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Trucking Continues To Dominate: Trucking will increase its share of the nation’s freight pool and continue to dominate domestic freight movement into the next decade, according to a press release from the American Trucking Associations. Despite a rough economic forecast for 2008, the ATA predicts a greater role for trucking in the coming years. The U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast projects the trucking industry’s total tonnage share to rise from last year’s 69 percent to 69.7 percent in 2012 and to 70 percent by 2018. What’s driving the increase are above-average growth in key truck commodities and the flexibility and on-time delivery associated with trucking. Rail intermodal and air freight are the two fastest-growing modes of transportation, but neither mode is expected to grow by more than 2 percent by 2018. According to another report, recently issued by the U.S. Census Bureau, total revenue for truck transportation, couriers, and warehousing reached $312 billion in 2006, up from $293 billion the year before. U.S. commercial trucks traveled 91 billion miles in 2006—equal to nearly 200,000 round trips to the moon—with revenue of $220 billion. The report found that trucking within the United States accounted for $196 billion in U.S. motor carrier revenue, while revenue from transportation to Canada, Mexico, and other destinations amounted to $8 billion.
HOS Remains In Effect: Long-haul truck drivers can continue driving up to 11 hours a day, thanks to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which refused to return to lower hours-of-service (HOS) limits pushed by safety groups. In an interim final rule issued last month, the FMCSA sided with the trucking industry and decided to keep the current 2004 rules rather than issue new rules, which would have led to confusion within the industry and law enforcement. “Uncertainty is the enemy of enforcement and compliance; it can only impair highway safety,” wrote the agency. In addition to allowing drivers 11 hours behind the wheel in a day, the 2004 rules limit drivers to 14 hours on duty in one day and allow drivers who are on duty for 60 hours in seven days to return to work after 34 hours. Likewise, there are no changes to the sleeper-berth provision. “FMCSA has made an important contribution to highway safety by keeping the hours-of-service rules that have led to a reduction in deaths and injuries over the last several years,” said American Trucking Associations president and CEO Bill Graves. FMCSA officials echoed that sentiment in their ruling, citing data that showed there is no increase in accident risk in the eleventh hour of driving. Before issuing the final rule, the agency will gather public comments for 60 days.
Drivers Dislike Speed Limiters: A recent survey by the OOIDA Foundation finds that the majority of drivers are not happy about the prospect of speed limiters on company trucks. Drivers’ number one concern is lack of speed for passing slow-moving vehicles. Of the 3,500 drivers who responded to the survey, about 60 percent said they have a speed limiter on their trucks, and almost all of those vehicles are set at 68 mph or lower, according to TodaysTrucking.com. Besides lack of speed for passing, other driver concerns, in order, are increased congestion, fear of being rear-ended, driving longer to make up miles, and more frequent passing by automobiles. Trucking groups in the United States and Canada are lobbying local and federal governments to mandate speed limiters. But a study at the University of Arkansas finds that speed limiters on all trucks would indeed cause “cluster congestion” due to an inability to pass. The study also found that drivers’ concerns of being rear-ended are real, since the likelihood of such accidents increases when the speeds among vehicles vary greatly. In Quebec, legislators had been gung-ho about requiring speed limiters on commercial trucks, but they now appear to be backing down. A bill requiring speed limiters in Quebec may be changed so that the limiters would not be mandated until the rest of Canada implements them.
In Search Of Parking: It’s not easy for truckers trying to find a place to park at night, and a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation may not help matters. Congress recently set aside $25 million to address the parking issue—the first time the government has put money toward the problem. But, according to Traffic World, the agency is making the funding partly contingent on participating in the DOT’s congestion relief program. The “Corridors of the Future” program favors giving the money to groups that embrace privatization and toll initiatives—hot-button issues for some states. In November, the Federal Highway Administration said it was discarding 46 applications for truck parking grant money and would start the process over with new criteria, which “will provide the most comprehensive and best return on investment.” That means, according to critics of the program, that the agency is more concerned with promoting public-private partnerships than it is with ensuring adequate parking for trucks. The trucking industry wants new tolls on existing roads and the truck parking issues dealt with separately. The American Trucking Associations would like to see the funding for truck parking “spent for that [purpose] without a lot of strings attached.” Meanwhile, some are concerned that the Corridors of the Future program will not dole out money to the areas with the worst parking congestion, such as in urban areas and along
the East Coast.
Keeping Tanker Trucks Upright: Major trucking companies gathered in California last month to talk about strategies to prevent hazardous tanker trucks from losing their balance and turning over. Attendees discussed how to break drivers of bad habits, such as making U-turns or failing to get enough sleep. Some companies noted that they put up posters, quiz drivers, use monitors to record sudden stops and sharp turns, and even communicate with drivers’ family members to encourage safe driving habits. Perhaps one of the best ways to maintain safety, however, is through a high-tech system that senses when the tanker is about to lose control. Costing between $750 and $1,200, the system automatically throttles down and applies anti-lock brakes on certain wheels to put the rig back on track. The technology could help drivers react to cars cutting them off or debris in the road, but it would not be a substitute for good driving habits. A consultant for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finished a two-year study in April, which found that 38 percent of tanker rollovers were the result of bad choices made by drivers, and another 24 percent of rollovers occurred due to “driver recognition” errors, such as trying to swerve onto an exit ramp at the last second. Only 6 percent of rollovers were linked to drowsy driving or a medical condition. Federal regulators are now considering an array of methods for reducing tanker rollovers, including requiring electronic stabilization technology on heavy-duty trucks.
Ready Or Not, Here It Comes: Many middle-aged Americans have serious concerns about their retirement preparedness, but few are taking steps to improve the situation. According to a survey by Hartford Financial Services Group, many Americans lack confidence in their financial-planning abilities or are confused about where to turn to for help. The situation is not unique to the United States. Europeans and Asians are equally unprepared for retirement. “People age 45 and over across the globe have a fairly clear vision of their retirement,” said a co-chief operating officer at Hartford Life. “While their aspirations may differ, we found across the board, overwhelmingly, that they are worried they won’t have enough money in their retirement. Yet, the surprising thing is that few have done anything about it; they are just not confident in their ability to plan for their future.” The survey found that about 79 percent of Americans responding to the survey were concerned about having enough money for retirement, but 42 percent admitted that they hadn’t taken steps in the past year to improve their financial situation. Forty-one percent said they were risk averse when it came to investing, and 27 percent said they didn’t know where to seek credible advice.
The Health Benefits Of Helping Out: Volunteering is good for you—literally. Not only does helping others boost your mental and spiritual outlook, but it can improve your physical health. In The Healing Power of Service, Edward V. Brown writes, “People who do volunteer work are much less likely to suffer illness. The close interpersonal relationships and community involvement that occur with volunteer service are tailor-made to enhance the healing process.” Over the years, many studies have looked at the connection between volunteering and health. Here are some results:
- Volunteer work can boost self-esteem, lower blood pressure, ease the effects of stress, and increase endorphin production, according to an Ontario study.
- Volunteering creates a heightened sense of well-being, improves insomnia, and helps people recover faster after surgery, according to the authors of The Healing Power of Doing Good.
- Volunteer work improves the social network of people, and people with strong social ties have lower premature death rates, less heart disease, and fewer health problems.
- Volunteering strengthens your immune system by boosting the psychological factors that healthy people have.
The things that one most wants to do are the things that are probably most
worth doing.
—Winifred Holtby, English novelist
