Newsline
1-1-2021 | Issue 1
This Edition of the Newsline brought to you by:
2021 NEWSLINE SPONSORSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
We are now taking commitments for the 2021 Newsline Sponsorships. If your company would like to be a sponsor, please contact Carol Foster at (615) 777-2882 or [email protected] to reserve your edition. The cost will be $300.00 per edition with your logo and a link to your website. If you would like a banner ad linked to your website it would be $500.00 per edition. There will be a total of 24 editions this year.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THAT SPONSORED IN 2020!!!

We would like to thank the attached members for their support of the Tennessee Trucking Association in sponsoring TTA Newsline's for 2020. We appreciate your continued support.
Chairman's Corner
Jeff Reed
Skyline Transportation, Inc.
Greetings to everyone as we begin this new year of 2021 and I’ll join the masses by offering my enthusiastic “goodbye” to the year 2020 and a warm “hello” to 2021.

The challenges of the year started with the Nashville tornadoes in March, escalated with the spread of the virus, was amplified by politics, riots, and an election all while we adapted to strange new health and safety protocols and behaviors.

I sincerely hope that you and your families had an enjoyable holiday season and that everyone has been able to pause, reflect, and regroup. We have all felt the impacts of 2020 in many different ways and my prayers go out to each individual, family, and business in our TTA community.

I’m proud to see that the trucking industry and some of our member carriers are playing a crucial role in the distribution of the new vaccine. This helps solidify for me that 2020 was the year the trucking industry and our supply chain flexed its muscle by delivering when our country needed us the most. I would like to express an enormous “Thank you!” to all for a job well done! You may recall that I shared the phrase “tough times don’t last…tough people do” back in the fall and I am optimistic we are seeing this statement come to fruition.

I wish you all a prosperous and healthy 2021 and until next time be safe and stay well! 
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
TIME TO UPDATE YOUR
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY LISTING

Ashlee Taylor has emailed out your current listing information. Please take the time to review your listing and return the email to [email protected] with any updates. If there are no changes needed, let us know this as well. To ensure we send out the 2021 Membership Directory in a timely manner, please respond no later than January 31, 2021. If you need your current listing information that we have in our system, you can reach out to [email protected].
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA
"Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,100 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad. Wreaths Across America’s mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country through fundraising for wreath sponsorships. These groups help us ensure that we reach our goal to place a wreath on each hero’s grave." To learn more about Wreaths Across America, click here.
Sharp Transport, Inc. Participates in
Wreaths Across America
David Gooch, Road Team Captain with Sharp Transport, Inc., donated his time this holiday season to haul wreaths for Wreaths Across America. He started with the pickup in Columbia Falls, Maine and delivered 11 boxes, about 99 wreaths, to Nashville City Cemetery. The remaining load of about 5,000 wreaths were sent to the Middle Tennessee Veteran's Cemetery. Cleve McCord with Sharp Transport, Inc. helped unload all of these wreaths and the total mileage of David's trip was 1,400 miles! The family at Sharp Transport, Inc. was happy to donate the truck and fuel for this amazing cause.
John Henderson, Road Team Captain,
Participates in Wreaths Across America
John Henderson, Road Team Captain with TCW, Inc., and his wife, Shelia Henderson, placed wreaths on December 19, 2020 at the Middle Tennessee Veteran's Cemetery. They helped place the wreaths that David Gooch and Cleve McCord were dropping off and overseeing. John said it is Road Team Captains in years past who have donated their time to Wreaths Across America and his oldest son who was a Sergeant in the Army that inspired him to get involved. John and Shelia also brought their granddaughter, Elizabeth Mccoy, to place wreaths and "honor those for what they gave for us." Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery has over 12,000 veterans in it. There were over 9,000 total wreaths placed at this cemetery. 
Eddie Lindsey, Road Team Captain with Big G Express, Inc. and Wreaths Across America Location Coordinator, Shared Pictures from the Wreaths Across America Ceremony at Oak Ridge Memorial Park
Skyline Transportation, Inc. and Road Team Captain Eddie LeSueur Honor Veterans by Volunteering for Wreaths Across America
Skyline Transportation, Inc. had 3 trailers of wreaths delivered to their warehouse where the wreaths were then stored at Skyline's facility. Eddie LeSueur helped load, unload, and deliver the wreaths to Gray Cemetery. Eddie also placed a wreath from Wreaths Across America on Willie Peden’s grave at Lynnhurst Cemetery. Willie was a former employee and driver at Skyline Transportation, Inc.
Pilot Flying J Show Appreciation for
Professional Truck Drivers Hauling Wreaths
TCA, Pilot Flying J Show Appreciation for Professional...

For nearly a decade, TCA and Pilot Flying J have shown their appreciation and support for the more than 75 professional truck drivers who deliver Wreaths Across America remembrance wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery each December.

Read more
www.truckload.org
Trucking community aids member who lost almost all in blast

Folks are rallying around a member of the Tennessee trucking community who lost all of his belongings in the Christmas Day bomb blast that damaged 41 buildings in downtown Nashville. Patrick Mendenhall created a fundraising page for Joe Fischer,...

Read more
www.truckersnews.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Webinar "Crash Preventability"
 
Title: Crash Preventability January 12, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM Central Standard Time
Duration: 1 hour
 
 
Summary

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will provide updates on the Crash Preventability Program. The speakers will be Stephanie Mann, Catterson Oh and Theresa Rowlett from FMCSA. They will provide us with information on crash preventability and answer any questions we have. Stephanie will also give us a brief update on emergency declarations, new and/or pending rulemaking.
 
Join TTA and FMCSA on this webinar. We will learn:
 
• Best Practices for submitting a Request for Data Review (RDR) through DataQs.
• How the crash will be listed if FMCSA determines the crash was not preventable.
• Next steps if FMCSA determines the crash was preventable or undecided.
 
 
Please forward any questions you would like addressed to [email protected] prior to the webinar.
Department of Transportation Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Deadline January 5, 2021

The deadline for conducting annual limited queries for DOT employees, as required by FMCSA through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, is midnight January 5, 2021. The limited annual query indicates if a violation against the driver has been recorded, but does not give full details of the violation. The motor carrier must have a general consent form signed by the driver prior to running the limited query. This can be a multi-year consent form. You can find a copy of the form here.

If a violation is shown on the limited query, the motor carrier must conduct a full query within 24 hours. At this point, the driver must provide consent through their personal Clearinghouse portal account, each time a full query is ran.
Recipients - Highway Angel

Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation The Truckload Carriers Association has named Robbin Peters, a professional truck driver with Carroll Fulmer Logistics Corporation of Groveland, Florida, a Highway Angel for extinguishing flames and saving the...

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www.highwayangel.org
Trucking Moves America Forward Shares Stories of...

Organizations Continue to Give Back during Year of Unprecedented Challenges and Hardships Washington, D.C. - December 17 -Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, is proud to share stories of the...

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truckingmovesamerica.com
CDC advisory group: Older adults, frontline essential...

People ages 75 and up and frontline essential workers will be next in line to receive Covid-19 vaccines, according to recommendations from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee. On Sunday, the Advisory Committee on...

Read more
www.nbcnews.com
CVSA Releases 2020 International Roadcheck Results

More than 50,000 North American Standard Level I, II, III and V Inspections were conducted throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) three-day International Roadcheck commercial motor vehicle...

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www.cvsa.org
Proposed Trucking Rules Among 'Midnight Regs' to be Put...

A Department of Labor rule clarifying the definition of independent contractor and a pilot program to study younger truck drivers are among the "midnight regulations" that may not take effect after President-Elect Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20....

Read more
www.truckinginfo.com
Diabetes Prevention Program | St. Christopher Truckers Fund

The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) is excited to offer a free, CDC approved, diabetes prevention program! This is a year long program with weekly live webinars focusing on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and more. Don't let...

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truckersfund.org
FOUNDATION NEWS


THANK YOU to EVERYONE 
who purchased raffle tickets!  
 


Melissa Spencer, Fleetco, Inc.
is the $15,000 Cash Raffle Winner
 
Melvin Harper, TCW, Inc.
is the $5,000 Cash Raffle Winner 
 
 The drawing was held Thursday, December 17th at the TTA office in Nashville. Tennessee Highway Patrol Major Brandon Douglas drew both winning tickets for the Foundation!  
 
Special Thanks to 
Titan Transfer, Inc. &
Goggin Warehousing, LLC


WE CANNOT THANK EVERYONE ENOUGH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT OF OUR FOUNDATION!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO STATE FARM
We have received the $11,000 grant again to support the Teens & Trucks Highway Safety Education Program for 2021. We couldn't be more appreciative and excited!
LEGISLATIVE CORNER
Dale Allen, Adams and Reese, LLP
Clayton Byrd, Adams and Reese, LLP
In December, Governor Bill Lee announced a special session at the Tennessee General Assembly, which will being on January 19th and deal with education. Lawmakers of the 112th General Assembly will return to Nashville to address urgent issues facing Tennessee students and schools as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the General Assembly convenes in 2021, the legislature will welcome two new freshman members in the Senate and ten new freshman members in the House. Bills considered during a special session are limited to the subjects outlined in Governor’s call for it, meaning that matters outside of the topic of education will not be considered at that time. 
 
As of now, the timeline for the regular legislative session is up in the air, although there is speculation that lawmakers could meet in organization session for a period of time and recess for six weeks to give time for vaccines to be distributed and for COVID-19 numbers to decrease. However, the timing of the special session makes the feasibility of a recess thereafter unclear and perhaps less likely. At this time, we anticipate the timeline for the regular session to proceed normally after the special session ends, and for the protocols imposed on the public and lobbyists attending the proceedings to remain the same, with different rules applying in the Senate and the House. We will keep you updated on further developments on this front. It is our pleasure to represent you at the Tennessee General Assembly and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO TENNESSEE TRUCKING FOUNDATION IN MEMORY OF...

Bert McGriff
 
Contributions were made by: McGriff Industries, Inc.



Acknowledgement Sent to: Barry McGriff