Roses and Razzberries – November 2024
ROSES to Keith Watson, a driver for Hollingsworth Trucking in Denton, Md., who came to the aid of a young woman who seemingly was planning to jump from the Bay Bridge in Stevensville, Md. Watson told The Star-Democrat he ran toward the crying woman and offered her his hand. He then hugged her, stayed with her until she could be transported to a local hospital and told her, “Life is not that bad; think of the people who love you who will miss you.” Watson, who lost his brother to suicide, has remained in contact with the woman and her family as well as the Maryland Transportation Authority about the incident, according to the report in The Star-Democrat.
RAZZBERRIES for yet another fraudulent text and email scam. The Indiana Department of Transportation recently confirmed a scam related to its agency as well as various tolling groups. Per usual, consumers are reminded to carefully read any messages received and to not click on any suspicious links. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency website provides updates and information regarding these types of scams. If you think you’ve been a victim of such a scam, you can file a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at ic3.gov.
ROSES to the group of truck drivers who took part in a final sendoff for the late Lorne Watson, who many consider a legend on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Local truckers drove from Sechelt to Gibsons in memory of Watson. One driver told the Coast Reporter that Watson “put over a million kilometers on his truck driving up and down the Coast.” He owned and operated L&J Contracting and passed away after a lengthy health battle, according to the local report.
OOIDA life member Jim Murphy of Powell, Wyo., passed along these ROSES to Dedicated Logistics LLC of West Crosset, Ark., for its donation of a truck and delivery of an 8-foot statue of Arkansas native Johnny Cash to Washington, D.C. “Great care was taken to crate the statue and pad it well for the trip,” Murphy said. According to its website, Dedicated Logistics is a nonhazardous freight carrier primarily operating in the South, Southeast and Midwest. The statue honoring Cash’s contribution to American music and culture will be housed in the National Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol.
RAZZBERRIES for the New York City Citizens Air Complaint Program, which allows individuals to report trucks that have idled between one and three minutes. These complaints can even result in as much as a 25% commission on each reported violation. The Trucking Association of New York is among those publicly speaking out against this program.
But also on the topic of the New York City Citizens Air Complaint program: ROSES for the Trucking Association of New York recently hosting a rally to call attention to this initiative it calls punitive, not reformative. “The city should work on collaborating with the trucking industry to create truly effective solutions that will both support our hardworking truck drivers and improve air quality, while incentivizing continued investments in zero- and near-zero-emission vehicles,” Kendra Hems, president of the Trucking Association of New York, said in a statement. LL