Heavy Duty Trucking, June 2018

WASHINGTON WATCH HDT JUNE 2018 12 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM Among the research projects currently on the front burner at the American Transportation Research Institute is an effort to determine if we can identify younger drivers with the same characteristics as safe older drivers said Dan Murray vice president of ATRI in his April 29 keynote speech at the National Private Truck Councils annual meeting in Cincinnati Murray said the question of whether younger drivers can be accepted as long haul interstate truckers is really one of how mature are they in their thinking He said thats why ATRI has launched a research effort to investigate the potential for developing an assessment tool for younger drivers ATRIs research will focus on the relationship between multiple characteristics of maturity and safety outcomes By comparison Murray said that earlier studies had only looked at a single characteristics effect on safety outcomes Last August ATRI issued a technical memorandum laying out the findings of its first phase of research The next go round will involve conducting a beta test of the assessment toll on a small sample of veteran and entry level drivers According to ATRI those results will determine if a larger scale study is warranted Murray said ATRI is also looking into the effects of the parking shortage that is bedeviling truck drivers nationwide The negative impact of this time sink extends beyond inconveniencing drivers increasing their safety risk and driving up costs for carriers He said a review of 148 parking diaries completed by drivers for ATRI between June and September 2016 and The Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association along with other groups is opposing two bills before the House of Representatives that would allow for lowering the age requirement for obtaining an interstate commercial drivers license OOIDA and the other stakeholder groups sent a signed letter to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure stating their position that lowering the age at which one can obtain an interstate CDL would not only be detrimental to road safety but also to those seeking to enter the trucking industry as professional drivers The groups are opposed to these specific legislative proposals H R 5358 the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy DRIVE Safe Act and H R 3889 the Waiving Hindrances to Economic Enterprise and Labor WHEEL Act The signatories contend that if either or both measures pass teenagers would be allowed to drive large trucks The letter points out that among other statistics and concerns intrastate CMV drivers under the age of 19 are four times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes and CMV drivers who are 19 20 years of age are six times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes ATRI exec details research efforts on younger drivers truck parking e commerce OOIDA leads fight against bills to allow younger truckerscovering 2035 days of truck parking activity across 4763 unique stops revealed when where and how long it took to secure a spot The journals also tallied how many spots were taken by non CMVs and allowed totaling up productivity lost to searching for a space The parking diaries showed that the frequency of using unauthorized undesignated parking was as high as three to four times a week for over 36 of the drivers studied He said what really stands out is the amount of revenue time used to find parking that averaged out to 56 minutes a day And those operating with ELDs were nearly two times as likely to spend 30 plus minutes looking for parking Murray also discussed why ATRI is collecting data to assess how e commerce is affecting trucking operations The vast majority of those in trucking do not understand the impact the rise on e commerce is having on the freight industry he said Consumers no longer want it tomorrow They may want it this afternoon He said the galloping trend is obvious when you consider that retail sales are flat while e commerce sales are steadily rising Dry van average length of haul is down and look to see a massive increase in straight trucks as the e commerce tide keeps rolling in he said With all that in front of mind ATRI is developing a research report that will help carriers understand the structural shifts under way in the relationships between consumers businesses and logistics providers The letter contends that the current federal age requirement of 21 for the interstate operation of a commercial motor vehicle reflects the greater risk younger drivers have of being involved in fatal crashes The signatories argue that under the two legislative proposals teenagers entering an apprenticeship and or participating in a pilot program may have only recently received a full drivers license from their state to operate an automobile let alone a CMV Some may not have even gone through a graduated driver licensing GDL program which allows novice drivers to gradually gain driving experience under more complex conditions OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement that OOIDA thinks its irresponsible to put young drivers behind the wheel of a truck in order to avoid addressing the real problems of high turnover The focus should instead be on fixing the staggering turnover rate with better pay and working conditions The letter is co signed by the leaders of 13 safety advocacy groups including the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways CRASH and the American Public Health Association