Thank a Trucker

Americans appreciate the job truckers are doing for us! Great West Casualty Company has insured trucks for many year and produced the below video tribute. We are proud to represent Great West Casualty Company and are proud of the job you do each day!

#ThankATrucker | Great West Casualty Company 188 views

No Workers’ Compensation Awarded to Truck Driver Injured in Motor Vehicle Accident After Failing to Wear Seat Belt

The attached article is courtesy of: Setliff Law, P.C. 4940 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, VA 23060; Phone: (804)377-1276; Email: pschurig@setlifflaw.com 

Everyone knows to wear a seat belt. Some cars even have sticker warnings, while other car systems flash warning signals when the car starts, but how many drivers adhere to these warnings? Who is at fault if someone doesn’t wear a seat belt and gets hurt? Is it the employer? Is it the employee? Click here to read more.

Risk Management Round Table: COVID-19 and the Transportation Industry

This podcast is courtesy of: East Coast Risk Management 7562 State Route 30 North Huntingdon, PA 15642; Phone: (724)864-8745
 
Click here to listen to a podcast where East Coast Risk Management’s Manager of DOT Services, Mike Kuiros explains how the transportation industry has changed due to COVID-19.

As we all navigate our way through these difficult times, Nansemond Insurance is here to help. The attached SBA Owners Guide to the CARES Act can provide you steps in taking advantage of the relief funds available for you (including the loan application procedures). Grants may be available now for your business, please refer to the ‘Economic Injury Disaster Loans & Emergency Economic Injury Grants’ section starting on page 7 of the SBA Owners Guide. Click here for the SBA Owners Guide. Click here for additional information on the CARES Act.

Tax Relief and COVID-19:  Federal Tax Credits for Small and Midsize Businesses to Recover Costs of Coronavirus-Related Leave

The attached article is courtesy of: Setliff Law, P.C. 4940 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, VA 23060; Phone: 804-377-1276; Email: pschurig@setlifflaw.com 

On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees.

The Act will give all American businesses with fewer than 500 employees funds to provide employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. The legislation will enable employers to keep their workers on their payrolls, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus. Click here to read more.

Independent Contractor

The Independent Contractor model is under attack across the country causing disruption, confusion and in many instances loss of work for the tens of millions who enjoy its freedom and flexibility. From nurses to truckers to those trying to raise a family, the independent contractor role is vital to the American lifestyle.

Those that drive for a living have had a history of issues with the classification of workers as Independent Contractors. California, New York and New Jersey have deemed the driving/trucking industry to be one of the abusers of the Independent Contractor model and are attempting to prohibit that relationship. Click here to read more.

6 Trucking in America: Senate Hearing

February 4, 2020 – The Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety held a hearing to discuss the State of Trucking in America. With various stakeholders representing the trucking industry, committee members heard expert testimony for and against the issues of the day and questioned the panel of experts on those specific hot topics. There wasn’t much in the way of consensus amongst the panel of experts, but the fact that the Committee heard from all sides was important. Several of trucking’s top priorities were discussed: Hours of Service (HOS); truck technologies i.e., automatic emergency braking, speed limiters and universal electronic identifiers; the Drive Safe Act; the industry’s driver shortage; and the 7 bands of the 5.9gh spectrum.

Hours Of Service (HOS) – To illustrate the inflexibility of a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach, the hauling of live animals was highlighted by Jake Parnell, Manager, Cattlemen’s Livestock Market; Director, Livestock Marketing Association. As noted by Parnell, often times a driver of livestock can reach a destination within the HOS limits, but in those instances where it is not possible, the safety of the animals is a key concern. Having livestock sit in a truck for 10 hours while the diver rests can be a grave scenario for the animals, costly for the business and unsafe for the driver. FMCSA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update the HOS requirements and has taken public comments. Click here to learn more about this hearing.

S.A.F.E.: Slip and Fall Elimination Salting for Winter Safety

This article is courtesy of Accident Fund Insurance Company of America. 

When it comes to slip and fall prevention, salting and shoveling are key areas to pay attention to in any climate — even down South! As you get ready to complete these tasks, think about doing so safely in order to prevent injuries. With this in mind, we encourage you to remember the following tips when completing salting, snow removal and other winter-weather activities. Click here to continue reading.

Coronavirus Spreading

This article is courtesy of Selective Insurance. 

The spread of 2019-nCoV, better known as the Wuhan Coronavirus, has been widely reported on since the first case emerged in December 2019. Selective cares about the impact of risk to you as a business owner, so we’d like to share some information to help protect you, your staff and your operations. Click here to learn more.

Smart Phone Use and Distracted Driving

This article is courtesy of EMC Insurance. 

There is no doubt that distracted driving causes vehicle accidents and deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 3,166 traffic fatalities, or 8.5% of traffic deaths, in the United States in 2017 were linked to driver distraction. However, there is some disagreement on how much distracted driving can be attributed to cell phone use. Click here to read more.

Ways to Manage Stress as a Trucker

This article is courtesy of Acuity Insurance.

From the days of buckboard wagons to the modern trucks operating today, the trucking industry has continued to play a vital role in our nation’s economy. However, the job can be stressful and wear on drivers over time. According to Trucking Research, a few of the reasons drivers face stress include discourteous drivers, road construction, and being away from home. Though stress is not often discussed as a key reason for the driver shortage, it may be part of the issue. Stress can cause a calm person to become impatient and frustrated with their situation and can also affect a person’s health. Click here to continue reading.

Real Life Lessons From Truck Drivers Injured at Work: Every Which Way but Loose

This article is courtesy of Midwestern Insurance Alliance. 

Years ago there was a popular country song with that title and the singer was describing how his girlfriend turned him every which way but loose. Then they made a movie with that theme song and Clint Eastwood starred in it, along with a chimpanzee. Clint probably made a lot of money for his performance and the chimp probably made some “chump” change. However, and once again, that has little to do with this Real Life Lesson other than being a lead in for a discussion regarding muscle strains and truck drivers.
There are several ways a truck driver can strain/pull a muscle. Examples include raising/lowering the hood of the truck, opening/closing the trailer doors, handling freight, tarping and securing loads, and even getting in/out of the truck cab. In addition to the exposure to these hazards, drivers also deal with another issue that can contribute to muscle strains – static posture (sitting in the cab of a truck for extended periods of time). Add these together and the result is several injuries due to muscle strains. Click here for more.

Crash Preventability Determination Program

After 18 months of evaluating the preventability of 8 categories of crashes through submissions of Requests for Data Review, FMCSA proposes to modify the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to remove crashes found to be not preventable from the prioritization algorithm and noting the not preventable determinations in the Pre-Employment Screening Program. Click here to read more.

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse- Mandatory Compliance Date Jan 6th

Effective January 4, 2017, the FMCSA established requirements for the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), a database under the Agency’s administration that will contain information about violations of FMCSA’s drug and alcohol testing program for the holders of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). This rule is mandated by the Agency’s MAP Act.

Beginning January 6, 2020, the Clearinghouse rule requires FMCSA-regulated employers, Medical Review Officers, Substance Abuse Professionals, consortia/third party administrators (C/TPAs), and other service agents to report to the Clearinghouse information related to violations of the drug and alcohol regulations. Click here to read more on the implementation of the Clearinghouse.

Violation of the Cooperation Clause in Your Policy Only Hurts You

Late reporting of accidents is a growing problem that can reduce your claims handlers’ ability to reduce your exposure and/or clear you of any liability and wrong-doing. In a growing number of cases, we have been receiving notices of claims from the claimants months after the incident without any prior notice from our insureds. Click here for more on the Cooperation Clause.

Country Wide RV Transport (CWRV), the nation’s second largest RV and motor-home transportation provider, is shutting down for good, according to information received late Friday by FreightWaves.

The 540 drivers that currently work for the recreational vehicle transport company will be out of work effective November 1st. The news was first reported on the blog Freight Broker Live., which included a screen shot of an email sent to the company’s employees.

Read full article: here

15 Useful Apps for Truckers

This article is courtesy of Acuity Insurance.

With so many apps available to the trucking industry, it can be confusing to pick the right ones. Apps can help truckers enhance three important areas: their time, their safety, and their bottom line. If you have a trucking customer looking for help with this topic, here are some free apps that may be helpful to their operation. Click here to read more.

Virginia Passes Two New Driving Laws: Regarding Cell Phone Use and Passing Emergency Vehicles

The attached article is courtesy of: Setliff Law, P.C. 4940 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, VA  23060; Phone:(804)377-1276;Email: pschurig@setlifflaw.com 

Two new Virginia laws impacting drivers went into effect this summer on July 1, 2019. First, Virginia amended its cell phone laws to forbid any hand-held cell phone use in work zones, and, second, Virginia increased the penalty for failure to move over when passing a stationary emergency vehicle to an automatic “reckless driving” conviction. Both laws have substantial ramifications for truck drivers and other Commercial Driver’s License (“CDL”) holders. Click here to learn more.

With so many apps available to the trucking industry, it can be confusing to pick the right ones. Apps can help truckers enhance three important areas: their time, their safety, and their bottom line. If you have a trucking customer looking for help with this topic, here are some free apps that may be helpful to their operation.

15 Useful Apps for Truckers