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.
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.
Truck drivers involved in certain behaviors are more likely to have a future crash, ATRI research has concluded.
A letter from two U.S. Senators has spurred CVSA to begin looking at its role in enforcing a rule on truck underrides.
Chaos at the New York bus terminal could be a sign of a driver squeeze at Greyhound, but likely isn’t the result of federal regulations.
All of the metrics were strongly positive, but the CEO expressed disappointment with two of its main activities, automotive and dedicated
An attorney speaks on the case of a driver fired after objecting to driving a truck he considered unsafe. His award didn’t even reach $5,000.
New research is underway regarding one of the transportation industry’s most prevalent concerns: the lack of safe and available parking.
A driver was fired after objecting to driving a truck he considered unsafe. His award didn’t even reach $5,000.
USA Truck had an aggressive plan to add trucks to its fleet, but delays at the OEMs are falling short of the targets.
It’s the first time LTL carrier Old Dominion has ever posted an OR under 80, even as it added more than 900 new employees.
The asset light logistics provider had financial records across the board and in a driver squeeze, added capacity.
Among today’s highlights: a drop in spot rates, Werner comments on driver availability, Rhode Island collects more than expected
The driver pulling frac sand had drugs in his system and had numerous moving violations. That ultimately is what appears to have led to such an enormous penalty.
The summer truck shows reflect a lot that’s good about trucking: fellowship, pride and contributions to the community
A deaf trucker got his CDL, got a pass from FMCSA, had a job, but Werner said the law wouldn’t allow it to hire him. Now the case is in court.
If a new truck driver hire doesn’t find the job similar to what the recruiter said it was going to be, that negativity will last, and will impact retention.
The Freight division of UPS is far smaller than its package division, but it also has reached agreement on a new five-year pact.
The causes cited for trucks hitting overpasses near New York are many: GPS instructions, not enough signs, driver unfamiliarity with the limited roads.
Sponsored by Reliance Partners…Other than the economy slowing and unemployment rising, is there a solution to the driver problem?
The American Trucking Associations and three Northeast-based motor carriers have sued Rhode Island over the implementation of truck-only tolls, claiming they are discriminatory and violate federal commerce laws.
The sleeper drivers at UPS, by the end of a five-year contract, would have rates that are approaching $1 per mile.
The details in the company statement are not precise, but the all-in number for some drivers could be as high as 67.5 cts per mile.
An OOIDA executive took to the airwaves a few days after its ELD exemption request was denied, and he had a few things to get off his chest.
Dock411 says that 60% of truckers visit a new location each day and 70% have lost time because of unfamiliarity with a location. But that is only half the story. Once at a facility, many locations do not have amenities such as bathrooms for drivers.
A USDOT 3-year pilot program would allow drivers under the age of 21 and holding a military CDL to drive interstate commerce when sponsored by a participating trucking company.
UPS remains silent on the agreed-upon contract, but its union makes it look all but certain that Sunday delivery is coming.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Drivers can potentially benefit from added flexibility by utilizing the current split sleeper provision allowed under hours-of-service laws.
The trucking industry isn’t at the point of no return yet, but it is at risk. Many of those jobs are heading into the increasingly efficient warehouses.
Understanding hours-of-service and ELD regulations and their exemptions can help fleets better manage driver’s time.
The FMCSA has posted a new infographic on its website, which it says it plans to update monthly.
Months after the start of hard enforcement, there are still some drivers who know little about their ELD.
Most bills introduced now have little chance of passage, but this one may suggest something when reading between the lines.
Cutbacks dating back to 2015, strong economic growth and problems in a lot of producing countries have brought the oil market to this point.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …For some owner-operators, Obamacare provided a path to insurance coverage. For others, the mandate was government overreach. This is starting to change, but what is not is the increasing costs of health care.
The free webinar will focus on how a driver and a fleet can prepare themselves for roadside inspections in a world governed by the ELD mandate.
Alleging that Prime Inc. put female truck drivers in harm’s way, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit this week against the carrier, alleging Prime did not take adequate steps to prevent sexual harassment of a female truck driver.
U.S. Xpress overhauled its management and its capitalization to get to the public markets.
Efforts are being made to exempt livestock and certain agricultural haulers from ELD and hour-of-service rules, but a trucking group and safety advocacy organization are fighting back.
The new Trucker Path whitepaper finds that 70% of truckers have had to violate HOS, and 96% have parked in areas not designated for trucks. 48% spend an hour or more to find safe truck parking, driving time that does not translate into fleet revenues.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Unless you are one of the many drivers who have proclaimed the next three days as vacation days, there is a good chance you will run into an inspection somewhere. If so, will you be prepared?
Freedom of movement in the 150-mile radius, and a loosening of the rules to get somewhere safely are part of FMCSA’s latest guidance.
Freedom of movement in the 150-mile radius, and a loosening of the rules to get somewhere safely are part of FMCSA’s latest guidance.
Everyone sees the market as strong and staying that way, but are there other headwinds in the trucking sector?
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …If your ELD provider suddenly shuts down service and goes out of business, do you know what to do?
Imagine the worst boss you’ve ever had looking over your shoulder all day and telling you what to do, and then once 14 hours have elapsed since you drove to work, you have to drop everything, stop work and take a 10-hour break regardless of the time of day.
Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass service is now offered at a total of seven sites in the Gem State.
The hard reality is that very little is getting passed in this Congress, and ELD-related legislation would need to break that pattern late in the game.
From parking to accident prediction, the vision is that the controversial machines are throwing off data that can be used by truckers in other applications.
The proposed legislation would radically change the HOS rule for the livestock industry, which describes its problems as unique.
The ELD mandate hasn’t created a capacity squeeze but there are other signs of how it has changed driver behavior.
Eye on Safety sponsored by SmartDrive …Using video to identify risky behaviors by drivers, but also complimenting them for a job well done.
FMCSA chief touts military program as a possible model for bringing in younger drivers.
Less than one week after announcing it was selling many of its business entities to TruckThat, One20 has said it will cease supporting its electronic logging device (ELD) as of June 18, 2018.
The trucking industry has a significant relationship with shale. Can shale in the U.S. remain successful if it doesn’t throw off cash?
There are a lot of exclusions but the goal is to raise funds for a road that is seen as a safety nightmare.
A usually non-controversial granting of free trade zone status is denied in the latest skirmish in the “drayage wars.”
In addition to the persistent need for more drivers within a fragmented industry, there are additional headwinds that the trucking industry faces makes trucker recruitment difficult, particularly regarding younger drivers.
A truck driver probably isn’t going to choose which company to drive for based on a fuel card, but the cards are becoming a more important tool than ever before as part of the experience that more fleets are selling to attract and retain drivers.
Sponsored by Reliance Partners…Two very different approaches could give some breathing room to the tightening CDL driver shortage.
The union’s negotiating committee tosses three members, with the issue of 7-day delivery at the heart of the dispute.
The intensifying shortage of drivers is the result of several key issues relating to supply, demand, and new regulations—and is expected to have a significant impact on oil supply.
The earnings show a significant shift in salaries vs purchased transportation expenses.
Signs of movement over to rails, OOIDA sounds off on younger drivers, U2 puts its money into trucking.
Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …For truck owners, it’s become more important than ever to ensure you know where your truck is, because if you don’t, it’s going to cost you.
Trucking’s persistent parking problem is only getting worse. What’s being done to help solve the issue?
Calling the Hall of Fame honorees a “pretty impressive group,” Tom Moore, senior vice president of the National Private Truck Council, told the story of each of the four drivers before officially welcoming them to the NPTC Hall of Fame.
It’s OK for an employee to be on the HELP board. Beyond that, the state’s auditor is critical of several people’s behavior.
Everyone’s interested in who is a shipper of choice, and if they’re not they want to know how they can become one.
NS had weak operating metrics in the first quarter, but strong performance. Hub sees a strong pricing environment for the rails.
The ATA and OOIDA are on different sides of this issue.
Drivers take a fixed percentage of every load, and the price of those loads is rising.
California is applying meal and rest break provisions to truck drivers that are in conflict with federal hours-of-service regulations, according to many in the industry. That is why so many are pushing to include the Denham Amendment in the FAA authorization bill.
Sparks fly over jurisdiction, charges of conflict of interests and a weigh station alternative.
One aspect of increasing driver retention is to recognize the strong correlation between turnover and quality hiring.
Even with low unemployment, recruiters in a new survey indicate they expect an increase in driver job applicants, but they also expect driver turnover to rise as companies continue to boost pay and sign-on bonuses.
For all the innovations, the focus remains on driver comfort and safety.
While April 1 turned out not to be the total disaster so many predicted, the hard enforcement date has brought pain to some individual truck drivers and fleets who continue to be tripped up by common mistakes.
The survey includes responses from more than 100 trucking companies of various sizes with the intention of keeping a pulse on the industry.
There’s a lot at stake for shippers, but whether it’s for the long or short-term, becoming a shipper of choice benefits the entire supply chain, not the least of which are drivers’ experiences.
There’s a lot at stake for shippers, but whether it’s for the long or short-term, becoming a shipper of choice benefits the entire supply chain, not the least of which are drivers’ experiences.
