Great West Casualty Company Blog

With the start of the new year, there are numerous regulatory updates that motor carriers should be watching and taking action on. Here is a high-level overview of the changes that will affect motor carriers. 

The FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse went into effect on Jan. 6, 2020. Here are some common questions that motor carriers need to know about the Clearinghouse requirements.  WHAT IS THE FMCSA DRUG AND ALCOHOL CLEARINGHOUSE? The FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure online database that gives employers, the FMCSA, state driver licensing agencies, and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP) who have violated 49 CFR Part 382, Subpart B. The Clearinghouse contains information about positive drug or alcohol test results, test refusals, and when a driver completes the return-to-duty (RTD) process and follow-up testing plan.

Going through a roadside inspection can be an intimidating and stressful event, but it’s one that commercial truck drivers must deal with on a regular basis. Roadside inspections take time; possibly costing you money in lost loads, missed appointments, and perhaps, even receiving a fine for infractions. The key is preparation and to avoid bringing undue attention to one’s self and equipment.

The FMCSA announced last week they will be delaying the implementation of the Unified Registration System (URS) from September 30, 2016 until January 2017. The three-month delay is due to the substantial upgrades to the agency’s information technology systems and the process of moving millions of records to remote storage servers.

Refrigerated carriers have the option of running their refrigeration units in two modes; "continuous" and "start stop". Recently there has been an increase in losses from the use of the "start stop" mode  by carriers wanting to conserve fuel costs. The only sure way to keep temperature-sensitive loads at the optimum temperature is to have the refrigeration unit set on "continuous."

It is no secret that crashes are largely preventable and are often caused by driver error. By implementing a driver safety program at your company, you can greatly reduce your risk while protecting your company’s bottom line.

You’re pretty good at your job, and you’ve been doing it for years. How crazy would it be if your boss one day said, “let’s take a look at the tape from yesterday’s meeting…let’s see what we can improve on.”

Below are some tips of the trade when dealing with refrigerated cargo: Does the trailer need to be pre-chilled? A reefer unit only maintains temperature; it is not designed to lower the temperature. If you put refrigerated product in a reefer trailer with an ambient temperature of 90 degrees, you are going to have a problem.

Part 390.5 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) defines interstate and intrastate commerce in the following manner: Interstate commerce means trade, traffic, or transportation in the United States — (1) Between a place in a state and a place outside of such state (including a place outside of the United States); (2) Between two places in a state through another state or a place outside of the United States; or (3) Between two places in a state as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the state or the United States.

Cargo theft continues to plague the transportation industry. It may seem that cargo theft is a victimless crime, but in actuality it affects all of us because manufacturers price their goods to include a theft component. While there are several estimates of how much is taken in cargo thefts annually, the FBI estimates place cargo theft at a $20 billion dollar a year industry. The FBI also believes that some cargo theft money goes to funding terrorism.