Spelunking: BAT Gets A Driver's View

Account Executive Phillip Kimsey gets
a driver's view of life on the road.

BAT employees learned more about the life of a truck driver today when one stopped by the office.

Driver Barry Frantz is a long-time friend of Owner Shawn Rorie, and was passing through with a load Thursday morning. Team members were given the opportunity to go inside the truck and see what drivers have to work with.

They learned about a variety of things, from the size of the bed to how to adjust a fifth wheel. Many felt this experience would help them interact with drivers better.

"It's so great to see up close what our drivers are doing first hand every day," said Account Executive Joe Kier. "It gives me a better perspective of what they are out there doing and a better appreciation for their job on the road,"

Echo: Dangerous Driving Decisions Lead to More Fatalities

Some scary news was released by the American Automobile Association yesterday. According to a study based on years of surveys, drivers are growing less concerned about dangerous driving decisions.

They are less concerned about decisions such as drowsy driving, drunk driving and texting while driving. More people also think it is acceptable to run a red light. For details, read the AAA release.

What does that mean for everyone on the road? The first increase in traffic fatalities in seven years, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

Please, no matter what vehicle you are driving, don't make these dangerous decisions and help keep our roads safer.

Our Condolences

We were saddened to hear the news this morning that a UPS cargo plane crashed in Birmingham, Ala., killing both the pilot and co-pilot. We at BAT Logistics offer our condolences to the families of the pilot and co-pilot and will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

The NTSB is working to recover the black box to determine what caused the crash. A witness claimed he saw flames coming from the plane before it crashed.

For more information on the crash, visit the Alabama Media Group's website blog.

Echo: U.S. Rail Traffic Sees Increase

According to the American Association of Railroads, the past week saw an increase over the same week last year in all U.S. rail traffic.

Carloads were up 2.5 percent, while intermodal was up 2.4 percent. Total U.S. rail traffic was up 2.5 percent.

For more information on the increases, read the AAR's press release.