In light of recent news, the trucking industry might have to embrace for new regulations. This is news that all shippers should watch closely. Before we delve into the proposed laws and their implications on trucking, we need to look at the current state of trucking safety. 13% of commercial truck accidents involve truck driver fatigue. In 2012, accidents with large trucks on the road involved 3,900 deaths and thousands of other people injured. This is a sore spot in trucking.
We all heard the horrific news in New Jersey about a multiple vehicle accident, in which there were numerous victims, include comedian Tracy Morgan. We are all praying for the best. According to the details of the incident, a truck driver with a WalMart truck was not properly observing the slow moving traffic at night on the New Jersey Turnpike. The result was this major accident. The National Transportation Safety Board has already stated that they will take an active role in this investigation and review it.
In late 2016, there is expected to be a new mandate for truck drivers. The mandate, which is enforced and implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, calls for trucks to install an Electronic Logging Device. This is also known as an E-Log. The Electronic Logging Device is used for keeping track of the hours of driving. The American Trucking Association, and other organizations and companies, such as freight forwarders nationwide, support this mandate.
When a shipper fills out the required shipping information to receive an instant freight trucking quote, they might often receive prices from many different leading carriers across the US. Immediately, the shipper might be concerned if all of these trucking carriers can safely ship freight by truck. The good news is that freight forwarders only work with reputable, trustworthy and safe carriers. There is a reason for this.
Protecting freight in transit should be the most important objective in the trucking industry. After all, your business depends on freight trucking for transportation, and it would detrimental to your supply chain if that safety was compromised on the truck. Insurance for protection would be an additional cost with the trucking rate. That is why if the industry lets safety issues continue to threaten freight and the people on the road, something must be done.