Arkansas Trucking Association

FMCSA’s IT makeover

FMCSA’s chief technology officer, Pavan Pidugu, is on a mission to revamp the agency’s outdated legacy systems by 2028. Pidugu, who joined FMCSA in 2020 after stints at Walmart and Target, candidly said the system is cumbersome, not user friendly, invites processing errors and is decades behind the fast-moving world of technology.

He has already successfully implemented new user-friendly IT systems to streamline roadside inspections, the motor carrier registration process and the agency’s medical examiners registration website.

Read more: FMCSA’s IT makeover

Twelve ATA Members Make Top 100

Twelve Arkansas Trucking Association member companies, including five companies headquartered in Arkansas, are among the Top 100 freight carriers in North America according to the annual ranking compiled by Transport Topics, an industry trade newspaper. Companies on the Top 100 For-Hire Carriers list are ranked based on overall revenue generated for the most recent 12-month period.

Read more: Twelve ATA Members Make Top 100

ATA and Arkansas State Police Address CDL Testing Backlog

A collaboration between the Arkansas State Police and Arkansas trucking industry is helping address a backlog of trained, professional truck drivers that are urgently needed to fill a deficit of some 80,000 truck driving jobs nationwide.

Read more: ATA and Arkansas State Police Address CDL Testing Backlog

Robin Hutcheson Nominated to FMCSA Administrator Post

On April 6, President Biden formally nominated Robin Hutcheson to become administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Hutchenson has served as acting administrator since Jan. 19, and previously served as deputy assistant secretary for safety policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Read more: Robin Hutcheson Nominated to FMCSA Administrator Post

Poultry and Petrol Prices on the Rise

Prices at the grocery store and gas pump continue to rise as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports 30 of the 38 commonly traded commodities are priced higher now than a year ago.

Among the most inflated prices are turkey breasts (166.5% higher) and chicken breasts (87.3% higher). Chicken processors like Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s increased production in February, but ongoing supply chain issues and labor shortages only beleaguer their inability to keep up with demand.

Read more: Poultry and Petrol Prices on the Rise

Tapping the Fuel Reserves

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and fuel prices soar at the fastest rate ever recorded by the Energy Department, President Biden on March 31 announced an unprecedented release of crude oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Read more: Tapping the Fuel Reserves

FedEx Founder Stepping Down as CEO

FedEx Corp. founder Fred Smith will become executive chairman effective June 1 and current President and Chief Operating Officer Raj Subramaniam will be promoted to President and CEO.

"Over the course of five decades, Fred built FedEx from the ground up into one of the most iconic and innovative companies the world has ever known," said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “His contributions have not only benefited our industry; they have helped transform our economy and forever changed the way we all live."

Read more: FedEx Founder Stepping Down as CEO

Talking Workforce at the White House

Against the backdrop of three Class 8 trucks on the South Lawn of the White House, representatives from trucking joined President Biden and other leaders on April 4 to tout the administration’s progress on industry workforce initiatives.

President Biden said the programs, “allow aspiring drivers to earn while they learn, while making this essential job more attractive to potential drivers regardless of age, background and gender.”

Read more: Talking Workforce at the White House

Linehaul is for the Dogs’…Food

Online pet supply retailer Chewy has begun operating a portion of its linehaul needs through its own middle mile fleet and network in a bid for more reliable and less expensive transportation, CEO Sumit Singh said on the company's most recent earnings call.

Read more: Linehaul is for the Dogs’…Food

FMCSA Pulls Two Proposed CDL Rule Changes

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is withdrawing two notices of proposed rulemaking regarding commercial driver’s licenses due to concerns from industry stakeholders.

One rule would have allowed states to use a third-party skills test examiner to administer the commercial driver’s license skills test to applicants to whom they had also provided skills training. However, some states worried about potential fraud with no mechanisms in place to verify a person taking the knowledge test in one jurisdiction is in fact the same person taking the skills test in another and the potential for conflict of interest or examiner bias.

Read more: FMCSA Pulls Two Proposed CDL Rule Changes

Amazon selects UA Little Rock, UA Pulaski Tech for workforce program

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College were selected as education partners for Amazon’s Career Choice program, which provides Amazon’s hourly employees in central Arkansas with access to more than 180 accredited degree programs.

Read more: Amazon selects UA Little Rock, UA Pulaski Tech for workforce program

Operation Safe Driver Week to Focus on Speeding

During this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week, July 10-16, law enforcement in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be on roadways issuing warnings and citations to commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, improper lane change, drunk or drugged driving, etc.

Read more: Operation Safe Driver Week to Focus on Speeding

Contact Us

Arkansas Trucking Association
PO Box 3476 (72203)
1401 West Capitol Ave.
Suite 185
Little Rock, AR 72201

(501) 372-3462 | Phone
(501) 376-1810 | Fax

Our Mission

  • PROTECT the collective interests of trucking companies in the political and regulatory arenas.
  • PROMOTE the dynamics of trucking so that people have a better understanding of the link between America's primary freight delivery system and the standard of living they enjoy.
  • SERVE our members to help them to grow their business and their profits
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