of a two-part research initiative aimed at assessing the use of navigation systems in large trucks.

This first phase of the research, which analyzed survey data from over 800 drivers and carriers, identifies different systems and how they are used, as well as industry perceptions of navigation system effectiveness.

Rhode Island toll authority approves Sakonnet River Bridge tolls

Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) directors reaffirmed plans to toll the Sakonnet River bridge beginning July 1 in a vote last week. David Darlington, chairman of RITBA, said the authority can’t fund necessary maintenance of the four bridges it’s responsible for without larger toll revenues.

Calvin White named TCA Highway Angel for helping stricken boy

The Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) has added Calvin White of St. Pauls, NC, a driver for G&P Trucking Company, Inc., of Gaston, SC, to its roster of Highway Angels for his efforts to assist at an accident and for rescuing a young boy.

Virginia officials consider congestion tolls on Hampton Roads bridge-tunnels

Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) officials in Virginia are putting out the idea of congestion tolls on the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) and the I-664 Monitor Merrimack Bridge Tunnel (MMBT) to manage traffic. Chairman of the HRTPO Molly Ward and chief executive Dwight Farmer included the idea in a presentation to the state transportation board last week.

OOIDA loses cross-border trucking appeal

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn.’s challenge to a federal pilot program allowing Mexican drivers to deliver goods across the border in the U.S. was rejected Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington which found the plan was consistent with Congress’ intent.

Michigan DOT announces flood-related road closures

Many roads remain flooded or closed throughout West Michigan due to flooding and the conditions are changing quickly. The state Dept. of Transportation has issued warnings for travel on the following roads as of noon Monday:

Major road closures planned for MIT officer memorial

The Cambridge Massachusetts Police Dept. has announced a number of major road closures ahead of the memorial service for the MIT police officer slain by the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing.

The memorial will take place on MIT’s campus in Cambridge on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Planned road closures include:

ATA argues L.A. port regulations before U.S. Supreme Court

The American Trucking Assns. made arguments last week before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the trucking federation’s ongoing challenge to what ATA calls an “ill-founded attempt by the Port of Los Angeles to impose a comprehensive licensing scheme on trucks hauling freight in and out of the port.”

California Highway Patrol warns of 'tent city' driver distraction

The California Highway Patrol invited a local news reporter on a ride-along to help warn the public of the driver distraction problems caused by several “tent cities” that have popped up along some of Southern California’s busiest freeways.

10 News San Diego reported that the “tent cities” created by the homeless are becoming a distraction to drivers.

PA Operation SAFE takes trucks and drivers off the road

The Pennsylvania State Police placed 106 trucks and 71 drivers out of service during a one-day enforcement effort called Operation Seatbelt and Fatigue Enforcement (SAFE) held on April 9.

“During the operation, state police motor carrier enforcement personnel focused their attention on seat belt use by truckers and an examination of commercial driver's licenses, vehicle inspection reports, hours of service logs and other required documentation,” State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said.