This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending January 22, 2022.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding COVID-19 and ports:
COVID-19
Sometime before June 10, 2011, I wrote the following on our Trucker Protest page:
The only way for a trucker protest to make much of a dent is if every truck stopped (particularly fuel tankers) for a few days. When there is no fuel, no food and no toilet paper, that’s when people will take notice. A total shutdown of trucks will have to take place across the board…
Well, this situation may be closer than a lot of people think, what with many truckers refusing to be forced to surrender their medical sovereignty through a poison death shot. Folks may have only seen the beginning of a “supply chain” issue if thousands or tens of thousands of truckers refuse to drive rather than either have their health compromised or have their lives shortened. I know this is a tough time, friends, but do not compromise your values — or your health! Here are a number of the most recent articles on this topic:
- 5 burning questions: Vaccine mandates for cross-border trucking
- Analysis: Can the Postal Service deliver on at-home COVID tests?
- Analysis: Vaccine mandate or not, US-Canada cross-border freight rates poised to rise
- As cross-border vaccine mandates begin, concerns over supply chain grow
- Canadian Truckers Are Saying ‘Enough is Enough’
- Canadian Truckers Plan ‘Freedom Convoy’ to Oppose Mandates, Quickly Raise $175,000+
- Canadian Trucking Alliance Condemns Truckers Planning Highway Protests
- Canadian vaccination mandate exempts truckers re-entering the country
- Carriers Already Losing Capacity Due to Canada’s New Cross-Border Mandate
- Cross-Border Truckers Advised to Expect Delays as U.S. Set to Impose New Restrictions
- CTA urges truckers not to interfere with traffic
- Foreign Truckers Must Be Vaccinated to Enter US Starting Jan. 22
- Mega Carrier CEO Issues Dire Warning as Canada’s New Cross-Border Rules Set to Begin
- New Vaccine Rules Take Effect at Canadian Border
- Toyota Halts Work at Some Plants
- Trucker Battles It Out With Border Agents As Canada’s Mandate Begins
- Trucker Captures Tense Exchange With Border Agents as Canada’s New Mandate Begins
- U.S. confirms Canadian truckers will need to be vaccinated as of Jan. 22
- U.S. set to begin vaccine requirement for cross-border truckers
- U.S. vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers coming in days: Trudeau
- US to close borders to unvaccinated Canadian, Mexican truckers on Saturday
- USPS Site Begins Taking COVID Test RequestsBased on what I have seen and read, I do not trust any test kit for this purpose whatsoever.The most recent video I saw about this was someone taking a testing device from a sealed package, running it under water from a home faucet, and seeing the device show the water as “positive.”
Please do your own due diligence before you take, use, or trust one.
- Vaccine Mandate Likely Defeated Despite Court Stay
- Viewpoint: Supreme Court’s decision to halt OSHA vaccine or test mandate a win for employers
Ports
I congratulate the truckers who worked on moving the cargo from the ports to where it needed to go. These “record” numbers would mean nothing without you!
- Port of Long Beach Moves Record Cargo
- Port of Long Beach smashes annual record despite December ‘speed bump’
- Port of Los Angeles Reports Record Cargo in 2021
2. Regarding accidents, fatalities, Tesla, roads and bridges, tires, sentencing, staged, safety, and insurance:
Accidents
Drivers who drive in winter weather, please take extra precautions.
Fatalities
- Florida carrier shut down by FMCSA following crash that killed two
- FMCSA shuts down Florida-based small fleet following fatal crash, ‘egregious’ safety violations
- Highway deaths see sharp rise in many statesQuote from article: “Several states are reporting sharp rises in fatal roadway accidents over the past year as officials nationwide are trying to come up with ways to curb highway deaths.”Based on information I have read, the CV jabs are causing widespread adverse events, including issues with the heart/circulatory, nervous, and muscular systems of the human body.
So I have no doubt that some of the “medical episodes” that may be taking place on roads and highways around the country may ultimately be due to the one or more jabs that people received.
If this is the case, then the “officials nationwide” who foisted the jabs upon the people may have caused what it is that they say they’re trying to curb!
- NTSB’s Homendy Calls DOT’s Serious Crash Stat Misleading
- Truck Driver Fatally Struck by Impaired Motorist After Rig Breaks Down
- Truck driver killed after being hit by impaired driver
Tesla
- Felony Charges Are First in a Fatal Crash Involving Tesla’s Autopilot
- Tesla owner is the first to face felony charges for deadly Autopilot crashQuote from article: “‘NHTSA reminds the public that no commercially available motor vehicle today can drive itself,’ a spokesperson said. ‘Whether a L2 automated driving system is engaged or not, every available vehicle requires the human driver to be in control at all times, and all State laws hold the human driver responsible for the operation of their vehicles.'”Which leads me to ask about all of those so-called “autonomous trucks” about which we’ve been reading for months. Hmm…
Roads and bridges
- Arizona’s Loop 101 widening project completed
- Biden Launches Program to Fix 15,000 Bridges
- Bridge funding being doled out by feds to states
- Community Feels ‘Trapped’ by Truckers Blocking Neighborhood
- FreightWaves Classics/Infrastructure: First bridge in U.S. to cross the Columbia River
- Historic Cincinnati-Kentucky bridge reopening once again pushed back
- I-95 motorists in Conn. mystified by ‘singing road’
- Major construction-related delays expected along I-35 in parts of Oklahoma
- Top 10 states that won Biden’s bridge-fixing windfall
- Truckers Confused by Roundabout Cause Some in Arizona Neighborhood to Feel ‘Trapped’
- USDOT Touts Plan to Spend $27 BILLION to Fix or Replace 15,000 Highway Bridges
Tires
- P.S.I. TireView TPMS Kits Available Through Aurora Parts
- Virginia DMV To Deploy More Tech Targeting Truckers With Tires in Need of Repair
- Virginia officials using road sensors to monitor unsafe tires
Sentencing
Staged
Safety
- Fleets Sustain Safety Culture Through Driver Relationships, Technology
- Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws calls for more trucking regulations
Insurance
- A closer look at insurance unique to power-only trucking
- Survey: Have you tried insurers’ ‘usage based’ programs for dynamic liability-insurance pricing?
3. Regarding weather and HOS:
Weather
No matter what time of year you drive, always pay attention to the need to adjust your truck’s speed based on travel conditions. The wetter or slicker the roads, the slower you need to go — with the understanding that some travel conditions are simply too treacherous to drive in and the wise driver will park until conditions improve.
- How costly were 2021 US weather disasters?
- Pennsylvania expects speed and vehicle restrictions starting Sunday
- States of emergency declared as ice storm threatens mid-Atlantic
- The Carolinas and Virginia brace for blast of ice, snow
- Wicked weather slams south, east coast; many big rigs damaged
- Winter not playing nice so far in 2022
- Winter storm alerts expanding across Texas, mid-Atlantic
HOS
- Buttigieg’s DOT rejects hours-of-service court challenge claims
- FMCSA defends hours of service changes
- Montana enacts hours of service relief
4. Regarding age, training, testing, detention, retention, recruitment, burnout, vision, and veterans:
Age
While I am sure that there are some more mature teenagers who want to become professional truck drivers, I stand behind my previous statements that I think it is a bad idea to let teenagers drive a commercial motor vehicle. Insurance rates tell most of the story, but as NPR states:
- “emerging science about brain development suggests that most people don’t reach full maturity until the age 25”; and
- “critical parts of the brain involved in decision-making are not fully developed until years later at age 25 or so.”
Here are some of the most recent articles on this topic:
- 18-20-year-olds apprenticeships plan draws strong comments both for and against
- Arkansas Teen Becomes First High School Student in State’s History to Complete CDL Training
- Controversial plan to allow teen truck drivers set to begin
- Dangerous Program To Turn Teenagers Into Long-Haul Truck Drivers Won’t Fix Driver Shortage
- OOIDA: Can under-21 truck drivers get insurance?
- Viewpoint: Trucking’s welcome message to teens
Training
- 10 Things to Know About Entry-Level Driver Training Rules
- DOT, DOL Expand Trucking Apprenticeships, Add Driver Boards
- Florida governor awards more than $2 million for CDL training
- Florida Governor Dedicates Another $2 MILLION For ‘Rapid’ Training of 1,000+ New CDL Drivers
- New entry-level training regs pushes CDL training enrollment
Testing
Detention
Retention
Recruitment
- Sales & Marketing recap: The art of driver recruitment
- Tackling high CSA scores could help fleets recruit and retain drivers
Burnout
- How to Identify and Address Driver BurnoutThe 3 areas of burnout identified in the article are: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.
Vision
I hope it isn’t the case that lowering the vision standards for professional truck drivers is a result of not being able to address the so-called “shortage” problem.
- FMCSA moves forward with new vision standards
- New Alternative Vision Standard for Commercial Drivers
Veterans
5. Regarding technology and ELDs:
Technology
- Briefly: NJ adds slowdown & congestion alerts to truckers
- CEO eyes breakthrough year as DroneUp ramps up Walmart delivery pilot
- Compliance Alone Won’t Cut It — Act on Your Data to Minimize Risk
- EV Truck Technology Takes Center Stage at CES
- Major cargo airlines warn 5G could disrupt over 10K flights
- McLeod announces major update to trucking software
- New Jersey adds real-time slowdown, congestion alerts for truckers
- New Jersey DOT and Drivewyze offer traffic alert system for truckers
- Platooning Alberta trucks now collecting data
- Why should truckers upgrade 3G devices soon?
ELDs
6. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel, and emissions:
Autonomous vehicles
I totally oppose the operation of autonomous, self-driving, or driverless trucks on the roads with the motoring public, but share these articles as a courtesy to help you stay current with the topic.
- ArcBest invests $25M in remote vehicle operation tech company
- Aurora applying robot truck lessons to robotaxis that once led driverless parade
- Autonomous battery-electric rail company closes series A funding round
- J.B. Hunt announces alliance with Waymo for autonomous deliveries
- J.B. Hunt Preps to Complete Fully Autonomous Transport in Texas
- J.B. Hunt, Waymo expand autonomous partnership
- Mega Carrier Says ‘Fully Autonomous’ Runs Are Coming Soon
- Truck Tech: Autonomous perspectives edition
- TuSimple Completes First Driverless Autonomous Truck Test
- TuSimple in Talks With Foton on Autonomous Trucks
Electric vehicles
- Automakers Realize They Need to Develop EV Charging Networks
- Calif. Volvo, Mack dealership designated as Certified EV Dealer
- Chinese EVs Find Niche Making Shorthaul Deliveries in Japan
- Cummins will make electric medium-duty truck prototype for Isuzu
- Cummins, Isuzu plan to demonstrate electric truck in 2022
- Electric Skeptics
- Large Fleet Buyers Outline Their EV Wishlist for Manufacturers
- NACFE Urges Medium-Duty Electrification
- Nikola Signs Battery Deal With Proterra for Electric Big Rigs
- The Juiced-up Electric Truck Market: 2022 & Beyond
- Trucking goes electric without hitting the open road
- Volvo reports longer range with VNR Electric Class 8 truck
- What Cali Fleets Need to Know About CARB’s New Incentives for EV Fleet Adoption
- Why Infrastructure is First Step in Electric Vehicle Transition
Fuel
- Decarbonize Trucking Today with RNGThis is a very interesting subject having to do with “Renewable Natural Gas” which is comprised almost entirely of methane.
- Diesel Surges Again, Up 6.8¢ to $3.725
- Diesel up for second consecutive week</li” “>
- Experts Predict Truckers Face Rising Diesel Fuel Costs in 2022
- Latest DOE/EIA diesel number just under 2021’s high
- Oil Hits Seven-Year High as IEA Turns Bullish on Outlook
- Trucking conditions improved in November as diesel prices leveled off
- Weekly Fuel Report: January 18, 2022
Emissions
- Data: Driver for reducing emissions in freight
- How can zero-emissions shipping be commercially viable?
- Study shows vast CO2 reduction if commercial trucks were electric
7. Regarding pay, rates, taxes, UCR fees and FMCSA:
Pay
- ATA Seeks Industry Participation for Driver Compensation Survey
- KLLM announces pay increase & paid home time
- Refrigerated hauler KLLM announces largest pay hike for drivers
- Supply Chain woes rooted in truck driver pay modelsQuotes from article:”Since Congress passed the Motor Carrier Exemption (MCE) to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1966 that ended the requirement for overtime pay differentials for all hours worked beyond 40 hours per work week, we have effectively subsidized transportation costs at the sole detriment of truck drivers’ earnings.”
“In 1980, when we deregulated transportation (in addition to the MCE), we opened the floodgates to driver abuse, which has since resulted in a 40% decline in real, inflation-adjusted driver earnings, even while drivers are twice as productive as they were 40 years ago. Let that sink in.”
- Weil’s controversial Wage and Hour Division nomination heads to Senate
Rates
- Carriers hesitant to give any pricing power back to shippers
- Freight Costs Expected to Remain High in 2022
- Higher rates, gains produce record 2021 for Heartland Express
- Ocean Shipping Rates Driving Inflation, Experts Caution
- Record high rates keep pricing power in carriers’ hands
- Spot van rate hits $3 milestone in December
Taxes
UCR fees
FMCSA
8. Regarding operations, maintenance, recalls, and snow removal:
Operations
- Left lane bills considered in four states
- Truckers Push Back on Virginia Lawmaker’s ‘Stupid’ Bill to Impose Lane Restriction When it Snows
Maintenance
- Data Driven Predictive Maintenance: Creating a Competitive Advantage for Fleet Operators
- Practice personal preventive maintenance while on the road
Recall
Snow removal
9. Regarding smuggling and DUI:
Smuggling
- Mexican Authorities Make UNBELIEVABLE Big Rig Human Smuggling Bust
- WATCH: Trucker Runs From Police When Caught in Wild Human Smuggling Bust
DUI
- Traffic Stop Leads to DUI Arrest of Truck Driver Way Over Legal Limit
- Truck driver arrested for driving while intoxicated
10. Regarding economy, employment, shortage, predictions, and peak:
Economy
- ATA Logs Truck Tonnage Increase in December 2021
- Commercial vehicle demand enters 2022 ‘like a lion’: ACT
- Demand Rises for New, Used Semi-Trucks
- Doubling down: Auction prices for used tractors up 96.3% in 2021
- Newly independent Daimler Truck reports 20% group sales gain in 2021
- Refrigerated truckload demand stays hot in early winter
- Truck Tonnage in December Increases 1.4% Year-Over-Year
- Truck transportation sector records 8% vacancy rate in Q3
Employment
Shortage
- “Keeping our drivers happy”: Trucker shortage leading to empty store shelves compels companies to increase wages
- DMACC tries new way to help with trucker shortage: speed up learning
- Driver shortage’ is why New York looks to expand CDL testing sites
- Is the driver shortage fact or fiction?
- Trucker Shortage Continues To Cause Supply Chain Disruptions
Predictions
Peak
11. Regarding innovation, inspection, intermodal, and leasing:
Innovation
Inspection
Intermodal
- Mega Carrier Makes Major Intermodal Move Promising to Become ‘Unstoppable Force’
- Schneider to Expand Intermodal Service with Union Pacific Rail Partnership
Leasing
12. Regarding awards, recognition, and Road Team:
Awards
Congratulations to this trucker for his amazing accomplishment!
Recognition
We recognize those who helped others in a time of need.
- Stranded Truckers Assist Motorists Stuck in Snow on I-95
- Trucker honored for aiding couple whose rental vehicle crashed on I-94
Road Team
Described as “the best of the best in the trucking industry,” one of the articles below states: “The 34 finalists are industry veterans, many of whom are state-level road team captains, national truck driving championship winners, and role models at their companies and in their communities. They have a combined total of 75 million safe-driving miles and 923 years as professional truck drivers.” We congratulate all finalists!
- ATA names 34 America’s Road Team finalists
- ATA Selects 22 Drivers as New Road Team Class
- Newest group of America’s Road Team Captains named
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: 2022.01.22 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
