Trucking Regulation

It took a week to get the tallies, but an early lead turned into an insurmountable deficit.

The author of Moneyball and other books expresses concern about the possible misuse or ignoring of data coming out of the federal government in his talk before Marketwaves18.

ZED Connect has announced that it is discontinuing its ZED-ELD product and offering current customers an opportunity to transition to the EZ-ELD from Stoneridge.

It is now clarified that your truck can be laden while driving for personal conveyance.

Trump sees path forward with Democrats on infrastructure.

Brakes were also the biggest cited factor in Roadcheck Week earlier in the year.

Cameras and “magnetometers” will be used to supply data into a system that will tell drivers whether parking is available.

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.

Head of FMCSA and largest U.S. truck trade group say California attempting to preempt federal regulations.

FMCSA is allowing concrete pumper operators to work up to 14 hours in a day through a new exemption to the 12-hour workday for short-haul operators.

A long list of concerns in the ATA President’s annual speech to his group’s conference, including young drivers and California’s own laws.

Spireon has new financial backing and a market that still has a lot of trailers without GPS tracking.

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.

Tennessee Tech has acknowledged that the results of its controversial glider kit study were “inaccurate.”

But lead agency for commercial vehicle safety says autonomous trucking will serve drivers well and make industry better.

Will the combination of oil prices, refinery cracks and scrubber economics result in easing of fears of tight supplies? Two reports chime in.

Spireon hosted a webinar in collaboration with FreightWaves earlier this week to explore how the DRIVE-Safe Act could affect the driver shortage if it becomes law.

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.

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.

The latest on legislative, regulatory, administrative, and enforcement issues across the industry.

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.

Fatalities in all other types of accidents were down. Crashes involving large trucks were the only one moving the other way.

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.

In addition to funding the FAA for the next five years, the bill includes language that could be used to further integrate unmanned aircraft systems, like drones, into the commercial landscape.

Logistics company argues that it has improved conditions at warehouse one year after its purchase.

New Prime vs. Oliveira aims to settle who can arbitrate and who is a transportation worker under Federal Arbitration Act.

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.

It’s taken several years, but the eight biggest manufacturers of rear underride equipment now get the top grade from the IIHS.

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.

The long-anticipated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill is up for a vote and it does not include the controversial meal-and-rest break provision that the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other industry forces were seeking.

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.

A significant increase in the use of scrubbers would have an impact on the amount of middle distillates that the shipping sector needs to consume under IMO2020 rules.

The underlying science of glider kit emissions was the topic of a hearing on Thursday in Washington, although opponents of glider kits were not part of the panel.

Beyond the Hours of Service rule that is under consideration for changes by the federal government, the introduction of the hard ELD rule has created several other less-publicized problems.

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.

FEMA stands ready to address the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has now issued a “Regional Emergency Declaration” for 13 states and the District of Columbia as the southeast braces for the historic storm.

One year after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan SELF DRIVE Act, House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders called on the Senate to advance automated vehicle legislation.

Latest update from the National Hurricane Center sees the storm reaching major hurricane status later today.

Maersk is taking notice of the coming regulation that will impact the quality of the fuel burned on ships, and has the potential to kick back into the diesel fuel market. Also: an underride decision, a revealing quote out of China.

North American trading bloc seeks rewrite with auto industry facing brunt of changes.

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.

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.

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.

A House bill on the issue of drivers under 21—that hasn’t progressed—now has a companion piece of legislation in the Senate.

FMCSA has agreed to implement a series of actions as it works toward the possible implementation of a more data-driven to identifying at-risk carriers for intervention.

A trucker hands over documents to a US Coast Guard petty officer at the Port of Baltimore.

The waiver granted by FMCSA covers the federal code governing truckers, but only for their activities involving aiding the efforts to fight western wildfires.

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.

A letter from two U.S. Senators has spurred CVSA to begin looking at its role in enforcing a rule on truck underrides.

The Environmental Protection Agency reversed Former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s July 6 decision to give glider kit manufacturers relief from a key limitation after fierce push back from environmentalists.

Despite repeated efforts, confusion still reigns when it comes to hours-of-service compliance and when drivers can use personal conveyance or the agriculture exemptions available.

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.

Waste Management Holdings has applied for an hours of service exemption, asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to consider allowing its drivers to work extra hours without losing short-haul status.

The stay only last until next week, when the EPA will need to respond to a lawsuit brought by environmentalists on the agency’s loosening of glider kit rules.

Following the publication of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report last June that recommended changes to the way the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) records and displays SMS data, the agency has decided to scrap proposed changes.

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 Environmental Protection Agency issued a loophole that will allow glider kit manufacturers to avoid certain Obama-era emissions regulations and, effectively, build as many trucks as they deem fit, according to the New York Times.

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.

The OOIDA request would have exempted companies meeting the definition of a small business along with various safety standards.

A rule last year by DOT on testing trucking applicants for drugs specifically left hair testing out, but the HHS needs guidelines if the push is to proceed.

The Jones Act has proved itself costly and irrelevant to the U.S. for long enough. Unfortunately, it will take more than an “act of God” to change the law. It will take an act of Congress.

Most bills introduced now have little chance of passage, but this one may suggest something when reading between the lines.

A few thoughts in Today’s Pickup from a two-day visit to Washington.

Delays by other railroads in implementing PTC is the basis for BNSF to request a delay in its end-year deadline.

A class-action lawsuit against J.B. Hunt will head to trial this September after the Supreme Court refused to review the transportation giant’s appeal to overturn a ruling issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations addressed the potential for hot button ELD exemptions in the report language of its fiscal year 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) bill, but the issue was not tackled in the bill itself.

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.

The future of mobility is going to require government regulation, according to panelists at the opening session of the Movin’ On by Michelin conference in Montreal.

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.

An analyst summarizes a talk on digital brokerage, a truckers’ strike in Iran, and the prospects for ELD legislation.

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.

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.

FMCSA chief touts military program as a possible model for bringing in younger drivers.

Eye on Safety sponsored by SmartDrive …Recent legislation has bipartisan backing, but can it progress in this Congress?

Allegations of threats, name-calling all as part of a schism in two trucking associations.

The ATA and OOIDA are on different sides of this issue.

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.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Truck operators have a number of regulations they must meet to operate in California, including trailer and refrigeration unit mandates. Failure to do so can lead to big fines.

In a move many see as a continuation of his feud with Jeff Bezos, President Trump authorized a task force to look into USPS business practices. Beyond the personal spat, there are real issues with how the post office charges for delivery and the relationship with Amazon

A decision by an NLRB administrative law judge this year was mostly negative for XPO in its relationship with the Teamsters.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has formally extended an ELD waiver for livestock and insect haulers until Sept. 30, 2018, under terms of the waiver that was included in the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

Shippers and trucking companies can be charged high fees and detention costs by cargo lines and marine terminal operators for not picking up loads on time, but the Federal Maritime Commission is now going to investigate that practice.

The FMCSA has formally moved to exempt the MirrorEye Camera Monitor System (CMS) from Stoneridge from federal regulations as the company seeks to begin on-road testing of the system on vehicles without side mirrors.

Demand for cheap products is rising, and a national “just-in-time” delivery network has placed trucking companies under economic pressure to move heavier and heavier loads.

The administrator said he is on an “aggressive listening” tour. 

FMCSA’s Joe DeLorenzo took plenty of questions from the audience as he tried to clear up confusion over the ELD rule during a session at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

The exemption does not apply to the wider agriculture industry, like a recent FMCSA break.

Clarifying the grandfathering of AOBRDs in a fleet expansion.

A CDL holder between the ages of 18 and 21 must do all their driving inside a state under current law.

Every major railroad serving the U.S. got a letter from the Surface Transportation Board. 

The current exemption ends April 19.

The sector gets another 90 days to comply, while the rest of the industry faces April 1 enforcement.