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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.12.14

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.12.14 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending December 14, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.

I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding 2024, future, holidays, and weather:

Toward the end of every year, there are at least two types of articles about various industries:

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  1. both recaps or a “Top 10” list of highlights from the current year;
  2. and predictions or speculations about the future or what the coming year may be like or hold.

Within the trucking industry, some of the recaps may contain a list of high-profile truck crashes or political battles that have affected the trucking industry since the beginning of 2024.

Let the recaps of 2024 and prognostications about 2025 continue!

2024

Future

Holidays

Please be on your guard — as you always are as a professional truck driver — regarding driving in high amounts of traffic.

Weather

2. Regarding ELDs, insurance, and maintenance:

ELDs

Others within the trucking industry were speaking out against the Electronic Logging Devices “mandate” long before December 4, 2017, but you may read my commentary on the mandate.

In TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2017.12.09, I quoted Indiana’s Attorney General, Curtis Hill, regarding the self-certification provision regarding ELDs.

I also asked, “In what other industry besides trucking has the government ever mandated the purchase of a ‘self-certification’ product?”

So, I’m truly distressed for every trucker who invested in a “self-certified” ELD that used to be on the approved list, only to later have that certification revoked!

If you are such a trucker, I want to hear from you about how expensive this was for you.

Please comment through the form below.

Insurance

Please be aware not only about insurance on a miles-traveled basis, but also taxing mechanisms.

As I mention on my glossary:
VMT: Vehicle Miles Traveled (a taxing mechanism).

Maintenance

3. Regarding alcohol, crashes, drowsy driving, drugs, explosion, fatalities, fraud, and violence:

Alcohol

Never ever consume alcohol prior to driving a vehicle of any kind.

Crashes

Please look through these articles to see if there is anything you can learn to help you prevent being involved in a similar crash.

Drowsy driving

Please feel free to review my article:

Drowsy Driving: Dangers, Statistics, and No Substitutes

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Explosion

According to the article in this section:

  • “the truck driver and his dog were sleeping inside of the truck cab when the truck caught fire”; and
  • “There were several propane tanks in the cab, which exploded during the fire.”

Analytically-minded people would like to know:

  • how the truck caught fire; and
  • why there were propane tanks in the cab!

Hmm…

Fatalities

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died in these crashes.

Can you learn anything from the articles below that would help prevent being involved in a fatal large truck crash?

Fraud

Never attempt to deceive, misrepresent something, intentionally pervert the truth, or pretend to be someone else for the purpose of trying to get something valuable.

Violence

It is never right to perpetrate violence upon someone in an unprovoked manner.

All perpetrators of violence must be dealt with in a just legal manner.

4. Regarding bankruptcy, border, brokers, business, and capacity:

Bankruptcy

As the economy tightens, we may see more and more bankruptcies or acquisitions.

Border

Brokers

Broker transparency is a big deal right now — and it needs to be dealt with appropriately!

Business

Capacity

5. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel, hydrogen, and oil:

Autonomous vehicles

I totally oppose the operation of autonomous, driverless, or self-driving commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public — but I share articles on this topic with our readers to help us stay current on the topic.

Electric vehicles

Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence by asking some questions and getting answers.

Fuel

Hydrogen

Oil

6. Regarding containers, legal, staged, and tariffs:

Containers

Legal

You may wish to read about these legal issues and lawsuits that affect some aspect of the trucking industry — because what affects one or some truckers may end up affecting you!

Staged

It’s been a while since the first scammers involved in the “staged accident” (fake accident) situation in the New Orleans area started to be brought to justice.

How long is it going to take for all of the culprits to be caught and brought to justice?

Tariffs

According to a Congressional Research Service report dated October 3, 2024:

A tariff is a customs duty levied on imported and exported goods and services. Historically, countries used tariffs as a primary means of collecting revenue. Today, other taxes account for most government revenue in developed countries. Tariffs are now typically used to protect domestic industries or as leverage in trade negotiations and disputes.

The U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to set tariffs, a power that Congress has partially delegated to the President.

Now, according to the first clause of Article I, Section 8, of The Constitution of the United States, Congress alone has the power “To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;”

There is no authority granted in The Constitution for Congress to “delegate” any part of this power to the President.

Please pay attention to this topic.

7. Regarding economy, employment, rates, and tolls:

Economy

Employment

Rates

Tolls

8. Regarding age, health, immigration, politics, and regulations:

Age

FMCSA

Health

Immigration

Politics

The first paragraph of the article in this section reads:

In what the U.S. House of Representatives called protective measures for small business owners, last week the House passed the Prove It Act.

If I’m reading it correctly, hopefully, this act will be passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law.

Regulations

9. Regarding parking and ports:

Parking

Ports

10. Regarding recalls, repairs, roads, and routing:

Recalls

If your tractor or trailer is under a recall, please have the work attended to as soon as possible.

Repairs

If you use this service, please review it!

Roads

Routing

If you drive a big rig, please follow routing specifically for a big rig!

11. Regarding safety and technology:

Safety

Technology

12. Regarding awards and awards – recognition:

Awards

Congratulations to every professional truck driver who has attained a level of achievement on the job!

Awards – recognition

I recognize truckers who helped out their fellow human beings in need as well as those who helped out truckers in some capacity.

Thanks, y’all!

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: 2024.12.14 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.


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