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MMTA Annual Banquet Recap - Award Winners Announced!!
Each year, we recognize trucking companies and drivers for their commitment to highway safety with an evening of awards. This year's Annual Banquet was held January 11th at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor with almost 450 in attendance.
For more information on the winners and to see our amazing list of sponsors, go to our event result website link: https://www.mmta.com/2024annualbanquet/. Congratulations to the winners and we thank you for supporting highway safety and the trucking industry in Maine!
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John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund – Application Now Open
MMTA
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 reflect an emphasis on careers and instruction specific to the trucking industry in an attempt to focus on technical training. See below for the qualifications and requirements for applicants.
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PTSC & TDC COMPETITION REGISTRATION OPENS
MMTA
The 2024 Maine Professional Truck Driving Championships (to be held at Dysart’s in Hermon) and the 2024 Maine Professional Technician Skills Competition (to be held at EMCC in Bangor) will both be held on May 18, 2024 – a day that we have termed “CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY”.
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Preparing for Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
Acadia Benefits
This past summer, the Governor of the State of Maine signed a budget that included the creation of a paid family and medical leave (PFML) program. While the program begins in 2026, our Acadia Benefits team has started working with customers to prepare for this upcoming requirement.
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Biennial Updates – when are they due?
MMTA
The FMCSA and Maine Motor Transport Association realize that you are bombarded with solicitations from 3rd party vendors and scam artists on a daily basis. Their goal is to cause panic and a sense of urgency in hopes that they can mislead you to give them your hard-earned dollars. The FMCSA does NOT charge a fee to complete a biennial update, (aka MCS-150 or DOT updates). Calling us for our assistance with this update is also free if you are a member of the Maine Motor Transport Association. Non-members will pay a small service fee.
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Maine program gives girls a shot at the ‘boy jobs’
Bangor Daily News
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The eighth grade girls from East Grand School learned how to fill potholes with tar during a hands-on program designed to introduce girls to historically male careers.
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FMCSA considering removal of 16K medical examiners from registry
Commercial Carrier Journal
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing to remove medical examiners (MEs) from its National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners who have failed to access their National Registry account using login.gov and update the profile information in their account as required.
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Truck Makers Launch Zero-Emission Infrastructure Coalition
Transport Topics
A coalition of truck manufacturers is launching a joint initiative aimed at educating and working with stakeholders to accelerate construction of charging and refueling infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.
Powering America’s Commercial Transportation (PACT) — formed by Daimler Truck North America, Navistar Inc. and Volvo Group North America — is setting out to educate policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders in Washington and around the nation on the zero-emission infrastructure needs of the trucking industry.
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Crash tests indicate nation’s guardrail system can’t handle heavy electric vehicles
The Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Electric vehicles that typically weigh more than gasoline-powered cars can easily crash through steel highway guardrails that are not designed to withstand the extra force, raising concerns about the nation’s roadside safety system, according to crash test data released Wednesday by the University of Nebraska.
Electric vehicles typically weigh 20% to 50% more than gas-powered vehicles thanks to batteries that can weigh almost as much as a small gas-powered car. And they have lower centers of gravity. Because of these differences, guardrails can do little to stop electric vehicles from pushing through barriers typically made of steel.
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New tires every 7,000 miles? Electric cars save gas but tire wear shocks some Florida drivers
Tampa Bay Times
At EV Garage Miami, a Sweetwater repair shop that services 90 percent electric vehicles, lead technician Jonathan Sanchez said tires are the most frequent thing customers come in about — no matter what model or make of EV they’re driving. Tire mileage can vary widely of course, but he said he frequently changes EV tires at just 8,000 to 10,000 miles — a fourth or even fifth of typical tire wear on a gas-burning car...
To some extent, running through tires quickly may offset the reduction of damaging emissions that EVs offer. Some studies have shown that tires actually have more particle pollution than exhaust, 2,000 times as much.
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FMCSA Weighs Commercial Driver License Streamlining
Transport Topics
Federal trucking regulators are proposing to speed up the process for obtaining a commercial driver license by removing a number of regulatory restrictions.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said that the proposal was based in part on a petition for rulemaking submitted by American Trucking Associations. The ATA petition, granted by the agency in 2021, said that the proposal could “reduce regulatory burdens” and mitigate CDL delays experienced by some state licensing agencies.
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2024 Driver Compensation Study - CALLING ALL MOTOR CARRIERS!
ATA
ATA is excited to announce the launch of its 2024 Driver Compensation Survey! Last conducted in 2022, this survey data will be used to produce our 2024 Driver Compensation Study, a one-of-a-kind benchmarking tool that will yield valuable information on driver pay to help carriers differentiate themselves by giving them the tools to make well-informed compensation decisions. Previous studies covered data from more than 180 fleets, over 135,000 employee drivers, and nearly 20,000 independent contractors, with data broken down by For-Hire TL carriers, LTL carriers and Private fleets.
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FMCSA to Delay Heavy Truck Speed Limiters Proposal Until May
Transport Topics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is delaying until May a controversial proposal to require speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks, according to a regulatory update released late last month.
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ATRI Releases Annual List of Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks
American Transportation Research Institute
“Traffic congestion on our National Highway System inflicts an enormous cost on the supply chain and environment, adding $95 billion to the cost of freight transportation and generating 69 million metric tons of excess carbon emissions every year,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear.
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What is CVSA Focusing on in 2024 Roadcheck Truck Inspection Blitz?
Heavy Duty Trucking
This year’s annual Roadcheck inspection safety blitz, May 14-16, will focus on tractor protection systems and alcohol and controlled substance possession.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck is a high-visibility, high-volume commercial motor vehicle inspection and regulatory compliance enforcement initiative that takes place over three days in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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UPCOMING MMTA TRAINING & EVENTS | |
Thank you MMTA Annual Sponsors | |
Zero percent loans for approved CDL school training |
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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