The never-ending story of whether port truckers should be contractors or employees is facing a new battlefront as two councilmen for the city of Los Angeles have introduced a bill that would bar trucking companies from serving the ports if they use independent contractors.
Protests on both coasts in the past few days have placed truckers in the spotlight. Truck drivers in California and Washington, DC, staged protests to highlight the implementation of the electronic logging device (ELD) rule.
Following the devastation Hurricane Maria delivered to Puerto Rico, there have been many places to levy blame as the island nation has been slow to recover. An aging electric grid that was destroyed, a country mired in debt that has been unable to maintain basic infrastructure, an arguably slow government response. One segment that received blame, unfairly, was the nation’s truck drivers.
Trucker District CEO Marcel Alvarado’s time driving for a carrier provided insight into the difficulties faced by drivers in the industry and potential problems arising due to the deeply fragmented trucking community. His company is trying to bring that community closer together.
An entirely new generation of technological change is now occurring in the transportation industry, and it’s called the autonomous truck, or what design specialists refer to as “intelligent engineering.” But what are some of the benefits, and risks, associated with the technology?
There are many things that fleets do to attract drivers, and certainly plenty of options that drivers look for when choosing a fleet. When Mack Trucks was designing its new Anthem highway tractor – it’s first new on-highway model since the introduction of the Pinnacle in 2005 – it turned to drivers.
Ask an over-the-road truck driver what their biggest concerns are and you won’t have to go far down the list before finding a safe place to park appears. But a new company is hoping to change that, allowing drivers to reserve a spot ahead of time at a nominal fee.
There is growing talk of a possible bill in Congress that would kill the upcoming electronic logging device (ELD) rule that goes into effect on Dec. 18 of this year due to the cost to individual truckers, sources have told FreightWaves.
A 2014 report found that drivers are more than twice as likely to be obese than the general population, and there are a number of other health risks drivers face. So how can drivers, on the road for weeks at a time, stay fit?
Plenty of load boards and brokers exist for trucking companies looking for freight. There are nearly 600 found on a basic web listing – and likely many, many more. But there are few, if any, like Sleek Fleet.
Commonly considered a driver protection rule, the federal coercion rule institutes large fines for companies that pressure drivers to drive in violation of federal regulations, including hours of service. But is it working?
Any trucker knows the importance of directions. Have the right ones, and there is a good chance you can arrive on time. But incorrect directions, and not only will you be delayed, but your employer may be out money for that late arrival. A new app is hoping to change that.
