A New Year with a New Year’s Resolution

 

A very eventful year for J & S Transport has come to a close with the hope 2013 brings improvement to our economy allowing stronger growth and prosperity for us all. We must strive for 2013 to be accident and injury free. This is the resolution J & S Transport shall make for the New Year. If we control the cost of these involvements, our insurance ratings will improve allowing additional operating revenue.

Company News

Please join us in welcoming our 2 new drivers; Jim Braid and Mike Atwood. Jim Braid is well known in our industry and Mike Atwood brings extensive experience and knowledge as a delivery driver. Please introduce yourselves to Jim and Mike, welcoming them to the team.

Have you noticed the construction going on around the property? Since Artic Oil sustained the fire to their facility, they opted to purchase the property and building once owned by Rossi Memorials. They will operate Artic Oil and Ferrari Landscape from that new location. John and Sharon Hamel have agreed to lease the old location, renovate the damaged building, moving the corporate office into the new and improved facility. This will increase the yard area for our equipment with future expansion possibilities.

Mark your calendars with the date of our Annual Meeting. We will again be holding our meeting at the Boston Marriott Peabody, MA on March 2, 2013. We will be providing more information as we finalize the details.

J & S Transport took part in the Danvers, MA Truck Show this past fall. Don Wood entered our unit into the show ensuring the unit was detailed bumper to bumper. Our unit proved to be a big hit with Donnie being a tour guide, explaining the role of a petroleum tanker while letting kids sit in the driver’s seat and blow the air horn. In this picture, Don is with his beautiful wife Lori and their children, little Donald and Benjamin who appear to have had enough of that air horn!

DOT Regulatory Changes for 2013

2013 brings Hours of Service (HOS) Final Ruling compliance for Motor Carriers and CDL holders operating Commercial Motor Vehicles if:

• The CMV weighs 10,001 pounds or more
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• A vehicle that is involved in interstate or intrastate commerce and is transporting hazardous material in a quantity requiring placards is also considered a CMV

 

On July 1, 2013 the limitations of minimum 34-hour hour restarts and rest breaks become effective. Specifically:

 

• The 34 hour restart may be only used once per week
• The 34 hour restart must include two periods between 1:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. home terminal time
• The driver may only drive if 8 hours or less have passed since end of driver’s last off-duty period of at least 30 minutes. [HM 397.5 mandatory “in attendance” time may be included in break if no other duties performed]

 

Employees will be receiving more detailed information as the compliance date nears.

DOT Drug Testing & Marijuana

I am quite sure you are aware that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has legalized Medical Marijuana with Colorado and Washington legalizing recreational usage. Before any CDL holder thinks they can torch a blunt while mellowing on the “Jimi Hendrix Experience”; better reconsider this action.

 

The Department of Transportation makes it perfectly clear that State guidelines on Marijuana usage will have no bearing on the FMCSA’s Drug Testing Program. The DOT’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation – 49CFR Part 40.151(e) does not authorize any marijuana usage under state law to be a valid medical explanation for a positive drug test result.

How to Make an Effective 911 Call

When faced with a life threatening emergency, we all know to call 911. However, the National Safety Council explains that some people might not know how to make an effective 911 call and how to avoid issues that can arise when calling from a cell phone.

In an emergency situation, a caller might experience a wide range of emotions which could interfere with their ability to communicate clearly. Knowing ahead of time what information the 911 Dispatcher will ask for preventing extended response times.

 

Making an effective 911 call requires knowledge about how your cell phone will work in certain locations. Cell phone users need to realize that cell phone calls may not be traced. Tracing a cell phone relies on the triangulation of wireless signals. Many “smart phones” have GPS apps that assist in the location of the device but users need to understand the limitations of the cell phone they have. Case in point, if a 911 emergency call is made with a cell phone inside a building, locating the caller’s wireless signal becomes difficult. Emergency experts advise cell phone callers to quickly advise 911 Dispatchers their exact address, including floor and apartment numbers.

 

The National Safety Council advises to only make a 911 call when immediate response is needed for a vehicle accident, fire, serious illness, injury or crime. Stay calm and tell the Dispatcher your name, location, phone number and nature of the emergency. Do not assume the Dispatcher will be able to track your location, and by all means, do not hang up on the Dispatcher. Every call must be taken seriously, so a Dispatcher will redial the number of the caller to ascertain the true nature of the call. Stay on the line and follow directions. Do not end the call until the Dispatcher tells you to hand up. Under no circumstance is the 911 System to be used for non-emergencies.

Healthy Choices

 

Now that we are in the cold grip of winter, we need to revisit hypothermia and the effect it has on your body. Hypothermia sets in when your body temperature drops below 95.0 degrees F. The signs and symptoms of hypothermia depend on one of three states of severity:

 

• Mild – shivering, elevated blood pressure
• Moderate – violent shivering, muscle mis-coordination (stumbling, slow and labored movement), skid becomes pale with lips, ears, fingers and toes may become blue
• Severe – Difficulty, sluggish thinking, amnesia, inability to use hands, walking becomes near impossible with behavior becoming irrational/incoherent with major organs failing; resulting in death

 

Prevention is the key to combat hypothermia. The selection of appropriate clothing is paramount. Synthetic and wool fabrics are superior to cotton as they provide better insulation when wet or dry. Some synthetic fabrics, such as polypropylene and polyester, are used in clothing designed to wick perspiration away from the body, such as liner socks and moisture–wicking undergarments. If the Saint Bernard comes by with a keg of brandy; shoo him away. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of hypothermia by dilating blood vessels which increase blood flow, making you feel warm while increasing heat loss to vital organs.

How about a quick healthy dinner recipe to warm up the family on a cold winter’s evening? How about messy, lip smacking, napkin wasting Sloppy Joes? You may want to use 96% lean ground beef or ground turkey breast.

Healthy Sloppy Joes  

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 whole-wheat burger buns

 

Directions

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.