Transport Policy Should Modernize Freight, Reduce Diesel Emissions, Report Suggests
From the 03-22-2010 Transport Topics:
Congress should include comprehensive funding policies in the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill both to modernize freight transportation and reduce diesel emissions, an environmental group said in a report last week.  “A really key place right now that we think has a lot of potential to help reduce freight impact is the federal transportation bill,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s California Transportation and Air Initiative.  “That bill traditionally hasn’t specifically outlined a way to address freight.”  Phillips, who outlined the report March 15, said her group believes federal dollars ought to be distributed in a way that ensures the modernization of freight movement and a reduction in freight’s adverse environmental effect.  “There ought to be a freight-specific section of the bill, and it ought to emphasize modernization simultaneously with environmental impact reduction,” Phillips said.  EDF’s report said the federal government estimates freight tonnage will increase 70% from 2002 to 2020.  The report, released last week, details the results of a survey of 28 case studies of “clean freight solutions.”  The solutions range from port and corridor truck, rail and ship diesel-emissions-reduction programs to shore power and truck electrification being used in the United States and internationally to reduce truck idling.  Such innovations are used across the globe but mostly in an isolated manner and not widely distributed, the report said.

Mapping Systems Not Designed for Trucks Pose Safety, Traffic Risks, Officials Warn
From the 03-15-2010 Transport Topics:
As the use of mapping and routing software becomes more prevalent across the trucking industry, service providers and state transportation officials said fleets must be wary of the risks posed from using applications not specifically designed for trucks.   These officials and fleets executives also said that, despite the efforts of government agencies and mapping companies, data used to chart routes for trucks are not always precise.  “In New York, we have a tremendous problem with trucks getting on restricted-access facilities because they followed their generic commercial GPS device,” said Todd Westhuis, a special assistant in the New York State Department of Transportation’s operations division. “Generally, they don’t realize their mistake until they hit the first bridge they come to.”  However, those incidents, fleets say, are not always the fault of the truck driver.  “We will continue to struggle with data accuracy,” said Don Osterberg, senior vice president of safety and driver training for Schneider National Inc. “Municipalities do not spend enough time updating their road networks and maps as frequently as we would like, due to limited resources.”  Schneider, Green Bay, Wis., ranks No. 9 on the Transport Topics 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

Traffic Fatalities Reach Record Low, DOT Says
Transport Topics Online 3/15/2010:
The Department of Transportation said Thursday that the number of overall traffic fatalities reported at the end of 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954, declining for the 15th consecutive quarter.  According to early DOT projections, the fatality rate, which takes into account the  number of miles traveled, reached the lowest level ever recorded, DOT said in a statement.  DOT estimated the highway death count at 33,963, a drop of 8.9% from the 37,261 reported in 2008.  The fatality rate for 2009 declined to the lowest on record, to 1.16 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from 1.25 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2008, DOT said.  The data did not show the fatality rate related to trucks.   Earlier this year, American Trucking Associations’ analysis of DOT data showed the rate of fatalities in accidents involving trucks fell 12.3% in 2008 from the previous year — the largest year-to-year drop on record.  [More]

Industrial Production Improves for Eighth Month
Transport Topics Online 3/15/2010:
Industrial production rose 0.1% in February, the eighth straight gain, the Federal Reserve said Monday.  The increase was greater than economists’ forecasts an unchanged reading, Bloomberg reported.  The share of industrial capacity in use rose to 72.7% from 72.5% the previous month.  The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.  [More]

New Sample Bill will Aid States in Banning Texting While Driving Sample Bill Supported by Auto and Wireless Industries and the Safety Community
February 22, 2010 USDOT Press Release
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today unveiled sample legislation to be used as a starting point for states crafting new laws to prohibit texting while behind-the-wheel, the latest step in the campaign against distracted driving.  

The sample state law, prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a cross-section of safety and industry organizations, would authorize law enforcement officers to stop a vehicle and issue a citation to drivers who are texting while driving.   

"Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening practice," said Secretary LaHood.  “This language, which we created with a variety of safety organizations, is another powerful tool in our arsenal to help the states combat this serious threat.”  

There is heightened concern about the risks of texting while...[More]

Industrial Production Rises 0.9%
February 17, 2010 Transport Topics Online
Industrial production rose 0.9% in January, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.  The increase was greater than economists’ forecasts of a 0.7% gain, Bloomberg reported.  The decline in production at factories, mines and utilities followed a revised 0.7% increase in December.  The share of industrial capacity in use grew to 72.6% from 71.9% the previous month. The increase matched economists’ forecasts.  The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.  [More]

New Trucking Index Drops in January after December Growth
February 16, 2010 Transport Topics Online
A new economic index based on diesel fuel purchasing in the trucking industry fell in January after an increase in December, the index’s authors said.  The Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index fell at an annualized rate of 36.8% in January, the groups that calculate the index said.  The three-month moving average grew at a 3.3% annualized rate in January after a 14.6% increase in December.  The index is calculated by the UCLA Anderson School of Management. UCLA uses diesel purchasing data from Ceridian Corp., a provider of fuel payment cards for trucking companies.  The index only calculates data from Ceridian customers.  [More]

ITF Releases Transport Trends 2008
February 16, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's International Transport Forum has produced a website that highlights surface freight and passenger, and road accident trends in 2008. [More] 

Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies Newsletter: February 2010
February 16, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
The Institute for Trade and Transportation Studies has released the latest issue of its periodic newsletter that reports on the domestic and international infrastructure, transportation, and safety implications of commercial freight movements. [More]

New Study Reveals Economic Consequences of Continuing Restrictions on Domestic Energy Exploration
February 15, 2010 ATA Press Release
Arlington, Va. – America’s reliance on foreign energy will grow by 19 percent over the next 20 years, expanding the transfer of U.S. wealth to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) by more than $600 billion, according to a report by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).  The two-year study broadly examined the social, economic and environmental impacts of continued restrictions on developing America’s oil and gas resources. [More]

Business Inventories Rise 0.4%
February 12, 2010 Transport Topics Online
Business inventories fell in December for the first time in three months, the Commerce Department said Friday.  The 0.2% decrease followed a 0.5% increase the previous month. November's gain was originally reported as 0.4%.  Sales rose 0.9% after a 2.4% jump in November. Economists had forecast a 0.2% increase in inventories, Bloomberg reported.  When sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.  [More]

Trade Gap Widens in December
February 11, 2010 Transport Topics Online
The U.S. trade deficit widened in December, increasing 10.4% from November, the Commerce Department.  The gap between imports and exports grew to $40.2 billion, the biggest in a year, from $36.4 billion in November, Commerce said Wednesday.  Economists had forecast the deficit would narrow to $35.8 billion from the previous month's figure, which was not revised, Bloomberg reported.  Imports rose 4.8% to $182.9 billion. Exports rose 3.3% to $142.7 billion, the biggest gain since March 2007.  [More]

Diesel to Average Near $3 This Year, DOE Says
February 11, 2010 Transport Topics Online
Diesel fuel will climb to average $2.95 a gallon this year before rising to $3.16 in 2011, the Department of Energy said.  Trucking’s main fuel averaged $2.46 a gallon last year, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook released Wednesday.  The projection is in line with a previous department forecast.  DOE’s latest weekly price survey released Feb. 1 showed a 5.2-cent decline to $2.781 a gallon.  This week’s price survey has been delayed due to a mid-week blizzard around Washington.  Gasoline will rise to $2.84 a gallon this year from $2.35 last year and continue climbing to an average $2.97 in 2011, DOE said, pinning the gain to projected higher crude oil prices.  Oil averaged $78.33 a barrel in January — almost $4 higher than December and matching DOE’s January forecast.  Crude peaked at $83.12 on Jan. 6 before falling to $72.85 on Jan. 9, in part on concerns about the strength of the global economy.
DOE said oil will remain at or near current levels in the mid-$70s over the next few months before rising to near $82 in the late spring and $85 by late next year.. [More]

Air Resources Board launches $20 million in funding assistance for heavy-duty hybrid trucks and buses Program is the nation’s first to reduce the up-front cost of hybrid vehicles
February 10, 2010 ARB News Release
Today the Air Resources Board launched a $20 million funding assistance program designed to spur the purchase of hybrid trucks and buses that reduce smog-forming pollution and address climate change.

Funding incentives range from $10,000 to $45,000 and each vehicle purchaser, regardless of the size of their fleet, is limited to a maximum of 100 vouchers and is expected to put up to 800 vehicles on the road on a first-come, first-served basis. ARB created the financial incentive program from AB 118 funding to help Californians purchase cleaner, but more costly hybrid vehicles.

“California is taking an aggressive approach to getting lower-polluting vehicles on the road more quickly,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “This will accelerate our progress in cleaning up the air we breathe and reaching our climate change reduction goals.”...[More]

Pocket Guide to Transportation 2010 Now Available
February 9, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration's (RITA's) Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released its annual reference guide to transportation data. The 13th annual pocket guide covers data on the transportation system, transportation safety and security, mobility, transportation and the economy, and transportation and the environment. [More]

CARB Posts Fleet Reporting Forms
February 9, 2010 Truckline Blast Fax
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted the reporting form for fleets to enter their vehicle information for the Tractor-Trailer Greenhouse Gas Regulation and for the Truck and Bus Regulation. Under the Tractor-Trailer Regulation, fleets operating 21 or more 53-foot or longer dry van or refrigerated trailers that choose a phase-in compliance schedule must submit annual compliance demonstrations to CARB. The initial compliance demonstration is due by July 1. In addition, fleets using short-haul or local-haul exemptions for model-year 2011 equipment must also report prior to deploying the equipment in California. Under the Truck and Bus Regulation, CARB staff is currently working on amendments that will delay reporting for most fleets until Jan. 1, 2011. However, fleets using agricultural exemptions are still required to report by the March 31 deadline. Contact: Mike Tunnell at mtunnell@trucking.org.

TWIC approaches 1.5 million cards, doubling estimates amid growing ID needs
February 9, 2010 Land Line Magazine
The Transportation Worker Identification Credential is fast approaching the printing of its 1.5 millionth biometric security ID card – already twice what federal officials expected originally.What’s more – the trend for expanded identification and security among many types of shipping facilities means that number should continue to grow.As of Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Transportation Security Administration had printed 1,497,331 cards. TSA’s early estimates for the program included about 750,000 enrollees in the program.Michael Goldstein was one of TWIC’s earliest enrollees when he got his card in 2008...[More]

SEC Issues Guidelines to Help Companies Assess Effects of Climate-Change Laws, Rules
February 8, 2010 Transport Topics
The Securities and Exchange Commission for the first time has voted to issue guidelines to help public companies decide whether climate change laws and regulations will have a material effect on their businesses.  The commission’s interpretive guidelines will not create new legal requirements nor modify existing ones, but they are intended to “provide clarity and enhance consistency for public companies and their investors,” the commission said.

Execs Warn on CSA 2010
February 8, 2010
CSA 2010, the new federal safety monitoring and rating system for motor carriers, is likely to be the most important and potentially disruptive federal policy development for trucking to come out of Washington this year, fleet executives and industry watchers said last week.  American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said CSA 2010 — or the Comprehensive Safety Analysis program — which is set to supplant the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SafeStat system, is “at the top of the list” of federal policy issues that will affect the trucking industry in 2010.

ATA Calls for Curbs on Oil Speculation
February 4, 2010 Transport Topics Online:

American Trucking Associations has joined forces with farmers, manufacturers and consumer groups calling on Congress to more strictly regulate excessive oil speculation.  Crude oil was trading at $42 a barrel a year ago but this month is over $75, even though demand is weak, inventories are high and the dollar declined by only 8% relative to the euro, Randy Mullett, vice president of Con-Way Inc., said at a press conference Wednesday in Washington.  “In the face of these market realities, excessive speculation is the only other variable left unaccounted for,” said Mullett, who chairs ATA’s environment and energy policy committee.  The Commodities Futures Trading Commission has issued a proposed rule to limit the number of oil futures contracts a trader can hold, but the commission only regulates commodities markets.  ATA and others want Congress to grant the CFTC authority to track oil trading done off the markets and to impose position limits on those traders...[More]

Oil Holds Over $77 Following DOE Report
February 3, 2010 Transport Topics Online:

Oil prices held over $77 a barrel Wednesday following a report that showed inventories rose last week, Bloomberg reported.  Crude prices were trading at $77.10 a barrel mid-day, up almost $3 from Monday’s closing price of $74.43, Bloomberg said. Futures closed Friday at a 2010 low of $72.89.

International Transportation Economic Development Conference: Economic Impact of Connecting People, Goods, Markets, Employment, Services and Production
February 2, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:

TRB is cosponsoring the International Transportation Economic Development Conference: Economic Impact of Connecting People, Goods, Markets, Employment, Services, and Production on May 1-4, 2011, in Charleston, West Virginia. The conference will focus on issues and challenges related to the economy, global concerns, and financial constraints. Participants will discuss and address the emerging transportation needs of business and economic development communities at local, regional, state, national, and global levels. For additional information contact Martine Micozzi of TRB. [More]

Freight Facts and Figures 2009
February 2, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Freight Management and Operations office has released a snapshot of the volume and value of freight flows in the United States; the physical network over which freight moves; the economic conditions that generate freight movements; the industry that carries freight; and the safety, energy, and environmental implications of freight transportation. [More]

DOT Bans Truck, Bus Operators from Texting While Driving
February 1, 2010 Transport Topics:
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week issued an order immediately forbidding commercial drivers from texting on handheld mobile devices and instituting steep fines for violators.  “I directed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration . . . to use its existing authority to prohibit commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving using any handheld cell phone or other device that takes a driver’s attention off the road,” LaHood said during a Jan. 26 press conference here.   He called the step the “latest in a series of actions [the Department of Transportation] is taking to curb distracted driving and help our roads become much safer.”  LaHood said drivers found to be using a handheld device to read or send a text message will be subject to fines of as much as $2,750.  “Today, we are sending a strong message: We don’t merely expect you to share the road responsibly with other travelers; we will require you to do so,” he said.  After LaHood spoke, Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations, said at the press conference that “to promote highway safety and further improve the trucking industry’s continually improving safety record and that of all commercial vehicles, ATA supports DOT’s action to ban the use of handheld wireless devices by commercial drivers to send or receive text messages while driving.”

December Truck Tonnage Rises
February 1, 2010 Transport Topics:

Truck tonnage rose in December for the first time in 15 months, year-over-year, as the U.S. economy picked up steam, American Trucking Associations reported.  The 6.6% increase pushed ATA’s seasonally adjusted for-hire index to 108.4, the highest reading since November 2008.  “Tonnage will likely continue to grow on the year-over-year basis, in large part because it was so weak a year ago,” Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist, told Transport Topics on Jan. 25.  The index last rose year-over-year in September 2008, before the U.S. recession deepened.  It dropped as low as 99.2 last April.

Financing Market Seen Returning to Normal, But Loans to Fleets Are Becoming More Costly
February 1, 2010 Transport Topics:

Although the overall credit market appears to be returning to some semblance of normalcy, trucking executives said they still face higher borrowing costs as many commercial banks remain cautious about lending and uncertainty persists about the U.S. economic recovery.  Many fleets have cut back on capital spending, reducing the demand for loans, but industry observers have said tighter credit could limit trucking companies’ ability to expand freight-hauling capacity when demand picks up.  “It’s tough to get new equipment financed at a reasonable rate,” said Steve Williams, chairman of Maverick USA, a leading flatbed carrier in North Little Rock, Ark.  Maverick has idled about 300 of the nearly 1,400 trucks in its fleet since the beginning of 2009 but has remained current on all payables, including equipment loans.  “I can only imagine what it’s like to go out and try to get financing when the company is nine or 10 or 12 months behind on payments,” Williams commented in a recent issue of Arkansas Trucking Report, which is published by the Arkansas Trucking Association.

Fleet Failures Accelerate in 4Q
February 1, 2010 Transport Topics:

Trucking company failures accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2009 and will continue to rise this year as fleets in the worst financial shape run out of cash and creditors run out of patience with them, a new Avondale Partners report said.  The total number of fleet failures climbed to 445 in the fourth quarter, compared with 375 in the year-earlier period and 405 in the third quarter of 2009, Avondale analyst Donald Broughton said in his report.  Measured in trucks taken off the road, the increase was even more pronounced. A total of 21,010 trucks were removed from service as the average number of trucks in failing fleets climbed to 47.   The latest total was nearly double the 10,625 trucks removed in the 2008 quarter, when the average was 28.   On a sequential basis, the total capacity exiting the fleet was almost 50% higher than 2009’s third quarter. That total was 14,135 and the average failed fleet had 35 vehicles.

Commodity Flow Survey Workshop
January 26, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:

TRB is sponsoring the Commodity Flow Survey Workshop on November 16, 2010, in Washington, D.C.  The workshop is designed to facilitate discussion of experiences among Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) users and to serve as a forum on potential future improvements. Issues expected to be explored include the impacts of changes in transportation services and practices on CFS effectiveness, improvements and methodological changes that might be implemented in the near term to enhance CFS, potential for the development of performance measures, and future evolution of CFS. [More]

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for January - September 2009
January 26, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a Traffic Safety Facts sheet that examines a projection of traffic fatalities for the first three quarters of 2009. [More] 

Transportation Services Index Rose in November
January 26, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Transportation Services Index (TSI) rose 1.0 percent in November, the latest month available, to 99.0.  The TSI measures the movement of freight and passengers.  The index, which is seasonally adjusted, combines available data on freight traffic, as well as passenger travel, that have been weighted to yield a monthly measure of transportation services output. [More]

In this study, participants are asked to rate the importance of various performance criteria and then to apply them to ports they use.  When this research is completed, we will be designing a port satisfaction survey that will be used throughout the world to evaluate port performance in meeting customer needs. This should guide ports in improving the quality of their services, which will be a significant benefit to the companies who use ports.  The survey is designed to be as short as possible while still capturing the important factors users consider when evaluating ports.

If you have personal experience with port usage on the U.S. East Coast in the last year, take 15 minutes and visit the study web site and participate. 
https://ports-survey.dal.ca/index.php?sid=66474

We will be letting you know about the research results through the TIMTC (if you wish to remain anonymous) or directly by e-mail if you provide an e-mail address.  All responses will be confidential and anonymous.
Thank you.

Fact Sheet on the Port Effectiveness Survey

A program of regular performance effectiveness assessment of those who ‘use’ a port system is a necessary component of continuous improvement.  Ports that participate in such surveys find that they get a sense from the findings for those areas where continuous improvement activities will pay off in future performance improvements, whether the service is supplied by the port itself or by its suppliers.

• Supply chain partners (e.g. warehouse operators, trucking and rail companies) of ports using a particular port (goal: to assess the port’s performance on the services provided)
  
  
• Shipping lines using a particular port (goal: to assess the port’s performance on the services provided)
  
  
• Cargo interests, either the manufacturer of the goods or their freight forwarders/agent (goal: to evaluate the key elements they find in terms of quality of service provision in getting their goods to or from a foreign market)

This phase of the research is limited to users of targeted U.S. ports; access to the survey is via member-driven industry association(s). This is key to ensuring anonymous but quality responses.
Any questions should be directed to Mary R. Brooks at email: m.brooks@dal.ca

Oil Falls Below $78 a Barrel
January 19, 2010 Transport Topics Online
Oil traded near its 2010 low price below $78 a barrel early Tuesday as analysts said global supplies were adequate to meet demand, Bloomberg reported.  Crude futures traded as low as $77.29 in pre-market New York Mercantile Exchange trading, down from Friday’s $78 closing price, which had been the lowest of the year.  The Nymex was closed for Martin Luther King Day Monday. Because of the holiday, the Department of Energy will release its weekly diesel and gasoline price surveys Tuesday afternoon in Washington, a day later than usual.  [More]

DOE Awards $115.7 Million to Develop ‘SuperTruck’
January 18, 2010 Transport Topics:
The Energy Department last week announced grants totaling more than $187 million for projects to improve the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and passenger cars, including one aimed at producing a “SuperTruck” that boosts fuel economy by 50% by 2015.  Announcing the grants Jan. 11 at engine maker Cummins Inc.’s Columbus, Ind., technical center, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said they would “demonstrate the potential benefits for longhaul trucks and passenger vehicles, and will play an important role in building a more sustainable transportation system.”  DOE spokeswoman Jen Stutsman said “potential savings associated with more efficient trucks nationally are very significant . . . Medium and heavy trucks account for fully one-fifth of our nation’s oil consumption. If these technologies are fully adopted, they could save 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2030 — or about what we import from the Middle East and Venezuela.”

Oberstar Says Lack of Research Stalls Push for Heavier Trucks
January 18, 2010 Transport Topics:
The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said he believes that a lack of good data on the effect of bigger trucks on the nation’s roadways has stalled any hope the trucking industry has of new legislation to change the current limits.  Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who three years ago suggested a test of heavier trucks, said the failure of that effort to materialize likely closed the window of opportunity for a nationwide increase in weights as part of the upcoming bill to provide highway funding for the next six years.

Industrial Production Rises 0.6%
January 15, 2010 Transport Topics Online:
Industrial production increased 0.6% in December, the Federal Reserve said Friday.  The upturn in production at factories, mines and utilities matched November's change.  Economists had forecast a 0.6% increase for December, Bloomberg reported.  Manufacturing output fell 0.1%, while utility output grew 5.9%.  The amount of industrial capacity in use rose to 72% in December, the highest in a year, from 71.5% in November.  The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers. 
[More]

Transport Activity Improving Slightly, Fed Says
January 13, 2010 Transport Topics Online:

The U.S. economy continued to improve modestly from mid-November to early January and conditions have improved for transportation, but economic activity remained low, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.  Five of the Fed's 12 districts reported mixed or slightly improved transportation activity, with the Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas and Richmond districts showing increased activity and Kansas City reporting mixed results, the Fed said in its latest “beige book” report, released eight times a year.  Freight transport businesses saw a “slight upturn” in volume, but shipments are still well below their year-ago levels and margins remained depressed. Businesses expect modest volume improvements in 2010.  In Atlanta, freight transportation demand improved modestly from mid-December to mid-January, the Fed said.  Transportation demand fell in Kansas City in November and December, but business leaders there are optimistic about the near future.  The report, prepared by the Philadelphia Fed, was based on information collected from Nov. 21 though Jan. 4.

[More]

November Tonnage Dips 3.5%
January 11, 2010 Transport Topics:
U.S. truck tonnage declined 3.5% in November from the corresponding month of 2008, but it still was the best year-over-year showing in 12 months, according to American Trucking Associations.  Total tonnage grew 2.7% from October’s levels.  Some truckers agreed that freight volume was growing and several analysts said the ATA report was consistent with other data showing a steady, if slow, improvement in the U.S. economy.

More Technologies Are Ready for the Cab, But Regulatory, Business Hurdles Remain
January 11, 2010 Transport Topics:
Automated vehicle tracking is now accessible to more fleets than ever before, as providers pack the technology into small — but powerful — hardware. However, economic and regulatory concerns are keeping older systems firmly entrenched in the trucking industry.  Many technology providers said they have been able to lower the cost of entry for vehicle-tracking service customers by taking advantage of more powerful cellular phones — those with more computing power and more onboard data-crunching abilities — and the explosive growth of cellular communications networks, over which data can be sent frequently and cheaply.  Other vehicle-tracking systems use a “server-based” model, which relies on a less-powerful onboard computer that sends location data to an off-truck server for processing.  While systems built on “smart phones” — powerful Internet-connected cellular phones with computer-like features such as e-mail and Web browsing — offer the greatest potential savings for carriers, they also face the steepest regulatory hurdles, vendors said.

America's Freight Transportation Gateways 2009
January 6, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released a report that examines data from the nation's leading international freight transportation gateways in 2008 and presents summary trend data from 1990. [More]

National Cooperative Freight Research Program: A Status Report
January 6, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) Research Results Digest 2, NCFRP: A Status Report is a staff digest of the progress and status of the program. The NCFRP is a cooperative research program sponsored by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board. The program was authorized in 2005 with the passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).  [More]

Institutional Arrangements for Freight Transportation Systems
January 6, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) Report 2: Institutional Arrangements for Freight Transportation Systems explores successful and promising institutional arrangements designed to improve freight movement. The report examines 40 guidelines, reflecting lessons learned from existing arrangements, that are designed to help agencies and industry representatives work together to invest in and improve the freight transportation system. [More]

Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis
January 6, 2010 TRB E-Newsletter:
TRB's Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP) Report 1: Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis examines potential technical improvements to hazardous materials accident databases that are collected and managed by various agencies. The report explores gaps and redundancies in reporting requirements and attempts to estimate the extent of the under-reporting of serious incidents.  [More]

BTS Releases Final Commodity Flow Survey Estimates
December 28, 2009 Commercial Carrier Journal
Final estimates from the 2007 Commodity Flow Survey released Tuesday, Dec. 22, by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau show that the nation’s freight transportation system transported 12.5 billion tons of raw material and finished goods, valued at $11.7 trillion, accounting for nearly 3.3 trillion ton-miles during 2007.  Trucking is the most dominant mode of transportation, accounting for 71 percent of the value, 70 percent of the tonnage and 40 percent of the ton-miles of the nation’s total freight shipment, according to the 2007 CFS.  [More]

Toward Better Freight Transportation Data: A Research Road Map
December 21, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter
TRB is sponsoring the Toward Better Freight Transportation Data: A Research Road Map workshop on May 19-20, 2010, in Irvine, California. The workshop will focus on methods, technologies, and organizational strategies for improving the quality, reliability, and availability of freight data for public- and private-sector management, planning, and policy making. Authors wishing to have papers considered as part of the conference program must submit their abstracts by January 22, 2010.  [More]

Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2008: Early Release
December 21, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released an early version of a report that explores 2008 crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA. [More]

Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents Codebook 2007
December 21, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter
The Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has released a report that is a census of all medium and heavy trucks involved in a fatal accident in the United States. The report combines vehicle, accident, and occupant records from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System with information about the physical configuration and operating authority of the truck. [More]

DOT to Publish Regulation to Ban Texting by Truckers in Near Future, LaHood Says
December 21, 2009 Transport Topics
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said work on a regulation that would ban texting by commercial drivers will be finished in the near future.  “We just feel that this is something we really need to do. . .  It is a big issue, and it’s not just texting while driving in cars,” LaHood said.  “It has to do with all of these activities that take place in trucks and [with] bus drivers and train drivers.”  According to a recent Department of Transportation report on the status of continuing rulemakings, a texting ban is slated to be published in late February.

Class 8 Truck Sales Slide Slows
December 21, 2009 Transport Topics
The steep, yearlong decline in heavy-duty U.S. truck sales slowed to 16.4% below the 2008 level in November, or nearly half as much as the 11-month fall of 31%, according to the latest survey by WardsAuto.com.  Although Class 8 retail sales have fallen on a year-over-year basis every month this year, the rate of decline for November is the lowest.

Research Reveals Hidden Costs of Operating Business Vehicles
December 18, 2009 Commercial Carrier Journal
Fuel management solutions provider Fuelman announced that it is releasing an 8-page fuel savings guide based on research conducted by Havill & Co. that uncovers the expensive waste that plagues business fleets, from theft to administrative time demands and employee downtime.  The guide, "Beware of Hidden Costs That Eat Away at Your Fuel Budget," is based upon the findings of two market research studies: A multiclient study series entitled "The U.S. Commercial Fleet Market Forecast," a survey of more than 1,100 fleet administrators nationwide; and a second Havill research project conducted in October that surveyed 300 fleet administrators regarding the costs of operating business vehicles.  [More]

Review of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Program
December 15, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter:
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a report that explores the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, managed by the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard. The program requires maritime workers who access secure areas of transportation facilities to obtain a biometric identification card to access these facilities. [More]

Industrial Production Rises 0.8%
December 15, 2009 Transport Topics Online:
Industrial production increased 0.8% in November, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.  The upturn in production at factories, mines and utilities came after no change in October, which was first reported as a 0.1% gain.  Economists had forecast a 0.5% increase for November, Bloomberg reported.  Manufacturing output climbed 1.1%, while utility output fell 1.8%.  The amount of industrial capacity in use rose to 71.3%, from 70.6% in October.  The factory sector is one of trucking’s largest and most important customers.  [More]

FMCSA to Propose Broader Use of EOBRs to Monitor Drivers
December 14, 2009 Transport Topics:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is preparing to propose requiring “a much larger population of carriers” to use electronic onboard recorders to monitor driver hours-of-service than it earlier envisioned, an agency official said.  The safety agency is readying its new proposal before finalizing a Bush administration rule that would have required only a few carriers to use the technology.  Larry Minor, FMCSA associate administrator of policy and program development, told Transport Topics Dec. 8 the new proposal “would require EOBRs for a larger population of carriers.”  Under the Bush administration’s EOBR proposal — which is on course to become a final rule — only carriers that failed multiple compliance reviews would have had to use the technology. However, former FMCSA Administrator John Hill said before leaving office that the final rule would expand the number of fleets required to use the technology beyond what had initially been proposed.  FMCSA’s new proposal appeared for the first time in the agency’s monthly report this month on significant rulemakings, with a projected publishing date of December 2010.

Report Sees Slow Trucking, Freight Recovery in 2010
December 14, 2009 Transport Topics Online:
The U.S. trucking and rail freight industries are expected to record modest volume improvements in 2010, according to an analysts’ report released Monday.  Fitch Ratings’ forecast for overall gross domestic product growth is a “relatively tepid” 1.8% for next year, as the economy will remain pressured by high unemployment and continued sluggish consumer demand.  Rail and truck volumes reached a low in this year’s second quarter but have seen generally positive, if mild growth trends since then, Fitch said.  The firm said it expects these demand trends to carry into next year, with year-over-year volumes turning positive in the first quarter of 2010 as prior-year comparisons become easier.  But the process of recovery is expected to be relatively slow, with overall freight demand not expected to return to pre-recession levels until sometime in 2011 at the earliest, Fitch said.  [More]

FHWA R&T Now - November 2009
December 8, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter:
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released the latest issue of its Research and Technology (R&T) Now news update. The update reports on research, technology, and development activities taking place within the U.S. Department of Transportation. [More]

Review on Supply Chain Security
December 8, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter:
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a report that explores efforts made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to implement the 100 percent scanning requirement for all containerized cargo entering the United States. [More]

Development and Analysis of a GIS-Based Statewide Freight Data Flow Network
December 8, 2009 TRB E-Newsletter:
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has released a report that explores ways that Geographic Information System (GIS) data can assist WSDOT with managing the freight transportation system. [More]

FHWA Releases Truck Size and Weight Enforcement Technologies Publications
The Federal Highway Administration recently released a series of publications designed to recommend strategies to encourage the deployment of roadside technologies to improve truck size and weight enforcement in the United States.  The publications include a concept of operations, a state of practice report, and an implementation plan.  [More]

The Up-and-Down Freight Market
November 24, 2009 2:57 PM, Fleet Owner
By David Cullen, executive editor
That the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index has slipped again is just par for the course as the freight market paces an economy that is recovering albeit sluggishly.

The index dipped 0.2% for October, after decreasing by 0.3% for September. The latest decline lowered the seasonally adjusted (SA) index to 103.6 (2000=100) from the revised 103.8 in September.  The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 109.6 in October, up  1.6 % from September, said ATA.  Compared with October 2008, SA tonnage fell 5.2 %, which was the best year-over-year showing since November 2008, noted ATA, while in September, the index was down 7.3%  from a year earlier.

ATA chief economist Bob Costello said the latest freight reading “reflects an economic recovery that is still trying to gain balance,” even though it’s on more solid ground than a year ago. “Repeating what I said last month, the trucking industry should not be alarmed by the small decreases in September and October,” Costello said.  “The economy is behaving as expected, with starts and stops.  This is being reflected in truck tonnage, as well as most economic indicators.”

Analyst Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates, told FleetOwner he agrees with Costello’s assessment of the start-and-stop recovery and its impact on truck freight.  “Now that freight has reached a bottom, over the next three to six months,” Starks advised, “the [tonnage] numbers will look rosier than they really are if they are compared to year-over-year figures.  We’ll keep seeing ups and downs—it will be an uneven recovery in freight over the next six months. “

Starks said its key to “look for the overall trend” and suggested this may be done by looking at three-month averages instead of the month-by-month performance of the freight market.  “There’s the risk of false optimism if things look good for one month—really you need to study the longer term. Remember, the expectation has been for freight to come back slowly, and the data indicates that is what it happening.”

Costello also pointed out that trucking “should remain prepared for ups and downs in the months ahead,” but that he sees a general trend toward modest improvement.  “Since consumer spending and manufacturing are not surging, trucking shouldn’t expect robust growth either,” he said.  “However, both retail sales and manufacturing output are exhibiting mild upward trend lines, which is the path I expect truck freight to take.”

“We are expecting that by the late first or early in the second quarter that we should see some modest movement upwards [in freight levels],” added Starks. “We’re looking for confirmation of that at this point [going forward].”

Quick Way to Weigh, Delaware installs Weigh-in-Motion Technology
November 24, 2009 Delaware Online
Truckers carrying loads heavier than the maximum 80,000 pounds or whose rigs have safety violations are electronically signaled to pull over at Delaware’s new weigh and inspection station on U.S. 301 south of Middletown.  Most truckers get the green light to keep rolling by the cream-colored one-story station with an observation deck, just north of Strawberry Lane.  But overweight trucks that drive over the recessed electronic scales on the northbound side get a flashing red light signaling them to pull over for inspection, state police Senior Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh said.  [Delaware Online via Transportation Communications Newsletter]

Total Class 8 Fleet Dips in 3Q
November 30, 2009 Transport Topics
The heavy-duty U.S. truck fleet contracted slightly in the third quarter, shrinking back to its size in the first quarter of 2009, but used-truck sales volumes strengthened in the quarter, according to a Nov. 17 report by R.L. Polk.  The total U.S. Class 8 fleet closed the third quarter at 3.63 million units, down from 3.64 million vehicles on June 30, and 3.65 million at the end of 2008, according to Polk & Co., which is based in Southfield, Mich.  The decline between the second and third quarters equaled 0.2%.  The Polk report said new registrations of used Class 8s hit 83,000 units in the third quarter, an improvement of 77.2% over the same time in 2008, a sign that despite low new-truck sales, the rate for scrapping old trucks was low.

TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) is soliciting nominations of individuals to serve on oversight panels for new projects being established under NCFRP's fiscal year 2010 program. Nominees should have expertise directly relevant to the proposed project topic. The nomination of women and members of minority groups is encouraged. Panels for the new research projects are scheduled to meet starting in March 2010. Panel members are prohibited from submitting or participating in preparation of proposals on projects under their jurisdiction. A preliminary description of the FY 2010 projects and additional information on the nomination process are available online. Nominations are due January 22, 2010.  [More]

The Virginia Transportation Research Council, a partnership between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the University of Virginia, has released a report that examines the safety impact that truck lane restrictions have had on low- and high-volume roads in the state of Virginia. [More]

The University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute has released its annual report that highlights the Institute's research, education, and outreach activities from July 2008 through June 2009. [More]

Heavy-Duty Truck Sales Decline for 10th Consecutive Month
November 23, 2009 Transport Topics
U.S. Class 8 truck sales in October were 29.6% lower than year-ago levels, marking the 10th straight month this year that sales have trailed 2008’s results, according to data from WardsAuto.com.  However, some truck manufacturers, analysts and dealers said that signs of an improving economy and October’s orders pointed to a healthier truck market in coming months.  “There is no doubt that the 8,500 figure [reached in October] represents a strong performance from where the business has been tracking, and I believe it is an indication of the continued im-provement in the business environment,” Gary Meteer, senior account director for R.L. Polk & Co., which tracks truck registrations, told Transport Topics.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the findings of its analysis on the potential energy and emissions impacts of expanding the federal gross vehicle weight (GVW) exemption to additional portions of the Maine Interstate system.  As part of TEA-21, the Maine Turnpike and a portion of I-95 in Kittery were provided an exemption from the federal weight limit. 

Using state-of-the-art simulation modeling, the analysis found that traveling a slightly longer route with higher average speeds resulted in less fuel consumed and fewer emissions than traveling on a route with lower average speeds, numerous speed limit changes and traffic signals. 

In comparing the operation of a vehicle with a GVW of 100,000 pounds over two different routes – an Interstate route versus a state highway route, trip-specific fuel efficiency improvements, measured in miles per gallon, of 14 to 21 percent were identified when traveling over the Interstate route.  Trip-specific emissions were also estimated to decrease by 6 to 11 percent for CO2 and 3 to 8 percent for PM and NOx + NMHC over this route. 

“This research quantifies how the mutual goals of resource conservation and emission reductions could be advanced by allowing Maine to apply state weight laws to its Interstate highways,” stated Mike Card, President, Combined Transport, Inc. and a member of ATRI’s Board of Directors. 

A link to the full report, which was prepared for the Maine Department of Transportation, can be found in the Research Results section of ATRI’s website, www.atri-online.org.

NTSB Seeks Tire Monitoring on Large CMVs
November 24, 2009 Commercial Carrier Journal
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that all new motor vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds be equipped with direct tire pressure monitoring systems and that pre-trip and all other vehicle inspections include the checking of tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge.  The safety board also wants regulations that would allow its own investigators access to all positive drug and alcohol test results and refusal determinations that are conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation testing requirements...[More]

U.S. Department of Transportation Releases New Action Plan to Address Motorcoach Safety Issues
November 16, 2009 DOT.gov website
The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Motorcoach Safety Action Plan which lays out concrete steps for improving motorcoach safety across the board. The action plan addresses major safety issues such as driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.

“We are committed to making sure that bus travelers reach their destinations safely,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These improvements will not only help reduce the number of motorcoach crashes, it will also help save lives and reduce injuries.”...[More]

This fifth option will enable chassis and other intermodal equipment to be identified through a system that matches it to the responsible intermodal equipment provider (IEP). The amendment to FMCSA’s final rule will help advance the Global Intermodal Equipment Registry (GIER), an industry-sponsored solution developed by IANA.

“This decision positions GIER to move ahead and help the intermodal industry quickly and cost-effectively comply with the new roadability regulations,” said IANA President and Chief Executive Officer Joni Casey in a prepared statement...[More]

Nominated by President Barack Obama in June for a post vacant since January, Ferro will start work Monday, Nov. 16, as head of the modal agency charged with regulating the trucking industry under the U.S. Department of Transportation.

She comes to FMCSA after serving as president and CEO of the Maryland Motor Transportation Association...[More]

‘Safe Driver’ Educates Teens to Be Careful Around Trucks
October 26, 2009 Transport Topics
Law enforcement officers, government officials and trucking executives joined together to emphasize the dangers of driving aggressively around large trucks...[More] particularly among younger motorists.  They appeared at a local high school here to help kick off the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s “Operation Safe Driver.”  As part of the annual program, which ran Oct. 18-24, there were similar outreach events throughout North America, as well as increased enforcement activities.

Advancing New Vehicle Technologies and Fuels
October 20, 2009 TRB E-newsletter

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a report that explores its Vehicle Technologies Program, which is seeking to deploy clean and efficient vehicle technologies and renewable fuels. [More]