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Cliff Abbott

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About Cliff Abbott
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.

Posts by Cliff Abbott

The CMV Tutor: Tom Gilliam hopes to help the homeless through CDL training

By Cliff Abbott -

Earning a commercial driver’s license (CDL) can be the first step into a wide variety of connected careers, from driving to owning a trucking company, becoming a driver trainer and more. As a professional driver, Tom Gilliam has done his share of driving and of training other drivers — and he’s parleyed that experience into his own training business, The CMV Tutor LLC. Gilliam offers a variety of levels of training, from introductory classes for people who are brand-new to trucks and trucking to specialized courses that help established drivers obtain a new endorsement, get rid of an automatic transmission restriction, or receive carrier-mandated safety training — in addition to tailored courses for carrier clients. Training for passenger endorsements and school buses is also available. Gilliam, of course, is the CMV Tutor; in fact, Gilliam is the entire company. There are no employees or other help. That doesn’t stop Gilliam, who trains drivers for Allied Van Lines using carrier facilities in Rochester, Minnesota, and Onalaska, Wisconsin, for training. While he uses “borrowed” training facilities, the trucks used for the training belong to the school. Gilliam says he likes keeping it small. “I’ve had people ask me about coming in, but when you start interjecting other people into the process, that’s where you start coming up with problems,” he explained, adding that by doing everything himself, he can control the quality of the curriculum. For many students, mastering this curriculum and the skills required to earn a CDL means launching a new career, or perhaps advancement in a career they’ve already started. Gilliam hopes that for some students the training could mean much more. It might mean a home. The CVM Tutor offers a CDL training course free of charge for people who are currently without a home. Gilliam stresses, however, that the program is NOT free. “Nothing’s free,” he told The Trucker. “They’re earning this. They have to put in the hours and the effort, do the work. That’s their investment.” Gilliam says the training is not funded by government grants or programs. “This is out of my pocket,” he said. “I see it all the time — people camped out by the river or in the ditches. I can only help one person every few months, but at least that’s getting somebody on their feet again.” Operating The CMV Tutor’s homeless driver training program involves more than simply opening the door to a classroom. “A lot of (homeless people) don’t have drivers licenses, not even for a car,” Gilliam said. He requires students to earn a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) before entering his program — and that requires access to online study materials. There are fees for the written tests, and transportation is needed to the correct state testing facility. In addition, applicants must be vetted to verify their status as “homeless.” “We get a lot of sad stories, like the call from a parent who said their son was sitting at home and needed a life-changing career. But he’s at home; that’s the issue,” said Gilliam. Once a student is approved for training, there are more issues to work out, such as meals and lodging, work boots and clothes, and more. “That’s why I’m working with homeless shelters,” Gilliam explained. “They’ve worked with the people and know them. They can help filter out the ones that are having issues with drugs or mental illness. They can refer students who are most likely to benefit from the training.” While Gilliam and the shelters he works with are working through the details of the homeless training program, he continues to provide driver training for more traditional students. “I train for several carriers, and I deal with students directly, too,” he said. He’s licensed to train in Minnesota and Wisconsin and has equipment with manual transmissions for students to learn on. Gilliam has earned Senior Master Instructor and Senior Master Safety Instructor certifications from the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA). He says he’s committed to using his 40 years of driving and teaching experience to help prepare others for their best career in trucking. His offer to potential students that are currently homeless extends to their choice of Class A tractor-trailer, straight truck or bus licenses. Currently, he plans to train three to four students per year through the homeless program. Interested individuals should apply through their local homeless shelter or advocate. Representatives of homeless agencies interested in working with the program can contact The CMV Tutor at [email protected] or 608-358-3143.

A dashcam can be a driver’s best friend when determining who’s at fault in an accident

By Cliff Abbott -

In the aftermath of an accident involving your truck, the “he said/she said” approach makes poor evidence and does nothing to prove which party is at fault. Whether you’re defending yourself to law enforcement officials, insurance adjusters or a judge and jury, factual, irrefutable evidence is vital. To that end, many carriers have turned to dash cams and in-cab video recording services. The practice is opposed by some drivers — and to be sure, many carriers subscribe to services that not only provide the camera(s) but also monitor videos and utilize information sent from the truck’s electronic control module. Doing so allows the company to match incidents like hard braking with the corresponding video, providing a better record of what actually happened. Some carriers take it a step further, installing cameras that record the inside of the cab, including the driver. The services the carriers subscribe to view video from all recorded angles and make a judgement whether the information is worth passing on to the carrier’s safety department or other representative. Those who invest in their own trucks often do so for the greater independence of being an owner-operator. And many drivers believe that video recording capabilities today create an invasion of privacy, especially when the lens is pointed at the driver. However, the cold, hard truth is this: If you own your truck and it isn’t equipped with at least a front-facing dash camera, you could be risking your business and your livelihood. Camera systems are available for owner-ops and small fleets. Of course, for most owner-operators, a subscription service would be too expensive (if it can be found at all for a carrier with only one truck). That’s why purchased dash camera systems are a better option. Some owner-ops are content with a forward-facing camera only. Many available cameras have wide-angle lenses that record the area in front of the hood, as well as much of the area to the sides of the hood. However, there are systems available that can handle multiple cameras. Some, designed for cars and small trucks, have a forward-facing lens plus a remote lens that’s mounted on the rear of the vehicle and used for backing up. There are also systems that can connect to cameras on both sides of a Class 8 tractor in addition to a forward-facing dash cam. Whatever configuration you choose, make sure none of the mounted lenses or the display device obstruct are positioned so that they obstruct your view. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) doesn’t allow anything to be mounted on any part of the windshield that could obstruct the driver’s vision. Some drivers prefer a dash mount or a “sandbag” type mount that can be moved when necessary. Consider system memory and other features. Once you’ve decided on the type of camera and mount, consider the amount and type of memory you’ll need. For example, if there are four lenses, the device will be recording four videos at once. That takes a lot of memory. Some devices have large internal memories, while some utilize SD or mini-SD cards for storage. These work well for transporting the recorded videos to a laptop computer, but not for displaying video on your phone or tablet. Some cameras are equipped with Bluetooth capability; this allows you to access and display videos on your phone or tablet. This can be very useful at the scene of an accident when you want to show the video to law enforcement. You may even be able to share the video files via email or text. Most recorders keep a record that includes more than just video. Some record GPS information that may include your vehicle’s speed in addition to events recorded by the device’s accelerometer, such as hard braking, swerving or an impact. Many devices automatically save the video when one of these events is detected. You’ll want to be able to choose what is recorded and turn off any that you don’t want. For example, an accident might have been caused by someone else — but if your device recorded that you were driving a few miles over the speed limit, that information could actually harm your case in court. Another feature many cameras include is audio recording. In some cases, this might allow you to record instructions from a police officer (if it’s not illegal in the jurisdiction you’re in). Keep in mind, however, that it will also record any other sounds you make while driving, like conversations, singing and comments directed toward other motorists (we all know these are usually not overly nice!). You’ll want to be able to disable audio recording, unless you’d like to hear the audio played in court. Quality dash cameras offer several ways to save video. In most models, video is automatically saved until the memory is full; then the system begins to overwrite the oldest videos. Most devices save the videos in segments of one to five minutes, depending on the model. Triggered video saves — those caused by a bump or swerve hard enough to be detected by the device’s accelerometer — are saved in a different file so they are not overwritten when the memory gets full. Another type is user-saved video. Most devices have a button (or even a voice command) that allows the driver to instruct it to save video in a unique file, so it won’t be overwritten. This is handy when no impact occurs but the driver wants to record another accident, weather event or even the license number of another vehicle. Make sure the process for saving video is a simple one, preferably a single button or a voice command. During stressful moments it can be difficult to remember multiple-step instructions. Also, make sure you know how to play back videos at the scene if you’re involved in an accident. Doing so could save you a citation or an at-fault determination. Know the legalities. The use of video cameras may be illegal in some jurisdictions, while others have specific laws addressing what can be done with recorded video. Some require the permission of anyone being videoed, and some prohibit posting videos on social media or anywhere they can be viewed by the public. It’s best to only share your dashcam videos for private purposes. Always keep in mind that if you’re involved in an accident, a dash camera system can exonerate you of fault … but it can also prove you were responsible. You may be asked if you have such a system or even asked to surrender the system or the memory card, so be prepared.

$3.5M in federal funds earmarked for CDL training across US

By Cliff Abbott -

In late August, the Federal Motor Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced plans to divide $3.5 million in funding between 27 providers of CDL training, including colleges and other facilities, through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program. Grant amounts range from $101,000 up to $139,980. According to a press release from the FMCSA, the funds are intended to provide additional training for current CDL holders and to help provide career opportunities in transportation for military veterans and residents of underserved communities. The funding is a part of the Biden administration’s “Trucking Action Plan,” geared toward improving U.S. supply chains and supporting transportation workers. The release listed three goals for the CMVOST program: Expand the number of CDL holders with enhanced operator safety training. Provide opportunities for current and former members of the Armed Forces, and, Increase training opportunities in rural, refugee and underserved communities. “At FMCSA, our job is all about safety,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White. “That includes safety of the roadways and safety of our nation’s commercial motor vehicle drivers. So, we are proud to make this funding available and are committed to working with the awardees to put it to good use.” The FMCSA began accepting applications for the CMVOST grants in March. Recipients must be accredited educational institutions recognized by the Department of Education or non-accredited institutions that were approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, state approving agencies and the Veterans Administration to accept VA benefits. The schools also must accept Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced a total recommended award of $509,775 to four Iowa community colleges, including Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa Central Community College, Hawkeye Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College. “Improving pathways for eligible individuals to secure commercial driver’s licenses is a simple way we can boost the economy. These resources will unlock good-paying jobs, address labor shortages in the trucking industry and streamline supply chain operations,” Grassley said in a news release. “I’ve seen firsthand the efficacy of commercial driver’s license programs in Iowa and am confident our community colleges will use this federal investment to build on their proven successes.” A list of colleges and award amounts follows. Individuals who are interested in applying for training under the CMVOST grants should contact the appropriate training institution. Alabama: Wallace State Community College – $129,500 Arizona: Pima County Community College District – $131,043 California: Nordic Enterprises – $135,000 Colorado: Aims Community College – $137,560 Georgia: Central Georgia Technical College – $130,240 Illinois: Lake Land College – $133,131 Indiana: Ivy Tech Community College – $129,870 Iowa: Des Moines Area Community College – $127,400 Hawkeye Community College – $132,375 Iowa Central Community College – $119,000 Western Iowa Tech Community College – $131,000 Kansas: Johnson County Community College – $139,980 Maryland: Cecil College – $108,675 Community College of Baltimore County – $132,000 Wor-Wic Community College – $133,700 Ohio: Clark State Community College Inc. – $126,000 Oregon: Klamath Community College – $135,286 Linn-Benton Community College – $130,543 Pennsylvania: Community College of Allegheny County – $126,875 Lehigh Carbon Community College – $135,600 Texas: Collin County Community College District – $133,400 Houston Community College – $130,500 Lone Star College-North Harris – $101,000 North Central Texas College – $137,500 Texas State Technical College – $132,916 Virginia: Tidewater Community College – $131,385 Washington: Walla Walla Community College – $128,521

Lessons from the road: A thorough pre-trip inspection is the best start to a safe day

By Cliff Abbott -

Professional drivers learn early to maximize their hours for rest by minimizing their hours spent on other activities. In a career field where many over-the-road drivers are paid on a per-mile basis — or at least the number of miles specified in the load assignment — it’s no wonder that they don’t want their time eaten up by activities that don’t add to their paychecks. Unfortunately, this is one reason many drivers don’t bother with daily pre-trip inspections. Another reason for skipping this vital step is complacency. Modern trucks are incredibly durable. Inspecting the same components every day without finding a discrepancy gets boring and leads to a “Why bother?” attitude. There are other reasons that drivers forego pre-trip inspections, but the reality is that none of them are good enough. Any component on any truck can break at any time, even on a brand-new one. While a thorough pre-trip inspection doesn’t guarantee that a breakdown won’t occur after five minutes of driving, catching a problem early CAN help prevent catastrophe later. Check the tires. Tires are one area that take a tremendous beating. Objects in the road, potholes, heat and even manufacturing defects can result in failure. Slow leaks, for example, are often undetected. In a tandem configuration, as the pressure in the damaged tire goes down, the adjoining tire takes on more weight. This causes a build-up in heat that can cause more damage. Even tires that maintain proper pressure can have problems. Objects imbedded in the tire tread can work their way into the tire’s interior, potentially ruining the tire. Bruises to the tire’s side wall can blister, eventually causing a failure. Many drivers, however, don’t check tires — or if they do, it’s with a thump and a quick look at the outside sidewall. The spaces between tandem tires and the sidewalls of the inside tire rarely get a good look; tractor side fairings and fenders make inspection more difficult. Air supply is critical With so many of today’s trucks equipped with airbags instead of springs, the air supply is critical — and there are more air lines and valves to be inspected and observed. In addition, airbags must be mounted, just as springs are, so there are always mounting brackets and fasteners that need inspecting. Air dryers are commonplace these days, so some drivers rarely bother with draining air tanks. But air dryers can fail, and most need the desiccant replaced. As they age, air compressors can develop piston “blow-by,” introducing oil vapor into the air lines that can accumulate in valves and components. Add a little dust and some cold weather, and the resulting sludge can cause valves to malfunction. Inspecting air dryers and keeping them in tip-top shape is important, and so is occasionally bleeding the air tanks to see if moisture has accumulated. Check fluids Modern tractors are equipped with sensors that indicate when fluid levels are low, but good drivers don’t wait for a light to come on. A thorough pre-trip inspection includes checking fluid levels and topping them off when necessary. Windshield washer fluid won’t cause a shutdown — but when it runs out during a period of poor visibility, accidents can occur. Oil and fluid leaks can be detected before they form puddles on the ground beneath the vehicle. It’s important to look over the engine, checking for oil, fuel or coolant leaks. Small leaks today can lead to big problems tomorrow. Don’t forget the nuts, bolts and lighting Nuts and bolts are critical to holding things together, and some of them are under tremendous stress on a truck. Your truck’s fifth wheel is bolted directly to the frame; it handles not just the weight of the trailer, but also huge amounts of side-to-side and forward-and-backward stress. Mounting bolts can loosen or break, and they can easily go undetected without an inspection. Lug nuts also absorb stress and can work themselves loose, or even break. Rust trails coming from any nut or bold are an indication they may be loosening. Chrome lug nut covers can make rust more difficult to see. LED lighting has helped to make your truck’s marker, clearance and other lights much more dependable than in the past … but bulbs still fail and wiring still corrodes. Lights should be inspected daily, but don’t skip taking a look at wiring. Inspection may mean getting under the trailer, but it’s worth it. Follow a routine A good pre-trip inspection follows a routine process, so items aren’t neglected. Always start at the same spot — for example, the driver’s door — and proceed in the same direction each time you inspect. An internet search for an inspection checklist turns up all kinds of options published by safety groups, carriers and insurance companies. Your state’s CDL manual will have an excellent checklist. If you’d like your inspection to match what the inspectors look for during roadside inspections, you can get a checklist directly from the agency who decides the inspection process, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. They provide a “cheat sheet” here. Don’t neglect periodic inspections during your trip, too. Stopping at a rest area for a quick restroom break? You can check the tires and lights on one side of your vehicle on the way to the restroom and the other side on the way back. You can observe running lights, leaks under the truck and loose or missing equipment as you walk. Finding problems early allows you to make good decisions about how and when to make repairs. It’s easy to get out of the habit of performing pre-trip inspections. Some drivers still “inspect” by thumping the tires and looking at the lights, risking a miss of a critical problem. Fix what you find When you do find problems, make good decisions about what to do. Dropping a trailer with defects for the next person to deal with could put someone in danger later and doesn’t say much for the driver’s integrity. Ignoring problems on the tractor can be risky. Nobody wants their trip interrupted by a stop for repairs, but a delay might be preferable to a service call on the side of the road later.

What’s your type? Trucking offers variety of modes for transporting different cargoes

By Cliff Abbott -

What’s the next step in my life? Whether you’re thinking about your career, or your personal life, this could be considered the “eternal question.” It’s a question many professional drivers have hours to ponder as they pilot their vehicles for hours on end. To be sure, some drivers are content to remain in their current jobs until retirement (if they retire at all). They’ve worked hard to achieve the record they’ve built, and they take pride in their safety and longevity on the road. Other drivers, however, wonder what the next challenge will be. They’re always on the lookout for more skills to master. The good news is that there’s plenty of room in the trucking industry for both of these mindsets. Change of trailer + change of cargo = change of pace With a huge number of available driving opportunities, drivers can advance their careers while keeping the same basic job of relocating freight. The type of freight — and the equipment needed to haul it — can change from job to job. Drivers who are accustomed to dry van trailers, for example, might find hauling refrigerated freight to offer more challenges, both in terms of managing the cargoes and in pickup and delivery locations and processes. For others, flatbed trucking is a new challenge with its unique cargo, securement responsibilities, and pickup and delivery locations. Drivers who prefer visiting rural locations rather than urban facilities often find flatbed work more enjoyable. Flatbed hauling can be more physical work, too, as loads require securing and some cargoes require tarping for protection from the elements. Flatbed trailers come in a variety of configurations, too, from one-level to drop-deck, double-drop, lowboy and other shapes and sizes. Tanker work appeals to many drivers who like a challenge. Navigating a vehicle with high center of gravity, plus the way liquid cargoes can move, or “surge,” creates a different set of conditions than other forms of trucking. Many types of liquid and gaseous cargo are hazardous, requiring stricter credentials and more attention from the driver. On the other hand, loading and unloading tanker trailers can be faster and easier, depending on the cargo and location. Dry bulk tanks have their own characteristics, and some drivers prefer them to liquid tanks. Dump trailers, whether they’re conventional hydraulic lift, hopper bottom, walking floor or other type, provide a variety of opportunities. Some jobs involving dump trailers are local, providing more home time for drivers. Others cover great distances, and drivers spend as much time over the road as dry van drivers. Then, there are commercial vehicles that haul other vehicles. Auto hauling is a niche of trucking that some drivers prefer. There are additional responsibilities involved in loading, unloading and securing vehicle cargoes, and there will be lots of empty miles. Often, routes are regular and time at home can depend on the season and even the state of the economy. Heavy-haul trucking often involves specialized equipment and careful planning for weight and its distribution. Often, special permits are needed for each jurisdiction travelled and escorts, either private or law-enforcement, are required for some loads. To own or not to own (a truck, that is) Some drivers choose the independence of owning their own trucks, and there are different ways to go about it. The easiest way to gain ownership is probably a lease-purchase agreement with a carrier. Drivers benefit from lenient credit requirements and by purchasing equipment that is already set up for the carrier’s freight and system. Often, there is little or no down payment. The driver pays the carrier a specified amount per week or per month — and after an agreed-upon time period is met, the driver owns the truck. Another benefit of this type of arrangement is that the leases are often “walk-away.” If it turns out the driver doesn’t like the truck (or the job), the carrier still owns the truck, and the driver can go back to being a company driver or pursuing another type of work. There can be downsides to the lease-purchase arrangement, too, however. Less-scrupulous carriers may use these agreements as a way to profit more from the leasing of used equipment than they would get by trading it in or selling it outright. Drivers who drop out of the program don’t keep any equity in the truck, even if they’ve paid far more than the truck’s value on the market. Some carriers have been accused of deliberately reducing dispatched miles or imposing payment conditions drivers can’t meet in order to get their truck back to lease to another driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established a Truck Leasing Task Force that’s conducting a study of the practice and whether it is fair to participants. Of course, a driver can simply buy a truck (or two, or more) and become owner-operators. Most new-truck dealers also sell used equipment, and some dealers specialize in pre-owned units, offering financing at lower rates and even business courses for new owners. Companies that rent or lease trucks often also sell them. Penske and Ryder both have used equipment sales divisions. An advantage to purchasing a previously leased truck is that the vehicle has been maintained according to the leasing company’s standards and the maintenance history is usually available. Publications such as Commercial Truck Trader list thousands of tractors, trailers and smaller trucks. Drivers who are looking for a specific model or specifications may find the perfect vehicle here, as equipment is offered by all types of dealers and owners. Availability and types of financing and other considerations can vary between sellers, so it pays to do the research and ask questions. Start with a plan Before buying any truck through any means, however, the driver needs to have a plan of what to do with it. Leasing your truck to a carrier as an independent contractor (IC) is an option that allows the owner to benefit from the carrier’s ability to find freight, collect invoices, meet regulatory safety requirements and more. The most “independent” option is registering as a carrier with the FMCSA and developing a list of customers. This means taking on all the elements of a trucking business, and it should not be entered into without proper preparation. Finally, for those who desire to get out of the cab while remaining in trucking, there are positions in instructing, safety, operations and more available at carriers. Depending on the driver’s domicile, many carriers can benefit from the driver’s experience and knowledge of how things work on the road. And, of course, there’s another option — and one that I’ve discovered personally: Drivers who are good at storytelling and writing down their experiences could even find themselves writing for a respected trucking news outlet like The Trucker Media Group!

TCA Driver of the Year James White is a good neighbor both on and off the road

By Cliff Abbott -

  There’s no doubt about it: James White is a good neighbor. He can often be found around his Carthage, Texas, neighborhood, greeting neighbors, shopping for back-to-school items for local children or dropping some cash so teachers can supply their classrooms for the coming year. Local children know to watch for White’s 2020 Freightliner parked near the home he shares with Ruby, his wife. He’s famous for cooking on his trailer-mounted grill, and for hosting well-attended barbecues and serving up Texas-size feasts of brisket, turnip greens and sweet potatoes. He’s also an exceptional truck driver who was selected as one of the Truckload Carrier Association’s Professional Drivers of the Year for 2024. White received the award in March during the closing banquet of Truckload 2024, TCA’s annual convention held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “We had a great time, and they treated us so good. It was wonderful,” White said about the convention. During the awards presentation, he took the stage along with four other winners, shaking hands and posing for photographs. This was not the first time White has been honored for his work. He’s a member of P&S Transportation’s 2 Million Mile Safe Driver Club as well as the company’s Legends Club. He’s been the carrier’s Independent Contractor of the Month, and he was honored as the 2022 Independent Contractor of the Year. However, White is more concerned with helping others than with winning awards. In addition to the community cookouts he and Ruby host, he serves as a deacon and is a member of his local church’s financial committee, and he funds a student at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. When asked about his plans for the $20,000 award he received from TCA and sponsors Cummins and Love’s Travel Stops, he said, “I’m holding on to it for when I’m ready to retire.” Those who know him, however, can safely bet that some of that cash will be used to enrich someone else’s life. “I like to help people, because I know how it is to be poor,” he explained. “If there’s somebody in need, I try to help them.” White grew up in a small town in Louisiana, a place he still visits frequently. He also owns a small “farm” not far from his Texas home where, he says, he goes to hang out and listen to blues and old country music. Three decades ago, he was employed at a sawmill — but he kept seeing television commercials for Diesel Driving Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana. He had some experience operating heavy equipment, and decided it would be wise to learn another skill in case he ever needed a job. “I went to the truck driver school for four months to get my CDL — and 29 years later, here I am,” he told Truckload Authority. His first driving job was with Deaton Transport, which was soon acquired by Western Express. About that time, White says, Scott Smith and Robbie Pike founded P&S Transportation and leased on 20 owner-operators, White among them. “I’ve been knowing the owner for 28 years,” he said. “And I’ve been with the same driver manager for 27 or 28 years.” Stephanie Hampton, driver resource manager at P&S, describes White in glowing terms. “James White has had an immeasurable positive impact in trucking,” she said. “James is a remarkable driver — a skilled and seasoned professional, and a trustworthy source of guidance for new drivers. “But more than all this, James White is a friend to all, and he is the benchmark of excellent character,” she continued. In the past five years, White has put over half a million miles (529,000, to be exact) on his 2020 Freightliner, and he says the truck is still running strong. When asked what the future holds, White says he has no plans to stop driving any time soon. “Right now, I feel real good,” he said. “I just passed my DOT physical and everything is working good — and I still love what I do.” “He prioritizes safety with every decision he makes, and this has clearly taken him to the summit of his career,” Hampton shared. “We are honored and proud to know him and be a part of his exceptional career.” When he’s home, White, whose own children are grown, enjoys a special bond with the youngsters in his neighborhood. In fact, he’s been “adopted” by two young girls who were worried about him walking home alone. “I knew their grandmother. I was talking to her one day when it was getting dark,” he said. “They were riding their bicycles, and she called for them to come home.” When he got ready to leave, however, the girls begged to “walk James home.” After receiving permission, they walked their friend home — and he drove the children back home in his Freightliner. “We’ve been good friends ever since,” he said. “I love the kids, but when it comes time to go to bed, they gotta go back to their parents.” Whether he’s driving his trusty Freightliner, feeding the neighborhood or just hanging out and listening to music, James White displays his character in all that he does. This story originally appeared in the September/October 2024 edition of Truckload Authority, the official magazine of the Truckload Carriers Association.

NHTSA advisory committee disagrees on findings, efficacy of underride protection report

By Cliff Abbott -

Those who were expecting a resolution to the issue of side underride protection were disappointed in the June 18 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Advisory Committee on Underride Protection. While the report included recommendations to the NHTSA, it included a minority report that claimed those recommendations don’t meet the agency’s directive to the committee to provide “written consensus advice.” The result, unsurprisingly, is that more discussion will be needed. The creation of the ACUP began with the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022 and was made a part of the U.S. DOT’s 2022 National Roadway Safety Strategy. Selected for the 16-member committee were representatives from families of underride crash victims, truck safety organizations, motor vehicle crash investigators, law enforcement, labor organizations, motor vehicle engineers, the insurance industry, vehicle manufacturers and, finally, motor carriers. The mission The ACUP was charged with researching strategies to reduce the number of underride accidents and the fatalities and injuries that occur and then presenting their recommendations to the Department of Transportation. Underride crashes involving the front, rear and sides of tractors and trailers were considered separately. The recommendations The ACUP report recommended that all new trucks and trailers that have “open spaces” along the sides be equipped with side underride guards that can prevent passenger vehicles from going under at speeds up to 40 mph. Additionally, the committee recommended that all trucks and trailers manufactured after 1998 be retrofitted with the same type of guards. ACUP also presented a recommendation that a new cost-benefit analysis that includes pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, categories that were omitted from the previous study. For rear underride protection, ACUP recommended tougher standards for rear impact guards on new vehicles and retrofits for older ones, as well as stronger standards for conspicuity tape. The minority report The minority report issued concurrently disagreed with the findings of the majority, mostly on the basis of whether simple majority votes by the committee constituted a “consensus,” as required by NHTSA directive. Objections were raised about “preconceived biases” by some committee members, as well as claims that the committee ignored materials and technical presentations made by members. At the same time, the group asserts, materials that were not approved by the committee were included in the final report. The minority group advised that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation should commission “comprehensive, evidence-based studies to determine the scope of the underride problem, the ability to solve it and the costs of doing so” before developing recommendations. One of the concerns raised by the minority is the possibility of unforeseen consequences. Side underride guards would increase the dimensions of trailers and trucks, creating more surface that could be involved in collisions. Todd Spencer, president and CEO of Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) agreed in a letter to transportation committee members in both houses of Congress. “OOIDA has discussed operational challenges regarding rail crossings, loading docks, and low ground clearances with Congress, as well as equipment damage resulting from curbs, roundabouts, speed bumps, and other highway features. These are all discussed at length within ACUP’s minority report,” he said. Additional weight of side underride guards could result in structural damage to trailers and would impact load capacity, possibly resulting in more trucks needed. The reaction Dave Heller, senior vice president of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), weighed in on the topic. “Certainly, I believe if it moves forward at this point, it would be one of the most expensive rule makings to be bestowed upon the industry ever,” he said. “So, in saying that there are certainly needs, they need to handle this with ‘kid gloves’ and make sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed”. Hailey Betham, TCA’s manager of government affairs, agrees. “The trucking industry does adopt technologies of all kinds to increase safety on our nation’s highways. However, I think there are other technologies besides side underride guards that could have a greater impact,” she said. “We need more research and testing to see what the impact really is.” Weight is always a consideration when adding equipment to trucks or trailers and the ACUP minority mentioned their concern. “The weight would be an additional 800 pounds or so, and trucks are allowed to weigh no more than 80,000 pounds,” Betham said. “So, that does that mean that you have to haul less freight in order to use this technology?” Heller has another view of side underride guards. “I think it’s worth noting that side underride guards are not an ‘accident-prevention’ piece of technology, which is what industry is really interested in. We don’t want to justify the accidents we want to stop them from happening altogether,” he said. Clearly, the trucking industry has already absorbed substantially increased costs for technology to increase safety and efficiency. A large percentage of new trucks come equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure and collision-mitigation systems. Carriers have absorbed increased costs for emissions control, too, and are preparing for another substantial increase with 2027 model-year trucks. Whether the DOT or one of its sub-agencies will act on the recommendations of the ACUP remains to be seen. “I believe that there will be more discussion,” Heller said. “I think they constituted the committee for another year, which means the dialogue will be ongoing to make sure that this is entirely vetted to its utmost, and then go from there.” Until ACUP recommendations are formed into law, TCA plans to continue the conversation in Washington. “It’s certainly one of those situations that we will talk about on Capitol Hill,” Heller said. “We’ll be explaining what the underride world looks like and how new technology can supplant the discussions on side underride guards — if we go that route — but at the same time, we will not just accept flawed guidance under the auspices of underride or anything else.” The November elections may have an impact on the issue as well, as the makeup of Congress, as well as the occupant of the White House, will undoubtedly change. Whether those changes end up favorable to the ACUP majority recommendations or those of the minority group may be decided in precincts across the nation.

Sales of new Class 8 trucks remain strong but declines expected by year-end

By Cliff Abbott -

These are interesting times in the world of Class 8 truck sales. Inventory levels at dealers and body suppliers are up, and sales of New Class 8 trucks achieved their best month of the year so far in July. Build levels at the manufacturers are high, and the waiting period for new trucks grew shorter. At the same time, orders for new trucks fell sharply, expected for this time of year. The used Class 8 market is bursting at the seams with inventory, prices have dropped, and the available trucks are newer, too. However, truck loans are harder to come by. Financiers have tightened up lending requirements after experiencing a rash of defaults during the downturn in freight — and when loans are available, interest rates are higher. Trailer orders have slowed, too. That’s partially due to the season, but sales could also be impacted by financial factors. Publicly held carriers are reporting reduced income for the second quarter, and some companies may be choosing to put available cash towards pre-buying of tractors ahead of the planned changes for emissions standards set for 2027 by the Environmental Protection Agency. At least some of the blame for stagnant income levels is still aimed at private fleets. “Private fleets have taken around 6% market share from for-hire carriers since early 2023, leaving the for-hire market swimming in capacity despite rising freight volumes,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research. “For-hire carrier profitability remained at generationally low levels in Q2’24.” July stats In July, a total of 21,398 new Class 8 trucks were reported sold on the U.S. market, according to the latest data received from Wards Intelligence. That’s 18% higher than June sales of 18,134 and — for the first time this year — sales bested the same month of the previous year, by 1.8%. For the year to date, OEMs reported 134,965 new Class 8 trucks sold on the U.S. That’s down by nearly 22,000 trucks from the first seven months of 2023. Analysts have been predicting a slowdown in sales for the second half of 2024, but the market has been resilient so far. Part of the reason for that resiliency is undoubtedly sales to private fleets. Despite current low freight rates, private carriers that were badly burned by record-high spot freight rates in late 2021 and early 2022 are making sure their own fleets have the equipment to handle their product without relying on the spot market. Some are taking spot loads from the market, even at a loss, to keep those trucks busy. At while at the same time, they are now hauling the loads that were previously offered to brokers. As the freight market starts to recover, truck sales will eventually trend higher, especially as fleets pre-buy in anticipation of the 2027 model year EPA mandates on fuel economy and emissions, as noted previously. With the price of 2027 models expected to increase by $30,000 per truck or more, buyers will be clamoring for 2026 models to beat the increases. “We expect to see further reductions in backlogs once the final Class 8 market indicators are released later this month, as well as continued growth in an already-record level of inventory. The pressure on OEMs to reduce build rates continues to grow,” Dan Moyer, senior analyst, commercial vehicles at FTR Transportation Intelligence, said regarding the remainder of 2024. On the used Class 8 market, ACT Research reported that sales in July increased 38% over a slow June and were up 32% from July 2023 numbers. At the same time, the average price of used Class 8 units rose 3% from June but were still 20% under July 2023 sales figures. Average mileage increased slightly while the average age declined. At Commercial Truck Trader, the numbers were similar. A late July blog posting by Ryan Miller indicated the number of used commercial vehicles listed by the publication increased 37.2% from a year ago while the average price has fallen 20.3%. “With inventory levels at a six-year high and significant price drops across the board, savvy fleet owners are discovering that now is an exceptional time to invest in used trucks,” said Mac Molli at Jill Schmidt Public Relations, the firm representing Commercial Truck Trader. With profitability down and a waiting list for new equipment, shopping in the used market may be a favorable option for those who need equipment upgrades. In July, Freightliner led all OEMs reporting U.S. sales of 7,562 Class 8 trucks, up 24.5% from June and down just 0.6% from July 2023 sales. For the year-to-date, U.S. Class 8 sales have declined 19.9% compared with 14% average for all manufacturers. OEM performance for July Daimler-owned sibling Western Star is having a banner year, albeit on a different sales level. July sales of 885 Western Stars were 6.5% better than June’s 831 — but were 30% better than July 2023 sales of 681. Year to date, the company is the only manufacturer running ahead of last year’s pace, with 6,061 Class 8 trucks sold compared to 4,354 at the seven-month mark last year. That’s an increase of 39.2%. Navistar (International) sales declined sharply in July to 2,290 Class 8 trucks compared to 3,039 in June. Year to date sales of 13,518 represent a 39.1% decline from last year’s 22,184 in the first seven months. Volvo Truck’s 2,139 units sold in July bested June’s tally of 1,991 by 6.5% and July 2023 sales by 10%. Year to date, Volvo sales lag 8.9% behind last year’s pace — 14,082 compared to 15,541. Volvo sibling Mack Trucks has seen similar results. With sales of 1,480 Class 8 trucks in July, the company increased sales 8.7% over the 1,362 reported in June. Compared to July 2023, sales rose an even 10%, and the company’s year to date sales of 9,339 are 9.1% behind last year’s 10,278 for January-July. Peterbilt’s year-to-date sales of 22,163 are a miniscule 42 trucks ahead of last year’s 22,121. Sales of 3,534 in July bested June’s 3,298 by 7.3%. Sales for Paccar sibling Kenworth stood at 3,490, 15.3% better than June’s 3,026. Year to date, Kenworth’s 2,196 is 2.5% behind last year’s 21,745. Market shares in the U.S. look like this: Freightliner — 35.9%; Peterbilt — 16.4%; Kenworth — 15.7%; Volvo — 10.4%; International — 10%; Mack — 6.9%; and Western Star — 4.5%. The remaining two-tenths belong to Hino, which has sold 111 Class 8 trucks this year.

Analysts see small improvements in freight volumes, but rates may give way to turbulent times ahead

By Cliff Abbott -

Just when talk of an economic recession was beginning to fade, the stock market faltered: The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,000 points on Aug. 5, continuing a string of bad days. The bad news was predicated by a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report on Aug. 2 that showed fewer jobs added to the economy than had been expected, while the unemployment rate rose. Internationally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index experienced its worst decline in history as all major Asian and European markets fell drastically. Pundits rushed to explain the declines, with many claiming the losses were caused by fears of recession. J.P. Morgan bumped its predicted odds of a recession before the end of 2024 up to 35%. Indicators such as the Treasury Note yield curve and the Sahm Rule are signaling bad news. However, keep in mind that recession predictions are as varied as the economists and firms that make them, and no one can say with certainty what will happen to the global economy. In the meantime, the U.S. Federal Reserve is predicted to cut interest rates at each of its remaining three meetings for the year, according to some economists. Interest rate increases were implemented to slow inflation, while reductions have the opposite effect. With inflation slowing, the Federal Reserve will attempt to prevent a recession while keeping the inflation rate at a desirable 2%. Encouraging news on the freight front For the trucking industry, the freight recession has been of more concern — and there’s some good news on that front. The Motive Monthly Economic Report for August, written by Hamish Woodrow, head of strategic analytics, anticipates the trucking market will see positive growth by the end of November after nearly two years of contraction. At long last, the supply and demand balance the industry needs to begin the positive side of the freight cycle seems to be in sight. The Motive report cites strong consumer spending and increasing freight demand as two major reasons for the improvement. In June, Motive reported its Big Box Index, which tracks visits to the warehouses of the top 50 U.S. retailers, had risen 10.8% since May and was up 16% compared with last year’s index. All the data from July sales, such as Amazon’s Prime Day, hasn’t come in yet but is expected to push sales into record territory. More good news is that retailers are expanding inventories in anticipation of a strong holiday shopping season. Visits to grocery and superstore warehouses have risen above 2021 levels, with department store, apparel and electronics warehouse visits running 30% higher than 2023, according to the report. The nearshoring factor Then, there’s Mexico, which has surpassed Canada as the No. 1 importer of goods into the U.S. According to Motive, 675,000 trucks brought goods from Mexico to the U.S. in May alone, and those numbers are likely to continue increasing because of the “nearshoring” phenomenon. Computer-related machinery and electrical machinery are two commodities that are seeing growing production in Mexico. Imports from China have declined 19.9% from May 2022 and are expected to continue declining. After being burned by supply chain issues during the COVID years, manufacturers that have long depended on China for parts and components are diversifying their sources. Additionally, rising shipping costs from Asia to U.S. markets have prompted Asian manufacturers to invest in Mexico-based facilities where labor costs are also lower. Then there are tariffs, put in place for various reasons that might be reduced or avoided altogether by routing product through Mexico. More signs of optimism A survey of freight brokers conducted by Bloomberg and Truckstop.com showed that nearly half of brokers are optimistic that freight volumes will increase in the next three to six months. Over three quarters of respondents said they believe that freight rates have hit bottom and should begin rising soon. The Cass Transportation Indexes, which track freight volumes and expenditures through billing activity of Cass customers, showed positive movement as well. The Cass Freight Index for Shipments rose 3% in July from June results while the Index for Expenditures rose 0.7%. While both shipment numbers and expenditures were down from 2023 levels, both are expected to rise as market growth continues. According to the report, written by Tim Denoyer, ACT Research’s vice president and senior analyst, private fleet capacity additions have served to prolong the for-hire trucking downturn. Denoyer noted that publicly traded truckload fleets have reported operating 6.6% fewer tractors in the second quarter of 2024 compared to last year. Denoyer also mentioned the upcoming U.S. presidential election as a potential factor, with concerns over the global economy and interest rates factoring into truck buying decisions. The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Truck Tonnage Index, on a seasonally adjusted basis, rose by 0.3% in July, helping to offset a 1.8% June decline. The ATA Index, comprised from data submitted by its members, leans heavily to contract freight rather than spot freight markets. “While July wasn’t a strong month, we see continued evidence that the truck freight market is likely turning a corner, albeit slowly,” said Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. DAT Freight and Analytics reported July national average spot rates for dry van at $2.06 per mile, down slightly from June rates. Refrigerated rates also were down slightly, coming in at an average of 2.44 per mile. Flatbed rates saw the biggest decline from June’s average $2.51 per mile to July’s $2.47. Canadian rail stoppage One event that could very well send shock waves through the trucking industry is the work stoppage at Canada’s two largest railways, Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railways. For the first time, labor contracts at both railways expired at the same time at the end of 2023. The companies locked out workers when an agreement was not reached by the deadline of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Aug. 22. According to an Aug. 22 statement from Teamsters Canada, which represents about 10,000 engineers, conductors and yard workers at the two railroads and has threatened retaliatory strikes, the union “remains at the bargaining table with both companies.” The Canadian railroads haul wood and forestry products sold in the U.S., potash used for fertilizer, and grain shipments. The stoppage will undoubtedly have an impact on the U.S. economy as well, although some truckers may benefit from increased truck shipments.

After a stroke and crash, former trucker Lanny Weaver stays positive for his grandsons

By Cliff Abbott -

The thought that any mile you drive could be your last is sobering — but it’s a reality for anyone who earns a living at the wheel of a truck. For most of us, that last mile is likely to be far in the future. For Lanny Weaver, it became a painful reality one day in July 2016. On that fateful day, Weaver suffered a stroke while driving through Greenville County, South Carolina, pulling a hopper-bottom trailer for Leon Jones Feed and Grain, based in Hanceville, Alabama. Weaver still relives vivid details of the horrific accident that resulted. As he heard a call over the CB about an “asleep at the wheel” driver who had drifted into oncoming traffic, he told The Trucker that he couldn’t figure out why his truck kept pulling to the left and he couldn’t straighten it. His arms just wouldn’t respond. He recalls feeling like he was driving a bumper car as the truck repeatedly struck the guard rail. He remembers literally standing on the brake pedal, trying to make the rig stop. Then, finally, he remembers trying to walk around his truck, putting out reflective triangles to warn other motorists of the crash site, until he was finally stopped by emergency responders. They told him he’d had a stroke. Weaver was taken to a hospital, where treatment included brain surgery to investigate and repair the damage caused by the stroke. A tiny device called an endovascular coil was implanted to treat a cerebral aneurysm that may have been either the origin or a result of that stroke. Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, a driver who suffers a traumatic brain injury is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle. Back in 2009, a medical expert panel working with the FMCSA recommended that a driver be disqualified for one year after a stroke or the last stroke of a series. After that, the driver can be considered for requalification but must undergo a thorough evaluation of physical and mental function by a neurologist and then retake the on-road CDL skills evaluation. This is the process medical examiners are instructed to follow during DOT physical exams. Weaver remembers the realization that his driving career was over … at least temporarily. He returned to his home state of Oklahoma to heal from his injuries and go through the rehabilitation process. Then the terrible headaches started. Weaver went to a doctor near his Oklahoma home to find the cause. He was shocked to learn that the device that had been implanted in his head had come loose and was causing his headaches. He was informed that the hardware been recalled by the manufacturer nearly seven weeks before it was implanted. A devastated Weaver underwent a second surgical procedure, this time to remove the device. The rehabilitation — and the one-year wait to reapply for his CDL — started all over again. But the functionality he needed to pass a driving test and resume his trucking career never returned. Since the stroke, Weaver has supported himself on disability payments, which are are about half of what he earned as a professional driver. Weaver wasn’t always a truck driver. His interest in the industry was sparked after getting to know the truck drivers who made pickups and deliveries to his workplace. That workplace was a guard tower at an Oklahoma prison, where Weaver worked as a corrections officer. The tower was equipped with a CB radio, and part of his responsibility was to communicate with drivers as trucks arrived to deliver the sheet metal used to manufacture license plates in the prison factory. Drivers often commented on Weaver’s vantage point when they learned he was communicating from the guard tower. Weaver says he frequently joked with the drivers, claiming to see the color of their shirt, or how many fingers they had on the steering wheel — all through the scope of his rifle. After a decade of working in the prison system, he started thinking about getting paid to travel. He consulted a co-worker who managed the delivery trucks hauling furniture assembled by the inmates. From there, a friend who owned a small trucking business hooked Weaver up to haul grain trailers around Oklahoma. When that seasonal work slowed, he hired to haul automobiles from auction houses to the dealerships that purchased them. Weaver says he still misses the action of the prison yard at times — but not nearly as much as he misses hitting the road in his truck. To date, he has not regained all the functions he had prior to the stroke and accident. His quality of life has been severely impacted. His left side is still partially paralyzed. He’s unable to pick up and hold his two grandsons, or help coach the local T-ball teams as he did in the past. This causes a different kind of pain — this time, in his heart. When it became evident that his quality of life had been permanently impacted, Weaver told The Trucker that he started looking for legal counsel to determine what rights he has as a patient — and whether there was any possibility of receiving compensation for his disability. Starting in his home state of Oklahoma, he tried firm after firm in multiple states, hoping to find an attorney to take his case. Hearing of a firm in Oregon that had successfully litigated a similar case, he tried there. One after another, he says, law firms have declined to pursue the case. Each attorney has politely declined, claiming the details didn’t meet their criteria for pursuit, citing a statute of limitations, or simply being too far from the hospital where the device was implanted in South Carolina. Weaver says he can only speculate as to whether these are the true reasons his case has been declined. Perhaps, he ponders, the issue is determining whether his disabilities were caused by the initial device that was implanted after being recalled, or by the second surgery he underwent to remove the faulty device, or simply by the stroke itself or the accident that followed. Or maybe he just waited too long to initiate legal action. Whatever the reason, Weaver hopes that telling his story might prompt a letter or phone call that could help improve his life or restore his hope in the system. Or, at the very least, he says, he hopes his story might serve as a reminder to other drivers to enjoy every mile they have on the road — because you can’t know which mile will be the last. NOTE: Anyone wishing to contact Weaver can do so by contacting The Trucker at [email protected].

Fleet Focus: CVSA inspection events present learning opportunities for truck owners

By Cliff Abbott -

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducted the 2024 Operation Safe Driver Week July 7-13. The focus of this year’s event was reckless, careless or dangerous driving. The annual CVSA event is aimed at enforcement and education with a focus on sharing the roads safely. Unsafe driving behaviors by drivers of both passenger and commercial motor vehicles are targeted. The CVSA cited 42,795 fatal traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2022, the latest year that figures are available. There were another 15,979 reported fatal crashes in Mexico. Canada reported 1,768 in 2021. The results of the event won’t be released until September or so, but drivers and owners of commercial vehicles can learn from CVSA goals and results of past years. Truck owners who purchase their own liability insurance know that the cost is a major business expense. Accident claims only drive those costs higher and can be prohibitively high for a small carrier with large or numerous claims on their record. Results from 2023 Operation Safe Driver Week In the 2023 event, 2,634 tickets were issued to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and 1,860 to drivers of passenger vehicles. Speeding was a focus area of the week, and the distribution of citations was interesting. While truckers received 58.6% of the total citations issued, they received 35.3% of the tickets issued for speeding. The second-most tickets overall were written for “other state/local driver violations,” with the category being the number-one ticket getter for commercial vehicle drivers and the second-most for passenger vehicle drivers. The category includes such violations as no registration, no proof of insurance, size and weight violations, defective equipment and other violations inspectors might find after pulling a vehicle over. Failure to wear a seat belt As usual, a substantial number of drivers received warnings or citations for failure to wear a seat belt. 512 warnings and 553 tickets were issued, but the split says that too many truckers haven’t received the message. 455 warnings, 89% of the total, and 467 tickets, more than 84% of the total, went to commercial truck drivers. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that about 14% of truck drivers don’t wear their safety belt, nearly 50% of truckers killed in crashes weren’t buckled in. Truckers may have a reputation of being independent-minded people, but statistics that show that about one of every seven drivers don’t wear safety belts. That’s mind-boggling to some! No one plans an accident, of course, but it seems that the specter of bouncing around the cab like a BB in a rollover crash or being ejected in a direct collision would act as a deterrent to all but the most stubborn of people. Improper use of handheld devices One area that has seen some large swings in warning and citation numbers is the use of handheld devices. In the 2023 event, 243 warnings and 262 citations were handed out. Tickets were about evenly divided between commercial and passenger drivers, but about 65% of warnings went to truckers. The prior year looked much different. In the 2022 event there were 876 warnings. More than three-quarters of those went to drivers of passenger vehicles. The 496 tickets issued, however, were more evenly divided with commercial vehicle drivers receiving 48% and passenger vehicle drivers 52%. During the CVSA’s 2021 event, there were fewer warnings and more tickets. Of 917 tickets issued, 37.5% went to truckers. Differences may have been due to CVSA focus areas, local jurisdiction enforcement preferences or other reasons, but in the three years total warnings and tickets for handheld devices have dropped from 1,607 in 2021 to 505 in 2023. Perhaps that’s a result of education efforts or simply a difference in enforcement policy, but the fewer devices being used, the better. For owners of trucks and small fleets, and especially those who hire drivers for their equipment, Operation Safe Driver Week is a look into the overall behaviors of drivers on the highways. If, for example, the driver you hire is the one of seven who doesn’t wear a seat belt, an accident could be more costly to you if it occurs. One benefit of wearing a seat belt is keeping the driver in the seat after an impact, possibly eliminating a second or third impact. A driver knocked out of the seat controls nothing. Both drivers, motor carriers impacted by citations Even if there’s no accident, if the driver has violations for not using seat belts listed on the Pre-Employment Screening report or on the Motor Vehicle Report, your insurance rates could be raised and your CSA (compliance, safety and accountability) score could be impacted. Use of handheld devices has been compared with drunk driving in terms of what happens to a driver’s ability. At 70 mph, a five-second look to read a text message or social media post takes a vehicle nearly a tenth of a mile. Citations for use of handheld equipment are severe — and they should be. There are simply too many hands-free options, including Bluetooth headsets and dashboard “infotainment” screens for anyone to have a phone or tablet in hand while driving. Violations in a driver’s record for using a handheld device while driving are a large red flag, especially if there are multiple instances. It’s a good idea to ask a driver you are considering for hire how they will handle incoming phone calls or text messages. Equipment violations, especially warnings, may not show up on a driver’s MVR, but may appear on a PSP report. Repeated violations can be an indication of how well that driver will take care of your equipment. Unfortunately, some carriers take better care of tractors and trailers than others, and some violations may reflect lax inspection and maintenance schedules, but it’s always worth asking prospective drivers. Events like Operation Safe Driver Week, when combined with other CSVA operations like Operation Roadcheck, help provide a view into what’s happening on the road as well as opportunities to correct unsafe behaviors. Those who complain about those “four-wheelers” and the trouble they cause can be glad that they’re being watched, too. After all, everyone wins when safety happens.

History matters: Drivers with clean backgrounds are more likely to land the best jobs

By Cliff Abbott -

People can be particular about the items they buy and use. That trait extends to truckers, too. Some wear only the best in blue jeans or boots. Others carry the latest technology when it comes to smart phones or watches. Some consider their favorite brand of truck to be superior to others and won’t drive anything else. Many are just as discerning about the things they buy and use at home. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting only the best. When it comes to hiring or adding drivers, many carriers want the best, too. Federal regulations demand that background checks be performed on every driver. Considering the catastrophic impact of a “nuclear verdict,” the large cost of losing a lawsuit, carriers need to hire the best available drivers they can find. That’s why your background is so important. It’s also why it’s a mystery that so many drivers don’t work harder to make sure their industry history is as clean and credible as possible. After all, your background is the largest asset you have when you’re trying to get a new job or lease on to a carrier with a truck you’ve purchased. In the interest of full disclosure, the writer of this story (that’s me, The Trucker’s Cliff Abbott) has managed driver recruiting teams at several carriers. I’ve seen thousands of applications and reviewed so many MVRs (Motor Vehicle Reports), DAC (employment history) reports, PSPs (Pre-Employment Screenings) and a mountain of other documents. Maintain a clean driving record, and remember that inspections matter Let’s start with the driving record. I was always amazed at drivers who listed “zero” traffic citations on their application, only to act surprised when a recruiter informed them that we knew about the ones listed on their MVR — all six of them. Maybe they truly forgot about one or two of those citations, or perhaps they thought the date they received them was outside of the time limit specified on the application. After all, three years ago vs. a decade … who can remember? The Department of Motor Vehicles, that’s who. And employers have access to all of this information. Checking an applicant’s PSP report was usually interesting, too The PSP report lists mostly accident or inspection information for the past two to three years — but it also lists any citations issued, even if they were only a warning or the driver was acquitted in court. Sometimes the citations on the PSP showed up on the driver’s MVR, and sometimes not. For example, if the PSP has an entry of “speeding,” some carriers will treat the incident as an actual violation, while some won’t unless it also appears on the driver’s MVR. The PSP report also shows inspection results. While chafed air lines or inoperative lights aren’t counted as traffic tickets, the PSP can indicate patterns in a driver’s behavior. Multiple violations for the same issues can be a sign that a driver isn’t performing pre-trip inspections or doesn’t properly secure cargo. Poor performance in the past can trip you up, now and in the future The employment history report often reveals information the driver didn’t disclose. Many motor carriers subscribe to HireRight’s DAC report, but there are other companies that provide this information as well. Sometimes the carrier you’re applying with will reach out directly to your ex-employers, too. The information carriers will report about a previous employee’s history varies, with some providing a minimal amount of information — while others don’t hold back about “the good, the bad and the ugly” of a driver’s performance. For example, there are legitimate reasons a driver might not return a carrier’s truck to a company terminal when resigning. However, if eight different employers report that you quit while under dispatch and abandoned their truck, that’s a major red flag that most recruiters will notice. Another common issue is whether or not your work record with each employer is satisfactory and if you are eligible for rehire. Conflicts do happen, and not every job ends with good feelings on both sides. But if multiple carriers report that your employment was terminated and your work record unsatisfactory, there is cause for concern. With the creation of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, positive drug screens and refusals to test are much more difficult to conceal. If you answered the question, “Have you ever tested positive…” with a “no” — and then the prospective employers spots a positive result or a refusal to test on a Clearinghouse query, you can add “dishonest” to your reputation … and you won’t be hired. Your reputation is more than what you put on the application. You may not need a new job today, but tomorrow you might. Or you may want to purchase your own truck and lease it to a carrier. A background check will be done for that, too. The best practice is to keep your record as clean as possible. If you need to resign, don’t let your emotions dictate your actions. Even if you’re angry, leave as a professional. Take care of citations. Comply with physical exam requirements. Don’t do drugs. The first step in looking for a new job, before you fill out the first application, is to find out what’s already on your record. Find out how to order your MVR from the jurisdiction that issued your CDL, then order it. Know what’s in your reports and make sure your application information is accurate Order your PSP report. Obtain a copy of your HireRight DAC report. It’s free. Check with the Clearinghouse to make sure there’s no derogatory information in your file. If you find errors in ANY report, find out how to correct them. Since your employment history is stored and reported by a consumer reporting agency, they are bound by law to investigate anything in your record at your request, and they must include your rebuttal if the problem isn’t resolved. Finally, you’ll be miles ahead if you make sure the information you put on your job application matches your background records. Your employment history includes your dates of employment. Your MVR will include the dates of each citation, or show that you didn’t have any. Your PSP will show the carrier that employed you when your truck was inspected or in an accident, so make sure you list that carrier on the application. In an industry that averages more than a job per year per employee, changing jobs isn’t uncommon. It can be tough to remember who you worked for years ago and the dates you worked there. Traffic stops are forgotten and remembering if that speeding ticket was three years ago or five can be confusing. Checking your own background before you apply helps the recruiter see your efficiency and honesty.

CVSA promotes education, outreach and safe equipment during Brake Safety Week

By Cliff Abbott -

Brake safety week will be here before you know it! The Commercial Vehicle Training Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled this year’s event for Aug. 25-31. During this inspection blitz, safety checks — including a large number of Level IV inspections — will be conducted on large trucks and buses across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Brake Safety Week is one of two annual CVSA events that focus on commercial motor vehicles’ (CMVs) brake systems. Brake Safety Day (which is never announced in advance) was conducted on June 10 this year. During that event, inspectors placed 570 vehicles — that’s 11.8% of those inspected — out of service for critical inspection item violations. The most common violation was 20% or more of brake devices out of adjustment. An 18-wheeler has 10 wheel-ends, so it only takes two for an OOS condition. Other OOS violations included worn brake lines or hoses, air leaks, broken brake drums, defective low-air warning devices and more. Brake Safety Week, unlike the one-day surprise event, is announced early, giving truck owners, fleet managers and drivers plenty of time to prepare. This year’s focus areas are brake linings and pads During this year’s week-long brake safety event, inspectors will pay extra attention to brake linings and pads. Linings that show excessive wear or that are loose, broken or contaminated with a substance (such as oil from leaking wheel seals) will be cause for a vehicle being placed out of service (OOS). Although not an area of focus, inspectors will also measure brake adjustment and the make note of the condition of parts and air lines, too. In-cab checks may be conducted to determine the condition of low-air warnings and the operation of tractor and trailer protection valves. Some jurisdictions are equipped with performance-based brake testers, machines that measure the braking forces at each wheel end, for an axle or for the entire vehicle. While these devices can’t identify the particular brake part responsible for a problem, they can identify when brakes don’t have the stopping power to safely bring the vehicle to a halt. The condition of brake linings is an issue for some drivers Brake linings may be hidden by inspection plates and can be difficult for drivers to access. Many drivers don’t know how to measure push-rod travel, so they leave that task to the technicians in the maintenance department. When an automatic slack adjuster (the device that pushes the push rod) is out of adjustment, manufacturers advise against trying to adjust it. The correct action is to have it replaced, something drivers aren’t equipped to do on the road. In most applications, slack adjusters should appear to be at about the same angle, so if one adjuster stands out at a different angle than the rest, there may be a problem on that wheel end. Other brake components, however, aren’t difficult to inspect. Drivers can check air lines, including lines from tractor to trailer and those hanging under the trailer, for damage and leaks. In-cab checks for low air pressure warnings and protection valve operation should be performed regularly. With the truck turned off and the windows down, even small air leaks can be heard. It takes a little effort, but a good look under the truck to make sure everything is connected and nothing damaged should also be done regularly. If the steering pulls to one side or the other when brakes are applied, that’s an indication the brakes are out of adjustment on at least one wheel. That’s a dangerous condition, and an automatic OOS violation if found at an inspection. Pre-inspect your vehicle ahead of time It’s a good idea to have the brakes inspected shortly before the CVSA event (or whenever the driver isn’t sure they are in proper working condition). Some carriers routinely perform inspections when the truck is in the shop for maintenance, but some utilize vendor services while the truck is on the road. Carriers that utilize a lot of trailer pools to create drop-and-hook opportunities for drivers sometimes don’t get trailers in for proper inspection as often as necessary. That’s why pre-trip inspections by the driver are critical to keeping them in good condition. Unfortunately, the conditions at pickup aren’t always good for inspections. Finding and hooking up to a loaded trailer in a muddy lot at midnight is difficult enough. The trailer may need to be moved to a better location, and a flashlight will be needed. No matter the circumstance, hauling the trailer to your destination without inspecting isn’t an acceptable way to operate. What is the CVSA and what do they do? Drivers sometimes assume that the CVSA is a law-enforcement group that exists to make their jobs more difficult. This is not exactly the case. While law enforcement groups are a part of CVSA, so are manufacturers of vehicles and vehicle components, as well as carriers. The CVSA is a partnership of industry groups that conducts regular meetings to decide on inspection criteria and develop inspection procedures. Inspectors can’t simply decide they don’t like the way something looks; they must follow detailed guidance developed by CVSA. Check out these online resources The CVSA provides a great deal of information on its website, including downloadable guides for inspection types and procedures and guidance for drivers to pass inspections. For example, drivers can download a flyer with detailed information about checking brake shoes, pads, drums and rotors here. Another document that provides brake adjustment information can be viewed and downloaded here. A flyer explaining how the performance-based brake tester works can be found here. A large part of the CVSA’s mission is education and outreach. This includes educating drivers on how inspections are conducted and how to pass vehicle inspections. It also includes accumulating data that is used to help manufacturers make better products and carriers develop better maintenance and safety processes. It’s a team effort designed to keep everyone safer. Although being inspected by a uniformed law enforcement official can be inconvenient — and sometimes intimidating — it doesn’t have to be. Inspectors and drivers are both trying to do their part to save lives. Many inspectors are glad to explain what they are looking for and what constitutes a violation. Being impatient or confrontational only adds stress to everyone’s day. Take advantage of the information available and be prepared for Brake Safety Week — and every week.

Despite positive signs, freight rates remained stagnant in June

By Cliff Abbott -

Overcapacity continues to suppress the freight market, holding down rates — but are we nearing the long-awaited uptick in the cycle? Most of the analysts think so, but there’s little agreement on how soon it will happen. Despite the evidence that there are still too many trucks available to haul the freight being offered, new trucks are selling. “Class 8 tractor backlogs are thinning, but retail sales remain above replacement, more than two years after the spot market turned down,” said Tim Denoyer, vice president and senior analyst at ACT Research. Dean Croke, principal analyst for DAT IQ, had a slightly different view. “I’m seeing an exodus of capacity from the market,” Croke said. “New trucks are still selling, but much of the sales activity is from private fleets, including dedicated fleets at some carriers. Private fleets are a hedge against higher freight rates. Manufacturers that depended on the spot freight market to move their products were severely impacted by the record spot rates reached in the waning days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased shipping costs ate into corporate profits. In response, manufacturers increased the size of their private fleets so they could deliver more of their own product. In some cases, the costs associated with operating a private fleet exceed those of a for-hire carrier, especially when freight rates are so low. However, those costs are more acceptable when compared with market shipping expenses when rates are high. Larger private fleets harm the spot market in two ways. First, the freight that manufacturers used to send to the spot market is now being hauled on their own trucks. Second, some of those fleets look to increase the efficiency of their trucking operations by picking up backhauls from the spot market. Another reason new truck sales remain strong is the current equipment pre-buy. As the 2027 model-year approaches, more carriers are buying trucks now to avoid buying the 2027 models. The cost of a new Class 8 tractor is expected to rise $25,000-$30,000 due to the newer technology and government-mandated longer warranty periods. Buyers might be willing to spend more if they’re guaranteed that repairs made necessary by the new technology will be covered under warranty, but there’s still the issue of down time while waiting for those repairs. New trucks are expected to use larger amounts of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), which has been shown to leave deposits in the exhaust system. Cylinder deactivation may be used to increase fuel mileage. “I get nervous any time you talk about cylinder deactivation and DEF fluid,” Croke said. “I own a Caterpillar engine, and heat is a problem.” Whatever the reasons for buying, the more trucks that are sold, the longer freight rates will take to recover. The June Cass Freight Index for Shipments showed a decline of 1.8% from May levels, while expenditures for shipping dropped 3% for the same time period. Compared to June 2023, shipments were down 6% and expenditures down 9.4%. The Cass indexes are compiled using payment data from Cass customers. “Owner-operators ae as resilient as ever, but ongoing private fleet capacity additions are putting less freight into the for-hire market in a slowing economy,” explained ACT’s Tim Denoyer, who writes for the Cass index. Expectations in the Motive Monthly Economic Report were more positive. The software distributor compiles market information based on GPS and other data that tracks visits to warehouses of the top 50 U.S. retailers. Motive’s Big Box Retail Index jumped 10.8% over May and rose 16% over July 2023. “We’re seeing particularly strong momentum in brick-and-mortar retail as these stores anticipate a very strong summer peak season,” Hamish Woodrow, head of strategic analytics for Motive, wrote in the report. “For example, department stores, electronics, and apparel retailers with brick-and-mortar locations saw a 13.8% jump heading into July, representing a 33% YoY (year over year) climb.” The largest retail gains were in department stores, apparel and electronics and in home improvement, according to the Motive release. Woodrow summarizes the report by saying, “Rising trucking rates, trucking transportation job stability, and what we predict to be a very strong July across retail sales, especially brick and mortar, are all pointing to a rebounding freight market. We predict this momentum will continue through the summer.” As the 2024 holiday season approaches, analysts predict retailers will need to increase inventories in preparation. Doing so will be more expensive if freight rates rise before orders are placed. Other factors that could impact freight markets are delays in the Red Sea, potential labor troubles at East Coast and Gulf ports, and the predicted active hurricane season. Houthi rebels continue to harass shipping in the Red Sea, which is on the route to and from the Suez Canal. A disabled ship completely blocked the canal in 2021. Shippers concerned about potential loss due to rebel activity are re-routing ships, resulting in longer transit times. The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents 45,000 dockworkers at seaports from Maine to Texas, has threatened to strike if a new deal isn’t reached by the expiration of the current contract on September 30. A strike would cause major disruptions to trucking in and out of the ports, as well as down-line destinations served by rail. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic due to La Nina and warmer ocean temperatures. One major hurricane has already made its impact felt, reaching Category 5 status before weakening due to wind shear and striking the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane. The same storm made landfall near Matagorda, Texas and slowly weakened as it moved all the way to Ontario. The outer bands of the storm spawned tornadoes in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, New York and Ontario. Carriers that depend on the spot market for their revenue should pay close attention to rate fluctuations in different regions, as there may be opportunities to book higher rates when markets are impacted by outside forces. Overall, however, it will be more of the same as the trucking industry continues to wait for better days.

Hydrogen fuel is nearly ready to replace diesel, but supply infrastructure must be developed

By Cliff Abbott -

Electric vehicle technology continues to advance, and batteries are proving to be effective at powering the family car for a trip to work and back or a run to the supermarket. However, as trips get longer and the technology is applied to larger vehicles, such as Class 8 trucks that haul heavy cargo across the continent, batteries simply can’t get the job done. According to the Engine Technology Forum, the key to meeting clean air standards worldwide may well be the tried-and-true internal combustion engine (ICE). However, the fuels burned in those engines need to change — and hydrogen could prove to be the most viable solution. According to a whitepaper published by the Forum and written by Dr. Ameya Joshi vice president/product at ClearFlame Engine Technologies, hydrogen engines have numerous advantages over alternatives including no carbon or soot emissions, a simplified after-treatment system, less fuel weight than carrying batteries and a similar range as diesel or gasoline engines. Hydrogen also provides for faster refueling than battery charging. Use of hydrogen also does not depend upon the extraction of rare-earth elements that must be imported. “The key challenges for successful deployment of H2 engines are the availability of cheap, abundant fuel, infrastructure to support the transport and refueling, and the development of engine technology to meet tough pollutant standards,” Joshi said. A July 24 webinar sponsored by the Engine Technology Forum attracted attendees from Asia, Europe and North America as well as U.S. senators and congresspersons, numerous state agencies and representatives from universities, trade associations and the media. In addition to Joshi, the panel included representatives from Cummins, Tenneco, MobilityNotes, Johnson Matthey and more. Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Engine Technology Forum, moderated the event, during which the panel discussed advantages of using hydrogen to power vehicles — as well as the challenges involved. Cummins has been working on fuel agnostic engines for years and is heavily involved in developing hydrogen systems. Jim Nebergall, general manager of hydrogen engine business at Cummins, points out that “serious strategy in multiple energy sources will be required to truly decarbonize.” ICEs will be part of the solution to decarbonization, he says, but notes that there will not be one single solution. Hydrogen can be used to power both ICEs and electric fuel cells. According to Nebergall, the technology to use hydrogen to power long-haul vehicles can be ready for the mass market within a few years, but it all depends on the infrastructure being in place to produce, transport and store the needed hydrogen. That’s a problem. Hydrogen needs electricity to produce energy, either through heating water for steam for methane reforming or through electrolysis, which is simply passing an electrical current through water. When that electricity is produced by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas, “gray” hydrogen is the result. The emissions given off in the production stage of these products offset any advantage gained by burning the hydrogen. “Blue” hydrogen results from the same process, but carbon capture and storage methods reduce the overall emissions from production. To create “green” hydrogen, solar, wind or other renewable energy must be used. As of 2023, less than 1% of hydrogen production could be considered low-carbon. Additionally, there are different grades of hydrogen. In steam methane reforming, some carbon is present in the final product. This “commercial grade” hydrogen can be burned in engines but isn’t pure enough for use in fuel cells. Still, while battery electric technology is still evolving, ICEs have been around for over 100 years. Louise Arnold, global light-duty product line director for Johnson Matthey, has been working on emissions solutions for years. “Clean hydrogen — we see it playing a critical role in that low carbon future, particularly in those areas where it’s gonna be quite difficult to otherwise decarbonize,” she said. Arnold addressed the question of how hydrogen engines could be adopted quickly. “The other great thing about hydrogen is, it can almost be a drop-in for the current,” she explained. “It can be used in a very similar way that we currently use diesel. The great thing about a hydrogen combustion engine is that it can use any grade of hydrogen.” Johnson Matthey produces platinum type catalysts used in catalytic converters in automobiles and other applications. Arnold is helping develop aftertreatment systems for hydrogen engines. Dmitri Konson, vice president of engineering at Tenneco, explained why his company sees hydrogen as a part of future mobility. “We see it as the most pragmatic near-future step,” he said. “For a relatively modest incremental investment in technology, hydrogen can deliver a substantial reduction in CO2 and other pollutant emissions. It’s an affordable solution.” Schaeffer spoke about the availability of hydrogen as a fuel. “I think we all understand that there’s considerable development needed to expand the availability of hydrogen as a fuel,” he said. “The inflation Reduction Act provided about $8 billion in funding assistance to drive development of hydrogen hubs throughout the US. I think that’ll play a key role in making the availability to fuel, something that the internal combustion engine users can take advantage of.” If the hydrogen burned in ICEs isn’t pure, aftertreatments will be needed to cleanse pollutants from the exhaust. Although hydrogen contains no nitrogen, NOx will still be produced. That’s because the air used for combustion is about 78% nitrogen, which could be converted in the reaction. So, hydrogen ICE vehicles may still have some of the same emissions equipment that modern diesel engines are equipped with. While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) may prove to be an effective solution for medium-duty vehicles used locally or regionally, longer-range applications like commercial trucking will need a different power source if diesel fuel is to be phased out as a fuel. Natural gas has proven to be effective and can reduce emissions, but hydrogen gets the industry closer to zero emissions using technology that is mostly ready now. The supply issue is the problem with hydrogen. By the time the issue is solved, advancements in battery technology may outpace other solutions. Until then, hydrogen remains a potential replacement for diesel. In the meantime, emissions mandates from the Environmental Protection Agency continue to flummox many players in the trucking industry. Click here to read more from The Trucker about the advancement of hydrogen-powered trucks.

New Class 8 truck sales dropped sharply in June, but not enough to relieve overcapacity

By Cliff Abbott -

June U.S. sales of new Class 8 trucks fell 24.7% from the level seen in June 2023, according to data received from Wards Intelligence. Total reported sales of 18,134 trucks brought the year-to-date total to 113,567 trucks, 16.4% behind last year’s pace. The long-predicted sales decline is beginning to pick up steam and orders for new trucks are finally slowing as the wait for new equipment continues to decline. FTR Transportation Intelligence reported preliminary North American Class 8 net orders at 13,100 for June, the lowest month of the year so far. Previous months, however, have been higher than corresponding months last year, so the June decline won’t mean much unless following months are also low. Truck orders typically fall off in June anyway as some carriers choose to wait until orders for next year’s model are accepted by manufacturers, typically in August. At the same time that orders are falling, inventory levels that include trucks at dealerships, in transit and those at truck body manufacturers such as trash, dump, tank and so on, have risen to record levels. “On ACT’s calculated basis, the Class 8 inventory rose to an all-time high close to 92,500 units in June, versus the 85,400 units reported,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research. “Our calculated inventory surpasses August 2019 on the ‘we’ve got an inventory problem’ list.” High inventories may help hold down pricing for buyers, as dealers might be more willing to offer deals; however, the tightened credit market won’t help. Credit is harder to come by as creditors, still smarting from defaulted loans that occurred when record high freight rates crashed, have generally increased down payment amounts while toughening credit requirements. Buyers that are able to find financing are paying higher interest rates, too. So, what’s the good news? The good news is that slower sales of new trucks will help ease the industry’s overcapacity issue. As the number of trucks available to haul freight shrinks, competition among shippers looking for transportation for their products increases, driving freight rates higher. While better rates would certainly be attractive to truckers, it will take more months of reduced truck sales to see it happen. But there’s a catch. Some buying activity is attributed to “pre-buying” — stocking up on equipment to avoid the cost increases and potential maintenance issues expected for the 2027 model year when new EPA standards for mileage and emissions go into effect. While buying earlier model trucks may help carriers avoid cost issues, those new trucks also delay the return to a balanced freight market by adding to the current overcapacity issue. Freight rates won’t go up until truck numbers come down. Both ACT and FTR commented that sales of vocational trucks (those equipped with dump, trash, concrete and other body types) actually increased in June. Since those trucks won’t be running on the highways hauling OTR freight, that’s good for the capacity issue. On the used truck market, ACT Research reported a 2% decline in same-dealer sales from May and a 4% decline from June 2023. At the same time, the price of the average Class 8 used truck has declined by 20% in the past year; that same average truck Is also 3% younger and has 3% fewer miles. That’s good news for used truck buyers, if they can qualify for financing. “A lack of traction in freight and freight rate improvement, coupled with still-high interest rates, remains the largest hurdles to better used truck sales performance,” said Steve Tam, ACT’s vice president and senior analyst, pointing out that used truck sales are typically “lackluster” in July but tend to increase in August. What are the top sellers? Individual truck manufacturers — with one exception — are selling fewer trucks this year. That exception is Western Star. With reported sales of 5,176 trucks for the year, the company is 40.9% ahead of its pace last year. Freightliner, sibling builder to Western Star, isn’t doing as well on a percentage basis. The company has reported U.S. sales of 40,933 Class 8 trucks in 2024, down 22.7% from nearly 53,000 at the halfway point of last year. While Freightliner still holds a commanding lead with its 36% share of the new Class 8 market in the U.S., they’ve lost 2.9% of their market share so far this year. Navistar (International) has lost even more market share. At the mid-point of 2023, the company held 14.1% of the U.S. market for Class 8 trucks, falling to 14.0% at year end. As of June 2024, their share of the market has dropped to 9.9% as total Class 8 sales declined from 19,145 to 11,228 from mid-2023 to mid-2024. International sales have declined by 41.4% from last year’s level, the highest decline of any manufacturer. Kenworth and Peterbilt combined (PACCAR) are responsible for 32% of the new Class 8 market in the U.S. this year. Together they reported sales of 36,335 units, compared to Freightliner’s 40,933. Kenworth’s 17,706units are running 5.4% behind sales of last year (that’s still considerably better than the 16.4% decline of the industry as a whole). Peterbilt, on a percentage basis, is doing even better. Sales of 18,629 Petes are down just 0.9% from last year’s pace as the OEM has gained 2.6% of the market share. Both Volvo and Mack have experienced sales declines but both companies still managed to beat the industry average. Volvo sales of 11,943 are down 11.6% from the mid-point of 2023, but the company has increased its share of the U.S. Class 8 market by 0.6%. Mack sales of 7,859 are 11.8% behind last year’s mid-point but are still good for a 0.4% increase in share. Tiny OEM Hino, known mostly for Class 5-7 cabover straight trucks used for local deliveries, has increased sales of its Class 8 tractor to 93 units after reporting sales of just 7 last year. Since the Hino models are not sleeper equipped, they are mostly used for local and regional applications.

Want to own your own trucking business? Here’s what you should know

By Cliff Abbott -

Buying and operating their own truck is an option many commercial drivers take advantage of. Before taking the plunge and shelling out money on a tractor, however, there are several things to consider. There are multiple ways to obtain a truck and there are several options for how you’ll run it once you own it. One of the first choices you’ll need to make is whether your business will be completely on its own or you’ll enter an agreement as an independent contractor (IC). In a strange twist of words, you’ll be far more “independent” operating under your own authority than if you lease your truck as an IC. However, if you’re buying your first truck, It might be best to start with the structure of a large carrier. Carriers provide numerous services. There’s a management hierarchy of course, starting with the CEO or president and working down to individual fleet managers or dispatchers. If you decide to operate completely independently, you’ll be responsible for fulfilling the roles of all of these positions … and that’s only the beginning. A large carrier will have a sales department that keeps relationships going smoothly with existing customers while seeking out new ones. A customer service team works with customers to secure more loads and make sure everything is running smoothly. There’s a billing or collections team that sends out bills and collects payments, including someone to contact customers that don’t pay on time. Aso, an accounts payable department keeps the bills paid. A carrier’s safety department does a lot more than conduct meetings and discipline drivers who’ve made mistakes. They’ll make sure the carrier is in compliance with regulations and utilize technology and driver training to help keep accidents down and help the company secure the most favorable insurance rates. The team that registers trucks and obtains needed permits is usually attached to the safety department, but not always. Compliance with drug and alcohol testing requirements usually falls under safety as well. Don’t forget the maintenance division. They’ll work on trucks, deciding when to farm out work to vendors if projects are more than their technicians can handle. They’ll also keep a network of vendors for on-road repairs when necessary. Often, maintenance keeps track of fuel cards and develops a network of fueling locations. There’s also a driver recruiting department. Of course, if you’re driving your own truck you won’t need a recruiting department — but recruiting isn’t all they do. This team is generally responsible for checking the background of new driver applicants, making sure the files are complete for each one. And don’t forget human resources and benefits teams that make sure benefits are administered properly. Human resources is often involved in selecting the insurers that provide health, dental, vision and other coverages for employees. Once you purchase your own truck, you’ll be responsible for the tasks performed by all these departments. It takes a lot of work — and more importantly, it takes knowledge and experience to become good at all of them. After all, if you’re busy chasing down payment for a reluctant customer, setting up an account with a new one and verifying that you’re in compliance with drug and alcohol regulations, it can be difficult to work time into your schedule to actually pick up and deliver freight. That’s why some truck owners choose to enter into a lease agreement for their equipment. The lease agreement basically says that the carrier can use your truck to haul their freight, but you must provide a driver and take care of the costs of operating a trucking business, such as fuel and repairs. In return, the carrier supplies loads for which you are paid an agreed amount per mile or a percentage of load revenue. You’ll be gaining the benefit of the work of all those other departments — but keep in mind that the carrier shares the revenue earned with you. Being an IC does have its downside. One large drawback you’ll face as an IC is that you won’t be paid employee benefits like health insurance, retirement accounts and vacation or holiday pay. Since you’re working for your own company, you’ll be responsible for providing those benefits for yourself. Some ICs benefit from a spouse that earns those benefits at a job. Another drawback is that you’ll need to pay self-employment tax. Company employees benefit because the employer pays half of their Social Security and Medicare taxes. As an IC, however, you’ll pay both the employee and employer shares of this tax. Being an IC offers benefits, too. As an IC, you should have freedoms that employee drivers don’t have. You can choose the hours you work, the routes you take, fueling locations and more. You can even choose which loads to take and which to refuse, or what areas of the continent in which you want to run. A word of caution: Your relationship with the carrier is important. If you only take the best loads, or if you aren’t available when needed, your carrier may think you’re difficult to work with. When that happens, the loads you’re offered could change or be harder to come by at all. Think about the kind of service you want from businesses you might deal with, such as a plumber or maintenance shop. If your plumber isn’t available when needed, or doesn’t perform the work on schedule or presents a bill much higher than the original estimate, you might be tempted to use a different one next time. Think of the carrier to which you’re leased as your customer, and provide the level of service to them that you expect from others. Are you ready to take on the responsibilities? If you make the decision to obtain your own operating authority and manage your own business, you ARE a carrier. Many carriers have logistics departments; these are actually freight brokerages, so you can still run the carrier’s freight without a lease agreement. You can select one trusted broker to deal with or deal with a different one every day if you like. Even better, you can develop your own relationships with shippers and avoid brokered freight altogether. Running your own trucking company means different things to different owners. The more independence you seek, however, the more responsibility you’ll take on. Some owners have a spouse that takes care of the administrative work while they focus on the driving, while some do it all themselves. It’s not unusual for an owner to start a lease to a carrier and then obtain authority as they learn more about their business, and themselves.

Access to industry data and insights is key to success for business owners

By Cliff Abbott -

The trucking industry has experienced some wild fluctuations in the past four years. One of the most telling signs is the number of new carrier registrations reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As those of us who have been in the industry for a while know, freight spot rates reached record highs in early 2022 — only to fall to current lows that make profitable operation nearly impossible. When freight rates are high, running profitably is much easier. Because of this, the number of registered carriers leapt upward in 2022 as drivers bought trucks and registered for their own operating authority. In 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported 291,705 registered carriers. That number climbed 27.2% in 2021 as more than 79,000 new carriers were registered. The following year saw another increase that tapered off in the second half as another 21,021 carriers were registered. Predictably, as freight rates plummeted in 2022, authority revocations rose. The smaller increase in 2022 turned into a decline of 6.3% in 2023 as more than 24,600 carriers left the business. So far in 2024, another 7,500 carriers are gone as of the end of May, a further decrease of 2%. Knowledge is power. If you’re considering starting (or ending) your own trucking company, would this type of information help you make better decisions? While you can always turn to quality media outlets like The Trucker for information, the fact is that statistics like this are available to you any time. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website offers Analysis & Information Online. Scrolling down the page, you can select “Registration Statistics Custom Reports” and simply pick the parameters you want to look up. Many larger carriers use this type of information in planning their operating strategies for upcoming months and years. Some of those carriers also purchase subscriptions to reports from different analytical firms to get industry forecasts from some of the most knowledgeable people in the business. However, much of the information they receive is available to you, if you know where to look. Before you visit any website, however, here’s a tip: Look for the word “Blog.” Frequently, it’s found under the “Resources” tab. Many websites offer articles on all kinds of subjects related to your trucking business — at no charge. Some sites also offer free email subscriptions that can help keep you informed of news and upcoming changes. Where can I find this knowledge? There are many sources available to members of the trucking industry. For example, load boards often offer more than just loads. DAT Freight and Analytics runs the largest load board in the country; many small carriers use the board to obtain spot loads. But the company offers so much more information! An affordable subscription is required for some data, but the company publishes a weekly “Trendlines” report that highlights changes in freight rates, numbers of loads and trucks posted and more, with comparisons to the previous week, month and the same month of the prior year. National average spot rates are provided, and the data can be broken down by region. If you are a user of DAT’s load board, additional data is available to you, and you can access even more through subscription. DAT’s blog section has some great articles on starting and running a trucking business. Truckstop.com has an excellent array of information offerings that available with just a click — including their own blog section with an outstanding selection of articles on topics ranging from new rules and regulations to tried and true business principles. There are also webinars and podcasts available. ATBS offers tax and accounting services as well as trucking business consulting and more. Their “Knowledge Hub” is chock full of blog entries offering advice on a variety of industry issues, in addition to free tools for calculating your tax deductions and per diem, and even how to obtain your own authority. You’ll find educational videos and inexpensive materials and courses you can purchase. Larger carriers often use the services of industry forecasters to help them prepare for changes in the economy or the industry. These forecasters often publish blogs that contain information that could be valuable to your trucking business. The most detailed information is usually reserved for paid subscribers, but you can identify industry trends and potential problems with the free information provided. ACT Research publishes multiple blog postings each month dealing with truck and trailer sales statistics, freight rate trends and more. Like other providers of analytics, the most detailed information is reserved for subscribers, but a lot of information on trends in the industry is available for the reading. Cass Information Systems offers a variety of carrier services, but their free “Cass Transportation Indexes” provide a monthly overview of trucking industry trends. Each month, the Cass report compares shipment numbers and expenses with the prior month, a year ago and two years ago. The report offers freight expectations for the coming months as well. You can access the report from their website or sign up to have it emailed to you each month. FTR Transportation Intelligence is another such resource that teams with Truckstop.com to offer a complimentary weekly update on the spot freight market. A free email subscription is available, and a free weekly podcast updating multiple industry topics is also available on their website or through multiple music apps. The federal government also provides numerous resources. Federal agencies like the USDOT, FMCSA, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and more than 400 other agencies are required by law to post proposed policy changes, new rules and other information in the Federal Register. By clicking on “My FR,” you can sign up for a subscription that will provide you with a daily update of new items. You’ll be among the first to know about proposed rule changes or new regulations that impact your business. These resources and others are easily available online and most offer subscriptions that put their latest reports in your inbox as they are released. Managing your trucking business isn’t easy, but you don’t have to be a large carrier or have big carrier resources to stay informed. And, of course, us folks at The Trucker always do our best to keep you up to date on the latest industry news and information.

Group frustrated by FMCSA’s reluctance to allow hair testing results in Clearinghouse

By Cliff Abbott -

As pretty much anyone in the trucking industry would agree, it’s important to ensure commercial drivers are alert and prepared to react quickly to changing conditions. Keeping drivers with a record of operating under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances off the road is a logical precaution. The creation and implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse marked a major step forward in ensuring positive tests for controlled substances are recorded and available to carriers as a part of the background check on potential company drivers and independent contractors. In addition, the Clearinghouse provides regular updates that include nationwide statistics on drug and alcohol testing. As of March 2024, Clearinghouse statistics show that 239,929 drivers have at least one violation on their record. Out of those drivers, only 74,060 (30.9%) have completed the return-to-duty (RTD) process. In fact, the majority of those nearly 240,000 drivers — 126,000, or 52.5% — never even began the RTD process. Whether drivers placed out of service for substance violations complete the RTD process or choose to leave the industry, there’s little doubt that the Clearinghouse rules are helping get drug users out from behind the wheel of commercial vehicles. The statistics show the program is having an impact. Because of this proven success, members of the Trucking Alliance, a group of some of the largest and safest carriers in North America, say they’re frustrated with the government’s apparent unwillingness to consider a set of significant statistics submitted in a request to change the rules for controlled substance testing to allow testing of hair samples. The group, which represents carriers running more than 70,000 trucks, is pushing for the inclusion of hair testing as an approved method of FMCSA controlled substance testing and asking that results be included in the Clearinghouse. Trucking Alliance members have been utilizing hair testing, in addition to the approved urine testing, for pre-employment and random drug tests for years. In June 2023, the Alliance released a statement outlining statistics supporting the use of hair testing, as revealed by a study conducted at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). The study, which analyzed both urine and hair testing results from nearly 1 million commercial drivers taken between 2017 and 2022, showed that hair testing produced nine times as many positive results as urine testing. “I don’t see how anyone can reasonably argue with these drug test results, given the large disparity in positivity rates between hair and urine testing for every drug and a sample of almost 1 million drug tests,” said Dr. Doug Voss, one of the UCA researchers, in the release. “At some point it’s like arguing whether the sun will rise tomorrow.” The Alliance had used similar statistics in an application for an exemption to FMCSA regulations requiring urine testing, asking that they be allowed to use hair testing instead of urine for 50% of the tests, pointing to a higher accuracy rate and increased public safety. The FMCSA denied the group’s petition in December 2022. Among the reasons FMCSA cited for the rejection was that the agency had not received guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on a process for conducting hair testing. That guidance from HHS was mandated in the Fix America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed in December 2015. So, what’s the holdup? “The hair drug testing HHS guidelines were sent to the White House April 3, 2023. So, we’re a year, a year and a month with nothing,” said Rob Moseley, attorney for the Moseley Marcinak Law Group, which represents the Alliance. The group recently filed a petition to the HHS demanding that the agency issue long-overdue guidelines. “Every day we don’t do this is another day that we’re sticking our head in the sand while habitual lifestyle drug users are using drugs and driving trucks,” Moseley said. He points to the current administration’s support for unions as one possible reason the HHS hair testing guidelines have stalled. “I think it’s politics,” he said — but he’s not optimistic a change of White House occupants would make a difference. “Trump was anti-regulation, so I’m not sure that makes a (difference),” he said. Part of Moseley’s frustration is that hair testing is already making a positive difference for the carriers that are using the method. “They’re still doing the hair testing and using that data in their hiring decisions, but of course, there are roadblocks to sharing that information with other carriers or with anybody else for that matter,” he explained. Moseley notes that carriers don’t need regulatory approval to use hair testing — but it must be used in addition to Department of Transportation-controlled substance testing, not as a replacement. Alliance members “have to go through the double expense of doing both tests now,” he said. “They’ve made that decision that they’re gonna spend the money because of the safety benefits. But what’s going on is that (drivers with a positive hair-testing result are) just going down the road to get another job somewhere else, and nobody will ever know they failed a drug screen.” The latest petition, sent to HHS on April 22, 2024, points out that hair testing is more reliable than urinalysis because it captures a larger window of time for drug use. Generally, hair testing detects drug use within the past 90 days, where urinalysis can detect only a few days (or, for marijuana, weeks). The petition also points out that urine testing is often unobserved, making it easier for subjects to adulterate or substitute the sample submitted. Included in the petition was mention of a 2007 publication by the Government Accounting Office that studied 24 collection sites under DOT protocols and found that, at all 24 locations, undercover investigators were able to use false identification to be tested under another person’s name. The flip side, the petition states, is that 100% of hair specimen collections are observed, minimizing the potential for deception. Carriers may recall that oral fluid testing was approved by both HHS and DOT for controlled substance testing but was put on hold until two approved laboratories for specimen testing were identified. That hasn’t happened yet, either. In the meantime, thousands of positive hair sample drug tests are being ignored by FMCSA — while thousands more drug users remain behind the wheel due to an inefficient testing system, according to the Alliance. Moseley is waiting for the petition to be published in the Federal Register, opening up the possibility of public comment. “Those guidelines can be finalized,” he said. “That should clear the way for allowing the carriers to be able to do this to increase safety on the roads.”

Independent contractor classification still murky under new DOL rule

By Cliff Abbott -

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the state’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) into law September 18, 2019, the trucking industry was quick to voice its objections to the legislation’s criteria for classifying workers as employees versus independent contractors (ICs). The conversation quickly moved to the question of what such guidelines might mean if applied on a national level. An industry that depends on IC relationships, with some carriers using ICs for their entire driver base, is certain to be wary when the government attempts to force costly and confusing changes. That’s why the final rule on the Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in January 2024, brought a sigh of relief to many. The ruling instituted an “Economic Reality Test” similar to one outlined in a 2021 Trump administration rule rather than following California’s “ABC” test to determine whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an IC. That relief, however, may be temporary. Bill Webb, executive director for the Coalition for Independent Truckers, is skeptical. “To me, it’s just another one of those deaths by 1000 cuts for the independent contractor model,” he said. He believes this year’s November election will be crucial in retaining the current model. “(The DOL rule) does clearly change from a true AB5 model to something a little muddier, but I truly believe that we’re not going to see much until the presidential election is over,” he continued. “If Biden is reelected, then they will double down and probably begin to aggressively go after carriers based on this new rule.” According to Webb, the industry is in a “wait-and-see” mode, at least for now. “That doesn’t impact what’s going on at the state level,” he noted. “AB5 was a direct assault on the independent contractor model. Most state legislatures are doing it indirectly.” Jon Coca, president of Diamond Transportation, a 100% owner-operator carrier, also sees politics as a factor. “(Democrats) pick up the pressure and they try to reclassify Independent Contractors and employees, just like every time the red guys get in office,” Coca said. “Just part of the game, I guess.” When Truckload Authority visited with Coca, he had just returned from a lobbying trip to Washington. By the end of 2019 — the year California passed AB5— nine other states introduced similar legislation. A December 2023 article published by personnel management firm Wrapbook claims that 36 states are now using AB5’s “ABC Test” (or parts of it) to determine worker classification. But the issue goes beyond legislatures, Webb says. “When I ran the Texas Trucking Association, the Attorney General’s Office passed a rule — not even a law — that said if a truck driver is an independent contractor and is in default on a child support agreement, you have to withhold pay from him just like you do an employee,” he shared. “That’s just another line that’s cracking.” As Webb pointed out, any state or federal agency that has the authority can issue rules blurring the line between employee and IC status. “Sometimes they realize they’re doing it; sometimes they don’t,” he said. Whatever direction current classification rules are shifted after this year’s national elections, a carrier’s best protection is in the Independent Contractor Operating Agreement (ICOA). “As long as companies like us have valid Independent Contractor agreements in place, it’s the best bet to buoy their role in how we work together as business partners,” Coca explained. “I feel safe — but not safe.” For Coca, part of feeling “safe” is making sure the company’s ICOA is up to date with any new developments. “We get our Independent Contractor agreement fine-tuned every two years at a minimum, three years at maximum at the Scopelitis (Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary) firm,” he explained. “We feel pretty sound that they do a good job making sure that all of the issues are addressed.” Webb, on the other hand, maintains that the way carriers treat ICs has much to do with how drivers are classified. “It’s a little bit of a stretch, but I used to ask carriers, ‘Who does your lawn service? Do you make them put your logos on their mowers? Do you tell them what time they have to be there to do the lawn?’” he shared. Exclusivity is an issue often mentioned in classification cases. In both the ABC test and the Economic Reality test, the nature and degree of control of the IC is listed. If the ICOA specifies the IC is not allowed to haul loads from another carrier or a broker, a ruling might lean towards the status of employee. “Work that is continuous, does not have a fixed ending date or may be the worker’s only work relationship indicates employee status,” says an Employee Relationship Under the Fair Labor Standards Act fact sheet issue May 20, 2024. “The problem is, the rules now are being articulated in a way that is almost impossible for a motor carrier to operate and comply with,” Webb said. “You’ve got to do as many of the things right as you can.” Forced dispatch — or even the appearance of it — can indicate control leading to an employee classification. “Motor carriers have got to be smarter and get away from forced dispatch,” Webb said. “Many of them will tell you they’re not forced dispatch, but in practice, to some extent they wind up being so.” Coca says Diamond Transportation has a simple way to avoid this conundrum. “We just don’t do forced dispatch,” he said. “Our fleet managers are reaching out to just say, ‘Hey, this load game comes up after you’re done. What do you think?’” ICs make their own decisions about which loads they want to accept, Coca says. While ICs may not enjoy forced dispatch, they often chose to lease their equipment to a carrier because of the stability that comes from receiving regular loads from one source. “If you want to choose loads from different sources, just be truly independent and go through a broker,” Coca suggested. Doing so, however, requires the IC to obtain their own authority. “That’s basically what they’re leasing us for.” Unfortunately, the wishes of the IC is often lost in the classification dispute. “They lease on to a company because they want that company to be able to provide great for them,” Coca said. David Heller, senior vice president of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association, agrees. “Independent contractors are independent contractors because they want to be,” he noted. “And they’ve chosen this business model because it’s successful and works for them.” As the debate continues, the question of how much longer the IC business model will be around remains a prime concern. “I think we can all agree that this business model is under threat and that we as an industry need to try to preserve it,” Heller said. “There’s no doubt it’s a valuable model.”