Kentucky emergency relief hours waiver extended through September

Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Aug. 29, 2022:

Kentucky emergency HOS waiver extended through September

As a result of ongoing emergency conditions in Kentucky due to torrential rain that caused severe flooding late last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended an emergency declaration suspending certain hours of service regulations for relief haulers through the end of September.

Motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the severe weather and flooding emergency in Kentucky are exempt from 49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.3, or maximum driving time limits.

Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the emergency declaration, FMCSA noted.

The declaration is effective through Sept. 30, or until the emergency ends, whichever is sooner.

[Related: Chicago-area oil refinery shutdown prompts fuel-hauler hours waiver]

FMCSA announces Women of Trucking Advisory Board members

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the appointment of members to the Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB) to recruit, retain, support and ensure the safety of women commercial motor vehicle drivers.

The board includes 16 founding members, all women, with diverse backgrounds and experiences to provide balanced points of view on addressing the challenges facing women in the industry, FMCSA said. Of these members, five are current CMV drivers and four are former CMV drivers; others are trainers, executives and authors.

“Women are significantly under-represented in the trucking industry, holding only 24% of all transportation jobs,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson, who's been tapped by Biden to lead the agency, though remains unconfirmed. “We anticipate many great ideas from the advisory board that will help expand equity and safely provide access to careers in trucking for women across the industry.”

The 16 founding members of the WOTAB are:

  • Anne Balay, Organizer with the Service Employees International Union (school/higher education)
  • Jerri Banks, Owner of Life on the Road (LOTR) Recruiting and Transportation Services (driver recruitment) 
  • Elisabeth Barna, Executive Vice President, American Trucking Associations (trucking association)
  • Joyce Brenny, Brenny Transportation, Inc. and Brenny Specialized, Inc., Founder and President (independent owner and operator)
  • Enjoli DeGrasse, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Deputy Director (labor)
  • Marie Druckenmiller, Amazon, Director of Transportation (large carrier)
  • Erin Ducharme, CFO, H&L Bloom/Bloom’s Bus Lines (motorcoach)
  • Laura Duryea, Boyle Transportation, Manager of Recruiting, Retention, and Driver Development (medium carrier)
  • Marquita Jones, J.B. Hunt, intermodal driver
  • Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider National Inc., professional driver
  • Dianne McNair-Smith, 3 Girls Trucking Academy, CEO (school/higher education)
  • Sharae Moore, Founder/President, SHE Trucking Foundation (trucking association)
  • O’Sheauna Parker, professional driver
  • Emily Plummer, Prime Inc., professional driver  
  • Soledad Munoz Smith, Munoz Trucking (small carrier)
  • Nicole Ward, Co-owner, African American Women in Trucking Association (non-profit)

[Related: Empowerment, education, innovation: Growing minority-owned-business community's trucking influence]

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Driver named Highway Angel for helping motorcyclist who struck deer

The Truckload Carriers Association has named Jason Barber, from Bethany, Oklahoma, a Highway Angel for rescuing a motorcyclist after he hit a deer on the highway.

On June 17, around 5:30 a.m., Barber was driving south on I-35 near Ardmore, Oklahoma. He noticed a motorcycle, about 100 yards ahead of him, and saw a deer run out into the road in front of the motorcyclist, causing a collision.

“The deer ran right into him -- sparks just started flying everywhere,” Barber said. “He went one way and the deer went the other way.”

Barber said the motorcycle and its driver slid about 30 feet, landing inside the left lane of traffic. The driver appeared to be injured, so Barber quickly pulled over to the shoulder to assess the situation.

“I got him pulled out of the roadway because if I hadn’t the other traffic traveling south would’ve ran him over,” Barber said. “He had a broken leg, broken wrist, and some other injuries.”

Barber called for help and waited with the injured motorcyclist on the side of the road until emergency personnel arrived. After the accident, the two kept in touch and the injured motorcyclist has given Barber updates on his recovery.

A former police officer for 19 years and truck driver for the past two years, Barber said he had to stop to help at the scene: “I could have kept going, but that’s not the person I am.” 

TCA has presented him with a certificate, patches, lapel pin, and truck decals. His company, Trucks For You, Inc., has also received a letter acknowledging him as a Highway Angel.