Truck drivers play an essential role in the world economy, but life isn’t easy for them. Drivers face a wide variety of issues and challenges that affect both them and the industry as a whole. For example, trucker issues contributed to the driver shortage, as qualified drivers leave the industry because of low pay and difficult working conditions. Other truck driver challenges include issues related to health and wellness. Truckers must deal with a lack of exercise, poor diet, extended periods without bathroom breaks, eye strain, cramped conditions, poor sleep — not to mention the mental toll of being away from home and family for days at a time. Though many drivers earn good wages, the physical and mental stress isn’t always worth it to them.
Check back here for the latest news and insights on driver issues, or visit our Trucking Industry News archive to find additional information.
Companies need to keep their drivers safe; they also need to retain them and pay them. This white paper discusses how both can be done.
Retention, training, and the capacity crunch are undeniably hot button issues in 2018. In response, SmartDrive and FreightWaves collaborated to distribute a survey to uncover trends in driver incentive programs. The white paper—based on the findings of the survey, which was fielded in Q3 2018—reveals the steps that trucking companies are taking in order to hire and retain qualified drivers and create safer, more profitable organizations.
KeepTruckin has further expanded the utility of its fleet management platform with a new App Marketplace for customers to access solutions that easily integrate with KeepTruckin’s current platforms.
As more delivery companies join Amazon partner program, speculation mounts about the e-giant’s transportation and logistics grab
If the trucking market is nearing a peak, it isn’t showing up in the order books of truck OEMs.
Cameras and “magnetometers” will be used to supply data into a system that will tell drivers whether parking is available.
The driver squeeze forced U.S. Xpress to shift resources from OTR to Dedicated. Still, it posted a healthy increase in its OR.
The Drivewyze weigh in motion software will come built into Orbcomm devices. Separately, the company will launch a new free data analysis service for their customers.
Less-than-truckload carrier plans to rejuvenate fleet and remain focused on price over volume.
While 60% did say that ELDs were forcing drivers to stop, rest, and run legally, the other 40% of respondents felt that ELDs decreased driver safety, as well as for others on the road.
The divergence on that issue isn’t the only one: not surprisingly, management and drivers see the driver shortage issue through different lenses.
The bill, called the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to report to Congress on its progress creating and issuing guidelines for hair testing.
On the agenda for the day: AOBRD transition, personal conveyance, sleeper berth rule and plenty of other issues for FMCSA’s top attorney.
Martinez also said the process has begun to look at the overlapping rules regarding agriculture transportation, and he clearly doesn’t favor California’s separate rules on meal breaks.
But lead agency for commercial vehicle safety says autonomous trucking will serve drivers well and make industry better.
The UPS Freight 30-day period is coming to an end and rank-and-file angry with the ratification decision in the face of a “no” vote are not sitting quietly.
Even as the trucking industry struggles to identify new drivers, there is a segment of the U.S. population that is facing unemployment rates above 27% that are looking for jobs. Can felons fill the driver gap?
It is a significant widening of activities at the TraPac facility.
It may mean less now in an era of higher pay, but if total hours don’t exceed the minimum wage, it could be an issue because of this ruling.
Since its launch, Convoy has been innovating with technological solutions aimed at reinventing the way freight moves across the country. To help fulfill that mission, the company is now expanding beyond its Seattle, WA, roots to a second office located in Atlanta.
The plant at the heart of the story was acquired by XPO a few years ago. The company reportedly was stunned by the allegations in the article.
One quarter ago, their earnings were feared to have marked a peak. But there’s no signs of that reading the third quarter numbers.
Also in today’s issue: a beating shows the dangers to truckers, even off the road; an Indian company looks to disrupt that company’s trucking sector.
Lithium is going to be in there, the industry wants cobalt out or lowered, and a few other metals are lining up to take its place in the next generation of batteries.
Driver iQ’s third quarter recruitment and retention survey found that driver turnover costs the truckload industry over $10.6 billion per year, and over one-third of fleets surveyed expect turnover to increase or remain the same.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Go ahead, whack your tires. Are they properly inflated? Do you really know? The manual way of checking tire pressure may be costing your fleet money.
Groups representing livestock, bee and fish haulers in the nation have asked the Department of Transportation to extend their available driving time up to 15 hours a day, up from the current federally regulated 11 hours.
Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE, spoke last week at the Meritor/P.S.I. Fleet Technology Event, telling the audience that one of the lessons he learned from NACFE’s Run on Less program in 2016 was that drivers still have plenty of influence over fuel economy, despite technology advances.
Long known for its automatic tire inflation system (ATIS), P.S.I. adding a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to its portfolio of solutions to help fleets more effectively manage tire maintenance.
The major east-west highway was closed for less than 48 hours. The biggest impact on trucking may come in the next few weeks, when the crops normally hauled out of Georgia just aren’t there.
About 80 miles of the major east-west interstate highway were closed eastbound with a smaller amount closed westbound.
Most of the hit is coming from an arbitration award with BNSF. Its conference call with investors is a change in its normal practice.
It’s a wide range of opinions that are expressed in FMCSA’s call for comments on changes in the HOS rule.
In Today’s Pickup: Michael is headed toward the Gulf, a quote by Hunter Harrison and a not-complimentary look at the job of a truck driver.
The master agreement was ratified with less than 50% of the vote. Now it appears some of the local deals were as well.
Fatalities in all other types of accidents were down. Crashes involving large trucks were the only one moving the other way.
Differences remain in what is best path for drivers to follow, but all agree that port congestion is a problem that needs fixing.
The rank-and-file rejected the agreement, but the union says it didn’t meet a minimum level to not accept a deal. UPS appears baffled by all of this.
FreightWaves reached out to OOIDA for their perspective on the current state of affairs in trucking. We also want to engage in a dialog from the fragmented industry interests, seeking points of agreement, as well as naming points of contention.
Driver churn continues to plague the industry as the turnover rate at large truckload carriers has reached its highest point in five years.
Just weeks after a federal judge sided with the company and decertified a class of about 11,000 current and former drivers who filed suit, J.B. Hunt has reportedly reached a $15 million settlement with the drivers.
Logistics company argues that it has improved conditions at warehouse one year after its purchase.
Rising driver wages and fuel costs pushed up the cost per mile to operate a commercial vehicle in 2017, according to an annual report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The group said it cost $1.69 per mile to operate a truck last year, up 6% from 2016’s cost.
Tired truck drivers? That’s a big concern based on a new survey by the National Safety Council that found 97% of transportation employers are worried about employee fatigue.
In a time when consumers are opting to spend less time in the kitchen, restaurants and grocery stores, convenience is king and grocery delivery services are popping up everywhere.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …There are numerous tips available on how truck drivers can save money on the road, and while not all will work for everyone, chances are you can benefit from something on this list.
An annual review of the logistics business gets published; dueling intermodal views; and a startup gets a big chunk of funding.
FMCSA Administrator Martinez and his officials listened to truck drivers and fleet owners as they asked for more flexibility in the hours of service. The usefulness of split sleeping and breaking up the mandatory 30 minute break were brought up most frequently.
“A well-spec’d long-hood conventional stands out in a crowd,” Kyle Cousins, vice president of operations of Fleenor Bros, said after receiving one of the first W990 model tractor from Kenworth.
On Thursday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kenworth Truck Co. introduced its newest long-hood tractor, the W990.
The popular electronic logging device (ELD) exemption for agricultural haulers is up for renewal before Sept. 30, but it’s longer-term fate may hang with Congress’ ability to pass a budget – or at least a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government open beyond Sunday.
Military members looking to become truck drivers may have an easier time in doing so as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has authorized states to waive the commercial learner’s permit (CLP) knowledge test and driving skills tests.
On September 22, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1402 into law in the state of California following a hard-fought battle surrounding labor liability in ports, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The report on online transportation platforms does not draw any conclusions about why it’s happening, but it has plenty of data to back up that it is occurring.
XPO already has an extensive tuition-free training program in-house. This move expands it out the front door.
The scenario laid out by a leading energy economist is that the market needs a way to soften the blow of higher oil prices that would be spurred by the new environment rule.
Jim Filter of Schneider says he’s seeing benefits from CSX paring back its footprint and focusing on a smaller range of lanes.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Factoring can be a great way for small businesses, especially trucking companies, to manage their cash flow effectively and not devote valuable time that can be better spent hauling the next load because you are chasing down a late payer.
A panel of experts from all sides of the market confronts the driver squeeze, and says productivity improvements could be like adding new drivers.
Retention, training, and the capacity crunch are undeniably hot button issues in 2018, and, in response, SmartDrive and FreightWaves collaborated to distribute a survey to uncover trends in driver incentive programs.
XPO’s seasonal numbers are up 20% from last year. Those sorts of needs is why Amazon has a unique program for a unique group of people.
In partnership with Reliance Partners …One of the most important opportunities remains frequently overlooked when it comes to data: the human element.
Despite publicizing that hours-of-service (HOS) violations would be the focus of this year’s International Roadcheck, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual June event resulted in 43.7% of all drivers placed out of service done so because of HOS violations.
Longer service week aimed at meeting e-commerce related demand
A lack of crews and a slowdown in system operations is squeezing intermodal capacity and shutting off an alternative for those looking to move away from trucks.
Hurricane season brings an increased risk to transportation energy in the United States, both from a supply and price perspective.
The Freight Movement is in partnership with Arrive Logistics …In many ways, truckers are quietly excluded from the comfortable, modern lives that they make possible for us. As David Rivers found out, “Until you experience it, you don’t realize how significant the sacrifices are that drivers make.”
The orders suspend rules regarding everything from registration to length, width, weight, load and HOS.
Latest update from the National Hurricane Center sees the storm reaching major hurricane status later today.
The truckload carrier is offering the Full Ride program to both recruit new drivers and retain the ones they have, paying full tuition at online Ashford.
America is taking a week to celebrate its truckers: it’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Thank you, drivers, for all that you do to keep our country moving despite all the obstacles in your way.
In today’s pickup: J.B. Hunt and marijuana testing; a court case about something that doesn’t exist; another FMCSA listening session
J.B. Hunt has a zero tolerance policy toward testing positive for marijuana and uses hair testing to back it up. Will that hold up as legalization spreads?
For gay, lesbian, transgender and black truck drivers, life on the road can be a comfort and provide a level of safety and security, in part because of the way the trucking community has accepted them.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …It doesn’t matter if you believe the driver shortage is real or not, if you need a driver, you need a driver. So how do you get one?
With a vision of bringing “trucks, trailers and goods online,” KeepTruckin continues to innovate and invest in technologies that improve the lives of drivers.
CVTA member schools could train more students, but lack of finances both for tuition assistance and for states to employ testers is causing students to bypass truck driving as a career choice
It’s no surprise that truck drivers who travel during peak times face slower average speeds and that more flexible HOS regulations could not only speed those travel times, but also would not impact the miles drivers cover in a day, according to ATRI.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Regular budget forecasting can help businesses better manage their cash flow and help identify potential revenue problems.
U.S. Xpress placed an automated robocall to a driver, seeking to recruit him to join their company. The result? A lawsuit in federal court.
Joe DeLorenzo, director of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance for FMCSA, went through some of the common problems the agency is seeing since the ELD mandate went into effect, and there have been plenty.
If there is just one word that can best sum up the official Listening Session on hours of service (HOS) that FMCSA held on Friday at the Great American Trucking Show, it would be flexibility.
While technology startups have jumped into trucking with the latest and greatest solutions, the old guard, if you will, has not been sitting idly by. This week at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, C.H. Robinson is showing drivers its Navisphere apps and how they can help drivers and small fleets find freight success.
FreightWaves spoke to a few of the presenters offering solutions to get some tips on what drivers might be able to do to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
A mileage-based user fee pilot program using Azuga technology is helping to prove the viability of mileage-based vehicle taxes.
Last year’s survey by ATRI had driver shortages as the biggest issue facing the industry, with ELDs second.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving forward with plans to solicit public comment on current hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.
Mack Trucks’ new endeavor into the world of content marketing has led to an 8-episode docuseries called RoadLife. The series, which runs from June through October 2018, highlights these “modern icons of tough,” most recently shining the spotlight on two women working to change the face of the industry in an episode appropriately titled “Breaking the Mold.”
US Southeast ports to be served by bigger, more modern chassis pool.
A House bill on the issue of drivers under 21—that hasn’t progressed—now has a companion piece of legislation in the Senate.
Using Driver iQ’s Q218 survey on driver recruitment and retention as a point of reference, Stifel Capital Markets hosted Lana Batts, Co-President of Driver iQ and Eric Fuller, President and CEO of U.S. Xpress, inc. to discuss driver recruitment and retention trends in 2018 and beyond.
A big reaction to a local battle over parking, a market index looks strong, a unionization vote in the last mile.
The idea behind the new training program is to work with the drivers involved in an incident right away, wherever they are, and not eat up too much of their time.
Overall revenue at Roadrunner is up, but it remains burdened by high interest charges necessary to have given the company a strong capital base.
A trucker hands over documents to a US Coast Guard petty officer at the Port of Baltimore.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Short-term insurance plans can be a life saver during gaps in coverage, but with new rules allowing them to extend up to 3 years, it’s important to understand what they cover and what they do not.
In today’s pickup, CEOs on analysts calls don’t see a peak and see better driver retention for their companies. Also: OPEC output and a change in Chinese scrap policy.
Receipts from the June IPO allowed a significant reduction in debt while other initiatives cut its OR to the lowest level in years.
There has been other legislation trying to get livestock haulers a further exemption to the ELD rule, but this one has gone further,
A very strong quarter for the 3PL, though a mixed message on the impact of ELD enforcement.
