Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022:
New York ending fuel tax suspension
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced Tuesday it is lifting the suspension of fuel taxes, effective Jan. 1.
Beginning on Jan. 1, retail sellers of fuel must again include state and local sales taxes and any excise taxes passed through to the retailer by a distributor in the pump price.
While the excise and state sales taxes were suspended from June 1 through Dec. 31, the New York State fuel use tax was not suspended, and motor carriers were still required to pay any fuel use tax due unless the vehicle was exempt.
The fuel tax suspension cut 16 cents per gallon off the price of fuel.
[Related: Why has diesel gotten so much more expensive than gasoline?]
CloudTrucks rolls out new enhancements for 2023
The CloudTrucks fleet, whose "Virtual Carrier' offering supports leased owner-operators and small fleets, announced new enhancements to that and other elements of its platform aimed at streamlining operations and boosting operator earnings after a "challenging year across the trucking industry," said company cofounder and CEO Tobenna Arodiogbu. “The latest advancements on our platform showcase our team’s commitment to putting drivers first and delivering on our promise to empower trucking entrepreneurs."
In addition to product enhancements detailed below, a new partnership with the Michelin Advantage Program enables access to roadside assistance and preferred rates on tires, the company said, and a new "CT Academy" video series is available to help trucking entrepreneurs with best practices toward success.:
[Related: Updated 2022 Overdrive's Partners in Business book now available]
CloudTrucks' platform enhancements:
- New support for load-out trailers: Power-only operators using the CloudTrucks platform will no longer have to haul empty load-out trailers, the company said. Rather, they can book load-out trailers directly on the CloudTrucks platform without having to contact operations for manual approval, saving time.
- “Pay Now” repayments: Repayment policies will allow the company's Virtual Carrier owner-operator users to better manage the budget, finances and profitability. Drivers can now pay off all or a larger portion of their repayments using their available and future CT Cash balance.
- Rate con uploading: Independents utilizing the CT Flex tools and/or CT Cash payments service are newly able to upload rate confirmations and add broker load IDs on external loads, simplifying the process for operators and admins to speed up processing and payment.
- Permit book: Enhancements to the digital permit book are aimed to ease operators' experience of inspections, the company said, building in alerts to when it’s time to update expiring documents.
- CT Credit for sole proprietors: CT Credit, CloudTrucks' no-fee, no-interest credit card, is newly available for sole proprietors.
- Monthly business statements: Virtual Carrier, Flex and Cash users can now download official-letterhead PDFs of their payments/deductions to track and prove monthly income for accounting/management purposes as well as loan applications.
- In-app cancelations: Load cancelations can be made directly through the CloudTrucks app, without having to call the ops team, the company said.
[Related: Why hazmat-tank veteran Angelique Temple went out on her own pulling dry vans]
NTSB urges action on ‘Most Wanted' safety improvements
The National Transportation Safety Board last week called for a renewed effort to implement NTSB safety recommendations on its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, which includes five highway safety-related efforts.
The NTSB’s current Most Wanted List, issued in 2021, consists of 10 areas where safety can be improved by implementing open NTSB recommendations. The current list, which serves to focus the agency’s congressionally mandated advocacy efforts, has been extended through 2023.
The five highway-related items on the list:
