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Editor's Journal T Checking in on this month's post-deadline happenings Another Trucker bombs and tornadoes he last deadline for Truckers News, other than my col- umn, is the news section. We push the deadline to the end to get the latest news in the issue be- fore we have to ship the magazine. It must be written, edited, sent to our art director for layout and then uploaded to the printer. Of course, news doesn't stop just because we hit our appointed deadline. Each month, we weigh whether we need to pull a page back and update it. We reserve this for breaking news that affects a large number of truckers such as hours of service or electronic onboard recorders. This month, after-deadline stories included pee bottles in the Dakotas, window tinting for trucks and a tornado that hit a major carrier's facility in Texas. Several media outlets ran stories and editorials on the growing problem of urine bottles, or "trucker bombs" as they are often called, littering roads in North Dakota. The increasing number of urine bottles coincides with the boom in demand for trucks to work the oil patches in this re- gion. Some stories blamed North Dakota's lack of public rest areas, but that is no excuse. Responsible truckers are as disgusted (and embarrassed) by the minority of drivers who do this as the general public. It's time to defuse trucker bombs everywhere. If you use a bottle to relieve yourself, dispose of it responsibly when you stop. End of debate. 6 | TRUCKERS NEWS | MAY 2012 story added clarification to the contro- versy about window tinting and commercial vehicles. The International Window Film Association, citing an October letter from the Federal Motor Car- riers Administration, reports it is legal for truck owners to tint their windshields and side windows. The group says as long as 70 per- cent of the transmitted light gets through the window, it is legal. Tinting can help block dangerous ultraviolet rays that can lead to skin cancer, especially prevalent on the left side of the face and arms of truckers. Good news for health-conscious drivers. Many of us watched in amaze- Randy Grider is editor of T ment the videos of a Dallas-area tornado tossing around like paper some very recognizable orange trailers. Wisconsin-based carrier Schneider National reported that about 100 pieces of equipment were damaged at its Dallas facility. While it was a financial hit for Schneider, no one was injured in the storm and the company was able to reopen the facility the fol- lowing day. Considering how powerful the storms were, and the recent his- tory of violent tornadoes turning deadly, this is the best story on any day. ruckers News. Write him at rgrider@randallreilly.com. VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 5 WWW.TRUCKERSNEWS.COM Toll Free: (800) 633-5953 Editorial Fax: (205) 750-8070 or Email: tneditorial@rrpub.com Sales Fax: (205) 349-6359 or Email: lmagner@rrpub.com EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Randy Grider Editorial Director: Max Heine Executive Editor: Jack Roberts Senior Editors: Todd Dills, Max Kvidera Managing Editor: Kathleen Buccleugh Equipment Editor: John Baxter Associate Editor: James Jaillet Contributing Editors: Kay Bell, Jill Dunn, Carolyn Magner, Sean Randall Executive Director, Research & Analysis: Avery Vise Manager, e-media editorial: Marlin Caddell DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art Director: David Watson Production Designers: Kenneth Stubbs, Timothy Smith Senior Media Manager: Patti Clark Senior Production Director: Mary Springer Distribution Manager: David Rucker BUSINESS VP, Trucking Sales: Brad Holthaus VP, Trucking Media Operations: Stacy McCants VP, Events: Alan Sims Executive Director of Sales: Chip Magner Account Executives: Brent Hutto, Tommy Belk, David Wilkinson, Steve Miller, Wes Turner, John Causey, Jeff Campbell, Richard Hinton Director of Media Operations: Emily Larson Marketing Manager: Cameron Kizzire Director of Interactive Marketing: Kyle Jernigan Media Controller: Terry Browning Circulation: Julie Puckett, Kelli Kitchens CORPORATE Chairman, CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Administrative Officer: David Wright Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Senior VP, Trucking: Jeff Mason Senior VP, Editorial & Research: Linda Longton Senior VP, Acquisitions & Business Development: Robert Lake VP, Interactive Media: Nick Reid 3200 Rice Mine Road NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 www.randallreilly.com In Memoriam: H. 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