News

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) (collectively, the Agencies) withdraw the March 10, 2016, advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in highway and rail transportation, and its potential consequences for the safety of highway and rail transportation. The Agencies have determined not to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking at this time.

Read Federal Register notice at  

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-08-08/pdf/2017-16451.pdf

 Law enforcement agencies throughout North America will engage in heightened traffic safety enforcement and educational outreach as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week, Oct. 15-21, 2017. Throughout the week, enforcement personnel will identify and issue warnings and/or citations to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and passenger-vehicle drivers exhibiting unsafe driving behaviors on our roadways.

Unsafe driver behaviors by CMV drivers and passenger-vehicle drivers continue to be the leading cause of crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) "Large Truck Crash Causation Study" cites driver behavior as the critical reason for more than 88 percent of large truck crashes and 93 percent of passenger-vehicle crashes.

CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Program was created to help to reduce the number of crashes, deaths and injuries involving large trucks, buses and passenger vehicles due to unsafe driving behaviors. During Operation Safe Driver Week, there will be increased CMV and passenger-vehicle traffic enforcement.

Examples of dangerous driver behaviors that enforcement personnel will be tracking throughout Operation Safe Driver Week are speeding, distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seatbelt while operating a CMV or in a passenger vehicle, traveling too closely, improper lane change, failure to obey traffic control devices, etc.

Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by CVSA, in partnership with FMCSA and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, and aims to help improve the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner – either in or around a CMV – through educational and traffic enforcement strategies to address individuals exhibiting high-risk driving behaviors.

To find out about Operation Safe Driver Week enforcement events going on in your area, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing CMV safety within your jurisdiction. 

Calling all photographers! The national Faces of Transportation photography and video contest sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is accepting entries for the 12^th annual competition.

“We hope this contest will give people a reason to stop and pay attention to the many ways transportation touches their lives,” said Lloyd Brown, AASHTO director of communications. “We’re asking for a wide range of images — anything from workers designing and constructing projects to people riding bicycles, walking on trails or using public transit, cars and planes. Every image helps AASHTO tell America’s unique transportation story.”

The photographs and videos will be judged in several transportation-themed categories: Motor Vehicles; Roadways and Bridges; Pedestrians and Bicycles; Ships and Boats; and, Trains and Planes. The competition will award $500 cash prizes to the winners of both the Best Overall Photograph that will be determined by a panel of judges, and the People's Choice award to be determined by online voting. $150 cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in the two video categories: Amateur/In-house video production and Professional video production.

The deadline for contest entries is Aug. 25, 2017.  Online voting will begin Aug. 25 and continue through Sept. 8, 2017.  Visit the Faces of Transportation website for complete details about the competition and how to enter your photo or video.  The winners will be announced this fall. 

Today, the American Trucking Associations released its latest forecast for the next decade of freight transportation, projecting continued growth for freight transportation overall and for the trucking industry.

“As the U.S. population grows and the economy increases with it, we will see continued gains in demand for freight transportation,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.

In ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2017, ATA projects freight volumes to grow 2.8% in 2017, and then follow that up with 3.4% annual growth through 2023. After that, ATA projects a more modest growth rate of 2.3%. In 2017, ATA projects that 15.18 billion tons of freight will be moved by all modes – a figure that rises 36.6% to 20.73 billion tons in 2028.

“Over the forecast period, capacity shortfalls will develop,” the report said. “We are starting to see some selected tightness in freight handling capacity, enough to suggest that capacity expansion will be required if the modes are going to be able to handle anticipated growth.”

“While overall truck volumes will continue to rise, and trucking will remain the dominant freight mode – its share of freight tonnage will dip to 67.2% by 2028, with pipelines picking up most of the additional market share, and, to a lesser extent, rail intermodal,” Costello said.

“As we look ahead at the rest of the 21st Century, the projections found in Freight Transportation Forecast are invaluable to decision makers in the board room and the hearing room alike,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Having good, accurate data is critical to making sure businesses are making appropriate investments in their companies and that our government is making the proper investments in our nation’s infrastructure.”

Costello will discuss ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2017 in a media conference call at 1 p.m. EDT. Participants can call (855) 287-5188 and enter access code 20782 when prompted.

ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2017 is available for purchase at http://trck.ng/Forecast or by calling 866-821-3468.

At its bimonthly meeting today, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) approved a six percent toll increase for both E-ZPass and cash customers; the increase is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2018.

Because of today’s action, the most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase next year from $1.23 to $1.30 for E-ZPass customers and from $1.95 to $2.10 for cash customers. The most common toll for a Class-5 vehicle — a prevalent tractor-trailer class — will increase from $10.17 to 10.78 for E-ZPass and from $14.45 to $15.35 for cash.

The toll increase will apply to all portions of the PA Turnpike system with these exceptions:

• there will be no 2018 increase for E-ZPass or Toll-By-Plate customers at the Delaware River Bridge westbound cashless tolling point (#359) in Bucks County;
• toll rates at the Keyser Avenue (#122) and Clarks Summit (#131) toll plazas on the Northeastern Extension (I-476) in Lackawanna County will not increase until April 2018 as a part of the planned conversion to cashless tolling (rates will be set closer to the conversion date using a new vehicle-classification system); and
• toll rates at the Findlay Connector (PA Turnpike 576, Allegheny and Washington counties) will not increase until April 2018 as a part of the planned conversion to cashless tolling (rates will be set closer to the conversion date using a new vehicle-classification system); and

The toll increase — like previous increases since 2009 — is required to meet the PTC’s various funding obligations. These include providing funding to the PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to support public transportation statewide and improving the Turnpike’s own 550-mile toll-road system that is almost 77 years old in places.

“The Turnpike Commission is obligated by state law to augment Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs; in fact, the commission has delivered $5.65 billion in toll-backed funding to PennDOT in the last decade,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Today, our annual payments of $450 million enable PennDOT to provide operating support to mass-transit authorities across the state to help ease future fare increases for riders.”

Since August 2007, the PTC made 40 quarterly payments to PennDOT totaling $5.65 billion. Of that, $2.25 billion has supported the PA Motor License Fund (MLF) where it is invested in off-Turnpike highway and bridge projects; $3.4 billion has supported the PA Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF) to provide financial assistance to the public-transit systems. Beginning in 2014, the PTC’s payments no longer funded the MLF but have gone exclusively to the PTTF.

“At the same time, we must also continue to invest in our aging tollway system and make it safer, wider and smoother for our customers,” Compton said. “This fiscal year, about 85 percent of the PTC’s $500 million capital budget is focused on renewing, rebuilding and expanding our toll highways which last year carried a record 200 million vehicles.”

The PTC has thus far reconstructed more than 124 miles of its system, with another 20 miles of roadway now being rebuilt and widened and more than 90 miles currently in planning and design phases.

In July 2017 all NJ Motor Truck Association (NJMTA) members who were participants in MTA's health benefits program through Association Master Trust, in 2016 and still active as of July 1, 2017 received a credit equal to 3% of their annual premium as a credit on their July 2017 statement. This is each MTA participating member company's share of a total $3.1 million dollar return for 2016.

The Association Master Trust Trustees declared a dividend as a result of surplus premium due to lower than expected utilization.

What other health plan returns excess premiums? Other health plans may use excess premium for shareholder dividends or executive compensation as opposed to returning it to participants. This is why Association Master Trust is so unique, it's a health plan owned by small business owners for small business owners.

Association Master Trust offers a wide range of plan designs at competitive prices and its customer service is unparalleled in the industry.  The return of premium in 2017 is in addition to the $2.5 million returned in 2016 for 2015. In the last six years Association Master Trust has returned $14 million to members.

To get quote from Association Master Trust call Joy Castagno 973-379-1090 x 229 or click here.  All regular and associate members in good standing are eligible for coverage. 

On May 3, 2017, more than 9,500 commercial motor vehicles were inspected for an unannounced brake safety enforcement event, Brake Safety Day. Enforcement personnel throughout North America conducted inspections on large trucks and buses to identify out-of-adjustment brakes, and brake-system and antilock braking system (ABS) violations as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Airbrake Program.

The goal of Brake Safety Day is to conduct roadside inspections, and identify and remove vehicles with critical brake violations from our roadways in an effort to reduce the number of crashes caused or made more severe by poorly maintained braking systems on commercial motor vehicles. The event also sought to evaluate how well ABS are maintained in accordance with federal regulations.

Inspection data from the unannounced one-day brake safety enforcement initiative featured the following notable results:

• A total of 43 jurisdictions participated – 33 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces/territories.
• The United States conducted 8,140 commercial motor vehicle inspections; Canada conducted 1,384.
• In all, 9,524 inspections were conducted as part of Brake Safety Day.
• 79 percent of the vehicles inspected did not have any critical item vehicle violations.
• 21 percent (1,989) of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for vehicle violations of any kind.
• 12 percent (1,146) of all inspections conducted resulted in a vehicle being placed out of service for brake-related violations.

Many participating jurisdictions were able to survey ABS compliance, as follows:

• 4,635 air-braked trucks and tractors were identified as requiring ABS; 8 percent (391) had ABS violations.
• 3,222 trailers were identified as requiring ABS; 15 percent (487) had ABS violations.
• 723 hydraulic-braked trucks required ABS; 6 percent (41) had ABS violations.
• 57 buses required ABS; 11 percent (6) had ABS violations.

Brake Safety Day aims to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety awareness throughout North America. Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capability and increase stopping distances of trucks and buses, which pose a serious risk to driver and public safety.

CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program is holding one more brake safety enforcement event this year. The next Brake Safety Day event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at participating jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Brake Safety Day is part of the Operation Airbrake Program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) issued a data call for the annual update to its Operational Costs of Trucking report.  The brief online questionnaire seeks to capture basic cost information from for-hire motor carriers such as driver pay, fuel costs, insurance premiums and lease or purchase payments. Carriers are asked to provide full-year 2016 cost per mile and/or cost per hour data.

The results of this data collection, combined with the previous Operational Costs of Trucking reports, will yield nine full years (2008 – 2016) of trucking cost information derived directly from fleet operations.  This research provides carriers with an important high-level benchmarking tool and government agencies with real world data for future infrastructure improvement analyses.

“We rely on ATRI’s research to inform so much of our operations and the Operational Costs of Trucking is no exception.  The annual report provides a critical benchmark for us to identify where we can improve our operating efficiency across a number of key metrics.  I certainly encourage my colleagues throughout the trucking industry to support ATRI in this critical data collection,” said Dennis Dellinger, president of Cargo Transporters.

For-hire motor carriers are encouraged to provide confidential operational cost data through ATRI’s survey by Friday, June 30, 2017 available online at atri-online.org.  The results of this study will be available later this year, but survey respondents will receive an advance copy of the report.

Starting today, June 6, 2017, commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America will conduct high-volume, high-visibility inspections of large trucks and buses through June 8 as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 30th annual International Roadcheck three-day inspection and enforcement event. Commercial motor vehicles and their drivers will be checked at inspection sites, weigh stations and roving patrol locations along major highways in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of violations. This year’s focus is cargo securement. While checking for compliance with safe cargo securement regulations is always part of roadside inspections, CVSA is highlighting cargo securement safety this year as a reminder of its importance to highway safety.

During International Roadcheck, inspectors primarily conduct the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which is a 37-step procedure that includes examinations of both the driver and vehicle. The vehicle inspection includes checking braking systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, driveline/driveshaft components, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims and hubs, and windshield wipers. Additional items for buses include emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments, and seating. Drivers are asked to provide their operating credentials and hours-of-service documentation, and will be checked for seat belt usage. Inspectors will also be attentive to apparent alcohol and/or drug impairment.

“This year, International Roadcheck celebrates 30 years,” said CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz, Yukon Highways and Public Works. “Since its inception, more than 1.5 million inspections have been conducted during International Roadcheck. We, at the Alliance, are extremely proud of the hard work of all of the inspectors who made those numbers possible. For 30 years, inspectors have been removing unsafe drivers, vehicles and motor carriers from our roadways, and acknowledging safe vehicles with the application of a CVSA decal to vehicles that pass a roadside safety inspection.”

International Roadcheck is sponsored by CVSA, North America’s leading commercial motor vehicle safety enforcement organization, with participation by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation in Mexico.

Learn more about International Roadcheck.

The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) reminds motorists that as the Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off for the summer season it is slated to be among the heaviest travel periods of the year.

“More travelers, especially families, will be on the go this upcoming weekend,” said Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “We anticipate about 2.3 million vehicles on our roadway from Friday through Monday. The busiest time for travel will be Friday afternoon and Monday evening. 

“In addition to many more people traveling, drivers may be navigating in unfamiliar areas. Remember that a driver’s focus should always be on the road and everyone in the vehicle should be safely secured – that means adults, children, toddlers and babies.”

As of August, 2016, Pennsylvania law mandates that children under two-years-old be secured in a rear-facing car seat. Children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. A booster seat is required for children until their eighth birthday.

To help accommodate heavier holiday traffic, the Turnpike will suspend maintenance work and have all available lanes open in each direction beginning at 5 a.m. on May 26 through 11 p.m. on May 30. The traffic breakdown is as follows:

·       May 26 --750,000 vehicles are expected to travel the system.

·       May 27-- 550,000 are expected to travel the system.

·       May 28 -- 475,000 are expected to travel the system.

·       May 29 -- 525,000 are expected to travel the system.  

“You are never alone on the Pennsylvania Turnpike,” says Lieutenant David Devitt of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop T, the troop in charge of Turnpike patrols.  “We have patrols and safety teams throughout the system who are there to assure you get safely to your destination. That means responding to travelers in need of assistance, as well as taking action against illegal or unsafe behaviors.”  

“Last Memorial Day weekend the Pennsylvania State Police investigated 69 crashes with seven injuries on the Pennsylvania Turnpike,” said Corporal Holly Reber-Billings. “Troop T also issued more than 1,000 speeding citations and arrested five individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that weekend.  Speeding and driving while impaired are highly risky behaviors that can result in injury and death. It’s important to watch your speed, and if you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, do not drive.”

In the event of an emergency on the Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone and note your milepost location when calling. During the summer season the PA Turnpike will be conducting regular Safety Breaks at various service plazas. Breaks during the Memorial Day holiday weekend will occur between 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, May 26 at the North Somerset Service Plaza, westbound at milepost 112, and the South Somerset Service Plaza eastbound at milepost 112.

For more information on Turnpike safety click here https://www.paturnpike.com/pdfs/travel/2013_Safety_Brochure.pdf.