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Slowdown On The Highway: In response to high fuel prices, some of the nation’s big trucks are slowing down. Con-Way Freight and Schneider National both announced plans to reduce their truckers’ speeds. Con-Way recently turned back the speed limiters from 65 mph to 62 mph on all its 8,500 rigs. The company estimates that the slower speed will save 3.2 million gallons of diesel fuel a year, eliminate 72 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and, if diesel fuel remains around $4.30 per gallon, save the company about $13.8 million per year. Schneider National announced it will cap its drivers’ speeds at 60 mph by July 1; its current limit is 63 mph. The company expects a savings similar to that of Con-Way. Schneider’s announcement followed a call by the American Trucking Associations for Congress to enact a nationwide speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles in order to save fuel and cut harmful emissions. Reducing truck speed will mean longer workdays for drivers (and no raise since they are paid by the mile). But Schneider says its tests found that truckers traveling at 60 mph averaged only 12 to 20 minutes of extra work time each day. The company also says it offers drivers financial incentives to stay at 60 mph.
Fuel Theft On The Rise: With diesel prices sky high, it can cost more than $1,200 to fill a 150-gallon fuel tank. As if that’s not enough of a burden, truckers now have to contend with a rise in diesel theft. Around the country there has been an increase in incidents of thieves stealing fuel from heavy trucks and other equipment. The most common type of theft is fuel siphoning. A thief can drain a truck’s tank in about 30 minutes, less time than it takes for a driver to eat a meal and take a shower. One driver recently reported to police in Indiana that he awoke on a Sunday morning to discover that 150 gallons of diesel fuel was stolen from his semi-truck during the night. Another driver reported that someone had stolen about 200 gallons from his truck at the same truck stop a month earlier. Thieves are also targeting construction sites and agricultural facilities for overnight raids. A Houston man even tried to hijack a tanker truck carrying more than 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but he was later caught and charged with aggravated robbery. Jim Sutton, director of Highway Watch, said stolen fuel usually ends up on the black market, where thieves make about half the market price. Tank cap locks have been around for a while, but now a company in the U.K. has introduced an anti-siphoning device for trucks and buses that it says “withstands serious attacks.”
Bigger Trucks Debated: Last month, a group of 30 motor carriers, shippers, and manufacturers met in Washington, D.C., to convince Congress to agree to a pilot plan that would allow heavier trucks in certain states. The plan, which would likely take effect in September 2009, would mean that carriers in Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas would be able to transport an additional 17,000 pounds. The coalition believes that the United States is at a competitive disadvantage because Canada and Mexico are permitted to operate heavier trucks. According to proponents of the program, larger trucks would allow carriers to reduce their overall fleet size by shipping more freight with less equipment, which is easier on the highway infrastructure and the environment. Opponents, however, argue that bigger trucks will damage roads and bridges and increase pollution, and they also contend that bigger trucks are unsafe. The president of Public Citizen said, “There is overwhelming scientific evidence that shows the larger trucks get, the more difficult they are to control, the longer they take to stop, and the more dangerous they are to the motoring public.” However, a 2005 study of heavy trucks in Australia concluded, “Even though Australia has significantly heavier trucks than many other OECD countries, it is not considered that this is significant in regard to crash outcomes.” Six-axle trucks in Australia may weigh up to 93,700 pounds, and nine-axle trucks, which are limited to major freight routes, have a maximum weight of 137,700 pounds.
FMCSA Toughens Rules For New Carriers: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is preparing stringent new rules for trucking companies entering the marketplace. The rules, which will govern the 18-month provisional period and the audits of new trucking companies, represent the biggest change in entrance requirements for new companies since deregulation. The FMCSA admits that its past oversight of new carriers has not been as stringent as it would like. The current program allows new companies to operate without a drug- and alcohol-testing program for up to 18 months, for example. That lax attitude will change, however. In several months, the FMCSA will issue its New Entrant Motor Carrier Safety Assurance Process. The new regulations will mean tougher requirements for drug- and alcohol-testing programs, among other things. And unlike the current system, a single violation will result in automatic failure. The FMCSA estimates that 30 to 40 percent of new entrants will “have difficulty” meeting the new standards. Some analysts worry that the tougher standards will harm companies, especially small ones, which make up 90 percent of motor carriers. Still, a new trucking company that fails a requirement can always reapply. “I don’t think they are going to give up,” said one trucking expert.
American Idle: Due to environmental concerns and the high cost of fuel, the idle-reduction market is now booming. Products have become more dependable, product support is improving, and quality and design are better than ever, according to a business manager. “There is also a greater understanding of the impact of an [idle-reduction] system on driver retention,” he said, “and there is a growing ‘green’ element. I don’t see that as a passing phase, either.” A spokesman for one idle-reduction system said that people used to ask what an idle-reduction product was; now they ask, “Is it right for my business?” New idling regulations in California have drawn more attention to idling regulations. And now Maine has just become the 14th state to adopt statewide idling regulations, which will take effect in July. Trucks in Maine may not idle for more than five minutes in any given hour. Tom Kampf, product manager at Thermo King Corp. says, “Fleets still focus first on reducing fuel costs, complying with regulations, and providing a comfortable working environment for their drivers, but the environmental stewardship issue is adding a whole new dimension. People are expecting more from the products they buy and more from the companies they choose to work with.”
Use Of Chronic Medications Surges: A recent study finds that for the first time, more than half of all insured Americans take prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems. The drugs most commonly used are those that lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. According to experts, these findings reflect deteriorating public health, but they also suggest that doctors are treating conditions more aggressively and that better medicines for chronic conditions are more widely available. The biggest jump in use of medications to treat chronic conditions was in the 20- to 44-year-old age group, where use rose 20 percent in six years. The rise is attributed to greater use of drugs for depression, diabetes, asthma, attention-deficit disorder, and seizures. Use of antidepressants rose significantly among teens and working-age women. Researchers point to increased stress in daily life and family doctors and pediatricians who are more comfortable prescribing newer antidepressants. Dr. Robert Epstein, chief medical officer at Medco, says the bad news is that many of these illnesses are related to obesity, but the good news is that once-fatal illnesses like AIDS and sickle cell disease are now considered chronic problems.
Tornado-Savvy Tips: Last month, eight of the 23 victims of a tornado that devastated parts of Oklahoma and Missouri died in their vehicles. Experts say cars and trucks are among the worst places to be when a tornado strikes. The twister that struck Newton County, Missouri, reached wind speeds of 170 miles per hour or higher. One car was found half a mile away from the path of the tornado. In northern Alabama, a man was killed when a tree limb fell on his truck. From 1997 to 2007, there have been 705 deaths attributed to tornadoes, and 49 of those victims were in their vehicles when the storm hit. Drivers often think they can outdistance a twister, but windstorms can travel up to 300 miles per hour. If you are in a vehicle when a tornado is nearby, the best thing to do is get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a nearby, sturdy building. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level and stay away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Do not open any windows. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in a ditch or low spot, covering your head with your arms. If possible, cover yourself up with a coat or blankets too. Do not try to take shelter under an overpass or bridge. Overpasses can create a wind-tunnel effect, and
bridges may collapse.
Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.
—John Wayne
