New Pilot Flying J in Mississippi

Pilot Flying J has opened a Pilot Travel Center in Moss Point, Miss. along Interstate 10 at Highway 63. The new truck stop adds 66 jobs to the local economy.

"The new facility is Pilot Flying J's 9th in Mississippi and the 656th overall in North America. It is expected to contribute more than $2.6 million annually in state and local tax revenue."

The Sun Herald

Illinois trooper struck, killed by semi truck

An Illinois motorcycle trooper was struck and killed during a traffic stop yesterday morning along Interstate 55 by a passing tractor-trailer. Kyle Deatherage, 32, a trooper since 2009, was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident occurred near Litchfield, about 55 northeast of St. Louis, near mile marker 62 in the northbound lanes. There was no immediate word of charges against the truck driver.

Chicago Tribune:

Peoria Star Journal

St. Louis Post Dispatch

Cops sting cargo theives in Florida

Two men were nabbed by Marion County, Fla. deputies after hooking up to a trailer planted there by police at a Pilot Truck Stop. Ruben Fuentes, 39 and Alexander Vidal, 26, were apprehended at a second Pilot Truck Stop after a brief chase. The trailer was loaded with approximately $146,000 worth of cargo. The tractor the men used was reported stolen Friday.

Ocala.com

New TA Breaks Ground in Gary, Indiana

TravelCenters of America held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for its new Petro Stopping Centers location at I-80/I-94, Exit 9, in Gary, Ind. The 28.6-acre site will offer 340 truck parking spaces and a 237-seat Iron Skillet Restaurant.

Convenience Store Decisions

American trucker freed from Mexico arrives in U.S.

The American trucker who took a wrong turn into Mexico with a load of ammunition seven months ago is finally back in the United States. Jabin Akeem Bogan, 27, of Dallas, was released last week from prison but Mexican immigration officials held up his homecoming an additional week.

El Paso Times

Dallas Morning News

"Bogan was...deported at the Bridge of the Américas just before noon. Ironically, the Bridge of the Americas was where Bogan’s odyssey began 7 months ago..."

Mexico Trucker Online

Sandy to blame for October Truck Tonnage Decline

Truck tonnage declined 2.1% in October according to American Trucking Associations, and the effects of Hurricane Sandy is to blame for the first year-over-year decline since 2009. ATA calculates the tonnage each month based on reports from its members.

Transport Topics

Work Truck

Canadian trucker convicted in cross-border drug ring

A Canadian truck driver affiliated with the Hells Angels was convicted in U.S. District Court in Seattle of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. James Postlethwaite, 60, of North Vancouver, faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison.

Kirkland Reporter

California reefer emission rule efficitive Jan. 1

"A California regulation effective Jan. 1 could cost produce shippers and receivers $1,000 or more per violation if refrigeration equipment on the trucks they hire is not in compliance — even if the trucks don’t stop in California."

The Packer

NTSB ditching BlackBerry for iPhone

The National Transportation Safety Board is ditching BlackBerry phones for the iPhone, according to a recent procurement request, as reported by CNN Money. Blackberry maker RIM, who claims 1 million government customers in North America alone, has suffered several widespread and highly publicized outages.

CNN Money

Obese truckers have higher accident rate

Obese rookie truck drivers are 50 percent more likely to have an accident than normal-weight colleagues, according to a study conducted by the University of Minnesota-Morris. Drivers used in the survey were 744 trainees for Schneider National above 5'10" and 245 lbs. Most of the accidents were minor, but the study included severe crashes as well.

Minnesota Public Radio News

Trucking company ordered to pay $612,205 in back wages to whistle-blowers

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in federal court to enforce a final decision and order issued to an Ohio trucking company for terminating two truck drivers in violation of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act's whistle-blower provisions.

Norwalk Reflector

Comdata Low-Cost Fuel Index

"Comdata now offers another way to help you save money and plan the most cost-effective routes for your drivers. The Comdata Low-Cost Fuel Index provides you with the lowest retail prices on diesel across the United States."

Comdata Low-Cost Fuel Index

Old Dominion Freight Lines is a top transportation stock

Investors are bullish on veteran trucker Old Dominion Freight Lines, which has roared back from the Great Recession with "...double- to triple-digit profit growth in the past 11 quarters. Sales have grown by double digits for 10 straight quarters. Profit jumped 31% to 59 cents a share."

Investors.com

Volvo October Truck Deliveries Down

Volvo reported an 8 percent decline in truck deliveries for the month of October, reflecting sales drop in most regions. Deliveries of its Volvo and Mack brands in North America fell to 3,200 trucks from 3,939 a year ago.

NASDAQ

Transport Topics

First International with Cummins ISX15 produced in Mexico

Navistar announced this week the first Class 8 ProStar+ tractor with Cummins ISX15 engine with SCR-based emissions has rolled off the production line at Escobedo, Mexico.

TruckingInfo

Fleet Owner

International Trucks

Land Line Magazine: "The first International ProStar Plus with Cummins ISX 15 engine has rolled off the production line – both a real and symbolic sign of a new era for Navistar International Corp."

NHTSA official to join Google

The deputy director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is leaving the agency in January to join Google as the director of safety for their self-driving car project. Ron Medford spent more than 40 years in government.

Detroit News

Proposed I-67 would link Nashville to Michigan

A $250,000 study imagines an Interstate 67 from Nashville, Tenn., to western Michigan. A Kentucky transportation official expressed that any work on such a project would be in the distant future. “Our priority in that region is I-69, and it will be our priority in that region for some time.”

Journal Gazette

Chrysler to add workers citing surge in pickup truck sales

With a resurgence of home building, Chrysler and other auto makers are ramping up pickup truck production. The company said Thursday it is adding 1,000 workers to its Warren, Mich. Ram pickup plant. Ford and General Motors also report climbing truck sales after several years of modest growth.

The Washington Post

In Africa, a Ph.D gets you a #trucking job

In Nigeria, out of 1,300 applicants for truck driving positions, six hold a Ph.D, 704 a Masters and 8,460 a Bachelors degree, which, in this article, seems to raise questions on the value and quality of higher education along with the lack of employment opportunities.

allAfrica.com

Navistar seeks dismissal of workers’ lawsuit

Navistar is seeking dismissal of a class action lawsuit filed by workers who were denied severance packages when the company closed its Chatham, Ont. plant last year. The plant had been idle since 2009 with workers on layoff after failure to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers. The plant employed up to 2,000 workers during the 1990s.

Windsor Star