July 6, 2015:  MCM Weekly Newsletter
 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 10        Share The Road Helena
                    Capital High School, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 
   
July 15-17    RMRSR  
                     Mountain View Ranch, ID

Sept 8-10      76th Annual MCM Convention
                      Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula

Sept 16           Driver Appreciation Day 
ATA Calls on FMCSA to Quickly Move to Risk-Based Enforcement Programs

Today, American Trucking Associations called on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to accelerate the agency's efforts to integrate more risk-based assessments into its enforcement programs in light of a new report made public by the Department of Transportation.

 

"We appreciate the Department and FMCSA finally making public the report and recommendations the independent review team submitted to the Secretary of Transportation last July," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "It is clear that, since receiving it last summer, FMCSA has been taking some positive steps to respond accordingly.  It's also clear that much more remains to be done."

 

The report was issued by an independent review team appointed by the Secretary of Transportation in response to two specific National Transportation Safety Board recommendations. During investigations of four serious commercial motor vehicle crashes, NTSB found that FMCSA had failed to identify significant safety issues during prior audits of the motor carriers involved in the crashes.

 

"ATA is particularly pleased that the Independent Review Team highlighted the critical need for FMCSA to better align compliance and enforcement programs with the risks that actually cause crashes," said ATA Executive Vice President and Chief of Advocacy Dave Osiecki. "A number of stakeholders, including the Government Accountability Office, have observed the agency is often focused on compliance issues that do not bear a relationship to crash risk." 

 

The report presents a range of recommendations relating to FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, more efficient use of field enforcement resources, ways to make on-site compliance reviews more effective and measures to incent carrier-based, non-regulatory safety initiatives. For instance, the report points out CSA could be more effective if behaviors directly and immediately connected to crash risk were separated from "form and manner" compliance issues.

 

In particular the report discussed how, during on-site audits, investigators sometimes ignore violations that may relate to crash risk in favor of paperwork issues that are easier to document and more readily available.

 

"In the interest of preventing CMV crashes, FMCSA should make a greater commitment to be "risk-based" and reform its compliance and enforcement programs accordingly," Osiecki said.  "And, we're pleased that FMCSA is moving forward with a new partnership program aimed at recognizing trucking fleets whose safety policies and programs go beyond regulatory compliance. Both of these efforts ensure the most efficient use of resources and are in the shared interests of government, the industry and other highway users." 

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook.Trucking Moves America Forward 

 
FMCSA Moves to Require Certification Labels on Carrier Equipment

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require FMVSS Certification Labels (Plaques) on all tractors, trailers, dollies, chassis' straight trucks, vocational trucks and glider kits operated in the US by US domiciled carriers in interstate commerce. It will establish a separate regulatory paragraph (393.8). Current regulations require that carriers ensure the vehicles are equipped with the appropriate safety equipment and NHTSA requires manufactures to certify that the vehicle meets appropriate safety standards.  

 

This proposed rule will continue the requirements of the carrier and manufacture but a specific paragraph in the rule will mean the enforcement community will inspect for such label and certificate. It also means a CSA line for violations. If the label is missing the carrier must acquire a letter from the manufacturer that the vehicle was properly manufactured.

 

FMCSA admits that they have no idea about the size of the effected population and will need to conduct threshold analysis in order to quantify the benefit cost of this rule. What they appear to have failed to consider is the number of trailer manufacturers that are now out of business and will be unable to provide letters for trailers missing labels. ATA is currently aware of five trailer manufactures no longer in business - Dorsey, Their, Strict, Fruehauf, and Pike, with one motor carrier indicating they have about 10,000 trailers from these manufactures, with about half lacking labels. 

 

ACTION NEEDED:

  ATA is seeking your help in collecting data to prepare a response to FMCSA's proposed rulemaking. Please help spread the word amongst your members. We are asking that they provide an estimate of the number of trailers in there fleet without labels;  names of tractor, trailer, dolly, chassis' straight trucks, vocational trucks, and glider kit manufactures that are now out of business; and, an estimate of the number of missing labels for each type of vehicle in your fleet.   

 

Comments on  the proposed regulation are due August 3, 2015.  As such, we would request that you respond back with as much of the requested information as possible by July 17, 2015.

 

Also, please submit your own comments to the docket. FMCSA-2014-0428 Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation: Federal motor Vehicle Safety Standards Certification for Commercial Motor Vehicles Operated by United States-Domiciled motor Carriers. 

 

Ted Scott, ATA's Director, Engineering Services, Policy & Regulatory Affairs is in the process of setting up an informal coalition to respond to this proposal. Please let Ted know whether you're willing to participate in the coalition and please forward all info to him. Or if you have any questions specific to the proposed rule or the data information request, contact Ted at (703) 838-1908, or [email protected].

 

Motor Carriers of Montana Applauds Efforts of Senator Tester and Daines

The Motor Carriers of Montana (MCM) applauds Montana's United States Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Steve Daines (R-MT) for their vigorous efforts to improve highway safety and for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the state's trucking industry. 


MCM also recognizes the actions of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee for taking vital steps necessary to improve highway safety and infrastructure, not only in Montana, but the entire country, by passing the FY2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations bill.


"On behalf of our members, I want to thank Senators Tester and Daines for their hard work in the Senate, for working closely with our members and for her continued dedication to Montana's trucking industry. Montana's Senators stood firm today and voted against a poison pill amendment that wouldn't have allowed for the use of longer tandem trailers. Senator Tester and Daines are champions for our industry and our people," said Spook Stang, Executive Vice President of MCM.

"We also want to thank all the members of the Appropriations Committee who voted to move this transportation funding bill forward. Our roadways will be safer and our environment cleaner because of this important legislation. We urge passage by the full Senate."


The bill that passed today includes continued suspension and robust study of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) hours-of-service restart restrictions and increases in tandem trailer length. Together, these items will improve highway safety by reducing truck traffic and keeping trucks off the road during peak travel times, thus easing congestion. The modest increase in trailer length will decrease the number of truck trips required annually to deliver the goods that we utilize in our everyday lives, which in turn lowers truck exhaust output into the environment.


The T-HUD appropriations bill provides, among other programs, more than $40 billion in funding to the Highway Trust Fund, $825 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, $572 million to the FMCSA and $500 million in national infrastructure investment grants.

The bill, which was approved by a 20-10 vote, works within the framework of the Budget Control Act, while providing funding for transportation and infrastructure priorities and initiatives to increase safety and efficiency within the trucking industry. The bill will now be considered by the full Senate at a future date.

 

Federal State Trucking Associations

When you are a member of the Motor Carriers of Montana, you are part of a federation that includes 50 state trucking associations and industry related conferences and councils.  Altogether, these organizations make up the federation of the American Trucking Associations, which traces its origins to a meeting in Montana in 1933 between the American Highway Freight Association and the Federation Trucking Associations of America.  The Federation is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry.  For your convenience, here is a  list of association and affiliates.

Truck Driver Appreciation

TO:            MCM Members

FROM:      Barry Stang

RE:            TRUCK DRIVER APPRECIATION EVENTS

 

The MCM sponsored Truck Driver Appreciation events will be held Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at the westbound and eastbound Mossmain scale between Billings and Laurel and Muralt's Truck Stop in Missoula. This annual event will provide lots of great food and prizes.

 

Any MCM member interested in helping with this event may do so by completing the bottom of this sheet and returning it to the MCM office. Sponsors will be recognized on a banner at each location, on a flyer presented to each truck driver, and in our monthly newsletter.


If you are interested in helping sponsor this event, please respond to our office ASAP, in order to have your name on the banners.

 

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the MCM office at 406-442-6600.

 

Please return this form to the MCM office by August 24, 2015 to ensure banner and newsletter placement.

 

You may also be contacted by the local Safety Management chapters for contributions.
They will notify MCM to make sure recognition is given.

 

 

_____ YES, I would like to help sponsor the Driver Appreciation events:

            $ ������������____________

            Other (items): _________________________________________ 

 

_____ BILL MY ACCOUNT  

 

I'M AVAILABLE TO VOLUNTEER

________ Yes or No  

 

COMPANY NAME: ____________________________________  
PHONE: ____________________

COMPANY ADDRESS: _________________________________         
EMAIL:   ____________________

CONTACT: ___________________________________________

Please email to [email protected], fax to MCM at (406) 443-4281 or mail to 501 North Sanders, Suite 201, Helena, MT 59601                                                                      

Nominations For MCM Dedicated Service Award & Volunteer Award

We are accepting nominations for our Dedicated Service Award and Volunteer Award via a letter of nomination spelling out why person is deserving. The dedicated service award & volunteer award are for anyone you'd like to nominate who you feel has shown dedication or has given their time throughout the year within their company and/or MCM services. 

This only needs to be a short 1-2 paragraph nomination.  There is no official application for this


Nominations to MCM office by August 3, 2015.

 

Please email to [email protected]