Safety
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.
Crashes Due to Trailer Separation Are Rare, According to FMCSA Data on Accidents
Crashes such as the recent one in upstate New York where a trailer apparently separated from a tractor and struck a minivan with deadly consequences are rare, according to federal crash experts and investigators working on the case.
July 1, 2013Nafta Surface Trade Rises 7.5% in April
Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 7.5% in April from the same month last year and increased 2.4% from March, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
June 26, 2013Hands-Free Devices Can Be Dangerously Distracting, AAA Report Shows
According to a new study by AAA, hands-free devices can be dangerously distracting to drivers and can result in drivers not seeing items right in front of them.
June 18, 2013Fleets Could Face Large Tax Penalties From Health Care Law, Expert Warns
LA JOLLA, Calif. — Trucking companies could face hefty tax penalties if they are not prepared for provisions of the federal health care law that go into effect next year, a financial consultant warned.
June 17, 2013Battery Manufacturer Exide Technologies Files for Bankruptcy
Heavy-duty truck and automobile battery manufacturer Exide Technologies filed for bankruptcy after environmental regulators in California shut down one if its lead-recycling plants, Bloomberg News reported Monday.
June 10, 2013Trucks to be Banned From More Left Lanes in Dallas
The Texas Department of Transportation plans to double the amount of roads banning trucks with three or more axles from the left lane in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
June 5, 2013NTSB Wants Big-Rig Safety Technologies on Straight Trucks, Vans
The National Transportation Safety Board asked federal regulators Tuesday to apply some safety technology requirements to straight trucks, vans and pickup trucks that currently only apply to heavy trucks, saying those components could increase safety and prevent deaths.
Opinion: More Truck Safety, No New Regulations
Most have heard the outcome of MAP-21, the current highway funding law, for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which has said repeatedly that MAP-21 requires it to complete 29 new safety regulations within 27 months.
June 3, 2013Work Begins on Temporary Span to Replace Collapsed I-5 Bridge
Crews in Washington state were constructing a temporary span last week to replace a section of bridge on Interstate 5 that collapsed May 23, apparently after it was struck by a truck carrying an oversize load.
June 3, 2013Authorities to Audit Maryland Company Involved in Rail Accident
Federal regulators and Maryland state police are planning a “top-to-bottom” review of the safety record of a waste-removal company owned by a trucker who was seriously hurt this week when a CSX freight train hit his truck at an unmarked crossing, the Baltimore Sun reported.
May 31, 2013