Industry News

MTA Driver of the Month
The Minnesota Trucking Association selected Trans-port America owner-operator Stephen Hurd as its November 2009 Driver of the Month. Hurd, who has been with Transport America since 1992, has been driving for 25 years. In his 17 years with Transport America, Hurd has over 1.5 million accident-free miles. He received the ATA’s One Million Mile Award in 2004. Hurd runs a dedicated route demanding nothing less than on-time delivery. 

Build highways to rebuild economy
Investing in highways is the quickest, most efficient way to create jobs and restore the economy, American Trucking Associations Past Chairman Charles “Shorty” Whittington told President Obama at the National Jobs Summit in December. “We must make a long-term commitment to highway investment in order to give construction companies certainty that when they hire new employees or buy new equipment, the investment will pay off,” said Whittington, president of Grammer Industries in Grammer, IN. “This can’t be achieved through a one-time shot in the arm. We need a multi-year investment.”

FMCSA discusses HOS requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee met in December to “provide advice and recommendations on the hours-of-service (HOS) requirements.” The committee generated ideas on a number of issues for FMCSA to consider as part of its upcoming HOS rulemaking, including the need for the agency to consider new research on the sleeper berth issue.

Health Awareness Walk set for MATS
The Trucking Solutions Group and Driver HEALTH magazine will sponsor a Health Awareness Walk during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY. Starting at 8 a.m. on March 26, the 1.5-mile even will be held on sidewalks around the exhibition center. Participants will receive water bottles, T-shirts and pedometers. Everyone is invited to participate. For more information, visit driverhealth.org.

To your health
Blood sugar control may lead to vehicle crashes
Diabetics who keep their blood sugar tightly controlled run the risk of having traffic accidents due to low blood sugar, Canadian researchers report. Controlling blood sugar is the cornerstone of managing diabetes. By keeping blood sugar under control, diabetics can ward off many complications associated with the condition, including heart and kidney disease. However, blood sugar that is too low – known as hypoglycemia – can cause dizziness and loss of consciousness, the researchers say.
     “Diabetes is a common disease that may impair an adult's ability to drive,” said lead researcher Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.
     Worldwide, Redelmeier said, diabetics are required to produce proof of good blood-sugar control to keep their driver’s license. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Holland, Australia and other countries all have such laws, but they’re “based on theory rather than science,” he said.
     And contrary to the prevailing theory, people with good blood-sugar control were found to have a higher risk for crashing, Redelmeier said of his study’s results. The risk was substantial, accounting for almost 50 percent of the accidents, he said.
     For the study, Redelmeier’s team collected data on 795 diabetic drivers. They found that one in 14 of the drivers had been involved in car accidents. Those with low blood sugar were more likely to have had an accident than were diabetics whose blood sugar was not as well controlled.           Source: LifeClinic