Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 28, 2022: FMCSA reignites rulemaking on speed limitersThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Wednesday issued a notice of intent to proceed with rulemaking that would require the use of speed limiters on heavy trucks.Yesterday's action is the first step forward in almost six years in capping speeds on commercial vehicles, although the notice does not specify a specific maximum speed. The proposed rulemaking in 2016 sought comments on maximum speeds of 60, 65 and 68 miles per hour. The notice of intent is a fact-finding and data-mining exercise, FMCSA said, that would aid the agency in potentially drafting a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. American Trucking Associations has long been in favor of speed limiters and applauded the Department of Transportation for "pursuing a constructive, data-driven approach to the issue of truck speed limiters in its latest proposal," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "We intend to thoroughly review FMCSA’s proposal, and we look forward to working with the agency to shape a final rule that is consistent with our policy supporting the use of speed limiters in conjunction with numerous other safety technologies.” Last March, ATA and Road Safe America penned a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calling for the implementation of speed-limiting technology on heavy-duty trucks, and threw their support behind the December 2019-proposed Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act, which called for all new commercial trucks to be equipped with speed limiters and to require existing speed-limiting technology already installed on trucks manufactured after 1992 to be used while in operation. The bill called for maximum speeds to be set at 65 mph, or 70 mph if certain safety technologies, such as an adaptive cruise control system and an automatic emergency braking system, were also in use. FedEx Ground recognizes contract partner carriersFedEx Ground recognized six independent businesses that provide contract transportation services as FedEx Ground Entrepreneurs of the Year: SB Transportation Service, Inc. of Orlando, Fla. (owner Diana Rodriguez); JSJ Trucking, Inc. of Tupelo, Miss. (owner John Smith, Jr.); Hutch Motors, Inc. of Pasco, Wash. (owner Eric Hutchcraft); Mercury Logistics, Inc. of Greenwood, Ind. (owner Laura Brown); Fulsom Logistics, Inc. of Fresno, Calif. (owner Troy Fulsom); and EPR Transport, Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa. (owner Erin Roach). The Entrepreneur of the Year distinction recognizes businesses for valuing safety above all, delivering excellent customer service, building dedicated and engaged teams, and responsibly growing their companies. FedEx Ground contracts with 6,000 service provider companies throughout the United States and Canada, and this year’s winners were selected from among the top 40 regional qualifiers representing the best of those companies for the past two fiscal years, ending May 31, 2021. “These exemplary companies have navigated unprecedented challenges over the last two years, and through it all have continued to place the highest priority on safety and exceptional service to FedEx Ground customers,” said John Smith, President and CEO of FedEx Ground. “Since 2007 we have been recognizing outstanding businesses that successfully demonstrate an unwavering commitment to these principles, and we are proud and excited to honor this year’s winners.” FMCSA posts video to explain ELDT ruleAfter more than four years since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Entry-Level Driver Training rule was published, the agency launched the long-awaited Training Provider Registry (TPR). Under the ELDT rule, which took effect Feb. 7, only training providers listed on the TPR are eligible to train pre-CDL truck drivers. CDL trainers can now register to be listed on the TPR. Tuesday, FMCSA posted a YouTube video detailing the Federal requirements and how to use the TPR to find a provider. DOL Women’s Bureau hosting roundtable with trucking stakeholdersThe U.S. Department of Labor's Women’s Bureau – as part of a multi-agency effort by the department and the U.S. Department of Transportation – will host an online roundtable with workers, union representatives and employers in the trucking industry April 28 to discuss strategies to combat sexual harassment and assault, and promote ways to ensure safe and inclusive work environments. The roundtable also answers the Biden-Harris administration’s call for a national “Day of Action” to raise awareness and advocate for the prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the trucking industry. The Biden-Harris administration late last year announced its Trucking Action Plan that calls on industry, labor and all levels of government to address workforce challenges in the industry, and begin building a next generation trucking workforce. Among its goals, the plan seeks to make trucking jobs better and to develop innovative workforce programs that recruit, train, and retain drivers, especially from underrepresented communities including women. https://ift.tt/Jm3OxGY
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Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 29, 2022: FMCSA incorporates new HHG recommendations into regsThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week announced it is incorporating certain recommendations from the Household Goods Consumer Protection Working Group into the Transportation of Household Goods regulations. The agency says the changes will streamline documentation requirements, increase efficiency for the transportation of household goods by interstate household goods motor carriers, improve consumer education and protection for individual shippers, and combat fraud. The recommendations update a variety of requirements under 49 CFR part 375. Among recommendations FMCSA is adding to HHG regulations include:
The revisions to the HHG regulations will take effect June 27, and the guidance documents published at 76 FR 50537, Aug. 15, 2011, and 78 FR 25782, May 2, 2013, are rescinded as of June 27, FMCSA said. Highway Transport driver named Tanker Driver of the YearA driver for Highway Transport was named the winner of the 2021-2022 William A. Usher Tanker Driver of the Year Award earlier this week. Thomas Frain received his grand champion award during ceremonies at the National Tank Truck Carriers' annual conference at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Frain has been in the trucking industry for more than 30 years and in the tank truck industry for seven. For those seven years, he has been driving for Highway Transport in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he resides. He's been a driver trainer for the past four years. The other 2021-2022 champion finalists were:
Combined, the finalists have driven professionally for a total of 300 years. https://ift.tt/Jm3OxGY
The aftertreatment system is a network of components designed to work in concert to reduce greenhouse gases, but if even one of those pieces is out of tune the efficiency of the entire system is dragged down.
However, some of this is unavoidable. The plugging of the DPF is a byproduct of it doing its job – catching particulate matter and anything else that finds its way downstream, like engine oil that’s blown-by the rings. In this week's 10-44, Jason and Matt visit again with Shawn Whitacre, senior staff engineer with Chevron Lubricants, to discuss the ins and outs of aftertreatment and soot. CCJ's 10-44 is a weekly video feature covering the latest in trucking news and trends, equipment and technology. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. https://ift.tt/gFRmB3p The rise of ecommerce has led to an astronomical increase in demand for last mile deliveries but companies are struggling to hire employees to match demand. With an estimated shortage of 80,000 truck drivers, it's time for alternative solutions to satisfy the ever-growing need for same-day and instant deliveries. One such solution is crowdsourced fleets. Crowdsourced fleets – or crowdsourced logistics – is a method of delivery fulfillment that utilizes local couriers, ride-sharing services like Lyft, or even independent contractor networks, that carry multiple vehicle types for small to large deliveries. The industry currently faces a labor shortage but there's also the need to replace retiring drivers. According to a new study by Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Association (ATA), “the industry will need to recruit 1 million new drivers over the next nine years to address the need.” But what causes the lack of drivers in the first place? Costello said it boils down to age demographics; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; drug testing and age restrictions; pay; trouble recruiting and retaining female drivers; and infrastructure issues. In addition to labor shortages, fleet companies face another major issue in fleet demands – including everything from increased fuel costs to rising insurance costs. All these factors make it harder for fleet companies to operate profitably and, as a result, they're having trouble hiring enough drivers to meet their growing customer demands. Elite EXTRA, a last mile delivery software provider, found that users of their crowdsourced delivery network are not replacing their current fleet with crowdsourced options, but instead using their platform to supplement their fleet demands. How can crowdsourced fleets help solve both problems? Most delivery companies are between a rock and a hard place. They need to meet customer demands, but are strained due to a lack of skilled labor. Why is a crowdsourced fleet a growing need for companies and how is it solving these challenges? Faster hiring of driversOne of the biggest problems fleet companies face is finding qualified drivers. And even if they do, they struggle to retain them. Many drivers aren't satisfied with their pay or working conditions. So when they get hired, they leave after a few months. Crowdfunding fleets offer a unique opportunity to fill positions faster than traditional methods. That means you can hire more drivers at once, which helps reduce turnover rates. Increased safetyAnother reason why drivers quit is because of unsafe driving practices. That's why it's crucial to ensure your driver has the proper training before starting work. This takes time and money, but since crowdfunding fleets help increase efficiency, you'll have more funds to invest in training. In turn, this improves worker safety and reduces accidents. More flexibilityWith traditional recruitment methods you often end up with many applicants, making it difficult to choose the best candidates. On top of that, you may spend hours reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. By contrast, crowdsourced fleets allow you to select only those that fit your criteria. This saves you time and lets you focus on what matters: selecting the best candidate. Cost reductionTraditional recruitment methods require a lot of resources, including advertising, marketing and salespeople. Plus, you also need to cover the cost of background checks and other screening processes. On top of all that, you must pay employees for downtime and often overtime wages to employees who work long hours meeting short-term demand spikes. Crowdsourced fleets eliminate all of these expenses by giving you access to a fleet when you most need it, all while reducing downtime expenses. Reduced hassles and costs of hiringWith crowdsourced fleets, you no longer need to go through the interviewing, hiring and onboarding process. Instead, you simply partner with a reliable crowdsourcing network or software that can help source third party fleets like Lyft and Uber to supplement a delivery demand spike. Growing networks of couriers are also quickly expanding to help meet demands for medium to large shipments as well. Crowdsourced fleets are one way to solve labor shortages and driver shortage issues. They're not just beneficial for businesses, but also for workers. Because they improve safety and reduce costs, they're a great extension for businesses looking to meet demand peaks and troughs. Susan Marcott is Elite EXTRA’s Exec. Vice-President/Chief People and Projects Officer (CPO2). Having been with the company for 16 years, Susan started in marketing and is now part of the company’s management team, with a focus on recruiting and maintaining top talent. Prior to joining Elite EXTRA, Susan was an award-winning journalist for a Wisconsin newspaper, and was Chief of Staff to two Wisconsin state senators, having spent 15 years in politics. https://ift.tt/gFRmB3p U.S. net trailer orders surged 40% in March – reaching 37,901 units, according to ACT Research – as fleets clamored for dry vans. A 71% sequential surge in dry van net orders accounted for 96% of the total industry month-over-month gain, noted Frank Maly, director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research at ACT Research. "On a year-over-year basis, net orders were up 28%, with a similar story to the monthly results. Dry vans, joined by reefers, provided more than the full market improvement, while the other eight trailer categories totaled [1,100] lower on a year-over-year basis.” March order totals were the highest since December 2020. Most of the major OEM's registered sturdy numbers showing significant increases versus the past six months, according to FTR. March’s strong order total is expected to raise backlogs over the 200,000-unit mark for the first time since May 2021. With OEMs rapidly filling available 2022 production slots [both dry van and reefer backlogs-to-builds stretch into December at current build rates], Maly said he expects orders and production to travel in lockstep until 2023 order books officially open. "When that occurs," he said, "fleets likely will rush to formalize commitments that are already under discussion and negotiation.” Don Ake, FTR's vice president of commercial vehicles noted that March's order mark signaled a break in a holding pattern on orders that had been in place since the supply chain tightened. "The fact they have the confidence now to enter more orders may indicate that supplier deliveries are showing improvement, and labor shortages are abating," he said, adding it's uncertain if this level of orders can be sustained. "However, it does signal an expectation that build rates could increase later this year. Because OEMs had their output limited by the supply chain, we estimate that pent-up demand for trailers could be as high as 100,000 units. It will take an extended time for OEMs to catch up with fleet requirements once the supply chain opens up.” https://ift.tt/gFRmB3p South Carolina Rep. James E. Clyburn on Wednesday issued a staff report presenting “troubling new evidence” that officials from the Trump administration and Teamsters Union worked together in 2020 to ensure that Yellow Corporation (CCJ Top 250, No. 5) would receive a $700 million loan as part of the CARES Act. Clyburn, a Democrat, also instructed the Office of Inspector General to “investigate whether any of the misleading representations Yellow made in applying for its loan constitute knowing false claims and false statements within the meaning of the False Claims Act, or otherwise violate federal law.” The report lays out a timeline that shows Department of Defense (DoD) officials initially deemed that Yellow – which provides 68% of the Pentagon’s LTL service – was not “critical” to national security, and therefore not eligible to receive a loan under the CARES Act. The timeline alleges that after Teamsters President James Hoffa spoke to former President Donald Trump and other top ranking officials, Yellow was certified as critical to national security, despite DoD officials previously determining other trucking companies could take its place. Yellow said it employs 24,000 Brotherhood of Teamsters members. [Related: Trucking secures as much as $12 billion in government-backed PPP loans] Furthermore, the investigation revealed an that “Yellow CFO Jamie Pierson sent the company’s existing creditors a summary of its $710 million loan request, with $365 million of the request designated for capital investments in new tractors, trailers and technology." “While we had our hand in the cookie jar, we thought we would try to get a little ‘catch up’ capex [capital expenditures] while we were at it,” he said in an email sent to private creditors at Apollo on May, 1, 2020. The subcommittee in October began looking into the loan, and Yellow had been a subject of an unrelated DoD investigation for 13 years until recently settling. According to the Department of Justice, in that case Yellow was ordered to pay approximately $6.85 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they “knowingly presented false claims to the DoD by systematically overcharging for freight carrier services and making false statements to hide their misconduct.” The government alleged that Yellow (then branded as YRC) fraudulently billed the DoD based on higher weights when, after reweighing the shipments, they allegedly knew the weights were lower. Yellow disputed the report's findings in a lengthy statement sent to CCJ, calling the allegations "unsubstantiated, and indeed demonstrably false" and that the company had "diligently and voluntarily cooperated" with the investigation. "Yellow is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers and a major LTL service provider for the Department of Defense with expertise in critical military supply chain operations," and is "also a leading carrier for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy," the statement said in defending its status as "critical" to national security. Yellow didn't deny its use of the CARES Act funds to make capital investments, and instead insisted they were completely proper and in line with negotiations the firm had with the Treasury. Read Yellow's full response here. https://ift.tt/gFRmB3p "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." – A phrase originally uttered by Mark Twain but also applicable to the perceptions of the current freight market. A sharp and extended pullback of spot market rates, coupled with a surge in the price of diesel fuel, has sounded alarm across pockets of the industry, but that concern hasn't yet widely tricked down to fleets, many of which are still standing in line for new equipment that truck and trailer OEMs simply cannot build fast enough. ACT Research Vice President Steve Tam said just more than 11,000 Class 8 truck orders have been canceled this year versus an order intake of about 64,000 over the first three months of 2022, and just under 4,000 trailers compared to orders of more than 91,500. March's trailer cancelations were the lowest this year, according to Tam, while truck cancellations dropped 1,500 units from February highs. "While it might not be completely obvious, cancellation activity is essentially a non-issue," Tam said. "Most of the activity is actually the OEMs performing housekeeping – that is, cancelling orders for previous model year equipment and replacing the order with a corresponding new order. Simply put, demand remains solid, not impacted by the current slowing freight growth environment. Freight is still growing, just at a slower rate. In the near term, the decline is from historical highs. Relative to the longer term, growth remains intact." Fleets have been waiting to get enough new equipment for over a year, noted Don Ake, FTR's vice president of commercial vehicles. "To cancel and get out of the waiting line at this point, with pent-up demand so high, doesn't make much sense," he said, estimating pent-up demand for trailers alone to be as high as 100,000 units. "Yes, freight has eased off from the robust growth we saw coming out of the economic restart, but freight volumes continue to grow," Ake added. "FTR is forecasting Class 8 freight growth to remain at healthy levels this year and still be just under 3% next year. Of course, there are risks to this forecast, and if the economy eventually goes into recession, it would probably take the freight markets with it." Ake added, while it's difficult to know true truck and trailer cancellation figures because OEMs can cancel an existing order and re-enter it at a higher price due to increased material costs under the current conditions, "trailer cancellations numbers have been low for the last three months. Class 8 cancellation numbers have been about average for the last three months." Cancelations are averaged over a period of 5 years. Motor carriers not waiting for new assets are still paying historic premiums for used sleepers and are doing so – sans some softening in demand for higher mileage equipment – without hesitation. J.D. Power Senior Analyst and Commercial Vehicles Product Manager Chris Visser noted that while fleets and lending institutions are taking a more “mature” view of the industry, "there’s still a high volume of freight to move and a lot of buyers for used trucks. I doubt anyone’s making major changes currently, but this quarter will be pivotal." In the late 2018 down cycle in truckload rates, used truck pricing took upwards of 8 months from the start of the downturn to show heavy impact, Visser said, adding that the current freight and used truck trade cycle is anything but normal "since trade is still heavily impacted by overseas shutdowns and the used truck cycle is still impacted by tight new truck availability," he said. "If freight volume and rates continue to decline and we have more new truck delivery months like March, used truck pricing will start moving more notably. But those two factors are far from guaranteed. We’re basically flying blind with very little historical perspective to draw from." Strong economic indicators and optimism aboundAsset acquisition aside, Jason Miller, PhD, associate professor of logistics in the Department of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business, pointed out a lot of fundamental strength in the trucking industry's underpinning. Miller pointed out that contract rates have soared over the past few months and subsequently explains in part the spot market pullback. Credit card spending, which reached the lowest point this year in March, is trending on track to rebound in April, giving rise to optimism in the spot market going forward. "It appears, at least based on [U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis] credit card spending data, that there was a pause for many sectors in the start of March 2022 that could have contributed to spot rates falling sharply at that point in time," Miller said. "We are starting to see the market normalize, especially on retail. We aren't seeing pronounced year-over-year gains in sales, and in most sectors of retail, once we remove inflation, sales are now down from 2021," but still way above 2019 levels," Miller added. "Examples include furniture and home furnishings; sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument and bookstore -- yes, that is a real industry category; other general merchandise; and non-store retailing (e.g., pure-play e-retailers)." The past three months "have been a tale of the haves and have-nots" when it comes to volume growth, said Lee Klaskow, senior freight transportation and logistics analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, adding "load growth could trend higher sequentially into May, providing some support to spot rates." Carriers indeed are optimistic about growth in volume and rates this year, despite rising fuel and equipment costs, according to the latest Bloomberg/Truckstop.com survey of small fleets and owner-operators. About 72% of respondents expect load growth over the next six months compared to 71% to close out 2021 and the first quarter a year ago. Temperature-controlled carriers were most optimistic with 77% expecting higher volume, followed by 74% of flatbed carriers who are benefiting from a strong housing market and infrastructure development. There's less optimism with regard to rates. About 55% of respondents expect spot rates (minus fuel surcharge) to climb in the next six months versus 59% in the fourth quarter of last year. About 14% of carriers expect rates to decline over the next 3-6 six months, in line with historical averages. Only 2% expect rates to drop quickly this year. Another 32% expect them to slowly moderate. Rates and loads aren't even carriers' top concern. That crown goes to fuel. About 56% of carriers surveyed by Bloomberg and Truckstop.com said that higher fuel costs are the industry's biggest challenge. Lower rates are the second-biggest concern in 2022 at 21% of the sample, followed by the weakening economy (16%). Despite these concerns, about 69% of those surveyed anticipate the truckload market will remain tight this year, a positive for carriers. https://ift.tt/DJTbGq6 Heavy goods vehicle drivers on the 117-mile M25 motorway in London are required to meet specific visibility standards after legislation was passed in 2019 because of the high number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths involving heavy-duty trucks. Similar regulations may not be too far behind in the U.S., said Steve Witt, founder of Driver Safety Technology, an IoT integrated safety, compliance and fleet management solution provider. He said there are already talks among regulatory agencies around requiring – at minimum – a backup camera like is already regulated on newly manufactured passenger cars in the U.S. “I believe we are going to see regulatory pressure on best practices for commercial fleets to include camera systems, minimum backup,” Witt said. “But what's also being discussed – because of the risks that come with larger vehicles, whether it's last-mile delivery vans for Amazon or tractor trailers – is that left and right blind-spot cameras are also of super high value because if you look at some of the accident data … you'll see that an alarmingly high percentage – somewhere around 40% – of these accidents are (related to) lane change.” On passenger cars, backup cameras are no longer an option with a luxury add-on package, and while it isn’t yet regulatory, fleets are already adopting multi-camera technology as data has shown that backup cameras alone on passenger cars have significantly reduced accidents and could yield similar results for commercial trucks. London’s legislation was the result of a root cause study in why cyclists were getting hit, and it found that those accidents were due to blind spots. All vehicles have blind spots, but larger vehicles like heavy-duty trucks have broader areas of blind spots that can further compromise safety, which is a big driver in why more fleets are adopting multi-cam technology, said Michael Bloom, vice president of product at SmartWitness, which offers a 360-degree camera system. Bloom said upwards of 55% of commercial fleets in the U.S. have adopted traditional telematics. About 6.5% of those fleets have adopted video telematics, and far fewer have adopted 360-degree video telematics. But he said that is growing as video telematics adoption in general continues to grow at a rate of 16% per year, according to SmartWitness. “We have several clients in many different industries that are putting multiple cameras on vehicles,” Witt said. “We’re doing five, six, seven cameras in these commercial vehicles today.” He said what’s driving demand is fleets want to be proactive to prevent accidents instead of reactive. “They move from thinking reactively about the value of the camera system into a proactive headspace, whereby this camera system now becomes a driver assistance system allowing the drivers to have a better tool in their vehicle,” he said. Witt said preventing accidents caused by blind spots reduces downtimes and the expenses associated with that – worst-case scenario being an accident that results in death and/or a nuclear verdict. Interest in this type of technology is rising among insurance companies as well because not only can it help prevent accidents by providing easier navigation, but also it can reconstruct an accident in the event one occurs to show exactly what happened and sometimes exonerate the driver. Bloom said traditional telematics is good at providing data that tells the when, where, who and what, but it doesn’t explain the why. Video shows the why. “Let's say somebody gets into an accident. The vast majority of the time the commercial driver is the one cited as being at fault on the spot by the police,” Bloom said. “Certainly 85% of the time when the commercial driver is cited, and that goes through the whole litigation process, they're found not to be at fault. But without video showing exactly what happened as the proof, you have to go through that whole … process, which costs money, takes time. “In some cases, drivers have to go on suspension through that process until it's figured out, and so there's impact to pay, and there's impact to retention and all kinds of bigger issues,” he added. “All go through it the vast majority of the time just to be acquitted. Video stops that whole process in its tracks because you can show the police officer on the scene, ‘Look, this is what happened; let me show you.’” Multi-cam technology gives vision surrounding the entirety of the truck, providing more security for fleets than just a dash cam or backup camera. Bloom said cameras are mounted to the front, sides and back of a tractor trailer. However, adding cameras to a trailer can be a barrier to adopting this technology. Witt said it is more difficult for the Class 8 sector to adopt multi-cam technology because the majority of fleets are not matched with the same trailer all the time, making ease-of-use not so easy when having to hook and unhook cables. He said DST is in the process of developing a wireless option. https://ift.tt/c06up17 Also contributing to this analysis: Travis Tokar and Ron Gordon. As illustrated in Part 1 of this two-part series, the Department of Transportation recently advised Congress to eliminate the Fair Labor Standards Act’s motor carrier exemption that allows many carriers to avoid paying company drivers overtime. As Congress has begun to attempt action on the advice, the change could yield benefits for all drivers including higher earnings and shorter wait times at loading docks. Yet well-intentioned policy changes can produce unforeseen safety outcomes. For example, the FMCSA’s 2017 electronic logging device mandate was expressly meant to make trucking safer by increasing hours of service compliance. Hours of service compliance improved considerably, but the mandate also seemed to incentivize many drivers to engage in unsafe practices like speeding, frequent lane changes, and following too closely to try to make the most of their closely monitored hours. The smallest carriers (one-truck independent owner-operators), according to this analysis, accrued 26% more driving violations after the mandate, and crash rates increased 11.6%. [Related: Study finds trucking accidents increased after ELD mandate] Eliminating the motor carrier exemption would almost certainly affect safety to some extent. But would the impact be positive or negative? There is no way to know for sure. However, researchers have identified several factors that could shape the outcome. More exposure behind the wheel might yield more crashes?Those who want to eliminate the FLSA’s motor carrier exemption often claim that doing so would force shippers and receivers to become more efficient, allowing truckers to spend more time driving. But that could be a double-edged sword. While the hours of service rules permit over-the-road truckers to drive a maximum of 11 daily hours, the real world intrudes. Many fall short of that limit as non-driving tasks eat away at on-duty hours. One study’s participants averaged 7.58 hours of actual driving time -- well below the 9.5-hour threshold where the risk of fatigue-related crashes increases significantly, according to this analysis. If overtime pay caused shippers and receivers to become more efficient, fatigue-related crash rates could rise. Overtime pay could also increase unsafe driving-related crashes by incentivizing some truckers to drive more aggressively (traveling too fast for conditions, following too closely, or making illegal maneuvers) in an effort to cover more miles and maximize their earnings. While many drivers would be unable to speed because their trucks are governed, overtime’s promise of significantly higher per-mile earnings could lead some to take risks they would not otherwise take. More optimistically, there are many reasons to believe that ending the motor carrier exemption in the FLSA would improve trucking safety. Several studies find that better-paid drivers are in fact safer drivers. For example, researchers who analyzed data from J.B. Hunt found that raising a driver’s pay a single cent per mile reduced their expected crash count by 8.15%. Research also shows that drivers who do less uncompensated work are safer. For example, in 2013, Australian researchers found that long-haul drivers who were paid while waiting at loading docks spent less time waiting, had shorter workweeks, and experienced less fatigue. That study may lend credence to arguments that paying company drivers overtime would force shippers and receivers to become more efficient. It could also suggest that company drivers would become safer if the motor carrier exemption were eliminated, since they would be compensated for more of their work. Some researchers contend that many over-the-road drivers’ 60+ hour workweeks stem from their desire to reach earnings targets, rather than a need to earn as much money as possible. Overtime pay thus might help haulers hit those targets earlier and spend more time at home, thereby reducing fatigue-related crash rates. The elimination of the FLSA’s motor carrier exemption could improve drivers’ lives in various ways, including making their work safer. But, ultimately, it’s also possible that mandatory overtime pay for company drivers could yield an increase in crashes, leading to more regulation of an already highly-regulated industry. https://ift.tt/c06up17 Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 26, 2022: Walmart opens new port distribution facilityWalmart has opened a $220 million Import Distribution Center in Ridgeville, S.C. Dorchester County was selected as an ideal location due to South Carolina’s business friendly environment as well as the proximity to the nearby deep-water Port of Charleston. The new Import Distribution Center will store and sort imported goods that arrive through the Port of Charleston– the country’s eighth-largest port—for delivery to 850 regional Walmart and Sam’s Club locations across the Southeast. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to increase local port volumes by approximately 5%. The three million square-foot facility (equivalent in size to 52 football fields) will become Walmart’s first Import Distribution Center in the state of South Carolina to leverage the port. “Our team of more than 980 associates from Dorchester County and the surrounding communities are excited to officially open the doors to our new Import Distribution Center,” said Jeff Holzbauer, general manager, Import Distribution Center #8980, Walmart U.S. “South Carolina is home to some of the country’s most convenient and efficient modes of transportation, including the Port of Charleston and Interstates 26 and 95. Being a member of this community means having the advantage of the region’s existing infrastructure as well as a pool of experienced associates familiar with it. Cutting this ribbon today signifies our commitment to that community.” U.S. border vax mandate extendedThe Department of Homeland Security said it will continue to require non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request. These requirements will continue to apply to non-U.S. travelers who are traveling both for essential and non-essential reasons, including truck drivers, and do not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals. DHS says the requirements were extended in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and several other federal agencies. Non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or non-essential reasons, must continue to verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status; provide, upon request, proof of a CDC-approved COVID-19 vaccination, as outlined on the CDC website; present a valid Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document, such as a valid passport, Trusted Traveler Program card, or Enhanced Tribal Card; and be prepared to present any other relevant documents requested by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer during a border inspection. COVID-19 testing is not required to enter the United States via a land port of entry or ferry terminal. Ryder opens third multi-client omnichannel distribution center in ColumbusRyder System on Monday opened its third multi-client omnichannel distribution center in Columbus, Ohio, a key region for e-commerce fulfillment. Columbus is the nation’s fastest-growing large metro area (according to U.S. Census Bureau 2021 figures), and Ryder’s new Columbus distribution center provides access to more Americans within 500 miles than any other major inland or coastal port – serving nearly 50% of the U.S. population within a 10-hour truck drive. At nearly 440,000 square feet, the facility is the largest Ryder e-commerce distribution center in the Columbus area, and the first to open under the company’s new supply chain offering: Ryder E-Commerce by Whiplash. Ryder acquired Whiplash in January for $480 million, giving the company an e-commerce and omnichannel fulfillment solution "with best-in-class technology and a proven operating platform, which will serve as the backbone of this new facility and the cornerstone of Ryder’s e-commerce fulfillment solution,” said Steve Sensing, president of global supply chain solutions for Ryder. “This latest expansion aligns with our broader strategy to get ever-closer to the end consumer to continually improve our customers’ speed-to-market, which is critical in today’s highly competitive environment.” Ryder now operates 22 multiclient and dedicated e-commerce facilities across the U.S., with the ability to deliver to 100% of the population within two days and 60% within one day. The new facility features 42 cross-dock positions, 99 trailer spaces, and offers a full range of logistics and value-added services. It also features automation enhancements, such as robot-assisted order picking, which enable warehouse workers to focus on higher-productivity tasks; reduce overall labor costs; improve safety and retention; and enable seamless scaling within the same footprint. To support the new distribution center located at 1225 Southgate Pkwy. in Etna, Ohio, Ryder expects to recruit a team of approximately 250 people to fill a variety of positions, including warehouse associates, engineers, leadership and management, and support roles. Recently, Ryder announced another expansion of its e-commerce fulfillment and multiclient warehousing network with a new, high-tech 678,000-square-foot facility in the Atlanta area. The facility, with easy access to extensive highway and railroad networks, is scheduled for completion later this year.
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April 2023
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