Sep 19, 2011 10:40 AM, By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
Source: FleetOwner.com/management/news/pressure-cell-phone-ban-0919

Widespread support for a complete ban on cell phone use by commercial truck and bus drivers – both handheld and hands free – is rapidly increasing, following an accident follow-up report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to speed up efforts to put such a ban in place.

The NTSB’s recommendation follows its investigation of a March 2010 crash that killed 11 people, which found the tractor-trailer driver cited for causing the accident used his cell phone 69 times in the 24 hours prior to the crash, with four calls made in the minutes leading up to the fatal collision.

“The NTSB determines that the probable cause of this accident was the truck driver’s failure to maintain control of the truck-tractor combination vehicle because he was distracted by use of his cellular telephone,” the group said in its report, adding that poorly designed median barrier and lack of adequate guidance to the states in the form of high-performance median barrier warrants contributed to the severity of the crash.

Though FMCSA already proposed placing such a ban on cell phone use by both commercial truck and bus drivers last December, many feel that effort is moving too slowly.

The National Safety Council (NSC) is one group strongly urging faster adoption of the NTSB’s proposed ban on cell phone use by commercial vehicle drivers, noting that its research indicates that 23% of all crashes each year involve cell phone use.

“We strongly support the NTSB recommendation for a total ban,” said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO, in a statement. “We called for a national ban on all cell phone use among drivers in 2009, recognizing that research shows no safety benefit from hands-free devices. The distraction to the brain from cell phone... Continue reading...

Source: FleetOwner.com/management/news/pressure-cell-phone-ban-0919

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Week of September 12, 2011
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The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all cell phone usage — including hands free — be banned in Commercial Motor Vehicles.

The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent government body, made its recommendations to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and to the states earlier this week. The NTSB does not actually have the power to create regulations itself. Instead, it makes recommendations to FMCSA based on detailed studies that it performs.
In this case, the NTSB was investigating a crash that occurred in March 2010. Ten people died when a tractor-trailer hit a van holding 11 people. NTSB investigators say that cell-phone usage was a primary factor in that crash. The driver of the CMV was killed in that accident and was not charged. (Driver fatigue and the failure of highway crash barriers were also key factors in the accident).

Are These New Laws or Recommendations?

This is just a recommendation for now. However, FMCSA does tend to follow the NTSB’s recommendations in the majority of cases. This particular case has a reasonable chance of becoming regulation as the distracted driving is somewhat of a favorite cause of the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood.

LaHood’s tenure in the position has been marked with a strong crackdown on distracted driving with numerous new laws and advertising campaigns against the use of cell phones — particularly texting — while driving.

Another interesting note about the NTSB’s recommendation is that it jibes with what the general consensus from safety experts has been for a long time: that it is the conversation that is distracting, not the holding of a cellphone. The experts have long advocated that hands free cellphones should be banned as well as hand held.

What is Currently Banned?

Currently, the regulations ban hand-held cellphone usage and ‘texting’. The texting definition is particularly broad.

Texting means manually entering alphanumeric text, or reading text from an electronic device.
This action includes, but is not limited to, short message service, e-mailing, instant messaging, a command or request to access a World Wide Web page, or engaging in any other form of electronic text retrieval or electronic text entry for present or future communication.
Beyond that, the majority of states have laws regarding cellphone usage while driving. Below is an updated edition of the State Laws grid first featured in Fast-Fax 695. When in an unfamiliar state, our recommendation is always to pull over before using a cellphone.

I-64 Bridge in Louisville Closed. The I-64 bridge in Louisville, KY — a major thoroughfare, especially for truckers — has been closed indefinitely. A crack was found during a routine inspection necessitating that the structure be closed to traffic. The bridge is operated by the Indiana DOT, who have already indicated that there will be no problem fixing the crossing, however a timetable has not yet been offered.

Obviously, this is going to cause some serious issues in regards to crossing the Ohio river. The best advice is to use the I-65 bridge further upstream and use I-265 to link between I-64 and I-65. Baring heavy traffic, this should only add about half an hour to your journey.

A map is available on the Transportation Ticker Blog. To view it and for the rest of the top indsutry news, visit www.FoleyServicesBlog.com.

Editor: Roxanne Swidrak, Vice President, Operations • 1-800-253-5506 • www.FoleyServices.com • Vol. 111, No. 704 • © Foley Carrier Services, LLC. 2011

DOT Safety Regulation Update Fast-Fax™
Week of September 5, 2011
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The trucking industry has reacted vocally to a National Labor Relations Board rulemaking requiring motor carriers to display information about their employees rights to unionize.

There has been widely disparate reactions from industry insiders in response to a new rulemaking by the National Labor Relations Board. The new rules require that employers post information about the right to unionize along side other mandatory postings (such as disability and minimum wage laws).

What are the New Rules?

Employers will now be required to display a standard posting informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

When do They Go Into Effect?

Employers are required to begin posting the notices on November 14, 2011.

Where do I get the Posting?

The posters (11x17s) will be provided for free by your NLRB local office. Alternatively, you can download them from the NLRB website (www.NLRB.gov).

Are the Postings Available in Other Languages?

Yes. If you need a translated version of the posting, contact your local NLRB office. Note: If your workforce is at least 20% non- English speaking, you are required to post a translated copy.

Does Every Company Have to Post this Notice?

According to the NLRB:

“The posting requirement applies to all private-sector employers (including labor unions) subject to the National Labor Relations Act, which excludes agricultural, railroad and airline employers.”

The US Postal Service is also exempt from the rule, per comments made during the rulemaking process.

Do I Need to Keep any Paperwork Regarding the Notice?

No. There is no record keeping requirement.

What Happens If I Don’t Post the Notice?

If you don’t post the notice, you will technically be committing an unfair labor practice under the NLRA. Note, however, the following from the NLRB website:

The Board expects that, in most cases, employers who fail to post the notice are unaware of the rule and will comply when requested by a Board agent. In such cases, the unfair labor practice case will typically be closed without further action. The Board also may extend the 6-month statute of limitations for filing a charge involving other unfair labor practice allegations against the employer. If an employer knowingly and willfully fails to post the notice, the failure may be considered evidence of unlawful motive in an unfair labor practice case involving other alleged violations of the NLRA.

The NLRB does not have the authority to levey fines against non-compliant employers.

What Has the Industry Reaction Been?

The Teamsters have applauded the legislation. However, trucking associations, including the ATA, and other business groups, have come out en-masse against it.

In comments to the NLRB during the rulemaking process, ATA wrote the following:

“In an industry that has seen several of its unionized carriers fail in the past decade, this outright promotion of union interests is a threat to the hundreds of thousands of carriers that remain vital to the country’s economic recovery,”

Others outside the industry opposed the rulemaking as well. “Just when we thought we had seen it all from the NLRB, it has reached a new low in its zeal to punish small-business owners,” Karen Harned, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Legal Center, said in a statement.

On the other hand, Teamsters president James Hoffa cheered the ruling. In a statement he said:
“Employers have only one reason to oppose this rule: They don’t want their workers to know about their legal protections and fundamental right to organize into [a] union.”

Independent Review of CSA is In. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) independently evaluated of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program’s Operational Model Test (Op-Model Test) on August 31, 2011. The review was generally favorable:

Court Smacks FMCSA Over EOBR Rule. A Federal Court of Appeals has rejected a 2010 FMCSA rule requiring that truckers with a problematic history of hours-of-service violations be forced to use an EOBR. That rule had been scheduled to go into effect in 2012 but was rejected on grounds that it does not protect against harassment of individual truck drivers. The court also stated that it was likely to find other issues with the rule in the future.

For more on these stories and for the rest of the top indsutry news, visit www.FoleyServicesBlog.com.

SULPHUR, LA (KPLC) - Driving for a living can bring a decent wage, but the number of applicants has gone down over the past few years according to at least one transportation provider.

Sentinel Transportation, LLC Terminal Manager Keith Porter said most companies have become more competitive with the hiring process.  They're also looking closely at driving records of applicants.

Porter also said with the decrease in applicants, salaries and benefit packages have become significantly better so as to attract more people to the trucking industry.

"Right now, our drivers here in Lake Charles are earning between $55,000 to $70,000 per year," Porter said. "We have terminals within our company that are earning in the $90,000 to $100,000 range."

But many drivers are nearing retirement and companies like Sentinel will need to fill the spots.

"Within our company we've got about 25-percent... Continue Reading...

Source: kplctv.com/story/15405076/help-wanted-trucking-job-applicants-on-the-decrease

Area colleges issue calls for trucks, trailers

By Elaine Marsilio
Source: caller.com/news/2011/sep/03/del-mar-coastal-bend-colleges-see-increased-for/

CORPUS CHRISTI — If you want to get a commercial driver's license through Del Mar College, you are going to have to wait — until mid-October, at least.

"The demand in the industry is so huge right now," said John M. Rojas, director of Transportation Training Services at the college's West Campus.

Some trucking associations nationwide estimate the driver deficit will reach 300,000 full-time positions in a year.

In the Coastal Bend, the Eagle Ford Shale exploration has put increased demand on local truck driving schools at community colleges.

At Del Mar, Rojas' program is turning potential students away or putting them on waiting lists because he doesn't have enough trailer trucks to meet the demand. His courses are booked through Oct. 17.

Some potential students end up going to over-the-road, or cross-country driving, companies with schools, Rojas said.

But there could be some relief as Del Mar College officials have budgeted $54,000 this year for the purchase of a used trailer truck for the college's program. The college also is looking for local nonprofit agencies to donate trucks to the program.

At Coastal Bend College, officials expanded the truck driving program to include the Beeville, Kingsville and Pleasanton locations because of local demand, college spokeswoman Adrian Jackson said.

The college had a lone Alice site last year that trained more than 100 drivers... Continue Reading...

Source: caller.com/news/2011/sep/03/del-mar-coastal-bend-colleges-see-increased-for/

In this July 21, 2011 photo, Dave Mayfield of Panther Expedited Service, left, talks with Hamrick Truck School owner Denver Hamrick during a career fair, in Medina, Ohio. MANDATORY CREDIT Photo: Akron Beacon Journal, Phil Masturzo / AP

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A nationwide shortage of truck drivers has truck-driver schools in Ohio working to help trucking companies fill that need with newly-trained drivers.

Trucking organizations' estimates on the need for drivers over the next couple of years range from 100,000 to 500,000, the Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/px7cbA) reported. Industry officials say the aging of the current driver population and increased trucking regulations are some of the reasons contributing to the tight market.

The shortage is forcing companies to look more at hiring students from schools, even though carriers typically prefer drivers with one or more years of experience, said Kreigh Spahr, program manager at the Euclid-based truck-driver school at Cuyahoga Community college in northeast Ohio.

"Every major carrier is hiring," Spahr told the newspaper

The founder of the Hamrick Truck Driving School in Medina County says most trucking companies he deals with come to the school to recruit. First-year pay typically is in the low $30,000 range, Denver Hamrick said.

Many trucking companies also will reimburse new drivers for tuition, starting at about $100 to $140 a month, if they stay with the company for a set time, Hamrick said.

Schools say many students are turning to trucking as a second career.

Gladys Tejada, 37, of Cuyahoga Falls, previously worked in quality control at a Summit County business, but expects to graduate from Hamrick's school in September and start driving a truck for a living.

While it's been more difficult than she expected, Tejada said it's what she has always wanted to do.

"Every time I drive, I like it more," she said.

Scott Shy, driver recruiter for Maverick Transportation LLC in Little Rock, Ark., recently attended an open house at the Hamrick school aimed at matching students and drivers with employers.

"There's just not enough drivers to fill the needs of the public," said Shy.

Maverick provides extensive training for new drivers, but turnover among its drivers is 73 percent every three months, Shy said.

Rusty Napier, of Napier Truck Driver Training Inc. in Hamilton, told The Associated Press that the school in southwest Ohio gets calls from companies around the country, but doesn't always have students available.

"Most students — once they have their license — have companies waiting for them," he said

The school's five-week classes cost $4,195 and only have about 10 or 12 students, "but these companies pay people to come talk to them," Napier said... Continue Reading...

Source: chron.com/news/article/Schools-in-Ohio-try-to-fill-need-for-truck-drivers-2156053.php