Category: News

Ethanol cars derail, burn with fireball in Ohio

February 7, 2011 ARCADIA, Ohio — A Norfolk Southern train carrying 62 tank cars of denatured ethanol derailed here early Feb. 6, with many catching fire and creating what was described as a “huge fireball that could be seen for up to 15 miles.” No injuries were reported to t [...]

A crude romance reblossoms on rails

February 7, 2011 John D. Rockefeller and partner Henry Flagler made quite a fortune during the 19th century transporting crude oil by rail from Pennsylvania to Cleveland for refining, and then shipping the refined product via rail to consuming markets. Flagler later used his portion of the fo [...]

BNSF conductor loses leg in yard accident

February 4, 2011 WILLMAR, Minn. — A 31-year old BNSF conductor , a UTU Local 1177 member, suffered a leg amputation in a yard accident here Feb. 3 — the second UTU member to endure such an accident in 2011. Corey Lynn Kluver, the father of three young children, reportedly was maki [...]

This is the season — for deadly yard accidents

February 4, 2011 It’s winter — the three months of the year during which a significant number of yard fatalities and career-ending injuries occur. The FRA says risk is concentrated in cold-weather states, but those in warmer climates are not immune, because darkness is a factor al [...]

Tags FRA, injuries, safety, SOFA, switching hazards, yard accidents

Making bus voices heard in Washington

February 3, 2011 By Bonnie MorrAlternate Vice President, Bus Department The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is seeking comments on proposed new rules affecting drivers of commercial motor vehicles, which includes bus operators. The rules cover revocation or disqualificatio [...]

Keep your heart healthy

February 2, 2011 February is American Heart Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, claiming more lives than cancer. Heart disease can strike at any time. Symptoms of a heart-related [...]

FedEx Freight going intermodal

February 2, 2011 FedEx Freight, which is the nation’s largest stand-alone less-than-truckload carrier of freight, is going intermodal. Less-than-truckload, or LTL, is commonly defined as freight weighing more than 151 pounds and less than 20,000 pounds. LTL carriers collect these small [...]

Canadian Pacific has conductor job openings

February 1, 2011 Canadian Pacific Railway has job openings for qualified and experienced conductors at 14 Midwest locations. The locations are: Bensenville, Ill. Davenport, Iowa Elkhart, Ind. Enderlin, N.D. Harvey, N.D. Huron, S.D. Kansas City, Mo. Marquette, Iowa Mason City, Iowa Portage, Wi [...]

Receiving disability payments?

January 31, 2011 Members who received disability-claim payments from Anthem or Lincoln in 2010 will be receiving IRS W-2 forms from those insurers. This does not mean that the benefits are taxable. It is merely a reporting requirement of the IRS. The payments will be listed in Box 12 with a & [...]

Tags Anthem, disability, disability payments, IRS, Lincoln

Singing Puccini, she trades bus job for TV

January 31, 2011 Warning: Do not try this without your employer’s permission. That said, a bus driver in Geneva, Switzerland, has gained television stardom there for her singing while at the wheel, reports AFP international news service. The 49-year-old female driver, Maya Wirz, was giv [...]

Tags AFP, bus, bus driver, Maya Wirz, singing, TV, Wirz