Selected COVID-19 and trucking industry news that may impact your business.
As of July 7, 2020:
FMCSA to provide ‘flexibility’ for random drug testing
FreightWaves
Carriers struggling with their random drug and alcohol testing obligations because of the coronavirus pandemic can expect enforcement leniency from federal regulators. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it “may exercise discretion” in enforcing minimum annual percentage random testing rates — as well as the requirement that employers spread testing dates throughout the calendar year — for carriers unable to meet the requirements. Read More
Survey: COVID-19 Cut Business for 70% of Fleets in May
HDT TruckinginfoTruck fleets seem cautiously optimistic about freight and business levels in the coming months as the economy continues to work to recover from COVID-19 shutdowns, according to an HDT survey – and they see some positive long-term takeaways from the pandemic. Read More
More than 3,200 trucking companies received more than $150,000 from PPP
FreightWaves
More than 3,200 companies in the two main government classifications that comprise long-distance trucking received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in excess of $150,000, according to data released this morning by the Small Business Administration. Read More
Truck orders begin to climb as freight volumes improve
CCJ
North American Class 8 net orders last month reached 15,500 units, according to preliminary data released Friday by FTR, cracking the 10,000 unit mark for the first time since February. June’s tally was up 130% from May and jumped 20% year-over-year. Class 8 net orders for the last 12 months total 158,000 units. Read More
Manufacturing Bounces Back in June on Reopenings
Transport Topics
U.S. manufacturing rebounded in June as major parts of the country opened back up, ending three months of contraction in the sector caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, said July 1 that its manufacturing index rose to 52.6 last month after registering 43.1 in May and 41.5 in April. Any reading below 50 signals that U.S. manufacturers are contracting. Read More