CVSA Schedules Roadcheck for May 17th-19th
The latest Idealease Safety Bulletin from February 25, 2022, "CVSA Schedules Roadcheck for May17th-19th" is now available to read, share and download!
Scroll below to read the entire bulletin on our blog, visit idealease.com, or download/print this PDF version. Be sure to sign up to have the weekly bulletin delivered straight to your inbox for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!
As always, you can access all past Idealease bulletins for reference online: https://www.idealease.com/safety-compliance/safety-bulletins
In this issue:
- Driver Requirement Inspections
- Prepare drivers for Roadcheck
- Mobile 3G Shutdown Might Affect ELD Compliance
- House Holds Hearing on Electric Grid Resilience & Reliability
CVSA SCHEDULES ROADCHECK FOR 5/17-5/19/22
Roadcheck is a 72 hour, high visibility, high-volume inspection and enforcement initiative for commercial motor vehicles. This year's focus is on wheel ends. Wheel end components support the heavy loads carried by commercial motor vehicles, maintain stability and control, and are critical for braking. Violations involving wheel-end components historically account for about one-quarter of the vehicle out-of-service violations discovered during Roadcheck, and past Roadcheck data routinely identified wheel-end components as a top 10 vehicle violation.
Inspectors throughout the US, Mexico and Canada will conduct inspections of CMVs and drivers at weighing and inspection stations, temporary inspection sites and on roving patrols.
DRIVER REQUIREMENT INSPECTIONS
During the inspection, inspectors will:
- collect and verify driver's documents,
- identify the motor carrier,
- check the driver's license and record of duty status,
- review periodic inspection reports
- if applicable: check the driver's medical examiner certificate, medical variance docs, and daily inspection report
Other driver-focused categories include: seat belt use, sickness or fatigue, and alcohol and/or drug possession or impairment
Driver requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness are the 2 primary parts of The North American Standard Level 1 Inspection. If applicable, a 3rd part, hazardous materials/dangerous goods may be part of the inspection as well.
PREPARE DRIVERS FOR ROADCHECK
Learn more about the Level I - North American Standard Inspection that examines both drivers operating requirements as well as vehicle mechanical fitness.
Learn more about International Roadcheck - https://www.cvsa.org/programs/international-roadcheck/
MOBILE 3G SHUTDOWN MAY AFFECT ELD COMPLIANCE
FMCSA is warning motor carriers that older cell phones and mobile devices may be unable to use data services as more advanced 5G networks come into play.
Once a 3G network is no longer supported, it is highly unlikely that any ELDs that rely on that network will be able to meet the minimum requirements established by the Electronic Logging Device Technical Specifications, including recording all required data elements and transferring ELD output files.
hen in an area that does not support 3G, a 3G device will register a malfunction. In accordance with 49 CFR 395.34, the carrier has 8 days to get the malfunction resolved, in this case by replacement, unless an extension is granted.
The announced sunset dates are below (dates are subject to change). These are dates for completing the shutdowns. Mobile carriers are planning to retire parts of their networks sooner.
AT&T 3G: February 22, 2022
Sprint 3G (T-Mobile): March 31, 2022
Sprint LTE (T-Mobile): June 30, 2022
T-Mobile 3G: July 1, 2022
Verizon 3G: December 31, 2022
Note: Many other carriers, such as Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk, and several Lifeline mobile service providers, utilize the AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile networks.
FMCSA is aware of this issue and will consider motor carrier requests for extensions of the 8-day period to correct malfunctions in an ELD (or fleet with ELD concerns).
The process for requesting an extension is in 49 CFR 395.34(d). 395.34(d)(2) states:
(2) A motor carrier seeking to extend the period of time permitted for repair, replacement, or service of one or more ELDs shall notify the FMCSA Division Administrator for the State of the motor carrier’s principal place of business within 5 days after a driver notifies the motor carrier under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Each request for an extension under this section must be signed by the motor carrier and must contain:
(i) The name, address, and telephone number of the motor carrier representative who files the request.
(ii) The make, model, and the serial number of each ELD.
(iii) The date and location of each ELD malfunction as reported by the driver to the carrier.
(iv) A concise statement describing actions taken by the motor carrier to make a good faith effort to repair, replace, or service the ELD units, including why the carrier needs additional time beyond the 8 days provided by this section.
If a company has made a good faith effort to comply and cannot find or implement replacement units within the 8-day period, FMCSA will likely give you additional time to comply if you apply for an extension in a timely manner.
HOUSE HOLDS HEARING ON ELECTRIC GRID RESILIENCE AND RELIABILITY
The U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Climate Crisis conducted a hearing on Strategies for Electric Grid Resilience and Reliability on February 15, 2022. One of the witnesses was Mark Mills, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute; Faculty Fellow, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science & Co-Director, Institute on Manufacturing Science and Innovation, Northwestern University, whose testimony questioned many of the assumptions about whether current grid infrastructure investment would provide sufficient power for the economy at cost-efficient levels over the coming decades.
Mills’ testimony stated:
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows overall grid reliability is degrading while outages and consumer prices are increasing (average U.S. electricity prices up 50% since 2000).
12% of U.S. power is supplied by solar and wind, which cannot be dispatched when needed or expanded without further degrading grid reliability. Many U.S. states propose an energy transition similar to Germany, which has in effect built two grids at ratepayer expense: one based on wind & solar, and one on conventional fuels. German customers pay about 300% more for electricity on average than U.S customers. This winter Europe is experiencing radical spikes in electricity prices arising from “wind droughts” and supply chain issues. The dual grid model is more likely to create prices spikes than alleviate them.
Electrification advocates argue grid-scale storage is the solution, powered by 100% wind and solar. This will require at least twice today’s installed generating capacity to meet peak demand and to produce surplus power for battery storage when peak demand cannot be met.
12-hours of backup storage will be necessary at a cost of $1+ trillion. Minerals accounting for 60-70% of battery costs are forecast to rise even further due to global demand and scarcity. Approximately 50 tons of batteries (comprised of about 25,000 tons of minerals, mostly sourced from China) are needed to hold the same amount of energy as one ton of oil. EIA estimates a 400% to 4,000% increase in the mining of critical minerals will be necessary for this “energy transition,” more than is currently produced by all global mines currently in operation, including planned expansions. Building enough grid-scale batteries for backup storage globally would require the equivalent of 100 centuries worth of batteries for all the world’s smartphones. Future battery technologies may solve some of these problems but will take many years if not decades to discover and scale-up production.
*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.