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DOT chief commends trucking for strides in safety, technology

WASHINGTON — Noting that trucking is “critical to the health of our national economy,” Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood commended the industry for its efforts in safety and technology and called for the government and private businesses to examine “all options and develop a workable plan” to fund improvements in the country’s infrastructure.

LaHood’s comments came during an address before the American Trucking Associations’ board of directors here Feb. 24.

He told the board that the trucking industry had long worked with government to solve challenges facing transportation.

“I can think of no better example than in the area of commercial vehicle safety,” LaHood said, noting that the government had reason to be encouraged that commercial transportation is becoming safer.

“In each of the past three years, our nation has achieved significant decreases in the number of large truck-related fatalities,” he said, adding that during the same time, more and more truckers were wearing seat belts.

In 2004, fewer than 50 percent of professional truck drivers wore safety belts and today the number is 72 percent, he said.

The secretary said he hoped the industry would continue to invest in “smart” technologies that would further enhance safety such as forward and side collision warning systems, lane departure systems and electronic stability, factors that industry officials also cite as helping reduce the number of truck-related fatalities.

Safety is one of the four emphasis areas LaHood said he shared with Congress during his confirmation hearings.

The others were economic recovery, livability and sustainability.

Livability includes improving the quality of life for truck drivers, LaHood.

The new DOT secretary said he was fully aware of the impact the economy has had on the trucking industry.

“I am troubled that last year, nearly 73,000 trucking jobs were lost,” LaHood said. “In the third quarter of 2008 alone, 785 trucking companies with a combined fleet of about 39,000 trucks went out of business.”

As for highway funding, LaHood said the country must be “innovative.”

“Tolling and privatization me be part of the solution, but I support this mainly for new construction,” he said. “Fuel taxes may also be part of the mix, but we need to examine all options and develop a comprehensive, workable plan.”

LaHood updated the ATA board on regulatory issues.

He said:

The Medical Certification Rule that combines the medical certificate and the Commercial Driver’s license went into effect Jan. 30 as scheduled The New Entrant Rule after review was allowed to proceed as scheduled and went into effect Feb. 17. LaHood said he realized that many on the board were interested in strengthening an aspect of the rule establishing knowledge standards of federal safety regulations for new carriers seeking operating authority and that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was looking into the issue The Intermodal Chassis Rule is moving forward and will be effective June 17, and The Electronic On-Board Recorder Rule, which was at the Office of Budget and Management and at the direction of the White House was recalled, is still under review.
“We want to make sure it (the EOBR rule) is the best rule we can possibility put out,” LaHood said, promising the board that they would hear more on the rule once he was briefed on the policy options.

LaHood said the rule establishing a national drug and alcohol testing database was moving forward and that he anticipated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking later this year.

He said the proposal would also be included in the upcoming reauthorization discussion.

“This is no room on our highways for CDL drivers who don’t comply with the drug and alcohol testing rules,” LaHood told the board. “This rule would close a loophole that allows drivers to simply switch employers following a positive test.”

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected] .