Fleet Owner

Deborah Whistler

Articles by Deborah Whistler

Man uses semi to prank wife in viral video

A man following a towed semi decided to prank his sleeping wife by screaming that a semi truck — which was being hauled with its front end facing the motorists — was about to hit their car.

The video went viral and was even picked up by NBC’s Today Show on Tuesday.

While some may find the wife’s reaction hilarious, many YouTube viewers commented at the safety risks involved with videoing while driving.

Trucking unites against I-95 toll plan 1

The trucking industry has rallied against proposed tolls on I-95 in Virginia and is using the Internet and social media to expand opposition to the toll plan.

Schneider offers $6,000 tuition reimbursement to attract drivers

Schneider National, one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, is offering $6,000 tuition reimbursement to qualified driving school graduates to give drivers a leg up as they enter the industry. The program will cover the entire cost of some truck driver training programs, according to Mike Hinz, Schneider vice president.

Environmentalists blast east-west toll road proposal in Maine

Environmental groups blasted a proposal to build a 220-mile privately funded toll road in Maine that would connect the state with Canada, claiming the highway would pose a threat to the state’s environment and tourism economy, according to a Business Week report.

Pegasus Transportation driver named Highway Angel

The Truckload Carriers Assn. (TCA) has named Bryan Blair, a truck driver for Pegasus Transportation of Louisville, KY, to its roster of Highway Angels for pulling a fellow trucker to safety and alerting authorities after his load shifted causing his rig to roll over.

On May 26, 2012, Blair was driving in front of a flatbed hauling a huge coil of steel when the driver took a turn too quickly, causing the load to shift. The chains securing the coil snapped causing the coil to roll off and flipping the rig.

Oregon and Washington coordinate inspections to nab HOS violators

A large-scale truck inspection blitz in Oregon led to more than 25% of commercial drivers checked being put out of service for hours-of-service violations, according to the Oregon Dept. of Transportation.

The state screened trucks at three locations along Interstate 5, the main north-south route through the state. The state DOT put 256 truckers out of service for violations ODOT spokesman David House told the Statesman Journal.

NHTSA to hold public hearing on proposed stability control rule 1

NHTSA will hold a public hearing on July 24 regarding the agency’s notice of proposed rulemaking to establish a new standard that would require truck tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 26,000 lbs. to be equipped with an electronic stability control (ESC) systems.

Study says zero-emission trucks could be part of CA’s I-710 corridor 2

Zero-emission trucks, such as hybrid-electric trucks receiving power along major roadways — similar to light-rail trains and buses in some cities — could be in demonstration in the next few years and eventually be part of a zero-emission corridor along the busy I-710 Freeway leaving the Ports of Los Angeles, according to a recent Calstart study.

FMCSA shuts down Alabama-based MTI Transportation, LLC

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered Alabama-based truck company MTI Transportation, LLC, to immediately cease all transportation services based on evidence that it was a chameleon operation for two unsafe truck companies previously shut down by the agency.

Trucker leaps into tanker truck to stop vehicle after its driver dies

A trucker jumped from his rig on the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to stop a tanker truck whose driver died behind the wheel, according to a report in the LeHigh Valley Morning Call.

State police said the trucker, who was not identified, saw the slow-moving tanker truck in the left northbound lane on Sunday, July 15, pulled over, ran to the truck, climbed aboard and stopped it.

Threats delay hundreds of truckers at Canadian border crossings

Bomb threats made at two of the busiest Canada/U.S. border crossings in less than a week shut down the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, stranding hundreds of truckers attempting to cross the border and costing them substantial sums of money.

Arkansas completes major highway expansion project, others in the works 2

The last four-lane segment of U.S. Highway 65 between Pine Bluff and Lake Village, AK, is finally open, completing a $200-million, 24-year project to widen about 80 mi. of highway.

FedEx driver saves woman in fiery crash 1

An 11-year veteran driver for FedEx is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of an unconscious woman in a fiery car-semi collision last week in northern California.

FedEx driver Scott Teuscher came upon the scene of an accident between a Honda Civic and an 18-wheeler in Grass Valley, CA, on Thursday, July 12. Several other motorists had stopped at the scene.

American Truck Group offers alternative to truck financing

In an effort to help trucking fleets expand when they are having difficulty obtaining traditional bank financing, The American Truck Group (ATG) said it is offering a Rent to Buy contract, whereby the customer makes payments and National Truck Funding, a division of ATG, will borrow the funds to purchase the truck. At the end of the contract, the customer has the option to purchase the truck at a low cost.

Veolia Environmental Services introduces new fleet of CNG trucks

Veolia ES Solid Waste, the solid waste division of Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp. (VESNA), announced the introduction of a fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered refuse trucks to its Waunakee, WI, service area.

Veolia has invested in 13 new CNG-powered trucks and a CNG fueling infrastructure that includes 48 fueling bays, allowing for future expansion of the fleet as required to support the community’s needs.