On November 11 last year, Colorado implemented its new on-line oversize/overweight load permitting system, which it calls COOPRS.  According to information from the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, the system will make it vastly easier for those hauling such loads into or through the state.  The system can be used by anyone with an internet connection, and is available around the clock.  It provides for self-issuance of permits for envelope loads, and bridge analysis for heavier ones.  All state-maintained roads are covered, and evidently the system can be extended to cover local roads as well.  CMCA will be offering a training course on COOPRS next Tuesday, January 27, at its headquarters in Denver.  If you're interested, or for more information, contact the association at  jo@cmca.com.

From State Laws Newsletter

"Just mentioning infrastructure is not a solution to our nation's critical needs, and by simply bringing the topic up without details President Obama missed an opportunity to underscore the critical role our highway system plays in our economic well being," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Now is the time, with the Highway Trust Fund set to go bankrupt in May, to show vision and leadership and most importantly, find funding, to keep that from happening. The trucking industry calls on the President and Congress to end this unnecessary uncertainty by funding our nation's infrastructure and passing a new highway bill."

The trucking industry was represented at the State of the Union by ATA First Vice Chairman Pat Thomas, vice president of global public affairs at UPS Inc. Watch this video of Thomas discussing attending President Obama's annual address to Congress: http://youtu.be/gqQ6Ab5YTn8 

"Numerous times over the past five years, ATA has respectfully requested FMCSA to screen out crashes from CSA where it is plainly evident the professional truck driver and motor carrier were not at fault," said ATA Executive Vice President Dave Osiecki. "Instances where a truck is rear ended by a drunk driver, or hit head on by a motorist traveling in the wrong direction on the interstate, or as happened just Monday when a truck was struck by a collapsing bridge are clearly not the fault of the professional driver and certainly should not be used to target his or her carrier for potentially intrusive government oversight."

FMCSA uses overall crash history as one of several data points in its Compliance, Safety, Accountability safety monitoring system. ATA has repeatedly (http://www.trucking.org/article.aspx?uid=613c62f7-9f87-498d-9875-ec82c2b7a2db) called (http://www.trucking.org/article.aspx?uid=55206031-369b-4094-9e8e-b98c17f8465d) for improvements to CSA, particularly in the area of crash accountability, where the agency contends that just being involved in a crash is an indicator a carrier may not be safe. 

"It is not lost on the trucking industry that the word 'Accountability' is in the title of CSA, yet FMCSA continues to ignore crash accountability," said Osiecki.

Following a  December-made promise for more clarification of current sleep apnea guidelines for medical examiners, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration posted earlier this month a bulletin telling examiners that if they suspect a driver may have sleep apnea, then he or she should be sent to a sleep specialist for evaluation.

The agency did not publicize the bulletin, which was published on the agency's  National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners website.

The clarification says FMCSA "recommends that, if a medical examiner believes the driver's respiratory condition is in any way likely to interfere with the driver's ability to safely control and drive a commercial motor vehicle, the driver should be referred to a specialist for further evaluation and therapy."

Further, if an examiner suspects a driver may have sleep apnea or the driver reports a diagnosis, the examiner should "consider referring the driver to a specialist for evaluation" before the driver receives medical certification.

The bulletin, published Jan. 12, is a reminder to medical examiners that there is no guidance, and instead refers them to advisory materials published in 2000, which notes the above recommendations on screening and evaluation.

The agency also "encourages" examiners to consider several other points:

AHI > or = 15: Drivers with "moderate-to-severe" obstructive sleep apnea are the primary targets for necessary treatment. Crucially, the bulletin defines moderate-to-severe apnea as a condition illustrated by an "apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of greater than or equal to 15."

Drivers with apnea not automatically unfit: Drivers are not required to be "considered unfit to continue their driving careers" - medical examiners should "make a determination whether they need to be evaluated and, if warranted, demonstrate they are managing their OSA to reduce the risk of drowsy driving."

Examiners have wide latitude on screening: Though the bulletin acknowledges that FMCSA has no current advisory guidance on screening of drivers for undiagnosed apnea, "medical examiners should consider common OSA symptoms such as loud snoring, witnessed apneas, or sleepiness during the major wake periods." Risk factors like high body-mass-index measurements, neck size, incidence of a single-vehicle crash and others are also mentioned.

Drivers/specialists have options on testing: In diagnosing apnea, examiners should rely on "in-laboratory polysomnography, at-home polysomnography, or other limited-channel ambulatory testing devices which ensure chain of custody."

Drivers have wide latitude on treatment options: FMCSA underscores that sleep apnea "is a treatable condition, and drivers with moderate-to-severe OSA can manage the condition effectively to reduce the risk of drowsy driving." The bulletin goes on to encourage options not limited to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy but also weight loss, dental appliances and/or treatments utilized in combination.