TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.03.22

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.03.22 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending March 22, 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 China, congestion pricing, economy, rates, retirement, tariffs, and taxes:

China

All of the talk about tariffs has led (in my opinion) to strains in trade between nations and countries.

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See more below under Tariffs.

Congestion pricing

Back in 2005, when I spoke during a press conference regarding state property tax reform as it would affect the county in which I live, I described that:

“…decreasing taxes in one area [is like] the ‘waterbed effect’: when you push down on one end of a waterbed, the displaced water has to go somewhere else.”

So it is with congestion pricing.

Assuming the same number of vehicles actually travel on the roads, lowering the number of vehicles traveling at one point in time automatically pushes those vehicles to traveling at other times.

Economy

Rates

Retirement

The article in this section (linked below) states:

Many factors affect your decisions on savings, including interest rates and types of investments available, along with how much you can afford to put away and still live comfortably on the difference.

Please refer to these posts on this site:

Now for the article:

Tariffs

The topic of tariffs can be confusing, so I am going to link to some articles/videos from a knowledgeable woman named Peggy Hall:

Now for the articles from the trucking industry’s perspective:

Taxes

2. Regarding autonomous vehicles, charging, emissions, fuel, fuel – biodiesel, and fuel – diesel:

Autonomous vehicles

I totally 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.

Charging

When I scanned the first two articles linked in this section — regarding fast charging of electric vehicles — I saw that this seemed to be specific to automobiles, not commercial vehicles.

I will caution folks not to be too excited about “fast charging” of vehicles, because there is always the possibility of problems in such a scenario.

I am aware of “fast chargers” for cell phones, but even those have their limitations.

Furthermore, I am concerned about the potential for fires from such situations.

Emissions

One of the articles linked in this section describes “whiplash with emissions rule rollback plan”.

Another good description is the “bungee cord effect,” where the person gets to the bottom of the drop and bounces right back.

This scenario should never have been initiated from a government standpoint, since (in my opinion) buying a vehicle should have always remained in the realm of consumers deciding for themselves what is good and right.

Fuel

Fuel – biodiesel

According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center of the U.S. Department of Energy:

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease.

Fuel – diesel

3. Regarding border, brokers, business, events, insurance, supply chain, and TCA:

Border

Brokers

Business

Events

Insurance

Two kinds of insurance are covered in these articles,

Supply chain

TCA

“TCA” stands for the “Truckload Carriers Association.”

4. Regarding camera, inspections, securement, technology, and Tesla:

Camera

If you drive a tractor that has cameras in place instead of mirrors, I would like to interview you, please.

Please contact me.

Inspections

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

Securement

As a professional truck driver, it is one of your many job responsibilities to know how to secure your load before you drive a single inch!

If you do not know how to secure your load, as for help immediately!

Do not leave matters to chance.

Technology

Tesla

5. Regarding bridges, chain laws, containers, and language:

Bridges

On the Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips Facebook page, I responded to this article:

NTSB: Risk of Baltimore bridge collapse was nearly ’30 times’ above standard.

=====

If the Maryland Transportation Authority didn’t have the bridge risk assessment for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, why didn’t the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) *do* something about it right then and there?

Then again, given that The Constitution of the United States grants *no* power to Congress (U.S. House and U.S. Senate) to establish any agency, board, commission, department, etc. regarding transportation, the NTSB is unconstitutional.

So, who is ultimately responsible for the bridge’s collapse?

The Tenth Amendment to The Constitution says:
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

So, the FSK Bridge collapse is the fault of the Maryland Transportation Authority.

What can be done about this now?

Please comment below.

—–
NTSB: Risk of Baltimore bridge collapse was nearly ’30 times’ above standard

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said when she asked the Maryland Transportation Authority for data related to the bridge risk assessment, the agency didn’t have it.

By: Scripps News Group

Posted 7:34 PM, Mar 20, 2025

https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/ntsb-risk-of-baltimore-bridge-collapse-was-nearly-30-times-above-standard

=====

Chain laws

Please pay attention to “snow chain laws” laws wherever you travel.

Containers

Language

As I wrote last week:

If a professional truck driver is driving in the United States of America — where road signs are in English — I believe that he/she must be proficient in English.

Do you agree or disagree?

Please comment through the form below.

6. Regarding alcohol, crashes, crashes – bagpipers, death, drugs, and fatalities:

Alcohol

Never ever consume/use products containing alcohol prior to driving a commercial motor vehicle.

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 – bagpipers

This is an interesting situation, where the articles clearly say that the bus carrying the passengers who were hospitalized was the vehicle that did the crashing into a truck!

So, again, the premise that one trucking company had at the time that Mike drove for a local trucking company — that every accident is preventable by the trucker — is completely wrong.

Death

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died as described in these articles.

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

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?

7. Regarding fire, fraud, fraud – VINs, scam, smuggling, and theft:

Fire

It seems to me that there are more truck and truck stop fires than there used to be.

Or perhaps it is the case that the fires are being reported in a more timely fashion than they used to be.

Personally, I think that part of the reason may stem from lithium batteries catching fire.

Fraud

Never attempt to deceive, misrepresent something, intentionally pervert the truth, or pretend to be someone else for the purpose of trying to get something valuable.

Fraud – VINs

This is a clear attempt to deceive and should never have been attempted!

Scam

Be on the lookout for scams!

Smuggling

Never ever transport people made in the image of God as if they were cattle or cargo — no matter how large of an incentive you’ve been offered.

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.

8. Regarding employment, parking, testing, training, truck stop, and truckers:

Employment

Parking

The articles below cover truck parking in Charlotte, NC; New York City; and San Antonio, Texas.

Testing

Training

Truck stop

Truckers

9. Regarding Hurricane Helene, low clearance, roads, routing, shortage, and tunnels:

Hurricane Helene

Low clearance

Please see these posts on this site:

Now, for the article:

Roads

Please bear in mind that roads are subject to being closed by law enforcement at any time and you may need to readjust your route.

Routing

Speaking of routing, don’t ever “intentionally” ignore signs!

Shortage

Nuggets from the article in this section include:

“Todd Spencer, OOIDA’s president, believes the problem is rooted in retention, citing 100% to 150% turnover rates in many trucking companies.”

“According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), truck driver wages are the largest operational expense for carriers. Despite wage increases, fleets still struggle to maintain a stable workforce.”

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that [the truck driver shortage] problem has persisted since the 1980s.”

“The ATA estimates that large truckload carriers experience turnover rates averaging 83% to 93%, creating instability in the labor force.”

Tunnels

10. Regarding FedEx, FMCSA, politics, ports, and postal service:

FedEx

FMCSA

Is a two-week appointment an all-time low record?

Politics

Ports

Postal Service

11. Regarding legal, maintenance, Pros to Know, safety, and weather:

Legal

Maintenance

Pros to Know

Safety

Weather

12. Regarding awards:

Awards

Congratulations to every professional truck driver who has demonstrated skill on the job.

Congratulations to every trucker who has been nominated for — or actually won — an award for his/her skill on the job!

Recognition

Thanks to these truckers who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need!

I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.






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