What can carriers learn from a recent $24-million judgment against Coca-Cola?

Byline: James Menzies

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A ban on the use of handheld cell phones by commercial drivers in the US, passed earlier this year, exposes motor carriers to even greater liability should their drivers ignore the law and be involved in a crash.

The federal law, passed Jan. 3., prohibits commercial truck drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. The law still allows hands-free devices to be...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday, June 25, announced that 287 commercial bus and truck drivers were removed from the roads and 128 companies face enforcement actions as a result of the agency’s annual drug and alcohol strike force sweep that occurred from April 30 through May 11.

”Our message is clear – we will not allow commercial bus and truck drivers operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol to stay on the road,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary...

Smithfield (North Carolina) Herald News Observer; Saturday, June 23, 2012 

Photo caption: State trooper Jack Clark checks underneath a truck on Tuesday during a checkpoint inspection.

ccampbell@newsobserver.com

BENSON - A trip through Johnston County on Interstate 40 took a bit longer than usual for truckers on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As traffic approached the two rest areas north of Benson, flashing orange signs directed all trucks to pull off into the parking lot. State troopers lined t...

This week the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) will place special enforcement emphasis on the addition of tow trucks to the Move Over/Slow Down law, which requires motorists to move over or slow down when certain vehicles are stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated. To remind the public of this important safety measure, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will activate electronic signs this week, which will read: If Tow Truck Stopped Ahead, Move Over ...

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Nearly two months after announcing an indefinite delay of a much-anticipated process to assess and assign fault on operators' safety records for bus- and truck-related crashes, the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says the agency has begun to answer critical questions about the issue.

FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said her agency is studying concerns over the reliability of police accident reports and other issues related to the federal Compliance, ...

TAMPA, Fla. — Insurance underwriters for trucking are concerned about the federal Compliance, Safety, Accountability program but are not sure about how to deal with it, an insurance agent told trucking executives meeting here.

In a June 12 session at the National Accounting & Finance Council meeting here, a CSA analyst and industry vendor said he worries the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is using CSA to move toward direct intervention with company drivers, perhaps even liftin...

Photo caption: Officer Ben Maplethorpe (left) and his colleague Officer Mik Laird of the Arlington Police Department work with Virginia State Trooper John Wolford at a joint vehicle inspection effort at E. C. Lawrence Park involving nine local law enforcement agencies on May 31. During the effort, 110 trucks were inspected, 288 infractions were found putting 40 out of service. Deborah F. Cobb  

At first glance, it looked like a big-rig parade, with large commercial trucks lined up one behind...

Just two weeks after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was given new authority to go after reincarnated carriers, the agency is already cracking down on those who close up operations and reopen under a new name to skirt enforcement action.

On June 7, the FMCSA issued an out-of-service order and record consolidation order under §386.73 against WTSA US Express LLC, TJA Express Transportation and Wolf Trucking Company LLC, all listed at the same address in Racine, WI.

According ...

PRINCETON, N.J. — As mobile phones with transportation apps become more common in truck cabs, carriers face a growing safety and compliance challenge — making sure that their drivers aren’t using the devices while they’re on the road.

One way for fleets to address distracted driving is to track drivers’ phone use so they can see who is a risk, Matthew Howard, CEO and co-founder of ZoomSafer, said May 17 at the ALK Transportation Technology summit here.

“We can manage this becaus...

Charlotte- The NC Highway Patrol kicked off a new anti-texting campaign at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday.

Colonel Michael Gilchrist announced the "No Texting, Just Driving" educational awareness campaign.

He says the campaign is designed to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving, especially texting.  The campaign is especially geared toward teen drivers.

"The Highway Patrol is committed to saving lives on our North Carolina Highways, said Gilchrist, "We intend to educa...

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Texas-based Denny Mekenye, doing business as Demco Express and Demco Trans Inc. to immediately cease all transportation services based on serious safety violations that posed an imminent hazard to public safety.

FMCSA uncovered multiple federal safety violations in the areas of drivers' hours-of-service compliance, driver qualifications and drug testing requirements.

Safety investigators discovered t...