As a carrier, you are navigating all the time, but when it comes to navigating your IFTA fuel tax liabilities, it can be easy to take a wrong turn. I’ve been helping fleets and owner operators fulfill their IFTA fuel tax reporting obligations for more than 35 years with DAT Fleet Compliance (formerly TransCore Fleet Compliance), which is ...
In December, we reported that the FMCSA had revoked authority of 38 percent of the 21,700 brokers with authority when the $75,000 bond requirement went into effect. Despite the big numbers nationally, things played out differently in the DAT Network. Even though the vast majority of brokers on the DAT Network are small businesses, only a few had ...
On October 1, the FMCSA issued a Final Rule that adopts regulations required by MAP-21. The rule includes the provision which sets a minimum financial security of $75,000 for brokers and freight forwarders, including carriers that occasionally broker loads. In the Final Rule, the FMCSA states that compliance with the new rule will cost the ...
You've probably heard a lot about the new $75K bond requirement that goes into effect October 1, but if you think it only applies to brokers you may be in for a rude awakening. If you're a carrier who brokers or sub-contracts freight and you want to post loads, you'll need a bond. If that doesn't apply to you, the requirement will still .../p
This month marks the 20th anniversary of perhaps the most definitive study of what truck drivers like and dislike about their job. “Job Satisfaction of U.S. Commercial Drivers,” conducted in 1992 and published in May 1993 by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) is based on a survey of nearly 4,000 ...
You’ve probably read that DAT Load Boards recently added 15 specialized equipment types, up from 57. This means that brokers can now be more specific about their specialized loads and search for carriers with the right equipment. Likewise, since carriers generally prefer to search for loads rather than post their trucks, they can now search ...
Carriers' expenses are rising faster than their revenues. According to transportation industry analyst Donald Broughton of Avondale Partners, trucking company costs are rising twice as fast as rates. It should come as no surprise, then, that improving revenue and cutting costs are top priorities for small fleets and owner-operators .../p
Cargo insurance policies are not all made equal. Insurers compete, and vary, on the breadth of coverage, service, loss prevention, and pricing. While a low cost policy may catch your eye, it may also provide less coverage than you need. Since cargo insurance covers the carrier’s legal liability as a transporter of freight ...
<p>With diesel prices at $4.05 per gallon as a national average, it can cost you around $0.63 per mile traveled to fill your tank. That's based on 6.4 MPG and the national average cost of diesel, published by the U.S. Department of Energy. Your mileage may vary, and so will your costs, depending on prices in your region. The fuel ...</p>
Last month, San Bernardino County Superior Court fined an Ontario, CA trucking company $300,000 after a California Air Resources Board (CARB) investigation revealed that the carrier failed to upgrade 32 Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) with cleaner-burning, 2002-model-year or newer diesel engines. The case against Foster Enterprises is the ...
Carriers have been under tremendous pressure, as their costs are rising faster than rates. Even when truckload rates are higher than historical norms, carriers are burdened with high fuel costs, driver retention issues and new expenses for regulatory compliance. This week, I saw confirmation from industry analyst Donald Broughton of Avondale...
Bryan Martin is President of 4-State Trucks, a provider of after-market parts and solutions for heavy-duty trucks. 4-State Trucks is a DAT Strategic Marketing Partner. If you own a fleet, you may struggle to give unity to your trucks and drivers, making them both appealing to customers and easy to identify on the .../p
