Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024:
ATRI calls on carriers, brokers to weigh in on cargo theft
As part of its research on the growing problem of cargo theft, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is asking motor carriers and brokers to participate in a new data collection initiative.
Cargo theft -- which has evolved from thieves simply stealing cargo to sophisticated impersonation schemes -- is becoming more common, according to some industry stakeholders. In March, ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC), citing FBI statistics that indicate $15 to $30 billion is lost to cargo theft annually, voted to prioritize research on the topic.
While the problem of cargo theft is growing, many industry stakeholders are hesitant to publicly provide cargo theft data, ATRI said. ATRI’s survey is designed to confidentially and anonymously collect accurate loss data, as well as identify successful counter-strategies used by both motor carriers and freight brokers.
Motor carriers and brokers can participate in the survey here.
[Related: How carriers can respond to the rash of cargo thefts hitting the industry]
Waste Management seeks waiver from certain clearinghouse requirements
Waste Management Holdings (WMH) is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from certain driver qualification requirements and drug and alcohol clearinghouse regulations when its drivers are transferred among two or more WMH carriers with different USDOT numbers.
The company said the waiver would remove the administrative burden of requalifying already qualified drivers every time they are reassigned among related WMH motor carrier affiliates.
As part of its residential and commercial trash and recycling collection and waste disposal services, WMH employs tens of thousands of commercial motor vehicle drivers among its affiliates, which operate under 83 USDOT numbers. It has centralized USDOT compliance efforts across all its related carriers under its Employment Screening Program (ESP), and critical compliance processes and documents are managed through centralized information technology systems, the company added.
“WMH asserts that the existing driver qualification and drug and alcohol testing rules fail to contemplate the types of intercompany driver transfers that WMH's operations necessitate, leading to severe administrative inefficiencies, record duplication, and an inability to respond timely to surges in demand for waste removal, which often occur following natural disasters, public health emergencies (such as the recent COVID pandemic), mass gatherings or events, infrastructure failures, community clean-up efforts, industrial accidents or spills, or regional disruptions,” FMCSA said of WMH’s request in a Federal Register notice publishing Thursday, Aug. 22.
Under current regulations, WMH has to require transferred drivers to complete new employment applications, contact previous employers, run new motor vehicle records, query the drug and alcohol clearinghouse, analyze whether pre-employment drug testing is necessary and perform testing if required, and create new qualification files, all of which can take several days to complete and may delay or deter the transfer, the company said.
The centralization of its driver qualification and drug/alcohol testing processes, policies, and documents under its ESP Department across all its affiliated carriers maintains an equivalent level of visibility into the drug/alcohol clearinghouse status of all drivers across its entire organization, WMH added.
FMCSA is accepting public comment on the request for 30 days beginning Thursday at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0200.
[Related: How changes to FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse are affecting fleets]
Cargo Transporters’ VP, general counsel to oversee HR
Cargo Transporters (CCJ Top 250, No. 177) announced this week that Meredith Priestley, Vice President and General Counsel, will take on additional responsibilities with the oversight of the Human Resources Department. The HR department, led by Kristy Hedrick, Vice President of Human Resources, will now report directly to Meredith Priestley.
Priestley has been a vital member of Cargo Transporters since 2004. In her role as vice president and general counsel, she manages legal affairs of the company, including litigation management, contract negotiation, supervision of accident, and workers' compensation claims, regulatory affairs, and corporate risk management. She also plays a significant role on the 401(k) plan and employee benefit committees and oversees the corporate insurance program.
Priestley's expanded role will allow for better integration of the company’s legal and HR functions, the company said, strengthening the overall strategic direction of Cargo Transporters.
Priestley is a distinguished member of the American Bar Association (ABA), the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA), and her local Catawba County Bar Association. She received her Juris Doctorate from Widener University Delaware Law School.
