Tag: #truckdrivers

Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $80 Million in Grants to Improve Highway Safety, Including Better Access to Truck Parking

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced more than $80 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This historic funding will help reduce the frequency and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes on our nation’s roadways and support truck drivers by expanding access to truck parking, investing in critical technology, improving safety in work zones, rural areas and high crash corridors, and more. Grant recipients include states, local governments, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions across the country.

The High Priority grants include a 65% increase in funding for truck parking projects over last year and enhance critical efforts to support truck drivers and improve safety such as:

  • Expand access to truck parking by helping truck drivers locate available rest area truck parking spaces in real time via dynamic message signs along highways in Kentucky, Delaware, and Indiana.
  • Research to support automated, location-based driver alerts via electronic logging devices that inform drivers of upcoming work zones — improving safety for both the drivers and the workers.
  • Enhancement of electronic screening technologies to detect vehicle violations (such as automated license plate readers, USDOT number readers, tire monitoring system, and hazardous materials placard readers).
  • Outreach and education to combat human trafficking, an effort in which truck drivers can play a key role given their time and attention on the road.

“We depend on truck drivers every day, and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.”

“President Biden’s historic investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps improve commercial motor vehicle safety on our roadways both at the national and local levels,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “Our grantees will dedicate these investments to innovative technology, research, and other projects that will positively impact CMV safety and move us towards the National Roadway Safety Strategy’s goal of zero deaths on our nation’s roadways.”

This builds on the Biden-Administration’s continued investment in truck parking and safety on our nation’s roadways, which includes over $80 million invested in new truck parking spaces across the country.

  • Caldwell County, Texas: $22.9 million RAISE grant to design and construct a truck parking plaza that improves safety and convenience for truck drivers. Plaza will include short- and long-term spaces with lighting, fencing, restroom and shower facilities, with 24-hour monitored security.
  • Caldwell Parish, Louisiana: $10.5 million RAISE grant to buy land and build a Truck Parking facility near the port and a highway for 50 commercial trucks, 100 cars, and EV charging stations that are designed to provide auxiliary power units to power a truck cab’s heating and cooling, without having to run the engine while also recharging trucks. There will also be a system to find parking spaces in real-time.
  • On I-4 Between Tampa and Orlando: $15 million INFRA grant for a new truck parking facility with approximately 120 spaces, electric charging stations, and pedestrian infrastructure to access nearby commercial amenities.
  • Near Memphis, Tennessee: $22 million INFRA grant adds 125 truck parking spaces at a spot along I-40—a critical freight corridor. Project will also upgrade adjacent bridge structures.

All HP grant applications undergo a series of reviews before award selection. Please visit FMCSA’s grant program page for additional information on the discretionary application announcement, review, and approval process.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

FMCSA considering revisions to safety fitness determinations

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Photo Missouri DOT

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking for input on a possible new methodology for determining whether motor carriers are fit to operate safely.

The agency’s safety fitness determination process uses existing motor carrier data and data collected during compliance reviews to form a three-tiered rating system of satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory. In a notice published Aug. 29, the agency asks for stakeholder feedback on potential revisions to the process.

“The intended effect of this action is to more effectively use FMCSA data and resources to identify unfit motor carriers and to remove them from the nation’s roadways,” the notice states. “A successful SFD methodology may target metrics that are most directly connected to safety outcomes, provide for accurate identification of unsafe motor carriers and incentivize the adoption of safety-improving practices.”

FMCSA is seeking input on:

  • The need for a rulemaking to revise the regulations prescribing the safety fitness determination process.
  • Available science or technical information to analyze regulatory alternatives for determining the safety fitness of motor carriers.
  • Current agency safety fitness determination regulations, including feedback on the process and impacts.
  • Available data and costs for regulatory alternatives reasonably likely to be considered.

Additionally, the agency requests input on 12 specific questions related to safety fitness determinations, including whether to retain the three-tiered rating system.

FMCSA notes in the notice that its safety fitness determination system “is resource-intensive and reaches only a small percentage of motor carriers.” In fiscal year 2019, the agency and state partners conducted fewer than 12,000 compliance reviews among a population of more than 567,000 interstate motor carriers.

Comments are due Oct. 30.

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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

New survey asks: What are the trucking industry’s top concerns?

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What are the trucking industry’s top concerns?

Photo: FMCSA

Arlington, VA — Wanted: input from trucking industry stakeholders on the most critical issues facing the industry.

An annual survey conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute – the research arm of the American Trucking Associations – asks respondents to rank their top three issues from a selection of 26. The list includes:

Respondents can also submit concerns not included on the list.

“The annual Top Industry Issue Survey has long been a crucial part of understanding the challenges facing our country’s supply chain,” ATA Chair Dan Van Alstine said in a press release. “ATRI’s research provides an opportunity for thousands of trucking industry professionals, from drivers to executives, to weigh in on the most important topics that affect trucking and collectively decide on the best strategies for addressing each.”

The deadline to complete the survey is Sept. 29. The results are set to be released Oct. 14 during the 2023 ATA Management Conference and Exhibition in Austin, TX.

Fuel prices and a shortage of drivers were the top two concerns on the 2022 list. Multiple safety-related issues followed, including a lack of safe places for truckers to park (third) and detention/delay at customer facilities (sixth).

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

FMCSA launches Training Provider Registry for entry-level drivers

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Photo: FMCSA

Washington — A group of House Republicans is moving to repeal a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration final rule that stipulates minimum training requirements for entry-level truck drivers.

Reintroduced on July 19 by Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the Trucking Workforce Improvement Act (H.R. 4738) would rescind the rule, which sets minimum training standards for first-time applicants for Class A or B commercial driver’s licenses or those seeking a CDL upgrade to Class A or B. The bill has 14 co-sponsors.

The rule further establishes standards for drivers aiming to obtain hazardous materials, passenger or school bus endorsements for the first time. Affected entry-level drivers must complete training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry before taking a CDL skills test.

In a press release, Good calls the rule “regulatory overreach” and cites as impetus for the bill a perceived driver shortage that has long lingered as an industry debate.

“My bill will remove obstacles to entry for aspiring truck drivers, enable more opportunities for well-paid jobs and unleash the American economy,” he said.

The final rule was initially published in December 2016, with an effective date of Feb. 7, 2020. That date was later pushed back to February 2022.

Jack Van Steenburg, executive director and chief safety officer at FMCSA, suggested the shortage was a myth while speaking about the rule when it went into effect.

“With an increasing number of people applying for CDLs over the past year, there has never been a more important time to implement minimum uniform training standards that ensure new drivers have both the knowledge and skills to operate safely,” he said in a press release. “The ELDT regulations were developed with input from driver and training organizations, motor carriers, state licensing agencies, safety advocacy groups, and insurance companies.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

House committee advances bill that includes a block on speed limiters

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orange-semi
Photo: Missouri Department of Transportation Flickr

Washington — The House Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would prohibit funding for a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposal to require the installation of speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks.

Approved during a July 18 committee markup, the appropriations bill proposes a budget of $891.3 million for FMCSA in fiscal year 2024, which begins Oct. 1. However, the legislation includes a provision that zero funding may be used “to promulgate any rule or regulation” mandating the installation of speed limiters on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

In May 2022, FMCSA introduced a proposed rule to that end, expanding on a 2016 joint proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA. The latter is the sole agency listed on the proposed rule, which doesn’t suggest a top speed. The 2016 proposal specified capping speeds at 60, 65 or 68 mph.

FMCSA has received nearly 16,000 comments on its updated proposal, which includes multiple stakeholder prompts, including:

  • What percentage of the commercial motor vehicle fleet uses speed-limiting devices?
  • If in use, at what maximum speed are the devices generally set?
  • What training or skill sets are needed for motor carriers’ maintenance personnel to adjust or program electronic engine control units to set speed limits?

The bill now advances to the House floor.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Benefits of side ‘underride’ guards would exceed NHTSA projection: IIHS

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Arlington, VA — Requiring impact guards on the sides of large trucks would save “up to 10 times” more lives than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, one safety group says.

underride guards
Photo: Government Accountability Office

In the April 21 Federal Register, NHTSA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that would consider requirements for side guards, intended to prevent “underride” incidents, in which passenger vehicles strike trucks and slide underneath. A final rule that requires underride guards on the rear of trucks went into effect Jan. 11.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which supports a side-guard mandate, believes the requirement could save between 159 and 217 lives annually. The estimate is substantially higher than NHTSA’s estimate of 17 lives saved and 69 injuries prevented.

IIHS also believes a side-guard mandate likely would prevent many pedestrian, bicyclist and motorcyclist deaths.

In a comment submitted to Regulations.gov, IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow contends that IIHS’ projection accounts for various crash types NHTSA excludes, such as those occurring at speeds greater than 40 mph and or involving more than one passenger vehicle and one truck.

Brumbelow notes that the projection depends on whether a mandate would require protection forward from the rear axle or along the full length of the trailer. NHTSA in June extended to July 20 the comment deadline for the ANPRM in response to requests from industry stakeholders.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health

House committee advances truck parking act and other bills

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Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo: Missouri Department of Transportation

Washington — The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, along with 16 other bills, during a May 23 markup.

Introduced by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), the act (H.R. 2367) would empower the transportation secretary to issue grants for projects that create truck parking. It also would allow for expanded parking at current truck parking areas and prohibit charging drivers for any parking spaces created under the act.

“I grew up in a family trucking business,” Bost said in a committee press release. “I understand how difficult, and oftentimes dangerous, it can be when America’s truckers are forced to park in an unsafe location. By expanding access to parking options for truckers, we are making our roads safer for all commuters and ensuring goods and supplies are shipped to market in the most efficient way possible. This is a matter of public safety, and I’m proud to have led on this important legislation.”

Among the other bills approved:

  • The Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently (LICENSE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3013), which would direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to revise federal regulations on state or third-party administration of commercial driver’s license knowledge tests. In addition, states or third parties would be allowed to administer driving tests regardless of which state an applicant lives in or where they received driver training.
  • The Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act (H.R. 915), which would direct FMCSA “to develop a new safety fitness determination process to change the way a motor carrier is rated.”
  • H.R. 3372, which would establish voluntary 10-year pilot programs for states to increase truck weights on federal interstates to 91,000 pounds on six axles.

The committee postponed its consideration of the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Safe Integrity Act (H.R. 3408) – a bill concerning a pilot program for 18- to 20-year-old interstate truck and bus drivers. The status of the bill is undetermined for future markups.

All 17 of the bills passed by the committee now go before the full House.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Bill would halt FMCSA’s movement on speed limiters

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Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo: Missouri Department of Transportation Flickr

Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the House would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from requiring speed-limiting devices on large trucks and buses.

Sponsored by Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers, or DRIVE, Act (H.R. 3039) covers trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

Brecheen is a fourth-generation rancher and former trucking company operator. “I know from experience driving a semi while hauling equipment, and years spent hauling livestock, that the flow of traffic set by state law is critical for safety instead of an arbitrary one-size-fits-all speed limit imposed by some bureaucrat sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C.,” he said in a press release.

In May 2022, FMCSA published an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking that expands on a 2016 joint proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA that would require speed limiters. FMCSA is the lone agency listed on the proposal, which doesn’t specify a top speed. The 2016 proposal suggested capping speeds at 60, 65 or 68 mph.

The Department of Transportation’s Fall 2022 regulatory agenda lists June as a target date for publication of a second proposed rule.

Multiple industry groups back Breechen’s bill, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, and the Towing and Recovery Association of America. The American Trucking Associations, meanwhile, supports FMCSA’s proposal and recommends a recurring, five-year review of “speed-governing regulations” to ensure they remain consistent with current technology.

“These efforts to prohibit the development of safety policies are misguided,” Bill Sullivan, executive vice president of advocacy at ATA, said in a press release. “They will lead to more serious crashes – and this bill will never become law, even if it passes the House.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Arizona Trucking Association Applauds the Passage of HB2288 to Improve Safety on Arizona’s Roundabouts

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Original article published by ATA

Photo: ATA

Phoenix, AZ – The Arizona Trucking Association (ATA) applauds the passage of House Bill 2288 (roundabouts; right-of-way; large vehicles), which Governor Katie Hobbs recently signed into law.

Roundabouts are becoming increasingly popular in Arizona due to their ability to improve traffic flow and reduce the number of severe crashes at intersections. However, they can also pose a challenge for truck drivers due to the larger turning radius required by their vehicles. Because the truck must make a wide turn, passenger vehicles often try to squeeze around the truck causing side-swipe accidents.

HB2288 does the following:

  • Recognizes that a large truck cannot drive through a roundabout in a single lane. Therefore, HB2288 gives the operator of a vehicle or combination that is at least 40 feet long or 10 wide (large truck) the ability to use more than one lane to the extent necessary to drive through the roundabout.
  • • Requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to the operator of a large truck that is operating in the roundabout.
  • • If two large trucks are approaching or driving through a roundabout at the same time or so close in time to present an immediate hazard, HB2288 requires the driver on the right to yield to the driver on the left.
  • • Requires signs be installed before a roundabout informing the public that large trucks have the right of way in the roundabout.

“HB2288 will make Arizona’s roundabout safer for all drivers by establishing clear rules of the road and by giving large trucks more room to navigate in a roundabout,” stated ATA President Tony Bradley.

ATA is grateful to the bill’s sponsor, Representative David Cook (R- District 7), for sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

ATRI Releases New Research Priorities for 2023

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Original article published by ATRI

Photo: truckingresearch.org

Washington, DC – At its mid-year meeting in Florida, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) Board of Directors approved the 2023 Top Research Priorities, as identified by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC). ATRI’s RAC identified and prioritized the list of recommended research topics at its annual RAC meeting held in Atlanta March 14-15.  The ATRI Board, led by ATRI Chair Derek Leathers of Werner Enterprises, reviewed and approved the research topics on May 5.

ATRI’s RAC selected a diverse set of research priorities designed to address some of the industry’s most critical issues.

The 2023 ATRI top research priorities are:

Expanding Truck Parking at Public Rest Areas.  The lack of available truck parking is perennially ranked by drivers as their top concern.  This research will identify and map truck driver needs to rest stop attributes, develop best practice case studies and utilize truck driver data to identify strategies for expanding truck parking capacity available at public rest areas.

Identifying Barriers to Entry for Female Truck Drivers.  Female truck drivers represent less than 10 percent of the truck driver workforce, yet ATRI research documents that female drivers are safer than their male counterparts.  This research will identify gender issues and proactive steps that the industry can take to make truck driving careers more appealing to women.

Complete Streets Impact on Freight Mobility.  Complete Streets is a U.S. DOT program designed to make transportation accessible for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.  However, planning decisions to deploy complete streets often negatively impact freight transportation and those who rely on truck-delivered goods.  This study will quantify these impacts and recommend approaches for transportation planners to better facilitate freight movement.

Examining the Diesel Technician Shortage.  The industry’s challenges in recruiting and retaining technicians is often cited as being as critical as the driver shortage.  This research will work with government and industry to identify the factors underlying the shortage, including mapping career attributes to workforce needs, and assessing high school-level vocational training availability, industry recruitment practices and competing career opportunities.

The Cost of Driver Detention.  Truck drivers and motor carriers consistently rank driver detention at customer facilities as a top industry concern.  This research, supported by shipper groups, will include quantitative data collection to identify detention impacts, costs, and strategies for minimizing detention.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.