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Michigan’s Distracted Driving Law Takes Effect June 30

Starting June 30, Michigan will become the 26th state to establish a hands-free driving law. While texting and driving was already illegal, it will now be worth hefty fines and/or community service for drivers of commercial vehicles and individuals who hold their phones to do any task, including, but not limited to the following: While there are a few exceptions to the law, such as calling 9-1-1 in an emergency situation, the goal is to stop distracted driving — the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

72 Hours of International Roadcheck Starts May 16

May 16–18 marks 2023’s International Roadcheck — a high-visibility, high-volume commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement event. During Roadcheck, inspections by CVSA-certified inspectors will occur at weigh/inspection stations, designated inspection areas, and along roadways. This year, inspectors will focus on anti-lock braking systems and cargo securement. The goal is to highlight the importance of those key aspects of vehicle safety. Data will be gathered from those three days and shared later this year, as a snapshot of the state of commercial motor vehicle and driver safety. Learn more on Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA)’s website.

FMCSA Proposes Safety Measurement Changes and Asks for Feedback

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has just started inviting comments on proposed changes to its important Safety Measurement System (SMS) for commercial trucks and fleets. The SMS currently assesses which motor carriers pose the greatest risk to safety through data collected from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigations. They then use the data for the purpose of intervention. Some of the proposed changes include reorganizing the SMS’s safety categories (currently known as “BASICs”); organizing roadside violations into violation groups for prioritization purposes; simplifying violation severity weights; adjusting some of the Intervention Thresholds that identify companies for possible intervention;

How does paying my truck drivers per diem help my company?

Author: Michael Ritzema, President of Superior Trucking Payroll Service What is Per Diem? Per Diem is Latin for “by the day.” In the federal tax world, it represents the expense that an employee would need to work out of location for work. Expenses like food. Every employee working out of location is entitled to up to $66.00, 80% of which can be written off for income tax purposes. Breakdown for the Employer For every day that your driver spends working away from home $66.00 of their earnings for the day can count as per diem and won’t be taxed like

Do I need Garagekeepers Insurance?

Let’s start with a few questions. Do any of the following activities apply to your operation? Operate a repair shop Provide towing services Store equipment or containers owned by others Allow other truck drivers to park on your premises If so, you should consider Garagekeepers coverage. Trucking companies often have a shop on premises where they repair their own equipment and offer repair services to others. When equipment that is not owned by the trucking company is damaged on the premises, the trucking company may be held legally liable for damage to vehicles and their contents. Garagekeepers coverage provides physical

The Relationship Between Driver Retention and Crash Rates

Recent research suggests that there is a link between high levels of driver retention and lower crash rates. A study published by the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE) entitled Examining the Relationship Between CMV Driver Retention and Safety took a unique approach to this topic. The study analyzes data from more than 12,000 drivers for single large carriers who were evaluated over a 3-year period. Previous research has proven that a relationship exists between retention and safety, but these studies have fallen short of comparing the relationship between drivers who voluntarily change jobs and the impact on safety with

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