CR England Girl

Remember the post on the dangers of texting?  In an effort to highlight the dangers of distracted driving (namely texting) the DOT has planned a summit in late September to discuss the best ways to combat distracted driving.  Those participating include academics, politicians, safety advocates, law enforcement, and transportation officials, including key members of the ATA.   This comes on the heels of the bill that was recently introduced in Congress designed to reduce texting while driving: the Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting (ALERT) by Drivers Act of 2009.
The ATA has stated that its officials will work at the summit to ensure the bill does not limit or outlaw the use of cab management systems which provide essential cargo-related information for professional drivers.

Apparently so.  In the midst of the continuing dispute whether or not to allow Mexican trucks to operate on U.S. roadways, the Department of Transportation has released a report that states Mexican trucks are just as safe as U.S. ones.  In fact, Mexican truck drivers have better safety records than U.S. drivers; during more than 220,000 inspections throughout 2008, just 1.2% of Mexican truckers were violating a regulation and subsequently placed out of service, compared to a much higher percentage of U.S. drivers – nearly 7%.  Both proponents and opponents of the cross-border trucking program say the report has helped resolve and alleviate issues regarding the safety of Mexican trucks.

Click here to learn more about the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Mexican trucking dispute.

More than 150 different businesses, manufacturers, and organizations have formed the Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs, a coalition formed to urge Congress and the Obama administration to resolve the continuing trade dispute between the U.S. and Mexico.  The ongoing conflict has hampered the U.S.’s ability to sell more than $2 billion worth of manufactured and agricultural products destined for south of the border.   Many of the alliance’s members are in industries that are being subjected to tariffs placed by Mexico’s Government (Mexico has said the tariffs will not be removed until the U.S. reinstates the cross-border program).

Well, if you happen to be an independent contractor, you probably aren’t.  Today the L.A. Times published an article about the recent big push to get the U.S. Department of Transportation to require the use of speed governors (devices that limits speed) on big, commercial trucks or get Congress to mandate them in a highway bill.  The American Trucking Associations and other safety advocates are in favor of such a bill but others are none too pleased about it, including conservatives (who oppose government regulation of business) and owners of smaller fleets.   The ATA claims they will not only save lives, but fuel as well.  On the flip side, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says that mandatory speed governors are more likely to lead to collisions, like when a driver needs more horsepower for an emergency maneuver and increase traffic congestion when trucks with speed governors try to pass another truck.  Want to learn more about the controversail issue in the trucking industry?  Click here to read the article from the Los Angeles Times in full.

The Casper Star-Tribune (a newspaper out of Wyoming) is reporting that the first half of a study being conducted to determine if tolls should be placed on Interstate 80 across southern Wyoming has been completed.  The second half of the study,which will be finished in September, will give lawmakers a better idea about whether the plan should be implemented.

The company conducting the study says 99% of the damage to the interstate is caused by big, commercial trucks and truckers are, predictably and understandably, against the bill.  In fact, trucking companies warn that if tolls are placed on the interstate, it’s likely that their drivers will use alternate routes which would deprive Wyoming of valuable fuel taxes used for state revenue.  They also say they will have no choice but to pass the cost onto consumers with higher prices for goods and merchandise shipped by truck.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation says that more than half of I-80 will need major, costly renovations or to be replaced completely due to the amount of damage incurred by heavy trucks.  And with likely no federal funding on the way, implementing tolls is one of the best ways to fund the repairs.