TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2023.12.23 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending December 23, 2023, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding 2023 issues, eclipse, Nikola, predictions, and presidential:
2023 issues
While I’m sure that more articles will be published before the end of calendar year 2023, these are some of the most recent ones regarding the trucking industry.
- Check Call: Might have missed the 2023 mark a little
- On Regulation Front, 2023 Was a Year of Wins and Losses
- The Top 10 Canadian trucking issues of 2023
- Top US-Canada supply chain stories of 2023
Eclipse
These articles relate to the state of Arkansas, the DOT of which has “suggested” that truckers take a “holiday” during the forecast April 2024 eclipse.
- ARDOT has suggested a ‘voluntary’ holiday for trucking industry during eclipse festivities this spring
- One state suggests trucking take a holiday during April’s total eclipse
- State’s solar eclipse traffic plan targets truckers
Nikola
Quote from this article:
Prosecutors have argued that Milton “engaged in a fraudulent scheme to deceive retail investors about Nikola’s products, technical advancements, and commercial prospects for his own personal benefit in violation of the federal securities laws.”
These are other articles about this situation:
- Founder of electric big rig maker Nikola gets 4 years in prison for fraud
- Nikola founder sentenced to 4 years on fraud convictions
- Nikola founder sentenced to four years in prison for fraud
- Nikola Founder Trevor Milton has been sentenced to prison for fraud
- Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Sentenced to Four Years
- Nikola founder Trevor Milton sentenced to four years in prison
Predictions
The “2023 issues” section above leads to this list of 2024 predictions.
- 2024 last mile delivery predictions
- Q&A: Rush Execs Talk Industry Challenges and Trends
- Reshaping the perception of trucking for a new era
Presidential
According to this article:
Truck driver Lee Schmitt of the CDL Drivers Unlimited, a new membership alliance for truck drivers, asked questions submitted by truck drivers after Ramaswamy delivered a brief introduction.
The conversation touched upon a slew of trucker issues, including the risks of increased technology, mental health, speed limiters and reforms to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Another article on this theme:
2. Regarding holidays and returns:
Holidays
- Daily Infographic: Thanksgiving holiday weekend sees record number of shoppers
- Holiday rush to highways is underway
Returns
- Daily Infographic: Texas company aims to help keep returns out of landfills
- FedEx expands boxless, label-less returns
3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, electric vehicles – California, and microgrids:
Autonomous vehicles
If you’ve been following my weekly TDMST trucking commentaries for any length of time, you know that I most vigorously disagree with the operation of autonomous, self-driving, or driverless, Commercial Motor Vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public, but share articles to help keep our readers informed.
- Autonomous truck developer Stack AV forms safety advisory council
- Autonomous trucking 2023: Leaders emerge amid exits and entries
- Public-private partnership pushes for safe and efficient deployment of AVs in Texas
- Research Shows Tesla’s Autopilot Tech Fix May Also Be Flawed
Electric vehicles
Before you buy an electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence.
- ATRI: California’s Zero-Emission Goal Comes at High Cost
- Battery-Electric Truck Growth Underwhelms in 2023
- DHL Begins Class 8 Electric Truck Operations in North America
- Electric Vehicle Availability Standard silent on commercial trucks
- Greenlane, Uber Freight Join in Electric Truck Charging Push
- Loaded and Rolling: ATRI reports on California’s electric truck challenges
- Rivian Chooses Construction Firm for Georgia EV Factory
- Tesla Analysts Eyeing EV Slowdown Turn More Cautious on 2024
- The ABCs of BEVs – Part 2: Truck Trends webisode
- The ABCs of BEVs: Truck Trends webisode
- Trucking Can Help Shape EV Future in EPRI Collaborative
- US Weighs More Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Including EVs
- Videos show all-electric Tesla car pulling a reefer trailer in Texas
- White House Backs Effort to Standardize Tesla Charging Plugs
- Why rolling on EV-specific tires may pay off
Electric vehicles – California
All is not golden in the Golden State of California when it comes to electric vehicles.
- Analysis: California not ready for its own EV mandates
- How Ready is California to Electrify Transportation?
- Study examines California’s electric vehicle infrastructure
- Study: California’s move to all electric vehicles comes with significant impacts
Microgrids
According to this article,
Microgrids, sometimes called distributed energy resources, are local sources of electricity operating separately from the utility grid. They typically produce electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar, but they can also be powered by hydro, natural gas, hydrogen, or even small modular nuclear reactors.
4. Regarding AB5, CARB, emissions, fuel, and pollution:
AB5
- 9th Circuit panel will hear Uber/Postmates case on AB5
- Appeals court to rehear gig workers’ AB5 case
CARB
- Calif. court bars CARB from collecting reefer unit compliance fee
- Court kills CARB’s reefer truck fee, but refrigeration unit rules intact
Emissions
- Are Solar-Powered Semi Trucks the Emissions Solution?
- Cummins will pay $1.675B fine for engine emissions violations
- EPA Backs California with Hefty Emissions Fines as Latest State Emissions Rule Takes Effect
- Fleet owner, companies sentenced for ECM ‘tunes’ to bypass emissions controls
- Truck emission standards closer to finish line
Fuel
- Average US diesel prices down from coast to coast
- Daimler Partners With Amazon for Fuel Cell Truck Trials
- Daimler to Test Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks with Customer Fleets
- Diesel benchmark down again, futures markets up amid Red Sea tension
- Diesel Falls to Its Lowest Price Since Mid-July
- FirstElement Fuel to Provide H2 for Nikola Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Trucks
- Hydrogen Hubs Central to State Government Action in 2023
- LNG Shipping Rates Dip on Lower Demand Despite Red Sea Chaos
- National fuel averages dip below $4
- Nikola cuts 10-year hydrogen deal with FirstElement Fuel
- Nikola signs deal with FirstElement for hydrogen fueling
- US Carmakers Hit Record Gas Mileage, but Below Fuel Standard
Pollution
- California Pollution Rule Aimed at Logistics Upheld by Judge
- Challenge to California’s Advanced Clean Trucks EPA waiver on hold
- Two Carriers Pay Fines for California Pollution Violations
5. Regarding broker, business, coaching, employment, and recalls:
Broker
- Broker fraud devastating small trucking companies, lawmaker says
- More work to do on broker regulations, OOIDA says
- OOIDA seeks more action on broker financial responsibility
Business
Coaching
Employment
Recalls
6. Regarding crashes, drugs, fatalities, fraud, penalty, theft, and violence:
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.
- “Very lucky” truck driver walks away from severe wreck into trees that ripped his cab from the frame
- Almost 20 tons of ice cream spills in Pennsylvania tractor-trailer crash
- Driver okay after semi truck brake failure in Cajon Pass, California
- Michigan State Police respond to massive pileup on I-94 near Kalamazoo
- Only minor injuries reported after semi truck drives off overpass
- Police say trucker ran stop sign and collided with a motorhome in New York, injuring nine
- Semi truck flipped in storm final straw for trucker who parked it back in June due to low rates, high insurance costs
- Trucker injured by dump truck debris knocked free by low bridge in Pennsylvania
- Utah DOT aiming to reduce wrong-way vehicle crashes to zero
- VIDEO: Nissan driver in a hurry to pass a big rig plows into a second big rig in Neelyville, Missouri
Drugs
Never ever agree to haul illegal drugs for anyone, no matter how big of a payout you are promised.
- $10M in meth/cocaine hidden in jalapeno paste seized at border
- Brampton man charged after 52 kg of suspected cocaine seized from truck
- Over $10 million in meth, cocaine hidden in jalapeno paste seized
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?
- 934 heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers died on the job in 2022
- Apparent tire blowout led to death of truck driver, witnesses say
- Commercial truck driver dies after rolling over on Giants Despair
- Feds share report on fiery big rig, high school charter bus crash that killed six in Ohio
- Man run over by semi truck turning into gas station in early-morning accident
- NTSB releases details around fatal I-70 crash between truck, bus
- Transportation jobs among the deadliest
- Trucker dies at Kentucky truck stop after being pinned between two trailers
Fraud
- 3 charged in California trucking insurance company fraud scheme
- Three charged with fraud connected to collapse of a commercial vehicle insurance company
Penalty
- Cummins to pay $1.675B penalty for alleged Clean Air Act violations
- Cummins to pay $1.675B penalty for alleged EPA violations
Theft
Please do everything reasonable you can to help prevent theft of anything:
- on or in your tractor,
- on or in your trailer, or
- on your person.
Meanwhile, here are related articles from this week:
- Borderlands: Mexico averaged 57 thefts a day from cargo trucks in Q3
- Cargo theft activity expected to increase over 10-day holiday period
- Cargo theft investigators recover over $5M in stolen property
- Driver Poll: Have you experienced challenges related to cargo theft or security during your trucking career?
- Holiday Season Cargo Theft Trends and Security Tips
- Kentucky authorities recover $5.2M in stolen cargo
- Kentucky cops shut down organized ring responsible for $10 million in cargo theft
- Man accused of stealing from trucking company through the use of multiple blank checks
- Thieves seek to exploit target-rich environment amid holidays: CargoNet
Violence
- Police looking for person who shot big rig on I-78 in New Jersey
- Troopers say a road rager disabled a big rig by shooting into the engine compartment
7. Regarding economy, pay, per diem, rates, surcharge, and tolls:
Economy
- ATA’s Truck Tonnage Index decreases 1% in November
- C.H. Robinson chief sees no truckload pivot until second half of 2024
- C.H. Robinson’s CEO Sees Freight Rebound in Second Half of 2024
- Closure of rail crossings into Mexico could have significant impact on freight
- DAT: Freight Volumes Closed Strong in November
- Digging a hole: Tough freight conditions expected to continue into 2024
- Economic Trucking Trends: More ‘rough sledding’ ahead, trailer orders plunge
- Prologis sees faster interest rate declines as inflation eases
- Strong US Class 8 tractor orders bolstered by Mexican demand
- Trailer orders plunge 38% in November compared to October
- TRIP: By Value, Trucks Moved 72% of Freight in 2022
- Truck Tonnage Falls 1.2% in November
- Truck tonnage fell in November
- White Paper: The State of Freight — December 2023
Pay
This is an excellent article!
Per diem
Quote from the article linked just below:
“Cost of living is increasing, and this is one of the ways which allows us to maximize how much money our drivers take home,’ [Sergey Bort, vice president of marketing and strategic business development] said. “With the freight market being pretty poor for pretty much all of 2023, it is more important now than ever for us to do everything we can to improve retention and driver turnover, and this will help.”
Rates
Surcharge
Tolls
From the second article in this section:
Tennessee transportation officials on Monday, Dec. 18, recommended that new, optional toll lanes be added to some highways around Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.
- Government freezes Confederation Bridge toll rates for 2024
- Tennessee proposes 1st express toll lanes around Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville
- Transportation plan in Tennessee includes toll lane projects
8. Regarding infrastructure, legal, operations, parking, and shut down:
Infrastructure
- Government invests $10 million to better infrastructure in Northern and Arctic Canada
- Nearly $10 billion in federal funds available to modernize bridges across US
Legal
- Nuclear verdict alert: More than $16M awarded in Georgia court
- Southwest Reaches $140 Million Settlement for 2022 Meltdown
Operations
Please remember that what you do during your pre-trip inspections and while you drive can affect others.
- Tennessee traffic camera catches trailer detaching from semi, slamming into overpass support beam
- VIDEO: Trucker calls out fellow “professional drivers” for nearly taking him out
Parking
- Federal grant paves way for nearly 400 truck parking spaces in Wyoming
- New York DOT seeks semi-truck parking input
- PMTA Leads Innovative Pennsylvania Truck Parking Report
- WYDOT awarded $26.6M grant for construction of 365 spaces worth of new truck parking on I-80
Shut down
- Convoy autopsy continues: Panel sees capacity issues, lack of discipline
- Matheson Trucking, Subsidiaries Going Out of Business
9. Regarding HOS, politics, ports of entry, ports, and regulations:
HOS
Politics
- Congressional Politics Impede 2023 Legislative Agenda
- Large trucks are the topic of a legislative pursuit in Oregon
- Left lane use revision advances at Florida statehouse
Ports of entry
- CBP reopens key ports of entry for freight trains at US-Mexico border
- Upgraded port of entry opens in South Dakota
Ports
- California port’s expansion to cut 5 million truck trips
- Georgia Ports Authority creates trucker safety committee
- Gulf Coast ports record varied results in November volumes
- Port of New Orleans nets $73M federal grant for container terminal
Regulations
- Are you using the FMCSA’s Personal Conveyance rule correctly?
- FMCSA receives petitions for waivers from rest break preemption
10. Regarding delivery speed, safety, speed limiters, and strike:
Delivery speed
Safety
- December: The most dangerous time of the year for commercial drivers
- DOT to audit National Roadway Safety Strategy program
- How Your Fleet’s Safety Manuals Could Hurt You in Court [Video]
- Minimize Fleet Risk with the Gold Standard in Safety Technology
- Study: Fleet spend on safety skyrocketing
- Toyota Unit Daihatsu Suspends Shipments Over Safety Cheating
- Transportation Agency Leaders Promote Safety at Hearing
- Your Safety Manuals Could Cost Your Trucking Fleet in Court [Podcast]
Speed limiters
Strike
- DHL Express workers at Cincinnati airport reach deal, end strike
- Labor 2023: A lot of noise but few strikes
11. Regarding ELDs, technology, tires, weather, and Yellow:
ELDs
- Another ELD returned to the FMCSA’s list of registered logging devices
- Another electronic logging device reinstated by FMCSA
- FMCSA reinstates another ELD
- FMCSA reinstates PowerTrucks ELD after registration-list removal
- FMCSA Reinstates Powertrucks ELD to List of Registered Devices
Technology
- 5 Ways Fleet Managers Can Benefit from Advanced Geospatial Tech and Real-Time Data
- C.H. Robinson CEO to prioritze technology, lean management
- Choosing the Right Platform or Vendor for Your Fleet’s Tech and Data Needs
- DAT: Advanced analytics means ‘more freight data than ever in 2024’
- DDC FPO unveils delivery receipt availability
- Does Being Data-Driven Remove the Human Element from Fleet Management?
- Drone delivery firms Zipline, Wing prepare to ramp up service
- Expect back-to-basics technology investments in logistics in 2024
- How AI Video Telematics Boosts Driver Safety and Helps to Avoid Unnecessary Costs
- How Trucking Fleets Are Putting Data to Work
- McLeod Software says updates will improve user experience for drivers, brokers
- The AI advantage: Shaping the future of enterprise efficiency
- Transactions become smooth like butter
Tires
Weather
- Long bottom to persist as industry buckles up for harsh winter
- Major cleanup underway after storm batters Northeastern US, knocks out power and floods roads
- Slow-moving Pacific storm threatens California with flooding and mudslides
- Storm batters Northeastern US, flooding roads, knocking out power
Yellow
- Auction moves 2nd lot of Yellow terminals
- Estes Is High Spender on Yellow Terminals in Latest Auction
- Who were the winner’s of Yellow’s terminal auction?
12. Regarding awards and recognition:
Awards
We congratulate all nominees and award winners on the basis of their skill as professional truck drivers.
- Brandon Meredith wins 2023 Transition Trucking award
- Nominations open for woman driver of the year award contest
- Oklahoma trucker wins 2023 Mack Pinnacle in Shell Rotella giveaway
- Overdrive reveals Trucker of the Year finalists for 2023
- Slay Transportation’s Brandon Meredith wins 2023 driver excellence award
- Tanker driver wins award for military veterans new to trucking industry
- Top military veteran rookie trucker wins new Kenworth
- Truck driver recognized for achieving five million safe miles
- WIT Taking 2024 Driver of the Year Nominations
- Women In Trucking seeking 2024 Driver of the Year nominations
Recognition
We recognize those who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need.
- Farmer and son use hammer to stop runaway truck and save driver who blacked out on I-70 in Kansas
- Father and son save trucker who suffered medical emergency while driving
- Mill Creek driver named Highway Angel for saving passengers from burning car
- TCA honors Canadian driver for helping family whose car was on fire
- TCA names Greensville, Texas, truck driver a Highway Angel
- Watch as CHP gives a stuck semi a big push up a slushy hill
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: 2023.12.23 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
