Selected COVID-19 and trucking industry news that may impact your business.
As of April 16, 2020:
Summary of Select Federal COVID-19 Emergency Actions & Regulatory Relief Affecting Trucking
Scopelitis Transportation Consulting
As the COVID-19 national emergency continues, the federal government is using its authority to grant carriers and drivers flexibility to expedite emergency relief. Scopelitis Transportation Consulting has developed a compilation and summary, in date order, of specific federal emergency relief actions directly affecting the trucking industry.
Insurers pause policies, halt cancellations for owner-operators and small fleets who can’t pay premiums due to virus slowdown
Overdrive
Insurance providers have instituted measures to work with owner-operators and small-fleet owners who can’t afford to pay their premiums due to lost business. Chiefly, most providers have placed a temporary halt on cancelling policies for non-payment, and most are allowing truckers to temporarily suspend their policies and their premium payments if they pledge not to work during that time. Read More
Small fleets and owner-operators feel more pain as cutbacks roil trucking
Overdrive
Freight continues to dry up and more drivers are being laid off as the coronavirus impact spreads, based on results from a weekly survey of Overdrive readers, most of them operators with their own authority. Read More
Canada to truckers: Wear a mask when you cross the border
FreightWaves
Truck drivers must wear a nonmedical mask or face covering when they enter the country from the U.S. under a new rule to curb the spread of COVID-19. Read More
Hours regs suspended for relief haulers following tornado outbreak in South
CCJ
Severe weather across the Southern U.S. over the weekend prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to declare a regional emergency, suspending hours of service regulations for drivers and carriers providing direct relief to affected areas. Read More
‘Unprecedented disruption’ to supply chain slams US port volumes
American Shipper
Ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Houston, Jacksonville and Charleston all report drops in March. Read More
Missouri company offering free overnight truck parking to support drivers during pandemic
CDL Life
A company near Springfield, Missouri, recently announced that they are offering free overnight truck parking as a way to thank drivers who are hauling essential supplies during the Coronavirus outbreak. Read More
Q2 Will Be Brutal, ATA’s Bob Costello Says
Transport Topics
The U.S. gross domestic product will decline by more than 20% on an annualized basis in the second quarter as a result of the coronavirus and the economic shutdown, American Trucking Associations’ chief economist forecasts. Read More
Trailer sales slide as fleets order only what is ‘absolutely necessary’
CCJ
Trailer orders last month followed Class 8’s downward trend, falling 54% from February and 55% from March 2019, according to FTR. Read More