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April
13 , 2004
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Headline
News
New
Regulation Aims To Keep Drivers With Denied, Revoked, or Cancelled CDLs
Off the Road
The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
in the March 31, Federal Register which proposes to amend the agency’s
National Driver Register (NDR) regulations to implement changes mandated
by the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA). MCSIA amended
the NDR Act to require that a State, before issuing or renewing a motor
vehicle operator’s license must verify an individual’s driving
record through informational checks of both the NDR and the Commercial
Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS).
The NDR is a central
file of information on individuals whose license to operate a motor
vehicle has been denied, revoked, or cancelled, for cause, or who have
been convicted of certain serious traffic violations. The NDR was designed
to prevent a driver whose license was suspended, revoked, or withdrawn
in one State from obtaining a driver’s license in another State.
Currently, the States are required to check only the NDR before issuing
a license. This means that when a driver with a Commercial Driver’s
License (CDL) from State A applies for a motor vehicle license from
State B, for example, State B may issue the license, unaware that the
applicant already has a license – a CDL—from another State.
Furthermore, when the driver renews the CDL, any violations associated
with the motor vehicle license do not come to the attention of the CDL-issuing
State.
In addition, in
this NPRM, NHTSA proposes the following:
1) an update
of the NDR reporting codes; and
2) records reported to the NDR be limited to “individuals who
have been convicted or whose license has been denied, canceled, revoked
or suspended for one of the offenses listed in the Appendix.”
The deadline for
industry comments on this NPRM is June 1, 2004. A copy of the March
31 Federal Register notice can be found by clicking
here for a PDF and here
for an HTML. If
you have any questions or comments, please contact Rich Clemente at
TCA at (703) 838-8847 or by email: rclemente@truckload.org.
Top
Proposed Revisions to Electrical Standards Could Affect Your Shop
The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a proposed rule in the
April 5, 2004 Federal Register which lays out revisions to
its electrical installation standards that will lead to a more flexible
and efficient standard that strengthens worker protections. OSHA’s
existing electrical standard, found in 29 CFR Parts 1910.302-308, is
based on the 1979 edition National Fire Protection Association’s
(NFPA) Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces (NFPA
70E), a national consensus standard developed by industry, labor, and
other allied interests. OSHA believes the 2000 edition of NFPA 70E should
be the foundation of the revised standard because it provides nationally
recognized safe electrical installation requirements. “The general
industry electrical installation standard has not been updated since
1981, so it is important that we update these requirements to reflect
the most current practices and technologies in the industry,”
said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw.
Proposed changes to OSHA’s
general industry electrical installation standard found in 24 CFR Part
1910 Subpart S focus on the safety in the design and installation of
electric equipment in the workplace. These proposed changes draw heavily
from the 2000 edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s
(NFPA) Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces (NFPA
70E), and the 2002 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
OSHA is also proposing to
replace the reference to the 1971 National Electrical Code in the mandatory
appendix to the powered platform standard with a reference to OSHA’s
electrical installation standard. The agency is further proposing a
revised standard to update the standard to reflect current practice
and technology in the field and to address stakeholder requests to revise
the standard so that it conforms to the most recent editions of NFPA
70E.
Industry comments
on these proposed changes must be filed with OSHA no later than June
4, 2004. A copy of the April 5 Register notice is available
by clicking
here for an HTML and here
for a PDF. If you have any questions, or need further information
please contact Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or email: rclemente@truckload.org.
Top
Document Your Life As A Driver and Win Cash!
TCA’s 2003
Truck Driver Photo Contest is in full swing and we’re looking
for the best shots of life on the road. The contest is open to any truck
driver who is currently employed with or leased to a trucking company.
Photographs from professional photographers will not be accepted. Up
to three photos may be submitted per driver, so be sure to select only
your best pictures.
Photos may feature any segment of the trucking industry; however, we
are particularly partial to truckload-oriented photos (as opposed to
LTL, tow trucks, moving vans, etc.). Photos may include standard truck
shots, action photos, pictures involving a truck and kids and/or pets,
close-ups of truck parts, views of roads, or depictions of life on the
road such as truck stops, loading docks, inspections, weigh stations,
etc. Photos that convey a positive image of trucking will have a better
chance at winning.
TCA’s photo contest
is sponsored by S-Line, Inc. and American Graphics Group.
The contest deadline has
been extended to April 16, 2004 so send your photos as soon as possible
to:
TCA Photo Contest
2200 Mill Road
Alexandria, VA 22314
E-mail Aimee Cirucci
at acirucci@truckload.org
with any questions.
Top
Looking For College Money?
TCA Scholarship Available - May 24, 2004 Deadline
Each year, the Truckload
Carriers Association selects deserving students affiliated with the
trucking industry to receive college scholarship money. One year scholarships
are awarded on a per-semester basis to be automatically renewed for
the second semester upon recommendation of the University and showing
of good academic standing by the recipient. The total amount of the
scholarship is typically between $1,500 to $3,000.
Any college junior or senior in good standing, who is the child, grandchild,
or spouse of an employee or an employee of a trucking company, or the
child, grandchild or spouse of an independent contractor or an independent
contractor affiliated with a trucking company and attending an accredited
four-year college or university is eligible for a scholarship.
The recipient of
the scholarship must show financial need and excellent scholastic achievements
in his freshman and sophomore years, (minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA required),
maintain full-time student status, and demonstrate that he/she is an
individual of high character and integrity. Those students pursuing
transportation and business degrees will be given special consideration.
TCA will only accept typed scholarship applications. Click
here to download the application form.
Top
PTDI
Products Available
In response to demand,
PTDI now has a variety of products available including apparel and decals.
Click here
to view the products.
Click here
for an order form.
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