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As the latest round of hours-of-service regulatory change plays out in Washington, I have come to the realization that the trucking industry is broken.

What was the most important event that occurred in 1958? The creation of NASA? Perhaps the birth of the King of Pop? For privately owned trucking and logistics companies, there is only one answer: tax legislation permitting S corporations.

Loss of event data recorder — or “black box” — information is one of the biggest problems in trucking accident litigation. While the market for EDR monitoring software has exploded in recent years, accident experts and attorneys are finding that much of this technology is incorrectly downloaded, analyzed and stored, creating legal and financial risks that can threaten the very existence of the company that makes use of it.

For shippers, ultimately, their choice of carrier will be translated either into greater company profitability — or a balance sheet splattered with red ink.

The most important near-term component of our campaign to retain the current hours of service rules is industry involvement.

Let’s face it; nobody likes to make the same mistake twice. Maintenance professionals in particular always should be looking for procedures that have prevented downtime and failures in the past.

Anne Ferro, administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, recently addressed members of the National Industrial Transportation League about an issue that’s become all too common industrywide — driver detention at the docks.

Appointment scheduling is common in today’s transportation industry. It allows for the orderly receipt of shipments, reduces waiting time and increases routing and operations productivity. When all goes according to plan, the supply chain flows with optimal efficiency.

Any commercial carrier accident involving personal injury or property damage has lawsuit potential, and the public is usually quick to blame the truck driver.