August 26, 2011
Truckers in New Jersey and New York are none too happy about a recently announced plan increasingly tolls at tunnels and bridges leading into New York City. Approved by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the plan will raise tolls in September and continue to climb to 2015. Truckers using the E-ZPass will shell out $2 per axle next month, plus an additional $2 per axle increase each year from 2012 through 2015. Truckers paying in cash will have to pay a $3 per axle penalty. The hikes are less for automobile drivers. Some truckers are hopping […]
August 12, 2011
New federal fuel-efficiency standards for commercial vehicles have won nearly across-the-board praise. From environmental groups to trucking organizations, word has been mainly positive for the recently announced rules governing mpg standards and greenhouse gas emissions on medium- and heavy-duty trucks. “While it is too early to know all the potential effects of this rule, we do know it sets us on the path to a future where we depend less on foreign oil, spend less on fuel and contribute less to climate change,” said American Trucking Associations president Bill Graves. Announced earlier this week by President Obama, the rules to […]
July 29, 2011
The feeling is electric – literally – at the Baker City, Ore., Truck Corral. Located at milepost 304 on Interstate-84 about 300 miles east of Portland, it marks the first location of the STEP (Shorepower Truck Electrification Project) program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. More are on the way. The Truck Corral is the first of 50 such truck stops nationwide that will provide electric shore power within the next 12 to 18 months. Proponents say that using the power grid instead of idling truck engines will save money, reduce air pollution and help truckers get more restful […]
July 15, 2011
In the midst of a government shutdown in Minnesota, truckers are discovering it to be the best of times and the worst of times. A budget stalemate has meant the closing of nearly all rest stops in the North Star State, as well as a set of other challenges. Trucking companies there are reporting problems in credentialing drivers and getting permits to haul oversized loads. And that doesn’t even take into account the matter of adhering to hours-of-service regulations when there are few safe places to pull over and rest. “As an industry, we want to be safe, we want […]
June 24, 2011
Amid a nationwide push to ban texting while driving, Nevada this month joined eight other states in going even further. On June 17, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law a measure prohibiting all handheld phone use while behind the wheel. The new law also ensured that the Silver State join more than 30 states that have nixed text messaging while driving. But the idea has met resistance in some quarters. The day after Nevada’s action, Texas Gov. Rick Perry vetoed anti-text messaging legislation in that state, calling it a “a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.” Federal data […]
June 10, 2011
The wrinkles continue to mount in the seemingly never-ending controversy over hours-of-service rules. In the latest development, the American Trucking Associations is assailing the research that the FMCSA is using to support its HoS proposal. The ATA is pointing to the cautionary words of Dr. Ronald Knipling. The safety researcher contends the data compiled by Pennsylvania State University and other universities is saddled with fundamental problems. “”It would be erroneous and unwarranted to accept Penn State’s principal findings and conclusions without extensive re-analysis, internal validation, and external replication,”” wrote Knipling, who used to head up the FMCSA’s research division. Stay […]
May 27, 2011
In the wake of monstrous tornadoes earlier this week in Missouri and Oklahoma, truckers have jumped into action helping people piece their lives back together. Their efforts have been particularly evident in Joplin, Missouri, scene of one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history. At least 126 people died, with more than 900 others injured. In the midst of the May 22 storm, huge trailer-trucks were tossed around as if they were toys. To hasten the recovery and relief effort in Joplin, Missouri waived hours-of-service rules and expedited requests for oversized load permits. In neighboring Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback temporarily […]
May 13, 2011
Brace yourselves for a long, hot and expensive summer. Diesel prices, averaging north of $4 per gallon this week, are expected to rise along with the temperatures over the coming months. From a sluggish economy to global uncertainty following the death of Osama bin Laden, a perfect storm of factors is contributing to higher prices at the pump. Although crude oil prices have dropped some recently, the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration is still predicting tightening oil markets through 2012. That will translate into stomach-churning diesel prices. On-highway diesel fuel prices are expected to average $3.89 per gallon in […]
April 29, 2011
It is hard to comprehend the scope of the death and destruction left in the wake of the tornadoes that earlier this week tore through sections of the southeastern United States. As of this writing, the death toll for the impacted states – including Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia – has exceeded 300. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who now face the struggle of recovery. In the trucking community, it’s worth noting that a twister hit a truck stop in Glade Springs, Va., sending nearly 40 tractor trailers through the air, while the storms caused significant damage […]
April 15, 2011
A flurry of legislation and other proposals under consideration in the nation’s capital could have a significant impact on the trucking industry. Last week, I had the privilege of joining a number of industry representatives for meetings with key lawmakers. Among those we met with were Arkansas Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman, authors of the Safe Roads Act. The measure would strengthen efforts to keep truck drivers who have tested positive for drugs or alcohol from deceiving carriers and continuing to drive. The American Trucking Association has praised its planned centralized clearinghouse, but Safe Roads has failed to pass […]
