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Going Rates: What
truckers
need to know about CSA and insurance
With the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
program in
full effect, plenty of drivers are speculating about how violations
will affect their driving record - and in turn, their insurance rates.
...
IOWA80.com holds
Dreams of
Chrome Sweepstakes
Drivers can register for 25 prizes yet to be given away
in
IOWA80.com's six-month Dreams of Chrome Sweepstakes.
...
Legislation would
prevent
U.S. from paying for EOBRs on Mexican trucks
Legislation introduced shortly after the formalization
of a
new U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking program on Wednesday, July 6,
would specifically prevent the use of U.S. funds to pay for electronic
onboard recorders on Mexican trucks. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.),
ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, says
the U.S. Department of Transportation's EOBR measure is an
inappropriate use of U.S. funds.
"As we debate deep and harsh cuts to programs that help middle-class
families, it is outrageous that taxpayers are being told to foot the
bill for the Mexican trucking industry to comply with American safety
standards," DeFazio said while introducing the Protecting America's
Roads Act. "Let the Mexican government or the Mexican carriers pay for
their equipment, and let's use U.S. gas tax revenue for its intended
purpose of putting Americans to work rebuilding our roads and bridges."
...
Get it while it's hot:
Kansas has diesel grant cash
Kansas truck owners can apply now for diesel grants
between
$5,000 and $100,000.
Between now and Aug. 15, the state of Kansas is accepting applications
for its diesel grant program, which is administered competitively.
Applicants can put together plans to upgrade or replace diesel
equipment, and they are encouraged to voluntarily match grant funds
with their own dollars.
...
Maryland accepting
credit
card/e-checks for permits
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is now
accepting credit card and e-check payments for customers purchasing
oversized/overweight load permits. Customers can also replenish escrow
accounts or pay invoices through the new method.
There is no need to create an account. Customers simply log into SHA's
Automated Hauling Permit System (AHPS) at
https://ahps.roads.maryland.gov, as a "guest." There is a $4 service
fee per transaction, which is charged by Vital Chek, the vendor
providing the service.
...
Diesel price declines
again
For the eighth week in the last nine weeks, the national
average retail price of diesel fell during the week ended July 4,
according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information
Administration. ...
...
Marten institutes
detention
pay
Drivers who arrive on time and are delayed by a shipper
or
receiver for more than two hours over the scheduled delivery time will
be paid for the detention effective July 1, Marten Transport said.
The rates are ...
State laws in effect
July 1
focus on road safety
... Another new law in Tennessee pumps up the cost of
traffic
tickets by as much as $70.
The law tacks a $13.75 fee on each traffic violation. The fees can
quickly add up because officers can issue citations for as many as five
violations on a single ticket.
Additional revenue from the fees is earmarked for the Tennessee Bureau
of Investigation's crime lab services.
An Indiana law that goes on the books Friday addresses work zone
safety. The new law specifies the speed limit in a designated highway
work zone must be at least 10 mph below the normal speed in the area.
Violators face fines of at least $300.
In addition, all forms of dangerous driving in the affected areas will
carry harsher penalties. Offenses include following too closely,
improper lane changes, driver fatigue and failure to yield the right of
way.
Committing any one of these offenses, or other similar offenses, in
work zones would result in fines of up to $1,000.
...
Louisville bridge
meetings
draw anti-toll crowd
Residents in the Louisville region say they don't want
existing bridges to be tolled to pay for two new bridges, and they
don't want the new bridges to be tolled, either. A pair of public
meetings this week on a scaled-down version of the Ohio River Bridges
project drew a combined 500 people. The majority of speakers were
opposed to tolls.
Back in January, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Kentucky Gov. Steve
Beshear and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer agreed to shave off about a
quarter of the project's $4 billion price tag in an effort to save
money and forgo tolling the Sherman-Minton Bridge on Interstate 64 and
Clark Memorial Bridge on U.S. 31.
Toll opponents hailed that as a small victory, but as the current plan
stands, the existing John F. Kennedy Bridge on I-65 could still be
converted to a tollway.
...
Owner-Operator of the
Month
Jeff Ledbetter says doing nearly 90 percent of the
maintenance
and having an APU on his truck help him manage costs.
...
Proper Inflation:
Maintaining the ideal air pressure is the most important step in
keeping tires in peak operating condition.
Checking your tires' pressure regularly is like
exercising -
you know you should do it, but it's easy to put it off.
Tire professionals say there's a huge payoff for sticking with this
routine. It will head off irregular wear that can reduce tire mileage,
preserve the casing for retreading and enhance fuel economy.
...
What your treads are
trying
to tell you
Correctly reading and interpreting tire wear can save
you
money, enhance safety and alleviate maintenance headaches
Truck and trailer tires provide a wealth of data to a technician who
knows how to interpret the information being presented. With more than
100 years of accumulated maintenance experience and hard science as a
guide, a good technician examining a tire can discern a wide array of
problems quickly, such as questionable driver behavior, alignment
issues, worn components and improperly spec'd tires.
...
States diesel tax
rates set
to change July 1
On July 1, Connecticut will increase its diesel tax,
while
Nebraska truckers will pay a slightly smaller tax and Georgia has
delayed its increase.
...
Emissions ahoy: EPA
announces expansion of SmartWay program to ports
The federal government estimates that trucking
companies, rail
lines and shippers have saved more than $6 billion in fuel costs since
the EPA SmartWay program was rolled out in 2004.
Those diesel savings are likely to rise exponentially during the next
few years, EPA hopes.
EPA and two other organizations announced the launching of the SmartWay
Dray Truck Initiative Tuesday, June 28.
SmartWay, launched in 2004, is a voluntary partnership between motor
carriers and the EPA. The program encourages the use of diesel-saving
items such as low-rolling-resistance tires and aerodynamic truck and
trailer retrofits.
...
Bridge toll boost
proposal
decried
Michelle Keefer was not happy with the four-minute video
that
kicked off Wednesday's public hearing regarding proposed statewide toll
increases that would nearly triple the cost to cross the Gov. Harry W.
Nice Memorial Bridge by summer 2013.
...
Regina Mundi of La Plata owns truck stops near the bridge in Maryland
and Virginia and testified that truck drivers already do whatever they
can to avoid crossing into Maryland because of high tolls. If tolls are
increased, "you're preparing yourself for a statewide sit-out" of
truckers, she said.
...
Driver fatigue on
safety list
The National Transportation Safety Board has announced
its new
list of the most critical transportation issues that need to be
addressed to improve safety and save lives, including driver fatigue.
The new "Most Wanted List" highlights 10 safety issues that impact
transportation nationwide. "NTSB began issuing an annual "Most Wanted
List" in 1990, and the latest list is the first one produced under a
revised format developed by the agency over the past several months to
modernize and streamline the list.
Among this year's list are...
...
New bill would put an
end to
bad brokers in the trucking industry: Legislation would tighten
regulation and close loopholes
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
(OOIDA)
applauded the introduction of the "Fighting Fraud in Transportation
Act," HR2357, in the U.S. House of Representatives today. "This law
would put a stop to a system that allows ruthless brokers and scam
artists to continue to operate unchecked," says Todd Spencer, Executive
Vice President of OOIDA. "Too often, we've seen deceitful brokers get
away with collecting payments from shippers but cheating truckers out
of what is rightfully theirs."
...
Toll Hikes Take
Maryland off
the Road to Recovery
To get out on the open road from Maryland will soon cost
more.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is planning on dramatically
hiking its tolls on bridges, tunnels, and tollways. By 2013, the car
fees would go from $3-$5, on many of these routes, to $8. For truckers,
the rates would double, getting as high as $48.
Thousands have protested in public hearings all over the state; and
rightly so. These increases will cost commuting families thousands and
semi-truck drivers even more. ...
Truckers, who will pay thousands extra, will be forced to raise their
rates, hurting producers, wholesalers, and the trucking companies.
...
Pennsylvania Increases
Trailer Width Limit on Two Roads
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has
approved two
stretches of state highway for use by wider truck trailers.
Portions of state Routes 641 and 2003 in Cumberland County are now open
to trailers up to 102 inches wide. Before the new widths were
announced, the roadways near Harrisburg and Interstate 81 were
restricted to trailers up to 96 inches wide.
...
Bridge to Canada could
cost
taxpayers big bucks
It's a $4 billion project: Another bridge to cross the
Detroit
river, connecting the Motor City with Windsor.
Governor Rick Snyder says it won't cost taxpayers anything. However,
other lawmakers say the reality is quite the opposite.
...
We headed to a local truck stop to see how truck drivers feel about the
proposed bridge.
"I just don't think in this economy the way they're proposing it is
funded properly. We need to focus on more things Detroit needs," said
truck driver Brandon England.
Owners of the Ambassador Bridge say traffic is down 40 percent, so its
been tough selling the idea to taxpayers who wonder why do we need a
second bridge anyway?
...
Kansas speed limit
increases
The speed limit is going up for drivers beginning July1
on
more than 800 miles of Kansas highways and Interstates.
There are several reasons why authorities are raising the minimum speed
limit from 70 to 75...
KCTV5 spoke to several semi-truck drivers who spend their entire day on
the Interstates across Kansas, and they say the speed limit change is
simply a way to raise more money for the state in a down economy.
"They're not selling as much fuel because cars are getting better fuel
mileage, they need the revenue to keep the highways fixed. I think it's
a way of getting more revenue, if you drive faster, you're going to use
more fuel so you're going to buy more," said truck driver David Barr.
...
Marten Transport named
Thermo King Energy Efficiency Leader
Marten Transport, which specializes in protective
service
transportation of foods, chemicals and other products, has combined
customer feedback, common sense solutions and innovative systems to
incorporate improvements expected to lower refrigeration hours by 10
percent, reduce idle time to 2 percent and save millions of gallons of
fuel. Earlier this year, the fleet was named CCJ's 2011 Innovator of
the Year Award winner for its endeavors in this area.
...
KOHL, BLUNT
REINTRODUCE BILL
TO PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENT TRUCKS
Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
introduced legislation that would provide tax credits for purchasers of
hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks.
This bill would reinstate the currently-expired Section 30B qualified
hybrid motor vehicle tax credit, helping manufacturers reach economies
of scale, and bring down the cost of these technologies for consumers.
The Kohl-Blunt bill would extend the Section 30B credit through 2015
and update the incentive to recognize current costs and technologies.
...
Some state DOTs
promote
tolls on interstate highways
Without a lot of federal dollars to be had for states to
make
large-scale repairs or upgrades to interstate highways, some officials
want permission for more interstates to be converted into toll roads.
It's something OOIDA adamantly opposes.
...
The most notable attempt in recent years to toll an existing interstate
has been Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania. During the application process,
Pennsylvania officials failed to convince the Federal Highway
Administration that 100 percent of the toll proceeds would remain with
the roadway, and the application was turned aside.
A state can apply as many times as it wants for authority under FHWA's
tolling pilot programs, but Pennsylvania seems to have stopped at three
tries. OOIDA and its membership, along with small towns and businesses
along the corridor, fought hard against that proposal and were glad to
see it go.
"OOIDA adamantly opposes the sale or lease of existing roads and
efforts to convert non-tolled roads into toll facilities," the
Association states in its position on highways.
...
Indiana Toll Road
lease:
Five years later
Before Gov. Mitch Daniels leased the Indiana Toll Road
to
private investors in 2006, professional trucker Randy Nace would
occasionally use the tollway even though it carried a $14 toll. Several
toll increases later, with truckers set to pay $35.20 starting Friday,
July 1, residents like Nace are reminded of why they fought so hard
against the privatization deal.
"I still think it was the wrong thing to do," Nace said from his truck
on Monday. He says he's managed to survive cost increases and the
economic downturn in part by avoiding the Indiana Toll Road.
...
Texas OKs higher
speeds,
wipeout of Trans-Texas Corridor
... Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill to permit the
speed
limit on certain new roadways to be set at 85 mph. HB1201 requires the
Texas Department of Transportation to perform engineering and traffic
studies to determine whether the speed is appropriate on new
construction.
The 85-mph authorization is the second speed limit initiative approved
by the governor in the past few weeks.
Another new law increases speeds on most rural highways to 75 mph day
and night - as long as studies deem it safe. In addition, any speed
differential between cars and trucks is eliminated.
...
FedEx adds more than
4,000
new fuel-efficient vehicles
FedEx Express on Tuesday, June 28, announced a
significant
expansion of lower-polluting energy-efficient vehicles. FedEx Express
says that within the next two months it will place 24 new all-electric
vehicles into service, expanding to three new cities and more than
doubling its fleet to 43 all-electric vehicles while growing the
diversity of suppliers it uses for electric vehicles. At the same time,
FedEx Express will be adding more hybrid-electrics, using composite
vehicles and upgrading over a tenth of its conventional vehicle fleet
to more energy-efficient vehicles.
"We are using efficient technologies that are readily available now,
while investing in innovative technologies that we hope and believe can
be vehicle workhorses for the future," says Dennis Beal, vice president
of Global Vehicles at FedEx Express. "Our goal has always been to
optimize and operate our vehicle fleet in an economically and
environmentally sustainable manner so that emissions are reduced while
serving our customers in the best possible manner."
...
Congress eyes broker
bill
For the second year running, Congress is considering a
bill
trucking and broker organizations say will mitigate unscrupulous broker
practices.
...
Tennessee tickets to
cost
more; 'racket,' says trucker
Speeders and other rules of the road violators could be
charged up to nearly $70 more for traffic tickets under a new state law
that takes effect next month and is intended to fund crime lab services
for law enforcement agencies.
The law that takes effect July 1 adds $13.75 onto each traffic
violation, and motorists can be cited for as many as five violations on
a single ticket. The fee applies only to people who chose not to
contest their tickets in court and pay the fine before a court date or
a compliance date. ...
Celebrate American
Energy
Independence with IdleAir on July 4th
IdleAir invites all professional drivers to celebrate
American
energy independence with us this Independence Day. On Monday, July 4,
IdleAir Premium Service will drop to $1.76/hr, and everyone can enjoy
free high-speed wired Ethernet service.
Drivers can hook up at any IdleAir location, at any time on Monday,
July 4, and the first 10 hours are only $1.76/hr, and then $1.25 for
each additional hour. Drivers and fleets with different discounted
rates will automatically receive the lowest hourly rate.
...
Technology helps
truckers
keep an eye on thingsy
For commercial truck drivers, three hours of rumbling
highway
driving can melt into one. But for trucking company owners, those few
hours of driving, if over the daily legal limit, can mean thousands of
dollars in fines.
To keep drivers from making costly mistakes, Trip Data & Safety
Management Inc., a Moncton-based firm, will roll out new software in
the coming weeks that tracks critical trip data from trucks, alerting
company safety managers to areas of concern before they turn into
fines.
Bert Conrad, owner of Trip Data & Safety Management Inc., said
he guarantees the technology will pay for itself within the first six
months.
"We can save trucking companies tens of thousands of dollars every
year," Conrad said. "They start saving within the first month."
...
Maersk announce
pricing
changes
Maersk Line have announced plans to start charging
customers
who fail to fulfill bookings, while the shipping company will also
refund customers if a container is not loaded.
...
Coming to an invoice
near
you: "Load Protection Fees"
COPENHAGEN: It's like restaurants charging people who
make
reservations and then don't show up. (Actually we're surprised more
eateries don't do it.)
Shipping giant Maersk is going to start charging shippers who book
container space but then never send the actual containers.
It's a huge chunk -- up to 30 of their business -- and Maersk is tired
of accommodating the no-shows.
...
Lunch for truckers
Nola's Lounge, located next to Magic City Campus, had
countless trucks running past on Wednesday being filled with dirt from
the hill. Tracy Platt, who cooks frequently at Nola's, thought he'd
help where he could and provide lunches for the truck drivers.
...
OOIDA members qualify
for
Freight Wing side skirt discount
Members of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association
(OOIDA) who run their own trailers now qualify for a 15 discount off
trailer side skirts from Freight Wing.
Aeroflex side skirts from Freight Wing have proven to deliver 7 fuel
savings using SAE/TMC J1321 testing methods.
Sean Graham, president of Freight Wing says the payback is often under
50,000 miles.
...
Nevada turns to tolls
for
congestion relief
A new law moves one Nevada town closer to having a $400
million bypass to relieve traffic.
Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law a bill, SB506, to authorize the
state's first and only toll road around Boulder City.
Aimed at relieving traffic jams created by the opening of the Hoover
Dam bypass bridge last fall, the new law requires the Regional
Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to partner with a private
group to finance a 15-mile toll road.
The alternative route is sought because of increased traffic, namely
truck traffic, using U.S. 93 after the opening of the bypass bridge. In
recent months, the RTC has gone as far as to pursue a temporary truck
ban on the bridge connecting Arizona to Nevada.
Traveling through the area has been a challenge for truckers during the
past decade. Truck traffic has been prohibited from accessing the
Hoover Dam since 9/11. Until the bypass opened in October 2010,
truckers were forced to take a 75-mile detour.
...
Truckers forced to
route
around flooding in Midwest
Truckers traveling through Minot, ND, have been forced
to find
a new route on Wednesday, June 22, after hearing the news that levees
protecting the city had been breached. On Wednesday, North Dakota Gov.
Jack Dalrymple issued a mandatory evacuation order for homes along the
Souris River in Ward County in what is expected to be the worst
flooding in 40 years.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation is providing this map for
truckers looking for alternative routes around the flooding. ...
ARI adds fuel-stop
locator
service
Automotive Resources International (ARI) is adding a
fuel-
stop locator application to its suite of mobile fleet tools, via its
long-term partner Wright Express (WEX). As escalating fuel prices
increase fleets' needs to reduce costs, the company said fleet drivers
can use the mobile versions of either ARI insights or ARI Driver
insights to locate the type of fuel they need at the lowest price.
...
Texas law covers
idling
issues
A new law in Texas allows certain trucks to idle without
truckers having to worry about setting their stopwatch.
Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill to permit trucks with "clean
idle" engines to idle while also providing an incentive to reduce
idling. The new rule took effect immediately.
...
In the bill analysis, Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, wrote that
"during many months of the year, it is impossible for a driver to get
the rest he or she needs without air conditioning or heat."
Also included in the new rule is a provision to increase the maximum
weight limits for large trucks equipped with idle-reduction technology.
Commercial vehicles equipped with auxiliary power units are authorized
to weigh up to an additional 400 pounds.
Supporters said the allowance rewards independent truck drivers and
large trucking firms for using technology to increase fuel economy and
decrease emissions.
...
Nevada bans all cell
phone
use while driving
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a new law June 17 that
prohibits talking or texting on a cell phone while driving.
The law makes Nevada the 34th state to prohibit texting behind the
wheel and the ninth to prohibit all handheld cell phone use while
driving.
The new Nevada law makes it illegal to text or talk on a handheld cell
phone while driving. Under the new law, violators face a fine of up to
$100 for the first offense, up to $200 for the second offense and up to
$250 for the third offense. In addition, third-time offenders also can
have their driver licenses suspended. The law is due to become
effective on Jan. 1, 2012; law enforcement officers will begin issuing
warnings on Oct. 1.
...
YouTube: ENDLESS TOLL
STATIONS TO END IN CHINA CCTV News
China has more toll roads than any other country. In
order to
relieve drivers from high tolls, the country has launched a one-year
campaign against unreasonable toll charges.
Chinese toll roads represent more than 70 percent of the world's total.
Truck drivers like Mr. Wu who delivers goods from one province to
another are the biggest victims.
Usually, he has to cross several provinces on one delivery. And on his
way, he will come across countless toll stations. Sometimes, toll fees
cut his profits by more than half. ...
Oregon Governor Signs
Idling
Reduction Law
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber signed HB 2081, an idling
reduction
bill, into law on June 16. The new law means that trucks will not be
allowed to idle more than five minutes in any 60 minute period, with
some exceptions. It also prohibits any city or county from creating
their own idling restrictions.
The penalty is $180 and would be levied against drivers, not the owners
of the trucks, reports The Oregonian. The law will go into effect Jan.
1, 2012.
According to published reports, exceptions include ...
...
Mercier Bridge closing
will
cost trucking companies
MONTREAL - The closing of the Mercier Bridge will raise
the
cost of trucking in the region, forcing delays in deliveries as well as
increased fuel and manpower costs.
Trucking companies may be forced to impose a surcharge on customers for
deliveries in the Montreal region because of the higher costs
associated with bridge closings and construction work on the island,
said Marc Cadieux, president of the Quebec Truckers Association.
...
He said truckers are often unable to make their deliveries because of
roadwork. This adds to fuel and manpower costs as many companies are
forced to put more trucks on the road.
He said there is an increased possibility that trucking companies will
have to impose a surcharge for deliveries in the Montreal region
because of the added costs of driving in Montreal.
Such costs could be as high as $125 a trip, he said, as it is on
Manhattan Island in New York City.
...
Interstate 29 closures
extract high price from truckers and companies, industry officials says
DES MOINES, Iowa - Truckers and trucking companies are
paying
a price for the flood-related closures along Interstate 29 in Iowa.
The president of the Iowa Motor Truck Association told The Des Moines
Register that I-29 is a major corridor for trucks.
Association president Brenda Neville says there is a tremendous cost to
take the highway detours, "and while some of the costs can be passed on
to the shipper, that doesn't always happen."
...
Trucker charged after
39
kilos of cocaine found in raspberry shipment
WINDSOR, Ont. -- Canadian border services officers
seized 39
kilograms of cocaine inside a shipment of raspberries that were being
brought across the Ambassador Bridge Friday.
...
Drago Knezevic, the 50-year-old driver from Kitchener, was arrested
without incident.
The RCMP Windsor detachment drug section has charged Knezevic with one
count of importing and one count of possession for the purpose of
trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act.
Flooding shutdown of
I-29
has 'dramatic impact' on Iowa truckers
The closure of Interstate Highway 29 on two stretches in
western Iowa because of flooding on the Missouri River is having a
"dramatic impact" on the state's trucking companies, according to a top
industry official.
I-29 is a key trucking route that extends from Kansas City, Mo.,
through Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota to the Canadian border
south of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Flooding has closed a 20-mile stretch of
I-29 between Council Bluffs and the Missouri Valley area, as well as a
22-mile section in southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri from the
interchange of I-29 and Iowa Highway 2 south to U.S. Highway 136.
...
I-29 closures expand
to
Missouri
I-29 is closed at the intersection with U.S. 136 at Rock
Port,
Mo., in extreme northwest Missouri due to Missouri River flooding, the
Missouri Department of Transporation reported June 15.
MoDOT advised travelers to use I-35. ...
Drivers can find the location of highways closed by water on MoDOT's
Traveler Information Map, available at www.modot.org/. Detours for
closures on interstates and U.S. routes can be found at
www.modot.org/flooding, along with other flood information.
...
Flooding closes I-29
in Iowa
All lanes of Interstate 29 in Iowa between mile marker
61 near
Crescent and the I-680/I-29 interchange at mile marker 71 near Loveland
have been closed due to flooding from the nearby Missouri River, the
Iowa Department of Transportation said, and may not be reopened until
August.
...
Hours proposal bad for
small
business, trucking executive tells Congress
In testimony before the House Small Business Committee
Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations, James Burg,
president of James Burg Trucking Co., said proposed changes to the
federal hours-of-service were unwarranted and would harm small
businesses nationwide.
...
Burg said that if the changes proposed by FMCSA following a court
settlement with advocacy and labor groups were to take effect, his
75-truck fleet based in Warren, Mich., would need to "add additional
trucks and drivers - and their corresponding expenses - simply to
counter the loss in productivity."
"By estimates, we would need to increase our retained earnings by
between 20 percent and 25 percent just to maintain our current level of
financial stability," said Burg, who added that productivity losses
also would "likely be felt by small business shippers, manufacturers
and retailers in the form of increased costs." ...
...
FMCSA proposes medical
record extensions
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on June
13
proposed to keep in effect until Jan. 30, 2014, the requirement that
commercial drivers must retain a paper copy of the medical examiner's
certificate. In addition, interstate motor carriers also would be
required to retain a copy of the medical certificate in the driver
qualification files.
...
Red-light cameras put
off
indefinitely
>> Due to a judge's decision in St. Louis
declaring red-light traffic cameras in violation of state law, the city
is shelving indefinitely plans to reinstate a red-light camera system
here.
The city had been looking to reboot its red-light camera system using
the same vendor and an ordinance similar to the one in St. Louis,
Burris said. "We cannot move forward on our system based on this case."
>> Starting next Monday, the city and the Missouri
Department of Transportation will close Chestnut Expressway at the U.S.
65 overpass for up to six weeks after truck drivers failed to heed low
clearance signs put up ahead of scheduled bridge work.
Drivers still will be able to access right-turn ramps leading to and
from the highway, but won't be able to pass underneath the bridge,
MoDOT spokesman Bob Edwards said.
...
Fuel pricing expert
backs
CTA concerns about biodiesel mandate
[Canada] The federal government's own Regulatory Impact
Analysis Statement on its proposed biodiesel mandate indicated pump
prices could go up as a result of the July 1 biofuel requirement, the
CTA pointed out. The net cost to taxpayers could be as high as $2.5
billion over the next 25 years.
David Bradley, president and CEO of the CTA says "it is important that
gasoline and diesel fuel consumers be heard as well as the oil
companies."
"Among our concerns," he says, "is the impact that additives such as
ethanol and biodiesel have on the price of fuel and what the impact of
the removal of subsidies to the renewable fuel sector will be. We
believe the renewable fuels sector is using frozen facts."
...
No proof of fuel
savings
with biodiesel: experts report
A recent fuel-cost analysis suggests there would be no
savings
for diesel fuel consumers if the government goes ahead with a proposed
biodiesel mandate commencing July 1.
The analysis, by Kent Marketing Services Limited, also counters claims
made by the Canadian renewable fuels industry that Canadians would be
paying dramatically higher gas prices if not for the ethanol mandate
that came into force last year.
...
Yokohama Tire
announces
price increase
Yokohama Tire Corp. on Monday, June 13, announced that
it will
implement a price increase of an average of 8 percent on all of its
light and medium commercial truck tires sold in the United States,
effective July1.
...
Diesel price goes up
After five weeks of declining prices, the national
average
retail price of diesel rose during the week ended June 13, according to
the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. The
national average price gained 1.4 cents to $3.954.
...
EMA's US$2 000 fine
hits
truckers
[Zimbabwe] THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has
launched a blitz against haulage truck drivers who carry dangerous
substances without requisite permits and is demanding US$2 000 spot
fines from offenders. ...
Big rig batteries
stolen in
Sacramento County
A rash of burglaries have truck drivers replacing more
than
100 big rig batteries.
Sacramento area truck drivers said dozens of trucks have been broken
into over the past couple weeks. ...
PilotFlyingJ: Best
Showers
... Over the next 3 years, we will renovate over 4,000
showers
in our locations. ...
...
From Memorial Day to Labor Day we are holding a contest where drivers
with a Frequent Fueler Advantage or Driver Payback card may vote for
their favorite shower.
...
Drivers may also review truck stop showers ANY time at
https://www.truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/truck-stop-shower.html.
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