February 29, 2012
There are many websites that offer useful information for truckers. So, I am taking a break from discussing policy issues to feature some of those resources for you While your time online is limited while you are on the road, most truck stops and hotels will offer you WIFI internet connection. This is a great time to go online and check traffic, find a truck stop, compare fuel rates, get info about staying healthy on the road and interact with other truckers. This list is just a ‘scratch of the surface’ of what is available to you online. I’m interested […]
February 3, 2012
The reality of commercial trucks running on clean energy advanced this week with a partnership between Navistar International Corp. and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. Navistar, a leading truck manufacturer, will offer a wide range of vehicles that run on compressed natural gas. Clean Energy Fuels, owned by energy magnate T. Boone Pickens, has committed to establishing 150 CNG fueling stations across the country. They will have 70 stations opened this year. “Natural gas has clearly emerged as the most realistic alternative fuel option for the trucking industry,” said Dan Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and CEO. “Together, Navistar and Clean Energy […]
January 19, 2012
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program’s BASIC categories may seem anything but, well, basic. BASIC stands for Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category. There are seven BASIC categories – vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, crash indicator, fatigued driving (hours-of-service), controlled substance/alcohol abuse, driver fitness and cargo related. The BASIC categories allow CSA to determine how a motor carrier ranks relative to other carriers with a similar number of safety events (i.e., inspections, violations, or crashes). Motor carriers can see how they stand in each category by logging into the SMS website. To help you better […]
December 9, 2011
USDOT says 2010 had the lowest highway deaths since 1949. We believe this is due to truck drivers following the rules and regulations and being better professional drivers. Problem is 2011 is showing an increase in highway deaths as we get closer to years end. Driving the highways of America is never more dangerous than the holiday so you need to pay extra attention and be safe. We also want to bring to your attention a music video “Highway Angel” by Lindsay Lawler now on YouTube. This video tells all drivers about the help and assistance truck drivers offer every […]
November 18, 2011
Amid the political tug-of-war over hours of service, the American Trucking Associations wants to enlist the involvement of the Office of Management and Budget. In a Nov. 15 letter to the OMB, ATA president and CEO Bill Graves asked the agency to determine if there is a “legitimate reason” for the Obama Administration’s push for a stricter hours-of-service-rule. Specifically, Graves points to recently unveiled data that reveals historically low rates of truck-related crashes. “”This data, in terms of both numbers and rates, is overwhelmingly positive, is a clear indication how well trucking is performing while operating under the current HOS […]
November 4, 2011
Concerns over CSA are nothing new to the trucking industry, but it appears mainstream media is starting to grasp the initiative’simpact on the driver shortage. A recentstory in the Memphis Daily Newspointed out how the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration enforcement program – otherwise known asCompliance, Safety, Accountability– is making it tougher to fill driver spots. Critics say the crackdown on driver safety records is forcing too many truckers out of the business and simultaneously dissuading other potential recruits. “There’s a shortage of drivers,” a trucking executive explained to theMemphis publication. “CSA has affected us greatly. A lot of drivers […]
October 20, 2011
Things just keep getting more and more interesting with the political tug o’ war over the proposed Hours of Service rules. This week, Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire offered an amendment to the transportation funding bill that would effectively gut the would-be HOS rewrite. Her moves comes on the heels of efforts by House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and other GOP leaders to keep the Obama Administration from advancing the tighter rules, which opponents say are unnecessary and would place burdensome costs on the trucking industry. The senator’s amendment had prompted a plea from U.S. […]
October 7, 2011
The battle over the proposed hours-of-service changes is heating up — and it was already pretty darn hot to begin with. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration continues to push for tighter HOS restrictions that it says will reduce driver fatigue, House Republican leaders back a trucking industry that insists the regulations will be a $1 billion burden and force more inexperienced drivers on the roads. In a letter House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent to President Obama earlier this week, the Republican lawmakers urged FMCSA to withdraw the proposed changes. “These costs will affect […]
September 23, 2011
To borrow a phrase from an old advertising campaign, when is it not OK to reach out and touch someone? The National Transportation Safety Board is proposing regulations to ban truckers from using cellular phones. In pushing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to implement the change, NTSB officials would prohibit commercial truckers from using cell phones while driving, even if it’s a hands-free phone. The would-be requirement stems from a 2010 crash that killed 11 people in Kentucky. The accident, determined an NTSB investigation, resulted from a tractor-trailer driver distracted by using his cell phone. Truckers are divided on […]
September 9, 2011
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week kicks off Sunday, Sept. 11, to honor our nation’s professional truck drivers for their hard work and steadfast commitment to excellence. As noted by the American Trucking Associations, celebrations can take a variety of forms, from safe driving awards to windshield cleaning at travel plazas. However that recognition is shown, the important thing is that motor carriers, state trucking associations, highway patrols and other organizations and agencies let our nation’s 3.2 million truckers know that they are truly appreciated and not taken for granted. At any hour of the day, on roads and highways across […]
