Dr. John’s 5 year review of the health care needs of the American Trucker.
The American Trucker is the most invisible occupation in the USA when it comes to access to health care. After 15 years of interviewing drivers all over the USA me an some foolhardy soles in vested countless hours of time and money to bring health care to the drivers across the country. We failed, for many reasons, but succeeded in folks paying attention to the most needed profession in our country. Always remember “AMERICA Travels by Truck” as you read this first of many articles on healthcare needs for our most vital profession that keeps this country turning.
Unfortunately some business out there are trying to make this into another money making rip off for truckers with everything know to man to shrink your hemorrhoids to make you feel energized. What you are about to read is an accumulation of datum collected by the old PDMD clinics and the St Christopher Driver Development and Relief Fund. www.truckersfund.com.
In October of 2006 to January 2007 volunteers gave out free flu shots in exchange for survey participation on a confidential basis. To date the biggest study published in the medical literature was 300 drivers who were given a $10 dollar voucher at a truck stop. The majority approached declined. The data was interesting but lacked the numbers needed to be representative. The flu shot program produced 1667 participants that covered the entire WWT (Wonderful World of Trucking) men, women, fleet, owner operators, team drivers, Black, White, Hispanic, and American Indian. . How you say? Well with a generous donation from Dave Nemo, Michael Burns at Nemo Entertainment XM 171 Open Road Channel (Now Road Dog Channel) and myself we did what had never be accomplished in a short time. We now new what was needed but could we pull it off. We needed sites that a trucker could, on the fly, stop and get health care and educate the drivers and congress on what access to health care really will mean to a dying profession. This data is available at www.truckersfund.com for a donation approved by our Executive Director Donna Kennedy PhD.
What are the needs of the American Trucker? Well the list is endless and to make a long story short I will summarize the #1 need using only one word,
“EDUCATION”.
Hopefully with the help of RRP (please format if you can) and their many publications and OOIDA with Land Line Now, St Christopher MeRV (medical resource vehicle) and Nemo Entertainment we hope to accomplish this “Education” piece.
We have failed on our first attempt but have never given up. Our mission is to break through the stereotypical attitude that you can’t educate a trucker will be put to rest.
RRP has asked the SCF to do an article every month. The first year will be dedicated to topics that we know to be fact. Then as we have done with our XM show, the MeRV, and Landline let begin showing America that you are the best of the best by dispelling rumor that we will never bring healthcare education to the drivers.
—Dr John
Dear G.A.B.
Dear Gab,
My husband and I have been married for 22 years. He is a long distance truck driver that enjoys fishing and bowling in his free time. Plus he’s handy around the house and loves his Sunday afternoons falling asleep in front of the TV (“watching” whatever sporting event happens toa be on). At least that’s how he used to be. But he’s changing and I’m more than a little worried.
Recently he received a package wrapped in a plain brown envelope. Intrigued (maybe a little “pick me up” for a flagging sex life), I decided to sneak a peek. Instead of a naughty magazine or DVD, I was surprised (and, admittedly, a little disappointed) to find a strange elasticized foundation garment. It was, in fact, a male girdle, apparently known as a “mirdle”. I was stunned. And when we went out for dinner last night he ordered wine instead of beer, and even insisted on tasting it first. He’s as loving as ever, perhaps even more demonstrative than usual, but just not himself.
What happened to the scruffy, macho trucker man I married?
Signed ,
Missing My Macho Man
Dear Missing,
Your husband has been infected with a disease known as “metro-sexuality” which has become epidemic among heterosexual men, especially in urban areas where there is a good selection of spas and fitness centers. This is a progressive illness and it would be well that you prepare yourself for what’s coming.
It begins with seemingly benign symptoms. He may, for example, sign up for cooking lessons, compliment your outfits or offer an unsolicited opinion about the wallpaper you’re considering for the dining room. He may seem uncharacteristically aware of the color of his socks. Little by little the afflicted male will begin to develop unusual grooming habits. Thus, the man who used to only occasionally remember to tuck in his shirt will be constantly checking himself out from various angles in the mirror. He will use multiple hair products – at the same time and count calories.
Soon he will be exfoliating and perusing issues of GQ and Details magazines. After spending hours agonizing over whether wax, laser or depilatories are best to remove back hair, he’ll go out and purchase a Mangroomer. You’ll receive clear and specific hints about the model of upscale juicer he wants for his birthday.
Often the disease progresses towards a penchant for titanium jewelry and cashmere scarves. He may price out liposuction. In the final stages, he is likely to complain that the two of you don’t “talk enough” and incessantly share his feelings about your relationship.
You should know, and perhaps can take comfort in the fact, that celebrities such as David Beckham, Brad Pitt and Hugh Jackman also suffer from chronic metro-sexuality and seem to be able to live normal lives (for them, anyway). Which is fine, I guess, if your husband happens to be David Beckham, but not so much if you’re married to a paunchy, middle-aged, balding man who has inexplicably taken to carrying a manbag and watching Project Runway.
Well, I have to be honest with you Missing, the prognosis is grim and there is no known cure. Not that some wives haven’t tried, resorting to such tactics as squirting testosterone in his carrot juice or hiding the anti-wrinkle cream. All to no avail.
But on the bright side – no more worries about where to go on vacation, you’ll both opt for the spa, booking side-by-side mani-pedis, and he’s sure to be much more helpful around the kitchen. And then you’ll have someone to share a box of Kleenex with when Deborah Kerr can’t get off the couch at the end of “An Affair to Remember”.
So stand by your metro-man, smooth skin and all, but don’t forget to hide your good purse.
Signed,
GAB
Transition Into 2011 Truck Driving
Want to drive a big truck? Do you have a brother, cousin or friend that is thinking of joining the men and women who travel the highways and byways of our great country? Truck driving is usually a good paying career and allows you to travel as little or as much as you like depending upon your job. Driving is one of the last jobs that will trust you with a $100,000 vehicle and sometimes up to a $1,000,000 load of cargo and send you out across county to show up next week for delivery. You can’t take home a 6 carrot diamond from your job at the jewelry store for your wife to wear next week while you go on vacation, the insurance company frowns on that little idea. But the carrier and the insurance company are happy to trust you with the same amount of cargo value over the road. Professional truck drivers are just that, Professional.
Something that you may not know or understand is how the states exchange information about your Commercial Drivers License or you Motor Vehicle Record. This is where the story gets a little scary. Think of all the government workers in all the states as the evil stepsisters of Cinderella. Lets call the evil stepsisters Frustration, Anxiety and Stress and all going about their business without really caring what Cinderella, which is you, does as long as you make no money and have no fun. We also have the evil stepmother, the Federal Government, who likes the evil stepsisters better than she does you so you are often left to carry out the trash from the big party they had.
Frustration causes you problems because it seems that everything you do or want to do is delayed by a government employee with zero interest in resolving your problem, which causes your problem to hang around much longer than really necessary. An example could be a judge dismissed your ticket in KS but your home state of GA failed to get that information and put the original ticket on your MVR, thus causing your license to be suspended. You have a certified copy of the judge’s order showing the Dismissal but your home state DMV clerk tells you ‘We do everything in the order in which we get it, which could take up to 14 business days’. She promptly leaves to go on another smoke break leaving you standing there to wait on her return. Usually her 15 minute breaks turns into 30 minutes and the next thing you know it her lunch time. Large bureaucracies seem to work like this way too often – no one cares.
Anxiety is the evil stepsister that will never tell you when your problem will be solved, if ever, and when you will find out it was or was not resolved. Back to our DMV clerk who is now on her cell phone with a personal call to tell her kids to quick bothering each other and clean their rooms. Here you sit with your license suspended for up to 14 days and no one will, or can or wants to give you any information. You call home and try to explain to the family why they need to cut back on spending for a while. Then you go to the pharmacy for some Rolaids or other heartburn/upset stomach medicine and wait, and wait and wait.
Evil stepsister Stress is the natural outcome from not being in control of your future. Nothing you can do will speed up the process of a giant government bureaucracy. Do you try for a non-driving job to keep the money flowing, go fishing for a week or two, finish the honey-dos around the house, or take a chance and drive while suspended? Do not choose to drive while suspended, that is a whole other serious problem if your get caught and you most likely will get caught.
Here you sit, with all the evil stepsisters working against you and the stepmom not even caring, watching your job, your future, your home life and your health go down the drain. How did this happen? What can you do? Is truck driving even something you want to continue?
How did it happen? Either you were in violation of the law, the enforcement officer had a quota to make that day, or you were the wrong red truck the officer stopped. What you can do is seek assistance in getting the evil stepsisters to speed up work and get your license reinstated so you can get back to work. Do you want to continue doing what you are doing? If you like the road and all trucking entails then the answer is yes. If not look for another job.
Twenty percent of the calls my office receives are from drivers where the government has made an error on either reporting a traffic violation by the court or a mistake on the driver’s MVR by the state DMV. Some of the reporting errors are due to the judge failing to properly write down the result of a traffic ticket case. Others are from the court clerk not reading what the judge has written and/or sending the wrong information to DMV. These errors should be very easy to repair. However, I come across many judges and court clerks that simply say, “Well, it’s too late now.” How can it be “too late now”, when their failure to correct a simple mistake on their part has such a huge effect on a driver’s MVR. That simple mistake can cost a driver his job, safety bonus, or even his CDL, “too late”, my foot. I think either the government employee is too lazy to repair their own mistake, they don’t care about the effect on the driver, or they are too important in their own minds to do the right thing.
Often, I can get the DMV to modify or correct their mistake by the paperwork I provide. However, when I run up against the evil stepsister mentality of “too late, too bad, how sad” I have no choice but to go back to the court of original jurisdiction and have the judge or court clerk modify or correct their mistakes in order that the driver receive the punishment the court intended him to receive and not the death sentence the DMV so easily wants to dish out. This effort sometimes requires me to reopen a case before the judge and start all over for the driver. Don’t give up if this has happened to you. You may still have a chance to correct your driving record to protect your job, your future, and you’re CDL.
CSA 2010 is set to start this year. The FMCSA has set November 30, 2010 as when they “flip the switch” on 2010. They know there will be problems, but have elected to proceed anyway. So you can expect even more confusion between the states DMV and the Federal Government on the BASICs for the driver and the carrier. FMCSA has not determined how at this point a driver or carrier will be able to contest a warning citation which FMCSA counts just the same as a regular citation, but they have promised to have a solution when they go live. They are looking into actually dismissing a warning or citation if it is dismissed by a judge and keeping it off your BASICs. Why would they not dismiss it if you convinced a judge you did not do it. They are still determining whether or not to remove points from the carrier for terminating a bad driver. They still do not have a way for the carrier to contest the citation or warning against their driver if the citation or warning was not also written in the company name even though the points against the driver will also go against the carrier, just to name a few.
Lots of things to be worked out changed or fixed with the new rules means additional confusion for the carriers, the drivers and the state DMVs. But, anytime there is change there is the opportunity for you the driver to advance your career by passing all your inspections, not getting warning or citations. Don’t let the evil stepmom ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’. Watch what you are doing and you will find fewer drivers on the road, which means you will be paid more for your clean MVR and CDL. Keep your CSA 2010 BASICs number low and you earn more money. Simple idea, but may be difficult to accomplish.
• You can contact Jim C. Klepper at www.interstatetrucker.com or
www.driverslegalplan.com.
The information, advice and opinions in Legal Lane are entirely those of Jim C. Klepper.
Wired for Safety
Like the best NASCAR drivers, with their tightly honed skills, fast reflexes, and years of practice, even top truckers can quickly get into a steering problem. Two major brake component makers have introduced systems that can prevent a rig from rolling over or losing control when approaching a jackknife. These systems use many of the components that make ABS successful, and tap into the know-how industry engineers have developed around tractor-trailer dynamics.
Rollover and full stability systems
There are the two basic system types, says Mark Melletat, director of trailer systems and fleet operations at Meritor Wabco. One is roll stability control. The other, full stability control, combines RSC with other technology to provide broader and more powerful corrective actions.
RSC “provides the highest value of vehicle rollover stability with the fewest components and maintenance requirements and the lowest cost,” Melletat says. “It continually monitors conditions that can lead to a rollover and can automatically de-throttle the engine and apply the engine brake, as well as the drive and trailer axle foundation brakes, to reduce tractor-trailer speed when lateral acceleration limits are about to be exceeded.”
For example, if a rig will roll over in a curve at 40 mph, but the driver is doing 46 mph, the system will slow the rig below 40 to reduce centrifugal force.
Meritor Wabco calls its full stability control system Electronic Stability Control. It combines RSC with the added capability of yaw or rotational control. RSC includes a sensor that can tell when the tractor is turning around on its own axis, like it does when starting to jackknife. “ESC can reduce the risk of vehicle instability while in a slippery curve or taking an evasive action, preventing jackknife and drift-out conditions through selective braking of the tractor and application of the trailer brakes,” Melletat says. “If loss of stability is detected, tractor-trailer speed is reduced through engine control and application of the engine brake, tractor and trailer foundation brakes.”
Fred Andersky, director of marketing at Bendix, describes road conditions that could activate Bendix’s comparable technology, Electronic Stability Program. “Let’s say a car cuts in front of a tractor-trailer, and the driver swerves abruptly,” he says. “This starts a chain of events leading to rollover. The system at first mitigates the situation, preventing loss of control, and prevents rollover.”
Andersky says a full stability system gives a larger margin for correcting driver error. RSC could prevent a rollover if the driver is within 7 mph of the maximum safe speed. “With full stability control, the driver could be as much as 14 mph beyond the rollover point, and the system will still be likely to be able to keep the vehicle upright,” he says. “Also, full stability helps on a slick surface when a rollover won’t occur, but a jackknife might. It will perform loss of control mitigation when a roll stability system will not react.”
Andersky says the system incorporates ABS wheel speed sensors plus a lateral acceleration sensor that measures force being generated on a curve. For full stability control, a steer axle sensor is added, as well as a yaw rate sensor. The steer axle sensor tells the system how far the steering wheel is from the center position and which way the driver is steering. The yaw rate sensor works like a gyroscope. It detects how fast the tractor is turning on its axis. That’s how the system knows if the driver is headed toward a jackknife.
“Both systems are tractor-based, though they also control the trailer brakes,” Andersky adds. “Roll only cuts throttle, and then applies the brakes on the drive and trailer axles. ESC also applies the brakes on the steer axle, which is the best way to slow as fast as possible.”
But the ability to control the steer axle brakes also allows ESC to do what even the most skilled truck or racecar driver can’t – apply the brakes selectively to straighten out the vehicle. Andersky says that in a loss of control, not just a rollover, “full stability can control which brakes apply and when. Suppose the tractor is jackknifing to the left. The system will just apply the right/front steer axle brake and the trailer brakes. It will slow the vehicle, but also redirect it to where the driver wants to go.”
Melletat says that in some applications Meritor Wabco’s RSC can apply the front axle brakes. The ESC system includes a brake pressure sensor to report to the system what the driver is doing with the brakes to effectively apply appropriate pressure levels.
Both companies also supply trailer-only systems. They rely on a lateral acceleration sensor to apply trailer brakes when a rollover is imminent. The Bendix truck/tractor systems can’t be retrofit, while the Meritor Wabco truck/tractor systems can be in some situations.
Collision safety systems
Radar, often used to catch speeders, can also be employed to warn a driver whose speed and following distance indicate an imminent front-end collision. Eaton Corp. developed the Vorad Collision Warning System and later integrated it with vehicles’ cruise control systems. Bendix purchased the Vorad system and integrated it with its ESP, renaming the combination Bendix Wingman ACB (Active Cruise with Braking).
Because these systems work with other safety systems, they can prioritize the alerts.
“For example, if you have an indication of lane departure and an impending collision, you can have the system indicate an impending collision first,” Andersky says. “Audible alerts can vary in sound from one another so the driver will know what the alert means without needing to look away from the road.” An integrated system also costs less than the component systems installed separately.
When the system detects danger, it de-throttles the engine and, if necessary, employs the engine brake and even the foundation brakes to slow the rig until its speed matches the speed of the vehicle in front. This saves the driver from constantly resetting cruise speed control to follow slower vehicles. This function operates in cruise only, but a version available by year-end will work all the time.
An optional switch allows the driver to set following distances (figured as the time) from the default value, 2.8 seconds, up to 3.5 seconds. Wingman ACB has also been upgraded to provide warnings and alerts on stationary objects.
Bendix also offers the Vorad system with active cruise, a system that does not require ESP. The major cruise control-related performance difference with Vorad is that its active cruise function de-throttles the engine and uses the engine brake, but it does not activate the foundation brakes to hold the vehicle at a satisfactory following distance. Vorad alone can be retrofit, while Wingman ACB is available only on new vehicles.
Meritor Wabco offers a similar product, the OnGuard Collision Safety System. Melletat says, “OnGuard is an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Collision Warning System (CWS). ACC is a radar-based tracking system that works in conjunction with standard cruise control to maintain the set cruise speed when no vehicle is being tracked, but maintains a safe following distance when a target vehicle is being tracked.”
The safe following distance is maintained by controlling the engine throttle, the engine retarder and the foundation brakes without driver intervention, Melletat says. When the target vehicle is no longer being tracked, the set cruise speed resumes automatically.
“The CWS provides the driver with an audible and visual alert to a potentially dangerous driving situation,” he says. “It is integral with the ACC, but also functions when the cruise control is not being used. If the driver is following too close behind another vehicle at a steady driving speed, the following distance alert emits an audible tone and the in-cab dash display screen turns yellow. This alert ends when the driver’s vehicle speed drops below the lead vehicle speed and the following distance is increased. The alert also activates if the driver is using the accelerator pedal to override the cruise control and approaches too close to a vehicle.”
Melletat says that with the cruise control set, the system provides engine throttle and retarder control, as well as foundation brake activation, if necessary. This automatic brake application is intended only to provide early braking as the driver is recognizing and reacting to the situation. It is also the driver’s responsibility to apply the brakes in response to the collision warning, he points out.
“If the cruise control is not set, the system still provides driver alerts with both visual and audible alarms,” Melletat says. “The CWS is always active when at a road speed of approximately 15 mph or faster. No action is needed to turn CWS on and it cannot be arbitrarily turned off, though ACC is only activated when the cruise control is engaged and functions only down to the engine manufacturer’s minimum cruise speed.”
The Wingman ACB system records data such as following distance and hard braking events. Andersky says, “The fear is that such data can be used against you in court. In fact, fleet managers are embracing such data. You can act on the information in deciding whether to settle or go to court. If your driver performed effectively, you can use this evidence in court. And if the evidence shows your driver was at fault, you can settle the claim instead of fighting it through litigation.”
Trucking Elite September 2010
Decker Truck Line Announces Drivers of the Month
Iowa-based Decker Companies has honored two drivers as their Drivers of the Month. Warren Erxleben in the Flatbed Division, and Robert Dodds in the Reefer-Van Division will receive a $135.00 gift certificate to the Decker Company Store. They are now eligible for the Driver of the Year Award—which results in a 1-cent-per-mile pay raise for twelve months.
Warren Erxleben, a Decker vet since ’05, is a busy father of four (Kara, Eric, Andy, and Darrell) and husband to Vicki. He names “Home!” his favorite vacation destination, and that’s where you’ll find him when he’s not driving. He enjoys watching Nascar or “Andy Griffith” reruns on TV, or engaging in his favorite hands-on hobby, working on old tractors. His dispatcher Jerry Chapman praises Warren as “hard-working, and very easy to get along with.”
Robert Dodds, a reefer-van driver, has been with Decker for seven years, and his safety motto is “Watch ahead!” Looking back, he claims he’d most enjoy sharing a meal with his grandfather from Ireland, whom he never met. A big fan of NFL football, Dodds enjoys boating on his days off. He is a father of two and grandfather to another two, whose favorite dinner is found at the Hu Hot Mongolian Grill. His dispatcher, Mike Kehoe, says, “Robert is always willing to help out!”
Cadenas named Driver of the Year by National Carriers
Juan Cadenas of Somerton, Ariz., has been named the Elite Fleet’s Driver of the Year by National Carriers, Inc., (NCI) for his excellent service and dedication to the company. Cadenas has been an owner operator with NCI since December of 2007. “This is a great honor for me,” says Cadenas. “National Carriers has been very good to me.” Cadenas, who has driven professionally for 14 years, was named Driver of the Month in February 2009. Drivers of the Month are nominated by NCI personnel and are evaluated based on performance, on-time deliveries, DOT inspections, safety record and so on.
All Drivers of the Month for that year are then considered for Driver of the Year by a committee which determines who best fits the Driver of the Year qualities. A banquet is held honoring all of the Drivers of the Month and the Driver of the Year is announced.
NCI brought Cadenas and his family to the company’s headquarters in Liberal, Kan., for the banquet where they were surprised by the announcement that Cadenas won. “Nobody knew I would win it. They just told us the banquet was to honor the Drivers of the Month,” he says. “My family was very excited.” As Driver of the Year, Cadenas was given an award jacket, a clock, plaque, hat and $5,000.
According to Cadenas, National Carriers has been very responsive to his professional and personal needs. “They keep my miles steady and have supported me in many ways,” he says. “When I wanted more home time, National Carriers moved me to the Western Region where I’m home every few days. I feel that they really care about me and my family but also they care that my business does well.”
Call 888-707-7729 today for details or visit www.nationalcarriers.com.
Prime Drivers Take Top Honors at State Driving Championship
Four Prime Inc. drivers took home high honors after participating in the 43rd Annual Missouri Truck Driving Championships sponsored by the Missouri Trucking Association on June 4 – 5, 2010. Held at the Prime Inc. CDL Training Lot in Springfield, Mo., the two-day event evaluated nearly 130 drivers on their knowledge of the industry, first aid, safety and security, and required federal vehicle inspections. The participants were then interviewed by industry experts before competing on a point-value-assessed driving skills course of six obstacles to be completed under actual everyday conditions.
The Prime winners were from the company’s refrigerated division. Prime’s Michael Fenton of Catawissa, Mo., was named “Rookie of the Year” for his outstanding well-rounded performance as a first-time contestant.
Fenton, who has been with Prime for three years, also placed first in the Tank Truck Class.
Paul Blessing, from Nappanee Ind., placed first in the Sleeper Berth Class, and has been with Prime two years. Duane Grimme, placed first in the Flatbed Class. From Satsuma, Fla., Grimme has been with Prime 13 years.
Chad Daniel, a second place winner in the Four Axle Class, is from Greencastle Pa., and has been with Prime four years.
The first place winners will be part of the Missouri Championship Team reporting to Columbus, Ohio, to compete against other state teams in the American Trucking Association’s National Truck Driving Championships August 3 -7, 2010.
During the competition the Missouri Team will compete against 450 other professionals vying for selection as the nation’s top professional truck drivers.
First, second and third place winners in all nine classes of competition as well as the top “Rookie” and the driver with the best Pre-Trip Inspection were honored at an Awards Banquet presented by the Missouri Trucking Association.
Avery Is Latest Million-Mile For CalArk
CalArk is pleased to announce their newest member of the company’s “One Million Safe Miles” club! Mr. Kendall Avery, Truck # 7009, recently achieved this major milestone, which, according to company Safety Director Dennis Hilton, is the equivalent of circling the Earth 40 times. Kendall has been driving for CalArk since April 8, 2003. Married to Wanoka Avery, and father of two children, Kendall resides in Lexa, AR. His current Driver Manager is Shane Perryman.
Kendall, whose interest in professional driving was spurred by stories from a friend, says that he enjoys the opportunity to travel all over the USA in his work. The team at CalArk wants to thank Kendall for his many years of devoted service and safety. Director of Recruiting Mary Cundiff says, “Mr. Avery is very well-respected at CalArk, he’s friendly and easy to work with. We’re proud of him!”
LinkAmerica Transportation Receives Top Level Certification as a SmartWay Transport Partner
LinkAmerica Transportation, a “Best In Class” transportation solutions provider, was recently recognized for re-certifying at the Top Level Certification with SmartWay Transport. Developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SmartWay Transport is an innovative collaboration between the government and freight shippers, carriers and logistics companies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the environmental effects of freight transport.
LinkAmerica Transportation is committed to improving the environmental performance of its freight delivery operations, specifically through its recent increase in company standard MPG. This standard will contribute to SmartWay’s goal of lowering the emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. LinkAmerica Transportation’s partnership will also assist SmartWay in saving an average of between 3.3 and 6.6 billion gallons of fuel each year by 2012.
For more information about the SmartWay Transport Partnership visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartway. For more information about LinkAmerica Corporation, visit www.lkam.com.
Greatwide Logistics Services Announces Drivers of the Year
Greatwide Logistics Services, a national provider of third-party logistics services, today announced the winners of its 2009 Driver of the Year awards. The company named Bill Hill of Upper Marlboro, Md., Company Driver of the Year, while Gordon Johnson of Delaware, Ohio, earned Owner-Operator of the Year honors. Both drivers were recognized in ceremonies held at their local operations centers.
“Our drivers are the cornerstone of our business, and these two professionals exemplify a level of dedication and commitment to excellence that makes them the best of the best,” said John Simone, president and chief operating officer, Greatwide Logistics Services. “We commend Bill and Gordon for their extraordinary service and congratulate them on being named Greatwide’s Drivers of the Year.”
Greatwide chose Hill and Johnson from 31 finalists for Driver of the Year selected out of a pool of nearly 4,000 drivers based on impressive driving records, high levels of safety performance and outstanding character. Along with Driver of the Year honors, each driver was awarded a cruise for two, a week’s worth of wages and a special Super Bowl-style ring. Additionally, all nominees received a commemorative jacket and watch, as well as a Driver of the Year nominee equipment decal.
Hill has been a professional driver for 30 years, and has traveled 2.25 million accident-free miles during his career. He typically drives a route from Greater Washington, D.C., to the New York metropolitan area, a round trip of 500 miles. Hill says patience is the key to safe driving.
Johnson has been driving professionally since 1971, covering more than 3 million accident-free miles in 39 years. His usual route takes him throughout the Ohio Valley. Johnson says he loves the independent lifestyle that driving provides. To view a YouTube video of winner Johnson, visit http://bit.ly/buQu1O. Follow Greatwide on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greatwide.
On April 28, 2010, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Bowering was driving southbound on 1-57 near Mattoon, Illinois, when a vehicle with three young women in it, passed him on the left hand side. As it reentered the right lane, the driver hit a pothole, apparently overcorrected and lost control of the vehicle, which flipped over and slid into the ditch.
Bowering pulled his truck over, got out and ran over to the wrecked vehicle to assist. Many other vehicles passed by the crash but none of them stopped. When he arrived, he found two women climbing out of the wreck with another woman still trapped inside. He entered the vehicle at risk to his life and took her pulse but could not find one. He also checked for signs of breathing, but again, there were none.
Finally, another driver stopped who was a paramedic and he took over care of the woman in the car. Bowering then was able to turn his attention to the other two women. He did his best to console them and ease their grief until authorities arrived on the scene.
Bill was still shaken when he recounted details of the accident to his H.O.W Driver Manager, Deb Senechal. According to Deb, when Bill related to her what had happened, all he could think about was, “I was too late. I couldn’t do anything about the driver.” Deb said she told him, “You did your best and tried everything you could to save her and that is all you can do. If you could have done any more, you would have.”
Deb, who nominated Bill for the Highway Angel award, describes him as an “all-around nice guy and very modest.” Deb further states, “I am very proud of Bill and it is an honor to work with him. Although Bill is very humble about his efforts, he should feel proud of his actions. His heroics, affirmed through this award are truly inspiring.”
Marc Wolding, Vice-President of Operations shared these comments, “We are very proud that one of our drivers had the foresight to react so courageously in the face of such a severe, life threatening accident. Bill Bowering is to be commended on his quick thinking and his ability to handle the situation with strength and determination.”
To learn more about the Highway Angel program, the driver nomination process or to view past press releases, visit www.truckload.org/Highway-Angel.
Bill Bowering, Fulton, NY native and professional Class A CDL truck driver for H.O. Wolding, Inc. (H.O.W) of Amherst, WI, was named a Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Highway Angel for steadfast bravery and compassion in the face of a deadly rollover car accident. 
