Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 1, 2021: FMCSA shuts down Nevada-based trucker following two DUI arrests On March 5, Ayala was stopped for erratic driving. FMCSA said his blood alcohol content measured 0.337 during this stop. Less than two weeks later, on March 17, he was pulled over again, this time with a BAC measuring 0.282. The legal BAC limit while operating a commercial vehicle is 0.04. On both occasions, FMCSA said Ayala was also charged with having open containers of alcohol and operating a vehicle with expired registration. Failing to comply with the provisions of the federal imminent hazard order could result in civil penalties of up to $1,928 for each violation. Knowing and/or willful violations may also result in criminal penalties. Ayala cannot operate a commercial motor vehicle until he successfully completes the statutorily required return-to-duty process overseen by a substance abuse professional. Embark unveils universal self-driving interface for truck OEMs By focusing on the intersection of four major OEM platform specifications, instead of designing to one OEM platform, Embark is building the industry's first universal system that is intentionally designed to integrate into any platform. The company has designed its system from the beginning to work across platforms. The EUI achieves its universality through a two-part design. Part one consists of a standardized components package – sensors and compute system – which have been determined through thousands of hours of design, testing and analysis. Between these standardized components and the truck is part two of the EUI design – a set of physical, electrical and software interfaces that enable the standardized components package to connect to and communicate with any OEM platform's steering, braking, throttle, telematics, power, chassis and HVAC. "We absolutely believe that integrating with OEMs is the path to market for self-driving trucks," said Alex Rodrigues, co-founder and CEO of Embark. "We also believe that being cross-compatible and easy to integrate into all OEM's vehicles as their level 4 platforms continue to develop gives us a competitive advantage." Yokohama increasing tire prices The company did not specify how much of an increase consumers would see. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled his estimated $2 trillion infrastructure plan, dubbed the American Jobs Plan. While Biden's plan – one he called "a once in a generation investment in America" – boasts a hefty price tag for American taxpayers, less than 10% of the proposed funding would be allocated to improve the nation’s highways and bridges. The U.S. infrastructure recently earned a score of "C-" from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the nation's infrastructure quality has dropped from fifth to thirteenth in the world over the last 15 years. According to a fact sheet released by the White House Wednesday morning, the American Jobs Plan would invest $621 billion in transportation infrastructure. However, only $135 billion of that would directly go toward repairing roads and bridges and improving highway safety. [Related: Vehicle miles traveled tax not as clear-cut as it might seem] The plan proposes to use $115 billion to modernize 20,000 miles of highways, roads and main streets, repair the 10,000 worst small bridges and "fix the ten most economically significant bridges in the country in need of reconstruction." An additional $20 billion is set aside “to improve road safety for all users, including increases to existing safety programs and a new Safe Streets for All program to fund state and local ‘vision zero’ plans and other improvements to reduce crashes and fatalities, especially for cyclists and pedestrians.” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear commended President Biden and his "vision to modernize and revitalize our nation’s aging transportation networks," but noted “[we] do not believe the Administration’s funding proposal is politically tenable nor a reliable long-term solution to the shortfall facing the Highway Trust Fund." "We also disagree with certain provisions – especially those related to labor – that are counterproductive to economic growth and will only serve as political poison pills," Spear added. "However, the President’s broader plan is an important marker as Congress begins work on a surface transportation reauthorization bill. ATA recognizes this is the beginning of the legislative process, not the end. Even though electric vehicles currently represent only 1% of the entire U.S. fleet, more money is earmarked for electrification than repairing roads and bridges. Biden's plan puts forward $174 billion to encourage and support the purchase and use of electric vehicles, including incentives and tax breaks for individuals that buy American-made electric vehicles. Also baked into the plan is money to support the construction of 500,000 electric charging stations around the country and replace diesel-powered transit and school buses with ones powered by electricity. Other transportation infrastructure funding would go toward improving public transit; improving passenger and freight rail service; expanding the manufacturing of and infrastructure for electric vehicles; improving ports, waterways and airports; and more. Transportation Infrastructure/Congestion/Funding has been a perennial Top 10 issue in American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) annual Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry Survey. More than one-third of respondents (34.1%) to ATRI's 2020 survey believe that a federal infrastructure bill provides the best opportunity for truck parking capacity investments. While there are currently federal formula funds eligible for truck parking projects, ATRI noted they compete with road construction activities. [Related: Truck parking push renewed in D.C.] The White House plans to fund the American Jobs Plan with Biden's Made in America Tax Plan, which would increase the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, discourage offshoring by multinational corporations, eliminate tax preferences for fossil fuels and more. Biden's plan will still need to move through Congress, where it likely will face intense opposition from Republicans. “Our nation could use a serious, targeted infrastructure plan. There would be bipartisan support for a smart proposal," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), calling the proposal "a liberal wish-list." “This plan is not about rebuilding America’s backbone," McConnell added. "Less than 6% of this massive proposal goes to roads and bridges. It would spend more money just on electric cars than on America’s roads, bridges, ports, airports, and waterways combined." https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD A global shortage of semiconductors reduced Paccar truck deliveries in the first three months of this year by approximately 3,000 vehicles, the company said Wednesday, and it's a problem that isn't likely to be resolved soon. "Paccar anticipates that the semiconductor shortage will continue in the second quarter," the company said via statement. "North American and European truck industry orders continue to be very strong. Paccar’s forecast for 2021 truck industry retail sales remains unchanged." Paccar's first quarter 2021 truck deliveries are estimated at approximately 42,000 vehicles, compared to 40,800 vehicles delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020. The semiconductor shortage was spurred by chip manufacturers who pivoted toward consumer electronics during the worst of the pandemic as truck and auto sales swooned. Vehicle orders rebounded quicker than expected, leaving a dearth in supply. It can take several weeks – if not months – for semiconductor manufacturers to switch between production of different types of chips. Volvo Group, the parent of Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America, last week said the company will implement stop days across its global truck manufacturing operations beginning in April due to supply chain problems with semiconductors and other components. [Related: Volvo, Mack join automakers feeling the squeeze from semiconductor shortage] Mack Trucks' Director of Public Relations told CCJ the company expects its Lehigh Valley Operations to be affected, adding "[at] the moment, we believe this will mean some non-production days during the quarter. The situation is fluid. We’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact, and we are maintaining the flexibility to increase production if the situation allows." Similarly, Volvo Group North America Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs said Volvo Trucks North America was monitoring the situation closely "as these constraints will continue in the second quarter, and we will adjust our production if needed. We’re working closely with our suppliers to minimize the impact on our customers." Despite many assembly headwinds, February 2021 was the second-highest total truck orders ever for the month of February, and orders for the previous 12 months now total 338,000 units. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Slips, trips and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and more than a quarter of all truck and transportation workplace injuries, and are the leading cause for worker compensation claims. Nearly a decade ago, a driver for a contracted carrier fell off a flatbed trailer at one of Eaton Steel Corp.'s, plants. This event cost the parent company of Adica Trucking Company a $1.4 million settlement. [Related: Fleets using new technology to remove busywork, improve safety outcomes] About three years ago, Adica had one of its own drivers fall off an open flatbed onto his head. The driver was bending over and lost his balance, said Jeff Bronson, Adica Trucking Company director of transportation. "That hit us in the face like a 2x4." Bronson, along with Adica Fleet Services & Trucking Company Director of Safety Marc Scibilia and the company's corporate counsel, David Gunsberg, began exploring ways to prevent falls – or at least prevent a driver from falling off the working surface. The group scoured the Internet and found nothing that was both lightweight and portable. Thus, the NoFalls was born "out of necessity," Bronson noted. At 85 pounds per side, NoFalls is fairly lightweight and portable. It's quick to assemble and disassemble, and it also meets or exceeds the OSHA guidelines for fall protection (1910.28). "We had the product tested by an independent lab and have the report to show the results," Bronson said. NoFalls is a network of stakes and straps that creates a split-rail-type barrier along the edge of the trailer. It also acts as a guide wire when walking along the deck, much like a handrail on a staircase. "Many warehouses have rolling platforms that bump against your deck so if you fall, you fall even with the deck," Bronson said, "but what if you are at a job site or a facility that does not have any protection from falling? The driver has had no choices in the past to protect himself or his income. Companies have millions of dollars in exposure and no one has filled the need to cover that exposure." Bronson said the company has equipped all of its warehouses and processing facilities with NoFalls and Adica has begun equipping all its flatbeds with them. About 30% of the private carrier's trailers have been outfitted so far, but Bronson said, "we are installing them daily as they come through the yard. We have 110 trailers scheduled." The system features four horizontal safety straps and five heavy-duty aluminum, C-channel and square tube posts that create a 52-inch-high safety fence alongside the trailer. The straps have a workload limit of more than 1,400 pounds. "When I tested it, I weighed 285 pounds and I ran right at it and hit it," Bronson said, "and I'm an old hockey player." From the ground level, the driver inserts the posts into the trailer stake pockets. The posts with the straps go at each end and posts with slots are placed as close to the center as possible. Quick release pins affix the unit to the deck. The driver then inserts the strap hooks from the bottom, the middle straps on each end of the center post, and tightens each with the ratchet. Once the lower straps have been secured, the driver can climb onto the trailer and secure the top straps to the center post and tighten them. The system meets DOT requirements for a fixed feature and can be left up when traveling down the road, but Bronson notes it wasn't designed to provide cargo securement protection. Bronson estimated the entire system could be assembled and taken down in about 10 minutes and could be stored against the inside of the bulkhead. Safety products on the market exist for flatbed drivers, but Bronson notes that most are heavy, expensive and difficult to store when the driver needs to haul open deck. "We didn't get into this to make money or create a massive company," he said. "We got in to it to protect our guys. The drivers average [age] is about 50 or 51. Their balance isn't what is was 20 years ago. You're really increasing your chances of a fall." What started out as a project to "just to protect our drivers," Bronson and Scibilia agreed, has evolved into protecting an industry. Bronson said he's received inquiries from other flatbed companies who have seen Adica's drivers using the system, and made the $2,000 system available for public purchase via truckfallprevention.com. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Motor carriers that still use asset tracking systems with 3G hardware will experience spotty coverage at an increasing rate before the major cellular players do a full shutdown of 3G CDMA service at the end of 2022. In the meantime, vehicles and drivers will migrate to 4G LTE and 5G technology. No matter what network is used, areas along truck routes still have spotty coverage and less-than-ideal speeds for conducting routine business, such as when sending and receiving proof-of-delivery documents or transporting loads with extra data requirements for locations and temperature updates. One way fleets could increase the speed and coverage for their 3G, 4G and 5G technology is with a cellular signal booster on an as-needed or a permanent basis. Drivers might also like the same technology for personal use, making it a popular prize for a contest, a recognition or award. Wilson Electronics recently launched an in-vehicle cellular signal booster, Drive Reach OTR, compatible with all mobile phones and wireless carriers in North America. The product uses an exterior antenna that reaches out to cell phone towers to receive a signal. It transmits the signal to the Drive Reach OTR booster that instantly amplifies it for each of the supported frequency bands used by devices in the vehicle. It also amplifies the signals of devices back to phone towers. Trying it out I've been testing Drive Reach OTR on a personal vehicle for the past four months. Installing the product was straightforward with clear instructions. As an added benefit, the plug fits into a vehicle’s 12V socket and has a USB port to rapidly charge external devices. The power cord connects to a square-shaped cell signal booster inside the vehicle, which in turn connects to a small in-vehicle antenna placed on the driver’s side B-pillar and to an outside antenna. The outside antenna has height configurations for the booster to avoid common cell signal barriers and improve connectivity and speed. It has a hard plastic shell attached to a spring base that prevents it from bending and breaking in the wind. The antenna base is secured to an aluminum mounting plate with two curved pieces that clamp together with bolts around the frame of a West Coast mirror. The real question is whether or not the technology would actually strengthen call quality, minimize dead zones and improve data upload/download speeds? During testing, the product worked as advertised. It significantly boosted upload and download speeds by using an uplink power output of 29.5 decibel-milliwatts (dBm) and a downlink power output of 50 dB. This is the maximum allowable gain under FCC standards. The company says the product creates a strong cell phone signal at a distance two times (74%) further away from cell signal towers than its previous models. During my testing, signal strength was noted by monitoring the 5-bar signal on a phone. Turning the booster on at locations where my phone was only getting a one-bar signal showed an immediate increase to 3 bars, on average. In areas where I already had 3-bars the booster amplified the signal strength to 5 bars. One thing the booster did not do was pick up a signal in areas where my phone did not already have a signal. The only negative item of note during the test was the appearance of light oxidation on the metal spring and bolts of the mounting plate for the outside antenna. The oxidation likely occurred by testing the device during the winter, where it regularly got doused in corrosive salt spread on winter roads. The Drive Reach OTR, and a version for RVs, are available for purchase online for $499.99 with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, March 31, 2021: Volvo partnering with autonomous trucking company The agreement signed between the companies is a long-term partnership spanning over several years. The initial focus is on hub-to-hub applications for customers in North America. Automation is aimed at creating tangible benefits for both customers and society in terms of productivity, safety, sustainability and energy efficiency. The partnership will center on the integration of the Aurora Driver into Volvo’s on-highway trucks and the development of its Transport as a Service solutions, which build on Volvo’s products and track record within safety and Aurora’s expertise in the development of self-driving systems. Previously announced Volvo Group collaborations with partners such as Nvidia and others will continue in parallel with the collaboration with Aurora, Volvo noted. Earlier this year, Aurora also partnered with Paccar on development of its self-driving trucks. NATSO partnership helping fund EV charging stations The National Highway Charging Collaborative is an initiative that will leverage $1 billion in public and private capital to install charging at more than 4,000 travel plazas and fuel stops across the country by 2030. The Collaborative also advocates for public policies that are designed to create a business case for off-highway fuel retailers to invest in EV charging infrastructure. Crete, Shaffer increasing driver pay The increase is for drivers on national and regional over-the-road fleets and will take effect May 1. Starting pay for OTR drivers will now range from 59 to 65 cents per mile, depending on experience. The pay increases apply to all solo, team and owner-operator drivers on national and regional OTR fleets that pay by the mile. Pay is based on practical miles, which pays an average of 3-5% more than pay based on short route miles, according to the company. TransAm Trucking raising independent contractor pay Independent contractors with the company will now start at $1.07 per mile loaded and empty. The company also implemented an accelerated rate increase for owner-operators with an increase of 5 cents-per-mile after six months of continuous service with TransAm. Within six months, owner-ops with TransAm could be earning $1.12 per mile loaded and empty, which is on top of other bonus opportunities the company offers. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking technology news and briefs for the week of March 28, 2021: All supply chains have been disrupted by the events of the past year, but perhaps none as much as medical supplies. This has driven new business to providers of shipment visibility platforms. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardinal Health started using visibility technology from FourKites and recently decided to use FourKites as the central data hub of its next-generation “cognitive supply chain network.” Cardinal will use the visibility platform to track medical equipment, pharmaceutical products, first aid supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for more than 29,000 pharmacies and nearly 90% of American hospitals with which it does business. With the new visibility technology, Cardinal has the ability to make necessary adjustments to “provide a frictionless experience to our customers everywhere and help them better serve their patients,” said Sean Halligan, senior vice president of Pharmaceutical Operations at Cardinal Health. Fleet insurtech chooses Netradyne [Related: Insurtech firms expand coverage, service offerings for fleets] Netradyne announced that insurtech provider Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Services USA (Aioi USA) has decided to utilize its Driveri D-210 camera system. The dual camera D-210 is a vision-based safety platform that combines artificial intelligence with video, onboard sensors and edge computing to detect, reason and determine causality of events. The initial deployments of D-210 units by Aioi USA are for a car-share fleet and a last-mile delivery fleet as part of the company’s focus on developing risk management and data-driven insurance solutions for fleet applications. “The ability of the Netradyne platform to capture many of the events we find most informative from a risk analytics perspective at a high-level of detail allows our data science work to deliver unique insights and critical information,” said Craig Lozofsky, COO at Aioi USA. Cranking up cell signals Once faster speeds are the norm, having to revert to spotty network coverage will be a point of frustration for drivers and fleets alike. Cellular signal boosters are one option for maximizing connectivity. Wilson Electronics recently launched a new in-vehicle cellular signal booster, Drive Reach OTR, that is compatible with all mobile phones and wireless carriers in North America. [Related: Sunsetting of 3G networks makes 2021 a year of transition for fleets] The product uses an exterior antenna that reaches out to cell phone towers to receive a signal. It transmits the signal to the Drive Reach OTR booster, which amplifies the signal for each of the supported frequency bands of devices in the vehicle, and also amplifies the signals of devices back to phone towers. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD The number of people who drive daily decreased from 63% pre-pandemic to 47% today, according to Travelers, yet the insurer also found people are reporting higher levels of distracted driving. In its 2021 Risk Index, Travelers found the shift to less crowded roads altered people’s perception of driving. Nearly a quarter of respondents think the roads are safer today than prior to the pandemic, and almost one-third of respondents think their driving has improved since the pandemic. “I have seen everything from texting, to putting makeup on, to even reading a newspaper while driving." Steve Fields, a professional driver with Yellow The reality is, distractions are up. Reports of texting or emailing reached 26%, up from 19% pre-pandemic. Checking social media hit 20%, up from 13% pre-pandemic. Taking videos and pictures topped 19%, up from 10% pre-pandemic, and shopping online more than doubled – 17%, up from 8% pre-pandemic, according to Travelers 2021 Risk Index. "As a professional truck driver, I am shocked to see the amount of distracted driving on our highways,” said Steve Fields, a professional driver with Yellow. “I have seen everything from texting, to putting makeup on, to even reading a newspaper while driving. Taking your eyes off of the road for just two seconds compromises highway safety. Anything we can do to reduce distraction is a good thing.” The American Trucking Associations (ATA) Tuesday threw its support behind the Safe to Drive Act, legislation introduced last month that is aimed at helping states curb distracted driving. The bipartisan bill would provide grants to states that pass laws banning mobile device use that can be used to enforce distracted driving laws as well as educate motorists about the risks of distracted driving. “The trucking industry has been subject to a mobile device ban for some time and has seen the benefit it can have on safety,” said ATA Vice President of Safety Policy Dan Horvath. “Given data showing the majority of car-truck collisions are the result of passenger driver behavior, extending those bans to all drivers and not just truck drivers will have a positive impact on safety.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Most procurement professionals during challenging times would file the procurement procedure book in the round file cabinet and resort to a more “hand-to-mouth” strategy, but your procurement process can not only help you through challenging times, but also create a competitive advantage for your organization. Competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to provide products or services that are better and/or provide more value than your competitor. Competitive advantages are typically developed over time, along with contributions from many different areas of your business. An effective procurement process allows an organization to select an optimal portfolio of suppliers and align those suppliers to the organization’s mission statement. This can be done via favorable terms and promotes and incubates collaboration through cross-functional excellence. An efficient and effective procurement process can deliver quick but tangible cost improvement and enhance the agility of the supply chain. Therefore, a well-defined procurement process can provide your organization a competitive advantages by reducing costs across the value chain; causing greater efficiency in the delivery of quality goods and services; assisting with product innovation; mitigating supplier risk; and increasing supply chain resiliency Procurement departments should evaluate current procurement processes to determine if it supports their organization’s competitive advantage based on the following criteria: Reduced total cost across the value chain In addition, optimal procurement practices enable the organization to take advantage of warranties and/or discounts that are often forgotten or not properly managed. However, if you can’t see what your organization is spending it is nearly impossible to manage costs effectively. Minimizing dark purchasing practices is key. An effective procurement process supports having total visibility into an organization’s expenditures for all purchasing activity, which gives you the ability to reduce procurement costs, improve relationships with stakeholders, and track purchasing patterns to make financial improvements in the long-run. If you can control costs, you are able to make your products more cost competitive in the market. Greater efficiency Every item or service being sourced should contribute, directly or indirectly, toward competitive positioning. When an organization has an effective procurement process, procurement can eliminate redundancies in the operation, promote collaboration and distinguish between good and underperforming suppliers. An efficient procurement process provides an organization with economies of scale, which allow it to reduce costs and produce more for less, creating a competitive advantage. Efficiency within your supplier relationships allows your procurement team to easily determine your suppliers’ capabilities, interests, competitiveness, and financial strength, which will give you the ability optimize your supplier base, weeding out under-performers and working with suppliers that have ability to enhance your organization’s competitive advantage. Embrace innovation Procurement’s contribution to innovation can occur in the product development phase, because 70% to 80% of the cost of a product or service is determined during the design or specification phase, which has a direct impact on the organization’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. In addition, innovation within the procurement department can improve the communication of complex data, support the negotiation phase through online auctions and bidding systems or online catalogues, which allow you to check product availability, place and track orders, and make payments. These tools have become more vital to efficiently procuring goods and services than ever before, thereby removing cost from the process. Mitigate supplier risk Risk mitigation includes risk avoidance, risk reduction and risk sharing, which should be continuous and evolving in order to addresses all the risks associated with the organizations’ past, present, and future activities. An effective procurement process must address a sustainable method of identifying, assessing and solving supplier risks. When a lack of preparedness in risk management does not match the pattern of a company’s potential vulnerabilities, the results can impact an organization’s ability to compete. Procurement organizations must evaluate their current process to account for their organizational vulnerabilities and ensure that remedies, or at least temporary solutions, are in place. Support supply chain resiliency The challenges of 2020 have caused procurement departments to adjust their strategies to manage interruptions in supply and cash flow, while providing continuous service to their stakeholders. In this new reality, procurement must change its strategic thinking from just-in-time to just-in-case, making its process resilient to accommodate these unforeseen situations. According to Christopher and Holweg, supply chain resilience allows an organization to design a network of partners that is strong enough to adapt to unexpected disruptions while maintaining control and – if possible – continuing past the disruption more favorably, gaining a competitive advantage. A resilient and robust procurement process that is able to account for future and sometimes disastrous changes that may happen when procurement operations and supply chains are re-defined will fare far better in the long run. Reggie Peterson, is Corcentric's director of supply programs and is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control, and completion of Corcentric’s Indirect Product initiatives. Peterson joined Corcentric in 2015, bringing more than 15 years of experience in procurement and supply chain management.
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https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, March 30, 2021: Turnover was unchanged at large truckload fleets to close 2020 In the fourth quarter, the turnover rate for truckload fleets with more than $30 million in annual revenue was unchanged at a 92% annualized rate. The churn rate for smaller truckload carriers dipped two percentage points to 72%. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello noted it may seem surprising that the turnover rate didn't jump in the fourth quarter as economic activity and freight traffic increased, considering tightness in the driver market. "However, paradoxically, strong freight demand may have actually contributed to turnover staying steady by keeping drivers," he said, "particularly those engaged in the dry van and temperature-controlled sectors – too busy to change jobs. The impact of recently passed fiscal stimulus and the quickening pace of vaccinations in the U.S. are likely to continue to improve in the economy and will drive "not just healthier freight volumes, but are likely to create even more demand for drivers, tightening the market, so motor carriers need to remain focused on driver retention," Costello said. "While the driver shortage temporarily eased slightly in 2020 during the depths of the pandemic, continued tightness in the driver market remains an operational challenge for motor carriers and they should expect it to continue through 2021 and beyond." The turnover rate at less-than-truckload carriers, typically much lower than the rate at truckload fleets, dipped two percentage points in the fourth quarter to 12% on an annualized basis – one percentage point off the 13% turnover LTLs averaged in 2020. For the full year, the annualized turnover rate at large truckload carriers averaged 90%, down one point from 2019. The annual average rate at smaller truckload fleets was 69% in 2020, down from 72% in the previous year. Truck parking getting renewed push in Washington The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, introduced by Representatives Mike Bost (R-Illinois), Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), John Garamendi (D-California), Susan Wild (D-Pennsylvania), Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota) and Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota), would set aside $755 million from the Highway Trust Fund for states to finance projects aimed at increasing the number of parking spaces for commercial truck drivers. ATA President and CEO Chris Spear called the shortage of safe parking an "untenable dilemma" that puts drivers in the position to "either keep driving when they are fatigued and possibly in violation of their federal hours-of-service requirement, or park in unsafe, sometimes illegal locations, such as a roadside shoulder," he said. Currently, there are more than 11 truck drivers for every one parking space. Studies show that 98% of drivers report problems finding safe truck parking, and the average driver spends 56 minutes of available drive time every day looking for parking. That wasted time amounts to a $5,500 loss in annual compensation – or a 12% annual pay cut. Additionally, 58% of all drivers admit to parking in unauthorized or undesignated spots at least three times per week to meet their parking needs. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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