Selected COVID-19 and trucking industry news that may impact your business.
As of April 10, 2020:
TSA Announces Temporary Exemption of Expiring HME
Scopelitis Transportation Consulting
Recently the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a notice announcing a temporary exemption regarding the expiration of a CDL drivers’ Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME), and related security threat assessment. TSA’s action allows the States to grant an extension of up to 180 days for a driver’s HME that expired, or will expire, between March 1 and July 31, 2020, if the driver was/is unable to complete the required renewal. If a State grants an extension, the driver must initiate the renewal process no later than 60 days before the end of the State-granted extension. The exemption will be officially published on the TSA website and in the Federal Register in the coming days.
Morgan Stanley survey shows COVID-19 transportation disruption nearing peak
FreightWaves
A Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) survey measuring COVID-19-related disruption in transportation markets shows “glimpses of a peak” – a peak in disruption that is. Read More
Virginia switches weigh stations to truck parking
Truckers News
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles today, April 9, announced it is temporarily closing all weigh stations to normal traffic so they can be used for truck parking. The closings are until at least April 23 for the 10 weigh stations, which will create 246 truck parking spaces. Read More
All drivers ordered to fill out COVID-19 travel declaration when entering Utah
CDL Life
Officials in Utah have announced that all drivers — including truckers — must fill out a health screening form after crossing the border into the state. Read More
Freight volumes officially below pre-crisis levels, no floor in sight
FreightWaves
As fast as the freight frenzy came, it left us even quicker. National freight volumes are now below what we would expect in normal times, and capacity has now loosened to pre-crisis levels. Spot rates are plummeting in kind, with only five of the 100 Truckstop.com spot rates lanes showing positive weekly growth. There is no end in sight to the volume decline – America is still under quarantine and more businesses shut down with every passing day. Read More
Experts Stress Partnerships as COVID-19 Disrupts Supply Chain
Transport Topics
Transportation agencies and planners should rely on communication and partnerships as they respond to immediate needs and assess long-term effects associated with the coronavirus. That was the assessment by Anne Strauss-Wieder, director of freight planning for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Read More
WTO expects global trade to decrease between 13% and 32% this year
FreightWaves
The World Trade Organization (WTO) expects global trade to decrease anywhere between 13% and 32%, with the wide spread due to the uncertainty behind the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. To put the numbers in perspective, the largest drop during the 2009 financial crisis was 12.5%. Read More