Trucks World News

User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News

Loading

Aug 18, 2014

TRUCKING RULES * USA: Truckers' coercion

* Missouri - Coercion proposal does not go far enough to protect drivers, OOIDA says

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line, by David Tanner -15 Aug 2014: -- OOIDA gives credit to the FMCSA for addressing the issue of coercion of drivers by motor carriers, shippers, receivers and brokers, but OOIDA remains concerned that the anti-coercion proposal is too narrow to reach the heart of the issue and relies solely on drivers to bring forward their claims... In comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration filed on Aug. 11, OOIDA President and CEO, Jim Johnston, applauds the intent of the administration’s notice of proposed rulemaking that would “prohibit motor carriers, shippers, receivers, or transportation intermediaries from coercing drivers to operate commercial motor vehicles in violation of certain provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations ” ... OOIDA thanked the administration for recognizing the marketplace demands of on-time delivery schedules and the economic pressures placed on commercial drivers... OOIDA encourages the FMCSA to continue reaching out to drivers and motor carriers to create the most effective rule possible... In its comments, OOIDA says FMCSA has a duty to seek comments and review all existing rules, such as hours of service and electronic logging devices, to determine “whether they may be rewritten to prevent coercion” ...

Labels: trucking rules

Aug 6, 2014

TRUCKING RULES * USA: Gas trucks helped

* DC - Federal Legislation seeks to eliminate Natural Gas Vehicle disadvantage

(Photo: Volvo Group's Mack brand, trucks powered by natural gas)
Washington,DC,USA -NGT News -August 01, 2014: -- U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., have introduced the Natural Gas Long Haul Truck Competitiveness Act of 2014, which would allow trucks that are powered by natural gas to legally exceed federal highway weight-limit rules... According to bill analysis additional weight associated with vehicles' compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel systems. The extra weight of high-pressure or insulated natural gas fuel tanks and associated equipment, which can amount to approximately 2,000 lbs. or more, means a CNG or LNG truck cannot carry the same amount of freight as a diesel truck. This causes a revenue loss of up to 3% percent due to reduced payload... The bill would allow CNG- or LNG-powered trucks to exceed Interstate Highway System weight limits by the difference between the additional weight of the natural gas fuel system in use and the weight of a comparable diesel tank fueling system...

Labels: trucking industry news USA, trucking rules

Jun 19, 2014

TRUCKING RULES * USA: Federal's Truck Regs ...

* Illinois ... Not So Fast

Decatur,ILL,USA -WANDTV 17 –Jun 17, 2014: -- The recent crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that injured actor Tracy Morgan has some politicians calling for changes in trucking industry regulations. One local former truck company owner says don’t act so fast. Study the issue from the driver’s perspective first... U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, (D) New York, wants “black boxes” installed on all big rigs before the end of the summer. “Today we are calling on the Motor Carrier Safety Administration to get rules in effect in the next two months. Plain and simple,” Schumer stated... But Mark Young, a former truck company owner from Taylorville, wants the federal government to take its time since federal laws regulating trucking were changed just one year ago... Young suggests an inexpensive method of determining who is at fault in crashes involving trucks. Mounting dash cams in truck cabs... “They’re affordable and an accurate record of what the truck is doing. Where it’s at, locations. And hours of service by their drivers,” he said. Young showed WAND TV a camera he mounts in his truck. He says he purchased it for about $100 at a local Pilot fueling station...

Labels: trucking rules

TRUCKING RULES * Australia

* Australian trucks set to reap the full benefits of EWDs

Canberra,ACT,Australia -NTC -16 Jun 2014: -- Truck drivers choosing electronic work diaries (EWDs) won’t be fined for small breaches of less than eight minutes under new policy settings agreed to by transport ministers on 23 May. The changes will also better protect drivers’ privacy and help authorities target the small number of people who break the law... CEO of the NTC Paul Retter recognising that small breaches with very little fatigue impact may occasionally occur, regulations will be introduced so that heavy vehicle drivers using an EWD and operating in standard hours or Basic Fatigue Management, will not incur a minor risk breach if their work time is exceeded by up to eight minutes... The effectiveness of the approach will be reviewed after two years of initial uptake by industry...

Labels: trucking rules

Jun 6, 2014

TRUCKING REGULATIONS * USA: HOS - Speed Limiters - DMV troubles -

* DC - Trucking Alliance pushes plan to study 34-hours restart

(Photo: Data gleaned from electronic logs will produce technologically objective data, while Psychomotor Vigilance Tests will gauges the impact of fatigue on drivers' reactions)
Washington,DC,USA -TruckingInfo, by Oliver Patton -2 June 2014: -- Congress is considering a plan to study the 34-hour restart provision of the hours of service rule using data collected by electronic logs... This approach is being suggested by the Trucking Alliance and other groups to counter the effort by American Trucking Associations to have Congress cut off funds for enforcement of the restart provision... In a letter to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a coalition of the Alliance, safety advocates and the Teamsters union asked for language instructing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a study comparing the current restart provision to the old restart... The Alliance members are Maverick USA, Knight Transportation, J.B. Hunt, Dupre’, Boyle Transportation and Fikes Truck Line... They are joined in the letter by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Trauma Foundation, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, Road Safe America, Parents Against Tired Truckers, the Consumer Federation of America and the Truck Safety Coalition, in addition to the Teamsters union... They said that the restart provision should not be defunded, revised or replaced without a comprehensive study of its effectiveness...

* Oregon - DOT proposes speed limiters on commercial trucks

(Photo: speedometer)
Portland,ORE,USA -NW Injury Law Center, by DON JACOBS -4 June 2014: -- Speed kills. So when speed limits aren't enough, some in positions of authority think that you have to take it one step further and mechanically force vehicles to obey the speed limit, or at least the limit programmed in the device... So, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is set to mandate speed limiters on certain trucks that ride our highway system. Also known as Electronic Control Modules (ECM), in the proposal, the devices would limit trucks that weigh over 26,000 pounds traveling roads with speed limit of at least 55 mph...

* New York - Truckers having DMV problems

Rochester,Monroe,NY,USA -WHEC Rochester, by Brett Davidsen -3 June 2014: -- Truck drivers claim the state is losing important forms they need to keep their jobs. Trucking companies are telling News10NBC they have run into problems with the state over medical certification forms. Those forms prove a driver is medically fit to drive and they’re required for people with commercial driver’s licenses. Many truckers say they've turned in the forms, but the state is notifying them they have no record of them... This is all part of new federal regulations that went into effect this year. The regulations require every person with a commercial driver’s license to declare what type of driving they’ll be doing and then submit a valid medical certificate for the DMV to keep on file... Many trucking companies say they keep getting notices that those certificates are not being received...

Labels: trucking rules, trucks' regulations

Dec 22, 2011

TRUCKING RULES * USA - Senate Committee Advances Freight Policy Measure

* DC - Senate Panel Approves Multimodal, Truck Safety Bills

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce, by William B. Cassidy -Dec 15, 2011: -- Legislation would mandate onboard recorders, give FMCSA, PHMSA more authority A Senate committee approved measures on Wednesday that would establish a multimodal freight program, mandate electronic onboard recorders on all trucks, and tighten hazardous materials regulation... The bills, part of a slew of transportation items led by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act, also would give federal regulators more power to pull unsafe carriers off the road and make it harder for fleets ordered out of service to get new authority under new names... The bill also includes the FREIGHT Act, which would create a national multimodal freight program, and it would give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration more power to pull unsafe trucking and bus companies off the highway... The committee also approved the Hazardous Materials Transportation Improvement Safety Act, which would give the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration more power to punish shippers that break its rules...

Labels: rules and regulations, trucking rules

Jul 17, 2010

Document Automation Delivers * USA - Better Mileage To Trucking Industry

Well... maybe you can eat a sandwich, but don’t try to expense it without a receipt !!

Tarrytown,NY,USA -Datacap.blog, by David Jenness -July 15, 2010: -- A little known and critical element of success that trucking companies are just waking up to is how they manage paper. Transportation companies know all too well that the industry runs on paper documents. Drivers out on the road cannot load a truck, deliver a payload, fill their fuel tank or eat a sandwich without filling out a paper document... What a typical driver carries with him: According to a regular driver, here’s a list of the documents a driver must have ready to present if pulled over:

1. Daily log book
2. Proof of valid and current insurance
3. IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)
4. Bills of lading in the proper format (make sure the shipper has signed the bill under “shippers certification,” among other things)
5. Drivers license with the proper endorsements
6. Valid medical card
7. Tractor and trailer registration
8. If you haul hazmat (hazardous materials):

* Proper endorsement
* Carrier’s authority to haul haz-mat
* Emergency response guide book

Labels: trucking rules

Apr 2, 2009

TRUCKING RULES * Canada - Changes to MTO facility audit system kick-in

Ontario's new, modernized CVOR and Facility Audit program takes effect this week, on April 1

Toronto,ONT,CAN -Today'sTrucking -30 March 2009: -- ... The revamped audit system still requires carriers to maintain proper driver and vehicle records. However, the system changes from "performance based" assessments to "risk based" assessments triggered by elements more likely to cause or contribute to crashes such as hours-of-service violations, driver qualification and behavior, and fitness of equipment. The facility audit focuses on how effectively the operator monitors and manages these risks... Total scores in those three 'profiles' (each of which contain their own subsections) will mostly determine carriers' safety ratings (CSR)... The MTO could have been motivated to toughen up new entrant standards and other procedures after a critical 2008 Auditor General's Report, which found, among other things, that as many as 20,000 operators have never applied for the required CVOR certificate... (Picture from 4.bp.blogspot.com: truck driving on icy road)

Labels: trucking rules

Feb 14, 2009

RULES & REGULATIONS * Canada - STA makes headway with series of rule changes

The Saskatchewan Trucking Association has been working closely with their provincial government and has made considerable progress on a number of regulatory changes and modifications

Regina,Saskatchewan,CAN -Today's Trucking -13 Feb 2009: -- ... A general dialogue between the STA and Highways Minister Wayne Elhard is ongoing, and the ministry has agreed to a number of significant changes that will positively affect the province’s trucking industry... Some of the recent changes include:

* Elimination of the $0.14/km TPP fee for Energy Efficient Motor Vehicles (EEMV) companies.

* The overall length of the Turnpike Double and Triple Trailer Combination units to 41meters from 38 meters and Rocky Mountain Doubles to 34 meters from 31 meters while operating on the four-lane highway system.

* The increase of EEMV speed limits from 90 km/h to 100 km/h. The increase would be made in an effort to harmonize speed limits among the three western provinces.

* An examination of routes that can handle 63,500 kg and other weights... Expansion of the 63,500 kg beyond the National Highway System would require further review to determine the fitness of bridges to carry the higher 63 500 kg...

* The ministry will assess the possibility of allowing increased weights for wide-based tires that currently operate at 3,850 kg/tire, bringing it more in line with Manitoba and B.C. which allow 7,700 kg per axle; and Ontario and Quebec, which allow fleets to spec wide-base tires at the same weight limit as duals, at 9,000 kg.

(Photo: Trucking carriers are urging Saskatchewan to update weight & dimension rules with initiatives seen in other provinces)

Labels: trucking rules

Dec 17, 2008

NEW TRUCKING RULES * USA - FMCSA names 16 deadly sins for new entrants

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -Dec. 16, 2008: -- New motor carriers face losing their authority if they commit any one of the newly identified 16 deadly sins that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration outlines in a new final rule... Once the reg is in effect, truckers and trucking companies will have their authority yanked if they are found to have violated one of 16 different safety regulations during the new entrant safety audit. If one of the violations is found during a roadside inspection, that can trigger an “expedited action,” which is a safety audit or compliance review... The key safety regulations, quickly dubbed the “16 deadly sins” by industry insiders, are: ...

* FMCSA Sets Intermodal Chassis ‘Roadability’ Rule

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -17 Dec 2008: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Wednesday issued a new rule that it said will “significantly strengthen safety requirements” for intermodal container chassis... The so-called “roadability” rule affects the special trailers that hold cargo containers when they are transferred from ship or rail to truck for final delivery, FMCSA said in a statement... The rules make intermodal equipment providers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, or FMCSRs, for the first time, and establish shared safety responsibility among intermodal equipment providers, motor carriers, and drivers...

Labels: trucking rules

Nov 17, 2008

RULES * USA - Plan keeps Ithaca on trucks' crossroad

Proposed regulations will keep large trucks on routes 79, 89, 96 in county

Ithaca,NY,USA -The Ithaca Journal, by Tim Ashmore -November 15, 2008: -- Large trucks may continue to roll through Tompkins County under new state rules being developed on the use of small local roads by long-distance truckers... The state Department of Transportation had tried to reduce large truck traffic in the Finger Lakes region. A public hearing early this fall on the proposed rules faced opposition from the state's trucking industry... Also, the proposed state regulation that focused on large, long-distance trucks conflicted with federal rules that prevent states from singling out certain types of trucks for regulation. Defying those federal rules could jeopardize New York's federal highway dollars...

Labels: trucking rules

Nov 14, 2008

CARRIER'S IDENTIFICATION * USA - New ID requirements for trucks

Nichigan,USA -NBC25 -November 13, 2008: -- Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, commercial motor vehicles traveling in Michigan will be required to display a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number as part of the Interstate Motor Carrier Identification Program. Requiring USDOT numbers will help the Michigan State Police (MSP) Traffic Safety Division to monitor safety trends and will ensure all intrastate commercial motor vehicles comply with national safety requirements... Obtaining and displaying a USDOT number is required for commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight over 10,000 pounds; vehicles used to transport hazardous materials in amounts requiring a placard; vehicles designed to transport 15 or more passengers; and vehicles used to transport eight or more passengers for hire... The MSP began implementing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards that allow all commercial motor vehicles to obtain a number in March 2007, as part of a continued effort to reduce traffic crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. This new requirement was phased in over a two-year period to allow operators time to comply...

Labels: trucking rules

Nov 11, 2008

RULES * USA - New York revises truck ban plan after feds weigh in

New York,NY,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Clarissa Kell-Holland -Nov. 10, 2008: -- Officials with the New York State Department of Transportation announced recently that they are revising its plan to force heavy trucks off certain state roads... This revision comes after the NYDOT received word from the Federal Highway Administration in late September that the state’s federal funding might be in jeopardy if the proposed truck ban regulation became law as previously written... Spokesman Charles “Skip” Carrier of the NYDOT told Land Line Magazine the agency has been “in communication” with the FHWA regarding the proposed changes to the state’s truck ban, which now focuses on restricting heavy trucks on seven specific state highways – instead of the original 60 state routes proposed previously...

Labels: trucking rules

Aug 27, 2008

RULES * USA - New Missouri law bans big trucks from left lane

St. Louis,MO,USA -The Associated Press/KMOV-TV -27 Aug 2008: -- There are some big changes for big trucks on Missouri interstates... Starting Thursday, trucks weighing more than 48,000 pounds can no longer travel in the far left lane on highways in urban areas throughout the state... This applies mostly to semi and heavy-freight trucks... The rules will be enforced in Missouri's urban areas... Trucks will not be banned from the left lane in rural parts of the state...

Labels: trucking rules

Jul 18, 2008

State Rule * USA - NYSMTA Says Proposed One, Will Waste Fuel, Add to Inflation

Albany,N.Y.,USA -MarketWatch -Jul 18, 2008: -- ... The latest blow from government regulators is a proposed rule that will waste fuel and add to the cost of all consumer goods... With skyrocketing fuel prices, New York State Thruway toll hikes, and the onerous ton-mile tax, the cost of shipping goods in New York continues to rise. Adding to this burden, Governor Paterson last month issued draft regulations that would divert truck traffic throughout the state to significantly longer routes... "The New York State Motor Truck Association (NYSMTA) has serious concerns regarding the impact this regulation would have on the New York economy," said NYSMTA Acting President, Kendra Adams... Today, a truck delivering materials from Syracuse to Corning Glass in Corning travels 200 miles to make one round trip. If enacted, the draft regulation would require the same truck to travel 292 miles. Assuming one truck can make two round trips a day, five days per week, the increased mileage would result in an additional cost of $127,254 per year. About $50,000 of this increase can be attributed to fuel usage (Example assumes $2.66 per mile operating costs and 5 miles per gallon at $5.20 per gallon of diesel). Carriers struggling with rising fuel costs and fighting to stay in business cannot afford to absorb these additional costs. The costs ultimately are passed to consumers in the form of higher prices. At a time when all New Yorkers are struggling with a sluggish economy and record fuel prices, restricting truck access in the state is the wrong policy...

Labels: trucking rules

Jul 17, 2008

RULES * USA - FMCSA silent on Arizona enforcement of TV reg on laptops

AZ,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Charlie Morasch -July 16, 2008: -- Officials with the FMCSA won’t say whether the agency has told Arizona to stop citing drivers with laptops in their cabs, more than a month after the state requested guidance from the federal agency... The issue has the potential to affect thousands of truckers who have computers, GPS devices or other technology in their cabs to track hours of service and use mapping technology... Arizona DOT spokeswoman Cydney DeModica didn’t return recent phone calls by Land Line. In previous interviews, DeModica said Arizona DOT enforcement officers said they had seen drivers typing and using computers for chat sessions...

Labels: trucking rules

Jul 15, 2008

RULES * USA - Missouri approves truck lane restrictions, other provisions of note

Missouri,USA -Land Line Magazine -July 14, 2008: -- Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has signed into law a lengthy bill that includes several provisions of interest to truck drivers... The new law, prohibits large trucks from traveling in the far left lane on certain roads through Kansas City and St. Louis... Trucks with a registered gross weight in excess of 48,000 pounds will be prohibited from driving in the far left lane of “urbanized” highways that have at least three lanes of traffic in each direction. The rule change will take effect once signage is posted...

Labels: trucking rules

Jul 3, 2008

TRUCKS RULES * USA - California resolution discourages longer, heavier trucks

CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble -July 2, 2008: -- An effort in the California Senate that is nearing passage urges the resistance of any attempts to allow longer, heavier trucks on roadways throughout the state... There is concern about the impact that increases would have on highways and bridges... An analysis of the measure points out that existing federal and California law establishes length, width and weight limits for a variety of vehicles and vehicle combinations. Generally, the total length of a combination of vehicles is limited to 65 feet while vehicle width is limited to 102 inches. Typically, tractor-trailer weights may not exceed 80,000 pounds, while lower maximum weights are applied for smaller transport vehicles... Certain groups have indicated they will ask Congress to remove the “freeze” on longer combination vehicles as part of the reauthorization of the highway funding bill which will be in the works during the next two years... Increasing truck size and weight would require that many bridges throughout the state be replaced or strengthened, opponents say. Others say allowing super-sized trucks on California roadways would put the safety of the motoring public at risk...

Labels: trucking rules

Jun 13, 2008

Trucking Regulations * USA - Protect the public

North Andover,MA,USA -The Eagle Tribune -June 12, 2008: -- ... Federal transportation regulations prohibit a commercial driver from driving more than 11 hours consecutively or spending more than 14 hours consecutively on-duty (which includes nondriving time while trucks are loaded or unloaded). After an 11-hour driving shift, a driver must have 10 hours off-duty. Truckers are required to enter their driving and sleeping times in a logbook... Some drivers routinely falsify their logbooks to make it appear they have been driving less time than they actually have. Drivers are often paid by the mile, not the hour, so time spent resting or sleeping earns them nothing... The driver, Troy Marshall of Indiana was cited by state police for false logbook entries and other trucking violations. Police said the driver, had not taken a break from driving for a day or two... The incident could have been much worse. Road workers or pedestrians could have been hit and killed. Marshall could have run his truck into a building or other vehicles... Trucking regulations, particularly limits on operator hours, are aimed at protecting the public. These regulations must be vigorously enforced and the penalties for violating them substantial enough to discourage unsafe behavior...

Labels: trucking rules

Jun 4, 2008

RULES' IDEAS * Australia - Supply chain laws to get tougher

If the legislation is passed, businesses, which promote unsafe driving practices by enforcing impractical targets, will be charged and/or fined

Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -Australian Food, by Daniel Palmer -June 4, 2008: -- The ‘chain of responsibility’ could be about to become more stringent, with new laws to be introduced in NSW to crackdown on companies setting unrealistic deadlines... The NSW initiative follows the nationwide introduction of the ‘chain of responsibility’, which came into force in 2005. This legislation was introduced to ensure that “all who bear responsibility for conduct which affects compliance should be made accountable”. The law covers the receiver of goods, the loader (supplier), truck driver and the manager/scheduler; meaning that all involved in the supply chain need to be aware of their responsibilities... The NSW Government, however, is clearly still alarmed by the amount of avoidable accidents involving trucks on the road, as since that legislation they have also introduced the Heavy Vehicle Rating System (to enable both repeat driver and operator offenders to be identified) and the “three strikes” scheme. This scheme results in all operators who collect 3 strikes (occur when a driver is caught going at least 15 km/h over the limit) in a three-year period having their vehicle’s registration suspended for up to 3 months... Long-haul truck drivers have previously claimed that unrealistic expectations have been put on them in order to meet deadlines. Consequently, past surveys indicating high drug use amongst truck drivers are not unexpected. A crackdown on truck drivers last week by WA police in Norseman resulted in 11 truck drivers being charged for drug possession and/or driving under the influence of drugs. The three-day blitz reportedly led to the seizure of $30,000 worth of amphetamines and supported arguments by unions that truck drivers are under too much pressure... NSW Roads Minister, Eric Roozendaal, claims that plans to extend the ‘chain of responsibility’ laws are to ensure all players in the supply chain will be dealt with more appropriately... Those in the supply chain will follow with interest to find out just how much stricter the ‘chain of responsibility’ law will become in NSW...

Labels: trucking rules