This month, if things all went as planned, the state of Indiana closed six rest areas.

The action was intended to help balance the state’s budget. And as always, transportation – an area of the budget that is supposed to be supported by dedicated taxes – is one of the first things to get a cut.

What’s more, truckers – who pay far more than their fair share of that dedicated set of taxes – are getting first crack at being screwed.

The rest areas are vital for them. Truckers all know well that they’re compelled to rest a certain number of hours each day, and when they’re out of driving time, they don’t have the luxury of driving around looking for available parking. They have to stop and stop now.

Yet here, in a state with a parking shortage, they’re closing rest areas.

Here’s something that makes even less sense: The state should have an extra $3.8 billion sitting around to pay for transportation needs. That’s how much they received for selling their toll road. And the money was supposed to be used for Major Moves, a transportation program.

With $3.8 billion in their pocket from the sale of their toll road, Indiana should still have a bundle in their pockets for transportation needs.

We have heard about some highway projects out of that program, but it does seem odd that only a few years after they received that massive bundle of cash, they’re claiming they don’t have enough money left to keep simple rest areas open.

When the federal highway system was set up, those spots were referred to as “safety rest areas.” Many states still refer to them that way.

Is Indiana saying that safety isn’t important? And since Indiana officials aren’t interested in doing what they’ve committed to in the area of safety, will they give a pass to other folks – like truckers – for what they’re committed to in that area?

I wouldn’t bet the logbook on that one. Truckers will still be expected to follow the Hours of Service to the letter – and take their required rest – even if there isn’t a single place in the state to do so.

Truckers may feel like the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has singled them out for torment.

After all, CARB has adopted regulations to get high-emission, “dirty” trucks out of the ports of LA and Long Beach and before long ban them from the entire state.

Even the diesel engines on reefer units will be required to meet strict new pollution standards.

But not a week goes by without a CARB press release on some business that’s being fined for violating regulations unrelated to trucking.

The latest example is a $340,000 fine against the Rite Aid Corporation – a drugstore chain that sells, among other things, windshield wiper fluid. Seems the stores were selling statewide a version of the fluid that was formulated only for use in colder, mountainous areas.

The formula contains a more volatile mixture of organic compounds that, according to CARB, contribute to ozone creation when subjected to sunlight.

Speaking of stuff we put in cars, CARB is also going after the pressurized cans of automobile refrigerant that do-it-your-selfers use to recharge the air conditioner.

CARB says stopping the leakage from the cans will keep 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere each year.

It’s telling the manufacturers to redesign the cans so they feature a self-sealing valve and better labeling.

If they don’t … they can take their business elsewhere.

Just like the wiper fluid people and the truckers – and Lord knows how many others.

The point is, whether you think CARB is going too far – or not far enough – they’re going after every imaginable source of pollution.

And they’re not kidding around.

It seems as if we can’t go a week without some new idiocy in Indiana.

Ever since the state decided to sell off its toll road, the government there seems to do one thing after another that is damaging to truckers.

One of the latest involves what should be a simple matter.

An OOIDA member was going through a toll booth on the Indiana Toll Road. (Yes, I know what you’re thinking – why did he even run that road? Well, everyone makes mistakes now and then.)

His toll was $23 – typical for a truck. At the east end of the route, he paid and asked for a receipt. He received a receipt for $6.75.

When the trucker asked for a correct receipt, the toll attendant said no can do – that’s the only receipt you’ll get. The trucker then asked to speak to a supervisor, who then told him the same thing.

He then called the toll road’s comment line. And they confirmed, that’s the only receipt you’re going to get.

Anyone see a problem here? Thought so.

This is the same private operator who said they would be able to increase service on the toll road, the same private operator who claimed they could make a profit and do a better job than the state.

Well, folks, the proof is in the pudding. What kind of service does this sound like to you? How does it compare with what you received on the toll road before the private operator took over? And how does it compare with the service you expect, and receive, from other private businesses?

Let me tell you a little story. The KFC down by my house had a problem with their employees giving people the right receipt, or a receipt at all.

So the manager posted a sign at every register: If you do not receive a correct receipt when you receive your order, you get your meal free.

And since then, everyone has received a correct receipt at that restaurant.

Now, don’t you think a toll road run by a private company, a company that claimed they could provide better service than the state agency did, should at least be able to provide service as good as a Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Well, apparently not.

For the past few weeks, we’ve been having a running discussion about OOIDA and what it does for company drivers.

And that seems to lead to some confusion, especially because of what the letters OOIDA stand for – Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

A driver called in after hearing the discussion and asked, How is it that company drivers can even join a group whose name is “Owner-Operator Independent Drivers”? Isn’t it just for owner-operators, the caller asked.

It’s a question we’ve answered before. But I think it’s always worth it to answer it again.

When OOIDA was founded, what we think of now as “independents” didn’t really exist.

OOIDA President and CEO Jim Johnston – who was there at the time – said the word “independent” in the name was intended to refer to those truckers who were independent politically or in attitude. Over the years, everyone just came to assume it referred to truckers who are on their own authority.

In reality, from Day 1, the association has represented all truckers, whether they were owner-operators, leased to carrier, on their own authority or company drivers. We even have a good number of members who are also members of the Teamsters.

As a result, the association is committed to representing and providing services for all truckers – and that includes those who are company drivers.

By the very nature of what they need, there are more services we can provide to owner-operators. But we do have literally dozens of services that are useful to and offered to company drivers as well.

Every single person hired to work at OOIDA headquarters is taught one phrase – a phrase that relates to every single activity in the building.

We fight for the rights of ALL truckers.

That means all truckers. We fight for all of you. And we hope you will join us in the fight.

We gave this ROSE out on our last edition of Roses and Razzberries, which aired on January 19th. I thought it was worth mentioning again here.

This ROSE goes out to truck driver William Scott Miller of Frankfort, Kentucky.

Miller, who went by Scott, was the truck driver who was shot and killed by a rampaging former Utah state trooper in Dallas in late December 2008.

Scott was hailed as a hero because after he was shot while in the cab of his truck, he was somehow still able to bring the truck to a safe stop before anyone else could be hurt.

It is beyond horrible that he had to die that way, but thanks to his actions, no other innocent bystanders were hurt.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this amazing truck driver.

You may think, judging by the news, that American car companies never have a decent innovation. But Ford has proved that theory wrong.

The company has created the MyKey – a device in a car key that allows parents some degree of control over how their kids act in a car.

But sometimes, innovation in one area shows us a fault in another. And this is one of those cases.

Reed Black spoke to one of Ford’s spokesman, and he said that the MyKey won’t allow parents to limit kids speed below 65 mph. That’s because, he said, it’s not safe to have a car going that much slower than other traffic.

“If we did restrict them to 65, that may actually cause a hazard rather than preventing a hazard,” the Ford man said.

I know what you’re thinking. And you’re not alone. If it’s not safe to have a teen-ager driving a different speed that surrounding traffic, then why is it safe for truckers to be forced into that situation.

The answer is, it isn’t.

Now, I want to say something to you, and to every other trucker who either heard Reed’s interview or is reading this:

Call your member of Congress. Explain what you heard – that Ford won’t limit teen-agers cars because even though they’re statistically the most dangerous drivers on the road, it’s MORE dangerous to have big speed differentials among all the vehicles on the road.

That’s right – splitting speed limits or limiting the speeds of different vehicles on the same road is more dangerous than a wild-eyed, unchaparoned carload of teen-age kids.

We need to pass this information on to all our members of Congress and our state lawmakers as well.

We need to let them know that this isn’t just us saying this.

It’s Ford Motor Co. when they design new safety features for cars.

It’s the engineers who designed the highways those vehicles travel on.

It’s the traffic engineers who set the speed limits.

Remind them that truckers have no interest in doing something that’s unsafe – that you all want to get home to the family at the end of your run, and you wouldn’t be asking them to oppose speed limiters or split speed limits if it didn’t make getting home safe more likely.

Please, make that call today, so we can keep regulators and lawmakers from putting these idiotic ideas into play.

We hear the question again and again, mostly from company drivers: What does OOIDA do for me?

Over the years since we started Land Line Now, we’ve answered the question in part, here and there.

But not everyone hears those programs, so we keep getting calls like we did the other day from an OOIDA member.

What, he asked, has OOIDA done for me besides some lobbying in Washington, DC, and a magazine.

I have to admit my first instinct was to say something on the order of “isn’t that enough?” I pay more than $45 a year for some magazines I get that aren’t nearly that good. And they don’t include anyone to fight for me on Capitol Hill.

But, in reality, I appreciate the question because it is a good and legitimate one – what do I get as a company driver for my $45.

First, I’d note that if you renew now, you’d only pay $25, and that continues through Jan. 31.

But back to your question: What do you get for that money?

First of all, you get representation. You have to follow the same Hours of Service, the same hazmat regs, get the same TWIC card, deal with the same problems as other truckers when it comes to regulation or new laws. And OOIDA is the only voice out there that speaks for you.

That includes help with contacting legislators, looking up state lawmakers’ contact information, and the OOIDA Political Action Committee, all of which are part of the effort to represent you.

We usually leave it at that. But since you asked, let me mention some other things we do offer.

We provide all kinds of alerts and notifications – including Call to Action and Information Updates on legislation in your state, so you know when you need to call lawmakers. It includes daily e-news delivered directly to your e-mail account.

We’ll soon have the TRACER program, which will send you law-enforcement BOLOs, or be on the lookout notices, as well as Amber Alerts, transportation security notices, alerts on missing drivers, stolen trucks, food product recalls and others.

We provide compliance assistance through our Member Assistance Department, including answering Hours of Service Questions, logbook questions, and any other regulatory information you need as a company driver.

We can refer you to trusted companies we work with for problems with tickets, taxes and other common concerns – companies that deal specifically with truckers.

We have the OOIDA members’ only forum, which has a specific forum just for company drivers, but also others for several other topics, where you can discuss issues with and ask question of your fellow drivers.

We also provide, as you noted, Land Line Magazine. But that’s only part of the package. We also produce Land Line Now, publish a number of informative web sites and a regular newsletter, all updating our members on important issues for all truckers.

There are programs designed to save you money. For example, we provide a number of discount and rebate programs that apply just as much to company drivers as they do to any other trucker.

Those include residential long-distance and toll-free phone service, high-speed Internet access, a calling card, and a discount on Sprint cell phone service.

We offer a discount on online college courses through Grantham University, and your children or grandchildren can apply for the OOIDA Mary Johnston Scholarship for their education.

Our discount on RavelCo anti-theft devices extends to their products for personal cars. And if you want an XM radio, we have a discount program for those too.

We have discounts on hotels nationwide, discounts of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, Dell computers, and even Hertz rental cars.

If your carrier doesn’t provide all the benefits you want, we have programs designed for truckers and their families available. Those include the Advantage Medical Plans, major medical insurance through Assurant, dental plans, vision plans, term life insurance, short-term disability insurance, and a prescription drug discount card.

OOIDA also provides a $1,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Plan to each current dues-paying member at no cost. Members also have the option to purchase up to 400,000 dollars additional coverage for themselves as well as coverage for their family.

If you want to carry passengers in your company truck, and you want them insured, OOIDA offers a passenger accident plan.

That’s just a few of the things we do for company drivers. It’s not even a complete list. But I hope it does provide all of you who are company drivers with an idea of what OOIDA is doing for you.

Even with the reduced traffic nationwide, truck parking is at a premium in some places. Yet more and more states are talking about closing rest areas.

So it leaves open the question, how do we convince the government to change course?

Here at OOIDA, we always encourage truckers to get involved in the process.

Calling your lawmakers is a great way to do that. But one trucker who called in recently had another suggestion – the suggestion box.

Many rest areas and other government facilities have them. And I would love to see truckers flood those boxes with comments, explaining to the state why it’s a bad idea to close these areas.

Indiana is one of the states that has plans to shut down rest areas. The very same state had a shortage of truck parking spaces, and then conducted a dragnet to ticket truckers who stopped to rest on entrance ramps.

Now, I’m not advocating resting in that spot. I’d rather see every trucker in a safe and clean truck stop, or secure rest area.

But what are truckers supposed to do if there’s not enough parking and the government requires them to rest?

And now what are they supposed to do, when they come to a rest area that’s always been there, and find it closed. These rigs don’t hang on skyhooks – they need a place to park.

We need to get the word to state officials. I’d encourage every trucker to make comments to lawmakers and the Indiana DOT about this problem.

Here’s my biggest gripe with the new speed limiter law in Ontario: There’s no need for it in the first place.

The province of Ontario plans to enforce their speed limiter law by enforcing speed limits. If you violate the limit, they assume you don’t have a limiter, and give you a ticket for that as well.

So why not simply enforce the speed limit and be done with it? It doesn’t sound like a safety regulation; if the whole plan is to give one ticket instead of two, that sounds like a revenue raiser.

If you don’t believe that, let me throw this out: in Quebec, the publicly stated reason these laws went into place was a public outcry from people upset at the extent of speeding … by cars.

Now, if I was trying to stop cars from speeding, I think I would limit cars. But they didn’t; they went after trucks.

That’s because more voters drive cars. And they value their freedom to speed far more than they value their safety. Plus, it’s easier to go after a smaller group, like truckers.

Make some calls, shake some cages. Let the folks who run these two provinces know that there is a large group of folks out there who know this is bad lawmaking.

I think it’s fair to say we’re going to see a lot of changes in the next few years.

Increased regulation is one.

It’s clear that the Obama administration will put far more regulation on financial markets, but other businesses could see more oversight as well. We can only hope it’s the good kind of regulation, not the bad; that it’s not micromanaging of businesses and individuals, but a set of rules that ensures a level playing field for everyone involved.

Another certainty is that global warming will play a big part in our lives.

Whatever we all think of the topic of global warming and pollution, it’s fair – and I think accurate – to say that public officials are intent on making policy based on that concept.

Which is a nice way of saying it’s coming, and I think we all need to get ready for it.

That being said, many truckers are getting tired of both topics. And both are playing a big role in life for truckers who live in, work in or travel in California.

Some of those truckers are saying, ‘the heck with it,’ and declining to do business in the state.

However, we need to pay attention to what’s happening in California; we need to get engaged in the process. Every effort must be made to try to influence what happens there, to make sure the final versions of their rules are as accommodating to trucking as we can make them.

That’s because whatever happens there will influence what happens elsewhere throughout the country. We all have a stake, even if we don’t run in California.

Please, call your lawmakers today and let them know what you think.

We recently had a planning meeting here in the Land Line Now offices for the Mid-America Trucking Show. I know, it’s still a couple of months away, but it’s a monster of a show and you can never do enough planning for it.

While we were talking about it, I got to thinking about the stories I covered at last year’s show. One of the biggest, and most heartwarming, was that of Chance Rodgers. Chance, of course, is the grandson of OOIDA member Jim Rodgers.

Chance was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago and began a long, tough fight for his life. But he wasn’t alone in that fight. Last year, at MATS, a group of big-hearted, half-crazed truck drivers got together in the parking lot at Papa John’s Stadium and managed to raise more than $20,000 for Chance and his family.

While I was thinking about all of this, I decided to check up on Chance through his page on the Caring Bridge Web site. You can find it here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chancerodgers.

I am happy to report that, as of December, Chance is cancer free! He’s still got a ways to go, though, and is still adjusting to the bone transplant he got in his leg last year. There are going to be more operations and more therapy ahead before that’s all said and done with, but the good news is the cancer is gone.

Chance’s mom reports that he is in good spirits and is very excited about going hunting with his Papa Jim.

What a great way to start off the New Year!

It’s no accident that “1984” was written by an Englishman.

George Orwell’s novel about a repressive, futuristic regime that tracked its citizens with cameras introduced the world to the expression “Big Brother is watching.”

If Orwell were alive today, he’d look around his country and observe that many of the fictional surveillance and control techniques that he wrote of in 1949 have become reality.

It’s estimated there are now in excess of 4 million surveillance cameras in use in Britain.

Thousands of them surround downtown London in the famous “Ring of Steel” designed to thwart terrorists.

In Manchester, England, they plan to install enough traffic cameras to read the license plates of every single car that enters the city.

Then an automated system will compare the tags to a police database of known offenders.

Here in the States, New York City officials are building a “ring of steel” surveillance system in Lower Manhattan.

In Chicago, more than 2,200 security cameras have been installed – with more on the way.

Of course, Big Brother is not only “watching”; he’s photographing, electronically tracking, and even tinkering with the way our trucks and cars operate mechanically.

We live in the era of on-board electronic recorders, RFIDs, red-light and speed cameras, mandatory speed limiters and car keys that can be programmed to control the accelerator and CD player’s volume when a teenager is driving.

It’s the era in which Missouri (had its DOT had the money) would have installed tracking devices along the entire length of I-70 that would have detected every activated cell phone as they passed by as a means of measuring traffic flow.

To return to Jolly Olde England, though, the latest plan is to track the cars of volunteers by GPS and equip the cars with technology that will prevent them from exceeding the speed limit.

It would be all “voluntary” mind you … at least for now.

And the planners vow that none of the electronic tracking data would ever be used against the motorist by police or any other Big Brother.

In fact, if you talk to the people at state DOTs, university research departments, technology manufacturers, etc., you always hear the same assurance.

“Oh no! It’s all encrypted information and can never be misused.”

By George, I feel better.

I read recently that members of Congress are scheduled – sometime during 2009 – to receive a so-called automatic pay raise.

The percentage doesn’t sound like much – 2.8 percent. But for an average member of Congress, that adds up to an additional 4,700 dollars per year, bringing them to a cool 174,000 bucks annually.

According to news sources, this increase is a cost-of-living allowance. And it takes place without a vote.

Not surprisingly, some folks have a problem with that, especially in the current economy.

To Congress’ credit, they didn’t vote the increase in this year. As I said, it’s automatic.

To their discredit, they set it up so they get the raise automatically, and one might assume so they don’t have to take the heat for voting an increase in.

Here’s an idea: Vote to delay or stop the increase. If the folks on Capitol Hill want to show they’re with us in this economic crisis, if they want to offer an example for the auto executives they’ve so recently roasted, that would be a good start.