Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 22, 2025:
CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Week set for July
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced July 13-19 as this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week, a safe-driving enforcement and outreach initiative aimed at improving driving behaviors through education, traffic-enforcement strategies and driver interactions with law enforcement.
The focus of this year’s week-long enforcement initiative targeting both commercial and passenger car drivers will be reckless, careless or dangerous driving. Any person who drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is driving recklessly, CVSA said.
During Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, drunk or drugged driving, etc. Drivers engaging in such behaviors will be pulled over by law enforcement personnel and issued a warning or citation.
[Related: Roadcheck looms in May with focus on hours of service, tires]
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40,901 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2023, down from 42,721 in 2022. Transport Canada statistics from 2022 show that there were 1,931 motor vehicle fatalities. And Mexico reported 15,979 road deaths for 2022. CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Program aims to address those alarming rates by reducing the number of crashes on roadways caused by unsafe driving behaviors.
In addition to traffic enforcement, driver education initiatives are also a major part of Operation Safe Driver Week. CVSA offers resources for teen and new drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers, along with public service announcement videos, which are available for download and distribution.
[Related: NHTSA: Truck-involved fatalities, injuries falling]
Bill to increase dry bulk weight variance introduced
A bill introduced in the U.S. House last week would increase the axle weight tolerance for dry bulk carriers but keep the overall weight limit for the trucks unchanged.
The VARIANCE Act -- or the Vehicle Axle Redistribution Increases Allow New Capacities for Efficiency Act -- would allow for a 10% shift in weight variance along the axles of tank trucks carrying dry goods, without any increase in the overall federal gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit. It was introduced by Reps. Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) and Salud Carbajal (D-California).
Under current law, when stopped at a weigh station, a truck’s weight must be “evenly” distributed among each of the axles. However, with dry bulk goods, even when packed properly, the material often moves around in the tank, causing the weight on each axle of the vehicle to be different, bill sponsors said. The VARIANCE Act allows for a shift in variance, as long as the overall weight of the tank truck does not exceed 80,000 pounds, ensuring trucks don’t have to unnecessarily reduce their loads.
During the previous Congressional session, similar legislation under a different name -- the Dry Bulk Weight Tolerance Act -- passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee but didn’t get a full House vote.
The legislation has the support of the National Tank Truck Carriers organization, which called the bill “a smart, targeted solution that reflects the operational realities of the dry bulk segment,” said Ryan Streblow, NTTC President & CEO. “By aligning axle weight flexibility with the design and functionality of dry bulk trailers, we can improve efficiency, reduce highway congestion, and enhance safety -- all without increasing wear on infrastructure. Many carriers underload dry bulk product today as a result of not having this flexibility. Allowing dry bulk carriers to maximize the current gross vehicle weight will reduce the number of commercial dry bulk trucks on the road each year.”
Epika Fleet Services acquired by another equity firm
Epika Fleet Services, a mobile-focused provider of preventative maintenance and repair services for commercial trucking fleets, announced that an Ares Private Equity fund has acquired a majority stake in the company from Trivest Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The transaction provides Epika with significant additional capital to support investments in the quality and buildout of its service offerings, expand its customer base in underserved geographies and cement the platform as a mobile-solutions provider of choice for fleet operators, the company said.
Founded in 2016, Epika has rapidly scaled its platform by establishing capabilities in commercial fleet repair and maintenance services and building a strong local presence in key U.S. regions. Today, Epika operates across nearly 40 states and serves over 2,000 fleet customers.
The company's growth has been driven largely by its mobile-delivery service offerings, with more than 550 technicians performing regular inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs for fleet customers on the road every day. The company also operates approximately 20 in-shop centers in the U.S., providing a hybrid offering for customers who require complex repairs or emergency services.
