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August 2, 2005
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NTTS Celebrates 34th Anniversary Re-Accreditation and Re-certification
In 1971, thirty-four years ago, National Tractor Trailer School of Liverpool and Buffalo , NY began its first class with five trucks and fifteen students. Since then, NTTS has trained and graduated over fifteen thousand students and its training fleet has grown to over forty tractor-trailers and heavy trucks.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) recently re-accredited NTTS for the maximum time frame of five years. Also the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) re-certified NTTS' 320 and 602-hour programs for a maximum time frame of five years.
Currently, these are only three commercial driver training schools in New York State accredited by ACCSCT, with courses certified by PTDI. This recognition has been earned by, NTTS ( Buffalo and Liverpool , NY ) and Commercial Driver Training of Farmingdale, Long Island , NY .
For more information on NTTS, contact Harry Kowalchyk at 1-800-243-9300 or by email at hkowalchyk@ntts.edu.
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Highway Bill Passed by House and Senate; Awaiting President's Signature
On July 29, the House passed the six-year $286.4 billion “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (SAFETEA-LU) by a vote of 412-8, and the Senate followed suit the following day by a vote of 91-4. President Bush was expected to sign this measure into law in the immediate future, but as of the writing of this article that had not yet taken place. The finalization of this piece of legislation will fund transportation and safety programs for the years 2004-2009, replacing the prior TEA-21 legislation that expired in September 2003. In the time between the expiration of the TEA-21, and the finalization of SAFETEA-LU, Congress had extended the old legislation 11 times. The bill authorizes $286.4 billion in spending for the years 2004-2009, including a 30% increase in funding for highways and bridges. The funding levels for the major programs are as follows:
• highway construction and maintenance $193 billion;
• state Motor Carrier Safety Grants (MCSAP) $984 million; and
• transit $45 billion.
For a copy of this final Highway Bill legislation, go to the Thomas Legislative website at: http://thomas.loc.gov and search for H.R. 3. This lengthy document details all of the Highway Bill legislative provisions. On two of these major issues of interest to the trucking industry, the proposed hours of service (HOS) “codification” language did not make it into the final version of the Bill, nor did the fuel surcharge language. A detailed “bullet-point” summary of many of the Bill's key provisions will be compiled and forwarded to the TCA membership later this week. For further questions or comments, please contact Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or by email: rclemente@truckload.org.Top
CAFTA Passes by Narrow Margin
On July 28, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) by a vote of 217-215, narrowly handing the Bush administration a hard-fought victory. The House Republican leaders faced a late hold out from a group of eight Republicans that forced them to hold the vote open, as several of them were voting no, or leaning towards a no voter earlier in the day. It is also worth noting, that the Republicans also captured the support of 15 Democrats for the measure, and they had started the day with the declared support of only six.
In a subsequent joint press release, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, an ATA affiliate, congratulated the House for passing CAFTA citing its potential to increase domestic and international economic opportunities for the U.S. and motor carriers. According to ATA President and CEO Bill Graves, “CAFTA expands international commerce and ensures the continued growth of the economy of the United States… this measure will boost the flow of goods and eliminate international obstructions to production, distribution, and economic opportunities.”
According to the ATA, CAFTA “levels the playing field” for U.S. trade by preventing Central American countries from entering into third-party agreements, thus ensuring that the six-member countries each operate under the same set of trade rules. Prior to CAFTA's passage, Central America and the Dominican Republic enjoyed nearly free access to the U.S. marketplace while U.S. access to theirs remained limited. CAFTA is expected to create about 25,000 new U.S. jobs in its first year, and up to 130,000 in a decade while boosting U.S. agricultural exports by $1.5 billion annually.Top
House Votes to Extend USA Patriot Act
On July 21, the House voted to indefinitely extend the USA Patriot Act, the security law passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Congress extended the law by a vote of 257-171 renewing key provisions of the law that were set to expire by the end of this year. On the same day, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a general extension of the law, but called for Congress to reexamine the wiretap and library provisions after four years.
The full Senate will likely vote on the bill in the fall, before the competing measures are reconciled in a Conference committee. President Bush, who pushed for the law's renewal, backed the House vote, according to a statement from the White House. “The [USA] Patriot Act is a key part of our efforts to combat terrorism and protect the American people, and the Congress needs to send me a bill soon that renews the act without weakening our ability to fight terror,” according to the statement.
Nine Republicans broke ranks and voted with a united Democratic bloc on a last ditch effort to make all sixteen of the Patriot Act's “most sensitive provisions” subject to an additional four-year sunset period, and that provision was defeated by a vote of 218-209.
For further questions or comments on this, please contact Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or by email: rclemente@truckload.org. Top
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trade Processing System is Now Available
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that their Automated Commercial Environment initiative is up and running, and being rolled out in various locations throughout the U.S. and Canada . ACE is the new U.S. trade processing system that is designed to consolidate and automate border processing for carriers, brokers, and the CBP. The (ACE) for motor carriers was first introduced at the Pacific Highway, BC/Blaine, Washington crossing in December 2004, and is being phased in at Ports of Entry along the Canadian/U.S. and U.S./Mexican border. The CBP recently notified the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) that the ACE program would become operational in Pembina , North Dakota in August and Detroit and Port Huron , Michigan in around October 2005. An implementation schedule for other Ontario/U.S. Ports of Entry has not yet been released.
The CBP recently encouraged Canadian motor carriers to familiarize themselves with the new system and to obtain an ACE account as soon as possible, as those who familiarize themselves with ACE early in the process will enjoy significant benefits and will be well prepared for ACE when it becomes a mandate in the future. For those motor carriers already familiar with ACE, the CBP currently has two options available to assist:
• the Portal Support Centre (PSC) and
• the ACE Help Desk.
The PSC opened on June 27 of this year, and is available to answer questions regarding ACE functionality for all ACE accounts and ACE users. For more information or questions on obtaining an ACE account, please click here.Top
Six Steps to Recruiting New Drivers from New Places
Searching for a source of new drivers? You're not alone. “Trucking's growing like wildfire but the labor pool from which truckers have long been drawn — native-born white males — is drying up but fast. That means recruiting members of minority groups is the only way trucking can employ enough CDL drivers to meet present and future needs. That means seeking out white and non-white women, African-American and Hispanic-American males, and recent immigrants from the four corners of the globe to join trucking driving force.” This is an excerpt from the June 2005 Fleet Owner Magazine by David Cullen, Executive Editor. In this informative article you can find six practical steps for hiring drivers beyond the native-born white males. To read the rest of this article please click here.
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FHWA Administrator Peters to Step Down
On July 13, 2005, it was announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator Mary Peters would be stepping down from her position at the end of this month. Peters, who has been in her current position for nearly 4 years now, will leave the agency to return home to be with family in Phoenix , Arizona according to the FHWA's press release. It was also announced that FHWA Deputy Administrator Rick Capka would serve as Acting Administrator when Ms. Peters departs at the end of this month.
During her near four-year term with the FHWA, Peters moved the agency toward finding new and more effective methods of investing in highway and bridge projects, primarily through greater private sector investment. She encouraged the use of new technologies that reduce construction time and expense and result in safer, longer-lasting highways, led a national campaign to improve safety in highway work zones and worked to streamline the decision making process for major transportation projects. According to DOT Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, “Mary has left a lasting impression on the history of surface transportation…. she has made us all think about the future of surface transportation in ways we might not have otherwise.”
Prior to her being sworn in as FHWA Administrator on October 1, 2001, Ms. Peters was the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. She received the 2004 National Woman of the Year Award from the Woman's Transportation Seminar, a national organization of transportation professionals. She also has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Phoenix.
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EPA Issues Direct Final Rule on Technical Amendments to The Nonroad and Highway Diesel Fuel Rules
In the July 15, 2005 Federal Register , the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Direct Final Rule to correct, amend, and revise certain provisions of the Highway Diesel Rule adopted on January 18, 2001 and the Nonroad Diesel Rule on June 29, 2004. These changes will help to clarify portions of the regulations to better facilitate compliance with the Clean Highway and Nonroad Diesel rules, and the effective date of the Direct Final Rule is August 29, 2005.
This rulemaking includes the following items:
• the correction of several typographical errors and other minor additions and/or deletions that will help to clarify portions of the regulations and better facilitate compliance;
• modification of the designate and track provisions text to include provisions for companies that perform more than one function in the fuel distribution system; and
• allow refiners and importers better access to early credits for highway diesel fuel by allowing them to claim credit for the entire volume of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) delivered (rather than sold) into the distribution system prior to the June 1, 2006, start date.
In January 2001 and June 2004, the EPA finalized the Clean Diesel Trucks and Buses Rule and the Clean Nonroad Diesel Rule, respectively, with more stringent standards for new di esel engines and fuels. The rules require the use of lower sulfur fuels beginning in 2006 for highway diesel fuel, and 2007 for nonroad diesel fuel.
Further information and details on this Direct Final Rule can be found on the agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality website.
A copy of the July 15 Federal Register notice is available in PDF and HTML.
For further questions or comments, please contact Rich Clemente at (703) 838-8847 or by email: rclemente@truckload.org. Top
Truckload Carriers Association Awards Scholarships
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2005 Contact: Aimee Cirucci, Communications Manager
Alexandria , VA , August 2, 2005 – The Truckload Carriers Association Scholarship Fund continued its long tradition of providing financial aid to truck drivers, their spouses, children or grandchildren by awarding eighteen college scholarships, amounting to $38,500, for the 2005-2006 academic year. The scholarships were awarded on the basis of need, academic excellence, major field of study and quality of an assigned essay. Special consideration is given to those students studying in the field of transportation.
“The Scholarship Trustees are proud to have been able to award scholarships to so many deserving students,” stated Don Orr, Chairman of the Scholarship Fund. “Thanks to a successful fundraising effort and the generosity of the trucking community we were once again able to award eighteen college scholarships.”
Recipients Receiving Memorial Scholarships in honor of Thomas Welby and Kai Norris in the amount of $3,000 are:
 Joleen Kotnik, is receiving a TCA scholarship for the second year. She works in the Human Resources department of Anderson Trucking Services and hopes to continue working for Anderson after graduation as a fleet manager. Being employed by a trucking company has been one of her most rewarding experiences.
Suzanne Hansen, a student at the University of Kansas , wrote that her father, who is a truck driver, is both a hero on the highway and a hero in her heart. Her first hand experience with trucking has taught her that truckers provide the crucial link in getting goods to customers.
Recipient of our Truck Writers of North America Scholarship of $2,500 is:
Natasha Vaughn has seen the trucking industry positively impact many of her family members. Her uncle, step father, two aunts, husband and father-in-law all work in trucking. Vaughn wrote, “When some think of the trucking industry they think of big trucks as a mode of transportation. I think of so much more!”
Recipients Receiving $2,000 Scholarships are:
Amanda Berry is the daughter of two owner-operators whose father taught her that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. She is currently a business major and hopes to do environmental work that will make a difference in the business world after graduation.
Amanda Chambers, an applied meteorology student as James Madison University credits her summer employment with Lawrence Transportation Systems with sparking her interest in earning a minor in business. She said the experience taught her the importance of effective oral communications and writing.
James Davis, a student in business and sports management at Bowling Green State University , literally grew up in trucking industry attending safety meetings with his father, the VP of Safety for Jet Express. Now James has his own connection with trucking working part-time as a package handler for UPS, he hopes to use the logistics principles he's learned in the professional sports industry after graduation.
Janna Davis watched her father's evolution in trucking as he moved from driver to dispatcher, and finally, to his current position of operations manager and learned alot about the industry. As she learned more about truck transportation she became interested in the insurance side of the business and hopes to work in large truck insurance when she graduates from Troy University .
Kara Dean is the daughter of a driver who has accumulated 2 million safe miles. Her father's experience made her realize that “ America moves on the wheels of semi-trucks.” She currently works in the accounting department of the company her father works for and she hopes to continue to contribute to the industry as an accountant when she receives her degree.
April Godbee thanks the trucking industry for allowing her to pay for her college tuition after she transferred to be at home with her father, a trucking industry employee of 35 years who was suffering from cancer. She paid her tuition with a job at her father's company where she gained invaluable knowledge about the business world.
Alexis Hair began working as an operations assistant at Shaffer Trucking to finance her college education, but quickly learned the benefits of the job went far beyond the paycheck. Her real world experience at Shaffer allowed her to solve problems, work in a real world business environment and observe outstanding management skills in her fellow employees. She found that the job truly complimented her classroom experience.
Sherry Hanson is a single mother with two small children who has benefited from the trucking industry personally and academically. Her position as a sales representative in the trucking industry has allowed her to achieve things she never thought possible and enstilled in her an enthusiasm for trucking which she is passing on to her children.
Renee House, the daughter of an owner-operator, gained insight into her business classes at Arcadia University through the trucking industry. She found her knowledge of trucking helped her to better understand economics and the importance of good business acumen in being an owner-operator like her dad.
Travis Levie says that the trucking industry has made him a stronger, more responsible person. His father's work as a truck driver has increased Travis's responsibilities during the time when his dad is on the road, which has helped make him a more reliable person and a better college student. He thanks his father for instilling in him the belief that he can accomplish anything.
John McDonald has been working in transportation since he graduated from high school starting at UPS and now at U.S. Xpress and he hopes to continue building a career in the field once he earns his degree. Though he has been presented with opportunities outside the transportation field he finds that the challenges he faces everyday keep him fascinated and eager to continue exploring transportation.
Melissa Miser has grown up in the trucking industry, both parents work in trucking and she hopes to start a career as a trucking advocate after graduation from Ashland University . Melissa hopes to make a difference in the industry through government involvement; her ultimate goal is to become a United States Senator and work through her position to further trucking.
Shawna Porter, a business student at Arkansas State University , says she's learned a lot about the business and operations side of trucking from her father who is an owner-operator. She knows that working in the trucking industry can be demanding, but she also understands that it is what her father loves doing.
Desiree Taylor a political science/business administration major at the university of Akron is thankful to the trucking industry for the consistent employment of both her parents. Their work in the industry has reminded Desiree of the importance of trucking, a fact she noted while ordering books for her classes, realizing that without trucks she would not have these important materials.
Kimberly Upchu, a student at the University of Mississippi , noted that her father has actually had more time for his family since he became a truck driver with Swift Transport. His trucking career has allowed him to earn more money and chose some of his hours so he can be more available for his family, a fact that Kimberly enjoys.
Truckload Carriers Association Scholarship applications for the 2006-2007 school year will be available in December, 2005. For more information, call Aimee Cirucci at (703) 838-1950 or visit www.truckload.org/scholarships/.
TCA is the only national trade association whose collective sole focus is the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry. The association represents dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and intermodal container carriers operating in the 48 contiguous states as well as Alaska , Mexico , and Canada . Representing operators of over 200,000 trucks, which collectively produce an annual revenue of over $20 billion, TCA is an organization tailored to specific truckload carrier needs. Top
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