TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.09.02 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending September 2, 2023, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding cargo theft, concerns, hurricane, FEMA, parking, and theft:
Cargo theft
The potential for cargo theft increases whenever there is a major holiday and trucks are parked for a long time.
This being the Labor Day weekend, please be on your guard.
It is important to know how to secure your truck and the cargo within at all times.
If you have doubts, please contact your driver manager.
- Already active cargo theft year likely to see Labor Day increase
- Cargo thefts at ‘unprecedented’ levels, security agency says
- Fictitious pickups dominate Labor Day cargo theft risks: CargoNet
- Labor Day amplifies increase in cargo thefts in 2023
- Labor Day holiday expected to bring spike in cargo theft
- Transfix QR codes on rate cons aimed to prevent cargo theft
- Warning: ‘Unprecedented’ cargo theft levels expected to tick up around Labor Day
Concerns
Please feel free to make your concerns know to the ATRI.
- ATRI opens annual Top Industry Issues survey
- ATRI seeking participants for annual trucking industry survey
- POLL: What’s your No. 1 concern in trucking today?
- The ATRI Top Industry Issues Survey is open for comment. Here’s your chance to be heard.
- Time to have your say, take ATRI’s annual Top Industry Issues Survey
- Trucking Industry Asked to Rank Top Concerns
- Trucking survey turns to drivers to determine industry’s top issues
Hurricane
These are some of the articles having to do with Hurricane Idalia.
From our perspective, this was a very fast moving storm that dumped about 5.5 inches’ worth of rain in the Midlands of South Carolina.
- Category 3 Idalia makes landfall in Florida
- Convenience store chain extends free offer to power crews during Hurricane Idalia relief efforts
- Five States Issue Emergency Commercial Vehicle Orders
- Florida seaports brace for Idalia’s impact
- Florida Starts to Recover as Idalia Rain Hits North Carolina
- Florida waives HOS rules for truckers ahead of Hurricane Idalia
- Georgia transportation officials dealing with Idalia’s wrath
- Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm
- Hurricane Idalia Swamps Southeast, Closes Highways
- Idalia makes landfall, disruption watch and why Teamsters killed 22,000 jobs – WTT
- Multiple truck stops are closed for Hurricane Idalia
- Nonprofit group en route with critical supplies ahead of Hurricane Idalia
- Panama Canal restrictions are rerouting LPG shipping flows
- Relief efforts underway in wake of Idalia
- State of Emergency: Florida waives certain CMV rules ahead of major hurricane
- Supply chains ready to support Idalia recovery, ALAN head says
- Truck drivers on alert ahead of Hurricane Idalia
- Truck stop hours affected by Hurricane Idalia
FEMA
If you haul any loads for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), please be aware of any extra work you must do, per the article in this section.
Parking
- Love’s adds 95 truck parking spaces with 2 new locations in Louisiana, Nevada
- Love’s adds truck stops in Louisiana and Nevada
- Love’s opens truck stops in Colorado, Texas, adding over 150 truck parking spaces to network
- Love’s opens truck stops in Louisiana and Nevada
- Making Progress: Government, private industry working to alleviate parking shortage
- New truck parking facility off I-80 in Wyoming
- PennDOT to close I-80 and I-90 rest areas until January 2025
- South Dakota DOT closes two truck parking sites
- Wyoming to gain nearly 200 truck parking spaces with new facilities opening off I-80 this month
Theft
2. Regarding booting, detention, and legal:
Booting
Booting is the practice of locking the wheel of a vehicle with a special lockable device (a “boot”) such that the vehicle cannot be driven without intervention of the one who installed it.
Detention
Legal
Of all of the articles in this section, the one that concerns me the most is:
Two quotes from the article:
- “I just think it’s funny that these trucking companies expect us to deliver expensive merchandise in the middle of the night, and hope we don’t get robbed or murdered.”
- “A truck driver feels he’s better off fired than dead after recently losing his job over legally carrying a concealed weapon.”
Please remember that self-defense is a God-given right and it may be better to look for another job than stay at any company that will not let you defend yourself on-the-job.
Please also be aware that certain locations are firearm-sensitive.
- 2 charged after causing big rig to overturn in Indiana
- Arizona settles federal lawsuit over shipping container border wall
- CDL enforcement topic of new Texas law in effect Sept. 1
- Man sentenced to 8 years for involvement in Florida moving scam
- Mexican cargo airline accused of labor violations under USMCA
- New anti-harassment guidance could raise compliance bar for trucking
- Nikola founder loses bid for a new trial
- Sentencing in Louisiana staged truck accident case delayed until December
- Speed limits, vehicle fees are topics of new Texas laws
- Steel mill ordered to pay $4.6M to trucking company, affiliate
- Truck driver saddled with funeral & court costs, prison time after running over three men
- Trucker Faces 33 Years in Prison After ‘Flipping Out,’ Police Chase and Fiery Crash
3. Regarding business, clearinghouse, economy, employment, and insurance:
Business
- Loaded and Rolling: Small fleets and owner-operators gain market share
- Mom and pops are taking significant share of trucking industry
- Trucking Business Goals for This Year
Clearinghouse
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
- What Should Motor Carriers Do When They Get a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Alert?
Economy
- 6 charts reveal freight industry is bouncing back
- ACT Research: July used retail tractor sales decrease
- ArcBest sees 20% increase in shipments at core accounts
- Better days ahead for carriers that survive freight cycle’s bottom
- BYD’s Growth Slows as China’s Auto Price War Takes Its Toll
- Economic Trucking Trends: Fuel prices pinching shippers and truckers, flatdeck continues to weigh on rate recovery
- Economist Sees Challenges and Opportunity in 2024 and 2025
- Is there relief in sight for trucking companies?
- The 5 Most Popular Truck Brands on Commercial Truck Trader
- Truckload capacity tightens in August
- US Consumer Confidence Wanes With Prices Still High
- US Economic Growth for Q2 Revised Down to 2.1%
- Used Truck Market Can Likely Handle Yellow Liquidation
- Used truck sales volumes, prices trending down
- What the biggest plush company on Amazon has to say about peak season – WTT
- When Is the Best Time to Sell My Commercial Vehicle?
- White Paper: Assessing Shippers’ Adaptability to Market Changes
Employment
- California Gov. Newsom Fights To Eliminate Truck Driving Jobs
- Coyote layoffs, how to make trucking videos and startup showcase – WTT
- Daily Infographic: Employment in transportation and warehousing by transportation mode
- Knight-Swift lays off employees after expressing market weakness
- Labor Market Still Resilient, Adds 187,000 Jobs in August
- Picking the right time to change jobs can be as important as finding the right carrier
- Postal Service contractor to cut 1,000 jobs, close facilities in 3 states
- Truck transportation jobs plummet in August
- Trucking jobs down significantly in August
Insurance
- Does your ‘full coverage’ insurance have you fully covered?
- Trucking company tried to buy insurance just one hour after fatal wreck that killed five
4. Regarding inspections, securement, and weights:
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your truck in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- Aerial enforcement blitz taking place in Wisconsin through Sunday
- Briefly:Three-state enforcement effort begins Friday, ends Monday
- CVSA Hazmat Inspection Blitz Nets 2,578 Violations
- CVSA Inspections Find Violations in 30% of Hazmat Packages
- CVSA’s unannounced hazmat safety blitz nets thousands of violations
- Regular inspection, maintenance can help improve tire performance
- Three state ‘maximum enforcement’ initiative starts Friday
- What do AI, traffic cameras and privacy have to do with trucking?
- Wisconsin State Patrol using aircraft to monitor highways
Securement
Pay close attention to load securement, no matter what kind of trailer and cargo you haul.
Weights
5. Regarding crashes, death, distracted driving, and fatalities:
Crashes
Please look through these articles to see if there is anything you can learn to help you prevent being involved in a similar crash.
- BREAKING: Four rig, two car wreck results in I-81 closure
- Crews set to remove both rigs that crashed into Columbia River over the weekend, prompting road closure
- Crushed cars fall off overpass after semi truck flips
- I-84 WB full closure cleared two trucks from the Columbia River
- Motorists face multiple charges after sideswipe causes semi to overturn
- Oklahoma trooper rear-ended while escorting CMV for inspection
- VIDEO: Box truck driver makes smart decision not to squeeze under low bridge, but forgets about pole
Death
Distracted driving
Actively seek to reduce and eliminate if possible all kinds of opportunities that lead you to be distracted while driving.
Fatalities
We express our deep sympathy — and offer our condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died in these crashes.
Can you learn anything from the articles below that would help prevent being involved in a fatal large truck crash?
- 1 dead in Maryland pileup involving several 18-wheelers
- NFL Quarterback Fatal Truck Accident Settlement Highlights ‘Nuclear Award’ Fears
- Rookie Texas sheriff’s deputy dies after failing to yield to big rig
- Texas deputy dies on 2nd day of job after wreck with big rig
- Traffic Deaths Fall 3% in First Half of 2023, Report Finds
- Biodiesel as a Lower Carbon Strategy
- California Earmarks $83 Million in Alt-Fuel Funding for Small Fleets
- Diesel Price Climbs to $4.475 a Gallon
- Florida Faces Fuel Squeeze as Barge Traffic Falls
- Hyzon Fuel Cell Truck Logs 540-Mile Delivery Run
- Jump in key diesel price brings gains to more than 70 cents since July 3
- Sheetz lowers diesel and DEF prices to show truckers their appreciation
- Weekly Fuel Report: August 29, 2023
- Weekly NTI Update: August 28, 2023
- Weekly reports say diesel prices still rising
6. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, fuel, and solar:
I strongly object to the idea of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless trucks on the same roads as the motoring public, but share these articles as a courtesy to help you stay current with the topic.
Autonomous vehicles
- A trucker’s view of autonomous trucks
- Autonomous Shockwaves Start to Hit Home
- Don’t expect self-driving trucks to take over the highways any time soon
- Driverless Trucks Face Regulatory Opposition in California
- Volvo Removes Safety Driver in Autonomous Mining Operations
Electric vehicles
If you are planning to get an electric commercial motor vehicle, please do your due diligence ahead of time.
- Charging forward with electric truck charging stations
- Eaton Merges Units in Preparation for Electrification Push
- EVs Raise New Challenge for Fleet Optimization: Telematics Hasn’t Caught Up
- Heavy-Duty Trucking with Innovative Battery Technology
- Hyundai, LG Invest $2 Billion More Into Georgia Battery Plant
- US Dedicates $12 Billion to Retrofit Auto Plants for EVs
- VinFast Surges Above $200 Billion
- Why the EV Industry Is Talking About ‘Black Mass’
Emissions
- $3 million invested in zero-emission trucking projects including new testbed
- Trucking Urges Zero-Emission Approach That Goes Beyond EVs
- Zero-emission truck insurance bill advances in California
- Zero-Emission Trucks Today and Tomorrow
Fuel
Solar
7. Regarding infrastructure, roads, and technology:
Infrastructure
Roads
- Cambridge, Ont., to divert trucks from downtown streets in October
- Tennessee halting all lane closures for Labor Day weekend
Technology
- Artificial intelligence leading to real-world changes in trucking
- Automated quoting solution helps brokers win more freight
- CBSA updating ‘legacy’ collection system, to simplify electronic payments
- ClearFlame Validates Fuel-Adaptive Engine Technology
- DelDOT offers traffic alert system for truckers
- Diesel Laptops releases new diagnostic tool
- ELD Buyer’s Guide: A guide to switching ELDs – Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
- Its too easy to hack a semi truck
- Looking to the Future: Automated tech already commonly used in passenger, freight vehicles
- Making big insights count through little data
- Muftar creates artificial intelligence to help with transportation logistics
- Open platforms hold key to supply chain optimization
- Ree turns a corner with everything-by-wire technology
- Software defect as potential root cause of Norfolk Southern’s system outage on Monday
- Tesla Ordered by NHTSA to Address New Issue Over Autopilot
- Transfix Fights Freight Fraud With Shipment Verification Tool
- Trucking Fleet Doubles Down on Safety With Advanced Safety Technology [Video]
- Unleash the Power of ELDs: A Comprehensive Guide to Electronic Logging Devices
- VIDEO: Truckers see the darndest things
8. Regarding comments, maintenance, truckers, trucking, and unionize:
Comments
If these matters are a concern to you, please feel free to write and submit your comments.
- Carrier safety rating system revamp comment period opens
- Truckers encouraged to comment on automatic emergency braking proposal
Maintenance
Truckers
Trucking
While this could be put under the economy section of this week’s trucking commentary, I thought it deserved special placement.
Unionize
- A first for Werner: Small group of workers votes to unionize
- ECM Transport drivers in New Jersey unionize
9. Regarding pests, prevention, safety, tires, training, and USPS:
Pests
Prevention
Safety
- FMCSA seeks advice on new safety rules for carriers
- FMCSA seeks feedback on safety fitness determination
- Revamping motor carrier safety methodology on FMCSA’s radar
- Second Chances: How to Upgrade Your Safety Rating
Tires
Training
- Amazon Delivery Drivers in Denver Undergo Unique Training
- Driver Poll: Have you participated in any trucking-related training or upskilling programs in the past year?
- Free trucking school now offered to South Carolina residents
- New air brake learning modules, tests come to Ontario
- Two Kansas Community Colleges Partner to Expand CDL Training
USPS
10. Regarding pay, rates, recalls, tolls, and VMT:
Pay
- This locally-owned trucking company’s ‘engineered lanes’ provide drivers with consistent miles, pay, and home time
- Trucking company out $103k after brewery fails to keep promise of payment
Rates
- FedEx’s 2024 rate increase below prior-year levels
- Flatbed spot rates show decreases in latest Truckstop report; dry van sees gains
Recalls
- Are Mounting EV Semi Recalls Undermining Trucking Industry Confidence?
- Mack recalling thousands of trucks with turn-signal issue
- Stay Informed: Heavy Truck Recalls in August 2023
Tolls
- San Francisco-area bridge toll increase pursuit sidelined
- Toll hike for empty trucks crossing into Mexico starts tomorrow
VMT
VMT stands for Vehicle Miles Traveled.
11. Regarding speed limiter, strike, Teamsters, and violence:
Speed limiter
Strike
- Mexico truck driver strike delayed after officials, carriers reach deal
- MPI strike impacting Manitoba trucking industry, MTA warns
- White Paper: Can Your Company Survive a Major Carrier Strike?
Teamsters
- Small group of Ryder drivers join Teamsters
- Why Teamsters allowed 22,000 union trucking jobs to vanish
Violence
- Ohio Police: Trucker shot to death during altercation with another driver
- Truck driver arrested for murder in shooting death of fellow trucker in Ohio
12. Regarding appreciation, awards, and recognition:
Appreciation
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) is coming up this month.
However, there are various opinions about it as well as various “rewards” for truckers.
- California Highway Patrol invites truckers to free lunch at weigh station for Driver Appreciation
- Hot dogs with ‘CHiPs’ set for Truck Driver Appreciation Week in California
- Love’s recognizes truckers for all of September with special deals
- Love’s to celebrate truck drivers throughout September
- Sheetz announces major diesel and DEF discounts for Truck Driver Appreciation Week
- Thanks on a bun; one state shows its support for Truck Driver Appreciation Week
- Trucker Appreciation: Sheetz to temporarily reduce diesel fuel, DEF prices
- UPS showing appreciation to its drivers for Founders’ Day
Awards
We extend our heartiest congratulations to truckers who demonstrated great skill and safety on the job as a professional truck driver!
- 4.1 million mile trucker wins CVSA’s International Driver Excellence Award
- 5 FedEX drivers take home top honors at National Truck Driving Championships
- Meet Overdrive’s Small Fleet Champ semi-finalists
- Truck driver with 4.1 million safe miles recognized with Driver Excellence Award
Recognition
Thank you to all truckers who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need.
- ABF Freight driver honored for helping woman, dog in I-294 wreck
- Another Highway Angel is named after trucker stops to aid at high-speed crash scene
- Teenage cowboy who helped herd cattle out of burning semi truck honored with special ceremony at Sheriff’s Office
- VIDEO: Trucker takes the ditch to save pickup driver from head-on collision
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: 2023.09.02 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
