trucking

Coming Down the Pike: Updated Trucking Regulatory Agenda

What’s on the minds of federal trucking regulators? A look at the latest Unified Regulatory Agenda provides some clues. The Unified Regulatory Agenda displays the anticipated regulatory activity by departments and agencies across the federal government. “Anticipated” is a key word, as the dates shown for agency actions often slip.

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Can You Pass This Trucking Speed Quiz?

By: Steve Vaughn, senior vice president of field operations, PrePass Safety Alliance Commercial law enforcement in North America focuses on unsafe behavior by car and truck drivers. The most frequent reason enforcement pulls drivers over? Speeding. As a fleet manager or truck driver, you know that speeding can lead to

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NHTSA/FMCSA Propose Automatic Emergency Braking for Trucks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are jointly proposing an automatic emergency braking standard for all heavy vehicles above 10,000 pounds (vehicle classes 3-8). Commonly referred to as AEB, the technology uses cameras and radar to detect stopped, decelerating, or slower

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FMCSA Finalizes Guidance on Freight Brokerage Definitions

Are you working with a broker, a bona fide agent, or a dispatch service? As a motor carrier, who you choose as a business partner can have legal and financial repercussions. That, in part, motivated the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to issue its final guidance on the definitions

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Trucking Things to Know Now, Part 10: 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. FMCSA Finalizes UCR

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NLRB Tightens Independent Contractor Standards

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a decision that many observers believe further complicates life for independent contractors, including those in trucking. In The Atlanta Opera, Inc. decision, the NLRB classifies theatrical production make-up artists and hair stylists as employees, allowing them to join a union. Federal law

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Underrides and Undercounts: The PBS “Frontline” Report on Trucking

Recently, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) aired a “Frontline” report on “America’s Dangerous Trucks.” The television program focused on an investigation by ProPublica into car-truck accidents where the passenger vehicle underrides the truck chassis, often resulting in fatalities. ProPublica indicated the simple requirement that truck trailers have side underride guards

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Infrastructure Challenges and Electric Trucks, Part 2

In the first part of this two-part series, we looked at states requiring a transition to zero-emission trucks and the network of charging stations, which private enterprise or government must provide, to accommodate electric truck operations. In part two, we examine questions motor carriers must ask when considering electric trucks

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Infrastructure Challenges and Electric Trucks, Part 1

When it comes to electric trucks, one thing is certain. They may not be today’s common commercial motor vehicle, but many consider them to be the future. In this two-part series, we look at the infrastructure motor carriers must consider when adding electric vehicles (EVs) – specifically, electric trucks –

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The ABCs of Digital Motor Carrier Identification

As a motor carrier, you may have stared at your computer screen, where a government form or business contract directed you to enter your name or carrier identity… and then offered only a few blanks to fill in that information… far too short for your company name or your USDOT

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FMCSA Enlists Truck Drivers to Prevent Human Trafficking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently launched its new human trafficking prevention campaign — “Your Roads, Their Freedom.” The agency seeks to give the nation’s 8.7 million commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers the information needed to identify and report suspected human trafficking. Most in the trucking industry understand

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