Dec 18, 2019

Industry Update - December 18, 2019

By: Paul DeCoste

M&Ms Destroyed

Last week there was a tragic ending to a truck-full of the famous candy, M&Ms. 17 tons of M&Ms were deemed unsalvageable and had to be tossed after a big rig tipped last Friday. The driver hit a side barrier which caused the truck to roll into a ditch. Thankfully the driver is okay and was only sent to the hospital for minor injuries.

Unfortunately, we will never see those M&Ms again…

Weather Update

It’s getting colder every day! Make sure you are checking up on the latest storms and weather updates. Your Trucker Path app is the best way to see the current weather. If you are looking for a country-wide update take a look at Diesel Boss here: https://www.dieselboss.com/weather-for-truckers.htm

Trucker Path Jobs

Are you a qualified driver looking for new opportunities this holiday season? Take a look at the Trucker Path load board where we are connecting drivers to jobs every day! We work with brokers AND truckers so if you are looking for a CDL job, look no further.

ELD Update

The new ELD mandate is officially live. You must use an Electronic Logging Device when operating a semi-truck. There will be no “grace” period for rigs without an ELD. On top of that, the AOBRD “grandfather” rule no longer applies so, if you haven’t already, make sure you rig your truck with an ELD ASAP!

Did you know?

Christmas is coming in quick!

Trucker Path wishes you happy holidays! Stay safe on the road and have an amazing time with your friends and family this holiday season.

Nov 26, 2019 • Carriers

Industry Update - November 22, 2019 <h4><strong>By Paul DeCoste</strong></h4> <h3><strong>Did you Know?</strong></h3> The trucker-themed movie, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadgames">Roadgames</a>, came out this week almost 30 years ago. On November 19<sup>th</sup>, 1981. Starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis, this film is a personal favorite of Quentin Tarantino. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Industry Update</strong></h3> The <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6199178/cn-rail-strike-3rd-day/">strike at CN Railway</a>, Canada’s largest railroad, has entered its third day. 3,200 unionized workers began their strike on Thursday, and it has been recorded as the biggest company strike in a decade. The union is mainly fighting against worker fatigue and making sure that worker’s breaks are not reduced. <h3></h3> CN’s stock has slowly fell by 3$ over the past three days of this strike. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Regulations</strong></h3> House Democrats in Connecticut want the governor to <a href="https://cdllife.com/2019/dems-tell-connecticut-governor-to-revive-truck-only-toll-plan/">rethink a plan that will only toll commercial vehicles on 12 bridges throughout the state</a>. The funding plan, officially titled “CT2030”, will only toll semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles and is estimated to rake in $150 million in revenue per year. The Connecticut House Speaker, Joe Aresimowicz, argues that commercial vehicles do majority of the damage to interstate roads and therefore, should be tolled at a rate that is 7x higher than the rate for passenger vehicles. <h3></h3> Governor Lamont has since stated that, “the truck-only option provides too little revenue, too slowly and too piecemeal to make a meaningful difference.” For the time being, highway tolls in Connecticut will remain the same to all vehicles that pay their fees. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>ELD Update</strong></h3> <a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/uber-freight-subsidizes-geotab-elds-0">Uber has recently partnered with Geotab and announced an interesting deal</a> to supply small carriers with their ELD service. Small carriers with 10 trucks or fewer are eligible to receive a free Geotab ELD as well as a free year of Uber Freight services. However, there’s a catch. <h3></h3> Carriers that accept this deal must agree to share their telematics data with Uber Freight. The breakdown of exactly what kind of data will be shared has yet to be announced but the value of telematics data has been on the rise in recent years and there is not telling how much valuable information you could end up giving away. <h3></h3> <h3>"Movember"</h3> <a href="https://www.trucker.com/drivers/maxitrans-supporting-mens-health-movember-drive">MaxiTRANS is an Australian trailer manufacturer and they are using “Movember” to raise awareness</a> for mins health issues. Issues that include prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. The company even commissioned an entire reefer trailer that is branded with Movember on all walls.

Nov 22, 2019 • Carriers

Industry Update - November 8, 2019 <h4><strong>By Paul DeCoste</strong></h4> <h3><strong>Did you Know?</strong></h3> Less than two weeks ago <a href="https://www.macktrucks.com/trucks/anthem/">Mack unveiled their brand new</a>, all-black, Mack Anthem truck. Debuted at the North American Commercial Vehicle in Atlanta on October 28<sup>th</sup>, this new model catches eyes with an all-black bulldog hood ornament, a spacious interior and much more. Mack promoted the truck with the phrase “Back in the Black”, a good omen to the goal of making good money as a driver. Truck fan or not, this blacked out semi is a beast. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Trucking Tip of the Week</strong></h3> Its that time of the year, watch out for snowy and impassible roads. <a href="https://cdllife.com/2019/trucker-was-stuck-on-snowy-road-for-three-days-before-calling-wyoming-police/">This driver was stuck on a two-lane roadway for three days before calling local police for help</a>. Make sure your truck is prepped for icy roads and freezing conditions. <h3></h3> Trucker Path’s weather feature on the navigation app can help you out here as well! <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Industry Update</strong></h3> Owner-operators in California are using this week and next <a href="https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/owner-operators-truck-drivers-plan-protests-over-ab5/566626/">to protest the new Assembly Bill 5</a> that has the potential to eliminate lots of owner-operator jobs in the state. Although there doesn’t seem to be any centralized leadership with the protests, there were 50 people protesting outside of the State Senator’s office on Monday. <h3></h3> The controversial AB 5 bill will require owner-operators to be classified as employees with a trucking company, rather than expand their own small businesses as a contractor. This bill is allowing exemptions for certain contractor jobs like freelance writers and graphic designers. Owner-operators are looking to obtain similar exemptions. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Laws and Regulations</strong></h3> The owner of <a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-jersey-trucking-owner-slapped-with-two-year-sentence-for-2-million-tax-evasion-scam">several New Jersey trucking companies, Tito Viteri</a>, was recently sentenced to two years in federal prison for a massive tax avoidance scheme. He is responsible for evading personal and corporate taxes for more than nine years. Tito owned eleven trucking companies which were collectively known as Viteri Trucking Companies. <h3></h3> In total, Tito evaded $2.3 million worth of taxes and is now paying the price for it. <h3></h3> <h3><strong>Hours of Service Update</strong></h3> Regulators accepting comments on a petition to exempt small carriers from the upcoming ELD mandate. If you have any suggestions on how the FMCSA should approach the new ELD mandate, find more information and submit your response at this link: <h3></h3> <a href="https://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/labor/challenge-eld-rule-resurfaces-fmcsa_20191105.html">https://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/labor/challenge-eld-rule-resurfaces-fmcsa_20191105.html</a>

Nov 08, 2019 • Carriers