While the medical community works overtime developing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, transportation and logistics companies are hard at work on strategies to ship it safely around the world once it is ready.

Some optimistic projections suggest that could happen by year’s end, so transportation companies want to be ready. Officials from corporations involved in that planning tell Transport Topics that the scope of the effort is unprecedented.

For example, UPS is building two freezer farms — one at its air hub in Louisville, Ky., another in Venlo, Netherlands — that the company said will store millions of vials of a vaccine at temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius, or minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Eastern Transportation Coalition (formerly the I-95 Corridor Coalition) asked MMTA to pass on their letter of appreciation to our industry for the risks and challenges faced by truckers. They want to recognize your commitment to move goods efficiently and safely during this time. The Coalition’s Executive Board is made up of the Secretaries and Commissioners of Northeast State DOTs, including MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note.

MMTA Events and Awards Update - Click HERE

2020 MMTA Fleet Safety Awards - APPLICATIONS NOW ONLINE

2020 MMTA Safety Director of the Year - NOMINATIONS NOW ONLINE

September 9, 2020 Truck PAC Golf Tournament - ONLINE REGISTRATIONS HERE

After decades of helping Maine students achieve their educational and training goals, the MMTA is pleased to announce exciting changes to the John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund starting with next year’s applicants.

In the past, scholarships have generally been for $1,000 for graduating high school seniors seeking higher education, including technical training, in areas relevant to the motor carrier industry. Starting in 2021, the number of awards will be limited to nine, but the amount of the awards will be a one-time scholarship payment for up to $2,500 each. As has been the case in the past, the online application will be available starting January 1st and the submission deadline remains May 1st.

Additionally, the criteria to be selected for one of the nine scholarships has changed to reflect an emphasis on careers and instruction specific to the trucking industry in an attempt to focus on technical training. See below for the new qualifications and requirements for applicants.

Please join us in spreading the word about this scholarship opportunity for graduating high school seniors next year. If you know of a student who will be a senior this fall, have them bookmark www.mmta.com/jwa and set a reminder to apply after the first of the year. If you want to contact your school system’s guidance department so they can help promote the scholarship program, you can send them a copy of the promotional letter found HERE.

We can’t think of a better way to honor the memory of our good friend John Austin than being able to deliver educational opportunities to kids who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Many members are receiving notices from vendors, some of whom have names very similar to DOT or FMCSA. The emails inform members that they are out of compliance with biennial update requirements of their MCS-150 and may face civil penalties or deactivation of their USDOT number. Additional consequences of non-compliance may include not being able to renew fuel stickers or registrations until the update is performed. The vendors deceptively offer to perform the update for you, at a fee of $149 or more.  

Regulations require that the biennial update be performed every other year, based on the last two digits of your USDOT #. The last digit is the month it should be performed. The next to last digit determines the year it must be performed based on an odd or even numbers indicating the odd or even year.

To check and see if your company needs to update your MCS-150, click on the following link that will take you to the FMCSA SAFER web site: http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx. Once there, type in your USDOT number and hit search. You will then see the company’s information to include “MCS-150 form date” which is on the lower left-hand side of the form.

If you need to update your MCS-150, you will need to go to the link which will take you to the FMCSA registration page: https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/PKG_REGISTRATION.prc_option 

You will choose “EXISTING REGISTRATION UPDATES” then “I NEED TO UPDATE MY USDOT REGISTRATION INFORMATION OR FILE MY BIENNIAL UPDATE”. To complete the update, you will need your USDOT number, your USDOT PIN number, and your EIN or social security number. Follow the instructions and update any information that has changed since your last filing, including your mileage for the most recent calendar year. Upon completion, print your updated MCS-150 form and retain.

As always, feel free to contact MMTA for assistance.

This past June, MMTA was notified that the Portland Universal Enrollment Center (for TWIC and Hazmat credentialing) was closing, which created understandable concern for the trucking industry. Shortly thereafter, Senator Collins was able to work with the Transportation Security Administration to find a new Southern Maine location near the mall in South Portland.

Now we have additional good news to report – there is now a new Universal Enrollment Center in Auburn at 225 First Flight Dr. We are also pleased to notify members that another new UEC has opened in Newington, NH inside the Staples at 45 Gosling Rd. These two new locations should give drivers plenty of options and should go a long way towards alleviating scheduling issues for hazmat CDL holders.

We have been advised by our counterparts at the Illinois Trucking Association that a Black Lives Matter (BLM) Protest is planned for the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) in Chicago this Saturday, August 15 at Noon CDT. ITA has confirmed with Illinois State Police that the three BLM groups are coordinating this event.

For the safety of our professional truck drivers, ITA is advising trucking companies to be sure their trucks can avoid the Dan Ryan Expressway this Saturday, August 15.

If any MMTA member has questions, please contact Matt at matt@iltrucking.org or call him at (217) 652-0039.

In an effort to further improve professionalism in the trucking industry, the MMTA is working with the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI) to offer CSS & CDS Fleet Safety Certification courses for transportation safety professionals. Originally set to be held at the MMTA offices in Augusta, the courses and exams will now be exclusively held virtually via Zoom due to the reality of social distancing requirements, company travel restrictions, and prospective students belonging to high risk groups requiring them to remain home even as restrictions are lifted.

The courses below are applicable toward NATMI’s nationally recognized, university accredited certification programs. Taking the courses is the first step toward earning a credential that will help you become a more competent professional, earn industry recognition and credibility in court testimony.  If you have the job experience, you can pay one lump sum that covers all fees for certification, and complete the process within a 60-day time frame – or less.

Once registered, participants will receive a Zoom link to connect to the course leader and other participants for a completely interactive learning experience.

PLEASE NOTE: the minimum number of students to hold this course is four so please share this article and the link above with any of your counterparts who might benefit from improved safety and compliance knowledge and professional certification.

We will keep MMTA members posted as new information comes in. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to email Tim, Randy or Brian if you have questions.