Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/472327
16 | Overdrive | March 2015 Logbook Ports reach labor agreement West Coast port employ- ers and labor last month reached a tentative agree- ment, and port truckers serving the 29 Pacific ports asked terminal operators to waive or reduce back- log-related fees. The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced a proposed agreement on a five-year contract, but provided no details. A ratification vote was pending at press time. Meetings began in May on the contract over issues including labor jurisdiction, benefits, technology and arbitration. ILWU began a work slowdown last fall. In response, the largest West Coast ports suspend- ed nighttime vessel work shifts. Ship work assign- ments were suspended on weekends and holidays to avoid paying premium wages. Trucking compa- nies will spend months clearing the cargo, said Alex Cherin, executive director of the California Trucking Association's Intermodal Conference, which has more than 200 member carriers. Cherin asked terminal operators and steamship lines to reduce or waive back- log-related charges in the short term. – Jill Dunn FREIGHTWATCH Inter- national said more than 40 incidents of cargo theft had occurred at truck stops and highway pulloffs early this year along interstates in Arkansas. A FINAL RULE to require all new trucks to come standard with electronic stability control systems was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget last month for approval and will take effect two years following publication in the Federal Register. TRUCKERS RECLAS- SIFIED by Shippers Transport Express from independent contrac- tors to employees ratified their first collective bargaining agreement and received full benefits, the Teamsters union said. Drivers for the Califor- nia-based SSA Marine subsidiary no longer are employed "at will" and now require "just cause" for discipline or termination. THE COURT over- seeing a civil lawsuit against Walmart Transportation denied a second request by truck driver Kevin Roper to delay the proceedings pending his criminal case involving the June 7 crash in which Roper's truck rear-ended a van, killing comedian James McNair and injuring actor Tracy Morgan and several others. The West Coast work slowdowns had been costly, with some companies choosing to ship by air to avoid port gridlock. Overdrive-Red Eye Radio's Trucker Tal- ent Search is looking for truckers who love to sing and would like to enter a contest culminating at the Great Ameri- can Trucking Show in Dallas. Submissions are being accepted now through May 10. Applicants should record a video clip of themselves singing. Even a simple smartphone recording is acceptable. Judges request minimal audio enhancement and that no pitch correction software be used. Online voting to narrow the field to a group of finalists will begin May 15. Finalists will be featured in Overdrive and on Red Eye Radio. They will receive prizes and attend GATS Aug. 27-29 to compete live for first place. Visit TruckerTalentSearch. com for more details and to enter. Last year's winner was own- er-operator Keith Sampson of Rhome, Texas. He was chosen by a panel of four judges, including country singer and radio host Lindsay Lawler and Edgar Hansen of the Discov- ery Channel show "Deadliest Catch." Can you sing? Prove it in talent contest