Truck Industry News and Links
Dallas-area tornadoes delivered significant damage to Schneider National’s Dallas-based operating center and minor damage to two Pilot Flying J locations.
There have been no reports of death or serious injury caused by the storms, however.
Erin Elliot, spokeswoman for Schneider, said initial reports indicate no damage to the facility’s building, but “massive damage to our trucks and our trailers located in the yard area.” There were 254 trucks and 204 trailers on site at the time the storm hit, she said.
Roughly 65 office and maintenance employees work at the facility, and 200-300 drivers come in and out each day, Elliot said. The company also said, based on initial checks, all of its employees are “safe and accounted for.”
The center is operating on backup power and phones have been redirected according to the emergency plans.Bluetooth Headsets for Truckers
Since the federal hands-on cell phone ban is now in place, we thought we would help truck drivers make the permanent switch to hands-free cell headsets with a quick review. We found some of Amazon’s most popular bluetooth headsets that features comfortable designs, excellent engine noise cancelling tech, and affordable prices.
If you would rather conduct your own search through the inventory, just click on the graphic below. Otherwise, have a look at some recommended favorites.
LG Tone SBS 700 – This is a hybrid design that features stereo ear pieces, with a receiver that fits comfortably around your neck to reduce fatigue after a long shift. Magnetic ear buds snap into place when not in use, a Reader app that works with all Android smartphones that reads your incoming text messages in real time. The powerful battery allows Up to 10 hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time.
$50.00
Plantronics Voyager PRO – The Plantronics Voyager PRO+ Bluetooth Headset enables you to stream music, podcasts, GPS directions, and other audio from your A2DP-enabled mobile phone. The high-quality mic is designed to block background noise while retaining the natural sound of your voice for crisp, clear phone conversations. In addition, the microphone’s three-layer WindSmart technology blocks intrusive wind and engine noise.
$72.00
Motorola H720 Headset – This model features a unique wearing style that rests gently against your ear, providing comfort and stability. The result is a reliable, secure fit that feels so natural you’ll hardly notice it’s there. A single charge provides up to eight hours of uninterrupted conversation. On standby, it can last for up to eleven days. The headset also features leading-edge noise and echo cancelling technology.
$36.50
VXI BlueParrott Roadwarrior B250-XT – This is one of the more popular models with long haul truckers. This model features 16+ hours of talk time out of a full charge and up to 150 hours standby time. Volume, mute, call answer/end buttons on headset. Includes both Auto (DC) and AC charging cords. 128-bit secure digital encryption for privacy. The VXI is made of high-quality materials and delivers some of the best sound for the money. Take a closer look at this one. $72.50
BRAND NEW FOR END OF 2011
The first in a full line of vocational trucks, the Class 8 CT660 redefines heavy-duty—delivering all the power, performance and productivity you expect from Cat® products.
Since late December 2010, a slew of Proposed Rules have been published that will potentially affect our industry. You are urged to comment on these proposals:
1) Notice of Proposed Rule - Released by FMCSA on 01-31-11:
Electronic On-Board Recorders and Hours of Service Supporting Documents
SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposes to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require certain motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce to use electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) to document their drivers’ hours of service (HOS). Under this proposal, all motor carriers currently required to maintain Records of Duty Status (RODS) for HOS recordkeeping would be required to use EOBRs to systematically and effectively monitor their drivers’ compliance with HOS requirements.
Additionally, this proposal sets forth the supporting documents that all motor carriers currently required to use RODS would still be required to obtain and keep, as required by section 113(a) of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Authorization Act (HMTAA). It explains, however, that although motor carriers subject to the proposed EOBR requirements would still need to retain some supporting documents, they would be
relieved of the requirements to retain supporting documents to verify driving time. FMCSA also proposes to require all motor carriers-- both RODS and timecard users-- to systematically monitor their drivers’ compliance with HOS requirements. Motor carriers would be given 3 years after the effective date of the final rule to comply with these requirements.
"Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC ordered FMCSA to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on HOS supporting documents by the end of the year. In December, the court gave the agency another month - until January 31 - to comply. The court order stemmed from a lawsuit that ATA filed just over a year ago to compel FMCSA to move forward with a regulation as mandated by Congress in the mid-1990s. By the time ATA filed its lawsuit, FMCSA had already announced that it was planning to link new regulations on supporting documents to an expansion of the EOBR mandate. FMCSA says the supporting documents of this new proposal fulfills the court's order. In addition, FMCSA issued a final rule in April 2010 requiring carriers that have a history of serious log violations to install EOBRs. That rule takes effect in June 2012. Carriers that violate this EOBR requirement would face civil penalties of up to $11,000 for each offense. Noncompliance would also negatively impact a carrier's safety fitness rating and DOT operating authority." (Courtesy MTA)
The comment period begins once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register.
Hours of Service
Check Nationwide fuel prices Here!
A notice of proposed rulemaking issued by the FMCSA targets the use of hand-held cell phones by commercial drivers. That, we know. But within the proposal is a request for public comments about a possible future ban on hands-free communications as well.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration filed its notice of proposed rulemaking, also known as an NPRM, on Tuesday, Dec. 21. As proposed, the NPRM lays groundwork to ban the use of hand-held use of cell phones while driving for commercial operators. Earlier this year, the agency issued a final rule to ban the specific act of texting while driving a CMV.
The latest proposal is an indication of how deep into the issue of distracted driving the agency is willing to tread.
The proposal is not yet a final rule, and the outcome can still be shaped. That’s precisely what OOIDA leadership and membership have a chance to do during a 60-day public comment period, which ends Feb. 22, 2011.
“It makes it illegal to reach for your phone,” OOIDA Director of Regulatory Affairs Joe Rajkovacz pointed out Monday on Land Line Now.
“That is a form of a thought crime. It’s very arbitrary and capricious. It opens up potential abuse on the part of law enforcement to use that as an ‘I gotcha’ against a driver. … The law needs to be much more specific than that. They need to do a much better job in the final rulemaking in dealing with that.”
Also key within the NPRM is language by FMCSA – think of it as a fishing expedition – that solicits public comments about the possibility of an outright ban on all cell phone use for commercial drivers, including hands-free.
“We are requesting comments on whether to propose a complete prohibition on mobile telephone use by drivers of CMVs,” FMCSA regulators stated in the NPRM document.
That one, Rajkovacz said, is sure to draw some comments from truckers.
“At 2 in the morning, as you’re driving through the night, having a conversation with somebody is a form of caffeine. It actually keeps you alert. And that’s one of the things we’ll be commenting to with FMCSA. They’re asking questions about the possibility of sometime in the future, perhaps banning cell-phone use altogether.”
Federal agencies have relied on studies to back up their points. FMCSA regulators cite a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that shows texting while driving increases the risk of a crash or a near crash.
“However, it is not clear if simply talking on a mobile telephone presents a significant risk,” FMCSA regulators stated in the NPRM.
“For example, the same (Virginia Tech) study that detailed the risks of reaching and dialing found that ‘talking or listening to a hands-free phone’ and ‘talking or listening to a hand-held phone’` were relatively low-risk activities and had only brief periods of eyes off forward roadway. It is the action of taking one’s eyes off the forward roadway to reach for and dial the mobile telephone that is highly risky.”
OOIDA helped shape the FMCSA’s final rule on texting earlier this year, by saying truckers should be able to use smart phones for GPS navigation. The Association is hoping to offer additional points on the issues of hands-free, hand-held and push-to-talk technologies.
“The question of push-to-talk is going to be broached. (FMCSA is) asking questions here. They’re also using the NPRM to look into the future of what they may or may not want to ban in the future in terms of onboard communications technology that drivers could eventually be using.”
Once the public comment period ends, the FMCSA will draft a final rule and undergo another round of public comments. Rajkovacz says don’t wait if you want to make comments on the proposal.
“This is the time to make your comments, at the time of a notice of proposed rulemaking,” he said.
Comments are being accepted in writing, by fax or on the Web as follows:
Docket Management Facility (M-30)
U.S. Department of Transportation
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001
Fax: 202-493-2221
Online: regulations.gov Follow the link to the NPRM and click the “submit a comment” button to fill out a form and submit your comments. You can submit comments anonymously.
FMCSA has issued a list of questions or points the agency would like to receive public feedback about. The following list is copied directly from the NPRM language:
•Should the agency completely restrict all mobile telephone use, both hand-held and hands-free, by CMV drivers while driving in interstate commerce?
•Should some CMV drivers, for example, drivers of passenger-carrying vehicles or of vehicles carrying hazardous materials, be more restricted than other CMV drivers?
•Some motor vehicle design guidelines suggest limiting the time that a visual or a visual-manual task takes the driver’s eyes off of the forward roadway when designing vehicle controls. Should the agency define a time limit for CMV drivers’ interaction with mobile telephones (either hand-held, hands-free, or both)?
•Should the agency propose limiting the number of keystrokes or button pushes that a CMV driver is allowed within a certain time frame when using a mobile telephone (either hand-held, hands-free, or both)? Should dialing be defined as a specific number of keystrokes or button pushes such as at least seven keystrokes or button pushes?
•Are there technologies available or soon to be available that would allow completely hands-free mobile telephone operation by CMV drivers? Please provide any information on the availability and costs of such technologies. The agency also requests comments regarding the amount of time and steps that are required by the driver to initiate and then conduct a hands-free mobile telephone conversation with such devices.
•The agency has proposed a definition for “use of a hand-held mobile telephone” in the regulatory text. The agency requests comments on this definition as well as the public’s views on whether to include a description of allowable alternatives to “use of a hand-held mobile telephone,” such as hands-free technologies.
•FMCSA seeks comment on its assumptions on states’ costs, any increase in enforcement costs to the states, or any other costs or increases borne by the states.
Land Line Now Host Mark Reddig contributed to this report
By David Tanner, Land Line Magazine associate editor
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Kicks Off Second National Distracted Driving Summit
Announces new anti-distracted driving regulations, employer policies, preliminary results from enforcement campaigns
WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood kicked off the 2010 national Distracted Driving Summit today by announcing new anti-distracted driving regulations for drivers transporting hazardous materials, commercial truck and bus drivers, and rail operators, and by identifying more than 550 U.S. companies - employing 1.5 million people nationwide - that have committed to enacting anti-distracted driving employee policies in the next twelve months. The Department of Transportation also released interim data this morning from its pilot enforcement campaigns in Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York, showing that its "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other" enforcement efforts have already dramatically reduced distracted driving behavior in both cities.
In kicking off the 2010 national Distracted Driving Summit this morning, Secretary LaHood announced that he is initiating a new rulemaking to prohibit commercial truck drivers from texting while transporting hazardous materials. In addition, Secretary LaHood announced that two rules proposed at last year's summit have now become the law of the land. Rules banning commercial bus and truck drivers from texting on the job and restricting train operators from using cell phones and other electronic devices while in the driver's seat have been posted today.
"We are taking action on a number of fronts to address the epidemic of distracted driving in America," said Secretary LaHood. "With the help of the experts, policymakers, and safety advocates we've assembled here, we are going to do everything we can to put an end to distracted driving and save lives."
The U.S. Department of Transportation has also been working with the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) to engage the private sector to promote anti-distracted driving policies in the workplace. NETS, which was created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is an employer-led public-private partnership dedicated to improving the safety and health of employees by preventing traffic crashes. The USDOT and NETS today announced that almost 1,600 U.S. companies and organizations have adopted distracted driving policies to date, covering approximately 10.5 million workers nationwide. An additional 550 organizations have committed to adopting policies that will cover another 1.5 million employees within the next 12 months.
"I am thrilled that businesses across the country are making anti-distracted driving policies an integral part of their employee culture," said Secretary LaHood. "President Obama led by example last year by banning four million federal workers from texting behind the wheel. Employers across America are doing the same to help us set an example and keep our roads safe."
Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also released interim data from its pilot enforcement programs currently underway in Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York. Dubbed "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other," the year-long pilot campaigns were launched in April to test whether increased law enforcement efforts combined with public service announcements can succeed in getting distracted drivers to put down their cell phones and focus on the road.
During two week-long periods of stepped up enforcement to date, police in Hartford have written approximately 4,956 tickets and Syracuse police have issued 4,446 tickets for violations involving drivers talking or texting on cell phones. Before and after each enforcement wave, NHTSA conducted observations of driver cell phone use and collected public awareness surveys at driver licensing offices in each test and comparison site. Based on these observations and surveys, hand-held cell phone use has dropped 56 percent in Hartford and 38 percent in Syracuse to date. Texting while driving has declined 68 percent in Hartford and 42 percent in Syracuse.
"Good laws are important, but we know from past efforts to curb drunk driving and promote seatbelts that enforcement is the key," said Secretary LaHood. "Our pilot programs in Syracuse and Hartford are critical pieces of our overall effort to get people to realize distracted driving is dangerous and wrong. I want to commend the police in Hartford and Syracuse for their excellent work keeping our roads safe and serving as a model for other communities."
In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research, distraction-related fatalities represented 16 percent of overall traffic fatalities in 2009.
Publication Date: 12/29/10
Comment By Date: 02/28/11
SUMMARY: To promote safety and to protect driver health, FMCSA proposes to revise the regulations for hours of service for drivers of property- carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). To achieve these goals, the proposed rule would provide flexibility for drivers to take breaks when needed and would reduce safety and health risks associated with long hours. The proposed rule would make seven changes from current requirements. First, the proposed rule would limit drivers to either 10 or 11 hours of driving time following a period of at least 10 consecutive hours off duty; on the basis of all relevant considerations, FMCSA currently favors a 10-hour limit, but its ultimate decision will include a careful consideration of comments and any additional data received. Second, it would limit the standard ``driving window'' to 14 hours, while allowing that number to be extended to 16 hours twice a week. Third, actual duty time within the driving window would be limited to 13 hours. Fourth, drivers would be permitted to drive only if 7 hours or less have passed since their last off-duty or sleeper-berth period of at least 30 minutes. Fifth, the 34- hour restart would be retained, subject to certain limits: The restart would have to include two periods between midnight and 6 a.m. and could be started no sooner than 168 hours (7 days) after the beginning of the previously designated restart. Sixth, the definition of ``on duty'' would be revised to allow some time spent in or on the CMV to be logged as off duty. Seventh, the oilfield operations exception would be revised to clarify the language on waiting time and to state that waiting time would not be included in the calculation of the driving window.
Restricting the use of Cellular Phones
Publication Date: 12/21/2010
Comment By Date: 02/22/2011
SUMMARY: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposes to restrict the use of hand-held mobile telephones, including hand-held cell phones, by drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) while operating in interstate commerce. The Agency proposes new driver disqualification sanctions for interstate drivers of CMVs who fail to comply with this Federal restriction and new driver disqualification sanctions for commercial driver's license (CDL) holders who have multiple convictions for violating a State or local law or ordinance on motor vehicle traffic control that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones. Additionally, interstate motor carriers would be prohibited from requiring or allowing drivers of CMVs to engage in the use of a hand-held mobile telephone while operating in interstate commerce. This rulemaking would improve safety on the Nation's highways by reducing the prevalence of distracted driving-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving drivers of CMVs.
