News
‘Capricious’ ELD mandate challenged by OOIDA
CHICAGO, IL -- Claiming that the coming U.S. mandate for electronic logging devices to be used by interstate truck drivers is "arbitrary and capricious", the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has filed an appeal to challenge the rule. OOIDA is challenging the U.S. ELD mandateELDs won't improve safety, the organization claims, adding that the mandate propagated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is in violation of 4th Amendment rights against reasonable searches and seizures. The mandate requires that truck drivers use ELDs to track their driving and non-driving activities even though such devices can only track movement and location of a vehicle. The FMCSA finalized the rule late last year. OOIDA, representing small-business truckers, stated its arguments in a legal brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. "The agency provided no proof of their claims that this mandate would improve highway safety," said Jim Johnston, OOIDA president and CEO. "There is simply no proof that the costs, burdens and privacy infringements associated with this mandate are justified." His point is not made in a vacuum. In fact the FMCSA is now being urged, and strongly, to make a bunch of improvements in its data and research methods "to support a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between operator fatigue and highway safety and between fatigue and long-term health."
Pirelli announces plans for commercial tires
LOUISVILLE, KY -- Pirelli, a tire maker that many North Americans equate with Formula 1 or Superbike racing circuits, has announced plans to launch commercial tires in North America. "We're coming. We're testing," says Clif Armstrong, who has been named president of the company's newly formed TP Commercial Solutions. The products are to be manufactured in Brazil and available for Class 6-8 applications, with selected sizes available for Class 5 vehicles. One thing that sets this announcement apart from traditional rollouts, however, is the lack of tires. They are not yet available through a tire dealer near you. But 40 North American fleets are involved in testing 1,800 tires in on/off-road and linehaul applications. Armstrong himself spent time in Montreal working on some of the tests. The final results for steer and drive tires in the on/off-road segment are expected in 60 days, meaning production could begin by September. Tests of the 225 linehaul tires will take eight to 12 months. And Armstrong says there is no rush: "We're going to do this the right tire at the right time." The announcement still deserves to be taken seriously. Pirelli makes 5 million commercial tires per year for markets including Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, using production facilities established in Brazil, China, Egypt and Turkey. Armstrong is familiar with the North American market, having held senior roles with Continental Tire.
