Revisit the 10 most read stories on Truckers News in 2016

Darrell Ward

Truckers News covered regulations, Ice Road Truckers, accidents and many other news stories in 2016. Out of the hundreds of stories we published in 2016, these 10 were the most read by our readers.

1. Ice Road Truckers: The Death of Darrel Ward and more

Ice Road Truckers was a hot topic on Truckers News this year. From the death of star Darrell Ward to an exclusive interview at the Great American Trucking Show with Lisa Kelly, we covered all of IRT. Plus, don’t forget that IRT added a new face this year, Steph Custance. Hear our podcast interviews with Todd Dewey and read our complete Ice Road Truckers coverage here.

2. The 34-hour restart fix

A bill was passed in December that approved legislation to fund government operations through April and simultaneously included a provision to fix the hours-of-service restart. The fix was necessary because Congress had previously put the 34-hour restart at risk of being removed from federal hours of service regulations. Read the full story here

3. Truck driver sacrifices his safety to save others at accident scene

Truck driver Richard Hughes, 53, intentionally crashed his truck on May 23 so he could avoid hitting people standing around an accident scene in Tulsa. He was trapped in his cab for two hours after the crash and sustained a broken leg. Read the full story here.

4. The 10 Best Rest Stops in the U.S.

Rest stops and truckstops are home away from home for truckers. Mental Floss, a print magazine and website, compiled a list it called “The 10 Best Rest Stops in the U.S.” Do you agree with their list? Read the full story here.

5. Part of I-75 in Tennessee closed by ”slopeslide”

A “slopeslide” in Tennesee in February shut down part of I-75. At the time, Mark Nagi, Tennessee Department of Transportation community relations officer for Region 1, said truckers “should be prepared to use detours/alternate routes for weeks to come.” The “slopeslide” occurred near mile marker 141.5 in Campbell County, 30 miles from the Kentucky border. Read the full story here.

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6. Body of driver found in flooded truck near Houston identified 

The body of a truck driver was found in his flooded truck on Sam Houston Parkway near Houston in April, during the historic rainfall that flooded much of the that city’s metropolitan area. The driver was later identified as 60-year-old Pedro Rascon Morales. Read the full story here.

7. Numerous trucks involved in massive I-90 pileup

A pileup of more than 50 vehicles, including as many as a dozen tractor-trailers, shut down part of I-90 near Painsville, Ohio earlier this month. Snow and icy road conditions were blamed for the pileup. Read the full story here.

8. Driver shot and killed by another trucker in Florida

A trucker shot and killed another driver May 7 on I-10 in Jacksonville, Florida. Authorities were on the hunt for the shooter after finding the victim dead at the wheel; he had crashed his truck into the woods on I-10 after being shot. The incident was believed to have been the result of a road rage incident that escalated. Read the full story here.

9. Federal court upholds ELD mandate unanimously

A federal court unanimously upheld a rule requiring truckers to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record their duty status, instead of paper logs. The rule was upheld on Oct. 31 and means most trucks must have ELD devices by Dec. 18 of 2017. The decision does not change the rule’s exemption for pre-2000 year-model trucks, which are allowed to operate without an ELD. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association asked in December that the court rehear its case against the mandate. Read the full story here.

10. 3 trends changing how truck drivers are paid

Truck driver pay is always a big topic each year and 2016 was no different. Beth Carroll, the managing principal of the Prosperio Group, a nationwide compensation consulting organization with particular expertise in trucking, spoke at the Truckload Carriers Association’s 78th annual convention in March about three trends that are impacting driver pay. Read the full story here.