This is the TDMST Weekly Round-Up of news affecting professional truck drivers, written by Vicki Simons for the week ending May 14, 2022.
We welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding limiters, accidents, fatalities, and safety:
Limiters
No pun intended, but there is a limited time when comments may be submitted regarding speed limiters on commercial motor vehicles.
We encourage you to write and submit comments here (noting that there are helpful tips in the Commenter’s Checklist).
- FMCSA draws thousands of comments from drivers, carriers on speed limiter proposal
- Industry worries speed limiters will lead to road rage
- Poll: Would speed limiters force you to reconsider your job?
- Speed limiter concerns outlined by OOIDA Foundation
- Speed limiter notice flooded by comments from truckers
- Truckers sound off on FMCSA’s speed limiter mandate, say the rule will trigger road rage
Accidents
Please learn what you can from the accidents described in these articles and seek to avoid being in the same set-up.
- Semi truck plunges off bridge into Georgia river
- Seventeen injured in head-on crash involving school bus, dump truck, and car
- Sleepy driver okay after smashing into empty toll booth
- Tractor-trailer crashes into Pennsylvania home
- Tractor-trailer driver pinned in vehicle after hitting tollbooth plaza
- VIDEO: Dump truck slams into ODOT vehicle, triggering explosion
Fatalities
We extend our deepest condolences to those who died in connection with a truck accident.
Please practice safety at all times!
- “Cognitive impairment” blamed for missing man’s fatal sprint towards semi truck
- Man accused of intentionally colliding with tractor-trailer facing murder charges
- One dead after head-on crash between semi, sedan
- Passenger killed after BNSF train strikes truck
- Tractor-trailer driver dead after truck flips on Louisiana highway
Safety
- Apathetic safety compliance can be deadlyQuote: “Consider this a warning to all who feel nonchalant about safety: Inaction can be just as damning as wrong action.”
2. Regarding fuel, fuel – hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles:
Fuel
There’s a raging problem in the USA right now concerning both increasing prices and shortages of fuel — including diesel for big trucks.
If you have any suggestions for how to improve this situation, please comment through the form below.
- As fuel prices surge, Biden cancels offshore oil lease sales in Gulf Coast and Alaska
- At More Than $4.30 a Gallon, Gasoline Nears Its March Record
- Ban on ‘Excessive’ Gas Prices Heading for House Vote
- Diesel inventories on East Coast fell again last week
- Diesel prices climb 22.6 cents in past week
- Diesel prices climb past $5.60 a gallon nationwide
- Diesel Prices Continue to Hit Record Highs
- Diesel prices skyrocket 22.6 cents since last week, consumer costs to rise, per report
- Diesel Rises 11.4¢, Sets New Record at $5.623 a Gallon
- Diesel shortage fears grow for the east coast, Love’s ‘monitoring’ situation
- Freightliner Cascadias to run on hydrogen fuel cells
- Fuel prices blow toward another record high | Texas-based small fleet shut down
- Increases not as staggering, but diesel prices higher again
- Industry professionals talk diesel market and its effect
- Key oil report sees little relief in current tight diesel market
- Larger engine displacements, renewable fuel, increase promise of natural gas trucks
- Survey Cites Fleets’ Growing Acceptance of Alt Fuels, Sustainable Tech
- US diesel benchmark price tops $5.60 per gallon as East Coast surges
- What’s up with diesel prices?
- Why the East Coast’s diesel supply is running out
Fuel – hydrogen
- Cummins to Build Fuel Cells for Freightliner CascadiaTakeaways: viable, energy dense, flexible use.
- Freightliner to build trucks with Cummins’ hydrogen fuel cell powertrain
Autonomous vehicles
The big news this week was about how an autonomous, driverless, or self-driving truck pulled off the road all by itself! after it got a flat tire.
I saw in the video what I perceived to be one hazard that happened.
Be that as it may, I disapprove of these types of trucks being on the public roads with the motoring public, but share them as a courtesy to you, our reader.
- Aurora signs up truckload carrier Covenant to work on autonomous technology
- Aurora, Covenant Team on Autonomous Trucking Program
- Autonomous trucking offers efficiency, environmental benefits
- Developers Take Varied Paths to Autonomous Trucking
- Embark completes winter-conditions autonomous test
- Embark Trucks completes industry-first autonomous testing in winter conditions
- Kodiak Develops Failsafe to Guide Autonomous Trucks Out of Traffic
- Kodiak Robotics demos ‘driverless’ fallback system
- Loadsmith plans to become to fully autonomous trucking company
- Mega Carrier Announces Plans to Team Humans With Driverless Trucks on Long-Haul Routes
- Penske to Provide Maintenance for Torc’s Autonomous Test Fleet
- Plus deploys semi-autonomous retrofit
- Plus Launches Upfit Program to Build Semi-Autonomous Trucks
- Plus upfitting trucks with semi-autonomous software
- Self-driving truck tech expected to meet ‘acceptable shipper delivery windows’ during 90% of runs in snowy weather, company says
- Top fleet partners with Aurora to explore bringing autonomous tech to long-haul trucking
- U.S. Xpress, Embark Team up for Autonomous-Truck Network Development
- Video shows how driverless truck responds to a tire blowout or other major system failure
- Volvo Autonomous Solutions introduces autonomous transport solution targeted at key customer segments
- Volvo Autonomous Solutions, DHL to Partner
- Want an autonomous vehicle now? Lightning eMotors has one
- WATCH: Driverless Truck Shows Off ‘Failsafe Tech’ During ‘Critical System Failure’
3. Regarding electric vehicles, batteries, emissions, and zero:
Electric vehicles
- Blue Bird Unveils EV Chassis for Commercial Vehicles
- Daimler says its eCascadia daycab’s ready for deliveries
- DTNA Unveils Production-Ready eCascadia at ACT Expo
- Electric and hybrid vehicles topic of Louisiana bill
- Electric Freightliner, Volvo EV Orders Top ACT Expo
- Electric truck maker Xos evolves into full-fledged manufacturer
- Fontaine Modification Offers Refrigerated Trailer Electrification
- Freightliner eCascadia electric semi-truck goes into production
- Freightliner Unveils Production-Ready eCascadia
- Orange EV Unveils e-Triever Electric Yard Truck
- Volta Trucks to Enter U.S. Market with Electric Class 7
- Volvo extends VNR Electric range, explores options for battery life
- Volvo to Supply 44 Electric Trucks to DHL
- VTNA Gets Orders for 90 More VNR Electric Trucks
- WattEV to Build Electric-Truck Charging Stations at Port of Long Beach
- Xos Unveils Two New Commercial Electric Trucks
Batteries
- Environmental impact of battery-electric Class 8 trucksQuote: “New research conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute found that battery-electric Class 8 trucks may not be as environmentally friendly as many believe when considering the full life cycle of the vehicles.”
- Freightliner debuts production version of battery-electric eCascadia
Emissions
- California Falls Short in Fight to Curb Emissions
- NFI Expands zero-tailpipe emission fleet with Order of 60 Volvo VNR Electrics
- Truck emission standards proposal seeks feedback from truckers
Zero
- Cummins CEO: Get on the Path to Net-Zero Emissions
- More Steps Needed to Reach Zero-Emission Future
- Navistar CEO Calls for Long-Term Commitment to get to Net Zero
- Zero-emission trucks’ impact on environment
4. Regarding inspections and insurance:
Inspections
If you and your truck are always ready for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- FHWA to Extend Inspection Requirements for Bridges
- Roadcheck preps: What’s been your preparation strategy ahead of the May 17-19 inspection blitz?
- Roadside inspection ends in driver arrest after trooper finds $500K in cash in cab
- Two more states join ‘e-inspection’ program | Shop manager gets prison for illegal tanker repairs
Insurance
5. Regarding drugs and smuggling:
Drugs
Never, ever haul illegal drugs, no matter how much of an incentive you’re offered.
Don’t take illegal drugs or narcotics and then drive a truck. Period.
- Are Drivers Quitting After Positive Marijuana Tests?
- Mexican Truck Driver Arrested in $18 MILLION Drug Bust at U.S. Southern Border
- More than $18M in meth found in single tractor trailer
- Team Truckers Arrested After Inspection on I-40 Leads to Discovery of Cocaine
Smuggling
Never, ever smuggle people like they were animals or cargo, no matter how much of an incentive you’re offered.
- Driver transporting 100 migrants “ran out of diesel,” leading to officer’s discovery
- Migrants feared death in blazing-hot trailer; truck driver arrested for human smuggling
- Trooper’s check on disabled truck leads to discovery of 100 migrants
6. Regarding employment, future, statistics, and testing:
Employment
Future
- Cass Freight Index warns of ‘considerable’ risk for freight recession
- Is the future of packaging reusable?
- J.B. Hunt executive says supply chain of the future will be mode agnostic
- The Future of Supply Chain weather forecast: Clear road ahead
- Uncertainty still high in the short term, EIA says
- Yellow Corp. optimistic with year of change ahead of it
Statistics
- FreightWaves releases National Trucking Index to measure domestic truckload market
- State of small trucking
Testing
7. Regarding economy, costs, and inflation:
Economy
- Class 8 Sales Flat in April Compared With 2021
- Has the peak of container shipping’s epic boom already passed?
Costs
- 8 Hidden Costs of Trucking
- How data can help fleet managers save money
- Telematics help fleets reduce fuel costs
Inflation
- Biden Weighs Tariff Cuts to Fight High Inflation
- Inflation Hit 8.3% in April
- Producer Prices Surge 11% in April
8. Regarding technology, tires, and weather:
Technology
- More Than Half of U.S. Trucks Use Advanced Diesel Technology
- NHTSA Seeks OK to Extend Data Collection for Safety Tech Study
- PrePass now available on Pedigree Technologies’ Cab-Mate ELD
Tires
- Bridgestone Introduces New Tire Tread With Improved Wear Life
- Daily Infographic: What happens when an 18-wheeler gets a flat?
- Get Smart About Smart Tires
Weather
- High winds in Southwest raise rollover risk for truckers
- Truck chains nowhere to be found as unexpected snowstorm plagued I-80 through the Sierras
- Wildfire risk heating up for truckers in Southwest
9. Regarding last mile, parking, parts, recalls and sustainability:
Last mile
Parking
- Briefly: Here are the top 20 locations for truck parking availability
- I-81 rest area in Virginia to close at end of May until Labor Day
- New rest area opens on I-26 in western North Carolina
- New ‘Taj Mahal’ North Carolina rest area features 30 truck spaces
- Road rumor: Jacking up the price of parking?
- Taj Mahal of rest areas’ now open in North Carolina
- Truck parking availability is highest at TravelCenters of America
- Virginia I-81 rest area to close until September, truck parking available at weigh station
Parts
- Getting your truck’s HVAC ready for summer
- How regenerative braking works in commercial trucks and trailers
Recalls
- Briefly: Kenworth, Peterbilt, International and Western Star trucks subjects of recalls
- Kenworth, Peterbilt trucks recalled for steering issue
Sustainability
- 10 findings about the state of sustainable fleets
- Norfolk Southern funds nearly $500 million in sustainability projects
- State of Sustainable Fleets Report finds fleets are accelerating use of clean vehicles
- Sustainable trucking will require multiple solutions: ACT Expo panel
- Using Data in Setting Fleet Sustainability Goals
10. Regarding rates, taxes, and surcharge:
Rates
- Truckload linehaul spot rate drop accelerates under pressure from surging diesel prices
- Truckload van spot rates fall even faster
Taxes
- Fuel tax relief, tax rebate action pursued nationwide
- Transportation tax to be included on Orange County, Fla., fall ballot
Surcharge
11. Regarding operations and securement:
Operations
- New Jersey town bans Jake braking
- Parents call out, photograph truck drivers illegally passing school bus
Securement
12. Regarding awards: championship, citizen, DOTY, recognition:
Awards: Championship
We wish all contestants safety and success.
- Connecticut Truck Driving Championship set for June 11
- Maine State Truck Driving Championship set for May 21
Awards: Citizen
If you know of someone who deserves this award, please make that known.
Awards: Driver of the Year
Congratulations to all of those who have been awarded!
- Big G trucker named Tennessee’s driver of the year
- Virginia Trucking Association names its driver of the year
Awards: Recognition
We appreciate it when folks help out their fellow human beings in need.
- Arkansas trucker honored for rescuing 6 people from fiery crash in Missouri
- CFI driver honored for helping six victims in chain reaction crash
- Team drivers honored for their actions at scene of head-on collision
My husband Mike and I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2022.05.14 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
