News roundup, Feb. 18: Trucker shot by security guard over reserved parking space; TA recognized by Truckers Against Trafficking

Updated Feb 19, 2020

Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020:

Trucker shot by truck stop security guard over reserved parking space
A dispute over a reserved parking space at a truck stop in Oklahoma ended with a truck driver being shot by a security guard, who police say may have been acting in self-defense.

The shooting took place in the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 14, at a TA truck stop near Interstate 40 and South Council Road in Oklahoma City. Media reports say a security guard asked the trucker to move his rig from a reserved parking spot, and an altercation escalated leading to the security guard shooting and wounding the trucker, who was taken to Oklahoma University Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.

TA says it uses a third-party security company and is cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation.

“TA is aware of last week’s distressing incident involving a truck driver and a security guard at TA’s travel center on South Council Road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,” the company said in a statement to Overdrive. “TA is cooperating fully with the Oklahoma City Police, as is the third-party security company, and we await the conclusion of law enforcement. Our thoughts are with the truck driver and we wish him a quick and full recovery.”

The shooting reportedly occurred around 4:35 a.m. Friday. The security guard was questioned and released, according to local media reports.

Knight-Swift integrates Truckstop.com’s Book It Now into network for owner-ops
The brokerage arm of Knight-Swift Transportation (No. 4 on the CCJ Top 250) has reached an agreement with Truckstop.com to bring the freight-matching platform’s Book It Now into the fleet’s network.

The integration is aimed at helping Knight-Swift’s owner-operators and third-party trucking partners move more freight.

“Integrations like this will help us to quickly deliver more load options to our independent truckers at the click of a button,” said Shannon Breen, senior vice president of Knight-Swift Logistics and Intermodal. “As we continue to scale our robust capacity offering to customers and carriers nationally, these types of partnerships and collaborations are essential.”

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Truckstop says Book It Now allows Knight-Swift to post a rate and allow their preferred-partner carriers instantly book loads and receive automated confirmation for the loads they choose.

During the second phase of the integration, Knight-Swift will bring many of its owner-operators to the Truckstop.com load board, and brokers will be able to flag Knight-Swift owner-operators as a preferred carrier. The second phase is set to be complete by March.

Truckers Against Trafficking recognizes TravelCenters of America

Helen Van Dam, director of TAT’s Freedom Drivers Project presented the TAT Champion Award to TravelCenters of America President and COO Barry Richards.Helen Van Dam, director of TAT’s Freedom Drivers Project presented the TAT Champion Award to TravelCenters of America President and COO Barry Richards.

Truckers Against Trafficking awarded TravelCenters of America with its Champion Award, which recognizes “creative, innovative, generous and dedicated efforts of specific TAT partners whose actions have significantly furthered TAT’s work and mission to end human trafficking, recover more survivors and prosecute more perpetrators,” according to a press release from TA.

The truck stop chain’s work with TAT includes selling TAT merchandise and donating more than $110,000 in proceeds back to TAT, administering awareness and empowerment training to its 21,000 employees, distributing TAT materials and more.

“Human trafficking is a prevalent issue, and we can’t just sit back when the opportunity to help combat this crime is at our fingertips,” said Barry Richards, president and COO of TA and a member of TAT’s Board of Directors. “With a captive audience of millions of drivers on our properties and thousands of employees across the nation, we knew we could make a difference, so we did. And we will continue to do so.”