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On The Horizon - October 17,2024

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has removed restrictions for permitted vehicles over legal weight from traveling on two Interstate 90 (I-90) bridges over the Yellowstone River near Billings.

 

In August, MDT restricted these heavy loads after a routine inspection identified some bolts on the bridges were not fastened correctly. Though just 64 of the 27,000 bolts on the bridge were not tightened sufficiently, MDT placed load restrictions out of an abundance of caution.

 

The contractor has replaced the bolts, and an independent engineering assessment confirmed travel of permitted overweight loads can resume on these structures.

 

Safety of the traveling public was never a concern. The restrictions were to ensure the long-term durability of the bridges and protect taxpayers’ investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure.


Not Surprisingly the Economy Once Again Identified as Trucking's Top Concern

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization, released its 20th annual Top Industry Issues report that identifies the trucking industry’s leading concerns. This year’s list includes the Economy, Truck Parking, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, Insurance Cost and Availability, and rising four spots from last year, Battery Electric Vehicles.

 

“Without question, this has been another tough year for the trucking industry,” said Gregg Troian, PGT Trucking President. “Our costs continued to climb while freight demand struggled. But each year we can count on ATRI’s analysis to not only quantify the issues, but more importantly, what we can collectively do as an industry to address each.”

 

This year saw the state of the Economy and the lack of available Truck Parking retain their #1 and #2 rankings on the overall list, respectively. However, growing concern over the proliferation of nuclear verdicts led to Lawsuit Abuse Reform rising to the #3 spot this year. The largest climb in ranking this year came in Insurance Cost and Availability, which rose 8 spots to be the industry’s #4 concern overall. Rounding out the top five this year was Driver Compensation. 

 

The continued focus on transitioning the nation’s truck fleet to battery electric – and the aggressive timelines and significant cost for doing so – drove Battery Electric Vehicles into the industry’s 6th overall concern, up four spots from last year. 

 

Over 45 percent of the survey respondents were motor carrier executives and personnel, while truck drivers represented 31 percent. Among truck driver respondents, Truck Parking, Driver Compensation and the Economy were the top three concerns, while motor carriers ranked the Economy, Lawsuit Abuse Reform, and the Driver Shortage as the top three concerns. The report also includes a ranking of the top concerns of motor carrier enforcement personnel. 

 

Over 3,700 trucking industry stakeholders participated in this year’s survey, including motor carriers, truck drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, and law enforcement among other groups.   

 

The complete results of the annual survey were released as part of 2024 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition. The full report can be found at ATRI’s website here.


CVSA Releases 2024 International Roadcheck Results

Commercial motor vehicle enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 48,761 inspections during this year’s International Roadcheck, which took place May 14-16. Seventy-seven percent of commercial motor vehicles and 95.2% of commercial motor vehicle drivers did not have any out-of-service (OOS) violations.

Conversely, inspectors discovered 13,567 vehicle, 2,714 driver and 163 hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) out-of-service violation and placed 9,345 commercial motor vehicle combinations and 2,290 drivers out of service. The total overall vehicle out-of-service rate was 23%, and the driver out-of-service rate was 4.8%.

International Roadcheck is a three-day commercial motor vehicle and driver inspection, enforcement and data-gathering initiative. 

Law enforcement jurisdictions throughout North America voluntarily participate in International Roadcheck with support from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation. Read More


Will's Safety Message

We all use electricity, especially around the house when it’s time to hang decorations! Use this quick guide to help you get the job done safely.


Every job that involves electricity requires a specific level of attention and training. That said, there are some basic guidelines that apply across a variety of tasks:


  • Inspect any electrical tool for broken or frayed wiring before use.

  • Use only GFI outlets near water.

  • Remove metal jewelry or accessories that can conduct electricity.

  • Use only fiberglass or wooden ladders near electricity.

  • Always turn a tool’s power off before making repairs.



Stay Safe! 




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