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FMCSA Issues Final Rule for States to Comply With Clearinghouse Requirements |  | 
Technicians test specimens at the Quest Diagnostics laboratory in Teterboro, N.J.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Dec. 12 a final rule extending by three years the date for state driver's licensing agencies to comply with certain Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse requirements. The December 2016, commercial driver license Clearinghouse rule requires states to request information from the Clearinghouse about individuals prior to issuing, renewing, upgrading or transferring a CDL.
FMCSA’s new action will allow states’ compliance with the requirement — currently due to begin Jan. 6 — to be delayed until Jan. 6, 2023. The announcement, however, said the agency also would allow states the option to voluntarily query Clearinghouse information beginning Jan. 6. They may do this by registering in the Clearinghouse as an authorized user and logging in to view a driver’s record, the Federal Register pre-publication announcement said. “The compliance date extension allows FMCSA the time needed to complete its work on a forthcoming rulemaking to address the states’ use of driver-specific information from the Clearinghouse, and time to develop the information technology platform through which states will electronically request and receive Clearinghouse information,” FMCSA said. “The compliance date of Jan. 6, 2020, remains in place for all other requirements set forth in the Clearinghouse final rule.” FMCSA said it has concluded that the delay will not impact highway safety. The announcement said that following publication of the 2016 final rule, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a trade association representing driver licensing authorities from the 50 states and the District of Columbia, asserted that the rule failed to address various operational issues related to the states’ role in the Clearinghouse. AAMVA raised several concerns ranging from what FMCSA does with the information from the states to what privacy and data controls will be applied to the transmission of Clearinghouse information to the state agencies. FMCSA said it is currently working on a “Clearinghouse II” notice of proposed rule that will specifically address the issues raised by AAMVA. The agency said it received 13 comments in response to the Sept. 6 NPRM first proposing the partial delay. Three individuals opposed extending the compliance date for the states’ query requirements, noting the importance of implementing the Clearinghouse without delay. “However, two of those commenters erroneously believed the proposal was to delay the entire Clearinghouse final rule and not solely the states’ query provision,” FMCSA said. FMCSA said American Trucking Associations expressed disappointment that the agency proposed to delay the states’ query requirement by three years, but acknowledged the need to “resolve AAMVA’s concerns and ensure a seamless implementation of the states’ Clearinghouse requirements.” ATA also recommended that, during the three-year delay, the agency encourage states “to adopt their own procedures to review Clearinghouse information through the FMCSA portal before issuing, upgrading, renewing or transferring a CDL.” The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association commented that the proposed extension may cause confusion, noting that “drivers might interpret any delay in the Clearinghouse as a delay in the entire program, thus failing to register at the proper time,” FMCSA said. OOIDA suggested that FMCSA consider extending the compliance date for all Clearinghouse requirements “to allow the entire industry sufficient opportunity to register…and provide additional time for the agency to ensure an efficient rollout.” But FMCSA said it believes that comments suggesting that the agency should delay the entire Clearinghouse rule, or parts of the rule unrelated to the states’ query requirement, are without merit. “Clearinghouse registration for authorized users has been underway since October 1, 2019, and FMCSA intends to make the Clearinghouse operational beginning January 6, 2020, as required by the 2016 final rule,” FMCSA said. Source of this article and other great articles
Roadrunner sells flatbed business for $30M | |
Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. has sold its flatbed business unit for $30 million in cash, the company announced Monday, Dec. 9. Roadrunner’s flatbed division operates as D&E Transport, headquartered in Clearwater, Minnesota. The business saw over $50 million in revenue for the trailing 12 months ended Sept. 30. It was part of Roadrunner’s truckload segment. The sale was completed Dec. 6. Roadrunner is not disclosing the buyer. Roadrunner put the proceeds from the sale toward repaying finance leases and debt and pay transaction costs. The remaining amount was made available for general corporate purposes. “The divestiture of the flatbed business unit is another step forward in our strategy to simplify our portfolio by focusing on our value-added logistics and asset-light LTL segments,” said Curt Stoelting, CEO of Roadrunner. Roadrunner downsized its dry van business in September, cutting 450 jobs and closing five terminals. Report: Mega carrier to file for bankruptcy this week | |
 A new report indicates that an Indiana-based mega-carrier plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. On Friday, Freightwaves reported that Indianapolis, Indiana-based Celadon Group Inc. would file for Chapter 11 no later than Wednesday, citing internal sources. This would be the largest truckload carrier to file for bankruptcy protection in U.S. history. Freightwaves says that a number of the company’s customers have already been notified about the bankruptcy, but it isn’t clear at this point whether Celadon will cease operations. Representatives from Celadon told CDLLife via phone that they were not shuttering their operations. The company currently employs around 2500 truck drivers and operates nearly 2,700 trucks in the U.S., according to the FMCSA’s SAFER website. The news comes the same week that the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that two former executive officers with Celadon would face charges related to fraud and lying to investors. William Eric Meek, 39, and Bobby Lee Peavler, 40, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and securities fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a public company’s accountants and to falsify books, records, and accounts of a public company, and one count of making false statements to a public company’s accountants. Peavler was additionally charged with two counts of counts of making false statements to a public company’s accountants. Additionally, this spring, Celadon agreed to pay $42.2 million in restitution to shareholders for “filing materially false and misleading statements to investors and falsifying books, records and accounts.” Celadon has been in financial trouble for years following an April 2017 report from a research group called Prescience Point that alleged that Celadon used accounting tricks like off-balance-sheet entities to hide the fact that the company is worth almost $0. That 2017 report predicted that “CGI (Celadon Group Inc.) will be bankrupt or insolvent within 1-2 quarters; existing shareholders will be wiped out.” Since that report, an SEC investigation was launched and the company faced numerous lawsuits from investors. Celadon restructured their C-Suite, with Meek resigning and took measures to “exit or downsize unprofitable or non-core businesses.“ These efforts included selling off their flatbed division to PS Logistics and shuttering their driver training schools. This is a developing story. Company driver missing since late last month | |
A northern Illinois trucking company is looking for one of its drivers. Al-Amin Brothers Transportation of Crete, Illinois is trying to locate 63-year-old David C. Day, whose whereabouts have been unknown since he refueled Nov. 27 in Irving, New York. He is said to be 5? 9? tall, weighs 178 pounds, has hazel eyes and brow and salt and pepper hair. He is driving a 2011 dark red Volvo VNL64T Vin# 299508, with Illinois plate P1006352. It has a blue Al-Amin Brothers Transportation sign and is truck #1060. He was hauling a Great Dane reefer van #5329, Vin# 704222 and Illinois plate 562584ST. The name Al-Amin Brothers Transportation is on the rear doors. His load was supposed to be delivered in Sterling, Illinois Nov. 28. Day more than likely used US 20 to avoid tolls, according to the company. It also said his ELD has been disconnected. Day’s phone is said to have been pinged near Toledo, Ohio Nov. 3. If you see the driver or his truck, contact Missing Truck Driver Alert Network and Tom Oswald at [email protected] and 911 for a well-being check. A missing person report (054167-19) was filed with Toledo PD. ?(419) 245-3340?. Source of this article and other great articles
Park It, Trucks: Here Come New York’s Cargo Bikes | |
New York will allow Amazon, DHL and UPS to park cargo bikes in commercial loading zones as a way to get some trucks off the city’s gridlocked streets. Delivery trucks and vans laden with online packages are putting a stranglehold on New York City streets and filling its air with pollutants. Now a new city program aims to replace some of these delivery vehicles with a transportation mode that is more environmentally friendly and does not commandeer street space: electric cargo bikes. It will be the first time the city, long home to bike messengers, has specifically promoted cargo bikes as an alternative to delivery trucks. As many as 100 pedal-assisted cargo bikes operated by Amazon, UPS and DHL will be allowed to park in hundreds of existing commercial loading areas that are typically reserved for trucks and vans. Unlike those vehicles, the bikes will not have to pay meters. Smaller cargo bikes will also be allowed to park on wider sidewalks, and all the bikes can travel along the city’s growing network of more than 1,400 miles of bike lanes. The bikes will be concentrated in the most congested parts of Manhattan, from 60th Street south to the Battery. Cargo bikes have been rolled out in a growing number of cities, including Paris, London and Dublin, as online shopping has soared and led to concerns over congestion and climate change. UPS operates dozens of cargo bikes in more than 30 cities after introducing them in Hamburg, Germany, in 2012. “Around the world, we have seen how freight companies use cargo bikes to move goods around dense urban neighborhoods more efficiently,” said Polly Trottenberg, New York’s transportation commissioner. A cargo bike in Washington Square Park in Manhattan. City officials are seeking ways to address the proliferation of delivery vehicles. Of the 100 bikes that are part of the program, 90 operated by Amazon are already on the streets. Officials said the number of bikes could increase if the program proves successful. Rebecca Gansert, Amazon’s vice president for specialty fulfillment, said the company’s cargo bikes in New York City were part of an effort to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2040. “We’re starting with 90 bikes and plan to significantly grow that number in the coming months,” Ms. Gansert said. “We appreciate the City of New York and its support of innovative programs to bring more sustainable delivery options to the city.” But the city’s efforts to promote cargo bikes drew criticism from some truck drivers and business owners who said the cargo bikes would take up already scarce street space and make their work harder. “It’s a problem,” said Steve Margarella, the owner of a road construction company based on Staten Island with a fleet of eight trucks. “Everything is being put on our backs. You’re further limiting our ability to provide services.” Mr. Margarella added that what he spends to operate each truck — more than $10,000 annually in registration and vehicle fees and insurance — should give his trucks priority in using the loading areas. Still, many city officials and transportation experts said that cargo bikes offered a clear advantage over delivery trucks and that room needed to be made for them on city streets, including providing access to bike lanes and sidewalks. Anne Goodchild, the director of the University of Washington’s Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center, pointed out that cargo bikes are smaller, nimbler and easier to maneuver than trucks and emit no greenhouse gases. While a delivery truck may have to circle the block a few times before finding parking, a cargo bike can just park by the door of the building receiving the delivery, she said. “That’s one of the underlying big questions for it to be an improvement over the van: Where are you allowed to operate it and where can you park it?” Professor Goodchild said. “If you can use a bike lane when there is congestion on the travel lane, you can continue moving while a box van wouldn’t.” Alex Engel, a spokesman for the National Association of City Transportation Officials, said that as many cities face similar congestion and delivery challenges, New York’s program would be closely watched “to see how pedal power can unclog the movement of goods in our most congested urban areas.” Cargo bikes have become especially popular in Europe. In Dublin, UPS uses cargo bikes to pick up packages for delivery from a container on the street that serves as an “urban eco package hub.” Peter Harris, UPS’s international director of sustainability, said cargo bikes had worked best in densely packed city centers with lots of deliveries, when there is a well-developed bike network and a close partnership with city officials. “If you have all those things together, then there’s a very good chance a cycle operation will be successful,” he said. In recent years, UPS has also tested cargo bikes in a handful of American cities. In Seattle, where UPS started as a messenger and bike delivery service in 1907, the company has tried out cargo bike deliveries in the downtown area. In one neighborhood, the city allowed UPS to take over, for a fee, several paid curbside parking spots on weekdays to set up a container for the cargo bike to load packages for delivery. “Anything that helps us reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make deliveries more efficient and reduce congestion — we’re looking for ways to support that and we think bikes could be an opportunity to do just that,” said Sam Zimbabwe, Seattle’s transportation director. Still, cargo bikes are only one small piece of the delivery puzzle as e-commerce continues to grow. As shipping evolves with new technologies and logistics strategies, future deliveries will most likely be made through a combination of transportation modes, including trucks, according to Professor Goodchild. In New York, Amazon has deployed bikes with attached trailers for Whole Foods deliveries in Manhattan and parts of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. UPS and DHL will operate cargo bikes in the city for the first time. DHL, which has set internal goals to reduce emissions, had already switched in 2011 to using hybrid and electric vans in Manhattan and had been seeking approval to use cargo bikes in New York for more than a year, company officials said. DHL will start with three cargo bikes — with each bike effectively replacing one truck. City officials said the new program was open to any freight company, and the number of cargo bikes could be increased. It has been initially approved for six months. Danny Harris, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group, said he welcomed the cargo bikes as another way to take trucks off the road and free up more space on streets and sidewalks to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers. “The concern in New York is that people — whether they walk or bike — have been given table scraps on our streets,” Mr. Harris said. “Sidewalks can be filled with garbage and scaffolding, and streets are filled with traffic, so we must reclaim more space for all New Yorkers.” Shelly Mossey, 65, a former bike messenger who now runs a tour bike company, Rolling Orange Bikes, said cargo bikes could thrive in the city. More than a decade ago, he converted a pedicab and a trailer into a cargo bike and was soon hauling wine from a Battery Park liquor shop and paint from a TriBeCa hardware store. But back then, not everyone was willing to take a chance on a cargo bike. “I went to Whole Foods and they laughed at us,” he recalled. “It was difficult, but once someone saw how great it was, they swore by it.”
AOBRD to ELD deadline Dec. 17; no ‘soft’ enforcement | |
Time is running out on the latest technology change coming to the cabs of the trucking industry. Starting Dec. 17, all motor carriers and drivers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic logging device final rule must use an ELD, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. The deadline is significant for carriers and drivers utilizing grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices, which will no longer be allowed to provide records of duty status as a substitute to a required ELD. Motor carriers utilizing an AOBRD must have a fully operational ELD installed and in use on Dec. 17. The CVSA says there will be no extensions or exceptions made to the Dec. 17, ELD deadline. CVSA said there will be no “soft enforcement” grace period. Drivers not utilizing a registered ELD and subject to the rule on will be considered to have no record of duty status or no logbook, according to CVSA. That also applies to a driver still using an automatic onboard recording device. Such a driver will be declared out of service for 10 hours. |
PennDOT P3 Project Will Address I-81 Improvements | |
A 4.5-mile portion of Interstate 81 near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., will see improvements, including widening both directions to three lanes.
Leaders within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have approved a public-private partnership to reconstruct a portion of Interstate 81.
PennDOT’s P3 Board approved the project, which will involve the reconstruction of a 4.5-mile section of the route near Wilkes-Barre, on Dec. 4. Wilkes-Barre, the seat of Luzerne County in northeastern Pennsylvania, is 20 miles southwest of Scranton. The project will involve widening a portion of I-81 to three lanes in both directions, realigning 2.5 miles of southbound interstate and replacing eight bridges. Other safety measures include eliminating a left-hand exit and improving a substandard weave distance between two routes that intersect with I-81. Michael Bonini, director of PennDOT’s P3 Office, said the area presents an opportunity for capacity and safety improvements. He noted that traffic numbers have increased, as has development along the corridor south of Wilkes-Barre.
Bonini “We view these capacity and safety improvements as being necessary in the department’s ongoing opportunities to improve the interstate,” Bonini told Transport Topics. “Not only do these bridges need to be replaced, but we see this particular P3 project fitting in the long-term vision of really improving I-81 for not only freight traffic, but for motorists as well.” According to PennDOT, the major corridors in northeastern Pennsylvania include interstates 80 and 81, which see between 25,000 and 50,000 vehicles every day. PennDOT’s announcement about the project’s approval indicates that the P3 delivery method will allow the agency to address the corridor’s infrastructure needs quicker than a traditional delivery method. PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell said I-81 is an important freight corridor, providing connections to markets in New York and New England. “There’s no denying that I-81 in Luzerne County is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in the state,” former PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said in a statement. “The P3 approach will allow PennDOT greater flexibility in making these critical improvements to our transportation network.” Pennsylvania is important for freight movement, and trucking activity is expected to grow in the state in the coming years. According to PennDOT’s Comprehensive Freight Movement Plan, the state’s infrastructure network carries 1.1 billion tons of freight, a figure that is expected to increase to 1.9 billion tons by 2040. Bonini explained that the P3 Board’s approval means his office can begin the process of identifying a partner through a competitive solicitation and completing the requisite planning and environmental clearances for the project. He said the project is a good opportunity for a “design-build-finance-maintain type agreement.” The Public and Private Partnerships for Transportation Act of 2012 authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania, enabling PennDOT and transportation commissions to form partnerships with private companies for projects. PennDOT has also pursued P3 solutions to truck parking challenges. Earlier this year, the agency reviewed responses that truck stops and companies in the logistics, construction services and traffic management software businesses had submitted after PennDOT issued a request for input. Pennsylvania’s Transportation Advisory Committee has identified a shortfall of nearly 4,400 parking spaces across the state. Truck parking ranked No. 5 on the American Transportation Research Institute’s Top Industry Issues report, issued Oct. 6. Source of this article and other great articles
Rebuilt Tacoma Love’s opens; 83 truck parking spots | |
The Love’s Travel Center in Tacoma, Washington reopened today after closing in 2018 to be rebuilt. The travel stop located off Interstate 5 has 83 truck parking spaces. It also has:
“We’re happy to be serving more customers in the Northwest,” said Tom Love, founder and executive chairman of Love’s. “We can now provide clean places, friendly faces at our fifth location in Washington and Tacoma is a great place to do that.” More than 50 vehicles pile up in Iowa | |
 Authorities in Iowa say that dozens of vehicles were involved in a pileup crash on Monday morning. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash was reported around 11 a.m. on December 9 on westbound I-80 at mile marker 139 near Altoona Troopers say that at least 50 vehicles collided during winter weather conditions. In images captured at the scene, you can see that several of the vehicles are semi trucks. Initial reports indicated that one person was killed, but police now say that the person was seriously injured. It isn’t yet clear how many others could be hurt. Westbound I-80 is expected to remain closed for several more hours. Eaton to discontinue Procision transmission: Exclusive | |
TORONTO, Ont. — Today’s Trucking has learned that Eaton is no longer producing its Procision dual-clutch automated transmission. While making inquiries for a story about transmissions for the medium-duty market, an official said Eaton would be discontinuing production of the Procision transmission at the end of the year, adding that customers had been notified “a couple of months ago.” Eaton declined our request for comment and provided no further details. The Procision, introduced in 2014 and in production in 2015, was the first automated dual-clutch transmission in the North American market. It was a 7-speed configuration with 0.64:1 double-overdrive final drive ratio and rated at 660 lb-ft. It featured creep mode, hill helper and had three standard PTO openings. The dual-clutch shifting technology was the key to the Procision transmission. Eaton said when the transmission was launched that the torque path to the drive wheels is not interrupted by gear changes, so drivers wouldn’t feel a lag in power when upshifting as they do with a traditional manual transmission or automated manuals. Gear changes are made by swapping the engine torque between clutches with the next gear preselected. Smart features such as Eaton Dynamic Shifting allowed the transmission to automatically switch between economy and performance shift schedules based on mass, grade and driver demand. Withdrawing the Procision from the medium-duty market leaves Eaton with a line of 5- or 6-speed light- and medium-duty synchronized manual transmissions rated from 11,000 to 66,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. FedEx's 'Roxo' delivery bot gets chilly reception in New York City | |
 FedEx says Roxo was visiting New York City for a special event and is not currently being tested for that market.
FedEx Corp. in February introduced the world to the SameDay Bot with an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show. Known as “Roxo,” it uses artificial intelligence, sensors and stair-climbing wheels to autonomously deliver cargo. However, after being spotted out on the streets of New York City in mid-November, the reception on social media from local residents and even Mayor Bill de Blasio was as chilly as the late autumn temperatures.
CARB Suspends Imminent GHG Rule for Trailers | |
TEC Equipment store in Stockton, Calif. (TEC Equipment)
The California Air Resources Board announced Dec. 3 it was suspending enforcement for at least two years of its greenhouse gas (GHG) trailer standards, which had been set to go into effect Jan. 1. The state’s standards are largely similar to the delayed federal GHG emission standards for trailers, which could be met by equipping trailers with features that reduce aerodynamic drag, low-rolling-resistance tires, tire pressure monitoring system, and weight reduction measures. A key issue yet to be decided in court is whether trailers are considered new motor vehicles that EPA may regulate under the Clean Air Act. The CARB advisory stated the suspension would, at a minimum, be in effect for model year 2020 and 2021 trailers manufactured before Jan. 1, 2022. At the same time, CARB will give trailer manufacturers selling trailers in California six months notice before it begins enforcing the GHG trailer standards. |
Missing trucker David Day
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