This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending May 18, 2019.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
Numerous articles have been written about what to expect and how to prepare for the annual International Roadcheck event to be conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) on June 4-6, 2019.
This is a big deal because vehicles that are inspected and found to be out-of-compliance can be placed out of service (OOS) -- and fines can be stiff.
CVSA's 2019 emphasis will be on steering components and suspension systems.
Read more in articles here, here, here(a) and here.
During the 2018 event, nearly 12,000 vehicles were placed out of service and "The top three out-of-service violations for trucks were for brake systems (28.4 percent), tires and wheels (19.1 percent) and brake adjustment (16.3 percent)."
I found it interesting that one of the options in a poll about preparing for Roadcheck is "Planned vacation for the June 4-6 period".
Of course, taking vacation during that week may keep one's truck from being inspected, but won't make one's truck any safer to drive.
We have learned that Love's Truck Tire Care and Speedco are offering "free TirePass inspections [and] half-priced DOT inspections" from May 27-June 6.
Of the 144 cargo thefts that took place in the United States during the first quarter of 2019, SensiGuard reported that:
This report was also covered here.
A May 16, 2019, article stated that there was a "19% decrease in volume [of cargo theft] in Q1 2019 vs. Q4 2018".
A 5-year labor agreement was recently put in place by YRC Worldwide Inc. on behalf of their employees.
A May 15, 2019, article and a May 16, 2019, article stated that among the highlights of the agreement was "Prohibitions against using driverless trucks."
Read more about the agreement here.(b)
"Trucking conditions" fluctuate continually and here is what has been going on:
Other articled addressed "softening" or "negative" trucking conditions and how owner operators see a "cautionary economic outlook" for the rest of this year.
A May 15, 2019, article opened with this:
A Cincinnati news station recently shared a report detailing how dangerous the lack of safe truck parking really is -- both for truck drivers and for the public at large.
Although government studies have repeatedly shown the need for increased truck parking, a May 15, 2019, article stated that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is going to be holding "truck parking workshops" in 3 locations.(c)
The easy question is this: "When will they stop 'studying' the problem and start doing something about it?"
The answer is: No one wants a truck stop in his/her backyard.
So, why don't officials make a way for truck stops to be built adjacent to existing industrial parks?
A May 14, 2019, article covered the report about "crashes involving tractor trailers... increasing in the Nashville area, with 700 more of these types of crashes occurring in 2018 than in 2014":
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the most common ways for drivers to cause crashes were:
Be aware and drive defensively.
Two articles this week reported accidents that were caused at least in part by motorists not being able to see well:
Be aware and do what is necessary to drive safely.
Several articles this week covered how Connecticut's governor received an anti-toll petition signed by more than 100,000 people.
The petition reads in part:
We, the undersigned, demand that Governor Ned Lamont veto and the Connecticut General Assembly vote NO on any, and ALL, proposed legislation to implement TOLLS in the State of Connecticut.
The document listed a number of unwanted increases that would follow the implementation of a toll in that state.
Read more here(d), here(e) and here.
An effort to help "improve the movements of goods and services from Mexico into the western United States, and ultimately into Canada" is happening in Texas, according to a May 10, 2019, article.(f)
Our condolences go to the families of two motorists who were killed due to the action (or inaction) of truckers.
Starsky Robotics is totally in favor of "early adoption of Level 5 autonomous systems, moving freight without any human in the vehicle at all", according to a May 16, 2019, article.
Theirs was the "Level 4 vehicle control systems [that was tested] on a [7-mile] stretch of the Selmon Expressway near Tampa, Florida [with no human in the vehicle]."
That article further stated, "Starsky Robotics has taken the position that human drivers will not be needed in vehicles equipped with its technology".
A May 13, 2019, article reported that live stream viewers' reactions about the "autonomous truck test" were mixed.
The 15,000-member Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC) filed a lawsuit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), stating that the agency is "'intentionally discriminating' against it and is in violation of federal law for its handling of two recently submitted rules exemption applications."
The article addressed the need to regulate the regulators.
A May 10, 2019, article answered questions about biodiesel.
If you use biodiesel as a truck fuel, please write and submit a product review through our site.
My husband Mike and I wish you -- and all professional truck drivers -- safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Remember that Memorial Day weekend is coming up soon.
Return from TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2019.05.18 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
Reference:
a. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74217 (no longer online)
b. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74239 (no longer online)
c. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74231 (no longer online)
d. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74226 (no longer online)
e. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74226#.XN559lJKiM8 (no longer online)
f. http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=74205 (no longer online)