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February 21, 2006
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Headline
News
Do You Know the Characteristics of Speeders?
The February 2006 issue of Baldwin and Lyons 's The Quill focuses on speeding as a major highway safety problem. It provides a great deal of valuable information on why speeders are high risk drivers, what their characteristics are, and how to train drivers to manage a safe speed. The information provided is vital for anyone training hew drivers. Click here to view the newsletter in its entirety.
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ATA Endorses Speed Limiters
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) voted on Tuesday, February 14, to endorse manufacturers setting engine governors on all new tractors at 68 mph. The 70 participants voted unanimously on the issue at ATA's Leadership Meeting in Tampa , Florida .
Although the outcome of ATA's endorsement remains to be seen, there is already a backlash in the industry itself, as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) took exception to the endorsement of speed limiters saying that all truckers, not just the owner-operators will be displeased with this endorsement.
The endorsement, however, does not equal a government mandate. According to ATA, nearly 75% of all motor carriers have speed governors on the vehicles, while this endorsement merely encourages the equipment manufacturers to set engine governors on all new trucks at 68 mph.
By way of background, at this time, it is the Truckload Carriers Association's policy on speed limiters to encourage motor carriers to establish speed control programs that are practical for their own operations, as well as, comply with speed limits, placing the onus on the carriers to effectively manage their own fleets. TCA should also engage in dialogue with manufacturers and in research to promote and expedite the manufacture of vehicles, which have effective limits on speed capabilities.
If you have any questions or concerns on this issue, contact David Heller, CDS at (703) 838-8847 or email: dheller@truckload.org.
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Motor Carriers Investing in Idle Reduction Technology
With demand growing and fuel prices on the rise, motor carriers today are becoming more technologically sound by investing in idle reduction technology.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the typical long-haul truck driver idles their vehicle approximately 1,830 hours per year, for security, comfort and equipment needs , an expense that continues to grow on a daily basis.
With the obvious savings in fuel charges, the EPA estimates that idling-reduction technology could reduce ozone, greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions by as much as 90 percent.
In a survey conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) thirty-six percent of survey respondents with sleeper cabs use on-board idle reduction technology, on which they have spent more than $8.8 million in installation costs. In the next five years, respondents expect to spend an additional $56 million on such technology.
Such devices as direct-fired heaters, auxiliary power units/generator sets and battery-powered air conditioners all conserve fuel and reduce pollution by reducing the need to idle the main engine.
If you have any questions or concerns on this issue, please feel free to contact David Heller, CDS at (703) 838-8847 or email: dheller@truckload.org.
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Bush to Nominate First PHMSA Administrator
President Bush announced January 24 that he intends to nominate retired Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett as administrator of the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Barrett, a 35-year veteran of the US Coast Guard would be the first administrator of the PHMSA, which was formed in December 2005.
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DOT Budget Includes Toll/Fee Programs
The U.S. Department of Transportation's annual budget request includes a pilot program in which tolls and other fees would be used to test new ways of financing highway construction and managing congestion other than the gasoline tax. The federal proposal would call for partnerships with as many as five states to test fees, tolls and other approaches to examine new ways to raise revenue, and whether they are indeed more effective in reducing traffic congestion. Besides finding new ways to fund highway financing, the budget request would provide for record investments in new highway, transit and safety programs and find new ways to fund transportation projects.
The Truckload Carriers Association has a policy of opposing tolls on existing interstates. While tolling on new highway capacity could be an option, the use of the toll facility must be voluntary and its existence justified. TCA further believes that before tolls are considered as a highway financing option, all diversion from the highway trust fund must be eliminated.
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Back in Court, OOIDA Sues Over Hours-of-Service Regulations
As reported in the January 10, 2006 newsletter, The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has officially filed a petition for review of the current hours-of-service regulations. The Association filed its petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Monday, January 23.
OOIDA initially petitioned FMCSA for two “commonsense changes” to the current hours-of-service regulations on Aug. 29, 2005. On December 5, 2006, FMCSA denied the petition, stressing the significance of the two-hour portion of the split sleeper-berth provision in its rulemaking. FMCSA also stressed the importance of the new split sleeper berth provisions for team drivers, where drivers must take a minimum of eight consecutive hours off in the sleeper berth, as well as an additional two hours off-duty, either in the sleeper or out.
The current regulations are set up in 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 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.
This particular lawsuit is worth noting as it compares favorably to TCA's policy on hours-of-service, which specifically states our belief in an HOS regulation that is “practical and effective” as well as allows for split time in the sleeper berth to accommodate team drivers.
If you have any questions on this issue, contact David Heller, CDS at (703) 838-8847 or email: dheller@truckload.org.
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Seeing Clearly? FMCSA Exempts 22 Drivers from Vision Requirement
FMCSA announced its decision to exempt 22 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The exemptions will enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the vision standard prescribed in 49 CFR 391.41 (b)(10) which reads as follows:
“Has distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 ( Snellen ) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity separately corrected to 20/40 ( Snellen ) or better with corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 ( Snellen ) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at least 70° in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber;”
Since 1992, the agency has undertaken studies to determine if this vision standard should be amended. The final report from those studies recommends changing the field of vision standard from 70 to 120 degrees, while leaving the visual acuity standard unchanged. The study's conclusion supports the agency's view that the present visual acuity standard is reasonable and necessary as a general standard to ensure highway safety. FMCSA also recognizes that some drivers do not meet the vision standard, but have adapted their driving to accommodate their vision limitation and demonstrated their ability to drive safely.
The 22 exemption applicants fall into this category. They are unable to meet the vision standard in one eye for various reasons, including amblyopia, retinal detachment, and loss of an eye due to trauma. In most cases, their eye conditions were not recently developed. All but five of the applicants were either born with their vision impairments or have had them since childhood. The five individuals who sustained their vision conditions as adults have had them for periods ranging from 4 to 13 years.
Although each applicant has one eye which does not meet the vision standard in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), each has at least 20/40 corrected vision in the other eye, and in a doctor's opinion has sufficient vision to perform all the tasks necessary to operate a CMV.
While possessing a valid CDL or non-CDL, these 22 drivers have been authorized to drive a CMV in intrastate commerce, even though their vision disqualified them from driving in interstate commerce. They have driven CMVs with their limited vision for careers ranging from 4 to 44 years. If you have any questions on this issue, contact David Heller, CDS at (703) 838-8847 or email: dheller@truckload.org.
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New Technology to Ease Parking Woes?
As truck parking lots now take on the everyday appearance of shopping malls at holiday time, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is moving forward with a project that will alert drivers electronically of available parking without their adding equipment to their trucks.
In addition, this technology must also allow drivers to make parking reservations in advance, as well as provide a record of parking trends for the participating parking lots.
This new technology and outlook on the future of truck parking was spurred on by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which said, “the lack of safe, available parking contributes to driver fatigue.”
This technology should provide real-time information on parking availability at truck and rest stops, allowing drivers to locate ample room for their units and allowing them to rest and recuperate properly.
While this project is moving forward a timeline has not yet been released.
If you have any questions on this issue, contact David Heller, CDS at (703) 838-8847 or email: dheller@truckload.org. Top
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