One of the more vexing (if minor) issues when dealing with federal regulations (and especially ones affecting trucking) is sorting out the “alphabet soup” of acronyms involved: NPRM, ANPRM, OMB, etc. Yet it's important to understand what they all mean and how they impact rulemaking efforts.
read more
...Read the rest of this storyElaine Chao at her Jan. 11 confirmation hearing. Looking on is her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Screenshot via Senate Commerce Committee
">Elaine Chao at her Jan. 11 confirmation hearing. Looking on is her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Screenshot via Senate Commerce Committee
">During her Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 11, Elaine Chao unequivocally signaled her willingness to cooperate with Congress to enact the trillion-dollar infrastructure investment plan floated by President-elect Trump if she is indeed confirmed as the next secretary of transportation.
In her written testimony and in reply to questions posed by Senators from both sides of the aisle, Secretary Chao advocated strongly for “unleashing the potential for private investment in our nation's infrastructure.”
Chao also affirmed that safety would remain DOT's “primary objective” on her watch and asserted that, in her view, regularity decisions should be “based on sound science with solid underlying data.”
From start to finish of her three-and-a-half hour appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee, Chao was poised and certain in her remarks, as might be expected from someone who has already held Cabinet rank. Chao served as secretary of labor throughout both terms of President George W. Bush; she received her first major executive appointment as deputy secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush.
Members from both side of the aisle on the committee, which is known for its bipartisan bonhomie, lobbed little more than softballs at Chao and were largely satisfied with her oft-repeated response to one concern or another that she would “look forward to working with you on that if I am confirmed as secretary.”
Early in the hearing, Chao said she would form a task force to implement the “Trump vision for infrastructure.” She had no details to share on the Trump infrastructure plan. However, Chao stressed that she would seek to have DOT work with Congress to “develop the details” of that still nebulous plan.
More significantly, Chao emphasized the “significant difference between ...Read the rest of this story
ATA president Chris Spear fielding reporters' queries on autonomous policymaking at last year's Managment Conference and Exhibition. Photo: Evan Lockridge
">ATA president Chris Spear fielding reporters' queries on autonomous policymaking at last year's Managment Conference and Exhibition. Photo: Evan Lockridge
">American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear, who has emphasized the need for trucking to have a seat at the table when it comes to autonomous vehicle technology, has been named to the U.S. Department of Transportation's automation advisory committee.
Spear is one of 25 members of the committee, which includes leading professionals and experts in their fields. The committee will focus on the development and deployment of automated vehicles and determine the needs of the DOT as it continues to establish new policy and regulations.
It is tasked with playing a crucial role in sharing best practices, challenges and opportunities in automation and is meant to open lines of communication between stakeholders.
“I am grateful to have been chosen by Secretary Foxx to serve on this important panel,” said Spear. “Trucking is vital to the U.S. economy and an important part of our transportation system, so it is imperative that trucking and this association have a seat at the table when it comes to issues like autonomous vehicles, and we will be driving that outcome.”
Spear advocated for the trucking industry's direct involvement in the development of automated technology development in a Q&A at last year's ATA Management Conference & Exposition. The DOT released its first federal guidelines for testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles in September of last year but did it without much input from the trucking industry.
Spear is looking forward to speaking for the trucking industry as the government develops its policy on autonomous vehicles in the technology's early days. The committee is scheduled to have its first meeting on Jan. 16.
“While large-scale use of autonomous trucks is years away, the policy framework that ...Read the rest of this story
Taljinder Sohi Photo via TCA
" >Taljinder Sohi Photo via TCA
" width="150" height="203">Taljinder Sohi, a truck driver for Bison Transport of Manitoba, Canada, was named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for helping out a fellow driver whose tractor-trailer jackknifed on the highway.
In May 2016, Sohi left brake check and headed down Highway 5, north of Merritt, British Columbia. A few minutes down the highway, Sohi witnessed a tractor-trailer lose control while going around a slight corner. The truck swerved into the northbound lane and then wrenched back toward the median and jackknifed.
Sohi immediately pulled over his truck and ran to the overturned vehicle to check on the driver. Arriving at the vehicle, he found the driver, in shock from the accident, unable to follow Sohi's direction to cut off the ignition. With gas leaking around the vehicle, Sohi climbed into the truck to shut off the engine and asked the driver if anyone else was with him. Another driver was in the sleeper at the time of the accident and was luckily unharmed.
Sohi helped both drivers out of the truck, called 911 and stayed with the men until help arrived.
This is not the first time he has helped out a fellow driver and once pulled a man from a roll-over accident.
“I know if I stop and help, then maybe one day if I need help, someone will do the same for me,” said Sohi.
Sohi has been a driver for eight years and comes from a trucking family, with his father also driving trucks professionally. For his efforts to help the two men, Sohi received a certificate, patch, lapel pin and truck decals. Bison Transport also received a certificate acknowledging Sohi as a Highway Angel.
Related: Driver Performs CPR on Heart-Attack Victim
Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter
...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: ATA
">Photo: ATA
">After a final round of selections, American Trucking Associations has named 20 professional drivers to the 2017-2018 America's Road Team, a group of elite truck drivers that will serve as trucking industry ambassadors.
A panel of industry officials and trucking news media judged the finalists on their knowledge of the trucking industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry's message, and overall safe driving record.
“For many drivers, being named to America's Road Team is the pinnacle of their careers,” said Elisabeth Barna, ATA COO and executive vice president of industry affairs. “By compiling millions of accident-free miles, serving hundreds of hours in their communities and articulating the passion they have for their careers as truck drivers, these new captains are excellent examples of the professionalism that's become a hallmark of our industry.”
For the next two years, the America's Road Team captains will tour North America in ATA's Interstate One Image Truck, a Volvo VNL 780 emblazoned with an American flag towing a state-of-the-art driving simulator. The captains, who remain full-time truck drivers, will speak about the life of a truck driver and expound on the important role of trucking and a safety-first mentality.
After receiving their signature navy blue America's Road Team blazers, the 2017-2018 Captains will begin working to improve public perception of the trucking industry. Trucking industry professionals can support America's Road Team's mission by following the team's two-year journey on Facebook and Twitter and interacting with them at major industry events, conferences and community visits.
The 2017-2018 America's Road Team Captains are:
Steve Brand, FedEx FreightJon Brockway, Walmart TransportationJohn Gaddy, Carbon ExpressScott Harrison, K Limited CarrierRhonda Hartman, Old Dominion Freight LineGary Helms, Covenant TransportBill Krouse, YRC FreightDavid Livingston, TCWCharles Lobsiger, Walmart TransportationTimothy Melody, ABF Freight SystemJames Moore, Saia LTL FreightChris Outen, FedEx FreightCharlton Paul Jr., UPS ...Read the rest of this story
A group of American shippers, carriers and retailers have launched the Americans for Modern Transportation coalition, advocating for improved transportation infrastructure and policy that will reflect the needs of modern businesses and consumers.
One of the biggest changes to the modern economy is the rise of e-commerce, necessitating quick and reliable shipping of $122.5 million homes and 7.5 million domestic businesses, according to AMT. The group believes improvements such as allowing twin 33-foot trailers, smart road technologies and increased investment in the Highway Trust Fund as a way to increase the efficiency and productivity of the interstate commerce system.
“To continue moving America forward, infrastructure investment cannot simply be improved roads and bridges. We need to lay the groundwork for a modern transportation system,” the group stated in a release. “Central to this goal is combining infrastructure enhancements with efficient trucking and policies as well as incentives for better safety and fuel technology.”
The coalition's founding members include Amazon, American Highway Users Alliance, Carbon War Room, FedEx, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, International Foodservice Distributors Association, International Warehouse Logistics Association, National Association of Manufacturers, National Association Of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Retail Federation, National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, North American Council For Freight Efficiency, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Securing America's Future Energy, The National Industrial Transportation League, ULINE, UPS, U.S. Chamber Of Commerce, and YRCW.
“Safety, efficiency, and sustainability must be top priorities. Every year, more people and more goods use and wear our transportation infrastructure. We need more investment, but we need smart infrastructure reforms that meet these priorities. We look forward to championing safety and efficiency on the nation's roadways as President-elect Trump's infrastructure plan comes to fruition,” the group stated.
Find out more about Americans for Modern Transportation here.
Related: ATA Taps 10 Carrier Execs for Highway-Funding Task ...Read the rest of this story
Courtesy Strategic Programs Inc.
">Courtesy Strategic Programs Inc.
">Where can trucking companies improve driver satisfaction? It's a question that has somewhat different answers for drivers at different stages of their careers with their employers.
Strategic Programs, which works with trucking companies to do driver satisfaction and exit surveys, recently put out some statistics gleaned from its 2016 surveys from a representative sample of its clients in different types of trucking across the industry.
New hires surveyed gave their company the lowest scores for these statements:
Delays are minimal at the customerI earn what I thought I would when I accepted this jobI am paid fairly for everything I do on the jobMy pay is competitive with other companies doing the same workWhen I am home, it is an acceptable amount of time.“The good news about the new hire low scores is that they are all easily managed upfront during the hiring and onboarding process, by setting clear expectations with drivers,” says Strategic Programs' Megan Younkin.
Her colleague Jay Green says the takeaway here is that fleets need to work with customers better and work with new hires better about delays at the shipper. “We see delays being an issue more for newer drivers than longer tenured ones. It is especially shocking to those new to the industry.”
Green says guaranteed pay for new hires is one way to address concerns about earnings expectations.
“While the job may allow them to make X amount per year, it doesn't always seem that way out of the gates, and before they know how to work their carriers network, they easily check out and decide they can't reach their earnings potential. We have seen success with guaranteed pay for new hires to help with those rough first few months.”
Current employees surveyed gave their company the lowest scores for these statements:
My compensation is competitive with other ...Read the rest of this story
