The future of high tech trucks is now

LAS VEGAS -- While the past decade served mainly as an R&D period for advanced truck technologies, the next 10 years is when telematic and hybrid systems will really mature for real-world use.

Schneider doesn’t sleep on retention strategies

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A former U.S. Army officer, Don Osterberg, VP of safety and training at Schneider National, compares the task of retaining truck drivers to a saying used in the Armed Forces: "We recruit soldiers in the military, but we retain families."

No basis for shorter HOS; Trucks safer than ever says ATA

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Just a few months after special interest groups convinced the U.S. DOT to rewrite hours of service rules because truckers supposedly weren't safe enough, the industry posted the largest ever year-to-year drop in truck-involved fatalities.

TCA names best fleets to drive for

TORONTO -- The second annual Truckload Carriers' Association Best Fleets to Drive For results are in and out of the 17 winning truck companies, seven are Canadian.

Driver training curriculum celebrates 20-year anny

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- For 20 years, the Professional Truck Driver Institute has been certifying courses at entry-level truck driver training schools across the U.S. and Canada.

Time to get tough with Ontario with cell-texting ban

TORONTO -- The 'soft' enforcement period is over for truckers or anyone else caught driving on Ontario roads with a cellphone or any other electronic device in their hands.

Western provinces harmonize LCV sizes

REGINA -- A couple of changes to Saskatchewan's Energy Efficient Motor Vehicles (EEMV) agreement will bring the dimensions of the province's long combination vehicles (LCV) in line with their neighbours.

2010 out-of-service criteria update released

WASHINGTON -- The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance released its annual updated American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria for 2010.

New Ont. transport boss says challenges ‘immense’

TORONTO -- Ontario's new transportation minister, Kathleen Wynne, says she is committed to improving the flow of people and goods through the province - particularly through the busiest parts of Toronto.

US labor enforcers scrutinize ‘independent’ workers, truckers

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration plans to crack down on companies that blur the lines between employees as independent contractors, including owner-operators in the trucking industry.

Feds look to build EOBR rule with trucker comments

OTTAWA -- Hoping to solicit feedback from the trucking industry, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators has authored a discussion paper on electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs).

ATRI seeks real-world data on speed limiter use

ARLINGTON, Va. -- if there's one thing truckers have an opinion on, it's speed limiters. And the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) wants to hear 'em.

Sample law enables states to enforce anti-text rule

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. DOT has issued sample legislation to make it easier for state traffic officers to enforce the federal regulation banning truck drivers from texting while driving.

Hazmat trucks major terrorist target: Think tank

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Highway-borne hazardous materials are increasingly attracting the attention of terrorists, according the Mineta Transportation Institute.

DOT modifies hazmat security plan requirement

WASHINGTON -- The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has narrowed the list of materials subject to current security plan requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials.