News

Seeking input from the trucking industry on the National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP), the USDOT in December put out a call for comments in the federal register. The NFSP, required by the FAST Act, is the federal government’s roadmap for infrastructure planning and enhancing the nation’s freight movements. USDOT sought input from a variety of…

After suffering through a less than optimal 2019, the trucking industry is seeing a carryover with a sluggish start to 2020, according to industry analysts. Adding to the slowdown is the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which has crippled the freight and logistics industry under the weight of an economic shutdown in China. The Cass Freight Index reports…

After several years of prosperity, the trucking industry is heading for a downturn in 2020, according to industry experts. Tim Denoyer, ACT Research’s vice president, and senior analyst predicts a 31 percent drop in Class 8 builds for 2020 to correct for all the extra trucks bought over the last few years. Kenny Vieth, ACT’s…

By Dec. 16, every truck in America is expected to have an electronic logging device (ELD) in its cab to comply with a mandate from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That means carriers using last-generation automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs) will have transitioned to the newer ELDs. But Ken Evans, CEO of Konexial,…

A recent report issued by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) , the trucking industry’s non-profit research arm, cited the driver shortage as the top-ranked issue facing the industry, struggling to recruit and retain qualified drivers. The Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules held on to the second spot in the survey for a second consecutive year, reflecting…

Truck drivers have spotted Amazon-branded truck tractors in Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio and California in recent weeks, as the mega-corporation continues its foray into the logistics market. The tractors are what are known as “day cabs,” rather than “sleeper cabs,” indicating they are designed for distances of 400 miles or less, Satish Jindel of SJ Consulting…

This year, USDOT is launching a second pilot that would open the opportunity to all 18-20-year olds. USDOT is currently seeking comment on the second pilot. The deadline for submitting comments is July 15, 2019. The Federal Register Notice, including how to submit comments, is available here. The two pilot programs are part of USDOT’s…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) scheduled publication of new proposed hours-of-service (HOS) regulations for commercial truck drivers, originally set for early June, has been delayed until further notice due to additional review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “The timelines in the department’s regulatory updates serve as goals for…

Freight brokers and third-party logistics firms can expect another year of positive business growth before staring down a recession, according to Noel Perry, chief economist for Truckstop.com. Perry, speaking at an April 13 Transportation Intermediaries Association Capital Ideas Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, said the probability of an economic downturn in 2020 is at least…

A recent study by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) addressed the growing issue of marijuana-impaired driving as an increasing number of truckers are sharing the roadways with automobile drivers operating under the influence of marijuana. ATRI’s research sought to document the most promising methods to identify and deter marijuana-impaired driving. The study recommends: increased…