trucking blog

FMCSA Flagging Motor Carriers That Haven’t Updated Government Form

By Steve Vaughn, vice president of field operations, PrePass Safety Alliance The football season may be over – at least for colleges and the NFL – but “flags” are flying at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The agency is “flagging” motor carriers which have not updated their MCS-150 forms

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Trucking Faced with ‘Weighty’ Issues, Part 2

In this two-part series, we look at the state and federal trucking regulations from a weight standpoint. The first installment discussed state efforts to mandate electric vehicles (EVs), specifically electric trucks. In this second part, we examine the impending federal rulemaking on side underride guards. Whatever the purpose of a

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Trucking Faced with ‘Weighty’ Issues, Part 1

Truck weights are under attack. No, we are not witnessing a return to the trucking vs. railroad battles of the 1970s and 1980s. That’s when the standard maximum truck weight rose from 73,280 pounds to today’s 80,000 pounds and when twin 28-foot trailer combinations and 53-foot semitrailers became legal nationwide,

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UCR Fees Proposed to Decrease Again in 2024

Motor carriers will again pay less for Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement (UCR) fees in 2024 than the year before, but likely only for a short time. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a proposed 9% decrease in UCR fees beginning next year. That reduction follows the

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FMCSA Updates Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Notifications

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is expanding the timeframe in which it will notify motor carriers of a change in a driver’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse information. Previously, the clearinghouse only sent a notification when a change regarding motor carrier’s driver occurred within 30 days of a pre-employment

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Trucking Things to Know Now, Part 9: Federal Regulatory Updates

Whatever 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. Is Hair Testing

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The Most Important Part of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems on Trucks

We read and hear much about ADAS – Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mentions it in the Tech-Celerate program. FMCSA rulemakings and truck manufacturer literature frequently highlight ADAS, from automatic emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control systems to lane-keeping assist, and camera-based mirror

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The Split Sleeper Berth Rule for Truckers Explained

Truck drivers’ compliance with federal hours of service (HOS) rules has likely become easier with electronic logging devices replacing paper logbooks. However, one part of the HOS regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that causes truckers some problems remains. The so-called “split sleeper berth” rule. For those not

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PrePass Insider Newsletter – March 2023

The PrePass Insider newsletter is your monthly digest of trucking news and everything PrePass. Not subscribed to this newsletter? Subscribe now. New Truck Parking Solutions Under Consideration For many years truck drivers have rightfully complained about a lack of available safe truck parking, especially during the nighttime hours. In fact, some

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Safe Truck Driving in Icy Conditions

By: Steve Vaughn, vice president field operations, PrePass Safety Alliance In late December Old Man Winter delivered a hammer blow to much of the country. High winds, drifting snows, and plummeting temperatures greeted anyone daring to drive. For fleets, the conditions put all your winter planning and preparation to the

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Revoked ELDs – What Truckers Need to Know & Do

Electronic logging devices have been part of trucking life since 2016. The devices record a driver’s hours of service and display, transfer, or print out that information for roadside enforcement. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a long list of technical standards any ELD must meet. In Canada, an

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