Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/772176
6 commercial carrier journal | january 2017 2016: HOS, inspection blitzes steal the show Fleets hopeful for better business conditions in 2017 as we turn the page on a ho-hum year BY JEFF CRISSEY A ccording to the responses to the monthly CCJ Mar- ketPulse surveys, it seemed the trucking industry was stuck in the mud for much of 2016. Business condi- tions were soft based on monthly comparisons on a year-over- year basis, freight volumes were stagnant, and freight prices never gained any traction. Speaking of mud, there was no shortage slung in the presi- dential primary and general elections that seemed to drag out ad nauseam. Depending on what side of the fence your politi- cal persuasions lie, 2017 could shape up to be a good year for trucking. Survey respondents are overwhelmingly optimistic that a four-year respite from burdensome new regulations is in the offing, and there's hope the electronic logging device man- date at yearend will lead to a better freight rate environment as shippers look to lock in capacity. But before we get ahead of ourselves on what the new year might bring, let's pause and take a look back at the top 10 stories that led the year in 2016 based on the number of page views at CCJDigital.com. 10. ArcBest (CCJ Top 250, No. 13) announced a $5.92 sur- charge for each shipment going to or coming from California for its ABF Freight System division to offset the state's higher operating costs and stricter regulations. 9. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance doled out 6,078 warnings and 5,104 citations to commercial vehicle driv- ers during its Operation Safe Driver Week in October. The top violations were speeding, failure to obey a traffic control device and not using a seatbelt. 8. Back to the presidential campaign for a moment. Demo- cratic primary candidate Bernie Sanders drew the ire of fleets and drivers alike when he said he'd work to "take trucks off the road" and replace them with a new rail system if he was elected president. 7. In August, the White House Office of Management and Budget finally ap- proved the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's speed limiter notice of proposed rulemaking, clearing the way for publication. The American Trucking Associations withdrew its support over concerns about the varying range of speeds under consideration. 6. Hurricane Matthew brought much of the East Coast to its knees in early October, rendering parts of Interstates 40 and 95 in North Carolina impassable for several weeks due to flooding and debris. 5. The announcement by CVSA that it would hold its annual Brake Safety Week in mid-September garnered plenty of attention. CVSA completed 18,057 inspections over seven days, with an estimated 3,900 trucks being placed out of service. 4. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the federal requirement mandating ELDs for almost all segments of the trucking industry. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association had filed a lawsuit claiming the regulation vio- lated truckers' Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. 3. Freightliner turned plenty of heads with its rede- signed 2018 Cascadia that the company said can achieve 8 percent better fuel economy than the current fuel-sipping Cascadia Evolution spec. The company unveiled the new truck before representatives of 12 of its largest customers and the trucking media. 2. CVSA announced its annual Roadcheck inspec- tion blitz would be held in early June. The organization would go on to place 1,436 drivers and 9,080 trucks out of service, with brakes, tires and lights ranking as the top violations. 1. Poorly worded language in the 2016 appropriations bill threatened to do away with the 34-hour restart in what was supposed to continue the enforcement moratorium on the two 1-5 a.m. periods and once-per-week use limit. A government funding bill was signed into law by President Obama last month securing the 34-hour restart language, but ATA and FMCSA are at odds as to the future of the other two provisions. UPFRONT JEFF CRISSEY is Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com.