Alabama Trucker, 3rd Quarter 2013

Officers Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kevin Savoy Vice Chairman . . . . . . . . . . .Wayne Watkins Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruce MacDonald Immediate Past Chairman . . . . . . .Jack Brim

ATA Board of Directors Dennis Bailey, Robert Barnett, Aubrey Baugh, Rhonda Bees, Joe Black, Gary Bond, Ray Brock, Greg Brown, Will Bruser, Mike Callahan, Dan Carmichael, Fenn Church, Mark Coffman, Jeff Coleman, John Collier, Rodger Collins, Driscoll Colquett, Brent Cook, Gail Cooper, Al Cox, Jerry Davis, Ranny Davis, Joe Donald, Edmund Doss, Mack Dove, Russ Elrod, Dean Flint, Jack Fricks, Terry Kilpatrick, Jason King, Mark Knotts, Jerry Kocan, Drew Linn, Alan Love, Jeff McGrady, Barry McGriff, Tom McLeod, Buck Moore, E.H. Moore, Jr., Ross Neely, Jr., Tommy Neely, George Overstreet, Butch Owens, Clay Palm, Jim Pickens, Mike Pursley, David Rouse, Bill Scruggs, Danny Smith, Harold Sorrells, Ronnie Stephenson, Paul Storey, James Suttles, Bill Ward, Scott White, David Wildberger, Skip Williams, T.J. Willings, Keith Wise.

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On top of his game

ATA’s new Chairman Kevin Savoy has earned a reputation of a forward thinking executive who is never satisfied with the status quo. His mind is always fermenting ideas to improve things—whether it’s for the youth football teams he coaches, his work with Greenbush Logistics, or its parent company, Great Southern Wood.

ATA History, Part 2— Going Pro

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The four decades from the 1950s through the 1980s are some of the most exciting in Alabama Trucking Association history, as the Association repeatedly rose to the challenge on issue after issue and worked to represent state trucking interests.

ATA Staff J. Frank Filgo, CAE, President & CEO Tim Frazier, CDS, Dir. of Safety & Member Services Jane Nixon, Executive Assistant Lynn Thornton, Bookkeeper Ford Boswell, Director of Communications Brandie Norcross, Administrative Assistant

ATA WCSIF Staff Kimble Coaker, CEO & Fund Administrator Debra Calhoun, Office Manager Kimberly Best, Account Representative Rick Hunter, LSP, CDS, Director of Loss Control Scott Hunter, MS, CDS, Loss Control Engineer Duane Calhoun, CDS, Loss Control Engineer Kim Sims, Administrative Assistant Kim Campbell, Underwriter Coordinator Todd Hager, Director of Claims Katie Edwards, Accounting Specialist

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E P A R T M E N T S

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Safety Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 SMMC Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Trucking News Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Buyers’ Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ATA Events and New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Published quarterly by the Alabama Trucking Assn., P.O. Box 242337, Montgomery, AL 36124-2337.

ADVERTISING RATES: Quoted upon request.

Alabama Trucking Association

Alabama Trucking Association 334-834-3983 • www.alabamatrucking.org A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

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From the President

Embracing the Future

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Frank Filgo, CAE President and CEO Alabama Trucking Association

‘Your Association is constantly on the move.

And now, under the leadership of Chairman Kevin Savoy of Greenbush Logistics, Inc., we are confident that this Association will continue to maintain a safe and efficient transportation goods movement system for Alabama.’

s we celebrate ATA’s 75th Anniversary, we can best honor the accomplishments of the past by embracing the challenges that face us.

Recently, the ATA and the Workers’ Comp Fund expanded its building’s conference room to better accommodate the delivery of member services. The inaugural event held in the new room was the recent ATA Installation of Officers’ ceremony. More than 150 attendees were able to assemble and comfortably participate in the event. Previously we were limited to about 60 people standing.

Since then, the new facility has hosted several meetings of the Alabama Dept. of Public Safety, the Wiregrass SMMC Chapter’s Roundtable Discussion on EOBRs, an Affordable Health Care (AHC) orientation, among other major events. On October 24, the Wiregrass SMMC Chapter will host a “mock trial” to emphasize the negative impact such an ordeal can have on a motor carrier company. The leadership of ATA and the WCSIF is to be commended for their foresight to expand our educational and meeting capabilities.

On October 1, ATA will host its Annual Golf Classic, presented by McLeod Software. Proceeds from the event go to ATA’s political action committee TRUK PAC. Each year the Classic gets bigger and better,

and this year is no different. I’m pleased to announce that more than 112 member firms are sponsoring the event. ATA is appreciative of Classic Chairman Will Bruser of Truckworx Kenworth and his finance committee for setting a new record for total sponsorship dollars raised. The event’s success means that our industry’s PAC is on target to have $1 million to support pro-truck candidates in the 2014 elections.

Our success to elect pro-truck candidates will better enable our Association to attain a fair and equitable property tax on trucks involved in interstate commerce. Currently, there is no apportionment for miles traveled outside the state. Furthermore, we maintain that the appraised value of a newly purchased truck should be based on its fair market value rather than the suggested manufacturer’s retail price. And, we will continue to advocate a one-stop shop for truck registration. These initiatives are good for trucking, and good for our state.

Your Association is constantly on the move.

And now, under the leadership of Chairman Kevin Savoy of Greenbush Logistics, Inc., we are confident that this Association will continue to maintain a safe and efficient Alabama transportation goods movement system.

Thank you ATA members. With your support, we will move this state forward.

ATA’s newly remodeled and expanded conference room can accommodate up to 120 in a classroom style setting.

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Greenbush Logistics’ Kevin Article and photos by Ford Boswell ABBEVILLE, Ala.—Greenbush Logistics’ Kevin Savoy was installed as the Alabama Trucking Association’s newest Chairman of the Board of Directors during a ceremony in June. Yet, his quick rise to the top of the Association shouldn’t surprise anyone who has worked with him. His track record of success is extensive, earning him a reputation as someone who gets things done. And when he’s involved with a project, he goes all-out, constantly seeking to improve the process for the good of the team.

Savoy’s installation was held at the Association’s newly remodeled conference room in front of approximately 150 family, friends, and guests. Within minutes of accepting the Chairman’s gavel, he outlined a 10-point plan that included engaging the current membership (especially fleet owners and managers); attracting new members; improving the industry’s public image with help from the American Trucking Associa4

tions; and improving and expanding services for members (See his complete agenda on page 7).

For the most part, Savoy is a quiet leader, but his mind is always fermenting ideas to improve things — whether it’s for the youth football teams he coaches, his work with Greenbush Logistics, Inc., or his association with its parent company, Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated (GSW).

Yet, the rub on most “idea men” is that many lack the wherewithal to implement and follow through even with the best of intentions. Not Savoy. Time and time again, when asked to lead, he has led — always leaving a project in better shape than he found it. In his mind, if you’re not changing, you’re falling behind. And those who have worked alongside him know he’s a man who commits to a plan and achieves results.

His work with the Association’s Annual Golf Classic, the group’s sole fundraiser for its political action committee TRUK PAC, is a prime example of Savoy’s constant drive to raise the bar and deliver the goods.

In 2010, Savoy was appointed by then ATA Chairman Gail Cooper of Boyd Bros.

Transportation to serve as Chairman of the ATA Golf Classic Committee. Savoy had experience with GSW founder Jimmy Rane’s annual charity golf tournament that provides college scholarships for deserving students.

“I remember I was in a board meeting A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

Savoy: Raising the Bar

All smiles: Savoy visits with Great Southern Wood’s Gulf Coast Region general manager Bob White.

several years ago where we were discussing (ATA’s) tournament format, basically just making suggestions and offering ideas,” Savoy says. “I threw out some ideas and suggestions that worked for Jimmy’s tournament. I pretty much put myself out there, and the board’s consensus was, ‘Okay, well, then you need to be golf chairman.’ That’s really how I got the job.”

Savoy immediately went to work on a business plan to pitch and recruited Wendy Gay with the Jimmy Rane Foundation to help. To reach the fundraising goal, he

closed participation in the actual golf tournament to only those whose companies sponsored the event, and linked the number of players for each company to the level of financial sponsorship. This was done to promote sponsorship among the Association’s Allied members rather than some just sending their representatives only to play in the tournament.

ATA’s Frank Filgo recalls having some reservations about Savoy’s vision for restructuring the tournament. “I didn’t think his proposal had a chance, quite honestly,” ad-

Greenbush Logistics delivers Great Southern Wood products across the country and backhauls raw materials to its 15 plants.

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mits Filgo. “I was sure the board wouldn’t go for the changes, but Kevin can be quite persuasive, especially once you realize that he is going to work very hard to push something he really believes in. He has a pretty extensive track record of getting things done.”

Savoy also reorganized tournament sponsorship levels, creating a single major sponsor for the event that earned top billing. Essentially, the major sponsor level is awarded naming rights to the tournament for that year — much like a college football postseason bowl game or a professional sports

Each terminal offers a maintenance crew and full-service shop to maintain the assigned fleet.

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team stadium. The first year, McLeod Software, headed by ATA board member Tom McLeod, stepped up to be Presidential Sponsor.

Savoy’s new structure enabled ATA’s Golf Classic to raise the most cash in the event’s history – bringing in more than $164,000 in sponsorships for an event that had previously never raised more than $92,000. The accomplishment was also an impetus for placing ATA’s TRUK PAC among the state’s top political action committees.

Following this success, Savoy was asked to spearhead the 2011 tournament, and once again he and his committee raised the bar and brought in a record amount of funds.

Thanks are due in part to Marmon Technologies, which eagerly signed on as the tournament’s Presidential Sponsor. The 2011 event broke the previous year’s mark netting more than $178,000 in pledges from more than 82 trucking-related businesses.

“Of course, there was some trepidation, to say the least, and I had to sell my ideas to the P&F committee and then to the board, but once we got everyone on the same page, the membership really stepped up to make our tournament an industry leader for its format and membership support,” Savoy says.

“A lot of times, if someone offers an idea to the Board, that person is given the opportunity to run with it,” says Filgo. “Kevin’s experience with other charity golf tournaments made him a perfect choice to take this Association’s main political fundraiser to another level. It was quite a remarkable feat, especially in a down economy, and one that to this day reverberates for our group. It was without a doubt the reason he is considered among this Association’s most dedicated

Driver training facility at the Abbeville terminal A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

members. I expect great things for his term as ATA Chairman.”

Turning Yella Savoy, originally from Mobile, Ala., attended Auburn University to earn a degree in Forest Products. During his time there, he performed research with the Forestry Department, and even pursued a master’s degree in chemical engineering for a while, but eventually decided to start his career.

“The more I got into (the master’s program), the more I realized that it really wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” he recalls. “I decided to get out after a year and go to work, and see where things took me.”

Upon leaving the graduate program, he interviewed with a few big names in forest products, as well as several small lumber and flooring manufacturers, assuming that he’d find work in mill management. Eventually, he landed an interview with Jimmy Rane of Great Southern Wood, who was knee-deep in a major expansion project that included complete overhauls of the company’s two main treating facilities in Abbeville and Mobile.

“Jimmy and I met in his office for an hour or so, discussing his plans for the future, and what I was looking to do for work,” Savoy says. “He was already in the process of rebuilding the plant here in Abbeville and wanted to do the same thing in Mobile. He asked if I would be willing to oversee the building projects. I wasn’t sure that I had enough experience to handle a project of that size.”

But Rane saw something in the young Savoy and reassured him that he was indeed the right man for the job. “My father Continued on page 38

Chairman Kevin Savoy’s 10-point Plan for FY 2013-2014 Finalize, through the courts and/or the legislative process, the issue of apportionment of property tax for IRP vehicles.

Improve ATA’s legislative effectiveness and influence by identifying and supporting “pro-truck” candidates in the upcoming 2014 Elections.

Raise $250,000 for TRUK PAC through the Classic event and dues assessments/contributions.

Due to the anticipated increase in motor carrier audits, increase ATA’s preaudit compliance reviews for member motor carriers.

Assist member motor carriers to comply with the new Hours of Service regulations.

Grow ATA’s education and training programs utilizing ATA’s newly expanded meeting room facility. Examples: ObamaCare Workshops, Compliance Seminars, etc.

Develop and coordinate Image Campaign designed to improve public’s perception of the importance of trucking.

Refocus Alabama’s motor carrier emphasis on proper freight securement practices involving the transport of metal coils.

Solicit increased member participation of key Alabama motor carriers in the Association’s events and programs.

Better engage and network with the membership through the Association’s web-based member management software entitled YourMembership.

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Shop employees utilize computer software that accesses and tracks parts inventory for repairs.

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Early architectural drawings for the Associations Building in downtown Montgomery.

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T

he four decades from the 1950s through the 1980s are some of the most exciting in Alabama Trucking Association history, as the ATA repeatedly rose to the challenge on issue after issue and worked to represent state trucking interests. Those years also span some of the most significant developments in the U.S. trucking industry, as the nation flexed its postwar muscles.

Overall U.S. economic growth during the period was astounding, with trucking playing a large role in overall economic development, spurred by the newly created Interstate Defense Highway System and America’s great suburban expansion and build-out.

From its inception in 1938 through World War II and beyond, ATA promoted Alabama trucking interests on issues ranging from weights and tariffs to taxation, fees, reciprocity with other states’ trucking regulations and fee structures and more.

But the economic growth in the coming four decades following World War II would demand an organization that not only served as a regulatory watchdog but also a key mechanism to raise the overall level of Alabama’s trucking industry in terms of professionalism and safety.

One of the biggest developments in the 1950s was the hiring of James Ritchie in 1957 as a new general manager for the 20year-old organization. A World War II vet who came from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Ritchie signed on and stayed on the job 38 years before retiring in 1996 as ATA President and CEO. Along the way, Ritchie led ATA’s signifi-

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

cant growth and influence at both state and national levels in the trucking industry. He developed into a highly effective association executive, garnering multiple state and national awards in the industry.

After locating enough furniture to fill the ATA offices in the old Bell Building in downtown Montgomery his first few days on the job, one of Ritchie’s initial moves was producing the ATA annual convention.

Under Ritchie’s leadership, the convention gained a much higher level of order, decorum and dignity—reflecting the increased professionalism promoted by some of ATA’s longtime leaders.

Big Alabama trucking news in the 1950s included the state’s first National Truck Driver of the Year, Reuben Thomas, who

Former Alabama CEO James Ritchie

drove for the Sessions Co. in Enterprise.

While in North Carolina, Thomas saved the life of a woman trapped in a burning car and was given a “Driver of the Month” award from ATA’s Council of Safety Supervisors.

He also received an Arthur Godfrey “Gentlemen of the Highways” citation presented by the TV personality and American Trucking Associations and was ultimately chosen as the national organization’s “Driver of the Year” in 1957. ATA hosted a luncheon in Montgomery where he was given the award.

Meanwhile, the Association continued to expand its representation of state truckers. In 1958, the ATA membership voted to designate the Board of Directors the governing body instead of the executive committee. Later in the year ATA established the Customer Relations Council, which sought to improve marketing and public relations and overall customer goodwill.

By the end of the decade, a number of committees were working on issues and making recommendations to the ATA board. In 1959, ATA committees included Budget and Finance, Convention, Dues and Schedules, Highway, Legislative and Membership.

The ATA’s development continued in 1961, when the ATA board approved purchase of property to acquire its own office facility on South Union Street, and the organization moved in October 1961.

Also in 1961, ATA was instrumental in having a 21-year-old mileage tax repealed in the state legislature. In 1962, ATA was one

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of the original state groups closely involved in formation of and implementation of the Emergency Motor Transport Board to assure smooth functioning of motor transport in a national emergency.

A special ATA convention in 1963 celebrated the association’s 25th anniversary with a major event in Biloxi, Miss. where founding and charter members were honored.

Continuing to look toward expansion, by 1964 the ATA board had approved a plan to buy property on Adams Street that would not only National Truck Driver of the Year for 1958 Reuben Thomas and family house ATA, it would also encompass rental space to help retire the debt reAlabama Furniture Association, Alabama quired for such an investment. By fall 1965, the building featuring more than Petroleum Council and Alabama LP Gas 17,000 sq. ft. in overall office space was ocBoard. Over the years—due to its tenants cupied by ATA. who shared a mission similar to ATA’s in promoting certain interests in Alabama— Called the Associations Building, a the building became a well-known gathergrand open house for ATA’s new facility ing spot for business people, association was held in early 1966. Early tenants to members and activists who were pursuing occupy space available included the

issues or seeking to work with Alabama government.

Key initiatives in the 1960s include a major program held in 1966 in Alabama through ATA in conjunction with the Trucking Safety Institute and American Trucking Associations—the Motor Fleet Supervisors Safety Program—at the time the only such program in the South. That same year ATA was given its 6th consecutive national ATA safety award for efforts in that area, with the ATA’s July 4th “Lights on for Safety” program cited.

By early 1967, ATA was working with the State Dept. of Education’s Vocational Division to establish a driver training school at Walker County State Trade School in Sumiton. The ATA provided help through an advisory committee, and the school’s first 14-member class all found jobs immediately upon graduation.

In one 15-month period from 1968-69, the school graduated 119 students, with 106 taking jobs in the industry.

Associations Building as it appeared following exterior upgrades performed in the early 1990s.

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The ATA also provided extensive educational opportunities for its members, ranging from transportation forums to sales seminars, safety programs and supervisor training classes to name just a few.

By the early 1970s, ATA was on the move. That year the annual convention was held outside the U.S. for the first time, in the Bahamas, and through the national ATA, Alabama’s Trucking Association helped arrange shipping of a historic moon rock that was brought to Montgomery for a public exhibit.

Meanwhile, in 1970 DOT clinics in driver qualifications, first initiated by ATA, were adopted by the federal Dept. of Transportation and used as a national education program that resulted in 700 clinics with more than 45,000 participants across North America.

In 1975, ATA commemorated the 25th year of the Basic Fleet Supervisors Safety Course. The same year saw the first annual Maintenance Course, sponsored by the ATA Maintenance Council with the help of the state education department.

Three years later, for the first time ever an ATA member was elected governor, with Fob James sworn in January 1979. The move was a harbinger for ATA itself, which became more involved in the state and national political process, joining the Alabama Alliance of Business and Industry (business’ political research arm) at its formation in 1981. The organization’s leadership continued its political development when longtime ATA member Sonny Callahan was elected to U.S. Congress in 1984.

The political process gained more attention from ATA leading up to and in the early 1980s as Congress passed the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 that deregulated the trucking industry in the U.S. Along the way, ATA was deeply involved in lobbying state and federal officials to ensure Alabama’s trucking interests.

In 1983, Jim Ritchie was given a plaque to commemorate his 25 years with ATA as the organization celebrated its 45th anniversary.

A year later, Alabama saw its second and last national driver of the year, as N.F. Plunkett, who drove for Chevron USA out of Birmingham and was named ATA’s Alabama Driver of the Year in 1983, was picked as the national ATA’s Driver of the Year in 1984.

At age 60, Plunkett had compiled a spotless safety record in 37 years of driving that included an accident-free 2.5 million miles

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Alabama Trucking Association building in Montgomery, circa 1958.

on the road. He traveled throughout the country that year promoting the trucking industry and trucking safety.

In 1985, longtime ATA member and 1978 ATA chairman Earl Dove was elected chairman of the American Trucking Associations, becoming only the second Alabama trucker to hold that post.

In the mid-1980s, following national DOT studies that showed accidents had in-

Alabama’s second and last National Truck Driver of the Year (1984) N.F. Plunkett

creased significantly since deregulation, ATA worked with state officials to have the federal Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) funded and implemented in Alabama. By 1987, ATA had sponsored eight MCSAP schools in the state that had more than 400 participants.

In 1988, when ATA celebrated its 50th anniversary, the organization also held a “note burning” party as the last parking lot mortgage note on ATA facilities was retired.

At the 1988 ATA convention in Panama City Beach, Fla., those in attendance celebrated the organization’s growth and successes during its 50 years of existence.

“As the Alabama Trucking Association celebrates its 50th anniversary, its concern as a broad-based motor carrier membership organization exists over the viability and future of an essential industry to the Alabama and American economy,” said James Ritchie.

The longtime ATA executive noted trucking’s unique role in the economy as a service to facilitate economic growth and development.

“While the economy may ebb and flow, the trucking industry will always be positioned and ever ready to meet Alabama’s and the nation’s transportation needs,” Ritchie continued. “In that, the Alabama Trucking Association is prepared and qualified to serve and assist.”

Compiled and edited by Dan Shell, a writer and editor based in Montgomery, Ala.

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SAFETY & MAINTENANCE Safety Insights

Tim Frazier, CDS ATA Director of Safety and Member Services

‘Most drivers know when something isn’t right—and a good one will speak up.’

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Are You Listening to Your Drivers?

Y

ou’ve just received a notification from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA). So, what do you do now?

Do you panic, or do you take comfort that your house is in order and you’re ready?

Over the past few months I have received a few calls from carriers that have received notification that the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) is coming for a visit. Often, that notification comes on a Thursday, with word that DOT reps will be onsite the following week.

Different carriers have different reactions to the notice: Some are ready at all times for any type review for their house is in order regarding compliance, while others respond with a panicked call seeking assistance for the review.

Usually, I’m asked, “What causes my company to be selected for a review?” It’s a complicated answer, but several factors determine why and when your company is selected for a dreaded compliance review (CR). Your crash rate may be high; or your CSA scores may have alerts; or maybe your out-of-service rate is high. But the most frequent reason I hear is a driver complaint—and more often than not, these complaints often receive immediate attention.

As safety directors and company officials we focus on reviewing scores and how many crashes we’ve had. We review driver files, applications, background checks, drug and alcohol testing, and other required documents, but we too often overlook the person behind the wheel.

We often overlook issues that our drivers bring (or try to bring) to our attention.

We need to be very sure our documentation procedures are in order, as this is a key area for a CR. With the dozen or so documents we are required to have on file we get so wrapped up in paperwork, policies and procedures, and the result is we tend to overlook the key element of our operation, the driver.

Actually, the documentation requirements are clearly defined in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) from Part 40 through Part 399. It’s all there for us to

read—all the information available to comply with the regulatory requirements. There shouldn’t be any excuses.

With regard to a driver complaint, the FMCSA has a responsibility to investigate these concerns in a prompt, timely manner. No doubt, these complaints typically come from disgruntled drivers, and are usually based on dispatch procedures, pay issues, or a company leaning too heavily on drivers to operate beyond the hours-of-service requirements.

So with that in mind: Are you listening to your drivers? Do you hear when a driver warns, “this load is dispatched too tight,” or maybe “I’m out of hours?” Think about. Most drivers know when something isn’t right—and a good one will speak up.

The upshot is: It’s our responsibility to set the driver up for a successful trip. As a trusted mentor once told me, “Set a person up for success, and give them the tools to do their job, and they will succeed. Set them up for failure, and they will most always fail.”

As you conduct your daily business and review the mountains of paperwork you’re faced with every day, don’t overlook the human element it takes to get the job done. Regulations, policies and procedures are something we all endure. Customer requests, freight volume and equipment issues can cloud our judgment from time to time. Making the right decision based on the right thing to do will decrease the opportunity for disgruntled drivers.

A good safety department should have things under control in regard to regulations and compliance. Know the requirements and follow the guidelines set forth by the FMCSR. Do those things and a notification from the feds will not catch you off guard, and will most always guarantee compliance.

Conversely, failure to listen to your drivers can almost guarantee that unresolved issues are coming. We can’t please everybody all the time, but we do need to look for the red flags that can lead to a complaint. Who better to involve in your planning procedures than those who are on the roads every day getting the job done?

Are you listening? You should.

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MANAGEMENT COUNCIL NEWS Despite drop in overall worker deaths, trucking still has high fatality rate

A preliminary total of 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2012, down from a revised count of 4,693 fatal work injuries in 2011, according to a new report from the U.S. Labor Department.

The 2012 total represents the second lowest preliminary total since the report was first conducted in 1992. The rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers in 2012 was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, down from a rate of 3.5 per 100,000 in 2011.

Transportation incidents accounted for more than 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries in 2012. Of the 1,789 transportation-related fatal injuries, about 58 percent, or 1,044 cases, were roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles.

Among service-providing industries in the private sector, fatal work injuries in transportation and warehousing accounted for 677 fatal work injuries in 2012, a decrease of 10 percent over the revised 2011 count of 749 fatalities.

The number of fatal injuries in truck transportation, the largest subsector within transportation and warehousing in terms of employment, decreased 6 percent in 2012.

Fatal work injuries in transportation and material moving occupations were down 7 percent to 1,150 in 2012.

Drivers/sales workers and truck drivers was the subgroup within transportation and material moving occupations with the highest number of fatal injuries. Dropping 4 percent, this subgroup recorded 741 fatalities in 2012.

Among contractors who were employed outside the construction and extraction occupations group, the largest number of fatal occupational injuries was incurred by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, with 50 deaths.

Experts say conventional fuels will continue to power trucking An article from Commercial Carrier Journal’s James Jillet predicts that though there will be an uptake in alternative fuel sources in the next few decades, conventional fuels—like diesel—and the internal combustion engine will continue to power the world’s vehicles for some time.

The article quotes Shell’s Richard Tucker, general manager of technology for the company’s commercial fuels and lubricants division.

In the year 2050, two-thirds of vehicles on the road will still use conventional fuels and conventional engine technology, Tucker said at a Shell press event in Hamburg, Germany, last week.

The challenge, he said, will be in continuing to cut emissions of those engines and keeping up with the ever-increasing amount of vehicles on the road: Tucker said that by 2050 another 2 billion vehicles will be on the world’s roads—a 60 percent increase over the amount of vehicles in use today.

But those vehicles will powered by what Tucker called a “mosaic” of energy sources, ranging from the dominate conventional fuels to sources like natural gas, hydrogen, solar and electricity, he said.

He added that gas-to-liquid will emerge as an alternative source of energy for vehicles, and Shell has invested $90 billion recently in a GTL facility in Qatar to research it. GTL is a clean-burning, low-sulfur, highly low-emissions fuel when converted to diesel, Tucker said.

Natural gas will also be a big player in the future of vehicle energy sources, he said, but it will not be “an overnight revolution.”

It is a fuel source Shell’s investing in, however, including its Green Corridor in Canada and its cross-country LNG corridor partnership with TA. “We’re putting a lot of effort into being world’s most innovative energy company,” Tucker said, adding that the company is investing worldwide in its research facilities, including remaking its Hamburg, Germany, tech center and renovating its Houston facility. It’s also made investments to its Shanghai center, he said.

Part of Shell’s strategy includes partnering with truck and engine manufacturers to Continued on page 20

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and engines with exhaust aftertreatment.

Machatschek also reiterated the company is “working on building the future energy mix,” in which natural gas can be a big player, he said.

News build “cost-effective packages,” Tucker said, as both groups are evolving.

Frank Machatschek, another technology manager with Shell, said the company’s partnerships with equipment manufacturers help both parties develop a deeper technical understanding of the other and the issues they face.

Truck makers right now, he said, face two main challenges: The rising total cost of ownership of a truck and environmental protection.

By partnering with OEMs, Machatschek said, Shell can create engine oil products with extended drain intervals that offer proper engine protection and increase fuel economy—all three of which help lower the cost of truck ownership.

The second challenge, environmental issues, can also be mitigated with better fuel economy, he said, but Shell also is improving its compatibility with alternative fuels

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New York’s McLean wins TMCSuperTech 2013 The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council recognized Mark McLean Jr., Montgomery, N.Y., as the nation’s top truck technician as he was named TMCSuperTech 2013 grand champion at the council’s ninth annual National Technician Skills Competition, held Sept. 9-11 in Pittsburgh.

McLean, a technician with FedEx Freight, was one of 129 technicians from across the country that competed in a day of qualifying written and hands-on testing.

The top 112 scoring technicians then competed in the day-long skills challenge with 14 “hands-on” skills stations that tested an array or troubleshooting skills, general truck maintenance, electronic diagnostics applications, and safety and environmental practices. Scores from an ASE written test were added to the total skills challenge scores to determine the top truck techs.

“All of the competitors as this year’s TMCSuperTech competition deserve our congratulations, but none more so than Mark McLean, this year’s grand champion,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.

While a tremendous amount of attention is paid to our industry’s drivers, and our industry’s driver shortage, we must not forget those technicians and mechanics who truly keep our industry rolling. Our industry needs more of skilled people like Mark and the 128 other competitors at TMCSuperTech.”

In addition to having the highest overall score, McLean also scored highest in two skills stations—Wheel End and Preventive Maintenance Inspection.

For his TMCSuperTech 2013 win, McLean received a trip for two to the Daytona 500 and a custom championship leather jacket from TMC, a Snap-On National Champion tool chest, a one-year subscription to Michell1’s Repair-Connect.net, a $10,000 Reliance Dream Shop cabinet stocked with fasteners and supplies along with a $5,000 credit for 12 months to keep it supplied using the latest micro bar code scanners, Noregon JPRO fleet diagnostic software and adapter valued at $3,000, a $1,000 gift card from International Truck/ Continued on page 24

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

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Navistar, a Midtronics EXP1000HD Battery/Electrical tester, a $500 gift certificate from Chicago Pneumatic, a LED torque wrench from Imperial Supplies valued at $600, a $500 Stanley tool certificate, and a Replica truck from Tonkin to winner’s company.

Eric Vos, FedEx Freight, Boise, Idaho, earned a second-place finish, along with a first-place in the Tire & Wheel skill station and a third place in the Drivetrain skill station. He received a trip for four to the 2014 running of the Brickyard 400 from BorgWarner, a $500 gift card from International Truck/Navistar, a Midtronics EXP1000HD Battery/Electrical tester, Noregon J-Pro software and adapter, and a LED torque wrench from Imperial Supplies. The Brickyard 400 package includes round-trip airfare to Indianapolis, two rooms in the

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Omni Hotel for up to three nights, tickets to the races to be held on Friday and Saturday, escorted bus ride and tickets to the 2014 Brickyard 400 NASCAR Race on Sunday, welcoming reception on Friday evening, dinner with the group of Thermal Systems race fans, and at the BorgWarner hospitality suite at the races including beverages and snacks.

Third-place finisher Jeffrey Ostby, Fedex Freight, Spokane, Wash., also placed third in the Drivetrain skill station. He received four tickets to the Talladega 2014 Spring Race with hotel accommodations in Birmingham, Ala., and $500 spending money, a $500 gift card from International/Navistar Truck, a Midtronics EXP1000HD Battery/Electrical tester, Noregon J-Pro software and adapter, and a LED torque wrench from Imperial Supplies.

The additional top ten finishers for TMCSuperTech 2013 are: 4. Derek Southerland, FedEx Freight, Knoxville, Tenn.

5. Jeffrey Schlecht, Omaha Truck Center, Norfolk, Neb. 6. Christopher F. Barnett, Ryder System, Crittenden, Ky. 7. Christopher P. Tate, Mohawk Truck, West Seneca, N.Y.

8. Joseph P. Calaway, Wal-Mart Transportation, Jonesville, Mich.

9. Jonathan R. Berg, FedEx Freight, Roseville, Minn.

10. David Bryan Lewis, Wal-Mart Transportation, Amelia Court House, Va. Fourth and fifth-place finishers received Noregon J-Pro software and adapter, and a LED torque wrench from Imperial Supplies. Sixth through 10th received a LED torque wrench from Imperial Supplies.

“In addition to all the winners, I’d like to recognize all our volunteer judges, organizers and judges, without whom this wonderful event would not be possible,” Graves said.

TMC, a technical council of American Trucking Associations, created the competition through its Professional Technician Development Committee to recognize and promote truck technicians.

CVSA says 30-min. break requirement is not an out-of-service violation In a memo to clarify parts of the new Hours-of-Service requirements that went into effect earlier this month, the CommerContinued on page 26

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News cial Vehicle Safety Administration (CVSA) stated that violation of the new hours-ofservice break requirement will not result in an out-of-service violation. However, violation of the restart provisions or the 60/70hour rule will.

While not an out-of-service offence, violating the mandatory 30-minute requirement does bring a severity weight of 7 in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability system. If violating the break requirement is counted as an out-of-service violation, carriers and drivers can pursue removing the OOS points on the agency’s DataQ’s review system.

Kansas driver wins National TDC Gary Harms, a Wal-Mart Transportation driver based in Olathe, Kan., was named

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the 2013 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion at the annual NTDC competition held last week in Salt Lake City.

Harms’ driving skills and knowledge of transportation and truck safety information topped more than 400 U.S. professional truck drivers at NTDC, the annual “Super Bowl of Safety” sponsored by American Trucking Associations.

Harms, who said he didn’t expect to win the coveted best all-around driver award, said he carries cones in his truck and often goes to work an hour early to practice in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

“This competition is all about being prepared and being safe every day,” Harms said.

“Gary truly represents what is best about our industry,” ATA President Bill Graves said in a statement.

Harms, who driven for 30 years and has logged more than 1.7 million miles behind the wheel, began competing in his state truck driving championships in 2007. He succeeds FedEx Freight’s Don Logan as National Grand Champion.

This year marked Harms’ second trip to the NTDC. He placed first in the 4-axle class in 2011 and took top honors in this

year’s 5-axle sleeper-berth competition.

Contestants were state champions in nine truck types from all 50 states. Collectively, they have driven more than 600 million accident-free miles.

Wal-Mart Transportation is the trucking component of Wal-Mart Logistics, which is in turn part of Wal-Mart Stores.

With more than 6,500 trucks and almost 62,000 trailers, Wal-Mart Stores is ranked No. 4 on the Transport Topics Top 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian private carriers.

CSA safety system adds new violations The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has added two violations to the Safety Measurement System, one based on new hours-of-service regulations, while the other is based on a more detailed description of existing controlled substances and alcohol regulations. Both were implemented in the SMS July 1. If motor carriers have one or both of these violations, they will see them in the July snapshot of their SMS data which was released in early August.

FMCSA’s new HOS regulation requires Continued on page 28

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News drivers to take a 30-minute rest break during the first eight hours of a shift. Based on a court decision, effective August 2, 2013, FMCSA will no longer enforce the 30-minute break provision for drivers that qualify for either of the short haul operations exceptions. This new regulation and guidance can be found at http://www. fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos/ index.htm.

The violation related to the Controlled/ Substances Alcohol BASIC was added based on industry and law enforcement feedback and enables roadside inspectors to distinguish between alcohol possession and alcohol use, says FMCSA. SMS assigns a lower severity weight to alcohol possession.

Agency reviewing crash weighting plan for CSA scoring According to media reports, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is conducting internal and peer review on its Crash Weighting Research Plan it will release this year.

The agency is studying crash accountability as an accident predictor and the feasibility of incorporating it into a carrier’s Safety Measurement System score under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. As it stands now, all crashes— even those that are clearly not the fault of the carrier—are weighted the same in a carrier’s CSA score.

FMCSA’s study examines if police reports have the quality and consistency to support crash weighting determinations. The research plan will help gauge if determining accountability would justify an annual $2 to 3 million needed to analyze up to 100,000 crash reports each year.

FMCSA spokesman Duane DeBruyne said the agency has used “many stakeholders,” including the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, to develop the study’s scope and objectives. “Upon its release later this year, the agency will announce next steps,” DeBruyne said.

The agency did not indicate what types of steps might follow or a timeline for proceeding.

FMCSA is working with the Department 28

of Transportation’s Volpe Center in developing a tool to fairly establish crash accountability and examine how it should affect a carrier’s SMS score. The Senate Appropriations Committee, which had directed the FMCSA work with the center, listed a completion date of Sept. 30 for the Crash Weighting Research Plan.

The committee set a Dec. 1, 2014, deadline for the Government Accountability Office audit of agency progress with the program. The GAO examination includes gauging CSA’s effectiveness in identifying the highest risk carrier sand how program interventions improve carrier safety, according to a June 27 committee report.

NYT calls background check system flawed In a recent editorial, The New York Times called the system the U.S. uses to check criminal backgrounds of sensitive employees, including truck drivers who haul hazmat or weapons and other dangerous cargo is seriously flawed.

According to the piece, the Federal Trade Commission has rightly intensified scrutiny of the companies that provide the criminal background checks used by most firms and corporations to screen job applicants. In too many cases, the reports are out of date and incomplete, causing job seekers who may have been arrested but never charged—or who have had their cases expunged or even dismissed—to be unfairly locked out of the job market.

“The new oversight is important, given that these companies sometimes ignore a federal law that requires them to make sure that the reports are accurate,” the editorial stated. “But more oversight is not enough.

Congress must also focus on the flawed practices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation’s most important provider of criminal background data. Its data, too, has unfairly damaged the prospects of people seeking work.”

NYT noted that the use of F.B.I. criminal background checks to screen government employees was introduced during the cold war. But over the last several decades— and particularly since 9/11—Congress and the executive branch have steadily expanded the number of nonfederal jobs covered by F.B.I. checks, which are now required for school, day care and health care workers, as well as for truck drivers, laborers, landscapers and even cooks who have access to government buildings and other sensitive areas.

According to a report by the National Employment Law Project, a research and

advocacy group, the F.B.I. performed nearly 17 million work-related background checks last year, about six times the number a decade ago.

“F.B.I. background checks are widely viewed as the gold standard but are in fact woefully flawed, often based on fallible and incomplete data submitted to the bureau by state and local law enforcement,” NYT stated. “Those agencies do a good job of transmitting arrest and fingerprint data but a terrible job of including information on the cases’ outcome. For example, the United States attorney general in 2006 found that about half the records in the F.B.I. database were missing final disposition information. Employers who used those records would not have seen that an applicant with an arrest record was never convicted.

The law project report includes examples of workers who were either turned away from jobs or fired based on faulty F.B.I. background information. Federal data show that more than 90 percent of workers who appealed denials of security clearances from the Transportation Security Administration were successful, because the F.B.I. records had been inaccurate or incomplete.

Fixing this broken system will require Congressional action, according to The Times, which pointed to a bill introduced

by Representative Robert Scott, Democrat of Virginia that would require the F.B.I. to use the stricter procedures for gun-sale background checks for employment background checks. Legislation introduced by Representative Keith Ellison, Democrat of Minnesota, would require the bureau to improve the accuracy of background checks for people seeking work with the federal government.

“At the very least, the FBI should be held to the same standards as private backgroundcheck companies, which are required to follow procedures for weeding out inaccurate information,” the editorial argued.

Livestock haulers seek exemption from break requirement According to political newspaper, The Hill, livestock producers want an exemption for truck drivers carrying pigs, cows and other animals from federal rules requiring rest breaks every eight hours on the job.

The National Pork Producers Council has filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) asking the agency to remove a requirement for daily 30-minute breaks for its truckers.

Those breaks can be dangerous for liveA LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

stock that have to sit in trucks during the summer heat and winter chill, the group said in its petition.

Pigs, for instance, do not sweat, and are especially prone to suffering from heat stress.

As such, the trade organization asserted that the 30-minute break requirement “will cause livestock producers and their drivers irreparable harm, place the health and welfare of the livestock at risk, and provide no apparent benefit to public safety, while forcing the livestock industry and their drivers to choose between the humane handling of animals or compliance with the rule,” the FMCSA summarized in a notice.

The pork council is making the request on behalf of a number of livestock trade groups, including the National Chicken Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The FMCSA will review the petition and is asking for the public to weigh in the next 30 days.

In July, the FMCSA granted a 90-day waiver of the exemption for drivers carrying livestock, but the groups want a longer exemption, which can last up to two years.

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FMCSA seeks new approach to screen drivers applicants The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is testing a new approach to screening new entrants into the business, in hopes of saving money and improving efficiency.

In July the agency began a year-long test of a pre-screening process designed to identify high-risk applicants that need an on-site safety review and give low-risk applicants a way to file their information electronically.

The agency used to have 18 months to audit all new entrants but under the transportation law passed by Congress last year it must conduct the audits within a year.

The agency said it does more than 34,000 new-entrant audits each year, a number that has increased each year over the past three and is expected to continue growing.

It has completed between 87 percent and 92 percent of the audits on time over the last several years, and between 65 percent and 74 percent of the applicants have passed their audits, the agency said.

In the test, which is being conducted in five states and five Canadian provinces, cer-

tain carriers are automatically targeted for on-site inspections, while others have the opportunity to electronically submit information about their safety programs.

Targeted companies include passenger carriers, carriers that have hazmat violations at roadside inspections and carriers with one or more CSA scores above the intervention threshold. Also targeted are new entrants that have violated rules covering licensing, out-of-service orders, hazmats and drugs and alcohol.

New entrants that clear this screening are being sent letters explaining that they can submit their information to a safety audit website.

If the carrier has an adequate safety management program, the agency will skip the onsite safety audit. If it doesn’t, the agency will schedule an onsite audit. If it doesn’t respond, the agency can revoke its registration.

The test is being conducted in California, Florida, Illinois, Montana and New York. Agency staff in Montana and New York is using the procedures for Canadian carriers based in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.

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State upholds trailer reciprocity A decision by the chief administrative law judge of the Alabama Dept. of Revenue has denied an attempt by the department to impose Alabama registration fees on an interstate motor carrier’s trailing equipment that was properly registered in Maine.

The carrier was headquartered in Alabama, and used the state as its base for registration under the International Registration Plan (IRP). It registered its trailing equipment, which was not required to be registered under IRP, in Maine, which allowed carriers to register such equipment there, whether the carrier had presence there or not (This carrier did not).

The department found that the trailers were based in Alabama, and assessed registration fees on them. The department’s theory was that since the IRP does not specify where trailing equipment is to be registered, the Multistate Reciprocity Agreement, an older state compact of which Alabama was a member, controlled.

The MRA, according to the department, required the carrier to register at least some of its trailing equipment in Alabama. The

judge, however, agreed with the carrier that section 515 of the IRP, which granted reciprocity to any trailer properly registered in any IRP member jurisdiction, trumped the MRA. He distinguished an earlier Alabama court decision, which upheld the imposition of an Alabama trailer fee, on the ground that Maine had not, at the time that decision was rendered, been an IRP member, and so different reciprocity arrangements controlled.

The judge agreed with the carrier that section 515 of the Plan meant what it said. Eagle Motor Freight, Inc. v. State of Alabama, docket no. MV. 12-1107, decided May 6, 2013. See decision at http://revenue.alabama.gov/aljrules/12-1107.pdf.

Greenbush’s Barnes chosen for national ATA leadership program Greenbush Logistics Director of Operations Larry Barnes has been selected from a group of nationwide applicants as one of twelve participants in a new leadership development program sponsored by the

ATRI releases analysis of trucking costs The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released results of its 2013 update to An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking. The research, which identifies trucking costs from 2008 through 2012 derived directly from fleets’ financial and operational data, provides carriers with an important high-level benchmarking tool and government agencies with real world data for future infrastructure improvement analyses.

The average marginal cost per mile in 2012 was $1.63, a slight decrease from the $1.71 found in 2011. After the Great Recession and a sharp decline in fuel prices resulted in decreased industry costs between 2008 and 2009, industry costs steadily rose through 2010 and 2011. The slight decrease in average operating costs in 2012 was most likely due to the weak economic recovery and softening freight conditions experienced in the second half of the year.

“Although we have seen conditions improve since the Great Recession of several years ago, an uncertain economic future means we have to be ever diligent in watching costs.

ATRI’s report provides critical financial data for carriers to use in benchmarking fleet performance and seeking opportunities for improved operations,” remarked Phil Byrd, Sr., President and CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express and First Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations.

Since its original publication in 2008, the Operational Costs of Trucking reports continue to be one of the most requested ATRI reports among industry stakeholders. In addition to average costs per mile, ATRI’s report documents average costs per hour and includes cost breakouts by industry sector. A copy of the report is available from ATRI’s Website www.atri-online.org.

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American Trucking Association.

The program called LEAD ATA is a oneyear program, created to engage the trucking industry’s best and brightest and prepare them to become our leaders of tomorrow. Participants gain realworld experience and in-depth industry insights not available through any other program.

By selecting a diverse group of candidates, this proLarry Barnes gram will represent the many different segments, regions, and fleet sizes that make up our industry.

The program is designed to highlight the many facets of ATA and so members can learn how to more effectively serve the trucking industry. Participants gain a better understanding of the regulatory and legislative process, how it directly affects their business, and what role ATA plays in that process on their behalf.

These emerging trucking executives will develop a vast network of industry peers, enhanced leadership and management skills, and a thorough understanding of the ATA and the industry it represents. Graduates of LEAD ATA will possess all of the tools necessary to lead their companies and our industry into the future.

Oregon, other states pursue alternatives to fuel tax According to Keith Goble of Land Line, a new Oregon law encourages motorists to experiment with a per-mile road tax as state lawmakers throughout the country push the federal government to ante up for similar programs.

The National Conference of State Legislatures wants the feds to create a $20 million fund to help states look for alternatives to fuel taxes to pay for road and bridge work.

A resolution adopted at the NCSL’s annual conference in Atlanta would allot up to $2 million to states. The money would be used to support state-level pilot proA LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

grams to come up with other options to the excise tax.

Oregon state Senator Bruce Starr introduced the resolution. He wrote that “revenues for our transportation system continue to decline with vehicles becoming ever more fuel efficient and changing travel patterns nationwide.”

Starr indicated that the nation’s transportation infrastructure faces a funding gap of nearly $94 billion annually based on current spending.

Starr also worked on a new rule signed into law by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Previously SB810, the new law implements a vehicle miles traveled fee for motorists.

Truckers driving in the state already pay a tax based on weight and distance traveled.

The state’s new program for motorists will start in 2015 using volunteers. As many as 5,000 motorists will pay by the mile using GPS technology or at the pump via a wireless transponder.

Meanwhile, volunteers will continue to pay fuel taxes at the pump. The state will reimburse motorists the difference between the fuel taxes and the amount owed in mileage taxes.

The motorists’ mileage tax rate will be 1.5 cents per mile.

Elsewhere, Nevada transportation officials are moving forward with a study on road-funding options. Specifically, the department will look at a VMT tax.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said he wants the study done in time for the 2015 regular session. The Nevada Legislature only meets for regular work during odd-numbered years.

Kevin Savoy tapped to serve as ATA Chairman The Alabama Trucking Association has elected Greenbush Logistics’ Kevin Savoy to serve as its top elected official for fiscal year 2013-2014.

Savoy, Vice President of Logistics for Greenbush, was installed as the AssociKevin Savoy ation’s Chairman of the Board of Directors at ceremony at the group’s headquarters in Montgomery, Ala. in June and will serve one year. Nearly 200 Association officials, guests and other dignitaries, including state legislators, public officials, family and friends were present to witA LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

Southland holds Open House for its Huntsville location

Southland-Huntsville staff is ready to serve.

Last month, Southland International Trucks held an Open House for its newest dealership in Huntsville, located at 14010 Alabama Highway, just off of Exit #3 on I-565, 3 miles east of I-65 and within 4 miles of the Navistar engine plant. The location offers stock new and used trucks, trailers, and rental and lease trucks from its Idealease division.

For service, the dealership has 16 bays with more than 35 employees—and a full parts inventory with delivery drivers. The service center offers a mobile repair truck, diesel particulate filter machine, and a natural gas repair bay. Also, the dealership has a fully operational training facility available.

ness outgoing Chairman Jack Brim of B.R. Williams Trucking hand over the reins of the Association to Savoy.

“This is without question the highlight of my career,” said Savoy, who oversees dayto-day operations from Greenbush, a subsidiary of Great Southern Wood, Inc. in Abbeville, Ala. “I am honored to lead this Association, and look forward to working with our executive board, the ATA membership, and the Association staff to make Alabama’s trucking industry stronger.”

In his acceptance speech, Savoy laid out his agenda for the coming year, which includes initiatives to bolster member numbers, increase existing membership involvement in ATA events and special projects— especially among trucking firms; and fortify and improve the industry’s public image for

economic development and industry safety and professionalism.

“When I see television ads or news items that unfairly attack our industry or call into question our commitment to safety, it really disturbs me,” he said. “We have some of the safest trucking businesses in the country, and their employees are extremely dedicated to safety. I want to increase the public’s awareness to our commitment to making Alabama’s highway safe for all travelers.”

Cargo thefts up slightly Cargo thefts were up 1 percent in the period from May-July 2013 compared with the previous period, February-April 2013, Continued on page 32 31

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according to a FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center report.

A total of 185 thefts were reported in May (69), June (88) and July (61). The average loss per incident was valued at $147,260, up 23 percent from the previous quarter.

Food and drink were the most commonly stolen goods at 25 percent of the total, and electronics were next at 17 percent, according to the report.

California remained the state with the most thefts, with Texas ranked second. The 55 thefts in California accounted for 25 percent of all incidents across the United States. Texas had 34 thefts (16 percent of the total), while Illinois reported 31 (14 percent), making it ranked third. Florida dropped from third position to number four, having experienced 23 thefts (11 percent) in the rolling quarter.

Following the usual trend, incidents involving theft of trailer/container, 165 in all, were most common and accounted for 76 percent of all thefts. Thefts involving deceptive pickup remained the same as the previ-

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ous three months at 19 incidents, comprising 9 percent of all thefts.

IRP & IFTA Changes Now Effective Several changes of importance to motor carriers became effective at the beginning of July this year in both the International Registration Plan and the International Fuel Tax Agreement, as the result of amendments adopted by those organizations a couple of years ago.

In IRP, new rules for audit and record keeping are now in effect. In general, these allow somewhat more flexibility to carriers in the way they maintain IRP records. In particular, states are required to accept for audit those records produced by vehicletracking systems, such as those relying on GPS, provided those records contain what an auditor needs to do an audit. The changes to the Plan also provide a new penalty provision for carriers whose records are inauditable or entirely missing: a 20 percent increase in IRP fees for the fleet. IFTA’s change is in the rate of interest states charge for underpayments, including those discovered on audit.

Previously, IFTA’s interest rate had been a

punitive 12 percent a year. Now the rate is 2 percent higher than the rate the Internal Revenue Service charges on underpayments. So, as of July 1, this year, IFTA’s rate is only 5 percent rather than 12. There is more information on this on IFTA’s website – www.iftach.org, under Interest Rates.

Final URS Rule a step closer According to American Trucking Associations officials, the federal Office of Management and Budget recently finished its review of the final rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation on the Uniform Registration System and sent it back to DOT. According to Natioanl ATA, it’s unclear at this point what’s in the rule; what changes OMB may be requiring DOT to make in its proposal; when the final rule might be published in the Federal Register; and when the rule might be effective.

The URS rule, which has been in the works for more than a decade, has nothing to do with the Uniform Carrier Registration Agreement or UCRA. But instead, it’s the rule implementing a major overhaul of the systems that DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Continued on page 34

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Safety Administration uses to register and regulate interstate motor carriers, including the systems for issuing operating authority, regulating motor carrier insurance, and the agent-for-service-of-process requirements.

Earlier drafts of the rule contained a revised Form MCS-150 which ATA commented seemed far too complex and unwieldy.

Federal tax benefits expiring with 2013 According to the American Trucking Associations, federal bonus depreciation is due to expire at the end of calendar year 2013, and the amount of equipment which businesses may expense is due to shrink significantly at the same time.

Bonus depreciation allows businesses to write off 50 percent of new assets placed in service this year, including rolling stock.

Congress is unlikely to extend this provision before 2013 is over, and may not see fit to reenact it in the future. Businesses are

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also currently permitted to expense (that is, write off completely in the year of purchase) up to $500,000 of assets put into service during 2013, although this benefit phases out to the extent the business’s total of new assets exceeds $2 million.

Next year, the cap on such expensing will be reduced to less than $150,000, with the phase-out beginning at a correspondingly lower amount of total expense.

Out-of-Service rates fall for Roadcheck 2013 Law enforcement officers found lower rates of out-of-service violations in commercial vehicle inspections during a three-day enforcement blitz earlier this year compared with last year’s event, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Violations that resulted in truck or bus drivers being pulled off the road fell to 4.2 percent, from 4.6 percent in 2012 and tied with the record low from 2011, CVSA said in a Sept. 11 statement. The vehicle out-ofservice violation rate was 20.6 percent compared with 20.9 percent last year.

“The strong enforcement presence involved in Roadcheck and throughout the year is a critical component in our safety ef-

forts across North America,” Colorado State Patrol Maj. Mark Savage, who is CVSA’s president, said in a statement. “Inspectors are making a huge impact, and they are to be commended for their efforts.”

State, federal and local officers conducted 47,771 Level I inspections during the June 4-6 event. Level I is the standard, comprehensive commercial-vehicle inspection that includes hours of service, seat belts, brakes, exhaust systems and driver licenses.

Inspectors focused on cargo securement in this year’s Roadcheck and found an 11.7 percent out-of-service rate from violations, below last year’s 12.3 percent, CVSA said.

—Transport Topics

Great West recognizes several ATA member fleets for safety Nine Alabama Trucking Association member firms have were selected to receive national recognition from Great West Casualty Co. recently in the insurance provider’s annual National Safety Awards Program.

Alabama carriers that received Platinum awards are Barnett Transportation of Tuscaloosa; Billy Barnes Enterprises, Inc. of Frisco City; Charles G. Lawson Trucking, Continued on page 36

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Hope Hull; H.D. Edgar, Opp; Harmony Hill Trucking, Union Town; Heritage Freight Warehousing & Logistics, Sylacauga; J & D Burgess, Inc. Anniston; Pelham Tank Lines, Pelham; Wright Transportation Inc., Mobile; and Young Transport LLC, Mobile.

Great West’s National Safety Awards program recognizes truckload and less-thantruckload with honors based on a fleet’s year-end preventable accident results. Carriers are eligible to receive a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Participatory award. The program drew more than 750 applicants from across the U.S.

New FMCSA broker bond requirements set to take effect Oct. 1 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued its guidance for brokers and freight forwarders to comply with the new bond amount of $75,000, which takes effect Oct. 1.

The mandated provisions, which upped

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the broker bond from $10,000 to $75,000, were enacted as part of the highway funding law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 Century Act, or MAP-21, which was signed in July 2012.

The current bond amount of $10,000 hasn’t been changed since before 1980.

Since that time, the number of brokers entering the trucking industry has increased dramatically. While there are many reputable brokers in the industry, there are some bad brokers who rely on the low bond amount not to have to pay truck drivers the freight charges they are owed.

“By increasing the bond amount, in addition to other changes, the bond companies will better scrutinize the brokers applying for bonds to assure themselves that the bond won’t be abused and that truckers using the broker will be paid,” wrote Todd Spencer, executive vice president for OOIDA, in a Land Line article explaining the need to raise the broker bond to $75,000.

All brokers and freight forwarders who engage in interstate brokerage or freight forwarding operations must register with FMCSA reflecting the new minimum security amount of $75,000. Motor carriers who occasionally broker loads must register both as motor carriers and as brokers, according to the FMCSA guidance.

The maximum civil penalty for brokers and freight forwarders who engage in interstate operations and who do not register with FMCSA is $10,000.

The agency will be providing a 60-day phase-in period beginning Oct. 1 to allow “the industry to complete all necessary filings.”

On Nov. 1, the agency will mail notifications to all brokers and freight forwarders that have not met the $75,000 minimum financial security requirement. The guidance states that FMCSA will provide 30 days advance notice before revoking freight forwarder and broker operating authority registrations.

As a provision outlined in MAP-21, bond companies and trust fund institutions must electronically report to FMCSA when bonds are canceled and the agency is to immediately suspend the registration of the broker and post notification on the agency’s website.

As part of the initial phase-in period, FMCSA will accept complaints regarding unregistered brokerage activities through its National Consumer Complaint Database and will continue to develop “a comprehensive enforcement program” in the attempt to determine the number of unlicensed brokers within the motor carrier industry.

—Land Line Magazine

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

37

Great Southern Wood’s pressure treating facility at Abbeville, Ala. Continued from page 7

owned an HVAC company, so I grew up around construction, but I really didn’t have much experience in it myself,” Savoy says. “(Rane) told me he was confident I could handle it, and asked me to join Great Southern. Honestly, that’s been the history the two of us have had in the 20 years I’ve been here. It seems it’s always been a situation when Jimmy kind of threw me to the wolves, so to speak, but he has always seemed to have full confidence in me.”

Savoy admits that he at first leaned on the expertise of engineers, building code officials and various contractors to get a quick grasp of the process. But with his own technical experience from graduate school as well as his keen organizational skill, he quickly came up to speed. By the time he started the second project, he was well prepared to hit the ground running.

With the two plants completed, he stayed on as production manager in Mobile, an assignment that allowed him to work on streamlining processes and mill flow. Savoy was able to take a step back to assess the manufacturing process, including the logistics of receiving raw material (lumber) and the shipment of treated lumber to various customers.

In 1995, GSW was looking to expand into North Alabama and Savoy was tapped to lead the project. He found himself not merely overseeing construction but immersed in the entire project start to finish spearheading site acquisition and develop38

ment, negotiating incentives from the local government, hiring contractors, and procuring equipment. He then moved to Tuscumbia to oversee construction of the treating facility that was to be built from a green field. “This was a new experience for me, and one that I found more rewarding because it was a complete project,” he says.

Forestry to Trucking Around 1998, the Tuscumbia terminal was losing money, and Savoy was asked to determine why. What he uncovered was that their trucking rate schedule didn’t really work as it did for other GSW facilities.

“Since the Tuscumbia plant wasn’t located in the Pine Belt (the region of the Southeast where stands of Southern Yellow Pine trees are historically abundant and where many

pine lumber manufacturers are located), our deliveries to places like Memphis and Nashville didn’t give us the opportunity to backhaul raw materials, so we were deadheading more than we should,” he says.

Management was then faced with either increasing rates or finding other things to haul. “So I went through the process getting our authority, and setting us up as a for-hire carrier,” he said. “We originally set it up as a DBA, Great Southern Trucking, and operated that way for several years.”

At that time, GSW only had five terminals with each terminal manager operating his own trucking fleet. There was no centralized organization for the trucking side.

“We basically operated five trucking companies — we were too fragmented, basically,” he explains. “It was difficult to consolidate things. We didn’t have a single operations person overseeing the trucking side, and we struggled with that for several years.”

But despite these internal struggles, the trucking side thrived, and what started as a 65-truck private fleet quickly grew to more than 280 trucks within six years. By 2004, the need for more centralized operations became too much to ignore. “We grew to a scale where we needed to be spun off into our own entity,” he says. “We had grown to a size where we could stand alone.”

Savoy was tapped to oversee the new trucking operation which company owners named Greenbush Logistics, Inc. (named Continued on page 41 A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

“Trucking’s Voice in Alabama”

PO Box 242337 • Montgomery, AL 36124-2337 • Phone: (334)834-3983 • Fax: (334)262-6504

Application For Membership DIVISION Motor Carriers: ❑ Domiciled In Alabama ❑ All other For-Hire ❑ Household Movers ❑ Private Carriers

Allied Industry: ❑ Local and State Suppliers ❑ Nat’l Concerns, small items ❑ Nat’l Concerns, major items

Your Dues Amount: $ __________________ (see schedule on reverse) Firm Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: (PO Box) ____________________________________(Street)__________________________________________________ City __________________________________________State __________________________ Zip ________________________ Telephone: __________________________________Fax ______________________________800/ __________________________ Email address: ________________________________________Website Address: __________________________________________ Type of Business: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Official Representative : __________________________________________________Title: __________________________________ Alternate Representative: __________________________________________________Title: __________________________________ Signed: ______________________________________Date: ____________Referred by:____________________________________

CONTRIBUTIONS OR GIFTS TO THE ALABAMA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION, INC., ARE NOT DEDUCTIBLE AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. HOWEVER, THEY MAY BE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AS ORDINARY AND NECESSARY BUSINESS EXPENSES.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY CODE # _________________ Freq_____________________

ACT ____________________

BC ____________________

Check # __________________

Exp Date__________________

ATU ____________________

DC ____________________

Dues Amt ________________

Nxt Bill Date _______________

MAG __________________

400 ____________________

Mbr Class ________________

AL Sen___________________

MC ____________________

WCSIF __________________

GC ____________________

CONTACT SHEET __________

Mbr Type _________________

AL Hse___________________

YR ____________________

WINFAX ________________

Dues Cat _________________

CG Dist __________________

Date_____________________

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

LTR/PLQ ________________

39

Schedule of Membership Dues A. Motor Carriers Domiciled in Alabama 1) Gross Annual Revenue Under and not over 1,000,000 and not over 5,000,000 and not over 10,000,000 and not over 15,000,000

$999,999 4,999,999 9,999,999 14,999,999 19,999,999

Annual Dues $500 600 900 1,200 1,500

2) Gross Annual Revenue 20,000,000 and not over 25,000,000 and not over 30,000,000 and not over 35,000,000 and not over 40,000,000 and over

$24,999,999 29,999,999 34,999,999 39,999,999

Annual Dues $1,800 2,100 2,400 2,700 3,000

B. All Other For-Hire and Private Carriers Schedule based on miles traveled in Alabama From 0 500,001 1,000,001 2,000,001 3,000,001 4,000,001 5,000,001 6,000,001 7,000,001 8,000,001 9,000,001

To 500,000 1,000,000 2,000,000 3,000,000 4,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000 7,000,000 8,000,000 9,000,000 10,000,000

Annual $200 250 360 510 640 750 870 960 1,040 1,150 1,250

From 10,000,001 11,000,001 12,000,001 13,000,001 14,000,001 15,000,001 16,000,001 17,000,001 18,000,001 19,000,001 20,000,001

To 11,000,000 12,000,000 13,000,000 14,000,000 15,000,000 16,000,000 17,000,000 18,000,000 19,000,000 20,000,000 25,000,000

Annual $1,320 1,410 1,495 1,575 1,650 1,720 1,795 1,865 1,950 2,030 2,500

C. Allied Industry – Annual Dues • Local and State Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300 • National Concerns (distributors or manufactuers of accessories, parts and small equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $400 • National Concerns (distributors or manufacturers of major equipment, integrated product lines, leasing companies and companies marketing statewide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600 D. Household Movers Based on intrastate revenue only - includes tariff participation 1) Gross Annual Revenue Not Over 100,001 and not over 150,001 and not over 200,000 and not over

$100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

Annual Dues $420 480 540 600

2) Gross Annual Revenue 250,001 and not over 300,001 and not over 400,001 and not over

Annual Dues $780 $300,000 900 400,000 1,200 500,000

Payment Schedule (Dues payable in advance) Below $500...................................................................Annually $500 - $1,200 ......................................................Semi-Annually

Above $1,200 ................................................................Monthly

CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT – The amount of dues paid by individual members of the Alabama Trucking Association is confidential information and is not subject to publication. Dues information can only be released by ATA to the principal representative of the member in question, and requests by other persons or parties will not be honored. Members are strongly urged to honor this privacy statement and to not share their confidential dues information with other ATA members or the general public.

40

A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

Continued from page 38

after Rane’s father’s boyhood neighborhood in Wisconsin).

Savoy admits he isn’t your typical trucker with regard to how he entered the industry.

In fact he’d never driven a large truck until he started working for GSW. But through his leadership, education, work experience, and his continuing education efforts at Harvard Business School, where he earned his Executive MBA (an accomplishment several key executives at GSW have also earned throughout the years), and also with the dedication of dozens of key managers and pivotal employees, Greenbush has become a very strong and profitable business.

Key Greenbush managers are Director of Operations Larry Barnes; Safety Director/ Risk Manager Doug Chamness; and Director of Maintenance Ed Klein.Today, the firm maintains a fleet of 260 trucks; about as many drivers; and a mix of more than 400 trailers of various makes and models.

In 2012, the company generated more than $80 million in annual revenue.

According to Savoy, GSW products make up 90 percent of what the company hauls, with the remainder of freight coming from traditional flatbed commodities such as steel, lumber and other building products. The company has 15 terminals (located at each GSW plant). Locations include Abbeville, Ala.; Mobile, Ala.; Conyers, Ga.; Muscle Shoals, Ala.; Columbus, Tex.; Sumter Co., Fla.; Jesup, Ga.; Buckner, Mo.; Glenwood, Ark.; Mt. Pleasant, Tex.; Brookhaven, Miss.; Mansura, La.; Rocky Mount, Va.; Hagerstown, Md.; and Fombell, Pa. Savoy says the company’s growth and success is a direct result of having a strong team from truck cab to maintenance shop to board room.

Looking ahead, he says the trucking side is at a good place in terms of size, scope and reach, but there are other areas he’d like to A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013

flesh out, specifically on the logistics side.

“We have a third-party logistics division that we want to grow,” he explains. “We recently added some personnel there, and we see that as an opportunity for us. Our intent is to spin that off into its own entity, out from under the Greenbush name. There are other areas with overseas export and owneroperators that we want to explore, as well.”

With so much on his plate it can be hard to prioritize responsibilities, but Savoy manages to keep it all in check. “Without a doubt my first priority is family,” he says.

“You only get one shot to raise your children, and I’m not going to miss out on it.

That’s why I enjoy coaching my children’s football teams and spending time with the kids outdoors or at the beach.” Savoy and his wife Ashleigh live in Dothan with their three children, Davis, Emma and William. “They keep me on my toes, but they also help keep me grounded. Family always comes first.”

Larry Barnes joined Greenbush Logistics in 2005, and today serves as the company’s director of operations. He believes that Kevin is uniquely qualified to lead ATA as Chairman.

“Kevin’s laid back and soft spoken approach will fool you from a distance, but he is, without a doubt, the best I have seen at having a broad mastery of content across the many verticals he is responsible for,” says Barnes. “I’ve had the privilege of working for Kevin for eight years now, but learned early on that he is the true epitome of wise counsel and solid leadership. The only thing that trumps his sound mind and judgment when discussing vision and strategy is his canny ability to navigate the correct path for ensuring successful execution.”

Goals are set and the bar has been raised, and Savoy says he’s ready to get the ball rolling. From all indications ATA is in good hands.

41

2013 ATA Buyer’s Guide We make every effort to ensure this list is correct. For changes or corrections to your company’s listing, contact Jane Nixon at jnixon@alabamatrucking.org.

Caribou Insurance Agency, Inc. (205) 822-7577 www.caribouins.com

Alabama Trucking Assn.’s Buyer’s Guide lists those companies that have taking an active role in supportCottingham and Butler ing Alabama’s trucking industry by becoming members of the Association. We ask that each time you (563) 587-5521 plan a purchase that you consult this guide and give ATA members the opportunity to gain your business. www.cottinghambutler.com These companies proudly support your association and deserve your support, as well.

ADVERTISING/PUBLISHING Randall-Reilly Business Media & Information (205) 349-2990 www.rrpub.com BUS SALES & SERVICE Southland International Trucks, Inc. (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtrucks.com Transportation South, Inc. (205) 663-2287 www.thebuscenter.com Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com CHEMICAL PRODUCTS Rushing Enterprises, Inc. (334) 693-3318 www.rushingenterprises.com

Westport HD div. of Westport Innovations, Inc. (251) 635-7143 www.westport.com

Thermo King of B’ham-DothanMobile-Montgomery (205) 591-2424 www.midstatetk.com

EQUIPMENT LEASING Eagle Equipment Leasing LLC (205) 999-5410

Thompson/Caterpillar (205) 849-4365 www.thompsontractor.com

H.E.C. Leasing, LLC (615) 471-9300 www.hecleasing.com

W.W. Williams (205) 252-9025 (334) 279-6083 www.wwwilliams.com

KLLM/Equipment Solutions LLC (205) 515-1478 www.kllm.com Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net Southland International Trucks, Inc. (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtrucks.com

COMMUNICATIONS/ELECTRONICS Star Leasing Co. Fleetmatics (205) 763-1280 (727) 674-2912 www.starleasing.com www.fleetmatics.com J.J. Keller & Assoc., Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

Transport Enterprise Leasing LLC (423) 463-3390 www.transportenterpriseleasing

Omnitracs, Inc. (770) 271-3654 www.omnitracs.com

Truck & Trailer Leasing Corp.

(256) 831-6880

PeopleNet (888) 346-3486 www.peoplenetonline.com Rand McNally (501) 835-1585 www.randmcnally.com

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING BigBee Steel (256) 383-7322 www.bigbee.com Eaton Corp./Roadranger Field Marketing (334) 398-1410 www.roadranger.com

Brookwood Medical Center (205) 807-4977 www.bwmc.com

Custard Insurance Adjusters, Inc. (770) 729-8160 www.custard.com

Carlisle Medical, Inc. (251) 344-7988 www.carlislemedical.com

Great West Casualty Co. (865) 670-6573 www.gwccnet.com

Employers Drug Program Mgmt., Inc. (205) 326-3100 www.edpm.com

Hudgens Insurance, Inc. (334) 289-2695

ErgoScience, Inc. (205) 879-6447 www.ergoscience.com

Johnson-Locklin & Associates (205) 980-8008 www.johnson-locklin.com

ESTATE AND BUSINESS PLANNING The Kennion Group, Inc. (205) 969-1155 Christian & Small LLP www.kennion.com (205) 795-6588 www.csattorneys.com Liberty Mutual Group (804) 380-5169 FINANCIAL SERVICES www.libertymutual,com BancorpSouth Equipment Finance (205) 422-7111 Liberty National Life Insurance www.bxsequipmentfinance.com (256) 596-0930 www.libnat.com Electronic Funds Source LLC (615) 777-4619 Liberty Truck Insurance www.efsllc.com (205) 352-2598 Freight Capital Lyon Fry Cadden Insurance (800) 775-0391 Agency, Inc. www.freightcapital.com (251) 473-4600 GE Capital Marvin Johnson & Associates, Inc. (770) 960-6307 (812) 372-0841 www.ge.com www.mjai.com People’s Capital & Leasing Corp.

McGriff, Siebels & Williams, Inc. (205) 856-9354 (205) 252-9871 www.peoples.com www.mcgriff.com People’s United Equipment Joe Morten & Sons, Inc. Finance Corp.

(865) 670-6544 (205) 664-9374 www.joemorten.com www.financialfederal.com

PNC Financial Services Group EQUIPMENT PARTS/ACCESSORIES (251) 441-7286 www.pnc.com Ancra International, LLC (334) 306-4372 Renasant Bank www.ancra.com (334) 301-5955 EDUCATION & TRAINING www.renasantbank.com Dothan Tarpaulin Products, Inc. J.J. Keller & Assoc., Inc. (800) 844-8277 (920) 722-2848 ServisFirst Bank www.dothantarp.com www.jjkellerservices.com (205) 949-3433 www.servisfirstbank.com GFA, Alabama JP Transportation Safety (205) 481-1090 Consulting, LLC INSURANCE www.gfany.net (205) 329-8182 American Claims Service, Inc. (205) 945-8550 (205) 669-1177 Imperial Supplies LLC www.jptsc.com (920) 494-7474 Aon Risk Solutions www.imperialsupplies.com Transportation Safety Services (501) 374-9300 (251) 661-9700 www.aon.com www.transportationsafetyservices.com Kinedyne Corp.

(334) 365-2919 Aronov Insurance, Inc. www.kinedyne.com Trucking Partners, LLC (205) 907-9622 (256) 737-8788 www.aronovinsurance.com Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems www.truckingpartners.com (334) 798-0080 The Baxter Agency www.arvinmeritor.com USA Driver-s, Inc. (334) 678-6800 (205) 661-0712 www.baxteragency.com Metro Trailer Repair Co., Inc. www.usadrivers.com (205) 323-2877 BB & T Insurance Services www.metrotrailer.net ENGINE MANUFACTURERS (912) 201-4706 Cummins Mid-South, LLC Paccar Parts/Kenworth (901) 488-8033 Benton & Parker Insurance Services (205) 679-7925 www.cumminsmidsouth.com (770) 536-8340 www.kenworth.com www.bentonandparker.com Thompson/Caterpillar Star Truck Parts (205) 849-4365 Brett Rucker AFLAC (205) 324-4681 www.thompsontractor.com (423) 503-9628 www.aflac.com Southern Truck & Equipment, Inc. (251) 653-4716 www.southerntruck.net DRIVER STAFFING Best Drivers (205) 916-0259 www.bestdrivers.com

Bradley Screening, LLC (334) 272-3539 www.bradleyscreening

S. S. Nesbitt (205) 262-2620 www.ssnesbitt.com Palomar Insurance Corp.

(334) 270-0105 www.palomarinsurance.com Regions Insurance, Inc. (501) 661-4880 www.regions.com

J.J. Keller & Assoc., Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com Safety First-Div. of Behavioral Health Systems (205) 443-5450 www.bhs-inc.com PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Clean Energy Fuels (423) 341-1779 Corridor Clean Fuels, LLC (256) 894-0098 Jack Green Oil Co., Inc. (256) 831-1038 Kimbro Oil Company (615) 320-7484 www.kimbrooil.com Major Oil Company, Inc. (334) 263-9070 www.unitedfoodandfuel.com Slidell Oil (334) 262-7301 The McPherson Companies, Inc. (888) 802-7500 www.mcphersonoil.com W.H. Thomas Oil Co., Inc. (205) 755-2610 www.whthomasoil.com PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Accounting Firms: Aldridge, Borden & Co. (334) 834-6640 www.aldridgeborden.com

Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC Regions Insurance/Barksdale Bonding (334) 271-6678 (334) 808-9441 www.cricpa.com www.barksdalebonding.com Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP Reliance Partners, Inc. (317) 580-2068 (877) 668-1704 www.ksmcpa.com www.reliancepartners.com Trans Con Assurance, LTD (205) 978-7070 Turner & Hamrick L.L.C. (334) 566-7665 www.turnerhamrick.com York Risk Services Group (205) 581-9283 www.yorkrsg.com Zurich (800) 553-3055 www.zurichna.com/zdu MEDICAL/DRUG & ALCOHOL SERVICES Alabama Specialty Clinic (256) 736-1460 www.ascoccupationalhealth.com

Attorneys: Austill, Lewis & Pipkin, P.C. (205) 870-3767 www.maplaw.com Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. (205) 328-0480 www.bakerdonelson.com Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A. 334-387-7680 www.ball-ball.com Carr, Allison, Pugh, Howard, Oliver & Sisson (205) 822-2006 www.carrallison.com

(as of 6/13/2013) Christian & Small, LLP (205) 795-6588 www.csattorneys.com

Power South Energy Cooperative (334) 427-3207 www.powersouth.com

DeLashmet & Marchand, P.C. (251) 433-1577 www.delmar-law.com

Securance Group, Inc. (334) 272-1200 www.securancegroup.com

Ferguson, Frost & Dodson, LLP (205) 879-8722 www.ffdlaw.com Fisher & Phillips, LLP (404) 231-1400 www.laborlawyers.com Friedman, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C. (205) 278-7000 www.friedman-lawyers.com Hand Arendall LLC (251) 432-5511 www.handarendall.com James M. Sizemore, Jr. (256) 409-1985 McDowell Knight Roedder & Sledge, LLC (251) 432-5300 www.mcdowellknight.com Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow & Ireland PA (205) 980-5000 www.phm-law.com Starnes Davis Florie LLP (205) 868-6000 www.starneslaw.com

Lazzari Truck Repair, Inc. (251) 626-5121 Metro Trailer Repair Co., Inc. (205) 323-2877 www.metrotrailer.net

Rowe Management Corp.

Spectrum Environmental Services, Inc. (205) 486-9235 (205) 664-2000 www.rowemachinery.com www.specenviro.com Star Leasing Co. Tax2290.com/ThinkTrade Inc. (205) 763-1280 (866) 245-3918 www.starleasing.com www.tax2290.com Thompson/Caterpillar TMW Systems, Inc. (205) 849-4365 (216) 831-6606 www.thompsontractor.com www.tmwsystems.com W.W. Williams Transportation and Logistical (205) 252-9025 Services, Inc (334) 279-6083 (205) 226-5500 www.wwwilliams.com www.tlsincorp.com TIRE DEALERS & Transportation Billing Solutions, LLC MANUFACTURERS (205) 788-4000 Best-One Tire & Service (615) 785-2834 Transportation Compliance www.bestonetire.com Services, USA (228) 872-7160 Bridgestone Commercial Solutions www.dottrucksafety.com (770) 317-5777 www.trucktires.com Transportation Safety Services (251) 661-9700 Butler Industrial Tire Center, Inc. www.transportationsafetyservices.com (334) 376-0178 Transportation Support, Inc. (205) 833-6336 www.transportationsupport.com

Columbus Tire Co., Inc. (706) 321-8133 www.columbustireco.com

Help, Inc. Provider of PrePass (931) 520-7170 www.prepass.com

TripPak SERVICES & ACS Advertising GCR Tire Centers (801) 349-2433 (205) 914-6818 www.acsexpeditedsolutions.com McGriff Tire Co. Trucking Partners, LLC (256) 739-0710 (256) 737-8788 www.mcgriffindustries.com www.truckingpartners.com McGriff Treading Co., Inc. Welborn & Associates, Inc. (256) 734-4298 (423) 822-1608 www.mcgriffindustries.com www.transportcap.com Michelin North America Real Estate: (864) 201-6177 Mary Lou’s Team RE/MAX, Inc. www.michelintruck.com (205) 566-5911 www.marylousteam.com Snider Fleet Solutions (404) 361-0130 Repairs: www.snidertire.com Big Moe Spring & Alignment of B’ham, Inc. Tire Centers, LLC (TCI) (205) 780-0290 (205) 252-3150 www.tirecenters.com Birmingham Frame & Alignment, LLC (205) 322-4844 Ventech USA birminghamframeandalignment.com (707) 499-7765 www.ventechusa.com Carl Carson Truck Center, Inc. (205) 592-9966 Waste Two Energy www.carlcarson.com (251) 452-3690

J.J. Keller & Assoc., Inc. (920) 722-2848 www.jjkellerservices.com

Carrier Transicold South (404) 968-3130 www.ctsouth.com

Wilks Tire & Battery Service, Inc. (256) 878-0211 www.wilkstire.com

Jeffers Trucking, Inc. (205) 808-1112

Carroll Truck Repair, Inc. (205) 983-3375

JP Transportation Safety Consulting, LLC (205) 329-8182 (205) 329-8183 www.jptsc.com

Yokohama Tire Corp.

(317) 385-2611 www.yokohamatire.com

Childersburg Truck Service, Inc. (256) 378-3101 www.childersburg-truck.com

Webster, Henry, Lyons, White, Bradwell & Black, P.C. (334) 264-9472 www.websterhenry.com Zieman, Speegle, Jackson & Hoffman LLC (251) 694-1700 www.ziemanspeegle.com Other Services: Ahern & Associates LTD (602) 242-1030 www.ahern-LTD.com Direct Chassislink (704) 571-5408 www.chassislink.com The Earl Dove Co., LLC (334) 793-7117 George L. Edwards & Associates (334) 745-5166

McLeod Software (205) 823-5100 www.mcleodsoftware.com Mobile Asphalt Co., LLC (251) 408-0770 www.mobileasphalt.com Motor Carrier Safety Consulting (205) 871-4455

Coffman International Trucks (334) 794-4111 www.coffmaninternationaltrucks.com Eufaula Trucking Co., Inc. (334) 687-0391 H & M Trailer Repair, Inc. (334) 262-0692

TRAILER DEALERS/ MANUFACTURERS C & C Trailers, Inc. (334) 897-2202 Dorsey Trailer (334) 897-2525 www.dorseytrailer.net Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 939-1000 www.empiretruck.com Equipment Logistics, Inc. (256) 739-9280

Fontaine Fifth Wheel NA (205) 421-4300 www.fifthwheel.com

Neely Coble Co. (256) 350-1630 www.neelycoble.com

Great Dane Trailers (205) 324-3491 www.greatdanetrailers.com

Nextran Truck Corporation (205) 841-4450 www.nextrancorp.com

Gulf City Body & Trailer Works, Inc. (251) 438-5521 www.gulfcity.com

Peterbilt Motors Co. (615) 208-1800 www.peterbilt.com

Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. (251) 476-2744 www.gulfcoasttruck.com

Peterbilt of Montgomery & Birmingham LLC (800) 264-4555 www.peterbilttruckcenters.com

R C Trailer Sales & Service Co., Inc. (205) 680-0924 www.rctrailersales.net Southland International Trucks, Inc. (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtrucks.com Star Leasing Co. (205) 763-1280 www.starleasing.com Tennessee Valley Recycling LLC (256) 353-6351 www.tvrllc.com Transport Trailer Center (334) 299-3573 Utility Trailer Sales of Alabama LLC (334) 794-7345 www.utilityalabama.com TRUCK DEALERS, MANUFACTURERS Action Truck Center (334) 794-8505 www.actiontruckcenter.com

Rush Truck Center-Mobile (251) 459-7300 www.rushofmobile.com Southland International Trucks, Inc. (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtrucks.com Taylor & Martin, Inc. (662) 262-4613 www.taylorandmartin.com Thompson/Caterpillar (205) 849-4365 www.thompsontractor.com Truckworx Kenworth - Birmingham (205) 326-6170 www.TRUCKWORX.com Truckworx Kenworth – Dothan (334) 712-4900 www.TRUCKWORX.com Truckworx Kenworth – Montgomery (334) 263-3101 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Birmingham Freightliner (205) 322-6695 www.birminghamfreightliner.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Mobile (251) 957-4000 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Capital Volvo Truck & Trailer (334) 262-8856 www.capitalvolvo.com

Truckworx Kenworth – Huntsville (256) 308-0162 www.TRUCKWORX.com

Coffman International Trucks (334) 794-4111 www.coffmaninternationaltrucks.com

Volvo Trucks North America (336) 393-2975 www.volvotrucks.volvo.com

Daimler Trucks NA LLC (404) 368-6860 www.freightlinertrucks.com

Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com

Eagle Equipment Leasing LLC (205) 999-5410

TRUCK & EQUIPMENT AUCTIONEERS Taylor & Martin, Inc. (662) 262-4613 www.taylorandmartin.com

Empire Truck Sales, LLC (601) 939-1000 www.empiretruck.com Fleetco, Inc. (615) 256-0600 www.fleetco.net

TRUCKSTOPS Love’s Travel Stops, Inc. (405) 202-4451 www.loves.com

Four Star Freightliner (334) 263-1085 (Montgomery) www.fourstarfreightliner.com

Oasis Travel Center, LLC (251) 960-1148

International Truck & Engine Corp./Navistar (813) 382-3113 www.internationaldelivers.com Kenworth of Huntsville, Inc. (256) 308-0162 www.kenworthofalabama.com

Pilot Flying J (800) 562-6210 www.pilotflyingj.com TravelCenters of America/ Petro Shopping Centers (404) 231-4142 www.tatravelcenters.com

Long Lewis Western Star (205) 428-6241 www.longlewistrucks.com

VEHICLE LEASING Southland International Trucks, Inc. (205) 942-6226 www.southlandtrucks.com

Mack Trucks, Inc. (678) 201-4770 www.macktrucks.com

Ward International Trucks, LLC (251) 433-5616 www.wardintltrucks.com

ATA

new membeRs & evenTs

New Members (as of 9-13-2013)

For Advertising Info Call Ford Boswell 334-834-3983

BLU (Transfuels, LLC) 3760 Commons Lane Salt Lake City, UT 84104 Phone (801) 386-8979 sue.black@blulng.com Mr. Joe Fazio

Mack Transportation,LLC P. O. Box 1065 Guntersville, AL 35976 Phone (256) 590-9200 mack.transportation@gmail.com Mr. Mike McCormack

Raughley Transfer 6 Office Park Circle Suite 100 Birmingham, AL 35223 Phone (205) 943-9003 blake@raughleytransfer.com Mr. Blake Beard

C & W Global 2301 24 Ave N Birmingham, AL 35234 Phone (205) 983-7837 skip@candwtrucking.com Mr. Ray Williams

Miller Relocation Services 4967 Horst Hill Road Birmingham, AL 35210 Phone (205) 951-0030 dustin@millerrelocation.com Mr. Dustin Blomeyer

Starnes Davis Florie LLP P. O. Box 598512 Birmingham, AL 35209 Phone (205) 868-6000 tumbach@starneslaw.com Mr. Arnold W. Umbach

Himber Trucking LLC 230 Beech Drive Killen, AL 35645 Phone (256) 710-4344 Ms. Ashley Himber

MTB Transport, LLC 3600 A Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N Birmingham, AL 35234 1552 Phone (205) 307-2217 chall@mtbtransport.com Mr. Chip Hall

T & L Transport 1348 North County Rd 49 Slocomb, AL 36375 Phone (334) 677-7046 twilson012@centurytel.net Ms. Linda Wilson

HMGT, LLC 6211 Fairfax Bypass Valley, AL 36854 Phone (334) 364-3779 simonlee@mando.com Mr. Simon Lee J & G Moving and Storage, Inc 2450 Industrial Blvd South Elba, AL 36323 Phone (334) 897-2224 scott@mycoastalmoving.com Mr. Scott Miller

A Alabama Trucker (AT), the official publication of the Alabama Trucking Association (ATA), is an award-winning trade publication highlighting the Association's activities while documenting the business environment of the day.

AT is published quarterly and distributed to more than 2,500 trucking executives, regulatory officials, and political figures.

Want to reach decision makers at more than 1,500 Alabama-based trucking firms?

Consider this: Advertising in AT reaches the most concentrated readership of trucking professionals in the state. Our rates are affordable, but on top of that, your helping ATA send positive messages about one of the state's largest employers.

Contact Ford Boswell at fboswell@alabamatrucking.org or 877-277-TRUK (8785) For More Information 44

New Latitude 2161 Hwy 33 Pelham, AL 35124 Phone (205) 988-9000 chris@newlatitudemovers.com Mr. Chris Walker

D V E R T I S I N G

I

The Trucking Summit 4433 Touhy Ave Suite 240 Lincolnwood, IL 60712 Phone (917) 502-0139 Ms. Marie Steele Top Shelf Logistics LLC P. O. Box 2467 Clanton, AL 35046 Phone (205) 280-4980 topshelflogistics@aol.com Ms. Karen Graves

N D E X

ADVERTISER PG. NO. PH. NO. WEB ADDRESS ATA WCSIF BC (334) 834-7911 www.atacompfund.org The Baxter Agency 29 (800) 873-8494 www.baxteragency.com Bell & Co. 32 (501) 753-9700 bellandcompany.net Carrier Transicold South 15 (205) 328-7278 www.trucktrailer.carrier.com Great Dane IBC (800) 383-0094 www.greatdanetrailers.com Great West Casualty Co. 36 (800) 228-8053 www.gwccnet.com Greenbush Logistics 35 (877) 585-4749 www.greenbushlogistics.com Infiniti-I 37 (205) 585-3895 Ahicks0604@bellsouth.net International Trucks IFC (800) 844-4102 www.navistar.com Ira Phillips 14 (800) 673-6256 www.iraphillips.com JP Transportation Safety Consulting 37 (205) 329-8183 www.jptsc.com J.J. Keller 33 (888) 473-4638 ext. 7892 www.jjkellermobile.com Johnson Locklin 24 (251) 947-3015 www.johnson-locklin.com Nextran Truck Center 3 (800) 292-8685 www.nextrancorp.com Palomar Insurance 20 (800) 489-0105 www.palomarins.com Parman Energy 25 (888) 350-5576 www.parmanenergy.com Regions Insurance 35 (800) 807-1412 www.regionsinsurance.com Thompson Cat 8-9 (205) 849-4288 www.thompsontractor.com Transport Enterprise Leasing LLC 34 (423) 463-3389 transportenterpriseleasing.com Truckworx Kenworth 21 (800) 444-6170 www.truckworx.com Turner & Hamrick 26 (888) 385-0186 www.turnerhamrick.com WH Thomas Oil Co. 22 (205) 755-2610 www.thomasoil.com W.W. Williams 27 (800) 365-3780 www.wwwilliams.com A LABAMA T RUCKER • 3 RD Q UARTER 2013