Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024:
Roehl driver hits 6 million accident-free miles
John Moeller, a truck driver with Roehl Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 62), recently achieved an impressive milestone: driving over 6 million miles without an accident.
Moeller joined Roehl in 1979, and over the years, his safe driving practices have protected millions of people on the roadways.
“Our company is built upon our cornerstone value of safety, and John has lived that value with every mile he’s driven,” said CEO Rick Roehl. “Thank you, John, for your dedication to our industry, to our company and for driving to protect others.”
In addition to being the first Roehl driver to log six million accident-free miles, Moeller was the first Roehl Transport driver to achieve 3, 4 and 5 million safe miles. He’s also been honored with many other company awards in his career, and he was named the 2011 Truckload Carriers Association's (TCA) Company Driver of the Year.
Currently a Curtainside National Fleet driver, Moeller spent decades securing and tarping loads as a flatbed driver for the company, and in 2009, he delivered Roehl’s very first delivery to Alaska.
Moeller and his wife, Debbie, have been married for more than 40 years and live in Marshfield, Wisconsin. They have three children – Derek, Jenna, and Jared – and six grandchildren – Braedyn, Arianna, Aleigha, Jourdyn, Landon, and Carstyn.
“John moves into an elite class of drivers – having driven more than 6 million miles accident free is a top-tier accomplishment,” said John Spiros, Roehl’s Vice President of Safety and Claims Management.
Missouri-based repair shop, towing company owner convicted of PPP fraud
The owner of Bourbon, Missouri-based Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC – a repair shop that owned tow trucks – was found guilty by a jury last week on charges of bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and threatening witnesses.
The jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis convicted Christopher Carroll, 54, of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness.
Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair, partially owned by Carroll, was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations.
According to Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in April 2020 for a time share exit company they ran, Square One Group LLC, which purported to help people get out of timeshare agreements. Carroll, Reed and other Square One owners were sued by the Federal Trade Commission in 2022 for allegedly scamming consumers, mostly older adults, out of $90 million. That case is still playing out in court.
The loan application contained false statements, including that Reed and Carroll’s wives owned the company. Reed and Carroll submitted loan applications in their spouses’ names to hide that Carroll was a paroled felon, which would have barred his company from receiving PPP funds.
After receiving the loan, Carroll did not use the money to pay his dozens of employees or keep their health insurance active. Instead, he began buying trucks and land to start Whiskey Dix, Fleming said.
Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses. They then sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million. When that loan was approved, Carroll and Reed took a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company, evidence showed.
In addition to PPP loan fraud, Carroll also removed emissions control devices from Whiskey Dix’s tow trucks, as well as others.. During the resulting investigation, Carroll would later ask one employee to “take the fall,” and told another that he would stop paying for his lawyer if he talked to federal agents. He did follow through on that threat, Fleming said.
Reed, 69, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. He admitted that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite obtaining the loans that would have allowed them to do so. His plea also said Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees.
[Related: Former fleet owner gets 2.5 years in prison for PPP loan fraud, reincarnating carriers]
United Road names new COO
Finished vehicle transportation fleet United Road (CCJ Top 250, No. 71), announced Wednesday that it has promoted Ryan Kraft to the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Kraft, 43, most recently was the company’s Chief Digital Officer. He has held information technology, project management, and financial analyst positions at United Road and has been with the organization for over 15 years.
Additionally, he was the Chief Information Officer for over three years at Wilbanks Energy Solutions after starting his career at Ford Motor Company, where he worked for three years as a financial analyst.
"Ryan's leadership of multiple initiatives has contributed to our progress and growth," said United Road Chairman and CEO Mark Anderson. "His deep experience in logistics and spirit of innovation continually lead him to find creative solutions for our team and customers. Importantly, Ryan embodies our culture of safety, quality, respect, and collaboration while putting our car haulers and customers first and foremost."
Wyoming to issue emergency relief permits to livestock feed, livestock haulers
Wildfires in Wyoming have prompted Gov. Mark Gordon to issue an emergency declaration waiving certain regulations for operators hauling livestock and livestock feed in the state.
Gordon’s declaration noted that Wyoming has experienced widespread wildfires with 100,000s of acres burned, low humidity and high temperatures that have created a shortage of livestock feed in the state due to depleted pasture grass and natural feed supplies. The declaration added that “easing restrictions to transport loads of livestock feed and livestock is necessary to provide assistance for fire-stricken areas.”
As such, Gordon’s declaration allows for the issuance of emergency relief permits that will allow:
- Oversize loads of livestock feed to be transported over any highway in the state two hours before official sunrise until two hours after official sunset
- Vehicles hauling oversize loads of livestock feed on any state highway can be up to 12 feet wide and 15 feet tall, with front and rear “Oversize Load” signs required
- For non-daylight travel, trucks hauling oversize livestock feed loads must be equipped with amber clearance lights on each front corner, and a red clearance light on each rear corner of the load or vehicle, whichever is wider. These loads must also display a revolving amber light, amber strobe light or two-way flashing amber lights at least 4 inches in diameter.
- Overweight loads of livestock feed or livestock should not be more than 10% over the allowed axle weights and no more than 5,000 pounds over the gross weight allowed.
The permits are only valid for movements of livestock feed or livestock to either a destination within Wyoming or through Wyoming to a destination in another state that has declared an emergency for livestock feed or livestock. Permits can be obtained from the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
The executive order is effective through Sept. 29.
