Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/675322
DIVERSIONS 38 | Overdrive | May 2016 Gone with the wind: Preventable or not? SCENARIO: John Doe was northbound on a windy Cali- fornia limited-access four-lane highway with an empty inter- modal container. When Doe noticed a dramatic increase in the crosswinds, he pulled his rig to the right lane and slowed to 30 mph from the posted speed limit of 55 mph. A 70-mph gust broadsided Doe's container, fl ipping it violently on its side. His carrier issued a preventable accident warning, which Doe contested. Who was in the right? ANSWER: The National Safety Council's Accident Review Committee ruled in Doe's favor, saying he'd taken every reasonable precaution. Even a dead stop wouldn't have helped prevent the acci- dent, NSC said. To see a video presentation of this and other Preventable or Not scenarios, visit Overdrive's YouTube channel and find the Preventable or Not playlist. Telemedicine fi ts trucker schedules, budgets Although the concept of "telemed- icine" originated 40 years ago, it's just now becoming a reality. The appeal to truckers is twofold: low cost and easy access. Sites such as MDLive.com off er physician "visits" for $49 or less. MDLive also off ers behavioral services, with immediate access to therapists and mental health professionals. Given the catastrophic insurance plans that have become common following the advent of the Aff ord- able Care Act's health insurance exchanges, "those that do have insurance have such high deduct- ibles, they almost feel like they have no insurance," says Marc Ballard of the Truckers Insurance Exchange, a private exchange part- nership between the National As- sociation of Independent Truckers and ConnectedHealth, an online health insurance broker. In March, Ballard and NAIT announced a virtual healthcare program available to NAIT members for $10.95 monthly. NAIT notes that those using the telemedicine program gain unlimited potential usage and that "it includes the entire family with no additional per-usage fees or co-pays. Telemedicine care is available 24/7/365 wherever there is a telephone or internet access." The service is for basic health consultations and any nonemer- gency care. While these services shouldn't be used for your overall health care, it's nice to know you can get a quick consult without having to shut down somewhere accessible to a doctor's offi ce. And while fi nding a pharmacy may be another hurdle, at least you could arrange for meds at a convenient exit. BY TODD DILLS AND WENDY PARKER JUDGMENT IN JOPLIN This 1985 Peterbilt 359, shown by Kiegan Nelson of Richfield, Wis., won Best of Show at last year's Shell Rotella SuperRigs working show truck competition. The event moves this year to the Joplin (Mo.) Convention and Trade Center, June 9-11. A dozen trucks will be selected for the SuperRigs 2017 calendar, and other awards will be given. Entrants will receive a gift package valued at more than $50 while supplies last.