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Food for Thought When Making Year-End Charitable Contributions

The following article was originally appeared in Wilber & Townshend P.C.’s November 2013 Newsletter. It is being reprinted here with their permission. To view the original article, other Wilber & Townshend newsletters, or inquire about their services, please click here. Before slicing into their Thanksgiving turkeys, most Americans pause to give thanks for their good fortune. And, in the spirit of the holidays, many give to those in need. The average charity receives about 40 percent of its annual contributions between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to Charity Navigator, a not-for-profit watchdog organization. Who’s Giving (and How Much) in 2013?

Giving Back with Trucker Buddy

As we enter into the season of Christmas and Thanksgiving many of us turn our attention to finding ways to give back to show appreciation for all that we have. If you are one of such individuals, here’s a great program that is uniquely geared to truckers. Trucker Buddy International started in 1992. At its core, this program aims to connect professional truck drivers to children in grades K-8 for a pen pal relationship. Each week drivers share their travels with the class they are assigned to while in return, each student writes a letter to their driver once a

Hours of Service Q & A:

Acuity Insurance Company recently published an article answer common questions regarding the new Hours of Service rules that took effect July 1, 2013. With their permission, we are reprinting the article here for your reference: The first phase of Hours of Service (HOS) changes mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) took affect February 27, 2012, adding new criteria for on-duty time and penalties for exceeding allowable time. The second phase took effect July 1, 2013, and included more restrictive rules in two areas: mandating rest breaks and limiting “restarts.” Here are the answers to some

Understanding Automobile Liability Pollution Coverage

The following article was originally written by Craig F. Stanovich, co-founder and principal of Austin & Stanovich Risk Managers, LLC, and is being reprinted with the permission of AmWINS Group, Inc. It originally appeared in AmWINS’s July 2013 Client Advisory. On a rainy Monday morning, the interstate highway has been closed due to a serious traffic accident involving a pickup truck and a truck-tractor hauling a gasoline tank semi-trailer (tanker). The pickup truck driver attempted to pass the tanker, lost control due to the wet conditions, and then cut in front of the tanker, causing both vehicles to veer off the road.

Creating a Compliant Authorized Passenger Policy

Frequently clients inquire about the limitations and allowances of passengers inside their truck. We at the Navigator Truck Insurance Agency recommend that non-employee passengers not be allowed in vehicles operated under your authority. However, if a passenger program is considered an essential element in the retention of quality drivers, we recommend that you have a well planned, well documented, and consistently followed passenger policy in place as a risk management practice to reduce your exposure to claims made by non-employee passengers. In addition a passenger policy should also comply with requirements outlined in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act. Per

EEOC Issues Guidelines Pertaining to Criminal Checks

Are you one of the many employers (some studies say up to 92%) who use criminal background checks as a part of the hiring process? If so, you may wish to re-evaluate this process and proceed with great caution. Many employers rely upon these checks to keep their clients, employees, resources and the general public safe. However, recently adapted new guidelines, published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in April 2012, make clear that companies should be particularly careful when referencing criminal backgrounds during the hiring process. While the EEOC does not include ex-offenders as a protected class under

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