News
T his year stands to be a challeng-ing one for the trucking indus-try and its drivers. As the nation waddles out of the worst economic recession in re-cent history and regulators and Con-gress return their attention to pend-ing issues, the prospects for change in several key areas affecting driv-ers and owner-operators get greater. Following find point of view from industry parties on six key con-cerns. For more on pending regula-tory and legislative changes, see the CSA 2010 safety compliance system cover story on p. 18. Hours of service: The Obama administration, preempting a court ruling late last year, has put the hours-of-service rule back on the table for FMCSA review this year. While a final rule is on a timetable that will extend into 2011, a proposal may be available for comment by yearend. Opinions in the industry are divided. They've put it off for such a period of time that they're not going to change it, predicts hotshot boat hauler Daniel Audet, host of the Truckstar Internet radio show (see Exit Only, p. 82). I do know many times drivers have contacted me and they're on their 34-hour restart near their destination. Audet points to the rigidity of the 14-hour window, as well, combined with loading and unloading time, often adding a extra day to what might have in the past been a one-day trip. The shippers' products are taking a lot longer to get to market because of this, he says. The hours of ser-vice are affecting the gross national product, then, of this country. Oh, brother, says Transporta-tion Business Associates President Jay Thompson. I could put on my optimistic hat and say they'll re-confirm everything. In the end, he says, it depends on exactly how powerful the Teamsters lobby is, which favors a return to 10 hours of driving time and elimination of the FOR THE RECORD TRUCKING NEWS A look at key issues that could impact you in 2010 TODD DILLS CHANGES IN THE AIR S PECIAL R EPORT : $2 $3 $4 $5 August September October November 2007 Prices 2008 Prices 2009 Prices 14 TRUCKERS NEWS JANUARY 2010 T O D D D IL L S The upward trajectory of diesel prices in October this year, relatively similar to the steep rise at the end of 2007, led many in the industry to worry about a 2010 repeat of the 2008 price spike. For more, see p. 62. continued on page 62 2007-09 YEAREND DIESEL COMPARISON