[Source: EndDD (End Distracted Driving), 2017 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Distracted Driving] How serious are the dangers? Deadly serious. Look at the facts: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, distracted driving is “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” It’s not just texting or making calls on a cell phone; any activity that diverts a driver’s attention puts that driver, and her passengers, and everyone else sharing the road at serious risk. A partial list of what counts as a distraction would… Read More »
[Source: American Petroleum Institute, 2017 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Diesel, Oil] The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced that it has approved two new diesel engine oil standards, API Service Categories CK-4 and FA-4. These new categories resulted from years of collaborative effort between API’s Lubricants Group, the Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC). “API has established engine oil quality standards since the 1940s, and these new standards are intended to help protect today and tomorrow’s diesel engines,” said Kevin Ferrick, API Senior Manager of Training and Certifications. “Our new engine oil standards are developed… Read More »
[2012; R-2017 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Distracted Driving, Phone Use] The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), jointly with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), issued a final rule that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones by interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers (CMV) and intrastate hazmat drivers. The rule does not restrict or prohibit the use of hands-free devices. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2011 and will take effect on January 3, 2012. Changes: The final rule prohibits CMV drivers from holding, dialing or reaching for a hand-held cellular phone…. Read More »
[2011; R-2017 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Oversized Loads] If you are hauling equipment, over-dimension loads are a common part of that business model and confusion with regulations is a common issue within the industry. To add to the confusion, there is no consistency between Nebraska and Iowa when it comes to the transportation of farm equipment or “implements of husbandry.” Nebraska Code Nebraska statutes include a number of favorable exemptions for farm equipment dealers. Nebraska Statute 60-6288 exempts farm equipment dealers from width restrictions when hauling, driving, delivering, or picking up farm equipment or implements of husbandry during daylight hours…. Read More »
[2012; R-2017 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Trucking Regulations] Are your trucks in compliance with state and federal laws? It might be worth your time and effort to do a quick review of your equipment to make sure they are. With the 2010 introduction of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA), more and more attention is being given to commercial motor vehicles and roadside inspections. As companies, we often focus our attention to the obvious issues of our trucks – such as maintenance, load securement, signage and lighting. But we could be overlooking some important requirements that… Read More »
[2013 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, Drugs & Alcohol] http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=382.401 (a) General requirement. Each employer shall maintain records of its alcohol misuse and controlled substances use prevention programs as provided in this section. The records shall be maintained in a secure location with controlled access. Code of Federal Regulations182 (b) Period of retention. Each employer shall maintain the records in accordance with the following schedule: (1) Five years. The following records shall be maintained for a minimum of five years: (i) Records of driver alcohol test results indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or greater, (ii) Records of driver verified positive… Read More »