Blog Posts Tagged "Legislation"

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill for fiscal year ending in 2016 could have a big impact on truckers. As we have previously pointed out at Trucker To Trucker, it is extremely important to always keep up-to-date with new federal trucking legislation whether you have a single truck or a large fleet.

One of the risks that goes along with owning a trucking company is having to make liability payments if one of your drivers injures someone in an accident. This amount is decided on through the legal system and typically goes toward compensating victims for medical care. The minimum liability requirement right now is $750,000.

The trucking industry can be a dangerous one, especially when so many trucking companies constantly break the rules, or try to take advantages of loopholes in the system. According to a recent article on JOC.com, there is a growing number of trucking companies in the United States that fail to comply with safety regulations and that have been shut down for this or a variety of other reasons.

Tennessee, ranked second only to Texas by CNBC in state road quality nationwide, is currently faced with the conundrum of growing road needs but declining fuel tax revenues. In an attempt to deal with the situation, the state is wrestling with a number of solutions for handling funding needs according to the Times Free Press. Among them: proposed taxes and fees trucking industry, about 60 percent of which utilizes Tennessee's north-south and east-west corridors, I-75 and I-40.

It's no secret that one of the challenges many truck drivers face is finding a place to park their semis between loads. Even when you're loaded, you have to abide by the strict regulations that are set forth by the DOT, and when it's time to park, you have to park. Breaking the rules or altering your logbook can cause fines for your company, as well as problems for your license.

Last year, legislation supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association that required truckers to take two full consecutive nights of rest following 70 hours of time spent driving passed. While people on both sides of the aisle with concerns about truckers' safety supported the bill, a December 2014 spending bill in Congress includes a provision that would reverse the law.

A recent lawsuit may change training requirements for those seeking to embark on a career in the trucking industry. Though auto fatalities have dropped in recent years, fatalities involving large trucks are on the rise, increasing by 4 percent in 2012. Injuries have also increased 18 percent, racking up an astounding 4,000 deaths and over 70,000 injuries.

With heavy-duty trucks and buses producing an estimated 20 percent of greenhouse gases in the United States each year, it is understandable that any regulations to reduce America's dependence on fossil fuels and lower the resulting emissions are going to target the efficiency of long-haul tractor-trailers.

Being your own boss and setting you own work schedule are two of the top reasons you started driving a truck. New government mandates are now restricting the total number of hours you can work in a week and regulating your off hours, too. These regulations are altering the income and independence of drivers.

As if the new fuel efficiency and lower emission requirements due this year weren't enough, now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing a safety standard that requires all commercial trucks and buses be upgraded with electronic stability control (ESC).

A bill that was recently introduced to congress includes a raising the weight limit for commercial vehicles from 88,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds. This is an increase of 21 percent, which has many civil engineers and lawmakers worried about the impact on current infrastructure.

In this post we look at the FMCSA's approach to cell phone restriction proposals: Texting is subject to a nationwide ban under federal regulations; however moves are afoot to extend the ban to all use of cell phones within the cab while driving. With cell phones playing an ever increasingly important role in modern trucking operations, the rules are guaranteed to have serious ramifications for how truckers use cell phones within their day-to-day businesses.

State Trucking Associations serve a vital role in protecting the interests of the trucking industry, drivers, and employers alike. Similarly minded people come together to represent their interests from a knowledgeable stand point to the various environmental and governmental regulatory committees that enact and pass legislation.

The Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) ID was introduced in 2007 in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The rationale behind the program was to tighten up security around America's ports and other sensitive facilities to which civilian workers needed regular access. Prior to the attack on New York and Pentagon, truckers did not need anything other than standard forms of ID, such as a drivers' license to gain admittance.

Today, we're looking at the CO proposal for banning trucks from I-70 to ease congestion at peak times: Summit County CO – legislators are considering a ban on trucking traffic during peak times on the heavily congested I-70. During the ski season, the roads to and from the Front Range create a traffic nightmare, and legislators, county and state officials fear it will cost billions of dollars to put right.

Today, the premier online site to find trucks for sale, Trucker to Trucker looks at Peter DeFazio's Excess Detention Time Bill: A new bill has been introduced by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) which aims to compel the US Department of Transportation to conduct studies into detention practices within the trucking industry. The bill acts as an adjunct to the proposals for the Hours of Service rules which are being promulgated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA).

The Coalition for Transportation Productivity has been lobbying hard for the reintroduction of the Safe & Efficient Transportation Act and they have finally succeeded. We've posted before on the max weight limit pilot scheme in Vermont and Maine, where truck weights are allowed up to 120,000 pounds (from the 80,000 pound, federally imposed limit).

US District Judge Donovan Frank sitting in federal court in Minnesota ruled in favor of a trucker who had been pulled over and classified as "fatigued" by MN State Police. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) announced in a press release that he ruling was "historic" and a "major victory" for truckers and their rights.

California truck dealer, TEC Equipment Inc is the major supplier of new and used trucks on the West Coast. First started back in 1976 at the height of the oil crisis, TEC has enjoyed strong growth until it now justly claims the top spot amongst dealers on the I-5 corridor. Based in Portland OR, TEC also has locations in Portland, Eugene, Wilsonville and Medford, all in Oregon and also in Reno-Sparks in Nevada. California dealerships include locations at Oakland, La Mirada and Fontana.

The Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration (FMSCA) introduced a new Electronic OnBoard Recorders (EOBR) ruling in April 2010. The EOBR rule comes into effect on June 4, 2012 and for the first time it mandates EOBR use for nominated groups of carriers. The bottom line is that FMSCA will be able to say who must install EOBR to ensure Hours of Service (HOS) compliance.