Trucking Industry

New Bill Introduced to Support Female Truckers

November 28, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Lawmakers are introducing new legislation that will aim to support women working in trucking.

The Promoting Women in Trucking Workforce Act would work toward directing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to create a Women of Trucking Advisory Board, which would potentially break down the obstacles many women face while entering the industry. It would also work to collaborate with trucking companies, trucking associations, and other organizations in order to put into place new education and training techniques, as well as to develop mentorship and outreach programs for female-identifying employees in the trucking world.

Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who both serve on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the act on November 14th.

According to the Department of Labor, women made up about 47% of the civilian labor force in 2016. However, the Women in Trucking Association’s data show that less than 8% of truck drivers are women.

The bill would make sure the FMCSA administrator submits a report to Congress in full detail of the board’s findings and proposals.

“In Wisconsin, we make things, and we need to ensure we have a strong workforce to transport our goods to market,” said Sen. Baldwin. “Women currently make up less than 10% of the truck driving workforce, and removing the barriers that get in the way of women pursuing and retaining careers in trucking is key.”

Sen. Moran explained that the current truck driver shortage not only highlights a strong need to find new ways to recruit and retain drivers, but that there is a specific need to motivate more women to jump into the industry.

“Because women are substantially underrepresented in the trucking industry,” he said, “Congress should explore every opportunity to encourage and support the pursuit of careers in trucking by women.”

Moran has also helped lead a method of promoting women in aviation, which was included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

The American Trucking Associations and the Women In Trucking Association are supporting the new legislation. ATA President Chris Spear said in a letter to the senators who introduced the bill, that although women are still underrepresented in trucking, the overall number of female truck drivers has increased by 68% since 2010.

Spear also noted that women tend to work more safely as truck drivers in comparison to their male counterparts. For example, the American Transportation Research Institute’s Crash Predictor Model was updated to show that men are 88% more likely to have a reckless driving conviction. Additionally, the research showed that men are 20% more likely to be involved in a crash.

The Women In Trucking Association’s president, Ellen Voie, was able to offer her own input on the new legislation, and said she was beyond happy to have her voice heard.

“By creating an advisory board to utilize the expertise and resources of the [FMCSA] and the members of the board, we can increase the opportunities for women as drivers, technicians, owners, trainers, and in other relevant career roles,” she said. “This’ll help us at a much higher level. It’ll also get other people involved.”

This bill comes soon after the FMCSA announced in July its plan to research violent crimes against women and minority truck drivers in the U.S., an assessment which the agency says will help to increase the number of qualified potential drivers.

“FMCSA needs to explore and validate the problem of harassment- and assault-related crimes, especially against female and minority male truckers for two reasons,” said the agency in its July 23rd announcement. “First, there seems to be a perception among these sub-populations of truckers that they are more vulnerable than others. Second, there is a critical shortage of truckers, and helping these sub-populations of tuckers protect themselves from crimes could draw more truckers from these sub-populations, while stemming turnover, to alleviate the shortage.”

The FMCSA is currently seeking White House approval to begin assessing the scope of this issue, and has since started collaborating with nonprofit research group Battelle to execute the study. As of now, the agency cites documentary and anecdotal evidence of these crimes, but does not yet provide methods of how women can protect themselves.

The Women in Trucking Association is now working with FMSCA to help the study get up and running, and is offering an anti-harassment employment guide to carriers that are working to address these issues among driver teams of all genders.

When Fleets Need to Buy, Lease, and Sell in an Ever-Changing Market

November 26, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The modern trucking industry has made it vitally important for fleets to know the best times to buy and sell their assets.

Right now, experts are saying asset management being aligned with the ever-changing industry is of the utmost importance, and this includes everything from proper maintenance to extend the life of equipment, to when and where professionals should dispose of used assets, to the way they plan for capital acquisition of new equipment.

Still, those in the industry have a never-ending list of questions regarding how they can stay on top of the game. When should they buy or lease? How do they know when a truck is too old to be useful? How should a fleet stay up-to-date on the newest technologies?

The biggest issue at hand, still, is the need to keep costs low, which becomes increasingly difficult as new technology is introduced.

Manufacturers show us new models every year, each with their own improvements in comfort, safety, driver assistance, emissions control, and more. As of now, a Class 8 tractor typically exceeds $125,000. As trucks’ technologies increase in sophistication, businesses need more highly-skilled technicians, which are also more costly than ever before.

On top of this, insurance rates for trucking companies tend to follow the trends in the industry. “Rate increases have ranged from single digits to, in some cases, double or worse depending on these factors,” vice president of Lockton Cos.’ transportation practice, Todd Reiser, said.

Shippers are now working to stay as environmentally conscious as possible, while fleets are taking advantage of every tool they can to increase their fuel economy.

In terms of fleet acquisition, Hub Group Trucking has five principles it follows. Those include: safety and reliability, driver appeal, deploying the latest technology, fuel efficiency, and overall ownership cost.

Hub Group’s executive vice president, John Vesco, weighed in. “Safety is first and foremost,” he explained, saying that having the newest equipment and technology supports that value.

Also of high priority–a solid capital expenditure plan and a disposal strategy that take into account all aspects of a fleet’s operating considerations.

“The best strategy is to establish a ‘continuous build’ [plan],” said Mike Britt, principal of MG Britt Engineering. “This will help the vehicle manufacturer remain consistent with quality, materials, and skill sets.”

He also added that fleets should schedule the disbursement of new equipment evenly throughout the year at the same times they retire their old assets. “This process will reduce maintenance cost on vehicles ready to retire, keep quality on new builds, and prevent ‘full fleet’ out-of-service situations,” Brit said. He also believes this process will prevent a company “from being bombarded with loads of new equipment to learn all at one time.”

Balancing fleet composition for projected business plans and maintenance costs will also aid in seeing a maximum return on investment, according to Taki Darakos, vice president of vehicle maintenance at Pitt Ohio, which has a fleet of 2,000 tractors and 5,200 trailers.

He also said the acquisition and disposal schedule should always take into account technology improvements. “Drivers want the newest trucks with the newest features and equipment,” Darakos noted. However, he says there is an important balance between getting the most value of an asset’s life and holding onto equipment for too long, which can cause new technology to become obsolete and maintenance costs to exceed boundaries.

On the other hand, new tech does tend to help increase driver retention and recruitment, he said.

Pitt Ohio also doesn’t ever lease equipment. According to Darakos, it’s important for trucking companies to have a substantial mix of new, middle-aged and older assets, so that as trucks come to the end of their life cycles, there are already newer ones to take their places, thus keeping costs consistent.

“When you have a good mix, your [capital expenditure] becomes more predictable and you benefit from an even approach to maintenance expense,” Darkos explained.

For disposal, Pitt Ohio uses auctions, as it doesn’t operate as a wholesale truck sales company.

No matter what a company chooses to do in regards to buying and selling, though, consistency is always key.

“Don’t overreact to market swings,” executive vice president of Melton Truck Lines, Robert Ragan, said. Ragan follows many practices he believes to be fundamental: understanding the operating environment, keeping a close eye on business needs and growth plans, and continuing to spec equipment to meet those criteria. He’s also careful to invest in preventative maintenance and to trade or sell his units before warranties expire.

“Know what you paid for it, what you spent [on it] while you owned it, and what you sell it for,” Ragan said. Taking good care of assets while you have them, he says, will give you “a good reputation in the market that will maximize the residual value of your rolling stock when you sell.”

Trucking Safely on Snowy Roads

November 25, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

For workers who make their living on the roads, it’s of the utmost importance that traffic continues moving, even during winter weather.

For emergency planners, this isn’t necessarily always an easy feat–especially when multiple car accidents occur in the same area.

For semi truck drivers Michelle and Floyd Goss, keeping a close eye on upcoming weather systems can make or break their hauls between Montana and Colorado. If conditions get bad enough, there’s a huge strain on the timeliness of their deliveries.

“If it’s too bad, then we just stay here, we have enough food in the truck to last us about three weeks,” said Floyd, who owns and operates his vehicle-hauling truck.

Both Michelle and Floyd had to put chains on their tires for the incoming weather, and they say all drivers–not just truckers–should keep with them an emergency kit at all times, but especially during winter. Things to include are food, water, jackets, and blankets. More importantly, though, is making sure other drivers are aware of all semi trucks they may be sharing the road with in snowy conditions.

“It takes so much longer for us to stop, and if anything happens, that’s an 80,000 pound vehicle versus your 2,000 to 2,500 pound car,” Floyd said. “If we tangle, you’re going to lose.”

The biggest thing for drivers to keep in mind is to always give trucks plenty of room, take it slow, and stay patient.

For truck drivers, though, safety precautions are doubly important in winter weather.

On top of extra food, water, and blankets in your emergency kit, truckers should also keep on board:

-Rain/snow gear, extra gloves

-A coat that can support both day and night temperatures

-A flashlight

-A bag of sand/salt

-Extra windshield washer fluid

-A windshield scraper

-Jumper cables

-Tire chains/traction mats

-At least a half tank of gas at all times

In addition, Roadmaster Drivers School also has these tips for truckers planning a trip during inclement weather conditions:

-Complete pre-trip inspections–Commercial drivers must inspect their vehicles prior to every trip. They should do a hands-on visual inspection and check tires, wiper blades, fluids. and lights. Truckers should check their vehicles more often in extreme temperatures.

-Slow down–Because most winter accidents take place when drivers go too fast for the road conditions, and hydroplaning can happen easily at higher speeds in slush, a slower speed will give you more time to react.

-Brake and accelerate lightly–Doing anything forcefully in bad weather can be detrimental. If your vehicle has an anti-locking brake system, use it properly by pressing and holding the brake down as far as possible in the event of an emergency. ABS prevents wheels from locking so you can steer around obstacles. If your vehicle does not have ABS, lightly pump your brakes when needing to slow down quickly on slick roads–this will decrease your likelihood of sliding out of control.

-Give yourself plenty of safe space–Keep an ample following distance between yourself and other vehicles so that you always have space and time to move out of the way of a dangerous situation.

-Hold the steering wheel firmly–Sudden moves can easily make you lose control of your vehicle, so be sure to keep both hands on the wheel and keep your vehicle steady through heavy wind and when ice or ruts appear on the road.

-Watch out for black ice–Black ice is a thin layer of clear ice that shows up when temperatures are near freezing and can make the road look only slightly wet. Never assume that just because the sun is shining that the road is only wet, and use these clues to be able to spot black ice when the temperature is getting close to freezing.

Ice build-up on antennas, windshield corners, or mirror arms
Spray from tires on vehicles ahead will stop

-Use caution on bridges–Elevated structures tend to freeze first, and are often not treated with snow-melt materials (like salt), whereas other parts of the road may be. Black ice is often found on bridges, and vehicles driving easily on the highway may spin out of control on a bridge or highway overpass.

-Be wary of mountain driving–Weather on mountains can be unpredictable during the winter months and can change rapidly. Be on the lookout for emergency vehicles, snowplows, and wind gusts. Do not stop in avalanche zones. Tire chains may also be required for some of these routes.

-Remain in your vehicle if you get stuck–Stay put if you end up getting stuck in a storm or if you slide off the road and can’t see a nearby place to find help. Bundle up and keep moving to stay warm. Keep your exhaust pipe clear of snow, open a downwind window for ventilation, and run your engine for only around 15 minutes each hour.

-Obey all road signs–Warning information is always posted for good reason, and a curve posted at 35 mph is because testing has determined that is the safest maximum speed for any vehicle on the road.

-If conditions look too bad for driving, get off the road–Use your best judgment, listen to weather reports and act accordingly. Don’t push your luck.

-Treat your fuel–Cold temperatures can cause diesel to gel, so it may be helpful to stock up on anti-gel ahead of bad weather.

-Keep in mind the ‘Five Keys to Space-Cushion Driving’ that many carriers make required training for drivers—

Aim High in Steering: Look far enough ahead of your vehicle so you have time to react to any hazards.
Get the Big Picture: Keep a lookout all around our vehicle.
Keep Your Eyes Moving: Scan the entire area as often as possible.
Leave Yourself an Out: Have an escape plan for you and your vehicle.
Make Sure They See You: Make sure other drivers are aware of your presence.

October Trucking Conference Tackles Marijuana Legalization, Cybersecurity

November 24, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

SAN DIEGO — We recently reported on the American Trucking Associations’ 86th annual Management Conference and Exhibition, which took place at the San Diego Convention Center in early October.

A main topic of discussion was of course the upcoming changes proposed in regards to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service rules, which the ATA fully supports.

Another big issue at hand included the legalization of recreational marijuana as more and more states are hopping on board–which continues to push the trucking industry and its current challenges to their limits.

In response, the ATA recently endorsed a set of policies related to marijuana, such as relaxing federal regulations on cannabis studies.

A working group from the ATA, which researched state legalization efforts and their impact on impaired driving and road safety has inspired the association’s Board of Directors to support the increase of marijuana research, especially regarding drug testing technology. According its recommendations, the group has said it aligns with “lifting federal restrictions on marijuana research” in order to continue this kind of research.

At the management conference, the American Trucking Associations explained that it also supports maintaining employers’ rights to test employees for marijuana usage, and that it advocates for the improvement of testing methods, investigation into impairment standards, and further research on the drug’s effects.

Although it is currently unclear what actions the ATA is pushing for in regards to lifting blocks to research, there is an understanding that rescheduling cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act will be an important tool in reaching that goal.

However, ATA’s Controlled Substances and Driver Health and Wellness Working Group do have a few recommendations, such as developing a policy that ensures employers can test all drivers for marijuana, implementing legislation changes to permit drug testing using “alternative specimens” like hair and saliva as opposed to just urine samples, as well as the use of oral fluid testing.

“ATA has long been an advocate for reducing impaired driving–in all its forms–so it only makes sense that we would call upon state and federal governments to consider the impact of increased use of marijuana on our roadways,” said ATA President Chris Spear in a press release. “As an industry that operates in all 50 states and across national borders, we need all levels of government to help us keep our roads and drivers drug-free.”

Spear also mentioned cannabis policy in his conference keynote speech, giving a look into the ATA’s reasoning around establishing such a working group.

“Eleven states, D.C. and Canada have now legalized the recreational use of marijuana, all while our federal government turns a blind eye,” he said. “And guess who gets caught in the middle?”

The ATA has even more controversial endorsements, such as the establishment of a “marijuana victim’s compensation fund,” which would be funded completely by dispensaries, manufacturers and growers. It also recommends the adoption of both state and federal legislation that would “require that each time marijuana is dispensed to an individual, it is reported to the state.” However, these policies do not explain who would qualify for compensation, how the funding would be sourced, or how prescription drug monitoring could legally be put into place.

An additional attention-grabbing topic of conversation at the event included that of cybersecurity, as transportation organizations have become a major target for ransomware attacks.

“This is why we’re doing a session on cybersecurity,” said Ken Craig, vice president of special projects at McLeod Software, as he referenced Forbes’ data showing that the transportation industry currently ranks fifth on the list of the most cyber-attacked industries.

Sharon Reynolds, chief information security officer for Omnitracs, said that small trucking companies are often the biggest targets for hackers as they typically have unsophisticated protection software. Larger companies who do have high-quality protection are still a large target, though, as they often pay hackers highly to disable their computer systems.

Saunders said motor carriers need to start conducting annual assessments of their systems, as well as to begin applying software patches and implementing an incident response plan.

CEO of RunSafe Security Inc., Joseph Saunders, also weighed in, recommending truckers initially protect personal information on both employees and customers, and start educating their employees about phishing scam threats and protecting accounts payable information.

As for computer protection quality right now, “by the time you get the notice, you’re in deep yogurt,” said panel moderator Craig.

Hours-of-Service Changes Highlighted in October Trucking Conference

November 18, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

SAN DIEGO — At the American Trucking Associations’ 86th annual Management Conference and Exhibition early last month, industry leaders contemplated how federal regulation and international trade policy changes will affect truck drivers, carriers and manufacturers.

The most prevalent issue discussed at the event–which ended up brining 2,764 attendees to the San Diego Convention Center–appeared to be the changes coming to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service rules.

These new regulations would bring increased flexibility to the previously mandatory 30-minute rest breaks and time splits between off-duty and on-duty hours for truck drivers. It would also allow for extended duty time during inclement weather by two hours and would lengthen the maximum on-duty period from 12 to 14 hours.

The ATA strongly supports these regulations.

“What we submit will be laced with a lot of justification, as we always do,” said ATA President Chris Spear during the event’s closing press conference.

The proposal for these regulation changes sparked from the Trump Administration and trucking lobbyists’ beliefs regarding rules becoming excessively strict around truck drivers working in heavy traffic and poor weather, as well as concerns for drivers’ abilities to complete deliveries on time.

Once these rules do soften, truckers will have to stay on the road for hours longer, and proper safety measures will fall onto drivers’ shoulders to self-regulate.

Without a way to make sure truck drivers will get the necessary amount of rest to drive alertly, lenient regulation doesn’t make much sense–especially after a July PBS report which found that 60 truckers involved in fatal crashes back in 2017 were asleep at the wheel or extremely fatigued.

At the closing press conference, both Spear and ATA’s chairman, Randy Guillot, explained the association’s intent to mark tort reform as a major industry priority.

“I’m excited that we’ve moved tort reform up to the highest level of priorities here at ATA,” said Guillot, who is also the president of Triple G Express Inc. “I think we’ll see a lot of activity with that topic this year.”

In Spear’s October 7th keynote address, he explained his plan to fight against trial lawyers who target trucking companies and often secure large jury awards. Spear believes most of these cases are not settled fairly, and claims the ATA always quickly compensates those involved in cases in which the association is at fault.

However, Spear and the ATA have been known to handpick specific cases in order to spotlight situations that they hope will bring public attention and pushback against lawsuits opposing the trucking industry.

For reference, in a recent Transport Topics interview, Spear referenced a case from 2014 that involved a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer. The pickup crossed a median on a Texas interstate and collided with the trailer. One passenger of the pickup was killed in the crash and another was left paralyzed. Their family argued in court that the trucker was driving recklessly in inclement weather and should have pulled over. The jury awarded the family nearly $90 million.

Although Spear believes the truck driver was not at fault (even though court documents from the case show Werner Enterprises, the trucking company, staying quiet about its blatant disregard for safety policies), it clearly makes little sense to relax regulations regarding truck drivers working in dangerous weather, like the driver in this case, or to allow for drivers to potentially work while even more fatigued than they already are.

If safety regulations call for even less rigidity around truckers driving in storms or under the influence of extreme exhaustion, wouldn’t the number of nuclear verdicts against truck drivers increase? Isn’t that in direct contradiction of what Spear and the ATA want?

Additionally, placing tort reform as a high-priority issue would mean recoveries awarded to those harmed by lack of trucking industry safety would potentially decrease even further. Of course, the American Trucking Associations wants to spend as little in payouts as possible, but why is profit a bigger priority than the safety of everyone on the road? Decreasing truck driver safety with hours-of-service regulation flexibility will clearly make for many more cases against the industry, which is obviously counter-productive for the ATA.

It appears the ATA needs to spend much less time fighting for regulations that work against itself.

Amazon Threatening the Trucking Industry Once Again

November 14, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Over the years, Amazon has slowly but surely built an entire fleet of delivery and transportation vehicles to maintain its foothold on the behemoth of a business it has created. According to Business Insider, Amazon reportedly has an incredible number of vans used for the “last mile” of delivery, bringing product from the company’s warehouses to our doorsteps, with over 100,000 vans nationwide. As one could clearly understand, one company maintaining as much volume and control over the delivery of its own product certainly effects the ability for drivers to gain valuable work from a multitude of manufacturers and retailers. However, up until this point, there has been one key aspect of Amazon’s business that has allowed for drivers and the trucking industry to breath easy; the company has long welcomed third parties for shipping its product that goes beyond that “last mile.” Unfortunately, the trucking industry now may be facing a harsh reality, one that sees Amazon bringing all of its delivery resources in-house and creating a fleet that handles the entire delivery process for its business.

As we recently wrote, the trucking industry is already facing a steep drop-off of its own workforce due to retirement and an overall lack of incentives to take on the grueling job. Additionally, the industry has found it much more difficult to keep large fleets of trucks on the roads for trucking companies as retailers and manufacturers continue to consolidate and tighten their grip on shipping costs. That’s why the most recent sightings and word of Amazon’s branded Class 8 tractors are certainly cause for concern. Just last year Business Insider wrote an article on how Amazon was playing a significant role in the driver shortage. At the time of that piece being written, the online publication noted that “Amazon only operates 300 semi-trucks – FedEx, by contrast, operates more than 20,000 semi-trucks.” Additionally, in 2017 it had then been reported that the company was also reportedly attempting to bring 30,000 drivers into its company for solely its “last mile” services. Fast forward two years and we are not only seeing the driver shortage as be far more of an issue, but the trucking industry as a whole has been negatively affected. Most importantly, this is all prior to Amazon actually using the thousands of semi-trucks it has now purchased in 2019.

Amazon’s past decision to lure trucking industry drivers to its company has clearly had an impact on the industry as a whole. Unfortunately, the driver shortage is likely the least of trucking companies’ concerns at the moment. For example, in its article from 2018, Business Insider noted that the move by Amazon led some trucking companies to “primarily target the ‘spot market,’ which is for shipping agreements made only a few days before goods are shipped.” The reason for the trucking fleets to move to the spot market was primarily because this area in the market was far more lucrative than signing a third-party contract that could result in the manufacturer spending far more than is necessary over a longer period of time. At this time, the industry is suffering due to “spot market” rates crashing, not necessarily due to a driver shortage. Overall, while there have only been a few sightings of Amazon’s new tractors, the reality is that one of the world’s largest retailers is about to take the next step to maintain complete control over all of its business.

It cannot go without being said that the ramifications of Amazon bringing its delivery in-house will hinder much more than just the trucking industry. Large decisions such as these have ripple effects that will ultimately affect us all. Earlier in 2019 we wrote about how the trucking industry is losing many drivers, thus forcing older drivers to continue past retirement and potentially hiring drivers who may not actually be all that qualified or properly trained for the job. Such instances then potentially lead to older, overworked, and improperly trained drivers that are asked to drive thousands of miles across the country. Clearly there are circumstances that lead to traffic collisions and fatalities on the road, but decisions such as this, although rightfully made, certainly don’t make them any less likely to occur.