Highways are Safer, but Truck Drivers are Left in the Lurch
The nation's highways appear to be getting a little bit safer, according to a truck safety Roadcheck conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) throughout the United States this past June. For instance, the number of safety belt violations during the Roadcheck period declined 32% from a year earlier. Similarly, the number of hazardous materials trucks placed out of service due to noncompliance with safety regulations declined from 18.2% in 2006 to 17.7% this year.
However, the percentage of truck drivers who were taken off the road for noncompliance with hours-of-service rules was up slightly to 4.9% of all inspections versus 4.5% in 2006. The situation could get worse before it gets better due to the recent decision by a federal appeals court to deny an attempt by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to increase the amount of time long-haul drivers can be on the road from 10 to 11 consecutive hours. This rule has been thrown out and reinstated several times in the past two years, and there's no indication that any clarity on hours-of-service will be forthcoming.
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About the Author
Dave Blanchard
Senior Director of Content
Focus: Supply Chain
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During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its second edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.