Here are the drivers on FMCSA's new advisory panel

Trucking news & briefs for January 15, 2021:

FMCSA's picks for driver-advisory panel to influential MCSAC committee
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) today announced the names of 25 reps from all manner of truck and bus sectors to serve as a new panel to the agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC). The panel is comprised of working commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, and chaired Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association President Todd Spencer.

The new panel is expected to provide direct feedback to FMCSA on important issues of safety, hours-of-service regulations, training, parking, and those affecting the driver experience broadly. It includes operators of tractor-trailers, straight trucks and motor coaches, and those with experience hauling hazmat and ag products, and in other specialty niches.

The panelists:  
William Bennett III, UPS Freight
Teddy Cranford, Waste Management of Maryland, Inc.
Debra Desiderato, Walkabout Transport
Douglas Feathers, URS Midwest Inc.
Steve Fields, YRC Freight
JoAnne Forbes, MBT Worldwide, Inc.
Gerald Fritts, Jr., American Overland Freight
John Grosvenor, McKiernan Trucking
Attila Gyorfi, RSP Express Inc.
W. Scott Harrison, K Limited Carriers
Rhonda Hartman, Old Dominion Freight Lines
Darwin Hershberger, Hershberger Livestock, LLC
Daniel Kobussen, Kobussen Buses, Ltd.
Deb Labree, Castle Transport, LLC
Alphonso Lewis, YRC Freight
Don Logan, FedEx Freight
Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider National, Inc.
Tina Peterson, Ravenwood Transport
Stephen Pryor, Greyhound Lines, Inc.
H. Kevin (Brandy) Russell, Transport America
Douglas Smith, Ralph Smith Co.
Kevin Steichen, Steichen Trucking
Angelique Temple, Atlantic Bulk Carrier
Desirée WoodReal Women in Trucking

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Lane restrictions set for I-11 in Nevada 
Drivers heading through Henderson, Nevada, over the next month should be prepared for delays with intermittent lane restrictions along a six-mile stretch of I-11 in the area from Jan. 20 through Feb. 28.

Nevada DOT says the following restrictions will be in place:

  • South and northbound I-11 between College Drive and the railroad tracks will be reduced to two travel lanes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday, Jan. 20 until Feb. 28, in Henderson.
  • South and northbound I-11 between Horizon Drive and Lake Mead Parkway will be reduced to two travel lanes 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday, Jan. 20 until Feb. 28, in Henderson. 

The project, which takes place between milemarkers 16.8 and 22.8, calls for placing nearly 24,000 tons of blacktop. The upgrades will remove and replace the existing 14-year-old rubberized asphalt, replacing it with a crumb rubber overlay for a smoother, rejuvenated driving surface that also dampens ambient noise. 

Fleet doubles tarp pay for flatbed drivers
Tulsa-based Melton Truck Lines recently announced it will double the amount it pays drivers for tarping loads, effective Feb. 2.

The decision to hike tarping pay from $50 to $100 a load came after Melton conducted a driver survey, which found an increase in tarp pay would be the most meaningful pay increase, according to the company. The increased tarping compensation translates to an additional $10,000 or more annually for all drivers, new or experienced, the company added.

“We are excited to announce this pay increase because our drivers deserve it,” said Lisa Mason, Melton vice president of safety and human resources. “Tarping is the most strenuous part of our job, and we want our drivers to be rewarded for it.”

ITI adds protest-focused training  
Trucking industry training firm Instructional Technologies Inc. has added training to its services to help drivers deal with demonstrations and protests that block roads.

The focus of the new material is to advise drivers how to avoid protest and demonstration sites or stay safe if they can’t avoid the areas.

If aggressive pedestrians are blocking the road, the course advises drivers to:

  • Avoid provoking or engaging with protesters
  • Set the parking brakes
  • Lock all doors and windows 
  • Remain in the vehicle if safe to do so, but never if you feel at risk
  • Call law enforcement
  • Use a mobile phone or dash cam to record the event

The course also addresses other forms of aggressive driving (or road rage) that professional drivers may encounter.

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