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Yellow receives OK to sell its truck fleet

NEW YORK — A U.S. bankruptcy court has approved Yellow Corp’s request to sell its fleet of trucks by October while continuing to market their real estate assets. Those assets have already received a $1.525 million bid by Estes Express Lines. Yellow filed for bankruptcy in August after a labor dispute. The company owns around 12,000 trucks and 35,000 trailers, according to court documents. Yellow intends to conduct an auction for its vehicles by Oct 18 and seek court approval for the vehicle sale on Oct. 27. Yellow blamed its collapse on a labor dispute with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, and it terminated about 22,000 union-represented drivers when it went bankrupt. The union has said the Nashville, Tennessee-based company “mismanaged” its way to bankruptcy.

Diesel, gas prices pushing up nation’s inflation

WASHINGTON — Inflation jumped last month largely because of a spike in fuel prices but other costs rose more slowly, suggesting price pressures are easing at a gradual pace.  In a set of conflicting data released on Wednesday, Sept. 13, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 3.7% in August from a year ago, up from a 3.2% annual pace in July. Yet excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 4.3%, a step back from 4.7% in July and the smallest increase in nearly two years. That is still far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.  The big rise in gas and diesel prices accounted for more than half of the monthly inflation increase, the government said.  According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. sits at $4.540. That’s up from $4.492 on Sept. 4 and $4.475 on Aug. 28. Despite the seemingly divergent figures, the decline in the core measure points to inflation coming under control, but at a much more gradual pace than earlier this year. The Federal Reserve closely tracks core prices because they are seen as a better indicator of future inflation trends.  The Fed is widely expected to skip an interest rate hike at its meeting next week. Wednesday’s figures keep the prospect of another rate increase later this year on the table, however, perhaps at its November or December meetings, economists said, because core prices ticked up a bit faster in August than in July.  Wednesday’s report suggested that after inflation faded quickly over the spring and the summer, future declines will be much more gradual. Inflation dropped to 3% in June, down from a 9.1% peak in June 2022. Some of the forces that pulled down prices earlier this year — such as lower gas prices and improving supply chains, which reduced the cost of goods like furniture — have largely played out, economists say.  “We’re getting to the stage where we’ve basically had all the low hanging fruit in terms of disinflation,” said Blerina Uruci, an economist at T. Rowe Price. “The progress on core inflation over the coming months is going to be slow and it’s going to be uneven.”  On a monthly basis, consumer prices jumped 0.6% in August, the biggest increase in more than a year. Gas prices spiked nearly 11%, though they have since leveled off: According to AAA, the average nationwide price at the pump was $3.85 on Wednesday, unchanged from a month ago.  Excluding food and energy, core prices increased just 0.3% in August from July, though that is up from 0.2% in the two previous months.  Energy costs rose 5.6% just in August, the biggest monthly increase since June 2022. Auto insurance prices also soared, rising 2.4% last month and 19.1% compared with a year ago. The sharp increase in new car prices in the past two years has also made them more expensive to insure and repair.  Airfares soared 4.9% in August from July, though after two months of sharp declines. At the same time, used car costs dropped 1.2%, the third straight decrease, while hotel prices fell 3%, also the third consecutive fall.  Grocery prices moved up 0.2%, a trend that has strained many household’s finances. But food cost increases are cooling: They rose 3% compared with a year ago, down from double-digit increases last year.  Prices increase are slowing yet, as any American can attest, food, rent, automobiles, appliances, all cost considerably more than they did two years ago.  While filling up her car with gas Tuesday night in Falls Church, Virginia, Francesca, who declined to give her last name, said she still notices how much higher her grocery bill has gotten.  “We’re not buying crazy things, like caviar, just the basics,” she said, referring to her weekly food shopping. “And it’s like $150,” compared to a tab of closer to $100 before the pandemic.  Still, Federal Reserve officials are becoming more open to the idea that inflation is coming under control, though chair Jerome Powell warned last month it was still “too high.”  In his high-profile speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Powell said the Fed would proceed “carefully” with any further rate hikes, which many economists saw as an opening for the Fed to skip a rate increase at its September 19-20 meeting. When the Fed increases its key rate, it typically raises the cost of mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing.  The Fed has lifted its benchmark interest rate 11 times in the past 12 meetings to about 5.4%, the highest level in 22 years. It increased the rate a quarter-point in July after leaving it unchanged in June.  Lorie Logan, president of the Federal Reserve’s Dallas branch, said last week that “another skip could be appropriate” at its next meeting September 19-20, “but skipping does not imply stopping.”  Wall Street traders see only a 3% chance of a rate hike next week, according to CME’s FedWatch. But they have priced in a 40% chance for an increase at the Fed’s subsequent meeting in November.  Wednesday’s report shows prices are sticky enough “to have another rate hike this year,” said Tim Duy, chief U.S. economist at SGH Macro.  Duy said that the economy is expanding at a healthy pace, confounding long-standing fears that a recession is imminent. Americans boosted their spending at restaurants and retailers in July, and hiring has remained solid. Yet Duy added that one risk posed by the steady growth is that it could keep inflation pressures high. Companies are boosting pay to find and keep employees, which is great for workers, but can lead businesses to raise prices to offset the higher labor costs.  Strikes and labor disputes this year could lead to more healthy pay gains. The Teamsters won robust wage increases in recent negotiations with UPS, while American Airline pilots also secured higher pay in a new contract. The United Auto Workers is also seeking higher pay from the three major U.S. automakers.  The push for higher pay, however, comes after incomes for most Americans trailed inflation for much of the past two years. A report from the Census Bureau Tuesday showed that the inflation-adjusted income for a typical household dropped 2.3% last year. Economists expect workers to keep pushing to make up for lost ground.  The European Central Bank is also contemplating lifting its key interest rate at its next meeting Thursday, though officials could choose to also skip an increase. The European economy is nearing recession as it struggles with high inflation and rising borrowing costs.  The 20 countries that use the euro currency are expected to grow just 0.8% this year, according to a gloomy forecast issued Monday by the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm. Germany’s economy, the EU’s largest, is projected to shrink 0.4%. Inflation in the EU is higher than in the U.S. — it was 5.3% in July — though that is half of the 10.6% peak reached in October.  The Trucker Staff contributed to this report. 

More than $80 million in federal funds released to expand truck parking

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Sept. 13 announced more than $80 million in grant awards from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Much of the funding is earmarked for projects designed to expand truck parking facilities and help drivers quickly find available spaces. According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), this historic funding will help reduce the frequency and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roadways. The funds will support truck drivers by expanding access to truck parking, investing in critical technology, improving safety in work zones, rural areas and high crash corridors, and more. Grant recipients include states, local governments, non-profit organizations and academic institutions across the country. “We depend on truck drivers every day, and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.” The high-priority grants include a 65% increase in funding for truck parking projects over last year and enhance critical efforts to support truck drivers and improve safety such as: Expand access to truck parking by helping truck drivers locate available rest area truck parking spaces in real time via dynamic message signs along highways in Kentucky, Delaware and Indiana. Research to support automated, location-based driver alerts via electronic logging devices (ELDs) that inform drivers of upcoming work zones, improving safety for both the drivers and the workers. Enhancement of electronic screening technologies to detect vehicle violations (such as automated license plate readers, USDOT number readers, tire-monitoring systems and hazardous materials placard readers). Outreach and education to combat human trafficking, an effort in which truck drivers can play a key role because of their time and attention on the road. “President Biden’s historic investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps improve commercial motor vehicle safety on our roadways both at the national and local levels,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “Our grantees will dedicate these investments to innovative technology, research, and other projects that will positively impact CMV safety and move us towards the National Roadway Safety Strategy’s goal of zero deaths on our nation’s roadways.” This funding includes over $80 million invested in new truck parking spaces across the country: Caldwell County, Texas:A $22.9 million RAISE grant will be used to design and construct a truck parking plaza that improves safety and convenience for truck drivers. The plaza will include short- and long-term spaces with lighting, fencing, restroom and shower facilities, and 24-hour monitored security. Caldwell Parish, Louisiana:A $10.5 million RAISE grant will be used to buy land and build a truck parking facility near the port and a highway for 50 commercial trucks, 100 cars and EV charging stations that are designed to provide auxiliary power units to power a truck cab’s heating and cooling, without having to run the engine while also recharging trucks. There will also be a system to find parking spaces in real time. On Interstate 4 Between Tampa and Orlando, Florida:A $15 million INFRA grant is earmarked for a new truck parking facility that will include approximately 120 spaces, electric charging stations and pedestrian infrastructure to access nearby commercial amenities. Near Memphis, Tennessee:A $22 million INFRA grant will be used to add 125 truck parking spaces at a spot along Interstate 40, which is a critical freight corridor. The project will also upgrade adjacent bridge structures. All high-priority grant applications undergo a series of reviews before award selection. Click here for additional information about the discretionary application announcement, review and approval process.

Georgia governor declares ‘legal emergency,’ suspends state fuel taxes again

ATLANTA — Georgia’s governor is again suspending state taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, declaring a legal emergency over higher prices. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the executive order Sept. 12. The suspension of the taxes, at 31.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 35 cents per gallon of diesel fuel, began Sept. 13 and will continue through Oct. 12. Georgia’s government gave up an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue during an earlier suspension over 10 months from March 2022 to January 2023, about $170 million a month. Georgia can easily afford to forgo the cash, which is used mostly for roadbuilding. Not only is its rainy-day account full, but it has roughly $10 billion in additional surplus cash in state accounts. The state is also likely to run another multibillion-dollar surplus in the budget year that began July 1, unless revenues fall sharply. The move also lets Kemp shift the state’s political conversation, which has been consumed by a Fulton County grand jury’s indictment of former President Donald Trump and 18 others for attempting to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. Kemp has refused attempts to retaliate against the prosecutor in that case despite an outcry from the most pro-Trump elements of the Republican Party, underlining the divide between Kemp and those forces. The gas tax rebate lets Kemp instead pivot to talking about his tax cut efforts. He says they are an attempt to help Georgia residents fight inflation, even though most economists say putting more money into consumers’ pockets actually feeds higher prices. Overall, inflation has been easing in the United States in recent months. Inflation data in August showed that overall consumer prices rose 3.2% from a year earlier. That was up from a 3% annual rise in June, but far below last year’s peak of 9.1%. Kemp successfully campaigned on cuts to gas, income and property taxes in his 2022 reelection victory, contrasting himself with Democratic president Joe Biden. “From runaway federal spending to policies that hamstring domestic energy production, all Bidenomics has done is take more money out of the pockets of the middle class,” Kemp said in a Tuesday statement that accompanied the executive order declaring a state of emergency. “While high prices continue to hit family budgets, hardworking Georgians deserve real relief.” Kemp told state agencies they could propose more spending using Georgia’s surplus funds, but his actions of Sept. 12 show further tax cuts may be Kemp’s favored way to soak up the extra cash. It also shows the continuing political power of gas prices, even as Kemp plows effort and state incentives into recruiting electric vehicle makers to Georgia. President Joe Biden is delivering lower inflation, low unemployment and rising wages, said Ellie Schwartz, a spokesperson for the state Democratic Party. “While Kemp sits on a $5 billion budget surplus that he refuses to invest in our state, President Biden and Democrats are investing in Georgia by creating jobs, lowering costs, and building an economy that works for working families,” Schwartz said in a statement. Under state law, Kemp can keep suspending taxes as long as state lawmakers ratify the action when they next meet. The earlier suspension was originally passed by lawmakers, with Kemp extending it seven times as he campaigned against Democrat Stacey Abrams. State House Speaker Jon Burns supported the move, meaning Kemp is likely to have the legislative support he needs to affirm the tax break. Lawmakers are next scheduled to convene in January. “I applaud Gov. Kemp’s suspension of motor fuel taxes to keep our people and our economy moving despite Washington’s inaction on rising fuel prices,” Burns, a Republican from Newington, said in a Sept. 12 statement. The order suspends taxes on wholesalers and is likely to take a few days to trickle through to pump prices. On Sept. 12, Georgia drivers were paying an average $3.57 per gallon of unleaded gasoline, according to motorist group AAA. That was the 11th lowest among the states, and below the national average of $3.84. The average diesel price in Georgia was $4.35 a gallon. Gasoline prices in Georgia are higher than the $3.24 drivers were paying a year ago. Prices peaked at $4.50 a gallon in June 2022. Pump prices also include a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. Nationally, AAA said last week that gasoline prices were falling despite Saudi Arabia and Russia extending oil production cuts through the end of the year in a move that pushed up prices. By Jeff Amy, The Associated Press

ATA, USDOT promote funding for truck parking

SALEM, S.D. — The American Trucking Association’s (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear and Chairman Dan Van Alstine, along with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg, visited South Dakota on Sept. 12 to celebrate a new federal investment to expand truck parking capacity within the state. The new truck parking spaces, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be built along Interstate 90 in Salem, South Dakota, and will help to meet the critical need to improve truck driver safety and increase the efficiency of the nation’s supply chain. “We have stepped up our work on the truck parking coalition, and our efforts to encourage states and other decision-makers to make better use of infrastructure dollars to expand parking,” Buttigieg said, noting a USDOT partnership with stakeholders. “Know that you will continue to have a partner in the U.S. Department of Transportation. And I’m really glad that we’re able to be here to celebrate projects like this one, expanding truck parking nationwide.” The timing of the event, during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, was particularly appropriate, according to Spear. “There are countless ways to thank America’s hardworking truck drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, and today we are doing so by addressing a serious issue that consistently ranks as one of their highest concerns,” Spear said. “The funding being announced today will help to alleviate a shortage of truck driving spaces that too often puts drivers in a no-win situation,” he continued. “These projects being funded by the IIJA are an important step in the right direction, and we look forward to continuing to work with USDOT Secretary Buttigieg and FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson to solve this challenge together.” There is currently only one parking spot for every 11 truck drivers on the road today. Consequently: A U.S. Department of Transportation report found that 98% of drivers regularly experience problems finding safe parking. A staggering 70% of drivers have been forced to violate federal hours-of-service rules because of this common scenario. Truck drivers spend 56 minutes of available drive time per day looking for parking early rather than risking being unable to find parking down the road. With this challenge, the wasted time costs a truck driver, on average, about $5,500 in direct lost compensation, which equals a 12% cut in annual pay. “The shortage of truck parking capacity is, first and foremost, a critical safety issue for drivers, the motoring public, and law enforcement,” said Van Alstine, who is also COO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems. “The time that is wasted, and frustration and anxiety created, searching for safe parking, also leads to supply chain disruptions, reduces drivers’ compensation, and adds unnecessary congestion and emissions,” he added. “Secretary Buttigieg is the first USDOT Secretary to award grants for projects that add parking spots. We appreciate his focus on this issue, and we will continue to support bipartisan efforts in Congress to secure additional dedicated funding for truck parking.” Dean Kay, a driver for Ruan Transportation and captain of America’s Road Team, was also on hand at the event. “The severe lack of truck parking has an enormous impact on drivers nationwide,” Kay said. “It touches almost every aspect of our profession, from quality of life to compensation, but more than that, the lack of truck parking is fundamentally a safety issue. We appreciate Secretary Buttigieg’s commitment to improving the lives of professional drivers by making truck parking a priority.” The ATA strongly advocated for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has provided funding for hundreds of new truck parking spaces since its enactment in 2021. The USDOT provided guidance for states on eligibility requirements for funding truck parking projects under the law. ATA also endorsed the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which was introduced by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), as well as Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL) and Angie Craig (D-MM), which would authorize $755 million in competitive grant funding to expand commercial truck parking capacity across the U.S.

Labor Day week sees flatbed bolstering spot market rates

For the first time since March, broker-posted spot rates rose for a third straight week during the week ending Sept. 8, due in most part to uncharacteristic strength in rates for flatbed equipment, according to data from Truckstop and FTR Transportation Intelligence. Flatbed posted its strongest rate increase since early February while refrigerated rates were essentially flat and dry van rates ticked up only slightly. Load postings were down for all equipment types due to the Labor Day holiday, but truck postings fell more sharply. Total load activity fell 11.7% during Labor Day week for the largest decline since the week of Independence Day. Volume for Labor Day week was more than 15% below the same week last year, the least negative comparison since July 2022 and almost 21% below the five-year average for the week. Not surprisingly, volume was down in all regions week over week. Truck postings fell 16.1%, and the Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – rose to its highest level since the end of June. The total broker-posted rate rose just over 2 cents after rising by almost the same amount in the previous week. Rates were almost 12% below the same 2022 week — the least negative year over year comparison since October 2022 — and nearly 5% below the five-year average. Dry van spot rates ticked up a half-cent after rising more than 6 cents during the prior week. Rates were more than 9% below both the same week last year — the least negative year over year comparison since July 2022 — and nearly 10% below the five-year average. Dry van loads fell 9.5%. Volume was more than 6% below the same week of 2022 — the least negative year over year comparison since July of last year — and 13% below the five-year average. Refrigerated spot rates were practically unchanged, easing just a tenth of a cent after increasing for three straight weeks. Rates were more than 7% below the same week of 2022 and more than 5% below the five-year average. Refrigerated loads fell 9.9%. Volume was more than 16% below the same week last year and almost 21% below the five-year average for the week. Flatbed spot rates rose nearly 5 cents after ticking up three-tenths of a cent in the prior week. The back-to-back increases were the first since May. Rates were nearly 15% below the same 2022 week and nearly 3% below the five-year average. Flatbed loads fell 11%. Volume was about 20% below the same week last year and more than 32% below the five-year average for the week. Flatbed spot rates rose nearly 5 cents after ticking up three-tenths of a cent in the prior week. The back-to-back increases were the first since May. Rates were nearly 15% below the same 2022 week and nearly 3% below the five-year average. Flatbed loads fell 11%. Volume was about 20% below the same week last year and more than 32% below the five-year average for the week.

ATA kicks off 35th annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Washington — This week, Sept. 10-16, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) — and the entire trucking industry — give special recognition to the truck drivers who safely and professionally deliver America’s critical goods to communities from coast to coast. The theme for this year’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is “Miles of Gratitude.” “Truck drivers are the ones who move our country forward, and they deserve to be celebrated by their companies, customers, neighbors, families and friends,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of ATA. “America’s 3.5 million truckers drive hundreds of billions of miles each year,” he continued. “Every one of those miles represents a stocked store shelf, a package placed on a household doorstep, raw materials delivered to a manufacturer, and equipment conveyed to a construction site. Truck drivers have a vital role, and they fulfill that responsibility with professionalism and a commitment to safety. We invite all Americans to join us in thanking these hardworking men and women who supply our communities.” Now in its 35th year, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an opportunity for the trucking industry, the business community and the public to renew efforts to recognize professional truck drivers. Thousands of trucking companies, manufacturers, producers and industry suppliers will acknowledge the contributions of truck drivers this week by hosting cook outs, doing giveaways, honoring safety achievements, announcing new incentive programs, and inviting friends and family to participate in the festivities. Truck drivers deliver almost 11.5 billion tons of freight each year — about 70% of all the freight moved in the U.S. More than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on truck drivers to deliver their goods and commodities, including the most remote towns and territories that are unreachable by other modes of transportation. “Whether it is helping communities recover after a disaster, delivering essential supplies during the pandemic, or keeping store shelves stocked day-in and day-out, sacrifice and service is what our industry is all about,” said Dan Van Alstine, ATA chairman and president and COO of Ruan Transportation Management Systems. “Truckers are the unsung heroes of the supply chain, and they are committed to safety and professionalism,” he continued. “Food, clothing, furniture, medicine, gasoline — nearly everything that we use on a daily basis was transported at some point by a truck driver. Please join us in expressing ‘Miles of Gratitude’ to the millions of professionals who are always delivering for us.” Other ATA-led activities during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week include a tribute video that will play at more than a dozen sports stadiums, and a Hill Day for Members of Congress to tour Interstate One and learn about public policies that will support drivers. In addition, ATA and Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF) are placing print, radio, TV and billboard ads nationwide that will reach tens of millions of drivers who share the road with truckers. ATA staff members will also out gift baskets at truck stops.

Used equipment auction values dropping across US markets, report shows

LINCOLN, Neb. — According to the newest Sandhills Global market reports, continuing increases in inventory have resulted in decreased auction values across the heavy-duty truck, semitrailer, construction equipment and farm machinery categories in Sandhills marketplaces. These increases have led to decreased auction values and a wider spread between asking and auction values. “As we continue seeing inventory levels rise across our markets, a corresponding drop in auction values is to be expected,” said Mitch Helman, sales manager for Sandhills. “Asking values are dropping less quickly in some markets. The spread between asking and auction values is especially pronounced for medium-duty construction equipment, medium-duty truck, and high-horsepower tractors.” The key metric used in all of Sandhills’ market reports is the Sandhills Equipment Value Index (EVI). Buyers and sellers can use the information in the Sandhills EVI to monitor equipment markets and maximize returns on acquisition, liquidation, and related business decisions. The Sandhills EVI data include equipment available in auction and retail markets as well as model year equipment actively in use. Sandhills market reports highlight the most significant changes in Sandhills’ used heavy-duty truck, semitrailer, farm machinery, and construction equipment markets. Key points from the current reports for used heavy-duty trucks and used semitrailers are listed below. Full reports are available upon request. Used heavy-duty trucks U.S. inventory level increases paused in August for used heavy-duty trucks. However, an upward trend remains and is expected to continue. Asking and auction values maintained a downward trend that began in the second quarter of 2022, with sleeper trucks falling at a faster pace than day cabs in August. Asking values fell 3.72% month to month and 20.93% year over year following consecutive months of decreases. Auction values declined 2.43% month over month and 28.57% year over year, also following consecutive months of decreases. Used semitrailers Used semitrailer inventory levels were up 3.55% month over month and 59.96% year over year after several months of increases, with the dry van and reefer semitrailer categories leading the way. A downward trend continued for both asking and auction values, with dry van semitrailers exhibiting the most significant month over month value decreases in August. Asking values were up 0.05% month over month and down 23.41% year over year in August. Auction values fell 2.87% month over month and 27.22% year over year following months of decreases. For more information or to request detailed analysis from Sandhills Global, email marketreports@sandhills.com.

Biofuels could offer clean energy for trucking — but not yet

BENGALURU, India — India, the current president of the Group of 20 (G20) industrialized and developing nations, has proposed a global biofuel alliance that seeks to accelerate the development of sustainable biofuels to support the global energy transition. The alliance is likely to get an official announcement at the G20 summit that opens this week in New Delhi, and it’s expected that more than 15 countries will sign up to be part of the alliance. The U.S., Canada and Brazil are among a few of the countries expected to join India in such an alliance. What are biofuels? Any fuel produced from agricultural produce or organic waste is a biofuel. Humans have used biofuels since time immemorial — for example, burning wood and manure for cooking, heating and lighting. They’ve gained popularity in recent decades for their potential to deliver cleaner energy than some other sources. Biofuels are categorized based on their source, with each category known as a “generation.” First-generation biofuels are derived from food crops like corn and sugar cane, second generation from inedible vegetation and agricultural waste and third generation from algae. Popular types of biofuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and biogas can be produced from any of these sources and are classified based on the source from which they are produced. For example, ethanol produced from farm-grown corn is classified as first-generation ethanol. Are biofuels always a source of clean energy? Not always. It depends on how the biofuel is produced. A biofuel made from waste or inedible vegetation, with renewable energy to power the production, would have little or no greenhouse gas emissions, making it a clean fuel. But when crops are grown explicitly to produce biofuels — such as making ethanol from corn, soybeans, sugar cane or palm — all the fertilizers and fossil fuels needed to grow, cultivate and process the fuel give it a much larger carbon footprint. “If you look at the full life cycle of producing biofuels, it’s many times not clean,” said Lydia Powell, an energy policy analyst at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. Powell has followed developments related to biofuels for over two decades. The production of biofuels can also mean land that could have produced food is instead being used for energy. In addition, biofuels can add to the world’s deforestation when land is cleared for their production. Powell pointed to Europe’s imports of palm oil from Indonesia and other East Asian countries to make biodiesel for cars and trucks. Those imports dropped sharply after European Union regulations banned the sale of palm oil and other commodities when they could be linked to deforestation. “They were destroying natural forests to plant palm trees so you produce oil to export to Europe. When you destroy forests, you destroy large chunks of carbon sinks,” Powell said. Those issues have clouded the picture of exactly how sustainable biofuels are and led to skepticism of them as a clean energy option. What are biofuels used for? In addition to powering passenger vehicles for transport, biofuels are used in the freight industry, fueling big rigs, cargo planes and ocean freighters. Once biofuels are made, experts say, they offer advantages over pure fossil fuels by contributing little to no emissions at the tailpipe. The same can’t be said, however, of the gasoline and diesel with which the biofuels are blended. But there’s a hope that the biofuels might completely replace fossil fuels in the future in aviation and in certain kinds of ships. And if the biofuels were derived from organic waste and inedible crops grown on wasteland — not on land reserved for food production, or on deforested land — it would be cleaner. “They are one option among a larger set of solutions,” said Jane O’Malley of International Council on Clean Transportation, a Washington-based independent nonprofit. O’Malley, whose research includes fuel life cycles and exhaust emissions, said the key is to use the right kind of biofuel for the right purpose. O’Malley said it’s essential for countries using biofuels for transportation to move as quickly as possible to produce them with little or no emissions. Experts say biofuels can also contribute to employment and energy security, especially if the crops used to produce them are locally grown. By Sibi Arasu, The Associated Press

Industry experts share thoughts on trucking’s future at ACT seminar

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The transition to commercial electric vehicles  (EVs) “will take decades, not years. Infrastructure timing and costs are critical. Currently, there are 160,000 EV chargers in the U.S. We need 1.2 million by 2027.”  Rick Dauch, CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer Workhorse, offered these frank statements at ACT Research’s semi-annual seminar in August. He was joined by Rick Mullininx, president and COO at Great Dane, and John Diez, CFO at Ryder, among many others, who presented their insights and outlook on the industry. How is sustainability driving the trailer industry? “Government regulations, purely electric operations, e-axles on equipment and quieter vehicles,” Mullininx said. What does Diez see for the next 18 months for fleets? “We’ve been living at a level of uncertainty. Hopefully, rates will begin to stabilize. We will see weakening conditions in the freight market into the beginning of the year. As you’re looking to replenish your fleet, now is the time to do it.”  A favorite among guests was the dealer panel, featuring Laura Perrotta, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association (ATD), Jodie Teuton, co-founder and vice president of Kenworth of Louisiana, and Maria Sherwood, finance manager and CIC at Sherwood Trucks.  Regarding how truck dealerships are navigating the post-COVID environment, Teuton said, “We never stopped working. There were no days we were closed. The positive part of COVID is that it elevated the industry. I would like to see that momentum continue. It made us understand how important we are. We’re now able to expand our ways to engage with customers, and that’s a good thing.”  Perrotta added, “Working with Capitol Hill, and from an advocacy perspective, it was more challenging. It’s nice to see things going back to normal.”  Are fleets concerned for the future?  According to Teuton, “Rising interest rates and insurance are always struggles. Increased truck costs and labor costs. Those things are a concern. But we go to work every day, and that will never change. We manage those challenges. From a dealer perspective, we have to educate our customers about what we see coming. Truck dealers are always consultants.”  Sherwood added, “We’re predicting stuff even more than we used to because we’re on allocation. With inventory backlogs and a slower supply chain, it’s very predictive for us. Our customers have been trained in the last three years to evaluate their business and be realistic about it.” 

Average US diesel prices rise for 8th straight week

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It’s becoming a broken record. Diesel prices are up once again. But for drivers like Darryl Sims, even a few cents a gallon matters. “It can mean the difference in a good day and a bad day financially,” he said. Sims hauls logs all across Arkansas and said his bank account doesn’t have “any wiggle room.” According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel sits at $4.492 as of Sept. 4. That’s up from $4.475 on Aug. 28 and $4.389 on Aug. 21. Prices did see declines in three areas of the country, however. Along the East Coast, prices dropped from $4.475 on Aug. 28 to $4.474 on Sept. 4. In the Lower Atlantic region, prices dropped from $4.429 on Aug. 28 to $4.419 on Sept. 4. And in the Midwest, prices sank from $4.385 on Aug. 28 to $4.383 on Sept. 4. Average diesel prices in Arkansas have seen a steady rise over the past month — from $3.91 to $4.11 currently, according to AAA. “It’s just up, up, up,” Sims said. “Somebody’s making money off of it but is sure ain’t me.”  

Werner hit with $36M settlement in disability discrimination suit

ST. LOUIS — An eight-person jury in Omaha, Nebraska, returned a verdict of $36,075,000 in favor of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on disability discrimination claims against Drivers Management LLC and Werner Enterprises Inc., the federal agency announced on Friday, Sept. 1. The jury awarded Victor Robinson $75,000 in compensatory damage and $36 million in punitive damages after deliberating for less than two hours following a four-day trial, finding that Drivers Management and Werner’s conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to a news release. “Victor Robinson had the courage to step forward and say what happened to him was wrong,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “The jury agreed, and their substantial verdict sends a clear message to employers everywhere that our nation will not tolerate disability discrimination,” The jury found that the truckload carriers failed to hire and failed to accommodate Robinson, who is deaf, for a truck driving job in 2016. The EEOC presented evidence that Robinson applied to work at Werner after completing training at Roadmaster, a Werner-owned truck driving school, and obtaining his commercial driver’s license, the news release noted. Robinson also obtained from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) an exemption from the hearing regulation for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle. After he applied, Werner’s vice president of safety told Robinson that the company would not hire him because he could not hear. The vice president of safety testified at trial that Werner continues to deny employment opportunities to new deaf drivers, according to the news release. “The jury heard the evidence and called Werner’s conduct what it was — unacceptable,” said Andrea G. Baran, regional attorney for EEOC’s St. Louis District.  “Like everyone else, Deaf people deserve a fair chance to make a living and to support themselves and their families,” added St. Louis District Director David Davis. According to its website, Werner maintains offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Australia and is among the five largest truckload carriers in the United States. Its wholly-owned subsidiary company, Drivers Management, employs, trains and manages drivers. “Werner’s refusal to acknowledge Mr. Robinson’s abilities hurt not only him, but the entire deaf community,” said EEOC’s trial team, supervisory trial attorney Joshua M. Pierson and trial attorneys Meredith S. Berwick and Lauren Wilson. “As this verdict demonstrates, companies like Werner that deny reasonable accommodations to drivers with disabilities do so at their peril.” The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska (EEOC v. Drivers Management, LLC and Werner Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 8:18-cv-00462) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC’s St. Louis District Office oversees Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and a portion of southern Illinois.

From strikes to new union contracts, Labor Day’s organizing roots are especially strong this year

NEW YORK  — Labor Day is right around the corner, along with the big sales and barbecues that come with it. But the activist roots of the holiday are especially visible this year as unions challenge how workers are treated — from the trucking industry to the auto production lines of Detroit. The early-September tribute to workers has been an official holiday for almost 130 years — but an emboldened labor movement has created an environment closer to the era from which Labor Day was born. Like the late 1800s, workers are facing rapid economic transformation — and a growing gap in pay between themselves and new billionaire leaders of industry, mirroring the stark inequalities seen more than a century ago. “There’s a lot of historical rhyming between the period of the origins of Labor Day and today,” Todd Vachon, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, told The Associated Press. “Then, they had the Carnegies and the Rockefellers. Today, we have the Musks and the Bezoses. … It’s a similar period of transition and change and also of resistance — of working people wanting to have some kind of dignity.” Between writers and actors on strike, contentious contract negotiations that led up to a new labor deal for 340,000 unionized UPS workers and active picket lines across multiple industries, the labor in Labor Day is again at the forefront of the holiday arguably more than it has been in recent memory. Here are some things to know about Labor Day this year. WHEN WAS THE FIRST LABOR DAY OBSERVED? The origins of Labor Day date back to the late 19th century, when activists first sought to establish a day that would pay tribute to workers. The first U.S. Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882. Some 10,000 workers marched in a parade organized by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. A handful of cities and states began to adopt laws recognizing Labor Day in the years that followed, yet it took more than a decade before President Grover Cleveland signed a congressional act in 1894 establishing the first Monday of September as a legal holiday. Canada’s Labour Day became official that same year, more than two decades after trade unions were legalized in the country. The national holidays were established during a period of pivotal actions by organized labor. In the U.S., Vachon points to the Pullman Railroad Strike that began in May 1894, which effectively shut down rail traffic in much of the country. “The federal government intervened to break the strike in a very violent way — that left more than a dozen workers dead,” Vachon says. Cleveland soon made Labor Day a national holiday in an attempt “to repair the trust of the workers.” A broader push from organized labor had been in the works for some time. Workers demanded an 8-hour workday in 1886 during the deadly Haymarket Affair in Chicago, notes George Villanueva, an associate professor of communication and journalism at Texas A&M University. In commemoration of that clash, May Day was established as a larger international holiday, he said. Part of the impetus in the U.S. to create a separate federal holiday was to shift attention away from May Day — which had been more closely linked with socialist and radical labor movements in other countries, Vachon said. HOW HAS LABOR DAY EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS? The meaning of Labor Day has changed a lot since that first parade in New York City. It’s become a long weekend for millions that come with big sales, end-of-summer celebrations and, of course, a last chance to dress in white fashionably. Whether celebrations remain faithful to the holiday’s origins depends where you live New York and Chicago, for example, hold parades for thousands of workers and their unions. Such festivities aren’t practiced as much in regions where unionization has historically been eroded, Vachon said, or didn’t take a strong hold in the first place. When Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, unions in the U.S. were largely contested and courts would often rule strikes illegal, Vachon said, leading to violent disputes. It wasn’t until the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 that private sector employees were granted the right to join unions. Later into the 20th century, states also began passing legislation to allow unionization in the public sector — but even today, not all states allow collective bargaining for public workers. Rates of organized labor have been on the decline nationally for decades. More than 35% of private sector workers had a union in 1953 compared with about 6% today. Political leanings in different regions has also played a big roll, with blue states tending to have higher unionization rates. Hawaii and New York had the highest rates of union membership in 2022, respectively, followed by Washington, California and Rhode Island, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nationwide, the number of both public and private sector workers belonging to unions actually grew by 273,000 thousand last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found. But the total workforce increased at an even faster rate — meaning the total percentage of those belonging to unions has fallen slightly. WHAT LABOR ACTIONS ARE WE SEEING THIS YEAR? Despite this percentage dip, a reinvigorated labor movement is back in the national spotlight. In Hollywood, screenwriters have been on strike for nearly four months — surpassing a 100-day work stoppage that ground many productions to a halt in 2007-2008. Negotiations are set to resume Friday. Actors joined the picket lines in July — as both unions seek better compensation and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. Unionized workers at UPS threatened a mass walkout before approving a new contract last month that includes increased pay and safety protections for workers. A strike at UPS would have disrupted the supply chain nationwide. Last month, auto workers also overwhelmingly voted to give union leaders the authority to call strikes against Detroit car companies if a contract agreement isn’t reached by the Sept. 14 deadline. And flight attendants at American Airlines also voted to authorize a strike this week. “I think there’s going to be definitely more attention given to labor this Labor Day than there may have been in many recent years,” Vachon said. Organizing around labor rights has “come back into the national attention. … And (workers) are standing up and fighting for it.”

Cargo thefts at ‘unprecedented’ levels, security agency says

JERSEY CITY, N.J. —  CargoNet officials say theft reports have reached the second-highest levels of the year and that all supply chain professionals should be concerned with theft risk. “The unprecedented crime wave affecting over-the-road freight transportation in the continental U.S. shows no signs of slowing down,” a CargoNet news release stated. CargoNet noted that attacks target a wide variety of goods from every state in the continental U.S., but attackers have shown a preference for stealing truckload shipments of solar panels, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, motor oil and consumer electronics. According to the news release, attacks can be mitigated with enhanced security protocols. Shippers should consider recording information about the motor carrier, driver and vehicles used to pick up a shipment for investigative follow-up in case a shipment is stolen. Logistics brokers should build sophisticated compliance programs to detect motor carrier identity theft, especially if a commodity has been frequently targeted. To help members of the supply chain mitigate risk, CargoNet examined theft trends around the past five Labor Day holidays, from 2018 to 2022. In total, CargoNet recorded 156 theft events, with an average cargo value of $151,726 per event. Theft was highest in 2022, with 44 events, according to CargoNet. Cargo thieves generally prefer to steal valuable shipments of televisions, computers and major appliances. Thefts are most common near major supply chain hubs in Southern California; the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area; Chicago; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta. There were no fictitious pickups reported in five-year analysis period CargoNet says — but even so, these kinds of thefts are the main threat professionals should look out for this year. CargoNet warns of increased targeting of shipments of building materials such as shingles, lumber and power tools in response to extreme weather events in the Southeast. Shipment misdirection schemes, a kind of fictitious pickup, remain the most pervasive threat to domestic OTR freight transportation during the Labor Day weekend period. CargoNet has recorded more than 600 shipment misdirection attacks or attempts since November 2022. In these schemes, attackers impersonate a motor carrier to gain authorization to transport a shipment. They then hire a motor carrier to deliver the shipment to a location to which the attackers have access so they can steal the shipment. Attackers often impersonate two or three different companies to disguise their identities and deceive victims. Noteworthy thefts from previous Labor Day holidays include: $1,088,983 in seafood stolen from Sioux City, Iowa. $800,000 in footwear stolen from Memphis, Tennessee. $713,000 in apparel and accessories stolen from Eastvale, California. $417,206 in computer electronics stolen from Ontario, California. $400,000 in vodka stolen from Jacksonville, Florida. The Labor Day holiday analysis period consists of the Thursday before Labor Day to the Wednesday after Labor Day, this year, Aug. 31-Sept. 6.  

Relief efforts underway in wake of Idalia

PERRY, Fla. — Tropical Storm Idalia descended on the Carolinas on its way out to the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, Aug. 31, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction throughout the Southeast that stretched back to its landfall as a hurricane in Florida. Multiple states have issued waivers for commercial motor vehicles’ hours of service and other regulations, including Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, if those vehicles and their drivers are directly helping with storm relief efforts. Entities such as Feeding South Florida are also mobilizing, with convoys of 18-wheelers full of food heading into the worst-hit areas. Additionally, the American Logistics Aid Network has mobilized its Supply Chain Intelligence Center, which helps advise those who want to help how to. Rescue and repair efforts continued in the areas the storm passed Wednesday and there was no immediate word on the toll from the ferocious winds and inundating waters, but authorities counted at least one death. The storm left as many as a half-million customers without power in Florida and other states at one point as it ripped down power poles and lines. Still, it was far less destructive than feared, providing only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas as it came ashore with 125 mph winds in rural Florida. The weakening storm still packed winds of up to 60 mph as it reached coastal North Carolina on Thursday morning. Tropical storm-force winds were extending outward up to 185 miles. Idalia was expected to travel just off the North Carolina coast Thursday without losing much of its strength and gradually weaken as it rolls off into the ocean through the weekend. Swells were expected to affect the southeastern coast, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions into the Labor Day weekend. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who declared a statewide emergency earlier this week as Idalia approached, had warned residents in coastal and eastern inland counties to prepare for heavy rainfall and localized flooding and urged them to stay off roads covered by water. In South Carolina, the storm coupled with king tides to send seawater flowing over sand dunes and spilling onto beachfront streets. In Charleston, a surge from Idalia topped the seawall that protects the downtown, sending ankle-deep ocean water into the streets and neighborhoods where horse-drawn carriages pass million-dollar homes and the famous open-air market. Preliminary data showed the Wednesday evening high tide reached just over 9.2 feet (2.8 meters), more than 3 feet (0.9 meters) above normal and the fifth-highest reading in Charleston Harbor since records were first kept in 1899. Bands from Idalia also brought short-lived tornadoes. One flipped a car in suburban Goose Creek, South Carolina, causing minor injuries, authorities said. No major damage was reported. After traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, Idalia came ashore Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach, pummeling Florida’s remote and lightly populated Big Bend region with powerful winds. The area, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula, saw streets turned into rivers that submerged cars and homes, while the howling winds tore off roofs, snapped tall trees, sent sheet metal flying and shredded homes. “All hell broke loose,” said Belond Thomas of Perry, a mill town located just inland from the Big Bend region. Thomas fled with her family and some friends to a motel, thinking it would be safer than riding out the storm at home but the roof was torn away and debris showered onto her pregnant daughter, who fortunately wasn’t injured, Thomas said. No hurricane-related deaths were officially confirmed in Florida, but the state’s highway patrol reported two people killed in separate weather-related crashes just hours before Idalia made landfall. Even so, Idalia appeared to be far less destructive than first feared. It avoided large urban regions, striking only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas while focusing its fury on the rural Big Bend section. However, damage there was likely to be extensive. At Horseshoe Beach in central Big Bend, Jewell Baggett picked through the wreckage and debris of her mother’s destroyed home, finding a few pictures and her mother’s pots and pans. Her grandfather built the home decades ago and it had survived four previous storms, she said. “And now it’s gone,” she said. “Nothing left. A few little trinkets here and there.” Baggett, whose mother had left before the storm hit, said at least five or six other homes also were destroyed. In Tallahassee, the power went out well before the center of the storm arrived, but the city avoided a direct hit. A giant oak tree next to the governor’s mansion split in half, covering the yard with debris. State officials, 5,500 National Guardsman and rescue crews went into search-and-recovery mode, inspecting bridges, clearing toppled trees and looking for anyone in distress. More than 30,000 utility workers gathered to repair downed power lines and poles. Idalia had weakened to a tropical storm by late Wednesday afternoon but it still packed a punch as it advanced into Georgia, where a man in Valdosta died when a tree fell on him as he tried to clear another tree out of the road, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said. Two others, including a sheriff’s deputy, were hurt, he said. Officials in Bermuda warned that Idalia could hit the island early next week as a tropical storm. Bermuda on Wednesday was being lashed by the outer bands of Hurricane Franklin, a Category 2 storm that was on track to pass near the island in the north Atlantic Ocean. President Joe Biden called the governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina on Wednesday and told them their states had his administration’s full support, the White House said. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

Better days ahead for carriers that survive freight cycle’s bottom

COLUMBUS, Ind. — When representatives of the trucking industry attend a conference entitled “Market Values,” you can be sure the topic of freight is on everyone’s mind. That was certainly true at the ACT Research OUTLOOK 69 conference held Aug. 22-24 in Columbus, Indiana. Tim Denoyer, ACT vice president and senior analyst, teamed up with Amit Prasad, chief data science officer at Nolan Transportation Group, to present their combined vision of freight availability and rates in the coming year.   Denoyer addressed the current freight situation, with spot rates still bouncing along at the lowest levels in years and contract rates continuing their downward slide. Prasad referred to a recent study on operating costs published by the American Transportation Research Institute that placed the current marginal per-mile operating cost at $2.25. That’s higher than many spot loads are currently paying.  With rates so low and operating costs rising, it’s no wonder revocations of carrier operating authority are outpacing new carrier starts by thousands each month. Some of the increase was attributable to fuel prices, but other categories of costs have also risen by double digits. The result is the loss of more than 2,000 carriers per month for the past few months — with more coming.  The cost of equipment has skyrocketed as new government requirements are debated and scheduled to take effect. The inability of OEMs to fill truck orders, and the resulting backlog, has pushed the prices of used trucks to astronomical levels. When owners can find affordable equipment, they’re facing difficulty finding financing due to tightening loan requirements, including higher down payments. If they do get a loan, the interest rate will be higher than it has been in years.   That’s the bad news.  The good news is that the expected economic recession has not materialized. Several presenters referred to the current state of the economy as a “soft landing.” Although it doesn’t help suffering truck drivers, the freight market is poised to turn, beginning an upward cycle and a return to profitability for many carriers.  According to Denoyer, the market is “getting close to finding supply and demand balance.” For more than a year, excess capacity in the market has pushed freight rates downward. Carriers that are trying to take advantage of high rates buy trucks so they can accept more loads. With more available trucks, however, competition for loads increases and rates decline.   Denoyer predicts spot rates will begin rising in the fourth quarter of 2023 and continue rising through 2024. Contract rates, typically slower to respond to market conditions, will continue falling temporarily, he said, but should follow spot rates within months.  One reason for optimism is the end of the “destocking” that has been an issue for months. Retailers don’t want to keep huge inventories of products that aren’t selling well, so they stop ordering new stock to bring inventories down. With gains in personal income and other positive economic factors, those retailers will need to increase inventories and order restocks more often. Retail sales are already on the increase and are expected to continue their upward trajectory.   One potential contributor to the freight market could be the demise of Yellow Corp., as carriers vie to pick up pieces of the bankrupt carrier’s more than $5 billion in annual freight revenue. Although Yellow operated in the less-than-truckload (LTL) segment of the market, its customers may turn to the truckload market for help moving product. Other LTL carriers, such as Dominion, Estes and Saia, will undoubtedly benefit from some of the shipments but may not have the equipment or drivers needed to move the increased freight. Because Yellow’s 22,000 drivers were unionized, many may not be willing to follow the freight to non-union jobs.  In the meantime, the secret to moving rates upward is removing trucks from the supply/demand equation and/or increasing the amount of freight. With carriers closing and turning in trucks and positive signs in the economic news, both could be happening.   Denoyer summarized with a prediction that 2025 will be a great year for carrier profitability. Getting past the current downcycle, which could last a few more months, will be the hardest part. 

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm

CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm on Wednesday and was unleashing life-threatening storm surges and rainfall in an area not accustomed to such pummeling. Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. It made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7:45 a.m. as a high-end Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph . And the storm brought flooding to the streets of Tampa and other communities. Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And those who didn’t were warned to find a safe place while the storm moves through. “Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “This thing’s powerful. If you’re inside, just hunker down until it gets past you.” Storm surge could rise as high as 15 feet  in some places. Hours of service waivers Multiple states have issued waivers for commercial motor vehicles’ hours of service and other regulations, including Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, if those vehicles and their drivers are directly helping with storm relief efforts. Major storm The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend. The state, still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian, feared disastrous results. But not everyone was heeding the warning to leave. Andy Bair, owner of the Island Hotel on Cedar Key, said he intended to “babysit” his bed-and-breakfast, which predates the Civil War. The building has not flooded in the almost 20 years he has owned it, not even when Hurricane Hermine flooded the city in 2016. “Being a caretaker of the oldest building in Cedar Key, I just feel kind of like I need to be here,” Bair said. “We’ve proven time and again that we’re not going to wash away. We may be a little uncomfortable for a couple of days, but we’ll be OK eventually.” Idalia had grown into a Category 2 system on Tuesday afternoon and became a Category 3 just hours earlier Wednesday before strengthening to a Category 4 and then weakening slightly to a high-end Category 3. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend. Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane and the National Hurricane Center says a Category 4 storm brings “catastrophic damage.” Tolls were waived on highways out of the danger area, shelters were open and hotels prepared to take in evacuees. More than 30,000 utility workers were gathering to make repairs as quickly as possible in the hurricane’s wake. About 5,500 National Guard troops were activated. In Tarpon Springs, a coastal community northwest of Tampa, 60 patients were evacuated from a hospital out of concern that the system could bring a 7-foot storm surge. Idalia was expected to weaken as it moved inland but it was still expected to be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia later Wednesday, the hurricane center said. It would then reach the Carolinas. Both Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced states of emergency, freeing up state resources and personnel, including hundreds of National Guard troops. “We’ll be prepared to the best of our abilities,” said Russell Guess, who was topping off the gas tank on his truck in Valdosta, Georgia. His co-workers at Cunningham Tree Service were doing the same. “There will be trees on people’s house, trees across power lines.” Idalia pummeled Cuba with heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio underwater and many of its residents without power. “The priority is to reestablish power and communications and keep an eye on the agriculture: Harvest whatever can be harvested and prepare for more rainfall,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a meeting with government officials Tuesday. State media did not report any deaths or major damage. Asked about the hurricane Tuesday, President Joe Biden said he had spoken to DeSantis and “provided him with everything that he possibly needs.” Ian was responsible last year for almost 150 deaths. The Category 5 hurricane damaged 52,000 structures, nearly 20,000 of which were destroyed or severely damaged. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season would be far busier than initially forecast, partly because of extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season runs through Nov. 30, with August and September typically the peak. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

Truck drivers on alert ahead of Hurricane Idalia

TAMPA, Fla. — Idalia became a hurricane on Tuesday, Aug. 29, threatening to bring deadly storm surge and dangerous winds to Florida’s Gulf Coast after lashing Cuba with heavy rain. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has waived certain guidelines governing commercial vehicles, including hours-of-service and licensing and registration requirements under the International Fuel Tax Agreement and the International Registration Plan. Additionally, registration has been waived for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) entering the state to provide emergency services or supplies or to transport emergency equipment, supplies or personnel. Drivers operating for a motor carrier operating under this order must have a copy of it in their possession. This regulatory relief is only granted to those who are in direct assistance and terminated when a driver or CMV is used in commerce to transport cargo or provide services not directly related to emergency relief. Around the nation, other states have pledged their help ahead of the storm. In Kentucky, Transportation Secretary Jim Gray has signed an official order to temporarily suspend certain regulatory restrictions on CMVs involved in restoring power and clearing debris in Florida and other states damaged by Tropical Storm Idalia. “This order is to help avoid any delay for utility crews and other responders coming to the aid of storm victims,” Gray said. The order is effective through 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sept. 30. It temporarily relieves commercial drivers from maximum driving times and weigh station stops while engaged in the emergency response. Other states in the southeastern United States are also preparing for the storm as well as pledging help to clean up afterward. Truck driver Steven Bloom of Indiana, who has a regular route to the Florida Gulf Coast, said he plans to shut down until the storm is over, advising others to do the same. “If you have to go to that area, it’s best to wait this one out,” he said. “It’s just gonna be too dangerous.” Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast to prepare for a storm that the National Hurricane Center projected could have sustained winds of up to 120 mph. That would make it a Category 3 hurricane — a potentially big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian. At 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Tuesday, Hurricane Idalia was about 320 miles south-southwest of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, the hurricane center said. Idalia was moving north at 14 mph. The center of Idalia is forecast to reach the Gulf Coast of Florida as “an extremely dangerous major hurricane before landfall on Wednesday,” and then move over the peninsula blow through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina on Thursday. “Right now, the biggest hazards are storm surge,” Robbie Berg, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said Tuesday morning. “We’re expecting a surge as much as 8 to 12 feet above normal tide levels in portions of the Big Bend area of Florida.” Idalia thrashed Cuba with heavy rain, especially in the westernmost part of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. Authorities in the province issued a state of alert, and residents were evacuated to friends’ and relatives’ homes. As much as 4 inches of rain fell in Cuba on Sunday, meteorological stations reported. Idalia was expected to start affecting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late Tuesday. It is the first storm to hit Florida this hurricane season and authorities urged residents to wrap up storm preparation by Tuesday morning at the latest. Idalia is also the latest in a summer of natural disasters, including wildfires in Hawaii, Canada and Greece; the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years, and devastating flooding in Vermont. “Just got to prepare for these things, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst and, you know, hunker down, as they say,” said Derek Hughes as he waited to load up his car with sandbags at a city park in Tampa. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 46 counties, a broad swath that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. The state has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, who have 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft at their disposal for rescue and recovery efforts. Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said they would close on Tuesday, and the Sunrail commuter rail service in Orlando was being suspended. “The property — we can rebuild someone’s home,” DeSantis said during a news conference Monday. “You can’t unring the bell, though, if somebody stays in harm’s way and does battle with Mother Nature.” DeSantis said the Florida Department of Transportation would waive tolls on highways in the Tampa area and the Big Bend starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday to help ease any burden on people in the path of the storm. Large parts of the western coast of Florida are at risk for storm surges and floods. Evacuation notices have been issued in 21 counties with mandatory orders for some people in eight of those counties. Many of the notices were for people in low-lying and coastal areas, for those living in structures such as mobile and manufactured homes, recreational vehicles and boats, and for people who would be vulnerable in a power outage. Pasco and Levy counties, located north of Tampa, both ordered mandatory evacuations for some residents. In Levy County, officials said residents of Cedar Key must be off the island by Tuesday evening because storm surges would make bridges impassable. “Once the storm surge comes in, help may not be available to reach you,” the county said in a public advisory. Many school districts along the Gulf Coast said they would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Several colleges and universities said they would close their campuses on Tuesday, including the University of Florida in Gainesville. “They told us that our dorm building, especially, is prone to flooding,” said Erin Amiss, a student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. MacDill Air Force Base, located on Tampa Bay, is preparing to evacuate several aircraft and began a mandatory evacuation Monday morning for personnel who live in local counties, the Air Force said in a statement. Tampa resident Grace Cruz, who has lived in the state for more than 40 years, put away patio furniture, filled her car up with gas and loaded up on sandbags. She worried about the tens of thousands of new residents to Florida who had never before experienced a hurricane, and she had some advice for them. “If you’re planning to get away, you start ahead of time because of the traffic,” Cruz said. “No kidding. It’s horrible.” As Gulf Coast residents packed up their cars or hauled out generators in case of power outages, state officials warned about potential fuel contamination at dozens of gas stations. President Joe Biden told the Florida governor that he had approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said in a news release. DeSantis is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Southwest Florida is still recovering from Hurricane Ian, which was responsible last year for almost 150 deaths. The Category 5 hurricane damaged 52,000 structures, nearly 20,000 of which were destroyed or severely damaged. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season would be far busier than initially forecast, partly because of extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season runs through Nov. 30, with August and September typically the peak. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

State of Emergency: Florida waives certain CMV rules ahead of major hurricane

TAMPA, Fla.  — Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Idalia intensified Monday and forecasters predicted it would hit within days as a major hurricane with potentially life-threatening storm surges. Idalia is expected to start affecting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late Tuesday, Aug. 29, and arrive on the coast by Wednesday. It is the first storm to hit Florida this hurricane season and a potentially big blow to the state, which is also still recovering from Ian. “Just got to prepare for these things, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst and, you know, hunker down, as they say,” said Derek Hughes as he waited to load up his car with sandbags at a city park in Tampa. “Worst case is flooding right now. Hopefully not too much wind damage.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 46 counties, a broad swath that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. The state has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, who have 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft at their disposal for rescue and recovery efforts. Tampa International Airport and St.Pete-Clearwater International Airport said they would close on Tuesday. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, certain guidelines governing commercial vehicles have been temporarily waived, including hours-of-service and licensing and registration requirements under the International Fuel Tax Agreement and the International Registration Plan. Additionally, registration has been waived for CMVs entering the state to provide emergency services or supplies or to transport emergency equipment, supplies or personnel. Drivers operating for a motor carrier operating under this order must have a copy of it in their possession. This regulatory relief is only granted to those who are in direct assistance and terminated when a driver or CMV is used in commerce to transport cargo or provide services not directly related to emergency relief. Meanwhile, DeSantis warned of a “major impact” to the state, noting that what was originally forecast to be nothing stronger than a tropical storm was now predicted to become a Category 3 hurricane. “The property — we can rebuild someone’s home,” DeSantis said during a news conference Monday. “You can’t unring the bell, though, if somebody stays in harm’s way and does battle with Mother Nature. This is not something that you want to do battle with.” Large parts of the western coast of Florida are at risk of storm surges and floods anytime a storm of this magnitude approaches. Pasco and Levy counties, located north of Tampa, both ordered mandatory evacuations for some residents deemed to be at risk. In Levy County, officials said residents of Cedar Key must be off the island by Tuesday evening because storm surges would make bridges impassable. “Once the storm surge comes in, help may not be available to reach you,” the county said in a notice. The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a hurricane warning Monday from Longboat Key in the Sarasota area to the Holocene River, up past Tampa Bay. Many school districts along the Gulf Coast said they would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg told students they needed to leave campus by Monday night. “They told us that our dorm building, especially, is prone to flooding,” said student Erin Amiss. Tampa resident Grace Cruz, who has lived in the state for more than 40 years, put away patio furniture, filled her car up with gas and loaded up on sandbags. She worried about the tens of thousands of new residents to Florida who had never before experienced a hurricane, and she had some advice for them. “If you’re planning to get away, you start ahead of time because of the traffic,” Cruz said. “No kidding. It’s horrible.” President Joe Biden spoke to DeSantis on Monday morning, telling the Florida governor that he had approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said in a news release. The declaration frees up federal funds to help with cleanup and repairs. DeSantis is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. At 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Monday, the storm was about 50 miles off the western tip of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, the hurricane center said. Idalia was moving north at 8 mph. On Tuesday, it was expected to turn northeast at a faster pace, reaching Florida’s western coast as a dangerous major hurricane on Wednesday. So far this year, the U.S. East Coast has been spared from cyclones. But in the West, Tropical Storm Hilary caused widespread flooding, mudslides and road closures earlier this month in Mexico, California, Nevada and points to the north. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season would be far busier than initially forecast, partly because of extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season runs through Nov. 30, with August and September typically the peak. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

Percentage of female safety professionals in transportation increases

ARLINGTON, Va. — According to new data from the 2023 Women in Trucking Association (WIT) Index, the percentage of female safety professionals in corporations with for-hire or private fleets in the commercial freight transportation industry continues to increase. The WIT Index is an industry barometer to benchmark and measure each year the percentage of women who make up critical roles in transportation. There were 350 respondents authorized to report their organizations’ gender diversity statistics in the 2023 WIT Index survey. Safety professionals typically are responsible for preventing occupational injury and illness among workers in their workforce, with an emphasis on professional drivers and workers within their facilities. In the second year of capturing this data on safety professionals, the 2023 WIT Index shows that 41.6% of safety professionals in transportation companies are women, according to a news release. Additionally, the 2023 WIT Index found that nearly 16% of respondents report having 90% or more of women in safety roles, with more than 25% reporting they have 50% to 89% women in those roles. More than 29% of respondents report having 20% to 49% of women in safety roles, while more than 13% report having 1% to 19% of women in safety roles and more than 16% report they have no women in safety. “Safety professionals possess a comprehensive understanding of procedures and protocol that have a profound impact on risk mitigation, minimizing safety threats or challenges and overall workforce safety and wellness,” said Jennifer Hedrick, president and chief executive officer for WIT. “This is a critical component of our industry and an area of immense opportunity for women to build technical and leadership skills.” Initiated in 2016, the WIT Index is based upon reported statistics by companies in transportation, including for-hire trucking companies, private fleets, transportation intermediaries, railroads, ocean carriers, equipment manufacturers and technology companies. Data involving the 2023 WIT Index was confidentially gathered from January through April of 2023 from 350 participating companies of various sizes operating in the trucking industry. Percentages are reported only as aggregate totals of respondents rather than by individual company. In 2022, WIT expanded its collection of the percentage of women to include not only safety professionals, but also technicians, operations, human resources and talent management and sales and marketing. The WIT Index historically also has identified the percentage of women who are in leadership roles and professional drivers.