August 10, 2015: MCM Weekly Newsletter |
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Sept 8 Board of Directors Meeting Salon A - Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Sept 8 Safety Council Meeting Salon A - Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sept 9-10 76th Annual MCM Convention
Hilton Garden Inn, Missoula
Sept 16 Driver Appreciation Day
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Convention Registration Materials Now Available
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Motor Carriers of Montana 76th Annual Convention
We would like to invite you to our 76th Annual Convention September 8-10 in Missoula "The Garden City". This will be a great opportunity to visit with leaders in the industry from around the country and Montana. This networking opportunity gives you a needed break from the daily grind and the opportunity to network and compare notes with your peers. MCM has provided a great venue of educational sessions as well as an opportunity for golfing one of Western Montana's best kept secret, The Ranch Club. For those non-golfers Jyl has again put together a great opportunity to tour some of Missoula's best kept secrets in addition to lunch at one of Montana's newest microbreweries, The Lolo Peak Brewing Company. It will all end with a BBQ and fun and games at the Ranch Club golf course. Hope to see you there.
Mike O'Dore Barry "Spook" Stang   MCM President, Diversified Transfer and Storage MCM Executive Vice President |
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July Driver of The Month
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Larry Spiekermeier, "Sneaky," has been leased to Whitewood Transport for 16 years. During his career with this trucking company, he has truly been an asset, friend, mentor to all at Whitewood Transport. His knowledge of equipment and how to load and transport it has been invaluable to Whitewood, but his demeanor and good heart has outshined even his professional skills. There is rarely a time that Larry cannot assist
Whitewood, and the trucking industry as a whole, with his knowledge and experience, especially when it comes to specialty oversize and overweight commodities. Sneaky drives a 2000 Western Star and pulls and 2103 Trail King 10 axle lowboy. His driving skills and friendly personality attribute to his high level of professionalism on the road and in the office. Larry was awarded, "Motor Carriers of Montana Driver of the Year" in 2009. Int he same year, he joined the "1 Million Mile Club: at Whitewood Transport; one of only eight drivers that have received this award. Having a positive attitude, great worth ethic, and treating people with respect make him a superior driver to work with.
Larry and his wife, Mary Ann, have three grown children; Mandy, Ryan and Cody. They reside in a beautiful home overlooking the river in Plains, Mt. They enjoy working their yard and admiring the wild turkey, deer and black bear that frequently visit them.
Whitewood Transport is grateful to have an Owner Operator with as much knowledge and experience as Sneaky. His dedication and expertise qualify him for Whitewood Driver of the Month a a nomination for Motor carriers of Montana Driver of the Month.
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Industry Asked to Rank Top Concerns
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The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry's not-for-profit research organization, today launched the 2015 Top Industry Issues Survey. The annual survey, commissioned by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), asks trucking industry stakeholders to rank the top issues of concern for the industry along with appropriate strategies for addressing each issue. The survey is in its 11th year and participation by trucking stakeholders has grown each year.
"In complex times like this it is critical that we do our part to help ensure a thriving future for the trucking industry," said ATA Chairman Duane Long, Chairman of Longistics. "With your participation, we can speak with a collective industry voice on the issues most important to us." The results of the 2015 survey will be released at the ATA Annual Management Conference and Exhibition, to be held October 17-20, 2015 in Philadelphia.
Industry stakeholders are encouraged to complete the survey from the website by clicking here .
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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IRS Rules on Suspension of Heavy Vehicle Use Tax
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Under the federal Internal Revenue Code, the heavy vehicle use tax is not owed on a vehicle otherwise subject to the tax unless and until the vehicle travels 5,000 miles or more on the highway during the tax year - which runs from July through June. If the owner of such a vehicle reasonably expects its operations won't reach 5,000 miles, the owner may apply to IRS to have the HVUT suspended until the vehicle's travel reaches 5,000 miles or, if it never does, to suspend the tax for the whole year. A memorandum from the Chief Counsel's office of the Internal Revenue Service has now addressed the question of how these suspension rules apply to a used vehicle that was purchased early in the tax year, and on which the tax was under suspension for low mileage. Could the new owner continue to have the tax suspended? The catch is that the new owner did not know how many miles the vehicle traveled during the tax year prior to the point at which he bought it. Sorry, says the IRS, but without evidence of how much travel the vehicle actually did, the new owner will have to pay the tax immediately. IRS Chief Counsel Memo no. POSTN-146385-14, dated March 23, 2015, and released July 2015.
And a Reminder about the HVUT - Several weeks ago, we noted that IRS has changed the rules for a taxpayer claiming an HVUT credit for a tax-paid vehicle that is sold during the tax year. As of right now, IRS will not grant the credit unless the applicant provides to it the name, address, and telephone number of the party to which the vehicle was sold.
Reprinted by permission State Laws Newsletter
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New MT Department of Labor & Industry "5 in 1" Employee Rights Poster
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The Montana Department of Labor & Industry has released a new "5 in 1" employee rights poster with updated information provided by the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regarding workplace safety.
Employers are required to display the poster in a conspicuous place where their employees can see it, and failure to do so could result in a citation of up to $1,000.
The MT DOL says that previous versions of the OSHA poster do not need to be replaced.
The new posters provide information about OSHA inspection of workplaces, how to receive information and training about job hazards, the procedures required for reporting a work-related injury or illness, and the best practices to raise safety and health concerns with their employer or OSHA.
"The safer our workplaces are, the safer our workforce is, and the better our employers can manage and produce for our economy," Jake Troyer of the MT DOL said.
"For employers, the poster informs them of their legal obligation to provide a safe workplace," said Montana Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy. "The Montana Department of Labor & Industry takes seriously our commitment to informing employers of their responsibilities to train all workers in a language and vocabulary they can understand, and comply with OSHA standards."
The updated poster may be obtained at no charge by calling the Montana Department of Labor & Industry at 406-444-4100 or by calling a Job Service office.
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Obama Taps Darling to Be FMCSA Administrator
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President Obama nominated Scott Darling for Senate consideration to be the fifth head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, where he is currently chief counsel.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx confirmed the nomination of Darling, who has also served as FMCSA's acting administrator, in an Aug. 5 statement. "Through strong and effective management as chief counsel and acting administrator of FMCSA, Scott has already demonstrated his ability to lead the agency. He is committed to making our roads safer for motorists, passengers and professional truck and bus drivers, and is constantly working with all sides to find solutions to challenges facing the industry and the motoring public," Foxx said.
If confirmed, Darling will succeed Anne Ferro, administrator from November 2009 to August 2014. When Ferro stepped down, the administration selected Darling to lead FMCSA ahead of then-Deputy Administrator William Bronrott. Darling's formal tenure as acting administrator expired in March, in accordance with federal law. In February the agency gained a new deputy administrator, DOT official Daphne Jefferson.
American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said of the nomination, "We congratulate Scott on his nomination to this critical position, and we look forward to continuing to work with him to improve truck and highway safety."
Darling has been the agency's top lawyer since 2012. Before that he worked for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Among the issues that will concern Darling as administrator are electronic logging devices, driver hours of service, cross-border trucking with Mexico, standards for entry-level driver training, a clearinghouse for drug and alcohol driver reports, raising mandatory insurance minimums for trucking companies, mandatory use of engine speed governors and the scoring system for the agency's Comprehensive, Safety, Accountability program.
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OSHA Proposed Clarification of Employer Injury and Illness Reporting Responsibilities
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On July 29, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify when employers must update their OSHA 300 Logs and 301 Incident Reports. Currently, employers must log and maintain incident reports for all recordable injuries and illnesses within 7 days of receiving information about incidents and when older incidents are newly discovered, even if knowledge of the incident is obtained after the 7-day window. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently found that the employer's recording obligation is confined by a statute of limitations to those incidents that occurred in the prior six months. If finalized, OSHA's proposal would essentially override the six month limitation and give the agency greater authority to cite employers who fail to record known incidents. Click here for a link to OSHA's proposed rule. For more information, contact Abigail Potter at apotter@trucking.org.
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CVSA Brake Safety Week: Sept 6-12
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During the week of Sept. 6-12, 2015, law enforcement agencies across North America will conduct brake system inspections on large trucks and buses to identify out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) Brake Safety Week.
Brake Safety Week is an annual outreach and enforcement campaign designed to improve commercial vehicle brake safety throughout North America. Outreach and educational efforts by commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspectors, participating motor carriers and others in the industry are integral to the success of the campaign.
Brake-related violations comprised the largest percentage (representing 46.2 percent) of all out-of-service violations cited during Operation Airbrake's companion International Roadcheck campaign in 2014, which is focused on both vehicles and drivers. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and increase stopping distance of trucks and buses, which pose serious risks to driver and public safety.
Brake inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week include inspection of brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts, air or hydraulic fluid leaks, worn linings, pads, drums or rotors, and other faulty brake-system components. Antilock braking system (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps also are checked. Inspectors will inspect brake components and measure pushrod stroke where applicable. Defective or out-of-adjustment brakes will result in the vehicle being placed out of service.
Additional inspections may include some Level I Inspections and, in the 10 jurisdictions currently using performance-based brake testing (PBBT) equipment, overall vehicle braking efficiency will be measured. These systems include a slow speed roller dynamometer that measures total vehicle weight and total brake force from which braking efficiency is determined. The minimum braking efficiency for trucks is 43.5 percent, required by U.S. federal regulation and the CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria.
Last year, inspectors from participating agencies inspected 13,305 vehicles during 2014 Brake Safety Week and placed 2,162 commercial vehicles out of service (OOS) for brake violations. Of the vehicles inspected, the OOS rate for all brake-related violations conducted in North America was 16.2 percent, compared with 13.5 percent for the 2013 event. The OOS rate for brake adjustment was 10.4, and the OOS rate for brake components was 9.3 percent.
More than 3.4 million brakes have been inspected since the program's inception in 1998.
Brake Safety Week is part of the Operation Airbrake program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
~CVSA
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Federal State Trucking Associations
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REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
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Get the Answers You Need to Run Your Company
Safely, Efficiently, and Profitably
For the first time since Boston in 2005, the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE) will take place in the Northeast. This year's meeting is scheduled for the Pennsylvania Convention Center & Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, October 17-20.
We hope you will join us at the most important meeting of the year for trucking executives.
MCE 2015 will provide solutions to some of the most challenging issues facing trucking executives, including:
- Driver Recruitment: The industry needs 40,000 more drivers to meet capacity demands. Where can your company find the drivers you need?
- Truck Design and Technology in the Future: Throughout the years, advances in truck design, equipment, and technology have been driving forces behind the success of our industry. What are the next big innovations that will transform the way fleets accomplish their work?
- Safety Benchmarking: How much effort and money do trucking companies invest in safety? How does your company stack up?
- Driver Retention: How can you create a company culture that improves driver retention?
- Federal Regulations: What happens in D.C. affects every fleet. What key Federal regulations will impact your company's operations and profitability?
In addition, General Stan McChrystal, Former Commander of U.S. & International Forces in Afghanistan, will present "Lessons in Leadership" at the 2015 ATA Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE). General McChrystal will also discuss the benefits of hiring veterans. The session is sponsored by Shell LNG.
ATA President and CEO Bill Graves will give his highly anticipated "State of the Industry" Keynote Address, ATA Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Bob Costello will host "The Economy and Its Impact on Trucking" General Session sponsored by Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, and Chicago (the highest-charting American band in Billboard Magazine's list of Top 100 artists of all time) will perform at the ATA Annual Reception & Banquet to close MCE.
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Truck Driver Appreciation
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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:
$ ญญญญญญญญญญญญ____________
Other (items): _________________________________________
_____ BILL MY ACCOUNT
I'M AVAILABLE TO VOLUNTEER
________ Yes or No
COMPANY NAME: ____________________________________
PHONE: ____________________
COMPANY ADDRESS: _________________________________
EMAIL: ____________________
CONTACT: ___________________________________________
Please email to katie@mttrucking.org, fax to MCM at (406) 443-4281 or mail to 501 North Sanders, Suite 201, Helena, MT 59601
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Energy Day at the Fair Reception Invite
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