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May
18, 2004
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Headline
News
Do Your Students Have What It Takes To Be A Successful Driver?
Being a successful
driver requires much more than a CDL, do your students have what it
takes? Drivers need appropriate attitudes, aptitudes and psychomotor
skills to successfully perform tractor-trailer driver functions and
duties. Click
here to see a summary of these skills taken from the PTDI "Skill
Standards for Entry-Level Tractor-Trailer Drivers."
Top
Drug Testing Proposal Could Affect Trucking
The Department of
Transportation (DOT), Office of the Secretary (OST) issued an informal
notice and request for comments in the May 13 Federal Register
on proposed changes to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
drug testing procedures. The HHS had issued a prior notice in the April
13 Register, proposing to revise its Mandatory Guidelines for
Federal Workplace Drug Testing programs and Federal employees. In that
notice, the HHS is proposing to establish scientific and technical guidelines
for the testing of hair, sweat, and oral fluid specimens in addition
to urine specimens; scientific and technical guidelines for using on-site
tests to test urine and oral fluid at the collection site; requirements
for the certification of instrumented initial test facilities; and added
standards for collectors, on-site testers, and Medical Review Officers
(MROs). The proposal would also allow selected specimen testing at the
time and place it is collected. A brief summary of some of the changes
the HHS is considering can be downloaded at www.samhsa.gov.
Please note that at this
time, the HHS initiative does not propose to amend the drug testing
requirements and procedures that apply to the DOT drug testing program
for DOT-regulated industries such as trucking (in 49 CFR Part 40). However,
because of the close relationship between the HHS and DOT drug testing
procedures, participants in the trucking industry drug testing program
should be aware of the changes the HHS is considering, which may later
affect our industry down the road. HHS is accepting comments on its
April 13 proposal through July 12, 2004.
A copy of the April
13 HHS Register notice can be found by clicking
here for an HTML and here
for a PDF. A copy of the May 13 Register notice can be
found by clicking
here for an HTML and here
for a PDF. We welcome your feedback on this issue, which you can
provide by contacting Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or by email: rclemente@truckload.org.
Top
New Clean Air Rule Complements Trucking Regulations
On May 10, President
Bush signed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPAs) new Clean
Air Nonroad Diesel rule, which will cut emission levels from construction,
agricultural and industrial diesel-powered equipment by over 90 percent.
This new rule, which is expected to be published in the Federal
Register before the end of this month, will also remove 99 percent
of the sulfur in diesel fuel by the year 2010, resulting in dramatic
reductions in soot from all diesel engines. This Clean Air Nonroad Diesel
rule is the latest round in the agency’s decade-long effort to
make diesel engines and fuel cleaner. This new rule complements the
Clean Diesel Truck and Bus Rule, which was originally announced in late
2000. On-highway compliance requirements with this rule take effect
with the 2007 model year.
The Clean Air Nonroad Diesel
Rule will result in a widespread introduction of emission control systems,
a move comparable to the advent of catalytic converters for cars in
the 1970’s. The new standards will be “phased in”
over the next several years. Standards for new engines will be phased
in starting with the smallest engines in 2008 until all but the very
largest diesel engines meet both NOx and PM standards in the year 2014.
In addition, diesel fuel currently contains about 3,000 parts per million
(ppm) sulfur. The new rule will cut that to 500 ppm in 2007 and 15 ppm
by 2010.
The EPA also issued
a separate Final Rule in the May 11, Register updating the
Motor Vehicle and Engine Compliance Program fees regulation which was
promulgated in 1992 under which the agency collects fees for certain
Clean Air Act compliance programs administered by EPA including those
for light-duty vehicles and trucks, and heavy-duty highway vehicles.
The effective date of this Final Rule is July 12, 2004, and a copy of
the May 11th Register notice can be accessed by clicking
here for an HTML and here
for a PDF.
For further information
on EPA’s clean diesel programs, including the Clean Air Nonroad
Diesel Rule, go to http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.
Information about the Clean Air Rules of 2004 is available at http://www.epa.gov/cleanair2004.
Top
TCA Members in EPA's SmartWay Program Receive Marketing Boost
The Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) SmartWay Program, which was
officially “rolled out” at ATA’s Winter Leadership
Meeting earlier this year in Washington, DC continues to grow and add
new partners. Furthermore, EPA has scheduled a sizeable number of SmartWay-related
activities in the near future. This new industry/federal government
voluntary program is aimed at reducing fuel consumption, emissions
of smog-forming pollutants, and greenhouse gases from freight carriers.
The EPA was happy to recently
report that since the official “roll out” on February 9th
eleven new partners have joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership,
many of whom are TCA member trucking companies. As of April 2004, the
number of partners in the program totals 63 -- made up of 52 carriers
and 11 shippers. These companies have been working closely with EPA
over the last couple of years to develop this important public image/energy
conservation/pollution reduction program. Ultimately, these “partners”
will be entitled to use a special trademark seal on shipping containers,
websites, literature and letterhead, and will be recognized by both
EPA and shippers as “environmentally friendly”.
With the Partnership “rollout”
now behind EPA, the agency is moving forward with a number of activities
that will help to ensure near term publicity for the Partnership while
building long-term brand identity and Partner recognition. The carrier
recruiting campaign is focused on National, Regional and state-level
recruiting with specific targets for large, medium and small-sized motor
carriers. EPA is also in the process of printing recruiting and promotional
materials with a new look and feel.
If you have further
questions about this program, EPA's contact person is Matthew Payne,
(734) 214-4576 or email: payne.matthew@epa.gov.
The website for this program is www.epa.gov/smartway.
Top
TCA
Salutes Highway Angel Jeremy Frank, of Zanesville, Ohio
Click
here to read more.
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