OOIDA puts a face on the fuel crisis: ‘Truckers are consumers, too’
It’s no secret to truckers that the cost of fuel has an impact on the cost of everything, but
mainstream media and the general public sometimes have trouble connecting those dots. In
an attempt to help American consumers understand that truckers are also currently in crisis
because of fuel prices and the economic downturn, OOIDA is taking a simple but direct
message to the streets: “Don’t blame truckers for rising costs at store shelves.”
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Owner-operator plans to deliver his last load, then park for a while
After OOIDA member Jim Gossett of Chapel Hill, NC, delivers his load on Monday, March 31, he
said he’s going to ease his rig back home and park it for a while. Besides taking a financial hit
on the front end by having to pay for $4 fuel at the pump, Gossett said he’s also being hit again
on the consumer end, as well.
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Truckers meet Saturday to prep for March 31 fuel rally at PA Capitol
A group of truckers near Harrisburg, PA, are putting the finishing touches on a plan to bobtail to
the state Capitol building on Monday, March 31. A planning session is set for 2 p.m. Saturday,
March 29, at the Harrisburg Gables Truck Stop at the Exit 77 interchange on Interstate 81.
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Cattle hauler calling for April 1 shutdown
There are a lot of different dates bouncing around for a shutdown by truckers to protest fuel
prices. But most of the mainstream media is going with April 1 – the date that a Carrollton, MO,
cattle hauler is publicizing.
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Goodyear Highway Hero is lifesaver Richard Filiczkowski
For his heroic act of saving an 8-year-old girl after her father’s car went into a pond, OOIDA
member Richard Filiczkowski has been named the 2008 recipient of Goodyear’s 25th Annual
Highway Hero Award.
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Governors seek federal dollars; Mary Peters stumps for private money
A group of governors that includes California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger are urging the Bush
administration to commit more money to roads and bridges. However, the Bush administration
is rejecting their proposal.
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Feds delay passport requirement at land crossings until June 2009
As of June 1, 2009, citizens of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda entering
or re-entering the U.S. by land or sea face new document requirements. The U.S. Homeland
Security Department will require a passport or other approved secure document, officials stated
in a final rule issued Thursday, March 27.
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Virginia governor sets path for tax refunds
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has signed legislation to issue refunds for “unconstitutional” taxes and
fees collected by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for transportation projects. Kaine
signed HB1578 into law on Tuesday, March 25, less than a month after the Virginia Supreme
Court ruled it unconstitutional for the General Assembly to delegate power to regional
authorities to impose taxes and fees.
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Virginia OKs bill targeting unlicensed drivers; others fail
In an effort to make roadways in Virginia a little safer, state lawmakers spent a lot of time during
the recently completed regular session eyeing stiffer penalties for people caught driving without
a license. With an eye on illegal immigrants, one bill that advanced from the statehouse to Gov.
Tim Kaine’s desk would allow courts to suspend for up to 90 days the driving privileges of
someone convicted of driving without a license.
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Red-light camera restriction nears passage in Georgia
The Georgia Senate voted to approve a bill that would make it tougher for local governments to
post red-light cameras. On a 45-5 vote, the Senate advanced a bill that would allow cities and
counties to continue to use automated cameras at intersections, but put new restrictions on
them.
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Nebraska bill would implement ‘move over’ rule
A bill on the move in Nebraska would end the state’s distinction as being one of the few
remaining holdouts from states that require drivers to make room for emergency workers and
law enforcement officers.
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