CVSA Operation Safe Driver Week Starts July 11th
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is once again in sight. Like last year, the CVSA is putting a hefty focus on speeding, and with all of the data regarding speeding, it is easy to see why.
First Truck Stop Vaccination Clinic Opens
Notice This article was written before, and published on, the day that the CDC has declared a pause in the use of the J&J vaccine. The current status of administering vaccines at the Native Pride Travel Plaza, as to whether they have switched to other vaccines or have stopped altogether, is currently unknown. The article […]
Taylor & Martin, Inc. Auction Schedule 2021
Taylor & Martin Truck & Trailer AuctionsWe’ve put together a schedule for the Taylor & Martin auctions to help you find your next truck and/or trailer. With live auctions held at locations across the country each week, plus the ability to bid onsite or online, you’ll never miss the chance to attend a Taylor & […]
Reefer Trailers
A reefer trailer means a refrigerated trailer, not that it hauls marijuana. In this article we will go over all things reefer. What is a Reefer Trailer? A reefer trailer is a trailer that has a built-in cooling system, usually powered by diesel fuel, to keep freight cold. Reefers are commonly used for produce, but […]
March 2021: Trucking Industry Continues to Rock
For a majority of the past year, we have been writing about how the pent up demand for trucking services due to the coronavirus pandemic has caused the trucking industry to rebound with terms such as “on fire” and “skyrocket on top of a skyrocket”. Frankly, we are running out of terms to describe how well the trucking industry is performing right now. Exploding? Volcanic?
March 2021: Freight Rates Held High
While the numbers deviated slightly from the update in the middle of March, the massive jump in rates for all three forms of freight held steady.
Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Plan and How it Impacts Truckers
On March 31st, the office of Joe Biden released the details for the American Jobs Plan. The entire press release clocks in at almost 12,000 words. Reading it is a time-consuming project, but if you want to, you can view it on the fact sheet webpage. For those who have better things to do (such […]
Truck Parking Bill Makes a Comeback
2021 is the new 2020. While many bills related to the trucking industry died in the legislative process in the previous year, many of them are getting a second wind with a new Congress and White House. One of these is an attempt to resolve the perpetual problem of truck parking, a problem that was […]
The Cost of a Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax
The way things have been, a fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents of diesel fuel have been used for the Highway Trust Fund. These numbers, unchanged since 1993, are not enough for the infrastructure needs of the country.
Short Miles Vs. Practical Miles
In our research, we find that there is not a comprehensive yet concise article explaining the difference between these two measurements of trucker pay, so we wanted to lay things out easily for the common man, or someone just getting into driving.
Congress Considers Side Guards for Trailers
Side guards might seem like another costly regulation for truckers, but they can help other drivers keep ahead.
Extended Sleeper Cabs: Pros and Cons
TopMark Funding is located within view of a highway, and do not think we miss the heavy-duty trucks that come by! We see all types of trucks traveling on that road, from flatbeds carrying tubing to trucks hauling almost 80,000 pounds of tomatoes in an open-faced trailer.
Bureaucracy Impedes Trucker COVID-19 Vaccinations
The general procedure of receiving a coronavirus vaccine, as it is now, requires the patient to be a member of the eligible phase (currently 1a, 1b, or even 1c in some states), and prove they are a citizen of the state distributing the vaccine.
FMCSA Hosts 20th ART Forum
On March 10th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held its 20th annual Analysis, Research, and Technology (ART) Forum, and the first under the Biden presidency with a new change of officials. ART is used to discuss how technology is used to fulfill the FMCSA’s goals, namely minimizing truck crashes, and was especially fitting because […]
February 2021: Trailer Sales Far Exceed Same Time Last Year
Listen to this article Similar to the trailer sales in January, February trailer purchases decreased when compared to the month prior, but are extraordinarily higher than they were at the same time last year. ACT Research has compiled and reported the numbers. Trailer Sales Numbers February 2021’s trailer sales totaled approximately 24,000 units. This is […]
Projected March Freight Rates Large if Held
We usually only post about the freight rates when DAT has solidified the numbers, usually a week after the month has passed. We have made exceptions for notable changes in freight rates, and here is another one. While we are only a little bit over halfway through the month, DAT is estimating freight rates to […]
FMCSA Extends Regional Emergency for Six States
Listen to the article We wrote how we thought this state of emergency would not need an extension, and in twenty-eight cases we were right. However, some states were hit harder by the cold weather than others, and as such, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is expanding the state of emergency in these six […]
The PRO Act of 2021
You might remember last year a bill called the Protecting Right to Organize (PRO) Act made it through the House of Representatives, but died either in the senate or on the president’s desk. It is making a comeback, and with Democrats in control of the house, senate, and presidency, it may just become law. History […]
American Society of Civil Engineers Says Roads Are D-Grade
It only takes hitting one pothole on the road to understand that United States roads are an infrastructure investment that nearly everyone supports. But with such bipartisan approval, roads continue to remain in states of disrepair. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) grades different aspects of infrastructure in the United States, ranging from aviation […]
February 2021: Trucking Jobs Down Slightly for Slow Season
The winter months after the holiday season are generally the slowest months of the year for the trucking industry, so it may not come as a surprise that the preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that employment numbers in the industry are down. The Numbers Preliminarily, the BLS pins the total count […]
February 2021: Truck Sales Up, Period.
For the month prior, truck sales were either great or bad depending on if you looked at the increase from last year or last month, respectively. With February, truck sales have increased no matter the angle.The NumbersAccording to Freight Transportation Research (FTR), 44,000 Class 8 trucks were sold in February. This is a tiny 3% […]
January 2021: Trailer Sales Follow Truck Sales’ Footsteps
It is probably a surprise to nobody that truck sales for any given month has a similar pattern as trailer sales, namely that as truck sales increase, trailer sales tend to increase as well. Last month’s truck sales yielded positive or negative results depending on the angle it was approached; trailer sales did the same. […]
Department of Labor Changes Direction on Sleeper Berth Pay
Not a direct order of Biden but instead implemented by people he approved within the Department of Labor, the regulations regarding off-time pay is shifting back to what it was before the Trump administration. Off-Time Pay Should drivers traveling across the country be compensated for their downtime, considering they are never truly off when on […]
Biden Reverses Trump’s Executive Order 13801
On February 17th, Biden continued his streak of changing gears from his predecessor by rescinding Executive Order 13801. As you can imagine from reading about it here, this impacts the trucking industry. Here is what Executive Order 13801 entailed and what Biden is doing to replace it.Executive Order 13801Hoping to bolster the use of such […]
FMCSA Declares Regional Emergency For Cold Snap
It was but five months ago that the FMCSA declared a regional emergency for the west coast states in response to rampant wildfires in that area. Now it is time for over 30 other states, plus Washington D.C., to receive additional support from the nation’s truckers due to a cold wave.Cold Snap Delivery DetailsThe state […]
The New Peterbilt 579
Recently, the folks over at PACCAR unveiled their newest upgrade to their 579 line of Class 8 trucks, aptly called “The New Model 579”. Peterbilt is hoping to innovate and change the way that truckers perform their jobs. Here is what Peterbilt touts as changes from the previous model. Aerodynamics While Peterbilt advertises eleven key […]
Tesla Faces Battery Cell Shortage
Approximately two weeks ago, we predicted that the Tesla Semi would not come out in 2021. This was not based on any confirmation, but a hunch that the streak of delaying the Semi’s release would continue. While the Tesla Semi is still slated for a 2021 release according to the company, it has hit a […]
January 2021: Trucking Jobs Dip for Slow Season
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the preliminary job numbers in the trucking industry for January 2021. The results are slightly surprising, ending an eight month streak of job growth in the industry, the preliminary numbers suggest the first month of job losses since the dog days of the coronavirus pandemic back in […]
January 2021: Truck Sales Down, but Also Up
ACT and FTR differ on their numbers for Class 8 truck sales by a few hundred each month, but their general messages are the same. This prior month’s message being that the trucking industry is cooling off from the holiday season, but still shows promise of being on fire.The NumbersACT has sales for January set […]
January 2021: Flatbed Rates Rise, Others Stumble
In tandem with the previous two months of freight data, one form of freight deviates in direction from the others. This month, however, two dropped while only one rose.The DataOf the three forms of freight, the largest change happened with dry vans, dropping nine cents to have its rate the lowest since August. It is […]
Meera Joshi to Become FMCSA Deputy Administrator
If you have been following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) news for a while now, three names might ring as familiar: Raymond Martinez, Jim Mullen, and Wiley Deck. These three were the deputy administrators of the FMCSA during the Trump Administration, for varying amounts of time. With the transition to the Biden Administration, […]
Trucking in 2021 and Beyond
A little over a year ago, we wrote an article predicting how 2020 would go for the trucking industry. In the vaguest and broadest of terms, we were correct. Freight rates were on average higher than in 2019 (albeit slumped in the spring), and truck production did stall (though not because of a surplus of […]
Biden’s First 100 Days and How it May Affect Trucking
A few days after election day, we were hesitant to officially call for Biden’s election victory due to numerous fraud allegations and lawsuits for the time between election day and inauguration day. But, all of that is behind the country and by the time you read this, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. should be sworn in […]
The Case for Hourly Pay Trucking
Hourly pay seems like a crazy phenomenon for the trucking industry, where per mile rates rule the road. Per mile pay seems like the better solution on paper: fleet owners can find the number of miles that need to be traveled, multiply it by rate, and then figure out the payment due to the driver. […]
PACCAR Parts Releases Universal Electric Charging Station
One problem facing electric vehicles is different plugs and outlets for charging depending on the vehicle. PACCAR Parts wants to alleviate this problem for drivers, even if they are not direct customers of PACCAR brands such as Kenworth and Peterbilt.Universal ChargingWhether you have started making the transition to electric commercial vehicles or plan to do […]
December 2020: Trailer Sales in Line with New Truck Sales
Hopefully this will be the last time we say it, because it is getting fairly old. At the same time, it is not inaccurate. The coronavirus pandemic did not reduce the demand for trucking services and assets, it only pushed that demand to a further date. If 2020’s new truck sales compared to 2019 did […]
DOT Lays Groundwork for Automated Trucking Standards
While Elaine Chao has resigned from Secretary of the Department of Transportation by the time you read this article, one of her last acts was to order the DOT to create and publish what it calls the “Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan” (AVCP).It is no secret that self-driving trucks are still far away from becoming reality, […]
DOT Secretary Elaine Chao Announces Resignation
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Elaine Chao has announced that she will be resigning from her position, effective January 11th. This marks the end of the second-longest cabinet holding behind Mike Pence himself: Elaine Chao started January 31st, 2016. Details Elaine Chao cites the storming of the U.S. Capitol as her reason for not […]
December 2020: Reefer Rates Stumble, Others Rise
For November, we wrote how flatbeds had their average per-mile rate reduced while the other two forms of freight increased. Poetically, it is now the refrigerated trailer to have its turn to reduce in rate.The DataWhile the numbers do not increase with the same intensity as they did in the middle of 2020, they do […]
Query the Clearinghouse to Avoid a Fine
The grace period for not being inside the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a database of drivers and such violations, is approaching its end rapidly, January 6th. If you drive under your own Authority, you must conduct a limited query for yourself and all drivers under your Authority by that date, or you may be […]
TopMark Funding’s Top 12 Trucking Articles of 2020
Unless your name is Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, there is a pretty good chance this was not your year. From a potential World War III in January, to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March and is still going today, to the summer protests and blocked highways, this year had it all. We want […]
The Inevitable Death of the SAE J560
Even if you have never heard of the SAE J560, there is an extremely high chance that you use one. Originally issued in 1951, the SAE J560 is a seven-pin connector that sends power from the truck tractor to the trailer. This gives power to lamps and other various devices for the trailer. As trailers […]
CVSA Releases International Roadcheck 2020 Statistics
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) was planning to have its International Roadcheck this year in May, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was delayed. As we learned more about the virus and how to minimize transmission, as well as realizing it would be a while before it went away entirely, the CVSA decided […]
November 2020: Trailer Sales Drop, but Are Still High
In the last trailer sales article, we left with this prediction: “…we believe that the pent-up demand for goods, combined with the holiday season, will lead to equal or greater trailer sales in November.” It appears we were wrong this time. October sales had an average estimate of 55,350. For the month of November 2020, […]
FMCSA to Streamline CDL Training
Under the current system of rules, third-party companies such as private truck-driving schools could not be both the trainer and the examiner for a driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to publish a Final Rule in the Federal Register changing this. The new regulations will make it so that the trainer and […]
Pete Buttigieg to Lead Department of Transportation
We wrote about what a Biden presidency would mean for the trucking industry in mid-November. In that article, our first point was that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Elaine Chao, would end her nearly four year term by being replaced. You have read the title of this article, so you know who […]
Will the Coronavirus Ruin Christmas?
Hopefully this will be the last coronavirus article we at TopMark Funding will ever have to write, as the coronavirus vaccine has been authorized for distribution and application nationwide. But COVID-19 does not plan to go down without a fight, and as one last hurrah, it may just make the holidays a little more difficult, […]
The Parking Problem and how to Alleviate it
The trucking industry is on fire (in a good way). Freight rates are the highest they have been in recent history, the Outbound Tender Volume Index is on the precipice of breaking new records, and new truck sales numbers just keep growing. All of these individually are great, but combined they bring forth a new […]
FMCSA Starts Applying Pulsating Brake Lights to More Trucks
Remember in October when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) started allowing tanker trucks to use pulsating amber brake lights? It may be added to more truck types soon enough, as the FMCSA has granted Grote Industries LLC a limited 5-year exemption to allow motor carriers operating trailers and van body trucks to install […]
November 2020: New Truck Sales Continues Streak
Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) released their data on new Class 8 truck sales for November 2020 on December 2nd. We predicted the numbers would stagnate and be approximately equal to those found in October, at around 40,100. To say the very least, we were wrong. The Data FTR reports preliminary data that says that […]
November 2020: Early Trucking Numbers Suggest Strong Growth
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases two statistics each month: one is the preliminary numbers (estimate) for the month prior, and the other is a more accurate count for three months prior. The solid numbers for September came in with November’s preliminaries, and while the former is essentially what the BLS has suspected, the […]
Truckers on High Priority List for COVID-19 Vaccines
As the coronavirus vaccines are finalized and become ready for distribution, the question remains as to who gets the first round of doses. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an arm of the CDC, recently reached a nearly-unanimous vote on Monday approving a three step plan for vaccine distribution:Phase 1a: Healthcare workers and residents […]
November 2020: Flatbed Rates Stumble, Others Rise
Growth cannot last forever. After a long run of consistently rising freight rates, it appears flatbed rates are the first of the three to have a month lower than the previous month.Not to worry, however, as the flatbed rates only dropped one cent, so while flatbeds stumble, they are not tumbling down an impossible to […]
Nikola Motor and GM Sign Memorandum of Understanding
Nikola Motors Corporation has been through the wringer in the past few months, but there is at least one company that still holds faith in them, General Motors. GM, who swapped shared with Nikola in the early summer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the fledgling technology company, to show intention to use […]
The One Permanent Benefit to Truckers from COVID-19
Coronavirus news has been taxing since April. Nonstop news of infection rates, layoffs, cancellations are all very difficult for which to manage. You might be tired of wearing a mask and may have cheated once or twice by not wearing it at the diesel pump. In spite of everything that has happened this year, there […]
Outbound Tender Volume Index Hits All-Time High
What do you get when you combine pushed back demand from the coronavirus pandemic with the demand of Black Friday? You get the highest demand for truckload shipments in recent history. Since FreightWaves created the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI), it is at the highest it has ever been.OTVIFreightWaves describes outbound tender as:“…a load offer […]
Coronavirus Vaccine Exacerbates Strained Reefer Capacity
The COVID-19 vaccine seems to be a rousing success, as companies developing them tout a 90-95% efficacy rate in testing. We have already written about one of the difficulties of distribution of the vaccine: keeping the vaccines cold. In that article, we lightly scratched on another problem that deserves more attention: the demand for reefer […]
Renewable Natural Gas Trucks Break Through Zero Emissions Barrier
Savvy readers of our articles may recall from late June that we wrote about Hyliion and their plans for the Hypertruck. Hyliion hoped to have their Hypertruck be negative emissions through the use of renewable natural gas (RNG). While the Hypertruck is not released yet, there is tangible proof now that their goal is attainable.Driving […]
AB-5: Truckers Are Down, but not Out
On November 19th, the California Court of Appeals reversed the court decision in People v. Cal Cartage Transportation Express, LLC. In short, the appeals court ruled that the “ABC” test that comprises the heart of AB-5 is not in contradiction with federal law and as such is not overridden by it. The California Court In […]
Can the Trucking Industry Defeat Coronavirus?
If the coronavirus pandemic were a war, truckers would be the front line infantry, going out into the field to give people the supplies they need to either stay healthy (sanitizers and face masks), or to stay quarantined (food and entertainment supplies). With two different COVID-19 vaccines both showing a minimum 90% efficacy rate, it […]
Are Freight Rates Correlated to Driver Shortage?
It does not take an expert in economics to understand the fundamental balance between supply, demand and price. The trucking industry has been said to have a “driver shortage” for a long time now, but if the basic principle of supply versus demand holds, there would be a negative correlation between those employed and the […]
October 2020: Trailer Sales Have Consecutive Record
“September’s rank as third-best month in industry history was short-lived, as October activity now takes that title,” Frank Maly, director CV Transportation Analysis and Research at ACT Research, said.As we predicted back in October, the trailer sales for that month were higher than those of September, by only a few thousand. A 6% increase, more […]
Cummins, Navistar, and Werner Enterprises to Develop Hydrogen Truck
Cummins and Navistar go together like garlic and onions. They recently extended their eighty-year partnership even further. Now the two companies hope to work together in the race to get a hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty truck to market.DetailsThe Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) wants to actively promote the development […]
Introducing DealerLinc [Video]
DealerLincWe’re excited to announce the launch of TopMark Funding’s DealerLinc tool specifically designed to better serve our growing dealership client base. This resource was developed to help our dealership partners fund transactions more quickly including real-time updates on the status of a transaction. This has been in the works for a while over here and […]
Traton to Purchase Navistar for $3.7 Billion
We did not want to write about this Traton-Navistar deal as it was in progress, but it appears that the negotiations have been finalized. Traton, subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, is purchasing Navistar in its entirety.DetailsBefore the buyout agreement, Traton owned 16.7% of all common shares in Navistar, meaning that their purchase was not a […]
October 2020: Both Job Numbers Jump 10,000 Each
When it comes to the monthly job totals for the trucking industry, the question for the last six months has not been whether the number goes up or down, but by how much it goes up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has updated its numbers at the start of November, showing preliminary numbers for […]
TopMark Funding announces sponsorship of Successful Dealer Award
TopMark Funding, the premier funding destination for commercial vehicle dealers, recently joined as a sponsor for the 2020 Successful Dealer Award for the first time.TopMark Funding chose to participate in the annual program — which recognizes the best medium- and heavy-duty truck dealer groups in North America — because of the comprehensive nature in which the nominees are […]
What a Biden Presidency Would Mean for Trucking
While the winner of the 2020 election is not yet set in stone due to recounts, lawsuits, and accusations of fraud, it is hard to deny that the likelihood of becoming president has shifted into Biden’s favor. Strongly enough, in fact, that it is worth speculating what the shift in power would mean for the […]
FMCSA to Conduct Autonomous Truck Opinion Surveys
Unless all the election news has pushed older information out of your brain, you may remember that the FMCSA spoke at an ATA virtual conference about many topics, one of which was working to make self-driving commercial vehicles as safe as possible. But beyond safety, there are many more uncertainties to autonomous trucks. Will they […]
Query the Clearinghouse now, not Later
It has been almost a year since the FMCSA instituted the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which means that the deadline for running a limited query for all fleets in the nation is rapidly approaching. Here are the details of the regulations and why you should have the query done for your fleet, whether it’s a […]
October 2020: New Truck Sales Increase. Again!
Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) has released its latest wave of sales information regarding new Class 8 trucks. While not a two-year high, October 2018 was higher, the numbers improving upon Septembers’ victory for the trucking industry is still phenomenal.The DataNew truck sales totaled approximately 40,100 for October, according to FTR. This is an 83% […]
October 2020: Freight Rates Continue to Defy Expectations
What do you get when you take the coronavirus pandemic’s pushing of consumer demand into later months of the year, and combine it with the infancy of the holiday season? You get October 2020, another month of consecutive growth for freight rates. In all three categories, the price per mile has gone up higher than […]
Winter Is Coming: Prepare Your Truck
Not only is the holiday season the busiest season in trucking with increased shipping demand and often the highest rates of the year, it is also far and away the most dangerous. If your tractor breaks down on you in the summer, the only location to have any fear is in the desert. Winter, to […]
Brokers and Small Carriers Butt Heads, with FMCSA Referee
On October 28th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held another virtual conference, this time regarding broker regulations. In attendance were representatives from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). As you can imagine, the TIA wants fewer regulations, and the OOIDA and SBTC […]
ATRI Releases 2020 Trucking Issues Survey Results
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released the results of its 2020 survey asking stakeholders in the trucking industry their thoughts on things that impact the trucking industry. Their report is a very insightful 26-page behemoth of knowledge, but for our reading base, primarily of truckers who would rather spend more time on the road […]
Traton and Hino Team up for Alternative Fuel
It seems like for the trucking industry in 2020, everyone is working together with everyone else. Yesterday was an article about partnerships in the development of autonomous trucking, and now there is more news in the sphere of green fuels: Traton SE and Hino Motors Limited have signed an agreement to work on battery-electric and […]
FMCSA Speaks at Virtual Conference
On October 23rd, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Wiley Deck spoke at the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) virtual version of its Management Conference and Exhibition. The event was turned into a virtual one this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what he spoke about. Under 21 Drivers With the trucking industry […]
First 2021 Trucking Event to be Cancelled by COVID-19
Back when the coronavirus pandemic officially started back in March, it was safe to assume the whole thing would blow over by 2021 and that 2020 was but a fluke year. As we get closer and closer to 2021, that possibility seems to be becoming bleaker and bleaker. A small blow was dealt to the […]
September 2020: Trucking Jobs Have Moderate Jump
It is the same song and dance we have been doing for the past few months: the trucking industry, while having it happen later than other industries, dropped a bit from the coronavirus pandemic, and is climbing its way back up in a slow but sure manner. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released […]
Department of Labor to Clarify Independent Contractor Status
When a truck driver hears about laws and regulations determining the difference between an independent contractor and employee, the first thing that may come to mind is California AB-5, one of the strictest standards in the nation for determining employee eligibility. At the federal level, however, the Department of Labor (DOL) wants to revise their […]
Can Our Infrastructure Support Electric Trucks?
When it comes to electric vehicles overall, even beyond electric heavy-duty trucks, two major problems impede mass production and adoption: range and refueling. We have written extensively about the first one, and automotive and tech companies work around the clock to increase the number of miles an electric truck gets on a single charge. The […]
Kenworth T680E Available for Order
Fully electric Class 8 vehicles that can travel along the California coast in a single charge are still off into the future, but that does not mean that electric semi-trucks do not exist now. One example of such a machine is the Kenworth T680E, which will go into production and be for sale at Kenworth […]
FMCSA Grants Tanker Trucks Pulsating Brake Light
You might remember how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) allowed a single company, Groendyke Transport, to add pulsating amber brake lights to the rear of their tanker trucks. You might also remember that rear-end collisions dropped over 33% for the tanker trucks equipped with them. Finally, you may recall that the FMCSA was […]
September 2020: Trailer Sales Nearly Break Record
Freight Transportation Research (FTR) has been tracking trailer sales for a very long time. It means a lot when September 2020 was the third-highest month for trailer sales since they started keeping track. The Details August’s trailer sales, according to FTR, were about 28,700. Now, for September, trailer sales reached 52,000, according to preliminary numbers. […]
Hino and Toyota to Bring Fuel-Cell Truck to North America by 2022
Some trucking tech companies such as Tesla and Nikola want to bring electricity to the trucking industry as a viable fuel source, but what happens after that? Generating electricity can still be environmentally damaging, and can take hours to fully charge a heavy truck. Hino and Toyota are thinking one step ahead by trying to […]
Truckers Gather in Washington D.C. for 10-4 Event
A week after the publishing of this article, October 2nd, marked the third annual “That’s a Big 10-4 on Washington D.C.” event. Normally the event lasts multiple days, but because of today’s landscape between the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest during an election year, the event was compacted into a single day.The DetailsMissed the event […]
September 2020: New Truck Sales Hit Almost Two-Year High
According to Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR), around 20,500 new trucks were sold in the month of August. Now the September numbers are in, and if you have been following the truck sales for the past few months, it should not surprise you. The Data New trucks sold for September according to FTR totaled 32,000. […]
September 2020: Freight Rates Are Up, Again
There seems to be no stopping the trucking industry. For yet another consecutive month, the freight rates for all three primary forms of shipment (dry van, flatbed, and reefer) have increased yet again. Part of the blame can be shifted to the crash in rates that happened in the spring of this year, but using […]
Western Star Unveils 49X Truck: Features
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the parent company of Western Star, has officially revealed the company’s latest vocational truck. The company considers it the natural evolution of the 4900 series of work trucks.“We know the 4900 is a great product, but we also know that it doesn’t bring the best of technology to the customer,” […]
FMCSA Extends Other Exemptions Until 2021
If you have been following the news regarding the coronavirus pandemic, you may remember two things:The hours-of-service exemption was extended until the end of 2020.Other exemptions, such as the CDL renewal, CPL renewal, and medical certification renewal, were provided.On September 18th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) combined the two and made it so […]
FMCSA Denies Longer Hours-of-Service for Self-Driving Tech
In late April 2020, a tech company by the name of Pronto.ai petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, asking that its motor carrier customers get an additional two hours of driving each day thanks to the driving assistance their technology provides. You can probably tell from the title of this article where that petition […]
Tesla Announces Semi Battery Upgrade
On September 22nd, 2020, Tesla shareholders gathered in Fremont, California to hear the latest from Elon Musk and Tesla Senior Vice President of Powertrain and Energy Drew Baglino. Sitting in their cars to social distance in the era of COVID-19, shareholders learned the latest technological advancements to Tesla’s vehicles. The most interesting of which is […]
When Is it Time to Swap a Truck?
Trading upward does not necessarily have to entail purchasing a newly manufactured truck right off the factory lines. Sometimes, a swap can be as easy as getting the same make and model, just increasing the year. Some thrifty companies that would rather own their trucks than lease will own used trucks until they are ready […]
North Dakota to Consider Road Trains
It does not take a trucking expert to understand that hauling double trailers takes a lot more skill and finesse than a single. How can drivers haul more freight while reducing crashes? The state of North Dakota plans to have its legislature discuss the topic in January. The Great Debate The way things are now […]
FMCSA Announces New Committee Through MCSAC
The United States government is a complicated system. In a short summary relating to truckers, the president appoints the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, who then manages the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is a tall building where it may feel as though the limit of trucker input is voting for the […]
FMCSA Changes Hours-of-Service Soon: What to Know
On September 29th, truckers will breathe a sigh of relief as FMCSA hours-of-service regulations are loosened and allow more leeway to the driver. If you have been delivering for the many various State of Emergencies that have plagued 2020, you may have forgotten what the changes to the hours-of-service regulations entail. Here is a refresher […]
Proposed Hours-of-Service Revisions Taken to Court
It seems as though every trucking industry change is taken to court at some time or another. This time, it is a change that most truckers are looking forward to: the changes in hours-of-service regulations. Intended to provide added flexibility to a trucker’s daily work, the hours-of-service changes are being challenged by safety groups arguing […]
August Trailer Sales: “Skyrocket” is an Understatement
Either in spite of, or because of, all the crazy events happening in 2020, trailer sales for the recent months have been going up, up, up. We at TopMark Funding wrote in an article for July trailer sales, saying, “It will be interesting to see where August stands on the scale.” That data is officially […]
Preliminary Job Numbers Suggest Trucking Industry Is Healing
Another month has gone by since we last reported on the coronavirus pandemic affecting job numbers. Although the pandemic appears to not have an end in sight, society as a whole has become acclimated to the pandemic, and things are returning slightly back to normal. Some people are going back to work (albeit working from […]
COVID-19 State of Emergency Extended to End of Year
Every month for a while now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been extending the State of Emergency by another month. The FMCSA has decided to take a more proactive approach, and as of September 11th the State of Emergency has been extended until the end of the year. The Details You can […]
FMCSA Extends Emergency for Western Wildfires
Between COVID-19, hurricanes, and now wildfires, it seems the whole United States is in a constant state of emergency. There is little need to worry though, truckers have the means to get us through these hard times. Even more so because, like for the hurricanes before it and the coronavirus pandemic going on now, the […]
Section 179 Deduction 2020 Guide
Get Cash Back From the IRS 2020 has been a tumultuous year, to say the very least. Fortunately, the United States government has many programs in place to help provide relief for its citizens. One such example that is likely to get additional use this year is Section 179, a tax deduction for businesses to […]
General Motors and Nikola Corporation Partner Up
We at TopMark Funding have talked about Nikola Corporation going public and how you can become a part-owner in the fledgling company. Now, it seems General Motors wants a piece of the action. The companies have announced plans to become part-owners of one another.The DetailsThe companies became part-owners of one another by swapping stock shares. […]
FMCSA Proposes Under-21 Pilot Program
If you have been following trucking industry news before the coronavirus pandemic hit the forefront, you may remember that Congress debated the DRIVE Safe Act. Apparently that bill died in the halls of Congress, because truckers under the age of 21 still cannot haul freight via semi-truck across state lines. The FMCSA wants to give […]
New Truck Orders Go Every Direction in August 2020
Pardon the pun, but the trucking industry is on a roll. Trucking sales rose for yet another consecutive month. The Data Two studies, one from the Freight Transportation Research Associates (FTR) and the other from Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company (ACT), tell ever so slightly different stories. ACT estimates Class 8 truck sales for the […]
California AB-5 Law Hits 9th Circuit of Appeals
We at TopMark Funding have written about the AB-5 bill before. In the last article covering the bill, we talked about how U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez issued a preliminary junction against it, meaning that until the lawsuit between the State of California and the California Trucking Association (CTA) is resolved, the default position is […]
August 2020: Freight Rates Rise for Fourth Consecutive Month
The DAT numbers are in for August, and it is a good time to be a trucker. Though the trendline slopes are still downward, that very well can change in the future, as August 2020 marks the fourth month in a row where all three categories of freight have risen from the previous month (Reefer […]
Waymo Begins Testing Autonomous Trucks in Texas
Alphabet Inc., known primarily for their Google search engine and YouTube video platform, has a subsidiary known as Waymo. Waymo has two wings, Waymo One for typical four-wheel driving of passenger vehicles, and Waymo Via, where they are testing the technology in 18-wheelers for long distance deliveries.Waymo is still a far way away from making […]
Hurricane Laura and how it Impacts Truckers
In the early hours of Thursday, August 27th, Hurricane Laura hit the eastern Gulf Coast of the United States. It first hit land in Louisiana, eventually touching Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. A category 4 hurricane, Laura has winds reaching 150 MPH but not quite reaching the 156 MPH needed to be a category 5 like […]
Pandemic Strengthens FMCSA Inspection Powers
It is a secret to absolutely nobody that there has been a pandemic for the past six months or so. The federal government, especially the White House, has been making efforts to reduce not only the health effects of COVID-19, but the secondary collateral effects on the economy as well. This scenario the world finds […]
Kenworth Expands T270 and T370 Variations
Whether you are a fleet owner hoping to add a new Kenworth medium-duty truck to your fleet, or a dealer hoping to add some variety to your dealership lot, your decisions in regards to T270s and T370s just became much more varied. The Default Before we go into the new options for your truck, it […]
Will New CARB Regulations Save the Environment?
Pollution is bad. Nobody would reasonably argue against this. Anyone who lives in or has recently driven through TopMark Funding’s home state of California can see the dense smoke haze covering the state, giving headaches to anyone foolish enough to go outside without a face mask for even a small handful of minutes. How timely […]
FMCSA Awards Nearly $80 Million in Grants
The United States government operates as an agreement between 50 individual states, as well as the country as a whole, called the federal level. The states help the federal, and the federal helps the states, whenever assistance is needed. On Wednesday, August 19th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it would be […]
Peterbilt Model 220EV Now Available for Order
The race to get a viable fully electric heavy-duty truck is still on, but the lower difficulty challenge of doing the same for medium-duty trucks appears to be coming to a close. Now, Peterbilt Motors Company joins the lineup of electric vehicles in the Class 6 and Class 7 markets, thanks to the Peterbilt Model […]
FMCSA Opens Feedback on Broker Transparency Petition
Three months ago, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requesting new regulations and/or increased enforcement of current ones. Now, the FMCSA is opening comments to the public allowing them to submit their thoughts. The Story So Far Current rules state that records of brokered transactions must be […]
July Trailer Sales (Also) Skyrocket on a Skyrocket
The numbers are in. We had written about June trailer sales at approximately this same time last month, and Freight Transportation Research (FTR) has released its latest data for new trailer sales. July 2020 shattered all expectations.By the NumbersIt does not take a trucking industry expert to imagine that the coronavirus pandemic caused new trailer […]
Navistar and Cummins to Extend Partnership
Cummins and Navistar International announced on August 10th their plans to continue working together in a partnership, as they have for over eighty years.Working in UnisonMost truck companies, such as Volvo and PACCAR, build their own engines in house, for both cost savings and to ensure all of the parts work together. Navistar International prefers […]
Trucking Organizations Cooperate for Coronavirus Protection
At this point it is no secret that truckers and the trucking industry are the front-line warriors of the fight against the invisible foe known as COVID-19. Especially during the harshest lockdown days and even true to the present, truckers are delivering valuable goods to help people stay safe and healthy. What may come as […]
Used Truck Association Reworks Event to be Virtual
With all of the cancellations of physical events and adding of new virtual events in their stead, it may not come as a surprise to many that the Used Truck Association (UTA) is changing the UTA Convention, set on November 4th to the 7th, into a fully virtual event. What may be surprising is that […]
Coronavirus State of Emergency Extended to September
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration state of emergency has been extended for another month. This is the fifth extension, set to last until September 14th, but may be extended yet again.Changes MadeYou can read the declaration in full on the FMCSA declaration’s webpage. In summary, the exemption for hours-of-service has been extended, with a […]
CVSA International Roadcheck Starts September 9th
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, normally having their International Roadcheck in June, scheduled it this year for May 5th to 7th. Later, it was postponed until further notice as a result of a certain worldwide pandemic. Now, the CVSA has decided that the pandemic has cooled down enough where having the event to improve safety […]
Despite Pandemic, Trucking Industry Keeps on Rolling
Here at TopMark Funding, we wrote about how we believed the coronavirus pandemic was ending soon. That article is almost two months old at this point, and the pandemic continues. The interesting thing is that despite all of the fear of the coronavirus pandemic for the past five or so months, the trucking industry continues […]
July Truck Sales Skyrocket on Top of a Skyrocket
The demand for new trucks in 2020 was not reduced from the coronavirus pandemic, merely moved forward in time. According to Freight Transportation Research (FTR), North American Class 8 sales in July was approximately 20,000 units. That is 28% higher than in June, and to compare apples to apples, double the orders from July 2019. […]
Industry Advocates Congress to “Suspend the FET”
If you have been in the trucking industry long enough to have bought a truck, you know about the Federal Excise Tax (FET), a tax that was implemented in 1917 to help finance World War I and has been chugging along ever since, for well over a century by now!The FET adds 12% to a […]
July 2020: Freight Rates Appear Unstoppable
Apparently April to May was the lowest point of the coronavirus pandemic, as demand for shipped goods and materials continued its ascent for the third consecutive month (two for dry van), and all three forms of freight are at their 2020 highs.DAT speculates the current month’s rates as it is happening, and while August is […]
Hair Might Become the New Drug Testing Method for Truckers
Currently, the FMCSA and its clearinghouse only accept urine tests for drugs and alcohol in its 50% random testing requirement. Now, safety experts are advocating for using hair testing instead. Is it a good idea to adopt this new method? There are tons of arguments for it, and one big argument against it.Pro: Ease of […]
More Truckstop Chains Require Face Masks
Not too far back, we wrote about how Love’s is requiring face masks in all of its over 500 locations. Now, Pilot company (Pilot and Flying J) and TravelCenters of America (TA and Petro) are following suit.Desperate Times; Desperate MeasuresThe declarations from the three companies comes off the heels of various state governments once again […]
Nikola, Tesla Race to Build Electric Truck Factories
In the 19th century Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla duked it out to determine the future of electricity between DC and AC. Now, two companies, both named after the winner of that debacle, are battling it out to get their electric trucks out to market.NikolaNikola Motor Company is the underdog in the competition. With a […]
Love’s to Require Face Masks
Operating about 520 locations in 41 states, Love’s Travel Stops (the company) will require customers to wear face masks at all of its businesses. This includes Love’s Travel Stops, Love’s Truck Care, Love’s-owned hotels, and Speedco locations.The culprit behind this decision is none other than our beloved friend the Coronavirus.COVID-19 WoesFighting a pandemic is a […]
Wabash National to Sell Zero-Emission Reefers
We have written a lot about zero-emission trucks, but when it comes to hauling perishable goods such as frozen foods, tractors are only half of the equation. The reefer unit also needs to use energy in order to offset the second law of thermodynamics (that is, keep cold items cold). Wabash National, a manufacturer of […]
New Trailer Orders in June 2020 Skyrocket
At the beginning of July, we wrote an article detailing some good news for the health of the trucking industry: new truck orders in June broke expectations. Following up, in comparison, new trailer sales completely shattered all expectations for that month. The Data According to Americas Commercial Transportation Research Company (ACT), U.S. trailer orders for […]
Netadryne Records 1 Billion Miles for Autonomous Research
We at TopMark Funding have written before about the obstacles stopping autonomous semi-trucks from becoming the norm. One of the largest was the problem we called “Dynamic Adaptation”: how current autonomous trucks work fine in open, well-maintained highways, but start to struggle when dealing with less optimal scenarios such as road hazards and city streets. […]
FMCSA Needs to Do its Part for ELD Mandate
If you are a trucker that keeps track of anything related to regulations, you know about the FMCSA’s ELD Mandate. As of December 2019, all non-exempt trucks (exempt trucks including ones that tow other cars, among others) are required to have a compliant electronic logging device (ELD) to track various factors of driving data. The […]
DOT Reduces Commercial Bus Regulations
Here is something we do not get to write about very often; TopMark Funding finances passenger vehicles as well as cargo vehicles.The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on July 15th that it is removing some old regulations in a cost-saving effort.“This rule will remove outdated and overly burdensome reporting requirements on commercial buses that don’t […]
Payroll Protection Program Protects Truckers
The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the nation has taken its toll on the trucking industry, but the federal government will not let the industry collapse without a fight. Through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), which is part of the CARES Act, trucking companies both big and small have applied for loans to keep goods moving, loans […]
Fit to Drive: Increasing the Health of You and Your Fleet
It does not take someone familiar with the trucking industry to know that being a commercial driver requires extensive testing that must be passed in order to legally operate. What you might have not thought about in a while is the medical examination that the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration require […]
ATA Updates Trucking Industry Statistics for 2019
You might remember that at the beginning of 2020 we compiled annual reports from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) all the way back from 2003. The ATA generates a new report for the year prior in the middle of summer, and it is that time of year again: the ATA has a new report.Data AnalyticsThe […]
Operation Safe Driver Week is Self Defeating
Operation Safe Driver Week is now upon us. While law enforcement such as highway patrol and the DOT as a whole will be extra careful to track driving habits of commercial vehicles. Come the 20th of July, there is a chance we will all be back to normal levels of enforcement, as if the week […]
Operation Safe Driver Week Best Practices
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week is soon upon us. Law enforcement officials are going to be extra wary of commercial vehicles on America’s roadways. To avoid a ticket, or worse, a license suspension, follow these rules to keep bears off your tail. An Ounce of Prevention The key to surviving […]
