TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.06.24 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending June 24, 2023, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding I-95 bridge and CBBT:
I-95 bridge
In last week’s TDMST Weekly Round-Up, I wondered why it was going to take 2 months to rebuild the bridge over I-95, when a bridge that collapsed along I-5 in California years ago — and due to an earthquake — had been rebuilt in about 3 weeks.
I am glad to see that folks in charge took appropriate action and the I-95 bridge is/was slated to be rebuilt in around 2 weeks.
Is everything moving smoothly up there?
Please comment through the form below.
- A bold boast: Pennsylvania governor says I-95 to reopen in 2 weeks
- Check out this timelapse of the I-95 progress so far
- Closed, repaired section of I-95 in Philadelphia to reopen today
- Collapsed I-95 to be reopened within the next two weeks
- Collapsed section of I-95 in Philly reopens, beating all forecasts
- Collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia to reopen within 2 weeks, governor says
- Fiery I-95 Bridge Collapse To Impact Truck Transportation Routes
- Governor says Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will reopen this weekend
- Governor: Closed section of I-95 in Philadelphia to open in 2 weeks
- Governor: I-95 traffic to resume this weekend with interim fix; permanent repair to follow
- I-95 Bridge Repair: How NASCAR Is Helping Speed Things Along
- I-95 has traffic again in Philadelphia
- I-95 in Pennsylvania to reopen ‘within two weeks’
- I-95 in Philly to reopen within two weeks
- I-95 in Philly will reopen this weekend, governor says
- I-95 Section in Philadelphia Could Reopen by End of June
- I-95 temp lanes now expected to reopen this weekend
- I-95 temporary lanes to be open for traffic this weekend, says PA governor
- I-95 to Reopen in Philadelphia in Less Than 2 Weeks
- Interstate 95 is set to reopen less than two weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia
- Interstate 95 reopens to some traffic less than two weeks after deadly collapse in Philadelphia
- PA Governor recruits NASCAR jet dryer to keep I-95 reopening on schedule in face of rain
- Philadelphia I-95 after 6 days: Trucking impacted but chaos seems averted
- President Biden surveys I-95 reconstruction project from the air
- Temporary Fix for I-95 in Philadelphia Set for June 24-25
- The collapsed part of I-95 reopened at noon today
- USDOT pitching in $3M to help rebuild Philadelphia’s I-95 after tanker truck explosion
CBBT
What led up to this crash off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel?
How can we prevent crashes off this structure from happening again?
- Coast Guard believes truck driver who crashed off CBBT is still in submerged truck
- Tractor trailer crashes off Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
- Tractor-trailer goes over the side of Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
2. Regarding braking, broker, politics, and ports:
Braking
Here we go again!
Some of the articles in this section have to do with a “mandate” of “Automatic Emergency Braking” (or AEB) technology in large trucks.
While I know that some large truck crashes are due to poorly maintained brakes, I think it is wrong to insist that all large trucks have AEB devices installed on them.
I disagree with installing AEB devices on trucks to try to prevent crashes with non-trucks, because it has been proven that the majority of large truck crashes involving other vehicles are the fault of the non-trucker.
Furthermore, if there is a device that “automatically” does something outside a driver’s control, I believe that that can lead to unforeseen technological problems.
For example, let’s say that a truck with an AEB device ends up automatically braking at the wrong time when a trucker is navigating wet or snowy/icy roads and it leads to a jackknifing situation that the trucker would have been able to avoid.
Hmm…
If you agree with me on this, please contact your elected officials and let them know.
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB) mandate proposed for U.S. trucks
- Automatic emergency braking mandate proposal announced
- CVSA focusing on brake linings, pads during Brake Safety Week
- Daily Infographic: CVSA’s Brake Safety Week scheduled for Aug. 20-26
- Federal agencies propose mandating automatic emergency braking
- Feds Move to Require AEBs for Heavy Trucks
- Feds propose automatic emergency braking systems for heavy-duty trucks
- FMCSA pushes out rule proposal to require automatic emergency braking systems on big rigs
- FMCSA, NHTSA set to propose automatic braking mandate
- NHTSA To Evaluate AEB System Errors on Certain Cascadias
- NHTSA, FMCSA proposing automatic emergency braking systems on heavy trucks
- Proposal to mandate automatic emergency braking systems announced
Broker
- Customs broker systems shutdown causes border delays
- FMCSA Issues Final Guidance Clarifying Broker Definition
- FMCSA’s final ruling on truck brokerage definitions now in effect
- Former NFL star uses motivation from football days to build brokerage
Politics
Ports
3. Regarding crashes, crash – distracted driving, distracted driving, crash – right of way, and fatalities:
Crashes
- French fries fly after semi truck collides with pole
- Manitoba premier willing to call experts to investigate highway crash
- Truck spills chicken parts all over Georgia highway
- Trucks hauling sugar, carnival equipment collide on shoulder of I-80
- Video shows 18-wheeler striking ambulance on scene of another accident in Prince George’s County, Maryland
- VIDEO: Erratic RV driver plows over cones, nearly strikes semi, before crashing into wooded area
- VIDEO: Little car clips big rig, gets punted into trees
Crash – distracted driving
Remember that you are paid to safely drive your truck, not do the things that distract you.
Distracted driving
Read the article to see what will be forbidden and the penalties that will assessed if one is found breaking the law.
Crash – right of way
Truckers should not be paranoid about driving, but should be aware of others not yielding the right of way, so as to try to avoid a crash if at all possible.
We extend our deep sympathy and offer our condolences to the families of those who died as a result of these crashes.
- Dashcam footage shows truck driver had right of way in Manitoba crash
- Police say dash cam shows trucker had right of way in crash with bus that killed 15 people
- POLICE: Ambulance had red light in collision with semi that ejected EMT
- RCMP: Trucker in crash that killed 15 bus passengers had the right of way
- RCMP: Trucker in crash that killed 15 bus passengers had the right of way
Fatalities
We extend our deep sympathy and offer our condolences to the families of those who died as a result of these crashes.
- NHTSA estimates traffic fatalities dropped in 1st 3 months of 2023
- One dead, six injured in red-light wreck between two semi trucks
- One pedestrian dead, one injured, after semi truck strike on Illinois interstate
- Teen and horse dead in semi vs. Amish buggy crash in Wisconsin
- Traffic fatalities down in first quarter of 2023
- Two truckers perish after tanker truck “exploded into a fireball” during accident
4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, batteries, electric vehicles, and emissions:
Autonomous vehicles
I totally disapprove of self-driving, driverless, or autonomous commercial motor vehicles being operated on the same roads as the motoring public, but share these articles as a courtesy to help you stay current on the subject.
- 8 state DOTs collaborate to launch autonomous forum
- Eight hundred trucks ordered to launch ‘world’s first’ self-driving trucking company
- Loadsmith orders 800 Kodiak Robotics’ systems
- Loadsmith plans to launch world’s 1st autonomous trucking company using Kodiak Robotics’ tech
- Loadsmith to Launch First-Ever Autonomous Fleet with Kodiak Trucks
- Loadsmith to use Kodiak autonomous tech in new freight network
- TuSimple claims 1st fully autonomous run on Chinese public roads
- TuSimple Completes First Autonomous Road Test in China
Batteries
If you’re considering buying an electric commercial motor vehicle, please see this short video first.
Electric vehicles
Please do your due diligence before buying any electric CMV.
- All Industry Players Must Have a Seat at the EV Adoption Table – Guest Voices
- Charging infrastructure implementation laid out in report
- Electric semi truck maker suspects ‘foul play’ after semis burn at company headquarters in Phoenix
- Electric, hybrid vehicle fees take effect in states July 1
- EV Battery Swapping Could Help Solve the US Charging Problem
- Louisiana Adapts Law to Include EV Charging Stations
- Research to push limits of Volvo electric trucks in extreme temperatures
- Rivian Adopts Tesla’s EV Charging Standard
- Running on Ice: Electricity comes to the reefer unit
- So much hinges on EV battery spec’ing and lifecycle management
- Winning EV Battery Race Called 21st Century ‘Moonshot’
Emissions
- Amerit and Hyzon Ink Zero-Emissions Maintenance Agreement
- ATA’s Spear: Emission Mandates Must Follow Realistic Timelines
- Biden Vetoes GOP-Led Truck Emissions Rule Rollback
- EPA proposal ignores truckers’ concerns, OOIDA says
- Freight rail advocates sue CARB over new locomotive emissions regs
- Fuel groups asking EPA to revise greenhouse gas standards for big rigs
- Proposed GHG rule ‘seriously misses the mark’, API says
- Rail Industry Sues to Block CARB’s Emission Rules
5. Regarding fuel, fuel – politics, fuel – price gouging, and mpg:
Fuel
- AAA retail diesel average now $3.897
- Daily Infographic: Why Are Diesel Fuel Prices Higher Than Gasoline Prices?
- Diesel fuel’s 8-week price drop ends across most of US
- Diesel Prices Rise for First Time in Two Months
- Diesel trucks taking up EV slack to meet cargo demand in California
- DOE/EIA diesel price moves higher for first time since mid-April
- Weekly Fuel Report: June 20, 2023
Fuel – politics
- 20 State Attorney Generals Fight California, Biden Admin Over Complete Diesel Phase-Out
- ATA Blasts California Anti-Diesel Truck Rule, Biden Vetoes Resolution Calling for EPA Rollback
- EPA Final Biofuel Volume Rule Slammed by Ag Interests
- Fuel retailers write EPA in favor of renewable diesel, biodiesel
- Truck stop operators urge EPA to consider biodiesel for decarbonization
Fuel – price gouging
MPG
I wish that the articles had actually stated “which” fuel the truck was using.
Was it diesel?
- International SuperTruck II hits 16 mpg
- International SuperTruck II Reaches 16 MPG
- Navistar Hits 16 MPG with SuperTruck II
- Navistar says International SuperTruck II delivers 16 mpg, improved freight efficiency
- Navistar SuperTruck II achieves 16 mpg
- Navistar touts 16 mpg from its International SuperTruck II
6. Regarding abandoned, drugs, and smuggling:
Abandoned
I hope that the trucker is OK and that there has been no foul play, death, or severe illness.
For truckers without an emergency, it is never appropriate to just drop a trailer and let perishable food spoil!
Drugs
Never, ever agree to haul illegal drugs, no matter how big of an incentive you are offered.
- Customs agents seize $4M in illegal drugs hidden in big rig’s Brussels sprouts load
- Load of Brussels sprouts found to also contain $4.3 million of meth
- Mexican government seizes and destroys 14 pickups and CMVs modified into ‘narco tanks’
Smuggling
Never ever agree to transport human beings made in the image of God like they are cattle or cargo, no matter how large of a reward you are offered.
7. Regarding business, costs, economy, inflation, pay, pricing, rates, and UCR fees:
Business
Costs
On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, we received an email from ATRI with this subject line — “ATRI’s Newest Operational Costs Research Details Spikes in Equipment, Wage, and Total Costs in Trucking” — which said in the second paragraph:
Total marginal costs climbed to a new high in 2022 for the second year in a row, increasing by 21.3 percent over 2021 to $2.251 per mile. Though fuel was the largest driver of this spike (53.7% higher than in 2021), multiple other line-items also rose by double digits. Driver wages increased by 15.5 percent, to $0.724 per mile, reflecting the ongoing industry effort to attract and retain drivers. Driver benefits, however, remained stable in 2022.
Here are other articles on this topic:
- 15 ways to eliminate trucking’s ‘parasitic costs’ and build value
- ATRI: Cost of Operating a Truck Soared in 2022
- Bendix’s treasure hunt leads to saving, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions
- Cost of trucking passes $2/mile for the first time
- Driver pay was one of the line items that drove up trucking costs in 2022
- Trucking costs hit record in 2022: ATRI
- US business logistics costs soared in 2022, report finds
Economy
- ACT Research: US trailer industry demand dynamic is shifting
- Analysts project industry conditions are at or near bottom, poised to rebound
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index Increased 2.4% in May
- Borderlands: Exports of Mexican-built cargo trucks up 34% in May
- Class 8 truck sales remain strong, may delay slowdown predictions
- Cowen foresees negative financial impact of reciprocal switching
- Economic Trucking Trends: Latest data sends mixed signals on industry health
- FedEx Forecasts Profit Below Estimates as Demand Weakens
- Preliminary net trailer orders fall, cancellations rise with backlogs still elevated
- Preliminary report notes drop in May trailer orders
- Trade tea leaves showing peak season status quo
- Truck Tonnage Slips 1.3% in May
- Truckload volumes rebounded in May; spot pricing held steady
Inflation
Pay
Pricing
Rates
- Flatbed leads largest drop in spot market rates since March
- Spot rate reactivity on the rise
- Supertanker rate roller coaster: Surprise spike to $91,000 per day
- Truckstop system shows easing spot rates in latest week’s data
UCR fees
8. Regarding classifications, employment, employment – record, testing, and training:
Classifications
Employment
- Focus on ‘Employee Value Proposition’ to attract and retain talent
- U.S. Postal Service Outsourcing to Dangerous Truckers, Report
Employment – record
- Driver Qualification Files, Equipment Compliance Among Fleet Challenges in Survey
- FMCSA offers new free service to alert truck drivers to changes in PSP record
- Knowing what’s on your record can save time, avoid glitches when applying for a job
Testing
- Modified hair testing proposal expected soon Federal
- Trucking group: Study supports greater use of hair tests for drivers
Training
Violence
- Police call driver’s decision to show gun to fellow trucker a “reasonable response” to being threatened with a bat
- Police seek information after Amazon big rig driver shot, killed on I-5 in Lathrop, California
- VIDEO: Trucker tensions are so high during this argument that a fire extinguisher gets involved
9. Regarding maintenance, operations, parking, recalls, and towing:
Maintenance
Operations
- Connecticut Combats Wrong-Way Driving
- VIDEO: Trucker rides an open drainage ditch like a bucking bronco
Parking
- $25 million independent truck stop to open in Nevada in August
- Independent truck stop adds parking in Nevada
- Large new truck stop to open in August near Henderson, Nevada
- New TA Express in Huntsville, Texas, has 90 truck parking spots
- New TA opens in Texas with 90 truck parking spaces
Recalls
If a recall has been issued for your tractor or trailer and you have not yet had the work done, please attend to that as soon as you can.
Towing
- Towing’s ‘predatory’ pricing: A tow company owner’s perspective
- Briefly: Pennsylvania-based carrier opens new driver training facility
10. Regarding AB5, HOS, health, injuries, insurance, marijuana, move over, safety, and speed:
AB5
- California’s AB5 argument: Trucking in state hasn’t become chaotic
- Trucking group asks Biden to rescind DOL nomination over AB 5
HOS
Health
Injuries
Insurance
Marijuana
Move over
Safety
- FMCSA notice targets unsafe motor carriers
- Private fleet survey reveals heightened focus on safety
- Safety recall details to be more widely available under Transport Canada proposal
Speed
- Michigan local speed limits revision advances in House
- Speed still rules in home delivery, study finds
11. Regarding strike, supply chain, technology, and theft:
Strike
Supply chain
- 3 reasons you won’t want to miss the Future of Supply Chain
- Future of Supply Chain Day 1: Guardians of Transportation – WTT
- Future of Supply Chain Day 2: Fighting fraud, visibility and building a digital freight network – WTT
- How companies are taking control of their supply chain costs
- Loaded and Rolling: Kearney supply chain report sees ‘Great Reset’; Loadsmith orders 800 autonomous trucks
- Reduced risk, regionalization become supply chain priorities, economics expert says
- Report finds healing supply chain has been expensive
- Supply chain professor says auto industry adapting after chip shortages
- Value of supply chain visibility to continue soaring as technology improves
Technology
- Blockchain technology is the globalists method for rolling out the Social Credit System
- Can industrial control system concepts enhance trucking cybersecurity?
- Electronic bill of lading standard approaches July deadline
- FBI Says EVs Raise Risk of Cyberattacks
- Flowspace acquires omnichannel tech RetailOps to propel growth
- Michelin OnCall provides 2.5 millionth roadside service event
- NMFTA touts success of electronic BOLs ahead of implementation date
- Old Dominion tells federal court to dismiss biometric privacy lawsuit
- Relay Payments brings fraud-free payments to over 800 travel centers
- Relay Payments Now Accepted at Pilot, Flying J, and One9
- The 10 most-used passwords in transportation
- Top 5 Truck Dispatch Software Providers for 2023
- Truck scheduling technology collaboration making strides
Theft
- Amazon Truck Looting Highlights Rising U.S. Cargo Theft
- Police nab one of two men caught stealing laundry detergent from parked tractor trailer
- Sheriff alerts truckers to three suspects trying to enter parked big rigs
12. Regarding awards, championship, and recognition:
Awards
Congratulations to all professional truck drivers who have demonstrated skill, achieved a milestone, or been rewarded in some way.
- 2 Southeastern Freight Lines drivers reach 50 years of safe driving
- Kenworth T680 anniversary truck goes to veteran driver contest winner
- MTA names Burton Driver of the Year
- PMTC adds four drivers to Hall of Fame, Green named Dispatcher of the Year
- Southeastern Freight Lines Drivers Reach Half-Century of Safety
- Trucking Announcements: Concrete Ontario highlights driver skills, Teamsters donate $20K to cancer facility
Championship
If you consider yourself to be skilled at driving a commercial motor vehicle, please consider entering a truck driving championship.
- For NTDC Truckers, a Badge of Pride
- Less than 2 weeks left to enter Overdrive’s Small Fleet Championship
- Small Fleet Champ John McGee sets high bar for oilfield hauling
Recognition
We recognize those truckers who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need, as well as others who helped out truckers in need.
- ABF Freight driver honored by TCA for aiding woman in distress
- Deputy jumps onto moving big rig to save distressed driver in Arcadia, Florida
- Hero Trucker Uses ‘Skills of a Linebacker’ to Help Sheriffs, Others Save Lives
- Log truck driver prevented escape of suspects following shooting of New York trooper
- New York truck driver used truck to prevent suspect from fleeing
- They hoped ‘a few’ trucks would show up to kid’s Make-A-Wish event. More than 150 truckers responded.
- This body cam footage shows an officer saving the life of a slumped-over dump truck driver
- Trucker lauded for ‘skills of a linebacker’ in tackling fleeing suspect
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: 2023.06.24 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
