Top Trucking News of the Day: June 11, 2020
Don’t have a lot of time but want to know what’s going on in the trucking industry today? Here are you top 5 news stories of the day:
These are the top 8 drugs that truckers tested positive for, according to the FMCSA’s clearinghouse
The FMCSA recently released a summary report for the month of May that broke down the data on the types of drugs that were identified in positive CDL holder drug tests that were reported to the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.
As of June 1, 2020, here are the top 8 substances that were identified in positive substance use tests reported to the Clearinghouse.
- Marijuana –10,388
- Cocaine — 3,192
- Methamphetamine — 2,184
- Amphetamines — 2,108
- Oxymorphone — 556
- Oxycodone — 452
- Hydrocodone — 418
- Hydromorphone — 363
Police say that man who drove a 40 ton truck over an 8 ton bridge also stole the truck
Police arrested 50 year old New Jersey resident Richard C. Smith Jr. in the early morning hours on June 8 in Lower Mount Bethel Township, according to reporting from local news outlet WFMZ.
The incident began when Pennsylvania State Police were dispatched to the Riverton–Belvidere Bridge (also known as the Belvidere Free Bridge) for reports of an overweight truck crossing the bridge.
When police arrived on the scene, they determined that Smith had driven the approximately 40 ton truck across the marked 8 ton bridge.
In addition to the overweight violation, police also discovered that Smith did not have a CDL.
President of largest freight broker group to step down in the wake of trucker protests
The head of the largest freight broker group in the U.S. will leave the association after more than two decades.
On June 10, the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) announced that Robert Voltmann will resign as the organization’s President and CEO as of the end of September, 2020.
The announcement that Voltmann will step down comes after high profile nationwide protests during which truckers rallied against cheap freight and said that brokers were to blame for plummeting rates.
Truck Driver Caught Trying To Smuggle $2.5 Million in Marijuana Over Peace Bridge
A truck driver who was hauling goods between Canada and the US was arrested and charged with smuggling $2,500,000 in marijuana.
Arshdeep Singh was stopped on June 5, 2020 when he was crossing the Canadian border into the US.
Border agents became suspicious when the found that the trailer didn’t have a seal.
“The commercial truck was referred to the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System for a non-intrusive X-ray exam, which showed inconsistencies between the cargo in the nose of the trailer and that of the rest of the load,” the Department of Justice said.
In total, inspectors recovered 1,608 vacuum sealed bags of suspected marijuana, weighing 1,800 pounds.
Police puzzled after finding dead body on top of semi truck
Colorado police are investigating after discovering a body on top of a semi truck this morning.
The body was discovered shortly after 6:00 a.m. on Thursday morning in Grand Junction, Colorado, according to local news outlet KJCT8.
A worker at the United States Postal Service office noticed a person on top of a truck at the facility and called police, thinking that the person might be asleep.
When officers arrived, they confirmed that the male on top of the truck was dead.