Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, April 26, 2023:
FMCSA shuts down New York-based driver after DUI, fatal crash
A New York-based truck driver has been effectively shut down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for his involvement in a crash that killed four people and injuries to others.
According to an imminent hazard order, Saul Aquiles Carrera was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, among other things, following a March 26 crash in which he collided with another vehicle that was disabled on the side of the highway. The crash occurred on I-81 near Kingsport, Tennessee.
According to FMCSA, Carrera’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.16 -- four times the legal limit for CDL holders -- and beer cans were found in and around the cab of the truck he was driving.
Following the crash, Carrera was charged with four counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication, driving under the influence, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and failure to exercise due care.
Additionally, days earlier on March 12, FMCSA said Carrera was cited for recklessly driving, failure to or improper signal, following another vehicle too closely, and improperly on the left side of the road, resulting in an arrest by Kentucky State Police in Carrollton, Kentucky.
Carrera is prohibited from operating a commercial motor vehicle until he has completed all remedial actions outlined in the order.
Canadian transport group buys Nikola BEV, FCEV trucks for demo project
Nikola Corporation announced Tuesday the expansion of its presence in Alberta, Canada, with the sale of a Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and a Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA).
AMTA is combining this purchase with refueling support, via access to Nikola’s innovative hydrogen mobile fueler.
AMTA will incorporate the new heavy-duty vehicles into its Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstrations Project, which launched in February and offers Alberta carriers the opportunity to use and test Class 8 vehicles that operate with hydrogen fuel within their unique operations.
The trials will look at the performance of hydrogen-fueled vehicles on Alberta roads, payloads, and weather conditions, while addressing challenges around fuel cell reliability, infrastructure, and vehicle cost and maintenance.
This week’s anticipated delivery of the Nikola Tre BEV, and the expected delivery of the Nikola Tre FCEV by the end of 2023, are critical first steps in selling hundreds of trucks in Alberta, Nikola said, which is a major new market for the company.
NHTSA underride committee to hold first meeting
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s newly formed Advisory Committee on Underride Protection (ACUP) will hold its first meeting next month.
The purpose of the ACUP is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on safety regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities relating to underride crashes.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 25, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern. Preregistration is required to attend the online meeting. A link permitting access to the meeting will be distributed to registrants within 24 hours of the meeting start time. Those interested in attending can register here at least one week in advance of the meeting. Registration is not yet available.
The agenda for the meeting covers the committee’s purpose and guidelines, committee member introductions, and selection of the committee chairperson.
[Related: NHTSA pressing forward with trailer side underride guard requirement]
Arrive Logistics expands with two new offices
Third-party logistics provider Arrive Logistics has announced the opening of its two newest offices, located in Phoenix, Arizona, and Columbus, Ohio.
The offices represent Arrive’s fourth and fifth newly opened locations within the last year, which also include offices in San Antonio, Tampa, and Guadalajara that opened in 2022, bringing its total footprint to seven offices.
Fueling the expansion is Arrive’s plan to strategically grow headcount in key departments, including sales, product development, data science and business operations.
“Maintaining the scalability and success of Arrive will only accelerate as we focus on what is most important to our partners: quality service, pricing, and relationships,” said Matt Pyatt, Arrive Logistics CEO and co-founder. “Our continued investments in these key areas allow us to maintain growth that outperforms our peers and serves to benefit our customers, carriers and employees.”
