Agencies getting creative in battle against winter conditions
With severe winter road conditions hindering transportation across the U.S., state transportation agencies have proven they can be creative in solving the problems that come with snow and ice. Transportation agencies have turned to high-tech solutions like GPS guidance systems and low-tech products like potato juice to improve efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. “New technologies…
ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council takes a look at future trucks
The Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations’ Future Truck program has been looking at the future of trucking for three decades now and its latest survey of trucking industry officials offers up the following predictions: 1. Better fuel economy More than half the fleets in TMC’s survey think we’ll see trucks…
FMCSA audit finds weaknesses in cross-border program
A recent U.S. DOT Office of the Inspector General audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found the agency lacking in inspection resources at the U.S.-Mexico border as well as having a computer glitch that has prevented U.S. states from uploading Mexican driver conviction reports into CDLIS. The audit also found that FMCSA…
Truck drivers offer safety tips for winter road conditions
Recent heavy winter storms across the nation have underscored the need for all drivers, including truckers, to take extra precautions when traveling during the winter months. The American Trucking Associations (ATA), the nation’s largest trucking association, has released a set of winter driving tips from America’s Road Captains, elite professional drivers who have literally weathered…
ATA sets theme for annual meeting
Scheduled for March 10-13 at the Music City Center in Nashville, the event is expected to draw more than 300 exhibitors featuring the latest technology to help fleets improve safety and efficiency. A complete technology trade show will include the latest models of medium to heavy duty vehicles, specialty and alternate-fuel vehicles as well as…
Trucking: The frontier for worker surveillance
Truckers, once drawn to the job for the freedom of the open road, are rapidly becoming the most monitored employees in the American workforce. New regulations for Electronic On-board Recorders (EOBR) are expected next year and many truckers don’t like the prospect of even closer scrutiny on the hours they drive and how much down…
Will autonomous vehicles threaten truck driving jobs?
Much of the attention focused on autonomous or self-driving vehicles has centered on testing by companies such as Google, BMW and Lexus for the passenger vehicle market. However, there is a good argument to be made that autonomous vehicle technology will first affect industry and commerce – and that means the trucking industry. Trucking involves…
Trucking industry looks to polish its image
Facing a national shortage of 30,000 drivers and truckload of negative public perceptions, the American trucking industry realizes it has to polish its image. With that in mind, trucking industry companies have launched the “Trucking Moves America Forward” campaign. “The goal of this movement is simple — to effectively relay the essential nature of the…
Truckers seek relief from U.S. Supreme Court on cross-border trucking
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Stymied at the lower court level, the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that allows Mexican commercial driver’s licenses to be recognized as valid in cross-border trucking operations. OOIDA has argued that the cross-border trucking program violates U.S. DOT regulations requiring valid…
