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December 6 , 2005
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Headline
News
Appeals Court Remands Entry Level Driver Training Rule
On December 2, 2005 the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court decided on the case challenging the adequacy of the final rule addressing “Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Training” and remanded the rule back to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) “for further consideration consistent with the opinion”.
Additional rulemaking on entry-level driver training can be expected in the future, however, while the final rule had been remanded, it has NOT been vacated and will remain in place until the FMCSA crafts an adequate regulation addressing the training requirements for Entry-Level driver training.
Click here for the court's opinion in which the court found the rule to be arbitrary-and-capricious under the Administrative Procedures Act's standard of review, and click here for the Final Rule, as it appeared in the Federal Register on May 21, 2004.
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GAO Says Federal Crash Data Has Improved
The Government Accountability Office said that while the quality of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's truck crash data has improved, it still has a ways to go.
The GAO, the congressional investigative arm that examines public funding, issued a report in response to a Senate request that it evaluate the FMCSA program for helping states improve truck crash data.
The Senate also requested that the GAO address issues raised in the DOT Inspector General 2004 report on Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System or SafeStat. The OIG had noted that the quality of data being fed into the Safety Status Measurement System, or SafeStat was poor. As we reported previously in the Truckload Carrier Report, the FMCSA has removed key data elements from the public Internet site until it improves.
In response to recommendations in that 2004 report, the agency developed the State Safety Data Quality map, considered a tool for rating states' data quality. The GAO stated the FMCSA should develop an assessment and improvement plan for the map's methodology and should furnish a crash specific data rating and limitations of the map on its website.
While the map is useful, the office GAO said the methodology problems could result to false conclusions about the extent of improvements states have made.
The FMCSA's other program to help states improve truck crash reporting also appears beneficial, the GAO said. Through the data improvement program for states, FMCSA has provided nearly $21 million in discretionary grants to states 2002-05 and helped states better their data.
The GAO did not find problems with FMCSA's oversight of the program, but said the agency needs formal guidelines for awarding grants to states.
According to FMCSA, as of fiscal year 2004 almost one-third of truck crashes that states are required to report to federal officials went unreported. Those that were reported were not always accurate, timely, or consistent.
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DOT Provides Money for Hurricane-Damaged Highways and Bridges
The U.S. Department of Transportation has provided an additional $40 million to Louisiana and Mississippi as part of the federal government's commitment to help Gulf Coast states rebuild roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The Federal Highway Administration will immediately advance each state $20 million in emergency relief funds that may be used to repair or rebuild portions of I-10, U.S. 90 and other federally-supported highways and bridges, according to Secretary Mineta.
The announcement represents the second installment of federal funds for highway and bridge repairs since the hurricane struck. In mid-September, Mineta announced $5 million in emergency relief funds to each state as an initial down payment.
"These funds should give the states some financial relief while we wait for action on the next aid package," Mineta said.
The Bush Administration has requested that Congress provide an additional $2.3 billion for repairing and rebuilding Katrina-damaged highways and bridges.
FHWA's emergency relief program reimburses states for certain costs when federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands have suffered serious damage from natural disasters or catastrophic events. Top
Ontario Trucking Association Calls for Speed Governors
The Ontario Trucking Association adopted a policy requiring all trucks that operate into, out of or within Ontario to use speed limiters, also known as speed governors, on their trucks.
The group approved setting limiters to make the highest speed a truck could go at no more than 105 kph, the equivalent of about 65 mph.
A speed limiter is a built-in microchip that allows a truck engine's top speed to be preset; all trucks built in the last decade come equipped with this technology, OTA said.
OTA said that while truck drivers are the least likely of all drivers to be operating at excessive speed, there are good environmental, safety and economic reasons for making the activation of speed limiters mandatory.
The group said the fuel savings could reach about 2,310 gallons of diesel a year for a typical tractor-trailer, reduce greenhouse gases and improve safety.
OTA President David Bradley said the OTA plan “demonstrates the industry's commitment to ensure all trucks on the highways operate at a safe speed and that incidents of tailgating and improper lane changes are reduced.”
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Syracuse Post-Standard Includes Veterans Article
The November 27 issue of The Syracuse Post-Standard included an opinion piece by Suzanne Mettler, an associate professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University . In the piece Mettler argued that those who don't serve should do more for veterans and that their benefits, especially those covering education provided by the GI Bill have not kept pace with the rising cost of education. TCA and PTDI are in favor of increased GI Bill funds for those returning veterans who chose to enroll in a truck driving course. Veterans could provide an answer to some of the truck driver shortage that plagues the industry. To view the entire Syracuse Post-Standard article please click here.
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Get the Results You Want From Drivers Through The Driver Report Card™
Do your drivers know what you expect from them? You may be surprised to learn that they don't. Dan Baker, renowned trucking expert, says that expectations often fall on deaf ears because we think we are clear, when in reality, we are not. Until you can effectively communicate expectations to your drivers, you will not get the desired performance from them.
HNI created The Driver Report Card™ to address two common concerns in the transportation industry: driver performance and retention. This tool combines objective measurements with effective communication strategies that together create a culture of accountability. The best part is, your drivers will be holding each other accountable and you'll be doing less micro-managing.
This system works best when you involve your employees in the entire process because, in essence, you are creating peer pressure. Your top performers will begin to compete for the best scores and your average performers will begin striving for higher scores. You will then be able to deal more effectively with the non-performers of your fleet.
Initially, you will witness a spike in overall performance or increase in productivity. The scores will begin to plateau, forming a baseline from which you can manage more effectively. After six months of implementing the system, one motor carrier with more than 100 drivers witnessed a 50% increase in the average score per driver. By simply making your drivers aware of how they can better perform and how they rank in your fleet, you will cause an immediate impact.
Although the short-term results will have a positive impact on your culture, it's the long-term increase in productivity that will improve your bottom line. A moving and storage company with more than 90 employees witnessed a 13% increase in overall productivity the first year and 12% the second year.
The following briefly describes the three-step process involved in incorporating The Driver Report Card™ in your company's culture to increase both performance and retention.
- Creating the Objective Scoring System
a. Selection of Criteria - Including your team during this process will increase employee buy-in and ultimately enhance performance. Together, determine the most crucial measuring factors. Productivity measurements can include miles, revenue, hours (how your company is paid) and depending on your operation, MPG, out-of-route, idle time, etc. You also want to measure areas such as safety, equipment and possibly recordkeeping. We recommend starting with approximately five categories and adding more as you progress through the process.
b. Weigh the measurements - Assigning a weight to each measurement allows you to customize the tool to focus on your priorities. We start with an average score of 100, not zero. This establishes the tool as a positive motivator rather than negative discipline. The goal is for every driver to obtain an average score, and then to be rewarded for achieving higher levels than average.
c. Communication - The expectations must be clear for all team members and should be posted in a common location so all employees can review them regularly.
- Monitoring and Improving
Develop a consistent process for working with drivers to improve their performance including setting a regular time to meet. You will achieve optimum results when you not only work with drivers directly, but also develop a mentoring program in which drivers are working with other drivers.
- Rewards and Consequences
Creating a recognition and/or reward system that focuses attention on your best drivers will not only improve morale, but it will keep you focused on your top performers as opposed to spending all your time with those who struggle. For those with below average scores, identify potential problematic areas so they can be addressed immediately. Ensure that each measurement has a specific consequence tied to it when the score for the category is below average or acceptable level.
Just as you included your employees in selecting measurements, it is equally, if not more important to share the results with your entire team. Employees won't change behaviors until they truly understand and realize their individual contributions to the company's success.
For more information on The Driver Report Card™, contact Matt Bucher at HNI Risk Services (800) 236-4464 or mbucher@hni.com .
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Ontario Makes Recruiting Foreign Drivers Easier
Ontario has received approval to launch a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which will help the trucking industry recruit qualified truck drivers from overseas.
The PNP allows the province to fast-track the immigration process for employees in fields where there is a skilled worker shortage. The pilot project is expected to be up and running within the next year. Most provinces including Alberta and Saskatchewan already have PNPs in place. Ontario is one of the final provinces to launch a PNP.
The federal and province government are now working to develop the terms of a Temporary Foreign Worker agreement.
The announcement has been welcomed by the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA). The lobby group points out the trucking industry's workforce is aging with more than 13 percent of its drivers over the age of 55. Ontario needs 20,000 new truck drivers each year to keep pace with economic growth and the retirement of older drivers, the OTA says.
Despite the OTA's support of the program, the group's president David Bradley cautions "it is not a slam dunk process, carriers have to seek out qualified people and make certain commitments. The floodgates are not going to open."
He adds "current drivers do not have to fear an influx of new drivers. The tight capacity that has been reflected in the market in recent years will continue going forward. A PNP would provide some potential relief for those carriers that wish to avail themselves of the opportunity."
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Transportation Group Pushes for More Tolls
The International Bridge , Tunnel and Turnpike Assn. (IBTTA), an alliance of worldwide toll operators, is calling for more tolls to fund U.S. transportation projects – particularly at the state and local level.
“Roads have become a lower priority than they should be,” said Patrick Jones, executive director of IBTTA. “The time has come for all levels of government to acknowledge they don't have the resources they need to build, maintain, and upgrade America 's roads.”
Citing deteriorating roads and a lack of funding to pay for needed improvements as two of the biggest challenges facing state and local government officials, IBTTA and its partners believe every state and local government should include tolling as an option for every road project considered “from this day forward,” said Jones.
The groups said it wants state and local authorities to consider three guidelines:
1. include tolling as an option whenever they consider building a new road or upgrading an existing road
2. include tolling as an option when they consider road projects that may be several years off to determine whether tolling would allow them to accelerate those projects and
3. if they determine that tolling is not appropriate, provide a public explanation as to why that is the case.
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Work-Zone Accident Study Faults Lane Tapering
Truck-car accidents often occur where lanes taper for work zones, according to a study released Nov. 16.
The American Transportation Research Institute study, titled Safety by Design: Optimizing Safety in Highway Work Zones , noted that many states are looking to shorten that region to increase traffic flow and lane capacity. This may cause four-wheel drivers to cut in front of trucks more often, forcing the big rigs to brake quickly and unsafely. The institute is the research arm of the American Trucking Associations.
The report recommended standardized accident reports and greater adherence to the work zone design guidelines of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
“Given the emphasis that the Federal Highway Administration and state DOTs are placing on improving work zone safety, the issues raised in this report should be taken into account by all work zone planners,” said Dean Carlson, former Kansas DOT secretary and former president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
“The study provides the basis for a partnership of the trucking industry and government to provide safer work zones for all motorists,” said Doug Duncan, institute chairman and president and CEO of FedEx Freight.
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