Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

FMCSA reinstates groceries, paper products in latest HOS waiver

Emergency restocking of food, paper products and groceries at distribution centers or retail stores once again qualify for the national emergency hours of service (HOS) waiver, according to federal regulators.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had removed those categories when it modified and extended the waiver in June. However, “because of current conditions” related to COVID-19 relief, the agency decided to place those items back on the list of cargo that qualifies for...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmcsa-reinstates-groceries-paper-products-in-latest-hos-waiver

OOIDA presses regulators on detention time pay, truck parking

Owner-operators told federal regulators that repealing an 80-year-old law preventing them from collecting overtime pay could help alleviate the negative effects of increasing detention times at destination facilities.

“Unfortunately, drivers’ times aren’t valued, especially by shippers and receivers,” said Lewie Pugh, vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), speaking at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Truck Safety Summit this week.

“It...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ooida-presses-regulators-on-detention-time-pay-truck-parking

Truckers frustrated with hair-test guideline delays

A five-year delay of a rulemaking that would give trucking companies the option to use a hair test instead of urinalysis to screen drivers for drugs is preventing significant safety improvements, according to major industry players.

The benefits of hair testing within the trucking industry was a common theme among several panel discussions at a truck safety summit held by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today.

Representatives from truckload operators Werner Enterprises (NAS...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/truckers-frustrated-with-hair-test-guideline-delays

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

Exclusive: Feds award major truck platooning contract to California PATH

A California research organization has been selected by the federal government to answer critical questions on the benefits of truck platooning in a project considered to be a significant next step in trucking automation.

California Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH), a research and development program of the University of California, Berkeley, was selected from among three research organizations that participated in Phase 1 of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA)...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/feds-award-major-truck-platooning-contract-to-california-path

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

Reports: FBI warns trucking of potential ELD hackers

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an advisory on cyber risks associated electronic logging devices (ELDs) after determining the devices “did little or nothing” to ensure against data breaches, according to media reports.

The advisory – a copy of which has been circulated among various media – follows best-practices advice from private industry warning on the potential security vulnerability of ELDs and other technology that has the potential to cause severe financial damage to...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/reports-fbi-warns-trucking-of-potential-eld-hackers

Drug-test cheating by drivers could renew calls for hair testing

New federal data reveals that drivers may be attempting to cheat urinalysis tests for drugs at a relatively high rate — and that could lead to a renewed push for motor carrier hair-testing requirements, according to a trucking regulations expert.

The latest monthly statistics from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse show that 13% of drug-testing violations collected by the clearinghouse during the first half of the year were classified as...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/drug-test-cheating-by-drivers-could-renew-calls-for-hair-testing

Hemp growers urge FMCSA to issue hauling guidelines

The co-founders of a major hemp products producer want federal regulators to develop procedures and guidelines for commercial haulers of hemp and hemp-processing materials.

In a white paper submitted to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Advisory Committee (MCSAC) this week, Brett Goldman and Steve Bevan, co-founders of GenCanna Global, asked the committee to consider defining standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all compliant hemp, as well as develop...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/hemp-growers-urge-fmcsa-to-issue-hauling-guidelines

Truck safety group debates driver pay vs. driver shortage

A study examining how driver safety correlates with age and experience sparked a discussion among members of a federal safety panel about whether higher pay should be used to address a potential future shortfall of qualified drivers.

The discussion followed a July 14 presentation by Susan Soccolich, a researcher at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC), which makes recommendations to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

T...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/truck-safety-group-debates-driver-pay-vs-driver-shortage

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