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The Trucking Industry Wants Congress to Consider Allowing Longer and Heavier Semi-Trucks on the Road, But Is It Safe?

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As Congress considers new spending on infrastructure projects in 2019, trucking and transportation companies are looking to convince legislators to approve more relaxed rules that would allow shippers to haul heavier loads and longer trailers on their trucks.

A number of American shipping companies, including UPS, FedEx, and Amazon formed an advocacy group with a wholesome sounding name called Americans for Modern Transportation that is actively seeking to influence Congress to allow trucks to start pulling two, connected 33-foot trailers, adding 10 feet to what the current law allows. The shipping companies argue that longer trucks would reduce the number of trucks on the road and would allow companies to better meet online shopping demand.

With people buying more things online, online shopping is rapidly overtaking brick and mortar retail sales. This begs the question that even if current shipping demands could be met by by fewer trucks with longer trailers, as demand in e-commerce inevitably increases, won’t the number of huge trucks on the road also go up? Shippers certainly aren’t looking to ship less.

Even if we imagine that these new rules would result in fewer big-rigs on the highway, longer trailers would mean heavier trucks. The increase would be measured in tons. This would also lengthen the stopping time for drivers carrying such massive cargo. Since it takes more time and distance to stop a heavier vehicle, commercial drivers would need more space on the road to operate safely.

Current rules limit truck weights to 80,000 pounds. Trucking companies want this number raised by over 5 tons to allow hauling up to 91,000 pounds. As for the trailers carried by trucks, industry advocates want to increase their length by five feet. With two, connected trailers this ads 10 feet to vehicles that are already on the road making already massive big-rigs even bigger.

Congress already rejected a similar industry proposal back in 2015. One main concern is the damage that an increase of over 5 tons per truck might cause to our already deteriorating roads and bridges.

Illinois, like the rest of the country is dealing with an aging infrastructure problem that needs to be addressed. Just recently a cracked bridge shut down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Federal authorities said the bridge did not meet minimum national standards for new bridges, and the Federal Highway Administration called it “obsolete.”

The Briggs Street bridge that runs over I-80 in Joliet is causing concerned residents to plead to local authorities to replace it before a proposed truck stop is built right next to it.

An inspection of the bridge showed that it is in even worse condition than the partially collapsed Lake Shore Drive bridge. A truck stop there would only add more pressure, wear, and tear to an already failing bridge. Adding longer and heavier trucks to the mix could be a recipe for disaster.

Congress should consider the real impact these shipping industry proposed rules would have on people’s lives not only in the inevitable increased travel times for passenger vehicles trying to navigate around these new super trucks, but even more importantly the concern for public safety that arises. A paramount concern should be that these vehicles have safe roads and bridges to travel over. Let’s fix the roads first and then talk about bigger rigs to fill our Amazon orders.

Trucking Companies Should Focus More on Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention

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The numbers are concerning. As The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to keep statistics on work deaths, drivers consistently rank in the top ten of most dangerous jobs in the country. There is no doubt that driving a truck is hard work. Add to that the long hours, over-night routs, and tough weather conditions and a picture starts to emerge of a hard, gritty way to make a living.

With hundreds of work deaths every year, safety has to be top of mind for everyone in the transportation, shipping, and driving industry. This of course includes management as well as drivers. One obvious safety measure for drivers and management is making sure their fellow drivers are rested, alert, and sober when they hit the road in their vehicles.

Federal regulations require supervisors for commercial motor vehicle drivers who have a commercial driver’s license to complete at least an hour of training on the alcohol abuse symptoms and an additional hour of training on controlled substance symptoms. This is meant to help management recognize the signs that a driver may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and to refer them to testing. Hopefully those drivers get help. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations do not require supervisors to get recurring training on these issues.

These rules notwithstanding, trucking outfits would only benefit by paying more attention to this concern. Most Americans are aware of the opioid epidemic in this country as well as a perpetual “war on drugs” that seems to have no end in sight. Despite the fact that no reasonable person would disagree that drunk driving is wrong, people still do it.

One explanation may be loneliness. In a 2014 study on the connection between loneliness and drug abuse, researchers found that people who abuse drugs tend to be struggling with loneliness, too. Life on the road is often a solo endeavor. Drivers spend long hours alone behind the wheel and even if they drive with a partner, often one driver is sleeping while the other works.

Anyone who has ever taken a long trip knows that it is not always easy to stay alert for a long drive, therefore, rest and breaks are important. That is why it is so crucial for trucking companies to be diligent in catching signs of driver substance abuse. Some truck drivers may turn to drugs like cocaine or amphetamines to stay awake on the road, but these substances alter the mind and tend to cause symptoms that can impair a driver’s ability to make decisions and see the road in front of them clearly.

One way that trucking companies and drivers can improve this situation is by going beyond the Federal Regulations and giving more attention to drug and alcohol abuse symptom training and prevention. Being pro-active and getting ahead of the problem can save lives before it’s too late. If management is better trained on what to look for when a driver has a problem, that person may be able to get help or rehabilitation so that they can get back on the road clean and sober. Everyone should agree that a top priority for the transportation industry would be to stop and prevent impaired driving entirely. There is almost no bigger vehicle on the road and therefore a no more dangerous one than a big rig. Keeping truck drivers safe and sober is as important as the safety of everyone else on the highway. In an industry that employs so many and is so vital to our economy, more training meant to recognize how much this problem affects road safety can mean the difference between life and death.

The Trouble With Drowsy Driving

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Some of us are old enough to remember when phones were mounted on kitchen walls or sat on end tables in the living room. Now, of course, they’re everywhere. We use them as movie studious, virtual wallets, personal assistants, heart monitors, and a million other things you can think of, or a million other things you haven’t thought of yet. Today they’re unavoidable. Everywhere you go you see people looking down at their hand-held mini-screens. It’s almost as if they’re addicted. Even if you’re reluctant to admit you have a problem, with as much time as people spend on their devices, before you know it, you’ve spent half the day checking your timeline.  

A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, titled, Time distortion associated with smartphone addiction: Identifying smartphone addiction via a mobile application (App)., looks at exactly this issue. (By the way, the irony of studying smartphone addiction using a mobile app is not lost on this writer). The authors of the study noticed that people reported looking at their phones a lot less than the app tracking their use recorded them actually using their devices. This tendency to under-report seem to suggest that phone addiction is a real thing. Similar to a person who may have had a few too many at a bar insisting he, “only had a couple.”

It probably doesn’t take reading through scientific studies for the average person to see that we’re on our cellphones way too much. So much so, that it’s even become a safety concern. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,450 fatalities resulting from cell phone related distracted driving in 2016 alone. There’s no doubt that looking at your newsfeed while driving is incredibly dangerous, yet it happens every day. But, even if you put your phone away when you get behind the wheel, your phone habits even when you’re not in the car could be affecting your driving.

Consider another symptom of our increasingly busy modern lives – drowsy driving. It might be much harder to track than smartphone related crashes, but the government statistics on traffic accidents caused by tired drivers are no less concerning. Based on police statistics, 2015 saw over 72,000 car crashes attributed to drowsy driving.

Drowsy driving is a lot more common than you might think. Consider the average work day in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), at least a third of Americans are getting less than at least 7 hours of sleep a night. For people getting less than that, say 6 hours per night, that means they are up for at least 18 hours a day. This may not seem too concerning to some, however studies have shown that being awake for 18 hours straight has the same effect on a person as having a blood alcohol content of .05%, just shy of the legal limit for driving in most states. The bottom line is, if you get behind the wheel without a good night’s rest, much like enjoying too many cocktails, you risk having delayed reaction time, difficulty with decision making, and you can have trouble just paying attention.

Much of the blame for this growing exhaustion seems to be linked to us looking at our phones at night. With most people checking their phones before bed, there seems to be a quiet, lack of sleep epidemic growing in this country. Research has shown that the light from our screens is not only keeping us from getting enough sleep, but also keeping us from getting enough quality sleep to be able to be rested and alert the next day. The type of light emitted by these electronic devices not only disrupts our ability to fall asleep, it also delays our circadian clock, keeping our bodies from resting and repairing themselves, and it decreases melatonin production, our body’s sleep-promoting hormone.

It’s not just our driving that affected by lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to cognitive deficiencies like memory loss and difficulty thinking clearly. There are plenty of health risks associated drowsiness as well, including increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes.

So, what do we do to lower these adverse health risks and get more rest? There are a few life hacks that can get you back on track to a normal sleep schedule. It may sound simple, but try putting your phone away more often. At least one hour before going to bed, put your phone in a drawer. If you don’t want to turn it off in case you get an emergency call in the middle of the night, set your phone on “do not disturb” and designate certain numbers, like your spouse or your closest relatives to ring regardless of those settings. If you have trouble falling asleep, try reading a book with a traditional book light. If you prefer e-readers to physical books, get one that doesn’t light up and use the book light. These light tones don’t disrupt your sleep rhythms the way phones do. Limiting screen time allows your body to relax and naturally get ready for bed. Then, you can wake up the next morning refreshed  and alert, and ready to navigate traffic. Hopefully, you’ll feel better and avoid becoming a statistic.

 

City of Chicago Initiates New Automated Speed Enforcement System

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speed control camera.

The City of Chicago has initiated a new Automated Speed Enforcement System throughout areas designated as safety zones. These zones include areas around public and private schools and areas surrounding parks. Vehicle speeds are now being photo-enforced on these roadways and owners of vehicles will be subject to the following penalties: $35 if the recorded speed is 6 or more miles over the applicable speed limit, but less than 11 miles over such speed limit; or $100 if the recorded speed is 11 or more miles per hour over the applicable speed limit.

The Automated Speed Enforcement System uses photographic, radar, laser and other electrical or mechanical devices to record the speed of a vehicle and captures photographs or records images of a vehicle and the vehicle’s registration plate that violates this new law. Violations recorded in the first 30 days of a camera’s installation will receive a warning notice. In addition to the warning notice provided, each license plate will receive one warning notice per license plate.

Chicago experiences approximately 3,000 crashes annually between motor vehicles and pedestrians, about 800 of which involve children.

Is Your Teal Pumpkin Spooktacular?

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It’s that time of year again — the crisp fall air, leaves crunching underfoot, ghosts and goblins darting about, and terror striking in the hearts of parents of children with food allergies. Yes, it’s Halloween time, and peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and other food allergens are just waiting to be innocently placed in your children’s trick-or-treat bags.

I’ve written before about my daughter (now 9 1/2 years old) and her food allergies. She has grown up very differently than I did. She sits at a separate lunch table at school. She brings an EpiPen or Auvi-Q wherever she goes. Restaurants are chosen after researching the menu and speaking with managers. “Special” food is brought to friends’ birthday parties.

Nevertheless, she has adapted. She has become a strong advocate for herself and her safety. She loves food and is willing to try new items (after a thorough review of the ingredients list, and questions so complete I’ve considered having her help me prepare for depositions). Still, there are situations that continue to elicit apprehension in her mother and me. One of the big ones is Halloween.

For the most part, friends, family, and neighbors have learned work-arounds for my daughter. And when back at home, my daughter is the benefactor of a trade-in program where she can swap any problem treat for a safe one we’ve purchased in advance. (Often, her chocoholic younger brother is the benefactor.) However, there is something we could all do to ease the anxieties for parents like me: Teal Pumpkin Project®.

The website offers a lot of very useful information, such as non-food treat ideas, ways to spread the word on food allergy safety, basic FAQs on the project, and many other great (and free) resources. I strongly encourage everyone to take a few moments to learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project. Not only can it make Halloween safer for those kids with food allergies, it can also keep it fun!

Chicago Introduces New Transportation and Mobility Task Force

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As Chicago continues to make changes to the city’s overall transportation landscape, residents might be given the option of electric scooters as transportation sooner than expected.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced the creation of a new transportation and mobility city task force that is chaired by the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood. The goal of the task force is to develop guidelines and goals that will help regulate and manage new modes of transportation as they continue to be introduced to the city.

As mentioned in a previous post, the city of Chicago is hoping to avoid some of the issues other cities have been dealing with due to the rapidly rising popularity of electric scooters and scooter-sharing companies. The task force plans to create regulations necessary to introduce electric scooters to the city as smoothly as possible. Now that Lyft and Uber have begun to embrace the movement, with plans to launch their own scooter services in cities nationwide, Chicago hopes that there will be plans set in place soon to allow residents the option of scooter-sharing. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes other cities have now had to scramble to fix, Chicago believes this task force is the best approach to introducing and enforcing regulations that lay the best foundation for when the city decides to give the greenlight on scooter-sharing.