By Transport Topics Staff

This story appears in the June 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to susbcribe today.

American Trucking Associations said it will host a first-ever national summit on the growing use of natural gas as a fuel for moving freight across the country.

ATA said the event will be held Nov. 28-30 just outside Washington, D.C., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, Va.
Bill Graves, ATA president, called natural gas “a subject of critical importance to trucking. . . . While there has been a great deal of good work done on the subject of natural gas and trucking, I feel that no one has put the whole picture — from suppliers and manufacturers to distributors and users — together, and we intend to do that.”

Federation officials said the agenda is still being finalized but would be released soon. The summit will kick off with an opening reception on Wednesday, Nov. 28, followed by a full day of panels and speakers. On Nov. 30, panels will be held until mid-afternoon, ATA said.

Registration will open for ATA members on July 2, officials said, and for nonmembers four weeks later. The event will cost $199 for ATA members and $499 for nonmembers. Seating is limited.

Natural gas has been gathering increasing momentum as the chief alternative fuel to diesel in recent months, as proponents expand production and distribution around the country. Natural gas prices are now at near-record lows, far below the current level of diesel and other petroleum-based products, as more gas is drilled from shale deposits in the United States.

All North American heavy-duty truck makers are currently offering natural-gas models or have announced that they will soon be doing so.

While the sales level of heavy-duty natural gas trucks is currently tiny, many analysts have predicted that they will become a major factor in the trucking industry.

Natural gas already is a common fuel in municipal bus fleets, and in some regional distribution networks that rely on medium-duty trucks.

Several engine makers say they are now working on larger engines that run on natural gas fuels and are more suitable for over-the-road freight hauling.

ATA said more information was available via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (703) 838-1935

By Transport Topics Staff

This story appears in the June 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to susbcribe today.

American Trucking Associations Thursday praised the House-Senate conference committee that came to a consensus on a new highway bill, saying it “lays a solid foundation for addressing America’s need for an efficient goods movement network.”

The legislation “makes tremendous strides in the safety arena and puts down a marker for future improvements to our nation’s freight infrastructure,” ATA President Bill Graves said in a statement.

Graves, who urged Congress to quickly pass the legislation — which needs to be done by Saturday, when the current transportation funding extension expires — said ATA supports the bill’s requiring the Department of Transportation to establish regulations mandating electronic logging devices for motor carriers currently required to complete paper logs.
Regulations for electronic onboard recorders must be in place within one year and carriers will have two years to adopt and install EOBRs, ATA said.

Other provisions in the bill of interest to ATA and the trucking industry include:

• Creation of a clearinghouse to track drug and alcohol test results;
• A study of crashworthiness standards for large trucks;
• Establishment of standards for systems to provide employers with timely notifications of drivers’ moving violations; and
• Mandatory testing of new carriers entering the industry to verify their knowledge of safety requirements.

By Transport Topics

From Marlene Dakita, PTDI

John Hancock, Director of Training and Driver Recruiting at Prime Inc., has advised that someone claiming to be Roger or Michael Strickland is posing as a Prime recruiter. The phone number associated with this scam is 786-459-3896.

Source: ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=
29623&t=Congress-Reaches-Agreement-on-Highway-Bill
by Transport Topics

Congressional leaders reached tentative agreement on a highway bill, agreeing to maintain current federal transportation levels for 27 months, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The measure also drops a Republican-backed provision for approval the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the Associated Press reported. House Republicans had pushed for that but the White House threatened to veto the bill if it was included, AP reported.

“The bill is funded at current levels and will protect and create three million jobs,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who chairs the Senate Environment Works and Public Works Committee, said in a statement.

House and Senate conferees are expected to pass the measure before the end of the week, prior to the expiration of the current extension of transportation funding on Saturday, the House Transportation Committee said in a statement... Continue reading.

Source: ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=29623&t=Congress-Reaches-Agreement-on-Highway-Bill

Swift Transportation will soon start awarding ranked company drivers a new Quarterly Performance Pay bonus of up to 6 cents per mile.

Swift company drivers are currently ranked based on their safety, service and productivity level. This new program begins on July 1, 2012, and bonuses will be paid at the end of each fiscal quarter to ranked drivers who are employed the entire quarter.

The new Quarterly Performance Pay is in addition to the current pay and motivates drivers to improve their ranking through focused attention to safety, on-time service and miles driven, the company explains. The higher the driver's rank, the higher the Quarterly Performance Pay will be. Based on the driver's performance, they can earn up to 6 bonus cents per mile - if they have achieved superior performance for an extended period of time.

The program is designed to reward driver performance that helps the company achieve its goals. The cost of the quarterly bonus is expected to be approximately 1 cent per company mile - without taking into consideration the positive impact from further improvement in productivity, customer service and safety.

"As you can see from this new plan, we are serious about retaining and rewarding the best drivers in America," says Richard Stocking, president and COO.

For more information, go to www.joinswift.com.

This article is from
Fast Lane, The Official Blog of the US Secretary of Transportation

As Independence Day approaches, many Americans will gather to "Ooh" and "Ahh" at the sparkling explosions of traditional fireworks displays that light up the sky from coast to coast. We have so much to celebrate in this nation, and the bursts and booms of fireworks are a perfect way to demonstrate our pride and love of country.

But fireworks are also dangerous, so we at DOT want to do everything we can to keep people safe.

Even sparklers pose a fire hazard

To protect you and your family from dangerous fires, three teams at DOT are working hard to make sure Americans enjoy a safe Fourth of July.

The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Federal Aviation Administration have taken steps to alert the public to the dangers of buying and transporting fireworks.

Consumer Fireworks Safety AlertIn addition to a safety alert that covers the transport of consumer fireworks, PHMSA has also provided guidelines for getting these explosives home in your vehicle. These include:

Never attempt to light a firework within your vehicle
Do not smoke near fireworks
Transport fireworks in a spark-proof container and place them in the trunk of your vehicle
Keep fireworks out of direct sunlight

As a reminder from the FAA, air travelers should know that fireworks of any kind are not allowed on commercial airlines whether in checked or carry-on baggage. The FAA also offers an informative "Hazardous Materials" website.

And, from June 28 through July 8, our Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will conduct a nationwide roadside inspection sweep to ensure that commercial motor vehicles transporting fireworks are operating in full compliance with federal and state safety standards. FMCSA inspectors--in partnership with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and state law enforcement agencies--will carefully examine the driver, vehicle and load.

Community fireworks celebration

Fireworks on the Fourth of July are an American tradition; they're just a terrific way to celebrate the anniversary of our independence. They light up the awe-inspired faces of our children and grandchildren, and they can even turn adults into kids again. But it's important to use them safely.

So, if you're transporting fireworks this week, please treat them with care.

And however you plan to celebrate the holiday, I wish you and your family a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Click to read the full version with links and pictures.

Source: etrucker.com/ccj/fmcsa-takes-287-drivers-off-the-road
etrucker.com by CCJ Staff
Published June 25, 2012

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday, June 25, announced that 287 commercial bus and truck drivers were removed from the roads and 128 companies face enforcement actions as a result of the agency's annual drug and alcohol strike force sweep that occurred from April 30 through May 11.

"Our message is clear - we will not allow commercial bus and truck drivers operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol to stay on the road," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  "All drivers and their passengers deserve to be confident that bus and truck drivers are safe and sober."

FMCSA said that during the two-week sweep, nearly 200 federal investigators examined the drug and alcohol safety records of commercial drivers employed by bus and truck companies, including school bus drivers, interstate passenger carriers, hazardous material transporters and general freight long-haul trucking companies.

Their goals were to identify motor carriers in violation of federal drug and alcohol testing requirements and to remove from other road commercial truck and bus drivers who jump from carrier to carrier to evade federal drug and alcohol testing and reporting requirements... Continue reading.

Source: etrucker.com/ccj/fmcsa-takes-287-drivers-off-the-road

Source: wafb.com/story/18876430/2012/06/25/trucker-
shortage-new-government-regulations-being-blamed

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Delayed deliveries and high unemployment - nationwide, truck companies say a shortage of 18-wheeler drivers is taking a toll. Drivers say they're looking for work but new government regulations are preventing them from being hired.

Most companies are looking for experienced drivers with clean driving records. That's becoming harder to find according to Don McMahan, who's been driving for 17 years.

"Little tickets, we used to get just warnings. Warnings go on our work record now, on our history now," McMahan said.

He says the Department of Transportation has adopted new safety laws, meaning truckers are getting more tickets than ever for things like having a tail light out or not wearing a seat belt. McMahan says the law now says truckers must use hands-free devices inside their cabs. He says if they are caught on a cell phone, the driver is fined $2,750 and the company they work for could face fines of up to $11,000.

With that in mind, McMahan says no company is going to hire workers if that's what comes up on their driving record. He adds, that's just part of the reason for the slowdown in truckers taking on jobs.

"The economy's not good. Fuel is high. We're not getting the freight rates we need. There's not places to park. Trucks are hard to find."

Jean-Luc Cummins, the director at Diesel Driving Academy in Baton Rouge, says that means hiring experienced drivers may be a thing of the past and first-time drivers can take those jobs.

He says in six months time a person can be taught, licensed and leave with a $40,000 job.

"Because of the added government regulations companies are looking at hiring students," Cummins said. "They know that job is there for them, the shortage isn't going away anytime soon. So their prospects for future careers are great."

That is, if companies are willing to take the risk on new drivers.

One other factor for driving vacancies - older truckers are retiring, and with new laws on how long a trucker can be on the road, some of those newer drivers are often unwilling to be long-distance-drivers.

Source: wafb.com/story/18876430/2012/06/25/trucker-
shortage-new-government-regulations-being-blamed