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Photo: NTSB
">Photo: NTSB
">Truck driver William Scott of Mullen Trucking has admitted liability for the 2013 over-height truck collision that caused the Skagit River Bridge on Interstate 5 to collapse in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Scott, as well Mullen Trucking and Tammy Detray, his pilot driver during the incident, have all accepted responsibility for the bridge collapse as part of a 2015 lawsuit filed by the state, according to a report in the Skagit Valley Herald. The lawsuit is currently on hold pending an appeal by Mullen Trucking.
After reviewing the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report blaming the collapse on multiple sources, including Scott, Mullen and the pilot driver, but it also found problems with the Washington Department of Transportation and its permitting process for oversized loads. It was discovered that the permit for the oversized load was based on incorrect heights of the vehicle and that the driver failed to research the route ahead of time.
From the Archives: On the Road Blog –– NTSB Spreads the Skagit Bridge Blame, Soft-pedals the Real ProblemThe Washington State Patrol's report also blamed the truck driver.
On May 23, 2013, the large tractor-trailer combination with an over-height load hit multiple overhead braces on the bridge, severely damaging the structure and collapsing the bridge into the river. Two other vehicles also fell into the water. There were no deaths as a result of the collapse and only three people suffered minor injuries. The bridge was later repaired at a cost of $19.8 million.
Related: Washington State Files Lawsuit Against Trucker, Carrier Over Bridge Collapse
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A report on the first year's activities of the public-private National Coalition on Truck Parking presents suggestions from trucking stakeholders from several regional meetings held in 2016 on how best to address truck-parking problems across the country.
Published by the Department of Transportation, the report notes that the coalition launched with a kickoff meeting at DOT in November 2015. Then four regional meetings were held in 2016 to get input from key stakeholders on “creative and innovative approaches” to solve the nation's truck parking problem.
The meetings were conducted by the Federal Highway Administration with participation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Maritime Administration, and the five core Coalition partners:
American Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsAmerican Trucking AssociationsOwner-Operator Independent Driver AssociationNational Association of Truck Stop OperatorsCommercial Vehicle Safety AllianceKey suggestions developed for each of four discussion areas are described in the report, including the following points:
Parking Capacity
Develop additional truck parking capacity through the creative use of public land within highway rights-of-way.Develop an updated national design standard for parking facilities, considering the needs of oversized trucks, security, and lighting needs while also maximizing the capacity of a truck parking area within the highway right-of-way. Integrate shippers/receivers into the conversation to address truck parking needs at industrial sites. Address truck parking needs in the context of improving the efficiency of the entire supply chain.Technology and Data
Develop interoperable tools to disseminate real-time information about parking availability at highway rest areas and private truck stops.Incorporate truck parking technology into trip planning and reservation services using existing fleet/vehicle management software.Build parking availability and reservation capabilities into connected vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology.Funding, Finance and Regulations
Establish a dedicated funding source to support capital projects and maintenance for public rest areas and truck parking facilities on the national highway network.Promote innovative local land-use ...Read the rest of this storyFox News "Media Buzz" Host Howard Kurtz on the NY Times blaming and retracting claims that Sarah Palin was to blame for the shooting of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
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Ford is not for everyone. Analysts are not expecting big things from Ford. Most analysts are sitting in the middle on Ford, calling it a “hold.” There are eight who say buy it, and two who say “sell.” They are not expecting big things, but they are not expecting earnings to fall short of the dividend, either.
