Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/566087
Voices 8 | Overdrive | September 2015 You might recognize this trucker's name from Overdrive's Pride & Polish winners lists. Hayden Eady's father, Rex, and Hayden himself have shown rigs for years under their informal Eadybilt moniker. This summer at Overdrive's Pride & Polish in Crossville, Tenn., Hayden detailed the meaning behind the Chi-Town Large Cars lo- gos on his newly fashioned 1985 359 custom headache rack and tattooed on his right arm. As the rack detail indicates, Eady is the Southern Chapter president of a nonprofit organization of about 150 or so members from three countries, its reach spreading online with an active Facebook presence. Chi-Town Large Cars was founded by two Chicago-area truckers, Kris Santoian- ni and Mario Terzo Jr. It was inspired in part by Richie Acosta's East Coast Large Cars group and a general de- sire to improve the industry's image. Eady got involved about three years ago at one of the annual shows in the Midwest metropolis region. Last year in a single day, the group raised more than $10,000 for the AshleyCan Pediatric Cancer Foundation while enjoying good fun and fellowship with fellow truckers in a parking lot. This year's Annual Benefit and Truck Show, Aug. 15 in Lynwood, Ill., in part benefited the family of Seth George Wonders, born prematurely at just more than a pound in weight, then spending the first six months of his life in a hospital. Medical bills continue to take a toll on the family and others similarly situated. "We're all about trying to bring back some of the old ways" among truck owners and drivers, says Eady. Some of that is camaraderie, as they experienced at the AshleyCan event, and more is evidenced by the philanthropic spirit of events like this. Check out the group via Chi-Town- LargeCars.org. 'Bring back some of the old ways' Hayden Eady leases his custom 1985 Peterbilt 359 to Falkville-based Bama Truck Line and hauls open deck freight. President Obama's nomination of Scott Darling to become the next permanent administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admin- istration was welcomed by two major trucking groups. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association cited entry-level driver training as an area where it and Darling already have "made significant progress." OOIDA says it hopes Darling will take up issues such as detention time and driver pay reform while head of FMCSA. The American Trucking Associations also approved of the nomination. The few Overdrive readers voicing opinions on the nomination expressed disappointment. Cliff Downing was skeptical of Darling's background as counsel to FMCSA as appropriate to the administrator's position. Andrea Sitler contended that, given the state of the Compliance, Safety, Account- ability program, among other issues, "We need a real voice in D.C. whose heart is in trucking." Prior administra- tor Anne Ferro, Sitler wrote, "danced through until she was run out, then this lawyer was put 'unofficially' in power. What have we seen over the past six years out of this group? Noth- ing but chaos. We have a CSA system that is broken. [Hours of service] that still need attention." Asked what issue he'd most like to discuss if the ear of the administra- tion was open to his voice, Kevin Sno- bel responded on Twitter: "FMCSA interference and loss of objectivity. Get them on the road first to see the real challenges." Reactions to nomination of new FMCSA chief Scott Darling has the support of OOIDA and ATA.