Here's the December 1991 issue
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Articles from this issue
LOG TRUCKER OF THE MONTH LAVON HILL
Lavon has been with the Log Truckers Association since its beginning. Lavon has been hauling logs since 1972. When Paul Sampson quit hauling logs, he sold Lavon his 1971 Peterbilt truck. In 1977 Lavon purchased a new 1977 International with the first Big Cam 1 Cummins 400 in the valley. In 1991 Lavon traded his International for a 1987 Kenworth. Lavon has been employed by Doug Henry Logging of Kila, since July of 1986. Lavon and his wife Marlene have four children and seven grandchildren. All of the children and grandchildren live in the Flathead Valley, so Lavon and Marlene often spend time with their family. Lavon likes to fish, hunt, race modified stock cars, play bingo, and garden. He loves the woods and feels that it is his way of life. Lavon and his wife Marlene live in Columbia Falls.
Tougher enforcement to improve truck safety
Truck safety enforcement is going to get tougher for individual motor carriers and for the industry as a whole, James Scapellato, director of the Offfice of Motor Carrier Standards, Federal Highway Administration, told members of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association at the 12th annual Safety Workshop.
There were 1.6 million truck inspections in 1990, and the number is expected to increase because of additional funding expected from Congress and the growing capabilities of state agencies responsible for enforcing federal and state motor carrier safety regulations, Scapellato pointed out. About 112,000 truck drivers and 541,000 vehicles were placed out of service in 1990.
In the future, the safety communications network, established by federal and state governments, will allow better compilation and exchange of safety data for individual motor carriers, Scapellato said.
This means that it will be easier to identify motor carriers with safety problems and to set priorities for enforcement. This will force carriers to improve the safety of their operations.
The Department of Defense and many shippers in the private
sector will not use carriers with unsatisfactory safety ratings, Scapellato pointed out He predicted the practice will spread and eventually there may be a prohibition against any federal agency using the services of a motor carrier with an unsatisfactory safety rating.
Congress is gravely concerned about truck safety and is mandating the Federal Highway Administration use its authority to shut down unsafe truck operations Scapellto said. Some congressmen have proposed that motor carriers with unsatisfactory safety ratings be required to institute safe procedures within 45 days or be shut down.
W.R. Fiste, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) echoed the warning of increased truck safety enforcement. CVSA is composed of state agencies that enforce safety regulations, mostly through roadside inspections of trucks and drivers.
An explanation of the driver and vehicle inspection procedures adopted by CVSA followed. Gary Riddle, vice-chairman of CVSA's Vehicle Committee and supervisor of the Missouri Office of Motor Carriers, reviewed the Out of Service Criteria and pointed out that the 10 most frequent violations are: brakes out of adjustment, inoperative turn signals, air reservoir, inoperative stop lamps, inoperative low air warning, air hoses in poor condition, defective coupling devices, air leaks, and loose or missing lug nuts.