But, as industry experts explain, “Today, temperature controlled transportation of products using cold chain facility is only ensured for the distribution of vaccines and some pharmaceutical or biological products through thermal and refrigerated packaging methods to protect the products from loosing their effectiveness.” ¹ But what about dry pharma products?

Did you know that polypropylene syringes can easily break in high temperatures?  And when exposed to conditions under 50°F, latex gloves can become stiff, and likewise, under excessive heat, cause rapid rubber degradation?

In fact, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, close to 82 million units of medical device recalls occurred in the first quarter of 2012, “representing a 508 percent increase over the previous quarter and recording a five-quarter high.” ² These recalls include needles and gloves (as mentioned above) as well as catheters and alcohol prep pads, with many being repeat offenders. ²

Now the industry is fighting back, asking the government “to take initiative to push for better implementation of regulations of the non cold-chain based supply chain management of pharma products,” stating that “even the dry pharma based cargo should be transported only under strict temperature controlled environments to ensure sustainability of the pharma products from volatile conditions.” ¹

As Mike Rozembajgier, vice president of recalls at Stericycle ExpertRECALL, explains, “Companies should be doing everything possible to minimize the safety concerns that would result in recalls.” ²

According to experts, many companies are putting their products at risk by not following current regulations and suggest “stronger use of track and trace systems.” ¹

Not only is the company impacted through the loss of the discarded shipment, but inspection costs, brand equity, their reputation with the customer, and consumer health alerts.  By utilizing technology such as the track and track capability, remote locking devices, and electronic door monitoring, such as those installed on Road Scholar’s fleet, a shipper can minimize their risk of due diligence.

Due diligence is “the care a reasonable person should take before entering into an agreement or a transaction with another party.”³ When something goes wrong, the shipper can then face vicarious liability.

As QualifiedCarriers.com informs, “a carrier’s liability insurance will exclude indemnity for independent claims against the shipper,” for example, negligent hiring, so you, the shipper, can be sued as well for your carrier’s actions.

In further detail, shippers are now liable in cases where “the plaintiff can show (1) the carrier caused injury to the plaintiff’s property or person through negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct and (2) the shipper did not exercise reasonable care or perform proper due diligence when it screened, vetted, and selected the carrier to move the shipper’s freight.”⁴

In order to help reduce your risk of vicarious liability, we are providing you with the below video demonstrating seven easy steps for vetting out carriers through the CSA 2010’s Safety Measurement System (SMS).  By taking 90 seconds of your time and learning how you can vet out carriers, you can save thousands, even millions, worth the stolen, damaged, or recalled products during transport.

¹http://pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=68972&sid=1

²http://www.marketwatch.com/story/medical-device-recalls-soar-during-first-quarter-expertrecall-index-shows-2012-05-14

³http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/duediligence.asp#ixzz1ihFuF6KN

⁴www.qualifiedcarriers.com/why-risk-management.aspx

Against this proposal are groups (including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association) who believe that the devices would lead to driver harassment, pressure to meet their quota and therefore driving tired and enforcing safety hazards, along with the expensive cost of $525 and $785 per truck.

On the other hand, there are groups (which include the American Trucking Associations, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, and many more) who support the proposal believing that EOBRs would lead to greater safety through HOS compliance, saving time by ridding of paper logs, and better accuracy.

But do EOBRs come with another benefit to an ongoing problem in the trucking industry…detention?

As a driver, have you ever pulled into a dock for a pickup only to find a long line of trucks ahead of you?  You end up sitting there two and half hours, still waiting to be loaded.  What do you do?  Do you pull the truck and waste the driver’s time, fuel, and accumulate empty miles or do you wait it out?  This detention not only threatens the next shipment on the driver’s truck being late, but also takes away from a driver’s allowed hours of service.

With a strict 11-hour driving limit, many drivers explain that they are being forced to cheat on their logs either due to financial reasons or because their employer is making them.  As one individual commented, “Drivers cheat on their logs because the job doesn’t pay what it should and they need the extra time & money. Average truckers work over 70 hours a week without a penny of overtime.  Companies threaten to have drivers sit for days if they don’t cheat.” ¹

Another reason drivers provided for cheating on their logs, as mentioned earlier, was detention.

Let’s say you were detained at a shipper’s dock for three hours.  This drastically reduces the amount of time you now have left on the road while complying with your hours of service.  Since many drivers are paid by the mile, this now reduces that driver’s income, and therefore, the driver is more prone to “fix” their hours to have more time on the road.

According to a recent study, “More than 80% of drivers reported that they were unable to comply with the Hours of Service regulations after being “unduly detained” at loading docks.” ²

As OOIDA states, drivers are spending up to 40 hours a week on docks, sometimes for days, costing the industry $3 billion annually and becoming the biggest efficiency problem in trucking.  On top of that, OOIDA mentions the problem with compliance due to detention time spent on docks, causing drivers to lose productivity and, in return, higher the costs of consumer goods.

Last summer we witnessed initiatives, such as HR 756 and extending the FMCSA’s authority, in an effort to reduce the number of hours drivers are detained at docks to pick up or deliver a shipment.  This month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration decided to conduct “two important studies to examine how wait times and driver pay affect driver behavior.” ²

Meanwhile, in order to compensate for detainment, many trucking companies are charging shippers/receivers detention fees, typically providing the first two hours free and charging for additional time.

But charging for detention does not always mean that the carrier will receive it.  As one carrier utilizing a third-party for its loads notes, “If at the two hour mark I call the broker and complain, I usually hear something like: ‘I’ll call the shipper and see about detention.’ This is a kiss-off.” ³

But many truck drivers/companies believe that EOBRs can help.  How?  One word…proof.

Let’s face it, we live in a world that requires a “see it to believe it attitude.”  If you can’t prove that you were at the dock from time this time to that time, I’m not paying.

One carrier utilizing EOBRs labeled it a “powerful tool” when it came to customers known for detaining drivers.  As he noted, “Given that stopped time and location is easily retrievable with the systems, I now have ready-made documentation to prove detention time to the shipper, beyond just me or my drivers’ word.” ⁴

Do you think EOBRs can be a solution to driver detention?  List your comments at http://gsfn.us/t/2uev4.

click to enlarge

¹http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/Proposed_Government_Mandate_Could_Mean_Big_Changes_for_Truck_Drivers_150496015.html

²http://www.truckinjuries.com/latestnews/2012/05/fmcsa-will-study-questions-of-driver-safety/

³http://regulationroom.org/eobr/eobr-commenter-stories/

⁴http://www.overdriveonline.com/could-eobrs-solve-the-detention-dilemma/

Maybe you’ve seen one of Road Scholar’s awareness trucks at a local event or passing by on the road to deliver freight.  Or maybe you want to make it easy on yourself and have Road Scholar’s truck come to you by getting a quote today and grabbing a quick photo the next time a Road Scholar truck is at your dock.

Send in your best snapshot of Road Scholar’s trucks to Kristina.brown@roadscholar.com by May 17^th.

Have more than one picture of our trucks?  Can’t decide which photo is your favorite?  You don’t have to.  We are allowing individuals to submit up to five photos into the contest.

Entries will be posted on Road Scholar’s Pinterest site (http://pinterest.com/roadscholar) under the board “On the Road Photo Contest’ on May 18^th for voting.  Voting runs until June 1^st.

The photo with the most “likes” will win a Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket Camera (Retail Value $159)!  Only 1 vote per person per photograph is allowed so make sure to “repin” your favorites and tell your friends to vote!  The winner will be announced via e-mail shortly thereafter the June 1st voting deadline.

Rules are as follows:

-Pictures must be sent to kristina.brown@roadscholar.com as a file attachment.  TIF, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PNG are accepted formats.

-The picture will be processed and posted to the voting site.

-Road Scholar truck pictures only please, no individuals allowed.

-By submitting the picture you are giving consent for Road Scholar Transport to post the pictures on our voting site as well as releasing full copyright privileges to Road Scholar.

-Road Scholar Transport reserves the right when necessary to resize or crop a picture to fit on the voting site.

-Road Scholar Transport will review all pictures and will not post inappropriate photos.

-Picture submissions will be accepted until 12 P.M. EST May 17th.  Voting begins on May 18^th 12 P.M. EST.

-The voting period will end 12 P.M. EST June 1st.  Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

-The winner will receive a new Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket Camera.

For more information/details on the camera, please visit

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-PlaySport-Waterproof-Pocket-Camera/dp/B004FLL5BI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336400672&sr=8-1

Good luck to all those who participate!

We Offer 3  Ways to Get Northeast Regional Freight Quotes

1. Online Form (CLICK HERE)
2. Chat With a Live Person (CLICK HERE)
3. Use Our Instant Rough Estimator (CLICK HERE)

A Growing Problem

Chameleon carriers are becoming a serious problem in the transportation industry.  A recent study conducted by the GAO found that in 2010, 1,136 new applicants were attributed as chameleon carriers, increasing by 377 since 2005, with 94% being freight carriers. ¹

Take, for example, last December, when Devasko Dewayne Lewis was charged as being a chameleon carrier.  Lewis operated Lewis Trucking Company, which was issued an out-of-service order in 2008 as an imminent safety hazard.  Lewis formed a new trucking company, DDL Transport LLC, which was also put out-of-service in September 2011.  When asked whether he had any interaction with another carrier in the past, Lewis stated that he had not, failing to mention Lewis Trucking Company.  Lewis was indicted on federal charges for “making a false statement and seven counts of continuing operation after imposition of an out-of-service order.” ²

In the six year span, (2005 through 2010), the GAO reported an increased number of crashes among chameleon carriers compared to non-chameleon attributed carriers.

Click to enlarge

According to the GAO, “chameleon attributes were three times more likely than all other new applicant carriers to later be involved in a severe crash. ¹ In fact, according to the report, 18% of those new applicants with chameleon attributes during 2005-2010 were involved in serious crashes compared to 6% of those with non-chameleon attributes.

So what’s being done to prevent these chameleon carriers from operating?  Let’s take a look at the FMCSA’s revision process.

The Revision

In 2004, the FMCSA’s proposal stated that “Payment waives respondent's opportunity to further contest the claim, and will result in the notice of claim becoming the final agency

order,” which was then revised in 2005. ³

However in a 2010 case, the FMCSA explained that by allowing a respondent’s proceedings to become terminated if they paid their penalty in full went against the FMCSA’s enforcement policy, “which requires that the Agency assess the maximum statutory penalty for each violation of law by any person who is found to have committed a pattern of violations of critical or acute regulations issued to carry out such a law or to have previously committed the same or related violation of critical or acute regulations issued to carry out such a law.” ³

In response, the FMCSA stated last December that it would revise the “rules of practice for motor carrier, intermodal equipment provider, broker, freight forwarder, and hazardous materials proceedings,” holding several comment sessions. 3

Last week, the FMCSA acknowledged that it needed to “monitor the safety performance history of carriers who `reincarnate' as a new carrier when faced with enforcement action in order to focus Agency enforcement efforts,” and thus, preventing them from the ability to evade accountability, establishing procedures that would become effective May 29th, 2012. 3

The revisions are as follows (Provided by http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2011-0259-0010):

-“The Agency clarifies that paying the full proposed civil penalty in an enforcement proceeding, either in response to a Notice of Claim or later in the proceeding does not allow respondents to unilaterally avoid an admission of liability for the violations charged.”

-“The Agency establishes procedures for issuing out-of-service orders to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers, brokers, and freight forwarders it determines are reincarnations of other entities with a history of failing to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements; these procedures will provide for an administrative review before the out-of-service order takes effect.”

-“The Agency establishes a process for consolidating Agency records of reincarnated companies with their predecessor entities.”

What do you think of the FMCSA’s revisions?  How do you feel chameleon carriers should dealt with?

Road Scholar Transport promotes the operation of only safe and qualified carriers on the road, that’s why we are giving you five ways in which you can help reduce the risk of hiring chameleon carriers:

-Research a carrier’s CSA (Comprehensive Safety Analysis) scores. This can be done by going to the FMCSA website (www.fmcsa.dot.gov) and clicking on Safety & Security, Company Safety Record, Safety Fitness Electronic Records System, Company Snapshot, and then entering the carrier’s DOT number, MC number, or name.  By clicking on SMS Results, you will gain valuable information regarding the number of out-of-services and accidents a carrier had as well as citations, helping you choose a safe carrier.

-Receiving daily updated authority/insurance data from carriers through products such as CarrierWatch.

-Research the company’s background. How long have they been in business?  Conducting business with a company who has been operating in the industry for several years and is well-established can help you avoid choosing carriers that are constantly re-incarnating themselves under new names to avoid penalties/out-of-service orders.

-Check the chameleon carrier database.  CarrierWatch grants you the ability to view a list of trucking companies whose operating authority has been revoked.

-Ask around.  Why not go directly to the source of who has experience using a particular carrier?  Referrals are a powerful tool in receiving insider information about a carrier’s reputation.

What measures are you taking to reduce the risk of hiring chameleon carriers? Post your responses at http://gsfn.us/t/2tte9.

¹ http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/589530.pdf

² http://www.truckinginfo.com/safety-compliance/news-detail.asp?news_id=75616&news_category_id=12

³ http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2011-0259-0010

A petition led by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) in 2008 prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to redefine tank vehicles in May of 2011.

Whereas tank vehicles previously “did not apply to commonplace fluid bins,” and which drivers did not need a tank endorsement for, the revision surpassed the CVSA’s request, including vehicles that “haul any containers of liquid or gas with a rated capacity of 119 gallons or more as part of an aggregate of 1,000 gallons that aren’t permanently attached to the vehicle.” ¹ This includes “dry van trailers hauling empty or filled cylinders and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) designed for the carriage of liquids and gases.” ²

Considered “too broad” of a definition and forcing more drivers to have tank endorsements on their CDLs, groups such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and American Trucking Associations (ATA), have pointed out the additional expense drivers and carriers will be facing under the revised definition.

As the ATA stated, “Obtaining this endorsement is burdensome, requiring additional training, time off work and substantial costs and fees.” ³

Understanding these concerns, the FMCSA decided on March 30^th to reconsider the definition and who is required to hold a tank endorsement on their CDL.  The problem, however, lies with the states who have already adopted the definition.

Although the ruling was set to go into effect on July 8^th, states were given until July 2014 to establish the ruling, which poses as a problem.  As the OOIDA’s Joe Rajkovacz states, “If it can be assumed that we’re going to get a relaxed definition, then drivers should not be exposed to being cited for this in the various states that have already adopted the wider definition.” ¹

The FMCSA acknowledged that it will be seeking comments on the definition but did not announce a date as of yet.

The ATA and ARA (Agricultural Retailers Association, who is also affected by the tank endorsement since pesticides are transported via IBC containers) suggested the following definition to the FMCSA:

“Tank vehicle means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank having an individual rated capacity of more than 1,000 gallons that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis; or tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that are permanently attached to the vehicle or the chassis. A commercial motor vehicle transporting portable tanks that are manifested as either empty or as residue on a bill of lading or transporting an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer are not considered to be tank vehicles.” ²

How would you define tank vehicles?  Post your responses at http://gsfn.us/t/2tatk.

Are you looking to get your tanker endorsement or are being required to do so?  Take the practice tanker endorsement CDL practice test below (provided by http://www.truckingtruth.com/cdl-test/cdl-test-tanker-endorsement-A.html):

NOTE:  Click on image to view all 15 questions and answers.

¹ http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=23492

² http://www.croplife.com/article/26733/dot-issues-final-regulations-on-tank-vehicle-definition

³ http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76184

⁴ http://www.etrucker.com/ovd/feds-revisit-tanker-definition

Just last February, Biondi Trucking driver Joel George Ross was reported missing after failing to make a delivery at a PA distribution center.

Ross was reported being at a VA truck stop after tracking the trucking company’s credit card and the NJ load of baked goods was later found abandoned at a truck stop in FL with the driver still missing (http://www.moscowvillager.com/newsnow/x586828299/Florida-man-wanted-for-stealing-truck-from-Biondi-Trucking-Company).  Were the baked goods tampered with?  Better yet, would you eat them?

Other drivers utilize what they know about a shipment/trucking company, not to steal the freight themselves, but rather distribute their information to thieves in return for compensation.

Drivers have been known to stage their own hijackings, arranging to leave their trucks unattended at a specific time in which their accomplice then moves in, stealing the loaded truck in exchange for money.

We know this since thieves often target specific freight, such as electronics or pharmaceuticals.  With many tractor trailers unable to distinguish exactly what goods trucks are transporting, the only way for thieves to know what is inside is through the shipper or truck driver providing the information to them.

According to the Journal of Commerce, thieves “will also hire former drivers to carry out fraudulent pickups at warehouses because the drivers know the routine and the documentation that is needed (http://www.joc.com/supply-chain-management/cargo-thieves-increasingly-sophisticated-expert-warns).

Driver fraud is not something new and is becoming more common, especially in cases where brokers release loads online for companies to bid on, almost always choosing the best rate rather than vetting out the carrier first.

When using a broker, most of the time you do not know who is hauling your freight (it’s up to the broker to find someone), which means that your cargo could be put in the hands of an unqualified, unsafe driver.  It is the carrier, not the broker, who is constantly managing inventory and making sure freight gets transported to where it needs to be, on time, taking on a responsibility that far surpasses the framework of brokers.

And did you know that due to the rapid growth of cargo theft, and therefore more insurance claims, many trucking companies altered their policies to “exclude protection/coverage if a truck is left unattended,” sometimes not covering “theft if the driver is involved, or won’t cover the loss if it is a result of theft (http://www.transportsecurity.com/blog/default.asp).

Now are you worried about your freight…your company…your name?  Well you don’t have to be.

Working with the Cargo Security Alliance, Road Scholar was one of the first carriers to test a new internal electronic lock manufactured and still under development by Babaco.

The lock was tested last February on Road Scholar’s newest awareness reefer (also making its debut that month) Lyla’s Hope, a non-profit corporation benefitting children with Spina Bifida.

What’s innovative about this lock is that it is located on the inside of the trailer, so thieves cannot gain access via bolt cutters, sledgehammers, chisels, and other tools used to overcome external locks.  On top of that, it would also remove a driver’s access to your freight, guaranteeing that no one tampered with your products during transport.

This security measure is especially beneficial to high-risk industries, such as food and pharmaceutical, in which any risk of contamination must be taken seriously in fear of causing widespread health problems, often resulting in recalls, as well as any company concerned with protecting their brand equity/reputation.

Take a look at the video below to see how the lock works.

Are you concerned with driver insider jobs?  If so, would this remote lock be a solution you would consider?  Post your comments at http://gsfn.us/t/2t2qw.

From now until May 17^th, take your best photograph of Road Scholar’s trucks on the road, at your dock, at an awareness event (see our Facebook page for event listings)….anywhere you can sneak a snapshot.

Individuals can submit up to 5 photos to Kristina.brown@roadscholar.com up until May 17^th, 12 P.M. EST.

Photographs will be posted for voting on Road Scholar’s Pinterest site (http://pinterest.com/roadscholar) under the board “On the Road Photo Contest’ on May 18^th, 12 P.M. EST.  Voting runs until June 1^st 12 P.M. EST.

The photo with the most “likes” will win a brand new Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket Camera!  Only 1 vote per person per photograph is allowed so make sure you “repin” your favorites and tell your friends to vote!  The winner will be announced via e-mail shortly thereafter the June 1^st voting deadline.

The Prize (Details provided by Amazon.com)

Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket Camera

*Color: Black

*Shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof up to 10 ft!

*Kodak’s Share button lets you choose your favorite sharing destination, e-mail address, or Kodak Pulse Display

*Full 1080p HD videos and 5 MP HD stills, with auto focus

*Get sharper videos and less blur thanks to built-in digital image stabilization

*On-camera editing

*Color:  With options of Black and white, Sepia, High saturation—bright, bold colors, and ’70s film—muted colors, slightly greenish cast, and a little graininess for a retro look

*Hard-drive

*Memory-card-compatible:  Record up to 10 hours of HD video with expandable SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32 GB)

*Zoom

*Online-sharing

RULES:

-Pictures must be sent to kristina.brown@roadscholar.com as a file attachment.  TIF, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and PNG are accepted formats.

-The picture will be processed and posted to the voting site.

-Road Scholar truck pictures only please, no individuals allowed.

-By submitting the picture you are giving consent for Road Scholar Transport to post the pictures on our voting site as well as releasing full copyright privileges to Road Scholar.

-Road Scholar Transport reserves the right when necessary to resize or crop a picture to fit on the voting site.

-Road Scholar Transport will review all pictures and will not post inappropriate photos.

-Picture submissions will be accepted until 12 P.M. EST May 17th.  Voting begins on May 18^th 12 P.M. EST.

-The voting period will end 12 P.M. EST June 1st.  Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

-The winner will receive a new Kodak PlaySport Waterproof Pocket Camera.

What are you waiting for?  Start snapping today!

Good luck!

Click to enlarge. Provided by http://www.joc.com/labor/truck-drivers-payroll-rise-29-percent

Driver population increased last year for the first time since 2008.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the industry saw a 2.8% increase in heavy-duty truck drivers in 2011 when compared to 2010, coming in at 1.51 million drivers.

After reaching a high of 1.8 million in 2008, carriers and shippers began experiencing a shortage of drivers due to the recession in which a lot of drivers exited the business, dropping numbers as low as 1.47 million (18.4%) in 2010.  But from May 2010 to May 2011, close to 42,000 additional truck drivers were hired with that number continuing to improve into 2012. ¹

January rang in the New Year with 9,800 additional jobs but slowly decreased to 1,900 between February and March, which BLS explains to be “the first decrease since August 2011.” ² Despite the drop, BLS predicts a driver growth of 21% from 2010 to 2020.

But don’t get too excited.  There is still anticipation of a significant shortage as the economy recovers.  It is estimated that by July 1, 2013 (when Hours of Service compliance is fully implemented) driver shortage will peak at around 250 ,000 drivers, hitting above the 150,000 mark in 2013 and reaching nearly 240,000 by 2014, with the shortage lasting longer than that which occurred during the 2004 recovery.³

With an anticipated driver shortage, it is no surprise that driver pay is going up as well.

The mean hourly wage for heavy-duty truck drivers increased from $18.97 in 2010 to $19.15 per hour with a mean annual wage of $39,830. ²

The first quarter of 2012 showed an increase of 14,400 in truck payrolls, according to the American Trucking Associations, along with increases associated with private fleets of 1-2 cents per mile, not to mention sign-on bonuses in the range of $1,500-$3,500 to attract drivers and draw them away from their competitors. ⁴

FTR senior consultant Noel Perry offers good news for drivers, expecting wages to average $60,000-$90,000 by 2014.  But along with good news for drivers comes bad news for shippers, as rate increases are expected to account for higher costs of conducting business.

And although pay is certainly a factor in driving applicants towards a job, drivers are looking for more in an employer.

The Journal of Commerce listed in a CostDown Consulting study the top concerns that lead drivers to leaving their job or choosing to stay.  This includes not only compensation, bonuses (such as the sign-on bonuses mentioned above), and benefits, but keeping the promises set forth upon hirement.  A company may be able to lure you in with money but do they hold true to their word?

And what about respect and problem resolution?  Isn’t that important?  Take the recent case over driver harassment involving over a hundred women drivers from an Iowa trucking company who claimed they were sexually harassed by their male trainers.  The women stated that CRST Van Expedited failed to stop the harassment after they cited their experiences.

Despite testimonies, the court dismissed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s suit seeking compensation and changes in the company’s policy, stating that they used a “sue first, ask questions later litigation strategy” instead of “investigating every worker’s claim and seeking informal settlements before suing the company.” ⁵ The EEOC announced it will be petitioning the case.

Would you continue working for a company such as this?

Other driver concerns making the Journal of Commerce’s list include home time, the ability to communicate, equipment and equipment maintenance, training, and clear/fair work rules.

Road Scholar Transport understands these concerns, that’s why we are offering you a list of some of the many perks you will receive in working as a Road Scholar driver.

*Excellent Pay and Benefits:  We compensate our drivers for their hard work, offering a $1500 sign-on bonus, excellent pay, safety bonuses, a comprehensive benefits package for eligible full-time employees, and much more!

*Flexibility in work schedules:  Full-time and Part-time positions are available.

*Home Time:  As a family-owned business, Road Scholar understands the importance of family, which is why we allow flexibility in your work schedule to allow you to spend the well-deserved and needed time with your family, so your personal life is not inconvenienced by work.

*A Great Work Environment:  Our operations team is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable.  We treat our drivers with respect and eliminate any discrimination. One of Road Scholar’s female drivers takes pride in driving the American Breast Cancer truck, a cause dear to her heart, remarking that she has never faced inequality due to being a woman at Road Scholar.

*Excellent Equipment:  We conduct daily maintenance checks and operate newer models…one of the reasons why we’ve never been cited for a piece of faulty equipment in an accident!

*New Sights/Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences:  The ability to see new places/sights and meet new people.  One of our drivers even met Lorretta Lynn at a Tennessee truck stop.  Another witnessed a tornado come across the highway he was traveling on.

*Make a Difference:  Drive with a purpose by climbing onboard one our awareness trucks.  Whether it is our Autism Speaks or Stop Bullying truck, take pride in transporting freight while helping spread awareness.  Here’s what one of our drivers had to say about the awareness campaign.  “The awareness program is really good.  I get a lot of compliments about the foundation that I drive for.  I drive the American Foundation for the Blind.  I had one person in Virginia, a gentleman out of the blue, come up and tell me that his daughter was in that foundation.  It made me feel pretty good because I feel like I’m the odd ball out of the whole group.  He liked the truck.  He took all kinds of pictures.”

Interested in a rewarding carrier?  Apply today!

What’s most important to you when applying for a truck driver position?  Cast your vote/comments at http://gsfn.us/t/2s0d6:

-Compensation/Bonuses

-Home Time

-Communication/problem resolution

-Respect

-Benefits

-Equipment/Vehicle Model and Maintenance

-Other

¹http://www.joc.com/labor/truck-drivers-payroll-rise-29-percent

²http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76606

³https://www.truckgauge.com/2012/04/11/driver-shortage-eased-in-2011-growing-in-2012/

⁴http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76585

⁵http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2012/4/9/EEOCtoseekrehearingintruckerharassmentcase.aspx

The survey shows that 67% of carriers have drifted away from brokers in the last three months, slightly lower than last year in which 86% acknowledged drawing away from 3^rd party logistic services in February 2011 and 82% in August 2011, yet accounting for over twice the number of carriers pulling away in May 2009 (which was around 31%). ¹

On top of that, TCP’s Richard Mikes explains that in a time where capacity is tight, more and more carriers are turning towards forming their own brokerage arms. ²

And with concerns over vicarious liability, chameleon carriers, double brokerage, and false 3pls, among other issues, shippers are becoming more careful on who they trust to transport their freight, vetting out carriers based on safety scores.

Let’s look at a recent ruling involving a double brokerage scheme.  Between 2004 and 2005, Kulwant Singh Gill operated as a California broker under several false names in order to obtain loads posted on brokerage loads.  Presenting false social security and driver’s license numbers, Gill presented himself as transporting the loads himself, and once given the load, would then repost the lane as a broker, handing off the load to another carrier.  Once the shipment was transported, Gill was paid by the original broker and never compensated the actual carrier, scheming over 100 trucking companies. ³

Gill was indicted in 2006 and again in 2008 for continuing his scheme, being found guilty in 2009.  After continuing to double broker loads, the court sentenced Gill to 10 years, 10 months in jail and ordered to pay $443,388 in restitution on March 28, 2012. ³

But despite the majority of carriers shying away from brokers, better rates have led to an increase in the number of carriers using 3^rd parties.

Looking at TCP’s survey, 33% of carriers stated that they have increased their broker utilization in the last three months.  This number increased from 15% in August 2011 and 12% in February 2011 but is still less than May 2009 which reported 65%. ¹

TCP gives the reasoning of higher spot quotes compared to contract rates (along with the need to fill lanes) to account for this brokerage increase.  As TCP’s Lana Batts explains, trucking companies, especially larger carriers, “are going back to brokerages because there is a shortage of equipment and they are getting better spot market rates than they are getting out of their contract rates.” ⁴

Although only 45% of carriers recently increased their rates, 77% believe that freight volumes will increase within the next year, which Batts believes will lead to an upward rate trend, spiking in early summer, and leading more carriers to utilize brokers since “carriers can get more money for non-contractual freight,” she states. ⁵

Need help deciding on whether to choose an asset-based carrier or a broker?  We’ve constructed a list of what an asset-based carrier, such as Road Scholar Transport, can provide versus a typical 3PL broker below.

click to enlarge

From your experience, what do you consider to be the benefits of utilizing an asset-based carrier over a broker?

¹http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76593

²http://www.truckinginfo.com/trucks-trailers/news-detail.asp?news_id=74969&news_category_id=29

³http://www.overdriveonline.com/broker-sentenced-11-years-for-defrauding-carriers/?pg=1

⁴http://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/tcp_survey_shows_that_carriers_continue_to_be_active_in_the_spot_market/

⁵http://www.ontruck.org/imispublic/Home/AM/ContentManagerNet/ContentDisplay.aspx?Section=Home&ContentID=10822