iTrucker archive

News

Browse stories from the iTrucker archive.

News · Jan 31, 2019

Serious wrecks, travel bans during wicked winter weather

The ongoing nasty winter weather is showing no mercy in the Northeast. Besides brutally cold temperatures the past few days, with wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero, the snow and wind just kept coming. Those conditions made driving nearly impossible in some areas, resulting in major wrecks. It’s been a rough couple of days in New York state, too, as the lake effect snow and strong winds kept coming. A 20-plus vehicle wreck on Wednesday afternoon, around the same time of the Pennsylvania

News · Jan 30, 2019

Truck safety groups push Congress for speed limiter mandate that will slow trucks to 65 mph.

After failing to get two previous presidential administrations to require trucks to set their speed limiter devices to 65 mph, safety lobbyists are bypassing regulators and taking their case to the new Congress instead. A coalition led by Road Safe America and the Truck Safety Coalition is using crash statistics and an economic business case to try and convince lawmakers to pass legislation requiring that all heavy-duty trucks use speed limiters as well as install automatic emergency braking (AE

News · Jan 30, 2019

Trucker busted in Idaho with 6,700 pounds of suspected marijuana

A truck driver was busted in Idaho Jan. 24 hauling more than 6,700 pounds of marijuana – the largest pot bust in Idaho State Police history. According to an ISP press release, Denis Palamarchuk, of Portland, Oregon, was pulled over at the East Boise Port of Entry for an inspection. As part of the inspection, the trooper inspected the bill of lading, which said the load was hemp. Read More : https://www.overdriveonline.com/trucker-busted-in-idaho-with-6700-pounds-of-suspected-marijuana/ Article o

50900060_321233085159348_7530818351413592064_n

News · Jan 30, 2019

New York bans semi trucks from some highways and interstates due to extreme weather

Last night January 29 at 8 p.m. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued travel ban for all semi trucks on some of New York Highways. From Cuomo’s office:Beginning at 8 p.m. tonight, tractor trailers and commercial buses will be banned from the New York State Thruway from Exit 46 (Rochester I-390) to the Pennsylvania border as well as Interstate 190, Interstate 290, State Route 400, U.S. Route 219 from Peters Road to Interstate 90; and State Route 5 from State Route 179 to I-190.Governor Cuomo

51251537_1981931921935738_5655317248349306880_n

News · Jan 30, 2019

Today Chicago will be one of the Coldest Places in US !

Chicago and the Midwestern US will freeze today to unprecedented temperatures as the polar vortex tightens its grip on the Midwest! Temperatures will drop to -25° degrees with windchill approaching -39° degrees ! Brutal cold will freeze big chunks of United States ! Before one of the coldest Arctic outbreaks this winter sweeps into the northeastern United States, disruptive snow will continue to create travel disruptions across large swaths of the region into Wednesday. Temperatures are competin

News · Jan 28, 2019

Automation in trucking is inevitable but will not displace driver jobs

Many industry thought leaders refuse to buy into the prospect of truck drivers being displaced entirely; they contend that automation could never mature to a level where it could completely replace a human driver. Freight hauling is not just about driving on the road, but also about documentation, terminal operations, refueling, loading and off-loading cargo, and many other operations that need a human touch. Written by : Vishnu Rajamanickam, staff writer Read more :https://www.freightwaves.com/

News · Jan 28, 2019

Snow, bitter cold prompt expansion of HOS suspensions in Midwest, Northeast

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has expanded its regional emergency declaration from Jan. 18 to now include 22 states ahead of a winter storm expected to impact much of the Eastern U.S. this week. Truck drivers hauling heating fuels, including propane, natural gas, and heating oil, and other fuel products, including gasoline, into the affected states providing necessary relief will be exempt from hours of service regulations through Feb. 2, or until the end of the emergency, whic

News · Jan 28, 2019

Waiting to load means danger on the road

Driver detention has been causing headaches and lost wages for years, but the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has shone a spotlight on the issue like never before. For the first time, carriers have the data to back up what they have always known. Read more : https://www.freightwaves.com/news/waiting-to-load-means-danger-on-the-road

News · Jan 26, 2019

I-81 toll legislation introduced; ATA threatens lawsuit

Identical bills were introduced in the Virginia House and Senate that would establish tolls on I-81 through the state. Truckers would pay a maximum of $55.25 to cross the state in one direction. Following Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement of a tolling plan for I-81 through the state, identical bills were introduced recently in the Virginia House and Senate that would establish tolls for both trucks and cars on the 325-mile stretch of interstate. Read more : https://www.ccjdigital.com/i-

News · Jan 26, 2019

Converting from an AOBRD to ELD: What you need to know

Drivers and carriers can start taking steps now to ease any potential pain. It starts by identifying whether you have an AOBRD installed and whether you need to replace it with an ELD (some AOBRD devices can be switched to ELD mode), what functions it should offer; how to use an ELD; and what paperwork must be retained. Experts like J.J. Keller suggest checking with the provider if you are unsure whether you have an ELD or AOBRD and ask how simple or complex the switchover will be. They also sug

News · Jan 23, 2019

Senate GOP Introduce Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Bill

For truck drivers with concealed carry permits, the bill would make it easier to determine which states would or would not honor their permits. A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this month would allow citizens with concealed carry permits in their home state to legally carry a concealed gun in all states with concealed carry laws, so long as the individual abides by that state’s laws. Read more : https://www.overdriveonline.com/senate-bill-would-expand-concealed-carry-reciprocity/ Source : ht

News · Jan 22, 2019

Trucking Law: Can you refuse to drive in poor weather?

The Trucking Law segment is a new monthly feature on Overdrive, in which we pose commonly asked questions from truckers and owner-operators to legal experts. In this installment, attorney Paul Taylor addresses drivers’ right to refuse to drive in severe winter conditions. Every year I get calls from drivers who encounter bad weather on the road, refuse to drive until conditions improve and are fired as a result. Here are common questions I get. Do I have the right to refuse to drive in dangerous