http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com Helping Companies Comply With D.O.T. Safety Regulations Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:54:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en DOT is launching its Driver Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). It has set up a website, www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov, where employers can check out safety data on prospective employees. The data will consist of any roadside inspections, or accidents the DOT has a record of, going back probably at least 10 ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/dot-is-launching-background-check-website/ The FMCSA is currently closed, due to lack of funding. How funny is that? I'll be the first to admit I don't totally understand the how's and why's of what Congress did or didn't do. Nevertheless, it appears that late Friday, the Senate was approving a 30 ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/the-federal-dot-has-been-closed/ On December 16, 2009, FMCSA changed their procedures regarding the "New Entrant" audits. Here is the Final Rule, complete with all the legalese. A "New Entrant" is a person or a business who starts in business, and wants to operate trucks on the road across state lines. ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/new-entrant-audit-is-now-more-difficult/ Here is a followup article, relating to my recent post about the January road rage killing in Chicago. The article discusses road rage, particularly as a relates to trucks. This all stems from a road rage incident in January, where two drivers pulled off the highway, fought, with one killing ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/more-road-rage/ There is a growing brou-ha-ha here is Pennsylvania regarding the farmers, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The Federal DOT issues their truck safety regulations, found in 49 CFR 300 – 399. They apply to vehicles and drivers operating in interstate commerce, which are basically movements across ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/pennsylvania-farmers-facing-tougher-dot-rules/ Well, I had written a vast, long post about the texting ban, which can be found here. Then I went to a bad minor league hockey game, thought about it, and decided to edit my post. It's clear you can't text on a cellphone in a truck. What is ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/dot-bans-use-of-qualcomm-type-devices-while-driving/ Well, the FMCSA is going through the motions in revising the hours of service rules, holding the first of four "listening" sessions in Arlington, VA yesterday. They may call them listening sessions, hearing sessions would be more appropriate. You can talk, they hear you, but they sure as ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/fmcsa-conducting-listening-sessions-on-hours-of-service/ This article comes to us from Land Line, regarding whether or not there will be tolls on I-80 throughout Pennsylvania. The decision as to whether or not Interstate 80, which runs the length of Pennsylvania, will become a toll road, rests with US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/decision-to-toll-i-80-imminent/ Here's a bizarre little story, which happened Friday morning, January 15, 2010 in Chicago. One truck driver, David Seddon of Racine, WI, claimed another truck driver, Allen Lauritzen of Sparta, WI, was tailgating him. Witnesses observed the two trucks cutting each other off, as they drove north on ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/fatal-stabbing-on-the-roadside-in-chicago/ Here is an excellent article from "Today's Trucking.com", which is a Canadian trucking website. The FMCSA has been working on a rulemaking, which will probably be released in the next 6 months. This proposed rulemaking will make the medical requirements for being a commercial driver more restrictive. ... http://www.arnoldsafetyblog.com/more-restrictive-medical-requirements-coming/