Charlie Daniels Band to perform at the Charlotte Diesel Super Show
Music legend Charlie Daniels will take the stage at the zMAX Dragway Friday night, Oct. 7, 2011, during the 2011 Charlotte Diesel Super Show.
Daniels first hit the charts in 1975 when his rebel anthems “Long Haired Country Boy” and “The South’s Gonna Do It” propelled his collection Fire on the Mountain to multi-Platinum status. In 1979 Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” became a Platinum single, topping both country and pop charts. The song won a Grammy Award, earned three Country Music Association trophies and propelled Daniel’s Million Mile Reflections album to Triple Platinum sales levels. Daniels is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Musicians Hall of Fame.
"Charlie Daniels is one of the most popular entertainers of our time,” says Alan K. Sims, vice president/executive director of events for Randall-Reilly, which produces the show. “We are delighted to have him entertain Charlotte Diesel Super Show attendees.”
The Charlie Daniels concert will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, and is free with purchase of a Charlotte Diesel Super Show ticket. Adult admission is $20 for a two-day pass; tickets for children ages 7 to 16 are $10 for two days. Children 6 and younger can attend for free. In addition to the concert, all events, exhibits and parking are included in the purchase price.
Held Friday and Saturday, October 7-8, 2011, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., the Charlotte Diesel Super Show offers live equipment and truck demonstrations, industry-related exhibits, ride and drives and activities for all ages. Other events include Truck Drag Races and the Custom Rigs’ Pride and Polish truck beauty contest. Additionally, there will be opportunities for drivers to do a test drive down the zMax Dragway.
TruckDriver.com
Carrier of the Month
Melton Truck Lines, Inc.
Melton Truck Lines had a humble beginning in 1954 when Bert and Gladys Melton purchased a small piece of operating authority and a couple of trucks and began operations in Crossett, Arkansas. Business began with a plan to haul lumber and roofing materials in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Bert purchased two brand new diesel "B Series" Mack tractors within a few years, which gave him a total of six trucks and twenty-three trailers. In late 1957, Bert met with an untimely death, leaving the business in his wife's hands.
In 1958, William Duncan McRae purchased the company. In respect for Bert Melton's memory, the name Melton was retained for the truck line. From the beginning, the newly incorporated company had a family atmosphere. The company was small, and many of the employees were husband and wives. Through the years, this unique atmosphere grew stronger, and whole families - mothers, fathers, sons and daughters would become part of the "Melton Family." The McRae's became known affectionately as Mr. Mac and Mrs. Mac.
Mr. Mac eventually approached his son, Duncan (Dunc) McRae, Jr., with the idea of joining him in the company. Because of Dunc's experience with IBM, he recognized a potential benefit if Melton began using computers. At the time, there were few programs designed for trucking companies, so Duncan wrote his own, which put Melton out in front of the competition.
In 1980, Melton was approved as a bonded carrier with the customs service, which marked the start of the Mexican "through-trailer" service, another pioneering move. Through the years, Melton's fleet grew to 600 trucks and utilized both box vans and flatbed trailers.
Meanwhile, in 1989, Bob Peterson formed a new company called GlasTran, whose focus was exclusively on the needs of flatbed shippers, and located it in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first customers were primarily glass companies, and the company started up with 30 leased tractors, 36 trailers, and six people in the office.
In 1991, Duncan McRae, Jr., retired by selling Melton Truck Lines, Inc. to Bob Peterson. At the time of the sale, Melton's operation consisted of 340 trucks, 700 trailers and 12 terminals. Mr. Peterson decided to relocate the headquarters to Tulsa, OK, merging GlasTran and Melton together. Melton family members describe the period before the merger as "Old Melton" and the subsequent years as "New Melton."
Melton has grown to be a strong industry leader, employing over seven hundred of the best professional drivers available. The company continues to convey an attitude and feeling of family. The gleaming fleet of new, blue Kenworth trucks proudly serves customers from coast-to-coast, and strives to remain ahead of the competition with top-notch drivers, customer service, and safety programs, as well as state-of-the-art equipment and communications techniques.
Over the last 50 years, Melton has been successful in recruiting and retaining some of the finest flatbed drivers in North America. Their company appeals to company drivers who are looking for a challenge with fewer hassles. Their drivers realize the advantages to driving a flatbed -- no grocery warehouse deliveries, no lumpers or long waits, no loading or unloading, minimal docking, better trailer visibility, and a variety of loads.
Melton is committed to ensuring their drivers are rewarded for their hard work through base pay, tarp pay, great benefits, as well as bonus and recognition programs. Best of all, their drivers and contractors are moving 12 months out of the year because we transport a variety of commodities within driver-friendly shipping lanes.
Melton Truck Lines wants YOU to be a part of their winning team.
Top Pay and Benefits aren’t the only factors in making a company the right choice for you. Recently, they were named in the “Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For 2 years Running” according to the Carriers Edge and Truckload Carriers Association. They achieved this honor by being nominated by their drivers and having programs and systems available to help drivers succeed. Some of these include: The President’s Clubs, Lifeworks, ICARE Wellness Program, Safety Rewards, regular Driver Satisfaction Surveys, and much more.
No flatbed experience? They will train you during orientation!
Call a Melton recruiter at 877-462-3528
Apply online
www.meltontruck.com
DOT Recordable Accidents, DAC Report Accident/Incidents, Driving Record Accidents and CSA 2010 Crash Data
When motor carriers are screening drivers for employment, one of the more important considerations is how many accidents/crashes the driver has been involved in. There are three main sources for obtaining this information: past employers (including information to be found on the DAC Report if the prior employer is a member of DAC), Driving Records (MVRs) and now, CSA 2010 PSP reports. It is important to understand the differences.
- Past Employer reported accidents (including DAC Report Information)
Potential employers of drivers are required by federal law to ask past employers about certain accidents, and these past employers are required by federal law to provide the information. This accident information includes only “DOT Recordable” accidents occurring within the past three years. “DOT recordable” accidents are defined as:
“an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a highway in interstate or intrastate commerce which results in:
- A fatality;
- Bodily injury to a person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene of the accident; or
- One or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as a result of the accident, requiring the motor vehicle(s) to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle.
The term accident does not include:
- An occurrence involving only boarding and alighting from a stationary motor vehicle; or
- An occurrence involving only the loading or unloading of cargo.”
Here is a critical point to understand: the above is a minimum requirement. Employers may report accidents that do not rise to the criteria of a DOT Recordable accident. For example, the DAC definition of accident/incident is: “Equipment was involved in an occurrence or act that produced unintended injury, death, property damage of any type, or resulted in the equipment requiring a tow (other than mechanical breakdown) while assigned to the driver regardless of fault”. Regardless of whether DAC is used, past employers may report non-DOT Recordable accidents.
The reality is that in some states accidents are not reported on MVRs. In other states the criteria for accidents to be reported depends on fault, dollar damage (regardless of fault) or if a citation was issued. Still another factor is whether the accident occurred within the state where the driver is licensed. While most states will report most accidents involving their licensed drivers that occurred within the state (that meet their criteria), interstate accident reporting is spotty at best.
- CSA 2010 Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) Reports
There’s a new kid on the block that employers may use to obtain crash information. The past five years of state-reported Commercial Vehicle Crash Data may show on a driver’s PSP report. This information is taken from MCMIS (Motor Carrier Management Information System) and provides information on crashes as reported by state and local police officials. The reporting of these crashes follows National Governors Association (NGA) standards.
As a commercial driver, your incident/accident/crash history is one of the more important factors in your employability. You should know what a potential employer will see—and while you may think you know what your history will show, e.g., “no accidents”, a past employer (regardless of whether they use DAC or report to a potential employer direct) may disagree. An MVR may show an accident even if you were not at fault, or you may be listing an “accident” on employment applications that was not considered an accident. Prior to applying for a driving job, you should obtain your history from all possible sources, correct any errors and not make the mistake of being turned down from a job because you didn’t know something was there, or volunteered something that was not considered an accident.
Derek Hinton is the CEO of TIES, LLC, better known as www.DOTJobHistory.com. DOTJobHistory allows drivers to obtain and verify their employment (DAC), driving and criminal records. They may then make this information available over the web to employers who can access the information instantly.
Derek has over 20 years experience in the areas of employment screening, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Motor Carrier Safety regulations. He began his career at DAC Services in 1984 and is the author of The Criminal Records Manual, a book that details criminal records in the hiring process.
Featured Jobs
Class A Truck Drivers: Regional Truck Driving Jobs
Company Driver -VA
Truck Drivers - SW Regional Lanes
Truck Driver - Class A
Here’s see how the TruckDriver.com Watching the Winner Survey came out:.
Have you seen the Best Picture Winner, The King’s Speech?
Yes - 10%
No - 69%
Never heard of this movie - 21%
Guess we aren’t the only ones who haven’t seen it.
If you haven’t taken the opportunity to check us out on Facebook, you can click here, but before you do, take the TruckDriver.com Social Networking Survey.
Until next time, keep on truckin' and please drive safely.
Your Comments Are Always Welcome
We do like to hear from you and invite you to let us know how we can improve the e-Report. Please send your ideas and suggestions to:
jobs@truckdriver.com
