Trucking remains the backbone of the nation’s freight system, but threats exist that could hinder the industry’s growth and productivity. “Don’t mess with trucking,†said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, in reference to regulatory agencies and anti-truck groups.
More than 65 percent of respondents to a recent American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) annual survey listed the looming implementation date of the federal mandate on the use of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) as worrisome – enough to give the pending mandate the dubious distinction as the trucking industry’s top concern.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a Final Rule to allow certain “vehicle safety technology†to be mounted on windshield interiors, including inside the area swept by the windshield wipers.
The Senate unveiled Sept. 22 a short-term government spending bill meant to stave off a government shutdown by funding the government through early December, but the bill does not include any provisions related to hours-of-service reform, as had been rumored.
International Truck is slated to become the first OEM to make a collision mitigation system standard equipment when the Lisle, Ill. truck-maker unveils its LT Series on-highway Class 8 tractor later this month.
Though the U.S. Department of Transportation formally proposed last month a rule to require many, if not all, trucks operating in the U.S. to install and use speed limiting devices (aka speed governors), the debate on limiters and their role in truck crashes remains contentious.Â
Cargo theft recording firm FreightWatch International has issued a warning for the greater Los Angeles area as a result of increased cargo theft activity.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking industry feedback on recommendations made by its Medical Review Board for a potential rulemaking that would allow drivers with insulin-treated diabetesÂ
The trucking industry is on the precipice of 10 to 20 years of change unlike it’s ever experienced, says transportation economist Noël Perry, and carriers who want to survive these changes must be prepared for them, he said.
