Mar 23, 2017 • Community

President Trump Discusses The Trucking Industry

President Trump Discusses The Trucking Industry

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.

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.

“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.

ATA Supports President Trump’s Healthcare Plan

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.

“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.”

Provisions that will remain:

Dependent coverage up to the age of 26
Pre-existing conditions are protected
No lifetime limits
Keeps cap on maximum out-of pocket expenses

New provisions:

Eliminates employer mandates
Subsidies include refundable tax credits
Medicaid would be overhauled and more responsibiities would be left to states

Trump ❤ Trucks

If he promised not to tweet anything crazy today, we told him he could wear his "I ❤Trucks" button. pic.twitter.com/zTdCxOpatK
— Trump Social Intern (@TrumPenceSocial) March 23, 2017

ELD Mandate Exemptions [p]Get clarification on electronic logging devices and ELD mandate exemptions set to take effect in December 2017. [/p] [h2]ELD Mandate Exemptions[/h2] [p]As of December 18, 2017, most drivers that currently use paper logs will have to switch over to an electronic logging device. The choices will be an automatic onboard recording device (AOBRD) meeting the current requirements in §395.15, installed before December 18, 2017, or a device meeting the electronic logging device (ELD) standards found in Subpart B to Part 395 and the associated appendix.[/p] [p]There are <strong>five ELD Mandate exemptions</strong> including:[/p] [ul] [li]Drivers that only had to fill out a log eight or fewer days out of the last 30 days. This would include “short-haul” drivers that normally operate under the 100 and 150 air-mile exceptions and intermittent drivers.[/li] [li]Drivers operating a vehicle older than the model year 2000. This also applies to the model year 2000 and newer vehicles that do not have the original engine in them, if the engine serial number indicates that the engine is older than the model year 2000. [/li] [li]Drivers operating a vehicle that is part of a driveaway/towaway shipment. [/li] [li]Drivers driving or towing a recreational vehicle that is part of a driveaway/towaway shipment.[/li] [li]Drivers who are driving a truck that was rented for eight days or less. [/li] [/ul] [p]How are officers on the road going to verify that a driver claiming one of the exemptions is actually entitled to it? It is easier than you might think. [/p] [h2]ELD Exemptions and Short-Haul Drivers[/h2] [p]During a roadside inspection, the officer can contact the carrier for the time records related to a driver he/she is inspecting. The officer can then verify that the driver is complying with the terms of the 100 or 150 air-mile exemptions. This simply involves the officer verifying that there were time records and they showed the driver staying under the limits attached to the exemption. [/p] [p]If the records show the driver as operating under the 100 or 150 air-mile exception often enough, there would be no violation for the driver not using an ELD.[/p] [p]As far as intermittent drivers, the officer will inquire as to how many days the driver has worked out of the last 30. If it ends up to be 8 or fewer out of any 30-day period, there is no violation.[/p] [h2]ELD Exemptions on Older Vehicles[/h2] [p]To verify that the driver can use paper logs due to the age of the vehicle, the officer will simply check the vehicle identification number (VIN). If the VIN indicates that the vehicle is the model year 1999 or older vehicle, there will be no violation for the driver using a paper log rather than an electronic log.[/p] [p]How is this determined? [/p] [p]The model year is coded in the vehicle’s VIN at the 10th position. Presently, 2000 and newer vehicles have Y, 1 to 9, or A to H in the 10th position (i, o, u, and z are not used in VINs by the way). If the 10th digit is anything other than those listed, the vehicle is manufactured before 2000.[/p] [p]In the case of the model year, 2000 or newer vehicle that has been retrofitted with the model year 1999 or older engine, to determine if the engine is manufactured before the year 2000, the officer will ask to see the engine serial number. Using the serial number and available software, the officer can quickly validate the engine model year.[/p] [h2]Driveaway/Towaway ELD Exemptions[/h2] [p]To verify that the driver is allowed to use the driveaway/towaway exception to use a paper log rather than an electronic log after December 18, 2017, all the officer or auditor needs to do is ask for the shipment paperwork. The shipment paperwork will then be used to verify that the vehicle the driver is operating is part of the shipment. If so, then there would be no violation for the driver using a paper log rather than an electronic logging device.[/p] [h2]Rented Trucks[/h2] [p]To verify that a driver is allowed to use the rented truck exemption, the driver must be able to present the rental agreement showing that the vehicle is being rented for 8 days or less. The driver must use paper logs and have records for the previous seven days. Printouts from an ELD system are acceptable. The exemption does not cover “leased” vehicles or vehicles rented for more than 8 days. Multiple back-to-back rental agreements will result in the carrier being cited for not using ELDs.[/p] [h2]Still Confused about ELD Mandate Exemptions?[/h2] [p]If you’re still confused about Exemptions to the mandate or wondering if you need to comply with the ELD mandate, contact J.J. Keller for a free ELD Exemption Assessment. Their ELD specialist will guide you through 21 questions created by their hours of service subject matter experts to help you determine if you are exempt from using ELDs. Call the ELD Exemption hotline at 888-531-8899 or <strong>request an assessment <a href="https://www.jjkeller.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/infoform_10151_-1_10551_52145?cm_mmc=Misc-_-ELDExemptionAssessment-_-eldexempt-_-null">here</strong></a>.[/p] [p]<strong>J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.</strong>[/p] [p]Since its beginning as a one-man consulting firm in 1953, J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. has grown to become the most respected name in safety and regulatory compliance. Now over 1,400 associates strong, J. J. Keller serves over 600,000 customers — including over 90% of the Fortune 1000® companies. The company’s subject-matter expertise spans nearly 1,500 topics, and its diverse solutions include ELogs and mobile technology; training via online courses, streaming video or DVD; online management tools; managed services; consulting services; online and print publications; forms and supplies.[/p] <strong>[p]About the Author:[/p]</strong> [p]Tom Bray has been with J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. for 11 years. However, as he does not get enough excitement working at J. J. Keller and chasing after six kids and nine grandkids, he also chooses to work nights and weekends as a firefighter/EMT.[/p]

Oct 26, 2017 • Carriers

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

34-Hour Restart Bill Signed by Congress [p]The Senate and House passed a bill addressing the 34-hour restart for truck drivers. It now awaits The President's signature of approval.[/p] [h2]How Does 34-Hour Restart Bill Affect Truck Drivers?[/h2] [p]The new bill prevents the 2013 requirements of breaks from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on consecutive days in a 34-hour restart with a once-per-week limit.[/p] [p][a href="http://m.onelink.me/d5890481"]Truck drivers[/a] now have the ability to use the 34-hour restart as they wish without the weekly limit and will not be required to take consecutive breaks.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/Wq6DnHvHchrTG" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [p]Congress enacted the hours of service provision to include the consecutive breaks and restart limit in 2013. It also required a study by the FMCSA to determine if the proposed regulations of 34-hour restarts would be beneficial to drivers or not.[/p] [quote]“Drivers have little control over their schedules and the flexibility of the 34-hour restart is necessary to make sure they get needed rest and avoid driving under the worst conditions such as congestion and bad weather,” explained Todd Spencer, OOIDA Executive Vice President.[/quote] [h2]34-Hour Restarts Almost Eliminated by Congress[/h2] [p]This fix to the legislation prevented the elimination of the 34-hour restart which could have been the case because of a mistake in the language of the 2015 bill.[/p] [p]This is an inherent win for the trucking industry as the 2013 HOS provision was widely opposed by many, including the American Trucking Association.[/p] [quote]“Thanks to hard work by congressional leaders of both parties and in both chambers, we are one step closer to having an hours-of-service restart rule that makes sense and puts safety first,” said ATA President Chris Spear in a statement.[/quote] [p]The House passed the bill by a 326-96 vote and will require President Trump's approval after January 20 in order to last through the new year.[/p]

Dec 12, 2016 • Community