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People Still Need Food and Supplies – Truck Drivers are Essential and We Need to Keep Them Safe Too

March 24, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Many store shelves have been empty with retailers selling out of essentials as people are legitimately concerned over the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus. While many people are sheltering in place at home, our economy continues to rely on the trucking industry to transport goods wherever they need to go.

Some states have restricted non-emergency travel and imposed curfews. The safety and health of our communities are, of course, foremost on everyone’s minds. Yet, we still need things to get by. This pandemic has brought on a near shutdown of the American economy and, as I write this, Congress is hopefully finishing negotiations over the proposed stimulus package aimed at propping up businesses and protecting household’s savings accounts, as well as people just managing to get by.

Truck drivers and transportation companies play a vital role in keeping grocery stores stocked and allowing hospitals to replenish supplies. Most every item on a store shelf from produce to paper towels got there on a truck. It is essential that processional truck drivers are able to do their jobs. It won’t be the same as before, of course. Closed restaurants and truck stops will make it hard for drivers to find places to stop to rest or even wash their hands. This is where elected officials in every state need to step in and make sure there are adequate facilities available to drivers and that proper precautions are taken to prevent them from getting sick.

Although the transportation of essential good needs to continue as uninterrupted as possible, every effort should be taken by trucking companies and government to allow drivers the ability to rest when needed and when the law requires. For instance, federal and state laws prohibit trucks from parking on highway shoulders overnight. States that have taken action to limit business operation and travel, must make accommodations for drivers making cross-country trips that require overnight stops.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website contains information regarding emergency declarations, waivers, exemptions, and permits for drivers. The site continues information about which states have issued emergency declarations and some of the regulatory information associated with that. In addition to check with the FMCSA, drivers and transport companies should check each state’s website where they intend to travel to make sure they are following all local rules as well. FMCSA has also set up a toll free hotline for questions at 1-877-831-2250.

This pandemic is unprecedented. We will likely continue to deal with not only the health and medical emergency resulting from the spread of COVID-19, but also the economic ramifications, as well as continued restrictions on work and travel. As we move forward, we have to understand that we are all in this together. We should continue to do everything we can to try and keep people from getting sick, but we also need to keep I mind that although we are dealing with an extraordinary situation, we must continue to focus on taking precautions in our normal activity, including getting around from place to place when needed, and moving food and goods where they need to go.

Staying healthy from the threat of infections is not our only concern. With the spread of this virus a hospital stay resulting from a car crash could increase someone’s risk of coming into contact with a person seeking treatment for the virus. All the more reason for transportation companies and government to work together to make sure drivers are able to follow safety rules and get the rest they need as well as the facilities they need to be able to do their essential jobs properly.

American Intermodal Management Merges with FlexiVan, Becomes Leader in Marine Chassis Leasing

March 16, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

MIAMI – U.S.-based marine chassis lessor, American Intermodal Management (AIM), along with portfolio company I Squared Capital, is now merging with FlexiVan Leasing, as announced January 27th. FlexiVan is owned by Castle & Cooke and is the third largest marine chassis provider in the country, with its 300 employees and over 120,000 chassis.

“I Squared Capital is expanding its global presence across the transportation and logistics value chain with approximately $2.2 billion of equity capital committed across North America, Europe, and Asia,” said AIM Board chairman and I Squared Capital Managing Partner, Adil Rahmathulla. “We are now a leader in trailer and chassis leasing across Europe, Canada, and the U.S. as well as the largest private owner of highways in India.”

AIM currently operates 12,500 chassis, and will reach a combined fleet of 137,500 with FlexiVan.

“This transaction combines FlexiVan’s 65 years of operating history, nationwide presence, and deep customer relationships with AIM’s fleet of new chassis, innovative technology. and data analytics to offer our customers more flexibility and great supply chain efficiency,” said AIM CEO and CEO of the new combined company, Ronald Widdows.

The business will continue to be called FlexiVan, a name originating from the mid-1950s when trucking executive Malcolm McLean helped to develop the first standardized intermodal shipping container.

As for AIM, the company was formed by I Squared in 2016 as a logistics platform, and has become a leading chassis lessor. AIM provides GPS-enabled services to other companies, shipping lines, and retailers throughout the country’s intermodal supply chain, and currently has the innovative technology options to work with FlexiVan’s relationships and deploy its tech-enabled model throughout the U.S.

“This is our fifth acquisition in the transport and logistics sector in the last six months, and [is] a key milestone as we expand our presence in the U.S. market,” explained Rahmathulla.

AIM is a young business and has many of the highly sought-after technologies trucking companies are searching for lately–such as LED brake lights, automatic braking systems, and radial tires. Each AIM chassis has a GPS sensor, an accelerometer that transits distance, speed, and direction, and a load sensor that can communicate when a container is mounted and dismounted.

As FlexiVan acquires AIM’s chassis fleet, it will no longer need to purchase thousands of new chassis from China International Marine Containers, the industry’s leading manufacturer. Importing from the overseas company brought up the issue of tariffs–which will no longer be an issue for FlexiVan, as its chassis from AIM will last for up to 25 years.

Additionally, until this announcement, AIM had been shut out of multiple terminals because it had not established relationships with ocean carriers and terminal operators–which control which chassis are used. Now, it should be welcomed at most ports.

“AIM as an upstart–they didn’t have any of those legacy relationships or contracts, and they were being essentially left out of some business,” said director of transportation consulting with IHS Markit, Paul Bingham. “That’s because their equipment wasn’t able to be used at some specific terminals. This deal breaks down the walls, at least for AIM getting onto the terminals where the acquired company has operations now, so it expands where their fleet can reach, and the merged company will have more opportunities.”

FlexiVan currently works with all major chassis pools, and has current agreements with many large container shipping companies, like OOCL and Ocean Network Express.

“The combination of AIM and FlexiVan will provide strong financial support to continue the upgrade of FlexiVan’s fleet, support significant investment in new assets, and fund ongoing development of innovative IT systems, all of which will allow us to deliver an industry-leading customer experience,” said Charlie Wellins, FlexiVan president.

However, Bingham said it is not guaranteed chassis customers will see an immediate significant change.

“I really don’t know if it is going to fundamentally revolutionize anything, because it’s still not moving the industry to where it’s the actual truckers owning the chassis, like it is in the rest of the world,” he explained. “The issues revolve, as they always have, around maintenance…This particular merger is a change of some of the leadership, but I’m not sure where it’s going to go in terms of management.”

2020 International Roadchecks Have Been Set for May Fifth Through the Seventh

February 18, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) an organization that includes both local and national government officials in North America, as well as industry representatives, will be conducting its International Roadcheck this year on May 5-7. The Roadcheck is an initiative meant to focus attention on the importance of commercial vehicle safety through a 72 hour marathon of roadside vehicle inspections throughout North America.

Inspectors will be checking both vehicles and drivers. They will conduct driver interviews, review documents, and check their records and inspection reports. Inspectors will also be looking for signs that a driver may be ill or fatigued, and whether the driver displays any signs of drug or alcohol abuse.

The inspectors will also conduct vehicle inspections to make sure drivers are operating a properly maintained rig. CVSA inspectors will be placing decals on vehicles on which no critical violations are found during their Level I or Level V inspections. However, inspections that do reveal critical violations may be rendered out of service until any violations are corrected.

Some drivers or motor carriers may decide they want to sit out the inspections all together. If you stay off the road in early May there is less of a chance of having to go through an inspection. However, not driving to avoid getting checked is not only unsafe it is also a bad business move.

If you’re not driving, you’re not earning. The purpose of running any efficient transportation business is to make a profit. With plenty of time and a warning of upcoming inspection dates, drivers and motor carriers can prepare to make sure all their logs, records, licenses, certifications, and vehicles are in proper order. A vehicle that doesn’t pass and is put out of commission cannot produce an income. A vehicle that has violations but is hidden from inspectors creates a great safety risk to professional drivers and to the public who use the roads. When a crash happens, you can be certain that there will be law enforcement, government officials, and lawyers scrutinizing over records and conducting inspections to find violations. In these situations, the risk of being put completely out of business is a real consequence that motor carriers can face. Even if the majority of a given company’s fleet is violation free, the part that is not can result in a shutdown.

Chances are that everything we see around us from goods, food, to furniture got to where it is at least in part by a truck. Commercial motor carriers are operating in a business that holds definite risks to public safety and property damage when people do not follow safety rules. If motor carriers or drivers do not follow safety rules and a crash occurs, government inspectors can cause the whole operation to be shut down. Crashes can also lead to insurance rates skyrocketing, making it too expensive to keep the business running.

Public safety is not the only concern when it comes to operating a commercial trucking company. IF a driver gets hurt as the result of an unsafe truck the company that driver works for can incur costs for worker’s compensation and will be short a driver. Additionally, vehicles are expensive. It costs money to fix or replace a damaged truck. Taken as a whole, it will certainly be less expensive to properly maintain a fleet of vehicles and follow all the proper safety rules rather than to cut corners. It’s much less expensive to stay safe than to recoup after a crash. Of course, your life and health are priceless.

New Federal Rules Will Help Trucking Companies Hire Safe Drivers

November 6, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Federal government has adopted new policies aimed at taking unqualified truck drivers off the road. Registration is now open for the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a new substance abuse screening system for truckers that is scheduled to be operational early in 2020 . The Clearinghouse is a database that will keep track of drivers who have violated drug and alcohol policies in order to stop them from operating commercial vehicles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration anticipates that the implementation of this database will substantially reduce motor vehicle crashes involving heavy trucks.

The federal rules regarding professional truck drivers already prohibit drivers from getting behind the wheel when they test positive for illegal drugs. Of course, everyone knows that drunk driving is illegal. The Clearinghouse database will allow trucking companies to screen drivers applying for jobs to see if they have previously tested positive for drugs and are looking to get hired at a new place. Drivers can also lookup their own information once they have registered with the Clearinghouse themselves. Once registered, drivers can search for their own information for free. The database will include information about whether a professional driver has any drug or alcohol program violations and, if applicable, the status of their petitions to return to duty.

The new system is meant to act as a check on drivers who violate substance abuse rules follow the proper protocol to get back in to good standing, if possible, before they are allowed to keep driving. Drivers with commercial driver’s licenses, employers, law enforcement, medical review officers, and substance abuse processionals will be among the groups who will be authorized to access the Clearinghouse.

As for what should be reported to the database – Federal Statutes cover that:

Employers will report a driver’s drug and alcohol program violations. Medical review officers will do this as well. A driver does not need to register him or herself into the system for a medical review officer to enter a violation in the system. In fact, it is not mandatory for a driver to register. But, if an employer needs to conduct a full check on a driver, that driver will have to register. This means, drivers who don’t want to take part may not be able to get hired for certain jobs because perspective or current employers will not be able to conduct a full search on the database for their information. After January 6, 2019 a driver will have to be registered with the Clearinghouse in order for an employer to be able to conduct a full search on their record for new hires. Drivers who are registered will be able to give their consent to release drug and alcohol program information to employers. Also, when new information is added to their profile, drivers will receive notifications from the Clearinghouse in the mail or electronically.

Drug abuse is a problem that needs to be addressed with treatment and counseling. Allowing drivers to keep working when they have a substance abuse problem by slipping through bureaucratic cracks doesn’t help drivers who may need help to get sober. It obviously makes roads less safe.

In the computer age with so much information going digital, this just makes sense. Professional truck drivers have a difficult job. They have to work long hours, often by themselves, away from their families. They have to keep alert on the road and get enough rest to do so. Drug use is a problem that poses a great risk to the health and safety of, not only professional drivers, but also everyone else who shares the road with them. Safety is on the roads is imperative. This database is likely the least intrusive way to keep records of drug and alcohol program violations so that employers know if they are sending a driver out on the road with the proper credentials.

Technology Could Stop the Rise in Fatal Truck Crashes

June 3, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Despite numerous safety regulations put in place to protect commuters, the number of traffic deaths involving semis and large trucks is on the rise. This puts travelers in passenger vehicles at greater risk on our nation’s highways. Rear end accidents are the most common types of crashes with big rigs going too fast and failing to stop in time to prevent crashes.

A lot of new cars are equipped with automatic breaking technology that assists drivers when they get too close to vehicles in front of them on the road. There has been no action in Washington and resistance by the trucking industry to require installation of automatic emergency breaking systems or warning signals in large trucks to try and decrease, if not eliminate, rear-end truck wrecks. Instead the death toll keeps climbing.

Driving a truck is hard work. Federal regulations allow truck drivers to work 11 hour shifts and they do. A trucker has to stay alert and focused on the road, traffic, and other potential hazards for extended periods of time. Add to that the time constraints that shippers place on getting their goods delivered on time and you have the potential for fatigued operators who might be driving too fast.

With trucks being the largest and heaviest vehicles on the road, it makes sense to require trucking companies to equip their rigs with sensor technology that will alert drivers when they are following too close to other vehicles. A big rig can destroy another semi in a high speed collision, and a truck driver may be more protected from injury in a big vehicle, but riders in passenger cars are at a much greater risk of injury or death from a rear-end collision from a truck. This is clearly a case where technology could help save lives.

Truck Drivers Must Stay Alert

April 29, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), showed that nearly a third of fatal crashesin work zones involve a large vehicle or semi-truck. With such large vehicle sharing the roadway with passenger cars, truck drivers should be extremely vigilant in taking every possible precaution to avoid collisions.

Keeping an eye out:

Looks can sometimes be deceiving. The weather can make it hard to see what’s happening on the road in front of you. A driver might forget to turn their lights on. A trucker might look at the radio for a split second when traffic starts to slow down. It’s important for every long-haul driver to look ahead to try to anticipate what’s coming. Scan the road in front of you and check the mirrors regularly to be aware of what’s happening in your blind spots.

Don’t rush:

The online fidget spinner store may have promised delivery within 48 hours, but despite our growing demand for things from the internet, we should still be demanding safe travel on our nation’s highways. Soon there may not be any corner stores left to get basics like groceries as giant companies buy everything and turn the world into robot-run warehouses. The stuff we order on our smartphone apps has to get to us somehow. Before artificial intelligence replaces the need for us to ever travel outside of our houses, it may be a good idea to keep travel times for the big truck deliveries on a realistic schedule. When a driver has to carry a shipment across the country, safety should always supersede faster delivery times. I’d rather have my special order, customized hanging flower pot late than risk a driver sliding off the road in a storm because he’s trying to get there quickly.

There is no valid reason for a semi-truck to drive too fast for road conditions. Trucking and shipping companies should be regulated with this in mind. Rather than focusing on getting bigger trucks to go faster, these outfits should be making sure that everyone arrives at their destination safely. If slightly longer shipping schedules can result in fewer crashes, it’s an idea worth studying.

Also, from a labor supply point of view, truck drivers might want to look into working for another firm if they feel pressured to cut corners to make faster deliveries. In an ideal world, everyone would just follow the rules. But let’s be realistic. There is a truck driver shortage in America. The pay isn’t bad, but it’s not an easy job. Long hours, sometimes monotonous, repetitive tasks, and physically demanding job requirements means this line of work is clearly not for everybody. If a driver works for a company that doesn’t put safety first, he or she should not be shy in demanding that companies follow safety laws that are put in place for a reason. We all need to earn a living, but in this labor market you probably have options.

Put your phone away:

Distracted driving is a huge problem. As tempting as our social media feeds are, when it comes to driving, you can’t do two things at once. Anyone who drives a car these days has seen a person behind the wheel looking down at their phone. No matter how talented you think you might be at texting and driving, don’t do it. Traffic conditions can change in an instant. That’s all it takes for a distracted driver to cause a wreck. If a message is so important that it can’t wait, find a safe place to pull over. It’s a no-brainer.