Primary Feature

WASHINGTON — On April 19, 6,829 commercial motor vehicles were inspected throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Day. According to a news release, inspectors found brake-related critical vehicle inspection items on 11.3% of the vehicles inspected, indicating those vehicles were unfit and unsafe for roadways. As a result, inspectors restricted those 773 commercial motor vehicles from travel until the violations were corrected. During this one-day unannounced inspection and enforcement campaign, certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors conducted their usual vehicle and driver inspections. They reported brake-related data to CVSA for a one-day snapshot of the state of brake systems on the commercial motor vehicles traversing our roadways every day. The top three brake-related out-of-service conditions were: 20% Brakes Violations – 479 A vehicle or combination of vehicles is declared out of service when 20% or more of its service brakes have an out-of-service condition resulting in a defective brake, such as a brake out of adjustment, an audible air leak at the chamber, defective linings/pads, a missing brake where brakes are required, etc. Other Brake Violations – 368 Examples of other out-of-service brake violations are worn brake lines, broken brake drums, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc. Steering Brake Violations – 81 Examples of automatic standalone out-of-service steering axle brake violations are inoperative brakes, mismatched brake chambers, mismatched slack adjuster length, defective linings, etc. CVSA’s membership consists of jurisdictions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. All three countries participated in this year’s unannounced Brake Safety Day, for a total of 56 jurisdictions. Canada — A total of 10% (88 vehicles) of the 894 total commercial motor vehicles inspected were placed out of service for brake-related violations. Mexico — Thirty-four commercial motor vehicles were inspected. Six (18%) had brake-related out-of-service violations and were placed out of service. United States — Inspectors placed 679 (11.5%) of the 5,901 total commercial motor vehicles inspected out of service for brake-related violations. CVSA officials said that Brake Safety Day is also an opportunity to obtain additional data related to the health and wellness of brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. This year, CVSA focused on capturing data on brake lining/pad violations. Brake lining/pad conditions can result in violations and affect a motor carrier’s safety rating. Of the 6,829 commercial motor vehicles inspected, 108 power unit and 87 towed unit lining/pad violations were identified, for a total of 195 combined lining/pad violations. In addition, eight of the CVSA member jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) used those machines on Brake Safety Day to assess the braking performance of commercial motor vehicles. Those participating jurisdictions conducted 92 inspections with PBBTs. There were four failures (4.35%), which meant those four commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service for overall vehicle braking efficiency.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to veto a move by Congress to rescind strict new Environmental Protection Agency rules aimed at big rigs. The House approved a measure on Tuesday, May 23, that would cancel a part of the EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan that went into effect in March. The Senate voted to overturn the rule in April, so it will now be sent to Biden’s desk. The White House has said the president will veto it. A veto override would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Texas Republican Rep. Troy E. Nehls, who introduced the resolution, called the EPA’s rule on buttoning up large commercial truck emissions “yet another example of burdensome federal regulation and would unfairly target the trucking industry and pass costs for the American consumer and small businesses, all in the name of the Biden Administration’s woke climate change agenda.” At the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), President and CEO Todd Spencer said that “Truckers care about clean air as much as anyone else but are also on the front lines of the supply chain with over 70% of America’s freight relying exclusively on trucking. Mandating equipment that has historically led to major engine reliability issues under an unrealistic timeline will have devastating effects on the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately on the cost and availability of consumer goods.” The EPA finalized its rule on new emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles on Dec. 20, 2022, which is part of the overall Clean Trucks Plan. The rule’s new standards cover nitrogen oxides and other air pollutants, including particulate matter, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The rule would also change requirements regarding emission control systems and emission-related warranties. Addressing the Arkansas Trucking Association on May 17, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said the trucking industry needs to speak out against the new EPA rules. Spear contends the trucking industry has already made great strides in helping to reduce emissions on diesel engines. “For 40 years, we have worked hand-in-glove with the SmartWay program with the EPA,” Spear said. “We have recognized carriers that have kept up with the latest environmentally friendly equipment.” Spear added that the industry has “been through the process to ensure equipment on the market can withstand the pressures that drivers put them though and still deliver reductions for the environment.” The ATA, he said, is “all in favor of clean air and water. That is not debatable. But in four decades, we have worked to pull 98.5% of harmful emissions out of the tailpipes of trucks you buy on the lots today.” It would take 60 modern Class 8 trucks, he said, to match the emissions produced by a single rig back in 1988. The EPA estimated the technology required to meet the new rule’s standards will cost between $2,568 and $8,304 per vehicle. The American Truck Dealers Association estimates it is more likely a $42,000 increase per truck. In total, the EPA projects the associated costs of this new regulation on the country could reach $55 billion over the lifetime of the program. “The EPA’s regulation would be challenging to implement and make new, compliant trucks cost-prohibitive,” according to OOIDA. “By increasing the cost of a new truck, the regulation actually incentivizes keeping older, higher-emitting trucks in service longer. It would also likely force many ‘mom and pop’ commercial trucking operations out of business while encouraging larger trucking operations to pass these higher costs onto consumers.” OOIDA also stated that “adding new financial burdens on the trucking industry would increase the cost of any product transported by trucks, including food, clothing, and other commodities.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. continues to slide downward. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), as of Monday, May 22, the price sat at $3.888 per gallon, down from $3.897 per gallon on May 15 and $3.922 per gallon on May 8. The lowest prices can be found on the Gulf Coast, where the average price sits at $3.579, down from $3.593 on May 15 and $3.613 on May 8, according to the EIA. Though the highest average prices are along the West Coast and in California, those prices have seen declines as well. EIA statistics show that the price in California is at $4.825 per gallon on average, down from $4.847 on May 8. The price showed no movement up or down between May 15 and May 22, however.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear is sounding the alarm about new federal emissions regulations and the impact he says they will have on the trucking industry. During the Arkansas Trucking Association’s annual conference Wednesday, May 17, in Little Rock, Spear told attendees that it’s time to “turn up the volume and let our story be heard.” The third phase of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Trucks Plan has caused the issue of big rig emissions to boil over. “Phase 3, on NoX, that’s the toughest stuff,” Spear said. “It’s like squeezing blood out of a rock.” The Clean Trucks Plan calls for reducing production of diesel-fueled rigs and replacing them with vehicles powered by electricity or other alternative fuel sources in the coming years. In December 2022, the EPA finalized part of the plan that calls for cutting cut smog-and soot-forming emissions from new heavy-duty trucks beginning with model year 2027. Spear contends the trucking industry has already made great strides in helping to reduce emissions on diesel engines. “For 40 years, we have worked hand-in-glove with the SmartWay program with the EPA,” Spear said. “We have recognized carriers that have kept up with the latest environmentally friendly equipment.” Spear added that the industry has “been through the process to ensure equipment on the market can withstand the pressures that drivers put them though and still deliver reductions for the environment.” The ATA, he said, is “all in favor of clean air and water. That is not debatable. But in four decades, we have worked to pull 98.5% of harmful emissions out of the tailpipes of trucks you buy on the lots today.” It would take 60 modern Class 8 trucks, he said, to match the emissions produced by a single rig back in 1988. “That’s a very good story,” he said. “That’s innovation. That’s the industry collaborating with the EPA to create a positive outcome.” Phase 3 of the Clean Trucks plan includes new and stronger greenhouse gas standards effective for model years 2027 through 2032. The program revises the model year 2027 standards to be more stringent than the existing Phase 2 greenhouse gas standards for vocational vehicles and day cab tractors, moving toward the goal of zero emissions. Phase 3 also introduces new standards for vocational vehicles and day cab tractors that become increasingly stringent every model year from 2028 through 2032. For sleeper cab tractors, the proposed Phase 3 program introduces new standards in model year 2030 that increase in stringency in model years 2031 and 2032. Spear pointed to California’s Air Resources Board as another “thorn” in the side of the trucking industry. California, he said, “is the breeding ground for all bad policy.” The Biden administration cleared the way on March 31 for California’s plan to phase out a wide range of diesel-powered trucks as part of the state’s efforts to drastically cut planet-warming emissions and improve air quality in heavy traffic areas, such as ports along the coast. The EPA’s decision allows California — which has some of the nation’s worst air pollution — to require truck manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission trucks over the next couple of decades. The rule applies to a wide range of trucks, including box trucks, semis and even large passenger pick-ups. The EPA typically sets standards for tailpipe emissions from passenger cars, trucks and other vehicles, but California has historically been granted waivers to impose its own, stricter standards. Other states can then follow suit. At least eight other states plan to adopt California’s truck standards, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said. In a letter last year, attorneys general from 15 states, Washington, D.C., and New York City urged the EPA to approve the California truck standards. The new truck standards in California are aimed at companies that manufacture trucks as well as those that own large quantities of large trucks. Companies owning 50 or more trucks will have to report information to the state about how they use these trucks to ship goods and provide shuttle services. Manufacturers will have to sell a higher percentage of zero-emission vehicles starting in 2024. Depending on the class of truck, zero-emission ones will have to make up 40% to 75% of sales by 2035. Spear reiterated that the ATA is not “anti-environment” but rather wants to see already-in-place measures, such as cleaner diesel engines, make their way into the hands of drivers before the dramatic shift toward electric and alternative powered trucks begins. “We don’t have the infrastructure for electric trucks,” he said. “(But) let’s say we do. Well, where is the power going to come from? An ATRI (American Trucking Research Institute) report shows that if you electrify every car and truck on the road, 40% more electric capacity is needed across the nation. Where will that come from?” Spear also pointed to the amount of time it takes to fuel up a diesel truck verses charging an electric one. “It takes 15 minutes to fill a tractor (with diesel) and go 1,200 miles,” Spear said. “How can you replicate that productivity in the industry today (with electric power)?” Spear said that, in California alone, 53% of the big rigs on the roads are 2010 models and older. He said there need to be incentives in place for purchasing new, more environmentally friendly diesel models. “You could reduce emissions by 83% right now (in California),” Spear said. “Why isn’t anyone wanting to talk about this? It’s our responsibility as an industry to get loud on these points.” Spear also touched on other topics facing the trucking industry, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) speed limiter proposal for commercial vehicles. A final ruling on the issue is expected later this year, he said, adding that the ATA supports the measure. The FMCSA has not yet said what the speed cap would be. In his remarks, Spear also launched criticism toward the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) over its stance against the limiters. “I have really found it interesting that OOIDA has described this (speed limiter proposal) as ‘an ATA rule,’” he said. “I did not know that I had the authority to propose federal rulemakings. Apparently, I need to go back and check the bylaws … I guess I do.” Spear added, “OOIDA has basically come out, had a bill introduced in the House opposing this rule — a rule that no one outside the agency has seen. Nobody knows what the rule is; it’s not out yet. So, we’re drawing legislation to oppose a rule that’s not even out yet, which basically says that they’re OK driving as fast as they want … we already know they want to drive as long as they want, based on their opposition to ELDs (electronic logging devices).” Spear went on to say he’s “not beating up on owner-operators, but I think some of their representation in OOIDA is very anti-safety. I’m just gonna simply call it like it is. You cannot be allowed to drive as long as you want as fast you can. That’s not safety.” The Trucker asked OOIDA for a response to Spear’s remarks, and OOIDA President Todd Spencer sent the following statement via e-mail: “In 2016, Chris Spear called FMCSA’s speed limiter rulemaking ‘dangerous.’ Now he claims those opposing it are anti-safety. And he seems to have forgotten entirely that his organization petitioned the agency to launch this rulemaking in the first place. If the mandate is defeated, he’ll probably take credit for stopping it. There’s no telling what ATA’s position is on a given day, but you can almost always count on them not supporting professional drivers and their needs. That’s the difference between OOIDA and ATA, we trust the men and women who make their living behind the wheel to know what will improve safety on our highways.” On May 10, OOIDA’s executive vice president Lewie Pugh, in testimony before the House subcommittee on highways and transit, said speed limiters would exacerbate supply chain challenges. “By prohibiting hundreds of thousands of trucks from traveling at the posted speed limit determined by states, this mandate will literally slow down freight movement across the country,” Pugh said. “For example, OOIDA members currently operate roughly 240,000 heavy vehicles on our nation’s roads. Based on our members’ strong reaction to the proposal, we suspect very few, if any, currently use speed limiters. Limiting just our members to a maximum speed as low as 60 mph would alone have a profound impact on the movement of goods in our economy, but the rulemaking will impact countless other CMVs.” Further, Pugh said, if the speed limiter mandate is implemented, “more trucks will be needed to carry the same amount of freight in the same amount of time, which increases road congestion and can further slow freight movement.” Back in Little Rock, Spear closed out his address to the Arkansas Trucking Association’s members by touching on truck parking and infrastructure, along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which has earmarked money to bolster the nation’s roads and bridges, along with other projects. Spear pointed out that both ATA and OOIDA have worked hard to ensure that money is funneled from the BIL into truck parking. “Now I will say something positive about OOIDA,” Spear said. “When we lock arms on an issue, it has an impact. And for Todd and I to sign a letter to the secretary of transportation asking that those monies go to truck parking, they’re paying attention.”

ALBANY, Ore. — The driver of a semitruck that slammed into a passenger van on Interstate 5 in western Oregon, killing 7 people in one of the state’s deadliest crashes in recent years, was arrested Friday on suspicion of manslaughter, DUI and other charges, police said. Eleven people were in the van when it was struck, authorities said. Six people died at the scene, one more died after being airlifted to a hospital and four were injured, according to Oregon State Police. State police said the names of the victims would not be made public until their families have been notified. Authorities have not released information about the condition of the four injured passengers. Lincoln Clayton Smith, 52, of North Highlands, California, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, manslaughter and assault, police said. Smith was arraigned in the afternoon and was being held without bail in Marion County Jail. It wasn’t clear whether his case had been assigned to the state public defender’s office or a specific attorney. The office didn’t immediately respond to a message asking about that, and a lawyer whose name appears in court documents said she had not formally been assigned the case and could not comment. At the arraignment, a district attorney said Smith refused a field sobriety test and was unable to focus and answer basic questions, the Salem Statesman Journal reported. The prosecutor also said Smith acknowledged taking “speed” the day before the crash and was in possession of methamphetamine, according to the paper. The husband of one of the dead passengers said their 1-year-old son had asked for his mother on Friday. “My future is destroyed,” he was quoted as saying, through an interpreter, by the Statesman Journal, which published a photo of victims’ relatives and friends outside the Marion County Court annex after the arraignment. Two semitrucks and the van were involved in the Thursday afternoon crash near Albany, in an agricultural area in the Willamette Valley. The truck driven by the suspect left the northbound lanes of I-5 and hit the van as it was parked on the roadside, according to police. The van was then pushed into the back of another truck parked in front of it. Witnesses said the first truck had been weaving on and off the road and hit the van without braking first, according to comments by the DA as reported by the Statesman Journal. The northbound lanes of I-5 were closed for hours as experts investigated but reopened Thursday night, state transportation officials said. Bodies were seen covered in plastic in a nearby field after the crash, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported. Police and fire officials put a blue tarp on the wrecked van and placed a barrier near one of the trucks to block the view of the scene, according to the news outlet. Life Flight Network confirmed that one of its emergency medical helicopters transported one patient to a Salem-area hospital. Witness Adrian Gonzalez told the Statesman Journal the van was mangled by the force of the impact. “Judging by the damage, it looked like the van was sandwiched,” he said. “It got hit very hard.” The crash is one of the deadliest in Oregon in recent years. A head-on collision on a remote road in Harney County in eastern Oregon in August 2018 killed a family of seven, including five young children. Eight people died in total. In December 2012, nine people died after a tour bus careened on an icy Interstate 84 and crashed through a guardrail, plunging several hundred feet down a steep embankment. The bus was carrying about 40 people when the accident occurred in an area near Pendleton called Deadman Pass. Another crash in 1988, also near Albany on I-5, killed 7 people and injured 37 more. Two infants were among those killed in the fiery 23-vehicle pileup. Albany lies between Salem and Eugene and is about 70 miles south of Portland. I-5 is the main north-south interstate highway on the West Coast.

ALBANY, Ore. — Authorities were investigating one of Oregon’s deadliest crashes in recent years on Friday, May 19, a day after seven adults were killed and multiple people were seriously hurt in the multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 5 in the western part of the state. Two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle were involved in the Thursday afternoon crash near Albany in an agricultural area in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, state police said. The names of the dead, the number of people injured and the cause of the collision have not yet been released. The northbound lanes of I-5 were closed for hours as experts investigated but were reopened on the night of Thursday, May 18, state transportation officials said. Bodies were covered in plastic in a nearby field, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported. Police and fire officials put a blue tarp on the wrecked van and placed a barrier near one of the trucks to block the view of the scene, according to the news outlet. The passenger vehicle appeared to be a van in photos by the Democrat-Herald. Witness Adrian Gonzalez told the Salem Statesman Journal that two Life Flight helicopters landed and took people away while paramedics treated people on the ground. The van appeared to have been crushed between the trucks, he said. “Judging by the damage, it looked like the van was sandwiched,” he said. “It got hit very hard.” The crash is one of the deadliest in Oregon in recent years. A head-on collision on a remote road in Harney County in eastern Oregon in August 2018 killed a family of seven, including five young children. Eight people died in total. In December 2012, nine people died after a tour bus careened on an icy Interstate 84 and crashed through a guardrail, plunging several hundred feet down a steep embankment. The bus was carrying about 40 people when the accident occurred in an area near Pendleton called Deadman Pass. Another crash in 1988, also near Albany on I-5, killed 7 people and injured 37 more. Two infants were among those killed in the fiery 23-vehicle pileup. Albany lies between Salem and Eugene and is about 70 miles south of Portland. I-5 is the main north-south interstate highway on the West Coast.

ALBANY, Ore. — Seven people were killed and multiple others hurt in a crash involving several vehicles on Thursday, May 18, along Interstate 5 in an agricultural area of western Oregon, police said. Officers responded at about 2:05 p.m. to the crash involving two semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle in the northbound lanes about 7 miles north of Albany, near the Santiam rest area, Oregon State Police said in a statement. Seven adults died, police said, but they did not specify how many were injured. The passenger vehicle involved was a van, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported. Bodies covered in plastic could be seen in a nearby field and the Marion County medical examiner was at the scene, the newspaper said. A Life Flight helicopter left the scene at about 2:45 p.m. Police and fire officials put a blue tarp on the wrecked van and placed a barrier near one of the trucks to block the view of the scene, according to the Democrat-Herald. The van appeared to have been crushed between the trucks, a witness told the Statesman Journal. “Judging by the damage, it looked like the van was sandwiched,” Adrian Gonzalez said. “It got hit very hard.” Two Life Flight helicopters landed and took people away while paramedics treated others on the ground, Gonzalez told the paper. The cause of the crash was under investigation. The northbound lanes of I-5 were closed and traffic was being detoured, state transportation officials said. Albany lies between Salem and Eugene and is about 70 miles south of Portland. I-5 is the main north-south interstate highway on the West Coast.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Given the relatively weak environment for orders, combined with a fairly healthy supply chain, Class 8 tractor backlog should be on a downward trajectory until 2024 orderboards open, according to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report. April saw a backlog down 15,100 units month-over-month to 203,100, ACT reported. According to Eric Crawford, ACT Research’s vice president and senior analyst, “As supply conditions have improved, so has output. Evidencing this trend, heavy-duty and medium-duty production each exceeded build plans (again) in April. The Class 8 build rate in April was 1,384 upd, 6% above industry build plan. The industry produced 26,302 Class 8 units across April’s 19 production days. Classes 5-7 build averaged 1,192 upd, 13% above build plan. April’s build rate was the highest in nearly four years (since August 2019). The industry produced 22,650 units across April’s 19 build days.” Regarding sales, he noted, “Heavy-duty and medium-duty retail sales remain robust, and each rose double digits year-over-year in April. The heavy-duty unit per day rate, 1,431 seasonally adjusted, was its highest in nearly four years, and the medium-duty rate, 1,009 seasonally adjusted, was its highest in 18 months.” Crawford said that ACT expects positive momentum to slow later this year as the impact of prior Fed rate increases takes hold (and additional rate increases may still be yet to come), and the cumulative impact of depressed freight rates over an extended period weighs on pent-up demand.

DALLAS — Federal statistics show that fatal car accidents are on the rise nationwide. In 2021, more than 39,500 fatal car crashes occurred on U.S. roads, a 10% increase from 2020, according to the Federal Highway Safety Administration. In some states, dangerous driving tends to be more common, putting drivers at greater risk behind the wheel. To find out which states have the worst drivers, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across six key metrics.   Key Takeaways Texas tops the list of worst drivers by state, while Washington, D.C., is home to the best drivers in the nation. Five of the top 10 states with the worst drivers are in the South, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky and South Carolina. Seven of the top 10 states with the best drivers are in the East Coast area, including Washington, D.C., Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. Montana is home to the most drunk drivers involved in fatal car accidents (19.01 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and New Mexico reports the highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (9.54 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). The worst 5 Texas Texas’ score: 100 out of 100 Texas ranks second worst in the nation for two of the metrics we considered: fatal car accidents involving a drowsy driver (1.35 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers) and fatal car accidents involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road (1.53 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Texas also reports the third highest number of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (17.24 per 100,000 licensed drivers). Texas has the ninth highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (1.92 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Louisiana Louisiana’s score: 89.32 out of 100 Louisiana has the third highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (3.74 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers) and the eighth highest number of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (13.44 per 100,000 licensed drivers). Louisiana reports the 10th highest number of fatal car accidents involving a drowsy driver (0.9 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Kansas Kansas’ score: 84.79 out of 100 Kansas has the second highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (4.46 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). The state has the third highest number of fatal car accidents involving a driver who disobeyed traffic signs, traffic signals or a traffic officer (1.47 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Kansas is the fourth worst state for fatal car accidents involving a drowsy driver (1.28 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers) and fifth worst for fatal car accidents involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road (1.42 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Oklahoma Oklahoma’s score: 80.53 out of 100 Oklahoma has the seventh highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (2.02 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Oklahoma reports the eighth highest number of fatal car accidents involving a driver who failed to obey traffic signs or a traffic officer (1.27 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). The state is the ninth worst for drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (13.02 drunk drivers were involved in a fatal collision per 100,000 licensed drivers). Kentucky Kentucky’s score: 78.96 out of 100 Kentucky has the fourth highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (3.37 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). Kentucky reports the eighth highest number of fatal car accidents involving a drowsy driver (0.93 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers). The state also has the ninth highest number of fatal car accidents involving a driver who was driving the wrong way on a one-way street or on the wrong side of the road (0.74 accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers).

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Average U.S. diesel prices are at their lowest point since Jan. 31, 2022. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price sits at $3.897 as of Tuesday, May 16. That’s down from $3.922 on May 8 and $4.018 on May 1. Average prices are down all across the nation, with the Gulf Coast seeing the lowest prices at $3.593 per gallon. California’s average price is down to $4.825 from $4.847 on May 8, EIA statistics show. The price of diesel this summer could be $2 lower than the prior year, said Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis. “Coming out of winter, we’ll continue to see diesel prices declinem,” he said. “Barring an unexpected disruption or escalation in global events, diesel prices this summer could be $2 per gallon lower than last summer, which is certainly good news for the economy and transportation sectors stung by the previous high costs of diesel fuel.” Higher interest rates have led to price declines related to lower consumption. “Diesel’s decline has been astounding,” De Haan added. “We’ve seen improvements in fundamentals over the last few months with diesel prices down nearly $1 per gallon in the last 100 days, thanks in part due to the Fed raising interest rates, throttling back the economy, as well as Mother Nature reducing consumption through a mild winter and curbing consumption of diesel’s cousin, heating oil.”

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Demand for Class 8 tractors has remained resilient, but the latest ACT Research notes that there is softening in big fleet profitability. Expectations, as published in the latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, are that current strong production and sales in the face of weak freight creation will exhaust pent-up demand in 2023, as lower freight rates, higher equipment and borrowing costs, improved equipment availability and shrinking profits put downward pressure on demand overall, an ACT news release notes. “Even as the Class 8 market comes under increasing pressure, van trailer demand continues to enjoy secular support from the move to ‘power-only brokerage,’ which has big fleets and logistics companies looking to boost trailer to tractor ratios to bolster spot market productivity,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. Vieth added: “We’ve spent most of the past year warning about a potential recession. Admittedly, the economy has proven more resilient than initially envisioned. That said, we think broader economic conditions are softening, and we reiterate our cautious view, including our forecasts for slowing 2H’23 production rates. We continue to expect a shallow recession to materialize, centered on mid-year.” ACT notes in its report that a critical factor in forecasting, especially as 2024 approaches, is when do demand headwinds, lower freight volumes and rates, plus higher borrowing costs, compress carrier profits sufficiently to kill the peak-cycle activity? One of the critical heavy vehicle demand components, carrier profitability, is increasingly under pressure, according to ACT. In Q1, the public carriers’ profits took a hit, falling to levels last seen in early 2020. While some of the decline was seasonal, core carrier margins were down 250 basis points year-over-year, and 300 basis points below the cycle’s Q4’21 peak. With contract rates expected to deteriorate through 2023, profit margins should continue to narrow. Vieth concluded, “Aside from near-term Class 8 demand timing, the immediate wildcard in our forecast remains the debt ceiling. While the Fed plays a major role in determining the interest rates businesses and individuals pay to borrow money, the coming debt ceiling battle may serve to pause business investment, unnerve investors, and push interest rates even higher, which could induce a deeper recession sooner.”

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) is launching a new commercial motor vehicle (CMV) outreach campaign designed to reduce speeding. Additionally, FMCSA officials said they will unveil a new public awareness campaign called Our Roads, Our Safety to promote safe driving among all road users. The two initiatives are part of the FMCSA’s inaugural safety campaign, which began on May 7 and runs through May 13. The campaign “will raise awareness and share actionable information on improving roadway safety, directly supporting the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS)’s goal of zero roadway fatalities,” a news release stated. Each day of the safety week is dedicated to the following safety-related topics: Safer Roads; Safer People; Safer Vehicles; and Safer Speeds, which aligns with the NRSS’s Safe System Approach. Activities during the week will also focus on young drivers. On Thursday, May 11, FMCSA will host a stakeholder event (streamed on Facebook Live) highlighting FMCSA’s and the CMV industry’s commitments to the NRSS. Attendees will hear about specific activities and actions stakeholders are taking to help reach zero deaths on our nation’s roadways. “FMCSA is committed to safety. We have a responsibility to educate all road users on how to safely share the road with buses, 18-wheelers, and other Commercial Motor Vehicles,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “Together we can make a difference in reducing the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — For the first time since Feb. 7, 2022, the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. has dropped below $4 per gallon. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price currently sits at $3.922 per gallon, down from $4.018 per gallon on May 1 and $4.077 on April 24. Economists say a nationwide freight slowdown is the key factor behind the price slide as demand for fuel slows and stockpiles rise across the world. “Gasoline and diesel will likely have a temporary break up, moving apart, diesel falling, gasoline prices rising for the next couple of weeks (or longer),” said Patrick De Haan, analyst with GasBuddy.