Today’s Pickup: Driver training rule again delayed

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is again delaying a rule that many in the industry asked for – entry-level driver training. The rule, issued last year, was set to take effect in February of this year, but has since been delayed twice. The new date for implementation is June 5.

The rule would require new drivers to show proficiency in both knowledge and behind-the-wheel training before being issued a commercial driver’s license.

The delays are part of the Trump administration’s desire to revisit and review Obama-era rules. According to FMCSA, the latest delay is “consistent with the Jan. 20, 2017, memorandum” and allows for further review of the rule.

Did you know?

That trucking pays an average of 51.8 cents per gallon in diesel fuel taxes. That includes 24.4 cents in federal tax. State taxes, which vary by state, average 27.4 cents per gallon.

Quotable:

“We’re throwaway people. Nobody cares about us. Everybody’s perception of a truck driver is we clog up traffic, we get in the way, we pollute the environment.”

– Greg Simmons, truck driver from Hastings, FL, in New York Times profile of truck drivers’ lives on the road

In other news:

Schneider expands intermodal operations

Schneider has added an intermodal ramp in Baltimore, adding to capacity in the mid-Atlantic region. It gives the company access to points north and south not previously serviced. (Inbound Logistics)

Alone on the open highway

What’s life on the road like for truckers? The New York Times talked to truckers to get a better understanding about the lives they lead. (New York Times)