Truck driver Lucson Francois was forced to hit the brakes just five minutes from his home in Pennsylvania. He’d reached the maximum number of hours in a day he’s allowed to be on duty. Francois couldn’t leave the truck unattended. So he parked and climbed into the sleeper berth in the back of the cab. Ten hours would have to pass before he could start driving again under current drive…
Read MoreUber Freight Launches for Commercial Drivers
Uber Freight is a new service from the ride hailing company that pairs up trucking companies, including independent operator truck drivers, with loads that need to be hauled from one place to another. The app looks a lot like the main Uber app, but it’s targeted towards vetted and approved drivers, who can browse for nearby available loads, see destination info, distance required and payment upfront and then tap to…
Read MoreDOT Report on Tesla Trailer AutoPilot Crash
A report issued this month by the Department of Transportation regarding the high-profile 2016 crash involving a Tesla Model S and a tractor-trailer reached the conclusion — again — that the inattention of the Tesla’s driver was to blame for the crash. NHTSA says the car’s operator, who died in the collision, was leaning too heavily on the car’s driver assist systems, which failed to brake when a tractor-trailer crossed…
Read MorePenske Rental Trucks with Collision Avoidance
Penske Truck Rental is making collision avoidance systems and air disc brakes its standard spec on commercial tractors within its rental fleet. “These added vehicle features underscore our commitment to over-the-road safety for our commercial truck rental customers and their drivers,” said Don Mikes, senior vice president of rental at Penske. “These systems can help commercial drivers avoid collisions and the braking system provides additional stopping power when needed.” Penske has…
Read MoreNavistar is Recalling 20,673 School Bus Vehicles
Navistar, Inc. (Navistar) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 IC Bus CE school buses manufactured November 3, 2009, to February 26, 2015, and 2012-2015 IC Bus BE school buses manufactured August 2, 2010, to September 15, 2014. The affected vehicles have a water shutoff valve, inside, forward of driver heater (feature code 48PPJ or 48PPP) that has a formed heater hose that over time, may fatigue and split resulting in…
Read MoreYounger Driver Military Pilot Program
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing a pilot program allowing a limited number of drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce if they received specified heavy-vehicle driver training while in military service and are sponsored by a participating motor carrier. The program is required by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. During the three-year pilot program, the safety…
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