As of this writing, 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have adopted laws prohibiting texting while driving. These laws cover all drivers, not just truck drivers.
Click here to see a table of all current state texting laws.
Illinois, Texas, and Arkansas also ban any use of cell phones in school and construction zones.
Don't Text and Drive Your Truck!
Also, for just over a calendar quarter now, no truck driver in the nation may text while transporting hazmat. Click here to read more.
What is your experience with local trucking and the new texting laws?
–The Editors
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A proposal is being floated in Washington that would tax mileage on all vehicles–including local trucks, OTR trucks, even cars.
http://www.truckinsurancepro.com/industry-news/proposal-to-tax-mileage/
Take a look, read all about it, and contact your legislators if you are so moved.
Keep rolling,
Jonathan Miller, Editor
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The American Trucking Association was back on offense yesterday, calling on the FMCSA to scrap its proposed changes in HOS (hours-of-service) rules. The ATA claims that new federal safety data do not support the FMCSA’s proposed changes to HOS because the current rules have dramatically lowered accident rates and are therefore sufficient.
Here is a link to the article in CCJ:
http://www.ccjdigital.com/new-safety-data-prompts-ata-to-again-call-on-fmcsa-to-retain-hos-rules/
Remember, the good news for local trucking, cartage, and P&D is that, whether implemented or not, the changes currently being debated in HOS regulations will not affect local trucking companies. Most local truckers operate under the 100 Air-Mile Exemption (115 statute miles as the crow flies) where a driver is allowed to record duty time using a time clock instead of RODS (logbook or EOBR). The rules of 60 hours per week, 12 hours per day, with one 16 hour day permitted per week, etc. remain unchanged.
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How Will New Hours of Service Regulations or HOS Affect Me?
The good news is that the changes currently being debated in HOS regulations will not affect local trucking companies. Most local truckers operate under the 100 Air-Mile Exemption (115 statute miles as the crow flies) where a driver is allowed to record duty time using a time clock instead of RODS (logbook or EOBR). The rules of 60 hours per week, 12 hours per day, with one 16 hour day permitted per week, etc. remain unchanged.
Click this link to read the actual federal regulations.
Click here for FAQs from the FMCSA.
Please leave a comment — we’d love to hear from you.
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EOBRs, or Electronic On-Board Recorders, are a hot topic in Washington. The general movement is to require almost ALL carriers to install in the next few years at an annual expense of $500-900 per truck. GOOD NEWS! Local trucking organizations using the 100 or 150 mile HOS rules appear to be exempt from this expensive regulation. We will alert you if anything changes, but for now, for us local guys, the issue is moot.
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