What it Takes to Log 4 Million Accident-Free Miles?
It’s hard to know which milestone is more impressive: 4-million accident-free miles, 58 years of marriage or a 47-year pro driving career.
Don Young has touched them all.
The 79-year-old driver from Snydersville, Pa., hasn’t had so much as a fender bender during his time with YRC Freight, reports the Associated Press.
His secret?
- Country music on the radio. “You get bopping down the road and pretty soon, you’re where you’re supposed to be,” Don said.
- Someone who loves you. Don said he’s had the good fortune of having a spouse who’s on board with the demands of the job. He moves regional freight now but used to run long-haul to Texas and California, and Dolores Cook has been her husband’s rock all that time. “If it wasn’t for her supporting me, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
- Skill, patience and luck. Of course. “You have to have your wits about you,” Don explained. Wayward drivers have kept off his tail over the years, and nature has spared him its worst.
Maintaining your focus on the road isn’t easy, especially with more traffic and greater urgency to deliver on time and damage free.
Learn more about how Transflo makes it easier for drivers to pay attention to the task at hand, including driver messaging and fleet communication features, load alerts, integrations with truck stop apps, scheduling functions to help drivers manage their day, and access to the new electronic Bill of Lading and Proof of Delivery services (eBOL and ePOD).
Three New Rules to Watch
Whenever there’s a change in federal administration, numerous policies and regulations come up for review including dozens that affect trucking and logistics. John Gallagher at FreightWaves lists 10 rulings, in no specific order, that have the biggest ramifications for freight. Here are three on the front burner:
Hours of service
What you should know: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made four major changes to hours-of-service regulations in 2020 to give drivers and carriers more flexibility over their work-rest schedule. A coalition of safety groups has filed a petition with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking to invalidate the new rules, saying they ignore science and make it easier to pressure drivers into more service hours without proper rest.
Status: No change for now; under review. As an ELD provider, Transflo provides updates automatically to make sure you can stay on top the latest HOS rules.
Congestion-based tolls
What you should know: New York City is proposing a once-daily variable toll for vehicles operating in the “Central Business District,” an area stretching from 60th St. in midtown Manhattan to Battery Park. If implemented, the area would become the nation’s first large-scale cordon congestion pricing toll zone, using electronic tolling devices to automatically collect fees. New York state approved the plan in 2019 and has been awaiting a decision from Federal Highway Administration about whether an environmental review was necessary for the plan to proceed.
Status: Moving forward. On March 30, the FWHA said an environmental assessment should be the next step for the project. An EA generally requires less time to complete than an Environmental Impact Statement. While it’s an open question whether congestion-based tolling is the best solution for revenue collection, electronic tolling is a proven technology and would streamline fee collection and administration.
Independent contractor status
What you should know: On Jan. 6, the Trump administration said it would revise the U.S. Department of Labor’s test for determining worker status under the Fair Labor Standards Act to focus on two “core factors” (control and opportunity for profit and loss) while de-emphasizing other factors traditionally considered as part of the “economic realities” test. The rule was “in tension” with the FLSA and likely would not have stood up to a legal challenge.
Status: The DOL withdrew the rule effective May 6. Most employers had not changed their classification practices based on the change, and a federal rule would not make a material difference in states (like California) that have a more stringent test for independent contractor classification.