Driver monitoring has evolved tremendously in recent years. Some carriers still rely on reports from a 1-800 “how’s my driving” number to find out when a driver is driving poorly, but many more are putting technology to work to take advantage of near-real-time reporting on driver performance. Today’s technologies allow fleets to keep track of not only where their trucks are at any moment, but also how the trucks are being operated.
Fleets have become more interested in tracking driver behaviors, particularly in response to the new CSA enforcement program put in place last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
“The biggest things we are seeing a push for (from customers) is driver performance and driving habits,” said Robin Hamlin, product manager for McLeod Software. “Anything to do with driver performance such as lane changes, braking and quick starts.” Read the rest of this entry »
A survey of more than 4,000 trucking industry executives by the American Transportation Research Institute revealed the top 10 critical issues facing the North American trucking industry:
1. The economy: For the third year in a row, the state of the nation’s economy was the top concern. However, the number ranking it as their number one issue has dropped each year since reaching 51.6% in 2009, to about 31% this year.
2. Hours of Service: Federal rules governing driver hours of service climbed two positions after taking the fourth spot in 2010. Nearly half of respondents (46.5%) ranked this as the first, second or third most important issue.
3. Driver shortage: This issue is up from number five in 2010, but has a larger concentration of “high priority” and “low priority” rankings compared to other issues. Some carriers are having serious problems finding drivers, but others seem to be meeting the demand through financial and work culture strategies.
4. CSA: After debuting in the No. 2 spot in 2010, the government’s new enforcement regime retreated two spots from second to fourth this year. Nearly 30% of respondents ranked this issue first or second.
5. Fuel issues: Fuel issues ranked first in 2005 and again in 2008, but dropped to sixth in 2010. This year the issue, along with the price of fuel, has risen again.
6. Congestion: While standard peak-hour congestion is costly in terms of freight delays and fuel consumption, unexpected delays are considerably worse. While congestion did not make the top 10 list in 2009 and 2010 due to the recession, it has reemerged as a standalone issue in 2011.
7. Transportation funding: This reemerged as a standalone issue this year with continued delays in passing a highway bill.
8. Tort reform: This and related legal issues returned to the top 10 list in 2011 for the first time since 2008. The trucking industry seeks tort liability reform to ensure that punitive damage awards are reasonable and directly related to negligence.
9. Onboard truck technologies: First surfacing in 2007 as a top 10 issue, this has fluctuated among the last three positions. This includes electronic logs, speed limiters, onboard safety systems, and using technology to enhance or replace roadside safety enforcement practices.
10. Truck size and weight: This first emerged as a top issue in the 2009 survey. Increased flexibility in truck size and weight could reduce congestion and fuel consumption and help with the driver shortage.
By Deborah Lockridge, Editor in Chief
http://truckinginfo.com
http://truckinginfo.com
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Did you know you could adjust map layers on your NexTraq map? In the Find tab, select the “Map Layers” section. Select one of the default layers of Counties, Cities, or Zip Codes. Select an opacity level, and select “Update Map.”
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The Women in Trucking Assn. is inviting all female professional truck drivers and their families to attend what it said is the largest celebration of women behind the wheel at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY.
The 3rd Annual Salute to Women Behind the Wheel will be held March 24 from noon to 3 p.m. and recognizes the outstanding safety and performance accomplishments of professional female drivers. The Salute will be held in Rooms C201-C205 of the South Wing at the Mid-America Trucking Show. There will be refreshments, goodie bags and a photo will be taken of all professional women drivers in attendance.
Driver registration is now open. To register go to http://salute2women.eventbrite.com/.
Gold sponsors of the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel are Frito-Lay and Walmart. The Silver sponsor is U.S. Xpress, Inc. and the Bronze sponsor is McGriff, Seibels, & Williams. Copper sponsors are FedEx Freight, J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Owner-Operator Direct, Trucker Charity, Inc., and UPS Freight. Nickel sponsors include Airtab, Brenny Transportation, Inc./Brenny Specialized, Inc., J.B. Hunt, and Schneider National.
Any corporate member of Women In Trucking may become a sponsor by contacting Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT at ellen@womenintrucking.org.
Jan 30, 2012 11:13 AM, By Deborah Whistler, contributing editor
http://fleetowner.com/management/news/registration-salute-to-women-0130/
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I signed up for this a couple of weeks ago and have been receiving the article updates. It is a great tool from which I have learned new things.
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HSE Coordinator
Medical Care and Transportation Company.
Sign up today at http://www.gpstrackingblog.com
The Live Map and Trips History Map can be adjusted on a per user basis. Go to Administration > Options.
On this screen, you can :
- Adjust the size of the symbols on the map. The more devices you have, the smaller you may want the icons to be.
- Adjust the map type and style (i.e. Hybrid or Roads)
- Adjust the View Organizer. Users can zoom in on the map, select View > View > Save this view to create a saved map area to display. “Move Up” their saved view, and the one at the top of the list will be the default area displayed when the maps are opened.
Order your Checkmate Workbook today! To view a sample overview of this workbook, click here: https://media.ilergroup.com/logingps/pdf/1323442967-Checkmate%20Workbook%20Sample.pdf. Contact Julie Titus at Julie.Titus@4agps.com, or 813-413-6935 for pricing information.
For more training materials, visit our Training Library: http://www.LoginGPS.com. Or, contact our support department: Support@4agps.com.
The rule banning truck drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving will take effect on January 3rd 2012, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Reported in Trucker News, the new rule will still permit commercial drivers to use hand-held devices after they have safely moved to the side of the highway or have stopped where the vehicle can safely remain stationary. Violators will face fines of up to $2,750 for each offense and will have their commercial driver’s license revoked or suspended for repeated traffic violations. Companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving will face a maximum penalty of $11,000.
According to FleetOwner, this rule has drawn praise from many corners of the trucking industry because studies have shown that texting and dialing a phone can greatly increase crash risk. As a result, taking steps to curb these risky behaviors will greatly improve highway safety.
Speak your mind
What do you think of this rule? Do you think this rule is sufficient or necessary to prevent distracted driving among commercial drivers? What more can be done to address the larger issue of distracted driving among truckers?
Click here to view FMCSA CMV Cell Phone Use Final Rule
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