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Court Rules & Hours-of Service Changes Now a Reality
Effective today, the United States Court of Appeals For The District of Columbia Circuit has ruled on the on-going litigation over the July 1, 2013 Hours-of-Service regulations changes. The court has upheld the new rules, with the exception of the 30-minute break requirement being vacated for short-haul drivers. That means that the new Hours-of-Service rules will stand, with the exception that short-haul drivers (those operating within a 100-mile radius) will not be subject to the 30-minute break requirement.
The new rules effect on the trucking industry is no longer speculation. Carriers are now beginning to measure the true effect that the changes have on operations.
This was discussed at the TMHA Summer Safety Meeting in Lake Geneva, WI, and most carriers present felt that it was still too early to realize the true effect of the changes. While these new rules may be welcomed or not, the industry must remain a resilient and resourceful industry by adapting operations to make them work the best way possible.
The biggest change in the Hours-of-Service regulations is the requirement that in order to utilize the 34-hour restart provision, a driver's break must be a minimum of 34 hours and must include two periods of 1:00 to 5:00 am. The FMCSA estimated that this change would only affect fifteen percent of drivers. That estimate is believed to be far too low.
The second biggest change is the 30-minute break requirement. The rule states that a driver may not DRIVE if it has been more than 8 hours since their last break of at least 30 minutes.
Although we are still in the early stages of the new rules, the important thing to remember is that these changes will have an effect on drivers and operations. Some of these options may include changing the level of service to customers, changes in their operational procedures, or whether or not to hire additional drivers to maintain the level of service required by customers.
The positive thing to keep in mind is that the industry will continue to improve the safety and regulatory compliance of operations, along with delivering products to customers in the safest, most efficient and timely manner. After all, we are professional truckers.
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TMHA Board
of Directors
President
Jon Coca
Diamond Transportation System, Inc.
First Vice President
Aaron Tennant
Tennant Truck Lines
Second Vice President
Mike Connell
Bennett Motor Express
Past President
Jim Towery
Steelman Transportation
Clayton Fisk
Warren Transport
Jeremy Ihle
Ihle Transport, Inc.
David Major
Sammons Trucking
TMHA Mission Statement
To provide an ongoing forum for education, networking and advocacy for flatbed, step-deck and lowboy (RGN) carriers that specialize in the transportation of machinery and machinery-related commodities throughout the United States and Canada.
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Successful Summer Safety Meeting!
Wednesday and Thursday of this week, TMHA members and guests met in Lake Geneva, WI for the Annual Summer Safety Meeting. With over 40 attendees, hard hitting presentations, and a great venue at the Abbey Resort, it was safe to say members and guests had fun while gaining valuable knowledge.
Along with current TMHA members, there were more prospective members at this meeting than ever before. Feedback from these guests was very positive and TMHA is hopeful to have a handful of new members as a result of this meeting.
A special thank you to our sponsors! HNI Truck Group sponsored the cocktail cruise around the lake while Great West Casualty Company sponsored the dinner.
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Carriers Expect to Increase Capacity
Transport Capital Partners released its second quarter survey and said its findings show 65 percent of motor carriers expect to increase capacity in the next 12 months. Larger carriers are more cautious than smaller carriers in their buying plans, with 19 percent planning to add more than five percent capacity, compared with 36 percent among smaller carriers, the study said.
Source: The National Transportation Institute Alerts Newsletter
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FMCSA New Wireless Device Policy
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced a new policy allowing smart phones, tablets, GPS units and other on-board telematics devices (called Wireless Mobile Data Devices by the FMCSA) to be used as transponders for purposes of commercial vehicle information systems and network (CVISN) electronic screening truck inspection and weigh station bypass systems.
According to the FMCSA, these wireless devices have the capability of transmitting and receiving the same information between the driver and the inspection station as Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) enabled transponders.
For more details on the new policy, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
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 Annual Summer Safety Meeting Both current and prospective TMHA members learned valuable information while attending the TMHA Annual Summer Safety Meeting in Lake Geneva, WI. The meeting featured valuable presentations and informative speakers including Major Lance Evans from the Iowa DOT DVE (right).
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Getting to Know Your Board Members
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Aaron Tennant
President & CEO, Tennant Truck Lines
Colona, Ill.
In 67 years, Tennant Truck Lines has evolved from a single truck operation to a fleet with more than 175 units. Currently leading this still growing company is third-generation owner Aaron Tennant, who has successfully followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sidney; father, Bob; and uncle, Dean.
Tennant, the first vice president of TMHA, has spent his entire career with Tennant Truck Lines, including the last four as company president and CEO. He is honored to be running a business that his family worked so hard to develop from the ground up.
"My family has been in trucking since 1946, and I am proud to be able to offer a safe, reliable and cost effective service to the industry," Tennant said.
While Tennant is quick to recognize the company's customers and 200-plus employees for contributing to the operation's growth and success, he also acknowledges the importance Tennant Truck Lines' involvement in TMHA has played. It has provided a deeper understanding to the concerns the heavy-hauling segment of trucking encounters and has enabled the carrier to form stronger business relationships through the networking and educational opportunities available.
"Being a member of The Machinery Haulers Association is a good fit for us," Tennant said. "It helps us to further our efforts in order to promote the trucking industry."
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The Machinery Haulers Association
717 E. Court Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa
Phone: (515) 244-5193
Fax: (515) 244-2204
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