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Hello, Fellow Drivers, Many of you carry a TWIC (Transportaion Worker Identification Credential) card to load and unload at the ports around the country. I thought this was an interesting piece of trucking industry news which I found in a recent issue of Land Lind Magazine. BTW (by the way), here is the website to find out all about TWIC cards and how to apply for one. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there.
Truckers surprised by places they’re asked, and not asked, for TWIC card
By Charlie Morasch
staff writer
Gary Carr visits ports nearly every day. Carr, an OOIDA member from Wayne, ME, hauls fish from the northeast to the West Coast, stopping at ports in Massachusetts, Maryland and Washington. A year ago, Carr obtained a Transportation Worker Identification Credential card – a computer-chipped biometric ID card, which stores his fingerprints and U.S. documentation. Carr said he’s rarely asked to show his TWIC. Instead, he’s allowed to drive within 10 feet of water, sometimes close to cargo and cruise ships after merely flashing his CDL. “I don’t understand where it’s totally required and where it’s not,” Carr said. “I like the idea of TWIC. It just amazes me that the government required me to pay $132 for something I’m not using.” Carr isn’t alone. Thirty-eight percent of respondents in a landlinemag.com poll said their TWIC IDs were checked always or most of the time at ports; 29 percent said rarely; and 32 percent of respondents said they were never checked for TWIC at ports. About 285,000 truckers have TWIC IDs, which last five years. The program has spent $171 million since 2003. Increasingly, OOIDA members are using their TWIC cards when entering facilities that want to photocopy ID. Carr prefers showing his TWIC, which doesn’t list personal information. “Unless you know how to read that TWIC card, you’re not going to get anything off of it,” Carr said. “With a driver’s license, they’ve got a copy that can go anywhere after I show it.” Truckers may be asked to show TWIC cards depending on whether they are in areas defined as “secure,” said TSA Spokesman Greg Soule.Coast Guard Spokeswoman Lisa Novak said she didn’t know of safety concerns regarding truckers not being asked to show TWIC cards. Currently, 70 different card readers are being tested in pilot programs, including systems that require truckers to place fingers onto a scanner. The results of the pilot programs will be delivered to the Coast Guard this year before a final card reader rule is published. LL
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Trucking Industry News – For All Seat Belt Rebels!
Monday, June 7, 2010
posted by 18 Wheeler 9:41 PM
Hello, Fellow Drivers, Sorry for the long absence! I came across this bit of trucking industry news in Land Line Magazine that pertains to wearing seat belts. Most drivers hate the cotton pickin things so I thought this would be of interest to you “belt rebels” out there! If this Wisconsin bill is any indication of what the bears are up to in each state, I suggest you have your belt handy in case they are checking for seat belts or you get stopped at the scales. As of 2010, Florida changed it’s law so that bears can pull you over for just a seat belt infraction. Prior to this year, bears had to stop you on another offense to be able to ticket you for just not wearing your seat belt. Driving alert each day, keeps the bears away! Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there.
Wisconsin lawmakers target unsafe driving
A handful of legislation drawing consideration in the Wisconsin statehouse intends to make the state’s roadways safer.
Rep. Gary Bies, R-Sister Bay, has offered a bill that would permit officers to pull over drivers not buckled up. Currently, law enforcement in the state can issue seat-belt citations to drivers only after stopping a vehicle for another traffic violation, such as speeding.
The bill – AB113 – would allow for primary enforcement of the state’s seat-belt law. It also would increase the fine for failure to adhere to the stricter rule from $10 to $25. No points would be assessed against violators’ driver’s licenses.
Opponents cite personal choice and the potential for racial profiling among the concerns about the stricter enforcement effort. Supporters say saving lives and the lure of federal money should be reason enough to approve the stricter rule.
If approved, Wisconsin would be line for a one-time $16 million payment from the federal government, the Pierce County Herald reported.
The 2005 Federal Highway Bill gives any state that adopts tougher seat-belt rules or achieves a belt usage rate of 85 percent one-time grant money equal to 500 percent of the highway funding the state received in 2003.
Wisconsin has a seat-belt usage rate of 73 percent.
There are 24 states without a primary seat-belt law. Maine’s recent adoption of the stricter rule brings to 25 the number of states that allow police to pull over drivers solely for not wearing their seat belts. New Hampshire is the only state without a mandatory seat-belt law of any kind.
Another of Bies’ bills in Wisconsin would clearly forbid drivers from watching television while behind the wheel.
State law already prohibits drivers from watching any device that receives a television broadcast signal if it’s located in front of the back of the driver’s seat or is visible to the driver – regardless of whether the device interferes with safe driving.
The bill – AB215 – would amend the law to prohibit drivers from watching any device capable of displaying live or recorded television, cable or satellite broadcasts, DVDs or video games that is located within the driver’s view.
The restriction wouldn’t apply to dashboard readouts or other displays of information about a vehicle’s operation or conduct. Drivers found in violation of the rule face fines up to $400.
One other bill – AB214 – would prohibit drivers under age 18 from talking on cell phones or sending text messages while behind the wheel when they have an instruction permit or are within the first nine months of holding a probationary license. It would exempt emergency phone calls.
Sponsored by Rep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis, the bill would have violators face fines as much as $400.
The distracted driving provisions would be added to other restrictions under Wisconsin’s graduated driver’s license program. Existing rules prohibit probationary license holders under age 18 from driving unsupervised between midnight and 5 a.m. and from transporting more than one passenger in the vehicle under age 18, unless they are relatives.
The bills are in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
– By Keith Goble, state legislative editor
keith_goble@landlinemag.com
Trucking Industry News – Your CDL & Blood Sugar Levels
Monday, April 19, 2010
posted by 18 Wheeler 4:36 PM
Hello, Fellow Drivers, I saw this article in the latest Land Line Magazine and thought it newsworthy. The bottom line in trucking is that without good health, you won’t make any money. You will feel too sick or too tired to make your trucking business successful without exacting a heavy price from your body. Check out this article about the importance of blood sugar levels and your DOT medical card. This is definitely trucking industry news you want to check out for yourself. If any of you drivers would like to see specific trucking related issues answered, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to research the question and get back with you. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
Trucker MD
Why the A1C test for drivers? – Understanding your blood sugar level is important for your CDL and your long-term health
By John McElligott, MD
Land Line contributor
Suppose a driver goes in for a DOT exam and his/her urine specimen indicates sugar “spilling” on the routine test. What does this mean?
The normal kidney can hold up to a 300 mg percent rise in blood sugar without spilling sugar into the urine. If sugar is detected in that urine specimen, here’s what happens next.
Usually, a medical examiner will order a “finger stick” to determine the blood sugar level. If the test comes back with a reading of 160 mg percent or higher, then the driver is diagnosed with new onset diabetes mellitus or uncontrolled diabetes that needs better treatment.
Such a diagnosis can lead to loss of a professional driver’s DOT medical card or a three-month medical card.
The driver must see his doctor – if he has one – and be treated or have his medication adjusted.
Then the driver must demonstrate to the DOT examiner (soon to be “certified medical examiner”) that his blood sugar is being treated. It must also be demonstrated that the driver is compliant with follow-up and is taking medication for his disease.
Here is where the A1C test is going to be a life-changer for professional drivers.
The number that most of us DOT medical examiners look for is an average blood sugar of 160 or less. But how do we find the average blood sugar when we have only three months to demonstrate compliance?
The answer is a test called “hemoglobin A1C.” This test measures the glucose found in the red blood cells. It just so happens that the human red blood cell lives for 120 days, so we can measure the sugar in it.
DOT medical examiners now have either instant A1C in office test or, at worst, a two- to three-day send-out test.
The good news is that the A1C instant test done at the time of a DOT physical can save your ticket to the dance. It provides enough information to put your average 90-day blood sugar into play, which could counteract the test for sugar in the urine and the finger stick, both of which are a snapshot in time.
So what else do you need to know about the A1C test?
- Make sure your examiner uses the instant A1C test to help you stay on the road.
- If you are diabetic, never eat before going in for a DOT medical exam.
- Take your medicine on a regular schedule.
- Get an A1C test from your doctor at least three months before your DOT exam is due and keep a copy to show the examiner.
- If your test shows that your average blood sugar is well-controlled, then continue the same routine every year.
Remember: Medication alone does not treat diabetes. The cornerstone of treatment is diet and exercise. LL
Editor’s note:John McElligott is an M.D. and Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Hello, Fellow Drivers, Today’s trucking industry news is about driver fatigue. Here is the buzz from Washington. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is redoing their regs on HOS. The bottom line is to remember to get as much rest as your run allows and don’t stretch that log book too much! Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
NTSB: Fatigue endangers across all transportation modes
Hersman highlighted a number of accident investigations across all transportation modes that included fatigue as the probable cause or a contributing factor to accidents.
The Trucker News Services
3/8/2010
WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman March 5 encouraged the sleep research and healthcare community to continue their efforts to educate transportation policy makers of the dangers of fatigue in all modes of transportation. Speaking before the annual conference of the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, Chairman Hersman remarked that fatigue has been a concern for the board since the creation of the agency in 1967 and it has been an issue on the Board’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since the list was established in 1990. “The work of the National Sleep Foundation and other organizations and individuals is critical to improving transportation safety policy,” said Chairman Hersman. “The NTSB is interested and willing to partner with you in developing a greater awareness of fatigue.” Hersman highlighted a number of accident investigations across all transportation modes that included fatigue as the probable cause or a contributing factor to accidents. As a result, the board has made safety recommendations that range from deploying fatigue detection systems to reduce the occurrence of accidents to installing electronic on-board recorders that collect and maintain hours of service data on vehicle operators. “We can’t always prove fatigue as a cause of an accident, but the frequency with which we now routinely document the presence of fatigue-related factors in transportation operations is alarming,” Hersman stated. Hersman remarked that while there are still no definitive tools to conclusively identify the degree to which a person is fatigued, the major challenge is to ensure that all those in transportation report to work rested and fit for duty — for their own safety and for the safety of those they are transporting.
Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at barbkampbell@thetrucker.com.
Trucking Industry News – Current Federal Legislation – Part 3 of 3
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
posted by 18 Wheeler 9:33 PM
Hello, Fellow Drivers, This is the last part of the this three part series on trucking industry news. I got this news from the Land Line Magazine online. These are important issues that affect your trucking business. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
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Trucking Industry News – Current Federal Legislation – Part 1 of 3
Thursday, January 7, 2010
posted by 18 Wheeler 5:24 PM
Hello, Fellow Drivers, It’s always good to keep up with what the Feds are doing. In this bit of trucking industry news, you will read about the highway bill that is before Congress. If the bill passes, the trucking business will have to face the changes. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there. I found this in this issues of OOIDA’s Land Line Mag.
Legislative issues on the federal level can heat up and flame out in the blink of an eye. However, there are several bills – some with several different versions in both chambers, others as stand-alone bills – of interest to truckers.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association keeps close tabs on these issues on a daily basis. The following is a snapshot of some of the biggest pieces of legislation that could affect your lives on the road.
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Hello, Fellow Drivers, As if the trucking business had enough to keep up with, now the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is adding to the pile! I found this bit of trucking industry news in the OOIDA magazine, Land Line. Read on to keep abreast of the latest ways to keep you from stretchin’ your log books and other things. Remember to be safe out there!
CSA 2010: Your new company, driver safety ‘credit report’
With technology morphing the way we live our lives at warp speed, it’s no big surprise that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided to go high-tech with its compliance enforcement.
Currently, the odds of being hit with any substantive on-site compliance review are somewhere between slim and none. Because of lack of staffing and the cumbersome nature of plowing through mountains of paperwork, each year FMCSA officials are only able to conduct compliance reviews on less than 2 percent of the motor carriers in the U.S.
Enter the technology knight on a white horse – CSA 2010. Back in 2004, FMCSA officials started developing a data-driven system of analyzing all inspection reports on motor carriers and drivers to identify trends of noncompliance.
The mega database system, with all of its algorithms and programs, will spit out monthly safety ratings for companies and drivers. Those who crop up with numerous violations – ranging from the not-so-serious to out-of-service – will pop up on FMCSA’s compliance radar.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a full-blown on-site compliance review. Depending on the severity of the rating, you could get anything from a letter telling you to straighten up your act to that dreaded on-site review that likens to an IRS audit.
Companies will have a chance to get their act together and report back to FMCSA to keep a good safety fitness rating. There will be three fitness rating in the 2010 program: “unfit,” “marginal” and “continue to operate.”
The overall concept is simple enough but, as with anything, the devil is in the details – and with CSA 2010, there are a ton of details.
The program can be broken down into the data, the math behind the number, enforcement, safety fitness determinations and the possible hiccups motor carriers and truckers could encounter along the way.
The following is the first in a series of articles that will explain the ins and outs of the new enforcement program bearing down on the trucking industry.
– By Jami Jones, senior editor
jami_jones@landlinemag.com
Trucking Industry News – Resolutions Next Exit! Part 1 of 3
Friday, January 1, 2010
posted by 18 Wheeler 10:28 PM
Happy New Year, Fellow Drivers!
I recently read this article in a trucking magazine called The Long Haul from 2008. I will copy it because it seems fit for the first day of the new year! This is the first of three parts. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
The most common resolutions made each year include losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking and reducing stress. As an over-the-road driver, the challenges you face differ from those borne by someone working in an office environment. for you, improving your health isn’t as easy as simply getting up from a desk and taking a walk. Some health risk factors that commonly affect professional drivers today are smoking, obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure) and stress.
Driver Health And Wellness
Tips to get you started on the path toward better health include:
Get enough sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours to maintain proper alertness. Adequate rest keeps your mind alert and your immune system strong. (We all know that most of the truckers don’t get enough sleep. Most of the time you’re stretching your log book to make the next drop. When you can’t get this amount of sleep, try to get naps along the way. If you get sleepy, pull over and take a power nap of 15 to 20 minutes. It will wake you up and help you get to the next stop.) Parenthesis added.
Find ways to relax or reduce stress. Basic deep breathing techniques and taking yourself out of the moment can go a long way toward relieving stress. If you feel you don’t have the control over your stress level, talk to a doctor about options available to you. (You can always make a list of areas in your life that are causing worry and anxiety and think of solutions to reduce those feelings so you can put your energy in making your trucking business a success.)
Stay fit and get regular exercisesuch as walking. Even three 15-minute walks a day can help take the pounds off and make you healthier. Studies also show that building muscle will help increase your metabolism and significantly increase your weight loss efforts. Include basic stretches to help relieve stressed muscles to further enhance stress relief.
Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 to get the REST of the story! Happy New Year!
Trucking Authority – The FMCSA Goes High Tech – Part 1 of 3
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
posted by 18 Wheeler 10:26 AM
Hello, Fellow, Drivers! I hope you are moving along with holiday plans that you’re looking forward to. I saw this article in the latest issue of Land Lind Magazine by OOIDA, of which I’m a member. It seems that in 2010 to get trucking authority you will have to be aware of these new high tech additions to the FMCSA’s enforcement of trucking authority compliance. I want to share this article in three parts. So for the next two days, I will be posting another part of this lengthy article on my blog.
I also wanted to ask my faithful readers if they had any specific topics that they would like to see covered here on this site. Please feel free to email me at truckersandtravelers@gmail.com. I welcome your questions and comments. The goal with this blog site is to have a place for drivers to find valuable information that will help with your trucking business success. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
December 2009/January 2010
Cover story:FMCSA takes enforcement to the digital age in 2010
By Jami Jones
Senior editor
With technology morphing the way we live our lives at warp speed, it’s no big surprise that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided to go high-tech with its compliance enforcement.
Currently, the odds of being hit with any substantive on-site compliance review are somewhere between slim and none. Because of the lack of staffing and the cumbersome nature of plowing through mountains of paperwork, each year FMCSA officials are able to conduct compliance reviews on fewer than 2 percent of the motor carriers in the U.S.
Enter the technology knight on a white horse – CSA 2010 – short for Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010.
Back in 2004, FMCSA officials started developing a data-driven system of analyzing all inspection reports on motor carriers and drivers to identify trends of non-compliance.
The mega database system, with all of its algorithms and programs, will spit out monthly safety ratings for companies and drivers. Those who crop up with numerous violations – ranging from the not-so-serious to out-of-service – will pop up on FMCSA’s compliance radar.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a full-blown on-site compliance review. Depending on the severity of the rating, you could get anything from a letter telling you to straighten up your act to the dreaded on-site review that likens to an IRS audit.
Companies will have a chance to get it together and report back to FMCSA to keep a good safety fitness rating. There are three proposed fitness ratings in the 2010 program: “unfit,” “marginal” and “continue to operate.”
The overall concept is simple enough but, as with anything, the devil is in the details – and with CSA 2010, there are a ton of details.
The program can be broken down into the data, the math behind the number, enforcement, safety fitness determinations, and the possible hiccups that motor carriers and truckers could encounter along the way.
The following is the first in a series of articles that will explain the ins and outs of the new enforcement program bearing down on the trucking industry.
The data
It seems like nowadays everywhere you turn, some group, business or government entity is collecting data on you.
Credit agencies record your every financial move. Grocery stores track your every purchase with their “shopper cards.” And now FMCSA is going to collect every single mark made on your inspection reports – for both the company and the driver – and from crash reports.
FMCSA will calculate the safety performance of motor carriers – which includes owner-operators running under their own authority – based on seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories. Those seven categories, dubbed BASICs, and the federal regulations they relate to are:
Unsafe driving (Parts 392 and 397);
Fatigued driving (Parts 392 and 395);
Driver fitness (Parts 383 and 391);
Controlled substances/alcohol
(Parts 382 and 392);
Vehicle maintenance (Parts 393
and 396);
Cargo related (Parts 392, 393, 397
and hazmat); and
Crash indicator.
Data from those seven areas will be collected from inspections and crash reports.
Things will change dramatically in how information from inspection reports is handled. While the current system only calculates a compliance rating based on “out-of-service” and moving violations, that won’t be the case with CSA 2010. All violations included on inspections will be entered and considered– no matter whether it was an out-of-service violation or not.
Another significant change from the current enforcement system is that FMCSA is aiming to hold companies and drivers equally accountable for their roles in safety and performance. So CSA 2010 will also be collecting data on individual drivers.
Records on individual drivers will contain data gleaned from inspection and incident reports. The data will follow the driver no matter how many companies he or she works for.
Access to a driver’s profile will not be restricted to safety inspectors, who will have roadside access to those records. Motor carriers are also going to be allowed to review a driver’s record in the pre-employment screening process. That access will start in December.
FMCSA’s goal with the new driver data collection is to target enforcement on individual drivers with serious violations, such as driving while disqualified, driving without a CDL, making a false entry on a medical certificate, and chronic hours-of-service violations.
The system will hold 24 months of citation and violation data on motor carriers and 36 months for drivers.
All of this data will be housed and maintained by a third-party vendor, not FMCSA. NIC Technologies based in Olathe, KS, was awarded the contract in mid-October.
According to FMCSA, if a motor carrier wants to review a driver profile, they must obtain a privacy release from the driver. Drivers who want to review their own profile must contact the third party vendor or file a Freedom of Information Act request with FMCSA.
NIC’s press release announcing the awarding of the contract stated that the company anticipates charging motor carriers a subscription fee of $100 per year for access to driver profiles and a $10 transaction fee for each record pulled. Drivers will not be charged the annual subscription fee; however, additional fees will be charged for fax or mail requests.
Hello, Fellow Drivers,
It’s been a while since I wrote to you. Today I wanted to share an article written by a company that offers bonds for brokers of all kinds. When you get trucking authority, you will need to check on the FMCSA website to see if you will need a surety bond to proceed in the trucking business. Below is a short article written by one company that offers bonds to truck brokers, specifically freight brokers. These are the people who find the loads for drivers and dispatches them accordingly. Enjoy the read and remember to be safe out there!
Freight Broker Bonds
Like a host of other industries, freight brokers are required to obtain legitimate bonding before they can legally operate.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), www.fmcsa.dot.gov/, mandates that brokers acquire these risk-mitigation tools to help protect consumers, state interests and freight companies. These bonds may also be referred to as BMC-84 Bonds, ICC Bonds or property brokers surety bonds. The FMCSA does have an exemption that allows brokers to possess a BMC-85 trust fund instead of the traditional freight broker bond.
How They Work
In essence, surety bonds are three-party agreements between a principal (the entity needing the bond), the obligee (the project owner or recipient of the work, often the state) and the surety, a neutral third party that guarantees the company will fulfill its obligations. These bonds are not to be confused www.suretybonds.com/insurance.html.
A freight broker bond provides a guarantee that all applicable laws and regulations will be followed. It also provides an avenue of recourse and financial compensation if a broker fails to fulfill its duties or engages in illicit or illegal activity.
Consumers or other injured parties can file a claim against the bond. If the claim is ultimately deemed valid bond company that issued the bond ensures compensation is provided.
How to Obtain Them
The market for freight broker bonds remains volatile after several years of frequent bond claims. In many states, these are considered high-risk bonds that may require significant collateral. There is a high-risk market for these bonds, and applicants should expect to pay higher rates and provide 100 percent collateral.