Trucking news and briefs for May 6, 2024: FMCSA's campaign encouraging truckers, other drivers toward safe drivingThe U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is raising awareness and sharing actionable information to help improve road safety by kicking off its annual Our Roads, Our Safety Week campaign Monday. Starting today, May 6, the safety week observance is dedicated to educating truckers and other commercial drivers, as well as all other roadway users, on sharing the road safely. “We appreciate the role truck and bus drivers have in supporting a healthy economy and connecting us from coast to coast,” said FMCSA Acting Deputy Administrator Sue Lawless. “This campaign is a reminder for those drivers -- and all who share the road with them -- to focus on safety as they navigate the nation’s roadways.” [Related: Holiday traffic highway safety PSAs fit for our four-wheeled friends] The Our Roads, Our Safety Week will spotlight a key road user each day of the week and disseminate resources, tips and reminders that can help them share the road safely. FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety Week Toolkit includes shareable materials that can help spread life-saving road safety messages across various mediums. If you're on a run toward the nation's capitol, FMCSA noted the public is invited to join them and other members of the road safety community for a free transportation safety fair Wednesday, May 8, at U.S. DOT headquarters in D.C. It's open to all ages, and the outdoor event will offer interactive exhibits, driving simulators, and engaging educational activities. The Our Roads, Our Safety Week campaign comes just one week before another educational-outreach event with more at stake short-term for working CDL drivers in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Roadcheck inspection blitz. The focus this year: drug and alcohol possession and effective tractor protection systems in the even of air loss. I-95 back open in Connecticut after bridge demo, cleanupIf you missed Overdrive's update to last week's news of a fiery crash in Connecticut that effectively closed both northbound and southbound I-95 indefinitely, there's good news there for haulers along the Northeast corridor. The major interstate is back fully open as of Sunday morning, May 5, the Connecticut Department of Transportation reported. Connecticut DOT and contractors restored access to that section of I-95 in Norwalk in fewer than 80 hours. Work involved demolishing the Fairfield Avenue Bridge over I-95 because of significant damage sustained from the fiery collision, removing tons of concrete, steel, and debris from the roadway; sweeping the road; milling; paving; and restriping pavement markings. “It takes a village," said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, "and from the response from local and state police and fire departments to the environmental cleanup by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the demolition and rebuilding by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and contractors, everyone did their part. I am impressed by these efforts and thankful for the dedication, skill, and labor of everyone who has been involved.” CTDOT crews' work continues as the agency plans how and when the Fairfield Avenue Bridge will be replaced. While crews were working to reopen I-95, CTDOT engineers worked through the weekend to develop preliminary replacement plans of the Fairfield Avenue Bridge. Those initial designs are expected to be completed within the next two weeks, CTDOT said, and the public is encouraged to continue using CTroads.org for traffic alerts and roadway updates throughout Connecticut. [Related: I-95 in Connecticut closed for a 'significant period' following fuel truck explosion] https://ift.tt/BNPUA3G
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It's all over the news: President Joe Biden's Drug Enforcement Administration intends to make history by rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I drug to Schedule III. Reports indicated the Attorney General has already submitted the rescheduling proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The move would act on a Department of Health and Human Services opinion, held since at least 1995, that the feds should reconsider marijuana. It would also line up with Biden's own statements that "no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana" and that federal and state marijuana convictions should be pardoned. Marijuana isn't becoming "legal" on a federal level for quite some time. In the trucking industry... it's important to be clear that absolutely nothing will change with marijuana policy for a minimum of a few years. In trucking, it seems that almost every time a state legalizes marijuana, or a cannabis-related product mislabels their goods, or a new type of cannabis product hits the shelves ... people make mistakes and careers get ruined. Hard-luck tales of CDL drivers abound. Often, it's a situation of mistakenly ingesting THC (the active, intoxicating and illegal ingredient in marijuana) thinking it was CBD -- a legal, non-psychoactive supplement that's helped many with pain and anxiety. [Related: CBD horror story: The indignity of 'Return to Duty' and Substance Abuse Professional program] Still, in the face of the rule change and plenty uncertainty, neither the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration nor the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance would comment on how potential marijuana rescheduling might impact regulatory compliance, safety and roadside inspections. We spoke to Brian Vicente, a leading attorney specializing in marijuana policy and regulation, to figure out exactly what rescheduling would mean. "Since the 1970s, cannabis has been a Schedule I drug according to the federal government," Vicente said. The Schedule I status puts it alongside drugs like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. "That means it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse." The Biden DEA's moves toward rescheduling cannabis to "a Schedule III controlled substance," Vincente said, "means it has a known medical value and lower standard for abuse." Former DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson told Fox News that's "not a surprise" and in fact "reflects the reality" of cannabis use today. Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III alongside drugs like Ketamine and barbiturates doesn't mean it will be legal. It's only a single move in that vague direction, and the next step is one trucking knows well. "This is an administrative process at the White House for the next 60-90 days that will essentially allow people to comment and litigate this issue, whether cannabis has medical uses," Vicente said. "And I do believe that the case is good and they will say cannabis is good." That's right, the OMB will post the cannabis rescheduling proposal for public comment, just as trucking regulations come up for public comment. Vicente encouraged trucking industry stakeholders to comment when the time comes via Regulations.gov. [Related: Here's proof your input can be effective in changing regulation -- for the better] For now, even if the issue passes federal review, marijuana still doesn't become legal generally, and still presents a lot of problems for CDL truck drivers and their careers. "Essentially this is a strong symbolic move that the federal government is taking these steps towards legalization," something that will "make cannabis markets function better," said Vicente. If marijuana does get rescheduled to the Schedule III class, he added, the process to get a valid marijuana prescription is "not overnight." "Interested companies can then move through clinical drug trails, which takes years," said Vicente. That's despite the fact that "many people are already using cannabis in 24 legal states and 40 states" who allow medical marijuana use. In some medical use states, local medical authorities can hand out prescriptions for marijuana pretty liberally, but don't expect that to be the case when it goes federal. But rescheduling invites a review from the Food and Drug Administration. Vicente speculated that "when and if these big companies find a way through the clinical process to support prescription for some type of cannabis -- it could be a dropper or something -- then truck drivers could potentially get that prescription." Truckers might need more than a prescription, perhaps even a letter from their doctor saying the drug will not impact their driving. Federal regulations generally require docs' signoff for use of any scheduled controlled substance. A 2022 study suggested marijuana doesn't make people much worse at driving, especially once they get used to it. According to that study, people high on marijuana "tend to compensate for their impairment by slowing down and driving more cautiously," but "experienced marijuana users show virtually no functional impairment while driving under the influence of THC alone." Still, Vicente said that the particular attributes of marijuana make it a difficult regulatory and operational issue. "FDA's process is not really focused on getting botanical drugs to market," he said. "Generally they're approving pills that are pharmaceutically created. There will be some hurdles there." The complications don't end there. Alcohol, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, crack, fentanyl and PCP are all water-soluble, meaning you can't really test positive on a urine test for these drugs more than three days out from when the drug was ingested. Marijuana, ever the oddball, binds to fat cells, meaning you can test positive for marijuana up to 30 days after use, and that people with more fat tend to hang on to the drug longer in their system. "Almost any drug test will not differentiate between active THC verse inactive," said Vicente, who has represented people in driving under the influence cases where the substance in question was marijuana. "There are drug tests which do that, but you're lower-grading your analysis." Many in trucking have called for a "weed breathalyzer" that can answer the important question of whether someone is currently high on the drug -- or if they just smoked some two weeks ago at a barbecue, far from the driver's seat of a Class 8 truck. Given how quickly rules are changing on cannabis, Vicente emphasized, there's a clear case to be made that "the state and employers need to essentially have more sophisticated testing." Vicente pointed out that with 144,000 drug and alcohol clearinghouse tests positive for marijuana, more than all other substances combined, "a lot of people are losing their jobs, and a lot of people are not entering the industry" due to marijuana laws, he said. Marijuana "stays in the system in an inactive way." If FMCSA and the Department of Transportation "care about safety on the road, they should be taking steps to show that drivers are under the influence, not detecting metabolized cannabis" that can be weeks old. In 2010, the U.S. saw nearly one million marijuana arrests. By 2023, that number had sunk to about a quarter of a million. Vicente said in states with legal weed, arrests rarely happen when people possess more marijuana than legal limits allow. In New York City, unlicensed marijuana dispensaries might outnumber subway stations, selling unregulated products from across state lines. In gas stations across the country, marijuana derivatives and CBD products (which might contain enough THC to get you fired from your job) sit in glass displays behind perhaps a hundred thousand or more counters. In short, the entire nation has mellowed on marijuana, and now a wide majority of consumers can enjoy marijuana without fear of criminal penalty. For CBD users who don't hold CDLs, there's almost nothing to worry about from state or federal authorities. But drivers, stay away. If you hear some rumor about weed becoming legal or rescheduling, push back. You're more likely to legally pull a reefer of marijuana-infused soda cross country than to pull on a joint without fear of career repercussions for the next few years. [Related: Can truck drivers use CDB? All you need to know about cannabis, hemp, testing and the clearinghouse] https://ift.tt/BNPUA3G Trucking news and briefs for Friday, May 3, 2024: Trucker on the hook for nearly $2M in hearing-loss lawsuitA truck driver was ordered to pay out nearly $2 million after a court found him to be negligent in blowing his custom horn and damaging another man’s hearing. According to the Mississippi Jury Verdict Reporter, truck driver Jerry Garland, an independent contractor, was working at a job site where asphalt was being laid on May 4, 2020. Robert Kelly, a commercial paver, was also working the job site for his employer, Adcamp. The report stated that Garland came upon Kelly and his work and believed Kelly was blocking his path to exit the job site. Kelly, however, maintained there was enough space for Garland and other traffic to exit. Garland laid on his custom train horn, reportedly a three-tubed trumpet manufactured by United Pacific, for approximately 10 seconds. “Kelly immediately had a sudden intense pain in his ears as well as drainage,” the report noted. Kelly began treatment the following day for ear pain and hearing loss, his hearing loss continued to worsen, “and he now suffers a serious and permanent hearing loss.” Additionally, in an unrelated event, Kelly suffered a brain tumor that, after surgery, left him blind. The combination of the two events left him without two senses and likely requiring attendant care for the rest of his life. As a result, Kelly sought additional damages from Garland because the combination of the two injuries required more attendant care than if he had just had the brain tumor and resulting blindness. In the lawsuit, Kelly alleged negligence by Garland for blowing the horn. An expert witness doctor testified that even one second of exposure to the horn, which reportedly emits a 145-decibel sound, would be enough to cause injury. Garland’s defense team argued that he was not negligent. An expert witness doctor testified on his behalf as well, noting Kelly’s hearing loss was not due to the horn incident, but rather 27 years of working in heavy construction. Ultimately, the jury found that negligence by Garland had proximately caused injury to Kelly, who was awarded $6,483 for medical care, plus $66,794 for future care; $4,320 for lost wages, plus $150,000 for future lost wages; $60,000 for loss of household services; and $1.5 million for pain and suffering. The total verdict was $1,787,597. Mississippi tort law, however, caps non-economic damages at $1 million, so the verdict will likely be reduced in the final judgement. [Related: Another reason insurance costs are rising -- 'claims' in no-fault accidents with litigation threat] Hydrogen fuel cell-electric trucks deployed at Port of OaklandIn a dedication event at the FirstElement Hydrogen Fueling station in West Oakland on Thursday, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) celebrated the official launch of NorCAL ZERO, a new project bringing zero-emission freight transportation to the Bay Area and Central Valley. The project is a $53 million collaborative effort to deploy 30 units of Hyundai Motor Company's Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell electric trucks. “Each diesel truck we replace with hydrogen helps clean the air -- which has tremendous public health benefits,” said Tyson Eckerle, Senior Advisor for Clean Infrastructure & Mobility at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “This project is a true trailblazer on so many levels, and a head start on the future we plan to build through the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) federal hydrogen hub.” The project is funded in part with $11.98 million from CARB’s California Climate Investments Program, $9.89 million from the CEC’s Clean Transportation Program, $3.64 million from Alameda CTC’s Clean Freight Program, $3.36 million from BAAQMD, and $24 million from project partners. Hyundai Motor Company designed and manufactured the vehicles, which are operated by G.E.T. Freight, a truck-based freight transport business of Glovis America, hauling containers from the Port of Oakland, and cars from the Port of Richmond. The trucks refuel at the recently opened high-capacity and high-throughput liquid hydrogen fueling station built and operated by FirstElement Fuel. The hydrogen station is the largest in the world and has been designed to support up to 200 trucks and back-to-back refueling, CTE said in a press release. Papé Group maintains the trucks at its San Leandro facility, where technicians receive in-depth training from Hyundai on how to service the trucks. With engineering and design support from the Fiedler Group, Papé Group also upgraded its maintenance facility with hydrogen detection and ventilation equipment to safely service the trucks. Additionally, the University of California Berkeley and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project are assisting with data collection, community outreach efforts, and communication. [Related: With CARB ZEV deadlines looming, port dray haulers slowly turn toward electric trucks] St. Christopher hosting virtual 5K to raise fundsThe St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) is hosting its inaugural Heart & Sole Virtual 5K, which will help raise awareness and funds for over-the-road truck drivers who are out of work due to an illness or injury. The concept is simple: individuals or groups can participate by registering online and then run, walk, or jog 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) anytime between May 20-26. Participants are encouraged to share photos and the donation page on social media using the hashtag #SCFHeartandSole to raise awareness for the organization and its mission. Registration for individuals is $20. SCF encourages individuals to make a team and challenge others. Event sponsorships are available companies for $1,000. All proceeds and donations will go directly to the St. Christopher Fund. Participants can also order a commemorative t-shirt available in multiple colors. “Our inaugural Heart & Sole Virtual 5K is a fun and simple way for anyone and everyone to participate and support our mission,” said Lindsey Bryan, Health and Wellness Manager at St. Christopher Fund. “We hope to not only raise funds to support drivers in need, but also promote the importance of proactive health and wellness in the trucking industry.” The SCF a nationwide nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last year. The SCF also provides several free preventative health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including tobacco cessation, diabetes prevention, chronic disease management, at-home cancer screenings, and vaccine vouchers. [Related: Of personal bests, the St. Christopher fund, and truckin', writin', and runnin'] https://ift.tt/9Wr7ATu Tesla's much-hyped Semi truck, which company founder Elon Musk calls "the most badass rig on the road," may have just shed some light on the most closely guarded secret around the EV maker's entire big-truck program: The truck's weight and payload capabilities. Tesla simply refuses to say how much it's Class 8 EV weighs. Though Pepsi's Semis participated in the North American Council for Fuel Efficiency's Run On Less program, reporting real-world performance stats, still nobody knows the exact weight. Even as Tesla hopes to ramp up Semi production, mostly to fulfill existing orders (not reach new customers), the weight hasn't ever been exactly confirmed. In the world of sales, and frankly in the world of how much things weigh, if someone doesn't want to tell you, it's almost certainly bad news. All EVs have to carry heavy batteries, which never get any lighter even as they lose charge. The Tesla Semi likely carriers about 10,000 pounds of batteries to achieve an advertised 500-mile range. No matter how light a truck's hood gets, that's a lot of weight to offset. The popular joke (or meme) around the Semi has become that it exclusively hauls potato chips for Frito-Lay, a Pepsi company. Indeed many skeptical owner-ops dismiss sightings of Teslas blowing the doors off diesel trucks on Donner Pass's steep grades as a simple parlor trick, with a Semi hauling a trailer that's mostly full of air (much like a bag of Fritos). But a new video has surfaced of the Semi hauling something pretty tangibly heavy: Five Model 3 Tesla cars. The Model 3 boasts an unreal 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds, but like all EVs it's a heavy ride, clocking in at just over 4,000 pounds. For perspective, another sedan, the Honda Accord, weighs as little as 3,200. A Subaru Outback, much bigger than the Model 3, weighs just a hair under 4,000 pounds, as does a luxury sedan like the Lexus IS 350. So the Semi can haul five 4,000 pound cars, which puts about 20,000 pounds on the trailer. The trailer, which looks like a pretty standard six-car trailer, most likely weighs around 15,000 pounds. That's a 35,000 payload demonstrated in the video above. Other videos have purported to show the Semi hauling around 50,000 in concrete dividers up Donner Pass. Keep in mind, EVs like the Tesla Semi get a 2,000-pound pass, so they can get up to 82,000 pounds total weight. This video, according to "Tesla stalker" Hinrichs Zane, shows the long-haul version of the Semi, meaning these Model 3s could be running over the road quite a ways. Overall, unless these Model 3s were somehow hollow, and the concrete dividers were too, the Semi's payload capacity has been pretty conclusively demonstrated. In the end, though, diesels likely get the last laugh. When Tesla ships out the CyberTruck, which weighs more than three full tons, it looks like the manufacturer's diesel fleet handles it.
https://ift.tt/9Wr7ATu Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 2, 2024: Freight markets continued to underperform in first quarterTruck freight continued to underperform the broader economy during the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index. The index, representing contract markets primarily, contracted significantly from both the final quarter of 2023 and the same quarter a year earlier. Several factors contributed to declining freight levels during the first three months of the year, U.S. Bank said, including bad winter weather in many parts of the country. “While there are indications that freight levels rebounded slightly in February, a strong March freight market didn’t materialize as it would during a typical first quarter,” the report noted. “While this was a tough season for motor carriers, shipper spend fell substantially during the first quarter," making it even tougher. "Capacity was still high compared with the amount of freight available, leading to lower spend.” Given freight spend contractions and other indicators, the outlook for capacity, noted Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting analyst Chris Brady, likely wouldn't start improving before the end of the second quarter, after which he forecasted "sluggish to moderate growth. ... For-hire carriers, who largely operate in linehaul applications, will initially absorb higher freight volumes by increasing truck utilization." That's been the case for owner-operators going on two years now, with miles up since mid-to-late 2022. [Related: How owner-operators still standing have weathered big rates drops through the present] In its analysis of the many freight-generating sectors of the U.S. economy, U.S. Bank in its report pointed to a decline in the household consumption of goods as a major factor in freight volumes contracting during the first quarter, the report said. “While retail sales grew modestly, they were far too low to generate significant additional truck freight.” According to Census Bureau data, retail sales were up between 0.5% and 1.5% compared to the first quarter a year ago, however, U.S. Bank said that if adjusted for inflation, sales figures likely fell between 1.5% and 2.5%, “which is a better indicator of freight volumes because it removes price effects.” Brady and CMVC didn't expect the pricing pendulum to swing toward carriers from shippers' current strong position before 2025. Even then, the swing, he felt, might only "slowly improve profit margins" combined with higher utilization. Class 8 truck sales in linehaul applications, thus, aren't expected to grow much, either. Noted by U.S. Bank, other economic sectors like home construction and factory output were flat during the first quarter, impacting shipment volumes and hampering freight pricing. Additionally, international trade was affected by various factors slowing shipments, including the conflict in the Red Sea targeting cargo ships. According to the 2024 Q1 U.S. Trade Report, West Coast ports saw an increase in imports, while reductions occurred in southern and eastern ports due to re-routing from the Suez and Panama Canals. Many ships were forced to adjust routes, adding significant time (up to two weeks) to transit, making for a challenging quarter for truck freight. [Related: Trucking's 'bloodbath': Did brokers or carriers take the biggest hit?] FMCSA proposes to incorporate new CVSA out-of-service handbook into regsThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing amendments to its Hazardous Materials Safety Permits (HMSPs) regulations to incorporate by reference the updated Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance out-of-service criteria handbook. The updated handbook contains inspection procedures and Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC) for inspections of shipments of transuranic waste and highway route-controlled quantities (HRCQs) of radioactive material (RAM), part of CVSA’s Level VI inspection program. FMCSA said federal regulations currently reference the April 1, 2023, edition of CVSA’s handbook, and it is now proposing to incorporate the April 1, 2024, edition. As previously reported, there are 11 changes in the 2024 edition that distinguish it from the 2023 edition. The full list of changes can be found here. FMCSA will accept public comments on the proposal, a generally routine matter conducted annually after development and publication of the OOSC, for 30 days beginning Friday, May 3. Comments can be made at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0073 when the notice publishes Friday in the Federal Register. [Related: CVSA's new out-of-service criteria: What truckers need to know] Fuel card provider AtoB now accepted at TAAtoB, a fuel card provider founded in 2020, announced this week a collaboration with TravelCenters of America. The company said the partnership will bring a cost savings of an average of 42 cents per gallon, providing AtoB users with competitive prices on fuel at any of TA’s more than 300 locations nationwide. “At TA, we are constantly seeking opportunities to enhance the guest experience and better serve our fleet customers and professional drivers,” said Debi Boffa, CEO of TA. “AtoB is a platform that will save our customers time and money, and we are pleased to work with a company that is at the forefront of digitizing and modernizing the trucking industry.” AtoB Fuel Cards help prevent fuel fraud, enable custom controls for more efficient fleet management, and offer savings on diesel gallons, the company said. The AtoB Driver App gives fleets visibility into fuel prices per gallon and the option to easily navigate to the closest TA location. “Drivers can also use the Fuel Map in the AtoB Driver App to find stations with the best fuel prices and cost savings,” said Vedant Khamesra, Lead Product Manager, digital payments at AtoB. “AtoB users can utilize the platform at TA travel centers and diesel fuel pumps. In addition, the AtoB Perks program allows fleets to receive significant savings on fuel costs, tires and vehicle maintenance.” [Related: Fuel payments providers boost theft protections amid card-skimming explosion] https://ift.tt/9Wr7ATu At about 5:30am on I-95 in Norwalk, Connecticut, a tractor-trailer, a fuel truck and a passenger vehicle collided, causing a massive fire that's shuttered the interstate and caused "horrendous" traffic in the area, according to Governor Ned Lamont. "Thank God there were no serious injuries, but it has resulted in the closing of I-95 North and South, and that is incredible in terms of the traffic jams," he said at a press conference early Thursday morning. Lamont said the state had "given notice to trucking companies" to take I-87 or I-84, and that additional traffic information was available on CTroads.org. Lamont said authorities needed "a couple hours to investigate" the cause of the crash, and that they're "also looking at structural damage to the bridge." "I can just tell you that I have talked to Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and the Feds are standing by," he continued. "I know what an incredible inconvenience this is for people, and all I can ask you to stay away from that area as best you can because the traffic jams are horrendous." Buttigieg wrote on Twitter/X that "our highways team is working closely with Connecticut's DOT on the tanker fire that has closed I-95 in Norwalk. ... Please heed local authorities on detours and avoid the area if possible. Thank you to the first responders who are dealing with the fire and keeping other drivers safe." Paul Rizzo, Connecticut's chief of highway operations, said that sign boards in Connecticut and surrounding states would inform drivers of the closure. Scott Hill, chief engineer at the Connecticut DOT, stressed that "the bridge is stable" but that "we need to finish the police investigation to get in to look at the bridge." There were utility wires hanging down, but the bridge was "not a collapse issue, the area is safe," said Hill. "Once we figure out how much damage is done to the bridge -- gasoline can really heat up and deform the steel of the bridge -- we'll know more. We anticipate we will know more around 1 or 2 p.m." Said Governor Lamont, "We anticipate this area of the highway to be closed for a significant period. Anyone traveling through this area should find alternate routes." In June of 2023, a tanker fire under an overpass closed I-95 in Philadelphia. Authorities originally thought it would take months to fix, with a bridge replacement. Within three weeks, the bridge was back supporting passenger traffic. [Related: Pennsylvania I-95 driver in tanker fire ID's at Nathan Moody of TK Transport] https://ift.tt/2kRH4Ya A group of Senators and Representatives on Wednesday introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) legislation in the U.S. Senate and House to block the Biden administration’s latest emissions reduction mandates, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas regulations for heavy-duty trucks. Another CRA resolution calls for the rollback of new emissions regulations for light- and medium-duty vehicles. U.S. Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and U.S. Reps. John James (R-Michigan) and Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) introduced the CRA resolutions. A CRA resolution is a tool Congress can use to overturn certain federal agency actions. Like any Congressional bill, a CRA must be passed by both chambers and signed by the president or passed over a presidential veto by two-thirds of the members of each house. As reported when the EPA’s final Phase 3 rule was introduced, roughly 25% of heavy-duty sleeper trucks would need to be zero-emission by 2032 and 40% of regional day cabs. The EPA Phase 3 rule does not specify any particular emissions solution in its rules, maintaining its promise of a "technology-neutral" approach. However, it will be difficult to hit emissions benchmarks without some integration of either hybrid, battery-electric, or hydrogen-electric trucks, many watchers believe. [Related: Consumer protections included in Phase 3 EPA rule] Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer lauded the effort to overturn EPA’s final rule. “Small business truckers make up 96% of trucking and could be regulated out of existence if the EPA’s misguided mandate comes into effect,” he said. “This could have devastating effects on the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately on the cost and availability of consumer goods. Local mom-and-pop trucking businesses would be suffocated by the sheer cost and operational challenges of effectively mandating EV trucks. We thank Senator Ricketts and Senator Sullivan for their leadership in Congress in standing up for America’s small business truckers to fight EPA’s unworkable emissions regulations.” Likewise, American Trucking Associations Chief Advocacy and Public Affairs Officer Ed Gilroy called the Phase 3 GHG rule “entirely unachievable given the current state of zero-emission technology, the lack of charging infrastructure and restrictions on the power grid.” [Related: EPA Phase 3 truck emissions rule destined to fail? Industry reactions pour in] “Senators Sullivan and Ricketts and Representatives Fulcher and James' resolution highlights the need for EPA to include the operational realities of trucking in their final regulation,” Gilroy added. “We appreciate them drawing attention to this important issue and look forward to continuing to work with champions in Congress, coalition partners in industry and federal regulators to develop realistic, technology-neutral national emissions standards that will benefit our environment and set our supply chain up for success.” Ricketts and James introduced the CRA for the light- and medium-duty vehicles rule, while Sullivan and Fulcher introduced the CRA for the heavy-duty vehicles rule. Sullivan and Ricketts are both members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. James and Fulcher are both members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. An effort in 2023 to roll back the EPA's Heavy Duty Truck Rule establishing emission limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) from commercial trucks beginning with the 2027 model year passed the House and Senate, but was ultimately vetoed by President Joe Biden. [Related: 'Massive' rate increase needed to finance $1 trillion electric trucking conversion] https://ift.tt/2kRH4Ya Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, May 1, 2024: Diesel prices mostly flat so far in 2024Diesel prices across the U.S. have stayed mostly flat since a mid-February spike in prices led to diesel’s 2024 high mark, based on Energy Information Administration data. The national average for diesel prices peaked at $4.11 during the weeks ending Feb. 12 and Feb. 19. Since then, fuel prices have hovered around $4 a gallon. Fuel prices are up about 12 cents from the beginning of the year and down about 7 cents from the same week a year ago. During the most recent week ending April 29, diesel averaged $3.95 across the U.S. -- the second consecutive week under $4 a gallon. Prices fell in all regions during the most recent week, with the biggest decrease being seen in the Rocky Mountain region, where prices fell 9.6 cents, followed by the Midwest region, which saw a 5.3-cent decrease. California remains home to the most expensive fuel prices in the nation, averaging $5.22 per gallon during the most recent week, followed by New England at $4.31 per gallon. The cheapest diesel can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $3.66 per gallon, followed by the Rocky Mountain region at $3.79 per gallon. Prices in other regions, according to EIA:
ProMiles’ diesel averages during the same week showed prices fall 3.4 cents to $3.97 a gallon. According to the ProMiles Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $5.30 per gallon, and the cheapest can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $3.67 per gallon. [Related: Trucking's 'bloodbath': Did brokers or carriers take the biggest hit?] Free inspections offered ahead of RoadcheckThe Boss Truck Shop chain is offering free CVSA inspections the week before the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck. Roadcheck is being held this year May 14-16 with a focus on the tractor protection controls in the air system, and alcohol and controlled substance possession. During the week prior, May 5-12, drivers can get their trucks inspected for free at a Boss Truck Shop as an added layer of protection ahead of the enforcement blitz. Boss Truck Shop locations can be found here. [Related: Roadcheck 2024: Inspectors looking for drugs, alcohol, and steady gladhands] I-15 bridge in Arizona reopensA major bridge along Interstate 15 in northwestern Arizona is fully open to traffic following reconstruction work, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Crews have finished I-15 Bridge No. 1 over the Virgin River Gorge near the community of Littlefield. The structure carries thousands of vehicles per day on two lanes in each direction. Work on the bridge, which started in early 2021, included replacing the abutments, support piers and deck of the bridge, creating an improved structure designed to carry traffic for decades to come, ADOT said. As part of the I-15 corridor linking Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, Bridge No. 1 now has a new pavement surface and pavement markings. ADOT’s work also has added new guardrails and signs along a two-mile stretch of I-15 that includes the upgraded bridge. Over the past decade ADOT has completed a series of improvement projects, including pavement deck repairs, on several I-15 bridges along the state’s 29-mile stretch of the highway. Projects in the area are challenging due to the steep, winding canyons of the Virgin River Gorge, the department noted. [Related: Arizona I-40 rougher than a corncob? You bet] TCA launches new carrier recognition programThe Truckload Carriers Association announce Tuesday a new driver satisfaction awards program called TCA Drivers’ Choice Awards – The Elite Fleets. This brand-new program will celebrate and recognize the best carrier workplaces in the North American trucking industry based on truck driver feedback and satisfaction. Produced by TCA and in partnership with University of Denver’s Transportation & Supply Chain Institute, the TCA Drivers' Choice Awards will highlight those carriers who provide exceptional workplace experiences for their company drivers and independent contractors. “Recognizing and celebrating the best carrier workplaces in the North American trucking industry not only acknowledges the efforts of these companies but also promotes a culture of excellence and driver satisfaction within the industry,” said TCA President Jim Ward. “By partnering with a reputable institution like the University of Denver, the program ensures that the surveys and scoring are conducted impartially and with a high level of professionalism.” Only TCA carrier members can participate in the new program. Nominations will open later this year, and the top scoring carriers will be celebrated at TCA’s 2025 convention, which is taking place March 15-18 in Phoenix, Arizona. After being nominated, carriers and their drivers will be asked to complete surveys that will be administered, overseen and scored by the University of Denver’s Transportation & Supply Chain Institute. In preparing for this new initiative, TCA surveyed its membership for their feedback and formed four working groups who helped provide input on the program's structure, the attributes associated with satisfied drivers, and many other aspects of the program. This has truly been a membership led effort in creating TCA Drivers' Choice Awards. EpicVue, TruckRight and Samsara and the presenting co-sponsors for the new program. [Related: Enter Overdrive's Trucker of the Year award program for 2024] https://ift.tt/2kRH4Ya High school trucking program instructor Dave Dein advances toward Teacher of the Year honors5/1/2024 California's Patterson High School is the home base of Dave Dein and his well-known, in some ways pioneering, CDL truck driving instruction program for high school students. Dein was recently honored as Teacher of the Year by the California chapter of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) for his work teaching and promoting the trucking profession to Patterson students. Dein's influence extends beyond just his local area, too. Since the 2017 start of the high-school trucking program as what might be the first such non-vocational-school program in the country, Dein developed model curricula being adopted and replicated elsewhere around the country. Dein went on to advance in ACTE's Western region in the Teacher of the Year competition, and now will be one of five teachers competing for the national Teacher of the Year title. The program concludes in early December at the ACTE Vision Conference in San Antonio, Texas. “Being chosen as the 2025 California ACTE Teacher of the Year was such an honor,” said Dein. “As I was presented with the award at this year’s Educating for Careers Conference in Sacramento, it became extremely evident that it was covered with the fingerprints of those who greatly impacted me and allowed me to stand here on this stage. I share this award with all those who have made a lasting imprint on my life.” Dein’s gift and passion for sharing his love of the road has inspired many to take up the work of trucking. Three years ago, Dein hopped back into a truck to raise money for the Next Generation in Trucking Association nonprofit he co-founded. In addition to developing model curricula mentioned above, the nonprofit also awards scholarships to students looking to attend truck driving schools across the country, and works with schools to create and implement trucking programs like the one at Patterson High School. Dein worked one summer for Morning Star Trucking, a company he drove for in the 1990s to pay for college, to raise money for Next Generation in Trucking. When Morning Star learned that he would be donating his salary to the nonprofit, they decided to match his earnings and make a donation, too. Before that, Dein spent 10 years as a summer instructor for Faith Logistics, a nonprofit through which he worked with ex-inmates in their efforts to obtain a CDL and job placement. Dein started Patterson High School’s program seven years ago now, and made it one of the nation’s first high school truck driving programs. “Dave Dein has worked tirelessly to train the next generation of America’s commercial drivers,” said Mark Allen, president and CEO of the International Foodservice Distributors Association. “This is a well-deserved recognition for Dave and his vision for America’s commercial drivers.” https://ift.tt/WHBn6Z2 Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 30, 2024: Driver faces 10 to life for cocaine possession, intent to distributeA Dallas-based truck driver pleaded guilty on April 26 in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts, for his role in what prosecutors call a “nationwide large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy.” According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, truck driver Javier Robledo Perez, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, distribution, and possession charges related to large quantities (more than five kilograms) of cocaine. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19. Perez was a truck driver based in Dallas who moved around 30 kilos of cocaine across state lines on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico and Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. In May 2020, Perez and his co-conspirators arranged for the delivery of the 30 kilos of cocaine to a cooperating witness in Massachusetts. Perez was stopped by law enforcement as he traveled into the state in his commercial truck; 30 vacuum-sealed bricks were seized after search of the truck. His two central charges:
Both carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. [Related: Driver arrested with approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine in truck] FMCSA opens registration for meeting on registration systemRegistration is now open for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s stakeholder event regarding upcoming changes to the agency’s motor carrier/broker/forwarder registration system. Updates come in response to widespread industry complaints about double brokering and other fraud, and acknowledgment by the agency that it has a seriously bad "bad actor" problem among registered entities. The agency announced in March that it would host a virtual “Registration Modernization Stakeholder Day” on May 29 from 1-3 p.m. Eastern. In a Federal Register notice to be published Wednesday, May 1, the agency said the upcoming meeting “is intended for current and potential users of a new online registration system,” including but not limited to:
The full meeting agenda is not yet available but will be published on the registration site in advance of the meeting. Those interested in attending the virtual meeting can register here. [Related: FMCSA moves on registration-system update] Delaware cracking down on unsafe driving around trucksThe Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is teaming up with state and local police agencies to conduct a new high-visibility enforcement effort focused on the traffic safety of motorists around commercial motor vehicles. The agency is holding two enforcement periods this year -- one ongoing now through May 11, and another from June 15-29. The objective for this year is to run two enforcement periods and to spread awareness and education on social media for motorists when driving around commercial motor vehicles, OHS said. In 2023, more than half of the fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in the state recorded that the operator of the commercial motor vehicle was not cited. [Related: Holiday highway PSAs fit for our four-wheeled friends] “Driving around vehicles that are much larger than your own can be intimidating. Being aware of the differences between regular vehicles and commercial motor vehicles can help us all make informed decisions out on the road,” said Sharon Bryson, Director, Delaware OHS. “It’s not just the responsibility of the driver of the commercial motor vehicle, it is everyone’s responsibility to use our roadways safely. We all have to share the road, and we all have the same goal, to arrive alive.” Among tips Delaware OHS is offering to motorists driving around CMVs are:
[Related: Side underride guards would be most expensive mandate in trucking history?] https://ift.tt/WHBn6Z2 |
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