public safety

Trucking Companies’ COVID-Related Safety Procedures May Continue Post-Pandemic

July 13, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Fleets across the United States have had to implement a variety of new safety protocols in the midst of the coronavirus era, and many are deciding to keep such practices intact post-pandemic.

Drivers at Hub Group Trucking, for instance, began thoroughly disinfecting their trucks at the beginning and end of their work shifts, and continue to do so today, explained Hub Group’s executive vice president, Luke Simendinger.

“I think those are just going to be standard operating procedures for us going forward,” he explained. “We do quite a bit of slip-seating, so it was ensuring that all PPE was provided. Any individual that’s going in and out of truck had the disinfectant to do that themselves.”

Additionally, many trucking companies that gave out personal protective equipment to their employees have had workers continue to utilize the gear. Hub Group issued masks, gloves, paper towels and disinfectants to its 3,400 drivers, and both FedEx Corp. and UPS Inc. have employees loyally wearing their masks to this day.

Vehicle transportation service provider United Road also made company-branded fabric masks for its truckers to use–which, of course, they still do.

Professional driver wellness company, Rolling Strong, has noted that it expects its employees to maintain the safety measures that were put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, because they help stop the spread of a variety of viruses and bacteria. Additionally, the company’s president, Stephen Kane, explained that many workers have made regular habits of these practices.

Still, vehicle maintenance has continued to be a major obstacle for fleets during the pandemic, said Hill Brothers Transportation manager of recruiting and fleet services, Scott Hill. Hill Brothers, which specializes in dry van and refrigerated shipments, is based in Omaha.

For example, technicians must wear gloves and masks, on top of thoroughly disinfecting all surfaces, when a driver brings a truck to the company’s terminal shop. They also must be careful to clean all buttons inside the cab as well as the steering wheel, which can be tedious.

These technicians do “whatever they can do to make sure we’re getting at least another shot at getting some of that bacteria out of the truck,” said Hill. “It’s definitely been tough, but our drivers are the backbone of what we do and we wouldn’t be there without them.”

Another area of change brought to the industry by the pandemic includes that of technology upgrades, which occurred as many fleets boosted their operation capabilities.

In an effort to easily share government health alerts in relation to the pandemic, XPO Logistics implemented an alert service on its XPO Connect platform’s digital dashboard, explained the company’s chief human resources officer, Josephine Berisha. This technology platform is used across the globe by carriers and customers alike.

For United Road, technology played an even bigger role during the pandemic as the company communicated with employees via technology when workers were the most stressed about the virus. In fact, the company implemented a specific email address for COVID-related concerns and held regular virtual town halls to answer employee questions and address worries.

Additionally, United Road set up a smartphone app to help with its electronic logging devices, and used that resource to implement a COVID-19 questionnaire for truckers to finish once every pre-trip inspection was completed.

“We keep a finger on the pulse of the drivers as well,” said Eric Madison, United Roads’ senior vice president of people and safety. “We get a heads-up if there’s ever any need for concern.”

Many companies throughout the industry also began using contactless delivery methods to help reduce bacteria spreading. UPS ceased any required signatures for packages, and Hub Group implemented paperless customer services–which was particularly helpful within handoff-heavy intermodal business.

United Road also switched to contactless deliveries, with drivers using electronic paperwork instead of collecting digital signatures.

“Quite a few of the customers we’ve worked with have physical paperwork that they have to hand to the driver,” said Hill Brother’s Scott Hill. “A lot of that has changed now to where that [paperwork] is emailed or it’s already sent to the end user. If any benefit comes from this, it’s [that] people are trying to figure out how to make things better due to this pandemic. It’s [those] things that are going to continue on even after the pandemic’s over, whenever that may be.”

Railroad Cost-Cutting May Mean Lower Safety Levels

June 16, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Businesses are seeing decreased employment numbers even as the nation’s railroads run often particularly long freight trains. Because of this, industry experts are concerned that the actions intended to boost earnings may in fact lower safety capabilities–even bringing about potential catastrophes.

Many railroad roles at companies like CSZ, Norfolk Southern Corp., and Union Pacific Corp were removed over the last few years following the railroading-scheduling system put in place by CSZ–a cost-reducing program referred to as ‘Precision,’ which was so successful that it caused many other railroads throughout the country to utilize similar systems. Even railroads that haven’t implemented such a program, like BNSF, have nevertheless reduced employee numbers in an effort to enhance system performance and continue to be competitive in the industry.

The Federal Railroad Administration has explained that it is currently monitoring such modifications and that, up to now, records do not depict any unsafe operation methods. Still, unions have explained that a new program can be dangerous with such large implications if a train should derail.

Railroads still assert that their changes meant to lower overall costs and lengthen trains have not boosted any potential risks.

“Every time the wheels come off the rail, it’s kind of like buying a lottery ticket to the big disaster,” explained Transportation Communications Union’s carmen division official, Jason Cox.

A majority of railroads utilize a more strategic schedule with fewer less-profitable–or shorter–routes but with fewer overall stops. With Precision, longer trains with a variety of cargo have been able to lower the number of locomotives and employees required to ship the nation’s goods. Railroads have also been able to lower their numbers of trips and engines needing maintenance, as well as the number of workers, when train lengths are extended–some reaching more than 2 miles long.

Because Union Pacific began implementing the new program in 2018, its railroad can utilize longer trains and expanded track sidings, which now allows its longest trains to reach lengths of 9,250 feet–30% more than before the model’s upgrade.

Overall railroad safety has seen improvements over the last few years, with the most predominant railroads releasing statements depicting network investments and safety records. These railroads also explain that they follow federal guidelines in regards to regular inspections–which are often aided by innovative technology programs to scan for defects more easily and efficiently.

“Across the board, I do not see evidence of our workforce at Union Pacific being rushed, overworked, or put in harm’s way,” noted railroad company CEO, Lance Fritz.

Still, though, the current safety research isn’t necessarily reliable, explained University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research director, David Clarke.

“Right now, I just haven’t seen anything to demonstrate that it’s definitely having a negative impact on safety,” he said.

Maintenance work times have been significantly reduced, though, many unions have said. The signalmen overseeing railroad crossing safety signals have noted their areas growing by at least 150%, with less time for repair following completed tests.

“As maintenance gets neglected, then obvious the failures go up,” added Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen vice president, Tim Tarrant.

Additionally, the carmen inspecting a train’s cars have lamented that the time they have to inspect has been cut in half, and with fewer employees, inspections are often conducted by staff with less experience or training.

“From the conductor’s side, we’re basically finding things that are just obvious,” said SMART-TD union national legislative director, Greg Hynes.

For unions, the work now is to make efforts in boosting employment opportunities, but many have noted that the bigger reason for increased staffing is to help ease the potential accidents that could occur because of fewer and less-trained staff maintaining this kind of safety.

“I was hoping to stay a lot longer, but if it means my safety, it’s not going to do me any good staying another day if that means I’m not going to come home,” said Kasondra Bird, a former CSX employee who explained that her worries over safety caused her to resign in December after more than two decades working on the railroad. “Safety and the well-being of employees have definitely taken a backseat to production.”

Latest Safety Concern List Adopted by NTSB, GAO Calls for Deeper Look

June 6, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

A wide range of safety improvements and updates need to be implemented across all modes of transportation, according to the latest Most Wanted List of safety concerns, recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The list for the year 2021-2022 still mentions some of the recommendations made in 2019, such as the need for an industry-wide mandate in regards to how to install collision-avoidance technology into commercial motor vehicles. The latest list also included the need for an efficient strategy related to methods of speeding-related collision elimination, distracted driving prevention, and the eradication of drug- and alcohol-impaired driving.

“The Most Wanted List defines the focus of the NTSB’s advocacy work,” said Chairman of NTSB, Robert Sumwalt. “It directs our limited advocacy resources toward improvements with the greatest potential to make the greatest impact on saving lives, reducing injuries, and preventing accidents and crashes.”

NTSB, an agency that works independently and aims to identify the factors feeding into roadway accidents and the best ways to implement safety solutions, unanimously adopted this most recent “Most Wanted List,” a decision which came after more than four hours of discussion, question-and-answer sessions, and staff presentations.

Every single member of NTSB’s board–currently only five people in total–must be confirmed by the Senate following their nomination by the president.

The final approval of this Most Wanted List by the board, and the recommendations that accompanied these major concerns, were “driven by data,” according to Sumwalt, who also added that all of these problems are currently “ripe for action.” Everything included in the Most Wanted List incorporated aspects of NTSB’s own research and investigations, he noted–especially data collected in regards to roadway incidents which involved impaired driving or speeding.

NTSB’s Office of Highway Safety director, Robert Molloy, noted that these are the crash causes that typically lead to the nation’s fatal accidents.

“Studies have shown that as many as 80% of crashes could have benefited from sensor-based collision-avoidance technologies, such as automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning,” Molloy explained. “All vehicles should have these systems available as a standard feature.”

NTSB’s most recent meeting, which involved presentations on investigations into previous accidents, came as a response to the issues regarding transparency that were brought to light by the Government Accountability Office. In 2020, GAO urged NTSB to thoroughly document all evaluations for every single concern mentioned on its Most Wanted List, and added that all criteria utilized for determining any issue as being “ripe for action” should be efficiently explained and communicated to the public.

If these efforts are not executed properly, the concerns on the list could fail to receive any sufficient solution-oriented efforts, according to GAO.

“If advocacy groups, industry associations, and others don’t know why NTSB is advocating for these particular safety issues and recommendations, that could affect their attention to and support for tackling the issues on the list,” GAO explained.

Additionally, to truly bring to light the problems on these lists that have been nationwide concerns for far too long, full explanation and communication with the public and industry members is key.

“Greater transparency in how issues are evaluated and selected could enhance users’ understanding of the list and help ensure the list continues to rally the support and resources needed to tackle difficult and long-standing transportation safety challenges.”

The discussions like these that take place during these board meetings, Sumwalt noted, always aim to lead to extensive and productive deliberation and problem-solving. He hopes that anyone who observed this most recent meeting–or any meeting of the board–can see that these discussions are indeed meant to be as productive as possible.

“If anybody thinks these board meetings are scripted, then you hopefully have seen the board actually [active] in our deliberations.” he said. “Nothing is pre-decisional. What you saw was our deliberations.”

Also on 2020-2021’s list of most-wanted improvements are: “vulnerable road user” protection efforts–especially for motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians; pipeline leak detection and mitigation improvements; rail worker safety upgrades; and passenger and fishing vessel safety improvements. Also needing major boosts, as mentioned by the list, are safety management technology installation on passenger-carrying flights, crash-resistant recorders, and programs regarding flight-data monitoring.

IDOT Works to Avoid Bridge Strikes Throughout the State

June 5, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

When truckers move under a bearing too low for the height of their big-rigs, bridge strikes happen.

Because it has been a prevalent issue in the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation is pushing forward two potential pilot initiatives–both of which would aim to lower the number of large truck bridge strikes.

“Hit the road, not a bridge!” said IDOT recently in a tweet. “The average bridge strike costs $400,000 to fix? They also can cause backups, detours, and all sorts of safety issues. Truckers, please measure freight sizes, get your permits, and stay on the correct route.”

Because many drivers will watch navigation information on their cellphones or on printed route directions, IDOT is proposing a program dubbed “audible turn-by-turn navigation.” This initiative would allow IDOT to offer route information electronically through a cloud-based application for drivers to audibly hear all their navigation details without having to look at a document or a mobile device.

The GIS data providers that are working on this technology have said it is nearly ready for release. Presently, they are working on some platform format problems and will soon allow IDOT to test the system. If it is found to be acceptable, a select number of fleets will be able to test the technology and compare it to other methods of navigation. The system will be fully adopted by the industry if IDOT finds no problems with its implementation.

The second pilot program is the HawkScan oversize vehicle measurement system, an initiative that will use sensors and cameras to digitally measure freight loads off of Interstate 70 at the westbound Maryville weigh station. The data collected from these scans can measure and classify trucks during normal traffic congestion conditions and can also verify a truck’s permit information.

This particular weigh station in southwest Illinois has processed more than 48,100 trucks in Illinois so far in 2021, and expects to process around 200,000 by the end of the year. The oversize vehicle measurement system has already been set up temporarily at this location.

“If all is accurate on the permit with the information gathered, the driver will be allowed to continue on without stopping,” said Geno Koehler, IDOT Permit Unit Chief. “Both projects are very exciting, and many people in the [oversize and overweight] industry are looking forward to their success.”

Because many agricultural shipments are hauled through Illinois, some truck drivers may not be aware that they are driving on a route including a bridge with a lower clearance than they might expect, explained Matt Hart, Executive Director for the Illinois Trucking Association. This is a major issue because agricultural equipment hauling is vital to the state of Illinois (and because the state’s top exports include animal feed and cereal grains, according to IDOT’s Illinois State Freight Plan).

Because these drivers are often not aware of low-clearance bridges, IDOT’s District 5 has had nine bridge strikes in the last year and a half, with each hit costing between $25,000 and $3 million to repair. On average, oversize load bridge strikes–either by farm equipment or large trucks–cost around $400,000 on average in repairs. When these accidents occur, they often lead to closures, road safety problems, detours, and traffic congestion.

Additionally, especially in the Chicago metro area, Hart noted that towing companies are especially costly for a truck that gets itself stuck under a bridge–with these bills coming out to around $100,000 per incident.

“It’s pretty disheartening when you have a truck that hits one of these bridges and [the driver is] already upset enough, but then you have tow companies that are taking advantage of that situation and are strapping these trucking companies with tens of thousands of dollars in towing fees just to get the vehicle out of that low-clearance bridge,” said Hart. “They know that out-of-state trucks are likely to hit those bridges because they’re not familiar with the area. After safety, this also becomes an economic issue.”

IDOT has released recommendations regarding how to prevent these accidents, with detailed steps including the need to stay on authorized routes, obtain proper permits, and measure freight loads well in advance. Drivers of permitted loads should also remember to only take the routes IDOT recommends.

User-Based Funding Projects Next in Line for FHWA Grants

June 1, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Through the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives program, the Federal Highway Administration is awarding $18.7 million to eight user-based revenue testing projects.

The Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives program was implemented by 2015’s Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The focus of this program is to provide backing for states that are working on adopting user-based funding methods.

The newly-funded projects come at the hands of the transportation coalition and various state departments of transportation and their efforts to better evaluate road usage charges and mileage-based user fees.

One grant recipient was Ohio’s Department of Transportation, which will receive $2 million in funds to help with its efforts in creating a public-educating outreach program. This money is expected to help the agency collect the necessary data and find the best possible ways in which it can help more people fully understand road usage charges.

In regards to transportation funding in general, the Ohio General Assembly has requested that the Ohio Department of Transportation begin focusing on how best to take more of a vehicle-miles-traveled approach, according to ODOT’s spokesman, Matt Bruning.

“For decades, the preferred funding mechanism for roads and bridges has been through the motor fuel tax,” explained Bruning. “However, as vehicles become more fuel efficient, the revenue from this source hasn’t been keeping pace with the cost of maintaining our infrastructure.”

With all of the technological and fuel-efficient changes coming to transportation, these grants are set to help these agencies find the most efficient ways to keep up with the evolution of the industry.

“The funds will be used to educate, research, demonstrate need, and determine possible next steps forward,” Bruning added.

The projects that will receive the support they need from these funds are expected to help these states find the best ways in which they can boost the Highway Trust Fund, FHWA noted. For instance, the federal fuel tax has long-supported the Highway Trust Fund, although it has stayed at 18.4 cents a gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents a gallon for diesel for the last 27 years. Now, applicants for these grants must prove their intentions to solve issues regarding the effects of user fees on people in various geographic regions or having varying household incomes.

As of now, $73.7 million has been awarded by the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives program to 37 different projects since 2016.

“The pilot projects under the STSFA program allow states to learn more about potential new user fees structures that can complement traditional funding sources that states rely on to build and improve the nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure,” explained Stephanie Pollack, acting Federal Highway Administrator.

Delaware’s Department of Transportation and the Eastern Transportation Coalition (formerly the I-95 Corridor Coalition) have been gearing up to test mileage-based user fees in places like Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The District of Columbia and 17 other states have been collaborating within the Eastern Transportation Coalition to analyze mileage-based user fees possibilities through pilot programs, for which the groups will receive $4.67 million.

$3.25 million will be allocated to efforts spearheaded by the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which are prioritizing the testing of road usage charge systems and their effects throughout the Midwest. This project will study the impacts of this kind of system in regards to supply chain operators and commercial freight haulers, as well as the effects within both agricultural and rural regions.

Additionally, because Utah’s Department of Transportation is working to boost customer service capabilities in regards to potential road usage charges, the state will receive $1.25 million. These efforts are aiming to bring about more supporters and improve public perception in regards to these kinds of policies.

“Customer experience is a key ingredient in advancing acceptance of road usage charge policies and systems,” explained the manager of UDOT’s Road Usage Charge Program, Tiffany Pocock. “Funding this application for customer experience improvements will help Utah grow its own program and provide much-needed best practice guidance to other states.”

New Large-Truck Crash Causal Factor Study Underway

May 29, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a deadly crash in Holtville, Calif., on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Authorities say a semi-truck crashed into an SUV carrying multiple people on a Southern California highway, killing at least 13 people and injuring others. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A new Large Truck Crash Causal Factors study is about to be underway as federal regulators move forward with plans to find updated data regarding large truck-related crashes throughout the United States.

According to a recent presentation given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, this updated study will allow researchers to gather information replacing the data collected in a similar study nearly two decades ago. The $30 million updated study will help researchers find all factors that may play into a dangerous crash–including everything from driver behavior and roadway design to technology innovations and overall vehicle safety.

The study will aim to bring about “an evolutionary focus moving from crashworthiness to crash avoidance,” explained FMCSA statistician, Jenny Guarino. According to Guarino, who explained the intentions of this research in a recent virtual presentation hosted by FMCSA, noted that although the study is in its early developmental stages, it will work to find ways of boosting overall crash avoidance and that it has the potential to save lives across the country.

The main goal of these research efforts will be to present important data regarding the driver behaviors and technology issues that contribute to a crash–data that could help researchers determine and create solutions to such pre-crash factors that may be at play in order to bring an end to large-truck crashes making our nation’s roads a dangerous place.

Additionally, the information found in this study could aid in the development of innovative trucking tech and automation, as well as influence future rule-making for the industry as a whole. There is also a hope that the data will be applicable to crash causal factors research regarding passenger vehicles, as well.

“The data will greatly increase our knowledge about causation and related factors sufficient to create countermeasures through legislation, regulation, enforcement, and education,” Guarino explained, adding that updated analysis into these causal factors is vital right now as the industry undergoes so many changes and upgrades in regards to vehicle safety and technology, roadway designs, and driver behavior. Large truck-related fatal crashes have been on an incline since 2009, and all of these continuous innovations and changes directly affect their severity. Therefore, this kind of vitally important data must always stay up-to-date.

In fact, FMCSA has been working to conduct research of this kind since January of 2020, when it first requested input regarding the potential design for a study of this kind. The agency received 167 comments responding to its information request from stakeholders, academics, and industry experts, the majority of which made clear their support for a new method of study design that would adequately and accurately represent the country as a whole.

Additionally, FMCSA sought after information in regards to how best to implement comprehensive data sources, ranges of crash types and severity, cost efficiency concerns, and the intention to obtain a widely-representative sample.

One particular concern, brought to light last year by National Transportation Safety Board project manager, Ryan Smith, is the challenges that may arise while attempting to collect and understand substantial data in regards to drivers using marijuana and drivers that are otherwise impaired. This worry comes from well-known difficulties surrounding usage and overall understanding of the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s data.

The crash causation study that was released more than 17 years ago focused on detailed large-truck crashes that took place between April of 2001 and December of 2003, and aimed to find a fully-representative sample within that timeframe. In this study sample, each crash analyzed included either a fatality or injury and at least one large truck.

This study collected data from a sample of 963 crashes involving 959 non-large-truck vehicles (which showed 249 fatalities and 1,654 injuries) and involving 1,123 large-truck vehicles (77 percent of which were tractors pulling one semi-trailer, and another 5 percent were trucks carrying hazardous materials). Out of all 963 crashes, 73 percent involved at least one large truck hitting at least one other vehicle.

In this updated study, FMCSA is planning to conduct research over four separate phases. It is currently in its first phase, and the second will involve clearance from the Office of Management and Budget, development of information technology, and overall planning for the rest of the study.

In its third phase, the study will collect its data regarding 2,000 crashes analyzed within 32 different sites across the country–this phase is likely to begin in January 2022 and take another two years. In the final phase, the agency will conduct thorough data analysis, write its final report, and release it to the public.