DRIVER RECRUITING SOLUTIONS

Mexican Trucks Program to Continue, FMCSA Says

Posted: 12/27/2007 - By Transport Topics

Mexican trucks may continue to operate widely in the United States, under the Bush administration’s interpretation of a new transportation spending law, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

“The current cross-border trucking demonstration project, established in September, will continue to operate,” the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in a statement.

But under the spending law, the U.S. “will not establish any new demonstration programs with Mexico,” FMCSA said, Bloomberg reported.

The administration contends the law allows as many as 100 companies to go beyond a 25-mile zone inside the U.S. border, in a test program that has been vigorously opposed by Congress and organized labor.

The law, signed by Bush yesterday, says none of the funds may be used “to establish a cross-border motor carrier demonstration program,” but the administration contends that does not apply to the current program, already under way.

FMCSA Proposes New CDL Requirements - Rule Would Require Educational Accreditation

Posted: 12/26/2007 - By Transport Topics

Commercial driver licenses applicants would be required to complete classroom and behind-the-wheel training from an accredited program, under a proposed new federal rule announced Wednesday.

Beginning three years after the effective date of a final rule, CDL or upgraded CDL applicants would be required to provide a valid certificate from an accredited truck driving program, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced.

“This proposed rule will give truck drivers additional skills needed to keep our roads safe,” FMCSA Administrator John Hill said in a statement.

The rule would not affect current CDL holders.

The training curriculum includes CDL safety regulations, vehicle operation and safe operating practices, FMCSA said.

The educational institution must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

For a “Class A” CDLs for tractor-trailer drivers, the rule would require a minimum of 76 hours of classroom instruction and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel training, for a total of 120 hours.

For “Class B” CDLs (large “box” or van trucks) and “Class C” CDLs (hazardous materials or certain passenger-carrying vehicles), the proposed rule would require a minimum of 58 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours behind-the-wheel training, for a total of 90 hours.

FMCSA Supports ATA Motion on Hours-of-Service Rule

9/24/2007 - By Transport Topics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration filed a memorandum with a court in Washington Friday strongly supporting American Trucking Associations’ request that the court’s vacating of provisions of truck driver hours-of-service rules be stayed pending their reconsideration by the agency. 

Agreeing with ATA that a stay of the rule needed to “prevent substantial disruption of trucking operations,” FMCSA cited timing concerns and significant transition costs to the industry related to a rule change, costs it noted that could “have to be incurred again.” 

FMCSA also pointed to disruptions and confusion in HOS enforcement if the rules were changed, ATA said. 

The agency noted the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals had invalidated the 11- and 34-hour provision “on procedural grounds only” and that the “decision did not foreclose issuance of a new rule that contains the 11-hour and 34-hour provisions, assuming the agency provides the requisite notice and comment and adequately explains its reasoning.” 

ATA had sought a stay of the court’s split ruling in July that rejected an owner-operators group’s petition but granted one by a public safety advocacy group. 

FMCSA suggested that the court grant a 12-month stay during which it would conduct a new rulemaking to consider new data and address the procedural shortcomings identified by the court, ATA said.

CRST, Werner Reach Driver-Recruitment Settlement

8/14/2007 - By Transport Topics

Truckload carriers CRST International and Werner Enterprises have resolved a dispute centered on Werner’s hiring of drivers under contract to CRST. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Werner may no longer hire drivers who have signed a contract with CRST, according to a statement released late Monday by CRST. 

Werner said in a statement that the settlement permits the company to hire CRST drivers who have had intervening employment with another company before applying at Werner, or have been gone from CRST for more than 90 days. 

The settlement ends legal proceedings that began in 2004, when CRST sued Werner in a California district court for hiring drivers who had completed CRST’s driver-training program but had not yet fulfilled the eight-month term of their contracts. 

Werner is ranked No. 14 on the 2007 Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, while CRST is ranked No. 30.