News From Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

The inaugural International Conference on Commercial Driver Health and Wellness
is taking place this week in Baltimore. According to the Centers for Disease
Control, the average life expectancy for a commercial truck driver is 61 years
-- 16 years less than the national average. Fifty percent of truck drivers are
overweight or obese compared to only 33 percent of the general adult
population. Fifty-four percent smoke cigarettes and only 8 percent exercise.
Among the general adult population, only 21 percent smoke, and 49 percent
exercise regularly. Speaking at the conference opening, Administrator Ferro
said, “We can’t sustain figures like that and expect individuals to be healthy
contributors to their workplace and their families, and from my perspective,
safe on the roadways.”

State Patrol Resumes Fatigue Enforcement
Courtesy Minnesota Trucking Association

The Minnesota State Patrol has confirmed that it has re-instituted roadside
enforcement of fatigue among truck drivers. Such enforcement was temporarily
suspended since September 2 while the State Patrol Commercial Motor Vehicle
Section revised its policies and retrained all of its officers.

"All of our officers have undergone some increased training including
constitutional rights, how to detect impairment at roadside, how to properly
document that impairment," said Major Kent O'Grady. "We've got increased
supervision in the program. Before somebody is placed out-of- service for
illness or fatigue by a Minnesota State Patrol employee, that decision needs to
be run past an on-duty supervisor."

In a related matter, the court has not yet ruled in the federal lawsuit
brought against the State Patrol by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association. A ruling is expected shortly.

FMCSA Orders Colorado Fleet to Install EOBRs

Courtesy Transport Topics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered a Colorado carrier
to install electronic on-board recorders on its fleet by March, after deeming
the trucking company in violation of federal hours of service rules.

FMCSA ordered JBS Carriers Inc., Greeley, Colo., to install the devices after
the agency’s western service center found the company “in serious violation of
federal HOS rules and commercial driver’s license requirements,” FMCSA said in
a statement.

The order was believed to be the first of its kind. If JBS fails to comply, it
is subject to $81,780 in fines. Earlier this year, FMCSA finalized an EOBR rule
that requires fleets with violations to install the devices. Since then, five
large fleets backed a bill that would require EOBRs.