Page 12 - ATR 4 2013

News iN brief, involved in Roadcheck and throughout can focus better on the five percent of
Continued from page 11 the year is a critical component in our problematic truck inspection reports by
Almost 900 of the violations issued to safety efforts across North America. eliminating the 95 percent that report
drivers were for not wearing a seatbelt. Inspectors are making a huge impact the status quo.”
For the vehicle inspections, factors for and they are to be commended for their
violations included signs of improp- efforts.” HoS rEgUlaTioNS FiNalizEd
erly secured loads such as inadequate The U.S. Court of Appeals for the
number of tie downs, damaged web- No dEFEcTS – big SaviNgS District of Columbia has upheld most
bing or chain, and other load secure- The U.S. Department of of the new Hours of Service regulations
ment violations and also brake system Transportation no longer requires with the exception of eliminating the
violations. This year, almost half of the trucking companies to keep all of its need for a 30 minute break for short-
vehicle OOS violations were related to equipment inspection reports – only haul drivers. A short-haul is defined
braking problems. Performance based those that reveal a defect. The gov- by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
brake testers or PBBTs were used during ernment estimates this will save the Administration as one which is driven
Roadcheck 2013. Nine U.S. states and trucking industry about $1.7 bil- by a vehicle that does not require a
one Canadian province are equipped lion per year, ranking it as one of the CDL or one that is within a 150-mile
with PBBT systems for enforcement use. Administration’s biggest cost cutting radius of where the driver reports to
Of the 287 enforcement inspections savings to small business. and releases from. The FMCSA issued a
conducted with a PBBT, 36 vehicles According to the DOT, the inspec- statement saying it “is pleased with the
or 12 percent were found with overall tion reports are the 19th highest paper- court’s decision.”
braking efficiency below the mini- work burden imposed by the federal The HOS regulations went into
mum required by U.S. regulation and government, based on the number of effect July 1, 2013. The safety-oriented
the North American Standard OOS hours it takes to comply. Federal Motor provisions have been criticized by
Criteria. CVSA President Mark Savage, Carrier Safety Administrator Anne some in the trucking industry as being
a major with the Colorado State Patrol, Ferro said the rule change could help expensive and overly restrictive, but
says “the strong enforcement presence her agency zero in on problems, “We consumer groups countered the regula-

Speed limitS.

weight limitS.

fuel coStS.

more numberS are the laSt thingS a
trucking company needS to worry about.

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12 arkansas Trucking reporT | issue 4 2013