Trucking news and briefs for Friday, January 3, 2025:
DTNA expands deal in pursuit of driverless goals
Aeva, a developer of sensing and perception systems, and Torc, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck focused on commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, are expanding their collaboration to advance the development of a new safety architecture for truck applications, the companies announced Thursday.
Under the expanded collaboration, Torc and Aeva will work together on technology advancements in service of Level 4 autonomous trucking to benefit the development of Torc’s Virtual Driver vehicle software. The companies will share 4D LiDAR sensing data and share a Freightliner Cascadia vehicle platform for use in long-range sensing applications. The data captured will support deeper collaboration between global engineering teams at both companies.
The collaboration builds on the production agreement signed last year when Daimler Truck selected Aeva as its supplier of long and ultra-long range LiDAR for its series production autonomous commercial vehicle program. The multi-year production agreement is targeting commercializing Daimler Truck autonomous trucks by 2027.
Civil penalties for regs violations increasing for inflation
In what has become an annual tradition, the Department of Transportation this week published a final rule announcing increased fines for its agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration -- an annual move required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, as amended in 2015.
The new fines were calculated, as required by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, by multiplying the penalty amount by the percent change between the October 2024 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the October 2023 CPI-U. This year, that percentage change is 1.02598 -- less than last year’s 1.03241 multiplier.
FMCSA's civil penalties affected by the rule are all located in Appendix A and Appendix B to 49 CFR part 386.
The new fine amounts for FMCSA, which can be seen here as well as below, are effective immediately.
[Related: FMCSA pleads with Congress for more power to punish brokered-freight fraudsters]
ATA announces finalists for National Driver of the Year
The American Trucking Associations announced the five professional truck driver finalists for the 2024 ATA National Driver of the Year Award, one of the trucking industry’s top awards. The National Driver of the Year is selected from a pool of outstanding state Drivers of the Year submitted by ATA’s affiliated state trucking associations. Each candidate’s qualifications and achievements are examined by a group of industry safety professional judges who narrow down the nominees to a group of finalists. The winner will be announced at ATA’s Safety, Security and Human Resources National Conference and Exhibition in April.
Here are the finalists for 2024:
Jay Williams has spent 20 years of his driving career with TCW, Inc., accumulating over three million accident-free miles. Mr. Williams was the winner of the TCW 20 Year Safe Driving Award in 2023 as well as becoming the Tennessee Driver of the Year in 2024.
Rollie Fugate has driven for Wal-Mart for 24.5 of his 47.5-year career on the roadways. Mr. Fugate has accumulated an impressive six million accident-free miles. Mr. Fugate was awarded the Nevada Driver of the Year Award for 2023.
Michael Bortz has driven for Sorensen Transport for 21 of his 43 total years in the industry. Mr. Bortz has accumulated 4.85 million accident-free miles over his career without sustaining a single accident. Recently Michael was awarded the 2024 Montana Driver of the Year Award.
Danny Tankersly has driven for WEL Companies for 14 of his 36 career years as a driver. During his time on the road, Mr. Tankersly has amassed 4.6 million accident-free miles and counting. Mr. Tankersly has been awarded the WEL Companies Driver of the Year Award 11 times, as well as a 13-year Safe Driving Award Winner, and recently the WMCA 2023 Driver of the Year.
Thomas Miller has driven for 25 years for Prime Inc. out of Missouri. Mr. Miller has accumulated 3.5 million accident-free miles as a Prime employee and 3.8 million accident-free miles in his career. He has also been awarded multiple awards including but not limited to MOTA Professional Excellence Award (2019), Missouri Trucking Association Driver of the Year (2016/2023), as well as serving as one of ATA America's Road Team Captains.
