This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending November 11, 2017.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. According to a November 1, 2017, article,
"The National Transportation Safety Board has determined the truck driver, bus driver and California DOT were at fault in an October 2016 crash in Palm Springs, Calif., involving a tractor-trailer and a tour bus that resulted in 13 deaths and 31 injuries. The Board also determined the trucker had untreated obstructive sleep apnea, and the bus driver had untreated diabetes and was fatigued, likely due to acute sleep loss, at the time of the crash."
Then, on November 8, 2017, an article reported that:
were responsible for the accident.
Even though the trucker fell asleep in the lane of traffic, all members of the motoring public need to be prepared to stop suddenly while driving. Period.
2. The frightening situation encountered by one trucker -- as was reported in a November 10, 2017, article -- prompts me to ask,
"What procedures has your trucking company trained you on regarding being forced at gunpoint to drive your truck where the gunman demands?"
3. One sentence in a November 10, 2017, article has me asking questions:
"... because of the potential economic benefits, he said it's more likely the trucking industry will take the biggest steps forward in autonomous technology early on."
Who stands to benefit economically from autonomous trucking?
What about all of the taxes that are paid by truckers and those who work in trucking-related industries, particularly:
- those who service the truckers themselves and
- those who make products specifically for truckers?
4. "Cargo theft incidents in the United States were up 24 percent in the third quarter when compared to the second quarter of the year, according to SensiGuard's quarterly report", according to a November 8, 2017, article.
Meanwhile, a November 9, 2017, article:
5. "A dispute between truckers allegedly over a spot in the fuel pump line at a Walton, Ky., truck stop left one truck driver with a gunshot wound in his arm and another dead after an apparent suicide. The incident occurred at approximately 9:38 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7", according to a November 9, 2017, article.
A related article called the confrontation "A breach of trucker etiquette".
Please remember to "do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Our condolences go to the family of the trucker who died.
6. Several articles this week all zero in on drugs being used by professional truck drivers:
7. "Rhode Island officials won't deliver the state's truck-only tolls until after Christmas, to allow sufficient time for comment on the environmental impact of initiating tolling at the first two of 14 locations where gantries will be built", according to a November 10, 2017, article.
Environmental impact, huh? They didn't take that into account ahead of time?
8. There's still a lot in the news about the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate:
9. Truckers, as was reported on November 9, 2017, be aware of this kind of thing as autonomous vehicles become more plentiful:
When there's a match between man vs. machine, some say the machine wins!
10. On November 7, 2017, we read, "Bulldog Hiway Express, a Daseke company, has announced a driver-compensation program called Salary Plus that includes a guaranteed minimum salary of $1,000 a week in its flatbed division."
What would you think about earning a "guaranteed minimum salary" every week, truckers?
11. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) reported on November 7, 2017, that during "September's Brake Safety Day inspection event... 1,064 vehicles were placed out of service due to brake-related violations" and "That amounted to 14% of the 7,698 vehicles inspected in the U.S. and Canada, which is a slightly higher rate of out of service violations than in the unannounced... event earlier this year, which put 12% of vehicles out of service for brake-related issues."
12. The most common causes of vehicle breakdowns, according to a November 7, 2017, article are tire problems.(c)
Read the article for more details.
13. Also, read:
14. Mike and I wish all veterans a blessed Veterans Day.
If there are special discounts available to you for things that you need, we encourage you to take advantage of them.
My husband Mike and I wish you -- and all professional truck drivers -- safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Return from TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2017.11.11 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
Reference:
a. https://ktvz.com/news/s-calif-trucker-cited-in-tumalo-semi-suv-crash/491797815 (no longer online)
b. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=71151#.WgYGjHZrzcs (no longer online)
c. http://www.worktruckonline.com/blog/fleet-management-and-leasing/story/2017/11/q-what-are-the-most-common-causes-of-vehicle-breakdowns.aspx (no longer online)
d. http://www.worktruckonline.com/blog/fleet-management-and-leasing/story/2017/11/q-how-should-fleet-vehicles-be-prepared-for-winter.aspx (no longer online)
e. http://www.worktruckonline.com/channel/safety-accident-management/news/story/2017/11/safety-tip-driving-in-snow.aspx (no longer online)