Legislative activity has been heating up with Committee work in full swing. Below are bills/issues that we would like to highlight for our members – a full list (updated periodically) of the bills MMTA is tracking can be found at https://www.mmta.com/131st-maine-legislature-update/

One item not on this list because it is still taking shape is an effort to have Maine adopt a Paid Family and Medical Leave program. MMTA is involved in a trade association coalition that will be engaged on this very important issue and you should expect to hear more about it in the coming weeks.

Paid Family and Medical Leave is a public policy issue currently being debated in Maine. WVOM, through the George Hale, Ric Tyler radio show, had State Senators Matthea Daughtry and Stacy Guerin on their program on February 21 and 22 - one as a supporter of the proposal and one as an opponent. We offer both perspectives to MMTA members to make up your own mind.

Orlando – Today, American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council announced that Todd Cotier, director of maintenance, Bison Transport Inc., has been elected 2023-2024 general chairman and treasurer during the organization’s Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition.

The John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund has grown over the years and now awards up to nine recipients a one-time scholarship for up to $2,500 each. The application deadline is May 1st and will be accepted online only.

The criteria to be selected for one of the nine scholarships now 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.

Claiming it hinders industry decarbonization, transportation and trucking stakeholders are renewing calls on Congress to repeal the Federal Excise Tax on heavy-duty commercial vehicles. While the FET repeal movement has found support on both sides of the aisle in recent years, the century-old law continues to make trucking more expensive.

Good communication on freight volumes and delivery expectations allows carriers to offer more competitive rates. And being more accommodating to drivers at the docks can encourage fleets to work more with those shippers and brokers.

Negligence claims arising from motor carrier collisions have typically focused on the driver, owner and/or operator of the subject vehicle involved in the accident. This traditional model allowed freight brokers, direct shippers and third-party logistic providers to sidestep the escalating transportation claims, insurance costs and potential nuclear verdicts. However, in late 2022, the US Supreme Court declined to hear Miller v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., 976 F.3d 1016 (9th Circ. 2020), cert. denied., in which the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit allowed a complaint to include a freight broker that arranged for the tractor-trailer to transport goods on behalf of a retailer as an appropriately named defendant.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The North American Council for Freight Efficiency has released a new report examining the myriad powertrain decisions trucking companies will face on the industry’s journey toward decarbonization.

The report, dubbed “The Messy Middle: A Time for Action,” examines the long period of transition from today’s diesel-powered trucks to a future state when the industry has fully shifted to zero-emission freight movement.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse will become more proactive by the end of March, notifying current employers if a company driver fails a pre-employment screening with another carrier, FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson said.

The U.S. economy is poised for a short and shallow recession during the second half of the year, but circumstances specific to current economic conditions — including high interest rates, persistent inflation and a cooling housing market — make predictions more challenging than usual, said American Trucking Associations chief economist Bob Costello.

The American Transportation Research Institute today issued a request for motor carriers to participate in ATRI’s annual update to its Operational Costs of Trucking report.

ATRI’s 15th annual Operational Costs of Trucking is one of the most used and most comprehensive benchmarking tools in the trucking industry. ATRI confidentially collects costs and operational data directly from trucking fleets and owner-operators, and its analysis reveals key trends for fleets of each sector, size, and region.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on Tuesday a listening session it will hold at a major truck show to get more public input that will help the agency crack down on illegal brokering.

FMCSA, which will host the session March 31 at the Mid America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky, wants to hear comments on two matters: interim guidance issued in November on the agency’s interpretation of how brokers and bona fide agents are defined, and a proposal issued on Jan. 5 to regulate five areas of broker financial responsibility.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced May 16-18 as this year’s International Roadcheck. International Roadcheck is a high-visibility, high-volume 72-hour inspection and enforcement event where CVSA-certified inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh/inspection stations, designated inspection areas and along roadways.

The 2023 Maine Professional Truck Driving Championships (to be held at Dysart’s in Hermon) and the 2023 Maine Professional Technician Skills Competition (to be held at EMCC in Bangor) will both be held on May 20, 2023 – a day that we have termed “CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY”.

Participation at last year’s event was unbelievable and we are hoping to make this year’s Maine Professional Truck Driving Championships the best ever by encouraging a tremendous response from competitors wanting to prove they are the best truck driver in Maine. Make plans to join us for a fun day of camaraderie and good old trucking tradition, whether as a competitor, judge or spectator to see the unbelievable skills displayed by Maine’s best drivers.

April 7, 2023

8:00am

MMTA Office, Augusta

April 12, 2023

MMTA Office, Augusta

April 21, 2023

8:30am

MMTA Office, Augusta