June 2022

Way past time

Bill would remove longstanding overtime exemption for truckers.

News

trucker

Way past time

An outdated exemption could be amended should the bipartisan Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act be signed into law.

speed limiters

Back again

FMCSA announced it is moving forward on proposed rulemaking to require speed limiters. OOIDA calls the mandate ill-advised and dangerous.

drug testing

Valid and trustworthy?

OOIDA says privacy and trustworthiness are key in drug testing. The Association recently submitted formal comments on the matter to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

EPA

OOIDA to EPA: Don’t make truckers guinea pigs

OOIDA rallied its more than 150,000 members to provide feedback before the EPA moves forward with any new emissions standards.

Buttigieg acknowledges ‘safety concerns’ with DRIVE-Safe Act

‘Everything from working conditions to compensation’

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg detailed steps to improve driver retention including everything from working conditions to compensation.

Bill would create tax credit for commercial truck drivers

Legislation would create a tax credit for commercial truck drivers, which proponents say would attract and retain drivers.

ticket quotas

Two states take action to end ticket quotas; other states in pursuit

States have acted to discourage practices that pressure law enforcement officers to write tickets to generate revenue.

fuel tax holiday

Fuel tax relief, tax rebate efforts continue nationwide

State lawmakers take action to provide fuel tax relief across the U.S. Pursuit elsewhere would make available tax relief in other forms.

occupational accident insurance

Occupational accident insurance approved by Colorado lawmakers

Occupational accident insurance approved by Colorado lawmakers.

Illinois Supreme Court acts to protect transportation revenue

According to the Cook County Record, Cook County used transportation revenue for purposes not related to road funding.

autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicles lane coming to Michigan

A public-private partnership would create lanes for autonomous vehicles on a 25-mile stretch of Interstate 94, which connects Detroit to Ann Arbor, Mich.

left lane

Virginia governor vetoes winter weather truck restrictions

A bill to limit truck travel during winter storms in Virginia was vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

legislation, state watch, bills

State Watch – June 2022

Legislation across the country addresses speed camera ticketing, pulling doubles at ports, and public-private partnerships.

Supreme Court declines to hear CRST case

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case filed by female CRST Expedited driver. The lawsuit claimed CRST ignored complaints of sexual harassment from female drivers.

hours of service

Watching the clock

FMCSA updated its hours-of-service regulations in 2020. An appeal of those changes is set to be decided on soon.

‘Turn out the numbers’

OOIDA urges members to let their voices be heard. The new and improved Fighting for Truckers website makes that easier than ever.

Pugh reelected

The OOIDA Board of Directors reelected Lewie Pugh as executive vice president for a five-year term.

Trimac

‘Horrific’ conditions?

A class-action lawsuit against Trimac accuses the trucking company of lying for more than 20 years about hazardous chemicals employees were exposed to at two Georgia facilities.

Norman Mineta

Former U.S. DOT leader Norman Mineta dies at age 90

Norman Mineta, who served as commerce secretary for President Bill Clinton and as the transportation secretary for President George W. Bush, died on May 3 at the age of 90.

George Washington Bridge

George Washington Bridge improvements show what’s wrong all over

$2 billion is upgrades are coming to the George Washington Bridge where Interstate 95 crosses the Hudson River. However, increased capacity will not be among those upgrades.

Scholarship students credit family role models

The 2022 Mary Johnston Scholarship recipients were recently announced by the OOIDA Foundation. Find out more about this year's winners.

June 2022

In This Issue:

Opinion

Mark Schremmer, Big Trucking, truckers

Tighter hours of service regulations don’t equal increased safety

In 2020, FMCSA made changes to the hours of service to give truck drivers more flexibility. Now, a court could reverse that.

John Bendel, Yellow

Want to speed up the supply chain? Stick it to drivers

Wonder why the false claims of a truck driver shortage are so harmful? Louisiana and Georgia provide us some examples.

Features

Mudflaps & hashtags

Social media has created another avenue for truckers to communicate ideas, offer advice and even grow their business.

truck show

Celebrate the history of trucking

Celebrate the history of trucking at the 2022 American Truck Historical Society National Convention and Truck Show in Springfield, Ill.

Walcott

Something for everyone

Annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree on the horizon. This year's show is scheduled for July 14-16 at the Iowa 80 Truckstop.

SuperRigs

2022 marks 40 years of SuperRigs

The 2022 version of Shell Rotella SuperRigs will be held at Branson Landing in Branson, Mo. The show is scheduled from June 9-11.

trucks

Mafia Secrets – June 2022

Not all truckers have a show truck. But there are plenty who have great looking trucks. Check out who got "Caught on the Lot."

thankful, OOIDA, tour trailer

OOIDA on the road – June 2022

A highlight for Marty Ellis, who drives the OOIDA tour trailer, is the American Truck Historical Society National Convention in Illinois.

trucker; dashboard confidential; inspection

Dashboard Confidential – June 2022

This edition of Dashboard Confidential covers lunch with the Penguin, a bad case of stink-eye and a SWAT team.

trucking history

Trucking History – June 2022

This month in trucking history looks back on historic changes to the hours-of-service regulations and the abolishment of the Tennessee PSC.

Slight Detour

Slight Detour – June 2022

Take a Slight Detour where strange things are afoot when a bad bunny is making trucking cool again and Tesla is being reduced to fart jokes.

truckers, Roses and Razzberries, Roses & Razzberries

Roses & Razzberries – June 2022

This edition of ROSES and RAZZBERRIES features a trucker who avoided a disaster, increased driver benefits and education, and more.

Business

lease-purchase

‘Run the numbers’

Many drivers use lease-purchase agreements with the hope of becoming an owner-operator. If you’re considering this, OOIDA says you need to do your homework.

Truck To Success

Laying a foundation

OOIDA’s Truck to Success is scheduled for Oct. 25-27 in Blue Springs, Mo. Virtual attendance also will be available.

personal conveyance

Keeping it legit

Personal conveyance can be an important tool for truckers logging hours of service. Knowing how and when to use it is the key, though.

driverless trucks

Another tech frenzy?

Will driverless trucks fundamentally change trucking? Probably not as much as they might think. And they won’t all make the cut.

autonomous trucks

Future of truck technology

The trucking industry is poised to look drastically different. Are electric, autonomous trucks on the horizon or still fodder for sci-fi?

virtual reality

Is virtual reality simulator training the future for trucking? One tech company thinks so

Canadian tech company says virtual reality simulator training for commercial vehicle drivers could replace in-cab training sooner than you might think.

Advice

Wrench Tech

Wrench Tech – June 2022

This edition of Wrench Tech says that maintaining your batteries is a cheap and easy way to keep them healthy and your truck moving.

Road law

Road Law – June 2022

This edition of Road Law discusses big traffic ticket fines with driver vehicle inspection report violations rolled up with them.

Trucking & Taxes

Trucking & Taxes – June 2022

The staff of Trucker Tax Tools was glad to have the opportunity to talk about trucking and taxes in person again at the Mid-America Trucking Show.