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!
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.