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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We hope you are finding our new web page design easy to navigate and we would love to hear about any comments or suggestions which you may have.  As part of CAB’s commitment to help you adapt to changes in the industry, we are considering modifications to our financial request form that we send to the motor carriers such as whether we should request additional information on operations, including security and protection devices used by the motor carrier.  While we undertake this project we look for your comments on what you would find relevant to assist your underwriting process.  Please send any of those comments to me by clicking here or to Shuie by clicking here.

Just a reminder – the IMUA has released the registration package for the upcoming annual meeting.  You can view the registration package at www.imua.org.  There will be transportation related sessions which should be of great interest to underwriters and claims alike.  I look forward to seeing you there.

I don’t know about you, but I am done with winter.  Here in New York we are digging out from yet another snow storm.  Spring cannot come soon enough.  Hopefully you can read this report and not be out shoveling like we are.  This month we report.

SLEEP APNEA – There was an interesting report this month on the impact of sleep apnea on trucking.  According to one study by the FMCSA, 26% of drivers suffer from some form of sleep apnea.  The disorder can cause reduction in reflex response and cognitive and motor skills while operating a vehicle.  Drivers who are diagnosed with this disorder are required to be disqualified until the diagnosis is ruled out or treated successfully.

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