Jun 16, 2017 • Carriers

HAZMAT Transportation

HAZMAT Transportation

Understand the requirements of HAZMAT transportation and how truck drivers can avoid violations.

HAZMAT Transportation

HAZMAT transportation can be lucrative for carriers but it requires understanding common Department of Transportation violations and how to avoid them in regards to hazardous materials.

HAZMAT transportation can be extremely dangerous for truck drivers which is why it typically pays at a higher rate. To enforce regulations and promote the safety of HAZMAT transportation, the FMCSA conducts over 154,000 annual roadside inspections, with an estimated 35,000 DOT HAZMAT violations reported. That’s nearly 23 percent of inspections resulting in a violation!

Most Common Violations of HAZMAT Regulations

No Copy of USDOT hazardous materials registration number (8.1 %)
Package not secure in vehicle (7.6 %)
Placard damaged, deteriorated or obscured (6.9 %)
Vehicle not placarded as required (5.9 %)
No Shipping papers (5.1 %)
Shipping paper accessibility (4.7 %)
Emergency response information missing (4.5 %)
Failure to provide carrier required placards (4.4 %)
Offering a hazardous material without preparing a shipping paper (3.0 %)
No placards or marking when required (2.9 %)

Want to obtain a HAZMAT endorsement on your CDL and potentially earn more with HAZMAT transportation?

GHS Transport Pictograms Cheat Sheet for hazardous materials from Global Chemical Resources.

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Industry Update - January 24, 2020 <h4>By Paul DeCoste</h4> <h3></h3> <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Industry Update</strong></h3> Curious about the top issues discussed in the trucking industry in 2019? Take a look at this graphic from the ATRI Top Industry Issues 2019 survey. <h3> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/01/image002-1.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4869 aligncenter" src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/01/image002-1-300x244.png" alt="" width="300" height="244" /></a></h3> <h3><strong>Weather Update</strong></h3> <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/snowstorm-lingers-into-weekend-for-midwest-northeast-with-forecast-video">This snowstorm</a> has been building up over the past few days and drivers need to be aware of some potential snowfall in the Midwest. The following locations should be driven on with caution for the weekend; Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin, Michigan’s upper peninsula, Chicago and South Bend, Indiana. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Pilot Name Change</strong></h3> <a href="https://cdllife.com/2020/truck-stop-giant-announces-big-name-change/">Just yesterday, Pilot Flying J announced that</a> they are changing their company name to “Pilot Company”. This new corporate name is meant to, “serve as an umbrella that captures the total portfolio of the business as it continues to expand its retail and energy operations.” <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Driver Saves Lives</strong></h3> <a href="https://www.truckersnews.com/driver-fights-fire-at-accident-scene-honored-for-his-efforts/">Linden O’Donnell went out of his way to put out a car fire</a> and help several motorists. He was driving on the right side of Interstate 280 when he witnessed a car smash into the back of a stalled SUV. Thankfully the SUV was empty, but the passengers of the car were barely conscious and in need of help. As fire crept from the engine to the cab, Linden ran to grab his fire extinguisher and put out the flames. This allowed Linden to safely assist the drivers out of the car and out of harm’s way. His courage and ability to react deserves the honor he is receiving. <h3></h3> <h3>New Tech</h3> <a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/companies-explore-using-old-electric-car-batteries-cut-costs">This pilot study done by American Electric Power and Nissan Motor Co</a>., is testing the reuse of old batteries to reduce costs for electric cars. This new process has the potential to lower system costs by one-half and even extend the power of lithium batteries by one-third.

Jan 24, 2020 • Carriers

Trucker Path App Update Version 4.1.2: Satellite Views, Improved search, and Major Bug Fixes <h2></h2> <h3></h3> Good morning Trucker Path users! We’re excited to rollout the latest version 4.1.2 of Trucker Path in the App Stores (<a href="http://bit.ly/truckerpathdroid">Play Store</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/truckerpathios">Apple</a>). We’ve added new features requested by our users and fixed longstanding bugs. <h2></h2> <strong>1. Added Satellite Views</strong> <h2></h2> Tapping into the detailed page of a Place will show a satellite screenshot of that location. This way, you can get a better sense of the parking and layout. <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s1.jpeg"><img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s1-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5057" /></a> <h2></h2> <strong>2. Improved Places Search Capability</strong> <h2></h2> The search bar will now support searching for the business’ name, as well as their address. <h2></h2> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s2.jpeg"><img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s2-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5058" /></a> <h2></h2> <strong>3. Bug Fixes</strong> <h2></h2> A few users reported the mile distance from location isn’t displaying correctly. Rest assured this is now completely fixed. <h2></h2> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s3.jpeg"><img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s3-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5059" /></a> <h2></h2> Some users are also reported seeing “no internet connection” despite being connected to the internet. This is a known bug where we’ve implemented some solutions in this patch. Fingers crossed it will be resolved for those affected. <h2></h2> <a href="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s4.jpeg"><img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2020/06/s4-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5060" /></a> <h2></h2> Hope you guys enjoy these. More feature updates in the pipeline for the next release cycle! If you have any suggestions please let our team know at community@truckerpath.com, we're actively looking for user suggestions! <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <h2></h2> <h4>By The Trucker Path Team</h4> <h3></h3> <h3></h3>

Jun 18, 2020 • Carriers

Truck Parking Issue Can Cost the Industry $5 Billion Annually [p]Finding safe truck parking is a looming issue that can cost the trucking industry an estimated $5.1 billion annually.[/p] [h2]3 Factors to Help Resolve the Truck Parking Issue[/h2] [p][b]1. Increase Capacity in Areas of Need[/b][/p] [p]After examining the data at over 270,000 truck parking spots in 2016, we found that in the Western areas of America, it is nearly impossible for a truck driver to find truck parking nearby within 45 minutes. After surveying over 3,000 truck drivers we discovered that [i]40 percent of truck drivers spend an hour or more searching for nearby truck parking.[/i] That's nearly 10 percent of their allotted daily driving time![/p] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/05/bottom-infgr-e.png" alt=""] [p][b]2. Increase the Use of Technology to Help Find Truck Parking[/b][/p] [p]Technology can provide truck drivers with necessary information to find nearby truck parking. [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Trucker Path[/a] is a necessity for truck drivers who need to find nearby truck parking. There are over 8,000 truck stops, rest areas, and travel centers in the app with real-time updates regarding the available truck parking.[/p] [p][b]3. Improve Trip Planning and Efficiency by Drivers[/b][/p] [p]Most drivers plan ahead by searching for truck parking along their route. However, on average, 16 percent of truck drivers say they start to plan for parking 30 minutes or less before hitting their HOS limit. For truck drivers to find available parking in a timely manner, especially in the Western part of the U.S., they should begin the process at least one hour ahead of hitting their HOS limit.[/p] [p]Fleets can also help their drivers by providing them with necessary recommendations or having technology like Trucker Path loaded onto in-cab devices. While some fleets are proactive, this is not standard as 86 percent of truck drivers say their fleets don't give them recommendations on how to find parking.[/p] [p][b]Using Trucker Path can save drivers an estimated 11 hours per month![/b][/p] [video id="NSSOwFRJaQw"] [h2]Lost Opportunity for Fleets and Truck Drivers[/h2] [p]Time spent searching for truck parking can limit a driver’s earning potential. [i]If over 1.6 million truck drivers in America lose 11 hours every month, then the trucking industry is losing about $5.1 billion annually.[/i] Here is a detailed breakdown of the potential lost opportunity.[/p] [images src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/05/chartcaption.png" alt="Cost of parking" width="316px" align="left"] [h2]Unauthorized Truck Parking is Unsafe[/h2] [p]Truck driver safety also plays a role in the truck parking issue. In 2015, 852 truck drivers lost their life while working, making it the most dangerous job in the USA. [i]79 percent of drivers were forced to violate their HOS because they couldn't find truck parking.[/i] Meanwhile, drivers have been forced to park in unauthorized locations such as highway shoulders, store lots, and off-ramps. These areas are unsafe for truck drivers, leading to potential cargo theft or accidents when merging off or back onto roads.[/p] [h2]What's Being Done to Help Truck Drivers?[/h2] [p]Truck drivers don't feel enough measures are being implemented to help them. [i]86 percent of truck drivers we surveyed said they feel the government isn't doing enough to help alleviate the truck parking issue.[/i] There are a few states that have taken the initiative in helping provide solutions for truck drivers.[/p] [p]States such as Kentucky and Florida (among others) now utilize weigh stations for truck parking, known as “rest havens”. Meanwhile, Maryland and Delaware have provided corridor parking for trucks along I-95 resulting in 220 available truck parking spots.[/p] [p]Reopening rest areas for trucks to use for parking is another potential opportunity. Many rest areas were closed since 2008 due to state and city budget decreases. Rest areas that are closed like in California, where there are 13 not in operation could provide an average of 10 truck parking spots per location. The operational costs could be limited by providing only basic restrooms and security like surveillance or a rotation of a security officer on duty.[/p] [button-white href="http://assets.truckerpath.com/external/2017-05-04-pdf/parking-shortage-costs-the-trucking-industry-5B-annually.pdf"]Entire Report[/button-white]

May 04, 2017 • Carriers