Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, July 14, 2022:
Pennsylvania CDL school owner indicted in bribery scheme
On June 28, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted Vladimir Tsymbalenko for federal program bribery for his alleged role in a CDL bribery scheme.
The indictment alleges that between 2015 and September 2018, Tsymbalenko, the owner of a Philadelphia-based CDL training school, paid cash bribes totaling more than $10,000 to a former third-party CDL examiner.
According to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Tsymbalenko allegedly paid these cash bribes to influence or reward the third-party CDL examiner for issuing passing scores on the CDL skills examination to Tsymbalenko's clients, including clients who failed, only partially tested, or did not test at all.
In return for the cash bribes, the third-party CDL examiner entered fraudulent CDL examination information into the Commercial Skills Testing Information Management System database, which led to the issuance of fraudulent CDLs for Tsymbalenko's clients.
J.B. Hunt opening West Coast transload service facility
J.B. Hunt Transport Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 3) announced Wednesday it will open its first transload service facility to support international cargo along the West Coast and streamline its inland transportation for customers.
The strategically located facility supporting the Los Angeles and Long Beach area will provide port drayage and transloading services, with quick access to outbound rail and highway transport. The new facility and service will complement the company’s recent announcement to help customers accelerate the delivery of overseas freight through a long-term multi-vessel service agreement.
"The increase in import activity over recent years has created a bottleneck at the port, resulting in inefficient delays and rising costs," said Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources at J.B. Hunt. "We are providing customers with a complete solution that not only alleviates those challenges, it can accelerate their ability to meet domestic demand by offering a seamless port, transload, and domestic outbound move.”
To streamline port drayage, J.B. Hunt will have a company fleet dedicated to transporting inbound ocean freight from the port to the new facility, minimizing demurrage and per diem costs and accelerating the turn time to prepare freight for domestic transport. Cargo containers will be loaded directly onto company-owned marine chassis and arrive at the J.B. Hunt facility for prompt transloading into domestic trailing equipment supported by its company fleet. By eliminating the inefficiencies created with handoffs between multiple providers, the company said customers will benefit from its holistic solution.
The new transloading operation, located only minutes from U.S. Highway 5 and I-710, includes a 91,000-square-foot warehouse and 8 acres of parking for up to 300 containers. With close proximity to both port and rail terminals, the facility will provide shippers with quick, preferred access to J.B. Hunt’s 53-foot intermodal container fleet and highway services, including the company’s J.B. Hunt360box drop-and-hook trailer program.
FTR discounting conference registrations for first-time attendees
FTR is offering a discount for first-time attendees who register during July for its 18th Annual Transportation Conference, which is being held Sept. 13-16 at the Crowne Plaza at the Union Station in Indianapolis. First-time attendees will receive a 10% discount for the live or virtual sessions of their choice by entering code 22FTR1X10 when registering.
The conference will optimize the intel FTR is known for with accessible and to-the-point presentations. A specific modal track each day means attendees only need to travel on days that apply to their specific business, limiting time away. A virtual option is also available for those who prefer not to travel at all.
The modal track schedule for the conference is as follows:
- Truck Equipment - Tuesday, Sept. 13
- Truck Freight - Wednesday, Sept. 14
- Rail Freight - Thursday, Sept. 15
- Rail Equipment - Friday, Sept. 16
FleetPride acquires Pittsburgh-area parts and service dealer
Truck parts distributor FleetPride announced this week that it has acquired the assets of Keystone Spring Service, family owned by brothers Greg and Jason Valant.
Founded in 1973 by their father and grandfather, Edward Valant Jr. and Edward Valant Sr., along with Chuck Haugh, Keystone Spring Service has provided specialized parts and services in suspension, wheel end, driveline, hydraulics, as well as being a full truck parts source in both Pittsburgh and Portersville, Pennsylvania for more than 49 years.
"FleetPride brings opportunities in many ways to our company,” said Greg Valant. “They instantly give us a major upgrade in technology and eCommerce. They also offer tremendous opportunities to our staff for advancement in their careers."
Now a part of FleetPride, Keystone Spring Service customers in the greater Pittsburgh area will have access to the industry's broadest assortment of heavy-duty aftermarket inventory and the purchasing power of FleetPride, while working with the same parts and service experts they have come to know and trust over the last 49 years at Keystone Spring Service.
