Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024:
Trucking groups urge Congress to pass $755 million truck parking bill
A coalition of trade groups, led by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, are urging House of Representatives leaders to pass the $755 million truck parking bill to expand truck parking across the nation.
The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which boasts 49 co-sponsors from both sides of the political aisle, passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a 60-4 vote in May 2023.
The letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) highlights the importance of additional parking for America’s truck drivers. “By increasing capacity, we can ensure that truck drivers do not have to choose between parking in a potentially unsafe location, such as a highway shoulder, or continuing to drive while they feel fatigued or are out of available driving hours under federally-mandated hours-of-service regulations,” the letter says. (Emphasis in original.)
[Related: Senate committee approves DOT funding bill with truck parking, predatory towing provisions]
The letter also brings to light the impact of the current shortage of truck parking on public safety and the supply chain.
“House passage of H.R. 2367 would be an important step not only for improving highway safety, but demonstrating to all the hardworking men and women in the trucking industry that Congress is capable of working together to address problems affecting their daily lives on the road,” the letter says. “Truckers operate in one of the most heavily-regulated industries, especially for small businesses. They often feel that the federal government implements strict regulations on their operations but fails to act when it comes time to address the critical safety concerns they have identified. We stand ready to work with you to provide whatever assistance is necessary to secure another strong, bipartisan vote in support of this legislation on the House floor.”
A number of trucking groups co-signed the letter with OOIDA, including: the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Association of Small Trucking Companies, Western States Trucking Association, North American Punjabi Trucking Association, Women In Trucking, National Private Truck Council, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, Transportation Intermediaries Association and more.
[Related: Safe truck parking availability critical to retain women truck drivers]
New Mexico begins CDL downgrades for Clearinghouse violations
New Mexico is among the first states to implement automatic CDL downgrades for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse violations.
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) announced July 29 that it is now checking the Clearinghouse for potential drug and alcohol violations before taking action on CDLs.
All states, no later than November 2024, are required to query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, transferring or upgrading a CDL. Previously, only employers were required to do so.
Drivers who fail or refuse to submit to a drug or alcohol test will now have their CDLs downgraded until they complete the return-to-duty process.
“Drivers of commercial vehicles are critical to the nation’s economy, and it is equally critical that they operate in a safe manner,” said New Mexico MVD Director Htet Gonzales. “This is one more tool to make sure that is happening,”
Employers must have drivers submit to drug tests before hiring, after accidents and randomly throughout the year. Positive test results or refusals to submit to testing must be reported to the Clearinghouse.
When a violation is reported to the clearinghouse, it automatically notifies their state of domicile that the driver has a “prohibited” status, and the license is automatically downgraded to a Class D, non-commercial license. The driver is notified of the downgrade by mail.
Similarly, if the driver completes the federal return-to-duty process after a violation and it is reported to the Clearinghouse, the system generates a notice to the driver’s license agency, and the CDL is automatically reinstated.
New Mexico’s MVD said it was the third state in the nation to integrate with the clearinghouse, after Utah and Texas and just before Rhode Island.
[Related: FMCSA tells states to ban drivers with drug, alcohol strikes]
Vanair Manufacturing acquired by Lincoln Electric
Lincoln Electric Holdings has acquired Vanair Manufacturing, a privately held, Michigan City, Indiana-based, manufacturer of mobile power solutions serving the U.S. service truck market.
Vanair offers a portfolio of mobile power solutions, including vehicle-mounted compressors, generators, welders, hydraulics, chargers/boosters, and electrified power equipment. Their extensive equipment portfolio complements Lincoln Electric’s maintenance and repair consumable offering and builds upon the joint development equipment initiatives that the two companies have been pursuing, the companies said.
“We are pleased to welcome the Vanair team to Lincoln Electric,” said Steven B. Hedlund, Lincoln Electric’s President and CEO. “Vanair is renowned for their leading high-quality manufacturing, innovation, and engineering expertise in the fast-growing maintenance and repair service truck market. By joining together, Lincoln Electric will capitalize on this channel opportunity to accelerate growth and broaden our technology platform for long-term value creation.”
