MARK YOUR CALENDAR - MEETING DATE CHANGE
October's MMTA Membership and Board Meeting has been changed to OCTOBER 4th - still at 9am and still at the MMTA office in Augusta. Agenda to follow...
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2023 MMTA/APTA TRANSPORTATION SAFETY CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPEN
The Samoset in Rockport, Maine - September 18th and 19th
Please join Maine Motor Transport Association and The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association for the premier professional development experience for Safety Directors, HR Personnel, Dispatchers, and other professionals in the trucking industry.
This year’s conference agenda and presenters are set and the conference promises to be an informative and great networking experience for all.
Please register early and book your accommodations at the Samoset soon, as a limited number of rooms at the lower conference rate are being held.
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2023 MMTA FLEET SAFETY AWARDS
The 2023 Maine Motor Transport Fleet Safety Award information has been released and can be found at https://www.mmta.com/fsarules/. To compete in this safety competition, companies must submit an online application and supporting information by September 1, 2023. Once completed, you will be assigned to a mileage category, where statistics will determine whether you place in the top three within that category or qualify for a Wild Card with no recordable crashes.
We will then verify the information for the carriers who will compete for one of the two coveted Grand Champion Awards (over 4 million miles and under 4 million miles) through an additional submission that is due by November 10, 2023.
The entire purpose of this program is to honor the safest motor carrier members and we hope everyone will participate. For complete rules and eligibility, as well as to access the necessary online forms, please see our website at https://www.mmta.com/fsarules/.
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Marathon Hearing Held to Discuss Maine to Adopting California Advanced Clean Trucks Rule
MMTA
A 10-hour Board of Environmental Protection meeting heard from about equal amounts of supporters and opponents of adopting California regulations for Maine cars and Medium & Heavy-Duty Trucks. MMTA and our members were well represented as were our counterparts from other blue-collar industries who rely on trucking and an efficient supply chain. We will have an Action Alert going out to members in the coming days, but wanted to let members know that we will be asking for you to get involved.
Your Association has submitted comments for the BEP Board to consider as they deliberate this issue into the fall – see the link to that 7-page document below. Now, the most impactful thing you can do is submit written comments of your own to let them know just what a bad idea this is and how it will impact you, your company, your vendors and, most importantly, your employees. The comments can be short , long or somewhere in between, but they need to be submitted before 5pm on August 28th.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact Brian or Tim if you have any questions.
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Maine trucking industry is having trouble going electric
BDN
Commercial truck companies say electric semis may find a place on Maine’s roads, but not anytime soon.
The lack of a higher-voltage charging infrastructure for the amount of electricity needed to run a truck — it could take eight hours or longer using an automobile charger — is only one challenge.
But the short timeframe to implement emission reductions worries truck business owners including Brian Bouchard, CEO of H.O. Bouchard in Hampden, who will attend the meeting in Augusta on Thursday. Trucks have weight limits and can only be in service a certain number of hours.
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How a Maine board will decide on controversial electric vehicle rules
BDN
AUGUSTA, Maine — Proposals for Maine to phase out sales of gas-powered cars and trucks in favor of electric vehicles received hours of public comment Thursday.
So what happens next?
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will consider the feedback that dozens of residents and officials provided during Thursday’s hearing and also accept emailed or written comments until Aug. 28.
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TEAM MAINE
2023 National Truck Driving Championships
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CVSA’s 2023 North American Inspectors Championship
CVSA
NAIC contestants voted to present the John Youngblood Award of Excellence to Shane Northrup, with Maine State Police, for exemplifying the spirit of cooperation, leadership, a professional image, dedication to the profession, a positive attitude, organizational ability and congeniality. The John Youngblood Award of Excellence is an honor NAIC contestants bestow upon a fellow competitor who exemplifies high standards and unwavering dedication to the profession. It’s the only award whose winner is selected by their peers.
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NTDC Truckers Show They Have the Write Stuff
Transport Topics
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Difficult. Overwhelming. Tough. Hard. These were commonly heard descriptions from drivers about the written exam at this year’s “Super Bowl of Safety.”
The exam, based on guidelines outlined in American Trucking Associations’ “Facts for Drivers,” tests drivers on industry rules and regulations. It’s one of three disciplines at American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.
For Maine’s Robert Cochran with FedEx Express, the exam proved challenging.
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Freight Group Emphasizes Heavy-Duty Charging Infrastructure
Transport Topics
A coalition of freight stakeholders called for greater emphasis on the heavy-duty sector as federal lawmakers and regulators continue to prioritize electric vehicles nationwide.
During its initial formal meetings with key officials, the Clean Freight Coalition pressed for funding specific for the trucking industry as part of ongoing transportation electrification efforts. On July 26, the group met with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, as well as policymakers central to the issue.
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Biden's carbon proposal is unworkable, US power sector warns
Reuters
Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. power plant owners warned the Biden administration on Tuesday that its sweeping plan to slash carbon emissions from the electricity sector is unworkable, relying too heavily on costly technologies that are not yet proven at scale.
Top utility trade group the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for revisions of the proposed power plant standards, which hinge on the widespread commercial availability of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and low-emissions green hydrogen, adding the agency's vision was "not legally or technically sound."
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Editor's Note: This article points to misgivings the trucking industry has about ZEV mandates such as the CA ACT. Forcing our industry into electric trucks at the same time as passing regulations that will make electricity generation more expensive is a recipe for future chaos in the supply chain.
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FMCSA to Renew Plan for Carriers to Keep Accident Records
Transport Topics
While the plan does not require carriers to report the accident data to the agency, it must produce it upon inquiry by authorized federal, state or local officials, FMCSA said Aug. 8 in a Federal Register announcement.
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Mid-Year Review of Congress’ Progress on Pro-Trucking Policies
ATA
Congress recently adjourned for its annual August recess following a productive July session that was punctuated by a number of significant wins for our industry.
These victories would not have been possible without ATA’s repeated engagements with Capitol Hill. ATA experts are in regular contact with congressional leaders and staff to educate them on the trucking industry and effective policies that can best support fleets and drivers.
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Electric tractor owners should expect wait before infrastructure meets charging demands
The Trucker
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Any fleet or independent owner-operators who purchase electric tractors need to factor in patience as part of the transition because of a lack of charging stations and support infrastructure around the country.
This is according to ACT Research’s CHARGING FORWARD report, which has studied the decarbonization of the U.S. commercial vehicle market.
Switching from diesel power to electric “will require a very coordinated effort between vehicle acquisition and the supporting charging infrastructure to ensure adequate charging infrastructure is in place to support fleet needs,” the report notes.
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"New substations could take three years or more, as this would encompass planning, load interconnection studies, and complexities in the permitting process."
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FMCSA Will Accept Challenges to Meal-Rest Break Pre-emption Ruling
Transport Topics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced it will accept petitions for waivers from its 2018 and 2020 decisions to pre-empt truck driver meal and rest break law requirements in California and Washington state.
The California law requires employers to provide a “duty-free” 30-minute meal break for employees who work more than five hours a day, as well as a second duty-free, 30-minute meal break for those who work more than 10 hours a day, and additional 10-minute rest periods every four hours.
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CVSA’s Brake Safety Week Scheduled for Aug. 20-26
CVSA
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has scheduled this year’s Brake Safety Week for Aug. 20-26 with a focus on brake lining/pad violations.
During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors highlight the importance of brake systems by conducting inspections of their components and removing commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations from our roadways until those violations are corrected.
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UPCOMING MMTA TRAINING & EVENTS
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MMTA/APTA Transportation Safety Conference
September 18-19, 2023
Samoset Resort, Rockport
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HAZMAT Training
September 29, 2023
8:30am
MMTA Office, Augusta
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MMTA Membership & Board Meetings
October 4, 2023
9:00am
MMTA Office, Augusta
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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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