Exceptional Truck Drivers Recognized at ATA Event

October 28, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Many truckers were recognized for their efforts throughout the industry at American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition this weekend.

ATA’s Driver of the Year Award was given to John Christner Trucking’s Larry Miles, who has been working for 57 years as a professional driver covering more than 7 million accident-free miles since he began his career hauling telephone poles in 1961. Now, he travels an average of 140,000 miles per year for his work.

“Larry is more than deserving of this recognition,” said award presenter and FedEx Freight driver, Dion Saiz. “He has dedicated his life to driving safely. He is a hardworking professional who is willing to share his experiences with his fellow drivers.”

Additionally, the members of LEAD ATA were presented at the conference. LEAD ATA is a training program offering professional training and education for trucking professionals looking to boost skills regarding further industry insight and problem solving.

“I hope you share the same excitement and enthusiasm I have for the future of this great industry and the LEAD ATA program for fostering the next generation of leaders who will take us to new heights,” said DriverReach founder and CEO, Jeremy Reymer, at the conference. “The trucking industry is at an inflection point. I recognize firsthand the importance of innovation and progress.”

The Management Conference and Exhibition also saw the 2021 Cathy Evans Highway to Victory award presented to Robert Low, Prime Inc.‘s president and founder. This particular award was created to recognize members working to advance the industry’s legislative agenda, and is named for former ATA vice president of legislative affairs, Cathy Evans.

“This year, I couldn’t be more proud than to be associated with an industry like the trucking industry,” said Low. ”Our folks have stepped up and we’ve delivered the goods and food and pharmaceuticals to the public.”

Low has made major efforts in leading the industry in aspects like accident litigation, as well as in congressional leader relationships to boost independent contract situations and federal preemption efforts.

“I feel like we’ve made real progress with getting recognition for the contribution of the trucking industry,” Low continued. “And in particular, our drivers–they have done great work.”

The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award was won by Carbon Express, the Indiana Motor Truck Association, and FedEx Freight trucker Wayne Crowder. This award was established to recognize individuals, companies, and groups who work to create a positive public image of the industry.

“The trucking industry is the backbone of our economy and lays a critical role in not only maintaining but also supporting overall economic growth,” said Great West Casualty Co. executive vice president, Steve Ponder. “Many, however, take for granted the importance of our great industry and the dedicated unsung heroes who work tirelessly with professionalism to ensure that we have the essential items that guarantee our prosperity.”

UPS was also given an award at the event–the 2021 Truckers Against Trafficking Champion Award created to celebrate work being done in the industry to fight against human trafficking.

“Over my almost 38 years at UPS, I’ve been involved with many boards,” said UPS’ president of corporate transportation, Lou Rivieccio. “Never to discount the great work that goes on with other boards and agencies, but Truckers Against Trafficking really hit a nerve for me, as I’ve been blessed to [raise] three wonderful daughters. Although adults now, don’t think for one minute I haven’t played the possibility in my mind that no one is immune from the terror that comes with trafficking.”

Finally, two truckers were celebrated for their efforts in helping communities heavily impacted by natural disasters.

COO of Frisard Cos., Cully Frisard, and retired driver and Convoy of Hope volunteer, Gene Woolsey, were recognized as Trucking’s Frontline Heroes for 2021.

“This year, Transport Topics honors two exceptional individuals who use their industry experience to help thousands of individuals impacted by some of this year’s devastating storms,” said Transport Topics publisher, Sue Hensley.

Hensley also noted that the two truckers worked to help a variety of families, communities, and individuals struggling to recover from recent natural disasters.

“As everyone in this audience knows,” she said at the event, “trucking is an industry full of heroes…full of individuals willing to put others and the common good ahead of their own interest.”

CVSA Conducts Another Safe Driver Week, Focuses on Top Violation: Speeding

October 27, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

During the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week safety initiative, law enforcement across North America stopped 46,058 drivers in both passenger and commercial motor vehicles who were driving dangerously, according to recently-released results.

During the July 2021 event, police officers stopped 17,910 passenger vehicles and 28,148 commercial motor vehicles and issued 16,863 citations and 10,486 warnings. Speeding was this year’s top overall violation, and was also the priority for the Safe Driver Week itself.

“Officers issued 11,039 citations and 5,478 warnings for speeding/basic speed law/driving too fast for conditions,” said CVSA in a tweet when initiative results were announced. Of these speeding violations, passenger vehicle drivers received 9,349 citations and 2,929 of warnings; commercial drivers received 1,690 citations and 2,549 warnings.

This amount of speeding violations by truck drivers, specifically, is unacceptable if we want any peace of mind on American roadways, explained Levinson and Stefani’s Ken Levinson.

“Companies need to police their own drivers,” he said. “They can’t and they shouldn’t put unrealistic expectations on their professional drivers to get to a dropoff or pickup location without violating safety rules. It’s clear and obvious that companies that are unsafe and have only major profit motives skirt around safety rules and force their drivers into situations where, in order for them to get to a location on time, they have to speed.”

94% of car crashes are caused by driver behavior, according to the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration. Additionally, the majority of deaths in crashes involving large trucks include the occupants of the passenger vehicle involved (which make up about 71% of these deaths) versus the occupants of the truck involved (which make up about 18% of these deaths).

“We have to make sure that doesn’t happen, whether we’re policing the companies, policing the actual drivers, or really enforcing these safety measures–because the consequences are just too great,” said Levinson.

For passenger vehicle drivers stopped during the weeklong safety initiative, the top violations were: speeding, with 9,349 citations; failure to wear a seat belt, with 1,355 citations; distracted driving using a handheld phone, with 573 citations; possession, use, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with 428 citations; and failure to obey a traffic control device, with 336 citations.

For the commercial motor vehicle drivers that were stopped, the top five violations were: speeding, with 1,690 citations; failure to wear a seat belt, with 1,225 citations; failure to obey a traffic control device, with 522 citations; texting with a handheld phone, with 344 citations; and improper lane change, with 112 citations.

“It’s incumbent upon drivers to be as defensive as possible,” noted Levinson. “These trucks are very heavy and dangerous, and oftentimes a trucker may be pressured to drive more quickly to make their hours or they may not be as alert as they should be–so we all must be as defensive as possible.”

Sometimes, passenger drivers may have too much trust in the drivers around them–which can be especially dangerous when driving near large commercial vehicles, Levinson added.

“It’s not always realistic to avoid incidents with these big trucks because they often do things that are beyond our control to avoid,” he said. “Just be very aware that these trucks are dangerous and use extreme caution.”

Even though overall miles traveled numbers fell during the pandemic, traffic fatalities increased by 10.5% in 2021’s first quarter, according to NHTSA.

“When you’re behind the wheel, watch your speed, and never drive distracted,” said the agency in a tweet.

Alongside the initiatives during Operation Safe Driver Week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted its own investigative event to target motor carriers with a history of unsafe driving behavior and crash incidents.

“Since we know that most crashes are caused by drivers,” said President of CVSA, Captain John Broers, “The best way to prevent crashes is to start with the cause–drivers.”

ATRI Releases Top Industry Issues List, Driver Shortage Remains Biggest Concern

October 26, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

A top concern for the transportation industry this year is, once again, that of the continuing truck driver shortage.

The American Transportation Institute has released its annual list of Top Industry Concerns on Sunday at American Trucking Association’s Management Conference and Exhibition, and this ongoing shortage tops the list for the fifth year in a row. In fact, when votes were counted for the most prevalent concerns of industry members, the driver shortage was found to have four times the number of votes as the second highest-ranking concern–truck driver retention.

Following behind the issues of driver shortages and retention problems, the list included driver compensation in third place, lawsuit abuse reform in fourth, and inadequate truck parking availability in fifth. A shortage of diesel technicians ended up in 10th place–the first time this issue has made the list in any capacity.

“The ATRI list of top industry issues provides a critical snapshot of the challenges impacting our industry at any given moment,” said Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, Chairman of ATA and CEO of Garner Trucking. “This year is no exception, as supply chain constraints dominate the nation’s headlines.”

The true value of ATRI’s list, Brumbaugh noted, is that the organization offers methods of solving these pressing problems.

“ATRI’s analysis not only captures the industry’s sentiment on the criticality of each of these issues, but [it] also maps out a course for addressing each [problem] through the stakeholder-ranked strategies.”

More than 2,500 stakeholders throughout the trucking industry–including drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, motor carriers, and law enforcement–took part in this year’s survey. Around a quarter of participants identified as truck drivers.

“It really is no surprise that truck driver-related issues–notably, the driver shortage and driver retention–ranked so [highly] on the survey,” said Rebecca Brewster, President of ATRI. “Coming out of the pandemic, with the increased demand for goods and other pressures on the supply chain, getting and keeping drivers has been a real challenge industrywide.”

Brewster noted that the supply chain demand that was exacerbated throughout the boom of e-commerce during the pandemic era has clearly had major effects across many aspects of the industry, as made clear in this survey.

“We also see the impacts of the current supply chain crunch in how highly issues like driver compensation, truck parking, infrastructure, and driver detention ranked on the list.”

Because so many truckers are retiring in the midst of the pandemic while newer truckers making their way into the industry are experiencing slow starts due to delays in commercial driver training and licensing, Chief Economist for American Trucking Associations, Bob Costello, raised the overall number of drivers estimated to be needed in the industry from 61,500 to 80,000.

“This is somewhat pandemic-related; we didn’t train enough drivers,” he said, noting that this insufficient number of trained drivers is making it difficult for the industry to keep up with the growing freight demand. “It’s the traditional things we’ve been talking about for the last two decades–it’s the high average age of drivers, not [having] enough females [in the industry], lifestyle [issues], and then you throw in some things that have exacerbated [the issue].”

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s safety measurement system for compliance, safety, and accountability also ranked highly on ATRI’s list–coming in at sixth place this year.

“Carriers are concerned about the peer groups they’re being scored in,” explained Brewster. “There really is still a lot of concern among the industry over this issue.”

Following closely behind on the list is the issue of driver detention, with ATRI adding that at customer facilities, drivers are often not given restroom or facility access while delayed in their freight deliveries. Additionally, these drivers also are often prohibited from staying onsite at the facility if they run over their hours-of-service time allotment during such a delay.

Finally, ranking eighth on the list was transportation infrastructure, funding, and congestion. This points to major issues such as the 1-40 Hernando de Soto bridge closure earlier this year. Because the bridge served as the Mississippi River connection between Memphis and Arkansas, the industry faced costs of more than $1 million during repairs.

Roadway Fatalities Rise as Safety Rule Enforcement Lags Behind

October 23, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The list of Congress-ordered safety rules continues to grow even in the midst of a rise in traffic fatalities from the coronavirus era.

Some of these safety rules are years overdue but could be the difference between life and death for many of the drivers on America’s roadways. According to a governor’s highway safety group, the United States is at the risk of having a “car crash epidemic” if some of these safety rules are not implemented soon.

At least 13 auto safety rules are currently past due and have remained so under the last three presidents, according to a review by the Associated Press regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s rule-making. These rules include a rear seat belt reminder requirement that was initially passed by Congress in 2012 and that was set to be enforced by 2015.

The rear seat belt rule will now likely begin the regulatory process in January of 2022, although deadlines–even those assured by the federal court–have been missed frequently in the past. This seat belt rule is estimated to potentially save hundreds of lives annually.

Another rule yet to be passed is that of child car seats and their side-impact standards, which was originally expected to be passed back in 2014. Additionally, a rule requiring car manufacturers to keep safety defect records for at least a decade and to implement anti-ejection protection measures for large buses is still awaiting action.

“I think with safety records, companies shouldn’t dispose of things that can help determine the cause of injury or death,” said Levinson and Stefani’s Ken Levinson. “It can only help protect people down the road, so companies need to secure and maintain records that can be used to save lives–it seems obvious to me.”

Levinson also noted that so many of these things should just be common sense, and there shouldn’t be this much wait time in bringing them into regulation to keep people safe.

“The government shouldn’t have to require the maintaining of safety records, but clearly, companies aren’t saving these records for whatever reason, and it’s incumbent upon the government and other elected officials to make sure they keep these records to protect people in the future–women, children, men, and working people,” he said.

There are also plans in place to implement mandates regarding automatic emergency braking systems on both heavy trucks and passenger vehicles–NHTSA has promised that a national database documenting automated vehicle-related crashes is in the works, as are strict autonomous vehicle testing standards.

“Automatic emergency brakes are not that expensive, and they are able to save lives and should absolutely be required,” said Levinson. “Mandating them in new vehicles is a good thing for public safety and for all of us.”

In 2020, 38,680 people are estimated to have died in roadway crashes–the highest number since 2007. 8,730 additional people died in traffic crashes in the first quarter of 2021, which is a 10.5% increase from the same period in 2020 although overall vehicle miles driven dropped significantly during the pandemic.

Over half of all crash fatalities recorded in 2020 involved drivers or occupants who failed to wear a seat belt, and each year, over 800 people die in crashes when they have failed to wear a seat belt in the back seat.

Because of this, it’s clear that swift action in bringing these safety mandates to fruition can no longer be delayed.

“We all pay the price when injuries happen and when people fill up emergency rooms and ICUs in the hospital, especially when they’re taking up space for other people to be given proper medical treatment,” said Levinson. “Failure to mandate safety standards leads to rising healthcare costs, innocent people being harmed, a loss in productivity–there’s a number of reasons that are in the public interest to make sure that people are safe.”

Some states are indeed working to increase seat belt usage–Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut recently signed into effect a law requiring back-seat passengers over the age of 16 to wear a seat belt. Of course, passengers younger than 16 were already required to do so.

Still, we’re nowhere near where we should be in regards to federal safety standards, industry experts agree.

“I can’t say the U.S. regulator of the auto industry is at all on track,” said Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety president, Cathy Chase. “It’s time for them to move forward.”

Truckers Recognized for Safe Driving, But Driver Shortage Still Looms

October 22, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

116 drivers for J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. are receiving major recognition for having driven one million miles without any preventable accident occurrences.

For the first time, some of these drivers had reached 5 million safe miles, with other drivers reaching between 2- and 4-million miles without preventable incidents. During its Million Mile Celebration, the company celebrated these drivers at its Lowell, Arkansas corporate headquarters. This company event held for safe drivers and their families has taken place since 2011, although recognition for Million Mile drivers began in 1971.

“Our Million Mile drivers represent the epitome of who we want all of our drivers to be,” said president of contract services and chief operating officer of J.B. Hunt, Nick Hobbs. “It’s their unwavering commitment to be the very best at what they do that makes this accomplishment so special. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Additionally, these drivers continued company tradition to celebrate this achievement by walking in the Million Mile Walk of Flame–descending four flights of stairs which were filled with other company employees cheering them on. For these drivers who went above and beyond in their attention to safety, the company awarded safe driver bonuses equaling more than $1.6 million.

“We’ve been hosting this ceremony for 20 years, and I believe we’ll be doing it for 20 more,” said John Roberts, the company’s CEO. “The atmosphere is electric. There’s so much excitement to celebrate our drivers and their achievements.”

Now, these drivers will be commemorated on the Million Mile Wall, a wall recognizing all J.B. Hunt drivers who have reached between 1 million and 5 million safe miles. Nearly 4,000 company drivers are listed on this wall.

Although having this many loyal company drivers operating their vehicles so safely is a win for the industry, other trucking experts are worried that safety isn’t enough when the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing truck driver shortage.

“COVID exposed the underlying reasons for the shortage–an aging workforce with an average age of 55 and an industry that has struggled to recruit younger people or retain existing drivers,” said President of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, Greg Fulton. “That paradigm left the trucking industry vulnerable to a major unforeseen event, such as the pandemic.”

Fulton explained that trucking was more heavily impacted by the effects of pandemic than many other American industries, especially with so many drivers leaving or retiring instead of continuing on in during this difficult time.

“Has anyone stopped to ask if these drivers would have left if the pandemic never happened?” Fulton asked. “Many of these drivers were among the industry’s most skilled and safest, and maybe they weren’t quite ready to leave the road. Some left due to circumstances such as health concerns or the economy, not necessarily because they wanted to stop driving.”

For some of the older drivers who did leave to be incentivized to return to the industry, Fulton suggests that trucking must be restructured in a way that offers lucrative pay and an adequate lifestyle for them.

“At this point in their lives, many of these drivers want to be home every night, and may find loading or unloading freight a challenge,” he said. “Short routes that allow them to sleep in their own beds at night, and jobs that are less physically demanding–such as drop-and-hook loads with “no-touch” freight–may encourage them to come back.”

Fulton did note that that boosted recognition of truck drivers–especially for their efforts during COVID–have caught the attention of many people throughout the country who may be interested in entering the industry.

“The improved public image of trucking may also compel [the drivers who left] to return,” he said. “The pandemic elevated the importance of truck drivers to the public, and the public is also now more aware of the driver shortage–which on the ground level, may lead to greater appreciation shown to these professionals.”

Still, though, attracting back some drivers who left as well as attracting younger potential drivers needs to be the priority to keep the industry meeting demand.

“Longer-term, we must create a pipeline to fill our future needs,” Fulton said, “This improved public image may create greater interest by younger people to consider careers in trucking. It will take some time, but telling our industry’s story now to the incoming generation–especially in this moment–is vital.”

Drivers Should Have 90 To Replace Their Recalled CPAP Machines, Medical Advisors Recommend

October 19, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

We recently reported on the recent recall to certain continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP machines), which are vital pieces of equipment and treatment methods for those with mild to severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea of some level affects nearly one-third of truck drivers.

The recall was announced earlier this year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after it found that debris and harmful chemical exposure during usage of these machines posed a severe health risk to users.

Now, medical examiners are recommended by a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration medical advisory board to offer alternative treatment methods to truck drivers. Examiners are likely to have 90 days to determine which alternative options will be best for truckers afflicted with sleep apnea, and these methods found must offer the same kind of treatment as the Philips Respironics continuous airway pressure machines that are now being recalled nationwide.

“In response to the CPAP recall, appropriate oral appliance usage for certification is accepted for drivers diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea impacted by the Philips Respironics recall,” said the advisory board regarding its recommendations. “This therapy will be accepted until CPAP machines become available again for treatment.”

Still, drivers with untreated and severe sleep apnea are exempt from this recommendation, the medical examiners noted. The review board is still determining the best ways that qualified drivers with obstructive sleep apnea can continue to work and be medically certified to operate their vehicles, when CPAP machines are the treatment method upon which FMCSA has relied for so long.

If obstructive sleep apnea remains untreated, drivers are at a much higher risk for accident or crash as they could become severely fatigued while behind the wheel. Allowing untreated drivers to continue operating their commercial motor vehicles while a new preferred treatment method is found could cause a major public safety risk, board members said.

Levinson and Stefani’s Ken Levinson weighed in on the issue.

“It seems to me that this treatment is something that should absolutely be provided by trucking companies or some sort of government assistance,” he said. “It’s vital that truckers are able to work safely, and if they fall asleep at the wheel, it can cause a lot of harm and it’s a big issue.”

He added that their lifestyles can cause them to be more susceptible to various health problems, so making sure the medical issues at hand are treated in a proper and timely manner is of the utmost importance.

“Truckers have such a sedentary job that it’s hard for them to stay physically fit, so we need to do everything we can to make sure the trucking companies are conducting proper medical testing before drivers are hired and that they can also access the kind of equipment they need, whether it’s these CPAP machines or other devices to stay safe and healthy,” Levinson said.

The medical advisory board is working on ways to offer examiners various methods and opportunities to address the recall for the health of these truck drivers.

“Our goal today is to come together as a group and to develop some recommendations that we can give to the agency that will hopefully be passed along to our medical examiner community and drivers managing this issue,” said board chair Gina Pervall.

This CPAP machine recall has left a clear shortage in the market for sleep apnea equipment, and Philips Respironics explained that it is working to replace the recalled devices as quickly as possible.

“With millions of devices recalled, and many of them used by commercial motor vehicle drivers, Philips’ recall has widespread implications for commercial driver health, highway safety, and interstate commerce,” said American Trucking Associations safety policy specialist, Laura Spector. “As the medical review board is aware, without appropriate treatment options many drivers with obstructive sleep apnea will be out of compliance with FMCSA’s physical qualifications for driver regulations.”

As to how soon a potential solution will be found, Spector explained that many things are still up in the air.

“Notably, there is no clear timeline indicated when individuals might expect their device to be repaired or replaced,” she said, “with some sources estimating it could take up to one year for devices to be fully operational.”