Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, July 17, 2024:
Wife of slain Texas fleet owner sentenced for workers’ comp scheme
Frances Hall, former co-owner of Bill Hall Jr. Trucking, has been sentenced for her role in a scheme to avoid $9 million in workers’ compensation premiums. Hall was charged in 2013 with the murder of her husband, was convicted in 2017 and served two years in prison.
In 2022, she was charged in relation to the workers’ comp scheme when Texas officials discovered that between 2009 and 2016, she allegedly provided false payroll information to Texas Mutual Insurance Company and concealed payroll reports to get lower insurance premiums for the Halls’ gravel hauling business.
During her appearance on July 10 in Austin’s 147th District Court, Hall was sentenced based on a plea she entered in May. Under the plea agreement, Hall received 10 years deferred adjudication, was ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution, and will undergo treatment as the probation department recommended. The type of treatment recommended is unknown.
[Related: Former fleet co-owner charged in $9M fraud case]
Diesel prices, freight rates down in most recent week
After falling to a 17-month low during the week ending June 10, diesel prices saw four weeks of increases that totaled a 21-cent jump, all told, on average.
Operators got some relief during the most recent week, though, as diesel’s national average did an about-face and dropped by 3.9 cents, according to the Energy Information Administration’s latest report.
Since hitting a $3.66 national average five weeks ago, diesel went back up as high as $3.87 a gallon before dropping back to $3.83 last week.
While fuel was down during the most recent week, so were spot market rates, according to data from DAT Freight & Analytics. Loads posted to DAT One load boards increased by almost 66% last week, recovering from a 48% decline during the July 4 holiday week. Dry van and reefer rates were down week-over-week, however, and flatbed rates were flat.
The Truckstop load board and FTR Transportation saw similar results during the last week. Rates were down week-over-week for the week ending July 12, but rates for dry van and reefer are up year-over-year.
Diesel during the most recent week dropped in most regions, with just New England and the West Coast less California regions seeing slight increases. The largest decrease was seen in the Midwest, where prices dropped by 5.8 cents.
California still holds the nation’s most expensive diesel at $4.93 per gallon, followed by New England at $4.10 per gallon.
The cheapest fuel is in the Gulf Coast region at $3.55 per gallon, followed by the Midwest region at $3.75 per gallon.
Prices in other regions, according to EIA:
- Central Atlantic -- $4.07
- Lower Atlantic -- $3.83
- Rocky Mountain -- $3.75
- West Coast less California -- $4.03
ProMiles’ diesel averages during the same week showed prices increase by 2.3 cents to $3.82 a gallon.
According to the ProMiles Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $5.02 per gallon, and the cheapest can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $3.54 per gallon.
Shorepower Technologies acquiring three IdleAir truck stop locations
Shorepower Technologies has agreed to acquire three truck stop electrification locations from IdleAir. The locations represent nearly 100 connection points.
The three sites are located in Texas: two in Laredo and one in Baytown. The acquisition of these IdleAir sites complements Shorepower’s geographical footprint, the company said. While Shorepower is mostly on the West Coast and in the Northeast, IdleAir’s locations are mostly located in the Southern states.
It's Shorepower’s first such acquisition, and Shorepower hopes this first foray will be followed by similar transactions with IdleAir, the company said, enabling it to continue to grow its commercial electrification services in the country.
