Source: ccjdigital.com/trucking-adds-11700-jobs-in-april/

A month after the for-hire trucking industry cut a revised 6,300 payroll jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis it added back 11,700 jobs in April, according to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the largest month-to-month increase since trucking added 12,700 jobs in February 2012.

Meanwhile, the overall national employment picture improved in April, especially considering upward revisions to March figures. The economy added 165,000 nonfarm jobs in April on top of a revised 138,000 added in March, according to the preliminary BLS figures. BLS had initially reported a gain of only 88,000 jobs in March. The national unemployment rate dipped to 7.5% — the lowest since December 2008. All of the net gains in jobs came from the service sector as the key goods-producing sectors were weak. Construction and mining shed 6,000 and 3,000 jobs, respectively, and manufacturing was flat.

Trucking payroll employment in April totaled 1.386 million jobs — up 45,300 jobs, or 3.4%, from April 2012. Trucking employment is up by 151,600 jobs, or 12.3%, from the bottom in March 2010, but it remains 67,800 jobs, or 4.7%, below the peak in January 2007.

The BLS numbers for trucking reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet. Nor do the numbers reflect the total amount of hiring since they only reflect the number of employees paid during a specified payroll period during the month. Due to high turnover rates, the BLS estimates may overstate the number of job positions due to the methodology used in the agency’s Current Employment Survey.

Source: ccjdigital.com/trucking-adds-11700-jobs-in-april/

Women Holding Commercial Driver’s Licenses Eat Free
May 12 at TA and Petro Full-Service Restaurants

WESTLAKE, Ohio, May 1, 2013 – TravelCenters of America (TravelCenters), operator of the TA® and Petro Stopping Centers® travel center brands, invites all professional driving women to enjoy a complimentary meal on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2013, at any participating TA and Petro Stopping Centers full-service, sit-down restaurant across the U.S. TA and Petro will be honoring the service of women who make a living out on the road on the day dedicated to appreciating mothers and women everywhere.

Tom O’Brien, President and CEO of TravelCenters said, “This is just one more way that we can show drivers -- specifically moms, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, and all professional women drivers -- how much we respect them and the job they do to keep America moving. We know many drivers will be away from their home and families on Mother’s Day; this is just a small gesture to help them celebrate at their home away from home, with their on-the-road families in one of our friendly restaurants.”

On May 12, women simply need to show their valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) to their restaurant server prior to ordering to receive one free meal (up to $15 value) at more than 170 participating Iron Skillet®, Country Pride® and other full-service, home style restaurants within TA and Petro Stopping Centers locations.

On March 25th AAMVA published a notice regarding the FMCSA amendment to its Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards rule. AAMVA noted that there was a discrepancy between the actual compliance date of July 8, 2015 and the requirement for standardized endorsement and restriction codes on Commercial Learner's Permits and CDLs of July 8, 2014. FMCSA has since noted this error and has indicated that all aspects of the final rule have a compliance date of July 8, 2015. FMCSA has decided not to do a stand-alone correction rule for this single issue, but instead plans to include it as part of an agency-wide corrections rule to be issued later this year. FMCSA wants to ensure jurisdictions know they are aware of this technical error and that the compliance date for all new requirements in the May 9, 2011 and March 25, 2013 final rules is July 8, 2015.

Source: truckinginfo.com/news/story/2013/04/
obama-to-nominate-charlotte-mayor-foxx-to-dot.aspx

President Obama will nominate Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of Transportation, news sources are reporting.

Foxx would replace Ray LaHood, who has said he would serve until a successor is confirmed.

Foxx, 41, is considered a rising political star. Politico named him one of “50 to watch” after his successful bid to bring the 2012 Democratic National Convention to Charlotte.

Foxx was elected mayor in 2009. Since then he has pushed to expand public transit, helped develop a new inland port and worked on a new runway at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.

“As mayor of one of America’s most vibrant cities, Anthony Foxx knows firsthand that investing in world-class infrastructure is vital to creating good jobs and ensuring American businesses can grow and compete in the global economy,” said a White House official cited in The Washington Post.

Foxx was born and raised in Charlotte by his single mother and grandparents. He graduated from Davidson College, where he was the first African-American student body president, and from the New York University School of Law.

He worked as an appellate court clerk, as a staffer in the U.S. House and as a practicing attorney in Charlotte before moving full time into politics.

He was elected to the Charlotte City Council in 2005, serving two terms before being elected mayor in 2009.

Source: truckinginfo.com/news/story/2013/04/obama-to-nominate-charlotte-mayor-foxx-to-dot.aspx

DOT 35-13
Monday, April 22, 2013
Contact:  Justin Nisly
Tel.:  (202) 366-4570

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the availability of $474 million for a fifth round of the highly successful TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) competitive grant program to fund surface transportation projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area.

“President Obama has challenged us to make sure our nation’s transportation infrastructure is up to the job of attracting and supporting businesses and the families that rely on them,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood.  “TIGER 2013 will contribute to increased mobility for people and freight, and economic growth by helping to improve existing and develop new transportation facilities that will strengthen our competitiveness and create jobs.”

Projects eligible for TIGER grants include highways and bridges, public transportation, passenger and freight rail transportation and marine port infrastructure investments.  Grants may range in size from $10 million to $200 million.  Grants to rural areas may be for less than $10 million, but must be more than $1 million.  No less than $120 million must be awarded to projects in rural areas. 

The four previous rounds of TIGER provided $3.1 billion to support 218 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Demand for the program has been overwhelming, with more than 4,050 applicants requesting more than $105.2 billion over the previous rounds. 

More than 100 of the TIGER grants were awarded directly to city or county governments that are otherwise unable to directly access traditional sources of Federal funding for their projects. Similarly, more than 19 TIGER grants were awarded directly to port authorities, and eight to tribal governments. TIGER has also helped catalyze 11 multi-state projects, which would have been difficult to advance through Federal formula programs.

The FY 2013 Appropriations Act requires that TIGER funds be obligated before October 1, 2014.  The limited amount of time means the Department will give priority to projects that are ready to proceed quickly.  In addition to project readiness, primary selection criteria include improving the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems; contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United States and creating and preserving jobs; increasing transportation choices and access to transportation services for people in communities across the U.S.; improving energy efficiency, reducing dependence on oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and improving safety.

Applications are due June 3.   You can click here to view the Notice of Funding Availability.

Arlington, VA - On April 17, 2013, The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released findings from the first phase of a two-part research initiative aimed at assessing the use of navigation systems in large trucks.  This first phase of the research, which analyzed survey data from over 800 drivers and carriers, identifies different systems and how they are used, as well as industry perceptions of navigation system effectiveness.

“This research is an important first step in understanding the role of navigation systems in large truck crashes.  By identifying the types of systems used, how drivers use them, and the types of crashes that may result from their use, industry stakeholders and policy makers can begin to implement crash mitigation strategies and hopefully, reduce the overall occurrence of these events,” commented Kendra Hems, President of the New York State Motor Truck Association. 

Furthermore, this study identifies the key priorities that navigation system providers should address in order to meet the needs of the trucking industry.  ATRI’s phase 2 work will expand the research by collecting and comparing quantitative data from navigation systems while in use.  This next step will attempt to identify the technical basis for navigation system failures and inadequacies from a truck operations perspective.

A copy of this report is available from ATRI at www.atri-online.org.

"Work Zone Safety: We're All In This Together"

National Work Zone Awareness Week is held annually to bring attention to motorist and worker safety, as well as mobility issues in work zones.

The 2013 theme highlights the complexities of work zones, and the need for awareness and planning on the part of everyone affected by work zones including: State departments of transportation, road workers, drivers, bicyclists, motorcycles, pedestrians, emergency responders, law enforcement officers, and utility workers.

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Highway Institute (NHI) offers a series of Design and Traffic Operations courses that provide best practices to help professionals plan, design, operate, and maintain highway work zones that improve safety for workers and the driving public. These courses will help practitioners consider work zone safety and mobility through all project phases.

 Select a course title for more information, and to register.

133110 Strategies for Developing Work Zone Traffic Analyses

133112 Design and Operation of Work Zone Traffic Control (1-Day)

133112A Design and Operation of Work Zone Traffic Control (3-Day)

133113 Work Zone Traffic Control for Maintenance Operations 

133114 Construction Zone Safety Inspection (1-Day)

133114A Construction Zone Safety Inspection (1.5-Day)

133115 Advanced Work Zone Management and Design

133119 Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zones

133120 Work Zone Traffic Analysis Applications and Decision Framework

For more information contact NHI at 703-235-0500 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Hello friends and supporters,

We are excited to share this 2nd quarter newsletter with you. So much has happend in the last three months, and we continue to move forward in our goal of equipping the trucking industry to recognize and respond to child exploitation and human trafficking. We do that with your help and support, and it's amazing to see what a difference each of you are making in the fight against human trafficking!
 
Every call makes a difference. Every driver trained on recognizing the signs of human trafficking makes a difference. Every wallet card in the hands of those of you that are the eyes and ears of our nation's highways makes a difference. Thank you for the work you do. We are privileged to be a part of it.
 
Truckers Against Trafficking

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United Nations honors truckers and trucking industry for anti-human trafficking efforts    
 
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) has been named one of the top 100 practices for combating human trafficking by the United Nations' 2013 Protection Project Trafficking in Persons report.
 
Included in the report's section on "The Role of Civil Society," TAT is described as follows:
 
TAT is an organization of members of the trucking and travel plaza industry who are committed to eliminating human trafficking by designing and participating in education and awareness campaigns aimed at truckers and the trucking industry.
 
To spread information, TAT has designed posters, brochures, and flyers that are placed at truck stops, as well as wallet cards to be distributed to every trucker in the United States. Those items call on truckers to contact the National Anti-Trafficking Hotline when coming across cases of human trafficking. Between December 7, 2007, and May 31, 2011, the hotline reported more than 125 calls from truck drivers. Of those, 60 percent were the direct result of the TAT awareness campaign.
 
TAT has created a training DVD that features (a) truckers who have seen human trafficking taking place on their routes, (b) a trafficking victim rescued from a truck stop through the call of a trucker, (c) actual footage of prostituted women at a travel plaza, and (d) information on concrete ways that members of the trucking and travel plaza industry can fight this crime in the course of their daily work. The training DVD can be used as part of the orientation for all truck stop and travel plaza employees, all students of private and public trucking driving schools, and all truck drivers who are employed by major carriers or are owner-operators.
 
"We commend every member of the trucking industry who identifies as a trucker against trafficking," said Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, "and feel it is an honor well earned by all of them. We believe the trucking industry is proving itself a leader across the entire transportation industry when it comes to fighting human trafficking."

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Colorado coalition build deemed successful event
 
"One of the most satisfying activities we're involved in is building partnerships or coalitions between law enforcement and members of the trucking and travel plaza industry," commented Kendis Paris, TAT executive director. "Seeing relationships develop between these two front-line groups, as well as trust and mutual understanding of how to best work together to fight human trafficking, is powerful."
 
To that end, TAT participated in its third coalition-build event between law enforcement and members of the trucking industry in Denver on March 14.
 
"TAT would like to thank the FBI, the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, iEmpathize, Praxus, the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking, the Southern Colorado Human Trafficking Task Force and the Denver Metro Crimestoppers for their fine support and promotion of the event," Paris said. "I received good comments from those who attended and believe everyone walked away with a greater understanding of the problem and what to do to fight it."
 
General managers from TA/Petro, Pilot/Flying J and Tomahawk attended, along with many law enforcement agencies, including the Denver Police Force, Wheat Ridge, Commerce City and the Douglas County Sheriff's office.
The half-day conference provided training on human trafficking, with a specific emphasis on domestic sex trafficking and how it presents itself at truck stops, as well as an opportunity to forge connections for the creation of next steps in the fight against human trafficking. Trafficking survivor Audrey T. helped participants understand the realities facing those who are trafficked by sharing her personal story.
 
Previous coalition-build events in which TAT has participated have been held in Southern California and in Ohio in recent months, with more being planned. The events seek to build relationships and greater cooperation between law enforcement and the trucking industry for more effective work in the fight against human trafficking in that area.
 
If law enforcement in your area would like to have such a coalition-build, please have them contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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TAT invited to participate in human trafficking awareness training for law enforcement
 
On the recommendation of the FBI, TAT was invited to provide joint training with Ray Herndon, founder of Diamondback Training, LLC to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol on how to spot human traffickers during a routine commercial motor vehicle (CMV) stop.
Diamondback Training, LLC is a cutting-edge law enforcement training organization specializing in CMV criminal interdiction. Criminal interdiction addresses many facets of criminal activity, including domestic terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and cargo theft, to name a few.
 
Herndon is a nationally recognized veteran law enforcement officer who has had a parallel career in the trucking/transportation industry for over 25 years, both as a business/small fleet owner and employee/driver.
 
"We've partnered with Truckers Against Trafficking to help create a proactive partnership between law enforcement and the transportation industry to provide quality standardized human trafficking training to both law enforcement officers and transportation industry workers," Herndon commented.
 
"It's imperative that both sides receive similar training, so we're all on the same page," he continued. "Communication is key, and a breakdown in that communication may cost a human trafficking victim their only chance at freedom. We, all, as human beings, are obligated."
 
Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, concurred, "TAT is very pleased to be partnering with Ray and Diamondback, as his vast experience in both law enforcement and the trucking industry enable him to deliver a wealth of information on the subject of human trafficking. When members of the trucking industry and law enforcement are on the same page, we know there's a much greater chance of criminals being caught and victims being rescued. So we welcome the opportunity, whenever possible, to work with and help facilitate the training for each group."
 
She continued, "TAT actually sponsored (thanks to a special donation from the Pattens) his appearance at the National Crime Enforcement Association in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March, where over 1000 law enforcement officers heard about TAT from Ray. Mark Brown, TAT chairman of the board, ran the TAT booth at the event, speaking with many law enforcement officers and distributing TAT materials."
 
Diamondback Training, LLC is now sporting the TAT logo on one of its latest trucks used in law enforcement training as yet another way to get the message out there that the trucking industry is working to end the crime of human trafficking along our nation's highways, roads and streets, and wherever they see it.

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 TAT continues to grow as more trucking associations join
 
In the past few months, the Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association (MMTA) and the Motor Transportation Association of Connecticut (MTAC) have come on-board with TAT.
 
In the letter it sent to members, MMTA said, "The association was very involved in efforts made to pass this legislation in Massachusetts, and by joining TAT, MMTA hopes to raise awareness of this problem and educate the industry on what to look for if they suspect a human trafficking incident, what specific information is needed for local law enforcement and how to report any suspicions."
 
In addition to these latest two state associations, other state associations already working with TAT in their states are Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and Oklahoma. Nationally, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) and the North American Truck Stop Network (NATSN) have all joined TAT, along with numerous trucking companies and truck-driving schools.

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What is TAT?
 
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is a non-profit organization that exists to educate, equip, empower and mobilize the trucking industry to combat human trafficking as part of their regular jobs. To a great extent, domestic sex trafficking occurs along our nation's highways and at its truck stops, where traffickers can sell their victims to a transient population they believe are less likely to attempt rescue. In response, TAT is asking the 3.5 million domestic truckers, as well as other members of the trucking industry, to become aware of this issue, and, when they suspect a human trafficking case, to call the national hotline and report it.

Source: ttnews.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=31692

By Timothy Cama, Staff Reporter

This story appears in the April 8 print edition of Transport Topics.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will miss an October deadline set by Congress to mandate electronic logging devices in all trucks, according to Administrator Anne Ferro.

Instead, the agency will publish a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for the mandate in September, and the mandate itself will likely be finalized a year later, Ferro said during a chat at the Mid-America Trucking Show late last month. The requirement will probably be implemented in 2016.

That timeframe is later than what Congress asked for in MAP-21, last year’s transportation funding law, which called for the regulation to be finalized by Oct. 1 and to take effect two years later.

“I am really driven to move this rule out. So September, for sure, you will see” a supplemental notice, Ferro said.

Ferro said the timeline for finalizing the rule in late 2014 and making it effective in late 2016 is “optimistic,” since the rulemaking process is lengthy.

After President Obama signed MAP-21 in July, FMCSA said it expected it could meet the October deadline.

But while speaking with re­porters at MATS, Ferro said MAP-21 added some “additional clarification” about what FMCSA must do with the regulation. Incorporating that has slowed down the process, which caused FMCSA to miss its stated goal to publish the revised proposal in March, she said.

Representatives of the House and Senate committees that oversee transport and wrote MAP-21 did not reply to  queries from Transport Topics.

After the new proposal is re­leased, the agency will allow the public to comment on it for at least 90 days.

Rob Abbott, vice president of safety policy at American Trucking Associations, said the new timeline is not a surprise.

“We never expected or anticipated that the agency would be able to issue a final rule by this October,” he said.

Abbott said the September timeframe for the new proposal is “realistic.” But since that date has been delayed before, it could be pushed back further, he said.

In 2010, FMCSA first issued a rule requiring trucking companies with a history of hours-of-service violations to use electronic logging devices. That would have taken effect in June 2012.

The next year, the agency proposed requiring ELDs, which it called electronic onboard recorders at the time, for all companies that were using paper logbooks. But months later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit overturned the 2010 rule, saying the agency did not meet a statutory obligation to ensure that the devices could not be used to harass drivers.

The universal mandate used the same technical specifications as the one overturned in court, so in 2012, FMCSA rescinded its proposal and vowed to reissue a rule that complied with the court ruling. Later that year, Congress mandated the regulation in MAP-21.

Writing a rule that stands up to court scrutiny is of paramount importance to FMCSA, Ferro said.

“It’s got to withstand any legal challenges; it’s very important,” she said.

The driver harassment issue is just one of the major aspects FMCSA must consider in its new proposal, ATA’s Abbott said. It also must settle some issues that ELD manufacturers identified with certifications of the devices and their communication and security, he said.

FMCSA has held several listening sessions to gather input from drivers and carriers on the harassment issue. In December, it said it would conduct a survey of drivers on the issue, but it has not yet submitted a request for the research to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Source: ttnews.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=31692

Source: ttnews.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=31632

By Timothy Cama, Staff Reporter

This story appears in the April 1 print edition of Transport Topics.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Truck drivers and instructors told Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials they should mandate far more training for new drivers than currently required.

Many of the two dozen or so speakers at a listening session here were in agreement that too many driver training programs teach only basic skills and put drivers out on the road too quickly, which is hurting the entire industry’s image.

There was, however, no exact consensus on what the proper number of training hours should be.

The March 22 session during the Mid-America Trucking Show stretched more than four hours, giving anyone who signed up the opportunity to interact directly with FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro and four other top agency officials.

As each person in attendance spoke, many of the people assembled in a conference room at the Kentucky Exposition Center nodded in support while the FMCSA officials took notes and asked follow-up questions.

The session was also webcast, allowing interested parties not able to attend in person to have their comments heard.

Several of the truckers who stepped to the microphone said their passion for the profession — combined with growing concern for what they are seeing on U.S. highways — outweighed any anxiety about public speaking.

One speaker who was anything but shy was Greg Petit, an owner-operator who drives for Landstar System Inc.

“Turning out truckers . . . in two to three weeks is a joke,” he said. “I don’t care how good you are. You can’t learn to drive a truck in two to three weeks.”

Petit, who got into a heated exchange with Ferro at last year’s MATS listening session about mandating electronic logging devices for hours-of-service compliance, said he had informally surveyed drivers and concluded that some are getting far less training than they need.

“In my opinion, truck-driving schools should be a minimum of four months,” he said.

He said he was told some training programs never have students drive at night or in bad weather, or they use smaller trailers on trucks without sleeper berths.

FMCSA held this year’s session to gather input on regulations it is developing to require behind-the-wheel training for entry-level drivers.

Currently, drivers only need to take 10 hours of classroom training that covers basic knowledge.

In 2007, FMCSA proposed requiring 120 hours of training, most of it driving a truck. However, facing concerns over requirements that schools be accredited and objections over a rigid time-based curriculum, FMCSA did not move forward on its proposal.

In last year’s MAP-21 highway funding law, however, Congress mandated that FMCSA finalize the standards.

Lee Strebel, an owner-operator who has driven trucks for almost four decades, urged FMCSA to require an even longer curriculum.

“A trainee ought to be with a trainer or mentor for a minimum of six months before you send them out on their own,” he said. “It really takes that much time to really get a good feel of what we do out there and to really get a good grasp of safety and compliance.”

FMCSA should ban the practice of allowing trainers and trainees to be used as team drivers, said Jeana Hysell, a former owner-operator who now consults for trucking companies as the director of safety at Safety Compliance Professionals LLC.

“Motor carriers need to eliminate — or at least regulate — the team concept from training,” she said. “There is no way a trainer can train an individual while they’re in the bunk.”

Representatives of truck-driving schools urged FMCSA not to require that schools be accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or that the curriculum have a minimum number of hours, two provisions that were in the 2007 proposal.

“To be quite blunt, accreditation is very expensive,” said Tom Hruban, general manager of the Truck Driver Institute in Christiana, Tenn. “For over 40 years, the trucking industry has recruited qualified drivers from both accredited and nonaccredited schools, with absolutely no evidence that the accredited programs lead to a safer or more successful hire, nor can accredited schools confirm superior job placement success or superior wages earned upon graduation.”

Lou Spoonhour, speaking on behalf of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, said performance measurements, such as audits or tests, should be used in place of an accreditation requirement.

“We think the answer to this whole entry-level driver training situation lies in performance,” he said.

Spoonhour, who owns DriveCo CDL Learning Center in Gary, Ind., said setting a minimum number of hours for instruction would be counterproductive.

“We know that each skill takes some amount of time. What we have a problem with is determining that ahead of time,” he said.

Kreigh Spahr, program manager for Cuyahoga Community College’s truck-driving school in Euclid, Ohio, disagreed with the other representatives of driving schools and advocated for an accreditation requirement.

“CDL training schools charge thousands of dollars for this training. This training is education. So it needs to be done in a way that the Department of Education can support this,” he said.

Accreditation would ensure that schools use a formal curriculum and could deter fraud, since accrediting bodies closely monitor the schools they certify, Spahr said.

“We believe that we should have the ability to arrange those hours for what is most beneficial for the student,” said Martin Garsee, the transportation director at Houston Community College. “Not every student learns at the same rate.”

Source: ttnews.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=31632