August Trucking News

The dog days of summer are winding down and our industry just keeps on ticking along. August was a busy month in trucking news and here are some highlights we found interesting.

What 5G Means for the Transportation and Logistics Industry – “5G will impact supply chain and logistics by allowing more data to be transferred more quickly in real-time, in turn making increased visibility throughout the supply chain possible. As more and more devices throughout the supply chain and manufacturing process become part of the “Internet of Things,” they will produce an incredibly rich data stream that will send signals in real-time to trigger a wide variety of events.”

Benefits of fuel-efficient driving can’t be denied – “Based on my experience and following my own measurements, a 10-20% savings equates to $8,000 to $22,500 per highway tractor per year. That’s using an Ontario average of $1.16 per liter of diesel at the time of writing. So, a 10-truck fleet is presented with an $800,000 to $2.25 million potential in savings.”

Could prejudice be another factor in driver shortage? – “Traditionally, truck drivers in Canada (and the U.S.) have been white males. Our own research at Newcom Media proves this, showing how as recent as 1996, there were only 4,655 visible minority truck drivers in all of Canada. By 2016, that number had risen to 44,490.”

Unannounced brake inspection spree leads to 1,600 trucks placed out of service – “The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced commercial vehicle inspectors conducted 10,358 inspections across the U.S. and Canada and sidelined 1,667 (16.1%) of those trucks.”

DOT moves to add a form of crash accountability to CSA system – “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Wednesday a plan to remove some types of crashes from carriers’ scores when those crashes are deemed nonpreventable for the truck operator or carrier. The agency is slated to publish its plan in the coming days and will seek comment for 60 days.”

Got A Speed Limiter? MN State Police Are Ticketing Slow Drivers! – “A new law in Minnesota is giving teeth to a “slowpoke” rule in the state. Thanks to the new law, truckers and other motorists who linger in the left lane can find themselves out $125.”

What law enforcement is looking for and how to avoid being cited – White Paper: “Nationwide, law enforcement officers are being trained on how to identify different violations during a roadside inspection. Armed with a general understanding of the most typical violations officers are looking for, you can stay on the right side of the law.”