Hand-Held Phones Banned

Beginning January 1, it will be illegal for truck and bus drivers to use handheld devices while driving. Doing so – and getting caught – means big fines and license suspension. It also means fines for the trucking company employing the driver.

The joint rule by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is the latest move by the Department of Transportation to ban driver distraction and the potential safety risk from activities that detract from a driver’s ability to recognize potential accidents and respond promptly to avoid them.

The rule allows driver penalties of up to $2,750 for the first offense. A subsequent offence calls for commercial driver license suspension for 60 days, so drivers have to be very conscious of the high costs of using any handheld device – a cell phone in particular  – from the start of the new year.

A NASCAR win for Alliance Truck Parts

The Alliance Truck Parts brand continues to expand, with new products in the mix and an expanded NASCAR race season for car #12, driven by Sam Hornish Jr.

The Alliance announcements were made at a press conference in Miami, shortly before the NASCAR season’s closing races for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series Championships. The Saturday race saw Hornish finish in a very creditable seventh place, working his way through the field from a starting position at 13^th in the 300-lap race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.