Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020:
FMCSA to accept comments on OOIDA petition to increase broker transaction transparency
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Wednesday, Aug. 19, will begin accepting public comments on a petition that would increase broker transparency by requiring brokers to provide carriers with an electronic copy automatically of transaction records within 48 hours of a load being completed.
The petition from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also calls for FMCSA to prohibit brokers from including provisions in their contracts with carriers that waive carriers’ rights to access transaction records.
OOIDA said in its petition, which it filed in May when rates were suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, that it “believes the problem is that the regulations designed to provide transparency are routinely evaded by brokers or simply not enforced by FMCSA.”
“While the current rules require brokers to keep transaction records and permit each party to a brokered transaction to review the records, many brokers implement hurdles they know will prevent a carrier from ever seeing this information,” OOIDA added in the notice.
The group said some brokers will allow carriers to access records, but only at a broker’s office during normal business hours, which OOIDA said “makes it virtually impossible” for carriers to see the records.
FMCSA is asking for public comments on requiring that brokers disclose certain financial details about transactions to carriers and whether a regulatory action would solve the problem OOIDA described. Comments can be made here through Oct. 19.
Section of I-70 west of Denver shut down
Wildfires in Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon has shut down I-70 for an extended period of time west of Denver.
The interstate is closed between milemarker 116 and milemarker 140 in both directions. Colorado DOT says U.S. Highways 24, 285 and 50 can be used as alternate routes. Commercial vehicles are not allowed on the Highway 82 Independence Pass.
Specifically, CDOT offers the following routes for westbound travelers:
- Coming out of Denver, take U.S. 285 to U.S. 50 and continue west to Grand Junction
- Colorado Highway 9 to U.S. 285 South to U.S. 50 to Grand Junction
- Colorado Highway 91 to U.S. 24 to U.S. 50 to Grand Junction
- U.S. 24 from I-70 to U.S. 285 to connect with U.S. 50
Eastbound travelers should take U.S. 50 east to U.S. 285 and continue to Denver.
