Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020:
Some Christmas trucking parades still on despite COVID restrictions
A number of annual Christmas parades involving trucks have been canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, there are still several parades still on tap for the coming days.
The Eureka Truckers Christmas Parade of Lights in northern California, which was in danger of being canceled last year before a new sponsor stepped in, will proceed this Saturday, Dec. 12, for the 32nd year with certain COVID protocols in place. Participants in the parade are required to wear masks, even in their vehicles or on floats, social gatherings at the staging grounds will not be allowed, and more.
Another northern California trucking parade, the Al Gray Electric Lighted Parade in Fortuna, will be held Friday, Dec. 11. Like with the Eureka parade, COVID restrictions will be in place for parade participants.
In Oregon, the Timber Truckers Light Parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 12, in Myrtle Creek for the 27th year. D.R. Johnson Lumber Company puts on the event. The theme for the parade will be “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” There will be awards handed out in five classes, along with Best in Show. The classes are Log Trucks, Flatbeds and Lowboys; Dump Trucks, Tanker Trucks and Service Vehicles; Emergency Vehicles; Personal Vehicles; and Groups & Organizations.
Progressive offering UBI program for non-ELD truckers
Progressive is now offering a voluntary usage-based insurance and fleet management program for small fleets without ELDs with its Snapshot ProView program.
Customers who sign up for the program save a minimum of 5% on their Progressive Commercial Auto policy for their initial term, and many customers will save 8%, the company says. Depending on vehicle type and the nature of business use, some companies could even see savings of up to 18%.
Businesses receive the initial discount just for signing up and installing the Progressive-provided device in all eligible vehicles. The premium can change at renewal and will depend on where, when and how drivers in the fleet drive, according to their driving data. It is also possible that the driving data will cause an increase to the premium at any renewal, Progressive says.
Snapshot ProView joins Smart Haul, Progressive’s UBI program for commercial truck drivers, which uses ELD data to provide safe driving discounts. Snapshot ProView is for all other Commercial Auto customers not required by federal law to have an ELD.
“Snapshot ProView empowers business owners to potentially reduce their insurance costs by encouraging their employees to drive safely,” said John Barbagallo, Progressive’s Commercial Lines President. “We’re constantly innovating to offer more products and services to our customers, and by utilizing our extensive UBI experience gained through our long-running Snapshot and our Smart Haul programs, we now can extend an UBI offering to all small business owners.”
The 2021 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar is now available to order online.Shell Rotella SuperRigs 2021 calendars now available
Despite not having the SuperRigs truck show in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shell Rotella is still putting out a calendar of impressive working show trucks for 2021.
The special edition calendar is available here and celebrates the “Legends of the Road” from the past 37 years of the SuperRigs event. Each month features a collage comprised of past SuperRigs calendar trucks coming together to form the visual of a big rig.
This year’s Best of Show winner, a 2016 Peterbilt from Brian Dreher, will receive its rightful spot in the calendar for 2022. Dreher’s truck and all of the winners from this year’s 38th Shell Rotella SuperRigs, which was held virtually, can be viewed here.
Driver pay increases on tap at two large carriers
Two of the nation’s largest fleets announced recently they will increase driver pay going into the new year.
Covenant announced recently the largest driver pay increase in the company’s history, which will take effect Jan. 4. The company will raise the base linehaul team driver pay rate by an average of 9 cents per mile across all driver types. The largest increases will be reserved for drivers with more than one year of experience, as a driver with one year of experience plus a hazmat endorsement will now start at a weekly non-per diem rate of 66 cents per mile, up from a previous starting rate of 50 cents per mile.
“We’ve been eager for some time now to announce a significant pay raise like this one,” said David Parker, CEO of Covenant, noting that the company last increased driver base pay five years ago. “Today’s announcement is long overdue for our drivers.”
TransAm Trucking recently announced a pay increase for their long-haul company drivers and independent contractors. Those who have been employed or contracted with TransAm for at least six months received up to a 5 cents per mile increase. Drivers who have not been employed or contracted for at least six months will receive an increase after six months of continuous service.
Along with a pay and rate increase, TransAm Trucking has doubled its sign-on bonus to $5,000 for all driving positions. The bonus pays out in four installments of $1,250 after the completion of 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. Once a driver receives their last installment of their sign-on bonus, TransAm offers a monthly driver retention bonus of $200 for company drivers and $250 for independent contractors.
“We want to show our gratitude to our noble drivers and accelerate our scheduled pay and rate increases for new drivers with TransAm.” said Pamela Caraway, Director of Recruiting at TransAm Trucking. “Our drivers have proven that they are essential to our country, and we are proud to work alongside some of the strongest individuals in the industry.”
