运营成本、安全、监管政策等问题在 ATA 会议上提出

Fusable Risk Intelligence 保险副总裁兼董事总经理 Chad Krueger（左）和 Moseley Marcinak Law Group 创始合伙人 Rob Moseley 在活动上发言。（Mindy Long 负责运输主题）

菲尼克斯 — 运营成本、安全、保障和监管要求是车队最关心的问题，利益相关者在美国卡车运输协会安全、保障和人力资源全国会议和展览会上分享了影响卡车运输行业的问题的最新信息。承运商在多个领域面临成本增加的问题，包括保险和司机工资。 Fusable Risk Intelligence 保险副总裁兼总经理 Chad Krueger 表示，保险行业正面临诉讼成本、灾难性损失和天气相关灾害的压力，这些成本都在不断增加。

“社会通胀与事故量叠加，导致总损失成本上升，”他解释道。

作为回应，保险公司正在提高费率。“保险公司正试图扭亏为盈。110% 或 115% 的损失率并不罕见，”Krueger 说道，并补充说，保险公司正试图获取尽可能多的数据，以期避免损失。

人们对自保和自保集团的兴趣日益浓厚。然而，加入自保集团可能具有挑战性。“这些保险公司都经过审查，在安全方面做得非常好，”Krueger 解释道。

会议更多内容：技术工具帮助承运商降低风险、提高安全性

Fusable 的数据显示，2023 年的责任事故略低于 2022 年，但这些数字并非最终数字。自 2020 年以来，机动车承运商事故总数有所上升，但 2023 年的初步数据显示略有下降。

尽管如此，Moseley Marcinak 律师事务所创始合伙人 Rob Moseley 表示，他对下降并不感到欣慰。

“我们看到的数字表明死亡人数正在上升，”他说。“我们不能满足于现状。”

Moseley 与承运商合作，积极审查数据，包括他们可以通过安全管理系统获得的信息。

“通过跟踪和分析这些信息，您可以从很多方面长期改善您的业务，”他说。

我们看到的数字表明死亡人数正在上升。我们不能满足于现状。Moseley Marcinak 法律集团创始合伙人 Rob Moseley 谈及机动车事故

例如，事故频率和严重程度会随着停运结果而上升。“我们研究了停运违规行为，以及未来六个月内发生事故的概率。一旦发生，概率就会上升，”Krueger 说。

司机违规频率越高也与事故频率的明显模式相关。此外，运输公司通过路边违规积累的积分会让他们进入交通部的雷达，可能进行合规审查。

“记录显示，完成合规审查的人中，有 50% 多一点的人会带着他们不喜欢的东西离开，”Moseley 说。“合规审查会让你更有可能得到有条件的或不满意的费率。这两种情况都会让你破产。”

该行业还在努力应对司机短缺和司机队伍老龄化的问题。

“有些人喜欢告诉我们不存在司机短缺的问题。谢谢，”博伊尔运输公司联合总裁兼 ATA 主席安德鲁·博伊尔说。“与此同时，我正在市场上处理这个问题。”

博伊尔说，为了吸引司机，司机工资在过去几年中上涨了 30% 以上。

博伊尔运输公司联合总裁兼 ATA 主席博伊尔说，有些人喜欢说不存在司机短缺的问题，但他正在市场上处理这个问题。（美国卡车运输协会）

周边安全服务公司 Amarok 的全国客户总监马克·兰德里表示，增加司机工资可能会给其他业务领域带来财务限制。

“通常，最先被削减的预算之一就是安全，”他说。

随着犯罪分子变得越来越老练，这尤其令人担忧。

“无论你的公司规模大小，关于你的公司及其运营的信息量都是惊人的，”兰德里说。 “犯罪分子正在审查和了解贵公司的运作方式，以及如何破坏我们为保护员工和资产而制定的所有做法。”

Landry 敦促安全专业人员与其信息技术部门密切合作，并在发生安全漏洞之前投入工作。

“您需要在危机爆发前建立战略关系并获得高管层的支持

“这种情况会很常见，”他说。

Landry 经常听到的一个安全问题是缺乏安全的停车位。“没有足够多的企业认识到提供安全空间的价值，”他说。“从安全角度来看，这成为一个真正的问题。”

翻新还是不翻新，这是一个问题。对于一些维护经理来说，购买新轮胎还是翻新轮胎的争论一直存在。在本期节目中，主持人 Michael Freeze 与 Bridgestone Americas 高级培训专家 Alex Aguilar 一起寻找有关轮胎的答案。

由于司机必须遵守服务时间要求，他们有时必须在不安全的停车地点和违反 HOS 要求驾驶之间做出选择，才能到达安全地点。“这不仅是一个安全问题，而且通常也是一个安全问题，”Landry 说。

卡车停车仍然是 ATA 的首要任务，博伊尔表示，该联盟支持《卡车停车安全改进法案》，该法案将为卡车停车场扩建制定 7.55 亿美元的联邦拨款计划。

停车尤其重要，因为该行业致力于吸引包括女性在内的新进入者，而这些新进入者都注重安全。博伊尔补充说，ATA 的“Women In Motion”旨在促进和支持女性在卡车运输业的发展，而联邦汽车运输安全管理局的“安全驾驶员学徒试点”则帮助 18 至 20 岁的年轻人加入该行业，这些都是吸引司机的宝贵工具。

有几项监管要求影响卡车运输业务。州和联邦层面的脱碳努力实际上正在强制使用电池电动汽车，这给制造商和车队带来了新的负担。

“很多营销都向人们传达了电动汽车是解决所有环境问题的灵丹妙药的信息，”博伊尔说，他鼓励大家将自己的语言从“要么电动汽车，要么破产”转变为“让我们将交通对环境的影响降到最低”。当我们去与托运人和其他人交谈时，我们必须传达这一点。”

博伊尔引用了美国运输研究所关于可再生柴油的新研究。

“让我们开放并接受所有意见，”他说，并补充说，与 1975 年相比，氮氧化物的排放量减少了 99%，与 1985 年相比，颗粒物的排放量减少了 99%。

虽然卡车运输受联邦服务时间规则的管辖，但一些州希望优先考虑那些有州用餐和休息时间的卡车运输。博伊尔要求任何受州规则影响的卡车运输公司向联邦公报提交意见。

此外，国会正试图使将人们归类为独立承包商变得更加困难。

“我们的立场是，只要合法合规，不存在掠夺性贷款，人们就应该有选择成为独立承包商或雇员的权利，”博伊尔说。“同样，如果存在工会，人们也应该有选择加入工会或不加入工会的权利。”

尽管面临挑战，但该行业还是取得了积极的发展。博伊尔表示，《运输安全检查现代化法案》将协调和简化申请流程，并简化接受重复背景和安全检查的申请人的费用。

“供应链工人不应该为政府效率低下和冗余买单，”博伊尔说。“ATA 正在领导一个由 150 多个行业利益相关者组成的联盟，支持该立法。”

Trucking Leaders Discuss Industry Trends, Key Concerns

Operational Costs, Security, Regulatory Policies Among Issues Raised at ATA Conference

Chad Krueger (left), vice president and managing director of insurance at Fusable Risk Intelligence, and Rob Moseley, founding partner at Moseley Marcinak Law Group, speak at the event. (Mindy Long for Transport Topics)

PHOENIX — Operational costs, safety, security and regulatory requirements are top of mind for fleets, and stakeholders shared the latest information on issues affecting the trucking industry during American Trucking Associations’ Safety, Security and Human Resources National Conference and Exhibition.

Carriers are facing increasing costs in several areas, including insurance and driver pay. Chad Krueger, vice president and managing director of insurance at Fusable Risk Intelligence, said the insurance industry is under pressure from litigation costs, catastrophic losses and weather-related disasters, which are all becoming more expensive.

“Social inflation is compounding with accident volumes to drive up total loss cost,” he explained.

In response, insurance carriers are raising rates.

“The insurance carriers are trying to get back in the black. A 110% or 115% loss ratio is not uncommon,” Krueger said, adding that insurance carriers are trying to ingest as much data as possible to try and get ahead of losses.

There is an increasing appetite for self-insurance and captive groups. However, it can be challenging to get into a captive group.

“Those are carriers that are vetted and doing a very good job with their safety,” Krueger explained.

MORE FROM THE CONFERENCE: Technology Tools Help Carriers Reduce Risk, Improve Safety

Fusable’s data shows that liability crashes in 2023 are slightly lower than 2022, but the numbers are not final. Total motor carrier crash events have ticked up since 2020, but 2023’s preliminary numbers show a slight decrease.

Still, Rob Moseley, founding partner at Moseley Marcinak Law Group, said he doesn’t find comfort in the decreases.

“The numbers we’ve seen show fatalities are going up,” he said. “We can’t rest on our laurels.”

Moseley works with carriers to actively review data, including information they can get through the Safety Management System.

“By tracking that information and analyzing it, you can improve your business in the long run in many, many ways,” he said.

The numbers we’ve seen show fatalities are going up. We can’t rest on our laurels.Rob Moseley, founding partner at Moseley Marcinak Law Group, on motor carrier crash events

For example, accident frequency and severity rise with out-of-service outcomes. “We looked at an OOS violation and, in the next six months, the probability of having an accident. With one, it jumps up,” Krueger said.

A higher frequency of driver violations also correlates to a clear pattern on accident frequencies. Plus, the points carriers accumulate through roadside violations put them on the Department of Transportation’s radar for a possible compliance review.

“Records show that a little over 50% of people who complete a compliance review walk away with something they don’t like,” Moseley said. “A compliance review makes it more likely you’ll get a conditional or unsatisfactory rate. Both of those will put you out of business.”

The industry also is grappling with the driver shortage and an aging driver workforce.

“Some people delight in trying to tell us that there is no driver shortage. Thanks for that,” said Andrew Boyle, co-president of Boyle Transportation and chairman of ATA. “Meanwhile, I’m in the marketplace dealing with it.”

Driver wages have increased more than 30% in the past few years to attract drivers, Boyle said.

Boyle, co-president of Boyle Transportation and chairman of ATA, says some people delight in saying there's no driving shortage, but he's in the marketplace dealing with it. (American Trucking Associations)

Mark Landry, national accounts director at Amarok, a perimeter security services company, said increasing driver pay can create financial constraints in other areas of the business.

“Often, one of the first budgets to get cut is security,” he said.

That is especially concerning as criminals become more sophisticated.

“The amount of information available about your company and the operations of your company, no matter how big or small you are, is staggering,” Landry said. “The criminals are vetting and understanding how your company works and how to subvert all of the practices we have in place to protect our people and our assets.”

Landry urged security professionals to collaborate closely with their information technology departments and put in the work before a security breach occurs.

“You need to create strategic relationships and get the executive-level buy-in before the crisis h

appens,” he said.

A security concern Landry often hears about is a lack of safe parking. “There are not enough businesses that see enough value of providing secure spaces,” he said. “That becomes a real problem from a security perspective.”

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Because drivers must adhere to hours-of-service requirements, they sometimes have to choose between an unsecure parking location or drive in violation of HOS requirements to get to a secure location. “This is not only a security issue but often a safety issue, too,” Landry said.

Truck parking remains a priority for ATA, and Boyle said the federation supports the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which would create a $755 million federal grant program for truck parking expansion.

Parking is especially important as the industry works to attract new entrants, including women, who prioritize safety. Boyle added that ATA’s Women In Motion, which promotes and supports the advancement of women in trucking, as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot that helps 18- to 20-year-olds join the industry, are valuable tools to attract drivers.

There are several regulatory requirements affecting trucking operations. Decarbonization efforts at the state and federal level are effectively mandating battery-electric vehicles, which is placing new burdens on manufacturers and fleets.

“There is a lot of marketing that conveys to people that electric vehicles are the panacea for all environmental ills,” Boyle said, encouraging everyone to shift their language “from ‘EVs or bust’ to ‘let’s minimize the environmental impact of transportation.’ When we go to speak to shippers and others, we have to communicate that.”

Boyle referenced the American Transportation Research Institute’s new study on renewable diesel.

“Let’s open up and take all the inputs,” he said, adding that emissions have decreased 99% for nitrogen oxide versus 1975 and 99% for particulate matter versus 1985.

Although trucking is governed by federal hours-of-service rules, some states want to pre-empt those with state meal and rest breaks. Boyle asked any trucking company affected by state rules to submit comments to the federal register.

Additionally, Congress is trying to make it more difficult to classify people as independent contractors.

“Our position is that provided it is above board and there is no predatory lending going on, people should have a choice to be independent contractors or employees,” Boyle said. “Similarly, if there is a union situation, people should have a choice whether to join the union or not.”

Despite the challenges, there have been positive developments for the industry. Boyle said the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act would harmonize and streamline the application process and fees for applicants undergoing redundant background and security checks.

“Supply chain workers should not foot the bill for government inefficiency and redundancy,” Boyle said. “ATA is leading a coalition of 150-plus industry stakeholders in support of the legislation.”