NEWS IN BRIEF
ally. Nearly every single thing you eat, touch, wear, or use on a daily basis once sat in a truck.”
Wendy Parker and her owner-operator husband, George
NEW RULES COMING FOR SLEEP APNEA SCREENING Before shutting down, the govern-
ment quickly moved a bill through both the House and the Senate that will allow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to write rules, rather than just guidelines, regarding health issues like sleep apnea. “FMCSA will issue a notice to
address obstructive sleep apnea through the formal rulemaking process after collecting and analyzing data and research,” the agency said in a state- ment. The government wanted to make sure truck drivers do not suffer from excessive fatigue as a consequence of sleep disorders. Those in the trucking industry have registered deep con- cern over the use of guidelines, and have been pushing for the rulemaking approach. They worry that the guidance will not fully clarify an employer’s legal responsibilities. The American Trucking
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Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association are in support of the FMCSA issuing rules.
FIVE THINGS THE PUBLIC DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT TRUCKERS This publication prides itself in
being able to shine a positive light on the trucking industry. A quick Internet search yields countless articles and blogs by authors who also want to increase public awareness about this vital part of our economy. One such blog, The George and Wendy Show, from Overdrive Magazine, sums things up pretty nicely. Wendy writes: “Private-sector businesses in the
U.S. employ an estimated 8.9 million people in trucking-related jobs; nearly 3.5 million of those jobs are that of truck driver. The United States economy depends on trucks to deliver nearly 70 percent of all freight transported annu-
There are five things Wendy and
George think the general public doesn’t understand about “the most important job in the world.”
“TRUCKERS DO MORE THAN DRIVE” Following a route is not the only
thing a professional driver does. Because of federal weight restrictions, a driver has to maintain a fine balance between fuel and freight weight. This requires mileage calculation, precise time man- agement and route familiarity. Hours- of-service rules require drivers to keep strict time logs, which must coincide with fueling, driving, sleeping, load- ing and unloading times. Drivers are responsible for knowing the variations of axle-weight requirements in each state and have to adjust their axles or loads accordingly, which also requires
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2013
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