Overdrive

Diversions 36 | Overdrive | November 2018 Huge convoy lights up downtown Joplin If you've never been to 4 State Trucks' Guilty by Association Truck Show, you'll have to wait until September 2020 to take part in one of its main events. That's the re- cord-setting (in recent years, anyway) convoy from the show site around 4 State at Exit 4 on Interstate 44 to downtown Joplin, Missouri. That's where a party ensues amid trucks lined up three or four abreast for miles along Main Street. It all benefits Special Olympics in the World's Largest Truck Convoy series, which takes place around the country. This year, notes 4 State's Karen Thomas, 522 trucks joined the con- voy, setting yet another record for the event. Trucks showing at GBATS also hit a record number, 693. With freight availability strong this year, truckers' generosity came out in spades. The event raised more than $190,000 for Special Olympics, around $70,000 above the event's previous record, noted Thomas. The increasingly high bar that "Bossman" Bryan Martin and 4 State's 130 or so employees have set for themselves with GBATS is one of the reasons, Thomas says, that organizers decided to move from the annual schedule for the event to once every two years. She hopes when truckers "come back in 2020, we'll blow their minds, and they'll say, 'We get it,' " as it pertains to the two-year schedule. – Todd Dills Locals lined the convoy route into the intersection of Main Street and 7th Avenue in Joplin, Missouri, where trucker Tony Justice and his band played, followed by Confederate Railroad. Donnie and Beverly Ledgerwood of Birch Tree, Missouri, bid $18,000 to claim the lead spot in the convoy, a record amount for the honor. Find a video with scenes from the convoy and show via Youtube. com/OverdriveMag. Trucker tries to 'outwit' his way to $1 million A Texas owner-operator took time off the road to become a cast member on the 37th season of CBS' "Survivor." Carl Boudreaux, 41, of Beaumont, has been driv- ing 17 years and has hauled chemicals for the past 12. When not on the road, he said he rides his horse and enjoys fishing and spending time with his family. In "Survivor," two teams on a remote island compete in various challenges. Along the way, team mem- bers are eliminated until there is only one survivor, who wins $1 million. As Overdrive went to press, Boudreaux was still in the running. In an interview on the show's website, Boudreaux said he wants to win "to put my family in a better financial situation." He says he's confident he "can outwit, outlast and outplay everyone else." Asked what three things he would take to the island – in this case, Mamanuca Island, Fiji – Boudreaux said "a picture of my fami- ly, a prayer card, my pocket Bible." "Survivor" airs Wednes- days at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. – David Hollis CBS Photo 41-year-old Carl Boudreaux

• Cover
• Mixed reactions to D.C. highway blockade.
• Pulse: Autonomous tech redefining “driver.”
• Confusion over proposed ELD exemption.
• Small fleet again scores special Kenworth.
• Three in four readers favor new Supreme Court justice.
• “New NAFTA” would allow cap on Mexican carriers.
• Rule to protect gliders appears in jeopardy.
• ATA takes fight over break laws to FMCSA.
• Criteria to suspend insolvent brokers proposed.
• Owner-operator per diem allowance rises.
• Memorial Run honors fallen firefighters.
• ’55 KW gets back to its roots.
• Bandit Series sees repeat champ.
• Reader Rigs: High-flying ’14 W9; ’14 W9 a heavy hauler; cross-country ’12 386; ’07 379 lights up the night; ’02 379 hauls glass.
• DIVERSIONS 4 State Trucks’ record convoy haul; trucking “Survivor.”
• EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT Headlamps.
• GEAR GUIDE Lights, tires, more.
• FLEET NEWS Werner opens new Illinois terminal.
• BETTER HEALTH Neck and back pain.
• CHANGING TIMES Failure to help drivers on the shoulder is a symptom of drivers’ loss of courtesy and pride.
• Case could clarify arbitration with fleets The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could have ramifications on contracts between fleets and owner-operators and lawsuits that arise from those contracts.
• Minnesota aims at moving targets Some rehabilitation of the state’s inspection program’s reputation may be under way via a shift toward mobile traffic enforcement and a willingness of officers to credit drivers’ professionalism.
• COVER STORY: Ode to the road Mandi Jo Pinheiro’s biggest passions, trucking and music, paid off when they converged and she won the annual Overdrive-Red Eye Radio Trucker Talent Search with her original tribute to highways and driver pride.
• Iconic line expands Kenworth’s new W990, featuring front-end design enhancements, cab upgrades and improved aerodynamics, becomes the latest addition to the venerable W900 lineup.
• Drive Test: Pete’s 567 Heritage blends classic, modern With its bling-heavy and blocky exterior, the vocational workhorse mixes classic Pete styling with modern comforts and efficiencies.