Legislative Update

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Emergency Environmental Services

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Paul Allen here. Just a little bit about our company. We are founded by two veteran firefighters with more than 30 years combined service. My partner is a Navy Veteran who has several years in the environmental business working for other firms. We started this company back in 2014 and have been operational since May of 2016. We provide 24/7 emergency response to the DFW area and surrounding counties. We are based out of Haslet, TX and can be most locations in the metroplex within an hour to an hour and a half. We provide cleanup and waste removal services for highway incidents and hazardous waste spills. We also provide industrial cleaning services of process contamination and plant tank and vessel cleaning. We do confined space standby and specialty rescue. We are a versatile company with veteran emergency service experience that enables us to problem solve on the fly and address emergency situations with a calm, cool head. We are available for contract work to provide services to specific regions or companies. Contracts enable us to limit and predict costs ahead of time so as to take the guessing out of the cost associated with cleaning up hazardous waste. A contract is not necessary to work with us, we offer this level of service for those customers who know ahead of time that they are going to need service and want to try and control costs as much as possible.

We look forward to a working relationship with the members of the Southwest Tow Operators.

Paul Allen
Vice President
(817)750-0595
eesresponse.com

Give Me A Break! Am I exempt from HOS or ELDs?

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Failing to have logs or follow hours-of-service (HOS) rules are among the top violations that DOT auditors and roadside officers cite every year. Many motor carriers and drivers think they're exempt from all or portions of the HOS rules — now including the rules for electronic logging devices (ELDs) — but many drivers who think they're exempt are not, while others don't use the exemptions properly. Are you or your employees subject to HOS and ELD rules? Do you qualify for an exemption? From local drivers to construction workers, sleeper teams to e-log users, this webcast will discuss who's subject to — and who's exempt from — the hours-of-service and ELD rules, and what you need to do to stay in compliance this year and beyond. Join us today!

Click here to review the Webinar !!

Be Responsible on the Road

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Driving in the Rain

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Wet pavement contributes to nearly 1.2 million traffic crashes each year. When visibility is limited by wet weather, it's important that your car itself doesn't impede your sight. Safety starts before you drive, and your goal should be to see and be seen.

Check Your Vehicle

Once a month, clean the outsides and insides of windshields and windows, and check your windshield wiper blades for wear. Check the level of your washer fluid once a week. Do a quick check of headlights, taillights, turn signals and tire treads before driving the car for the first time each day. Rain or no rain, operating without signal lights, you're a hazard—and it's a ticketable offense. Proper tire tread depth and inflation areimperative to maintaining good traction on wet roadways. Check tread depth with a quarter inserted upside down into the tire groove. If you can see above Washington's head, start shopping for new tires. Check each tire's pressure, including the spare, and be sure to check the pressure when the tires are cold.

Avoid Cruise Control

This feature works great in dry conditions, but when used in wet conditions, the chance of losing control of the vehicle can increase. The driver may need to reduce the car's speed which cannot be accomplished when cruise control is engaged. it is important to concentrate fully on every aspect of driving. Avoiding cruise control will allow the driver more options to choose from when responding to a potential loss-of-traction situation.

Slow Down and Leave Room

Slowing down during wet weather driving can be critical to reducing a car's chance of hydroplaning, when the tires rise up on a film of water. With as little as 1/12 inch of water on the road, tires have to displace a gallon of water per second to keep the rubber meeting the road. Drivers should reduce their speed to correspond to the amount of water on the roadway. At speeds as low as 35 mph, new tires can still lose some contact with the roadway.To reduce chances of hydroplaning, drivers should slow down, avoid hard braking or turning sharply and drive in the tracks of the vehicle ahead of you. Also, it's important for motorists to allow ample stopping distance between cars by increasing the following distance of the vehicle in front of them and beginning to slow down to stop for intersections, turns and other traffic early.

Responding to a Skid

Even careful drivers can experience skids. If a driver feels their car begin to skid, it's important to not panic and follow these basic steps:

•Continue to look and steer in the direction in which the driver wants the car to go.
•Avoid slamming on the brakes as this will further upset the vehicle's balance and make it harder to control.

If you feel the vehicle begin to skid, continue tolook and steer in the direction you want the car to go. Stay calm and avoid slamming on the brakes to maintain control.

Be Extra Cautious

Overall be extra cautious in wet weather. Slow down, avoid hard braking or turning sharply and allow ample stopping distance between you and the vehicles in front of you. But just as you would stay off the roads in heavy snow, it's OK to stay home in heavy rain. If you have a small business in a flood-prone area and there's lots of recipitation on the way, try to make arrangements for employees to work from home so they don't have to worry about making the commute on potentially flooded roads.

For more traffic safety information visit the Our Driving Concern: Texas Employer Traffic Safety Program website at:
Txdrivingconcern.org or For more tips on driving in heavy rain and other extreme weather, check out the National Safety Council's defensive driving courses.