Canada Post announced it will electrify its entire fleet of 14,000 vehicles by 2040 as part of its plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It will spend $1 billion to transform its fleet, with an initial goal of being 50% electric by 2030. “We have a responsibility to Canadians, and to their children […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/5ARrmB8
Tristan Fleet Management has become an official dealer for Vanguard Trailers in Quebec. Vanguard, a spin-off of CIMC Vehicle Group, makes van and flatbed trailers, as well as shipping containers, container chassis, and conversion carts. Tristan has been serving the Quebec market since 2011, most recently focusing on maintenance outsourcing for fleets. “For Tristan, this […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/3UO4HkV
Martin Gauthier is going on 26 years as a driver with Tiger Trucking, and Nicole Kelly is approaching three years in her role as a Tiger Trucking Supervisor, but they both echo the same sentiment about the company culture at Giant Tiger. The focus on cultivating a people-first organization is what has kept Gauthier working […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/JNW5QTI
Steve Lawn, Parkland Corporation’s fleet manager – commercial, has been named chairman of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) for the 2022/23 term. The appointment was announced as the private fleet organization opens its annual general meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont. Parkland Corporation operates convenience stores and is a fuel retailer with subsidiaries […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/yAzwBju
Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, June 8, 2022:
An individual owner-operator, Leland Schmitt Jr., is asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from five provisions of the hours of service regulations.
According to a notice set to publish in the Federal Register Thursday, June 9, Schmitt is requesting the exemption solely for himself for a five-year period and believes his safe driving record and experience demonstrate an equivalent level of safety as the regulations.
Specifically, Schmitt is requesting an exemption from the 10 consecutive hour off-duty time requirement; the 14-hour on-duty window; the 30-minute break requirement; and the 60 hours in 7 days and the 70 hours in 8 days limits.
FMCSA says Schmitt said the mandatory 10-hour off-duty break “goes against his natural sleep patterns, as his normal nighttime sleep while in the CMV is between five to seven hours.”
The notice says Schmitt is currently leased to Clearwater, Minnesota-based D&E Transport and has been driving trucks for more than 30 years.
Once published Thursday, FMCSA will accept comments on Schmitt’s request for 30 days at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0099.
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In legislation that mirrors a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in February, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) introduced on the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act in the Senate on May 24, which would standardize the enrollment process for individuals applying for multiple TSA security threat assessment programs.
The legislation, if passed, would allow truck drivers to use one valid Transportation Security Administration background check to enroll in multiple TSA programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and the hazmat endorsement.
The House bill has not seen any action since it was introduced in February and referred to the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. The Senate bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Acting Administrator Robin Hutcheson went before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Wednesday, taking the first step toward potential confirmation as the agency's first full-time boss in almost three years.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appointed Hutcheson Deputy Administrator in late January following the departure of Meera Joshi. As deputy administrator, Hutcheson also serves as the Acting Administrator, and President Biden nominated her for the role of Administrator in April. FMCSA hasn't had a full-time administrator since Ray Martinez, who stepped down from the post in October 2019. The job has since been held by Jim Mullen, Wiley Deck, Joshi and Hutcheson, each as acting administrator.
Hutcheson steps into FMCSA at a time where transportation is enjoying heightened public awareness, and she pledged to continue shining "a spotlight" on the trucking industry.
"Now, more than ever, Americans are acutely tuned into how our goods get to our homes -- from the flour for the bread we eat, the clothes we wear, the beds we sleep in -- we all have a better understanding that it probably came on a truck," she said. "People, in this case, drivers, are the most important part of the industry. It is a difficult job, and men and women have been working long hours to literally keep our economy rolling in the face of unprecedented challenges."
Hutcheson, whose pending confirmation has already received support from the American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Truckload Carriers Association, made clear in her testimony Wednesday that safety would be among her highest priorities, calling the opportunity to lead FMCSA "an honor... in carrying out our life-saving mission."
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last month estimated that 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, a 10.5% increase from the 38,824 fatalities in 2020. The projection is the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the largest annual percentage increase in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
"Of those lost, 800 were commercial motor vehicle drivers," she said. "In the 25 years I have worked in the transportation industry, safety has always been at the core of my work. I have had the opportunity to lead a large organization with front line and operational staff with boots on the ground, like those at FMCSA. I have learned that the foundation of successful leadership requires collaboration and transparency within the agency and across stakeholder and Congressional relationships."
As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety Policy with the Department of Transportation, Hutcheson led the development of the National Roadway Safety Strategy, which identifies numerous actions to improve safety for the men and women driving the commercial motor vehicle industry and all those with whom they share the road.
"For FMCSA, such actions include increasing our investigations in high-risk carriers, and technology investments to close registration loopholes that would prevent unsafe drivers from ever being on the road," she said, noting ongoing work with regard to in-depth analysis of crash causations, which would allow the agency to target its resources to improve safety.
Hutcheson told the committee she supports ongoing efforts to bolster the truck driver workforce, including the Department of Labor-backed apprenticeship program -- which she said has topped 500 registrants -- and a Women of Trucking Advisory Board -- which she said has reached more than 250 nominations -- to identify barriers for women entering and remaining in the driving profession.
Hutcheson said she does believe there is a national shortage of truck drivers and that the apprenticeship program, among other initiatives, will help combat it. One of the initiatives Hutcheson sees, at least near-term, lacking influence in driver recruitment is driverless technology, deferring the emergence of autonomous tech as a safety play.
"Automated vehicles, if done correctly, can have an impact on lessening roadway fatalities," she said, calling it a "technology that can both improve safety outcomes and support innovation for the trucking industry as well as the driving public."
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) told Hutcheson she was preparing to reintroduce the Transportation and Logistics Hiring Reform Act, originally introduced in 2017, which she said would create a national hiring standard for motor carriers. In short, the Act would require shippers and brokers to ensure that a carrier is registered with and authorized by FMCSA; has minimum insurance coverage; does not have an unsatisfactory safety rating; and is not operating under a shutdown order.
Hutcheson responded that FMCSA was already working to clarify its definition of "broker" and was close to seeking public comment on standardizing how shippers and brokers hire carriers.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) asked Hutcheson for her stance on the implementation of hair testing in truck driver drug screenings, a move he's supported for quite some time. She responded that FMCSA is currently working with Health and Human Services to study hair testing, "and stands ready to implement their recommendations."
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Nova Scotia has approved Facility Association’s approach to rating commercial auto in a way that trucking operators cannot “game the system” and get Nova Scotia’s lower premium rates when they drive more extensively in other Canadian provinces. Essentially, a “surcharge matrix” will be used to rate trucking companies that drive more than 50% outside of the […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/8qLpWf4
A poll of Canadian trucking executives conducted by Nanos for the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) suggests the phasing out of fossil fuels and the labor shortage will dominate trucking over the next decade. The majority, 23 out of 36, said the electrification of the trucking industry will be the top change over the next 10 […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/gcm3Qp5
Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, June 7, 2022:
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced Tuesday that its annual Brake Safety Week inspection, enforcement and education initiative will be held Aug. 21-27.
During Brake Safety Week, inspectors will conduct their usual North American Standard Level I and V Inspections and capture and report brake-related data to CVSA. The results will be released in the fall.
In addition to reporting total inspections and brake-related out-of-service violations, inspectors will also capture and provide data on brake hose/tubing chafing violations -- the focus area for this year's Brake Safety Week.
“Poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of large trucks and motorcoaches, which poses a serious risk to driver and public safety,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “In those split-second emergency situations, the proper functionality of the brake systems on large commercial motor vehicles is crucial.”
Brake-related violations make up the largest percentage of all out-of-service vehicle violations cited during roadside inspections, and according to last year’s three-day International Roadcheck data, brake systems and brake adjustment violations accounted for 38.9% of all vehicle out-of-service violations, the most of any category of vehicle violations. To address this, CVSA’s Brake Safety Week seeks to:
During the brake portion of a vehicle inspection, inspectors will look for missing, non-functioning, loose, contaminated or cracked parts on the brake system, and non-manufactured holes (such as rust holes and holes created by rubbing or friction) and broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake. They will also listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines, and ensure the air system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi (620-690 kPa).
Inspectors will also check for S-cam flip-over and measure pushrod travel. They will check that slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size. They will also inspect required brake-system warning devices, such as ABS malfunction lamps and low air-pressure warning devices. In addition, inspectors will ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer, and inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleed-back system on the trailer.
Following a three-week stretch in which diesel prices across the U.S. dropped an average of 8.4 cents, prices reversed that trend during the week ending June 6 and jumped 16.4 cents to a new record high, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
The U.S.’ average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel is now $5.70 -- 8 cents higher than the previous record high of $5.62 during the week ending May 9.
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During the most recent week, prices increased in all regions except New England and the Central Atlantic region, which saw decreases of 3.1 cents and 2.9 cents, respectively.
The largest increase was seen in the West Coast less California region, where prices jumped by 32.9 cents, followed by California, which saw a 28.9-cent increase.
The nation’s cheapest diesel can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $5.31 per gallon, followed by the Midwest region at $5.47 per gallon.
The most expensive fuel is in California at $6.83 per gallon, followed by the Central Atlantic region at $6.20 per gallon.
Prices in other regions, according to EIA, are:
ProMiles’ numbers during the same week saw fuel prices increase by .02 cents, bringing its national average to $5.43 per gallon.
According to ProMiles’ Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $6.54 per gallon, and the cheapest can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $5.17 per gallon.
[Related: Trucking 101: Understanding fuel surcharges]
To promote safety on a 20-mile segment of I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande, the Arizona Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, is installing new signage that will restrict heavy vehicle truck traffic on this busy section of highway to the right lane only.
Arizona DOT is installing these signs along a 20-mile section of I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande.The signs are an interim safety measure along the final two-lane stretch of I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, ADOT said, that has yet to be widened to three lanes in each direction.
Heavy traffic flow and truck traffic have delivered the safety concerns. Based on data for the area where the signs are being posted, heavy vehicles were involved in about 20% of crashes and 15% of rear-end and sideswipe crashes.
The signs are intended to be in place until an improvement project kicks off to widen this segment of I-10. The first step is expected in 2023 with the replacement of bridges that carry traffic over the Gila River, following required environmental review and clearance. Also, ADOT is working closely with the Gila River Indian Community and the Maricopa Association of Governments to secure federal funding to add to committed state funding, for work that could be completed as early as 2026.
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[Related: Heists involving identity theft and other types of fraud a growing part of cargo theft mix] from Overdrive https://ift.tt/RkPAjQx
Brakes continue to dominate out-of-service violations across North America, and they’ll once again be the target of a dedicated enforcement and education blitz. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will run Brake Safety Week Aug. 21-27, with a special focus on chafed hoses and tubing. “Poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/5DWUS9b
Steve Crane owns this 2020 Kenworth T880 rolloff truck, which is powered by a 485-hp Cummins X15 with an Allison transmission. The rig is equipped with a 75,000-pound Galfab rolloff hoist and a Shurco SWAT tarper.
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Winter, 1988, somewhere east of Beaverdam, Ohio, when US 30 was still just a two-lane, you'd rumble through the frozen fields of the Great Midwest in your International Transtar with its screaming 318, trying to make Cuyahoga Heights by six. Two in the morning, then, and you were barely holding on by Coca Cola, coffee and Lucky Strikes, just hoping to catch your second wind by Upper Sandusky.
On those sleep deprived nights, you'd work the AM dial in a manic state, looking for some show that could pick you up. In that part of the country, your options for trucking radio were 700 WLW Cincinnati and the Truckin' Bozo Show and 1140 WRVA in Richmond, Virginia, with the Big John Trimble.
Some nights, though, if it was down in the teens and the sky was clear, the ionosphere would smile down on you. You could pick up Dave Nemo's Road Gang on 870 WWL, "deep down in New Orleans!", just like you were on the banks of the ol' Pontchartrain.
"Muleskinner called in from Nacogdoches, and he wants to hear a train song!" Nemo would announce, and then a song you'd never heard before would scream through the night, bearing you to your second wind. It was pure Americana, and it was all there for you and others of your trade.
As I’ve said before, it’s difficult to overstate the outsize importance that the all-night trucking radio hosts held for the working driver in those days. Twenty-hour days were, at least for this gearjammer, not uncommon then. And the unique brand of entertainment that hosts like Nemo provided was pure cetane to the trucker burning the midnight oil. They were like high priests of an unseen subculture, curators of a certain aesthetic sensibility; but of all the practitioners of the genre, you'd be hard-pressed to find any who did it with the aplomb of Nemo himself.
Subtracting some initial years as he got his footing, 2022 marks the 50th of Dave Nemo's uninterrupted career in radio. This is his story.
Dave Nemo Age: 73 Occupation: Radio host, musician
Dave Nemo"My first job was as a grocery basket retriever. I’ve been a lifelong working musician beginning in high school.
“I was a fleet man with a barge company on the Mississippi River for 7 years through school. Thank goodness I worked at night, as my mom wouldn’t let me in the house until I took off my clothes ... super dirty and greasy.
"I joined WWL Radio in December of 1969 as an on-air personality. Then, in 1971, I was on AFKN [Armed Forces Korea Network]. In 1972 I rejoined WWL and that’s when I met Charlie Douglas."
Before he came the WWL the first time, "I was the program director of the campus radio station at Loyola University in New Orleans. I auditioned for a job at WWL ... and got it! I was the first part-time employee there and by far the youngest.
"Charlie Douglas was an all-night show host on a country music station in New Orleans but he commuted from Picayune, Mississippi. He realized there was a totally unserved audience of truckers out there in the dark. In 1971, while I was in the Army, he approached the ownership of WWL and convinced them to radically change their overnight programming to create what became, very quicky, a bona fide genre: Trucking Radio. His legacy continues today.
"WWL was granted ‘clear channel’ status in the 1930s. All the other stations across the country were required to sign off at local sunset, then sign back on at sunrise. That opened up the country for WWL to be able to reach not just the long-distance listener but the truck drivers constantly moving across the country."
LHP: "I'm curious whether the Charlie Douglas epiphany was the big bang of the all night trucker radio format, or was it going on anywhere else at the time?"
Dave: "That may be a fair assessment in terms of focusing the program exclusively for the truck driver. Charlie would say that anyone can listen but the show is focused solely on truckers."
LHP: "Over the years, you had some iconic moments with in-studio guests. Do you have any recollections of those appearances, or any in-studio appearances that stand out?"
Dave: "I’ll never forget Tammy Wynette. In my earliest days, she did a concert here in New Orleans and was a guest on the show. She was so gracious and kind."
LHP: "What about any interactions with the drivers that stand out? There seems to be a very real phenomenon in trucking radio where deep, years-long friendships are formed between the hosts and listeners, and regular callers also become friends with one another. I remember with some poignancy that in Dale Sommers' last days on this earth, much of his in-home care was provided by a listener. This, culturally, to me at least, really seems to be its own thing. I mean, do you realize in my early years of trucking, I spent more time with you than my wife?"
Dave: "And I spent more nights with you! Still to this day, a driver will tell me that his dad heard about his birth from me. Before cell phones and social media, we were the link to home. Our mandate was to keep drivers awake, alert, and alive. Today, the mandate is a little different in the morning hours. Now we do our best to keep drivers up to date on regulations, technology and the lifestyle issues of health and well being."
LHP: "That said, one night I finally got stopped long enough to call your show [from a payphone]. I was in Smyrna, Tennessee, and you were in your Nashville phase [with a different station]. That was such great radio! You were bringing in aspiring songwriters. The station told me you no longer did the show there. I think that must have been when you went to satellite. Just how grueling of a job was that all-night gig?"
Dave: "My working life was essentially always at night as a musician, on the riverfront, even in the Army [as a young man]. So I never really knew much of anything else. But when we moved from midnight to 6 a.m., it took me exactly one day to get used to working in the sunlight!"
LHP: "How hard was the transition to all talk?"
Dave: "We kinda eased into it gradually going from music and fun stuff to trucking issues. That transition started with the birth of the FMCSA [in the year 2000]. With that, we’ve had plenty to talk about."
Congratulations, Dave, on 50 years in radio! Thanks for all the miles you've made with us. Here's to many more to come.
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Barton St. East in Hamilton, Ont., has the dubious distinction of being the worst road in Ontario, according to CAA. The road suffers from “potholes and severe alligator cracking in the pavement,” the CAA announced when releasing its annual ranking. It marks Barton Street’s third consecutive year as the worst road in Hamilton. Eglinton Ave. […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/ri9HhB3
App simplifies weighing process at the scale. While it’s important to ensure trucks are legally loaded, the process of weighing a truck to confirm it’s compliant with weight standards can be tedious and time-consuming. Even if the truck is at its legal weight, there are nine steps from the time the driver pulls onto the […] from Truck News https://ift.tt/TIBjewC
Trucking news and briefs for Monday, June 6, 2022:
The American Transportation Research Institute on Monday launched a follow-up online survey seeking perspectives from truck drivers related to the real-time parking information system that was installed in eight Midwest states in 2019.
The follow-up survey is intended to collect preference information from truck drivers who have used the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS). Drivers who operate anywhere in the Midwest states -- including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin -- are encouraged to participate.
Responses to this survey will help the 10 state DOTs who compose the MAASTO coalition continue to use the regional system to best coordinate real-time truck parking information for most major corridors in the Midwest.
Truck drivers operating in the Midwest are encouraged to complete the brief confidential online truck parking survey by Friday, June 24.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said beginning Monday, June 6, both westbound lanes of I-20 at the U.S. 80/Louisiana Highway 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop) overpass in west Shreveport will be closed nightly.
The nighttime only closure is necessary to allow a contractor to begin repairs on the overpass that was damaged after it was struck by an illegal over-height load in late 2021, the department said.
The work is scheduled to take place from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. each night for approximately 10 days, depending on weather and other factors.
As part of the interstate closure, traffic will be routed to a diversion cross-over that has already been constructed by DOTD crews at the interchange. DOTD said it is continually working to ensure the efficient flow of traffic once repairs are underway, though drivers should anticipate some possible delays and plan an alternate route if possible.
The bridge is currently load posted at 5 tons, meaning no vehicles heavier than five tons can legally cross until repairs are complete and the posting is removed. The load posting is in the interest of the safety of the traveling public, DOTD added.
DOTD bridge inspectors discovered the damaged bridge girders during a routine inspection. DOTD added that the incident was not reported to law enforcement at the time the overpass was struck.
Perrin Manufacturing, the parent company of Dynasys APU, announced the availability of the new Dynasys 24 auxilliary power unit.
The Dynasys 24 is a lithium-ion battery-powered APU that provides 12,000 btu of air conditioning and has a runtime of between 12 and 16 hours, recharged by the truck’s alternator while in route.
The company says the APU is the only battery unit on the market that has the capability of running a 12,000 btu air conditioning system for up to 16 hours. As with Dynasys’ EIS unit, the 24 can also be fitted with an Espar hydronic coolant heater for both the truck’s bunk and motor coolant. Most battery units have only 6 to 8 hours of runtime and provide 6,000 btu of air conditioning, through the use of traditional batteries, Dynasys adds.
The standard warranty is five years on the battery and two years, unlimited hours on all other components.
The sales and installation will be performed at one of the company’s Factory Trained Dynasys Dealers throughout the United States and Canada.
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Speaking in the Monday general session of the Truckload Carriers Association's Safety & Security Division meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Chief Safety Officer Jack Van Steenburg sought to emphasize a tragic aspect of 2021 preliminary crash numbers, which Overdrive reported on recently. That's the number of large truck occupants, whether driver or a passenger, who were killed as a result of a 2021 crash.
Van Steenburg said that "831 truck drivers or truck drivers' passengers lost their lives" in 2021 in a crash. Compared to numbers a decade ago in 2011, that's nearly a 33% percent increase. "The thing that's really mind-boggling to me," Van Steenburg added, is that 43% of those deaths were of drivers or passengers not wearing a seatbelt; another 25% could well be drivers without a seatbelt, too, given use of the restraint device wasn't noted on a quarter of accident reports.
"You’re all safety people," he addressed the assembled at the conference of carrier safety personnel. Clearly, a simple reminder of seat belt regulations might go a long way toward getting field personnel home in one piece, as traffic/congestion rises along with overall crash numbers. "People positively ignore those regulations," Van Steenburg said, noting driver deaths impact friends, families, and entire companies.
Looking at the broader statistical categories, Van Steenburg strives to see "real people" in the numbers," he said. "The outlook’s not good -- working together, we can do a lot more, and do a lot better."
TCA's Dave Heller, vice president for government affairs, described crashes in 2021 broadly as at a "crisis level on the road. We’ve seen the increases in accidents," he said, urging attendees and everyone in trucking to ask themselves, "What are we doing to fix these issues, so that these trends go the other way?"
FMCSA's Van Steenburg also addressed the implementation of its under-21 interstate driver pilot program. The FMCSA, he said, was hopeful to begin accepting applications from motor carriers to participate by August or September this year. The pilot program, accepting up to 3,000 drivers, was required by last year's infrastructure bill.[Related: Debating reasons for the rise in truck-occupant crash deaths a decade ago]
During Heller's portion of the general session Monday, he asked attendees to raise their hands if their fleet happened to be sing top-speed-limiting settings in their trucks in some ways. Nearly every hand in the room went up. "Speed plays a major role in these accidents," he said, referencing the data Van Steenburg shared, easily the "top one or two reasons for an accident" to happen.
A mandate to use limiters, he suggested, may well be looked on favorably or at least in a neutral way by those in attendance, yet he acknowledged a strong current of opposition to the notion of a mandate among certain trucking constituencies, including Overdrive's owner-operator and small fleet audience. "The agency is actually reading what gets submitted" to the federal docket in response to its recent request for information about speed limiter use, Heller said. A lot of the nearly 15,000 comments already submitted, he added, undoubtedly come from the more than three-fourths of independent owner-operators who oppose the rule.
"This is a war cry" for many, he added, and "they’re coming out strong."
Yet the agency's pursuit of a mandate comes against the backdrop of recently reintroduced legislation to require limiters, and language requiring them in the training rig for any under-21 driver in the pilot program for interstate operations, Heller pointed out, and the agency's gone down the speed-limiter-mandate road before.
"We have no predetermined notions on where we’re going with the speed limiter rule," said FMCSA's Van Steenburg, cautioning watchers on assuming it's a done deal. "We’ll take a look at the comments and the data and so forth and make a decision."
He urged trucking participants to use the extended comment period (through July 18) on its most recent information request. With almost 15,000 comments in already, he added, "I know we're going t get a lot more. That's an awful lot that we have to go through."
Van Steenburg declined to offer a timeline for next steps, though Heller guessed it would likely be years before a rule might cycle through development to any final regulation.
FMCSA's Van Steenburg noted his agency is making an effort to put some of the additional money it's received via last year's infrastructure bill to work getting back to in-person compliance reviews, targeted particularly at carriers with demonstrable crash or other issues. Overdrive has documented a counter-trend to those in-person reviews in recent years, accelerated dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, as off-site audit numbers ballooned and safety ratings trended sharply negative. In 2021, in fact, for the first time the Conditional rating was the most-common rating issued.
The big increase in funding for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grants to state enforcement departments should result in "a little bit more inspections out there" on the road, Van Steenburg said. But "I want to focus on compliance reviews of carriers that present some sort of safety risk. That’s what we’ll focus on with the increased funding," also emphasizing "in-person safety audits."
That doesn't mean that the agency has fully abandoned, however, its pursuit of a more real-time-data-based approach to safety rating. Van Steenburg noted continued pursuit of a Safety Fitness Determination in the coming years, listed in the "Prerule" stage with the White House Office of Management and Budget after being tabled during the last administration. Such a rating approach would offer more dynamic safety ratings for any carrier, Van Steenburg said.
Today it's possible that a carrier who got a Satisfactory rating 10 years ago could easily have that rating today with nothing underpinning it other than the snapshot of the company as it existed a full decade ago. "Is that a true reflection of your company 10 years later? We’re trying to get a snapshot in time. How we’re going to do that, we don’t know, but it’s on our rulemaking agenda to address the Safety Fitness Determination and make it a current, true reflection of how a company works today."
FMCSA under the Trump administration pulled its last attempt at achieving the SFD via rulemaking in 2017, when it had then been in the works for more than a decade.
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