annual survey is the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. In 2011, FMCSA was forced to vacate a proposed ELD rule due to a court decision regarding concerns over driver harassment. FMCSA is expected to release a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) in the next several months that will address ELD performance standards, requirements for the use of ELDs, requirements related to HOS supporting documents, and assurances that ELD mandates will not result in driver harassment. Depending on the nature of the proposed rule, this issue may see a higher level of concern in the future years’ surveys. Issues 6-10 in the 2013 annual survey are
all critical and impact motor carriers on a day-to-day basis and the inter-connectivity of the issues is unmistakable. With the recent changes to the HOS rules, Truck Parking (sixth on the survey) has become even more of a challenge for drivers as they look for safe places to park for their mandated 30-minute rest break. Solutions for improving Driver Retention (seventh) become increasingly
difficult in today’s environment with the impacts on drivers from CSA and the HOS changes. Issues eighth and ninth (Fuel Prices and
Infrastructure/Congestion, respectively) impact your bottom line and without meaningful and significant infrastructure investment, congestion will worsen and fuel costs as a percentage of the industry’s overall operating expenses will continue to climb. In ATRI’s 2013 update to the Operational Costs of Trucking research, fuel and oil was the single highest motor carrier cost center, even more costly than driver wages and benefits combined. Te tenth issue in the 2013 annual survey,
Driver Health and Wellness, must become a priority for motor carriers and drivers alike if the industry is going to keep the professional men and women now employed in the industry and attract new entrants. In addition to obvious lifestyle benefits, an improvement in driver health may also have positive implications for industry safety as research has found a positive correlation between driver
health and driver safety. Te Top Industry Issues Survey provides
an important indicator of where the industry’s attention is focused and which issues may rise to prominence in the near future. It’s an important tool for providing direction to industry groups at the state and national levels in terms of the issues and strategies that motor carriers believe will have the most impact on the industry for years to come. Armed with this information, state trucking associations and the American Trucking Associations are better equipped to address the issues more broadly and proactively. Nt
Rebecca M. Brewster is president and COO of American Transportation Research Institute. ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not- for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system. A copy of the 2013 Top Industry Issues Survey analysis report is available from ATRI at
www.atri-online.org.
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NEBRASKA TRUCKER — ISSUE 1, 2014 —
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