January 12, 2015:  MCM Weekly Newsletter
 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Jan 12-16  SafetyFest Kalispell
                  Flathead Valley Community College
                   777 Grandview Dr. 
                   See article below for more info

Jan 13 Helena Chapter Safety Meeting
            11:30 am - 12:30 pm
             Perkins
             Speaker:  Jim Dusenberry, J&D Truck Repair
             Topic:  Carrier responsibilities and expectations during an accident

Jan 14  Billings Chapter Safety Meeting
             11:30 am - 12:30 pm
             Hanser's Wrecker
             Speaker:  Jim Dusenberry, J&D Truck Repair
             Topic:  Carrier responsibilities and expectations during an accident


Jan 20  Missoula Chapter Safety Meeting
             12:00pm - 1:00pm
             Jokers Wild
             Speaker:  Jim Dusenberry, J&D Truck Repair
             Topic:  Carrier responsibilities and expectations during an accident
Women In Trucking

Women In Trucking (WIT) was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry. The purpose of the Image Team is to represent these goals while bringing awareness of the need for more women in the trucking industry and the obstacles that women face.

It is a prestigious honor to be selected and serve on the WIT Image Team. Nominate the best driver you know to be chosen as a charter member of the Image Team.
 
ELIGIBILITY 

  • Must currently hold a valid commercial driver's license and be employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver.
  • Have an outstanding safety record.
  • Able to speak convincingly about her commitment to safety and by her appearance, represent the trucking industry's best.
  • Be a member of WIT in good standing for at least one year.
  • Have access to a computer for webinars and virtual meetings.

IMAGE TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Articulate, safety-conscious drivers
  • Talk positively and honestly about what they know
  • Attend at least one major truck show per year (this requirement is flexible)
  • Write articles from a driver's point of view about Women In Trucking
  • Be available for media interviews
  • Attend conference calls or webinars as needed
  • Position on Image Team can be held up to 2 years (consideration given for extension upon re-application)
  • Mentor new Image Team members
  • Those selected to be on the WIT Image Team will be introduced and recognized at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel held at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) March 28, 2015 in Louisville, KY. Attendance is encouraged, but not required.

COMPANY BENEFITS

  • Recognition of having a driver on the WIT Image Team as a charter member
  • Actively participating in making a more positive image of the trucking industry
  • Supporting the mission of WIT by sponsoring your driver to actively engaging the trucking community in removing obstacles for women and promoting the employment of women.
  • Added exposure each time your driver writes articles, conducts interviews, and speaks to anyone in the trucking industry about this mission.
  • Be known as a reputable company for the positive image that their driver displays and actively upholds as part of their mission.

We are often contacted by media for interviews and ride-alongs and are excited to be able to offer interview requests in the future with an Image Team ready to speak about the positive aspects of their jobs and the industry.  Women are still an anomaly as drivers and the media is often intrigued to learn more about the female drivers who are perceived as doing a "man's job."  These drivers will break that stereotype and will be role models for the women who enter the trucking industry in the future.

To nominate a female driver, submit the attached application to [email protected] by January 31, 2015.

Sincerely,


Lana Nichols
Project Manager
Women In Trucking
PO Box 400
Plover, WI 54467-0400
888.464.9482
www.WomenInTrucking.org 

 
FMCSA to Keep Random Drug Testing Level at 50% in 2015
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced that the trucking industry will have to continue randomly testing at least 50% of its drivers for drug and alcohol use during 2015.

FMCSA made the announcement Dec. 31, saying that its decision to keep the 50% requirement was based on "the data from motor carrier industry-controlled substance lab test results, the 2012 drug and alcohol testing survey and additional investigations."

 

The trucking industry was hoping the agency would lower the mandatory 50% to 25%, as is the case for other transportation sectors, such as marine and public transit.

 

American Trucking Associations Executive Vice President Dave Osiecki called the announcement disappointing, especially because "the trucking industry met the incentive-based rate reduction criteria in FMCSA's own regulations. And, the information and other data cited in FMCSA's statement on this issue raises a whole host of questions concerning the basis for the random rate decision."

 

"We will dig a whole lot deeper on this issue with FMCSA early in the new year to get to the bottom of the Department's decision-making," Osiecki added.

 

FMCSA said positive test rates following an initial positive result increased by 4.1% from 2011 to 2012.

 

The agency also said, "Reasonable-suspicion positive test rates continued to rise sharply from 5.6% in 2010, to 15.7% in 2011 and 37.2% in 2012, marking a five-fold increase over the three-year period."

 

In addition, the agency said, "The rate of total positive drug test results reported to DOT from independent Health and Human Services-certified laboratories increased from 95,427 positives in 2011 to 97,332 positives in 2012.

 

"FMCSA-regulated industries comprise approximately 80% of the reported tests," the agency said of the truck and bus companies it regulates.

 

"Serious controlled-substance and alcohol-testing violations were identified in 24% of recent compliance investigations; and a two-week 2014 strike force focusing on the identification of drivers who tested positive resulted in 205 driver-enforcement cases, and 138 enforcement cases against carriers for violations relating to drivers with positive test results operating a commercial motor vehicle," FMCSA said.

 

"These include drivers operating passenger carrying vehicles and transporting hazardous materials," the agency added.

 

While results for FMCSA's 2012 testing survey of approximately 2,000 carriers indicate that positive random drug-testing results are down for a second year, "the agency is committed to seeking additional information related to driver test rates and will continue to monitor industry testing programs before re-evaluating the controlled substances random test rate for 2016," FMCSA said.

FMCSA to Seek Input on Increasing Minimum Insurance Levels
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. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-2014-0211-0001.

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 in2013 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.
2014 State Chain & Snow Removal Laws

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 


SafetyFestMT:  Kalispell 2015 Is Coming Soon!

January 12 - 16, 2015 
Flathead Valley Community College
777 Grandview Dr. 
Kalispell, MT 59901

Don'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 [email protected] 

Thank you for your support of SafetyFestMT!

 

Look for upcoming SafetyFest classes: 

Mark Your Calendar
                      

 

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 

 

Southwestern Montana Job Fair

March 25, 2015

Butte Montana

Location to be determined

Job Service Manager Butte Marilyn Ohman (406) 494-0300 [email protected] 

 

Bozeman Community Job Fair

April 8, 2015

Gallatin County Fairgrounds Bozeman, MT

Bozeman Job Service Contact Debbie Berg (406) 582-9200 [email protected] 

Bozeman Job Service Contact Debbie Berg (406) 582-9200 [email protected] 

 

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 [email protected] 

 

Helena Community Job Fair

April 9 2015

Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds Helena MT

Helena Job Service Contact Carol Rule (406) 447-3215 [email protected] 

 

Flathead Valley Job Fair

April 16, 2015

Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell, MT

Flathead Job Service Contact Bill Gilbert (406) 758-6240 [email protected] 

or Roberta Diegel Business Resource Consultant Flathead Job Service (406) 758-6273 [email protected] 

 

North Western Montana's Largest Career Fair

April 21, 2015

Missoula, MT

Hilton Garden Inn

Missoula Job Service Contact Wolf Ametsbichler (406) 728-7060 [email protected] 

 

Save The Date RMRSR 2015