Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023:
Wyoming opening new parking options on I-80
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is expanding in-state truck parking options with the intent to providing safe areas for rest, as well as wait out winter storms and interstate closures.
New truck parking from the I-80 Winter Freight/BUILD project is focused on that major east-west route, specifically at Quealy Dome/mile marker 290 and Fort Steele Rest Area/mile marker 228, totaling nearly 200 spaces.
WYDOT will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to celebrate the completion of the project at 10 a.m. at the Quealy Dome truck parking lot.
In addition to truck parking, the project includes added truck passing lanes to increase motorist safety and improve traffic flow on steep inclines. The truck climbing lanes are located at Halleck Ridge, between mile markers 250.5 and 252.5 in the eastbound lanes, and at Cooper Cove, between mile markers 279.5 and 281.5 in the westbound lanes.
Other features are 12 miles of wildlife fencing near Halleck Ridge, more than six miles of pavement preservation overlay, and a new salt/sand storage building at Quealy Dome.
WYDOT applied for and received a federal BUILD grant for $20 million in 2018. The total project budget was $34 million, which included a state match.
[Related: 'Estimated opening time is unknown': Winter from hell on I-80 in Wyoming]
Nominate your ‘Best Fleet to Drive For’
The annual Best Fleets to Drive For program, produced by CarriersEdge, has officially opened nominations for the 16th edition of the program.
Now through Oct. 31, company drivers and leased owner-operators can formally nominate the companies they work with as Best Fleets to Drive For.
All for-hire fleets operating 10 or more tractor-trailers in the U.S. or Canada, regardless of freight segment, are eligible to participate in the program.
Once nominated, fleets who choose to participate complete a questionnaire and interview providing information about driver programs across a range of categories. A selection of drivers are also surveyed, supplementing the information provided by management.
[Related: Work-life balance as an owner-operator: You have to build it]
Company responses and driver surveys are compiled and scored, with the top 20 scorers identified as Best Fleets to Drive For. The top 20 is then divided into “small” and “large” fleet categories, and the top scoring fleet in each category is crowned Best Overall Fleet for the category.
The Top 20 Best Fleets, the overall winners, and fleets entering the Hall of Fame will be recognized at a dedicated awards ceremony and education event scheduled for April 2024.
“The past few years have been particularly challenging for the freight industry,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “Fleets have really been stepping up to take care of their drivers, and we’re looking forward to hearing about all the great ideas they’ve come up with to make life on the road better.”
[Related: Best Fleets to Drive For Top 20 announced]
Mack recalls 27K Granite models
Mack Trucks is recalling more than 27,000 GU and GR Granite models due to improperly positioned turn signals.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents say that in the approximately 27,415 model year 2015-‘23 units, the turn signals may be positioned incorrectly, reducing their visibility. As such, they do not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Dealers will add additional turn signal lighting, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Oct. 17. Owners can contact Mack's customer service at 800-866-1177 with recall number SC0448. NHTSA’s recall number is 23V-600.
Trailer tire pressure system issue prompts Fruehauf recall
Fruehauf is recalling approximately 786 model year 2025 Composite dry van trailers equipped with Tire Pilot Plus tire pressure regulation systems (TPRS). All eight tires may experience a loss of tire pressure while driving faster than 45 mph, according to the recall.
As an interim action, owners will be instructed to disable the Tire Pilot Plus system. The final remedy is currently under development. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed this month. A second notice will be sent once the remedy is available.
According to the recall, the trailers equipped with SAF-Holland’s Tire Pilot Plus -- Electronic Regulator Control Unit were manufactured between March 23 and Aug. 10, 2023.
Owners can contact Fruehauf customer service at 1-270-282-0605. NHTSA’s recall number is 23V-602.
