OOIDA has issued a Call to Action to Florida truckers regarding an effort to double motor vehicle registration fees.

• To read the Call to Action, click here;
• For contact information for your House lawmakers, click here;
• For your Senator’s contact information, click here;
• You can also get contact information from the OOIDA Membership Department at 1-800-444-5791.

Air date: April 20, 2009.

Terry Scruton talked to Dr. John McElligott of Professional Drivers Medical Depots about the effects of swine flu.

• For more information on PD-MD, click here.
• For more information from the Centers for Disease Control, click here.
• To see the latest reports from the World Health Organization, click here.
• You can read more from Land Line Magazine here.

Air date: April 30, 2009.

In Illinois, two bills of note would boost the fines for idling violations and repeal collection of the commercial distribution fee. Meanwhile, Two Midwestern states – Oklahoma and Kansas – have approved a change in their state law that is intended to increase safety on highways.

• To read more about legislation in Illinois, click here;
• To read more about legislation in Oklahoma, click here;
• To read more about legislation in Kansas, click here.

Air date: April 30, 2009.

Reed Black spoke with OOIDA staffer Connie Becraft, who was recently honored for her efforts to support our troops. OOIDA is soliciting personal letters to be sent to our soldiers overseas as part of OOIDA’s care packages. You can mail them to us atOOIDA Truckers for Troops, PO Box 1000, Grain Valley, MO, 64029, c/o Sherry Murry, or e-mail them to sherry_murry@ooida.com . Air date: April 29, 2009.

In today’s Listener Comment Line, Mark Reddig spoke about his four part series on the fatigued driving evaluation checklist occurring in Minnesota or Indiana.

• Checklist Fatigue – A Land Line Now Special Series—Land Line Now presents a print version of our four-part series about the Fatigued Driving Evaluation Checklist, which is being used in Minnesota and Indiana as part of a process that frequently leads to truckers being put out of service. To read the stories in the series, click on the links below:
  • Part I: A so-called ‘survey’ puts a 30-year safe driver out of service
  • Part II: Critics say checklist subjective, unscientific; officers stand by process
  • Part III: A conversation with the man who created the list, Capt. Ken Urquhart
  • Part IV: OOIDA officials say Minnesota’s method creates more problems than it solves
• If you’ve been put out of service in either Minnesota or Indiana as a result of the checklist, you’re encouraged to contact OOIDA’s compliance department at 1-800-444-5791.
• You can read a blog by Land Line Magazine’s managing editor, Sandi Soendkerhere.
• You can read a Special Series: Into the matrix (which covers a related topic) byLand Line Magazine staff writer Charlie Morasch here.

Air date: April 29, 2009.

Terry Scruton presented an update on the price of diesel fuel and crude oil.

• To read this week’s price report by Land Line Magazine, click here.
• To check the price today through ProMiles, click here.
• To see how to compute your own fuel surcharge through OOIDA’s online guide, click here.

Air date: April 29, 2009.

If you have questions or a comment about diesel prices, or you’ve seen some interesting highs and lows at the pumps wherever you are, call our “Land Line Now” Diesel Price Line. Dial 1-800-324-6856, and then press 2 to record your message. This week, we’re asking Sirius XM listeners to respond to: “Do state fuel taxes play a role in where you decide to fill up?” Air date: April 29, 2009.

Mark spoke to Laura O’Neill of OOIDA’s Washington, DC, office for an update on Canadian speed limiters.

• The province of New Brunswick is considering requiring limiters.
  • You can read more by David Tanner here;
  • You can write the province’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles at this address:Charles O’Donnell
    Registrar of Motor Vehicles
    P.O. Box 6000
    Fredericton, NB E3B-5H1
  • Or you can call O’Donnell at (506) 453-2410;
• OOIDA also wants to hear from truckers on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border about speed limiter requirements currently in force in Ontario and Quebec.
  • Particularly of interest are answers to these questions:
    • Have you noticed any degradation in highway safety since these regulations were implemented (such as collisions, dangerous interactions between vehicles, back-ups near on and off ramps, etc.)?
    • Have you received a speed limiter citation?
    • Do you know someone that has received a speed limiter citation?
    • Will you continue to haul in Quebec and/or Ontario?
    • Have you refused to travel to Quebec and/or Ontario because of the speed limiter law?
    • Has the implementation of this law impacted you economically?
  • You may e-mail your responses to laura_oneill@ooida.com.
  • You can read more about the call for feedback by Land Line Magazine here.
  • You can read a National Call to Action on the current speed limiter requirements here.

Air date: April 29, 2009.

OOIDA offers members discounts and rebates on more than 30 different product lines, from computers, to APUs, to new and used trucks. For more information, visit the association’s Web site, OOIDA.com here. Air date: April 28, 2009.