Moving Words – Issues Part 2

State of Moving 2019   Part 2

“I ask you to find your voice and use it not only to choose your elected officials but to shape the issues that will shape our lives.” – David Ige

This article concludes a discussion on the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) “Critical Issues In The Trucking Industry – 2018 Report” from October, 2018. These issues are listed from most to least critical, according to ATRI’s survey of trucking companies.

Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA)
CSA scores under the current system have favored larger carriers over smaller carriers with regards to a carrier’s crash risk. Good news for small carriers: the FMCSA has withdrawn the 2015 proposal to revise the safety-scoring program intended to align BASIC scores with a carrier’s crash risk. Congress mandated that the agency proceed with a National Academies of Sciences review of CSA. The mandate recommends a carrier rating system based on Item Response Theory (IRT) to improve data collection and systems transparency. In the meantime, the FMCSA will accept a Request for Data Review for an eligible crash as part of its Crash Preventability Demonstration Program.

Driver Distraction
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), 3,450 individuals died in distracted driver crashes in 2016. In the same year, distracted driving occurred in 14% of all police-investigated traffic crashes. With the growing use of onboard technologies in use in commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), it becomes imperative to identify the activities which cause distracted driving and devise solutions that maintain a reasonable balance between technology to maintain safety, and operational efficiency.

Transportation Infrastructure / Congestion Funding
Growing revenue shortfalls in the Federal Highway Trust Fund Account has resulted in a serious degradation of our nation’s highways and bridges. ATRI estimates congestion delays cost the trucking industry $74.5 billion in added operational costs. Trucking hauls 70.2% of the nation’s freight and generates 79.3% of total freight revenues. To keep this volume of freight rolling effectively requires quality, highly maintained roadway and highway systems. Currently the nation is nowhere near that level of quality. Poorly maintained highways and bridges, along with congestion caused by lack of updating and expansion, create tremendous wear and tear on vehicles, waste fuel, and place greater stress on drivers, thus negatively impacting productivity.

Driver Health/Wellness
            As much as 20% of truckers leaving their driving jobs cite health problems as a contributing factor for quitting. Obesity and high blood pressure are major problems within the CMV driver ranks. This is related to the solitary lifestyle, the lack of regular exercise and the available OTR diet. Improvement in driver health, in addition to obvious benefits to the individual lifestyle, can be helpful to the carriers and the industry in increased productivity and greater safety. Research has identified a correlation between a trucker’s health and his/her safety and earnings.

Economy
The economy has become a critical issue again in 2018 and into 2019. While hauling rates rebounded in the first half of 2018, this improvement has been darkened by the uncertainty surrounding trade disputes with many of our nation’s trading partners. NAFTA was scrapped by the current administration and has been replaced with the USMCA Treaty which still needs to be ratified by Congress. Added to this, the growing trade dispute and the imposing of tariffs on goods by both the U.S. and China shows potential for becoming an all-out trade war. We also have events in the Middle East which have the possibility of causing a significant rise in fuel prices.

Is there a perfect Economic Storm brewing? Only time will determine its impact. As movers, we have to be responsive to those economic indicators, flexible, innovative, cost-conscious (with cost-effective practices) and always keep top service to the shippers we’re moving at the front of every plan and logistics challenge. As movers, we therefore do the impossible – daily.

“Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” – Stephen Covey

Timothy D. Brady © 2018

To contact Brady, go to www.timothybrady.com