Category: truck regulations

The 2019 DOT Funding Bill Advances in The U.S. Senate

Posted on June 12, 2018 by - ATA, Bill, ELD, ELD Mandate, express truck tax, expresstrucktax, faa, House, House DOT Bill, Insutry news, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Senate, Senate DOT bill, truck regulations, trucking reform








The 2019 DOT Funding Bill Advances in The U.S. Senate

(Updated August 2, 2018)
Senate-passes transportation funding bill Aug. 1st.

Legislation approves $1 billion in infrastructure grants for the 2019 fiscal transportation measure including $154.2 billion package for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Measure as passed 92-6.

The Senate bill would provide DOT with $26.6 billion in discretionary spending. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would receive $667 million, and $50 million would be provided for improving safety of state-supported passenger rail service

The Federal transportation infrastructure, housing assistance, and community development spending bill was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, June 7 for $71.4 billion. The bill passed with a unanimous bipartisan support (31-0). So now that the 2019 DOT funding bill advances in the Senate here is what you need to know.

The 2019 DOT Funding Bill Advances in the Senate

The FY2019 Transportations, Housing and Urban Development, and Related (THUD) Appropriations Act unlike it’s House counterpart did not include trucking policy reform. This includes the proposed ELD waiver for livestock haulers and the controversial Denham Amendment.

The Denham Amendment backed by House representatives Jeff Denham (R-Cali), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Jim Costa (D-Cali) would standardize meal and rest breaks for truckers. The proposed ELD waiver for livestock and insect haulers would have exempt drivers from the electronic logging device mandate until September 2019. However, the Senate called upon the DOT to “consult with Stakeholder, the Department of Agriculture and Congress on legislative solutions for drivers with unique working conditions.”

 

The 2019 DOT Funding Bill Advances in The U.S. SenateThe current DOT funding expires at the end of September however the Senate has not set a date for considering the bill. Once consideration begins in the Senate legislatures can add trucking reforms during the amendment process. The U.S. House has yet to bring the DOT appropriations bill to the floor as well.


If the two governing bodies pass a different version of the bill, the lawmakers will enter a conference committee to produce a finalized bill. This will then be passed again by the respective governing bodies. Any trucking reform that is attached would be subject to intense review during the committee process.

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What You Need To Know About The Denham Amendment 2018

Posted on May 1, 2018 by - American Trucking Association, ATA, Denham Amendment 2018, Denham amendment trucking, FAA reauthorization 2018, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, The denham amendment, truck regulations

FAA reauthorization 2018 just passed through the house and this is how it will effect the trucking industry

Thursday, April 26th the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) reauthorization 2018 bill passed through the House and included an amendment that will affect all within the trucking industry. The Denham-Cuellar-Costa Amendment simply know as the Denham Amendment has received very mixed reactions from those within the industry. Here is what you need to know about the Denham Amendment 2018. 

What You Need To Know About The Denham Amendment 2018

Backed by House representatives Jeff Denham (R-Cali), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Jim Costa (D-Cali) will standardize meal and rest breaks for truckers. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) believe that the amendment will streamline interstate commerce by further federalizing the hours-of-service rules and regulations. However, on the other end of the spectrum, you have the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), they believe the Denham Amendment is a threat to drivers fair pay and breaks.

What Does The Denham Amendment Mean?

Before we get into the current industry fight, we will review the facts about the Denham Amendment and how it will affect you. In summary, the amendment will prevent an individual state from setting their own rules and regulations. All drivers will need to abide by the Department of Transportation’s (DOTs) hours-of-service by federal law.

Truckers will be impacted by the passing of the Denham Amendment Under the current federal hours-of-service regulations, drivers are required to take a 20-minute break after driving for eight hours. This means drivers can now work longer hours without taking breaks and without violating state laws.

For example, California requires a 10-minute break for every four hours driven and a 30-minute meal break for every five working hours. The new hours-of-service will be enforced using a mandated Electronic Logging Device (ELD).

ATA Vs. OOIDA

So what do both parties want regarding the Denham Amendment:

American Trucking Associations (ATA):

  • They want unified regulations that will not hamper interstate commerce.
  • With the Denham Amendment ATA believes productivity will rise since drivers can continue driving to meet shipment times.
  • This will cause less confusion when crossing into new jurisdictions.

Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA):

  • They believe this will deter drivers from taking much-needed breaks, potentially causing accidents and a decrease in productivity.
  • Under the Denham Amendment drivers wages will be standardized as well because companies will not be required to meet state-imposed minimum wages. 

We want to hear from you! Let us know your thought on the Denham Amendment. Do you like that the hours-of-service will be standardized between state lines or do you believe it will negatively affect your pay/breaks?

Trucking News: NTSB Pushing For Blind Spot Systems, Trailer Guards And Better Data Collection

Posted on April 8, 2014 by - NTSB, truck regulations, trucking news

Overdrive Online posted new regulations the National Transportation Safety Board is pushing to have in place for new trucks. The NTSB is recommending that regulations be put in place to require new trucks to be equipped with systems to boost blind spot awareness, side and rear underride guards, and to require that better data be collected on trailers involved in crashes.

The NTSB made these recommendations last week to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a letter from outgoing NTSB Chair Debora Hersman, who requested NHTSA respond within 90 days:

  • To prevent accidents cause by blind spots – particularly those involving what NTSB calls “vulnerable road users,” pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists – NTSB recommends that tractor-trailers with a GVWR of more than 26,000 pounds “be equipped with visibility enhancement systems.”
  • To protect passenger car drivers in the event of side impact – which NTSB says made up 15% of fatal two-vehicle crashes between a truck and a passenger car in 2011 – NTSB recommends that NHTSA require new trailers to be equipped with “side underride protections systems” like guards to prevent “intrusion” into passenger vehicles from trailers. NTSB also recommends similar guards be required for trailer rears.
  • Lastly, NTSB made three recommendations about collection of trailer data:
             1) NHTSA add trailer VIN and model year to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database
             2) Add a field to include trailer license plate numbers in the next edition of the Model Minimum                                                      Uniform Crash Criteria guideline
             3) Add a field to include trailer VIN numbers in the next edition of the Model Minimum Uniform                                                      Crash Criteria Guideline.

The NTSB’s recommendations are designed to prevent accidents and save lives. You can view the entire report sent by NTSB Chair Debora Hersman with detailed information about each recommendation.