Here are some additional news stories designed to illuminate Ohio-based truck driving professionals and students. These news bits cover news stories of interest to trucking professionals and highlight changes, and developments pertinent to the trucking industry. These news stories originate from a variety of different truck driving and manufacturing news sources, and highlight events that are of interest to those in the industry.
For more information on these and other news stories, do an Internet search of trucking industry news, or visit the links provided with each news story.
Truck driver’s failed turn becomes train collision
A truck driver who apparently failed to negotiate a left turn at an intersection preceded by a railroad crossing saw his 164-foot tractor trailer crashed into by a passenger train in North Carolina As a result of the crash, 55 Amtrak passengers who were on the train injuries, though none were considered life threatening. The driver was also not injured.
The accident happened March 9 near the town of Halifax. The highway patrol was escorting the oversized combination on N.C. 903, when the driver tried to make a left turn onto U.S. 301.
When he was unable to make the turn, the driver, named John Devin Black, backed up, intending to perform a wider left turn, but at that time the railroad crossing equipment indicated that a train was approaching. Black tried to pull forward, but trailer was struck by the train.
The crash’s impact derailed the train’s locomotive and baggage car. No charges were brought against Black, who drove for Guy M. Turner, Inc., a Greensboro, N.C.-based carrier of heavy and oversized equipment.
The injured passengers were transported to the Halifax Agriculture Complex before arriving at their designated Amtrak destinations.
Black had been transporting an almost 16-foot-tall electrical building from Clayton to the Virginia line. The vehicle’s 255,000 pound gross weight was distributed across 13 axles according to the single-trip permit. The carrier also was in compliance with state law in that it had had two escorts in addition to the trooper escort.
The 161-truck Guy M. Turner, Inc. company has an out-of-service rate of 1.9 percent, with a national average of 5.5 percent, and a driver OOS rate just below the national average, according to the DOT Compliance, Safety, Accountability website.
Federal and state officials continued to investigate the crash, but question have arisen with respect to Black’s criminal and citation background. The Associated Press reported that Black has multiple convictions for violations such as child abuse, assault, and more, along with citations for permitting violations, speeding, and others.
The collision was caught on video. You can view that video at this link, along with reading more information about the accident and its aftermath.
Teamsters win FedEx Freight election in California
The Teamsters have won therepresentation election at the Stockton, California FedEx Freight, their first victory in almost four months as drivers voted in favor of the union. The Teamsters last won a representation vote in November, and have won at four terminals but winning five contested votes.
The Union has also withdrawn election requests at six terminals, which the company says is an acknowledgment that the union does not believe it will win those elections. The Teamsters have launched a campaign intended to organize at Conway Freight, a place where the company has emerged victorious in most elections. Union representation drives at the largest and third-largest LTL fleets has continued to go on for more than six months.
The company also noted that this only applies to the Stockton branch of the company, and not to others.
You can read more about this development at Transport Topics. Transport Topics is a publication devoted to trucking and freight transportation. Its homepage is at www.ttnews.com.