Electronic logging device

5 New Year’s resolutions to reduce your fleet risk in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issue a series of rules exemptions in 2020, but at no point was the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles affected. As 2021 quickly approaches, and with the possible end of the pandemic in sight as vaccines reach the market, trucking carriers could see a return to normal operations at some point.

Safety, though, remains the primary objective for all operations. As waivers to existing rules expire, and new regulations...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/5-new-years-resolutions-to-reduce-your-fleet-risk-in-2021

Commentary: Is truck parking really that big of a problem?

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates. 

When electronic logging device usage became a mandate, it exacerbated existing problems of truck parking, creating more demand for parking but no additional supply. Between the driver shortage, ELDs and truck parking, it’s hard to decide what the real problem is in our industry. I would argue they’re all problems and are intimately intertwined in the vicious...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-is-truck-parking-really-that-big-of-a-problem

The most common e-Log errors & violations – and how to avoid them

the most common ELD violations during roadside inspections

Electronic logging violations cost carriers tens of thousands of dollars, with potential violation fines ranging up to $13,000 per instance in some cases. Most violations, though, are preventable with the right mix of education, training and due diligence.

The recent changes in hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, designed to offer more flexibility for drivers in managing their time, has upped the complexity level of e-log compliance.

The HOS changes, which went into effect at the end of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-most-common-e-log-errors-violations-and-how-to-avoid-them

FMCSA denies exemptions for drivers traveling with pets

Federal regulators have denied a request by the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC) to ease regulations for drivers traveling with their pets.

In a document to be published in the federal register Friday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) asserted that after assessing SBTC’s petition and subsequent comments that the agency couldn’t ensure safety levels would be maintained if it were to approve the request.

SBTC had been seeking an exemption from both the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-denies-eldhos-exemption-for-drivers-traveling-with-pets

Will truck drivers use the new HOS split-sleeper provision?

Trucks parked at rest stop

As Tuesday of this week came and went, truck drivers gained several new benefits from changes to hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. One significant change is the split-sleeper berth exception.

Tuesday’s change is not technically new to the HOS regulations but rather an addition to the existing rule. Previously, drivers could utilize a split-sleeper berth exception in an 8/2 split. The new option adds a 7/3 split.

It’s unclear how many drivers utilized the provision before, and it’s even more...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/will-truck-drivers-use-the-new-hos-split-sleeper-provision

User fee study reveals cost penalty for fuel-efficient trucks

The nation’s first multi-state mileage-based user fee (MBUF) truck pilot project concluded that using one rate for all trucks can put fuel-efficient trucks at a disadvantage when it comes to paying for roads and bridges.

The results of the study, released Tuesday by the Eastern Transportation Coalition (formerly the I-95 Corridor Coalition), are to be used to assess the MBUF as an alternative to raising federal diesel taxes and other approaches to funding transportation infrastructure.

“Though...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/user-fee-study-reveals-cost-penalty-for-fuel-efficient-trucks

Trimble’s transportation segment reports 24% revenue decline

Trimble Navigation Ltd. (NASDAQ: TRMB) reported second quarter transportation revenue of $150.9 million, down 24%, compared to the second quarter of 2019, during an earnings call Wednesday.

Overall, the company produced $733.6 million in revenue, with an earnings per share of 52 cents, topping analysts’s expectations. Wall Street’s outlook was for earnings of 37 cents per share and revenue of $694.6 million.

Company officials attributed the better than expected results to the strength of its...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/trimbles-transportation-segment-reports-24-decline-in-revenue

Open platforms opening up a world of opportunity for tech developers

Platform Science

Technology providers are hyperfocused on developing solutions and providing great user experiences for customers. What many of them are not as interested in is developing the hardware to support their software.

There are exceptions, of course, but many tech providers simply partner with a third party to develop the hardware so they can focus on their core mission. So, when a partner comes along that opens up that base hardware to any and all developers, the options for the end customer grow...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/open-platforms-opening-up-a-world-of-opportunity-for-tech-developers

FMCSA: Turfgrass haulers were eligible for HOS exemption all along

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ruled that turfgrass is considered an agricultural commodity in a decision that exempts as many as 10,000 drivers from the hours-of-service (HOS) regulation.

Ironically, the decision, scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, came in the form of a denial of Turfgrass Producers International’s (TPI) application, filed in 2018, that sought the exemption. After analyzing the law and the 47 comments filed on the TPI’s...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmcsa-turfgrass-haulers-were-eligible-for-hos-exemption-all-along

ELD risk gets new scrutiny after FBI warnings

A warning last week from federal law enforcement on the cybersecurity risks associated with electronic logging devices (ELDs) has raised awareness in the trucking industry on the potential costs of getting hacked.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would not comment on whether the notice it sent to private companies involved in the trucking industry was based on recent ELD cyber threat activity. “There are no current ELD hacks that we are aware of,” Sharon Reynolds, Chief Information...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/eld-risk-gets-new-scrutiny-after-fbi-warnings

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