Omaha Truckers Join the Fight Against Sex Trade

Omaha Truckers Join the Fight Against Sex Trade
Posted: Nov 27, 2013 12:51 PM | Last Updated: Nov 27, 2013 12:51 PM

OMAHA, NE— Some U.S. truck drivers are working with Omaha law enforcement to stop the sex trade.

U.S. law enforcement officials say there’s evidence of girls as young as their early teens being sold in truck stops along the I-80, according to a Fox 42 article.

Working and fighting alongside local law enforcement, truck drivers are becoming the eyes and ears of the highways.

As many as 293,000 American youths are at risk of forced prostitution, with females entering the sex trade as early as 12 and boys and transgendered youth as early as 11, according to the FBI. 

"It's just horrible, any number is horrible, small number or large, especially if it's younger girls," says Terry Smith, a trucker fighting the sex trade.

Many of these youths are runaway or throw-away children who live on the streets, but some are kidnapped.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

 Groups of young teens who is carrying their ID or controlling their purchasesYoung teens who regularly frequent truck stops

To read the full story, see the Fox 42 article. 

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OOIDA files Lawsuit against FMCSA over Safety Record Database

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, OOIDA, filed a complaint with the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA with regard to its Pre-Employment Screening Program and the DataQ appeal process.

The suit alleges that FMCSA releases records of alleged safety violations to potential employers before drivers have had their day in court and that it refuses to drop references to such violations even after drivers have been exonerated in court. The data stored in the safety records database is also used by the Compliance Safety Accountability enforcement program, known as CSA.

Three plaintiffs named in the lawsuit were cited for alleged violations during the course of routine inspections. All three drivers challenged the citations in court and were either acquitted of the violations or had their cases dismissed.

When they attempted to use FMCSA’s DataQ appeal procedure to have corrections made to their safety records, the FMCSA denied the challenges and refused to make the necessary changes despite the court rulings. The bad data continues to stay in the system, which can have a negative impact on a driver’s ability to be hired or remain employed.

“By refusing to accept the determination by a court, the FMCSA has made state law enforcement agencies the final judge and jury on all citations,” said Jim Johnston, OOIDA president. “This can ultimately threaten business opportunities and income,” he added.

When a DataQ challenge is submitted by a driver to FMCSA, it is routed back to the state where the inspection report with the alleged violations originated, which according to the lawsuit is the agency’s way of delegating the responsibility of correct and complete results to the states.

The suit alleges the agency fails to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with the Privacy Act, and with mandates governing agency action contained in the previous highway bill, SAFETEA-LU. The lawsuit asks the court to order FMCSA to purge all data for which there has not been a judicial determination of guilt; purge all reports where a court has dismissed or ruled the driver not guilty; purge all reports that are not “serious driver-related violation(s)”; enjoin the agency from distributing information without any reference to a dispute and a summary of the dispute; and enjoin the agency from distributing false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading inspection reports.

© 2012, Truck Drivers News Blog. All rights reserved.

I'm just a EX-truck driver, trying to pass along a little information. I been in the Trucking Industry as a driver for over 15 years. I have driven both as an owner operator and as a company driver. I have also been a driver instructor for an accredited truck driving school in KY. I am no longer a truck driver, but I consider myself to be a watchdog for the trucking industry. In fact this site is the #1 site for getting the real news about trucking. We don't hold back here, you will hear the full story. Twitter | Contact Me |Truck Drivers News Facebook

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New Cost of Trucking Report Good to Benchmark Against

New Cost of Trucking Report Good to Benchmark Against
Posted: Sep 5, 2013 12:17 PM | Last Updated: Sep 5, 2013 12:17 PM

ARLINGTON, VA – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released its 2013 update to An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking, which identifies trucking costs from 2008 through 2012.

The information was pulled directly from fleets' financial and operational data, ATRI said, and it can best be used as a high-level benchmarking tool.

The analysis reveals that the average marginal cost per mile in 2012 was $1.63, a small drop from 2011's $1.71 per mile.

After the recession, fuel prices declined sharply resulting in lower industry costs between 2008 and 2009, then began to rise steadily through 2010 and 2011. The drop in average operating costs in 2012 was, ATRI said, likely due to the weak econonmic recovery and softening freight conditions experienced in the second half of the year.

Fuel costs were higher in 2012 at 64.1 cents per mile compared to 59 cents in 2011, ATRI found. Driver wages, meanwhile, were slightly lower at 41.7 cents per mile compared to 46 cents in 2011.

Truck/trailer lease or purchase payments also dropped slightly, from 18.9 cents per mile to 17.4 cents.

“Although we have seen conditions improve since the Great Recession of several years ago, an uncertain economic future means we have to be ever diligent in watching costs," said Phil Byrd, Sr., president and CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express and first vice chairman of the American Trucking Associations.

The Operational Costs of Trucking is one of the most requested ATRI reports. You can download a copy for yourself here.

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Crime Against Truckers - Mar 04,2010

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Truckers Against Human Trafficking - Sep 22,2010

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TravelCenters of America to use Truckers Against Trafficking Training Materials

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TravelCenters of America to use Truckers Against Trafficking Training Materials

Marietta, PA, May 19, 2011 – Chapter 61 Ministries, in cooperation with a key trucking industry participant, TravelCenters of America (TA), is expanding its educational outreach on the issue of human trafficking.

Human trafficking training materials, made available to members of the trucking industry through Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), an initiative of Chapter 61 Ministries, will be used by TravelCenters of America (TA) to educate its workforce and help raise awareness about TAT’s key issues to its community of customers.

“We’re extremely encouraged by TA’s participation to help get our message across,” said Kendis Paris, TAT national director. “Their decision to use TAT materials will disseminate the message to thousands of members of the trucking industry and better equip them to understand and help fight human trafficking, which is why TAT exists.” Commenting on TA’s decision to participate in this educational role, Barry Richards, executive vice president of TravelCenters of America, stated, “Truckers are among our country’s most caring, upstanding individuals, and trucking-related initiatives like TAT work to address issues important to the trucking community.

TA is proud to be part of that community and to play a small part in furthering TAT’s mission among its many trucking community supporters.”

The TAT initiative has a four-fold purpose: to educate members of the trucking/travel plaza industry about human trafficking and the role they can play in fighting it, equip them with tools, empower them with steps to take and mobilize them to take a stand against one of the world’s most lucrative and destructive crimes.

The initiative includes a website, www.truckersagainsttrafficking.com where the TAT video can be viewed; webinars; Human Trafficking 101 classes; wallet cards with questions to ask, red flags to look for and the National Hotline number to call if trafficking is suspected; posters; and publicity and promotion.

Human trafficking, a term for modern-day slavery, is a $32-billion worldwide industry with more than 27 million people enslaved in the world today. In the United States, it has been reported in all 50 states, and the number of victims is estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

For more information, please email: chapter61@gmail.com or contact Kendis Paris at 720-202-1037.

For more information about TFC’s Initiative Against Human Trafficking, please contact our coordinator Tammy Stauffer at 717-426-9977, Ext. 104 or email : Tammys@transportforchrist.org.

Transport For Christ is a non-profit, non-denominational ministry to the trucking community.

For more information about TFC contact: Jane Evans, Director of Communications P.O. Box 117 Marietta, PA 17547

Phone: 717-426-9977 – ext. 101
email : jane@transportforchrist.org

© 2011, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: chapter61 ministries, human trafficking, human trafficking training materials, Kendis Paris, transport for Christ, travel centers of america, truckers against trafficking

Tagged with: chapter61 ministries • human trafficking • human trafficking training materials • Kendis Paris • transport for Christ • travel centers of america • truckers against trafficking

Filed under: Education • Press Release • Safety • Truck Stops • Womens World

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Crime Against Truckers - Protection on the Road - Apr 14,2011

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Crime Against Truckers

Recent news reports about truck drivers becoming victims of robbery in a Tennessee truck stop has once again raised the important issue of safe and secure parking for truckers.  Crime against truckers have been on the rise in the past years and personal protection and safety is a major concern among many drivers.

Carolyn Magner

Carolyn Magner is Contributing Editor for Randall Reilly Publishing and is popularly known for her monthly column in Truckers News, “I’m Just Say’n”.

In the April 2011 issue of Truckers News Magazine, she reports on the growing problem of crime against truckers and what drivers can do to protect themselves.

As our special guest on Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio, we discussed the various options available to truckers security and self-protection and the precautions to take while living life on the road.

Crime Against Truckers – Protection on the Road

© 2011, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.

: Carolyn Magner, crime, protection, randall reilly publishing, security, truck drivers, truckers news, trucking, trucking talk radio

Tagged with: Carolyn Magner • crime • protection • randall reilly publishing • security • truck drivers • truckers news • trucking • trucking talk radio

Filed under: Safety • Talk Radio Show • otr trucking • trucking • trucking life

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FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE DAC - Jul 13,2009

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Truckers Against Human Trafficking - Sep 22,2010

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Crime Against Truckers - Mar 04,2010

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