In response to member concerns, MMTA sent out a survey in the last edition of the Maine Line to get real-world information on the disruption to businesses and the supply chain caused by the vaccine mandate prohibiting unvaccinated foreign nationals from entering Canada that took effect on January 15th.

The results of the survey were used to provide Senators Collins and King and Rep’s Golden and Pingree with something more than just anecdotes as they look for ways to reach out to Biden Administration officials who can influence the issue.

As everyone in the Industry is, or should be aware, the ENTRY LEVEL DRIVER TRAINING rule went into effect on February 7, 2022. Drivers who had earned a CLP or CDL endorsement prior to the effective date, were grandfathered from the requirements of ELDT.

Maine BMV had worked diligently to schedule as many CDL written and road tests as possible, prior to the effective date of ELDT. As nature would have it, however, the State closed unexpectedly on Friday February 4th due to a snow storm, leaving around 150 drivers in Maine and many more in other states hit by the storm unable to take their CLP or endorsement written exam as scheduled. This left those drivers with the possibility of having to comply with the ELDT rule…and having to attend training with a registered training provider in order to obtain their CDL or endorsement.

MMTA members might hear a few variations of advertisements for the industry’s Go Your Way workforce Development campaign in the coming weeks and months. The intended goal is to get people, specifically in the Gen-Z age group, to consider careers in the trucking industry.

Click on the image to the right to hear one version of the advertisement.

Please keep the campaign in mind as you promote our industry’s safety and professionalism on your social media platforms. To follow the campaign:

AUGUSTA — The Bureau of Motor Vehicles Bangor branch is moving to 396 Griffin Road, Suite 202. To allow for the move, the Bangor branch will be closed on January 27 and 28, and reopening in the new location on January 31.

All other BMV branches will be open on those dates to provide immediate service.

Federal trucking regulators have published a new vision standard that will remove the requirement that truck drivers with normal vision in only one eye seek an exemption from the agency.

In announcing the final rule on Jan. 21, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration amended its regulations to specifically permit individuals “who do not satisfy, with the worse eye, either the existing distant visual acuity standard with corrective lenses or the field of vision standard, or both, to be physically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce under specified conditions.”

America needs more truck drivers.

The demand for drivers is strong and will only keep growing for the foreseeable future. With the current strain on the world’s supply chain, pay and earnings have gone up significantly for truck drivers—a career that was already a well-paying path to the middle class for Americans without a college degree. Meanwhile, a lack of drivers leads to empty shelves at the market and delays getting the products we need.

But lies and misinformation about new national training standards may be keeping prospective drivers away at this critical point. It’s important that everyone in the trucking community understands what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to the federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements that are set to go into effect on February 7, 2022

Arlington, Virginia – Today (2/2/2022), the American Trucking Associations hailed the introduction of a pair of bills that will streamline the credentialing process for millions of professional truck drivers, easing a number of onerous and unnecessary burdens.

“With a shortage of roughly 80,000 drivers, we should be making the process of becoming a professional truck driver as user friendly as possible,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “By making common sense changes to the CDL testing process and eliminating redundant background checks, we can cut red tape so these hardworking men and women can get on the road navigating our nation’s highways instead of navigating its bureaucracies.”

The second year of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse saw 58,215 drug violations in the system, compared to 52,810 in the program’s first year in effect.

The majority of violations stemmed from positive drug tests (49,013 in 2021), while 8,152 violations were drug test refusals. The remaining 1,050 violations reported in 2021 were actual knowledge violations reported by employers.

Positive marijuana tests put more drivers in the Clearinghouse than any other substance, FMCSA reported, with 31,085 positive drug tests in 2021 – a 5.3% increase over reported marijuana violations in 2020. Cocaine was the second-highest positive substance among drivers, with 8,765 positive tests – a 10.4% increase over the previous year.

The cross-border vaccine mandate has put a strain on the trucking industry and the supply chain that relies on the movement of goods between the US and Canada. Despite these significant challenges, two MMTA members, H.O. Bouchard and R.F. Chamberland, worked together to overcome these obstacles so the customer didn't miss a beat. Below is the Facebook post from H.O. Bouchard thanking R.F. Chamberland for their immediate response.

As 2022 begins it’s a great time to start planning for the upcoming year. Our 2022 Compliance Calendar provides a description and due date for the forms, notices, and disclosures businesses are responsible for completing that apply to your employer-sponsored group health plans. This general compliance calendar lists many federal law requirements, and we suggest employers consult with an attorney on applicable state laws that may provide additional requirements and deadlines.

MMTA wants to remind members about the opportunities that exist for suppliers and service providers to broadcast their message to the Maine trucking community. Our Association is now over 1,700 members strong and, while every trucker in Maine might not be a member, we are confident to boast the largest reach in the Maine trucking community.

So how do you tap into the strength of MMTA’s membership when you have products or services to sell? Advertising, of course!