Changes to Underride Guards Sought as Study Finds U.S. Standard Inadequate
The federal standard for underride guards on trucks and trailers is inadequate and should be upgraded to protect the drivers of vehicles that crash into the rear of trucks, an insurance safety advocacy group said last week.
March 7, 2011Daily Briefings from Transport Topics
Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.
iTECH: CSA Helps States Target Safety Reviews
States are equipping roadside inspectors with carrier-specific information that could lead to more targeted inspections under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.
March 3, 2011Insurance Group Cites Concerns on Underride Guards
Crash-test analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that underride guards on tractor-trailers can fail even in relatively low-speed crashes, and the group is petitioning the federal government to require stronger guards that will remain in place during a crash and to mandate guards for more big rigs and trailers.
March 1, 2011Letters: Border Negotiations; Wrong Again, FMCSA
No one knows the Canada-U.S. border and the difficulties even the most trusted individuals and companies have had crossing it in the “security trumps trade” post-9/11 world than truckers. It’s not surprising, then, that truckers welcome the announcement from U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the two countries are embarking upon negotiations aimed at improved cooperation and coordination at the border.
February 28, 2011Intermodal Traffic Grows 16.9% for Week
Intermodal traffic rose 16.9% last week from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.
February 25, 2011Texas Cuts Truck Tolls on Highways near Austin
The Texas Transportation Commission has voted to lower truck tolls on two Austin-area highways in an attempt to encourage trucks to use them.
February 25, 2011Opinion: ‘Black Box’ Retrieval Policies
Loss of event data recorder — or “black box” — information is one of the biggest problems in trucking accident litigation. While the market for EDR monitoring software has exploded in recent years, accident experts and attorneys are finding that much of this technology is incorrectly downloaded, analyzed and stored, creating legal and financial risks that can threaten the very existence of the company that makes use of it.
February 24, 2011January Truck Tonnage Hits 3-Year High
Truck tonnage grew 8% in January from a year ago to its highest level in three years, American Trucking Associations said Wednesday.
February 23, 2011ATA Supports Hand-Held Phone Ban for Truck Drivers
American Trucking Associations has told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that it supports the proposed ban on hand-held phone use by commercial vehicle drivers.
February 23, 2011Class 8 Truck Orders Soar 320%
January orders for new Class 8 trucks skyrocketed 320% to 27,000 from the year-ago level, a clear sign that the industry will enjoy a stronger 2011, two research organizations said last week.
February 14, 2011