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Another sign of our declining economy is showing today as Elfrink Transportation Closes Leaving More Than 50 Without Jobs.  Disappointing economic news hits the local trucking industry.
Elfrink Transportation in Cape Girardeau shut down Wednesday leaving more than 50 employees without work just before Christmas.  Read more at: http://www.kfvs12.com/global/story.asp?s=9568484

The truck stop giant joins in as an economic victim as Flying J files for bankruptcy protection.  Flying J Inc. files for bankruptcy protection Associated Press - December 22, 2008 5:55 PM ET OGDEN, Utah (AP) - The Ogden-based oil company Flying J Inc. and 2 of its subsidiaries on Monday
filed petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy...http://www.kjct8.com/global/story.asp?s=9567438.

Less us all hope that 2009 offers us a more prosperous future!

Check out our new Podcast.  This talk radio show is live or available through Itune download and other MP3 formats.

Listen in as we discuss DOT Compliance, safety management, HOS, driver training and industry changes.

Kickoff series, "So you want to be a trucker?" begins Thursday, December 18, 2008.  Join us as we discuss the history of trucking, what it takes to be a driver, the difference between being and O/O and a Co. Driver, HOS and much more.

Your input helps us know what you want to hear.  Add your comments here today. (http://thedotdoctor.com/the_dot_doctor_speaks)

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This new ruling shares the responsibility between the intermodal equipment provider, motor carrier and driver.  Since all are responsible, in their own aspect, for highway safety; this may be a more fair method of distributing responsibility. 

...but for the Port workers who carry these containers for a living, I have to wonder if this increased responsibility along with the current Clean Air rules at the Ports in Southern CA will not have an adverse effect on the industry.  Let's see what 2009 brings!

FMCSA Issues Rule to Improve the Safety of Equipment Used in the Transportation of Intermodal Containers

WASHINGTON—New rules issued today will significantly strengthen safety requirements for intermodal container chassis, the special trailers that hold cargo containers when they are transferred from ship or rail to truck for final delivery, announced John H. Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

"We want to ensure that every piece of equipment traveling on our highways is operating safely," said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. "These new rules will bring new safety and enforcement focus on the chassis and equipment used to haul goods on our nation’s roads every day," Hill said.

The new regulations make intermodal equipment providers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for the first time, and establish shared safety responsibility among intermodal equipment providers, motor carriers, and drivers.

Beginning in December 2009, intermodal equipment providers must have in effect regular and systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance programs for intermodal chassis; they will also need to track defects reported and repairs made. By December 2010, each intermodal provider is required to identify its equipment with a USDOT number. FMCSA’s final rule also outlines inspection requirements for motor carriers and drivers operating intermodal equipment.

Intermodal equipment providers will be subject to on-site reviews to ensure compliance with the new rules. Penalties for violating these rules range from civil fines to a prohibition on providing or operating intermodal equipment found to pose an imminent hazard.

The final rule on this Intermodal Chassis is available for review at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/rulemakings/rule-programs/rule_making_details.asp?ruleid=257&year=2008&cat=final.

FMCSA 10-08
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Contact: Kristin Schrader
Tel.: (202) 366-9999 or (202) 366-2309

FMCSA Toughens Safety Requirements for New Commercial Truck and Bus Companies

WASHINGTON—The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced a new rule to place stricter safety requirements on all newly registered trucking and bus companies. This final rule raises the compliance standards for passing new entrant safety audits, while ensuring that safety deficiencies are corrected before a new motor carrier is granted permanent registration with the agency.

"These more stringent safety requirements are meant to help new carriers succeed at establishing and maintaining a comprehensive safety management program," said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. "Imposing these tougher standards will ensure that new entrants are fully aware and compliant with federal safety regulations aiding in the continued reduction of highway crashes and fatalities on our nation’s highways."

The final rule issued by the FMCSA establishes that a newly registered trucking or bus company will automatically fail its safety audit if it violates any one of 16 essential federal regulations during the 18-month safety monitoring period. These essential regulations cover controlled substances and alcohol testing, hours-of-service, driver qualifications, vehicle condition, and carrier financial responsibility.

If a company fails its new entrant safety audit, it may result in revocation of a carrier’s registration with the agency, unless the carrier takes necessary corrective action within a specified time period established by FMCSA.

The rule would also require that if during the 18-month safety monitoring period, certain violations are discovered during roadside inspections, the new entrant may be subjected to a new entrant expedited safety audit or in the case of serious safety violations, a more comprehensive compliance review, which can result in fines and penalties. The carrier may also be required to submit a written corrective action plan explaining in detail how the carrier will achieve compliance with the safety rules and improve its safety performance.

The final rule on the New Entrant Safety Assurance Process is available for review on the FMCSA Web site in Rules and Regulations.

The DOT Doctor is currently seeking sales and marketing pros.  For more information visit: http://thedotdoctor.com/employment_opportunities

Six figure income possible!  Make 2009 a successful year for you and the DOT Doctor.   Happy Holidays!

It is the time of the year to collect those annual driver reports.  A FREE report form can be downloaded at: http://thedotdoctor.com/dq_files.
Check out the download for 3 additional bonuses.

Happy Holidays!

I am a welder by trade and have worked on UST's and AST's over the last several years. In my experience it's almost always rushing and skipping procedures that lead to accidents. Three parts to cause explosion fuel,oxygen and ignition take at least one out of the mix and no explosion:-)
Sent from my iPhone.

On Dec 12, 2008, at 5:47 AM, "Don Johnston"  wrote:


Welding - Various Incidents Cause for Concern


CSB to Conduct Full Investigation of Causes of Catastrophic Fertilizer Tank Collapse at Allied Terminals in Chesapeake, Virginia - Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations Citing Hazard to Public from Welding Defects on Several Remaining Tanks

Chesapeake, Virginia, December 8, 2008 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today issued urgent safety recommendations following last month’s collapse of a two-million-gallon liquid fertilizer storage tank at the Allied Terminals distribution facility in Chesapeake, VA, urging the company to take immediate steps to safeguard three other nearby fertilizer storage tanks from possible failure.

According to the text of the urgent recommendations which were unanimously approved by the Board and released at a news conference here today, "The potential for collapse of a tank poses an unacceptably high risk of causing substantial property damage or a number of injuries or possibly deaths among the general public."

The November 12 tank collapse seriously injured two contract workers, who were hospitalized. Two members of the public who tried to aid the injured men required treatment likely related to exposure to ammonia vapor from the released fertilizer. The fertilizer overtopped a containment dike and flooded sections of a nearby residential neighborhood, requiring ongoing remediation of the soil. At least 200,000 gallons of spilled fertilizer could not be accounted for, and some reached the nearby Elizabeth River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

"The urgent recommendations we released today are designed to protect the safety of workers, the public and the environment," said CSB Chairman John S. Bresland. "We are calling on Allied Terminals to immediately reduce the hazard from the remaining tanks by lowering the maximum safe fill height and to retain a qualified tank engineering firm to assess the tanks’ safety. The independent engineering analysis should be conducted promptly, within 30 days, and its results provided to the city." The recommendations further call on Allied Terminals to develop and implement a corrective action plan for any identified deficiencies in the tanks.

CSB investigators concluded that the November 12 collapse of Tank 201, which contained an aqueous solution of urea and ammonium nitrate fertilizer, likely resulted from defective welds on the tank wall. The welding was performed in 2006 as part of a project to strengthen four fertilizer tanks that were constructed around 1929 by replacing vertical riveted seams.

"We found a number of welding defects where the modifications were made, including incomplete penetration of the welding metal into the joints," said CSB Lead Investigator Robert J. Hall, P.E. "These welding defects likely weakened Tank 201 and led to its failure when the liquid was raised to a level slightly below the tank's recommended safe fill height."

In the course of investigating the collapse of Tank 201 last week, CSB investigators determined that three other large fertilizer tanks, which were welded during the same time period, likely have welding defects similar to Tank 201—including insufficient reinforcement, porosity, and weld undercut—that could cause the tanks to fail. The closest of the three large tanks is located 250 feet from homes.

Investigators said that the level of risk could not be quantified based on their external visual examination of the welds and that a thorough, independent engineering analysis should be conducted, including testing to check for the internal defects in the welds.

Following the welding of the four fertilizer tanks, and before the collapse of Tank 201, Allied Terminals had hired HMT Inspection, a Texas-based tank engineering firm with offices worldwide, to examine each tank in accordance with existing industry safety guidelines for petroleum tanks. HMT’s report did not identify the welding defects that led to this failure; it recommended a "safe fill height" for each tank. However, the November 12 collapse of Tank 201 occurred while the tank was being filled to a level about three inches below the 27-foot safe fill height recommended by HMT.

Chairman Bresland said the remainder of the CSB investigation would focus on understanding why the welding defects occurred, why the tank deficiencies were not detected and corrected, and whether improvements are needed in the oversight of aboveground storage tank safety.

"At this stage in the investigation, it appears that no federal, state, or local agency has clear regulatory and enforcement responsibility for the safety of non-petroleum aboveground storage tanks," Mr. Bresland said. "Because of the hazard such tanks can pose, the CSB will examine whether additional safeguards are necessary at the national and state levels."

The CSB has identified similar oversight issues in other aboveground storage tank accidents. For example, the CSB previously investigated a sulfuric acid tank collapse in 2001 at the then-Motiva oil refinery in Delaware City, Delaware. Following that accident, which killed a contractor, injured eight others, and polluted the Delaware River, the Delaware state legislature enacted an extensive regulatory system for aboveground storage tanks, under the Jeffrey Davis Aboveground Storage Tank Act.

Mr. Bresland noted the outstanding coordination among the various local, state, and federal agencies responding to the spill, including the Chesapeake Fire Department, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, and the Region III office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Allied Terminals has been cooperating with the CSB investigation.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

<image001.png> Watch Security Video of Release - http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/about-200000-gallons-fertilizer-spill-still-not-recovered

Welders arrested in deadly warehouse fire


ICHEON, South Korea, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- South Korean police have arrested two welders suspected of causing a warehouse fire that left seven dead and five injured south of Seoul, officials said. After arrest warrants were requested for the welders, they were detained Saturday on charges of manslaughter by gross negligence on duty, police told Yonhap, the South Korean news agency. Firefighters Sunday were still putting out flames at the cold storage warehouse in Icheon, about 37 miles south of Seoul. Police said they found the body of one missing worker, identified as Lee Hyeon-seok, in the debris, bringing the death toll to seven, Yonhap said. The accident happened less than a year after a similar warehouse fire killed 40 people in Icheon in January. Like the previous fire, police said this one was worsened by malfunctioning firefighting equipment and blocked emergency exits.

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-news/441417-south-korea-warehouse-fire-kills-6/

Man Dies in Miami Oil Tanker Explosion


NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A contractor has died, and his son was injured after an oil tanker exploded.Late Thursday afternoon, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews reported to the scene at 8470 NW 68 St. where the tanker exploded while the two contractors hired by the E.M.C. Oil Corp. performed some work on top of a tank. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue explained that the father and son team were welding on top of the tanker when it exploded, spraying oil and debris everywhere, killing the father. It is believed that the deceased victim died from the flying debris. Richard Souza witnessed the explosion that was so strong it blew the cab of the truck open and sprayed a third man working nearby with oil. "I was working, then I saw a loud 'bloom'!" he said. "A pipe flew from their side to our side here." Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Arnold Piedrahita said the pair made a fatal mistake of not working on a tank filled to capacity. "If there is a combustible liquid
inside of a tank, regardless of the size of the tank, if it's full, it leaves no room for a vapor space," he said. "Vapors is what igntes and causes explosions. That's why, when these tanks are worked on they usually need to be full to create as minimum as a vapor space as possible. In this case, apparently, the vapor space was too great." The company recycles used oil and ships it. Fire rescuers could be seen treating the son on the scene from the back of an ambulance. He was sitting there conscious and talking with them. Family members were seen showing up to the scene. They did not speak to the media, but a little girl sitting inside a car could be seen crying. Miami-Dade police had cordoned off the area while they investigated.The subcontractors did not work directly for the company. It is not know how much experience or how often they've worked for this company before this fatal accident. A full investigation remains pending.

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI105589/

Regards
Kevin D Westwood
JOIFF Secretary
BP International Ltd Bld 'B' 2nd Floor, Chertsey Road, Sunbury on Thames TW16 7LN, UK

A simple reminder – always put SAFETY first and your return will be in keeping you and your company in the green.   Happy Holidays!

Don't let this happen to you.  The days of running multiple logs and dropping trips are gone.  You will be caught, fined and sentenced.  It is just not worth the risk.  Both the driver and the company looses.  Let the DOT Doctor ensure you are running legal with all the authorities, permits, endorsements and training that you need.  Learn how to get the most out of your log hours.  Visit us today (http://thedotdoctor.com/hazmat) and don't let this be you.....

 
By CCJ Staff

An Alabama truck driver recently was sentenced after pleading guilty to transporting undeclared hazardous waste, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office. Wayne Parker was sentenced Dec. 2 in U.S. District Court in Cullman, Ala., to five months home detention, followed by 43 months probation, and a $3,000 fine, DOT-OIG said.

The investigation was initiated as a result of a port check conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to DOT-OIG; Parker was inspected at a weight station and was found to be in possession of three separate driver logs, which showed that he omitted recording a trip when he was transporting hazardous waste.

The new ERG2008 is now available.

Visit: http://thedotdoctor.com/hazmat for more information.

 Video - ERG 2008 Training Video http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/

  The most expensive road in the US now costs more.  Lucky us!  I see even more trucks taking the mountains of I-80s to fight off the increase.  Pa and Oh almost make it impossible to afford to do business in these days. 

Anyone recall the driver from many years back that made headlines who hauled the Christmas tree for the Nation's Capital and run across the PATP?  His oversized vehicle was outrageously priced and he made the news for his ordeal.  What a way to be remembered! 

My state of birth, again costs us all more.  High taxes.  Extra taxes than most states.  You have to pay to work in this state and now toll road raise.  Yes, the highways need repair but at what cost?  This is really going to hit the pocketbook of the O/O hard who has to cover his own tolls and runs through PA on the most expensive road in the USA.

Happy Weekend!  Run safe.   Happy Holidays!
By CCJ Staff

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials announced Thursday, Dec. 4, that the Turnpike will supply $1.3 billion in new funding in the next year and a half for statewide road and bridge projects and mass-transit agencies with the upcoming 2009 toll increase resulting from Act 44 of 2007.

"The mission of America's First Superhighway has changed, and that change is evident in every Pennsylvania county today because of the $1.2 billion we've already provided to PennDOT during the previous 16 months," says Joseph Brimmeier, Turnpike chief executive officer. "No state has provided anywhere near this level of new funding."

Under Act 44, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Ed Rendell in July 2007, the Turnpike will provide a total of $2.5 billion in supplemental transportation funding from August 2007 to May 2010. In order to meet this obligation, most Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls will increase by 25 percent effective Jan. 4 -- a year earlier than anticipated before the enactment of Act 44.

With the new fares, the most-common rates for commercial vehicles will increase from $2 to $2.50, from $2.25 to $2.85, from $3.50 to $4.40, from $6.25 to $7.85, and from $15.25 to $19.10. A full toll schedule is available online at www.paturnpike.com. The new rates will become effective at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Tolls will increase across the entire system with two exceptions: Tolls on the newest sections (Findlay Connector/PA-576 and Mon-Fayette Expressway/Turnpike 43 Uniontown to Brownsville section) will remain at their current rates that were set in anticipation of the increase.

The Turnpike originally planned to implement a toll increase in January 2010, but the Commonwealth's transportation funding crisis sparked the passage of Act 44 last year and the new toll-rate structure. "Back in 2004, we projected a need to increase tolls again by 25 percent in 2010," Brimmeier says. "Now, our new Act 44 responsibilities dictate that the increase is needed one year earlier." As a result of the toll increase, projected annual gross toll revenue will increase from $619.2 million (2008 fiscal year end) to about $738.4 million (projected 2010 fiscal year end).

Brimmeier also announced that the Turnpike is taking a new approach to how and when future increases are handled. Starting in January 2010, tolls will go up incrementally by about three percent each year. "In 2004, customers told us they prefer regularly scheduled increases so they can anticipate the change as opposed to levying a substantial increase every dozen years or so," Brimmeier says. "And since more than half of our revenues are collected electronically with E-ZPass, it's much simpler now to implement a recurrent rate change."

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  "PU: Energy Source or Death Source" discusses the advantages of Nuclear Energy vs. conventional energy methods. Understand this value element and its benefits to the environment. The health risks, terrorist potential and proper handling of Plutonium are discussed in detail. 

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"The Realities of Trucking Driving" How many miles you can REALLY expect to drive per week? What will I really make my first year? Know if you should be paid by % or Cent Per Mile (CPM). Dealing with recruiters; separating the facts from fiction. What is guaranteed hometime? Which pays better, Owner Operator or a Company Driver? What type of freight should I haul? Where do I find a good company? Does my car driving record affect my ability to be hired? Do the tickets I get as a commercial driver cost me on my car insurance? What is DAC and why do I care? How do I protect my DAC score?  “I Want to be an Owner-Operator; now what?” Can I afford to become an O/O? What money does it really take to be independent? Where do I find work as an O/O? How do I find insurance for my family now that I am independent?    "Truths Driving Schools Hide From Their Students" Why new drivers have a difficult time finding and maintaining employment? Time to make big dollars now; not! Difference between running team and working for the teamsters. To sleep or not? Trucking driving is not freedom.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This news was just shared with me regarding medical certs for CDL holders.  I know CA and some states currently have this requirement but now anyone renewing their CDL will have to have a current medical card.  Bad news for those of us how retain our CDL for training and other purposes but not for active usage.

~The DOT Doctor (http://thedotdoctor.com)

New medical certification requirements for CDL holders in January

New medical certification requirements for CDL holders in January

This rule is effective Jan. 30, 2009. State compliance is required by Jan. 30, 2012. All CDL holders must comply with the requirement to submit to the SDLA their self-certification on whether they are subject to the physical qualification rules by Jan. 30, 2014.

Beginning Jan. 30, 2009, new regulations take effect regarding medical certificates and Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

In a Final Rule published Dec. 1, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration amended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require interstate CDL holders subject to the physical qualification requirements of the FMCSRs to provide a current original or copy of their medical examiner's certificates to their State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA).

The Agency also requires the SDLA to record on the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS) driver record the self-certification the driver made regarding the applicability of the federal driver qualification rules and, for drivers subject to those requirements, the medical certification status information specified in the Final Rule.

This rule is effective Jan. 30, 2009. State compliance is required by Jan. 30, 2012. All CDL holders must comply with the requirement to submit to the SDLA their self-certification on whether they are subject to the physical qualification rules by Jan. 30, 2014.

- The Trucker; Monday, December 1, 2008