News and Industry Information

Stay up to date on industry trends and topics

Universal ID -- Update

08 December 2022

As ICSA wrote in the August 2022 Landing Gear, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comments on whether it should require Universal Identification Devices (aka, Unique Identification Devices, UIDs) on all interstate commercial motor vehicles. A portion of the pending rule would address what information those devices should send to roadside enforcement, and what may be the costs and benefits of such a system.

Appeals Court Rules on CA Meal & Rest Break Rule

08 December 2022

In a class action suit against a large motor carrier brought by former commercial motor vehicle drivers who were paid by the hour, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal regulations that preempt California’s rules on meal and rest breaks (MRB) applied retroactively to claims that existed prior to the federal rule even being implemented. 

CA’s “Dirty Truck Detectors” Ramping Up for January 2023

17 November 2022

the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has begun deploying “Portable Emissions Acquisition Systems (PEAQs) – so-called “Dirty Truck Detectors” – in areas of heavy truck traffic to educate drivers and operators about the new truck smog check program that starts Jan. 1.

Could You Be Found Negligent for Not Managing Your Camera Data?

17 November 2022

ICSA’s safety consultants get many calls every week from members asking us to send them video of incidents or crashes involving their drivers. Yet the SmartDrive Program belongs to you – the member. You own the data and you can, and should, access it yourself. In fact, because they belong to you, ICSA can’t send or use any of your videos without your permission. 

Conference Recap

17 November 2022

As our members know, ICSA is active in many trucking organizations and attends many conferences to get and share information that can be useful in your business. On a regular basis we will provide information that you can use. In October, we attended the Management Conference and Exhibition (MCE) put on by American Trucking Associations (ATA). The following week, we also attended the Future of Freight Festival put on by Freightwaves.

New Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Rules Are Coming

11 November 2022

Under federal rules, motor carriers are required to conduct drug and alcohol violation background checks prior to hiring any driver. Beginning January 6, 2023, motor carriers conducting such checks on prospective drivers will no longer need to contact the applicant’s previous employers. That’s because the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will have accumulated three years of data by then, meeting the timeframe required by law.

Broker Transparency: You made how much on this load?

11 November 2022

For some time, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) has been considering a request by a couple of organizations to change the way that brokers operate and require them to be more transparent with the carriers that haul for them. The FMCSA expects to have a decision on the rulemaking process in early 2023.