FMCSA extends exemption for truckers assisting with COVID-19 relief

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended its emergency exemption for truck and bus drivers assisting with COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts by another five weeks through May 15.

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Free COVID-19 training video for drivers

Driving through a pandemic is stressful enough for America’s truck drivers. There are regulatory changes, shippers changing policies, reduced access to driver lounges and even vending machines. It’s a lot to deal with while also trying to avoid contracting the coronavirus.

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Five good things in trucking

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has overwhelmed the country in a matter of weeks. People are instructed to follow social distancing protocols, staying indoors and away from loved ones to avoid the spread of COVID-19. These measures have caused a higher level of panic and anxiety for Americans. Despite the country-wide nerves, good still prevails. Here are five good things that happened this week.

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Updated Procedures at AFS – COVID-19

The Coronavirus outbreak is forcing a few changes at AFS.  Beginning immediately, all of our staff will be self-quarantined and operate remotely.  You should not experience any interruptions in our service to you, but please be aware that some procedures may take a little more time than they have in the past.

 Because of the virus outbreak and other economic factors, all parties in the transportation industry, including carriers and the brokers you engage for loads, will struggle financially from time to time.  Consequently, AFS must scrutinize debtors thoroughly when granting credit and thoroughly inspect documentation even more than we typically have in the past. 

Please note:

  • Credit approval will be significantly more restrictive.  We monitor your debtor’s pay trends regularly and any changes in payment activity will lead to less credit granted and fewer loads approved.  This is for your financial wellbeing as well as that of AFS.
  • Invoices will not be funded unless we have clean images, complete and accurate Bills of Lading, and appropriate, complete rate sheets.
  • AFS will not advance funds on loads unless collectability is deemed to be good.
  • Your funding will not be interrupted as long as you obtain proper credit approval in advance and submit clean and complete supporting documentation with your accurate invoices.

 If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Account Executive or anyone here at AFS.

 Please be patient with AFS during this difficult transition period.  We have always and will continue to operate in your best interest so that you will still have your funding as timely as necessary to keep you on the road!

FMCSA offers drivers HOS relief in emergency COVID-19 response

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a national emergency declaration to provide hours-of-service regulatory relief to commercial vehicle drivers transporting emergency relief in response to the nationwide coronavirus, known as COVID-19, outbreak.

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Coronavirus concerns cascade across industry and supply chains

As coronavirus worry spreads across the globe, the trucking industry and U.S. economy are facing uncertainty from several angles. There’s an oil war brewing. The stock market has seen its worst days since the 2008 financial crisis. Consumer spending is in jeopardy, which could affect freight rates. And there are growing concerns about how to limit human contact, which could hurt supply chains.

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Understanding the importance of seats on trucker wellness

A tough reality in the trucking profession is the requirement to be sedentary for the majority of time spent on the job. The average trucker works either 60 hours over the course of seven days or 70 hours over the course of eight days. While drivers cannot work more than 14 hours straight, 11 of those hours can be spent driving—resulting in well over 40 hours a week sitting behind the wheel.

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Getting inmates ready for the road

“When I look across the entire agency and the spectrum of technical and vocational training that we do, this is one area where the need for men and women with commercial drivers’ licenses is so great that it just begs the question: why are we only doing it at one location?” he told Fleet Owner.

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Safety first! Always kick the tires (and check brakes, lights, etc.)

In my former life with the State of New Mexico’s Motor Transportation Police, I was always shocked by the number of commercial drivers who didn’t make time to do proper pre-trip inspections before getting on the road. Part of this oversight is an inherent trust drivers seem to have in their truck operating well on their last run or with the driver that drove the truck last. The other part was simple math – the less time spent outside of the truck, the more time on the road. Unfortunately, these pre- and post-trip inspections, also known as “kicking the tires,” is the easiest action operators and drivers can take to protect themselves and others.

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