NHTSA: Highway Deaths Rise Again, Including Those Involving Trucks

Photo: FMCSA

The latest traffic crash data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 37,461 lives were lost on U.S. roads in calendar year 2016--- marking a significant increase of 5.6% over the same period in 2015.

NHTSA also found that the number of vehicle miles traveled on U.S. roads increased by 2.2% last year. That resulted in a fatality rate of 1.18 deaths per 100 million VMT – equating to 2.6% increase from the previous year.

As to fatalities resulting from crashes involving large trucks, the agency recorded a 5.4% jump in those over 2015, the highest since 2007. Of those 4,317 fatalities, 16.7% (722 persons) were occupants of large trucks, 10.8% were “non-occupants,” and 72.4% were occupants of other vehicles.

Another key finding was a drop in overall fatalities tied to distracted and drowsy driving. Distraction-related deaths fell 2.2% (3,450 fatalities) and drowsy-driving deaths dropped 3.5% (803 fatalities).

On the other hand, deaths related to “other reckless behaviors – including speeding, alcohol impairment, and not wearing seat belts – continued to increase.”

Also of interest: Motorcyclist and pedestrian deaths together accounted for more than a third of the year-to-year increase in total highway fatalities.

Here are the categories that saw increases in the rate of fatalities for 2016:

NHTSA stated that some 94% of serious crashes involve drivers who make “poor choices.”

The agency noted in a statement that it will continue to promote vehicle technologies that “hold the potential to reduce the number of crashes and save thousands ...Read the rest of this story

Fleetmatics Registers ELD as Self-Certified to Meet DOT Requiremenets

Fleetmatics, a Verizon Company, has registered its Fleetmatics Reveal LogBook Electronic Logging Device for Android with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as self-certified meet the ELD specifications.

Commercial drivers who are currently required to maintain records of duty status (hours of service logs) will be required to use an ELD to record their HOS by Dec. 18, 2017.

Reveal LogBook ELD manages drivers' RODS, so customers can easily record and store HOS information, and meets all technical specifications mandated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to the company.

Fleetmatics says it will also continue to support customers using the version of LogBook meeting the current AOBRD (automatic on board recording device) specifications, which can be used during a grandfathered period of two years after the December ELD deadline.

According to FMCSA regulations, Fleetmatics notes, motor carriers must select and install an ELD solution and ensure drivers are trained to use them. Drivers must also understand and be able to use ELDs by the required December deadline, including how to annotate and edit RODS, certify RODS and collect required supporting documents.

Customers using Reveal LogBook applications have access to 24/7 driver support.

“Reveal LogBook ELD makes the transition to electronic logging simple and fast with no additional hardware,” said Todd Ewing, director, product management for Fleetmatics. “The ELD mandate deadline is coming up in just a couple of months, and we're ready to help get customers up and running very quickly on our FMCSA-listed solution.”

The Reveal LogBook ELD application includes streamlined certification flow, enhanced sub-status selections and improved Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) functionality. A redesigned user interface simplifies the transition to ELD for both drivers and the back office. The app also provides flexibility to existing customers, enabling the continued use of their automatic onboard recording device (AOBRD) solution, or the ability to ...Read the rest of this story

FDA Offers Sanitary Transportation Rule Training

Photo: USDA

The Sanitary Transportation Rule requires carriers covered by the rule to provide food safety training to employees engaged in transportation operations. This applies when the carrier and shipper have agreed in a written contract that the carrier is responsible, in whole or in part, for the sanitary conditions during transportation.

Fleets are required to establish and maintain records documenting the training of operations personnel. The module can be used to:

This course is designed to provide basic food safety training to transportation operations personnel, but it does not include specific operating procedures and practices. It is intended to complement industry best practices already in place.

The new module will help carriers recognize their responsibilities as specified in the Sanitary Transportation Rule, identify potential food safety problems during transport, and highlight common ways to prevent food safety problems.

The FDA offers two ways transportation operations personnel can complete the module, either through an online course or by downloading the course files and importing them into their own learning management system.

Related: FDA Reveals Final Rule for Hauling Food Safely

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Trucker Buddy Names New Executive Director

Photo: Trucker Buddy

As executive director, Welborn will be responsible for the operation, management, and fundraising of Trucker Buddy (TBI). With more than 17 years in the trucking industry and over 15 years of experience in management and sales, Welborn's experience, combined with his operations management and over 10 years of event management, will play an important role as executive director of TBI.

“We have been fortunate to have Randy Schwartzenburg's expertise and hard work directing us for the past nine years,” said Welborn. “He has dedicated his heart and soul over the years to making Trucker Buddy the best program he can and he will be missed.”

In addition to his nine years as executive director, Schwartzenburg has 25 years collectively working with Trucker Buddy, dating back to the inception of the program.

“I have enjoyed my many years of working with the Trucker Buddy family and it's been one of the most satisfying things I've done in my career,” said Schwartzenburg. “I look forward to spending more time with my grandchildren and my family. Plus, I may find a little time to squeeze in some golf as well.”

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Teletrac Navman Integrates Supply Chain Software into ELD

HighJump, a global provider of supply chain solutions, has announced the integration of the company's Prophesy Dispatch TMS, a trucking software solution for truckload carriers, brokers, and private fleets, and Teletrac Navman's Director fleet management solution.

The company said the integration creates a seamless workflow between every component of a load – from the second an order is initiated to the moment it is delivered – and ensures compliance with the upcoming electronic logging device rule in the United States.

Under the new ELD mandate, all fleets must have an approved Hours of Service (HOS) tracking solution by Dec. 18. Together, Prophesy Dispatch TMS and Teletrac Navman Director provide dispatchers with a real-time view of available hours for each driver, as well as complete visibility into asset location, fuel consumption, driver behaviors, safety analytics and vehicle diagnostics.

The advanced interface also increases visibility by working with Teletrac Navman's unified Drive app, which is part of the Director platform. When a dispatcher creates a load, data is automatically sent to the driver's in-cab device, and in turn, all confirmations, arrivals/departures and other updates sent back by the driver are processed.

“This new, robust integration between Prophesy Dispatch TMS and Teletrac Navman is a testament to our dedication to meeting the needs of trucking and fleet companies today and tomorrow,” said Joe Couto, chief operating officer of HighJump. “By combining our technologies, we're allowing dispatchers and drivers to focus more on their jobs and providing the service their customers expect, and less on the legwork of communicating load information.”

The optional integration is available to both current Prophesy Dispatch and Teletrac Navman Director customers.

Related: Top Questions About the ELD Mandate

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Teletrac Navman Integrates Supply Chain Software into ELD

HighJump, a global provider of supply chain solutions, announced the integration of the company's Prophesy Dispatch TMS, a trucking software solution for truckload carriers, brokers, and private fleets, and Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR, the industry's leading fleet management solution. The integration creates a seamless workflow between every component of a load – from the second an order is initiated to the moment it is delivered – and ensures compliance with the upcoming electronic logging device (ELD) rule in the United States.

Under the latest ELD mandate, all fleets must have an approved Hours of Service (HOS) tracking solution by December 18, 2017. Together, Prophesy Dispatch TMS and Teletrac Navman Director provide dispatchers with a real-time view of available hours for each driver, as well as complete visibility into asset location, fuel consumption, driver behaviors, safety analytics and vehicle diagnostics.

The advanced interface also increases visibility by working with Teletrac Navman's unified DRIVE app, part of the Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR platform. When a dispatcher creates a load, data is automatically sent to the driver's in-cab device, and in turn, all confirmations, arrivals/departures and other updates sent back by the driver are processed.

“This new, robust integration between Prophesy Dispatch TMS and Teletrac Navman is a testament to our dedication to meeting the needs of trucking and fleet companies today and tomorrow,” said Joe Couto, chief operating officer at HighJump. “By combining our technologies, we're allowing dispatchers and drivers to focus more on their jobs and providing the service their customers expect, and less on the legwork of communicating load information.”

The optional integration is available to both current Prophesy Dispatch and Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR customers.

Related: Top Questions About the ELD Mandate

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Former CIA, NSA Director to Keynote Work Truck Show

Hayden

General Michael Hayden, a retired four-star general and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, will serve as keynote speaker at The Work Truck Show 2018. His address will take place on Thursday, March 8, as part of the President's Breakfast & NTEA Annual Meeting.

The Work Truck Show, North America's largest work truck event, is scheduled March 6-9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Educational sessions, Green Truck Summit, and Fleet Technical Congress begin March 6, and the exhibit hall is open March 7-9.

As head of the country's premier intelligence agencies through two presidential administrations from 1999–2009, General Hayden was on the frontline of global change, the war on terrorism and the growing cybersecurity challenge. He understands the dangers, risks and potential rewards of the political, economic and security situations our country — and the world — are currently facing.

In addition to leading CIA and NSA, General Hayden was the country's first principal deputy director of national intelligence and the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the country. In all of these jobs, he worked to put a human face on American intelligence.

“This is one of the most relevant keynote addresses you will have the opportunity to hear,” said Todd Davis, 2018 NTEA Convention chairman, and vice president of Phenix Enterprises Inc. “General Hayden is an expert on intelligence matters like cybersecurity, government surveillance, and geopolitics, and he has dedicated his life to protecting both American security and liberty. He will offer an invaluable leadership perspective on navigating through key challenges industry businesses face today.”

Today, Hayden is a principal at Chertoff Group and a distinguished visiting professor at George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. He has been a frequent expert commentator on major news outlets and in top publications. ...Read the rest of this story