Operations

Your March 10 Pre-Trip: RI truckers move conference due to toll plan

March 10, 2016

Here are five things worth knowing today.

Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. The Trucking Association Executives Council meeting that normally takes place in Newport, RI, has been moved in response to the RhodeWorks truck toll plan that recently passed, Turn to 10 reports. A representative from the Rhode Island Trucker’s Association told NBC 10 News that the group felt “the climate wasn’t quite right to start bringing people from around the nation to Rhode Island.” Hundreds of trucking executives, along with vendors from the biggest trucking companies in the country would have been in Newport, according to the report. But the industry, which is against the truck toll plan, is fighting it every way it can.2. US-23 northbound along the Washtenaw-Livingston County line in Detroit will be closed for hours today after a truck hit an overpass and became stuck, according to CBS Detroit. Michigan DOT said the crash damaged critical beams that hold up the bridge. The department added it needs to determine if those beams need to be fixed before the freeway or bridge is reopened. 3. According to an HITC Business report, Uber drivers and Amazon delivery workers won't exist within 20 years. A study by Thumbtack, a jobs market startup, predicts the “gig economy” will cease to exist in 20 years and that drivers and delivery workers will be replaced by autonomous vehicles and drones. HITC Business has more. 4. A California truck driver was indicted in federal court this week after being accused of trucking 15 lbs. of methamphetamine, The Wichita Eagle reports. Wichita police arrested Arnoldo Perez-Ortega and charged him with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Perez-Ortega faces a penalty of no less than 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.5. Even though truckers are the third largest motorist group using Nevada’s highways, Northern Nevada is struggling to recruit drivers, according to the Sierra Sun. Nevada is home to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, which drive its trucking number up, and to at least nine trucking schools for CDLs. However, marketing drivers is an area where the industry seems to be struggling in the state. The Sierra Sun has more.

About the Author

Cristina Commendatore

Cristina Commendatore was previously the Editor-in-chief of FleetOwner magazine. She reported on the transportation industry since 2015, covering topics such as business operational challenges, driver and technician shortages, truck safety, and new vehicle technologies. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.