Maine Truck PAC Golf Tournament is NEXT WEEK REGISTER NOW!
The Truck PAC golf tournament will again be played at Natanis Golf Course, located on the Webber Pond Road in Vassalboro, on June 28, 2023. Natanis features 36 great holes of golf and will serve as an excellent host for this year’s primary fundraising event for the Truck PAC. The tournament is designed to be player friendly and will feature an on the course meal consisting of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, watermelon, dessert, and soft drinks. After golf has concluded, light refreshments, and a cash bar will be available as prizes are handed out.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available - Major Sponsors $500 or Hole Sponsors $150/hole.
All registrations must be received by June 23rd. You can register online at www.mmta.com/golf. The cost is $500 per team or $125 per player.
When: June 28, 2023
Location: Natanis Golf Course, Vassalboro
Registration: 8:00 am
Shotgun Start: 9:00am
Lunch: On the course
We hope you consider supporting the PAC and registering a team of golfers and sponsoring the event. The Truck PAC funds are used to support business-friendly candidates to the Maine Legislature.
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Maine Motor Transport Association Announces Partnership with Wreaths Across America to form Virtual Convoy to Raise Awareness and Support for the Mission
Statewide effort will support local programs while honoring and remembering our nation’s veterans laid to rest at Arlington
AUGUSTA and COLUMBIA FALLS, ME — April 27 2023 — Maine Motor Transport Association is proud to announce its participation in a statewide Virtual Convoy in partnership with national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA).
The Virtual Convoy kicks off this month across the country. The goal is simple, help raise awareness for WAA’s year-round mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those that serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom, while helping raise funds to support local programs important to the people of Maine. Through WAA’s Group Sponsorship Program, MMTA is registered as a $5 pay back Sponsorship Group supporting Arlington National Cemetery – where more than 400,000 servicemembers, representing every U.S. conflict and the state of Maine, are laid to rest.
Through this effort, MMTA will be working to fill (virtually) one trailer load of sponsored veterans’ wreaths to send to Arlington National Cemetery this December. This is approximately 5,000 wreaths which will be laid on the final resting place of servicemembers from our state. With each $17 veteran’s wreath sponsored an American hero receives a wreath, and the year-round mission of WAA is supported, AND the Association will receive $5 back! Every penny of these funds will go right back into sponsoring even more wreaths PLUS the MMTA will match the sponsorship of up to 100 wreaths to help Maine meet it’s trailer load goal.
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Petition Filed to Have Maine Adopt CA Advanced Clean Trucks Rule
MMTA
The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), and Sierra Club have petitioned the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to adopt the California Advanced Clean Trucks Rule. This will require BEP to initiate the rulemaking process within 60-days of the petition. We understand the Public Hearing will be scheduled on August 17th.
Adopting the CA ACT would set mandatory sales thresholds of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV’s) starting in 2027. Effectively, this adoption would put Maine on an accelerated path to electric medium and heavy-duty trucks regardless of operational realities.
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Future of Roads in Aroostook – Your Help is Needed
MMTA
Rep. Austin Theriault (R – Ft. Kent) sent us the email below and asked that we send it to MMTA members in Aroostook County. The ask is for you to reach out to him with feedback on the future of transportation in the County and to see if you would be willing to consider serving as one of the limited slots on the stakeholder group. He needs trucker voices to be heard and asks that you contact him if you have any comments, suggestions or would like to volunteer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tim or Brian. Also, if you could send this to your network of interested parties in Aroostook County, that would be great – the more input, the better the outcome.
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Governor Mills Signs Highway Fund Budget Into Law Creating New, Sustainable Source of Funding for Transportation Infrastructure Repair
Office of Governor Janet T. Mills
The bill creates a sustainable source of funding for the Highway Fund by dedicating 40 percent of the 5.5 percent sales tax on vehicle purchases and 40 percent of sales and use taxes collected by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It is expected to generate more than $200 million for infrastructure repair per biennium.
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Attention Wrecker Operators – REMINDER
MMTA
As a reminder, operators of wreckers are required to possess proper class license and all applicable CDL endorsements when towing vehicles that require an endorsement, such as tank or hazmat. The only endorsements that are not applicable are passenger and school bus.
There has been some recent confusion, because of the regulation which allows for a first time, emergency move from a breakdown or crash to the nearest appropriate repair facility to be done without the requirement for the wrecker operator to have the applicable endorsement. Once that first emergency move is over, all applicable endorsements apply.
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MMTA Safety Management Council Notes (May 18, 2023)
MMTA
On May 18th, the Safety Management Council (SMC) was invited to tour the northbound weigh station in York and also observe Troopers from the Maine State Police, Troop K conduct a level I inspection. Approximately 30 members of the SMC participated and asked great questions.
Troopers were busy with the annual 72 hour CVSA Road Check, but took time to answer questions and interact with our members.
A special thanks to Lt. Aaron Hayden for allowing the event and welcoming our members, and to Troopers Shane Northrop and Tad Simpson for demonstrating the level I inspection.
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Biden vetoes Congress’ attempt to scrap Clean Truck Plan
Fleet Owner
Senator Collins and Rep. Golden Vote to Support MMTA's Position
With a message to Congress that not implementing new federal heavy-duty emissions standards would squander “an opportunity to lead on the defining crisis of our time,” President Joe Biden vetoed a joint resolution to overturn the regulations.
Using the Congressional Review Act, legislators last month overturned new Environmental Protection Agency regulations that are part of the federal Clean Truck Plan that went into effect in March. The new emissions regulations give OEMs less than four years to apply the stringent rules for heavy-duty trucks and engines by model year 2027.
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Are lawmakers serious about cutting emissions? Here's one way to find out.
ATA
By repealing a century-old excise tax on heavy-duty vehicles, we can drastically slash supply-chain emissions right now.
The trucking industry has made massive strides in reducing tailpipe emissions over the past 35 years thanks to innovation and achievable regulatory targets and timelines:
- We’ve cut harmful NOx and particulate matter emissions by 99%.
- We’ve eliminated virtually all sulfur-dioxide emissions.
- Between 2014 and 2027, we stand to cut 1.37 billion metric tons of CO2.
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California’s Dream is Becoming America’s Supply Chain Nightmare
ATA
The Golden State has long been associated with optimism and opportunity. In a bygone era, the hit song California Dreamin' captured the essence of a free-spirited and innovative West Coast culture. Unfortunately, California’s new pipe dream of electrifying the trucking industry on an impossible timeline is becoming a nightmare for working families and businesses.
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Florida Faces Blitz of New Civil Cases - Trial Attorneys Rush to File Before New Tort Reform Law Takes Effect
Transport Topics
Florida’s court system is struggling under a mountain of 280,122 new civil cases filed by trial attorneys a few days before Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted a law in March thwarting lawsuit abuse.
Sending monthly new case filings 127% above past monthly record (from May 2021), Florida trial lawyers scrambled to initiate paperwork for lawsuits when word spread that DeSantis would enact a tort reform law as legislation began heading to his desk. Taking effect immediately, the law was enacted March 24.
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U.S. Department of Transportation Approves Oral Fluid Testing for Drug Testing
National Law Review
On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a final rule amending its regulated industry drug testing program to allow for oral fluid testing.
The new rule will become effective on June 1, 2023, but employers will have to wait to implement oral fluid testing until the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies two laboratories capable of processing the tests. Currently, the HHS has yet to certify any laboratories.
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ATRI Releases New Research that Evaluates the Impacts of Marijuana Legalization on the Trucking Industry and its Workforce
ATRI
Washington, DC – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released a new report that assesses the impacts of marijuana legalization on the trucking industry. The analysis, which was a 2022 top priority of ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC), covers several critical topics related to state-level marijuana legalization, including:
- a review of the latest demographic trends in marijuana legalization;
- an overview of research and data related to highway safety and marijuana use;
- a summary of workforce and hiring implications for the trucking industry; and
- an analysis of publicly available CDL driver drug test data.
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CVSA sets dates for Operation Safe Driver Week
The Trucker
WASHINGTON — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced July 9-15 for this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week.
Throughout that week, law enforcement officers in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors, according to a news release.
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MMTA DRIVERS OF THE MONTH
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UPCOMING MMTA TRAINING & EVENTS
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MMTA NextGen Member Social
June 22, 2023
2:00pm
Orono Brewing Company, Orono
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Creating & Maintaining a DQ File
June 23, 2023
9:00am
MMTA Office, Augusta
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Truck PAC Golf Tournament
June 28, 2023
8:00am
Natanis GC, Vassalboro
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Thank you MMTA Annual Sponsors
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Zero percent loans for approved CDL school training
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MMTA
Students attending approved CDL schools are eligible to apply for tuition loans to attain their Class A or Class B Commercial Driver’s License at an amazing ZERO percent interest.
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