This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending October 1, 2022.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding hurricanes and FEMA:
Hurricanes
On the East Coast of the USA, the big news this week has been Hurricane Ian.
For professional truck drivers of “high profile” commercial motor vehicles, high winds pose a very real risk of damage and being blown over.
Also, one must never drive in high water, even in a large truck.
According to Weather.gov:
A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks. It is NEVER safe to drive or walk into flood waters.
Here are some of the most recent articles, listed in alphabetical (not timeline) order:
- 2.7 Million Without Power as Ian Drenches Florida (link no longer online)
- 3 Tampa Bay area ports closed to brace for Hurricane Ian
- Biden to Oil Industry: Don’t Raise Prices as Hurricane Nears
- Big 3 carriers suspend service amid Hurricane Ian’s aftermath
- Briefly: Hurricane Ian prompts hours of service waiver in Florida
- DeSantis lifts Florida’s trucking restrictions as Hurricane Ian approaches
- Eastward turn shifts Hurricane Ian’s Florida threat
- Florida Department of Transportation waives certain tolls ahead of Hurricane Ian
- Florida ports and railroads eye Hurricane Ian
- Florida waives HOS for truckers as state braces for Hurricane Ian
- Florida waives hours of service requirements ahead of Hurricane Ian
- FMCSA declares regional emergency as Hurricane Ian pounds Florida
- FMCSA issues HOS waiver for Hurricane Ian relief haulers in eight states
- Freight disruption likely for Florida coast
- Freight disruption likely for Florida coast
- God’s Pit Crew asking for emergency supplies in response to Hurricane Ian
- How truckers use tech to keep moving during hurricanes
- Hurricane Ian causes Georgia, Tennessee to declare emergencies
- Hurricane Ian continues destructive path across Florida
- Hurricane Ian could impact supply chains for weeks
- Hurricane Ian federal emergency order covers seven states State
- Hurricane Ian May Be Among Costliest Storms in US History
- Hurricane Ian Nears Florida Landfall
- Hurricane Ian nears Florida landfall with 155 mph winds; travel affected
- Hurricane Ian on Path to Strike Florida as Category 4
- Hurricane Ian prompts state of emergency
- Ian heads to South Carolina after ripping through Florida
- Ian regains hurricane strength as Category 1
- Ian swamps southwest Florida, disrupting travel, lives in chaotic scene
- Ian Triggers Port, Rail Closures, Straining Supply Chain
- Lessons to be learned in disaster recovery
- Major chain truck stops and Waffle Houses are closing for Hurricane Ian
- Many Trapped in Florida as Ian Heads to South Carolina
- Measuring hurricane severity against ‘the Waffle House Index’
- Ports, carriers prep for disasters — everything from hurricanes to fires
- Several truck stops close ahead of Hurricane Ian
- The latest on Ian’s impact on the supply chain
- Tropical storm prompts hours of service waivers for 7 states
- Truckers preparing as Florida emergency declared ahead of strengthening Hurricane Ian
- Truckers Prove Essential To Hurricane Fiona & Ian Recovery Efforts
- Truckers providing Hurricane Fiona relief get HOS exemption
- Trucking comes to the rescue during hurricanes
- Update on Ian as storm barrels toward Carolinas
- Waffle House index, hurricane Ian and your freight – WTT
FEMA
One of the main points made in the article linked just below is:
While trucking demand will increase and rates may soar, it’s important for truckers to ensure that daily detention rates are built into their confirmation sheets, Fuller said. Often it can take days, and sometimes weeks, before trucks are unloaded, which can prove costly if detention pay is not built into a driver’s daily rate.
Read the rest of the article for other helpful info.
2. Regarding accidents: cut off, delays, drive off, explosion, low clearance, merge, parking, school bus (2), and train; fatality; and drugs:
Accidents
- Cut off: Semi lands upside down after car’s cutoff
- Delays: 2 separate semi-truck crashes cause hours-long gridlock on I-80/94, 1 driver severely injured
- Drive off: Trucker sentenced to one year in jail doesn’t “have any excuse for having driven off” from scene of struck pedestrian
- Explosion: VIDEO: Security camera captures tanker truck explosion at Missouri gas station
- Low clearance: “Can Opener” bridge claims another victim
- Merge: VIDEO: Trucker merge fail triggers multi-vehicle crash
- Parking: Car driver killed after crashing into illegally parked tractor-trailer
- School bus: School bus attempts left turn across traffic, leads to crash with oncoming semi truck
- School bus: School buses in Texas, Nebraska, collide with big rigs; several injured
- Train: Trucker tried to unload trailer in attempt to unstick from tracks prior to train collision, police say
Fatality
We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who passed away.
Drugs
Never ever haul illegal drugs in your truck, no matter how much of an incentive you’re offered.
3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and ban:
Autonomous vehicles
I most strongly oppose the operation of driverless, autonomous, or self-driving commercial motor vehicles on the roads with the motoring public, but share these articles with you as a courtesy to help you stay current with the topic:
- Autonomous freight grows as source of 3rd-party capacity
- Autonomous Trucking Startup Waabi Hires Dustin Koehl to Lead Transport Operations (link no longer online)
- Behind the Wheel of the Plus Autonomous System
- FMCSA Plans Study on Driver Effect of Automated Driving Systems
- Plus on its Different Path to Autonomous Trucks [Video]
- Record-shattering autonomous cargo drone lifts 829-pound payload
- Werner Enterprises, Kodiak Robotics team up for 24/7 long-haul autonomous freight operations
- Werner partners with Kodiak for autonomous trucking lane –
- Werner to run ’24/7 Long-Haul Autonomous Freight’ lane with self-driving truck company
- Werner working with Kodiak on autonomous truck lane
- Werner, Kodiak Collaborate on Driverless Route
- Werner, Kodiak Robotics team up on autonomy
Electric vehicles
Please remember that:
- batteries only store energy (they do not generate or produce it),
- a rechargeable battery will lose charge over the time that it is used,
- to continue operating, an electric vehicle battery must be recharged somewhere by something,
- an electric vehicle is completely dependent on the availability of recharging stations along one’s route (just like fuel-powered vehicles are completely dependent on the availability of fuel stations along one’s route),
- the cost of recharging a vehicle may vary greatly (including the speed with which a vehicle is recharged), and
- a rechargeable battery may lose energy storing capability over time, thus demanding the need to be replaced in the future.
Bearing all of these things in mind, here are some of the most recent articles on this topic:
- Auto Industry Banks on EV Sales to Rental Fleets
- EV Startup Arrival in Talks to Unlock US Market
- Volvo supporting electric trucks as an ecosystem
- Ideanomics Completes Testing of 500kW Ultra-Fast Wireless Charging
- Biden administration okays billions for EV infrastructure
- FHA approves Indiana EV infrastructure deployment plan
- States Get Final OK on Highway EV Charging
- States get final OK to build highway EV charging network
Ban
I think that this is doomed to failure and will eventually backfire.
- California Board’s Plan To Ban Diesel Trucks Could Prove A Self-Inflicted
- New York to Ban Sale of Gas Cars by 2035
4. Regarding fuel and roads:
Fuel
- Clean Energy Fuels, Amazon Partner on RNG
- Diesel Falls 7.5¢ to $4.889 a Gallon
- Diesel prices down as Biden urges oil companies not to gouge after Hurricane Ian
- Ford Unveils Big, Gas-Fueled Pickup That’s Funding Its EV Future
- Global News Roundup: Daimler Testing Fuel-Cell Truck with Liquid Hydrogen
- Hexagon sees untapped potential and promise in RNG
- Hydrogen Startup Cemvita Sees Boost
- Hyundai Motor puts XCIENT fuel cell electric trucks into commercial fleet operation in California
- Key diesel prices down to levels not seen since March
- Midwest diesel price down more than 11 cents Fuel prices
- Mining Companies Wean Themselves Off Diesel Trucks
- More work ahead before widespread alternative fuel adoption
- Multiple Efforts Underway to Mainstream Hydrogen Fuel
- New Jersey fuel rates dip starting Oct. 1
- Ohio renewable natural gas station to fuel Amazon trucks
- Seven States Form Midwest Hydrogen Coalition
- Toyota, Kenworth tout success of hydrogen fuel-cell electric truck partnership
- Weekly Fuel Report: September 27, 2022
- Weekly NTI Update: September 26, 2022
Roads
5. Regarding AB5 and supply chain:
AB5
Supply chain
Since the word “sustainability” was used in the title of the last article linked in the section above, I took the time to get a definition of “sustainable” and one definition is simply:
“Capable of being sustained.”
OK… “Sustained” is the past tense of “sustain”, so let’s get a definition for that.
Sustain: “To keep in existence; maintain, continue, or prolong.”
While we would all like for certain things to be sustained (such as being able to eat nutritious food), one has to understand that this word is being used in a way that:
- either many people don’t understand; and/or
- may not approve of if they did understand.
For additional insight, you may wish to read part of the conclusion from “The Elite is Desperately Trying to Convince You to Eat Bugs. Here’s Why.“:
In the past months, we’ve witnessed the emergence of the bug-eating agenda. Using mass media and the educational system, the world elite is in full indoctrination mode to convince the world that crickets, locusts, cockroaches, and mealworms need to become an important part of our diet. The buzzwords used are sustainability, global warming, and pollution.
Here are some other resources:
- March 4, 2011: How to Fight Back Against? Sustainable Development
- July 9, 2012: The Real Agenda Behind UN “Sustainability” Unmasked
- April 22, 2014: The Principles of Freedom vs. Agenda 21
- September 29, 2022: Exposing UN Agenda 21 Sustainable Development at the Local Level
- September 29, 2022: United Nation’s Master Plan for Humanity
6. Regarding economy, employment, retention, business, and recalls:
Economy
These are some of the most recent articles about the economy from the trucking industry’s perspective:
- ACT Research: Anticipating inbound recession, September forecasts unchanged
- ACT Research: Trailer orders up over previous month, significantly over 2021
- Average Price Seesaws for a Used Truck in August
- China Lockdowns Expected to Ripple Across U.S. Trucking Industry
- Echo CEO: Recession coming, but next capacity crunch is baked in
- Economy Drops at 0.6% Annual Rate From April-June
- Higher interest rates place spotlight on supply chain finance
- Nothing smooth about butter
- Resilient Consumers Spend Slightly More in August
- ‘Soft floor’ in sight for used truck auction prices
- SONAR Sightings: Southern California rejections remain below 3%; Houston imports fall
- Truck market to remain strong in 2023: Volvo president
- Trucking caught in crossfire of Fed’s war on inflation
Employment
- Daily Infographic: Wage and bonus increases seen as necessary to attract warehouse talent
- Truck Driver Among Most Secure, Good-Paying Jobs In This Economy
Retention
Business
- Back to basics with owner-operator business planning
- Businesses have different e-commerce needs, but it’s still about the customer
- Time to sign up for Truck to Success course
Recalls
If your tractor or trailer is on a recall list, please take it to an authorized location for authorized work to fix the issue for which the recall was made.
- International recalling nearly 7k trucks for engine issue
- Navistar recalls International trucks for connecting rod problem
- Nearly 7000 International trucks recalled for connecting rod defect
- Nikola recalls all the electric trucks it has built so far
7. Regarding chain law, ELDs, training, and trucking industry:
Chain law
ELDs
If you feel strongly about ELDs, please be aware of the
“PROPOSED RULE: Electronic Logging Device Revisions”
Posted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Sep 16, 2022,
Comment Due Date: Nov 15, 2022.
- Are ELDs making the trucking industry safer?
- ELD-exempt owner-ops say no to any pre-2000 exemption change
- Hundreds of truckers react to potential ELD changes
Training
- FMCSA Seeks Input on CDL Third-Party Training, Testing Programs
- FMCSA to allow UPS driver trainees to haul doubles during on-the-road training
- UPS gets driver-training exemption for double trailers
- UPS receives driver training exemption
Trucking industry
The video embedded in the article linked just above is excellent.
If you are in the USA and you feel strongly about the legislation passed into law that led to this situation, please contact your federal level elected officials (House and Senate).
8. Regarding fees, surcharges, tolls, and theft:
Fees
Surcharges
Tolls
- Bestpass helps fleets target tolls once and for all
- Massachusetts Congestion Pricing Tolls Stuck at Red Light
Theft
Please be on guard against any and all kinds of potential theft.
- Mississippi man steals truck of driver who stopped to help him
- Suspect found sleeping in cab of stolen rig
9. Regarding IDs, technology, and testing:
IDs
If you feel strongly regarding Electronic ID Systems in commercial motor vehicles in the USA, please be aware of this:
PROPOSED RULE: Unique Electronic Identification of Commercial Motor Vehicles
Posted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Sep 23, 2022
Comment Due Date: Nov 22, 2022
- FMCSA Proposes All Interstate CMVs Have Electronic ID Systems
- FMCSA seeks comments on possibility of requiring electronic IDs on trucks
Technology
- Drivewayze, HAAS Alert partner to integrate hazard data
- Electric fleets can benefit from vehicle-to-grid tech but challenges remain
- Saia Invests in Driver App to Improve Productivity
Testing
10. Regarding operations, safety, underride guards, and parking:
Operations
- Downspeeding diesel to save fuel doesn’t wear out brakes faster
- Watch this absolutely chaotic driving from motorists AND a truck driver
- WATCH: Driver puts four other truckers at risk with dangerous triple pass attempt
Safety
- 10 ways for fleets to improve, foster safety culture
- Daily Infographic: Truck safety lobby pressures DOT on crash prevention
Underride guards
Parking
The Truck Parking Development Handbook (PDF) is referenced in the second article in the list just below.
- ATA Touts USDOT’s Truck Parking Agenda
- DOT issues truck parking handbook for local planners
- NYPD conducts major enforcement operation after complaints from locals about parked trucks
- Truck parking a ‘national concern,’ Buttigieg says
11. Regarding border, vaccine, and health:
Border
Vaccine
There never should have been a “mandate” in the first place!
- Canada Drops Covid Vaccine Mandate To Cross U.S. Border
- Canada ending cross-border vax requirement Oct. 1
- Canada to lift vaccination requirements at border
- OOIDA calls for end to U.S. vaccine mandate
- OOIDA calls on Biden to end US border vaccine mandate
Health
12. Regarding recognition and awards:
Recognition
We recognize and appreciate the efforts of those who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.
- Truck driver pulled to safety by Good Samaritan after skidding down embankment
- WATCH: Trucker rushes to help fellow driver who took turn too fast
Awards
Congratulations to truckers who demonstrated skill on the job and made notable achievements!
- FedEx Freight’s Pinter wins TMCSuperTech Grand Championship
- XPO celebrates driver who just logged 4 millionth mile; began driving LTL in 1987
My husband Mike and I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Return from TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2022.10.01 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.