The year 2020 has been unprecedented in practically every way. Even the trucking industry, arguably a reliable source of power in the American economy, has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic. The sector lost nearly 90,000 jobs in April alone, part of a nationwide loss of 20.5 million jobs in response to COVID-19. However, the … Continue reading “Trucking Trends for 2021 & Beyond”
Under the current Trump administration, the federal auto emission standards set by the Obama White House were all but stripped away, calling for only a 1.5-percent increase in carbon emissions standards per year through 2026, a significant slowdown in regulation compared to the five-percent yearly increase that came before it. But with a Biden-Harris … Continue reading “How Will Biden’s Administration Affect Emissions Standards & Autonomous Vehicles?”
This year, the trucking industry has gone through significant disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry has faced unprecedented issues from the ongoing driver shortage to driver health and higher demand for products in response to people staying indoors. In response to these novel times, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented several … Continue reading “A Detailed Look at FMCSA Initiatives for the Remainder of 2020”
For the fourth consecutive year, the ongoing truck driver shortage was the top issue among the trucking industry, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s Top Industry Issues list. This issue ranks as a top concern as there is a shortage of 61,000 truckers in the sector and has been hit hard by the coronavirus. … Continue reading “Trucker Shortage & Insurance Rank Highest Industry Concerns”
According to the Labor Department, the transportation sector—and the trucking industry, specifically—has been slow to recover following the initial spread of COVID-19. And while the job market continues to open back up, albeit slower than desired, truck driver turnover and higher capacity in the trucking sector are creating a tough situation on the road. Trucking … Continue reading “Driver Turnover Could Prolong Capacity Concerns”
There have been a lot of changes this year in the trucking industry. From disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to new regulations in place for truck drivers, the industry seems to be rapidly evolving. More specifically, carriers and drivers alike need to stay updated on the change in Hours of Service (HOS) rule … Continue reading “New Hours of Service (HOS) Rule Begins 9/29”
Federal regulators have extended a national emergency declaration order exempting carriers and truck drivers from certain hours-of-service (HOS) regulations until the last day of the year, December 31st. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) declaration, issued in September, is the first multi-month extension of the HOS exemption since the order came in March in … Continue reading “Emergency Declaration Extended Through 12/31/2020”
Trucking insurance premiums are a significant expense for trucking companies, especially for smaller fleets looking to keep their head above water in such a volatile industry. Regardless of how clean a truck driver’s record is, commercial trucking insurance continues to increase for owner-operators. Unfortunately, commercial truck insurance is not one of the business expenses that … Continue reading “Trucking Insurance: Reducing Premiums”
Many companies have heard of workers’ compensation insurance, mostly because it’s necessary to have per state laws. But what about occupational accident insurance? Essentially, workers’ compensation insurance provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees, whereas occupational accident insurance provides similar coverage, but for independent contractors. And since independent truckers make up a sizeable amount … Continue reading “The Differences Between Workers’ Comp and Occupational Accident Insurance”
A large number of truck drivers with drug and alcohol violations on their records in drug databses have failed to complete the federal return-to-duty process, according to statistics released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Of the 28,445 drivers with at least one violation, 26,443—or 93 percent—have been deemed ineligible to return to … Continue reading “Potential Drivers Deemed Ineligible from Drug Databases”
