Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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JOURNAL NEWS INBRIEF 06/12 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month published the final version of its "2012-2016 Strategic Plan: Preventing Crashes … Saving Lives," a document the agency said pres- ents a new comprehensive direction to focus its efforts on outreach, oversight and enforcement resources directed at the entire CMV transportation lifecycle. FMCSA announced its final rule to har- monize its regulations with a Surface Transportation Board order that requires certain information about a household goods motor carrier's liability to appear on the estimates and bills of lading it must provide to individual shippers. Alabama became the 38th state to prohibit texting behind the wheel by all drivers. Under the law that takes effect Aug. 1, violators will be fined $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for a subsequent offense. FMCSA ordered Georgia-based Judson Mobley Logging and Alabama-based BM&L Trucking and its affiliate, IDM Transportation, to immediately cease all transportation services following reviews that found violations of drug and alcohol testing, driver qualifications and vehicle maintenance rules. Tampa, Fla.-based Quality Distribution announced plans to acquire the operat- ing assets of Wylie Bice Trucking and RM Resources for $79.3 million. Killdeer, N.D.-based Bice provides transportation services to the Bakken shale region oil and gas industry. RM disposes of Bice's flowback and production water hauls. Greenwich, Conn.-based XPO Logistics acquired Continental Freight Services, a nonasset-based third-party logistics company, for $3.4 million. Continental Freight is based in Columbia, S.C. 14 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JUNE 2012 NHTSA RULE WOULD MANDATE STABILITY SYSTEMS T he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a new federal motor vehicle safety standard to require electronic stability control systems on large commercial trucks, motorcoaches and other large buses. The U.S. Department of Transportation said NHTSA research shows the technology could prevent up to 56 per- cent of rollover crashes each year – the deadliest among all crash types – and another 14 percent of loss-of-control crashes. "The department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have long recognized the potential impact of stability control technology in reducing deaths and serious injuries that result from rollover crashes," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Today's proposal is a major step forward to improving the safety of large commercial trucks, motorcoaches and other large buses." NHTSA estimates that a standard requiring ESC on large trucks and buses would pre- vent up to 2,329 crashes, eliminate 649 to 858 injuries and prevent between 49 and 60 fatali- ties a year. "We've already seen how effective stability control can be at reducing rollovers in passenger vehicles – the ability for this type of technology to save lives is one reason it is required on cars and light-duty trucks begin- ning with model year 2012," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. While many truck tractors and large buses currently can be ordered with this technol- ogy, the proposed standard would require ESC systems as standard equipment. As pro- posed, the rule would take effect between two and four years after the standard is finalized, depending on the type of vehicle. "While our preference is always to let the ATRI RESEARCH IDENTIFIES LARGE TRUCK ROLLOVER LOCATIONS T overall market drive choice, we support NHTSA's selection of full-stability technology to mandate," said Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs for Bendix, which produces both roll-only and full- stability systems. "We agree with NHTSA's recognition of the benefits of ESC technology, " said Jon Morrison, president and general manager for Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems, which produces SmarTrac Electronic Stability Control that combines roll stability control and yaw or rotational control. NHTSA will hold a public hearing on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to solicit further comment. For more information or to comment, go to www.regulations.gov; the docket number is NHTSA-2012-0065. he American Transportation Research Institute released find- ings from the first phase of a three-part research effort aimed at mitigating costly large truck rollovers. ATRI's first phase produced a database of locations with the highest frequency of large truck rollovers using more than 50,000 crash records from a nine-year period. The database, which covers 31 states, provides insight into the location of high-frequency roll- over locations to both public transporta- tion officials and the trucking industry. Subsequent phases of ATRI's research will focus on rollover mitigation strategies, such as a real-time in-cab notification sys- tem and outreach to public sector officials who have the ability to address problems related to roadway design and signage. The full report, state-specific summary reports and an online interactive map are available at www.atri-online.org.