U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) re-introduced legislation designed to keep bigger, heavier trucks off the road. The bill would apply existing federal truck size and weight limits to the entire National Highway System (NHS) and will also ban the use of triple trailer rigs on the entire NHS. ...More
Families and survivors of truck crash fatalities and injuries joined with the Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) last weekend for the group’s annual Sorrow to Strength conference in Washington D.C. The event included four days of workshops and meetings with members of Congress and U.S. Dept. of Transportation officials to advance the group’s truck safety agenda....More
A new solution from inthinc Technology Solutions provides real-time road hazard awareness warnings to drivers. The inthinc Road Hazard Awareness (RHA) has been integrated with the company’s waySmart fleet management solution to allow managers and drivers to collectively communicate and warn each other of impending dangers on the roadways in real-time....More
Reckless homicide charges were dropped against a truck driver involved in a crash that killed a young Myrtle Beach, FL, girl last November. Vincente Virola Rodriguez was driving a tractor-trailer that crashed into an SUV killing a 4-year-old in girl on March 31, 2012. The crash happened on U.S. 501.
According to the final report from the S.C. Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, the truck driver was using a cell phone and traveling too fast for conditions when his truck struck the rear of the vehicle the girl was in....More
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered four Olathe, KS-based trucking companies – Royal Transport, Inc.; Nationwide, Inc.; Freight, Inc.; and Midwest A, Inc. – to immediately cease all interstate transportation service based on evidence that they are reincarnated “chameleons” for an unsafe truck company previously shut down by the agency....More
The National Tank Truck Carriers Assn. (NTTC) has recognized Dupré Logistics with the Grand Award in the 31.5 – 40 million mile class in personnel safety.
Dupré has a long history of carrying hazardous materials via tank truck and has been a NTTC member since 1984. As a full service logistics provider, Dupré drivers were ranked in this first place category due to their lack of personnel injuries in the preceding year, NTTC said....More
CINCINNATI. Companies that experienced the lowest ratio of accidents per million miles for the past year were honored here Tuesday at the National Private Truck Council Annual Education Management Conference and Exhibition along with fleets that have made “outstanding and/or improved safety records based on their crash rates.” ...More
Saia, a less-than-truckload carrier, is equipping 331 new Volvo tractors with Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems’ safety solutions, Bendix said.
The safety portfolio includes the Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program full-stability system; Bendix Wingman Advanced – a collision mitigation technology; Bendix ADB22X air disc brake; AutoVue Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system from Bendix CVS; and Bendix BlindSpotter side object detection system.
Delivery is taking place through the second quarter of 2013....More
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declared North Carolina-licensed truck driver Johnny Allen Spell to be an imminent hazard to public safety and has ordered him not to operate any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce....More
With Texas roadways becoming increasingly crowded, the Texas Transportation Commission stepped up measures to keep motorists safe by approving left-lane truck restrictions on an additional 78 mi. of state highway along US 77, US 83 and US 281 in Cameron and Hidalgo counties. This brings the statewide total to 443 miles where trucks cannot drive in left lanes on roadways in 14 counties....More
A new study recently conducted by driver monitoring firm SmartDrive found that the top 5% of the most distracted drivers captured in its commercial fleet data set are distracted 79% of time during risky driving maneuvers – nearly six times more often than the rest of the drivers tracked by the company....More
J.J. Keller has created a new online tool to help comply with OSHA’s alignment of the HazCom Standard with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). This alignment means big changes for hazard classification, labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), the company said....More
The California Highway Patrol invited a local news reporter on a ride-along to help warn the public of the driver distraction problems caused by several “tent cities” that have popped up along some of Southern California’s busiest freeways.
10 News San Diego reported that the “tent cities” created by the homeless are becoming a distraction to drivers....More
The Pennsylvania State Police placed 106 trucks and 71 drivers out of service during a one-day enforcement effort called Operation Seatbelt and Fatigue Enforcement (SAFE) held on April 9.
“During the operation, state police motor carrier enforcement personnel focused their attention on seat belt use by truckers and an examination of commercial driver's licenses, vehicle inspection reports, hours of service logs and other required documentation,” State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said....More
According to the recently published results of Aegis’ “Measuring Corporate Attitudes to Employee Distracted Driving” survey, most companies have already adopted a strict policy on distracted driving (71%) and those that have not are planning to do so-- and soon. Among the 29% of companies without an existing policy, the survey finds that 52% plan to adopt a policy....More
Continental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket’s VDO RoadLog now combines an electronic onboard recorder and compliance reporting in a single solution.
VDO RoadLog EOBR allows drivers to record and report hours of service (HOS) as well as other key compliance data quickly and easily, the company said....More
A two-day inspection blitz targeting trucks entering and exiting the port of Baltimore by the Maryland State Patrol put 114 trucks and 21 drivers out of service for safety violations. One of every five commercial trucks pulled over by inspectors during a dragnet was placed out of service....More
Truck drivers traveling on I-64 through New Kent, Virginia, are being warned if they’re caught using a hand-held cell phone while driving they risk a fine up to $2,700. And the odds of getting caught will increase beginning April 8....More
The National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) has worked with J.J. Keller & Associates to produce the 2013 NTTC Bulk Hazmat Compliance Guide.
Formerly known as the NTTC Cargo Tank Hazardous Materials Regulations, this new tank-truck specific book offers greater content, accessibility, and utility to its readership thereby increasing the overall value for tank truck operators, NTTC said....More
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shut down Atlanta-based trucking company Southern Transportation, Inc. for failure to provide company safety records under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).
Under provisions contained in MAP-21, signed into law by President Obama in July 2012, FMCSA may place a motor carrier out of service if it fails to comply with a letter demanding release of company safety records....More
The Truckload Carriers Assn. has announced its Safety and Security Division meeting will be held May 19-20 at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel in Indianapolis, IN. Along with exhibits, regulatory updates and safety in the round meetings, the event will offer presentations on the following topics of interest to attendees:...More
The Missing Driver Alert Network has posted a plea from a woman seeking help finding her brother, a truck driver based in Georgia, who has been missing since March 15....More
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has shut down two fleets, General Trucking, Inc., Atlanta, GA, and Highway Star, Inc., Oak Park, MI, declaring the two operations imminent hazards to highway safety....More
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Aegis Mobility said it’s the ideal time to conduct its Third Annual Workplace Distracted Driving Survey.
Aegis Mobility was founded in 2006 to address the distracted while driving problem of cell phone use in vehicles....More
LOUISVILLE, KY. Brussels, Belgium-based Wabco Holdings Inc. is showcasing its “breakthrough” hydraulic anti-lock braking system (ABS) with its integrated ESCsmart electronic stability control (ESC) here at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
According to Wabco, the system “marks the first time within the commercial vehicle industry that these two vehicle safety technologies – ABS and ESC – have been integrated for hydraulic brake applications on medium-duty trucks and buses....More
