Federal, News
FMCSA explains plans to modernize registration system
FMCSA’s plan to modernize its registration system and crack down on fraud is going to come in stages. A rulemaking is expected this year.
Listen Now
Podcast: World’s oldest active professional truck driver
Doyle Archer started driving decades ago and hasn’t stopped since. And while he didn’t give it much thought, those around him wondered if he might just be the oldest active trucker at 90 years old. And it turns out he is. We visit with the Guinness World Record holder.
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Crime & Courts, News
Driver declared ‘imminent hazard’ for two wrecks, positive drug test
A Montana-licensed commercial truck driver has been declared an imminent hazard by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The declaration was made after he tested positive for a Schedule 1 controlled substance and was involved in two wrecks in 2017. Robert Schefflmaer on Oct. 18 was pulling a tank-trailer transporting hazardous material on Interstate 80 […]
News
NAFTA freight in October reaches $100 billion for first time since March
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that in October trucks moved 64 percent of NAFTA freight – with trains, planes, ships and pipelines picking up the rest. All five modes experienced an increase in freight year to year. The value of freight hauled across the borders increased by nearly 7 percent […]
Federal, News
Trump confirms he will sign trafficking bills into law
President Donald Trump recently designated January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and confirmed that he will soon sign into law two bills aimed at preventing human trafficking in the trucking industry. A proclamation signed by President Trump estimated that 25 million people are victims of human trafficking for sex and labor. “Human […]
Crime & Courts, News
Mississippi bill would set stiff punishment for cargo theft
One Mississippi state lawmaker is back with a bill intended to deter the theft of truck, rail or container cargo through stiff punishment. Rep. Steve Massengill, R-Hickory Flat, sponsored a bill one year ago to establish cargo theft as a specific offense and impose felony charges with escalating fines and punishment based on the value […]
News
DAT Solutions: Rates, load availability close 2017 at record highs
ELDs, crazy weather, holidays at home – truckers had plenty of reasons to take time off during the week ending Dec. 30, but there was money to made if you wanted to work instead. National average spot van and refrigerated truckload rates on DAT MembersEdge ended the year at their highest points as capacity tightened […]
Crime & Courts, News
Appellate court absolves trucking company of blame for $9M cargo theft
A U.S. Court of Appeals has sided with a trucking company and truck stop in a case where an insurance company blamed both for a cargo theft of approximately $9 million of pharmaceuticals. The shipping company’s insurer claimed the carrier was liable for the theft because of a federal shipping law referred to as the […]
News, OOIDA
OOIDA issues Call to Action requesting comments on its ELD exemption request
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is urging truckers to file comments in support of its request for a five-year exemption for small business truckers from the electronic logging device mandate. OOIDA’s exemption request asks the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow small trucking carriers that do not have an “unsatisfactory” safety rating and can […]
Analysis, Truck Parking
The cost of losing a truck stop
While some states are moving forward addressing the truck parking problem, other states are taking a step backward. The latest example of the latter involves the Virginia Department of Transportation, a TravelCenters of America truck stop and eminent domain. This is not exactly new information. TA closed its location off of I-81 in Troutville, Va., […]
News
Iowa DOT urges lawmakers to adopt FMCSA-compliant cellphone use laws
The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging state lawmakers to make changes to statutes that deal with cellphone use for commercial motor vehicle drivers. Current laws in the state are not compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and could cost the state millions of dollars in federal funding. IDOT Director Mark Lowe recently drafted […]
Fuel prices, News
Fuel tax rate changes in six states in effect for 2018
As the calendar flips to the new year, fuel tax rates are changing in several states. During the past year, about a dozen states have instituted changes. Adjustments range from increases of at least 20 cents per gallon in California and New Jersey to fractional changes in other states. The most notable change for the […]
