Open Road Issue 2, 2021 ~ featuring David Newman, Newman Transport

ORPOEAND
ISSUE 2 2021

David Newman

Newman Transport,
Madison Oil &

LMTA Past-President

Infrastructure | Tax Code Modifications | Trucking & Natural Disasters | Smasher Penalties

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE LOUISIANA MOTOR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION 

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ORPOEAND FEATURES

ISSUE 2 2021 11 Relieving Some of the Pain

COVER STORY Update on Louisiana's taxation situation, recent
measures passed and ballot measures mixed
24 Flipping the Switch Between
Family & Business BY DAN CALABRESE

BY DAVID MONTEITH 15 LMTA’s Seafood Gala

IMAGES OF DAVID NEWMAN ON THE COVER AND 17 Ready to Serve
THIS PAGE BY JOHN BALLANCE.
WWWW.L.LMMTATA.L.LAA When Hurricane Ida struck, trucking was ready

BY STEVE BRAWNER

21 Putting the Smackdown
on Smashers

First conviction under new Louisiana statute shows it
could be a powerful deterrent to staged accidents

BY ERIC J. FRANCIS

23 The Road to Revitalizing
Trucking’s Image

LMTA Foundation approves funding
industry image campaign

BY ALLISON STRAHAN

34 Ahead of the Curve

Louisiana has created a dedicated funding source for
improving its deteriorating infrastructure, complementing
the $1 trillion federal bill approved in November.

BY ERIC J. FRANCIS

36 LMTA Annual
Convention Coverage

BY ALLISON STRAHAN

41 2021 Safety Award Winners

45 LMTA Golf
Tournament Winners

DEPARTMENTS

7 President’s Message by Karl Mears
9 Executive Director’s Message
by Renee Amar
44 Getting Down to Brass Tacks
46 Calendar of Events
46 LMTA New Members
46 Advertiser Resource Index

|OPOENPERNORAODAD |ISISSSUUEE 22 22021 5 5

|6 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

ORPOEAND LMTA President’s Message

The Official Magazine of the Disruptions Create a Better Path Forward
Louisiana Motor Transport Association
What an eventful past couple of years it has been for us at the LMTA! Covid-19
Open Road is owned by the Louisiana Motor Transport disrupted us from our normal schedule and kept us from meeting face to face. We
Association and is published by Matthews Publishing Group. lost our executive director, which caused us to form a search committee and find a
To request additional copies, order reprints of individual articles replace:ment during the pandemic. Thankfully, we received great direction from our past
or to become a subscriber to Open Road, please contact Allison presidents and we have a strong leadership team who were able to help us overcome
Strahan at [email protected] or call 225-928-5684. To inquire about those obstacles. And despite the disruption that truckers faced over the last year, we all
advertising, please contact the publisher at (501) 690-9393. kept the wheels on the trucks rolling safely and delivered the goods and services that are
vital to our state and the nation.
Publisher
Jennifer Matthews-Drake As we drive ahead to the future, let’s keep building on the momentum that we’ve
Matthews Publishing Group generated. Let’s act, to not only grow and strengthen our own companies, but to also
[email protected] grow and strengthen our association. As members, both trucking and allied, let’s be
more active in LMTA. Let your voice be heard by becoming active on one of our
Executive Editor committees: events, membership, and legislative/policy. Join TruckPac or the Safety
Renee Amar Management Council, be a part of the upcoming National Truck Driver Appreciation
Week activities, plan to attend LMTA’s Compliance Seminar in Lake Charles and the
Managing Editor upcoming Fall Conference in Baton Rouge.
Allison Strahan
"LET’S ACT, TO NOT ONLY GROW AND STRENGTHEN
Creative Director OUR OWN COMPANIES, BUT TO ALSO
Fran Sherman
[email protected] GROW AND STRENGTHEN OUR ASSOCIATION."

Ad Production Help us get the message out to non-members that there are major advantages to
Douglas Benjamin being a member of the LMTA. We are different from other associations because we
listen, we care, and we stand for ALL Louisiana trucking companies. LMTA stands for
Photographers you no matter your size--big, small, and those in-between, the commodities you haul, or
John Ballance whether you are intrastate or interstate…We stand for all trucking companies!

Daniel Gray At the LMTA, Let’s Keep on Truckin’ right through 2022!
Lawrence Kuzniewski
John David Pittman Karl Mears
2021-2022 LMTA Board President
Contributing Writers Owner, Razorback Rentals LLC
Steve Brawner
Dan Calabrese
Kevin Jones
Renee Miller
David Monteith
Jack Roberts
John D. Schulz
Lacey C. Thacker

Louisiana Motor Transport Association

Staff

Executive Director
Renee Amar
[email protected]

Communications Director Events & Executive Assistant
Allison Strahan Hailey Austin
[email protected] [email protected]

Communications Assistant Accounting Director
Emelie Tovar Burton Comeaux
[email protected]
[email protected]

For more information, contact LMTA at: |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 7
Louisiana Motor Transport Association

Office: 4838 Bennington Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70708
Mailing: PO Box 80278
Baton Rouge, LA 70798

Phone 225-928-5682 www.lmta.la

WWW.LMTA.LA

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Louisiana Motor Transport Association From the Executive Director's Desk

LMTA's 2021-2022 Trucking Industry Pushes Back
Officers of the Board
President Joe Biden’s Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) vaccine
Chairman of the Board mandate has been sent to the White House for a final review, but before decisions are
Todd Ruple made, leaders in the trucking industry want to make sure their voices are heard.

Preferred Materials, Inc. The new requirements would impact more than 80 million working Americans at
Board President companies with more than 100 employees. Employees must be vaccinated or submit
Karl Mears weekly testing. Louisiana Motor Transport Association Executive Director Renee Amar
said this will put a burden on an already struggling industry. 
Razorback Rentals, LLC
1st Vice President Every single community in the state of Louisiana relies on a trucker to bring them
Cully Frisard their goods, I’ve never seen a one size fits all policy from the government that has ever
Frisard Companies helped business or this industry grow.
2nd Vice President
Nataly Madden This will put a burden on an already struggling industry. Already experiencing a
driver shortage, there is also concern that workers may walk away from the trucking
Signature Transport, LLC industry altogether.
Vice President at Large
“THIS WILL PUT A BURDEN ON AN
Mike Beck ALREADY STRUGGLING INDUSTRY."
McGriff Insurance Inc.

Secretary
Judy Smart
Roadrunner Towing & Recovery

Treasurer
Mike Knotts
Higginbotham Insurance
ATA Vice President
Brad Nelson
FreedomTrucks of America
ATA VP Alternate
John Austin
Bengal Transport Services, LLC

LMTA Foundation Board

Chairman Greg Stewart We knew we had 60,000 jobs that we needed to fill on the national level and then
Tom O'Neal Safeway the pandemic hit. Just last month at American Trucking Associations’ MCE meeting,
Hercules Transport ATA economist Bob Costello announced that number has increased to 80,000 drivers
Larry Terrel needed.  Our concern is that it’s going to hit the supply chain issue, and, in turn, that’s
Treasurer Northlake Moving going to impact anything that they’re trying to do with Covid and recovery from this.
Mike Beck
McGriff Insurance Ellis Vliet Workers should have the freedom to make health decisions for themselves. I hope
Retired, Turner that the Biden administration is listening to the concerns of the industries they will
impact. Trucking industry leaders will be examining all options to choose a path that
Industries protects their workers. And if those are legal options that we need to take then I think
we’re probably going to be willing to do that.
www.lmta.foundation
In fact, that’s exactly what happened. On November 9, the ATA, along with the
Louisiana Motor Transport Association is an affiliate of LMTA, MTA and TXTA filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the Administration’s
the American Trucking Associations. LMTA is a Louisiana vaccine mandate. LMTA members unanimously supported this action.
corporation of trucking companies, private carrier fleets
and businesses which serve or supply the trucking industry. After final review and approval of the OSHA Vaccine Mandate, the next step is for
LMTA serves these companies as a governmental affairs OSHA to publish it in the Federal Register. This will make it a law. 
representative before legislative, regulatory and executive
branches of government on issues that affect the trucking Renee Amar
industry. The organization also provides public relations Executive Director LMTA
services, education services, operational services and serves [email protected]
as a forum for industry meetings and membership relations.
|OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 9
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Relieving Some of the Pain

Update on Louisiana's taxation situation, recent
measures passed and ballot measures mixed

BY DAN CALABRESE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Open Road reported earlier this year on responsible for 64 different sales tax returns. involve local taxing units – some of whom have
Louisiana's complicated tax code. It is hurting It’s a mess, and legislative leaders knew benefited from their roles as local collectors.
the business community in general, and the
trucking industry in particular, because of its they needed to address it. “They look at it as their jobs, their money,
extremely complicated collection system for the The effort started in August 2020, when their auditing process,” Beauillieu said.
state’s sales tax. And the income tax system is “Historically they haven’t wanted to give up
just as complicated. a task force began meeting regularly to come that authority. What we did different this time
up with legislation that would address the is we brought them to the table and brought
Since then, a great deal of work has been problem. By spring 2021, the final product them in on that discussion.”
done toward solving these problems. was essentially complete – and it took the
form of two proposals Louisiana voters The sales tax measure is designed in part
The sales tax collection system subjects considered on Nov. 13. to put Louisiana in compliance with the
trucking companies to 64 different tax returns 2018 Supreme Court ruling in the case South
making tax mangement a nightmare for The first, which dealt with sales tax Dakota v. Wayfair, which established that
businesses in the state though the income tax collection, would have established an eight- states must have uniform sales tax collection
and franchise taxes place us at a competitive member board charged with developing systems to deal with online retailers who are
disadvantage with other states because of our a better system. Once the group made its not physically located in the state.
high combined rates. The income tax also recommendation, it would require legislative
creates confusion and administrative issues for action to formally replace the old system. But According to House Speaker Clay
everyone, both businesses and individuals. none of this would happen unless the voters Schexnayder, the sales tax collection proposal
approved the proposal. Voters chose to keep would have resulted in more revenue coming
And for companies who operate in all the old system in place for now. to Louisiana from outside the state.
64 parishes, which the trucking industry
certainly does, the challenge is even greater. “It’s embedded in our constitution, so “There are thousands of online vendors
Each parish designates its own collector and we can’t just statutorily go and make that out there right now, and if you pay attention
auditor of the sales tax, which uses its own change,” said State Rep. Beau Beauillieu to your orders, you’ll see that lots of times
system and imposes its own requirements. So, (R-New Iberia). “We have to go into the the vendors may charge you the sales tax or
if you operate statewide, you’re going to be constitution and do it.”
CONTINUES 
It has been necessary, Beauillieu said, to
|OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 11
WWW.LMTA.LA

they may not charge you at all,” Schexnayder “FOR THOSE TRUCKING • Eliminate the current income tax structure
said. “When that happens, those dollars will OUTFITS THAT ARE DEALING with its three different brackets – 2 percent,
stay in the state they’re collected in and are 4 percent and 6 percent – and establish that
not being remitted back to us.” IN MULTIPLE PARISHES IN Louisiana cannot have a rate higher than 4.75
THE STATE, THIS WOULD percent. Beauillieu said the legislature intends
By simplifying the collection process so to pass a rate of 4.25 percent if voters approve
online vendors are remitting to one collector, BE THE FIRST STEP IN the constitutional amendment.
and not to 64, he believes Louisiana should SIMPLIFYING THEIR
eliminate the incentive to duck the sales taxes. TAX COLLECTIONS.” • Eliminate the current corporate tax structure
with its five different brackets – 4 percent, 5
But if the sales tax collection system would —REPRESENTATIVE BEAU percent, 6 percent, 7 percent and 8 percent
be truly reformed, the trucking industry stands BEAUILLIEU (R - NEW IBERIA) – and replace it with three brackets of 3.5
to be one of the biggest winners. percent, 5.5 percent and 7.5 percent.
would be the first step in simplifying their tax
“For those trucking outfits that are collections,” Beauillieu said. “Without this • Suspend the franchise tax on taxable value
dealing in multiple parishes in the state, this step, nothing can improve. We’ve got to pass up to $300,000 and reduce the franchise
this to make any improvements. This doesn’t tax from $3 to $2.75 per $1,000 of taxable
guarantee any improvements, but without this, value over and above $300,000, along with
we’re guaranteed that we can’t move forward.” triggers that reduce the tax even further if
Though the voters rejected it this year, LMTA the state collects more revenue than new
is still hopeful it can pass in formulas would allow.
the future. The proposal also eliminates the

The second proposal, concerning the state’s federal income tax deduction,
personal, corporate and franchise taxes, which Beauillieu sees as a way of giving
also required voters to approve it because it Louisiana more independence from the
changes the Louisiana constitution. It will do federal government.
the following:
“What happens in D.C. won’t have an
effect on Louisiana’s fiscal affairs,”
Beauillieu said.

According to Schexnayder, the trucking
industry has many good reasons to want to

|12 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

operate in Louisiana but has historically key resource to transportation companies throughout
faced policy hurdles that called for Louisiana in matters that are unique to the industry.
legislative solutions. clients with their legal needs during a crisis.

“You take a state like Georgia or BATON ROUGE • NEW ORLEANS • MONROE
Alabama, where a lot of the trucking Douglas K. Williams • www.bswllp.com
industry is based out of both states, it’s
because of their ability to attract those |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 13
companies,” Schexnayder said. “One reason
is insurance being simplified. We took that
step here when we did tort reform in 2020.”

Schexnayder believes the tax reform
proposals on the recent statewide ballot
together would have similarly caused
trucking companies to see Louisiana in a
new light.

“It’s going to create an avenue
for those trucking companies to say, hey
look, Louisiana is central,” Schexnayder
said. “We can create more jobs there, and
we can actually be stationed in the central
part of the country where we can deliver
more than to the east coast. We can be
centrally located.”

“We’ve been meeting with chambers of
commerce and municipalities,” Schexnayder
said. “I can tell you that once they

"IT'S TOO IMPORTANT AN ISSUE
TO SMALL BUSINESSES TO

NOT CONTINUE PUSHING FOR
STREAMLINING."

—RENEE AMAR, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, LMTA

understand what we’re doing, they are
completely in support of it.”

The overall economic health of Louisiana
hangs in the balance, particularly its ability
to attract new businesses to the state.

“When we look at companies and try
to invite them to come here and be part of
our state, our tax system is so complicated,”
Schexnayder said. “This would help to
simplify our tax system. There are other
things that need to be done, but this would
help us be able to sell ourselves to those
companies – to invite them here to be part
of Louisiana.”

Voters went to the polls on Nov. 13 and
embraced income tax changes, which were
CA#2. However, they rejected CA#1 to
streamline sales tax collections.

“We aren’t discouraged by the results.
Streamlining sales tax collections is a big
issue and many times these issues take years
to pass. We have more work to do. It’s too
important an issue to small businesses to
not continue pushing for streamlining,”
concluded LMTA’s Amar.

WWW.LMTA.LA

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ATRITHE NATION’S TOP TRUCK

This year ATRI celebrates 20 years of leadership in critical data and analysis to improve the

BOTTLENECKS 2021trucking industry’s safety and productivity. From the truck stop to the executive suite, to the
ANALYSsItSate house and Capitol Hill, ATRI’s reputation for providing objective industry analyses means

data-driven decision making on the industry’s biggest issues.ince 2002, the American Transportation Research Institute

S(ATRI) has collected and processed truck GPS data in support
truck GPS dataset, ATRI found average truck speeds at some of the
worst truck bottlenecks improve by 100% or more as car drivers
of numerous U.S. DOT freight mobility initiatives. Using truck GPS sheltered in place and trucks kept moving to deliver essential goods.
data from over 1 million freight trucks, ATRI develops and monitors In a separate analysis in April 2020, ATRI found state-level truck
a series of key performance measures on the nation’s freight activity increased in early February as panic-buying drove consumer
transportation system. Among many GPS analyses, ATRI converts demand, followed by a decrease in truck activity as more businesses
its truck GPS dataset into an ongoing truck bottleneck analysis that were closed. However, by April and into May, ATRI’s Truck Activity
is used to quantify the impact of traffic congestion on truck-borne Index began to improve across the states analyzed, signaling a
freight at over 300 specific locations. While other datasets may return to pre-pandemic freight demand.
identify congested corridors, no dataset available today specifically
identifies granular chokepoints in the nation’s truck freight An additional impact on traffic congestion in 2020 was the number IMPROVING SAFETY
transportation system. of roadway construction projects that were able to commence and/ AND LOWERING RISK
or advance at a faster pace due to fewer vehicles on the road during
ATRI’s annual Top Truck Bottleneck Analysis uses a full year of the pandemic. Once traffic levels increased in the second half of
truck GPS data to calculate the top chokepoints. However, 2020 2020, those construction projects became even more congested.
was by all definitions a different year with pandemic-related impacts As such, this year’s Top Truck Bottleneck list reflects a rise in
intersecting with traffic patterns. In a March 2020 analysis using its ranking in a number of locations impacted by roadway construction.

2021 TOP TRUCK BOTTLENECKS • BY THE NUMBERS On topics as wide-ranging as predicting future crash
involvement to safety technology cost-benefit analyses to

AVERAGE PEAK 33.9%up year-over-year TOP 100 BOTTLENECKS 25% 29NUMBER OF STATES obstructive sleep apnea, ATRI’s research provides a blueprint
WITH AVERAGE TRUCK for managing risk and improving roadway safety.
43.0HOUR TRUCK WITH AT LEAST ONE
mphSPEED: SPEEDS <45 MPH: TOP 100 BOTTLENECK:

WA

9# Rye, NY OPERATIONAL DATA
1-95 at I-287 YOU CAN COUNT ON

NY Whether you’re looking to route your drivers around congestion or
CT benchmark your costs against your peers in the industry, ATRI’s
analyses combine real-world data with a deep understanding of
6# Chicago, IL PA industry operations.
I-290 at I-90/I-94
LEADING WITH DATA,
1# Fort Lee, NJ NOT EMOTION
1-95 at SR 4
ATRI’s research uses data and analyses to dissect the true
CA 2# Cincinnati, OH impacts of policies and regulations across a range of critical
I-71 at I-75 topics including Hours-of-Service, autonomous vehicles, CSA,
8# St. Louis, MO tolling, and nuclear verdicts.
I-64/I-55 at I-44

10# San Bernardino, CA 7 TN
I-10 at I-15 # Chattanooga, TN 3# Atlanta, GA
I-75 at I-24 I-285 at I-85 (North)

GA

STATES WITH THE 4# Atlanta, GA
HIGHEST NUMBER OF I-20 at I-285 (West)
TOP 100 BOTTLENECKS: TX

Texas.................. 12 Georgia ................ 7 5# Houston, TX
California ............. 8 Pennsylvania....... 7 I-45 at I-69/US 59
Washington ......... 8 New York .............. 6
Connecticut......... 7 Tennessee ........... 6

For more information on ATRI’s Top Truck Bottleneck analysis, including a detailed description of the methodology, visit www.TruckingResearch.org.

WHERE THE RUBBER
MEETS THE ROAD

ATRI has a long history of research focused on the issues and
concerns of professional truck drivers. From involvement in over
40 national, state, and regional truck parking studies to quantifying
the impacts of detention, ATRI’s analyses provide a key input to
advancing the safety and productivity of the industry’s workforce.

We rely on YOU to make our research successful. Help secure ATRI’s future for
the next 20 years with a charitable contribution from you or your organization!

Visit us today online at TruckingResearch.org
to learn more about our research and commit to
supporting ATRI through a charitable contribution.

SEAFOOD GALA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN BALLANCE

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 15

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Competitive Chassis Pools Deliver for

Gulf Truckers at a Critical Time

Unprecedented container volumes associated with the COVID pandemic continue to disrupt supply chain
operations across the country and grab headlines. Needless to say, this has put everyone involved in the
movement of containerized goods to the test.

Across the Gulf region, demand for DCLI’s customer, would you rather deal with a president of Landwerlin Trucking, a New
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|16 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 DCLI is the largest provider of marine and domestic container chassis to the U.S. intermodal industry. For more
information about the benefits of competitive chassis pools, please visit www.dcli.com/mychassischoice.

WWW.LMTA.LA

Ready to Serve

When Hurricane Ida struck, trucking was ready

BY STEVE BRAWNER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

HURRICANE IDA

Days before Hurricane Ida made landfall refineries were down, putting pressure on encourages its drivers to remain vigilant, avoid
Aug. 29 – actually years before – Al Lacombe those that were open, so Dupré staggered its confrontation, and call if they are having
was already preparing for it. shifts and arrived early in the day to keep the problems so a police escort can be arranged.
truck traffic moving. Lacombe said that while some motorists were
The vice president of safety and risk edgy after Ida, they didn’t cause significant
management at Dupré Logistics began Some drivers suffered damage to their own problems once they understood the truck
monitoring the storm before it hit the Gulf homes but still delivered fuel. drivers needed to deliver their fuel.
of Mexico. A hurricane preparedness team
of executives from across the 700-truck “They were really troopers, and we were The state and federal governments
fuel hauler began meeting to plan how the very appreciative,” he said of Dupré’s drivers. provided waivers to weight and hours of
hurricane might affect operations. As Ida “They know their jobs, and they know their service rules for fuel haulers, but Dupré was
drew nearer, Dupré met with other members responsibilities at home. But they know their still careful to ensure its drivers were well-
of the Louisiana Fuel Team, which includes responsibilities at work, and we’ve got some rested. With Ida, authorities did not initiate
regulatory bodies, carriers, refineries, and great guys that came in, and some guys that “contraflow” traffic where both sides of the
state personnel tasked with ensuring fuel is came in from out of state from other terminals interstate are flowing in one direction. That
available in an emergency. to help out. And that’s what it’s all about, decision made it easier for fuel haulers to do
because you never know when it will be a their job.
At about 36 hours, it looked like Ida different area that’ll have a storm come in.”
would approach the Grand Isle area. Dupré Dupré’s program has been in place the
got its trucks off the road when the winds Truck drivers faced many stresses after last 25-30 years. Lacombe said the Lafayette-
hit 30-35 miles per hour. When it was over, the storm. Passenger vehicles were lined up
Dupré’s trucks returned to the road. Many at service stations waiting on a tanker to CONTINUES 
arrive. Tempers can flare, so the company

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 17

UPSCALE YOUR WORKFORCE WITH based company, with operations along the
SPECIALIZED TRAINING FROM SLCC. I-10 corridor as far east as Pensacola, has a
“30,000-foot-level plan” that’s a few pages
SMART Defensive Driving • Speed/Space Management long, while each of its facilities has a more
Accident Recreation • Support for Safety Meetings detailed plan. Each year in mid-May before
CDL Training Available hurricane season, the company modifies its
at our Crowley, plan based on previous lessons learned.
New Iberia, and The different operations are encouraged to
Morgan City campuses update their plans and input them in a
or at your work site. central database.
[email protected]
He said no two storms are the same.
www.solacc.edu/continuing-education/cdl-training Hurricane Katrina’s damage happened
|18 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 because the levy protecting New Orleans
failed. Ida’s damage was caused by the
storm itself. But one thing the storms have in
common is Louisianans’ response to them.

“That’s one of the things I’ve got to say
about south Louisiana and the businesses
and the people here is that whenever things
get tough, like when we have something like
this happen, I think that everybody pulled
together. … You never know where the next
storm will come in or come from, and you …
anticipate and you prepare,” he said. “You
hope for the best, but you prepare for
the worst.”

Cully Frisard, chief operating officer
of Gramercy-based Frisard Companies,
narrowly missed suffering significant damage
to his house from a fallen oak tree. A
generator powered his house for two-and-a-
half weeks.

The day after the storm passed, he started
getting his 150-tractor general commodities
carrier back up and running. His business
offices suffered only minor damage when
the pressure blew out the front doors, but
it didn’t have phone or internet service. He
and five of his employees set up shop at the
LMTA’s office. By Friday, it was time for
the carrier to help others. One of his trucks
drove to the C&S Grocery in Hammond and
picked up a refrigerated trailer for St. John
the Baptist Parish’s sheriff’s department to use
for ice and frozen foods. Frisard Companies
also retrieved a load of water in Mississippi
donated by Real Pure Bottling and dropped
off pallets at the sheriff’s departments in
St. John, St. Bernard, St. Charles and St.
James Parishes.

Frisard noted how important truck drivers
have been, first during the COVID pandemic
and now in response to the hurricane.

“I’m only the body of this company,” he
said. “They’re my heartbeat, and my office
personnel are the veins of my company.
Without that heartbeat, nothing else moves.”

Renee Amar, LMTA’s executive director,
said carriers stepped to the plate after

CONTINUES 

WWW.LMTA.LA

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 19

Hurricane Ida struck. Gary Gobert’s Lake “When you’re in these times of need, a roof and help his neighbors. He hasn’t left town
City Trucking, for example, delivered loads lot of times staying on the phone ends up since. With Ida, he and his son were able to
in response to requests, including one request becoming a job in itself, so lots of times I like tarp his roof the day after the storm, saving his
from U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise to deliver goods being able to reach out to people and say, ‘Hey, kitchen, dining room and living room from a
to a hospital in Golden Meadow. Many look. Here’s what I need. Can you handle it? huge rain that week.
families relied on generators for refrigeration, Here’s what I need you to do,’” he said.
which meant widespread fuel shortages had to Ida passed on the night of Aug. 29.
be managed. Dupré Logistics and Frisard Companies By Aug. 31, the roads were clear enough
didn’t sustain significant damage from the that he could get to the facility and begin
“There was a big need for refrigerated storm. The same can’t be said for the Peterbilt documenting damage. By Thursday, Sept. 2,
trucks in communities where they had plenty dealership in Houma or for its general manager, he was meeting customers at his shop and
of food but no way to store it,” she said. “Our Tim Ordoyne. Two-thirds of the shingles on his writing tickets on a notepad.
members were generous with their time, their home were ripped away, and half of his fence
trucks and their drivers right after the hurricane was destroyed. Meanwhile, a 12-foot-wide “I said, ‘Look. Just take it. Go,’” he said.
and are still delivering today. They not only roof section at his dealership’s rear blew off, “I wrote it down, and when we get the power
are using their trucks to deliver goods but and three of his six bay doors were destroyed. back on and we open back up, I’ll invoice it.
also preparing meals and handing them out in About 30 of his suspended ceiling tiles fell Get your truck up and going.’ Most of these
ravaged communities.” throughout the office on floors and desks. As people were fuel haulers. They were hauling
the storm approached, he managed to park all fuel to everybody.”
Amar praised Speaker of the House but two of his trucks in the facility. He parked
Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, who helped one beneath a car wash to protect it from Ordoyne noted that power companies were
coordinate lawmakers’ efforts to deliver branches and debris. He wanted to park the coming to Louisiana from across the country to
relief with the help of the trucking industry. second truck inside, but the batteries were dead. restore power. The dealership fixed three trucks
Schexnayder said that since Hurricane Isaac The car wash crashed on top of the first truck before it officially opened.
in 2012, legislators have worked together and smashed it.
and cultivated relationships with private A company out of Missouri had a boom
partners inside and outside of Louisiana to Ordoyne has had many personal experience truck that needed to run a regeneration.
deliver supplies. He said Louisiana is good at with hurricanes. The Thibodaux native was
organizing and helping other states in response four years old when he survived Hurricane “When these types of things happen, we
to a disaster. Betsy in 1965. That hurricane destroyed his all need to have something happen that makes
family house, so the family went to his great- us feel normal,” he said. “Getting electricity in
“That’s just typical Louisiana, right?” he grandmother’s house while the eye was passing. your house, getting hot water, sleeping in your
said. “We all want to help our neighbors, and It was a brief reprieve. The south part of the bed feels normal. That’s what we all strive to
we all want to be a part of that process. We’ve storm ripped the roof off that house, so the get to, to get it all wrapped up so everybody
been able to secure good friends out there that adults protected the kids with mattresses and can start to feel normal. Because you’re going
can help us bring in products and help get it to walked them to his aunt’s house next door. to start dealing with insurance companies and
the right people.” Through all the later hurricanes, Hurricane then contractors and all, so you’re really not
Andrew was the only one where he evacuated going to get back to, quote, normal for six
Schexnayder said the trucking industry was because he had young children, and afterwards months to a year. But if we can get people back
ready to help when called upon. He singled out he couldn’t return for two weeks to patch his in their homes with electricity and hot water
Amar and the LMTA for making connections, and the normal things we need day to day, if
and Frisard Companies for delivering supplies. we can do that within a month, six weeks,
then good for us. So that’s the goal.”
|20 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021
WWW.LMTA.LA

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

= MODERN DAY SLAVERY

While it may have taken a pandemic for some to realize what
many of us have recognized all along, I know that trucking
moves America forward.

As we still figure out how to adjust or devise a new “normal,”
one aspect of our lives remains unchanged: the reliability of
the trucking industry. Whether it is delivering food, medicine,
fuel, or other consumer goods – truckers help grow our
economy and create jobs for our neighbors. They are a vital
component of our supply chain.

Unfortunately, human traffickers know this well and try to
exploit it for their own personal gain.

Human trafficking exists in all 50 states, including Louisiana.
While illegal, human trafficking remains a booming
business - one that entraps victims through abuse,
coercion, force, and fraud. But we can do something to fight
this modern-day slavery.

As the eyes and ears of our America’s highways, truckers have a unique opportunity to combat
the horrific crimes perpetrated by human traffickers. The partnership between truckers and law
enforcement can save victims' lives and bring criminals to justice.

So I encourage you to spot some of the signs of human trafficking:

Vehicles dropping off multiple people and picking them up shortly thereafter.
Branding or tattooing, often on the neck, of a trafficker’s name or language that may indicate
“ownership.”
Conversations on CB radio using the trafficking code “lot lizard” or any unusual descriptions of
children, rates, or sex acts.
Teenagers lingering around truck stops or entering and exiting trucks.

If you are witnessing a crime in progress, please call 911 and report it immediately. If you
suspect human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-
7888. And if you would like to learn more ways on how to get involved in the fight against
trafficking, please visit www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org.

Thank you for all you do to make our State an even better place!

For Louisiana,

Jeff Landry
Attorney General

The Road to Revitalizing
Trucking’s Image

BY ALLISON STRAHAN
MANAGING EDITOR

In January of this year, the Louisiana Opinion of Trucking Industry in Louisiana
Trucking Research & Education Council
(LATREC) unanimously decided to fund percentage voiced they had a “somewhat” IMAGE 1
a public image campaign managed by the or “very” unfavorable view of the industry, “lawsuit abuse” and “bad drivers” were the
LMTA Foundation. The goal was to highlight an astonishingly low figure for any industry, most common results, with the following
how vital the trucking industry was to Innovative reported. being the “insurance commissioner,” “road
Louisiana’s economy, as well as how safe the conditions,” and the “state government.”
industry had become in recent years. It seems that the negative image portrayed From this data, Innovative determined that
by lawyers on billboards throughout the the majority of Louisianan’s didn’t blame the
The idea for a public image campaign state had not affected the public’s perception trucking industry for the state’s high auto
started as a response to comments from of the profession nearly as much as initially insurance rates – they blame lawsuit abuse and
drivers and owners over personal injury thought. In actuality, the survey found that bad drivers.
attorneys’ advertisements directly targeting almost half of respondents (48.8 percent)
truckers. In the past decade, local commercials specified truckers as safer than other drivers. After gauging respondents’ attitude and
and billboards seem to cover Louisianans TV An additional 22 percent felt that truckers thoughts on the trucking industry, Innovative
screens and highways with advertisements were neither more or less safe than the average decided to test a variety of prepared messages
reminding citizens to fall into their litigious motorist, and another 8.8 percent were
urges. This, coupled with the rise in nuclear “unsure” and couldn’t form an opinion. IMAGE 2
verdicts, had lifelong trucking owners asking
when did they become the bad guys? When explicitly asked if, “the trucking
industry was important enough to Louisiana’s
The LMTA Foundation quickly got to economy that it should be protected,” an
work, securing Innovative Advertising from overwhelming 81.7 percent of respondents
the award-winning agency People Who said “yes” (Image 2). This was the most
Think. Before launching fully into the image unifying response of the survey and solidified
campaign, Innovative surveyed and tested that the public opinion of the trucking
various groups throughout the state to get a industry was not nearly as negative as the
complete picture of the public’s perception of trial lawyers’ advertisements, and many in the
the industry. When looking for respondents, industry assumed.
Innovative sought to match the make-up of
the state’s general population. This meant Going a step further, the Innovative team
demographics – such as gender, age, education, then asked those surveyed “who or what”
income, and geography mirroring Louisiana as they thought was responsible for Louisiana’s
a whole. This methodology and targeting only high auto insurance rates. The answers of
individuals from outside the industry gave
Innovative the most confident research to base WWW.LMTA.LA
the campaign from.

When presented with the results of
the survey, members of both the LMTA
Foundation and LATREC Boards were
surprised with the results. When asked “Do
you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion
of the trucking industry in Louisiana,”
the vast majority of those surveyed had
a positive view of the industry. Over 90
percent of respondents had a “somewhat”
or “very” favorable view of trucking (Image
1). Even more surprising – only one third
of those surveyed had “no opinion” for
their favorability of Louisiana’s trucking
industry. Of all those surveyed, only a low

|22 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021

for the public image campaign, with focuses Who/what is responsible for LA's high insurance rates?
ranging from safety to reliability during 30 26.1% 24.1%
the pandemic. During the research process,
Innovative preformed a segment analysis 20
identifying the most valuable demographic 13.8%
as the “movers,” meaning this group was 11.1% 10.9%
the most likely to move from their initial
opinion based on a message. During this 10
research phase, Innovative tested all proposed
messages across all groups, not just the 1.7%
valuable “movers” group. It became clear
that the most popular message was that of, 0 Lawsuit abuse Bad drivers CommissionerRoad conditions GovernmentTrucking industry Other Unsure
“Trucking Makes Life Go Round,” had great Insurance State IMAGE 3
favorability scores across all demographics,
including the target. IMAGE 4

The idea behind this campaign was IMAGE 5
a child singing along to the tune of “The
Wheels on the Bus” replacing the bus with |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 23
truck, while pushing a toy truck with trailer
on the floor. Not only was this message
positive but it also had an as easy to grasp
“human” element that tested well with the
targeted demographic. “Trucking Makes
Life Go ‘Round” and “Thank You Louisiana
Truckers” became the main theme and
message of the campaign, highlighting how
the trucking industry delivers essentials and
powers the state’s economy.

With research, audience opinion, target
demographic and messaging the campaign
overview was established. Innovative began
working with a six-month timeline focusing
mainly on the channels of social media and
outdoor billboard advertising. Production
on a video ad revolving around the message
that “Trucking Makes Life Go ‘Round”
started in early July with LMTA members
and their trucks appearing in the campaign.
Billboards with the message “Thank You
Louisiana Truckers” also started to go up in
July throughout markets in the state’s heavily
trafficked areas for the target demographic.
By the end of July, both social media and
outdoor campaigns were active with industry-
positive messages being shown throughout
the state.

Early indicators of the campaign
are positive, with some Facebook posts
from the campaign having over 250,000
impressions with targeted audiences. There
are also currently nine billboards, on the
route’s truckers drive every day through
I-10 and I-12 in Baton Rouge, as well as
I-10 in Lafayette, Lake Charles and New
Orleans. We encourage LMTA members,
business owners, legislators, or anyone who
appreciates the importance of the trucking
industry to follow the awareness campaign
by liking the Foundation’s Facebook page,
@LMTAFoundation or checking out our
website www.lmta.foundation.

WWW.LMTA.LA

Flipping the Switch
Between

Family & Business

DAVID NEWMAN AND DAUGHTER MADISON NEWMAN BIGOTT WWW.LMTA.LA

|24 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021

BY DAVID MONTEITH
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN BALLANCE

David Newman had been hauling fuel for another man for a little over a
year, when he reached the point where he couldn’t tolerate his boss’s lack
of professionalism. According to Newman, customers were angry over the
treatment they were receiving and rightly so. That was a little over 24 years
ago. Newman, now president of Newman Transport, LLC and the outgoing chairman of

the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, had no trucks of his own, but decided he,

and the customers, would be better off if he ran things himself. CONTINUES 

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 25

His daughter Madison was six years old was born. A single truck grew into a fleet operations manager, hired on as driver over
at the time, but still remembers her mother that now delivers fuel across the Gulf Coast 20 years ago when the company had three
being upset when her father broke the news. region. Having seen the impact of poor trucks. Briggs says Newman has always
Newman recalls, “I came home from the job customer service in the job he’d quit, Newman had high expectations. “He’s a pretty
I was aggravated with at 1 o’clock in the was determined to establish his company as straightforward guy. He’s definitely not afraid
afternoon one day. You know we were young the opposite. “We can and will provide the to tell you something you don’t want to hear.”
and had a young child,” he says. “And we very best service on time, every time,” is the Briggs agrees that the tone of those difficult
had all the normal debt of a young couple.” promise Newman Transport still makes. conversations—what Newman calls ‘ass-
Coming home in the middle of the day was chewins’—has changed since the early days.
abnormal, so his wife asked, “‘What are you Newman admits that his desire to provide Briggs says, “Over the years, he’s definitely
doing here?’ I said, ‘I quit my job.’ Of course, better service than his predecessor made softened up a little bit.”
her eyes got large, and her body started him a difficult boss. “In the beginning, I was
shaking, and her voice started cracking. She probably a hard person to work for because Newman credits Briggs with playing a
said, ‘Oh my god. What are we going to I was so OCD and wanted everything so part in that softening. “Keith and I were both
do now?’” pristine.” Scratches on his Peterbilts were at [an LMTA] summer convention, and we
enough to draw his ire. He wanted his listened to a motivational speaker by the name
STARTING THE FAMILY BUSINESS employees to take care of two things: his of Gary Golden and one of his comments was,
For Newman, the answer to that question customers and his equipment. ‘In the business world, whenever you have to
reprimand people for whatever reason, you
was to do things himself. “It was almost a pipe Within five years, the attention to detail always want to reprimand and then finish with
dream,” Newman says. “Because I didn’t have and commitment to customer service allowed admiration.’” The leadership tip was referred
any equipment, but my intentions were to get Newman Transport to buy the land that is to as “being golden.” Newman says whenever
it. To buy a truck, to buy a trailer, to get the now the company’s home in Pearl River. “We he’d sit down with Briggs to discuss a problem
whole business set up.” moved from renting lots to park three to with an employee that was either going to end
four trucks on, to moving into an established in firing someone or at least “chew somebody’s
Together, he and his wife met with the business, an established piece of real estate butt,” Briggs would always remind him to
company that would become their first with a true office, and shop, and truckyard.” “be golden.”
customer. The commitment from that first Newman counts that as one of the most
customer was enough to convince them they significant milestones in his company’s history. His daughter, then Madison Newman,
could take the risk, and Newman Transport now Madison Newman Bigott, vice president
Keith Briggs, now the company’s

DAVID NEWMAN & MADISON NEWMAN BIGOTT WITH JASON RACHEL, DISPATCHER, AND KEITH BRIGGS, OPERATIONS MANAGER), BOTH OF WHOM HAVE BEEN
WITH NEWMAN TRANSPORT FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS

|26 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

of Newman Transport, says her dad didn’t trooper rodeo in Baton Rouge, in which “Prior to that [four-year] commitment, I
take it easy on her when she worked at the the troopers compete against each other had the opinion that I’m a trucker, and I’m
carrier during the summers as a teenager. “He and hundreds of orange traffic cones. The not into politics. During that commitment, I
was a pretty stickler of a boss on me then. If I precision driving event, and the organization learned that if you’re going to have a voice,
was late, he would dock my pay. He made me of volunteers is well-suited to someone who you better have a seat at the table. You
clock in and out,” she says. “There’s no boss’s admits to being a little OCD. definitely need to be involved in politics if you
daughter type of thing,” she says with a laugh. want your voice heard,” Newman says.
A few more sporadic short-term
As the business grew, Newman added volunteer opportunities followed and turned Having his voice heard included speaking
trucks and people. Keith Briggs moved from into a request to join the officer track of the with legislators and making trips to the
full-time driving to dispatching, and Newman LMTA. Newman initially declined. When capitol, including participating in a big rig
began to think about how to contribute to he was approached to become the 2nd vice rally at the Louisiana State Capitol. He counts
trucking on a bigger scale, which for him president of the LMTA a year later, he’d given his most significant fights in the political arena
meant becoming more active in the LMTA. it more thought. as those against lawyers advertising to sue
truckers that later contributed to success with
“In the latter years, once I got away His thinking went something like this— tort reform. Newman says, “We made steps
from being the everything—from being the “I’m a Louisiana trucker. This organization towards tort reform, which in the long run is
mechanic, the dispatcher, the bill payer, janitor, represents trucking. This is what I do for a going to help lower our insurance premiums.”
the truck driver Once we hired people and living, and I don’t plan on going anywhere
put people in positions to take some of those else. The commitment they wanted me to He’s finished his four years in the LMTA
duties, it took a lot of stress out of myself.” make was a four-year commitment of going board leadership feeling good about the
from 2nd VP to 1st VP, to President, to direction the organization is headed with
BEING INVOLVED Chairman of the Board”—so he agreed. Renee Amar at the helm. “You need a
“Once we got people in position to where business-minded person, and you need a
He agreed, not knowing those four years political-minded person,” Newman says.
I had a little more time, I called the LMTA would include the departure of a long-time “Renee has a good 50/50 split on the
office and I let ‘em know, I do have time on my executive director, two separate searches for a management/political side. She’s doing a real
hands, and I want to participate.” new ED, a number of serious weather events, good job.”
including an ice storm, and a global pandemic.
The LMTA was quick to reply with a In the midst of all that, he got involved with CONTINUES 
request that Newman be responsible for political aspects of the trucking industry.
gathering volunteers to help judge at a state

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The admiration is mutual. LMTA’s membership and the trucking industry in mind,” Bigott says about returning to the
Executive Director, Renee Amar says, “I’ve general. He’s passionate about advocating for company her father built.
only known David since late 2020. I met the industry and ensuring that the barriers
him because he was the Board Chair for that truckers face are broken down like high Upon returning from Dallas, Bigott
LMTA after I was hired. David is the go-to insurance rates. He’s fair minded and as a implemented the software system still being
guy in the trucking industry. He’s extremely leader during tough and tumultuous times, used for driver dispatch. She’s worked in
knowledgeable and well-liked by the all of these are the characteristics you need to accounts receivable and billing, manages some
lead your organization out of the storm into of the human resources tasks like the employee
Pappillion brighter days.” health insurance and 401k programs. During
Trucking, Inc. the pandemic, she’s also been responsible for
WORKING WITH FAMILY the paperwork associated with the federal
Commercial trucking • End dump What Amar describes as being a go-to guy, Paycheck Protection Program.
Flatbed • TriAxle
Madison Newman Bigott describes as being a Bigott says her favorite aspects of the job
Chris Pappillion doer. When asked about traits she shares with involve interacting with the drivers. “I’d much
her father she says, “We’re doers. If something rather be doing the things that keep my drivers
[email protected] needs to be done, we just get it done.” The two happy, like the human resources side of it. It’s
(337) 794-6927 have worked together since Madison was old like a family around here. A lot of our drivers
Lake Charles, LA enough to help. have been with us a good while.”

facebook.com/pappilliontrucking The two have the ability to separate work The drivers and their families are important
|28 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 life from home life. Bigott says, “There are to Newman too. When asked about what he’s
times when we’ll have disagreements [at work] most proud of regarding building a business
and already have dinner plans. You have to from the ground up, he says, “My pride comes
have a unique, in a good way, relationship with in the growth of the business, running a safe
your parent, like the one I have with my dad, operation, and having 20 families relying on the
in order to be able to work for him, and then success of Newman Transport.”
leave this office, close the door, and 10 minutes
later, see him as the grandfather of your kid.” Newman isn’t the only business owner in
Newman describes it as, “flipping the switch the family. In 2018, Bigott launched Madison
between family and business.” Oil Company, a partner company to Newman
Transport, that specializes in delivering diesel
That relationship is a strong motivator for exhaust fluid (DEF). She says she was talking
Bigott who plans to take over the business one with her father one day and pointed out that
day. After graduating from LSU with a degree it seemed like DEF, the pollution control
in fashion merchandising, she left Louisiana technology that started making the news
to live in Dallas, thinking she might be able around 2010, was only going to become more
to put her degree to good use in one of the common. He responded by sending her articles
South’s largest metropolitan areas. It wasn’t about it occasionally, and they both kept an
long before she and the man who would eye on the commodity. Eventually Bigott’s
become her husband decided to return home interest turned into a business plan. She was
to Louisiana. “There was not a doubt in my pregnant with her first child when she founded
the company.

“I do feel a lot of pressure, especially being
a woman in a male-dominated industry.”
Bigott says, “I want to make my dad proud
when I take over and I want it to be up to his
standards are better, so he can be like, ‘Wow. I
started it, but you ran with it.’”

Newman says he and his daughter share
many traits like being highly organized, being
loving but stern, and being willing to take the
risk of a new venture. “Entrepreneurialship is in
our blood,” Newman says. He recalls his father
owning multiple businesses. None of his father’s
ventures were trucking businesses, but trucking
is in Newman’s blood now.

STILL DRIVING
David Newman is his daughter’s boss in one

company and his daughter’s driver in the other.
He and Operations Manager Keith Briggs still
drive for Newman Transport. Partly because it
allows them to provide uninterrupted service
to their customers when one of their regular

WWW.LMTA.LA

drivers calls in sick. But it also allows Newman We are a wholesale distributor of Diesel
to stay in touch with the needs of his drivers Exhaust Fluid (DEF). Madison Oil Company
and to see things from their perspective. It helps
to understand issues from the driver’s point of provides clean and compliant DEF at
view as well as the manager’s. a competitive price for fleet, retail and
commercial applications. Please message or
“I tell all my new hires, ‘When you come call for more details at (985) 863-8145.
to work for Newman Transport—I’m a driver.
I came from truck driving, and our operations “Your DEF Supplier” (985) 863-8145
manager is the same’.” Newman says, “We |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 29
know what they’re up against in the field and CUT YOUR
that helps us run our business tremendously. DEF COSTS
I love trucks. If I didn’t love a truck and if I IN HALF!
wasn’t able to drive a truck, I wouldn’t want to
be in the trucking business.” Bulk storage options
available through 55
Newman is no longer formally in the gallon drums, totes
leadership of the LMTA, but he doesn’t and hand or electric
need the formal commitment to continue pumps are available.
advocating for the industry and the
organization. He says membership in the Madison N. Bigott
LMTA is the best bang for a trucker or David Newman
carrier’s buck. It provides them with a strong
network of industry professionals and gives
them the connections they need for everyone
from the state police to the department of
motor vehicles. Newman Transport and
Madison Oil Company are just two of the
family-owned trucking businesses in the state,
and the LMTA is like the extended family for
all of them.

WWW.LMTA.LA

Putting the Smackdown
on Smashers

First conviction under new Louisiana statute shows it
could be a powerful deterrent to staged accidents

BY ERIC J. FRANCIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Randy Guillot knew there was a problem It was a bit like tipping a domino. Now, means instead of waiting until after paying
in New Orleans with staged accidents – working with information from motor carriers, out an insurance claim and seeking redress,
“smashers” who would deliberately collide the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. transportation companies and others can
their cars with tractor-trailer rigs in a bid to attorneys have been actively investigating present evidence of a staged accident to state
collect a fraudulent insurance settlement – staged accidents in what’s known as Operation police for investigation and possible charges.
and he figured it wasn’t a problem limited to Sideswipe, and have more than 30 indictments
the Crescent City. So he decided to ask some so far. Guillot said he’s pleased to see the law,
friends about it. which he said originated within the state bar
Including six from a single accident because plaintiff’s attorneys were seeking
As it happens, his friends were in a position involving one of Triple G’s trucks. to reign in unscrupulous lawyers who were
to know. You see, Guillot is not only president allegedly collaborating with the accident stagers
and owner of Triple G Express in Jefferson, “I’ve got a lot of experience with what in the hopes of a big payout.
he’s also the immediate past chairman of the we believe to be several staged accidents, but
American Trucking Associations. I have one that is documented,” said Guillot, “We’re glad to see it pushed through the
“including an attorney who’s pleaded guilty on Louisiana legislature, and that there are now
“I went to an ATA meeting with the my case.” penalties,” Guillot said. “Quite frankly, I think
largest of the large LTL carriers and truckload the penalties are way too low, but something is
carriers,” said Guillot, “and I presented to them That attorney, Danny Patrick Keating Jr. of better than nothing.”
as a sidebar that I have a problem in New New Orleans, pleaded guilty earlier this year in
Orleans and needed help, that I didn’t know federal court to conspiracy to commit mail and Under the state law, someone convicted
how to deal with this. wire fraud, and faces up to five years in prison of conspiring to stage an accident faces
and a fine of up to $250,000. up to five years in prison and a fine of up
“In fact,” he said, “every person in the to $5,000.
room – in senior-level positions of those motor That’s a good result, and future
carriers – knew not only of the problem in prosecutions may be easier to pursue thanks to The incident involving the Triple G truck
New Orleans, but were aware their own motor a new criminal statute enacted by the Louisiana was prosecuted federally, before the state law
carriers were involved in staged accidents.” legislature this year. It establishes a state-level was in place, and the reason it rose to that
conspiracy charge for staging accidents, which level was almost one of luck.
|30 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021
WWW.LMTA.LA

“In my case, it was a Louisiana-owned company’s lawyer Doug Williams and its can go to the police with now and hopefully get
motor carrier, a Louisiana driver, a Louisiana insurance adjuster. them to investigate at an earlier phase.”
truck, and Louisiana plaintiffs,” said Guillot.
“We subpoenaed phone records and This shifts a substantial burden away
But his insurance carrier? Based outside of actually were able to prove the person who did from truckers and trucking companies.
Louisiana… which made it the purview of the slamming called three different attorneys’ Previously, they would have to go to the
the feds. cell phones prior to the accident happening,” prosecutor or the U.S. Attorney’s office and
Guillot said. ask to show them the evidence you had
“The only reason we got the FBI on developed with the hope it would prompt
this case is because the plaintiffs called our The prosecution of smashers is attracting a prosecution. Now, though, with a specific
insurance people, who are five states over and a fair amount of attention. In January, criminal statute that can be violated, it will be
that made it interstate,” he said. “Can you FreightWaves.com reported on the 21-month possible to file a report with the police when
believe we had to go through all this to get federal prison sentence of Mario Solomon, a suspected staged accident happens.
somebody to look at it?” a spotter in one incident. In a May article,
Transport Topics noted “a more than three-year And while the federal courts have been
The incident happened to one of Triple G’s FBI investigation into more than 100 staged handing out significant sentences when
drivers in New Orleans. Guillot said the video accidents in the New Orleans area. So far, the convictions are obtained in these cases, Williams
from the truck’s forward-facing camera shows investigation has resulted in the indictment of said the penalties provided for in the Louisiana
the driver was crossing a bridge and moved left 33 individuals who have participated in the statute are significant and provide a new layer of
into the middle lane because two vehicles were staged crashes, mostly crashing into trucks.” disincentives for prospective perpetrators.
stopped ahead of him at the top of the span. And in June, Insurance Journal took note of the
growing number of guilty pleas being entered “The interesting thing is there’s an
Triple G Express hauls shipping containers with the U.S Attorney’s office in Louisiana for aggravated component for death or serious
so doesn’t own the trailers and can’t equip them staged crashes. bodily injury,” he noted.
with rear-facing cameras. But in this case, they
got a break: A mechanic’s shop on the corner Doug Williams, who in addition to That raises the penalties to a maximum
had a camera and caught the rest of the incident. representing Triple G Express is also general fine of $15,000 and between five and 30 years
counsel for the LMTA, said the ability to bring in prison. And that brings the potential for a
“There were multiple people around both state charges before a fraudulent insurance little bit of irony into the situation, because it
vehicles, you can see them talking amongst claim is paid out has created a new enforcement encompasses injuries to anyone involved, not
themselves,” said Guillot. “They get in the car option with some teeth in it. just the truck driver or bystanders.
as our truck passes and proceeds to get back
into the right lane because he was going to “Probably the biggest thing it does is give a “If a defendant stages one of these accidents
make a right-hand turn on the downslope of mechanism for law enforcement to investigate and then is injured and goes into surgery,”
the bridge.” early on,” said Williams. “Part of the problem noted Williams, “they may be facing a harsher
was, when there have been fraudulent claims sentence by their own actions. It’s interesting
As the truck passed, one of the cars made in the past, both the state police and the – the harder they push for more money,
purposefully ran into the back of it. Department of Insurance have been reluctant potentially they’re facing greater penalties.
to get involved, particularly if no payments
“We were able to get views of both have been made to the claimant. This statute “We hope that the passage of this bill will
sides [of the accident] from the videos and creates the crime based on the intent to obtain serve as a deterrent,” he said. “And if not, will
that’s what started us knowing we were something of value, so you have something you serve as a greater punishment for people who
involved in that particular accident as a staged engage in this behavior. Quite frankly, only time
accident,” he said, and they sought prosecution will tell.”
with the phenomenal assistance from the

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 31

6,000

READERS STRONG

LMTA’s Open Road reaches more than 6,000 leaders in transportation throughout Louisiana
and beyond. at makes advertising in Open Road an excellent business decision.

If you want to reach this highly targeted and in uential group of industry decision-
makers and ask them to consider purchasing your products or services, then you’ll want

to place an ad in every edition of Open Road.
Please contact our publisher, Jennifer Matthews, at [email protected]

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|32 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

Ahead of the Curve

Louisiana has created a dedicated funding source for
improving its deteriorating infrastructure, complementing

the $1 trillion federal bill approved in November.

BY ERIC J. FRANCIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When the Hernando de Soto Bridge, which That just might be American None too soon. The top-priority projects
carries Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River infrastructure in a nutshell: A problem in one in the state are not small potatoes.
at Memphis, was shut down for several months place can have repercussions two states (or
this summer after a break was found in one of more) away. But with a massive $1 trillion “Things you heard people talking about
its support beams, it didn’t just impact traffic federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs with the bill are the megaprojects: A new
crossing between Tennessee and Arkansas. Act approved by Congress and signed into Baton Rouge bridge, replacing the Calcasieu
law by President Joe Biden, the state of River Bridge, and completing I-49 South,”
Nearly 500 miles away via Interstates 55 Louisiana hopes to get a long-delayed jump Baugh said. “Those were three of the six or
and 10, FreedomTrucks in Lake Charles also on its own infrastructure needs. With the seven projects prioritized in the bill, and a
had to deal with it. signature of Gov. John Bel Edwards Act 486 portion of that is allowed to be bonded so
will start redirecting motor vehicle sales tax those projects can move forward.”
“We have a dedicated run to Calvert City, revenue from the state’s general fund into
Kentucky,” said Brad Nelson, president of a dedicated infrastructure fund, eventually To that end, the bill sets limits on how
FreedomTrucks and a 60-year veteran of the putting $300 million per year toward the much of the revenue can be dedicated to
Louisiana trucking industry. “That run takes state’s roads, bridges, and other needs. bond debt retirement and additional capacity
ten-and-a-half or 11 hours. The delays on the projects, while at the same time requiring a
bridge were causing us to spend an extra night “The statewide infrastructure bill, that is minimum to be set aside for preservation and
on the run. They were just shy like 30 minutes a move that has been needed by the business maintenance of existing infrastructure.
of getting there.” community for years,” said Terry Baugh, CFO
of D&J Construction Co. An asphalt highway It will take several years for the full
Even though Nelson’s drivers didn’t have to contractor with a ready-mix concrete division, impact of the bill to be felt, Baugh explained,
actually cross the de Soto Bridge, the backups D&J does all its own trucking and is a member because state government needs time to
caused by routing all of its traffic – and that’s of LMTA.“There’s been no substantial, adjust to the shifting of revenue from
almost 40,000 vehicles per day – to the I-55 sustainable, recurring investment in infrastructure the general fund, as well as for obligated
river bridge to the south meant anyone driving in the state of Louisiana in over 30 years.”
through metro Memphis was caught up in the CONTINUES 
traffic jams.

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 33

expenses over the next several years. Even All told, Louisiana could expect to see about $75 billion a year due to congestion,
once the shift is complete, it won’t cover all some $6 billion in investment from the due to the additional labor and fuel costs,
of Louisiana’s infrastructure needs. federal bill over its five-year plan. Baugh various operating costs, said Roth. “Most
has heard that it could mean an increase of of that congestion occurs at bottlenecks on
Take the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake $200-300 million in federal highway funds major highways, primarily the interstate
Charles, which Baugh said was probably the for Louisiana in the first year. system. Obviously those costs are mostly
No. 1 priority. It’s the home bridge, so to passed on to customers, who then pass them
speak, for Brad Nelson and FreedomTrucks, “The good news is that’s a true increase, on to consumers.”
an essential connector between their terminal not a bunch of expanded programs but a
and clients in Westlake and Sulphur. And true increase in revenue for foundational But there are also less quantifiable, if
much like Memphis it’s not the only river infrastructure in the state,” he said. “It’s a huge more literal, impacts.
crossing in town: There’s also the I-210 injection, job creation, economic investment.”
bridge, which adds an extra 10 miles to “We don’t know what the cost is of
the trip. Darrin Roth, vice present of highway rough roads, for example,” Roth said. “When
policy for the American Trucking you hit a pothole, you lose a tire, you wear
“If there’s no traffic, there’s a very Associations, agrees the federal bill could down parts of the vehicle suspension. We
marginal effect,” he said. “But about two result in significant improvements. don’t have a good handle on those costs, but
years ago they did some work on the I-10 they’re probably extensive.”
bridge and shut it down to one lane. During “We have been lobbying extensively for
that time there was a standstill – sometimes it several years to push Congress to make this The federal infrastructure bill isn’t
would take two hours to get across the kind of investment in the highway system,” perfect, he noted. There are provisions the
I-210 bridge.” said Roth. industry lobbied for that aren’t included in
the present version, like a dedicated item for
Replacing the Calcasieu River Bridge He said the condition of roads and bridges truck parking.
is anticipated to cost about $1 billion, in America can make this feel like “a first-world
and Nelson said the state has about $200 country operating on third-world infrastructure “There was a $1 billion truck parking
million available. – that’s just unacceptable.” And while the costs grant program in the House bill but not in
to businesses, particularly transportation, are the Senate bill,” said Roth. “That’s important
“[The state] is looking for ways to fund undeniable, they’re very hard to measure. to the trucking industry. When surveys are
the remaining $800 million,” he said, “and conducted of truck drivers, that’s always at
the new [federal] infrastructure bill can “We do know – and this is based on the top of the list of their concerns.”
provide funds for this.” American Transportation Research Institute
studies – the transportation industry loses Another issue the ATA hoped would

|34 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

be addressed is eliminating the 12 percent “That’s a very positive step,” he ongoing funding has been addressed
federal excise tax on trucking equipment, said. “That, by itself, should increase the through Act 486 and the redirection of
which he said creates a disincentive for money that’s actually available for vehicle sales tax revenue, starting with
carriers to buy the safest, cleanest new highway projects.” 30 percent of total revenue in the fiscal year
equipment, Roth said. Unfortunately, that that begins July 2023, then 60 percent the
provision also did not make it into the final One downside that has to be reckoned next fiscal year, and the full amount after
version of the bill. with is the time limit: The $1 trillion will be that point.
spread across five years, after which a new
So, what about the Calcasieu River infrastructure plan will have to be put While D&J Construction’s Baugh said
Bridge? Roth notes there’s $37 billion in the in place. the political processes that produced the
bill earmarked for bridges, and he specifically state infrastructure bill felt “crazy” from
called out the I-10 span as an example of “We’re likely to find ourselves in the same time to time, he had praise for the legislators
where that money might go. hole in five years, unfortunately.” said Roth. who saw it through – particularly Sen.
“One of the things this bill does not do is Rick Ward and Rep Tanner Magee, who
“That’s a very expensive project, and the create an ongoing funding source.” “championed this and worked their tails
discussion right now is around tolling of that off” to find the needed majorities in their
bridge to help pay for it,” he said. “Hopefully, User fees will cover the bulk of the respective chambers.
with this new infusion of money for bridges, programming for the federal Infrastructure
the state can avoid using tolls to pay for it.” Investment and Jobs Act, he said. But since “This particular effort started last
2008, the Highway Trust Fund – where all October and the legislature stayed engaged in
That would sit well with FreedomTrucks, the user fees go for disbursement – has been a bipartisan, bicameral way until 25 minutes
said Nelson, who estimated it would cost bringing in less money than is necessary to before the session adjourned, to ensure that
his company $20,000 to $30,000 per year maintain the fund. a new, sustainable, meaningful investment in
if the new bridge was tolled, given the infrastructure in the state of Louisiana was
number of customers they have across the “Every few years, the federal passed,” he said.
Calcasieu River – and that’s a competitive government has to step in and bail out the
advantage for trucking companies to the west Highway Trust Fund and provide it with And the fact that it dovetails so well
of Lake Charles. general fund money,” Roth said. “We have with the federal bill wasn’t lost on the state’s
been advocating a 20-cent fuel tax increase congressional delegation either. Sen. Bill
“If we have a load, we can charge a toll to to help address that shortfall in the long Cassidy, M.D., said in a statement the federal
our customers,” he said, “but if we’re empty term. Even though there are uncertainties act was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for
we can’t charge that back to them. Those of about how much longer the fuel tax will making improvements to the state’s physical
us who decided to put our businesses in Lake be viable, we think it’s fairly clear it’s good infrastructure and creating more jobs in
Charles are now going to be penalized if for at least the next 10 years and probably the process.
that occurs.” beyond that.
“In Louisiana, we know all too well
Back on the positive side, Roth said one “Without something like that, every few about traffic congestion, crumbling bridges,
of the significant features of the federal bill years you’re going to have a funding crisis and flooded streets,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This
is how it will streamline the environmental and that crisis gets worse and worse,” he said. will be huge for your everyday commute
review process – not by eliminating any of “How to address that in the future is the and our truckers moving goods throughout
the environmental protections, but by placing big question.” our state.”
a two-year cap on the review process.
At the state level, at least, the question of |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 35
WWW.LMTA.LA

2021 LMTA
Annual Convention
Keep on Truckin' - This year's
convention was hosted July 22-25 at

the Hilton Pensacola Beach

BY ALLISON STRAHAN
MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK DENNIS

LMTA 2021 Annual Convention kicked presented the latest research and trends aimed The 2021 Annual Convention closed
off Thursday, July 22 with the annual Bill to influence the industry in the coming year. out with the customary Officer Installation
Clark Memorial Golf Tournament at The Club Quintin Taylor with the Louisiana Community Banquet, which was slightly altered this year
at Hidden Creek in Navarre, Fla. Thursday College and Technical College System (LCTCS) to accommodate the Trucking Safety Awards.
evening the LMTA greeted convention attendees followed with programming on closing the These awards, including the Fleet Safety
and their families with a poolside welcome industry’s workforce gap and driver shortage. Awards, Louisiana Truck Driver of the Year,
reception at the Hilton Pensacola Beach, held Harold Sumerford, incoming Board President Louisiana Safety Professional of the Year,
just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. Families for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Louisiana Weights and Standards Officer of
enjoyed food and drink while joining in yard then shared his story and emphasizing the the Year and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
games, dancing, and face painting. Guests were importance of cybersecurity for businesses Trooper of the Year are traditionally presented
also entertained by a custom photobooth, DJ today. Friday’s programming closed out with at Louisiana Truck Driving Championships,
and balloon and character artists – all ending the “Class Pays & Plays” cocktail reception, which were cancelled due to the COVID-19
with a beautiful sunset. followed by the member-hosted hospitality suite. pandemic. This year the LMTA recognized
the 2020 and 2021 winners of the Fleet Safety
DOTD Sectary Shawn Wilson kicked Saturday’s session started with ATA Awards, presented by Great West Casualty
off Friday’s convention programming with President and CEO Chris Spear giving an Company, as well as the 2020 and 2021
his “Updates & Movements for Our State’s energetic update to issues in Washington, D.C., Louisiana Safety Professionals of the Year and
DOTD” session outlining the latest trends and the importance of political involvement on the 2021 Truck Driver of the Year. Louisiana
concerning the department. Sec. Wilson both the state and national level. Spear, who State Police Troopers honored for Louisiana
also took questions from members starting received a standing ovation, was followed by the Weights and Standards Officer of the Year and
an impromptu panel and discussion on Legislative Session Wrap Up Panel moderated Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Trooper of
infrastructure. Jay Connaughton with by General Counsel Doug Williams. This panel the Year were also awarded and received a
Innovative Media followed giving a first look included Sen. Heather Cloud, Sen. Mike Reese, standing ovation for their continued service to
at the LMTA Foundation’s public image Sen. Pat McMath and Rep. Ken Brass as they the community. A full list of those recognized
campaign. Jay shared research on the public’s reviewed the past year’s legislative session, and can be seen below. The banquet concluded with
perception on the trucking industry as well as it’s impacts on the business communities. After the swearing in of the 2021-2022 Officer of the
artwork and video from the new campaign. a short break, the LMTA led their annual Board Board, elected by the association’s membership.
Attendees were then treated to a bloody mary of Director’s and Political Action Committee Guests were then invited to the dessert reception
& mimosa break, visiting with other members, meetings, reviewing funding and event plans and live music, hosted by President Karl Mears.
guests, and speakers. After the break, Rebecca through the end of the year. The new officers The night ended with great conversation, food,
Brewster President and COO of the American of the board were also formally elected to be drinks and dancing.
Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) sworn in at that night’s banquet.

SEC. SHAWN WILSON OPENS CONVENTION SPECIAL GUEST AND ATA CEO CHRIS SPEAR GIVES THE JAY CONNAUGHTON OF INNOVATIVE MEDIA SHARES
PROGRAMMING WITH HIS “UPDATES & MOVEMENTS CONVENTION KEYNOTE SATURDAY MORNING WITH A FIRST LOOK AT LMTA FOUNDATION’S PUBLIC IMAGE
FOR LADOTD” FRIDAY MORNING. TRUCKING INDUSTRY’S IMPACT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. CAMPAIGN ON TRUCKING.

|36 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

2021-22 LMTA 2ND VICE PRESIDENT NATALY MADDEN AND FATHER
KARY BRYCE (PREFERRED MATERIALS) BRING BABY BANKS TO HIS
FIRST LMTA CONVENTION.

ATTENDEES END FRIDAY NIGHT’S EVENTS AT THE HOSPITALITY SUITE. SATURDAY, JULY 24

LMTA OFFICERS TIM ORDOYNE, DAVID NEWMAN, CULLY FRISARD AND
KARL MEARS STAKE THEIR CLAIM ON REMAINING RAFFLE TICKETS.

MEMBERS ENJOY FRIDAY EVENING’S “CLASS PAYS & PLAYS” COCKTAIL RECEPTION.

REP. KEN BRASS, SEN. HEATHER CLOUD SEN PAT MCMATH AND SEN.
MIKE REESE, JOIN LMTA’S DOUG WILLIAMS FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE
SESSION WRAP-UP PANEL.

REP. KEN BRASS, SEN. HEATHER CLOUD, SEN. PAT MCMATH AND SEN. MIKE REESE, JOIN
LMTA’S DOUG WILLIAMS FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAP-UP PANEL.

EXEC. DIRECTOR RENEE AMAR, 2020 CHAIRMAN DAVID NEWMAN, |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 37
2021 CHAIRMAN TODD RUPLE AND PRESIDENT KARL MEARS LEAD
LMTA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS.

WWW.LMTA.LA

CHAIRMAN 2021-2022 LMTA BOARD PRESIDENT 1ST VICE PRESIDENT
PREFERRED MATERIALS, INC. RAZORBACK RENTALS, LLC FRISARD COMPANIES
TODD RUPLE KARL MEARS CULLY FRISARD

2ND VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE SECRETARY
PREFERRED MATERIALS MCGRIFF INSURANCE ROADRUNNER TOWING & RECOVERY
NATALY MADDEN MIKE BECK JUDY SMART

TREASURER ATA VICE PRESIDENT ATA VICE PRESIDENT – ALT
HIGGINBOTHAM INSURANCE FREEDOMTRUCKS OF AMERICA BENGAL TRANSPORT SERVICES, LLC, JOHN
MIKE KNOTTS BRAD NELSON AUSTIN

|38 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

2020-2021 LMTA OFFICERS (L TO R): CHAIRMAN DAVID NEWMAN, PRESIDENT TODD 2020-2021 LMTA CHAIRMAN DAVID NEWMAN WAS RECOGNIZED A
RUPLE, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT KARL MEARS, 2ND VICE PRESIDENT CULLY FRISARD, ATA VICE COMMEMORATIVE GAVEL FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE ORGANIZATION.
PRESIDENT NATALY MADDEN, SECRETARY JUDY SMART, ATA VICE PRESIDENT - ALTERNATE
BRAD NELSON AND VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE MIKE BECK. NOT PICTURED: TREASURER,
MIKE KNOTTS

KEITH AYERS, TIM ABSHIRE AND SCOTT EHRLICHER (CRANEWORKS) BLAKE & MICHELLE LOUVIERE WITH SHONTEL & CHRIS PAPPILLION (PAPPILLION TRUCKING).

MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM NEWMAN TRANSPORTATION AND SEVENOAKS CAPITAL DOUG WILLIAMS (BREAZEALE, SACHE & WILSON LLP) WITH SANDY &
ENJOY THE POOLSIDE RECEPTION THURSDAY. BEN HOGAN (DEDICATED TRANSPORTATION)

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 39

THE 2021 LMTA ANNUAL CONVENTION ENDS WITH THE DESSERT RECEPTION
FEATURING A LIVE BAND AND DANCING!

TODD RUPLE AND JOHN AUSTIN SHARE A TENDER DANCE.

|40 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 ATTENDEES AND THEIR FAMILIES GET TREATED AT THE WELCOME RECEPTION
ICE CREAM BAR.

WWW.LMTA.LA

2021 Louisiana Trucking
Safety Awards Winners

LMTA PROFESSIONALS OF THE YEAR
Presented By The Louisiana Trucking Research & Education Council (LaTREC)

Photography by Patrick Dennis

2021 TRUCK DRIVER 2020 SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
OF THE YEAR OF THE YEAR

James R. Child Brian Koretzky
C&S Wholesale Services C&S Wholesale Services

2021 SAFETY PROFESSIONAL 2021 LOUISIANA WEIGHTS AND 2021 COMMERICAL VEHICLE
OF THE YEAR STANDARDS OFFICER OF THE YEAR ENFORCEMENT (CVE) TROOPER

OF THE YEAR

Brandi Brown Sgt. Gary Vidrine Master Trooper
A&B Group, Inc. Brent Dufrene

2020 PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2021 PRESIDENT’S AWARD

O’Neal Gas FreedomTrucks of America

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 41

2020 MOST IMPROVED 2021 MOST IMPROVED

Walmart Transportation, LLC FreedomTrucks
of America

Under 1,000,000 miles Under 1,000,000 miles Under 1,000,000 miles
HOUSEHOLD GOODS TANK/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TANK/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

1st Place American Moving 1st Place FreedomTrucks 2nd Place O'Neal Gas, Inc.
& Storage of America

Under 1,000,000 miles Under 1,000,000 miles
TANK/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS HEAVY HAULERS

3rd Place Basic Chemical 1st Place RedGuard, LLC.
Company, LLC
WWW.LMTA.LA
|42 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021

1,000,001 – 3,000,000 miles: 1,000,001 – 3,000,000 miles:
TANK/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: GENERAL COMMODITIES:

1st Place Groendyke Transport, Inc. 1st Place ABF Freight

6,000,001 – 9,000,000 miles: 9,000,001 – 12,000,000 miles: 9,000,001 – 12,000,000 miles:
TANK/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: GENERAL COMMODITIES: GENERAL COMMODITIES:

1st Place Dupré 1st Place C&S Wholesale 2nd Place Dupré
Logistics, LLC Services Logistics, LLC Logistics, LLC

9,000,001 – 12,000,000 miles: 12,000,001 – 20,000,000 miles:
GENERAL COMMODITIES: GENERAL COMMODITIES:

3rd Place AAA Cooper Transportation 1st Place Walmart
Transportation, LLC
(NO PICTURE)
|OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 43
WWW.LMTA.LA

Getting Down to Brass Tacks...

Enjoy a little lagniappe of services, products and
noteworthy news from your Open Road advertisers.

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receiving weigh station bypass notifications and green lights, saving truck travels at highway speed. 
them more time and money than ever before. The PrePass application
is now available on Omnitracs One enabled devices and through the As a bundled service, the PrePass app works seamlessly with
Geotab Marketplace, where it can be used with the Geotab Drive app. an optional transponder to support electronic toll payment and
management services. PrePass customers also receive access to
INFORM truck fleet software. This easy-to-use software helps fleet
owners and managers analyze bypass and toll activity to spot trends,
mitigate safety and toll fraud risks, and provide new insights into their
operations.

For more information as to how PrePass can save you time and
money go to www.PrePass.com or call 1-800-773-7277 – Opt. 2.

|44 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 WWW.LMTA.LA

PERKINS & ASSOCIATES, LLC You can choose the people you’d like to
send the information to, and they will be able
Perkins & Associates has a tool that to access it all within minutes. 

could be of benefit to you in the event of It features user-friendly, intuitive buttons
and dropdown menus that allow you to
the unexpected. Our team recently created a access the information you need quickly.

password-protected rapid response form that This tool is not for marketing purposes or
anything of that sort--and we don’t receive
M.COM/RAPID-RESPONSE helps you document major or catastrophic any of your information unless you opt to
accidents. Through the password-protected share it with us. It’s simply a resource we
feel could strongly benefit businesses in your
0 • Shreveport, LA 71101 • (318) 222-2of4of2rtmh6e, you’ll be able to pin-drop the location unique line of work.
accident, immediately download
 If you’d like to sign up for access to
photos, and preserve witness contact the form or have any questions, reply to
this email or reach out at your convenience
information. to [email protected]. We’re here
to help. www.perkinsfirm.com
Here’s a quick overview of the mobile-

friendly tool:

It’s designed specifically for professionals

in your industry to

facilitate the work of on-site field adjusters,

attorneys, or accident reconstruction experts. 

20M2ark1PeBrkinisll Clark Memorial
Golf Tournament WinnersPERKINSFIRM.COM/RAPID-RESPONSE

401 1MSTaPrLkAeCtE TSEtAreMet Suite 900 2•ND SPLhArCeEvTeEpAoMrt, LA 71101 • 3R(D3P1L8A)C2E2T2EA-2M426

Kevin Sinquefield Tim Ordoyne  Darrin Deflice
Todd Nagel Bennett Folse Bill Premeaux
Sam Allison Blake Ordoyne
Larry Daigle Randy Berard John Neal
Tim Abshire

WWW.LMTA.LA |OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 45

NEW LMTA MEMBERS ORPOEAND
ISSUE 2 2021
Atmosphere Enterprises, LLC
DBA Atmosphere Movers ADVERTISER
Mandeville, La. RESOURCE INDEX
Davis Hart Trucking LLC
LaPlace, La. American Transportation Research Institute
(ATRI)........................................................ 14
Penske Truck Leasing Company, LP
Harahan, La. Breazeale Sachse & Wilson....................... 13

March 4 - 5, 2022 DCLI.......................................................... 16
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Drivers Legal Plan..................................... 27
The TDC has a long history within the LMTA,
and was previously known as the Louisiana Truck Rodeo. Higginbotham Insurance
The TDC competitors are grouped into eight driving classes and ....................... Inside front cover, Back cover
include drivers throughout the state. During the TDC competition, each
driver has a chance to demonstrate his or her driving and inspection Kenworth of Louisiana................................ 3
skills, knowledge and professionalism through a series of tests.
Louisiana Attorney General’s PSA on Human
EACH DRIVER IS GRADED ON THREE TASKS: Trafficking................................................. 17
Written examination
Madison Oil.............................................. 29
Pre-trip inspection test
Driving skills test Open Road................................................ 32

Call LMTA for more details and to learn how you may participate by Pappillion Trucking................................... 28
becoming a competitor, a sponsor, a volunteer or a spectator!
(225) 928-5682 Perkins & Associates.......... Inside back cover

|46 OPEN ROAD ISSUE 2 2021 Peterbilt of Louisiana................................ 10

PrePass Safety Alliance............................. 19

Roadrunner Towing.................................... 6

South Louisiana Community College....... 18

Southern States Utility Trailer..................... 4

Southern Tire Mart.................................... 15

This publication was made possible with
the support of these corporate advertisers.
They support the trucking industry by
enabling Open Road to provide this
publication to its members, prospective
members, elected officials and the
business community at large.
They deserve your consideration and
patronage when making your corporate
purchasing decisions.
Please visit www.lmta.la to see the
digital version of Open Road with live
links to advertisers’ websites.

WWW.LMTA.LA

RAPID RESPONSE
TO CATASTROPHIC INCIDENTS
PERKINSFIRM.COM/RAPID-RESPONSE

Mark Perkins
401 Market Street Suite 900 • Shreveport, LA 71101 • (318) 222-2426

You Lead,
We Follow

I’m Tiffany McCarty, member of a team of 20 insurance
experts led by Mike Knotts who have been helping motor
transport companies navigate their employee benefits
for 25 years. And now that we’ve joined Higginbotham,
the 21st largest independent insurance firm in the U.S.,
we have even more power under our hood. Together,
our approach is more individual and less institutional.
We get to know your operation and map out a custom,
cost-conscious employee benefits and HR services plan
that drives home compliance and employee satisfaction.
Long Term LMTA Sponsor and Member

Business Insurance
Employee Benefits
Retirement Plans
Executive Benefits
Life Insurance
Home & Auto
Risk Management
Benefit Administration
HR Services
Group Captives Insurance

2250 Hospital Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111
www.higginbotham.net | (318) 524-3501