Trucking Industry

FMCSA Medical Advisors Re-Examine Driver Seizure Regulations

June 18, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Changes may be coming soon for regulations regarding truck drivers with a history of seizures.

Currently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s medical advisory board is working on implementing updates to its requirements for these drivers, and announced last month that it would be meeting at the end of April (in a virtual session) to discuss the potential of granting special exemptions for seizure-prone truckers.

The agency also planned to review its revision of the certified medical examiner’s handbook, a resource for physicians conducting exams on truckers and bus drivers, which has been in a stage of rewriting for years. The handbook is considered outdated, but is still widely used by physicians for procedure guidance.

According to Brian Morris, a medical review board member and director of surveillance for OccMed Consulting and Injury Care, today’s regulations disqualify a driver with a history of seizures automatically, and require a driver with this diagnosis to submit a complicated waiver to the FMCSA for the possibility of exemption.

“Tagging that diagnosis on somebody can be a career-ender, even if you’re doing a great job with your medications and not having seizures,” Morris explained. “It’s a throwback to years ago when the treatment for seizures was not that great. It was a good rule at the time, but times have changed, and there’s a whole segment of people out there that drive passenger cars and have been seizure-free for years.”

Morris said opening doors to the industry for these drivers is now a priority. “To be granted a seizure waiver is next to impossible. So, there’s a move afoot to find a way to clear those individuals to drive. We’re trying to figure out a way that we could have the regular medical examiners out there in the community clear individuals with seizures. If we can get proper documentation from a treating doctor that an individual is seizure-free on medication, I think the board would go along with it.”

At the recent medical review board meeting, the agency agreed that it would begin to review recurrence-related literature for truckers who have had at least one seizure, according to FMCSA’s medical programs decision chief, Christine Hydock. This fall, the agency will also bring in outside research on the issue of seizure-related disqualifications, as seeking an exemption can currently take months for approval.

Hydock said only around 300 drivers have been granted exemptions for their seizures.

“While the research is being conducted, the exemption program stays in place,” Hydock said. “Once it is finalized, we’ll make the determination whether or not the information supports moving forward, and how we would update the standard.”

Seizure exemption regulations currently require analysis of a trucker’s medical history, medications, and driving history from the past three years. FMCSA’s associate administrator for policy, Larry Minor, said the agency will continue its studies on the issue so that it can determine the possibility of going “forward with a rulemaking at some point in the future so we can update the seizure standard and get out of the seizure exemption program.”

Following future research, FMCSA also wants to review state driving criteria around seizure disorders for intrastate U.S. commercial vehicle drivers, review commercial vehicle regulatory and medical advisory criteria in relation to seizures in other countries, and conduct interviews with board-certified neurologists regarding overall medical information on seizures.

Additionally, the agency is contemplating whether it should eliminate the exemption requirement just as it did for the diabetes requirements in February of 2019.

In regards to the medical handbook revisions, Minor said changes will be released for public review. In the past, handbook revisions have been difficult, as board members often fail to present information as formal guidance when offering help to examiners.

“This is a constant struggle for the medical review board and medical examiners,” said manager of safety and occupational health policy for American Trucking Associations, Abigail Potter. “Federal regulations require a lot of medical examiners in that they have a lot of authority to interpret medical conditions on a very individual basis.”

One critic of a revised handbook is Natalie Hartenbaum, a doctor and occupational fitness expert who attends all medical board meetings.

“I think we’ve kind of lost our way because many of the [examiner] training programs teach only what was in the medical examiner handbook–that’s fortunately only taught as ‘this is the requirement,’” Hartenbaum said. “We got here because the clear delineation between this is regulation, this is official guidance, this is literature, this is current best practice all merged together. It really has not been pushed apart to make examiners really understand that. I really worry about the safety of the general public on the highways.”

As of now, the FMCSA plans to send the medical review board a report by September 2021 for consideration of these policy updates.

More Acts of Gratitude for Truckers: Special Food Deals

June 17, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Right now, many businesses and families are doing their part to thank the truckers that are working harder than ever during this time of high demand for medical and household supplies. Now, food retailers have also jumped in by offering new specials and freebies for truckers as a further act of gratitude.

You can find an ongoing list of services happening here or a list of discounts and resources here. At the time of writing this article, these are some of the current specials available for truck drivers:

At Cracker Barrel, drivers can stop by for a free coffee or fountain drink.

At Denny’s, drivers can get 15% off of online orders through the end of May. Denny’s said they are “shifting gratitude into overdrive” for driver appreciation.

McDonald’s, while most of its restaurants are closed for everything but takeout or drive-thru meals, wrote a letter specifically to truckers to express gratitude and ensure them that locations still invite them to utilize McDonald’s McDelivery service, drive-thrus, or to come in for a ready meal to take with them on the road.

“As the world continues to address the quickly changing landscape, we are in this together with you, our valued friends in the trucking and transportation industry,” McDonald’s said. “Thank you for everything you are doing to keep essential parts of our economy going.”

Papa John’s Pizza has teamed up with Conversion Interactive Agency to bring a discount to truckers for 25% of all regular menu prices through the rest of the year. The companies announced the effort on Twitter along with the hashtag, “#ThankATrucker.”

At Starbucks, all frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis can receive a free coffee from cafes with take out, pick up, or delivery options.

Shoney’s, a restaurant chain with locations often located directly off interstates and that typically have large parking lots, is offering free takeout meals for truckers. Some of these locations include Acworth, Georgia, with a restaurant off of I-75 on Exit 277, Nashville, Tennessee, with a restaurant off of I-40 on Exit 216, and Chesapeake, Virgina, with a restaurant off of I-64 on Exit 290B.

In Fordyce, Arkansas, the town’s Sonic Drive-In restaurant has created drive-thru features just for big rigs.

When drivers call ahead to Texas Roadhouse, staff will bring meals right out to their trucks.

The International Franchise Association has partnered with the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association and American Trucking Associations in an effort to keep truckers informed of which franchise food companies are offering special accommodations, additional parking, and discounted meals for truck drivers,

“IFA heard of this need in the trucking community, and we started reaching out to our members, and we have already had seven companies cross the line to accommodate truck drivers, and we are having ongoing conversations with others,” said Josh Merin, vice president of IFA, in April. “All of us in the franchise community have a deep appreciation for the critical role that truck drivers are playing—[that] they always play–but are doing now to keep critical supplies intact and maintaining the businesses that would not be able to stay operating.”

Merin explained that these services also highly benefit restaurants themselves, as many have been struggling to stay afloat when they can only offer dine-out options to customers.

“Many restaurants are facing significant challenges at the moment, and it’s a wonderful win-win where the restaurants can make special accommodations on behalf of truck drivers, and truck drivers can help keep the restaurants applied and offer some business to the restaurants that are struggling to stay open,” he said.

Many restaurants have been offering specials to truckers since March and April. Firehouse Subs announced last month that they would offer order ahead options to truckers to have meals ready upon their arrival.

Long John Silver’s said they would offer truckers a 10% discount each day, with a special 25% reduction on Thursdays. The restaurant is also providing grab-and-go services at some locations.

Additionally, Ruby Tuesday is offering drivers a 25% discount on all takeout orders between noon and 8 p.m. each day.

“Across our stores that remain open, amidst varying state and local government mandates, we are ready and willing to serve you,” said Nathan’s Famous senior vice president, James Walker, in a message to truckers. “We at Nathan’s Famous are incredibly grateful for the dedication and commitment America’s truck drivers have shown as we navigate this increasingly difficult time. We hope to, as a brand, help alleviate some of their stress by providing them with a way to find a fresh meal, in an easy-to-access and safe way.”

CDL Regulation Waiver Expanded Due to COVID-19

June 16, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Recently, we reported on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s relaxation of regulations regarding commercial driver license learner’s permit holders, which came as a response to a driver shortage during the high demand of shipments during the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, this emergency declaration has been expanded to allow commercial driver license skills tests to be conducted with in-cab camera systems, cellphones, and online testing instead of an examiner being physically present with an applicant.

The FMCSA explained that while the country adheres to social distancing rules and guidelines, states can also continue to allow supplies and equipment needed during this time to be shipped without interruption while also bringing new drivers into the industry by utilizing technology. In its announcement, the FMCSA said cameras, cellphones, and bluetooth are now able to be used in CDL skills testing in order to allow examiners “to not be physically present in the cab of the vehicle with the driver applicant while conducting the on-road test segment.”

The FMCSA also said states could use other methods of safe testing, such as having two employees in a spacious follow vehicle–allowing them to sit six feet apart–with one driving and one observing the applicant during his or her skills test. Additionally, one employee could drive a follow vehicle while a camera records the applicant, allowing the test to be viewed after the examiner has stopped driving.

Still, any state that plans to move forward with socially distancing skills examinations must submit a detailed plan explaining how the test conducted via technology will be equivalent to test standards by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

“The plan should detail how the state intended to administer the test without compromising safety, observe the skills test from a second vehicle, leverage technology and score the road test, along with any other information the state believes will help the FMCSA determine whether the test administration is comparable to the AAMVA model,” said the agency.

FMCSA said it will consider keeping these amendments in place until the end of June.

“State driver licensing agencies must administer tests using a test examiner information manual that FMCSA determines is comparable to AAMVA’s 2005 CDL Test System Model CDL Manual,” the agency explained.

The original steps taken for commercial driver’s license regulatory relief during the COVID-19 crisis were made effective on March 28th and set to expire June 30th, or until the Trump Administration revokes its declaration of national emergency. These new relaxed regulations included allowing drivers with expired CDLs to continue operating commercial motor vehicles, allowing employers to make up for missed random drug and alcohol testing later in the year, and–perhaps the most surprising change–allowing drivers with commercial driver’s learner’s permits to operate CMVs without any observers.

With this amendment, the agency temporarily waived all requirements that a learner’s permit holder must be accompanied by a CDL holder observing from the front seat of a vehicle while the CLP holder operates the commercial vehicle.

The waiver also originally allowed State Driver Licensing Agencies to administer driving skills tests for out-of-state CDL applicants–regardless of where the learner’s permit holders were trained.

In addition to these changes, the FMCSA has also: waived requirements for CDLs due for renewal on or after March 1st, as well as for CLPs due for renewal, without requiring CLP holders to retake the general and endorsement knowledge tests; waived the 14-day-requirement for CLP holders to wait to take the CDL skills test; waived requirements regarding new medical examination and certification for CDL and CLP holders (as well as non-CDL drivers), as long as they have proof of a medical certification issued for at least 90 days that expired on or after March 1st; and waived requirements that CDL or CLP holders must provide SDLAs with a copy of a medical examiner’s certificate to maintain their medical certification status of “certified,” as long as they have proof of a valid medical certification that expired on or before March 1st.

Additionally, while motor carriers were previously required to select and test CDL holders at a 50% rate for drug testing and a 10% rate for alcohol testing this year, FMCSA will also allow some adjustments and delays for these mandatory random drug tests during this time.

Trucking Suppliers Work to Provide PPE and Medical Products to Healthcare Workers

June 12, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Some major commercial vehicle suppliers have taken on extra work in their already busier-than-normal schedules during this pandemic to help provide necessary materials and products for medical personnel across the country.

“There is no business model required for doing the right thing,” said James Sears, CEO of Sears Seating–one of the longest-operating trucking companies in the country.

The company has been making efforts towards a goal of making 3,000 medical gowns and 5,000 masks out of on-hand materials. Workers have been streamlining the production process of these items to be able to make around 200 gowns or 500 masks each day.

“Through the collaboration of Sears Seating’s engineers, expert sewers, and hospital staff, we are able to answer our community’s call for help. I could not be more proud of the team,” said Sears.

Sears Seating isn’t the only company reworking their production systems to help medical personnel. Toyota is also making various efforts to help reach “a recovery to normalcy as quickly as possible, and, in order to help that happen, [the company] is listening to the voices of many stakeholders to determine how it can contribute, with the aim to do what it can during this crisis,” the company said on its website.

Toyota has pledged to produce injection mold and 3D-printed medical face shields to help ease the current shortage. The company’s Teiho Plant in Japan said it will begin making at least 500 to 600 per week. Additionally, Toyota plans to use the Toyota Production System to help improve productivity in creating medical ventilators. The company is gathering a TPS support team that will be dispatched to companies currently struggling to increase medical equipment production.

Toyota also said it wild leverage its supply chain in an effort to produce hygienic products such as personal protective equipment, thermometers, face masks, and more, and that it would supply other equipment for the use of medical institutions, such as makeshift hospital beds, simple partition walls, and disinfectant containers.

Maumee, Ohio’s Dana Inc. is also working to use its supply chain and 3-D printers in order to create protective equipment open-source designs. Earlier in the pandemic, Dana worked with hospitals around Toledo to determine the best ways to design face shields and other protective gear.

“At Dana, we have a motto: People Finding a Better Way,” said Dana’s vice president of commercial vehicle drive and motion systems, Ryan Laskey. “But this is more than a motto–it truly illustrates our company culture. So, when our team heard of the shortage of personal protective equipment, they quickly went to work to find solutions.”

Dana is even working with local high schools, the University of Toledo, and Imagination Station to source material and efficiently produce face shields after the company prints the pieces for the shields in its Advanced Manufacturing Center 3-D Printers. Altogether, the company and its partners have been delivering at least 100 shields a day, and believes this number will increase as the designs become open-source.

This group has also created an intubation box which would create extra protection for hospital workers by partially enclosing a patient. So far, the team has delivered three dozen of these boxes to nearby hospitals. Additionally, Dana is utilizing its global supply network in further efforts to make glasses, glove, gown, shoe cover, and mask delivery a more streamlined process.

Additionally, Cummins Inc. has been donating its materials used for air, fuel, and lube filtration products made for heavy duty diesel engines to be used instead for N95 respirator masks.

The University of Minnesota created the mask prototypes with Cummins’ filtration materials, which uses DuPont’s hybrid membrane material, in a widespread effort to get more N95 masks to health care systems across Minneapolis.

“Since the arrival of the filtration media, we have been able to make rapid progress, and we now believe we have several viable mask options, including both a disposable and reusable option,” said University of Minnesota medical school dean Jakub Tolar. “These designs show real promise in keeping our health care workers safe should standard medical supplies of N95 masks no longer be available.”

Trucking Industry Partners Find New Ways to Show Support

June 11, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As trucking companies work to stay safe and efficient during the outbreak of COVID-19, they are receiving more and more support from their business partners in the process. These partners are working to offer free and discounted services to trucking carriers and manufacturers and to help employees across the trucking industry stay easily informed on all safety-related information available regarding the pandemic.

For example, TruckStop.com is currently offering trucking companies and freight brokerages free and premium services through its digital freight marketplace. The website also plans to give many of its partners free and discounted resources that will total over $10 million in value.

“Like everyone else, we’ve seen and felt that this is an unprecedented time in our life and certainly in the industry,” said Bill Vitti, TruckStop.com Chief Commercial Officer. “We also felt compelled to do something because we know that the owner-operators and drivers are putting themselves in harm’s way, and they’re literally driving to the front line.”

TruckStop.com is also providing a month of free premium service to the first 10,000 non-customer carriers and brokers who sign up. Additionally, those who are already customers will get a free month of subscription to FreightWaves SONAR, a freight market analytics tool.

“Same with FTR Transportation Intelligence,” said Vitti. “They offered two months free of their subscription, which looks at the pulse of the industry–both rates and forecasting. ATBS [an owner-operator tax and accounting firm] has offered payroll protection and loan-application services for small businesses. You can think about the demand for that today from a broker and carrier perspective.”

Additionally, fleet-representing insurance brokers at Hub International Ltd. have been working to bring truckers the critical information they need to stay safe during this time.

“We have been providing education to our clients,” said Hub International’s vice president of fleet risk services, Steve Bojan. “We have created a COVID-19 resource center for all of our clients. We’ve had a couple of webinars on the subject. We have put out materials that included a risk bulletin on driver safety.”

Trucking companies have been implementing these materials by distributing them efficiently to drivers and other staff through emails and bulletins. According to Bojan, many companies are working to find easier and more consistent communication with drivers during this time as well.

“The biggest thing is this creation of awareness at the tactical level so that drivers have a better idea of what do do,” said Bojan. “They’re kind of isolated, and one of the other things we’re beginning to talk about right now is “How do we stay in better contact with drivers?’”

Transportation intelligence platform and video-centric safety program, SmartDrive Systems Inc., also began recognizing truck drivers on the front lines of COVID-19 by launching its Everyday Heroes in Transportation program in order to recognize hard-working drivers, fleet managers, and dispatchers.

“During these trying and unprecedented times, professionals across industries are stepping up,” said Steve Mitgang, SmartDrive CEO. “As a small token of our continued appreciation for truck drivers, SmartDrive is recognizing the valiant efforts and sacrifices made through our Everyday Heroes in Transportation program.”

Fleets can nominate employees meeting the program criteria by telling the story of that worker to SmartDrive, which will choose weekly winners and offer them $100 gift cards.

“It’s great to read each of [the stories] and see that the commonality between all [of them] was drivers’ selflessness and attitude toward getting the job done,” said Mitgang. “Even with deliveries outside their normal routes to COVID-19 hotspots or potential exposure to the virus, we are seeing–and reading–about how drivers are taking every extra precaution to stay healthy while delivering these vital goods.”

While these comapnies are offering recognition, education, and free services to workers throughout the trucking industry, even more trucking partners are offering their support in other ways.

The American Trucking Associations recently reached out to law enforcement organizations across the country to reiterate truck drivers’ status as a critical workforce, the large role they play regarding the nation’s economy and wellbeing, and the importance this status holds for both the industry and law enforcement across America.

In response, the national Fraternal Order of Police, an organization representing 350,000 police officers throughout the country, sent a letter to President Trump reinforcing that “truck drivers, truck stop and rest area workers, maintenance and repair technicians, dispatchers, towing/recovery and roadside assistance workers, warehouse workers, and intermodal transportation personnel [should] be considered essential critical infrastructure workers for the duration of the Coronavirus 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic.”

Waste Collection Truckers Find Safety Challenges With New In-Cab Layouts

June 6, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Trucking technology has become more prevalent throughout the industry, with carriers wondering how truckers will adapt to the new automated changes and often worrying about what will happen should a system malfunction. Waste management trucking companies, however, have recently expressed different concerns.

“There’s literally no real estate left inside the truck,” said president and owner of Leck Waste Services, Jason Leck.

As vehicle technology continues to advance, waste truck drivers and their carriers are having to implement many new systems. In doing so, these truckers are also fighting for their safety.

Leck Waste Services out of Ivyland, Pennsylvania, for example, has seen its drivers in all its collection vehicles, including front loaders and fully automated trucks, working to learn their way around advanced technological systems and software. Leck’s trucks have begun to utilize fleet management software from Soft-Pak, which aims to make GPS tracking, mapping, and route productivity features more accessible; arm-mounted digital scales from Air-Weigh; and 3rd Eye, a camera system by Dover which works to document both in-cab and external events in an effort to improve fleet operation safety.

However, while this tech may help carriers to boost profitability and efficiency, it has also brought its challenges.

“In a conventional truck, there seems to be a little bit more cab space, but when you move into the cab design in a front loader or even a semi-automated or fully automated collection truck, with all the control panels that are installed inside the cab, there’s very limited space,” explained Leck. “Then, when you start adding additional technology and mounting tablets and driver-facing cameras, we’re starting to fight for real estate.”

In other words, drivers have no room in the cab. Another safety hazard at hand, according to Leck, is that the more technology present in a cab that requires its own display screen, the more logistical issues and distraction possibilities come into play.

“Accidents typically happen when your driver has to stop what he’s doing in the process of servicing something to do something in the cab, and then he goes back to what he’s doing and starts to drive again,” said Leck. “Are we creating an issue where we require drivers to be touching or looking at tablets every time they service an account?”

The topic of in-cab safety has also brought to the attention of the National Waste and Recycling Association’s safety committee other cab layout issues and their effects on drivers. NWRA’s chief of staff and vice president of safety and standards, Kirk Sander, said that one prominent example is the parking brake, which is often not placed well enough for newer truckers to easily pay attention to–especially when they’ve been used to operating automatic vehicles.

“I think technology is the best way to start the conversation, but I think technology is just a piece of the conversation of what the cab layout should look like,” said Sander.

Fortunately, some possible solutions have come to light during panel discussions on this topic. A conversation at WasteExpo was especially helpful when experts began explaining the needs within the industry to create a standard design for truck cabs that could result from a truck manufacturer and technology solutions provider collaboration, said Leck.

These groups could potentially create a new and more efficient way to use fleet management software and safety systems within truck cabs. Leck said the panel at the convention agreed that an industry trade association–like the NWRA–developing a new in-cab design standard “for how [manufacturers and software providers] share that space” would be the best solution.

“We need the data and information to be able to run our business, but we need to do it in a safe way,” said Leck.

WasteExpo’s panel discussed the possibility of implementing a “central device” in the cab for a driver to more easily access multiple applications at a time, as well as the benefits of dedicating one in-dash location for the tablet that would be easily reachable and able to display all applications.

“Our thought is there is this ability for all these technologies and routing software to be utilized on one tablet in the vehicle that is designed to be placed in a certain location for the driver in a user-friendly area,” Leck explained. “All the software that’s being developed should have to be able to work on that system that the driver could use. It would be cleaner, easier, and safer if all those things didn’t have to be independently installed in the cab.”