From Jim Klepper at The Trucker News Service:
Here is what David Freymiller had to say to the following:
-- Do you think the new CSA 2010 mandate will improve safety in the trucking industry? The reported purpose of CSA 2010 is highway safety; do you think truck-related fatalities will decrease even more than the large decrease we are now seeing with the current regulations?
“Yes, I believe with the focus that is being placed on the driver and his driving record across multiple employers it will result in a good driver becoming a better driver due to the attention to detail that the driver will have to become acclimated to.
“On the other hand it will also empower the FMCSA and the carriers to remove the problematic drivers that have been plaguing the industry for quite some time. I can envision a more focused driver, which will have a direct affect on accidents and highway fatalities.”
-- Have you spoken with your safety department about CSA 2010 yet and if so, what was the main focus of that meeting and what will be the first thing you do to prepare for CSA 2010?
“Yes, the safety department was given the responsibility to prepare both our drivers and staff for CSA 2010. Our long-term goals are to produce a better driver and operations through intensive training and preparation.”
-- What are you planning to do differently in your safety department to be ready for and work within CSA 2010?
“Beginning at CSA 2010’s inception our safety department has been proactive in the training of our drivers and staff. Understanding the significance and repercussions of CSA 2010 in itself has taken our focus to a higher level. We have also taken a step into the future with full implementation of the Qualcomm e-logs. I think that if we are pro-active enough we may be able to clean up and save some drivers that may not have made the cut otherwise.”
-- Have you spoken with your drivers about CSA 2010 and how it will affect their CDLs?
“New hires and tenure drivers have all met with the safety department and have been well versed in not only the focus of CSA 2010 but the ramifications of the point system and the effect it will have on their CDL. Extensive courses in CSA 2010, GPS Tracking, SaferStat, and the compass portal have been taught in detail.”
-- Will CSA 2010 change the way you recruit drivers?
“Yes, with the availability of the new software information our recruiting department will now be able to access much more of a driver’s history. We will require this extensive background to be preformed not only on new applicants but existing driver associates as well.”
-- Describe what type of driver will meet your hiring criteria when CSA 2010 becomes the law of the land.
“The driver should possess the culture and knowledge to perform his duties in a compliant manner. His past history will become much more scrutinized, therefore requiring the driver to already have a solid foundation in which to work with.”
-- What advice would you have for current and new CDL drivers regarding CSA 2010?
“Fully understand what CSA 2010 means to you as a driver. Focus on your attention to detail when filing out your daily logs and always be prepared for an inspection. Become acclimated to the point system and adjust your driving habits in order to protect both the carrier and your CDL.”
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Social media comes to aid of stranded Arrow truck drivers
Sometimes technology can have some unexpected benefits, all it takes is a vision of the problem and a knowledge of the tools available.
Arrow Trucking, a respected fleet based in Tulsa with a venerable history, unexpectedly and suddenly ceased operations today. Fuel cards stopped working last night, and today drivers all over the USA are stranded. Drivers with Freightliner and Kenworth tractors are instructed to go to the nearest Freightliner dealership. Those driving International tractors have no instructions. Daimler Financial is assisting Arrow drivers with bus fare on Greyhound. However, many drivers can't make it due to their fuel situation.
To the rescue - social media and drivers helping drivers.
Arrow Trucking, a respected fleet based in Tulsa with a venerable history, unexpectedly and suddenly ceased operations today. Fuel cards stopped working last night, and today drivers all over the USA are stranded. Drivers with Freightliner and Kenworth tractors are instructed to go to the nearest Freightliner dealership. Those driving International tractors have no instructions. Daimler Financial is assisting Arrow drivers with bus fare on Greyhound. However, many drivers can't make it due to their fuel situation.
To the rescue - social media and drivers helping drivers.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
EOBR rule expected early in New Year
WASHINGTON -- The final rule in the U.S. requiring carriers to use electronic onboard recorders (EOBRS) has been sent to the White House for approval.
According to truckinginfo.com, publication could come as early as February.
According to truckinginfo.com, publication could come as early as February.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Lautenberg withdraws amendment to make EOBRs mandatory in trucks
The Trucker News Services
12/17/2009
WASHINGTON — Sen. Frank Lautenberg this morning withdrew a proposed amendment to the Motorcoach Enhancement Safety Act (SB554) that would have required EOBRs on all commercial vehicles, including trucks. But he promised he would soon write and introduce legislation to make EOBRs mandatory in trucks.
12/17/2009
WASHINGTON — Sen. Frank Lautenberg this morning withdrew a proposed amendment to the Motorcoach Enhancement Safety Act (SB554) that would have required EOBRs on all commercial vehicles, including trucks. But he promised he would soon write and introduce legislation to make EOBRs mandatory in trucks.
Senate Committee Approves Bus Safety Bill
The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2009 (S. 554) would require:
* Safety belts to ensure occupants are not ejected in a crash;
* Electronic stability control technology;
* Improved crush-resistant roofs that can withstand rollovers;
* Anti-ejection glazing on windows to prevent passengers from being easily ejected from the motorcoach;
* A comprehensive evaluation of improved protection against fires by reducing flammability of the motorcoach interior, better training for operators in the case of fire, and review of fire safety technologies by NHTSA, followed by new performance standards based on the results of NHTSA’s evaluation;
* All new motorcoach operators to undergo on-site pre-authorization safety audit before they could begin operations, and would be subject to safety audit within 9 months;
* Improved commercial driver training;
* Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) on all motorcoaches for the purpose of complying with federal hours of service regulations;
* An assessment of whether all states should have a motorcoach inspection program;
* Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to issue a rule prohibiting the use of distracting devices (cell phones, text messaging devices); and
* All individuals seeking to register commercial motorcoaches to disclose all previous material relationships to other motorcoach companies for the past three years (stopping reincarnated motorcoaches).
* Safety belts to ensure occupants are not ejected in a crash;
* Electronic stability control technology;
* Improved crush-resistant roofs that can withstand rollovers;
* Anti-ejection glazing on windows to prevent passengers from being easily ejected from the motorcoach;
* A comprehensive evaluation of improved protection against fires by reducing flammability of the motorcoach interior, better training for operators in the case of fire, and review of fire safety technologies by NHTSA, followed by new performance standards based on the results of NHTSA’s evaluation;
* All new motorcoach operators to undergo on-site pre-authorization safety audit before they could begin operations, and would be subject to safety audit within 9 months;
* Improved commercial driver training;
* Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) on all motorcoaches for the purpose of complying with federal hours of service regulations;
* An assessment of whether all states should have a motorcoach inspection program;
* Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to issue a rule prohibiting the use of distracting devices (cell phones, text messaging devices); and
* All individuals seeking to register commercial motorcoaches to disclose all previous material relationships to other motorcoach companies for the past three years (stopping reincarnated motorcoaches).
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Senator calls for EOBRs on all trucks
From OOIDA -
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, wants to mandate the use of electronic on-board recorders, or EOBRs, on all commercial vehicles and not on just the bad actors.
Land Line has learned that Lautenberg is expected to unveil his proposal on Thursday, Dec. 17, during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee markup of the Motor Coach Enhanced Safety Act, S554.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, wants to mandate the use of electronic on-board recorders, or EOBRs, on all commercial vehicles and not on just the bad actors.
Land Line has learned that Lautenberg is expected to unveil his proposal on Thursday, Dec. 17, during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee markup of the Motor Coach Enhanced Safety Act, S554.
Monday, December 14, 2009
FMCSA to Propose Broader Use of EOBRs to Monitor Drivers
Transport Topics; This story appears in the Monday, December 14, 2009 print edition.
HEADLINE: FMCSA to Propose Broader Use of EOBRs to Monitor Drivers
By Sean McNally, Senior Reporter
WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is preparing to propose requiring “a much larger population of carriers” to use electronic onboard recorders to monitor driver hours-of-service than it earlier envisioned, an agency official said.
The safety agency is readying its new proposal before finalizing a Bush administration rule that would have required only a few carriers to use the technology.
Larry Minor, FMCSA associate administrator of policy and program development, told Transport Topics Dec. 8 the new proposal “would require EOBRs for a larger population of carriers.”
Under the Bush administration’s EOBR proposal — which is on course to become a final rule — only carriers that failed multiple compliance reviews would have had to use the technology. However, former FMCSA Administrator John Hill said before leaving office that the final rule would expand the number of fleets required to use the technology beyond what had initially been proposed.
FMCSA’s new proposal appeared for the first time in the agency’s monthly report this month on significant rulemakings, with a projected publishing date of December 2010.
As part of the “the new EOBR initiative, FMCSA also would consider addressing the hours-of-service supporting documents requirements” that spell out what evidence carriers need to retain to verify their logbook entries, the report said.
In October, American Trucking Associations said it was exploring options to get the agency to move forward on the oft-delayed supporting documents rule.
Dave Osiecki, ATA’s vice president of safety, security and operations, said it was “hard to understand” why FMCSA would attach the documents rule to a new EOBR regulation.
Osiecki questioned why the agency didn’t fold the supporting documents rule into its expedited review of the hours-of-service rule.
“It just seems like a natural fit,” he said, rather than attaching it to the new EOBR proposal “whose timeline is really further out.”
The FMCSA monthly report also listed the final EOBR rule, begun during the Bush administration, as still under departmental review; it was expected to be transmitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a final review by Dec. 7.
As of press time the OMB’s list of regulations under review did not include the EOBR rule.
Minor told TT that to further expand the population of carriers, the agency must move forward with a new notice of proposed rulemaking.
He said that in the final rule, FMCSA was “trying to go as far as we can” within the scope of the original notice of proposed rule-making. Because that formal document “didn’t propose a universal mandate or a larger population of carriers,” Minor said, “we couldn’t address that issue in the final rule.”
After taking office, the Obama administration withdrew the rule from the OMB, but DOT had yet to send it back.
Lena Pons, a policy analyst with Public Citizen, told TT that it was “certainly well within the agency’s discretion to revise the rule.”
Osiecki said it was “intriguing” that FMCSA has “a rule that will go so far, and they are already working on another rule that will go farther.”
“There’s an interest in Congress to go to a mandate,” he said. “So it’s hard for me to understand why they are taking the interim step.”
“It’s interesting that they are taking that approach,” said Steve Keppler, interim executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, though he cautioned that “it might make sense to step back a bit and maybe do one rulemaking, rather than two separate ones.”
Keppler said the law enforcement group believes that “there needs to be pursuit of a larger mandate on EOBRs,” but that as the agency requires more trucks to use the technology, there are “significant” issues related to training and capital investment for both the industry and enforcement.
“Hopefully, they would consider those implementation issues before they take the approach with two separate rulemakings,” he said.
Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, told TT that she was “delighted to see that’s in the works, but the devil’s in the details.”
Stone spoke to TT during a meeting of an FMCSA advisory panel discussing hours-of-service (see story, same page).
During the advisory meeting, Bob Pentracosta, vice president of safety for Con-way Freight, said that “maybe it is time that EOBRs be considered.”
“EOBRs are a must,” said Jennifer Tierney, a member of the Truck Safety Coalition and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways.
Tierney also criticized the Bush-era proposal to require EOBRs only after a carrier is cited during a compliance review as “being reactive, not proactive.”
HEADLINE: FMCSA to Propose Broader Use of EOBRs to Monitor Drivers
By Sean McNally, Senior Reporter
WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is preparing to propose requiring “a much larger population of carriers” to use electronic onboard recorders to monitor driver hours-of-service than it earlier envisioned, an agency official said.
The safety agency is readying its new proposal before finalizing a Bush administration rule that would have required only a few carriers to use the technology.
Larry Minor, FMCSA associate administrator of policy and program development, told Transport Topics Dec. 8 the new proposal “would require EOBRs for a larger population of carriers.”
Under the Bush administration’s EOBR proposal — which is on course to become a final rule — only carriers that failed multiple compliance reviews would have had to use the technology. However, former FMCSA Administrator John Hill said before leaving office that the final rule would expand the number of fleets required to use the technology beyond what had initially been proposed.
FMCSA’s new proposal appeared for the first time in the agency’s monthly report this month on significant rulemakings, with a projected publishing date of December 2010.
As part of the “the new EOBR initiative, FMCSA also would consider addressing the hours-of-service supporting documents requirements” that spell out what evidence carriers need to retain to verify their logbook entries, the report said.
In October, American Trucking Associations said it was exploring options to get the agency to move forward on the oft-delayed supporting documents rule.
Dave Osiecki, ATA’s vice president of safety, security and operations, said it was “hard to understand” why FMCSA would attach the documents rule to a new EOBR regulation.
Osiecki questioned why the agency didn’t fold the supporting documents rule into its expedited review of the hours-of-service rule.
“It just seems like a natural fit,” he said, rather than attaching it to the new EOBR proposal “whose timeline is really further out.”
The FMCSA monthly report also listed the final EOBR rule, begun during the Bush administration, as still under departmental review; it was expected to be transmitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for a final review by Dec. 7.
As of press time the OMB’s list of regulations under review did not include the EOBR rule.
Minor told TT that to further expand the population of carriers, the agency must move forward with a new notice of proposed rulemaking.
He said that in the final rule, FMCSA was “trying to go as far as we can” within the scope of the original notice of proposed rule-making. Because that formal document “didn’t propose a universal mandate or a larger population of carriers,” Minor said, “we couldn’t address that issue in the final rule.”
After taking office, the Obama administration withdrew the rule from the OMB, but DOT had yet to send it back.
Lena Pons, a policy analyst with Public Citizen, told TT that it was “certainly well within the agency’s discretion to revise the rule.”
Osiecki said it was “intriguing” that FMCSA has “a rule that will go so far, and they are already working on another rule that will go farther.”
“There’s an interest in Congress to go to a mandate,” he said. “So it’s hard for me to understand why they are taking the interim step.”
“It’s interesting that they are taking that approach,” said Steve Keppler, interim executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, though he cautioned that “it might make sense to step back a bit and maybe do one rulemaking, rather than two separate ones.”
Keppler said the law enforcement group believes that “there needs to be pursuit of a larger mandate on EOBRs,” but that as the agency requires more trucks to use the technology, there are “significant” issues related to training and capital investment for both the industry and enforcement.
“Hopefully, they would consider those implementation issues before they take the approach with two separate rulemakings,” he said.
Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, told TT that she was “delighted to see that’s in the works, but the devil’s in the details.”
Stone spoke to TT during a meeting of an FMCSA advisory panel discussing hours-of-service (see story, same page).
During the advisory meeting, Bob Pentracosta, vice president of safety for Con-way Freight, said that “maybe it is time that EOBRs be considered.”
“EOBRs are a must,” said Jennifer Tierney, a member of the Truck Safety Coalition and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways.
Tierney also criticized the Bush-era proposal to require EOBRs only after a carrier is cited during a compliance review as “being reactive, not proactive.”
Thursday, December 10, 2009
CSA 2010 101
CSA 2010 will change the way companies operate in compliance with federal regulations. Don't wait until 2010 to figure it all out.
FMCSA will calculate the safety performance of motor carriers and owner-operators running on seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (called BASICs). Those seven categories are:
•Unsafe driving (Parts 392 and 397);
•Fatigued driving (Parts 392 and 395);
•Driver fitness (Parts 383 and 391);
•Controlled substances/alcohol (Parts 382 and 392);
•Vehicle Maintenance (Parts 393 and 396);
•Cargo related (Parts 392, 393, 397 and hazmat); and
•Crash indicator.
FMCSA will calculate the safety performance of motor carriers and owner-operators running on seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (called BASICs). Those seven categories are:
•Unsafe driving (Parts 392 and 397);
•Fatigued driving (Parts 392 and 395);
•Driver fitness (Parts 383 and 391);
•Controlled substances/alcohol (Parts 382 and 392);
•Vehicle Maintenance (Parts 393 and 396);
•Cargo related (Parts 392, 393, 397 and hazmat); and
•Crash indicator.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Canadian Interest in EOBRs Remains Strong Despite Delays and Official Apathy
Even as the U.S. trucking industry awaits the final rule on EOBRs from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canada's trucking industry has been battling with some of the same questions.
Truckers around the world have used on-board recording devices for more than 50 years. The first electronic device, the Tripmaster by Rockwell (now ArvinMeritor), emerged in the mid-1980s, and the pro and con camps have been split ever since.
Read the entire article by following the link.....
Truckers around the world have used on-board recording devices for more than 50 years. The first electronic device, the Tripmaster by Rockwell (now ArvinMeritor), emerged in the mid-1980s, and the pro and con camps have been split ever since.
Read the entire article by following the link.....
Friday, December 4, 2009
Public Agenda for FMCSA Call on December 7, 2009
MCSAC has released the public agenda for the Hours of Service meeting on December 7-9 in Washington DC. The teleconference will remain open for the entire day from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Late Breaking News - HOS Conference Call Monday Dec. 7
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to advise on a draft rulemaking to be ready by next July.
Mark next Monday, Dec. 7, on your calendar if you're concerned about commercial vehicle drivers' fatigue and the hours of service rule that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been using for about a year, steadily opposed by the Public Citizen interest group. On Oct. 26, 2009, FMCSA reached a settlement agreement in Public Citizen's lawsuit to derail the final rule, and that settlement contains a timetable for completing a new hours rule. FMCSA has asked its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to advise on a draft rule that is supposed to be ready by next July.
The committee will meet Dec. 7 for one hour, 8:30-9:30 a.m. EST, via a conference call that will be open to the public. That meeting starts a short timetable, because the settlement agreement says FMCSA will submit a draft NPRM within nine months of the settlement agreement and then publish a final rule within 21 months of the agreement.
"The MCSAC will be requested to begin work on a new task: as part of FMCSA's broad efforts to gather information and recommendations on hours-of-service requirements for drivers of property-carrying vehicles, FMCSA is asking MCSAC to provide advice and recommendations on the hours of service requirements," FMCSA's notice of the meeting stated.
For information on the meeting's agenda, bridge line, and Web link for the conference call, send an e-mail to mcsac@dot.gov. For information on services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance, e-mail your request to that address by Dec. 4.
Oral comments from the public will not be taken during the conference call. Written comments may be submitted for the meeting by fax to 202-493-2251 by Dec. 3 or send via www.regulations.gov, citing Docket Number FMCSA-2006-26367.
The contact for more information is Jack Kostelnik, acting chief of the Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation Division, Office of Policy Plans and Regulation, at FMCSA, 202-366-5730.
Mark next Monday, Dec. 7, on your calendar if you're concerned about commercial vehicle drivers' fatigue and the hours of service rule that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been using for about a year, steadily opposed by the Public Citizen interest group. On Oct. 26, 2009, FMCSA reached a settlement agreement in Public Citizen's lawsuit to derail the final rule, and that settlement contains a timetable for completing a new hours rule. FMCSA has asked its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee to advise on a draft rule that is supposed to be ready by next July.
The committee will meet Dec. 7 for one hour, 8:30-9:30 a.m. EST, via a conference call that will be open to the public. That meeting starts a short timetable, because the settlement agreement says FMCSA will submit a draft NPRM within nine months of the settlement agreement and then publish a final rule within 21 months of the agreement.
"The MCSAC will be requested to begin work on a new task: as part of FMCSA's broad efforts to gather information and recommendations on hours-of-service requirements for drivers of property-carrying vehicles, FMCSA is asking MCSAC to provide advice and recommendations on the hours of service requirements," FMCSA's notice of the meeting stated.
For information on the meeting's agenda, bridge line, and Web link for the conference call, send an e-mail to mcsac@dot.gov. For information on services for individuals with disabilities or to request special assistance, e-mail your request to that address by Dec. 4.
Oral comments from the public will not be taken during the conference call. Written comments may be submitted for the meeting by fax to 202-493-2251 by Dec. 3 or send via www.regulations.gov, citing Docket Number FMCSA-2006-26367.
The contact for more information is Jack Kostelnik, acting chief of the Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation Division, Office of Policy Plans and Regulation, at FMCSA, 202-366-5730.
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