This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending July 17, 2021.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Insurance and PRO Act
Please pay very close attention to what is going on regarding these two topics — and take needed action!
Insurance
- Insurance increase would be arbitrary, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says
- Insurance increase would cause construction costs to rise, NSSGA says
- Roadside Theater: Staged Accident Mafias & the 556% Truck Insurance Hike
- Why This U.S. Senator Might Be Trucking’s Best Hope to Stop I/C Wipeout Bill
Oppose Unconstitutional, Anti-Free Enterprise PRO Act
The “PRO” Act (H.R. 842/S. 420) would:
- End state right-to-work laws,
- Empower the National Labor Relations Board to force employees to unionize against their will,
- Encourage illegal aliens to join unions, and
- Align U.S. labor laws closer to those of Mexico and Canada.
Use the form with suggested content here to contact your U.S. Senators and then call them using provided talking points.
2. Regarding accidents, accident on I-16, and staged accidents:
Accidents
- Falling trailer door leaves trucker injured, ready to make a change for other driversIf you notice a trailer door “hanging a little funny,” look to see “why” — and don’t be a victim!
Accident on I-16
Whether this accident happened as a result of:
- either the dump truck’s raisable body being elevated
- or a clearance/oversize issue,
both are preventable!
Experienced truckers know to use their truckers’ atlas to check for low clearances along their route.
- Accident dislodges Georgia overpass, forces I-16 closure
- Bridge pummeled by dump truck demolished; GDOT releases time line for reopening I-16
- Crash forces closure of I-16 in Georgia
- Crews demolish bridge with aim to reopen Georgia interstate
- Dump truck strike knocked a Georgia bridge back six feet, officials say
- Hot Shots: Dislodged bridge, deluge, dust storm and more
- I-16 bridge struck by truck be3ing demolished; expect traffic troubles
- I-16 in central Georgia could reopen by Friday night
- I-16 shut down in Georgia when truck slams into overpass
- Part of I-16 closed between Macon, Savannah after truck damages Georgia overpass
Staged accidents
Everyone who was involved in this scam deserves punishment for their lies and actions
All truckers who were unwittingly dragged into this scam need to be completely exonerated!
3. Regarding economy, pay, commerce, inflation, scam:
Economy
These are the most recent articles regarding the economy from the perspective of the trucking industry.
- 2022 trailer orders could ‘set records’
- Calm before the storm: Muted June trailer orders conceal coming boom
- Class 8 Sales in June Second-Highest This Year
- Consumer Prices Surged in Past Year
- Economy, Trucking Industry Roar Back
- Freight costs see June surge; ‘tougher comps’ coming
- Freight rates ‘correction’ or pandemic blip? Seasonal trends return
- FTR: May Trucking Conditions Remained Positive
- Gain in Retail Sales Means Solid Consumer Activity
- High Demand, Rising Component Costs Put Pressure on Trailer Production
- June Medium-Duty Sales Second-Highest in 2021
- June Trailer Orders Reach 11,000
- Spot rates, demand for trucks soften after July 4
- Trailer orders soft in June, but records may be set in months ahead
- Trailer Orders Still Subdued in June
- U.S. economy, freight markets have room to run: ACT
- U.S. for-hire freight on the rise
Pay
- How does the Fair Labor Standards Act affect truck driver pay?You may like to see a list of articles on AskTheTrucker.com about the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Commerce
Inflation
- Shipper to Congress: Inflation ‘rampant’ through supply chain
- Truck price inflation tapers in Canada: Ritchie Bros
Scam
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I suggest looking for substantiation regarding trucker products and services.
4. Regarding roads, taxes and fees, and tolls:
Roads
Taxes and fees
- Missouri fuel tax increase signed into law
- PennDOT eyes a plan to slap a tax on packages delivered in the state
- Pennsylvania Ponders Package Fee to Pay for Roads, Bridges
Tolls
- Capital Beltway toll rates draw scrutiny from residents and elected officials
- Connecticut Set to Enact a New Highway Fee for Heavy Trucks
- Connecticut to levy VMT tax against big rigs beginning in 2023
- Gateless Tolling Coming to Ohio Turnpike
- Tolls on Pennsylvania Turnpike to increase by 5%
5. Regarding HOS, trucking, employment, shortage, and retention:
HOS
Trucking
- New motor carrier approvals at nosebleed levels, FTR says
- Truck driving must become a good job again’
- VIDEO: Truckers lay down the law for Mercedes driverYes, impatient drivers need to learn patience, but be very careful when performing maneuvers like those shown in the video.If you find yourself in such a situation, consider contacting your driver manager to let him/her know what is going on so that if the motorist reports you to your trucking company, you will have already prepared them.
- Watch: The future of trucking is beautiful
Employment
Shortage
Retention
6. Regarding electric vehicles, another viewpoint on electric cars, autonomous vehicles, emissions, fuel:
Electric vehicles
- Charge while you roll: Indiana DOT, Purdue University plan to create highway capable of charging ECVs
- Electric is Big, but Hydrogen will be Bigger – Locking It In
- Electrify America to Double EV Charging Stations by 2025
- EV Battery Maker SES Agrees to Go Public
- Major players in truck electrification and autonomy fill out AEV Summit lineup
Another viewpoint on electric cars
- Electric Cars: Child Slave Labor, Market Manipulation, and Environmental Pollution (August 15, 2017)
- Electric Cars, Unrealistic and Dirty, Have “Fast Charge” More Expensive Than Gas (January 4, 2021)
Autonomous vehicles
I am totally opposed to autonomous, driverless, or self-driving vehicles — especially Commercial Motor Vehicles — and share these articles so that you may stay current on the topic.
- AEV Summit: Autonomous trucking set to leap from science experiment
- AEV Summit: Electrification, autonomy may debut in unexpected areas
- AEV Summit: Embark focuses self-driving tech on big fleets
- AEV Summit: Navistar and TuSimple on track for 2024 launch
- Autonomous research, strategy coming to Bridgestone, J.B. Hunt and PGT Trucking
- Can you pass a driving test for remote vehicle operation?
- Daily Infographic: Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Summit
- DOT Officials Offer Overview of Automated Vehicle Testing
- Self-Driving Startup Aurora Set to Go Public
- TRB Panelists Talk Automated Trucking’s Implications on Driver Shortage, Safety
- Truck Talk: Autonomous prediction edition
- TuSimple’s take on drivers in autonomous trucking world — Taking the Hire Road
- We can land an autonomous vehicle on Mars but not our interstates?
Emissions
- AEV Summit: Cummins finds success in zero-carbon mindset
- Amazon report: Emissions are up, carbon intensity is down
- Calstart: Zero-Emission Heavy-Duty Truck Market Expected to Grow
Fuel
- Average Price of Diesel Nudges Up to $3.338 a Gallon
- Chevron, Cummins To Collaboration on Hydrogen Advancement
- Cummins Tests Hydrogen Fueled Internal Combustion Engine
- Diesel is dead for Ford F-150 while Super Duty XLT Tremor is put on ice
- Diesel prices make another jump
- DOE/EIA price posts small increase, now up 11 consecutive weeks
- EU Plans Phaseout of Combustion Engine Era
- Fewer tools, techs needed for electrics as ‘diesel will continue for the near future’
- Fuel costs push rates higher faster in 2021
- Fuel shortage could ground aircraft needed to fight wildfires
- Oil Tops $75 a Barrel, Hitting 33-Month High
7. Regarding capacity and ports:
Capacity
Ports
- Daily Infographic: Port Houston posts 39% year-over-year container volume growth
- Federal Officials Tackle Congestion at Ports
- Port Houston posts 39% year-over-year container volume growth
- South Carolina Ports Authority boasts record 2021 fiscal year
8. Regarding technology, drugs, and smuggling:
Technology
Please be aware that at least two articles listed below have to do with technology regarding self-driving vehicles.
I have chosen to put them here for the sake of consistency.
- Daily Infographic: LONG-RANGE LOOKOUT: AEye sensor gives TuSimple 3,280-foot view
- Digitizing Freight: What Does It Mean For Your Fleet?
- Drivewyze launches e-inspection service in select states
- Estes first major LTL carrier to deploy trailer tracking
- Long-range lookout: AEye sensor gives TuSimple 3,280-foot view
- New laws in multiple states revise ticket camera rules
- New Tool IDs Vehicles Eligible for CA & NY Incentives
- Rule change would increase space to mount devices on windshields
- Sensors decide who gets pulled for inspection at these SD Ports of Entry
- Tech in logistics: Disruption or distraction?
- The Daily Dash: TuSimple’s 3,280-foot view
- Toyota Tech Arm Plans Self-Driving Acquisition Spree
- Transflo Lite offers free version of workflow tools app for drivers
- Werner Launches new App for Drivers
Drugs
Never agree to haul illegal drugs, no matter how much of an incentive or pay-off you are promised.
- Alcohol violation leads FMCSA to shut down trucker
- CBP finds meth stashed inside peanut shellsThis is the first time I’ve ever heard of this kind of dishonesty.
- Drug seizure at Canadian border leads to criminal charges against truck driver
- Drug Testing and the Driver Shortage
- K9 officer discovers $1M worth of meth, fentanyl inside car hauler
Smuggling
Never agree to haul people like cattle!
Every person is made in the image of God and needs to be treated with dignity and respect.
People seeking to come into any foreign country need to do so according to the laws of that country.
- Nearly 90 illegal immigrants discovered inside Texas-bound semi truck
- Texas trucker sentenced to federal prison for smuggling 119 people in trailer
9. Regarding safety and training:
Safety
- ‘Badge on Board’ special enforcement operation puts Nevada troopers in trucks
- Operation Safe Driver Week 2021 ends Saturday, July 17
- Operation Safe Driver Week starts Sunday
- Safety First Part 2: CREATING SAFER DRIVERS
- Speeding gets special focus during Safe Driver Week
- Troopers take aim at move over law violators in six states
- Upcoming Webinar to Cover What It Takes to Create Safe Drivers
- Weeklong six state traffic crackdown starts SundayThis starts on Sunday, July 18, 2021.
Training
If you are a prospective trucker looking to enter the trucking industry, please see these pages on our site:
- Become a Truck Driver: Understand the Job and Requirements
- Trucker Transition Tips on Full-Time Move From Home to Truck
- Free CDL: What to Know in Advance of Getting a CDL for Free
- Being Exploited: Unscrupulous Trucking Companies Trap Truckers
Standards for training change periodically, so please stay current.
- FMCSA opens registration for long-awaited Training Provider Registry
- Registration opens for long-awaited Training Provider Registry
- Reviews identify driving schools that fall short of ministry standards: TTSAO
10. Regarding equipment and repairs:
Equipment
- FMCSA Plans to Increase Windshield Area to Mount Safety Devices
- Pulsing Back-of-Trailer Lamps Aim to Prevent Crashes – Trailer Talk
Repairs
11. Regarding parking, violence, protest, and guns:
Parking
- 10 NYS Thruway rest areas to close July 29 for redevelopment
- Big push to restrict overnight truck parking in Minneapolis hits the brakes
- Minneapolis approves controversial truck parking ban with amendments
- Minneapolis City Council Committee OKs Amended Truck Parking Ban
- New York Thruway rest areas closing for renovations later this month
- St. Louis Park proposed a truck parking ban
- Truck parking ban with amendments passed by Minneapolis committee
- Truckers are not happy about the closure of 10 NY service areas for the summer
Violence
Never perpetrate violence except to protect yourself (self-defense) or others whom you know (such as family members or neighbors).
- POLICE: Semi truck shooter caught on camera, $2k reward for information on suspect
- Trucker Admits Raping and Impregnating 13-Year-Old in His Rig While Over-The-Road
Protest
- 2 men held on anti-riot law following protest that blocked Miami expressway
- Demonstrators block Miami’s Palmetto Expressway in support of Cuban protests
- Two men involved in Florida highway protest charged under new anti-riot law
Guns
There needs to be a way for truckers to protect themselves with firearms in all 50 states.
Until that happens, please always be aware that different jurisdictions have different laws, statutes or ordinances regarding firearms.
12. Regarding award:
Congratulations to the winner of this truck: Daniel Abshire!
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: 2021.07.17 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
