TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2024.05.04 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending May 4, 2024, written by Vicki Simons.
I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
BTW, I am aware that there were technology issues on this website earlier this week, but they seem to have been corrected in full now. Yay!
1. Regarding AEBs, inspections, roads, routing, and securement:
AEBs
I would like to hear from professional truck drivers who have AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) capability on your trucks to know if, truly, this device is good or bad, from your perspectives.
Please comment through the form below.
- AEB standards for light vehicles to take effect in 2029
- Feds issue final version of emergency braking rule for cars; big truck rule looms
- Feds to require automatic emergency braking on all cars and light trucks by 2029
- US to Require Automatic Emergency Braking on New Vehicles
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- Bendix offers tips to ace CVSA’s International Roadcheck 2024
- CVSA International Roadcheck just around the corner
- Focus areas for upcoming 2024 International Roadcheck
- How to pass a DOT roadside inspection
- New enforcement to target unsafe motorists driving near commercial vehicles
- VIDEO: Weigh station inspection takes a wild turn
Roads
Please continually monitor road closures — on a temporary or special needs basis — so that you will know how to route yourself.
Which technology keeps you informed about road closures?
Please comment through the form below.
- All lanes of I-95 in Connecticut shut down following fiery crash involving gas tanker
- I-40 near Arizona-New Mexico line reopens after train derails
- I-95 in Connecticut Closed for Days as Crash Damages Bridge
- I-95 in CT closed for ‘significant period’ after explosion
- Massive tanker fire to shut down I-95 in Connecticut for ‘significant amount of time’
- Ontario building 52-km Highway 413
- Part of I-95 in CT closed at least through the weekend due to crash, fire
- Tanker fire closes Interstate 95 in CT for ‘extended period of time’
- Traffic snarled as workers begin removing bridge over I-95 following truck fire in Connecticut
- Train wreck, fire close parts of I-40 in Arizona
Routing
Once again, I am stating unequivocally that it is imperative that professional truck drivers do thorough pre-trip inspections before starting on a journey and use routing tools that are designed for Commercial Motor Vehicles.
Feel free to use the Pre-Trip Inspection Combo in my Free Downloads.
Also, I strongly recommend obtaining and learning how to use a Motor Carriers Road Atlas (aka Truckers Atlas).
You may also want to see these resources on my site:
- On GPS for Truckers: When GPS Routing Leads to Truck Accidents
- CMV GPS Low Clearance Report Form; Low Clearance Awareness Day
Now for the articles:
- Back road seriously fails concrete truck driver
- Big rig goes into lake after driver followed his GPS down boat launch
Securement
There is no excuse for loads falling off a trailer.
If you do not know how to properly secure your trailer and load, please contact your driver manager right away!
- 350,000 lb. load falls off trailer, lands on vehicle killing two people
- Rig loses ‘super load’ in Texas; 2 dead after car crushed
- Two dead after oversized load falls off trailer, pinning vehicle underneath
2. Regarding alcohol, crashes, distracted driving, drugs, fatalities, fraud, impaired, theft, and violence:
Alcohol
Never ever consume alcohol — or use an alcohol-containing product (such as mouthwash) — before beginning to drive a commercial motor vehicle!
- Canadian cops to require breathalyzer testing during every traffic stop
- Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse reports highlight needs but offer few solutions
- FMCSA Declares Driver ‘Imminent Hazard’ Following Alcohol, HOS Violations
- FMCSA shuts down driver for multiple alcohol violations
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.
- Crash causes cab to separate from truck frame, fall 100 feet down cliff
- Raised dump bed hits bridge, lands on top of sheriff’s deputy vehicle
- Truck drivers who died in fiery crash along Indiana’s I-65 identified
Distracted driving
Please familiarize yourself with the Distracted Driving post on my site.
Drugs
Never ever agree to haul illegal drugs anywhere on your rig’s tractor or trailer, no matter how large of an incentive you’ve been offered.
That being said, you may want to read through this article:
The Cost of Naivety: A Lesson for All Truck Drivers.
Now for the rest of the articles in this section:
- DEA will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, sources say
- Former trucker faces life in prison for role in drug trafficking
- Truck driver faces life in prison for role in nationwide large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy
- Trucker pleads guilty to cocaine possession, intent to distribute charges
- Will DEA’s Move to Re-Classify Marijuana Affect Trucking?
Fatalities
I express my deep sympathy — and offer my 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?
- 2 people killed after oversize load falls onto Texas highway
- Woman killed by 18-wheeler while trying to warn drivers of crash
Fraud
If something seems shady or not quite right in your gut about some load or procedure, investigate and protect yourself.
- Briefly: Trucking company owner pleads guilty to unlawfully receiving funds
- FMCSA Plans Overhaul of Registration Process to Tackle Fraud
Impaired
The word “impaired” may refer to being drunk or distracted.
Theft
Do not take something that isn’t yours without first asking for permission.
- Fusion Transport addresses escalating cargo theft concerns in logistics industry
- With freight fraud increasing, Descartes helps restore trust through enhanced visibility
Violence
Do everything in your power to obey all laws, rules, regulations, etc., regarding the operation of your truck and related actions.
- Driver charged with rape denies ever meeting female trucker victim
- Hitchhiker sentenced for murder of trucker in California
- Suspect in shooting, killing of trucker on I-20 in Louisiana arrested
3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, fuel, and oil:
Autonomous vehicles
I stand firmly against the operation of self-driving, driverless, or autonomous 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.
Furthermore, I shudder at the thought that such an idea as this could even be proposed:
Could autonomous trucks help save the planet?
- Aurora Innovation touts environmental benefits of automated trucking
- Autonomous trucks are topic of state legislative efforts
- Autonomous Trucks Can Reduce Emissions, Fight Climate Change
- California Legislators Seek to Override Veto of AV Bills
- Fleet of driverless big rigs to haul freight between Houston and Dallas by the end of 2024
- Tractor-trailers with no one aboard? The future is near for self-driving trucks on US roads
- Waabi opens autonomous trucking terminal in DFW Metroplex
- Waabi Opens Texas Terminal as Hub for Self-Driving Trucks
- Waabi’s New Autonomous Texas Truck Terminal
Electric vehicles
Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence.
- Biden Poised to Finalize New EV Tax Credit Rules
- Biden’s electric truck effort grilled on Capitol Hill
- Daimler CEO: Lack of Electric Truck Chargers a Top Concern
- DB Schenker to Carry Out Range Energy Trailer Testing in H2
- DTNA using electric trucks to support logistics operations
- Electric truck charging network needs “unicorn” sites in Southwest
- EV Makers Win 2-Year Extension to Qualify for US Tax Credits
- How much is TOO much? Electrifying the trucking industry will take at least $1 trillion
- Move toward electric trucks ‘ignores operational realities’
- Performance Food Group Takes Electric Plunge
- PITT OHIO executive speaks to Congress on fleet electrification challenges
- Pitt Ohio Executive Targets EV Infrastructure
- Republicans attempt rollback of electric truck rule
- Siemens Delivers 1 MW Charge to Electric Truck During Testing
- Tesla Axes Supercharger Team in Blow to Broader EV Market
- The biggest and most power powerful ‘green’ truck I’ve ever driven
Emissions
- ATA, OOIDA urges EPA to consider the “realities of trucking” in final emissions ruling
- FedEx charges ahead with emission-reduction plan with 150 new EVs
- FHWA Awards $148 Million to Curb Truck Emissions at U.S. Ports
- Shippers leveraging Shared Truckload in 2023 avoided 46,700 metric tons of carbon emissions
- Truck emission standards challenged by GOP lawmakers
Fuel
- Air Products Plans Alberta Hydrogen Truck Refueling Network
- ATA, 8 Others Ask EPA to Adjust Biofuel Output Volumes
- ATRI: Renewable Diesel Better Emissions Option than BEVs
- Average US diesel price still tracking below $4 a gallon
- Diesel Price Continues Downward Push
- FBX Report: May 02, 2024
- High-Capacity Hydrogen Truck Fueling Station Opens in Oakland, California
- New NorCAL ZERO project to deploy 30 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Oakland
- Weekly Fuel Report: April 30, 2024
- Weekly NTI Update: April 29, 2024
- What Is The Best Fuel Type For Your Commercial Vehicle?
- With oil market stabilizing, diesel benchmark down for third straight week
Oil
- Oil Producers Flush With Cash Cut Reliance on Funding Markets
- World’s Most Important Oil Price Transformed
4. Regarding border, business, insurance, and maintenance:
Border
- Texas DPS reboots enhanced border inspections in “political” move
- Texas resumes truck safety inspections at border entry in El Paso
- Truckers stuck at U.S.-Mexico border for up to 10 hours
Business
Insurance
Maintenance
- How to Maintain Older Trucks Efficiently Amid Rising Costs
- Intangles launches InRoute Connect to improve maintenance turnaround times
- Starting the truck in the winter be like
- Why Is My Semi-Truck Shaking?
5. Regarding congestion pricing, economy, pay, and rates:
Congestion pricing
Economy
- Abundant capacity is hiding freight pattern shifts
- ACT Research: Class 8 truck preliminary net orders lower in April
- ADM Shares Fall as CEO Cites Transition From Boom Years
- ATA Reports Decrease in Truck Tonnage Index for March
- FreightWaves Infographics: Descartes: Container import volume trajectory is strong
- Latte and Big Mac sales show consumers are hurting
- Loose truckload market pressures intermodal volume in Eastern corridors
- Schneider National cuts 2024 outlook, notes some positive trends
- Signs of Recovery Amid Trucking Overcapacity Woes?
- Truck transportation jobs break 6-month string of gains with slight loss
- Trucking bloodbath’ or ‘broker bloodbath’: Who took the biggest hit?
- Trucking jobs even out heading into produce season
- U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: Truck freight contraction continues
- U.S. election uncertainty making ‘very difficult’ freight market worse, TFI CEO says
- Werner Enterprises says end of downcycle getting closer
Pay
Rates
- Trucker calls just to check if they’re serious about “this dumb a** load”
- Truckstop: Van spot rates mixed, flatbed down in the latest week
6. Regarding detention, employment, shut down, and strikes:
Detention
Quoting from the article linked in this section:
Detention costs carriers a tremendous amount of revenue — and the shippers and receivers responsible for the inefficient loading/unloading procedures that create the delay are often not interested in addressing the issue, he noted. In addition, the responsible parties are only willing to pay 50% to 70% of the revenue carriers lose while trucks remain idle.
…
… The issue of driver detention consistently ranks among the highest frustrations of trucking industry professionals.
Employment
- Employers Add 175,000 jobs in April in Face of Higher Rates
- For Stokes Trucking’s Jason Douglass, driver retention is key to a company’s success
- People aren’t “into the life” of trucking anymore, companies say
- US carriers illegally hiring Mexican drivers to haul loads, sources say
Shut down
As I stated quite some time back, I think that we will continue to see some trucking companies shut down because of the hard economy right now.
- 92-year-old Texas trucking company files for bankruptcy liquidation
- Florida carrier shuts down OTR and dedicated fleets, lays off 57 drivers
- Florida trucking company to shutter OTR and dedicated fleets, lay off 83 workers
- More than 150 laid off as trucking company shutters Texas facility
- Pride Group’s U.S. fleet Arnold Transportation ceases operations
- Texas trucking firm shutters operations
Strikes
Here we go again!
- Teamsters Canada seeks strike authorization vote by CN, CPKC train crews
- Teamsters vote to authorize strikes at CN, CPKC
7. Regarding parking, politics, and ports:
Parking
- LA zoning proposal could reduce supply of trailer parking
- New Montana I-90 Rest Area Adds 35 Truck Parking Spots
- The Acreage truckers sue county over parking ordinance
- Truck parking is focus of legislation in multiple statehouses
- Truck parking lawsuit prompts ‘I told you so’ from trucker supporters
Politics
- Commercial vehicle travel is the focus of a Colorado bill
- Left lane use for trucks is a topic at statehouses
- Proposed bill charges $8 per semi truck leaving intermodal yard in Illinois
- Underride guards, speeding are focus of California bill
Ports
- Authorities seize ‘harmful’ baby, children’s products at California ports
- Port Houston receives nearly $27M for Clean Truck Program
- Port of Long Beach conducting Multimodal Transportation Study
- Port roundup: Strong annual growth across the board
- US Ports Report Continued Volume Gains in First Quarter
8. Regarding regulations, speed limiter, towing, and weather:
Regulations
Speed limiter
Towing
- Know what you’re paying for: Predatory towing fees are a growing issue in trucking
- New Mississippi Law Targets Predatory Towers
Weather
If you do not have a device in your truck to warn you about severe weather in the area where you will be driving, I encourage you to get one.
Driving in high winds is problematic for certain truckers and one should never, ever drive in flood waters!
- Heavy rain leads to flooding, closed roads in southeast Texas
- Video shows big rig, driver being swept away by Texas floodwaters
- Video shows devastating tornado damage at Dollar Tree warehouse
- Video shows driver clinging to cab as semi sinks into floodwaters
- Video shows tornado tossing huge chunk of debris onto Oklahoma interstate
- VIDEO: High winds toss big rig into the path of storm chaser in Nebraska
9. Regarding safety, technology, and training:
Safety
- Chief Carriers uses financial incentive, gamifying safety scores and new job opportunities for safety initiative
- Delaware begins special traffic safety enforcement around CMVs
- FMCSA Researchers Outline Safety Studies, Data Collection
- Institute a comprehensive safety plan to help ensure fleet safety — Part 1
- Safety first, last, and always: Modern Transportation hangs its hat on protecting drivers, environment
- Safety Practices, Culture Help Carriers Reduce Liability
- Workplace safety officials investigate trucker’s death at Montreal port
Technology
- AI Revolutionizes 3PL: Saves Time, Gains Margin
- Automation and New Vehicle Technology Bring New Challenges
- Can Your Radio Take Control of Your Truck?
- Cyberattack could disable KC Scout service for months
- Dash cam catches gravel hauler striking Detroit overpass
- Drivewyze honored with Innovation Showcase Award from ITS America
- Eliminate data silos and optimize shipping with strategic partnerships
- E-ZPass scam targeting customer data, financial information
- FreightTech Friday: Loadsure takes insurtech solution to Europe
- Generative AI holds unique power to strengthen human connections
- ‘Generative AI’ self-driving truck company opens terminal near Dallas
- How carriers can avoid cybersecurity danger from outside vendors
- Is data becoming too complex for humans to manage?
- Modernize Your Driver & Back Office Connection
- Multi-Service Fuel Card launches mobile app aimed at truckers
- New SONAR update allows users to easily price flatbed freight and visualize data
- Peterbilt Introduces Additional Mirrors for 579, 567 Models
- Peterbilt introduces digital mirror system for Models 579 and 567
- Peterbilt officials reflect on new digital mirror system
- TCA’s Profitability Program helps carriers survive, even thrive, regardless of market conditions
- Technology Tools Help Carriers Reduce Risk, Improve Safety
- Top 5 Reasons for a Complete Trucking Software
- Truck freight market data highlighted decline in shipment and spending
- White Paper: Carriers Weigh In on State of Cybersecurity
Training
- Flint Hills Technical College in Kansas adds CDL program
- FMCSA Denies Florida’s CDL Skills Test Petition
- FreightWaves Infographics: High schools driving students to trucking with training classes
- High school trucking program instructor advances to national honor
- High school trucking program instructor up for big award
- Inexperienced Driver Crash Rates & Bleak Recruitment Spells Trucker Shortage
- Lyndon Finney: Remembering a mentor, colleague and friend
- Oregon Spends $2.1M in Federal Grant to Train Truck Drivers
- Programs offering free CDL training, high school students outreach to tackle truck driver shortage
- Reducing accidents through driver training
- Retaining training: Make sure your team takes skills, information from the classroom to the highway
- Two Texas Colleges Win Grants to Train 660 CDL Students
10. Regarding collapse and missing:
Collapse
I’ve noticed that the number of articles related to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge have greatly reduced.
- Body of Fifth Worker Found After Baltimore Bridge Collapse
- Cargo ship that brought down Baltimore bridge to be removed from site by May 10, officials say
- Cost to rebuild Baltimore’s Key Bridge could be up to $1.9 billion, completion planned for 2028
- Replacement of Francis Scott Key bridge could be done by Fall 2028
- Salvage crew finds body of 5th missing worker lost in Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse
- Virtual forum scheduled for Key Bridge rebuild
Missing
To the extent possible, I want to help truckers avoid situations like what led up to the truck driver described in these articles.
Please learn about Self-Defense.
- Family of Schultz seeking 2nd autopsy on suspicions of foul play
- Missing Iowa trucker’s body found after 5 months | Closures on I-70 ongoing
- Widow suspects foul play after missing Iowa trucker’s body found
11. Regarding legal – CBD, legal – hearing, legal – murder, and legal – non-competes:
Legal – CBD
This is an extremely important legal matter for truckers and I pray that the Supreme Court will rule in the trucker’s favor!
- CBD product and RICO are center of Supreme Court case
- Supreme Court to hear case involving trucker fired for failed drug test after using CBD product
Legal – hearing
This is the first time I’ve ever read of an injury to one’s hearing after being exposed to a “truck train horn.”
Quoting from the first article in this section:
In the lawsuit, Kelly alleged negligence by Garland for blowing the horn. An expert witness doctor testified that even one second of exposure to the horn [reportedly a three-tubed trumpet manufactured by United Pacific], which reportedly emits a 145-decibel sound, would be enough to cause injury.
- Court lays into trucker who laid on train horn, damaging hearing
- Train horn costs trucker nearly $2M in hearing-loss lawsuit
Legal – murder
- Man faces murder charge in shooting death of truck driver on I-20 in Louisiana
- Man sentenced to prison in stabbing death of California truck driver
Legal – non-competes
I have a feeling that this “ban” will be challenged in court.
The FTC is an unconstitutional “commission” and does not hold legislative power, which is granted only to Congress (U.S. House and Senate).
(See Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States.)
- Check Call: Hope for a ban on noncompetes heads to court
- Federal Trade Commission bans noncompetes nationwide
12. Regarding awards:
Awards
Congratulations to all professional truck drivers who have been honored for their safe driving accomplishments!
- J.B. Hunt honors 54 drivers who have driven two million miles or more
- J.B. Hunt honors dozens for safely driving 2 million-plus miles
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: 2024.05.04 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
