Well Good Day to you all.  Just can’t believe that May is already here. I am looking forward to getting together with so many of you in a few weeks at the IMUA annual meeting in Virginia.  This is a busy time for all as everyone tries to get caught up before summer hits.  It just seems more difficult each year to get everything done with information at an overload stage.  We take extra effort to make this as short and to the point as possible.  The rules at CAB are to keep you informed, about the transportation world and your carrier, with only the need to know information.  SO this month we report: 

CURRENT NEWS

ON BOARD RECORDERS – The FMCSA has now issued a rule that will require carriers and bus companies with serious patterns of hours-of-service violations to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all their vehicles. Under the EOBR final rule, carriers who have 10 percent or more HOS violations during a compliance review will be required to install EOBRs in all their vehicles for a minimum of two years. Any carrier who voluntarily adopts the rule will receive relief from certain regulations on the paper trail for hours of service compliance. A copy of the full rulemaking can be viewed here.

DISTRACTED DRIVING –The FMCSA has made distracted driving a number one priority this year. The FMCSA has issued proposed rulemaking which will prohibit texting while operating a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce and will impose sanctions, including civil penalties and disqualification for drivers who fail to comply with this rule. Additionally, motor carriers would be prohibited from requiring or allowing their drivers to engage in texting while driving. The FMCSA has also indicated that a rule making will be issued shortly to restrict the use of cell phones.  A copy of the proposed rulemaking can be viewed here.

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Happy Spring and happy holidays to one and all.  Whatever holiday you may be celebrating we hope you have a great time and enjoy friends and family.

For those of you who, like me, are sometimes geographically challenged (just exactly where is that state?), we have added a new feature to our web-based Submission Report™ .  Now you can view a full country map which shows you exactly where in the USA your motor carrier is operating.  Our Radius of Operations graph is still, of course, part of the report, but now we have enhanced your ability to see, at a quick glance, exactly where the carrier is going.

CURRENT NEWS

ECONOMIC UPTURN –  For the fist time in a long time truck capacity is finally even with freight demand and may actually be headed in the right direction.  According to the Internet Truck Stop report demand is growing in Texas, California, parts of the Midwest, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia.  While this is positive news, it brings with it concerns over driver shortage.  Many drivers left the industry following the downturn and many more face problems with the coming CSA 2010 initiative, raising concerns that as freight demand increases driver shortage will once again become a problem.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS – The DOT has announced new rules, which will be effective in October, which reclassify certain commodities. Paint and diesel fuel are being removed from the list. Currently carriers hauling those items on the high security risk list are required to implement plans for personnel security and unauthorized access in addition to the many obligations that they face.

TWIC – The utilization of TWIC cards has surpassed the expectations of the TSA.  They report that over 1.5 million people have obtained TWIC cards.  277,000 of those are local and over the road truckers. The cards are increasingly being used to establish identity for routine carrier pick-ups as a way to prevent identity theft.

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