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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…

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…

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…

Unusually heavy rains in the Midwest this year have left cornfields soggier than usual, creating a shortage of propane used to power the giant, oven-like dryers used to dry the corn before it is stored to prevent rot. Consequently, governors in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Montana have issued executive…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. representatives Richard Hanna (R-NY), Tom Rice (R-SC) and Mike Michaud (D-ME) have filed legislation in an effort to delay rules that govern how many hours commercial truck drivers can spend on the road. The TRUE Safety Act bill proposes to delay the rule until the Government Accounting Office (GAO) can perform…

The ongoing recovery of the U.S. oil and housing industries is fueling a shortage of truck drivers, according to industry analysts. Lee Klaskow, an industry analyst for Bloomberg Industries, says trucking firms may need to open their wallets to attract and retain drivers. “If you really want to find people to fill the seat, you’ve…

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has come out swinging against a recent Brazilian study that claims drug and alcohol use among commercial drivers is as high as 12 percent. ATA CEO Bill Graves said the real number on drug and alcohol use is less than one percent, according to statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier…

By David Fierro WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this month, regulatory changes affecting the trucking industry associated with last year’s MAP-21 transportation legislation went into effect. The changes range from revisions to penalty amounts for violations of various regulations to out-of-service provisions to enforcement on foreign drivers. FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said the new federal transportation…

A mass protest of the U.S. federal government began as scheduled in and around Washington D.C. on Friday, but lacked the powerful force organizers had expected.  A few dozen trucks joined a planned highway slowdown that was (and still is) expected to bring the highly travelled roadways to a standstill and gain significant exposure in…

The recent passage of a bill concerning sleep apnea in commercial truck drivers by both the House of  Representatives and the Senate is a positive step for drivers and their companies. Representatives Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan bill into the House  of Representatives. The bill passed by a unanimous vote…