Truck Insurance Holiday Gift Idea: Skin It!

Still looking for that perfect gift for your trucker? Berrier Insurance thought this was a great idea that can be personalized to any one!

Skinit device skins are the easy way to protect your electronics and personalize them at the same time by using a thin protective "skin" applied directly to the surface of your device. Each skin is made from a flexible, super-strong, vinyl material that has been specially crafted to perfectly fit every corner, cutout and curve of your device - providing the ultimate in custom lightweight protection from everyday bumps, scuffs and scratches. And best of all, when you're ready to change up your style it's easy, simply pull off your old skin and replace with a new one, no mess, no residue. You can choose one of their thousands of designs or create your own and apply it to all kinds of devices: phones, computers, cameras, E readers, tablets, mp3 players, gaming devises, USB flash drives, musical instruments, and even GPS devices. Check out our custom design only $20

Greenest Tow Truck Company in Queens

When we read this story of how a tow truck company is going to great lengths to save a tree we had to share it with all our friends of Berrier Insurance.

Tommy Cali owner of Cove Auto Towing in Queens, didn’t have the heart to cut down an in-the-way tree 32 years ago when he converted the enclosed front porch of his 27th Ave. home into an office for his thriving business. Now he has 50-foot tree growing through the middle of his desk.

Cali built the office himself, and may be the greenest building around. “Everything is recycled,” he said proudly. “The marble floor is chippings, stuff they threw out. The windows are from a building they knocked down.”

“You’ve got tons of people that pass by everyday. They stop and take pictures. It’s a family-friendly thing.”Cali was recently offered $2.6 million for his home, he says. But he worries that a buyer would get rid of the tree to develop the property.

A rough patch of ceiling surrounds the tree trunk. “I’ve been cutting and cutting around it,” Cali said. “The tree grew a lot.” “No regrets,” Cali shrugged. “All my customers love it.”

He’s been busy in recent days wrapping the tree in Christmas lights and plans to hang ornaments. “I want to get all the branches,” he said. “We’re gonna do the whole thing all in lights.”

To read more about this story visit the NY Daily News article.

Truck Insurance Holidy Gift List

This holiday season Berrier Insurance, commercial truck insurance specialists, wants to make sure our truckers get fun and functional gifts this year so here is the first on our list of gift ideas costing $2 to $250.

Even die-hard traditionalists are praising e-book readers, which can download and store 1,000 to 3,000 books, depending upon the model. Users can buy or rent downloads or read zillions of free e-books available through numerous e-book or public library websites. Most models now have wireless connectivity, or if you pay more, 3G capabilities.

Black-and-white e-ink readers may cost $69 to $149 and color LCD media tablets range from $200 to $249.

Tow Truck Insurance: Tis the Season for Towing

It’s the first day of December which means that the holiday shopping season is in full swing, poor weather will be moving in, and there will be a lot more people traveling to grandmother’s house. We want to remind both drivers and our tow trucking friends out there to be super careful. If you have a tow truck company, make sure that your tow truck insurance is up to date for the holiday season.

Towing companies are seeing an increase in business as more people fill up mall parking lots, making for fewer parking spaces and more people parking where they aren’t supposed to. There is also an increase in parking lot accidents due to impatient or unmindful drivers trying to navigate the busy state of affairs. Its always a bad situation, no one wants their car towed, but people are more frustrated about getting their car towed during the holidays, so tow companies are more often then not casted as a villain out to make a buck. With winter conditions setting in and more people on the road obviously there are more accidents, so drivers need to remember that tow truck companies are actually there to help.

Ban On Handheld Phone Use For Truckers-Violation Could Effect Your Ability to Get Commercial Truck Insurance at an Affordable Price!

New news! Berrier Insurance, commercial truck insurance specialists, just heard about the latest announcement by FMCSA and we thought you should know because if you're caught violating this new law it could effect your ability to get commercial truck insurance at an affordable price!

Wednesday, Nov. 23 it was announced that effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, a rule prohibiting interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while operating their vehicles will go into effect.

Drivers who violate the restriction will face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses. Additionally, states will suspend a driver’s commercial driver’s license after two or more serious traffic violations. Commercial truck and bus companies that allow their drivers to use handheld cell phones while driving will face a maximum penalty of $11,000.

To view the final rule, go to www.regulations.gov; the docket numbers are FMCSA–2010-0096 and PHMSA-2010-0227.

Truck Insurance Specialists Report: Tiger Truck Stop

Last year Berrier Insurance, truck insurance specialist, blogged about Tony the Truck Stop Tiger and got a lot of response, most of it negative. Animal activists made their options loud and clear so much so that we removed the post entirely. Despite never having stated whether we were in support or against the removal of Tony from his home we felt that the visceral responses, and even a few threats, were reason enough for us to remove the post. Now a little over a year later Tony has made headlines again. State officials have revoked the permit allowing to keep the Bengal-Siberian mix and are prohibited from issuing a new permit. Tony will be allowed to stay in his current home until the owner's permit expires in December, but then he must be relocated and place into the custody of either ALDF or an accredited animal sanctuary. To read more visit Free Tony the Tiger or Tiger Truck Stop.

Tow Truck Insurance To Relocate 91-Year-Old Steam Locomotive?

In Adair Park, North Lakeland Florida, on November 1st there was quite a sight to witness as two heavy rescue trucks were used to lift a train clear into the air, I bet when they were shopping for tow truck insurance they never thought they were going to be doing something like this.

A 91-year-old 111,000-pound steam locomotive was lifted into the air by two tow trucks and placed it onto a trailer so it could be delivered for restoration and then relocated to a museum in Newton, N.C. It was a bittersweet day for people who grew up with the train as a dozen residents took pictures with cameras and phones, but people were glad to hear the locomotive will undergo a $1 million restoration and placed in a museum.

Officials at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Short Line Museum had expressed interest in the locomotive a few years ago, after it was decided that the train had to be moved from the area because of a deal between the city and Lakeland Regional Medical Center, which has plans to expand south as part of a future major renovation. The museum was the only business to make a bid on the train when the city decided to sell it. “We were fortunate to find someone to refurbish it and not turn it into scrap metal,” said Bob ­Donahay, assistant parks and recreation.

Number 50 is a standard gauge mogul that was built by the American Locomotive Co. in 1922. It was used for many years by the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation to haul phosphate rock. In 1958 it was taken out of service in and then donated to the city of Lakeland in 1961. It’s expected that the locomotive will be restored in about eight months, and in the coming years, there is hope that the museum will raise enough money so the locomotive can run again.

If you think you will be lifting a train into the air contact Berrier Insurance for a fast free quote on tow truck insurance!

Commercial Truck Insurance Discussed at Truck Driver Social Media Convention

Attendees traveled from twenty eight U.S. states and two countries to participate in the 1st Annual Truck Driver Social Media Convention. A convention to recognize and honor the professional CDL driver for their contribution to America’s economic livelihood, as well as to bring together, both driver and various industry professionals, to socialize, network and discuss those issues most vital to the driver and industry.

The Truck Driver Social Media Convention provides the professional driver with a platform to speak and to be heard, raising public awareness and media exposure, strengthening the voice of the driver by becoming involved in the governmental bureaucracy of regulatory decision-making, and offering recognition and respect.

Throughout the day, drivers had the chance to actively participate by sharing their thoughts, concerns, ideas and solutions to what they perceive as the most pressing issues facing truckers today. Subjects such as excessive regulations on the industry, the need to have the professional driver public image “cleaned up,” and implementing an inclusion of knowledge about sharing the road with trucks in basic driver license testing. These discussions were then taken, and through the tools of social media, shared with others to further the conversation and ensure that voices were heard from outside of the cab.

Although much focus was placed on the struggles and hardships of the professional truck driver's lifestyle, there were conversations also focused on the humorous and more mundane topics like personal stories and experiences and answering questions about commercial truck insurance.

The Annual Truck Driver Social Media Convention will be held each year on the third week of October in a different city across the United States, in order to make it as accessible as possible for our nation's professional drivers.

A Ghost Story

Its October again! Been another year on the road, anyone come across the paranormal or unexplainable, or even something that’s just down right creepy? This one was posted by Sandy on yourghoststories.com about an experience her mother, a truck driver, had while out on the road:

I must share this story with you before I write my second experience. For those of you that have read my last post, I mention that my adopted mom has experienced some horrific hauntings, ghost & spirits. This is one that happened about 1 year ago... My adopted mom called me in a frantic one afternoon, and what she told me brought chill's to my whole body. She was traveling on a road in Arkansas when a herd of deer ran out in the middle of the road at 9:36pm. The traffic went to 70mph to BRAKES! There were 2, 18 wheelers in front of her and 3 cars in front of them. So you can only imagine the outcome. The 18 wheelers had to stop so quickly that the trailers swung around and cleared everything within its path, including the cab of the truck. There was wreckage and deer all over the road and luckily my mom was able to stop just in time; due to the smart distance that she kept, far enough away that she was able to stop (She has driven a truck for 20 years.) As she pulled of the median she noticed a man standing 6 ft from her trailer, wondering how a man got next to her trailer so fast and without her seeing him. She said he had one hand across his chest and one hand in his pocket; looking very confused. The rescue team was on the way while the police were questioning the accident. One walked up to my mom and asked "What happened here?" As she was telling him about what happened she mentioned that "Someone needs to check this guy out back, by my trailer he looks very confused, he might wonder off in the traffic", and by then he had vanished. The cop said "what man?" Well he was just right there in plain view. The officer got a description so detailed down to facial hair and shoes! He walked away for a minute and came back and said the man you described is the owner of that wrecked 18 wheeler, and was found dead at the scene. She was in shock as the cop just turned around and walked the other way. After she left, she stopped at a truck stop and on the news was the wreck she just witnessed. There were 4 fatalities that night. She even left the scene before the rescue team came. The man she seen next to her truck was one of the victims in the accident.
Haunted roads, creepy gas stations, paranormal activity at truck stops, phantom lights in the sky...share your best story and get your big rig insurance. We have the best quotes on commercial truck insurance, tow truck insurance, and even contractor insurance. Give us a call at Berrier Insurance 530-823-8000!

I-80 Serial Killer??

The baffling disappearance of a Reno man while traveling along Interstate 80 in northern Nevada has some lawmen considering a chilling possibility -- that a serial killer might be prowling Nevada roads, picking off unsuspecting victims. The investigation has led some lawmen to suspect that a killer, or killers, working as long-haul truck drivers are prowling that lonely corridor up north, carrying out what might be thrill-kills.



Truck drivers responded in a big way, offering ideas about the mystery trailer in the freeze frame. Anyone with information about any of these cases is asked to contact the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. Thanks to those who have responded, we appreciate our trucker friends a lot. Stay alert and please report any suspicious activity, you guys are on the road a lot and have seen a great many things, we know we've heard the stories.

Get a free quote for commercial trucking at berrierinsurance.com or call one of our experts at 530-823-8000. We can offer you the lowest and most comprehensive coverage for your trucks, business, or personal autos!

Missing Teen Found by Trucker

SPARTANBURG, SC (WSPA/WFMY) - A 13-year-old girl who met a man on the Internet weeks ago went missing Monday and was found by a very alert truck driver in South Carolina.

Alexandria Brooke Cagle, 13, went missing Monday after meeting a man on the internet who drove hundreds of miles to North Carolina to meet her, according to WFMY-TV.

Cagle, who is from the Burlington, NC area, was found near Spartanburg Wednesday with the man after being reported missing on Monday.

A towtruck driver, Beano Francis, was listening to a radio station when he heard a description of the car the pair might be traveling in.

A woman claiming to be the brother of Francis emailed WBTV on Thursday saying Francis lives in Shelby, NC and was driving to a Carmax dealership in Raleigh when he heard the radio information.

The next day, Francis was driving on I-85 on his way to a Carmax dealership in Greenville, SC when he saw a car matching the same description.

"Snap, soon as that car passed me, I mean he was right beside me, soon as he got beside me, I looked and I was like, that's the description. But when he passed me, and I saw West Virginia license plates, I thought this could be what I heard," Francis told WSPA-TV.

Francis followed the car as he directed authorities to it by cell phone. Police then found Cagle, who is from Alamance County near Burlington in North Carolina.

Tyler Ross Cole, 18, is facing charges of felony kidnapping, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and felonious larceny, WSPA reported.

Read more and view photos: http://www.wect.com

You guys are out there on the road a lot, and you really can make a difference thank so much to those of you who have helped those in need. In return we do our best for you, we specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow truck insurance! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

Retreading Technology

Snider Tire Inc. has produced its first retread at its sixth Michelin Retread Technologies (MRT) retread plant, this one located at its headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. Snider Tire became an MRT franchisee in May 2009 with two MRT retread plants and has opened or acquired four additional MRT plants during the past two years.

The Greensboro plant showcases the latest MRT process technology, which is unique in the retreading industry, according to John K. Snider, president and CEO.

MRT is the only retreading process using X-ray casing inspection, he said, adding that MRT is also the only retreading process using laser shearography nondestructive inspection on 100 percent of casings.

The MRT process uses patented curing technology that provides highly consistent results from tire to tire.

Its PLCcontrols have touch screen interfaces to reduce operator error and maximize consistency for fleet customers.

“Snider Tire and MRT retreads are a great match for our customers,” Snider said. “Since we started in 1976, our people have always been focused on providing our customers the best possible products and services to help lower their operating costs.”

“Snider Tire has long been recognized for the quality of its people and service to the fleets,” said Francois Corbin, COO of Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “With its latest MRT plant, John Snider and his team will help us continue to improve the quality and consistency of MRT commercial truck services for fleet customers.”

“Combining Snider Tire’s service with MRT’s advanced retread process and products will be a great complement to the franchise network,” Bill Guzick, vice president of business development for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, said. “Michelin’s commitment to fleets is that they will never be out of reach of Michelin-certified service and products, including quality retreads. Snider Tire is a key component in that customer promise.”

After 14 years of operations, the Michelin Retread Technologies Network has 44 franchise members with 78 retreading plants in North America.

Snider Tire is one of the largest commercial tire dealers in the United States. It provides new truck tires, MRT retreads, and a broad range of services through its 42 locations for local, regional, and national commercial fleets.

Don't forget to check out our site, its just had a facelift! We specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow truck insurance! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

Driver Monitoring Systems?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking a close look at whether on board driver monitoring systems are an effective way to improve safety.

The agency is mid-way through a multi-year research project designed to measure how well drivers respond to feedback from systems that track lane departures, impending collisions and fatigue, among other indicators. The research also will produce the largest continuous collection of naturalistic driving data ever undertaken, said Olu Ajayi, a research statistician at the agency, in an article describing the effort.

It is not clear at this point what the agency might do with the information it gets from this study. Nothing in the record indicates it intends to write a rule concerning such technologies, and in any case it will be at least two years before the research produces any insights.

The Technology:

In the study, 270 trucks from three volunteer carriers will be equipped with an onboard monitoring system, DriveVision Pro by Transecurity. The system integrates safety technologies such as forward collision and lane departure warning with driver observation systems designed to detect fatigue or inattention, and provides immediate feedback if the truck is at risk. Data from the device also is fed into a management information system to help with driver coaching.
Transecurity is a commercial spin-off from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which conducts safety research for a number of clients, including FMCSA. It was created in 2006 by a team led by VTTI director Thomas Dingus.

Ajayi said in an interview that researchers will use the system to establish a baseline of the drivers' performance without any intervention, and then compare that to their performance while the system is responding. In a subsequent stage the researchers will see if any improvement can be sustained without the system responding.

Specifically, the study is intended to determine if driver performance improves with feedback from the system, and the comparative effectiveness of immediate versus management feedback. Researchers also want to know if they can use the system to determine a driver's risk potential.
Other goals are to see if any driver improvements can be sustained over time, and to gauge driver reaction to the system.

Potential Negatives:

An inkling of what some drivers will say came from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which said in comments to the agency that there are significant negatives attached to this kind of system.

Onboard monitoring systems can penalize drivers for defensive maneuvers, and they can be distracting, the association said.

On the other hand, the carriers that already use these kinds of systems have found significant benefits. C.R. England, for example, uses lane departure, forward collision and headway warning, as well as a stability control system that president Chad England described as "the biggest winner in safety technology as far as I am concerned."

At this point, the agency is preparing to gather information from the drivers who will participate in the 18-month field test. The agency last week asked for comments on this phase of the project (June 24 Federal Register). The study is scheduled to be completed by August 2013.

This was originally posted by Truckinginfo.com so what do you guys think? Is this going to be a good thing or a bad thing for trucking. We can certainly see how this may make an impact when shopping for insurance. Depending on how testing goes insurance companies may look at this as a way to save money both for them and for you.

An accident can happen anywhere and at any time. To make sure you are properly covered contact us at Berrier Insurance and we will review your commercial trucking insurance with you. We can offer you the best rates on commercial auto insurance and provide detailed answers to any of your questions about insurance. Call us today 888-472-4915.

Good choice, Bad choice: gas station options

When you’re on the road, the grocery store is closed and there’s no civilization in sight, a convenience store may be your only choice for dinner. If you’re looking for protein, look beyond the hot dogs for something a little healthier.

Good choice: Pemmican Beef Jerky

Badchoice : Ball Park Hot Dog

Calories and Fat: One Ball Park hot dog has 180 calories and 15g of fat, compared to a serving of Pemmican Beef Jerky at 80 calories and 0.5g of fat.

Difference: Hot dogs are a popular gas station food because they’re cheap. That’s because they’re filled with cheap, mechanically processed meat. Not only are hot dogs made of cheap animal parts, they’re filled with preservatives like sodium nitrate. Per serving, each dog has 100 more calories and 14.5 more grams of fat than beef jerky. Hot dogs also pack 40mg of cholesterol and 5g of saturated fat compared to beef jerky’s 25mg and 0g. And when you need a protein punch, beef jerky gives 13g of protein while a hot dog only has 5g.

We know its tough to be out on the road our trucker friends, but we're here to make things a little easier for you. We dont just offer insurance we offer peace of mind and security for those "oops" moments. In the time it takes you too gobble down that bad choice hot dog we could get you started on the right path for insurance. Call us at Berrier Insurance 888-472-4915 for your FREE commercial truck insurance quote! You can also go online to our recently revamped site at Berrierinsurance.com

Summer is the Most Dangerous Time for Teen Drivers

Summer's here and the time is right for putting away the phone while driving.

On the day she graduated from college in May 2008, Jacy Good's car was struck by a tractor-trailer that had swerved to avoid a young driver who had run a red light while talking on his cell phone. Her parents were killed. She barely survived and lives with serious injuries.

"This probably won't happen to you but it happens every day," Good told a group of teenagers gathered at Walt Whitman High School in suburban Washington, D.C., yesterday. "Watch out for each other."

The students were there to sign a "no texting" pledge and learn about a truck's "No Zone" at the event hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. A truck for the "No Zone" demonstration was provided by FedEx Ground.

"This is the time of year when fatal crash rates among teens almost doubles," FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro told the students.

The statistics are compelling: each day in May, June, July and August, an average of 16 teenagers die in a traffic accident, compared to 9 per day in other months, said Sandy Spavone, executive director of the National Organization for Youth Safety.

And teenagers are much more likely to be in a crash than adults are, said CVSA Executive Director Steve Keppler. More than a quarter of the people killed in crashes involving large trucks and buses are between 16 and 25 years old, he said.

"We want to get these kids into the right (driving) habits right out of the gate," Keppler said.

CVSA has put together a truck education program for teenage drivers. The Teens & Trucks curriculum covers such basics as the differences in handling characteristics between trucks and cars, and how to drive in the vicinity of a truck.

Few high-school driver education programs have a truck component, so CVSA and its partners in this effort, the Arizona Trucking Association, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and American Trucking Associations, have disseminated the curriculum to about 500,000 students in 47 states and 8 Canadian provinces, Keppler said.

The program, whose goal is 1 million students, is funded in part by an $85,000 grant from FMCSA.

After the students were given a "No-Zone" demonstration by Maryland State Police First Sgt. Robert Mondor, they lined up to sign the pledge that they would not text while driving.

"Life is all about decisions, choices and consequences," Ferro told them. "And every trip you take in a vehicle matters and requires sound judgment and your full attention. In a split second your life could be negatively impacted forever."

The message was made immediate by Jacy Good, and by Laurie Kelly of Takoma Park, Maryland.

Kelly, whose 23-year-old son was killed in a distracted driving crash in May 2010, told the students that everything they know can change in an instant. "Being over-confident means that you are unsafe," she said.

Originally posted by www.truckinginfo.com

An accident can happen anywhere and at any time. To make sure you are properly covered contact us at Berrier Insurance and we will review your commercial trucking insurance with you. We can offer you the best rates on commercial auto insurance and provide detailed answers to any of your questions about insurance. Call us today 888-472-4915.

Roadchecks

Truck and bus safety inspectors will be on the road night and day during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 72-hour International Roadcheck on June 7-9, checking vehicles and their drivers at inspection sites along major highways across North America.

In addition, roving patrols will inspect vehicles and drivers traveling other roadways.

Since its inception in 1988, the roadside inspections conducted during the annual Roadcheck have numbered more than one million. It also has provided for the distribution of educational literature and safety events to educate industry and the general public about the importance of safe commercial vehicle operations and the roadside inspection program.

With the recent increased attention on driver hours of service and electronic on board recorders, this year’s Roadcheck will emphasize checking driver logbooks and underscore to drivers the importance of maintaining their logbooks, taking breaks, preventing fatigue, and driving without distractions. Also, Roadcheck 2011 will include added emphasis on finding carriers of household goods who may be operating under the radar by using improperly marked rental vehicles and/or operating as a property carrier rather than a HHG carrier.

First posted on TruckersNews.com

Get a free quote for commercial trucking at berrierinsurance.com or call one of our experts at 530-823-8000. We can offer you the lowest and most comprehensive coverage for your trucks, business, or personal autos!

Trucker blows up like a 'balloon' after falling on air hose

Today, another reminder that real life is not like a cartoon: A New Zealand truck driver says his body blew up "like a balloon" after he fell onto a compressed air hose, which pierced his buttock and forced air into his body, in a situation that was surely much more horrifying than when this sort of thing happens to Wile E. Coyote.

Steven McCormack was standing on his truck's foot plate Saturday when he slipped and fell, breaking a compressed air hose off an air reservoir that powered the truck's brakes.

He fell hard onto the brass fitting, which pierced his left buttock and started pumping air into his body.

"I felt the air rush into my body and I felt like it was going to explode from my foot," he told local media from his hospital bed in the town of Whakatane, on North Island's east coast.

Today, McCormack is OK after being treated at a hospital, where doctors determined that the air forcing its way into his body at 100 pounds a square inch did not enter his blood stream, but it did divide his muscle from fat.

What a random accident! We really hope he had good insurance lol
You could get a free quote for commercial trucking insurance at BerrierInsurance.com or call one of our experts at 888-472-4915. We can offer you the lowest prices and most comprehensive coverage for your trucks, business, or worker's compensation, just in case you fall on an air hose :)

Truckloads of migrants

X-ray machines at checkpoints in southern Mexico are capturing the ghostly outlines of a clandestine business worth billions a year, people packed tighter than cattle and transported like consumer goods in tractor-trailers to the United States.

The machines in place for less than two years at two state police checkpoints have led to the two largest hauls of migrants, who pay anywhere from $7,000 to $30,000 for passage, depending where they start.

The United Nations estimates that smuggling migrants across Mexico's border with the U.S. alone is a $6.6 billion business annually, compared to an estimated the $10 billion to $29 billion in illegal drug running. The migrant smuggling estimate doesn't include another $1 billion paid by thousands of non-Mexicans to cross from Guatemala and travel north, according to a 2010 U.N. report on transnational crime.

The 513 people apprehended Tuesday in two trailers in the state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala, represented at least $3.5 million in cargo. Another trailer filled with 219 people was discovered in January.
Some suffered from dehydration after traveling for hours clinging to cargo ropes strung inside the containers to keep them upright, allowing more migrants to be crammed in.

Air holes had been punched in the tops of the containers, but migrants interviewed at the state prosecutor's office said they lacked air and water. The trucks were bound for the central city of Puebla, where the migrants said they had been told they would be loaded aboard a second set of vehicles for the trip to the U.S. border.

Smuggling in decades past was the business of small independent operators who helped migrants cross once they reached the U.S. border. But evading U.S. authorities has become much more difficult with increased border enforcement in recent years. At the same time, Mexico's migrant routes have become much more dangerous, controlled by drug gangs that see new moneymaking opportunities in kidnapping and extorting those who cross their territory.

In the case of Mexico's southern border, no one can say exactly who the organized smuggling groups are. Some say that large transport rings operate separately from Mexico's brutal drug gangs, such as the Zetas or the Gulf Cartel, who stick to kidnapping and extortion.

To Read more visit TheTrucker.com

Don't forget to check out our site, its just had a facelift! We specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow truck insurance! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

Lawmakers introduce a second Jason's Law bill for more truck parking

Two years after Schoharie County, N.Y., truck driver Jason Rivenburg was murdered at an abandoned South Carolina gas station, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., Wednesday morning were joined by Jason’s widow Hope and members of the transportation industry at the House Triangle outside the Capitol Building Wednesday morning to announce the reintroduction of another Jason’s Law, a bill aimed at increasing truck parking facilities across the country. Hope will personally lobbying members of Congress to cosponsor the bill.

Rivenburg was murdered in March 2009 during a robbery attempt for a meager $7. A long haul trucker, he had stopped to rest. The case called attention to the nationwide shortage of safe, accessible rest stops for truckers and led Tonko to introduce a similar bill in the 111th Congress.

Jason’s Law would create a grant program that would help alleviate the parking shortages and help pay for expansion and safety improvements at existing rest areas.

The American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association immeidately reaffirmed there support for Jason’s Law. The ATA called it critical safety legislation that would take steps to address the shortage of truck parking on nation’s highways.

“America’s professional truck drivers need access to safe and legal parking in order to get the rest they need to safely transport the nation’s essential goods and comply with federal hours-of-service rules,” Mary Phillips, ATA senior vice president of legislative affairs said at a press conference here. “We applaud Rep. Tonko for again introducing this critical legislation, and hope Congress will act quickly to deliver for those who deliver America’s goods. Our drivers shouldn’t be forced into the ‘no-win’ situation of choosing between continuing to drive to find safe parking or parking on the shoulder or ramp or other location that puts themselves or other motorists at risk.”

Jason’s Law would provide $20 million annually for a number of initiatives to improve access to truck parking across the country, ranging from construction of new parking capacity and improvements to existing commercial parking areas, to technology to track open parking spaces and improvements to existing noncommercial parking facilities to accommodate large trucks.

“The fact that states have been considering closing existing parking facilities in order to address their budget shortfalls underscores the need for this legislation,” Phillips said. “If left unaddressed, the lack of truck parking will reach a crisis stage; over the next 9 years, we will add nearly 2 million more trucks to our roads to meet our nation’s freight demand.”

The creation of more long-term truck parking has been a longstanding issue for the trucking industry and is a key part of ATA’s progressive safety agenda.

“We would like to thank Mr. Tonko and Mr. Paulsen for their leadership and Hope for her tenacious dedication and courage,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA. “The trucking industry faces a litany of issues, and the least we can do is to make sure drivers have a safe place to rest while delivering the nation’s goods.”

At Berrier Insurance, we love truckers. We specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow trucks! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Don't forget to check out our site, its just had a facelift! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

CA Trucker Busted for Cross Border Marijuana Smuggling

A truck driver was sentenced Monday to nearly 22 years in prison for hauling about 10 tons of marijuana that was smuggled through a sophisticated cross-border tunnel, one of the largest marijuana busts in U.S. history.

Carlos Cunningham, 28, acknowledged carrying 19,400 pounds of marijuana in his trailer when he was arrested Nov. 2 at a weigh station in Temecula, southeast of Los Angeles.

"That is an extraordinary, remarkable amount," said U.S. District Judge Larry Burns. "It's enough to fill a house."

U.S. authorities later seized 16 tons in a San Diego warehouse where the tunnel ended, and Mexican authorities reported seizing nearly five tons on the Mexican side of the tunnel, bringing the total haul to more than 30 tons.

Later in November, U.S. authorities found another cross-border tunnel inside a warehouse of the same San Diego industrial district, leading to seizures of nearly 21 tons of marijuana on both sides of the border. Cunningham was not charged in connection with that passage.

U.S. investigators suspect that both tunnels were overseen by Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, whose leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is that country's most-wanted drug lord. They were lined with rail tracks, ventilation and lighting.

Burns sentenced Cunningham to 21 years, eight months in prison for conspiring to distribute marijuana, more than two years longer than what prosecutors recommended. He said he would consider reducing the punishment if Cunningham continued to cooperate with investigators.

"It is not a secret that Mr. Cunningham is cooperating with investigators," the judge said.

Prosecutors alleged in a court filing this month that Daniel Navarro was "the transportation manager and distributor" for both passages and they identify him as Cunningham's boss. Navarro has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the second tunnel.

Cunningham, of Oceanside, told authorities that he was being paid $10,000 to drive the trailer from the San Diego area to Los Angeles, according to court records. When he pleaded guilty in January, he admitted hauling large loads of marijuana on "multiple occasions" in July, August and November.

"I'm sorry, your honor, for what I've done and I really regret my decision," Cunningham told the judge.

His attorney, Gretchen VonHelms, said Cunningham's role was limited to driving the limited distance in Southern California.

"He was essentially a chauffeur," she said.

Cunningham pleaded guilty to drug charges in 2002 and 2006. In 2002, he was accused of smuggling 110 pounds of cocaine. In 2006, he acknowledged driving with 38 pounds of marijuana in a secret vehicle compartment in California's Imperial Valley.

Another driver, Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, pleaded guilty earlier this month for conspiring to distribute nearly 14 tons of marijuana in connection with the second tunnel discovered in November. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

If you're a legitimate trucker located in California, Arizona, Oregon or Nevada, contact us for a fast truck insurance quote today 888-472-4915. We'd love to help you save money on your truck insurance while protecting your truck with an "A" rated carrier.

Earth Day 2011

The height of hippie and flower-child culture in the United States, 1970 brought the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Protest was the order of the day, but saving the planet was not the cause. War raged in Vietnam, and students nationwide increasingly opposed it.

The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda.

As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked."

Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.

Fun Facts:

• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours - it's equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline.
  
• Earth Day is a relatively new holiday and was first celebrated on April 22 in 1970. More than 20 million Americans participated in this first Earth Day celebration
  
• Earth Day was founded by a senator of Wisconsin and the day is credited for creating the environmentalism movement.
  
• April 22 is the first official day of Spring in the Northern hemisphere and of Fall in the Southern hemisphere and was chosen to be Earth Day for this reason.
• Never underestimate the importance of recycling: if every newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.
  
• More than 20,000,000 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.
  
• Only 11% of the earth's surface is used to grow food.
  
• The world's first national park was started in 1872 at Yellowstone National Park in the US.
  
• The first major international conference on environmental issues was held in Sweden in 1972 and was sponsored by the United Nations.
  
• The first wildlife refuge was formed on Pelican Island Florida in 1903.
  
• The patron Saint of ecologists is St. Francis and the first proclamation of Earth Day was made by the mayor of San Francisco in 1970.
  
• A highlight of the annual Earth Day ceremony at the United Nations is the ringing of the Peace Bell that was given to the UN by Japan. It is made from coins given by school children to further peace on our planet.
  

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Jet Semi Racing

Ever hear about big rig racing? Well how about jet engine big rig racing? Its just as crazy as it sounds, check out these videos we came across.

First, the Only Jet Semi Truck Drag Race in history! Bob Motz Jet Kenworth vs. Kent Shockley driving Les Shockley's ShockWave Jet Peterbuilt. Bob Motz takes the win on the 1/8 mile with a small margin of victory. This is the only time these trucks will ever race, and they were never allowed to race before due to insurance reasons, and concerns over their large parachutes becoming tangled. Filmed at the former Norwalk Raceway park 8-24-02.




Second, Three jet turbine engines power this truck to 200mph!!



Don't forget to check out our site, its just had a facelift! We specialize in commercial trucking insurance including tow truck insurance! That's not all we do though, we can also get you coverage for your motorcycle, ATVs, personal auto, and boats! Visit us at BerrierInsurance.com and call us for a quick free quote at 888-472-4915.

Top 100 April Fools Day Hoaxes of All Time

There have been so many April Fools jokes over the years that people have fallen for, these were just a few of our favorites from the list, to read more visit the museumofhoaxes.com

#10: Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity

1976: The British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.

#12: Flying Penguins

2008: The BBC announced that camera crews filming near the Antarctic for its natural history series Miracles of Evolution had captured footage of Adélie penguins taking to the air. It even offered a video clip of these flying penguins, which became one of the most viewed videos on the internet. Presenter Terry Jones explained that, instead of huddling together to endure the Antarctic winter, these penguins took to the air and flew thousands of miles to the rainforests of South America where they "spend the winter basking in the tropical sun." A follow-up video explained how the BBC created the special effects of the flying penguins.

#21: Bombs Away!

1915: On April 1, 1915, in the midst of World War I, a French aviator flew over a German camp and dropped what appeared to be a huge bomb. The German soldiers immediately scattered in all directions, but no explosion followed. After some time, the soldiers crept back and gingerly approached the bomb. They discovered it was actually a large football with a note tied to it that read, "April Fool!"

#33: The Derbyshire Fairy

2007: In late March 2007, images of an 8-inch mummified creature resembling a fairy were posted on the website of the Lebanon Circle Magik Co. Accompanying text explained how the creature had been found by a man walking his dog along an old roman road in rural Derbyshire. Word of this discovery soon spread around the internet. Bloggers excitedly speculated about whether the find was evidence of the actual existence of fairies. By April 1 the Lebanon Circle website had received tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of emails. But at the end of April 1, Dan Baines, the owner of the site, confessed that the fairy was a hoax. He had used his skills as a magician's prop-maker to create the creature. Baines later reported that, even after his confession, he continued to receive numerous emails from people who refused to accept the fairy wasn't real.

#41: Dogs to be painted white

1965: Politiken, a Copenhagen newspaper, reported that the Danish parliament had passed a new law requiring all dogs to be painted white. The purpose of this, it explained, was to increase road safety by allowing dogs to be seen more easily at night.

#52: Smellovision

In 1965 BBC TV featured an interview with a professor who had just invented a device called "smellovision." This miraculous technology allowed viewers to experience directly in their own home aromas produced in the television studio. The professor offered a demonstration by cutting some onions and brewing coffee. A number of viewers called in to confirm that they distinctly experienced these scents as if they were there in the studio with him. Since no aromas were being transmitted, whatever these viewers thought they smelled coming out of their tv sets must be chalked up to the power of suggestion.

#70: One-way Highway

In 1991 the London Times announced that the Department of Transport had finalized a plan to ease congestion on the M25, the circular highway surrounding London. The capacity of the road would be doubled by making the traffic on both carriageways travel in the same direction. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the traffic would travel clockwise; while on Tuesdays and Thursdays it would travel anti-clockwise. The plan would not operate on weekends. It was said that the scheme was almost certain to meet with the cabinet's approval, despite voices of protest coming from some quarters. One of the protestors included a spokesman for Labour Transport who reportedly warned that "Many drivers already have trouble telling their left from their right." Also, a resident of Swanley, Kent was quoted as saying, "Villagers use the motorway to make shopping trips to Orpington. On some days this will be a journey of two miles, and on others a journey of 117 miles. The scheme is lunatic." Thankfully, the scheme existed only in the minds of the writers at the Times.

#73: The Origin of April Fool’s Day

In 1983 the Associated Press reported that the mystery of the origin of April Fool's Day had finally been solved. Joseph Boskin, a History professor at Boston University, had discovered that the celebration had begun during the Roman empire when a court jester had boasted to Emperor Constantine that the fools and jesters of the court could rule the kingdom better than the Emperor could. In response, Constantine had decreed that the court fools would be given a chance to prove this boast, and he set aside one day of the year upon which a fool would rule the kingdom. The first year Constantine appointed a jester named Kugel as ruler, and Kugel immediately decreed that only the absurd would be allowed in the kingdom on that day. Therefore the tradition of April Fools was born. News media throughout the country reprinted the Associated Press story. But what the AP reporter who had interviewed Professor Boskin for the story hadn't realized was that Boskin was lying. Not a word of the story was true, which Boskin admitted a few weeks later. Boston University issued a statement apologizing for the joke, and many papers published corrections.

#93: Eiffel Tower Moves

The Parisien stunned French citizens in 1986 when it reported that an agreement had been signed to dismantle the Eiffle Tower. The international symbol of French culture would then be reconstructed in the new Euro Disney theme park going up east of Paris. In the space where the Tower used to stand, a 35,000 seat stadium would be built for use during the 1992 Olympic Games.

Dont forget to get a free quote for commercial trucking at berrierinsurance.com or call one of our experts at 530-823-8000. We can offer you the lowest and most comprehensive coverage for your trucks, business, or personal autos!