trucking

So What If My Truck Is a Little Overweight? Part 1.

Consider 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

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Prepare Your Trucks for Brake Safety Week

Later 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

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Defending Your Truck Fleet Against Tire and Tread-Off Claims

Guest 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

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Feds Looking for Comments on Trucker Hours of Service, Driver Registry and More

Two 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

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What Truck Drivers Should Do When They Spot Emergencies

By: Steve Vaughn, vice president of field operations, PrePass Safety Alliance Professional truck drivers are on the road at all times of the day, in all conditions. They know that the first step in a safe journey is paying complete attention to their surroundings. Being out there on the road

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Trucking Things to Know Now, Part 6: 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. Spring 2022 Edition

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Truck Rear Underride Guard Standards Upgraded, Side Guards Considered

The 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

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FMCSA Forecasts Autonomous Truck Rulemaking for Late 2022

Toward 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

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Congress Addresses Container-Related Intermodal Trucking Problems

The 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

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Why Was My Truck Stopped?

By: 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

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