Posted on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 07:57 AM
The FMCSA Road Show is an annual series of events held across the United States and in parts of Canada. The Road Show has been put on by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for over 20 years. The events are held between from the beginning of January to the end of November so there are plenty of chances to attend. What makes it even easier to catch events is that the locations at which they are held spread from California to Florida. Each city puts its own unique style, but the core messages stay the same throughout the road show. View the complete FMCSA Road Show schedule here.
One of the most important topics this year is Hours of Service. There are information sessions on this topic at several locations: Arlington, VA; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Davenport, IA; and Louisville, KY. The FMCSA regards hours of service as an important issue this coming year due to the new CSA 2010 standards coming out, so they wanted to give drivers ample opportunities to learn about the changes.
There are some other issues that are stressed throughout the Road Show and many of them have to do with driver safety. With most of the penalties issued by the CSA 2010 being driver related, the focus of the FMCSA Road Show this year is definitely geared toward drivers. For example, the "Click It or Ticket" campaign will be featured for about two weeks.
However, if you should happen to miss this or any other talk, you'll find that the FMCSA website is a great resource to keep you up to speed. Most of the talks are actually archived and posted online. Also, a lot of the speeches made are available for printing in a PDF format. This is great for the road show because even if you can’t make it to all the speeches you would like, you can still see them or at least read about them. Whether you attend in person or are logging on through the Internet, you'll find that the FMCSA Road Show will offer many benefits!
Posted on Mon, Aug 16, 2010 @ 01:25 PM
The FREIGHT Act is short for the Focusing Resources, Economic Investment and Guidance to Help Transportation Act. It is an act presented by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) that aims to create a voice for freight interests within the U.S. government. As it currently stands there is no real place in the Department of Transportation (DOT) for freight planning. This bill is set to address these problems and give the freight industry some recognition within our nation’s government. Freight advocates said, “The bill as the most far-reaching attempt Congress had made to give freight a place at the infrastructure table.” The FREIGHT Act is within Bill S.3629 (the progress of the Bill can be tracked at this site) and is set to accomplish three main objectives: develop a National Freight Strategic Plan, create a Freight office within the DOT, and initiate the National Freight Infrastructure Grants program.
What the FREIGHT Act Will Accomplish
To put the bill in a broad sense, it will create, “a national freight transportation program for identifying and funding federal, state, and metropolitan efforts to ensure adequate capacity, reduce congestion, and increase throughput.” said Janet L. Kavinoky, head of the transportation infrastructure programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Kavinoky believes the bill meets what was asked for by the Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business trade group. She went on to say that, "the key to the grant portion's success is in finding additional dedicated revenues so that other federal transportation priorities aren't diluted." Basically the Bill will seek additional funding so that other DOT programs are not compromised.
The Goals of the FREIGHT Act
There are six main goals highlighted in the bill:
1. Target investment in freight transportation projects
2. Improve energy conservation and the environmental sustainability of freight movements
3. Assist and enhance the health and safety of the public
4. Provide efficient and balanced investment to improve the overall performance of the national transportation system.
5. Promote partnerships between Federal, State, and local governments, the private sector, and other stake holders.
6. Encourage adoption of operational policies
How The FREIGHT Act Will Get Approved
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The committee has twenty-five ranking members and is currently considering about one hundred different bills. However, they are usually only one of many committees that are reporting on the same bill. The bill is currently assigned to several committees but so far none have issued a report on it. Once the bill goes through the Senate committees it will go through House committees. If both Houses decide that bill should be voted on then it will go to the Senate first and then to the House. If the bill passes then it will be signed by the President and it will be enacted.
This bill has a long way to go before it makes it to the President’s desk; however it seems to already have major support behind it. An article by Mark B. Solomon on DC Velocity.com concludes, “Advocates of the Lautenberg Bill said today the senator's staff has been in contact with key lawmakers in both chambers to discuss the legislation. The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, both Democrats from the state of Washington.”
Posted on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 09:37 AM
In what can only be heralded as a historic address, FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro spoke to the National Industrial Transportation League at their Washington Freight Transportation Policy Forum in Arlington VA June 10th.
In her remarks, Administrator Ferro told attendees that wasted “down time” at loading docks was a constant complaint that drivers said negatively impacted safety at numerous public listening sessions this past winter and spring.
Ferro went on to say, “I ask you to increase your stake in motor carrier safety. Practices that leave truckers waiting at the port or terminal for hours at a time do not take account of how long drivers may drive. I ask each of you today to take responsibility in your businesses to increase your stake in motor carrier safety. Between now and the end of the year, take the time to re-examine practices that short change the driver's ability to drive safely.” (The full text of her remarks can be found here.)
Clearly, time spent waiting at shippers and consignees to get loaded or unloaded is putting severe pressure on carriers' and drivers' ability to meet customer expectations while complying with federal hours of service regulations.
Shippers who do not respect drivers' regulated hours will likely find it more difficult to attract carriers to haul their product. (Drivers are limited to 14 hours of on-duty time once they start their day. Hours spent waiting to get loaded or unloaded reduce drivers' remaining work and driving time.)
Shippers and consignees must examine their operations and procedures and work with their trucking partners to find ways to expedite loading and unloading. Failure to do so may very well result in carriers diverting their trucks to more carrier-friendly customers leaving less carrier-friendly shippers with product on their dock or in their warehouse and no trucks to haul it.
Carriers must be able to get their trucks loaded and underway in reasonable time if they are to get maximum use of the equipment and driver. This is just good business practice and necessary for any kind of reasonable return on investment (ROI) on the $100,000+ they have tied up in a tractor and trailer.
Article posted by Kevin Mullen: Director, Safety- ADS Logistics
Posted on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 03:00 PM
What's the most dangerous part on a motorcycle? The nut that connects the seat to the handlebar.
Even though I am one of “those nuts", I think that joke is funny! Having fun when you are out on your motorcycle, enjoying the ride, reveling in the moment, finding awesome back roads that you would never have found if you were in a car or truck, are only some of the good things about being on the road.
I wasn’t always the ‘driver’. In fact, riding behind my husband on our Wing was what I thought to be… “the best place in the world”. However, during one of our many (over 1000 mile) road trips, something took place that made me realize that I should try to learn to drive a motorcycle so I could take over driving if I ever needed to. Therefore, after a year of talking myself into it, I signed up for an ABATE class…. Me, who was afraid to drive a motorcycle and never had in the past. Still to this day, it is hard for me to believe that these ABATE instructors can teach folks like me how to operate these machines. Yes, I passed, received my motorcycle endorsement, and bought my bike in all of 2 months. I asked my ABATE instructor “what makes you want to give these classes every Saturday?” and his comment was “If someone like you is going to be on the road with me, then I want to make sure you know what you’re doing”. With that said, I have been on the road many times, oh, and off the road once… that is a whole other story. End result was that I was not hurt very badly, but that was due to the fact that I was wearing the necessary apparel, boots, and helmet as safety measures.
Most folks that ride motorcycles are very mindful of their surroundings when on the road. Additionally, drivers of cars and trucks should be watchful when driving around motorcycles. Below I have listed 10 tips that I found while reading an article written by the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) that lists “things that drivers of cars and trucks should know about motorcycles”:
1. There are more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t recognize a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at intersections.
2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or in/out of a driveway, predict that a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (trees, bushes, fences, etc). Take extra time to thoroughly check the traffic, whether you are changing lanes or turning at intersections.
4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don’t assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.
5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, therefore not activating the brake light. Allow for more following distance. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.
6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self- cancelling; therefore some riders (especially beginners) may forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle’s signal is for real.
7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not necessarily to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.
8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can’t always stop “on a dime”.
And the very last and most important thing….
10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don’t think of it as a motorcycle; think of it as a person.
Article posted by Rose Cyphert, ADS Logistics
Posted on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 08:55 AM
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than 500,000 were injured. This is a national crisis and a growing concern for transportation safety officials.
To put this into perspective… on any given day in 2008 nearly 1 million vehicles (800,000 to be precise) were being operated by someone using a hand-held cell phone.
A recent study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 MPH, a vehicle travels more than the length of a football field (371 feet to be precise) in 4.6 seconds.
The high number of fatalities and injuries are small wonder when considering these factors. In fact, it’s hard to believe the numbers aren’t worse. It is, in no uncertain terms, a national disaster but one which we all have the capacity to correct.
No text message, no telephone call is so important as to justify putting another human being at risk of injury or death.
Drive time is not the time to catch up with family or friends.
Drive time is not the time to catch up on voice mails or e-mails.
Drive time is not the time to touch base with a customer or make a sales call.
Drive time is definitely not the time to be texting or reading texts.
None of these tasks will seem even remotely sufficient to justify or rationalize a crash and injuries or deaths. Certainly none of them will sway a jury should you face criminal charges as a result of a crash.
None of the excuses for performing these distracting behaviors behind the wheel will ever heel the pain if it is your loved one who is hurt or killed.
Stop! Think! Resolve not to drive distracted. The reasons to drive distracted are hollow and the consequences are devastating and life changing.
Safety is no accident. Safety is personal. Safety is in your hands.
Posted by Kevin Mullen: Director- Saftey, ADS Logistics
Posted on Thu, May 27, 2010 @ 09:38 AM
Two very interesting reports came out in the past few days...
Wednesday, The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released an analysis of commercial vehicle crashes that found the majority (87%) occurred within the first eight (8) hours of driving. This is important in that it further discredits supposed highway safety groups such as CRASH, which have repeatedly sued the FMCSA over 2007 changes to the hours-of-service regulations permitting drivers one additional hour of driving time. Only 12% of crashes occurred in the 9th to 11th driving hours. Prior to 2007 drivers were permitted to drive only 10 hours.
Coupled with measurable and historic decreases in truck-involved fatalities during the same period, it would behoove CRASH to focus on other behaviors (such as distracted driving) by passenger car drivers who, incidentally, cause anywhere from 50-70% of truck-involved crashes, according to studies by the FMCSA and AAA.
Lawsuits by CRASH and associated groups have cost millions of dollars that could well be better spent on other initiatives more likely to reduce crashes.
Additionally, in a recent Commercial Carrier Journal webinar, FTR Associates President Eric Starks released their Driver Supply Update for May. FTR forecasts a 200,000 driver shortage by the end of 2011. FTR cites a lack of hiring and training personnel due to carrier cut backs during the recession. Anecdotally, we have sufficient hiring and training staff but are finding a shortage of qualified drivers.
The impact of CSA 2010 was not figured into FTR’s dire forecast, however it will only exacerbate the problem. Starks’ assessment that “we could be 400,000 drivers short of what we need” with CSA 2010 driver defections spells trouble for already tightening capacity should signal shippers that rate decreases squeezed from carriers during the recession will be erased and reversed in the not-too-distant future.
Posted by Kevin Mullen, Director- Safety: ADS Logistics
Posted on Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 11:41 AM
Many people believe that truck drivers have one simple job - drive a truck. But one family from Ohio knows that one particular truck driver is much more than that, he's their hero.
Pam Carter and her daughter Vicki, were on their way to pick up husband and father Air Force Capt. Ryan Carter in Texas, when their car ran off the road and hit a sign. Pam was alright, but her daughter was not breathing. Pam desperately tried to flag someone down, but only truck driver Dave Nelson stopped. With permission from Pam, Nelson pulled Vicki from the car and performed CPR until EMT's arrived. Nelson engaged Pam in conversation in an attempt to keep her calm, and learned that like his own daughter, Vicki had a heart murmur.
"It was so amazing to see this big trucker hold my little girl and do CPR. He kept me calm the whole time and the kindness he showed me really kept me together," said Pam.
Meanwhile in Texas, Capt Carter was excited to see his family after completing two long tours of duty in Iraq. Upon learning of the accident, he flew to Birmingham, AL where Vicki was in the hospital. A member of the rescue squad told the anxious father that had it not been for Nelson, the outcome could have been very different.
Had Dave Nelson's original route not been changed, this unusual set of circumstances would never have occurred. Nelson renews his CPR certification annually just in case of emergencies with his wife who has cancer. Both the Nelson and Carter families keep in constant contact and are even planning a family trip together this summer to Disney World in Florida.
While most people's image of a truck driver will probably never change from the image of a "I only drink coffee and sit at truck stops" hauler, that is an image that has most likely been wiped from the Carter family perspective.
Posted by Janet Starcevic- Payroll, ADS Logistics
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Posted on Fri, May 21, 2010 @ 08:49 AM
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released the results of a study which indicated nearly 80% of crashes are caused by driver inattention or distraction within three seconds of the crash- 80%!
We are a nation of doers. We get it done. We work longer hours than most other industrial nations and we pride ourselves on being able to multi-task. All admirable qualities… except when we’re behind the wheel.
The most common distraction cited was reaching for something. A recent AA Foundation for Traffic Safety study showed that 100% of participants were distracted at some point, 97% reaching for something. A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that reaching for a moving object (dropped phone, spilled drink, etc.) was twice as dangerous as any other non-driving task. The other items (in order):
- reading and writing (behind the wheel?)
- grooming and applying makeup
- dialing a phone
- eating and drinking
- texting
- talking and listening on a phone
- adjusting the radio or changing a CD
- interacting with passengers
- daydreaming
The average driver is faced with approximately 200 driving decisions per mile. We can ill-afford to be distracted faced with such responsibility.
Imagine how hollow the following statements would sound… to a police officer investigating a crash… or on the stand in front of a jury.
"I was putting on my makeup when traffic stopped suddenly and I struck the victim."
"I was talking to my girlfriend and didn’t realize how fast I was going until I ran into the victim."
"I was in a hurry to get to [fill in the blank] when I lost control and crashed, killing my [child/spouse/friend]."
We are in too much of a hurry today. We are trying to do too much. We are trying to be all and have all.
We need to resolve to slow down. Leave home earlier so we don’t need to speed to get where we’re going. We need to hang up or turn off our phones while driving. We need to focus on driving safely. It will be too late after the crash and all the excuses will ring hollow.
Posted by Kevin Mullen- Director: Safety
Posted on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 10:47 AM
There may have been no more challenging a period in trucking than what we face in 2010 and beyond. As previously discussed, a great deal of capacity has been eliminated over the past 18 months. Much of it is not coming back. The regulatory pressures of CSA 2010 promise to further exacerbate this problem by contributing to an already burgeoning driver shortage.
Rates (and along with them driver wages) have been driven down by seemingly savvy shippers during the economic downturn which will only serve to stoke the perfect storm forming on the horizon.
Self-serving carriers have undercut their competition in the misguided assumption that any rate is better than no freight at all. Carriers need to get a moderate return on their investment. Those who under-priced their services are not long for this world.
Shippers now face the reality of steep rate increases in order to ensure sufficient capacity to move their product. The second-tier carriers who were willing to cut their rates in order to obtain their freight will be unable to supply trucks. Worse still, the trucks and drivers they do supply will be substandard. Carriers who accept less-than-market rates have to cut somewhere… maintenance and safety are usually the first casualties.
Regulations restrict the hours a truck can operate. Shippers will need to stop “talking” about being carrier-friendly and become carrier-friendly. No more can trucks afford to sit for hours at the shippers’ dock or their vendors’ dock. Trucks will be diverted to shippers who can get them loaded in a timely manner and ensure the carrier (and driver) can maximize their available hours thus providing a return on investment.
Carriers who cut rates to ensure cash flow (or for whatever reason) will now need to pay the piper. We’ve “trained” West Coast shippers by taking $1.00/mile freight for years. Why would the rates ever go up if we continue to haul their freight for less than it costs to run a truck? Is any rate really better than no freight (deadheading) in the short or long term? We’ve hurt ourselves in the past. It’s time to stop this self-destructive behavior.
The FMCSA is tasked with getting unsafe carriers off the roads. CSA 2010 is their latest and greatest tool to do so. So why are all these fly-by-night and renegade carriers still out there undercutting rates? I suspect the number of carriers who have gone out of business (failed) in the past eighteen months is a hundred times the number the FMCSA has put out of business. Is market economics the real regulator of our industry? If so the market it poised to act.
In order to ensure our industry is running safe, compliant trucks driven by safe, compliant drivers, it must get reasonable rates and be able to maximize the utilization of both. Anything that does not support that premise (second-tier carriers, shippers or enforcement) does the entire supply chain a disservice.
Written by Kevin Mullen: Director- Safety, ADS Logistics
Posted on Fri, May 07, 2010 @ 10:02 AM
Safety and compliance are becoming increasingly more important to carriers and drivers every day for a multitude of reasons.
For instance, carriers have long-known that good safety and compliance numbers (insurance losses and SafeStat for example) translate into better insurance rates, a better competitive position and increased profits.
Drivers know that a bad safety record can cost them their job and make finding another more difficult.
With the onset of CSA 2010 the stakes are even greater.
Carriers can now find themselves the subject of targeted enforcement both on the road (increased inspections) and on-site (Compliance Review) if their scores in any of the seven (7) CSA 2010 BASICS exceed FMCSA-designated thresholds.
Drivers will now have three (3) years of their compliance history with the DOT available to current and prospective carriers. Non-compliant drivers will find their continued employment with their current carrier in jeopardy and prospective carriers reluctant to bring them and their points on board. Future incarnations of CSA 2010 are reported to include direct intervention with drivers whose safety performance scores exceed as yet undetermined thresholds.
The true reward for safe and compliant operations however is even more important and much more personal. Carriers need to ensure their #1 customer, their internal customer, the driver, completes his/her duties every day without being injured or worse, killed. We all owe this basic right to our employees.
Likewise, everyone with whom we share the roads, even those drivers who unknowingly and even intentionally put themselves in harm's way by cutting in front of a truck or riding in a “No Zone”- everyone, has a basic right to return to their families without being injured or killed.
Safety and compliance, in the final analysis, are personal. We can’t put profits (or pay checks) above human suffering and lives.
Safety… is no accident.
Posted by Kevin Mullen- Director: Safety, ADS Logistics Co, LLC
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