December 8, 2014: MCM Weekly Newsletter |
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Dec 8 Legislative Tour Begins
Schedule of Tour below
Dec 9 Helena Chapter Safety Meeting
11:30am-12:30pm
Location: Perkins
Topic: Update on mega-loads coming through the state
Update on the Bakken (safety wise) anything MDT is noticing
Crash stats for MT
Speaker: Jeff Steeger, MCSAP Manager, MDT
Dec 16 Missoula Chapter Safety Meeting
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Jokers Wild
Speaker: Tim Garland, Les Schwab Tire
Topic: What happens when a truck tire comes off a tractor trailer and
the damages that can occur at at 65 mph. Tim will explain why this happens
and how to prevent it.
Dec 16 Billings Chapter Safety Meeting
Please attend the Legislative Reception
at Tri State from 5:30 p.m. -7:00 p.m.
RSVP to katie@mttrucking.org
Dec 25 MCM Office Closed Christmas Holiday
Jan 1 MCM Office Closed New Years Holiday
Jan 5 Share The Road
Billings Senior High
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Jan 6 Share The Road
Skyview High, Billings
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Jan 6 Board Meeting
Jorgensons Inn, Room 156
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Hotel Reservations TBA
Jan 6 Safety Meeting
Jorgensons Inn, Room 156
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Jan 12 Share The Road
West High, Billings
4:00pm - 5:00pm
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Legislative Tour Schedule
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Plan on attending one of our legislative receptions scheduled around the state. Motor Carriers of Montana has again partnered with the Montana Contractors Association to provide members an opportunity to speak with their newly elected legislators. Please see the schedule for time and location and RSVP to Katie at MCM 442-6600, as soon as possible.
Monday, Dec. 8.....................................Great Falls
Titan Machinery
1215 38th Street North
Social - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec 10...............................Missoula Western States Truck Centers
3760 North Reserve Street
Social 0 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 15 ....................................Bozeman
RDO Equipment
258 Laura Louise Lane
Social - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 16....................................Billings
Tri State Truck & Equipment
5250 Midland Road
Social - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 17................................Butte
La Quinta
1 Holiday Park Drive
Social - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, Dec 18.....................................Helena
Bert & Ernies
361 North Last Chance Gulch
Social - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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Coat Drive
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Cummins NW is conducting a coat drive and we'd like to reach out to you for support. As many of us experience throughout the year we are asked for monetary donations but all that is being asked of you is to spread the word and clean out those closets! They are looking for coats, jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, etc for adults and children of all ages. All that is required is the motivation to sort through the items you no longer use or need and drop them off at Cummins NW or contact Joe Coyne and they will pick them up! Deadline for this is December 15.
If you wish to make a monetary donation please make checks out to Cummins Northwest (memo: coat drive).
If you have any questions please feel free to call Joe at Cummins. Thank you!
Joe Coyne
Cummins Northwest
Office 406-728-1300 ext. 4408
6900 Kestrel Dr. #20
Missoula, MT 59808
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MCM Members Partner on Truckers Against Trafficking Trailer Wrap
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MCM Members Watkins and Shepard Trucking and Town Pump partnered with the Whitefish Soroptimist to fund a human trafficking awareness truck that was unveiled at the Freedom Run in Missoula Sunday December 7th.
For more information on Trafficking posters or literature for your drivers contact the MCM office, if interested in a trailer wrap contact Anastasia Burton, Deputy Communications Director, Montana Department of Justice, 406-444-9869.
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2014 State Chain & Snow Removal Laws
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We have gathered information from each state and alphabetically listed each state's chaining requirements.
Click here for State Chain Laws
Click here for Snow Removal Laws
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New Member
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Missoula College, the two-year unit of the University of Montana, provides outstanding transfer, occupational and technical education covering 35 program areas across five academic departments. Areas of study include business and health care professions (nursing), applied computing and electronics and energy and industrial technologies (diesel, carpentry, welding, small engine repair, building maintenance, heavy equipment operations and commercial driver license). Mark Dodge has been an OTR driver and trainer for 25 years with both Watkins Shepard and Jim Palmer in Missoula and now teaches a CDL and Truck driving course at Missoula College.
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Citing Congressional Concern
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Medical examiners in FMCSA's National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners will soon be receiving a bulletin from the agency to clarify current federal rules - or lack thereof - regarding screening and testing drivers for sleep apnea, according to a letter from acting FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling. According to Darling's letter, the bulletin will remind examiners there is no FMCSA guidance regarding apnea testing - hammered home by a 2013 law - and will encourage examiners to explain to drivers that referring them to sleep apnea specialists is being done based on their judgment as medical professionals and not from FMCSA regulations.
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ATRI Research Documents Alarming Demographic Trends for the Trucking Industry
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The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry's not-for-profit research organization, today released a white paper that highlights a challenging future for the trucking industry based on demographic data and a dramatic shift in the age of the industry's driver workforce. The findings document implications for the ongoing driver shortage.
ATRI's analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that the trucking industry is disproportionately dependent on employees 45 years of age or older, many of whom will retire in the next 10-20 years. Complicating this is a sharp decrease over the past 20 years in the number of younger drivers that make up the industry, particularly those 35 and under.
"The average age of our current driver workforce is 52 and we're noticing fewer and fewer younger individuals applying for jobs in recent years," said Keith Tuttle, Founder, Motor Carrier Service, Inc. and a member of ATRI's Research Advisory Committee. "If the industry doesn't collectively figure out how to recruit younger drivers, we may not have anyone left to haul freight in the coming decades. With more and more of the nation's freight being hauled by trucks now and in the future, this is a piece of the puzzle we have to solve."
The report discusses the issues impacting the industry's ability to attract younger drivers, and offers solutions to the problem including an increased vocational presence for the trucking industry and closing the gap between high school and CDL eligibility.
A copy of the white paper is available from ATRI's website at www.atri-online.org.
ATRI is the trucking industry's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.
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FMCSA to Seek Input on Increasing Minimum Insurance Levels
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A MCM member now is the time to get involved in this issue not after the Government has told us what they are raising them to.
MCM believes that any raise must be based on sound information and facts, some of which points to a very small percentage of accidents reaching the current limits. Please comment using the following link as soon as possible.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Nov. 28 published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on increasing the minimum insurance levels for carriers and brokers.
Instead of specifying a proposed minimum insurance level, the notice instead asks carriers and brokers to answer dozens of detailed questions - such as what they currently pay in premiums; whether rates are determined by driver, credit or safety history; and whether carriers get discounts for a certain number of vehicles in a fleet.
The ANPRM also asks: "What percentage of fleets, based on size and the type of operation of the carrier [passenger, property, hazmat] already have liability coverage that exceed the minimum financial responsibility requirement and by how much.
Currently, for most carriers the minimum coverage requirement is $750,000. Those specializing in hazardous materials must have either $1 million or $5 million depending on what they haul.
Those minimum levels, however, have been in place since 1985 and FMCSA said in April it would write a new insurance rule because "inflation has greatly increased medical claims costs and related expenses."
In the ANPRM the agency cited studies; among them one from Volpe Transportation Systems Center in 2013 that said severe crashes today typically result in more than $1 million in damages.
The agency will take comments on the ANPRM for 90 days after the publication date.
FMCSA is also seeking comments on issues besides the minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers, it said in the ANPRM.
The agency wants more information from freight brokers on the implementation of the requirement that took effect last year that required them to have $75,000 in minimum liability coverage.
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Be Ready. Be Buckled. Kids' Art Contest
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The "Be Ready. Be Buckled." art contest focuses on urging truck, bus and all drivers to buckle up to saves lives and reduce injuries. Children with a relationship to individuals or organizations in the trucking and bus industries can participate as per entry requirements. Artwork that best illustrates "the importance of commercial motor vehicle drivers buckling up" with the overarching message "Safety Belts Save Lives" will win the grand prizes in each of the two age categories. Contest ends Friday, February 28, 2015. All submissions must be postmarked no later than
Friday, February 28, 2015. Contest runs through Friday February 28, 2015. Results decided by April 1, 2015.
An awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 3-9, 2015) celebrations aimed at increasing awareness about work safety - being safe on the job.
Download your entry form today.
2014 Winning Artwork
First grader Annie Yu from Edison, New Jersey, is the grand prize winner of the Kindergarten through second grade age group for the 2014 "Be Ready, Be Buckled" art contest."
Third grader Heather Li from Orlando, Florida, won top honors in the third through sixth grade age group for the 2014 "Be Ready, Be Buckled" art contest.
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UPS Your Wishes Delivered
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During the holiday season, so many of the packages we deliver at UPS begin with a wish. UPS is responsible for delivering millions of packaged wishes during peak season through hard work, great care, and dedication.
With this in mind, UPS has launched Your Wishes Delivered, a campaign designed to invite the public to share their wishes during the holidays. For every wish shared on
ups.com/wishes or via social media channels like Twitter or Instagram using #WishesDelivered, UPS will donate $1 to one of three charities: The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Salvation Army, and Toys for Tots Literacy Program (up to $100,000). So far, the campaign has been met with very positive public sentiment and involvement in social media.
You can help in two important ways:
1) Spread the word by liking, sharing, and commenting on the campaign stories we've posted on UPS social channels.
-Facebook*: UPS Delivers Wishes
-Twitter*: Share a Wish Using #WishesDelivered
-YouTube: UPS Delivering Wishes Video
2) Submit your own holiday wishes to support this good cause at the UPS wishes Delivered site: http://ups.com/wishes
Thank you for sharing and supporting the cause during peak season. And be on the lookout for updates coming soon that spotlight UPSer stories and some very special wishes delivered.
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Free Safety Workshops
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The Gift of Safety: Safety Workshops 
Now that the holiday season is quickly approaching, why not give yourself a free gift, the gift of safety, by attending one of our December safety workshops.
Topics include:
First Report of Injury (FROI): When an employee gets hurt, the first thing to do is seek medical attention. The second thing to do is file a first report of injury (FROI) with the employer's workers' compensation carrier. A FROI is a document all employers are legally obligated to file if an employee gets hurt on the job. In this session participants will learn why it's so important to file a FROI as quickly as possible and how to correctly fill it out.
As OSHA Turns: In January 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will change the current reporting requirements for accidents. This includes changes to OSHA's partially exempt list for recordkeeping. In this section we'll discuss the reporting changes, as well as the criteria OSHA uses to decide which business is inspected and how to prepare for the inspection.
Watch, Share and Be Safe: The web and social media have transformed the way we find and view information and entertainment. In the world of safety resources it's no different. In this part of the workshop we'll introduce you to a number of safety websites and social media outlets that will prove to be valuable tools for workplace safety.
All topics will be discussed at each location.
Dates and Locations of Workshops
December 9 - Butte - La Quinta Inn and Suites
December 10 - Bozeman - Holiday Inn
December 11 - Miles City - Sleep Inn and Suites
December 12 - Billings - Big Horn Resort (New Location)
December 16 - Kalispell - Hampton Inn
December 17 - Missoula - Best Western Grant Creek Inn
December 18 - Helena - Holiday Inn Express
December 19 - Great Falls - Holiday Inn
Workshops take place from 8:30-Noon. To register go to safemt.com. For more information call Kirk Smith at 800-332-6102 x5361.
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SafetyFestMT: Kalispell 2015 Is Coming Soon!
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January 12 - 16, 2015
Flathead Valley Community College
777 Grandview Dr.
Kalispell, MT 59901Don't miss this opportunity to take advantage of the fantastic line up of FREE classes available at the Kalispell 2015 SafetyFestMT. Classes like Fall Protection, What a Safety Coordinator Does, First Aid/CPR/AED, Trenching, Personal Safety in the Workplace, OSHA Certified Classes and more will give you the tools you need to be successful in the workplace.
Register Now!
Please contact the following hotels for special rates for SafetyFestMT participants:
To register as an exhibitor please use the contact information below. Spaces are limited so don't wait!
Please contact:
Casey Kyler-West at 406.444.5267 or ckylerwest@mt.gov Thank you for your support of SafetyFestMT! Look for upcoming SafetyFest classes:
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Mark Your Calendar
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Montana ESGR & Montana Department of Labor Workforce Services Offices Job Fairs 2015
Early Entry Military, Military Spouses and Vets
Employers will be hiring
Billings Jobs Jamboree
March 18, 2015
METRA PARK Billings Montana
Contact Trisha Glenn 406-655-6081 TGlen@mt.gov Registration online now
Great Falls Community Job Fair
March 24, 2015
Great Falls, MT
Montana Expo Park Exhibition Hall
Great Falls Job Service Contact Barbara Hardy (406) 791-5816 bhardy@mt.gov
Southwestern Montana Job Fair
March 25, 2015
Butte Montana
Location to be determined
Job Service Manager Butte Marilyn Ohman (406) 494-0300 mohman@mt.gov
Bozeman Community Job Fair
April 8, 2015
Gallatin County Fairgrounds Bozeman, MT
Bozeman Job Service Contact Debbie Berg (406) 582-9200 dberg@mt.gov
Bozeman Job Service Contact Debbie Berg (406) 582-9200 dberg@mt.gov
Miles City Job Fair
April 8, 2015
A small job fair but closer to energy jobs in North Dakota
Miles Community College Miles City, MT
Miles City Job Service contact Cindy Erickson (406) 232-8349 cerickson@mt.gov
Helena Community Job Fair
April 9 2015
Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds Helena MT
Helena Job Service Contact Carol Rule (406) 447-3215 crule@mt.gov
Flathead Valley Job Fair
April 16, 2015
Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell, MT
Flathead Job Service Contact Bill Gilbert (406) 758-6240 wgilbert@mt.gov
or Roberta Diegel Business Resource Consultant Flathead Job Service (406) 758-6273 rdiegel@mt.gov
North Western Montana's Largest Career Fair
April 21, 2015
Missoula, MT
Hilton Garden Inn
Missoula Job Service Contact Wolf Ametsbichler (406) 728-7060 wametsbichler@mt.gov
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Save The Date RMRSR 2015
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