a drug test result form

FMCSA Relaxes Drug Testing Requirements

The impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt in unpredictable ways. The latest is a relaxation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) requirement for random drug-testing among drivers. The FMCSA made their announcement on July 6. Within the current requirements, carriers must randomly test 50 percent of their drivers (based on number of[…]

a truck driven by someone interested in improving their SAFER scores

Improving SAFER Scores By Changing Your Culture

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) created the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program and the CSA score to help identify carriers who are at high-risk of unsafe practices on the road. These are the fleets who cause accidents because of unsafe drivers and/or poorly maintained vehicles. A carrier’s score impacts the health and[…]

US Capitol Building

What The INVEST Act Could Mean For Fleets

A bill was recently passed through the US House committee “Transportation and Infrastructure” called the INVEST Act. This bill is aimed at finding funding necessary to pay for the upkeep and the advancement of the United States’ crumbling surface road infrastructure. The bill passed committee by a 37-27 margin and has provided some interesting talking[…]

coronavirus under microscope

Coronavirus Updates: Rule Changes, Clarifications, and Other Information Drivers and Fleets Need

The world is moving faster than ever while we all deal with the coronavirus and the changes it’s brought to our personal and business lives. It may feel impossible to keep up with the changes, information, programs, and news — especially as it relates to your drivers and your fleet. We’re here to help. Here[…]

a driver preparing for the next CVSA inspection blitz

Getting Ready for the First Inspection Blitz of the Year

It’s never too early to get ready for an upcoming inspection, especially when you know it’s going to happen. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has planned it’s annual International Roadcheck Inspection blitz for May 5 through May 7. If that sounds early, you’re right. Typically this blitz occurs in June, but the timing was[…]

a truck that's been in an accident, driven by someone who needs to review their fleet's accident procedures

Reviewing Your Accident Procedures in 2020

No matter how hard you and your drivers work to prevent accidents on the road, they happen. What your driver does in the immediate aftermath can make the difference in what happens later — lawsuits, settlements, insurance disputes, and more. Now is a good time to review your accident procedures and prepare for future accidents. […]

a piece of yellow iron that needs to be tracked

Are You Doing Enough to Track Your Yellow Iron?

The equipment and heavy machinery your company uses is just as important as the trucks in your fleet. Yellow iron keeps your business moving forward. If you’re not tracking it, you’re missing out on important information and cost-saving measures. Maintenance and Repairs Just as you schedule oil changes, brake checks, and other maintenance for your[…]

a static filled screen representing an ELD outage

How to Avoid an ELD Outage

You’ve used technology long enough to know that outages happen. Cell towers go down in storms. Your internet won’t connect on a laptop. Things happen. But when your equipment is what keeps your business moving (and legally compliant!), outages must be rare and long outages are unacceptable. Outages Happen, But They Shouldn’t Be Common At[…]

A truck belonging to a safe driver that uses an ELD

ELDs Lead to Better Rested, More Alert, and Safer Drivers

Time is money, but too much time, especially behind the wheel, leads to fatigue and accidents. The good news is that electronic logging devices (ELDs) lead to drivers who get more rest which leads to fewer accidents. Anecdotal Evidence The hard data isn’t available yet on the effectiveness of ELDs, but many in the industry[…]

a fleet using a driver scorecard

Using Driver Scorecards to Improve Your Fleet’s Performance

Name one improvement you’d like to make in your fleet’s performance this year. Is it reduced violations? Lower fuel costs? Fewer equipment replacements? Fewer accidents? Better delivery times? For most fleets, the answer is all of the above. The first place to start is to know how your drivers perform behind the wheel. This is[…]

spreadsheet showing the rise of insurance costs for fleets

Rising Insurance Costs: What Can You Do?

Insurance premiums could increase as much as 20 to 25 percent in 2020, thanks in large part to the extremely high awards being determined by juries against carriers and fleets. With insurance rates on the rise, what can you do? Preparing for Insurance Rate Increases Insurance companies that service the trucking industry have been running[…]

a truck driver gearing up for a tough 2020

Gearing Up for a Tough Year

During an economics session at CCJ‘s Solutions Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona recently, ACT Research President Kenny Vieth shared his projections on what the trucking industry can expect in 2020. In short, it’s going to be tough. As with all things related to the economy, there are opportunities and bright spots, but fleets that aren’t efficient[…]

flex eld

Watch Us Flex

You’ve heard all the amazing and exciting news about fleet management systems with accident reporting, document storage, and maintenance requests. It sounds nice, but you’re a single owner-operator or maybe the owner of a few trucks. You don’t need all those bells and whistles. More importantly, your budget doesn’t have room for all those bells[…]

canadian flag representing the canadian ELD

Canadian ELDs and Third Party Certification Requirements

Hopefully by now you’ve heard the big news. Canada recently announced it’s own ELD mandate that will go into effect in June 2021. It is very similar to the American version but with at least one key difference. ELDs will need to go through a third party certification process in order for Canadian drivers and[…]

a fleet manager who just transitioned his fleet away from AOBRDs to an ELD

Fleets Flock to ELDs for Compliance and Added Functionality

Carriers and fleets across the country are beating the December 16 deadline to phase out AOBRDs in favor of electronic logging devices (ELDs). Doing so well in advance of the deadline gives these carriers an advantage over their non-complying competitors and improves fleet functionality. If you haven’t made the switch yet, here’s what you need[…]