Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day?

In the United States and Canada, the first Monday of September is a federal holiday, Labor Day. Originally celebrated in New York City's Union Square in 1882, Labor Day was organized by unions as a rare day of rest for the overworked during the Industrial Revolution.
Labor Day

We hope you are enjoying a safe and relaxing holiday!

Latest Forum Topics
General Trucking Discussion
Canadian Forum

2014 National Truck Driving Champions Announced

The winners of the 2014 National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships were announced last week.

“The National Truck Driving Championships showcase the industry’s commitment to safety,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “I applaud all the competitors for their efforts in making our highways safe, and congratulate the finalists for demonstrating how a dedication to safe driving skills can make you a champion.”

ATA's Truck Driving Championships include top professional truck drivers from around the nation competing at state and regional levels to make it to the national competition in Pittsburgh Aug. 13-16. The NTDC annually attracts over 2,500 cheering friends, family, colleagues and spectators.

In their respective classes, drivers tested their expertise in the driving skills they use daily. The competition course inside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center challenged their knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. The skills course tested drivers' ability to judge distances, maneuver tight spaces, reverse, park, and position their vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves.

2014 National Truck Driving Championship Winners:

Grand Champion:  Jeffrey Langenhahn, Con-way Freight 
National Rookie of the Year: David Guinn, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
State Team Trophy: North Carolina
Vehicle Condition Award:  Jeffrey Payne, Reddaway
Neill Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award:  Jeffrey Payne, Reddaway
Life-Time Volunteer Award:Sam Gillette

National Champions:

Straight Truck Class
First Place: Brendan Sharp, FedEx Freight (Henderson, Colo.)
Second Place: Rene Molinary, FedEx Express (Coral Springs, Fla.)
Third Place: Guy Frederickson, FedEx Ground (Kaukauna, Wisc.)

3-Axle Class
First Place: Basher Pierce, FedEx Freight, (Sophia, N.C.)
Second Place: Edward Pennington, FedEx Freight (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Third Place: Joseph Hicks, Con-way Freight (Johnston, R.I.)

4-Axle Class
First Place: James Quarles, Walmart Transportation LLC (Laurens, S.C.)
Second Place: Roy Garcia, Peninsula Truck Lines, Inc. (Otis Orchards, Wash.)
Third Place: Edward Carlson, FedEx Freight (Portland, Ore.)

5-Axle Class
First Place: Wayne Gootee, Walmart Transportation (Brooklyn, Mich.)
Second Place: William Hill, Old Dominion Freight Line (Marsing, Idaho)
Third Place: Richard Hill, Walmart Transportation (Conway, N.H.)

Flatbed Class
First Place:  Paul Brandon, FedEx Freight (Oxford, Conn.)
Second Place: Brian Walker, UPS Freight (Randleman, N.C.)
Third Place: Randall Stromlund, UPS Freight (Sparks, Nev.)

Tank Truck Class
First Place: Christopher Miller, United Petroleum Transports (Cowetta, Okla.)
Second Place: Gary Nickell, The Boeing Company (Fox Island, Wash.)
Third Place: James Kroschel, US Foods (Maplewood, Minn.)

Twins Class
First Place: Jeffrey Langenhahn, Con-way Freight (Plover, Wisc.)
Second Place: David Martinez, H-E-B (Natalia, Texas)
Third Place: Jeffrey Payne, Reddaway (Cedar City, Utah)

Sleeper Berth Class
First Place: Matt Awbrey, Walmart Transportation LLC (Franklin, Ga.)
Second Place: Ralph Garcia, ABF Freight System Inc. (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Third Place: Steve Elliston, Walmart Transportation, LLC (Sparta, Mich.)

Step Van
First Place: Christopher Shaw, FedEx Express (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Second Place: Thomas Reinold, FedEx Express (Sutton, Mass.)
Third Place: Nick Frazier, FedEx Ground (Granby, Mo.)

Broad Coalition Calls for FMCSA to Restrict Access to CSA Scores

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, American Trucking Associations-led coalition of transportation trade groups urged that the scores produced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability fleet monitoring system be removed from the agency’s website, citing recent government research that found the scores unreliable.

“Given the results of this research we urge you to direct FMCSA to remove motor property and passenger carriers’ CSA Safety Measurement System scores from public view,” wrote ATA President Bill Graves and representatives of nine other industry groups. “Also, recognizing the merits of raising public awareness of fleets’ true safety performance in the future, we also call on you to direct FMCSA to make CSA improvements a high
priority.”

Specifically, the letter cites research by the Government Accountability Office that found that, with respect to most motor carriers, “FMCSA lacks sufficient safety performance information to reliably compare them with other carriers. The report went on to say that the lack of data “creates the likelihood that many SMS scores do not represent an accurate or precise safety assessment for a carrier.”

“Given the many identified data sufficiency and reliability issues outlined by the Government Accountability Office, we urge you to direct FMCSA to remove carriers’ SMS scores from public view,” the letter concludes. “Doing so will not only spare motor carriers harm from erroneous scores, but will also reduce the possibility that the marketplace will drive business to potentially risky carriers that are erroneously being painted as more safe.”

In addition to ATA, the letter was signed by representatives of the American Bus Association, American Moving and Storage Association, the National Private Truck Council, National School Transportation Association, the National Tank Truck Carriers, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association, Truckload Carriers Association and United Motorcoach Association.

Get your smartphones out! It’s time for the results of the TruckDriver.com OS Survey!

What operating system do you have on your smartphone?

Android - 62%
Blackberry - 3%
iOS - 23%
Windows - 7%
Some other system - 5%

That really comes as no surprise, although we are wondering what that 5% are using.

Since it’s Labor Day, we are offering up the TruckDriver.com Labor Day 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

Featured Jobs

LEASE A 2014 579 PETE, NO $ UPFRONT!
Earn between 40 & 46 CPM plus Fuel Bonus
Straight Trucks Wanted
Run the Midwest and Pacific NW-OWNER OPERATORS