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Dirty Bomb Security Test Fails: Using fake documentation, undercover federal investigators were able to buy enough radioactive material to make “dirty bombs” and transport them across U.S. borders, a Congressional subcommittee recently learned. The investigators bought containers and radioactive material from a commercial source over the telephone. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not require suppliers to determine whether the buyer has a legitimate use for radioactive material, contrary to a 2003 recommendation by the General Accounting Office. Undercover agents found NRC documents on the Internet and examples of the necessary documentation. They created a logo for a fictitious company and produced a fake bill of lading. The investigators traveled into the United States from Canada and Mexico with the radioactive material in the trunks of rental cars. While the portal monitors did properly alert U.S Customs inspectors to the presence of radioactive material, the inspectors did not question the agents’ fake documentation. “The reality is that it is easier to buy low-grade radioactive material for a dirty bomb than it is to buy cold medicine that has been restricted due to the meth epidemic,” said the subcommittee chairman, who argued that the NRC should update its rules to reflect a post-September 11 world. The Congressional subcommittee also learned that less than 40 percent of maritime containers entering the United States are screened for radiation and that the Department of Homeland Security’s deployment of portal monitors is behind schedule and will cost an estimated $342 million more than expected.
Fuel Prices Up This Summer: The price of crude oil, nearly $70 per barrel, is nudging diesel prices back up. Ironically, prices are at historic highs even though energy supplies are well above average. For the first week of April, the national average for a gallon of diesel fuel was $2.62—about 31 cents higher than the same week last year. In addition, new clean-air rules, which require refineries to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) beginning June 1, are expected to contribute to even higher fuel prices since production costs will be greater. “In the coming weeks you’re going to see [ULSD] have an impact on retail prices,” said an official at the Oil Price Information Service. “Maybe refineries have the capacity to make the ULSD, but when you have these transitions it creates nervousness in the market. The uncertainty going forward when there’s a spec change will lead to higher prices.” Experts predict diesel fuel costs will hover around $3 per gallon this summer. “I don’t think we’ll surpass those levels,” said the ULSD spokesman. “If we do top it, it’ll probably be briefly.” Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration warned that the United States is expected to have another active hurricane season this year. Should major storms cause significant refinery outages, the price of diesel fuel and gasoline would become even more erratic.
What's Behind Highway Accidents: Quick—what causes more large-truck accidents: road conditions, vehicle malfunction, or the behavior of drivers? A new study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finds that the behavior of drivers—both truckers and four-wheelers—is 10 times more likely to cause big-truck crashes than any other factor. “This study makes it clear that we need to spend more time addressing driver behavior, as well as making sure trucks and buses are fit for the road,” said FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg. The study, which investigated crashes involving large trucks from 2001 to 2003, found that action or inaction by either the car or truck driver was the main reason for 88 percent of crashes. Another interesting finding: Driver fatigue was more often linked to the driver of the four-wheeler than to the truck driver. In addition, the study confirmed the trucking industry’s positive record of negligible illegal drug or alcohol abuse. The American Trucking Associations said the study “confirms the findings of earlier studies that car drivers are coded more frequently than truck drivers for both driving performance errors and
non-performance problems.”
Driver Tuition Program Offered: The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Truckload Carriers Association together have initiated a program to provide financial assistance to those who want to attend truck driver training school but who may not otherwise be able to afford it. The program pairs up motor carriers with lending institutions to provide low-interest loans to men and women who have been accepted to driver training school. Under the program, the motor carrier guarantees the student loan in exchange for the student’s commitment to work for the company upon graduation. “With such a critical driver shortage facing the industry, now, more than ever, trucking is consistently looking toward recruiting and retaining a pool of experienced workers,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “We’re leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to find new drivers, and this program allows us to reach out to those who want to become drivers but who without some sort of assistance might not be able to enter the profession.” One company reports that the pilot program has worked well for them. Since October, Watkins Shepard Trucking has approved 56 new drivers and is spending less on advertising and recruitment costs.
Private Fleets Growing: As the trucking industry deals with a lack of qualified drivers and capacity crunches, more shippers are re-examining the value of a private fleet. Shippers who feel they are not in the driver’s seat, who want more control of shipping, and who think they can save money are exploring the feasibility of adding a private fleet to their supply chain. As a result, private fleets are expected to grow 10 percent over the next several years. More shippers say they want to control transportation capacity and get their product to market when their customers need it without relying on outside carriers. Shippers believe that capacity control boosts shareholder value, delivers better customer service with on-time deliveries, and offers greater flexibility, allowing them to re-route shipments and create custom shipments to meet customer needs. Seven in 10 private fleets operate as cost centers, but the remaining 30 percent operate as profit centers by selling excess capacity in certain lanes on a for-hire basis. Most private fleets operate short-haul deliveries with the same driver delivering to the same customers. Companies with private fleets are known for continually recognizing and rewarding top-performing drivers. Industry insiders warn that shippers interested in adding a private fleet should hire “on-staff personnel who really understand the trucking business and cost analysis,” because they can get “whipsawed” into thinking they are saving money when they really aren’t.
Bay State Requires Health Insurance: Massachusetts lawmakers approved a bill last month that would make the state the first to require health insurance coverage for all its residents. Starting July 1, 2007, all Massachusetts residents will be required either to purchase insurance themselves or to obtain it through their employer. The new law will affect many truckers in the state. In order to expand access to health care, the state government will institute a combination of financial incentives and penalties. The state’s 500,000 uninsured would be required to obtain insurance; the poor could get free, or heavily subsidized, coverage. Those who can afford health insurance but who do not buy it would face increasing tax penalties, while those already insured would enjoy a drop in premiums. Businesses that have more than 10 employees and that don’t offer insurance would be required to pay the state $295 a year per worker.
Cultivate Joy: Looking for greater happiness in your life? A University of California psychologist offers these tips to keep you smiling:
- Count your blessings. Grateful people are happier people. Each night as you drift off to sleep, identify at least three things you are thankful for. It will help you see the positive in your daily routine.
- Demonstrate kindness. Be kind to friends and strangers. Let the stressed out mom go ahead of you in the checkout line; help an elderly
neighbor with chores.
- Socialize. A satisfying life has far less to do with how much money you make, where you live, and your job title than it does with forging social bonds with others. Go out of your way to socialize.
- Practice healthy habits. Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, eat well, and schedule routine medical checkups. A healthy body helps keep your
mind healthy too.
- Learn how to deal with stress. Stress is inevitable. Your job is to figure out how to cope with it in a healthy way. Religious faith gets many people through hard times, while others find comfort in a positive secular attitude, such as “If it doesn’t kill me, it will make me stronger” or “This too shall pass.”
If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.
—George S. Patton
