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
A recent study by the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health concludes that the lack of safety restraint is the main factor in injury severity to truck drivers and passengers in commercial vehicle crashes, rather than the location of drivers and passengers within the cab....More
The American Trucking Assns. (ATA) characterized the changes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) made to driver Hours--of-Service (HOS) rules in 2011 as “driven” by an agenda in arguments it made before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday....More
Santa Rosa, CA, sheriff’s deputies are warning motorists to be on the lookout for suspects in a highway shooting on Highway 101 early Friday morning March 15....More
Dept. of Public Safety investigators in Alice, TX, are seeking information to help track down a tractor-trailer involved in a hit-and-run accident in Jim Wells County off Highway 44 on Tuesday morning Mar. 12....More
The Texas oil boom has brought with it increased truck traffic and an increase in accidents, prompting the Texas Dept. of Transportation (TxDOT) to launch a “Be Safe, Drive Smart” campaign aimed at reminding drivers to be extra careful when driving around trucks in energy work zones....More
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is renewing a call for stronger under-ride guard standards after tests it conducted on current models can be improved to better prevent passenger vehicles from sliding underneath the rear of trailers in a crash.
David Zuby, the Institute’s chief research officer, noted in a statement that “vehicle occupant protection” devices such as seat belts and airbags count for little when the front of a passenger vehicle ends up wedged under a tractor-trailer....More
The Kansas Dept. of Transportation has issued a traffic alert to ramp and lane closures in the Kansas City Metro area this beginning Thursday through the weekend that are expected to create major delays.
Following ramp and lane closures are scheduled:...More
A major storm will bring heavy snow from parts of North Carolina to portions of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, spanning Wednesday into Thursday, according to Accuweather.com, that predicts impacts in the eastern states to range from travel disruptions and power outages caused by heavy snow to coastal flooding from storm surge....More
The owner of a Detroit trucking firm, D. R. Logistics, is accusing a towing company of taking advantage of a tragic chain reaction crash on I-75 on Jan. 31 that claimed three lives after she received a bill for $10,250 from the company that tows for the Michigan State Police....More
It has been almost a year since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its plan to postpone the incorporation of accident preventability into its CSA scores, but I haven’t really been keeping track. Actually, I lied. Writing this column rewards my sense of organization (my boss will doubt that sense) because I get to write about the progress, or lack thereof, of important issues that affect the trucking industry. Thus, I keep track of these issues as part of my daily routine....More
Overnight construction on the LBJ Freeway in Dallas will lead to some major road closures. The biggest closure will be all southbound lanes on Interstate 35-E starting at the Loop 12 split and ending around the Harry Hines Boulevard on-ramps....More
