As of late this year, most motor carrier drivers will be obliged under Federal Regulations to keep their hours-of-service records by means of electronic logging devices. The rules require the ELD systems to use GPS to track a driver’s travels, within limits, and to create records that include periodic location and time information. Many carriers … Continue reading Caution on Using ELD Records for IRP & IFTA →

The quality of truck and bus driver physical exams administered by certified Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration medical examiners is inconsistent, according to new analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute. The analysis, done in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, was based on a survey of 900 commercial drivers, 300 motor carriers and 1,200 certified … Continue reading Quality of Driver Medical Examinations is Inconsistent, ATRI Reports →

Sales of Class 8 used trucks in February improved 11% year-over-year and prices steadied, but the oversupply of late-model sleepers continues and could grow by the end of the year, experts said. Sales reached 3,684 compared with 3,306 a year earlier, ACT Research Co. reported, based on its sample of dealers, wholesalers and auctioneers as … Continue reading Sales of Used Trucks Rise 11% on Strong Replacement Need →

The Truckload Carriers Association reiterated its support of the current five-axle, 80,000-pound federal gross vehicle weight limit for trucks in an April 5 letter to the leaders of both the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Appropriations. TCA President John Lyboldt wrote the lawmakers that the association and its trucking company members … Continue reading TCA Implores Congress Not to Raise Truck Weights →

This morning, the Census Bureau reported that inventories rose in February (this data lags by one month), however a 0.4% bump in sales kept the inventory-to-sales ratio steady. Specifically, the total business, which includes manufacturing, retail, and wholesale, inventory-to-sales ratio stood at 1.35. Inventories at wholesalers and retailers remain too high, but the problem is … Continue reading Inventories Rose in February, Retail Sales Slipped in March →