It’s hard to tell how ELDs contribute to increased CMV safety, and safety on our highways in general. Yes they help HOS compliance – we have hard data.
But do they help with safety? Read this interesting take from Scopelitis Transportation Consulting.
Read the entire report here.
Goal:
To develop a set of best practices and guidelines focused on minimizing cyber risks for aftermarket electronic systems intended for use in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry.
Background:
Heavy vehicle fleet operators routinely integrate a variety of aftermarket electronic systems into the trucks and buses they operate. Such systems include telematics units, navigation, infotainment, vehicle diagnostics, cargo monitoring and vehicle anti-theft systems, as well as a variety of driver monitoring, crash avoidance and other systems that may aid in compliance or operation of the vehicle. Often, these devices and systems are integrated into the vehicle’s electrical architecture including potential linkages with the vehicle’s CAN databus, driver display systems, or other electronic sub-systems on the vehicle. Further, the aftermarket/telematic devices themselves will often incorporate a wireless or wired connection, (or perhaps a manual input interface) that allows for connecting the device to its intended interface entity. Such interfaces, with their integration into the vehicle’s electronic systems, offer a potential cyber vulnerability or a “point of entry” that may allow “bad actors” to gain access first to the aftermarket system, and then subsequently to the vehicle’s control sub-systems, including driver interface, braking, throttle and or steering systems. Such connections may possibly be “hacked” to allow malicious attacks such as retrieving propriety data stored on the vehicle, or creating congestion on the vehicle networks such that normal and safe operation of the vehicle is compromised. As telematic and related aftermarket electronic devices and systems continue to proliferate the heavy vehicle marketplace, such cyber threats are of a growing concern to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the heavy vehicle industry.
Summary:
For this joint project with NHTSA, the contractor will build on existing heavy vehicle cybersecurity research to more narrowly focus on cyber threats and vulnerabilities associated with the integration and use of a variety of aftermarket and telematic systems intended for heavy vehicle application. The output of this research will be a set of best practices and guidelines for both the design and integration of aftermarket electronic systems focused on minimizing cyber risks. To this extent, the output of this work may be used by both the suppliers of such systems as well as by end users.
HDT Staff
Operating
costs were up across the board last year, costing fleets an average of
$71.78 per hour to run freight, according to the American Transportation
Research Institute’s latest Operational Costs of Trucking report.
The
2019 update to ATRI’s report looked at trucking industry operating
costs during 2018 which saw a robust economic environment for carriers
and drivers. While times were good for fleets overall, the economic boom
also put upward pressure on nearly every line-item cost center
experienced by carriers, according to ATRI.
ATRI
found that a good economy, difficulties in finding and keeping drivers,
and increased fuel and insurance prices all contributed to
year-over-year cost increases. The average marginal cost per mile, which
includes costs due to fuel, equipment, maintenance, insurance, permits,
licenses, tires, tolls and driver wages and benefits, increased 7.7% in
2018 to $1.82 per mile.
Costs
went up in every category except tires, and fuel costs saw the largest
increase at 17.7%. Not far behind fuel cost increases, were insurance
costs at 12%. Driver wages and benefits continued to make up the largest
portion of operating costs and 2018 was a year of substantial driver pay increases industry wide.
Driver
wages and benefits increased 7.0% and 4.7% respectively as a strategic
response to the severe driver shortage that existed in 2018, according
to ATRI. On an hourly basis, average costs due to driver wages increased
from $21.97 to $23.50 in a single year. Benefits increased from $6.78
to $7.10 per hour. Wages and benefits represented 43% of all marginal
costs in 2018.
Repair and maintenance costs increased 24% since 2012 to 17.1 cents per mile on average.
These
numbers represent an average of the trucking industry, however ATRI’s
report also analyzes costs by sector which can have varying costs due to
the type of activity. Specialized carriers have the highest cost per
mile at $2.02, with additional factors such as HazMat and OS/OW permit
costs, complex maintenance requirements and higher driver compensation
contributing to increased costs.
Truckload
carriers have the lowest operating cost per mile at $1.71, despite a
14.8% increase from the previous year, mostly attributed to driver pay
increases.
Check out The Transportation Brief – a Quarterly Newsletter of Legal News.
This newsletter by Scopelitits Garvin Light Hanson & Feary discusses;
• Unassigned Miles and Managing AOBRD and ELD Data
• FMCSA Exemptions to the ELD Mandate
• AOBRD v. ELD
• ELDs Present Unique Opportunities and Challenges for Shippers and Intermediaries
• Spotlight on Regulatory Compliance Practice Area’s ELD Review and Audits
