In The News

ATA set to explain industry's new 18-point safety agenda

WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations will hold a news conference here June 9 to explain the trucking industry’s bold new 18-point safety agenda that addresses commercial and passenger vehicle driver performance, safer vehicles and equipment, and motor carrier performance.

Speaking at the news conference will be ATA President and CEO Bill Graves; ATA Chairman of the Board Charles “Shorty” Whittington, president of Grammer Industries in Grammer, Ind.; ATA Safety Task Force Chairwoman Barbara Windsor, president and CEO of Hahn Transportation Inc. in New Market, Md.; and America's Road Team Captain and professional truck driver David May of Con-way Freight in Buffalo, N.Y.

At the ATA’s annual Management Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans last October, the organization’s Board of Directors voted to expand the ATA’s aggressive safety agenda with the goal of further reducing the number of highway-related fatalities and injuries.

ATA said the new recommendations should further reduce highway crash statistics, although large truck crash fatality rates and injury rates are already at their lowest point since the federal government began reporting those figures three decades ago.

Following the adoption, ATA released a synopsis of the 18 recommendations:

Improving Driver Performance

A policy on the use of non-integrated technologies while the vehicle is in motion. A policy supporting uniform commercial drivers license (CDL) testing standards. Support for a CDL graduated licensing study Support for additional parking facilities for trucks Support for a national maximum 65mph speed limit
Strategies to increase the use of seat belts

Support for a national car-truck driver behavior improvement program Support for increased use of red light cameras and automated speed enforcement Support for graduated licensing in all states for non-commercial teen drivers Support for more stringent laws to reduce drinking and driving
Safer Vehicles

Support for targeted electronic speed governing of certain non-commercial vehicles Electronic speed governing of all large trucks made since 1992 Support for new large truck crashworthiness standards
Safer Motor Carriers

Support for a national employer notification system Creation of a national clearinghouse for positive drug and alcohol test results of CDL holders Support for a national registry of certified medical examiners Policy supporting access to the national Driver Information Resource Support for required safety training by new entrant motor carriers
Graves said during the meeting that the ATA has long pursued a safety agenda including promoting greater safety belt use by commercial drivers, re-instituting a national maximum speed limit, speed governing of all new trucks, and a decade long initiative to create a national clearinghouse for drug and alcohol test results.

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