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The Week in Review
Commercial Vehicle Training Association
December 10, 2013

In This Issue
Office Address Change
Wreaths Across America
CCJ Symposium
Guides for Schools
Dismissed Violations
Hill Update
PTDI Webinar
CARB Sued by OOIDA
More Exemptions - CA
Trucking Employment up
15-C Diesel Tax Increase
Safety Technology
2014 Random Testing Rates
Foley - FastFax
Reminder - CDL/Med Merger
Miky Byrnes & Associates
Winter Driving Tips
Tap on the Glass
Vol. 113

  What's It All About?
by Michael Darling

It's the holiday season here in the U.S. And chances are, sometime this season, the big question will come up: "So, Michael, where are you working now?" (Or, at least some variation of that.) If your family is anything like mine, whatever you tell them is going to translate in a number of different ways...from perceptive understanding to a obligatory acknow-ledgment because they really don't have a CLUE what you're doing, how you do it and why. In fact, I don't really have a clue to what I'm doing these days....but that's a whole different issue. So, this week I gave some thought on... Continue Reading 

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- Mark Your Calendars -
CVTA Spring Conference will be in Saint Petersburg, FL on April 23-25, 2014 at the Hilton Saint Petersburg Bayfront
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HOT OFF THE PRESSES
CVTA Executive Director Speaks at CCJ Conference - In the next decade, the trucking industry must add 239,000 drivers, per year, to keep up with freight demand and replace the 37 percent today's drivers that will retire. A panel of fleet executives discussed solutions to this pending crisis, Dec. 4, at the CCJ Fall Symposium... Continue reading. 
Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools - On November 18, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revised its Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools, which are intended to advise proprietary businesses that offer vocational training courses (either on the school's premises or through distance education) how to avoid deceptive practices in connection with the advertising, promotion, marketing, or sale of their courses...  Continue reading.
FMCSA Proposes System to Reflect Dismissed Violations in CSA Database - Trucking companies and drivers whose citations have been dismissed in court could soon be able to see that reflected in the violation database maintained by the FMCSA, according... Continue reading. 
"Be Ready. Be Buckled." Art Contest Now Accepting Entries - [From DOT Secretary's Blog] It's no secret that seat belts save lives. They save lives in passenger vehicles, and they save lives in large trucks. But they can only save lives when drivers and passengers... Continue reading. 
Diesel Dips 0.4¢ to $3.879 a Gallon; Gasoline Also Declines - Diesel dipped 0.4 cent to $3.879 a gallon, stemming two weeks of increases that were the only upturns in the past three months, the Department of Energy reported Dec. 9. Trucking's main fuel... Continue reading. 
COUNSEL'S CORNER
Hill Update - 12.10.2013 
  • H.R. 3648: Hire A Hero Act of 2013
  • H.R. 3653: Jobs for Veterans Act of 2013... Continue reading. 
OTHER INDUSTRY NEWS
Reminder: PTDI Webinar - From Classroom to Finishing Program: Communication Skills for Effective Driver Training - Attracting people to training schools is the first step in recruiting new drivers to our industry. The next step is effective training whether in the classroom or the cab of a carrier's truck. The ability to communicate... Continue reading. 
CARB Sued over DPF Requirement as OOIDA Alleges Rule is Unconstitutional - The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has sued the California Air Resources Board over the agency's requirement that 2006 year-model and older... Continue reading. 
CARB Proposes More Exemptions, Hears Public Comment on Impact on Trucking - The California Air Resources board has proposed another exemption to its slate of Jan. 1 regulatory changes, which would allow truck owners to run in certain "NOx-exempt... Continue reading. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics Released the November Unemployment Data - Overall, the National unemployment rate decreased to 7.0%, and the Veteran unemployment rate decreased to 6.7%. The Veteran unemployment rate is slightly higher than November of last year but lower than the November 2011 rate of 7.4%. Click to see more info. 
Trucking Employment up 8,400 Jobs in November, Unemployment Rate Dips to 5-year Low - A total of 8,400 payroll jobs were added to the for-hire trucking industry's payroll in November - the first real jump since the spring of this year, coming on the heels of about six months of stagnant or no growth in the industry's employment. Moreover, October's preliminary employment numbers were upwardly... Continue reading. 
House Bill Seeks to Increase Gas Tax by 15 Cents per Gallon - With Congress facing a major shortfall in transportation funding next year, a House bill introduced Wednesday would raise the federal gasoline tax by 15 cents per gallon to close the gap... Continue reading. 
Safety Technology Could Transform Trucking, Tech Leaders Say - New developments in active safety technology have the potential to dramatically transform the trucking industry, perhaps even culminating someday in driverless trucks, technology... Continue reading. 
EPA Calls for Flat Production in Biodiesel Through 2015 - The Environmental Protection Agency proposed keeping the national volume requirement of biodiesel production at the 2013 level of 1.28 billion gallons a year through 2015, the agency said in... Continue reading. 
New IRS Tax Rules on Assets to Affect Fleets, Experts Say - New tax rules that start Jan. 1 will change the way trucking companies and other U.S. businesses account for real estate and business equipment and could create room for more same-year deductions... Continue reading. 
ATA chairman Byrd Says Rolling Back HOS changes, CSA and Improving Driver Respect Are Priorities in 2014 - During his luncheon address to fleet executives at the 2013 CCJ Fall Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz., ATA chairman and president... Continue reading. 
Full CCJ Symposium Coverage: HOS, Politics, CSA and More - The CCJ Fall Symposium is underway in Scottsdale, Ariz., where speakers and panels are discussing key issues facing the trucking industry and fleets - "Obamacare," driver recruiting and... Continue reading. 
New in the DOT Fast Lane - Secretary Foxx: DOT Effort to Combat Distracted Driving Continues - Four decades ago, when Lyndon Johnson signed the order to create the Department of Transportation, it read, "The Secretary should give top priority to the safety of our people as they travel by land, sea, or air." Today, that statement remains truer than ever - especially when it comes to distracted driving... Continue reading. 
2014 DOT Random Testing Rates Notice - ODAPC's web page has been updated to reflect the CY 2014 random drug and alcohol testing rates within the transportation industries. You can also view the CY 2014 random testing rates here. Please note the 2014 annual random testing rates will remain the same as the 2013 rates. 
Reminder: CDL/Med Card Merger: The Deadline is Near - An important deadline is just around the corner for CDL drivers and their motor carriers. As of Jan. 30, 2014, all CDL holders must have supplied information about the type of driving they do... Continue reading. 
Trivia Question - What English lawyer wrote the famous and controversial book, "Utopia" in 1516? 
  1. John Wycliffe
  2. John Colet
  3. Sir Thomas More
  4. William Tyndale 
Scroll Down to Find the Answer!
Answer to Trivia Question - What English lawyer wrote the famous and controversial book, "Utopia" in 1516? - Answer: Sir Thomas More - "Utopia" translates as "nowhere" in Greek. In 1535 he was beheaded for refusing to accept the Act of Supremacy (1534) which made Henry VIII head of the Church of England. He was canonized in 1935 for his loyalty to the papacy at the time of the English Reformation.
We wish to thank the many Associate Members that support CVTA.

This week, we thank Mike Byrnes & Associates. Please take a moment to check out their website and see what services they are providing.
Winter Driving Tips - Before You Hit The Road - Whatever your winter travel plans are, take time to cruise this interactive safety landscape to reveal tips and friendly reminders on safe driving measures to get to your destination safely... Continue reading. 
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