Welcome to Spring and hopefully some warmer times ahead.  I am looking forward to the annual IMUA meeting this month in Austin.  CAB will be sponsoring a Transportation Session on the changing insurance needs and exposures for the logistics industry, moderated by yours truly.  Come join the fun!  I look forward to seeing many of you there. It is a great time for all of us to catch up.

This month’s news:

INCREASED FILING LIMITS? – Last year there was a movement to increase filing limits for auto liability which failed quickly. However the FMCSA has now released a report indicating that the current financial responsibility minimum of $750,000 for motor carriers is inadequate to meet the costs of some crashes. The report concluded that while catastrophic motor carrier crashes are rare, the costs for resulting severe and critical injuries can exceed $1 million. The agency said it has formed a rulemaking team to further evaluate the appropriate level of financial responsibility and has “placed this rulemaking among the Agency’s high priority rules. A copy of the report can be viewed here.

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Very quiet month this time around.  I think everyone is just worn out from winter and not interested in much.  So the report will be brief.  Enjoy the spring.

APRIL TRAINING SESSION – Here are the training sessions upcoming in April:

CAB Basic Training April 8 at 2:00 PM EDT. To register:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/670900601

CAB Focus Training April 9 at 2:00 PM EDT – The CAB Focus session will be on understanding shared units in the Carrier Search Page, the CAB Report and VITAL. To register:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/290886984

ELECTRONIC ON BOARD RECORDERS – The FMCSA has published its proposed rulemaking on the use of electronic logs recorders.  The rule is a supplement to the 2011 rulemaking which was challenged by various organizations.  The supplemental rule sets out protocols which will permit reports to stay with the motor carriers and drivers while still being made available to the FMCSA during roadside inspections, compliance reviews and post-crash investigations. There is an explicit prohibition on harassment by a motor carrier owner towards a driver using information from an ELD. It will also establish a procedure for filing a harassment complaint and creates a maximum civil penalty of up to $11,000 for a motor carrier that engages in harassment of a driver that leads to an hours-of-service violation or the driver operating a vehicle when they are so fatigued or ill it compromises safety. The rule will also make it more difficult for a driver to cheat when submitting their records of duty status and ensuring the electronic logs can be displayed and reviewed electronically, or printed, with potential violations flagged. More information on the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Electronic Logging Devices  is available here.

CSA AUDIT REPORT – The Inspector General has issued its report after an audit of the DOT CSA program.  While recognizing the benefits and successes of the program, the report also makes recommendations for improvement, focusing on the widespread use of the system by the general populous.  A copy of the report can be viewed here.

SCOFFLAWS FACING DEACTIVATION OF DOT NUMBERS – The FMCSA has begun the process of deactivating carriers who have failed to update their Unified Registration System data. All carriers are required to update their URS registration biannually. Every month the agency will proceed with purging carriers two months beyond deadline.  This is designed to clean up the data, leaving only truly active carriers with DOT numbers.

DRIVER STATISTICS – An eight-year analysis of driver age and tenure conducted by Sylectus, a business unit of Omnitracs Canada Inc. was released this month.  The report identified an increase in driver age and a decrease in tenure for both male and female drivers.  The average age of male drivers is 48 and for woman the age is 51.  92% of drivers are male. The average tenure for a male driver is two years, with woman holding steady for a shorter period of time. Read More