Category: Trucker News

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Trucking adds 4,500 jobs

Trucking companies hired 4,500 workers as part of 244,000 nonfarm jobs added on a seasonally adjusted basis during April, according to the preliminary estimates released May 6 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In addition, BLS revised its original estimate for March upward by 1,200 jobs. Compared to April 2010, the number of jobs in for-hire trucking was up 41,600, or 3.4 percent.

Total employment in trucking in April was more than 1.27 million – down 180,300, or 12.4 percent, from peak trucking employment in January 2007. The BLS numbers reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet. Nor do the numbers reflect the total amount of hiring since they only include new jobs, not replacements for existing positions.

Although the economy added 244,000 jobs in April, the unemployment actually rose slightly to 9 percent as workers entered or reentered the job market at a faster rate than the number of jobs being created.

Good news

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N.D., Kentucky grant emergency waivers

North Dakota and Kentucky have temporarily suspended some trucking regulations to aid in emergency efforts.On May 3, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple issued an executive order waiving hours-of-service and weight restrictions for truckers assisting in recovery from the weekend’s storm.

The suspension of these regulations applies to vehicles delivering food, water, medicine and other critical supplies. It extends to vehicles engaged in restoration of public utilities, including waste disposal and debris removal.

The HOS waiver is effective until 11:59 p.m. May 31 or for the duration of the storm emergency.

Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock signed an order April 29 temporarily lifting certain regulatory restrictions on motor carriers and utility vehicles providing disaster response, including those traveling through the state to provide assistance to other states.

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Lawmakers protest cross-border trucking plan

At least 35 federal lawmakers have signed a draft of a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood protesting the DOT proposal for a cross-border trucking program with Mexico. The April 27 draft written by Congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) is signed by 35 to 40 congressional members, said Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper. The plan is “bad for American truckers and the entire commercial trucking industry,” Hunter wrote.

truckers

“The proposal is an undue burden on taxpayers, including buying and monitoring electronic on-board recorders the department will require for Mexican trucks involved in the program,” he wrote. “The cross-border trucking program is a straight handout to Mexico at the expense of American jobs, taxpayer dollars and security,” he stated. The agency has said it is funding EOBRs to ensure it will own and control data gathered by the devices. Over a three-year period, the department estimated this program will cost $2.5 million, which includes $750,000 during the first full year of the program.

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Safety belt usage

The job of the seatbelt is to hold the passenger in place so the passenger is almost part of the car which prevents the passenger from flying forward as the car stops abruptly in the case of a collision.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on May 2 announced that newly released data show 78 percent of commercial truck and bus drivers wore safety belts while operating behind the wheel in 2010, compared to 74 percent in 2009.

safety belt

According to FMCSA’s Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey, the number of commercial drivers who are wearing safety belts has increased by 14 percent since 2007. The 2010 survey observed 26,830 commercial drivers operating medium- to heavy-duty trucks and buses at 998 roadside sites nationwide.

The survey found that safety belt use for commercial drivers and their occupants was higher, 80 percent, in states where law enforcement may stop drivers for not wearing a safety belt, versus 72 percent in states with weaker secondary enforcement belt use laws.

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Insurance broker arrested

A California insurance broker has been arrested on charges of swindling truckers. Paul Daniel Conejos, 29, did business as TATEMAS Truck Insurance Services and Royal Insurance Group Services Inc. in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The 29-year-old Adelanto resident is scheduled for arraignment June 1 in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

He allegedly collected premium payments from long-distance trucking companies, did not remit payments to insurance companies, but issued fraudulent insurance certificates, according to the California Insurance Commission.

Conejos pleaded not guilty at his in-custody arraignment April 12 to four felony counts of grand theft, three felony counts of forgery, two felony counts of theft by false pretense and three misdemeanor theft counts, according to court records. Client losses are about $38,000 for what is sometimes called premium diversion from April 2008 to March 2010.

When buying insurance, truckers should get referrals regarding agents or brokers from truckers they trust, said Bonnie Knoedler, co-owner of Sparks Insurance of Kenosha, Wis.

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Thieves pose as carriers to pick up freight

Fraudulent pickups of freight are increasing in California and other states as thieves pose as carriers, according to FreightWatch International.

Incidents of freight thefts have been reported in April in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, New York and New Jersey, FreightWatch said. About 20 incidents were reported in April, compared with 24 for all of 2010, said FreightWatch’s Dan Burges.

Thieves are going through online broker sites to find freight, impersonate legitimate carriers and pick up loads at shipper locations, FreightWatch said.

The organization is warning shippers to ensure they are only releasing freight to known and verified transportation companies.

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Trailer orders rise

When we think of the importance of trailers in the society, we might be surprised to find out that the list could be particularly surprising. This equipment had proven its worth to many people. Trailers like the Aluminum Pickup Flat-beds, Aluminum Utility, ATV and Snowmobile Trailers, Car Haulers, Dump Trailers, Enclosed Cargo Trailers, Equipment Trailers, Steel Pickup Flat-beds, Steel Utility Trailers, and the Stock and Horse Trailers are all essential. They are necessary equipments used in business, transportation, leisure activities and family outings. Net commercial trailer orders in March rose 21 percent from February, while shipments increased 33 percent, ACT Research Co. said. ACT noted that shipments for the first quarter of 2011 were more than double compared with the same quarter last year. The company’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers reported that all trailer categories are showing substantial improvement compared with the previous year, led by the dry van segment with shipments up 198 percent for the year.
Trailers
“Net orders have now grown for 18 consecutive months, as well as 19 of the past 20,” said Frank Maly, director CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research. “Total trailer net orders are now 98 percent above the level at this time last year. Shipments, up 109% year-to-date, are growing at an even stronger pace. Additionally, backlogs continue to grow. The stage is set for solid industry performance for the remainder of 2011 and throughout 2012.”

Since there are so many kinds of trailers that are available today, one should determine their purpose why they need to purchase a trailer. Trailers are an indispensable part of human lives. They help us carry or toll those heavy things that we need for business or personal needs.

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North Dakota bans texting

Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, or reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the internet on a mobile device, while operating a motor vehicle such as an automobile, truck or train. It has also been ruled as the cause of some motor vehicle accidents, and in some places has been outlawed or restricted.North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed a new law banning texting while driving, making it the 31st state to ban texting behind the wheel. The new law, which becomes effective Aug. 1, will impose a $100 fine on people caught texting while driving.

With North Dakota, 31 states, the District of Columbia and Guam have banned text messaging by all drivers. Eight states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have prohibited all hand-held cell phone use while driving. In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation imposed a texting-while-driving ban on commercial truck and bus drivers. Texting is fun, and it can be addictive, too. But with lives on the line, it’s important to have safe driving habits. Put in perspective, not that many text messages are really worth the risk of having a potentially fatal car accident. A ban on texting while driving, punishable by fines, may become the law of the land. Meanwhile, if drivers can muster the self discipline to ban it from their own driving repertoire (and if the parents of teens, especially, can demand there be no texting while driving) then everyone’s safety will be enhanced.

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Carriers support EOBR

The National Tank Truck Carriers announced its membership supports mandatory electronic logging devices for documentary compliance with hours-of-service rules. NTTC said it voted to support the electronic logging mandate last July but withheld making a public announcement pending any related developments in the HOS rulemaking.

“Personally, as a former professional driver myself, I’ve been a strong proponent of in-cab technology for years,” said Steve Rush, NTTC chairman and chief executive officer of New Jersey-based Carbon Express. “Our NTTC membership recognizes that ELDs will allow all carriers to equally police themselves, which can only lead to safer, better operations across the board. ELD technology will also greatly contribute to improved working conditions for our professional drivers, which will be a large factor as capacity tightens and driver recruiting grows more challenging.”

EOBR

The American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association and National Private Truck Council also have voiced support for EOBRs, which would become mandatory for interstate haulers that are required to maintain records-of-duty status under a pending Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rulemaking.

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FleetPride Acquires Midway Truck Parts As Industry

In its ninth acquisition in 15 months, FleetPride is buying 13 Midway Truck Parts locations in Illinois and one in St. Louis, Mo. Midway Truck Parts was founded in 1978 by Pete Pasdach, president, and Rich Murawski, vice president.

Murawski will join FleetPride in his operational role. Pasdach will lead FleetPride’s Midwest Region in his new role as regional vice president – Midwest Region.

The Midway Trailer Sales & Service division is not part of this agreement and will continue to operate as a separate company.

A major issue, said Plaxton, is that companies such as FleetPride are increasingly negotiating exclusivity performance contracts with vendors. FleetPride could potentially become the exclusive supplier of some parts. This is not likely to matter for major fleets of 1,000 or more power units because they can leverage so much purchasing power. But there may be negative implications for small- to mid-size fleets and the independent distributors they buy from.

A more immediate concern with the acquisition of Midway is Vipar, the marketing group headquartered in Crystal Lake, Ill. However, Steve Crowley, president and CEO of Vipar, said Midway was one of 118 buyers at Vipar, comprising only around 3 percent of business.

Moving forward, there is a strong possibility of more large acquisitions. Many dealers and distributors with depleted balance sheets from the recession are looking for an exit strategy.