Jarrod Marinello
Imagine surviving a semi truck carrying 30,000 pounds of goods slamming into you, and then finding out you carry more insurance than the driver of the semi.
In 2016, a private carrier driver was involved in a car accident that injured my brother to the extent he had to be transported by helicopter to the ER. In discovery, I learned that private carriers, companies that transport their own cargo, are not regulated at all.
Everyone else on the road is required to have insurance, but private carriers are not.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does not require private carriers to have insurance. The same goes for state DOT departments that don’t regulate, but require private not-for-hire carriers to have insurance falls 4-6 times lower than required of any other kind of commercial carrier.
Making matters worse, the fatality rate per vehicle mile traveled is more than 50 percent higher for large trucks than the rate for all highway vehicles combined, according to the FMCSA.
There is a plan for stronger regulations through the Unified Registration System (URS), a new electronic registration system. Unfortunately, the FMCSA just delayed the implementation of the URS once again.
Once the URS is ready, all private carriers will be regulated and will be required to have at least $750,000 insurance.
The continued delay of this protection should be a major concern to the general public. It is to me.
Elaine Chao is Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Transportation. She immigrated to America when she was 8 years old. Chao has served under two Republican presidents already, and was the first Asian-American woman cabinet member. She is, notably, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who has said he would not abstain from voting for her confirmation. She is 63 years old.
Elaine Chao
Confirmation
Chao’s confirmation hearing was Jan. 11. At it, Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) said he looked forward to her being a part of the new administration. She promised to keep senators aware of plans for infrastructure overhaul Trump has said was a priority. She also said she would work with Congress on a system to prevent train collisions. To help fund projects, she suggested public-private partnerships.
Education
She earned a BA in Economics from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Experience
Before going into public life, Chao worked in banking. While working with Citicorp, Chao was granted a White House Fellowship, which gives people experience with what happens in the federal government and encourages increased participation in national affairs. The fellows work as assistants to those who work in the White House, including the vice president and cabinet members. It seems to have paid off for her, as she has gone on to several leadership positions, including:
Deputy Administrator of the Maritime Administration, 1986-1988
Chairwoman of Federal Maritime Commission, 1988-1989
Deputy Secretary of Transportation, 1989-1991
Peace Corps Director, 1991-1992
President of United Way of America, 1996-2001
Secretary of Labor, 2001-2009
For more information about Chao, visit her website.
One way BAT accomplished this was by working with BTU SOFTWARE COMPANY, a supply chain software development company. For the past nine months, BAT utilized BTU’s Three-In-One web-based application to improve performance in several aspects of the logistics business.
“It’s worked out to be the best move BAT has ever made, and has already increased our load count and margins within the same pool of customers year over year,” said Jarrod Marinello, executive vice president. “Not only has BTU increased BAT’s bottom line but it has also increased employee performance and reduced stress. Our employees are the most important aspect of our business, so its imperative that we not only give them tools but also reduce their stress.”
To learn more about BTU Software Company’s Three-In-One, visit the website.
The first diesel fuel update of the year is available through the Energy Information Administration, and the news isn’t good. Diesel prices are continuing to rise, this week averaging $2.586 per gallon.
That’s almost 5 cents higher than a week ago, 10 cents higher than a month ago, and 38 cents higher than a year ago this week.
For more information, visit the EIA’s website.
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