Page 12 - ATR 5 2020 digital

NEWS IN BRIEF,
WELCOME, Continued from page 10

NEW ATA MEMBERS! from drivers about the possibility and
“FMCSA wants to hear directly

safety of an hours-of-service pause
pilot program,” the Agency said in the
Together, We Are the Power of Association announcement of the pilot program.
“The agency remains committed to
We welcome the following new members. Each new member exploring ways to improve safety on our
adds to the Arkansas trucking industry’s collective strength to roadways, while increasing flexibility for
promote, protect and serve with a unified voice. truckers.”
The pilot program is expected to
operate for three years, and allow driv-
ALLIED MEMBERS JOE MORTON & SON, INC. ers between 18 and 20 years old to
South Sioux City, Neb. operate commercial motor vehicles in
HIGGINBOTHAM
Tyler, Texas 402.494.4251 interstate commerce. Public comments
903.508.4395 Transportation insurance services are being collected through Nov. 9.
Transportation insurance services Eligible participants will either be
TRANSTEX 18- to 20-year-old drivers with a CDL
Indianapolis, Ind. For membership information, visit who operate CMVs in interstate com-
877.332.3519 arkansastrucking.com merce while taking part in a 120-hour
Aerodynamic solutions for fleets probationary period and a subsequent
280-hour apprenticeship program
established by an employer while still
on probation or 19- and 20-year-old
commercial drivers who have oper-
ated CMVs in intrastate commerce
for at least one year and 25,000 miles.
Passengers, hazardous materials or spe-
cial configuration vehicles will not be a
part of the program.
The pilot would “carefully examine
the safety, feasibility, and possible
economic benefits of allowing 18-
to 20-year-old drivers to operate in
interstate commerce,” FMCSA’s deputy
administrator Wiley Deck said in a
statement.
The participants will be trained
to use safety-focused technology like
active-braking collision mitigation
systems, forward-facing video event
recorders and speed limiters set to 65
miles per hour. The study will compare
the younger drivers’ performance to
that of a control group of 21-year-old to
24-year-old drivers.
Arkansas Trucking Association and
its members have long advocated for
allowing younger drivers to serve the
industry beyond their current capacity
of driving within the state’s borders.

12 Issue 5 2020 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT