Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, March 7, 2024:
2024 updates to out-of-service criteria now available
The 2024 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC), which take effect on April Fool's Day (no fooling), are now available for purchase through the CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria app.
The 2024 CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria handbook is now available to purchase in several formats, including the CVSA OOSC mobile app.
- Amendments to the 20% defective brakes out-of-service condition.
- A clarification that lights not being turned on when a truck is going down the road and not being inspected does not constitute an OOS condition.
- Differentiation in OOS terms between leaks in the tread area of a tire equipped with an automatic tire inflation system (ATIS) versus a tire without ATIS.
The out-of-service criteria app may be accessed anywhere, anytime via a mobile device. In addition to the out-of-service criteria, the app also contains inspection bulletins, photos of violations, inspection procedures, operational policies, access to the CVSA Learning portal and more.
To purchase the new out-of-service criteria, search “CVSA” in the App Store or Google Play then select “CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria.” Once you’ve downloaded the app, set up your account with your first and last name and email address, then purchase the 2024 criteria. If you already have the app, search and select “CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria” in the App Store or Google Play to update your app and purchase the 2024 criteria. All OOS changes for the year are outlined in the PDF at this link. The handbook is $24.99 in the app.
In addition, for the first time, bulk orders of the app are available for jurisdictions and motor carriers. Contact CVSA to place a bulk order.
The app is just one of several ways you may access the criteria. The out-of-service criteria are also available as a spiral-bound handbook ($50), in an electronic format as a restricted PDF ($50), and as an 8.5” x 11” document in French ($75), Spanish ($75), and bilingual English-French ($100) and English-Spanish ($100).
[Related: Roadcheck 2024: Inspectors looking for drugs, alcohol, and steady gladhands]
I-55 bridge over Mississippi River closing for 2 weeks
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will be closing the I-55 Mississippi River Bridge for two weeks to continue construction activities on the I-55 and Crump interchange.
During the two-week closure, crews will hydro-demolition the bridge deck and provide a new polymer concrete overlay. The polymer-modified concrete has strict temperature restrictions, so all work is weather-dependent. The upcoming closure is the first of two allowed in the construction contract.
The closure will be in effect from Sunday, March 10 at 8 p.m., through Sunday, March 24 at 8 p.m. A detour will be posted, TDOT said.
During the closure:
- I-55 SB will be closed at Bridgeport Road in Arkansas
- I-55 NB will be closed at South Parkway in Tennessee. Local traffic will be allowed to continue to the McLemore exit.
- I-55 SB ramp will be closed
- Crump Boulevard WB will be closed
[Related: The 20% rule: How brake-adjustment violations can put your truck out of service]
Sheetz cuts diesel prices by a quarter through March
Mid-Atlantic convenience store chain Sheetz announced this week it is celebrating Spring with a special “Truck Diesel Price Rollback” throughout March.
From Wednesday, March 6, to Sunday, March 31, truck drivers can save 25 cents a gallon on truck diesel when they swipe their My Sheetz Rewardz card at a Sheetz pump. There will be no gallon limitations. Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and other fuel grades are not included in this promotion.
The offer will be valid at all of Sheetz’s 43 truck stop locations.
Mack begins MD Electric production
Mack Trucks recently began production of its second battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Mack MD Electric, and delivered units to several customers who are using the truck in a variety of applications.
Mack delivered the MD Electric to ABF Freight, DC Logistics, Mission Linen and Pronto Freight Ways to begin operations and testing.
“We’re thrilled that the Mack MD Electric is in full production and that customers are beginning to take delivery of the trucks,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “We built on the success of the diesel-powered Mack MD Series to bring an electric vehicle to the medium-duty market to help customers meet their sustainability goals with the same Mack promise of durability and reliability.”
ABF’s Mack MD Electric will operate in Oakland, California, and will do pickup and delivery at various customer locations. TEC Equipment in Oakland will service and support the Mack MD Electric for ABF.
[Related: Medium-duty electric Mack now eligible for Calif. HVIP]
DC Logistics is operating their MD Electric in the Inland Empire and Los Angeles and Orange counties in California. The company will be using it for LTL applications hauling various types of cargo.
The MD Electric is the first electric medium-duty vehicle in DC Logistics’ fleet, though the company operates four heavy-duty BEVs. DC Logistics operates in Arizona, Oregon, California, Texas, Louisiana and Nevada. TEC Equipment in Fontana, California, will service and support the BEV.
Mission Linen is piloting the Mack MD Electric because it would like to be a sustainability leader in Northern California, said Ryan Severson, general manager of Western Truck Centers, Mission Linen’s dealer. Western Truck Centers in Sacramento, Stockton and Turlock, California, will support Mission Linen. It’s the first electric truck in Mission’s fleet.
Pronto Freightways is committed to ecological balance, which is why the company decided to test the Mack MD Electric, said Paul Wozniak, president and CEO of Pronto. The MD Electric will be operating in Wayne and Oakland counties in Michigan and will be conducting pickup and delivery of palletized cargo dock to dock within a 60-mile radius. The MD Electric is the first electric vehicle in Pronto’s fleet.
[Related: Electric-truck purchase incentives present big challenges for small fleets, owner-operators]
