Commerce Express Weekly Road Map:
March 5th, 2024
Keeping you informed on the latest news/insights in our industry.
Trucking –
- As of March 4th, the national average price of diesel is $4.022 a gallon.
- Seeing a 3.6 cent decrease from the week prior.
- FMC releases their final rulemaking on detention and demurrage billing practices.
Rail –
- A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Pennsylvania over the weekend.
- Diesel fuel and polypropylene plastic pellets spilled into the Lehigh River. No injuries to the crew. There were no evacuations or hazardous material threat to the community.
- Union Pacific announced last week they would add intermodal service from Barbours Cut Terminal in Houston to Dallas and Phoenix.
Weather Update –
Last week massive wildfires impacted travel in parts of Texas and Oklahoma. In Texas, authorities temporarily closed Highway 136 between Borger and Amarillo on Tuesday.
Additionally, there were other road closures that were reported by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol last Tuesday including U.S. Route 283 and County Road 37 to State Highway 15, those have since been reopened.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire only remains 15% contained (as of Monday), many recommend avoiding roadways and highways throughout the areas, especially Interstate 40, Interstate 27, and Texas State Highway 136.
FMCSA Removes Five ELD’s From Their List of Registered Devices
Late last week the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration removed five Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) from their list of registered devices.
The devices removed were: CI ELD LOGS, CN ELD, KSK ELD, TT ELD 30, TT ELD 1010.
For those who have these since revoked ELDs, they need to discontinue use of them and go back to paper logs or logging software to record their hours-of-service data and replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices List before April 28th.
If motor carriers continue to use the revoked ELD on or after April 28th, they will be considered as operating without an ELD. Safety officials would be able to place the driver out-of-service if they encounter a driver using a removed ELD.
Truck Parking Remains a Hot Topic in the Industry
Truck parking challenges are not a new issue in the industry, but the topic continues to be discussed more, with even more attention being received by the federal government on ways to make parking for truckers easier and safer.
Per the Federal Highway Administration, a national Jason’s Law truck parking survey will be reissued later this year. The FHWA has stated that Jason’s Law requires the DOT to issue a truck parking survey and assessment every few years. Previous surveys were conducted in 2015 and 2019.
Jason’s Law was enacted in 2012 in honor of Jason Rivenburg who was a truck driver that was shot and killed in 2009 after he parked in an unsafe location, per FleetOwner.
The point of the survey is to gain insight and information to “guide future investment, as well as to identify any research, policy, education, training, or other program needs to continue to support the expansion of truck parking across the nation,” per a FHWA spokesperson.
Commerce Blog
Beginning at the start of last week, a cluster of wildfires have roared across the Texas Panhandle, putting communities and homesteads in harm’s way. The weather crisis has prompted residents to evacuate their homes, while also making travel dangerous for motorists, including professional truck drivers.
Earlier last week, Texas officials temporarily shut down the state’s Highway 136 between Borger and Amarillo, but reopened a day later. Interstate 40 near Amarillo has remained open during the wildfire breakout, but authorities have cautioned against motorists from using the roadway as rampant smoke deteriorates visibility.
Rail Capacity is Expected to Grow at the South Carolina Ports
South Carolina Ports is investing in rail capacity throughout their state to effectively and efficiently handle goods that will help continue to boost South Carolina’s economy.
“Growing rail capacity in the Port of Charleston will further enhance South Carolina’s competitiveness, ensuring our customers can swiftly move goods to market,” says Barbara Melvin, South Carolina Ports President and CEO.
Construction at the new Navy Base Intermodal Facility in North Charleston has been underway; the facility is expected to open in July 2025.
Additionally, Inland Port Greer – in Upstate South Carolina – has produced 8,000 feet of extra rail track, and the container yard expansion continues to be close to completion.
Total Weekly Rail Traffic for the Week Ending February 24th, 2024
- Total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 483,656 carloads and intermodal units – up 7.7 percent from the same period last year, per AAR data.
- U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 259,405 containers and trailers – up 12.6 percent.
- Chemicals, grain, and motor vehicles and parts all saw increases. While coal, non-metallic minerals, and forest products all saw decreases.
- For the first eight weeks of this year, North American rail volume was 5,122,636 carloads and intermodal units – an increase of 0.7 percent from last year.
Recent Comments