I Have to Say I Am Surprised!

I am pretty much shocked at the increase in CID investigations in our country. The info below is just the state of MS. Mississippi is indicative of most of the 48 states. Check it out from 2002 to 2011.....

Source: http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/internal_audit_division.htm

Corrections Investigation Division

The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) Corrections Investigation Division (CID) is the investigative arm of the agency.  It consists of Investigative Units located at each State Prison (MSP, CMCF, SMCI, and Central Office Headquarters). Its top priority is to assist the agency in its strong commitment to public safety.  In doing so, CID investigations include but are not limited to the below listed types of cases: 

		Security Threats
		Allegations of mistreatment of offenders
		Fraternization between staff and offenders
		Gang Activities
		Assaults to include (Aggravated, Simple, and Sexual)
		Introduction of Contraband
		Narcotic Violations
		Escapes
		Extortion
		Employees Background Checks

 

Internal Investigations are of the utmost importance to the administration and management at all levels, in that they provide them with the information needed to correct problems and also establish preventive measures to keep them from recurring.

Listed below are the numbers of investigations conducted for each year since 1999. 

 Year:                                     Number of investigations conducted:

2002                                        214

2003                                        275

2004                                        295

2005                                        353

2006                                        445

2007                                        514

2008                                        677

2009                                        638

2010                                        618

2011                                        1071 

All criminal cases substantiated by evidence are presented to local District Attorney Offices for prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. Administrative violations of policy are presented at an employee Administrative Review Hearing, if applicable. 

In furthering our commitment to the public’s safety, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), through its Corrections Investigation Division, has developed a program that will enhance the effectiveness of our escape investigations. In previous years, a limited number of CID Investigators and K-9 Units from the Prisons were tasked with these investigations, which encompassed the entire state of Mississippi. In addition to the previous method, the Department is now utilizing its certified law enforcement Field Officers who are stationed in Community Corrections Field Offices throughout the state. MDOC’s Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST) program has received the cooperative support of the local Police and Sheriff’s Departments statewide as well as the MS Highway Patrol and other state agencies. The collaborative effort of these agencies has and will continue to result in faster recapture times of escaped inmates.  

CID has addressed the number of offenses, i.e., assaults, extortion, drug activity, etc. occurring within the prisons by the creation of the Security Threat Group Intelligence Unit (STGIU), which has been operational since December 4, 2001. This Unit has expanded upon the role of the Security Threat Group Coordinators (STGCs) at each prison.  The duties of the STG Coordinators include, but are not limited to, identifying and validating inmates whose activities are gang related and pose a serious threat to Institutional security. Once validated, the security threat group member commonly referred to as a “gang member” is constantly monitored and tracked. This information is utilized by Unit Administrators and Classification staff in their housing placements of offenders and as intelligence by investigators in solving crimes.  

The Security Threat Group Intelligence Unit, in accordance with MDOC Policy, has mandated a zero tolerance position in its efforts to reduce gang activity and assaults being committed in MDOC’s facilities. Through this program, gang members are able to renounce their gang membership and are provided the opportunity to participate in programs designed to help them come to the realization that they do not have to be part of a gang to have a feeling of self-worth. They will also be required to participate in vocational rehabilitation and skill development programs geared to making them productive citizens once released from prison.  

The work of Security Threat Group Management Units in other states has proven to have decreased gang-related incidents and disturbances by 80%, and have decreased assaults by nearly 30%.  These statistics demonstrate that the existence of a STGIU is mandatory in our efforts to reduce criminal activity within our prison system.  

Since the inception of the STG Management Unit, the three State operated prisons along with the reporting private prisons have seen a fluctuation in the security threat group related activities. It is believed that the fluctuation of the numbers may be attributed to an increased staff awareness/recognition of said activities through training provided statewide to MDOC staff as well as the Private Prison staff; stronger policies/procedures, and more accurate reporting of said incidents.  Overall, MDOC has seen a 38% decrease in inmate on inmate assaults and a 44% decrease in gang related incidents such as extortions, threats, and conspiracies and an overall decrease of 36% since its first measurable statistics of year-end 2002. 

The Mississippi Department of Corrections is committed to maintaining the integrity of its facilities and employees and is dedicated to upholding the trust of the community. To preserve that integrity and trust, the Corrections Investigation Division conducts its investigations in a comprehensive and objective manner. MDOC considers it vital that the citizens of the State of Mississippi are confident in its ability to properly and efficiently supervise all offenders sentenced to its custody.

 Death Row Inmates:  

There are 49 inmates sentenced to death  in Mississippi.  Of this number 2 are female.  All executions occur at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.

 

 
 

While most people believe the white population is in the minority in this country, white meaning not mixed or of color, the most recent census shows whites are still leading by a significant percent margin:

 

 

Race Census
 

 

Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html

 
 

................................................................................................................MS........USA

 

.......

White alone, percent, 2012 (a)

............                                               59.9%

77.9%

	Black or African American alone, percent, 2012 (a)	37.4%	13.1%
	American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 2012 (a)	0.6%	1.2%
	Asian alone, percent, 2012 (a)	0.9%	5.1%
	Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, 2012 (a)	0.1%	0.2%
	Two or More Races, percent, 2012	1.1%	2.4%
	Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 (b)	2.9%	16.9%
	White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012	57.6%	63.0%

20 Deadliest Gun States - Source: The Daily Beast

Epes Carriers - Texas Star Express Merger

Posted: 2013-07-10 10:16:58

(Greensboro, N.C.) - Epes Carriers, Inc., of Greensboro, N.C., announced today the merger of its two asset-based trucking subsidiaries, Epes Transport System of Greensboro, and Texas Star Express of Rockwall, Texas. The combined company will be called Epes Transport System with headquarters remaining in Greensboro.

Texas Star will become the company's Southwestern division of Epes Transport, operating a major terminal in Rockwall, with recruiting, sales, safety, operations and maintenance support staff. The combined company, employing approximately 1,500 employees, will consist of 1,150 power units and 4,000 trailers providing service to the Eastern two-thirds of the U.S.

"The merger of our two operating companies will now allow us to offer many more services and lanes to our customer base and also give our driving force additional opportunities for growth as well," said Britt Colley, president of Epes. "The initial response from our customers has been very positive. It is a very exciting time for our employees and customers and will help position us for the future."

Epes Carriers was ranked in the top 100 largest truckload carriers in Transport Topics' top 100 carriers for 2012. For more information about the driving opportunities at Epes Transport, please visit http://www.epestransport.com/ or call 866-323-1046.

Collusion: How the Media Stole the 2012 Election

Founder and President of the Media Research Center, L. Brent Bozell III runs the largest media watchdog organization in America. Established in 1987. Web site

"I thought all you conservatives out there would like to hear this interview.
As I've stated before, as Administrator of this blog I don't take a political stand publicly here but I know that many of my readers do so I share what I think the majority might be interested in". 1+ me if you like!
Marge/Admin

There's a New Recruiter in Town

Trucking Job Shopper Assistance

DriverFinder Network has added a new driver service to our plethora of driver focused websites. Although TruckingIndustryShopper.com as been hanging out on the net for a while, it just got a reface. The main focus is a new program designed to meet the special needs of new and experienced drivers who need advice about hooking up with the best company fit. This is not a new concept as we all know. And it might smell a whole lot like 3rd party recruiting and you wouldn't be off base making that assumption however..........

This new Job Shopper program has a different twist than the usual "Call me and I'll hook you up with a new company" rhetoric you're all so accustomed to where you're grilled to the teeth as though you may not be worthy of their time and you're made to feel like you're a pay check to the recruiter and that's it. This new program aides driver job seekers in SHOPPING for their new or next employer. Search is shopping when you Google or end up on a network like DriverFinder.net but the TWIST I mentioned with our new recruiting program is drivers get, for free, a personal Job Shopper, a human, if you will, to help you fill up your shopping cart with exactly the right company fit for you. Your personal shopper will evaluate what YOU need, YOUR concerns, YOUR current hiring issues, if any, and land you exactly where you need to be.

For Green Horns (recent CDL grads) we are fortunate enough to have on board a 33 year veteran lady driver who gives her time as a mentor personally by phone call! Yes, finally we've brought her in to share her vast expertise as a professional driver within the world of recruiting!
If she doesn't know her stuff who does? AND if she can't help answer any question or issue you may have she can point you in the right direction. This is hands down a first! Sandy Long is definitely a driver's best friend. Visit her site: TrailerTruckinTech.com 

I can't promise EVERYONE can be helped, but we can help most. The key is we will take the time it takes to actually help drivers, not just view him or her as a paycheck. Who does that anymore??

To take advantage of this new program just fill out a Quick Job Shopper form or call me at 866.205.6593 x1 and we're off to the shopping mall of trucking companies to send you home with a new company that will meet your most important need which is working for a company you can live with! Please send this to a friend or two who are looking if you aren't. Thanks!

Marge/Admin

Who is Required to Comply w/ HOS Rules?

Resource: DOT.gov

Who Must Comply w/ HOS Rules?

Most drivers must follow the HOS Regulations if they drive a commercial motor vehicle, or CMV.

In general, a CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business and is involved in interstate commerce and fits any of these descriptions:

• Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
• Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
• Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards

 

The Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule [Download PDF Version] was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2011. The effective date of the Final Rule was February 27, 2012, and the compliance date of remaining provisions was July 1, 2013. 

My commentary is short and sweet:
Where ya gonna park at night?? 

 

HILLARY WAS A GREAT AMBASSADOR, NOT A GREAT SECRETARY OF STATE

POSTED BY JOHN CASSIDY
The New Yorker

Having stopped off in a hundred and twelve countries during her four years as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in her last week in office, seems intent on visiting almost as many televisions studios. At the weekend, she did “60 Minutes” on CBS. Today, she will be on ABC, NBC, CNN, and Fox. Tomorrow, it’s the BBC. If you are a news producer at CNBC, Bloomberg, New York 1, or the Weather Channel, give the State Department a call. As far as I know, Thursday and Friday are still open.

O.K., O.K., all you Hillary fans. I’m just being flippant. We all know that once she decides to do something, she gives it her all, and this is probably just another case of the Wellesley-Yale standout overdoing things. And, perhaps, after playing the role of the dancing monkey to President Obama’s organ grinder during the interview with Steve Kroft, she is eager to speak for herself about her record, without the boss looking over her shoulder.

That would be understandable. Still, in view of all the publicity she is receiving, and her elevated approval rating—sixty nine per cent in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll—a nagging question remains: What has she really achieved?

During the joint “60 Minutes” interview, Obama said, “I think she will go down as one of the finest Secretary of States we’ve had.” But while he praised Hillary’s stamina, her professionalism, and her teamwork, the President was a bit short on specific achievements that could be put down to her efforts. Asked by Steve Kroft about the biggest foreign-policy successes of his first term, he mentioned ending the war in Iraq, drawing down U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and dismantling the leadership of Al Qaeda, adding, “That’s all a consequence of the great work that Hillary did and her team did, and the State Department did, in conjunction with our national-security team.”

Fair enough. But it’s no secret that the Administration’s policies on Iraq, Afghanistan, and counterterrorism were conceived and managed in the White House. In foreign-policy circles, the knock on Hillary is that, unlike some of her storied predecessors—John Quincy Adams, George C. Marshall, Dean Acheson, Henry Kissinger—she failed to carve out a historically significant role for herself. “There’s no question that Clinton has been terrifically energetic, as well as a loyal team player,” Stephen Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard, wrote last July, shortly after a profile in the Times Magazine referred to Hillary as a “rock star diplomat.” “The problem, however, is that she’s hardly racked up any major achievements… She played little role in extricating us from Iraq, and it is hard to see her fingerprints on the U.S. approach to Afghanistan. She has done her best to smooth the troubled relationship with Pakistan, but anti-Americanism remains endemic in that country and it hardly looks like a success story at this point… She certainly helped get tougher sanctions on Iran, but the danger of war still looms and there’s been no breakthrough there either.”

Other experts agree. “She’s coming away with a stellar reputation that seems to have put her almost above criticism,” Aaron David Miller, a former diplomat peace negotiator, said to Paul Richter, of the Los Angeles Times. “But you can’t say that she’s really led on any of the big issues for this administration or made a major mark on high strategy.” A former diplomat who served in the Obama Administration told Richter, “If you go down the line, it’s tough to see what’s happened in world politics over the last four years that wouldn’t have happened without her. So, it’s tough to see how she gets into that category of truly great, transformational secretaries, like Acheson and Marshall.”

It’s hard to quibble with that assessment. Marshall gave his name to an economic-recovery plan for war-torn Europe. Acheson laid down the Cold War policy of containment and helped createNATO. Adams helped conceive the Monroe Doctrine, which defined Central and South America as part of the U.S. sphere of influence. Kissinger pioneered détente with the Soviets, instigated a rapprochement with the Chinese, and did much else besides (by no means all of it estimable). By contrast, Hillary’s signature achievements look like small beer. She was the public face of the U.S. response to the Arab Spring, which involved persuading Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian President, to step aside peaceably, winning international support for U.S. military intervention in Libya, and resisting international pressure for similar action in Syria. How these policies will ultimately play out, it is too early to say.

The Benghazi killings and their aftermath, for which she has taken responsibility while insisting that more lowly officials made the key decisions, or pieces of indecision, were the most controversial incident of her tenure. The most serious gap in her record, and the record of the Administration, is any serious attempt to tackle the Arab-Israeli conflict—but there, too, the White House held sway. The fact that Hillary didn’t bring peace to Palestine, or redefine the relationship between the United States and China, doesn’t mean she was a failure. Far from it. In carrying out the task she was allotted, she was a big success. It’s just that the nature of her job was very different from the ones that Acheson and Kissinger held. In reality, she wasn’t directing American foreign policy, or anything close. At times, she wasn’t even the Administration’s chief troubleshooter—a niche occupied by a series of special envoys: Richard Holbrooke, George Mitchell, and Dennis Ross. The post she really had was that of U.S. Ambassador to the world, and she made a pretty good fist of it.

In the “60 Minutes” interview, President Obama was surprisingly explicit about how he conceived of Hillary’s role. Referring back to late 2008, he said, “She also was already a world figure. And I thought that somebody stepping into that position of Secretary of State at a time when, keep in mind, we were still in Iraq. Afghanistan was still an enormous challenge. There was great uncertainty in terms of how we would reset our relations around the world. To have somebody who could serve as that effective ambassador in her own right without having to earn her stripes, so to speak, on the international stage, I thought would be hugely important.”

As a globe-trotting representative for the United States, Hillary has had few equals. According to the Travels With the Secretary page on the State Department’s Web site, she has logged 2081.21 hours on the road—not 2081.20, mind you—and clocked up 956,733 miles on the federal frequent-flyer program. In total, she was traveling for four hundred and one days—more than thirteen months—enduring hundreds of long flights and sitting through countless boring meetings. How far this crazy schedule contributed to her recent illness can only be speculated upon—after contracting a stomach virus in Europe, she fell and suffered a concussion that led to a blood clot—but nobody can ever fault her work ethic.

As well as adhering to Woody Allen’s motto that ninety per cent of life is showing up, she also delivered a distinctive message. While it hardly added up to a full-blown “Clinton Doctrine,” it did present a different and more inclusive image of America than the one conveyed by G.I. fatigues and drone missile attacks. Throughout her tenure, she was a vocal proponent of female empowerment, gay rights, and equitable economic development in poor countries. She also defended freedom of expression. Perhaps her most memorable moment was helping to secure the freedom of Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident, who is now a scholar in residence at N.Y.U.

Doubtless, these actions by themselves, were insufficient to drastically change how the world sees the United States. According to polling data from the Pew Foundation, since 2009, shortly after Obama’s election, the number of people holding favorable views of the United States has fallen modestly in China, Europe, and Muslim countries. Even now, though, the Pew survey shows, America is more popular in Europe and Asia than it was at the end of the Bush Administration. (In Pakistan and parts of the Middle East it is less popular.)

Hillary didn’t create these trends, but she did her part for Team U.S.A. As a “rock star diplomat,” she toured tirelessly and put on good shows. Since that’s what she was hired to do, it seems a bit unfair to judge her too harshly.

Photograph: Theron Kirkman-Pool/Getty

Age 50 to 65+? Grab Your Discounts!!

List provided by Chuck McDonald

RESTAURANTS:
Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Arby's: 10% off ( 55 +)
Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan's: discount varies by location (60+)
Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)
Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)
CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55 +)
Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)
Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)
Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)
Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)
KFC: free small drink with any meal ( 55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+)
Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations ( 55+)
McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
Shoney's: 10% off
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)
Subway: 10% off (60+)

Subway: 10% off (60+)
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)
Whataburger: 10% off (62+)
White Castle: 10% off (62+) This is for me ... if I ever see one again.

RETAIL & APPAREL :
Banana Republic: 30% off ( 50 +)
Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)
Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)
Big Lots: 30% off
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (50+)
Clarks : 10% off (62+)
Dress Barn: 20% off ( 55+)
Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kmart: 40% off (Wednesdays only) ( 50+)
Kohl's: 15% off (60+)Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month ( 55 +)

GROCERY :
Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 60% off every Monday (60+)
Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday ( 55 +)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)
Publix: 15% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)
Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off (62+)

TRAVEL :
Airlines:
Alaska Airlines: 50% off (65+)
American Airlines: various discounts for 50% off non-peak periods (Tuesdays - Thursdays) (62+)and up (call before booking for discount)
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Rail:
Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
Bus:
Greyhound: 15% off (62+)
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+

Car Rental:
Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP members ( 50+)
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Overnight Accommodations:
Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location (62+)
Best Western: 40% off (55+)
Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Waldorf Astoria - NYC $5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite (55 +)
Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Econo Lodge: 40% off (60+)

Hampton Inns & Suites: 40% off when booked 72 hours in advance
Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
Marriott Hotels: 25% off (62+)
Motel 6: Stay Free Sunday nights (60+)
Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off ( 55 +)
Quality Inn: 40%-50% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 40% off (60+)

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT ;:
AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)
Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships (62+)
Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
Massage Envy - NYC 20% off all "Happy Endings" (62 +)
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)
SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :
AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).

MISCELLANEOUS:
Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts (60+)
Supercuts: $8 off haircuts (60+)

DX integrates Nightfreight to create DX Freight

DX, the parcel distribution company, is launching DX Freight – rebranding the Nightfreight business that it bought in February 2012.

Petar Cvetkovic, chief executive office of DX Group, said: “By bringing Nightfreight under the DX brand, we are now capable of providing even greater customer choice through our extensive mail, courier and network distribution services. Our broad range of options – from delivering parcels, through to arranging two-man deliveries, to our more original mail offering – can now satisfy an even wider range of business and consumer needs.” More....

Trucking Recruiters Shift Into High Gear

By Kyle Stock

June 14, 2013

 

This may be the summer to hang it all up, lay in some beef jerky, and hit the open road. A shortage of truck drivers in the U.S. is expected to worsen when new federal regulations drastically reduce the time drivers can be on the road.

On July 1, truckers will have to pull over after 70 hours of driving a week, vs. the 82 hours they can log today. They will be able to “reset” a weeklong work period, but not before getting 34 consecutive hours of rest spanning two nights.

The rules will be a major “productivity ding” for the industry, according to Sean McNally, spokesman for the American Trucking Associations, a trade group that represents some 30,000 outfits. “We’re just going to have to put more trucks on the road in general.”

The measures will likely add to expenses at a host of companies such as FedEx (FDX) and United Parcel Service (UPS), but will be particularly hard on long-haul specialists like Swift Transportation (SWFT), Schneider National, and Werner Enterprises (WERN). J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT), which has 11,000 drivers crisscrossing the country, has told investors to expect “some negative impact on productivity.”

Long-haul routes are harder on drivers, because they stray so far from home and any sort of fixed schedule, according to McNally.

The industry is already short 25,000 truckers, according to ATA, and the demand for getting goods and materials from point A to point B has increased in step with the economy at large. Slightly more than half of those in the trucking business expect demand to increase in the next six months, according to a recent survey by Bloomberg.

The burgeoning economy is also providing truckers better job opportunities elsewhere. Turnover among long-haul drivers was almost 100 percent last year, its highest rate since 2007, according to ATA. The renaissance of homebuilding, in particular, has hurt recruiting and retention.

The threat to margins is so great, in fact, the industry sued to head off the coming rules, though it is looking increasingly unlikely that there will be a ruling in the case before the July 1 deadline.
In the meantime, trucking companies are trying to sweeten incentives for employees. Swift, which has about 13,500 drivers, offered its best drivers bonuses of up to six cents per mile last summer, a policy that pushed its first-quarter salary expenses up 3.2 percent. J.B. Hunt, meanwhile, spent 5.5 percent more on workers in the first quarter.

As a share of revenue, however, those raises weren’t noticeable. Transportation executives may be masters of managing a supply chain, but they have proved pretty terrible at taking care of a human resources pipeline. Last year, the median wage for the country’s 1.6 million truck drivers was $38,200, on average. That’s not terrible—better than the overall average wage, in fact—but if it were higher, trucking firms wouldn’t be so strapped for employees or rattled by the coming rules.

CSA's Crash Flaw?

CSA’s crash flaw: Enforcement, accident rates do not mesh

CSA Data Trail

By Todd Dills

Published June 10, 2013

 

CSA'S DATA TRAIL

The article below is part of a yearlong, in-depth series on the U.S. Department of Transportation's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program that analyzes two full years' worth of data — December 2010 (the program's beginning) to December 2012. CCJ editors have built a site dedicated to hosting the stories, interactive maps and downloadable data at CCJdigital.com/csa.

- See more at: http://www.ccjdigital.com/csas-crash-flaw-enforcement-accident-rates-do-not-mesh/#sthash.5iVF98DS.dpuf

 

CSA'S DATA TRAIL

The article below is part of a yearlong, in-depth series on the U.S. Department of Transportation's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program that analyzes two full years' worth of data — December 2010 (the program's beginning) to December 2012. CCJ editors have built a site dedicated to hosting the stories, interactive maps and downloadable data at CCJdigital.com/csa.

The largest truck fleets show crash rates well above that of one-truck carriers, yet the megafleet trucks and drivers are inspected at only a fourth of the rate of the single-truck operations, according toCommercial Carrier Journal and Overdrive’s analysis of federal data. Single-truck independent drivers are 3.5 times more likely to be put out of service than drivers for carriers with 500 or more trucks.

The carrier crash data was compiled by CCJ publisher Randall-Reilly Business Media’s RigDig Business Intelligence unit. It covers the first two years of the Compliance Safety Accountability program, launched in December 2010 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

FMCSA did not respond to a request for an interview on this topic.

For one-truck operators, these enforcement disparities entail not simply the day-to-day hassles of dealing with a well-armed regulatory regime. The bad ratings that come with violations and out-of-service orders make it increasingly difficult to secure freight in a safety-scoring landscape tilted in favor of their larger competitors.

While single-truck operators are the safest, accident rates – measured per million miles traveled – spike when those operators start adding trucks. The highest rates were found in fleets of two to 15 trucks. This isn’t surprising, given that fleets in that range often have no full-time manager – yet alone a full-time safety director – and tend to be less restrictive in screening prospective drivers.

But at the extreme ends of carrier size, the disconnect between driver out-of-service rates and carrier crash rates highlights seemingly intractable problems for small fleets at roadside, says Richard Wilson, regulatory manager with Trans Products Trans Services. Wilson believes, as do others, that too many inspectors, as well as FMCSA investigators, view small fleets as low-hanging fruit. For inspectors, the small fleets are easy revenue through citations. For investigators, it’s the numbers game – activity measured by fleet count – public agencies play to justify their existence.

“It’s much more efficient to compile large numbers of interventions on smaller carriers that provide the numbers necessary to meet the standards of the budget offices,” Wilson says.

The stellar accident record of one-truck independents, in some sense, is to be expected. “A guy that owns his own truck has his life savings in that truck” in many cases, says Phil McGuire, president of Texas-based McGuire Transportation, which has roughly a 100-truck mix of owner-operator and (mostly) company-owned trucks. “He doesn’t want to put a scratch on it, much less be in an accident.” Managing only yourself, McGuire adds, “you can do a lot better” keeping a handle on safety.

When carriers of any size have negative CSA percentile rankings in the public BASICs  (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories), brokers, shippers and insurance companies now are more interested. J. Webb Kline, owner of a Pennsylvania-based six-truck fleet, said in February he’d lost in the neighborhood of  $1.5 million in sales over the past year because brokers and shippers looked at the fleet’s Hours of Service Compliance BASIC score and determined it was a high risk.

“Profit from CSA in being able to bid out your business better – or CSA will profit from you,” says David Saunders, chief executive officer of Texas-headquartered Compliance Safety Systems, which administers drug and alcohol screening programs for carriers. “Small and large carriers will have to defend themselves with customers. Say my [public BASICs] are high as a small carrier, but I don’t have a high crash rate with DOT recordables – ‘Why won’t you do business with me?’ ”

The Crash Indicator BASIC is one where owner-operators, carriers and drivers with a fairly clean crash history can benefit, says Saunders. That’s often true even for those, like Kline, with high scores in other BASICs.

The largest all-leased-owner-operator carrier in the nation, Landstar System, was able to exploit its Crash Indicator rating, says Joe Beacom, vice president of safety. In 2012, Landstar Inway – along with Landstar Ranger, one of the company’s primary truckload fleets – moved above the intervention threshold in the Hours of Service Compliance BASIC.

That raised concerns for some shippers and also marked the carrier for federal attention. Landstar voluntarily began to show shippers its private Crash Indicator percentile ranking as a way to prove its safety in ways other BASICs didn’t. “It’s 9 or so – the top 10 percent best in accident frequency in the peer group,” Beacom said.

Landstar also began requiring use of electronic onboard recorders for hours monitoring for all new lessees with Inway and Ranger. This helped turn the scores around and put the divisions back below threshold.

For small fleets with a few accidents that were not their fault, however, the opposite of Landstar’s case may well be true. Independent owner-operator Melvin Davis tells of his father’s four-truck BMD Inc. fleet, based in Michigan. Despite having a virtually perfect CSA profile – with none of the five public BASICs registering any score whatsoever – BMD has seen two accidents associated with one of its drivers in the past two years.

“Neither one of the accidents were his fault,” Davis says. “The first one definitely wasn’t, as a woman spun out on the ice in front of him. The second one was in Indianapolis on a blind curve” where traffic had stopped unexpectedly. “He was never charged with the accident,” says Davis.

And yet both accidents are part of BMD’s Crash Indicator score because there is no accounting for blame in that scoring.

“If it’s not your fault, how can you be slammed for it?” Davis asks, reflecting the opinion of many in the industry.

The conclusion of FMCSA’s research into whether it can start to account for fault in carrier crash data is due this year. Speaking to the Maryland Motor Truck Association’s Western Maryland Chapter in December 2011, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said the goal of the research “is to code every interstate motor carrier crash as either ‘accountable’ or ‘not accountable’ to the motor carrier and the driver. However, this is an enormous task, and it will take time to implement.” Since then, Ferro has been less emphatic about the goals of the crash-accountability study. Other representatives in the agency have started questioning whether such an accounting is even possible in most cases.

For carriers with crashes on the record, says Saunders, the other crucial piece of the carrier self-defense pie relative to CSA is the driver and vehicle out-of-service rate. “Rather than being hung up on how un-American CSA is and how the federal government messed up, polish the image of who you are as a company and a driver,” he says. “Look for a way to position yourself as a driver and as a company to … be able to tell a shipper or insurance company” you’re dependable.

“If every time I get in that truck I have a chance of being put out of service because I violated a rule, that shipper won’t conduct business with me,” Saunders adds. “The insurance company won’t work with me.”

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This article is not necessarily the opinion of this blog's administrator/owner. It is provided as research only.