Trucking Industry Safety News

About Safety News...

Transportation businesses face a host of dynamic risk issues that can significantly impact their financial and operational health. The news in this category focuses on the latest safety and security initiatives, resources and regulations and addresses topics that include fleet safety, claims administration, driver hiring and retention, risk management and compliance.

Government, Business, Safety

FHWA Issues Emergency Relief Funding to Louisiana

Louisiana transportation officials have been issued $5 million in federal emergency relief funding to aid recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

Eleanor Lamb | Staff Reporter
September 10, 2021
Government, Business, Safety

Biden Issues Vaccine Mandate for Private Companies

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Sept. 9 announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant.

Zeke Miller | Associated Press
September 9, 2021
Government, Business, Safety

Carriers Stepping Up Outreach to Recruit Driver Candidates

Motor carriers are expanding the scope of their recruiting efforts amid an ongoing driver shortage that’s been exacerbated by post-pandemic demand, hiring experts said.

Connor D. Wolf | Staff Reporter
September 9, 2021
Government, Technology, Safety

The Crooked World of Staged Accidents

Program Aired: September 9, 2021. Staged accidents aren't new, but in recent years, perpetrators have begun more actively targeting commercial trucks because they tend to have larger dollar signs associated with them. This issue not only affects the targeted carriers, but is raising insurance rates industry wide and encouraging new criminals to enter the market.

September 9, 2021
Government, Business, Technology, Safety

Distraction, Fatigue Continue to Challenge Drivers, Study Says

A new study has concluded that talking and singing in the cab are not distracting for truck drivers, but other common activities such as adjusting the seat belt, reaching for food or drink, and adjusting the instrument panel or mirrors showed significant risk of a crash or near-crash.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
September 9, 2021
Government, Business, Safety

Traffic Deaths Rise in Q1 Despite Decline in Miles Traveled

Risky driving behaviors that have become more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic were the primary contributor to a 10.5% increase in total fatalities during the first quarter of 2021, despite fewer vehicle miles traveled, according to an “early estimates” report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
September 7, 2021
Government, Business, Technology, Safety, Autonomous, TCA

NTSB’s Homendy Expected to Be a Tesla Watchdog

Federal regulators last month officially opened an investigation into crashes involving Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot system. Jennifer Homendy, the new leader of the government’s transportation safety watchdog, hopes that’s just the beginning.

Riley Beggin | The Detroit News
September 7, 2021
Government, Business, Safety

Biden Pushes Infrastructure Plan With New York Flood as Backdrop

President Joe Biden redoubled his push for a $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Sept. 7, using flood-stricken areas of New York and New Jersey as a backdrop to underscore the threat climate change poses to critical services.

Mario Parker | Bloomberg News
September 7, 2021
Equipment, Safety, Fuel

BYD Introduces Two New Electric Truck Models

LONG BEACH, Calif. — BYD North America announced two battery-electric heavy-duty trucks, the Gen3 8TT and 6F, featuring cabs styled by Wolfgang Josef Egger, the renowned former Audi chief designer.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
September 7, 2021
Government, Business, Safety

Lawmakers Say Ida Damage Shows Need for Infrastructure Upgrades

WASHINGTON — Shaken by haunting images of surging rivers, flooded roads and subways and other damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, lawmakers from both parties are vowing to upgrade the nation’s aging infrastructure network.

Matthew Daly and Hope Yen | Associated Press
September 7, 2021