We know that you are working in or on your business 24/7 and don’t have the time or resources to attend industry conferences and meetings. That’s why ICSA is your eyes and ears and why we try to report back to you on the issues that affect your business and what industry leaders are saying about these issues. ICSA is active in several key industry organizations, including American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), and the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), to name a few.
What follows are some highlights of two recent meetings the ICSA team has attended on your behalf.
At TCA’s Call on Washington, Director of Operations Shawn Nelson attended several meetings with Congressional staffers to discuss ICSA concerns. Chief among those was truck parking, or specifically, the lack of truck parking across the country. ICSA is speaking out to make sure that this important problem is addressed as funds approved in the infrastructure bill are allocated to various states. We also emphasized the importance of hair testing for drugs and the critical need for a federal solution to the ban on independent contractors in the California trucking industry as a result of the passage of Assembly Bill 5. This is not just a California issue, as several other states (New Jersey, Illinois and Washington, to name a few) are moving to enact similar bans. (For more information, see the AB-5 article in this month’s Regulatory Roundup newsletter). [LINK here]
Other critical issues raised at the conference included speed limiters, an apprenticeship driver program for 18-20 year-olds, heavy vehicle automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning systems, and underride protection. Many of these issues are at various stages of the rulemaking process.
At the CVSA annual conference, a key focus was the proposed Level VIII inspection, a concept on its way to becoming reality once the proposal to adopt Uniform Identifiers for all commercial vehicles works its way through the regulatory process. This inspection would be 100% electronic and completed while the vehicle is in motion and without interaction with an enforcement officer. Still to be determined is which data points would be collected. ICSA plans to remain involved and provide additional information as the pilot for electronic inspections rolls out.
Fatigued driving continues to be a major safety concern. The truck driving lifestyle can lead to fatigue as rolling hours, strenuous labor, diet, and lack of exercise/mobility all contribute to this problem. Later this year, ICSA will survey its members to determine the level of interest in fatigue management and related services.
ICSA will continue to be involved with these organizations so that we can bring you important information about industry issues, the trucking economy and other factors that affect your company. We want to be your resource for information and assistance.
Let us know what ICSA can do for you!
Looking back on the 2016 and 2020 campaigns, as well as his first term in office, President Trump was a vocal supporter of trucking, highlighting trucks on the White House lawn and as background images for campaign rallies and speaking positively about the industry.
Each January, ICSA recommends its members log on and take the online training to become TAT certified in spotting and reporting trafficking.
Since May 2020, truckers have been able to file DataQs requesting that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) evaluate the preventability of 16 specific crash types.