America needs more truck drivers. The trucking industry is facing a growing shortage of drivers that is pushing some retailers to delay nonessential shipments or pay high prices to get their goods delivered on time.

A report from the American Trucking Associations says more than 70 percent of goods consumed in the U.S. are moved by truck, but the industry needs to hire almost 900,000 more drivers to meet rising demand.

Derek Leathers, CEO of Omaha-based trucking company Werner Enterprises, tells Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti that truckers drive the American economy, but in recent years the industry has struggled to attract new drivers.

“Being a truck driver was something that carried a certain level of honor with it,” he says. “They were kind of the ‘knights of the road,’ and we lost that somewhere along the way, and I think often trucks are portrayed as sort of this negative reality on the road.”

The ATA report notes that the industry has struggled with a driver shortage for the past 15 years. During the Great Recession, freight volumes dropped, allowing the industry to meet demand with fewer drivers. But when volumes recovered in 2011, the driver shortage became a problem again.

According to an industry analysis by DAT Solutions, just one truck was available for every 12 loads needing to be shipped at the start of 2018, which is the lowest ratio since 2005.

“In addition to the sheer lack of drivers, fleets are also suffering from a lack of qualified drivers, which amplifies the effects of the shortage on carriers,” says ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “This means that even as the shortage numbers fluctuate, it remains a serious concern for our industry, for the supply chain and for the economy at large.”

An aging fleet of drivers is one of the main reasons for the driver shortage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average age of a commercial truck driver in the U.S. is 55 years old. The industry also heavily relies on male drivers — only 6 percent of commercial truck drivers are women, according to the ATA.

“Demographics are working against the industry,” Leathers says. “The trucking industry average age is about 10 years older than the average age across other comparable industries like manufacturing and construction. So as those retirements are taking place, we’re just not seeing the same level of new entrants into the industry.”

The industry has struggled to attract new drivers because the lifestyle of a trucker is less than ideal. Drivers are often forced to be on the road for extended periods of time, causing fatigue, and many suffer from undiagnosed sleep apnea.

The Trump administration implemented new safety regulations in December that require commercial truck drivers to use electronic logging devices to record their hours. But many truckers say the federal mandate does not provide the flexibility they need.

“Federal regulators simply don’t have a clue,” Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, a trade group, told NPR in December. “They don’t have a clue what truckers do, how they go about doing it, the environment that they live in, the schedules and things like that, the demands of the job.”

Leathers says his company has increased wages, so drivers can make up for lost time on the road. The median annual wage for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers was $41,340 in May 2016, according to the BLS.

“Pay in the industry’s come up considerably. Here at Werner our pay’s up 17 percent over the last couple of years,” Leathers says. “First-year entrants into the industry now make around $50,000 a year depending on what part of the business they go in. So it’s a good job. It pays well; you can build a family around it. It’s about getting that awareness out there.”

Excerpted from https://www.npr.org/2018/01/09/576752327/trucking-industry-struggles-with-growing-driver-shortage

UPDATED: New Survey Data Reveals Increases in Driver Compensation
Competitive Market Boosting Driver Pay and Benefit Packages

Arlington, Virginia — Today, the American Trucking Associations released data from its latest Driver Compensation Study, showing driver pay has climbed as rising demand for freight transportation services has increased competition for increasingly scarce drivers.

“This latest survey, which includes data from more than 100,000 drivers, shows that fleets are reacting to an increasingly tight market for drivers by boosting pay, improving benefit packages and offering other enticements to recruit and retain safe and experienced drivers,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.

According to this most recent study, the median salary for a truckload driver working a national, irregular route was over $53,000 – a $7,000 increase from ATA’s last survey, which covered annual pay for 2013, or an increase of 15%. A private fleet driver saw their pay rise to more than $86,000 from $73,000 or a gain of nearly 18%.

In addition to rising pay, Costello said fleets were offering generous signing bonuses and benefit packages to attract and keep drivers.

“Our survey told us that carriers are offering thousands of dollars in bonuses to attract new drivers,” Costello said. “And once drivers are in the door, fleets are offering benefits like paid leave, health insurance and 401(k)s to keep them.

“This data demonstrates that fleets are reacting to concerns about the driver shortage by raising pay and working to make the job more attractive,” he said. “I expect that trend to continue as demand for trucking services increases as our economy grows.”

Excerpted from: http://www.trucking.org/article/New-Survey-Data-Reveals-Increases-in-Driver-Compensation

@AaronHuffCCJ

Newly released data show that trucking and other safety-sensitive workforces have the highest drug-positive test rates in a decade. The positivity increases are driven primarily by cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

The data also show the four common opioids that the U.S. DOT added last year in urine testing — hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone — have a higher positivity rate than the two opioids that were previously being tested — codeine and morphine.

The following data is a summary of a recent report compiled from 10 million U.S. drug tests conducted by Quest Diagnostics, a large medical lab. Many of Quest Diagnostics’ clients have safety-sensitive workforces that have federally required drug testing, including pilots, bus and truck drivers.

Cocaine

In the federally-mandated, safety-sensitive workforce, for which only urine testing is permitted, cocaine positivity increased by eleven percent (0.28 percent in 2016 versus 0.31 percent in 2017). This is the third consecutive year of increases in this workforce segment.

A new pattern emerged in this year’s analysis, with cocaine positivity in urine testing increasing significantly in certain states among the general U.S. workforce. Double-digit year-over-year increases in at least four of the five past years were seen in the states of Nebraska (91 percent), Idaho (88 percent), Washington (31 percent), Nevada (25 percent), Maryland (22 percent), and Wisconsin (13 percent).

Methamphetamine

In the general U.S. Workforce between 2013 and 2017, methamphetamine positivity rates increased 167 percent in the East North Central division of the Midwest; 160 percent in the East South Central division of the South; 150 percent in the Middle Atlantic division of the Northeast; and 140 percent in the South Atlantic division of the South.

The percentage increase in these four U.S. Census divisions ranged between nine percent and 25 percent between 2016 and 2017.

Quest Diagnostics has created this map that shows positivity by state and compared to the national average.

Marijuana

Overall, marijuana positivity continued its five-year upward trajectory in urine testing for both the general U.S. workforce and the federally-mandated, safety-sensitive workforce. Marijuana positivity increased four percent in the general U.S. workforce (2.5 percent in 2016 versus 2.6 percent in 2017) and nearly eight percent in the safety-sensitive workforce (0.78 percent versus 0.84 percent).

Increases in positivity rates for marijuana were most striking in states that have enacted recreational use statues since 2016. The increases in marijuana positivity for safety-sensitive workers increased by 39 percent in Nevada, 20 percent in California, and 11 percent in Massachusetts.

“These increases are similar to the increases we observed after recreational marijuana use statues were passed in Washington and Colorado,” said Barry Sample, PhD, senior director, science and technology, Quest Diagnostics.

Prescription opiates

Nationally, the prescription opiate positivity rate dropped by double digits on a national basis for the general U.S. workforce in urine drug testing. The rate declined 17 percent between 2016 and 2017 (0.47 percent versus 0.39 percent).

Prescription opiate testing for safety-sensitive transportation workers covered under U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules went into effect in January 2018. Based on four months of data in 2018, Sample says the positivity rate for hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone are “certainly higher by large multiple” compared to the positivity rate for codeine and morphine.

The additional four prescription opiates being tested are not more impairing nor more addicting than morphine, he says. Quest Diagnostics and other laboratories refer positive test results to a medical review officer (MRO). The MRO will then determine if the driver has a valid prescription for the drugs and has the ability to issue a safety concern letter to the employer.

Combined testing

Many trucking companies are conducting hair follicle testing in addition to the DOT-mandated urine test. Based on Quest Diagnostics data, Sample says hair testing gives higher positivity rates.

Hair tests detect patterns of repetitive drug use, he says. It is the most effective test for detecting cocaine use, says Sample, who has a Ph.D. in pharmacology and is a board-certified toxicologist.

In other industries, oral fluid tests are also commonly used. Sample says the drug positivity rate for marijuana use is higher in oral fluid testing compared to hair or urine tests.

“There is value in having more than one testing specimen at your disposal,” he says. The advantages of hair and oral fluid testing is they are observed collections.

Excerpt taken from https://www.ccjdigital.com

Excerpted from Truckinginfo.com

If you’re in Colorado Springs, you might buy a can of beer that was shipped by a self-driving truck.

Otto and Budweiser announced Tuesday that they have reached a major milestone on the road to autonomous trucking with the completion of the world’s first shipment using a self-driving truck.

Otto, which is now owned by Uber, teamed up with Anheuser-Busch to haul 51,744 cans of Budweiser from Fort Collins, through downtown Denver, to Colorado Springs. By using cameras, radar, and lidar sensors mounted on the vehicle to “see” the road, Otto’s system controlled the acceleration, braking, and steering of the truck to carry the beer exit-to-exit without any human intervention.

Walter Martin, a professional truck driver since 2007, monitored the 120-mile journey down I-25 on October 20 from the sleeper berth in the back. Otto says the project had full support from the State of Colorado.

“We are always looking for new innovations and technology,” explained Anheuser Busch’s James Sembrot in a video posted by Otto. “Otto’s trucks are the next area of transportation innovation.”

The driver is still involved in picking up the load, making sure the freight is secured in the trailer. Once the truck is on the Interstate, he flips a switch and the truck drives itself down the road.

As HDT’s Rolf Lockwood reported earlier this year, Otto hardware and software is tuned for the consistent patterns and easy-to-predict road conditions of highway driving. Sensors are installed high atop the truck, which offers an unobstructed view of the road ahead. With highways making up only 5% of U.S. roads, Otto says this allows a tight testing focus on a specific set of trucking routes critical for the American economy.

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2016/10/otto-budweiser-announce-first-shipment-using-autonomous-truck.aspx?utm_campaign=Breaking-News-20161025&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter&btm_ea=cGhpbEBhbmFseXNpcy1pbmMuY29t

Excerpted from Truckinginfo.com

MIAMI — Detroit Assurance, Daimler Trucks North America’s new active vehicle safety suite, made its real-world debut on Friday. The company hosted a ride-and-drive event in Miami after first announcing the system last month during the American Trucking Association’s October Management Conference in San Diego.

The Detroit Assurance suite includes Active Brake Assist for collision mitigation and Adaptive Cruise Control to maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead. Customers also have the option of adding a lane departure warning system.

The functionality is not new to North America. Several third-party systems are already widely deployed and some are available on DTNA Class 8 trucks. However, Brad Williamson, manager of Powertrain Marketing for DTNA, claims the level on integration capable with its proprietary system goes beyond what an add-on system can deliver.

“The vendor systems we offer work well and perform well, but we think the deep integration offered with Detroit Assurance takes functionality and performance to a new level,” he explained. “Similar systems have been in place in Mercedes Benz cars for better than two decades, and on Daimler trucks in Europe for more than 10 years. But all the software, all the logic and all the algorithms with this system are proprietary to DTNA.”

The system uses radar pulses to detect metallic objects ahead of the truck. It can track up to 40 objects up to 660 feet away, DTNA says, while the Video Radar Decision Unit refreshes its speed, distance, and time calculations 200 times per second. Data from these two sources feed the Active Brake Assist and the Adaptive Cruise Control functions. The optional windshield-mounted camera supplies information to the lane departure warning.

Active Braking Assist

The ABA system will intervene under two conditions:

1. if it determines a collision is likely, and
2. to slow the truck if a pre-set following distance is compromised.

Depending on the degree of urgency, the system may simply throttle back and reduce vehicle speed to compensate for the narrower following distance, in which case the driver may not even notice the intervention. Or under more dire circumstances, the system will apply up to 100% of the trucks service brake capacity in order to slow the vehicle and mitigate the possible damage arising from a collision.

The driver gets a three-tiered alert sequence beginning with an audio and visual warning that the system has detected a potential conflict. The system will mute the radio (if it’s on) and sound a buzzer while displaying “Collision Warning” on the integrated dash-mounted driver information display.

Should that fail to get the driver to initiate braking, the ABA system will partially apply the engine brake and service brakes to warn the driver to respond. The next step sees the ABA take command, using the transmission, engine brake and service brakes to slow the truck safely.

Depending on the dynamics of the situation, this sequence could take place over a few seconds span of time, to almost instantly. If the driver responds in a timely manner or the situation that caused the alert is disappears, the warning and braking sequence stops immediately.

Adaptive Cruise Control

When the driver has the ACC set to a certain speed, the truck will maintain that speed under normal conditions. The factory default following distance is set to 3.5 seconds, but an optional headway switch allows the driver to adjust the following distance anywhere from 2.3 seconds to 3.5 seconds in one-third second increments. ACC is active anytime the cruise control is engaged and active.

ACC uses the radar and the camera system to detect metallic objects ahead of the truck and will adjust the vehicle speed in order to maintain the preset following distance. For example, while cruising at 65 mph, if the truck comes up on a vehicle moving at 55 mph, the system will de-throttle the engine to reduce speed in order to maintain the preset gap. In cases where the speed delta is small and the distance between is good, the driver may not even notice the deceleration. In a more urgent situation, the system would engage the engine brake and possibly even the service brakes to slow the truck.

In situations where a vehicle cuts in front of the truck well inside of the preset following distance but is accelerating, nothing happens. If that vehicle slows, the response from Detroit Assurance can be quite dramatic. 728

ABA and ACC Together

While the two systems function independently, together they provide a measure of safety as well as driver convenience and even fuel efficient operation.

Because the system maintains a set following distance, the truck will follow a leading vehicle at any speed at a safe distance. The net effect is the vehicle in front will set the speed for the truck as well. The real benefit to this is driver convenience and fuel economy.

“It’s hard to take full advantage of cruise control in dense traffic because the variation in speed,” said Williamson. “With Detroit Assurance you can probably drive 400 miles without ever having to touch the brake or the accelerator. The less braking and accelerating you do, the better the fuel economy.”

Scott Kuebler, general manager of Component Sales at DTNA, explained that the deep level of integration between Detroit Assurance and the Detroit engine and DT12 transmission results in smoother and more fuel-efficient speed and braking transitions.

“All these products speak ‘Detroit,’ and that really increases to the level of integration possible when the communication takes place on the J1939 data bus,” he said.

Lane Departure Warning

An optional camera system provides lane departure warnings using audio and visual indicators to notify a driver he or she has unintentionally departed the lane. The camera detects reflective paint on the road, and when it detects the truck crossing from the lane, the radio will mute and the driver gets an audible warning inside the cab from the side of the truck where the crossover occurs.

The driver can disable this system with a switch on the dash while driving in conditions that may cause false warnings, such as construction zones and roads with tight curves. The disable feature will remain active for at least 15 minutes or until the truck exceeds 49 mph.

Detroit Assurance is available with Eaton manual transmissions as well, but with limited functionally. Full functionality is available only with Detroit engines and DT12 transmission. It’s available for the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and Cascadia trucks equipped with Detroit engines,

“If we can mitigate a collision and down scale the severity of the crash, we can save you a lot of money on just one accident,” Williamson said. “There’s absolutely a value proposition there, and that doesn’t include the reduced downtime resulting from a less severe repair job.”

Watch for an upcoming QuickSpin feature on how Detroit Assurance handles itself in traffic. In the meantime, check out this Ultimate Test Drive promo for an upcoming UTD video feature on the system.

Excerpted from Truckinginfo.com

A proposal that could eventually lead to higher insurance requirements for trucking companies is close to publication. An advanced notice of the proposal is under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget and can be expected to show up in the Federal Register this year.

Acting under instructions from Congress, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plans to update insurance requirements that have been in place for almost 30 years.

In 1985 the Department of Transportation (FMCSA did not exist then) set minimums of $750,000 for general freight, $5 million for the most dangerous hazmats and $1 million for other hazmats.

In 2012 Congress considered telling the agency to raise the general freight minimum to $1 million, but it ultimately told the agency to prepare an analysis that could become the basis for a new standard.

In its analysis the agency found that the minimums need to be reevaluated due to increasing medical costs and changing statistical life estimates. It is considering a range of numbers, but one option would be to peg the minimums to the Consumer Price Index.

If that happens, the general freight requirement would jump to $1.6 million, dangerous hazmats would go to $10.8 million and other hazmats would go to $2.2 million.

Transportation interests take varied and conflicting positions on the issue.

The agency asked an advisory panel of carriers, owner-operators, enforcement officials, bus companies and safety advocates for suggestions on how to proceed, and this week the panel came back with a five-page list.

At a meeting Tuesday in Alexandria, Va., the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee said the agency needs more information about the costs of insurance and claims, the impact of insurance costs on small carriers, and the frequency of catastrophic claims.

The agency is focusing on which index the minimum should be pegged to, and how to account for the wide gap between ordinary claims and the rare catastrophic claim.

American Trucking Associations is concerned that a minimum that includes the highest claims would be too expensive.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association contends that insurance minimums do not correspond to safety.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety noted that insurance is not just a way to influence safety behavior – it also determines who pays for injuries.

The agency is a long way from making any changes. It will take comments on this advanced notice and then complete the research it needs to craft a proposal. That proposal will have to go through the same notice-and-comment process before the agency can post a final rule.

Meanwhile, Congress has a bill that would force the agency to stop work on this issue. The bill has not advanced but it is a signal that there is significant opposition to any changes.

U.S. Based Trucks Only – Fiscal 2013

Excerpted from Avery Vise

“A driver with sleep apnea could sleep for 10 or 12 hours and still awake feeling fatigued. This is because sleep apnea can prevent you from reaching the restful stages of sleep that you need to feel rested and refreshed. BMI is a marker for possible sleep apnea that DOT physicians will be looking for as they are required to actively screen for sleep apnea at the DOT Physical. Fatigue is directly related to sleep apnea and sleep apnea can cause impaired cognitive function and reduce reaction time, and therefore, increase the risk of accidents.

The FMCSA Medical Review Board (MRO) met June 30^th to finalize the sleep apnea guidelines for the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, and the Motor Carriers Safety Advisory Committee and the MBR will be meeting together on December 7^th to “develop practical framework for Agency (FMCSA) to move forward on sleep apnea issues,” and the DOT is expected to have something in place by the end of the year or in early 2012.

This may not directly affect the carriers, but it will affect their drivers at the time of the medical physical, and if unprepared, could possibly take the driver out-of-service until the issue is addressed. This is why it is imperative that drivers become pro-active and address possible sleep apnea symptoms before going for their DOT physical.”

Source: American Trucking Association