Toomey and U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, Pa.-12, visited the Centre County Visitor's Bureau on Wednesday for a forum hosted by PBA member, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County to hear from local business and government leaders about issues they have faced and to talk about their views on what should be done next.  Read more...

The relief bill targeted to help our industry (S. 4150) was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives of the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act by Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL), Albio Sires (D-N.J), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Don Young (R-Alaska). The CERTS Act is a companion bill to the identically named Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act of 2020 in the Senate, which was introduced in early July by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). 

Now that both the House and the Senate have the CERTS Act bills, it is imperative that you contact your Congressional delegation and tell them to support the CERTS Act in their respective chamber. While our national associations have provided easy templates to use, we ask our PBA members to send a PERSONAL note or make a call to tell your Senators and Representatives how this is impacting YOU.   If you need help finding their contact information, email us and we will help you. 

If you would prefer to use a quick link provided by UMA today, please click here to complete a letter and share this link:  https://p2a.co/u09EBwc. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education (PDE) issued public health guidance to assist Pre-K to 12 schools in developing and implementing Health and Safety Plans for safely returning to in-person instruction for the 2020-21 school year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read more...

Front-line workers who are at greater risk of catching the coronavirus at work are eligible for additional "hazard pay" of $3 an hour under a federally funded, $50 million program announced by Gov. Tom Wolf.    Read more...

Click the image to watch Secretary Chao's laudatory statement about our industry's essential role.

The White House wants Congress to pass another stimulus package by the first week in August, before lawmakers head home for their annual summer recess, and to keep the cost at $1 trillion or less, according to Vice President Mike Pence's top aide. The House is scheduled to begin its recess by Aug. 3, with the Senate following a week later. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants Congress to complete work on the next phase of stimulus by then.  Read more...

Will FMCSA delay the HOS Final Rule? They will if a group made up of safety advocates and trucking companies have their way. The group is asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to delay revisions to the revised hours of service final rule.  Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hereby declares that the continuing national emergency warrants the extension of Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002. This extension continues the exemption granted from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for the fifty States and the District of Columbia as set forth below. This notice extends the exemption through August 14, 2020, subject to the restrictions and limitations set forth in this Extension.    Read more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it has published a final rule rescinding the requirement that drivers of commercial buses submit - and motor carriers retain - driver-vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) when the driver has neither found nor been made aware of any vehicle defects or deficiencies.  Read more...

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it has published a final rule to reduce regulatory costs by $74 million per year by removing an information collection burden for commercial buses and other passenger-carrying motor coaches. This measure will strengthen the industry without adversely impacting safety on the nation's roadways.  Read more...

Employers must conduct annual queries by January 5, 2021.   Per §382.701 , employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query of the Clearinghouse at least once per year for each CDL driver they employ.

The annual query requirement is tracked on a rolling 12-month basis. The one-year time frame resets with each query conducted on a driver. For example, if an employer conducted a query for Driver A on July 6, 2020, the employer is not required to query Driver A again until July 7, 2021, to meet the annual query requirement.

A limited query satisfies the annual query requirement. Employers must obtain a general consent from CDL drivers they employ before conducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse to view these drivers' information (you can download a sample limited query consent form).

You can log in to the Clearinghouse and conduct your annual queries today.

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced it was releasing detailed loan-level data regarding the loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This disclosure covers each of the 4.9 million PPP loans that have been made.  Read more...

Federal grant funds have run out for small businesses, farms and nonprofits trying to survive the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.  The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance Program has exhausted the $20 billion authorized by Congress, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced. As a result, the agency has stopped taking applications for Advance grants, which are up to $10,000 per applicant and do not have to be repaid.  Read more...

The House Appropriations Committee approved a measure requiring passengers and workers on major public transportation to wear masks for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We know masks work. Since the Trump administration won't act, Congress must," said Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. The full committee approved the policy in an amendment sponsored by Price, which passed by voice vote. Read more... 

"No bill will pass the Senate without liability protection for everyone related to the coronavirus," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Nobody should have to face an epidemic of lawsuits on the heels of the pandemic that we already have related to the coronavirus."  Read more...

With Broadway theaters dark, museums and stadiums closed, and no bars letting patrons in to take a break from sweaty sidewalks, New York City looks nothing like its usual self at the height of the summer tourist season. The city's signature features are closed for the foreseeable future, putting much of the economy on hold, and making how long it will be until tourists return a multibillion-dollar question.  Read more...