Land Line Now’s Community Bulletin Board for Nov. 23, 2021.
NHTSA asks about reporting on autonomous vehicle wrecks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking for comments on whether to continue incident reporting for Level 2-5 autonomous vehicles. You can submit those through Nov. 29.
Truckers must report emergency hours of service use online
Carriers now have five days after the end of each month to file information online about how they have used the COVID-19 emergency hours-of-service declaration. That includes your U.S. DOT number, how many trips were made under the emergency declaration and which commodities were transported. The current emergency order runs through Nov. 30.
Get the details on FMCSA’s Emergency Declaration Reporting requirements.
OOIDA Foundation survey
Thousands of OOIDA members are being asked to take part in an online survey from the OOIDA Foundation regarding challenges and issues they’re seeing out on the job. More than 17,000 members have been sent the survey by email. The deadline to reply is Nov. 22.
North Dakota pilot study on longer trucks
North Dakota is starting a pilot study about allowing “road trains,” or extra-long trailer configurations, on its highways. Trailer combinations up to 130 feet in length are among the options being discussed. The state DOT is now accepting applications from the transportation industry through the end of November to take part.
Certification scam warning
A trucker in North Carolina offers a warning about another scam. Shortly after getting his authority, he received a letter from someone claiming to be from the “Supervisor Compliance Training Department” warning about a “Final Compliance Notice” for mandatory Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse training. Truckers are urged to double check to ensure any letter is actually from a federal agency.
Tennessee wants HOV lane feedback
The Tennessee DOT is asking for feedback about possibly converting high-occupancy vehicle, or HOV lanes, to tolling lanes. The survey is open until Dec. 1. You can take part here.
Iowa-to-Illinois Interstate 74 bridge reopening
A new I-74 bridge connecting Iowa and Illinois will open Dec. 1. The new bridge is twice as wide as the old one, with four lanes in each direction. It also includes a bicycle and pedestrian path.
British Columbia storm knocks out highways
Highways throughout British Columbia affected by a storm last week are slowly opening back up. You can keep track of what’s open, what’s closed and what’s open only to essential travel, here.
Federal contractor vaccination mandate
Employees of federal contractors will have to be vaccinated by Dec. 8. The order applies to contracts above $250,000 and has no exception for truckers.
FMCSA to require rear guards to be inspected annually
FMCSA has added rear impact guards to annual commercial motor vehicle inspections. The rule goes into effect on Dec. 9.
You can read more here: FMCSA to require rear guards to be inspected annually.
Texas Saturday CDL services cease
Texas is ending its Saturday Department of Motor Vehicle hours. The Department of Public Safety started up Saturday hours earlier this month to address a backlog of people needing services. Driver license offices will remain open Monday through Friday during normal operating hours.
Runaway truck ramps survey
The Colorado Department of Transportation wants your feedback about runaway truck ramps. They want to know what truckers think about the current system – and what could be done to improve it.
Kenworth auction to combat trafficking
Inland Kenworth-Phoenix will auction off a fully loaded, Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen next month. All proceeds will go to Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit devoted to stopping human trafficking through education and advocacy. The auction is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Perris, Calif.
You can view a video with more information.
Help Truckers Christmas Group help others
The Truckers Christmas Group is taking donations and selling items on their website through Dec. 13. The funds raised will be given to needy trucking families. You can find more on their website.
California DMV Saturday hours
The DMV in California is expanding weekend hours at its Fullerton, Montebello and Winnetka locations because of the supply chain crisis and the pandemic, and also to meet a backlog for Class A CDL appointments.
Rigs without Cigs
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is offering the Rigs Without Cigs program to help truckers quit smoking. You can register for the program at the St. Christopher Fund website.
OOIDA seeks board nominations
OOIDA’s Nomination-Election Committee is seeking nominations for alternates to the Board of Directors. The deadline to submit nominations is Dec. 31. Forms have been mailed to current members, but you can also find it online.
Washington state travel map improvements
The Washington State DOT has rolled out a new website that will make it easier for truckers to map their trips, find any restrictions that may be in effect, and get information about permits and weigh station e-screenings.
You can find that website here: https://wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata.htm.
