Trucking Industry

Minneapolis Announces Truck Parking Ban in Midst of Truck Parking Crisis

July 25, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Alongside a proposed ban on truck parking throughout Minneapolis, the Minneapolis City Council’s Transportation and Public Works Committee has recently voted to begin fining violators of the new mandate.

The current ordinance throughout the city prohibits trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds from parking in residentially-zoned streets, although the weight cap does not apply to other areas. The Transportation and Public Works Committee deliberated this topic at the end of June, and revisited the topic for further consideration this month.

On July 14th, the committee approved a measure that would introduce fine gradations in relation to truck parking violations. These fines will begin at $100 per violation on January 1st of next year, rise to $150 on January 1st of 2023, and in 2024, would rise to $250 per violation.

This comes as an amendment to the previous proposal that called for fines reaching $250 by January 1st, 2023.

“This change gives a certain amount of grace to drivers while continuing to increase the fines,” explained Ward 6-representing Council Member Jamal Osman, who noted that many people in his community work as truck drivers.

These newly-proposed fines come as a response to both business and resident complaints which claimed that many trucks were obstructing fire hydrants, street signs, and car and bicycle travel lanes, as well as reducing the amount of guest parking availability and creating an abundance of noise and litter.

A measure was also approved that would urge the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development to collaborate with other groups in working toward implementing more spaces for truck parking throughout Minneapolis. The measure noted that these efforts should include railroad companies and commercial property owners, as well.

Another provision requesting that the Intergovernmental Relations staff of Minneapolis work alongside regional partners like the League of Minnesota Cities to find solutions regarding truck parking obstacles throughout the Twin Cities was approved, as was a provision directing city staff to report on the city’s overall truck parking capability development and the progress of enforcement and education efforts regarding these potential regional solutions. The report should be delivered to the council by the fourth quarter of 2022, the provision stated.

In regards to the newly-instated truck parking ban, all trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds would be prohibited from parking on any street within the city of Minneapolis unless they have stopped due to a police officer’s direction, they are actively loading or unloading, or they are situated in a zone with signage which allows for the parking of these heavy vehicles.

As can be expected, these proposed restrictions have been met with strong opposition from the trucking industry–the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Minnesota Trucking Association were both quick to bring to attention the Minneapolis-dwelling independent contractors who have to park their trucks somewhere overnight.

“The Minnesota Trucking Association is extremely disappointed,” said John Hausladen, President of the MTA. “The language adopted today puts the city in a purely reactive role, providing interested parties with only site search assistance. Language asking for greater regional solutions is all good, but it doesn’t change the fact [that] starting January 1st, 2022, trucks will be ticketed for parking on Minneapolis city streets with no new safe parking options.”

For these truckers, there must at least be options for them to park their big rigs at rest areas with restrooms and food options, added Todd Spencer, President of OOIDA.

“In other words, a lot of trucks probably park in Minneapolis because they simply lack any reasonable alternative,” he said.

This mandate comes at a time when truck parking capacity is a well-known issue for the entire trucking industry across the United States–a problem currently ranking third on the American Transportation Research Institute’s report on Top Industry Issues.

Racial Equity and Environmental Justice Key Focus in Latest Grant Program

July 23, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Projects focusing on “racial equity, environmental justice, and access to opportunity” have been requested by a Federal Highway Administration grant program–a particular course of action that hasn’t been taken until now.

Specifically, the FHWA’s Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program is planning to allocate $60 million in funding for these kinds of projects, and, in its recent announcement, noted that it has strong backing for technologies working to lower fuel emissions, like electric-vehicle charging technology and infrastructure.

Now, projects working with these kinds of innovations will be highly considered for this grant funding.

“The department has added areas of interested to the [Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment] program application process to be more aligned with administration priorities that include building equity into the transportation system, increasing access to jobs, schools, and businesses, and tackling the climate crisis,” explained a spokesperson for the FHWA.

These new areas of focus come in alignment with President Joe Biden’s recent executive order that requested an overall review of the regulations set forth in regards to the environment during Donald Trump’s presidential term, as Biden now plans to move forward with the intention of placing heavier focus upon environmental justice, and especially upon lowering amounts of greenhouse fuel emissions within the country’s minority and low-income communities and regions.

Biden’s latest sweeping executive order will aim to make “environmental justice a part of the mission of every agency by directing federal agencies to develop programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionate health, environmental, economic, and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities.”

These efforts are only the beginning of actions being taken in regards to tackling the climate crisis, especially in regards to the transportation industry, noted American Trucking Associations’ environmental affairs council, Glen Kedzie.

“This is just another example of what federal agencies are planning on doing going forward to address environmental justice,” he said. “This is not the last.”

To follow in line with President Biden’s order in relation to boosting environmental justice and racial equity, Kedzie believes many federal agencies will be finding more innovative and creative ways to approach these efforts.

“Obviously, one of the key areas the agency will probably look at will be those frequented by trucking,” he explained. “They include the areas around ports [and] the areas around rail yards and warehouses. The housing stock around industrial-zoned areas is not the same as living in the suburbs.”

Originally, the innovative grants program through the FHWA–established under 2015’s Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act–aimed to boost public travel safety, improve transportation system performance, and lower overall traffic congestion. Since 2016, the grant program has offered more than $256 million to these kinds of projects across the United States.

Now, with President Biden’s mandate aiming to bring justice to the the low-income and minority communities that disproportionately endure living in areas with large sources of pollution, this kind of racial equity is a major priority for the program.

“The federal government has failed to meet that commitment in the past; it must advance environmental justice,” said the executive order.

In 2021, two of the seven areas with grant opportunities will prioritize technologies in the transportation industry that include “climate change and environmental justice impacts,” as well as certain investments that “proactively address racial equity and barriers to opportunity.”

Projects that are successful in proposing their intentions and plans to focus on these topics have a high chance of being awarded significant funding.

“Projects should directly support climate action plans or apply environmental justice screening tools in the planning stage,” said the program’s announcement statement. “Projects should reduce emissions, promote energy efficiency, incorporate electrification or zero emission vehicle infrastructure, increase resiliency, or recycle existing infrastructure.”

Those eligible to apply include transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, state departments of transportation, and local government groups. Partnerships within private sector groups are also encouraged, and the closing date for application is August 23rd, 2021.

Heat Waves Affect Trucking Companies Across U.S.

July 23, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Many states across the U.S. are enduring extreme heat waves following an already hotter-than-usual month of June. Still, these states are determined to keep trucking operations moving as usual.

“While we can’t control the weather, we can control what we do,” tweeted the governor of Montana recently. “Remember to use caution when working or recreating outdoors.”

In Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte has declared a state-of-emergency throughout the state for fire and drought conditions; this declaration also implements regulatory relief for truck drivers. Specifically, commercial vehicle drivers offering services to fire suppression efforts during dangerous fire conditions as well as those helping with the transportation of water, forage, and agriculture implements during drought conditions will be granted hours-of-service requirement flexibility under the executive order.

In Thompson Falls, Montana, on the west side of the state, mid-July temperatures have reached highs of around 95 degrees.

According to Gianforte’s office, around 91% of the state of Montana has been experiencing “abnormally dry to extreme” drought conditions since last month. During this same period in 2020, only about half of the state was undergoing these kinds of conditions.

“Every region of the state faces severe to extreme drought conditions, and the situation is getting worse,” said the governor.

In Las Vegas, temperatures have reached as high as 113 degrees, and Redding, California has seen highs of around 100 degrees this month. Temperatures in Idaho have been hitting around 101 degrees in mid-July and have stayed nearly as high lately, especially in areas around Boise.

Because these highs are nearly unprecedented in many areas, safety consideration information has been sent to members of the Idaho Trucking Association with precautions for truck drivers, telling them to stay as rested and hydrated as possible.

“Everybody’s been running their business as usual,” said Idaho Trucking Association President, Allen Hodges. “At the same time, people have been taking precautions because of the heat.”

Idaho is gearing up for potential 100-degree days or higher in August, Hodges said, and the Association–located west of Boise in Meridian, Idaho–has already seen temperatures of at least 98 degrees.

In Arizona, one of the hottest states in the country, temperatures have already followed an “early heating trend,” reaching up to 117 degrees in June–which isn’t even the hottest month of year, noted Tony Bradly, President of the Arizona Trucking Association. The Association is based in Tolleson, an area the National Weather Service predicts will reach temperatures of at least 111 degrees throughout the month of July.

“We’re fairly used to being on the surface of the sun,” said Bradley, who added that he made sure to remind drivers to keep their tire pressure in mind when operating in such extreme conditions.

“You want to make sure that your tire pressure is correct, because if your tire pressure is low, that could lead to blowouts,” he said.

Pre-trip inspections are key during times like these, and making sure anti-idle devices and coolant hoses are working properly is vitally important, explained California Trucking Association and Liberty Linehaul West Inc. president, Greg Dubuque.

Additionally, truckers should take note that the big windows on large trucks can allow in a lot of heat and sunlight–so skin protection should be a priority. He even goes as far as to tell drivers to position their trucks toward the west if they are parking in a rest area overnight.

“With more glass in the cab of the truck, there’s more sunlight coming in, bringing more heat,” during the sunrise, and in general, Dubuque noted.

When trucks are hauling goods that can be affected negatively by high temperatures–like crops or livestock–truckers should be sure to do their loading and unloading when temperatures are at their lowest during the morning and evening. Carriers must make sure the arrival of living goods is done as safely and healthily as possible, explained American Trucking Associations’ Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference executive director, Jon Samson.

Idaho, North Dakota, Nevada, and California, which are all enduring extreme heat right now, have not yet been issued any restrictions or guidance from their transportation agencies regarding their freight loads being shipped during this time.

Hazmat Transport Needs Boosts, PHMSA Says

July 21, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

In an effort to improve hazardous material transportation methods, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is looking for insight regarding innovative research and advancement techniques.

Because new standards on transportation for things like aerosols and explosives (in small quantities) as well as for non-bulk and bulk packaging are highly needed, the Administration is specifically requesting new ideas on the research of safer shipment methods. Additionally, the agency is calling for further research into dissolved gases in liquids and their hazards, along with the regulation of particular quantities and types of hazardous materials that comprise these kinds of shipments.

“PHMSA is soliciting research ideas from the public for hazardous materials transportation safety,” announced the agency in a recent tweet. “All submissions should relate to one of the five research topics…the best proposals may be awarded federal funding.”

PHMSA will award this funding through “Broad Agency Announcement,” grants that will range anywhere from $250,000 to $2 million for this research. “White papers” consisting of this new testing and data analysis must be sent to PHMSA by the end of the day on August 24th, according to the agency’s announcement.

PHMSA works to create regulatory standards for the handling, packaging, and even classifying of hazardous material shipments and their transportation throughout the country; these shipments make up more than 1 million of the United States’ daily total shipments. Now, the agency is cracking down on reducing the number of potential risks brought about by this kind of transportation by making a major effort in boosting their research and technical contracts.

PHMSA has been searching for innovative classification and research projects for many years, and has recently been looking into projects regarding bulk hazardous material liquid transportation spill incidents as well as biologically-derived fuel transportation classification and standards.

Now, the agency’s top five research subjects include deregulation, explosives, aerosols, gases, and bulk and non-bulk packaging.

For deregulation, the agency explained that current data depicts some non-bulk quantities of hazardous materials making up most transport-related incidents, although the transportation of these materials doesn’t often account for any transportation interruptions or injuries. Therefore, PHMSA infers that non-bulk hazardous materials in small quantities may be presently over-regulated, and will make an effort to ascertain whether or not there are any ways to relax hazardous material transportation regulations in regards to non-bulk quantities while maintaining overall safety standards.

For explosives, current Class 1 material transportation calls for classification approval by the Department of Transportation, and PHMSA believes there may be ways to test some explosive mixtures that could be classified outside of Class 1. Therefore, the industry could see flexibility in regulation and time constraints regarding these materials.

Because aerosols are comprised of a variety of substances such as foams, powders, liquids, gases, or pastes and are still dispensed as gases or liquids, the agency is calling for research into the potential risks that could come with certain kinds of aerosols and their flammability. Additionally, the agency would find it ideal if someone may be able to properly conduct testing and analysis of aerosol flammability in certain measurements, rather than just testing which aerosols are indeed flammable.

Gases, of course, pose many risks of their own, and there are currently no criteria for determining what amount of dissolved gas in liquid can specify the material as being a distinct gas. Additionally, there are a variety of hazards that come with certain combinations of gases and liquids, like when both substances are flammable, or one is flammable and one is non-flammable. Because of this, PHMSA is looking for someone to research these criteria and find what may need to be regulated in specific manners.

Finally, with bulk and non-bulk packaging, the agency believes there needs to be a highly-researched definition, classification, performance standard, service life standard, and testing criteria in regards to how non-bulk packages are regulated. To research this, PHMSA believes researchers should analyze standards for improving criteria in certain non-bulk packages, such as cylinders.

Cargo Theft Risks Were Predicted to Rise on July Fourth

July 16, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Factory industry worker working with face mask to prevent Covid-19 Coronavirus spreading during job reopening period .

CargoNet, a service for theft prevention and recovery that collaborates with insurance companies, law enforcement offices, and motor carriers, predicted a sharp increase in cargo thefts that would take place over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

“Cargo thieves will seek to exploit extended business closures this upcoming holiday to steal more cargo” said the company ahead of Independence Day. “In previous years, household goods and food and beverage items were the most commonly targeted commodities. This would include items like appliances, toys, alcoholic beverages and seafood.”

According to CargoNet’s data regarding these kinds of thefts between July 1st and July 7th over the past five years, there were 127 incidents of cargo theft in that specific time frame–coming out to around 25 cargo thefts a year during the holiday. On average, carriers lost around $145,699 in stolen goods when they were the target of these particular crimes.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages and price inflation of specific goods, and we think the items most affected–like computer electronics–are the items most at risk this holiday,” explained a CargoNet advisory professional.

In order to find discrepancies in supply chain data (that could include thefts), Total Quality Logistics works alongside CargoNet by utilizing certain computer programs that are able to identify these irregularities and alert customers when needed.

“Here’s the situation: The holidays are always an opportune time for cargo thieves because of the fact that law enforcement is busy,” explained Kerry Byrne, President of Total Quality Logistics. “There’s so much going on, for one. Two, there are shippers and receivers and yards where the staffing is low–especially this year.”

In relation to COVID-19’s effects on the economy and on theft levels, CargoNet discovered that the overall number of thefts occurring in 2020 rose by 26% from 2019–reaching 1,502 thefts, the highest number since 2016. These numbers are in correlation with the financial issues many people face in times of economic strife, as we have seen throughout the pandemic.

“With this consumer-driven economy, there is just so much freight on the road,” added Byrne. “There may not be enough staff and security personnel at the various shippers, receivers, and yards.”

In fact, because so many groups have seen this year’s thefts coming for so long, they began warning the public.

“CargoNet is extending warnings about significant theft risk to freight for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday,” said CargoNet in a tweet. “Cargo thieves will seek to exploit extended business closures this upcoming holiday to steal more cargo.”

Tech-based trucking insurance company Loadsure also warned people publicly.

“Ah, the 4th of July weekend,” the company tweeted. “Burgers on the grill. Frosty beverages. Sparklers. Cargo theft. Are you ready?”

According to Byrne, all it takes is one criminal finding an opportunity for cargo theft and taking advantage of it, although there are still many organized theft incidents that take place, as well. Sometimes, a thief will even pretend to be working as a trucker picking up a load.

“It’s basically identity theft,” said Byrne. “We’re concerned about those fictitious pickups where somebody fraudulently positions themselves as either a customer or a carrier. Because everyone is so busy and capacity is so hard to find, there is perhaps that opportunity for things to fall through the cracks. So, we’re on high alert.”

Loadsure also recently announced that it would be boosting its smart cargo insurance platform to add higher insurance coverage for all methods of transportation–up to $2 million, to be exact.

“The economy is beginning to reopen, and highly-targeted freight, like food and beverage, is moving in volume for the first time since 2019,” said the company’s CEO, Johnny McCord. “[By] leveraging AI and automation, brokers, shippers, and carriers can now expand coverage for these high-value loads and protect commonly excluded specialty freight on the fly, all through direct platform access, custom integrations, or third-party platforms.”

Highway Bill Update Brings $1 Billion to Truck Parking Improvements

July 15, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As truck parking difficulties have remained a major industry-wide issue for quite a while now, the U.S. House of Representatives has been presented with a new comprehensive highway policy bill.

The legislation has been pushed forward by Representative Mike Bost of Illinois, and its provision will allow states to receive boosted truck parking capability-related resources from $1 billion in grant funding. Bost, who has joined other industry stakeholders and lawmakers over the last several years to raise awareness surrounding the parking problems truck drivers are experiencing far too often, has made this his latest attempt at legislation that could potentially bring resolution to this ongoing concern.

Certain agencies would receive the grants from this funding in order to be better equipped with the resources needed to facilitate safe areas in which commercial motor vehicles can easily park, such as rest areas. The transportation secretary would also be overseeing these particular grants and send reports regarding the legislation’s progress to Congress.

The bill’s provision would offer $250 million toward grants each fiscal year that would be established for truck parking improvement programs as designated by the secretary of transportation. These grants would be provided each year between 2023 and 2026.

The legislation is intended to bring updates to the federal highway policies that are scheduled to expire in September, and is one of dozens of trucking industry-related policies and provisions incorporated into a $547 billion five-year highway bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California has expressed her intent to pass the bill, and Democrats strongly supported the bill during its committee consideration. Republicans heavily opposed.

Regardless of this Republican opposition, Bost believes funding for truck parking capability improvements are likely to come to fruition–although Bost does have some pressing concerns regarding the overall legislation itself.

“The fact that the Democrats did make the decision to put this in, and the Republicans don’t have opposition to it…I believe [regarding] whatever bill we have out there–when we decide on a bipartisan bicameral bill–I think everybody’s come to the realization with the studies that’ve been done that it’s time to make that investment and send that money to the states,” he said.

Boat, who also serves as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, noted that current hours-of-service regulations, which determine when a trucker must be off-duty in relation to his or her shift, has made it more stressful for some truckers to find safe places in which to park their commercial vehicles.

“Whether you’re approaching a rest area, any off-ramp, anywhere up and down the instate–you see the trucks pulled off to the side,” he explained.

Additionally, the more truck parking availability boosts are delayed, the more opportunities there are for truckers to put themselves in risky situations.

“The longer we take to get it out there and get it started through the process through the states, the more people, drivers–as well as non-commercial drivers–are in danger of multiple wrecks, multiple accidents, multiple deaths, multiple [crimes]–all of the things that I’ve talked about–if we don’t start making the investment now in the trucking parking areas–that will continue and only get worse,” said Bost.

This provision will indeed help ease the worries surrounding this issue, added Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon, who serves as the chief architect of the highway policy measure and the chairman of the transportation committee.

“We have mandates on drivers, how long they can drive and be safe,” he said. “And so, therefore, they have to have a safe place to park and rest. And, unfortunately, in much of the country, it’s very difficult for them to find a place to park and rest that’s safe.”

Because of this, funding for proper parking and rest spaces is a no-brainer, DeFazio noted.

“It’s reached a very, very critical point for truck drivers,” he said. “They have to rest. We mandate rest. And so, therefore, we have to help them find a safe place to rest.”

This is not the first time truck parking concerns have been so widely discussed–a law named for Jason Rivenburg was passed after the trucker was killed in a robbery when he couldn’t find safe parking in 2009. Because of the tragedy, the law mandated a review of the United State’s conditions surrounding truck parking availability, and was reviewed again in 2019.

During that review, a majority of truck drivers were found to still have major issues finding safe places to park. It was also reported that only about 313,000 designated truck parking spots were available throughout the country.