Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. According to a My Champlain Valley report, electronic logging devices could end up being more of a burden than a benefit for truck drivers. Truckers in Vermont have expressed concern that the federal ELD mandate may not be as flexible as paper logging when it comes to calculating unforeseen stops, weather and traffic jams when complying with HOS rules. According to the report, truckers currently being paid by the mile could potentially get cut short on pay and have to scramble more to make delivery times. My Champlain Valley has more.2. Granville “Cliff” Smalley and his son Mike started a trucking business in 1974. At the time, they started Smalley Trucking, a flatbed long haul company in Sutherlin, OR, with only one truck. Over the years, according to an NR Today report, the business has grown and four generations of family members are now involved. The Smalleys own Smalley Trucking and Mobile Diesel Service, an Oakland-based business that offers truck repair service and parts for diesel engines. Read more about the Smalley’s in NR Today.3. Congress approved $1.2 billion to pay for dredging and maintenance work at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in an effort to help the ports operate more efficiently, the Daily Breeze reports. The money comes out of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which ports pay into, according to the report. The Daily Breeze has more.4. A truck driver told police he was beaten and robbed outside of the Tulsa Welding School just after midnight this morning, Oklahoma’s Own News on 6 reports. According to the report, the Airgas driver pulled into the lot to make a gas delivery when three men approached him and demanded money. The driver told the men he didn’t have any, then said the robbers stole his wallet and beat him on his head and torso. Police said the men were last seen running east from the parking lot.5. Indiana lawmakers are considering a proposal to increase the gas tax to help fund road projects across the state, according to the Daily Reporter. However, according to the report, the state’s governor doesn’t want to raise taxes. The proposal, which comes from Republican leaders of the Indiana House, calls for increasing the state’s gasoline and cigarette taxes. Instead, Gov. Mike Pence has proposed a $1 billion highway boost over a four-year period by drawing funds from the state’s cash reserves and taking out loans.
