REGISTER NOW!!
Driving Ambition is proud to be a sponsor of the Indiana Motor Truck Association’s Spring Council Conference. The annual Conference, put on by the Safety & Maintenance Council, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 9-10, at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing.
This informative, two-day Conference will feature a variety of critical transportation-related topics, including:
- Driver Recruitment & Retention – presented by Jeremy Reymer, President & CEO of Driving Ambition
- Driver Wellness – presented by Chuck Gillespie, Program Director for Wellness Council of Indiana
- Cargo Theft – presented by Ari Berlin, Federal Bureau of Investigations
- FMCSA Update (CSA, EOBRs, HOS, and Sleep Apnea) – Kenneth Strickland, Division Administrator for FMCSA
- Fuel / Energy Price Advisory – presented by Jack Hunter, Risk Management Consultant for INTL FCStone, Inc.
- Alternative Fuels – Panel discussion led by Kellie Walsh, Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition
- Maintenance Compliance – presented by Michael Irwin, DEKRA Automotive North America, Commercial Fleet Performance Systems
- Indiana Transportation Projects – Keith Bucklew, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
The Spring Council Conference begins in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 9, followed by an Awards Dinner featuring key-note speaker Rob Abbott, VP of Safety Policy for ATA. The Conference will end before noon on Thursday, May 10.
At only $80 for IMTA members to attend (only $130 for non-members), this is an incredible value!
For more information, and to register online, click here.
Register now and join us for this important industry update!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
During last month’s Mid-America Trucking Show, an FMCSA roadside inspector demonstrated key problem areas for drivers, fleets, and truck owners.
For drivers, the FMCSA inspector said the top five roadside violations are:
- Logbook issues – either not current, not signed, or otherwise incomplete
- Driver’s record of duty status isn’t current
- Driver isn’t in possession of a medical certificate
- Driver doesn’t speak English
- Fleet requires or permits driver to drive after 14 hours on duty
The inspector indicated that the top five Out-of-Service violations include:
- Fleet requires or permits driver to drive after 14 hours on duty
- False reports of driver record of duty status
- No record of duty status
- Driver fails to retain logs for previous seven days
- Carriers requiring or allowing drivers to drive more than 11 hours
The top five vehicle violations were also identified:
- No, or defective, lighting devices or reflective material, as required
- Required lamps are inoperative
- Tire tread depth of less than 2/32-inch
- Inspection or repair and maintenance of parts and accessories
- Oil or grease leaks
The inspector indicated that the top five vehicle Out-of-Service violations are:
- Inoperative turn signals
- Flat tire or exposed fabric
- Inspection or repair and maintenance of parts and accessories
- Inadequate brake tubing and hoses
- Stop lamp violations
The inspector gave a list of “pointers” to help drivers pass a roadside inspection:
- Be prepared
- Have a valid CDL
- Keep current logs
- Drive within allowed hours-of-service
- Wear your seatbelt
- Know the critical vehicle inspection items
- Have a professional attitude
- Keep in mind BLT - brakes, lighting and tires
- Know the three P’s of hauling hazmat – papers, placards and packaging
The inspector referenced the following critical vehicle inspection items:
- Fuel system
- Brakes
- Coupling devices (fifth wheel)
- Lighting devices
- Steer mechanism
- Suspension
- Frame and body components
- Tires and wheels
- Windshield wipers
- Load securement
- Rear view mirrors
- Horn
- Exhaust
- Emergency equipment
After an inspection, the FMCSA inspector said that drivers or fleets should repair out-of-service defects before operating the truck again. If that’s not possible, get the truck towed, satisfy any driver out-of-service requirements before driving again, repair non-out-of-service vehicle defects and turn in the inspection report within 15 days.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Mark your calendars to attend the Sixth Annual “Operation: Hire a Hoosier Vet” Career Fair on Wednesday, April 18. Driving Ambition and other businesses from central Indiana will pay tribute to the brave service men and women that have served our country. Military veterans can visit booths and speak with employers about their local job openings.
The fair will be held inside Stout Field (Building #9), 2002 S. Holt Road, Indianapolis and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Job Fair is free and open to veterans as well as active members of all four branches of the military, Indiana National Guard and the Indiana Reserves.
Federal and state governments are trying to assist an estimated 900,000 unemployed veterans to re-enter the workforce by giving tax breaks to businesses that hire them. In fact, this past November, President Obama signed into law the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, which includes tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, along with additional resources for veterans seeking jobs, education and training.
“In a weak economy with an unemployment rate of over 8.4%, it is comforting to know that employers are reaching out to assist these courageous men and women. Unfortunately, such a great number of military veterans return home to face significant hardship by not being able to secure employment,” said Jeremy Reymer, President and CEO of Driving Ambition. “It’s startling that nearly 30 percent of military veterans returning home are unemployed. If we can help just one of those veterans, we consider that a success...its the least we can do as employers to show our support.”
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The FMCSA recently announced enhancements to the CSA methodology, specifically the Carrier Safety Measurement System (SMS).
This release is the first in a series of improvements to SMS that will take place up to twice a year. The process includes making a public announcement of planned changes, allowing carriers to privately view the impact the changes will have on their BASIC scores, soliciting feedback on the planned changes, modifying the planned changes (if appropriate), and making the new scores based on the methodology changes publicly available several months later.
The announced enhancements include:
- Moving Load Securement Violations to the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC – All load/cargo securement violations will be moved from the Cargo-related BASIC to the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. This change helps to mitigate the inappropriate bias against flatbed carriers with their Cargo-related BASIC scores.
- Creation of a Hazardous Materials (HM) BASIC – A separate basic will be created to measure compliance with HM regulations. The Cargo-related BASIC will be renamed the HM BASIC and will measure only those carriers that transport placarded quantities of HM. This change helps to mitigate the inappropriate bias against HM carriers with their Cargo-related BASIC scores since their compliance with HM regulations was being compared against carriers that don’t transport HM.
- Applicability of Lower HM Thresholds – FMCSA will be changing the criteria for determining which carriers transporting HM will be subject to the lower thresholds in each BASIC. Under the new methodology, a motor carrier will be labeled as an “HM Carrier” and subject to the lower thresholds if the carrier:
- Has had at least two roadside inspections involving placarded quantities of HM in the prior 24 months, with one inspection occurring within the past 12 months
- Has 5% or more roadside inspections involving placarded quantities of HM
Motor carriers can now access the SMS Preview through two websites:
- Visit the CSA Website and log in with an FMCSA-issued U.S. DOT number and a personal identification number (PIN)
- Log in to the FMCSA Portal and select the “CSA Outreach” link.
FMCSA encourages motor carriers to view the SMS Preview to see how methodology changes will affect their SMS results.
On the CSA Website’s Resources page, motor carriers and other stakeholders can access a foundational document that provides additional information about the first set of SMS changes.
A Federal Register notice outlining the changes is also available for review. Written comments regarding the changes can be filed to the Federal Docket Management System at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID Number FMCSA-2012-0074.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The industry needs truck drivers’ feedback! The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) recently launched its second annual truck driver survey to identify CSA impacts on trucking operations, as well as driver perceptions and attitudes toward the maturing regulatory program.
This survey, which will expand upon the truck driver research that ATRI undertook at last month's Mid-America Trucking Show, will be compared and contrasted with last year's CSA research, which included data from more than 5,000 drivers.
The brief online survey asks drivers for information on how their perceptions of CSA have changed or been affected as CSA continues its second full year of measuring motor carrier and commercial driver safety performance. The survey also seeks to capture attitudes toward the program and general understanding of its key components.
Commercial drivers are encouraged to provide confidential input on CSA through ATRI's survey. The combined results of the survey will be available later this year, accompanied by findings from ATRI's surveys of other stakeholder groups impacted by CSA, including motor carriers, shippers and the enforcement community.
ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system. Visit ATRI’s recently updated website at www.atri-online.org.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.