Your Trucker pre-trip: Fed up drivers protest: ‘My Time Matters’
Here are five things worth knowing in the world of trucking today, March 28:
1. Truck drivers protest wait times at Virginia port
Truck drivers gathered outside the Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth on Tuesday to protest heavy congestion and long wait times at the Port of Virginia. According to a CDL Life report, the demonstration was held outside the International Gateway, where members of the Virginia Port Authority convened for their March meeting. Video of the protest captures truckers chanting as they hold signs that exclaim, “Work For Hire, Not For Free,” and “We Get No Pay 4 Sitting.” Check out the photos and video at CDL Life.
2. Trucker Path rolls out ELD solution
Trucker Path announced the launch of an ELD solution to help truckers comply with the ELD mandate. The device connects with an app to track hours of service and enable truckers to share duty status reports to simplify roadside inspections, the company noted. "Hundreds of thousands of truckers already use our app to find truck stops, truck parking, weigh stations, fuel, rest areas, truck washes and more," said Sam Bokher, business operations director at Trucker Path. "The Trucker Path ELD gives truckers an easy way to track hours of service and comply with the ELD mandate. In addition, we plan to integrate ELD information into the Trucker Path app to make it easier for truckers to find truck parking."
3. ATA releases driver compensation study
The American Trucking Associations released data from its latest Driver Compensation Study, showing driver pay has climbed as rising demand for freight transportation services has increased competition for increasingly scarce drivers. According to the most recent study, the median salary for a truckload driver working a national, irregular route was over $53,000 – a $7,000 increase from ATA's last survey, which covered annual pay for 2013, or an increase of 15%. A private fleet driver saw their pay rise to more than $86,000 from $73,000 or a gain of nearly 18%.
4. Doctor arrested for conducting fraudulent medical exams
In a recent public statement, FMCSA announced that any commercial driver who received medical certification from Kenneth G. Edwards in the past two years will have just a month to obtain new medical certificate from a qualified examiner. According to a CDL Life post, Edwards, an Alabama-based chiropractor, was "arrested and indicted for allegedly conducting fraudulent driver exams." FMCSA's public notice states: "Drivers that fail to obtain medical re-qualification within the 30-day time period will be medically disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Drivers and carriers with further questions may contact [email protected] or call 1-202-366-4001."
5. FedEx reserves 20 Tesla Semi electric trucks
FedEx announced it has reserved 20 of the Tesla Semi electric trucks to test in its freight division as part of the company’s sustainable efforts, CNET Magazine reports. According to the report, companies like UPS, Walmart, PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch have committed include some of Tesla’s electric trucks in their fleets. CNET has more.
