TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2022.12.24 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending December 24, 2022, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
Mike and I wish you and your home support team a blessed Christmas!
1. Regarding weather, travel bans, roads, chains, holidays, and HOS:
Weather
Regarding bad winter weather, please reference these pages on our site:
- Refuse to Drive a Truck When These Situations Happen
- Captain of the Ship Policy and Unsafe Working Conditions
- Out of Service Truck: Trucker Stages a Showdown
Meanwhile, here are some of the most recent weather-related articles from trucking websites:
- 70 truckers finally made it out of a South Dakota truck stop after almost a week of burial under snow
- Arctic air blast will make traveling difficult into Christmas weekend
- As old man winter lashes nation, preparation, skill needed for winter driving
- Freezing rain and snow snarl travel in Pacific Northwest
- Life threatening’ storm packs extreme temperatures and high winds
- Ohio Turnpike issues weather event travel restriction for high-profile vehicles
- US braces for dangerous blast of cold, wind and snow
- Winter ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Bears Down on Chicago Ahead of Holiday Travel Rush
Travel bans
In some cases, it is not the trucker’s call to park until weather conditions improve… it is the call of various states or those who control the roads (such as toll roads).
- CMV ban in effect on parts of New York Thruway
- Commercial vehicle travel bans issued for Ohio Turnpike
- High wind truck bans will soon be in effect for NY Thruway
- Indiana Toll Road announces travel bans for certain commercial vehicles ahead of snow storm
- Indiana Toll Road closed to certain CMVs due to winter weather
- Indiana Toll Road imposes travel ban for some tractor-trailers
- CMV bans in effect in northeast due to winter weather
Roads
Please note which roads will be closed, for how long, and which detours may reasonably be taken.
- 2 NYS Thruway service areas to close for construction Jan. 1
- Officials support $9B Houston highway project, after dispute
- Tennessee halts construction on Interstates, state routes for holidays
- Two NYS Thruway service areas to close for construction in January
- USDOT providing Idaho $1.3M in emergency funds to repair roads, bridges damaged by flooding
Chains
Holidays
HOS
While some truckers will be parking due to bad winter weather, others will be rolling to an even greater degree for various reasons (including “emergencies”).
If you are called upon or allowed to drive beyond the federal Hours of Service regulation’s time frame, please stay safe and don’t overextend yourself.
- Five States Extend Driving Hours for Heating Fuel Deliveries
- FMCSA declares emergency for movement of heating fuels
- Fuel inventories prompt HOS waivers in Colorado, South Dakota
- Regional emergency declaration ordered by feds
- Wyoming propane haulers get hours of service relief
2. Regarding accidents, near miss, fatalities, alcohol, and violations:
Accidents
Please familiarize yourself with the content of these articles so that you can keep from being involved in the same kind of set-up for an accident.
- I-84 in Oregon closed for multiple vehicle crashes with fatality
- Motorist trapped in flattened car after semi truck tips during turn
- VIDEO: Who’s at fault for this big rig wreck caught on dash cam in Pittsburgh?
- Wild dash cam video of dump truck struck by car hitting house featured on ‘Road Wars’ TV series
Near miss
Be aware that some motorists take excessive amounts of risk — and truckers can do nothing to control that.
Fatalities
Mike and I extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who passed away.
- One dead in pickup vs. semi truck crash
- One EMT dead, one injured after semi truck slams into responding ambulance
- Paramedic killed by ‘inattentive’ big rig driver while working accident scene
- Truck driver killed by car after trying to cross five lanes of traffic on foot
Alcohol
Violations
These kinds of violations should be obvious…
- Arizona DPS catches ’18 wheeler with only 16 wheels’ en route to California
- Trucker slapped with citations after being caught filling out log book while driving
3. Regarding fuel, fuel economy, and emissions:
Fuel
- AAA retail diesel average now $4.766 per gallon
- Autos, crude oil boost Gulf Coast ports’ November volumes
- Clean Energy Opens Chicago Area Amazon RNG Station
- Clean Energy, Amazon Expand RNG Fueling Locations
- Diesel Drops 15.8¢ to Reach $4.596 a Gallon
- Diesel prices continue downward slide
- Diesel prices likely decline into 2023
- Global News Roundup: Cummins, Westport Work on Hydrogen Engines
- Nikola: Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Tre One Step Closer with CARB Order
- Retail diesel keeps dropping, chasing earlier declines in futures, wholesale prices
- TC Energy Delays Full Keystone Pipeline Restart to Year-End
- Weekly Fuel Report: December 20, 2022
Fuel economy
This is the kind of headline that makes one read it again, just to make sure that one understood it…
Emissions
- EPA Publishes Stringent New-Truck Emissions Regulations
- EPA sets tougher heavy truck emissions regulations
- EPA sets tougher heavy truck emissions regulations
- EPA to Tighten Nitrogen Oxide Limits for New Heavy Trucks
- OOIDA says harsh new EPA emissions standards will force smaller trucking companies out of work
- Port of Los Angeles Awards $6 Million for Zero-Emission Drayage Trucks
- Trucking industry reacts to EPA’s finalization of new clean air standards
- Trucking industry worried after EPA issues final rule on NOx emissions
- U.S. EPA unveils new emissions standards for Model Year 2027 and beyond
4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and sustainability:
Autonomous vehicles
I totally disagree with the operation of autonomous, self-driving, or driverless commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public.
However, I share these articles to help you stay current on the topic.
- 22 proved to be banner year for Kodiak Robotics
- Autonomous trucking: The good and bad of 2022
- Autonomous vehicle company TuSimple to cut workforce by 25%
- Autonomous-Truck Company TuSimple Announces Layoffs, Restructuring
- GM’s Cruise Expands Robotaxi Service Despite Federal Safety Probe
- Hong Kong Airport’s Robobus Offers Glimpse of Driverless Future
- Knight-Swift gets first autonomous-powered truck
- Knight-Swift takes the wheel of autonomous truck
- Knight-Swift to use Embark Truck as Part of Truck Transfer Program
- Q&A: Kenworth on its Autonomous-Truck Development
- Self-driving truck tech company to lay off 700 workers before Christmas, per report
- TuSimple moves to fix its boardroom deficiencies
Electric vehicles
- Hyliion’s ERX Hypertruck: A Here-Now Solution to BEV Range Problems
- Postal Service ups EV fleet mix to 66,000 new trucks
- Schneider Poised To Build One Of The Largest Electric Class 8 Fleets
- The long road to electric trucks
- Toyota President Expresses Caution on Electric Vehicles
- USPS Delivery Trucks Are Going Electric
Sustainability
The most basic definition of “sustainability” is “the ability to be sustained”.
One definition of “sustain” is “To keep in existence; maintain, continue, or prolong.”
On December 13, 2022, I presented a speech to the Aiken County (SC) Council, during which I addressed part of the situation having to do with “sustainable development.”
Part of my speech included the following:
At the 1992 Earth Summit, the UN unveiled its comprehensive plan for “sustainable development” known as Agenda 21, which stands for agenda for the 21st century and was renamed Agenda 2030.
UN bureaucrats and all world leaders who signed on to it, agree that the UN must regulate every aspect of every person’s life on this planet because — they say — every one of us affects the entire planet. (4)
In a 1987 report, the concept of sustainable development was described as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Touted as a solution to everything from poverty to global warming, the 2030 Agenda is nothing more than a scheme to empower a global governing body and severely curtail the individual liberties of all citizens to live our own lives and run our own communities through our elected officials. (5)
Following the objective of “sustainable development,” the proposed global regime would monitor, oversee, and strictly regulate all land, all bodies of water, and the atmosphere of planet Earth and would cover every person on the planet with global programs for healthcare, nutrition, agriculture, education, labor, energy, production, consumption — in short, everything. (6)
Please bear in mind that in order for someone to “buy into” a “new” thing that is supposedly going to help us keep our way of life “sustainable,” we must first become convinced in our minds that the “old” thing that we’ve been doing is not going to let us continue.
Honest question: Who is to say that the “old” thing that we’ve been doing won’t let us continue?
Please see the section named “Oil” in my December 10, 2022, TDMST Weekly Round-Up for more thoughts on this.
Meanwhile, here are a few articles on this topic:
- An overview of vehicle sustainability
- Not all or nothing: Carriers have variety of options when embracing sustainability
- Scania, Girteka Partner to Scale Up Sustainable Transportation
5. Regarding annual review and predictions:
Annual review
I’m confident that as 2022 winds to a close, I’ll be seeing more articles like these:
- HDT’s 2022 Newsmaker of the Year: The Internal Combustion Engine
- The Top 10 trucking stories of 2022
Predictions
6. Regarding LTL, maintenance, operations, and breakdown:
LTL
Maintenance
Operations
- POLICE: Miles of red dye left on Oregon interstates because trucker’s company told him to keep driving
- Safety Series: Driving defensively is an ongoing process of learning, reevaluating, adapting
- Trucker cited for driving while red dye leaked from his trailer in Oregon
Breakdown
7. Regarding economy, fees, and tolls:
Economy
These are some of the articles regarding the economy, from the trucking industry’s perspective:
- ACT Research: Carriers tapping brakes on capacity
- ACT Research: Class 8 net orders continue to be resilient
- ACT Research: Expect decline in economic activity to cut use of CVs
- ATA: Truck Tonnage Decreases in November
- Boom in used truck prices reverses course
- Carriers’ conditions in October hit lowest point since April 2020
- December market update with David Spencer
- FedEx Profit Tops Estimates as Higher Prices Offset Decline in Shipments
- FedEx, UPS shippers face 8%-10% price hikes in 2023, consultancy says
- FedEx’s fiscal 2nd-quarter results benefit from cost cuts
- Freight rates may be reaching bottom, but inflation still impacting industry
- Fuel, financing cost hikes batter trucking companies in October
- GDP Grew 3.2% in Q3, an Upgrade From Earlier Estimate
- Here’s how high-frequency data revealed the freight recession months early
- Homebuilder Sentiment Extends Record Decline to 12 Months
- Muted peak season continues push toward lower rates
- November Tonnage Increases Year-Over-Year, but Declines From October
- Ports on Both Coasts See Drop-Off in Volume in November
- Shipper conditions improving as capacity utilization falls
- Soft fall freight season reflected in November tonnage
- Stability, consistency are just what owner-operators need
- Strong demand feeds November trailer orders
- Truck tonnage saw biggest monthly dip since pandemic began
- Truckers, logistics firms owed millions after meat importer’s bankruptcy
- Trucking conditions fall to lowest point since April 2020
- Trucking recession: Fall 2022 crashed to pandemic lows
- Weak Trucking Conditions Reflect Tough Environment
Fees
Tolls
8. Regarding tires, retreads, and recalls:
Tires
- Is the 24.5-size tire being phased out entirely?
- Yokohama Recalls Limited Run of Two Sizes of Commercial Tires
Retreads
You may wish to read the info on this page of our site:
Retread Tires for Big Trucks: Cost Savings and Other Tips.
Recalls
- Volvo VNLs recalled over service brake issue
- Volvo, Daimler Trucks North America issue recalls for total of 461 trucks
9. Regarding ELDs, California, TuSimple, and politics:
ELDs
If you drive professionally in Canada, please note these things.
- Poor radio choices could interfere with ELDs, emergency services
- Quebec ELD enforcement delayed till June 1
- Quebec ELD enforcement likely in March
California
I have always opposed AB5 and believe that it:
- is patently unfair;
- opposes the statement “equal justice under law”; and
- is in direct opposition to the unalienable right of the pursuit of happiness with which our Creator endowed all people.
Meanwhile, here is the most recent article on this topic:
TuSimple
Remember that TuSimple is a company dedicated to autonomous, driverless, or self-driving commercial motor vehicles.
While some may say that other jobs will take up where the displaced truckers once were, these articles indicate that that scenario may not be as rosy as it sounds.
- As layoffs loom, TuSimple CEO protected by $15M in severance cash
- TuSimple lays off 350 employees as its fortunes worsen
Politics
Containing thousands of pages that I’m confident none of our U.S. Senators read in full, this bill is unconstitutional if it contains anything outside the scope of The Constitution of the United States:
- Lawmakers Unveil $1.7 Trillion Bill to Avoid Shutdown
- Senate Passes $1.7 Trillion Bill, Avoids Government Shutdown if House OKs
10. Regarding inspections, technology, and testing:
Inspections
- How to winter-proof your pre-trips
- Texas begins enhanced CMV inspections at border
- VIDEO: NYPD cracks down on CMVs to ‘prevent a potentially catastrophic incident’
Technology
- 3G ELDs to be Non-Compliant by Year’s End
- Averting cyberattacks on operations a key focus for rail, expert says
- Cargo sensor technology helps carriers improve trailer utilization
- Daily Infographic: Dash cams — Your fleet guardians
- Dash cam captures man hanging onto semi’s bull bar in suspected road rage incident
- Iowa DOT cameras capture semi truck slipping off of icy roadway
- Magna to Buy Veoneer Driver-Assistance Unit for $1.5 Billion
- McLeod Software integrates FreightWaves TRAC truckload spot rates with PowerBroker, LoadMaster
- Owner-op created website ‘DriverMatch’ takes the hassle out of finding a compatible team driving partner
- Platform Science partners with Netradyne to offer Driver-i
- Protect Your Fleet Against the Growing Risk of Cyber Attack
- Roadrunner launches Haul Now app
- Roadrunner updates Haul Now app with more tools
- Trucker Path, Transport Pro partner to expand load visibility for drivers, fleets
- Truckstaff Solutions offers custom-built trucking companies for entrepreneurs, investors
- Whip Around launches digital document management system
- Why Truckers Need Trucking Software
Testing
- Another hair testing proposal bites the dust
- FMCSA denies carriers’ request to report truck driver hair tests
- Trucking Alliance: Denial of Hair-Testing Exemption Offers ‘Clear Road Map’
11. Regarding theft, tipping, buying and selling, and border:
Theft
Please remember to do your best to thwart theft ahead of time.
- Already elevated cargo theft numbers expected to climb during holidays
- Amid rise in fuel theft, two companies collaborate to safeguard fleets
- Cargo theft activity expected to increase during holidays
- Embezzling charges filed against ex-employee of trucking firm
- Three Missouri men sentenced for multi-million dollar scheme to transport stolen catalytic converters across state lines
Tipping
Buying and selling
- Used-truck prices, freight volumes down substantially
- What to Look for When Buying a Used Commercial Vehicle
Border
12. Regarding recognition and awards:
Recognition
We recognize and applaud those who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.
Awards
For the sake of transparency — and according to the first article in the list just below — “The Transition Trucking program recognizes military veterans who are new to the trucking industry.”
- 15-year Army veteran wins Kenworth in Transition Trucking award
- Army veteran Ashley Leiva selected as Transition Trucking 2022 winner
- Army veteran awarded new truck
- Ashley Leiva, Mother and Combat Veteran, Wins Award for New Truck Drivers
- Kenworth names Ashley Leiva of Noemi Trucking Top Military Veteran Rookie Driver
The following articles specify “fleets” for safety, but we all know that it is the professional truck drivers in the “fleet” who deserve the credit:
- TCA names 18 Fleet Safety Award division winners
- Truckload Carriers Assoc. Announces Fleet Safety Division Winners
Kudos, y’all!
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: 2022.12.24 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
