Ol’
Blue,® USA’s
“One Spot”
Links from its Safety
Info Center
Confused about the new
Hours of Service (HOS)
rules starting January
4, 2004? Not sure how
they will change the way
you drive? Looking for
some answers without wading
through the entire federal
regs?
With the assistance of
the Nebraska State Patrol,
the Ol’ Blue, USA®
Web site now provides
an easy-to-use, straightforward
presentation of the new
HOS rules, complete with
sample logbook pages at
www.cdlSafety.org.
The 35-page Flash presentation
on the HOS changes was
compiled by the Nebraska
State Patrol from its
own and from federal sources,
and made available to
Ol’ Blue, USA. With
the assistance of Sgt.
Jim Brokaw and with the
permission of Col. Tom
Nesbitt from the Nebraska
State Patrol (NSP) and
FMCSA, the Ol’ Blue,
USA Web site now provides
an easy-to-use, straightforward
presentation of the new
rules, complete with sample
logbook pages. The slideshow
loads fast and is easy
to navigate. It’s
also easy to update –
and this could become
a concern as the Jan.
4, 2004, kickoff date
nears and the rules are
still being interpreted.
In addition to the slideshow,
the Web page includes
links to detailed federal
regs in PDF and HTML formats,
including:
HOS Technical Amendments,
Driver's HOS Regulations;
HOS Drivers - Driver Rest
and Sleep for Safe Operations
Final Rule;
HOS Regulatory Evaluation;
HOS Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) and Attached
Environmental Assessment;
HOS News Release, Driver's
HOS Brochure;
Driver's HOS Pocket Guide;
HOS Presentation; and
Frequently Asked Questions.
Also on the page are
links to the Ol’
Blue, USA guide to pre-trip
inspections, a collection
of “A Safety Minute”©
With Ol’ Blue, USA
radio/Web spots, and a
Tire Blowout Safety Video
produced by Michelin®
Tire Co. called “The
Critical Factor.”
Together, the resources
on this one Web page offer
drivers one of the most
complete sources of information
about safety and compliance.
“We have been flooded
with calls and e-mails
from drivers wanting to
know how the new Hours
of Service rules will
affect them,” said
RJ Taylor, founder of
Ol’ Blue, USA. “When
the opportunity to present
this slideshow was offered
to us, we were really
excited.” Ol’
Blue, USA is dedicated
to safety through education,
and this was a terrific
opportunity to help educate
not only drivers and fleets,
but also media and law
enforcement that have
questions about the changes.
“We also felt that
by putting links to our
other safety education
material on the same page,
we’d make it easier
for people to find what
they want quickly, and
in one place,” Taylor
said.
Founded in 1986, Ol’
Blue, USA (United Safety
Alliance, Inc), a non-profit
501 (c)(3) public charity,
at www.olblueusa.org
is dedicated to educating
the nation on highway
safety and improving relations
between law enforcement
officials, commercial
drivers and the motoring
public. During the National
Safety Tour, Ol’
Blue,® a 1951 working
truck, pulls a 53-foot
“rolling billboard”
trailer featuring the
charity’s sponsors,
including Michelin, Shell
Rotella-T, Alcoa Wheel
and those of the CHP,
KVE, NHP and the U.S.
DOT. In addition, Ol’
Blue, USA, conducts simulated
truck inspections at trade
shows and truck stops,
and takes various programs
to community events and
public schools in an effort
to teach safety around
all large vehicles. You
can visit the Safety Tour
at www.SafetyTour.org
is a registered
trademark.