3 Important Stories in Trucking Today

By: Classadrivers.com

Just two months into the year have you been keeping up with the trucking industry’s latest changes? If you’ve fallen behind don’t sweat it; we’ve collected three of the most important stories in trucking today. Read below!

Truckers Are One Step Closer to Losing Paid Breaks
The AIRR Act which includes a proposal to prevent state laws from requiring paid breaks for truckers has been approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and will be taken up by the House. Under the AIRR Act drivers would no longer be protected by state laws requiring meal and rest breaks and carriers would no longer be penalized when not complying with the aforementioned laws. The bill would also allow carriers to not pay drivers during down time or during loading periods. The bill is still in the beginning stages and will undergo major obstacles before reaching Congress or the Senate.
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Numbers Indicate 2016 to Be a Stable Year for Trucking
The trucking industry analysis firm FTR released its Trucking Condition Index (TCI) and 2016 is predicted to be a stable year for the industry. The December TCI rose by more than two points to 10.88 which the firm reads as “placid conditions” where capacity is expected to be remain adequate but tight. The FTR forecasts that truck loadings will increase by 3 percent in 2016 which is seen as a surprisingly large spike but GDP data shows that growth is not expected to continue at this rate. However two major factors could impact capacity utilization: the FMCSA’s reinstatement of Hours-of-Service changes and severe weather conditions.
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Rulemakings for Speed Limiters and CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Delayed
The Department of Transportation has announced that two upcoming rulemakings will be delayed. The projected publication date to require governors or speed limiters will be pushed back to March 15 2016. Under this rule all trucks weighing over 27000 pounds would be required to install and use governors. The CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse which would create a database of CDL holders who have failed or refused a drug test has is not expected to be published until mid-June.
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