Arkansas Trucking Association

BMO, big trucking industry lender, launches hardship program

BMO Harris Bank, one of the largest lenders to the trucking industry, introduced a financial relief program for those impacted by COVID-19.  

Relief for small businesses and customers may include payment deferrals on credit cards, mortgages, home equity, auto, personal and small business loans for up to three months; fee waivers for checking and savings accounts; and removing some penalties. The bank has also paused foreclosure and repossession actions for consumers with COVID-19 related circumstances. 

Read more: BMO, big trucking industry lender, launches hardship program

Trucking calendar changes

Preventing the spread of new dangerous virus has uprooted the plans of almost everyone on Earth. All of the events we would normally gather for (birthdays, holy days, big games, graduations, memorials, concerts, ceremonies) are being re-examined as possible vectors for illness. Arkansas Trucking Association has had to look at its own calendar and pivot to accommodate current guidance about gatherings.

ATA’s Annual Business Conference & Vendor Showcase has been rescheduled for August 17-18 in Roger, Ark. The event was originally set to take place on May 5-7, but the new dates will allow time to observe social distancing guidelines and pivot to a speaker and topic lineup that addresses the changing realities of what's next for navigating the rebounding of our economy as well as safety, shifting regulations, technology and politics.

Read more: Trucking calendar changes

GPS data shows trucks are moving more efficiently during Covid-19

The American Transportation Research Institute has released new data showing that trucks are continuing to move – in many cases faster than usual – to respond to the demands placed on the industry by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February, ATRI released its list of top bottlenecks in the country where congestion for trucks is the most challenging. Those locations, just a month later, saw traffic reduce drastically as cities and states began directing quarantines for citizens exposed to the coronavirus or social distancing for everyone to prevent the virus’ spread.

Read more: GPS data shows trucks are moving more efficiently during Covid-19

Road projects move forward with reduced traffic

Some states are taking advantage of less congested roads as they move forward with infrastructure projects.

“Given that the traffic is down and everything, I’m going to be looking at accelerating some of these infrastructure projects,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

“When you’re doing those on busy roads, it causes a lot of problems,” DeSantis continued. “When those (roads) are no longer busy, and if that’s going to be the case for the next month, then we’re going to need to make use of that time.”

Read more: Road projects move forward with reduced traffic

Trucking responds amidst challenging circumstances

The Arkansas Trucking Association assures citizens that trucks will continue to safely and efficiently deliver essential supplies and aid during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Some consumers around the state likely encountered empty shelves last week as reports continued to come in regarding the spread of a new corona virus. Experts have advised citizens should take measures to protect the hospitals and health institutions, which will be overtaxed if everyone contracts the illness at the same time. Many buyers headed to the grocery stores to stock up on toilet paper, hand sanitizer and food.

Read more: Trucking responds amidst challenging circumstances

ATA shares new research on truth in tolling

The Arkansas Trucking Association commended the American Transportation Research Institute on its newest research that documents the collection and distribution of toll revenue. The research sheds light on many questions about tolling, including how much toll revenue is generated versus reinvested in toll facilities, and contrasts truck-generated toll revenue versus truck utilization of toll roads.

Arkansas Trucking Association has consistently opposed tolling as a source of infrastructure funding because as ATRI’s study demonstrated toll facility costs are high and a significant portion of toll revenues are subsidizing unrelated transportation costs.

Read more: ATA shares new research on truth in tolling

Drive-through warehouse opens its doors in Dallas

Home Depot, home improvement retailer, has opened a flatbed distribution center in Dallas, Texas, that will enable flatbed trucks to drive through the warehouse for more efficient loading.

Because the company earns 45% of its annual sales from customers who professionally remodel, repair or maintain housing projects, finding a way to improve the speed and convenience of distributing their products was important.

The new 800,000 square foot facility will be able to handle up to 65 to 75 trucks a day, adding thousands of deliveries each week in the Dallas area and replacing the older process that allowed only smaller trucks to load a couple of orders and then make multiple trips. Home Depot plans to open similar ones in other cities as part of a $1.2 billion, five-year investment in its supply chain.

Read more: Drive-through warehouse opens its doors in Dallas

Surcharge for the Golden State

On Jan. 20, FedEx Freight launched a surcharge on all shipments moving to, from and within California.

The $7 per-shipment fee, named the "California Compliance Surcharge," comes a few weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law, AB 5, that requires companies to prove workers are independent contractors instead of employees. The law has since been stayed by LA Superior Court Judge William Highberger, who determined the law is preempted by the federal rules of the 1994 Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act.

Read more: Surcharge for the Golden State

Trucking can’t foot the whole bill for highways

In a letter to Senate Finance Committee leaders, the American Trucking Associations encouraged Congress to include “common-sense funding mechanisms” in future surface transportation legislation this year and to forget about trucking-only taxes and fees as a resolution to infrastructure funding problems.

 “Any discriminatory funding schemes, like a truck-only vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, will be met with resolute opposition by the industry, and must be dismissed as a misguided and prejudiced funding gimmick.”

Read more: Trucking can’t foot the whole bill for highways

99 phones and a virtual traffic jam

With Google Maps as his canvas and a little red wagon filled with 99 phones as his medium, artist Simon Wreckert created a virtual traffic jam on the streets of Berlin.

While Wreckert walked up and down the street for a couple of hours, Google Maps reflected 99 cars moving alongside him because he had rented the phones and opened the maps application on all of them. The stunt was to make a point about how much space cars take up and the data we trust to reflect experience.

Read more: 99 phones and a virtual traffic jam

Kansas City delivers a Super Bowl win; FedEx delivers the trophy

Before the Kansas City Chiefs claimed victory over the San Francisco 49ers during the Super Bowl LIV in Miami on Feb. 2, FedEx celebrated the 20th anniversary of delivering the grand prize for football’s biggest event.

Read more: Kansas City delivers a Super Bowl win; FedEx delivers the trophy

Americans spend less on infrastructure than other basic utlities

A recent analysis of household expense data by HNTB Corporation shows that, on average, American families pay far less in federal and state motor fuel taxes in comparison to electricity and water service, among others.

On average, HNTB’s analysis found that American drivers pay $274.69 annually, or less than $25 a month, in combined federal and state motor fuel taxes at the pump.

Read more: Americans spend less on infrastructure than other basic utlities

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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