Posted on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 @ 09:01 AM
The Department of Transportation has made several changes to its rules for drug and alcohol testing. The changes are not related to the pending rule to create a national database for drug testing among drivers (a database would allow for employers to look up any trucker and see his or her drug testing history). However, this FMCSA rule is not linked to the DOT’s new changes to the drug testing standards.
“The new rule will add several amphetamine-type drugs to the required list: MDA, MDMA, and MDEA. Also, there will be a 6-AM test, a marker for heroin use,” according to truckigninfo.com. The Department will also lower the acceptable positive threshold for cocaine and amphetamine levels in hopes to see an increase in the number of positives for cocaine use.
The DOT originally proposed giving employers a choice between using a full-service drug testing facility or an Instrumental Initial Test Facility (ITIF), but ITIF’s only provide initial testing and not confirmation testing so all employers must use full-service testing facilities. Also, DOT will heighten it standards for Medical Review Officers and require them to be re-qualified every five years.
A full summary of the Safe Act of 2010 can be found here. In brief however, the Bill can be broken down into 8 main points:
1) The DOT is required by the Omnibus Transportation Employees Testing Act (Omnibus Act) to follow the HHS requirements for the testing procedures/protocols and drugs for which are tested.
2) Primary laboratory requirements in this final rule include: Testing for MDMA (aka. Ecstasy);
Lowering cutoff levels for cocaine and amphetamines;
Conducting mandatory initial testing for heroin;
3) The Department has brought several testing definitions in-line with those of HHS.
4) Each Medical Review Officer (MRO) will need to be re-qualified – including passing an examination given by an MRO training organization - every five years. The Final Rule eliminated the requirement for each MRO to take 12 hours of continuing education every three years.
5) An MRO will not need to be trained by an HHS-approved MRO training organization as long as the MRO meets DOT’s qualification and requalification training requirements.
6) MRO recordkeeping requirements did not change from the five years for non-negatives and one year for negatives.
7) The Final Rule does not allow the use of HHS-Certified Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITFs) to conduct initial drug testing because the Omnibus Act requires laboratories to be able to perform both initial and confirmation testing but IITFs cannot conduct confirmation testing.
8) The Final Rule is effective October 1, 2010.
Posted on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 @ 01:30 PM
Recruit a new driver to ADS Logistics and you could be on your way to owning a 2010 Harley Davidson Road King!
ADS Logistics (Area Transportation) has announced an exciting new recruitment campaign for current Drivers who work for ADS. The driver (company or Independent Contractor) who recruits the most new hires from September 1st, 2010 to March 31st, 2011 will win the Harley. Simple as that!
The Rules
- Driver's First and Last Name must appear on the Recruit's application when submitted
- New driver(s) must complete orientation by March 31st, 2011
- New driver(s) must be still actively working for Area Transportation when the challenge ends
Get the word out among your fellow flatbed drivers who are looking for work and ride in style come next Spring!
Submit any questions you may have about the program by clicking here.
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 Wed, Aug 04, 2010 @ 10:58 AM
Finding a good truck stop while you’re on a run can be difficult. Figuring out where the best ones are makes your ride a lot easier and can also shorten your time on the road. If you know where to make your stops beforehand, you won’t get caught driving long distances between stops so it is less likely that you run low on fuel and less likely you have to go out of your way to stop somewhere. Many truck stops have websites where you can see each of their locations and some even let you plot routes around the stops. Playing it by ear can leave you out to dry sometimes; don’t let uncertainty disrupt your driving, or your safety.
Companies are making it increasingly easier to find their stations. New initiatives are intended to bring in business but also to help truckers stay safe when they are on and off the road. Companies such as AMBEST, Pioneer Fuel, and Sapp Bros put a map on their website that lists all of their locations nationwide. Sapp Bros. goes a step further by integrating Google maps, allowing you to plug in your location and destination and find the best truck stops along your route. Other big companies like Shell allow you to enter your zip code and see where the closest rest stations to you are.
Companies such as Travel Centers of America and Road Ranger provide a complete directory of their locations which can give you a pinpoint on each stop so they can be easily found or plugged into a GPS navigation system. Travel Centers of America also lists specific ammenities of every individual truck stop.
Travel Centers of America and Road Ranger are just two companies that have added the GPS download to their websites. Flying J is another one of these companies. They supply a list of exact latitude and longitude degrees for each of their locations. This makes it nearly impossible to not find where a Flying J is located. After you have found the locations that are convenient on your route, you can compare which one to go to by looking at what amenities they offer. Some stops have fast food chains and others have full restaurants. Flying J gives a brief description of each station's ammenities.
With all of this information available it is very easy to find a great truck stop almost anywhere if you just do a little research prior to making your run.
Posted on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 09:14 AM
The life of a trucker can have a very adverse effect on a family. Truck drivers are away from their families for extended periods of time which can cause a family to grow apart. Over the road (OTR) truckers can be away from home for more than two weeks at a time and even regional truckers must be away for several consecutive days. The big problem with being away from their families is the lack of communication. With less time spent together comes less communicating and more misunderstandings. “You want to make sure you are communicating as effectively as possible. That means practice not taking things for granted and not placing blame.” (See article for more info).
Trucking can have a major effect on a marriage. Being away from a spouse can cause the couple to grow distant which can cause problems later on down the road. The three keys to preventing this are personality, communication, and trust. Ideally, your spouse will be somewhat independent, which will make it easier to be apart from him or her without any problems. However, if your spouse is mostly dependant you must rely on communication and trust to avoid problems. The best way to communicate more easily is to put you in the others’ shoes. Seeing a situation from your spouse’s point of view can make it easier to come to a solution. If your spouse cannot envision your situation then take him or her on the road with you for a few weeks. Not only will it give you time to spend together, but it will make relating to problems much easier. This will ultimately reduce the impact trucking has on the marriage.
Lastly, there are trust issues that come with all marriages as well as marriages affected by trucking. Having one partner away from the other for so long can raise doubts and questions in both partners’ minds about what the other is doing. These questions can be answered most easily by communicating effectively. Generally, the two best ways to eliminate problems caused by trucking are to find a spouse that is right for you and to take him or her on the road with you. The bottom line is that trucking can exist in a relationship. It comes with many difficulties, but it is possible to have a family life as well as the life of a trucker. In another article on Life as a Trucker.com explains the hardships in more detail. The article starts out by saying, “The impact of trucking on the family can be devastating.”, and continues on to say, “Life as a trucker has little room for troubled relationships.” This can deter some people from truck driving, however you do not need to be that rash. The article concludes by saying, ”The impact of trucking on the family is not always a disaster. There are plenty of good big truck drivers who have driven a lifetime with wife and kids at home doing just fine.” The author also says, “These drivers were smart in choosing their spouse. That makes the biggest difference.” If you take that into account, communicate effectively, and just trust each other, you’ll make out just fine.