Dont forget your height stick
N.A. Heavy-Duty Order Backlog Approaching 100,000 Units - Truckinginfo.com
A year ago, they couldn't give away new trucks, now you have to wait in line for one. ACT Research Company says heavy net order volume in recent months has pushed the Class 8 heavy-duty backlog volume to just under 100,000 units.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeClass 8 commercial vehicles net orders for North American markets totaled 24,300 units (not SA) in February, down from January, but still sufficiently higher than production. Just one year ago, that number was just over 44,000 units. ACT Research Company says these numbers are a reflection of the strength of Class 8 demand as the economy continues to improve.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeClass 8 commercial vehicles net orders for North American markets totaled 24,300 units (not SA) in February, down from January, but still sufficiently higher than production. Just one year ago, that number was just over 44,000 units. ACT Research Company says these numbers are a reflection of the strength of Class 8 demand as the economy continues to improve.To read the full article click HERE
Obama Says U.S. May Tap Oil Reserve
From Transport Topics
March 14, 2011
The president — who also said he favored expanded domestic oil exploration — attributed the recent run-up in oil and gas prices to increased global demand, combined with uncertainty in oil markets due to political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East, CNN reported on its website.
“Everybody should know that, should the situation demand it, we are prepared to tap the significant stockpile of oil that we have in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” the president told reporters in Washington.
March 14, 2011
President Obama said on Friday that he is prepared to tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve if needed to prevent any oil supply disruptions, even as oil prices slipped, news services reported. That statement was followed Monday by news that fuel prices have once again jumped.
The president — who also said he favored expanded domestic oil exploration — attributed the recent run-up in oil and gas prices to increased global demand, combined with uncertainty in oil markets due to political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East, CNN reported on its website.“Everybody should know that, should the situation demand it, we are prepared to tap the significant stockpile of oil that we have in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve,” the president told reporters in Washington.
Obama did not specify what price level would trigger a release from the SPR, but said the U.S. and its allies would do what it takes “to make sure that oil supplies remain stable and that economic growth will continue,” CNN reported.
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| Pete light clearance light |
Meanwhile, the Department of Energy reported Monday that diesel prices rose for the 15th straight week, rising 3.7 cents to $3.908 a gallon. The increase was lower than the double-digit gains of the past two weeks, but still pushed the average price closer to the $4 a gallon mark that it has already reached in some areas.
A gallon of diesel is nearly one dollar more expensive than it was a year ago, DOE said. Diesel prices have risen almost 75 cents since Thanksgiving and nearly 30 cents over the past two weeks.
Gasoline prices, meanwhile, rose 4.7 cents to $3.567 a gallon, the 14th increase in 15 weeks, DOE said following its weekly survey of filling stations
The dreaded CSA warning letter....
1/5/2011 So You Got a CSA Warning Letter ...
By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
This month the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expects to start expanding the reach of its new safety regime, CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability). It's going beyond the nine pilot test states to all states with warning letters to carriers whose safety performance is falling short.
The warning letters will identify the areas where the carrier has missed the mark and explain how carriers can see their own data online and correct it if it is wrong. The letters also spell out what steps the agency may take against the carrier if it does not correct the problem.
"We urge you to take this warning letter seriously and improve your safety record," the letters will say.
CSA Program Manager Gary Woodford said the agency will take a phased approach to sending out the letters. The agency wants to be sure its state and regional personnel are not overwhelmed by phone calls from carriers that receive the letters.
The agency's experience in the pilot states indicates that there will be a strong response. More than half of the pilot-state carriers that received warning letters took action, mainly by going to the CSA website and checking their data. Woodford said the agency is encouraged by that strong response.
The first step
The warning letter, which is triggered by a carrier's performance in roadside inspections and any crashes it may have been involved in, is the first step in a series of gradually tougher enforcement actions.
The letter will cite deficiencies in any of the seven safety categories the agency has established as a way to gauge performance. These categories, called Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs, are: Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances and Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related and Crash Indicator.
Carriers receive a percentile ranking of their performance in each category compared to other, similar carriers. The warning letter is triggered when their rank exceeds a threshold determined by the agency.
The agency will inform carriers in separate communications about any egregious violations by drivers, such as driving without a commercial license or driving after being placed out of service.
The warning letters also say that failure to improve safety performance will lead to further action.
To read the full article click here
By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
This month the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration expects to start expanding the reach of its new safety regime, CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability). It's going beyond the nine pilot test states to all states with warning letters to carriers whose safety performance is falling short.
The warning letters will identify the areas where the carrier has missed the mark and explain how carriers can see their own data online and correct it if it is wrong. The letters also spell out what steps the agency may take against the carrier if it does not correct the problem.
"We urge you to take this warning letter seriously and improve your safety record," the letters will say.
CSA Program Manager Gary Woodford said the agency will take a phased approach to sending out the letters. The agency wants to be sure its state and regional personnel are not overwhelmed by phone calls from carriers that receive the letters.
The agency's experience in the pilot states indicates that there will be a strong response. More than half of the pilot-state carriers that received warning letters took action, mainly by going to the CSA website and checking their data. Woodford said the agency is encouraged by that strong response.
The first step
The warning letter, which is triggered by a carrier's performance in roadside inspections and any crashes it may have been involved in, is the first step in a series of gradually tougher enforcement actions.
The letter will cite deficiencies in any of the seven safety categories the agency has established as a way to gauge performance. These categories, called Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs, are: Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances and Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related and Crash Indicator.
Carriers receive a percentile ranking of their performance in each category compared to other, similar carriers. The warning letter is triggered when their rank exceeds a threshold determined by the agency.
The agency will inform carriers in separate communications about any egregious violations by drivers, such as driving without a commercial license or driving after being placed out of service.
The warning letters also say that failure to improve safety performance will lead to further action.
To read the full article click here
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| Roundsling hooks |
Dont forget your height stick
Dont forget your height stick. Here is one of my favorites. A semi trying to squeeze through a tunnel that was probably designed for a horse and buggy (look at the old stone). I admire the bravado, but the cost of pulling out the measuring stick and realizing that you cant squeeze into the tunnel would have save you thousands of dollars and hours of teasing.
This hole must have looked really really small from a distance. Thats the purpose of the height stick, to take away any chance you could be wrong
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| dont forget your height stick |
This hole must have looked really really small from a distance. Thats the purpose of the height stick, to take away any chance you could be wrong
American Truckers will subsidize Mexican Truckers with their fuel tax...
Congressman criticizes trucking plan
By Jill Dunn
A congressional critic of the previous cross-border trucking program with Mexico has demanded the U.S. Department of Transportation justify the planned program.
Rep. Peter DeFazio sent U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk a copy of his March 10 letter to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood. The Oregon Democrat asked LaHood to qualify how the plans will comply with federal pilot program rules and cross-border trucking appropriations provisions.
DeFazio also asked what provided the DOT with the authority to utilize the Highway Trust Fund for paying for electronic on-board recorders with global positioning system capabilities it would require for Mexican participating carriers.
Mexican cabinet officials have said once the DOT grants program participants operating authority, the agency can only revoke it for carriers that have breeched road safety, even if Congress votes again to end the program.
Pilot program regulations require the DOT to immediately revoke participation of carriers or drivers not meeting program conditions. The department would not be able to enforce this if Mexican carrier participants have permanent authority after passing a compliance review after 18 months, he said.
“Granting permanent authority to carriers on a rolling basis, and then granting blanket authority to all participants at the 18-month mark, would seem to exceed your authority under the law,” DeFazio wrote.
“Further, carriers who participated in the pilot program DOT launched in 2007 will get credit for the number of months they operated in the U.S. when they re-apply under this new program. This means that some carriers will receive permanent authority almost immediately,” he added.
Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget request allocates $4.3 million from the Highway Trust Fund to implement the program, some of which will be used to buy and install EOBRs for Mexican carriers and pay for monitoring. DeFazio said the agency spent $1.25 million on EOBRs for 27 carriers in the previous pilot program, which the participants kept when Congress ended it in March 2009.
“It is outrageous that U.S. truckers, through the fuel tax, will subsidize the cost of doing business for these Mexican carriers,” he wrote...
To read the full article in all its terrifying truth click HERE
By Jill Dunn
A congressional critic of the previous cross-border trucking program with Mexico has demanded the U.S. Department of Transportation justify the planned program.
Rep. Peter DeFazio sent U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk a copy of his March 10 letter to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood. The Oregon Democrat asked LaHood to qualify how the plans will comply with federal pilot program rules and cross-border trucking appropriations provisions.
DeFazio also asked what provided the DOT with the authority to utilize the Highway Trust Fund for paying for electronic on-board recorders with global positioning system capabilities it would require for Mexican participating carriers.Mexican cabinet officials have said once the DOT grants program participants operating authority, the agency can only revoke it for carriers that have breeched road safety, even if Congress votes again to end the program.
Pilot program regulations require the DOT to immediately revoke participation of carriers or drivers not meeting program conditions. The department would not be able to enforce this if Mexican carrier participants have permanent authority after passing a compliance review after 18 months, he said.
“Granting permanent authority to carriers on a rolling basis, and then granting blanket authority to all participants at the 18-month mark, would seem to exceed your authority under the law,” DeFazio wrote.
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| E Track strap for truckers and haulers $16.69 |
“Further, carriers who participated in the pilot program DOT launched in 2007 will get credit for the number of months they operated in the U.S. when they re-apply under this new program. This means that some carriers will receive permanent authority almost immediately,” he added.
Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget request allocates $4.3 million from the Highway Trust Fund to implement the program, some of which will be used to buy and install EOBRs for Mexican carriers and pay for monitoring. DeFazio said the agency spent $1.25 million on EOBRs for 27 carriers in the previous pilot program, which the participants kept when Congress ended it in March 2009.
“It is outrageous that U.S. truckers, through the fuel tax, will subsidize the cost of doing business for these Mexican carriers,” he wrote...
To read the full article in all its terrifying truth click HERE
Dont forget your height stick
Don't Forget your Height Stick!
Whether you are a trucker, heavy hauler, or car hauler
tunnels can be deceptive.
This one was marked with the height in big digital letters, but having the height stick is a good reminder to watch for height signs
Preview
WKRG.com News
ATA Backs More Domestic Oil Production
From Transport Topics
Updated: 3/3/2011 10:00:00 AM
American Trucking Associations has urged the Obama administration to open up opportunities for domestic oil production as a way to lessen the impact of political tumult in the Middle East.
“Recent events in Egypt and Libya have highlighted how fragile the global oil market it, putting our industry at risk for rapid price spikes, even as we slowly begin to roll to an economic recovery,” ATA President Bill Graves said.
“Fuel is our members’ second largest expense, so uncontrollable spikes cut right at their bottom line,” Graves said in a statement.
Trucking uses more than 34 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, according to ATA estimates.
Crude oil closed over $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time in almost two and half years.
At an Interior Department hearing last week, an ATA attorney testified that while trucking is testing alternative fuels, for the foreseeable future the industry will be dependent upon petroleum-based diesel fuel.
ATA’s regulatory affairs counsel Rich Moskowitz said Interior’s next five-year plan for off-shore oil and gas exploration should allow more activity on the outer continental shelf.
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Updated: 3/3/2011 10:00:00 AM
American Trucking Associations has urged the Obama administration to open up opportunities for domestic oil production as a way to lessen the impact of political tumult in the Middle East.
“Recent events in Egypt and Libya have highlighted how fragile the global oil market it, putting our industry at risk for rapid price spikes, even as we slowly begin to roll to an economic recovery,” ATA President Bill Graves said.
“Fuel is our members’ second largest expense, so uncontrollable spikes cut right at their bottom line,” Graves said in a statement.
Trucking uses more than 34 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, according to ATA estimates.
Crude oil closed over $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time in almost two and half years.
At an Interior Department hearing last week, an ATA attorney testified that while trucking is testing alternative fuels, for the foreseeable future the industry will be dependent upon petroleum-based diesel fuel.
ATA’s regulatory affairs counsel Rich Moskowitz said Interior’s next five-year plan for off-shore oil and gas exploration should allow more activity on the outer continental shelf.
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