Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024:
Commercial drivers received 4K tickets, warnings for unsafe driving in summer blitz
Law enforcement officers across the U.S. and Canada issued more than 4,000 tickets/citations and warnings to commercial vehicle operators during Operation Safe Driver Week, a pre-announced safe-driving initiative that was held July 7-13. Passenger vehicle drivers, likewise, were issued just shy of 2,000 tickets/citations and warnings for unsafe driving behaviors.
During the initiative, officers issued 2,439 warnings and 1,583 tickets/citations to commercial motor vehicle drivers and 789 warnings and 1,129 tickets/citations to passenger vehicle drivers for unsafe driving behaviors.
Reckless/careless/dangerous driving was the focus area for this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. Five warnings and 31 citations were given to drivers for reckless, careless or dangerous driving. Any person who drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is driving recklessly. Careless/dangerous driving is defined as operating a vehicle without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road.
[Related: FMCSA's first-ever general-freight-broker enforcement blitz under way]
Speeding was a top infraction during Operation Safe Driver Week. A total of 1,694 warnings and 1,226 citations/tickets were issued for speeding. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 1,221 warnings and 502 tickets/citations, and passenger vehicle drivers received 473 warnings and 724 citations/tickets for speed-related infractions.
Another top unsafe driving behavior identified during Operation Safe Driver Week was failure to wear a seat belt. A total of 354 warnings and 554 tickets/citations were issued -- the vast majority of which were issued to truck drivers. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 328 warnings and 473 tickets/citations for not wearing their seat belt. According to the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an estimated 14% of commercial motor vehicle drivers do not wear their seat belt.
Texting or using a handheld device was another top violation. A total of 158 warnings and 169 tickets/citations were issued to drivers who were texting or using a mobile device while driving. CMV drivers received 91 of those warnings and 115 of those tickets/citations for texting/using a handheld device.
[Related: Unannounced hazmat blitz nets nearly 600 violations]
Memphis fleet owner sentenced for COVID loan fraud
A Memphis, Tennessee, man was recently sentenced to federal prison in connection with his scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program intended to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence Nov. 15.
According to information presented in court, Herman Shaw, 44, used an accomplice to assist him in submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application in the name of “Freight Masters, Inc.,” his small trucking business, to a United States Small Business Administration (SBA)-approved lending institution.
The application contained numerous false statements, including false information about the number of persons Freight Masters employed. Shaw received $782,212 in loans to be used for approved purposes such as paying his purported employees. Instead, Shaw used the loans to pay gambling debts and other personal expenses and to provide his accomplice with a $262,000 kickback.
On Aug. 2, 2024, Shaw pled guilty to a one-count information that charged him with wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Shaw to 30 months in federal prison on Nov. 6. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the SBA in the amount of $782,212.
“Individuals preying on the generosity provided by the Paycheck Protection Program stole money from U.S. taxpayers for personal gain without regard to the economic losses felt around the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren. “This sentencing reflects the severity of thefts from COVID-19 relief programs.”
The case was investigated by the SBA, the U.S. Secret Service, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the FDIC, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
[Related: Owner of Missouri truck shop, tow company guilty of loan fraud, more]
Landstar opens new regional facility in Indiana
Landstar System celebrated the grand opening of a new 8,000-square-foot field operations center in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on Friday, Nov. 15.
Newly built on 14 acres of property at Exit 39 off I-74, the new company location is designed with Landstar’s thousands of independent truck owner-operators in mind. The facility includes classrooms, a conference room and several convenient amenities for owner-operators leased to Landstar, such as a business center with free Wi-Fi, laundry and shower facilities, and a breakroom.
It also features access to secured parking for more than 100 tractor-trailer combinations, 15 drop-trailer spots and more than 50 additional passenger vehicle parking spaces. Landstar said this gated parking area also has a 24-hour security guard on-site.
“We’re excited to open this new field operations center in Crawfordsville,” said Rocco Davanzo, Landstar Transportation Logistics executive vice president of capacity development. “This new facility reinforces Landstar’s commitment to maintaining a network of regional facilities across the United States and in Canada for our leased owner-operators. These locations are designed and staffed so that Landstar’s independent owner-operators can easily connect with advisors, network with peers, and participate in continuous professional education to keep their businesses running smoothly.”
[Related: Truck parking reimagined: Bennett's 'Large Car Campgrounds']
Driver recognized for stopping erratic, dangerous driver
ABF Freight truck driver John Dodridge has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for assisting police in stopping an apparently suicidal driver.
John Dodridge
“I saw headlights up ahead of me -- she was coming at me,” Dodridge said. “Once she got past me, she parked in the road.”
Dodridge said she backed up, hit a guard rail and parked again, then backed up going in the wrong direction again. Next, the driver did several donuts on the road, spinning her car in circles, before heading in the correct direction.
“It was very bizarre,” he said. “The behavior was not normal. I just kept thinking, ‘she’s gonna hurt somebody.’”
During this time, Dodridge called 911 to alert authorities. He noted that several members of his immediate family were killed in an accident by a drunk driver, so he was particularly active to stop the driver.
“When I see people driving like that on the road, I take it very personally,” said the former U.S. Navy member. “I was determined to stop her.”
Dodridge followed the woman, who drove erratically, for approximately 25 miles on several highways. He called 911 repeatedly to alert police. Finally, the woman driver cut across several lanes of traffic and drove into a McDonald’s parking lot.
“I blocked that intersection with my semi so she couldn’t get back out,” he said. “She drove over the sidewalks, through the bushes, but I trapped her.”
Police arrived on the scene at the McDonalds and Dodridge offered his dashboard camera footage to help.
“I’m always trying to look out for the little guy,” said Dodridge, who is 6’5”. “It’s just in my blood, I guess. I don’t like to see people get hurt.”
