THE ECONOMY IS ON FIRE: A ROUNDUP OF RECENT NEWS The final days of July included a lot of big news for the economy, including a few developments that are particularly relevant to trucking. Our industry is, of course, inextricably tied to the country’s economic health. But we can also tip the scales in one
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OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WISHLIST In mid-July, a caucus of Democrats and Republicans came together in support of the latest Senate proposal for an infrastructure bill. While not a done deal yet, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will likely move forward in the Senate and appears to have enough backers in the House. The infrastructure bill weighs
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AN UNLIKELY RECRUITING TOOL Ask most drivers what their least favorite part of the job is, and you’ll probably get at least a few mentions of detention. Over and over again, unpaid, unproductive time is reported to be one of a trucker’s biggest frustrations. Driver detention is a headache for everybody who’s involved in it,
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IT’S NOT (JUST) ABOUT THE MONEY Here at NTI, we’re pretty big on driver wages. I mean, come on. Obvious statement of the year, right? It’s our job to help carriers offer competitive driver pay, in a sustainable, non-painful way for their company. We talk about it every day. In fact, it’s what gets us
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THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN DRIVER RECRUITING TODAY There are so many difficulties in trucking today. Consumer demand is up, participation in the labor force is down, and today’s capacity crunch is worse than in 2018. There’re enough challenges to stuff an eighteen-wheeler. What’s the hardest part of recruiting today? Most fleets are going pedal to
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THIS FOURTH OF JULY, THANK YOU TO OUR TRUCKERS It’s almost July, and that means it’s almost time to celebrate our nation’s birthday! Independence Day has always been one of our favorite holidays, between the barbecues and the fireworks and the displays of patriotism. The Fourth of July is all about celebrating what makes our
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AB5 ROLLS ON We warned you about this piece of legislation a few months ago, and unfortunately, it’s still going strong. Last month, a 9th Circuit Court panel reversed a California Trucking Association injunction that would have exempted truck drivers from this law. As a quick background, California’s Assembly Bill 5 requires companies to treat
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DECLINE OF DRIVER SUPPLY CONTINUES Drug tests are a topic that we don’t love talking about. A positive test can feel like a lose-lose situation – you’re down another worker, and a driver is out of a job. But this year, there’s no way around that elephant in the room. FMCSA requirements mean that more
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TRUCK TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYMENT Jason Miller, PhD, Michigan State University Much has been written about the difficulty in finding truck drivers. Detailed employment data released as part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics program helps shed some light on the challenges trucking firms face regarding attracting workers. Comparing employment figures in March 2021
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INFRASTRUCTURE TROUBLES MEAN A BUMPY ROAD FOR TRUCKERS In May, Arkansas’ Hernando de Soto I-40 bridge was closed after inspectors found a crack in a steel beam. Authorities shut down the bridge until it could be repaired or at least deemed safe, which at this point, means an indefinite closure. Truckers are bearing the brunt
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