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.
Letters to the Editor: SAFER Scores, Fuel Prices, Border Opening
The Opinion column by John Hausladen, “Be Ready to Explain Your SAFER Scores,” is an excellent reminder to fleets about how important the Safety and Fitness Electronic Record System score is — and, how it can be misinterpreted by those uninformed about the industry.
March 19, 2008DOT Says Delay Hits Progress on Several Key Regulations
A recent Transportation Department report said work on several key new regulations has fallen behind schedule, including shorter stopping distance for heavy trucks, safety reviews of new trucking companies, medical certification of drivers and a new registration system.
March 19, 2008N.H. House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving
The New Hampshire House voted Tuesday to make it illegal for drivers to send text messages on cell phones or type on laptop computers or other electronic devices, the Associated Press reported.
March 19, 2008Forward Air Corp. Completes Acquisition
Forward Air Corp. said Tuesday it closed a deal, first announced last week, to buy transportation firm Pinch Holdings and a related company, AFTCO Enterprises, for an undisclosed sum.
March 18, 2008Illinois to Pay $1.2 Million for Rest Stop Security Upgrades
The Illinois Department of Transportation will spend $1.2 million to update and repair security systems at interstate rest stops, the Associated Press reported Monday.
March 18, 2008ATA Projects Record Diesel Fuel Costs for 2008
American Trucking Associations is projecting a record high diesel fuel bill for the trucking industry this year, at $135 billion.
March 17, 2008Navistar, BAE Awarded Military Truck Order
Navistar International Corp. and BAE Systems won 99% of a $1.1 billion Pentagon order for blast-resistant trucks, Bloomberg reported.
March 17, 2008DOT’s Road-Privatization Policy Draws Criticism
The Department of Transportation’s plan to privatize many public roadways by using more tolls has come under intense criticism by those who believe the federal highway system was set up to be paid for by taxpayers, the Washington Post reported Monday.
March 17, 2008Trucking Industry Moves From Proprietary Hardware to Open-Systems Approach
Historically, trucking companies have relied on information technology systems — both in the cab and in the office — that run proprietary software on proprietary hardware, effectively making it impossible for one manufacturer’s system to access data gathered by another service.
March 17, 2008Diesel Jumps to $3.819 a Gallon
The U.S. average retail diesel price broke its record high for the third straight week, surging to $3.819 a gallon and topping $4 a gallon in some places, pushed by soaring crude oil prices that also set all-time highs and closed above $110 a barrel for the first time in history.
March 17, 2008