Roses & Razzberries – December 2021/January 2022
RAZZBERRIES to – let’s call them less than intelligent – individuals who have been spotted holding onto the outside of trucks traveling interstates and highways. Yeah, you read that right. The perilous practice was first spotted in Atlanta. Days later, however, more reports, including a fatality, started coming out of Nashville. Authorities aren’t sure how or why this started but urged the public to call 911 if they see anything of the sort. It’s something you have to see to believe, but once you see it you wish you never did. If this is in fact a “new trend,” I’d rather not see the next one.
ROSES to a trucker in Topeka, Kan., who went out of his way to assist another in need. A man’s motorized wheelchair fell on top of him at a BP service station in downtown Topeka. The driver, identified as “Wayland B.” by KSNT-TV, not only helped the man from under the wheelchair but helped him repair the damaged wheelchair. “With good deeds come good karma” was the message from the helpful trucker to the local TV station.
To that I’ll add a little kindness goes a long way.
ROSES to New Jersey and Nevada for taking action to address concerns about ticket quotas. In October, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a bill that is intended to curb such quotas. Furthermore, New Jersey state law prohibits ticketing numbers from being the sole factor when evaluating a police officer’s performance. Nevada also now has a similar law in place which prevents police departments from requiring officers to issue a specific number of citations. “Our men and women in blue deserve to be promoted based on merit, not outdated and banned quotas,” said Assemblyman Parker Space, R-Sussex. I couldn’t agree more.
RAZZBERRIES to a Kentucky freight broker who pleaded guilty to violating the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. Cory Hoskins, who founded and operated Advanced TENORM Services, was sentenced to six months of home detention and five years of probation for transporting 46 shipments of radioactive sludge without proper permits, equipment or hazardous materials endorsements. Hoskins failed to use U.S. DOT-compliant trucks, did not hire drivers with hazmat endorsements, did not placard or communicate in any way the radioactive nature of the material, and even told at least one driver a hazmat endorsement was not required. Hoskins was initially charged with five counts of wire fraud and 21 counts of transportation of hazardous materials with improper shipping papers.
The wire fraud charges and all but two improper transportation charges were dismissed, per the plea agreement.
RAZZBERRIES to an Arkansas drug trafficking organization veiled as a trucking business called Prudent Transport. Tremaine Ontario Slaughter, Elliot Davis, Demario Smith, Montana Smith, Moses Soria and Carolyn Slaughter were accused of distributing meth, which was imported via Megabus, the U.S. Mail and other mailing services to eastern Arkansas. For his part, Tremaine Slaughter was sentenced in an Arkansas federal court to 7.5 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He must also forfeit four over-the-road trucks used by Prudent Transport. Demario Smith and Davis also received prison sentences, while Montana Smith will serve five years of probation. Carolyn Slaughter and Soria were dismissed from the indictment.
RAZZBERRIES to yet another guilty party in the Operation Sideswipe scheme in New Orleans. Aisha Thompson’s guilty plea brought the total number of convicted defendants to 28, according to federal prosecutors. Thompson is facing up to five years in prison, plus up to three years of supervised release and/or a $250,000 fine for her role in the sweeping conspiracy to stage wrecks with commercial vehicles and defraud insurance companies.
Unfortunately, this likely isn’t the last we’ll hear of the scheme with at least 40 people charged in connection with the fraudulent operation.
ROSES to the American Truck Historical Society and the official opening of the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Mo. Organized in May 2021, the first Hall of Fame class was inducted in October as part of the society’s celebration of 50 years since its founding. OOIDA, Clessie Cummins, the brothers who founded Mack Trucks, and radio personality Dave Nemo highlighted the first Hall of Fame class. A brass plaque honoring each of the inductees will hang on the main wall of the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame at the ATHS home office. LL
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