Safety pros in the transportation industry or who have drivers on the payroll take note – the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) to combat the rise in traffic fatalities. The NRSS will use a Safe System Approach – a method that builds and reinforces multiple layers of protection – to […]
Will truck drivers have to comply with OSHA’s COVID-19 vaccination emergency temporary standard (ETS) if the U.S. Supreme Court lets it stand? According to new guidance from the agency, yes except under very specific circumstances. There is no specific exemption for truck drivers in OSHA’s COVID-19 vaccination ETS, so employers with 100 or more employees […]
Unsecured or inadequately secured loads in the transportation industry are more than just a nuisance that causes damaged freight – unsecured loads can kill. That’s why there are state and federal regulations on securing freight. A recent fatal incident in Washington State is a perfect illustration of this point. A 47-year-old truck driver was struck by […]
Two employees noted an unsafe condition at work. OSHA says their employer fired them for it and has ordered the company to pay a big financial price. OSHA has ordered CSX Transportation Inc. to pay more than $667,000 to two employees the agency claims were fired after reporting a blue flag that signaled their train […]
A temporary hours of service exemption for commercial truck drivers hauling petroleum products to certain states was announced by the federal government May 9 following the unanticipated shutdown of a pipeline. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is issuing a temporary hours of service exemption to deal with the aftermath of the unanticipated shutdown of the […]
New hours of service (HOS) rules kicked in for motor carriers on Sept. 29, 2020. The HOS rules set the maximum time commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers are allowed to be on duty, including driving. What’s changed? On June 1, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revised four provisions of the HOS rules. The […]
A federal transportation agency is proposing a pilot program allowing drivers who are 18 to 20 years old to operate commercial motor vehicles across state lines. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Sept. 4 it’s seeking public comments on the proposal. This proposed pilot program would “allow the agency to carefully examine the […]
Safety professionals know equipment inspections and maintenance are an important component to every safety program but, even when such precautions are consistent with industry guidance, things can still go wrong. For example, conducting more stringent inspections and doing more regular maintenance on electrical equipment within a Pennsylvania Turnpike roadway tunnel could have prevented a fatal […]
The Federal Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has identified thousands of positive substance abuse tests of commercial drivers within its first two months of operation. Data collected through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s clearinghouse turned up almost 8,000 positive drug and alcohol tests in its more than 650,000 registrants since Jan. 6. […]
