We have a few “latest updates” for you from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, plus a look at some new COVID-centric trucking updates that will impact the industry. First up, a pilot program the FMCSA is asking for public comment on. This particular program is in relation to an hours-of-service proposal that did not make it into a final updated rule they released earlier this year.
So, what’s the change? Essentially, the FMCSA wants the public to provide comment on allowing trick drivers to pause their on-duty driving period with one off-duty driving period for up to three hours. And there is a good reason for this. Truck drivers keep the supply chain moving, carrying essential goods that save lives, especially during a global pandemic. The FMCSA wants to know if providing additional flexibility for truckers as they transport goods during the pandemic would be worth it.
What is the Program?
The pilot program would allow truck drivers one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes, but nor more than three hours, which would pause the 14-hour driving window the truck driver is normally held to. The one catch is that the truck driver must take 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time at the end of their work shift.
An example of how this would work in real life would be a truck driver taking a three-hour break to wait out rush hour without it having a negative impact on their maximum on-duty time. Fortunately, this is not a new development. This rule change was initially proposed in August of 2019 when the FMCSA was reformatting hours of service. But it did not make it into the final rule.
At the time, the FMCSA explained that the split sleeper berth provision provided the same thing. They argued, if anything, it would provide even more flexibility than a separate rule. Truck drivers could simply use the split sleeper berth rule to get that same three-hour break.
So, why the change? Well, in the final rule, the FMCSA noted that truck drivers might be pressured by fleets, shippers, or receivers to use the split sleeper berth rule to cover detention time, which would mean truck drivers would not be able to get proper rest. That is the genesis behind this new pilot program.
Participation in the FMCSA’s pilot program would be limited to a specific number of CDL holders who meet the criteria they have outlined for participating and will run for three years or less, according to the agency. Over that time, it aims to gather statistically reliable evidence that will allow it to analyze the safety and feasibility of such modification.
To comment, once the notice is published in the Federal Register, click or tap on this link and search for Docket No. FMCSA-2020-0098. Comments must be received within 60 days after publication of the notice.
How Supply Chains Adapt to COVID
Next up in our series on how trucking deals with these changes is the supply chain in the age of COVID. Consider that the best minds in global medicine are trying to find a way to treat or vaccinate for COVID-19, but there is still work to be done. This is especially true for those working in the transportations supply chain.
The trucking sector moves life-saving materials every day. It is critical, especially during a national pandemic, that these products and services are moved expeditiously. Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals must be moved with even greater care. Why? Because temperature poses a huge risk to the efficacy of certain treatments.
Consider that over fifteen billion in product losses happen each year because of temperature problems with pharmaceutical products. That number more than doubles when you factor in replacement and other ancillary costs related to those losses.
One survey of pharma executives discovered that ten percent of those surveyed found that there were temperature fluctuations of more than fifteen percent in pharma shipments that were highly temperature sensitive. Another fifth had no idea if there had been any problems during shipment. This means who knows how many doses of a test or potential lifesaving product were lost.
In fact, according to stats released by the World Health Organization:
- A full quarter of all vaccines degrade during shipment.
- A third of lost pharma products are due to logistics problems.
- A fifth of time-sensitive medical products are lost during transit.
These are not small numbers. And when you are dealing with a public health emergency on the scale that the United States currently is, these numbers should worry anyone. But these numbers don’t even tell the full story.
More on Terminology
Consider the word “degraded” above. When a pharmaceutical product degrades, it means it loses efficacy. This would be the same as getting a vaccine you were under the impression would be fully effective and in fact it is only half effective. Now imagine this happens because of a preventable issue like temperature range fluctuations.
Some do not think that the global supply chain is adequately prepared to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine. Goods shipped around the world on ships, planes and trucks are subject to a ton of variations during travel. Many companies who work in the supply chain readily admit that they are not prepared to handle the logistical problems associated with shipping a vaccine to billions of people.
Another term to consider is technology. Fortunately, we are in the 21st Century and there are technologies that could fix the bottleneck. Data will need to be used in innovative ways to harden the supply chain against problems like spoilage or degradation.
Companies across the globe are working on ways to create a broad technology offering that helps spot vulnerabilities in the supply chain that could spoil live-saving medicines. There is an emphasis on chains of custody, and simple deployment across systems. Interoperability is also a strong focus. There is certainly an open source feel to how organizations are tackling the problem.
What we need to realize is that tracking and monitoring life-saving drugs and vaccines should be done in the same manner that we track and monitor said shipments today. Organs must be routinely delivered to one place or another. How is that done without creating problems for the individuals who need those organs?
Trucking companies must focus closely on monitoring the status of the temperature in their trailers as well as other factors, such as humidity, to prevent critical medicines from being negatively impacted. And this should all start from the point of origin all the way to the customer’s door, hospital, or place of business. Chain of custody will be incredibly important. But the other question is: What exactly will the technologies be?
Technology to the Rescue
Transportation and medical companies will be looking at specific technologies to help them meet these critical goals. The first of these will be global asset tracking and monitoring devices. Right now, OEMs are investing in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) solutions that record temperatures. Today, companies can obtain these inexpensively, they are quite small, and in most cases disposable. BLE devices can be dropped into a pallet and monitored remotely.
Others are turning to smartphone apps and other remote software for tablets and laptops. Apps like this run passively in the background and listen for the BLE devices to provide any change in status. When a change in status is found, such a rise or drop in temperature, the GPS location and timestamp are recorded, and the app sends an alert.
Another area OEMs and trucking companies are integrating technology into the medical supply chain is through blockchain technology, a topic we have covered before. In this application, logistics parties will use a blockchain to append critical data. A centralized blockchain repository of information provides a current and historical status that all parties can track.
Using technologies like these, anyone within the medical transportation supply chain can tune in on the status of a life-critical shipment. Data can be harvested and analyzed by interested parties and failures can be easily spotted and tracked back to the source. The more data points you create, the sturdier the supply chain becomes.
When it comes to trucking companies, medical and pharma companies, and government agencies, everyone wants information. During a time when national parties are attempting to coordinate a cohesive response, industries must work together to ensure the supply chain is sturdy and ready to handle the health needs of a large population.