(LLN 9/11/19) – Being on the road as much as they are, truckers sometimes get caught having to deal with unscrupulous towing companies. Be on guard. We have advice on how not to get taken. Diesel prices continue their downward trend, while truckers are beginning to see freight rates trending higher. We’ll have details. And, an update from today’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s hearing on how to deal with congestion.
0:00-10:11 – Newscast
10:10-24:47 – Be on the lookout for unscrupulous towing companies.
24:44-38:47 – Diesel prices are down while load rates are trending higher.
38:42-48:20 – House T & I committee discusses what to do about congestion.
Segment 1
Newscast
- September is prime season for the invasive insect called the spotted lanternfly to lay eggs, and officials are urging truckers who haul in the northeastern U.S. to check their trucks for any egg masses. Failing to follow required procedures could cost you a big fine.
- For information, you can call OOIDA’s Business Services Department at 816-229-5791.
- You can also find information at OOIDA’s Online Education website.
- Take the required course – Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training for Business – through the PennState Extension.
- If you have questions about the permitting process, email the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at slfpermit@pa.gov.
- If you are outside of the quarantine area, report any sightings to the Pennsylvania State University Extension at https://extension.psu.edu/have-you-seen-a-spotted-lanternfly or call 888-4-BADFLY (888-422-3359).
- Read more from Land Line Magazine: Spotted lanternfly quarantine: egg-laying season begins in September.
Segment 2
Being on the road as much as you are, truckers get caught dealing with unscrupulous towing companies more than your average motorist. Terry Scruton talks with Adam Kleinschmidt of OOIDA’s Business Services Department about a particularly egregious case involving a towing company that only seemed to exist on paper.
- Be sure to check out OOIDA Compliance Connection
- You can find out more about what OOIDA’s Business Assistance department does here.
- And you can contact them at 816-229-5791.
- Read some of the latest towing stories from Land Line Magazine:
Segment 3
Now that communities are attempting to recover from Hurricane Dorian and emergency freight is on the move, truckload capacity has tightened and increased rates for vans, reefers, and flatbeds. Mary McKenna talks with Mark Montague of DAT, a company that provides market information for owner-operators, carriers, brokers, and shippers.
- Visit the DAT website.
- Or you can call them at 800-547-5417.
- Be sure to check out their blog.
- Chat with them on Twitter.
- And find out more on the OOIDA MembersEdge website.
- You can call OOIDA MembersEdge at 866-487-8253.
Diesel price averages dropped again this week, marking the ninth straight week of decline. Mary McKenna offers a detailed update on the price of diesel fuel and crude oil, including a break down by region and analysis.
- Here is this week’s price report by Land Line Magazine: Average U.S. price for a gallon of diesel drops a half-cent.
- Find Daily Fuel Prices by ProMiles.
- To see how to compute your own fuel surcharge use OOIDA’s online Fuel Surcharge Calculator.
- To download OOIDA’s fuel surcharge app for Android smartphones, click here.
Segment 4
Mary McKenna and OOIDA Manager of Federal Affairs Jay Grimes will have a recap of today’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on congestion pricing.
- It’s never too late to share your views with lawmakers. You can do that on the Fighting for Truckers website.
- To call members of Congress, dial 202-224-3121.
- Read OOIDA’s Guide to Contacting Lawmakers.
- Read more on congestion costs, Report: Truckers paying unfair share of congestion costs.
