Mar 14, 2017

Blizzard Stella Causes Travel Ban Across the Northeast

Blizzard Stella Causes Travel Ban Across the Northeast

Spring might be next week, but severe winter storm Stella in the Northeast is causing slowdowns and even travel bans from parts of Virginia up through Maine. Brace yourself – Nor’easter is here.

Blizzard Stella

Severe blizzard conditions are hitting the Northeast causing many road closures and delays.

Connecticut Travel Ban

The area is expected to get nearly 22 inches of snow in the coming days.

#CTtraffic: 5am-10am troopers responded to 14 no-injury crashes, 34 motorist assists & 342 calls for service. Travel ban remains in effect. pic.twitter.com/CqKo9ASbvk
– CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) March 14, 2017

Massachusetts Parking Ban

Blizzard Stella conditions -WBZ-TV

#BPDWeatherAlert Snow Emergency declared in Boston. Parking ban in effect as of 7am
– Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) March 14, 2017

New York Blizzard

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced temporary tractor trailer bans on interstates on I-81, I-84, I-86/Route 17, I-88 and all of the New York State Thruway. The Governor also announced a full travel ban for all of Broome County beginning at 9 am.

Metro-North service will also be suspended at 12 pm due to weather conditions. Currently, MTA New York City bus service remains active but as conditions worsen, bus service may be suspended. Travelers are encouraged to check www.mta.info for service updates and to see when their last inbound or outbound trains will depart.

UPDATE: 16 inches so far with 2-3″ per hour snowfall as of 11 am in Highlands, NY! Drifts 3-4 feet @breakingweather @AccuRayno #blizzard pic.twitter.com/jw4cBNXrHz
– Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) March 14, 2017

Blizzard Warnings for parts of Long Island have been converted to Winter Storm Warnings as more in the way of a wintry mix is expected. pic.twitter.com/4hx357fRYd
– NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) March 14, 2017

Pennsylvania Travel Restrictions

ATTENTION: Starting at 10 p.m. tonight travel restrictions are in place. ⚠️ ❄️ More info. → https://t.co/YG60PdfFSd #Stella #PAWinter pic.twitter.com/fHUmduV3dT
– PennDOT (@PennDOTNews) March 14, 2017

These restrictions will be in place on Interstates 70, 76, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 95, 283, 176, 180, 476, 380 and all expressways not on the interstate system. The Turnpike will have the same restrictions beginning at 10 p.m. Monday from the Bedford Interchange east to NJ and on the entire Northeastern extension.

Trucker Path App Hits One Million Installs on Google Play [p]The Trucker Path community has rapidly expanded, now with over [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]1.5 million installs[/a] of the app and one million on Google Play.[/p] [h2]Thank You Truck Drivers![/h2] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/02/1millfb.jpg" alt=""] [fbbutton text="Join Our Facebook Community"] [h2]Press release[/h2] [p](MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., February 21, 2017) – [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Trucker Path[/a], creators of America’s most popular trip planning app for truck drivers, announced today that the app has surpassed over 1.5 million installs and is the first in the trucking industry to reach over one million downloads on Google Play. Meanwhile, Trucker Path’s freight-matching marketplace Truckloads app has reached over 250,000 downloads. The milestone makes the Truckloads apps the most installed freight-matching app in the trucking industry.[/p] [p]“Trucker Path continues to evolve as a trusted source of valuable information to help the dedicated men and women of our trucking community,” said Trucker Path CEO Ivan Tsybaev. “It’s remarkable the amount of growth and positive feedback we have received from the industry and it’s a tribute to our dedicated users, developers and the entire team for the shared success.”[/p] [p]Additionally, [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.truckerpath.truckloads?pid=Social Facebook"]Truckloads[/a] is the highest rated freight-matching mobile app in America, with an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars while the Trucker Path app is the highest rated navigational mobile app for truck drivers with a rating of 4.7 stars via user's Google Play reviews.[/p] [p]Trucker Path features over 6,000 locations where drivers can find available truck parking in real-time by fellow drivers. The crowd-sourced app has over 400,000 monthly parking updates by users and allows a driver to filter parking searches with locations such as TA & Petro, Loves, Pilot & Flying J, independently owned truck stops, rest areas and even Walmarts that are verified to allow overnight truck parking. The app also lists a locations amenities, parking history and reviews from fellow drivers.[/p] [p]Released to the public in March 2016, Truckloads is available to use for free on both mobile devices (Google Play and App Store) and the web. It provides a dynamic marketplace where over 80,000 qualified carriers search through two million loads per month posted by over 700 brokers.[/p] [p]Carriers can enjoy several unique features in the app including unlimited access to premium loads, the ability to customize searches based on seven different factors, as well as view a broker’s credit score and days to pay while calling to inquire about a load directly from the app.[/p] [p]Trucker Path is an all-encompassing ecosystem for the trucking industry. It simplifies the previously arduous process of finding and hauling truck freight by combining navigational assistance and trip planning in the Trucker Path app, allowing carriers with authority to book a load through Truckloads and receive immediate payment after with its freight factoring service [a href="https://truckerpath.com/instapay-freight-factoring/"]InstaPay[/a].[/p]

Feb 22, 2017 • Community

What is a Weigh Station? [p]Drive on any major interstate and you will eventually come across a green sign saying “weigh station”. So what is a weigh station for anyhow?[/p] [h2]What is a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]A weigh station is a designated location, typically located directly off of highways, where the Department of Transportation or state highway patrol inspects the weight of a vehicle. The reason why there are weigh stations is to ensure that the roads are not compromised by a potentially overweight vehicle. In America, the maximum weight that a truck with a full trailer can be on the road is 80,000 pounds (some exceptions). Additionally, a weigh station that is on the border of two states is called a port of entry.[/p] [p][i]The Simpsons – Maximum Homerdrive[/i][/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o6Mbt3gvvQdFlWg4E" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]Who Has to Stop at a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]Any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) that weighs over 10,000 pounds is required to stop at a weigh station unless the driver has a PrePass or other weigh station bypass service. [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Truck drivers can use Trucker Path[/a] to check ahead and see if a weigh station is open or closed in real-time. This can be extremely valuable to help truckers save valuable time.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xT5LMsfqY4WgipchIA" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]What Do Truckers Mean When They Say Chicken Coop?[/h2] [p]With over [a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/trucks-delivering-cargo-in-the-usa"]1.6 million heavy-duty truck drivers in America[/a] weigh stations can become extremely congested and can cost drivers precious time, not to mention waste fuel. Some truckers will refer to weigh stations as "chicken coops" because the large trucks are forced into a confined space prior to being weighed, like chickens in a coop.[/p] [h2]What Happens at a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]When a truck driver sees a weigh station that says OPEN, he or she must exit the freeway and enter the scales to be weighed. The majority of weigh stations have a rolling scale where a truck will roll past a certain area that has a scale (could differ by state). Once a truck is weighed and verified to weigh under 80,000 pounds, the truck will be granted a green light to exit the weigh station and proceed back on its route.[/p] [p]After a truck goes through the scales either the DOT or state inspection officer can flag the truck for an inspection.[/p] [p]At a weigh station, trucks can be inspected for a variety of reasons. DOT officers or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agents conduct a thorough equipment safety inspection to find issues with a truck including:[/p] [ul] [li]low or flat tires[/li] [li]tire tread[/li] [li]oil, fuel or anti-freeze leaks[/li] [li]brake malfunctions[/li] [li]broken springs[/li] [li]securely mounted fuel tanks[/li] [li]cracks in wheels and rims[/li] [li]unlocked kingpin[/li] [li]hose or tubing leak[/li] [/ul] [p]Any of these violations can lead to a truck being declared out-of-service (among a variety of others). If the FMCSA declares a truck as out-of-service, the truck shall be towed and not operated until repairs to the violations found during the inspection are completed. Truckers will also have to have repairmen sign Form MCS63 issued by the FMCSA to verify proper repairs were made.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o6MbiPDaKvIei93KU" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]Log Book Inspection[/h2] [p]A truckers' truck isn't the only thing that can be inspected. A truck drivers' log book can also be checked by an officer to ensure the driver is keeping a daily log of his or her record and isn't in violation of hours-of-service laws. DOT HOS regulations include:[/p] [ul] [li]Maximum 11 hours of driving during a 14-hour period[/li] [li]No more than 60 hours total in seven consecutive days on duty[/li] [li]No more than 70 hours total in eight consecutive days on duty[/li] [li]Required 10 consecutive hours off after 11 hours of driving[/li] [/ul] [p]Changes are coming for log books. The FMCSA Electronic Logging Device mandate will begin in December. The ELD mandate requires truckers to use an ELD to keep a record of his or her log book to comply with HOS regulations. HOS fines can range from $150 to over $1,000 each.[/p] [h2] Is There a Weigh Station Near Me? [/h2] [p] Ever ask yourself, is there a weigh station near me? As a truck driver, it's important to know if there is a weigh station near you along your route. Using the <strong>Trucker Path</strong> app you can see where weigh stations are located nearby and see if they're open or closed. [/p] [p] Want to save even more time? Plan ahead using the trip planning feature in the Trucker Path app to determine the locations of weigh stations along your route. Don't forget to update the status too! [/p] [button-green href=" https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=whatsweighstation&utm_campaign=Aug14"]Try TruckerPath Today[/button-green] [video id="NSSOwFRJaQw"]

Jan 17, 2017 • Community

President Trump Discusses The Trucking Industry [p]President Trump met with executives from the trucking industry as well as representatives from the American Trucking Association on Thursday at the White House, including ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.[/p] [p]Topics of the discussion included the new health care bill which repeals the Affordable Care Act as well as infrastructure and other important topics facing the trucking industry.[/p] [quote]“Trucking is the backbone of the nation’s economy. We employ 1 in 16 people in the U.S. Driving a truck is the top job in 29 states. Trucking moves 70% of the nation’s freight and 56% of GDP. To grow our economy, we need to take care of the people that move America forward,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.[/quote] [p]<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTruckerPath%2Fvideos%2F1160858214060459%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>[/p] [h2]ATA Supports President Trump's Healthcare Plan[/h2] [p]The Affordable Care Act was established by the Obama Administration seven years ago to the day. A vote by the House on a new health care bill was expected today but has since been delayed.[/p] [quote]“The Affordable Care Act is just plain unaffordable,” Spear said. “Replacing this law will help trucking employees, their families and our customers by lowering insurance costs, decrease mandates, liabilities and administrative burdens, and provide access to quality care and patient choice.”[/quote] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/03/cnn-healthcare-1.jpg" alt=""] [p][b]Provisions that will remain:[/b][/p] [ul] [li]Dependent coverage up to the age of 26[/li] [li]Pre-existing conditions are protected[/li] [li]No lifetime limits[/li] [li]Keeps cap on maximum out-of pocket expenses[/li] [/ul] [p][b]New provisions:[/b][/p] [ul] [li]Eliminates employer mandates[/li] [li]Subsidies include refundable tax credits[/li] [li]Medicaid would be overhauled and more responsibiities would be left to states[/li] [/ul] [h2]Trump ❤ Trucks[/h2] [p]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If he promised not to tweet anything crazy today, we told him he could wear his "I ❤Trucks" button. <a href="https://t.co/zTdCxOpatK">pic.twitter.com/zTdCxOpatK</a></p>— Trump Social Intern (@TrumPenceSocial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumPenceSocial/status/844999341064511490">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/p]

Mar 23, 2017 • Community