Proposed Strategies For 2013 Trucking Industry Top Issues

Last week we shared the report released by American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), presenting the 2013 top issues in the trucking industry.  Today we will share the proposed strategies, as they appeared in the report. They are as follows:

Issue	Proposed Strategies
1. Hours-of-Service	Quantify the impacts of 2013 HOS changes on industry operations, productivity and safety Research and advocate for more innovative and flexible strategies for fatigue management than prescriptive HOS rules Advocate for increased flexibility in the current sleeper berth provision
2. Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)	Push for a crash accountability determination process that removes non-preventable crashes from carrier scores Utilize Inspector General (IG) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings to push FMCSA to correct flaws in the scoring system Quantify the impact of disparate state enforcement practices on carrier CSA scores and advocate for more uniform enforcement
3. Driver Shortage	Examine the competitiveness of truck driver pay and benefits as compared to other industries Work with state and federal authorities to consider a graduated CDL program to safely attract new and younger drivers Continue work to streamline the transition from a military CDL to a civilian CDL in order to attract more veterans to the trucking industry
4 Economy	Advocate for reforming/repealing ineffective and burdensome regulations that add to industry costs without providing benefits Pressure Congress to change its pattern of short-term extensions and inaction that creates more uncertainty in the economy Continue to advocate for policies that will stimulate the economy
5. Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate	Advocate for FMCSA to include provisions that retain existing Hours-of-Service (HOS) exemptions and provide supporting document relief in an ELD mandate Ensure that the ELD mandate does not require storage or transfer of data unrelated to HOS record of duty status Encourage FMCSA to issue the congressionally-mandated ELD rule in a timely fashion
6. Truck Parking	Investment in new truck parking facilities & work to reopen closed public rest facilities Educate the public on safety consequences resulting from closing public parking facilities Research the role and value of real-time truck parking information availability and truck parking reservation systems
7. Driver Retention	Help improve work/life balance, healthy lifestyles and family relationships for drivers Research the basis for driver turnover by personality type, compensation models and industry business/operating models Study the effectiveness of carrier retention programs that financially incentivize drivers for safe driving performance
8. Fuel Supply/Fuel Prices	Advocate for measures that limit financial market speculation on energy which can cause price fluctuations/volatility Support expanded use of domestic energy sources to improve the reliability of our energy supply Support effective technologies and proven methods for improving fuel efficiency that could lower fuel costs
9. Infrastructure/Congestion/Funding	Advocate for fuel tax increases to efficiently fund the surface transportation system Identify the worst trouble spots as a means for targeting government infrastructure investments Utilize the congressionally- mandated National Freight Policy and National Freight Network as tools to ensure adequate investment in critical highway infrastructure
10. Driver health and Wellness	Encourage increase availability & healthy food choices at truck stops/travel plazas Educate the carriers-create a model health & wellness program based on national best practices Promote research that quantifies the return-on-investment potential of driver health & wellness programs

By identifying the top issues in the trucking industry,  and strategies to improve them, this study is not about finger pointing, but instead a tool that can be used to find a solution to the issues.

Truck Services of North America works to help you stay informed of the trucking industry and the impact it may have on you. For more information about any of our services, contact us at TSNAmerica.com, email support@TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.