Overdrive

20 | Overdrive | November 2018 Logbook LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS launched its own private-la- bel diesel exhaust fluid, available in a 2.5-gallon container. THE I-275 NORTHBOUND REST AREA near Westland, Michigan is shutting down next month. The Depart- ment of Transportation said the rest area, with 29 truck parking spaces, "would re- quire significant investment to remain open." A TRUCK DRIVER was in stable condition after being shot in the chest Sept. 25 at a Pilot Flying J in Carnes- ville, Georgia. Two armed robbers already were at the truck stop on I-85 at Exit 160 when the trucker entered the truck stop at about 3 a.m. and was shot by one of them. The gunmen then took money from cash registers before fleeing. The unidentified trucker was treated for life-threatening injuries. LOVE'S TRAVEL STOPS reopened a newly remod- eled Speedco in Pendleton, Kentucky, at 524 Pendleton Road. HAIR TESTING GUIDE- LINES must be updated, as mandated in a law signed by President Trump aimed at curbing abuse of opioid drugs. The 2015 FAST Act highway bill called for the recognition of hair-sam- ple drug tests for truck drivers as an alternative to urine-sample tests, but only after the U.S. Depart- ment of Health and Human Services produced testing guidelines. DHS has yet to produce the guidelines. Truck driver Amos Phil- lips was beaten severely Sept. 3 at the TP Gas Station, an Idaho truck stop operated by Tribal Enterprise in Fort Hall Reservation, near Po- catello, Idaho, on I-15. The Shoshone-Ban- nock tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation announced they plan to improve the truck stop's security with improved lighting and surveillance in all areas, including truck parking. "Safety is a top priori- ty, and we will always do what we can to improve our customers' safety," said Carlie Jim of retail operations for the Tribal Enterprise. Also, John Williams, who owns the small fleet that employs Phillips, said Williams' attorney and one representing the tribes are talking about Phillips receiving money from the truck stop's insurer. A gofundme.com campaign to help pay for Phillips' medical bills exceeded $4,105 from 36 donors as Overdrive went to press. Phillips, driving for JWE Inc., a five-truck fleet based in Camden- ton, Missouri, said he was awakened by a man who pried open his passenger door and demanded money. After a scuffle in which Phillips was beaten with rocks, the assailant fled. Phillips' head inju- ries led to seizures, which has put his driving career on hold. Fort Hall police are awaiting state lab tests for DNA on a cap the intruder left in the cab. Williams has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case. – Max Heine Funding effort, reward follow truck stop beating Driver Amos Phillips sustained broken bones in his face and a blood clot on his brain during an early morning attempted robbery. Owner-operators now are allowed to claim a meal per diem of $66 per day they're away from home, according to a new per diem structure announced by the IRS. The $3 increase took effect Oct. 1. The IRS allows a deduction of 80 percent of that amount, $52.80, to be deducted from operators' income for every day they're on the road and away from home. When the per diem was $63, the deduction amounted to $50.40 per day. To qualify for the per diem, IRS rules state your work must be away from "your tax home substantially longer" than a normal work day and that you must sleep away from your home on the days the per diem is being used, says ATBS, a financial services provider. Company drivers no longer can deduct meal per diem from their income. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, the tax reform cleared last year by Congress, removed per diem deductions for company drivers beginning with the 2018 filing year. – Overdrive Staff Owner-operator per diem allowance rises

• 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.