BILLS & DRAFTS * USA - Limiting tax authority of out-of-state truckers pursued on Capitol Hill

“Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2011”

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Jami Jones -4 May 2011: -- More and more states, as well as cities, are cashing in on out-of-state truckers doing business in the area. That patchwork of tax laws is the target of a new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The “Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2011,” was introduced by Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-VA, in the House on April 8. It addresses such taxes as corporate taxes, franchise taxes, income taxes and business activity taxes...  The bill seeks to establish a national standard on these taxes so they can only apply to businesses located in a city or state...  The bill would allow the taxes on businesses that are physically located in the state or local jurisdiction. That means businesses with employees, a building, etc. The bill seeks to prevent taxes on “transient business activity,” for example trucks picking up and delivering freight...

* USA - HOS : Safety advisory committee focuses on trucker detention time

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by David Tanner -4 May 2011: -- Time squandered at the shipping docks is an issue of trucker safety and hours-of-service compliance, according to a federally appointed committee that has taken up the issue of detention time...  The Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, is urging FMCSA to seek the authority to address the issue and hold shippers and others more accountable...  When a trucker is needlessly detained at the docks without consideration or compensation for time spent, that trucker’s ability to comply with hours-of-service rules is compromised, committee members said...

* Obama Draft Plan Eyes VMT, Interstate Tolling

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by John D. Boyd -May 5, 2011: -- Informal working document for highway bill also would set up a freight office at the DOT... The Obama administration has been floating draft language for surface transportation legislation that could lead to a tax on vehicle miles traveled, allow states to impose tolls on some existing interstate highways and set up an Office of Freight Policy inside the Department of Transportation... DOT officials will not confirm that the “Transportation Opportunities Act” is their work. But industry groups are taking it seriously as a first sign of what the administration is considering in detail, while committees in Congress prepare to write their own versions of a six-year surface transportation bill to replace programs that will expire in September... Washington sources say the document now getting attention was first distributed in March to a small group of transportation specialists. The administration sent out the draft for their comments to help shape a future plan, sources say, with the understanding they would not discuss it...

DRIVERS' FATIGUE * Australia - NTI research: dramatic fall in fatigue crashes

National Transport Insurance (NTI) shows:  The proportion of serious truck crashes caused by fatigue has fallen substantially

(Picture by Redward Frank/The Daily Telegraph: Crash scene...a car collided with a B-double semi-trailer on the mid north coast overnight)
Canberra,Australia -ATA's Friday Facts -15 April 2011:  ...   Its 2011 Major Accident Investigation Report analysed 323 truck accidents that occurred in 2009, building on previous NTI research covering accidents in 2003, 2005 and 2007...  The report found that fatigue was a major factor in 10.1 per cent of the accidents, compared to 20.3 per cent in 2007. 81 per cent of the fatigue related crashes occurred on outbound journeys within 500 kilometres of the point of departure...   The report found inappropriate speed for the conditions was the predominant cause of the crashes, accounting for 31.8 per cent of the accidents studied...   Seven out of 10 of the accidents were single vehicle accidents. When another vehicle was involved, the truck driver was found negligent in 44 per cent of those crashes. In fatal accidents involving more than one vehicle, the third party driver was at fault in 82 per cent of the accidents...  The report found B-doubles carried 46 per cent of freight but only accounted for 28.8 per cent of the accidents... (See Video from YouTube, by cfavic)

Fatigue Reforms * Australia - ALTA: Onus on industry to get fatigue reforms passed

Canberra,Australia -Supply Chain, by Brad Gardner -April 6, 2011: -- The onus is on the trucking industry to convince the nation’s transport ministers to reform fatigue management laws, the Australian Livestock Transporters Association says...  In an open letter to the National Transport Commission (NTC) thanking it for its proposal to amend inconsistent fatigue counting rules, ALTA President David Smith says industry must now take up the fight to gain uniformity...  The NTC has issued a recommendation to bring Victoria and South Australia into line with NSW and Queensland’s time counting rules...  The NTC’s recommendation is expected to be voted on when the Australian Transport Council (ATC) meets on May 20...  He says the ALTA will urge transport ministers to implement the recommendations promptly and for the NTC to be responsible for any future changes to ensure national uniformity is retained... (Photo from 2.bp.blogspot, by Ellerg -Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa-: Australian Cattle Farm)

HOURS OF SERVICE * USA - ATA joins those predicting HOS drive time reduction

Arlington,VA,USA -The Trucker, by LYNDON FINNEY -12 Nov 2010: -- Add the American Trucking Associations to the list of industry stakeholders who are predicting a reduction in allowable daily driving hours when the proposed new Hours of Service rule is released... ATA joins those predicting HOS drive time reduction, launches website for response FMCSA two years ago when reviewing the current rule, said eliminating one hour of driving time would cost the industry $2.25 billion a year...