Virginia weigh stations temporarily converted to rest areas

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How Motor Carriers Can Navigate the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

Editor’s note: Written by Jeremy Reymer is the founder and chief executive of CDL driver applicant tracking system, DriverReach. This is one in a series of periodic guest columns by industry thought leaders.

Launched on Jan. 6, 2020, the Department of Transportation has operated the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for more than three months now. Though not without hiccups, the database has proven an effective way to identify ineligible drivers. It is making our roads and highways safer.

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Coronavirus Recession Starts to Catch Up With Trucking Industry

While some segments of the trucking and e-commerce industries experienced a surge in business as the coronavirus pandemic reached U.S. shores, the economic malaise is starting to set in.

Analysts say consumers have stocked their pantries with most of what they needed as they started to comply with social distancing and shelter-in-place orders. A Morgan Stanley survey of more than 400 transportation carriers, shippers and brokers found that 100 percent were affected by the economic fallout of turning off large segments of the U.S. economy.

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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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