TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.01.11

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.01.11 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending January 11, 2025, written by Vicki Simons.

I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding fire, issues, snow plow, top news, weather, and winter storm:

Between the fires on the west coast and the winter storm raging through the midwest and southeast, please be ultra-careful where and how you drive.

In certain cases — and for the protection of yourself, your rig, and the cargo within — it may be better to refuse to drive.

Please maintain open lines of communication with your driver manager.

You may also want to review the information on whistle blowing truckers.

You cannot be forced to drive into a fire or smoke-filled environment.

Also, if there is “a substantial and specific danger to public safety” — which may occur if you believe that the weather is too hazardous to drive in — it may be better to safely park your rig until conditions improve.

Again, please maintain open lines of communication with your driver manager.

And double-check to make sure that the fire extinguisher in your truck is fully charged and ready to use.

Fire

Winter storm

If you need this, I compiled information about one’s:

First Winter Driving Season.

You may also want to review information about:

Truck Snow Chains: Preparation for Winter Driving

2. Regarding containers, ports, and strike:

Containers

Ports

Strike

3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, batteries, electric vehicles, emissions, and fuel:

Autonomous vehicles

I completely oppose 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.

Batteries

Electric vehicles

Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence by asking some questions and getting answers.

Emissions

Fuel

4. Regarding border, brokers, business, and Run on Less:

Border

Brokers

Business

Run on Less

5. Regarding economy, congestion, congestion pricing, and roads:

Economy

Congestion

Congestion pricing

According to the first article in this section:

In addition to a much higher toll fee, truckers are also charged each time they enter the congestion pricing zone. Passenger vehicles are capped at one toll per day, regardless of how many times they reenter the area.

A trucker making three deliveries south of 60th Street will pay nearly $65. Meanwhile, a passenger vehicle can leave and reenter the area a dozen times and pay only $9.

“This fact alone will have devastating downstream impacts across the city due to the essential role that the trucking industry plays in our economy; consider that nearly 90% of goods in the five boroughs are delivered by trucks,” Trucking Association of New York President Kendra Hems pointed out in a statement.

No matter where you travel, if you have to pay for a toll out-of-pocket:

and if you are an owner-operator, keep the receipt for your taxes;
or if you are a company driver, make sure that you turn in your receipt to get reimbursed.

Now for the articles:

Roads

New NC Governor Acts on Hurricane-Damaged Roads, Bridges

6. Regarding ELDs, HOS, and triangles:

ELDs

How many times will the FMCSA reject the use of certain ELDs after they once previously required only self-certification of the products?

Others within the trucking industry were speaking out against the Electronic Logging Devices “mandate” long before December 4, 2017, but you may read my commentary on the mandate.

In TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2017.12.09, I quoted Indiana’s Attorney General, Curtis Hill, regarding the self-certification provision regarding ELDs.

I also asked, “In what other industry besides trucking has the government ever mandated the purchase of a ‘self-certification’ product?”

So, I’m truly distressed for every trucker who invested in a “self-certified” ELD that used to be on the approved list, only to later have that certification revoked!

If you are such a trucker, I want to hear from you about how expensive this was for you.

HOS

Triangles

According to the third article in this section:

In a Notice to be published in the Federal Register on January 8, the FMCSA proposed “an experimental study that requires data collection for evaluating whether warning devices meaningfully influence crash-relevant aspects of human performance in the presence of a parked or disabled commercial motor vehicle (PDCMV), and if so, how and to what extent.”

7. Regarding crashes, crashes – high winds, crashes – history, drugs, fatalities, 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.

Crashes – high winds

You may want to review my post:

On Driving in Wind — Strong Winds — in a High Profile Truck

Crashes – history

It’s the 10 year anniversary of the 193 vehicle pileup crash in Michigan — one of the most massive in U.S. history

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Between $16 million and $22 million of cocaine found in tractor-trailer

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?

Theft

Never take something that doesn’t belong to you unless you have permission from the owner.

With as much surveillance equipment in place in the 21st century, it’s only a matter of time before the thieves are apprehended.

Violence

It is never right to perpetrate violence upon someone in an unprovoked manner.

All perpetrators of violence must be dealt with in a just legal manner.

8. Regarding inspections, legal, politics, and self-defense:

Inspections

If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.

Legal

Politics

Self-defense

I have previously written:

Low Cost Self Defense for Professional Truck Drivers

Please remember that self-defense is a God-given right.

In my opinion, truckers need to be able to protect themselves from those bearing a firearm.

According to the first article in this section:

A North Carolina Representative introduced a bill that would provide nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and for residents of Constitutional Carry states.

The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (or H.R. 38) was introduced by U.S. Representative Richard Hudson on January 9.

If you are in favor of this legislation, please contact your U.S. Representative and both of your U.S. Senators to ask them to support and vote in favor of it.

9. Regarding breakdowns and recalls:

Breakdowns

White Paper: How Do Roadside Breakdowns Impact Efficiency and Retention?

Recalls

If your tractor or trailer is under a recall, please have the work attended to as soon as possible.

Ford Recalls 295,000 Diesel Trucks Over Fuel Pump Issue

10. Regarding supply chain and technology:

Supply chain

Technology

11. Regarding employment, testing, and training:

Employment

Testing

Training

12. Regarding awards:

Awards

Congratulations to every professional truck driver who was nominated for or achieved an award for skill as a trucker!

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: 2025.01.11 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.