Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Sept. 27, 2024:
Bills to help vets obtain CDLs, streamline credentialing move in Congress
Congress took action on two trucking-related bills Wednesday, moving one to the president’s desk for a signature, and moving another through the committee stage.
The U.S. House on Wednesday passed the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act, which will ensure veterans can utilize their GI benefits at new branches of commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools whose primary institutions have already received regulatory approval
Currently, if an approved trucking school opens a secondary facility in a new location, existing laws require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state regulators to deny the branch’s ability to receive GI benefits for two years.
The bill, which was previously passed in the Senate and will now move to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law, would remove that requirement as long as it uses the same curriculum as the primary institutions that have already been approved by the VA and state agencies.
[Related: Legislation would cut red tape at CDL schools for military vets]
A separate bill that would eliminate redundant fees and background checks for workers seeking multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs was also passed this week by the House Homeland Security Committee.
The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act would allow workers such as truck drivers to use one background check for multiple TSA programs, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) program and the Hazardous Materials Endorsement.
A Senate version of the bill has previously passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation to advance to the full Senate. The bill must now pass the full House and Senate before moving to the president’s desk.
[Related: Bill streamlining TSA credentialing advances in Senate]
Canadian fleet Gardewine acquires Westman Courier
Gardewine Group Limited Partnership announced it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire Westman Courier & Freight, a privately owned company headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The acquisition is expected to close on Oct. 1.
Founded eight years ago, Westman Courier specializes in small parcel to full truckload service to and from communities throughout Manitoba and into Thunder Bay, Ontario. Westman operates a fleet of 75 trucks and vans with depots in Winnipeg, Brandon, Swan River, Dauphin, Thompson, and Thunder Bay. Throughout its eight years of operations, Westman Courier has experienced significant growth built on a foundation of top notch customer service, and has grown to become a formidable presence within the Manitoba market.
“We are excited to welcome Westman Courier and its employees to the Gardewine family,” said Darin Downey, Gardewine President and COO. “Westman Courier is recognized for its uncompromising dedication to the customers and communities it serves, something that is also fundamental to Gardewine. We believe that with our shared commitment to our customers, and with our ability to provide expanded service offerings, this acquisition will prove to be a significant win for all parties involved.”
Strategically, investing in Westman Courier allows Gardewine the opportunity to widen its service network in the Manitoba and North Western Ontario regions, the company said. With this acquisition, Westman Courier’s customers will have access to Gardewine’s comprehensive portfolio of service options, network capacity, and benefit from Gardewine's 70 years of experience in the trucking industry.
Former fleet owner sentenced for defrauding shippers
A former fleet owner was sentenced Sept. 11 for his role in a scheme to defraud shippers.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio sentenced Gurtej Singh, also known as Gary Bhullar, to a year in prison, three years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and 100 hours of community service.
On Feb. 6, Singh, who owned and managed several trucking companies in Ohio and California, pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud shippers.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General said an investigation revealed that from April 2018 until May 2022, Singh would charge shippers a premium rate to reserve an entire trailer to ensure their load would not be mixed with cargo from other shipments. However, Singh and others surreptitiously opened sealed trailers and removed goods to illegally consolidate loads to save costs, often failing to deliver many goods to their final destination.
Singh also filed an application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration falsely stating that he did not have relationships with other FMCSA-regulated entities.
Moving company employee sentenced for fraud scheme
A New York district court earlier this month sentenced a moving company employee for her role in a household goods moving fraud scheme.
On Sept. 9, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York sentenced Paula Jones to three years in prison, two years of supervised release, forfeiture of $50,000, and a $100 special assessment.
According to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, between approximately 2016 and 2020, Jones was an operations manager for various moving companies, including Brooklyn-based Great Movers, Inc. Jones pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, 2023, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
As alleged in a previously filed superseding indictment, Jones along with co-conspirators defrauded customers by misrepresenting the estimated charges for moving services, requiring customers to pay additional fees, demanding payment before delivering goods, refusing to return customers’ belongings, and threatening to sell the goods at auction if customers did not pay the fees.
