Quarter 4 ■ 2016
The Official Publication of the Florida Trucking Association, Inc.
RIDING INTO THE
FUTURE Sen. Jeff Brandes talks autonomous vehicle technology
ALSO INSIDE »» FTA’s Key Relationships »» Emissions: Impending Regulatory Changes »» Top 2016 Industry Concerns
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FEATURES Riding into the Future
Autonomous vehicles are already among us. Will the trucking industry adopt this technology and be the first to cruise into the next century? Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes weighs in.
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Industry Intersections
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A Landstar Hero
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Relationships are key to FTA’s membership value
Greg Moore saves a motorist’s life
Volume 69, Issue 4 Q4 2016
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Regular Sections Message from the President and CEO Board of Directors and Committees Good News New FTA Members FTA Event Wrap-Ups FTA’s 2017 Calendar of Events
Articles TECHNOLOGY
Emissions
Context for impending regulatory changes
Industry Concerns
Electronic logging device mandate tops the list of concerns in ATRI’s annual trucking industry survey
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MANAGEMENT
What the Next President Should Know About Trucking Members of the industry speak out
COVER PHOTO: PHOTO BY EDWARD LINSMIER PHOTOGRAPHY TOP PHOTO: PETER TITMUSS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
SAFETY
ON THE COVER On Oct. 20, 2016, the firstever commercial delivery using an autonomous vehicle was completed in Colorado. Driverless cars have been on the road for some time now. Is the trucking industry ready to embrace autonomous vehicle technology? According to Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes, not quite yet. Read his interview, starting on page 12.
Quarter 4 ■ 2016
The Official Publication of the Florida Trucking Association, Inc.
RIDING INTO THE
FUTURE Sen. Jeff Brandes talks autonomous vehicle technology
ALSO INSIDE » FTA’s Key Relationships » Emissions: Impending Regulatory Changes
Publications Mail Agreement #40606022
25
» Top 2016 Industry Concerns
FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
1
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FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
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KENNETH S. ARMSTRONG, PH.D. PRESIDENT AND CEO, FLORIDA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 69, NUMBER 4 • Q4 2016 Published for:
President and CEO, Kenneth S. Armstrong ken@FLTrucking.org Vice-President, Tisha Keller tisha@FLTrucking.org Director of Operations, Angela Cundiff angela@FLTrucking.org Executive Assistant, Dot Butler dot@FLTrucking.org Coordinator of Special Projects, Ben Schultz ben@FLTrucking.org Social Media Manager, Marcela Romero marcela@FLTrucking.org Graduate Assistant, Kevin Tan kevin@FLTrucking.org Published by:
140 Broadway, 46th Floor New York, NY 10005 Toll-free: 866-953-2189 Toll-free Fax: 877-565-8557 www.lesterpublications.com President, Jeff Lester Publisher, Jill Harris EDITORIAL Editor, Andrew Harris ADVERTISING Walter Lytwyn Louise Peterson Brian Saunders DESIGN & LAYOUT Art Director, Myles O’Reilly Sr. Graphic Designer, John Lyttle DIGITAL Digital Media Manager, Gayl Punzalan Social Media Coordinator, Jenina Bondoc © 2016 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. 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.
The Road to 500 FTA’s newest initiative
A
ll FTA wants for Christmas is…100 new members! Earlier this year, the FTA Board of Directors endorsed a “Drive for 5.” That is our new goal: reaching 500 members by the 2017 Annual Conference. We need all hands on deck in order to reach that objective. You are our “best friend” in accomplishing it. I believe there is a certain magic in that 500 number. When I was delivering a check from our PAC to Senate candidate Kathleen Passidomo, it would have sounded so much better to say, “Our 500-plus members want to support you” rather than, “our membership is pushing 400.” When we ask a potential keynote speaker to fly in for our Annual Conference, doesn’t being able to say our membership exceeds 500 carry a lot more weight than saying we have almost 400 members? When proposing to a potential partner or sponsor that FTA is worthy of them doing something special, having that “500 member” number to casually toss into the conversation creates an impact. Multiply the critical mass of being able to say “500” versus any smaller number
when we are negotiating, lobbying, persuading and inviting, and you see the power of the Drive for 5. The reason we need your help is that the big number doesn’t just add value for FTA. You have heard me suggest a dozen times that the value of an association is its voice. Our influence is directly related to the size of our voice. And that means that YOUR best interests are directly served by FTA having the biggest voice possible. Please mention FTA membership to companies you know—suppliers and especially carriers. I will personally help you recruit that company into FTA. What a great Christmas present for all of us!
Having that “500 member” number to casually toss into the conversation creates an impact.
FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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BJARNE HENNING KVAALE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
350 East College Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32301-1565 www.FLTrucking.org
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DIRECTORS & COMMITTEES
2016-17 Councils and Committees 2016-17 FTA Board of Directors Jeffrey Day, Publix Super Markets—Chair Rob Sandlin, Florida Rock & Tank Lines—First Vice-Chair Jeff Marple, Southeast Independent Delivery Service —Second Vice-Chair Denis Ross, Kenworth of Jacksonville—Immediate Past Chair Terry Borglund, Fleetwing—Treasurer Carlos Currlin, Rechtien International—Secretary Rob Carryl, Reliance Supply—Past Chair Doc Hyder, Rowland Transportation—Past Chair
John McTyre, Sr., Unified Logistics—Past Chair Scott Perry, Ryder System Kurt Vest, HELP/PrePass Keith Walpole, Walpole Kirk Williams, Proficient Auto Transport—ATA Vice-President Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines—2.0 Chair Chris Emrich, Southeastern Freight Lines—TMC Chair Tracy Linhart, Breakthru Beverage Company Florida—SMC Chair Mark Shallar, MPS Transportation—Road Team Chair Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group—Member Recruitment Chair Terry Dicks, CDT—PAC Chair
2016-17 Safety Management Council
2016-17 2.0 Steering Committee
Tracy Linhart, Breakthru Beverage Company Florida—Chair Bill Roy, Walmart Transportation—First Vice-Chair Larry Hicks, Publix Super Markets—Second Vice-Chair Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers—Treasurer Ray Lloyd, McTyre Trucking—Secretary Jared Fritts, Landstar Transportation System—Immediate Past Chair Jim Anderson, Florida Rock & Tank Lines—Awards Vice-Chair Scott Reagan, Centurion Auto Logistics—TDC (Vice) Chair Jeff Stamm, Rowland Transportation—Education Vice-Chair
Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines—Chair Stephanie Paysse, Signature Financial—Service Vice-Chair Andy Rechtien, Rechtien International Rachel Walpole, Walpole, Inc. Jake Severit, Publix Super Markets Brett Catto, Tom Nehl Truck Company Matt Penland, Cypress Truck Lines/Sunbelt Ryan Walpole, Walpole Leasing Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers Todd Brown, Nextran Truck Centers Kayla Thomas, Davis Express Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group Kelli Horton, Sun State International
2015-17 Technology & Maintenance Council Chris Emrich, Southeastern Freight Lines—Chair Jeff Hile, Saddle Creek Transportation—Vice-Chair Bob Thomas, Nextran Truck Center—Immediate Past Chair Tom Jones, Publix Super Markets—Training Vice-Chair Jeff Day, Publix Super Markets—SuperTech Co-Vice-Chair Shelley Conklin, Landstar—SuperTech Co-Vice-Chair
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
2016-17 Membership Recruitment Committee Brad Pruitt, Vertical Alliance Group—Chair Phares Acuff, Florida Utility Trailers Shannon Bolan, TransForce Rob Carryl, Reliance Supply John DeMarco, Palm Peterbilt Truck Centers Jared Dusharm, Armellini Express Lines Edward Heil, J.J. Keller & Associates Richard Kurtz, PeopleNet Johnny McTyre, McTyre Trucking Jake Severit, Publix Super Markets J.W. Taylor, Taylor & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.L. Bob Thomas, Nextran Truck Centers Cary Watkins, Nextran Truck Centers
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GOOD NEWS
TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD! Achievements, milestones and other reasons to celebrate those in Florida’s trucking industry » Landstar’s newest class of Million Mile Safe Drivers There are 131 business capacity owners (BCOs) celebrating their induction to the newest class of Landstar’s Million Mile Safe Drivers. The Class of 2015 members are now among the over 900 owner-operators who make up Landstar’s elite one-, two-, three- and fourMillion Mile Safe Drivers. During Landstar’s 2016 AllStar Celebration in Orlando, 122 owner operators were inducted as One-Million Mile Safe Drivers, eight as TwoMillion Mile Safe Drivers and one achieved Three-Million Mile Safe Driver status. Becoming a “Million Miler” is no easy task. Driving one million miles would take the average driver almost two years, driving 24 hours a day, seven days a week at a constant 60 miles per hour.
Landstar Million Milers put safety above all else, and their stellar safety records prove it; they continuously do the right thing behind the wheel and share the Landstar safety-first culture. Collectively, this year’s new inductees have driven well over 131 million miles! That’s equivalent to driving the earth’s circumference of 24,902 miles more than 5,260 times.
» Trucking companies expand driver training with NextGen NextGen Driver Training has signed on five new customers this month, providing state-ofthe-art simulation training for truck drivers to help reduce risk, improve performance and increase fuel efficiency. New Florida customers include Raven Transportation,
NextGen Driver Training uses state-of-the-art simulation training for truck drivers
KeHe Distributors, Vermeer Southeast and Grimes Trucking Company. “We know time is money in the trucking industry, so we bring our training and evaluation services to the customer,” said Jim Dattilo, NextGen sales director. “We use a Virage 600M simulator that we transport to the customer’s location, so there is no time or expense in traveling.”
» JAX LNG executes engineering contracts to begin construction of Jacksonville LNG Facility
Landstar’s newest class of Million Mile Safe Drivers
JAX LNG, a joint venture formed by Pivotal LNG and Northstar Midstream, executed the contracts to begin the construction of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility in
Jacksonville. This facility will supply north Florida with clean, domestically sourced LNG for on-highway, marine and rail transportation. The facility is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2017. The new facility will be outfitted with a two-million-gallon storage tank and have the capacity to produce more than 120,000 gallons of LNG per day.
» SmartDrive debuts SmartIQ Beat—a transportation industry insights and trends blog SmartDrive Systems, a leader in driving performance solutions that reduce collisions and improve fuel efficiency, recently debuted SmartIQ Beat, a blog focusing on a range of transportation industry insights and trends from safety and operations FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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GOOD NEWS to technology and regulatory compliance, from a unique, analytics-oriented viewpoint. SmartIQ Beat Snapshots provide in-depth analysis and metrics of top fleet performance trends based on SmartDrive’s database of over 140 million analyzed and scored driving events. The inaugural SmartIQ Beat Snapshot examines one of the major cost drivers for fleets today: collisions. » Three Landstar BCOs named Citizen Drivers of the Year When TravelCenters of America announced its 2016 Citizen Drivers of the
Year, three Landstar BCOs received the life-changing news that they would be honored among eight other professional drivers. The Citizen Drivers honor recognizes professional truck drivers who earn public respect for the industry through their good citizenship, safety, community involvement and leadership. Landstar BCO Bill Ater and team drivers Bill and Robyn Taylor received this year’s honor from TravelCenters of America. Ater and the Taylors not only match the criteria for becoming Citizen Drivers, but they are also the very definition of outstanding
Landstar BCOs, professional drivers and model citizens. Ater leased on to Landstar in 2003. The Taylors leased on to Landstar in 2013.
» TransForce acquires Canadian operations of K.A.S. Staffing Services TransForce, Inc., North America’s leading staffing firm specializing in quality commercial truck drivers, has acquired the assets of K.A.S. Personnel Services (KAS). KAS is a leading provider of high-quality commercial truck drivers and other transportation personnel based in Mississauga, Ont. KAS has been serving the transportation industry for almost 30 years in the Ontario market. While this is TransForce’s sixth acquisition in the last 36 months, it is the first international acquisition.
» Driver York wins television
Bill Ater
Service Trucking had numerous draws throughout “Driver Appreciation Week.” Every driver at the company received a goodie bag along with prizes and lunch. Gerould York was the grand prize winner, taking home a 48-inch flat screen TV.
» Bestpass creates two new departments to better serve expanding customer base Bestpass, Inc., a company that provides single-source payment and streamlined toll management services to commercial fleets, has launched two new departments—a dedicated Owner-Operator Customer Service team and a Fulfillment Center—to provide more efficient and cost-effective service to its expanding customer base, which currently exceeds 3,500 accounts with more than 240,000 active transponders.
» Landstar BCO receives Lifetime Achievement Award Landstar BCO, Roadstar and Three-Million Mile Safe Driver Fred Durbin can add a new title to his list of accolades— Landstar BCO Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. While the owner-operator is no stranger to being acknowledged for his safe driving and professionalism behind the wheel, he was surprised to receive the award. The honor is kept a secret until it’s revealed each year during Landstar’s All-Star Celebration.
Robyn and Bill Taylor Continued on page 11
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
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drive for five Earlier this year the FTA Board of Directors endorsed a “Drive for 5.” That is our new goal—reaching 500 members by the 2017 Annual Conference.
Multiply the critical mass of being able to say “500” versus any smaller number when we are negotiating, lobbying, persuading, and inviting, and you see the power of the Drive for 5. Our influence is directly related to the size of our voice. And that means that YOUR best interests are directly served by FTA having the biggest voice possible.
All hands on deck are needed in order to reach that objective. You are our “best friend” in accomplishing it. Learn more at www.FLTrucking.org or call us at (850) 222-9900!
GOOD NEWS
Fred Durbin receives the Landstar BCO Lifetime Achievement Award Durbin leased on with one of the Landstar operating companies in 1978 and over the last 38 years has poured his heart and soul into safe driving as part of the Landstar family. Durbin has received numerous recognitions for his dedication to the industry and to Landstar.
and employees, and have received industry recognition. » Tampa Bay Idealease invests in Tampa-area youth
Tom Garvey’s Tampa Bay Idealease is working with the Boys and Girls Club in the area to help provide afterschool snack packs, activities and other resources for at-risk youth in the To be considered for this community. Their work began award, nominees must be an active or retired Landstar BCO last Christmas with a toy drive from the Tampa Bay who has or was leased on to Idealease staff and continues Landstar for 20 consecutive throughout the year. With years. Nominees must also this important work, children have earned Two-Million and teens of all ages are Miler status and have been exposed to life planning named a Landstar Roadstar. coaching, career options Nominees for the Lifetime (like the trucking industry) Achievement Award have also and education resources that demonstrated professionalism otherwise would not likely throughout their careers be available to them. Garvey by developing positive encourages all companies interactions with regulatory to get involved in their and enforcement personnel, communities for a mutually Landstar customers, agents beneficial partnership.
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https://goo.gl/mY5aCz FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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C O V E R S T O RY
RIDING INTO THE FUTURE
Autonomous vehicles are already among us. Will the trucking industry adopt this technology and be the first to cruise into the next century? Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes weighs in. By Jess Campbell
I
t’s happening. On October 20, 2016, truck technology company Otto made history. For the first time ever, they completed a commercial delivery using an autonomous vehicle (AV). The product was over 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer, and the route was Interstate 25 from Fort Collins, through Denver and to Colorado Springs, Colo. For much of the two-hour delivery, there was no human driver in the driver’s seat; once on the interstate, driver Walter Martin unbuckled his seatbelt and moved into the back of the cab. On the YouTube video of the delivery, viewers can see Martin casually reading a magazine while occasionally looking up through the windshield and glancing at the wheel and monitors whirring away on the truck’s dashboard throughout the trip. But for the most part, he was a passenger. Although it may seem rather sudden, this technology has been coming for a long time. Google cars—used for mapping and creating Google Maps—are already completely driverless, to the point where they do not incorporate pedals or a steering wheel in their design. Are trucks at this point in their driverless evolution? As Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes likes to say, not yet. When Senator Brandes first rode in a driverless car, he was behind the wheel on the interstate outside Tallahassee. “It was back in 2012 with Google’s self driving car, the early Toyota Prius that was essentially technology bolted clandestinely to the side of it,” he said. “The interesting thing, though, is how uninteresting driving in a self-driving car is after awhile. It’s like sitting in the cockpit of a plane on autopilot. There’s just not a lot for you to do.” It was very early on that Senator Brandes became a proponent of this technology. But it wasn’t just because of his memorable ride in an early AV prototype. “The number one merit of this technology is the safety aspect. Ninety-five percent of accidents are caused by human error; in
trucking, it’s 90 percent. There’s no greater way to reduce human error than to remove the human.” Senator Brandes also speaks of AV as the largest fundamental shift in transportation we could experience this century, especially given its enormous ripple effect. “Last century, it was moving from the horse and buggy to the Model T,” he said. “This century, it’s moving from human driven cars to technology driven cars. It will transform our cities. It will make us radically safer and the world we live in radically more efficient. And it will vastly change our quality of life and standard of living.”
AVs in Florida Senator Brandes is part of the team of policymakers that brought forth new legislation in Florida that affects all aspects of transportation and driving. “Legislation for AV testing and operation is now in Florida. Florida law simply says that if you have a driver’s license, you may operate an AV in autonomous mode,” he said. For the trucking industry, however, this is another small step in a series of small steps in the direction of going driverless. Senator Brandes says the definition of the term “autonomous” matters greatly because it can mean different things to different people depending on what level the prospective AV is operating at. “Our definition only covers Level 3 autonomous vehicles and above,” he said. “So, it’s important to understand the difference in the levels of AVs.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), No-Automation (Level 0) is where the driver is in complete and sole control of the primary vehicle controls—brake, steering, throttle and motive power—at all times. Function-specific automation (Level 1) involves one or more specific control functions, e.g., electronic stability control or FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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C O V E R S T O RY
What is Shared Mobility?
You’ve all seen one futuristic movie or another where, at the push of a button, a flying car arrives to whisk its occupant away to their desired location. As it turns out, that concept isn’t far off from becoming reality, says Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes.
CHESKY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
“You essentially have a carpooling service where everyone splits the cost and the technology is routing the vehicle; no one needs to own their own vehicle anymore. You’ll have a car that only goes 35 miles per hour but only operates within your city. You might choose a one-person vehicle or a six-person vehicle. Those will all be available at the touch of a button for people to access. You’ll have a huge variety of fleets, with the automakers rethinking their model and becoming a subscription service. You’ll subscribe to Mercedes or Volvo or Audi to access these AV fleets, and they will be paired with products like ZipCar and Cars2Go.”
pre-charged brakes, where the vehicle automatically assists with braking to enable the driver to regain control of the vehicle or stop faster than possible when acting alone. Combined-function automation (Level 2) involves at least two primary control functions designed to work in unison to relieve the driver of control of those functions, e.g., cruise control combined with lane centering. Limited self-driving automation (Level 3) vehicles enable the driver to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions and, in those conditions, to rely heavily on the vehicle to monitor for changes requiring transition back to driver control. The driver is expected to be available for occasional control, but with sufficiently comfortable transition time, e.g., Google cars. Full self-driving automation (Level 4) vehicles are designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip. It anticipates that the driver will provide destination or navigation input but is not expected to be available for control at any time during the trip. This includes both occupied and unoccupied vehicles. Senator Brandes believes that Level 4 technology isn’t as far off as people may think. As an example, he talks about “yard dogs” at ports: trucks or other vehicles that operate autonomously but do so within a very defined geographic area and are “driven” by a port operations team of traffic controllers (most likely a combination of human and technology). AVs used in this scenario would make sense because their parameters are very much defined; they can only go so far. But does this technology belong on the interstate system of America?
Is it safe? There is much opposition to AV technology. In July 2015, a story about hackers hijacking a Jeep Cherokee made headlines. In 14
Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
a controlled experiment, two researchers remotely disabled the vehicle’s braking system and transmission via a wireless internet connection, eventually putting it into the ditch. There are questions about what might happen if an AV is involved in an accident, a criticism that was heightened last May after a Tesla Model S owner died while his vehicle was in autopilot mode. Reports indicate that both driver and the AV failed to notice a white tractor-trailer crossing the road in front of them, resulting in the vehicle crashing underneath the truck. Concerns arise when talk turns to AVs operating in inclement weather such as heavy rain, snow or fog; how does weather affect its sensors, which the vehicle relies on to stay on the road? Senator Brandes has a standard, yet reassuring answer to these concerns. “We are in the very early stages of this technology,” he said. “With these questions about hacking and inclement weather, etcetera, you must say ‘not yet’ because we’re just not there yet. For the most part, every time you get into an airplane, it’s flying on autopilot. That will become our experience on the ground as well. But today, planes could be hacked. Yet we have found ways to mitigate or deter that. That same idea will be applied in autonomous vehicles as the technology continues to improve.”
Future driving Senator Brandes believes in the future of autonomous vehicles and that we will witness a transition from human-driven to technologydriven vehicles very quickly (as compared to how long it took to go from horse and buggy to the Model T). Even though many are still unsure of driverless vehicles, he doesn’t think it will take long for either the trucking industry or the public to get on board once the benefits of this technology have been fully recognized. “People want to do things other than drive,” he said. “They want to watch movies, read, stay connected with family and friends.
C O V E R S T O RY
“You have to understand that the traditional truck manufacturers are going to be disrupted, much like the traditional auto manufacturers were disrupted by Tesla.” – Senator Jeff Brandes
People are already doing these things in cars but with the responsibility of remaining alert and keeping control of the vehicle. If I can show you that allowing this technology will be safer for you; more environmentally friendly because it’s travelling at optimum speed and doesn’t have a lead foot; that the cost of car ownership will come down dramatically as we enter a world of shared mobility… people will see the merits.” For FTA members, Senator Brandes says that it’s a good idea to start educating yourself about the technology and start making smarter investments knowing that the world is going to change in the next few years. “The interesting thing that people need to think about is that this technology, although it is going to happen gradually, is going to be disguised in large part by the need for additional truck drivers in the next five to eight years,” he said. “We’re going to be tens of thousands of truck drivers short. There will be this huge need for traditional trucking services over the next decade but then there will also be this incredible transition in the following decade where the business model completely changes.” The vision that Senator Brandes has doesn’t seem very outrageous even though this technology is still in its infancy. He talks openly about the opportunity for current trucking firms and manufacturers to buy into this technology by either retrofitting their existing fleet as the technology improves and becomes standard, or investing in new trucks as they roll off the line as AVs —and that these types of decision will need to be made to stay competitive in the market. “You have to understand that the traditional truck manufacturers are going to be disrupted, much like the traditional auto manufacturers were disrupted by Tesla,” said Senator Brandes. He also envisions the trucking industry to mirror the shipping industry at first. Whereas ships operate autonomously in open water, trucks will operate autonomously on the open road. But when they get closer to their destination, just as a captain takes over the operation of his ship when entering port, the driver will take over operating the truck. “The truck driver’s job then transitions into more of a safety officer as opposed to an actual driver,” he said. In terms of his role as a policymaker, he sees his position and vision very clearly. “My vision is to ensure that government is not standing in the way of innovation and that we allow the market to adjust while recognizing that there are some real challenges,” he said. “That means job training, transitioning people out of certain careers and into others, knowing that new careers will open up. It’s about making sure that the best ideas come forward.” The future of the trucking industry looks very bright, according to Senator Brandes. AV technology is here; it is happening and it truly is going to change our lives and our industry.
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F E AT U R E
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Intersections Relationships are key to FTA’s membership value By Sarah B. Hood
“We are not facing many ideas about members’ services or dues or benefits that other trucking associations haven’t faced,” he said. FTA also networks with other industries outside the trucking sphere—the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Florida are among the organizations that FTA connects with regularly. “We represent businesses, and businesses have common concerns,” said Armstrong. Workers’ compensation rates, taxation and land use are some of the areas of common interest. Another is Amendment 2—Expand Medical Marijuana, recently approved by citizens. This move towards legalizing medical marijuana has important implications for trucking and many other industries.
FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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LIGHTSPRING / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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hat gives an association value? The name says it all: the power of any association lies in the breadth and strength of the connections it makes within its community. By building vital relationships within the trucking industry, with industry stakeholders and regulators and with other industries, the Florida Trucking Association (FTA) is able to act as a catalyst for initiatives that benefit members and to build the profile of the industry as a whole. “That’s the reason you belong to an association: because you believe that group has enough relationships and the right relationships to make things happen,” said FTA president and CEO, Ken Armstrong. “We are a place where synergies develop, where the conversations and ideas and tools taken altogether become greater than the sum of the individual parts. We can create synergy, because we have the relationships with the different folks who are necessary to make something happen.” At the national level, one of FTA’s most important connections is with American Trucking Associations (ATA). “Fewer than 10 percent of our members are members of the ATA,” said Armstrong. “We are the link between what’s happening in the national level and what’s happening with our companies.” Besides keeping in touch with the ATA directly, FTA has relationships with counterparts in all 49 other states.
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F E AT U R E
Networking at the broadest possible level brings one kind of value to the organization, but FTA also participates in numerous partnerships closer to home in order to help members manage their everyday concerns. “For me, the bottom line is knowing exactly who to call to get my members’ questions answered and building connections that will help us improve trucking’s image overall,” said FTA’s vicepresident, Tisha Keller. Among the local partnerships, “the one we’re best known for is with the Florida Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (FHP CVE),” she said. FTA represents members in matters such as the adoption of federal regulations into state law, but the relationship also takes many other forms. For instance, FHP director, Colonel Gene Spaulding, is a regular speaker at FTA’s annual conference. FHP organizes its Florida Commercial Vehicle Inspectors Challenge as part of the Florida Truck Driving Championships, and state troopers judge the pretrip part of the competition. “We worked with them to get one of their troopers certified by the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI). That’s a trucking industry certification; he may be one of two troopers in the nation who’s certified as a director of safety,” said Keller. FHP and FTA collaborate on public safety education programs in schools and at community events. FTA contributes its Florida Road Team. “We bring a semi and at least one truck driver, and FHP also accompanies us,” said Keller. “Between 8,000 and 10,000 people a year sit in the truck, and they see what the driver can and can’t see. It’s a safety partnership, so that’s enforcement at its best. “They also speak at our educational events. And we’re on a first-name basis with them, so any time a member calls with a question we can’t answer, we know who to ask.” Through the FHP CVE, FTA has more recently become active in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), a North America-wide organization that works to harmonize regulations across borders. “It includes representatives from the federal governments of each of those countries, as well as law enforcement and industry,” said Keller. “We look, for instance, at the new electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs), a new regulation that’s just been passed [and which] begins implementation by December 2017.” EOBRs are also known as electronic logging devices (ELDs). They are more accurate than paper tracking, but to implement them in practice brings up tricky details. Will drivers need to carry paper backup copies for inspections, or will troopers have to enter the trucks to inspect the devices? Either option presents drawbacks. Through discussions held by members of the CVSA, a decision was reached. “The ELD needs to be able to be removed for roadside inspection,” said Keller. “That’s the kind of thing you don’t even think about [on your own].” Keller serves as secretary of the CVSA’s National Subcommittee on Enforcement and Industry Modernization. The organization’s other four committees deal with DriverTraffic Enforcement, Information Systems, Policy and Regulatory Affairs and Vehicles. 18
Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
Another key contact is the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). FTA works with the DHSMV on such areas as the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), the International Registration Plan (IRP) and the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). “They speak at a lot of our educational events, and if somebody has a question about a CDL, we call them,” said Keller. The partnership works both ways; sometimes the DHSMV will ask FTA’s help in disseminating information to members. “We provide education for our members; they provide technical support for our members,” she said. Within the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), FTA works with the scale operations manager to organize voluntary vehicle inspection at least four times each year. FTA works with the Permits Office on certain occasions to distribute information like emergency permits. “We also work with the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN), helping FDOT and their other partners figure out what innovations they’re going to provide funding for,” said Keller. One of the initiatives that came out of CVISN funding was weigh-in-motion instead of static scales. Others include thermal brake scanners and other types of technical innovations for enforcement. When FTA brought forward the problem of truck parking, the electronic truck parking notification system to notify drivers of free spaces along crowded routes was developed. “Eventually, it will be mobile-app based,” she said. CVISN was also the starting point for gaining Port of Entry status for Florida. Besides FDOT, FTA has connections with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). “In the past, we have had them at our events; we’ve helped educate them, and they’ve helped educate our people,” said Keller. FTA brings trucks to Share the Road events, but also carries liaisons on environmental issues and regulations that affect the trucking industry. A different sort of relationship is the one with Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida and their Pinwheels for Prevention campaign, which is designed to increase awareness of child abuse prevention efforts. “We wrapped a trailer from Rowland Transportation for an entire month, and our Road Team drove it around the state; there was a press conference at each stop,” said Keller. “It brought high visibility for Ounce of Prevention. Also, it’s a beautiful, dynamic backdrop for their event. We’re looking to increase the number of events for next year.” This type of community service broadens the reach of FTA; through Zackary Gibson—director and chief child advocate at the Office of Adoption and Child Protection, which lies within the Executive Office of the Governor—FTA has made connections with Florida Governor Rick Scott. “Also, we have our teacher program, the Florida Teachers’ Trucking Tour. We’ve started to develop a relationship with the Florida Department of Education. The goal there is to get teachers state-wide to use trucking facts, images and illustrations in their teaching models, with a long-range goal of improving the image of trucking for future generations,” said Keller. Then there are the one-off opportunities: When Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) needed to move a howitzer from Alabama
F E AT U R E
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“ We can create synergy, because we have the relationships with the folks who are necessary to make something happen.”
ORLA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
– Ken Armstrong, FTA
to Florida, “through our connections with the Road Team, we got UPS to do it for free,” said Keller. “The best way to change the industry’s image—which helps all of us—is for people to see the trucking industry doing good deeds.” For individual members, the best way to take advantage of this powerful network of government, business, educational and community connections is to take an active role in the association and network with other members.
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“Being involved in a committee is the best way to get something out of your membership,” said Keller. To build their own relationships, she adds, companies can call their local FHP district and invite a trooper to meet with drivers or update management on new regulations, or contact FDOT’s local district freight coordinator when they encounter a problem. And in the end, of all the relationships that FTA participates in, says Armstrong, “the most important one is the relationship we have with our individual members.” DO YOU … • Have trucks sitting idle because of a lack of qualified drivers? • Spend too much time and effort searching for qualified drivers? WE OFFER … Customized training for your company needs ... For over 25 years, NBI has been a leader in the trucking industry. We offer a menu of services specifically designed to meet your needs.
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FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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F E AT U R E
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A Landstar Hero Greg Moore saves a motorist’s life
her as fast as I could,” said Moore. The owner-operator says there was fire and smoke coming from underneath the pickup truck. He knew he needed to act fast to get her foot out from under the brake pedal and pull her from the driver’s seat. Moore pulled the 74-year-old woman out of her pick-up just before it burst into flames. Witnesses who saw the accident happen said Moore didn’t leave the woman’s side, staying with her until an ambulance arrived at the scene.
In honor of his heroic actions, Moore received a Platinum Star of Quality, which is awarded in exceptional circumstances and is intended for Landstar’s heroes of the highway who are faced with a life or death situation. Also, Moore was nominated and selected by the Truckload Carrier Association to be a 2016 Highway Angel.
SEVENMAPS7 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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andstar business capacity owner (BCO), Greg Moore, says he didn’t even stop to think when he saw a woman crash her pick-up truck off of Highway 100 in Keystone Heights, Fla.; he just knew there was a life in danger, and nothing else mattered. Moore was on his way home to Moultrie, Ga. after a long haul when he saw the accident happen. “I watched her crash, and I didn’t think twice, I just parked my truck and got to
FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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Emissions
TECHNOLOGY
Context for impending regulatory changes By Charlie Brown, Nextran Corporation
R
educing emissions and fuel economy are currently hot topics in the transportation industry, particularly after the August rollout of the second phase of a joint emission and fuel consumption HeavyDuty National Program—also referred to as Clean Trucks—between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The NHTSA and EPA teamed up in 2010, creating the first phase of the Heavy-Duty National Program specified for model years 2014 to 2018. The recently released Phase 2 regulations specify requirements for model years 2021 to 2027 in semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks.
SYLVIE BOUCHARD / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
History of air pollution control and regulation Many wrongly assume that emissions reduction is a relatively new concept. The first tailpipe emissions standards came about nearly 50 years ago, with the passing of the first major Clean Air Act in 1970, followed by the first fuel economy testing. The Clean Air Act ambitiously called for a 90 percent reduction in emissions by 1975. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars were developed in the mid-1970s in response to the 1973 oil embargo, with the first round of truck standards joining in 1978. In 1985, the EPA set stringent standards for emissions in heavy-duty engines and heavy-duty diesel-powered trucks and buses. The 1990s and early 2000s ushered in a series of regulations and standards that tweaked and tightened existing programs, including banning lead from gasoline by 1996 and the start of regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A national program was established in 2009 to implement growing standards
for both GHG and fuel economy, and the first phase of the NHTSA and EPA’s joint Heavy-Duty National Program took effect in 2012. In 2013, President Obama’s Climate Action Plan called for further emissions reductions from all sectors of the economy. The most recent phase of the HeavyDuty National Program builds on the efficiency requirements and standards that have been in place for model years 2014 to 2018. According to the Department of Transportation, it also incorporates more robust compliance provisions, more stringent diesel engine standards and more leeway for manufacturers to choose their own technology mix, ensuring that technologies are reliable and durable. While developing the standards, the NHTSA and the EPA had more than 400 meetings with stakeholders and worked closely with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop a fully adoptable program. The U.S. Transportation Secretary says that the Phase 2 initiative could save vehicle owners about $170 billion in fuel costs, with a payback of about two years.
economy, among them saving money, reducing oil dependence, increasing energy sustainability and, last but not least, reducing climate change. Over the last decade, as standards and regulations have become central to manufacturing and operations, industry leaders have largely embraced them as opportunities to develop and improve more efficient engines and technology. According to research by the non-profit Diesel Technology Forum,
Responding to the call The transportation sector is the second largest contributor of GHG emissions, with trucking handling nearly three-quarters of all the freight in the country. Fuel remains the largest single industry cost, with transportation accounting for around 77 percent of domestic oil use. The U.S. Department of Energy cites a number of benefits of fuel FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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TECHNOLOGY
more than 37 percent of trucks model years 2007 and later tested near zero for particulate emissions, while 22 percent of model years 2010 and later tested near zero for both particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions. The forum’s policy research found that “approximately one in five heavy-duty vehicles on the road today is powered by an engine that meets or beats the strict model year 2010 standard.” Forty percent of all medium- and heavy-duty powered trucks are equipped with clean diesel engines. Industry leaders largely feel that the standards requirements have been successful. The NHTSA and EPA effort has been praised as the most balanced and harmonious implementation to date, with the second phase of Clean Trucks calling for even greater fuel and emissions reductions, an estimated 25 percent by the year 2027. A purposefully long phasein period and incremental increases should provide adequate compliance time to ensure the long-term success and reliability of additional technology choices and necessities. In addition, the flexibility will help minimize impacts
on the industry, particularly for small businesses.
Manufacturer and customer support With most major manufacturers already meeting or exceeding standards and regulations since the 2010 rollout, the challenge of the Phase 2 restrictions will be the ability to tap into an even more refined level of superior products to further improve efficiency by the specified nine to 23 percent range. The non-profit organization Diesel Technology Forum points to the continued evolution of diesel engines and cites benefits such as the use of advanced cooling systems, improved integration of exhaust emissions control systems and advanced friction reduction measures. Future technologies in engine design also include tweaking such things as fuel control, including changes not just in timing and pressure but also in piston technology, and emphasizing cost-saving measures such as electronic suspension control systems. The continued emphasis on maximum efficiency is certainly a win for customers.
The main question becomes how to move the same amount of weight with less fuel—or how to move more payload with the same amount of fuel. The bottom line for the customer is that more refined engines and machines will result in a superior product either way. Also, with these superior products comes more reliability. From a dealer perspective, technology changes require more training and updating on the part of technicians, which in turn should improve customer relations and partnerships. The resulting longer maintenance intervals and lower overall operational costs bring significant benefit for customers. While regulatory changes bring challenges and adjustments for all involved, the outcome of impending emissions standards changes should benefit the industry and further environmental goals. Charlie Brown is executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nextran Corporation, which provides a network of truck centers throughout the southeast to service and sell major truck brands.
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
Trucking...Safer Every Day
SAFETY
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Industry Concerns Electronic logging device mandate tops the list of concerns in ATRI’s annual trucking industry survey
O
ver the past year, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory actions that have directly and indirectly impacted the trucking industry. In December 2015, Congress passed the long-awaited Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which directed attention and resources to a number of the trucking industry’s top concerns. The FAST Act mandated reform of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, allocated $225 billion over five years to the highway program and established a pilot program for younger veteran drivers, among other items. December 2015 also saw the issuance of FMCSA’s final rule on electronic logging devices (ELDs), which set a timeline of two years for fleets and drivers using paper logs to convert to ELDs for hoursof-service (HOS) tracking. Among its provisions, the rule grandfathers in existing ELDs until at least December 2019, and sets provisions to prevent the harassment of drivers using ELDs. However, concerns exist over the productivity impacts the industry may experience from ELDs, and at least one legal challenge has yet to be settled.
More recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Phase 2 final rule on greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards for mediumand heavy-duty engines and vehicles. And in late August, FMCSA and NHTSA issued the proposed rule on speed limiters for heavy trucks. Combined, these regulatory actions have many in the industry concerned about rising vehicle costs, compliance costs and impacts to the supply chain. In addition to myriad legislative and regulatory changes, issues internal to the industry continue to impact fleet operations. With an aging workforce and lack of new entrants to fill open positions, the industry is still challenged by a growing shortage of commercial drivers and diesel technicians, with no viable solution in sight for addressing the pervasive staffing challenges faced by the trucking industry. Given these and numerous other issues impacting the nation’s freight system, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and its Federation partners in the State Trucking Associations (STA) continually seek opportunities to identify
and prioritize the industry’s most pressing concerns. For the past 12 years, the industry has relied on the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)’s annual industry survey to better understand trucking’s most critical issues as well as identify preferred strategies for addressing these issues. The annual survey, which generated more than 3,200 responses from motor carriers and commercial drivers this year, identifies the top ten critical issues facing the North American trucking industry. The results were released in October at the ATA’s 2016 Management Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. The ATRI Top Industry Issues report also includes prioritized strategies for addressing each issue. The respondents were predominantly commercial drivers (64.5 percent), with motor carriers making up 27.8 percent of the respondent pool, and other industry stakeholders accounting for 7.7 percent. Recognizing that the top industry issues impact motor carriers and commercial drivers differently, this year’s report includes separate “Top Ten” lists specific to commercial drivers and motor carriers, in addition to the overall ranking. The looming implementation date of the federal mandate on the use of ELDs FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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LOGOBOOM / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
By Rebecca M. Brewster, American Transportation Research Institute
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SAFETY
Trucking...Safer Every Day
2016 Top Industry Issues 1.
ELD Mandate
6.
CSA
2.
Hours-of-Service
7.
Driver Shortage
3.
Cumulative Economic Impact of Trucking Regulations
8.
Driver Retention
4.
Truck Parking
9.
Transportation Infrastructure/Congestion/Funding
5.
Economy
10.
Driver Distraction
topped the list of trucking industry concerns, with more than 65 percent of respondents concerned about productivity impacts the industry may experience from the full deployment of ELDs. Although it dropped one position from its top ranking, hours-of-service (HOS) stayed near the top of the list due to ongoing uncertainty of a final HOS rule. Ranking third in this year’s survey—Cumulative Economic Impacts of Trucking Regulations—is new to the annual list and reflects the industry’s collective frustration with increasing and often costly regulatory requirements. Truck parking moved up this year to fourth place overall on the top issues list. The growing scarcity of available truck
parking creates a dangerous situation for truck drivers who are often forced to drive beyond allowable HOS rules or park in undesignated and, in many cases, unsafe locations. ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee similarly identified truck parking as the top research priority for ATRI in 2015, and since then a number of research activities have commenced at ATRI focused on identifying solutions to the truck parking challenge. The economy rounds out the top five concerns on the list. Stagnant economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2015, as well as slow growth thus far in 2016 caused concern over the state of the nation’s economy to climb three positions to fifth overall. This has generated significant
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
concern among industry stakeholders, who for the past two years have ranked the economy much lower in the list of annual concerns, thanks to the strong post-Great Recession period between 2011 and 2014. The drop in ranking to sixth place for FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program signals some good news for the industry. With the passage of the FAST Act in December 2015, a number of trucking industry concerns with FMCSA’s regulatory framework were addressed, at least temporarily. Among the reforms included in the FAST Act was a study of CSA data accuracy and reliability, a removal of carrier CSA scores from public view and a requirement that FMCSA initiate a pilot program to review non-preventable crashes. As such, CSA fell out of the top five issues for the first time since its addition to the survey in 2010. However, the industry still has issues with elements of CSA and as such, it retained a top 10 ranking in the 2016 survey. The workforce issues of the driver shortage and driver retention ranked lower on the 2016 list than in recent years, most likely reflecting concern over the softening freight market. However, despite the lower ranking this year, it is unlikely that either issue will drop out of the top ten list for the foreseeable future until real solutions are identified for the industry’s staffing challenges. Though the passage of the FAST Act provided some much-needed funding for transportation infrastructure and specifically for freight-focused projects, there is still significant concern in the industry over the state of the nation’s transportation infrastructure and how to generate long-term, secure funding for the transportation system. ATRI research quantified the cost of congestion to the trucking industry at nearly $50 billion in 2014. This is another issue that is likely to stay in the top ten ranking for years to come.
Trucking...Safer Every Day
The final issue in the top ten ranking this year was driver distraction, a concern that impacts the safety of all motorists on the road. According to 2014 statistics, 3,179 people were killed and 431,000 were injured in all vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Further, 13 percent of distracted driving crashes were directly attributed to cell phone use. The top ranked strategy for addressing distracted driving was to encourage harsher penalties and more aggressive enforcement of distracted driving violations for drivers of all vehicle types. The annual survey was launched in late-July 2016 and was open for responses through mid-September. Based on the timing of the 2016 survey, a large majority of the responses had been received by ATRI when FMCSA and NHTSA issued the speed limiter rule on August 26, 2016.
Given industry reaction to the proposed rule—which seeks input on three different speed limiter settings at 60, 65 and 68 miles per hour—it is likely that the rule may have been selected by survey respondents as one of their top concerns had the timing of the survey been more in line with the issuance of the proposed rule. The 2016 report, Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry, is available from ATRI’s website at www.atri-online.org. The report includes the results of the annual survey from its beginning in 2005, providing an indicator of rising, falling, and emerging priorities in the trucking industry.
SAFETY
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Rebecca M. Brewster is the president and COO of the American Transportation Research Institute.
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5/28/2015 9:47:52 AM FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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What the Next President Should Know About Trucking Members of the industry speak out By the RoadPro Family of Brands
D
uring the election, we asked members of the RoadPro Pro Driver Council what the next President of the United States should know about trucking. They had plenty to say:
“[During the election campaigns,] I haven’t heard much about our nation’s infrastructure. We have more vehicles on the road than ever before, but our roads have been structurally deficient for decades. Our roads are crumbling; bridges and overpasses are being condemned; and new construction faces so many roadblocks that it takes years to get approved. What plan do you have to address these needs? New taxes and toll roads are not the answer. That will drive up the cost of transportation, resulting in a rise in the cost of the products we haul.” – Thomas Miller
“I want the President-Elect to have a better understanding of the fact that trucks are the mainstream provider for many goods. Without truck drivers and their trucks, life would come to a halt. We keep this country a great place to live. Imports and exports, intermodal transportation— trucks haul and transport just about everything from destination to destination.” – Joanne Fatta
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
“Trucking is the backbone of America. Trucks bring you the things you want. Slow us all down to 62 mph and it will cause gridlock and you won’t get [the things you want]. We don’t need the government to tell us how fast we can drive or if we need electronic devices to track us. I don’t care for the forced lunch break. I’m in charge of me. If I’m tired, I’ll nap; if I’m hungry, I get something to go. This is not rocket science. I pay more in taxes than an average worker makes in a year. I guess what I’m really trying to say is no more taxes. I’m tired of footing the bill for the people who won’t work.” – Maggie Stone
MANAGEMENT
“I would like to tell the President-Elect to put someone who has driven for a living in charge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.” – Jeff Clark “Do away with the Federal Excise Tax, as it discourages the purchases of new equipment and increases the federal fuel tax to make up the difference. This would emphasize increased fuel economy while creating jobs.” “Trucking and truck drivers are treated as the red-headed stepchild of American industry. Our country faces many issues. Some might argue that trucking issues are not that important; I disagree. Trucking is a microcosm of society. Issues that affect drivers have a long-term impact on America. I’m disappointed no candidate attended any of trucking’s largest events, such as MATS, GATS or the Walcott Jamboree. That would have been a great opportunity to learn about the industry. Trucking is at a crossroads. A true leader will realize that a strong trucking industry means a stronger economy. The key is to bring everyone together and realize that if we work together for the good of the industry and the economy, we can solve many issues. In many cases, it can be done with initiatives and not with government regulation. A working relationship based on best practices for all involved will be the most responsive to everyone’s needs. It is my hope that our next President realizes trucking is key to America’s future. Truckers wish to be part of the solution. We have many ideas on how to transform and improve this industry and road safety. We ask that our next president be a leader and a partner in helping us to achieve these goals.”
– Henry Albert
– Tom Kyrk
FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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Florida Truck News | Q4 2016 | FLTrucking.org
WRAP-UPS
FTA Event Wrap-Ups New
Members Introducing the newest members of FTA. FTA welcomes everyone on the list!
Third Annual FTA Celebrity Roast ‘n’ Toast Featuring Jimmy Davis, Davis Express
Mr. Jimmy Davis graciously agreed to be our “chicken on a spit” for this annual fundraiser for FTA programs. The event, held on October 20 in Daytona Beach, raised a record-setting $40,000! The event emcee was Chris Dudley, our Southern Strategy Group lobbyist and ally, who led a rousing group of roasters sharing secrets and hilarity from Jimmy’s past. What a great glimpse into the Davis’ vacations and hobbies! Many thanks to our presenting sponsor, Tom Nehl Truck Center, and our roasters and table sponsors.
Carrier Companies • • • •
Cool Way Direct—Winter Garden, Fla. DGD Transport—Medley, Fla. Kottke Trucking—Wildwood, Fla. Vika Logistics Corporation —Miami, Fla.
Jimmy Davis and his roasters: (left to right): Steve Bacalis, Matt Penland, Terry Dicks, Keith Walpole, Jimmy Davis, Richard Cheshire and Ken Armstrong
Supplier Companies • Blue Bloodhound—Miami, Fla. • Certisure—Winter Haven, Fla. • Crestmark Equipment Finance —Bloomfield Hills, Mich. • Dispatch Track—St. Augustine, Fla. • Extreme Brake, Inc.—Ocala, Fla. • Falcon America’s Finance— Coral Gables, Fla. • Lee Trans Services—Lufkin, Texas • North American Commercial Vehicle Show—Chicago, Ill. • SAF Holland—Newnan, Ga. • SUNZ Insurance Company— Bradenton, Fla. • Truckstop.com—Clearwater, Fla. • Wells Fargo Equipment Finance—Windermere, Fla.
Florida Road Team Northwest Florida “Share the Road” Blitz, September 2016 Members of the Florida Road Team took the Share the Road presentation to Panhandle-area schools during this week-long annual event. This area is underserved by the trucking industry, so we don’t often get the opportunity to visit these mostly rural schools. Many thanks to the wonderful sponsorship of UPS Freight, Walmart, FedEx Freight, and the Florida Highway Patrol CVE units that helped bring this important message to young drivers!
New Council Members Technology & Maintenance Council • Lucas Groenewoud, SAF Holland—Newnan, Ga. • Josh Main, Truckstop. com—Clearwater, Fla.
* List updated as of November 29, 2016
About 750 students were able to climb inside vehicles during the multi-school, week-long event.
Walmart’s Larry Kammeyer talks a student through what they can see—and can’t see—from the commercial driver’s seat.
An FHP Trooper talks safety and the dangers of distracted driving to eager students.
FHP and the Florida Road Team have a strong partnership in the Share the Road program. FLTrucking.org | Q4 2016 | Florida Truck News
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FEBRUARY
Feb. 8
Annual Safety Management Awards application online (due March 31)
Feb. 14
Safety Roundtable – Jacksonville
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MARCH
Mar. 3
Fauss Scholarship application online (due April 7)
Mar. 7
2017 Florida Legislative Session begins
Mar. 10
TDC registration open online (due May 31)
Mar. 14–15
Florida SuperTech Competition & TMC Membership Meeting – Orlando
Mar. 22
Trucking Day at the Capitol – Tallahassee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------APRIL
Apr. 4
Safety Roundtable – Orlando
Apr. 19–20
FTA Spring Round-Up – Orlando
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MAY
May 19
TDC regular registration deadline
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------JUNE
Jun. 14
Herman Fauss Scholarship Golf Tournament – LPGA International, Daytona Beach
Jun. 15–17
Florida TDC – Daytona Beach
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------JULY
Aug. 3–4
FTA Annual Conference – Hollywood, FL
Aug. 15
Safety Roundtable – Miami
Aug. 16
TMC Workshop – Deerfield Beach
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OCTOBER
Oct. 11–12
FTA Fall Round-Up – Jacksonville
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOVEMBER
Nov. 8
Trucking Industry Employment Summit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DECEMBER
Dec. 5
Winter Vehicle Inspection – Martin Scale Facility, 1-95 SB
Dec. 6
Truck Driver Christmas Appreciation Event – 595 Truck Stop, Ft. Lauderdale/Davie
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GET UPDATED INFORMATION ON THESE AND ALL OUR EVENTS ONLINE AT WWW.FLTRUCKING.ORG!
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