CCJ Daily Dispatch, July 14: FMCSA extends some virus HOS waivers; ATA reports trucking’s latest annual revenue stat

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Updated Jul 15, 2020

Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 14, 2020: 

COVID-19 emergency hours waiver extended through Aug. 14
Due to the ongoing national COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended the hours of service waiver through Aug. 14 for carriers providing direct assistance in support of COVID-19 relief efforts. The exemption was previously set to expire on July 14.

The waiver covers drivers hauling livestock and livestock feed; medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; and supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants.

“Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration,” FMCSA says in the declaration.

ATA report: Trucking generated nearly $800 billion in 2019
A new report from the American Trucking Associations found that the trucking industry generated $791.7 billion in revenue and moved 11.84 billion tons of freight in 2019.

ATA’s American Trucking Trends 2020 report says trucking revenues accounted for 80.4% of the nation’s freight bill with trucks moving 67.7% of surface freight between the U.S. and Canada and 83.1% of cross-border trade with Mexico.

“Despite a challenging year, the data contained in American Trucking Trends shows the industry was in good shape entering the global pandemic,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Trends continues to be an indispensable, one-stop resource for decision makers to have the latest information about the state of the trucking industry.”

ATA also found that 7.95 million people were employed in trucking-related jobs, up 140,000 from the previous year. This includes 3.6 million truck drivers. Of these drivers, 6.7% are women, and 41.5% are minorities.

Additionally, most fleets are small companies, ATA says, with 91.3% of fleets operate six or fewer trucks and 97.4% operate 20 or fewer trucks.

Eaton supports call for zero-emission truck incentives program
Eaton announced Tuesday it is a key contributor and supporter of the National Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Coalition’s newly issued priority federal recommendations, which call for the establishment of a national point-of-sale incentive program to drive production of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses.

The initiative recommends more than $2 billion in federal funding for the incentives to jumpstart zero-emission truck production during the current economic downturn.

The coalition is organized by the clean transportation industry group CALSTART, of which Eaton has been a member since 2005.

Eaton has partnered with CALSTART to provide emission-reducing and electric vehicle technologies and also currently participates in the Department of Energy’s SuperTruck program.