Trucking News and Briefs for Tuesday, 26th June 2024:
FMCSA names a new boss
FMCSA Deputy administrator Vinn White FMCSA
U.S. Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Tuesday that Vinn White would serve as Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
White will replace Sue Lawless who has been serving as Acting Deputy administrator and Acting Administrator , since the departure of former FMCSA administrator Robin Hutcheson on January. Lawless will continue to serve as FMCSA’s Chief Safety Officer and Executive Director.
Hutcheson, who was appointed Acting Deputy administrator by Lawless in January 2022, had been the administrator for just over a year – the first full time administrator in three years. She was appointed deputy director in January 2022, and then became acting director when the previous acting administrator Meera Joshi left to take a job in the administration Eric Adams of New York City. FMCSA’s top job has seen a lot of turnover since 2019. Ray Martinez left the FMCSA in October of that year. The job was then given to a succession of acting administrators, including Jim Mullen, Wiley Deck, and Joshi, before Hutcheson took over for a short time.
White, a member of the Biden and Harris Administration since 2021 and the U.S. DOT’s Acting Chief AI Officer, oversees the implementation of White House executive order 14110, which aims to advance and govern AI development and use in accordance with Administration’s guiding priorities and principles.
White said, “It’s an honor to be in this position and I thank Secretary Buttigieg and his confidence in me to lead the important FMCSA work.” “Our agency’s focus is on enhancing the safety of all road users. I am committed to working closely with safety partners in the commercial motor vehicle sector to achieve this goal.”
White was responsible for U.S. Prior to joining FMCSA he coordinated U.S. DOT initiatives on emerging transportation technologies, including coordinating cross-departmental policies related to automated driving systems, drone and advanced air mobility systems, surface vehicle-to-everything connectivity, 5G integration with the nation’s critical aviation infrastructure and other sector-facing, innovation-related policy areas.
White’s appointment to the DOT in 2021 marks a return after previously serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Policy in 2016 and Deputy Assistant Secretary in 2016, where he served as the chief architect for DOT’s 30 year transportation plan, Beyond Traffic.
FMCSA stated that White’s knowledge and experience in transportation spans over 15 years. This includes his tenure as senior advisor to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Phil Murphy. During this time, White worked closely with the state DOT, Motor Vehicle Commission and NJ TRANSIT as well as the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey in order to inform strategies and approach.
[ Related to: FMCSA Hutcheson Resigns from Administrator Post]
Recall on new Paccar trucks
Paccar is recalling almost 4,000 Kenworth and Peterbilt model year 2025 trucks due to concerns that the tie rod assembly or drag link assembly could contain an improperly heated ball stud. This ball stud can break, leading to a complete loss in steering control.
About 3,887 models of the 2025 Kenworth T280, K370, K270, T380 T480 T680 T880 W900 W990 and Peterbilt 536 537 548 567 579 589 220 536 537 548 567 579 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 589 587 588 587 588 587 588 587 588 587 588 5
Owners should not drive their vehicle until the repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the tie rods and drag links and replace them as needed, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed on August 11. Owners can call Kenworth customer service on 425-828-5888 and Peterbilt customer services at 940-591-4220 to report the recall. The NHTSA recall number is 24V-433.
Other manufacturers, including Daimler Volvo and Mack , have also issued recalls recently due to improperly heated ball studs.
[ Related to Numerous recalls across major OEMs]
Mack’s recalls BEVs for a High Voltage (HV), connector fix
Mack Trucks is recalling model year 2024 MD Electric trucks because the mechanical connector lock for the High Voltage Cable may not be properly engaged.
A connector that is not properly locked can come loose over time and cause a sudden power loss.
Owners should not drive their vehicle until the repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the mechanical connector lock and repair it as needed, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed on August 2. Owners can contact Mack customer service by calling 800-866-1177 and referencing recall number SC0467. The NHTSA recall number is 24V-447.
New Love’s in Missouri offers truck parking spaces
Love’s Travel Stops opened a new location last week in Sarcoxie Missouri, just off I-44.
The new truck stop features 89 truck parking spots, an Arby’s Restaurant, nine diesel lanes and 10 showers.