The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began he annual “Click It or Ticket” law enforcement mobilization, bringing together over 10,000 agencies across the nation to crack down on seat belt use laws May 22 through June 4. The campaign is targeted to all drivers, including commercial truck drivers. 

Additionally, the blitz will target the hard-to-reach males ages 18-34 who research shows are far less likely to wear seat belts.

According to the U.S. DOT, this National Seat belt Campaign is a multi-pronged campaign that combines on street enforcement with a national media buy campaign airing across TV, radio, internet, and social media to convey the message that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws. The ads, which will air in English and Spanish, generate awareness of stepped-up enforcement of seat belt laws and the increased chance of getting a ticket if you’re not buckled up. The ads will air on television, radio and online from May 16-June 5.

NHTSA has been working with the States on Click It or Ticket since 2003. This year the effort will include one evening “Border-to-Border” 22-state operation on May 22, from 4-8 pm to kick off the enforcement mobilization. During these hours motorists can expect high-visibility checkpoints at well-traveled state border sites.

Data from NHTSA show that nearly half (48%) of the 22,441 occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unbuckled. In addition, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 40 percent killed during the daytime. Men continue to outnumber women in not wearing seat belts – 52 percent to 42 percent respectively.

Ejection from the vehicle remains one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash. In fatal crashes in 2015, about 80 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from the vehicle were killed. Seat belts are very effective in preventing total ejections; in 2015 only 1 percent of the occupants reported to have been using restraints were totally ejected, compared to 30 percent of the unrestrained occupants.

Thousands of Americans are alive today thanks to strong state laws, the Click It or Ticket enforcement and paid media effort, and the year-round “Buckle Up America” campaigns. In 2015, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives. From 2011 to 2015, seat belts saved an estimated 64,000 lives.

Medallion is Dedicated to Driver Safety

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to safety. We offer our freight agents and owner operators as many resources as possible when it comes to safety education and awareness regarding national campaigns. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

The CVSA’s (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) Operation Safe Driver Week is set for July 15-21 this year, and law enforcement will be focusing on traffic violations, seat belt enforcement, driver roadside behavior and driver regulations compliance.

According to the CVSA, driver behavior is a major contributing factor to large truck crashes.

Specific driving behaviors that will be tracked during the week-long blitz include: distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seat belt, following too closely, improper lane change, failure to obey traffic control devices, and more.

During the 2017 campaign, nearly 39,000 citations and warnings were issued to truck drivers.

Pointers for Success

1. Have corrective lenses? Wear them! Don’t take them off!
2. Never speed or make unnecessary lane changes
3. Never tailgate
4. Wear your seatbelt
5. Keep those dash cams recording. It’s there to protect you!

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to maintenance including regular inspections. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Medallion Transport & Logistics is again a Corporate Sponsor at the annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest which takes place May 16-19 in Memphis, TN as part of the annual “Memphis in May” International Festival. 

Thanks to Medallion and other sponsors, teams like “Smoked N Spiced” can do what they love – prepare great BBQ dishes and compete against teams around the world – at this annual event. The team is led by Medallion Sales Agent, Kendal Adair who works out of the company’s corporate Olive Branch, MS office. Kendal and team are competing in the Rib Division as their main focus, although other team members, highly successful cooks from across the United States, are involved in each of the Ancillary Divisions as well.

Last year, Kendal’s team finished 11 out of 55 for the Shoulder Division and 15th in the Seafood category, less than a point from the top 10 and five points from the finals.

Medallion Sales Agent, Kendal Adair is the team’s Rib Master, and an accomplished BBQ chef with numerous championships under his belt. He participated as a celebrity chef during the 2017 National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The 2018 World Championship Barbecue Contest takes place specifically on Wednesday, May 16.

Other event sponsors include Nucor Steel, DLS Worldwide and Mallory Alexander.

On-highway diesel fuel prices have hit the highest level since November 2014, with the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. at $3.17 the week of May 7, 2018. 

Not only is the average cost per gallon the highest in four years, but diesel fuel has steadily increased for six straight weeks and up almost 20 cents since March 19, according to truckinginfo.com.

In 2018 alone, the average price has jumped more than 57 cents per gallon.

During the last week of April, the largest increase occurred in the Midwest region where prices rose $3.6 per gallon. According to American Trucker, diesel continued to average more than $3 per gallon the first week of May in all but one region, the Gulf Coast.

What’s the Cause?

The increase in diesel costs is due to Global crude oil prices being on the rise the past month, which is caused by increased tension in the Middle East and the possibility that the U.S. will end its nuclear deal with Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s recent moves to push crude oil prices back up to about $80 per gallon has also played a part in the spike.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual RoadCheck event is set for June 5-7, 2018 where law enforcement and inspectors will conduct Standard Level I Inspections in North America (United States and Canada) with a specific focus on Hours of Service (HOS). 

Each 37-step inspection will include a full examination of driver operating requirements and overall vehicle maintenance, with the special emphasis on hours-of-service (HOS) regulations this year in light of the recent ELD mandate which turned the HOS rules into a main topic of discussion. The ELD mandate did not include nay actual changes to the HOS rules or exceptions, however it brought light to to the regulations affecting truck drivers across North America.

During the 2017 Roadcheck, the main reason any drivers were placed out of service was due to hours-of-service violations, according to the CVSA.

Specifically during inspection’s conducted this year over a 72-hour period, law enforcement will ask drivers to provide their operating credentials and hours-of-service documentation and will be checked for drug or alcohol impairment and seat belt usage. The 37 steps include checks to the vehicle’s brakes, cargo securement (which was last year’s RoadCheck focus), coupling devices, exhaust systems, fuel systems, lighting devices, tires, wheels, rims and more.

Under the current federal HOS rules, a commercial motor vehicle driver may not drive after having been on duty for 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days. The driver must take 34 hours or more consecutive hours off duty before returning to work. For specifics on the HOS regulations, visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of Service Regulations page.

Need More Info?

The CVSA’s  2017-05 Hand-Held and Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) Inspection Bulletin has some great info on requirements for devices used to record driver’s HOS.

Be prepared with more information on Roadcheck 2018, including what to expect during a Level 1 DOT Inspection.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to maintenance including regular inspections. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

A truck driver’s pre-trip inspection is critical to various things, including roadway and driver safety. 

That’s why all truck drivers (also known as commercial vehicle drivers) should perform some basic steps in a pre-trip, and post-trip, inspection to ensure several things.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provided a 7-point checklist to help truck drivers perform a thorough pre-trip inspection.

1. Vehicle overview: Drivers must be able to check the general condition of their truck.
2. Engine compartment: Drivers should check all fluid levels, especially coolant, engine oil and transmission fluid. Additionally, drivers should check batteries, hoses, belts, electrical connections and wires during this part of the inspection.
3. In the cab: A quick check that all gauges and controls are in good operating order, is recommended.
4. Lights: An all-around check of the commercial motor vehicle’s lights including low beams, high beams and four-way flashers is best not only for safety, but roadside inspectors list light-related violations as one of the most common. This can help you avoid risking safety and a violation.
5. Walk-around inspection: It’s best to inspect the entire exterior of the vehicle, starting from the front left. From there, continue along the front to the right and work around the vehicle to the coupling system.
6. Signals: Making sure taillights, headlamps and turn signs are operating well is important
7. Brakes: It’s important to check all braking systems – braking and service brakes.

The inspecting doesn’t end there. Drivers should continue to inspect their vehicle and check check cargo and load-securing devices throughout their trip.

Post-trip inspections are also important, and any issues should be reported from inspecting the following:

• Service brakes
• Parking brake
• Steering machinery
• Lights & reflectors
• Tires & wheels
• Coupling devices
• Emergency equipment

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to maintenance including regular inspections. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Permits Branch issued a memorandum stating weekly short-term restrictions for annual permits can now be legally displayed on electronic devices by drivers as opposed to hard copy, printed versions. 

Previously, Caltrans required these restrictions be printed each week as part of their legal California Annual Permit.

The memorandum states that the objective of this change is the following:

Allow drivers (of legal or oversize loads) operating under an Annual Transportation Permit to carry and display the Weekly Short-term Restrictions Update for Annual Permit Holders (Weekly Restrictions) in either printed or electronic format. The printed electronic Weekly Restrictions must be legible and contain no alterations. The driver can display the electronic document to law enforcement on an acceptable device (i.e. laptop, tablet or smartphone).

Before this change was announced, Caltrans required drivers to carry their Weekly Restrictions and all other permit accompaniments in their immediate possession at all times while operating on the California State Highway System.

Although the change is effective immediately, each Caltrans district may establish a list of appropriate restricted routes to accompany the Annual Transportation Permit, said the memo. Additionally, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will provide requirements for acceptable electronic devices.

For More Information

For more info, view the entire Transportation Permits Policy memorandum. 

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to providing information on changes to state attachments, regulations and laws. We offer our freight agents and owner operators the most up-to-date information as possible through the resources available on our website, including our news feed. If you have any questions, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Inspecting and caring for tires is a task not all truck drivers are excited to do, let alone have time to do, but if drivers knew more about how tires worked and could implement quicker inspections, the long term savings in tire maintenance expenses can be big.

A recent article published by Truckinginfo.com, “What Drivers Need to Know About Taking Care of Truck Tires” says a 30-minuted weekly inspection could prevent on-road failure that could cost drivers several hours of downtime, which could potentially result in lost revenue.

Additionally, there are dangerous practices drivers use, only because they are not aware of any negative factors involved and one of those is reinflating a tire that has been run 20 percent or more under-flated. It is a good practice for drivers to check inflation pressure on a weekly basis. Damage could include zipper rupture which could result in injury to the driver or others, or a blowout on the road.

Tire Retread & Repair

Drivers should know about tire retread and repair options. Retread.org, the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau has some good information on the process and overall tire safety.

Tire Industry Association

The Tire Industry Association is also another great resource for truck drivers and tire safety. The website includes truck tire safety tips for drivers, training events and more.

Questions? Contact Medallion Transport & Logistics

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when it comes to maintenance including regular inspections. We offer our freight agents and owner operators a national tire purchase program and emergency road service, although preventative maintenance for safety and to avoid any down time is always encouraged. For questions about driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released a statement on Sunday, April 1 stating any driver operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) without a required and registered electronic logging device (ELD) or a grandfathered, automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) will be placed out of service for 10 hours, and passenger-carrying CMV drivers will be placed out of service for 8 hours. 

In addition to being placed out of service, the violation will be recorded on a roadside inspection report and the driver may be cited. After a driver has served their 8 or 10 hours out of service. they may continue to their final destination if the driver has accurately documented their hours-of-service requirements using paper record of duty status such as a log book and has a copy of the inspection report and/or citation.

In the event the driver is stopped again before reaching their final destination, the driver must be able to provide a physical copy of the inspection report and evidence (such as bill of lading) proving that they are still on the continuation of the original trip.

If the driver is re-dispatched after reaching their final destination, the driver is required to obtain a compliant ELD or he or she will be subject to the out-of-service process again. The only exception is if the driver is traveling back to the main place of business or terminal empty to obtain an ELD.

All ELD violations, including this, will be counted against a motor carrier’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) score, which could mean a future investigation by the FMCSA Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program.

More About AOBRD

According to the FMCSA’s website, any motor vehicles that installed and used an automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) may install and use additional ELD-capable devices with compliant AOBRD software after Dec. 18, 2017, and may be in use until Dec. 16, 2019, although they must meet specific requirements available on the FMCSA’s website AOBRD page.

For More Information

For more info, please visit the FMCSA’s ELD implementation website with helpful info for all drivers.

Medallion Transport & Logistics is Here to Help

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when oversize load and general travel restrictions are in place. For questions about oversize load travel restrictions or driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.

Effective noon on Tuesday, March 27 weight restrictions will be lifted from parts of Michigan, although frost restrictions are still in effect for the remainder of the state and will be enforced on all state trunkline highways north of the M-46 line. Weight restrictions will be lifted from the following:

• From the southern Michigan border north to and including M-46 in Ottawa County from the US-31 Business Route in the City of Muskegon
• East to US-131 then North on US-131 to M-46
• East to the intersection of M-25 in Port Sanilac, Sanilac County

Seasonal Loads & Permits

There are a few more pieces of information to be aware of while weight restrictions are lifted:

• Routes designated as “All Season Routes” which are green or gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, will have no reduction in legal axle weight
• Routes designated as “Seasonal” (solid or dashed red on MDOT Truck Operators Map) will have a weight reduction of 25 percent for rigid pavements and 35% for flexible pavements
• Extended permits will be valid for oversize only in the weight restricted area
• Single trip permits will not be issued for overweight loads or loads exceeding 14′ width, 11 axles and 150-feet

For Weight Restriction Updates

Detailed Weight Restriction information may be obtained by linking to www.michigan.gov/truckers.

Weight restriction information and updates may be obtained by calling 1-800-787-8960. For companies located in Canada or New Jersey, information may be obtained by calling 517-373-6256.

Medallion Transport & Logistics is Here to Help

Medallion Transport & Logistics is committed to driver support, especially when oversize load and general travel restrictions are in place. For questions about oversize load travel restrictions or driver safety, give us a call at 704-235-0460 or send us an email to info@medalliontrans.com.