Tennessee law to crack down on notorious predatory towers

Trucking news and information for Friday, May 31, 2024:

Previously closed, a small fleet of truck drivers in New Jersey ordered OOS

The agency also suspended the driving of one truck by truck driver Gurpreet Singh of New Jersey, who was shut down in April by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Singh was arrested after he rear-ended another vehicle, left the scene and was later found in the truck with a bottle labeled “vodka” and ordered to be taken out of service. He then violated the decommissioning order and operated the truck that same day. Before this incident, he had also had previous clashes with police, during which it was found that he was over the legal alcohol limit.

Following this hazard order, the FMCSA investigated Singh’s company, 1 Noor Trucking, and found it “blatantly inconsistent with multiple federal safety regulations.” Belong to them:

Controlled substances and alcohol use and testing
Commercial Driving License Standards – Requirements and Penalties, CMV Driving and Driver Working Hours

The investigation also revealed that on March 22, 2024, while driving his CMV on Interstate 78 in New Jersey, Singh was stopped for failing to maintain his lane. After failing a sobriety test, Singh was arrested and a search of his CMV revealed four open bottles of vodka. Singh faces charges in New Jersey for consuming alcohol, a controlled prohibited substance; driving under the influence of alcohol; a ban on placing open, unclosed containers of alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle; reckless driving; unsafe lane changing and following too closely.

The FMCSA’s Vehicle Retirement Regulation states that “1 Noor Trucking, Inc. does not have effective safety management controls to ensure drivers operate CMVs safely. Combined FMCSR violations significantly increase the likelihood of death or serious injury among drivers 1 Noor Trucking, Inc. and people traveling in cars, and if not stopped immediately, pose an immediate danger.”

Failure to comply with a federal imminent hazard decommissioning order could result in civil penalties of up to $33,252 per violation. 1 To Noor Trucking, Inc. civil penalties of at least $13,300 may be imposed for providing transportation in interstate commerce without registering an operating authority and up to $18,758 for operating a CMV in interstate commerce without registering a USDOT number. Conscious and/or intentional violations may result in criminal penalties.

(Related: New Jersey driver stopped driving after crash, multiple DUIs)

Towing reforms have become law in Tennessee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed towing law reforms that appear tailored to protect the trucking industry from predatory towing companies, as one particular organization appears to be terrorizing truck stops with impunity.

House Bill 1731, the Towing, Immobilization, and Surveillance Modernization (MOTION) Act, eProvides that it is an offense for the owner of a commercial parking lot to unlock or tow a motor vehicle while on the parking lot owner’s property unless the motor vehicle is an abandoned, stationary, or unattended motor vehicle. Far from the state capital where the law was passed, these conditions certainly describe the case of A1’s Towing in Memphis, which documented a driver held hostage for 33 hours.

(Related: Truck drivers kidnapped and hit by towing company)

The bill too prohibits unlicensed people from unlocking vehicles, restricts starting vehicles to commercial parking lots and gives parking attendants 30 minutes to exit and immediately remove the trunk after the driver pays a fee, which is a maximum of $75. Many other provisions of the law contribute to the “modernization” element, which includes reference to license plate readers and detailed pre-seizure notices.

Under the new law, it becomes a Class B misdemeanor to operate any truck or trailer in the state with a clearly visible USDOT number or commercial license plate.

The American Trucking Association praised Tennessee’s bill, calling it “comprehensive reforms to crack down on predatory towers that target heavy trucks.”

“Towing companies that hold equipment and cargo hostage on the basis of inflated, excessive and false invoices are damaging the reputation of the entire towing industry. They have exploited the trucking industry for too long, and we refuse to continue making ransom payments,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in a statement. “The ATA Federation of State Associations stands ready to fight back against unscrupulous companies that target our industry by bringing greater accountability and fairness to state and local towing laws.”

(Related: The best trucking defense against towing by predators: a step-by-step guide)

CH Robinson awards “Carrier of the Year 2024” for service excellence

Broker CH Robinson honored the winners of its annual Carrier of the Year awards this week. Selected from a network of 450,000 contract carriers on its platform, the 24 carriers stood out for operational excellence, including adoption of technology to increase efficiency, the company said, growth in the volume of freight moved by CH Robinson and resilience in a challenging market. This year’s honorees include truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL) and intermodal carriers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

During the three-day event at Robinson’s Eden Prairie, Minn., headquarters May 29-31, awards were presented and carrier representatives participated in several recognition initiatives, including an awards banquet.

“Over the past year and beyond, the trucking community has demonstrated resilience, overcoming various challenges and learning to adapt and persevere in the face of adversity,” said Michael Castagnetto, president of CH Robinson North American Surface Transportation, calling it “a testament to their strength and determination. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate these outstanding carriers in person to pay tribute to how important they are to us and the economy.”

Seven of the 2024 award recipients are repeat winners, including all three LTL honorees, further strengthening their status as consistent, dedicated and high-quality carriers, the company said.

Terry Wallace of Transco Lines, the truckload winner in the 200-999 truck category, noted that he was honored with recognition for his “efforts to grow and evolve my company in new and exciting ways.”

Winners of the Carrier of the Year 2024 competition:

ABR Transport Inc. -Sacramento, California
Acme Truck Line Inc. — Gretna, LA
Barrera’s express — South Gate, California
CRST -Cedar Rapids, IA
Darrough Transportation Inc. -Beech Grove, IN
Day to Day Logistics Inc. — Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Estes Express – Richmond, Virginia
Gabriela Transportation Services – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Garesp – Phoenix, Arizona
GL Logistics — Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico
McGuire Transportation Inc. —Temple, Texas
Old Dominion Freight Line – Thomasville, NC
Pahoa Express Inc – Clinton Township, MI
Paveway Express – Greenville, South Carolina
RBX Inc. -Strafford, MO
Rodrial USA LLC – Houston, Texas
Skyline Fleet Inc. – Stockton, California
Southeastern Freight Lines – Lexington, South Carolina
Sunrise Trucking Inc. — French Camp, California
Takata Trans Inc. -Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania
Timmons Transit – Jonesboro, AR
Transco Lines, Inc. -Russellville, AR
Trucks for You Inc. – Muskogee, OK
Zana Transportation Services Inc. —Tucson, Arizona