Opinion: Jake Brakes Keep Drivers Safe on Steep Roads
You can’t work in the trucking industry for long without realizing the interconnectedness of the trucking world — goods with communities, roads with ports, airports and railways, regulations across international and provincial borders and municipal boundaries, you name it. Another connection may not be immediately apparent: Canada’s National Trucking Week and “Jake” brakes.
September 5, 2016Large TL Churn at 5-Year Low in Sluggish Market, ATA Says
Driver turnover fell 4 percentage points year-over-year for larger truckload fleets to 83% in the second quarter, dropping to the lowest level since 2011 amid a sluggish freight market, American Trucking Associations reported last week.
September 5, 2016Natural-Gas Advocates Claim Victories in Phase 2 GHG Emissions Regulation
The Phase 2 greenhouse-gas emissions final rule gave natural-gas advocates victories in how the alternative fuel is handled and how emissions of methane are regulated, they said, even as the rule forecast little chance of natural gas becoming a major fuel source for heavy-duty trucks in the next decade.
September 5, 2016Truck-Involved Crash Deaths Rise; Highest Total Since ’08, DOT Says
Fatalities in crashes involving large trucks rose 4.1% from 2014 to 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Aug. 29.
September 5, 2016Regulations, Business Trends Put Pressure on Private Fleets
Operators of corporate-owned truck fleets are facing pressure to keep up with a growing number of regulations while also dealing with legal and business issues that go well beyond the traditional realm of equipment maintenance and driver management.
August 29, 2016Otto’s Autonomous Trucks Drive Almost 24/7 to Refine Technology of Tomorrow
For now, Otto is focused on logging as many test miles as possible with its five (soon to be six) retrofitted Volvo cabs that it runs almost 24/7 on highways in the Bay Area and elsewhere.
August 29, 2016ATA Enhances MC&E Schedule
American Trucking Associations announced Aug. 24 several additions to its annual Management Conference & Exhibition taking place Oct. 1-4 in Las Vegas.
August 24, 2016July Class 8 Sales Tumble 39.8%
U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks fell 39.8% in July from a year earlier, WardsAuto.com reported, as the trucking industry struggles with an uneven economy and the effects of earlier overproduction.
August 22, 2016Canada Plans to Require Use of Electronic Logs
Truck drivers in Canada will likely soon be required to be outfitted with electronic logging devices, with full implementation of a rule expected before the end of the decade, according to a Transport Canada official.
August 22, 2016N.Y. Teamsters Fund to Seek US Approval to Slash Retiree Pension Benefits By 31%
The New York State Teamsters Conference Pension and Retirement Fund later this month plans to seek federal approval to cut retiree pension benefits by 31%, becoming the second trucking union planning to announce that step as a way of preserving future benefits.
August 22, 2016