Hey everyone! It’s time for your Monday Daily Trucker News Update!
We have a lot of news to cover today, including:
- The U.S. Border Patrol getting quite the surprise.
- IT snags causing medical card headaches, what you need to be prepared for.
- And chicken guts everywhere???
What? There’s so much to cover on today’s Daily Trucker!
So, let’s get trucking!
Britnee: The numbers are in… and recent study done by ACT Research shows sales of commercial electric vehicles, specifically Classes 4 through 8 trucks, is expected to top 300,000 by year 2040.
This new ACT study extended the forecast to 2040, takes into account additional vehicle applications, and dives into the potential for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle adoption for commercial vehicles.
Based off a comprehensive total cost of ownership, the forecast covers 14 sub-segments and 23 application types, ranging in vehicle size from Class 4 through Class 8.
The study details the benefits of CV electrification by a combination of advances in battery technology, environmental considerations and government policy, plus the potential for significant operational cost savings. CEV share gains are projected to grow from a small batch today to more than 40% by 2040 for the market in aggregate.
Niki: U.S. Border Patrol agents got quite the surprise last week when they discovered 149 undocumented people locked inside a semi-truck.
The human-smuggling attempt happened at the Interstate 35 checkpoint north of Laredo, Texas. Agents got suspicious when a nonintrusive scan of the commercial tractor-trailer revealed multiple anomalies.
That’s when agents opened the sealed cargo area of the truck and uncovered the undocumented individuals locked inside. Agents found the people were in the U.S. illegally and are citizens from other countries in South America.
The truck driver, a U.S. citizen, and all 149 people were placed under arrest pending further investigation by Homeland Security. Border Patrol then seized both the tractor and trailer.
Britnee: Well, there are more medical card headaches… IT snags are now causing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to seek a 4-year delay for medical card compliance.
State and federal regulators are asking for more time to work through the IT problems that are making it difficult to streamline the compliance system. Drivers and their employers will now be responsible until June 23rd, 2025 for ensuring that their medical certifications are properly registered.
The main problem? The FMCSA is not connected electronically with each of the 50 states DMVs. Causing drivers to do all the work themselves. First having to take their medical certifications to the DMVs… then their employers are supposed to make sure that the information gets posted on their CDLs.
Niki: Spot vans and refer rates are setting records… according to the newest data in from the DAT Truckload Volume Index.
Spot truckload van and refrigerated freight rates reached all-time highs in March. Also skyrocketing into record territory, the demand for flatbed transportation, driven by strong construction and manufacturing activity.
The total number of loads increased 22.3% month over month, while the number of available trucks was up 30.9%. All of this indicating a return of traffic after being disrupted by winter storms in February.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index, was up 31% in March to the highest level since the index was rebalanced in January 2015. The previous high was September 2020, when shippers were positioning freight for holiday shopping.
Britnee: The state of North Dakota is now offering free vaccines to Manitoba truck drivers who transport goods across the border.
Manitoba, a Canadian Province, and North Dakota’s agreement is the first of its kind between Canadian and American jurisdictions.
Getting some help from Manitoba Trucking Association, Manitoba and North Dakota are quickly identifying eligible drivers and scheduling vaccination appointments during truckers’ routine trips to the U.S. over the next six to eight weeks.
Around 2,000 to 4,000 Manitoba drivers are currently taking part in the program, receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Niki: And it’s always fun to end on a crazy note, right? Picture this… chicken guts all over the highway!!! That’s what happened in Australia when a motorist cut off a semi-truck that was hauling loads, and I mean loads, of chicken guts.
The truck driver slammed on their brakes avoiding any major accident with the frantic 4-wheeler, but catapulting chicken guts and parts all over the trailer, truck cab and the highway.
The driver had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, and that highway was shut down for 3 hours to clean up the mess.
That does it for today’s update!
Tune in tomorrow for all the trucking news you need!
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I actually have driven chicken guts they can be slippery