Trucking news and briefs for Monday, June 22, 2020:
FMCSA extends COVID waiver giving more flexibility for CLP holders
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is extending a waiver from the requirement that commercial learner’s permit holders be accompanied by a CDL holder in the front seat of the truck. The waiver is now in effect until Sept. 30. It was first set to expire on June 30.
Under terms of the waiver, a CDL holder is still required to be somewhere in the cab with the CLP holder.
CLP holders operating under the waiver must also have evidence from their tester that they have passed the CDL skills test, and have a valid non-CDL driver’s license, CLP and medical certificate, unless FMCSA’s waiver regarding expiring CDLs, CLPs and medical examiners’ certificates, effective on July 1, 2020, applies.
Pilot opens Road Warrior contest nominations
The Pilot Company kicked off Monday its seventh annual Road Warrior contest to recognize truck drivers for their dedication. The winner of the contest will receive a grand prize of $10,000. Nominations are open here through July 20.
Pilot is accepting online story submissions about drivers that go above and beyond as Road Warriors in the trucking industry and in their communities. Nearly 9,500 drivers were nominated during the 2019 contest. Tennessee-based Timothy Chelette was named the 2019 Road Warrior.
New this year to the contest is a weekly sweepstakes in which the company will randomly select 100 entries each week during the nomination period, for a total of 400 winners throughout the contest, to win 5,000 myRewards loyalty points, a $50 in-store value.
NEW VIDEO SYSTEM FROM LOGGING DEVICE PROVIDER | The Verizon Connect telematics provider launched an extension of its “Integrated Video for Reveal” product for fleet customers. The new “Integrated Video for Fleet” option uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning a “smart dashcam,” the company says, to capture and automatically classify harsh driving events, providing video analysis that can be used to help keep drivers safe, protect them against false claims in the event of an incident, and coach and reward them. Additional features include a speed overlay that video analysts in the back office can use to see the speed of the vehicle in the video frame to help determine whether speed was a factor. Likewise, an on-demand video allows ops managers to remotely request video from the dashcam.New Road Ranger truck stop opens in Arkansas
Road Ranger recently opened its 40th travel center, this one on I-40 in Brinkley, Arkansas, about halfway between Little Rock and Memphis, Tennessee.
The new location features 81 truck parking spaces; 8 diesel lanes; and numerous dining options including Tejas Tacos, Dan’s Big Slice Pizza, Ben’s Pretzels, Road Ranger Kitchen and a Wendy’s restaurant.
