Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Dec. 16, 2024:
OOIDA calls for truckers to weigh in on transparency proposal
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and its Fighting for Truckers advocacy arm have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging truck drivers to file comments on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s brokered freight transparency proposal while the comment period remains open.
The agency’s public comment period ends on Jan. 21, 2025. Comments can be filed here. To date, FMCSA has received more than 1,200 comments on the proposal.
As reported, FMCSA proposed to make the following changes to the existing regulations housed in 49 Code of Federal Regulations 371.3:
- Requiring brokers to keep records in an electronic format
- Revising the required contents of brokers’ records
- Requiring brokers to provide records upon request
- Requiring that records be provided within 48 hours of request
[Related: Transparency: FMCSA proposes 'regulatory obligation' for brokers]
“To the shady freight brokers: You’ve skirted federal regulations to take advantage of the hardworking men and women behind the wheel for too long, and it’s far past time this era of screwing over truckers comes to an end,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “To the American trucker: Now is your chance to hold bad brokers accountable. Jump into the arena and demand action from FMCSA. No more sitting on the sidelines complaining. If you speak up, we’ll win this fight.”
To help truck drivers compose their comments on the proposed rule, OOIDA has put together a Comment Guide that outlines the proposal and offers some questions for drivers to consider when writing their comments.
[Related: Broker transparency: About boosting rates? Or a fight for carrier rights?]
Bridge demolition will close I-80 in both directions
Weather permitting, on Sunday-Monday evening, December 22-23, successive closures of eastbound and westbound lanes of I-80 in Lincoln, Nebraska, will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. The closures are to complete demolition of bridges over I-80 on NW 112th Street and NW 84th Street in Lincoln.
On Sunday evening, Dec. 22, EB lanes will close at 8 p.m., according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation. EB I-80 traffic will be detoured at the Milford Interchange (Exit 382) and routed north to N-34 and then east on N-34. Traffic will reenter I-80 at the 401 Interchange. Detours will be removed, and normal I-80 traffic will resume, by 6:00 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 23.
On Monday evening, Dec. 23, WB lanes will be closed and reopened on the same time-of-day schedule if weather permits. WB I-80 traffic will be detoured at the I-80 / I-180 Interchange (Exit 401) and routed west on N-34 to Matzke Highway, turning south and accessing I-80 at the Milford Interchange (Exit 382).
[Related: New Orleans staged accidents: New charges include 'Witness Tampering Through Murder']
Used-truck sales mostly flat from October to November
Used-truck sales volumes in November held steady, bucking a typical seasonal trend of a big drop-off in sales, according to preliminary monthly data from ACT Research.
ACT reported used-truck retail sales volumes only fell 1.3% from October and were 24% higher than November 2023.
“Given that typical seasonality called for a decrease of 18% m/m, the small dip was a big win,” said Steve Tam, Vice President at ACT Research. “Preliminary auction activity declined 11% from October while wholesale transactions forged ahead 7%. Combined, sales fell 4.7% m/m. While it is too soon to know for certain, it is possible that fleets waiting on presidential election results may have been a part of the driving force behind better-than-expected sales volumes.”
In addition to the slight dip in sales volume, used-truck retail prices were up 4% in November from October, while they were 4% lower than November 2023.
The average number of miles on used trucks sold last month was flat from October and down a percent from the previous year. The average age of used trucks sold was also down a percent from October and down 2% from November 2023.
Love’s opens new Alabama, Wyoming locations
Love’s Travel Stops is growing its network of locations ahead of the December holiday travel rush with two new travel stops that opened recently in Alabama and Wyoming, the company’s 19th and 5th stores in the states, respectively.
The Cullman, Alabama, travel stop, off I-65 at Exit 305 -- 497 County Road 222 -- is the third Love’s location along I-65 between Birmingham and Nashville. It boasts 98 truck parking spaces, Love’s Fresh Kitchen, McDonald’s and Subway restaurants, eight diesel lanes, seven showers and more.
The Buffalo, Wyoming, location is Love’s first in northern Wyoming and a strategic stop near the junction of Interstates 90 and 25. Located off I-90 (Exit 58) at 190 US Hwy 16 E., this Love’s features 64 truck parking spaces, Love’s Fresh Kitchen and an Arby’s, six diesel lanes, four showers and more.
