Trucking News
We blinked and autumn is turning into winter quickly! Time flies by when you’re having fun. And time flies when it’s busy too and October was once again a time over here.
So, if you’ve been too busy rolling to keep up with industry news, we got your back and have collected news you can use to stay up-to-date on the big things happening in trucking!
Regulation & Compliance
CVSA releases results from surprise five-day hazmat/dangerous goods inspection blitz – The “HM/DG Road Blitz” five-day inspection event took place June 13 — 17, 2022, throughout the U.S. and Canada. During the event, commercial motor vehicle inspectors inspected 6,204 vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG). A total of 6,668 HM/DG packages were also inspected.
Roadcheck results: Brakes and tires once again top the charts – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck, which took place over a 72-hour period in May, saw inspectors conduct 58,287 North American Standard Inspections, of which approximately 62% were Level I inspections and 21% were Level II. Brake systems accounted for 25.2% of the vehicle out-of-service violations recorded this year; tires violations made up 18.5%. Proportionally, these percentages are nearly identical to 2021’s Roadcheck — 26.5% and 18.6%, respectively.
CTA Asks Human Trafficking Detection & Prevention Be Included in Truck Driver Training – Several options exist for the training, which is tailored specifically for truck drivers. It can be taken online, ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the level detail covered. It provides drivers with instruction on how to spot the signs of human trafficking, how to assist victims who have been discovered and how and when to engage law enforcement.
Oct. 1 winter tire law reminds drivers to Shift into Winter – Crashes double during winter months as road and weather conditions can change quickly. Being prepared and planning ahead can help save lives.
California Finds Truck Parking Shortage Complicated by EV Mandates – California is among the leaders pushing for wider adoption of zero-emission commercial vehicles, but the state is confronting the dual challenges of resolving a shortage of truck parking and the need to build charging infrastructure accessible to tractor-trailers.
Canadian regulators preparing for next-generation vehicles – The National Research Council of Canada is working with Manac and PHSS Fortier to test the promise of a flexible lateral protection device (LPD). The aerodynamic vinyl side skirt, which already boosts fuel economy by up to 4%, is built around high-strength tensioned flexible straps and anchored by galvanized steel supports at the front and rear.
FMCSA denies petition to add limits to personal conveyance – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month denied a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance that asked the agency to add a maximum distance and/or time a driver can use personal conveyance.
FMCSA expected to revive speed limiter regulation next year – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will pursue a number of rulemaking proposals in 2023, including speed limiters, according to the Department of Transportation’s latest Significant Rulemaking Report.
Environmental regulations will shape your future trucks – A patchwork of environmental regulations in California and elsewhere in the U.S. will affect the types of trucks and powertrains Canadian fleets will have available to them in the near future. And compliance with some of those California-based regulations will bring administrative burdens to Canadian fleets that operate there.
Safety
ATRI Study Outlines Link Between Traffic Violations, Unsafe Driving – Previous behavior continues to be an important predictor of whether a truck driver is likely to be involved in a crash, with certain violations holding more significance than others, according to a report released Oct. 11 by the American Transportation Research Institute.
ATA’s law enforcement group pushes states for truck parking – A nationwide shortage of truck parking has created a growing highway safety issue, the group said, as truck drivers are often forced to park in illegal or unsafe locations when authorized parking is unavailable.
ELDs and highway safety: Crashes, injuries and fatalities rise post-mandate – When the electronic logging device mandate was finalized in December 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimated that the rule would save 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries on an annual basis.
B.C. to soon begin permanent repairs on flood-hit Hwy. 1 – Permanent repairs to flood-damaged sections of Hwy. 1 through the Fraser Canyon will soon be underway.
Avoid I-40 at the TN/NC state line for the next FEW YEARS, officials warn – The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced on Friday, October 28th that crews will begin replacing aging bridges along I-40 roughly halfway between the Tennessee-North Carolina state line and Asheville starting in November, and likely will not be finished until 2024.
Fun From Around the Web
VIDEO: Trucker takes a bobtail Volvo onto stunning (and scary) Colorado mountain roads normally reserved for Jeeps – A trucker with nerves of steel uses his 34 hour reset to explore Colorado’s awe-inspiring scenery on a narrow mountain road with a very steep drop-off en route to an historic gold mine site.
VIDEO: Furry co-pilot decides temporarily abandoned sandwich belongs to him – In the video, a driver is walking through a truck stop parking lot when he notices a dog up on the dashboard of a truck, helping himself to an apparently abandoned sandwich.
VIDEO: Non-trucker reviews what it’s like to live and sleep in a big rig – The Jalopnik video “Big Rig Sleeping Is Better Than You Think” gives those outside of the trucking industry an idea of what the living accommodations are like for a long haul trucker once they park to rest for the evening.
