This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending October 10, 2020.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding smuggling people and drugs:
In one of the 3 articles below, there is a report of a smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 39 people who were “baked” to death in a very hot trailer.
Ouch!
Not only is smuggling illegal, but I speculate that the trucker may eventually have murder charges brought against him.
The value of every single person is beyond price, so no amount of money that is promised can ever be worth treating people like freight or cargo!
- 39 immigrants ‘baked’ to death in suffocatingly hot trailer
- CBP agents stop human smuggling attempts; discover nearly 150 people hidden in commercial trailers
- Two U.S. Truckers Arrested in Big Rig Smuggling Busts Involving Nearly 150 People
Our deepest sympathy goes to the families of those who died.
Drugs
Don’t haul illegal drugs, no matter how lucrative it seems.
- Border Patrol discovers 800 pounds of meth hidden in truckload of produce, pickles; seizure sets record for Arizona port of entry
- Officials just made the largest meth seizure in Arizona’s port history
Those who haul drugs illegally face the seizure of the drugs, an impounded truck, a criminal record, possible jail time, and the likelihood of never driving a commercial motor vehicle professionally ever again.
2. Regarding Hurricane Delta:
The following articles all focus on some aspect of Hurricane Delta in the Gulf of Mexico.
No matter where you drive, please plan ahead and take appropriate caution.
- CCJ Daily Dispatch, Oct. 8: Hurricane Delta prompts hours waiver for relief haulers in five states
- Delta prompts hurricane warning for US Gulf Coast (with forecast video)
- FMCSA declares emergency ahead of Hurricane Delta
- FMCSA issues 5 state HOS waiver as Hurricane Delta nears Gulf Coast
- FMCSA issues 5-state HOS waiver ahead of Hurricane Delta
- FMCSA issues emergency HOS waiver for 5 states in anticipation of Hurricane Delta
- For your trip planning: Delta takes aim at Gulf Coast
- Hours regs suspended in five states for hurricane relief haulers
- Hurricane could hit US Gulf Coast later this week (with forecast video)
- Hurricane Delta eyeing US landfall later this week (with forecast video)
- Hurricane Delta prompts warning for US Gulf Coast (with forecast video)
- Hurricane Delta Strengthens As Gulf Coast Braces For Impact
- Hurricane watch issued for parts of US Gulf Coast (with forecast video)
- Port restrictions set as Hurricane Delta approaches Gulf Coast (with forecast video)
This article is good general knowledge:
3. Regarding event:
This event took place on October 4:
- DC Trucker Rally ‘Big 10-4’ Raises Money, Food For Charity
- Truckers gather at National Mall to promote trucking, education, and “a really good mood”
- Truckers gather on National Mall in D.C.
4. Regarding economy:
The following are the most recent articles about the economy, from the perspective of the trucking industry:
- Cash and confidence drive higher Class 8 September orders
- Consumer product levels on the rise, but other freight sectors still short
- Dry bulk shipping rates have just hit a new 2020 high
- ECONOMIC WATCH: Renewed fleet confidence fueling stronger Class 8 truck demand
- Heavy truck orders hit nearly two-year high
- Lack of reefer capacity drives national OTRI higher NOW
- September marks fourth consecutive month of gains for Class 5-8 orders, ACT says
- Spot rates rallied again in September, hit 20128 levels
- Transportation capacity hits new lows, ‘no relief in sight’ for pricing
- Truck arrivals rebound slightly
- Truckload supply dictates price in imbalanced freight markets
- Trucks still idle in wake of Covid-19 shutdowns, insurance data shows
- US intermodal traffic climbs 7% year-over-year in September
- Will we see double-digit rate increases in transportation in 2021?
5. Regarding recall, right to repair, dock accident, accidents, and a nuclear verdict:
Recall
- Daimler recalls 142,110 Freightliner Cascadias for faulty brake lights
- Freightliner Cascadia trucks being recalled for brake light issue
- Kenworth T680 trucks recalled for brake issue
Right to Repair
Dock Accident
- 25 year old truck driver killed while helping co-driver at loading dock
- Loading Dock Accident Claims Young Trucker’s Life
Accidents
- A crash or illness is something many drivers don’t take seriously enough
- Troopers say truck ‘failed to slow’ before striking car, toll plaza
- Car driver ruins trucker’s day by pulling off shoulder without looking
Nuclear verdict
- Owner-Operator Ordered To Pay $411 Million: Largest Verdict Ever
- Single-truck company slapped with ‘nuclear’ $411 MILLION verdict following 45 vehicle pileup
- Whopping $411 million nuclear verdict in Florida said to be biggest ever and tough to collect
Regarding the first article in this section, I wrote the following comment on Facebook:
Concerning “a $411,726,608 verdict in favor of Duane Washington for injuries he received in a 45-vehicle pileup in 2018,” do you mean to tell me that it costs that much to help him recover?
And if the trucking company didn’t have insurance coverage that high, how is a payout ever going to happen?
6. Regarding operations, trucking and brokers:
Operations
- 3 Threats to Your Rig’s Diesel Fuel System and How to Avoid Them
- Is Trucking a Numbers Game? Why Your Trucking Reports Matter
- The importance of training drivers on legal vehicle weights
Trucking
- Feds give tank truck owners option to enhance brake lighting
- There are important decisions to make before hitting the used truck lot
Brokers
From the article The Broker Empire Strikes Back, we read (emphasis added):
Let’s get back to ArcBest’s looney $500,000 per-broker, per-year assertion. In contrast, Choptank and Trinity say costs would range from $2,500 to $10,000 on a one-time basis. In reality, there would be no setup costs at all. All that’s required to meet the proposed rule is email – the method used to trade documents with carriers 99% of the time. Brokers already have the resources to meet the proposed requirement.
In response to this article, FMCSA to hold broker transparency listening session Oct. 28, I hope this listening session is packed out with owner-operators and independent truckers who are actually using brokers!
7. Regarding electric, BEV, fuel and energy:
Electric
BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles)
Fuel and energy
From the article How Trailers Are Harnessing ‘Free’ Energy, we read:
Ecolution KWH is an e-mobility and power company that has received a U.S. patent for reusing wasted kinetic energy in refrigerated trailers. When combined with an electric or hydrogen-fueled truck, the company says, the Ecolution trailer accomplishes a total elimination of carbon emissions.
That sounds cool!
8. Regarding employment:
- Truck driver hiring slows as per-mile rates surge
- Trucking fleets prep for potential severe driver shortage
- Daily Infographic: The high cost of poorly trained drivers
9. Regarding inspections, safety, shipping, returns, technology and hacking:
Inspections
Safety
Shipping
Returns
Technology
- Commentary: Can AI and machine learning improve the economy?
- Overdrive Radio: HOS questions, ELD hang-ups
Hacking
- Cyberattack targets trucking company Daseke
- FMCSA Acting Administrator’s New Comments About ELD Hacking Raise Some Concerns
- Ransomware hackers claim attack on Texas customs broker
10. Regarding last mile or final mile:
- Adapting to retail’s last mile in a decentralized marketplace (with video)
- An investor’s guide to final mile (With video)
- Evolution of last-mile deliveries amid COVID-19 (with video)
- Fleet Enable optimizes last-mile delivery, improves customer experience (with video)
- Going the last mile with ‘guys on motorcycles with guns’ (with video)
- J.B. Hunt ‘committed’ to final-mile delivery of big and bulky items (with video)
- Why last mile leads charge for EV adoption (with video)
- The Daily Dash: Last-mile event coverage and under-21 driver pilot program
11. Regarding politics and roads:
Politics
- California road work bill is vetoed by Gov. Newsom
- Michigan roads focus of new laws, bill under consideration
- OOIDA opposes North Dakota bill allowing ‘road trains’
- Proposed legislation would permanently allow 24-hour deliveries in Ontario
- Road user charge eyed by Wyoming legislative committee
- U.S. DOT releases emergency funding for various natural disasters
Roads
- Month-long wide-load restrictions on I-15 in Arizona will cause 224-mile detour beginning Oct. 12
- Transportation agencies seek public input on replacement plans for Ohio River ‘Cairo’ Bridge
12. Regarding theft:
- Be careful the next time you visit a Pilot in Houston…
- Cargo theft up 23% y-o-y in Q3
- Crack down on cargo theft with situational awareness
Please use best practices to protect the following from theft:
- your tractor,
- your possessions,
- your trailer, and
- the cargo within.
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: 2020.10.10 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
