The Nation

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-N.Y., recently visited Binghamton, New York, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores location to learn about the role that travel plazas play in local economies as well as to discuss issues of importance to the truck stop and travel plaza industry, officials at NATSO reported in a news release. Brindisi for visiting its Binghamton, N.Y., location to learn about the critical role that travel plazas play in local economies as well as to discuss issues of importance to the truck stop and travel plaza industry, NATSO officials said. During the visit, Brindisi, representing New York’s 22nd District in which Binghamton is located, spent time behind the counter interacting with store employees, serving customers and meeting constituents. He also toured the location to learn more about how the fuel retailer operates. Love’s officials expressed appreciation for the lawmakers visit. “We appreciate that Rep. Brindisi took time to visit our location and meet with our customers and our employees to learn more about the fuel retailing industry and how we serve both the local community and the nation’s professional truck drivers,” said Love’s Manager of Government Affairs Tom Kirby. “Rep. Brindisi was able to see first-hand our commitment to the communities in which we operate.” Kirby said Love’s officials were particularly pleased that the lawmaker exhibited a real understanding of how federal policy directly affects the daily operations of our business, our employees and our customers.” During the visit, Love’s officials emphasized the vital role that travel stops play in helping people and goods move throughout our country. In addition, Kirby said the travel center industry serves local communities, including playing an important role in providing access to healthy food options for beneficiaries of the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Discussion during Brindisi’s visit also included the high interchange fees that travel stops must pay every time a customer swipes a credit or debit card as well as the need for Congress to extend the Biodiesel Tax Credit. The biodiesel tax credit allows fuel retailers to sell cleaner-burning biodiesel at a price that is cost competitive with diesel, thereby lowering prices at the pump and encouraging the use of more environmentally friendly fuels. NATSO is the professional trade association representing America’s travel plaza and truckstop industry and serves as the voice in Washington for off-highway fuel retailers. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores owns and operated a travel stop network with more than 490 locations in 41 states.                      

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations Thursday revealed the five professional truck drivers who are finalists for the EROAD National Driver of the Year Award. “This year’s National Driver of the Year finalists represent the best of our industry,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “These drivers uphold the important standards of professionalism and safety on the road, and I applaud them all for their dedication and hard work.” The EROAD National Driver of the Year Award annually recognizes one exceptional driver for noteworthy and career-long professional achievements, holding a stellar safety record, and maintaining dedication to keeping the roads safe. The driver is selected from a pool of exceptional state Drivers of the Year submitted by ATA’s affiliated state trucking associations. Each candidates’ qualifications are reviewed by a group of industry safety professional judges. These judges then narrow the field of nominees to a group of finalists who are judged by a panel of Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and law enforcement representatives, who select the award winner. Parke Whitney has spent 48 years in the trucking industry after serving in the Navy and Marine Corps from 1967-1971, serving two tours in Vietnam. Whitney has been driving for John Christner Trucking for the past seven years and has accumulated 5 million accident-free miles. Whitney was nominated by the Oklahoma Trucking Association. Rickey Sharp has been driving for Walmart Transportation for 16 years and has spent 33 years in the industry. Sharp has accumulated 3.5 million accident-free miles and has made seven state appearances and one appearance at the National Truck Driving Championships. Sharp was nominated by the Mississippi Trucking Association. Remy Braun has spent 33.5 years in the trucking industry and spent 1984-1992 serving as a Motor Transport Operator in the Army. Braun has driven for D & D Sexton for 21 years and has accumulated 2.8 million accident-free miles. Braun has made 21 state appearances and three appearances at National Truck Driving Championships. Braun was nominated by the Missouri Trucking Association. William Spivey has spent 33 of his 44 years in the trucking industry with TCW Inc. Spivey has accumulated 5 million accident-free miles. He was nominated by the Tennessee Trucking Association for whom he served as a Tennessee Road Team Captain in 2013. Douglas Christianson has spent 50 years in the trucking industry. Christianson has spent the past 23 years driving for Sparhawk Trucking Inc. and has accumulated 4 million accident-free miles. Christianson was nominated by the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association. The next step in the process is for each driver must submit a video by September 6, answering five questions regarding their careers, including success in safety, driving accident free, and a personal heroic story while performing the duties of a professional driver. The Safety Management Council Awards & Recognition Committee then judges their video submissions and the winner is announced at ATA’s Management Conference and Exhibition, which will be held October 5-9 in San Diego.        

SALEM, Ore. — Every year flaggers and other highway workers are injured and killed on highways in Oregon and across the nation. The Oregon Department of Transportation has begun deploying new flagging technology — auto flaggers — that takes work zone flaggers out of the line of traffic making them safer. An auto flagger is a device with lights and a flagging arm. Auto flaggers are more visible to drivers than traditional flaggers and allow a person to operate the device at a safe distance from traffic, the ODOT said in a news release. A flagger still operates the auto flagger. They’re just outside the line of traffic and away from the hazards of oncoming vehicles approaching the work zone. ODOT officials shared with motorists what to do when they see an auto flagger: Stop when the light is red and the arm is down. Proceed with caution when the light flashes yellow and the arm is up. Know that there IS someone nearby, operating the device. To see how the auto flaggers work, click here. “Everyone knows what the red light means,” Rolon Williams, ODOT Transportation maintenance manager. “In every country in the world, red means stop.” Williams said distracted drivers endanger themselves, highway workers and others. Ninety percent of Oregon work zone crashes are caused by bad driving such as drivers following too close, driving too fast, not yielding or driving under the influence. “Please be patient and remember, highway crews are working to create a safer, more efficient transportation system for all of us,” Williams said. Pay attention to work zone signs. Slow down in work zones and obey all flaggers.”                                    

TULSA, Okla. — Driver iQ, provider of background screening and driver monitoring services to the trucking industry, says carriers taking part in its second quarter 2019 Recruitment & Retention Survey indicated they are not prepared to implement the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Driver Registration regulations. “Three-fourths (75%) of the recruiters surveyed indicated they are not prepared for the new  Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse driver registration  that  begins  January 6, 2020,” said Lana  Batts, co-president of Driver iQ. “The law requiring the Clearinghouse was passed   in   2012.   FMCSA did not publish the basic rules for implementing the clearinghouse until April 19. Eight months is simply not enough time for carriers to understand the rule, start an implementation plan, develop and test the plan, and implement the plan. I’m expecting mass chaos as drivers try to register for a program that no one has seen even a demo, fully understands and can clearly articulate to worried drivers.” Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spokesman Duane DeBruyne said the agency has made available numerous resources to educate carriers and drivers on the clearinghouse program, beginning with the keystone landing page at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.gov. “We’ll continue encouraging drivers and carriers to register and continue to enhance the clearinghouse landing page soon with the advent of accepting registrations later this autumn. He cited examples of some of our current and recent past outreach and education activities with respect to the clearinghouse. At all the truck (and bus industry and household goods moving company) trade shows this year FMCSA staff have, and will continue to, give presentations. The agency has prominently featured the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse on its main webpage rotator https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ The agency issued a news release about those resources. On social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn — the agency has regularly, essentially monthly, promoted the resources available online. Another aspect of the second quarter Driver iQ survey dealt with technology and Batts noted that while technology is a part of recruiters’ everyday lives to accelerate the hiring process and make the process easy, fast and straightforward for the driver applicants, second quarter results show that 28% of the recruiters surveyed do not see any new technology on the horizon that will make their lives easier or more productive. The highest-ranking new technology was Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) at 17%, which has been around for more than a decade and not really “new.” The survey also had a number of firsts: For the first time since fourth quarter 2017, more recruiters expect that driver turnover is going to remain about the same (46%),rather than increase (30%) or decrease (25%). For the first time, an overwhelming majority of the recruiters (74%) expect that future driver compensation is going to remain the same. The second quarter 2019 Trends in Truckload Recruitment and Retention Survey from Driver iQ is the latest in a planned series of quarterly surveys designed to better understand and measure recruiting and retention experiences and expectations in the truckload sector. The results of the survey are coupled with observations of Driver iQ personnel engaged in the background screening industry. The survey represents the views of recruiting managers who operate over 75,000 trucks and the majority of the responses came from dry van carriers with over $100 million in gross operating Driver iQ is the transportation division of Cisive, a worldwide leader in HR technology and background screening. For more information, visit Driver iQ.com.          

WASHINGTON – For two years, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been conducting a crash preventability demonstration program to see if it could more accurately recognize possible safety risks on our nation’s roads. Of primary importance to truckers, the program aimed to examine the feasibility, costs, and benefits of determining and displaying the preventability of certain types of crashes. It appears the agency has seen enough. Back in March, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, while speaking at the Mid-America Trucking Show, said that based on the data that had come in since the demonstration program began in August, FMCSA intended to create a permanent version of the program its Safety Measurement System (SMS). On Wednesday, FMCSA released an announcement that a permanent version of the crash preventability determination program had been designed, and the intention is to make it a permanent part of SMS as of October 1. In the meantime, the agency wanted the public to have a 60-day window to take an early look at the program and give comments. Ever since the FMCSA initiated its SMS, the trucking industry has complained about how the Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Category, or BASIC, records all accidents without differentiating whether the accident was preventable. FMCSA began the demonstration program, accepting requests for data reviews (RDRs) to evaluate the preventability of certain categories of crashes through its national data correction system, called DataQs. Based on input from the American Trucking Associations, FMCSA limited the RDR reviews to those that fell into one of eight categories of crash types: When the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) was struck by a motorist driving under the influence (or related offense); When the CMV was struck by a motorist driving the wrong direction; When the CMV was struck in the rear; When the CMV was struck while it was legally stopped or parked, including when the vehicle was unattended; When the CMV struck an individual committing, or attempting to commit, suicide by stepping or driving in front of the CMV; When the CMV sustained disabling damage after striking an animal in the roadway; When the crash was the result of an infrastructure failure, falling trees, rocks, or other debris; or When the CMV was struck by cargo or equipment from another vehicle. Between August 1, 2017, and May 31, 2019, a total of 12,249 RDRs from 3,558 carriers were submitted to FMCSA for review. Of those, 5,619 were determined to fit into one of the crash types. After review, FMCSA reported, about 93% of the crashes were determined to have been “not preventable, which high percentages in all eight categories. For example, in the category, “When the CMV was struck in the rear,” 3,675 of 3,927 incidents were determined to be “not preventable.” In the category “When the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) was struck by a motorist driving under the influence (or related offense),” it was 386 out of 417. Prior to starting the demonstration program, FMCSA specified that in cases in which it was determined the CMV operator was operating with an out-of-service condition at the time, that crash would automatically be deemed “Preventable.” According to FMCSA, the majority of incidents that were determined to be preventable were for that reason. In its announcement Wednesday, FMCSA said with its revised crash preventability determination program, it plans to adjust and expand the categories of crashes that can be evaluated from eight to 15. First, FMCSA would combine the crash type involving infrastructure failure and debris and involving CMVs struck by cargo and equipment into a single category. The “Motorist under the influence” category would be changed to “Individuals under the influence,” to include bicyclists and pedestrians. Several new categories would also be added, based on RDRs that were submitted but did not meet the original categories. They are: When the CMV is struck on the side near the rear, when the other driver was in another lane before the impact, When the CMV is struck by a vehicle that did not slow or stop in traffic, When the CMV is struck by a vehicle that failed to stop at a traffic control device, such as a stop or yield sign or a red light, When the CMV is struck by a vehicle making a U-turn or illegal turn, When the CMV is struck by a driver experiencing a medical issue that causes the crash, When the CMV is struck by a driver who admits to falling asleep or to distracted driving, When the crash involved a person who was under the influence, even if the CMV was struck by another vehicle involved other than the one driven by the person who was under the influence, and When the crash involved a person driving in the wrong direction, even if the CMV was struck by a vehicle other than the one that was driving in the wrong direction. FMCSA said it plans to review the results of these new categories for up to 24 months to determine their effectiveness. Under the proposal, crashes on or after August 1 will continue to display in SMS, but with a notation of “Not Preventable,” “Preventable” or “Undecided.” Crashes deemed “Not Preventable will be removed from SMS Crash Indicator BASIC calculations. “Data drives our agency’s decisions, and the information we’ve received and analyzed during the demonstration project informed our action today to expand and improve the crash preventability program,” said FMCSA Administrator Raymond Martinez.  “We’ve listened to carriers, drivers, and other commercial motor vehicle stakeholders throughout each step of this process, and strongly encourage all interested parties to submit comments on our proposed changes.” For more information about the proposal, including how to submit comments to the Federal Register docket, click  here. Learn more about FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Demonstration Program here.

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations Wednesday released the latest edition of its annual data compendium – ATA American Trucking Trends 2019 – which showed that the industry’s revenues jumped to $796.7 billion in 2018, up from $700.1 billion the previous year. “2018 was a year of dynamic growth for the trucking industry,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Trends is a simple, one-stop resource to see where our industry is so executives and policymakers can make informed decisions about where it is going.” Among the other findings in trends: In 2018, trucks moved 11.49 billion tons of freight, 71.4% of the nation’s tonnage freight. Trucking’s revenues accounted for 80.3% of the nation’s freight bill. Trade – especially with Mexico and Canada – is very important to trucking. Trucks moved 67.4% of surface freight between the U.S. and Canada – up 3.6% in 2018 – and 83.5% of cross-border trade with Mexico, up 10.2% from the previous year. There are 7.8 million people employed in trucking-related jobs, up 100,000 from the previous year. This includes 3.5 million professional drivers. Women make up 6.6% of the industry’s drivers and minorities account for 40.4% of truckers. Most carriers are small companies – 91.3% of fleets operate six or fewer trucks and 97.4% operate 20 or fewer. “ATA believes good decisions are based on good data, and Trends is full of strong data, which is why it finds a home on the desks of elected officials, regulators and executives across the supply chain,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.  

TUCSON, Ariz. — Registration will begin Thursday for the first autonomous driver certificate program for truck drivers at Pima Community College. Classes begin in September. The program is a collaboration between Pima and self-driving truck company TuSimple. The Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist program will equip truck drivers with the knowledge and skills to expand their roles in this new and rapidly expanding industry, Pima and TuSimple said in a news release. The certificate will prepare individuals for jobs such as training the autonomous system as test drivers, operating the vehicle in situations where autonomous driving is not suitable and to remotely monitor the system from a command center, the partners said. The Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist certificate program will teach experienced truck drivers how to operate and work with autonomous trucks in as quickly as one semester. The program requires a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) prior to enrollment as drivers will build on their trucking knowledge with each course. TuSimple and Pima Community College have co-created a curriculum for the certificate program that comprises of five classes. The courses are: Introduction to Autonomous Vehicles, Industrial Safety, Computer Hardware Components, Electrical Systems I, as well as, Transportation and Traffic Management. In conjunction with the program, TuSimple will prioritize hiring graduates of the certificate program for jobs at its Tucson testing and development center. “It’s clear that the future of truck transportation will offer new employment opportunities for today’s drivers but it will require a set of new skills,” said Lee Lambert, chancellor of Pima Community College. “Working with TuSimple to develop this Autonomous Vehicle Driver and Operations Specialist certificate program ensures our students will build competencies in multiple areas – from logistics and information technology to automated industrial technology. These areas are being transformed by autonomy and drivers will need training in order to interact with autonomous trucks.” For information or to enroll, please call Pima Community College’s Center for Transportation Training at 520-206-2744. “In keeping with TuSimple’s mission to create the safest autonomous driving fleet, an essential aspect of the training program is to ensure that drivers have access to appropriate training for this new technology and employment opportunities,” stated Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder, president and chief technology officer at TuSimple. “We commend Pima Community College for offering this innovative and exciting program that can help address the acute driver shortage. The program offers driving professionals a smooth transition into an emerging field that requires different skill sets in addition to existing truck driving knowledge by providing training.” Pima and TuSimple said the certificate program was created along the backdrop of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s study examining how the development and deployment of automated vehicle-related technology is expected to impact the transportation workforce. The first phase of the DOT study will focus on the long-haul trucking and transit bus sectors and will result in a report to Congress, expected later this year.    

The following article appeared on the TravelCenters of America website. It is reprinted with permission. Without professional drivers, our everyday lives would be drastically different. And without the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF), many truck drivers suffering from medical issues or injuries and financial uncertainty wouldn’t be able to get by, which is why we’re proud to put on the largest fundraising event for SCF every year when TravelCenters of America Band Together at TA and Petro locations across the country. This year, SCF’s Director of Philanthropy & Development Shannon Currier hit the road with Crete Carrier driver Craig Daniels to experience a week in the life of a driver, stopping at TA and Petro locations along the way to spread the word about the SCF and why we Band Together. Shannon is a regular guest on Radio Nemo’s Tim Ridley Show on XM 146 and Craig is a regular listener and caller. Craig previously connected with Shannon on social media after learning they both lived in the Montgomery, Alabama, area and shared mutual friends. After Craig heard Shannon mention she was interested in doing a ride along, he reached out to her to help make that wish a reality. “I wanted to get Shannon and the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund more exposure,” Craig said. “A lot of drivers don’t listen to the radio to hear about SCF and what they are doing to support drivers. I was hoping to make this sort of a ‘cross country tour’ to bring awareness to the SCF and what they do, and also so drivers purchasing bands have a better understanding of what their $1 or $5 supports.” Their weeklong journey started at the Petro in Shorter, Alabama, and ended at the TA in Meridian, Mississippi, with stops at Petro Atlanta, Petro Shreveport, Louisiana, and TA Terrell, Texas, along the way. “Since Craig and I had talked some and I knew the people at Nemo knew him already, we decided to go through his company, Crete Carrier,” Shannon said. “Craig reached out to Crete for their approval and they said yes, so we got the details in order and planned the date. We chose the month of July because one of SCF’s largest sponsors is TA and Petro and I wanted to promote Band Together while on the road.” Shannon had never been in a semi-truck for more than a short period of time, so this ride along experience gave her a new perspective on some of the issues drivers face every day, like maintaining a healthy diet on the road. While it’s not always easy, she says it can be done. Shannon planned ahead by packing meals that she could keep in Craig’s cab refrigerator during the day,and found healthy meal choices from StayFit menus at TA and Petro locations along the way. “I have learned a lot being on the road,” Shannon said during her week on the road with Craig. “And I have had such a great time getting to meet drivers and TA and Petro employees to thank them in person for their support and to let them know the difference they make in drivers’ lives by promoting Band Together.”        

WASHINGTON — Werner Enterprises President and CEO Derek Leathers Tuesday urged Congress to quickly ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in order to advance the critical trading relationship between the U.S. and its North American neighbors. “Failing to pass the USMCA would have a negative impact on truck drivers along with the customers we serve across North America: manufacturers, farmers, retailers, and consumers,” Leathers told the Senate Finance Committee on behalf of the American Trucking Association. “Ratification will provide certainty and usher in a new era of increased innovation, more good-paying American jobs, and sustained economic growth.” In his testimony, Leathers highlighted the importance of trade with Mexico and Canada to the U.S. trucking industry, which moves roughly 76% of all goods that are shipped between the three countries. “Every day, there are 33,000 truck entries across our northern and southern borders—hauling more than $2 billion of goods,” he said. “To put this in perspective: 12.2 million truck crossings moved approximately $772 billion of goods across our Canadian and Mexican borders in 2018.” Because of how interconnected the U.S. economy has become with Mexico and Canada since the 1994 enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement, failing to ratify the USMCA would have a serious negative impact on the trucking industry, putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk. “The USMCA represents more than a trade agreement. The flow of commerce between our nations has become a major cornerstone of our economy, supporting the livelihood of roughly 90,000 people employed in the U.S. trucking industry, including nearly 60,000 U.S. truck drivers,” he said.      

SALT LAKE CITY— EpicVue, providers of premium in-cab satellite TV packaged exclusively for the trucking industry, said Monday that owner-operators can now subscribe independently and use its driver entertainment systems to enjoy the comforts of home on the road. “With fleet use of our in-cab satellite TV for drivers growing, we had steadily rising interest from independent operators,” said Lance Platt, CEO of EpicVue. “That led to making a new monthly, no contract subscription package available exclusively to owner-operators. Now, during off-duty rest periods, they can kick back and watch their favorite shows, the big game or catch up on the latest news. With EpicVue, they can also record a show or movie while driving, and they never need to rely on truckstop Wi-Fi to enjoy a program.” EpicVue in-cab satellite TV for owner-operators is offered in three monthly subscription packages. After upfront hardware and installation costs, there is no contract, and no activation or cancellation fees. Drivers simply select a channel lineup with more than 100 channels of DIRECTV programming, including Showtime and the NFL Sunday Ticket available, stationary or InMotion dish tracking, and whether they want a DVR. Drivers also have the option of installing EpicVue hardware themselves using updated installation manuals from EpicVue, or using a professional installation option being offered at ten TA Petro truckstop locations for a flat rate of $180. Discount programs for the EpicVue service are being offered exclusively through a growing number of associations, including the American Association of Owner Operators, the Truckers Service Association and the National Association of Independent Truckers. EpicVue is also working with trucking companies that use the services of dedicated owner-operators to make in-cab satellite TV available at discounted rates. A special promotional program for drivers interested in EpicVue in-cab satellite TV will be offered in conjunction with the Great American Trucking Show, which will take place August 22-24, 2019 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas. For more details, visit www.tvformytruck.com. Salt Lake City-based EpicVue was formed by individuals with years of combined experience in the satellite and television industries. The company offers a TV viewing package specifically designed for commercial fleets and now for owner-operators. For more information, visit www.epicvue.com.    

The average price for a gallon of diesel nationwide fell by one penny for the week ending July 29, to currently stand at $3.034 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The one-cent decline is actually an improvement over the prior week, when diesel fell by 0.7 cents, and it continues a pattern of fairly consistent but very slow improvement since May 6, when diesel was going for $3.171. that’s a drop of 13.7 cents in 12 weeks. Like last week, nearly the entire nation shared in the mild good news. This week, California was the lone exception, and even that was by literally the slimmest of margins. An increase of 0.1 cent in the Golden State left diesel prices there at a nation-high $3.940 per gallon. While the price of diesel is lower in in every region compared to a year ago, California’s improvement is by the smallest amount, 0.5 cents. With the rest of the West Coast enjoying a 1.2-cent drop, to $3.186, the West Coast overall saw diesel fall a half-cent this past week, to $3.606. The East Coast saw the heftiest price drop last week, relatively speaking. In both the Central Atlantic and Lower Atlantic regions, the price of diesel fell 1.3 cents, to match the East Coast average overall. The Central Atlantic now stands at $3.246, the second-highest price in the nation, while in the Lower Atlantic, diesel prices are the second-lowest in the nation, at $2.924. Meanwhile, New England saw the largest price decline of any individual region, 1.6 cents, to stand at $3.106. Diesel crept slightly further below $3 per gallon throughout the middle of the country. In the Midwest, diesel slipped down 0.8 cents, to $2.940. In both the Rocky Mountain and Gulf Coast regions, the price of diesel fell 1.1 cents, to finish at $2.967 in the Rocky Mountain region and $2.793 in the gulf Coast. Crude oil prices started Tuesday on an upswing. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 39 cents, or 0.61%, to stand at $64.10 a barrel by midmorning. U.S.-based West Texas Intermediate crude had risen 20 cents, or 0.35%, to $57.07 a barrel. Click here for a complete list of average prices by region for the past three weeks.

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of four lead senators from the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Monday introduced the largest highway legislation in history. The America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act authorizes $287 billion over five years, including $259 billion for formula programs to maintain and repair America’s roads and bridges. The total represents an increase of over 27 percent from the levels of the current Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) levels and includes provisions to improve road safety, streamline project delivery, protect the environment and grow the economy. The senators include John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Shelly Moore Capito, R-W. Va., Tom Carper, D-Del., and Ben Cardin, D-Md. Barrasso is chairman of the committee, Carper is ranking member. Capito is chairman of the SPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Cardin is ranking member of the subcommittee. Barrasso and Carper are ex-officio members. The legislation has been unanimously voted out of committee and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. “After months of bipartisan negotiation, I’m proud to introduce this surface transportation reauthorization bill that would make an unprecedented investment to improve our nation’s roads, highways, and bridges, and make our country’s transportation infrastructure work better for every American in every zip code,” Carper said. “America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act will move our country toward a safer, more connected, efficient and climate-friendly transportation system, one that can endure the test of time and keep up with the evolving demands of a 21st century global economy. This bipartisan legislation includes the first-ever climate title in a highway bill and would invest $10 billion in policies and innovative projects aimed at reducing emissions and enhancing resilience. We’re just getting started, but I look forward to moving this bill out of committee this week and the work ahead of us to get it across the finish line.” Among other provisions, the legislation: Codifies key tenets of the “One Federal Decision” policy to streamline project delivery and federal approvals. Establishes a program to support projects that will improve the resiliency of roads and bridges to natural disasters and extreme weather events. Authorizes a mix of formula-based and grant-based programs to begin to reduce transportation-related emissions. The “One Federal Decision” policy is important to advancing projects as quickly as possible, the senators said. It establishes a two-year goal for completion of environmental reviews, a 90-day timeline for related project authorizations, a single environmental document and record of decision to be signed by all participating agencies; and an accountability and tracking system managed by the Secretary of Transportation. The proposed bill drew immediate reaction from industry stakeholders. “We thank Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for taking this important first step toward reauthorizing our nation’s surface transportation systems,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “The strength of our economy relies on sound roads and bridges, as more than 70% of our nation’s goods travel by highway on the back of trucks. With the right investment, we can stem America’s deepening infrastructure crisis and instead achieve a 21st century infrastructure worthy of the world’s leading economy. “We look forward to working closely with this committee and the other relevant committees on a legislative package that includes the long-term, sustainable funding that our highway programs critically need.” Norita Taylor, director of public relations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the association was are cautiously optimistic but “watching closely for what ends up in the final version, especially when it comes to funding.” “We thank the Senate EPW Committee for officially beginning the reauthorization process today,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway amd Transportation Officials. “Getting this important legislation enacted by next fall is something every state DOT strongly supports “In addition to focusing on safety and resiliency of our highway infrastructure, 90 percent of the funding in EPW’s bill is provided directly to states by formula which ensures flexibility to best meet each state’s unique highway investment needs,” said Tymon. “For state DOTs, it is absolutely crucial to get the next federal transportation bill done on time, without resorting to a series of short-term program extensions. When federal funds are predictable and stable, state DOTs are able to fully focus attention on delivering critical projects that improve safety, quality of life, and economic opportunities for everyone.” NATSO President and CEO Lisa Mullings said the measure marks a step in the right direction when it comes to enhancing supply chain efficiencies, while also harnessing the private sector’s ingenuity to take meaningful steps to improve the environment. NATSO is supportive of the committee’s effort to establish a grant program that would stimulate private investment in electric vehicle charging and natural gas refueling stations along designated highway corridors, she said. “Private sector investment in alternative fuels such as electricity and natural gas are key to meeting the fueling needs of the traveling public,” Mullings said. “It is NATSO’s hope that policymakers will steer grants toward projects where private capital is being placed at risk, rather than toward public utilities that inappropriately use their monopolistic stature to crowd out private investment in EV charging infrastructure. NATSO strongly supports private sector investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the travel plaza and truckstop community is making significant investments in this regard.”    

TUALATIN, Ore. — Reddaway, a less-than-truckload service provider in the western United States and Canada, is offering the Reddaway Truck Driving Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship is a one-year training program where interested individuals can earn a Class A license and driving experience while being paid a wage that includes benefits, according to Reddaway President Bob Stone. After students successfully complete the apprenticeship, they have a job at Reddaway as a professional truck driver. Stone said as the nation struggles with a severe truck driver shortage, trucking companies are trying different tactics to attract drivers. Some have driving schools, but Stone said Reddaway takes training to a higher level with this apprenticeship. As Reddaway’s initial data confirms, successful completion of the training program leads to safer drivers (accidents for drivers with less than one year of experience are down 30%). Reddaway’s apprenticeship program is open to Class A holders with less than one year of experience or no experience and individuals interested in a career as a professional truck driver. “Our driver training program is open to anyone looking for a career in trucking,” Stone said. “The goal is to produce safe, quality drivers and address the driver shortage. The program takes place in three sections over a one-year period. There are four weeks within a dedicated school environment. Then three weeks with a trainer in a live environment and follow-up through one year. Reddaway currently has just over 70 certified driver trainers. Apprentices are trained in Reddaway’s safety first culture.” Stone said Reddaway expected to train over 180 drivers this year at the Reddaway Driving Academy. “The initial four weeks of training are held at one of our four school locations: Los Angeles, California; Medford, Oregon; Portland, Oregon or Salt Lake City, Utah. This is so apprentices can focus solely on learning,” said Jared Smith, Reddaway senior director of human resources. “A designated area gives apprentices a safe open space to practice and enhance their skills. Remaining training occurs at Reddaway terminals throughout our network. During the initial four weeks of training, apprentices attend classes, practice their driving on the skills development course, and receive on-the-road training. Apprentices are paid and meals are provided during the four-week training. Instructors work one-on-one with apprentices to personalize a learning plan to ensure their success.” Reddaway also received a grant of $40,000 from FASTPORT to support the apprenticeship program. FASTPORT is a veteran employment software company with a mission to connect veterans to career opportunities. For more information visit www.reddaway.com/careers or call 866-582-1320.

LAREDO, Texas — Laredo Sector Border Patrol agents on July 23 rescued 10 individuals in a human smuggling attempt at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 35 north of Laredo, Texas. The incident occurred when agents encountered a white tractor pulling two additional tractors in the primary inspection lane.  While at the primary lane, a Border Patrol canine alerted to the odor of concealed narcotics and/or humans in the vehicle.  The tractor was referred to secondary for further inspection. Agents discovered five individuals who were being transported in the middle tractor and five more in the last tractor.  Record checks on the 10 individuals determined they were nationals of Mexico and El Salvador in the country illegally.  Despite the heat of the Texas summer, the migrants did not require medical attention, according to information provided by Laredo Sector Border Patrol official. They were all placed under arrest, along with the driver, a United States citizen, to be processed accordingly.  The tractors utilized in the human smuggling attempt were seized by the Laredo Sector Border Patrol. Agents determined the driver of the rig to be a U.S. citizen and placed him under arrest for possible charges related to human smuggling. Officials seized all the tractor and both trailers. Laredo Sector agents frequently find migrants being smuggled in tractor-trailers and other cargo trucks placing the migrants lives in danger from heat-related illness or injury in the event of a crash. In May, a Laredo Sector K-9 alerted to another tractor-trailer at this same checkpoint, Breitbart News reported. An inspection of the trailer yielded 66 migrants who were locked inside with no means of escape in the event of a crash or abandonment by the human smugglers. Agents said the 66 migrants included two juveniles. “The Laredo Sector Border Patrol will continue to warn against the dangers of people crossing illegally into the United States through dangerous environmental conditions,” Laredo Sector officials said in a written statement at the time. “Our Border Safety Initiative (BSI) is a humanitarian, bi-national strategy designed to reduce illegal alien deaths, educate and inform potential illegal aliens of the dangers and hazards of crossing the border illegally, and to respond to those who are in life-threatening situations.”    

ARLINGTON, Va. —  The American Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization, has launched the 2019 Top Industry Issues Survey. The annual survey asks trucking industry stakeholders to rank the top issues of concern for the industry along with appropriate strategies for addressing each issue. Now in its 15th year, ATRI’s annual analysis not only ranks the issues overall but also provides details on where critical topics are ranked differently by motor carriers and professional drivers. “This survey gives everyone in trucking, from drivers to executives, a chance to weigh in on the industry’s most pressing issues and strategies for addressing each. By participating you are helping our industry speak with a collective voice on what is most important to us,” said ATA Chairman Barry Pottle, president of Pottle Transportation of Bangor, Maine. The results of the 2019 survey will be released at the ATA Management Conference and Exhibition, to be held October 5-9 in San Diego, California. In 2018, the overall top 10 concerns were (in order from one to 10) the driver shortage, Hours of Service, electronic logging device mandate, truck parking, CSA, driver distraction, transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding, driver health and wellness and the economy. The 2018 top 10 as ranked by drivers included, Hours of Service, truck parking, ELD mandate, driver distraction, driver retention, CSA, driver health and wellness, transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding, driver shortage and automated truck technology. The 2018 top 10 as ranked by motor carriers included driver shortage, driver retention, Hours of Service, transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding, ELD mandate, CSA, driver distraction, tort reform, truck parking and federal preemption of state regulation of interstate trucking (F4A). Industry stakeholders are encouraged to complete the survey by clicking here. The survey will remain open through September 20, 2019. ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.                    

WASHINGTON — A paper released by the Brookings Institution in mid-July indicates that “costly environmental review delays” are a major reason why the cost of building one mile of interstate highway tripled between the 1960s and 1980s, adjusted for inflation, validating some of the cost-reduction rationale behind state efforts to assume decision-making and legal responsibilities for meeting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for federal highway projects. The paper, which was reported by the Journal, the official publication of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, also found that increases in household income and home values also helped spur costlier interstate investments, such as the addition of more lanes, on/off ramps, and bridges. “Changing costs for construction material or labor don’t explain the increase in spending over time. Neither do the costs of acquiring rights of way or the costs of planning,” the paper’s authors said. “And there were no large changes to federal interstate highway construction standards over time.” The authors did, however, identify “empirical evidence” consistent with two potential explanations for the jump in highway construction costs. “The first is that the demand for more expensive interstate highways increases with income, as either richer people are willing to pay for more expensive highways or in any case they can have their interests heard in the political process,” they said. “The doubling in real median per capita income over the period accounts for roughly half of the increase in expenditures per mile over the period. Controls for home value also account for a large proportion of the temporal increase; taken together, income and home value increases account for almost all the temporal change in costs.” The paper’s second hypothesis centers on what the authors call the “rise of citizen voice” in the late 1960s and early 1970s – a catch-all term used to describe the impact of the environmental movement, the civil rights movement, and the rise of homeowners as organized lobbyists that empowered citizens with “institutional tools” like environmental reviews to increase the “cost of government behavior,” such as mandating the addition of highway noise barriers. Accommodating the “citizen voice” from an environmental perspective while simultaneously lowering the cost of doing so is one reason more states – such as Arizona – are seeking NEPA assignment authority. That way, they can comply with federal environmental requirements on their own, allowing them to streamline processes – saving time and money – while waiving their sovereign immunity in relation to federal court jurisdiction. For example, the California Department of Transportation reported a 30% time savings in project delivery after receiving NEPA assignment authority, while the Texas Department of Transportation estimated that it gained time savings of 25 percent The U.S. Department of Transportation also issued a final rule last year to “rationalize and streamline” the environmental review process across railroad, transit, and highway projects alike. Still, Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation and the 2018-2019 vice president of AASHTO, noted in testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in March that “a great deal” of further transportation project delivery delay arises from the interaction with NEPA and other federal environmental laws, each with their own distinct procedures and requirements. “Streamlining the NEPA process alone will not be successful without also streamlining compliance with the other federal environmental laws,” he said.. “To make the NEPA process work more smoothly with other substantive environmental requirements, USDOT and its modal administrations, along with state DOTs, should work with federal environmental agencies to develop programmatic approaches to streamline environmental processes,” McKenna said. “Programmatic agreements greatly reduce the time and cost needed to meet environmental requirements, without changing the underlying environmental standards that projects must meet.”