The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, a coalition of transportation companies that promoted recent federal legislation to require electronic on-board recording devices (EOBRs) in all commercial trucks, says it will expand its scope of work during the next two-year congressional cycle to include other federal issues to improve the safety of commercial truck drivers and the motoring public.These issues will include supporting industry-wide implementation of an EOBR requirement in all commercial trucks, promoting alternate methods for verifying mandated drug and alcohol testing procedures, creating the congressionally mandated drug and alcohol clearinghouse, supporting mandatory speed limiters on trucks, increasing the minimum financial requirements for starting a trucking company and consideration of alternative compliance measurements for determining a trucking companies safety fitness rating.
The Alliance was created in 2010 by five U.S. freight transportation companies — J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.; Schneider National Corp.; U.S. Xpress, Inc.; Knight Transportation and Maverick USA — with the primary purpose of supporting federal legislation to require EOBRs in all commercial trucks to prevent truck drivers from exceeding the maximum amount of hours allotted behind the wheel. These companies were later joined in the effort by Fikes Truck Line, Boyle Transportation and Dupré Transportation.The Alliance also has named Callie Hoyt its manager of governmental affairs.Hoyt was previously safety and policy coordinator for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), where she was responsible for reviewing federal regulatory rulemakings and served as a liaison to the organization’s senior staff and policy committees.
The trucking coalition was the first national industry group to announce support for an EOBR requirement on all trucks. And MAP-21, the federal transportation legislation Congress passed earlier this year, includes a provision requiring the recording devices subject to a one-year rulemaking by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The Trucking Alliance will continue its affiliation with the Arkansas Trucking Association (ATA) to provide various senior level strategic plans and administrative support services.
“The alliance’s issues are consistent with ours,” said Lane Kidd, ATA president, “and we’ve structured an effective business model for these companies to express their views on Capitol Hill.”
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