Roses & Razzberries – October 2024

RAZZBERRIES for ongoing phishing scams targeting truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently confirmed an email phishing scam involving parties pretending to be the agency. “Carriers should not fill out forms attached to the fake email,” FMCSA said. “In some cases, the phishing attempt also asks for a certificate of insurance and driver’s license to help protect the recipient against fraud. There is also a threat that if the recipient does not respond within a day, the individual will be fined, which is also not an FMCSA practice as part of the registration process.” FMCSA advised those who receive a suspicious email to not click on any links and to contact the agency.

ROSES to the 10 semifinalists for this year’s Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence award. Those individuals are Jadarion Blakemore, U.S. Army, CRST; Quantae Dozier, U.S. Army, Epes Transport System LLC; Richard Flirt III, U.S. Navy, Legacy Express; Brian Ferguson, U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard, Melton Truck Lines; Justin Sisler, U.S. Marine Corps, Prime Inc.; Douglas Couch, U.S. Navy, Roehl Transport Inc.; Mark Joseph, U.S. Navy and U.S. Army National Guard, Stevens Transport; Cory Troxwell, U.S. Army, Stevens Transport; Shawn Haley, U.S. Marine Corps, Veriha Trucking LLC; and William Taylor, U.S. Coast Guard, Werner Enterprises. This year, finalists will participate in a panel at the Veterans Ready Summit on Dec. 12, with the winner announced on Dec. 13 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “We are proud to recognize the most diverse group in the program’s history, including a large number of truck drivers in Registered Apprenticeship Programs,” said Brad Bentley, president of Fastport Inc. “These drivers assure us that the future of this industry is in excellent hands.”

RAZZBERRIES for a city council vote to curb truck traffic in the southeast portion of Fort Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the city council denied the permit for a new truck lot while rezoning an existing truck lot for residential use.  Pollution and economic concerns were among those voiced before the city council voting on the matter. The denied proposal for a 4-acre truck lot off U.S. Highway 287 sought to authorize a property that houses semitrailers in an apparent violation of current city ordinances. The council vote was unanimous.

ROSES for the renovations to a rest area in an “underserved” portion of northern Ontario, Canada. Government officials announced a $6 million investment to upgrade the Batchawana Bay rest area located on Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie. An expansion to accommodate commercial vehicles, new entrance and exit lanes, separate truck parking, free Wi-Fi, personal device-charging stations, heated washrooms and enhanced lighting and security will be among the upgrades. Work also will be done to support underground infrastructure to allow for future electric vehicle charging stations. Construction is expected to be completed “early next year,” a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told Land Line.

RAZZBERRIES to the owner of multiple chameleon carriers recently sentenced to prison for CARES Act fraud. A federal district court in Georgia sentenced Roderick Billingslea to 30 months in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution. Billingslea pleaded guilty to two counts related to a fraud scheme involving multiple trucking companies and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds. In addition to fraudulently obtaining CARES Act funds, Billingslea illegally created several trucking companies after his first three were ordered to shut down. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay for the cost of incarceration at nearly $50,000 annually.

ROSES for the growing support of the Trucker Bathroom Access Act. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., recently became a co-sponsor of this bipartisan effort to ensure that truck drivers have a place to use the restroom while delivering and picking up freight. The bill now has 10 co-sponsors: five Republicans and five Democrats. It added three co-sponsors in recent months: In addition to Caraveo, Reps. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., and Susan Wild, D-Pa., signed on to the bill over the summer. LL