Trucking Insurance Industry Journal The Roemer Report: Big Trucks Slow Down in Response to High Fuel Prices

June 2008 edition of The Roemer Report states that Con-Way Freight and Schneider National have both announced plans to reduce their truckers’ speeds.

June 9, 2008, Toledo, OH - The June 2008 edition of trucking insurance industry journal, The Roemer Report, discusses the current slowdown on the highway in response to escalating fuel prices. According to the industry journal, Con-Way recently turned back the speed limiters from 65 mph to 62 mph on all its 8,500 rigs. The company estimates that the slower speed will save 3.2 million gallons of diesel fuel a year, eliminate 72 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and, if diesel fuel remains around $4.30 per gallon, save the company about $13.8 million per year. Schneider National announced it will cap its drivers’ speeds at 60 mph by July 1; its current limit is 63 mph. The company expects a savings similar to that of Con-Way. Schneider’s announcement followed a call by the American Trucking Associations for Congress to enact a nationwide speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles in order to save fuel and cut harmful emissions. Reducing truck speed will mean longer workdays for drivers (and no raise since they are paid by the mile). But Schneider says its tests found that truckers traveling at 60 mph averaged only 12 to 20 minutes of extra work time each day. The company also says it offers drivers financial incentives to stay at 60 mph.

The Roemer Report is a monthly digest of news for the trucking industry read by fleet operators, owner-operators, and allied personnel. Often referred to as the “Kiplinger Letter of the Trucking Industry“, the report has been published by Roemer Insurance for more than 30 years. The publication is distributed free of charge in both print and electronic formats and is archived on the Roemer Insurance website and Insure My Rig (www.insuremyrig.com/roemerreport.htm), the small fleet division of Roemer Insurance.

With diesel prices sky high, it can cost more than $1,200 to fill a 150-gallon fuel tank. As if that’s not enough of a burden, truckers now have to contend with a rise in diesel theft. According to the June edition of The Roemer Report, incidents of thieves stealing fuel from heavy trucks and other equipment around the country are increasing. The most common type of theft is fuel siphoning. A thief can drain a truck’s tank in about 30 minutes, less time than it takes for a driver to eat a meal and take a shower. Tank cap locks have been around for a while, but now a company in the U.K. has introduced an anti-siphoning device for trucks and buses that it says “withstands serious attacks.”

According to The Roemer Report, a group of 30 motor carriers, shippers, and manufacturers met in Washington, D.C., last month. to convince Congress to agree to a pilot plan that would allow heavier trucks in certain states. The plan, which would likely take effect in September 2009, would mean that carriers in Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas would be able to transport an additional 17,000 pounds. The coalition believes that the United States is at a competitive disadvantage because Canada and Mexico are permitted to operate heavier trucks. According to proponents of the program, larger trucks would allow carriers to reduce their overall fleet size by shipping more freight with less equipment, which is easier on the highway infrastructure and the environment. Opponents, however, argue that bigger trucks will damage roads and bridges and increase pollution, and they also contend that bigger trucks are unsafe.

The Roemer Report also notes that he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is preparing stringent new rules for trucking companies entering the marketplace. The rules, which will govern the 18-month provisional period and the audits of new trucking companies, represent the biggest change in entrance requirements for new companies since deregulation. In several months, the FMCSA will issue its New Entrant Motor Carrier Safety Assurance Process. The new regulations will mean tougher requirements for drug- and alcohol-testing programs, among other things. And unlike the current system, a single violation will result in automatic failure.

The industry journal also reviews the booming idle-reduction market, growing due to environmental concerns and the high cost of fuel. Products have become more dependable, product support is improving, and quality and design are better than ever, according to a business manager. New idling regulations in California have drawn more attention to the issue and Maine has just become the 14th state to adopt statewide idling regulations, which will take effect in July.

The Roemer Report cites a recent study that finds, for the first time, more than half of all insured Americans take prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems. The drugs most commonly used are those that lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. According to experts, these findings reflect deteriorating public health, but they also suggest that doctors are treating conditions more aggressively and that better medicines for chronic conditions are more widely available.

To receive the Roemer Report by email or download earlier editions visit

www.roemer-insurance.com/transportation/transportation_romerreport_current.htm.

About Roemer Insurance

Established in 1934 by trucking insurance pioneer, Wellington F. “Dud” Roemer, Roemer Insurance is a third-generation family owned and operated insurance and risk-management firm. Roemer Insurance is a Toledo-area leader in employee health and benefit package plans, with an emphasis on workplace wellness, strong community ties and active participation in business and charitable organizations. Roemer Insurance specializes in trucking insurance packages for large and small fleets. Its Health Life Benefits division offers group and personal coverage. Committed to technology and sound insurance practices, Roemer Insurance continues to set the standard in risk management and customer service. Roemer Insurance is a member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and The Professional Insurance Association. For more information, visit www.roemer-insurance.com or call 419.475.5151.

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Contact:

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Allen Mireles
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