If Mr. Universe doesn’t qualify, what chance do we have?

The FMCSA’s medical review board is due any time now to issue recommendations for dealing with sleep apnea in the industry.

We’ve heard that the board will try to include some kind of standard for apnea testing that includes the use of body mass index, or BMI. But the test they propose to use in determining BMI is known to be inaccurate.

The problem: A significant percentage of all truckers, despite long records of safe driving, will be forced into expensive – and in many, if not most, cases unnecessary – testing for the illness.

Those who can’t pay will likely have to give it up.

So who will be able to drive?

One trucker – only half in jest – called me a while back and said only former Marines, ex-Navy Seals, retired Army Rangers and the like would be medically qualified to drive a truck.

Well, guess what? I don’t even think all of those folks would qualify.

We have people here in the OOIDA offices, former truckers, who are in top physical form who would be forced to undergo apnea testing under this plan.

Let me go a step further. We have a guy here in the building, a former bodybuilder, who once placed third in the Mr. Missouri contest. And trust me, this guy is still in good shape.

If you use their test, he’s considered well overweight and would be compelled to take an apnea test.

My point being, if they push this through, you will see a massive drop in the number of people who are able to drive a truck. You will see some of the best and brightest truckers on the road taken off, or forced off, by the expense of apnea testing and required equipment for treatment.

That is not a formula for increased safety. That’s a safety disaster in the making.

And who’s pushing this through? Some of the folks involved have a direct, financial stake in companies that profit from apnea testing. And many of the outside groups are vendors of the treatment equipment – again, folks who stand to profit directly if this goes through.

This is classic conflict of interest. This is bankrupt science not backed by any real facts. This is something that should not be allowed to happen. And we’re going to fight it every step of the way.

~ Mark Reddig, Host of Land Line Now

On the scene at 'Convoy for a Cure'.

Last weekend, I traveled to Willie’s Place in Carl’s Corner, TX, to cover the first-ever U.S. “Convoy for a Cure” for OOIDA’s Land Line Magazine. And I am proud to say that I convoyed with some of the most courageous truckers you will ever meet.

Many of the women truckers I met at the “Cure” convoy are also breast cancer survivors, who have done battle with this brutal disease and won. Their survival stories would truly touch your heart. I know they did mine. For those of you who took the time to tell me your stories, I am honored to have met each one of you. Fight on!

All who were there had the same goal in mind to “drive out breast cancer one truck at a time” by raising money for research and early detection efforts.

I hitched a ride in the convoy with new OOIDA member Belinda Blacketer and her sweet dog, AJ, who now call Springfield, MO, home. She raised the second highest amount of money for the “Cure” convoy. She told me she was at the convoy to honor her sister-in-law who passed away from breast cancer at the age of 30. Thanks again for the ride!

OOIDA Life Member Cindy Stowe of Will’s Point, TX, organized the Texas convoy, which had 31 trucks and raised $13,000 for breast cancer research.

Although she was thoroughly exhausted after the convoy, I am happy to report that Cindy has already confirmed there will be a convoy next year at Willie’s Place. I think the foot rub Cindy received from one of the servers at dinner convinced her that the “show must go on” again next year.

Several bands and musicians turned out to perform for convoy attendees, including OOIDA members Leland Martin and Howard Salmon. Howard’s wife even flew in from Hawaii to attend the day’s festivities.

Representing Canada were “Cure” convoy founder Rachèle Champagne and Chantal Rheault, who has had her hands full this year wrangling the “Cure” Web sites for the convoys.

Rachèle is one ambitious lady. She is hoping that more female truckers will be inspired to host more “Cure” convoys across the U.S. and in Canada. The goal is for this “Cure” convoy idea to grow and to raise money for breast cancer research.

This year, the four convoys, three in Canada and one in the U.S., raised nearly $100,000 for breast cancer research.

“This has been an amazing experience,” Rachèle said.

And let me tell you something: OOIDA member Michele White of Rockwood, TN, is one tough cookie. She has battled cancer not once, not twice, but five times, and has beaten it back every time. She is an amazing woman. Michele also raised the most money and earned the lead truck position at the convoy.

“My philosophy now is that every day you wake up breathing is a good day,” Michele told me.

You can bet I will do my best to make it back there next year.


Clarissa Kell-Holland
Staff Writer, Land Line Magazine

PHOTO: Land Line’s Clarissa Kell-Holland (left) poses with OOIDA Life Member Cindy Stowe, who organized the first-ever U.S. “Cure” convoy on Oct. 24 at Willie’s Place in Carl’s Corner, TX.

For more photos, click here.

Bon Voyage to the Double Nickel

OOIDA and its Illinois members have spent years trying to get rid of the states split-speed limit for trucks. Those efforts were repeatedly stymied by a corrupt governor who vetoed legislation that would have eliminated split-speed limits. After all our collective efforts, who would have thought all it took was getting a governor impeached?
Ah, but that is the story of Illinois politics. Imprisoning former elected officials for various “pay-to-play” schemes is as common there as are drivers being illegally forced to pay for unloading someone else’s freight. Fortunately for truckers, disgraced former Governor Blagojevich was replaced by Governor Pat Quinn who has wisely allowed the despised split-speed limit to fade away.
I joined the Association 23 years ago because I recognized that as much as I “pitched a bitch” on the CB about many issues, flapping my gums over the radio wasn’t going to change anything. As time passes things do seem to stay the same, drivers still gripe about many inequities they face – and rightly so! But complaining to your fellow drivers over the radio still won’t change a thing; change can only happen if you take a stand and get involved in the process.
The victory in Illinois did not happen by chance. Between the efforts of the Association and its members, all truckers have scored a victory that will allow them to ride with the flow of traffic and improve highway safety by reducing accidents caused by unsafe interactions between vehicles operating at significantly different speeds.
Like many Americans, truckers have a dim view of the value of getting involved politically because they perceive that involvement as a waste of their time since they fear “it won’t make a difference”. Saying adios to Illinois split speed-limit ought to be proof enough that working together we can “make a difference”.

Lease-purchase contracts: They sound too good to be true for a reason

Recently we’ve noticed an alarming increase in people signing on to lease-purchase programs with large motor carriers. Our experience in reviewing these contracts and receiving numerous complaints over the years tells us these programs almost never benefit anyone except the motor carriers and should be avoided.

Admittedly, at first glance a lease purchase agreement can seem attractive; no credit check, no down payment, truck payment generated from load pay.

Sounds like a good deal, right?

Well, what may not be clear if you fail to read the fine print is that if you sign one of these, you will have no ownership rights until the truck is paid off. One real big catch is that the truck must remain leased with the company that “owns” it – meaning the motor carrier. What that means is you are tied to that company and unable to drive the truck wherever you want. Also, truck payments are usually deducted weekly instead of your making a monthly payment and the truck payment is taken out before you receive your pay check even if it means you receive a negative check. That’s just a start.

Typical complaints we receive include:
· Truck needs constant repairs
· Never receive a paycheck
· Miles have been cut
· No paycheck and getting further and further in the hole with the company
· Can’t generate any money and the company refuses to let you move the truck
· Couldn’t make it so turned the truck in and went back to being a company driver, but the company is still charging me payments on the truck
· Company requires a separate maintenance (escrow) account, but you never get to use it when the truck needs repairs. There may be other escrow accounts, too.

Over the years, we have dealt with carriers that leased out trucks on which they did not hold titles. Some carrier’s that filed bankruptcy or simply closed their doors would often leave the equipment unsecured or paid for which meant the lessee lost the truck and all the money already paid toward it.

In one case, we dealt with a company that charged unbelievable repairs on equipment they took back after a default, but never made the repairs, plus, the repair bills were generated from their company shop. This same company would continue to charge lease payments to the original lessee on equipment they had already leased to another driver from whom they were collecting new payments as well. When the original drivers refused to pay and demanded the maintenance and escrow money back, they were provided with bills showing outstanding balances owed to the company. This company even went a step further by turning in these outstanding debts over to a collection agency. Still to this day the drivers that entered this particular lease purchase program through this company are fighting the affects of a bad credit score.

Probably the best way to avoid being ripped off in a lease purchase situation is to not enter into one, but if you still think you can be one of the rare success stories, here are some things you can check before you sign the dotted line.

1. Run the numbers. In most cases if you are lucky enough to complete the lease you may owe more for the equipment than it is worth.
2. Ask about the title. Does the company have clear title or is the equipment financed?
3. Is the finance company aware the equipment is being leased?
4. What assurances can they give you that when you make your payments, they will make theirs?
5. How many lessee’s has the equipment had? (This is a big one, if other drivers were in a lease on this equipment what happened to them?)
6. Check the mileage. Does it make sense for the year of the truck?
7. Ask for maintenance records.
8. Ask about freight availability. You can also check into the availability by talking to drivers before you have your meeting with the company.
9. Beware of companies that have a company driver fleet as well as lease purchase fleet. The company pays the expenses on company trucks so those trucks will be dispatched first and for the best loads.
10. What items are going to be charged back to you besides the truck payment? You need the cost breakdown, not just the list of items, and then run the numbers again. Determine how much revenue you will need to generate each week to keep you head above water, then balance that out with the number of miles you believe you will realistically be dispatched.
11. Review the contract completely, understand each and every condition specified in it. Watch for additional charges that will be assessed for excessive mileage, or clauses that allow the company to take the equipment back should you default and understand the conditions that warrant a default.
12. Many agreements state you are in default if you fall behind on even just one payment. This is important because the company controls the amount of revenue you generate

When considering a lease purchase program, remember until the final payment is made, you are paying the bills, expenses, insurance, maintenance, repairs and taxes on equipment owned and controlled by someone else. At any time during your agreement you could lose the equipment and your investment.

Are you really ready to sign up for that?

Keep in mind, if there was much money to be made by owning a truck, why would the company be trying so hard to sell you theirs?

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The Business Assistance Department of OOIDA, along with Todd Spencer, contributed to this blog.

Nat'l officials chicken out on hot fuel

While standing at gas stations refueling their automobiles, most people probably don’t think much about where the fuel is stored or how it got there. And that very mentality is exactly what those in the oil industry are hoping will continue. They’ve long known that in the distribution chain, money is lost when fuel expands as its temperature rises. So, they made sure their financial interests were covered by installing temperature compensation mechanisms at every other phase of the process.

Retail fuel sales transactions should also incorporate automatic temperature compensation (ATC) to maintain the integrity of how fuel is measured and sold and ensure consumers are not shortchanged with their purchases.

It's simple and it's simply the right thing to do.

The National Conference of Weights and Measures met this past week (July 14-16) to vote on whether or not retail fuel stations can voluntarily add ATC. Oh wait, that sounds like a repeat. Yes, we've said this before. And before, because they keep meeting and discussing and voting. They keep voting to postpone a decision due to a "lack of consenses." Um, more like buckling to big oil pressure. This time they decided to drop the topic from the agenda altogether.

Weights and measures were standardized for consumable goods long ago because of the need for accuracy and to gain consumer confidence. Farmers probably fussed that it would cost too much money to change their bushel baskets when standardization was first introduced. But baskets wear out eventually. That presents the perfect time to change to a uniform standard and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. Same with fuel station pumps. They change those out all the time. Shouldn't be such a big deal to add ATC or retro fit.

Today the weights and measures chapters of each state go to great lengths to audit all companies that provide packaged goods to make sure consumers are not cheated. They weigh the wax on the boxes of frozen foods. They weigh the frost on the food. They weigh EVERYTHING. And if the label is wrong, you're BUSTED. But when it comes to fuel, for some reason they cannot reach consenses about how to sell accurately. They claim that it's not possible to reach a decision to even allow voluntary use of ATC. That's ridiculous!

The California Energy Commission’s report from November 2008 says the fairest way to sell fuel is with accurate and reliable measurement standards, including temperature compensation.Canada and Hawaii have used it at retail fuel pumps for a long time, realizing the benefit to businesses in the north and the fairness to consumers in the south. Costco saw the light and announced it would start using ATC in some states. Perhaps they know it's right. Or perhaps they see it coming and realize continued resistance is futile.

A report from the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee said a lack of temperature compensation costs consumers about $1.5 billion per year. Wow, I wonder how much frozen fish that would buy? Without the wax and frost of course.

The one-time cost to rectify this wrong-doing would be well worth it to consumers. But if the industry is still concerned, here’s a cost-free solution: Simply stop doing temperature compensation at all phases and call it a day. Otherwise, going ahead with making the change is simply the right thing to do. Here is a Website with more info
http://www.turndownhotfuel.com/

SuperRigs 2009

Check out additional photos and video coverage of SuperRigs 2009 as well as other hot events in the OOIDA MultiMedia section of ooida.com/.

Hot fuel - National Weights and Measures

This blog was revised and updated per the National Weights and Measures Conference and reposted July 19, 2009.