Scopelitis seminar delves into lease purchase deals, M&A, ESG and more

INDIANAPOLIS — The Scopelitis Transportation Law Seminar is a three-day parade of speakers and panels discussing everything from what states’ license plates fleets should seek to slap on their trucks to the treatment of owner-operators whose trucks leave the road for maintenance. The gathering examines hundreds of legal situations fleets might face.

Here are five takeaways from the multitude of subjects the seminar covered.

The growing focus on lease purchase agreements

The ongoing task force...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/scopelitis-seminar-delves-into-lease-purchase-deals-ma-esg-and-more

Trucking industry stakeholders square off over CDL test flexibility

WASHINGTON — Regulators received heavy opposition from truck owner-operators and safety advocates on a proposal aimed at making it easier to test and employ new drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed rule, “Increased Flexibility for Testing and for Drivers after Passing the Skills Test,” would loosen current CDL testing regulations by:

  • Allowing commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders who have passed the CDL skills test to operate a truck without having a CDL holder...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucking-industry-stakeholders-square-off-over-cdl-test-flexibility

FMCSA has rejected 34% of under-21 truck driver applications

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says only 113 motor carriers have applied for its under-21 truck driver apprenticeship program since the agency began accepting applications in July 2022, a dismal sign for an initiative that had been expected to recruit up to 1,000 carriers and 3,000 drivers.

The data, included in a fiscal year 2022 report submitted to Congress last week by FMCSA, also revealed that as of February 2024, FMCSA has rejected 34% – or 38 of the 113...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-has-rejected-34-of-under-21-truck-driver-applications

Industry study pegs electric truck grid buildout at $1 trillion

WASHINGTON — Companies representing all segments of the trucking industry are warning of a staggering $1 trillion price tag that they claim sets up a roadblock to the Biden administration’s push to decarbonize the industry.

A study released on Tuesday commissioned by the Clean Freight Coalition (CFC), whose members include the American Trucking Associations, LTL carriers, truck dealers and truck stop operators, concluded that commercial trucking would have to invest more than $620 billion in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/industry-study-pegs-electric-truck-grid-buildout-at-1-trillion

FMC upholds ruling upending current chassis pool system

Long-standing practices for feeding chassis into intermodal markets have been dealt another blow in legal proceedings before the Federal Maritime Commission.

In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the FMC upheld an administrative law judge’s (ALJ) ruling from just over a year ago that the current system of major oceangoing carriers designating exclusive chassis providers for port-to-port moves, also known as merchant hauling, violates federal law. 

The case was brought in 2020 by the Intermodal Motor Carriers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmc-upholds-ruling-upending-current-chassis-pool-system

Petitions for meal, rest break waivers dispute parking shortage claims

WASHINGTON — Claims that giving truck drivers more time for meals and rest will worsen parking shortages in California and Washington are baseless, according to two groups seeking federal preemption waivers.

The Teamsters and the Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) have petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the waivers in response to FMCSA’s notice published in August announcing it would consider rolling back its 2018 and 2020 decisions finding that meal and rest break rules in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/petitions-for-meal-rest-break-waivers-dispute-parking-shortage-claims

Truckers push FMCSA to make brokers pay for detention time

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WASHINGTON — If drivers have to be federally regulated by hours-of-service rules, brokers should be...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truckers-push-fmcsa-to-make-brokers-pay-for-detention-time

NLRB joint-employer rule triggers fears of higher trucking costs

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WASHINGTON — A change in how the National Labor Relations Board determines whether a company is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nlrb-joint-employer-rule-triggers-fears-of-higher-trucking-costs

Crash victims allege DOT violations related to underride guard report

WASHINGTON — Truck safety advocates want the Biden administration to investigate whether regulators violated ethics rules and federal law in conducting cost-benefit assessments of crash protection equipment for truck trailers.

In a letter sent Thursday to U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Eric Soskin requesting the investigation, the Truck Safety Coalition, along with a group of truck crash victim advocates and victim family members, alleged potential misconduct by DOT...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/crash-victims-allege-dot-violations-related-to-underride-guard-report

FMCSA will consider rollbacks to truck driver rest-break rules

WASHINGTON — Regulators will consider rolling back federal preemption decisions on truck driver work rules by issuing waivers to those who can show that stricter state rules in California and Washington are more safe.

In a notice published Friday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it will consider waiver requests of its Dec. 21, 2018, ruling affirming that California Meal and Rest Break (MRB) rules — and a similar Nov. 17, 2020, ruling regarding Washington state MRB rules —...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-will-consider-rollbacks-to-truck-driver-rest-break-rules

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