11AugIn a recent PrePass blog about truck size and weight, we asked a basic question. Why, in this world of innovation, do we even have truck size and weight limits? Our answer was: First, they help highway and bridge designers know what equipment will be traveling on the highways. That
8AugConsider this article similar to a physician’s advice about your health as a motor carrier – including the health of your equipment and safety program. Truck size and weight affect the health of all three. Truck size and weight, as the word “and” indicates, comes in two parts: Size refers
5AugLater this month is the annual brake safety blitz across North America, meaning truckers still have time to make sure their rigs are in top shape for possible inspections. Brake Safety Week is set for Aug. 21-27. The event is organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, an association of
2AugGuest blog by: Doug Marcello, trucking defense attorney, Marcello & Kivisto, LLC The ghosts of tire treads past haunt the berms of interstates. The useful life runs out and the tread comes off. Amid the debris are the shards of blown tires. In congested areas, lost treads and blown tires
21JulTwo federal regulatory agencies are asking for input regarding data collection on important trucking topics. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently published four Information Collection Requests (ICRs) in the Federal Register. Each renew existing ICRs that, by law, agencies must
14JulWhatever the political headlines of the day, federal agencies continue to add new trucking regulations, adopt new forms, and extend or discontinue previous waivers and exemptions. In this series, “Trucking Things to Know Now,” PrePass provides quick updates on regulatory developments, often with links to more information. Spring 2022 Edition
11JulThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is upgrading rear underride guard standards. The recently completed rulemaking applies to newly-manufactured trailers and semitrailers with a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or more. Previous Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) called for rear underride guards to withstand a 30 mph impact
30JunToward the end of 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration may release a proposed rulemaking for fully-automated (autonomous) trucks, according to the head of FMCSA’s technology division. But considering the complexity of autonomous vehicles (AV) – both cars and trucks – that schedule is not locked in. Take, for
27JunThe first major revision of U.S. container trade laws since 1998 becomes law while drawing praise from the trucking industry. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA). In this time of contentious politics, the vote was bipartisan and overwhelming, 369-42, to adopt
23JunThe numbers are in: nine of the top 20 driver violations for 2022 relate to hours of service (HOS), plus 11 of the next 20. As motor carriers and truck drivers are well aware, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration pays the closest attention to HOS when measuring a carrier’s
20JunBy: Steve Vaughn, vice president of field operations, PrePass Safety Alliance I’ve been there. It’s not uncommon to pull a trucker over and hear him or her ask, “Why did you stop me?” Sometimes there is an easy answer. Other times it’s more complicated. Either way, it’s not uncommon for
15JunThis year’s Operation Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 10-16. Law enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. will patrol roadways throughout that week, issuing warnings and citations to commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors. Officers will look for violations such as
