February 16, 2015:  MCM Weekly Newsletter
 

Our Sponsors










MCM Member providing Tractor -
Trailer Leasing & Repairs       

 

 

 



In business for 29 years, and a member of MCM, we are proud to load MCM Carriers.  

 








 



   







 









CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Feb 17 Missoula Chapter Meeting
            12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Jokers Wild
            Speaker;  Bruce Holmes, DOT
            Topic:  Updates in FMCSR - Bring your questions

Mar 10 Helena Safety Meeting
             Meeting info TBA

Mar 11 Billings Chapter Meeting
             Meeting info TBA

Mar 17 Missoula Chapter Meeting
             Meeting info TBA


Save The Date
May 2    2nd Annual SuperTech Competition
               Helena College, Helena, MT

June 20  Truck Driving Championships
               Lewis & Clark Fairgrounds
               Helena, MT 

July 15-17 RMRSR
                  Mountain View Ranch, ID 
MCM Workers' Compensation Group Program

The Motor Carriers of Montana (MCM) Workers' Compensation Group Program offered through Montana State Fund (MSF) has earned nearly $164,000in group retention returns for qualifying policyholders.  The returns are based on the groups' overall premium & loss experience for the period of July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2014 and will be distributed to qualifying MCM policyholders by the end of March 2015. 

 

 

The MCM/MSF Group program is focused on working with participating policyholders to improve their safety programs and provide a safe working environment for their employees.  A safe workplace reduces injuries and costs.  And, if the overall experience of the group Program is favorable, the participating policyholders with low injury costs can realize a return premium. 

 

There is no extra cost to MCM members to participate in the Workers' Compensation Group Program.For more information about the Program, contact Jake Sandau at (406) 442-6600 or jake@mttrucking.org 

                                                                                                                           

NHTSA'S Stability Control Rule Sent to OMB

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced Feb. 6 that a rule that would require stability control systems on trucks and buses was forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for review.

 

"Our preliminary estimate produces an effectiveness range of 37 to 56% against single-vehicle tractor-trailer rollover crashes and 3 to 14% against loss-of-control crashes that result from skidding on the road surface," NHTSA said of its stability control system rule.

 

"With these effectiveness estimates, annually, we estimate 29 to 66 lives would be saved," NHTSA said.

 

"Based on the technology unit costs and affected vehicles, we estimate technology costs would be $55 million to $107 million, annually," the notice said. "However, the costs savings from reducing travel delay and property damage would produce net benefits of $128 million to $372 million."

 

NHTSA first began working on a rule to require stability control systems in 2011, although Congress subsequently mandated the systems in a provision in MAP-21, the 2012 transportation reauthorization law.

 

When OMB finishes its review, the rule will go back to NHTSA to be reworked or published.

                                                                                                                           

2015 State Technician Skills Competitions
A growing number of states are holding truck technician skills competitions, with winners moving on to the National Technician Skills Competition - aka TMC SuperTech--  conducted by the ATA Technology & Maintenance Council.  State-level champions receive an automatic bye into the second round at TMC.  This year's TMC SuperTech will be held September 21-23 in Orlando, FL.  Click here to see the 2015 schedule of state competitions.  All are run by or with the sanction of the State Trucking Association.  For more information on TMC SuperTech or how to conduct a state-level technician competition, contact Robert Braswell, TMC, at rbraswell@trucking.org or go to http://www.trucking.org/TMCSuperTech.aspx 

                                                                                                                           

AASHTO Journal At Least a Dozen State Consider Possible 2015 Increases in Motor Fuel Taxes

Officials in more than a dozen states are talking about possibly increasing taxes on gasoline and other motor fuels to help cover funding shortfalls for transportation infrastructure, reports a group that tracks tax developments across the country.

 

Carl Davis, a senior policy analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, wrote in a Jan. 29 Tax Justice Blog article that "when it comes to paying for infrastructure, the gasoline tax is the single most important source of revenue collected at both the state and federal levels. As a result, funding large scale improvements, or maintenance, to transportation networks usually means that the gas tax rate has to go up."

 

He said six states enacted fuel tax increases or reforms in 2013, and two more in 2014. For 2015, he said governors or legislators in 12 more are "seriously considering gas tax increases."

 

Those are, Davis said: Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington state.

 

The list could be longer still. "We're also hearing gas tax talk from legislators in Montana and Nebraska, task forces in Louisiana, research groups in Oklahoma and media in states such as Colorado and Wisconsin," Davis added. Although he repeatedly wrote only of gas tax increases, states are usually considering plans that also increase fees on diesel and other types of fuel, plus registration fees.

 

Besides his list, AASHTO Journal has been reporting that officials in yet more states are considering ways to boost their transportation revenue. In at least two more - Kentucky and North Carolina - officials are discussing how to revamp their percentage-based fuel tax laws to ward off big declines in receipts due to the past year's plunge in pump prices.

 

Some governors are also telling Congress that no matter what they do at the state level to increase their own transportation revenue, states still need a stronger and more reliable federal program to help catch up to a long list of backlogged projects to replace aging infrastructure or add capacity for growing populations.

 

In Georgia, for instance, he noted House Speaker David Ralston said a gas tax increase was possible this year and some lawmakers introduced a bill to do so. Gov. Nathan Deal has not formally proposed one, but Davis wrote the governor "has been dropping hints that he's open to the idea."

 

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has not proposed hiking fuel taxes, but "he has supported increases in the past, and there is rampant speculation that a gas tax hike could be floated soon," the article said. Likewise, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Washington's Jay Inslee and Chris Christie of New Jersey - among others - have not proposed one, but the analyst in each case pointed to indicators that such revenue measures may emerge.

 

The report also counted the December action in Michigan's legislature, which passed a series of tax increases with a strong push by the governor but will put them before voters to approve or reject in May.

 

It noted that Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Senate leaders proposed adding a wholesale tax to fuel, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley proposed hiking fuel taxes if combined with an income tax cut and reform of the state transportation department. South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard also proposed a gas tax increase, and Utah's Gary Herbert has said "now is the time" to raise Utah's gas tax, Davis reported.                                                       Article appears courtesy of the AASHTO Journal - 2/6/15 

                                                                                                                           

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 


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 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 

 

Save The Date RMRSR 2015