Trucking News from June 2023
It’s that time again! Let’s take a look at the industry news from a busy June with news about additional truck parking, CVSA enforcement programs, and more.
Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some trucking news from June you might have missed.
Trucking Regulations & Enforcement
Operation Safe Driver Week Starts July 9 – “Law enforcement officers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviours during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week, July 9 to 15.”
CVSA Inspectors Sideline 773 Vehicles – “This year’s Brake Safety Day event saw 11.3% of commercial vehicles inspected in the US, Canada, and Mexico fail due to brake-related critical vehicle inspection items. Inspectors restricted 773 vehicles from travel until violations were corrected. Data on brake lining/pad violations were also collected, with 108 power units and 87 towed units flagged.”
FMCSA: Data Shows Little Effect from 2020 Hours of Service Changes – “A public report on the impact of those modifications indicates that, so far, the frequency and severity of HOS violations have not been reduced, nor has there been a significant effect on crash or fatality rates, since the liberalized hours-of-service rules kicked in on Sept. 29, 2020.”
FMCSA, NHTSA set to propose automatic braking mandate – “The U.S. Department of Transportation is moving forward with a proposed rulemaking to mandate automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds.”
Truckers face stiff penalties under new distracted driving law in Michigan – “Effective June 30, 2023, a new “hands-free” driving law will go into effect in Michigan, building upon existing state laws that forbid texting behind the wheel. Drivers are not allowed to touch a phone or other device with their hands, arms, or shoulders under the new hands-free law.”
Truck Parking & Safety
Report reveals most dangerous times to drive – “Analysis of five years of traffic accident data shows the most dangerous hour to drive in the U.S. is 6-7 p.m., with 8,563 road deaths recorded during the period. The study by Forbes Advisor analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2016 to 2020 to reveal the number of fatalities from road accidents in each U.S. state for each hour, day, and month.”
Van life, RVs put the squeeze on truck parking – “A growing trend in van life — combined with summer vacationers at the wheels of recreational vehicles (RVs) and campers — is adding to the struggles of truck drivers who are already competing for limited parking spaces in rest areas and truck stops.”
New York Thruway Plazas Revamped With Truck Drivers in Mind – “Trying to make life on the road easier for truckers is part of the New York State Thruway Authority’s ongoing $450 million project to modernize its aging 27 service areas through 2025.”
Arkansas Adds 84 Truck Parking Spots on I-40 – “Amid the constant roar of Interstate 40 traffic, Arkansas state leaders celebrated opening a long-awaited commercial truck parking lot in West Memphis, adding 84 much-needed spaces.”
Industry Stakeholders Take Aim at Truck Parking Shortage – “In an industry where conserving time and fuel are paramount, it makes little sense for drivers to wander around in search of a place to park and rest. According to reports from the American Transportation Research Institute, truck parking has been one of the industry’s top concerns for several years.”
New Love’s Travel Stop in Parachute, Colo. includes 50 truck parking spots – “The new Loves is located in the western part of the state about 44 miles east of Grand Junction.”
Pilot opens truck stops in Texas, California, adding 130 truck parking spaces to network – “On June 13, Pilot Company announced the opening of travel centers in Odessa, Texas, and Rialto, California.”
Large new truck stop to open in August near Henderson, Nevada – “A new $25 million truck stop and travel center is on track to open in August near Interstate 11 and Henderson, Nevada.”
For roadside workers, summer can be fatal. They need drivers to pay attention, slow down – “Their workplace is the roadside. Their “office” is within metres of passing vehicles. And as summer weather and vacations bring out more traffic, their job gets busier – and riskier. Sometimes, orange cones are the only things separating their work site from moving vehicles weighing several tonnes.”
Manitoba provides $400,000 a year to promote trucking jobs, support training – “The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) will receive about $400,000 in annual funding from the Manitoba government over the next four years to help inform provincial residents about job opportunities in trucking, and develop workforce training for those already in the industry.”
I-95 Collapse to Take Months to Repair – “A portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collapsed Sunday morning and reports indicate it may take months to repair the damaged highway and get it reopened. The section of interstate was shut down following a tanker fire that caused the northbound lanes to collapse and left the southbound lanes impassable.”
Governor: Closed section of I-95 in Philadelphia to open in 2 weeks – “The temporary fix to create three lanes in each direction while a complete replacement bridge is built will be ready for traffic in two weeks. Shapiro made the announcement Saturday when President Joe Biden surveyed the construction site from the air.”
10 tips for truckers who face wildfires – “As wildfires continue to burn from Alberta to Quebec and Nova Scotia, a Quebec-based resource is offering several tips to truckers who may find themselves in high-risk areas – particularly as intense smoke travels in their direction.”
