An indispensable quality that separates extraordinary leaders from ordinary leaders is positive intelligence quotient (PQ). Based on the research of Shirzad Charmine, positive intelligence refers to a person’s mental fitness and their ability to approach challenges with resilience, guide their teams with empathy, and drive innovation with an unwavering sense of purpose. (more…)
An indispensable quality that separates extraordinary leaders from ordinary leaders is positive intelligence quotient (PQ). Based on the research of Shirzad Charmine, positive intelligence refers to a person’s mental fitness and their ability to approach challenges with resilience, guide their teams with empathy, and drive innovation with an unwavering sense of purpose. (more…)
Trucking news and briefs for Monday, June 3, 2024:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced it will host a public meeting this month to gather feedback from the trucking and towing industries on current industry practices regarding the disclosure of towing fees to the truck owners, and whether the owner is made aware of costs and fees prior to the tow.
The meeting will be held June 21 from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern. The meeting will be held at the DOT Headquarters Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Those interested in attending this public meeting in person should register here by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on June 11. There will be room for 50 people at the in-person meeting, and there also will be a virtual option.
Those interested in filing comments can do so here.
In a Federal Register notice published Friday, May 31, FMCSA cited a Federal Trade Commission notice of proposed rulemaking from November, titled “Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees,” that “would prohibit unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees for goods or services, specifically, misrepresenting the total costs of goods and services by omitting mandatory fees from advertised prices and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of fees,” FMCSA said.
[Related: Buttigieg, FMCSA call out predatory towing, propose penalties]
FMCSA acknowledged that predatory towing often occurs in nonconsensual-tow situations, where a truck is towed without the owner’s permission. “Predatory towing companies can use their possession of the vehicle as leverage to price gouge and otherwise prey upon CMV owners and operators who are in no position to push back,” the agency said.
FMCSA’s upcoming public meeting “is intended for interested parties, including motor carriers and representatives of towing and recovery service providers to discuss common trends in invoicing in commercial towing circumstances, with the aim of learning about trends in particular regions or in particular types of tows,” FMCSA said. The notice added that to the “extent that tow truck companies are charging legitimate fees, those fees should be transparent and well-communicated.”
The agency intends the meeting to “serve as a forum for diverse stakeholders to interact and identify fees and practices that are legitimate and necessary to keep the roads clear of disabled vehicles, while establishing best practices to prevent rogue industry participants from engaging in predatory behavior by charging unfair or deceptive fees,” the agency concluded.
[Related: New state law takes aim at notorious predatory tow companies]
A Dallas-based truck driver was recently sentenced to 7 years in prison for his role in transporting undocumented migrants into the U.S., according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Sedrick Zelitis Smith, 47, was a member of a human smuggling organization, coordinating the transport of migrants who arrived in Laredo from Mexico, serving as the go-between for organization leadership and drivers during smuggling events, and assisting in the theft and procurement of tractor-trailers.
On multiple occasions, Smith traveled between Dallas, San Antonio and Laredo to assist with smuggling loads. He also served as a driver for the organization, smuggling migrants from Laredo to San Antonio, using his CDL.
Smith’s arrest was the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations beginning in May 2021. Agents learned that the human smuggling organization had smuggled more than 900 migrants from Laredo to San Antonio inside tractor-trailers in at least 19 different human smuggling events. The loads ranged from approximately 30 migrants to more than 100 packed into a single trailer.
“With the rise of human smuggling in recent years, it is absolutely critical that we send a message to criminals throughout all levels of these organizations that their crimes at the expense of vulnerable individuals are serious, they are dangerous, and we are here to readily prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “I appreciate the dedication of our partners at HSI and our Joint Task Force Alpha initiative. Their efforts have been essential in taking down this HSO and many others. We’ll continue to dismantle these groups and serve justice together.”
Nine others have been indicted in the case — Bryan Adamson, Ronnie Joe Branch, Eliseo Loredo, Rodney Edward Shavers, Mark Algie Holliday, Francisco Arredondo-Colmenero, and Debbie Marie Gonzales await court proceedings. Fredi Zagala-Servin was sentenced in April to 8 years and 1 month in prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens. Norman Lee Walker Jr. was arrested May 21.
“Justice was served for a human smuggler responsible for coordinating the transportation of hundreds of noncitizens from Laredo to San Antonio. These noncitizens were crammed into tractor-trailers during multiple smuggling events in the stifling Texas heat,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio. “HSI is committed to aggressively target human smugglers and smuggling organizations who continually victimize people for profit.”
[Related: At least 50 migrants dead in human smuggling attempt in tractor-trailer]
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is asking for feedback from the trucking industry on locations to add freight parking facilities along Interstate 84 (I-84) in the vicinities of Route 9, in the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill, and the Route 747 interchange in Newburgh.
NYSDOT has set up two ways for fleets and drivers to provide feedback: an I-84 truck parking survey, and a mapping tool — both are available here.
The survey asks questions about truck parking preferences and challenges along certain routes. The mapping tool lets users add a marker on a map to share where they have issues with parking in the study area. The map tool also allows users to identify locations that lack parking, where there are safety issues, locations that lack amenities, places where unauthorized parking occurs, and places where there are parking restrictions.
[Related: Truck Parking Club turns free spaces paid: Is this the future of truck parking?]
Richard Morrell, 50, a truck driver from Plano, Texas, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for stopping to help drivers involved in a head-on collision late at night on a Texas highway. Morrell drives for ABF Freight.
Richard Morrell
“It was beyond horrible,” Morrell said. “I was first on the scene and there was wreckage everywhere.”
One car was on the shoulder of the highway, and the other was in the fast lane. Both drivers were severely injured and pinned in their vehicles. One vehicle had an injured passenger as well.
Morrell called 911 to report the wreck. He then stayed to help the drivers, and several others stopped to help as well. Eventually, emergency personnel were on the scene, as well as a helicopter to life-flight victims from the accident. The conditions of those involved in the crash is unknown.
“It was horrifying,” said the 15-year truck driver who was on the scene for over three hours. “But we have to help each other — I’ve always helped — I’ve always stepped up.”
The union that represents 9,000 CBSA workers said Friday they won’t strike until at least Wednesday, as mediation continues.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada initially said border workers were set to strike as early as 4 p.m. Friday if the two sides hadn’t reached a deal.
But shortly after 4 p.m., a spokesperson for the union said negotiations would continue.
The spokesperson said later Friday that a new strike deadline would be set in the coming days and job action was still possible if an agreement couldn’t be reached at the table.
The federal Treasury Board said Friday it was pleased PSAC has committed to staying at the negotiating table.
“To date, discussions have been productive, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement that is fair and reasonable for members of the Border Services group as quickly as possible,” the department said in a statement.
The union did not immediately elaborate on how the talks are going.
Similar strike action three years ago nearly brought commercial border traffic to a standstill and caused major delays across the country, the union has warned as part of the latest contract talks.
The government says 90 per cent of front-line border officers are designated as essential, which means they can’t stop working during a strike.
But union members could work-to-rule, a tactic in which employees do their jobs exactly as outlined in their contracts.
Experts say that could still cause serious slowdowns, which could turn into massive disruptions given the volume of traffic that normally moves across the border.
“CBSA employees in essential services positions must provide uninterrupted border services and cannot intentionally slow down border processing,” the border agency said in a statement.
However, experts have questioned the logistics of the government taking action on workers who are following procedure and doing their jobs thoroughly.
A strike wouldn’t just be a problem for tourists, but would “have a very significant impact on the economy,” Ian Lee, an associate professor at Carleton University’s school of business, said in an interview last week.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters warned Thursday a strike would affect the $3.1 billion in goods that cross the border each day.
“Job action would slow down commercial traffic at the border and ports of entry, impacting international travel, mail and parcel deliveries, and disrupting the collection of duties and taxes on goods entering Canada,” the group said. “In short, a strike would be massively disruptive to any commercial traffic and business travel for manufacturers.”
Members want pay parity with other law enforcement agencies, said Mark Weber, said in an interview last week. He is the national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, which is part of PSAC.
Other issues include pension benefits and protections around “heavy-handed discipline.”
The union is also concerned about technology taking over jobs that would otherwise be done by officers, such as customs kiosks that have been installed at Canadian airports. They’ve also asked for work-from-home arrangements to be enshrined in the collective agreement.
Treasury Board President Anita Anand told the House of Commons Thursday the government is “committed to reaching a deal that is fair for employees and for Canadian taxpayers.”
“We are more than willing to make concessions but we expect that to happen on the other side as well,” she said during question period.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2024.
Harmony, Pennsylvania-based Damian Minteer opened his own custom truck and antique restoration shop, Crooked KW Services, about three years ago with about 20 years in the truck-building business himself.
The truck featured in the video up top is Minteer’s personal project — a 1955 Kenworth needlenose that he found sitting in a field more than a quarter of a century ago. Minteer is just the second owner of the nearly 70-year-old truck.
“I drove back and forth by it for about a year and a half, and I asked the owner several times over that year and a half and he kept saying, ‘no,’ and I was persistent,” he said. “After a year and a half, he finally sold it to me for $1,000, and I still have the paperwork that he signed. It was a happy moment.”
The truck was on display as part of the PKY Truck Beauty Championship at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March.
Minteer said the truck originated in 1955 with a purchase in Richmond, Virginia — the original owner pulled a dump trailer with it for about 25 years. It “took a backhoe and a dozer to get it out” of the owner’s field after Minteer’s persuasion did its job, followed by “about a year and a half and a lot of love” to rebuild it. “The frame was flaking and breaking in half. The wheels were flaking. There was a tree growing up through it. The rodents had completely ate the inside. The engine was locked up.”
The classic ’55 Kenworth is now a true looker, that’s sure.
Starting with the engine, Minteer pulled out the original 190-hp Cummins and a two-stick five and four transmission. He wanted to put a Cat motor in it, but it wouldn’t fit in the original engine compartment, so he lengthened the hood by 10 inches to fit a 425-hp B-model motor and a 13-speed in it.
The truck’s original red, silver and white paint scheme was mostly gone by the time Minteer got ahold of it, and his vision when first acquiring the unit, since it was a ’55 model, was to paint it Robin Egg Blue and white like a ’55 Chevy Bel Air. He kept it that color until about 11 years ago, when he bought a new camper that the truck would pull. He wanted the units to match, so he repainted the truck to match his camper.
Minteer said he modernized the interior of the cab, adding air-conditioning, power windows, power locks — “all the comforts,” he noted.
The sleeper is a 36-inch Kenworth sleeper from the 1970s. It took “a little bit of modification and it fit,” he said.
Since just about everything on the truck had to be redone, and finding parts for a 1955 was nearly impossible, “everything on this truck is either fabricated or modified,” he said. Some of it is made for newer Kenworths and modified to fit. “A lot of sourcing, a lot of creativity, and it happened,” he added.
The truck’s nickname, “Popo,” is in honor of Minteer’s grandparents, who took him camping a lot as a child. Since he uses the truck to pull his own camper, he feels the name fits well.
[Related: Early Peterbilt 589 custom builds: Twin 2024 models from custom shop Semi Casual]
Find plenty more views of the rig in the video up top, and for more videos and custom-equipment features delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive’s weekly Custom Rigs newsletter via this link.
Damian Minteer: My name is Damian Minteer and I’m out of Harmony, Pennsylvania. I am the owner of Crooked KW Services. We do fabricating and build custom trucks and antique trucks and restorations. Just started this business about three years ago, but myself been doing it for over 20.
This truck is a 1955 needlenose Kenworth. I’m the second owner. I’ve had it for over 25 years. It was bought new in ’55 in Richmond, Virginia. The guy drove it for 25 years, pulling a dump wagon and parked it, and then I found it. Took a backhoe and a dozer to get it out of the field and about a year and a half and a lot of love and had it going. And then ran it ever since then until 11 years ago, repainted it to match the new camper. It’s been like this for the past 11 years.
It was really bad. The frame was flaking and breaking in half, the wheels were flaking. There was a tree growing up through it. The rodents had completely ate the inside. The engine was locked up, so completely repowered it, reworked everything front to back. Different chassis. I wanted a Caterpillar in this and it wasn’t an option. So I lengthened the hood 10 inches so I could fit a Cat in it, modernized the inside. It’s got air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, all the comforts, and it’s fun to drive. Originally it was a 190 Cummins with a five and a four with a single axle. Now it has a four and a quarter B model Cat with a 13-speed, air ride. Kenworth air ride.
Originally it was red with silver and white stripes on it. There wasn’t much left of it, but everything is aluminum on this truck except for the fenders. The front fenders are steel. All in all, I mean that part, it was in decent shape, but everything inside and under was not. Originally I had a vision since it’s a ’55, I painted it robin egg and white, like a ’55 Chevy Bell Air, and it was good for a while, but then whenever I ordered a new camper, those colors weren’t available and this is the scheme that the campers available in. So I repainted it.
Actually, it was a day cab before. Then I put the bunk on there. The bunk’s actually like an extended cab that you can convert into a bed, so that’s why the color change happened. It’s a 36-inch Kenworth bunk. It’s from the mid ’70s. It just a little bit modification and it fit. Everything on this truck is either fabricated or modified. Some of the stuff is from newer Kenworths that you had to rework and rip apart and modify. Everything had to be made to fit this because you could not get parts for it. So a lot of sourcing, a lot of creativity, and it happened.
Vehicle accidents represent one of the most significant loss exposures facing motor carriers. Even in a best-case scenario where no one involved was injured or killed, your driver was deemed not at fault, and the accident non-preventable, the incident still creates a significant business interruption, which can cost your company valuable time and money. On the flip side, what if the worst-case scenario occurs? The stakes can go way up, and the motor carrier could be looking at a severe claim in the event of a catastrophic loss.
The uncertainty surrounding these scenarios keeps trucking company owners and operations staff awake at night, but it does not have to be that way. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) updated its “Predicting Truck Crash Involvement” study in 2022, and its findings show a strong link between unsafe driver behaviors and future crashes. The table below shows the top ten crash predictor behaviors, according to ATRI. As you consider these unsafe behaviors, ask yourself when you last evaluated your drivers. How many drivers have exhibited these unsafe behaviors?
This knowledge can help to take the guesswork out of loss prevention. Motor carriers can leverage technology and good old-fashioned evaluation techniques to assess drivers and applicants to identify unsafe behaviors and proactively take corrective measures to avoid future incidents. Below are five low-cost ways in which to do this.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMSCSA) Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) provides motor carriers, individual drivers, and industry service providers access to commercial drivers’ safety records from the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). PSP is a great tool to evaluate applicants before making a hiring decision. It provides an applicant driver’s most recent five years of crash data and the most recent three years of roadside inspection data. Records are available 24 hours a day.
The FMCSA’s Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers and other authorized users real-time information about commercial driver’s license and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders’ drug and alcohol program violations. The Clearinghouse gives employers access to information they need to make informed safety decisions about which employees to place in safety-sensitive functions, including operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).
Every motor carrier’s safety data appears online in FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS). FMCSA updates the SMS monthly with data from roadside inspections, including driver and vehicle violations, crash reports from the last two years, and investigation results. The SMS data is organized into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):
SMS is free and an excellent tool for identifying good and bad trends and leading indicators that could lead to a future incident. For more information about SMS, go to https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Telematics systems collect data via sensors, GPS technology, and onboard diagnostics, allowing motor carriers to proactively track driver behavior and aggregate the data into driver scorecards. By providing each driver with a visual representation of their performance in critical areas, such as speeding, aggressive driving, and idling, managers can address problem behaviors and reward improvements. A scorecard can also serve as self-motivation for drivers when they see how they rank against other drivers in the fleet.
Conducting a personal interview and observing the driver during a road test are two methods of directly assessing a driver’s skills and habits. From evaluating the driver’s attention to detail while conducting a pre-trip vehicle inspection to observing how the driver operates a commercial motor vehicle in various conditions, personal observations can help a motor carrier determine if the driver not only meets the qualifications for the job but can also adhere to the company’s safety standards.
Note: These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive.
The information in this article is provided as a courtesy of Great West Casualty Company and is part of the Value-Driven® Company program. Value-Driven Company was created to help educate and inform insureds so they can make better decisions, build a culture that values safety, and manage risk more effectively. To see what additional resources Great West Casualty Company can provide for its insureds, please contact your safety representative, or click below to find an agent.
© Great West Casualty Company 2024. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2018. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”
This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.
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Driver fatigue remains a significant concern in the trucking industry, posing risks to road safety and the health of drivers. Implementing effective strategies to manage and mitigate driver fatigue is crucial for ensuring safer roads and promoting the well-being of those behind the wheel. The demanding nature of trucking schedules often leads to fatigue among drivers, affecting their alertness, reaction times, and overall performance. Recognizing the signs of fatigue is vital, and acknowledging the importance of adequate rest and breaks is the cornerstone of fatigue management. Below are several tips to help educate your drivers on managing fatigue.
A motor carrier can help drivers manage fatigue by promoting naps during the driver’s mandated 30-minute break following eight hours of cumulative driving. It is not enough for drivers to simply pull over and get out from behind the wheel. According to Hawai’i Pacific Health, “Researchers found that those who napped regularly reaped greater restorative effects than those who failed to nap.”1
¹Source: https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/healthier-hawaii/live-healthy/why-napping-is-better-than-coffee-when-you-need-a-midday-boost/.
Create realistic schedules that prioritize drivers’ rest periods, ensuring compliance with hours-of-service regulations. Avoid prolonged shifts and encourage regular breaks to prevent cumulative fatigue. Be flexible with scheduling. Even if drivers have not been driving all day, encourage them to listen to their bodies. If the driver is tired and time permits, encourage them to pull over to a safe area to nap.
Educate drivers on healthy eating habits, the importance of daily activity, and prioritizing mental health. This can also include recognizing the signals of drowsiness and, if planning to get behind the wheel, avoiding medications that can induce drowsiness.
Provide comprehensive training to drivers about recognizing and managing fatigue. Promote open communication about sleep quality, stress, and workload issues to address concerns effectively. Note: If a driver expresses trouble sleeping, encourage them to talk to their doctor about a possible sleep disorder.
Note: These lists are not intended to be all-inclusive.
The information in this article is provided as a courtesy of Great West Casualty Company and is part of the Value-Driven® Company program. Value-Driven Company was created to help educate and inform insureds so they can make better decisions, build a culture that values safety, and manage risk more effectively. To see what additional resources Great West Casualty Company can provide for its insureds, please contact your safety representative, or click below to find an agent.
© Great West Casualty Company 2024. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2018. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”
This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.
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The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week enforcement initiative will be held Aug. 25-31, the organization announced last week.
As with the group’s International Roadcheck enforcement blitz, CVSA also sets a focus area for inspectors during Brake Safety Week. This year, the condition of brake linings and pads is under the microscope as was the case for the 2023 initiative. CVSA pointed out the obvious: Brake lining and pad issues can result in vehicle violations that can affect a motor carrier’s safety rating.
During Brake Safety Week, CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct routine inspections throughout the week, but with a heightened focus on brake systems and components. Trucks found to have brake-related out-of-service violations will be removed from roadways until those violations are corrected.
In addition, some jurisdictions (as in Georgia, pictured) have performance-based brake testers (PBBTs), which assess the overall braking performance of a vehicle. Those jurisdictions will be using their PBBTs during Brake Safety Week.
[Related: Roadcheck fails 2024: The best of the worst?]
Brake Safety Week also brings with it educational efforts by inspectors, motor carriers and others to help ensure brakes are operating properly.
The air brake inspection procedure for inspectors can be found here. CVSA said it hopes to help prepare drivers, motor carriers, owner-operators and mechanics for this year’s Brake Safety Week by sharing these resources.
The group also shared a checklist for S-cam brake inspections and what to look for and how to measure pushrod stroke, along with a flyer with 10 brake lining and pad tips.
Brake Safety Week serves as a reminder to drivers and motor carriers of the importance of a proactive vehicle maintenance program and provides an opportunity for law enforcement to highlight the importance of brake safety, CVSA noted.
Throughout Brake Safety Week, inspectors will capture data about brake inspections and violations and report that data directly to CVSA. In addition to general inspection and violation data, CVSA will also be collecting data about brake linings and pads. PBBT jurisdictions will also submit PBBT-specific data.
[Related: Outrun the inspectors with maintenance topics in Overdrive]
Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service vehicle violations cited during roadside inspections. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2023 vehicle violation data, six out of the top 20 vehicle violations were brake related. And last year’s CVSA International Roadcheck results showed that brake-system violations was the top vehicle violation, comprising 25.2% of all vehicle out-of-service violations during that three-day data snapshot of roadside inspections.
Last year during Brake Safety Week, inspectors conducted 18,875 total commercial motor vehicles inspections and places 2,375 (12.6%) out of service because inspectors discovered OOS-brakes violations.
Access a variety of brake and other maintenance topics via this collection built through the years in Overdrive.
[Related: The toughest states for brakes violations]
More than one in 10 commercial motor vehicles that were inspected in Canada were put out of service for brake-related violations during Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) recent one-day unannounced blitz.
Inspectors in nine Canadian provinces and territories conducted 1,021 inspections, of which 904 of the vehicles inspected did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations. They removed 117 vehicles from roadways for brake-related out-of-service violations, which is an 11.5% vehicle out-of-service rate. Additionally, 33 power units and 18 towed units had brake lining/pad violations.
CVSA inspectors in 47 jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 4,898 inspections in the brake-safety inspection and enforcement event.
Brake Safety Day data found that of the 4,898 inspections conducted, 4,328 vehicles did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations – 88.4% of the total number of vehicles inspected. However, inspectors identified 570 (11.6%) vehicles that were traveling on roadways with brake-related critical inspection item vehicle violations. Those vehicles were restricted from further travel until the critical violations could be properly addressed.
Inspectors identified 330 vehicles with 20% brake violations; meaning 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles) service brakes had an out-of-service condition resulting in a defective brake. That was the top Brake Safety Day violation, accounting for 57.9% of all brake-related out-of-service violations.
They found other brake violations on 256 (44.9%) of the vehicles inspected. Examples of other brake violations include worn brake lines/hoses, broken brake drums, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc.
Seventy-three had steering-related brake violations – 12.8% of all brake-related out-of-service violations.
In 2023, 10% – 88 vehicles – of the 894 vehicles inspected in Canada were placed out of service for brake-related violations. CVSA inspectors inspected 6,829 vehicles throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Inspectors found brake-related critical vehicle inspection items on 11.3% of the vehicles inspected, indicating those vehicles were unfit and unsafe for roadways. They restricted those 773 vehicles from travel until the violations were corrected.
This year, emphasis was placed on brake lining/pad health and safety. Brake lining/pad issues may result in violations or out-of-service conditions and may affect a motor carrier’s safety rating. Inspectors found 108 power units and 66 towed units with lining/pad violations.
A total of 114 brake lining/pad violations were discovered on power units. The top brake lining/pad violation on power units was for contamination, with 48 violations.
Seventy-one brake lining/pad violations were identified on towed units. Twenty-three of the violations were for cracks/voids in the linings/pads – the top brake lining/pad violation on towed units.
Nine U.S. jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers (PBBT) utilized them. A PBBT is a machine that assesses the braking performance of a vehicle. U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and CVSA’s North American standard out-of-service criteria require a minimum braking efficiency of 43.5%. If the vehicle’s braking efficiency is below 43.5%, it’s not providing the minimum stopping power required and needs to be serviced.
Eighty-eight PBBT inspections were conducted. Four (4.5%) failed to meet the 43.5% minimum braking efficiency required and were placed out of service.
Thirty-seven U.S. jurisdictions participated in this year’s event. There were no brake-related out-of-service violations on 3,411 of those vehicles. However, 448 were placed out of service for brake-related violations, which is an 11.6% vehicle out-of-service rate. Additionally, 74 power units and 46 towed units had brake lining/pad violations.
In Mexico, 18 Inspections were conducted. Thirteen of those vehicles did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations. However, five were placed out of service for brake-related violations – a 27.8% vehicle out-of-service rate. Additionally, inspectors identified one lining/pad violation on a power unit and two on towed units. CVSA’s seven-day Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 25-31.
Ryder System purchased more than 1,000 natural gas vehicles on behalf of its customers, but even so, mass adoption was never achieved.
That was the message from Ryder System chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez, who delivered a keynote address at ACT Expo.
“Ultimately, our customers at that time didn’t see the value as they evaluated their transportation costs with this new technology,” he said of natural gas. “Today, we continue to be early adopters of new technology. However, mass adoption will likely again be determined by our customers.”
Sanchez brought on stage a big beige cell phone from the 80’s to demonstrate where battery-electric truck technology is today, and where it needs to go.
“In 1984, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X hit the market. Some of you might remember this as ‘the brick.’ It was the first widely available hand-on mobile phone,” he said. “It weighed 2.5 lb., offered 30 minutes of talk time with a charge and took 10 hours to reach the full battery capacity. In today’s money, the price tag of this brick would be $12,000.”
In 1998, it hit the inflection point, thanks to the miniaturization and advancement of microprocessors that allowed for the creation of smaller, more cost-effective cell phones. Batteries also got smaller and lighter, which improved talking-to-charging time.
“With these technological breakthroughs, both the equipment and the supporting cellular network became more accessible, while prices dropped and performance improved. All this work paved the way to today’s smartphones that now have the bandwidth, the battery life, speed, and reliability that have completely changed the way we look at the world”.
As with cell phones, the cost of electric vehicles must come down and we need smaller, lighter, and more powerful battery technologies. We also need additional charging infrastructure. Sanchez considers the industry is at a growth phase in terms of capabilities, infrastructure and adoption. “We’re at the point where we need a technological breakthrough.”
Ryder’s CEO reminds that of nearly 250,000 light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles in its fleet counts, only 60 are EVs. Out of 40,000 commercial customers, only 18 have chosen to deploy EVs. “It’s not just Ryder, it’s across the industry. Of 1.16 million commercial vehicles in operation in the U.S., only around 20,000 commercial EVs are currently deployed.”
Ryder recently conducted a quantitative analysis comparing traditional diesel engines to electric vehicle technology. “We want to understand the total cost of transport, or what we call the TCT, by diesel versus electric vehicles in light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial classes based on representative loads from our own dedicated transportation businesses,” explained Sanchez.
The TCT is the sum of the costs related to the vehicle, maintenance, fuel or energy, EV charging time, EV charger, driver wages and personnel costs, general and administrative expenses as well as range and payload.
Results showed significant cost increases to convert to EV technology in today’s market. “The cost increases we expected, but the magnitude of those increases we did not.”
The estimated annual TCT increase of a light-duty truck is about 3% ($5,000); for a medium-duty EV truck, the TCT increase is around 22% ($48,000), and for a heavy-duty Class 8 EV tractor, it’s 94% or $315,000.
According to those numbers, commercial EVs beyond light-duty transit vans are not ready for mass adoption due to price, as well as range and payload limitations. “We also know that we have a lack of critical charging infrastructure, and we will need major improvements to the power grid in order to support it,” he said.
Many customers asked Ryder about the cost benefit of converting to EVs. “We found the most significant barrier to conversion is the total cost constraints.”
Sanchez believes that for commercial EVs to work in the real world, a breakthrough in battery technology and an expansion of the charging infrastructure is needed. “We need an inflection point. That critical technology breakthrough that serves as a catalyst for massive adoption of new technology.”