Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 by Florida Truck News

Quarter 4 ■ 2015

The Official Publication of the Florida Trucking Association, Inc.

Tech Futures

FTA’s Technology & Maintenance Council has big plans for your diesel techs!

ALSO INSIDE

Publications Mail Agreement #40606022

»» The Industry’s Diesel Technician Shortage »» Truck Parking Strategies at FDOT »» The Fight Against Cargo Theft

contents 10

FEATURES FTA’s Technology and Maintenance Council

Provides training, skills competitions and regular opportunities to learn, network and exchange ideas

Mind the Gap

The current shortage of skilled diesel technicians is proving to be a big bump in the road for the transport sector

Articles

CARRIER HIGHLIGHT

Volume 68, Issue 4 Q4 2015

3 7 25 27 28

Regular Sections Message from the President & CEO In Memoriam FTA Events New FTA Members Supplier Spotlight—Q&A

Southeast Milk, Inc.

One of the largest fleets in the southeast, SMI is focusing on safety management, training and driver productivity

SAFETY

Legal Truck Parking: What’s the Plan?

INDUSTRY ISSUE

Cargo Theft by the Numbers

More of a problem than you might think, cargo theft is moving up on the list of important things for our industry—and on law enforcement, regulatory, elected officials’ radar

COVER PHOTO: RYAN KETTERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY TOP PHOTO: MARCHELLO74 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A review of Florida’s truck parking issue, and what the state is doing to fix it

ON THE COVER

FTA’s Technology and Maintenance Council is a long-standing association council that offers training, skills competitions and regular opportunities to learn, network and exchange ideas with other professionals in the maintenance sector of the trucking industry. Read about this important council, starting on page 10. FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO

KENNETH S. ARMSTRONG, PH.D. PRESIDENT AND CEO, FLORIDA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 68, NUMBER 4 • Q4 2015 Published for:

350 East College Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32301-1565 President and CEO, Kenneth S. Armstrong ken@FLTrucking.org Vice-President, Tisha Keller tisha@FLTrucking.org Director of Operations, Angela Cundiff angela@FLTrucking.org Special Projects Coordinator, Marcela Romero marcela@FLTrucking.org

Published by:

140 Broadway, 46th Floor New York, NY 10005 Toll-free: 866-953-2189 Toll-free Fax: 877-565-8557 President, Jeff Lester Vice President & Publisher, Sean Davis EDITORIAL Editorial Director, Jill Harris ADVERTISING Book Leader: Colleen McDonald Quinn Bogusky Louise Peterson

Ramping Up Member Benefits

es, I know – every single time you hold one of these magazines in your hand, my message seems to unveil some new initiative or program. This one is no different! This time, we’re introducing the Member Benefit Program (MBP), which is aimed at producing a tangible financial benefit for each of our members. The brand new Member Benefits Committee has been formed and established the criteria on what can qualify for the MBP. Unfortunately, with many other irons in the fire, I haven’t been able to give the MBP the attention it and you deserve. We ought to have discount and service programs available to our members in almost every area, such as equipment, training, compliance, employee recruitment, insurance and more. These

programs can help our members in immediate and measurable ways. The MBP can also help FTA, since some of the benefits create a revenue stream. So what will make 2016 the year of the MBP? Our board of directors has approved the hiring of a special projects coordinator who can take charge of the MBP and make it go “BOOM!” And that makes Marcela Romero, who has just accepted this new position, “your new best friend.” You will recognize Marcela’s name since she has been our post-graduate assistant for more than a year. New opportunities for you! That’s what your association is about. I trust your holidays will be joyous and 2016 a year of prosperity for you and yours.

DESIGN & LAYOUT Art Director, Myles O’Reilly Crystal Carrette Jessica Landry John Lyttle Gayl Punzalan © 2015 Florida Trucking Association. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the FTA. KENARY820/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

For subscription information, please contact the FTA at 850-222-9900. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors of the articles contained in Florida Truck News magazine are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Florida Trucking Association or its member companies. Printed in Canada. Please recycle where facilities exist.

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Guy Bostick September 12, 1920 – August 28, 2015

warehousing, truck parts as well as truck and trailer repairs. All of these businesses are managed separately, but all work together. Comcar has grown from its humble beginnings to spread across the continental United States. Bostick was chairman of Comcar when he retired from the day-to-day duties in 2001. Comcar included several subsidiaries: Commercial Carrier Corporation, Clay Hyder Trucking Lines, Inc., Commercial Warehousing, Inc., Super Cool Cold Storage, Inc., Commercial Truck and Trailer Sales, Inc., MD Transport Systems, Inc., CTL Distribution, Inc., Coastal Transport, Inc., Comcar Leasing, Inc., Comcar Logistics, Midwest Coast Transport and Willis Shaw Express. He may have stopped coming into the office on a daily basis but he continued to stay in tune and informed, and would drive by the various facilities several times each week. Barney Barnett, vice chairman of Publix, called Bostick “a legend…one of the greatest entrepreneurs Florida has ever known.” (Continued on next page)

FRANK FIEDLER / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

uy Bostick was a self-made man whose principal focus in life was hard work. And that, along with his business acumen, can be credited for his success. He was a man dedicated to his family, his business, the trucking industry and the communities of Winter Haven and Auburndale. One day in the mid-1940s, Bostick—a Florida state highway patrolman—traded his family car for a down payment on a truck of his own. By 1949, he was ready to focus on what would become his life’s work. He founded Bostick Distributors in a small truck stop near Winter Haven, Fla. and that led to the beginning of the Commercial Carrier Corporation fleet, which was incorporated in 1953. While continuously expanding, Bostick realized that there were areas into which he could diversify. Aided by his wife, Jan, and his two sons, Bill and Mark, Bostick created a company culture where employees were treated like family. Today, the Comcar Industries, Inc. family of companies is involved in trucking,

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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IN MEMORIAM

Industry and civic work Bostick has a long list of personal and civic achievements. He was a past chairman of the Board of Trustees of Winter Haven Hospital and served on the board for several years. He was a past president and lifetime director of the Florida Trucking Association and served as a member of the Governor’s Transportation Policy Study Commission, Executive Committee Florida State Chamber of Commerce, member of the National Defense Executive Reserve, chairman of the Board of Directors of Associated Industries of Florida, Board of Directors of First National Bank of Winter Haven, Board of Directors of Lake Region Yacht and Country Club, State Board of Education Study Commission on vocational education and Governor’s Study Commission on Judicial Reform. He was a member of the Florida Council of 100, State Board of Directors First Union National Bank, Board of Directors Associated Industries of Florida, Leadership Giving Committee and United Way of Central Florida. Bostick was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven, American Legion, Shrine Club and the University of Florida Bull Gator Club, and was awarded an honorary membership in University of Florida Alumni Association and Florida Blue Key.

Work as a hobby Work was Bostick’s way of relaxation. He came into the office every day until he was 81, always working long hours.

“What would I do with just a 40-hour work week?” he would ask seriously. He also enjoyed deep sea fishing and, occasionally, fresh water fishing. Bostick was a native of Hazelhurst, Ga., the youngest of 11 children. Born to hardscrabble tenant farmers prior to the Great Depression, Bostick learned the values of perseverance and dedication early in his childhood. His family moved to Springhead, a tiny community near Mulberry, when he was quite young, and his first job was picking strawberries. Later, he worked for a furniture factory in Palatka, and recalls his take-home pay was $11.92 a week after deductions. During World War II, Bostick served in the Navy Seebees, and after a medical discharge, he worked at a Jacksonville shipyard, the police force in Palatka and the State Highway Patrol. He also worked at the police department in Ocala and in Bartow, where, at 25, he became the youngest police chief in the history of Florida. Bostick was preceded in death by his wife and love of his life, Esther Jeannette Bostick, in 2004. He and Jan were married for 62 years. The couple called Winter Haven home but also enjoyed homes on the St. John’s River in Palatka; at Anna Maria Beach; and in North Carolina. They had two sons, Mark and Bill, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. The Florida Trucking Association offers its sincerest condolences to the Bostick family.

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FTA’s Technology and Maintenance Council

2015–2017 TMC Steering Committee Officers

Provides training, skills competitions and regular opportunities to learn, network and exchange ideas

Chris Emrich Southeastern Freight Lines Chair

Tom Jones Publix Super Markets Training Chair

Jeff Hile Vice Chair

Jeff Day Publix Super Markets SuperTech Chair

Bob Thomas Nextran Truck Center Immediate Past Chair

Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

Non-Officer: Shelley Conklin Landstar SuperTech Vice Chair

Current officers serve two-year term. Immediate past chair and SuperTech chair are terminal appointments (they do not matriculate to TMC chair). SuperTech has a chair and vice chair; must serve as vice before moving up to chair.

C O V E R F E AT U R E

By Heather Hudson | Photos by Ryan Ketterman

ne of FTA’s newest committee leaders brings a fresh perspective to his role—and has big plans for the future. Chris Emrich, the newest chair of FTA’s Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC), brings a strong background in maintenance to the role. And he intends to bring in new platforms to address the technician shortage in Florida, while providing all the learning and networking opportunities the TMC has traditionally offered. “I’ve grown up in maintenance —I’ve been a mechanic, a director of maintenance and now I’m a regional fleet services manager for Southeastern Freight Lines, so this is really the focus of my career. We know there’s a technician shortage, but nobody’s talking about it. I want to be part of growing future technicians and getting involved in different tech schools.” [Editor’s note: To learn more about the tech shortage and Emrich’s concern, read the article beginning on page 14 of this issue of Florida Truck News.] A member of FTA for five years, this is the first time Emrich has chaired a council. He says he has big shoes to fill as former chair Bob Thomas steps down. “Bob’s done a great job getting people involved. I hope to continue that progress he’s already made,” said Emrich.

What is the TMC? The TMC is a long-standing FTA council that offers training, skills competitions and regular opportunities to learn, network and exchange ideas with other professionals in the maintenance sector of the trucking industry. “Most members are fleet managers, and we also have a lot of truck and component suppliers,” said Thomas. “The TMC’s role is to provide members with current information and training opportunities that help people in maintenance stay on top of trends and develop their skills.” TMC members participate in a conference call the first Friday of every month. They are also invited to attend the three to four training sessions across the state, as well as two round-up events each year (in the spring and fall). Thomas says selecting what topics to cover in training is a group process during which members share ideas and then reach a consensus on what to cover and when.

A few of the FTA TMC members include (L to R): Chris Emrich (Southeastern Freight Lines), TMC chair; Jeff Hile (Saddle Creek Transportation), vice-chair; Ryan Walpole (Walpole, Inc.); Bob Thomas (Nextran Tampa), immediate past chair; Shelley Conklin (Landstar Transportation Logistics), SuperTech vice-chair; Phares Acuff (Florida Utility Trailers); Jeff Day (Publix Super Markets), SuperTech chair; Tom Jones (Publix Super Markets), training chair

“We know there’s a technician shortage, but nobody’s talking about it. I want to be part of growing future technicians and getting involved in different tech schools.” – Chris Emrich, Regional Fleet Services Manager, Southeastern Freight Lines FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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COVER FEATURE

2016 Florida TMC Events These events are open to anyone who is employed by an FTA member company. Look at what’s planned for 2016: February 17 – Spring Voluntary Vehicle Inspection at Yulee Scale in Jacksonville March 16 – TMC Membership Meeting and 2016 Florida SuperTech competition at Mid-Florida Tech in Orlando

April 20-21 – FTA Spring RoundUp in Tampa/Lakeland area July 27-31 – FTA Annual Conference in Ponte Vedre Beach August 17 – Annual TMC Workshop in Deerfield Beach

Training sessions might include new technology coming to the industry, safety seminars, regulatory changes (usually driven by safety and emissions adjustments), maintenance techniques, troubleshooting diagnostics and more. Training events are open to all FTA members, and the TMC will often offer it to non-members for an extra cost. “Sometimes non-members come to the training sessions and end up joining FTA once they see the value that we have to offer,” said Thomas. It’s not surprising when you consider the power of the information and education industry professionals can gain from training sessions. Thomas points out that one of the biggest and most helpful topics is staying on top of new technology. “Technology has changed immensely on equipment in the last 10 to 15 years. Some things have worked out well; some have not,” he said. “[Training sessions] are a great place to learn what has worked and, if it hasn’t, why. Carriers are able to come away from that knowing how they can run their businesses more efficiently and safely.” Though the training opportunities are an important component of the TMC, Thomas and Emrich agree that the exchange of ideas and dedicated time to network are equally valuable. “At one event [on tire management and the procurement process], we had two companies that shared their experiences with different programs they’d tried. It could very well have saved other people from making the same mistakes,” said Thomas. And not all the information flow happens at the front of the room. Thomas says that he often overhears people from different companies exchanging information during the breaks at training session. “People are always learning from each other just by talking about what they’re working on and how they’re handling certain maintenance situations and techniques.”

Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

September 19-22 – National SuperTech Competition in Raleigh, N.C. October 19-20 – FTA Fall Round-Up and Educational Institute in Daytona Beach November 9 – Trucking Industry Employment Summit in Orlando

Who should join the TMC? Thomas says that every trucking company should have an active participant in the TMC. “Every company that has trucks and trailers should be involved to be sure they’re up to date on the latest information,” he said. “As far as individual people, those who deal with maintenance, operations and equipment would be the right choice to be on the TMC.” Though it can sometimes be a challenge for workers from competing companies to share information, Thomas says that quickly disappears when they begin to talk shop. “A lot of the idea exchange that happens between mechanics, shop level workers, supervisors, foremen and managers is valuable to us as an industry. It’s in our best interest to be safe. If bad things happen on the road, it’s bad for all of us.” Emrich and Thomas encourage any interested FTA members to consider joining the TMC. Recent changes to the membership process means there is no cost to joining. “Being a member of the TMC allows you to be a part of the input and direction of where the TMC’s going, what we’re looking to do and not just training topics, but how we operate the group,” said Thomas. “I also find that, as a member, you’re more active at TMC functions and more involved. It gives you a chance to network because you’re interacting all the time.” The TMC is financially self-sufficient: programs are paid for through event registration.

Future of the TMC With Emrich on board as chair, the TMC will operate in much the same manner as it always has. He plans to bring his own passion for developing new service technicians to the agenda as well. “I’m working with the FTA about getting more involved in technical schools in Florida. I look forward to hopefully helping to grow some young men and women to come up in the maintenance field,” said Emrich. If you’re interested in joining the TMC, contact the FTA. It would be well worth your time.

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Mind the Gap The current shortage of skilled diesel technicians is proving to be a big bump in the road for the transport sector By Kelly Gray

ALPHASPIRIT / SHUTERSTOCK.COM

rucking is a big deal for America. Consider the scope of the industry—there are more than three million drivers pulling close to 10 billion tons of freight. Seventy percent of goods are shipped via trucks, and the adage, “If you bought it, a truck brought it,” has never been truer. Trucks are the lifeblood of the economy, with the country spending almost $2 trillion on transport and logistics last year. Given the scale of the sector and its importance to the economic health of the nation, it comes as a surprise to discover trucking is being hobbled by a lack of technicians with the skill sets to work on increasingly complex diesel engines and auxiliary equipment. According to Tampa-based Chris Emrich, regional fleet services manager for Southeastern Freight Lines and chair of the Florida Trucking Association (FTA)’s Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC), for every 10 diesel technicians who retire, only two come on board to fill the employment spaces. This is creating a huge gap

Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

in maintenance capability that will be played out in greater truck downtime and a potential risk for more equipment-based safety concerns on highways. And, expectations are that this gap will only get worse as demand for skilled diesel techs grows. Indeed, U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics offers numbers that show the automotive repair maintenance sector is expected to pump 237,500 new jobs into the economy, revealing a 30 percent growth rate through 2020 with industrial trades schools delivering only 3,500 new diesel technicians each year. “The costs of this gap will be borne by everyone,” said Emrich, describing a training shortfall that became highly evident some 10 years ago. Emrich suggests that times have changed, and jobs that require hands-on skills are less inviting to high school grads who have their sights set on white collar positions free of shift work and the grime of an industrial shop.

F E AT U R E

“Kids that are looking for a good job may not look to the trucking sector first,” said Emrich. “When they do look into the industry, they often find that six weeks of training gets them entry into good-paying driver jobs while they have to go back to school for another two years to become a diesel technician. If we want to get in front of this labor challenge, the industry must change the way it thinks about workers and the job itself.” He suggests a more flexible work/study arrangement that gets people earning faster. First, the industry must communicate better to high school students. “We have to let them know there are lots of jobs waiting, and these jobs come with great rewards,” he said, noting that employers are far more willing today to consider the needs of workers than they were in the past. For example, this latest generation is very interested in work/life balance as well as good pay. “Employers have to learn to be more accommodating if they want to attract the workers they need to keep fleets running,” said Emrich. He says that at Southeastern they offer their technicians constant upgrading and skill sharpening that keeps them at the top of their game. “The complex nature of the current technology in transport requires investment in education and training to stay ahead of the curve. The industry can no longer afford to do things the same way it has in the past. Workers must be highly trained, they need to be respected on the job and they must be nurtured in such a way that the job stays exciting and fresh.” Emrich also cites working hours as a deterrent for young people to consider becoming a diesel technician as a career choice. “Shift work is another stumbling block. When youth are considering a career path, they are less likely to look favorably on a job where they have to work from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. At Southeastern Freight Lines, we are moving to reduce the amount of work on the third shift as a way to improve quality of life for our

people,” said Emrich, noting that young, starting workers are not as interested in overtime as their parents might have been and seek out jobs where a 40-hour week is the norm.

Changing job description Once upon a time, a diesel technician was the guy with the wrench and the oil-soaked coveralls. Today, these workers are more like surgeons and holistic health practitioners. After around 2007, there was a radical shift in the complexities of truck systems. Today’s diesel mechanic has to be aware of everything from onboard computers to diesel exhaust fluid. According to Emrich, this new complexity is both a boon and a challenge. “Fleets can’t run well without skilled people managing and repairing the onboard systems that are making the industry more competitive. Once, it was a matter of just fixing a brake line or replacing a part; now, technicians have to look at the complete system and how it all interfaces,” he said. “This has created jobs that are not just more demanding, but more satisfying for workers who come to these positions with a willingness to learn and constantly upgrade skills as systems change. The new diesel technician has to be a person who is prepared to evolve with the industry. I think this meshes well with the demands of today’s young person looking to get involved in a meaningful career rather than just a job.” Currently, rates of pay are climbing to match the needs of industry and workers. Organizations such as Manpower suggest the starting wage for a skilled diesel technician is close to $40,000. “We expect rates of pay to climb dramatically over the next 10 years as the industry works to close the trades shortage gap,” said Emrich. “I’ve seen ads offering bonuses for drivers; I think it’s only a matter of time before we start to see companies looking to recruit diesel technicians with incentives.” The bottom line is simple, concludes Emrich. (Continued on next page)

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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FEATURE

“The new diesel technician has to be a person who is prepared to evolve with the industry. I think this meshes well with the demands of today’s young person looking to get involved in a meaningful career rather than just a job.”

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– Chris Emrich, Regional Fleet Services Manager, Southeastern Freight Lines

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“To close this skilled worker gap, the industry must engage with both high schools and trade schools to create more excitement about these great jobs,” he said. “It’s also a matter of accepting change within the transport sector. The truck systems have changed. The new incoming workers have changed. Now, its up to the industry to evolve if we want to remain competitive and get the job done.”

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Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

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CARRIER HIGHLIGHT

Southeast Milk, Inc.

One of the largest fleets in the Southeast, SMI is focusing on safety management, training and driver productivity By Jennifer Paterson

he days of door-to-door milk delivery may be a remnant of the past, the bottled quarts of fresh milk left daily on the doorstep a nostalgia that is passed down anecdotally by parents and grandparents—but dairy cooperatives, complete with their own trucking divisions, are the modern version of this nostalgia, a way to keep that tradition alive on a much larger scale. To ensure that these large-scale cooperatives, such as Southeast Milk, Inc. (SMI), are coordinated and centralized, their trucking divisions must run as smoothly as possible, seamlessly harmonizing safety management and training, as well as the productivity of each individual driver.

Cooperative merger SMI was created Oct. 1, 1998 following the merger of two Florida dairy cooperatives: the Florida Dairy Farmers’ Association (FDFA) and the Tampa Independent Dairy Farmers’ Association

(TIDFA). Although formed by two cooperatives located in Florida, its membership now spans several states throughout the southeast United States. “SMI is a dairy cooperative operating for the benefit of its members,” said Steve Kennedy, SMI’s director of transportation. “Today, it has one of the largest tractor/ tanker fleets in the southeast.” To better serve its membership, the organization also has facilities for milk processing and packaging, the sale of feed and farm supplies and an ultra-filtration plant. With corporate offices based in Belleview, Fla., its day-to-day operations are the responsibility of a management team with oversight by the board of directors, which is made up of member farmers.

The management team is led by Paul Bikowitz, chief executive officer, and Albert Antoine, chief financial officer. Kennedy oversees the trucking division, which has terminals in Florida and Georgia. The company owns Walker Food Grade Sanitary Tankers and operates leased Freightliner tractors. SMI became a member of the Florida Trucking Association due to the organization’s re-focus on fleet management, as well as safety management training and education, something that SMI takes very seriously.

Safety management The SMI trucking division uses a safety management approach that is focused on the enforcement of Department of

“Enforcing safety management depends on regular auditing of driving skills, logs, quality milk handling and sampling, tractor and tanker maintenance inspections, pre- and posttrip inspections and documentation.”

DUDAREV MIKHAIL / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

– Steve Kennedy, Southeast Milk, Inc.

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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CARRIER HIGHLIGHT

The company’s field management team is required to discuss each exception with every driver, and its safety management team is required to provide remedial training for every particular exception. Any repeat offenses are subSoutheast Milk, Inc.’s latest Walker tanker purchase. ject to higher corrective action. SMI also has online safety training, Transportation (DOT) and company safewith testing that requires a passing score ty programs, as well as food quality reof 90 percent in order for the driver to be quirements as dictated by the Pasteurized certified. Any driver who is written up Milk Ordinance (PMO). for exceptions as a result of poor driving As such, the approach covers quite a lot skills, hours-of-service (HOS) violations, of factors. failure to complete a pre- or post-trip in“Enforcing safety management despection, poor documentation or unsafe pends on regular auditing of driving skills, practices must undertake remedial trainlogs, quality milk handling and sampling, ing, as provided by SMI. tractor and tanker maintenance inspec“Drivers are also randomly audited tions, pre- and post-trip inspections, and for proper certifications, driving skills, documentation,” said Kennedy.

pre- and post-inspection practices, documentation and following proper milk pick-up procedures,” said Kennedy. There is a safety bonus available for any driver who has six months of accident/ incident-free driving. In addition, SMI has created a “productivity model” that measures the amount of time each driver takes at each farm or plant. It compares and ranks drivers to one another, using a scorecard. Going forward, the organization’s primary safety goal is to have the highest number of miles-between-crashes compared to the larger carriers in Florida. “We arrive at this statistic by dividing the number of total carrier miles per year by the number of recordable crashes for that year,” said Kennedy. “We use the CSA data to grade our system with regards to DOT standards, and to help us to achieve a higher [level of] miles-between-crashes. However, the miles-between-crashes are the most important safety measure we use internally at SMI; higher milesbetween-crashes usually translate to lower risk expense, and lower miles-between-crashes usually translate to higher risk expense.”

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Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

SAFETY

Legal Truck Parking: What’s the Plan?

A review of Florida’s truck parking issue, and what the state is doing to fix it By Jess Campbell

DAVID GAYLOR / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

hen a person gets into their vehicle to begin a long journey, whether for work or for play, they usually have a plan. They know how they’ll get from Point A to Point B, how much fuel they’ll likely use, how fast they’ll go and where they’ll stop to rest. As much as recreational driving needs a plan, knowing exactly how you’ll get down the road is also very important to those who drive for a living. Year after year, an increasing number of truck drivers are hitting the road in freight trucks as the main means of delivering goods all across America. In Florida, where there are planes, trains, trucks and ships to move goods, trucks are the number one mover of goods, transporting about 75 percent of total freight per year. This means thousands of trucks and drivers are on the road every day, at all hours, trying their best to get their job done as safely and efficiently as possible. In order to accomplish this, a plan is of the utmost importance. Part of a truck driver’s plan is when and where to rest. And it’s this part of the plan that is causing many headaches and wreaking much havoc on the industry, both in the state of Florida and across the United States.

A major problem years in the making There is an acute lack of legal parking and rest areas available to freight truck drivers across Florida. This is, sadly, not a new issue. Transportation departments at both the state and federal

levels have been tracking truck parking problems since the early to mid-1990s. The parking complication has kept increasing due to the combination of three specific aspects: more trucks on the road, tighter delivery schedules and federally regulated limits on allowed hours of service and driving. But with all factors considered, truck drivers are continually faced with a decision during each shift they work: do they park illegally to get the rest the law says they must get, or do they keep driving while tired in hopes of finding a legal place to park?

Change is coming, slow but steady Anyone familiar with this problem knows that there are many factors to consider, so it may not necessarily be as easy as finding one overall solution. To make big changes in any industry is difficult enough, but it becomes even more complicated when both state and federal legislation are involved. The truck parking issue in Florida is no different, and the solution that actually works toward solving it will not come at the snap of one person’s fingers. But know this: Florida state officials are first to acknowledge the issue, and they understand the urgency and necessity in developing solutions that work for everyone involved, at all levels. “In Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recognizes freight is vital to the economy, and will continue to explore options—including partnering with the private FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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SAFETY

Drowsy = Dangerous According to the UCLA Sleep Disorders Centre, the effects of drowsy driving are frighteningly similar to the effects of drunk driving, and maybe even worse. A drunk driver has slower reactions, whereas a drowsy driver may have none, having fallen into a “micro sleep” and not being able to brake or swerve at all to avoid an accident. HENRYK SADURA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

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SAFETY

sector—to work to address the needs of parking, including trucking,” said FDOT public information officer, Steve Olson. Case in point is their most recent initiative to combat Florida’s lack of truck parking: a Truck Parking Availability System. “The goal of this project is to provide real-time information about commercial vehicle parking availability to dispatchers and commercial vehicle drivers to allow for educated decisions to be made about parking at rest areas and weigh stations,” said Olson. The good news is that similar initiatives are happening in other parts of the country and seeing good results, such as the system that’s currently being tested by the Michigan Department of Transportation. Testing is taking place on Interstate 94, one of the state’s busiest corridors, and results thus far are definitely promising. The idea for collecting real-time data involves counting trucks that are entering and leaving parking facilities on 94 using in-ground sensors. Data on parking availability is sent electronically to servers and then broadcasted out to Michigan’s Statewide Transportation Operations Centre, giving real-time information to dispatchers and drivers via a website and smartphone app. With these exciting results, there’s no reason to think something like this would not work just as well in Florida. A second initiative that the state of Florida is backing concerns updating existing rest areas and, in some cases, building new ones. Proof that making changes means working through many, sometimes unexpected, situations, Olson explains how

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the planned renovation of two rest areas along I-4 in Orlando turned instead into an ongoing relocation project. “The rest areas, located on the westbound side of Interstate 4 in Longwood and on the eastbound side near Lake Mary, were slated to undergo extensive renovation,” he said. “They are of an older design [and] parking as well as other facilities required updating. As the design process moved along, it became evident that the area around the rest areas had become more residential, and a decision—with local and trucking industry input—was made to move both rest areas to another location within 10 years. The current facilities will remain in use until the new facilities are built.”

Moving safely forward Getting from Point A to Point B isn’t as easy as driving in a straight line. With the trucking industry being the top mover of goods in the state of Florida, state officials must continue to address the lack of legal truck parking with urgency, working with industry officials to ensure the advancement of workable solutions. Promising projects like the Truck Parking Availability System, renovating existing parking facilities and building new ones are all strong steps in right direction. Although the industry is currently facing a driver shortage, it does not change the fact that more and more trucks will be on the road in the coming years. And so, just like recreational drivers need safe places to take a break, the need for adequate, safe, legal places for Florida’s truck drivers to stop and rest continues to be absolutely paramount.

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Cargo Theft by the Numbers More of a problem than you might think, cargo theft is moving up on the list of important things for our industry— and on law enforcement, regulatory, elected officials’ radar By Tisha Crews Keller, Florida Trucking Association

Much of the nation’s cargo theft occurs in Florida

The not-so-sweet spot In law enforcement circles—especially those dealing specifically with major crimes and cargo theft—South Florida is known as the destination for much of the stolen cargo nationwide. Referred to sarcastically as “our friends in South Florida,” the cargo theft rings in Miami-Dade are notorious for being nimble, savvy and sophisticated. There are several factors that contribute to making Florida a unique sweet spot for cargo theft. The crime is largely conducted by ethnic groups, including Cuban and Eastern European rings, which have large populations in the south part of our state. The Port of Miami makes offloading freight from a stolen trailer to a shipping container bound for South America very convenient. In fact, Willie Morales, a veteran of the old TOMCATS cargo theft task force, reports that stolen cargo is sold in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic. GPS jamming technology that blocks the signal from anything transmitting a location—such as cell phones, tracking devices, electronic onboard recorders, etc., is a federal crime but not a crime at the state level. This makes prosecuting such use very difficult, and therefore very rare. In addition, while Florida has a great cargo theft law—one of the first and most comprehensive in the nation—it doesn’t have big teeth. Other states such as Georgia and Texas have gone beyond Florida’s inclusive definition law and added specific penalties for conviction, including fines and minimum mandatory sentencing guidelines.

Asking for change In recent years, budget cuts and priority shifts have weakened the cargo theft “net” statewide. The Florida Highway Patrol still heads up the statewide Florida Cargo Theft Task Force, but it’s not as strong as it once was. With changes in technology and everincreasing caseloads, cargo theft has simply fallen lower and lower on law enforcement priority lists. Add to that a general lack of understanding by prosecutors on the scope of the problem, as well as the trucking industry’s

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

ILLUSTRATION: FLORIDA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

ere’s the bad news: cargo theft is easy to commit and hard to prosecute. Oftentimes viewed as property crime, cargo theft isn’t taken seriously, a contributing factor in a very complex issue. This viewpoint fails to take into account the true (and often hidden) costs of the crime for the trucking industry and Florida’s economy, including loss of contracts, insurance rates and deductibles, delayed delivery times, equipment replacement costs, value of tracking devices compromised, reduced freight capacity and more. Here’s the good news: interest in the economic impact of cargo theft—not just to trucking companies, but also to retailers, manufacturers and consumers—is rising. The Florida Trucking Association (FTA) is working hard to bring awareness of this issue to our elected, law enforcement and regulatory officials. However, the trucking industry itself needs to understand—and help mitigate—these thefts before they happen. According to CargoNet, in just the first two quarters of 2015, there were 424 reported thefts nationwide. Generally, Florida is among the top five states for cargo theft by any measurement. Reliable statistics in Florida are hard to come by, for a couple of reasons. First, companies don’t like to report cargo theft. Oftentimes, they will opt to just take the loss. Second, crime reporting and coding across Florida’s local jurisdictions varies greatly—making it hard to get a solid number on the quantity and impact of the crime. The bottom line is this: cargo theft is greatly underreported/quantified in this state. Conservatively, here are some numbers: • In 2014, FreightWatch counted 169 cargo thefts in Florida, with an average value per theft at $343,609. This ranks Florida as the #1 state nationally in cargo theft. That’s an impact of over $58 million taken out of Florida’s trucking industry. • In 2015, FreightWatch had 87 cargo theft incidents in the first two quarters of 2015 alone—putting us at #2 in the nation by mid-year. • According to CargoNet, food and beverage items were the most targeted commodity in Florida from 2013-2015. The value of this stolen cargo exceeds $5.5 million. • Electronics are the second-most targeted commodity and the most expensive in Florida. More than $21.8 million in electronics was stolen since 2013; $15 million in a single incident in 2014. • Miami-Dade County outpaces every other county in Florida in terms of theft. In 2013, the county had 63 percent of the cargo loss by county. • Each year, more than half of cargo thefts in Florida involve the tractor and the trailer, significantly increasing the total cost impact. In some states, theft of just trailers and cargo is much more common.

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INDUSTRY ISSUE

reluctance to admit thefts are happening—and report them right away—and a recipe for disaster unfolds. In mid-to-late 2014, FTA staff recognized the need for increased support of cargo theft mitigation in the state. Immediately, we went to work with law enforcement, FDOT, the insurance industry and other cargo theft experts to identify what changes could be made to reduce this crime. We held a Cargo Theft Summit in June 2015 and a Cargo Theft Legislative Workshop in late September. From these activities, we learned what will accomplish our end game and result in tougher penalties, fewer thefts and, ultimately, recovery of property and vehicles. We identified several key priority areas and how to address them in 2016: 1. Get a GPS jammer law on the books in Florida, through enhancements and definitions in the current Florida state statute 812 (Theft). This is a key part of our 2016 session lobbying efforts. 2. Introduce a penalty for false reporting of cargo theft—to reduce the “bad actors” who are out for insurance money alone—through amendments to the same statute. 3. Educate key groups on how to report, code and prosecute cargo theft, including law enforcement and prosecutors. To accomplish this, we will work with the various agencies and law enforcement associations statewide. 4. Increase the graduated penalty for CDL suspension/revocation for the first convicted offense involving cargo theft and grand theft. This requires making Florida law more stringent than the federal CDL language currently provides.

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5. C onstruct linkages between existing databases for information that can assist law enforcement in identifying and tracking down stolen loads. Through the FDOT CVISN federal grant, this is already underway. 6. Educate and encourage the trucking industry to follow proper common-sense guidelines for securing freight, and encourage companies to promptly report cargo theft to the local jurisdiction and to the Electronic Freight Theft Management System, which pushes the information out immediately to 300,000 law enforcement personnel nationwide. To this end, we are developing materials and educational sessions for our carrier members designed to teach you the best practices and dispel myths about the effects of reporting losses to law enforcement and insurance companies. The bottom line: you must report, and every hour you wait, your stolen equipment is 70 miles further down the road. Organized groups bring lots of intelligence to the crime, including studying industry protocols and surveilling the patterns of companies. These professionals stay in hotels and even drive or fly to their intended pickup location. Cargo theft is a sophisticated crime, and combating it requires diligence and preparation. Be on the lookout for information from FTA about how you can prepare and protect your company from cargo thieves and also how you can support our efforts to tighten the information and enforcement net to catch these criminals. It will take all of us, but as Florida is the destination for many stolen loads, the nation’s eyes are on us to lead the way to a solution.

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Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

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FALL ROUND-UP

2015 FTA

Fall Round-Up

he 2015 FTA Fall Round-Up at Daytona Beach, which took place on October 15, included the 2015 Educational Institute and the FTA Celebrity Roast ’n’ Toast of Keith Walpole, presented by Kenworth. All events were a great success, and we raised $28,000 overall for FTA programs. Thank you so much to all of our event and table sponsors! The Educational Institute, sponsored by JJ Keller, Vertical Alliance Group, Subrogation Division and Premier Beverage, featured 16 mix-and-match sessions along four tracks: Safety, Maintenance, Regulatory and a new Small Business track focusing on the unique challenges of smaller companies. Sessions were well attended and very informative. During the lunch period, attendees got a sneak peek at the Ocean Center, where the 2016 Florida TDC will take place.

FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

5/28/2015 9:47:52 AM

NEW MEMBERS

New Members

Below is a list of new members that joined between August 16 and November 13, 2015. FTA welcomes everyone on the list! Carrier Companies

ATG Transportation, LLC – Winter Haven, Fla. Bulldog Hiway Express – Charleston, S.C. Green Acre Transport, LLC – Sumterville, Fla. Kauff’s Transportation Systems – West Palm Beach, Fla. Pollywog Transport, Inc. – Palmetto, Fla. Southeast Milk, Inc. – Belleview, Fla. Southern Precast Haulers, Inc. – Alturas, Fla.

Supplier Companies

AG2H – Coral Gables, Fla. Citgo Petroleum Corporation – Parrish, Fla. Diamond Motors Trailer Sales, Inc. – Greenville, S.C. Drivewyze – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Insurance Office of America – Longwood, Fla. Interstate Transport, Inc. – St. Petersburg, Fla. Kelley Kronenberg – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Love’s Travel Stops – Oklahoma City, Ok. Lykes Insurance, Inc. – Tampa, Fla. Open Road Drivers Plan – Overland Park, Kan. Orlando Tax Master, Inc. – Orlando, Fla.

Performance Peterbilt of Tallahassee, LLC – Glade Spring, Va. SmartTruck – Greenville, S.C. The Campbell Group – Largo, Fla. United Efficiency – Mount Dora, Fla. WABCO – Riverview, Fla. Yokohama Tire Corporation – Santa Ana, Calif.

New Council Members 2.0 Jonathan Fleming, ATG Transportation, LLC – Winter Haven, Fla. Nicholas Latour, Kelley Kronenberg – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Scott Lingenfelter, Comcar Industries, Inc. – Auburndale, Fla. Steve Loftus, Roadmaster Drivers School – St. Petersburg, Fla. Keith Tanner, Insurance Office of America – Longwood, Fla.

Safety Management Council Tim Duncan, Burris Logistics – Orlando, Fla.

Emily Janney, Burris Refrigerated Logistics – Orlando, Fla. Scott Lingenfelter, Comcar Industries, Inc. – Auburndale, Fla. Bob Lowe, Caspers Distribution – Tampa, Fla. Nick McKee, United Efficiency – Mount Dora, Fla. Javier Perez, Orlando Tax Master, Inc. – Orlando, Fla. Joshua Polsky, Kubicki Draper – Tampa, Fla. Janiska Segarra, Orlando Tax Master, Inc. – Orlando, Fla. Stanley Van Meter, United Efficiency – Mount Dora, Fla. Bryan Wood, Ring Power – St. Augustine, Fla.

Technology & Maintenance Council Peter Barber, Kenworth of South Florida – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tim Duncan, Burris Logistics – Orlando, Fla. Scott Lingenfelter, Comcar Industries, Inc. – Auburndale, Fla. Raquel Mercado, Orlando Tax Master, Inc. – Orlando, Fla. Javier Perez, Orlando Tax Master, Inc. – Orlando, Fla.

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FLTrucking.org | Q4 2015 | Florida Truck News

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Q&A

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

Getting to know Travis Strickler, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers At Work

At Home Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin College: Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) First car: 1986 Honda Prelude Favorite color: Blue Favorite movie: Tin Cup Favorite vacation spot: Gatlinburg, Tennessee Do you have children? One boy (Four months old) Apple or Android? Apple What is the last thing you Googled? “How many X-Men movies are there?” Which reality show would you choose to be on? The Big Break (Golf Channel) Who – living or deceased – would you most like to meet? Brett Favre (Packers quarterback) What super power would you want to have? Fly like Superman What is the last movie you saw in theaters? The Avengers Where is the farthest you’ve been away from home? Dryden, Ontario If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mabe’s Pizza (Decorah, Iowa)

Current title: Territory sales support Why did you get into trucking? Ritchie Bros. has long been known for selling heavy construction equipment. However, there is a lot of crossover between trucks and equipment. Ritchie Bros. is not just a great place to buy and sell construction equipment, but it’s a great place to buy and sell trucks and trailers as well. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Make sure to give everyone credit that participates on a project. What is your personal business philosophy? Do what is right. When and how was your company started? Ritchie Bros. was started as a used furniture company in Kelowna, British Columbia in 1958. The company hosted an auction to cover a bank note that was called. Once recognizing the success of the unreserved auction model, we hosted the first industrial auction in 1968 and have become the world’s largest auctioneer of used equipment. What are the challenges facing your company today? Engine emission standards What is the biggest challenge currently facing the trucking industry as a whole? The biggest challenges facing the trucking industry are the driver shortage and perception people have of the trucking industry. What improvements have you seen in the industry? The introduction of trucks with automatic transmission has opened up the industry to many more potential drivers. Where do you see future growth in the industry? As we continue to see the use of more “lien” and “just in time processes” I think we will see additional growth in the Less Than Truck Load (LTL) business. What are the greatest benefits to FTA membership? The biggest benefit is to be able to meet with transportation companies during events like the annual FTA conference.

www.rbauction.com 28

Florida Truck News | Q4 2015 | FLTrucking.org

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