@Risk

President Obama has signed a memorandum ordering federal agencies to prepare plans for the first fuel efficiency standards ever established for big-rig trucks.

Specifically, the memorandum orders the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to establish greenhouse gas emissions standards for commercial medium- and heavy-duty vehicles beginning with model year 2014. The goal is to issue a final rule by July 30, 2011. (more…)

I’m hearing more and more rumblings about a growing shortage of truck drivers beginning this year and then continuing for the next few.

In fact, according to eTrucker.com, Noel Perry, the managing director and senior consultant at FTR Associates, is forecasting that the driver shortage could be close to 200,000 this year –and then swell to as much as 400,000 in 2011 and 2012.
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Facing an unpredictable economic recovery, ever-expanding supplier networks, impending regulations and often volatile fuel prices, many companies today are struggling to contain transportation spend. After all, these days, successful transportation cost management means not only immediate survival, but also significant competitive advantage going forward.

So, how are today’s Best-in-Class shippers keeping costs under control while optimizing carrier and freight performance? What are the key capabilities needed to make transportation procurement and payment a winning strategic initiative? (more…)

Late last month, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) released federal guidance that expressly prohibits texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses.

The prohibition is effective immediately and means that truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

“Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the cab,” says Anne Ferro, Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). “We want to make it crystal clear to operators and their employers that texting while driving is the type of unsafe activity that these regulations are intended to prohibit.”

“Unsafe activity?” That’s an understatement. FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting.

At 55 miles per hour, that equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road.  It comes as no surprise then, that drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers.

Because of safety risks associated with the use of electronic devices while driving, FMCSA is also working on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming months.

For a comprehensive summary of current cell phone driving laws in different states, see this table, compiled b y the Governors Highway Safety Association.

What are trucking industry executives most concerned about these days?

You guessed it: the economy and government regulation.

On Monday, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its fourth annual “Top Industry Issues” report, which details the results of a survey of more than 5,000 trucking executives.

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