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Browse stories from the iTrucker archive.

News · Mar 24, 2020

FMCSA has granted a waiver for expiring CDLs until June 30th

"Waiver in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency –For States, CDL Holders, CLP Holders, and Interstate Drivers Operating Commercial Motor Vehicles. March 24, 2020 AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT. ACTION: Grant of waiver. SUMMARY: FMCSA grants, until June 30, 2020, a waiver from certain regulations applicable to interstate and intrastate commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders and to other interstate drivers operating commercia

News · Mar 24, 2020

P.A.M. Transportation lays off 75 employees, mostly nondrivers

Story by: Todd Maiden At FreightWaves P.A.M. Transportation Services (NASDAQ: PTSI) confirmed it has temporarily laid off approximately 75 employees, mostly “non-essential to daily operations” in response to recent coronavirus-related auto plant closures. Responding to an email from FreightWaves, P.A.M. Transportation CEO Dan Cushman said 65 employees were laid off on Friday, “very few” of whom were drivers. Cushman said he doesn’t anticipate a “wave 2” of layoffs but that “about 10 employees” w

News · Mar 22, 2020

Transportation, logistics workers deemed essential during coronavirus crisis

Story by: Kim Link-Wills at FreightWaves / AmericanShipper The transportation industry is critical for the movement of goods. But are all employees working for transportation and logistics companies “essential” during these unprecedented times of mandatory quarantines? New York joined California on Friday morning in ordering all nonessential workers to stay home. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued guidance on Essential Critical

News · Mar 17, 2020

Pennsylvania shuts all rest stops to all activity, including parking

Story by: John Kingston at FreightWaves Pennsylvania has closed all 35 of its highway rest stops to all activity following the declaration of a state of emergency. A spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Transportation said the closure impacts not only the limited facilities at the rest stops, like bathrooms and vending machines. It also shuts down parking access as well. “We are reevaluating,” spokeswoman Alexis Campbell told FreightWaves in a text message. “However, we must also consider t

News · Mar 16, 2020

Trucking needs more clarity on emergency HOS waiver

Story by: John Gallagher, Washington Correspondent at FreightWaves A rare emergency waiver from trucking hours-of-service (HOS) regulations provides welcome relief to an industry responding to supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus — while simultaneously leaving carriers confused over what the waiver actually covers. The declaration, issued late Friday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), details several types of freight considered to be “direct assistance in s

News · Mar 16, 2020

Truckers risk exposure to coronavirus while delivering medical and food supplies

Story by: Clarissa Hawes at FreightWaves As medical professionals and public health officials work to slow the spread of the coronavirus, truck drivers are also working around-the-clock to deliver critical medical supplies, food and other essentials to hospitals and grocery stores nationwide. Deb LaBree and her husband, Del, of Joplin, Missouri, haul vital medical supplies to hospitals. They are independent owner-operators, who own Castle Transport LLC, and are leased to Landstar. They typically

News · Mar 14, 2020

FMCSA suspends Hours of Service nationwide for COVID-19 related freight movement

Story by: John Kingston at FreightWaves In what it says is a first, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a 50-state waiver to the Hours of Service (HOS) Rule for commercial vehicle drivers transporting goods related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The order was issued late Friday evening and had been foretold earlier in the day, on the back of numerous state waivers for intrastate transportation. It will last until the end of the day on April 12 or until the end of the emergency

News · Mar 13, 2020

Crisis or hype? Transportation industry insiders have differing views on coronavirus

Story by: Brian Straight at FreightWaves Rick Brumett, Transportation Insight vice president of client solutions, said the 2003 global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused a 2.3% reduction in global economic expansion. The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could triple that, he said. “When the coronavirus started to hit epidemic proportions, the Chinese New Year was in full swing. Logistics companies always factor in this anticipated shutdown, which lasts until Feb.

News · Mar 13, 2020

FMCSA likely to grant Hours of Service waiver for all of the US

Story by: John Kingston at FreightWaves An emergency proclamation suspending an undefined part of the Hours of Service (HOS) rules through the entire U.S. is expected to be granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The federal waiver will come as HOS rules were falling over the past two days within a number of states where supply chains are straining under the demands to restock medical and consumer goods that are r

News · Mar 13, 2020

CLS Express to close San Antonio operation

Story by: Noi Mahoney at FreightWaves Cargo Leasing Services, also known as CLS Express, is citing the loss of “certain customer contracts” as the reason it will permanently close its San Antonio operation and lay off 60 employees. “This cessation of operations and closing of the CLS San Antonio facility is due to recent unforeseen developments relating to certain customer contracts of CLS,” according to recent documents provided by the Texas Workforce Commission. CLS did not specify which contr

News · Mar 12, 2020

Largest trucking show (MATS) gets canceled due to coronavirus outbreak

By: Mario Pawlowski at iTrucker The largest trucking show in the United States a Mid America Trucking Show (MATS) is canceled due to coronavirus outbreak. Show website truckingshow.com just informed about the cancelation: "It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we announce the cancellation of the 2020 Mid-America Trucking Show scheduled for March 26-28 in Louisville, KY. This is a decision we did not make lightly, but in consultation with our exhibitors, attendees, supporters, and partner

News · Mar 11, 2020

Trucking industry campaign contributions skew Republican

Trucking industry campaign contributions generally favor Republicans. But although the numbers can be difficult to parse, some industry observers see growing support for Democratic candidates — even as companies and owner-operators become increasingly disenchanted with both political parties. Federal law does not allow corporations to donate money directly to candidates or national party committees. But individuals and political action committees (PACs) associated with the trucking industry have