The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is asking for the public’s help in the relief and clean up efforts by asking motorists to avoid Interstate 35 in the Moore, Oklahoma area.

According to ODOT, 400 ODOT employees and 200 pieces of heavy equipment have been deployed to the area. The agency’s main focus is clean up debris on Interstate 35 and SH 37.

Emergency crews are also requesting motorists avoid I-35, as heavy traffic is hindering first responders.

Additionally, I-35 ramps to S. 4th, S. 19th and Indian Hills Road are closed to the public.

ODOT is asking motorists to take an alternate route around the city.

Image Credit: ODOT

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This quick, easy recipe would go great with some buttered rolls and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

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How delicious does this look?! Fresh avocado and green tomato… is that mole sauce and an entire goblet of ceviche garnished with cucumber?!

If your routes ever take you into Mexico, this little place on Highway 19 (at the 70km mark) heading to Pescadero from Cabo looks like it would be worth a stop for some delicious truck stop eats! According to writer, Rie Yamaoka of Afar - this restaurant, which is connected to a mini market is located in the middle of an industrial-looking stretch.

The restaurant is a family establishment called, Neuevea Atdretes. The food has received excellent reviews!

View Larger Map
Source

Afar

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The driver of this truck was attempting to cross the tracks in Sycamore, Georgia to go get a tire repaired when his truck got stuck on the tracks.  At the time of the accident, the driver was out of the truck, calling Norfolk to have the train stopped.

“The truck driver made every attempt to get the truck off but there was nothing he could do,” Sycamore police said.

No one was injured in the accident.

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This is a family’s first look at the Moore, Oklahoma tornado’s aftermath.

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An Oregon driver received a parking citation after managing to wedge her pickup 10 feet up in a tree.

The pickup is owned by 19-year-old Emily Van Vleck.   Van Vleck was also cited for criminal mischief and hit and run.

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Whew! We can’t say we’d like to end up in a neighborhood like that! What a fantastic display of driving skills!

Watch this video on YouTube.

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A driver identification platform called DriveID has just recently been released in Las Vegas. Drive ID was created by a Louisiana company called Cellcontrol to block the driver of a vehicle from using their cellphone. This of course, only works if the driver has registered with the DriveID service. The cellphone blocking capabilities of this product strictly apply to a vehicle’s driver – passengers will have the ability to text, talk, and browse freely.

The device stands alone, and functions using solar power. It is located on the windshield of the vehicle, and uses bluetooth technology to enforce that the driver will not be able to drive whilst distracted by their cellular device.

According to chief technology officer, Joe Breaux – the device accurately determines where the cell phone and the driver are in relation to the driver’s seat. – According to Breaux, fleets are jumping at the idea and the opportunity to decrease company liability and benefit that the device could provide to both the company, drivers, and everyone out on the road.

Another great motivator for fleet owners is the benefit the product has when it comes to Hours of Service regulations. Instead of using a key fob or a pin code to report drive time, the Cellcontrol technology does the reporting.

According to Breaux, “Our sales increase over 400 percent year over year, and next year our sales are project to increase at a rate greater than that,” – However, the company has not yet set a price point for the DriveID product.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Sources

Cellcontrol

Insurance Journal

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Looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift ideas for your favorite driver? We’re here to help! Check out this list of thoughtful suggestions for the Dads out there on the road!

Hotel Voucher

In theory, this sounds like an awesome gift! At the end of a particularly long and stressful day, a big bed, a free private shower, wifi, and cable sound like a dream come true to a driver. BUT – as many of us well know, sometimes a hotel stay can quickly turn into a nightmare. You’ll want to do your research and consider the following details when choosing a hotel for your driver:

• Is the hotel a national chain? – If it’s not are there a multitude of locations in the region your driver hauls in?
• Are they reputable? – Check online reviews, and choose biased on your personal experience with the hotel.
• Are they (for the most part) located near major interstates and highways?
• Do they allow truck parking?
• If applicable, are pets allowed?

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Yesterday, the FMCSA issued HOS exemptions to drivers delivering relief supplies to those affected by the Oklahoma tornado.

The exemption became effective at 10:00 a.m. on May 21 and will expire on June 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. and is for those who are proving emergency transportation of medical supplies and personal, first aid, food, items and fuel.

“This Declaration provides relief for commercial motor vehicle operations while providing emergency relief materials and services to customers in Oklahoma during the emergency. This exemption applies only to operations providing direct assistance to the emergency relief effort,as defined in 49 CFR 390.5 — meaning ‘direct assistance to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives or property or to protect public health and safety.’ Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services not destined for the emergency relief effort or when the motor carrier operation dispatches such a driver or vehicle to another location to begin operations in furtherance of commerce,” the exemption states.

Motor carriers and drivers who have been ordered out of service are not eligible for the the exemption.

To use this exemption, you MUST have a copy of the Declaration in your possession.  Follow this link to print a copy.  

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This month, the FMCSA ordered a New Mexico driver to cease operation of any commercial vehicle, declaring the driver an imminent hazard to the public’s safety.

On April 29, 2013, tanker truck driver Bobby C. Cleveland ,55, was hauling 2,400 gallons of propane to McKinley County, New Mexico when Cleveland’s truck overturned, releasing hazardous material and closing down Interstate 40.

During an investigation, authorities found that Cleveland was operating the CMV while “under the influence of an intoxicating beverage.”

“Safety is our highest priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We are committed to taking unsafe truck drivers who endanger the public off our nation’s roads.”

A second driver was also placed out of service.  On May 8, 2013, South Carolina driver Arnold Bradford Williams was ordered to not operate any CMV.

“On April 6, 2013, Williams, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) holder, was operating a commercial vehicle on I-20 in Georgia when he was stopped by a Georgia State Police officer and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. In late January 2013, Williams was charged by the North Charleston, S.C., Police Department with reckless homicide and possessing an open alcohol beverage container. The arrest followed a crash of the tractor-trailer he was operating on Interstate-526 with four stopped vehicles, resulting in one fatality and three injuries. The police investigation remains open,” the order states.

“FMCSA inspectors and investigators are working shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and local law partners to vigorously enforce commercial vehicle safety regulations,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “It is unacceptable for a bus or trucking company, or any of its drivers, to disregard the law and put the safety of every traveler at risk.”

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We’re thinking the camera didn’t capture the entire incident.  The end result is the truck pushes its way into the car’s lane.

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Watch what these people caught on a dash cam while driving down the road. An accident sends a car flying through the air. There is no word concerning injuries.

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A look at the horrific destruction done by the tornado in Moore, Okla., which killed 24 people and injured hundreds of others.

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Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr., (D), sent a letter to the National Transportation Safety Board yesterday, requesting the agency investigate the May 9, 2013, tanker crash on the Interstate 81 overpass at Route 22/322.

The crash shut down the highway for days.  The overpass is expected to be shut down for three to six months while crews work to make repairs. The repair bill will likely reach $10 million, ABC 27 reported.

In the letter to the NTSB, Casey stated that the crash and the subsequent highway closing affected thousands of commuters and even impacted the local economy.

“Moreover, this accident caused over 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel to be spilled into wetlands near the crash site and harmed wildlife and ecosystems,” Casey wrote.

The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the accident.  So far, no charges have been filed against the driver of the tanker, 52-year-old Thomas Uecker.

Casey said a closer investigation into the cause of the crash is necessary to help identify and prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.

“Interstate 81 is a key part of Pennsylvania’s economy and it’s critical to find all the answers,” Casey said. “An investigation by the NTSB could help increase awareness about risks along I-81 and provide more details on how this accident occurred.”

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