|
February 7, 2006
Note:
To print this newsletter in its entirety, simply press the print button
on your web browser.
CLICK
HERE to send us your comments about this newsletter.
Headline
News
PTDI Mentioned in CCJ Story
In the January 2006 issue of Commercial Carrier Journal , CCJ editorial director Avery Vise penned a column on minimum training standards for entry-level drivers. Vise contends that FMCSA should either adopt FHWA's 1985 standards or those developed PTDI. In the piece, titled “Right from the Start” Vise notes that PTDI standards would be a more expedient solution. To read the article in its entirety click here.
Top
Annette Sandberg Resigns Effective March 1
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Annette M. Sandberg will resign her post effective March 1, according to a letter she sent to The White House last week. She did not give a reason for her departure.
FMCSA recently has been plagued by legal challenges to its regulations, mostly involving the truck driver hours-of-service (HOS). Currently there is a petition filed by the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Assn. to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review two aspects of HOS.
In her resignation letter to President George W. Bush Sandberg noted:
“During my three year tenure we have made significant strides in improving commercial motor vehicle safety and security on our nation's highways. In this time we have reduced the agencies regulatory backlog by over 68% and provided additional enforcement focus at the local, state and federal level—resulting in the lowest large truck fatality rate since the collection of data began in 1975.”
Sandberg's resignation will leave FMCSA searching for a new chief administrator – the third in its six-year life.
Sandberg had served as the chief of the Washington State Patrol for six years, part of a 17-year career with the patrol in law enforcement, supervisory and administrative posts, some of which included responsibility for motor carrier safety.
Top
Federal Highway Administration Releases SAFETEA – LU Implementation Guidance
On August 10, 2005, the President signed into law the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Since that time, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued several guidance documents to provide stakeholders with a better idea of how to implement this statute. In an effort to ensure the widest dissemination possible, the FHWA has established a website that will serve as the consolidated source of all SAFETEA-LU implementation guidance issued by the FHWA. The website can be found at the following URL: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/reference.htm . The following is a list of some of the guidance documents available on this website:
- Interim Guidance for Implementing Key SAFETEA-LU Provisions on Planning, Environment, and Air Quality for Joint FHWA/FTA Authorities;
- Interim Guidance for Implementing SAFETEA-LU Provisions on Planning, Environment, and Air Quality for FHWA Authorities;
- Surface Transportation Program (STP) Section 1113 of SAFETEA- LU--Implementing Guidance;
- Public Lands Highways Discretionary (PLHD) Program--Implementing Guidance under SAFETEA-LU and Requests for FY 2006 Project Applications;
- Ferry Boat Discretionary (FBD) Program--Request for FY 2006 Project Applications;
- Interim Guidance on Use of 23 U.S.C. 139(l) Limitation on Claims Notice;
- Guidance for Determining De Minimis Impacts to Section 4(f) Resources;
- Transition and Implementation of SAFETEA-LU Planning Provisions: FHWA/FTA Clarifying Guidance on Implementation of SAFETEA-LU Planning Provisions;
- Program Guidance: Safe Routes to School;
- FHWA Guidance--Transportation Enhancements (with SAFETEA-LU updates); and
- Guidance for Applying the 4(f) Exemption for the Interstate Highway System.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all the guidance currently on the website, and the FHWA will continue to issue SAFETEA-LU implementation guidance that will be made available on the site. Top
Reappearance of EOBR Rulemaking Postponed
Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's advance notice of proposed rulemaking on the use of electronic onboard recorders closed Nov. 30, 2004, the industry has waited to see what the agency's next step would be.
However, with the wide variety of groups shopping their proposed uses for the “black boxes” by FMCSA officials, the agency has decided to delay publishing anything on the topic for a few more months, according to various sources.
FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg told Transport Topics that unresolved issues with the hours-of-service regulations also played into the EOBR rulemaking delay.
FMCSA officials previously said the regulation would be issued in late January or early February.
Top
Study Lists Nation's Worst Bottlenecks
Trucks idled for more than 243 million hours on bottlenecked U.S. highways in 2004, costing trucking companies $7.8 billion, according to a study prepared for the Federal Highway Administration.
The study estimates a cost of $32.15 per hour of delay based on four major types of bottlenecks along freight corridors: interchanges, intersections with signals, steep grades and lane reductions.
The study was conducted by Cambridge Systematics in association with the Battelle Memorial Institute.
According to the study, the Top 20 interchange bottlenecks for trucks are:
- I-90 at I-290 in Buffalo, N.Y., with 1,661,900 hours of delay in 2004
- I-285 at I-85 (Spaghetti Junction) in Atlanta with 1,641,200 hours of delay
- I-17 (Black Canyon Freeway) at I-10 in Phoenix with 1,608,500 hours of delay
- I-90/94 at I-290 (Circle Interchange) in Chicago with 1,544,900 hours of delay
- The San Bernardino Freeway in Los Angeles with 1,522,800 hours of delay
- I-94 (Dan Ryan Expressway)/I-90 Skyway Split (Southside) in Chicago with 1,512,900 hours of delay
- I-285 at I-75 in Atlanta with 1,497,300 hours of delay
- SR134 at SR2 in Los Angeles with 1,489,400 hours of delay
- I-77 at Tryon Road in Charlotte, N.C., with 1,487,100 hours of delay
- Long Beach Freeway in Los Angeles with 1,380,300 hours of delay
- I-20 at I-285 in Atlanta with 1,359,400 hours of delay
- I-80/I-94 Split (Southside) in Chicago with 1,343,600 hours of delay
- SR 60 at I-605 in Los Angeles with 1,314,200 hours of delay
- Pulaski Road at I-55 in Chicago with 1,300,400 hours of delay
- I-75 at I-85 in Atlanta with 1,288,800 hours of delay
- I-93 at I-95 in Boston with 1,280,800 hours of delay
- I-290 at I-355 in Chicago with 1,246,200 hours of delay
- I-405 (San Diego Freeway) at I-605 in Los Angeles with 1,245,500 hours of delay
- I-80 at Central in San Francisco with 1,196,700 hours of delay
- The San Gabriel River Freeway in Los Angeles with 1,194,300 hours of delay
Bottlenecks account for 40 percent of vehicle delays, with the balance caused by construction work zones, crashes, breakdowns, bad weather and poor signal timing, the study said. Top
OOIDA Takes HOS Challenge to Court
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has filed a court challenge requesting review of the new hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers.
OOIDA has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the regulations.
As we previously reported, OOIDA initially petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for two changes to the current hours-of-service regulations on August 29, 2005. The current regulations are set up in such a way that if a trucker chooses to split up the required 10 hours of off-duty time, one of the two periods must be at least eight hours. That eight-hour rest period stops the 14-hour maximum on-duty clock. The other two off-duty hours can be taken at another time – either in the sleeper or out – to fulfill the 10-hour off-duty requirement, but they do not stop the 14-hour clock.
The other change OOIDA requested involved the split sleeper-berth provision for team drivers. Under the current HOS regulations, team drivers have to take a minimum of eight consecutive hours off in the sleeper berth. One driver must remain in the sleeper berth, and during that time, OOIDA argues, the other driver is pressured to drive at least eight hours in one stretch while the other driver is off duty.
FMCSA denied OOIDA's petition for reconsideration Dec. 5, 2005. The association then decided to take the matter to court. OOIDA currently is awaiting a response from the court to decide how to proceed next.
Top
Trucking Industry Concerned Over Super Bowl Commercial
ATA President and CEO Bill Graves sent a letter to Coca-Cola President and CEO, E. Neville Isdell on January 23, 2006 expressing concern over a planned Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad. The television advertisement shows a large commercial truck pushing a smaller passenger truck off the road. Graves objected to this unsafe depiction of trucking and professional drivers and asked that Mr. Isdell reconsider running the advertisement. He stressed that Coca-Cola products are delivered by trucking throughout the marketing and production process. To view the entire letter click here.
Top
Volvo, International Recall Trucks
Volvo Trucks North America has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the company will initiate a voluntary safety recall on approximately 42,000 Volvo VN and VHD model trucks manufactured from November 2002 to January 2006 and equipped with the Volvo D12D engine.
Volvo found that there is the potential for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler inlet pipes – the pipes that connect the EGR valve to the cooler – to crack or break. If these pipes fail and are not repaired, the air cleaner and inner fender may be subject to hot exhaust gases, which could potentially lead to a fire.
Volvo has reports of a number of trucks suffering heat damage to the inner fender or air cleaner as a result of these failures. There have also been two confirmed instances of a fire caused by this condition. No one has been injured in any of these instances.
Volvo Trucks North America will address the problem by inspecting the pipes, replacing any defective parts, and installing protective heat shields on all of the trucks. The heat shield has been designed to deflect direct exhaust gas in the event of a failure of these pipes. These repairs will be made by Volvo's dealer organization and by warranty-certified fleets, and the total repair time is expected to be about one hour.
Volvo Trucks is now in the process of sending letters to all affected truck owners detailing the situation and instructing them on what precautions can be taken until a repair is made, and how and when to obtain the repair from their Volvo Trucks dealer.
Customers with trucks affected by the recall can continue to normally operate their vehicles until the repair is made, but if they hear an exhaust leak or noise under the hood, they should stop the vehicle immediately and inspect the pipes. Volvo Trucks also urges customers to examine these pipes during their pre-trip inspection, to check for any cracks or loose sealing.
International Truck and Engine Corp. also has an active recall in place. The company is recalling 5000 and 9000 series trucks with Caterpillar C15 diesel engines manufactured in 2004 and 2005 because of the possibility of an oil-line break.
The recall affects 1,714 International trucks, including 1,371 in the U.S. , 333 in Canada and 10 exports.
International reported that an oil line could be cut by the cylinder head, if not correctly positioned. The oil line in question is part of the variable valve actuation, which could wear against the cylinder head and cause an oil leak or fire, the company reported to NHTSA.
Caterpillar is footing the cost of the remedy and the customer notifications. International 5000 and 9000 owners with C15 diesels can call Caterpillar at (309) 675-6496, or International at 1-800-448-7825.
Customers can also call the NHTSA highway safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit safercar.gov .
The recall reference number for International is 06V004000. Top
|