Tag: trucking companies

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Lifestyle

Oklahoma truck stop planned to fight prostitution

A judge has ruled an Oklahoma City truck stop owner must take new measures to deter the world’s oldest profession. On April 7, Judge Bryan Dixon of the District Court of Oklahoma County ruled in favor of city officials against Five Star Truck Stop. City representatives sought relief through the court after more than a year of negotiations with the business failed to resolve the soliciting issue, according to Master Sgt. Gary Knight. The judge ordered the business to fix and maintain fencing to completely separate the Five Star property from adjacent motels.

The property’s video camera capabilities must be improved and the owner has to buy and monitor video equipment that provides continuous parking lot surveillance. The owner must also provide copies of video surveillance data in usable form to police if requested.
The judge also has stipulated the truck stop must:
• Increase lighting.
• Post and maintain no trespassing or soliciting signs in conspicuous locations.
• Hire Council on Law Enforcement, Education and Training certified guards who can take prostitutes into custody and who are armed during certain hours.

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Trucker News

Canad vs. Electric Cars

The Canadian province of Quebec has announced plans to offer government rebates of up to $8000 (Canadian) on high-capacity electric vehicles in a bid to place 300,000 plug-in electric vehicles on Quebec’s roads by 2020. With up to $50 million in funding already set aside for the program, the province hopes that – by doing so – they’ll be able to cut overall carbon emissions to the tune of 900,000 tons annually.

Currently, Quebec’s petroleum use breakdown looks like this …

Electric

… and, since more than 90% of Quebec’s electricity comes from hydro power, this isn’t a case of simply diverting fossil fuel use from gasoline being burned in cars to Albertan tar sand oil being burned at the power station, either. As such, a large-scale switch to EVs and plug-in vehicles would (arguably) have a bigger positive impact in Quebec than it would in areas that rely on coal.

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Trucker News

Driver hiring, turnover increase

Trucking industry hiring and driver turnover surged in the fourth quarter of 2010. According to American Trucking Associations’ quarterly trucking activity report, large truckload fleet turnover rose to 69 percent in the fourth quarter, its highest level since the second quarter of 2008. Trucking industry hiring and driver turnover surged in the fourth quarter of 2010.According to American Trucking Associations’ quarterly trucking activity report, large truckload fleet turnover rose to 69 percent in the fourth quarter, its highest level since the second quarter of 2008.

DRIVER

Turnover at small truckload fleets increased to 49 percent in the fourth quarter from 44 percent in the third quarter, and LTL turnover remained low at 6 percent. Also, truckload and less-than-truckload carriers increased payrolls in the fourth quarter. Small truckload companies increased employment by 0.8 percent, while large truckload companies boosted total employment by 0.3 percent.Less-than-truckload employment rose 0.4 percent, according to the survey.ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the increased hiring, coupled with rising turnover, indicated fleets are responding to a growing economic recovery.

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Freight Factors Trucker News

FMCSA opens utter period on EOBR

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on April 12 requested additional public comment on its Feb. 1 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding mandatory electronic onboard recorders for commercial motor vehicle operators who must keep records of duty status.In its latest EOBR proposal and in a previous EOBR rulemaking published on April 5, 2010, FMCSA advised it is required by law to ensure that electronic devices are not used to harass CMV drivers resulting from invasion of their privacy, although they can be used by motor carriers to monitor productivity.

EOBR

FMCSA said in light of recent litigation brought by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association challenging the agency’s treatment of driver harassment in the first EOBR rulemaking, it wants to ensure that interested parties can comment on the issue in the current EOBR rulemaking.
The first EOBR rule is a final FMCSA action and remains under review by the Seventh Circuit, but FMCSA argued the rule properly protects drivers from harassment. The agency also will continue to accept and consider comments on all other issues within the scope of the proposed rule.

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Trucker News

Diesel soars

The national average retail price of diesel surged past $4 a gallon, increasing 10.2 cents to $4.078 a gallon during the week ended April 11, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
All regions reported prices above $4. California climbed 7.4 cents to $4.323, the nation’s highest. The West Coast, excluding California, gained 9.9 cents to $4.308. The Midwest increased 10.8 cents to $4.04, while the East Coast rose 10 cents to $4.082. The biggest increase was 11.2 cents to $4.204 in the Central Atlantic region.

Beautiful Sunset

The national average price is at its highest level since Sept. 1, 2008, when it was $4.121 and more than $1 a gallon higher than the same week last year.

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Trucker News

FMCSA unveils cross-border trucking plan

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced proposal details of cross-border trucking project with Mexico, which will require fewer participants and equip participating Mexican trucks with GPS or electronic on-board recorders.The FMCSA’s April 8 plan for a cross-border trucking project with Mexico otherwise contained few details not already disclosed by Mexican or U.S. officials or contained in the previous program Congress ended in 2009.

Trucking plan
The agency’s notice and request for comment on the plan will be published soon in the Federal Register. After that, the public will have 30 days to comment. The FMCSA will formally respond to feedback and consider public comment in forming its final program.The agency anticipates an average of one long-haul border crossing per week per truck with each Mexican carrier having two trucks participating in the program. It assumes an attrition rate of 25 percent after 18 months in the project and calculates 46 carriers will suffice to achieve a target of 4,100 inspections within three years.

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Senate bill would raise truck weight limits

Federal truck weight reform legislation that would give each state the flexibility to raise interstate weight limits has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate.The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (S. 747) is sponsored by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).Like identical companion legislation pending in the House of Representatives, SETA would give each state the option to raise interstate weight limits selectively from 80,000 pounds to up to 97,000 pounds. The higher limit applies only to vehicles equipped with six axles instead of the typical five. The additional axle would not affect truck size, but would allow shippers to use extra cargo space.

Truck Loads

“SETA is a narrowly drawn bill that enables companies to move a given amount of product in fewer vehicles without adding more weight per tire or increasing stopping distances,” said John Runyan, executive director for the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a group of more than 180 shippers and allied associations backing the legislation.The American Trucking Associations previously has estimated that the trucking industry will haul 30 percent more tonnage in 2021 than it does today. If current weight restrictions remain the same, ATA estimated the U.S. economy will require 18 percent more trucks on the road driving 27 percent more miles than they do now. Runyan said SETA would help correct this imbalance by allowing shippers to reduce truckloads, fuel, emissions and vehicle miles traveled for each ton of freight shipped.

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Trucker News

Truck shortages rates kick in

Truckload capacity shortages will gather momentum this year and continue through 2013 as the economy recovers and regulatory restrictions will limit the driver pool, an FTR Associates economist said Wednesday in an online seminar.Noel Perry, an FTR senior consultant, estimated that because of the economic upturn and the federal government’s push for improved safety “a couple hundred thousand drivers will be taken out of the marketplace between now and the end of next year.” He acknowledged that forecast shortages have been slow to occur and now will likely hit the market in 2012.

Worried Truck Shortage
Perry said trucking is typically slow to respond to an economic recovery. He said if the market doesn’t respond by ordering more equipment to improve productivity, “There will be a bunch of loads that don’t get delivered. That means there will be supply chain failures,” although he does expect the industry to meet the challenge.To date truckload rate increases haven’t materialized as anticipated, Perry said, because the industry achieved productivity gains last year, which enabled companies to absorb additional freight without adding equipment and drivers. That period has passed and the market has tightened.In response to a question, Perry said current strong new truck orders are primarily to replace aging equipment and not adding to capacity. However, he said if his forecast of higher rates is accurate, he anticipates a “considerable expansion by the industry in 2012 and 2013.”

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Lifestyle Trucker News

Avoid Getting Hit by a Car for Pedestrians

With so many vehicles on the road, pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings and the “rules of the road” to avoid being hit by a car or other motor vehicle. Nighttime is a particularly dangerous time because visibility is reduced, and both pedestrians and drivers may be more likely to have been drinking alcohol. The best way for you to avoid getting hit by a car when you’re walking is to be aware of the situations that most often lead to pedestrian-vehicle accidents.

Pedestrian Lane
To avoid getting hit by a car you need to look both ways before you cross the street. We all agree accidents happen, but stupidity happens as well. I see children disobeying the rule of look before you leap even adults as well. Taking the time to look both ways will save you money on medical bills, incident claims, and a few broken bones. Another importantsafety step that will keep our head attached to our necks instead of attached to a window shield is often missed as well. Do not go jogging on a busy street with headphones blasting in your ears. How can you hear if a car behind you is swerving? If you do go running try to run against the flow of traffic so you can see what’s in front of you.

Like I said before unless you know something the rest of the world doesn’t know you can not outrun a car. Why do grown men try to race a car, and why in the world does the driver even accept this foolish challenge. A quick way to get hit by a car, is to try outrunning one. If you do this please stop embarrassing yourself, and grow up.

Even though pedestrians’ routes are often the same every day (to and from work, the grocery store, school, etc), it is important to remember to be aware of what is going on around you and to follow these simple safety suggestions.

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Newbies

Reefer rates rise

Following a three-month decline, truckload rates for refrigerated vans increased 2.2 percent on the spot market in March from February, according to TransCore’s Truckload Rate Index.Compared to March 2010, rates for the reefer segment increased 2.9 percent. Spot market rates are those paid by freight brokers and third-party logistics providers to the carrier.Outbound lanes originating in Chicago and Dallas warmed up the reefer rates, which typically rise along with reefer freight volume during the early spring produce season. This year’s severe winter weather delayed or reduced produce shipments, particularly from California.

Reefer rates increased gradually throughout the month, while van and flatbed rates on the spot market rose during the first week of March and remained stable through the rest of the month. Van rates were up 4 percent, while flatbed rates rose 2.5 percent compared with February.