David Cullen

[Former] Business/Washington Contributing Editor

David Cullen has been covering trucking for top-tier media platforms continuously since 1981. He served as executive editor of Heavy Duty Trucking from 2015 to 2020. Prior to that was executive editor of a fleet-focused magazine, where he was on staff from 1989 to 2015. He launched his career in 1981 with DES (Diesel Equipment Superintendent), where he served as managing editor from 1985 to 1989.

Cullen is known for his coverage of legislative and regulatory issues affecting the trucking industry, as well as fleet business related topics.

Cullen is a recipient of several Jesse H. Neal Awards for Outstanding Journalism and numerous ASPBE AZBEE Awards for Excellence in business-to-business journalism, as well as ASPBE's Annual Stephen Barr Award for Individual Feature Writing.

News•by David Cullen•April 30, 2018

ATRI’s Murray Details Research Efforts on Key Trucking Issues

Among the research projects currently on the front burner at the American Transportation Research Institute is an effort to determine if “we can identify younger drivers with the same characteristics as safe, older drivers,” said Dan Murray, vice president of ATRI, in his keynote speech at the National Private Truck Council’s annual meeting.

News•by David Cullen•April 27, 2018

House Approves Rider to Thwart State Preemption of Trucker HOS Rules

An amendment written to resolve the issue of preemption by individual states of federal hours-of-service rules for truck drivers was passed on April 26 by a solidly bipartisan vote of 222-193 as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act currently being debated by the House of Representatives.

Passing Zone•by David Cullen•April 26, 2018

The Long Ride Up Capitol Hill for Trucking's Preemption Rider

The fight has been joined again on Capitol Hill over “preemption,” that is to say, should the separate states have the right to preempt federal law when it comes to setting work rules for truck drivers?

News•by David Cullen•April 20, 2018

Lack of Research Keeps Lid on Federal Truck GVW Limit

An advisory panel of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has issued an interim report on the research it will recommend be completed before consideration is given to raising the federal 80,000-pound weight limit for trucks.

News•by David Cullen•April 19, 2018

OOIDA Leading Fight Against House Bills to Allow Younger Truck Drivers

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, along with other groups, is opposing two bills before the House of Representatives that would allow for lowering the age requirement for obtaining an interstate commercial driver’s license.

News•by David Cullen•April 19, 2018

Volkswagen Clarifies Position on Navistar Takeover in SEC Filing

Volkswagen AG cooled expectations that it is moving to take over Navistar International in an April 18 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, in the same statement, the Germany-based OEM left the door open for its Volkswagen Truck & Bus GMbH subsidiary to possibly acquire U.S.-based Navistar at some later date.

Articles•by David Cullen•April 5, 2018

Should Fleets Own or Lease Trucks?

More fleets are looking more closely at all their options, from outright ownership to finance leasing to full-service leasing, even opting to own some trucks while leasing others.

News•by David Cullen•April 5, 2018

Heavy Duty Trucking Wins Two Neal Journalism Awards

Heavy Duty Trucking magazine editors brought home two 2018 Jesse H. Neal Business Journalism Awards - one for Best Subject-Related Package and the other for Best Commentary/Blog.

News•by David Cullen•March 30, 2018

House Bill Aims to Bend 14-Hour Clock for Truck Drivers

A newly proposed bill would allow truck drivers a daily break of up to 3 consecutive hours that would not eat into the 14-hour on-duty allotment afforded them by federal Hours of Service rules.

Articles•by David Cullen•March 27, 2018

FMCSA Chief: Agency ‘Open to Ideas’ on Improving Safety

Federal Motor Carrier Safety administrator Raymond Martinez spoke at the TCA annual convention saying right off the bat that the FMCSA does not have a monopoly on safety and explained that the agency he’s helmed for just shy of a month “needs to remain open to ideas other may have” on how to improve highway safety.

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