Overdrive

18 | Overdrive | June 2017 LOGBOOK Recent actions have approved fuel tax hikes in three states. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill raising diesel fuel taxes by 10 cents over the next three years. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that will raise the excise tax on diesel by 20 cents eff ective Nov. 1, bringing the tax to 36 cents per gallon. The law also increases the state sales tax on diesel from 9 percent to 13 percent. Beginning in 2020, the state will begin adjusting the excise tax based on infl ation. Truckers will begin seeing increased fuel costs in South Carolina begin- ning July 1 after the State Legislature overrode Gov. Henry McMaster's veto of the fuel tax increase. Beginning this year, fuel taxes will increase by 2 cents each July through 2022 in South Carolina for a total of a 12-cent increase to benefi t the state's infrastructure. The state's fuel tax is 16 cents on gasoline and diesel and will increase to 28 cents. Other states – including Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Ne- braska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and West Virginia adjusted diesel taxes at the beginning of the year. – Matt Cole Tennessee, California, S.C. raising fuel taxes NEARLY 700 FREIGHTLINER Cascadia and Western Star 5700 trucks equipped with NFD rear tandem axles are being recalled due to a possible defect in the powertrain axle assembly. Daimler Trucks North America said that during the hardening process, the axle assembly's output shaft could have been made brittle, and if it were to break while the truck is going down a grade, the compression braking would be ineffective. Call 800-547-0712. The recall number is FL-738. WERNER ENTERPRISES launched Werner Final Mile, which will deliver primarily large or heavy items to residential and business locations using two associates operating a lift- gate-equipped straight truck dispatched from one of the company's nearly 200 locations. THE FIRST TWO trucks-only tolls locations among 14 planned for Rhode Island are being built on the northbound and southbound sides of Interstate 95 near Hopkinton and Richmond. The two toll gantries are expected to be opera- tional and collecting tolls by December. Costs attributed to nationwide traffi c conges- tion soared in 2015, with Florida and Texas leading the way. Congestion on U.S. highways cost the trucking industry $63.4 billion in 2015, mostly attributed to lost productivity, accord- ing to a report from the American Transportation Research Institute. That's a $13.9 billion increase from 2014. Costs in Florida and Texas each totaled over $5 million. Combined, the two states accounted for 16.5 percent of the nation's total congestion cost. Only seven states experienced a decrease in overall congestion cost in 2015 – Alabama, Michi- gan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey and North Carolina. ATRI determined that the trucking industry experienced more than 996 million hours of delays in 2015, which is equivalent to 362,243 truck drivers sit- ting idle for an entire work- ing year. The average cost of congestion for the year was more than $22,000 for a truck that drives 100,000 miles or more annually. The research group blames congestion for an increase in crashes in 2015 from 2014, including a 3.8 percent increase in police-reported crashes. Washington, D.C., had the highest cost of congestion on a per-mile basis due to the amount of congestion and a small amount of National High- way System miles. The cost per mile in D.C. was more than $1.1 million for the 59 miles in the district. New Jersey had the sec- ond-highest cost per mile at $483,970 per mile. – Matt Cole Florida, Texas highest for congestion costs Averaging all states, the cost of congestion for 2015 was more than $22,000 for a truck that drives at least 100,000 miles a year. 0.0 - 0.8 0.9 - 1.8 1.9 - 3.1 3.2 - 4.7 4.8 - 8.3 State Share of Total Cost (Percent)

• Cover
• CAT ON A GREASY FIFTH WHEEL Wendy Parker’s pet feline snaps and nearly ruins her new couches.
• BUSINESS: Uber enters freight-matching market “Uber for trucking,” a descriptor long touted by app-based load-matching services, has taken a literal form now that the ride-sharing giant last month unveiled its Uber Freight app. It’s aimed at the owner-op
• COVER STORY: Path to prosperity Overdrive’s Most Beautiful winner Stephanie Klang spreads the word of how trucking served as her ticket to the good life.
• Where the rubber meets the road A tire might look like a simple component – a round piece of rubber with a tread design – though it’s anything but.
• The crazy quilt of intrastate logging States failing to adopt an e-logging mandate. State hours of service differing from the federal rule. ELDs missing state-specific features. For the intrastate driver required to use e-logs, the change could get compl
• Diversions Re-creation of “Bandit” bridge jump set; Trucker Talent Search winner teams with fellow finalists; a new book from one of Overdrive’s own.
• The safety flaw of 14 straight hours.
• Pulse: Uber’s load plan.
• Bringing apnea experts into the truck.
• Indie truck stops remain popular.
• TSA warns of truck- ramming terrorism.
• Wireless roadside inspections hit brakes.
• Trailer emissions order in question.
• Florida, Texas rank highest for congestion costs.
• Car haulers’ touching tribute to police.
• Rethwisch wins Shell Rotella’s SuperRigs.
• Proffitt racks up Bandit Series wins.
• Custom KW’s interior gets a facelift.
• Reader Rigs: ’07 W900L a desert runner; ’05 9400i flying like an Eagle; ’15 389 has Pride and Class; ’09 389 a quad-axle Pete; ’14 389 has northern exposure; ’16 389 steps across borders.