Many Concerns Still Loom Over Driver Safety, FMCSA Says

May 28, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

“We’re looking at the latest crash trends. They concern us,” said FMCSA Office of Research and Registration associate administrator, Tom Keane, at the recent Analysis, Research, and Technology Forum. “So, we’re taking a wholesale look at our programs, reassessing where we might be able to do some things differently. We’re talking with our state partners to figure out what the best practices are, and where we might be able to go from here moving forward.”

This discussion arises as many FMCSA officials presenting findings regarding recent statistical and research-related updates, including those surrounding heavy truck-related crash fatalities and injuries, which have seen a steady increase over the last few years. One particular worry is the increase specifically in regards to truck-involved pedestrian deaths, according to FMCSA’ analysis division chief, Bill Bannister.

Other areas of major safety concern in fatal crashes, according to FMCSA officials, include work zone accidents, distracted driving, failure to use a seat belt, and speeding.

Bannister added that other risky behaviors often involved in dangerous crashes are cell phone use and drug- and alcohol-impaired driving.

“However, we should note that a little more than two-thirds of truck fatal crashes have no driver-related factors cited in the crash,” Bannister noted. Furthermore, he explained that although we do indeed see an uptick in fatal truck crashes, the overall number of bus and truck crashes leading to fatalities is well below the number of these crashes that were reported in the year 2000.

It is important to note, though, that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s methods around collecting data through its Fatality and Analysis Reporting system underwent changes in 2016–the year pickup trucks weighing in at an excess of 10,000 pounds were first counted as being ‘large trucks,’ thus changing considerations regarding comparisons of crash numbers in recent years and those prior to 2016.

“Starting in 2016, NHTSA improved its methodology in assessing the number of trucks, adding pickup trucks to the mix that would have previously counted as small trucks,” Bannister explained.

Pertaining to on-site focused and on-site comprehensive carrier investigations, FMCSA’s acting associate administrator for its Office of Enforcement, Joe DeLorenzo, explained that 2020’s investigation numbers show the ways in which the agency should change its approach to compliance enforcement.

“I think that’s kind of a good story,” he said. “I also think it starts to make us think about lessons learned and what our posture may be in terms of enforcement going into the future, and using maybe more of a blended approach which we were heading in [the direction of], anyway.”

Last year, FMCSA conducted a total of 5,052 off-site carrier investigations, 3,926 on-site focused carrier investigations, and 2,903 on-site comprehensive investigations.

“What this shows is that it does seem that we were able to do as many, or more, investigations remotely during the COVID-19 national health emergency–or any other situation–but also continue to identify non-compliance in those carriers that are presenting us with high risk,” DeLorenzo continued. “It really [made us feel] good about how that worked and how quickly the agency was able to transition.”

One surprise in terms of what was found during these inspections was that the number of hours-of-service violations–besides violations related to 30-minute mandatory break times–saw little to no decline since the HOS regulation change was officially put into effect, boosting break and driving time flexibility for truckers.

“Generally, I had hoped to see 14-hour violations, and maybe 11-hour violations, starting to go down,” DeLorenzo said. “We haven’t quite seen that yet.”

Another recent regulation change was that of electronic logging device mandates, and in December 2020, 92.4 percent of ELD data transfers during inspections went smoothly, up from the average success rate of ELD data transfers of 88.6 percent in 2017.

“This is a little bit of an overlooked part of the ELD rule, but it’s particularly important to me, because what I am hoping to see here as time goes on [is that] we are able to increase the data transfers,” said DeLorenzo, “[so] we should be able to see efficiency in the inspection process.”

Still, it is indeed surprising that even with the recent ELD and hours-of-service regulation changes going into effect last year, the overall number of violations found during these routine roadside inspections saw very few changes–or improvements.

“It doesn’t seem that [in] 2020, even with the pandemic–albeit at lower levels–violation rates really changed in any way, [nor did] types of violations from years past,” DeLorenzo said.

Nation’s Workforce Will Likely See Major Changes at Hands of Automation

May 27, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Automation innovations are becoming extremely impactful on the lives of America’s workforce, according to Meera Joshi, acting administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

These people will need to have adequate preparation should their jobs be likely to become affected by these changing technologies, as these modernizations may have “extremely real and broad impacts,” Joshi noted. Preparation should include proper training opportunities and access to to information regarding other jobs that can continue adequately, regardless of automation.

Joshi spoke at the virtual 20th annual Analysis, Research, and Technology Forum held by FMCSA–the Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology focuses heavily on decreasing truck crash deaths and injuries by contributing data and analysis for scientific research regarding boosted safety tech.

Previously, Joshi served as commissioner for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

“There’s a huge workforce that today travels all across the nation and performs the duties of a professional driver, and it’s been a mainstay of American employment for quite a long time,” she explained. “Nothing will happen overnight, but automated vehicles will certainly make inroads into that workforce. What we can’t argue about is that this is a reality. There will be a major shift in [the nation’s] workforce.”

The identification and improvement of fatal crash corridors that pose a high risk to drivers is another area of focus by FMCSA’s Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology, said the office’s acting director, Kenneth Riddle, at the virtual event. The group is prioritizing a project that will investigate the cases of previous fatal crashes in these areas and determine which spots are the most dangerous–and find efficient methods of improvement.

To begin a nation-wide approach targeting specific regions, the office will utilize data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to make the most effective changes possible, noted the Analysis Division’s chief, William Bannister.

According to Riddle, the office will also place major focus into Innovative Technology Deployment grants to fund aspects of Innovative Technology Deployment programs across certain states, such as information systems that are carrier-specific. Additionally, FMCSA will hold a demonstration with its fleets designed specifically for automated vehicle testing this year through its Technology Division.

“The Innovative Technology Deployment grants are a critical resource for states to deploy technology projects to improve overall efficiency to their [commercial motor vehicle] operations [within] both the administration and enforcement areas,” explained Riddle.

In addition, improved compliance capabilities will be a major factor at hand with these efforts. Riddle added: “The ITD projects improve the efficiency of state roadside regulatory compliance activities to allow them to focus on high-risk carriers.”

Still, many regulations are currently in limbo as the government transitions from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, with many proposals still under review. One such proposal is that of a pilot program which originally aimed to evaluate two truck driver sleeper berth split time options–one that divided 10 hours of mandatory off duty time into a 6/4-hour split, and one that divided it into a 5/5-hour split.

“Real evaluation of what’s currently in place is something that I think is primary in understanding whether there should be further adjustment to the rules,” said Joshi. “We’re certainly open and interested and need the information from stakeholders whose particular category of business may [cause them to] find themselves in different situations with respect to our rules. There’s absolutely that balance.”

The coronavirus pandemic has also led to further changes regarding safety improvement efforts, as stay-at-home orders caused more people to stay off the road and reduce traffic congestion–but with more people returning to work and fewer people wanting to use public transportation out of fear of virus transmission, the nation could see more vehicles on the roads now than we did pre-pandemic.

“2021 may very well see many more cars and many more trucks on our roads,” said Joshi. “That doesn’t bode well for reducing fatalities. It makes our task that much more challenging in the coming years.”

Still, groups like American Transportation Research Institute are dedicating many of their efforts to analyzing Crash Predictor Models and a potential vehicle-miles-traveled tax system for the country, according to ATRI’s President, Rebecca Brewster, who made clear the fact that modern and adaptive industry research will continue on, no matter what setbacks may arise.

Biden Calls for Environmental Justice in Aftermath of Trump Era

May 26, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

“Environmental justice” is at the forefront of executive orders made by President Joe Biden in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s environmental regulations. A priority of these efforts will be actions helping to reduce overall emissions of greenhouse gasses, especially within minority communities through which many trucks haul their shipments.

“The policy is sprinkled into everything this administration is going to do,” explained American Trucking Associations energy and environmental affairs counsel, Glen Kedzie. “Our industry needs to get to know the term. We frequent ports, rail yards, warehouses, and inner cities as part of our conducting business.”

According to Kedzie, these orders will pertain to the continuation of reduction efforts within regions across the United States that have seen many negative health aspects as a result of pollution from GHG levels, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides from heavy trucking activity. Thus, the trucking industry will experience many changes and boosted pressure to make environmentally healthier changes–quickly.

Luckily, the trucking industry as a whole has worked hard throughout recent years to reduce its carbon footprint and to comply with regulatory changes surrounding the issue of greenhouse gas emissions since 2007. These efforts include participation in the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Program, as well as compliance within its Phase 1 and Phase 2 GHG regulation updates, Kedzie added.

Biden’s January executive order calling for environmental justice prioritization pledged that the regulatory change would hold high standards for pollution sources across the country, particularly for sources that “disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.”

According to the official executive order, “the federal government has failed to meet that commitment in the past, [and] it must advance environmental justice.”

This change is going to be a “big thing for us,” Kedzie said of the trucking industry, noting that workers within the trucking sector should work diligently to participate in these green efforts, especially because the order will allow the Biden administration to have broader oversight over all sources of energy and pollution production, including both stationary and mobile components.

“If we don’t [participate’ voluntarily], the administration is going to [carry out these efforts] through regulatory and mandatory measures,” Kedzie said.

To progress with an easier, more widespread adoption of zero-emission technology, the trucking industry will need proper inducements, explained clean transportation advocate at GreenLatinos, Andrea Marpillero-Colomina.

“I think that the major issue with the trucking industry is that there are no incentives,” she explained, adding that cost-effective business mindsets will cause the trucking industry to continue using its fossil fuel-powered vehicles for as long as it can until it feels persuaded to make environmentally-friendly changes.

Forcing those changes, though, may be less productive than one may expect, Marpillero-Colomina noted.

“I don’t think it’s going to be effective. It’s not going to win any allies to point fingers at the trucking industry and say, ‘You guys are responsible for this,’” she said.

Efficient communication between government officials and trucking companies is key in this case, added transportation analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, Patricio Portillo.

“There needs to be close collaboration between the state regulatory agencies and motor carriers so there can be a lot of back and forth in terms of what’s needed,” he said.

California-based environmental researcher for ATA, Mike Tunnell, agreed, explaining that because fleets have already made major changes over the last several years, we should be able to assume that future clean air efforts will be much easier moving forward.

“The industry has come a long way in the last decade or so, and we’ll see how the [EPA’s] Clean Trucks initiative will play out,” Tunnel said. “Then the question becomes, ‘How much is enough?’ At the end of the day, if you end up with an all-electric fleet, does this issue go away? Or is it really a matter of trucks in your neighborhood?”

Still, he believes these actions will continue to snowball in the coming years.

“It sounds like the administration is making environmental justice a priority with trucks operating in or near some of these communities,” he said. “That will definitely be looked at as a potential source of emissions. I think we can expect more activity in this area.”

Green Transportation Bills Backed by Sen. Markey

May 25, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

“Business-as-usual is building bad highways and breaking our planet–we can build smarter, safer, and healthier systems if we factor climate impacts and emissions into our decision-making process,” said Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts. Markey is currently working with other Democratic senators to implement new greenhouse gas emission-reducing legislation.

This bill, named the Generating Resilient (and) Environmentally-Exceptional National–or ‘GREEN’–Streets Act, and would boost state standards in relation to greenhouse gas emissions throughout America’s roadways and regarding vehicles’ per capita miles traveled.

“I’m reintroducing the GREEN Streets Act with [Senator Tom Carper] and [Representative Jared Huffman] to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the national highway system and help states adapt to the adverse effects of climate change,” Markey said recently in a tweet.

Markey also works as a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which overlooks policies in regards to surface transportation.

“We can advance the goals of clean energy, climate process, and healthy communities, as well as fortify ourselves against the adverse impacts of climate change,” Markey continued. “An essential component of that effort is to re-envision how we plan for, construct, and maintain our national highway system, [by] using climate measures that matter, and [ensuring] that we hold systems accountable.”

This new legislation would work to push for minimum state agency standards to be established at the hands of the transportation secretary. These standards, which would prioritize the overall decline of greenhouse gas emission allowance and per capita vehicle miles traveled, would also call for state reduction and assessment metrics.

Ideally, states would be able to delegate specific highway funding for compliance, and be required, along with Metropolitan Planning Organizations, to permit strategies and infrastructure projects that could help them bring about vehicle miles traveled-reducing and emissions-reducing capabilities throughout the entire transportation industry.

“When we look at building back better and addressing climate change, our nation’s highways present us with an incredible opportunity,” noted Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware. “We need to establish bold goals for reducing transportation emissions and to deliver safe, reliable, zero-emission travel choices for the public. Our bill would set the bar for states to encourage them to reduce vehicles emissions while improving health and reducing congestion in the process.”

In addition to the GREEN Bill, Markey proposed further legislation–the Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act, which would seek an annual grant of $500 million for state, regional, and local agencies alike to work toward a focus upon biking and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. A big upswing in non-vehicle mobility could lead to a much larger reduction of emission pollution and traffic congestion–as well as boosted safety for these kinds of travelers–according to supporters of the bill.

“Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities are on the rise, and expanding active transportation networks will help address the national safety crisis on our streets,” explained Markey.

Sufficient federal funding would also allow for a wider range of transportation possibilities to become more accessible for everyone, he added.

“At the same time, significant federal investment in active transportation will help address the climate crisis by reducing driving emissions, as well as ensure that all individuals, no matter their age or ability, can reach their destinations through affordable and healthy travel options,” Markey continued.

Many of these bills’ supporters note that the current infrastructure and emissions issues in their particular states are especially in need of modern, healthier, and more universally-beneficial upgrades.

“Alaska’s transportation systems are in need of expansion, and building and connecting pedestrian and trail networks [are] an important part of bringing our infrastructure into the 21st century,” said Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan. “This legislation will provide opportunities to compete for significant funding to complete and further expand trails.”

Other backers of Markey’s bills include co-sponsors such as Senators Alex Padilla of California, Dianne Feinstein of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon, and Bernie Sanders; as well as house sponsors like Representatives Grace Napolitano of California, Bill Foster of Illinois, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.

Safety Advocates Join ATA in Pushing for Speed Limiter Rule

May 24, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Speed limiter support is a main focus in the recent letter sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from American Trucking Associations and Road Safe America, a group of safety advocates.

In the letter, which outlined the groups’ push for Congressional and Department of Transportation policymakers to put in place new speed limiter guidelines, explained that the speed limiter rule originally written into a 2016 rulemaking proposal is due for some major updates. This idea is inspired mostly by the current plethora of automated driver-assist safety technology that has seen huge advancements in the last few years.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created that 2016 proposal, which requested that all trucks, buses, and multipurpose vehicles with maximum vehicle weight ratings of at least 26,000 pounds have speed-limiting devices implemented onboard. With these heavy-weighing vehicles at hand, the proposal offered that maximum top speeds should be between 60 and 68 miles per hour.

Still, though, the proposal failed to mention the ATA-supported anti-tampering requirements for said speed limiters, as NPRM has had many concerns regarding these regulations–even though ATA was a supporter early-on in the speed-limiter conversation.

“When the Department of Transportation initially published the 2016 notice of proposed rulemaking, ATA and many other carriers shared several concerns about the efficacy of a one-size-fits-all solution applied to a sector as complex and nuanced as trucking,” wrote Steve Owings, president of Road Safe America, and Chris Spear, President of ATA, in their letter to Buttigieg in March. “Foremost among them were the unintended and potentially dangerous consequences of limiting commercial drivers to one universal speed limit despite the varying limits set for passenger vehicles on interstate and secondary roads. Another question was how such a rule would adapt to the rapid evolution taking place in vehicle safety technology.”

These kinds of technological changes in the trucking world have allowed more and more fleets to easily utilize high-quality, highly-efficient automated safety tech, which has made ATA begin to “support new and safer approaches to speed management,” according to the letter. Therefore, all methods of speed limiting should take into account any current “21st century solution” that would be able “to ensure maximum adaptability” for a motor carrier–especially as the adoption of integrated safety technology among fleets is happening more quickly than ever before.

ATA has been working to secure a speed limiter rule since 2006, when it first urged FMCSA to implement a new regulation–a proposal which was initially supported by the agency. However, many questions quickly arose in regards to the lack of helpful data and a “flawed” method to limiting overall speeds.

“The world has changed so much since 2006,” said Bill Sullivan, executive vice president of ATA. “In 2016, 2018, [and] 2020, technology [had] become such a huge part of how motor carriers manage safety for their trucks.”

This isn’t the first proposal for updated speed limiter regulations in recent years, either–in December 2019, many safety advocacy groups, including Road Safe America, heavily supported the Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act. This bill, proposed in the Senate, was named for Steve Owings’ son, who died when a cruise-control-operating tractor-trailer struck his car in 2002.

This 2019 legislation “promoted incentives to drive adoption and use of newer technologies” while allowing the Department of Transportation to be able to ”continually review and update technology requirements to guard against obsolescence,” the letter explained.

“We’re continuing to figure out exactly what our strategy is going to be, along with others who are supportive of this,” said Owings of the 2021 proposal. “We’ve got a pretty big coalition. We’re going to continue to push for this common-sense change both in the regulatory arena and the legislative [arena].”

Although speed limiters are not a new tool, there are now many more possibilities for their usage, as they can work in tandem with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and other automated safety tech to boost a fleet’s safety capabilities.

“Speed is a component of safety, but now it’s only one tool in a suite of technologies that we have,” Sullivan noted. “Speed limiting is a fundamental component of safety management. ATA’s policies support speed limiting, and we need to make sure that it’s done in a way that accommodates the changes in equipment and technology.”

Lasting Changes May be a Result of Contactless Delivery Methods Brought About by Pandemic

May 24, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The pandemic has brought with it many changes across the trucking industry, from shut-down rest areas and shipping ports to changes in road safety and manufacturing capabilities–but one positive change has clearly been the speed and efficiency of contactless deliveries.

In early 2020, The Consumer Brands Association collaborated with carriers, truck manufacturers, and retailers to outline contactless delivery method standards and test their usability.

“The task forces put emphasis on documenting the underlying use cases, understanding current processes, talking about what the technology would enable going forward, and then laying out the standards and publishing that,” explained the vice president of supply chain at the Consumer Brands Association, Tom Madrecki. “This is where we think that contactless delivery is headed.”

The task force has worked diligently to put in place various pilot programs that allowed it to easily test specific contactless procedures, Madrecki said. Companies have also been able to implement many short-term contactless methods including social distancing and communicating to dockworkers from the cab. However, aspects like paperless technology may be key to a lasting contactless system.

“The open question is, ‘How do you scale new technology?’” Madrecki added. “How do you accelerate carrier adoption? How do you get the facilities on board? How do you ensure that if people have different technology solutions…they’re quickly adopting those, and…they’re all sort of similar?”

Still, though, contactless options have seen massive shifts even in the short amount of time since the pandemic began.

“I think, at the start of the pandemic, contactless pickup and delivery was really for the sake of social distancing and keeping drivers physically distant from warehouse employees, shipping clerks, and guards,” said Vector Logistics co-founder, Will Chu. Vector is a provider of logistics software to fleets. “There’s a lot of traffic, a lot of people moving in and out, and you think about distribution facilities and the number of people coming in–[they are] definitely hot spots for potential outbreaks.”

In particular, Chu said, paperless systems save companies a lot of time by reducing the travel time from the staging area to check-in and by diminishing lines that would grow at the entrance of facilities. This also allowed companies to gain more overall insight into how time can be much more easily managed.

“We’ve been able to reduce dwell times from 30% to 50%,” explained Chu. “We’re replacing a process that really involved a driver speaking to multiple people, getting in and out of their cab multiple times to get paperwork, to sign paperwork. They’re removing into a process where everything can be done from the comfort of their own cab, over a mobile app.”

These time-saving contactless procedures will likely be here for the long term, Chu added.

“The conversation has shifted from safety and social distancing to efficiency and visibility,” he said. “That has been the larger driver of process and business process change. You’re moving from a system where it was just a physical piece of paper to now a digital system.”

Although these changes have been a long time coming, it seems COVID-19 has forced them to finally come into play at warp-speed. Now, companies like XPO Logistics and Ryder System Inc. have boosted their contactless delivery methods by incorporating contactless customer interaction through procedures like synchronized e-signature capture.

“Contactless and electronic supply chains have been a growing necessity in the industry for many years, and the pandemic has accelerated the need to innovate and adapt quickly,” noted Coyote Logistics chief network solutions officer, Nick Shroeger. Coyote has been working with the CBA’s task force. “While many of the recent advancements in contactless technology have been rooted in creating safer operations and working conditions for members of the supply chain, there are additional benefits to these solutions.”

Those solutions include overall cost savings brought about by automating data storage and paperwork, decreasing dwell times, and allowing for the full reconciliation of deliveries, Shroeger explained. The improved efficiency from these changes is showing that they are likely to become a permanent part of the trucking world.

“There’s a lot of success, not only around keeping workers safe,” said Madrecki, “which is the original premise, of course, and [in] trying to minimize interaction, but there [are] actually a lot of documented cases of enhanced efficiency when it comes to the speed that a driver can get in and get out.”