TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.02.24 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending February 24, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding bridges, NYC boycott, outage, and scam:
Bridges
Before getting to the articles about bridges, first let me document that:
- the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has compiled Bridge Condition by Highway System (most recently updated in 2023, as of this writing); and
- the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) states (as of this writing): “There are 167 million crossings on 42,400 bridges rated in poor condition.”
Given the ratings, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if more and more bridges collapsed over time!
- Agency to announce the suspected cause of a 2022 bridge collapse over a Pittsburgh ravine
- Feds help fund rebuilding of Vermont bridge destroyed by tanker truck fire
- I-55 bridge over Mississippi River to be closed this weekend
- NTSB: Negligence Led to 2022 Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse
NYC boycott
While a proposed boycott of truckers refusing to go to New York City may have started based on a support of Donald Trump, others don’t go to NYC for other reasons.
The last time Mike drove for a regional trucking company, he had the choice as to whether or not to go to New York City.
Here are some of the most recent articles about this:
- Are truckers really boycotting New York?
- Trucker says lack of parking, tolls, and crime are the real reasons why he won’t go to New York City
- Truckers rally for Trump, promising boycott of NYC deliveries after court ruling
- Trump endorses trucker’s ‘boycott’ of NYC: What’s really going on
- Trump-supporting truckers boycott loads to New York City
Outage
Some people were greatly affected by the outage of AT&T’s network this past Thursday.
For truckers whose lives are impacted by communications connectivity, this was possibly a very bad day for conducting business.
Was your cell phone coverage or satellite communication cut off?
Were you unable to take on fuel for your truck?
If so, what did you do?
Please share through the form below your thoughts on this.
- AT&T outage leads to ELD, tech concerns for truckers
- Cell network outage could impact ELDs, telematics, more
- Nationwide cellular outages reported by users of AT&T, Cricket, other providers
- Numerous truckers among victims of AT&T cell service disruption
- SOS: Cellular outage strikes freight
- Truck tech impacted by AT&T outage: Here’s what’s happening
- Trucking tech faces challenge in major cellular outage Thursday
Scam
Be on your guard against this!
- FMCSA issues active phishing alert: Scammers faking audit claims
- FMCSA issues active phishing alert: Scammers faking audit claims
- FMCSA Warns About Fake Safety Audit Scam
- FMCSA warns truckers about fake safety audit email scam
- Phishing scam looks convincing, FMCSA says
2. Regarding business, congestion pricing, economy, tolls, and vehicle transfer:
Business
- How to use transportation business intelligence to drive profitability
- Surprise! The Corporate Transparency Act could impact your trucking business
- Texas factoring company files for bankruptcy liquidation
Congestion pricing
There have been complaints about congestion pricing in the past.
Economy
- ACT Research: Class 8 tractor demand above replacement level in January
- ACT Research: Preliminary net trailer orders in January continue softening trend
- Analysis: Expeditors blames pandemic volatility for results but needs to tackle bloat
- Analysts report ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for freight rates
- ATA’s Truck Tonnage Index decreases 3.5% in January
- Bid season off to bumpy start, trucking heads say
- Daily Infographic: Georgia breaks export record with almost $50B in trade
- Daily Infographic: January imports grew at fastest pace in 7 years
- Economic Trucking Trends: Trailer orders plummet as truck tonnage snaps ‘back to reality’
- Has trucking demand reached the bottom? Fourth quarter survey says yes
- January Tonnage Declines on Annual, Monthly Basis
- January trailer orders low, cancellations high, ACT says
- Load posts decline by 18%, hitting a 7-week low, DAT reports
- State of Freight takeaways: Is a weak February the bottom of the cycle?
- Trailer Orders Fall Amid Weak Order Season
- Truck tonnage down to begin 2024
- Truckstop, Bloomberg survey shows spot market challenges nearing end
- Van spot rates continue to fall, Truckstop reports
- Volume weakness at Expeditors continues, but rate of decline slows
Tolls
Vehicle transfer
Articles in this section have to do with buying or selling a truck.
- 5 Tips for Writing a Compelling Listing Description When Selling Your Work Vehicle
- How to Finance a Truck Purchase
- Tips For Buying A Commercial Vehicle For Utility Work
3. Regarding containers, ports, and warning signs:
Containers
- FMC tightens rules on charging container late fees
- West Coast leads latest surge in US container imports
Ports
- Business up in January at ports of Savannah, Brunswick
- L.A. & Long Beach Ports Bounced Back as Jacksonville Continues Steady Growth
- Los Angeles Port Head Says Chinese Cranes Pose Security Risk
- Pennsylvania Truckers Claim Unfair Competition at Philly Port
- Ports roundup: Georgia breaks export record with almost $50B in trade
Warning signs
- New dynamic highway signs in Ohio to warn drivers of upcoming slow-downs
- Ohio installing highway traffic warning system
- Ohio installs technology to warn against ‘end-of-queue’ crashes
- Ohio officials unveil new technology to warn drivers of dangerous traffic congestion
4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, and fuel:
Autonomous vehicles
I most vehemently disagree with the operation of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public — but I share articles on this topic with our readers to help us stay current on the topic.
- Autonomous Trucking Landscape Is Shifting Rapidly
- Nearly 75 Percent of Californians Do Not Want Driverless Semis, Survey Says
- Plus Unveils Open Platform Autonomous Control System
- Self-Driving Firm Recogni Nabs $102 Million to Make AI Chip
- Who’s Still In Autonomous Trucking?
Electric vehicles
Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence.
- Georgia DOT continues to advance deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure
- Inside Zeem Solutions’ bold plan to electrify fleets across the US
- Minnesota Report Cautions Against Rush to EV Transition
- Renewable Properties launching new EV charging service
- Rivian Plans to Cut 10% of Salaried Staff as EV Rush Stalls
- Stellantis CEO Calls Small EVs a Tough Sell in US
- Wireless Charging for EVs Is Inching Closer to Reality
Emissions
Fuel
- After big gain last week, key diesel benchmark price holds steady
- Biden Grants Gas Policy Shift to Boost Ethanol in Corn Belt
- Diesel averages remain flat, still above $4 a gallon nationally
- Diesel Price Remains Unchanged at $4.109
- National fuel average jumps nearly 15 cents, ProMiles says
- Weekly Fuel Report: February 20, 2024
- Weekly NTI Update: February 19, 2023
- Why Propane Autogas Made Sense for this USPS Contractor
5. Regarding Convoy and technology:
Convoy
Sometimes, it looks like things are over when they are simply ready to be taken over and given another chance.
- Convoy load board relaunches under new ownership
- Digital freight broker Convoy resurrected after company closure last year
- Flexport Launches Convoy Platform, Brings Back Digital Freight App
- Flexport launches the Convoy Platform
- Flexport Resurrects Convoy Services With New Tech Platform
Technology
6. Regarding crashes, drugs, fatalities, and near miss:
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.
- Cookies spilled as trucker swerves to avoid car on spare tire
- Coors Light semi truck crashes into Popeyes
- Cops working to peel back details after train hits truck hauling bananas
- Police pursuit of teenagers end in crash with semi truck
- Truck driver at large after running over motorcyclist
- Trucker ticketed for unsafe speed after crashing into Port of Entry inspection building
- Twenty vehicle pileup on Mississippi highway declared ‘mass casualty’ crash
- VIDEO: Dump bed violently torn from truck during bridge strike in Dayton
- VIDEO: Truck driver makes a save after striking a car in his blind spot while changing lanes
- Wild driver-facing video shows Amazon van chopped in half by train
Drugs
Never ever haul illegal drugs, no matter how big of a promised reward has been dangled in front of you.
- $700K worth of drugs uncovered during routine roadside CMV inspection
- Co-drivers arrested after log book violation leads troopers to 184 pounds of cocaine in an onion load
- Indiana State Trooper finds over 180 pounds of narcotics in tractor-trailer
- Indictment: Group used big rigs to import drugs packed in fire extinguishers
- Six and a half tons of meth found in big rig named ‘largest ever’ drug seizure at a port of entry
- Trade group wary of unfunded mandate to curtail fentanyl smuggling
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?
- Teenager crushed beneath semi truck in second death at farm plant
- Trucker dead after murdering girlfriend outside trucking company
- Two truckers dead in fiery multiple big rig crash at Georgia Welcome Center
- USDOT vows to continue drive to prevent death on nation’s roads
Near miss
The video linked in the article just below shows that a truck driver hauling doubles in Western Australia decided to “gun it” over a set of train tracks rather than wait for the locomotive to pass.
Although nothing bad happened, this move is foolhardy in the extreme.
7. Regarding detention time study, health, inspections, insurance, and maintenance:
Detention time study
{Sigh!} We’ve been here before, haven’t we?
It’s like the powers-that-be love to “study” things, but never take positive action to eliminate problems.
We’ll see if this is another one of those times…
Health
- 6 Healthy Heart Month Tips for Commercial Vehicle Drivers
- Maintaining your health is like preventive maintenance on your truck
- Sleep apnea, COPD are treatable safety hazards for truckers
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- CVSA announces dates for 2024’s International Roadcheck
- ‘Strike team’ cited hundreds of truckers during nine day CMV blitz in New Mexico
Insurance
Maintenance
8. Regarding freight rejected, idling, and parking:
Freight rejected
Idling
ATRI publishes a compendium of current idling regulations by state.
If you object to an idling regulation, please contact your elected officials.
- Four states consider idling rule revisions
- Idling rule revision in Washington state is killed
- Michigan county urges state to adopt idling laws
Parking
- CEO spends week in semi to solve parking problem; Will’s Journey; Convoy returns – WTT
- Truckers rally in final effort to stop neighborhood truck parking ban
9. Regarding legal, politics, regulations, and speed limiters:
Legal
- Bills in Wisconsin, Indiana could reduce nuclear verdicts against carriers
- Canadian court approves $14.5-million class action settlement against Navistar
- ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizer suing Ottawa for using Emergencies Act to freeze accounts
- OTR truck driver arrested in Ohio on nearly 650 charges
- Trucker charged with attempted murder of fellow driver at Arizona truck stop
- Wisconsin, Indiana Pass Bills Targeting Lawsuit Abuse
Politics
- Damages for pain and suffering in crashes topic of bills
- Large trucks and taxes paid are topic of Oregon meeting
Regulations
- FMCSA grants Hawaii limited CDL exemption
- FMCSA renews exemption for specific car haulers
- FMCSA renews warning-flag exemption for stinger-trailer car haulers
- New regulations for dump trucks, speed limiters in British Columbia
- Plan regs-, tax-compliance duties before going independent
- Prove It Act aims to protect small businesses from overregulation
- Seeking equilibrium in trucking policies a balancing act
Speed limiters
On February 21, 2024, I wrote an email to federal elected officials — using this form — to ask them to block the FMCSA’s ability to implement speed limiters on Commercial Motor Vehicles.
Please note that I stated that the FMCSA is an unconstitutional agency of the federal government — having no authority to exist under Article I, Section 8, of The Constitution of the United States — so they should not have the authority to implement these devices.
- OOIDA to truckers: Tell Congress it’s a ‘no’ on speed limiters
- Stopping speed limiters shows support for independent truckers
10. Regarding distracted driving, fatigued driving, fraud, theft, and violence:
Distracted driving
Fatigued driving
With no estimated time of when this crash happened — and no evidence stated in the article as to how law enforcement determined that this was a fatigued driving crash — I don’t know how this can be labeled as such.
Fraud
This is a heads-up to all truck driving school students that if you are “given the answers” while you’re taking a test, you may end up in legal hot water of some kind.
Don’t become a victim of this kind of fraud!
- Feds charge Illinois trucking company owner in alleged CDL fraud
- Trucking company used earpieces to help CDL test takers cheat
- Trucking owner accused of helping drivers cheat on CDL written test
Theft
Do everything reasonable to help prevent theft from your person, your tractor, your trailer, or the freight on-board.
- Cargo theft mastermind pleads guilty
- Man fresh from prison allegedly steals tractor-trailer hauling Corvettes
- Police pursuit of stolen semi leaves truck owner struggling
- Released from prison, man steals truckload of Corvettes for ride home
- Trucker used company card to buy $31k in lottery tickets
Violence
If you were held at gunpoint — but you did not have a gun to “even the odds” — how would you defend yourself?
11. Regarding hitchhiking, routing, and smuggling:
Hitchhiking
Having hitchhikers “hitch a ride” on the back of a big rig is becoming a bigger and bigger problem.
There are also various scams to try to hijack one’s vehicle (car or truck), so be on your guard.
You may want to consult your dispatcher or driver manager to learn what action is best for handling situations like these.
Routing
Always use a truckers atlas or Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas to route yourself and your big rig.
- Bad GPS directions land trucker 2 years probation
- VIDEO: Trucker gets stranded on a washed out dirt road
- Witnesses console trucker, call police after rig gets stuck on tracks
Smuggling
Never ever haul people made in the image of God as if they were cattle or cargo, no matter how much you’ve been promised.
- Busted: Yet another truck-involved drug smuggling operation
- Truck driver commits suicide after smuggling attempt
12. Regarding awards, recognition, and skills:
Awards
We congratulate this trucker for his awesome achievement of driving safely for 4 million miles!
Recognition
We also recognize those who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.
- Farmer and son awarded for saving a blacked-out trucker from crashing off I-70 overpass
- Trucker honored for aiding woman whose car struck a cow
Skills
We also recognize and applaud truckers with great skills, like the one in this article:
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: 2024.02.24 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
