Happy Halloween. We hope that the ghosts and goblins are treating you well and you are getting more treats than tricks.

Tiana Cain, our AVP of Business Development, attended the ATA conference exhibit hall and TIMTC annual meetings held this past month in Dallas. It gave her an excellent opportunity to meet with many of you who also attended the conference.  The focus at the TIMTC was on the exchange and use of data, as the transportation and insurance industries look to harness the data to better service their respective markets. At CAB, where data is our expertise, we are committed to always be on top of all the latest trending data relevant to the industry so we can continue to provide the most the most advanced and sophisticated analysis tools the industry has to offer.

One of the interesting things that came up in one of the sessions is the growing issue of Chameleon Carriers.  A motor carrier addressed this issue during a session, noting that one of their competitors was recently given an unsatisfactory rating by the DOT and simply applied for new authority under a new name which resulted in a clean slate.  As this is a growing trend in the industry, it is very important to use our advanced Carrier Search tool to help identify Chameleon Carriers.  If you are unfamiliar with how to identify Chameleon Carriers using our premium products and would like to set up training sessions, or are interested in a demo of our products, please contact Tiana. 

In other news:

NAFTA - The borders were a big issue this month. The FMCSA rejected the arguments raised by a number of organizations that a full environmental impact study was required before opening the border.  In other news the FMCSA engaged Teletrac to provide EOBRs for all Mexican trucks which will be part of the pilot program.  Only 2 Mexican carriers have received approval to participate in the program.  Right after the program started this month the first participant was granted permanent operating authority. Mexico has indicated that it will lift tariffs on 99 goods following the steps by the government to move toward border opening.

NATION’S INFRASTRUCTURE - As trucks travel across the country it is important to recognize that the roads and bridges may not be all that they are 'cracked' up to be.  One engineering firm sent me this link which allows you to determine the current status of all bridges within a certain radius of your listed location. I found it very interesting and guess many of you will be looking to see if the bridges in your community or where your truckers generally operate are structurally sound. Special thanks to Engineer Steve Gardner at W.J. Castle P.E. & Associates for this piece of data.

OWNER OPERATOR PORT BAN - A Federal Appeals Court has decided that the Port of Los Angeles cannot ban owner operators from local drayage operations.  Under the proposed rule only licensed motor carriers would have been permitted to operate, a rule fought by the ATA.

Welcome to Autumn.  Summer sure went by very quickly.  I guess it is time to get back into the swing of things.  The government also seems to be back in service, at least for now, as various groups ramp up on regulation issues.

This month we report:

COSTLY REGULATIONS - It comes as no surprise to those in the transportation industry that the cost of federal regulation is high. President Obama cited the regulations on Hours of Services and Electronic On Board Recorder rules as among the costliest of all in the country.   The current Congress is set to consider whether those very costly regulations are an impediment to job creation and economic growth and should perhaps be eliminated.  The ATA has already petitioned the President to drop the new proposed hours of service rules.

NAFTA - A DOT audit has determined that the FMCSA has failed to properly set up the procedures to monitor Mexican carriers.  This is expected to delay the cross-border program until November. In addition suit has been filed by the Teamsters and Public Citizen Advocacy group contending that the FMCSA has broken various laws in its steps to implement the program.

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING - President Obama has extended Highway Trust Fund programs and funding through March 31, 2012.  This is the 8th extension since SAFETEA-LU expired in September 2009.  If March comes with no further legislation, yet another extension will be required. 

TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS - Do you think you live the worst area for bottlenecks?  When if you live in Chicago that would be true, with Fort Lee, New Jersey following in a close second.  Houston took the next 3 spots.  The full list, including average speeds at the various locations, can be viewed here. The study was completed by the FHA and the ATRI

INSPECTIONS - CVSA’s brake safety week was conducted at the end of the month and we will report on those results as soon as they are made available.   As part of the national Motorcoach Safety Summit, sponsored by the FMCSA, a task force commenced a series of surprise safety inspections of motor coaches, tour buses, school buses and other passenger vehicles at the end of the month.,.  The two-week inspection sweep will continue through Oct. 7, 2011. FMCSA also announced that it will release a new smartphone application in November that will empower consumers by providing access to a motor coach’s company's safety record before booking a trip and it will also allow consumers to submit safety violation to FMCSA's National Consumer Compliant Database.

CELL PHONES - The NTSB, which has no rulemaking power, has recommended to the FMCSA that all commercial drivers be prohibited from using cell phones, even hands free cell phones. This recommendation comes following a March 2010 crash which involved multiple fatalities where the driver was believed to have been distracted by cell phone use.