Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Active Regulatory and Legislative Agenda Ahead


CCJ reports the FMCSA will go to rulemaking with a proposal to increase the BIPD insurance which a carrier is required to maintain (CCJ - "FMCSA projects November publication of rule to hike carrier insurance minimums"). In addition, the Agency is proposing to eliminate the ability of carriers to self-insure. ELDs, speed limiters and rulemaking on safety fitness determinations are all scheduled in the upcoming year.

Monday, May 19, 2014

“The Culture of Safety”


In 1935, Congress appointed federal regulators to police and oversee interstate truckers. USDOT and the ICC before it was charged with the sole preempted duty of policing the industry, certifying operators of commercial motor vehicles as safe to operate on the nation's roadway and finding and placing out of service unsafe operators. The beneficiaries of interstate regulations were the traveling and shipping public. A carrier found safe to operate on the nation's roadway was safe to use.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

ASECTT Newsletter 5/15/2014

The Agency has proposed a new highway bill. Two controversial proposals to be taken up by the Senate include:

  1. requiring hourly driver compensation for on duty not driving time and
  2. seeking direct regulatory authority over shippers and brokers found guilty of coercing or requiring drivers to exceed the hours of service

Thursday, May 8, 2014

GAO issues report critical of DOD’s reliance on CSA Scores for carrier selection

GAO has recently issued the results of its study of the Department of Defense's transportation of hazardous materials which found a number of problems. Of particular interest is language in the report which calls into question DOD's use of carrier's CSA scores to determine whether the carrier is eligible to haul transportation protective service freight. Clearly GAO has connected the dots and bases its finding that CSA scores should not be used by government shippers based upon its recent conclusion that CSA scores should not be used to draw conclusions about a carrier's safety condition. Click here for the full report.