Mar 14, 2017

Blizzard Stella Causes Travel Ban Across the Northeast

Blizzard Stella Causes Travel Ban Across the Northeast

Spring might be next week, but severe winter storm Stella in the Northeast is causing slowdowns and even travel bans from parts of Virginia up through Maine. Brace yourself – Nor’easter is here.

Blizzard Stella

Severe blizzard conditions are hitting the Northeast causing many road closures and delays.

Connecticut Travel Ban

The area is expected to get nearly 22 inches of snow in the coming days.

#CTtraffic: 5am-10am troopers responded to 14 no-injury crashes, 34 motorist assists & 342 calls for service. Travel ban remains in effect. pic.twitter.com/CqKo9ASbvk
– CT State Police (@CT_STATE_POLICE) March 14, 2017

Massachusetts Parking Ban

Blizzard Stella conditions -WBZ-TV

#BPDWeatherAlert Snow Emergency declared in Boston. Parking ban in effect as of 7am
– Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) March 14, 2017

New York Blizzard

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced temporary tractor trailer bans on interstates on I-81, I-84, I-86/Route 17, I-88 and all of the New York State Thruway. The Governor also announced a full travel ban for all of Broome County beginning at 9 am.

Metro-North service will also be suspended at 12 pm due to weather conditions. Currently, MTA New York City bus service remains active but as conditions worsen, bus service may be suspended. Travelers are encouraged to check www.mta.info for service updates and to see when their last inbound or outbound trains will depart.

UPDATE: 16 inches so far with 2-3″ per hour snowfall as of 11 am in Highlands, NY! Drifts 3-4 feet @breakingweather @AccuRayno #blizzard pic.twitter.com/jw4cBNXrHz
– Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) March 14, 2017

Blizzard Warnings for parts of Long Island have been converted to Winter Storm Warnings as more in the way of a wintry mix is expected. pic.twitter.com/4hx357fRYd
– NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) March 14, 2017

Pennsylvania Travel Restrictions

ATTENTION: Starting at 10 p.m. tonight travel restrictions are in place. ⚠️ ❄️ More info. → https://t.co/YG60PdfFSd #Stella #PAWinter pic.twitter.com/fHUmduV3dT
– PennDOT (@PennDOTNews) March 14, 2017

These restrictions will be in place on Interstates 70, 76, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 95, 283, 176, 180, 476, 380 and all expressways not on the interstate system. The Turnpike will have the same restrictions beginning at 10 p.m. Monday from the Bedford Interchange east to NJ and on the entire Northeastern extension.

Best Fleet to Drive For [p]The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced the 2017 Best Fleet to Drive For. Did yours [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]make the list[/a]?[/p] [h2]2017 Best Fleet to Drive For[/h2] [p][i](List is in alphabetical order)[/i][/p] [ul] [li]Bison Transport – Winnipeg, MB (Canada)[/li] [li]Boyle Transportation – Billerica, MA[/li] [li]Central Oregon Trucking Company, Inc. – Redmond, OR[/li] [li]Challenger Motor Freight Inc. – Cambridge, ON (Canada)[/li] [li]Fremont Contract Carriers, Inc. – Fremont, NE[/li] [li]FTC Transportation, Inc. – Oklahoma City, OK[/li] [li]Garner Trucking, Inc. – Findlay, OH[/li] [li]Grand Island Express, Inc. – Grand Island, NE[/li] [li]Halvor Lines, Inc. – Superior, WI[/li] [li]Interstate Distributor Co. – Tacoma, WA[/li] [li]Kriska Holdings Ltd. – Prescott, ON (Canada)[/li] [li]Landstar System, Inc. – Jacksonville, FL[/li] [li]Maverick Transportation, LLC – North Litte Rock, AR[/li] [li]Motor Carrier Service, LLC – Northwood, OH[/li] [li]Nussbaum Transportation – Hudson, IL[/li] [li]ONE For Freight – Milton, ON (Canada)[/li] [li]Prime Inc. – Springfield, MO[/li] [li]Smokey Point Distribution – Arlington, VA[/li] [li]TLD Logistics Services, Inc. – Knoxville, TN[/li] [li]TransPro Freight Systems Ltd. – Milton, ON (Canada)[/li] [/ul] [h2]Qualifications to Be Considered for 2017 Best Fleets to Drive For[/h2] [p]To be considered, a fleet must have 10 or more trucks and receive a nomination from at least one company driver or owner-operator and have "exemplary work environments" for truck drivers and various employees. CarriersEdge conducted interviews with representatives from fleets human resources department regarding "corporate direction, policies, and programs" according to TCA.[/p] [p]Fleets were judged on a points system with categories:[/p] [ul] [li]Total compensation[/li] [li]Health benefits[/li] [li]Pension plan[/li] [li]Professional development opportunities[/li] [li]Career path/advancement opportunities[/li] [/ul] [p]Fremont Contract Carriers, Grand Island Express, Landstar System and Motor Carrier Service received the distinct honor of making the Best Fleets list for five or more times while FTC Transportation and Halvor Lines made the list for a fifth consecutive year. Five of the fleets on the list are based in Canada.[/p] [p]“These companies represent the best of the best in truckload. As industry innovators, they bring fresh ideas that not only create a desirable workplace for employees, but also propel trucking to exciting new terrains,” said TCA President John Lyboldt.[/p] [p]The winning fleets will be announced at TCA's Annual Convention, March 26–29, 2017, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.[/p]

Feb 01, 2017 • Community

Top 10 Counties For Cargo Theft [p]Cargo theft is a growing concern for the trucking industry with driver safety at the forefront. Here's a closer look at the worst areas.[/p] [h2]Top 10 Counties for Cargo Theft in America[/h2] [p]Being a truck driver is the most dangerous job in America and the threat of cargo theft from potentially armed thieves looking to steal truck cargo escalates the risks for truck drivers.[/p] [p]According to CargoNet, there were 836 occurrences of cargo theft resulting in an estimated $172.9 million in losses during 2016. [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Los Angeles County had 329 thefts reported from July 2013 – July 2016, the most of any other county in America.[/a] The worst state for cargo thefts was California, with 228 thefts, an increase of 36 percent from 2015. The most common day of the week for cargo thefts was Friday with 164 incidents. There was a 5.1 percent decrease in total cargo thefts in 2016 compared to 2015.[/p] [ol-2] [li]Los Angeles County, CA[/li] [li]Dallas County, TX[/li] [li]San Bernardino County, CA[/li] [li]Chicago Cook County, IL[/li] [li]Miami-Dade County, FL[/li] [li]Houston Harris County, TX[/li] [li]Tarrant County, TX[/li] [li]Edison Middlesex County, IL[/li] [li]Bolingbrook Will County, IL[/li] [li]Riverside County, CA[/li] [/ol-2] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/02/cargoNet.jpg" alt=""] [h2]Most Common Cargo Theft Locations[/h2] [ol] [li]Warehouse/Distribution Center – 329[/li] [li]Other – 295[/li] [li]Parking Lot – 170[/li] [li]Secured Yard – 166[/li] [li]Unsecured Yard – 120[/li] [/ol] [h2] Avoid Cargo Theft - Find Truck Parking with Trucker Path [/h2] [p] With over 8,000 locations to find parking in our app, you can find safe truck parking at the truck stop, rest area even Wal-mart of your choice. We even have a list of the <a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/best-truck-stops/">best truck stops in America!</a> [p]Best of all you can see how many truck parking spots a truck stop has and see if there are any available in real-time. Download our free app today in order to save yourself time and provide you with the peace of mind you deserve.[/p] [button-green href="https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cargotheft2015"]Learn More About Trucker Path![/button-green] [video id="NSSOwFRJaQw"] [quote]“Cargo theft continues to be a pervasive issue,” said Anthony Canale, general manager of CargoNet. “Our 2015 year-end report indicated 881 incidents of cargo theft took place across North America. That increased from 844 cargo thefts reported in 2014 and accounted for more than $175 million in goods. While thieves continue to get more tech-savvy with their approaches, there are measures that can be put in place to stop them, ranging from proactive deterrence tactics to extensive recovery assistance.”[/quote] [img src="https://truckerpath.com/uploads/2017/02/CARGO-THEFT-FB.jpg" alt=""]

Feb 03, 2017 • Carriers

What is a Weigh Station? [p]Drive on any major interstate and you will eventually come across a green sign saying “weigh station”. So what is a weigh station for anyhow?[/p] [h2]What is a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]A weigh station is a designated location, typically located directly off of highways, where the Department of Transportation or state highway patrol inspects the weight of a vehicle. The reason why there are weigh stations is to ensure that the roads are not compromised by a potentially overweight vehicle. In America, the maximum weight that a truck with a full trailer can be on the road is 80,000 pounds (some exceptions). Additionally, a weigh station that is on the border of two states is called a port of entry.[/p] [p][i]The Simpsons – Maximum Homerdrive[/i][/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o6Mbt3gvvQdFlWg4E" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]Who Has to Stop at a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]Any commercial motor vehicle (CMV) that weighs over 10,000 pounds is required to stop at a weigh station unless the driver has a PrePass or other weigh station bypass service. [a href="https://app.appsflyer.com/com.sixdays.truckerpath?pid=Social Facebook"]Truck drivers can use Trucker Path[/a] to check ahead and see if a weigh station is open or closed in real-time. This can be extremely valuable to help truckers save valuable time.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/xT5LMsfqY4WgipchIA" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]What Do Truckers Mean When They Say Chicken Coop?[/h2] [p]With over [a href="https://truckerpath.com/blog/trucks-delivering-cargo-in-the-usa"]1.6 million heavy-duty truck drivers in America[/a] weigh stations can become extremely congested and can cost drivers precious time, not to mention waste fuel. Some truckers will refer to weigh stations as "chicken coops" because the large trucks are forced into a confined space prior to being weighed, like chickens in a coop.[/p] [h2]What Happens at a Weigh Station?[/h2] [p]When a truck driver sees a weigh station that says OPEN, he or she must exit the freeway and enter the scales to be weighed. The majority of weigh stations have a rolling scale where a truck will roll past a certain area that has a scale (could differ by state). Once a truck is weighed and verified to weigh under 80,000 pounds, the truck will be granted a green light to exit the weigh station and proceed back on its route.[/p] [p]After a truck goes through the scales either the DOT or state inspection officer can flag the truck for an inspection.[/p] [p]At a weigh station, trucks can be inspected for a variety of reasons. DOT officers or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agents conduct a thorough equipment safety inspection to find issues with a truck including:[/p] [ul] [li]low or flat tires[/li] [li]tire tread[/li] [li]oil, fuel or anti-freeze leaks[/li] [li]brake malfunctions[/li] [li]broken springs[/li] [li]securely mounted fuel tanks[/li] [li]cracks in wheels and rims[/li] [li]unlocked kingpin[/li] [li]hose or tubing leak[/li] [/ul] [p]Any of these violations can lead to a truck being declared out-of-service (among a variety of others). If the FMCSA declares a truck as out-of-service, the truck shall be towed and not operated until repairs to the violations found during the inspection are completed. Truckers will also have to have repairmen sign Form MCS63 issued by the FMCSA to verify proper repairs were made.[/p] [giphy]<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o6MbiPDaKvIei93KU" width="480" height="269" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe>[/giphy] [h2]Log Book Inspection[/h2] [p]A truckers' truck isn't the only thing that can be inspected. A truck drivers' log book can also be checked by an officer to ensure the driver is keeping a daily log of his or her record and isn't in violation of hours-of-service laws. DOT HOS regulations include:[/p] [ul] [li]Maximum 11 hours of driving during a 14-hour period[/li] [li]No more than 60 hours total in seven consecutive days on duty[/li] [li]No more than 70 hours total in eight consecutive days on duty[/li] [li]Required 10 consecutive hours off after 11 hours of driving[/li] [/ul] [p]Changes are coming for log books. The FMCSA Electronic Logging Device mandate will begin in December. The ELD mandate requires truckers to use an ELD to keep a record of his or her log book to comply with HOS regulations. HOS fines can range from $150 to over $1,000 each.[/p] [h2] Is There a Weigh Station Near Me? [/h2] [p] Ever ask yourself, is there a weigh station near me? As a truck driver, it's important to know if there is a weigh station near you along your route. Using the <strong>Trucker Path</strong> app you can see where weigh stations are located nearby and see if they're open or closed. [/p] [p] Want to save even more time? Plan ahead using the trip planning feature in the Trucker Path app to determine the locations of weigh stations along your route. Don't forget to update the status too! [/p] [button-green href=" https://truckerpath.com/trucker-path-app/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=whatsweighstation&utm_campaign=Aug14"]Try TruckerPath Today[/button-green] [video id="NSSOwFRJaQw"]

Jan 17, 2017 • Community