Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 19, 2024:
Former CDL school owner gets nearly 5-year prison sentence for bribery
The former owner of a Philadelphia CDL school has been sentenced to time in prison for bribing a CDL examiner.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Vladimir Tsymbalenko, 53, the former owner of Vlad’s CDL School in Philadelphia, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine for bribing an examiner to pass some of his students who did not actually pass, or never even took, the CDL examination, and for asking a witness to lie.
On Oct. 11, 2023, Tsymbalenko had pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of witness tampering.
“The last thing anyone should want on our roads are people behind the wheel of big rigs or school buses with bogus CDL certifications,” Romero said. “Licensure standards are intended to ensure that someone has the training and skills needed to safely move these huge vehicles and their cargo – human or otherwise – from Point A to Point B. As Tsymbalenko’s nearly five-year prison sentence shows, my office and our partners will work to hold accountable anyone seeking to evade such critical government regulations.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton.
[Related: Former Idaho CDL tester pleads guilty to accepting bribes]
Calif. fleet’s drivers ratify new Teamsters contract
Members of Teamsters Local 186 have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with E.J. Harrison & Son Inc., covering 120 residential, commercial, and semi-truck drivers who service communities in Ventura County, California.
"We are grateful to now be working under the protection of a strong Teamsters contract," said Ricardo Morales, a seven-year commercial driver and Local 186 shop steward. "Our new contract provides great wages, improves our health care benefits, and for the first time offers a defined pension plan."
Workers at E.J. Harrison & Son were previously covered under a different collective bargaining agreement. The new five-year contract, which is their first with the Teamsters, offers a 19% wage increase in the first year, a 27% wage increase over the length of the contract, employer-funded Teamsters health care, and a defined pension plan.
[Related: Yellow's $137M lawsuit against Teamsters dismissed]
St. Christopher raised $13K at MATS
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) raised more than $13,000 through fundraising activities at the Mid-America Trucking Show last month in Louisville, Kentucky.
The funds were raised through a number of activities at the trade show, including a silent auction, booth donations, prize wheels, and corporate/sponsor donations and matches.
The silent auction during the Opening Night Ceremony, which included more than 50 items donated from MATS vendors and SCF supporters, raised more than $6,000, while booth donations and prize wheel activities in the SCF booth brought in more than $2,000.
“The trucking industry, our corporate sponsors, and MATS vendors stepped up once again to show their support for the St. Christopher Fund and the work we do all year long for truckers in need,” said Shannon Currier, Director of Philanthropy at St. Christopher Fund. “We are so grateful for the support we receive at this event, because it allows us to help truck drivers when they need it most, as well as support our proactive wellness programs for drivers throughout the year.”
Additional fundraising activities at the show resulted in several corporate sponsors raising thousands of dollars, including Carter Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 94), which donated $1,000 through U.S. Army Veteran and Citizen Driver Sgt. Don Talley (Ret.); Heartland Express (No. 28), which provided a $1,000 matching donation; TravelCenters of America, which raised more than $1,000 through their Spin the Wheel activation in their booth; and Shell Rotella, whose Plinko game in their booth raised $1,500.
The SCF provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last year. The SCF also provides several free preventive health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including tobacco cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers.
