January 5, 2025 • 33 mins
In this episode of Julia's Trucking Cafe Podcast, I discuss how a truck driver's wife perishes while sleeping in the sleeper berth of her husband's truck. I also discuss other stories making the headlines in the trucking industry news. Please join me each Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. central time, on Youtube Live Stream as I take this podcast to the next level. The audio version of Julia's Trucking Cafe will always continue. We want to enhance the show by giving our great audience multiple platforms to access our content.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You are listening to Julia's Truck at Cafe Trucking News
out Hey everyone, Happy New Year. My first episode in
the New Year. This month is seven years since I
started this podcast, so thank you all for being continued listeners.
(00:32):
As always, I have lots of news to get to,
so let's get right to it. In our first story,
a big rig crashes off of I fifty five overpass
lands on the railroad tracks below. Now, this is a
container pulled by JB. Hunt. It looks like an owner operator.
(00:53):
The whole thing completely flips over and is laying across
the track. Truck is upside down, the whole cab is crushed.
A semi truck driver survived after crashing off an overpass
in Illinois. This story was written just before Christmas Eve.
(01:14):
The crash occurred shortly before ten in the morning on Sunday,
December twenty second, and northbound I fifty five near Plainfield, Illinois.
According to the Plainfield Fire Department, crews found the semi
off the road and rolled over on the train tracks
below I fifty five. The truck driver was able to
(01:35):
get himself from the cab. Firefighters say that the truck
driver was transported to a hospital for treatment of non
life threatening injuries. The driver of another vehicle involved in
the accident on fifty five refused treatment. The truck's cargo
of chicken broth and disinfectant wipes spilled out during the crash.
(01:58):
The incident shut down train track traffic in the area
for an extended period of time. His crews worked to
clean up the spill and remove the crashed semi truck.
The accident is still under investigation, and in our next story,
truck driver's body is found in a big rig submerged
in a California aqueduct. A California Highway patrol is investigating
(02:22):
a death discovered after a submerged semi truck was removed
from an aqueduct. The incident occurred around five o'clock in
the morning on Sunday, December twenty second, in Current County, California,
by Grapevine. The commercial vehicles traveling northbound at I five
north of Grapevine Road, when, for reasons unknown, traveled to
(02:45):
the right, leaving the roadway, probably distracted driving looked down
for something drop, something could be anything. That's only my speculation.
The commercial vehicle traveled a control through an open field
and then crashed into the aqueduct, which is like a
big canal full of water for those of you that
(03:06):
have a bit out to California local news report. Agency
said that the driver was found dead in the cab
when crews removed vehicle from the water. Or let me
take that back about being distracted or looking down or
something like that. He could have had a medical emergency.
He could have had a heart attack. The identity of
the truck driver has not been released. If you should
(03:28):
have any information or you saw what happened around the
Tahone Grapevine area, you could call California Highway Patrol at
six six ' one two four eight six ' sixty
five five. Again, that's California Highway Patrol at Fort Tahone
office at six six 't one two four eight six
(03:50):
sixty five five, and please call if you know anything,
so that the family would know what exactly happened and
if it exactly was a medical emergency to the driver,
so at least his family can have or her family
could have some closure. I'm sure the family would greatly
appreciate any possible tips that they could get. And up next,
(04:16):
cops seek a suspect of accused of threatening a tanker
truck driver with a gun at Louisiana circle k. The
Tanka Pahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is asking for public help
in locating a person who allegedly threatened a tanker truck
driver at a gas station earlier in the month. The
(04:37):
incident took place December fifth at a circle K around
Puma Drive and Hammond, Louisiana. Quote, a tanker truck driver
was tempting to access the gas tanks at the circle
k and Puma Drive asked a man to move his
vehicle from the pump. That man reacted by verbally assaulting
the truck driver and then pulling a gun from his
(04:58):
car and displaying it the driver while arguing with them
and threatening, said the Sheriff's office. Police say that suspect
was driving a recent model white Ford pickup truck was
an aftermarket black toolbox and after market black rims. Yeah,
there's got a couple of thousand of them running around.
If you have any information, you could call Detective Nanny
(05:21):
in a Criminal Investigation's office ed Hammond at nine eight
five nine zero two two zero one seven. That's nine
eighty five nine zero two to zero one seven and
a new collapse in North Carolina says the opening of
I forty is going to be delayed. The North Carolina
(05:44):
DOT says the reopening of a stretch of interstate damaged
by Hurricane Helene has been delayed after a part of
the roadway collapsed last week. I forty at the North
Carolina Tennessee line was scheduled for reopening this month in January,
after the roadway sustained severe damage during Hurricane Helene in
(06:05):
late September. The cause of the new roadway collapse was
blamed on wet weather and freezing and thawing conditions. It's
now unclear when I forty could be reopened. They're working
with engineers and contractors to fix the new damage. DOT
says it's an unfortunate Situationally, you think it's a new
(06:26):
hurdle that we have to overcome in order to provide
a safe facility for the public. My cat's being goofy today.
If you hear background noise, I have a five year
old cat in a five month old kitten talking about
an age difference. So what they're wanting you to do
instead of going across forty? Actually the X is right there.
(06:52):
It's in between forty and eighty one, but it's saying
it's on I forty, So where the X is that's
kind of weird. I guess. Yeah, it's through the gorge
where from Ashville to Knoxville that stretch on forty and
then you run up to eighty one. So there are
people are they're routing people up seventy seven and down
(07:16):
eighty one. So you have to go all the way
up to Withville from Charlotte, take forty up through north
of Charlotte on Catch seventy seven, go north to Withville
and then grab eighty one and come back down. It's
kind of a pain in the butt, but yeah, it's
right like they said at the line, and it's where
(07:39):
you wiggle through the gorge and come out right there
on catch eighty one and forty run that split right there.
It's just just east of that eighty one forty split
is where that sinkle is. To give somebody point of reference,
(08:00):
and this next story, sheriff says a semi truck driver
missjudged the height and struck a railroad bridge at fifty
five miles an hour. Well, he missjudged the height, but
the height on the bridge says it's thirteen ten and
it's a railroad trestle, so unless that's an extra tall
cargo container, because that's what it is. Or he was
(08:23):
on the shoulder, but there's another truck that's going through there,
so he might have been too tall to come in.
But there's another flatbed truck that's in the left lane
going around the darn thing, and he's thirteen six, So
this doesn't the story kind of doesn't make any sense.
(08:45):
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office share details Sunday night about a
bridge strike that occurred near Lincoln, Nebraska. You're contacted about
eleven thirty on December twenty second at night for a
crash out of Highway six and southwest sixty third west
of Lincoln, as traffic was diverted off eastbound I eighty
(09:06):
on a Highway six for a bridge demolition project. Okay,
so you're going west or you come to east, you know,
into Lincoln. I eighty is closed because they're they're demolishing
a bridge. They route you on the Highway six. You
need to go underneath this railroad threshole. It's supposed to
(09:27):
be thirteen ten and then you you know, before you
know it, you're laid over on the side, and the
truck is a International, so that's thirteen six, So I
uh there again, this story just baffles me. Quote the
driver misjudged his cargo height, so apparently that was a
(09:48):
taller container compared to low clearance bridge at southwest sixty third.
As you know, that's a that's a railroad bridge. He
said he was traveling at almost fifty five miles an
hour and almost came to a dead stop when he
hit the bridge. No injuries were reported, so he wasn't
on looking at the picture and you know if it
(10:12):
laying on its side, he took the container completely off.
He was running a container on top of a regular
flatbed and not on a container chassis that lowered to
the ground. And apparently that container was thirteen six or something.
I don't know, I'm just guessing, speculating, and it was
(10:35):
a regular flatbed trailer that he had the container chained
to and snapped the chains took the container completely off.
The flatbed containers on one side of the bridge laid
on its side. The truck and the trailer came to
rest on the other side of the bridge and crap
is everywhere. So yeah, that's that's just nuts. So you
(11:00):
really have to look at the second picture in this
article to really see and yeah, the hood pieces the
flatbed and it looked like he it was hang on
just a second. Let me. Yeah he was using straps
and strap the container down. I keep telling you know me,
(11:21):
I've never hauled flatbed, so I'm just saying to me,
those straps don't look strong enough to hold cargo down.
Where before they ever invented those those wide straps four
inch straps or six inch straps or whatever they are.
I always saw chains and binders, especially on containers. Yeah
(11:45):
you may you know, could only do it through the bottom.
But yeah, he had it strapped, strapped down to his
flatbed and when he hit that bridge, the whole thing
came off. So there goes. There's my point. It just
is not gonna hold out when a container could slide
like that. Excuse me. And up next in this next story,
(12:05):
a head on crash on Christmas? What is it about
everybody crashing? This is like three accidents in one day
on Christmas Eve, just before Christmas Eve. But sadly this
accident leaves a tow truck driver dead and a teenage
son injured. Illinois State Police are investigating a fatal head
(12:27):
on collision involving two commercial vehicles that occurred in Kankakee County.
Crash occurred seven am on Christmas Eve at Grant Park, Illinois.
Illinois State Police say that two commercial vehicles crashed head
on at Illinois Route seventeen and Bull Creek Road after
one of the drivers lost control, not saying which one.
(12:50):
One of the drivers involved was operating a heavy record
service for Ray and Wally's Towing out of Lynwood, and
this is what they wrote on their Facebook post. It
is with vy heart that we write this post. On
December twenty fourth, at seven am, one of our drivers
was involved in a terrible accident outside of Grant Park
while driving one of our heavy wreckers. Our driver tragically
(13:11):
died on scene. He was traveling with his fifteen year
old son. His son was airlifted to a hospital in Chicago.
We are working with the Illinois State Lease Reconstruction Team
to find out what happened. This is a sad time
for our team and the families involved. We ask you
to pray for the healing of his son and to
bring his family some comfort in this tragic loss. We
(13:35):
have set up a GoFundMe for Travis and his grandmother,
whom he is living with. Please donate if you are able,
but please, more importantly keep this family in your prayers.
Our prayers do go out to the Travis family. According
to the company, the tow truck driver died at the scene.
And there again what I just read, which is sad
(13:58):
right on Christmas Eve, you know, to lose his dad
and all he wanted to do was go out on
and run with his dad. And in this next STORYCSA
FMCSA says no two driverless trucking companies who wanted exemption
from the reflective triangles rule for stop commercial vehicles. So
(14:21):
for those of you that aren't in the truck at company,
FMCSA stands for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and reflective
triangles are the triangles that all truck drivers need and
should use, not roll your hood down, need and should
use and put at. I forget a foot ten feet
(14:45):
and one hundred feet. I think the rule was behind
your vehicle if you're on a freeway, if you're on
a two lane road, one ten feet in front of
your vehicle, then the other two behind your vehicle. Read
the rules up on that. The FFCSSAY has adopted to
deny a quest for regulation exemption from a pair of
(15:06):
leading autonomous trucking companies like what makes them so Special
and in notice to be published at the Federal Register.
On December twenty seventh, the FFCSA announced its decision to
deny a request for exemption coming from driverless truck companies
way Mo and Aurora. They're talking about being completely autonomous
(15:28):
now as we know the past, I've reported on states
not allowing completely autonomous trucks to go to enter into
their state, you better have at least one driver in
the cab behind the wheel. The companies ask for relief
from regulations related to requirements to play specific types of
(15:50):
warning devices, namely the three bi directional emergency reflective triangles
or at least six fuses or three burning flares at
scrip locations around a commercial vehicle stopped on the travel
portion or shoulder of a highway for any cause other
than necessary traffic stops, and requirements that lamps on the
(16:13):
commercial vehicle be steadily burning, meaning your lights need to
be on, your four ways need to be going, okay,
not to be pulled over on the shoulder of the
road to let your dog out, do that on an
on ramp or an arrest area, or sleeping anyway, back
to the article. Waymo and Aurora stated that the warning
(16:36):
devices required were not feasible for autonomous CMBs without a
human on board. Again, not feasible for autonomous commercial vehicles
without a human on board. The companies asked the ffc
ISA for permission to instead use cab mounted warning beacons
(16:58):
like people are gonna know what the heck that means
when the CMB is operated by a Level four automated
driving system or ADS, either without a human on board
or with a human on board when testing the warning beacons.
The FMCSA ultimately opted to deny the rural exemption request
(17:19):
because the companies did not demonstrate that granting the exemption
will likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent
to or greater than the level of safety that would
be achieved absent the exemption. Meaning you have something comparable
to the triangles or flares, or even better than, to
(17:42):
use in place of the triangles or flares. Okay, if
you get all that, it gets complicated. Specifically, the agency
said that weymown Aurora or I'm sorry I read that
UH did not provide enough details about the cab mounted
warning beacons and they fail to demonstrate an equivalent level
of safety for cab mounted warning beacons. They didn't. They're like, well,
(18:06):
we're going to put these lights kind of like what
a spottery uses, That blinking amber light on top of
the cab. To me, that's slow moving. That doesn't mean
that you're stopped. Should applicants or future applicants provide sufficient
details about proposed alternative warning devices. FMCSA notes that industrywide
(18:28):
exemptions are not the norm and FMCSA grant them only
on a very limited basis. Yeah, just because you ask
for one doesn't mean you're automatically going to get an exemption.
Applicants present little data on effects such a broad exemption
would have an overall safety, particularly considering the unknown group
of autonomous CMV operators at issue, the unknown fleet sizes
(18:49):
and potential differences among them, and implementation and operations. In
other words, how many trucks you have in your fleet,
how many companies are going to have autominus truck, how
many of them are going to be out there. You know,
they take all of that into consideration. So yeah, And
in this story, a Laredo man is indicted for smuggling
(19:12):
one hundred and one people in a lock semi trailer.
Juan Miguel Aguerra, forty nine, of Laredo, was indicted by
federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to transport an
undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of
undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain. Official
(19:34):
state of the law enforcement spotted a large number of
visuals being loaded into a trailer and a warehouse parking lot. Quote.
After the white truck that was hauling departed the location,
authorities conducted a traffic stop. A search allegedly resulted in
the discovery of one hundred and one non US citizens
locked inside the trailer, including twelve unaccompanied children. The charges
(19:59):
for they're alleged two reported they had difficulty breathing and
feared for their life due to the conditions of the trailer.
They're probably claustrophobic. A guire faces up to ten years
of prison for each of the three counts, and finds
it up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars if
he's convicted. He's just a mule. They didn't get the
big fish. He's just a mule. The case was investigated
(20:23):
by Homeland Security, the FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety,
Border Patrol, US Customs at Border Protection DEA, and the
local county sheriff's office. They all jumped on the manwagon
on OUE and one is dead in a stabbing. And
you'll never guess where. Memphis at a distribution center that
(20:46):
I used to go to all the time, Kroger stabbing
at Kroger in DC in Memphis. This occurred Thursday, December
twenty six, right after Christmas, at nine o'clock in the morning.
Upon arrival, they discovered one male was deceased at the scene.
They say that there was stabbed, a second male was
(21:09):
taken into custody, and that it's an ongoing investigation. It's
all it was said. As I learned more about the story,
and the story is updated, of course I will report
on it. And remember, oh, I think it was last year,
a couple of years ago. How I think it was.
(21:32):
California wanted teens, seniors in high school and everything to
start driving in trust state, in just the state alone,
and getting CDLs. Well, a nineteen year old decided he
was going to try to outrun a train. Yeah, chootch you.
(21:56):
He had had a red W nine Kenworth pulling a
grain bucket hopper bottom and not only did he strike
a pickup truck that was waiting at the tracks for
the train and then hit the train. So he hit
(22:17):
the truck so hard he could have pushed it underneath
the train, I don't know there again, and then crashed
into the train and did damage to the train there again.
This occurred the day after Christmas. Please say that Jackson
van Ashen nineteen, was operating a two thousand and seven
(22:39):
Kenworth southbound on US Highway one fifty one when he
failed to notice, Now, you gotta pickup truck parked in
front of the tracks in front of you the railroad train.
You know, lights are blinging and clanging and everything. I'm
sure the conductor was using, you know, the train horn
(22:59):
was going you look left and right, you see this
train coming. He's gonna plow into this passenger vehicle and
then hit the train because he was at his damn hurry.
And he's gonna say, well, I didn't see it, really, really,
what an excuse. The Sheriff's office said the Kenworth sideswiped
(23:21):
the pickup truck that was stopped at the crossing and
then hit the train. The Kenworth course is a total loss.
The crash did about two thousand dollars worth of damage
to the train, and of course the pickup truck was
also damaged. He was cited for failure to stop at
an active train crossing. And besides, the owner of the truck,
(23:43):
because you know, a nineteen year old is not gonna
buy a damn two thousand and seven truck being totaled.
Whoever he worked for, yeah, is not a happy camper
right about now. And up next, the US DOT announces
fine increases for trucker regulation violations. Truckers who violate federal
(24:06):
regulations will pay more after officials announced the annual increase
in financial penalties in order to keep up with inflation,
so they say air quotes, the Federal Civil Penalties, Inflation
and Adjustment Act of twenty fifteen requires all federal agencies,
including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to increase fine amounts
(24:30):
every year to account for inflation in order to maintain
they are a deterrent effect. The new fines will be
effective immediately now. And there is pages, pages and pages
and pages and pages of you know, weights out of service,
(24:57):
just all kinds of stuff. They've increased the finds about
it's ridiculous, and by some by six hundred bucks, six
seven eight hundred dollars, not by just forty fifty bucks
when I would look through the table. I'll have that
on the website. I'll post that link on the website
in case you're interested. It's Julius truck atcafe dot com.
(25:20):
And I'll make sure I post that to the website.
And not only is there a sinkhole on I forty,
there's also a sinkhole on in I eighty in New Jersey.
A section of interstate has been shut down in northern
New Jersey after a sinkhole opened up on the shoulder.
The sinkle was first noticed on Thursday morning, December twenty
(25:43):
sixth the eastbound lanes of I eighty near Warrington, New Jersey.
According to the local news crew spent Thursday morning evaluating
the sinkhole along the right shoulder of the interstate, but
a timeline for repairs has yet to be determined. Traffic
is currently being detoured around. It looks like somebody Taylor
took one of them big scoopers and actually looks like
(26:06):
a hole like am from a meteorite or something. Excuse me,
this is three point thirty in the morning. I'm recording
this so again. The traffic is currently being teed doer
off of the interstate and New Jersey Department of Transportation
evaluates the situation. As of right now, no further information
has been released on this sinkhole. And a driver survives
(26:30):
a heart attack over the road and is being dubbed
a Christmas miracle. Alabama truck driver says he now has
a new perspective on life after surviving a massive heart
attack while driving on Christmas Eve. He's only thirty eight
years old. William Brown of Alabama was hauling a load
(26:50):
of highly flammable materials to New Jersey and Christmas Eve
when he said he started to feel that something was wrong. Quote,
my hands went numb first, and then it started traveling
up my arms and then my chest. It felt like
an asphalt truck was over the top of me and
hot asphalt was being poured out. Because heart conditions run
(27:10):
in his family, Brown called nine to one one I
told them, I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I
think I'm having a heart attack at the moment. Brown
was taken to the er, where it was discovered he
had one hundred percent blockage in his heart. He was
aware enough with the symptoms to come in appropriate early time.
(27:30):
He arrested more than once, meaning he died where he
needed to be defibriated, said the doctor. Doctors were able
to save Brown and get him into stable condition, giving
Brown an opportunity for a new perspective on life. It's
the greatest feeling knowing that i was flatlined less than
two days ago and I'm still here, going to make
(27:51):
me put things into perspective and cherish things a lot
more for Doctors say that Brown will likely be able
to help home to Alabama for the weekend where he
could reunite with his nine children. So he's home as
of New Year's Eve, so he at least he got
(28:12):
to spend the holiday with the family, which is awesome
and and not so great news. The headline of this
sad story. One second. A truck driver's wife was crushed
by a collapsed building while sleeping in a sleeper while
(28:32):
they were at a Tyson plant and a boiler exploded.
A truck driver's wife was killed in an overnight explosion
at Tyson plant. Explosion happened at Tyson food Plant in Camilla, Georgia,
(28:52):
the day after Christmas. According to his statement from Tyson Foods,
a boiler exploded inside the facility, caused a portion of
the building to collapse on top of the semi truck
parked outside. It was probably in the dock. The wife
of the truck driver was sleeping inside of the berth
at the time of the explosion and was crushed in
(29:14):
the subsequent collapse. The truck driver was inside the building
at the time of the explosion. It's unclear if he
sustained any injuries, but was reportedly speaking with law enforcement
outside the building following it. The driver reportedly was unsure
if his wife had survived the accident at that time
or not. The fire was contained by three in the morning,
(29:39):
so the fire started, I don't think. Let me look now.
It doesn't say when the fire started or the explosion happened,
but efforts to retrieve the body had to be paused
until they brought machinery in to clear the debris off
of the truck. They do have a VISI visual confirmation
(30:01):
on her, but as far as having access to her,
the county coroner said they do not who is Jamie
Thompson and who confirm that the woman died prior to
retrieving her body. The names of the truck driving the
wife were not released at the time. At least one
(30:22):
other person was critically injured in the explosion and others
were severely burned. Sadly, our members have reported to us
that a person was severely injured and may not survive,
and several union members were severely burned in a boiler
explosion this morning at the Tyson Poultry processing facility in Camilla, Georgia.
(30:42):
We are working with the company and local emergency authorities
to ensure that all the employees they packed it are
taken care of. The health and safety of workers must
be blah blah blah blah blah. They're on the ground,
available to assist Our members in the community of Camilla
depend on this facility operating. Too early to tell what happened,
(31:02):
but there must be a thorough investigation to the incident
and workers must be able to work at a safe facility.
Blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah. And also later
on in another up subsequent news story, the husband and
wife were from Las Vegas, and so I believe they
(31:24):
were picking up a load there at the chicken plant
to would stand to reason. I want to make a
special service announcement at this time to let you know
that if you are on YouTube, I am now live
streaming the podcast every Wednesday evening at seven pm Central Time.
You can look for my YouTube channel on Julia's truck
(31:45):
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(32:08):
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grow the YouTube channel and thank you so much for
(32:29):
also being an audio listener. I still will keep the
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but if you would like to see what's going on.
As far as the news goes, I do create slides.
I am live. You will see me in all my
greatest glory, right just playing trying to be make a funny.
(32:54):
So I hope everybody stay safe out there, everybody has
a great day, and keep the shiny side up and
until next time. Julia's truck a Cafe is a trademark brand.
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(33:17):
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prosperous week. Please keep the shiny side up until next time.
You are listening to Julia's Truck at Cafe Trucking News
out Hey everyone, Happy New Year. My first episode in
the New Year. This month is seven years since I
started this podcast, so thank you all for being continued listeners.
(00:32):
As always, I have lots of news to get to,
so let's get right to it. In our first story,
a big rig crashes off of I fifty five overpass
lands on the railroad tracks below. Now, this is a
container pulled by JB. Hunt. It looks like an owner operator.
(00:53):
The whole thing completely flips over and is laying across
the track. Truck is upside down, the whole cab is crushed.
A semi truck driver survived after crashing off an overpass
in Illinois. This story was written just before Christmas Eve.
(01:14):
The crash occurred shortly before ten in the morning on Sunday,
December twenty second, and northbound I fifty five near Plainfield, Illinois.
According to the Plainfield Fire Department, crews found the semi
off the road and rolled over on the train tracks
below I fifty five. The truck driver was able to
(01:35):
get himself from the cab. Firefighters say that the truck
driver was transported to a hospital for treatment of non
life threatening injuries. The driver of another vehicle involved in
the accident on fifty five refused treatment. The truck's cargo
of chicken broth and disinfectant wipes spilled out during the crash.
(01:58):
The incident shut down train track traffic in the area
for an extended period of time. His crews worked to
clean up the spill and remove the crashed semi truck.
The accident is still under investigation, and in our next story,
truck driver's body is found in a big rig submerged
in a California aqueduct. A California Highway patrol is investigating
(02:22):
a death discovered after a submerged semi truck was removed
from an aqueduct. The incident occurred around five o'clock in
the morning on Sunday, December twenty second, in Current County, California,
by Grapevine. The commercial vehicles traveling northbound at I five
north of Grapevine Road, when, for reasons unknown, traveled to
(02:45):
the right, leaving the roadway, probably distracted driving looked down
for something drop, something could be anything. That's only my speculation.
The commercial vehicle traveled a control through an open field
and then crashed into the aqueduct, which is like a
big canal full of water for those of you that
(03:06):
have a bit out to California local news report. Agency
said that the driver was found dead in the cab
when crews removed vehicle from the water. Or let me
take that back about being distracted or looking down or
something like that. He could have had a medical emergency.
He could have had a heart attack. The identity of
the truck driver has not been released. If you should
(03:28):
have any information or you saw what happened around the
Tahone Grapevine area, you could call California Highway Patrol at
six six ' one two four eight six ' sixty
five five. Again, that's California Highway Patrol at Fort Tahone
office at six six 't one two four eight six
(03:50):
sixty five five, and please call if you know anything,
so that the family would know what exactly happened and
if it exactly was a medical emergency to the driver,
so at least his family can have or her family
could have some closure. I'm sure the family would greatly
appreciate any possible tips that they could get. And up next,
(04:16):
cops seek a suspect of accused of threatening a tanker
truck driver with a gun at Louisiana circle k. The
Tanka Pahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is asking for public help
in locating a person who allegedly threatened a tanker truck
driver at a gas station earlier in the month. The
(04:37):
incident took place December fifth at a circle K around
Puma Drive and Hammond, Louisiana. Quote, a tanker truck driver
was tempting to access the gas tanks at the circle
k and Puma Drive asked a man to move his
vehicle from the pump. That man reacted by verbally assaulting
the truck driver and then pulling a gun from his
(04:58):
car and displaying it the driver while arguing with them
and threatening, said the Sheriff's office. Police say that suspect
was driving a recent model white Ford pickup truck was
an aftermarket black toolbox and after market black rims. Yeah,
there's got a couple of thousand of them running around.
If you have any information, you could call Detective Nanny
(05:21):
in a Criminal Investigation's office ed Hammond at nine eight
five nine zero two two zero one seven. That's nine
eighty five nine zero two to zero one seven and
a new collapse in North Carolina says the opening of
I forty is going to be delayed. The North Carolina
(05:44):
DOT says the reopening of a stretch of interstate damaged
by Hurricane Helene has been delayed after a part of
the roadway collapsed last week. I forty at the North
Carolina Tennessee line was scheduled for reopening this month in January,
after the roadway sustained severe damage during Hurricane Helene in
(06:05):
late September. The cause of the new roadway collapse was
blamed on wet weather and freezing and thawing conditions. It's
now unclear when I forty could be reopened. They're working
with engineers and contractors to fix the new damage. DOT
says it's an unfortunate Situationally, you think it's a new
(06:26):
hurdle that we have to overcome in order to provide
a safe facility for the public. My cat's being goofy today.
If you hear background noise, I have a five year
old cat in a five month old kitten talking about
an age difference. So what they're wanting you to do
instead of going across forty? Actually the X is right there.
(06:52):
It's in between forty and eighty one, but it's saying
it's on I forty, So where the X is that's
kind of weird. I guess. Yeah, it's through the gorge
where from Ashville to Knoxville that stretch on forty and
then you run up to eighty one. So there are
people are they're routing people up seventy seven and down
(07:16):
eighty one. So you have to go all the way
up to Withville from Charlotte, take forty up through north
of Charlotte on Catch seventy seven, go north to Withville
and then grab eighty one and come back down. It's
kind of a pain in the butt, but yeah, it's
right like they said at the line, and it's where
(07:39):
you wiggle through the gorge and come out right there
on catch eighty one and forty run that split right there.
It's just just east of that eighty one forty split
is where that sinkle is. To give somebody point of reference,
(08:00):
and this next story, sheriff says a semi truck driver
missjudged the height and struck a railroad bridge at fifty
five miles an hour. Well, he missjudged the height, but
the height on the bridge says it's thirteen ten and
it's a railroad trestle, so unless that's an extra tall
cargo container, because that's what it is. Or he was
(08:23):
on the shoulder, but there's another truck that's going through there,
so he might have been too tall to come in.
But there's another flatbed truck that's in the left lane
going around the darn thing, and he's thirteen six, So
this doesn't the story kind of doesn't make any sense.
(08:45):
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office share details Sunday night about a
bridge strike that occurred near Lincoln, Nebraska. You're contacted about
eleven thirty on December twenty second at night for a
crash out of Highway six and southwest sixty third west
of Lincoln, as traffic was diverted off eastbound I eighty
(09:06):
on a Highway six for a bridge demolition project. Okay,
so you're going west or you come to east, you know,
into Lincoln. I eighty is closed because they're they're demolishing
a bridge. They route you on the Highway six. You
need to go underneath this railroad threshole. It's supposed to
(09:27):
be thirteen ten and then you you know, before you
know it, you're laid over on the side, and the
truck is a International, so that's thirteen six, So I
uh there again, this story just baffles me. Quote the
driver misjudged his cargo height, so apparently that was a
(09:48):
taller container compared to low clearance bridge at southwest sixty third.
As you know, that's a that's a railroad bridge. He
said he was traveling at almost fifty five miles an
hour and almost came to a dead stop when he
hit the bridge. No injuries were reported, so he wasn't
on looking at the picture and you know if it
(10:12):
laying on its side, he took the container completely off.
He was running a container on top of a regular
flatbed and not on a container chassis that lowered to
the ground. And apparently that container was thirteen six or something.
I don't know, I'm just guessing, speculating, and it was
(10:35):
a regular flatbed trailer that he had the container chained
to and snapped the chains took the container completely off.
The flatbed containers on one side of the bridge laid
on its side. The truck and the trailer came to
rest on the other side of the bridge and crap
is everywhere. So yeah, that's that's just nuts. So you
(11:00):
really have to look at the second picture in this
article to really see and yeah, the hood pieces the
flatbed and it looked like he it was hang on
just a second. Let me. Yeah he was using straps
and strap the container down. I keep telling you know me,
(11:21):
I've never hauled flatbed, so I'm just saying to me,
those straps don't look strong enough to hold cargo down.
Where before they ever invented those those wide straps four
inch straps or six inch straps or whatever they are.
I always saw chains and binders, especially on containers. Yeah
(11:45):
you may you know, could only do it through the bottom.
But yeah, he had it strapped, strapped down to his
flatbed and when he hit that bridge, the whole thing
came off. So there goes. There's my point. It just
is not gonna hold out when a container could slide
like that. Excuse me. And up next in this next story,
(12:05):
a head on crash on Christmas? What is it about
everybody crashing? This is like three accidents in one day
on Christmas Eve, just before Christmas Eve. But sadly this
accident leaves a tow truck driver dead and a teenage
son injured. Illinois State Police are investigating a fatal head
(12:27):
on collision involving two commercial vehicles that occurred in Kankakee County.
Crash occurred seven am on Christmas Eve at Grant Park, Illinois.
Illinois State Police say that two commercial vehicles crashed head
on at Illinois Route seventeen and Bull Creek Road after
one of the drivers lost control, not saying which one.
(12:50):
One of the drivers involved was operating a heavy record
service for Ray and Wally's Towing out of Lynwood, and
this is what they wrote on their Facebook post. It
is with vy heart that we write this post. On
December twenty fourth, at seven am, one of our drivers
was involved in a terrible accident outside of Grant Park
while driving one of our heavy wreckers. Our driver tragically
(13:11):
died on scene. He was traveling with his fifteen year
old son. His son was airlifted to a hospital in Chicago.
We are working with the Illinois State Lease Reconstruction Team
to find out what happened. This is a sad time
for our team and the families involved. We ask you
to pray for the healing of his son and to
bring his family some comfort in this tragic loss. We
(13:35):
have set up a GoFundMe for Travis and his grandmother,
whom he is living with. Please donate if you are able,
but please, more importantly keep this family in your prayers.
Our prayers do go out to the Travis family. According
to the company, the tow truck driver died at the scene.
And there again what I just read, which is sad
(13:58):
right on Christmas Eve, you know, to lose his dad
and all he wanted to do was go out on
and run with his dad. And in this next STORYCSA
FMCSA says no two driverless trucking companies who wanted exemption
from the reflective triangles rule for stop commercial vehicles. So
(14:21):
for those of you that aren't in the truck at company,
FMCSA stands for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and reflective
triangles are the triangles that all truck drivers need and
should use, not roll your hood down, need and should
use and put at. I forget a foot ten feet
(14:45):
and one hundred feet. I think the rule was behind
your vehicle if you're on a freeway, if you're on
a two lane road, one ten feet in front of
your vehicle, then the other two behind your vehicle. Read
the rules up on that. The FFCSSAY has adopted to
deny a quest for regulation exemption from a pair of
(15:06):
leading autonomous trucking companies like what makes them so Special
and in notice to be published at the Federal Register.
On December twenty seventh, the FFCSA announced its decision to
deny a request for exemption coming from driverless truck companies
way Mo and Aurora. They're talking about being completely autonomous
(15:28):
now as we know the past, I've reported on states
not allowing completely autonomous trucks to go to enter into
their state, you better have at least one driver in
the cab behind the wheel. The companies ask for relief
from regulations related to requirements to play specific types of
(15:50):
warning devices, namely the three bi directional emergency reflective triangles
or at least six fuses or three burning flares at
scrip locations around a commercial vehicle stopped on the travel
portion or shoulder of a highway for any cause other
than necessary traffic stops, and requirements that lamps on the
(16:13):
commercial vehicle be steadily burning, meaning your lights need to
be on, your four ways need to be going, okay,
not to be pulled over on the shoulder of the
road to let your dog out, do that on an
on ramp or an arrest area, or sleeping anyway, back
to the article. Waymo and Aurora stated that the warning
(16:36):
devices required were not feasible for autonomous CMBs without a
human on board. Again, not feasible for autonomous commercial vehicles
without a human on board. The companies asked the ffc
ISA for permission to instead use cab mounted warning beacons
(16:58):
like people are gonna know what the heck that means
when the CMB is operated by a Level four automated
driving system or ADS, either without a human on board
or with a human on board when testing the warning beacons.
The FMCSA ultimately opted to deny the rural exemption request
(17:19):
because the companies did not demonstrate that granting the exemption
will likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent
to or greater than the level of safety that would
be achieved absent the exemption. Meaning you have something comparable
to the triangles or flares, or even better than, to
(17:42):
use in place of the triangles or flares. Okay, if
you get all that, it gets complicated. Specifically, the agency
said that weymown Aurora or I'm sorry I read that
UH did not provide enough details about the cab mounted
warning beacons and they fail to demonstrate an equivalent level
of safety for cab mounted warning beacons. They didn't. They're like, well,
(18:06):
we're going to put these lights kind of like what
a spottery uses, That blinking amber light on top of
the cab. To me, that's slow moving. That doesn't mean
that you're stopped. Should applicants or future applicants provide sufficient
details about proposed alternative warning devices. FMCSA notes that industrywide
(18:28):
exemptions are not the norm and FMCSA grant them only
on a very limited basis. Yeah, just because you ask
for one doesn't mean you're automatically going to get an exemption.
Applicants present little data on effects such a broad exemption
would have an overall safety, particularly considering the unknown group
of autonomous CMV operators at issue, the unknown fleet sizes
(18:49):
and potential differences among them, and implementation and operations. In
other words, how many trucks you have in your fleet,
how many companies are going to have autominus truck, how
many of them are going to be out there. You know,
they take all of that into consideration. So yeah, And
in this story, a Laredo man is indicted for smuggling
(19:12):
one hundred and one people in a lock semi trailer.
Juan Miguel Aguerra, forty nine, of Laredo, was indicted by
federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to transport an
undocumented alien within the United States and the transportation of
undocumented alien within the United States for financial gain. Official
(19:34):
state of the law enforcement spotted a large number of
visuals being loaded into a trailer and a warehouse parking lot. Quote.
After the white truck that was hauling departed the location,
authorities conducted a traffic stop. A search allegedly resulted in
the discovery of one hundred and one non US citizens
locked inside the trailer, including twelve unaccompanied children. The charges
(19:59):
for they're alleged two reported they had difficulty breathing and
feared for their life due to the conditions of the trailer.
They're probably claustrophobic. A guire faces up to ten years
of prison for each of the three counts, and finds
it up to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars if
he's convicted. He's just a mule. They didn't get the
big fish. He's just a mule. The case was investigated
(20:23):
by Homeland Security, the FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety,
Border Patrol, US Customs at Border Protection DEA, and the
local county sheriff's office. They all jumped on the manwagon
on OUE and one is dead in a stabbing. And
you'll never guess where. Memphis at a distribution center that
(20:46):
I used to go to all the time, Kroger stabbing
at Kroger in DC in Memphis. This occurred Thursday, December
twenty six, right after Christmas, at nine o'clock in the morning.
Upon arrival, they discovered one male was deceased at the scene.
They say that there was stabbed, a second male was
(21:09):
taken into custody, and that it's an ongoing investigation. It's
all it was said. As I learned more about the story,
and the story is updated, of course I will report
on it. And remember, oh, I think it was last year,
a couple of years ago. How I think it was.
(21:32):
California wanted teens, seniors in high school and everything to
start driving in trust state, in just the state alone,
and getting CDLs. Well, a nineteen year old decided he
was going to try to outrun a train. Yeah, chootch you.
(21:56):
He had had a red W nine Kenworth pulling a
grain bucket hopper bottom and not only did he strike
a pickup truck that was waiting at the tracks for
the train and then hit the train. So he hit
(22:17):
the truck so hard he could have pushed it underneath
the train, I don't know there again, and then crashed
into the train and did damage to the train there again.
This occurred the day after Christmas. Please say that Jackson
van Ashen nineteen, was operating a two thousand and seven
(22:39):
Kenworth southbound on US Highway one fifty one when he
failed to notice, Now, you gotta pickup truck parked in
front of the tracks in front of you the railroad train.
You know, lights are blinging and clanging and everything. I'm
sure the conductor was using, you know, the train horn
(22:59):
was going you look left and right, you see this
train coming. He's gonna plow into this passenger vehicle and
then hit the train because he was at his damn hurry.
And he's gonna say, well, I didn't see it, really, really,
what an excuse. The Sheriff's office said the Kenworth sideswiped
(23:21):
the pickup truck that was stopped at the crossing and
then hit the train. The Kenworth course is a total loss.
The crash did about two thousand dollars worth of damage
to the train, and of course the pickup truck was
also damaged. He was cited for failure to stop at
an active train crossing. And besides, the owner of the truck,
(23:43):
because you know, a nineteen year old is not gonna
buy a damn two thousand and seven truck being totaled.
Whoever he worked for, yeah, is not a happy camper
right about now. And up next, the US DOT announces
fine increases for trucker regulation violations. Truckers who violate federal
(24:06):
regulations will pay more after officials announced the annual increase
in financial penalties in order to keep up with inflation,
so they say air quotes, the Federal Civil Penalties, Inflation
and Adjustment Act of twenty fifteen requires all federal agencies,
including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to increase fine amounts
(24:30):
every year to account for inflation in order to maintain
they are a deterrent effect. The new fines will be
effective immediately now. And there is pages, pages and pages
and pages and pages of you know, weights out of service,
(24:57):
just all kinds of stuff. They've increased the finds about
it's ridiculous, and by some by six hundred bucks, six
seven eight hundred dollars, not by just forty fifty bucks
when I would look through the table. I'll have that
on the website. I'll post that link on the website
in case you're interested. It's Julius truck atcafe dot com.
(25:20):
And I'll make sure I post that to the website.
And not only is there a sinkhole on I forty,
there's also a sinkhole on in I eighty in New Jersey.
A section of interstate has been shut down in northern
New Jersey after a sinkhole opened up on the shoulder.
The sinkle was first noticed on Thursday morning, December twenty
(25:43):
sixth the eastbound lanes of I eighty near Warrington, New Jersey.
According to the local news crew spent Thursday morning evaluating
the sinkhole along the right shoulder of the interstate, but
a timeline for repairs has yet to be determined. Traffic
is currently being detoured around. It looks like somebody Taylor
took one of them big scoopers and actually looks like
(26:06):
a hole like am from a meteorite or something. Excuse me,
this is three point thirty in the morning. I'm recording
this so again. The traffic is currently being teed doer
off of the interstate and New Jersey Department of Transportation
evaluates the situation. As of right now, no further information
has been released on this sinkhole. And a driver survives
(26:30):
a heart attack over the road and is being dubbed
a Christmas miracle. Alabama truck driver says he now has
a new perspective on life after surviving a massive heart
attack while driving on Christmas Eve. He's only thirty eight
years old. William Brown of Alabama was hauling a load
(26:50):
of highly flammable materials to New Jersey and Christmas Eve
when he said he started to feel that something was wrong. Quote,
my hands went numb first, and then it started traveling
up my arms and then my chest. It felt like
an asphalt truck was over the top of me and
hot asphalt was being poured out. Because heart conditions run
(27:10):
in his family, Brown called nine to one one I
told them, I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I
think I'm having a heart attack at the moment. Brown
was taken to the er, where it was discovered he
had one hundred percent blockage in his heart. He was
aware enough with the symptoms to come in appropriate early time.
(27:30):
He arrested more than once, meaning he died where he
needed to be defibriated, said the doctor. Doctors were able
to save Brown and get him into stable condition, giving
Brown an opportunity for a new perspective on life. It's
the greatest feeling knowing that i was flatlined less than
two days ago and I'm still here, going to make
(27:51):
me put things into perspective and cherish things a lot
more for Doctors say that Brown will likely be able
to help home to Alabama for the weekend where he
could reunite with his nine children. So he's home as
of New Year's Eve, so he at least he got
(28:12):
to spend the holiday with the family, which is awesome
and and not so great news. The headline of this
sad story. One second. A truck driver's wife was crushed
by a collapsed building while sleeping in a sleeper while
(28:32):
they were at a Tyson plant and a boiler exploded.
A truck driver's wife was killed in an overnight explosion
at Tyson plant. Explosion happened at Tyson food Plant in Camilla, Georgia,
(28:52):
the day after Christmas. According to his statement from Tyson Foods,
a boiler exploded inside the facility, caused a portion of
the building to collapse on top of the semi truck
parked outside. It was probably in the dock. The wife
of the truck driver was sleeping inside of the berth
at the time of the explosion and was crushed in
(29:14):
the subsequent collapse. The truck driver was inside the building
at the time of the explosion. It's unclear if he
sustained any injuries, but was reportedly speaking with law enforcement
outside the building following it. The driver reportedly was unsure
if his wife had survived the accident at that time
or not. The fire was contained by three in the morning,
(29:39):
so the fire started, I don't think. Let me look now.
It doesn't say when the fire started or the explosion happened,
but efforts to retrieve the body had to be paused
until they brought machinery in to clear the debris off
of the truck. They do have a VISI visual confirmation
(30:01):
on her, but as far as having access to her,
the county coroner said they do not who is Jamie
Thompson and who confirm that the woman died prior to
retrieving her body. The names of the truck driving the
wife were not released at the time. At least one
(30:22):
other person was critically injured in the explosion and others
were severely burned. Sadly, our members have reported to us
that a person was severely injured and may not survive,
and several union members were severely burned in a boiler
explosion this morning at the Tyson Poultry processing facility in Camilla, Georgia.
(30:42):
We are working with the company and local emergency authorities
to ensure that all the employees they packed it are
taken care of. The health and safety of workers must
be blah blah blah blah blah. They're on the ground,
available to assist Our members in the community of Camilla
depend on this facility operating. Too early to tell what happened,
(31:02):
but there must be a thorough investigation to the incident
and workers must be able to work at a safe facility.
Blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah. And also later
on in another up subsequent news story, the husband and
wife were from Las Vegas, and so I believe they
(31:24):
were picking up a load there at the chicken plant
to would stand to reason. I want to make a
special service announcement at this time to let you know
that if you are on YouTube, I am now live
streaming the podcast every Wednesday evening at seven pm Central Time.
You can look for my YouTube channel on Julia's truck
(31:45):
at Cafe Hyghen Trucking News Hour. That's Julia's Trucking Cafe
Hyphen Trucking News Hour. I also post announcements on my
favorite the Facebook page at Facebook slash Julia's t r
c k N Cafe. Just take out the vowels our
(32:08):
energy to find the Facebook page. If you're not a
member of our Facebook page, it would be great if
you please sign up. So if you could like, share, follow,
and subscribe, I greatly would appreciate it. I'm trying to
grow the YouTube channel and thank you so much for
(32:29):
also being an audio listener. I still will keep the
audio portion of the show going. That's not going to change,
but if you would like to see what's going on.
As far as the news goes, I do create slides.
I am live. You will see me in all my
greatest glory, right just playing trying to be make a funny.
(32:54):
So I hope everybody stay safe out there, everybody has
a great day, and keep the shiny side up and
until next time. Julia's truck a Cafe is a trademark brand.
Julius truck A Cafe podcast is ranked in the top
ten percent of three million active podcasts worldwide. Any and
(33:17):
all images used on this show are shared under the
Fair Use Act, and no copyright infringement is intended, expected,
or will be litigated. We thank you for joining us
this week. We hope that you have a safe and
prosperous week. Please keep the shiny side up until next time.
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