2,600 Trucking Jobs Added

Posted on January 11, 2011 by

Trucking companies added 2,600 new employees on a seasonally adjusted basis in December on top of an upward revision in the November estimate.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics added 3,000 jobs to its initial November figures, so the number of trucking jobs reported for December actually is 5,600 higher than what BLS reported for November a month ago.

For-hire trucking companies added 18,800 jobs in December compared to the same 2009 month, making December the third straight month in which employment grew on a year-over-year basis. Until October, trucking employment levels had not been higher than in the same month the previous year since June 2007. Since the beginning of March, trucking companies have added 22,900 jobs, according to the latest estimates.
According to preliminary BLS figures, total employment in trucking in November was more than 1.25 million – down 203,100, or 14 percent, from peak trucking employment in January 2007. The BLS numbers reflect all payroll employment in for-hire trucking, but they don’t include trucking-related jobs in other industries, such as a truck driver for a private fleet. Nor do the numbers reflect the total amount of hiring since they only include new jobs, not replacements for existing positions.
Figures for trucking do not include the express delivery companies, which fall under the category of “couriers and messenger” in BLS data. According to preliminary numbers, employment in that category rose by 3,300 over a strong November jump as companies like UPS and FedEx added temporary jobs related to peak holiday season deliveries.
Nationwide, the employment picture was stronger as the unemployment rate dropped from 9.8 percent to 9.4 percent. The economy added 103,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in December — the largest increase in several months. Most of the growth was in leisure/hospitality, health care and temporary jobs.

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Diesel price up slightly

Posted on January 11, 2011 by

The national average retail price of diesel increased for a sixth straight week, climbing 0.2-cent to $3.333 during the week ended Jan. 10, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.

The average price is more than 45.4 cents higher than the same week last year and is at the highest level since late October 2008.

Prices gained in all regions by less than a penny except the Midwest, where it dipped 0.1 cent. The largest increase was in the New England area of the East Coast where the price advanced 2.3 cents. The nation’s most expensive diesel continues to be in California at $3.516.

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Plan for Cross Border Trucking

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

Nearly two years since the termination of the pilot program that allowed expanded access to the United States by select Mexican carriers, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Jan. 6 offered Congress and the government of Mexico an initial concept document for a long haul cross-border Mexican trucking program that emphasizes safety and satisfies the United States’ international obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The proposal, which can be downloaded here, outlines the steps Mexican carriers would have to take, including a comprehensive safety audit and vetting process, before being granted access to operate in the United States. Carriers that would be phased in to the program would undergo a number of inspections and reviews as part of a monitoring process to ensure continued safe operation in the United States.

After the demonstration program was terminated in March 2009, Mexican government officials responded by placing tariffs on a number of U.S. products. Last August, Mexico added additional tariffs, for a total of 99 U.S. products.

After the ban in 2009, LaHood and other Administration officials met with lawmakers, safety advocates, industry representatives and other stakeholders to address a broad range of concerns. The DOT says the initial concept document, which is a starting point in the renewed negotiations with Mexico, addresses concerns raised during that process.

“With so much focus in Washington on creating jobs, it’s a bit shocking that the administration would pursue a program that can only rob U.S. drivers of their jobs,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

“While we appreciate that the administration is proposing to allow Congress and the public to weigh in on a future trucking program with Mexico, they seem to be missing the main issue at hand,” Spencer added. “The onus is upon Mexico to raise their regulatory standards, not on the U.S. to lower ours to accommodate their trucking industry.”

The DOT says a formal proposal can be expected in the coming months followed by a public comment period.

(source etrucker.com)

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Diesel Emissions Reduction Act

Posted on January 10, 2011 by
President Obama on Jan. 4 signed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act into law following the U.S. House of Representatives’ approval by voice vote on Dec. 21 and the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval on Dec. 16. 

DERA (H.R. 5809) is a five-year reauthorization of the program created in 2005 to establish voluntary national and state-level grant and loan programs to reduce diesel emissions by upgrading and modernizing older diesel engines and equipment. The Diesel Technology Forum says DERA was supported by a coalition of more than 500 environmental, health, industry, labor and government organizations.

“It will be a significant and important accomplishment for the 111th Congress,” said Allen Schaeffer, DTF executive director. “Because of the national importance of modernizing older diesel engines to reduce emissions, DERA is one of the most important clean air initiatives passed by Congress in recent years.”

Schaeffer says DERA is important to the nation’s economic growth because diesel engines power more than 95 percent of commercial trucks and an overwhelming majority of ships, locomotives and farm and construction equipment.

(source Etrucker.com)
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Truckpoint

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

This is where Trucking and Technology merge.  We will be bringing you new content on regular basis.  Tell us what you are looking for and we will try and bring it to you.

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